Back to normal, back on track

What a great Thanksgiving.  I may have exceeded 4000 calories, but I made every calorie count.  I have a bit of a food hangover this morning, but I still got up early and went to the gym.  It was close, I almost went back to bed, but I am so glad I made it to the gym today.  Back to normal, back on track.

I was surprised that after all the food I ate yesterday, that I woke up feeling famished.  How is that possible?  As I woke up more and became more alert, I remembered the info that I read in the book Eat For Health. It says that actual hunger is felt in your throat. Symptoms include salivating and light interest. Actual “hunger” is when your body is ready for more nutrients. Often that “starving” feeling is withdrawal from the caffeine, sugar or other “nutrient-poor” foods you consume. Hmmm, this totally makes sense on the day after the biggest eating day of the year.  So, especially during the next few days of food withdrawal, make sure that you don’t confuse these feelings for “real hunger”.

Get back to normal.  Friday is not Thanksgiving round two.  By all means enjoy your favorite leftovers but watch your portions.  Have a single serving of one of your favorites, but also make sure you eat mostly items from your regular menu including lots of fruits and veggies.  As I mentioned in my last post, starting today, I will be eating my usual oatmeal for breakfast, protein shakes, white meat, fruits and veggies, and maybe a side of stuffing with my salad for lunch and a small serving of mashed potatoes and gravy with my healthy dinner.  This allows me to gain back control without an all or nothing approach.  I am not willing to give up the leftovers, but I also want to enjoy them, so I get them in small bursts throughout the day.  This also makes your leftovers last a few days longer if you don’t try to recreate Thanksgiving on Friday and Saturday. Don’t let Thanksgiving be the slippery slope of poor eating that leads into Christmas.  Get back to normal TODAY!

It’s Thanksgiving for goodness sake! Don’t count your calories, Make your calories count

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  I am having Thanksgiving at my house this year for a small army,so this may be my last post for a few days.

Here is my way to approach Thanksgiving, and this has taken me quite a few years to figure out.  Take it or leave it, but make sure that you eat mindfully on Thursday.

1.  It is Thanksgiving for goodness sake.  It is not the day to count calories or worry about portions.

 2.  Most importantly, and this is the part that took me so many years to figure out, if you are going to eat 4000 calories in one day…MAKE YOUR CALORIES COUNT.  I used to take a little of everything from the 20 + options at the Thanksgiving table.  I would take a bigger helping of my most favorites.  Here’s the thing, I didn’t get a huge amount of satisfaction from the peas, fruit salad or the veggie platter, but I ate some anyway.  What a waste of stomach space on things that I don’t love, and that I can have pretty much anytime I want.  So now I only take the things that are my very favorite and I usually only have the opportunity to eat one day a year.  I take as much as I want of stuffing, potatoes, gravy, rolls (but only if they are really good), green bean casserole, creamed corn casserole, and sweet potato casserole, and of course dessert.  I do not waste an ounce of stomach space or waste even one calorie on cheese and crackers, olives, raw veggies, peas, fruit salad, and not even turkey (I eat a lot of white meat protein every day of my life, so no wasting space on turkey… I’ll eat it as leftovers).

 3.  This next approach is similar to the one before, but it has to do with dessert.  There is nothing better than a homemade pie, and nothing more disappointing than a store bought one.   I am not in charge of the pies, so I don’t know if they will be homemade, store bought, or a mix of both.  Actually, I hope my aunt will be making her famous chocolate pecan pie.  Now that is a pie worth the calories.  Last year I ate 5 slices…. Anyway, make sure that you are eating the good stuff, quality stuff, really yummy stuff.   If you love store bought pies, than by all means eat up, but if you are always underwhelmed by store bought, don’t waste the calories and suffer the disappointment. Same goes for stale rolls, whip cream product, canned cranberries, and I am sure there are others… but you get the point.

