the daily dish

South Beach Diet followers are encouraged to eat until their hunger is satisfied — but not to stuff themselves. For those of us who are used to restaurant-size meals, it can be hard to know what a sensible starting portion is. When it's time to sit down to a meal, try these tactics to avoid overeating:

1. Eat slowly and savor your food. It may seem like an obvious point to make, but remember — it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to signal to your brain that you are full!

2. Begin your meal with a salad or a clear broth as soup.

3. Drink water before and throughout the meal. If you're having trouble slowing down when you eat, put your fork down halfway though your meal and take a minute to sip some water.

4. Chop some of your favorite fresh vegetables and place them on the table with the rest of your dinner. Snack on them frequently, and have another handful when you finish the rest of what's on your plate. Don't like raw veggies? Cook them up instead, and give yourself a generous amount.

5. To avoid unnecessary second helpings, assemble your plate of food and then wrap up and store any leftovers before you begin eating

I agree 150% with your advices, exept one: drink while eating. to digest your food, your stomach needs to have an acid pH. drinking water dilutes the acid and modify the pH. it could lead to digestion troubles. drinking until 30 minutes before meal, and 30 minutes after, is a way to keep your stomach at the good pH.

jessyline, do you have a reference for that acid/pH info? I've seen the advice to drink water with meals in multiple places, so I'd be interested in reading more about the alternate theory.

Answer
from Michael Picco, M.D.

No. There's no concern that water will dilute the digestive juices or interfere with digestion. In fact, drinking water during or after a meal can actually improve digestion. Water and other liquids help break down the food in your stomach and keep your digestive system on track. Looking for other ways to promote good digestion? Focus on a healthy lifestyle. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Maintain a healthy weight. Include physical activity in your daily routine.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/digestion/AN01776

so I guess there are different doctors, different opinions... but this is really interesting!

unfortunately I can't find the book where I read this information. I'm just reading my biology course about the --ok I need time to translate-- sorry i will come back later!

so. our stomach is made to get the food ready to be digested in the intestine. only 25% of the proteins are digested in the stomach. the process in stomach is: chlorhydric acid (1%)+ water(99%)= digestive juice. (we have already water in our stomach). what's happening when we eat is the food gets in stomach (chewed, if you take the time to) and with the help of the juice and the natural movements, starts to breack down. the food won't go further until it's liquid enough. it takes some time to make the food like a puree. the role of chlorydric acid is to help breaking down the food, physically and chemically.
(I would really like to find this reference!!!) we can say that maybe if you drink a lot of water while eating, you can dilute this acid, and then its role become less effective. but because of the water, your food will be soaked more and ready to be digested anyway.
(the second role of the acid: antimicrobial.) I just hope you can understand me.

and that's another reason to drink regularly during the day. to keep the pH of the stomach steady, and avoid too much acidity. I suppose... like everithing, it is just a question of balance!!!

You are right Jessyline - everything must be in balance!

drinking water throughout the day is important -
all at once could literally kill you (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication)

to sum up >> drinking 1 or 2 glasses of water with every meal and snack is a safe way to do it - drinking a gallon of water at a time is not safe (with a meal or not)