5 Healthy Eating Habits to Start Now

SLOW Down – Your Grandma was right, chew your food thoroughly. Put your utensils down in between bites; drink water; chat with family members. Take the time to really taste and enjoy your food. Think of this as conscious eating. Too often we scarf down our food without even being aware of the taste, smell and texture sensations. On a scientific note, it takes people an average of 20 minutes for all the hormones and chemical messengers involved with eating and feelings of satiety to do their trick and signal that you are full. So… if you’re a scarfer by nature you may have a tendency to eat much more than you need before that “full feeling” hits, BUT if you were to slow down and stretch your meals and snacks to the 15-20 minute mark you may find you need less quantity to feel satisfied
Where’s the Beef? (i.e. protein) – Protein in the form of meats, beans, nuts, seeds and even some grains like quinoa, take longer to digest and so keep us feeling full longer after a meal. Not to mention that the protein gets used to repair the protein in our bodies like muscle, bone and connective tissues and is less likely to be stored as fat. Try to incorporate some form of protein in every meal and snack.
Veggies are your best friend – You just can’t have too many of these. Opt for variety and choose the deeply colored and preferably organic varieties. Have veggies with all meals and snacks too. For portion perspective, veggies should take up ½ your plate. People wanting to lose weight should eat more veggies than fruits.
Carbs – It’s all in the timing – Like fat, carbs have been getting a bad rap and frankly it can be confusing to really know what to do about them. Yes, they can be very, very bad like the processed, prepackaged baked goods, white breads, sugars and fruit juices, but the fact is we need carbs – it is the only source of energy our brains can use and if you do exercise intensely and frequently, your body relies on stored and readily available carbs. However, too many carbs get stored as fat – pure and simple. So consider complex cards like whole grains and natural foods and sweeteners. Also, consider WHEN you eat your carbs. Our bodies process carbs much more efficiently 2 -3 hours after we exercise. So if you need your pasta and rice or even that treat, schedule it into the meal around your workout.
Fats get a bad rap – Also like carbs, fats should not be avoided, our bodies require them to function properly and be healthy. They have significant roles in hormone production and transport and storage as well an in cell structure and protection. Avoid all trans fats and try to have an equal balance between saturated fats (animal fats, tropical oils), monounsaturated fats (olive oil, avocados, almonds) and polyunsaturated fats (fish oil, flax seed, canola oil). And these should total about 30% of your total daily cals.