Tag: dieting

5 Reasons You Should Not Skip Meals

On By jodietitianIn Uncategorized3 Comments

stock-illustration-65223149-top-view-of-empty-plate-with-spoon-and-knifeLast week I got together with my three best friends from high school. We all try to connect on each other’s birthdays and so that we are guaranteed to catch up at least four times a year. We usually meet around happy hour/dinner time at a local restaurant in the town where we all grew up. It is always so fun! But as we age, all of the typical discussions regarding how our lives have changed come up, and mostly we laugh a lot!

But this time one of my friends looked absolutely exhausted. She had not slept well the night before and also had not eaten anything all day! It struck me that every time we have gotten together, she is famished because this has been the habit she has gotten into (she us such a caring person that she tends to focus on her family, her family’s restaurant, her own business and never takes time for herself).

I am not one to lecture anyone about their eating habits, but if someone asks me something, I will answer. “Aren’t I burning fat?” she asked. As with most middle aged women, we do gain some weight and the typical person tries to lose it. I then explained how our bodies react to starvation, and not only was it not supportive of promoting a person’s genetically determined body weight, it also could be dangerous at worst, or make you feel crappy (like she was feeling!) at best. Anyway, because so many people are under the misconception that skipping meals is a good way to lose weight, I thought I would write about it.

There are probably lots more reasons (such as the obvious fact that it is next to impossible to meet your nutritional needs by skipping meals), but here are my top 5:

  1. It backfires. Almost everyone has had the experience of not eating enough during the day for one reason or another. Most of the time, dieters do it on purpose, others may just be too busy and not realize several hours has gone by and they missed a meal. The result is the same: a drive to overeat. If you have read any of my previous posts, you know that our appetite and hunger level is intricately tied to numerous regulators. When we do not consume enough calories/energy during the day, we will make up for it. Some make up for it by just automatically listening to their body and eating a very large meal because they are overly hungry! And they feel much better after eating that big meal. Others (dieters/restrained eaters) often feel very guilty when they compensate for not eating enough by eating a big meal, and then binge eat because they feel so bad.
  2. You burn muscle and consequently lower your metabolism. Unfortunately, contrary to what my friend and most people think, you do NOT burn all fat when you skip meals. When we don’t eat for a long period of time, our body has three options to get some energy: protein (from our muscles), carbohydrate in the form of glucose or stored glycogen (we don’t have much energy here, just a few hundred calories, unless you are a trained athlete and your stores may have an increased capacity, but most of us are not trained athletes!), and fat (in our fat stores). Also unfortunately for those trying to lose weight by meal skipping, our bodies draw from all of these forms of storage and eventually may even prefer amino acids (which it can get readily from our muscles). What most people do know is that muscle “burns more than fat” and that is why people who have more muscle need more calories. So what happens when you skip meals and need to burn up some muscle for energy? The next day, with even a fraction less lean muscle, you burn less. Over time, this can have a big negative affect on your metabolism. In extreme situations such as in those with eating disorders who have starved and restricted for a long time, the heart muscle can actually atrophy, causing dangerous health repercussions. The only way to find out if heart damage has occurred is with an echo cardiogram which is expensive. Most patients get an  electrocardiogram which may be normal but does not mean damage has not occurred.
  3. It may increase belly fat and contribute to insulin resistance.  A recent study (May 2015) conducted at Ohio State University revealed that skipping meals not only leads to abdominal weight gain, but it can also lead to the development of insulin resistance in the liver. If youskip meals you might set your body up for larger fluctuations in insulin and blood sugar. The result is more fat gain instead of fat loss. Find the original article in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, July 2015, Volume 26, Issue 7, Pages 721–728 and for a summary of the research results see CBC News Article on Skipping Meals and Belly Fat.
  4. You wreak havoc with your digestive system. One of the biggest complaints I get from people who skip meals is constipation. We all have experienced that uncomfortable feeling at times when maybe we have traveled and our bodies get off track, or we have been ill or maybe ate too much chocolate! It is not a fun feeling, but can you imagine having to feel this way on a regular basis? In addition to constipation, lots of people who skip meals and then eat tend to complain of feeling bloated and gassy, or even having stomach pains. Our bodies just simply like to be in a regular rhythm of eating. Our digestive enzymes get used to helping us digest our meals at regular intervals. When we start to skip meals, eventually these enzymes decrease so we even may stop feeling hungry (many of my patients will ask “why should I eat lunch if I am not hungry? I thought I am supposed to “listen” to my body!” Well, if you have been skipping meals on a regular basis, this is the one time I will say don’t listen to your body because it has been derailed. If this has happened to you then start by adding in a small meal (maybe half a sandwich) and build up to a normal lunch over time. Eventually you will start feeling hungry again and this indicates your body’s metabolism as well as digestive system is getting back to normal. Of course there are other contributors to constipation and digestive issues (food intolerance, inadequate fluid intake, not enough fiber) but going long periods without putting something in your digestive system is not going to help.
  5.  You just plain won’t feel good.    Finally, when you don’t provide your body and brain with the fuel it needs, you just are not going to be in a good mood. You will likely drag, be unable to focus, get grouchy more easily and just simply not be that fun to be with! I have found that most people do not even realize how crappy they feel when they do not eat enough during the day. When they begin to add in breakfast and lunch they are often amazed at how good they feel and how much more energy they have. If I had a dollar for every person that has said “wow, I feel so much better! I didn’t even realize how bad I felt!” I might not be having the time to write this blog because I would be retired and relaxing on my favorite beach on Keewaydin Island.

