Are You Eating Enough?
Sometimes when I speak with my clients, I find they aren’t eating enough and that this is sabotaging their efforts to make good food choices and to lose weight. This may sound strange because in our society we’re taught that the less we eat, the healthier we will be.

Does this sound familiar?

You get up in the morning and have coffee, juice, maybe a small bowl of cereal or you skip breakfast altogether. You’re not hungry when you first wake up, so at first you feel ok. By mid-morning you’re hungry and dragging, but you have a cup of coffee or a diet soda and you’re able to make it to lunch when you have a salad or a small sandwich.

Then the late afternoon hits and you’re overwhelmed with cravings for sweets or salty/crunchy snacks. You can’t make it until dinner, so you raid your pantry or the vending machine at work. Or maybe you head to Starbucks for a Frappuccino.

If you have enough energy, you prepare dinner at home. If you’re feeling tired and still having cravings, you order takeout or go through a fast food drive-through. Dinner is your biggest meal of the day and when you’ve eaten dinner you feel relief that you finally feel satiated.

What is wrong with this picture?

First, let me say that if this is similar to how you’re eating, don’t feel badly. You’re not alone! This way of eating is often the consequence of having been on one or more calorie-restrictive diet programs. This is how you’ve been taught to eat.

Eating this way causes a few problems:

• Denying yourself enough food early in the day causes low energy
• Low energy causes cravings for sugar and caffeine
• Eating sugar and caffeine causes more cravings for these foods
• Not getting enough food earlier in the day may cause your metabolism to slow down
• Feeling deprived most of the day can lead to binging or unhealthy eating later in the day or evening
• Compensating for under-eating by eating snacks in the afternoon and a heavier dinner, isn’t working with the natural rhythm of your metabolism and may cause you to gain weight

Are you feeling confused about how and what you should be eating? I know how you feel because a few years ago I was exactly where you are, and I don’t want you to struggle (as I did) to figure out how to eat in a way that works for you.

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F*ree Workshop-by-Phone:
How to Jumpstart Changes in Your Body with a Fall Cleanse

Would you like to break free from unhealthy eating habits? Do you wish you could feel healthier and more vibrant? Are you suffering from headaches, acne, allergies or low energy?

In this workshop you will learn:

• 8 ways to know if it's time to cleanse
• 15 ways your body would benefit from a cleanse
• 16 things that may be making you toxic
• 9 ways to cleanse your body (including simple and more advanced options)
• 3 times that are perfect to cleanse

Prior to the call, you will receive a Health Assessment to complete. We will discuss this during the call and it will help you determine where you're at and whether now is a good time for you to cleanse.

This Workshop-by-Phone is being held on Thursday, October 16th at 12:00pm EST.

Click here to register:

http://www.wellnesshealthcoaching.com/october08.htm

Curb Your Sweet Cravings by Eating Sweets
In working with clients one of the first things we frequently address is their sweet cravings. Perhaps I attract clients with sweet cravings because I have a sweet tooth of my own. It’s been there since childhood, when my grandmother always kept our freezer stocked with homemade cakes and cookies. What fond memories.

In overcoming my own sweet cravings, I have become an expert at helping my clients and workshop attendees break through theirs. Does this mean I never eat cake or cookies? Of course not. That wouldn’t be any fun! It just means I don’t feel that need to have them as frequently. That’s my goal for my clients. I help them tweak their diet so they aren’t always fighting a desire to eat the more refined sweets like candy, cookies, cake, and ice cream.

See, when I work with clients I don’t just say “stop having sweets, they’re bad for you,” I say “let’s figure out WHY you’re having the sweet cravings.” This is where my approach varies a bit from a traditional nutritionist. In my experience, both personally and with clients, a sweet craving is a sign that something is out of balance. By addressing the imbalance and therefore reducing the craving, my clients can eat healthy without feeling deprived.

One of the reasons we all get sweet cravings is because we don’t have enough sweet flavor in our diet. Ideally, we want a balance of sweet, salty, bitter, and sour tastes in our diet. We typically don’t get sweet flavor in our meals and so we look for a sweet treat such as candy or cookies.

