Frosty Newsletter 6
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Posts: 10
Newsletter Seven
Checking in: mindful eating
We eat for many reasons besides being physically hungry. Mindful eating is
a way to get back in touch with your body’s hunger signals.
Retrain your brain
When it comes to food, there should be no such thing as a guilty pleasure. Guilt is what people feel when they believe they have done something wrong; this isn’t something that should be associated with food.
When it comes to eating, reframe any guilt as regret. For example, instead
of thinking “I was naughty because I ate cake,” try thinking, “I regret having eaten the cake because my blood sugar was high afterwards, and I care about my health.” This leaves more room for better choices next time. (Source: Molly Kellogg, R.D., L.C.S.W.).
Rather than thinking about good or bad foods, strive for a balance where foods are healthy and delicious. If you make a poor choice, ask yourself what you can learn from the experience, and make a healthy choice the next time. Focus on your successes.
People often use food to manage feelings—for example, to stifle feelings of anger or sadness—without realizing it. The next time you find yourself doing this, try asking yourself, “I’m reaching for food, but I’m not physically hungry. I wonder what I might think about or feel if I didn’t
eat right now?”
Can you: Avoid keeping large bags of tempting treats at home? Keep healthy items within eyesight or at eye level (and keep unhealthy foods out of sight)? Eat off salad plates instead of large dinner plates? Eat in the kitchen or dining room instead of in front of the TV? FAST
Listen to your hunger signals Many of us look to external signs to know when to stop eating: the plate
is empty or the TV show is over. But
there’s a more effective way: Listen to your body, not your plate.
Before and during your meal, ask yourself, “How hungry am I?” Use
a scale of 1 (least hungry)–10 (most hungry).Try to stay in the middle range of 4–7. Get something to eat when you start to feel hunger pangs, and eat until you feel satisfied but not stuffed. By reconnecting and paying attention to your stomach, you’ll find that you’ll feel satisfied when you eat exactly what you’re hungry for, when you’re hungry.
Signs of physical hunger:
• Starts below the neck (e.g., growling stomach)
● Builds gradually
• Isn’t accompanied by a sense of compulsion to eat ● Goes away when full
• Leads to feeling of satisfaction after eating ● Occurs two to four hours after a meal
Take care of yourself
• Sleep well. Research shows that regularly sleeping less than seven hours a night is associated with gaining weight. We get almost two hours less sleep a night than we did 40 years ago. Catching just 20 minutes more sleep a night can help. FAST
• Mellow out. When we’re stressed, tired, or unhappy, we’re more likely to fall back on immediate gratification. This can trigger over eating or other unhealthy choices. Try
to find nonfood mood and energy boosters: Talk to a friend, play sports, go for a walk or jog, read, or spend time on a favorite hobby.
Activity
Pleasure of a Kiss
Try this activity to learn to engage your senses while eating and fully experiencing each bite. What you’ll need: a Hershey’s Kiss or other favorite treat.
1. Don’t eat the treat right away!
2. First, admire the shape and color.
3. Anticipate how the treat will taste.
4. Slowly unwrap or open the treat and place it in your mouth.
5. Do not bite!
6. Let the treat sit in your mouth for a few seconds.
7. Savor the flavor and texture.
*Adapted from WIN Wellness in Wyoming Feel Your Fullness activity
Did You Know?
Studies have shown that foods high in sugar, salt, and fat (fast food, doughnuts, ice cream, French fries, etc.) can rewire our brains so we crave them and keep coming back for more.
Ten Minute Corn Chowder FAST&FRUGAL
Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 1¼ cup
Ingredients
Cost
Per recipe: $2.29
Per serving: $0.57
1 teaspoon oil ½ onion (chopped) 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
4 tablespoons flour (all purpose) 3 cups nonfat milk 2 teaspoons mustard
¼ teaspoon thyme (dried) Black pepper (to taste) 2 cups corn kernels (frozen)
4 tablespoons cheddar cheese, shredded reduced fat
Instructions
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the oil and saute the onion and garlic until golden, about 2 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the flour, milk, mustard, and seasonings in a small bowl and mix well.
3. Add the milk mixture to the skillet followed by the corn; mix well until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir frequently to keep the mixture from burning.
