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For
better health, slow down
Jan 07, 09
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
However
we frame it, many of us are resolving to improve our diets
this year. We want to eat more nutritiously and we want to
lose weight.
We also want to enjoy food.
Here’s an idea that may allow you to do all of these
things. This year, resolve to slow down.
It may seem like a paradox, but eating more slowly can result
in eating less. Taking your time gives your body and mind
time to decide you’ve had enough before you stuff yourself
with more than you need.
A leisurely meal allows for more time to enjoy good food in
the company of others or to relax in a peaceful setting.
And let’s face it: Eating on the run doesn’t lend
itself to eating well. Grab-and-go meals tend to be higher
in bad fats, sodium and added sugar.
They’re more likely to include processed foods low in
the health-supporting nutrients – fiber, and vitamins
and minerals – found in whole foods such as fruits and
vegetables.
It’s important to take the time to eat well. That usually
means eating more meals at home and fewer meals in restaurants
and fast-food joints.
You’ll save money that way. Plus, you’ll have
more control over your diet if you prepare meals for yourself.
The best opportunities for relaxed meals at home, of course,
are at the beginning and end of the day. Even breakfast and
dinner pose challenges, though, for those of us who are in
the habit of rushing through each day.
So how can you help yourself slow down for leisurely meals?
Here are some suggestions to get you started:
* Fix it so that you have a half hour for breakfast. Sit down
at the kitchen counter or breakfast table and read the newspaper,
or sit on the back porch and enjoy the morning air.
Set your alarm clock a half hour earlier, and go to bed sooner
the night before. Take care of tasks – make your lunch
or iron that shirt – the night before so that you don’t
have to rush in the morning.
* Be ready with breakfast foods on hand. Quick and simple:
cereal and milk, instant oatmeal, fruit juice or fresh fruit
salad and whole wheat toast.
All you need is a couple minutes to set out your meal. Then
take your time enjoying an unrushed morning ritual.
* Buy smaller quantities of fresh foods more often. It will
make meal planning more intentional, a first step in slowing
down the pace.
Once or twice a week, buy fresh greens for salad, fresh vegetables
and fruit. Use what you’ve bought before buying more.
And think carefully before buying foods in bulk. Large containers
of some foods – vegetable oil, flour and nuts, for example
– can become rancid before you have time to use them
up.
It can be more economical to buy those foods in small batches.
* Establish a ritual of food prep. Set aside time each evening
when you get home from work and schedule nothing else.
Put on some easy-listening music, and relax while you wash
and chop vegetables or assemble the ingredients for a salad
or stir-fry.
* Serve meals in courses. Set out fresh vegetables with dip
or a plate of olives while you prepare the meal. Not a lot,
just enough to take the edge off everyone’s hunger.
Move to the dinner table and serve a small salad or cup of
soup next. Include some good bread. Follow that with a small
serving of the entrée.
Spread it out, and let the ritual of the meal be as much a
pleasure as the food itself.
This year, slow down to get ahead with your diet goals.
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