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Cravings. We all get them. Some cravings are clockwork, like that 3 pm lull at the office when the vending-machine demons start to haunt, or the 10 pm siren call of the ice cream while you watch Netflix. Other cravings are based on real hunger, like the desire to down a giant, cheesy omelet after your early morning bootcamp class. Here's how to know the difference, and what your cravings might be telling you about what your body really needs.
A Sneaky Trick To Deal With Cravings
What it feels like
You know it. This is the craving most of us deal with on a daily basis. This is the routine, regular & predictable craving, like the 4 pm scone with your tea, your bowl of chips in front of the TV at night, or the after-dinner chocolate craving when you know you are physically full. Your body may or may not be hungry, but your brain says "CAAAAAAARBS." It could be "SAAAAAALT." It could be "SUGAAAAAAAR." (Your cravings always yell in all caps. Jerks.) It's never "BROCCOOOOOOOLI." This is the craving that can sabotage your otherwise reasonable diet, and that masks real root issues of boredom, sadness, anxiety and - I believe - a lack of sufficient physical exercise.
How to deal with it
Anticipate it. Pack something healthy for a mid-afternoon snack at work, or prep something yummy but not devastating to your blood sugar if you're at home. Try an apple or banana with nut butter, fresh veggies with a homemade (or healthy store-bought) dip/dressing, or a scoop of full-fat yogurt with a sprinkle of homemade granola and cinnamon. We have a saying around our house: "If you're not hungry for an apple, you're probably not really hungry." It doesn't have to be an apple, but you get the point: If your healthy snack option doesn't seem so appealing, chances are you're not actually hungry. Skip the snack and instead take a break from your desk or change up your at-home routine. Do something other than eating to stimulate your brain and body, as it might be the stimulation and not the food that you're actually craving, after all. Watch that craving disappear like a man from a dirty kitchen after a dinner party.
Best Snacks To Satisfy Your Intense Cravings
How to prevent it
What it feels like
This is an obsession with a certain food, usually. (Cravings for non-food items are called "pica" and should be reported to your family doctor, as they can indicate severe nutritional deficiencies, and consuming non-foods can be dangerous.) If you reach into a bag of candy in your purse throughout the day, always have a coffee in hand, or over-zealously salt all your food, even prepared or restaurant items which are normally sufficiently seasoned, your body might be telling you something. Something like, you're not feeding it everything it needs. Or, you're about to have your period. But it's probably not telling you that you really, actually, need gummy bears.
How to deal with it:
Choose the healthiest version of your craved food possible. Do you feel the need for sugar all day? Perhaps your meals are low on sugar (which comes from carbohydrates) because you've been eating low-carbohydrate; try adding chickpeas, lentils, quinoa, whole fruits, & veggies to your meals. Do you crave salty carbohydrates like macaroni & cheese or french fries? Sodium cravings can indicate an imbalance of minerals in the body that is common with our modern North American highly processed diet. Perhaps you are craving fat as much as you are salt; try adding avocado, nuts, and coconut and olive oils to your cooking, as well as choosing whole eggs and full-fat dairy, which will help up your daily healthy fat consumption and are also both proven to aid in maintaining a lean physique.
How to prevent it
Eat properly, mummy! Make processed, take out and restaurant foods an occasional treat. Drink plenty of water to hydrate yourself so you can tell the difference between thirst and hunger cues. Cook at home, from scratch, as much as possible. Pack your breakfast and lunch if you're on the go. Create well-rounded meals of carbohydrate, protein, and fat, and eat mindfully until you are full. Not stuffed, but full. Pack healthy snacks or keep easy-to-grab healthy snack ingredients on hand. When in doubt, think veggies. If your cravings are actually due to deficiencies in your diet, and not just the suggestive powers of the Food Network at night, your cure starts in the kitchen.
If you are suffering changes to your weight, appearance (especially the appearance of your hair, skin, nails, and eyes), mood or energy levels along with physical cravings, please see your family doctor.
Want to add more nutritious, craving-busting foods to your regular routine? Check out the chart below to understand which minerals people are often deficient in, and which healthy foods can help bring your body to a more balanced place.
source: elle.com
New Year’s Resolutions. Who has the time? Between drop-offs and pickups—not to mention that 9-5 or all the stay-at-home-mom chores in between and after school sports, dinner, and occasionally catching up with the girls, it sometimes seems impossible to squeeze in a workout. The sad truth is, simply wanting to eat well and get fit is not enough (as those dying heads of kale and neglected running shoes can attest). You have to plan! The right tools and the right strategy can take you—yes, even you, busy mummy—from goals to results.
As they say, fail to plan, plan to fail. It’s not just an annoying credo of the 11% body fat crowd, it’s the truth. If something matters to you, you’ve got to get organized. Here are my top tips and some favourite tools for getting fit when life has other plans.
Stop looking for that mythical hour at the gym. The truth is, between making sure work and/or the kids are alright, driving to and from, changing, showering, and waiting for your favourite machines, the average gym visit is more hassle and time than it’s worth. Look at your weekly schedule each weekend and find the hidden opportunities. 25 minutes to go for a jog or power walk while the littles are in their weekly dance class, 10 minutes in the morning to do a quick high-intensity workout, or opting for a 20 minute bike ride to the market for a few items on the weekend over a 10 minute drive. Plan it, schedule it into your calendar, and stick to it like you would any other appointment. It all adds up, and it’s scientifically proven to be just as effective for general fitness and weight loss if you divide it up into short, manageable sessions.
