Appealing

By Paul Freegale

It is often said that we eat with our eyes. Though this might sound stupid, think about it for a second. You know that we are attracted by the opposite sex with our eyes. You wouldn't go down on a woman who you weren't attracted to would you? So, we do eat with our eyes first. It is important then when dealing with a new diet that we understand that we do eat with our eyes.

It is important because if we don't like what we see, chances are we won't eat it. This is why restaurants put a little bit of green leafy material on the side of your plates. It is to make your eyes wake up. If it looks good, it probably tastes good. I think that the problem that most people have is that they don't make their food look pretty enough. When they go on a diet, they tend to make the food look too bland. But if they were eating a pound of bacon, they would work extra hard to make it look good.

Maybe it is due to some part because we dress up things that are bad for us. We try to dress it up so that we forget how bad it is. I think this is true some times when going out to a restaurant and eating. They don't want you to focus on all the butter and fat that is in the dish.
What can you do to liven up your diet? You need to remember some fundamental things. Here we will discuss those.

Like in all things, our senses lead us. If something looks or smells bad, we will run away from it. The same is true with food. Make sure that your food is alive and looks good. Use contrasting colors that make the food jump off the plate. Try to blanch green veggies so that they keep their color. Use lemon juice or other acid to maintain color when you have to.

Color is important because of something looks wilted and over cooked, we won't want to eat it. It is as simple as that. Make the colors come alive. Try to be an artist with your food. Veggies come in all colors. You can use red bell peppers or purple onions. Go to your super market and pay attention to the colors of the veggies. Also, by doing so you will pay closer attention to freshness. Smells are important. Try to use as many spices and herbs as you can. Just because a dish is low in fat doesn't mean that it has to taste like card board. You should try to wake up your taste buds with every meal you have.

Hot peppers are a great way of doing this. You get a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to hot peppers. Usually they are very cheap and one will go a long ways. If you want flavor instead of heat, you can always add a little pinch of sugar. I love hot peppers and try to use them every chance I can.

Texture.

This is one area that people tend to really over look. If it feels weird in your mouth, chances are you won't want to eat it. Make sure that your food isn't over cooked. Don't cook the veggies to the point they are mush. Try to keep everything looking and tasting like it did when it was fresh.

The way that you arrange your plate makes a difference as well. Try to make your plate look as full as possible. Don't push everything to one side. Spread things out a bit and make it look like as big of a meal as possible. Use all the room on your plate. Sometimes it helps to burn some incense or something while you are eating. Just don't do any of the fruit flavored ones or ones that will make you more hungry. Something that smells good will take your mind off of your hunger.

Also, drink plenty of fluids while you eat. I have known many people who wait and drink their fluids after they are done eating. This will take more food to fill you up. Instead, sip on your drink as you eat. This will also help in digestion.

You see, when you are starting a diet you have to make sure that you are telling the brain that you aren't depriving it of the food that it loves. You have to make sure that you keep things exciting and try new things. If you can do this, you will have more success with your diet.