Mindful eating do's and don'ts

If you experience great emotional stress around the holiday season, you are not alone.
Here are some reasons why the holidays can be so stressful when it come to food:

• Fear of weight gain.
• Too many food items available.
• Guilt around indulging.
• Feeling weak or out of control.
• Stress and anxiety.
• Uncomfortable being seen eating food.
• Pressure or comments when eating.
• Worry of offending others.
• Struggling with "normal" food portions.
• Remarks about body weight/size.
• Inability to recognize fullness.
• Eating on another person's schedule.

Having tools to manage triggers and unhealthy thoughts can help you maintain a healthy relationship with food and the body so you can fully enjoy the holidays.

Here are a few tips to help you maintain a healthy relationship with food and your body:

An easy tip for deciding what to eat

Yesterday we drove 2.5 hours (one-way) to watch my favorite comedian, @natebargatze, perform in Evans, GA. We laughed for 2 hours. If you don't know who Nate is, check out his two Netflix specials, his Amazon prime special and his Washington's Dream skit on SNL.

We left early for the 7pm show so that we could have dinner in Evans. We love different cuisines and I was excited to find an Indian restaurant called Namaste Indian Street food.

Prior to ordering, I asked myself "What do I want and what do I need?"

🍴I needed a satiating meal that would leave me satisfied for the next 4.5 hours (show + drive home).
🍴I needed a meal that would allow me to focus on the show and not feel hungry or lethargic.
🍴I needed a meal that would leave me feeling comfortable during 4.5 hours of sitting.

🍴I wanted a meal that felt nutritious. I've done very little intentional exercise this week (30 minutes of swimming yesterday) to let my body fully recover from a massive season of training and racing.
🍴I wanted a meal that would make my taste buds happy.
🍴I wanted a meal that I've never had before.
🍴I wanted a meal that reflected the local cuisine.

We shared a basket of garlic Naan and regular Naan and a mango lassi sweet drink. I ordered the ragada veg patties. Karel had the chicken biriyani. The food was incredible. I could not stop wowing over the different spices, flavors and textures.

Karel's dish

My dish

As a Board Certified Sports Dietitian and endurance triathlete, I believe that you are the expert of your body. Rather than relying on an external sense of what you should or shouldn't eat (ex. diet, food rules, body image, etc.), eating should be a satisfying, enjoyable and empowering experience based on what you need and what you want.

Breaking the holiday restrict-binge cycle

The holiday season is here and it's filled with family, friends and.....food. 

Without a doubt, food is a significant component of every holiday. For anyone who suffers from an eating disorder or an unhealthy relationship with food and the body, this can be a challenging time of the year. 

You may not realize it but the holidays bring several triggers that could lead to disordered eating and exercising behaviors. Often times, stress, overwhelm, people pleasing, travel, toxic relationships/family members, uncomfortable conversations and finances can bring on uncomfortable feelings. In order to lessen those emotions, it's easy to resort to food restriction (or dieting).

And with restriction often comes binge eating. Overeating from time to time does not mean that you have a binge eating disorder. Fundamentally, binge eating is different from overeating. 

Signs and symptoms of binge eating include: 

• Eating a large amount of food in a short period of time (ex. over 2 hours)
• Frequent episodes of eating more than what may be considered a normal amount of food. 
• Binging as a way of coping with unwanted feelings, stress and anxiety. 
• Eating beyond fullness. 
• Feeling that your eating behavior is out of control. 
• Eating large amounts of food without being physically hungry. 
• Feelings of guilt, sadness, distress, worthlessness after not being able to control eating.

In our society, a lot of shame comes from eating too much whereas restriction is viewed as being good - having willpower, discipline and control. Despite stigmas and societal beliefs, binging (or overeating) isn't from lack of willpower or discipline. Binge eating is a common result of restriction. In other words, the solution to avoid binge eating is to eat more. 

If you ever find yourself binge eating or over eating, there's a good chance that you are intentionally - or unintentionally - restricting your food intake. This can occur from not eating enough, skipping meals (ex. breakfast, lunch), going long hours without eating, restricting carbs, eliminating food groups or specific foods or overexercising. 

Your body is constantly trying to protect you. For example, to keep your body from overheating, your body will initiate sweating. When you have a fever, your body may use 'chills' to boost core temperature to kill off a virus. The body is no different when it comes to responding to restriction. If you don't eat enough early in the day (or you don't fuel well during a long workout), your body is going to beg for what it missed out on. Our biology is hardwired to protect us against starvation. And if your body has ever experienced starvation trauma, it's likely to overreact any time you undereat. 

Because most people don't worry about where their next meal is coming from (10% of US households are food insecure due to low income, poverty or unemployment), if you have ever been on a diet or intentionally restricted food, this can be viewed as self-imposed starvation. And your body doesn't care if you don't have the ability or access to food or you are trying to intentionally lose weight. If your body senses an extreme caloric deficit, it's going to react by trying to protect you. 

The restrict-binge cycle can not be broken with food rules or willpower. The only way to reduce the risk of binging is to stop the restriction. 

Saving calories - Starving your body of calories so that you can "make room" for a large holiday meal will lead to overeating. Instead of saving your calories, see your meal as just another meal. Go into the meal feeling slightly hungry by eating well-balanced meals and snacks throughout the day, starting with a healthy breakfast. By arriving to you meal slightly hungry, you will eat in a controlled manner, making a conscious decision about what and how much you want to eat. 

Get in tune with your hunger scale - Despite being born with an exceptional intutive sense of your bodies physiological needs, you may have lost the ability to detect and respond to signals of hunger and fullness. Not surprisingly, disordered eating behaviors and a restrict-binge cycle can negatively impact your ability to properly feel fullness and hunger. A hunger scale can help with eating-related decisions as you practice body awareness. 


Begin eating your meal around 3-4 on the hunger scale and to finish your meal at 5 or 6. Give yourself time to chew and digest your food as the hunger scale can quickly (or slowly) change throughout the eating experience. 

Stop depriving yourself - Where there is excess there is usually deprivation. Similar to a feast-or-famine cycle found in people living with food insecurity, if you forbid yourself from eating certain foods and then give yourself permission to eat when food is abundant, you may find yourself feeling out of control. This was well-documented in the well-known, unethical Minnesota Starvation Experiment. Restrictive eating only increases the desire for the forbidden foods. When these "off-limit" foods are finally available (and allowed), there's a good chance that you will overeat. 

Mindful Eating - You will enjoy food the most when you are slightly hungry. Food always tastes the best on the first bite. There's a point when food no longer tastes as good as it was. By staying in tune with your eating, you can determine when you are finished eating. Eating should be a positive, joyful, comforting and feel-good experience. Aim to feel better after you eat than before you started. 

References: 
https://www.rosewoodranch.com/binge-eating-signs-symptoms/
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-charting-the-essentials/food-security-and-nutrition-assistance/#:~:text=The%20prevalence%20of%20food%20insecurity,had%20very%20low%20food%20security.
https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/blog/i-cant-tell-when-im-full
https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/135/6/1347/4663828

Should you become an intuitive eater?

Mindful eating. Intuitive eating. Both approaches are used by Anti-Diet and Health at Every Size dietitians. While these two eating approaches complement each other, there are some important differences.

Intuitive eating is a framework created by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch based on their work with eating disorder recovery. They are most known for the 10 principles of intuitive eating, which center around making peace with food, rejecting the diet mentality and to learn how to develop a healthier relationship with food. Intuitive eating goes beyond the eating experience to encourage people to change their relationship with food and the body.

