10 Steps to a Fit Kitchen

NEW YORK, Jan. 6, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Is your kitchen making you heavy? Surprisingly, an increasing number of scientific studies say yes. If you're overweight, your kitchen might be organized in such a way that further encourages you to eat unhealthy foods. Here, the skinny on making your kitchen healthier:

1. Ditch the donuts, chuck the Cheetos. Removing unhealthy snacks from your kitchen is the first step toward achieving your weight-loss goals. Purge your pantry and fridge after you've had a healthy meal or have exercised and realize how much work it takes to counterbalance that bag of chips.

2. Keep what's healthy front and center. According to research from Cornell University, we are three times more likely to eat the first food we see than the fifth one. So it's a no-brainer – put the carrots where you can see them and the carrot cake where you can't. Moreover, researchers have found that study participants report eating more fruits and salads after they moved those items from the crisper to the upper shelves of the fridge. Organize your fridge/pantry so the healthy items are most noticeable (try using clear containers).

3. Go on a sugar strike. Stevia, a natural sweetener, can replace sugar in anything you cook. It comes in small prepacks or liquid. Avoid the other artificial sweeteners available.

4. Downsize. Invest in smaller plates or use your salad plates for meals. Again according to Cornell University researchers, you'll consume one-third less food with a 9-inch plate versus the standard 12-inch dinner plate.

5. Make it a tall order. Instead of using wide-mouthed, round tumblers for calorie-laden drinks, pour them into tall, skinny glasses – you'll decrease your calorie consumption by up to half. Adding ice fills up the glass, which means less room for the not-so-good stuff.

6. Divide and conquer. Keep food off the table and portion out your meal onto a plate; place the rest of the food out of reach. Studies show we eat up to 40 percent less when we portion our meal and make it less convenient to reach for seconds.

7. Make counters a food-free zone. According to a study published in the Journal of Health Education and Behavior of more than 200 kitchens in Syracuse, New York, women who left a box of breakfast cereal on their countertops weighed on average 21 pounds more than their neighbors who didn't. The point: If you indulge every time you pass by even a food that can be considered healthy, calories add up. The study also found that the presence of foods such as cereal, candy, and soft drinks was associated with weight differences ranging from 20 to 31 pounds. To be successful with weight loss, make unhealthy foods less available.

8. Tune in to your plate. A team of UK researchers from the University of Birmingham looked at how attention and memory affect food intake. The study points to two key conclusions: Paying attention to a meal was linked to eating less, while being distracted tended to make people eat more at that meal. Get the TV out of your kitchen or dining room, turn off your phone and focus on your food – not Facebook.

9. Make your kitchen less lounge-like. Kitchens are not living rooms, study halls or offices. They are meant for cooking. Remove anything in your kitchen that makes it an enticing place to hang out in – comfy chairs, computers or TVs. The more time we spend in the kitchen, the more likely it is we will reach for food.

10. Keep your shopping list minimal. Check it twice for items that are either unhealthy or unnecessary.

Luiza Petre, M.D. (backlink http://www.mediweightlossclinics.com/locations/manhattan/physicians-and-staff/) is a cardiologist and medical director for three Medi-Weightloss® locations.

Medi-Weightloss ® (backlink http://www.mediweightlossclinics.com) offer individualized, physician-supervised programs that balance education, appetite management and activity to support weight loss goals and long-term weight management.

Contact: Luiza Petre, MD, 917-553-2700

CONTACT: Luiza Petre, MD, 
         917-553-2700