What would happen if we added some healthy sweets to our meals? I’ve experimented with this personally and with my clients and it works like a charm. When I talk about healthy sweets I’m mainly talking about sweet vegetables such as sweet potatoes, winter squash such as butternut, beets, and carrots (especially cooked carrots). How often do you eat these foods? I will frequently make a batch of one of these sweet vegetables on the weekend and keep them in the refrigerator so I have them on hand when I want something sweet – either as part of a meal or a snack.

If you cook them right, they’re honestly like eating candy. Plus, they are packed with nutrients and fiber. Sweet potatoes are my personal favorite. The trick is to bake (not microwave) them at 450 degrees for one full hour. Yes, an hour is a long time. Simply set a timer and go watch TV or make some phone calls.

While I’m certain that eating more sweet vegetables will help you with sweet cravings, there may be other things going on that are causing your cravings. Often when I work with clients we find there is a combination of three or four reasons behind the cravings and we go step-by-step to address each one.

Are you truly nourishing yourself?
When you think about feeding yourself, you likely think about breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Of course these meals are important, but I actually believe that what is equally important is how you feed or nourish yourself with things other than food.

In our society we look to food to fill many needs such as entertainment, companionship, relaxation, and celebration. Do you find that you grab a bag of chips to entertain you at night? Do you use chocolate to help you relax? How about ordering a pizza and a pint of ice cream for some companionship? Trust me, you're not alone. This is a major area in which my clients come to me for support. Working on this often involves changing habits we've had for most of our life, so it's not always an easy thing to do.

I also struggle with this at times. A few weeks ago I was looking for a way to celebrate my accomplishments. I kept thinking about going out to dinner or getting a treat like ice cream. Then I realized I would be sabotaging my health if I always used food to celebrate my success. I turned my mind to some non-food things such as buying fresh flowers, taking a bath, or getting a massage. The benefits of choosing these things is that they truly nourish me, they are guilt-free, and the positive effects last longer than an ice cream cone.

Don't get me wrong, I believe there's always a time and place for pizza and chocolate. That being said, I have found that food becomes less important when we nourish ourselves with things other than food. Not only that, but we become happier and more fulfilled with life.

What can you do to start nourishing yourself with things other than food? I recommend making a list of things that are fun and relaxing for you. Include things that only take 15 minutes as well as things that take a couple of hours. Include activities that you do alone or with others. They can be free or cost money. I find it helps to have variety in your list.

Once you have your list, add in one fun and relaxing activity each day. I find it helps to schedule things on my calendar in advance, so I don't forget. Try committing to this for one week and see how it feels.

Your first step towards reaching your goals is to get support.

Eat What You Crave
What types of foods have you been craving lately? Some of the things I hear often from my clients are cravings for chocolate, sweets, chips, fried foods, and comfort foods. Are any of these on your list?

What happens when you deny yourself what you crave? Do the cravings diminish or get stronger? You may find that the more you deny your cravings, the more intense they get. And then you may find yourself binging on the particular food you were craving, leaving you feeling guilty and down on yourself.

I believe it’s better to allow yourself to eat what your body is craving, and there are two ways to do this without any guilt.

Option 1: Eat a small portion of what you’re craving. So, if you want ice cream, get a kiddie cup. If you’re out to dinner and want dessert, share it with someone. If you’re craving chips, buy a snack sized bag. If you’re also feeling hungry at the time, combine the food you’re craving with something healthy – to create a larger snack or meal.

Option 2: Find a healthier substitute for what you’re craving. Think about the type of food you’re craving and the particular qualities that appeal to you. Some of the qualities to think about are hot, cold, creamy, crunchy, salty, sweet, rich, and light. Once you’ve determined the qualities you’re craving, think about what other foods have those same qualities. For example, if you’re craving ice cream because you want something cold and creamy, you can substitute with a homemade smoothie.

