Do You Have A Healthy Appetite?

How times change! When you were growing up they said you had a
healthy appetite when you ate everything that was put in front of
you and then wanted more. You were probably even rewarded with
dessert for cleaning your plate.

Now that you've done all the growing you're going to do (at least
upwards) a healthy appetite is something else entirely.

So, what does a healthy appetite mean now?

1. Eating the Right Amount

If you eat just enough to feel satisfied at every meal you will
be hungry for each of your meals and probably for a snack
mid-morning and mod-afternoon too. If you eat so much at any one
meal that you don't get physically hungry for 4 or 5 hours after
a meal or 2 hours after a snack, you're probably overeating - and
that's not healthy. Gradually reduce the amount you eat at any
one time. It's easier on your digestion and will increase your
energy levels too.

2. Eating Every Meal

Skipping meals forces your body to try and conserve energy - your
metabolism is stoked up by eating little and often and reduced
when you go without food. Breakfast is especially important as
you have then fasted for eight hours or more. Going without
breakfast is just not healthy. If you can't face breakfast take
healthy food with you if you have to go out and have it as soon
as the first hunger pangs strike.

3. Eating Healthfully

A healthy appetite means that you're hungry for good natural food
such as fruit, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. If
you're hungry only for sweet and salty junk food it probably
means you're not physically hungry, and don't need to eat. Junk
food is addictive - you have some and you want some more. It's
calorie-rich without satisfying your nutritional needs and that's
not healthy. Gradually replace the junk in your diet with fresh
delicious nutritious food and see how much healthier you feel.

4. Eating Foods you Love

While a diet filled with junk food is far from healthy, it's not
healthy either to deny yourself the food you love unless you have
a real addiction to a particular food. Most cravings are simply
caused by forbidding particular foods which makes them more
attractive than ever. If you love chocolate treat yourself once a
day to a square of the most luxurious chocolate you can find and
enjoy every moment as it melts in your mouth. Remind yourself
that you can do this every day - you don't have to stuff the
whole bar down in a guilty rush.

Making sure that every meal is an enjoyable delight, eating the
right amount of food regularly and having the odd treat without
going mad - now that's what I call a healthy appetite for grown
ups.

Copyright 2006, Janice Elizabeth Small