Tag: Confidence

How To Kick Your Sugar Addiction

Sugar!! Why can’t we quit you! Once we establish the habit of cutting sugar out our desire for it lessens because we’ll feel the benefits such as increased energy, better mood, healthier skin & teeth and healthier organs.

Here are some tips to help reduce your added sugar intake.

1. Baby Steps! Start slow by eliminating obvious sources such as sugar in your coffee or tea, candy, soft drinks and baked goods like muffins and cake.

2. Read labels! Many foods have naturally occurring sugars so it’s more important to check the ingredient list when looking for added sugar. There can be so many hidden sugars in the foods you never thought would have them. Added sugars have over 50 other names so look for ingredients that end in “ose” & “ol”.

3. Fill up on whole foods such as Vegetables, lean meats and poultry, fish, nuts/seeds, whole grains and don’t forget fruit for your sweet tooth.

4. Drink at least 64 oz of water Per day. It helps those sugar cravings that may actually be a sign of dehydration. Add lemons, limes or other citrus to jazz it up!

5. Pre-plan your meals! You’ll be able to avoid easy sugary snacks if you have nutritious choices on hand!

After some consistency, really pay attention to your body for your rewards. You will be amazed at how quickly you start to feel good and you may even shed a few pounds.

Once you make these changes please let me know how you do!

Hack: How Not To Deprive Yourself!

Living a healthier life doesn’t mean deprivation! Developing healthier habits begins with unlearning the cycle of constant yo-yo dieting.

Start with realistic goals that fit into your daily lifestyle. Constantly depriving ourselves of the foods we love, continually feeling hungry or even forcing ourselves to eat healthy things we don’t like is a recipe for failure. So, instead of deprivation let’s make a habit around moderation! Pick a formula that works for you. I’m comfortable myself with the 90/10 rule but most people use the 80/20 rule (Eating healthy 80% of the time and treating yourself 20% of the time)

With the nice weather coming & the ease of Covid lockdown restrictions you might find yourself in a social situation that could be quite challenging. Remember, moderation and variety will definitely help you stay on that path for a healthier life.

So, enjoy that pastry or bowl of pasta or even a delicious drink on a patio! 💕😊

How To Handle Saboteurs!

Tell me if these phrases sound familiar while you’re trying to change your habits for a healthier lifestyle!

“You look fine, one piece isn’t going to hurt you.”

“They spent hours on this, don’t be rude”

“What’s wrong with you, You don’t come out to dinner anymore”

“There’s one left, eat it”

“You’re doing amazing, take a break”

Whether it’s your friends or family or even yourself sometimes consciously or not we all have to deal at one point with saboteurs! There’s a whole slew of reasons too lengthy to cover here as to why this happens but here are some quick tips on how to deal.

Just say no! Easy but not so easy especially if you’re a people pleaser. You really don’t owe anybody an explanation so a simple no thank you should suffice. Sometimes you might even have to say it twice.

If saying no isn’t an option you can always accept the food but wrap it up to go. That way you can avoid confrontation and toss it out later.

Try these phrases-

“No thank you, I’m stuffed”

“No thank you, I have some dietary restrictions”

“Thank you for offering, looks delicious! I’ve been feeling so great following my meal plan for my healthier lifestyle. So, I prefer to stick to that.”

If none of these tips works just smile and ignore the comments. Try to avoid getting defensive. They might not even know what they’re doing so try not to take it personal.

If it’s your loved ones or even yourself doing the sabotaging remember not to be too hard on yourself. Avoid the guilt and focus on your end goal!

First & foremost be kind to yourself!

What To Do When Those Binge Watching Snack Cravings Hit!

Let’s talk about late night cravings/snacking! What’s most important is trying to identify whether it’s a true hunger or just boredom. Here are some tips!

  1. Water! Being dehydrated will often confuse those craving signals. What your body really needs is to be hydrated. Even just one glass of water can sometimes help curb the craving. You can always grab some sparkling water add some lemon and limes and ice and throw it in a wine glass. It tricks your brain.
  2. Distraction! If it’s safe enough go for a quick walk. Or help de-stress by filling the tub with bubbles and having a nice long soak!
  3. Go to bed! Staying up later & longer increases your hunger and cravings. Decreasing the amount of necessary sleep messes with your internal clock resulting in more stress. Sometimes eating healthy all day and exercise will come to a halt if you’re not getting enough rest. So, turn off the show you’re bingeing it’ll be there tomorrow!
  4. Pre-planning! Include a high fibre low calorie snack into your evening with a cup of decaffeinated herbal tea. It’ll help satisfy the craving and fill your belly!
  5. My favourite and go to tip is brushing my teeth and putting my retainer in. You know, because I’m lazy and don’t want to brush my teeth twice in one night! 😂

We’ve all been there on these evenings especially this past year where we succumb to boredom or emotional eating. Hope these tips help!

How To Handle a Long Weekend!

Happy Long Weekend!

Or as I like to call it day 436 of our incarceration! No matter where you are or what you’re doing whether for work or play you’re probably going to be a little bit busy! Here are some tips on how to stay on track this long weekend!

1. Have fun, relax & drink at least 64 oz of water

2. Pre-plan! I know I always mention this but this really is the key to making sure you stay on track with healthy choices. Because when people are tired and hungry they don’t always make the best choices!

3. If you’re going to anyone’s place(post lockdown of course 😉) Bring a veggie tray or a fruit tray so you have healthy choices to munch on!

4. Go for a walk! It’s an easy activity and great for stress!

5. Pick up pre-made salads, pre-cut veggies, rotisserie chicken or a couple of healthy frozen meals! They come in handy when the family wants crappy takeout or I need something quick. Sometimes I will sprinkle some Parmesan and add more broccoli or zucchini noodles.

Remember to enjoy yourself, stay safe, stay healthy and be kind!