As the monsoons are inching closer, the gloom becomes a normal occurence, our cravings start hitting the roof. The chill in the air churns up your cravings like no other. It’s almost criminal to not enjoy a good snack.
Is it even the monsoons if you don’t binge on a spicy Vada Pav, a plateful of Onion Bhajiya, Misal Pav or just the buttery, tangy Bhutta. But how do you eat these greasy, oily foods and still continue to be healthy and not give in to every craving you get.
Do You Need To Cut Down On Your Favorites?
Every celebrity you see out there talks about cheat meals, dieting, giving up on their favorite foods and just hitting the gym every single day? But are these the key to a healthy life? Does giving up your food really make you healthy? Is it the right way to go about with things? Let’s break it down for you.
When you completely cut something out of your daily diet, you end up craving it more than you usually would. Leading a healthy life doesn’t mean not enjoying food, giving up on your favourites. Not at all. Eating what you like and eating just everything that is keeps your craving in check and doesn’t build up a craving to a point where you feel extremely frustrated of with dissatisfied cravings, end up giving in and indulge like you shouldn’t. This is where Portion Control comes in to conversation.
What Is Portion Control?
Portion Control gets spoken about all the time but does anyone truly understand how it’s done and how you can adopt it in your daily schedule. It should be inculcated that eating what you like is not wrong but bingeing and eating in unreasonable quantities can be unhealthy.
1) Distinguish Between Hunger and Thirst
Most people tend to confuse hunger with thirst. When you suddenly feel pangs of hunger, think: are you hungry or just dehydrated. Drink some water, wait for a few mins if you still continue to feel hungry, then eat a bowl of fruits, salad, some snack.
2) Drink Water Before Meals
Make it a habit to drink a glass of water at least 30 mins before a meal. It keeps you hydrated, fills you up and keeps you from overeating and stuffing yourself. Don’t drink water to kill your hunger completely, drink a reasonable amount.
3) Fill Your Plate With Greens
When eating, avoid adding too many breads, packaged foods, fried foods. Try filling your plates with greens, beans, dals to keep you filled for longer periods and also keep your eating habits in check.
4) Avoid Eating Right Out Of Packets Or Containers
Always take things out in a plate, this will help you keep a check on the quantity you’re consuming and keep you from stuffing. Try using this hack mainly with sweets, chips, chocolates and any salty or fried foods. Take things out in a plate and restrict yourself to that. When you start bingeing from the packet, you can’t stop yourself and it gets all the more tough to leave the jar or packet.
5) Take It Slow
Everything can’t happen at once. Take it slow, take it one day at a time. When eating your meals, only focus on your meal and avoid any distractions. Keep your phone and other distractions away, when eating while doing other things can steal your attention and you keep munching mindlessly in which case you may lose track of what you’re doing and how much you’re eating.
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