Eating should be a beautiful, enjoyable experience. Eating while driving or watching television are bad habits. We have gotten so far from what food really is – nourishment, an opportunity to indulge our sense of taste and smell, and a reason for gathering with family and friends.

Eat at fixed, regular times. Eat something in the morning. Eating something when you get up will replenish your blood glucose levels and fuel your brain and your body. Your body likes and responds to regularity, not just in mealtimes, but sleeping and working too. For optimum health and vitality it’s important to maintain regular meal times, sleep times and bowel movements.

Eat slowly, chew well. Study after study have proven that it takes our brain at least 20 minutes to register a feeling of satiety, or fullness. This means that if we eat too quickly, no matter how many calories we consume, our brain will still be shouting “Hungry! Me Hungry!” Put your fork or spoon down in between bites and chew slowly. When dining alone, try eating half your meal and then getting up from the table to do a quick task like reading the mail or watering a plant . Then go back and finish if you are still hungry.

Digestion begins in your mouth - eating slowly and chewing food thoroughly before swallowing ensures smooth, complete digestion. Also, don’t eat when angry or emotionally upset as it greatly impairs digestion - wait till you calm down, or skip the meal entirely.

Don’t overeat. Rate your food hunger. On a scale of 1-5 (1= starving, 5= stuffed). Aim to eat before you reach “1” and stop eating before you reach “5”. Be kind to your digestive organs and bowels and stop eating when you are 70-75% full. Overeating impairs your stomach and intestines causing indigestion, gas, weight gain and other problems.

Water is good for you and by all means we do not always drink enough. Be aware that when you drink along with your meal you are diluting the stomach acids used to digest your food and it will take longer to break down proteins, complex carbohydrates. Therefore, the food will remain in your stomach longer before breaking down to the level that it is ready to pass into your intestines.

After meals take a slow walk. A walk after meals for 10-20 minutes facilitates digestion and nutrient absorption. This is also an excellent preventative and remedy for digestive disorders. Do it while standing still, or while taking a slow walk. If you’re looking to lose weight, exercise before breakfast. As you haven’t eaten for maybe 10-12 hours, your body relies on its fat stores for energy.

Eat at least 3 to 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day – they’re great as snacks. Check you are eating a variety of colourful fruit and vegetables – think yellow, red, green and orange. Eat as wide a variety of foods as possible. This will help you get a greater choice of nutrients and fibre sources.

Tonight, start to slow your eating pace down. Light a candle and put on some relaxing music. You may want to time yourself until you get the hang of it. As your appreciation for food and all it offers grows your waistline is bound to shrink - a perfect combination!