While there are plenty of fad diets that may help you lose weight, they
also leave you feeling hungry and food-deprived. For all those who don't
have the time or inclination to undertake a crash diet or even hit the
gym, we've got some great news. If you want to slim down the healthy and
painless way, try the following strategies. After all, it's not what
you eat but how you eat.
CHEW MORE, EAT LESS Studies show that the longer time you spend
chewing, the lesser calories you consume. Chewing for longer prevents
over-eating, by giving the brain more time to receive signals from the
stomach that it is full. It is not only great for digesting, but it also
helps in limiting your portion size. Try chewing your food 35 to 50
times per mouthful.
DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST No matter how late you
are running to work, avoid missing breakfast. There is a reason why it
is called the most important meal of the day. Your body (rather your
brain) expects to be refueled a few times each day, so when you skip
breakfast, you feel so hungry that when lunch time comes, you overeat or
maybe choose foods items that are not the healthiest choices. Missing
breakfast slows down your metabolism. More importantly, always eat your
breakfast, within an hour of waking up, as your body has gone without
food the entire night.
CONCENTRATE ON YOUR FOOD How many times
has your mother reprimanded you to not talk, read or watch TV while
eating food? Not without a reason. When you are multitasking during meal
times, your brain isn't focusing on the amount of food that you are
consuming and you are more prone to piling on pounds. This doesn't mean
that you cannot enjoy a meal with your friends. You can do so, but just
pay attention to what you are putting in your mouth!
DON'T
OVERCOOK YOUR MEALS Overcooking food kills or reduces the number of
nutrients your meal contains, and when you don't get enough nutrients,
you don't feel satisfied and soon start to get junk food cravings. To
combat this, try eating more raw foods like sushi and salads. Steam,
bake, blanch or grill vegetables and grill or bake meat and fish. Avoid
microwaving.
FRUITS BEFORE MEALS It is advisable to eat fruits at
least 30 minutes before any heavy meal. This way, the fruits will
digest quickly. Eating fruits on an empty stomach detoxifies your system
and supplies you with a great deal of energy for losing weight.
HAVE SMALLER MEALS, MORE OFTEN Ideally, you should eat five to six times
per day, with a two to three hour break between each meal or snack.
Eating more frequently gets your metabolism going and keeps it working
at an elevated level continuously throughout the day. But don't use this
rule as an excuse to overeat.
AVOID EATING AFTER 8 PM It's good
to eat your last meal before eight in the evening. This way you don't
land up binging on a snack before dinner time. If you find it hard to
resist, have some herbal tea or brush your teeth after dinner
immediately to switch your mind off from the idea of eating.
THINK AND DRINK While everyone knows it's necessary to drink at least
eight to 10 glasses of water, very few know when one should consume it.
When you drink is as important as what you drink. If you drink water
in-between meals, the liquid slows down digestion, diluting the acid in
your stomach and so the nutrients from the food that you eat are not
well absorbed. To avoid this try to drink water 15 minutes before or
after a meal, and if you really need to drink while you eat, limit
yourself to small sips only.
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