Just to be clear, I am not promoting weight loss, but instead I am hoping those of you who are always trying to lose weight will stop skipping meals. Why not think about working on a healthier lifestyle instead so that you feel good and can enjoy life. And that involves eating your three meals a day.

Three square meals a day. Funny how good sound advice never seems to change.

Why you need to stop trying to have “willpower”

On By jodietitianIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

hungry man and burger I have always disliked the word “willpower”. Maybe because so many people cast judgement when they think someone does not have any. Why do you keep smoking? You need to have more willpower! Why do you keep overeating? You need to have more willpower! Why are you binge eating? You need to have more willpower! Why do you drink so much? You need to have more willpower! If only you had more willpower. I hate that word.

Also, people judge themselves. When they want to change and can’t, most people beat themselves up mentally and verbally. Why can’t I have more willpower?! This makes me sad because changing, especially when it comes to eating behaviors, has nothing to do with willpower.

I like looking at things in a somewhat holistic way. It is never one simple answer and most people behave in a certain way because of a variety of influencing factors. When it comes to eating, I always have felt there are three things that affect us (probably more but to me, these are the three general areas I have encountered with the people I have worked with).

  1. Physiology
  2. Environment and habits
  3. Emotions

First, let’s talk about physiology. By this I mean all the physiological things that are going on in your body that most of us never think about. What most people do not know is that our bodies regulate themselves as far as what and how much to eat. For example, people who try to avoid carbohydrates eventually end up craving them. Why? Because a chemical messenger named serotonin in our brains will drop if we do not eat enough carbs and will send the message that we need to eat them! Have you ever craved something sweet? We all have. Even dietitians usually can’t keep track of what they eat, let’s face it, we all have busy lives and sometimes just eat what is there. But our bodies will definitely tell us, they are keeping track! A good example is a dinner I prepared for my husband the other day. We kind of ran out of food and I had gone out with a friend so had already had an early dinner. I threw together a “Chef’s Salad” because I had leftover grilled chicken, leftover pepperoni slices from a party, some prosciutto I had left from a recipe I made over the weekend, cheese and lots of salad (it was buy one, get one!). He loved it with his Chipolte Ranch Dressing, but I knew he was going to be craving something sweet later at night because there were no carbs in it. He is not a fan of beans and I had no croutons : ( So later at night it was kind of funny when he said “do we have anything sweet? I need something sweet!” So predictable. Nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with physiology.

What kind of imbalances are YOU creating with your eating? In addition to not getting enough carbs, if we don’t get enough calories our bodies regulate that also. Leptin is one messenger that will make sure you know you have not eaten enough. Are you skipping lunch to lose weight? Are you then getting mad at yourself for not having “willpower” at night when you end up binge eating? Not your fault, and not your lack of willpower. Physiology, plain and simple. You can’t fight it, so don’t blame yourself. There are so many more examples, but the bottom line is that your body is much smarter than you are, and having more willpower is not the answer. Trusting your body is. Check out more on this topic (especially for you biology buffs) with these articles:

Appetite Hormones (July 2015 Issue, Today’s Dietitian,Appetite Hormones  By Marsha McCulloch, MS, RD, LD, Vol. 17 No. 7 P. 26)

Gastrointestinal-Brain Connection

The second reason people need to forget about willpower is the power of environment and habits. We all have behaviors that are affected by our environment, and eventually we fall into habits that we don’t even have to think about. Let me ask you a simple question: what do you do when you walk in the door after a long day of work (or school)? Do you kick your shoes off and run to the couch, click on the TV and relax? Do you go straight to your room, remove your work clothes, put on your jogging shorts and sneakers and run to the track? Or do you go straight to the fridge and open the door? Or maybe grab a beer and sit in front of the news?

