Food, Music, and Pumpkin Everything

If you recall, last week I suggested that you listen to classical music while enjoying your dinner. This week, I read an interesting article pertaining to music and food.

A recent study in the journal Appetite revealed that when people listen to any kind of music while eating—even up-tempo selections—they ate more slowly than when they ate in silence. 

Good to know.

Why is it important to eat slowly?

To review, it’s good to spend at least 15-20 minutes enjoying your meal. It takes that long for your stomach to get the signal from your brain that it’s being fed.

I admit, this is a challenge for me.

Practice focusing on your snack or meal, and really taste the food. Conversing with those you are sharing the meal with will help you eat slower. Set down your utensils between bites.

If you customarily eat in 5 minutes, slow down and eat for 6 minutes. Set a timer. Practice slowing down a little at a time until you master this.

Turn off the TV. Remove the distractions. Turn on your favorite music. Savor the flavors.

Eating slowly is one way to improve your health and your relationship with food without even changing WHAT you’re eating.

Pretty sneaky if you’re asking me.

The eat slowly tip goes hand-in-hand with the stop at 80% full tip. When you eat slowly, you are in tune to when you’re almost full, rather than eating until you’re full, then minutes later, too full.

Conscious eating rather than mindless eating.

Practice.

We can’t control much in our day. Most of us can control our eating patterns.

 

NOW You Can Celebrate Fall and Pumpkin Everything

Happy Fall! Time to get out your favorite sweaters, jeans, and cowgirl (or cowboy) boots. 

I may have to add some canned pumpkin to my protein smoothie to celebrate.

CAUTION: Beware of hundreds of calories, sugar and fat grams in those pumpkin coffee drinks that have lots of everything else and little coffee. If you’re interested in learning more about this topic, check out the article I wrote for Get Healthy last November.

https://inkwellcoaching.com/2022/09/21/a-lotta-latte/

 

Feeling Stuck?

Sometimes it seems as though we make a bit of progress with dropping the weight, the cholesterol, the blood sugar, and then, the holidays or stress or life happens, and we’re right back where we started.

Or we even lose ground.

It happens. It’s depressing. It’s hard.

You begin. Again.

The holiday season and accompanying festivities are rapidly approaching. What if you were ready to head into them with confidence, knowing that your weight and health would improve during that time frame?

What if you had a coach to support you when days get tough, and you want to give up? What if you had someone to help you figure out what to cook and eat, especially during busy, stress-filled days?

If you’re feeling stuck and you’re not sure how to even begin, we need to talk.

Now is your time. Today is your day. Seize it.

Happy pumpkin everything,
Health Coach Carol

 “Advice from a pumpkin: be well-rounded, get plenty of sunshine, give thanks for life’s bounty, have thick skin, keep growing, be outstanding in your field, think big.” — Unknown