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Eating is a pleasure. The French treat it as a sensual experience and therefore take it very seriously. It is interesting therefore that most French people are slim, which must prove that taking pleasure in eating does not necessarily mean putting on weight.

It is a question of how to eat, when to eat and what to eat, and the five most important eating behaviors refer to one of these three.

If you consider your body weight to be in a balance between what you eat and how much you burn off, it is sensible to eat more food early in the day to allow for more burning off time. Therefore (1) always have a good breakfast, and never have a large meal late in the evening. Eating late can have the added disadvantage of keeping you awake as your body works to process that last meal.

Always allow time for your body to digest what you have eaten, before rushing off to continue your day. Relaxing at any time is beneficial, but relaxing at mealtimes and just giving yourself time to enjoy and savour is a particularly healthy thing to do. The French always allow two hours for lunch.

(2) Stop eating when you are still comfortable. There is nothing healthy about eating till you are so stuffed that moving is difficult and you can hardly breathe.

Try to scale down the amount you eat at each meal so you never feel hungry at the end of it. We ask our children if they have had enough. When you have had enough, that is the time to stop, and gauging that time is very important.

(3) Don't snack between meals. This is the one guaranteed way to put on those extra calories and, of course, it can spoil the benefit of the meal coming up later.

This may be the hardest behavior to maintain, and there are lots of snacks on the market which claim to be healthy or low calorie or both. Try to resist the temptation, but if you can't then (4) drink a lot of water. If ever you feel peckish between meals, drinking a glass of water will take that feeling away immediately with no calories and no effect on the next meal.

Don't be tempted by soft drinks, even the low calorie varieties. A fruit juice might be OK if you feel water is too boring, but make sure it is natural and contains no additives. But water is best, and tap water will do. Unless you live in an area where the local drinking water is suspect, there is no need to buy bottled water for good health.

Finally - (5) The well known advice about eating at least five portions of different fruit or vegetables each day is definitely one of the five best behaviors. This can form your main source of vitamins as well as a host of other trace elements which your body needs to remain healthy.

Try to make the five as varied as possible, and the portions do not have to be particularly large. Use your imagination and see how many different types you can eat during a week. Look up the individual fruit and vegetables to see what they contain, and try to spread out the nutritional advantages so that you gain the maximum benefit.

Enjoy your eating. If you follow this list you will find your enjoyment of meals increasing at the same time as your body weight begins to fall. This will be certain to make you feel altogether better within yourself.

Learn more about this author, Keith Redfern.
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