IIN

Acknowledging Cravings

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Acknowledge your cravings and what to avoid:

  • Avoid processed sugars and products made with process sugars. When you crave sweets try eating sweet veggies such as sweet potato, red bell pepper, corn and carrots.  Substitute brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup, stevia or agave for processed sugars; and yes that includes brown sugars.  When eating baked goods look for ones made with whole grains and sweetened with fruit juice.
  • Recognize your cravings and try these alternatives:
    • If you’re craving Salt: high-quality sea salt (just a dash on your food)
    • If you’re craving Bitter: Dark leafy greens
    • If you’re craving Pungent: ginger, cayenne, scallions, onions, garlic, pepper
    • If you’re craving Spicy: Cayenne, hot chili oil
    • If you’re craving Creamy: oatmeal, porridge
    • If you’re craving Crunchy: carrot sticks, whole grain pretzels or natural baked chips
    • If you’re craving Liquid: WATER!
    • If you’re craving Crispy & Dry: Rice Cakes or Sesame Sticks

Happy Earth Day!

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Happy Earth Day! How are you all doing?

Yesterday I came home to some yummy treats from Blue Diamond Natural.  Unfortunately a few things aren’t vegan such as the almond butter with honey, the Lime n’ Chili almonds and the Salt n’ Vinegar almonds so I brought them to work for the boys to have.

Last night was great at our house.  When we got home we did a 30 minute super clean which I find is always successful; basically we run around the house picking up as much as we can or doing dish or laundry and then we are done for the rest of the evening.  One of the hardest parts of working full time, going to school and commuting is having the motivation to come home and do house work so this helps us to be productive and then we can relax.  Last night we relaxed with some homemade pizza and caught up on Tuesday night’s episode of LOST!

Seriously best pizza I’ve had in a long time!  Now I didn’t make my crust but there is this great little pasta company who also makes whole wheat pizza dough and they sell it in the freezer section of the co-op.  All I have to do is let the ball of dough thaw out and it’s ready for me to roll out and top.  Last night I topped this crust with salt free tomato sauce, marinated artichokes, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, minced garlic, a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and Italian seasoning.  It was delicious!

This morning was all about the oatmeal with banana and almond butter because it had just been too long.

So last week I posted about self-care and about making time for yourself.  How is that all working out for you? Have you taken time for yourself this week?  I just ordered a few things from Amazon for my own self-care that are inexpensive (only a couple dollars each) and are easy daily things you can do for yourself. They are:

  1. Hot Water Bottle: This is an inexpensive treat for your body;  just fill it up with warm water and place on your stomach for 15-20 minutes each evening.  The heat from the water bottle brings more energy and blood circulation to the digestive organs.  The heat is also comforting so jump into bed and place on your tummy before you head to sleep and it can relax your body and aid in a better sleep.
  2. Tongue Cleaner: This strange little thing is super inexpensive and aids in fighting cavities and bad breath.  It also helps with cravings by cleaning the tongue of leftover food which can cause you to crave food when you aren’t hungry.  Two other advantages to cleaning your tongue is that it improves the taste of food and enhances kisses.
  3. Hot Towel Scrub: Now I know that all of you must have a hand towel and/or wash cloth and this is an easy thing you can do every day.  Basically wet a towel/wash cloth with warm water and ring it out; then spend 5-10 minutes gently scrubbing your body.  This is great for relaxation, circulation and detoxification and it rejuvenates the skin.

Q: What have you done for yourself this week?