How to break the habit...

.

A while ago, I talked about emotional eating - eating to compensate for something that's lacking in our lives or to comfort ourselves. But we often eat from habit, too. Actually, I'm not talking about eating as in 'eating a well balanced meal' (as in breakfast, lunch or dinner - all of which I hope are established habits in your day), but eating as in snacks and treats.

If you think about it carefully, you will probably realize that there are rituals associated with your in-between meal snacks and treats. Perhaps you habitually have a couple of biscuits with your tea or coffee: always munch on chips while you read a book; usually eat sweets while driving; reward yourself with chocolate for a job completed.

Habits can be difficult to break. So maybe try modifying the habit instead - have only one plain biscuit, and only with your afternoon tea or coffee: munch on grapes while you read: sing along to the radio or CD while you drive (good for coping with traffic stress, too): move on to the next challenge when you've completed the job (or tick the job off your to-do list). These new strategies are wiser choices for your mental health and your waistline. It is really not a good idea to eat anything while you are doing something else anyway. Your attention is diverted, and you consume far more than you realise.

We should be aware of every morsel that passes out lips - do we really need it? Probably not. Do we really want it? In the long term, no.

.

Non-exclusion diet

 .

We have all started diets thinking that the easiest way to lose weight is to exclude certain foods. This is a fallacy. No food groups - even sugars and fats - should be totally excluded. They each have their place in a healthy eating plan. If we ban all the sweet stuff entirely, we just feel deprived and depressed. We need, rather, to take control and limit quantities.

Our efforts to improve family health and lifestyle can succeed, but we have to realize that no improvement comes without effort. So, for a start, we can buy fewer treats when we do the grocery shopping. Decide, before you leave home, which treats you are going to buy, and in what quantities. To decide what quantities to buy, you have to designate treat times, of course. And once back from shopping, we can keep those treats in their very own container, on a high shelf. Out of sight, out of mind. The treats that come in a strip or bag of individually wrapped portions are a great aid to self control.

How often should we serve treats? Certainly no more than once a day.  Give children their own choice of treat from the available selection, and let them decide when they want to eat it. Maybe after supper is a good time, or they might want to include it in tomorrow's lunchbox. But... once the day's treat is gone, it is gone. And that applies to adults, too. One rule for everyone in the family.

.

Snacks or treats?

.

Toddlers and children under 5 have small tummies but big physical expediture. We can't expect them to make it from one meal to the next without a top-up. This is where snacks come in.

Parents need to learn first, so that they can teach their children, that snacks are little mini-meals - food that can be eaten anytime you feel hungry. So a snack might be a small peanut butter sandwich, some fresh fruit, nuts and raisins, yoghurt or a few wheat crackers and a small piece of cheese.

Although it is tempting - in the interest of speed, if nothing else - to offer biscuits as a snack, these (even plain biscuits) should be reserved as treats.

So a snack is something that is nourishing, and can be eaten any time little ones are hungry. Treats are occasional, for birthday parties and such. And it is fine to introduce children to treats - as long as they (and you) know the difference.

.

How to limit sugar consumtion

.

No matter how conscientious you are, you cannot prevent your children from coming into contact with, and consuming, sweets, biscuits, cakes, chocolates, crisps etc. Certainly by the time a child turns 2 he/she has already been to several birthday parties and family celebrations where such food items will have been readily available. The best you can do is keep your own house as clear of these items as possible and, when out with the children, set an example by not eating such things yourself.

I'm not saying that no-one should ever have such treats. But the quantity should be controlled. And maybe we shouldn't label them as 'treats' - they are just other food items, and no longer things saved for special occassions. But these food items are packed with calories from saturated fats and sugar, and loaded with artificial colourants, flavourings and preservatives, so their consumption should be minimal.

The next time you host a party for kids try to keep the menu as simple and fresh as possible.

• Brown bread sandwiches with: egg mayo, grated cheese, marmite and cucumber, etc.
• Fruit bread instead of cake.
• Fresh fruit - strawberries, grapes, apple slices - instead of sweets.
• Plain biscuits - digestives, ginger nuts, maries.
• Dried fruit and nuts (just check none of your guests have nut allergies) instead of crisps.
• If you want something savoury and munchy, opt for pretzels - less fat, less salt.
• Instead of ice-cream serve frozen yoghurt.
• And to drink, diluted fruit juice or smoothies.