Mindful eating is awareness that arises from paying attention, eating with purpose, eating non-judgmentally and being in the present moment. Mindful eating encourages you to use your senses in choosing to eat food that is satisfying and nourishing to you and your body. It means you acknowledge your likes, dislikes and neutral responses to food - without judgement. Mindful eating requires you to be aware of your hunger and satiety cues to help guide your food and eating related decisions.

Regardless which approach appeals to you the most, it's important to recognize that these are not diet plans. There are no rules but instead, principles to help you develop a healthier relationship with food and your body. 

In our appearance-body focused culture, it's easy to slip into unhealthy or disordered eating practices, often as a way to manipulate the look of your body or to feel a sense of control. Intuitive and mindful eating challenge rigid "diet" principles and all-or-nothing thinking. 

Learning to eat more intuitively - or mindfully - can help you honor your body and mind, tune in to your body, identify hunger/satisfaction cues and free up brain space that is wastefully spending too much time overthinking calories and bad food. In turn, positive benefits include greater life satisfaction and eating/exercising with gratitude instead of guilt.

Although you may find a diet plan or off-limit food list helpful to take away the guessing, the best style of eating for you is one that you can maintain for the entirety of your life. It takes time, compassion and patience to learn how to listen, honor and respect your body with food - but it will be worth it with a healthy life well-lived. If you have been following food rules for a very long time, mindful/intuitive eating can be viewed as a path of self-discovery, helping you learn  how to eat for pleasure and enjoyment while also meeting the needs of your body and mind. 

A note for athletes....
A major component of mindful and intuitive eating is learning how to honor your hunger and fullness. While this sounds simple, if you have struggled with your relationship with food for some time, you may not know what hunger and satisfaction feel like. Additionally, hunger cues may be blunted after intense, hot or high volume training. Your appetite may be nonexistent when you are nervous. Only eating when you feel hungry and stopping eating when you feel full may cause you to undereat and fall short of your total energy needs. As athletes, there are instances when you need to eat even when you don't feel hungry and times when you shouldn't eat what you want to eat, when you feel hungry. For example, honoring your food cravings when you are cycling or running may lead to GI issues. 

For endurance athletes, there are many times when we need to override what our body is telling us and then there are times when we need to listen. Logically, there are going to be times when you need to mechanically eat, even when your body doesn't "feel" hungry. 
Fueling your body, eating foods you enjoy and nourishing your body are all acts of self-care. 

Learning to eat more intuitively and mindfully can help you improve your relationship with food, your body....and athletic performance. To help you get started, here are a few tips....

• Stop dieting and treating food as the enemy. No more feeling deprived, "earning" your calories or terming foods good or bad. 
• Create a flexible balance between foods you enjoy, a nutrient-dense diet and foods that fuel your training. Use rational, not rigid thinking to help with food planning. 
• Be present. Plan your meals in advance. Make time to eat. Slow down when you eat. Truly enjoy the food choices that you make. 

For more nutrition, health, wellness and lifestyle tips and delicious nutritious recipes, subscribe to our free weekly newsletter HERE.

Fear of indulgence

Food is often viewed as a tool to manipulate the look of the body.

From a very young age, diet tricks, hacks and tips are introduced as a way to change the way that you look, to improve health or to gain control over eating. While some of these strategies can be helpful, many are unhealthy and sometimes hazardous to your health and well-being.

When food goes from being pleasurable and nourishing to serving as the primary method to manipulate body composition, you no longer have a healthy relationship with food. Your thoughts about food matter. Seeing food as an enemy can make it difficult for you to eat for fuel and nourishment.

In our diet-crazed society, constantly eating too little, eating too much and always eating with fear (or guilt) can cause serious mental and physical health issues. Undereating and a cycle of restriction and binging can have serious mental effects, especially when this style of eating becomes a way of life.

This is the time of the year when it's so easy to make unhealthy decisions with food. But I'm not talking about devouring a dozen pieces of Halloween candy in one sitting.

I'm talking about dieting. Although a diet may look appealing before the holiday season, a diet is nothing more than a temporary style of eating - it's rapid, extreme and it provides temporary results.

To improve your relationship with food and to eat more mindfully around the holidays, here are a few tips:

• Don't be locked down to one style of eating - Having freedom with your eating choices will keep you from the overindulging and binging that often occurs from food restriction.
  
  
• Have a plan - It sounds so simple but if you have a plan as to how you will navigate holiday parties and events, you will be more likely to feel in control over your food choices. It's encouraged to include some treats in your plan as this strategy teaches you how to indulge responsibly.
  
  
• Don't exclude, include - Trying to control/limit calories in order to save room for the off-limit, bad or calorie dense foods will always backfire. It has and it always will. When a holiday meal (or dessert) is in your near future, do not skip meals and snacks. Go into the meal with good intentions and stable blood sugar from eating regularly throughout the day.
  
  
• Think long term, not short - Short term thinking is why you may feel like a failure when you indulge. This is no way to live your life. Instead, think long term. Indulging responsibly a few times throughout the year will not compromise health. Far too many people become irrational around the holidays, assuming that the only way to survive the holidays (or to feel better after a big meal) is to diet/restrict.

The holidays are a special time of the year to be around family and friends.

Not a time for deprivation, restriction and dieting.

Mindful eating is a learned habit and once achieved, it makes it possible to enjoy the holiday season without guilt, anxiety or fear - while indulging in your favorite meals, treats and desserts.

To help heal the destructive relationship that you have with food and your body, check out more assignments like the one above in The Whole Athlete course.

The 5's of mindful holiday eating

For athletes, social eating at holiday parties family gatherings and end-of-the-year events can be challenging. Even with the best intentions, it can be difficult to stay consistent with nutritious eating when you are overwhelmed by so many calorie-rich food choices. No need to skip your work holiday party, the family cookie-swap, your child's holiday function or your team social. Here are a few tips to help you feel good about your eating choices and improve your relationship with food.

1. Sit down - Instead of eating standing up, put food on a plate, sit down and focus on the present moment. You will enjoy your food much more when you give eating your full attention.  
2. Slow down - Intentionally chew slower than normal.  When you eat slowly, you will notice your food and enjoy it much more. 
3. Savor - Enjoy every bite. Use all of your senses and eat without distractions. Remind yourself that the first bite is always the most flavorful. 
4. Simplify - Create an environment where you can maintain a great relationship with food. Prioritize foods that make you feel good and that you love. 
5. Smile - Be grateful for the food that you get to eat. Take note of your fullness level - eat until you are satisfied. 

For many athletes, body image dissatisfaction is heightened during the holiday season. For athletes with a history of dieting, eating disorders or disordered eating, holiday eating may trigger uncomfortable feelings, emotions and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Remind yourself that you are allowed to indulge responsibly and feel great about it - and still feel/be healthy. Give yourself permission to enjoy foods that make your tummy smile.

Mindful (Tr)eating: It's no trick!

Happy Halloween!!

Does the thought or sight of candy leave you anxious, worried or guilty?

To fully enjoy what you eat, you need to be present and in the moment. This is where mindfulness comes in handy. Mindful eating takes practice but you can learn a lot about your emotions, food choices and break some bad habits.

Mindful eating is eating with intention, awareness and pleasure. Because most treats or indulgences are not rich in nutrients, we eat them for pleasure or enjoyment. The key word here is enjoy. I'm here to tell you that you can still eat a healthy and nutritious diet with sweets and treats. When you eat what you love, you should also feel good about what you eat. This will help you feel more satisfied with your food selections so you don't overindulge. You will learn how to slow down and savor your food.

