3 ice cream cones.

“But I Love to Go Out for Ice Cream in Summer…”

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3 ice cream cones.

Happy Summer! 😎

It’s officially ice cream season. 🍦🌞

Uh-oh. 🤪

“But I love to go out for ice cream in summer…”

I’ve been hearing this one since the beginning of May. 😅 

You want it because it is delicious but you also believe that it’s a “bad” thing to do. 

So you wind up in a conundrum. 😯 Relax.

🥰 Don’t feel torn about eating ice cream if that’s what you really want to do. 🥰

Stop beating yourself up and feeling as if you should not have had it once you’ve eaten it.  Enough with the regrets and the guilt! 

But how do you do this?

While I can’t give you an answer to exactly how much and how often you “should” have it, I can offer some advice for how to find that happy balance when it comes to eating it and feeling good about your decision. 👇

When faced with ice cream, it helps to ask yourself some questions…

 

🍦 Question 1:  Do I really want this?  Is it really worth it right now?  🤔

Because sometimes, when you pause and check in with yourself… you don’t.

You might like the idea of ice cream– but right now, today, in this very moment, you’re actually feeling quite content without it.  Maybe you’ll wait until next time.   It’s not now or never.  There will be plenty of other opportunities.

Or, you might decide that ice cream sounds delicious and it would make you really happy today.  So you make the conscious decision to enjoy some.  Own your choice without feeling bad about it.  Feeling bad kind of ruins the whole point of the ice cream experience.

Don’t make this about whether you should or should not.  Instead look at it as, you can, but do you really want to?  There is no right or wrong.  It is always your choice.   🤗

 

🍦 Question 2:  What is the minimal amount that will do it? 🤔

If you’re used to restricting ice cream or if you’re very hungry, you may overestimate how much you need to feel good.  If you’ve been practicing mindfully allowing all foods and aren’t starving, you’ll have better judgment.

We tend to think we need more to feel satisfied than we really do. 

How often do you regret eating too much ice cream?🥴

And how about eating too little? 😄 I thought so.

➡️ Tip: Order a small (or even a kiddie size).  I’ve been to enough local ice-cream shops to know that these are actually a very decent sized serving! If you’re used to ordering larger sizes, conduct a little experiment where you get the smaller size and then see how you feel after.  I bet you feel satisfied and happy with your decision. 😘

🍦🍧🍨🍦🍧🍨🍦🍧🍨🍦🍧🍨🍦🍧🍨

This can’t be about denying yourself.  It will not work.  If you look at it that way, you’re going to want it more.  It has to be about a 💫choice💫.  Give yourself the permission and freedom to have it. 

Flip your mindset from “I shouldn’t” or “I can’t” to “I can have ice cream if I really want it.”

When you reframe how you look at it, you just may have the groundbreaking realization that you might actually feel better not having ice cream than having ice cream. 🤯

I think most of us have a pretty good understanding of how detrimental excessive sugar can be for our body.  Does that mean having the occasional ice cream cone is going to ruin your health, cause a disease or kill you? 😵 Of course not. 

But everything we eat has an effect on our bodies, for better or worse, and over time our choices add up.

We are all free to make our own choices! 💓Do what makes you happy and what supports your values and goals.

Empower yourself by making mindful decisions and owning them.  Ice cream can fit into a balanced, healthy lifestyle if it makes you happy.  It’s the guilt and self loathing that are really damaging. 💗

 

Real ice cream is awesome… And so is this version of ice cream made from frozen bananas!🍌🍌🍌

How to make banana ice cream.

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5 hobbies for life balance.

5 Hobbies for Life Balance

5 hobbies for life balance.

The food we eat is ONE piece of a balanced life. 🧩

I’m a dietitian here to help you with your eating habits, but we’ll likely end up talking about other areas of your life too.

Why?

They are actually all interconnected. 💞

Wellness is about nurturing our mind and body in many ways in addition to food.

