Tag: food

Does Intuitive Eating Work?

Does Intuitive Eating Work? People are often under this misconception that intuitive eating is just perpetuating obesity and unhealthy lifestyles, and just causing people to eat nothing but Oreo cookies and McDonald’s. While it is true that many people eat foods they previously thought of as off-limits, they also eat a lot of nourishing food as well.

Why Intuitive Eating Works

Intuitive eating is not a free-for-all where you eat whatever you want, in whatever quantity, regardless of how it makes you feel. It is all about honoring your hunger, trusting your body, and eating to fuel and nourish your body.

Here are some ways that intuitive eating works and can help you be the healthiest you have ever been.

It Relieves Stress About Food and Diets

To start with, you can relieve a lot of stress and frustration in your life when you begin intuitive eating. Think about how much time you spend thinking about food, researching diets, trying to plan your life around healthy meals, and the stress that comes from fear of hunger, binge and restrict cycles and an obsession with how you look.

SO much of this is alleviated when you begin eating intuitively. All you have to do is follow your body’s cues, whether it means you are craving a juicy steak, or you are feeling like eating a big salad.

Does Intuitive Eating Work? stop obsessing about food with a sandwich

You Stop Obsessing About Food

You will also have a lot more free time when you aren’t thinking about food. Intuitive eating helps you stop obsessing about every single thing you consume. Food just becomes food. It becomes a way to fuel your body, to nourish it with nutrients, to feel satisfied and happy. When you get to this point, you start noticing when you are hungry and when you are full and can discover the foods you love.

You Avoid Binge Cycles

Binge Cycles are a big deal for chronic dieters, people with disordered eating and eating disorders, and anyone who feels out of control around food. If you fear food, are afraid of sugar and fat, and think carbs are coming for you, then intuitive eating is the best option for you. In the beginning, it can be scary, but if you follow through with it, you will start to notice when you stop binging and can just eat and not worry about it.

does intuitive eating work eat sign

You No Longer Have Intense Cravings

Feel like you will always crave chocolate chip cookies or salty snacks forever? First of all, there is nothing wrong with these foods. Second, you will notice that you don’t experience these intense cravings that seem to consume your mind. When you do have a desire, you will eat that thing to satisfy it, then move on. But you also understand when a craving is physical, or if it is an emotional pull from a history of restrictions. That is the beauty of intuitive eating.

Other posts you may find useful:

Brown Rice: Is It Worth Switching To?

We’ve all heard about the healthier variants of the foods we have every day. From green tea instead of coffee to olive oil instead of regular oil, there’s a lot of options out there. One in particular that you’ve probably heard of is brown rice. Time and again this this supposedly healthier variant of white rice is receiving quite a reputation, but is it true? Is brown rice actually worth switching to? Only one way to find out about Brown Rice: Is It Worth Switching To?

Brown Rice: Is It Worth Switching To?

Contents of brown rice

Brown rice, to put simply, is basically rice that all of the layers that a typical grain of rice should have. These are the endosperm, the bran and the germ. White rice, on the other hand, only has the thick endosperm layer in the middle, which is quite simply the reason everyone thinks brown rice is superior, but more on that later.

According to Wikipedia, one 100g serving of brown rice has 370 kilocalories, 77.24 grams of carbs, 2.2 grams fat, 7.85 grams protein, and trace amounts of vitamins and minerals.

Comparing the two

Doing a quick comparison of the two, you’ll discover that brown rice has more calories, more carbs and more micronutrients per cup in comparison to white rice. Furthermore, the deal breaker is the lower glycemic index of brown rice, which means that brown rice is broken down by your body at a slower rate, causing a lower insulin response. This property greatly reduces your risk of diabetes.

Scientific Study

White there are tons of scientific studies out there that have pitched the two against one another, we liked this one in particular.

The study was carried out by people form the Harvard School of Public Health. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the HSPU, examined the correlation between type 2 diabetes and consumption of brown and white rice between 157,463 women and 39,765 men. After taking care of the factors that can influence the results, they concluded that white risk still posed a threat at getting type-2 diabetes. A secondary analysis on white rice consumption group yielded similar results.

“From a public health point of view, whole grains, rather than refined carbohydrates, such as white rice, should be recommended as the primary source of carbohydrates for the U.S. population,” said Hu, “These findings could have even greater implications for Asian and other populations in which rice is a staple food.” 

Bottom Line

Looking at the scientific studies and comparing the nutritional information bring us to one conclusion: it is worth switching to brown rice. However, that doesn’t mean you necessarily should do it. There are many people who don’t like the taste of brown rice, and if your diet already consists of a lot of healthy foods, sticking to white rice won’t do you much harm.

With that said, which rice do you currently have in your diet? Will you be switching to brown rice after reading this? Leave your thoughts in the comments below about Brown Rice: Is It Worth Switching To?

