Jun
25
The Toothpick Breakfast
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Healthy Habits, Healthy Meal Ideas | 2 Comments
Every once in a while, I like to share a healthy meal idea with you. Today, it’s breakfast time.
What You Need
- One small cucumber
- Some Cheese. Any kind will work. I’m partial to pepper jack.
- A handful of blueberries
Preparations
This is an ultra simple breakfast. Just slice up the cucumbers and the cheese. Stick one on top of the other and you’re done. The blueberries are great either between bites of cucumber and cheese or afterwards.
Calories
What calories? Well ok, that’s not quite true. Depending on the amount of cheese you use, this meal could have a few hundred calories in it. So be careful not to overdo the cheese. The cucumber has almost nothing. Blueberries do have some calories in them but relatively few. Using my portions, I get about 300 calories in a breakfast like this.
Nutrition
This is an amazing meal in terms of nutrient. Zero emptry carbs, good amount of protein and fiber, plus the blueberries are a great source of antioxidants. It’s hard to find a better way to start your day.
Cost
Most expansive part of this breakfast is usually the blueberries. However, if you keep that part under control, you’ll probably spend around $3 each time you eat this meal.
Time
Preparation time is about 1 minute.
Small Editorial
When I told a friend about this, he said “wait, that’s not a breakfast, that’s an appetizer.” Folks, there’s no rule that says what you can or cannot eat on a given part of the day. There’s nothing that says you can’t have an egg for dinner and there’s nothing that says an appetizer can’t be breakfast.
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What a great day to start the day. I feel full, it tasted wonderful (those blueberries were amazing!) and I got a good start to a very nutritious day. Now I’m going to go take a short walk to the post office.
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Jun
16
A Beginning Is A Very Delicate Thing
Filed Under Breakfast, Healthy Habits, Sleep | 5 Comments
It’s 8am here in California and I’m feeling great. I got a good night’s sleep, a healthy breakfast and I then rode a mile on my bike to the train station. In about 20 minutes I’m going to get off the train and ride to the office. What about you? Have you started your day out right?
The start of your day will set the tone for the rest of it. If you wake up tired and cranky you’re more than likely going to be tired and cranky for the rest of the day. If you make unhealthy food choices you’re setting yourself up for a day of bad eating. Whatever decisions you make in the morning are going to echo throughout the rest of your day.
So What Do We Do?
Now if you want to start the day off a bit better, you’re going to focus on three things:
Sleep
Everyone needs sleep. On average, we need 7 to 9 hours of good sleep per night. There are a rare few who can get by with less just as there are some who need more, but 7 to 9 is the overwhelming average. All you folks out there who boast about how little sleep you get and how much work you get done are slowly killing yourselves. Also, you’re not as productive as you think. Lack of sleep makes us into poor decision makers. Several recent studies have shown that just a few nights of poor or little sleep reduce your driving skills to those of a drunk driver. Now think about what this means for your work skills.
- Do yourself a favor and get a regular schedule.
- Focus on getting 8 hours of good sleep per night.
- Make your bedroom into a place for sleep and little else. Yes, that means you may want to move your sex life into the living room if you can
If you associate the bedroom with work or play then you’ll have a harder time associating it with sleep and that means more problems falling asleep. - Make it a dark place so the sunrise won’t wake you up.
- Remove noises and other sleep interruptions.
- Take care of problems like snoring or sleep apnea which might interfere with good sleep. See a sleep specialist if necessary.
Food
A breakfast can be a wonderfully healthy thing, starting up your metabolism with a good shot of energy and nutrients. It can also be a horrible thing smothering your stomach with bacon, eggs, pancakes and potatoes. Never skip breakfast if you can, but be aware of what you’re eating and don’t turn breakfast into a reason to binge. Remember, you’re trying to start your day out right, not wrong.
- Fruits and vegetables are your friends!
- Most breakfast cereals are not healthy, no matter what the TV commercials tell you
- Eggs are not bad in moderation
- Anything fried is not healthy
- Pancakes are not healthy, not even the wholewheat ones
- Anything smothered in syrup is not healthy
- Stop drinking fruit juices, eat a fruit instead
- Meat can be healthy but most breakfast meat choices are not. My apologies to all you bacon lovers out there, but you do realize you’re eating fried fat right? There aren’t too many ways in which fried fat can be healthy.
