The Perfect Diet

Is there anyone out there that really has a PERFECT diet?  Who gets to define what the perfect diet looks like anyways? 

I am using the word “diet” a lot today, but not in the “lose-weight diet” sense, but the “food that I ingest” sense (see post from last year, “Make it Positive,” for more on “dieting”: http://rdseattoo.blogspot.com/2014/09/make-it-positive.html).

Is a perfect diet void of all things with sugar and fat, void of all things that come in a package?  Is the perfect diet one that never succumbs to the call of coffee table snacks or birthday cakes?  Maybe so in our understanding of the word "perfect," but is it?

My answer to all the things above are “no.”  I firmly believe that the perfect diet comes with a balance that allows for life to happen.  Whether it’s a vacation, a holiday, a birthday, weekends away from home, or maybe your own get-together, there will be occasions that you’re faced with the decision to stick to your diet guns or indulge with grace.

This is not a post to support a diet filled with less than healthy options, but instead to support a diet that is doable and sustainable and enjoyable and healthful. 

So I choose “indulge with grace.”  This is an important point – I am not going to throw caution to the wind and indulge in large amounts and frequently, but instead I am going to take part with moderation in mind.  A cupcake, not two or three.  A juicy cheeseburger, but with a side of salad and fruit instead of potato chips.  A handful of Chex-mix, not two or three or more, while watching a game when I know I’m not really hungry.

Dana’s Dictionary:

“The Perfect Diet”

• Food intake that nourishes, heals, makes strong, delights and allows for life to happen.

I will strive for the “perfect diet” with this definition.  I will choose wholesome, nutritious foods, a balance of all the wonderful food groups and varieties, and, at times, will indulge with grace.  How about you?

Out of your control?

What happens when your food choices are out of your control?  Can that really happen?  Can someone or something keep you from staying in control of your food intake? 

No, not completely.  While situations may arise when the food you have to choose from is not your choice, how you handle your choices is still very much your own.

Vacations for instance.  We always “save up” for vacation, being extra disciplined and keeping a strict intake until we hit the road, but why?  Isn’t that pre-planning that you will make poor food decisions?  Instead, set yourself up for success.  Understand that your food intake may not be 100% A+ in the nutrition department while on vacation, but don’t use it as a free pass to disregard all your wise nutrition habits.

Another example…weddings!  We attended a wedding this weekend.  A perfect example of when the type of food offered is not your choice.  It was a beautiful wedding and fun reception, dinner served buffet style.  Lo and behold, southern food!  Of course!  Fried chicken fingers, mac and cheese, green beans, fried okra, and rolls.  Oh, and don’t forget the sweet tea!

What do you do?!  Do you turn your nose up and go without because, well, this just does not fit into your diet plan?  Haha…yeah right.  Do you figure, “well, I have no choice so I might as well go all out,” and over-indulge in the southern feast?  Again, no.  That would be deciding that your food choices are out of your control.  Instead, enjoy the provided meal graciously and stay in control.  How did I handle this particular instance?  To begin, the food was served to us in the buffet line, so the portions were pretty well controlled (which was nice as it prevented that extra generous serving of mac and cheese that may have happened otherwise).  So I accepted the 2 chicken tenders and a scoop of mac and cheese.  Second, I took a look at what was available and adjusted.  When I got to the veggies (green beans and fried okra), I requested two scoops of green beans and no okra.  For a beverage, of course water won over sweet tea.

A “go-to” adjustment for me at events where food is provided is to look for the opportunity to bump up the veggies and remove one of the greater nutrition offenders.  If work provides lunch, is salad a side option?  Bump up your salad serving and keep the main a little smaller if it is outside your typical diet parameters.  Invited unexpectedly to a restaurant for lunch or dinner?  Scope out the menu and look for grilled main options and veggie sides.  You can never go wrong with portion control too.

Was dinner last night out of my typical diet parameters?  Sure, but I felt just fine after making the best adjustments I could, taking my time to eat it, avoiding any guilt for being off-track a little, and especially after dancing the night away.  Get your toes tapping and your hips swinging and you’ll burn a few calories.

Here comes wedding and vacation season!  So don’t feel thrown off course when the available food choices are out of your control…YOU are still in control of how you handle your choices. 

Challenged by Snacking

Nighttime and/or excessive snacking comes up a lot in my counseling sessions.  It usually goes something like this:

“Well, I do pretty well all day.  It’s when I get home when it all goes downhill.” OR

“See, I eat well [after a food intake recall], but after the kids go to bed I have to snack and I don’t mean just a serving.” OR

“I’m just so hungry when I get home from work.  I nibble on everything the rest of the day.” OR

“There’s just something about sitting down at the end of the day with a book and a bag of chips.”

