One of my newest sweet-enough treats. Good on toast, even better straight from the spoon.
I—Dimity—just reread this post after coming off a week of Midwest AMR-a-palooza, and it still resonates with me like it did in October 2012: avocados, almonds, always paying attention to what I eat.
After our whirlwind, awesome trip to Chicago, where we had a rockin’ house party in Glen Ellyn, and to Fontana, Wisconsin, for ZOOMA Great Lakes, where we connected with so many great BAMRs, I came home kind of depleted. I’ve done this–this squeezing a week’s worth of activities into 72 hours–enough times this year to realize that it takes me at least 3 more days to feel like myself. Please note: I’m not complaining–I love that I get to do this–I’m just stating fact.
And when I don’t feel like myself, I eat like crap. Today, I’ve had 2.5 chocolate chip cookies, two handfuls of dark chocolate-covered acai berries, and a medium-sized bowl of Drumstick ice cream. Which is pretty much the daily amount of sugar I used to eat, at a minimum, pre-cleanse. But I don’t eat that much at all these days, and right now, right now, I feel both listless and angry.
On the whole, though, I’ve cleaned up my eating significantly. While I haven’t felt much of a physical difference–I don’t think I had issues with gluten or dairy–I feel a huge mental difference. My moods are less like the mountains of Colorado and more like the flat plains of Iowa, which I’ll happily take. I don’t crave sugar anymore; even on days like today, I eat it because I’m tired and overwhelmed and a little sad, not because my cells are yelling for M&Ms.
On the whole, I’m about 85% cleaner, 15% dirty. Most of the time, my bread is Ezekiel. My dinner is something like brown rice, black beans, avocados on a bed of spinach. My nightly beer has turned into my weekly beer or three. My snacks are almonds and honeycrisp apples. But Friday night is always pizza, and I’ll never turn down chocolate chip cookies or a Diet Coke, especially if I’m traveling.
While my taste buds seemed to have grown up about 20 years over the past two months, I have a few strategies that have definitely helped as well:
I love my husband and I love these, but if he brings home another gallon-sized bag of them from Costco, marital disharmony will ensue.
1. I don’t buy the stuff I know won’t serve me well. Simple, I realize, but it’s also a huge reason for my success. If it’s not easily accessible, chances are, I won’t eat it. The chocolate chip cookies were from a fundraiser for a neighbor, and the acai berries were from Grant, who went to Costco yesterday to buy a few household things like dog food and paper towel. I thought of telling him to please NOT buy anything sugary in bulk, but thought he knew better. Apparently, he didn’t.
My typical sweet post-dinner treats: a piece of toast with Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter or a small bowl of some Love Grown Cocoa Goodness Granola. Or a smallish bowl of ice cream.
2. I’ve changed the staples I buy. At least once a week, I buy broccoli, a new tub of baby spinach, zucchini, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, cashews, almond butter, almond milk, and avocados. Lord, do I eat the avocados now. One of my fave lunches these days: turkey sandwich: one slice of Ezekiel bread has half an avocado spread on it, sprinkled with salt; the other slide has a wedge of Daily Cow cheese spread on it. Delish–and really filling.
3. I try–emphasis on try–to cut myself off at the pass. When I’m not feeling great and know that if I suck down the sugar, I’m going down even further, I pull out the baby carrots and red pepper hummus, and make myself eat at least 10 of them before I eat anything else. Or I slice up an apple and have that before I can think about something less healthy.
Another helpful, yellow book. I sense a trend.
4. I read. Specifically, I soak up this passage from You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment by Thich Nhat Hanh. A friend gave me the little yellow book, a primer on Buddhism, when I was feeling so blue in August, and I keep it by my bed and read a little from it a few times a week. Although the sentiment is definitely lofty, it really resonates with me–especially the bold part.
Aware of the suffering caused by unmindful consumption, I vow to cultivate good health, both physical and mental, for myself, my family, and my society by practicing mindful eating, drinking, and consuming. I vow to ingest only items that preserve peace, well-being, and joy in my body, in my consciousness, and in the collective body and consciousness of my family and society.
Do you have any tricks you use when you’re craving crap but know you shouldn’t? What foods preserve peace, well-being, and joy in your body and consciousness?
I haven’t quite gotten the healthy eating down yet. Trying really hard though. We are in the middle of moving so I haven’t had much time for anything but my day starts out great and then just goes downhill foodwise. I usually try to keep apples and bananas on hand for snacks but pumpkin icecream is my kryptonite and I’ve gained 5 pounds because of it! Yikes!
