Should You Brush Your Teeth to Prevent Snacking?

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girl brushing her teeth

Is brushing your teeth after dinner to prevent eating more food later in the evening a good tactic?

It depends…

๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป Yes if you struggle with mindless snacking and eating out of boredom when you truly are not physically hungry and truly do not want to eat at night but can’t seem to break the habit.
โœ… Bonus tip: Floss too to really signal the end of eating for the day.

๐Ÿ‘Ž๐Ÿป No if you are trying to fight real hunger signals from your body. Maybe you had a light day of eating or your dinner was small. Or hey, maybe you’re just hungry– hunger isn’t always consistent day to day. It’s okay to be hungry later at night and it’s okay to have something to eat if you need it! ๐Ÿ’–

Personally, I’m in the habit of brushing my teeth shortly after dinner because I don’t typically get hungry later. BUT– there are days when, for whatever reason, I’m hungry. Rather than lie in bed feeling uncomfortable and unable to sleep, I’ll have a snack. And I’ll feel so much better! (And then I’ll brush my teeth again!)

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Motivational quote: You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.

Feeling Tired?

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Your tiredness could be because of this. โฌ†๏ธ

Or the obvious– not enough sleep. ๐Ÿ’ค

๐Ÿ‘‰๐Ÿป But you could also be tired due to โœจNUTRITIONALโœจ reasons like:

๐Ÿ’ง Inadequate hydration: Water helps circulate oxygen and nutrients in your body as well as helps in waste removal.

โšก Not eating enough calories: Calories, by definition, are units of energy.

โ˜€๏ธ Vitamin or mineral deficiencies: Certain ones like iron, B12 or D can cause fatigue.

โŒš Poor meal/snack timing: Going too long without eating can cause a drop in energy.

๐Ÿ˜ข Eating too low-carb: Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred source of energy. Glucose can be used for immediate energy as well as be stored in the liver and muscles for later use.

๐Ÿช Eating too many highly processed carbs: These can put you on a blood sugar roller coaster. Choose carbs with fiber and eat them with protein.

๐Ÿฅฑ Excessive portions: Overeating can temporarily zap your energy as your body needs to put its focus on digesting a large meal.

๐Ÿณ Skipping breakfast: A balanced breakfast helps set the tone for the day, providing your body with nutrients and fuel to feel alert and energetic.

 

๐Ÿ’— An RD can look at your meal/snack quality & timing and make suggestions for how to optimize your energy levels…
So that you have the energy to do more of whatever sparks a light in you! ๐ŸŽ‡

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A Fresh Start

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Girl with cup of tea looking out window with the quote: Every day is a fresh start..The first day of 2025โ€ฆ Exciting!!

I am all for the fresh start that a new year brings.
And for the hopes of self-improvement, self-care, healthier habits, growth, positive change, etc.

But hereโ€™s what I find so interesting:
We can have that โ€œNew Yearโ€ inspiration ANY time we want itโ€ฆ

Life is a journey that frequently gets out of balance for all of us. There are meals we regret eating and entire days when we feel awful about our habits. Often this can spiral and we get discouraged.

Sunrise with quote: Look ahead, not back. This puts our focus on what we can control instead of what we cannot change.

Dwelling on what has happened brings up feelings of shame, anger, guilt, inadequacy, disappointment, etc. These are powerful emotions that make you feel stuck and keep you from changing direction.

Instead, look ahead! You donโ€™t even have to wait until tomorrow.

๐Ÿ‘‰๐ŸปUse this tip for whenever you have ventured off of your wellness path and need to get back on:

Come up with aย  behavior consistent with your health values that you can do as soon as possible. Mindlessly overate potato chips in front of the computer? Just think ahead to your next meal. Decide what that will look like. Plan it out the way you want it to be and consider how you want it to make you feel.ย 

Every new BREATH is a fresh start too! You can reset your intentions with your next exhale.๐Ÿ˜ฎโ€๐Ÿ’จ

This kind of attitude produces feelings of hope, compassion, optimism and a chance to start again.
You will feel better immediately because youโ€™re taking what youโ€™ve learned from the past, letting it go, and looking ahead to what you CAN control and change.

