Winter Blah’s

January 6, 2014 / ktbuchs87

The beginning of the new year often brings a fresh start. Resolutions are made or goals are set and motivation seems to be a little higher. For some. The beginning of the year can also be a tough time because many of us are in the heart of winter. Right now the temperature in Illinois is -13 with wind chills as low as -45 and gusts of wind up to 30 mph. Just a bit chilly. The cold, lack of sun, and holiday food/mood can lead to some serious lack of motivation and willpower. Many days it just seems so much easier, and appealing, to bundle up in sweatpants and eat cookies and drink hot chocolate all day.

While I love winter, there are days that I feel drained. Everything is the same and it’s boring. I don’t want to leave the warmth and comfort of my home. I feel lethargic and would rather do anything than go run or cook a healthy meal. I pretty much want to go into hibernation Bears get to sleep all winter, why can’t I?

Many of you know exactly what I’m talking about and the rest of you probably live in a place that’s warm all year round Lucky you! For those of you who struggle with the winter blah’s, here are a few of my strategies to break through the doldrum of these colder months.

Find the light. During the winter we tend to get less sun which results in less vitamin D. This can cause some of us to feel more blue than usual. Try to take advantage of what little sun is available. If the weather permits, take a short walk outside. Even just sitting in a sunny window for a few minutes can boost your mood and make you feel less like a zombie.

Switch up your exercise routine. Find a new workout to try out during the winter months. Whether it’s a different circuit at the gym, a new workout routine for home, or running a new route, mixing things up can help boost your exercise motivation. Don’t think you have to spend a ton of money on a new routine or class either. You can find a ton of new routines, videos, and workouts online. You can also rent exercise DVD’s from your library. If you do want to try a new class or gym, this time of year there are some pretty great deals, so check it out.

Pull out the slow cooker. You know I’m obsessed with my slow cooker, and for good reason. I can make really big batches of healthy meals and freeze leftovers. That way when I really don’t feel like cooking, I can pull a delicious and nutritious meal out of the freezer. Also try to make a goal of making one new healthy recipe a week or once every other week. This way you can get some variety in your diet and you can expand your cooking arsenal.

Pick up a new hobby. When you’re feeling stuck in a rut, a new activity can shake things up. Maybe you would like to try a new crafty thing like knitting, crocheting, or cross stitching (my new favorite). Try a new class through your park district. Find a new board game to play with friends or family. Read a new series of books or volunteer at a local animal shelter or senior center. There are plenty of things to break up the hum-drum.

Of course there are plenty of other things to do during the winter like sledding, skiing, skating, building snowmen, or snuggling by the fire. The key is to not let yourself slip deep into the coma that winter can bring. Believe me, I know how easy it is to sit on the couch and watch Netflix all day. Some times that is totally alright. Everyone needs a day of laziness. The trouble comes when that one day of lazy turns into a string of lazy and you never want to do anything else. You don’t have to be constantly on the move during the winter, but don’t become a hibernating bear. No matter how enticing that may seem!

Holiday Night Snacking

December 9, 2013 / ktbuchs87

Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years and all the holidays in between. This is the season of good cheer…. and food. So much food. I love food and this is the time of year that some of my favorite dishes are made (sweet potato casserole anyone?). Having all this delicious food around used to be very difficult for me and would usually end in a late night binging fest. Thankfully I have been able to control that unhealthy habit and my holiday eating is much better than it used to be.

Our pretty little Christmas tree!

These past few weeks though I have noticed that after dinner I have been going back to the kitchen to look for something else to eat. I have no problem with having a little dessert or snack after my dinner, but this snacking is happening even if I am full from dinner. Before I started to eat healthier I would never have thought twice about why I was eating when I wasn’t even hungry, but now I know to stop and figure out why I am wandering to the fridge after a full meal.

In this case, I know it’s because there is just food there. After two Thanksgivings (one with Adam’s family and one with mine), there were plenty of leftovers that we were sent home with, including an apple cranberry crisp that I made and tahini brownie bites. I am not one to waste food, so I eat it. I know this habit can lead to binging on food so I have thought of a few tips that can help curb this “extra” eating. If you know that this is a problem for you, you can use some or all of these ideas to help your snacking.

