I walked into work today and a client looked at me with guilt written all over his face. He told me how he went to a holiday party this weekend and completely binged. He didn’t eat all day and then lost it at the party. Two days later he still feels terrible. What a bummer. Not only did he not enjoy the party (which is supposed to fun!), but also his whole weekend was ruined because he emotionally felt guilty about overeating and he probably physically felt sub par due to too much fatty food and alcohol.
As December begins I think it is important to get to the basics…if there is one piece of advice I can give you to get you through the holidays as well as overall health and wellness success it is…(drumroll!!!)…eat a mid afternoon snack.
Why?
1. Better focus throughout the afternoon/evening
2. Less sugar cravings at work as well as later in the day
3. Walk into dinner feeling calm and relaxed rather than starving…think “I could eat” instead of “I could eat my arm off”
4. Not feeling any urge to eat sugar or desserts or chips or you name it after dinner
5. Allow your stress hormones to decrease so you can burn fat rather than put your body in “survival mode” and hold on to fat
6. Take the emotions out of food – use food as fuel rather than comfort for ups and downs in your day
So…what will you have as your mid afternoon meal today???
– Leftovers from lunch
– Cottage cheese/yogurt, fruit
– PB&J
– Turkey Sandwich
– Nuts, fruit, cheese
– Protein and some veggies
– Chili or soup
– Quinoa or lentil salad
– Hard boiled egg, olives, pickles, veggies
– Yogurt and Almond Butter
Just eat…something…please! Get some protein and carbohydrate in your bellies mid afternoon. Eating every 3-4 hours is a game changer. Trust me – it works!
Cheers to a fun-filled, guilt-free, fast-metabolism December!