What the Heck are You Eating - Microwave Popcorn

Quinoa and Roasted Vegetables

from the Talking Kitchen

Ingredients - makes 4-6 servings

Quinoa

1 c. RINSED quinoa

2 c. chicken stock or broth

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp sea salt

Roasted Vegetables

2 bell peppers, cubed

1 zucchini, cubed

1 squash, cubed

1 red onion, cubed

1 fennel bulb, cubed

4 garlic cloves, whole

1 Tbsp Herbs de Provence

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp smoked salt

Dressing

1/2 lemon, juiced and zested

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

fresh herbs

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, or fire up the grill.

In a bowl, combine all the cubed veggies and toss with the Herbs de Provence, oil and salt. Place in a single layer on a lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, flipping half way through. (or grill the veggies to your liking)

In a small saucepan, heat the oil over low heat and add the garlic, saute for 1 minute, then add the rinsed quinoa and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes. Turn off heat, let sit for 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.

In a serving bowl, combine cooked quinoa with roasted veggies. Add dressing, toss and enjoy hot, room temperature or cold!

A Good Motto to Follow

Spring Clean Your Core Training

 

Try out this workout and train your core upright. 

Works your core as well as the rest of your body!

 

 

 

 

As with any exercise progrom, consult your physician prior to starting.  This workout is intended for intermediate ability and as always, listen to your body.

Reasons to Give Meditation a Try

Chewing Gum Does Not Help in Weight Loss

A recent study breaks the myth that chewing gum helps in weight loss. The study states that chewing gum does not help in weight loss, nor does it reduce the intake of calories, reports Live Science.

According to scientists, the presence of the chemical menthol that gives the minty fresh flavor to chewing gum makes people binge on foods that are rich in calories such as cookies, candy, and chips instead of fruits or vegetables. This is because menthol gives a very unpleasant taste that is similar to the taste you receive on drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth.

The study was conducted by study co-author Christine Swoboda, a doctoral candidate in nutrition at Ohio State University, and Jennifer Temple of the University at Buffalo.

The study included 14 volunteers who were asked to play a game in exchange for food.  A few of the volunteers played for fruits while the others played for chips or candy.

Prior to the experiment, the volunteers were given either fruit or mint gum.

The researchers noticed that those who chewed mint gum were less likely to play for fruits and also noticed a reduction of motivation in them. Those who chewed fruity gum had a similar but smaller effect. They also showed a reduced interest in fruits, reports LiveScience.

The second bit of the experiment demanded the volunteers to maintain a food journal in which they recorded what they ate. For a week, a few of the volunteers were asked to chew a mint prior to each meal and snack, while the others had to just enter the food the consumed.

Though the participants who chewed gum ate fewer meals, they didn't necessarily consume less calories.

The researchers state that it is the menthol in mint that mixes with nutrients in fruits that gives a bitter flavor.

The details of the study were published in the April edition of the journal Eating Behaviors.

From Science World Report

Be Happy!

Cauliflower Rice Recipe

2 Tbl olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup celery, finely diced
1 head cauliflower, trimmed and coarsely chopped

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat
Saute onion over medium heat for 10 minutes, until soft
Add celery to skillet and saute for 5 minutes
Meanwhile, place cauliflower in a food processor with the “S” blade and process until the texture of rice
Add cauliflower to skillet, cover and cook 5-10 minutes, until soft.
Serve and enjoy!  Can season the rice with pepper, Chef's Shake or Mrs. Dash.

Sitr Fried Beef and Asparagus

This is a recipe that a client shared with me and it is really, really good.  Also, this client loves to take pictures of the meals she makes, a way to practice mindfulness, and this one was so colorful and yummy looking.  Enjoy!

1 cup quick-cooking brown rice*
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb top round steak, trimmed and cut into thin strips
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbl minced peeled fresh ginger
1 lb asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 (5oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 Tbl reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari

1) cook the rice according to the package directions, omitting the salt if desired.
2) Meanwhile, heat a large deep nonstick skillet or wok over high heat until a drop of water sizzles in the pan.  Add the oil and swirl to coat the skillet.  Add the beef and stir-fry until browned and cooked through, about 4 mintues.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate.
3) Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet an stir-fry until crisp tender, about 2 mintues.  Return the beef tot the skillet and add the remaining ingredients.  Stir-fry utnil the liquid is reduced, about 3 minutes.  Serve over rice. 
*You can make Cauliflower rice to have with this as well for lower carbohydrates and another 2 servings of vegetables.  Recipe to follow tomorrow. 

