intuitive eating Archives - Page 22 of 32 - Diet Free Radiant Me | Intuitive Eating | Emotional Eating

How to Stay Mindful this Halloween

The month of October is synonymous with Halloween and spooky fall festivities. But along with trick-or-treating comes massive amounts of sugar.

Whether you’re out and about tricking or home dishing out the treats, these tips will help you stay an intuitive eater amidst all of the chaos.

Eat Before You Treat

Just before the trick or treating traffic is about to commence, have a late lunch or early dinner. A full stomach will prevent you from overindulging on candy to the point of sickness. If you are a chaperone for kids who are going trick or treating, it’s a good idea to have a little holiday meal before heading off on your trick-or-treating journey. Eating too much sugar will cause you and your kids to crash and become cranky before the festivities are over. Don’t unleash the monsters!

Fun Size It

Portion control is key. Cravings are natural and shouldn’t be ignored. If you are craving a chocolate bar, choose the fun sized option. Fun sized candies have a fraction of the fat and calories per package. The object is to savor each bite. The more you focus on the taste and texture of the candy, the more you’ll be happy with a smaller portion. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a fun size bar without missing out on the fun.

The Dark Side

Dark chocolate might be an acquired taste but it is certainly the way to go. Dark chocolate contains 70% or more of cocoa. Cocoa has been shown to contain antioxidants and has cholesterol lowering properties. The fat in cocoa is comprised of monounsaturated fatty acids as well as stearic acid which appears to have no effect on cholesterol levels. So if you need a little chocolate pick-me-up, dark chocolate is the way to go.

Healthy Homemade

Making homemade treats is a great alternative to buying prepackaged candies. If you have the time, make fun treats at home so you know what you’re eating. They can be fun and healthy for everyone. Let your creativity run wild.

Dip your apples in peanut butter and dark chocolate for a dark twist to candied apples.
Make some Petrifying Popcorn- air popped, drizzled in honey and sprinkled with cayenne pepper and salt for a kick.
Go ahead and decorate your fruit for an easy alternative! Tangerines can be turned into little jack o’lanterns or put mint chocolate chips on a banana to make boo-nanas.

Be an Intuitive Eater

There’s no need to call the food police while you’re out having fun. Celebrate the holiday by letting yourself have a little bit of candy here and there. Listen to your body- if you need that sweet vice, eat it. But if you’re past the point of fullness, that extra candy isn’t going to make you feel any better. Using your brain and stomach instead of your eyes will help guide you through this holiday season without a problem.

Halloween is the perfect opportunity to go out and get a good walk. Walking around the neighborhood even for just half an hour will boost your immune system and decrease your risk for cardiovascular disease. Not to mention, it feels good to get some fresh air.

Have some fun this Halloween by being the best intuitive eater you can be!!

Your Turn to Take Action: What creative homemade treats will you make for your little monsters?

Getting Rid of “I Can’t” with Intuitive Eating

I have had many clients who are stuck in a negative, diet mentality. They often come to me with lists of things they can’t do and never mention anything they can do.

I can’t stop dieting.

I can’t lose weight.

I can’t change my eating habits.

I can’t listen to my body.

I can’t exercise.

When a client comes to me with this mindset, I like to tell them a story about my son’s third grade teacher.

For homework one night, my son had to write a list of all the things he can’t do. Naturally, I thought this assignment made no sense. Why would his teacher want him to do this? Shouldn’t he make a list of all the things he can do? Nonetheless, we still worked on his homework and came up with a list of things he can’t do.

When he came home from school the next day, I asked him what his teacher did with his list of “I can’ts”. He said his teacher had them march out to the playground, dig a hole and bury their “I can’ts”.

I was astonished. This is brilliant.

Why didn’t I ever think of this idea for my clients?

Well, now I do use this concept for my clients, and you!

This activity falls right into the practice of eating intuitively. While you are on your intuitive eating journey, you are working on reframing your mindset. You are changing the way you think about your body, food and the way you eat. This activity is a great way to help you solidify why you want to change your mindset.

You can get rid of your “I can’ts” by reframing your mindset.

Change your “I can’ts” to “I am”, “I can”, and “I will”. Look at them as challenges that you will overcome, which will lead to success.

Here is an example: You can reframe “I can’t exercise” to “It’s a challenge for me to exercise, but perhaps I can start with a 5 minute walk each day”. By changing exercise to a challenge instead of an “I can’t”, you are recognizing the fact that you can overcome this challenge.