Other posts you may like:

Eating Healthy and Saving Money

  • Eating Healthy and Saving Money? We are often led to believe that making healthy eating habits is out of our reach for convenience and cost reasons.  But did you know that making the smarter and healthier choice can actually save you money?

Eating Healthy and Saving Money

Let me explain with these tips:

Curb your eating out and drive through habit.
This one can be tricky because it seems like if you order from the dollar or budget menu, that’s about as cheap as it gets.  Who can beat an entire meal for $3, am I right?  The trouble is, you are often buying these meals for your entire family which will likely put you over the $10 mark (and who really has a family meal for $10? You know you order extras).  If you do this even half of the week, you are looking at an extra $150 per month spent on food that is not good for you.  This is not even taking into account any sit down restaurants you go to visit, where a family meal is likely to cost $50+ and they are full of calories, sodium and more!

Cut the junk food from your shopping list.
Have you ever calculated how much you actually spend on pop, chips, frozen pizza (or other convenience meals), cookies and crackers.  None of these food provide you with good nutrition and they all cost quite a bit.  Cut these from your diet and not only will you feel  better, but your pocketbook will feel fuller!

Shop in Bulk.
Believe it or not, the bulk section carries a lot of healthy meal prep items such as oats and beans.  Both of these are incredibly healthy and are super cheap when bought in bulk.  Look for oats to be $0.70 per pound or less when bought this way and oatmeal is one of the healthiest breakfasts you can buy!

Cook More!
Cook bigger meals for dinner and use them for lunches throughout the week.  This will keep you from buying fast food or convenience type lunches and since you are eating homemade food, you are looking at a healthier meal option.  (This is a great reason to cook soups, stews and healthy casseroles)

Shop with a grocery list and don’t shop hungry.
These are two of the best tips I have ever learned while shopping.  Take a list with you and stick to it.  The more organized and prepared you are when doing your shopping, the less likely you are to buy impulse snacks and foods.  The same goes for shopping hungry.  It is proven that when we shop hungry, we spend more money.  Our hunger often makes us grab foods we wouldn’t normally shop for.  That hunger also talks us into those near-the-checkout impulse buys that are right at our fingertips, like candy bars and snack sized foods that are far from healthy!

Other posts you may like:

Yes, I Have a “Movie Purse”

Sorry Marcus Theaters, Yes, I Have a “Movie Purse”.  What is a Movie Purse? Simple, it is a purse you pack full of treats for the movie theater!

Yes, I Have a "Movie Purse"

Now, before you get all upset about me smuggling in food — what exactly do you think a person who just had gastric bypass surgery can eat off of their menu?

Popcorn?

nope

Nachos?

uh, no

Hot Dogs!

sorry…

No pizza, pretzels, cotton candy, burgers, soda, or candy bars.

We absolutely love to go to the movies and are suckers for $5 Tuesdays. While the free popcorn and $2 hotdogs are good for the rest of the gang, I get to sit there with nothing. THAT is why there is a movie purse!

What do I pack inside it?

Let’s start with my water bottle full of fresh, cold, tap water. Add a small container of sugar free Jell-O with a super cute tiny spoon. Let’s top it off with my small insulated coffee cup that has eight ounces of low sodium chicken broth. OOOh and add a warm pair of fuzzy socks!

Yup, I pack things that I know I can enjoy, that they do not carry at the theater. This way, I can still enjoy the movie with my family every other Tuesday night, and not have to dwell on the great smelling treats that I can’t eat.

Do you have a “movie purse”?

Other posts you may find useful

5 Foods to Eat After Your Workout That Will Help You Keep off the Pounds

You just finished your workout and you’re starving but you don’t know what the best foods are, and you don’t want to undo the work you’ve put in today. Here are 5 foods to eat after your workout that will help you keep off the pounds. The foods you’re about to read about focused primarily on carbs and proteins. Proteins help in muscle growth, and carbs provide our body with the fuel they need.

5 Foods to Eat After Your Workout That Will Help You Keep off the Pounds

5 Foods to Eat After Your Workout That Will Help You Keep off the Pounds

  1. Chocolate Milk
    Ever since I learned about this one, I’ve been drinking it after every single workout. Chocolate milk is loaded with nutrients that are incredibly beneficial for a post workout regimen. Including protein, water to replenish fluids lost through sweat, and sugar, sodium and calcium. The last three are great for water retention, energy and to help you recover from that last leg day that you’ve been putting off for too long.
  2. Tuna and crackers are an awesome post-workout food.
    It’s as easy as throwing a can of yellow fin tuna in a bowl, crushing up a handful of whole grain crackers and mixing it up. You can put in relish, mustard, salt, and pepper to taste.
  3. Chicken stir fry with white rice.
    Chicken is loaded with protein and niacin which helps carbohydrate metabolism. White rice has a high glycemic index which helps replenish your muscles with glucose quicker.
  4. Humus and pita.
    A lot of people substitute humus for post workout meats, since it’s made from chick peas. It’s a great source of protein and carbs. Combining humus with whole grain pita bread will kick your post workout recovery into overdrive.
  5. Salmon.
    Salmon is a nutritional powerhouse. Loaded with proteins and omega-3s. If you’re feeling adventurous, pair your salmon with a side of mashed sweet potatoes which are high on the glycemic index and tastes AMAZING.

