Tag: lockdown

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! 💕😊

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!

Let’s Get Take-out!

Happy Friday! For many, weekend’s tend to mean dining out or take out!

For the most part dining out is more about the people you’re with and the experience than the actual food.

(Pre/post lockdown of course)

Here are some tips to help with healthy choices.

1- Pre-plan! I find this the biggest help! Thanks to the internet you’re able to go online and check out menus prior to the day your plans are. Choose something you can build your choices for the rest of the days meals with.

2- Order sparkling water in a wine glass with lots of lemons & limes. Sometimes chatting with company, mindless drinking & eating happens so it definitely tricks your brain holding a wine glass instead of one of those boring regular water glasses.

3- Stick to protein & vegetables and 1 high calorie carbohydrate such as either the cocktail, bread, potato or dessert but not all four. And don’t be afraid to order a lean cut of steak with a side of vegetables. Sometimes those meals can have the lowest fat and calories on the menu.

4-Ask for a to go container at the time you place your order so when your meal arrives to the table you take half of it and immediately put it away to avoid that mindless eating.

5- Don’t forget to drink extra water that day and the next not just because it’ll keep you full but also to help with the extra sodium that tends to be in restaurant food.

6-Most importantly!! Give yourself a break & don’t stress about your meal. Enjoy each bite & each conversation! Life is strange these days so you never know when you’ll get a chance to savour these moments. Start fresh your next meal! 💕🍴🍛😋