- Just because most people consider it dinner or lunch doesn’t mean you can’t have it for breakfast. I love a bit of curry in the morning!
Activity
Yes, you should be active in the morning, but this doesn’t have to mean a full workout. Personally, I hate working out in the morning. I feel like I’m forcing myself to do something that my body just isn’t ready for. However, the morning is a great time for light physical activities. They wake you up while jump starting your body. Rather than spending the first few hours of your day trying to wake up, a little light activity in the morning will boost your energy levels for the rest of the day.
- Walk the dog
- Ride your bike to work
- Walk to work
- Walk anywhere! My father, who is in his mid 60’s and is in remarkably good shape, starts out every day with a walk. He does this even when he’s on a business trip and says it’s a great way to get over jetlag.
- Morning stretches. No, not a full workout, just 5 minutes of stretching, perhaps some yoga and a few light exercises. Keep it nice and slow with no weights.
- Sex! Just remember to take it out of the bedroom
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My day is starting out well. I’m wide awake and I feel great! How about you? What are you going to do tonight and tomorrow morning to make sure tomorrow is a healthy day?
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Jun
4
The Best Blog Post I Never Wrote!
Filed Under Healthy Habits, Motivation | 1 Comment
I try to link to interesting articles and posts on my weekend roundups because there quite a bit of good information out there that’s not on 60 in 3. Sometimes though, I run into a post that’s so good it just deserves a special mention. Today I found such a post.
Mark’s Daily Apple
I like Mark’s Daily Apple for various reasons. It’s smart, funny and includes a lot of good information. It doesn’t quite get into the details I like to write about, which is probably good or else I wouldn’t have a reason to write articles on 60 in 3
Now Mark has this concept called the Primal Blueprint. Basically, it means that if you live your life the way our primitive ancestors did you’re going to have a much healthier and happier life and I couldn’t agree more. Mark’s Daily Apple has been talking about this concept for a while now, exploring various parts of it in detail, but they never really explained the whole thing at once. They never told the readers “THIS is what the Primal Blueprint is all about”. Well, they’ve gone ahead and fixed that.
The Primal Blueprint post
Take a look at this folks, it’s the primal blueprint post from Mark’s Daily Apple. It’s a brilliant breakdown of what a healthy life can look like. There’s a lot to learn here and all of it is valuable.
Slight Disagreement
Now I will say that I have a slight disagreement with Mark in that I’m mostly a vegetarian and he recommends meat. However, please note that Mark recommends lean, healthy meats and not the processed crap you find in most restaurants. That I have no problem with as long as it’s in moderation. Personally, I chose my lifestyle because I believe it’s healthier for the environment around me, but I have no problem admitting that healthy meat options can be great parts of a healthy lifestyle. In fact, If I could find a reliable source of meat that was healthy and environmentally friendly, I’d be happily munching away at it. As is, I do sometimes add in healthy and sustainable options like venison to my diet. So Mark and I really aren’t that far off on this part of the Primal Blueprint.
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Yes, I’m urging my readers to go read someone else’s blog. So go already! ![]()
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Jun
2
Rule #1 of Healthy Eating, the Variety Counts Rule
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Healthy Habits, Motivation | 5 Comments
Two weeks ago, I started talking about the five rules I use for eating healthy food. I use these relatively simple rules because It’s just too difficult to keep up with all the guidelines, recommendations and plans for eating the perfectly balanced diet. You can drive yourself crazy and still not be 100% perfect. Today we look at rule #1, which I like to call the “variety counts” rule. This particular rule is partially influenced by Michael Pollan but is also from my own history.
By the way, you may have noted that I’m not exactly following a sequential order in discussing these rules; I started with rule #2, followed by #4, then 3, then 5 and now #1. That’s for two reasons, one because I want to emphasize that none of these rules is more important than the other. Also, I picked each rule because it was appropriate to the day I was writing it. Today is Monday and we’re expecting a catered lunch here at work. This specific caterer delivers food that is exactly like the food I grew up with. So I thought today is a good day to talk about variety and expanding your cuisine choices.
