Alegra Loewenstein
  • Home
  • Medical & Science Writing
  • Spiritual Wellness Books
  • Contact

why you keep eating the sugar

4/24/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
I can totally relate to feeling out of control with your food and unable to stop eating sugar. I used to have that same struggle, and would eat sugar throughout the day. I would binge on sugar, beat myself up over it, swear to give it up forever...and do it all again the next day.

This is now my area of expertise and something I am passionate about helping women overcome. I have a few very important questions you can ask yourself to help you get a handle on this issue.

1. Are you eating enough?

When we under eat, our bodies DEMAND food. And guess what, when our bodies demand it, we go for whatever is fastest, easiest, most delicious. This often means sugar, fat, and salt. So make sure you are eating a wholesome satisfying breakfast AND lunch to get you through the day.

2. Are you eating the right things?

That means including carbs, fats, and proteins, and lots of fruits and veggies. Oh, and it should be something you ENJOY. IT is essential that we are nourishing ourselves, not just getting basic nutrients. If we are depriving ourselves of enjoyment in our daily meals we will often seek it later in the day in the form of junk and treats.

3. Do you know your triggers?

People can be triggered by many different things. Over hunger, as I described above. Sight and smell, so you can avoid, say, pastry shops with large windows if this applies to you. Also learn your emotional triggers. Stress, bad relationships, lack of a relationship, boredom, avoiding unpleasant tasks, and many other things that fall somewhere on the "emotional" spectrum can drives us to want to eat. These can also be overcome with practice.
Picture
0 Comments

The two things you must change to end your sugar addiction.

4/22/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
There are many ways to overcome sugar addiction. However, they can be broken into two categories: Physical and Mental. (Or maybe Logistical and Emotional.)

1. Physical/Logistical - These are easier changes to make. 
Remove hidden sugars from your diet. 

Check sauces, breads, all breakfast items, all snacks, pretty much all prepared foods. Compare ingredients across multiple options, and choose the one with the least sugar, but MORE IMPORTANTLY, a short ingredient list. If you simple check the grams of sugar you will almost for sure be buying something with worse ingredients. 

Look for ways to replace, reduce, or remove things that are intentionally sweet. 

Do you put sugar in your coffee? Cut it in half, then cut it in half, then cut it in half, until it is not very sweet, or, if you still like the taste, not sweet at all. 

Do you like something sweet after dinner? Find out if you can have some slices of fruit instead of ice cream. Or, like the coffee, start with a plate that is half fruit and half ice cream, then reduce the ice cream further, then substitute sweetened yogurt, then move to unsweetened yogurt. 

2. Mental/Emotional - These are all the things that make it seem impossible to do the changes I've described above.

These are the days you feel so stressed out and overwhelmed you pull out the whole tub of ice cream and eat it straight from the carton.

These are the moments when you sit in front of the TV after a long day and suddenly the entire box of Chinese take out has disappeared. 

These are the afternoons when you just can't make it without a giant latte or chocolate bar; this is what gets you through the day.

This is the part of the equation when you tell yourself you're going to change... and you don't. 

This is the struggle of deciding to stop, and then you can only think about the thing you are stopping. And when you finally "give in" you eat three times as much.

Some people can just decide to do the physical changes and they are done. For other of us, including me, the mental changes MUST be addressed to lay the foundation for the physical changes to succeed. 

The mental changes are addressing the problem behind the sugar. The problem behind the sugar may or may not be known to you. The problem behind the sugar may or may not be clear when you think about it. You can begin by looking backward over the past week and thinking about what PRECEDED the sugar binge or failure to stick to your resolution. 

Bad day? Fight with the spouse? Kids going crazy? 

Horrible boss? Lonely? Bored? Angry? Tired? Annoyed?

If you don't know, or you do know, but still can't seem to make headway, then you should seek support - read, ask a friend, find a professional, whatever it is that helps you find a clear path and system to address the problem behind the sugar.

0 Comments

Breaking the rules - taking a trip

4/19/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Greetings from France!

I've been abroad in Italy and France the past 10 days! 

My husband won a trip for two to Rome, and since one of my besties lives in Southern France, we took the opportunity to go meet her babies. She's had TWO since the last time I saw her! 

And I just wanted to share with you some musings I had while on this trip. 


I remember a trip I took in college. I was traveling by myself, with some vague idea that of course I'd meet some kind of dream man on the trip. It was Maui, after all, seemed romantic, full of travelers. And some guy I knew had moved there. 

Okay, so that part is kind of embarassing. I was totally silly. 

