Using Your Hands for Easy Portion Control!

You hear it all the time. Watch your portion size when looking to eat healthier and manage weight. It seems so simple, but like most "easy" things, is easier said than done for most. To make portion control work, I feel its best to get to the most elementary level possible. How much more elementary can you get than your hands? My hands you ask? Yes your hands, and this time it really is as easy as it looks.

Check out this hand portion control chart to learn more. For instance the chart states one "cupped" hand is equivalent to half a cup of cooked vegetables, pastas, icecream, pudding etc. This tool is not about using your hands as utensils, but it's certainly an easy place to start. It's really all about having a visual in your head of everyday portion sizes so that it becomes second nature. Then you can truly become portion savvy.


To Your Enjoyable and Guilt-Free Food Experiences,

4 Simple Approaches to Getting Off the Yoyo Dieting Ride

Yoyo dieting is often a lifelong issue and generally does not end unless a decision has been made that diets are not an option anymore. Breaking free from the yoyo dieting roller coaster ride is more challenging than just the intention to do so. Giving diets the boot can only be accomplished when we totally open ourselves to do things completely different as far as our weight loss goals are concerned. It certainly requires an open mind.


Four initial approaches to consider are:


1. You are more likely to succeed in both improving your health and attaining permanent weight loss if you recognize that there are no quick fixes and any diet which promises this is deceiving. The main reason why there is the tendency to go from one diet to the next is because the weight loss desired was not achieved or the weight that was loss was regained. Long term weight management requires patience.

2. Distinguish between psychological hunger vs. physical hunger. Psychological hunger is really not hunger at all, but cravings originating from emotions and stress. True hunger stems from our bodies natural hunger cues in response to it’s physiological and definite need for nourishment. It is important to be able to distinguish the two and become fully intuned to when you’re really hunger vs. when you are seeking pacification from food.

3. Stop fighting hunger. Despite what you’ve heard, hunger is not the enemy. It’s your body’s way of communicating with you a basic and primal need-food. Once you fully understand the difference between true hunger and cravings, you know that your hunger is a kind friend rather than a foe. Therefore, honor it and for goodness sake eat something! Ignoring hunger and putting off eating to cut calories will bring about an insistent response from your body that it needs nourishment for its survival. This response could come as cravings and overeating.

4. Open yourself to and find non-diet approaches to weight management. If you were told that you don't have options, then you won't told the whole story. Like everything in life, their are always choices out there. If there weren't there would be no need for advertising. The non-diet weight management options available fill in crucial elements which most diets leave out.

Remember that its never too late to do something differently. Just because you've always done weight loss the dieting way, that doesn't mean you need to continue doing so. Chances are that, like most, you probably haven't been seeing much success anyway. So perhaps it's time to explore your options.



To Your Enjoyable and Guilt-free Food Experiences,

5 Tips To Make Everyday Gratitude Easy

Having gratitude can often feel like a cliche to many. The first inclination may be to say, "Off course I know that I should be grateful for what I have"-food, clothes, shelter etc. But often times most of us forget to be grateful. Gratitude is much more than a phrase of thanks giving, it is a powerful, easy tool to reduce stress and keep a focus on the things you want to achieve like weight management and other food related goals and other life goals.

It is said that "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others" Cicero.


Five ways to bring in gratitude more often in your daily living include:

1. Be in the moment always. Remember that the only time that you are truly physically living is now, and therefore it is only there that your power lies. Find one thing in that moment to be grateful for. It could as simple as being able to watch your favorite sitcom on TV or use your fingers.

2. Look around you. Often times we walk through our daily routines blindly, engrossed with our own thoughts, worries, and mental To Do Lists etc. It therefore becomes easy to ignore the things of simple beauty around us. For example instead of jogging with debilitating thoughts of the number of miles you need to run today to burn those doughnut calories from the previous day, notice a tree or pond or flowers,a bright sky, your good health etc.

3. Say "Thank You" often. These simple two words have much power, and when we use them often in our interactions with others, our children, our family, etc, that regular act can change our perspective. "Thank You" is the ultimate gratitude proclamation.