Whenever youโ€™re feeling stuck, remember that you always have the next moment to choose your fresh start.๐Ÿฅฐ

Reset. Restart. Refocus. As many times as you need to. Just don't quit.

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How to Stop Overeating Sugar

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Woman peeking into an open door with the words: "Me looking at the cookies in the pantry after I said I would eat healthy."

If this is you, hereโ€™s my advice:

๐Ÿช Stop telling yourself you can’t have something you really want. (You’ll only want it more!) What we resist persists. Give yourself full permission to eat it and it will lose its power over you. Food freedom and a healthy relationship with eating may take a little time but you will get there.

๐Ÿช Make sure you nourish your body with nutritious, wholesome, satiating foods FIRST. It’s crucial that you take care of yourself with the right foods so you’ll be satisfied with a moderate portion of a treat AFTER. When you’re truly hungry, going for the cookies straight away is likely going to lead to overeating them and not feeling so great.

๐Ÿช Examine your definition of the word healthy. Individual foods are not healthy or unhealthy. Not eating a cookie doesnโ€™t make you healthy just as eating a cookie does not make you unhealthy. Health is about much more than what you eat. Look at the bigger picture and how that cookie fits into your diet and life as a whole.

๐Ÿช Ask yourself if you really want them! Sometimes we tend to eat something just because it’s there. It will be there tomorrow too. Remind yourself of this. If you really want it, pause and ask yourself how much of it you need to feel satisfied. Make a mindful decision, enjoy your choice, feel good about it and carry on with your day.

 

If sugar feels addictive, there is usually something else going on: Read about it here.

You don’t need to eliminate every gram of sugar in your diet to reach your health goals, however there are guidelines for how much added sugar you should be eating: Check out it here.

 

Cookies with the quote: The best way to stop craving sugar is to stop telling yourself you can't have sugar.

 

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Motivational quote: Let go of the idea that something is wrong with you.

How Your Thoughts Affect Your Results

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motivational quote: Let go of the idea that something is wrong with you.

Feeling stuck by not taking action or by taking actions that aren’t supporting your goals? ๐Ÿ˜ 

ย Look at your THOUGHTS.

What are you telling yourself about yourself?

Your self-identity (how you think of yourself) has a BIG impact on your behavior!

If your habits aren’t moving you in the direction you want to be heading, take a peek at what’s going on in your head. ๐Ÿคฏ

Here’s how it works:
Thoughts โžก๏ธ Feelings โžก๏ธ Actions

Your thoughts create your feelings, which drive your actions.

And your actions, of course, determine the results you’re getting/not getting.

 

It all starts with what you are thinking about yourself.

Most people aren’t even aware of their thoughts because they happen automatically.

UNTIL you notice them and change them!

So, the first thing to do is: Generate self-awareness.

Pay attention to your opinion of yourself.

Your opinion of yourself determines how you feel about yourself.

How you feel determines what you do.

What you do determines your results.

The results you’re getting or not getting directly stem from your thoughts and beliefs.

 

Limiting beliefs (ex. I’m not good enough) are NOT helpful for getting you to take the actions you’re trying to take.

Those thoughts make you feel like ๐Ÿ’ฉ.
And when you feel like ๐Ÿ’ฉ, it affects how you live your life.

This is how the connection between thoughts and results works:

Depiction of the connection between thoughts, feelings and behavior.

You want to work (it takes practice!) on catching your unhelpful thoughts and replacing them with thoughts that will help create the feelings you want to feel. Anything we want, we want because of how it will make us feel (or how we think it will make us feel). Take weight loss for example– You don’t want the weight loss for the sake of weight loss. You want it because you think it will make you feel more confident, energetic, self-accepting, etc. Are thoughts like “I’m so fat” giving your those feelings? Of course not. And so you’re likely not going to live your life doing the things you need to do to lose weight.