Per Serving (1 1/2cups beef mixture and 1/2cup rice) 354 calories, 8g fat, 30g carbs, 6g fiber, 39g protein.

Can add extra veggies as well or substitute:  snow peas, onion, carrots, mushrooms, kale and broccoli.

STRATEGIES TO AVOID MINDLESS EATING

This is part 3 of our Emotional Eating series by One2One Coach, Karen Dion.

 

                                 

1.    Take a few minutes before eating to breathe and check in with how you are feeling.

Ask yourself if you are really hungry.  If you’re not, distract or distance yourself from food. If you are, ask yourself what would nourish you best.

With physical hunger, you have many food preferences, but they are flexible.

If you are craving a particular food, it is likely that you aren’t experiencing true hunger.

2.      Eat purposefully, without distractions (tv, internet, driving).  Eat at the dining room table, sitting down. Take a few moments before beginning to eat to give thanks and feel gratitude for the food you are about to eat.
Studies show people eat over 40% more when watching tv.
 
3.      Eat slowly.  Put your fork down between bites, and pause for a couple of minutes mid-meal. Aim for 25-30 chews for each mouthful. Chew and swallow each bite fully before taking another bite.
It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to register fullness.

4.      Practice recognizing  physical “fullness”-              

Pour yourself a 20-ounce glass of water, drink half, and concentrate on what it feels like in your stomach. Then drink the other half. Notice the difference.

The water stretches the stomach and you feel full.

5.      People tend to eat what they see.  Hide the treats and put out the fruit bowl.  Cut up veggies and put them in handy and attractive containers that are easy to grab out of the fridge.                                                         

Research from Cornell University shows that we are three times more likely to eat the first thing we see, compared with the fifth thing we see.                                                                                                 

6.      Visual cues are very important.  Use smaller plates/bowls/cups. Re-bag large quantities into serving size portions.   Studies show the bigger the plate is, the more people serve, up to 25-28% more. 
In one test, 168 moviegoers who had just finished dinner were given fresh or stale popcorn from different-size containers. People ate 34% to 45% more popcorn if it was served in "extra-super-size ginormous buckets" than in regular large containers -- even if the popcorn was stale.

In another test, he found that people pour about 37% more liquid in short, wide glasses than in tall, skinny ones of the same volume.
 
7.      Get enough sleep. 
Columbia University researchers found that sleep deprivation can also lead to more calories consumed. They found that women who only got 4 hours sleep the night before ate 329 more calories in a nine-hour period compared with if they weren't sleep deprived, while men ate 263 more calories when sleep deprived

Leave Perfection Out of It

This is a post that was shared with me by a One2One Member and I thought I would pass it along.  This is by Catherine Ebeling on Dean Dwyer's website.

One of the hardest things about sticking to any diet or lifestyle is straying and getting off course. Once you've strayed off the path, what do you do? Do you say "the heck with it" and go hog-wild, or do you feel incredibly guilty and hate yourself, and vow to do penance like running an extra hour, lifting more weights or starving yourself the next day.

Perfection is hard in anything you are doing. And perfection makes the attainable, seem UN-attainable. And when other things--like life--interfere, perfection becomes impossible. And for many of us with busy careers, kids, activities, travel, etc., life gets in the way on a regular basis.

And then there's the guilt...

Unfortunately, guilt can work against you and your resolve. In other words, the more guilty you feel about some particular transgression, the more you think about it. Beating yourself up over that bowl of ice cream you had, only makes you think about your transgression all the more, which then makes you think about ice cream, and the next thing you know, you're back to eating ice cream.

What then, to do?

The key here is to 'forget about it'. Forgive yourself. And reward yourself by going back to your healthy ways. There really isn't anything you can do about a slip in your diet. What's done is done, and the only thing you can do is to go forward. Feeling guilty will not burn off those extra calories, or undo the damage.

For those of us who have been relatively successful in changing our dietary habits, it's not that we are guilt free, nor are we perfect. But rather, we have found ways of dealing with the guilt and strategies to get us back on track that works.

So how do you deal with those situations when life gets in the way, and you can't or don't eat how you think you should?

Yes, there's a little bit of guilt involved, but more importantly, it's what you do next that determines whether you recover, or blow your diet and give up.

The key here is to put that guilt to use in a positive way. Use it to help you focus even more on those healthy foods you want to eat and use it to firm up your resolve to stay the course.

I'll tell you a little secret--I demolished a small package of chocolate gluten-free cookies the other day. I was craving carbs, and I really just wanted something sweet and crunchy. I don't do it often, but I occasionally indulge as well. But here is what I did after that.

