diet – Personal Growth Cafe

October 16, 2017

The Link Between Diet and Stress

Do you ever think about the fact that, if you ate differently, you might be better able to handle the stress in your life? Do you ever wonder how stress might affect what you eat?

No matter which way you look at it, stress and food are related. There are many things that you can do to help deal with your stress without resorting to food as your crutch.

How Your Diet and Stress Are Related

When you’re stressed out you’re more likely to either over-eat or under eat.When you do either of these things you are negatively impacting your blood glucose levels and your moods may swing violently, which will only create conflict and intensify your stress.
Unfortunately, most of us don’t realize how we can sabotage ourselves with food! Once you become aware of your stress response, you can make the choice to change it.

Food cannot cure stress, but it can help. When you eat nutritious foods you are giving your body what it needs to deal with your daily demands. In other words, when you eat the proper foods you are giving your body the fuel it needs to make it through common stressful situations.When you predominantly eat sugars and fats in your diet, your body doesn’t have all of the nutrients and energy supplies needed to deal with stress, so instead, you’re more likely to feel grouchy, tired, or anxious.

Stress breaks down the immune system, while the right foods can help support it.Time and time again, studies have proven that stress makes our immune system weaker, leaving us exposed to dangerous viruses, bacteria, and illnesses.
It has also been proven that when you eat the right foods you’re helping your body build and maintain a healthy immune system. The key here is simple: Eat right, feel great!

Your Stress and Your Diet

When you look at all of the ways that stress and diet are interwoven, it’s hard to deny the fact that the foods you eat affect how you think, feel, and react.

After all, an unhealthy diet not only stresses your body, but your mind as well. A good starting point is to evaluate your daily diet and make one change at a time to create that healthy lifestyle you deserve.

Not Just the Diet

A healthy and balanced diet can help you manage stress much more effectively, but simply eating right is not enough to help you deal with stress.

There are many different things you can do to help control and manage your stress such as:

Getting 7-8 hours of sleep at night
Making time to relax
Having a support system
Knowing your limits
Proactively planning and organizing
Being able to say no

These are just a few stress solutions that, in addition to healthy eating, will help you limit and control the stress in your life.

When you incorporate even just a few of these healthy living strategies into your life, you’ll find that overwhelming stress is a thing of the past; and the weight will be lifted off your shoulders (and thighs!)

How can you turn an unhealthy habit into a positive one?

What will you do about it today?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

October 15, 2017

One must eat to live. Not live to eat. – Moliere

September 9, 2017September 26, 2017

Seven Low-Carb Hacks to Help You Feel Full All Day

One of the biggest concerns that you may have about the low-carb diet is staying full. Without a large quantity of carbohydrates to fill your meals, you may wonder if you will feel hungry.

Try these tips to avoid that low-carb hunger:

1. Ground almond flour. Instead of using regular flour, switch to ground almond flour for your meals.

This low-carb hack is filled with protein, and you’ll feel full while using it.

You can make a variety of items with almond flour, such as pancakes, muffins, or bread. Almond flour is versatile and filling, so you won’t miss regular flour.

2. Cauliflower rice. Did you know that you can use cauliflower as a substitute for mashed potatoes?

Cauliflower is a healthier choice than regular potatoes and is considered a lower carbohydrate vegetable. You can grind up and mash cauliflower to make mashed flakes.

You can also use ground up cauliflower as rice and create a pizza crust from it. Top the pizza with your favorites.

3. Spiralized vegetables. A spiralizer is a simple kitchen tool that you can use to make vegetables into tiny strips that resemble noodles. If you don’t have one, then you can use a sharp knife to cut up the veggies into small strips.

This low-carb hack lets you make your own healthy pasta and noodles.

Zucchini tends to be the most popular vegetable to spiralize in the kitchen. However, you can also experiment with eggplant, peppers, and other veggies. The key is to pick a firm one that can be cut into little pieces with ease.