 4. Ooohhhh the leftovers, this may be one of the most important parts of Thanksgiving.  (Since I am the hostess this year, I told all my guests who live in AZ to bring their own containers for leftovers… I though this was a really good idea, so I just wanted to mention it).  So, on Friday, get back to normal.  Friday is not Thanksgiving round two.  Enjoy your favorites on Friday, Saturday, and maybe into the next week, but now it is time to watch your portions.  Have a single serving of one of your favorites, but also make sure you eat mostly items from your regular menu including lots of fruits and veggies.  On Friday, I will be eating my usual oatmeal for breakfast, protein shakes, white meat protein (here’s where I eat the turkey), fruits and veggies, and maybe a side of stuffing with my salad for lunch and a small serving of mashed potatoes and gravy with my healthy dinner.  This allows me to gain back control without an all or nothing approach.  I am not willing to give up the leftovers, but I also want to enjoy them, so I get them in small bursts throughout the day.  This also makes your leftovers last a few days longer if you don’t try to recreate Thanksgiving on Friday and Saturday.  So, whether you are in the midst of Thanksgiving dinner or looking at all the leftovers in your fridge.  Eat mindfully.

Don’t take a vacation from exercise

This is for all you Thanksgiving vacation travelers.  Don’t take a vacation from exercise.  I came across this total body workout that is easy to do while you are out of town.  I know vacations can be busy and stressful, especially if you are visiting and or staying with relatives.    If you have time, opportunity and energy do all of the exercises for a total body workout.  If you don’t have a lot of time or energy just do one or two each day… but do something!  The workout alternates a strength move along with a high-intensity power move so you work your entire body and get your heart rate up to burn more calories.   

• Complete 1 circuit for a short workout, or go through the series 2 to 3 more times for a more challenging workout.
• If you don’t have weights, use whatever’s handy (water bottles, soup cans, etc.) or use no weights and add reps if you need more intensity
• Monitor your intensity, and make sure you stay between about level 4 to 8.  Modify the workout as needed, and avoid any exercises that cause pain or that seem too confusing.

 

 

Squats with Overhead Press  

Holding medium-heavy weights just over the shoulders, squat as low as you can and do 3 slow pulses, only cominghalfway up.  On the fourth pulse, stand up and push the weights overhead.  Repeat the series for 12 to 16 reps.

         

 

 

Plyo-Jacks

Begin with feet together and jump up, taking feet out to the side while circling arms overhead and land in a squat.  Jump up and bring feet back together, circling arms back in. This is just like a slow jumping jack, but really use power when pushing up into the jumps. Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds.

        

 

 

Wall Sit with Chest Squeeze

Squeezing a medicine ball (or any other type of ball, or even a pillow), slide down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold this position and keep pressure on the ball as your straighten the arms out in front of you and slowly pull them back in.  Repeat the chest squeezes in and out for 12 to 16 reps, and then stand up.

   

 

 

Front Kick with Squat

Lower into a squat and, as you press up, kick out with the right leg.  Repeat, squatting and kicking with the left leg. Continue alternating squats and kicks for 1 minute.

  

 

 

Walking Lunges with Lateral Raises

Step right foot forward into a lunge and, with elbows bent to 90 degrees, lift the arms up to shoulder level.  Step in, lower the arms and repeat on the other foot.  Continue walking lunges and lateral raises for 12 reps on each side.

          

 

 

 

Plyo-Lunge

 Begin in a lunge position and jump up, switching the feet in the air, landing with the other foot forward in a lunge.  Repeat for 30 seconds, rest and do it for 30 seconds more. 

            

 

 

Low Lunges

 This is a different take on the traditional lunge.  Begin in a split stance, but with the feet closer together than in a lunge.  Tip from the hips, keeping the back straight, and lunge down, taking weights towards the floor on either side of the front foot.  Keeping weight in the front foot, push halfway up and repeat for 16 reps, keeping the movement small and the weight on the front foot.   Switch sides.

      

Pushups on the Ball

This is a very challenging move, targeting both balance and strength.  Hold the ball wherever feels most comfortable to you (you could even prop it against a wall if needed) and lower down until the chest touches the ball. Repeat for 12 to 16 reps. If you don’t like this move, do regular pushups.

 

 

Squat Thrusts

Stand with feet together.  Squat down and place your hands on the floor next to your feet.  In an explosive movement,  jump feet backwards into a push-up position, jump feet back between hands and stand up.  Perform 6 reps, briefly recover, repeat 6 more times.  March in place to lower the heart rate before the last exercise.

      

 

 

Plank

Support the body on the elbows and toes, keeping the back straight and that abs engaged (don’t sag in the middle).  Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds.

Best Behavior

 

 The countdown is on to Thanksgiving, so my next few posts are going to be geared toward holiday eating.  If I am being completely honest, for me there is no portion control on Thanksgiving.  It is just wrong to watch what you eat on Thanksgiving.  I eat everything I want and as much as I want, so over the next few days, I want to be on my best behavior (diet wise).  Below are some tips that are not about Thanksgiving Day , but the days leading up to it, to help you be on your best behavior too.