Simply reframing your mindset will help you get “I can’t” out of your vocabulary and you will feel great doing it!!

If you want to learn more about how you can reframe your mindset, you can contact me here. I am here to help you.

Read This if You are an Emotional Eater

There is nothing wrong with foods being a source of pleasure. In fact, the more positive your relationship with food, the better you will feel about your eating habits.

But, there is a fine line between a positive food relationship and using food as comfort.

The notion of seeking “comfort” from certain foods can lead to problems with your relationship with food. If you are eating something to gain a sense of comfort, this begins to connect your eating to emotions instead of satiety.

There is a difference between eating a food you love because you are enjoying the taste of it or the ceremony for which the food represents, and eating to soothe emotions.

If you eat to feed your emotions, then you may be an emotional eater.

Let’s take a look at the cycle of emotional eating:

Your emotional trigger might be stress or even lonliness, which can lead to overeating and bingeing. You might be looking for “something” to fill a void that you seem to have in your life. That food may give you relief in the moment, but shame, guilt and body bashing can quickly follow.

This can become a vicious cycle, leaving you with a poor body image, negative self-image and those same emotions you started with.

When you eat for comfort, you are likely looking to avoid feeling whatever feelings you are experiencing. Because let’s face it, feeling feelings is hard! You hope that food will solve whatever problem you are having, but you know what? Food will not solve the problem. Once you stop eating, the root of your problems will still be there. And on top of that, you likely feel bloated, tired and physically uncomfortable.

The best way to deal with your emotions is to look at the root of the problem, instead of turning to food.

Use food as fuel rather than therapy.

This is not to say you can’t eat the foods you previously considered to be “comfort foods”. Instead, simply redefine their place in your eating plan, and make them a part of your healthy lifestyle, not a part of your mental well-being.

Would you like to delve further into your emotional eating?

Join me for Facebook Live in my Private Facebook Community on Thursday October 6^th at 8 pm Eastern where I will coach you through your biggest emotional eating and body image challenges.

No Facebook? No Worries!

Sign up HERE for a FREE TRAINING on October 13th

Topic: A Simple (and Delicious) Way to End Emotional Eating

PS: Even if you attend our Facebook Live, I recommend you still register for the Free Training.

Taking Your Kids on Your Intuitive Eating Journey

It is a lot easier to reach your goals when you are working with someone else, right?

You can share your intuitive eating journey with someone who looks up to you the most, your child. Your child can be that someone!

As a parent you are a role model for your child. Even if you aren’t aware of it, you can influence your child’s thoughts and behaviors. So whether you already have kids or are planning to have them in the future, it’s a great idea to model your intuitive eating journey to help instill a healthy relationship with food and feelings of self-worth.

You are born an intuitive eater, so chances are your child can help you on your journey as well.

Young children…

Have the ability to listen to their hunger and fullness cues.

Will not starve themselves or overeat.

Eat slowly, waiting between each bite until they reach for their next forkful.

As children age and see family members or the media describe food as “bad”, they may start to move away from eating intuitively. Their relationship with food and their body may start to change. If you take them on your intuitive eating journey with you, you may be able to help them continue on as an intuitive eater.

Here are 3 ways to help your kids stay intuitive:

Banish the “clean your plate before dessert” threat. Like I said before, children are very in tune with their hunger and fullness cues. If you want them to clean their plate, they will most likely overeat. If this is a chronic problem with your child, try giving them smaller portions. If they are still hungry, they will ask for more.

Focus on a healthy relationship with food. While on your intuitive eating journey, you learn about the importance of moderation and listening to your body. If your child sees that you are not afraid to eat certain foods and you stop when you are satisfied rather than stuffed, they will model that behavior. You will show them there is no such thing as “bad food” or “good food” and they will develop a healthy relationship with food.

Show the importance of loving your body. As you’re sitting with your child, talk about what you love about your body, whether it’s physical (“my eyes”), or something your body does for you (“my eyes help me see your beautiful smile”). By doing this, your child will gain a positive body image and show her own body love.

I know showing self-love can be hard to do, especially if you are struggling with it yourself. So here is an activity you and your child can do together before bedtime:

Ask your child to tell you what they love about you, or their favorite characteristic about you. Then you tell your child what you love about them, or your favorite characteristic about them.

