Fueling Your Body
Our bodies require regular fuel and fluid to function optimally. But how much? If we eat too little, we won’t have enough energy but eating too much can leave us feeling rundown as well. What we eat and drink directly translates to how we feel and perform. Here are a few simple tips to fueling your body.
Eat Breakfast!
Whether it’s a piece of fruit or a bagel with peanut butter, it’s so important to make sure you eat something in the morning. You may have heard this old adage, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Well, it’s true! How you fuel your body in the morning determines how your brain will function throughout the day. Skipping breakfast deprives your brain and disrupts your thought process. It can also lead to overeating at lunch and feeling sluggish through the afternoon. So make sure to have something in the morning to set yourself up for a great day!
Carrying around a water bottle
Staying hydrated is crucial to all the processes in the body. It helps regulate body temperature, transports nutrients throughout the body, aids in removing waste and helps brain function. It can also help keep you full. Carrying around a refillable water bottle will help encourage you to drink water throughout your day. Aim to refill and drink the water bottle at least 4 times to ensure proper hydration.
Use a smaller plate
Using a smaller plate at meal time may help decrease the amount of food consumed. This will make you believe you are eating more as the plate is completely full. A smaller plate is a great way to control your portion sizes. Try using a smaller plate at dinner time and see how your mind and body react to the change. You may not even realize you are eating less food!
Find a task to do after your first plate of food
Our body does not recognize it is full until about 15 minutes after you stop eating. It is important to give your body time to digest. After finishing your first plate of food, find something to distract you for 15-20 minutes. Clean the kitchen, call a friend, or read a few pages of a book! If you are still hungry after that amount of time, grab a small amount of food, and then wait another 15-20 minutes. You may be surprised how content you are after your first plate of food if you wait before grabbing your second!
