Overeating is different than stress eating. Often overeating is carried through to adulthood from habits we learned as children. Those old mantras of “clean your plate” and the tales about the “starving children around the world” we all heard really do have a mental impact on us. We feel that we have to eat everything in front of us or must eat until we’re uncomfortably full.
A survey conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that almost half of American adults report overeating in response to stress. A full 40% report that they have (or currently do) use food for comfort in stressful times. In those situations, the comfort food typically selected is not the healthiest: it’s the fatty fried foods, the high starch foods, the carbohydrate-loaded sweets. While occasional stress eating isn’t enough to throw a regular diet off the rails, 50% of stress eaters engage in this unhealthy behavior at least once per week.
Have you ever been tempted to go vegetarian but are scared those cravings for a juicy burger or grilled steak will derail you before even getting started? Enter the flexitarian diet.
We’ve heard for generations that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but research suggests that what you eat for breakfast may be just as important as actually eating the meal in the first place.
Do you need to make up for those holiday indulgences or get that beach body back into shape in time for summer? It’s easier than you think!
Whether you set out to improve your health, try a new exercise plan or advance your career, each step along the way is an accomplishment (consider that an A on your personal growth report card). Reaching your goal is an ongoing journey, one with both triumphs and challenges. By understanding these three commonly encountered pitfalls, you will be more prepared and likely to succeed.
Our blog usually addresses dieting (i.e. reducing your “waist”). In honor of earth month and mother earth let’s talk about reducing your waste (“sustainability”). As you read, you may realize that many of the same concepts apply to both dieting and sustainability.
Are you paying attention to your body? Many people don’t understand this question. We go about our lives consumed by work, family, friends, and all our unending responsibilities without ever taking time to tune in to ourselves.
For generations we have been trained to associate “meat” with “protein.” How many of us grew up with steak, chicken or fish as staples on our dinner tables? Advertising agencies have worked hard to reinforce that artificial bond and make beef “what’s for dinner.” But as we begin to search for healthier, alternative diets, diets that will help us lose weight, feed our bodies with good nutrition, and even diets that have less of an environmental impact, many of us have turned to plant-based proteins. Why?
Does the thought of hitting the gym bore you to tears? How many times can you listen to the same playlist and flip through the same old magazines while you pound the treadmill for miles? If you’re like 90% of the people who have resolved to live a better life and exercise more, you’ve failed in the past. Why is that? If your active routine isn’t fun and/or exciting, chances are you won’t stick with it.