4. Divide into four bowls and top each with 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese.
Source: http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov
Checking in: mindful eating
We eat for many reasons besides being physically hungry. Mindful eating is
a way to get back in touch with your body’s hunger signals.
Retrain your brain
When it comes to food, there should be no such thing as a guilty pleasure. Guilt is what people feel when they believe they have done something wrong; this isn’t something that should be associated with food.
When it comes to eating, reframe any guilt as regret. For example, instead
of thinking “I was naughty because I ate cake,” try thinking, “I regret having eaten the cake because my blood sugar was high afterwards, and I care about my health.” This leaves more room for better choices next time. (Source: Molly Kellogg, R.D., L.C.S.W.).
Rather than thinking about good or bad foods, strive for a balance where foods are healthy and delicious. If you make a poor choice, ask yourself what you can learn from the experience, and make a healthy choice the next time. Focus on your successes.
People often use food to manage feelings—for example, to stifle feelings of anger or sadness—without realizing it. The next time you find yourself doing this, try asking yourself, “I’m reaching for food, but I’m not physically hungry. I wonder what I might think about or feel if I didn’t
eat right now?”
Can you: Avoid keeping large bags of tempting treats at home? Keep healthy items within eyesight or at eye level (and keep unhealthy foods out of sight)? Eat off salad plates instead of large dinner plates? Eat in the kitchen or dining room instead of in front of the TV? FAST
Listen to your hunger signals Many of us look to external signs to know when to stop eating: the plate
is empty or the TV show is over. But
there’s a more effective way: Listen to your body, not your plate.
Before and during your meal, ask yourself, “How hungry am I?” Use
a scale of 1 (least hungry)–10 (most hungry).Try to stay in the middle range of 4–7. Get something to eat when you start to feel hunger pangs, and eat until you feel satisfied but not stuffed. By reconnecting and paying attention to your stomach, you’ll find that you’ll feel satisfied when you eat exactly what you’re hungry for, when you’re hungry.
Signs of physical hunger:
• Starts below the neck (e.g., growling stomach)
● Builds gradually
• Isn’t accompanied by a sense of compulsion to eat ● Goes away when full
• Leads to feeling of satisfaction after eating ● Occurs two to four hours after a meal
Take care of yourself
• Sleep well. Research shows that regularly sleeping less than seven hours a night is associated with gaining weight. We get almost two hours less sleep a night than we did 40 years ago. Catching just 20 minutes more sleep a night can help. FAST
• Mellow out. When we’re stressed, tired, or unhappy, we’re more likely to fall back on immediate gratification. This can trigger over eating or other unhealthy choices. Try
to find nonfood mood and energy boosters: Talk to a friend, play sports, go for a walk or jog, read, or spend time on a favorite hobby.
Activity
Pleasure of a Kiss
Try this activity to learn to engage your senses while eating and fully experiencing each bite. What you’ll need: a Hershey’s Kiss or other favorite treat.
1. Don’t eat the treat right away!
2. First, admire the shape and color.
3. Anticipate how the treat will taste.
4. Slowly unwrap or open the treat and place it in your mouth.
5. Do not bite!
6. Let the treat sit in your mouth for a few seconds.
7. Savor the flavor and texture.
*Adapted from WIN Wellness in Wyoming Feel Your Fullness activity
Did You Know?
Studies have shown that foods high in sugar, salt, and fat (fast food, doughnuts, ice cream, French fries, etc.) can rewire our brains so we crave them and keep coming back for more.
Ten Minute Corn Chowder FAST&FRUGAL
Yield: 4 servings
Serving size: 1¼ cup
Ingredients
Cost
Per recipe: $2.29
Per serving: $0.57
1 teaspoon oil ½ onion (chopped) 1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
4 tablespoons flour (all purpose) 3 cups nonfat milk 2 teaspoons mustard
¼ teaspoon thyme (dried) Black pepper (to taste) 2 cups corn kernels (frozen)
4 tablespoons cheddar cheese, shredded reduced fat
Instructions
1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add the oil and saute the onion and garlic until golden, about 2 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the flour, milk, mustard, and seasonings in a small bowl and mix well.
3. Add the milk mixture to the skillet followed by the corn; mix well until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir frequently to keep the mixture from burning.
4. Divide into four bowls and top each with 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese.
Source: http://recipefinder.nal.usda.gov
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