What Is “Variety Counts” Rule?
I grew up in Israel with a mother who came from Eastern Europe. That means my diet consisted of two different cuisines. The first was the Mediterranean cuisine I would eat around town. Things like falafel, shawarma and hummus. The Med diet is relatively healthy if eaten in moderation. The second cuisine was my mother’s eastern European style cooking. Lots of heavy beef and potatoes type dishes with incredibly tasty sauces and of course, chicken soup! The eastern European diet was slightly less healthy since it had more fat and calories and less vegetables. However, the two diets, combined with an active childhood, kept me healthy.
Then we moved to the US. My mother kept cooking her eastern European dishes, but my neighborhood diet had changed from healthy Mediterranean healthy to American fast food. I was still active, which kept my weight in check, but my diet became far less healthy. The final nail in the coffin of my healthy eating came when I moved out. Since I didn’t cook, I either ate out at restaurants or bought frozen dinners and all of these meals were traditional American foods. I ate burgers by the dozens, pizza, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, cheese pockets and microwaved chicken nuggets. I’m guessing you can figure out what happened. This new diet, combined with a lack of exercise, drove me to that health meltdown a few years ago from which I am still recovering.
Since then, one of the things I’ve discovered is the wonderful variety of food we have available to us. I discovered sushi and sashimi, I found Chinese and Thai restaurants, I tried out Indian food and found that I loved it, I experimented with vegetarian dishes and saw that they were really good. I even rediscovered Mediterranean food and reconnected with some of the healthy food I grew up with. I used to be afraid of strange foods but now I seek them out. I enjoy new flavors and new selections.
All of this has left me with a far larger selection of healthy choices to eat. Want a good way to eat vegetables? How about that incredible veggie stir fry from the Thai place. Looking for a good protein choice? Why not try the Salmon sashimi? How about the pumpkin dish at the Afghan place for dinner or the burrito from the Mexican place down the road? These are all healthy options that I would never have discovered had I not been looking for more variety. So these days I welcome variety in my food. I’m always happy to try out new dishes and I’m always looking to experiment with new cuisines. Who knows, you may just find a new favorite dish.
Given two options, I will always pick out the dish I’ve never tried before. That’s the “variety counts” rule.
Advanced Applications
Every week, try out at least one new cuisine or dish. Ask about the ingredients, research the preparation and learn more about how your food was made. It’s a wonderful education and you’ll discover many things you never realized about food.
Don’t limit yourself. Why is an omelet only for breakfast? Why can you only BBQ in the evenings? Why do you have to have mashed potatoes with meat loaf? Mix and match and see what works.
Clarifications to the Variety Counts Rule
No, this rule is not an excuse to gorge. Yes, if you’ve never tried deep fried twinkies before, maybe you should just once. However, did you remember to ask about how your food is prepared? If you did, I’m guessing you’ll figure out that deep fried twinkies are a one time thing. Not all food is healthy and that’s something you’ll figure out as you go.
Why Use the Variety Counts Rule?
Because a boring diet is one that won’t last. Yes, there are healthy dishes in the classic American diet, but they are few and far between. If you limited yourself to just those, you’ll soon get bored and fall back to unhealthy eating habits. That’s why you need to branch out and try new things. Doing so will help you discover new healthy dishes to add to your repartee.
But I Like What I’m Eating Now!
Sure, and if it’s healthy, there’s no reason for you to stop. I’m not saying you should eat something new every day, just make sure to try out new things once in a while.
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I can’t imagine life without a variety of foods. It would be boring and I would quickly revert back to unhealthy habits if I had to eat the same one or two healthy dishes day after day after day. Do yourself a favor and try something new today.
