I Can Have This. Do I Want This?

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Picture with delicious foods saying Ever notice how the foods you tell yourself you can't have are the same ones you feel you have no control around?

A mindset shift can lead to behavior change.

Acknowledge that you have the freedom to eat anything you want.

(Because… you do.🤷)
✳️ Unless you have an allergy!

Then, practice paying attention (✨mindfulness✨) and notice whether you really desire the food or not.

Once you give yourself full permission, over time, something shifts.

🌟Food loses its power over you.🌟

The mindset of “forbidden” foods can make you crave them more, leading to overeating, feeling out of control and becoming trapped in an unhealthy cycle of restriction and bingeing.

Telling yourself you cannot have it DOES.NOT.WORK. 🙅‍♀️

 

Instead, try these two steps:

 

Step 1: Allow all foods.

There are no good or bad foods. Yes, foods differ in their nutritional value, but any food can have a place in a balanced diet. We need to include foods that bring us vitamin P (pleasure!) and that truly leave us satisfied, along with those that are nutrient-dense. Once you realize that no food is off-limits, habituation eventually sets in and you won’t have such an intense response to those “forbidden” foods anymore.

 

Step 2: Ask yourself these 2 questions: “Do I really want this?” and “What quantity will make me feel good?” 

Pause and check in with yourself, keeping your deepest intentions and values in mind. This self-awareness is crucial and helps you make a mindful decision, avoiding mindless eating. Sometimes you might really want it… and other times you might choose not to have it. But you might want it tomorrow. Once you realize it’s a choice and that you have complete freedom to decide, you’ll find you’re back in control. You’ll notice that you don’t actually want certain foods as often as you thought or you don’t need as much of them as you thought. You will lose the all or nothing mentality and you’ll learn to enjoy an amount that feels good with no guilt.

 

The key is a mindset shift– from restriction to freedom of choice. This can result in lasting, positive behavior change around eating.

It takes time and practice, but this approach can help you regain a healthy relationship with food.

You will get there.💗

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Fiber Facts & Tips (Printable!)

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A FREE printable handout that I use in my practice to educate clients on:

✅Fiber needs/recommendations

 ✅Health benefits of fiber

✅Soluble VS insoluble fiber

✅Good sources of fiber

✅Tips to boost fiber intake

Handout with fiber needs, fiber benefits and fiber sources.

Fiber handout with fiber sources and tips to boost fiber intake.

Click here to print your free Fiber Facts & Tips

 

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Mindless Eating

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sign in fridge that says You're not hungry. You're bored. Shut the door.

😂 It’s not a bad idea.

But you don’t need a sign in your fridge–

Instead, get in the habit of asking yourself if you’re truly hungry every time you wander into the kitchen looking for a distraction.

🤔 Is grabbing something to eat really what you’re looking for?

🤔 Or is it just an urge that you can either sit with or deal with through an alternate action?

🥱 Can you eat when you’re feeling bored? Of course you can!
But make it a mindful, conscious decision that you feel good about.

🔑 The key to stopping any mindless behavior is mindfulness (aka paying attention).

Mindfulness is the opposite of autopilot. It generates self-awareness and autonomy. You always have a choice. Insert a pause right before automatically reaching for food. This pause is what gives you the power to act or not act in response to your thoughts and feelings.

Mindfulness comes up a lot in nutrition counseling.

(Balance too!) 🙂

🥺 Many of my clients struggle with unwanted eating behaviors like grazing between meals when not hungry or eating after dinner out of habit.

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with doing these things…

➡️ But for a lot of people, they don’t feel like they are in control, these habits are getting in the way of their health and/or weight loss goals– And that doesn’t feel good to them.

💫 When it comes to changing eating habits, introducing mindfulness is essential.

It is the first step towards behavior change.

👁️ All mindfulness really means is: PAYING ATTENTION.

Behavior changes can’t happen without this.

You can’t change what you’re not noticing.

⏸️ Pause before automatically reaching for food.

Check in with your body.
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️

Am I hungry? 🤔
What am I feeling right now? 🥱
Do I really want to eat this? 🤨
What sounds good to my body right now? 🧐
How much of it do I need to feel the way I want to feel? 🥰
If I’m not hungry, what is it that my body is calling for? 🤯

💫 You’re interrupting a habitual behavior by bringing in awareness and creating an opening for a different response.

The PAUSE is where mindfulness happens. 👀

And mindfulness is how change happens. 🪄

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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…

👍🏻 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.
✅ Bonus tip: Floss too to really signal the end of eating for the day.

👎🏻 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! 💖

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. ⬆️

Or the obvious– not enough sleep. 💤

👉🏻 But you could also be tired due to ✨NUTRITIONAL✨ reasons like:

💧 Inadequate hydration: Water helps circulate oxygen and nutrients in your body as well as helps in waste removal.

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

☀️ Vitamin or mineral deficiencies: Certain ones like iron, B12 or D can cause fatigue.

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

😢 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.

🍪 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.

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

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

 

💗 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! 🎇

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Greek Yogurt Gluten-Free Pizza Dough

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This one’s become a regular in my kitchen—I’ve made it multiple times and it’s consistently amazing.