All of these behaviors are habits. None has anything to do with willpower. The person who has been coming home and going to the track has no more willpower than the person who runs to the fridge to grab a snack or a beer. The issue is that each person has developed a habit over time, triggered by their environment. Just walking in that door sets all behaviors in place. The question we need to ask ourselves is NOT why we don’t have more willpower, but what behaviors are we not happy with and want to change? Changing habits is another long story and not easy. We can start however by changing that initial trigger, not by blaming ourselves for not having enough willpower! What if you avoided that couch and put on sneakers instead? then went and sat outside on the porch just to watch the birds. Anything to break that chain. Wishing you had more willpower or berating yourself because you do not is not the answer.

Finally, the third reason to forget about willpower is to remember that emotionally we are all different. No one has the same life growing up, the same role models, the same experiences or the same biological make up. How can we expect to have the same amount of willpower? Consider the woman I once worked with many years ago. She was a binge eater and was a stay at home wife to a man that wanted her to be thinner.  She had gained weight throughout her 20 year marriage and he just wanted to help her. So what he thought was helpful (“you don’t need that! That is enough for you!”) was actually hurtful. She told me that she would eat her Special K with skim milk in the morning while he had his bacon and eggs, then watch through the window as he drove away. The minute he disappeared from sight, she would go straight to the fridge and start eating. And eating. She had a binge eating disorder that was partly due to emotional reasons. NOT lack of willpower.

The bottom line and take-home message I hope you get is that expecting yourself to have more “willpower” may be a losing battle. Instead, can you consider looking at your lifestyle and asking yourself what behaviors you feel are not contributing to health? Are you restricting too much and then binge eating and getting mad at yourself? Are you wishing you could be more active because you really do want to have more energy but feel you have no willpower to go to the gym?  Are you drinking too much and blaming yourself?  I suggest just start by thinking about which of these three areas are affecting you most. Then work on figuring it out without judgement. Stop expecting yourself to have willpower to fix things that are way more complicated.

Working on your health both physically and mentally is a wonderful thing! Just taking the time to read this post shows you care about yourself and that is a great thing too! Stop berating yourself for not having enough “willpower”. No one does.

What’s Your Life’s Masterpiece?

On By jodietitianIn Uncategorized3 Comments

another great post about body image that will really make you reflect….thanks GLENYSO!

Glenys Oyston's avatarDare to Not Diet

you're awesomeSomeone left a message on my Facebook page along the lines of (and I’m paraphrasing because I deleted it toute suite) “This comment probably won’t be appreciated here [correct!] but this page seems like a big excuse for people to be overindulgent and lazy. You don’t have to do crazy fad diets or anything but people should try to eat better and be the best they can be.” It was left by a gentleman who was very muscled and shirtless (and notably, headless) in his FB photo, so based on that and the general negative tone of his comment, I’m guessing he disapproved of my message to love our bodies as they are through a Health At Every Size® approach.

I deleted the comment because of the negative, accusatory tone – I intend for my Facebook page and blog to be safe, positive spaces for people practicing HAES®, body…

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“Intuitive Eating” verses “Hedonic Hunger”: A Balancing Act

On By jodietitianIn Uncategorized3 Comments

hungry man and burgerA few days ago I was walking out the door to go to work, and noticed the very last and very ripe banana in the fruit bowl that sits on the counter on the way out of the door in our kitchen. I like bananas, but really need to be in the mood for one. This is such a silly and repetitive dilemma I seem to encounter way too many times a month. Why do I buy so many bananas for just 2 people? I ask myself this every time I walk out the door and see those bananas going bad (yes, I can make banana bread, but I’m not a big fan of baking and without central air, it won’t be happening). Do I make myself take the banana just so that it won’t go bad, or do I follow my own advice and eat “intuitively” which means not forcing yourself to eat things you don’t really want (and also eating the things you really DO want!).

