Is it just me, or does it seem that everywhere you look there is another message telling you that you need to quit some food or another, or you‘ll get fat or sick.
It seems every week there is another diet on the market preaching what I see as another fancy way to restrict the foods you love.
I‘m all for feeling amazing, and some of these protocols work for many people but for anyone with a history of problematic eating - whether it be an eating disorder or simply a history of yo-yo dieting, this way of looking at food and diet can do more harm than good.
A problematic eater is anyone with distorted thoughts around food. It can be someone who has experienced a lifetime of dieting to no avail. It‘s the person who turns to food to deal with emotions.
It‘s someone who feels anxiety around food or even someone who either refuses to eat or restricts then binges.
I‘d like to argue that many of us fall into one or more of these categories which is why a restriction based way of eating is rarely going to work for the long term.
Any way of eating that tells you that you can never have a food you love is restrictive. No matter how “healthy“ it‘s marketed as being, for a problematic eater, it can lead to or trigger obsessive thinking around food or binges somewhere down the road.
I have had clients come into my office week after week and tell me their entire week was a failure because they made one “bad“ choice in their diet. Without the right support, this usually leads to an idea of “falling off the wagon“ and then giving up completely.
This is why an “all or nothing“ approach doesn‘t work for many people. My philosophy is different, it‘s compassionate and gentle and can mean a world of difference for someone who has struggled in the past.
My philosophy - which was an important theme during my health coach training is much more positive. I like to focus on the idea of “crowding in“ rather than quitting this or that.
Crowding in means changing your focus to getting more of the good stuff rather than putting your attention on cutting out the other foods. Focus on increasing foods that serve us so that eventually there is less room or cravings for the ones that don't.
Even if the rest of your diet doesn‘t completely change - you‘re still going to get more nutrients and eating more healthy foods, and I believe that eventually you‘ll begin to change your taste buds and start to crave foods that nourish you.
Crowding in is about serving the healthiest foods first at dinner, adding spinach to your scrambled eggs, or drinking a glass of water before reaching for that sweet snack.
Its‘ about being creative and asking yourself: “How can I crowd in more veggies with this meal?“ Or “What might oil be better for cooking“?
This approach which focuses on taking small daily steps and increasing healthy food rather than avoiding indulgences creates a much more positive framework for implementing lasting change.
Nuzest products make it easy to crowd in the right kinds of proteins and greens while you continue to fill up your plates with those delicious foods that the earth provides.
This fudge recipe provides a great way to pack in some nutrition without compromising on dessert!
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE
- 4 Tbsp raw cacao powder
- 1 Tbsp chia seed or ground linseed
- 1 scoop Nuzest - Clean Lean Protein - Vanilla or chocolate
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil
- 6 Tbsp of your favourite nut or seed butter
- Mix the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Pour the mixture into a baking paper lined loaf-pan.
- Dollop with 3-4 spoonfuls of peanut butter (or almond butter) and use a kebab stick or knife to swirl the nut butter through. Place in the fridge or freezer to harden.
- Cut into 8-10 squares
