Practice Mindful Eating Habits

No matter what your health and wellness goals: to lose weight, improve your health markers (cholesterol, blood sugar, etc.), improve your brain health, or simply to feel more energetic, good nutrition is the best way to achieve your goal.

While having a solid nutritional plan is the best way to achieve your goal, just being in tune with and aware of your nutrition can make a big difference. That’s why I find mindful eating a great way to get in touch with what and why you are eating.

With mindful eating, you take the time to focus on not just what you are eating, but why you are eating, and how the experience makes you feel. Mindful eating gets you in touch with your personal hunger cues, improves your ability to taste your food, and makes the eating experience more pleasurable.

So, how do you practice mindful eating?

The first step you should take when eating mindfully is to get quiet. This may mean eating alone at first to avoid distractions or getting away from your desk or office. I had a friend that regularly ate lunch in her car so she could have time to herself to eat. Think of meal time as a type of meditation, connect with the experience, eat slowly, and enjoy it.

Once you have gotten quiet and focused, ask yourself:

“Am I hungry?”

If your stomach is growling, you feel weak or shaky, you are irritable, or have a headache then you are probably hungry. If not, then perhaps it is better to wait until you are truly hungry. Now, this does not mean skipping meals or starving yourself. However, as you get in touch with what physiological hunger feels like, you will be better able to take in nutrition when you body needs it rather than mindlessly shoveling food into your mouth.

2. “Do I want to eat?”

Sometimes our habits and emotions get the best of us and we eat because we think we are supposed to, “Hey, it’s 4pm it must be snack time”, “I haven’t eaten for 3 hours I’m not hungry but I better eat something anyhow”, or “Damn, that meeting was really stressful, I need a candy bar.” In these cases asking ourselves if we really want to eat or are simply responding to habit and emotions can keep us from making poor nutritional choices.

3. “Does this food choice support my goals?”

If your goal is to lose weight, eating a big bowl of popcorn and a box of chocolate covered raisins at the movies is not the best way to achieve your goal. Likewise, having a burger and fries won’t help your reduce your cholesterol. Asking yourself if the food choice supports your goal reminds you of what you are working so hard to achieve and can stop you from making a poor choice. If, after you ask the question, your response is to still eat the food then you must be willing to accept responsibility for the choice. Looking great in those jeans or ice cream, which is more important?

Once you have started eating, focus on the experience.

Eat slowly and consider these questions as you go along:

• What does the food taste like? Sweet? Sour? Spicy?
• What is its texture? Smooth, grainy, mushy…
• How does eating make you feel? Happy? Comforted? Guilty?
• Are you enjoying it? Eat slowly and consider these questions as you go along.

Every few bites, stop and ask yourself, “Am I satisfied?” If you are, then stop eating. If your answer is, “no”, then take a few more bites and ask again. Remember, it takes 20 minutes for your body to register fullness so take your time.

Eating mindfully takes work, and it is likely you will not be able to do it with every meal especially in the beginning. Start slowly and shoot for practicing for 2 meals every day.

If the process seems overwhelming, that’s ok. Start slowly with 1 thing at a time. Perhaps you can find a quiet distraction free place to eat and just do that for a few days. Next you can ask yourself 1 or 2 of the questions. Once it is your habit to check in before eating, then you can move on to another question or step. Progress at your pace. The key objective here is simply to create awareness of your eating in relation to your goals. Do not obsess over it, make it fun, enjoy eating!

If you need help building your nutritional plan or if you would like help learning to eat mindfully, I am here to help. Email me at achievewellness@ymail.com for a complimentary 15 minute consultation.

Blueberry-Avocado Smoothie Recipe

Feed your brain with this delicious “brain food” smoothie loaded with vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy fat!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, plain
• 1 cup almond milk or other nut milk, unsweetened
• 1/2 medium avocado
• 2 teaspoons honey, optional

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 1 minute. ENJOY!!!!

If you are like most of my clients you have tried a whole host of different diets, “super foods”, and nutrition gimmicks to lose weight and get healthier.  And like many people you probably overloaded yourself with rules and restrictions, and eventually gave up and went back to your old ways of eating and drinking.  

Luckily, there is a better way.  With my nutritional coaching plan you focus on making small changes over time the lead to big results for a lifetime.  In under 1 year you will be in better shape than you ever imagined was possible.

The program guides you through daily lessons designed to help you build easy and effective nutritional and lifestyle habits.  You can choose to read or listen to the lesson, which ever fits your schedule.  You practice each new habit for 2 weeks to give you the opportunity to learn and apply it until it becomes natural.  And the program holds you accountable through daily check offs and regular progress updates.   The program tracks everything from your measurements to your habits, so you can see how much progress you are making throughout the year.

