Breakfast Archives - Diet Free Radiant Me | Intuitive Eating | Emotional Eating

3 Ways to Make Every Meal a Sit-Down Meal

When it comes to mealtimes, do you often find yourself scarfing down food because you know you have to eat rather than savoring every bite?

Too often I find that my clients are eating their meals either in their car or at the kitchen counter rather than at the table.

I’ve had several clients tell me they do not feel worthy of a sit-down meal! They do not think they deserve to enjoy their meal in a pleasant environment, free of distractions.

There are several reasons why they feel this way, and you might find that you identify with some of them.

Let’s look back and figure out where this belief might have originated:

Is it something you saw mom or grandmother doing?

Is it something you were led to believe by someone you trusted?

Were you ever told that you “shouldn’t” be eating because you are “fat”?

While it’s important to understand the origin of this belief, please know this…

You deserve to eat, every meal of the day, every day. And you deserve to sit down and enjoy your meal and savor each bite.

You may say that you have no time to plate your meals, that you are busy, constantly on the go and it’s just easier to grab when you can, or just graze throughout the day.

I understand being busy, but it’s all about priorities.

You CAN restructure your day to include mealtime. This means you sit at the table with a plate of food and enjoy it in good company.

3 Ways to Make Every Meal a Sit-down One

Breakfast

Instead of eating breakfast in the car, wake up a few minutes earlier and plan to sit at the kitchen table to enjoy your breakfast. To make this even easier, prepare what you can the night before, so you have fewer steps to do in the morning.

Lunch

Instead of eating lunch at your desk, schedule 30 minutes into your schedule to leave your office to eat lunch. Maybe there’s a break room at work, a local park with picnic tables, or on occasion, a nearby restaurant you can eat at. Your mealtimes can be a good time to reflect and really tune into what your body is telling you.

Dinner

Believe that you are worthy of eating a well-balanced dinner, sitting at your table. Make it a point to finish cooking, plate your food and sit down. Put a nice tablecloth on your dining table and use a nice plate instead of a disposable plate.

Savor every bite. Really tune into the taste, texture, and flavor of the food you are eating.

Be fully present.

By actively savoring each bite, you will find yourself more satisfied with your meal rather than when you pick at food mindlessly.

Plating and sitting down to your meals throughout the day will help you feel more satisfied, and you won’t find yourself searching for food during the day and night.

5 Morning Routine Tips to Support Your Intuitive Eating Practice

Mornings are generally a hectic time for pretty much everyone. Starting the morning off on the right foot can be tough, especially when you must get your kids ready for school, get everyone’s lunches ready, and still make it to work on time. Sometimes there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything you need to get done.

What is especially frustrating is that the morning can set the tone for the whole day. So, if your morning isn’t going as planned, you likely won’t be in the right mindset to conquer the rest of your day with a positive mindset. And, you’ll rush through breakfast, or skip it altogether, and that’ll set you up for haphazard eating the rest of the day.

That is why starting the morning off in a positive way is so important to continuing your Intuitive Eating practice.

The Importance of a Morning Routine

Incorporating a routine to your mornings isn’t about waking up and “getting things done” early! It’s about beginning your day with peace, confidence, and a positive attitude.

Nourishing your body on all levels from the moment you open your eyes in the morning is key to a healthy mind, body, and soul. It may take some time for you to change your morning routine, so focus on slow changes over time, at your level of comfort. Set the rest of your day up for success by keeping your mornings calm and focused.

Here are 5 ways that I like to start my mornings which sets a positive tone for the rest of my day and allows me to support my Intuitive Eating practice

1. Practice Being Still

When you first wake up, take some time to meditate, even if it’s for just 3-5 minutes. You can do it while lying in bed or sitting up. This will allow you to connect with yourself on a deeper level as you start your day. When your mind is still and calm, set your intention about how your day will be. For example, “Today will be an incredible day. I feel positive and alive”.

2. Get Your Body Moving

You may not have a lot of time in the morning to exercise, and that’s okay. I have found that on mornings when I engage in movement, my days flows more smoothly, and I have more energy. Commit to moving your body in the morning in whatever way feels good for you. It can be as little as 5 minutes or as long as 30 or more minutes, whatever it takes to get your blood flowing and heart pumping.

3. Choose Comfort

When choosing what clothes to wear for the day, consider comfort. Respect your body at whatever size it is now and wear clothes, including undergarments, that fit you well and comfortably. Don’t force your body into uncomfortable garments that you’ll be fixing on throughout the day.

4. Fuel Up with Breakfast

It’s so easy to dash out the door without breakfast, or to grab and go. It’s best if you can plan some time into your morning routine to sit down at the table and enjoy a balanced breakfast of foods you enjoy. By sitting to eat, without any distractions, you will be able to savor each bite and get the utmost pleasure from your meal.

If you skip breakfast, chances are you will be over hungry by lunch and you will decrease your chances of choosing foods that honor your health. In addition, when you begin eating in an over hungry state, you will most likely end the meal at uncomfortable fullness.

5. Practice Gratitude

Finally, before dashing out the door, take a moment to breath and write down (or say quietly to yourself) three things you are grateful for. I find that this centers me and puts everything into perspective, even before I turn my computer on to see what the day will bring.

