Seeking Health

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Let food be thy medicine. Just don’t let it be thy drug.

Can’t resist a slice – or two or three – of pizza? You may well be addicted.

   (Won't play? Listen here https://soundcloud.com/cath-king-1/top-20-addictive-foods-are-you-hooked .)

List of Addictive Foods:

1. Pizza

2. Chocolate

3. Chips

4. Cookies

5. Ice Cream

6. French Fries

7. Cheeseburger

8. Soda

9. Cake

10. Cheese

11. Bacon

12. Fried Chicken

13. Rolls (plain)

14. Popcorn (buttered)

15. Breakfast Cereal

16. Gummy Candy

17. Steak

18. Muffins

19. Nuts

20. Eggs

Learn how to Eat More and Weigh Less 

With weight loss goals in the air, protein praise is everywhere...

Though herbivores can easily get plenty of protein, here are 6 ways to ensure you don't have to worry about it:

1. Like the koala-fied star of the meme, aim for at least 3 hefty servings of leafy greens every day. One serving equals 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked, so it is super easy to meet this goal by including a daily salad, soup, and side of cooked greens.

2. Consume at least 3 servings of legumes every day. One serving equals 1/2 cup of lentils, beans, peas, or soy foods. Throw beans over salad, whip up a batch of hummus (mmm...hummus), cook up a stew or soup with beans and/or lentils, and/or use beans to make a delicious oil-free dressing (see recipe ideas below).

3. Look how ubiquitous protein is in the plant kingdom with just some of the protein superstars and the amount of protein they contain per cup:

All beans (10-29 g)

All seeds (24-58 g)

Nuts/nut butters (20-64 g)

Tofu (11 g/4 oz)

Tempeh (41 g)

Seitan (31 g/3 oz)

Peas (9 g)

Lentils (18 g)

Soy milk (7 g)

Spinach (5 g)

Broccoli (4 g)

Pasta (8 g)

Brown rice (5 g)

Quinoa (9 g)

Veggie burger (13 g)

4. Remember that we only require approximately 10-15% of our calories to come from protein. The average woman needs about 46 grams per day and the average man, 56 grams per day, according to the Institute of Medicine. This can also be looked at in grams per kilogram bodyweight per day (g/kg/d), which looks like this by age:

--->

1.5 g/kg/day for infants

1.1 g/kg/day for 1-3 y

0.95 g/kg/day for 4-13 y

0.85 g/kg/day for 14-18 y

0.8 g /kg/day for adults >19 y

1.1 g/kg/day for pregnant (using pre-pregnancy weight) and lactating women

5. Include 1-2 ounces of nuts per day for a boost of protein along with healthy fats, fiber, vitamin E, L-arginine, and plant sterols. Also, including a sprinkle of seeds can provide protein packaged together with essential fats, vitamin E, fiber, trace minerals, and phytochemicals such as lignans, an uber-powerful health-promoting nutrient.

6. Simply ensure you are consuming adequate calories. I do not advocate calculating numbers, but make sure you are eating enough to meet your needs and preferentiating *whole* foods (not processed products, which are stripped of protein and other essential nutrients). You can monitor this by your energy levels, on the scale by weight, and by performance in workouts.

As a nutritionist, people often ask me what I eat. And usually the answer surprises them and embarasses me. You see, the truth is, my diet is pretty simple, predictable, repetitive and, well, boring. And that, surprisingly enough is one of the keys to my success in maintaining a trim figure.

It's really difficult to follow a diet and get results from it is when we are trying to eat different meals all the time with new and novel ingredients and recipes. People that tend to get the best results with their diet have a pretty consistent program in place. That means that what they’re doing every day is predicable. It’s incorporated into their routines. Those who wake up and ask themselves “what am I going to eat today?” have less chance of becoming successful.

I think it makes sense to make some of your meals predicable, and what others might call ‘boring.”

That means eating some of the same meals over and over and over again.

It may only appear boring to other people, but it has to be enjoyable for you. The meals that you’re going to eat over and over again should be tasty. They should be the sort of meals you never get tired of eating.

What are some of the benefits of eating the same meals over and over again?

1. It’s easier. It’s easy to stock up on the ingredients, always buy the same things, make the same recipe, and prepare it in advance. It’s just easier to know that what you’re going to be eating is, to some degree, predicable.
2. You can get health benefits. Why? Because if you carefully design those meals to be consistent, you can eat roughly the same number of calories, include certain foods that are very beneficial for health (like blueberries and flax seeds) that you would normally eat only occasionally.
3. You eat less. Variety leads to over-eating. When we have more options, we eat more. When we’re in front of a buffet we eat more then when we have only one option. When something is new, it’s exciting. A dog will prefer a new kind of dog food than the old one simply because it’s different, and will eat more of it as a result.
4. It’s less expensive. When you’re eating the same foods, you can make sure that you’re including foods that are less expensive and therefore you have less waste. You can include ingredients that are cheap and it’s just easier planning that way.
5. It becomes a habit. When you always eat the same things, it’s just part of your life.