When we bring other areas of life into balance, our eating habits become more balanced. ⚖️

 

 

My “5 Hobbies for Life Balance”:

 

1. One that makes me money. 💰

Nutrition counseling. 😄 As much as I believe life is about so much more than money, having money is clearly important because it helps enable me to live the life I want to live. I am extremely fortunate to have found a way of making money that gives my life meaning and makes me happy.  It wasn’t always this way.  Take a look at some of my jobs over the years: Tops Market Bulk Foods dept (1st job ever- high school- stocking bins with candy 🍬, a dream job!😅) , medical office assistant, rollerskating car-hop, waitress at a couple of Newport restaurants, GNC assistant manager, crew member on Blount cruise ships, team member in the Whole Foods Market Bakery, Grocery and Whole Body depts… and I even got my Series 7 and 66 licenses and had a brief stint in the stock market field.  I’m exhausted reminding myself of all of that.  Even though most of those were mainly a means to an end, they did provide a sense of purpose and structure.

👉 Money is important, but once you figure out what you are passionate about… Go for it.  Life is just too short.

 

2.  One that moves my body.  🏃🏻‍♀️

If I had to pick one– running. 👟 But what would I do without yoga? 🧘🏻I think we need to have several outlets for moving our bodies.  I also love biking 🚴🏻 and walking 🚶🏻.  And now I’m even getting back into rollerblading.  🛼 Activities of daily living count too– vacuuming, yard work, laundry, hauling in the firewood, etc.  Moving our bodies is right up there with nutrition when it comes to longevity and achieving a better quality of life– both physically and mentally- as we age.  We need to keep moving to keep our muscles, bones, vascular system, brain, etc functioning as optimally as possible.  💪🏋️ What you’re able to do in your 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s will have a lot to do with how you’ve cared for your body in your 20s-50s.

👉 Do it now so you can do all the things later.

 

3.  One that is an outlet for creativity. 👩🏻‍💻

As much as I’m desperate to get off the computer, it has also become a big outlet for creativity.  💻 Between my website and blog, Facebook, Instagram and creating music videos of my dog 🐶, being creative with technology can be fun.  😁 Hopefully creating social media posts and writing blog posts is helping someone out there feel inspired. 💫 Find something that causes you to lose track of time because you get so involved and focused (the zone).  We all have something– music🎵, writing✍️, painting🎨, drawing🖍️, puzzles🧩, crafts🧺, baking🧁, gardening🧑‍🌾, the list is endless.

👉 Tapping into creativity is a way to reduce stress, express yourself and achieve a sense of accomplishment.

 

4.  One that connects me with others. 🧘🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🚵🏻‍♀️

Not to duplicate my answers from #1 & #2, but my connection with others happens to involve talking with clients through nutrition counseling & being physically active.  Listening to clients’ stories, establishing trust and being a source of support all involve connecting. 💁‍♀️ Going to a yoga class is a much more rewarding experience than doing it alone at home.  Biking is almost always more fun with others too.  And while I am usually a lone runner, I also love running with a friend!

👉 Surround yourself with like-minded people for that necessary sense of connection we all long for.

 

5.  One that supports learning and a healthy mindset. 

I love reading and learning. 📖 How anyone can ever be bored in this life is beyond my comprehension.  There is always, always, always something to learn! Right now I am reading Outlive by Peter Attia and Die with Zero by Bill Perkins.  I recently finished The Body by Bill Bryson.  All very interesting. 👍👍  I’m also working on practicing consistency with daily meditation.  🤌 I notice the mindset benefits when I quiet down and let the dust settle.  🙏 We’re meant to continue learning and growing though life.

👉 Find the things that interest and excite you and learn more about them. 💗

 

🤔 What are your “5 Hobbies for Life Balance”?

 

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Runner with motivational quote.

3 Reasons to Work Out That Have Nothing to do with Weight

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Are you challenging your body physically at least a few times a week?

🤔If not, what’s stopping you?

BTW: Weight loss isn’t the only reason to move your body! 

(Yes, it can help if that is a goal, but don’t expect to see results quickly.
Stay consistent and patient.)

💫 Even more important is the way physical activity helps us build and maintain our:

🏃🏼 ENDURANCE
💪🏼 STRENGTH &
🤸🏼FLEXIBILITY

…so we can keep up with our activities of daily living as we age. 👵🏼

(ex. cleaning the house, going up stairs, bending down to tie our shoes, playing with our kids/grandkids, walking our pup, etc.)

💖 You know– the things that really matter in life!!