House in our neighborhood with a CRAZY amount of lights. Pretty sure you could see this house from outer space!

Make sure you eat enough throughout the day. This is fairly self explanatory, but make sure that you are getting enough food at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Eating enough throughout the day helps curb that nagging feeling after dinner that you didn’t get enough food and you need to eat something more.

Wait 20 minutes after dinner. Before heading straight for dessert the minute you finish your dinner, wait just 20 minutes. Most times just waiting that 20 minutes will give your dinner time to start digesting and you won’t even want to eat anything more. If you do still feel like having something extra, go ahead but make it a small portion.

Plan for a dessert. If you are someone that needs to have a little something extra after dinner, that is totally fine. My husband always wants just a little dessert after his dinner and he makes it work with his eating throughout the day. I don’t really count calories (and neither does he) but if I know that I am going to want to have a piece of that crisp after my dinner, I factor it into my other meals and eat just a little less at lunch or dinner.

Take up a hobby. If you have the habit of always eating at night, think about taking up a hobby to occupy your time. I like to read, and I have recently taken up cross stitching (yes I realize I am like a 65 year old woman). Keeping my mind as well as my hands busy makes it harder to eat brownie bites. If reading or cross stitching isn’t your thing, try yoga or crossword puzzles or jigsaw puzzles, or whatever interests you!

Sip some tea. Tea is a really great way to feel like you are getting a dessert without actually eating a dessert. There are so many different flavors out there like pumpkin spice, cranberry, and even chocolate tea! I love sitting down after dinner with a good book and a mug of hot tea. It’s a great way to wind down before bed and keeps me from eating when I really don’t need to eat.

These are the tips that help me from mindlessly eating after dinner. I am not trying to bash dessert or night snacking at all, I don’t think that they are bad things. I am saying that eating when you aren’t hungry or just because food is there is not a healthy habit to have. Mindlessly eating is never a good thing and can lead to binge eating or eating too much. There is no reason that you can’t enjoy your favorite dishes this holiday season. Don’t feel guilty for making a conscious decision to eat any food. If you do find yourself indulging when you don’t need to, find out why you did, make the choice to not do that again, and then move on. Beating yourself up or falling into a downward spiral of unhealthy eating because of one slip-up is not good. Getting right back on track at the next meal is the best way to stay on your healthy journey!

We got snow yesterday! Yay!!

What are some ways that you avoid mindless or needless night snacking? I would love to hear your tips and be able to share them with all my readers!

Grocery Shopping Tips

October 28, 2013 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Clearly I believe that one of the components of living a healthier lifestyle is to eat well. In order to eat well, you have to shop for that better food. Grocery shopping can be an intimidating task for some people. There are so many options, so many different choices, so many things that it can be overwhelming. Where do you start? What do you choose? How do you ignore the things that aren’t good for you? How do you know what is and isn’t good for you? Whew! If you are going to live healthier you HAVE to eat healthier and I don’t want you to feel intimidated by that. I want it to be easy for you to shop and eat well, so I am going to give you some of my grocery shopping tips that help me stick to what I need and bypass everything I don’t. Some of my tips might not apply to you or your grocery store, but there should be something in my list that will help you out and every little bit helps when it comes to eating better.

Make a menu for the week. Try to plan ahead as much as possible. I grocery shop Friday morning, so I like to write out a dinner menu through Thursday. If you can’t handle a whole week just do a few days in advance. Writing out a menu helps you to think about what ingredients you will need for your meals and what you will need to shop for.

Take inventory of your kitchen and make a list. Check your fridge, your pantry, and your cabinets. What things do you have and what things do you need? I check my supply of dried goods like beans, rice, quinoa, and things like that. I check my supply of canned goods like diced tomatoes. I also check things like potatoes, garlic, and onions as well as spices. If I am low on any of my staples, I put it onto my grocery list. Anything that I need for my weekly dinner that I don’t already have also goes on the list. I also tend to arrange my list in the order that I will shop for it at the store. For example, I put all my fresh produce on the list first because at my grocery store that is the first thing I get. This helps to streamline the process as well as helps avoid any aisle that I do not need to be in. Some people just wander up and down the aisles throwing whatever they think looks good into their cart. They tend to end up with a lot more food than they need as well as the unhealthier fare that the store offers. By preparing a list you can avoid all that!

