Week 1
Self Check
Do you know your why?
Who will support you?
Do you have a plan?
Laying the groundwork for success is important. Be sure to not skip the mental work as well as planning the meals and paying attention to your environment.
These next three weeks will not be easy but… they wont be as hard as you think. Within the first week, you will find yourself feeling lighter in your body, having increased energy an a decrease in other symptoms.
You may experience some negative symptoms the first 3 days due to detoxing. Be sure to refer to the Healing Strategies page for detox and stress support. THIS WILL PASS!
Cravings
Here is the good news and the bad news…
Cravings are primarily born from our habits. We prefer what we are exposed to. The foods we are exposed to (which are repeated behaviors) become hardwired into our brains or addictions. As we know, addictions are tough to break. It is important to have strategies to deal with cravings as well as daily habits to prevent and control the development of unhealthy addictions that result in poor health.
Strategies To Deal with Cravings
When a craving comes on, it is frustrating and overwhelming, especially when you are trying to hard to eat well and take care of yourself. Even though cravings are mostly addictions, sometimes they can be a sign of missing nutrients or acting as a replacement for an emotional need. See the cravings chart below to see if your most common cravings could indicate a nutrient deficiency. An example of a frequent craving is chocolate. This craving may indicate a magnesium deficiency. Try to increase your consumption of magnesium rich foods like nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables or take a magnesium supplement (great before bedtime).
It is also common to use food as a reward or a way to comfort ourselves for an emotional or physical need. This is okay to a degree, but when it interferes with our normal eating it is best to address it. Try the H.A.L.T. strategy. Ask yourself the following questions next time you have an overwhelming craving:
H: Am I hungry?
A: Am I angry?
L: Am I lonely?
T: Am I tired?
Ways To Eat Less
Eating more than our body needs is a quick way to gain weight and feel sluggish. On the other hand, not being satisfied is a quick way to overeat and will often lead to cravings. Here are some strategies to help you strike the balance and feel great.
Use smaller plates, bowls, cups: this is the number one proven strategy!
Serve from the stove top: this way you take what you want and have to get up to get seconds
Chew your food and be mindful when you eat: this gives you satiety hormones a chance to kick in and signal that you are full
Eat a protein packed breakfast: protein will keep your blood sugar stable so you will be fuller longer
Eat small frequent meals: a great strategy for keeping blood sugar from dipping and signaling hunger and fat storage
Balance the composition of your meal: include protein, carb, and a healthy fat in every meal. This will help you feel satisfied
Satisfy your cravings: eat smaller amounts of what you crave to satisfy the craving
Crowd out with the veggies: ALWAYS have a 1 serving of vegetables and consider 2-3 for every meal, it will fill you up. If you don’t want to cook a side dish, eat raw veggies right out of the fridge or cut up an apple and eat it with dinner. It does not have to be fancy or complicated