4. Lettuce wraps. One of the easiest low-carb hacks is to make wraps or tortillas with lettuce instead of flour items.

Wrap your favorites such as meat, vegetables, and salsa in a lettuce wrap to reduce the carbohydrates.

The wraps will still taste delicious, but they’ll have lower calories and more nutritional value. You don’t have to stick with iceberg lettuce and may want to try other varieties as you experiment in the kitchen. You can even use cabbage leaves to make the wraps.

5. Vegetable chips. Regular potato chips won’t work on a low-carb diet, but vegetable chips you make yourself at home are fine.

Bake your chips in the oven and serve them with sea salt, olive oil, or spices.

You can make vegetable chips from zucchini, eggplant, squash, and other foods. Pick your favorites and cut them into bite-size pieces. Kale, spinach, and sweet potatoes all taste delicious as baked chips.

6. Use citrus flavor. Lemons and limes make great low-carb substitutes for traditional salad dressings and sauces that may have too many calories. A squeeze of lemon or lime can add instant flavor to a salad, soup, casserole, or other dish.

You don’t have to worry about carbs with this flavor option. Experiment with it in the kitchen and try adding it to different dishes.

7. Be creative. The key to staying satisfied on a low-carb diet is to think of creative ways to use the healthy ingredients in your kitchen. A simple tomato and lettuce can turn into a fun meal with the right low-carb sauce.

Don’t be afraid to try new vegetables, nuts, or seeds on a low-carb diet.

A low-carb diet doesn’t have to be boring or unsatisfying. Use these tips every day to feel full and happy while eating low-carb.

How do you stay full when you are on a diet?

What do you do to satisfy your hunger?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

September 4, 2017September 26, 2017

Why fit in when you were born to stand out? – Dr. Seuss

August 31, 2017September 26, 2017

Five Simple Diet Tips to Stop Food Guilt

Guilt surrounds many diets. You feel guilty if you cheat on the diet or don’t lose weight fast enough. Guilt doesn’t have to dominate your meals. Learn to diet without feeling like you did something wrong.

For example, you can enjoy small treats in moderation without destroying all of your weight loss efforts, so there’s no need to feel guilty!

Consider these tips for the tasty details in avoiding food guilt:

1. Learn to recognize food guilt.

Food guilt tends to follow a common cycle. The cycle usually starts with you setting a goal to lose weight or get in shape. Then, you go on a diet and start working out. However, you may cheat on the diet or accidentally eat the wrong thing. This is followed by shame and guilt.

* The cycle starts with denial, moves to temptation, and ends with remorse. * You beat yourself up for every mistake that you make on the diet. However, many diets allow for small diversions.

2. Accept that diet mistakes happen.

A diet error doesn’t mean you’ve failed and can never lose weight. It simply shows that you’re a human being who struggles like everyone else on this planet.

* Food is neither bad nor good. Some foods may be healthier or more nutritious than others, but avoid labeling them as good or bad. Assigning such descriptions creates the shame you feel if you eat an item that you’ve labeled as bad.

3. Find your balance.

Even the healthiest dieters and nutritionists allow themselves the occasional treat.

* One way to find balance is to give healthy food a percentage goal. For example, you can eat healthy 80 percent of the time and allow treats or sweets 20 percent of the time.

* This is a balanced approach to temptations that won’t make you feel guilty.

4. Create coping strategies for overeating.

One of the biggest challenges for dieters occurs when they overeat. The feelings of shame and guilt can spiral out of control and lead you to give up on the diet or eat even more.

* For example, if you know that stress at work will send you running toward the ice cream in the freezer at home, then don’t buy any ice cream. Replace it with frozen grapes. Removing the temptation can help immensely.

* Another idea is to create a strategy for the occasions that you give in to temptation. Perhaps you’ll want to do some extra exercises to burn up those extra calories, so they won’t make any difference at all. Dwelling on your guilt won’t make the calories you just ate disappear. This will only make you feel worse about your body.

* Stop the inner critic and have compassion. Recognize you have faltered from your diet plan and move on. You can commit to doing better next time and trying to avoid the stumbling blocks that lead you to overeat.

