Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 19

Simple, Basic and Balanced: Top Five Tips for Achieving your 2018 Goals

How are those 2018 resolutions going? We are one week in to the New Year and chances are, not so great.

Sadly, a mere 8% of people achieve their New Year’s Resolutions(1).

And since the single most common resolution is weight loss (21.4% of people list this as their top goal), many people are already shrugging their shoulders and deciding it’s just too complicated and confusing to stick to their idea of following a Paleo, or Keto (or both) approach to eating.

Whether it comes down to setting goals that are neither simple nor tangible, the bottom line is that for most, by the second week of January, old habits are already showing their ugly heads.

So how can we concur this dire outcome and strive for success?

By being a bit more realistic with what we are setting ourselves up for and creating a reasonable model of how to get there.

Below are my top five tips to create success for your 2018 health, fitness and wellness goals.

Get Real

Have you found yourself feeling surprised that the scale is showing a number not 10, not 15 but 20 pounds higher than what you’d like to see, yet setting yourself up to weigh in at an ideal weight by the end of January? Get real. Not only would it be risky to achieve that amount of weight loss in a mere 4 wks, emotionally, it would set you up for a roller coaster ride, leaving you more likely to end up even heavier. If it took a year or two to put on that extra weight, how would it be reasonable to expect you’d take it off in a fraction of the time? Patience is key, as well as being kind to yourself. Set up a slow but steady path to success.

Get Simple

Don’t overthink it. Not only are there many diets trending at the moment, there are many versions of each! I remember back in the early days of teaching Paleo when clients would ask me if this approach involved eating dinosaurs. Now, we see everything from an authentic approach in which folks are hunting and gathering (even if it’s at the farmer’s market) to versions in which everything can be purchased already prepared from the market already to go, and stamped as Paleo Approved. Do the research and learn how simple it really can be if we just eat food!

Get Basic

What to eat, when to eat it and how much can get really tricky, especially if you’ve found yourself drowning in confusing, conflicting information coming from all directions. My best advice is to get basic and think about what food really is. Did it grow from the ground near where you live? Did it run across the land or swim in the rivers or sea? How many steps did it take to get onto your plate? Thinking in these basic terms helps significantly in terms of making the best food choices and avoiding those so heavily processed, they’re not really even food any more.

Create Balance

Celery sticks, steamed chicken and lemon juice? Sure, those are healthy foods, but how satisfying are they? Yet so many of us rely on this old-school mentality of low fat, ‘diet’ options to the extreme that we can only stand it for so long before we’re starving and those doughnuts, chips or ice cream start to sound like a very good idea. This model is a perfect example of why it would behoove many of us to begin to shift to a ketogenic approach. Imagine how easy it would be to not eat sugar if you’re not craving it in the first place! Balance your approach- add more fat, and also, equally as important, add some wiggle room. Whether that means having a piece of extra dark chocolate after dinner or a neat mezcal as a cocktail (yes, you read that correctly; there’s got to be room for a drink and some chocolate!), creating balance helps your body stay on track since your mind won’t go off the deep end feeling you’ve done something wrong by having a little something special. It’s worth noting, incidentally. that a piece of premium dark chocolate has very little sugar (if any at all) and provides a rich dose of anti oxidants. And the mezcal? It claims a much lower glycemic index than many other spirits, making it especially interesting to health conscious consumers, diabetics, and foodies alike (3).

Give Yourself a Break

Did you fall of the rails? It happens! We’re all human. Rather than getting angry at yourself and throwing out the baby with the bath water, assess what happened and constructively create a plan to avoid the same thing from happening again in the future. Perhaps you went too long without eating or didn’t eat enough fat last night during your intermittent fasting day. Keep a journal and go back and see what didn’t work so it doesn’t happen again. Don’t forget to plan a reward for your hard work, too, and make it a non food related one. It doesn’t make much sense to treat yourself to an ice cream after losing two pounds, does it? Instead, list out some other things or experiences that would be equally satisfying without the sabotage.

Here’s to staying strong and achieving those 2018 goals!