In the case of nighttime snacking, typically the first two-thirds of eating for the day are reported as well controlled, but as soon as it’s quittin’ time after work or after dinner, all self-control and will power fall by the wayside.

Why is that?  I guess in the morning we are fresh and ready to handle a new day, ready to stick to our plan.  At work we’re busy enough that eating just what we’ve planned still satisfies (although often starts to get harder in the afternoon).  By the time the work day ends, have you used up all your "stick-to-itiveness" and feel drained and ready to treat yourself?  Or maybe you don’t feel tempted to hop off track until everything is done for the day and you’re decompressing.  It’s quiet, all you have left to do is get ready for bed and sleep.  It’s “you” time and what’s better during “you” time than your favorite snack…you deserve it, right?

I’ve had my share of this challenge.   I’m here to tell you that most of these nighttime snacking behaviors are good ol’ HABITS.  Often they are not a response to actual hunger, but a response to an emotional or mental need.  During my evening I find that if there is a treat available, I’m going to take part, whether I am hungry or not (always not).  Now, I’ve typically planned this into my day, which you could do too (a well-balanced intake with a few discretionary calories).  The problem arises when even after I’ve enjoyed my portioned treat, the fridge, freezer, or pantry still calls my name and for no other reason than because I’m just relaxing and well, snacking just “fits.”

I have had evenings where I cave to my craving and eat again – really?!  I even think while I’m eating it that I’m not hungry and I don’t really need it, but not even those thoughts are enough to stop me.  I had to enlist an actual replacement behavior.  The winner…brushing my teeth!  Making the decision to be done and cleaning my pearly whites marks a distinct line mentally for me that I am finished snacking.  Completing this simple task alone reduces the desire to continue snacking, one step toward breaking a habit.

If you are someone who struggles with food choices and snacking as soon as you get home from work, think about two things.  First, be sure you are not depriving yourself throughout the workday – eat a good breakfast and plan a balanced lunch and snack.  Second, don’t fight snacking.  When you’re fighting it, but not avoiding it, your snack becomes grazing, and more food and calories than you’d like.  Instead, plan in a snack when you get home from work to tide you over until dinner.  Planning it in gives you permission to eat.  It’s no longer a forbidden act and when planned you can make it good for you (for instance some fruit and yogurt or a slice of whole grain peanut butter toast).

In the late evening, recognize when you are succumbing to a habit and find a replacement activity.  Try brushing your teeth.  It’s funny how brushing your teeth can turn into an invisible barrier to extra snacking.  If all else fails, arm yourself with control.  Have one serving of your snack versus allowing a free for all with the entire bag.  Any baby step you take is a good step.  It means you’ve recognized that you need to make a change and you want to make a change.  Give yourself some credit…you can do it!

The Vanishing Cutie

I had a funny moment last week at work.  It was the late afternoon and I was holding down the office on my own, working away, when the clock struck “snack time!”  I had a Cutie clementine with me today…fresh, juicy, and sweet!  I turned away from my work to peel and eat my fruit, but then I heard that ding of an incoming email and decided I needed to see the new message in my inbox right then.  Shortly after, I turned to grab the second half of my clementine…"where is it?!"  The second half was gone!  Surely it had rolled off my desk because I know I didn’t already eat it!  I literally looked on the floor.  But, it was too late.  I had broken my own rule!  I had mindlessly scarfed down the second half of my Cutie, literally not even realizing it while reading an email, thus not tasting or enjoying the lovely refreshing snack I had planned.  So disappointed.

It takes practice to allow the 5 minutes it may take to eat a small snack, but it is definitely worth it. 

A mindfully enjoyed afternoon snack time can serve to:

1.  Provide you fuel to get you to dinner without becoming ravenous

2.  Provide you the energy your brain needs to work at its best for the remainder of the work day

3.  Provide you with a mini brain break, refreshing your work upon your return

4.  Provide you with a mini brain break for stress relief

5.  Provide a daily recommended fruit, veggie, or dairy serving

Don’t be like me that day and be utterly confused and astonished that you really did already eat your entire snack.  Instead, take actions to enjoy your snack mindfully.

1.  Close your computer and/or clear the immediate area of work

2.  Take a breath, releasing any tension as you exhale

3.  Clear you mind of work for the moment – it will still be there in 5 minutes

4.  Pay attention to the texture, color, and aroma of your snack

5.  Take one bite at a time, chewing and swallowing each before taking the next

6.  When finished, take one more deep breath, reflect on how enjoyable it was

7.  Return to work fed and refreshed

All you have to do is try this once to notice that enjoying an afternoon snack does become an entirely different experience when you are mindful.