Put weight loss aside and consider these other, more immediate benefits…

 3 Great Reasons to Do It! ⬇️

1️⃣ IMPROVE MENTAL CLARITY AND PRODUCTIVITY:
Ex. Take a brisk walk to clear your head and make you more productive and focused at work and during projects. 🚶🏼‍♀️⚡

2️⃣ REDUCE STRESS AND BOOST MOOD:
Ex. Do some yoga to handle stress with a calmer mood and attitude. 🧘🏼 Or just spend some time poking around your yard.  Being out in nature can help with stress and depression. 🌺🌼

3️⃣ INCREASE ENERGY:
Ex. Pedal away on your bike to get your blood pumping and release endorphins to feel more energized the rest of your day. 🚴🏼‍♀️Or play a team sport or throw around a frisbee or ball with a friend or dog– Notice how good it feels to “play” again! ⚽🤾🏼‍♀️🐶

🤔 Think about it…
How can you make exercise a more integral part of your daily life, rather than an afterthought?

 

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New offering at Be the Change Nutrition.

Need More Nutrition Accountability?




Psst…It’s FREE!

Each nutrition client needs something a little different.

Some come in, get the information they are looking for and go on their way.

But most come in, get the information they are looking for and come back for support, feedback, accountability and to continue learning and growing.

Whether it’s weekly, every 2 weeks, every 3 weeks, every month, etc., clients choose a length of time to work on their goals between visits.

Knowing that they will be checking back in with their dietitian is a powerful mental piece of their journey. 💪🧠

But… there are also clients who struggle to stay motivated between visits.

They know what they want, they have a plan that is realistic and specific– yet, for various reasons, they come back to the office feeling like they “went off-track” or “had a bad week” or “did well the first few days but then something happened.” 😫

Because my purpose is to do whatever I can to help you get where you want to be with your nutrition goals– I created this EAT! service FREE for clients who need daily accountability between visits to help them stay focused.

🌟A daily connection with your RD can help you establish new, healthy habits!🌟

EAT! (Everyday Accountability Texting) Info:

  • For current clients.
  • If you’re not a client, it’s easy to become one– Contact me here.
  • The only other requirement is that you commit to meeting weekly (either in-person or virtually). This will add extra accountability for your success. You can decide to stop at any time.
  • We stay in contact through a daily text message between weekly appointments. I’m going to check in with you daily to see how you are doing with your goals. You choose whether you prefer morning or evening. 🌞🌛

If you tend to let one “bad” day spiral into another and another this could be for you.

😄 Ask me about it at your next appointment…

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Love Yourself First… And Then Change Happens

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Happy Valentine’s Day! 💗

Some say it’s a stupid holiday created by the devious floral🌹, candy🍫, jewelry💍 and greeting card💌 industries. 

Maybe they do take advantage, but I say if there is a day that has to do with 💖love💖 and chocolate🍫, I can’t help but be all for it.

Have you ever thought about how 💕LOVE💕 relates to our 🍴eating habits🍴? 

Self-love, to be more precise. 

🤗 Often I hear: “When I eat better and lose weight, then I’ll be able to love myself.” But that’s not how it works at all.

Instead of working only on changing your outside, you need to also tend to what is going on inside.  The attitude you decide to take (yes, it is a choice) towards yourself will hugely impact your eating behaviors.

Choose to love yourself. For who you are, not what your body looks like. You are in 100% control of calling a truce on your internal battle and just deciding to do it. Realize this is who you are going to be for the rest of your life! You can either accept, appreciate and work on loving who you are or be miserable because of your self-chosen self-hatred. 🤷‍♀️

When we love who we are, doing positive things for ourselves comes more naturally.

When we don’t feel so great inside, we have a tougher time taking the actions we know will nurture and support our health.

candy hearts with quote: Are you doing this out of love or out of hate, punishment and negativity? You can't expect to say nasty things to yourself about your body and then do good things for yourself.

If you notice you’re talking to yourself in a way you’d never talk to your child, friend, parent, etc., let that be a wake-up call that you have some work to do!

Start questioning your thoughts if they aren’t loving, hopeful and good. 

Begin experimenting with encouraging messages to yourself to replace your destructive thoughts.  Reprogram your beliefs to change your behaviors.  Catch yourself criticizing your body and immediately say something kind.  Really.  I know it sounds goofy😜, but do it and see what you notice.  It will be life changing.🌟

Message about needing to love myself, not be skinnier.

