HOW TO EAT HAPPY ALL THE TIME

What if I told you the key to eating happy is super easy. With the holiday season in full force that means tons of gatherings for fun filled eating and drinking binge fests. Who can resist chocolate mousse, apple pie, cookies, and other savory tasting dishes? For some it's another outlet to fuel their emotions with delicious tasting foods to beat the holiday blues, stress, or even another way to boost serotonin. In essence, holidays are very centered around emotional eating. However, when it comes to eating happy the science boils down to reversing what most of us were initially taught as little kids. Most young kids are programmed from an early age to equate happy eating with candy, cookies, fast food, ice cream, rich pastas, and heavy buttery foods. Of course all kids crave sweets and part of their youth revolves around that. I have great memories of my birthday cakes, and ice cream stops in the summer, and yes I still indulge in my weekly ice cream stop in the summertime. A kids past time should be about that , but fast forward as an adult and that lifestyle doesn’t work into demanding schedules between juggling work, school, finding time to be physically active, and even managing kids for some. The mindset needs to change what happy eating is. Instead, happy eating becomes the component that is going to contribute to the most successful version of you! Happy eating should be defined as foods that are going to boost long-term energy and longevity, stabilize moods, provide an overall balance of essential vitamins, and of course satisfy a craving or two! So our definition of happy foods was learned at an early age from our families, upbringing, and emotional events that happened during these times. If your one that has been struggling with diets, overeating, under eating, or using food as emotional outlet try this technique. Therefore, try applying the technique of looking at foods that are natural, unprocessed, and come from the pyramid food chain as foods that are going to properly fuel you and provide nourishment, whereas reprogramming your mindset about those past time foods you were taught as children. Remind yourself those foods long term are going to wreak havoc on your body and prevent you from being the most successful version of you. By reprogramming your mindset to what happy foods are you will never feel like you are on a diet again and your ideal thin will naturally occur. However, it’s ok to indulge weekly or 20 percent of the time within reason, and I call this mindfully eating. It’s impossible to deprive yourself of your old favorite foods or an occasional drink or two. Once you become comfortable with changing your mindset to eating happy all the time, your cravings for those foods will diminish and the switch for mindfully eating those sinful foods or drinks will be in moderation.

SATURDAY'S HAPPY LUNCH

1 veggie burger, side of hearts of palm salad, few potatoes,

2 mini pieces of feta, and side of pineapple and fruit

Portions vary based on genetic makeup

This lunch follows the clean eating princpals which make it

easy for you to recreate

DISCLAIMER: The nutritional, fitness, and well-being information on this site is not intended to be a substitute for professional nutritional or medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.