I decided today that it is time to come clean about my less then stellar eating habits and to let you know that although I know the best way to eat I do not always follow my own advice. It is not uncommon for me to have an excellent breakfast and lunch of delicious, nutrient dense whole foods but so often go down hill and before I know it I am eating ice cream, potato chips or chocolate.
Let me digress for a minute....
Until I was in my early thirties weight had never been an issue for me no matter what kind of food I ate. I attribute that to the fact that I was also a smoker and often had a cigarette to curb my appetite or just because it was easier to smoke than it was to prepare food. In 1994 I quit cigarettes and gained 50 pounds in a very short period of time. Of course without the cigarettes my sweet tooth grew out of control. I remember moving to Maine from California and thinking that all of these new friends will never have known me as a slim person and was disappointed with myself. I did continue to maintain that 50 pounds overweight for many years but still my sweet tooth was my driving force behind my food imbalance. I could eat brownies and ice cream while my kids were in school and then prepare them healthier foods when they were home. This went on for a few years until I met a doctor who taught me about the Zone diet. I maintained that diet for a few months and lost about 30 pounds. Then gradually one thing led to another and before I knew it I was back to my old tricks of eating all those sweet foods again and of course the weight came back on. That was the time I really began to read about nutrition and learn about the different diets from Atkins to the Zone.
Although I had a few bouts of managing my food and losing a few pounds, I still pretty consistently maintained my same overweight self. A couple of years ago I was managing a cafe in a health center, I had a white board that I specials posted to every day and there was always one little section that was left blank. One day I just wrote 'Helen's Health Tip' and wrote a tip about eating nutrient dense whole foods. I was intimidated because I wasn't a medical person and was amazed that doctors and nurses alike stopped to read my tips! I had been making and selling my own yogurt there and worked with customers to make healthy food choices so they already knew I was knowledgeable about food and nutrition. From there Helen's Health Tips blossomed and with the encouragement of friends I began a Facebook page and an email list. I am viewed as an authority on nutrition although I am not always able to practise what I preach.
Last winter, after much research I went on an anti fungal food plan. In a nutshell it is a food plan that eliminates sugar (in all forms) which in turn eliminates mycotoxins in the body. I loved the food plan and all the delicious food I ate and 40+ pounds just melted off. The bonus was that I felt fabulous, my confidence soared and I got to buy a whole new wardrobe. I was following my health tips and life was grand! As with most food plans that do not become lifestyles I began to sneak in a little bit of chocolate, ice cream and bread. Now I am 15 pounds heavier than I was last year and not happy with myself. The sugar makes me depressed which in turn lowers my confidence and I am a mess. Not to mention the shame I feel for being a fraud and not practising what I preach.
So here I am ready to tell you that I am changing my lifestyle to include nutrient dense whole foods while keeping processed foods to a minimum. Of course that means I have to pay attention to my emotional highs and lows that trigger my sweet tooth and be gentle and loving with myself as I navigate the new road. I invite you to join me by coming clean with your eating habits and your intentions for moving to a healthier lifestyle. It is always easier when we do it together.
Showing posts with label whole food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whole food. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Friday, June 24, 2011
Why do we eat?
Why do we eat?
Let's see, it seems to me that this planet called Earth can produce all the plants, animals and water that we need to live a healthy nourished life. So why do we choose to eat lifeless chemicals called "food" that are not nutrient dense and causes more harm to our bodies than the glorious, delicious, fresh whole foods we produce naturally?
When you sit down to eat do you think about nourishing your body, filling that hungry hole or satisfying a desire that comes from an emotional need to eat?
When we eat for nourishment we look for the freshest whole foods we can find. We tend to prepare them minimally to keep the nutrients intact and keep the food as nutrient dense as possible. When we eat these nutrient dense foods we are able to eat large quantities without harmful consequences as our body uses the nutrients without having to store excess fat or carbohydrates. We feel lighter and healthier, we are better able to move and find the joy in life because that is what we have gained from the food we nourish our bodies with.
When we eat to fill that hungry hole we will often reach for the easiest, most accessible food available regardless of the nutritional quality or benefit. That might mean reaching for an apple but more times than not it means picking up some sort of processed food that is prepackaged and filled with lots of chemical and preservatives. More times than not we neglect to limit the portion size because we are so hungry and continue to eat until we feel that overfull feeling.
If we are eating to fill that emotional hole we primarily reach for foods that are high fat, high salt and high calorie that we call comfort food. It is usually food that has been processed from potato chips to ice cream or big pasta dishes and the results are always the same. Too many calories, too much fat followed by guilt and shame from our food choices. Now the advertisers who are trying to sell us the processed foods are targeting those weak moments when we are feeling deprived, neglected or in need of some comfort. We are led to believe that eating the comfort foods will make us feel better or make us better people when in truth they make us feel terrible and full of shame and guilt. The high fat, high calorie (also read high salt and sugar) foods do things like cause obesity, depression, diabetes and the list can go on and on but never once do they improve our health or our mental or emotional condition either.