While this morning routine takes some time and may just mean that you can’t hit the snooze button (okay, maybe once!), you will reap the benefits as you continue to practice Intuitive Eating and mindful living. It’s worth it!

4 Tips to Increase Food Appreciation

We live in a society that is go-go-go. We might be doing one thing, but we are probably thinking about the next thing we have to do. Which makes me wonder how many people actually pay full attention to their food when they are eating.

In speaking with a lot of people over the years, I find that most people do not take the time to eat slowly and instead, rush through their meals. They eat breakfast in the car on the way to work, work through lunch and eat at their desk, or grab a quick bite from the drive thru for dinner on the way home.

An important practice when working on your relationship with food is to learn to appreciate the food you are eating. Consider where the food came from, how it got into your kitchen and onto your plate, and who was involved in making that possible (farmers, factory line workers, mom). This also means appreciating what food does for your body: fuels you, give you energy, and supplies you with vital nutrients.

Here are 4 tips to increase your food appreciation:

Eat Breakfast at Home: When you’re running late in the morning, the first thing that goes out the window is breakfast. You tell yourself that you’ll eat when you get to work. And you may do just that. But chances are you’re eating while you’re checking the morning emails, returning messages and writing your to-do list for the day. This means you are paying minimal to no attention to what you are eating.

Try waking up a half hour earlier each morning so you have planned time to prepare and eat breakfast. Even better, do some meal prep ahead of time, such as set the table with a bowl, spoon and cereal choice, or prepare overnight oats that are ready in the morning.

Sit Down at the Table to Eat: It’s so tempting to eat while you’re meal prepping or to open the fridge and grab a snack. Remind yourself that eating happens when your butt is in a chair and you can fully be present with the food. This means even if you are alone. I know how difficult this may be, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll really enjoy this time.

Take a Lunch Break: Years ago, I didn’t schedule a lunch break in my day. I wanted to be available to my clients which meant that inevitably, I didn’t get to eat lunch. Or if I did, it was a quick grab and run, or eating in front of the computer, and it felt as if I never even ate.

I realized how that practice was not in my best interest and I started blocking out lunch time in my schedule. Not only did I feel better, but my clients benefited as well as I had more energy and was more productive.

So go ahead and schedule that lunch break for yourself. Consider it an act of self-care.

Avoid Distractions at Dinner: I get it, habits are hard to break. But watching Jeopardy while you eat dinner (or sports or whatever show you like) takes away from mindfully eating your meal. Instead, engage in conversation with your partner or kids, and savor the flavor, texture and aroma of the food. When doing this, you are also better able to attune to your fullness signals and will stop eating when you are comfortably full. Go ahead and DVR Jeopardy and have a date night watching with your partner after dinner.

Implement these suggestions at your own pace and over time you will see how it’s impacted your appreciation for the food you are eating. Let me know how it goes in the comments below.

4 Ways to Incorporate Gentle Nutrition

After years of dieting you may feel like your life is ruled by food. The dieting mindset has taught you that food is meant to be consumed under strict guidelines without enjoyment. However, you probably realize now that this is just not true!

Remember back to when you were a child, there were so many exciting things to experience every day, and meals and snacks were just a part of the routine. Day-to-day life was not driven by whether or not you ate the “right” or “wrong” foods.

When you focus too much on eating and dieting, food begins to control your life rather than being a part of your day. You find yourself cancelling your lunch date with your friends because you’re afraid there will be nothing on the menu that you “can” eat. Following food rules to hopefully lose weight removes the pleasurable experiences from your life.

The good news is that when you finally give up dieting you do not need to follow external food rules anymore. When you start the intuitive eating journey you learn how to eat based on your body’s hunger and fullness cues. And, when you rely on your body’s signals, you enjoy each and every eating experience.

The concept of “Gentle Nutrition” can be confusing for you. In truth, if you are still dismantling diet culture messages that have flooded your mind, you may not be ready to learn how to incorporate nutrition into your journey in a gentle way. And that’s okay. Your time will come. But if you are ready, then here are some gentle ways for you to do so from a lens of self-care!

4 Tips to Incorporate Gentle Nutrition

1. Start Your Day with Breakfast

When you wake up in the morning, your body calls for fuel. If you ignore this call, you will likely overeat later in the day. Instead of focusing on food as a tool for weight loss, focus on it as a tool for fueling your body to get your day started. As a past dieter, you likely skipped breakfast because you either claimed you weren’t hungry or that it caused you to eat more throughout the day. On the contrary, when you skip breakfast, you set yourself up to be overly hungry which then leads to overeating. Enjoy a hearty nutritious breakfast such as oatmeal with fruit and nuts or a veggie omelet in a whole grain tortilla. You will see how much energy you have to start your day and will find you are not “starving” by lunchtime.

2. Be Prepared – Bring Healthy Snacks with You

If you approach mealtime feeling ravenous, you may eat beyond comfortable fullness to the point that you feel stuffed and sick. When you begin to feel the first signals of hunger, the only way to answer that call is to eat, which you can only do if you have food with you. This is the reason why I always carry some snacks when I leave the house and I recommend you do too. Having snacks on hand will prevent you from making a trip to the vending machine and can even save you some money.

