Health News

I’m really looking forward to having you join me on my free tele-training call on January 6th called: Stress Can Make Me Fat?! Five Keys to Joyful & Mindful Eating in 2015. But in the meantime I want to give you a few suggestions that will help get you through the holidays without adding unwanted pounds!

Ok, so the big Holiday Party is coming up! Everyone who’s anyone will be there and you know exactly what you’re going to wear. You also know that the food and drink will be fabulous and you’ll be overindulging a bit.

So, how do you do a little damage control? How about starving yourself the day of the party so when you overindulge later you pretty much break even? Makes sense, huh? Not really, guys.

When you don’t eat enough nutritious food during the day (including ample protein and good fat) you actually set yourself up for overeating—and sometimes even bingeing later. Have you ever had such a busy day that you didn’t get a chance to eat (or you purposely didn’t eat because you wanted to drop a few pounds) and by the time you got home you were RAVENOUS and ate everything in sight? Even though your stomach was full your brain kept telling you to eat more?

That’s what happens when you don’t get the nutrients you need during the day and your blood sugar is low. You don’t really want that to happen at the party, right? So here’s a better plan if you’re game to try it…

The day of the party:

• Eat breakfast, lunch, and a light dinner or afternoon snack depending on the time the party begins. Make sure you’re including protein (eggs, turkey, chicken, beef, etc.) a little healthy fat (avocado, olive oil, coconut oil, etc.) and vegetables each time you eat.
• Skip the bread, chips, cereal, crackers, cookies…all processed carbohydrates and sugars.
• Eat until you’re “not hungry” rather than until you’re “full”…or eat to the point of feeling energized.
• Drink plenty of water so you’re well-hydrated (alcohol is dehydrating).
• Try to fit some exercise into your day…even just a brisk walk.

Now you’ll arrive at the party feeling energized and mildly hungry (or not hungry at all) rather than starved! And if you have a cocktail or two you’ll still be able to walk and talk. That’s always a good thing.  🙂

Next week I’ll show you how you can thoroughly enjoy the food at the party without overeating and feeling stuffed. Isn’t this getting fun?

Sometimes food tastes so good you just want to keep eating, and eating, and eating…and you stop only when you’re too darn stuffed to take another bite!

Why is that?! It really doesn’t feel so good afterwards. Your pants are so tight you have to discreetly unbutton them and all you really want to do is sprawl out on the couch!

Does eating a large quantity of food actually make you feel more satisfied…or could you feel just as satisfied—or even more so-- just by approaching the whole thing a little differently?

Ok, are you ready for this?

What if you try eating until you “aren’t hungry” rather than until you’re “full”? I know…it sounds a little crazy, but stay with me for a minute. Have you ever had the experience of going out and eating a big lunch and when you get back to the office all you want to do is curl up and take a nap?

It takes a lot of energy to digest and process all of that food! And when you eat more than you need you just end up storing the excess as fat!

I know…sometimes the food tastes so amazing you don’t want to miss a single bite! But you can always put another serving away in the fridge and eat it later! You can double the pleasure and skip being stuffed. I think of it as…eat a little, burn it up…eat a little, burn it up…

It’s like eating to the point of giving your body energy rather than eating yourself into a coma!

Ok, so the holidays are officially here! You know what this means… holiday parties, all of your favorite dishes and desserts, cocktails, and more. So how in the heck do you get through the holidays without gaining a bunch of unwanted pounds? Tune in next week for my December Countdown and I’ll share all my best tricks with you!

If you’d like to explore how to have a healthy relationship with food and your body, sign up for a complimentary wellness strategy session by emailing me at: Debbie.lunnon@mindfulwellnessco.com or calling 303-905-5007.

I look forward to working with you!