We all have to make decisions about what to eat every single day, and most of the patients I work with struggle with these decisions. They are torn by wanting to eat “healthy”, by having food “rules”, and by the “food police” in their brains screaming commands at every meal (“that’s bad! That has too much sugar! That has too many carbs!”). People who are dieting to lose weight especially have a hard time making food choices as well as tuning in to their hunger.

Then you have those of us who believe the repercussions of dieting and being too strict with eating usually backfire, trigger eating disorders, food obsession, or at the very least make life miserable (and boring). So we promote “intuitive eating” which means learning to “listen” to your hunger and fullness rather than relying totally on just your thinking (“cognitive” restraint). This approach to eating tends to promote feeling better both mentally and physically (related to no longer feeling starving, or not feeling overly stuffed).

Sounds simple, right? Well, as you probably know, it is not. Part of the reason is something called “hedonic hunger”.  Hedonic hunger is “the appetitive drive to eat to obtain pleasure in the absence of an energy deficit”. In a paper written by  Elizabeth Rose Didie in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Drexel University in June of 2003  an instrument called the “Power of Food Scale (PFS)” was introduced. According to the paper, “the 21-item Power of Food Scale (PFS) was developed to assess the psychological influence of the mere presence or availability of food” (a self-report measure of hedonic hunger). It is suggested that a “preexisting vulnerability toward over-responsiveness to food” may exist for some people. In other words, some people may be more responsive to a food plentiful environment which makes “intuitive eating” more difficult. Not every person is the same when it comes to hunger. (if you are interested in the original research article, read it here: Power of Food Scale The actual questionnaire is on page 110).

Since the PFS was validated more research has been done looking into hedonic hunger and binge eating. There’s a lot more to learn, however just knowing that you are not like everyone else may be helpful. Instead of beating yourself up because you were not able to resist something, instead start to pay attention to your behavior. Try to accept what you discover (“if I bake cookies, I can’t help eating most of the batch”) and don’t berate yourself (which is what most people do, leading to even more bad feelings). Instead, you may want to consider only baking when you need to and go out for a few cookies at the bakery instead when you really want a cookie. Work to create a less triggering environment if you are one of those people who is more susceptible to hedonic hunger. Don’t set yourself up!

In the meantime, we all should be eating foods we really enjoy. You still can work on making healthy foods yummy, planning your meals and planning to have the foods you enjoy on a regular basis. It is ok to “use your head” when it comes to creating a healthy eating environment. Learn to cook and experiment with different healthy foods so that you always have meals you enjoy, yet continue to take care of your health. Cater to food cravings in a smart way (remember, if you see a food and then want it, it is not a real food craving, and more of a “beckoning” environmental trigger). When you are really in the mood for something, go buy it! If you want ice cream, go out and get a cone. This is way different than having large containers of ice cream in your home when you know you have trouble stopping, and end up feeling bad about yourself.

Yes, hedonic hunger makes it hard to eat intuitively, but with a little self-acceptance and smart choices, you can have your cake and eat it too. So what did I do with that banana?

I froze it.

Carbohydrates: Good or Bad?

On By jodietitianIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

carbsLow carb dieting is nothing new. Back in the 80’s Dr. Atkin’s brought this extreme way of eating to the limelight with his famous book “Dr. Atkin’s Diet Revolution” and then again in 2009 with his “new” version. As with most fad diet books, this was no magic answer and the nation’s obsession with weight and dieting continued. Not to get into the boring details, but this high fat high protein low carbohydrate diet mostly caused people to lose water weight (which is what happens with carbohydrate restriction). So while the scale may go down temporarily, the end result is time wasted yet again on another fad diet! Or worse, some serious health consequences.

Carbs fell off the radar as the villain for quite awhile until the “gluten free” craze began. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely people who need to eliminate gluten from their diets either because they have celiac disease or another autoimmune disorder where avoiding gluten may be helpful (although celiacs definitely need to avoid gluten at all costs, it is not yet conclusive whether avoiding gluten is helpful in other autoimmune disorders but some health care providers often recommend it). Some people may have an intolerance to gluten, which may be less serious than celiac disease (where serious intestinal damage eventually results from eating gluten over time). With an intolerance, discomfort may result which may vary from person to person from mild to more severe. In this case, avoiding it to feel better is worth it.