It may not be as easy as simply changing those thoughts if they have been on repeat for years.

So, here’s a suggestion for improving how you think of yourself–

Instead of lying to yourself with positive affirmations (which can be ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿปpowerful๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป for changing your mindset IF you believe them)…

Try using to phrase “May I_______” instead of “I am______”

Use “May I” until you begin to believe “I am!”

Examples:
๐ŸŒŸ May I be strong today.
๐ŸŒŸ May I radiate self-confidence.
๐ŸŒŸ May I have the energy to do this.
๐ŸŒŸ May I forgive myself and move on.
๐ŸŒŸ May I breathe in positivity.
๐ŸŒŸ May I inspire others with my kind words and actions.
๐ŸŒŸ May I love and accept myself.
๐ŸŒŸ May I be the change I want to see in the world! ๐Ÿ’—

 

It’s actually pretty incredible if you think about this:

You can think WHATEVER you want.

You have a CHOICE to think kind and positive thoughts about yourself and nobody can tell you that you’re wrong.

The truth is: There is nothing wrong with you.
Free yourself of this belief and your world opens up to change.

avocado looking in the mirror telling himself "You're fat, but you're GOOD fat."

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12 Body Image Healing Tools (Printable!)

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Body image is something a huge number of my clients struggle with.

And because I have been there too, I can empathize.๐Ÿค—

I’m living proof that it is possible to go from loathing your body to actually loving it! ๐Ÿ’—

Believe me, life is so much better when you’re not fighting yourself or food anymore.

I used to think I had no choice about having a negative body image; that was just the way it was and it wouldn’t change unless my body changed. Not true.

Body image isn’t about how your body looks.

It’s about how you feel about your body.

And no, you don’t need to have a different body to feel better about it.

While you may not have much control over your physical traits, you have every bit of authority over your brain and what goes on in there.

Yes, you have much more say in this matter than you thought!

Often, a negative body image has become a habit. In order to learn how to change how you think & feel about your body, you’re likely going to benefit from some tools. These tools are behavior changes & mindset shifts designed to challenge your current thoughts & beliefs about your body that are holding you back.

I’ve put together this handout of 12 tools that have helped me heal my negative body image. You may find certain ones resonate while others don’t. Take what you need. Like learning anything new, you will need to practice at reinventing your body image. Know that it can be done once you decide you want a more positive, kind and compassionate mindset and a more peaceful life. โœŒ๐Ÿป

It is not about changing your body.
It’s about changing your attitude & beliefs about your body.

12 body image healing tools page one12 body image healing tools page 2

Print your free 12 Body Image Healing Tools here!

โœŒ๐Ÿป

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Bento box with carrots, blueberries, cottage cheese, turkey, banana, wrap and lara bar.

Bento Box Cheat Sheet: Printable!

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Lunch idea! ๐Ÿ˜ƒโžก๏ธ Make a BENTO BOX!

Bento box with carrots, blueberries, cottage cheese, turkey, banana, wrap and lara bar.

Bento Box with baby carrots, everything but the bagel cottage cheese, turkey slices, blueberries, banana, PB&J in sprouted grain wrap and a Lara Bar

Bento Box Cheat Sheet

Aim for variety & balance, not perfection:

๐ŸŽ๐Ÿฅ•๐Ÿ๐Ÿฅฆ FRUIT AND/OR VEGGIE
(carrots, celery, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, jicama, cucumber, tomatoes, radish, strawberries, kiwi, blueberries, pineapple, grapes, melon, mango, apple, orange, peach, plum, cherries, figs, dates, raisins, apricots)

