Tag Archives: healthy food

Are you an Ethical Omnivore?

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I loved this post on the High Steaks Farming blog so much I had to share it here with you all – Check out some of their other great posts about the ethical raising cattle and sheep on their farm on the NSW Central Highlands.

Ethical Omnivores

So apparently us compassionate foodie types have been assigned a label. We are known as “ethical omnivores”. I haven’t decided yet whether I like this or not. One one hand, it seems like just another attempt to homogenise a group of people with diverse opinions so that they can be categorised, and hence marketed to. On the other hand, if I believe in the principles of ethical omnivorism, perhaps having it well defined will make it easier for others to get involved.

There are various definitions around, but I’d like to present my own, beginning with what we’re not: ethical omnivores are not failed vegetarians trying to appease their guilty consciences. Most of us believe the best way to make a difference to the welfare of animals is to support those farms who are treating animals with compassion and respect. If you’re of the more fundamentalist view that it is inherently evil to kill animals, you’re never going to accept this philosophy; but those who are vegetarian simply because they feel they can’t source meat which is produced ethically, could perhaps try a little harder.

I quite like the fact that the term ethical omnivore doesn’t just relate to meat. Quoting from an article on the subject, “An ethical omnivore may be just as concerned about the production of the bread he or she eats as the meat inside the bread.” http://animalrights.suite101.com/article.cfm/what-is-an-ethical-omnivore Having seen cereal production close up, I’m just as concerned with finding cruelty free and environmentally responsible grain farmers as I am in finding ethical meat.

From what I can gather, the label is here to stay, it seems to have been around for a while, so I’d best get used to it.

Feeling Good Right Now!

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Laura E: Nutritionist and Intuitive Eating GuideBy Laura E

So lately I seem to be attracting those clients I love to work with – those that don’t really have the best relationship with food or their bodies and have been on so many diets in their lives, they have forgotten how to listen to their body.

Their general thoughts and feelings about food involve guilt, control, perfection, deprivation followed by binging and “I’ll start Monday” thinking. The focus for them is really about what they can and can’t eat and what they should or shouldn’t eat. They come to me with an expectation I will tell them what they are allowed to eat. They have so little trust in themselves around food that they need lists and plans to tell them when and what to eat.

The funniest thing is that every client does the same thing. They write their food down for me for a week or so before their first appointment and bring it in saying; “this week was very different, I don’t usually eat as much chocolate or takeaway as that. (Keep in mind there is never any judgment from me; I certainly don’t go over the list with a red pen telling them how bad they have eaten. So after questioning them further, turns out they subconsciously wanted to get in what food they could before seeing me. They spend the week having a series of ‘last suppers’ in that they eat all those foods they think they wont be allowed to eat again.

This way of thinking and behaving is just one example of searching outside of ourselves for answers. Of course, there are times when this is necessary, however, when it comes to eating and nourishing our bodies, our intuition and the natural signals we were born with can be our best friend!

When you are searching for what foods can help you achieve your health goals, whether they are weight loss, more energy or simply better health, focus on what you can do in each moment, at each meal or snack, to feel good straight away. Choose those foods that will nourish your body.

Feeling good physically can have such a fantastic effect on your whole life, the way you function at work, at home, how productive you are and how you treat others.

So what choices can help you to feel good right now??

Instead of diving into that bag of chips for something to crunch on to relieve stress and getting the guilts when you get to the end of the pack…… How about giving yourself permission to have something to eat, but first taking out some time, even just 5mins to de-stress, lie down, take some deep breaths. How much better would that make you feel?

Instead of eating when you think you are hungry…… How about having a nice cool glass of water to make sure you’re not just dehydrated? Wouldn’t that feel good to give your body a chance to more clearly tell you when you are hungry?

Instead of getting so anxious to eat something at dinner time you snack before eating the main meal, then sit down to eat and the hunger is no longer there…. How about allowing yourself the full enjoyment and satisfaction of the meal by being nicely hungry to eat it. The food will taste so much better when your stomach is empty.

Instead of giving up every time you overeat or make a choice that doesn’t nourish you, then vow to ‘start again tomorrow’ and eat everything in site until then…… How about being kind to yourself and making a choice to listen to your body and eat again when your stomach tells you you’re hungry? Wouldn’t that feel great to break that cycle and make a change RIGHT NOW?!

Sometimes it can become overwhelming to think of all the things we should be doing in regards to our health. Most of the time though, making a few simple health changes can make our lives even more fulfilling and less overwhelming. We have so many opportunities to make feel good choices everyday. What feel good choices can you make?