4. Write it down. If you feel remembering to be grateful throughout the day is not something you may be able to keep up with, then a good idea is to put it on paper ( at least 5 things). You can do this either in the morning to start your day off good or in the evening before bed. A good way to simplify this process is to choose things to be grateful for in one category in your life at a time eg. five things to be grateful about my home, my family, my city, my wife/husband, my body etc.

5. Say it either mentally or out loud just before going to sleep. Saying a few things you're grateful for just before going to sleep is a good substitute for the usual worry thoughts that may be part of your normal bedtime ritual. It can also set you up for more relaxed sleep and comforting dreams.

Here are two great videos on gratitude. One is from the Gratidudes presenting a great way to show gratitude through the quirky "Gratitude Dance". The other is set to the song "Thankful" by Josh Groban. Enjoy!












To Your Enjoyable and Guilt-free Food Experiences,

Change the Way You Look at New Years Resolutions and Dieting

The New Years Resolutions and Dieting ritual relies greatly on willpower and pumped up drive. We are encouraged to approach our resolutions full force, and make them as big and extreme as possible.

Therefore, New Years Diet Resolutions create much passion and enthusiasm in the beginning, both of which usually burn out way before the end goal is achieved. The need to get to our desired end weight is so great that we dive right in often time with little preparation.

In the following article, Pavel G. Somov, Ph.D., author of Eating Moments, proposes that we set no dieting resolutions at all. After briefly explaining the real meaning of the word “resolution”, he goes on to explain in detail why dieting does not work.

You can read the article entitled New Year: No More Resolutions.



To Your Enjoyable and Guilt-free Food Experiences,

Overcoming Emotional Eating-Your Main Weight Management Strategy

Diets inevitably lead to weight regain. This is a truth that can be explained not only by physiological factors (ie slowed metabolism), but by the fact that conventional diets do not address the underlying issues behind unwanted weight gain. One of these issues which many who find themselves constantly on diets face is emotional eating. Emotional eating is fueled by psychological hunger over physical hunger.

That is emotional eating is normally brought on by such things as emotional cues,stress, social situations, specific settings, smells, etc. These have nothing to do with a roaring stomach which is signally that you body is ready for food, which constitutes our inate ability to regulate our eating internally without any need for a diet plan. Emotional eating however causes us to no longer be attuned to these signals.

There are two instances of excessive consumption which can arise from emotional factors. The first is when we literally ignore hunger cues, not eating when we really should be or hardly eating enough (aka starvation or deprivation) and then later binging when we are overwhelmed with an insatiable yearning for food. Emotions of guilt and shame from binging will likely cause another such episode in the near future.

The second instance of emotional eating occurs when food is mainly used as a pacifier to make us feel better or allow us to think less about a problem or troubling issue. The ability to sense fullness suffers greatly as no attention is paid to when we've had enough. In both situations it is easy to get lost in eating for as long as we need the food to cope with the emotions.

To begin combating this cycle of emotional eating it is important to do several things:

1. Acknowledge and become aware if you are using food as a pacifier. True freedom begins with awareness. The hold emotional eating can have on you exists through mindless eating; it is almost as if you are in trance. To break the trance you will need to snap yourself out of it by becoming alert and totally conscious.

2. Find non-food related activities to deal with stress and negative emotions. Food is wonderful and should be enjoyed, but there are so many more enjoyable things in life as well. Many other things can relieve stress in the moment it comes about, meaning that you don’t have to leave your house or go through a long preparation to access non-food related pacifiers.

Examples of instant relievers are
• playing with a pet,
• turning the TV to a funny sitcom or uplifting program,
• playing your favorite CD
• or turning on you favorite radio station,
• playing a board game
• connecting with someone online through a social network, IM etc
• doing something else with your hands –whether it involves taking up something to read or observe, completing a task around the house or an errand, engaging in a hobby or opening the door to take a walk down the block if you feel able to.
• Have a cup of herbal tea. Yogi tea is one of the best brands, offering many flavors. And what is also great about the brand is that each box comes with an exercise to help you relax and refocus.

3. Slow down your life a bit. The more we rush, the less time we seem to have and the more exhausted we may feel. If you are an emotional eater, you may not realize it, but food has probably just become another chore on the "to do list" of your multi-tasked life. You may eat while on the phone, while driving to work, while shopping, while doing paperwork at work or at home etc.