(1) Diamond, Dan. “Just 8% of People Achieve Their New Year’s Resolutions. Here’s How They Do It.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 2 Jan. 2013,

(2) www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-reso...

(3) Tequila & Mezcal… What.” The Drinks Business,

A Keto Diet for 2018: Top Five Tips for Success

Going Keto for 2018?

Without a doubt, it’s a great way to lose weight, improve mental focus, boost your performance as an athlete as well as at work, all while you further your journey down the path toward optimal health… if it’s done properly, that is.

Often, the initial response to the idea of eating more fat in order to lose fat is met with an incredulous response.

It sounds too good to be true, or there must be a catch, right?

Not at all.

In essence, an authentic ketogenic diet can be no more complicated than a Paleo-inspired approach with just a slight shift in macro nutrients.

Back to basics: create your meals so they’re rich in fresh, local veggies (many of which have a low net-carb count), moderate in mindfully sourced proteins and rich in naturally occurring fats.

The trick is being able to sift through all the information out there in order to take away the facts and be able to apply them to create your own personal regime.

In order to make things a bit more simple, below is a list of the top five things to avoid while trying a ketogenic diet:

Just adding fat

Here’s where this style of eating would be too good to be true; just adding fat to whatever one is currently eating is not the idea. All that does is add on calories to what may be a diet high in refined carbohydrate, low in nutrient density and one not necessarily healthy at all. The key is to make a shift which allows the total carbohydrate contribution (including fruit) to decrease while increasing the total fat intake.

Misunderstanding “IF”

Intermittent fasting by the book means going for a period of 16 hours without eating. It may sound extreme at first blush, but if one’s diet is rich in various natural fats, a satiety level is easily achieved and going for a longer period of time without eating is actually quite simple. It’s a far cry from trying to subsist on a low calorie diet and simply opting not to eat for a long period of time. This, in effect, would be akin to an unhealthy starvation diet. However, even when done properly, too many days in a row of IF can still work against the goal of a healthy eating plan, so one way to ease into it is to simply cycle the number of days of IF through the week.    Monday and Tuesday might consist of a fat coffee and two meals eaten between 1 and 6pm, and Wednesday – Sunday might shift to contain three full meals, all of which are higher in fat and lower in carb.   I found this to be key when I first transitioned during my off season from Ironman a few years back.

Choosing the wrong fats

Remember when Atkins was all the rage and folks were piling on the low bar bacon and oscar meyer bolgna? Low carb and high fat, yes, but fat quality left a lot to be desired. Fat from a variety of sourced from grass fed butter or tallow, pasture raised lard, coconut oil to avocado and olive oil represent a nice array of sat fat, poly fat and mono fat; a healthy way to plan your daily intake. Canola oil, vegetable oils and hydrogenated oil are the extreme opposite and should ideally be avoided completely due to their inflammatory nature to the body and toxic contribution to the planet (1).

Cutting all carbs

The idea is not to ever eat carbs again; rather it’s just to support the body’s ability to transition to using fat as it’s main fuel source and carbs as plan B. Numerous health benefits can result from following an authentic low carb diet (2) including weight loss, decrease in blood pressure, improvement in triglycerides as well as cholesterol, increased cognition and mental focus… and those are just the tip of the iceberg!

However, being able to have strategic carbs on the back burner when needed is key not only in sport but also in day to day living as having these two metabolic pathways available to us is essential.

Not allowing enough time to transition

As with any approach to eating, goals are not going to be achieved over night and patience is key. For athletes, making the switch to fueling with a fat-based protocol in one fell swoop after years of relying on a high carb approach would likely result in a bonking disaster. Likewise, heading to the office with a plan to eat nothing all day long simply because it’s a New year and one has decided their goal is to lose weight would also not reflect a well thought out plan to execute a keto approach.

Do your research, be realistic and plan ahead in order to set yourself up for a well laid out plan for success.

Need help?  You know where to go! Reach out for special 2018 rates for January!

How nice would it be to feel free from dieting once and for all and to enjoy your every meal because you’re finally not feeling you’re eating boring, low fat food?

Trust me- it’s wonderful!

Happy New Year!