Ha! I also eat baby carrots and red pepper hummus. :-). I was having a particularly yucky day yesterday and instead of eating my way through the pantry, I made myself an organic mixed green salad with a hard boiled egg, asparagus, raspberries, shaved Parmesan cheese and homemade maple balsamic vinegrette. Yummy! Sure, I washed it down with a handful of dark chocolate peanut M&Ms but at least I got in a plateful of goodness first. Balance…and keeping the bad stuff out of the house is key for me. Having Celiac’s disease helps too. It limits my choices to more whole foods.
Like Dimity we don’t have junk food on hand so that eliminates one source of temptation, and now I only make cookies or desserts if I’m going to be giving some away or we’re having guests for dinner. About a year & half ago when I started my “get fit” plan I began keeping bars of high quality super dark chocolate (86%) on hand – I am a chocolate freak and that is the one thing I must have. I limited myself to one or two squares a day, and would even break them up so I could have a little bit after breakfast, lunch, & dinner. It doesn’t sound like much, and at first it wasn’t, but I gradually got used to that as my treat and my craving for other kinds of sweets went down significantly; my palette adjusted so that now I find many desserts too sweet. And because I have chocolate every day, throughout the day, I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself. It’s really high in iron, too, so that justifies it even more! If I do get stressed out then having an entire square at once really feels like an indulgence. Another thing I always have on hand is almond milk (the “original” lightly sweetened variety). I consume minimal dairy so almond milk is my go-to, but if I get a craving for something sweet it’s low-calorie, has a creamy mouthfeel, and lots of calcium. Local honey is a must as well; just a teaspoon in a mug of tea or a drizzle on a slice of bread with natural peanut butter is a good sweet treat. I find too that eating healthy in general, really being conscious of what I’m eating, where and how it’s grown, and how it’s prepared, is of great benefit to my well-being. I feel gratitude to the local farmers I buy from, and appreciation of the hard work that puts food on my table. When I cook it’s an hour spent making something healthy for my family, that we can sit down and enjoy together. After eating real food for so long I find I don’t want stuff that’s processed and prepared. But it’s true, even I enjoy the occasional pizza!
I find if I start my day with a healthy choice I stay on track much better.
Also keeping it out of the house helps,easier said than done with kids, as we
all know!
I buy organic spinach like there’s a shortage and add handfuls to everything.
Sometimes I give in to a craving a bit, knowing if I don’t I’ll end up eating
more of other things and STILL have the craving.
It’s all about balance and some days my balancing act is better than others,
but I feel if you eat healthy most of the time you’re all set.
At work is where I get the afternoon hungry-munchies, lucky for me there is no vending machine or even food for that matter so I have to rely on packing my own (and to have plenty of it).
A cup of decaf herbal tea with honey is always a good buffer. Sometimes I remember to throw a Larabar in my lunchbox. That always helps me get through a long afternoon with a workout and carpooling.
And sometimes I just go in the bathroom and wash my face with warm water. That alone can feel so refreshing.
And lastly, I have another glass of water !!!!
I also control my eating by limiting what I buy. I almost feel sorry for my children, who are growing up in a house with very few “fun” foods. On the upside, my kids (7, 4, 3 yrs) eat nearly any vegetable placed in front of them – much to the amazement of other adults we encounter.
Not keeping the tempting food in the house is huge for me, though sometimes hard with the kids. Before I get on a snacking binge I make get a big glass of water first (usually with nuun) to make sure I’m not mistaking hunger for thirst. I always try to keep apples around and I almost always carry snack bags of plain almonds with me.
I shop wisely; keeping fruits, veggies and healthy crunchy things readily available. I do, however, love my coffee, with organic creamer of course :) When I start to crave junk, I head outside for a little fresh air and cardio, (during summer I hit the garden, getting dirty is therapeutic) It does wonders for me. I love to bake and cook, so I do so with real ingredients, no boxed stuff here. I also grind our flour. The difference of fresh ground flour and store bought wheat is incredible! My children, all 5 of them, love to help in the kitchen. We make healthy eating fun.
Like others mentioned, there are foods in the house I do not keep on hand, but may buy or make to bring to a party. I do okay with making baked goods as long as I can give them away or freeze portions. Foods that preserve well-being and peace: black tea with milk, toast with homemade jam (not by me, though), honeycrisp apples, and Amy’s spinach and tofu wraps. The family eats the daily requirement of fresh fruits and veggies, but I must admit that many times I’ve got a “get it done” attitude toward vegetables. My daughter says, “You’re always ‘healthy this and healthy that.'”
