Does "It's Complicated" Describe Your Relationship With Food?

I've always had a love-hate relationship with food and still do.  It's hard to end that kind of bitter-sweet friendship.  It tastes so good, but makes you feel guilty, bloated, lethargic.....the list goes on!  Many people are like me and have that horrid love-hate relationship because there's so many things in our culture that revolve around food.  Just think about it, every celebration in life and death people link to food somehow.  We should be eating to live instead of living to eat.  So, I've been really doing some searching lately on how to do that when for the last 30 years (yep, I'm 30) I've had this kind of relationship with food that isn't simply eating to live and is more like living to eat.  But how? 

First thing is to admit you have a problem.  Don't be in denial.  Like any other addiction, sugar addictions are tough to beat and are a life-long battle.  But, I don't want my children to have the same relationship with food that I do.  Now, when I say a sugar addiction, that doesn't just mean sweets either.  We're talking a broad spectrum of sweetened drinks, carbohydrates and baked goods too!  Which, makes it even harder.  Every time you eat a candy bar, muffin or slice of bread, there's a chance of those cravings coming back!  Ugh!

Pass on the cake, eat the strawberry.

Food is not the enemy.  Food is simply food.  So, don't look to it when you're sad, bored, happy and don't relate it to feelings or events.  Just because there's wedding cake doesn't mean you have to eat it.  And, when you get past that mentality, you don't eat every slice of birthday cake, wedding cake, graduation cake, cakes at showers....often with a side of ice cream.  Think of the calories you don't consume just in this per year!  I'm not talking about a few hundred, it's more like thousands for these momentary pleasures that have a high price to pay.

Don't reward yourself with unhealthy foods.  I'm guilty of this one.  "Hey, I worked out, time for a cinnamon roll."  Not exactly the best thing.  But, it's easier to not do it if you can identify it.  I'm all about rewards, but don't make them food!  Make your reward that awesome pair of boots you told yourself you couldn't afford or a good book or magazine....whatever, as long as it's not food.

Eliminate the bad foods from your house.  This helps me a lot.  Then, if I have a weak moment, I don't reach for bad stuff.  I'm more likely to grab a handful of grapes or some veggies and dip.  Then I don't feel so bad after eating it either!  I feel great for making a good food choice when I could have made a crappy one.

Reach for these easy snacks instead:
yogurt
apple or banana with peanut butter
veggies and dip
raisins
handful of nuts
fruit kabob
tortilla chips and salsa
popcorn
kind bar
frozen yogurt with peaches and honey bunches of oats
cottage cheese
string cheese
trail mix
orange
hard boiled egg

Food Choices

I, like many others, have had times in my life when I've made REALLY poor food choices.  Unfortunately, our bodies require more than beer and pizza.  A nice combination of protein, good carbohydrates consisting of fruits and vegetables and good fats.  If you make good food choices, you don't have to work out so hard!

LOVE THIS BLOG!

Just clicked on this blog when I was looking for the fad fitness flops (which I decided was worthless to blog about).  And, someone else already did a great job of it!  And, these other blog topics I'd like to share with you.....

60 Healthier Drinks fo Boozing

31 Healthy and Portable High-Protein Snacks

27 Ways to Get More SH!T Done

88 Unexpected Snacks Under 100 Calories

Party Snacks!

How awesome are these party snacks!?
Thank you to Jessica Lambert for this one!

Nutrition, The Key to A Successful Diet

Keeping proper nutrition while eating healthy can be tough for some people. I've written about it before in Nutrition, the Key that Unlocks Healthy.  Choosing healthy foods rather than reaching for comfort foods is something you have to teach yourself to do over time. When begin to consume health foods you will not longer want to eat foods that are bad. You then let nutrition lead your decisions, not your emotions.

Take the Fridge Challenge!

Nutritionists now recommend replacing much of the beef, poultry and pork we eat with extra servings of fish. Fish contains optimum levels of nutrients that are essential for a heart healthy lifestyle. Fish is a very broad category of foods; they come in a large variety of textures and flavors.  It will boost your Omegas too!