Taking a pause during your hectic day and at meal time can go a long way to helping you become more aware.

4. Don’t skip physical activity. Exercise need not feel like a chore. There is such a thing as easy and effortless exercise when it is an element of everyday physical activity. Not only does daily physical engagement keep you fit, it also gives you something else to put your focus on besides food and it relieves stress.


To Your Enjoyable and Guilt-free Food Experiences,


Next time I will providing a short list of resources which can help you to identify and combat emotional eating.

Non-Diet Weight Loss with Effortless Physical Activity

In the previous article we spoke of differentiating between physical activity as a product of everyday natural activities vs. exercise which is much more regimented and planned. Now the question is how does that translate into your real everyday life? How can you make exercise effortless so that it fits into your lifestyle? Well here are a few suggestions to begin. Pick the ones most applicable to you.

• Have regular at-home dance parties. Put on the radio and according to the words of Lady Gaga "Just Dance". Involve the whole family or who ever you live with, or do it yourself. Dance as much as possible. Rhythm is not required. Dance while you are washing the dishes, if you are in front the bedroom mirror, etc. Use this most natural form of movement to your advantage. You could even try the new Just Dance game from Nintendo Wii if you need something more interactive.

• Take up a specific dance like salsa, belly dance, hip hop or any aerobic dance. The thing I like about dance is that it brings the element of good feelings and connection into the physical activity, and you are less likely to feel stressed by something which you have an emotional bond with. So other activities which can work include yoga, karate or kickboxing, tai chi, and alternative dances like the “journey dance”

• Pick up a sports activity or if you’re not so inclined, buy a Wii Activity system which simulates many fun activities including hula hooping, without requiring you to leave your home.

• Get a trampoline in the back yard or a mini-one in the bedroom and get on it as often as possible.

• Enjoy an outdoor swing (make sure it can accommodate you)

• Get a ping pong table or a “ice hockey” table in the game room, family room or in an extra room if you can.

• Roller blade in the backyard, in the park or at the skating ring.

• Go swimming-Water activities make for a wonderful fitness alternative

• Take a trip to a water park

• Walk in the neighborhood

• You’ve heard this one before, but take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. It really is fulfilling.

• If you’ve been thinking about it, adopt a dog. In some places, you can even foster a dog, so that you don't get into an unwanted long-term commitment if you are not ready.

I say a dog, because dogs are very high energy pets who force us to engage physically. We either play with them in the backyard or need to take them out on a walk. Either way both sides are enjoying physical activity.

• Take on a hobby. Although it would be good to adapt a hobby which allows for some physical exertion, it is absolutely not necessary. It could be anything from pottery making to painting. You're more concerned with the mental focus and stress reduction which hobbies often provide. This helps reduce stress-induced emotional eating and unwanted weight gain. If you are looking to lose weight, you won’t need to exercise as much. Also, a hobby is a wonderful way to combat emotional eating.

Often times, the activities we consider to be “child’s play” like the hula hooping and riding on a swing, roller blading and the trampoline, are often the most physically rewarding. Just think about it. Children who play often enjoy natural physically fitness. A sense of playfulness can go a long way towards us being able to naturally fit physical activity into our daily lives, aiding in our non-diet weight loss efforts as well as long-term weight management.

Free your physical health and weight management from restriction and strict, regimented control. Making physical activity more about what you already do than what you need to plan for, causes it be a more fun and sustained part of you life.



To Your Enjoyable and Guilt-free Food Experiences,

Getting Enough Calories and Nutrition

Sufficient daily calorie intake is crucial whether you are on a diet or not. Dieting and skipping meals mean restrictive calorie intake which can ultimately decrease the body’s metabolic rate (the rate at which energy is used by the body). As you give the body less calories to work with it responds by trying to conserve energy to make sure that it is able to support its daily tasks. But the result of all of this is usually fatigue and lethargy. Furthermore, if one were to increase calories significantly, it is likely that they would gain weight because those calories would be burned at a much slower rate. This is why once someone has stopped dieting and begins eating normally they may regain the weight.

The bottom line is that the body needs ample energy and the ability to function at its best. It is able to do this by utilizing Carbohydrates, Protein, Fats and many minerals and vitamins. Carbohydrates' role is primarily to provide a direct source of energy and fuel. Fat also provides energy although the process of extracting energy from fat is more complicated.

