Stop Eating...

...when you are 80% full. This is what they do in the Okianawa blue zone and it is the meaning of their mantra, "Hara Hachi Bu". I have read "The Blue Zones" book and am passing on the lessons that we can learn from the people who have lived the longest. This is a lesson that most Americans, including myself, need to put into practice. I love to eat and I eat a lot (thankfully I have a pretty good metabolism), but it would do me good to pay attention to this mantra.

Here are tips from Dan Beuttner's book:

Serve your food at the counter, then store the leftovers
Make your food look bigger by using smaller dishes
Make snacking a hassle--hide them!
Buy small packages
Weigh yourself regularly
Eat slowly
Sit down while you eat
Don't eat late at night

Here is my tip:

Drink water or Iced green tea before and during your meal to help fill you up. Also, drink water before snacking--sometimes we mix up the thirst and hunger cues and can find that our body just might need to be hydrated. Eating foods with a lot of water in them like watermelon, soup, etc. can also help with feeling full.

Noah loves to eat, just like his mama. It's exhausting!