If You Are What You Eat - Then Love It!

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Many of us are making, or trying to make, positive lifestyle changes to help us feel better and live a healthier lifestyle.. It doesn’t have to be an annual abandonment of unrealistic New Year’s resolutions, or an on again/off again cycle of “tomorrow I’m going to start (insert unrealistic healthy statement here)”. The good news is that food can be healthy, delicious, satisfying and guilt free all at the same time. It’s not all steamed vegetables and fish!

Stay focused

We can be easily distracted by the bounty of wonderful food available to us. Whether you are celebrating an event, out for the evening, or at home, be selective with your food choices. Be wary of the see-food trap and pay attention to what you would really enjoy. Enjoy your pick. If your favorite part of the meal is dessert and you are always too full by the time you get there to really enjoy it, consider skipping the appetizer or have a less filling entrée. Perhaps you might even try a ‘backward meal’ by starting with dessert and finishing with your entrée.

Slow down

Slow down and pay attention to what you are eating so you can truly enjoy it. Mindful eating helps you to savour the food you are eating and really appreciate all the wonderful flavours and textures. Not only does it help increase your enjoyment of food and result in more satisfaction overall, but it can also lead to being content with eating less.

Free yourself

Feeling satisfied and full is a good thing. Allowing yourself to eat what you want can help in being able to listen to your body’s signals of hunger, satisfaction and the feeling of being full. Paying attention to those body cues can help you make decisions of how much to eat. Ask yourself if having more will be more satisfying or if it will make you over full. Regardless of what your parents said, you don’t need to finish everything on your plate.

Be active

During the winter when it is cold and rainy, it can be especially easy to look outside and think “maybe tomorrow.” But being active is one of the best things you can do for your health. And, in order to improve your chance of sticking to it successfully, choose an activity that you like. If you would rather be tied up by your toe nails than hit the gym, what about going for a family walk, ice skating, snow shoeing, or sledding? Maybe you want to learn how to salsa dance or join a running group? Join with a friend and you can help keep each other on track.

Keep it all in balance

Like all lifestyle choices, keep in mind it’s about what we do most of the time that counts. Healthy eating can still include special birthday dinners out, desserts, and snacks at the movies. If you are planning on enjoying a full blown food affair that evening, still plan to enjoy satisfying and nourishing meals through the day. Include some whole grains and vegetables and fruit at your earlier meals. Some people find that eating smaller meals earlier in the day and/or the day after a celebration meal helps to balance their eating. This can be a good idea as long you try to eat from the four food groups as much as possible and don’t skip meals.

Paying attention to your feelings of hunger and fullness will help you see how your body changes from day to day. You may not be as hungry the day after a larger meal, so listen and see if lighter meals satisfy you that day.

Eating well doesn’t need to weigh on your mind. Make clear decisions and keep in mind that it is what we do most of the time that makes the difference. Enjoy your food. You are what you eat.

If you have questions about healthy eating, call 8-1-1 and ask to speak with a Registered Dietitian.