Holds together perfectly, unbeatable flavor, and totally dietitian-approved!👍🏻👍🏻

Ingredients: gluten free flour and greek yogurt

😍 What I love:

Greek yogurt in the crust = sneaky protein boost!
I don’t always pile protein on my pizza, so this trick helps balance things out… brilliant.

Plus, Bob’s Red Mill GF Flour (made with chickpeas, sorghum, and fava beans) adds fiber—something pizza usually skips.
Protein + fiber = satisfaction that lasts.

👨🏻‍🍳 Here’s how…

3 ingredients for the dough:

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 cup gluten-free flour

1 tsp baking powder

Add in some garlic powder if you’d like

Preheat your oven to 400.

Mix together dough ingredients with a spoon and then knead together with your hands.

It will be sticky! Add a little olive oil on your hands to help prevent sticking.

Shape the dough into a pizza crust on parchment paper placed on a baking sheet.

I like to another piece of parchment on top of the dough and roll it out flat with a rolling pin.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, carefully flip the pizza crust over and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Remove from the oven, add tomato sauce, cheese and any other toppings and return to the oven for about 5-10 more minutes until the cheese is melted.

Serve with salad or any cooked/raw veggies! 

2 slices of pizza with a green salad

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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 2025… 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 here’s what I find so interesting:
We can have that “New Year” inspiration ANY time we want it…

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 don’t even have to wait until tomorrow.

👉🏻Use this tip for whenever you have ventured off of your wellness path and need to get back on:

Come up with a  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. 

Every new BREATH is a fresh start too! You can reset your intentions with your next exhale.😮‍💨

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

Whenever you’re feeling stuck, remember that you always have the next moment to choose your fresh start.🥰

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

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Make Ramen into a Nutritious, Balanced Meal

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Mug of ramen noodles with spinach, peas and peanut butter.

 There are always ways to nutritionally improve any of your favorite foods– even ramen!

🍜 Tips to Making a Healthier, Balanced Ramen Noodle Soup:

🍤🫘 Add a protein source like chicken, tofu, tempeh, edamame, shrimp or hard boiled eggs. Consider black beans, chickpeas, lentils, cannellini beans or peas too– while these aren’t quite as high in protein, they still provide health promoting plant-based protein plus the benefits of fiber.

🥬🍄 Mix in some frozen spinach for antioxidants and additional vitamins, minerals and fiber. Thaw first by rinsing in a colander– or add it frozen to your hot soup to cool it quicker. Try cauliflower rice, peppers, mushrooms, carrots or mixed veggies for additional nutrients.

🥄🥜 Stir in a big spoonful of peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter for healthy fats and satiety– this makes your soup creamier and absolutely delicious.

🧂🤏 Use less of the seasoning packet if you’re looking to reduce sodium in your diet. Ramen seasonings vary in sodium content so check your label. If it’s got 20% or more of the recommended daily value it’s considered high-sodium. You can still use the whole packet; it’s just smart to be aware of how many high-sodium foods you’re eating over the course of your day.

🔎 👀 Read the ingredients to see what you’re getting. I like the Lotus brand that makes ramen from whole grains like brown rice, millet and buckwheat vs enriched wheat flour and oil, so you get a little more fiber…

Rice ramen noodle packet by Lotus FoodsNutrition facts panel for Lotus Foods ramen noodles.

🤫 They’re at Job Lot now for $1!

 Remember: Protein, fat and fiber help keep you full longer. If satiety is a goal, add these to your carb-rich meals and snacks to turn down your hunger hormones.

     

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    Date-Sweetened Cranberry Sauce

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    making date sweetened cranberry sauce compared to white sugar

    health benefits of cranberries and dates

    Make cranberry sauce the way YOU like it-

    But here is an option if you’re looking to obtain the health benefits of cranberries without any added sugar.

    chopping dates and adding water to start the sauce

    simmering the sauce to break down the dates and cook the cranberries.

    ❤️ Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins, a chemical compound that gives them their bright color. This inhibits bacteria from sticking to cells lining the urinary tract, so they may help prevent UTIs.

    ❤️ Cranberries are also loaded with polyphenols that have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

    ❤️ Cranberry sauce doesn’t have to be enjoyed only on Thanksgiving day. You can use it as a side dish with any meal, on salads or add it in wraps or sandwiches. It even makes a delicious and nutritious topping to your breakfast oatmeal! 🥣

     

    a note about sweetness and how it's relative and can taste buds can be reset.

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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? 😠

     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. 🤯

    Here’s how it works:
    Thoughts ➡️ Feelings ➡️ 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 💩.
    And when you feel like 💩, 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 💪🏻powerful💪🏻 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:
    🌟 May I be strong today.
    🌟 May I radiate self-confidence.
    🌟 May I have the energy to do this.
    🌟 May I forgive myself and move on.
    🌟 May I breathe in positivity.
    🌟 May I inspire others with my kind words and actions.
    🌟 May I love and accept myself.
    🌟 May I be the change I want to see in the world! 💗

     

    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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