Emotional Eating - Part 1

By Karen Dion, One2One Wellness Coach

Many of us who struggle with our weight have had the unpleasant realization that we had eaten a half bag of chips or container of ice cream after a hard day at the office or a difficult conversation with a loved one.   We may have been eating a healthy diet for the past week and are suddenly derailed, or this might be a regular pattern of eating for us.  Either way, we certainly didn’t plan to eat a day’s worth of calories in one mindless sitting~ so what happened?

This is an example of what is called emotional eating. Emotional eating is when we eat not for physiological hunger, but as a way to soothe or suppress negative emotions such as stress, anger, fear, boredom, sadness, or loneliness. Both major life events and the hassles of daily life can trigger negative emotions that lead to emotional eating.  Sometimes your emotions may be so tied to your eating habits that you automatically reach for your favorite comfort foods whenever you’re angry or stressed without even realizing it. 

Whatever emotions drive you to mindlessly overeat, the end result is often the same.  The emotions are still there, but now you have the additional guilt associated with overeating, which can lead to an unhealthy cycle~ your emotions trigger you to overeat, you beat yourself up for it, you feel even worse, and overeat again. 

So, how can you tell if you are eating because you are hungry or for emotional reasons?  Below are some of the differences between physical and emotional hunger:

 1. Emotional hunger comes on suddenly while physical hunger develops slowly. Physical hunger begins with a tummy rumble, then it becomes a stronger grumble, and finally it evolves into hunger pangs, but it’s a slow process, very different from emotional hunger, which has a sudden, dramatic onset.

2. Unlike physical hunger, emotional hunger demands food immediately, and it wants immediate satisfaction. Physical hunger, on the other hand, will wait for food.

3. A difference between physical and emotional hunger involves mindfulness. To satisfy physical hunger, you normally make a deliberate choice about what you consume, and you maintain awareness of what you eat. You notice how much you put in your mouth so that you can stop when you’re full. In contrast, emotional hunger rarely notices what’s being eaten. If you have emotional hunger, you’ll want more food even after you’re stuffed.

4. Emotional hunger often demands particular foods in order to be fulfilled. If you’re physically hungry, even carrots will look delicious. If you’re emotionally hungry, however, only cake or ice cream or your particular preferred indulgence will seem appealing.

5. Emotional hunger often results in guilt or promises to do better next time. Physical hunger has no guilt attached to it because you know you ate in order to maintain health and energy.

6. Emotional hunger results from some emotional trigger. Physical hunger results from a physiological need.

In part 2 of this series, I will offer you some questions that will help you determine to what extent emotional eating is a problem for you, and in part 3 I will offer some ways in which you can overcome emotional eating.

 

Enchilada Chicken Stew

I made this recipe last Sunday in my crock pot.  It was so yummy and I ate it all week.  My family even enjoyed it for dinner on Sunday - which is quite the feat to get my husband and 2 teenage daughters to all like a meal that I have made.  This is easy and fills your home with good smells.  Serve over brown rice, cauliflower rice or romaine lettuce.

2 lbs chicken breasts (I used 1/2 breasts 1/2 thighs to add a little more flavor)
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 oz canned jalapenos
4 oz can of diced green chiles
1 Tbl olive oil
14 oz can diced tomato, low sodium
7 oz can of tomato sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbl chili powder, sodium free
2 tsp dried oregano
bundle of cilantro, to garnich
avocado, to garnish

Pull out your handy dandy crock pot and add chicken, then remaining
ingredients on top, in any order.  Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 6-8 hours.  When done cooking use 2 forks to shred the chicken.  Serve topped with cilantro and avocado.

How Sweet It Is!

By Pat Dickey, KRH and One2One Registered Dietitian

When you read labels, you will notice that there is a listing for “total carbohydrate” and a secondary listing below that for “sugar.”  If you read the label on milk or if a piece of fresh fruit were labeled, you would see “sugar” on the label.  Does this mean they have sugar added to them?  No, what it means is that they have naturally occurring sugars (lactose in milk and fructose in fruit) as part of their make up.  These foods not only contain natural sugar, but also provide a considerable number of other important nutrients that contribute to good health.  “Added Sugars” on the other hand, are sugars and syrups that are put into the food when they are processed or prepared.  Foods with added sugars contribute few nutrients while increasing calorie intakes which can lead to weight gain and obesity.
 
