It is now midday. Your body is tired and you crave for a filling meal. You worked hard and you deserve a treat. You think of your unfinished chores and the load of more work ahead. This time is very critical. Make the right choice – a healthy lunch munch will keep you satisfied.

Remember the backpack of calories you are carrying in every pound of fat. Your fat is screaming “use me!” A light lunch is the way to go. Eating must be fun. Eat the right amount of food and chew it well. You do not have to eat till you feel stuffed. Do not let your belly control you. A small lunch munch sends a message to your body to start the clean up process. A light lunch will give you more energy for the afternoon. Your mind will be clearer and you will get more work done. Is this not the way you want to live each day?If you give your cells what they need, they will give you want you need – energy.

Here are some suggestions of a healthy lunch munch. Have fun!

Super Salad

A small serving of salad made of fruits or vegetables will meet all your body’s needs. Carrots, yams, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, pineapples, apples – the choices are endless. The key is to cut them into bite size pieces. The dressing must not be the store bought stuff which is deadly. It is filled with transformed fatty acids that have been known to be the cause of all sorts of diseases. The stuff is heated to 2000F°. It has as much nutrition as motor oil. Avocados make a great salad dressing. Natural fats and oils are good for you. They digest easily and supply natural fats and oils. Blend an avocado in a food processor or blender. Add cider vinegar, lemon juice, sea salt, a garlic clove, a slice of ginger, a teaspoon of honey and a small tomato. Experiment and you will come up with your own favorites. No junk on this salad,just good nutrition for your cells. When you eat, you can almost hear cells say “thank you.”

Cantaloupe Surprise

Dice one cantaloupe and chill in the freezer for ten minutes. That is one entire meal. Cantaloupe has the most nutrition per calorie of any food. It may take a little adjusting to think of a fruit as an entire meal, but try it and you will like it. You can give it a dash of sweetener by adding a teaspoon of honey over top. If you want to lose weight, you need to cut calories while maintaining good nutrition; cantaloupes fit the need perfectly. Chew it well, and enjoy the flavor.

Cantaloupe Juice

The juice of a cantaloupe and 2 oranges fresh out of the juicer is a healthy choice. A tropical milk shake is invigorating and will surely give you an energy blast! The nutrition enters your blood in seconds. Carry a thermos to work if you cannot make it fresh. Drinking cantaloupe juice for lunch is a mini juice fast. It is filling and satisfying. Do not be in a hurry to finish it, instead, let it combine with your saliva. Enjoy the subtle changes of flavor as thedigestive enzymes start their work in the mouth.

There is a wide variety of foods that make up a healthy lunch munch. Be adventurous and experiment. The goal is to avoid a high calorie intake. Think healthy at all times.

Hunger triggers feelings of hunger and prepares the stomach to accept food. You must be able to recognize if your stomach is hungry, sometimes you can mistake the feeling of hunger for thirst. Try drinking a glass of warm water next time you are hungry…but you don’t think you should be, maybe you have eaten a short while ago. A glass of water 15 minutes before you eat can also lead to eating less. Hunger will make you uncomfortable if it is not properly managed. It could lead to a mild form of binge eating, as you are so hungry and have built up anticipation of the food. This could lead to a cycle of overeating.

Here are ways to help you keep hunger in control and avoid the chance of becoming a compulsive eater.

Measure and delay hunger
Hunger has different intensities. Every time you feel hungry, mark the intensity of the hunger in your mind; 1 as a little hungry and 5 as very hungry. Delay hunger if you can. You overcome the hunger, and eating is postponed. Do you feel good? Relish your success!

Eat small portions
Hunger prepares the stomach for food. Eat small portions, the food will taste better, and the digestive systems will not be overworked. Eating this way will give you a blast of energy better than that of coffee.

Decide how much to eat
Eat predetermined quantities, and decide how much is enough. Chew your food well. Slow down and relax. Feel content as you eat. Enjoy your food and savor every bite. Relish each moment as if it was the last meal.

Drink at the end of the meal
Herbal tea is relaxing; it is a nice drink after a meal and will help you move out of the mode of overeating. This will give your stomach the feeling of contentment. You feel the satisfaction now? Be thankful that you are satisfied.

The next time you are hungry, face it and be at peace. Hunger can cause feelings of being deprived. Ignore it. Hunger stir uncomfortable emotions. Again, ignore it. You can do it!