 

 

 

1. Break down your leftovers (This is a good one for after Turkey Day as well)

Instead of using one large container to store leftovers such as casseroles, side dishes, or pasta, why not separate them into individually-sized containers? That way, when you reach in the fridge to find something to reheat, you get just enough for one helping. Breaking down meal-sized servings into single servings will help you limit your food intake with no additional effort.

2. Single out trigger foods

We all have our trigger foods.  You know the ones… for some reason you can’t just eat one. Either don’t buy the foods that you know are your trigger foods, or divvy up full size packages into smaller, individual bags.

 It may be difficult to stop eating chips straight out of the bag while watching Heroes, but am I as likely to inhale the contents of 10 zipper bags of chips without thinking about it?   Doubtful.

3. More mini meals

You can make sure your blood sugar stays at an even keel and keep hunger at bay by eating healthful small meals throughout the day. Mini meals are by far the best way to prevent overeating because you’ll never get too hungry and lose control of your portion intake.  One trick that my husband uses, is he divides his lunch in two, so instead of having a big lunch, he has two mini meals in the middle of his day.

4. Keep seconds out of sight (not to be used on Turkey Day!)

Keep pots and dishes away from the table where it’s all too easy to go for seconds. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve rethought my second helpings as I’ve made my way from the table to the stovetop. I’ve often told myself to sit back down and wait it out. Remember, it takes about 20 minutes to feel satiated. By giving myself that “breather” I’ve realized I wasn’t even hungry anymore.

Negative Calorie Food

 

 We all know that we should eat our veggies, and here is an even more compelling reason why.  All foods carry some calories. No food is actually a “negative calorie” food. BUT the overall effect of certain foods in our body is that of “negative calories”. Negative calorie foods are foods which use more calories to digest than the calories the foods actually contain. Calories from these foods are much harder for the body to breakdown and process, so the body has to work harder in order to extract calories from these foods. This gives these foods a tremendous natural fat-burning advantage.

Here is an example:  A piece of dessert consisting of 400 calories may require only 150 calories to be digested by our body, resulting in a net gain of 250 calories which is added to our body fat! So, if you eat 100 calories of a food that requires 150 calories to digest, then you’ve burnt an additional 50 calories simply by eating that food. Typically, a 25 calorie piece of broccoli (100 gram) requires 80 calories to digest, resulting in a net loss of 55 calories from the body fat!!

These foods are natural plant foods with high carbohydrates and fibers. It takes a lot of effort for our body to breakdown these carbohydrates and convert them into fat, whereas the fatty foods are added very easily to our body fat. Moreover, the fiber present in these plant foods is very useful for our body, because they are filling and good for controlling cholesterol.

 

There are a large number of foods that combine low calories, delicious taste, and excellent negative calorie properties. For reducing weight you should not starve, rather choose more negative calorie foods to lose that extra fat and become slim naturally.

Take the Eating Season Challenge

Eating season is approaching fast.  You know what I am talking about.  Yummy snacks in the office every day, holiday parties, Thanksgiving dinner, Thanksgiving left overs,  Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas Day celebration and so on.  I have several tips that I will be sharing over the next few weeks about how to stay on track, or at least not completely go off the deep end this holiday season. 

Over the next six weeks or so, we will all be indulging more than we should.  Some of the foods presented to us are so delicious that it would be criminal not to indulge.  There are also many foods that we only eat during the holiday, and it will be another year before we get to eat them again.  So… we must enjoy.

With that said, I have a challenge for you.  If we are going to be adding several additional treats and meals to our menus, let’s completely remove a menu option to “counter balance” the next six weeks.

 Here is the challenge:

Do not eat at fast food restaurants. Not even once. (If you need a quick meal for your kids, order a diet drink for yourself, but NO FAST FOOD)

You might think that you can still make healthy choices at fast food restaurants. But if it’s fast food, it’s poor food. Fast food restaurants are all about profit, and in order to profit while giving you cheap, quick, and easy to prepare foods, the quality of the food ingredients will be poor – especially the protein.

Walking into a burger joint and grabbing a chicken breast on a white bread bun with a piece of old lettuce and a half-green, half-pink tomato is “barely” healthy eating.