 

(1)“When Vegetable Oil Isn’t as Healthy as You Think.” Time, Time, time.com/4291505/when-vegetable-oil-i....

(2) Volek, Jeff, et al. The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living: an Expert Guide to Making the Life-Saving Benefits of Carbohydrate Restriction Sustainable and Enjoyable. Beyond Obesity, 2011.

Healthy Holiday Tip: Choosing the Best Alcoholic Beverage

Care for a hot, steaming mug of eggnog? Or a blended peppermint slush?

Think again- how about something neat with a hint of color, like the vodka (my fave) on ice with a splash of natural cranberry?   Very low in sugar, very high in taste and mouthfeel and oh so festive!

While I’ve been covering various tips for healthy holiday scenarios this month, the topic of what to sip on, if you’re someone who likes to have a drink has yet to be addressed.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to suggest you skip all the drinking completely and make do with a cup of water.

But can alcohol fit at all into a balanced eating regime?

In my opinion, yes.

While wine, rum or vodka aren’t exactly on the list of things you should put on your must-drink list on a regular basis (like alkaline water) and given that one of the key principles of implementing any healthy eating regime is that is must be balanced and sustainable for the long term, we’ve got to be practical here.

In particular, during the holidays when far too many adopt the attitude that eating and drinking anything, and lots of it, is fair game and that it will be dealt with in the New Year, its even more important to develop strategies to create the best situation possible.

And this includes drinking, so long as you’re in good health and not addressing autoimmune conditions or other concerns in which drinking any alcohol would be prohibitive.

The key is to choose the best options, with the least negative consequences as well as to balance the overall macronutrient ratios of the day in order to affect blood sugar stability and fat utilization as fuel as little as possible.

So what are the best drinks to choose?

• Wine. Dr. Cordain shares in a post on his website , “Wine is a delicious compliment for special meals – if you would like to treat yourself to this non-Paleo item, checkout the sulfite free wines which are available at your local dealers, and see if these wines make a difference for you.” However, if you’re dealing with candida overgrowth or have a sensitivity to yeast, you’re better off going with another option.

• Neat, non-grain based spirits. Do your due diligence and research what different types of vodka, gin or tequila, for example will be offered at the bar or restaurant where the event you’re attending will be held. Not all gin is made from juniper berries, nor are all vodkas made from potatoes or tequila from agave. Good options in the latter category include Chopin, Karlssen’s and, my favorite, Ciroq.   Also worth considering is that the gluten content for some wheat-based vodka’s, such as Absolut Elyx, is said to be so minimal that those who do not suffer from Celiac can likely consume without consequence. The viscosity simply lends itself to an incredibly smooth mouth feel. The key is to keep it neat. With the exception of a tiny splash of no-sugar added cranberry, for example, avoid mixers, sugar-laden juices or tonic water.  This particular brand, Absolut, is unique as it sources all its product from the same source, every time leading to stellar consistency.

• Festive, alcohol-free drinks. How about if you are eating your way to health while addressing MS or RA? Or if you’re pregnant? No one ever said it’s got to be an ‘adult’ drink or nothing. You can easily order creative, festive cocktails that have neither booze nor corn syrup in them. A soda water with a tiny splash of natural, unsweetened cranberry juice and a twist of lime, or a few pomegranate seeds thrown in for color served in a martini glass makes for a festive looking alcohol-free cocktail while providing just a hint of flavor at no cost. Even if you are partaking of one of the drink categories above, it’s still in your best interest to include some of this type as well to keep from overdoing it.

As for balancing out your macros, it’s simple:

• Don’t have other sugar sources that day. If you’re going to have two glasses of wine at dinner, you’ll get plenty there, so skip the banana with breakfast, the baked sweet potato at lunch and the trail mix with raisins you always find yourself munching on at the office.

• Keep on top of eating ample fat, protein and veggies at breakfast as well as lunch; for those who utilize intermittent fasting, do so at the first meal of your day and time the second to occur around the time you’re planning to imbibe.

• Just like your mom told you, have the drink with your food and space it out with water, timing the last one to occur at least a couple of hours before bed. Don’t forget, passing out from too much alcohol is not the same as falling asleep into a restful evening.