Read up on Nutrient Maximization.  Eggplant is packed full of nutrients, give it a try instead of noodles in lasagna, I just LOVE it that way! If you are looking for a purchase that will help in your nutrition quest, buy a good blender to prepare nutritious fruit smoothies. Ice cream can be traded in for a new comfort food, that will be just as satisfying. Make a fruit smoothie with milk, fruit and some yogurt; this is a great substitute for ice cream.  Best decision I ever made was to buy a new blender!  I use it all the time to make shakes and smoothies.  It replace my toaster and coffee pot, which now I hardly use.  Here's some healthy snack ideas.

Eat clean.  It's the best advice I have.  Eat unprocessed foods, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, meats from the meat counter, not the deli isle, dairy, nuts and beans.  Add condiments that are low in salt and sugar and high in protein. And, tada.  Sounds easy huh!  It's easier said than done.  But, you can train yourself to eat however you want to eat.  And, if healthy is on your menu, it'll have positive effects on your life and health.  Here's some protein rich superfoods to bust cravings too.

Don't skip the multivitamin!  It'll help make up for anything you've missed.  And, write it all down including portion sizes.  Use a smaller plate and measure everything!

Hydration plays an important roll in nutrition, keeping your body in homeostasis and promoting a healthy body.  Drink plenty of water!

Yum Food

100 HEALTHY SNACKS

Thank You! Amber Patrick for these.  Everyone needs good, healthy alternatives to those bad things we have a tendancy to crave.  Whip those cravings into shape by trying some of these tasty treats!  Don't forget portion sizes, you could end up eating some serious calories if you're not careful with some of these.

1. Frozen Grapes (I used to eat these in college all the time- they are amazing)
2. String Cheese
3. Banana
4. Frozen Banana (peel it first, stick in the freezer overnight- it's like a yummy popsicle)
5. Low-fat Yogurt
6. Sugar-free or fat-free pudding
7. Apple dipped in Peanut Butter (or spread peanut butter on top of apple slice and top with pecans . . . so good!)
8. 100-calorie bag of popcorn
9. Applesauce
10. Raw veggies with hummus (my new favorite!)
11. Almonds
12. Apple
13. Skinny S'more (two graham crackers with one roasted marshmallow and one small square dark chocolate)
14. Smoked Beef Jerky (about 1 oz- look for low-sodium!)
15. Chocolate Milk
16. Hard Boiled Egg
17. Sunflower Seeds
18. Cottage Cheese
19. Sliced Cantaloupe
20. Raisins
21. Pita Bread and Hummus
22. Rice Cakes
23. Sugar-free Jello
24. Dried Fruits
25. Frozen Yoplait Whips Yogurt (these seriously taste like ice cream when they are frozen!)
26. Air-Popped Popcorn
27. Pistachios
28. Clementines
29. Fruit Smoothie
30. Handful of olives
31. Pickles
32. Handful of blueberries with 2 tablespoons fat-free Cool-Whip
33. Ants on a Log (celery with peanut butter and raisins)
34. 1 cup mixed berry salad (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and/or blackberries) tossed with one tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice.
35. Peanut Butter and Bananas on whole wheat bread
36. Trail Mix (make your own! Throw in dried fruit, sunflower seeds, nuts, low-sugar cereals, and even the occasional piece of candy for something sweet.)

