Do you ever eat just for the sake of eating? You know you need food, so you just eat whatever, shovel it in and be done with it? We all do it sometimes, but it shouldn't be often!

I think this rule rang very clear to me, just last night. I made simple roasted veggie sandwiches for dinner with a friend. The act of deciding which veggies to roast (zucchini, squash, and tomato) and which veggies to sautee (onion and mushrooms), was half the fun! Pesto? Cheese? What eles goes?

Then we built the sammies, each layer of goodness making our mouths water! But the first crunchy, yummy bite?! That was the best part! Discovering that our random dinner provided by friend's gardens? Yup- that's exactly what this rule is all about.

Don't eat for the sake of eating. Eat for the enjoyment of it. Homemade meals are the most satisfying, but store bought meals can be equally enjoyable. Find something about each meal you eat  this week that brings a smile to your face. Food tastes a little better this way- I promise! :)

Eating rule #4 is simple... don't eat like a barbarian!! You know what I'm talking about! Everyone is guilty of shoving a handful of chips in thier mouths once in a while... yeah...that's what I'm talking about.

Slow down and take time to eat. Eat like you are trying to impress someone, even if you are alone. Sit at your table, use a napkin, the whole 9 yards-- and for Pete's sake, do not stuff yourself.

Are you catching on?! I think we all know that we eat a little daintier when you are on a date, or even out with friends. Do your best to carry that back home.

Eat what your body wants. No, I haven’t gone off the deep end-I’m not giving you a free pass to eat whatever you want. I’m telling you to listen to your body. Your body WANTS healthy food~ fruits and veggies, it’s your brain that wants the sugar and fat! We’ve probably all done some sort of restriction diet where you cut out all the sugar, fat and “bad” stuff.  After a few days the cravings go away and your body starts running like a machine… and then you cave in and eat 3 donuts! You feel cruddy because you messed up, and decide the diet is not for you. What did you learn from this experience? Restriction of foods is not the answer!!

In general- I eat fairly healthfully. I eat as low fat as possible, I incorporate as many veggies as I can per meal, and I try to combat sugar cravings by eating fruit throughout the day. But sometimes, I HAVE to have ice cream. I put it off as long as possible, sometimes even a couple of days… and if I still want it, I have it. But, I buy the smallest serving I can, and I eat as little as possible. When you do choose unhealthy foods, do you enjoy them? If you don’t then you probably weren’t really craving it. Less than 5 bites should satisfy a craving.

This week, I want you to listen to your body. You already KNOW it wants healthy food, but when you decide to go unhealthy, really take notice of how you feel during and after these meals. Sure the first few bites taste good, but after that you start to reject the over processed fat filled snack. The Pavlovian response may help you stay away from junk food in the future!