Moving My Blog!!

I want to thank you all for reading and following my blog. I have moved my blog to worpress.org. The new url is http://www.inspiredhealthcoaching.com/2012/

Please join me there!!

GMO No or Yes?

Genetically modified organisms are plants, animals and other microorganisms that have been genetically altered to give them “special” features. 30 countries in the European Union have either banned or severely restricted GMO crops. The FDA says there is no “material” difference. I buy organic and there is a Non-GMO shopping guide. What are your thoughts? Does it concern you or do you agree with the FDA?

 

Cook in Big Batches

Taking the time to cook a meal from scratch can seem unreasonable with our crazy, hectic lifestyles, but the end result is so delicious and satisfying. I mostly cook in double or triple batches so I can freeze portions for those crazy nights when there is no time to cook a meal. Tonight we are making homemade turkey chili with lots of beans and veggies and it’s super spicy hot. We will eat it for dinner tonight, lunch tomorrow and freeze leftovers for dinner another time. What great dish do you cook up in big batches and freeze for later?

Whole Grains or Gluten-Free

Whole grains have gotten some negative press and there has been a big push towards gluten-free. While I agree that those who suffer from celiac disease should definitely stay away from gluten, whole grains provide excellent vitamins and minerals and are slowly digested. Give me a couple of slices of Ezekiel’s sprouted grain bread with a bowl of homemade minestrone soup and I’m a happy woman. What do you think about whole grains? Do you stay away from them?

Fullness or Satiety

Do you think fullness and satiety are the same? The physical weight of food in our stomach, that is about the size of our clenched fist, is fullness. But… the emotional experience is satiety that equals satisfaction. That is why we are not satisfied with lettuce, even if we eat a very large bowl. It is also the reason we occasionally have difficulty “satisfying” our hunger, going from fridge to cabinet to freezer back to fridge. We are attempting to fill an emotional hunger. Some foods fill and satisfy us (and they can be nutritious too. Do you have any foods like that? Here’s a photo of mine…

Diets Don’t Work

Open up any magazine, especially the ones targeting women, and you will find the perfect diet. Even physicians have bought into the concept of eating “special” food to lose weight. Anyone who is overweight, eats more than they’d like, craves sugar or other foods will never be successful long-term from dieting. That’s why we still have so many overweight people. There is NO magic pill. I lived it, learned it and now teach it. I’d love to hear what you think…

Trigger Foods

Do you know why you eat half a package of cookies or almost the whole bag of chips? Because it makes you feel better… temporarily. Eating in response to an emotion such as anxiety or loneliness causes habits to be linked to those emotions. If you want to find out what your trigger is, write out a food journal, keeping track of the emotion immediately preceding the habit. Homemade oatmeal raisin cookies are my habit food when I’m anxious. What’s your habit food?

Savor the Flavor

Did you know that the first few bites of your food are the most flavorful? Depending on the food and your hunger, the level of satisfaction diminishes after a few bites. Try this… take a small bite of a food, chew slowly, while savoring the flavor and texture. As you continue to take small bites, carefully notice any change in flavor. We usually eat too quickly to notice this change. This will help to limit overeating and adds enjoyment to meals. What favorite food will you try this with first ______?

The Next Meal is Coming

We all have different patterns of hunger, but if you eat three healthy meals and plan 2-3 snacks to eat when your body needs the energy, you will always know another meal/snack is coming and not be so tempted to overeat “to hold you over”. Make sure to plan ahead for those crazy days and keep nutritious snack foods in small containers. A trigger for overeating is getting too hungry, but you can prevent that with pre-planning and a good grocery list. What can you add to this week’s grocery list for snacks?

The Snack Attack Hour

Do you know what time of day is the most likely time you’ll eat sugary snacks or some kind of junk food? 3:00 pm… Your energy is waning and a candy bar would boost it up, wouldn’t it? Don’t send your blood sugar spiking, only to have it nose dive, leaving you feeling worse. Keep nuts and fruit in your desk for a quick snack… protein and fiber. What else could you plan for a snack?

Best Meal Starters

Start your meals with a piece of fruit, salad or veggies and a big glass of water. Beginning your meals with vitamin and antioxidant loaded foods and hydrating with pure water is a perfect way to give your body essential nutrients. Add on the lean protein, whole grain carb and eat just the right amount… (pay close attention) when your body is comfortably full. Now you have given your body the nourishment it needs. Do you think it’s okay to indulge in dessert?