๐Ÿฅš๐Ÿฅ‘๐Ÿฅœ๐Ÿง€ PROTEIN & FAT
(cheese, nuts/nut butters, tuna, chicken, turkey, tofu, tempeh, avocado, yogurt, cottage cheese, hard boiled egg, jerky, edamame)

๐Ÿฅช๐Ÿš๐Ÿฟ๐Ÿซ“ CARBOHYDRATE
(tortilla/wrap, whole-grain bread, popcorn, beans/bean salad, pasta/pasta salad, crackers, hummus, rice, potatoes, granola)

๐Ÿซ๐Ÿช๐Ÿต ๐Ÿ˜ ANYTHING ELSE THAT BRINGS YOU JOY!

Soooo many great possible combos…

Here are a few of my lunch boxes that I remembered to snap a photo of–

There is a bit of overlap. ๐Ÿ˜… You’ll notice I have my go-tos :

 

ย Chicken, cheese, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, dried apricots, carrots, celery, Tahini Medjool Date Cookies & an apple:

Bento box with tahini medjool date cookies, turkey, cheese, macadamia nuts, carrots, celery, dried apricots and an apple.ย 

ย 

Beef jerky, Laughing Cow Cheese, mixed nuts/seeds/coconut, apple, peanut butter, peppers, cucumbers & a couple of chocolates:

Bento box with cucumber, peppers, apples, peanut butter, cheese, beef jerky, trail mix and chocolate.

 

Turkey, Mary’s Gone Crackers, strawberries, tomatoes, carrots, celery & peanut butter:

Bento box with turkey, crackers, peanut butter, strawberries, tomatoes, carrots and celery.

 

Chomps meat stick, grapes, Babybel cheese, walnuts, wasabi almonds, Mary’s Gone Crackers, carrots, celery & peanut butter:

Bento box with meat stick, cheese, grapes, crackers, carrots, celery, nuts and peanut butter.

 

Tuna salad wrap, Babybel cheese, blueberries, blackberries, carrots, brazil nuts, macadamia nuts & dates:

Bento box with tuna wrap, blueberries, blackberries, carrots, cheese, dates and nuts.

 

Tempeh and guacamole in sprouted grain wrap, apple, carrots, cottage cheese, dried apricots & brazil nuts:

Bento box with cottage cheese, tempeh and avocado wrap, apples, carrots and brazil nuts.

 

Cottage cheese, grapes, carrots, celery, apples, oranges, Crunchmasters crackers, peanut butter & a TRUBAR & banana that I had for an afternoon snack:

bento box full of veggies, fruits, cottage cheese, peanut butter, crackers, protein bar and banana

 

Peanut butter, jelly and arugula in whole grain tortilla, orange, grapes, carrots & Babybel cheese:

Bento box with peanut butter and jelly wrap, cheese, carrot, grapes and orange slices.

Once you know the basic combo of foods to include for balance, you can easily build yourself a tasty, nutritious bento box from foods you (hopefully) have in your kitchen. Most require little to no prep time.

Remember: Fruit/Veg, Protein/Fat, Carbohydrate & anything else you love that makes you look forward to lunchtime. ๐Ÿ’—

Print your Bento Box Cheat Sheet here!

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Explanation of NEAT. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis.

NEAT: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis

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People expending energy going about their day.

Have you got your diet, exercise, hydration, sleep and stress management dialed in…

but you’re still struggling to lose weight?

ย Take a close look at how you spend the rest of your hours.

What we eat and what we do for exercise are often the focus when trying to lose weight– and yes, they are biggies! But one often overlooked factor is NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis).

Here is how our daily total energy expenditure (how we burn calories) breaks down:
๐Ÿ’ฅBMR (basal metabolic rate) ~60%
๐Ÿ’ฅTEF (thermic effect of food= digestion and absorption of food) ~8-15%
๐Ÿ’ฅEAT (exercise-related activity thermogenesis) which can be as much as 15-30% for habitual exercisers or as low as 1-2% for minimal exercisers. Most people fall into the lower percentage.
๐Ÿ’ฅNEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) which is highly variable as well, however it accounts for MORE energy expenditure than EAT when measured over the course of the day.

