Easy Steps to Mindful Eating habits.

What is mindful eating?
Part of successful long term weight management is minimizing deprivation and eating foods that you enjoy on a regular basis. Deprivation or avoidance may work in the short-term, but usually leads to feeling out of control, self-criticism, and eating more.
It is helpful to adopt a more healthy and balanced approach to eating. This involves mindful eating: planning ahead and looking forward to eating special foods, rather than engaging in the deprivation/guilt cycle. If you truly enjoy the food, you’ll be more satisfied and are less likely to want excessive portions.

Tips for adding favorites to your meal plan:
✔ Plan ahead. Set a specific place and time to fit the food into your daily and weekly plan. This will allow you to look forward to your favorite food.
✔ Eat the food with others. There is no reason to hide or be ashamed. Eating with others will help you reinforce a more positive perspective on eating.
✔ Purchase the food in small quantities. Limiting your exposure to the sight and smell of enticing foods will
decrease the chances of overeating.
✔ Expect to want more. Old habits are hard to break. Our desire for more is based on the belief that you shouldn’t be having this, so you better eat it while you can. Remember, you can plan to have your favorite food occasionally.
✔ Savor the moment and eat slowly. If you are particularly hungry, you are likely to eat quickly and not enjoy the taste the food completely. Your goal is to fully enjoy the food you eat. Eat slowly, savor each mouthful, and enjoy the moment.

Here is a quick guide to supporting your daily eating choices:

 What foods do you want to include in your eating plan?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
What are the automatic thoughts that make you feel you can’t control or shouldn’t eat this food? _____________________________________    _____________________________________ _____________________________________    _____________________________________

How can you change the automatic thoughts about this food to a positive thought?
_____________________________________    _____________________________________ _____________________________________    _____________________________________

Now describe the steps you will take to enjoy and control your eating experience.....

What is the amount of the food that you will eat? ___________________________________

How many calories is this amount? __________________ Calories

Will you need to adjust your daily or weekly intake to allow for the extra calories?    Yes    or No


If yes, how will you do it? ______________________________________________

Where and when do you plan to eat this food?

_____________________________________

What serving size do you plan to have?
__________________________________________

What factors may lead to overeating? ___________________________________________

Thoughts about food, how to shift?

How a person thinks about food is significant.  If dirt and sunshine are required in our diets, then how do we eat that?  Well, this video brings it back to basics to shift an idea about Food Matters.  Thanks for watching and subscribe to my channel.  Enhance education for all, support your Wellness Hero!
Food Matters Video

10 Tips for buying Healthy Food on the CHEAP.

Eating better on a budget....

10 tips to help you stretch your food dollars

Nutrition Education

Get the most for your food budget! There are many ways to save money on the foods that you eat. The three main steps are planning before you shop, purchasing the items at the best price, and preparing meals that stretch your food dollars. 

1.  Plan, plan, plan! Before you head to the grocery store, plan your meals for the week. Include meals like stews, casseroles, or stir-fries, which “stretch” expensive items into more portions.

2. Check to see what foods you already have and make a list for what you need to buy.
get the best price.  Check the local newspaper, online,
and at the store for sales and coupons. Ask about a loyalty card for extra savings at stores where you shop. Look for specials or sales on meat and seafood—often the most expensive items on your list.

3. Compare and contrast Locate the “Unit Price” on the shelf directly below the product. Use it to compare different brands and different sizes of the same brand to determine which is more economical.

4.  Buy in bulk It is almost always cheaper to buy foods in bulk. Smart choices are family packs of chicken, steak, or fish and larger bags of potatoes and frozen vegetables. Before you shop, remember to check if you have enough freezer space.

5.  Buy in season Buying fruits and vegetables in season can lower the cost and add to the freshness! If you are not going
to use them all right away, buy some that still need time to ripen.

6.  Convenience costs...go back to the basics Convenience foods like frozen dinners, pre-cut vegetables, and instant rice, oatmeal, or grits will cost you more than if you were to make them from scratch. Take the time to prepare your own—and save!

7. Easy on your wallet Certain foods are typically low-cost options all year
round. Try beans for a less expensive protein food. For vegetables, buy carrots, greens, or potatoes. As for fruits, apples and bananas are good choices.

8.  Cook once...eat all week! Prepare a large batch of favorite recipes on your day off (double or triple the recipe). Freeze in individual containers. Use them throughout the week and you won’t have to spend money on take-out meals.

9.  Get your creative juices flowing Spice up your leftovers—use them in new ways. For example, try leftover chicken in a stir-fry or over a garden salad, or to make chicken chili. Remember, throwing away food is throwing away your money!

10.  Eating our @ resturants can be expensive.  Save $$$ by getting the early bird special, going out for lunch instead of dinner, or looking for “2 for 1” deals. Stick to water instead of ordering other beverages, which add to the bill.