I’m a huge fan of juicing (spinach, cuke, celery, apples, orange, lemon, ginger). My body doesn’t crave sugar (or salty snacks) when I have a juice in the morning or can at least have a few juices a week. I should’ve made you one when you were here! Next time! I can definitely tell when I go more than 4 or 5 days without – cravings = eat crap = feel like crap = rather sleep in than get up and exercise = feel like crap = eat more crap. I’m so afraid of slipping down the slippery slope into a funk. A short run in the morning and a juice and I feel like I’ve set myself up for success the rest of the day. I also try to eat before I’m hungry – I’m a good snacker -you know how I love those yummy Somersaults! http://www.somersaultsnackco.com/ I’m also a fan of almonds & dried cherries together, carrots and hummus and now, honey crisp apples. I love that I can buy a little single serving of hummus and grab a bag of mini carrots and throw them in my lunch bag to eat at the office. I’m all about ease.
I like how you say that on the whole you’ve cleaned up your eating, Dimity – 85/15 is a good ratio and lots to feel good about. And the fact that you know your triggers – that’s most of the battle. Here’s to continued success (as I pop a little somersault in my mouth!)
I got a dehydrator and make fruit treats. Dehydrated apples. My favorite is pineapple with ginger. Seriously good.
My main approach is to not buy crap. I also am in a CSA (community supported agriculture) for veggies and fruit, so I get weekly deliveries of healthy produce. And for busy weeks, I try to make something ahead of time (crock pot is awesome) so I can make good choices instead of “I’m tired, lets just eat pizza”.
Love me some Justin’s Nut Butter! I also hit the chocolate chip cookies yesterday, although not as bad as the day before when I was sneaking raw cookie dough when my kids weren’t looking. Definitely can’t handle the sugar either.
Like others (and as you mentioned in the post), I try to keep temptation out of the house. Yeah, I feel a little bad for my kids, but they seem to do fine getting junky stuff elsewhere. Once a week, we have a nice family dinner–and I eat dessert. I have that scheduled dessert to look forward to. I force myself to cook something healthy for lunch–when I’m usually the only one home. It’s tempting to just grab something easy & unhealthy. And the most important thing–when I’m working out, I just don’t want to blow it by eating badly. I worked too hard to negate it all!
Dimity – it sounds like you are doing a great job! Eating mostly well, but not totally denying yourself your favorites. That is the best anyone can do!
My faves to ward off cravings — raisins (work well for chocolate cravings) — or mixing in a little of what I want with something better for me — my current favorite — nuts and candy corn. Otherwise, if I don’t buy it, we don’t eat it. That really helps.
Now if I could just figure out portion control…
Like Dimity, I did the Clean program for three weeks back in late August/early September. Found out my chronic UTIs where gluten-related. But also realized sugar is a Monster for me, even the natural kind. Can you spell C-R-A-N-K-Y? So when the urge to stuff a bowl of Coconut Bliss down my gullet strikes I either get out of the house and take a quick walk and/or snack on some raw cashews with sunflower seeds followed by a glass of water. Don’t ask me why but that seems to do the trick. I continue to be amazed by how much better I feel when I don’t give in to the sugar call.
Ellison, if you like sunflower seeds you have to try these Somersualt snacks… http://www.somersaultsnackco.com/
Ask SBS about them…. they are delish!
I say every woman should be at least 15% dirty!
Thanks so much for another great post. As usual, I can really relate to you. I really appreciate the advice. I might need to paste that quote to my refrigerator.
My best tip for not eating junk at night, when I most crave it, is taking up a craft like knitting! You cannot eat and knit, and the focus and repetition of the stitches is soothing.
Good job! That’s all hard to do. I’m hoping one day it’ll be easier and become more a natural part of my day. I do love a good diet coke, but I have stopped it, Dimity! It’s been a month. While I am not close to having my eating balanced and under control, I do believe I have gained some of
my momentum back just by giving up soda. And, I still eat sweets, but I feel a little more in control because I no longer drink the artificial sweetener. I think there is something to that connection, at least for me. Just a thought… Giving up a ‘vice’ like soda may empower you even further. So glad to hear how that’s been going!
OH, I know the feeling here. I love Ezekiel bread, found it not too long ago. I have lost nearly 35 lbs since April and I do not crave sweets (much). Once in a while, they do overcome my common sense and I will indulge in some ice cream or a hamburger with fries. The next morning I feel it and I swear off for months at a time. I could have never starting running without a good diet. Keep up the good work.
If I start out with a hefty smoothie in the morning I do better (greek yogurt, banana, honey, ton of spinach, skim milk) the rest of the day. I also buy a lot of “easy” fruits and veggies like baby carrots and grapes because I know myself well enough to know that if I have to cut it up, I won’t eat it. Other than that, I have to keep the sweets out of the house (and I have to remind my husband to stay on board with that – nothing he eats ever sticks to him!!). If I’m traveling, I bring Clif bars or Larabars so I don’t have to buy junk – but a Naked smoothie from Starbucks will do in a pinch.
