Cravings and Candy

Change cravings to the comfort and pleasures of self-respect in 15 minutes. 

Every emotional dip on the roller coaster of living is a time of heightened cravings. Family and friends ask, what do you want? Our classic response is emotional, physical and social! When teased by sweets, we see food not only with our eyes, but also with our heart. Intuitive eaters use dignity to tune-in and trust their gut/heart response.

If you expect to be in a stressful eating environment, eat a hard boiled egg before you go out. It will take the edge off of your hunger, provide healthy protein and is an easy way to know you're in control of what you eat.

Did you know it takes a full 15 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach has had a sweet treat?  Use that 15 minutes to give yourself times to socialize or relax! This way you will give your head time it needs recognizes if you still are physically craving sweets. What will happens during the 15 minutes is,  other private priorities become stronger. Try it! You will be surprised.  

You might just eat 1/2 of what you crave and then use the 15 minute rule before you go for more. During your 15 minutes, imagine how you feel when you take control of your choices. You feel pretty good!  When you're hit with emotional stress, keep an open mind, stay clear about what matters to you. 

Everyone is unique. Eating is a personal experience. Trust your physical process to be the best you can be. Acknowledge cravings and stay clear about what matters to you in the long run at the same time. Eat less, taste more because you can. While you eat a piece of chocolate, be sure to really taste and enjoy it. Make your senses and loving your body a priority when you eat. 

The difference between intuitive eating and eating 'unhealthy' cravings is, you feel good about yourself an hour after you eat with dignity. When bullied by emotional eating demands, you feel lousy about yourself an hour later.

You can balance what you crave with what you need. Eating a square of chocolate because it makes you feel good and you like the way it tastes, is healthy. Chocolate is an anti-oxident. Your body uses anti oxidents help to clean pollution from your system.  Craving to eat something can mean that your body needs it. Yes, even chocolate!  You can work with and satisfy your body by trusting what you sense in your gut.  

Social, emotional needs, and physical needs are equally important. We all crave and need respect and affection.  The first person to get if from is you. Respond to your needs by going after what you really want. Make yourself happy. 

Learn more practical tips for eating intuitively, by knowing  how to take control of what pushes your buttons with Really Hungry: Body, Mind, Soul Food. As always, feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about intuitive eating! You are amazing.

Trust your process. 

Intuitively you know what makes you feel good.

#JaneBernard

jb@transitionspress.com

Good Carbs!?!?!?!

I like carbs. Sometimes I crave them and sometimes I crave protein. It's intuitive to crave a variety of foods. Intuitive eaters are curious to see what different eating options provide. Intuitive eating is open options. There are no rules, just tools.

I read a blog this morning about reasons carbs help you lose weight and was struck by the missing information. Immediately I connected with a power tool of intuitive eating, curiosity. Curiosity is like having x-ray vision and super hearing because it is looking closer and hearing more. This flexible open attitude is used by intuitive eaters to stay aware, in control of their weight.

Balanced eating makes sense intuitively because different organs in your body have different needs. Of course, before you eat, it's critical to check in with your body with your senses and intuition to feel if you have a craving for protein. If you do, and you want to slim down, don't combine the protein with a starch.  The reason is that when you eat a "resistant starch" alone, your body will convert that starch to a protein. But, if you mix these carbs with protein, your body will not need the carb as a protein and will convert it to a fattening starch.  

For ex: You can enjoy spaghetti with garlic and oil, or with a tomato sauce and your body will digest it as a protein. As soon as you add meat to the spaghetti, your body will digest it as a starch.

Sometimes when you feel a need for carbs, the ones called "Resistant Starches" can bring a satisfying slimming meal, especially if you have it with a light salad. Resistant starches include: bananas, oatmeal, white beans, black beans, lentils, potatoes, plantains, garbanzo beans, pearl barley, whole wheat or semolina pasta, and brown rice. 

A good carb breakfast is oatmeal, with bananas in it for sweetness, and a handful of walnuts for  your brain. Yep, walnuts, which look like tiny brains (!), are good for enhancing your brain power. I learned that using curiosity. Being curious is your intuitive way of staying aware. 

Rice and beans combined (no meat added) create a perfect protein and a satisfying slimming meal. ttp://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=2

Don't believe everything you read. To enjoy eating and stay in control, be curious about what you eat and how your body feels at mealtime. That's intuitive eating.

To learn more about your intuitive tools read: Am I Really Hungry? 6th Sense Diet : Intuitive Eating.

The 15 Minute Solution

Cravings and Candy

December is a time of heightened cravings. Family and friends ask, what do you want? We feel this emotionally, physically, and socially. When teased with holiday deserts, we see food not only with our eyes, but also with our hearts.

I was asked, "How can we connect with our intuition to know the difference between intuitive eating and 'unhealthy' cravings?"  

Intuitive eating feels good an hour later. 

'Unhealthy' cravings feel bad an hour later.

Intuitive eating balances what you crave with what you need to eat. Eating a square of chocolate because it makes you feel good and you like the way it tastes, is healthy. Chocolate is an anti-oxident. The body uses anti oxidents help to clean pollution from your system. Your body is intuitively efficient. Craving to eat something can mean that your body needs it. Intuitive eating is working with your body.

       When you eat one square of chocolate, it takes a full 15 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach has had happy piece of chocolate. This means, after eating one square of chocolate, take 15 minutes to socialize or even relax, to give your head time it needs to know if you still are physically craving chocolate.  Try it, and you will be surprised. 

Your body, just like your mind and and your heart, has a process it uses to be the best you can be. 

 -Respect and connect with your stomach by taking the harmless temptation of craving seriously. 

-Guide yourself intuitively by staying clear about what matters to you in the long run. 

     While you may crave candy, I bet you crave affection more. Overeating ignores your body and isolates you from others because you are not responding to what you really want. Your social needs, emotional needs, and physical needs are equally important.

Intuition connects with your point of balance so you know what you want. 

Balance is the secret of self control.

Unhealthy cravings lead to self-defeating behavior that feels bad. We all have an inner baby that manipulates us with impatience, self-pity, anger or doubt. Don't be bullied by 'unhealthy' cravings. 

Do your best for you.

Use the 15 minute rule before you go for more. 

During your 15 minutes, imagine how you feel when you take control of your choices, 

and with an open mind, stay clear about what matters to you. 

Trust your process. 

Intuitively you know what will make you feel good.