Intuitive Eating: guide to overcoming and preventing emotional eating

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Laura E: Nutritionist and Intuitive Eating GuideToday we welcome our very dear girlfriend, Laura E as a new contributor to Gorgeous Things. Laura E is a Nutritionist, a Personal Trainer and a gorgeous girl who has had her fair share of battles with food and her weight. She’ll tell you about her journey and give you the skills you need to overcome emotional eating and repair your relationship with food forever. LA is currently working with Laura E on a few of her own ‘issues’ – and getting fabulous results! (Yep, I’m beach running now! – Ed)

Laura E
Nutritionist and Intuitive Eating Guide

Intuitive Eating: a guide to overcoming and preventing emotional eating

As someone who was an emotional eater I know what it’s like to use food to cope with difficult emotions. I also know the feelings of being out of control and thinking there must be a healthier way to cope. The after effect of using food to cope comes with unwanted weight gain and poor health, mentally and physically.

Bottling up your feelings, pushing them down with food is like leaving a sink full of dishes for days and days. Eventually there will be a mess you will have to deal with. Experiencing emotions is inevitable, emotional eating however is a choice.

Which of these symptoms do you have of emotional eating?

  1. Sharp cravings
  2. Demand food immediately
  3. Sudden and urgent cravings
  4. Eating when not hungry
  5. Eating really fast
  6. Eating immediately after getting home
  7. Eating until uncomfortably full
  8. Feelings of guilt, disgust and depression afterwards
  9. Mindless eating
  10. Sneaking food when no-ones around

Healthy Ways to Cope with your Emotions

Everyone is different and for that reason there are many different healthy coping mechanisms.

  1. Forget dieting – Whenever you eliminate certain foods from your diet, it’s like giving a toy to a 3 year old and telling them they cant play with it. Biologically, dieting goes against everything our bodies are designed to do. When you are emotional, those foods on your forbidden list become so much more appealing. What you tell yourself you can’t have suddenly becomes a simple and instant solution to you needing to feel better.
  2. It’s not just about your mouth – While enjoying everything you eat is important, so is what will best satisfy your whole body. Think about what type of food your stomach wants, how much will satisfy it to leave it feeling just right.
  3. Aim to finish feeling good – Before you eat, ask yourself “How do i want to feel when I’m done, mentally and physically, now and later?” The ideal type of meal or snack to have is one that leaves you feeling good for a few hours.
  4. Recognise your triggers – It’s so much easier to change a negative behaviour when you are aware of what triggers it. What situations are you more vulnerable to using food to cope with your emotions? When watching TV, on weekends, after work, after a fight, after dinner or after having a few drinks?
  5. Be aware of the times of day you are more likely to overeat or eat when you are not hungry. Make sure you have something to do that will make you feel fulfilled and nourished so you are less likely to fill the void with food.
  6. Countermanding action for risky situations (“if this happens I will do this”) – Create healthier alternatives that are do-able for you. Can you go for a walk or to the gym when you are feeling stressed? Could you go on the way home from work so you can deal with work stress in a good way? Could you call a friend when you are feeling lonely and need to speak to someone? Will music help you to lift you up when you are feeling low? Only you know what will work best for you.
  7. Question your actions – What’s bothering me? What do i really want to chew on? What’s irritating, stressing or frustrating me? Will eating change this issue? Giving yourself a chance to be aware of what’s going on is a great step in making a healthier choice.
  8. Practice not reacting – As an emotional eater, you tend to reach for food instantly as a solution. It really is as if you are sleep walking into eating. Giving yourself a few minutes to just sit in the feeling can be an extremely powerful way of creating healthier habits. Practicing non-reactive eating means allowing yourself to feel the feeling and not eating instantly, telling yourself you are free to eat whatever it is you want to eat but first, commit to 5-10mins of just sitting still.
  9. Eating awareness and connecting with your food – When you eat while doing other things such as working or watching TV, you are putting yourself in a state of disconnection from your body. In this state it is easy to not listen to the natural signals your body is sending you. Try being fully aware when you’re eating. The more present and aware you are when you eat, the less likely you are to eat something mindlessly later on.

When you eat, try and think about these things…

a) Chewing slowly

b) Sitting down, no matter what you are eating

c) Eating in the same place

d) Activity – not doing anything but eating

e) Enjoyment – stopping to make sure you are actually enjoying what you are eating

Making the choice to try something different when you are emotional can be hard at first. However, when you start listening to your body more and stop being driven to food by your emotions, you begin to deal with things in such a healthier way and feel the great effect that has on your mental and physical health!

You can visit Laura E’s NUTRIZIONE website to learn more about Intuitive Eating and healthy nutritious food.