Life is too short to let every little moment slip by without noticing it, without appreciating it, without being thankful for it.  Every moment can hold a joy, hold a gift, and hold something to be thankful for, even the seemingly mundane things.  Sometimes we just don’t take the time to notice them.  I challenge you to be more mindful of the little moments in your day – afternoon snack and all – and be thankful.

Quinoa Recipe!

Quinoa is a great ‘grain’ to give a try if you’re not in love with brown rice or just want to switch things up.  Quinoa is actually a seed, but is included in the grain group because we cook it and eat it like a grain.  This seed is a powerhouse of nutrition and gives you a good dose of quality protein, dietary fiber, and higher amounts of iron, zinc, and magnesium than found in many other grains.  Quinoa also offers healthy fat content, antioxidants, and other vitamins and minerals.

You can use quinoa in soups, salads, pilafs, and more, enjoy it hot or cold, and make it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  It is versatile and tasty, with a slightly nutty taste.

We are trying our hand at pre-making new tasty lunches for the week (to mix it up from our normal chicken or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches).  A great side benefit to pre-planning a slightly more complex lunch is that I get extra delicious veggies at lunchtime and really a greater variety of food and nutrients overall.

So our first week was an absolute success with the Spicy Quinoa Chicken.   This recipe is adapted slightly from Kevin Curry’s (of FitMenCook.com) “Spicy Chicken Fried Quinoa with Garden Salad” recipe we found in Train magazine.

The nutrition of our version (with cooked and diced chicken breast instead of ground chicken, water instead of chicken broth to make the quinoa, and Frank’s Red Hot instead of Sriracha) turned out about as follows:

1 ½ cup serving (this was a hungry man’s serving = my husband)

Calories 440; Protein 49g; Fat 11g (Sat fat 2g); Fiber 4g; Sodium 563mg

1 cup serving (suggested)

Calories 294; Protein 33g; Fat 8g (Sat fat 2g); Fiber 3g; Sodium 375mg

We did combine this with a spinach salad topped with chopped cucumber, tomato, and kiwi (not included in nutrition).

Ingredients: 

1.5 lbs chicken breast, cooked and diced

3 eggs

2 cups water

1 cup raw quinoa (rinse before cooking)

1 cup frozen edamame beans

1 cup chopped carrots

½ cup chopped red oinion

1 Tbsp minced garlic (or garlic paste)

vegetable oil spray

Sauce:

2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1.5 Tbsp Franks red hot sauce

1 Tbsp ginger paste

1 Tbsp low sodium teriyaki sauce (optional)

Instructions:

1.     Cook quinoa according to instructions and allow to cool to room temperature

2.     While quinoa is cooking/cooling, dice and cook (or cook then dice chicken breast) – in medium-high heat skillet or baked in oven at 375 degrees until internal temperature reaches about 165 degrees.

3.     Mix sauce ingredients together and set aside.

4.     Spray a non-stick skillet on medium heat with cooking spray, add garlic, carrots, and onions, cooking until onions become clear.

5.     Increase the temperature of the skillet to medium-high and add chicken and cooled quinoa.

6.     Pour in the sauce and stir quickly

7.     Add eggs stirring and chopping with a spoon until well incorporated

8.     Reduce heat to medium and add edamame beans, stirring until thawed.

Pack into containers for the week or enjoy as dinner tonight!  This dish is just spicy enough and packs a great flavor.  Not to mention it is quite satisfying.

So much color and nutrition!  Try something new this week, even if it is just adding a different veggie to lunch or a new grain at dinner.  It’s hard to bust out of your routine sometimes, but once you do, what you discover and make can be marvelous.  You may find yourself wanting to explore some more.

Enjoy!

You Want It, So You...

You want to make the team, so you work hard, practice hard, and put precious time into making yourself the best you can…welcome to the team.  You want to get into a good school, so you work hard, study hard, and put precious time into preparing for tests and applications…welcome to a good school.  You want to learn a new skill to further your career and impact more lives, so you work hard, study hard, practice hard, and put precious time into learning a new skill…congratulations, welcome to the next step in your career!  You want to become a more fit you, so you work out hard, push hard, and put precious time into exercising…welcome to a more fit you.

You want to support your fitness with healthy foods, you want to lose weight or manage a healthy weight, you want to control your fat and sugar intake and get all the nutrients you need every day, so you…[                                                                           ].  How do you fill in the blank?

