Five (Nutritional) Weapns to Keep in Your Arsenal

I have a confession. It has been a rough week.  An emotional week.  Every single possible emotional trigger of mine has been pulled, and instead of defending myself against the carnage that comes from all of that baggage, I let myself fall prey to the emotions, the hormones, and the stress.

Which, loosely translated means that I have not been tracking my food diligently, or weighing out portions, or even making good choices.  At all.

The more I thought about how I watched myself sinking into the quicksand of over eating and bad nutritional choices this week, I realized that I these things happen. Life happens. The trick is having an arseanal of tools in our pocket, or pantry, to help ward against the triggers.

So I thought. And then I looked around my pantry.  I had everything in my pantry right here, waiting to be called into action.

Five Nutritional Weapons to Guard Against Emotional Triggers

1. Meyer Lemons

I have always been a fan of adding lemon to my water.  But a good lemon, can add just the right taste to keep me from wanting to reach for the sugary or salty demons in my pantry. A meyer lemon in my water, or with a drizzle of olive oil on a salad, keeps the savory and sweet cravings at bay.

2. Carrots

I have always liked carrots.  As a child I still remember my mom putting carrots in the food processor and having grated carrots with olive oil, lemon, and a pinch of salt as our vegetable. Now, I keep a snack size container of carrots with me during the day to give me the feel of a crunch and satisfying snack.  I have also started using my cheese grater to grate a carrot or two for dinner, several times a week.

3. High Fiber Cereal with No Added Sugar

The mornings are a blur around our house as we try to get everyone out the door. But I know how important it is to start the day with a great breakfast. Nothing else satisfies me for as long as Uncle Sam’s cereal. I first became a fan of this high fiber, no sugar added cereal during my first round of Weight Watchers and have had it in my pantry ever since. I was thrilled to find that in addition to the original flavor, there is a new Honey Almond cereal that is to die for.  A breakfast with a serving of honey almond Uncle Sam and a cup of skim milk keeps me feeling satisfied long into the morning.  I even found a great cereal for my daughter, something that she can enjoy and I can feel good about serving her: Erewhon Cocoa Crispy Brown Rice Cereal. Chocolate-y goodness that is not loaded with sugar is a great way to start any day (or as a snack with some fresh fruit and yogurt in the middle of the day)

4. A Food Scale

I am a big believer in the idea of everything in moderation.  Whether it is food or exercise, finding the right portion and amount is key to the success of any change in habit. And although I tell myself that I am eating healthy, my perspective on the size of a portion is not always accurate.  So I have a scale, that I use all the time. I use it to measure out my cereal, my milk, my pasta, rice, meat, and fish.  It keeps me honest, and is the difference between losing weight and not losing weight for me.

5. Coconut Water

I am a water drinker. I like water, plain, with lemon.  But there are moments, like after a workout or around mid day, that water will not quench my thirst.  I started drinking coconut water as a way to replenish electrolytes while training for a half marathon a few years ago. But now, we keep a supply of Zico Coconut Water on hand at all times.  Whether it is after a workout, on a long car ride, or first thing when I get home and am craving not so great choices, coconut water is my go to “non water” drink.

Five tools, or weapons, to combat my triggers.  The key for me is recognizing that I need to go into my arsenal…but when I do, I can squash all of the cravings and emotional eating.

What about you? What tools do you keep in your arsenal?

Thanks to Attune Foods for providing me with samples to review. All other mentioned products are simply personal favorites.  All opinions are my own.

Tagged as: Fitness, Nutrition