Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people's health and well-being.Many governments and non-governmental organizations have made big efforts in healthy lifestyle and health promotion.
Mental Health
Mental health can be considered a very important factor of physical health for the effects it produces on bodily functions. This type of health concerns emotional and cognitive well-being or an absence of mental disorder.
Public health
Public health can be defined in a variety of ways. It can be presented as "the study of the physical, psychosocial and socio-cultural determinants of population health and actions to improve the health of the population.
Reproductive Health
For the UN, reproductive health is a right, like other human rights. This recent concept evokes the good transmission of the genetic heritage from one generation to the next.
Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
dimanche 12 juillet 2020
If You're Tired of Stressing and Feeling Guilty About Food, You're Ready For Food Freedom
Count your calories. Mind your macros. Measure your portions. Weigh your food. Watch your carbs. Don't eat processed food. Limit sugar, and flour, and fried food. Don't you dare get sprinkles on your ice cream, and actually don't eat dairy or gluten or soy or nonorganic strawberries! Are you overwhelmed by all these restrictive food rules? If so, welcome to food freedom.
What is Food Freedom?
Food freedom is a term used by those in the intuitive eating and antidiet movement. Kirsten Ackerman, MS, RD, CDN, who hosts the Intuitive Bites podcast and identifies as a fat-positive dietitian, said, "food freedom is being able to experience the pleasure of food while not being fixated, overwhelmed, and stressed out by it." She added that food freedom is about allowing food to be joyful, but not allowing it to take over our lives.
Licensed metal health counselor, Molly Bahr, LMHC, who's also an intuitive eating counselor who specializes in HAES (health at every size) and is fat-positive, added that "food freedom is the experience of liberating ourselves from chronic dieting and adhering to rigid rules about when, what, how often, and how much to eat." As we heal our relationship with food and our body, we're able to enjoy the food we want to eat and then move on, allowing us to spend our time, energy, brain space, and money on things that really matter.
Registered dietitian Brenna O'Malley, creator of the health blog The Wellful, told POPSUGAR, she thinks of food freedom as being in a place with your body and with your relationship to food, which puts you back in the driver's seat, where you're making choices from a place of what feels good to you instead of feeling controlled by food or fear.
For Nicole Cruz, RDN, who specializes in helping clients make peace with food and their bodies, food freedom is getting invited to a friend's barbecue and not worrying about whether there will be something there you can eat. She said, it's showing up and eating whatever looks good without feeling guilty or thinking, "I have to get back on track or work this off tomorrow." It's eating the food you want and not feeling like it's calling you or like you can't stop eating. Food freedom means you can go to an event and focus on enjoying the company more than thinking about the food.
Are There Different Levels of Food Freedom?
Absolute food freedom doesn't just happen overnight. Bahr said, this process has many levels to it, and everyone is different in the way they approach it. Many of us have spent years or even decades with diet culture, so it's hard to just flip a switch and instantly find food freedom.
Absolute food freedom can only happen after healing your relationship with food, explained Brianne Collette, RD. There could be stages leading up to it where you're learning how to do so. Moving to food freedom and away from dieting and tracking your intake can be very scary, so the process may be gradual as you slowly get rid of food rules, recognize that it's OK, and start to let go of more.
What Happens When We Have Food Freedom?
Achieving food freedom means no longer feeling guilt and shame for eating foods we like, Bahr said. There's no more spending time counting, tracking, measuring, or "playing the game of food Tetris because we trust an app more than we trust our bodies." With food freedom, we're able to honor our hunger and fullness cues without constantly questioning or judging them.
When you have food freedom, you can make food choices without rules and view all food neutrally, as opposed to good or bad, explained Cruz. Food will no longer define your worth because you'll feel the same about yourself whether you eat an apple or cookie. Food will have an appropriate amount of space in your life, but won't be prioritized above everything else. You'll no longer fear food and will say yes or no based on your preference, not based on rules.
And it's more than just about food, Collette said. "It's being able to say yes to spontaneous date nights without worrying about calories. It's about enjoying food beyond just fuel, as pleasure and comfort, and most of all, not letting it dictate how you run your life," she said. Food is a vital part of our existence and we need it every single day. With food freedom, food no longer dictates how you feel about yourself day in and day out.
"Our culture supports a disordered relationship to food and our bodies that normalizes food and body fixation," said Ackerman. Ultimately, food and body fixation steal our time away from engaging in aspects of our lives that are meaningful and fulfilling (our passions and our relationships, for example). When we find food freedom, we open up our time and energy to be spent on those things again.
Bahr reassured that we were all born with this ability to eat "normally" and we can return to this. Just as we can trust our other natural body cues that tell us when we're thirsty, tired, or have to use the bathroom, we can learn to trust our body when we're hungry, what sounds satisfying, and when we've had enough.
Is Food Freedom the Same Thing as Intuitive Eating?
Intuitive Eating is a tool for achieving food freedom, Ackerman explained. The framework of intuitive eating provides 10 principles to support your journey to healing your relationship with food and your body. They include rejecting diet mentality, honoring your hunger and fullness, finding satisfaction in food, and coping with emotions without food. Intuitive eating is a method and food freedom is the goal, which means food freedom can be achieved in other ways, without necessarily following the 10 principles of intuitive eating.
Note that the 10 principles of intuitive eating also encompass more than food, Collette said. Intuitive eating also involves body image and exercise - two of the principles are respect your body, and exercise to feel good.
What Are Obstacles That Can Get in the Way of Having Food Freedom?
"The journey back to normalizing our eating is about letting go of food rules, giving ourselves permission to eat all foods we want, and uprooting our internalized fat phobia and weight bias," Bahr said. It's important to educate ourselves about diet culture and to understand why unrealistic beauty standards and weight stigma are so harmful - emotionally and physically. This process can take a lot longer than you think it will - it may feel really hard and scary and that's OK.
"I don't know anyone who can let go of every food rule and practice all 10 principles of intuitive eating right away," Bahr said. When we gather information about intuitive eating and learn about diet culture, and discover why diets don't work long-term, it will inspire us to slowly begin to let go of things that keep us in diet mentality. We can gradually feel more comfortable with not using food tracking apps or fitness trackers, not weighing ourselves, and not following diet- and weight-focused social media accounts. Then we can begin to give ourselves permission to eat the foods we want and honor our hunger without judgement. It's important to be patient with yourself through this sometimes difficult process.
Can You Have Food Freedom and Still Want to Lose Weight?
I think it's important to add that the food freedom and intuitive eating movement aren't here to shame anyone who wants to lose weight, Collette said. But in order to heal your emotional and mental relationship with food, she said it's helpful to put weight loss on the back burner. "I don't believe it's possible to try to reach food freedom while still attempting to lose weight," Collette added. "Weight loss inherently means restriction, which is quite the opposite of food freedom. So this might actually be a really great first step - putting weight loss on the back burner and working through it as you go!"
You may be familiar with the term food freedom from a book written by Melissa Hartwig, creator of Whole30, called Food Freedom Forever. After completing the Whole30 program - which is restrictive, but designed to only be done for 30 days - Hartwig suggests that this is the next plan people can use to maintain the healthy habits they made during the past month.
Hartwig does have a similar definition of food freedom as intuitive eating and antidiet experts. "Food freedom is feeling in control of the food that you eat, instead of food controlling you," Hartwig said. She added that having food freedom means taking the morality out of food, and recognizing you are not a "good" or "bad" person based on what you're eating. She said, "True food freedom means you never again feel powerless over food."
Bahr hasn't read Food Freedom Forever, but said that if you're following a plan that includes rules on what, when, or how much to eat, you can't have true food freedom. Repairing our relationships with food and our body, and trusting our own intuition and body cues so we rely on ourselves is what's truly freeing.
mercredi 7 juin 2017
Does Your Dog Really Need to Eat Organic Food?
As health-conscious humans, we're constantly sifting through the research about whether organic food is better. And as pet parents, we always want to put the best in our pups' bowls. But does organic matter as much for dogs, or is it just another marketing ploy? After doing a lot of digging, I discovered that it's often not all it's cracked up to be for pups. Here's what you need to know before buying:
"Organic" dog food is not well regulated
One of the biggest issues with buying your pup organic is that, unlike for human food, there aren't great standards in place: the USDA has yet to define "organic" as it applies to pet foods, so the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sets the standards for the National Organic Program (NOP), and the individual states are supposed to regulate them
An "organic dog food" label can be misleading
Technically, the NOP mandates that if companies want the coveted organic seal on the food, at least 95 percent of the food must be organic by weight. Labels can say they're "made with organic ingredients" if at least 70 percent of the ingredients are organic. Here's where it gets tricky: pet food companies can say they're organic even when their food doesn't contain organic ingredients because no agency requires proof of the pet food health claims.
