10 Clever Ways to Eat Less, Shed Pounds, and Stay Healthier

Sometimes it does not take much to help yourself develop better eating habits, get a little healthier, or to avoid overeating. Listed below are very simple tips that many people can use to try to get a handle on their weight and eating habits.

1) Drink a glass of water before meals. You will feel fuller when it is time to eat and you should feel the desire to consume less food. Better yet, with your 8 oz. glass of water, add one to two teaspoons of raw apple cider vinegar. While not many scientific tests have been done on the benefits of apple cider vinegar for weight loss, proponents of the "apple cider vinegar lifestyle" claim that it helps to curb appetite. A link will be provided at the end of this article about apple cider vinegar weight loss benefits. Keep in mind that apple cider vinegar has a high acid content that can be irritating to some people's stomachs and may not interact well with other drugs. At the very least, drinking water before your meal will help you feel fuller by the time you must eat.

2) Walk 10 to 20 minutes before each major meal. Not only will you burn a few more calories and feel energized, at 3 mph for 20 minutes you should be able to burn off that 51-calorie mini Kit Kat bar you snacked on earlier during the day. If this mini walk makes your appetite even more ravenous, remember to try tip 1.

3) Eat slower than you usually do. You must give your body time for your stomach to communicate a feeling of fullness to your brain. That will not happen if you are shovelling in food quickly to avoid it getting cold, or to catch a television show. Take time to enjoy food. The Japanese love food and are credited for having a different appreciation for it. They are known to better cherish and savour it because of the belief that all food is sacrificing its energy for the consumer. Keep this concept in mind and at least savour the food before you gulp it down. According to Marisa Moore, National Spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, 20 minutes is the average time it takes your stomach to produce the hormones that tell your brain you are full.

4) Drink more water. Many people confuse thirst for hunger. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day is what most doctors recommend, but recent studies have come to challenge this. Spoken about in a CTV online article, in 2008, Drs. Dan Negoianu and Stanley Goldfarb of the University of Pennsylvania assessed published clinical studies on the different benefits of drinking water. Dr. Stanley Goldfarb found that the only significant benefits of increased water intake were that it helped fight weight gain and helped improve skin tone. He summed it up to reporters by saying, "Drink when you're thirsty is the way your body is designed". Drink a tall glass of water if you are not sure if you are hungry or thirsty. If you find yourself still hungry 5 minutes after that, it's likely hunger.

5) Eat food on a smaller plate. Do not overlook this tip. This should help you control your portions. Man is a visual creature, and if you use a big plate you may likely fill it with more food than may be necessary for your appetite at that moment. Some people hate the idea of wasting any food on their plate, especially when mommy and daddy scolded them about the less fortunate. If you are that kind of person, you know you plan to eat every morsel even if you feel full. Have different plate sizes available for different levels of hunger. Don't just put them aside as China for when guests come. Use them!

6) If you like to snack on the infamous potato chips, try making your own at home. Choosing low fat baked Lays potato chips over the regular kind is a healthier choice, but they still put sugar in their product, and sugar is addictive. You may find yourself returning to the baked Lays bag and eating more than you intended. You are better off finding a great recipe for homemade baked potato chips.

7) If you feel like you have consumed too much sugar in a day and are feeling guilty, maybe too many fruit juices with artificial sugar, maybe too many candies, try the same concoction of water and apple cider vinegar mentioned in tip 1 before bedtime. According to a WebMD reference, several studies have shown promising results of apple cider vinegar's ability to lower blood glucose levels, especially in diabetics.

8) Are you feeling for something of substance that will not make you fat? For dinner, choose fish instead of chicken. Tuna, sardines, and salmon are great choices. Omega 3 fish oil has been shown to help weight loss.

9) Snack on fruits instead of candies. If your sweet tooth kicks in, it is better to reach for the naturally sugared fruits than the artificially sugared candies with additives in them. Not only are you fulfilling your sweet desire, you are giving yourself the necessary vitamins that help maintain your body instead of hurt it.

10) Every so often, you should go on a cleanse to rid your body of some of the toxins it has built up. Find a good brand of detoxification tea. It is also important to de-worm yourself at least once a year. Humans are not immune to parasites. Parasites can often be found in the food that we eat, even cooked food. If your body is infested with parasites, they may be eating your food supply, making you hungrier, making you eat more and gain weight. They have been known to cause great illness within the body. Triple Leaf Tea is a good brand for easy, daily or weekly detoxification. Their herbal teas typically can be taken everyday. For de-worming, using the herb wormwood, or using a wormwood combination that includes such worm-slaughtering elements like black walnut hulls are well-known treatments for getting rid of parasites. At best, if you have no worms, cleansing your body will rid you of waste and toxins.

Follow these simple tips and you too may find yourself shedding a few extra pounds and avoiding overeating.

Sources and links:

"Apple Cider Vinegar and Weight Loss." www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/apple-cider-vinegar-and-weight-loss.html. apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com

Laskey, Jen. "How to Feel Full Faster: Eating healthy filling foods can help you lose weight without feeling hungry." http://www.everydayhealth.com/fitness-motivation/feel-full.aspx. Everyday Health.

Ctv.ca news staff. "Drinking water may have little benefit: study." http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080402/water_study_080402?s_name=&no_ads=. CTV.ca.

WebMd. "Apple Cider Vinegar." http://www.webmd.com/diet/apple-cider-vinegar?page=2.WebMd.