Mindful eating is the conscious awareness of what you eat, how you eat, and the purpose of eating being aligned with your desired health goals. On the other hand, mindless eating is the unconscious decision to eat without any alignment to health goals. It’s just eating for the sake of eating! The mindless version of eating can lead to overeating and weight gain.
Some tips to keep you aware of your eating decisions include:
Eat when hungry. Everyone’s got an internal clock that will tell you when you are hungry. Eating with your internal clock is better for your weight.
Use smaller plates. This is an automatic way of reducing the portion size.
Portion food out. This means take the amount you’d like to eat out of a bag of potato chips and put that in a bowl. This way you aren’t eating the whole bag!
Volumize your foods. Eat high volume foods which are low in calories to satisfy hunger with high water or high fiber foods. Choose low calorie density foods like vegetables and make a large grilled vegetable platter, or a large salad.
Eat slowly. Taking some time to chew properly and swallow before the next bite allows a fuller feeling when eating. Some strategies for this one include eating with a non-dominant hand or using chopsticks.
Keep evidence of quantity eaten at eye level. This can include empty cans of beer, meat bones, left over crusts, shells, fibers, etc. These visual clues can subconsciously affect fullness.
Eating with others. Eating with other people can cause you to nibble on extra food you may not have eaten solo. On the other hand, eating with a slow eater may cause you to also eat slower. Strategically, you can remove your plate when you are done eating and continue to socialize with other diners.
Reduce variety of items. If dinner includes 4-5 plates of various foods, then even if you take a small amount of each one, it can add up to be more than if there was a 1 food meal.
Unplug. Watching TV or other distraction while eating may lead to rapid or mindless eating. By removing the electronic unit (TV, phone, ipad, computer, etc) while eating, the focus can go back to the food, texture, and flavor.
Make it inconvenient. The more work one has to do to eat a food, the less likely you will eat it. If you have to climb up a stool to get your snack or dessert, you may forego it every now and then.
Keep high impact foods out of eye level. Keep sweet and high fat foods away from eye level, as research shows that when food is in sight, it pushes people to consciously decide whether to eat it. Seeing it more often increases the chances you’ll eventually choose to eat that food.
Read labels. Many foods – health foods even- are labelled with words that conjure an image of wholesomeness or healthy, that we assume they are healthy. Learn about the new and improved labels which note honest nutrition information. Ask restaurants to provide you with nutrition information when you dine out.
Don’t buy in bulk. Stockpiling foods can push one to eat more unless the extra food is kept out of eye level.
Coffee drinkers may have a reduced risk of heart failure according to the latest research… as long as it’s caffeinated. The American Heart Association published the results showing that the more coffee people drank, the lower their risk for heart failure – with the exception of decaf drinkers.
Prior to this research, people thought that coffee may not be great for the heart because its sometimes associated with palpitations or high blood pressure. So if you drink between 1-3 cups of caffeinated coffee, then you may be benefitting from this. But if you are not a regular coffee drinker, there is not enough evidence to suggest that if you increase your coffee consumption, that you would reduce your heart disease risk as much stopping smoking, losing weight, or exercising. This means the most high-impact action for someone wanting to minimize heart disease is to stop smoking, or lose weight or exercise regularly.
I’ve been Libby-ing (an app that reads you library books) Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s book, Keep Sharp- Build a better Brain at any age. And I’ve been thinking about the nutrition that helps fuel the brain. If we provide all that an organ needs, it serves as optimal fuel for optimal function, right?
So what fuel does our brain need for optimal memory and focus? And how does that translate into ideal foods for us to eat? I have to admit I don’t eat all these things, but understand the value of the basic nutrition in boosting brain function:
The first question about optimal fuel has to do with the brain and its composition. It’s 60% fat – so healthy sources of omega-3 fatty acids (the anti-inflammatory promoting fat) are a great idea! Caffeine shows positive effects on the brain, and antioxidants are helpful in neutralizing damage from free radicals. Vitamin C is key in preventing mental decline so that’s a powerful antioxidant to consume daily – it may even help protect against depression, anxiety, or Alzheimer’s disease. Also vitamins B6 and B12 help with regulating mood and memory.
The second question about which foods is listed here:
Fatty Fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, but if you don’t eat fist, then look to pumpkin seeds, walnuts, flax seeds, spirulina, edamame, and beans.
Caffeinated Coffee or green tea may sharpen your focus and increase alertness. The combination of the caffeine and antioxidants are astounding. Just ensure that you don’t sugar up that brain boosting beverage. Sugar is not helpful to the brain.
Dark Chocolate also contains both caffeine and antioxidants. Studies show this is also useful with mental tasks and mood boosting.
Berries, especially blueberries are loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.