The major sources of added sugars are regular soft drinks, sugars, candy, cakes, cookies, pies and fruit drinks (fruitades and fruit punch).  Dairy desserts such as ice cream, sweetened yogurt and sweetened condensed milk along with sweetened cereals also contribute a fair amount of added sugar and therefore, extra calories to the diet. Many of us consume more sugar than we realize so it is important to be aware of how much added sugar we take in.  To see if a processed food has added sugars, you will need to look at the ingredient list.  Ingredients are listed by weight so items near the top of the list are going to be in the largest amount in the product.  Be watchful for words ending in “ose” which signify the presence of sugar (sucrose, maltose, etc.) and also for other sugar “aliases” such as maltodextrin, syrup, honey, molasses, corn sweetener, raw sugar, sorghum, or dehydrated cane juice.

How much is just right?  It is recommended that women limit their intake of added sugars to 100 calories or less per day which translates into about 6 teaspoons of sugar.  For men, it’s about 150 calories per day or the equivalent of  about 9 teaspoons of sugar.  This may sound like a lot of added sugar but keep in mind, one 12-ounce regular soft drink contains the equivalent of eight to ten teaspoons of added sugar with zero nutrition except calories. And, if you sweeten your beverages such as coffee or tea with sugar, the teaspoons can add up fast!  Being “added sugar” aware can certainly pay off in reducing calorie intakes and improving the quality of your diet.   

The Vitamin You Need to Watch This Winter

By: Melinda Hershey from Spark People : 1/12/2013

Winter is in full force, and you might be experiencing a lot of overcast days in your part of the world—which could be having an effect on your body's supply of vitamin D. Often called ''the sunshine vitamin,'' vitamin D can be synthesized by the body when we get enough exposure to sunlight. However, in the colder months when sun isn't as readily available, we sometimes have to rely a little more on nutrition to meet our daily vitamin D quotas.

Vitamin D is an important nutrient for bone health, as it promotes the absorption of calcium, and some studies even show that it could help prevent cancer. Obviously, vitamin-D milk is a good source of vitamin D, but salmon has also been said to have a hefty amount of the important nutrient. Which do you think contains more of the ''sunshine vitamin'': A 3-ounce portion of cooked sockeye salmon, or 1 cup of nonfat, vitamin-D fortified milk?

The Winner: Salmon!

Just 3 ounces of cooked salmon contains 112% of your daily quota for vitamin D! One cup of milk only has 29-31% of your daily value. For more great sources of vitamin D, check out the information below from the National Institutes of Health.

Food	Percent Daily Value of Vitamin D
Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon	340
Swordfish, cooked, 3 ounces	142
Salmon (sockeye), cooked, 3 ounces	112
Tuna fish, canned in water, drained, 3 ounces	39
Orange juice fortified with vitamin D, 1 cup	34
Milk, nonfat, reduced fat, and whole, vitamin D-fortified, 1 cup	29-31
Soy milk, enriched, 1 cup	25
Rice milk, enriched, 1 cup	25
Almond milk, 1 cup	25
Yogurt, fortified with 20% of the DV for vitamin D, 6 ounces	20
Margarine, fortified, 1 tablespoon	15
Sardines, canned in oil, drained, 2 sardines	12
Liver, beef, cooked, 3 ounces	11
Egg, 1 large (vitamin D is found in yolk)	10
Ready-to-eat cereal, fortified with 10% of the DV for vitamin D, 0.75-1 cup	10

12 Unexpected Reasons to Drink More Water

With the holidays finally behind us and healthy habits on our minds, many are trading pitchers of beer for glasses of water. Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution to drink more H2O or you’re still fending off that January 1st hangover, we’ve uncovered some convincing reasons to knock back more water in the New Year.