During the “eating season” take the time and effort to eat healthy meals, but still enjoy those delicious and sometimes irresistible treats that show up all month long.  

You will have to plan better, shop better, and prepare healthy meals even on those days where all you want to do is hit the drive through on the way home. (Check out my last post on grocery shopping for some ideas.) It is only until the end of the year.  It is a simple trade off.  You can do it.

Grocery Shopping Made Easy

 These days it seems like people are busier than ever, and eating out or take out is one very easy way to conserve time.  Eating out once in a while isn’t a bad practice, but obviously it is better, health wise (and wallet wise), to stock your kitchen and prepare as many meals as possible at home.

Even if you order a healthy item from the menu at most restaurants, you will most likely be getting more sodium, fat, and calories than you realize. When you buy and prepare your food at home, you’ll almost always get fresher food and more reasonable portions.  And remember… it is all about calories IN, so reasonable portions are key to losing or maintaining weight.

I actually love to go grocery shopping.  I do it once a week, and I buy everything I need for all my meals and snacks.  The list below includes almost everything I buy.  For some, though, grocery shopping is awful and overwhelming.  I found this great starter list for those of you that are overwhelmed by the grocery store.  Always be sure you go grocery shopping on a full stomach!

Beth Sumrell Ehrensberger, MPH, RD has created a shopping list of great grocery foods that will help you prepare healthy, quick meals and snacks for your busy life.  In addition to the list below, there are a few other tips to get you started.

1. Build your stock around food you can keep handy in the freezer, or foods that can serve multiple purposes (like those which function for breakfast, lunch, and dinner). The grocery list below contains many foods that don’t spoil quickly, and are versatile.

2. When you’re thinking about your grocery list, it’s important to be realistic about your time. If you have a demanding job or schedule, know yourself well enough to realize a simple grilled reduced-fat cheese on whole wheat, or a  bowl of whole grain cereal with skim milk will likely be the way to go on a weeknight…save the poached salmon with Jerusalem artichokes for a weekend meal.

3. While you’re at the grocery store, pick up a few boxes of re-sealable bags in various sizes. Once you’re gotten the hang of planning a grocery list and eating well at home, you can prepare meals and snacks to take with you to work or the gym. Relying on whole foods when you’re away from home ensures that you sneak more nutrition into every bite.

4. The real key to maximizing your grocery shopping skills is to build your stock around foods you like and will turn to when you are tired and hungry.

5. Use this list as a starting point, and add or subtract as you see best works for you. When filling your cart at the store, always look for the least processed version of the food; in general, the closer it is to the original whole food, the better it is for you and the more nutrients will still be intact.