But then comes the even worse part. I ate an entire pineapple and an entire bag of prunes. One might argue that these are healthy, but my consumption of them was NOT. And I felt SICK from it. Not only that, but I beat myself up. 

Know how I know? I wrote it all down in my journal. All about how SICK I felt, how disgusting it was to eat that much of those foods, how my stomach hurt, how I chastised myself for having done it, how I couldn't STOP myself while I was doing it...

That is a binge if I ever had one. I was not just eating the pineapple and enjoying it, I was compulsively eating it and feeling sick while I did. As I wrote in detail in my journal about how I just kept eating it, even though I was already too full. 

Looking back at that now, I actually am not embarassed by it. I feel a lot of compassion for that younger self. I didn't know WHY I kept eating that food, and I didn't know HOW to stop. 

I was doing it even as I wished I was not. 

And yet now, with all my experience about it, I can tell you a few things.

First, that silly (and, yes, that part is embarrassing) hunt for true love was part of it. I had such an EXTERNAL focus on what would make me happy that I was not focusing on ME nor focusing on that Moment! Ask  my college friends... I was ALWAYS looking for some idea of a boyfriend that I now realize did not exist!

I don't think it was the "love" search per se... but it was the external focus on a future point in time bringing me some level of happiness. 

Second, overeating was trigger for me. It still is, but I recognize now. When I get TOO FULL I want to DO SOMETHING...and my brain actually just thinks "DO SOMETHING!" and my body responds by doing what it's already doing - eating! I still feel that impulse, but I'm trained to recognize it now, and find another "something" to do. 

Finally, I've stopped obsessing over whether I am or am not eating sugar. Sure, I eat it. And when I eat too much, I correct my course. But I don't beat myself up or make promises to "quit" or eliminate it. My relationship with sugar is normal. It's not full of drama and broken promises. It's just not a big deal anymore.

And THAT is golden. 

With a relationship like that I can eat gelato every day on vacation and it doesn't matter. I'm not even worried about it. I know I'll go back to normal when I get home. I can just relax, have fun, go a little crazy, and call it a vacation. No promises, no need to "make up for it" when I get home. Just enjoy it. And be normal again when I get back. 

Which I'm also looking forward to. Because my normal makes me feel great, too. 

Do you want to have this kind of relationship with sugar (or soda or junk food or ____)?
Discover my 5 secrets to end emotional eating by clicking here.
​
Picture
0 Comments

3 secrets to give up the food you love/hate

4/17/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Are you ready to say goodbye to…

- sugar 
- junk food
- donuts/cakes/candy
- ice cream
- chips

I admire if ANY of these or on your to do list, and I want to help you make sure you don’t fall into the trap of ending up back in your old habits!

Do you have a plan and system to make sure you can sustain those changes? Sometimes a huge lifestyle change works, but often it can feel overwhelming.

Because if you have a long list of “give up” foods it may mean you have been eating more of them than you'd like. And perhaps you’ve been doing this longer than you’d like as well.

And it’s all too common to give them up… keep it up for while…then fall back into old habits.

Which is frustrating, even depressing.

I'd suggest taking some time to look at how each of these habits will be worked in. A few ways to consider this:

1. Do you have a time each day blocked off to make sure you are preparing healthy food?


2. Are you going to meal plan and/or prep to have healthy foods readily available to yourself?


3. Also, perhaps most importantly, have you asked yourself how your habits got out of alignment with your values? Did you get stressed? Did you get busy? Did you get bored? Did you get lazy? Was it the way you always ate and you are ready to change it? This is an essential step I see people overlooking, but it really helps you move forward without falling back into old habits!
Picture
0 Comments

Happy easter!

4/16/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture

​Happy Easter! 

I love to collect fun little treats for the boys' easter baskets, some wind up animals, pinwheels, always books (yes we are nerds), and a few little treats. Enough for ONE day. 

We also like to have brunch either on our own, or with friends or family.  

I love to make Quiche. It is easy, I always have the ingredients, and you can throw anything in. 


Buy a pie crust. It's true they are simple to make, but it's much faster to buy one, and you and I are both busy. Just make sure it doesn't have a bunch of weird crap in it. I like to keep Trader Joe's Pie Crusts on hand for quiche or pot pie. (Oh and when I DO make a crust, I double the recipe and freeze one of my own!!!!) 