So, how do we keep the consistent diet enjoyable? There are certain meals of the day that can be repeated over and over again.

The most obvious one is breakfast. Breakfast should be simple. It should be the same thing pretty much all the time. Why? We don’t expect breakfast to be exciting. We just want to eat some food to get our day started. Lunch could also be a fairly predictable affair.

Dinner is where we seek some variety. If we eat the same dinner meals over and over again, we’re going to get bored. Only a very few people can do it. However, you can still rotate some of the same dinners that you prefer and let’s say once or twice a week introduce something new; that way you’re eating something different every day. If you want to make it even simpler, use that system and make your lunch simply leftovers from dinner.

What are some good examples of meals that I personally like, and are simple, nutritious and made easily?

Breakfast

I essentially eat the same breakfast almost every day and have done for the last 6 or 7 years. I also have one alternate breakfast I use when I'm camping or away from home without my blender. Essentially two or breakfast meals are:

The Green Smoothie:My lovely man, Michael, makes my smoothie for me every morning. Essentially, he rotates about five different greens, adds bananas oranges, pineapple and kiwifruit, plus any other fruit we have, adds some green superfoods, and voila - breakfast every day of the week.

The Oatmeal Breakfast: I eat this on mornings when I'm camping or away from home. I like the oatmeal breakfast because it keeps my energy sustained for a long time and it’s also very cheap and easy to prepare. I mix in some date paste for sweetness, frozen berries (that way they thaw in the oatmeal), and I top it off with flax meal and cinnamon. Simple, delicious and very sustaining. When I do have oats for breakfast, I always also eat some steamed greens of some sort. I really try to incorporate greens into every meal.

To see how I eat for a whole day, watch "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA3XPxvyJ48" target="_blank">What I Eat Wednesday".

If you would like some help with your diet, consider getting a Nutritional Audit.

And, if you need help losing weight, contact me to make a time for a free Forever Slim Strategy Session and check out the Eat More to Weigh Less program.

To book a Forever Slim Strategy Session, click here.

To learn more about the Eat More to Weigh Less program, click here.

Over the years carbs have gotten a really bad rap. Those in the Paleo movement have even convinced people that they are "carb addicts". This is such a pity, because it has people trying to avoid perfectly healthy, natural and energy-giving foods like fruit, potatoes, kumara, rice, quinoa,oats and millet.

One reason these foods have been so maligned is their connection with wheat.

Wheat has been an integral source of nutrition for thousands of years. It helped keep us from starvation and contributed to the growth of many civilizations. However, the current version of wheat isn't what it used to be, and wheat today is contributing to an ever increasing epidemic of obesity.

The wheat of our ancestors is incomparable to that which is popularly consumed today. Standing at approximately 18” tall, modern wheat is a dwarf version of the shoulder-high, nutritionally dense wheat of the past. Additionally, most wheat products consumed today are highly refined and potentially rancid.

So why can’t we just stop eating wheat and bread? There are many issues associated with consuming wheat-based products from a health perspective, one of which is that they seem to be incredibly addictive. It's been estimated that up to three-fourths of all overweight people have an addiction to bread.

Are you an addict?

Here are some signs you may have a problem with wheat:

* Strong cravings for products such as bread, cookies, pastries, cakes, pasta, etc.

* A feeling of calm and comfort after eating bread products

* A strong compulsion to eat bread products in preference of other foods

* A drive to eat more carb-rich items soon after finishing a meal

The addictive nature of bread and bread products shows up, for example, when we may decide we will avoid bread for a meal and yet find ourselves unable to resist when the bread basket in placed in front of us. Some people can happily be satisfied with one dinner roll while others will find themselves unable to quench their desire for more at every meal and maybe even having sweet snacks in between. Why do some people have such a hard time with bread?

Here’s What Happens Physically

Bread and many processed foods are refined carbohydrates, and have been stripped down of all the nutrients and fiber. Carbohydrates are basically sugar molecules that are linked together. These types of molecules enter your bloodstream easily. Simple sugars enter the bloodstream quickly, but chains of sugars, like those contained in bread products, give you a MASSIVE sugar hit to your bloodstream, even more quickly than table sugar.

When these chains of carbohydrates break down in your system, there is such a large glucose spike, it triggers your body to protect itself by releasing insulin and getting those sugars out of the bloodstream ASAP by storing them as fat. If too much insulin is released to deal with the blood sugar level, then suddenly you can crash and feel the need to eat more bread to get some “energy” back again. It becomes a vicious cycle leading to insulin resistance where the body stops using insulin properly and glucose becomes trapped in the bloodstream, ultimately resulting in Type 2 diabetes.

Emotional Motivations

In addition to the physical effects, there is also a psychological effect of eating bread. Wheat is difficult to digest. It pulls a lot of blood out of circulation and moves it into the digestive tract. The loss of blood dulls the mind, and creates a “food coma” effect. Bread is a “comfort” food because it is associated with a sense of well-being, notwithstanding an absence of sharp mental clarity, that many people choose to experience when they are stressed, bored, or otherwise unhappy.