I looked the guilt in the eye, and I said, "Yep, I ate 10 deliciously crunchy and choclately cookies. And now I'm done." And then I made up for it by eating extra healthy the next few days.

Guilt? Yes maybe a little, but it actually motivates me to get it right after that.

There is no giving up, no going back to bad habits, and no week-long cookie/carb binging.

Boom! Done. Over.

Healthy diets fail because people get too wrapped in being perfect, and being overly restrictive. Often the best diets allow for a little 'wiggle room' that allows for a little straying now and then. And not feeling guilty about it. (Ok maybe just a little bit.)

One thing that works for many is to allow for 'percentages'. What do I mean by that?

Take out the perfection and let in a little percentage. Now you don't need to be a math major to figure this out; the idea is to work on sticking to your diet around 90% of the time, and deviate from it about 10% of the time, you're golden. What does that 10% equate to?

Since I'm not a big 'math' person, I figure that 10% is equivalent to one or two less than ideal meals or a couple of bad snacks a week. A 'cheat' meal, or having dessert once a week. Or allowing yourself that mocha chocolate cappuccino one day a week. It's a once in a while thing. Doing it this way, you don't have to admit defeat and give up the next time you eat a few Girl Scout cookies, help yourself to a piece of pie or eat a pancake. It's all good.

And then, use it to motivate yourself to get back on track. And let this help you to strengthen your resolve to eat extra healthy the next few days.

You see, life isn't really about being 'Perfect'. It's about day-in and day-out consistency. And even when you take into account those times when you falter and get off track, it's the consistency of sticking to something over the long haul that gives you the results you desire. Don't worry about being perfect. Nobody is. And don't let anyone else make you feel guilty.

Your takeaways from today's post...

1. NO one is perfect. It's ok to feel a little guilty if you stray off your diet.
2. Use your guilt to motivate you to have better resolve and make up for it by eating extra healthy the next couple days.
3. Allow for the 90/10 rule. Stay on track 90% of the time and allow yourself that 10% of indulging.
4. It's consistency over the long run that brings you success. So stick with it. It's worth it.

Remember,

Leave perfection out of it. Stay consistent. And use your guilt to help you have better willpower and better habits.

That, my friends, is what leads you to success!

Baked Artichoke Chicken

 

I experimented on my family this weekend with this new recipe and they loved it.  I had anticipated crinkled noses and lots of yucks, however what I got was "wow, this is really good and the chicken is so yummy".  From my perspective, this was also really, really easy and I served it with steamed broccoli and some spagetti squash.  The picture shows chicken with the skin on, however I omitted the skin for a healthier version.  Enjoy!!

 

Baked Artichoke Chicken: (adapted from ABC The Chew)

2 lbs. chicken cut into large pieces (I used 1 lb skinless thighs and 1lb skinless breasts)
1 cup artichoke hearts, halved (canned is fine)
1 medium onion, cut into pieces same size as the artichokes
1 pound white button mushrooms (halved or quartered)
2 tablespoons brown mustard
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 bay leaf
kosher salt and pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 370F

Place artichokes, onions and mushrooms on the bottom of a big pan.
Place chicken pieces on top of the vegetables.
Mix the mustard with the rest of the ingredients and pour over chicken.
Season w/ kosher salt & pepper.

Bake about 1 hour, basting the pieces once or twice.

Rethinking Your Snack Bars

Do you really want to eat these ingredients?

Most of us have very busy lives between work, school, family and fun.  It is challenging to make the time to prepare balanced healthy foods and we tend to buy granola bars, protein bars or snack food items at Costco or the grocery store.  While this seems like a great idea to get a good snack with protein and good taste (and it certainly is a better choice than not eating), if you really look at the ingredients list, these bars are definitely not close to a whole foods product.  Here is just a sample of the ingredients from one commonly eaten bar:

Roasted Peanuts, Soy Protein Isolate, Chicory Root Extract, Sugar, Vegetable Oils (Palm, Kernel, Palm, Canola, Peanut), Whey Protein Concentrate, High Maltose Corn Syrup, Cocoa, Fructose, Peanut Butter (Peanuts, Salt), Vegetable Glycerin, Rice Starch, Honey, Rice Maltodextrin, Salt, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor. Contains Peanut, Soy And Milk Ingredients.

The ingredients list above is very far from whole foods, has highly processed fats, corn syrup and artificial fructose - Yuck!

I challenge you this week to try out one of these healthy, well balanced snack bar recipes!  Each of these is portable, tastes great and is free from bad fats, fake sugars and processed fillers from corn and soy.  