It may be "organic," but still not healthy
Unfortunately, being "organic" does not guarantee that food is good for your pup: Even if what you buy does contain organic ingredients, they may have been heavily processed in order to make the food shelf stable (thus stripping them of their nutritional value.) Plus, according to Greg Aldrich, PhD, research associate professor and pet food program coordinator at Kansas State University, it's difficult to secure the raw ingredients to produce a truly organic pet food within the framework of the AAFCO guidelines. So the food may be organic, but not nutritionally complete.
You may be paying more unnecessarily
The word "organic" is often used to increase the seeming value of the food (and to charge you more!). But because the commercial dog food category is still lacking in strict regulations, there are some organic brands that are using chemicals and preservatives in their food. Others will slap on an organic label without being completely honest about their ingredients. So you might be paying more for food that isn't worth it.
Organic ingredients aren't necessarily better for dogs
"There is no documented positive, nutritional, health, or safety benefits to organic," Aldrich says. There have been studies about the pros and cons of grains, raw food, and specific ingredients, but research on organic ingredients in a dog's diet is surprisingly lacking. So we really don't know - they could be healthier for pups or they could be the same. What we do know? The most important thing is that your dog eat a healthy diet made with real, high-quality ingredients that are nutritionally balanced. Think about it: Would you rather eat organic gummi bears or a fresh salad with ingredients that aren't all organic? Exactly.
Does Your Dog Really Need to Eat Organic Food?
As health-conscious humans, we're constantly sifting through the research about whether organic food is better. And as pet parents, we always want to put the best in our pups' bowls. But does organic matter as much for dogs, or is it just another marketing ploy? After doing a lot of digging, I discovered that it's often not all it's cracked up to be for pups. Here's what you need to know before buying:
"Organic" dog food is not well regulated
One of the biggest issues with buying your pup organic is that, unlike for human food, there aren't great standards in place: the USDA has yet to define "organic" as it applies to pet foods, so the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sets the standards for the National Organic Program (NOP), and the individual states are supposed to regulate them
An "organic dog food" label can be misleading
Technically, the NOP mandates that if companies want the coveted organic seal on the food, at least 95 percent of the food must be organic by weight. Labels can say they're "made with organic ingredients" if at least 70 percent of the ingredients are organic. Here's where it gets tricky: pet food companies can say they're organic even when their food doesn't contain organic ingredients because no agency requires proof of the pet food health claims.
It may be "organic," but still not healthy
Unfortunately, being "organic" does not guarantee that food is good for your pup: Even if what you buy does contain organic ingredients, they may have been heavily processed in order to make the food shelf stable (thus stripping them of their nutritional value.) Plus, according to Greg Aldrich, PhD, research associate professor and pet food program coordinator at Kansas State University, it's difficult to secure the raw ingredients to produce a truly organic pet food within the framework of the AAFCO guidelines. So the food may be organic, but not nutritionally complete.
You may be paying more unnecessarily
The word "organic" is often used to increase the seeming value of the food (and to charge you more!). But because the commercial dog food category is still lacking in strict regulations, there are some organic brands that are using chemicals and preservatives in their food. Others will slap on an organic label without being completely honest about their ingredients. So you might be paying more for food that isn't worth it.
Organic ingredients aren't necessarily better for dogs
"There is no documented positive, nutritional, health, or safety benefits to organic," Aldrich says. There have been studies about the pros and cons of grains, raw food, and specific ingredients, but research on organic ingredients in a dog's diet is surprisingly lacking. So we really don't know - they could be healthier for pups or they could be the same. What we do know? The most important thing is that your dog eat a healthy diet made with real, high-quality ingredients that are nutritionally balanced. Think about it: Would you rather eat organic gummi bears or a fresh salad with ingredients that aren't all organic? Exactly.
mercredi 30 août 2017
Does Your Dog Really Need to Eat Organic Food?
As health-conscious humans, we're constantly sifting through the research about whether organic food is better. And as pet parents, we always want to put the best in our pups' bowls. But does organic matter as much for dogs, or is it just another marketing ploy? After doing a lot of digging, I discovered that it's often not all it's cracked up to be for pups. Here's what you need to know before buying:
"Organic" dog food is not well regulated
One of the biggest issues with buying your pup organic is that, unlike for human food, there aren't great standards in place: the USDA has yet to define "organic" as it applies to pet foods, so the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) sets the standards for the National Organic Program (NOP), and the individual states are supposed to regulate them
An "organic dog food" label can be misleading
Technically, the NOP mandates that if companies want the coveted organic seal on the food, at least 95 percent of the food must be organic by weight. Labels can say they're "made with organic ingredients" if at least 70 percent of the ingredients are organic. Here's where it gets tricky: pet food companies can say they're organic even when their food doesn't contain organic ingredients because no agency requires proof of the pet food health claims.
It may be "organic," but still not healthy
Unfortunately, being "organic" does not guarantee that food is good for your pup: Even if what you buy does contain organic ingredients, they may have been heavily processed in order to make the food shelf stable (thus stripping them of their nutritional value.) Plus, according to Greg Aldrich, PhD, research associate professor and pet food program coordinator at Kansas State University, it's difficult to secure the raw ingredients to produce a truly organic pet food within the framework of the AAFCO guidelines. So the food may be organic, but not nutritionally complete.
You may be paying more unnecessarily
The word "organic" is often used to increase the seeming value of the food (and to charge you more!). But because the commercial dog food category is still lacking in strict regulations, there are some organic brands that are using chemicals and preservatives in their food. Others will slap on an organic label without being completely honest about their ingredients. So you might be paying more for food that isn't worth it.
Organic ingredients aren't necessarily better for dogs
"There is no documented positive, nutritional, health, or safety benefits to organic," Aldrich says. There have been studies about the pros and cons of grains, raw food, and specific ingredients, but research on organic ingredients in a dog's diet is surprisingly lacking. So we really don't know - they could be healthier for pups or they could be the same. What we do know? The most important thing is that your dog eat a healthy diet made with real, high-quality ingredients that are nutritionally balanced. Think about it: Would you rather eat organic gummi bears or a fresh salad with ingredients that aren't all organic? Exactly.
vendredi 11 août 2017
Why This Dietitian Says There's No Food She Wouldn't Eat
Stop calling certain foods "bad." Yes, there are certain foods that are less nutritious, but labeling foods as "bad" or "good" can be psychologically damaging - and oftentimes, it's simply inaccurate.
Registered dietitian Lisa Eberly agrees. In fact, there's no food group in particular that she'd shy away from (unless you count trans fats as a food group, but alas, they are not). "The idea of calling any food 'bad' vilifies it, making it sound like it's evil and going to kill you," she told POPSUGAR. "There are foods that are unhealthier than others or that have fewer nutrients or are more calorically dense (more calories per gram of food), but that just means they should be consumed less often."
The exception to this rule is allergies or negative physical reactions. "If you have a specific reaction to certain foods, then sure, that is a 'bad' food for you, but otherwise there are just 'unhealthy' foods."
There's no one group of food Lisa shies away from - she lives a life of balance and recommends the same to her clients. "I am a big believer in moderation and living life to the fullest," she said, "so I don't completely restrict foods 100 percent of the time."
"Vilifying an entire food group . . . will lead to nutritional deficiencies and is never recommended by accredited nutrition professionals."
She also warned that "vilifying an entire food group (like protein, carbs, fat) will lead to nutritional deficiencies and is never recommended by accredited nutrition professionals." And not only will you physically suffer, but you can create a damaging mental cycle with food that can be difficult to break.
"As a dietitian, I have clients who talk to me daily about their relationships with food, which includes the effects of not only 'vilifying' foods, but reading about vilified foods," she said. "People have been driven to starvation, depression, anxiety, debt, and eating disorders because of what media tells us about foods, and it's clear why: every day there's a new 'evil' food to cut out, and what are we left with? Kale and avocado toast? What happens when those become vilified because kale isn't organic enough and the avocado toast isn't locally sourced?"
Lisa urges you to stop being afraid of food groups. "People are spending too much time being scared of their food or being shamed for their food to enjoy eating it," she said. "Everyone wants to blame a food for their problems, but this attack on a new food every week leads to obsession and guilt and countless other damaging psychological effects."
Need more convincing that it's OK to just eat? Let's look at the most commonly targeted food groups: fat, sugar, and carbohydrates. Lisa had lots to say about each group, starting with fats. Spoiler: it's not bad for you. Fat doesn't make you fat.