With this self guided program you get all of the lessons and workshops you need to create and practice a lifetime of healthy nutritional habits that can help you not simply lose weight, but sleep better, manage stress, become more mindful, and feel more confident no matter what life sends your way.  

If you are ready to have the body you deserve and be in control of your health and fitness, this program is for you. You will learn doable daily actions designed to make nutrition and fitness a part of your life, without taking it over.

Normally, I only offer this nutritional coaching program with one-on-one personal coaching, but my final nutritional coaching program for 2019 is closed.  Because I am passionate about helping as many people as possible have the health and fitness they deserve I am offering this self guided option, so you can start building a lifetime of healthy habits NOW!  Don’t worry it won’t interfere with your holiday plans either.

For the remainder of 2019, I am offering this self-guided plan for only $69/month!  That is $100 less than the regular personal nutritional coaching program and you get all of the same habits and supporting lessons.

Don’t wait until the new year to get started!   Make today the day you commit to taking control of your health and fitness.  Sign up NOW!

$69.00 Contribution

Want to include exercise to your daily health routine?  Add on our personalized workout plan for $39/month.  You will get month workouts created with your goals in mind along with options to modify exercises or even workout at home.  And at a mere $39/month it is much easier and more economical than hiring a personal trainer.

Yes, I want to add on workouts!

$108.00 Contribution

Declutter to Achieve Your Nutritional Goals – Clear Out Your Drawers

This month we have been cleaning the clutter from our kitchens in order to improve our nutritional habits.

Studies show that having an organized and clutter free kitchen makes us more likely to prepare healthy meals.

So far, we have cleaned out our refrigerator and our pantry. This week we are moving on to our kitchen drawers.

Having quick access to spatulas, measuring cups, measuring spoons, tongs, and potholders makes preparing a meal much easier than having to search through drawers full of broken utensils and bric-a-brac.

Over the next week, go through your kitchen drawers:

• Throw away any broken utensils, melted spatulas, split wooden spoons, etc.
• Stack measuring cups and measuring spoons. Try hooking them together with a pipe cleaner or carabiner clip.
• Buy drawer organizers to sort silverware, serving ware, and utensils.
• Toss out stained or worn towels and dishrags.
• Next, be brave and tackle the “junk” drawer (it’s ok, we all have one). Get rid of pens that don’t work, separate paperclips, rubber bands, and batteries into plastic cups/baggies, throw away old business cards, coupons, and flyers. Sort and organize take away menus.
• If you don’t use it or it doesn’t work get it out of your kitchen.

You will be amazed by how getting your kitchen drawers in order will make meal prepping time faster, easier, and more enjoyable.

That’s it for this week. Next week we will clean out your cupboards. Until then,

Happy Decluttering!

Review Previous Posts:

The Refrigerator

The Pantry

Declutter to Achieve Your Nutritional Goals – Purge Your Pantry

Last week we discussed how decluttering your environment can have a powerful positive affect on your life. From reducing stress and increasing productivity, to helping you feel happier, more optimistic and even improving the nutritional choices you make. If you want to review last week’s post or get caught up, click here.

Decluttering your kitchen makes preparing healthy meals faster and easier. When there is plenty of room in your fridge for healthy foods like vegetables, lean protein, nuts, and fruit you are more likely to choose those rather than eat processed junk food. The easier it is to navigate your pantry and cabinets the better the chance you will prepare nutritious meals as opposed to stopping for take out or ordering pizza.

Your task for last week was to clean out your refrigerator. I showed you what mine looked like before I cleaned it out and I promised to show you the after. So, here they are:

I make a habit of decluttering and cleaning my fridge every few months, so there wasn’t a big difference, however it is definitely easier to find what I am looking for post-cleaning.

Now, if you took the time last week to declutter your freezer as well as the fridge, bonus points to you. But if you didn’t, don’t worry, we will get to that in a few weeks.

Now, on to this week’s task. Much like the refrigerator, your pantry can become a collection of stale crackers, half-eaten bags of chips, expired cans of food, nutritional supplements you haven’t used in years, and cookbooks and magazines with recipes you will never actually cook. Over the next week, take 10-15 minutes each day to declutter 1 shelf in your pantry. Throw away anything that is expired or stale. If you have canned goods you won’t eat yourself, donate them to a local food bank. Use baskets and tiered organizers to make it easier to see what is in the pantry. Store nuts, grains, cereals, etc. in clear glass/plastic containers to keep them fresh and easy to find quickly. Don’t forget to label them so you remember what they are. Go through your cookbooks and magazines and tear out the recipes you use regularly and create a binder or computer file to store them neatly away. Wipe down the shelves and line them with shelf paper if you choose. I’m pretty OCD, so I alphabetize everything based on category: spices, canned goods, baking supplies, oils, etc. It makes finding things quick and easy, but it is a bit extreme.

