Before you take a bite of something that you know you shouldn’t, take a couple of extra seconds to think. Your choice to eat is conscious.
If you think you’ll regret it later, grab a glass of water with lemon or sliced cucumber. Being thirsty can be confused with hunger, so guzzle some good ole H2O and see if the urge to splurge goes away. If you’re in between planned meals and you feel like you need a little something, snack on some sliced celery, cuke, or jicama with hummus.
Eat Food Consciously
That means no mindless munching, maniacal multitasking, or what I call “fridge forking,” you know, standing in front of the refrigerator and using your fork to taste test everything in sight.
Grab a plate, sit, and breathe. When your mom told you to chew your food carefully, she had a good reason for it (besides not wanting you to choke!).
By chewing properly, you help your body process your food intake more efficiently. The act of chewing stimulates your salivary glands to release saliva, which helps moisten your food. Saliva also contains special chemicals that help your body break down carbohydrates, which is why it’s really important to chew those thoroughly.
Your taste buds also send signals to your brain about the flavors you are tasting and what type of chemicals and enzymes will need to be released, so if you’re rushing the process, you may be putting more stress on your system. Try to chew everything as many times as possible until it literally dissolves in your mouth.
Taste Every Bit of Your Food
You paid for it, so get as much pleasure out of each bite as you can! Food consumed out of boredom will leave you feeling less than satisfied.
My grandfather always used to tell me, you might not have all the money in the world but you can share something with even the richest people—a meal. Food brings people together around a table in an act of caring that goes way beyond eating. It’s an opportunity to bond, catch up on the day, and connect with your friends and family.
Growing up, I remember my mom experiencing no greater joy than seeing our faces when we’d devour in 15 minutes what it took her all afternoon to cook. For her, it was time well spent.
Now, we may not all have the luxury to spend hours in the kitchen everyday, but if we become more conscious in our eating, and spend a little bit of time preparing, we set ourselves up for success.
On my 18-year journey, and counting, I can say it’s about the “er” in the everyday—cleaner, leaner, better, fitter, safer, healthier, happier. It’s not about being perfect today, it’s about being better than yesterday. What you choose today makes the difference.
I can’t say it enough—the enlightenment of knowing what your body needs and feeding it properly is life changing! It will affect your mood, your energy level, how you handle stress, how you deal with your relationships, your ability to sleep, and every other aspect of your consciousness. You will crave good things. You’ll become stronger than you’ve ever felt and you’ll develop a deeper appreciation for that incredible temple of yours. It’s that powerful.
Eat and repeat, one bite at a time.
Mareya Ibrahim is The Fit Foody, an award-winning chef on Everyday Health’s Emmy-nominated show “Recipe Rehab,” and author and founder of EatCleaner.com. Her book “The Clean Eating Handbook,” a guide on how to eat cleaner and get leaner, was released in May 2013.
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