The Skinny on Fat
"Fat comes in countless forms and chemical structures that all have varying impacts on your health," she said. "For instance, a naturally occurring omega-3 fat molecule in a piece of wild salmon is a completely different thing than a fat molecule in a trans fat (trans fats are created in a lab or factory and were invented to replace whale blubber in street lamps so they'd burn longer. Read: they were not meant for human consumption)."
But what about saturated fat? That tends to get a bad rap, too. Lisa will still eat it . . . in moderation. And with specific guardrails. "Saturated fat from a grass-fed cow is very different than that from a non-grass-fed cow, because it contains beneficial fatty acids thanks to the fiber in the grass and the cow's four-chambered stomach, such as butyric acid." That was a lot of science, but stay with us - the summary is that grass-fed dairy products (like butter and milk) are more nutritious than the alternative.
"Unsaturated fats have similar differences," she said, "And a cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil is a different beast than canola oil, thanks to EVOO's anti-inflammatory properties." So not all fats are created equal, meaning you can't just say "fat is bad for you." You have to think more critically and identify the source.
One consideration is weight loss - if you're trying to lose weight, you can (and should) still eat fat, but less of it. "Overall, fat is more calorically dense than all other food groups, so if calories are your target, it's still best to reduce fat. However, fat provides valuable long-term energy for the body and many fatty acids are necessary to consume because we can't make them on our own (hence the term 'essential' fatty acids)."
Fats to keep eating: omega-3 fats, grass-fed saturated fat, and certain unsaturated fats
Fats to avoid: trans fats, saturated fat from non-grass-fed cows, and pro-inflammatory vegetable oils
The Truth About Sugar
"Sugar is found in highly processed foods like candy but is also naturally occurring in fruit," Lisa said. "The sugar in fruit is still sugar, but when eaten with the fiber in the fruit, it is a healthier option." Hence: you need to eat the whole fruit, not just juice. She was very adamant about this. "Juicing is not as healthy as eating the fruit itself - you're just drinking the sugar without the fiber."
So again, like fat, Lisa eats sugar and says that you can, too. "Sugar from processed food or added sugars really should be avoided and consumed only in moderation, but again, is not evil or 'bad' . . . it's just not as nutritious."
To Carb or Not to Carb?
Lisa has a very pro-carb stance and has science to back it up. "Carbs have been vilified a lot recently, which makes no sense, because carbs are awesome."
But again, it's about the right kind of carbs - you can't paint this food group with a broad brush. "Simple white carbs that have been processed are essentially sugar, so moderation is key," she said. "They're not evil, but they also don't provide much value in terms of fullness or nutrients."
"People have been driven to starvation, depression, anxiety, debt, and eating disorders because of what media tells us about foods, and it's clear why: every day there's a new 'evil' food to cut out."
A more nutritive option? "Complex carbs like whole grains are so good for you and should be consumed daily, at every meal," she said. "These complex carbs provide an immense amount of soluble fiber to manage weight, keep you full, and keep you regular. They provide a boatload of amazing nutrients, and avoiding them completely puts you at risk for developing nutrient deficiencies."
Should You Eliminate Food Groups?
Unless you're suffering from food allergies, probably not. "Elimination diets can be an amazing tool if you're suffering from unexplained symptoms of food allergies or intolerances like stomachaches, headaches, or extreme fatigue," she said. It's imperative that "you are doing it with the guidance and support of a registered dietitian. . . . Elimination diets are most effective when being monitored by a professional, and they can be harmful when you're doing it on your own."
No allergies? No intolerances? "Ask yourself why you're eliminating food. Experimentation? Sure, could be fun. To lose weight or find a food to blame for your weight? You may be disappointed."
If the latter is resonating with you, Lisa has a challenge that both she and her clients love: "Pick one night this week to go to a delicious, amazing restaurant either by yourself or with friends, family, or SO who are on board, and order anything," she said. "Order more than just one thing you want! Order dessert! An appetizer! Two entrees! And eat it, slowly, with intention, thinking about how delicious it is. Anytime a guilty, shaming, or negative thought pops into your head, put your fork down, take a sip of water, and breathe until you come back to the joy."
Sounds amazing, right? Lisa knows that you will love it and ensures that "everything will be OK afterward!" She tried this herself (citing an evening in Los Angeles with many plates of pasta) "and I looked and felt the same the next day."
jeudi 17 janvier 2019
How the Government Shutdown Is Putting All Pregnant Women at Risk
If you're pregnant, you might want to avoid eating out for the foreseeable future. Due to the record-long government shutdown, federal food safety officials have either been working without pay or not working at all. FDA food inspectors were off the job since Dec. 22 until Jan. 15, when some of the workforce returned to resume inspections on high-risk foods. The FDA is responsible for inspecting cheese, leafy greens, fruits, vegetables, seafood, juice, and more, which means the shutdown may be impacting the integrity of the food supply and putting pregnant women and their unborn children at risk. If you're pregnant, you can protect yourself by cooking for yourself and avoiding risky foods.
Foods to Avoid During the Shutdown
"Because there are fewer inspectors monitoring products that are of high risk to pregnant women, they need to be even more careful about the food they consume," said Bill Marler, a food safety attorney and activist who played a role in crafting the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011. As a result of the shutdown, Marler told me there could be a greater risk of an listeria outbreak. Pregnant women are more likely to contract listeria, an infection from foodborne bacteria that can cause miscarriage, preterm birth, stillbirth, or birth defects. Right now, it's even more important to avoid the list of risky foods for pregnant women. You should consult with your own ob-gyn, but they often include:
- Soft cheese
- Deli meats
- Pâte
- Undercooked meat, poultry, or seafood
- Sprouts
- Precut fruits and vegetables
- Prepackaged salads or sandwiches
- Unpasteurized juice
- Marler also thinks it's best to skip "ready to eat" food, which could include leafy greens, ice cream, or peanut butter
The FDA inspects produce like leafy greens. Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography/ Diggy Lyod
"I would only eat things I could cook myself."
The USDA, which inspects meat, poultry, eggs, and catfish, has been working without pay throughout the shutdown. It's required by law that all meat products are inspected before they are sold, but the same requirement does not apply to the food inspected by the FDA, which accounts for 80 percent of the American food supply, as well as some imports. After weeks, the FDA is now restarting routine inspections on high-risk products like soft cheeses, seafood, custard-filled bakery products, risky fruits and vegetables, unpasteurized juices, and baby formula. Still, Marler thinks the overall stress of the shutdown could impact those who are still working: "They're essentially being asked to protect us while being worried about other things."
Based on his experience, Marler suggested pregnant women take extra precautions during this time. "I would only eat things I could cook myself," he said, adding that it might be the time to skip eating out. "If you go out to dinner, you're putting the risk of cooking it into another person's hands."
When Will Things Return to Normal?
If you're pregnant, you're probably wondering how long until you can enjoy a fresh salad or a meal out without worrying. Even after the shutdown is over, it could take a while for the system to return to how it was before. "If I were a pregnant woman, I would wait for a while after the government opened again until I felt confident that the system was working. At least a couple of weeks," Marler said. In addition to testing and enforcing safety standards, the FDA spends time educating companies about best practices. During the shutdown, that's not happening, and it could take time to make up the loss. In addition, some federal food safety employees might start looking for new, more reliable jobs. "The FDA doesn't have enough inspectors even when there isn't a shutdown," Marler said, which means the shutdown is only adding to the problem.
There is some good news, though. Food companies do some testing themselves and if they identify an outbreak in their products, they have a legal obligation to alert the public. "Food safety continues to be grocers' greatest priority despite this government shutdown," Heather Garlich, a spokesperson for the Food Marketing Institute, told POPSUGAR. FMI advocates for food retail businesses, like grocery stores. While Garlich said vulnerable populations like pregnant women should always take extra care, she assured me that food retailers and suppliers continue to do what they can to keep food in their control safe. "Namely, they maintain their food safety action plans, guard supply chain controls, perform routine retail food safety training, and work to relay critical food safety information to their customers," she said. Hopefully that and some extra precautions from expecting women will be enough.
vendredi 31 mars 2017
6 Unusual Ways to Lose Weight That Actually Work
Most people will agree that a successful weight-loss plan includes a healthy diet and movement. Luckily, what you eat and how much you move are the factors you can control. Maybe you're already doing this, but did you know that there are some unusual ways to help boost weight loss that you probably haven't heard of?
Best of all, these tips aren't fads; they are actually backed by research.
Keep in mind incorporating these unusual ways for weight loss won't alone get the pounds to come off. However, adding them to your current routine may give you the extra boost you're looking for!
