Category Archives: Sweet, Salty & Sexy
As a nutritionist, I know a lot of facts about healthy foods. As a wannabe chef, I like to surround ingredients with butter and wrap them in bacon. And as a fashionista, I want to fit into all the cute clothes. A conundrum indeed. But, who better to unravel this dietary dilemma, than me?
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“My husband is so fat from eating junk food that his jeans fit him like compression shorts. I hoped that he would notice how much weight he’s gained—or at least buy some pants that fit.”
“My girlfriend’s new diet is driving me crazy—she makes so many special requests that I’m embarrassed to eat in a restaurant with her.”
“I lose my appetite just watching him eat meat. I’m not sure a meat eater and vegetarian can make it.”
Remarks like these make me question whether my nutritional practice is more like couples therapy. What do couples do when they click over everything but food?
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1. Following the dictates of a diet rather than your internal cues like hunger and satisfaction require you to ignore natural instincts.
Hunger is a signal from your body’s intelligence center that it wants to eat and is prepared for the proper metabolism of food. Hunger is healthy; ignoring it is not commendable and may create a hypo-metabolic mode (in other words, a slower metabolism). This means that the majority of incoming calories are stored as as fat instead of burning them for energy. (From the “Metabolism” chapter of my book, The French Twist, Twelve Secrets of Decadent Dining and Natural Weight Management) Read more
Feeding Your Feelings?
Emotional eating is simply a result of the discomfort of unwanted feelings. We tend to want to avoid painful feelings; we could say we swallow them as we overindulge in food—a way to stuff our emotions down to a place where they can be ignored for a while. Eating becomes a way to disassociate from thoughts and feelings that make us uncomfortable. It is a temporary distraction from the products of our restless minds. But notice the word “temporary.” When the cake is gone, the feeling, the issue, the conflict, or the problem is still very much present—along with the additional pounds. Read more
Feeling a little cranky and anxious? Changing your diet up may help—cut down or eliminate these foods for a healthier and happier attitude. Read more
Sound familiar? If you’re carrying a few extra pounds it’s tempting to blame a sluggish metabolism. But what is metabolism really?
Metabolism is the sum total of all the chemical reactions in the body. Most of us think of metabolism only as a calorie-burning phenomenon—a body process that relates to thermic efficiency. But this definition alone is inadequate. Relying on it may explain why the approaches to metabolism we’re accustomed to, such as exercise and diets that “kick-start” it, are not effective. Read more
