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Tag: food

  • Curbing Your Cravings, Challenging But Not Impossible!

    The members of Kindly, Beautiful aim to be open and honest with all of you, our audience. This particular topic is one that I personally struggle with and if we’re being honest, many of us do. Full disclosure, my family health history consists of members that have struggled with diabetes. It is one of the many reasons that I make an effort to watch what I eat, the amount, and always try to make time for any sort of exercise. It’s important to acknowledge that food isn’t bad, even the extra sweet, extra savory foods that we hold close to our hearts. Problems usually arise when we lose control over how much we have and how sedentary our lifestyle can be.

    We all experience cravings, it’s natural, but let’s discuss healthy ways to curb them and why they pop up in the first place!

    According to research, cravings can stem from an imbalance of your hunger hormones which are often a result of stress, poor sleep, diet, and lack of exercise. Targeting these issues can be a great start to curbing cravings. Another great tip is to increase the amount of fiber in your meals. The order in which you eat your meal has an effect on your bodily reaction too! Fiber aids in slowing down digestion and helps reduce glucose levels. Research suggests that we eat our vegetables first! This is something that my mom has always suggested but I thought it was a myth. Staying hydrated also helps avoid unnecessary cravings as thirst and hunger cues can be mistaken by your body!

    Finally, make time to plan meals if you can! Take fiber and protein into consideration as they help you feel and stay full. Keep heavily processed foods and snacks out of your kitchen or home so you don’t feel tempted to have more than you should. Most important of all, don’t skip meals! Hunger is a sign that your body needs nutrients and energy so don’t neglect it. Remember, it’s ok to give into a craving here and there, never feel guilty for doing so but make an effort to avoid over consumption! Take care of your body and the rest will follow.

  • Slow Down, No One’s Taking Your Food

    Your brain doesn’t know when to stop eating, not until it’s twenty minutes too late and suddenly your stomach kind of feels too full. That’s how long it takes your brain to know that you are full, a good twenty minutes after, you are full. When you eat, ghrelin, a hormone that is responsible for controlling hunger starts becoming suppressed and in turn that lets it release fullness hormones. Then these fullness hormones will start whispering to your brain, telling it to tell you that you’re full and that you can stop eating now. The thing is, the brain can do better at telling you when you’re full if you eat slower because it has time to receive those fullness hormones. Not only that, eating slower can also increase fullness hormones. 

         In a study conducted with seventeen people, all at a normal weight, found that finishing 10.5 ounces of ice cream in thirty minutes versus finishing the same amount in five minutes reports to be more full. 

         Eating slowly can also help you reduce calorie intake. In a study splitting people up into eating slowly and quickly with both overweight and normal weight people found a statistically significant fewer calories consumed in the normal weight group. All participants, though, felt fuller for longer after eating slower. 

         Eating slower can also mean chewing more thoroughly because drawing out that chewing time slows you down. Slowing down, as stated above, lowers your calorie intake and in turn that helps you lose weight. Find the right pace for you because chewing too much can also decrease meal enjoyment. A study found that while chewing thirty seconds or more reduced snacking later on, it also reduced meal enjoyment. 

         Remember, eat slower, chew more thoroughly, and most importantly, stay safe and think for yourself. 

  • The Girl and the Vending Machine

    What To Do Once A Month?

     Once a month, I go on an eating spree. I take myself to a vending machine and shove ten dollars and the annoying change I accumulated over the month into it, then I proceed to leave said vending machine with six packages of chips, chocolate and cookies. Sometimes, that once a month spree means one brownie and leave the vending machine with three bags of things. It is absolutely the most enjoyable day of the month in my opinion.

    And Then What Happens?

    I find a private place to sit first, then I play a show on my phone before cracking open all my bags of snacks and then shoving all that unhealthy junk into my face. That feeling  is unbeatable. Food makes people happy, so that time frame is pure bliss. My brain is literally almost empty minus the thought of, “these chips taste so good” and “this show is amazing”. It’s admittedly not the best thing to be doing because it leaves me craving that amount of junk food each day over the next few days. And sometimes, I do give in. Some months, my “guilty pleasure day” becomes my “guilty pleasure days”. It takes willpower to stop after just one day and I don’t have that kind of willpower every month. But for most of them, I do. And it feels good, being able to stop yourself before you fall down a rabbit hole. The amount of serotonin that comes with consuming that much junk also makes waiting a month really worth it. 

    Enjoy With Caution

         Don’t be afraid to have stuff you like. Maybe don’t do it the way I do, though. My eating habits aren’t that great, but that shouldn’t matter. You can think for yourself. I’m just a random voice on the internet writing an opinion piece.

         Be smart out there, but don’t be afraid of having that cheat meal. Stay safe, healthy, and try to find joy.

  • My Love For Carrot Cake

    I have always had a sweet tooth, that’s not bound to change any time soon. Oftentimes, we are told that sweets are bad for us and we should limit our intake. The reality is that too much of anything can be bad for us – even the good stuff! When I think about food, I think of love and connection. It is important that we have a healthy relationship with food. It is important to create a balance and not shy away from what is considered “bad” or “unhealthy”. 

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, my mother and I decided to get into baking. We experimented with different types of recipes and different types of ingredients. In the end, it was a simple carrot cake recipe that won me over. I would make it with or without my mother for my entire family every time I got the chance to. This simple, sweet delicacy brought us together. It is the reason why I enjoy it so much and think of love and togetherness whenever I have it. It can be deemed “unhealthy” because of the oil, butter or sugar content in it and if that is of concern, the amount can alway be adjusted! Nothing is set in stone when it comes to following a recipe. There is always room for experimentation and even if you don’t wish to change the recipe, any food is enjoyable in moderation!

    So far, I have made and ate carrot cake on its own, with chocolate chips, with nuts, with coconut, fruits,  and I have yet to explore other ways of having it. My favorite way to have it is with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top or next to it. It is very easy to feel guilty about what we consume. I see it this way, if it makes you happy and you feel great in the moment, allow that feeling to sit in and last. We all deserve the happiness that comes with enjoying our favorite foods no matter what.

    Aside from carrot cake, fried oreos come in a close second! What are some of your favorite foods to indulge in every once in a while?

    Here’s a recipe you can try!