To help you get started, I’m going to walk you through a mindful chocolate eating exercise. This was taught to me during dietetic internship during one of my rotations. With an overload of Halloween candy at your house or office, now is the perfect time to learn how to indulge more mindfully.

The ultimate goal is to eat less mindlessly and to fully enjoy the experience of indulging - without going overboard.

Through this exericse, you get to identify what treats bring you joy and satisfaction and what treats you want to pass on because, well they don't make you happy. When you treat yourself, be selective. You want to indulge in foods that are truly satisfying. If something causes you a stomach ache or you just don’t care for it, don’t eat it. Say NO thank you.

The important thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong way to do this exercise. Enjoy (and don't forget to yum!)

5 athlete tips for mindful holiday eating

For athletes, social eating at holiday parties can be difficult, especially as you try to nourish and fuel your body to support your training sessions. Even with the best intentions, it can be tough to stick to your eating plan when you are overwhelmed by so many delicious choices.  Because it would be wrong to skip your work holiday party, your child's holiday function or your team end of the year social, here are a few tips to help you feel good about your eating choices, despite all the large meals, alcoholic beverages and mouthwatering deserts. 

1. Don't workout just for the calorie burn- Thinking beyond performance, your workout is also a proven stress reliever, self-esteem booster, energy giver and endorphin pusher. With so much going on, don't put yourself last. Because it's very easy to eat mindlessly, out of boredom, stress or emotions, remind yourself that eating is for enjoyment, but also for nourishment and for fuel. Make sure you are not training/exercising to give yourself permission to overindulge at your holiday meal.
2. Don't skip meals - Athletes feel and perform the best when they eat every 2-3 hours. Going too long without eating will result in overeating. Starting with breakfast, make sure you are eating every few hours, with substantial meals and snacks to keep you satisfied throughout the day. If you want to "save" a few hundred calories, swap out processed snacks for vegetables. In the big picture, eating a few hundred extra calories here and there over the month of December will not negatively affect your health, performance or body composition.
3. Be choosy with choices - With so many options, you may find yourself with larger-then-normal servings. You may even go back for a second or third helping. Before serving yourself, take a look at all the options. Instead of trying a little of everything, select your top favorites. If there's a food that you can eat anytime, pass on it. Yum over the occasional eats that you can only find but once a year. Make sure to include nutrient dense options on your plate and eat until you feel 80% satisfied, not 110% stuffed. A good trick is to eat as if you are about to workout in the next 2 hours (as an example). Eat enough, but not too much.
4. Eat slowly - Sit down and truly enjoy what you are eating. As you hold a conversation with others, make sure you aren't inhaling your food without even tasting it. Eat with intention, purpose and gratitude. Make sure to drink water as you are eating to help with digestion. Position yourself far away from the food table as you'll think less about all the food and you'll have to put in that extra effort to go back to the food table.
5. Don't go into a meal starving - Do yourself a favor and eat before you eat. You're more likely to make better choices and eat less when you have a small snack (or even a meal) in the 30-90 minutes before your holiday event. When planning your pre-party meal or snack, consider the food options that will be available at your event and compliment those foods. Considering that most holiday parties are loaded with alcoholic drinks, sweet treats and carb-dense buffet-style appetizers and meals, consider a salad with a protein of your choice as your pre-meal snack. 

For many athletes, food anxieties and weight stress are heightened during the holiday season. For athletes with a history of dieting, eating disorders or disordered eating, holiday eating may trigger uncomfortable feelings, emotions and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Remind yourself that you are allowed to indulge responsibly and feel great about it. Give yourself permission to enjoy foods that you love. Make sure you don't get into a habit of developing rules or an off-limit food list during the holidays (or in the month of January) for food rules and "bad" food lists often pave the way to a vicious cycle of restriction - overeating. 

4 tips for a satisfying Thanksgiving feast

Overeating and overdrinking. This doesn't sound healthy, right?

For many, Thanksgiving is a day to surround yourself with family and friends, all while consuming a smorgasbord of food in a short period of time. Although "a day of giving thanks for the blessings of the harvest and of the preceding year", Thanksgiving is a holiday that makes it socially acceptable to binge eat. Regardless if you have a meat or vegan feast, Thanksgiving is known to be the holiday in which you have the permission to indulge and eat with reckless abandon.

But knowing how binge eating and overeating makes you feel, is it really worth it to eat until you are stuffed on Thanksgiving? 

Maybe because I've spent the last 25 Thanksgiving's as a vegetarian, but this holiday doesn't make me think "food" but instead, "family." I think back to many Thanksgiving holidays with my mom and dad, brother, aunt, uncle, cousin and grandparents and it was always a fun time to catch up with everyone as it's difficult to find time in the year to get everyone together. Thanksgiving was always the day when we could count on a holiday gathering. And with my dad no longer with us, Thanksgiving is a holiday that brings back many memories with my dad.

For any individual who adheres to a restrictive (or low calorie/macronutrient) diet, Thanksgiving can be tough. When typical food restrictions are pushed to the side, it's easy to overeat on foods that have been previously off-limit. Thanksgiving is not just a "one day" feast as the entire holiday season is surrounded by food - there's not question why so many people feel the need to diet come January 1st.

Whether you plan to eat until satisfied or eat until stuffed, I find it important to eat mindfully so that you can have an enjoyable Thanksgiving experience.

1. Don't "make room" for your feast - Starving yourself all day so that you can eat more at meal time will lead to overeating. When you are anticipating your feast because of your hungry/empty belly, there's a good chance that you will eat fast, taking on more helpings than you need and inhaling all of your food in less than 15 minutes. Instead of saving up for the big meal, go into your feast well nourished by eating small nutritious mini meals every few hours, starting with a healthy breakfast. The best part about eating is feeling better after you eat than before you started. By arriving to you meal slightly hungry, you will eat in a controlled manner, making a conscious decision about what and how much you want to eat.
   
2. Use the hunger scale - I love the idea of using a hunger/fullness scale to help you check in with yourself before your feast and during your feast. Because many people are not well trained to eat mindfully, a scale can help you identify where you are at with your eating decisions. I suggest to start your feast around 3-4 on the hunger scale and to finish your meal at 5-6.  If desserts are the mouth-watering highlights of your feast, I recommend to finish your dessert portions around 6-7. Give yourself time to digest the food that you have consumed before going in for seconds. If something is "oh so good" on Thanksgiving, plan to have your second portion on Friday. You may even enjoy your second helping even more the next day!
   
   
3. Choose wisely - Anytime a food is off-limit, it becomes very appealing when you allow yourself to eat "just a bite" of it. With so many different food choices available, it's easy to overeat on everything, even if you don't like the taste of something. It's recommended to serve yourself so that you are in control of what and how much you eat. You can practice mindful eating by observing food before you serve it to yourself and pay attention to any emotional reactions to the food. For me personally, I like "homecooked over store bought." Unless you just love gravy from a jar or instant mashed potatoes, make your food decisions based on the story behind the food, the smells, textures and presentation. If you aren't sure what you will like to eat, start with small portions so that you can take note of what excites your taste buds and if you really love something, go back for another small portion.
   
4. Savor your food - Have you ever noticed that food becomes less appealing as you become more full? Does food suddenly become unappetizing when you are stuffed? Eat slowly so that you can really taste and enjoy your food. You may find that the pumpkin pie with vanilla bean ice cream was calling your name all day but after two delicious bites, the pie became "too sweet." There will come a point in your feast when eating is no longer enjoyable......don't let yourself get there. Be thankful for what you have for many are without. 

