1. Keep it Clean
Stick to whole foods, and not food products. A whole food hasn’t been processed or manufactured. It comes from nature. Food products are combinations of foods and chemicals. Keep it as clean as you can. For example, an orange is a whole food. Orange juice is a food product. It has added sugars and other chemicals to increase its shelf-life.
2. Drink Water All Day
Drinking water often times suppresses appetite cues and helps to fill up the stomach. Mix it up with cool water, warm water with lemon, and fruit-infused water. Drinking throughout the day helps maintain hydration and detoxify the body.
3. Breakfast is Key
It’s really important to try to eat within 30-45 minutes of waking. If we fail to do so, we fail to start up our metabolism for the day, so by your next meal, it will already be running slower than it should be. The body won’t naturally rev your metabolism with the presence of food in order to compensate and reserve energy for the “starving” body. You’ve already fasted 6-8 hours, fuel up for the day ahead. Doing so also helps stabilize blood sugars and prevents you from binging at your next meal.
4. Portion Control
Remember that a serving size is different than a portion size. If the serving size is half a cup, and you have 2 cups, you’ve had 4 servings of that food item. Be mindful of your portions and only take what you can consume until satisfied, not full.
5. Graze Healthfully
Snacks are great between meals. If you skip snacks, you’ll feel famished by the time your next meal comes, causing you to binge and overeat. Snack on a handful of almonds and a piece of fruit in between meals, or on a nice little trail mix of cashews and dried cranberries.
6. Eat Until Satisfied, Not Until Full
You need to take your time when you eat in order for your stomach to catch up to your brain. Your brain may not feel satisfied just yet, but give it a few minutes and your stomach will let your brain know that you’re good to go. So don’t eat until you hate yourself, eat until you start to feel satisfied before entering the full stage. Your digestive system will thank you for it about 20 minutes later.
by Samantha Coogan, MS, RDN, LD
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