DNA vs DIET
So. After one whole year of eating less meat, WAY less cheese, using the right cooking oils, eating loads of fruits and vegetables, getting all kinds of exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight…
my cholesterol is still high.
That, my friend, is called genetics. The diet is a great tool to have to keep ourselves healthy, but unfortunately, DNA is the boss!
Gobble Gobble
Happy Thanksgiving! With all the nutrition advice that is available this time of year, I could probably skip the whole thing, but I’ll throw out a couple of ideas…
If you’re cooking, make sure you have plenty of containers to send people off with the left-overs.
If you’re a guest, don’t take the left-overs!
Get some exercise.
Most importantly, enjoy your time with friends or family!
Comfort foods
My comfort foods:
Mac’ n cheese, chocolate, string cheese, pizza, cinnamon rolls, hot dogs, baked beans, soup, ice cream…
I looked into my shopping cart awhile ago, and had to laugh. In addition to a few of my typical ‘comfort foods’, I had pretty much allowed myself free range of the grocery store. So much for the Dietitian following her own advice to stay to the outside walls of the store (where you find the fresh foods) and to avoid pre-packaged foods!
But was I going to beat myself up about it? No way. I knew I was not having the best week, and if that was what was going to help get me through it, than so be it. (Slippery slope? Definitely.)
Our appetites respond differently to stress; some people feel nauseous and lose all interest in food, some people find themselves eating much more than they normally do, and some people eat exactly the same as usual. Emotional eating (eating when you’re not hungry) can cause many problems, including becoming overweight or obese. While eating half a bag of Oreos in one evening is not good for you, if it happens only once a year, that’s probably ok. However, if you find yourself migrating to the cupboard on a daily basis, when you know you’re not hungry, it’s time to take a look at what’s going on.
If you determine that you eat because of stress, or depression, find some other activities that make you feel good. Personally, I know that swimming, walking, weight-lifting, rock-climbing, meeting a friend for coffee, watching something funny on tv, or cuddling my friend’s dog are all things that can cheer me up. But if I try all that, and still want some mac’ n cheese, you’d better believe I’m gonna serve some up.