So let me ask the question again. Why do we eat?
Let's see, it seems to me that this planet called Earth can produce all the plants, animals and water that we need to live a healthy nourished life. So why do we choose to eat lifeless chemicals called "food" that are not nutrient dense and causes more harm to our bodies than the glorious, delicious, fresh whole foods we produce naturally?
When you sit down to eat do you think about nourishing your body, filling that hungry hole or satisfying a desire that comes from an emotional need to eat?
When we eat for nourishment we look for the freshest whole foods we can find. We tend to prepare them minimally to keep the nutrients intact and keep the food as nutrient dense as possible. When we eat these nutrient dense foods we are able to eat large quantities without harmful consequences as our body uses the nutrients without having to store excess fat or carbohydrates. We feel lighter and healthier, we are better able to move and find the joy in life because that is what we have gained from the food we nourish our bodies with.
When we eat to fill that hungry hole we will often reach for the easiest, most accessible food available regardless of the nutritional quality or benefit. That might mean reaching for an apple but more times than not it means picking up some sort of processed food that is prepackaged and filled with lots of chemical and preservatives. More times than not we neglect to limit the portion size because we are so hungry and continue to eat until we feel that overfull feeling.
If we are eating to fill that emotional hole we primarily reach for foods that are high fat, high salt and high calorie that we call comfort food. It is usually food that has been processed from potato chips to ice cream or big pasta dishes and the results are always the same. Too many calories, too much fat followed by guilt and shame from our food choices. Now the advertisers who are trying to sell us the processed foods are targeting those weak moments when we are feeling deprived, neglected or in need of some comfort. We are led to believe that eating the comfort foods will make us feel better or make us better people when in truth they make us feel terrible and full of shame and guilt. The high fat, high calorie (also read high salt and sugar) foods do things like cause obesity, depression, diabetes and the list can go on and on but never once do they improve our health or our mental or emotional condition either.
So let me ask the question again. Why do we eat?
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Lesson from a Frog
The Boiled Frog Story
They say that if you put a frog into a pot of boiling water,
it will leap out right away to escape the danger.
But, if you put a frog in a kettle that is filled with water that is cool and pleasant, and then you gradually heat the kettle until it starts boiling,
the frog will not become aware of the threat until it is too late.
The frog's survival instincts are geared towards detecting sudden changes.
We are very much the frog in regard to processed food filled with additives, chemicals and harmful ingredients. For example we have gone from drinking soda made with cane sugar to soda made with high fructose corn syrup and this switch in ingredients is making us sick, causing disease and contributing to our 'health crisis'.
The good news is that we can reverse these behaviors and quietly and gently begin to change our habits to eliminate disease (through weight lose for example) and improve our overall health. You see we really do not have a 'health crisis' but instead have a 'food crisis' with so many chemicals and synthetic ingredients used to create our food that have very harmful effects on our bodies.
Now is the time to make those changes to whole, unprocessed foods. Suggestions for small changes you can make include: increase the amount of vegetables you eat each day, lessen your sugar intake, avoid high fructose corn syrup, eat plain yogurt instead of flavored/sweetened or eat whole grain bread instead of white.
Let us take control of our health and not keep adapting to what the food companies are selling us as 'natural' or 'healthy'. We are smart, intelligent human beings who do not need to be lulled into thinking high fructose corn syrup or synthetic foods will make us healthy.
They say that if you put a frog into a pot of boiling water,
it will leap out right away to escape the danger.
But, if you put a frog in a kettle that is filled with water that is cool and pleasant, and then you gradually heat the kettle until it starts boiling,
the frog will not become aware of the threat until it is too late.
The frog's survival instincts are geared towards detecting sudden changes.
We are very much the frog in regard to processed food filled with additives, chemicals and harmful ingredients. For example we have gone from drinking soda made with cane sugar to soda made with high fructose corn syrup and this switch in ingredients is making us sick, causing disease and contributing to our 'health crisis'.
The good news is that we can reverse these behaviors and quietly and gently begin to change our habits to eliminate disease (through weight lose for example) and improve our overall health. You see we really do not have a 'health crisis' but instead have a 'food crisis' with so many chemicals and synthetic ingredients used to create our food that have very harmful effects on our bodies.
Now is the time to make those changes to whole, unprocessed foods. Suggestions for small changes you can make include: increase the amount of vegetables you eat each day, lessen your sugar intake, avoid high fructose corn syrup, eat plain yogurt instead of flavored/sweetened or eat whole grain bread instead of white.
Let us take control of our health and not keep adapting to what the food companies are selling us as 'natural' or 'healthy'. We are smart, intelligent human beings who do not need to be lulled into thinking high fructose corn syrup or synthetic foods will make us healthy.
Helen
Feeling Better from the Inside Out
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