Striving for Happy and Active

That said, sometimes your body and brain do genuinely just need a pick me up.

The more frequently you practice intuitive eating like this, the better you'll get at figuring out what it is that your body is asking for.

Also, a great trick is to take a look at what you're craving, note the nutritional contents (fat, carbs, protein, plant matter/fiber) and try and figure out what else sounds tasty for your particular craving. This can give you more data points to go off of. For instance, if you're craving ice cream, but a sweet roll sounds just as good, it's probably carbs your body is asking you for. That said, if you're craving ice cream and a sweet roll doesn't sound good at all BUT a bagel with strawberry cream cheese or avocado toast DOES sound good, you know it's fat you're needing.

there was some awful show on for encouraging middle class mothers to take their eating disorders out on their children and it was like "oh well, this snack doesn't taste as good as my usual one, but it's healthier"

so get one that??? actually tastes as good?

like this thing of. you know this food that you like and enjoy eating? why don't you toss all that out and eat stuff you don't enjoy as much or want to eat?

that's unhinged to me.

god i feel so strongly about this bc i could not figure out how to strike a balance between “eating foods that make me feel good” and “not relapsing back into disordered eating habits” until i switched my mindset from “i need to remove unhealthy foods from my diet” to “i need to figure out which foods makes me feel good and add them to my diet”

examples:

moving from “i want a snack. chips sound really good, but i can’t eat chips because they’re unhealthy, so i guess i just won’t eat anything” to “i want a snack. chips sound really good, so i’m gonna eat some, but because i haven’t had any fruits or veggies today, i’m gonna eat some grapes with them”

moving from “i’m craving a burger and fries from mcdonald’s, but that’s unhealthy, so i’m just gonna eat some plain brown rice and grilled chicken even though those don’t sound good” to “im craving mcdonald’s, but last time i ate that it upset my stomach, so i don’t think eating it would make me feel good. but i think what my craving is telling me is that i need carbs and protein, so how about i make some steak and mashed potatoes for dinner?”

moving from “i’m in too much pain to cook tonight, but frozen food is unhealthy, so i just won’t eat anything” to “im in too much pain to cook tonight, so im gonna eat a frozen meal, but im gonna add some pre-cooked chicken and frozen spinach to it because i think the protein and veggies will make my body feel good”

Brains, she said, run on glucose specifically and literally cannot substitute anything else. I want cookies with frosting because I have a job that requires constant mental attention and my brain is craving a fast energy boost.

If you feel like you don't drink enough non-sugary fluids, it makes more sense to try drinking more tea and sparkling water than it does to just avoid soda. You gotta add in the good (and remember, that the only value food has is how it makes YOU feel. Food is morally nuetral and should be enjoyed.)

Try:

Adding a handful of easy produce to lunch and dinner- baby carrots or cherry tomatoes, something 0 prep. And yes, you are allowed to dip it in dressing! (The fats can make it easier for your body to absorb the vitamins in the veggies)

Adding a cheese stick or yogurt to breakfast. The protein is good and can help you wake up faster.

Adding some roasted nuts to your afternoon snack. (ADD, not replace.) That variety and little protein boost will do you good!

Have a glass of tea, sparkling water, or juice each time you have food. Let's be honest- you aren't hydrated enough. Go buy yourself some Kool Aide mix if that'll make you drink more water! Really!

If you struggle with binge eating sugary foods and it makes you feel yuck when the sugar crash comes- eat 1 or 2 pieces of chocolate with lunch and dinner. Every day. Really. Make it not a big deal. Make it not special. Make it something you can expect, instead of crave. Let yourself enjoy it without guilt.

I'm not a dietician, so take this with a grain of salt. (Ha)

But, if it were me, I would add a handful of chips to lunch and/or dinner. (Or like, one of those snack size little bags if you're bad at self portioning like me.) Make it something your body can expect, not a guilty pleasure. You like chips! Enjoy the chips! Spread the chip enjoyment out.

Those dates you go on with your partner? They’re in public. Unmasked. Your server smiles at you. Everyone feels safe.

You can hug your friends.

You can see a movie. The people in the movie are gay people of color and they kiss and live happily ever after.

2) “I have battled with my self identity for so long and I have finally figured out who I am”

3) “there are some things I simply cannot do because of the way my body/mind works”

4) “My skin color is out of my control and people try to hurt me for it”

5) “I can’t choose who I love, but I’m in love and don’t want to be killed over it”

6) “My brain does not act the way it should and while I am trying to get better it is still sick - I don’t have a choice”

7) “I am in a position that I created entirely myself through my own choices and want sympathy for it.”

so i’ve been vegan since i was 13 (12 yrs ago) and since i was younger i’ve struggled with my autism (particularly sensory issues with food), adhd, eating disorders, chronic depression and poverty. these are some ways i’ve found to manage those and stay relatively healthy.

so first step, for all my meals i try to include at least 1 source of carbs and protein, and 2 types of produce. this is about as balanced as i can usually get, but it fills me up and every couple years i get blood work and they say i’m super healthy so must be doing something right.

now to break those down. these are my most common picks:

carbs: bread, bagels, pasta, rice, quinoa, potatoes, tortillas/wraps granola, oatmeal, couscous, bulgur, farro, amaranth, etc

protein: tofu, beans (black, kidney, cannellini, pinto), legumes (lentils, chickpeas/hummus, peas), nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts (also nut milks)), seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, chia), tvp, seitan, etc

produce: (this could be literally any type of produce, so i’ll just name my staples) mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, spinach, kale, arugula, carrots, cabbage, leeks, bananas, apples, etc

with these, there’s endless combinations for meals:

breakfast: smoothies (pb, banana, milk, greens, chia seeds), granola (any fruit, milk, nuts or seeds or pb), oatmeal (p much same as granola), toast (pb&j with fruit)

lunch/dinner: salad (greens, tofu/nuts, almost any veggies, dressing), toast (tofu, greens/cabbage, tomato, nooch, pepper), tofu scramble (marinate tofu with kala namak, tumeric, paprika, mustard, water, black pepper) grilled or baked veggies, sandwiches, soups, burritos, tacos, wraps, noodles, rice dishes, stir fry (you can throw almost any combo of whatever you like/have on hand into these, just stick to the above formula)

easy sauces: salad dressing (coconut milk, nooch, blk pepper, paprika, mustard, and soy sauce, (also works as a cheesy sauce if you up the nooch) or just oil, vinegar, s/p works honestly), peanut sauce (pb, soy sauce/hoisin, red pepper), tomato sauce (tomato paste, garlic, onion, italian seasoning, paprika, red pepper, s/p), stir fry (soy sauce, garlic, onion/leeks, red pepper, paprika, black pepper), soup broth (soy sauce, mirin, water, leeks, garlic, miso). curry paste (not powder) and coconut milk are also good for stir frys or soup bases

tips to saving money: whenever possible buy in bulk (freeze produce), buy seasonally, buy from farmer’s markets, asian or latin grocery stores. buy canned or frozen produce and dried beans. i also shoplift quite a bit lol and i have friends who dumpster dive, but i don’t have firsthand experience with that

tips to saving time: kinda obvious, but make in bulk and freeze or otherwise store to eat like a week’s worth at a time

that’s all i can think of… at my tightest, i’ve lived off about $10-15 a week. and i usually spend no more than 30 minutes making food, if that. if i get really bad, i’ll literally just eat cans of chickpeas or a handful of spinach and a few bites of tofu straight out of the package. both topped off with a multivitamin i stole. wouldn’t recommend except for in desperate times.