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May
30
Rule #5 of Healthy Eating, The Am I Hungry Rule
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Healthy Habits, Motivation | Leave a Comment
Last Monday, I started talking about the five rules I use for eating healthy food. I use these relatively simple rules because It’s just too difficult to keep up with all the guidelines, recommendations and plans for eating the perfectly balanced diet. You can drive yourself crazy and still not be 100% perfect. Today we look at rule #5, which I like to call the “Am I hungry rule?”. This particular rule is all mine although it’s based on a whole wide range of information that I picked up while I was researching good health and eating habits.
By the way, you may have noted that I’m not exactly following a sequential order in discussing these rules; I started with rule #2, followed by #4, then 3 and now I’m jumping to rule #5. That’s for two reasons, one because I want to emphasize that none of these rules is more important than the other. Also, I picked each rule because it was appropriate to the day I was writing it. Today is Friday, the perfect day to talk about eating when you’re not hungry.
What Is The Am I Hungry Rule?
One of my biggest problems in controlling my eating was eating for reasons other than hunger. I would eat when I was stressed as a way of calming down. If I had a bad day at work I would think of that whole tub of ice cream as a justified way of rewarding myself and cheering myself up. Of course, the realization of how much I ate would just make me more depressed but that’s a whole other story. I would also eat as an excuse to avoid doing other things. For example, if there was something I really needed to do but didn’t want to start, I would go to the kitchen and look for things to eat. The act of eating took time as did the eating itself and by the time I was done it was too late to start the thing I needed doing. So yay for me, I avoided something unpleasant. Finally, I would find myself eating for social reasons. For example, friends wanted to go out and eat so I would go with them and order food even if I wasn’t hungry.
These days, I have the “am I hungry” rule. Basically, if I’m thinking about eating or if I find myself about to grab something to eat I pause and ask myself if I’m really hungry. I take a minute or two to think about what I’m doing and why. Quite frequently I find that I’m not really hungry and that I’m about to eat for the wrong reasons. In that case I put the food down and go on with my daily business. If I really am hungry then I eat and I don’t feel guilty about it.
One other aspect of the “am I hungry” rule is stopping eating when you’re no longer hungry. Again, I used to eat way past the point at which I was full. I would feel stuffed and bloated but I still kept eating. These days I eat slower and I stop eating when I’m no longer hungry.
Advanced Applications
Are you at a restaurant? Is it the kind of place that serves huge portions? Why not ask for a to go box before you even start eating. Put half the food away and then start eating. It will stop you from cleaning your plate and eating too much.
Is your restaurant the kind with a bottomless dish of chips? Just say no and have them take it away. No one can refuse chips or those bowls of bread for long. No matter how strong your will power is you’ll eventually find yourself munching away without really thinking about it.
Make food a little less convenient. We all have those open bags of chips or bowls of cookies sitting around the house. Why not prevent the temptation to mindlessly eat and put them out of sight. Trust me, you’ll find them when you’re hungry.
Why not write down what you feel when you eat? Keeping a food journal doesn’t have to be just about calories, it can also be about feelings and mindsets. That will help you identify the reasons why you eat when you’re not hungry and possibly avoid them in the future.
Clarifications to the Am I Hungry Rule
There are really no clarifications to this one. It’s pretty simple to understand.
Why Use the Am I Hungry Rule?
Because mindless eating adds a lot of pointless calories to our diets. The typical mindless snack like chips, cookies and bread is full of calories and very unhealthy. I suppose if your mindless snacks is carrot sticks it wouldn’t be so bad.
But I Like Eating!
Well, so do I. In fact, I love eating, but I love other things more. I love my wife and I want to spend many happy and healthy years with her. I love hiking and I want to climb to the top of Half Dome next year. I love scuba diving and I want to see the great barrier reef in Australia. There are many things I love and I’m willing to sacrifice a little mindless eating if it means I get to do those things.
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It wasn’t my meals that killed my diet, it was the silly stuff I ate when I wasn’t hungry. It was the chocolate bar I had when I wanted to avoid work. Learn from my mistake and stop mindless eating. Eat when you’re hungry and stop eating when you’re full.
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May
28
Rule #3 of Healthy Eating, The 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 Rule
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Healthy Habits, Nutrition | Leave a Comment
Last Monday, I started talking about the five rules I use for eating healthy food. I use these relatively simple rules because It’s just too difficult to keep up with all the guidelines, recommendations and plans for eating the perfectly balanced diet. You can drive yourself crazy and still not be 100% perfect.