Once you have your pantry decluttered, cleaned, and organized, take stock of what nutritious foods you still need to prepare healthy meals such as: grains, spices, nuts/seeds. Add these items to your shopping list.

Having a pantry that is organized and easy to navigate will make preparing nutritious and delicious meals faster, easier, and more enjoyable as well as keep you on track with your nutritional goals.

Until next week, happy decluttering!

Decluttering your kitchen is just one easy habit that will help you stay on track with your health and wellness goals. Building a series of healthy habits is the best way to maintain your goals for life. My nutritional coaching program is designed to teach you how to build a healthy nutrition routine that you can maintain for life. Learn more about how I can help you achieve a balanced and healthy lifestyle by visiting my website today!

Declutter to Achieve Your Nutritional Goals – The Refrigerator

Back in elementary school, I had a teacher that frequently “reminded” us, “A messy desk means a messy mind”.

It turns out she was right, scientific research proves that clutter can have a negative effect on many aspects of our life, from our career, to our relationships, finances, and yes, even our health and wellness.

A cluttered home or workspace can lead to increased feelings of stress, depression, and unhappiness. Remember that time when you were facing a deadline at work and you had files, reports, and binders all over your desk? How much did you enjoy working on that project?

Clutter also has a negative effect on nutrition. Studies show that individuals with a messy kitchen are more likely to choose highly processed, fat and sugar laden foods. Also, if your cabinets and drawers are full of pots, pans, plastic takeout containers, broken measuring cups, and melted spatulas, it can be difficult to find the tools you need to cook a healthy meal. Additionally, if your fridge is loaded with jars of pickle juice, multiple containers of ketchup, expired milk, and a moldy mystery container, there is no place to put healthy fruits and veggies. And those 5 bags of potato chips in the pantry, well let’s just say they are not giving you a good return on your pantry shelf investment.

The point is, if preparing healthy meals in your kitchen is difficult or impossible, you are more likely to stop for take out, or binge on those chips in the pantry, neither of which supports healthy nutritional goals.

This month we are going to be working on decluttering our kitchens. Don’t worry. We will take it slowly. Over the next 4 weeks I will share a short project designed to help get your nutrition and your kitchen into tip-top shape.

This week’s task is to clear out and clean your refrigerator. You will need about 15-20 minutes, a large trash bag, and a recycling bin if that’s your thing.

Go through your fridge and toss out anything that is expired, moldy, or otherwise unappetizing in appearance.

Combine all of those partially empty ketchup bottles (you know you have at least 2). Repeat with the other condiments.

If you haven’t used a sauce, salad dressing, or condiment in months, put it in your trash bin.

Consider donating any unopened cans, jars, or packages of food to your local food bank.

Look at each item left and decide if it helps support your nutritional goals, if it does not then into the trash it goes. It is ok to have a few small treats, I keep some chocolate in my refrigerator at all times, just make sure the majority of the items favor your goals.

Once you have cleared out all of the old food, condiments, etc. give your fridge a good cleaning. Wipe down all of the shelves, drawers, and walls.

Now that your refrigerator is free from clutter, restock it with fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein. Invest in containers that can neatly store precut vegetables, precooked grains, nuts, seeds, etc. The more organized and easier it is to find things in the fridge the more likely you are to use them to prepare yourself a healthy meal or snack.

I declutter my refrigerator every 2-3 months and it’s due for a good cleaning. Here’s what it looks like right now:

Check back next week to see what it looks like after I declutter.

Decluttering does not have to be hard work, it just takes a little time and the willingness to let go of things that are not serving your health and happiness.

Until next week: Happy Decluttering!

If you want additional help reaching your nutrition and fitness goals, my coaching program can help. Learn more today!

Cauliflower Rice Recipe

We all know we should be getting 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. But, if you are like many of my clients, this can seem a daunting task.

Fortunately, there thousands of ways to add more vegetables to your diet.

One of my favorites is cauliflower rice.

Cauliflower rice is easy to make and can be used in place of regular rice, pasta, or couscous in most recipes, making it a nutritious and lower carbohydrate option.

Even if you hate cauliflower, using it in this way minimizes the cauliflowery taste.

Don’t worry about making too much, cooked cauliflower rice can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and raw cauliflower rice can be frozen for up to 1 month.

Basic Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients:

• 1 large head cauliflower (about 1-1/2 to 2 pounds); rinsed, leaves and stems removed
• 1 Tablespoon rice bran oil

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees
• Cut cauliflower into 1″ pieces
• Divide into 2-3 batches
• Place a batch of cauliflower into a food processor with a grating or shredding blade and pulse until the cauliflower resembles rice. Repeat with the remaining batches.
• **If you do not have a food processor, you can use a box grater with medium holes to grate the cauliflower until it resembles rice
• Place riced cauliflower on a paper towel and squeeze out any excess water
• Line a baking sheet with foil and oil lightly with rice bran oil
• Place riced cauliflower on the baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes until cauliflower is softened. Stir 2-3 times to prevent sticking
• Use straight from the oven in recipes or allow cauliflower to cool before putting it in the refrigerator

*If you don’t want to turn on the oven, you can cook the riced cauliflower in a skillet. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat, add cauliflower, and cook for 5-7 minutes until soft. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Your cauliflower rice can now be eaten alone or used in a variety of delicious and nutritious recipes. Be creative, experiment, and enjoy!