Surviving Thanksgiving as an athlete

For an athlete-in-training, there are many challenges around the holidays, especially when it comes to staying consistent with training and healthy eating. Your frustration is not well-understood by your non-athlete family members but your training buddies understand that a routine disruption disrupts your goals and makes it difficult to get back on track. 

So what's an athlete to do? 

Do you put your training on hold and say "oh well" to healthy eating, every time there is a disruption to your routine? 

Do you become stubborn with your ways and begin to remove the distractions from your life, even if it means pushing away your family and close friends....maybe even quitting your job, because it takes up a lot of your time and energy?

What's an athlete to do.

While it's not necessary to put your training on hold for an extended period of time or avoid your family in order to get in every minute of your prescribed workout, it's important that you see any disruption, like a holiday, as a great opportunity to enjoy a little downtown and change up your normal routine. 

Here are a few tips to make the most out of your Thanksgiving break. 

MINDFUL EATING TIPS

1. Create a better internal dialogue in your head when you are eating, especially as it relates to your body and food. 

2. Trust your body. Tune into your true signals of hunger and satisfaction as a way to guide you through your holiday feast. 

3. Treat yourself to family, don't make the holidays just about food. Enjoy your time around your loved ones or if you are alone, call up an old friend or volunteer and help out those in need. 

4. Slow down and taste your food. Appreciate the aroma, presentation, flavor and texture of your food - real food and store bought. Share a story if a dish reminds you of something happy. 

5. Love what you eat. The first few bites of anything should always taste amazing. If you don't love it, don't eat it. 

WORKOUT TIPS

1. Get it done early, but not too early. Enjoy waking up without an alarm but if you can squeeze in a workout before your day gets busy, you'll find yourself energized and you won't have to deal with the guilt that comes with removing yourself from family time, just to train. 

2. Loosen up. It's ok if you have to modify a set or reduce the volume. Heck, skip a workout if you want to! Prioritize the workouts that give you the most payback for your investment at this phase of training. A few modified workouts over the holidays will not affect your race performance in September. 

3. Keep training fun. Participate in a Turkey Trot, exercise with your kids, go for a hike or set up a local group workout. Do something each day that is good for your mind and body. 

4. Be efficient with your time. Indoor workouts provide a great bang for your buck as you can get in a quality workout, with minimal distractions. 

5. Communicate. Now more than ever is the time to communicate with your family. You may be surprised that if you tell your family/kids on Wednesday, that on Friday you will be gone from 8:30-10:30 for a workout, they won't care about your absence. But if you tell them last minute, they may be upset that you are suddenly leaving them, which then leaves you with guilt, if you get in your workout. 

NUTRITION TIPS

1. Don't skip meals throughout the day. Excessively restricting calories or an entire food group (ex. carbohydrates) will likely lead to overeating at your upcoming feast. Instead, focus on small meals throughout the day, eating every few hours. Prioritize higher fiber, natural food options like fruits and veggies at your meals. Don't forget to stay hydrated - with water, of course. 

2. Do not go into your big meal with a starving belly. Plan a healthy snack around 45-60 minutes before your meal. Options like apple slices and pistachios, deli meat and lettuce wraps, celery sticks with cheese or a few almonds with figs should take the edge off so you don't eat with your eyes when serving yourself. 

3. Fuel your workout. Seeing that there is a good chance that you will workout in the morning, restricting calories around/during your workout is not a permissible strategy to indulge (or to eat more calories) at your upcoming feast. It can actually backfire on you as you will likely be so famished by meal time, that you may eat beyond a feeling of fullness - stuffed and very uncomfortable. Treat your workout like any other day. Fuel smart and hydrate well. And be sure to eat a healthy breakfast after your workout (or Turkey Trot). 

4. Choose wisely. Create a healthy plate of a little of everything. 

5. Indulge wisely. You are not forced to eat everything at your feast but you are allowed to indulge. Choose your favorites and say "no thank you" to the unappealing or familiar options. Share, split and limit yourself to just one. 

It's very easy for athletes to remain rigid around the holidays for a change in the normal routine (training or eating) can bring anxiety or a feeling of loss of control. 

In the big picture, a few days away from your normal routine may be a good thing. Don't stress and enjoy yourself. The holidays are a wonderful time to give thanks to your body, to your friends and to your family.
Be sure to tell those around you how much you appreciate them for putting up with you.....I mean, supporting you, throughout the year.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Don't forget to yum!

Mindful eating part IV: Body image

In sports like running and triathlons, there will always be a focus on body composition and for many athletes, a desire to be leaner.

Specific to running economy, speed and aerobic capabilities, leanness in athletes, as it relates to performance improvements, is a topic that will never go away.

There's nothing wrong with athletes seeking weight loss, a decrease in body fat or an increase in lean muscle mass. This could be for aesthetics and self-esteem, to experience and improvement in performance and/or for overall health. 

Every year, I see my body composition change as I prepare for my peak races. But my race weight is unintentional as it is simply the weight on my body that I bring to race day. 

And I don't know that number because I don't weigh myself. 

I have never been against the idea of athletes changing body composition, especially if it improves overall health but there are many ways to improve performance and not always is weight loss the catalyst for performance improvements.

Health is always my number one goal when I work with athletes on nutrition or coaching. So when it comes to performance improvements, related to body composition, my strategy for changing an athlete's body composition involves no extreme strategy except to to make sure that my athletes eat a healthy diet and support their metabolic demands with proper nutrition before, during and after workouts.

Body composition changes can be a direct result of fueling your body properly before, during and after workouts, staying consistent with your training plan, getting good sleep and eating a healthy, balanced diet to support metabolic/energy demands throughout my season.  A change in body composition does not have to require extreme approaches unless you call eating before a workout, fueling during a workout, recovering after a workout and eating a healthy diet throughout the day, extreme.

In my opinion, intentional weight loss strategy like don't eat these foods, don't eat more than this many carbohydrates, fast before workouts or consume less than this many calories during long workouts are unhealthy for athletes. I believe that weight/body changes can occur naturally as a result of making sure that athletes properly fuel and nourish their body at all times.
And guess what, with this approach performance improvements happen naturally as well.

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Athletes are driven. 

They are hard working, a bit stubborn at times and they love consistency.

They strive for improvements and they are willing to make sacrifices and investments in order to experience progress.

When a hard working, driven, disciplined and focused athlete is training for an event, it is normal that body composition will be on the mind of an athlete. Because you see and feel our body, often wrapped tight in spandex, with every aerobic and anaerobic effort, it is normal to assume that a change in body weight and/or body composition may make you feel better when you workout and may improve your training which may improve your race day performances. 

However, athletic performance can not be predicted by a certain weight, body composition or change in weight or body composition. Many times, athletes try to change body weight/composition and performance and/or health declines.

It is important to understand that body composition or weight changes may not be ideal for every athlete and above all, the strategies that athletes employ to change body composition may increase the risk for eating disorder thoughts and behaviors.

For age-group and professional athletes, the very same qualities that help athletes improve fitness in order to be prepared for race day may resemble the traits of athletes who are at risk for an eating disorder.

Athletes are already known to demonstrate extreme behaviors to improve performance so it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that many athletes see extreme eating behaviors as "normal".

BUT......

without the ability to eat mindfully or to maintain a healthy relationship with food, an athlete who seeks body composition changes may have the tendency to restrict too much, with the intention to lose weight quickly and can ultimately carry restrictive or obsessive eating habits throughout the entire training and racing season.

Do you have a healthy relationship with food?