Today we look at rule #3, which I like to call, the 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 rule. This particular rule was inspired by a podcast I downloaded off of iTunes a while back. I believe it was Fitnessrocks but I might be mistaken. Either way, my thanks to the authors for a brilliant idea.
By the way, you may have noted that I’m not exactly following a sequential order in discussing these rules; I started with rule #2, followed by #4 and now I’m jumping to rule #3. That’s for two reasons, one because I want to emphasize that none of these rules is more important than the other. Also, I picked each rule because it was appropriate to the day I was writing it. Today is Wednesday and I am working from home while trying to get over a cold. So when I prepare my meal today, this rule will come in handy.
What Is The 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 Rule?
One of the first things I did when I started eating healthy was attempt to eat a balanced diet. You know the one I’m referring to. It’s where you eat 5 servings of vegetables and fruits, 3 servings of grain, 2 of dairy and 1 of meat. Wait, is that right? I think it might actually be 4 servings of vegetables and 4 servings of grain. No wait, that sounds wrong too.
As you can see, my memory isn’t the best and I was never able to remember just how much of anything I should be eating. Even worse, I could never figure out what a “serving” was. Was a serving one vegetable like a tomato? What about spinach? How much spinach is a serving? And what is a serving of dairy products? Is it one slice of cheese or one cup of milk or…
Yah, it didn’t go well. So that’s when I heard of the 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 rule. It’s pretty simple. When you put food on your plate, it should go in the following proportions:
- 1/2 should be fiber rich, water rich vegetables. These are things like leafy greens such as spinach or green onions but they can also be things like tomatoes, carrot, cucumbers and other water rich plants. These are NOT fried vegetables like tempura or very starchy vegetables like potatoes.
- 1/4 is starchy, more energy rich plants like potatoes, squashes, grains or legumes.
- 1/4 is protein like lean meat, tofu or dairy products.
That’s it. Make your food in those proportions and you’ll usually have a relatively balanced meal.
Advanced Applications
This rule also applies to meals that aren’t served on a plate. For example, when you’re making a sandwich, if the bread is half your meal, you aren’t following the 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 rule.
Sauces, especially creamy ones, will break the rule. You can fill half your plate with fiber and water rich vegetables but if you cover them in creamy ranch you may as well not eat them. The whole point of the rule is to make sure a good portion of your food is energy poor material like vegetables.
Clarifications to the 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 Rule
Can you balance your food intake this way over a whole day? Sure. For example, for lunch your food is all water rich, fiber rich vegetables while for dinner you eat more protein. It’s not as healthy, mainly because it’s harder to keep track of, but it’s certainly possible.
Why Use the 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 Rule Rule?
Because it’s a quick and easy way to get a balanced meal.
But I Don’t Like Vegetables!
That’s probably because you were raised on the classic American diet where vegetables mean some steamed broccoli that you were forced to eat as a child or a green salad made up of nothing but lettuce. Vegetables can actually be extremely tasty. Try a steamed zucchini as an add on to your dinner, or how about a finely chopped salad of onions, bell peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers? There are a ton of healthy and tasty vegetable recipes out there. Why not give them a try?
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I have no desire to spend my meal times figuring out how much I need to eat of every specific food group. It’s frustrating, overly complex and almost impossible to follow. I would much rather follow something simple like this 1/2, 1/4, 1/4 rule. It’s easy, quick and over time, leads to a very balanced diet.
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May
26
Rule #4 of Healthy Eating, the 20 Minute Rule
Filed Under Eating Healthy, Healthy Habits, Nutrition | 1 Comment
Last Monday, I started talking about the five rules I use for eating healthy food. I use these relatively simple rules because It’s just too difficult to keep up with all the guidelines, recommendations and plans for eating the perfectly balanced diet. You can drive yourself crazy and still not be 100% perfect.
Today we look at rule #4, which I like to call, the 20 minute rule which is based in large part on my own experience.
