04 Jan Healthy eating tips for 2011: Part II

In Part II of healthy eating tips for 2011 here are five more tips to eat better this year and achieve your New Year’s resolution:
1. Drink a big glass of water before a meal – Water is extremely good for you and will also help fill you up more before a meal.
2. Take smaller bites – The eyes are often much bigger than the stomach. Put less on your fork and take smaller bites.
3. Set that fork down – There’s nothing wrong with setting your fork down during a meal and taking some time to talk. Some people practically throw sparks off their plate because they eat so fast, but this can lead to overeating because the signal from the stomach that it’s full to the brain is delayed by 15 minutes. Take your time to eat a meal – this will help you eat less and also digest your food better.
4. Fight off cravings – One of the most common diet villains is the craving. I talk to people who say they eat fairly well during the day, but then at night wind up getting a craving and blowing their calorie count for the day with snacks such as a bunch of evening ice cream or potato chips and dip.
When those cravings strike, try a substitution such as chewing gum, drinking a large glass of water, eating a piece of fresh fruit, work out on the treadmill or even brushing your teeth.
5. Eat a healthy breakfast – Eating a healthy breakfast gives you much-needed energy for the day and sets you up to not binge eat later.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.com