Emily Granola Bars This is a great granola bar that my daughter loves – hence the name.  These are crunchy bars and would need to be paired with a good protein for a wholesome, balance snack.

2 tbsp - ALMONDS, RAW ( I used sliced raw almonds because it’s easier on my food processor) 0.25 tsp - BAKING SODA 1 tsp - CINNAMON, GROUND 3 tbsp - HONEY 0.08 CUP - MAPLE SYRUP 1.5 cup - OATS, ROLLED, DRY, BOBS REDMILL 3 tbsp - OIL, GRAPESEED (or you can use the vegetable oil of your choice) 2 tbsp - SUGARS,GRANULATED Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  In  a food processor, using the metal blade, process almonds until in small bits and pieces.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in the oats, sugar, cinnamon and baking soda.  In food processor combine the oil, honey and maple syrup.  Process until well blended, about 30 seconds.  Add the dry ingredients in 2 batches to the food processor, processing each time you add, until well combined.  Transfer mixture to bowl – now you can add any extras – mini chocolate chips, dried fruit etc.  Use a large spoon to spoon 12 cookie size servings onto the cookie sheet.  Bake on middle rack of oven for 25-30 minutes.  When done, remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes to cool – this way they set and don’t fall apart.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Number of Servings: 12; Calories Per Serving: 121 Protein Per Serving: 2g; Carbohydrates Per Serving: 17g Fat Per Serving: 5g; Sugar Per Serving: 9g Sodium Per Serving: 26mg; Fiber Per Serving: 2g

Chocolate Yam Protein Bars This is a good combo of protein/carbs/fats, and can be a 'meal in a bar' in a pinch. Feel free to sub out spices, flours, and sweeteners to suit your individual circumstances. Using 2 tsp baking soda per the recipe creates a more cakelike texture, while reducing to 1 - 1.5 tsp creates a denser, more brownie like texture that holds up better for travel.

1/2 cup - ALMOND FLOUR 1.5 CUP – UNSWEETENED APPLESAUCE 2 tsp - BAKING SODA 1/4 cup - CAROB POWDER 1 tbsp - CINNAMON 1/4 cup - COCONUT FLOUR 1 whole EGG 6 scoop – CHOCOLATE PROTEIN POWDER* (can substitute plain or vanilla as well) ½ cup - HONEY 1 tbsp - VANILLA EXTRACT 1.3 pound – YAMS, BAKED IN SKIN AND PEELED

Bake, peel, and mash yams. Add remaining ingredients to mashed yams and mix well. Add mixture to a lightly greased 9x11 baking pan, and bake at 350 for 20 - 25 minutes.

NUTRITIONAL INFO:  Number of Servings: 12; Calories Per Serving: 244 Protein Per Serving: 17g; Carbohydrates Per Serving: 35g; Fat Per Serving: 4g Sugar Per Serving: 17g; Sodium Per Serving: 244mg; Fiber Per Serving: 6g

Oatmeal Protein Bars Home-made protein bars - really great for travel or an alternative breakfast! One bar is huge satisfying. Even your kids will love them. You can add anything to them; dried fruit, cinnamon, nuts or seeds... Any type of milk will work. Could also substitute the applesauce with really ripe bananas(super mushy ripe).

3/4 cup - ALMOND BUTTER 1 cup – UNSWEETENED ALMOND MILK 1 cup - APPLESAUCE UNSWEETENED 2 – LARGE EGG WHITES 4.5 – PROTEIN POWDER* – FLAVOR IS YOUR CHOICE 3 cup – ROLLED OATS 2.5 tsp - BAKING POWDER

Combine all ingredients; pour into 9X11 or two 9x9 (8x8) pans sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. Really watch the time and don't over-bake as they will get dry. If doing in two smaller pans they only need about 25 minutes in the oven. Once cool, cut, wrap place in fridge.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Number of Servings: 8; Calories Per Serving: 342 Protein Per Serving: 25g; Carbohydrates Per Serving: 29g Fat Per Serving: 14g; Sugar Per Serving: 6g Sodium Per Serving: 224mg; Fiber Per Serving: 7g *When choosing a protein powder, the same principle applies.  The fewer the ingredients the better.  Our new Summit at Home Proshop and Cafe now sells Hammer Protein, which is a very clean protein powder.  They have a whey protein powder (from dairy), or a vegan option (from vegetable protein sources).  Members also receive a discount!

Choosing the right Chocolate for Valentine's Day

Giving and receiving chocolate is a Valentine’s tradition that everyone enjoys. Choosing the right chocolate will not only give pleasure but benefit your loved one’s heart and stress levels and your own as well.