Eat a Rainbow – Be Blue

Welcome to week 5 of our series, Eat a Rainbow. So far we have talked about the health benefits of eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables including: GREEN, RED, and YELLOW/ORANGE.

This week we are talking about foods in the BLUE and PURPLE category.

The fruits and vegetables in this group contain a variety of nutrients important for maintaining a healthy mind and body.

Anthocyanins are antioxidants. Anthocyanins can pass through the blood-brain barrier and therefore can improve brain functions like learning and memory. Anthocyanins are also known to help improve balance, as well as reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, and cancer. They can also minimize skin damage due to sun exposure. Berries, grapes, eggplant, and purple cabbage are good sources of anthocyanins.

Ellagic Acid, found in berries, is a phytonutrient that may minimize the effect of estrogen on the growth breast cancer cells.

Resveratrol is an antioxidant and phytonutrient. Resveratrol’s anti-inflammatory properties help reduce the build up of plaque in the blood vessels, known as atherosclerosis, which can lower the risk of heart attack and stroke. Resveratrol also helps prevent some cancers. Like anthocyanins, resveratrol can cross the blood-brain barrier making it an important nutrient for protection against Alzheimer’s and dementia. Good sources of resveratrol include: blueberries, cranberries, red/purple grapes, red wine, and raw cocoa.

The BLUE/PURPLE group is quite possibly the most fun and delicious group, with most of the selections being fruits like grapes (aka wine) and blueberries. Thankfully the foods in this group also pack a solid nutritional punch. In combination with foods from the other color groups, blue/purple foods can help round out a healthy diet.

Try these recipes to add more BLUE/PURPLE foods to your daily diet:

Ratatouille

Berry Delicious Avocado Toast

Eat a Rainbow – Here Comes the Sun

This is week 4 in our series, Improve Your Health,Eat a Rainbow. So far we have looked at the GREEN and RED groups. This week we are exploring the YELLOW and ORANGE foods.

Foods in the orange/yellow group contain Vitamin C, alpha-carotene, and the phytonutrient, hesperidin.

Vitamin C is important for tissue regeneration, decreasing cholesterol and triglycerides, and strengthening the immune system. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and can help prevent cancer. Vitamin C also helps the body absorb iron.

Alpha-carotene is a member of the carotenoid family, that also includes beta-carotene. Carotenoids are antioxidants that reduce free radical damage to tissues that can lead to cancer and heart disease. In addition, the body converts alpha and beta carotene to Vitamin A. Vitamin A supports healthy skin, eyes, and immune system.

Hesperidin, found in citrus fruits, is a flavonoid with anti inflammatory properties and can improve circulation.

Orange and yellow foods can boost your immune system, protect against cancer and heart disease, and keep your skin and eyes healthy and beautiful. Adding 1 or 2 orange/yellow fruits or vegetables to your daily diet can help you reach your goal of 5-7 servings per day.

Try these recipes to add more orange and yellow foods to your diet:

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Pineapple Papaya Salsa

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Butternut Squash Lasagna

Lasagna is one of my favorite comfort foods. Unfortunately, like most comfort foods it is loaded with fat and processed carbohydrates. Not the best option if you’re trying to be healthy.

This lasagna recipe uses butternut squash in place of traditional lasagna noodles, for a healthier take on this old favorite. Make this recipe your own by changing up the vegetables, spices, or using dairy free cheese.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and sliced into thin rounds
• 8 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, chopped, and drained
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
• 1/2 cup zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese or low fat cottage cheese

• 32 ounces jarred pasta sauce or 4 cups Rustic Marinara Sauce*
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt, divided
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

• Peel butternut squash and cut into thin slices using a sharp knife or mandolin.
• Heat olive oil in a heavy sauté pan, add onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms and cook until vegetables a soft, stir often to prevent burning. Set aside to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, spinach, basil, oregano, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Mix well.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Lightly oil a 9×13 baking pan.
• Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce on the bottom of the pan.
• Begin layering lasagna: butternut squash slices, 1/3 sautéed vegetables, 1/3 cheese/ spinach mixture, 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 cup pasta sauce. Repeat layering 2 more times.
• Cover with a lightly oiled sheet of foil.
• Bake covered for 45 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting.

Serves 6-8 people

Leftovers can be frozen.

*To prevent the lasagna from being too lumpy, purée marinara sauce until smooth.