Healthy eating involves not only the things we eat, but also the way we eat. The most important thing is that we should learn to eat “smart”. We should learn to pay attention to the food we choose and start consuming nourishing and enjoyable foods which will contribute to our healthy diet. Here are some guidelines about smart eating:
• Don’t hurry up to eat your food. You should chew it slowly and taste its flavors. Eating is not only for sustaining our body, it is joy.
• Avoid eating while you are stressed because the digestion may be at risk and this may result in colitis or heartburn. It is recommended that you don’t eat while you work, drive or watch TV. You may try to relax by making a few deep breaths before you start eating.
• Learn to listen to your body. Try to make difference between hunger and thirst. If you think you are hungry, drink a glass of water first because you may be just thirsty. Also, the brain needs some minutes to be informed that you have had enough food, so stop eating some time before you feel completely full. This way you will not overeat.
• Breakfast is very important meal so do not skip it. Start your day with a healthy breakfast and consume the bigger part of the daily calories early in the morning. Thus, the body will have the whole day to process the food. In addition, you should eat small healthy meals every 3-4 hours during the day rather than the usual three large meals.
These simple guidelines are very useful and will help you change your eating habits in order to eat healthy.