There is an interchange of mostly carbs and some fat for energy as needed, but it is ideal to have enough carbs in the diet so that the body isn’t forced to resort to both Fat and Protein in the absence of sufficient Carbohydrates. Protein has many other major functions (e.g. for tissue building and repair) and when the body is forced to use it for energy then this usually means that the body is greatly deprived and starved. So be wary of extreme carb. restriction.

Carbohydrates, Protein and Fats are all essential and need to be consumed in proportion to each other to make sure that they are being utilized in the most efficient way in the body. Although there are variants to the proportions, daily requirements are generally 55% Carbohydrates, 15% Protein, and 30% Fat of total calories consumed for the day. They are each used by the body in very specific ways to complete tasks and maintain an optimal state of health.

A simple way to ensure that you are getting enough energy and nutrition is to consume nutrient-dense foods. This means less processed foods,and foods which have been minimally altered. This would also ensure that you are consuming enough vitamins and minerals which are also needed for generating energy and serving the many other functions of the body. For e.g. at breakfast time, a nutrient dense food like whole grain hot or cold cereal with nuts or whole grain bread with nut butter would provide high quality Carbohydrate, Protein as well as Fat calories, and essential vitamins and minerals.


To Your Enjoyable and Guilt-Free Food Experiences,

Can You Overdo Healthy Eating?

I know you must be asking, How can anyone overdo healthy eating, isn’t healthy to any degree a good thing? Well sometimes you can overdo a good thing. Once the “bad”, unhealthy food has been identified the objective becomes elimination, elimination, elimination.

One common area of overdoing health is with fats and low carbohydrates. In the case of fats and carbohydrates, which are often categorized in the “bad” food category, one would think that these weren’t nutrients required in the diet. Things can quickly get out of hand, to the point where elimination of these targeted foods becomes the dominant energy a person experiences around eating.
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Extreme avoidance of anything that is labeled as “bad” can create anxiety.

-Generally any negative emotions attributed to food whether it is around excessive, emotional eating or avoidance eating leads to guilt and unease.

-Overdoing healthy can also lead to a very unilateral view of foods. For example a food item as a whole is only judged by its absence of the “culprit” ingredient or component. That’s why it can become so easy to overdo foods labeled as “fat-free” for example.

In the case of "fat-free foods, often times, the rest of the nutritional profile of the food, aside from the fat content, is almost overlooked. It is most helpful that the overall nutritional value of a food be considered when your focus is on health. A soda is fat free, but most wouldn’t generally consider it beneficial nutritionally. A cookie might be “fat-free”, but be loaded with fake ingredients.

So it’s important to broaden and open your mind, so that you don’t miss out on nutritionally valuable foods just because they're not fat-free or carbohydrate free, etc. Yes it’s fine to include these in the diet as well, but not exclusively so. And it also must be remembered that these nutrients are needed in certain quantities in the diet to promote good health, energy for the body, and proper functioning of all the organs of the body.

Healthy eating should be more about "What You Can Eat" rather than "What You Cannot Eat”. Food should never create anxiety whether it be about excessive eating or the extreme elimination of foods considered as unhealthy or inclusion only of foods considered healthy. Unless someone truly has a food allergy, there should be some balance, because healthy eating is as much about having wonderful, enjoyable, stress-free eating experiences as it is about the food itself.


To Your Enjoyable and Guilt-Free Food Experiences,


NOTE: Next time I will be discussing getting adequate calories in the diet for optimal health and energy whether you are looking to loose weight or not. Also, remember to sign up for the 10-Part E-course on How Non-Diet Weight Management Can Work for You to gain more insight on making eating guilt free and enjoyable.

A Diet For Life?

Like most other people, I am always faced with someone around me looking for the ultimate answer to weight management. Often the answer which most people expect is in some form of diet recommendation or extreme calorie restricted meal plan. For many Nutritionists it’s therefore easy to succumb to the Diet Doctor role, because that’s what people expect and it's where the demand and cash is.

Diets are often geared towards short term weight goals. So they have their purpose. However, in the case where someone gets wonderful results from a diet, there is often that awkward post-diet period where the weight has been lost, but the person doesn’t know how to or is not willing to let go of the diet.Even if there has been no desirable results, the tendency is to get on another diet.