Antioxidants in Dark Chocolate and Cocoa Protect the Heart. 

Pure chocolate, made from cocoa beans, is rich in flavanol, an antioxidant that may help protect arteries from damage, maintain healthy blood flow and fend off heart disease.

Dark chocolate and cocoa powder contain the highest levels of flavanol. A Swedish study published in 2009 showed that people who ate chocolate regularly over the 12 months before their first heart attack, recovered better than patients who never or seldom ate chocolate.

 “Chocolate consumption was associated with lower cardiac mortality in a dose dependent manner in patients free of diabetes surviving their first AMI (heart attack),” the researchers from the Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, reported.

While the chocolate eaters enjoyed better cardiac health, participants in the study who didn’t eat chocolate but ate other kinds of confectionery, gained no benefit.

The benefits of eating chocolate lasted up to eight years, the researchers noted, and this could be due to the fact that that eating dark chocolate hs been shown to lower blood pressure.

Dark Chocolate is the Key

All the studies looking at the beneficial effects of chocolate have been based on dark chocolate. Dark chocolate and cocoa powder contain the highest levels of flavanol and other antioxidants, apparently responsible for the heart protective and stress-busting effects.

But these health benefits are reduced considerably when pure chocolate is processed and ingredients such as sugar, milk and butter are added, as is the case in most candies and candy bars.

Not only that, but the extra fat and sugar levels can contribute to unwanted weight gain.

However, there are good brands of organic, fair trade dark chocolate available, including ones containing up to 80% cocoa. Consuming these would not only improve the health of those who receive such gifts, but assist the economic health of the growers and producers of organic dark chocolate and cocoa.  You can find good chocolate at a local health food store or Super 1 Foods.  Good brands to try are Endangered Species, Theo or Dagoba. The larger chocolate manufacturers like Hersheys or Nestles tends to add emulsifiers, soy lecithin, milk fat and artificial flavors to their chocolate, which causes them to do more harm than good. 

Cocoa itself is full of antioxidants, and while it might be rather dull just to drink hot cocoa on Valentine’s Day, hot chocolate made with real dark chocolate is a dreamy, melt-in the mouth sensation that could enhance your healthy Valentine’s celebration.

Have Fun!

Emotional Eating - Part 2

by Karen Dion, One2One Wellness Coach

In our first segment on Emotional Eating, I introduced the topic and described the differences between eating for emotions or eating for hunger.  Part 2 gives you a tool to determine if you are an emotional eater and to what extent.  Fill out this quiz and stay tuned to Part 3 for more information:

For each item, record the scale number that best reflects your current lifestyle.

0 = Never, 1 = Rarely, 2 = Sometimes, 3 = Often, 4 = Almost Always

1. I feel out of control of my eating.

2. My hunger tends to come on very suddenly.

3. I find myself craving certain types of foods.

4.  I often stand in front of an open fridge, wondering what to eat.

5. I feel like snacking when I get stressed or am upset about something.

6. Food gives me a lift when I’m feeling down.

7. Food helps calm me when I’m feeling tense or wound up.

8. Outside mealtimes, I feel the urge to eat at certain times of the day.

9. Even when I am full, I often do not feel satisfied.

10. Unpleasant feelings like sadness, anger, and frustration are reduced while I am eating.

11. I feel guilty and/or ashamed about what I have just eaten.

12. I often describe food and eating using emotionally charged words.

13. It feels like I seek solace in food.

14. I often eat to the point of physical discomfort.

15. I use food as a source of pleasure or a reward.

16. I eat when I am not physically hungry.

17. I often overeat after denying myself certain foods.

18. I feel ashamed of my eating and myself.

19. I find myself snacking when I am happy.

20. I am preoccupied by thoughts of food.

21. Eating reduces a feeling of emptiness I have inside of me.

22. I am often surprised at how much I have eaten.

23. I try, but fail to lose weight and keep it off.

24. Once I start eating certain foods, I find it difficult to stop.

25. My behavior with respect to food and eating causes me significant distress.

SCORE:______________

 Interpretation:

·        0-25  No or little emotional eating: Your weight management efforts should be relatively uncomplicated by emotional issues.

·        26-50  Mild emotional eating: You may experience difficulty achieving weight management goals due to emotional obstacles.

·        51-75  Moderate emotional eating: You will probably encounter emotional obstacles to healthy weight management and should consider being coached.

·        76-100  Severe emotional eating: Significant obstacles exist to healthy weight management, and coaching is strongly recommended.

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.