When you don’t love yourself and don’t believe in yourself, it’s going to be a lot harder to eat well.  Why would you bother to take good care of someone you think of as a useless, fat failure? 😔

Often, this self-talk has been going on for so long and is so automatic that you may not even realize you are doing it. 

Start paying attention to your thoughts.  If you have been talking to yourself this way for years and are not able to lose weight or eat the way you want to eat… could your lack of self-love be influencing your behaviors? 💡

👀 I have noticed an interesting commonality in the people who succeed in achieving behavior change:  They are patient, kind, gentle and loving with themselves. 🥰 They are able to connect with who they are and eat in accordance with that person that they want to be.  💞 They trust themselves, value themselves and make time to do things that nourish their souls (this is not selfish; it is crucial!).  This attitude and practice of self-care leads to a new perspective on food and eating habits.

Practicing self-love doesn’t mean eating only salad 🥗with wild salmon 🐟 and sprouts 🌿.  It doesn’t mean you don’t ever eat something with low nutritive value 🥨🍦🍰🍸🍟🧁😋. Know that you can still choose to eat things like Valentine’s Day chocolates or your mom’s homemade pizza if those things make you happy. 

The difference being who you are as an eater. Stuffing food down in a frenzy because you think you don’t deserve to enjoy it and then feeling guilty and hating yourself after is not helpful.  Slow down, pay attention and eat with awareness.

Loving yourself allows you to give yourself permission to savor all food in a mindful way.  Loving yourself helps you strive for that balance of wholesome, nutritious and delicious foods that your body needs to feel its best.  You’re better equipped to make healthy eating choices when you remember that you’re on a journey and you accept and love who you are at this moment in time.

If you’ve been struggling with unwanted eating behaviors and feeling stuck unable to make changes, be careful how you talk to yourself (because you are listening.) 

You’re not going to get where you want to go with self-judgment and self-attack.

Acceptance, trust, kindness, gratitude, hope, respect, confidence– this is how you’ll get there.

Let go of your urgency and desperation to change yourself… in order to change yourself.  

Practice loving yourself now, as you are… and then notice change happens.  💗

 

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Girl doing yoga with positive quote.

Body Image: What you Focus on Expands

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You aren’t alone if you don’t feel great about your body.  

It’s so easy to be self-critical and get hung up on perceived flaws. Poor body image can be all-consuming. 😰 Focusing on what you don’t like has a way of negatively affecting your outlook on your whole day.

Changing these thoughts takes practice, just like changing any other unwanted habit.   If you’ve lived for years repeating to yourself how fat your thighs are, it’s going to take effort and time to alter that automatic pattern of thinking.

But you can do it. Your body is where you live. It only makes sense to treat it with kindness. 🤗

Speak to it and care for it with love and gratitude and your world will change.

🤔 But how to start changing thoughts of judgment?

🥰 Begin with thoughts of gratitude.

➡️ What you focus on expands.

Shift your perspective to see the good… and you will see more and more good things.

It’s up to you to tune your radio dial to a new frequency. Here’s what I mean:

1️⃣ Stop zeroing in on what you hate.  Do not analyze, obsess over or poke at the parts that bother you. You have to make the decision that you’re going to stop. Understand that what you’re focusing on is not helpful. Putting your attention on these things brings up feelings like anger, anxiety, shame and frustration. Not only are these unpleasant ways to feel, but you’re activating stress hormones that over time can contribute to issues like weight gain, poor sleep, digestive problems, difficulty concentrating, anxiety and depression.

See how what you focus on expands?

2️⃣ Instead– What are you grateful for?  Notice what you like about yourself but also look at what you don’t love from a new perspective: an attitude of gratitude. The legs you see as too short, too skinny, too fat– they let you walk, run, pedal, skate, dance and get you where you want to go. The arms you wish had no flab– they carry bags of groceries and hug your loved ones (BTW, that flab is relaxed muscle). Go through everything and find a reason to thank them all, your eyes, ears, nose and toes. Your lungs, brain, heart and bones. This resets your mindset back to what is really important in life.

