Mindful Eating

Mindful Eating in a Busy World

Written by Julianne Kanzaki, MPH, RD

A typical morning looks something like this- after my first training session, I quickly shower, get ready for work, prepare breakfast, and jet out the door.  Leaving my apartment, I carry my workout bag for my second training session after work, my purse and bag of snacks for the day, and precariously balance my cup of oatmeal on top of my tea mug as I make my way down the stairs to my car. 

I may not text while driving, but somehow I manage to sip my green tea while neatly spooning oatmeal into my mouth as I navigate through rush-hour traffic.  My lipgloss application signifies the completion of another successful breakfast-on-the-go, and acts as the finale to my multi-tasking morning commute.  So yes, even I am guilty of mindlessly eating breakfast in the car.  I never found this problematic until one morning when I looked down at my shirt while at work and saw a glob of dried oatmeal snugly nestled between the folds of my ruched blouse.  Oops.

We are all insanely busy, time-crunched individuals.  Oftentimes, eating is a mindless activity connected to other tasks- checking emails, watching TV, or driving.  When was the last time you ate a meal without standing at the kitchen counter, reading or doing computer work, or watching TV?  When was the last time you truly tasted the flavors of your food, noticed the texture, and stopped eating when you were satisfied?

Becoming a mindful eater makes you more aware of yourself, your hunger, your fullness, and why you are eating.  Here are some tips to practice mindful eating:

1. Eat when you are hungry.

It sounds simple, but many people eat out of stress, loneliness or anger.  Be sure you physically feel the signs of hunger.  Ask yourself, “What do I really need right now?  What void am I trying to fill with food?”  By eating when you are truly hungry, you can avoid emotional eating episodes.

 

2. Eat sitting down.

When you sit down, you automatically become more focused.  You are able to give the food your full attention.  Notice the difference you feel when you eat sitting down, versus while standing over the kitchen sink or in front of the refrigerator.

3. Eat without distractions.

Try not to use mealtimes to multi-task.  Turn off the TV, computer and radio.  Focus on the aroma, taste and texture of the food.  Take the time to truly enjoy the foods you are choosing to nourish your body with.

4. Stop eating when you are 80% satisfied.

Avoid the “clean plate syndrome.”  Once in awhile, close your eyes while eating and ask yourself, “If I was blind and couldn’t see how much food was left on my plate, would I be satisfied now?” Stop when you are 80% satisfied, not 100% stuffed.  You are allowed to be satisfied and full even when there is still food on your plate.  The starving children in Africa will not benefit from your leftovers.

Like all new habits, it helps to start small and set realistic expectations.  Choose one meal each day and commit to focusing on mindful eating.  As you feel more comfortable, increase it to two meals, with the eventual goal of eating mindfully at all meals.

In my own quest to become a more mindful eater, I’ve discovered that mealtimes are more satisfying (emotionally and physically).  When I actually take the time to taste the food on my plate, I can also appreciate how I am nourishing my body with healthy fuel.  It is an entirely difference eating experience than standing in front of the refrigerator and picking randomly at leftovers.  And thankfully as a result, there haven’t been anymore “oatmeal surprises” on my blouses at work.

B.L.I.N.D. Date Bars, by Julianne Kanzaki

“There’s nothing worse than almost marrying someone, breaking if off, and having to start over with a blind date.  It’s like failing your senior year of high school and having to go back to kindergarten.”
 -Cindy Chupack

Nutritious B.L.I.N.D. Date Bars for your Endurance Training and Racing

~By Julianne Kanzaki

Ahh, the month of February.  Heart-shaped chocolates and truffles.  Romantic dinners with wine and red roses.

However, for those individuals whose significant ‘others’ take the shape of a bike, a running trail or a pool, perhaps now is a good time to start thinking about ‘dating.’

At the peak of Ironman training when I was juggling double-workout days and working full-time, it was hard to properly fuel my workouts given my time constraints.  As a result, I would go into a training session either starving and burn out too soon, or I’d eat a substantial snack that would in turn, need substantial time to digest.  By that time, the sun had set, and so had my motivation.

Enter, the blind date.   A colleague of mine noticed my dilemma and kindly shared her creation- a mixture of natural energy consisting of dates, lime juice and nuts.  Oh, the joys of simple nutrition!  I appropriately nicknamed them B.L.I.N.D dates (Blended Lime juice In Nutty Deliciousness). 

Just as real-life blind dates can sometimes be a pleasant surprise, these little creations were surprisingly delicious, and served their purpose well.  Not only were they easily digestible, but the energy from the dates was quick-burning, and the monounsaturated fats and protein from the nuts kept my stomach satisfied.  They conveniently fit into a gym bag or into the back of a jersey pocket for energy on the go.  Try it for yourself!

B.L.I.N.D. Dates

Original recipe developed by Praveena Kumar, MS, RD

-2 c. nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, pistachios)
-2 c. pitted dates
-1/2 c. dried sour cherries
-2 Tbs. flaxseed
-juice from 1-2 limes

Directions: Using a food processor, combine the above ingredients.  Add enough lime juice to bind the ingredients enough where they can be easily rolled into balls. Enjoy!

Feel free to get creative with this basic recipe…try adding a scoop of protein powder, other dried fruit, shredded coconut, or even morsels of carob or chocolate for a sweeter variety.

Love is complicated enough.  Keep your nutrition simple.  Happy “dating!”

-Written by Julianne Kanzaki, MPH, RD.  Nutrition questions or comments? Feel free to contact her at fusion.nutrition@gmail.com

Long Time Passed...Thoughts on Calories and Holidays

I can't believe it has bee over a year since I last put up a blog topic. It seemed to me back then too much time to put into everyday researching a new subject and analyzing it then writing about it. I have since realized I don't need to go that far, this is just a blog for peets sake, right?!?! Well then where should I begin, I believe skipping through all the crud that has happened over this past year and a half. Getting right to the here and now. Well that sounds all fine and dandy so here we go...... This month, October is my favorite month of the year for many reasons, my father and sisters birthdays, the Fall season, changing of the leaves, cool weather, sweaters and cuddling by the fire, oh and Halloween. Yes I do LOVE this month so much. It also means many of us will start into the old routines of eating heavier foods and usually more of it, then to top that off we exercise less cause its too cold outside or its raining. Well what can we do? How can we break this cycle? Only YOU can break that cycle, just like we all make a New Years resolution, do it now. Make that resolution with yourself NOT to stop exercising, and NOT to over indulge in holiday meals and deserts. I'm not saying don't have any of the holiday meals, but be more cautious about how much you eat, and how much you exercise. Remember no matter what when it comes to maintaining your body weight, comes down to this simple equation..."Calories In = Calories Out" in order to maintain your current weight. If you know a big meal is going to be coming up, instead of "eating first and paying for it later", try this simple concept....Get your calories expenditure in the PLUS side to allow for the extra calories later and then you won't have to feel so bad about the few extra calories you will consume. Don't get me wrong this doesn't mean have 5000 kcal during that family holiday meal, you still need to keep it manageable. So before your next big meal, pay the bill first (your exercise) so you know how much you can afford to eat without gaining an ounce. My plan this holiday season, keep it light, keep it active, and keep it positive. Whats yours????