By Crystal Petersen, RDN, LD GCMH Wellness Program Manager Summer is often a time of loose schedules, vacations and days packed full of activities—but it’s still important to make mealtimes a priority. Regular meals and snacks provide more opportunities to give your body the energy and nutrients it needs, allowing you to work, play and enjoy the day! Plan and structure your meals Planning to eat every three to four hours may help prevent between-meal hunger that can lead to unwise snacking or overeating. At meals, eat enough, but not too much, to reduce the chances of overeating. On a scale of 0 to 10 (where 0 is starving and 10 is painfully full), you should aim to eat at about a level 6, where you are comfortably full but not stuffed. With regular mealtimes, your body and mind can trust that the next meal is not too far off and can help avoid hunger-induced food cravings. Ditch the mindless and chaotic eating habits and begin putting mealtime structure in place. Start by choosing the foods you eat now and schedule them into meal and snack times that work for you. Conquer this, and then plan a little further out by planning meals for the next day or two. Remember: A healthy, reliable rhythm of eating is the intention. School lunches, home-cooked meals, dining out, and a bowl of cereal and milk are all meals. Elaborate meal plans and gourmet, freshcooked meals are optional. Be smart about snacks Adding well-spaced snacks, about halfway between mealtimes, keeps your energy high while allowing you to arrive at the next mealtime feeling hungry but not famished. Standard U.S. Postage PAID Grundy County Memorial Hospital 201 E. J Ave. Grundy Center, IA 50638 2024 © Coffey Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Information in LIVE WELL comes from a wide range of medical experts. If you have any concerns or questions about specific content that may affect your health, please contact your health care provider. Models may be used in photos and illustrations. LIVE WELL is published as a community service for the residents of the service area of Grundy County Memorial Hospital, 201 East J Ave., Grundy Center, IA 50638, grundycountyhospital.org, 319-824-5421 Adam Scherling Administrator Kelly Jans Marketing Communications Lead Crystal Petersen Wellness Program Manager A new treatment for skin cancer is here! Learn what this might mean for you— see page 4. TIPS FOR CREATING GOOD MEALTIME HABITS 1 Eliminate distractions and focus on eating. Anything that takes our focus off the food makes us more likely to eat more than we need without knowing it. The TV, phone, computer, email, work and driving are all common eating distractions. 2 Choose food you enjoy and actually taste it. Make time for food preparation and eating so you can notice and savor your food. Seeing, tasting and smelling the foods you enjoy will help you feel satisfied and content, likely decreasing the need for more food later. 3 Slow down! It takes 20 to 30 minutes from the time you start eating for a signal to get to your brain that your body has had enough food. Making this a habit allows your body to tell you that you have eaten the right amount. Improve your mealtime habits this summer
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