Good & Bad Foods + Eating for the Wrong Reasons

Yesterday I worked with some home school children who ranged in ages from 3 - 6. We talked about exercise and did some fun games and then I pulled out a large leather bag and it was filled with food and beverages. As I held up each item, I asked the children which foods were good to eat and which were not so good and only should be eaten on occasion. What's amazing to me is that kids know all of the answers. There is no confusion. When I hold up the same foods for adults, there are a sea of "yes's and no's" that fill the audiance. I hold up a things like a banana, bread, yogurt, energy bar, milk, orange, chocolate, can of tuna, nuts, etc. The children know the answers without hesitation. The adults have been confused by the media which has demonized foods as per a glycemic index or mercury posioning or sulfates or calories.

We need to make the "best bad" choices we can. Tuna is great, but in high quantities and in poor quality you may injest too much mercury. Bananas for example are a wonderful food that is high in energy, however it's also high on the glycemic index and for those who are glucose sensistive and prone to store belly fat, it may not be the best choice after not eating for several hours as it will spike your blood sugar.

We could go point for point for just about any food or beverage for that matter. There is research to show caffeine has benefits and is also detrimental. Same with wine or dairy. So what's a girl to do? Stick with the freshest ingredients using the highest quality foods you can find. Eat a wide vareity of fresh foods. Eat them in their most raw natural state. Drink plenty of water. Pay close attention to how your body feels after you eat certain foods. Make the best decisions you can about food given the circumstances. Plan ahead so there are no food emergencies where you are left with poor choices.

If there is a specific food or food group you would like me to address, I would be happy to do it.

Finally, I have had a few private conversations with campers over the past few days about emotional eating so I thought I would pass this article along for your refernce.

Continue to empower yourself each day with new information to help you live your best possible life.

Kelli

Eating for the Wrong Reasons

Does a bad day at the office provoke you to head straight for the cookie jar? It's natural to turn to food on occasion to soothe your feelings. But if feelings and emotions play a key role in influencing your weight, you may want to consider making some changes.
Many people believe they can simply will themselves to stop eating for emotional reasons. But if left to will alone, your emotional needs will likely go unmet and the eating continue. To begin working on the problem of emotional eating, you need to do three things:
Become Aware of Your Feelings: Get in the habit of asking yourself, "What am I feeling right now?"
Recognize the Unmet Emotional Needs that Trigger the Desire to Eat: One of the best ways to discover what triggers emotional eating is to keep a journal, as described in The Value of Keeping a Food Journal.
You may find it helpful to keep track of everything you eat. But most important, by recording your feelings when you are tempted to eat, you will discover WHY you are turning to food to avoid your emotions.
Learn How to Meet Your Emotional Needs without Relying on Food: Once you've identified your emotional needs, you can give them the attention they deserve, so they won't go unmet and tempt you again.
There are many ways to deal with your emotional needs without turning to food. Finding a productive way to channel them can be as simple as going on a walk, sharing with a friend or family member, or making an entry in your journal.
Anytime you find yourself reaching for the cookie jar as the result of an emotionally charged experience, STOP, and take a few minutes to gain control of your emotions using the 3-step process outlined above. What you learn will bring you lasting progress in your quest to maintain a healthy weight.
Healthy regards,
Megan Porter, RD