6. For the pre-packaged foods such as the soup and chili, look for the low-fat, low-sodium versions of these foods.

THE  SMART GROCERY LIST
Produce Section	Food Group	Why It Belongs In Your Cart
Baby Carrots	Non-Starchy Vegetables	Zero preparation, longer refrigerator life, and incredible versatility. Baby carrots are an easy source of beta carotene that you can grab and stuff into a snack bag to supplement a microwave meal at lunch, steam in the microwave for a speedy side, or chop into a quick dinner salad.
Apples, Oranges, Bananas	Fruits	If you’re short on time, you will appreciate that these fruits are easy to grab on the way out the door and require no preparation. Apples and oranges also have the benefit of a longer refrigerator life than most other fruits. Bananas make a great before or after workout pickup.
Bag Salad Mix with Spinach	Non-Starchy Vegetables	The spinach kicks up the antioxidant content, plus the ease of pre-washed greens means you can build a salad for lunch or dinner in less time than it takes to find your pizza coupons.
Sweet Potatoes	Grains and Starches	Microwave a sweet potato and top with vegetarian chili for a quick dinner that will keep you out of the drive-through. The additional fiber and beta carotene in the sweet potato make it a superior choice to the regular white potato, and when sliced, seasoned (try Old Bay or chili powder) and baked, makes tastier oven fries, too.
Inner Aisles	Food Group	Why It Belongs In Your Cart
Salsa	Non-Starchy Vegetables	Si! The tasty way to wake up bland foods without adding extra fat and calories. Spread it on your egg and cheese breakfast burrito or black bean tacos, or just keep it on hand for your baked tortilla chips.
Low-Fat Mayonnaise	Fats	With low-fat mayo, a plain can of tuna becomes tuna salad (just add a few pickles and chopped egg whites). Ditto for chopped chicken breast.
Whole Wheat Pasta	Grains and Starches	If you can boil water, you can make dinner. Prep a pot of whole wheat pasta, stir in low-fat marinara sauce, and sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese. Super easy comfort food when you’re super tired.
Canned Pineapple and Mandarin Oranges in Juice	Fruits	These fruit staples can hide in your pantry for a long, long time. Add a nutritious punch to your spinach salad with a few canned mandarin oranges, or add 2% cottage cheese to the pineapple for a high-protein post workout snack.
Low-Fat, Low-Sodium Tomato or Vegetable Soup	Non-Starchy Vegetables	When it’s all you can do to open a can, soups can save the day when you need a quick lunch or dinner. Add a toasted low-fat cheese sandwich and fresh fruit to round out your meal.
Whole Wheat Crackers	Grains and Starches	Crackers that list “whole wheat” as the first ingredient can be paired with a little low-fat cheese to make a snack that keeps you going all afternoon. Rather than reaching for chips when you’re deciding on dinner, the crackers can add a little whole grain to your diet while staving off hunger.
Canned Beans	Grains and Starches, Vegetarian Lean Meats	What can canned beans not do? Beans are a great source of iron, and a cheap and easy protein you can add to a salad, supplement soup, and take the place beef in your tacos.
Whole Grain Cereal	Grains and Starches, Vegetarian Lean Meats	Think beyond the milk jug: Add a handful of whole grain cereal to dried fruit and a few nuts to make a fast breakfast or snack you can keep in the car or in your bag.
Nuts (especially almonds and walnuts)	Fats	Instant protein pickup with a heart healthy dose of monounsaturated fat—eat a handful alone or pair with a piece of fruit. When you’re choosing, steer clear of salty nuts that can do more damage than good to your diet.
Dried Fruit	Fruits	Dried fruit is easy to chop into salads, add to chicken salad or eat alone—plus—you’ll love the refrigerator-free ease of always having fruit on hand.
Peanut Butter	Fats	Too bad peanut butter has an undeserved bad reputation—it’s actually a great choice since the fat is monounsaturated and heart healthy. Use it to make everything from Thai style marinades for your chicken, or whip up a PB & J sandwich to tuck in your bag. Spread it on apple slices for a high fiber satisfying snack.
Canned Vegetarian Chili	Grains and Starches, Vegetarian Lean Meats, Non-Starchy Vegetables	Roam the health food aisle for a lower sodium version. Keeping a can or two on hand ensures you always have dinner, no matter how tired you might be.
Whole Wheat Tortillas	Grains and Starches,	Tortillas make a meal portable—scramble eggs and cheese and slide into a tortilla for breakfast. Do the same, but add beans or sauteed onions and peppers for a fast dinner. Toss a salad with vinaigrette, add a little brown rice, and roll into a tortilla for a lunch you can eat while you check your Blackberry.
Canned Tuna	Lean Meats	One can with so many possibilities. Make a sandwich, top a salad, make a spread for crackers. You get a dose of Omega-3s plus a satisfying serving of protein.
Refrigerated Section	Food Group	Why It Belongs In Your Cart
Hummus	Vegetarian Lean Meats, Fats	Hummus makes a tasty and protein rich spread for a turkey sandwich loaded with veggies. With whole grain crackers and a hearty can of soup, it makes a light lunch.
Low-Fat Cheese	Vegetarian Lean Meats	Aside from the obvious pair with a cracker, you can grate some into a couple of tortillas along with whatever veggies you have on hand to create a quick quesadilla.
Low-Fat (2%) Cottage Cheese	Vegetarian Lean Meats	Cottage cheese makes a great snack or part of lunch. If you’re lucky enough to find whipped 2% cottage cheese, use it in place of cream cheese for a healthier bagel spread. If you can’t find it, whip your own cottage cheese with a blender.
Skim Milk	Milks/Soy Milks	Skim milk makes an excellent base for everything from smoothies to soup—have it on hand and you’re always prepared. Stave off your sweet tooth by adding a squeeze of dark chocolate syrup. You will only add about 100 calories provided you stick to the 2 tablespoon serving size.
Yogurt	Milks/Soy Milks	If you can find high-protein, Greek style, fat-free yogurt—you will be rewarded with double the protein of regular yogurt that only tastes like a rich indulgence.
Eggs	Lean Meats	Eggs make fast work of dinner, breakfast, or lunch. Scrambled into fried rice, poached on a whole grain bagel, or chopped into a salad, eggs are long on protein, but short on preparation.
Refrigerated Section	Food Group	Why It Belongs In Your Cart
Whole Wheat Pita	Grains and Starches	Stuff with veggies, cheese, turkey or beans and pair with soup for a hearty, easy meal. Cut into eighths, spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with garlic powder—then use as a dipper for hummus. Freeze what you can’t use immediately to pull out later when you need them.
Whole Wheat Bread	Grains and Starches	Whole wheat bread is a staple for the pantry, and like the pita, if you can’t finish a loaf of bread before it goes moldy, freeze the rest and take it out as you need it. Add a little 50% reduced fat cheese and a tablespoon of trans fat free soft tub margarine for a healthy version of the familiar and comforting grilled cheese.
Whole Wheat Mini Bagels	Grains and Starches	Perfectly portioned, you can keep these in the freezer, and then microwave to thaw. Make mini PB & Js, spread with hummus, or top with turkey.
Meats / Deli	Food Group	Why It Belongs In Your Cart
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts	Lean Meats	Chicken is a versatile and easy canvas by which to marinate, grill, sauté or stir fry with veggies.What you can’t use, individually wrap and store in the freezer for next time. Make extra while you’re grilling dinner, and use to top your lunchtime salad for tomorrow, or chop into a quick chicken salad.
Pork Tenderloin	Lean Meats	Pork, like chicken is a mild, lean protein that freezes well and grills perfectly. Sauté some sliced apples to eat along with your pork tenderloin, and add a microwave baked sweet potato—fast complete and satisfying.
Deli Turkey	Lean Meats	Choose the best quality from the deli counter and keep on hand to stuff your pita, sandwich, or tortilla. Not a cereal kind of guy in the morning? Try a nontraditional turkey wrap for breakfast.
Freezer Section	Food Group	Why It Belongs In Your Cart
Frozen Veggies	Non-Starchy Vegetables	There’s nothing inferior about frozen veggies. In fact, since they are harvested and flash frozen at the peak of the season, frozen veggies are a healthy way to work towards your goal of five to nine daily fruits and vegetables.
Frozen Fruit	Fruits	If you’ve tired of tossing past-prime fruit from your produce bin, try stocking up on frozen fruit. Perfect with yogurt in a smoothie, tossed on cereal or eaten right out of the freezer.