I do best when I log everything I eat. If I eat a chocolate chip cookie, I have to write it down, same goes for the second LARGE glass of wine. Sometimes just the thought of having to write something down in my food log is motivation enough NOT to eat/drink it! At the end of the week, I can look at my menus and pinpoint where I did great and where I self-medicated with fat, salt and carbs. BTW: Baby carrots and hummus is what I had for lunch today! Yum.
Like Ang J., I have dark chocolate every day! I think the key to not eating junk is not to crave it… And it takes awhile to wean yourself off. I didn’t just go cold turkey, but my eating has sort of evolved over a period of years. I’ve been vegan for a little over a month now, simply because that’s where my tastes have led me, combined with what I see working for my body and my running. I’m very happy with it, and it’s just based on what I want. Had I attempted to eat whole foods and veggies with little sugar a couple of years ago, I’d have felt deprived. Give yourself time to grow and change, and see where “slow cooking” takes you.
With Halloween coming up – this couldn’t have been a better article for me. Thanks Dimity!!
I definitely prescribe to the 80/20 rule
i find that if i can avoid added sugars for 3-4 days, the cravings are much less ferocious. these days, an apple or banana tastes plenty sweet (of course, i fall off track just as much as the next mother runner- getting back on track is always annoying). my go-to to avoid the crazy cravings (sugar, then salt, then sugar again) is green tea. i love the mild flavor, and the warm liquid makes me feel full & satisfies my need to put something in my mouth! if that doesn’t cut it, a handful of raw nuts or bell pepper sticks usually gets me through to the next meal.
it’s amazing how much better i feel & sleep & respond to daily stress when i’m eating clean- not to mention how much better my clothes fit! i must have a little dairy/wheat reaction, because it’s not weight loss per se- just less bloating.
happy eating! : )
As a health coach and running mother, I run into this situation often with myself and my clients. Cravings can be a result of many different things – stress, unhappiness, relationships, etc. or something as simple as not enough protein in your diet. No two cravings are alike! The tricks I use for myself are to drink a big glass of water, practice some deep breathing to clear the mind and get in a mindful place, and/or eat fruit if the craving is for sweet. If the craving is for salt, I would grab a handful of raw cashews and then go do something else… take a walk, get into a groove with work or research, go for a run. Also, try to “crowd out” the bad food with good… lots of raw fruits and veggies until the cravings minimize and go away!
Dimity I thought of you as I walked down the candy aisle in Costco the other day! Fresh fruits and veggies, and lemon water make me feel a little less ‘dirty’.
I try to eat clean, drink lots of good water (filtered tap), exercise, sleep, etc. and my kids are (mostly) sleeping through the night. But I STILL get foggy brained, cranky, lusting after my couch mid-morning….
I started a probiotic, cleanse, and multivitamin, and as much as I hate to admit it (skeptic here who doubted the idea of supplement), it has made a HUGE difference in my mental health!
I love this post! I have this giant jar of Wildflower honey sunflower seed butter that I bought from costco that is in my fridge and haunting me since I bought it….yes it’s healthy and good, but not when you want to eat it 8 tablespoons at a time. I’m much better at eating healthy on days that I run….the post-run high is not really compatible with making horrible food choices all day.
I’ve been maintaining a ~140-pound weight loss for almost 6 years now (now counting pregnancy and postpartum weight loss—which I did not pressure myself about), and the biggest key for me is being in tune with how foods make my body feel.
Right now, there are doughnuts in the break room upstairs. They look pretty tasty. But I know I will feel like crap if I eat one. So I skipped the doughnuts and stuck with the breakfast I packed from home—egg, Swiss, and chicken sausage sandwich on a whole wheat sandwich thin, and cantaloupe. Lunch will be a vegetable curry made with leftover roasted cauliflower and potatoes tossed with kale and chickpeas, topped with Greek yogurt.
My diet tends to emphasize Matt Fitzgerald’s high DQ foods—lots of vegetables, fruits, lean protein (we eat a lot of venison!) and legumes—except I do love my dairy. Milk (in my coffee), cheese, Greek yogurt, and yes, moderate servings of ice cream or frozen yogurt. Since fall, I’ve been on a kale kick; I buy a big bag every week at Aldi. One of my favorite breakfasts is a baked sweet potato topped with sauteed kale and two soft-cooked eggs—and, if I’m feeling frisky, a bit of goat cheese.
P.S.—That Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter is heavenly on a whole wheat tortilla with a banana, lightly grilled!
Your post couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve been on a cycle of crap eating which in return makes me feel like crap. I know better, my fridge is stocked with fruit and veggies. But for some reason I keep feeding my emotions with sugar. Thanks for letting me know I’m not alone.
On a semi bad craving day, I will slather an apple with almond butter. On a really bad craving day, I will just stick a spoonful on almond butter right in the sugar canister.