Eat until you're 80% full

It's one of the most effective principles to follow, no matter what you're eating.

The philosophy is simple; you should still be a little hungry when you push the plate away.

This is because it takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to send signals to the brain that it's full. In those 20 minutes, you can eat a lot of food that will take you to being over full. Not only does that mean you're taking in more calories than you need, but also that you're not giving your stomach the space it needs to churn and digest the food properly which can lead to indigestion in the short term and poor gut health in the long term.

The tricky part about slowing down when you eat is replacing the old habit of hoovering down everything on your plate (and maybe a second helping and dessert) within 20 minutes.

So why not try:

• putting your utensils down after every bite

• practicing mindfulness by not watching TV, being on your phone or other electronics while eating

• having conversations interspersed throughout your meals with friends and family

• waiting 20 minutes before getting a second serving or deciding on dessert - let your brain catch up and tell you if you really have space for more

Gut health is fundamental to our overall wellbeing. If you want more support with nutrition then head over to www.gmfwellbeing.com/nutrition and check out our resident nutritionist, Tanya Clarke.