Eating disorders are a serious concern when it comes to athletes as a body that is malnourished or deprived in key nutrients, energy or fluids will not perform well and will certain struggle to remain in good health. You may feel that you are not at risk for an eating disorder but instead, you are following the advice of a professional who is helping you lose weight or change body composition in a "healthy" way in order to improve performance.

Let's consider the basic strategies to improve performance:

-Follow a smart, periodized training plan

-Eat a healthy diet to keep the body in good health

-Fuel for workouts appropriately

-Hydrate the body appropriately 

-Get good sleep

-Stay consistent with training

-Strength train and work on mobility

-Focus on individual development. 

With the most basic strategies, athletes can improve performance and ultimately may experience a positive change in body composition as an unintentional side effect. If body composition changes do not happen, the athlete should not stress as performance gains will likely still occur as you will be racing with a healthy and strong, well trained body. 

Although many great athletes understand and execute these basic strategies and let body changes be a side effect of smart training and fueling, some athletes desire a more extreme approach to eating and training. For the later, it is typical that these athletes have yet to master a healthy relationship with food and may have body image issues.  Using sport nutrition, eating around workouts, planning meals and snacks - many  athletes don't even consider the basics as they want to jump to a more severe, hard core and sexy approach. 

Let's now consider some current eating trends among triathletes:

-Fasting workouts

-Skipping meals/snacks to save calories

-Avoiding carbohydrates around workouts
-Avoiding certain foods termed "bad" like dairy, legumes, nuts and grains

-Low carb diets
-High fat diets

-Intentional dehydration
-Calorie deprivation during workouts

Hmmmm. Those habits sure resemble the habits of dieters who seek rapid weight loss results:
-Fasting
-Skipping meals and snacks
-Avoiding certain foods
-Abiding by an off-limit food list
-Intentional dehydration
-Using energy drinks, energy pills or laxatives
-Extreme calorie deprivation


Let's now explore some of the primary symptoms of eating disorders:
-Intense fear of being fat
-Resistance to maintain a healthy weight
-Inability to recognize (or feel good) in a comfortable at a healthy weight
-Loss of menstrual cycle in women, cardiovascular and hormonal issues in men and women
-Distorted body image
-Feeling out of control with eating behaviors
-Lack of control around food
-Feeling ashamed by eating behaviors
-Extreme concern with body weight/image
-Obsession with calorie counting, weight control and food intake

Now I want you to imagine what happens when you take an athlete who wants to improve performance or/and change body composition, who has yet to master a healthy relationship with food, has never learned how to eat mindfully and has poor body image thoughts and now this athlete consults a professional to help improve performance and/or change body composition and that athlete.

And the professional says "I want you to workout on an empty stomach, don't consume carbohydrates during the workout, only eat x-calories per day, cut back on carbs and avoid these foods. And by following these rules you will lose weight, performance will improve and you will be healthier than ever."

These extreme habits are not helping the athlete tackle his/her primary eating/body issues but only adding fuel to the fire to make unhealthy eating and body image issues even worse. 

Because many athletes seek body composition or weight changes at some point in their athletic career, I can't stress it enough that athletes must focus on their relationship with food before even considering to change body composition.

This entire blog series on mindful eating is dedicating to the athlete who struggles with body image and feels great anxiety, concern or struggles when it comes to food.

I promise that you can reach performance and/or body composition goals with a better relationship with food and your body. And you don't have to follow extreme eating habits.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to change your body composition and not every athlete takes extreme approaches to eating, fueling and training. 

But since we live in a diet-centric culture, you must learn how to eat in a mindful way by not seeing food as good or bad but as nourishment and for fuel.

If you are an athlete who has taken an extreme approach to changing body composition or to improve performance this past year (or for many years in the past), it is time to learn how to eat mindfully.

Consult a professional if you can not do it on your own so that you can make 2016 amazingly great by improving your body image and creating a great, healthy, feel-good relationship with food.

When you master mindful eating you may learn that your entire drive for changing body composition really came from your unhealthy relationship with food or your body image struggles were causing an unhealthy relationship with food.

It is only when you master a healthy relationship with food that you will have a healthier perspective on your body and you will perform better.

It is my hope that through mindful eating and a great relationship with food and your body, that you will experience amazing performance and health improvements and you will stop putting so much energy into changing your body but instead, enjoying what your body can do in training and on race day. 

Mindful eating part III: Indulge responsibly tips

I've spent the last two blogs talking about mindful eating. And I'm not done yet. I still have part IV to combine everything together so that you, the athlete, can fully understand where I am coming from as it relates to your health, performance and body composition goals.


First off, I invite you to read THIS ARTICLE to help you improve your relationship with food.

As promised, here are a few simple tips to help you practice mindful eating.
Whereas the above article (link) can help with improving your relationship  with food, the below tips are specific to when you indulge. Most people do not have an unhealthy relationship with food they term healthy and feel good when eating is under control.
The food mind games likely occur when you indulge, eat something you term "off limit" or feel "off track" with your eating.
(Be sure to practice these tips throughout the holiday season when you will be presented with more treats than normal.)

Before indulging, ask yourself why you are indulging? Are you stressed, bored, upset, famished? It is important to have a purpose and a reason when you eat - from carrot cake to carrots. There is always a time for everything so just make sure that you feel good about what you eat, when you eat it. An important rule of mindful eating is that you should never say "I shouldn't be eating this" when you are eating something.

Many athletes struggle with eating in the evening in that this is the time when cravings hit full force or hunger is hard to tame. Always honor your biological hunger.
Because we want to avoid the negative thoughts associated with eating/food which may affect how you exercise/train and eat the next day, tell yourself that when you wake-up in the morning, you should never regret what you ate the night before. Own-up to your food choices. If you are going to eat something at or between dinner and bedtime, feel great about it (don't hate yourself for it the next morning). This tip is so powerful. 

Ask yourself how much you need to eat of your treat before that treat is no longer appealing (or feels good inside your tummy). If you can't resist the indulgence, or you have a great reason to indulge, aim to eat up to 4 savory bites of your treat. You pick the size. Excite your taste buds with every bite and be sure to make the bites count (it's no fun to indulge in something that neutrally appeals to you). Sometimes we can satisfy a craving in just one bite whereas other times, a few more bites are needed to create happiness in the tummy.
I need at least 3-4 bites of a cinnamon roll, banana bread or carrot cake but I am good with one bite of a cookie or piece of cake (I give the rest to Karel) to feel happy inside my tummy. 

Relax. It's OK to indulge and to eat for pleasure every now and then. But first, consider what you eat most of the time and what you eat on occasion. If your office brings in store-bought cookies or pastries every day, and you eat cookies or pastries every day, guess what will happen on a special occasion when you are presented with cookies or pastries? That special occasion cookie or pastry is not as special because Friday office cookies or pastries are your norm. 

Choose your indulgences wisely. 

Trust yourself. Many times, athletes can afford to indulge every now and then without any negative side-effects. But you have to trust yourself when you indulge. If you have a dieting mentality, you may find yourself using your next workout as the first opportunity to "burn off" those calories or restricting calories the next time you eat. With an unhealthy relationship with food, you may even sabotage your next few workouts as a result of food restriction or overexercising. It's time to avoid food rules, to stop an all-or-nothing approach to what you eat (or don't eat) and to stop eating with shame, guilt or anxiety. If you feel you can't work on this by yourself, consult a professional who can help.

-Have your cake and eat it too!

The opposite of dieting is mindful eating. There is no right or wrong way to eat. It's time to renew your relationship with food. You pick the right times to indulge.

Store-bought apple pie from the freezer section or Grandma's homemade apple pie or?

Brownies from a box or one brownie to share with a best friend/spouse/child, from the well-known local bakery?