Get to know the store. Yeah I know this is kind of an obvious tip, but I’m including it anyway. If you’re relatively new to grocery shopping don’t be frustrated if it takes a little longer to shop. As you get to know your store and get to know the products offered, your shopping time will go down.

Shop for fresh produce first. This is a personal preference, but I find that buying all the fresh stuff first is a little easier because there aren’t 5,000 different types of broccoli to choose from. Broccoli is broccoli and you don’t have to compare ingredient lists or wonder which head of broccoli is better. Plus I like to try and fill up my cart with good stuff first so it is easier to avoid the “bad” food because there is no room in the cart.

Don’t let the aisles scare you. A lot of people tell you to avoid the aisles and only shop the perimeter when you are trying to shop healthier. While it is true that the aisles host pretty much all of the processed junk that you shouldn’t be eating, they also have some really good and healthy staples. The aisles are where I get my canned/jarred tomatoes, rice, condiments like mustard, and occasionally salsa if I don’t have any homemade in my pantry. My grocery store has a bulk section where I get all my spices, dried beans, and flour, but you can also find those things in the aisles at your store. The key is to not go down every single aisle, this is where knowing how your grocery store is set up and what aisles contain the things you need on your list comes in handy. Only go down the aisles that you need items from and you won’t have to worry about being tempted by the processed food.

Get your meat/dairy/eggs/frozen foods at the end. I get my eggs, almond milk, and frozen vegetables last so they aren’t sitting in my cart getting warm the whole time. The frozen section can be another tempting place as it houses all the ice cream/frozen treats as well as frozen dinners. This is where having a menu planned out will help. If you already know what you are going to eat for the week you will be less tempted by the convenience meals in the frozen section. Let’s be honest, anything you make will be a lot tastier and healthier than anything you can get in a box, even if it does seem easier to just throw your dinner in the microwave and hit start. Just stick to your frozen vegetables and fruit, which usually are in the same aisle so you don’t have to go down any other aisles.

Get to know the products you use most. For the foods that you do purchase in packages make sure you know the ingredients and are ok with them. The first few times you shop this way you might have to spend some time comparing products and choosing the one you feel best about. Once you get that down you can just go in and choose your regular product. I know there are a few apps like In R Food and Zipongo let you scan bar codes and compare products based on ingredients. You can also look up a lot of products online and look at ingredient lists and nutrition facts before you even go to the store so you don’t have to even look at any other product.

Those are just a few tips that have helped me stick to healthy and easy grocery shopping. Trust me I know it’s really easy to get lost in all the aisles and products offered at the store. If you prepare as much as you can beforehand it will make your actual shopping trip that much easier. That way you can just go in, get exactly what you need, and head on out. My best piece of advice for new healthy grocery shoppers is to take your time. Plan to spend a few extra minutes at the store when you are first starting out. It will take some time for you to get used to your store, the products that work best for you, and a new way of shopping. As time goes on you will get faster and be a grocery shopping wizard! Just stay calm and know that you are shopping for better health!

Being Different

August 5, 2013 / ktbuchs87

For most of us, we like feeling like we fit in. Most of us don’t like to feel like we are the lone wolf, although some of us do enjoy that. People like to feel they are a part of a group in some way, whether that is a small group, like a reading club or band, or a large group, like whole cultures. Not all of us like to be a part of the “mainstream” crowd, but I believe that we all do have a longing to fit in somewhere and in some way.

It is rough being different from others, especially when it comes to eating. Have you noticed how a lot of our culture is centered around food? In the summer we have BBQ’s and cookouts, we roast marshmallows over campfires, and we go to state fairs where you can get pretty much any type of food fried and served on a stick. Come fall time, we gear up for Thanksgiving where food is a central focus. Then come the winter holidays and the parties and gatherings with cookies and candy canes, oh my! Right when you don’t think you can put one more bite in your mouth, Easter rolls around and we’re all chowing down on chocolate bunnies and Cadbury eggs. Even if you don’t take into account all the holidays where we eat, most of us meet up with friends and family at restaurants or some one’s house where they have cooked an elaborate feast. Our culture is CENTERED around food, and that is alright. Eating is one way we connect and share with others, and each culture has their own unique way of eating.

