Bouncing Back After Unhealthy Eating

The road back to healthy eating isn’t a guilt trip but a tasty journey.

Contributor

Sharon Meyer, CNC

Sutter Pacific Medical Foundation

Around the holidays, most people are surrounded by and sometimes binge on carb-heavy foods. This kind of overeating can be challenging to bounce back from. It can trigger a vicious cycle of eating sugar- and carb-heavy foods, then craving them again hours later.

It isn’t always easy to break this cycle. No matter the time of year, people tend to overeat sometimes. And that’s OK. But afterward, it’s important to have as many healthy-eating days as possible to maintain our well-being.

Here are some tips on how to get back on track with healthy eating.

Say No To Sweets

After eating too much sugary food, it’s important to cut out or reduce the amount of sugar and even some natural sweeteners from drinks and meals. This includes added sugars. It helps to check food labels when moderating your sugar intake. Eating sugars starts a spiral of craving more sweets.

Nix the Refined Carbs

You don’t have to give up carbs completely, but you should try to cut out or reduce your intake of bread and other refined carbs. Like sugar, refined carbs spike blood sugar and start a cycle of cravings and energy swings. Choose better carbs to replace breads, such as roasted root vegetables.

Go Easy on the Alcohol

When it comes to alcohol, less is best. If you drink alcohol, save the wine (in very moderate amounts) for the weekend and watch the mixed drinks. Alcohol, and what’s in it, can be problematic. In addition to its influence on blood sugar, alcohol also has a negative impact on the brain. It can impair memory, reduce brain size, cause brain cell dysfunction and disrupt the balance of gut bacteria.

Say Yes To Fiber

Foods full of fiber, along with some healthy fats, can beat back some cravings for refined carbohydrates and sweets. They can help control blood sugar and remind you of the satisfaction and flavors of healthy food.

Soup for Winter

Soups are a great way to eat healthy foods, especially in the winter months. Nutritious soups can improve your immune system, help balance blood sugar and leave you feeling healthy and satisfied.

You can also make a super-immunity soup base for a quick and easy meal. Simply put some bone broth in a blender with half a bag of power greens like baby chard, spinach and baby kale. If you’re vegan or vegetarian, substitute with vegetable broth. Keep the soup blend in a mason jar in the refrigerator.

For lunch or dinner, pour some of the broth into a pot, warm it up and add what you have on hand. You can add protein or leftover veggies from the night before, chopped egg, avocado slices, bacon bits or some finely chopped red onion. This is a custom-made meal based on your time and resources — no need to be fussy or fancy.

The beauty of soup is you can eat it for lunch and dinner. If you aren’t, there are plenty of breakfast options, such as oatmeal (best made with steel cut oats) with a sprinkling of nuts, a vegetable frittata or beans (kidney, cannellini, black) heated up and topped with sliced avocado, salsa and an egg.

Smoothies are also a great breakfast option. Try using a milk alternative (almond, coconut, hemp) as a base. Add some washed greens and an apple or frozen berries. It’s a good idea to add some healthy fat, such as a heaping tablespoon of nut butter, half an avocado or a teaspoon of coconut oil. If you’re looking for a distinct flavor, you can try cocoa powder, cardamom or even a bit of chili. Experiment without sugar and enjoy.