Bagels from a bag or a fresh bagel made with quality ingredients, made daily?

Think about what you are eating, when you are eating it and why you are eating it.
No need to be obsessed. 

It's finally time that you associate a deeper meaning to what you put inside your body.

Above all, when you eat or indulge, be sure you feel amazingly, awesome, happy and satisfied after you eat. 

Mindful eating part II: Food is Fuel

How did you do with your homework today from my last blog post?

Did you find yourself with positive or negative thoughts when you ate?

Did your thoughts turn negative when you ate foods that you term "off-limit"?

What foods made you feel the best and what foods gave you the most anxiety?

Continue to work on this so that you learn how to quiet the voices in your head so that eating is a peaceful, joyful and positive experience.

I promise - it is possible and it will make a huge impact on how you fuel for your athletic endeavors.

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So why do I continue to talk and talk and talk about mindful eating as it relates to athletes?
As a Board Certified Sport Dietitian, shouldn't I be spending most of my time talking about supplements and sport nutrition products?

Well, every athlete has to eat.
And in my field of work, far too many athletes struggle with their relationship with food and their body.

Since many athletes don't consider mastering mindful eating before they start training for an athletic event, I can't stress how important it is to develop a great relationship with food and the body in order to boost athletic performance and overall health. 

If you continue to train for events (especially long distance events) with an unhealthy relationship with food, there is a great risk of developing an unhealthy relationship with body image later on.
An unhealthy body image drives unhealthy eating habits.
Eventually, performance and health decline.

If you feel uncomfortable eating before workouts, using sport nutrition during workouts or have yet to learn how to eat for health and plan your diet throughout the day, you may find it extremely difficult to experience success in athletic development without a health-related setback.

You can be extremely disciplined with training but if you do not fuel smart your body will not perform well.

Being mindful with your eating allows you to see food differently.
Mindful eating allows you to train better.

I feel that the topic of mindful eating (specific to the sport of triathlons and running) is often ignored when it comes to providing dietary advice from the masses. There are very few Board Certified Sport Dietitians like me who even discuss the topic of mindful eating.

Because there are many individuals who hav struggle with prior years of dieting, struggling with body image issues or exercising with different intentions, it is important to master mindful eating.

If your mind is yelling at you to not eat what you are about to eat/drink, it's time for a break-up as your relationship with food is unhealthy.

BUT - it can be fixed! 

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Once you sign up for an event, you are an athlete.

When you are an athlete, you must have a great passion for healthy eating as well as for fueling and hydrating your body properly to support your daily training stress.

These days, our society has a great disconnect with food. Busy lifestyles and an obsession with diets, food trends and body image may increase the tendency for athletes to become disengaged when it comes to understanding biological hunger, snacking with a purpose and fueling for upcoming workouts.

In honor of the recent NBC Broadcast of the 2015 Ironman World Championship this past weekend, I had a celebration party at my house. I invited a few close friends and we watched the recorded broadcast while enjoying appetizers and pizza (I love any excuse to eat pizza). 

I remembered the cake that I put in the freezer several weeks ago, all for the "right" time to eat it.

I could not think of a better time to enjoy this KONA cake than with our close friends, while watching IM KONA.

Even though I ate pizza and appetizers, I still ate cake. Just a few bites as that was all I needed to feel satisfied and happy in my tummy.
No guilty feelings. No need to exercise more the next day. No anxiety when I went to bed about what I ate. 

Mindful eating is the art of attaching feelings of satisfaction, pleasure and hunger with food. Mindful eating is detaching feelings of guilt, anxiety, numbers and negative food words when it comes to food.
Kale, bread, grapes, milk, cookies or cake - mindful eating is freedom from food rules as you are in control of what foods make you feel the best without thoughts in your head telling you otherwise. 

I will say it over and over but an overlooked area in athletics is the topic of mindful eating. There is no doubt that there is a heightened awareness of body image in aesthetic and weight-bearing sports and for a fitness enthusiast turned athlete, it is very hard for some athletes to turn off the mindset of working out to burn calories and instead, training for performance gains. 

Whereas a fitness enthusiasts can get away with exercises as a way to burn calories, athletes must see food for fuel. 

In Part III, I will discuss some tips to help you master the art of mindful eating. . 

Mindful eating part 1 - Eat cake!

A few days after returning home from Kona in mid October, Karel and I went to an Ironman celebration party in Greenville. We spent the evening talking with several Ironman finishers who live in the Greenville area.

To finish the evening, we enjoyed cake from a local baker. 

And to top it off (literally), the dot of the cake had our names on it. So sweet (literally, again) !

After cutting into the M part of the cake for everyone in the party, the dot remained uneaten.

The host of the party insisted that Karel and I take home our personalized section of the cake.

After returning home from the party with a beautiful round cake, I wrapped up the cake and put it in the freezer. I figured there would be a good time to eat the cake but the right time wasn't anytime soon. 

---------------------------------------------------

As a sport dietitian, when I think about athletes and their relationship with food, I often see/hear two different types of athletes.

There are high-performance athletes that see food for fuel. The diet is designed to fuel workouts but also to keep the body in great health to ensure consistency in training.

They also know how to enjoy food with the occasional indulge enjoyed without any guilt or anxiety. 

These athletes are focused on using food for nourishment but also see food to provide energy for upcoming workouts and to help the body recover. There is a heavy focus on calories, carbohydrates, fluids and electrolytes in regard to the nutrition consumed before, during and after workouts. 

These athletes understand how to time food with training and they know how to use sport nutrition properly to take fitness to the next level (and to keep the body in good health). 

I'd like to think that this is the way that all athletes think about food but it is easier said than done in our food and diet obsessed society. 

As it relates to the later, the individual who has been active in some capacity, but has never used the word "athlete" to describe his/her past/current active lifestyle, may not feel comfortable eating like a high-performing athlete. 

These newbie athletes are still getting comfortable using the "athlete" title. 

When I think of the sport of triathlon and endurance sports in general, and how they are growing year after year, we are seeing many more individuals going from fitness enthusiast to marathon runner or sprint triathlete to Ironman. Some of these individuals come from a sport background whereas others are up for a new fitness challenge. 

Many times, new athletes are at greater risk for GI issues, bonking and injury simply because these fitness enthusiasts have yet to understand how to eat for fuel and for health. They have not considered reaching out to a sport RD but feel very overwhelmed with all of the nutrition-related advice from forums, articles, training partners, nutrition experts and professional athletes. 

Certainly, there is a learning curve when it comes just showing up to a workout with a water bottle to planning sport nutrition before most workouts and then following through with the consumption of "energy and electrolytes" from manufactured products (powders, gels, blocks and pills).

As it relates to newbie athletes, there is a transition period for a fitness enthusiast to get comfortable following a structured training plan that yields performance gains instead of simply working out, just to exercise.

And as it relates to high-performing athletes, if a healthy relationship with food was never once achieved, there may be an increased risk for body image and eating issues which ultimately will affect performance improvements and overall health in a focused, hard-working, goal-oriented athlete. 

Now you may be asking why I am talking about this when I started this blog talking about eating cake? 

In my next blog, I am going to talk a bit more about mindful eating so that athletes of all levels can begin to feel more comfortable around food.

But I must give you a little homework first.

Tomorrow, I want you to practice eating more mindfully. 

No rules, no calorie counting, no food logging. 

If eating is not a positive, joyful, pleasurable, feel-good, nourishing experience for you, then

I want you to consider the internal dialogue in your mind when you are around food.

What are the thoughts that encourage you to eat certain foods or discourage you to eat certain foods?