A regular objection I hear from my clients is: I want to work out midday but I can’t return to work and other obligations looking like a hot mess. Nothing says “I don’t give a crap” like messy hair. To this I say: accept that you can’t maintain a perfect blowout five weekdays out of five and also prioritize your health. Embrace the bun, ponytail, topknot, or your natural curls. Use Goody Ouchless Elastics and Slide Proof headbands to keep it all dry and in place so you can let your hair back down after your workout, or even keep the stylish headbands in all day to keep it simple.
I’ve always been a once or twice-a-week hair washer, but I know some other gals need to wash after each sweat session. For quick styling before and after your workouts, the Goody QuickStyle brush has absorbent microfiber bristles that remove water to dry hair faster. It's like a towel and a brush in one! You worked out and you still look good? Rock Star status.
Exercise is essential to health and fitness, but when getting lean and/or staying lean is the goal, your eating habits are largely the focus. Designate a few hours on the weekend for meal planning with your favourite cookbooks and websites, shopping, and prepping a few make-ahead recipes for the week. It’s not extra work; it’s work done ahead, and it’s so important to sticking to your goals, since you never know what urgent email, last-minute invite or homework emergency might arise on a weeknight.
Mornings are a particular challenge for busy mummies. A bowl of cereal doesn’t quite cut it and a plate of eggs and spinach isn’t always doable. Where a fresh meal isn’t possible, a protein-rich shake or smoothie is a fabulous substitute. Choose a quality grass-fed whey protein or vegan protein powder and shop for a few simple add-ins, like unsweetened almond milk, frozen berries, and nut butters. The Rubbermaid Shaker Bottle provides a unique bottle solution with a mixing mechanism for mixing protein shakes that don’t need blending and re-mixing juices or smoothies. You can quickly blend during your morning routine, then shake once you arrive at your desk to enjoy a freshly blended meal on the go!
If you’re on the go, keep a pair of running shoes and some essentials in the car or at your desk so you can embrace the opportunity to work out. Finding time to sweat becomes a habit; awkward at first, like any new practice, but gradually, you find yourself early to coffee with friends and lacing up your sneakers for a quick 10 minute jaunt around the block. Or you’ll book a 60-minute lunch hour at work and designate 20 minutes to run the office tower stairs and do some stretches.
Consider keeping an extra blouse or sweater in your desk or car for the odd occasion that you absolutely must change post-workout (also helpful if you’re as klutzy with your coffee as I am…). If your days are more casual, I recommend investing in some confidence-building, body-flattering workout wear that can transition you from emails at home to grocery store to school pickup to quick push-ups and step-ups on the playground bench.
Plan, pack, and be ready for healthy meals and workouts. Make it your new normal. Just like that, fit will be your new normal and those New Year’s Resolutions will go from dreams to proud progress.
Now that Dara has shared the tips you need to create and stick to your 2015 fitness goals, be sure you have all the essentials to get started!
Goody hair accessories, Rubbermaid LunchBlox and Shaker Bottles are available at local Loblaws, Zehrs, or Superstores. You’ll now be able to pack your food, stay organized, and eat well on-the-go.
Visit our "No Sweat Guide to #GetFitIn2015" page for more tips on how to get fit, get organized, and stay healthy this year and beyond!
This is proudly sponsored by our friends at Rubbermaid.
www.rubbermaid.com
This amazing quinoa quiche combines 3 super-foods into one easy-to-make power breakfast! The eggs are packed with protein and healthy fats, particularly if you choose free-range or pastured eggs, or at least select omega-3 enriched eggs when free-range are not available. The quinoa gives you an extra hit of protein and omega-3 fats, plus some tummy-filling fibre to keep you full until lunch. Finally, the spinach gets you a vitamin-packed veggie serving before you're even out the door in the morning! All of this in one convenient slice that's easy to take on the go.
Energy Triple Threat: Roasted Squash, Quinoa & Kale Salad
Sound like a far cry from your usual breakfast on the go? Shocker: breakfast on the go doesn't have to be a nightmare of sugar and hydrogenated fat. Unless it's the day after your birthday (OK, anyone's birthday), in which case you should definitely eat a large piece of leftover cake with your hands, while standing in the kitchen waiting for your coffee to brew. This I know from personal experience. It is worth. it. Otherwise, there are plenty of make-ahead healthy options to kick your morning off right, and ensure your blood sugar levels and willpower stay level throughout the day.
Try these sundried tomato & feta muffin-tin frittatas for another protein-packed breakfast on the go!
This quiche comes in at under 300 calories per slice.
The Calories You Burn In That Favourite Fitness Class
Pair it with some tomatoes or fresh fruit, or natural ham or bacon for an extra hit of protein. And don't even think about skimping on the butter and cheese - they don't add many calories on a per-slice basis, and they really amp up the flavour as well as the craving-busting fats.
Ingredients
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
8 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
pinch cayenne (optional)
1 tbsp thyme, tarragon, or herb of choice
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 cup grated parmesan
1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
fresh black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use butter or coconut oil to grease an 8x8 baking dish or 9" pie plate very well.
Rinse quinoa under cold running water, 1-2 minutes; drain well.
Whisk eggs, milk, herbs, salt, pepper, & quinoa well.
Add spinach to egg mixture.
Pour into baking dish; cover in foil and jiggle side to side to settle quinoa on bottom.
Bake 40-45 minutes until set.
Remove foil, top with parmesan and return to oven for 10 minutes more to brown cheese.
Cool slightly before slicing (slices best when completely chilled, if making ahead).
Yields 6 servings.
Based on a recipe from popsugar.com.