Filling
  • Up to 2 cups filling - roasted veggies like broccoli or onions, herbs like parsley, also cooked meat like ham or bacon, but go light on these for health reasons.
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (honestly ANY cheese will do, one type or a combo - I've used them all!)
  • 4 large eggs (I've used anywhere from 2-6)
  • 1 1/2 cups milk (again, it's forgiving, 1 cup is fine if you need to save some for your tea in the morning!)
  • salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat the oven to 375F
  2. Remove the top sheet of wax paper on the dough. Use the bottom sheet to lift and place the crust onto your 9-inch baking pan.
  3. Add in the fillings. Sprinkle in the cheese, salt and pepper.
  4. Whisk the milk and eggs together and pour over the top.
  5. Bake for 40-50 minutes or, more importantly, until a thin knife inserted near the center comes out clean and the edges are brown. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Double the recipe and you will have breakfast or lunch for the week! 

Do you do meal planning? Have you tried but found it overwhelming?


Picture
0 Comments

Go to bed!

4/13/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Late night is THE MOST COMMON time I see people - women and men - turning to sugar (and other junk foods, but mostly sugar).

I used to have a sugar addiction that led to acute but severe health issues, and I still love sweets. The difference now is I understand my triggers and know what I need to do to have a healthy relationship with sugar.

And guess what, I find myself thinking I want sweets late at night as well.

Why is that?

The end of the day...
you are tired...
you are exhausted...
you've had it up to here with your boss/your drama friend/your kids/your whatever...
you are tired...
you finally got all your crap done for the day and have time to think about running into your ex/the worries of your family/the work that didn't get done...
you are tired...
you did not get a chance to relax all day and now you really want to enjoy yourself...
you are tired...
you still have so much left to do...
laundry...
something on the computer...
dishes...
get ready for tomorrow...
you are tired!!!!

Okay so the BIGGEST factor here is that you are TIRED!!!

It sounds SO SIMPLE, and yet it is not.
Because our society does not value rest and relaxation and our society makes "busy-ness" seem like an essential part of our lives.

But I'm telling you right now... busy-ness = stress and stress drives us to make bad choices because of the hormonal/chemical affects on our brain.

So, if you want to stop late night sugar binges, plan your entire day around getting yourself into bed earlier.

Meal prep your lunches, leave the dishes in the sink (or hire a house cleaner), shut the TV off at night, or whatever you have to do.

Past a sign up in the cabinet/fridge where the sweets are that says "GO TO BED." And read it anytime you go for the sugar after 7-8pm.

Let me know how it goes!!!!!

Picture
0 Comments

5 Minute Energy Boosting Workout-  By ERin KEndall

4/2/2017

0 Comments

 
I'm so excited to share a guest post today from Erin Kendall! What I love about Erin is her commitment to making it easy to workout, despite the challenges you face of finding that work-life-family balance! Here is a FIVE MINUTE - just FIVE MINUTES - workout to get your energy up. Replace your afternoon croissant and coffee with this for a week and tell me how you feel! 

5 Minute Energy Boosting Workout
When you're eyeing that cookie simply because you are in need of a quick jolt of energy, think again!  There is an alternative that will do you much better than a quick sugar fix.  Use this quick workout to get oxygen rich blood flowing and a happy hormone boost.  Using your legs and any other major muscle group when short on time is a smart move because those muscles require the most blood flow.  This is the kinda energy that will carry you for the next several hours instead of the next few minutes like that cookie.  If you're still feeling fatigued and exercise just isn't cutting it take a look at your sleep patterns.  I recommend a minimum of 6 hours sleep.  8 hours of sleep on most nights is ideal.  

Erin Kendall is an American Council on Exercise Certified Personal Trainer with 2 little toddlers at home. Erin has been a personal trainer since 2009 and works with clients in person, online and maintains a community of other Fit Moms through an inspiring and motivating Facebook Group; www.facebook.com/groups/fitmomgo

Picture
0 Comments
    Picture

    Alegra

    #1 Selling Author & Creator of Small Steps, Big Magic: Crafting a Life That Sparkles 

    Categories

    All
    Anxiety
    Audio / Podcast
    Body Wisdom
    Control
    Cooking
    Emotional Eating
    Environment
    Exercise
    Food
    Giveaway
    Guest Post
    Herbs
    Meal Planning
    Media
    My Books
    My Favorites
    My Story
    Plant Spirit Magic
    Recipes
    Reviews
    Seasons
    Self Care
    Shop
    Simple Actions
    Stress
    Sugar
    Support
    Video
    Weight Loss
    Wheel Of The Year
    Will Power
    Woo
    Writing Services

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    July 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016


​Alegra Loewenstein & www.alegraloewenstein.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Clicking links to amazon from my site provides me with income - at no cost to you - so I can continue to create free and fun content on my site! ​

  • Home
  • Medical & Science Writing
  • Spiritual Wellness Books
  • Contact