What do the voices in your head say when you are planning your meals and snacks?
Any food thoughts when you are about to workout, while you are working out or after you workout?

How about while you are eating - what's your relationship with food like while you are chewing and digesting food?

How about when you are finished eating? 

How do you feel when your meal is complete and what does your mind tell you about the food that you just ate? 

As you go about your day tomorrow, I want you to think about what's driving your food choices and how the thoughts in your head affect what you eat. 

There are no right or wrong answers but if you find yourself experiencing a lot of anxiety, fears and guilt surrounding food, specifically food that is you or someone else termed bad or off-limit, I want you to be sure to read my next blog on mindful eating so that I can help you improve your relationship with food, all in an effort to improve your athletic performance and quality of life. 

Healthy relationship with food - athlete edition

We are all aware of how diets work - follow rigid food rules and you will lose weight.

If you can follow the diet for a specific period of time, you will lose weight. It's as simple as that.

With every diet, there are certain foods that are allowed at certain times of the day, a specific amount of food that is allowed to be eaten and foods that are forbidden.

This is why people love diets - they are nothing more than a plan telling you how to eat so that you have a reason to avoid certain foods and to ignore biological hunger cues.

With a diet, you don't have to learn how to be a mindful eater or how to eat with intention. You become a robot in that you only have one program for x-weeks and that is all you have to focus on.

Ask any person who has followed a diet plan and she/he will likely say that food rules offer boundaries or perhaps a level of discipline that the person wasn't able to do on his/her own and this is why diets work so well. Whereas once a person had trouble resisting treats, sweets or specific foods, rule-based eating provides strict guidelines as to what not to eat.

But as we all know, diets don't work.

Furthermore, a diet is nothing more than a dysfunctional relationship with food.

It's very interesting how a diet can change how a person views food. With almost every diet, there is a fixation on good and bad foods relating to health, appearance and weight.

The act (or even thought) of eating a cookie, a banana, a piece of pizza, a pancake, a slice of bread, a potato, ice cream or any other food that has been termed "bad" is associated with shame and guilt.

And above all, a poor body image combined with conflicting information as to what you should and shouldn't be eating increases the risk for more and more food restriction which can increase the risk for an eating disorder.  

But as an athlete, you would never diet, right?

You know better than that. 

Cleanses, fasts, avoid food groups or restricting calories is not how athletes eat as we need food for fuel. 

So why is it that so many athletes justify a new style of eating (often starting in the off-season, after the holidays and around the New Year) all in an effort to improve health and performance that is nothing more than a well-marketed diet for athletes?

Since when did depriving your body of crucial nutrients, intentionally not fueling or hydrating before, during and after workouts, limiting, reducing or avoiding carbohydrates, skipping meals or snacks or not eating when you are biologically hungry, become socially acceptable for athletes?

Since when did it become ok for athletes to think it was ok to deprive the body of energy, fluids and electrolytes when the body needs it the most - when training!!!??

Where are our ethical standards for coaches, dietitians, nutrition experts, physicians, personal trainers, chiropractics and other professionals who provide nutrition advice to athletes?

These fueling/hydrating practices are NOT ok!

If we know it is unhealthy and damaging for a normal person to follow a diet, why are we pretending that these extreme eating and fueling methods are "healthy" for athletes? 

It's very evident how many athletes are treating their bodies around/during workouts and during the day when it comes to their eating (or lack thereof) and it is not for a healthier lifestyle, a better body composition or for performance gains ...it's not healthy, it's just plain dangerous.

I find it important that before the holiday season and right now in your  off-season, prior to starting the first phase of your training, that you work on your relationship with food. The number one reason to justify food restriction is body dissatisfaction and because athletes will always associate body composition to performance, it is extremely important that you improve your relationship with food before increasing the intensity and volume in your training regime. 

Food is designed to nourish your body and fuel your workout routine. Eating enhances your life. It should not be an obsession or a vehicle of guilt, shame or fear and you should not blame poor performances, injuries or slow fitness progress on your body. 

Whereas you may engage in unhealthy behaviors, like extreme dieting, restricting nutrition around/during workouts, calorie restriction, using diet pills, laxatives or diuretics or engaging in excessive exercising as an easy fix when you feel dissatisfaction with body or after you eat "bad" food, by developing a healthier relationship with food and your body, you will be well on your way to also improving your relationship with your body.

When you eat better, you feel better. And when you feel better, you make better choices. And with better choices, your body will remain in better health as you train to improve fitness, endurance and strength.

So how can you improve your relationship with food and your body?

It's not a quick fix and it takes work. But it is worth it.

Here are three tips that you can start applying to your life today when it comes to improving your relationship with food. 

First, focus on eating mindfully. Listen to your body. Accept biological hunger and don't get mad at your body for being hungry. Learn to create a diet that works for your lifestyle and learn to respond to cravings in a responsible way. Eat with intention and enjoy eating. Next time you say to yourself "I shouldn't eat this", ask yourself why you are questioning the food that you are about to eat? If you have a good reason for not eating something (for example, you just finished a meal, you are comfortably full and someone presents you with a brownie for dessert), don't eat it. Say no thank you and move on with your day. Life will go on and you will feel better without thoughts of guilt that you should not have eaten something that doesn't make you feel good inside. 

But if you are in the mood for rice, pasta, chocolate, a glass of milk or some other type of "forbidden" food, ask yourself why you created this off-food list? Be a mindful eater as you are figuring out the best diet for you. 

Eat when you are physically/biologically hungry and stop when you are satisfied.

It's time to get more in-tune with your body and hunger cues as well as understanding (and possibly adjusting) the thoughts that are associated with how you currently eat.

Next, you should always feel better after you eat than before. I find that this is so important for athletes to keep in mind in the off-season as there is a brief period of indulging after the last race of the season, especially with food that was not once not consumed as it was viewed as "non-performance enhancing".  But after a week (10 days at most), it is important to indulge responsibly. Sometimes, food just tastes better than other times - like pancakes after a long ride. But certainly in the off-season, you are still allowed to yum over food.... you just don't want to overdo it. It is possible to eat the same foods year round (like "reward" food) but you must adjust how much you eat based on your workout load. If anything, you want to avoid "making-up" for how you eat as you must learn how to feel good about your eating habits without justifying how much you worked out before/after or trying to "save" calories.
You can still yum over pancakes in the off-season without having to workout for 5+ hours and just because you eat pizza for dinner, you don't have to avoid carbs for the next 24 hours. 

Lastly, within our diet obsessed society, we have lost the enjoyment for eating.

Our society has such a big obsession with healthy eating yet we have such an unhealthy relationship with food.  It sounds so simple but our society really misses the mark when it comes to educating on how to eat "healthy." The first step is to focus on eating real food. Nothing will make you feel better than eating food grown from the earth, with the help of a farmer. Next, those food needs to be purchased (or grown) and then prepared. This takes time, planning and effort. We live in a world we are driven by being busy and have easy routes for eating quickly.

Sadly, much of our society has become rather comfortable with eating but not making time to nourish the body.

If you really want to improve your relationship with food, an easy place to start is by appreciating a varied wholesome diet, with you as the cook.
It's time to make peace with food. 

If you are missing out on life or struggling with improvements in performance because you want to maintain a certain style of eating that makes you feel in control or the opposite, food overwhelms you or stresses you out and you don't feel comfortable around food, it is time to start seeing food for what it is - nourishment, fuel, satiety and enjoyment.

No diet can teach you how to have a better relationship with food.

It is time that you are honest with yourself and if you feel as if your past thoughts and actions were not healthy for your body, it's time to change. 

