Nutrition Solutions

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Slow vs. fast thinking

We make thousands of decisions every day, from what to wear, where to drive, how to eat, who to speak to, etc.  The majority of these decisions are made without even thinking. Only a small percentage of our daily decisions do we actually think about.  Imagine if we had to consciously think about everything we did…our brains would be on OVERLOAD!

Let’s say that you have a habit that you’d like to change.  Habits are decisions made “without thinking.”  Another term for this is “fast thinking.”  When you’re in “fast thinking” mode, you are choosing the default option, the easiest option, or the most rewarding option.  Our brains are hard-wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain.  Let me give you an example.  You come home from work and feel tired and stressed.  Your mind only cares about relieving the stress and fatigue and feeling some pleasure.  Without thinking, you head immediately to the kitchen for your favorite salty snack because it will bring instantaneous pleasure.  Your mind doesn’t care about the “pain” that may come later (i.e. ruined appetite, guilt, disappointment, etc.).  Again, this is “fast thinking.”

Now, the opposite of this scenario is engaging in “slow thinking.”  When we want to change a behavior we have to consciously choose to switch from fast to slow thinking.  Slow thinking takes us off of auto-pilot and gives us time to intentionally choose what will be most rewarding in the long-term instead of the short-term.  Someone once told me, “You have to play the tape to the end.”  Meaning, think through your decision until you see all the consequences.  Only then can you make the decision that is best for you at that time.

How do we do that?  Here are a few suggestions:

  • Pause and take a few deep breaths.
  • Leave the room, close your eyes, and think your decision through.
  • Decide ahead of time what you will do before you even encounter the difficult situation.
  • Be patient with yourself and don’t ever give up!

You can apply slow thinking to any behavior you want to change, from eating to exercise and everything in between.   Just remember to pause, take a breath, and think it through.  Now you are in control instead of “fast thinking”!

Please share, what do you need to apply “slow thinking” to?

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Fool-proof Weekday Eating

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One of the most common complaints my clients have is “not enough time to cook.”  That’s why I want to share my top meal prep tips with you.  Eating well all starts with what you bring in the house.  By having an (easy) plan, you can avoid costly trips to restaurants and instead enjoy home cooked (or semi-home cooked) meals at home.  This will save you money and improve your health.

  • Always have a “plan B” in mind if your original meal plan falls through. For lunch it can be a frozen meal you keep at work or at home.  For breakfast, grab a snack bar from your pantry and a cheese stick.  For dinner, always keep some canned soup and canned fruit in your pantry.  It will make a super-quick dinner when you’re in a pinch.
  • Schedule grocery shopping trips on your calendar.
  • Keep a running grocery list. Every time you notice a staple is running low, immediately add it to your grocery list.  If you have sufficient space, keep an extra package of every shelf-stable item you use.  We use a bedroom closet to keep an extra bottle of condiments, cereal, crackers, canned meats and beans, pasta, rice, canned fruits and vegetables, baking items, etc.  We can almost always throw a meal together with the staples we keep on hand.
  • Take one hour a week to make some snack items. I always like to have homemade wheat bread, homemade muffins, or homemade granola bars in the freezer or refrigerator.  They are good for hearty snacks or breakfast.  If you have some extra time, cut up vegetables, hard cook some eggs, and portion crackers into snack bags.
  • Of course making things from scratch and using fresh ingredients are preferred, but sometimes we don’t have time. The steam-able bags of veggies can be life-savers.  I especially like the ones mixed with beans and whole grains.  They make great side dishes and leftovers for lunch.

 Remember, eating well doesn’t have to be complicated.  It doesn’t have to be boring.  Just take a little time every week to keep your kitchen stocked, and you’ll be well on your way to eating well and feeling well.

 

Please share, what do you do to simplify meal prep?

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Please enjoy this guest post by dietetic intern, Bree Lanclos

Weight Management & Sleep

Most people know that eating healthy and exercise are keys to a healthy weight, but have you thought about sleep? Sleep deprivation reduces the calories you burn and how active you are. One might think that experiencing less hours of sleep would mean that you would be more active, but that extra time awake is spent doing sedentary activities to compensate for the lack of sleep. Studies have shown that lack of sleep increases food purchasing of more calorically dense foods. Sleep deprivation also interferes with hormones that regulate weight. It increases ghrelin which is our hunger hormone. Keeping all of these things in mind, it is no surprise that lack of sleep increases the risk of obesity and heart disease. Sleep is a very important part of a healthy lifestyle and should be considered just as integral as a healthy diet and exercise.

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So, how many hours do you need?

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Tips for Getting a Better Night’s Sleep

  • Stick to a sleep schedule:
  • Avoid exercise late in the day.
  • Avoid caffeine and nicotine.
  • Avoid alcoholic drinks before bed.
  • Avoid large meals and beverages late at night.
  • Avoid medications that delay or disrupt your sleep.
  • Don’t take naps after 3 in the afternoon.
  • Relax before bed.
  • Take a hot bath before bed.
  • Remove distractions from your sleeping environment.
  • Get enough sunlight exposure.
  • Don’t lie in bed awake.
  • See a doctor if you continue to have trouble sleeping.

Written by: Bree Lanclos, BS, Dietetic Intern 2016, Lamar University

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Are You an Intentional Eater?