1. Smell more vanilla
Taste and smell go hand in hand. If you smell something delicious, chances are it will encourage your appetite for that food. The opposite is also true. If we smell something revolting, appetite usually goes down.
Smelling vanilla may actually help calm dessert cravings. This sweet scent has a calming effect on the part of the brain where cravings live, which can help curb your appetite. The study was done in St. George Hospital in London, and researchers found those who wore vanilla-scented patches lost more weight than those wearing no patch or a lemon patch. Researchers believe the sweet smell of vanilla helped appease the need for something sweet, and participants who smelled vanilla were less likely to overeat sweets.
So if sweets are your guilty pleasure, getting a vanilla-scented air freshener or candle could help you resist the temptation.
2. Eat off different colored plates
The food you serve on your plate certainly makes an impact on weight. However, research from Cornell University also suggests the color of your plate can make a difference on how much you eat. Researchers found when study participants ate off same colored plates as their food, they served themselves about 30 percent more food. When study participants ate off different colored plates than their food, they served themselves less food. This difference in how much you eat off of plates could help or hinder weight-loss efforts.
Want to take it a step further? Contrasting plates with the tablecloth also seemed to further help lower food intake. Other studies have suggested blue plates could help lower food intake. This is probably because the vast majority of foods are not blue, meaning no cravings in the brain are triggered.
3. Change who you eat with
Who you eat and socialize with can impact your own lifestyle patterns. A study noted that if a friend is obese, chances are the other friend becoming obese can increase up to 57 percent. An obese spouse can also increase risk for your own weight gain.
Researchers suggest the portions others eat around us can also become a norm. This doesn't mean you need to find a new group of friends, but it means to increase your awareness of environmental cues around you.
4. Write down or take a picture of everything you eat
Many weight-loss programs suggest tracking your food intake by writing it down to keep you honest about how much and what you are eating. It can also show where you are sneaking in extra calories or larger portions of food that you don't realize.
Another way to track your food intake is to take a picture of it. A University of Wisconsin-Madison study suggests that taking pictures of food before you eat it can serve as an encouragement to change your diet. Taking a picture is immediate, whereas filling out a food diary is often done hours after eating. If you have to take a picture of everything you eat, it makes you stop before eating and think about your choices.
5. Leave the serving dishes off the table
Many slight changes in your environment can make eating healthier the easier choice. Many times when food is out of sight, it helps keep it out of mind. One small change you can make for encouraging smaller portions at meal times can be to change where you keep your serving dish.
Leaving the serving dish on the stove instead of on the table could help you keep your portion size down. Instead of reaching for seconds right away on the table, you need to make an effort to get more from the kitchen. This can also help slow down your food intake to give your brain enough time to register when you're full.
6. Dim the lights when you eat
If you go to any sit-down restaurant, chances are the lights will be dimmed. Contrast that with a fast-food restaurant, or even your own home, and the lights are probably a lot brighter.
A 2012 study found just changing how dim the lights are in a fast-food restaurant helped people eat less food. What they ordered didn't change, but how much they ate did.
Researchers found dimming the lights lengthened the eating time, suggesting a more relaxed atmosphere increases satisfaction and decreases how much food you eat. While this study was in a restaurant, dimming the lights in your own home could have the same effect on food intake.
6 Unusual Ways to Lose Weight That Actually Work
Most people will agree that a successful weight-loss plan includes a healthy diet and movement. Luckily, what you eat and how much you move are the factors you can control. Maybe you're already doing this, but did you know that there are some unusual ways to help boost weight loss that you probably haven't heard of?
Best of all, these tips aren't fads; they are actually backed by research.
Keep in mind incorporating these unusual ways for weight loss won't alone get the pounds to come off. However, adding them to your current routine may give you the extra boost you're looking for!
1. Smell more vanilla
Taste and smell go hand in hand. If you smell something delicious, chances are it will encourage your appetite for that food. The opposite is also true. If we smell something revolting, appetite usually goes down.
Smelling vanilla may actually help calm dessert cravings. This sweet scent has a calming effect on the part of the brain where cravings live, which can help curb your appetite. The study was done in St. George Hospital in London, and researchers found those who wore vanilla-scented patches lost more weight than those wearing no patch or a lemon patch. Researchers believe the sweet smell of vanilla helped appease the need for something sweet, and participants who smelled vanilla were less likely to overeat sweets.
So if sweets are your guilty pleasure, getting a vanilla-scented air freshener or candle could help you resist the temptation.
2. Eat off different colored plates
The food you serve on your plate certainly makes an impact on weight. However, research from Cornell University also suggests the color of your plate can make a difference on how much you eat. Researchers found when study participants ate off same colored plates as their food, they served themselves about 30 percent more food. When study participants ate off different colored plates than their food, they served themselves less food. This difference in how much you eat off of plates could help or hinder weight-loss efforts.
Want to take it a step further? Contrasting plates with the tablecloth also seemed to further help lower food intake. Other studies have suggested blue plates could help lower food intake. This is probably because the vast majority of foods are not blue, meaning no cravings in the brain are triggered.
3. Change who you eat with
Who you eat and socialize with can impact your own lifestyle patterns. A study noted that if a friend is obese, chances are the other friend becoming obese can increase up to 57 percent. An obese spouse can also increase risk for your own weight gain.
Researchers suggest the portions others eat around us can also become a norm. This doesn't mean you need to find a new group of friends, but it means to increase your awareness of environmental cues around you.
4. Write down or take a picture of everything you eat
Many weight-loss programs suggest tracking your food intake by writing it down to keep you honest about how much and what you are eating. It can also show where you are sneaking in extra calories or larger portions of food that you don't realize.
Another way to track your food intake is to take a picture of it. A University of Wisconsin-Madison study suggests that taking pictures of food before you eat it can serve as an encouragement to change your diet. Taking a picture is immediate, whereas filling out a food diary is often done hours after eating. If you have to take a picture of everything you eat, it makes you stop before eating and think about your choices.
5. Leave the serving dishes off the table
Many slight changes in your environment can make eating healthier the easier choice. Many times when food is out of sight, it helps keep it out of mind. One small change you can make for encouraging smaller portions at meal times can be to change where you keep your serving dish.
Leaving the serving dish on the stove instead of on the table could help you keep your portion size down. Instead of reaching for seconds right away on the table, you need to make an effort to get more from the kitchen. This can also help slow down your food intake to give your brain enough time to register when you're full.
6. Dim the lights when you eat
If you go to any sit-down restaurant, chances are the lights will be dimmed. Contrast that with a fast-food restaurant, or even your own home, and the lights are probably a lot brighter.
A 2012 study found just changing how dim the lights are in a fast-food restaurant helped people eat less food. What they ordered didn't change, but how much they ate did.
Researchers found dimming the lights lengthened the eating time, suggesting a more relaxed atmosphere increases satisfaction and decreases how much food you eat. While this study was in a restaurant, dimming the lights in your own home could have the same effect on food intake.
vendredi 3 mars 2017
6 Unusual Ways to Lose Weight That Actually Work
Most people will agree that a successful weight-loss plan includes a healthy diet and movement. Luckily, what you eat and how much you move are the factors you can control. Maybe you're already doing this, but did you know that there are some unusual ways to help boost weight loss that you probably haven't heard of?
Best of all, these tips aren't fads; they are actually backed by research.
Keep in mind incorporating these unusual ways for weight loss won't alone get the pounds to come off. However, adding them to your current routine may give you the extra boost you're looking for!
1. Smell more vanilla
Taste and smell go hand in hand. If you smell something delicious, chances are it will encourage your appetite for that food. The opposite is also true. If we smell something revolting, appetite usually goes down.
Smelling vanilla may actually help calm dessert cravings. This sweet scent has a calming effect on the part of the brain where cravings live, which can help curb your appetite. The study was done in St. George Hospital in London, and researchers found those who wore vanilla scented patches lost more weight than those wearing no patch or a lemon patch. Researchers believe the sweet smell of vanilla helped appease the need for something sweet, and participants who smelled vanilla were less likely to overeat sweets.
So, if sweets are your guilty pleasure, getting a vanilla scented air freshener or candle could help you resist the temptation.
2. Eat off different colored plates
The food you serve on your plate certainly makes an impact on weight. However, research from Cornell University also suggests the color of your plate can also make a difference on how much you eat. Researchers found when study participants ate off same colored plate as their food they served themselves about 30 percent more food. When study participants ate off different colored plates than their food, they served themselves less food. This difference in how much you eat off of plates could help or hinder weight loss efforts.
Want to take it a step further? Contrasting plates with the tablecloth also seemed to further help lower food intake. Other studies have suggested blue plates could help lower food intake. This is probably because the vast majority of foods are not blue, meaning no cravings in the brain are triggered.