I am so often faced with the task of providing a miracle food plan that fits taste preferences, fulfills daily nutrient needs and supports weight goals, but that takes ZERO time and ZERO effort.  I am sorry to say, but that miracle does not exist.  Not many things in life take zero time and zero effort to accomplish, and good nutrition and a healthy weight are no different. 

Sometimes in conversations about meal and snack ideas when I have already taken taste preference and convenience into account, my ideas still get shot down because, well, “that takes too much time.”  A peanut butter and jelly sandwich takes maybe 1 minute to put together.  Time yourself.  Unless you only eat pre-packaged, pre-prepared meals (which you still have to wait like 2-5 minutes to microwave) you are going to have to put two or three pieces together to create a meal.

Changing your mindset is the first step to changing your intake.  You can plan and eat simple healthy meals and you can squeeze in the time to put a few things in a lunchbox, it’s just not part of your current routine.  Planning your food intake does take some time, but with practice it becomes easier and is eventually simply a part of your normal routine.

Start with one meal – breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  Don’t overwhelm yourself by overhauling your entire intake and pre-planning 21 meals worth of food on day one.  For instance if you currently skip, eat a fast food biscuit, or scarf down a Pop-tart or other pastry in the car for breakfast, choose breakfast.

Step 1. Decide you are willing to make a change to this one meal.

·        “I would really like to avoid my mid-morning hunger and get more nutrition out of my meal.  I am willing to change my routine to make this happen.”

Step 2. Determine what foods you enjoy at breakfast.

·        “I’m not a fan of eggs or oatmeal.  I do like cinnamon toast.  I do like yogurt (only flavored).  I do like blueberries.”

Step 3. Make sure these foods are already in your pantry or on your shopping list.

·        “Whole grain bread and cinnamon, check!  Adding yogurt and fresh/frozen blueberries to my list.”

Step 4. Pre-prep if needed (wash or cut fruit, etc.) and plan in at least 15 minutes to eat at home.

·        “No pre-prep necessary for my new breakfast.  I’ll wake up 10 minutes early and shave 5 minutes off my shower/getting ready time.”

Step 5. Eat your new delicious and healthy breakfast day 1.

·        Toast bread while scooping 1 cup of lower sugar flavored yogurt into a bowl and pouring ½ cup of blueberries on top.  Smear trans-fat free spread onto toast, sprinkle with cinnamon and breakfast is complete (literally like 3 minutes).

·        Enjoy!

Repeat steps 4 and 5 the rest of the week.

Willingness to make a change in your current routine to make room for better nutrition is step one.  Having the right food on hand is step 2.  After that it’s just execution.

Healthy does not have to be complicated, but you do need to offer yourself the chance to prove that healthy can fit into your day.  Are you willing to give your nutrition a little of your hard work, your planning, and some precious time? 

It’s worth it and it only gets easier the more you do it.

Final 9!

It’s the final week of National Nutrition Month®!  Below are my final nine daily mini-goals for better health.

March 23:  Eat only until satisfied, not stuffed, even if there is food left on your plate (remember eating more slowly helps).

March 24:  Choose olive oil instead of butter.

March 25:  Do 10 push-ups this morning, afternoon, and evening – it feels great!

March 26:  Eat some spinach! It’s national spinach day!  Be “…strong to the finish ‘cause you eat your spinach!”

March 27:  Pray a prayer of thanksgiving before every meal (whether home or dining out).

March 28:  Stick to moderation if you enjoy an adult beverage – one drink/day for women or two drinks/day for men (to shave off some of those liquid calories ;) ).

March 29:  Plan next week’s meals and snacks before you go shopping (helps keep your food choices in check all week and helps your budget too).

March 30:  Eat breakfast, lunch and/or dinner as a whole family – no TV, no books, no papers, no phones, just food and family.

March 31:  Rock confidence!  Wherever you are right now in your journey to better health and weight management…BE you, BE joyful, BE confident.

I would love to hear what you did to improve your nutrition this month!  Did you try any of my daily mini-goals?  Leave me a brief comment if you feel like it!

One of my favorites was from this past week.  I focused on being sure I made eye contact with and smiled at anyone who crossed my path.  People can’t frown back! J  I enjoyed sharing the smile.  Whether it meant nothing to the other person or maybe it lifted their spirits, it had an interesting impact on me.  I think it is quite easy to put your head down, do your job, and move along, not ever really cherishing the simple moments you may have to interact with someone.  Remember that everyone has their own story and we often don’t know where in their story they are…could be on a mountain top or in a deep valley.  How we interact with them can make an impact…a positive one!  I have been encouraged to be more willing to offer a greeting, a smile, and even extra moments to just listen to another child of God.

Have a happy and healthy week!