Turmeric or Curcumin (active ingredient in turmeric) has brain boosting aspects specifically with memory, mood, and cell growth.
Oranges are known for good vitamin C nourishment, and there are many more fruits that can provide it too.
Eggs are a good source of vitamins B6 and B12 which can support optimal brain function too.
If you are looking for help with creating an optimal meal plan for brain boosting, contact your local nutritional therapist or give me a quick email and we can talk more about how nutrition can help you be the best you! I look forward to your call!
Many of us are dealing with an extra 10lb which came from covid19 differences. Where did those additional pounds land? Has your waistline expanded? Latest surveys show that the pandemic brought about an extra 1.5lb per month during the last year.
I bring this awareness to you to let you know that you are not alone. AND to let you know it’s time to take action. Stop the influx of weight gain, and begin making healthy eating and moving choices to begin reducing those unwanted pounds. If your waistline expanded, it’s time to tap into resources to determine how you can do reduce it. The healthiest ways gradually decrease extra calories and increase physical activity – a few extra minutes of walking each day and a few less spoons of empty calories.
Slow and steady is the key. If you want to work with a coach focused on weight loss through clean eating and gradual movement increases, my team has 2 great movement professionals that would love to guide you … just send me an email to get started on more information!
Are there natural edible ingredients that help suppress our hunger? You bet! Here are the top natural appetite suppressants:
Fenugreek (“Methi” in Gujarati) is an herb which can be used fresh or in dried seed form. The seeds contain a high soluble fiber content called galactomannan which helps with blood sugar regulation and appetite control.
Psyllium Husk (“Esabgol”) is insoluble fiber which when consumed absorbs water and becomes gel-like before passing through the colon. On its way out it provides nourishment to our microbiome – which is key for our immune system. Although we don’t use fiber for direct nourishment, it helps with satiety, weight loss, hyper cholesterolemia, and promoting a healthy gut.
Yerba mate is a South American plant known to boost energy, and decrease appetite. Sources of it can be found in coffee and tea drinks which are designed for detox.
Griffonia Simplicifolia is a plant source of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP). This compound converts to serotonin in the brain (“feel good hormone”). The increased serotonin levels have been shown to suppress appetite.
Caralluma Fimbriata (“Chonga”) is an edible bitter cactus from Asia that increases the circulation of serotonin in the brain, which also suppresses appetite
As Diabetes and Pre-diabetes continue to be prevalent in one third of the US, we must find ways to empower ourselves away from insulin sensitivity and all the complications that go with it. Some of the best foods that help us do this are satisfying, nutrient dense, fibrous, and/or satiating. What are they?
Beans/Legumes. Plant based proteins are where it’s at for you, the environment, and sustainability. But legumes have been on my daily menu since I was born! They are inexpensive, nutritious, and delicious! Most varieties are rich in B vitamins, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and fiber with a very low glycemic index – which helps better prevent or manage diabetes
Greens. The amount of vegetable servings we need is so high that it’s just smart to include greens of your choice daily. They have a variety of minerals, antioxidants, and vitamin C. In addition to leafy greens, most garden vegetables (think broccoli & squashes) fall into this category. This helps diabetics reduce inflammation, cellular damage, and nourish their microbiome – and yes, green juices count but it’s better to eat them!
Apple Cider Vinegar. Known to help alkalize the body and a great base for salad dressing, this liquid has been shown to help with glycemic control.
Nuts. Almonds, Brazil nuts, Cashews, Hazelnuts, Macadamia, Pecans, Pistachios, and Walnuts. (Peanuts are technically legumes). Each variety may have it’s special characteristics but as a group, they are known to reduce inflammation, blood sugar, A1C readings, and cholesterol; and also to improve heart health.
Garlic. It’s a species of the Allium family like onions. In addition to being a seasoning for centuries, it’s low calorie and nutrient dense containing B and C vitamins, manganese, Selenium, and fiber. It’s reputed to improve blood glucose management, hypertension, and cholesterol.
Seeds. Flaxseeds, Chi Seeds, Watermelon Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Basil Seeds, the list goes on and on. These tiny seeds are large on health health, filled with omega-2 fats, fiber, and protective lignans. They are know to help decrease heart disease risks and improve blood sugar levels.
Tofu Shirataki Noodles. High in konjac root extract fiber which keeps you satiated longer, it also reduces blood sugar levels and improves heart disease risks in rat studies. They do seem fishy unless well rinsed before using.
Avocados. This is a fruit encompassing healthy fats, carbohydrates, and high fiber so it’s a fruit most diabetics can welcome.
BGANGSTA is an acronym that will help you remember the various strategic ways to better distance yourself from Diabetes complications.
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