Debbie Lunnon

Last week I invited you to try taking a couple of slow, deep breaths before taking your first bite of food. Did you try it? Breathing will help you relax and be present while eating rather than mindlessly eating too much because you don’t feel satisfied. Here’s the next step…

Have you ever inhaled your food? Or maybe you just know someone who has?  🙂  Part of the reason may be because you’ve waited too long to eat—but maybe it’s just a habit. Next time you eat try this: With your first bite of food notice how it looks and fully take in the aroma. As you chew pay attention to how it feels in your mouth. Is it warm, cold, smooth, crunchy, creamy, or crisp? Observe the flavors that are released as you chew. Is it salty, sweet, spicy, or savory?

Chew it well and really taste it. Don’t rush the experience! Now swallow it. Take another bite but don’t be in a hurry. Savor it. Enjoy it. Allow it to be a sensual experience. Put your fork down between bites. There’s no hurry—and no one is going to take away or eat your food. (If somebody attempts to take your food just jab them with your fork)!

If you’re eating a piece of chocolate try letting it melt in your mouth rather than chewing it. If you normally eat your lunch in 15 minutes, try stretching it to 20 minutes. When you finish eating you’ll know you just ate—or rather, that you just dined!  And guess what? You won’t be nearly as tempted to overeat. You’ll be satisfied and satiated with smaller portions. You can eat a smaller amount—knowing that if you’d like, you can eat more later. There’s no need to worry about a lack of food. Take a deep breath and know that you’ll always get what you need!

If you’d like to explore how to have a healthy relationship with food and your body, sign up for a complimentary wellness strategy session by emailing me at: Debbie.lunnon@mindfulwellnessco.com or calling 303-905-5007.

I look forward to working with you!

The holidays are right around the corner--which often includes parties, overindulging, weight gain and feeling guilty. You might decide “what the heck--it’s only once a year!” You eat and drink everything in sight and promise yourself you’ll start a diet the first of the year. You might as well eat all you want and get it out of your system because you’re going to be cut off soon! But January 2nd doesn’t really work to start your diet because you have all those leftovers, and January 3rd doesn’t work because you haven’t had time to shop for healthy foods, and, and... Ever been there?

What if you did it differently this year?

What if you could enjoy the festivities (and the food!) without feeling deprived, gaining weight or feeling out of control? Sound impossible? Nope! In the weeks to come I’ll show you how.

Let’s face it--life’s busy and we always seem to be in a hurry. We’re often so busy thinking about what we have to do next we don’t pay attention to what we’re doing in the present...and that includes eating.

Do you ever find yourself eating while you’re standing in front of the refrigerator looking for something to eat? Or have you ever been eating a plate of snacks as you work on your computer and when you reach to get more you discover the plate is empty?  What?! 

When you don’t slow down and pay attention to what you’re eating, you miss the whole tactile, enjoyable experience! This can leave you unsatisfied and wanting more. Your stomach may be full but your brain missed the whole darn thing!

Try this with me if you have a minute. Begin by taking a couple of deep, slow breaths. Bring the breath all the way down into your belly, and then let it fill your chest. If you breathe in to the count of five, breathe out to the count of five. Take two or three of these slow, relaxed, breaths. Can you feel the difference?  It's like instant relaxation!

You can do this even if you’re out eating with friends. No one will think you’re crazy! You’re just breathing!  Taking a couple of deep breaths will help you bring your attention out of your head and into your body.  It's just where you want to be to digest, assimilate, and enjoy your food!  

More to come next week! Stay with me and I’ll show you how to change your relationship with food--one step at a time! 

Believe me—you aren’t alone. Sometimes it feels like you have no control over what you put in your mouth. You try to eat well, try to stay away from sweets, and try really hard to be “good.”   But then you find yourself with a cookie in your mouth. Who knows how it snuck in there but it did—so what are you gonna do? Quickly eat it and grab two more and eat them before you can talk yourself out of it-- because at that moment you don’t want to talk yourself out of it!

You just want to eat the dang cookies. And somehow feeling like you “shouldn’t” have them just makes you want them all the more!

