In the past six mini-lessons, we’ve clarified what drives out of control choice eating. Clients are relieved we measure progress by rewriting our story, not by counting and monitoring their food. In the process, we learn how to stop eating bad foods.
This doesn’t mean we ignore the food. You can. However, your food choices can support you in the challenge of story revision.
Balance Your Blood Sugar
When we eat the foods that balance our blood sugar, we eliminate anxiety and moods swings, which come from our physical body. Anxiety and happiness aren’t all in your head!
When our blood sugar is balanced, it’s like starting each day emotionally as if you had a solid eight to nine hours’ sleep. We all know the world feels different on eight versus four hours’ sleep.
When your blood sugar is imbalanced, it’s like you’re taking on the world with four hours’ sleep, if that. Our blood sugar gets imbalanced from not eating the right foods for our body or from too much sugar or salty carbs like chips and fries. When this happens, our energy and moods crash.
Give Yourself Choices
We also don’t want to eliminate “bad” foods while working through our story because that restriction will cause rebellion when you feel like you have no choices.
The great news is there’s a deeelicious solution. I call these bridge foods. In the same way entrepreneurs will take a bridge job to fill in the financial gap until they go full-time with their business, bridge foods help us not feel deprived and keep our blood sugar stable when we don’t have a full Truce with Food yet. Total win-win.
Bridge foods are high in protein and/or fat and low in natural sugars. I stick to natural sugars: honey, maple syrup and coconut sugar. They satisfy and keep your moods stable for greater clarity to decode your emotions.
Substitute Bridge Foods (Clients Love ’em)
Here are some of my favorite homemade bridge foods that my clients also love:
- Vanilla Roasted Walnuts. Elana’s site is overall amazing and her recipes are simple. I visit her site like she’s my neighbor.
- Low-Carb 3 Ingredient Fudge (Knock knock, it’s me again Elana!)
- Paleo-Vegan Apple Crisp by Megan, the brains behind Detoxinista. She has so many delicious recipes and gets the importance of your relationship to food.
- Flourless Peanut Butter Blondies
- Contraband Cookie Dough Bites by Lindsay Smith, author of Eat Your Feelings and my dear Pittsburgh friend!
- And if you’re on the go? I love Kind Bars Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Bars, with under 5g of sugar and real nuts to keep you stable and satisfied.
When you want to zone out or numb out, try swapping out bridge foods for the foods you normally turn to. Then use your playlist. After that, ask yourself, “What feels unsettling?” and “What do I need to feel more settled?”
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