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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kristy Smorol, Communications Director Office: 3 !"#3$"%#!# or Cell: 3 !"#$3"!&'! (risty"smorol)*eart"or+ ,,,"face-oo("com.american*eartne,yor( T,itter: )/eartC01
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This Holiday Season, Eat Mindfully

It2s t*e *oli3ays an3 for most Americans, t*at means eatin+ 4 lots of eatin+ 4 follo,e3 -y ,ei+*t +ain an3 a 0e, 1ear2s resolution to lose ,ei+*t" 5ut ,*y not ta(e a *ealt*ier a66roac* to eatin+ 3urin+ t*is *oli3ay season an3 -eyon37 T*e American /eart Association recommen3s incor6oratin+ *ealt*ier foo3 o6tions into your routine an3 a8oi3in+ min3less eatin+ or eatin+ ,*en you2re not *un+ry" Reco+ni9in+ an3 6lannin+ to a8oi3 t*ese common eatin+ *a-its can *el6 you mana+e your ,ei+*t" Some 6eo6le eat *ealt*y meals t*ree times 6er 3ay ,it* *ealt*y snac(s in -et,een" 5ut for many, *a-its li(e -in+e eatin+, emotional eatin+, ni+*ttime eatin+ an3 min3less eatin+ can 6ut 6eo6le on a 6at* to ,ei+*t +ain an3 o-esity" 5in+e eaters are a-le to control 6ortions sometimes -ut lose control at ot*er times" A -in+e is ,*en you eat a lot of foo3 in a s*ort time an3 it:s usually not *ealt*y foo3" 5in+e eatin+ is -a3 for you, es6ecially if you *a8e 3ia-etes" Emotional eaters eat ,*en t*ey feel u6set, an+ry, sa3, lonely or fearful" Emotions suc* as t*ese can -e 6o,erful tri++ers to eat *i+* fat, su+ary or *i+* calorie comfort foo3s" If you:re an emotional eater, you can learn *ealt*ier ,ays to react to your emotions" Emotions usually 3on:t last lon+ ; often <ust ' minutes to an *our ; so you only nee3 to 3istract yourself from eatin+ for a s*ort time, until t*e emotion 6asses" For many 6eo6le, 3inner is only t*e start of t*eir ni+*ttime eatin+" T*ere:s not*in+ ,ron+ ,it* a *ealt*y snac( suc* as fruit, 6lain 6o6corn or ,*ole=,*eat toast ,it* a little <am a cou6le of *ours after 3inner" /o,e8er, ni+*ttime eatin+ is a 6ro-lem ,*en you eat lar+e amounts of foo3 or foo3s *i+* in fat, so3ium an3 calories li(e coo(ies, c*i6s, full=fat ice cream, san3,ic*es or lefto8ers" Mindless Eating Min3less eatin+ is consumin+ foo3 <ust -ecause it2s t*ere" It2s eatin+ ,*ile 3istracte3 4 ,atc*in+ T>,

,or(in+ at a com6uter or te@tin+ on our smart6*ones" It2s eatin+ for emotional comfort instea3 of for *un+er" Sim6ly 6ut, it2s not 6ayin+ attention to ,*at ,e eat ,*ic* can lea3 to -ein+ o8er,ei+*t an3 e8en o-esity" Awareness ?*en you 6ay attention to ,*at you2re eatin+, you can ma(e small c*an+es t*at ma(e a -i+ 3ifference" /ere are some ti6s to,ar3 a more min3ful a66roac*: Control portions" Es6ecially 3urin+ t*e *oli3ays, (no, t*at you2ll *a8e more o66ortunities to eat festi8e snac(s an3 3esserts" 1ou 3on2t *a8e to 3e6ri8e yourself, <ust eat smaller 6ortions an3 less often" Eat when youre hungry" Aust -ecause t*e cloc( says noon 3oesn2t mean you *a8e to eat" If you2re not *un+ry, ,ait until you are 4 <ust 3on2t ,ait until you2re famis*e3 -ecause you mi+*t o8ereat" Also, 3on2t eat <ust -ecause t*e foo3 is a8aila-le" Learn more a-out ,*y you mi+*t -e eatin+ ,*en not *un+ry" Plan. Bre6are *ealt*y snac(s t*rou+*out t*e 3ay" If you ten3 to +et *un+ry -et,een meals, -rin+ alon+ a #''=calorie, ,*ole +rain, *i+*=fi-er snac(" Fi-er (ee6s you feelin+ full lon+er" Learn *o, a little 6lannin+ *el6s your *eart, an3 your -u3+et" Slow down. En<oy eac* -ite an3 6ut your for( 3o,n ,*ile c*e,in+, t*en ta(e a 3rin( -et,een eac* -ite" T*is +i8es your -o3y enou+* time to tri++er your -rain t*at you are satisfie3 Cnot necessarily fullD" Pay attention. Do not eat in front of t*e T> or com6uter, or ,*ile stan3in+ in t*e (itc*en or tal(in+ on t*e 6*one" ?*en you 3o t*ese t*in+s, you2re more li(ely to lose trac( of *o, muc* you28e eaten" Use technology. As ,e continue to -ecome increasin+ly 3istracte3 -y mo3ern tec*nolo+y, our focus on *ealt* can fall to t*e -ac( -urner" 5ut it 3oesn2t *a8e to -e t*at ,ay" ?e can actually use our smart6*ones an3 ot*er electronic 3e8ices to *el6 us" T*ere are no, a66s t*at mana+e foo3 recor3s, count calories, *el6 you trac( ,*at you eat an3 e8en 6ro8i3e +ui3ance on *ealt*y foo3 c*oices at t*e +rocery store an3 restaurants" eep a food diary. ?rite 3o,n e8eryt*in+ you eat, loo( at it, t*en i3entify ,*y you ate it 4 ,as it *un+er, stress, -ore3om7 T*en loo( for areas you can ma(e a3<ustments an3 incor6orate *ealt*y c*an+es" Kee6in+ a foo3 3iary is really (ey to a,areness" Most 6eo6le are sur6rise3 at all t*ey28e consume3 ,*en t*ey re8ie, ,*at t*ey28e eaten"

Rea3y to +et starte37 Do,nloa3 t*is foo3 3iary" Eatin+ *ealt*ier is <ust one lifestyle c*an+e you can ma(e to li8e a *eart *ealt*y life" More t*an %' 6ercent of *eart 3isease can -e 6re8ente3 -y sim6ly lifestyle c*an+es" Learn more at ,,,"*eart"or+.+ettin+*ealt*y.
A!out the A"erican Heart Association Foun3e3 in E#$, ,e2re t*e nation2s ol3est an3 lar+est 8oluntary *ealt* or+ani9ation 3e3icate3 to -uil3in+ *ealt*ier li8es, free of *eart 3isease an3 stro(e" To *el6 6re8ent, treat an3 3efeat t*ese 3iseases ; America2s 0o" an3 0o" $ (illers ; ,e fun3 cuttin+=e3+e researc*, con3uct lifesa8in+ 6u-lic an3 6rofessional e3ucational 6ro+rams, an3 a38ocate to 6rotect 6u-lic *ealt*" To learn more or <oin us in *el6in+ all Americans, call =%''=A/A=FSA or 8isit ,,,"*eart"or+"