If it stopped at one or two small cookies it probably wouldn’t be a big deal, right? But the guilt that results from eating the cookies can take you down “that road.” You know the road, right? I blew it with the cookies so I’m going to have that piece of cake I’ve been resisting—and heck, I might as well have a scoop of ice cream on it. Yippee! It’s a free for all!!

It feels good at the moment but a little while later it hits you that you did it again and your pants feel even tighter. You feel miserable, ashamed, and out of control.

What if you never had to go down that road again? The holidays are right around the corner. Want to do it differently this year?

I’ll show you how. See you next Friday…same time, same place.

Tempted???

It’s the darn Halloween candy! It’s everywhere…at work, the doctor’s office, and the stash at home.

Those cute little candy bars don’t really count do they? After all—they’re so small—and you only ate a few right? Or maybe you conveniently lost count…?

A few little ones turn into a big one pretty quickly and they’re loaded with junk like corn syrup, preservatives, artificial flavors and colors and LOTS of sugar--sugar that will cause a sharp spike in blood sugar followed by a blood sugar crash…and an undeniable craving for more sugar. I’ll bet you’ve been there more times than you can count.

Eating sugar and processed carbs can lead you down a path of craving more and more sugar and feeling out of control. It’s not just psychological--it’s physiological too. When blood sugar is low the brain demands more because it needs sugar (glucose) to survive. Have you ever noticed you can’t think clearly and all you CAN think about is eating when your blood sugar is low? You know the symptoms…low energy, foggy thinking, headache, irritability, etc.

It’s not much fun. But eating something yummy IS fun. So what if you could eat something chocolate, sweet, delicious, and satisfying and still feel great? When you eat treats made with good fats and protein that are low in sugar your blood sugar stays stable AND you satisfy your sweet tooth and don’t feel deprived!

I just made these Paleo Brownies today and they’re scrumptious and super easy to make. Bake a batch of these and it’ll be much easier to walk away from the Halloween candy. Your kids will love them too!

My clients often ask me…”Is there a healthy cereal I can eat?” Well, cereal is a processed carb that ultimately turns to sugar…so no, not really.

BUT! How about healthy granola? Yep! We can do that! I found a recipe for pumpkin granola that’s made with pumpkin, nuts, coconut, coconut oil, and spices. The recipe calls for maple syrup but I left out the dates and substituted maple syrup made with  xylitol to reduce sugar.  This recipe is high in good fat and protein—with no processed grains or sugar! You can eat it plain or top it with yogurt or any kind of milk (coconut, almond, hemp, or dairy).

I must warn you that one of my clients loves this recipe so much she has made it numerous times and has been eating it every day. (I kept your name anonymous, C, but you know who you are).  🙂

Ok, so I’ll admit I’m on a pumpkin kick. It will run its course but seriously—did any of you make the paleo pumpkin pie from last week? Oh boy…it was absolutely incredible and tasted just like “real” pumpkin pie but without the sugar, unhealthy fats, and processed carbs. In case you missed it you can find it here.

You could always make a practice pumpkin pie to test for Thanksgiving…and practice eating it of course!

Please let me know if you try any of these recipes and like them or have others to share with me!

Enjoy!  🙂

Yesterday the Whole Foods in Superior had a beautiful display of apples and winter squashes that of course--included pumpkins!

I actually eat pumpkin (organic, canned) all year long but about now I start getting serious about it!  I love pumpkin pie but I don't like the refined carbs and sugar.

Did you know you can make a healthy pumpkin pie with good fats and protein and without refined carbs and sugar?   Yep!  The kind of pie you can eat for breakfast with no guilt!

I've been trying out some recipes and like this one.  It's from Elana's Pantry and you can find it here.  There are only 6 ingredients in the filling and it's easy to make.  The only thing I changed in the recipe was to swap Swerve sweetener for the honey.

