Less can be more

I have so much: especially compared with much of the rest of the world. In this month of Thanksgiving we take time to remember this idea of abundance. Abundance certainly is to be celebrated – but along with much comes a tendency to overuse, or take for granted, or harbor feelings of entitlement.

In the U.S.’s environment of plenty, we tend to take in too much, with food being a major area of over-consumption. Below I offer a few strategies to tame our eating too much and its natural consequence of becoming overweight.

You’ve likely heard these before, but hopefully the reminders will be helpful. This is long – so enjoy the liberty of picking from the bolded headings what most interests you.

* Use smaller dishes – “Chose a 10" lunch plate instead of a 12" dinner plate to cut out 100-200 calories a day – and 10-20 pounds in a year. Cornell's Brian Wansink, PhD, found in test after test that people serve more and eat more food with larger dishes. In Wansink’s/Cornell University's food lab tests, no one felt hungry or even noticed when tricks of the eye shaved 200 calories off their daily intake.” [See Wansink's Mindless Eating website for some specific ideas to avoid eating mindlessly].

* Watch what you drink -

1) Use a tall, skinny glass instead of a short, wide tumbler to cut liquid calories and weight. You’ll drink 25-30% less juice, soda, wine, or any other beverage. Brian Wansink, PhD, says visual cues can trick us into consuming more or less. His tests at Cornell University found all kinds of people poured more into a short, wide glass — even experienced bartenders.

2) Replace one soda with a zero-calorie seltzer or water (add lemon, mint, or frozen strawberries for flavor and interest) and you'll avoid 10 teaspoons of sugar. The liquid sugar in soda appears to bypass the body's normal fullness cues. One small study compared an extra 450 calories per day from jelly beans vs. soda. The candy eaters unconsciously reduced their calorie intake from other foods by about the same amount of the caloric intake of the candy and their BMI didn't change; not so with the soda drinkers. The soda drinkers did not reduce their intake from other foods and gained 2.5 pounds in four weeks.

3) Limit alcohol. When an occasion includes alcohol, follow the first drink with a nonalcoholic, low-calorie beverage like sparkling water instead of moving directly to another cocktail, beer, or glass of wine. Alcohol has more calories per gram (7) than carbohydrates (4) or protein (4). It can also loosen your resolve, leading you to mindlessly inhale chips, nuts, and other foods you may normally limit.

4) Drink green tea. Some studies suggest that it can rev up the body's calorie-burning engine temporarily, possibly through the action of phytochemicals called catechins.

* Sleep more - Sleeping an extra hour a night could help a person drop 14 pounds in a year, according to a U of Michigan researcher Dr. Michael Sivak, who ran the numbers for a 2,500 calorie per day intake. Our “inactive wakefulness” in the later evening often includes mindless snacking (of 147 calories on average; as reported by WebMD) . Each additional hour of sleep he estimates reduces caloric intake by 6%. Additionally, there’s evidence that getting too little sleep revs up your appetite, making you uncommonly hungry.

* Serve more veggies - Greater variety has been associated with eating more food. Try serving three vegetables with dinner instead of just one, and you might just eat more veggies. The high fiber and water content fills you up with fewer calories.

* Pay attention –

1) to slight fullness - Americans are conditioned to keep eating until they’re stuffed, but residents of Okinawa eat until they’re 80% full. Researcher Brian Wansink’s studies show most people don’t miss it when they’re dished out 20% less food.

2) to your self - Women who do yoga tend to weigh less than others, according to a 2009 published study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. The yoga regulars reported a more "mindful" approach to eating. For example, they tend to notice the large portions in restaurants but eat only enough to feel full. Researchers think the calm self-awareness developed through yoga may help people resist overeating.

3) to the pause - Most people have a natural "eating pause," when they drop the fork for a couple of minutes. Watch for this quiet signal that you're full but not stuffed, and don't take another bite. Clear your plate and enjoy the conversation.

4) to portion size - measure portions to avoid super sizing. Slim people and successful losers do it, according to a Consumer Reports survey. Make portion control easier with small "snack" packs and by keeping serving dishes off the table at meal time. See www.deesdirt.blogspot.com (Nov 1) for some one-portion serving sizes.

* Eat more slowly - Set a timer for 20 minutes and reinvent yourself as a slow eater. Savor each bite and make it last until the bell chimes. Paced meals offer great pleasure from smaller portions and trigger the body’s fullness hormones.

- According to large study (of more than 4,100 men and women from Japan who were asked to fill out surveys about their diet history and overall cardiovascular risk) published in the British Medical Journal, eating quickly and eating until full were directly associated with being overweight. In fact, a combination of the two habits was shown to play a part on actually becoming over weight.

- A 2008 study published in Journal of the American Dietetic Association discovered that if people changed their eating habits slightly - by taking small bites, putting down the utensils between bites and chewing all food thoroughly – their overall feeling of being full after eating were maximized. Framson, C. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, August 2009; vol 109: pp 1439-1444.

- More recently, the January 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism includes the first study to find that there are possible physiological reasons behind feeling full after a slow consumption of food. In this small study, a total of 17 healthy men ate the same meal consisting of 300 ml of ice cream, but were told to eat it under two different conditions. In the first condition, the meal was divided into two equal portions and the men ate the first portion, waited five minutes and then ate the second portion. Under the second condition, the meal was divided into seven equal portions and over 30 minutes the men ate one of the seven portions every five minutes. Through the use of blood samples taken before and in 30-minute intervals after eating the meal for a total of three and a half hours, the study found that the body released higher amounts of appetite suppressing hormones after the 30-minute meal than after the 5-minute meal. The higher level of these hormones (glucagon-like peptide-1 and peptide YY) made the men feel fuller after the 30-minute meal compared to the 5-minute meal.

* Eat home-cooked meals at least five days a week. A Consumer Reports survey found this was a top habit of "successful losers." Shortcut foods can make for quick meals, such as pre-chopped lean beef for fajitas, washed lettuce, pre-cut veggies, canned beans, cooked chicken strips, or grilled deli salmon.

* Start with a broth-based soup - it slows your eating and curbs your appetite. For an easy soup, add fresh or frozen vegetables to a low-sodium broth or canned soup and simmer. Beware of creamy soups, which can be high in fat and calories.

* Shovel in the whole grains such as brown rice, barley, oats, buckwheat, and whole wheat - they help fill you up with fewer calories and may improve your cholesterol profile, too.

* Chew sugarless gum with a strong flavor when you're feeling like snacking. Gum with a big flavor punch overpowers other foods so they don’t taste as good.

* Burn an extra 100 calories a day and lose 10 pounds in a year. Try one of these activities: Walk 1 mile, about 20 minutes, Pull weeds or plant flowers for 20 minutes, Mow the lawn for 20 minutes, Clean house for 30 minutes, Jog for 10 minutes.