Your goal here is to satisfy your cravings, while eating with pleasure and without guilt. Try one of these two options the next time you get a craving and let me know how you do!

Are you feeling confused about how and what you should be eating? I know how you feel because a few years ago I was exactly where you are, and I don’t want you to struggle (as I did) to figure out how to eat in a way that works for you.

Would you like support in figuring this out? It is easier than you think and doesn’t involve a fad diet that you can’t sustain. Let’s see if I can help. Call or email Gina (my client relationship manager) at mailto:amy@wellnesshealthcoaching.com or (888) 532-4216 and she’ll be glad to schedule you for a complimentary get-acquainted session by phone.

Do You Always Eat the Same Breakfast?
Up until a few years ago, I had a bowl of cold cereal with milk for breakfast my entire life. I ate (and loved) Honey Nut Cheerios for years. Then I moved on to some of the Kashi cereals and other more "natural" options. I didn't question what I was eating because that was all I knew. I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to eat in the morning.

Looking back, it's hard to believe that I kept eating the same thing when it wasn't satisfying me. I would usually get hungry less than 2 hours after I'd eaten and this frustrated me for years.

I ended up experimenting with my breakfast. First, I stayed "safe" with things like eggs, oatmeal, and smoothies. Then, I became a bit more adventurous and tried having leftovers from dinner such as chicken and broccoli, brown rice and vegetable, and even a salad with some hard boiled eggs.

I know what you're thinking. You're saying to yourself, "I could never eat vegetables in the morning!" I used to feel the same way until I went in with an open mind and some out-of-the-box thinking. Truthfully, eating chicken, broccoli, and brown rice tastes delicious (even in the morning) and is extremely satisfying. It's interesting that in our society that we have a narrow idea of what foods we should eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We also tend to limit what foods we eat as snacks between meals.

When I work with my clients, I have each of them complete a Breakfast Experiment during which they try several different types of foods for breakfast. Through this experiment, they start to figure out which foods work best for them. They learn which foods keep them satisfied and give them good energy. At first some of them are a little hesitant to have leftovers from dinner, but once they try it they realize it's not so crazy after all. The idea here isn't that everyone should eat leftovers from dinner for breakfast. The idea is to experiment and figure out what works best for you.

Do you feel like your breakfast food is working for you? If not, think about what types of foods you could try. Create your own breakfast experiment. When you're done, email me. I'd love to hear how it went.

Are You Getting Support from the People Closest To You?
This topic is close to my heart because I know that getting support from the people closest to you can make or break your efforts to be healthy. Many times I speak with clients whose significant others or friends get in the way of them making changes in their food and lifestyle.

Do you experience any of the following with your significant other, roommate, or friends?

· They bring unhealthy food into the house or to your work
· They suggest you go out instead of eating at home
· They complain when you prepare healthy food
· They choose restaurants that don’t have healthy options
· They suggest you skip exercising and spend time with them instead

I want to point out that typically the people closest to you aren’t doing these things to purposefully hinder your efforts. What I have found is that they simply need time to adjust to the changes you’re making, and they need you to be clear about how they can support you.

Don’t expect them to read your mind. We sometimes think that the people in our life should know what we need, without us asking for it. That would be nice, but unfortunately, this doesn’t usually happen. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. If you’re not accustomed to asking for what you need, think of this as a muscle that you need to work. The more you do it, the more comfortable it will become.

How can you ask for what you need? It can be really helpful to start by explaining your goals for yourself, the changes you’re trying to make, and why this is important to you. Then, simply ask if they are willing to support you in reaching your goals. While they may not know what’s involved, they will almost always say “yes” because the people closest to you love you and want you to be happy.

Get specific with your requests. Once the people in your life have agreed to support you, make one or two specific requests (giving a huge list will be overwhelming). I recommend asking for the things that will have the most impact on you. Realize that it may be challenging for them to fulfill your request, since it will likely affect them. Give them praise when they support you, be patient, and remind them frequently of your request(s) and why they are important to you. Give back to them by asking what you can do to support them, and then fulfill their request.