Hey, hotstuff! The best times to eat
3. Eat healthy fats
The good kinds of fats -- essential fatty acids -- can boost your metabolism and encourage weight loss, says McKeith. Eat raw nuts and seeds such as flaxseed, hemp seeds, walnuts and almonds every day and eat fish about twice a week to get the good fats you need.
Saturated fats are weight boosters and harmful to your health. Avoid foods containing saturated fats such as cheeses, butter and fatty meats (including luncheon meats.)
4. Eat often
Aim to eat about six times a day, with three meals and three snacks. Eating healthy foods every few hours helps to keep your blood sugar level steady and your metabolism charged, explains McKeith. Eating often also helps to stave off cravings, which can happen when blood sugar drops. For meal suggestions and healthy recipes, visit gillianmckeith.com.
5. Eat early
Breakfast is a must and studies show that breakfast eaters lose more weight than breakfast skippers. "Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn't rev up until you eat again," says McKeith. "So if you skip breakfast, your body won't burn as many calories until lunchtime as it could."
Plus, when you eat the majority of your food during daylight hours, you'll be full and satisfied at night and less likely to snack. "Late-night eating is a recipe for weight gain, because there is [less] opportunity to burn off the food once you're in bed," she says.
6. Eat in peace
At meal and snack time, just say no to television, working, walking or reading. Eating in the presence of distractions can encourage over-consumption. "You eat on autopilot and the internal signals that tell you that you're full may not be triggered," says McKeith.
Create a peaceful environment for mealtime and sit down to enjoy your food. Bring your attention to what you're eating, savouring each morsel and chewing each mouthful about 15 to 20 times. This slows your pace, giving your body time to register it's full (takes 20 minutes for the brain to do so) before you eat too much.
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