So besides needing to avoid gluten for medical reasons, are there any other reasons to avoid carbohydrates?

No. We NEED the high carbohydrate foods for many reasons:

1. Healthy high carb foods such as whole grains provide fiber which keeps our digestive system running smoothly.

2. Fruits and vegetables contain carbohydrates (fruits typically more than veggies) and they also provide us with vitamins, fiber and phytochemicals which may help fight cancer.

3. Dairy foods such as yogurt and milk have some carbs and they provide us with protein (especially for vegetarians who don’t eat meat), calcium and vitamin D.

4. Carbohydrates give us energy and and help maintain our glycogen stores (this is your muscle’s source of energy, so when you want to go do something, such as run or play or dance, you aren’t going to move too fast without enough carbs in your diet).

5. Some high carbohydrate foods are just plain yummy and a part of many celebrations (think birthday cake). It is important to participate in the fun things in life, as mental health and happiness are equally important as physical health.

BUT a highly refined, low fiber, high carbohydrate diet devoid of protein brings a whole different set of problems, and this may be why people still focus on it. We are talking extremes here (unfortunately, I have seen these extremes but typically in people with sensory issues, such as children or teens with autism, or extreme picky eating). What happens when a person’s diet is almost exclusively carbohydrates? Unfortunately, those at risk include:

1. People with sensory issues such as those who can’t tolerate certain textures or tastes

2. Children who were typical picky eaters when they were toddlers, whose parents resorted to catering to them (for instance, made Ramen noodles every single day because Johnny would not touch anything else). Johnny never is exposed to new tastes (such as vegetables and meats) and consequently grows up to be an adult living on Ramen noodles!

3. Vegans or vegetarians who are not educated on how to obtain a balanced diet

4. People who simply can’t afford to purchase the food that is healthy for them

5. People who eat what they were brought up to eat

There may be more however these are the categories I have personally encountered. So what are the consequences of living on mostly high carbohydrates?

1. Carbohydrates trigger the release of insulin (a good thing to maintain a normal blood sugar). However, when the pancreas is overstimulated it eventually stops working normally, This may lead to elevated blood glucose and even “prediabetes” as well as abnormal weight gain.

2. On a high carbohydrate diet devoid of protein, your appetite will not be satisfied. You will end up having to snack all day (which is irritating! and your high carb snacks never really satisfy you).

3. You will be missing out on many important nutrients. Most of the patients I see who are extremely imbalanced in their eating (eating mostly high carbohydrate and refined foods) tend to consume inadequate protein (leading to poor immunity, hair loss, fatigue, etc), inadequate iron, no fiber (leading to constipation and digestive issues), and other vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

4. Living a normal life is really hard when you can’t eat a variety of foods. Many of the teenagers I have seen who only eat Ramen noodles and chips really start to struggle in social situations.

So the answer to the question “are carbohydrates good or bad?” is not that simple. They are both good (when consumed with a balanced diet) and bad (when they are all you consume).

My advice: include whole grains and other fun carbs (such as your favorite cookies when you crave them!) but also keep trying a variety of fruits, veggies, dairy foods and protein sources. I have heard many a dietitian say “it takes 20 tries to know if you like a food”. The more exposures, the better. So don’t give up……take a bite!

Eating and Exercising for your Future Health Sucks

On By jodietitianIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Another great post from a fellow dietitian who promotes a non-diet approach. Glenys O describes a different way of looking at diet and exercise that I hope will make you think….enjoy!

Glenys Oyston's avatarDare to Not Diet

Feel good NOWPerhaps I am a naughty dietitian for saying so, but I think doing “healthy” stuff now to ward off vague future health threats is a terrible motivation for behavior change.

There. I said it. So sue me. But first let me explain.

I think we humans tend more toward hedonism than toward future thinking in that, most of the time, we just want to feel good in the immediate here and now.

This has been gleaned anecdotally by me in a not-at-all scientific way but I’m standing by it right now because 1. That’s how I am myself and 2. That’s how my clients are and 3. That’s how my friends are. So, with only a few exceptions, that is, like, everyone I know! Yeah, people want to be healthy but more importantly they want to feel good.

Somewhere along the way to feeling good and feeling healthy, weight became…

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What is “Dietainment”?