Water It Down — The Need-to-Know

Water is the second most popular beverage in the U.S. after soft drinks. This is a scary stat, since sugary soda is a huge health hazard, upping the risk of obesity, stroke, and other heart problems. However, these dangers can be avoided if people choose to drink water, which doesn’t have negative side effects. So help put the sugary stuff to the side and it make water the number one drink of choice. Plus, the benefits really are endless. (Just take a look!)

Fluid balance. Roughly 60 percent of the body is made of water. Drinking enough H2O maintains the body’s fluid balance, which helps transport nutrients in the body, regulate body temperature, digest food, and more.

Calorie control. Forget other diet tricks — drinking water could also help with weight loss. Numerous studies have found a connection between water consumption and losing a few pounds.  The secret reason? Water simply helps people feel full, and as a result consume fewer calories.

Muscle fuel. Sweating at the gym causes muscles to lose water. And when the muscles don’t have enough water, they get tired. So for extra energy, try drinking water to push through that final set of squats.

Clearer skin. Certain toxins in the body can cause the skin to inf lame, which results in clogged pores and acne. While science saying water makes the skin wrinkle free is contradictory, water does flush out these toxins and can reduce the risk of pimples.

Kidney function. Our kidneys process 200 quarts of blood daily, sifting out waste and transporting urine to the bladder. Yet, kidneys need enough fluids to clear away what we don’t need in the body.  Let’s drink to that!

Productivity boost. In order to really focus, a glass of water could help people concentrate and stay refreshed and alert.

Fatigue buster. Move over coffee — water can help fight those tired eyes too. One of the most common symptoms of dehydration is tiredness. Just another reason to go for the big gulp! (Not the 7-11 kind.)

Hangover help. If booze has got the best of you, help a hangover with a glass of water to hydrate the body and stop that pounding headache.

Pain prevention. A little water can really go a long way. Aching joints and muscle cramps and strains can all occur if the body is dehydrated.

Keep things flowing. Nobody wants to deal with digestion issues. Luckily, drinking enough water adds fluids to the colon which helps make things, ahem, move smoothly.

Sickness fighter. Water may help with decongestion and dehydration, helping the body bounce back when feeling under the weather. Just beware — drinking fluids hasn’t been scientifically proven to beat colds in one swoop, so don’t swap this f or a trip to the doctor or other cold remedies.

Brain boost. A study in London found a link between students bringing water into an exam room and better grades, suggesting H2O promotes clearer thinking. While it’s unclear if drinking the water had anything to do with a better score, it doesn’t hurt to try it out!

Bottoms Up — Your Action Plan

The amount of water people need per day is up for debate, but studies suggest adults need nine to 16 cups of H2O. However, this number varies depending on activity level, age, and how much water people are consuming in coffee, tea, or water-rich veggies and fruit. Here’s how to keep yourself hydrated: Begin by drinking a glass of water as soon as you wake up, and 30 minutes bef ore eating any big meal. (This will help control appetite, too.) Get in the habit of keeping a water bottle on hand at all times. And if the taste beings to bore, spice up the taste buds with a squeeze of citrus to the glass! Before you know it, all the benefits of water will be right at your fingertips…. and in your body.

From greatist.com

20 Questions That Could Change Your Life

Finding the answers starts with posing the right questions—and Martha Beck has 20 to get you started. By Martha Beck

If you're like most people, you became obsessed with questions around the age of 2 or 3, and scientists now know that continuing to ask them can help keep your mind nimble however old you eventually become. So when someone suggested I put together a list of the 20 most important questions we should all be asking ourselves, I was thrilled. Initially. Then I became confused about which questions to ask, because of course, as I soon realized, context is everything. In terms of saving your life, the key question is, "Did I remember to fasten my seat belt?" In terms of saving money, "How much do I need to retire before I'm 90?" is a strong contender. If daily usefulness is the point, "What'll I wear?" and "What should I eat first?" might lead the list. And for the philosophically minded, "To be or not to be?" really is the question.