To define “intentional eating” it’s easier to first explain what it is NOT:

  • Eating by the clock or diet rules
  • Obsessing over food and weight
  • Constantly off or on a diet
  • Feeling out-of-control with food
  • Embarrassed by the amount or way you eat
  • Bingeing on food or eating compulsively
  • Disconnected from food and your body
  • Confused by knowing what the “right” way to eat is
  • Feeling you will never be a “normal” eater
  • Eating whatever is handy, in front-of-you, or available at the time
  • Not having a plan to manage your eating
  • Eating when stressed, lonely, bored, happy, anxious, angry, or depressed

On the other hand, an intentional eater does the following:

  • Honors her hunger, fullness, and food likes/dislikes
  • Never diets again
  • Eats food that nourishes her body and mind
  • Feels in control of food and cravings
  • Soothes emotions in productive ways that don’t involve food
  • Is successful in managing her weight and health
  • Empowered with a daily plan
  • Is proud, strong, and free from food issues

Which category do you fall into?  If you would love to become an intentional eater, then try my “Intentional Eating-Home Study Course.”

If you’ve struggled with your weight or food/body issues all your life, you may wonder: is this just another “diet” to waste my money on?  Most definitely it is not.  I’ve combined a variety of methods for treating food issues to bring this class to you.  I’ve seen so many people that long to be healthy and free up their mental energy by focusing less on the scale, calories, and fat grams.  Yet, they are scared.  Are you scared of failing one more time?  Are you scared of actually hoping that you can finally be FREE from food and make PEACE with your body?  I understand.  It takes faith to take that step and let go of the dieting rollercoaster.  You CAN learn to trust your body again.  We were all born with the ability to naturally regulate our intake and love our bodies.  Think of the children that you know.  They instinctively know when they are hungry and when they are satisfied. You CAN reclaim your intuition.  By having a support system and learning the steps of “Intentional Eating”, you will be amazed at the transformation.

“My little intentional eater. She eats to get rid of hunger and experience new foods. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

“My little intentional eater. She eats to get rid of hunger and experience new foods. Nothing more. Nothing less.”

 

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Checklist for a Stress-Free & Energetic Week

“If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.” 

-Harvey MacKay

I started learning the value of planning around junior high, when school and extracurricular activities made it necessary for me to keep a calendar. I can still picture the Precious Moments ring-bound calendar I used to record when I had tests, ballet class, church youth group meetings, and friends’ birthdays.  As life has gotten busier every year, the sophistication of my planning methods have changed, but one thing has stayed the same: I always love to plan and make a list.  I’ve always believed the quote above.  If we don’t plan where we are going, then life is going to pass by quicker than we realize without having accomplished our greatest desires.

Managing my health has become second nature, so I wanted to share with all of you the checklist that I go through to make my week as stress-free as possible and be at my physical, emotional, and mental best.  To download your copy, click on the box on the right-side of my website.

Planning is a key tool in my EMPOWER system.  In one way or another it is involved in each of the seven steps.  If you need help “normalizing” your eating, then please email me and we can set up a time to talk.  We can determine which program is right for you.

Until then, please enjoy your complimentary checklist.

Are you a planner?  Do you like paper and pen, or electronic lists and calendars?

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Must-have Kitchen Tool: Food Scale

The EatSmart Nutrition Scale is one of my favorite kitchen tools.  A scale is important for measuring out ingredients while cooking and for measuring out portions.  You can purchase a simple one at Wal-Mart for around $10 or ones with extra features for around $100.

The EatSmart Nutrition Scale does more than just weigh food.  You place your food on the scale and punch in the food code and within seconds the scale tells you the weight, calories, and 11 other nutrients (carbohydrates, fiber, sodium, potassium, magnesium, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, calcium, protein, and Vitamin K) for the portion on the scale.  This is an invaluable tool for anyone watching their diet for diabetes, weight control, osteoporosis, kidney disease, or heart disease, just to name a few.

If you have diabetes, you can count your carbs for the day using the scale, or make your own “100-calorie” packs if you are watching your calories.  It is a great visual reminder of nutrient density.  Sometimes I am surprised when I pile a bowl full of fresh strawberries at 60 calories and then measure out a tiny amount of almonds at 90 calories.  Of course I don’t recommend that you weigh all your food all the time, but occasionally weighing your portions is very eye-opening and can be a great tool for weight management.  I recommend that every kitchen has a scale.  You can learn more about EatSmart scales at  www.eatsmartproducts.com.

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What’s greener than organic?

When it comes to being green, choosing locally grown and raised foods is the way to go.   An organic food that is produced hundreds of miles away will have deteriorated nutritionally by the time it reaches your plate and have a high carbon footprint.  But, if you choose a locally grown or raised food, the carbon footprint will be low and the nutrients will be at their peak.  People who choose to eat foods only within a certain radius (i.e. 100 miles) call themselves locavores.  Although you don’t need to commit to a certain distance that your food travels, you can reap the benefits by making  a few easy changes.

Choosing local foods are better for you. The sooner you eat a fruit or vegetable after it is picked, the higher the nutrient content.  Time, light, and heat all destroy precious vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  So, if you eat a berry that has just been picked, it will be healthier for you than one that was picked days ago and shipped to the grocery store.

Local foods tend to taste better. Growing up in California we grew boysenberries and strawberries.  I loved feasting on berries all summer.  My favorite way to eat them were straight off the vine or bush while I was playing outside.  I can still taste the warm, sweet berries.  The berries from the grocery store never taste quite as sweet as the ones from your own garden or farmer’s market.

Choosing foods from local farms saves natural resources. The shorter the distance it takes to get the food to the table, the better it is for our planet.

Buying local supports local businesses. What’s better than supporting a local business and meeting the people who produce your food?

Farmer’s markets are great places to find local foods.  I like to visit the Beaumont Farmer’s Market.  Or you can visit pick-your-own farms which can be fun and very cost efficient.  It’s also a great opportunity for teaching children where their food comes from.   Even better, is growing or raising your own foods.  Check out your local extension agency if you are interested in gardening or farming.

What are your favorite locally grown or raised foods?