Do what you hate

 

 Many of us don’t like struggling with things we aren’t naturally good at or that are extremely difficult or stressful, and we all have exercises that we hate.   It is easy to avoid the exercises that really challenge us.  But those are the moves that are usually the best to help build a stronger, more balanced body. A few of my most hated exercises are pull-ups, squats, and slow shoulder presses. I hate them, but I make sure to do these every time I work that muscle group, because I know that I am working the muscle to  it’s fullest potential.  I hate it, but I am always happy that I did it when I am done.   

 

Form is always important especially when you are doing an exercise that you may not do often. People are built and move differently, and so you need to listen to your body when you perform any resistance exercises and make sure that you feel it in the muscles that you want to work.

The basics rules are:

1. Take your time and lift mindfully, paying attention to the entire movement.

2. Feel it in the “belly” of the muscle you’re trying to work, and not in the joints.

3. Select weights that your body can handle without having to cheat or force the weight up (leaning way back, using momentum, etc.).

 

You don’t have to incorporate your most dreaded exercise into every workout, but on those days you are feeling really energetic and strong, there is no excuse not to add them into your workout. You may be surprised that you don’t hate them as much as you thought.

TOP 5 FOODS to eat everyday… Especially this time of year

With the holidays approaching, it is more important than ever to make good choices.  There are so many “treats” this time of year, and it is not realistic to completely restrict yourself from indulging once and awhile or even quite often.  That doesn’t mean that we throw out all of our good choices, and below are the top best choices to keep in your diet especially as you treat yourself throughout the holiday season.

1.  Sweet Potatoes / Yams

The complex carbohydrates and B vitamins in sweet potatoes make them the best dietary carbohydrate source, especially for active people. 

 Include Sweet Potatoes in Your Diet:    If you cook them beforehand, sweet potatoes are good cold or hot and taste great alone without any added calories.    I wrap up two or three  in foil and put them on the grill while I am grilling dinner.  Then I have enough ready for the entire week. Top with a little sprinkle of cinnamon and it is like eating dessert.

