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It's amazing how many of my clients come to me making the same diet mistake. I have to admit, being guilty of it from time to time myself. What is it?...
Its what I call unconscious eating. These days most of us rush through the whole eating experience, barely acknowledging what we're putting in our mouths. We eat while distracted-working, reading, talking and watching television-and swallow our food practically whole. On average we chew each bite only eight times. It's no wonder that many people have digestive problems.
When it comes to increased health, it's not just what we eat but how we eat. Digestion actually begins in the mouth, where contact with our teeth and digestive enzymes in our saliva break down food.
There are many great reasons to slow down and chew your food. Aim to chew 30-50 times before swallowing and reap these benefits:
1. Saliva breaks down food into simple sugars, creating a sweet taste. The more we chew, the sweeter our food becomes, so we don't crave those after-meal sweets.
2. Chewing reduces digestive distress and improves assimilation, allowing our bodies to absorb maximum nutrition from each bite of food.
3. Chewing produces more endorphins, the brain chemicals responsible for creating good feelings.
4. Thoroughly chewing food is helpful for weight loss, because when we are chewing well, we are more apt to notice when we are full.
5. Chewing makes us feel more satisfied. Often, we overeat because we don't get that satisfied feeling.
It takes 20 minutes for you to receive a signal from your
stomach to your brain that you are full. Along with taking the time to chew your food properly, placing your fork down between mouthfuls allows for enjoyment of the whole experience of eating: the smells, flavors and textures. It helps us to give thanks, to show appreciation for the abundance in our lives and to develop patience and self-control.
I challenge you this month to pick one night of the week where you sit down for a mindful eating experience, savoring every last morsel.
In Good Health!
Liz
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Recipe of The Month: White Gazpacho Soup
For those of you who were unable to attend my "Weigh Less, Live More" cooking class last week, here is look at one of the delicious creations we made...
Ingredients:
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 1/4 cups seedless green grapes
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. raw almonds
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 clove garlic, peeled
1/2 small shallot, peeled
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp flax seed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup chopped tomatoes
Chopped chives for garnish
Put cucumber, 1-cup grapes, 1/4 cups almonds, almond milk, garlic, shallot, red wine vinegar and flax seed into a blender and puree until smooth, about 2 minutes.
The finished texture should be smooth, creamy, and just a bit grainy from the almonds. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then transfer gazpacho to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, or for up to 2 days.
When ready to serve, thinly slice remaining grapes and finely chop remaining almonds. Pour gazpacho into bowls, and garnish with sliced grapes, chopped almonds, tomatoes and chives; serve immediately
Serves 4: 116 Calories, 6g fat, 12g carb, 3g fiber, 4g protein
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Only 1 Day Left to Save $10!
"Ditch The Diet: Boosting Metabolism" Teleclass
May 20th 7pm EST
*You don't even have to leave your couch! Call in from anywhere to listen, learn and ask questions
*Break out of a diet rut and learn to tap into your own body wisdom
*Get clear on what works to boost your metabolic power without the deprivation of the diet mentality
*Separate fact from fiction when it comes to dieting
*Come away with a list foods to ignite your metabolic fire
*And so much more..
You don't want to miss this class!
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