Food : Creating a Healthy Relationship with Food

• If you're headed for a social event, be sure not to leave the house too hungry. If you eat a healthy snack such as fruit and vegetables before the gathering, you'll be more likely to manage your temptations and less likely to overeat.
• When eating out, cut your entrée in half as soon as you are served – wrap up the other half "to go" or consider splitting the entrée with a friend.
• Enjoy the pleasure of eating. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that your stomach is full. Slow down to savor the flavor and you're much less likely to overeat.
• Find a way to eat 100 fewer calories a day by trading regular soda for diet soda, switching to mustard instead of mayonnaise, or skipping your evening glass of wine. This small change could translate to a weight loss of 10 pounds a year.
• Studies show that eating breakfast can help you avoid regaining the weight you've lost.¹ The best way to start your day is with a high-fiber/low sugar cereal and lowfat milk or another combination of complex carbohydrates and lean protein. This could help prevent you from overeating later in the day.
• If you find yourself feeling hungry between meals, make assorted fresh veggies your first pick. You'll feel satisfied for fewer calories than you will with a high-fat, high-sugar snack and consume a host of health-enhancing nutrients.
• When you find yourself craving a particular food, stop and ask yourself if it's true hunger that's driving you to eat. If not, S.T.O.P.! Stop yourself from overeating and realize you have choices. Think about what you are doing and why. Overview the situation, is it food that you need? Pick an alternative to food if you are not experiencing physical hunger or enjoy food in moderation.
• Folic acid may help to prevent anemia, enhance heart health and prepare women for a healthy pregnancy – include more in your day with citrus fruit, dark-green leafy vegetables, and fortified grains².
• Calcium is well known for its role in building strong bones, but did you know it could help alleviate PMS symptoms, lower blood pressure, and reduce colon cancer risk? Aim for three to four servings of lowfat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, per day.
• Bake, broil, or grill chicken with the skin on to keep it moist, then remove the skin before eating to lower the fat and calories.
• When shopping for beef or pork, look for the leanest cuts – those with the word loin or round in the name, like sirloin and eye round.
• Turn your cookout into a salad bar: load your plate with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and an array of other vegetables, then garnish with 3-4 oz of sliced grilled meat, chicken, or fish.
• To add great flavor without the fat to any grilled meat or fish, try using a "rub" - a combination of herbs, spices, and seasonings.
• Season your vegetables with fresh herbs, lemon juice, low sodium broth, wine, flavored vinegars or low-calorie "butter spray" instead of butter or oil.
• More flavor + smaller portions = less fat. A small amount of delicious additions like sharp cheddar, bittersweet chocolate, or avocado can make a world of difference in a dish.
• To conserve calories when baking think "replace, reduce or remove". Replace essential ingredients with lowfat options, like using one cup of applesauce to replace one cup of oil. For non-essential ingredients like nuts or chocolate chips, either reduce the measure or completely remove the item from the recipe.
• Be careful not to confuse hunger with thirst. Before you eat, drink a glass of water; you'll often find it wasn't food, but fluid that you needed.
• Start out your meal with a salad, bowl of fruit, broth-based soup or whole grain bread. You'll find that meals built on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and soups may actually be more satisfying and result in lower total calories consumed.
• Bring portions back into balance by using visual cues: a deck of cards equals a serving of meat or poultry and a tennis ball equals a starch or fruit serving.
• To keep mealtime food triggers at bay, serve individual plates restaurant-style versus family-style, make portions look larger by using smaller plates, and keep serving dishes in the kitchen.
• Practice slim shopping strategies – plan meals and write a grocery list, never shop when hungry, and buy single-serve snack and dessert items.




¹ Wing R and Phelan S. Long-term Weight loss Maintenance. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2005;82(suppl):222S-5S

² Mahan LK, Escott-Stump S. Krause's Food Nutrition and Diet Therapy. 9th Edition. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Company; 1996

Mind : Developing a Balanced Approach to Living

• Resolve to succeed by setting realistic goals – small changes like adding one fruit or vegetable to your typical diet or using a pedometer to build an extra 2000 more steps into your day, can add up to big results over time.
• At parties, volunteer to be the "greeter". Take pictures, or walk the room to visit with every guest to distract you from the temptation of grazing at the buffet table.
• Think of lapses as learning opportunities. Forgive yourself, analyze what led to your less than healthy choices, and make a plan to make healthier ones next time.
• If you didn't lose the weight you wanted, instead of looking for what you did wrong, focus on what you did well and how you can strengthen your success.