Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes PhD, LPC-MHSP, LMHC
Executive Director: AllCEUs.com
Podcast Host: Counselor Toolbox and Happiness Isn’t Brain Surgery
Become a member at DocSnipes.com to be able to chat with Doc Snipes via text or video chat.
1.Don’t eliminate any food (just moderate). Eliminating something can cause you to feel deprived and crave it, or feel sad that you can't have it anymore. Try keeping your less healthy foods out of the house and buy them in single servings. For example, if you buy a bag of cookies, separate them into single serve containers and keep the containers in a place that is inconvenient to access (like the trunk of your car).
2.Drink enough water to prevent fatigue, sluggishness, foggy-headedness and irritability.
3.Get enough protein (~0.6-1.0gm/lb/day). Talk to your doctor about how much you need. Too much is hard on your kidneys and can lead to osteoporosis. Too little and your body breaks down its own muscle.
4.Eat your grains and nuts to help ensure you have good fats to support your bbody and the vitamins and minerals to break down proteins to make brain chemicals.
5.Moderate your intake of caffeine, sugar, high fructose corn syrup and refined white flour, but do it slowly so you do not have withdrawal feelings, anxiety and depression.
6.Get enough omega-3 to reduce inflammation, improve mood and reduce pain.
7.Get creative with your cooking to discover new flavors. I recently discovered the spice cumin and have found new ways to use ginger.
8.Savor your food (eat mindfully). What does it look like? What does it smell like? What do you taste (sweet, salty, savory, spices)? What is the texture in your mouth. (Okay, that one may gross you out, but the first three can help you focus). Every bite may have a slightly different flavor…more or less cooked, more or less spices.
1. Put half back. Your eyes are probably bigger than your stomach, as the saying goes. Think about how much you want and only take half. Likely you will not go back for that other half.
2. Use a salad plate which is smaller than a dinner plate so you feel like you are eating more.
3. Have multiple colors on your plate to trick your brain into thinking you are eating more. (It also helps you get a wider variety of vitamins and minerals important to support your health and mood.
4. Turn off the television so you can focus on your food
9. Consider green tea which has been shown to help with anxiety and fight free radicals and the aging process.
10. Don’t eat until you are stuffed. This just encourages regret and later self-deprivation to compensate for over eating.