3. Change who you eat with
Who you eat and socialize with can impact your own lifestyle patterns. A study noted that if a friend is obese, chances are the other friend becoming obese can increase up to 57 percent. An obese spouse can also increase risk for your own weight gain.
Researchers suggest the portions others eat around us can also become a norm for you. This doesn't mean you need to find a new group of friends, but it means to increase your awareness of environmental cues around you.
4. Write down or take a picture of everything you eat
Many weight-loss programs suggest tracking your food intake by writing it down to keep you honest about how much and what you are eating. It can also show where you are sneaking in extra calories or larger portions of food that you don't realize.
Another way to track your food intake is to take a picture of it. A University of Wisconsin-Madison study suggests that taking pictures of food before you eat it can serve as an encouragement to change your diet. Taking a picture is immediate, where as filling out a food diary is often done hours after eating. If you have to take a picture of everything you eat, it makes you stop before eating and think about your choices.
5. Leave the serving dishes off the table
Many slight changes in your environment can make eating healthier the easier choice. Many times when food is out of sight it helps keep it out of mind. One small change you can make for encouraging smaller portions at meal times can be to change where you keep your serving dish.
Leaving the serving dish on the stove instead of on the table could help you keep your portion size down. Instead of reaching for seconds right away on the table, you need to make an effort to get more from the kitchen. This can also help slow down your food intake to give your brain enough time to register when you're full.
6. Dim the lights when you eat
If you go to any sit down restaurant, chances are the lights will be dimmed. Contrast that with a fast food restaurant, or even your own home, and the lights are probably a lot brighter.
A 2012 study found just changing how dim the lights are in a fast food restaurant helped people eat less food. What they ordered didn't change, but how much they ate did.
Researchers found dimming the lights lengthened the eating time suggesting a more relaxed atmosphere increases satisfaction and decreases how much food you eat. While this study was in a restaurant, dimming the lights in your own home could have the same effect on food intake.
6 Unusual Ways to Lose Weight That Actually Work
Most people will agree that a successful weight-loss plan includes a healthy diet and movement. Luckily, what you eat and how much you move are the factors you can control. Maybe you're already doing this, but did you know that there are some unusual ways to help boost weight loss that you probably haven't heard of?
Best of all, these tips aren't fads; they are actually backed by research.
Keep in mind incorporating these unusual ways for weight loss won't alone get the pounds to come off. However, adding them to your current routine may give you the extra boost you're looking for!
1. Smell more vanilla
Taste and smell go hand in hand. If you smell something delicious, chances are it will encourage your appetite for that food. The opposite is also true. If we smell something revolting, appetite usually goes down.
Smelling vanilla may actually help calm dessert cravings. This sweet scent has a calming effect on the part of the brain where cravings live, which can help curb your appetite. The study was done in St. George Hospital in London, and researchers found those who wore vanilla scented patches lost more weight than those wearing no patch or a lemon patch. Researchers believe the sweet smell of vanilla helped appease the need for something sweet, and participants who smelled vanilla were less likely to overeat sweets.
So, if sweets are your guilty pleasure, getting a vanilla scented air freshener or candle could help you resist the temptation.
2. Eat off different colored plates
The food you serve on your plate certainly makes an impact on weight. However, research from Cornell University also suggests the color of your plate can also make a difference on how much you eat. Researchers found when study participants ate off same colored plate as their food they served themselves about 30 percent more food. When study participants ate off different colored plates than their food, they served themselves less food. This difference in how much you eat off of plates could help or hinder weight loss efforts.
Want to take it a step further? Contrasting plates with the tablecloth also seemed to further help lower food intake. Other studies have suggested blue plates could help lower food intake. This is probably because the vast majority of foods are not blue, meaning no cravings in the brain are triggered.
3. Change who you eat with
Who you eat and socialize with can impact your own lifestyle patterns. A study noted that if a friend is obese, chances are the other friend becoming obese can increase up to 57 percent. An obese spouse can also increase risk for your own weight gain.
Researchers suggest the portions others eat around us can also become a norm for you. This doesn't mean you need to find a new group of friends, but it means to increase your awareness of environmental cues around you.
4. Write down or take a picture of everything you eat
Many weight-loss programs suggest tracking your food intake by writing it down to keep you honest about how much and what you are eating. It can also show where you are sneaking in extra calories or larger portions of food that you don't realize.
Another way to track your food intake is to take a picture of it. A University of Wisconsin-Madison study suggests that taking pictures of food before you eat it can serve as an encouragement to change your diet. Taking a picture is immediate, where as filling out a food diary is often done hours after eating. If you have to take a picture of everything you eat, it makes you stop before eating and think about your choices.
5. Leave the serving dishes off the table
Many slight changes in your environment can make eating healthier the easier choice. Many times when food is out of sight it helps keep it out of mind. One small change you can make for encouraging smaller portions at meal times can be to change where you keep your serving dish.
Leaving the serving dish on the stove instead of on the table could help you keep your portion size down. Instead of reaching for seconds right away on the table, you need to make an effort to get more from the kitchen. This can also help slow down your food intake to give your brain enough time to register when you're full.
6. Dim the lights when you eat
If you go to any sit down restaurant, chances are the lights will be dimmed. Contrast that with a fast food restaurant, or even your own home, and the lights are probably a lot brighter.
A 2012 study found just changing how dim the lights are in a fast food restaurant helped people eat less food. What they ordered didn't change, but how much they ate did.
Researchers found dimming the lights lengthened the eating time suggesting a more relaxed atmosphere increases satisfaction and decreases how much food you eat. While this study was in a restaurant, dimming the lights in your own home could have the same effect on food intake.
jeudi 16 février 2017
The Sad Trend That's Ruining Our Relationship With Food
"I know this is basically all carbs but . . . " I stopped myself mid-sentence when I realized I was trying to justify my food to someone else. I had ordered a gluten-free banana almond butter toast with local honey and cinnamon from Project Juice - a seemingly very healthy meal - but found myself borderline self-shaming for my "indulgent" choice in a carb-laden breakfast.
Pause for a moment: raise your hand if you've ever made yourself feel bad about a food choice, regardless of what that choice was. Raise your hand again if you've justified what you were eating to someone else, or have been ashamed of what you've ordered or eaten in the company of friends.
This is not cool, guys! And I know this because I've been there, too. It's a form of food shaming, and it's not chill.
We're shifting into a healthier, more accepting mindset with our bodies - loving our shape, embracing imperfections, and celebrating every stage of our physical journey. But have we refocused our negativity and self-deprecation to what's on our plate? I'm personally trying to nip that in the bud, stat.
I've noticed myself and others adopting a mindset of "it's healthy . . . but not healthy enough." For instance, an acai bowl is arguably a healthy breakfast, but you could find yourself saying, "It's all sugar," or, "There's not enough protein." Hello! It's natural sugar from fruit, not processed sugar and flour, and not every single thing you eat has to have protein.
Why are we in a competition with ourselves and the universe to out-healthy one another, so much so that we shame our otherwise-healthy choices? "Mmmm, that kale smoothie looks good, but the almond milk is sweetened so it's basically a Snickers." The f*ck?? We really need to wake up from this.
This also applies to foods that aren't conventionally healthy, like eating a piece of pizza or having a cocktail; we shouldn't feel guilty or like we need to earn these indulgences. I'm not saying just eat whatever the f*ck you want - we should absolutely be conscious about our choices. Obesity is still a problem in our country, as is heart disease, sugar addiction, etc., etc. But I am saying to acknowledge food as a choice, as fuel, and often as a means of pleasure and enjoyment - and that's OK! This is why we love the 80/20 approach to eating!
One of my favorite quotes about this idea was from a woman I interviewed last year about her 100-pound weight-loss journey who said, "Food is food and it can be used for fuel or pleasure, but it doesn't define my character." Here's why this is so important:
Your Relationship With Food
Constantly guilting yourself over food choices can spiral into something more dangerous than some off-handed comments (like an eating disorder). What can start off as something lighthearted, even funny (trust me, self-deprecating humor is my specialty), can turn into a truly negative relationship with food. As one recovering anorexic woman told POPSUGAR, "I innocently thought that I was just exercising and eating healthy, but over time, I continued to take it to extremes."
The concept of "healthy" is relative to each person. To my lactose-intolerant friend, my Greek-yogurt-based smoothie isn't healthy, but to me it's an excellent source of protein. There are no hard and fast rules or lines between what is or isn't "healthy," so by arbitrarily making up the rules, we subject ourselves to guilt, confusion, and negativity. Is a life of obsessively counting and restricting calories, second-guessing choices, and feeling guilty and sad at every single meal time something you want to deal with? (Hoping your answer is no, BTW.)
