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It’s the holidays and for most Americans, that means eating – lots of eating – followed by weight gain and a New Year’s resolution to lose weight.

But why not take a healthier approach to what we eat during this holiday season and beyond?

According to a recent website survey, about 18 percent of people say it’s hard for them to eat healthy because they don’t want to stop eating their favorite foods. The good news is you don’t have to.

You can still enjoy your favorite occasional indulgences, but in moderation. It’s all about being mindful of what you eat.

Mindless Eating

Mindless eating is consuming food just because it’s there. It’s eating while distracted – watching TV, working at a computer or texting on our smartphones. It’s eating for emotional comfort instead of for hunger. Simply put, it’s not paying attention to what we eat which can lead to being overweight and even obesity.

“Mindless eating has always been an issue,” said Riska Platt, M.S., a registered dietitian and certified nutritionist for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center at Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York. “The key to mindful eating is awareness. Just by paying more attention to what you eat, you’re more likely to make beneficial changes.”

Awareness

When you pay attention to what you’re eating, you can make small changes that make a big difference. Here are some tips toward a more mindful approach:

• Control portions. Especially during the holidays, know that you’ll have more opportunities to eat festive snacks and desserts. You don’t have to deprive yourself, just eat smaller portions and less often.
   
• Eat when you’re hungry. Just because the clock says noon doesn’t mean you have to eat. If you’re not hungry, wait until you are – just don’t wait until you’re famished because you might overeat. Also, don’t eat just because the food is available. Learn more about why you might be eating when not hungry.
   
• Plan. Prepare healthy snacks throughout the day. If you tend to get hungry between meals, bring along a 200-calorie, whole grain, high-fiber snack. Fiber keeps you feeling full longer. Learn how a little planning helps your heart, and your budget.
   
• Slow down. Enjoy each bite and put your fork down while chewing, then take a drink between each bite. This gives your body enough time to trigger your brain that you are satisfied (not necessarily full).
   
• Pay attention. Do not eat in front of the TV or computer, or while standing in the kitchen or talking on the phone. When you do these things, you’re more likely to lose track of how much you’ve eaten.
   
• Use technology. As we continue to become increasingly distracted by modern technology, our focus on health can fall to the back burner. But it doesn’t have to be that way. “We can actually use our smartphones and other electronic devices to help us,” said Platt, a volunteer with the American Heart Association. “There are now apps that manage food records, count calories, help you track what you eat and even provide guidance on healthy food choices at the grocery store and restaurants.”
   
• Keep a food diary. Write down everything you eat, look at it, then identify why you ate it – was it hunger, stress, boredom? Then look for areas you can make adjustments and incorporate healthy changes. “Keeping a food diary is really key to awareness,” Platt said. “Most people are surprised at all they’ve consumed when they review what they’ve eaten.”

Last week we determined that self-care is essentially the practice of taking an active role in preserving our own well-being and happiness.  This practice could mean something different for you than it does for your spouse or coworker but the benefits are for everyone that partakes.  The benefits of self-care include an increase in resilience, emotional intelligence, mental flexibility, willingness to collaborate plus others.  Next week we will share more benefits of self-care and give additional tips on self-care.  Here are 15 more ways to provide yourself with self-care:

1. Treat yourself like your best friend
2. Take a walk
3. Volunteer for a cause
4. Practice asking for/accepting help
5. Read and reflect
6. Exercise
7. Color/draw/paint
8. Take time off
9. Maintain your boundaries
10. Create something
11. Set aside time for yourself
12. Don’t be a negative sponge
13. Practice mindfulness
14. Appreciate nature
15. Make healthy food choices
    

*source:  National Safe Place Network

What exactly is “self-care?”  It can be defined as the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, especially during times of stress.  Engaging in self-care tends to increase happiness, sense of well-being, ability to focus, empathy, compassion for self and others plus other benefits.  Over the next 3 weeks we will share more benefits of self-care and give some tips on how to take an active role in your self-care.  Here are 15 tips to get your started:

1. Stay hydrated by drinking water
2. Stretch in order to relax and refocus
3. Say “no” when you need to
4. Set realistic goals and to-do lists
5. Go outside and soak up the fresh air/sun
6. Forgive yourself and others
7. List five things you are grateful for each day
8. Build positive social connections
9. Drink hot tea
10. Laugh
11. Make sure to get enough rest
12. Avoid blue lights (televisions, phones, electronics) an hour before bed
13. Use your support system
14. Play with a pet
15. Find podcasts or music that encourage joy and relaxation

*source:  National Safe Place Network