See how different you feel when you shift your focus to gratitude? 🙏

😁 Gratitude creates “positive vibes” which are magnetic and will attract more happiness. 

It’s a practice that staying consistent with day after day will change you.

It’s impossible to feel both judgmental and grateful simultaneously.

You choose how you would like to see things and how to think. 

Your thoughts will alter your reality. 

Feeling gratitude instead of criticism towards your body will impact your daily life choices. 

When you’re living in a body you accept and appreciate, you’ll be more at peace with food and eating.

You’ll make taking care of yourself a priority.  It’s hard to do these things when you’re battling yourself.

Thoughts of gratitude create a change in attitude.💖

All you have to do is decide to. 🥰

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Baking sheet of roasted vegetables.

Oven-Roasted Vegetables

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Pan of oven-roasted vegetables

🥦 As a dietitian, part of my role (along with reminding you to eat your vegetables) is to help you find practical ways to make vegetables enjoyable.

Today I am here to hopefully inspire you to try oven-roasting veggies! 😍

We all know how good they are for our health– all those vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants and of course the fiber.

With so much controversy in nutrition, one thing just about all the experts agree on is that vegetables are awesome for us!

🍅🥕🍠🥦🍄🧅🌶🍆🧄

But most of us really struggle to eat enough.  Even when we know we should eat them and we want to eat them– it can be tough to make it happen. 

If your goal is to increase your vegetables but you’re stuck, ask yourself why:

😝 Do you think you don’t like veggies?

🌟 Taste buds can change over time. And different cooking methods and seasonings can make a major difference in taste and texture. It’s a fact that you can learn to like vegetables!

😣 Do you believe veggies are too much work?

💓 There are just too many health benefits to eating them to not make the effort. Effort-based rewards (like making food) are keys to happiness and achieving a sense of accomplishment & satisfaction in life!

🥱 Are you bored with the same old veggies you always make?

👩‍🍳 Search for new recipes or watch cooking shows for inspiration. Pick a new vegetable to try at the store or at a farm stand. Get creative and out of your comfort zone!

😏 Or this one that makes me smile: “They go bad in the fridge before I eat them.” 

🤣 That is only because you let them sit there instead of cooking and eating them! Buy less and shop more often to avoid this. Utilize frozen veggies too. Check your fridge daily to see what needs to be eaten soon and plan your meals around those vegetables.

➡️ Whatever your reason, it is a limiting belief.

Limiting beliefs are thoughts you believe to be absolutely true– only they are not– instead, they hold you back from success!

If you want to get more nutrient-rich vegetables into your life, let me suggest one of my favorite super-easy and delicious ways to cook vegetables…

OVEN-ROASTED!

Pan of veggies before roasting.
Before
Pan of roasted veggies.
After

🤭 Guess what? You really can’t mess up oven-roasted vegetables.

Here’s how I do it:

  • Pre-heat oven to 425F.
  • Wash and chop up whatever veggies I have.
  • Toss the veggies with olive oil (2 T?  I don’t measure) and salt, garlic powder or any seasoning.
  • Spread evenly on parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes or until tender.
Pan of roasted mushrooms, peppers, onions and brussels sprouts.

A few more reasons to try it if you’re still not convinced:

  • Perfect opportunity to put on music and chop away any worries of the day. 🎵
  • Warms up the house. 🔥
  • Fills your home with comforting, mouth-watering aromas. 👃
  • Makes a nutritious and simple meal paired with a protein like seafood, chicken, pork, eggs, tofu or beef. 🍽 Be sure to add in some more carbs if you need ’em.
  • Packed full of a wide range of nutrients for energy and disease prevention. ✨
  • Great way to increase fiber intake and promote good digestion and gut health. 💗
  • Fills your belly for not a lot of calories which can support weight loss goals. 👍
  • Leftovers for several days of lunches and dinners. Cook once; eat 2 or 3 times. ⌚

Not sure which ones to try?  Pick one, two or the whole list!:

  • Onions 🧅
  • Garlic 🧄
  • Red, Yellow, Orange or Green Peppers 🌶
  • Zucchini 🥒
  • Mushrooms 🍄
  • Broccoli 🥦
  • Cauliflower 🤍
  • Brussels Sprouts 💚
  • Asparagus 🌿
  • Tomato 🍅
  • Butternut Squash (any winter squash) 🎃
  • Eggplant 🍆
  • Carrots 🥕
  • Sweet Potato 🍠
  • Green Beans 💚

Hopefully all this talk about roasting vegetables inspired you. 😄 

If it even sparked one person to try something new or reminded someone of how easy and tasty roasted vegetables can be, then this dietitian is happy! 😊

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Doctor telling someone to eat less and exercise more.