Your Impact on Others
What we say affects other people, too. Whether you like it or not, your words and actions impact those around you, and you might be more of an inspiration to your friends and family than you realize.
A few months ago I overheard some women in a Megaformer class saying, "We can go get those margaritas now - we deserve them!" and my first reaction was "Girl, please!" My second one was, "Is this really the language we've developed to communicate with other women?"
At the risk of sounding like a cheesy motivational cat poster (or a fake Gandhi quote), "Be the change you want to see in the world." Do you want your friends, workout buddies, co-workers, and family members to have a great, healthy relationship with food? Lead by example. If you're calling out your food as "not good enough" or "not healthy enough," you're giving the people around you a reason to second-guess themselves.
How We Fix It
Through my experience and bits of psychological research (including an interview with acclaimed psychologist Dr. David Burns), I've identified these distorted thoughts that are cropping up - here's how I plan to destroy them so they never, ever come back. Ever.
- Focus on the positive. Sometimes you're going to eat something that might not be the healthiest thing you can put in your body. Instead of beating yourself up, focus on the good parts - if you enjoyed it, if it made you feel good, or if there was a redeeming quality nutritionally.
- Avoid "all or nothing" thinking. Just because your smoothie is a little carb heavy from the fruit doesn't mean it's disqualified from the healthy category. A little cheese on your fajitas doesn't mean they were bad for you. Eating the yolk of the egg won't sabotage your diet. No food is "perfect," and as we mentioned, these "rules" are relative.
- Stop comparing. Have you ever ordered a burger at a lunch when your friend ordered a salad and immediately regretted your choice or been embarrassed by it? You already know it's time to cut that out.
- Remember, it's just food. Always remember that quote from above - food is food. It's just food. You don't "deserve it" as much as you don't "not deserve it." Eating a "healthy" food doesn't make you "healthy," just as eating an "unhealthy" food doesn't make you "unhealthy" (this is called "emotional reasoning"). Just enjoy your food, strive for great choices, and keep moving forward.
- Avoid "should" statements. Using "should" and "shouldn't" when it comes to your diet is going to set you up for frustration and failure.
- Be conscious of your words. This applies to when you're talking to yourself, talking to others, and talking about yourself in front of other people. Be positive, not degrading.
- Don't project. Just as you don't want to food shame yourself, don't do it to others. Don't blame someone's health problem or physical woes on what they're eating, because everyone's body is different, and also you kind of look like a d*ck when you do that.
Stop yourself in your tracks when you start to notice these negative food thoughts cropping up or if you catch yourself saying them aloud to a friend. Soon enough, you'll have killed this habit before it even had a chance to form or take over your life. And the best part? You'll have a happier, healthier relationship with food. Mmmmm, food.
mardi 7 mars 2017
The Sad Trend That's Ruining Our Relationship With Food
"I know this is basically all carbs but . . . " I stopped myself mid-sentence when I realized I was trying to justify my food to someone else. I had ordered a gluten-free banana almond butter toast with local honey and cinnamon from Project Juice - a seemingly very healthy meal - but found myself borderline self-shaming for my "indulgent" choice in a carb-laden breakfast.
Pause for a moment: raise your hand if you've ever made yourself feel bad about a food choice, regardless of what that choice was. Raise your hand again if you've justified what you were eating to someone else, or have been ashamed of what you've ordered or eaten in the company of friends.
This is not cool, guys! And I know this because I've been there, too. It's a form of food shaming, and it's not chill.
We're shifting into a healthier, more accepting mindset with our bodies - loving our shape, embracing imperfections, and celebrating every stage of our physical journey. But have we refocused our negativity and self-deprecation to what's on our plate? I'm personally trying to nip that in the bud, stat.
I've noticed myself and others adopting a mindset of "it's healthy . . . but not healthy enough." For instance, an acai bowl is arguably a healthy breakfast, but you could find yourself saying, "It's all sugar," or, "There's not enough protein." Hello! It's natural sugar from fruit, not processed sugar and flour, and not every single thing you eat has to have protein.
Why are we in a competition with ourselves and the universe to out-healthy one another, so much so that we shame our otherwise-healthy choices? "Mmmm, that kale smoothie looks good, but the almond milk is sweetened so it's basically a Snickers." The f*ck?? We really need to wake up from this.
This also applies to foods that aren't conventionally healthy, like eating a piece of pizza or having a cocktail; we shouldn't feel guilty or like we need to earn these indulgences. I'm not saying just eat whatever the f*ck you want - we should absolutely be conscious about our choices. Obesity is still a problem in our country, as is heart disease, sugar addiction, etc., etc. But I am saying to acknowledge food as a choice, as fuel, and often as a means of pleasure and enjoyment - and that's OK! This is why we love the 80/20 approach to eating!
One of my favorite quotes about this idea was from a woman I interviewed last year about her 100-pound weight-loss journey who said, "Food is food and it can be used for fuel or pleasure, but it doesn't define my character." Here's why this is so important:
Your Relationship With Food
Constantly guilting yourself over food choices can spiral into something more dangerous than some off-handed comments (like an eating disorder). What can start off as something lighthearted, even funny (trust me, self-deprecating humor is my specialty), can turn into a truly negative relationship with food. As one recovering anorexic woman told POPSUGAR, "I innocently thought that I was just exercising and eating healthy, but over time, I continued to take it to extremes."
The concept of "healthy" is relative to each person. To my lactose-intolerant friend, my Greek-yogurt-based smoothie isn't healthy, but to me it's an excellent source of protein. There are no hard and fast rules or lines between what is or isn't "healthy," so by arbitrarily making up the rules, we subject ourselves to guilt, confusion, and negativity. Is a life of obsessively counting and restricting calories, second-guessing choices, and feeling guilty and sad at every single meal time something you want to deal with? (Hoping your answer is no, BTW.)
Your Impact on Others
What we say affects other people, too. Whether you like it or not, your words and actions impact those around you, and you might be more of an inspiration to your friends and family than you realize.
A few months ago I overheard some women in a Megaformer class saying, "We can go get those margaritas now - we deserve them!" and my first reaction was "Girl, please!" My second one was, "Is this really the language we've developed to communicate with other women?"
At the risk of sounding like a cheesy motivational cat poster (or a fake Gandhi quote), "Be the change you want to see in the world." Do you want your friends, workout buddies, co-workers, and family members to have a great, healthy relationship with food? Lead by example. If you're calling out your food as "not good enough" or "not healthy enough," you're giving the people around you a reason to second-guess themselves.
How We Fix It
Through my experience and bits of psychological research (including an interview with acclaimed psychiatrist Dr. David Burns), I've identified these distorted thoughts that are cropping up - here's how I plan to destroy them so they never, ever come back. Ever.
- Focus on the positive. Sometimes you're going to eat something that might not be the healthiest thing you can put in your body. Instead of beating yourself up, focus on the good parts - if you enjoyed it, if it made you feel good, or if there was a redeeming quality nutritionally.
- Avoid "all or nothing" thinking. Just because your smoothie is a little carb heavy from the fruit doesn't mean it's disqualified from the healthy category. A little cheese on your fajitas doesn't mean they were bad for you. Eating the yolk of the egg won't sabotage your diet. No food is "perfect," and as we mentioned, these "rules" are relative.
- Stop comparing. Have you ever ordered a burger at a lunch when your friend ordered a salad and immediately regretted your choice or been embarrassed by it? You already know it's time to cut that out.
- Remember, it's just food. Always remember that quote from above - food is food. It's just food. You don't "deserve it" as much as you don't "not deserve it." Eating a "healthy" food doesn't make you "healthy," just as eating an "unhealthy" food doesn't make you "unhealthy" (this is called "emotional reasoning"). Just enjoy your food, strive for great choices, and keep moving forward.
- Avoid "should" statements. Using "should" and "shouldn't" when it comes to your diet is going to set you up for frustration and failure.
- Be conscious of your words. This applies to when you're talking to yourself, talking to others, and talking about yourself in front of other people. Be positive, not degrading.
- Don't project. Just as you don't want to food shame yourself, don't do it to others. Don't blame someone's health problem or physical woes on what they're eating, because everyone's body is different, and also you kind of look like a d*ck when you do that.
Stop yourself in your tracks when you start to notice these negative food thoughts cropping up or if you catch yourself saying them aloud to a friend. Soon enough, you'll have killed this habit before it even had a chance to form or take over your life. And the best part? You'll have a happier, healthier relationship with food. Mmmmm, food.
