夏日瘦身有新招

The secret of staying slim could be as simple as keeping your mind on your meals.

保持苗条身段的秘密也许就像只需要你将注意力都保持在进食这件事情上那么简单。

A wealth of research suggests that freeing ourselves from all kinds of disturbance and distractions, and concentrating completely on the food that is in front of us, can help us stay in shape.

Such “mindful eating” ensures that “the mind is in tune with the body”, enabling it to “hear” the chemical messages clearly that tell it that we are full.

In studies, including some from the respected Harvard University in the US, dieters who focussed on their food rather than what was going on around them lost an average of half a stone.

有大量的研究显示，将我们从各种干扰和分散注意力的事物中解脱出来，而将关注的焦点都放在我们眼前的这餐食物之上，这样做就能帮助我们体态轻盈。

这样一种“意念进食法”其实是使得我们的“身心合一”，同时让我们的身体更清晰的“接收”到某种化学信息，它将告诉我们，自己已经吃饱了。

来自美国备受推崇的哈佛大学的一些实验表明，节食者将注意力集中在食物之上，并不受周遭所发生事情的影响之后，他们的体重都有不少的减轻。

“Mindful eating”, named after the Buddhist principle of focusing on the present, has also been shown to help binge eaters get their splurges under control, with the number of binges cut from eight a fortnight to just three.

The researchers say that the digestive system involves a complex series of hormonal signals between the gut and the nervous system and it takes about 20 minutes for the brain to register that the body has eaten enough.

This means that if you eat too quickly, the signals will lag behind, leading to over-eating.

“意念进食法”的名称源于佛教中关注当下的教义，同时这也能帮助到不少暴饮暴食的人戒掉这个不好的习惯，没有节制的狂吃一通的情况也从两周八次降低到了三次而已。

研究者表示，消化系统中，肠道与神经系统之间存在一系列复杂的激素响应信号，这一过程大约需要20分钟的时间，大脑才能接收到身体已经吃饱了的信号。

这也就意味着，如果你吃得太快的话，这一信号将被大大延迟，这将导致你吃得更多。

Distractions also play an important role, with a recent British study concluding that eating at your desk could make you fat.

They say that distractions, such as playing on the computer or checking emails, make it harder for us to remember what we have eaten for lunch.

This absent-mindedness stops us from feeling full―and sends us reaching for afternoon snacks.

注意力的分散同样也扮演着重要角色，英国最近的一个报告称，在工作桌前吃饭会使你变胖。

研究者表示，例如玩电脑、收发邮件这样的干扰会让我们很难记住自己在这顿午餐中都吃了些什么。

这样开小差的状态会让我们很难感知到身体的饱足感，这便使得我们产生了吃午后零食的想法。

Forty-two men and women were given a multi-course lunch by Bristol University researchers, with half playing the card game Solitaire on the computer as they ate.

Half an hour later, they were given chocolate biscuits to eat and asked to recall the various items they’d eaten for lunch, in the correct order.

Not only did the computer-gamers feel less full after eating, they tucked into twice as many chocolate biscuits afterwards and struggled with the memory test.

It is thought that our memory of what we have eaten plays a key role in dampening appetite. This means that distractions stop us from remembering the detail of what we have eaten―leaving us feeling hungry.

在一项由英国布里斯托尔大学所进行的试验中，研究者安排了四十二位男男女女中一半的人一边进食一边玩电脑上的纸牌游戏。

在半小时之后，研究人员给他们分发了巧克力饼干，并且让他们回忆一下刚才午餐中所吃的不同的食物，并且要按顺序罗列出来。

这些玩电脑的人不光在饭后感到没吃饱，并且吃掉了两倍的巧克力饼干，而回忆测试的表现也很吃力。

据认为，记忆在进食过程中有着重要的作用，它能抑制我们的食欲。这就意味着，转移注意力和分心将使我们难以记住吃了什么，并且让我们感到饥饿。

TVs, radios, newspapers and even mobile phones should be cleared away―and at least 20 minutes of time set aside per meal.

Those who find it hard not to wolf down their food could try eating with their non-dominant hand―or even using chopsticks rather than a knife and fork.

Before snacking, dieters should ask themselves if they are really hungry―and if not, distract themselves by going for a walk or reading.

Done properly, “mindful eating” may not only leave us slimmer―we may also enjoy mealtimes more.

电视、广播、报纸、甚至是手机都应该远离我们的餐桌，并且保证每顿饭至少有20分钟的时间进食。

对于那些放慢进食速度有困难的人来说，他们可以尝试不同的进食方法，使用不顺手不熟练的餐具。

在吃零食之前，节食者应该好好问问自己，是否真的饿了；如果答案是不的话，就去散散步或读读书看看报来转移注意力。

如果实施手法得当，“意念进食法”不仅可以帮助我们保持体型，还能使得我们更加享受美食。

People from related fields say that simple measures, such as stepping away from the computer for a few minutes at lunchtime or finding some time in the evening to eat without being distracted by TV or computer, will allow people to notice the flavour and texture of what they are eating and enjoy it more.

“Mindful eating” is a remarkably simple but powerful tool which can help us focus on not only what we eat but also the way we think about food and how much we enjoy it.

相关领域的人士透露，比如说在午饭时离开电脑几分钟，又或者晚餐时专心进食，而不是被电视或电脑散开注意力，这些简单的方法会使得我们更加真切体会食物的口感与味道，尽情享用。

“意念进食法”不仅操作起来非常简单，同时也有重要的作用，可以帮助我们不仅关注自己吃的食物，还有对于食物的认识和想法以及我们有多么享受它。