• Last but not least, don’t go nuts with all the hype about hangover cures, thinking you can drink to your heart’s content when you’re in the moment. For example, the myth that eating asparagus can cure a case of the morning after blues doesn’t hold water.

While scientists from the Institute of Food Technologists in Chicago say amino acids and minerals in the green vegetable spears can relieve the toxic effect that excess alcohol has on the liver…but these helpful compounds, however, are much more prevalent in the asparagus plant’s leaves which nobody eats.

By setting just a little time aside to prepare, plan, you can enjoy that cocktail party and wake up fresh the next morning, ready for another day of Christmas festivities without that awful headache and desire to head straight back to bed.

Healthy Holiday Tip: Addressing Sugar Cravings

Fantastic question and certainly one which is not particular to this time of year.

The answer is not simply to switch to a different type of sugar than one you’re currently using.

In other words, if your current routine includes a regular trip (or two) every afternoon to the coffee shop for a sugar free iced latte, replacing the sucralose, aspartame or saccharin with honey or stevia is not necessarily the solution.

Sure, honey and stevia are more natural, but the issue is that the sweet taste on the tongue, regardless of the source, is what triggers the brain to tell the pancreas to release insulin, according to some studies (1).

If you feel you crave sugar, need something sweet in the afternoon or want a treat every single night after dinner, rather than eating something sweet like fruit, honey-sweetened coffee or tea or a homemade dried fruit and agave concoction, take a moment to backtrack and reflect upon what you ate earlier that day.

Did you eat enough calories?

Many a client has reported both too little calories as well as too little fat early on in the day which, when combined with small meals high in refined carbohydrate can set us up for a blood sugar dip later on, manifesting as that awful feeling of suddenly hitting the wall and needing to eat anything…immediately.

Did you have enough water during the day?  Thirst can mask itself as hunger, so make sure to tick this easy-to-remedy faux pas off the list right away.

How was your sleep?  Regularly getting less than enough sleep can also skew your cortisol panel, resulting in imbalanced blood sugar levels.

So what do you do, then, if you’ve realized that some or all of the above have occurred in your day?   Going forward, let these mistakes serve as reminders to eat well in the morning (moderate protein, ample veggies and fat after a workout), stay hydrated and get enough exercise and rest.

But what about right now?  Right now when it’s 3pm and all you want is to sneak under your desk and take a nap?

Have some water.
Take a quick walk around the office and breathe mindfully.
If you’re actually, truly hungry, have some fat.  A handful of raw walnuts.  A small packet of coconut butter.  Some MCT oil in a cup of herbal tea.
Give yourself a little while and see if that awful crash doesn’t pass.  Often that near deviation down the path of sugar-madness can  be avoided if nipped in the bud.
Learn from your mistake, effective immediately.    Promise yourself to nourish your body with fresh, local foods, eaten in balanced and simply prepared with mindfulness.

At this time of year more than ever, how nice would it be to not worry about having to avoid sweets when you don’t want them in the first place? What healthy holiday question can I answer for you?

Reach out!

(1) “Cephalic Phase Insulin Release in Healthy Humans after Taste Stimulation?” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 15 Nov. 2016.

Healthy Holiday Tip of the Day: Up Your Immunity

It’s never fun to feel sick, but when your plate is piled high with all the extra things on your holiday to-do list, the last thing you need is to allow yourself to get run-down.

Rather than waiting until you actually catch a cold or the flu, why not be proactive with a food-first approach designed to boost your immune system and keep you strong, all holiday long?

Below are my favorite food-based tricks to ensure your body keeps healthy.

And the best part: since they’re all simple ideas based on eating and drinking plant-based remedies from nature, they come with zero side effects!

•Add raw garlic. Powerful antioxidants prove a great form of defense for your body. While some shy away from this tip due to concern with having garlic breath, it’s worth reconsidering which is worse: having to be a bit more mindful when conversing with people for a few days, or facing the consequence of having to be out completely due to being knocked out with a cold bug.