5. Do the math.

Sometimes fear takes over, but math can help.

* Before you start panicking that eating a bag of chips has forever ruined your diet, you can do the math and realize the calories won’t affect you long-term, and you can still lose weight.

Guilt is a common emotion that is often tied to how we eat. Many people feel ashamed about their weight and shape, so guilt is part of their lives. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Take steps to eliminate the guilt and you’ll see your self-esteem soar.

Why do you feel guilt while on a diet?

Do you think this diet can help in your life?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

June 29, 2012June 30, 2012

Weight Loss Strategies For Convenience Eaters

If you’re a convenience eater, you need a diet that works with your lifestyle. Fast and easy meals and snacks can be lean and delicious if you learn to plan ahead. Use these techniques to eat light at home and dining out even on your busiest days.

Weight Loss Techniques To Use At Home

1. Stock up on nutritious foods. Replace frozen dinners and instant soups with whole foods that are better for you. Toss fresh pasta with extra virgin olive oil and pine nuts. Dip baby carrots in your salsa instead of corn chips.

2. Master simple recipes. Many satisfying meals can be prepared in 10 minutes or less. Browse online for easy recipes or borrow cookbooks from your local library.

3. Cook ahead. Use weekends or evenings to cook a batch of chicken breasts or black bean chili. Refrigerate or freeze the leftovers to use in the days or weeks ahead.

4. Work as a team. Your kids are likely to pick up on your eating habits, so set a good example. Take turns making breakfast or brown bag lunches for each other. Talk about the importance of eating whole grains, fresh produce, lean proteins and healthy fats.

Weight Loss Techniques For Eating Out

1. Search for alternatives to fast foods. Look around your neighborhood for places that will serve you healthier foods just as quickly as your usual drive through window. Collect take out menus from ethnic restaurants or assemble a fast meal at your supermarket salad bar.

2. Bring along snacks. Carry cut vegetables and whole grain cereals with you instead of relying on the office vending machines. Keep a small cooler in your car with yogurt drinks and soy nuts.

3. Learn to spot healthy keywords on menus. It’s easy to order lighter dishes if you master a few common terms. Look for entrees that are steamed or grilled rather than fried. For dessert, choose the sorbet instead of donuts.

4. Ask your server for advice. With so many people trying to lose weight, many servers are experts at guiding you to the leanest choices. Let them count calories for you.

Additional Suggestions

1. Drink water. Get a steel water bottle and keep it filled up so you can sip water all day long. Staying well hydrated will help you feel more energetic and suppress your appetite.

2. Eat more frequently. Many convenience eaters get caught up in other activities and forget to eat. Small meals and snacks throughout the day will make you less vulnerable to overloading when you suddenly notice you’re starving.

3. Analyze your favorite convenience foods. Figure out what attracts you to your favorite fast food and you can usually find a substitute with fewer calories. Sprinkling a little cinnamon in your cafe au lait could make you forget about powdered hot chocolate.

4. Make exercise a habit. Physical activity is essential to losing weight the healthy way. Develop an exercise routine you can stick with. Maybe you need a trainer or gym buddy to remind you to stay on track. You may also want to sneak more exercise into your daily routine by climbing stairs or doing leg lifts during TV commercials.

5. Manage stress. A fast paced lifestyle may expose you to higher levels of stress. Meditation and other relaxation techniques help lower stress hormones so you metabolize foods more effectively and store less fat.

Indulge your love for convenience eating while you reach your weight loss goals. Make your diet easy to follow so you can break the fast food habit. As a bonus, you’ll probably save money and enjoy eating more.

Tag: diet

The Link Between Diet and Stress

One must eat to live. Not live to eat. – Moliere

Seven Low-Carb Hacks to Help You Feel Full All Day

Why fit in when you were born to stand out? – Dr. Seuss

Five Simple Diet Tips to Stop Food Guilt

Weight Loss Strategies For Convenience Eaters

Sticking to Your Diet at a Buffet