It doesn't take a rocket scientist.....

I learned a wealth of knowledge in my HEAL group last semester. So much in fact, that I will have to bust it up into several postings. 

 

I want to start out  with the simple. 

Eating to me was such a mindless task. I would skip breakfast and be absolutely starving by lunch. Due to that (and other starving moments through out the day) I would eat whatever was fastest and closest. And by "eat"- it normally meant "inhale". I really had no idea what I was doing to my body, or what horrible eating patterns were actually doing to my relationship with food. 

I realize that some of you will look at this list and think "Um, that's really common sense". To someone with a jacked-up relationship with food, like myself, these tips literally saved my life.

 

 

The Super-Practical Steps of Healthy Eating

1. Select When to Eat

Get in touch with your hunger and satisfaction cues. Learning how to gauge your hunger and fullness is a process, so give yourself some time. Use the HEAL Hunger Scale* regularly throughout the day. 

2. Select What to Eat

Choose food that will both satisfy and nourish you.

3. Sit Down

If you think you don't have time to actually sit down and enjoy your meal, then take a closer look at your life, and figure out a way to make the time! Sitting down while you eat facilitates digestion and also enables you to relax and more fully enjoy your food.

4. Say Thanks

Most of us are blessed to have access to food whenever we want, so it's a privilege to cultivate a heart of gratefulness. Talk to God with a thankful heart for the food he has provided. Ask Him to guide you as you eat so that you can respond appropriately to your body's signals of hunger and satisfaction. Finally, ask him to nourish you with the food so you can serve Him.

5. Slow Down and Take Small Bites

Don't engage in "garbage disposal eating": throwing it in, grinding it up, and sucking it down. Take deep, slow breaths; put your fork down; and enjoy your food and the people sharing the meal with you.

6. Savor the Flavor

While food should never be something we worship, it's certainly not wrong for us to enjoy it! Savor the food you eat - enjoy the sight, smell and taste!

7. Satisfy!

Stop eating when you feel satisfied - not when you're so full you have to lie horizontally! Remember, there is a 20-to-30 minute delay before your brain registers that you are pleasantly satisfied.