The problem is that the Standard American Diet (SAD) is not ideal and it isn’t making any of us healthier. The bigger problem I want to address today is how for those of us who have chosen to eat in a way contrary to the SAD, it can be difficult for us to fit in. I have experienced this many times and while it isn’t fun, I have learned how to deal with it and adapt, and want to share some of my tips and advice. Hopefully it will help those of you trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, as well as friendships and a social life.

Research and Prepare- Whenever you find that you are going to be in a situation that includes food, find out what type of food will be offered. If you are going to a restaurant, many times they will have their menu’s posted online that you can view, or call them up and ask about their menu. Check out what food they have and if they offer anything you can eat. If not, call the restaurant and ask if there is any way that a menu item can be modified to fit your eating style. Many times managers will be happy to work with you, especially if you take care of it in advance. If you are going to a party at someone’s house, talk with the host and find out what will be served. If there is nothing you can eat, offer to bring a dish to share that you can eat. NEVER demand that they change their menu just for you.

Always be kind and gracious- Ever heard the phrase you attract more bees with honey than vinegar? People will be much more willing to work with you and accommodate your needs if you approach them in a kind and gracious manner. I know that I hate to be a burden on anyone. I chose to eat a certain way, and it was not forced upon me. Therefore, I don’t expect everyone to just bend to my will and provide me with everything I need. People don’t like to be treated like short order cooks and they don’t want to be bossed around by you.

Be patient- Don’t expect everyone to understand your eating style immediately. It has taken you a long time to find the right way to eat for your body, so don’t expect others to get it the first time either. If you’re a vegetarian, don’t get frustrated if people are always asking you if you can eat this or that. If you have Celiac’s, try to stay calm when someone asks for the umpteenth time if something has gluten in it. Many times, people really are trying to be kind and learn what you can or can not have, and they are not trying to get you riled up. This was the thing that I struggled with the most, and I still do. When I first changed the way I ate, everyone was constantly asking me, “Can you eat this? Can you eat this? How about this?” I just wanted them to leave me alone and stop putting their focus on how I ate. Now I just take a deep breath, and realize they are just trying to make sure I am taken care of.

Seriously. Don’t be that guy…

Don’t lecture- This is not the time to start lecturing people about how their diet is awful. This is not the time to become egotistical and think that your way of eating is far superior to others. Instead, think of this as a chance to enjoy other’s company and possibly educate them about how you eat. If someone approaches you and asks about how you eat, by all means tell them. Tell them how you have been trying to find the best way to eat for your body and your health and answer any questions that they might have and then move on. Don’t shove your beliefs in their face unasked and don’t judge them. Remember, you have no idea what their story is.

Enjoy yourself- This is another area that I struggled with, but I am getting better at. At family functions I would get so exhausted and frustrated with everyone asking what I would be eating, that I would never enjoy myself. I felt like everyone was watching me and judging the way I ate. I missed out on a lot of fun times by constantly getting flustered at events where there was food. Now I try to move the focus away from me and food and onto the people around me and the memories being made. I don’t worry about what others think, because I know that I feel healthier than I ever have. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, take a deep breath and really keep yourself in the moment. You will remember the good times you had far longer than you will remember the food served at an event.

It is hard to eat different from the majority of the population. You can feel like a pretentious weirdo or burden. You can feel like it isn’t worth it to be different from everyone else, and that it would just be easier to blend in when it comes to food. When you start feeling that way, remember why you started on this journey in the first place. You wanted to get healthier, you wanted to feel better, you wanted to live in the best possible way that you could. For me, I always remember that not only do I want to be healthier, I want to help others be healthier too. You won’t always see eye to eye with others about food (or any topic for that matter) and sometimes it will be difficult. I promise you, it is all worth it!