2. I’ll eat later
when I’m
not stressed
LEANPROTEIN
–
E
.G. CHICKEN, FISH
CARBOHYDRATE
–
E.G.RICE,PASTA
NON-STARCHYVEGETABLESANDSALAD
PROTEIN
VEGETABLES & SALAD
CARBS
When you’re bored, stressed,
or feeling emotional you can find
yourself reaching for food even
though you’re not physically hungry.
An easy way to check if you’re doing
this is to keep a record of what you
eat and how you are feeling when
you do, then work out how often
your eating is really about hunger.
EAT WHEN YOU’RE
HUNGRY, NOT EMOTIONAL
Eating regularly stops your body
from thinking it is being starved.
Skipping a meal may seem like an
easy way to drop kilos, but your
body simply tells you to over-eat
later to compensate. We are meant
to eat every 2 to 5 hours, so make
sure you have 3 meals a day, and
prepare some healthy snacks like
fruit, unsalted nuts or a low-fat
yoghurt for the breaks in between.
A mid afternoon snack for the long
gap between lunch and dinner can
stop overeating at dinner time.
And don’t skip breakfast – because
it kick-starts your metabolism, the
fat-burner!
EAT 3 MEALS A DAY AND
DON’T SKIP BREAKFAST
Low GI carbohydrates are digested
slowly by your stomach, providing
sustained energy release. Try to
include them at each meal. This can
be as simple as eating whole grain
instead of white bread, Basmati
instead of Jasmine rice, porridge
instead of corn flakes, sweet potato
instead of potato, and eating a piece
of fruit, vegetable or nuts instead of
chips or packaged snack foods.
EAT HEALTHY FATS
AND LOW-GI CARBS
Saturated fats raise your cholesterol
and increase the risk of heart disease.
They’re in fast food, snack foods,
pastries and deep-fried foods, so
enjoy them occasionally. Choose lean
meat and oily fish such as salmon,
tuna and sardines. Cook with healthier
oils like canola, olive, sunflower and
sesame oils. Try avocadoes, hummus
or spreads made form canola, olive
or sunflower oil – but remember to
reduce your overall fat intake.
carbohydrates (preferably low GI),
and the remaining half, salad or
non-starchy vegetables. Think of a
‘palm’ sized portion of protein, a ‘fist’
sized portion of carbohydrate and
2 ‘cupped handfuls’ of vegetables or
salad. If you’re a vegetarian, substitute
tofu, eggs, lentils or chickpeas for
your protein.
BALANCE WHATS
ON YOUR PLATE
You’ll be more satisfied, and for
longer, if you eat a balanced amount
of carbohydrates, protein and
vegetables or salad. An easy way
to do this is to divide your dinner
plate into quarters, then make
one quarter protein, one quarter
Take the time to savour your food.
Slow down and enjoy the aromas
and textures as well as the tastes.
By truly ‘experiencing’ your food,
you can gain more enjoyment with
each and every mouthful. Best of
all, you’ll find you don’t need to eat
as much before you feel satisfied.
Remember to taste every delicious
morsel before going for the next
mouthful!
ENJOY YOUR FOOD,
DON’T RUSH IT
Arriving home with no idea what
to eat is a fast track to fast food.
Take a bit of time to plan your meals
for the coming week; write down
what will be on your plate for each
night and shop regularly so that you
have the ingredients ready in your
kitchen. Then when your stomach
screams feed me! you won’t have
to silence it by resorting to an
unhealthy take‑away.
PLAN YOUR MEALS
FOR THE WEEK
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8
65
10
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