Susanna Eduini
susanna@santosaphuket.com
The average person makes more than 200 food and beverage choices everyday, and most of them aren’t the healthiest.
As a coach, and chef, I see this everyday. I have many clients struggling with flagging energy and they want to start eating in a way that gives them fuel and wellness.
So, instead of thinking of cravings as “the enemy”, you can think of them as “feedbacks” and use them to promote healthier eating.
How?
By making the food you love work for you.
Here you will find five easy tips anyone can use.
Do you crave fat? Choose
between bad fat and good fat
Fat plays a major role in satiety and it is beneficial for us, in keeping our arteries clean and for our brain to work properly.
In the morning, for example, substitute the heavy creamy yogurt (sometimes a sugar-added one) or the bacon-and-eggs combo, with a bowl full of homemade fresh almond milk with your choice of cut fruit and a tablespoon of chopped nuts; add two tablespoons of chia seeds, put it aside for ten-fifteen minutes and you will have a delicious fruit pudding, with vitamins, proteins and fat.
Or a smoothie with your choice of fresh fruit and one avocado, pitted. Add some lemon juice and one tablespoon of raisins and process it until creamy and fluffy.
Both of these recipes offer a healthy dose of fat, protein and fiber to steady blood sugar and metabolism, without the side effects of animal fat.
Make food that is right for your body, not for your mind
How many times do you go to the supermarket and, suddenly, you “feel” that you absolutely want that doughnut, or burger, or burrito? At that moment you could ask yourself “Is it my body that needs it or is it my mind/emotions?” Then listen to the answer.
Once you have the answer it will be very easy to decide what to buy and what to cook for yourself.
For this, our number three suggestion will help you.
Keep a food diary
By simply keeping a food journal, where you can register your daily habits, you’d be surprised how quickly eating patterns and cravings emerge.
Be very specific: mention everything you eat (also that half cookie found on the table, or that sip of orange juice your son/daughter left in the glass) and mention the emotion related to that, before and after.
For example:
March 17, 10am: very anxious – one donut and a soda – after that I felt relaxed.
March 17, 12pm: tired, needed to have lunch – salad with oil vinaigrette and one piece of cake – after I felt satisfied and a little euphoric, then tired again.
March 17, 4:30pm: happy – one chocolate truffle and a coffee – ready to go back to work, but then I want more chocolate, sweets, etc..
After three or four days you will start to identify your food habits.
Keep the diary for at least 15 days.
Eat regularly
Waiting too long between meals may set you up to choose sugary, fatty foods that will make you feel satiated and full.
Instead, eating every three to five hours can keep your blood sugar stable and help you avoid irrational eating behaviour.
Keep fruit handy
Keep fruit handy when cravings hit. You will get fibre and nutrients, vitamins and sweetness. Fruit can be fresh, dry, dehydrated, and consumed as a smoothie, sorbet, cut, etc.
Fruit can be very helpful and will keep you nourished and glowing.