On By jodietitianIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Unhealthy diet messages disguised as harmless entertainment. That is how “dietainment” is defined on the Multi-grain Cheerio website devoted to gathering signatures to make a statement to stop these unhealthy messages from getting to our children (especially young girls).

If you watch the videos on the website, they will move you. The sad thing is they actually stop short of showing what the consequences are. Yes, all of those magazine covers at the grocery line check-out do affect us all. You’ve heard it a million times, how those perfect faces, bodies, hair and clothes make us all feel inferior to a point. You probably also have seen those articles and videos on how those photos are doctored by the experts to make them look even more “perfect”. How cellulite is erased, how tummies are flattened, frizzy hair is removed, veins, wrinkles and freckles magically made invisible. We know that.

The problem also lies in the actual words, the words most eight year old girls can read. Words like “diet” and “lost 10 pounds in 2 weeks” and “5 steps to a flat belly!” What happens next?

I can share what I have seen. I have seen little girls “body checking” in my office. In case you never heard that term, it describes what some people do when they become somewhat focused on a particular body part (or parts) and continuously (almost habitually sometimes) “check” it. As if it may change in the next ten minutes. For instance, a person may feel their arms are too fat, so they are constantly squeezing them. Or more typically, they feel their tummies are too big, and they can’t pass a mirror without looking sideways at themselves. In my office I have seen little girls and boys alike grabbing at their tummies (yes, because they feel they are too fat). Many have actually told me they wanted to know how to make their stomachs flat. Or have a “six pack”. When this statement comes out of a boy who has not even entered puberty yet, it is very sad (to me) and I often ask myself “where is this coming from?”

The other part of this sad story is what these kids often do. They actually do try to “diet”. They try to lose weight, they eat less, they cut out foods and sometimes stop growing. The good news is that sometimes, with a little education, the ones who are doing this just because they read it or saw it on TV will start eating again just because a dietitian told them to! The bad news is some go on to develop eating disorders.

So what can YOU do? As the website says, we can’t change this overnight. But we can at least try to stop it. Do something. Anything, even if it means talking to your child about how stupid it is. Or recognizing if YOU talk about losing weight or how much you hate your body in front of them. At least you can start there, and stop.

Instead, can we all get back to focusing on feeling good and being healthy? and what about all the other wonderful, great things about people? Talents, humor, accomplishments, kindness, generosity…..so check it out….if we all do our little part…

http://worldwithoutdieting.ca/

The War on “Big Food”-should you eat “organic”?

On By jodietitianIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

more natural foodsEarly this morning my husband handed me his Fortune Magazine (June 1st issue) opened up to an article entitled “The War on Big Food” and said “you should write about this!” So I read the article and thought “wow”. Just as in the world of “weight management” and “dieting”, the world of big food manufacturers is undergoing a paradigm shift.

The article goes on to describe how big food industries are “like a melting iceberg…every year they become a little less relevant”. Who are they referring to? Think Smuckers, Campbell’s, Hershey, The article points out that the idea of “processing” started with the ancient idea of salting and curing to the “modern arsenal of artificial preservatives”  which arose to make sure the food we ate did not make us sick. Now we worry that it is the processed food itself that is making us unhealthy. Consumers are responding and big food industries are losing out, or forced to make changes.

In fact, big food companies are paying attention and making changes since organic food sales has more than tripled over the past decade with an increase of 11% in the last decade alone. Consumers want to buy foods with ingredients they can understand (flour, wheat, yeast, sugar, etc) instead of words they can’t even pronounce. The simpler the label, the better. The article describes a “new language” around health that has emerged which includes terms such as “natural”, “organic” and gluten-free”. Interestingly, anything having to do with “dieting” is out! Products with the words “diet”, “light”, “low” or “reduced” experienced an 11% drop in sales in 2013.  Even Lean Cuisine is rolling out a new product called “Marketplace” line which will offer gluten-free, organic, high-protein or extra-veggie options.

