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Would you like to eat without worrying about being judged? It’s time to tame the shame. It’s time to take away the whistle of the “food police”.
They may mean to be helpful. They may not even know their words are criticizing.
Why?
(I know. I’ve been there.)
Summer time is lemonade time. And in the south, it’s pitchers of sweet tea on picnics.
A new connection on LI messaged me that she is decreasing the sugar she consumes by eliminating sweet tea and lemonade.
Within a day, a new client found out his A1C is almost double where it should be.
(Side note - A1C measures the average of your blood sugar over a 3 month period. So he got really motivated to manage his sugar intake.)
A little warning: If you have diabetes or are dealing with an eating disorder, please pay attention to your health care team’s personal advice. This article is for general information.
First, I wanted to see how you consume sugar. So, this week I reached out to you on LI, IG, and FB. (And if we aren’t connected on social - you are missing out. So, wherever you hang out most, let’s connect.)
Your responses were insightful.
20% drink
50% eat
20% limit
10% avoid
Comments included not consuming processed, but didn’t consider juice -- which is concentrated sugar -- as processed as long as it was fresh juice.
Someone else said they wanted to know how to have discipline and willpower with sugar - so that’s going to be part II
This is sticky … so let’s be careful not to demonize sugar or make it a saint.
Let’s go to science.
Sugar is not toxic, at least not in the sense that true poisons are dangerous.
The only health issue sugar is confirmed to cause is tooth decay.
Malnutrition, obesity, and even diabetes have not been shown to be caused directly by sugar itself.
For example, if sugar is replacing nutrient-rich foods that your body needs, you may get the calories you need for fuel, but not the vitamins and minerals you need. That’s the essence of malnourished.
For diabetes, the evidence is conflicting and interesting. In some populations in the world, an increase in sugar consumption has tracked with an increase in Type II diabetes. In other populations, no relation has been found.
However, in some animal studies diets very high in sugar can cause diabetes like disease.
For obesity -- research is clear that you can gain weight whether you eat too much carb whether starch or sugar, protein, or fat. However, because you can drink sugar, it is easier to get excess calories from processed sugar than from other sources.
This is about understanding the principles vs. creating food rules
Know the difference between sugar occurring incidentally in a whole food vs. in processed or concentrated form.
Consume foods in combination.
It is not just about if the food has sugar in it. It is about how quickly does the food digest and raise your blood sugar … and then if it makes you hungry quicker.
Three components of IE that I teach you are eating what you really want and eating slowly, savoring your food, and stopping when you are satisfied.
If you are not following a medical diet, then try this experiment. It is one I’ve used in workshops and with clients for years.
Before you eat or drink something sweet, ask yourself “on a scale of 1-10, how much do I want this now” and “on a scale of 1-10, how much do I want what I will feel like later”
Second, pay attention to the pleasure of the food or drink. Perhaps it is not savoring 3 bites of a brownie that is causing issues for you. Perhaps it is eating multiple brownies, distracted while you watch YouTube videos.
Third, when you eat slowly you are more able to stop when you are satisfied. 3 bites might be enough.
When you eat rushed and distracted, you set yourself up for bad digestion.
Even talking with your mouth full creates problems (and not just with your dinner companions).
A few weeks ago I had the privilege to be the opening speaker for the Spring Nourished Festival. The Festival had over 10,000 people just like you.
It all started because I was trying to fit in … with my family. It created a cycle of Striving. Judgement. Shame.
But also the excitement of “this diet might work” and the false-camaraderie with fellow calorie-counters.
Is a meal kit subscription worth it? Is it right for you? What are the pros and cons? Honest review, not affiliated.
I’ve tried Hello Fresh and Green Chef … here is what is Fantastic and what is a Flop.
(Unfortunately, there is also one Fail.)
Choose your meals from a pre set selections
Recipe cards are step by step
Reuse the great menu ideas
Eat out less
Learn to cook
Ship to a new location when you travel
HUGE Fun family activity
Gift idea for wedding gift or baby shower
Cannot choose ingredients specific (and some of the ingredients are “if-y” as you’ll see in the video)
Very little vegetables and lots of starch, not in line with Powerful Plate. Plan to add your own vegetables.
Time waster: Remember to choose meals IN ADDITION to still grocery planning and shopping for breakfasts, other meals and snacks.
Green Chef - says “organic” - but actually the veggies are organic, the meats are conventional. You are what your dinner ate.
New to cooking or want fewer meals to plan - definitely try it.
Want to switch from eating out as often? Definitely try it
Want new ideas for menus? Yes.
Travel a lot? Yes.
Want something the kids can get in with you easily? Yes.
If you cook often already, have a mix of menus you are already happy with, have ingredients you are particular about, it is probably not a fit.
While growing up I suspected I had developed an unhealthy relationship with food – and sometimes even exercise. But it was years later at a work potluck Christmas party that I knew I absolutely had a problem and had to change.
Everyone else was at the buffet ooh-ing and ah-ing over different dishes colleagues brought.
“If I eat that _____ I’ll have to workout extra tomorrow. Who knows how many grams of ____ it has.”
“I want to try ____ but if I do I’ll probably not be able to stop eating it. I’ll lose control.”
“I’ll be good and just have the veggies I brought. If I break my diet I’ll be bad.”
I realized I was the only one, apparently, who did not feel she could enjoy the food, the people, or the party and I stayed as far away from the table as possible. Why? I thought something was inherently wrong with me.