At least if there are any left-overs, they are healthy - not temptations to stray. And I promise the kids will not miss eating cake.

The other thing you can (and should) do is spread the word about healthy eating. By example, and with healthy eating habits instilled from an early age, hopefully this newest generation will not have to battle with their weight and health the way we have had to.

.

Sabotaged!

 

We strive all week to make healthy food choices, control portion sizes and take reasonable exercise. Then along comes the weekend (or a special occasion) and all our good intentions dissolve – whether it’s drinks with colleagues after work, someone’s birthday or Sunday lunch at the in-laws’ place – and the road to healthy eating is forsaken. One weekend of eating and/or drinking too much, or failing to keep up with your exercise routine can undo a lot of the good work you did during the previous week, both physically and mentally.

 

After a weekend of over-indulgence we may well feel guilty and call ourselves weak-willed, resolving to do better next weekend. But we need to help ourselves keep that resolution. Here’s how:

 

• Start with a healthy breakfast, as on any other day. A good breakfast ensures that we will be able to get through to lunchtime without gnawing hunger pains or a headache. High fibre cereal with yoghurt, whole grain toast with a smear of peanut butter or thin slice of cheese, or an egg – all healthy choices.
• Keep on track by tracking, every day – yes, even weekends. We need to stay up-to-date and honest with our food journal/diary – even if we go overboard. At least we will be able to see how (and maybe why) we did.
• Going shopping? Eat first. If we’re hungry while grocery shopping, we’re likely to pick up all sorts of food items that we don’t really want, and certainly don’t need.
• Occasional treats are allowed. Any eating plan that leaves us feeling deprived is sure to fail. There is no harm in enjoying a small piece of dark chocolate or one scoop of ice cream. Occasionally; I said that already, didn’t I? Don't save all your treats to splurge at the weekend.
• Plan ahead. Knowing what we are going to eat is really important for keeping on track. We need to plan weekend meals, too, and make a shopping list accordingly. And stick to the list. If we don’t put poor food choices in our trolleys, they won’t be in the house to tempt us later. Stock up on fresh fruit instead.
• Spend some time reading and planning. Reading health magazines keeps us up-to-date with current research and tips on food and nutrition – there are usually some tasty, healthy recipe ideas, too.

 

Enjoy your weekend. You deserve a break.

Cheesecake

Sunday was my husband’s birthday, so we had a buffet lunch for 12. Here is the dessert – definitely only an occasional treat! It keeps well in the fridge, and I have even frozen it for a short time – not that there is usually any left to freeze.

Serves 12

Ingredients
1 packet Tennis biscuits
80gms butter
3 large eggs
150gms caster sugar
2 Tblsp lemon juice
Grated rind of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla essence
20mls gelatin powder/granules
100mls cold water
125ml cream
250gms fat free smooth cottage cheese

Method
Spray a 19cm (diameter) spring form pan – or you can use a pyrex dish if you prefer.
Line the bottom of the spring form pan with baking paper.

Crush the biscuits into fine crumbs.
Melt the butter.
Combine the crumbs and butter and press into the base of the pan (or dish).
Set aside.

Put the gelatin to soften in the cold water.
Separate the eggs.
Put the egg yolks, lemon juice and rind in the top of a double boiler along with half the sugar and the vanilla essence. (Using a double boiler or a bowl over simmering water prevents the yolks from cooking too fast and becoming scrambled egg!)
Heat while whisking until the mixture thickens slightly.
Add the gelatin and keep whisking until it dissolves completely.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Beat the egg whites until thick and peaky, adding the remaining sugar a little at a time.
Whip the cream until thick.
Stir the cottage cheese into the cooled egg yolk mixture.

Gently fold the egg yolk/cheese into the whites, then fold in the cream.
Pour onto the biscuit base and allow to set in the fridge (about 3 hours).
Once set, remove from the spring form pan and carefully remove the baking paper.
Slide onto a serving plate and top with the fruit of your choice.

If you use a pyrex dish you can serve from there directly. The first slice is a bit difficult to get out, but after that it’s fine.
I know, using fat free cottage cheese is a bit silly, what with all the saturated fats in the butter and cream! But we save calories where we can, don't we?