37. Orange Slices
38. Cherry Tomatoes
39. Graham Crackers
40. Small Green Salad with light dressing
41. Mango smoothie (frozen mango, mango Greek Yogurt, and a small amount of orange juice)
42. Kabobs (thread low-fat meat, low-fat cheese, pineapple and cherry tomatoes onto a skewer, don't forget to soak them if you're grilling!)
43. Half of a Cinnamon-Raisin topped with peanut butter and banana slices
44. Grilled Pineapple (throw them on the grill or a skillet on med. heat for two minutes or until golden)
45. Baked Apples (one tennis ball-sized apple, cored, filled with 1 teaspoon brown sugar and cinnamon, and baked until tender)
46. Animal Crackers
47. Strawberries dipped in fat-free Cool Whip
48. Low-fat tortilla topped with egg salad, shredded carrots and cucumber slices
49. Parfait (build your own with Greek yogurt or plain yogurt, fruit, and granola)
50. Bowl of bran flakes with 1/2 cup skim milk and berries
51. Guacamole with veggies
52. Triscuit's Thin Crisps dipped in cottage cheese or hummus
53. Cashews
54. Pretzels

55. Sun Chips (portion control! Read the serving amount on the side!)
56. Cheesy Breaded Tomatoes: Two roasted plum tomatoes sliced and topped with 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
57. Sugar Snap Peas
58. Steamed Veggies (steam non-starchy vegetables in a microwave safe bag and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese or 1/4 cup pasta sauce)
59. Apricots
60. Laughing Cow Light Cheese Wedges
61. Any 100 calorie pack
62. Snack/Granola bar (around 150 calories or less, like Kellogg's All-Bran, Kashi TLC Trail Mix, or Fiber one Bar)
63. Baked chips (about 7-10) with salsa
64. Soy Chips
65. Protein Bar
66. Sweet Potato Fries (one light-bulb sized sweet potato sliced, tossed with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and baked at 400° for 10 minutes)
67. Wrap (I like a slice of turkey, swiss cheese, baby spinach leaves, and cranberry relish wrapped up in a tortilla)
68. Pumpkin Seeds (2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, sprayed with oil (just a spritz!) and baked at for 400° for 15 minutes or until brown. Sprinkle a tiny amount of salt on top)
69. Bean Salad
70. Broccoli Florets
71. Peaches and Cottage Cheese
72. Chopped Red Peppers (dipped in fat free ranch)
73. V8 Vegetable Juice
74. Tuna with Triscuit crackers
75. Cooked and Cubed Chicken Breast
76. Homemade Popsicles (puree watermelon, strawberries, mango, banana, etc and freeze in popsicle molds)
77. Dates with almond butter or rolled in coconut
78. Quesadilla (whole wheat (or corn) tortillas w/cheese (or not) melted in microwave - adding on tomatoes, beans, corn, olives, avocado or guacamole or whatever sounds good)
79. Watermelon
80. Cubed Apples and Cubed Cheese (this was my husband's favorite after-school snack when he was little)
81. Craisins
82. Goldfish Crackers
83. Edamame
84. Cheesy Roasted Asparagus (four spears (spritzed with olive-oil spray) and topped with 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, baked for 10 minutes at 400°)
85. Turkey Roll-Ups (Four slices smoked turkey rolled up and dipped in 2 teaspoons honey mustard)
86. Strawberry Salad (1 cup raw spinach with ½ cup sliced strawberries and 1 tablespoon balsamic)
87. Oatmeal
88. Banana Smoothie (½ cup sliced banana, ¼ cup nonfat vanilla yogurt, and a handful of ice blended until smooth)
89. Lime Sherbet (1/2 cup serving) with sliced kiwi
90. Apple Chips (dehydrated apples- they are so good!)
91. Black Beans (mix 1/4 cup black beans with 1 tablespoon salsa and 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt for an added twist!)
92. Lettuce wrap (try two slices honey-baked ham with 2 teaspoons honey mustard rolled in a lettuce leaf)
93. Pecans (try five pecans roasted with 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
94. Chocolate Covered Strawberries (dip 5 strawberries in 2 squares of dark chocolate- that is still good for you, right?!)
95. Honeyed Yogurt (½ cup nonfat Greek yogurt with a dash of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon honey)
96. Blackberries (so good mixed with plain yogurt)
97. Frozen Mangos
98. Tropical Juice Smoothie (¼ cup pineapple juice, orange juice, and apple juice, blended with ice)
99. Healthier Banana Bread
100. Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip with fresh fruit