•Reduce fruit just for the time being. Sugar, yes, even that which we get from fruit, provides fuel for those nasty little invaders. Say goodbye to that idea that drinking a glass of OJ in the morning is the way to go. Fresh fruit juice, even local, seasonal organic, is high in sugar, low in fiber and protein and contains little to no fiber, making it a poor choice as a meal replacement option, even if the appetite is decreased due to feeling under the weather, getting more rest and taking time off from normal physical activity. In addition, sugar is a food source for bacteria and virii, making it the last thing we’d want to supply our bodies with when the goal is to rid ourselves of the offending culprits causing the flu or a common cold. Rather than rely on sugary orange juice, better options include green vegetable sources. Did you know that bell peppers, leafy green veggies and broccoli all have higher amounts of vitamin C per serving that orange juice anyway?

•Add herbs and spices- turmeric, oil of oregano and ginger all offer immune boosting benefits as well as help to promote alkalinity in the body.

•Drink  broth- pastured chicken or grass fed bone broth both have amazing healing properties. No time to make your own? Check out Kettle + Fire’s shelf stable option. It’s second best to cooking it yourself!Eat oysters. Hands down, the single best food source of zinc is an oyster, with a single 100 gram serving providing  up to 182mg of zinc! One again, we can see that everything we need is found in nature. Now you have a reason to enjoy Oysters, aside from wanting something decadent or to take advantage of their purported aphrodisiac benefits.    And for those of you moms-to-be, did you know they’re also indicated in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) to help with fertility?

If you believe food truly is medicine, what better time to practice what you preach than busy time of the year?

Healthy Holiday Tip: Move it to Lose it!

With the holiday season in full swing, it’s that time of year again during which we could all use some help in staying true to our clean eating and workout routine.

In years past, I’ve done a daily holiday tip to help you stay on track with nutrition, exercising and overall wellness during this festive, yet sometimes potentially stressful time.

Why not start this year with something pertinent to many: is it possible to actually lose weight during the holidays without restriction?

You bet!

Below are my top three tips to enjoy the festivities while staying fit and without compromise:

Keep it moving!  Studies (1) show that when we move, we’re more likely to make healthier food choices.  So, come on now and get your groove on, whether that’s going for a run in the snow, hitting the gym for a spin class or just taking a walk.  The sooner you can add this as part of your regime, the less likely you are to pack on any extra pounds.
Eat more fat.   Up the olive oil you’re drizzling on your salad, throw a bit more coconut oil in the skillet to saute your spinach and scoop up an extra spoonful of almond butter into that veggie smoothie you’re making for on the go. It’s been proven many a time that a high fat approach is the way to go for many (2).   When we are more satiated from the moment we start our day, we stabilize our blood sugar, making those cookies in the office lose their appeal.
Choose your splurges.   When planned in advance, and when we give ourself the ok to have a slice of decadence vis a vis a flourless torte or something of the like, we create emotional freedom to enjoy, then move on, rather than haphazardly make a poor food choice and decide all was for naught.   Eat mindfully, enjoying it with all senses, and notice how this sits with you, making it easy to stay right on track with your healthy habits without missing a beat.

What holiday hitches are you running into?

Let’s be a bit more interactive:  send me your own holiday tips as well as any questions, comments or suggestions you’d like to contribute that you’ve come up with on your own.

Reach out!  I’m here to help!

(1) http://www.medindia.net/news/Exercise...

(2) http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/06/health/...

The Day Before Thanksgiving: Your Time-Saving Checklist!

One day to go until Thanksgiving!

What’s in store for today?

A lot.

Just remember, though, that the more you get done today, the more you can welcome your guests tomorrow with a genuine smile and calm aura rather than trying to hide a growing level of stress that might result otherwise.