There's no need to feel deprived with this healthy pumpkin pie recipe.  Have your pie and eat it too!  Try it and let me know what you think!

Fall is absolutely my favorite time of year and as the weather gets cooler, warm and comforting foods are sounding more and more appealing!

According to Ayurvedic and Chinese Medicine warm, cooked foods improve digestion, raise your body’s metabolic rate, increase circulation, and raise your body temperature to keep you warm. Seasonal produce like pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and winter squash paired with warming spices like cinnamon and ginger are a perfect combination. Hmm…pumpkin pie anyone?? We’ll get to that next week….

I’m a big fan of sweet potatoes and yams and lately I’ve been on a purple sweet potato kick. Have you ever tried them? They’re sweet and moist and purple all the way through. To prepare them (or any yams or sweet potatoes) scrub them with a vegetable brush, coat them with coconut or olive oil, pierce them a few times with a knife and lay them on a baking sheet (so they don’t drip all that yummy sweet syrup in your oven). Bake them at 400 degrees for 40 to 60 minutes until they’re nice and soft. Be sure to eat the nutrient dense crispy skins! I like to bake a few at a time and eat them left over later in the week. Just slice them into bite sized pieces and heat them in a pan in coconut oil…yum!

They’re loaded with antioxidants, fiber, beta carotene, B vitamins, vitamin C, and folate. Although they are lower on the glycemic index than regular potatoes, they are starchy and contain a fair amount of natural sugar so it’s best to eat a smaller portion.
I buy my purple sweet potatoes at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage where all the produce is organic. However, yams and sweet potatoes are on the Environmental Working Group’s Clean Fifteen list so they’re very low in pesticides and it’s ok to eat them conventionally grown.
Enjoy! 

Has this ever happened to you?

You bake a pan of yummy chocolate brownies and set them on the counter to cool.  Every time you walk into the kitchen (and you seem to find all kinds of excuses to walk in the kitchen) you take “just a little slice” of the brownies, and go on your way.  (Little slices don’t really count, do they)?

Later on you’re in the kitchen and notice that the brownies are half gone!  What?!  Who else was in here eating these!  Oh… but no one else has been around.  Oops.  You couldn’t really have eaten all of that, could you?  Oh boy…

This is a good example of Mindless Eating.  The worst part of it is that you never really enjoyed the brownies all that much—which is why you kept taking “just a little” more.  So get ready!

Here comes the holidays, with all kinds of decadent sweets everywhere you go.  If you grab a few cookies here, and some fudge there, and a piece of pumpkin pie, and a piece of pecan pie…well you can see where this is going.  Pretty soon your stomach is uncomfortably full,  your pants are way too tight, and you really didn’t even have all that much fun.

Mindful Eating

Ok, so let’s try this.

Next time you decide to eat some dessert that’s calling your name, cut a slice of it.  Put it on a plate (a pretty plate is even better).   Go sit down in a comfortable spot, away from the television and other distractions.  Take a couple of deep, slow breaths so that you’re present, and your mind isn’t off doing something else.

Take a minute to appreciate how it looks on your plate and be thankful for it.  Don’t feel guilty about eating it!

This is a treat you’re giving yourself and you’re going to allow yourself to thoroughly enjoy it.  Eat slowly, savoring every bite.  If you’re tempted to eat it fast, put down your fork for a minute between bites.  Notice the texture, the aroma, the temperature, and the taste.  Sound enjoyable?  It should be!

You may notice that you feel satisfied after eating only part of it.  (C’mon, it could happen)!  If you really take the time to taste and enjoy your food, you won’t feel compelled to overeat.  Part of the reason we overeat is because we eat quickly and don’t pay attention to what we’re eating.

We have to let our brain get a chance to register the fact that we’ve actually taken in food.  Like every feeling we experience, feeling satiated and full first comes from our brain and then is communicated to our body.  Are you game to give it a try?  What do you have to lose… other than maybe a few pounds?