Bread also boosts brain tryptophan levels, making us sleepy. This tryptophan boost increases brain serotonin levels over time, which makes us feel content. Further, the immediate reward of eating bread is a dopamine rush: the same neurotransmitter behind drug highs like with cocaine and amphetamines. This rush can lead to intrusive thoughts in your head and more cravings when you go too long without a fix.

The National Institute of Health Researchers found that bread stimulates the brain’s opiate receptors when consumed, eliciting a sense of euphoria. The more we eat it, the more we want to eat. The flavor, texture, and high glycemic content of bread makes it difficult to stop eating once you've started. In addition, 40% of people will go through something like an opiate withdrawal when they stop eating these products which can make the “giving up” process somewhat daunting.

Unlike street drugs, wheat products do more than rewire your neurological system. They will short-circuit your body’s systems by reprogramming your metabolism, stockpiling energy as unburnable fat, and causing more cravings which continue the up and down cycle.

Needless to say, eating bread is only a temporary solution to the problem and does not truly satisfy a person's real underlying needs, either emotionally or nutritionally, and so people become prone to overeating without ever finding true satisfaction from their food.

And, like any other addictive drug, the positive effects of eating carbs diminish over time, while the addiction remains. So we have to eat more and more bread to achieve the same feeling of well-being in our brain. As we gain weight, we get less and less reward and more and more metabolic problems.

If you feel you may be addicted to bread or wheat products, join me for a FREE Eat More to Weigh Less Strategy Session.

How the 4 pillars of health can help with weight loss and how to beat your metabolic weight "set point".

To learn more about Seeking Health's Eat More to Weigh Less workshop, click here.

I’ve been eating a low fat, wholefood, high raw, plant based diet for a while now and I thought I was over food cravings but the last couple of weeks I’ve had them big time.

I used to get cravings a lot. As a teenager and young adult, I was always on some fad diet or other that would require me to restrict my food intake. And after a while, I’d cave in and binge eat everything I shouldn’t. My weight would yo-yo up and down, yet it never occurred to me that this was abnormal.

The cravings went away when I started to truly nourish myself, not just my body, but my mind and spirit as well. I ate when I was hungry, and stopped when I was full. All was well, I thought.

But every now and then, the cravings come back.

The good news is the cravings are NOT for processed junk food, so it could be worse. But there is still the need to fill myself with something sweet when something else in my life is amiss.

Over the years, I’ve learned a few things about cravings. So this time around I know exactly what that ‘something’ is.

Since coming back from my holidays, I’ve been working really hard – sometimes staying up late at night to finish work, and it’s creating an imbalance. Not getting enough sleep creates disharmony with your hormones, especially leptin. This hormone sends a signal to your brain when you are full.

The day after a poor night’s sleep, your appetite tends to soar!

I also haven’t been exercising as regularly as I usually do because of a tight schedule. I’ve been spending a lot of time sitting (or standing) at my computer writing plans, modules and putting new programs and events together, and have sacrificed my exercise more times than I care to admit. That lack of an important component of a balanced life is throwing things off for me.

Exercise releases endorphins, the feel good chemicals responsible for what’s known as ‘the runner’s high.’

I’m also a fan of massage as a way to invite the body to release those delicious endorphins. Sadly, no one’s given me a massage for far too long.

As a result of not getting my ‘feel good’ hit as regularly as I’m used to, I think my body is looking for pleasure elsewhere.

And food can be an instant source of pleasure and gratification.

One of my favourite snacks are Bliss Balls - wonderfully delicious energy balls (in my “Secrets of Raw: Uncooking” ebook and always one of the recipes in my programs). These snacks that fulfil my cravings and indulgences might be considered innocent and even healthy by most. Still, it’s the emotional state with which the cravings and indulgences express themselves that’s out of sorts.

So I am making a public commitment to nourish myself, exercise every day, get to bed 30 minutes earlier each night and to get a massage ASAP.

In my Eat More to Weigh Less program, I discuss that what really causes food cravings is a deficiency of one of your basic needs. When nutrients are out of balance, your body craves food to rebuild its stores. When you respond to the cravings with sugary, fatty, salty and nutritionally depleted and harmful foods, you add stress to your body. This stress burdens your adrenal glands. Giving in to food cravings can contribute to adrenal exhaustion.

In this program I share why and how breaking free from emotional eating and providing the nutrition you really need will stop cravings in their tracks. By supplying your body with the building blocks of a healthy mind and body, you allow your adrenals to rebuild, your body’s response to fatigue and exhaustion is stronger, and the cravings lessen.

Look out over the next few weeks for an invitation to my Eat More to Weigh Less workshop here in Christchurch on Saturday 21 February.

I look forward to having you here on my journey.

Comment below about your experiences with cravings and emotional eating. Also, be sure to share what strategies you’ve developed. And if you need some amazing massage endorphins, make a booking ASAP. Let’s hold each other accountable to finding joy in places other than the refrigerator!

Please share this with anyone who might find it helpful.