Because I'm far too psychologically fragile to make sense of this subjective morass, I made the bold decision to pass the buck. The 20 questions that follow are based on "crowdsourcing," meaning I asked a whole mess of actual, free-range women what they thought every woman should ask herself. Thanks to all of you who sent in entries via social media. The questions included here are composites of those that were suggested most often, though I've mushed them together and rephrased some for brevity. Asking them today could redirect your life. Answering them every day will transform it.

1. What questions should I be asking myself?
At first I thought asking yourself what you should be asking yourself was redundant. It isn't. Without this question, you wouldn't ask any others, so it gets top billing. It creates an alert, thoughtful mind state, ideal for ferreting out the information you most need in every situation. Ask it frequently.

2. Is this what I want to be doing?
This very moment is, always, the only moment in which you can make changes. Knowing which changes are best for you comes, always, from assessing what you feel. Ask yourself many times every day if you like what you're doing. If the answer is no, start noticing what you'd prefer. Thus begins the revolution.

3. Why worry?
These two words, considered sincerely, can radically reconfigure the landscape of your mind. Worry rarely leads to positive action; it's just painful, useless fear about hypothetical events, which scuttles happiness rather than ensuring it. Some psychologists say that by focusing on gratitude, we can shut down the part of the brain that worries. It actually works!

4. Why do I like {cupcakes} more than I like {people}?
Feel free to switch out the words in brackets: You may like TV more than exercise, or bad boys more than nice guys, or burglary more than reading. Whatever the particulars, every woman has something she likes more than the somethings she's supposed to like. But forcing "virtues"—trying to like people more than cupcakes—drives us to vices that offer false freedom from oppression. Stop trying to like the things you don't like, and many vices will disappear on their own.

5. How do I want the world to be different because I lived in it?
Your existence is already a factor in world history—now, what sort of factor do you want it to be? Maybe you know you're here to create worldwide prosperity, a beautiful family, or one really excellent bagel. If your impressions are more vague, keep asking this question. Eventually you'll glimpse clearer outlines of your destiny. Live by design, not by accident.

6. How do I want to be different because I lived in this world?
In small ways or large, your life will change the world—and in small ways or large, the world will change you. What experiences do you want to have during your brief sojourn here? Make a list. Make a vision board. Make a promise. This won't control your future, but it will shape it.

7. Are {vegans} better people?
Again, it doesn't have to be vegans; the brackets are for you to fill in. Substitute the virtue squad that makes you feel worst about yourself, the one you'll never have the discipline to join, whether it's ultra-marathoners or mothers who never raise their voices. Whatever group you're asking about, the answer to this question is no.

8. What is my body telling me?
As I often say, my mind is a two-bit whore—by which I mean that my self-justifying brain, like any self-justifying brain, will happily absorb beliefs based on biases, ego gratification, magical thinking, or just plain error. The body knows better. It's a wise, capable creature. It recoils from what's bad for us, and leans into what's good. Let it.

9. How much junk could a chic chick chuck if a chic chick could chuck junk?
I believe this question was originally posed by Lao Tzu, who also wrote, "To become learned, each day add something. To become enlightened, each day drop something." Face it: You'd be better off without some of your relationships, many of your possessions, and most of your thoughts. Chuck your chic-chick junk, chic chick. Enlightenment awaits.

10. What's so funny?
Adults tend to put this question to children in a homicidal-sounding snarl, which is probably why as you grew up, your laughter rate dropped from 400 times a day (for toddlers) to the grown-up daily average of 15. Regain your youth by laughing at every possible situation. Then, please, tell us what's funny—about everyday life, about human nature, even about pain and fear. We'll pay you anything.

11. Where am I wrong?
This might well be the most powerful question on our list—as Socrates believed, we gain our first measure of intelligence when we first admit our own ignorance. Your ego wants you to avoid noticing where you may have bad information or unworkable ideas. But you'll gain far more capability and respect by asking where you're wrong than by insisting you're right.

12. What potential memories am I bartering, and is the profit worth the price?
I once read a story about a world where people sold memories the way we can sell plasma. The protagonist was an addict who'd pawned many memories for drugs but had sworn never to sell his memory of falling in love. His addiction won. Afterward he was unaware of his loss, lacking the memory he'd sold. But for the reader, the trade-off was ghastly to contemplate. Every time you choose social acceptance over your heart's desires, or financial gain over ethics, or your comfort zone over the adventure you were born to experience, you're making a similar deal. Don't.

