First, eat more fruits and vegetables of all different colors.  I like to start with this because it’s easier to add something than to take something away.  It feels less restrictive, and it’s great advice. How do you do this?  Slice up a banana and put it on your cereal.  One half of a regular sized banana is one serving of fruit.  Add frozen berries to your plain or vanilla yogurt.  A half cup is one serving.  Use fruit instead of jelly on your PB&J sandwich.  Add zucchini, mushrooms, onions, peppers, tomatoes or any other kind of vegetables to your eggs.  A half cup of vegetables is one serving.  Have a cup of romaine, spinach or iceberg lettuce with your meal.  One cup of leafy vegetables is a serving.

How can this benefit you if you’re trying to lose weight?  First, fruits and vegetables take up space without providing a lot of calories; we can eat a lot without eating a lot of calories.  Second, they take time to eat.  How fast can you stuff a sausage McMuffin with egg in your mouth and how long does it take to eat an apple?  By slowing down we can feel that we’ve had enough to eat before we’re stuffed.

My second recommendation is to eat low fat dairy products.  By picking skim or one percent milk, you still get all of the nutrients (calcium, vitamin D) without getting the unhealthy saturated fat.

Third, pick food that is less processed.  Again, this isn’t about being perfect, it’s about making conscious choices to eat “wholer” foods.  Think of the satisfaction you get from a chunk of whole wheat bread compared to the soft, airy nothingness of a hamburger bun. Food that is less refined generally has more nutrients (some processed foods are fortified or have nutrients added back).  It also takes some time and some work to eat so we feel more satisfied with the same amount of food.

Fourth, do what you can to eliminate trans fat from your diet.  Evidence keeps piling up about how bad it is for us.  Just because a package says, “zero trans fat per serving” doesn’t mean there’s no trans fat.  Look for the words “hydrogenated oil” on the packaging.  If it’s there there’s hydrogenated oil in that food, don’t eat it.  (What is it anyway?  It’s basically man-made saturated fat.  It keeps food shelf stable and “fresh” longer.  It’s created by changing chemical bonds in regular oil.)

The fifth recommendation I have is simply to switch the size of your portions.  What do I mean?  Make vegetables a bigger part of the meal than the meat.  Imagine a twelve inch plate, fill half of it with vegetables, fill a quarter of it with protein (meat, fish, chicken, beans, eggs) and fill the last quarter with a starch such as rice, pasta or bread.  Even if your family won’t stand for it, it’s one way you can lower your overall calories per meal while still having the same meal as your spouse, your children or your friends.

Sixth, eat food you like and don’t eat food you don’t!  Sometimes you just need to put something in your belly, but usually you get to choose what you’ll eat.  If the food isn’t as good as you hoped, don’t eat it.  Did you pick up a cookie that tastes like cardboard? Toss it.  Many people are afraid of the “cost” or “morality” of wasting food.  Ultimately the cost will be your health.

My last recommendation isn’t about what you’re eating as much as how you’re eating. Eat without distraction.  Turn off the TV, get away from your computer screen, put down the telephone.  Enjoy other people’s company while you eat.  Use a knife, fork and napkin. Give thanks, pray or in some way acknowledge that you are about to eat a meal. It helps us to be conscious and aware.  Food is about love, community, pleasure and being connected to each other.  By eating mindfully, with purpose and with awareness, we tend to eat a little bit less.  Enjoying, savoring and choosing food that appeals to you can make you satisfied with less.

May you be happy and healthy,

Regan