NEAT can have a significant effect on body weight. ๐Ÿ˜ฒ

Doing some structured exercise and then being sedentary for the rest of the day could be related to why your weight won’t budge.

Yes, we all need to rest and relax! ๐Ÿ“–
Reading a book or just chilling can be a very good thing! ๐Ÿฅฐ

But take an honest look at how much you sit during your day.

Is your job sedentary or are you on your feet and moving often?
How much leisure time do you spend on the computer or watching tv vs playing with you pets, doing yard work or cleaning your house?

All the seemingly insignificant things you do during your day add up.

Think about all the NEAT ways you can add more movement into your day! ๐Ÿ˜ƒ๐Ÿšถโ€โ™€๏ธ

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A man and a woman unhappy with how they see their bodies.

Body Image

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Your body image is the way you PERCEIVE your body (not how your body actually looks).

While your body may not change much day-to-day, your experience of your body can change drastically.ย 

ALL body types/shapes/sizes/weights struggle with this.ย 

Get curious about why your feelings towards it may change depending on your current circumstances, thoughts, beliefs, emotions, mood, attitude, etc.ย 

Is something going on that is manifesting as the belief that your body isnโ€™t good enough?

A negative body image can act as a symbolic substitute for something deeper. Your focus goes on the body as a distraction. For example, feeling insecure can translate into โ€˜I feel so fatโ€™. Or feeling depressed can show up as โ€˜I hate my stomachโ€™. When youโ€™re feeling more self-confident, negative body image can shift to feeling more positive or accepting of your body.

Your perception of how you look can change depending on how you are feeling emotionally.ย 

Distinguish between having negative body image thoughts and identifying with them as your core self. You aren’t your thoughts.ย  When you can notice that you are having these thoughtsโ€“ and that you are not the thoughts- this can create a sense of separation from them.ย 

When you can unhook from your thoughts, you have more control over changing them.

Repeat negative thoughts and they will become stronger. Practice kinder, accepting thought and they will become stronger. Think of it like going to the gym to build muscle. It takes consistency, repetition and time.

Woman looking in mirror. Understanding bad body image days happen and to be kind to yourself.

A healthy body image is a journey. Healing can only happen when you replace cruelty with compassion. ๐Ÿ’ž

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Motivational quote: Anytime you start a sentence with I AM, you are creating what you are and what you want to be.

I AM __________

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Anytime you start a sentence with I AM, motivational quote by Wayne Dyer.

What are you saying to yourself about yourself?

โ€œI AM _____________โ€

Whether we think it or say it…

“I AM” influences how we feel and behave.

What we tell ourselves about ourselves affects how we FEEL.

And the way we FEEL drives our ACTIONS.

Thought โžก๏ธ Feeling โžก๏ธ Behavior.

Tell yourself “I am lazy” or “I am not going to be able to do this” and guess how you’re going to act? ๐Ÿ˜Ÿ

Instead, say to yourself how you want your life to be using “I AM.”

๐Ÿ˜œ It may sound goofy, but if youโ€™re skeptical, just try it!

Examples of positive I am statements:

๐Ÿ˜Ž I am going to have a good day
๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป I am grateful
๐ŸŒˆ I am beautiful
๐Ÿง  I am smart
๐Ÿƒ๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ I am capable
๐Ÿฆ I am brave
๐Ÿฅฐ I am compassionate
๐Ÿ’“ I am kind
๐Ÿ˜„ I am excited to be here
๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป I am strong

(see more examples here)

I am going to accomplish my nutrition goals today! ๐Ÿ˜€

Make it about who you want to be, not who you donโ€™t want to be.

Whether we think it or say it…
“I AM” influences how we feel and behave.

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