Truth? By that party I had spent almost 20 years fine-tuning my “diet mentality,” through the various diet and exercise rules I “learned.”
I wanted to exercise just because it felt amazing and made me strong and healthy. Not because it burned calories I’d eaten the day before.
I wanted to eat a balanced meal because it was satisfying.
I wanted to enjoy a cookie without fear of eating five.
I wanted to go to a party and enjoy it all.
Scratch that.
I didn’t even know that was possible. All I could fathom was maybe not being consumed with worrying about every morsel, gram, or repercussion after a party.
Did you see?
I released a brand new course where I’m going to share with you the mindset, principles, techniques, tools and skills practiced by people who find – and follow – their unique path to health, wellness, and a Thriving Life.
It’s called …
THRIVE LIFE (Go here to learn more; we get started in just a few days.)
While there are so many health benefits to this way of life, the most surprising benefit has nothing to do typical health-parameters.
Huh?
Let me explain. Envision that same work party where I locked myself away in the bathroom. If my mind had been free from food-fear, I would have been mingling with colleagues and enjoying getting to know their families, enriching my relationships.
And when my mental and emotional space is not cluttered with how many calories I eat or burn or how much I do this or that, my mind is free to be creative and pursue dreams. Plus, there is way less stress.
Here are six reasons why you need to learn your path to THRIVE.
You can learn the difference between physical and emotional hunger.
Food was created to bring you pleasure, but it is not what heals hurts or brings peace.
Exercise has many ways that it lifts your mood, but there is a point of using exercise to escape struggles vs. helping you overcome them.
When you sit with discomfort and find what actually fills you emotionally, your strength of self grows. Your confidence to live and handle difficult situations increases.
This one is huge.
When your mind is cluttered with searching for the next diet or exercise program, or finding recipes that fit the new fad, or shopping for the latest exercise gear you cannot focus on what really matters most to you in life.
It may even go deeper. If you are staying focused on analyzing food / exercise to avoid dealing with something else, it is time to move forward.
If you are hiding your best self behind counting this or that, trying to control every bite or workout, it is time to open the curtain and step out on your stage.
You sleep well, you wake up with energy, and it stays consistent throughout the day so you can accomplish your goals and still enjoy family and friends at the end of the day.
Food police? Exercise drill sergeant? No more. Either from others or yourself.
You confidently handle critics.
You also are able to tell yourself “no” when a choice does not value you.
When your excitement comes from discussing the latest fad exercise or diet, it is a boring life.
However, when you have recent adventures or a book you read or a funny family gathering or ____ to talk about, conversations have life in them.
You meet up with people, confident as you accept yourself and others, with less judgement.
Social situations around food are no longer stressful.
You have the physical fitness to enjoy the adventures you want.
When you learn what works for your body and your lifestyle, and you have the tools and techniques to stick with it, you reach your goals.
You feel successful along the journey because you are living what you value.
This client was waiting on the inspiration to make changes to come from his circle of family and friends. I challenged him “Think about who you want to be. Do you want to be the person who waits to be led or do you want to lead? Do you want to be influenced or do you want to influence?” I challenge you, too. When you find your path to Thrive, you will inspire others to do the same.
This is what finding your path to THRIVE brings you. It is one of the most amazing adventures you’ll ever go on.
Science progresses and the old ideas we have lived by are built upon or changed. We go to school, learn, experiment, update the knowledge base, and then start over again, mentoring the next generation to do the same. That is an ideal.
Unfortunately, one area seems to have stopped with this textbook from 1916. Repackaged? Yes. New versions? Yes. But current long-term research no longer backs up what is taught in this book and through modern media versions.
The picture above is a 100+ year old chamber to measure the metabolic requirement of babies. The technology has progressed, but the science is principally the same. I have stayed overnight, for several research studies, in the metabolic chamber at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. (In case you are wondering, it is a small room with a bed, desk, and window.) This technology measures how many calories a person burns during the time they are in the chamber.
This device measures the calorie content of food. Again, technology may look different 100 years ago, but the basic science is as today.
So, what is the problem? Calories burned. Calories eaten. Simple math, right?
That is what was assumed 100 years ago. I actually have nothing harsh to say about what they taught then. For then.
1400
calories a day for a man to lose weight
1000
calories a day for a woman to lose weight
They taught the latest information they had. However, the knowledge base has changed since then. Research shows (though seldom promoted by diet gurus) -
So, what is a healthy way to eat?
Next time you are tempted with "I'm going to try the new ABCXYD diet" (no, that is not a new diet - at least not one I've heard of), remember it is really not new.
It's just the newest flavor of the dieting that gained ground during the Victorian era. (That is a history lesson for another post.)
If you truly want to try the latest and greatest research has to offer, experiment with the list above. It is mindful-intuitive eating. And it works.
In this FREE guide learn how to:
· Stop the fad diet roller-coaster
· Exercise in your lifestyle
And Get Results that Last!
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ViREO Life is a health and wellness practice, incorporating physical activity, exercise, nutrition, and behavior science services. The text, photos, video and other media presented in this site and the social media connected to this site are for information purposes only. None of the above information sources are intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. This information is not to be used to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified health care professional. If you have any questions or concerns, please consult your health care provider.
© Copyright 2016 Vireo Life and Sheri Traxler. All rights reserved, including text, photos and other material presented in this site.