The Sad Trend That's Ruining Our Relationship With Food
"I know this is basically all carbs but . . . " I stopped myself mid-sentence when I realized I was trying to justify my food to someone else. I had ordered a gluten-free banana almond butter toast with local honey and cinnamon from Project Juice - a seemingly very healthy meal - but found myself borderline self-shaming for my "indulgent" choice in a carb-laden breakfast.
Pause for a moment: raise your hand if you've ever made yourself feel bad about a food choice, regardless of what that choice was. Raise your hand again if you've justified what you were eating to someone else, or have been ashamed of what you've ordered or eaten in the company of friends.
This is not cool, guys! And I know this because I've been there, too. It's a form of food shaming, and it's not chill.
We're shifting into a healthier, more accepting mindset with our bodies - loving our shape, embracing imperfections, and celebrating every stage of our physical journey. But have we refocused our negativity and self-deprecation to what's on our plate? I'm personally trying to nip that in the bud, stat.
I've noticed myself and others adopting a mindset of "it's healthy . . . but not healthy enough." For instance, an acai bowl is arguably a healthy breakfast, but you could find yourself saying, "It's all sugar," or, "There's not enough protein." Hello! It's natural sugar from fruit, not processed sugar and flour, and not every single thing you eat has to have protein.
Why are we in a competition with ourselves and the universe to out-healthy one another, so much so that we shame our otherwise-healthy choices? "Mmmm, that kale smoothie looks good, but the almond milk is sweetened so it's basically a Snickers." The f*ck?? We really need to wake up from this.
This also applies to foods that aren't conventionally healthy, like eating a piece of pizza or having a cocktail; we shouldn't feel guilty or like we need to earn these indulgences. I'm not saying just eat whatever the f*ck you want - we should absolutely be conscious about our choices. Obesity is still a problem in our country, as is heart disease, sugar addiction, etc., etc. But I am saying to acknowledge food as a choice, as fuel, and often as a means of pleasure and enjoyment - and that's OK! This is why we love the 80/20 approach to eating!
One of my favorite quotes about this idea was from a woman I interviewed last year about her 100-pound weight-loss journey who said, "Food is food and it can be used for fuel or pleasure, but it doesn't define my character." Here's why this is so important:
Your Relationship With Food
Constantly guilting yourself over food choices can spiral into something more dangerous than some off-handed comments (like an eating disorder). What can start off as something lighthearted, even funny (trust me, self-deprecating humor is my specialty), can turn into a truly negative relationship with food. As one recovering anorexic woman told POPSUGAR, "I innocently thought that I was just exercising and eating healthy, but over time, I continued to take it to extremes."
The concept of "healthy" is relative to each person. To my lactose-intolerant friend, my Greek-yogurt-based smoothie isn't healthy, but to me it's an excellent source of protein. There are no hard and fast rules or lines between what is or isn't "healthy," so by arbitrarily making up the rules, we subject ourselves to guilt, confusion, and negativity. Is a life of obsessively counting and restricting calories, second-guessing choices, and feeling guilty and sad at every single meal time something you want to deal with? (Hoping your answer is no, BTW.)
Your Impact on Others
What we say affects other people, too. Whether you like it or not, your words and actions impact those around you, and you might be more of an inspiration to your friends and family than you realize.
A few months ago I overheard some women in a Megaformer class saying, "We can go get those margaritas now - we deserve them!" and my first reaction was "Girl, please!" My second one was, "Is this really the language we've developed to communicate with other women?"
At the risk of sounding like a cheesy motivational cat poster (or a fake Gandhi quote), "Be the change you want to see in the world." Do you want your friends, workout buddies, co-workers, and family members to have a great, healthy relationship with food? Lead by example. If you're calling out your food as "not good enough" or "not healthy enough," you're giving the people around you a reason to second-guess themselves.
How We Fix It
Through my experience and bits of psychological research (including an interview with acclaimed psychiatrist Dr. David Burns), I've identified these distorted thoughts that are cropping up - here's how I plan to destroy them so they never, ever come back. Ever.
- Focus on the positive. Sometimes you're going to eat something that might not be the healthiest thing you can put in your body. Instead of beating yourself up, focus on the good parts - if you enjoyed it, if it made you feel good, or if there was a redeeming quality nutritionally.
- Avoid "all or nothing" thinking. Just because your smoothie is a little carb heavy from the fruit doesn't mean it's disqualified from the healthy category. A little cheese on your fajitas doesn't mean they were bad for you. Eating the yolk of the egg won't sabotage your diet. No food is "perfect," and as we mentioned, these "rules" are relative.
- Stop comparing. Have you ever ordered a burger at a lunch when your friend ordered a salad and immediately regretted your choice or been embarrassed by it? You already know it's time to cut that out.
- Remember, it's just food. Always remember that quote from above - food is food. It's just food. You don't "deserve it" as much as you don't "not deserve it." Eating a "healthy" food doesn't make you "healthy," just as eating an "unhealthy" food doesn't make you "unhealthy" (this is called "emotional reasoning"). Just enjoy your food, strive for great choices, and keep moving forward.
- Avoid "should" statements. Using "should" and "shouldn't" when it comes to your diet is going to set you up for frustration and failure.
- Be conscious of your words. This applies to when you're talking to yourself, talking to others, and talking about yourself in front of other people. Be positive, not degrading.
- Don't project. Just as you don't want to food shame yourself, don't do it to others. Don't blame someone's health problem or physical woes on what they're eating, because everyone's body is different, and also you kind of look like a d*ck when you do that.
Stop yourself in your tracks when you start to notice these negative food thoughts cropping up or if you catch yourself saying them aloud to a friend. Soon enough, you'll have killed this habit before it even had a chance to form or take over your life. And the best part? You'll have a happier, healthier relationship with food. Mmmmm, food.
mercredi 15 février 2017
The Sad Trend That's Ruining Our Relationship With Food
"I know this is basically all carbs but . . . " I stopped myself mid-sentence when I realized I was trying to justify my food to someone else. I had ordered a gluten-free banana almond butter toast with local honey and cinnamon from Project Juice - a seemingly very healthy meal - but found myself borderline self-shaming for my "indulgent" choice in a carb-laden breakfast.
Pause for a moment: raise your hand if you've ever made yourself feel bad about a food choice, regardless of what that choice was. Raise your hand again if you've justified what you were eating to someone else, or have been ashamed of what you've ordered or eaten in the company of friends.
This is not cool, guys! And I know this because I've been there, too. It's a form of food shaming, and it's not chill.
We're shifting into a healthier, more accepting mindset with our bodies - loving our shape, embracing imperfections, and celebrating every stage of our physical journey. But have we refocused our negativity and self deprecation to what's on our plate? I'm personally trying to nip that in the bud, stat.
I've noticed myself and others adopting a mindset of "it's healthy . . . but not healthy enough." For instance, an açaí bowl is arguably a healthy breakfast, but you could find yourself saying "it's all sugar," or "there's not enough protein." Hello! It's natural sugar from fruit, it's not processed sugar and flour, and not every single thing you eat has to have protein.
Why are we in a competition with ourselves and the universe to out-healthy one another, so much so that we shame our otherwise healthy choices? "Mmmm that kale smoothie looks good but the almond milk is sweetened so it's basically a Snickers." The f*ck?? We really need to wake up from this.
This also applies to foods that aren't conventionally healthy, like eating a piece of pizza or having a cocktail; we shouldn't feel guilty or like we need to earn these indulgences. I'm not saying just eat whatever the f*ck you want - we should absolutely be conscious about our choices. Obesity is still a problem in our country, as is heart disease, sugar addiction, etc etc. But I am saying to acknowledge food as a choice, as fuel, and often as a means of pleasure and enjoyment - and that's OK! This is why we love the 80/20 approach to eating!
One of my favorite quotes about this idea was from a woman who I interviewed last year about her 100-pound weight-loss journey, who said, "Food is food and it can be used for fuel or pleasure, but it doesn't define my character." Here's why this is so important:
Your Relationship With Food
Constantly guilting yourself over food choices can spiral into something more dangerous than some off-handed comments like an eating disorder). What can start off as something lighthearted - even funny (trust me, self-deprecating humor is my specialty) - can turn into a truly negative relationship with food. As one recovering anorexic woman told POPSUGAR, "I innocently thought that I was just exercising and eating healthy but over time, I continued to take it to extremes."