It's time to start improving your relationship with food. 

In case you missed the  last blog - address your off-season relationship with food HERE. 

The best tip for "healthy" eating - because you've tried everything else

Every person in this world has his/her own definition of "healthy" eating. For some, it's as simple as making sure there is food on the table so that no goes hungry or starved throughout the day. For others, it is much more complicated, often involving words like organic, raw, macrobiotics, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, whole, clean, super-foods, natural, all-natural, probiotic and energy-boosting. For others, it's just a way of living life to the fullest. 

According to Medical News Today.com, 

"Healthy eating means consuming the right quantities of foods from all food groups in order to lead a healthy life. Diet is often referred to as some dietary regimen for losing weight. However, diet simply means what food we eat in the course of a 24-hour, one week, or one month, etc. period. A good diet is a nutritional lifestyle that promotes good health. A good diet must include several food groups because one single group cannot provide everything a human needs for good health. Balanced diet - or a good diet - means consuming from all the different good groups in the right quantities."

Not sure about you, but I read that paragraph and found myself a bit more confused as to what is "healthy eating". 

Because that made me confused I decided to search for another definition. But this time I googled "How to lose weight fast" because for many, that means "healthy". 

According to Livestrong.com (a website that has an article for any topic possible), 

"The speed of your success depends on your determination and ingenuity. You don't have to have a gym membership or any fancy equipment to exercise or lose weight, and can often make do with not only your own body power, but with common household items to add resistance and weight to exercise moves. To lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume daily, so once you have done that--and added a regular exercise routine--you'll see not only a fast drop in weight, but a drastic reduction in inches."

Ok - so now we are getting somewhere. This makes "healthy eating" much more simple. So, what are the tips we should follow to lose weight quickly according to the article?
-Exercise every day, even if it's in small chunks of time

-Cut back on your calorie intake. Try not to go below about 1,200 calories a day for long-term weight loss management, but you can dip lower for short periods of time for extra fast weight loss

-Go for a short 15- to 20-minute walk every evening or morning for an all-around mental and physical workout. 

-Drink plenty of water, which will help prevent dehydration, which will also prevent your body from shutting down processes to conserve water.

That's it??? That's all we have to do to lose weight quickly? That doesn't seem extreme enough and by now we are all a bit frustrated because haven't we all tried to eat "good" or tried to cut back on calories and exercise and move more and drink plenty of water?

So much for taking the "healthy" approach. Now it is time for extreme measures because we have wasted days, if not weeks and months, trying lots and lots of "healthy" simple tips. 

Ok, now we are talking. A website called "Weight loss and training: Extreme weight loss tips" 

This author suggests that "Extreme weight loss goals are often met with disaster, interrupted by lack of motivation, unrealistic expectations, or plateaus that feel impossible to overcome. So that’s why I’m offering up my best extreme weight loss tips. These ones are guaranteed to give you serious results fast! 

- Restrict Your Carbohydrate Intake - Restrict yourself to 3-4 small carbohydrate servings a day (no more than a piece of bread each). 

- Fill Up on Fiber - If you have a hard time getting enough fiber in your diet, try a good fiber supplement like Myogenix Pro Fiber. It’s an easy fix and can help you shed the pounds! 

-Seriously Suppress Your Appetite - Appetite suppression is a great way to lose a lot of weight quickly. weight loss success, and understandably so. There are actually some great natural appetite suppressants on the market. Hydroxycut South African Hoodia is one that’s gained a lot of attention in recent years, derived from a root that’s been shown to reduce hunger. 

-Boost Your Metabolism - there are a number of eating habits that are totally effective for enhancing your metabolism. Foods like protein, fiber, and many spicy foods will all work. But one of the best things you can add to your diet is matcha green tea. It’s one of the best natural metabolism boosters around, and it also naturally suppressed your appetite! Check out one of the best extreme weight loss supplement on the market, Magic Matcha Green Tea. 

-Sleep Better!

So, with a several tips mentioned and a few supplements and tips suggested that may be extremely harmful to your health and functioning in society, it's likely that you feel more at ease that there is an extreme way to be "healthy". For so many people wanting to change habits to be "healthy" likes (more like, LOVES) rules because when you have rules, you don't have to trust yourself, let alone listen to yourself. You put all your trust into the other person who is telling you exactly what to do to be "healthy". 

Imagine saying this:
"I don't have rules in my diet. There are no lists of food that are off limit and there is no "best time" to reward myself with food. There is no emotional, stressful or mindless eating or feeling guilty after eating."

Do those thoughts make you feel more at ease with yourself, perhaps even around food and your body? 

 

This entire blog up until this point was all an example as to how overwhelming "healthy" eating can be in today's society. There is always something new to try or to consider and many times, it does not involve focusing on yourself, your own needs and your own goals. Many tips out there are helpful and can be triggers to promote a more healthful lifestyle. But many times, people are so rushed in the thought of being "healthy" (or improving performance, losing weight, improving fitness) that they bypass one of the most important tips, rules, suggestions and concepts of having a healthy relationship with food. 

Mindful eating. 

Here is a recent article that I did for Iron Girl that I'd love for you to read. After practicing the exercise, try to apply a similar thinking to your every day food choices. Because I believe that any fitness enthusiasts or athlete should develop a healthy relationship with food before even considering to tweak sport nutrition or to focus more on specific training/exercise, here is another great read to help you out: Mindful Eating

Please email with any comments, questions or concerns. If you can tackle this basic (yet often challenging) idea of mindful eating (either alone or with the help of others), I promise you that you will have nailed the best tip for "healthy" eating and all parts of your life will be improved from mood, relationships with others, functioning in society and fitness/performance. 

Eat More Mindfully - It's Not a Diet, It's a Lifestyle By Marni Sumbal, MS, RD, LD/N

There’s food everywhere and likely, you have your favorites. You are constantly being told to “eat healthy”, but as an athlete, it can be overwhelming and confusing. For in today’s society, it’s hard to define “healthy” when it comes to eating as the more people worry about nutrition, the less healthy we appear to become.

As you work toward a “healthy” real-food, balanced diet, consider eating more mindfully to help you feel more at-ease with food.

Eat more mindfully
Practice this exercise. Take a Hershey kiss (or small chocolate) and place it in front of you on a desk. Observe it, your surroundings and how you feel. Now touch it. How does it feel in your hand? Unwrap the item and observe it again by touching it and then smell it. Now, take a small bite from the top. Place the other half of the inside of the wrapper and place it out of sight. Suck on the chocolate and close your eyes. Savor your treat, making it last as long as possible without chewing it. Are any special past memories coming to mind as the chocolate melts? Now open your eyes. Did you stay present and in the moment? How long did it take to fully appreciate a small bite of a piece of candy/chocolate? Did you enjoy it?

Mindful eating is being in an active state and releasing all fears, worries or concerns about food. It’s about making choices that will give you an enjoyable eating experience in the present moment. Mastering mindful eating is not easy, especially with our quick-fix, diet-fad, food-trendy society. But with many disordered eating habits and body image concerns, your hurried and stressful lifestyle may make eating time a difficult, uneasy and overwhelming experience.

To bring some joy to eating, both inside and outside of the home, mindful eating should be practiced often. Instead of fearing certain foods, bring attention as to why you are eating to result in more control and enjoyment with what you are eating. Keep in mind that mindful eating will differ for everyone for eating is a very personal experience.

Consider working on this exercise with other types of foods/meals as a way to reduce any possible stress or anxiety with food as you learn how to eat in a way that is favorable to your individual goals.