Comfort Food Substitution

If you are a comfort food overeater, reaching for food when upset, anxious, worried or sad, what do you do instead of eating when you have those uncomfortable feelings? This is the #1 reason so many people continue to depend on food to feel good. First of all, it does make you feel better… temporarily. But then you may feel guilt, shame or frustration. The answer lies in finding a healthy way to manage the oncoming feeling without food. What can you do in place of eating… that you would also enjoy.

Pantry Purge Your Way Healthy Eating

While you’re running errands and doing chores this weekend, add a pantry purge to your list. Get rid of all the junk food that triggers your overeating. Replace the foods with healthy choices that are either not processed or minimally processed, such as whole grain crackers, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, beans, salsa and popcorn kernels for air popping. Do the same for your fridge and freezer. Your physical environment is key to your success in eating healthier. What satisfying, good-tasting snacks could you add to your fridge/freezer?

Lose Weight the French Way

The French eat rich foods and drink lots of wine, yet don’t gain weight. Do you want to know their secrets? They focus on quality not quantity. Their portions are smaller, their food is fresh from local markets and they sit down to each meal to actually focus on the food and take their time. No rushing for them. Americans typically eat huge portions of processed food while watching TV, using the computer or cell phone and so quickly they hardly remember what they ate. Which one sounds most appealing to you?

Is FLAB Sabotaging Your Eating?

Don’t let FLAB sabotage your efforts to eat healthy foods and listen to your true physical hunger. Before you eat, ask yourself if you are Frustrated, Lonely, Anxious or Bored? Eating in response to an emotion will not satisfy your “hunger” and relieves the unpleasant emotion only temporarily. After, you may feel frustrated for consuming extra, unnecessary calories and the cycle begins. If you answered Yes to the question, what could you do instead of eating?

Cutting Sweets in Half… Mindfully Eating Snacks

Mindless eating of snacks and sweets can lead to not only an excess of calories but unwanted pounds. A study published in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that cutting candy in half reduced the caloric intake of the participants. Eating smaller pieces slows down the eating process when eating mindfully, so whether it’s candy or your meal, cut it up and take your time. If you’re used to eating handfuls of snacks, eat one piece at a time. This new process will seem foreign at first but will allow you to totally focus on the pleasure of the food. What food do you love to slowly savor?

What Did You Have For Lunch Today?

What did you have for breakfast today? How about lunch? Did you enjoy those meals and did they leave you feeling totally satisfied and full? If you ate mindfully, noticing the aroma, taste, texture and color of each food, you not only enjoyed your meal but you were totally satisfied and can remember each thing you ate. When we are distracted by a computer, TV, reading, cell phone or any activity that removes our attention from the process of eating, we don’t listen to our bodies hunger and fullness cues, making us at risk for overeating. The taste/enjoyment level is diminished unless you focus on the food and savor each bite. Did you focus on your lunch today?

The 2012 Health Shift

What is one change you can make in 2012 that will move you towards a healthier lifestyle? What one thing can you do that will make you feel better? Remember to make it something you can incorporate into your life as a daily practice, not for 2 weeks. Start simple, such as a nutritious breakfast everyday that you really enjoy… maybe a breakfast burrito with eggs, salsa, low-fat cheese in a whole wheat wrap. Or taking 5 minutes everyday to practice mindfulness meditation. What will be your investment in your health?

Post-Christmas Food Strategy

So you made it through Christmas, maybe with a little too much food and drink. This is the time of year when “holiday foods” not typically available the rest of the year are plentiful and present in our eating environment. For those triggered by visual cues of food, this is the toughest. If all the food was not eaten, share with co-workers or wrap it in individual containers to either freeze or pack away in the pantry. No food is bad or good, but if it triggers you to overeat, don’t set yourself up. Love what you eat but love how you feel MORE.

The Perfect Snack

Walnuts are not only a good source of monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, but this snack could help us better respond to stress. What more could you ask of a snack food? According to a study published in the Journal of the College of Nutrition, walnuts and walnut oil reduced blood pressure during stress. This was accomplished with the participants consuming 1.3 ounces of walnuts… a perfect snack size. Move over chips!