•Appreciate aroma and appearance of your food. Notice colors, textures, and smells of food and imagine what it will taste like.

•Decide which food looks most appetizing and start eating that food first. If you save best until last, you may want to eat it even if you are full.

•Savor aromas and tastes of your food as you eat it. Put your fork down between bites and be conscious of all different sensations you are experiencing.

•If you notice that you are not enjoying what you chose, choose something else if possible. Eating food you do not enjoy will leave you feeling dissatisfied.

•Pause in middle of eating for at least two full minutes. Estimate how much more food it will take to fill you to comfortable satiety.

•Push your plate forward or get up from table as soon as you feel satisfied. The desire to keep eating will pass quickly. Keep in mind that you’ll eat again when you are hungry.

•When you finish eating notice how you feel. If you overate, don’t punish yourself. Instead, be aware of physical and/or emotional discomfort that often accompanies being overly full and create a plan to decrease likelihood that you will overeat next time.

By choosing to eat mindfully and experience most pleasure from your eating, managing your weight will become easier and more enjoyable. Once you have experienced increased pleasure from eating mindfully, you may be motivated to become more mindful during other activities too. Living “in moment” and becoming more aware can increase your enjoyment and effectiveness in everything you do!

Michelle May, M.D. is a practicing Board Certified Family Physician with expertise in the cognitive-behavioral aspects of weight management. She is the author of Am I Hungry? What To Do When Diets Don’t Work in collaboration with a Registered Dietitian and Psychologist. Visit her website www.AmIHungry.com for free health information, or sign up for fun and interactive workshops to help you achieve your health and weight loss goals.

The EPA, at one point, said to use bleach to get rid of mold on glass and tile surfaces only. However, as of 2002, EPA does not recommend use of chlorine bleach.

(http://www.epa.gov/iaq/molds/i-e-r.html)

Many chemicals that kill mold will burn people's lungs. This is particularly true for small children. Even EPA approved mold killers do this.

Most, if not all, companies that eliminate mold use these strong chemicals that are very toxic to people with asthma (3 of 7 people according to American Lung Association). Many people with asthma cannot reenter their own houses if they have been sprayed with commercial fungicides (mold killers). And to add insult to injury, most fungicides are not applied properly so they do not even kill mold.

There are 100,000's of different molds. Each causes it own problems; each has its own needs. The trick to killing mold is to know what molds you have and deny them their basic needs. This gets rid of mold but does not poison residents.