Although, it can be hard to break free of the routine of such structured eating, one has to ask themselves the question “Can I or do I want to be on a Diet for Life or for any extended period of time?” Especially when undergone for extended periods of time I've seen dieting easily lead to Anemia and reduced nourishment in some form or the other. It makes sense with such aggressive elimination and restriction of individual or entire groups of foods, and not to mention the 'laxative' diet teas and questionable 'magic bullet' concoctions. Although diet bars, shakes etc have evolved somewhat they are no substitute for real food.

The Savvy Non-Dieter advocates things like regular meal intake without skipping meals or starving oneself, incorporating the most healthy forms of carbs, protein, fats in the diet, eating mindfully with attention and purpose, portion size awareness, increasing appreciation and understanding of the food we eat (quality and wholesomeness, freshness, sustainability, organic certification status etc.), among other things.

It pays to be a Savvy Non-Dieter, not simply as a type of defiance against all things diet. It’s about being empowered to more often bring quality of life and quality food encounters to the forefront of our eating experiences. It pays to be a Savvy Non-Dieter in a Food Phobic World.

Sparkling Water Upgraded

There is a treasure chest of ‘sweetened water’ and diet beverage products out there, and in my opinion most fall short. After the artificial sweeteners or added sugar and additives, it feels like you’re drinking fake water. I recognize that many people have a hard time drinking sufficient water on a regular basis, and adding fruit flavor to it becomes a greater motivator to drink water. But shouldn't the product you choose be as wholesome as it’s main ingredient, the actual water?

Well there is a relatively new product on the market which seems to answer that question with a resounding YES. Sparkling Essence by R.W Knudsen, an organic juice company, provides carbonated spring water with a hint of real organic fruit. There are no added sugars, additives or preservatives and no calories. Plus the product is Certified Organic. They use a process of brewing the organic fruits into fresh spring water.

It is a great alternative to regular diet beverages and can be consumed in place of juices. It’s also great for people who want ‘real food’ options when it comes to weight management. The flavors include Mint, Cucumber, Blueberry, and Lemon and is best when chilled. The suggested price is $3.79-3.99 for a 4-pack container. You can check out the company's site for stores which carry Sparkling Essence.

15 Fun Activities of a Savvy Non-Dieter

Being a Savvy Non-Dieter isn’t about a blind love of food. It’s love of food coming from a place of appreciation and awareness, genuinely caring about where your food comes from, and having an enjoyable, guiltless relationship with what you eat.

Additional, it is important to understand that adapting a Non-Dieter Mindset and being a Savvy Non-Dieter is not an issue of defiance, but empowerment and freedom. It's all about everyday practices which define a positive and healthy connection with food in your life.

Do you recognize any of the following practices in your encounters with food? Or perhaps you have some you might like to add.

1. Dining Out

2. Picnic Anyone?

3. Enjoyment of Food Festivals/Shows when possible

4. A Food Magazine Subscription

5. A Well Stocked Pantry

6. Regular visits to the natural/organic food store of the organic section of the supermarket.

7. Regular pampering, relaxation, massages, and other forms of self-indulgence

8. Enjoyable lunch breaks outside the office at a nearby eatery, restaurant, park of public space.

9. A nice collection of cook books or recipe favorites

10. Beautiful and functional plate ware, flatware.

11. Ongoingly striving towards personal growth and advancements in life so that food is not compensating for anything lacking in other areas of your life .

12. Regular weekly viewing of the Food Network…OK, that one is optional.

13. A Diner table with enough space to share a meal with at least 4 people.

14. Allowing the simple indulgence of a sensibly portioned dessert, when appropriate, without guilt. Many restaurants and food manufacturers alike are providing ‘single serving’ dessert choices, and not only are these choices more appropriately sized, but they contain more wholesome ingredients.

15. Always trying new and different food items from the supermarket or food market to add to your pantry.

There are so much more that can involve being a Savvy Non-Dieter. You may have to decide for yourself. I don't believe in "boxed up" concepts or personal labels, so you as a Savvy Non-Dieter is whatever works best for you as long as it leads you to healthful, enjoyable eating experiences.