Hungry or Thirsty?

When you feel a little hungry and lacking energy, do you reach for a bite to eat or a glass of water? Chances are you reach for food when your body might just be telling you it's thirsty.

So your stomach might grumble or you've already eaten and still don't feel satisfied, then it's probably water your body is after. Livestrong.com recommends:

Try not to depend on the noises and feelings your stomach always makes. The next time you feel hunger pangs, drink an 8 oz. glass of water. It might take up to 15 minutes for your hypothalamus to send a signal letting your nervous system know that the body was merely thirsty and that the thirst has been satisfied. If after that time, you still feel hungry, then eat. When you try this method every time you think your stomach feels empty, you will be able to better determine the difference between being hungry and being thirsty.

 

 

Staying hydrated can help you take in less calories. From care2.com:

 

If you avoid dehydration, you can avoid overeating. When you start to hydrate by drinking enough water, then your appetite goes down because you’re actually fulfilling what your body needs—which is water. And that’s also a very powerful way to lose weight, but also, in a sense, the hydration makes everything, including your brain, work a lot better.

On a personal note, since I stopped drinking diet sodas (and added more hydrating drinks) four years ago, maintaining my weight has been the easiest since I started worrying about it in college!


Action Item: Drink real beverages today. Especially water!

For Further Reading: Sugary Drinks

Are you Committing to a Healthier You?

Today, are you starting the week 2 mini-pledges for cutting processed foods from your diet?

• If you don't know what I'm talking about, visit my page Commit to a Healthier You to find out more.
• If your answer is YES, then today is an exciting day because you are ready to start the 2nd mini-pledge called “Real” beverages – Beverages will be limited to coffee, tea, water, and milk (only naturally sweetened with a little honey or 100% pure maple syrup). One cup of juice will be allowed throughout the week, and wine (preferably red) will be allowed in moderation (an average of one drink per day).
• If no, what's stopping you? Perhaps you've already accomplished this goal, then good for you! If you're not sure you can or want to give up your sodas, give it a try. It's just one week! I can almost guarantee that you will see an increase in your energy and a decrease in your cravings. Dropping this bad habit can also save you money and cut way back on the number of plastic bottles that need to be made and recycled.

Keep checking back this week for more tips (or research) on ways to accomplish this goal. And frequently visit the blog where I found this challenge, 100 Days of Real Food; here's the link for tips on this week's pledge, “Real” beverages.

Start today by:

• Adding more water into your diet; put a little fruit in your water for a nice splash of taste!
• Sweetening your coffee with honey rather than table sugar.
• Eating grapes, an orange or other juicy fruit to quench your thirst. This will also help maintain your week 1 commitment of consuming more fruits and vegetables!

I STRONGLY believe for many reasons that unhealthy beverages (high sugar, artificial flavors, artificial colors, unnecessary calories, etc.) should not be consumed, especially on a daily basis. Not by you, not by your children. Here's an excerpt from an article called 10 Ways to Detox from Sugar in 10 Days, by Dr. Mark Hyman.

Don’t drink your calories: Any form of liquid sugar calories is worse than solid food with sugar or flour. Think of it as mainlining sugar directly to your liver. It turns off a fat storage machine in your liver, leading to dreaded belly fat. You don’t feel full, so you eat more all day and you crave more sugar and carbs. It’s also the single biggest source of sugar calories in our diet. That includes sodas, juices other than green vegetable juice, sports drinks, sweetened teas or coffees. One 20-ounce soda has 15 teaspoons of sugar; Gatorade contains 14 teaspoons of the stuff in one bottle. One can of soda a day increases a kid’s chance of being obese by 60 percent and a woman’s chance of type 2 diabetes by 80 percent. Stay away!


Action Item: Take the week 2 mini-pledge today!

For Further Reading: Healthy Beverage Guidelines from the Harvard School of Public Health.

Travel Snacks

It's test time!

 

Taking a road trip or traveling on a plane is a good time to a) buy fast food, b) eat those cookies you've been thinking about, c) an easy way to skip calories until you get to where you are going, or d) none of the above.

 

You guessed it, none of the above! Traveling can require better planning skills and eating habits than your daily routine. The key is to plan ahead. If you don't have time to plan ahead at least make a plan so you don't find yourself standing in a convenience store grabbing anything to eat.

 

If you plan ahead, pack the same type of snacks you eat at home: pretzels, homemade muffins, crackers, fruit, raw veggies, dried fruit, peanut butter sandwich, cheese and granola bars. Sitting in the car or on a plane all day, you are not burning calories and do not need as much food. If you don't have time to pack food or no space to carry it, you can still find room for a few essentials like an apple and nuts. That way you won't be famished when you are buying food and you're brain can still make good decisions. You can purchase just enough food to supplement what you were able to pack. You can even make good decisions at a convenience store or airport... just skip the chips, chocolate and high sugar or salty items. If you're traveling, you probably don't want to show up at your destination feeling sluggish or sick.

 

If you pack or buy junk food, you're going to eat it. Often times while traveling, we eat when we are dehydrated or bored. Not because we're hungry. Ask yourself why you are eating before you start snacking.

 

Lastly, staying hydrated is key! This can ward off headaches, help you keep your energy level high and aid digestion.

 

Other good things to try:

• Do not wear tight pants. Your intestines need space to work!
• Get up and move when you can or at the least fland relax your muscles while sitting.

 

Action Item: Pack travel snacks anytime you are out for the day... at the park, shopping or visiting a museum.

 

For Further Reading: Some more ideas for healthy travel snacking, Healthy Travel Snacks