When it comes to healthy eating, the principles are pretty simple: Eat lots of fresh produce, cut down on saturated fats, salt and sugar, and only eat as much as you need to fuel your body. But there’s a huge difference between knowing the guidelines and putting them into practice, and the latter can prove to be quite difficult. However, there are plenty of physical and financial benefits that come with putting less food on your plate.
Here are the top benefits of eating smaller portions:
Better Digestion
Eating large portions stretches your stomach and causes it to press against your other internal organs, leading to discomfort. They also make you more vulnerable to having heartburn, because a full stomach causes digestive acid to back up into your oesophagus. Big meals also make you more prone to producing excess gas, which is something no one wants to deal with.
Better Blood Sugar Levels
Your body turns food into glucose, a type of sugar that your body uses for energy. When you eat large portions of refined carbohydrates, your glucose levels rise rapidly. When your bloodstream is filled with glucose, your pancreas responds by releasing insulin to move the glucose into your cells. But when your glucose levels rise too quickly, your pancreas is more likely to produce excess insulin, leading to low blood sugar. This process tricks your brain into thinking your body needs more glucose, causing you to feel hungry and crave sugar.
Increased Satiety
Having a feeling of fullness can have a drastic impact on how much and how often you eat. When you eat smaller portions, your body immediately uses the food you ate for energy instead of storing it as excess fat. According to the British Nutrition Foundation, eating slowly and with smaller portions makes you feel fuller.
More Money in Your Pocket
Eating smaller portions could help make your monthly groceries last longer. As mentioned above, eating smaller portions more regularly makes you feel fuller than having large meals at irregular intervals. This means you feel fuller for longer, which reduces the need to top up on groceries in the middle of the month. Eating large portions is a bad habit that takes time and effort to overcome. It can be especially hard for people who celebrate by feasting on large meals, or those who find comfort in digging into greasy guilty pleasures. If you had previously attempted to adopt healthy eating habits but fell off the wagon, these tips are just what you need to get you back on track. Eating smaller portions might be the first step to completely changing your eating habits.
In a few months, you might have made the switch to a meat-free, sugarless diet. Just take the first step and progress is sure to follow.
