Following on from part 1 and part 2, here is part to in my ‘How to improve what and how you eat’ series:

10 STEPS TO IMPROVING YOUR NUTRITION

1. Eat smart. Eat right.  Plan and prepare your meals and snacks. Have your good foods handy so that you don’t get tempted by bad foods.

2. Eat healthily, and refer to the SSoS 7 Days of SANEity booklet as a guide: http://thesmarterscienceofslim.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/The-7-Day-Smarter-Science-of-Slim-Quick-Start-Guide-Final-formatted-for-ISSUU.pdf

3. Eat 5-6 small portions a day.   Eat and drink regularly, and don’t mistake hunger for dehydration.  If you feel hungry, try to drink a glass of water and see how you feel in 10 minutes. Sometimes when you think you are hungry, you are really just thirsty.

4. Never be or let yourself get hungry.  Make sure you are eating enough to lose weight – don’t starve yourself, never be hungry.

5. Drink lots of water and / or green tea (avoid fizzy juices, fruit juices & alcohol)

6. Hunger vs appetite.  Be aware of the difference between hunger (when you need to eat) and appetite (when you want to eat).  Don’t give in to appetite and just eat what you planned to eat.

7. Portion sizes. Meal Portions should be the size of a small bowl / 6 inch plate, snacks, the size of your fist or smaller.

8. Try to eat a balanced diet: 33% carbs, 33%protein, 33% fat. But don’t think about it too much.  If in doubt eat more protein to keep you fuller for longer.

9. Eat slowly and consciously.  Eat without digital distraction (TV and other media) if possible and eat whilst sitting down.  Eat consciously: think about what you are eating and why.  Realise when you are full and stop eating.

10. Review what and how you eat. Every so often look at your diet and slowly / steadily eliminate ‘bad’ things and replace them with ‘good’. Replace one bad with a good each week (ie diet coke to water, mars bar to fruit, Chinese takeaway to chicken n veg).

Look out for the next and final part in this series:

4. How to Improve How & What You Eat