Your intuitive eating journey can become a way to bond with your child. The two of you can work on your journey together, making it a family affair.

So remember, don’t go on this journey alone! Include your child and teach them about your journey. You never know, they might teach you a few things too.

If you would like more guidance on how to teach mindful eating to your kids, come join my free training Mindful Eating for Families: A Parent Class with Megrette Fletcher, RD. Sign up for notification on when the next class is available here.

Do You Plate Your Meals?

Think about this: When it’s time to eat, do you put your food on your plate and sit down and eat a full meal, or do you stand at the counter and pick at different foods until you feel you’re satisfied?

If you associate more with the latter question, you are not alone.

I have had a number of clients come to me feeling they are not worthy of a full meal. Because of their weight, they do not think they deserve to really enjoy their meal and eat in a pleasant environment, free of distractions.

This is just not true. Let’s take a look back to your past and figure out where this habit started.

Is it something you saw family members engaging in?

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

Do you think you are undeserving of a good meal because of what you weight?

No matter where this habit was formed, there is something you should realize. You deserve a proper meal, every meal of the day, every day. You deserve to sit down and enjoy your meal and savor each bite.

Plating Your Meals Throughout the Day

Many of my clients use the excuse of always being on-the-go or busy at work as their reason for not plating each meal, but that doesn’t have to be the case.

Even if you’re not at home, you can still have a good meal.

Instead of eating breakfast in the car, wake up a few minutes early and sit at the table to enjoy your breakfast. Those few extra minutes will make a big difference in the way your body feels.

Instead of eating lunch in the car or at your desk, find a table nearby to sit and enjoy yourself. You can do this by going to a restaurant for lunch, going to your office cafeteria, or sitting on a park bench. Your meal times can be a good time to reflect and really tune into what your body is telling you.

Plating Your Meal at Dinner

Here are a few simple ways you can start working on plating your meals and sitting down for dinner:

Treat yourself to a well-balanced, proper dinner at your own table. Make it a point to finish cooking, plate your food and sit down at the table.

Put a nice table cloth on your dining table. This will make your environment more enjoyable.

Use a nice plate instead of a paper plate. Again, this will enhance the environment of your meal.

Savor your meal. 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 most of your meals throughout the day will help you feel more satisfied and you won’t find yourself reaching for a snack an hour later. You will also become more relaxed as you can use that time to reflect on how your body feels and clear your mind.

Your Turn to Take Action: For dinner tonight, make it a point to plate your meal. Let me know how your experience was in the comments below. I would love to hear from you!

If you are interested in starting on the intuitive eating journey, you can contact me here.

Confused Where to Get Reliable Nutrition Info?

It seems like everywhere you look there is new information on how to eat, what to eat and when to eat. These are usually followed by promises of weight loss, younger looking skin or to give you more energy. These claims are all over the internet and in magazines showing you what celebrities eat in order to look their best.

Do you get overwhelmed by all of it?

I know I do.

Those same people making the claims may say “if it worked for me, it can work for you!” But how do they know that’s true? Cutting out all carbs, going paleo, low-fat or high-protein diets will not give you the same results as someone else. First of all, many of these “diets” that are promoted are not healthy. They encourage you to cut out entire food groups or follow strict rules, which are usually followed by feelings of guilt if you break them.

The million dollar question is. “Where are they getting this nutritional information from?”

Is it some person who decided to eat these certain foods, lost a few pounds and now claims to be a “diet expert”? Or is it coming from a registered dietitian or other health care professional?

Before taking nutrition advice from anyone, look to see what their credentials are. If they are not a certified nutritionist, registered dietitian or other qualified nutrition specialist, think twice about listening to their advice. Doctors do, and can, give nutrition advice but they have had minimal education on nutrition. They have the right ideas, in regards to nutrition, but they do not always know the smartest and healthiest way to get you there.

Always seek out advice from professionals with credentials and advanced education in nutrition because truth is, nutrition information can be confusing. It’s a science that changes often.

There is no one diet that fixes everything for everyone. Especially with all the information in the media claiming that you should go gluten-free, sugar-free or preservative-free making it impossible to decide what is actually healthy.

You should definitely check with a registered dietitian or your doctor before starting any diet that has to do with “curing” a serious health problem. There are many holistic and nutritional approaches to curing certain diseases and illnesses but not all of them work. If you want to try these, continue your usual medication and inform your health care professional about them.