The food you eat after a grueling workout is just as important as what you eat before you work out. If you want to back on the muscle and keep off the fats, following these 5 foods to eat after your workout that will help you keep off the pounds is a huge step in the right direction. It’s a huge step in the healthy direction and in the direction of a healthier you. Are there any foods that you swear by for post workout nutrients? Which one of these 5 do you think you would enjoy the most? Let us know down below in the comments! Thanks for reading!

Other posts you may like:

I Have Rocked Out The Meal Planning

I Have Rocked Out The Meal Planning? Wouldn’t it be amazing if Dwayne Johnson actually came over to your house, made a few meals for you and did the dishes too? Is that weird that my secret fantasy is something like that? Seriously, I could care less about being carried to the bedroom, unless it was to take a nap while he cleaned for me…

OK, maybe not.

😉

I Have Rocked Out The Meal Planning

I knew this surgery was coming and took a month or two to fill the freezer full of yumminess that could be cooked in a crock pot or in the oven. What kind of things are in there?

SUPER Easy Chili Dog Casserole

That just starts to give you an idea.

When I make a recipe, I actually make two or three of the same recipe. It is a time saver, and instead of making 50 meals for the freezer, I just have to make 25, twice.

Why?

  1. It is easier on the grocery budget.
    I see that boneless skinless chicken breast is the big sale of the week and get twenty pounds of it. THEN I whip up a bunch of recipes that use it like the chicken chili, chicken pot pies and Reuben chicken. The next week pork roasts are on sale? Time for BBQ pork on a bun or apple sauce spiced pork chops.

  2. It is less time consuming.
    Face it, you can make two of something as easily as one. All the ingredients are out and it takes a fraction on a minute to make an extra.

  3. It’s good stewardship.
    If the family really doesn’t care for the first one they eat, ear mark the second one as a dish to share with a friend who is going through a tough time. Use it as a blessing to someone else.

That all being said, while I have been enjoying my liquid diet, they have been eating well. After surgery, when I am still on a liquid diet? They will still be eating well. There are enough meals in the freezer for almost two months, longer if they enjoy the leftovers. That doesn’t include the quarts of chicken soup that I canned last fall, or restaurant gifts cards I stacked up!

Dwayne, I could still use you though for meal planning …let me know when you are in the neighborhood!

Other articles you may find useful:

The Yolk Was on Me

The Yolk Was on Me? So, I was on my liquid diet for a few days and then hit the target goal: Ketosis.

This was both a good and a bad thing for me

In case you have no clue, there are many symptoms that your body has entered that fat-burning stage like:

The Yolk Was on Me artifcle picture of a scrambled egg

  • Hunger
  • Headache
  • Light Headedness
  • Fatigue
  • Thirst
  • Diarrhea
  • Frequent Urination
  • Odd Breath Odor
  • Cold Intolerance
  • Emotion Changes

They say these symptoms typically fade over time and that drinking a LOT of water helps.

Is it good for your body to be in ketosis?

According to Web MD:

Ketosis is a popular low-carb weight loss program. In addition to helping you burn fat, ketosis can make you feel less hungry. It also helps you keep muscle. For healthy people who don’t have diabetes and aren’t pregnant, ketosis usually kicks in after 3 or 4 days of eating fewer than 50 grams of carbohydrates per day.

So, it isn’t really bad for you – unless you are a diabetic and are throwing up. I am a pre-diabetic (part of the reason I am having this surgery) and have chronic migraines. So… this wasn’t good for me.

As for those other symptoms? I was lucky enough to get hit with ALL of them (I always was an overachiever), at the same time. And it gets better, they triggered a migraine. Sooooo, into Urgent Care I went for a shot because I can’t keep anything down when I have a really good – or should I say bad – migraine. (That kind of keeps me from using the migraine medications I have at home).

I do have some medications that are supposed to be taken with food, but there isn’t really much food on a liquid diet. The Doctor was a little surprised that I was getting 120-150 ounces of fluid a day and no substantial food. He made me drink a Gatorade after the anti-nausea medication took effect and told me to have a scrambled egg or two that night with my normal medications.

Um, eggs?

Not on the liquid diet…but he told me it was low carb, high protein and he didn’t want to see me back over the weekend.

The yolk was on me — it really worked and I felt a ton better. Monday, I shot a note to my surgical team and fessed up about the food – but was told nicely: it was OK, just don’t do it again or they would beat me up.

I was back on the liquid diet and realized that I had lost over ten pounds in that four days — with still nine more days to go.

I DID pick up more sugar-free Jell-O so I would have more “food”.

And, the journey continues…

Other articles you may find helpful:

Privacy Policy