Multitasking at its Best

When people talk to me I listen and I try to remember good advice from good people. I also make mental notes when I observe different behaviors. While visiting Kentucky when I was a kid, in the evenings and after a good, Southern super my Grandma Frances always used to clean the kitchen, start the dishwasher (when she finally got a dishwasher) and shout, "Kitchen is closed!". That was always like nails on a chalkboard to me back then but now I get it, appreciate it and do it in my own home. But one very healthy couple (and the consistently thin woman I wrote about a few weeks ago is part of this couple!) I know does something else to signify the ending of evening dining. Both the husband and the wife immediately brush their teeth after they are finished with any meal. This may not seem like a big deal to most people but before observing them during their post dinner ritual I always waited to brush my teeth until 5 minutes before my head hit the pillow...hours after finishing my last bite of food. Now, that healthy couple may have started to brush their teeth immediately after eating based on the recommendation of their dentist but that good dental habit has turned into a good waist line habit as well. Brushing teeth after eating any meal can mentally and physically turn you off of eating again until you are truly hungry. The minty flavor from the toothpaste combined with your brushing effort and clean mouth takes a lot of the desire to late night nosh away when those nighttime snack commercials come on during your favorite TV show. And guess what, the consistently thin woman also does LUNGES while she brushes her teeth! She brushes her teeth at least 3 times a day and has a timer on her electric tooth brush for 2 minutes. So she is cleaning her teeth, mentally making a note to stop eating AND doing lunges at the same time! Hows that for multitasking?!