Since you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re looking for another way. Another way to get your nutrition information and a way to stop dieting.

I can help you with both.

As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I can provide you with correct and useful nutritional information. But, while more nutrition information may be helpful, that may not be what you need right now.

Take a look at where you are on your body love journey. Are you done with dieting? If so, intuitive eating may be your next step.

Intuitive eating is not a diet.

Intuitive eating will help you change your relationship with food; it is all about listening to your inner body’s signals and learning to re-trust your body once again! By listening to what your body wants and needs, you will be well nourished, your body will be happy and you’ll release excess weight.

Why will your body be happy? Because on your intuitive eating journey, you can eat whole, nutritious foods while still enjoying your favorite foods from time to time.

If you are looking to start on the intuitive eating journey, you can contact me here.

How to Slow Down the Pace of Eating

In today’s fast paced society it’s only natural that we rush around trying to get everything done before the day is over. You rush to work, school, and everywhere else you have to go. While moving fast may be a necessity for you, eating fast can be detrimental to your health and body.

Did you know that eating your meals quickly can actually lead to overeating and weight gain?

Think back to your last meal… did you inhale it or take the time to enjoy every bite? How long do you think it took you to finish your meal? If it’s less than 20 minutes then keep reading.

Don’t worry you’re not alone, most people devour their meals in about 5 minutes. They put a forkful of food in their mouths and before they even swallow, the next forkful is ready to go. Do you do this too?

When you do this you’re not savoring your meal and you’re not being mindful as you eat. Slowing down as you eat will allow you to really taste every bite and get the most satisfaction out of the meal as possible.

Eating quickly also prevents you from eating until you are comfortably satisfied because you don’t pay attention to your inner fullness signals, instead you eat until the food is gone. It takes the brain 20 minutes to realize that your stomach is full. If you eat fast you can completely miss that fullness cue and you can overeat. It can even cause bloating, gas and heartburn.

In a Japanese study of over 3,000 people, both male and female, those who ate quickly until they were completely full were three times more likely to be overweight than those who ate slower.

Slow down your eating by:

Setting an allotted 30 minutes to sit down and have a good meal
Putting your fork and knife down between bites
Chewing slowly
Using your non-dominant hand to hold the fork
Eating with someone else
Eat without distractions (meaning no T.V. or Phone)

Challenge yourself

Set the timer on your phone and see how long it normally takes you to finish a meal. It might be 5 minutes and you might think that stretching it out to 20 is impossible. It’s not! Continue to use the tips above every time you sit to eat to help lengthen your meal minute by minute. Before long, you will be eating slower and using your inner fullness signals to guide you when to stop. And, you’ll enjoy your meal a whole lot better.

Comment below and let me know how this goes for you!

Can I Fail on My Intuitive Eating Journey?

I was thinking about a conversation I had with a new client a few weeks ago. She was really fed up with dieting and was looking for a solution to help her finally be at peace with food and her body. We talked about the process of intuitive eating and it resonated with her greatly, but she had one big fear: would she fail at this process, like she failed at dieting?

Her fear of failure was initially holding her back from saying yes to embarking on the intuitive eating process. So we talked about that fear and one of the things I helped her to understand is that you cannot fail at intuitive eating.

You see, dieting is something you go on and you go off. Dieting is what actually triggers overeating. Dieting is what causes the feelings of failure.

With intuitive eating, there is no failure. Intuitive eating is this process where you’re learning to become an intuitive eater, which is an ability you are born with. That ability is already within you. Every step along the path, is a lesson learned. Every experience you have will be another lesson learned.

So what you might have thought of as a “failure” or “setback” on your diet, is now going to be thought of as a lesson learned. Its growth and progress.

If you can view the process of intuitive eating from this place, a place of growth, a place of learning new things and new experiences, it will help propel you forward towards reclaiming being an intuitive eater. Here you will realize that you will always learn something from the process and you will never fail.

Once my client realized that she is not embarking on another diet, she realized she cannot fail on this journey. This process is not something that ends. You learn to live as an intuitive eater, it’s a practice.

And so when there is no endpoint, there’s no failure and no fear that’s attached to that.

Once she was able to let go of that fear, she was able to say “YES, let’s do this. Let’s go on this journey together so I can reclaim being an intuitive eater”. She’s on that journey now and really enjoying it.