 

2.  Oats

Oats are a great source of complex carbohydrates which provide long lasting energy for active individuals.

Include Oats in Your Diet:  Oatmeal comes in different varieties such as rolled oats, steel cut oats and instant oats, all which are great for the breakfast of champions.  Oatmeal for breakfast is one of the best gifts you can give yourself to start the day. Oats are also the main component of museli which is a tasty, energy rich mixture of different grains, fruits and nuts.  It makes for a great breakfast cereal or trail mix type snack. 

 

3.  Cottage Cheese 

Casein is the protein in cottage cheese and has the advantage of being the slowest digested protein.  Digesting slowly carries advantages for all fitness goals with the exception of getting extremely fat.   

 Include Cottage Cheese in Your Diet:  Cottage cheese is the perfect protein source to mix with fruits, berries, and nuts to create a healthy, nutrient rich, low calorie meal or snack which will help you keep your body healthy inside and out.

 

4.  Spinach

Eating spinach is the easiest way to include those dreaded green leafy vegetables in your diet.

In addition to being very, very low in calories, the list of the benefits of spinach goes on and on. 

 Include Spinach in Your Diet:  A spinach salad is always a good way to get a full serving of spinach but spinach is a very versatile superfood to include in your diet every day.

Spinach can be added to many cooked foods, to supercharge their nutrition without altering the taste. Cooking spinach and then pureeing it allows you to add it to almost anything without the strong taste.  I add it to pasta sauce, hamburgers, baked beans, etc.

 

5.  Apples  

Apples provide a nutrient dense snack full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and water.  There are so many varieties available all year round.

 Include Apples in Your Diet:  Apples are the easiest food to include in your diet.  They have a very long shelf life for fruit and you can pack them, and eat them anywhere.  You have no excuse not to eat them every day.  Dried apples are another great option

Hungry or Withdrawl?

 

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been restricting yourself on a diet, or not even watching what you eat at all, there are times that you suddenly feel so hungry you don’t even know how it hit you. Often you find yourself in a situation where you didn’t eat a proper breakfast, or you went too late until lunch came around and the hunger hits you like a ton of bricks. You feel like  if someone put a large pizza in front of you at that exact moment, you could probably scarf down all of it.

In the book Eat For Health, it says that actual hunger is felt in your throat. Symptoms include salivating and light interest. Actual “hunger” is when your body is ready for more nutrients. Often that “starving” feeling is withdrawal from the caffeine, sugar or other “nutrient-poor” foods you consume. These feelings that we confuse for “real hunger” are usually felt in the stomach as growling, light headedness, little dizzy, the general sensations we feel when we say we are hungry. But at the time when you’re “starving”, the logic behind what’s really going on doesn’t matter. You just want food and you want it now. When you get to this point, how do you satisfy yourself without destroying all of your efforts towards your weight loss for the week?

Here are a few tips:

1. Keep one of your favorite snacks in your purse or in your desk at all times. That doesn’t have to be super healthy if you don’t like the taste. If you throw an apple in your purse but you don’t particularly love apples, when that overwhelm comes on, you will not eat that apple. You will think you are starving and way too “hungry” for that apple to even begin to have an effect. You’ll head to your nearest “favorite food” place that will satisfy the hunger. Pick a snack that you really love the taste: maybe it’s a fruit/nut power bar – maybe a banana or maybe something else. Pick a snack that works for you, that you really like, and next time the starving feeling comes on you’ll have something right there, and once you’ve eaten it, the binge feeling has come and gone.

 2. Check if that hunger feeling really means you’re thirsty. Most of the time when you feel hungry, you are dehydrated. Get a large glass of water full of ice with Fresh squeezed lemon and see how you feel afterwards.

3. What if you didn’t put your favorite snack in your purse? Instead of using the starving excuse as a chance to stop at Starbucks for a large muffin, croissant and moccachino, go find your favorite snack immediately!! Think of what you would have put in your desk or purse and simply go purchase that to eat now.

4. What if you give in anyway? Lastly, if you are starving and you do head to the nearest pizza place and scarf down 4 times as much as you usually do, don’t make it the end of the world. Don’t use that incident as the reason for saying, well, I messed up, might as well have pasta and that hot fudge sundae I’ve been craving as well.  You were “starving”, you ate a lot, and that’s all it is. Commit to making just the next meal healthy.  This will get you back on track quickly, make you have energy and feel great and don’t look back.