Rules are not meant to be broken

A large part of my job involves explaining to my patients what our clinic's rules are for eating right.  While it's nice to know what we ought to be doing, I think it's equally important to know the why.

(Disclaimer: In case you couldn't already tell, I am a total party pooper)

Rule #1: Chew every bite to applesauce consistency
The more we chew, the better we break down food for digestion and nutrient absorption.  Beyond that, chewing allows our brain to process that we are eating.  Hoovering your food down doesn't lead to the same satisfaction that chewing gives. 

Rule #2: Take 20-30 minutes to eat each meal
This goes hand-in-hand with the previous rule.  By eating slowly, we allow our stomach's stretch receptors to interpret how full we are getting.  Think about a time where you totally overate.  Had you been eating quickly?  It's nearly impossible to overeat when we take our time and pace ourselves.  Put the fork or spoon down on the table in between bites.  There's a new product on the market- a vibrating fork that forces you to slow down your meal.  Sounds awesome.  Buy me one and I'll test it out for you.

Rule #3: Eat meals at the same times each day
If we have a haphazard erratic eating pattern, our bodies will have no sense of when it's appropriate to get hungry.  By eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner within the same hour-ish window each day, our bodies will be less likely to get cravings or inappropriate hunger.  Your pet is on a feeding schedule, so why shouldn't you be on one too?

Rule #4: Use small plates, bowls, and utensils at mealtimes
There is no reason at all to be using a standard-size dinner plate.  Do we need 10" diameter's worth of food?  Nope.  Using smaller dishware serves two purposes.  First, it makes it look like we are eating more.  There's a reason why Lean Cuisine meals use that little black rectangle packaging.  If Lean Cuisine used a "normal" plate, we'd balk at the teeny portion.  Second, it helps us pace ourselves.  Eat your small portion using rules 1 and 2.  If you are still hungry, then go back for more.  We need to break ourselves from the large plate/large portion/clean your plate club.  

Rule #5: Drink your water
We're talking water water.  Not Vitamin Water.  Not Life Water.  Not the fizzy artificially sweetened "water."  The real stuff.  Sugar is not good for you.  Artificial sweetener is not good for you.  Yes, it's a bummer.  Time to get over it.  Try flavoring your water with a slice of lemon or cucumber.  Carbonated water is fine, so sometimes sipping the bubbly stuff seems different enough for us. 

You smell that?  Yep, party poop.  It's not easy to abide by these rules.  We are go-go-go multi-taskers and the thought of doing this stuff seems self indulgent and difficult.  It takes practice.  Set small goals for yourself, be dedicated, and it'll come eventually.  I'm not there yet myself.  But I can keep trying.  I can't be a party pooper and a hypocrite.