Health Insurance May Pay For Your Nutrition Visits

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Did you know that most health insurance plans will cover appointments with a Registered Dietitian?  😃

Are you trying to lose weight but can’t seem to change your habits? 😩  

Or maybe you know that your health issues would improve if you changed up your diet? 🍽️

👩‍⚕️  Many people hear from their doctors that they should lose weight– but most doctors aren’t taught to discuss diet and nutrition with patients.  While doctors do wonderful work, the majority of doctors do not have the time to spend with you to discuss HOW to go about losing weight or manage your health concerns through diet.

Man asking doctor: Hundreds of years of medical progress and all you can suggest is to eat less and exercise more?

Typically the most you’ll hear about what to do about your weight is depicted in the cartoon above. 

The “eat less and exercise more” message sounds great in theory, but honestly, how is it working for you?

🆘 This is where a Registered Dietitian comes in. 

A dietitian will take an assessment of your eating habits and come up with a plan tailored to YOU.  This plan will focus on habit changes designed to get you where you want to go in respect to your health and weight goals.  Having a plan is half the battle.  The other half is the accountability and support that follow-up visits provide.  Here is where your progress is monitored– and if you’re struggling, you’re going to leave the session knowing exactly what you need to do to get moving in the right direction again. 👍

If you’ve been stuck trying the same tactics and they aren’t working, consider having a trained set of eyes look at your diet and eating patterns and work with you to make positive changes in your life.  You don’t have to figure these things out alone.  And if your insurance will pay for it– how can you not take advantage of that benefit?  😍

Insurance plans vary with many covering an unlimited number of sessions while others cover a set amount.  A few have co-pays and certain plans will only cover specific diagnoses.  Call the number on your card or go online to find out the details of your individual plan.  Or reach out to me and I will look into your plan for you.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

 

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Quote about self-love.

Practice Self-Care, Not Self-Control

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I see way too many of you being way too hard on yourselves. 😥

Most of us want to change ourselves for the better, which is fine. Striving for self-improvement can be healthy. But there’s a big difference between doing positive things to be a better version of yourself (self-care) and fighting yourself by engaging in behaviors like denying your appetite, eating foods that don’t satisfy you or forcing yourself to exercise in ways you don’t enjoy (self-control).

There is a lot of self-loathing going on and not enough self-acceptance. 💔

And so I was thinking about this self-control vs self-care mentality among my clients and there is an unmistakable correlation between the type of mindset someone has and their progress with making healthy behavior changes…

Did you hear that? 💡  If you want to see breakthroughs in your journey, then take a look at the mindset you’ve created.  It could be getting in your way.

Are you caring for yourself or are you trying to control yourself? 🤔

It’s not your fault if you have a controlling “diet mentality”– thanks to messages we’ve received since childhood from television, magazines, the internet and even family and friends who mean well– it’s no wonder we think we aren’t good enough because we don’t look a certain way.  😢  And the answer, we’re told, is to go on a diet or ‘eat this/not that’ or exercise furiously to burn those calories.

🤗 Consider that type of thinking as flawed, distorted and damaging to your soul.  If you’ve been thinking that way, reexamine those thoughts and ask yourself if they have been helpful in getting you where you want to go.

From what I observe…

A diet mentality doesn’t encourage anybody to become happier or healthier or to make better eating choices.

Think of someone you know who has a positive relationship with their body and with food. What messages are they giving themselves?  Are they constantly on the lookout for the next cleanse or diet plan?  Do they  feel guilty if they eat a piece of birthday cake? 🍰  Are they waking up at 5am to torture themselves on the treadmill for an hour before work? 

OR– Are they eating foods that bring them pleasure and that make them feel satisfied?  Do they allow themselves to savor their favorite treats moderately with joy instead of shame?  Are they moving their body in ways that make them feel amazing and alive?