13. Am I the only one struggling not to {fart} during {yoga}?
I felt profoundly liberated when this issue was raised on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update." Not everyone does yoga, but SNL reminded me that everyone dreads committing some sort of gaffe. Substitute your greatest shame-fear: crying at work, belching in church, throwing up on the prime minister of Japan. Then know you aren't alone. Everyone worries about such faux pas, and many have committed them (well, maybe not the throwing up on PMs). Accepting this is a bold step toward mental health and a just society.

14. What do I love to practice?
Some psychologists believe that no one is born with any particular talent and that all skill is gained through practice. Studies have shown that masters are simply people who've practiced a skill intensely for 10,000 hours or more. That requires loving—not liking, loving—what you do. If you really want to excel, go where you're passionate enough to practice.

15. Where could I work less and achieve more?
To maximize time spent practicing your passions, minimize everything else. These days you can find machines or human helpers to assist with almost anything. Author Timothy Ferriss "batches" job tasks into his famous "four-hour workweek." My client Cindy has an e-mail ghostwriter. Another client, Angela, hired an assistant in the Philippines who flawlessly tracks her schedule and her investments. Get creative with available resources to find more time in your life and life in your time.

16. How can I keep myself absolutely safe?
Ask this question just to remind yourself of the answer: You can't. Life is inherently uncertain. The way to cope with that reality is not to control and avoid your way into a rigid little demi-life, but to develop courage. Doing what you long to do, despite fear, will accomplish this.

17. Where should I break the rules?
If everyone kept all the rules, we'd still be practicing cherished traditions like child marriage, slavery, and public hangings. The way humans become humane is by assessing from the heart, rather than the rule book, where the justice of a situation lies. Sometimes you have to break the rules around you to keep the rules within you.

18. So say I lived in that fabulous house in Tuscany, with untold wealth, a gorgeous, adoring mate, and a full staff of servants...then what?
We can get so obsessed with acquiring fabulous lives that we forget to live. When my clients ask themselves this question, they almost always discover that their "perfect life" pastimes are already available. Sharing joy with loved ones, spending time in nature, finding inner peace, writing your novel, plotting revenge—you can do all these things right now. Begin!

19. Are my thoughts hurting or healing?
Your situation may endanger your life and limbs, but only your thoughts can endanger your happiness. Telling yourself a miserable mental story about your circumstances creates suffering. Telling yourself a more positive and grateful story, studies show, increases happiness. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, choose thoughts that knit your heart together, rather than tear it apart.

20. Really truly: Is this what I want to be doing?
It's been several seconds since you asked this. Ask it again. Not to make yourself petulant or frustrated—just to see if it's possible to choose anything, and I mean any little thing, that would make your present experience more delightful. Thus continues the revolution.

By Martha Beck
Oprah.com | From the February 2011 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

 

Eggplant Caponata

This yummy recipe was made at our holiday cooking class by Holly Nickels, RD at The Summit.  Red wine vinegar balances the slight sweetness of this classic eggplant caponata, featuring eggplant, raisins, tomatoes, olives, and capers.  Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1/4 cup)  Ingredients 1/4 cup golden raisins 6 cups diced peeled eggplant (about 1 pound) 1 teaspoons salt 4 teaspoons olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup diced seeded plum tomato 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives 2 teaspoons capers 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley Preparation Place raisins in a small bowl; cover with hot water. Let stand 15 minutes; drain. Set aside. Place eggplant in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Toss well. Drain 1 hour. Rinse well; pat dry with paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant; sauté 9 minutes or until well browned. Spoon eggplant into a large bowl; set aside. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 3 minutes or until golden. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add tomato; sauté 2 minutes. Add tomato mixture to eggplant. Return pan to heat. Add sugar and vinegar, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in raisins, olives, and capers. Add eggplant mixture, stirring to combine. Remove from heat; stir in parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature. Note: Caponata will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; bring to room temperature before serving. Nutritional Information:  per serving:  Calories: 59, Fat: 2g, Protein: 0.8g, Carbohydrate: 10.8g, Fiber: 1.5g, Sodium: 141mg Source:  Cooking Light, April 2005

Stay on Track with 2013 Resolutions

The quickest route to falling off the health and fitness wagon is to set yourself unrealistic goals, which you simply haven’t thought through. Spending a little time really thinking about what you want and why is every bit as important as taking steps to making it happen. Always set goals that follow the SMART principle; make sure they are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-framed.