By the way, you may have noted that I’m not exactly following a sequential order in discussing these rules; I started with rule #2 and now I’m jumping to rule #4. That’s for two reasons, one because I want to emphasize that none of these rules is more important than the other. Also, I picked each rule because it was appropriate to the day I was writing it. Today is memorial day in the US, a day when many of us BBQ and eat enormous quantities of food. So I thought that taking a moment to appreciate that food would be good.
What Is The 20 Minute Rule?
When I was growing up, I always ate my food as fast as I could. I did because I always had other things I wanted to do and so eating fast saved time. I also did it because I liked eating and eating fast allowed me to eat more. Finally, I did it because my dad did it and I looked up to him and wanted to be like him. That habit stayed with me into adulthood. I would eat fast enough to finish my food before everyone at the table had even been served. In fact, my friends still repeat a rather amusing story where the waitress for our table almost brought me out an unintended second helping because I had finished my food and had the dishes removed before she had brought everyone’s food out.
Then came my little health meltdown. A lot of research later, I found out that eating fast is one of the worst mistakes you can make. It’s right up there with not getting enough sleep or not eating a healthy breakfast. So now I follow a different rule. I try to eat a bit of food and make it last at least 20 minutes. If it didn’t last 20 minutes then I make myself wait until the whole 20 minutes are up before I even think about taking seconds. I also eat slower, trying to savor the sensation and the flavors a bit more.
Advanced Applications
Do you typically wolf down your sandwich in less than 4 bites? Do you ever find yourself eating without chewing? Yep, that was me a few years ago, and while I still occasionally backslide, I am actively trying to avoid those habits. Take small bites of your food and chew them thoroughly. Savor the sensation of eating by eating 1 sandwich over 20 minutes instead of 2 sandwiches over 10 minutes.
How many of you use chopsticks? If you’re a fast eater like I used to be, you probably don’t. Chopsticks are not the most efficient way of eating, especially if you’re not used to them. Which is a perfect reason to use them. Next time you’re at an Asian restaurant, use the chop sticks. They’ll slow you down and make you focus on your food. I know that this has been an effective way for me to eat less.
Do you go to a buffet and fill up a huge plate? Yep, that’s exactly what I used to do because I wanted to get back to table and eat up all that food without any interruptions. Well, start thinking smaller. Take a small plate, fill it up just a little and then go back to your table. Eat that food, take a small break and then see if you’re still hungry enough to go back. That break between small plates is a great way to slow down. By the way, that’s a great tip for those of you BBQing today. Don’t fill up your plate with those three hamburgers, two hot dogs and a pile of chips. Take ONE of those things, have a seat, eat it slowly and then see if you’re still hungry enough to another run at the BBQ.
Bring a friend and talk during the meal. Talking forces us to stop eating (unless you like to talk with your mouth full which is just wrong!) So bring someone with you to meals and carry on a conversation while you eat. You’ll find yourself taking a much longer time to eat and eating far less.
Clarifications to the 20 Minute Rule
Is it always 20 minutes? What if I’m eating a steak vs. a small amount of peanuts? Should both last 20 minutes? No, of course not. The amount you eat will determine the time it takes. However, 20 minutes is a good basic guideline because that’s how long it takes for your brain to notice that you’re eating and full. So waiting 20 minutes between portions is a good way for you to ask your brain “hey, have you caught up yet? Are we still hungry and should get a bit more or are we full and done?” If you want to make it 60 minutes, go for it.
Why Use the 20 Minute Rule?
Because eating too fast leads to eating too much. The two are very closely linked.
But I Don’t Have Time To Eat Slow!
Yes you do. You’ll be spending the same amount of time you are now, you just won’t eat as much. Trust me, I looked at my eating habits and I still spend the same amount of time that I did when I ate faster, I just eat less. And hey, if you’re a real efficiency devotee, maybe you can do some work between those small portions. It’s a better use of your time than scarfing down more food as fast as you can manage it.
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I love food and yet I would eat it so fat that I never really savored or enjoyed it. Stop rushing yourself and enjoy your mealtimes. You’ll end up spending just as much time but you’ll eat less and yet enjoy the food more.
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