3. Be Creative with Produce

If you’ve been a dieter, you have probably had your fill of fruits and veggies. Maybe so much so that you avoid them at this point (“carrot sticks, no thanks!”) Do a quick audit of the food you eat in a day. If you’re falling short on produce, then you are falling short on valuable nutrients and antioxidants for good health. Instead of reluctantly adding steamed broccoli to your menu, get creative. Make a spinach lasagna, stuffed peppers or a roasted eggplant salad.

For more recipes and intuitive eating wisdom, check out this resource!

4. Approach Your Meal with Positivity

By making food a positive force in your life, you will end that unhappy relationship you’ve had with food and be on the road to optimal health and wellness. Approach each meal as an opportunity to show respect to your body. Keeping the intuitive eating principles (https://dietfreeradiantme.com/intuitive-eating-for-adults/) top of mind will ensure you have full satisfaction in your meals.

What is one food rule you might still be holding onto that is preventing you from enjoying gentle nutrition for your health.

7 Tips to a Mindful Morning Routine

If you are like most people, your morning is one mega rush! Quick jump out of bed, shower, get dressed and run out the door! You’re lucky if you grab a coffee and muffin to eat in the car as you head out to start your day. Or, you stop at the local convenience store and pick up a bagel with butter and a ginormous cup of Joe. Worse yet, you don’t eat any breakfast and your first meal of the day is lunch.

Sound familiar?

If so, you are probably not stopping long enough to figure out how your body feels when you treat it like this. You are on autopilot, doing the same routine day after day and wonder why you crash by the time you get home from work.

Nourishing your body from the moment you open your eyes in the morning is key to a healthy mind, body and soul.

I recognize it may take some time for you to change your morning routine, so focus on slow changes over time, at your level of comfort.

Here are 7 tips to get you started.

When you first wake up, take some time to meditate, even if it’s for just 3-5 minutes. It will allow you to connect with yourself on a deeper level as you start your day.

Set your intention about how your day will be, for example “Today will be an incredible day. I feel positive and alive”.

Spend 30 minutes to get your blood flowing and heart pumping through an enjoyable exercise routine or body movement activity.

Shower and get dressed in clothes that you feel comfortable in. Respect your body at the size it is now, no matter what size that is, and wear clothes (including undergarments!) that fit you well and comfortably.

Sit down and enjoy a balanced breakfast that includes wholesome food that you enjoy. Savor each bite, noting the taste, texture, temperature and aroma. Appreciate the food on your plate as you stay fully present in the eating experience without any distractions (avoid reading the morning newspaper or watching the news as you eat).

Pack your lunch and get ready to leave.

Hug your loved ones (for a boost of “feel good” hormones) and head out the door.

True, this morning routine takes some time, which means you will have to wake up a bit earlier than you are used to. And, that likely means that you will have to go to sleep a little earlier too.

But let me ask you, aren’t you worth it?

Your turn to take action: Practice incorporating this morning routine into your life and let me know how you feel in the comments below.

Being Intuitive and Mindful in Your Morning Routine

If you are like most people, your morning is one mega rush! Quick jump out of bed, shower, get dressed and run out the door! You’re lucky if you grab a coffee and muffin to eat in the car as you head out to start your day. Or, you stop at the local convenience store and pick up a bagel with butter and ginormous cup of Joe. Worse yet, you don’t eat any breakfast and your first meal of the day is lunch.

Sound familiar?

If so, you are probably not stopping long enough to figure out how your body feels when you treat it like this. You are on autopilot, doing the same routine day after day and wonder why you crash by the time you get home from work.

Nourishing your body from the moment you open your eyes in the morning is key to a healthy mind, body and soul. I recognize it may take some time for you to change your morning routine, so focus on slow changes over time, at your level of comfort.

Here are some suggestions to get you started.

When you first wake up, take some time to meditate, even if it’s for just 3-5 minutes. It will allow you to connect with yourself on a deeper level as you start your day.

Set your intention about how your day will be, for example “Today will be an incredible day. I feel positive and alive”.

Spend 30 minutes to get your blood flowing and heart pumping through an enjoyable exercise routine or body movement activity.

Shower and get dressed in clothes that you feel comfortable in. Respect your body at the size it is now, no matter what size that is, and wear clothes (including undergarments!) that fit you well and comfortably.

Sit down and enjoy a balanced breakfast that includes wholesome food that you enjoy. Savor each bite, noting the taste, texture, temperature and aroma. Appreciate the food on your plate as you stay fully present in the eating experience without any distractions (avoid reading the morning newspaper or watching the news as you eat).

Pack your lunch and get ready to leave.

Hug your loved ones (for a boost of “feel good” hormones) and head out the door.

True, this morning routine takes some time, which means you will have to wake up a bit earlier than you are used to. And, that likely means that you will have to go to sleep a little earlier too.

But let me ask you, aren’t you worth it?

Your turn to take action: Practice incorporating this morning routine into your life and let me know how you feel in the comments below.

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