The internet is loaded with healthy eating advice. However, finding the right information tailored to YOU and your eating personality can be difficult to navigate.
Should you go cut back on red meat, go vegan? Vegetarian? Pescatarian? Paleo?
Dr. Mehmet Oz recently stopped by the Today Show to lend advice as to what plan is best for you, your body and your lifestyle.
Identify your eating personality below, and learn healthier eating habits made specifically for YOU.
Eating personality: The picker or grazer
You’re not big on meals, instead, you mindlessly eat throughout the day. Though there is a healthy way to graze, many people wind up snacking on too many carbs or sugars and gain weight.
According to Oz, many grazers have a problem with low blood sugar and worry about where their next meal will come from. Here are a few tips for the grazers — to help them “pick” in a healthy way:
1. Put everything you want to snack on in a clear plastic bag.
Hoda, a self-proclaimed picker, did this in January and the results were eye-opening. You’ll realize what you actually eat throughout the day.
2. Keep a food diary.
This serves a similar purpose: You may not realize how much you’re eating in a day because a lot of it is so mindless. Keeping a log for just a few days will make you more aware of the calories you’re consuming.
3. Don’t multi-task and eat.
Be present. Focus on what you’re eating. Also, try to have a glass of water before you eat something, it will slow you down.
4. Throw out sugary or salty snacks.
Replace them with things that Oz carries like unsalted nuts in 1-ounce portions and bags of cut vegetables like radishes and carrots.
5. Eat fiber at every meal.
Add more leafy greens, beans or berries to your diet. You’ll feel fuller, longer.
Eating personality: The plate cleaner
You probably eat three meals a day and finish all the food in front of you. You’re an “eat to live” type of person who prefers order, rules, and perfection.
You might not be great at packing lunch for yourself, so you likely run into portion-control issues. Plate cleaners are good at eating when hunger strikes though. Here are a few tips to help the plate cleaners:
1. Chew each bite 20 times.
This will help you slow down while you eat.
2. When dining out, request no bread or chips.
Also, request that the waiter puts half of your food in a to-go box.
3. Plan lunch ahead of time.
Plate cleaners love to plan what they are going to eat ahead of time. The problem is, the more food they are given, the more they eat.Plan your portions and fill up your food for the day in different containers. Fill the largest with fruits and vegetables to be eaten at any meal. Medium-sized ones should contain your protein and the smallest containers should have your grains. If you are still hungry after you eat your designated portion, dip into your freebie bowl (high-volume snacks that are low in calories).
4. Downsize your dinner plates.
Dinner plates are now often around 11 or 12 inches in diameter. For the plate cleaner, larger plates mean they will eat more, so get some smaller plates. Measure out your portions with measuring cups or a scale so you learn how many servings you’re getting.
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