Lose weight by eating slower?

As we were told when we were young, it is the simple things that give the most reward.  Nutrition and diet are very important parts of an over all health plan to be sure.  But, how and where can be a simple and effective tool to discuss and use.

In today’s super fast, instant gratification society, we rush around from activity to activity attempting to “get it all done.”   When we finally get around to a meal, we tend to stuff down the food faster and faster to keep up.  When it comes to eating, studies are beginning to show that this can be counterproductive.  We need to follow what our mothers told us; “slow down and chew your food!”

We learn more and more about how the body works, this is a great example:

1. Lose weight. A growing number of studies confirm that just by eating slower, you’ll consume fewer calories — in fact, enough to lose 20 pounds a year without doing anything different or eating anything different. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to register that you’re full. If you eat fast, you can continue eating past the point where you’re actually full.
2. Enjoy your food. It’s hard to enjoy your food if it goes by too quickly. Make your meals a gastronomic pleasure, not a thing you do rushed, between stressful events.
3. Better digestion. If you eat slower, you’ll chew your food better, which leads to better digestion. Digestion actually starts in the mouth, so the more work you do up there, the less you’ll have to do in your stomach.
4. Less stress. Eating slowly, and paying attention to our eating, can be a great form of mindfulness exercise. Be in the moment, rather than rushing through a meal thinking about what you need to do next.
5. Rebel against fast food and fast life. A hectic, fast-paced, stressful, chaotic lives — the Fast Life — leads to eating Fast Food, and eating it quickly. Rebel against that entire lifestyle and philosophy with the small act of eating slower.

excerpt from  http://articles.mercola.com

Hope these tips help you find better health and a more relaxed spirit!

A Cherry a Day

The latest and greatest new fruit everyone seems to be talking about is Cherries- tiny little reddish pink balls of, apparently healthy, delicious goodness!

Problems sleeping? Can’t remember things as well? Or maybe experiencing some major jet lag? Recent research has showen cherries to be helpful from everything to easing stiff joints to reducing the risk factors for heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers.

Cherries contain a number of anti-oxidants which help eliminate free radicals in the body- those pesky, unstable molecules which cause damage to other (otherwise healthy)cells. This damage causes us to feel bad, gain weight, and age faster… Basically free radicals are no friend of mine!

There are two types of cherries, sweet and sour. The most popular type of sweet cherry is the Bing cherry, which is sold fresh in the grocery store. Tart or sour cherries are canned and used in pies, dried into fruit snacks and made into juice concentrate. Like most other fruits, cherries are fat-free, low in calories and sodium and high in certain minerals and vitamins such as
•    Vitamin A
•    Bioflavonoids
•    Ellagic acid
•    Perillyl
•    anthocyanins
•    Melatonin

Furthermore, cherries are a good-ol American grown fruit. The US is currently the 2nd largest producer and  exporter of cherries in the world!

So cheers to cherry good health!  And to quote the famous Emily Dickinson- “Merry, merry, take a cherry, mine are sounder, mine are rounder”.

View my favorite cherry recipes.