I say the same to you.

There are lessons learned in every experience you have on this intuitive eating journey.

If you come upon an obstacle or you think you have fallen off the wagon, let’s change that thought process and just think of it as a lesson learned that’s given you growth so you can continue along your journey.

As always, if you need me, I am here.

Chocolate Doesn’t Solve Your Problems

Life is hard sometimes, wouldn’t you say? Things can be going along wonderfully and then all of a sudden BAM, you get hit in the face with a situation that you are not quite ready for. What I’ve learned in my life is firstly that this is just a part of life. We become better people when we go through tough situations and we learn from them. And, secondly, I’ve learned that food (and for most people…chocolate) does not make the problem go away.

Now, I know you are reading this and perhaps you are saying “you are wrong Bonnie, chocolate makes it all better”.

And, to that I say, it makes it all better for the moment you are in your empty body, stuffing the chocolate in your mouth, pushing your feelings down deeper and deeper. But now, the chocolate is gone and what are you left with?

THE PAIN! The pain of still dealing with the difficult feelings you had originally, AND the pain of the GUILT of bingeing on chocolate and the PHYSICAL PAIN of eating too much of it.

So, what are you to do when you just don’t want to deal with the situation that has presented to you in your life?

You SUCK IT UP AND DEAL WITH IT!

WITHOUT. THE. CHOCOLATE.

Yes, I know that sounds harsh, and I don’t mean to be harsh. But it’s just a part of life. You are here on my blog reading my articles, following my work because you want help. You want and need someone to say to you “let’s learn how to deal with your emotions and difficult situations in life without using food. Because food is not the answer.”

Here are 2 steps for you to take immediately so you can learn how to turn away from the chocolate when feeling down:

Step 1: Make a list of the situations and/or emotions that cause you to turn to chocolate (or any food for that matter).

Step 2: Click on this link to request to speak to me so I can help you craft a plan to overcome emotional eating.

I look forward to speaking with you soon!

There’s No All or Nothing in Intuitive Eating

I recently had a client share her success story. Let’s call her Susan. Susan was at an office party when two delicious looking cakes were served. She knew she wouldn’t be able to resist trying the cakes, so she took a small piece of each on her plate. She ate a few bites of the chocolate cake, then a few bites of the white cream cake, and something amazing happened!

She didn’t feel the need to eat more! She was shocked. She was practicing mindfulness around her eating and she savored each bite and she was satisfied before she polished off both pieces.

This. Never. Happened. To. Her. Before.

How did she do this you ask?

By using the intuitive eating strategies that I am teaching her, she is learning to move away from the all or nothing way of thinking. She didn’t feel guilty for indulging in a food she wanted. She has made peace with food and has reaped the benefits which is showing up in so many ways in her life.

Had she found herself in this scenario a few months ago before we began working together, the outcome would have been different. The all or nothing thinking is part of a diet mentality and usually leads to overeating, followed by guilt, unhappiness, dieting, restriction, overeating etc. It’s a vicious cycle.

Intuitive eating is tuning into what your body wants, even if it’s a slice of cake, and giving it what it wants. If you listen to your body, you won’t feel the need to overeat and have guilt afterwards. Your body will be happy it can enjoy the foods it wants.

You may be asking yourself, “How do I get myself to this point?” The answer is to change your mindset. You have to step away from the diet mentality of restricting certain foods or entire food groups.

The way to make peace with food is to give yourself unconditional permission to eat what you want. I know, this sounds like an opportunity to eat uncontrollably. And to be honest with you, some people use it as an excuse to do just that.

It’s a process my dear readers. It does not happen overnight. Those who work through the process with the support, encouragement, positive attitude and patience are the ones who will experience what Susan did. The intuitive eating process can help you transform your relationship with food, where you end the battle with food and your body and achieve great pleasure in eating once again.

Here are two steps you can take today to become and intuitive eater and change your mindset:

Commit to saying goodbye to the dieting mindset! It is time to recognize that you can have your cake and eat it too. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Start tuning in and listening to your body. Your body gives you signals when it starts to get hungry and full. Tune into these signals to know when and what you should feed your body. You’ll learn to eat what your body craves without overeating.

I am here to help you embark on this journey and break out of the dieting mindset.

If you’d like further individualized support, just fill out this risk free request form at www.TalkWithBonnie.com.

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