The power of positive thinking

Once you’ve formulated your year’s goals, be positive and confident about your ability to achieve them. Look for ‘evidence’ that this time will be different. For example; do you want it (whatever ‘it’ is) more than ever this time around?

Do you feel in a better position to achieve your goal than you have done on previous occasions? Have you finally reached a position in life where it’s less scary to change than to stay the same? We human beings don’t like change and fear the unknown – so no matter how much you may want to give up smoking, or ditch your party lifestyle, part of you will resist.

Find as much evidence as you can that 2013 is the year your resolutions are going to be successful. And don’t fall into the ‘oh, I’m useless or I’ve got no willpower trap.’ You – and every other human being on this planet – have willpower. If you have had a baby, what about that whole nine months when you resisted having a few drinks because you were pregnant? What about when you stayed late at work every night for a week to perfect your presentation? The secret is learning to channel that willpower in the right direction.

Goal framing
Many of us unwittingly set ourselves up for failure by formulating ‘away from’ goals rather than ‘towards’ ones. What does that mean? It means instead of focusing on where we want to go, we dwell on what we want to move away from, sending negative messages to the subconscious mind, such as that we are ‘bad’ and ‘unacceptable’ as we are. Motivating ourselves with negatives – such as that tightness in your chest when you run up the stairs, or yet another pounding hangover – is often sufficient to kick-start a new regime but it doesn’t have the power to enable us to sustain it.

Take a look at your resolutions and ‘re-frame’ any that are negatively motivated into something more positive. For example, I don’t want to throw up in public or wake up feeling like an ashtray ever again could be re-framed as I want to wake up each day feeling focused, energetic and healthy and be in control of my actions at all times.

Put pen to paper

It also helps to see your goals in black and white – write them down somewhere and refer to them regularly. Ask yourself if the small steps you are taking are in the right direction. Congratulate yourself for moving closer to your dreams. If the changes you want to make are personal, then write them in a ‘goals journal’, and you can use the pages to write down how you are feeling about your progress, record successes and determine the cause of minor setbacks. This enables you to engage in the whole process of change, and is very empowering.

Having said that, it is always fantastic to have external support too. If, for example, your goal is to lose weight, then you might have a picture of yourself looking rather overweight stuck on the fridge, and ask your kids and partner to write down their top reasons for wanting you to succeed in losing weight next to the picture. That way, everyone wants to play a part in helping you succeed. While the bottom line of motivation has to come from within, support and encouragement from your friends and family can be wonderfully inspiring.

Have patience!

Resolving to do or change something in your life is a big step. Once you’ve made the decision, it’s tempting to expect it to happen straight away. But be patient! Things don’t change overnight. That’s why it is important to have a time frame for your goal. But even if your ‘deadline’ is, say, six months away, that doesn’t mean that you can’t set mini goals along the way. These stepping stones give you something more immediate to aim for, and also help you build confidence and faith in yourself when you achieve them. Don’t forget to give yourself a reward when you do!

Keep perspective

And finally, just because on New Year's Eve you made a specific resolution, it isn’t writ in stone. Do be flexible. This isn’t carte blanche to ditch your fitness efforts at the first sign of a challenge, but a reminder that sometimes things don’t pan out as we choose. If, for example, you resolved to run a marathon but have had back pain for two months, you may need to defer that goal for now. Or if a close relative falls ill, you may need to put your thrice-weekly visits to the gym on hold while you tend to their needs. Whatever your New Year resolutions are – keep them in perspective and enjoy the journey of achieving them as much as the destination.

Good luck!