5 easy tips to help you lose weight

“Everything starts with what you eat, and how you eat it!” 

A number of clients have asked about easy tips for healthy weight loss. Most people know the general tips for weight loss like avoid deep fried greasy foods, decreasing alcohol, increasing water and eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. However, these 5 easy tips may not have crossed your mind:

1. Include protein and /or a healthy fat in all of your meals and snacks. 

Why this works: proteins and fats take longer for your body to process and digest.  Proteins and healthy fats provide the body with a more sustained energy release, so you feel sated for longer.  

In contrast, simple carbohydrates (like toast with jam) can elicit a quick rise in blood sugar and energy followed by a subsequent drop off in blood sugar; this can affect your mood and energy levels and will have you feeling hungry again sooner. 

By simply adding peanut butter (which coincidently is both a protein and a healthy fat) to your toast will give you a more sustained blood sugar level and energy level to keep you feeling full for longer. Proteins are important for your body, as they provide the building blocks of your body tissues (like muscles). Healthy fats are important for your body as they provide the building blocks of your hormones. 

 Examples of proteins: seeds, nuts, eggs, fish, peanut butter, cheese, chicken, lentils, chickpeas, hummus.   

Examples of healthy fats: fish, peanut butter, avocado, cheese, full fat yoghurt, coconut milk.

2. Eat slowly and mindfully

Sit down to eat. Chew your food well. This involves mindful eating and NOT eating in front of the TV, computer or looking at your phone.

Why this works: There is a natural satiety chemical that signals your brain (and stomach) that you have eaten enough. But it does take time for these chemical signals to build up and travel between your brain and stomach. 

Eating slowly and mindfully allows you time to:

• to enjoy your food

• gives your body enough time to recieve these satiety signals

• reduces the tendency for mindless snacking and overeating as you are aware of what you are eating.

  When you stop eating when you are feeling sated, will stop you from overeating, and will reduce any sensations of bloating and heaviness you may experience after eating.  

3. Use smaller plates when serving up your food.

This helps you manage portion control. You consume food with your eyes before you put the first bite into your mouth.   

Why this works: If you serve a portion on a smaller plate, it looks like a large portion propotionally; this tricks your eyes and brain into seeing that your meal is a larger one. On the flip side, if you serve a smaller portion onto a large plate, your eyes and brain will see the large empty spaces and your mind will register that your portion is tiny.

4. Fill your plate with 50 -75% vegetables

If you need to know proportions on a plate, this one is a good one for you. Fill your plate with at least 50% vegetables; the protein/meat portion should be the size of your palm, and the remainder is grains (if you are following a grain free way of eating, then add extra vegetables to fill to 75% of your plate). Try to include at least 3 different colored vegetables. All vegetables are delicious and the different colors ensure you get a variety of healthy nutrients.

If you are watching your weight, a general rule of thumb guidleine is vegetables that grow above the ground (eg leafy greens) tend to contain less calories compared with vegetables that grow below the ground (eg potatoes).

5. Take 2 deep breaths into your belly before eating your meals.

Take this time to bring your awareness to the present moment to:

• feast your eyes on the lovely meal in front of you

• inhale deeply the delicious aromas of your meal to get your tastebuds ready for eating.

Just two deep breaths helps to bring your body into a more relaxed state of being. Being relaxed allows your body to be able to digest your food better.

These 5 tips are easy to incorporate into your existing food routines. They are useful tips to continue for sustainable weight maintenance as well. Let us know if they have been helpful for you. 

If you need more help regarding your digestion or weight management, acupuncture and Chinese herbs may be able to help you further by

• improving your metabolism

• helping your body to process food better

• helping your body to digest foods better

• offer more specific advice for your body type

Simply book your acupuncture and chinese herbal sessions to further discuss your options.