Prep your veggie sides. From roasted sprouts with bacon, chestnuts and shallots to a yam and golden delicious casserole infused with rosemary and from that mushroom stuffing to the cauliflower mash served in lieu of potatoes, all can be completely prepared today, set to cool and simply heated up tomorrow. Depending on the size of your oven and weight of the turkey, often the dishes can be heated up during the time the turkey rests under foil.
Create the special occasion sweets.   Whether you’re making a batch of Seasonal Raw Chocolate Truffles or using the Kitchen Aid and its ice cream maker attachment to whip up a batch of homemade coconut sorbet, getting the dessert out of the way is not only a time saver but will provide the opportunity to package up extra truffles to serve as parting favors for guests.
Depending on which method you’re using to cook the bird, get a move on. If you’re opting to use salt for this special occasion and are brining, and your bird is one the larger side, start the process as soon as you wake up as some chefs recommend up to a 48 hour brine for big birds!
Print menus and finish up your décor. One little touch I often like to implement when I’m hosting a dinner party, whether for two or thirty, is to print out a menu or write it on the chalkboard. The five minutes it’ll take you will leave lasting memories in all our guests book of nostalgia we all keep in our mind’s eye. Better yet, if you happen to be ahead of the game and have a little extra time, include some of your tried and true recipes.
Plan your own meal for the big day. No, I’m not suggesting you ‘stick to your diet’ by serving a decadent meal to your guests and then get by on celery sticks and boiled chicken. Instead, choose your splurges so you can balance them out according. Just as I council clients to do when dining out or attending an event, decide in advance if you’re going to have the wine or the truffles, or the sorbet, not all of them. Unless you’re someone who truly can employ the ‘everything in moderation’ approach, which is not most people, better to pick the thing you’ll most enjoy and plan around it.   If you’re going for the wine, stay hydrated all day long, enjoy balanced meals leading up to the feast with sufficient fat and protein and veg, reducing or omitting fruit or any other sugar; you’ll get plenty of that in the wine! Then, just like your mom suggested, alternate wine with water and enjoy your vino with a meal, pacing yourself.   Having this all as part of your plan allows you to enjoy it and sidestep the downside of not planning, which is often a case of ‘oh, the heck with it, I had the wine so I may as well have whatever else I want…and a lot of it’ behavior, making it all the easier to get back on track the next day.
Keep calm, breathe and focus. Sounds trivial, perhaps, or maybe even cliché, but anytime I can find a way to sneak in a little hint or reminder to be more present, I’m going for it! A mere five-minute break by yourself in a quite room where you can just breathe can work wonders for what might otherwise turn into a panicky stress fest!

If you can hit the hay a little early and get a good night’s rest, you’ll be one step ahead of the game. Wake up early tomorrow, hit the gym or take a family hike and come home just in time to put that beautiful bird in the oven!

 

“Turkey Brining Recipes and Tips | Epicurious.com.” Epicurious. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2015

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Get Organized!

Three days until the big feast is here!

By now, your bird has arrived (or at least, is at the store for your pick up).

This year, I bought mine from Autonomy Farms, who has a booth at the local farmer’s market every week.

Nothing like buying straight from the source to make sure you’re getting the most humanely raised bird!

You’re finalizing the last details of your menu, making your list, checking it twice (oh, wait that’s next month), doing your shopping and even some preliminary prep.

Each day, I’ll be posting prep tips based on the countdown to the big feast.

On the books for today:

Clean out your fridge and kitchen to start with a clean slate prior to stocking up with all the holiday ingredients.  Not sure what to do with all those odds and ends of proteins and veggies?  Perfect occasion for what I call “Refrigerator Surprise“!
Make your shopping list
Plan your seating chart
Press your table linens
Write out your own to-do list, and make sure you factor in getting a good workout in each morning, especially on the day of. This is not with the intention of creating a caloric deficit to enable a gorge later in the day; rather, to keep your head clear and focused during each of these upcoming hectic days!

Check in tomorrow for what’s up next!

Even if you’re fitting this all in late in the evening after a long day at work, it’s just for this one week and you’ll feel all the less rushed on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.

It’s nice to have the routine down after all the Paleo Thanksgiving Recipes I’ve put together over the past 10 years.  What are some of your favorites?

The Simplest Way to Stay on Track During the Holidays: Have a Plan

I don’t know about you, but I can hardly believe we’re nearly in the middle of November and Thanksgiving is right around the corner.