What does this mean to you? Well, I admit to feeling conflicted. I believe in a non-diet and intuitive approach to eating which involves “listening” to your body, and working toward honoring and respecting your body’s signals of hunger and fullness. This also involves truly enjoying the food you eat. At the same time, taking care of your health and your body by getting the nutrition that your body needs to feel good and have energy. We are all different in that we all need to learn what we like and how much we need to feel good and have energy. Is it too restrictive to read every label and avoid any artificial ingredients altogether? I can only speak for myself and feel everyone has to make their own decisions about what to eat. I may not have the energy to worry about every single item that crosses my lips however may prefer to make all my own foods from fresh ingredients because I love food that way (but yes, I will eat whatever anyone serves me and not really worry about it).

I think it is smart to educate yourself and use the freshest and least processed foods you can afford. However, if you find yourself expending too much time and energy reading labels, and use it as an excuse NOT to eat foods on a regular basis, then it could mean you may be focusing on eating “natural” and “organic” as a way to distract yourself from something else. Remember, eating healthy most of the time and having a mostly healthy lifestyle will promote health. Having a “perfect” diet or striving for a “perfect” lifestyle is kind of stressful! And that is not healthy at all!!! For more information, check out the article yourself- Fortune Magazine, June 1,2015, Volume 171 Number 7.

Dieting and Weight: A New Way to Think

On By jodietitianIn Uncategorized1 Comment

healthy lifeI struggled with what to title this post even though I know exactly what I want to say. Sometimes I notice things or patterns or trends about people, eating, food, or whatever and say to myself “I need to write about that”. Especially when it is something I see over and over again. To me it may be glaringly obvious how ridiculous it is yet so many wise and wonderful people are still doing the same dumb things (I don’t mean to be insulting to anyone as they are not “dumb” at all, which is why it is so baffling they might make the same mistakes over and over, even after many years).

I am referring to dieting, specifically spending money to go on the same diet program they may have been “successful” on 2 years ago. Lately I have bumped into old friends or acquaintances who last time I saw them looked a whole lot different. It could go either way, either they may have gained a lot of weight or lost a lot of weight. Following the same “program”. Or not.

It seems they have so much faith in their diet program because after all, it did “work”. If only they could have stayed with it, had more willpower. So this next time should be the last. But it never is and the reason is because nothing has really changed except the number on the scale (down, then up). You have heard it before, from me and others, why dieting and focusing on your weight is not the answer to feeling good or being healthy…..you know that any new diet book hooks you in because it gives a false sense of hope.

Instead, my hope is you might be open to stopping for just a few minutes to reflect on this. Do you have a goal stuck in your brain that you absolutely will not give up until you reach a certain size or weight? Then I am asking you for just a few minutes to let go of that thought and think about all of the things you have done over the past months or years to change your body. If you have spent months or years working on this and are still in the same place, would you consider something different? You could go another few years repeating the cycle and many people do. And you should not be hard on yourself if you have, because that is the only way to learn (and learning what does not work is equally important as learning what does work). Just like with dating, you have to kiss a lot of frogs!

Anyway, my suggestion is putting on a “detective” hat instead. Instead of judging and commanding yourself, could you first of all try to stay neutral and nonjudgmental? What are some of the unhealthy habits you may have fallen into that you wish you could change? For instance, are you stopping for fast food on the way home from work on a daily basis? Do you plop on the couch the minute you get home? Do you notice you drink too much when you go out with certain friends or overeat when you have sweets in your house? How about considering some simple “health” goals and making a mental list of some of the healthy things you would like to incorporate in your life? Someone once told me, or maybe I read it somewhere, that you are either moving forward, backward, or staying still. It is ok to stay still sometimes. And we learn from going backwards too. But why not take some simple steps to “move forward” instead of starting that same old diet plan or program (or a new one) that will leave you in the same place a year from now? You may decide to pick just one day where you don’t stop for fast food and cook instead. You may just decide to collect some of those healthy recipes you actually did enjoy from that diet plan and cook dinner (even if you are not “on” the diet, if you found healthy meals you liked, that could be useful!). Or maybe you may decide to take just ten minutes after work to walk before you settled in to watch TV. Even just one day a week. It is all positive action and all with a good goal: to move into a healthier lifestyle. Yes, you can stop for fast food, overeat with your friends, drink too much sometimes, and decide to spend the entire day on the couch if that is what you need. It is finding the balance that leads to a healthy body and mind. In the end, you will probably find that a year from now, for once, you will be in a better place, both physically and mentally (and financially!).

So consider putting on that detective hat, think about YOUR unique lifestyle and habits, and YOU decide what you may want to start with to move FORWARD. One step at a time…..