💃🏃‍♀️🧘‍♀️🏄‍♂️🏋️‍♂️🚴‍♀️🤸‍♀️

There was an interesting study,  Chocolate Cake.  Guilt or Celebration?  that compared weight change and perceived behavior control between two groups of people with opposing attitudes towards eating cake– those who saw eating cake as a celebration and those who associated eating cake with guilt.  Those in the guilty group reported less perceived control over their eating.  Their guilt did not play a useful role in keeping them from making certain food choices like many of us think it might.  Also, they were less successful at losing weight than those who connected cake with celebration.  Hmmm.

The angle from which you view things really does have an effect on your behaviors and habits.  If you find yourself stuck with a self-control instead of a self-care attitude, noticing this is the first step towards changing it.

Question your thoughts, call a cease fire on your internal battle and then begin reprogramming the things you tell yourself to create a new, more positive story in your mind.  💖

Once you can learn to not see food as your enemy you will notice it loosens its grip on you.

Being gentler, more accepting and kinder with yourself will lead you to better self-care habits.  🥰 

You are much more likely to make the effort to care for someone (you!) if you can first embrace who you are, as you are, right now.  ♥ 

  

 

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Improve Your Diet with This One Key Question

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Think about how vastly individual we all are with our eating habits.  And how different our goals are.

We’re in all kinds of various places with what, when, why, how and how much we eat.

Factors like taste preferences, work/life schedules, finances, cooking abilities, etc all come into play when it comes to eating.

It’s not helpful for me to simply say, ‘Hey you guys– eat this for breakfast.’

Someone’s not going to like it, someone else won’t have the time to make it and someone else will have no clue how to make it in their kitchen.

So, when someone asks, “What can I do to eat better?” the answer isn’t as easy as giving the same recommendation to everybody.

In order to help you I have to know about you, your life and your eating behaviors. Making dietary changes is a personalized endeavor.

What I do is I meet you where you are.

Some of you want brand new ideas of what to eat and we can do that.

But a lot of you aren’t ready to make huge changes with lots of new foods and that is OK!

And for you, my advice is:

Let’s make what you’re currently doing just a little bit better. 👍

I use this approach in nutrition counseling sessions to help you form new, long-term, sustainable healthier eating habits.

You can apply this to your personal eating habits to improve your diet on your own without my help (although having a dietitian’s input can be helpful!)

Think about a habit you have that you’d like to change and ask yourself this question:

Here is the above question applied to 3 examples of random scenarios:

1. Old habit: Every morning you order a fast food egg and cheese sandwich plus a large frozen butter pecan coffee. You are not ready to completely give these up yet.

New habit: Pack along some blueberries, strawberries, melon, kiwi, oranges, etc to eat with your sandwich. Order a smaller version of the frozen coffee drink and drink 16oz water.

✔ You’re making breakfast just a little bit better by adding fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. You’re decreasing the quantity of added sugar and hydrating with pure water. 😊

2. Old habit: You eat chips and salsa for your afternoon snack. You really enjoy this but you eat chips straight from the bag, quickly devour them and always eat more than you intended.

New habit: Plate an amount of chips that you feel comfortable with rather than eat from the the bag. Add carrots, celery, peppers, broccoli, etc to your plate and add guacamole.

✔ You’re making snack time just a little bit better by incorporating satiating fat and fiber from the avocado. You’re avoiding overeating chips by having a visual on your plate. You’re increasing nutrients as well as slowing down your pace by adding veggies to the mix. 😊

3. Old habit: Friday night is take-out pizza night. You eat 4 pieces and feel uncomfortable after.

New habit: Either make or order a salad to eat along with the pizza. Enjoy 2 or 3 pieces of pizza and notice how that makes your body feel before reaching for more.

✔ You’re making pizza night just a little bit better by displacing some of the highly refined grains in the crust with more nutrient dense salad greens and vegetables and learning to pay attention to satiety signals during a meal. 😊

💫 You can apply the question “How can I make this just a little bit better?” to any eating situation you find yourself in. Like when you are putting food on your plate at a cookout or when you’re ordering at a restaurant. It’s a gentle way of practicing nutrition. There’s no right or wrong way to do this.

You’re simply taking a mindful pause before eating whatever it is you want to eat… and making it just a little bit better. 💗

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