If you’re not already making healthy eating and exercise a regular part of your routine, it’s easy to tell yourself that you’ll just indulge in the traditional holiday foods and start fresh in the new year.

But does it truly have to be a choice between enjoying the season and keeping healthy?

Not at all!

Since our habits determine our success, all we need to do is create new, strategic behaviors to replace those which we had in the past, in which we may have made less than stellar choices.

Since some studies(1) show that good habits take on average 21 days to implement, if you start today, you’ll not only be well on your way when Thanksgiving Day rolls around, by the time December 1st is here, you’ll be a pro!

To learn more about my 21 day reboot- schedule a call now!

Below are my top five tips to create successful eating habits, starting now, to ensure you’ll enjoy the holidays while keeping true to your healthy eating goals at the same time:

Plan on eating clean 85-90% of the time.  Rather than telling yourself you’re never going to eat chocolate again,  proactively planning to have those special foods that bring back a bit of holiday nostalgia, even though they might not be at the top of a list of the healthiest foods to eat, allows for that little bit of wiggle room we all need in order to have a balanced approach to our overall eating plan.    Go through the exercise of determining which foods you can enjoy without consequence, plan to have them and say goodbye to guilt!   One client who found he was intolerant to gluten chooses not to have chocolate cake as it would cause GI distress, but instead, opts for a homemade flourless torte.     There’s got to be room for chocolate!
Get moving!  Healthy habits perpetuate more healthy habits(2).    If you get up and get moving, you’re more likely to choose wisely when it comes time for breakfast as well as the rest of the day’s meals.  In addition, if you’ve gotten yourself into a bit of a fitness rut, getting active now before the holidays are in full swing will set you up for more exercise success than if you put it off day after day.
Choose which events and gatherings your special occasion foods will grace your plate (or your glass!).  Create a list of all the holiday gatherings you’re going to attend and then begin to single out which ones are actually going to be those at which you partake of the offerings.   An obligatory office party with wine out of a box and a cheese and cracker plate might not really be worth the splurge, compared to an intimate holiday dinner hosted by a dear family friend, during which you may choose to enjoy the most beautiful Cab along with artisanal cheeses from the farmer’s market.
Savor the moments.  From an emotional perspective, having this plan in place can create freedom not only to eat those special occasion foods, but to thoroughly enjoy them.   It’s easy to attach a behavior judgement to what we eat, and the whole point of making this plan is to detach ourselves from this old way of thinking.   You’ve earned it, now enjoy that dark chocolate!
Be kind to yourself.  Last but not least, and perhaps most importantly, try not to be too rigid.   If you slip up, assess what happened, think about what you will do next time the same situation arises and then move on.  If you ate three pieces of cake at a neighbor’s holiday party and then realized you hadn’t eaten all day, you can easily see why you may not have been thinking clearly and didn’t make the best choice.   Next time, stay on top of your balanced meal prep and planning, keep your blood sugar balanced and see how easy it is to turn down the dessert tray the next time.

Making good decisions at each meal means knowing what to eat and when to eat it.

For help making your strategic eating plan, connect with me now!

(1) Maltz, Maxwell, and Melvin Powers. Psycho-Cybernetics: a New Way to Get More Living out of Life. Wilshire Book Co., 2010.

(2) Nield, David. “Here’s Why More Exercise Makes You Crave a Healthier Diet.” ScienceAlert, www.sciencealert.com/here-s-why-more-....

Beef Stew in a Pumpkin

Happy Early Halloween!

If you’re heading to the pumpkin patch, be sure to pick up a second, medium sized pumpkin in addition to the one you’re looking to carve.

What better way to make cooking fun for the whole family than to be able to actually eat the dish you’re serving it in?

While this particular prep is more than the 1-2-3 theme I’ve been writing about of late, it’s still quite simple to cook, from start to finish.

Using easy to find, in season veggies like carrots, celery and onion, along with grass fed meat and some basic pantry staples, you’ll whip this together in less than half an hour before you place it in the oven to let it simmer for a few hours while you cozy up with a cup of tea and a book near the fire place.

Click here for the free recipe

Be sure to check out recommended brands such as Fatworks lard and Kettle and Fire Broth!