The concept of "healthy" is relative to each person. To my lactose-intolerant friend, my Greek yogurt-based smoothie isn't healthy, but to me it's an excellent source of protein. There are no hard and fast rules or lines of what is or isn't "healthy," so by arbitrarily making up the rules, we subject ourselves to guilt, confusion, and negativity. Is a life of obsessively counting and restricting calories, second guessing choices, and feeling guilty and sad at every single meal time something you want to deal with? (hoping your answer is no, btw)
Your Impact on Others
What we say affects other people, too. Whether you like it or not, your words and actions impact those around you, and you might be more of an inspiration to your friends and family than you realize.
A few months ago I overheard some women in a Megaformer class saying "We can go get those margaritas now - we deserve them!" and my first reaction was girl, please! My second one was, is this really the language we've developed to communicate with other women?
At risk of sounding like a cheesy motivational cat poster (or a fake Gandhi quote), "Be the change you want to see in the world." Do you want your friends, workout buddies, coworkers, and family members to have a great, healthy relationship with food? Lead by example. If you're calling out your food as "not good enough" or "not healthy enough," you're giving the people around you a reason to second-guess themselves.
How We Fix It
Through my experience and bits of psychological research (including an interview with acclaimed psychologist, Dr. David Burns), I've identified these distorted thoughts that are cropping up - here's how I plan to destroy them so they never ever come back. Ever.
- Focus on the positive. Sometimes you're going to eat something that might not be the healthiest thing you can put in your body. Instead of beating yourself up, focus on the good parts - if you enjoyed it, if it made you feel good, or if there was a redeeming quality nutritionally.
- Avoid "all or nothing" thinking. Just because your smoothie is a little carb heavy from the fruit doesn't mean it's disqualified from the healthy category. A little cheese on your fajitas doesn't mean they were bad for you. Eating the yolk of the egg won't sabotage your diet. No food is "perfect" and as we mentioned, these "rules" are relative.
- Stop comparing. Have you ever ordered a burger at a lunch when your friend ordered a salad, and immediately regretted your choice or been embarrassed by it? You already know it's time to cut that out.
- Remember, it's just food. Always remember that quote from above - food is food. It's just food. You don't "deserve it" as much as you don't "not deserve it." Eating a "healthy" food doesn't make you "healthy," just as eating an "unhealthy" food doesn't make you "unhealthy" (this is called "emotional reasoning"). Just enjoy your food, strive for great choices, and keep moving forward.
- Avoid "should" statements. Using "should" and "shouldn't" when it comes to your diet is going to set you up for frustration and failure.
- Be conscious of your words. This applies to when you're talking to yourself, talking to others, and talking about yourself in front of other people. Be positive, not degrading.
- Don't project. Just as you don't want to food shame yourself, don't do it to others. Don't blame someone's health problem or physical woes on what they're eating, because everyone's body is different, and also you kind of look like a dick when you do that.
Stop yourself in your tracks when you start to notice these negative food thoughts cropping up, or if you catch yourself saying them aloud to a friend. Soon enough, you'll have killed this habit before it even had a chance to form or take over your life. And the best part? You'll have a happier, healthier relationship with food. Mmmmm, food.
The Sad Trend That's Ruining Our Relationship With Food
"I know this is basically all carbs but . . . " I stopped myself mid-sentence when I realized I was trying to justify my food to someone else. I had ordered a gluten-free banana almond butter toast with local honey and cinnamon from Project Juice - a seemingly very healthy meal - but found myself borderline self-shaming for my "indulgent" choice in a carb-laden breakfast.
Pause for a moment: raise your hand if you've ever made yourself feel bad about a food choice, regardless of what that choice was. Raise your hand again if you've justified what you were eating to someone else, or have been ashamed of what you've ordered or eaten in the company of friends.
This is not cool, guys! And I know this because I've been there, too. It's a form of food shaming, and it's not chill.
We're shifting into a healthier, more accepting mindset with our bodies - loving our shape, embracing imperfections, and celebrating every stage of our physical journey. But have we refocused our negativity and self deprecation to what's on our plate? I'm personally trying to nip that in the bud, stat.
I've noticed myself and others adopting a mindset of "it's healthy . . . but not healthy enough." For instance, an açaí bowl is arguably a healthy breakfast, but you could find yourself saying "it's all sugar," or "there's not enough protein." Hello! It's natural sugar from fruit, it's not processed sugar and flour, and not every single thing you eat has to have protein.
Why are we in a competition with ourselves and the universe to out-healthy one another, so much so that we shame our otherwise healthy choices? "Mmmm that kale smoothie looks good but the almond milk is sweetened so it's basically a Snickers." The f*ck?? We really need to wake up from this.
This also applies to foods that aren't conventionally healthy, like eating a piece of pizza or having a cocktail; we shouldn't feel guilty or like we need to earn these indulgences. I'm not saying just eat whatever the f*ck you want - we should absolutely be conscious about our choices. Obesity is still a problem in our country, as is heart disease, sugar addiction, etc etc. But I am saying to acknowledge food as a choice, as fuel, and often as a means of pleasure and enjoyment - and that's OK! This is why we love the 80/20 approach to eating!
One of my favorite quotes about this idea was from a woman who I interviewed last year about her 100-pound weight-loss journey, who said, "Food is food and it can be used for fuel or pleasure, but it doesn't define my character." Here's why this is so important:
Your Relationship With Food
Constantly guilting yourself over food choices can spiral into something more dangerous than some off-handed comments like an eating disorder). What can start off as something lighthearted - even funny (trust me, self-deprecating humor is my specialty) - can turn into a truly negative relationship with food. As one recovering anorexic woman told POPSUGAR, "I innocently thought that I was just exercising and eating healthy but over time, I continued to take it to extremes."
The concept of "healthy" is relative to each person. To my lactose-intolerant friend, my Greek yogurt-based smoothie isn't healthy, but to me it's an excellent source of protein. There are no hard and fast rules or lines of what is or isn't "healthy," so by arbitrarily making up the rules, we subject ourselves to guilt, confusion, and negativity. Is a life of obsessively counting and restricting calories, second guessing choices, and feeling guilty and sad at every single meal time something you want to deal with? (hoping your answer is no, btw)
Your Impact on Others
What we say affects other people, too. Whether you like it or not, your words and actions impact those around you, and you might be more of an inspiration to your friends and family than you realize.
A few months ago I overheard some women in a Megaformer class saying "We can go get those margaritas now - we deserve them!" and my first reaction was girl, please! My second one was, is this really the language we've developed to communicate with other women?
At risk of sounding like a cheesy motivational cat poster (or a fake Gandhi quote), "Be the change you want to see in the world." Do you want your friends, workout buddies, coworkers, and family members to have a great, healthy relationship with food? Lead by example. If you're calling out your food as "not good enough" or "not healthy enough," you're giving the people around you a reason to second-guess themselves.
How We Fix It
Through my experience and bits of psychological research (including an interview with acclaimed psychologist, Dr. David Burns), I've identified these distorted thoughts that are cropping up - here's how I plan to destroy them so they never ever come back. Ever.
- Focus on the positive. Sometimes you're going to eat something that might not be the healthiest thing you can put in your body. Instead of beating yourself up, focus on the good parts - if you enjoyed it, if it made you feel good, or if there was a redeeming quality nutritionally.
- Avoid "all or nothing" thinking. Just because your smoothie is a little carb heavy from the fruit doesn't mean it's disqualified from the healthy category. A little cheese on your fajitas doesn't mean they were bad for you. Eating the yolk of the egg won't sabotage your diet. No food is "perfect" and as we mentioned, these "rules" are relative.
- Stop comparing. Have you ever ordered a burger at a lunch when your friend ordered a salad, and immediately regretted your choice or been embarrassed by it? You already know it's time to cut that out.
- Remember, it's just food. Always remember that quote from above - food is food. It's just food. You don't "deserve it" as much as you don't "not deserve it." Eating a "healthy" food doesn't make you "healthy," just as eating an "unhealthy" food doesn't make you "unhealthy" (this is called "emotional reasoning"). Just enjoy your food, strive for great choices, and keep moving forward.
- Avoid "should" statements. Using "should" and "shouldn't" when it comes to your diet is going to set you up for frustration and failure.
- Be conscious of your words. This applies to when you're talking to yourself, talking to others, and talking about yourself in front of other people. Be positive, not degrading.
- Don't project. Just as you don't want to food shame yourself, don't do it to others. Don't blame someone's health problem or physical woes on what they're eating, because everyone's body is different, and also you kind of look like a dick when you do that.
Stop yourself in your tracks when you start to notice these negative food thoughts cropping up, or if you catch yourself saying them aloud to a friend. Soon enough, you'll have killed this habit before it even had a chance to form or take over your life. And the best part? You'll have a happier, healthier relationship with food. Mmmmm, food.
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