The brain is powerful thing, especially when it comes to eating.  Faced with food choices all day long, the power to forego needless calorie foods takes practice.  In fact, research published last year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found from brain scans of successful weight loss maintainers (kept 30 + pounds off for at least three years) that their brains are more “in control” when it comes to inhibiting implusive eating behaviors, whereas obese participants were more likely to act (eat) when food is put in front of them. 

What an exciting revelation to think that healthy, low-calorie eating doesn’t happen overnight.  It takes practice to master overeating.  Like Malcolm Blackwell talks about in his book, Outliers, mastery of anything takes at least 10,000 hours of practice.  With 365  24-hour days in a year, that’s  8,760 hours in a year (however, the time is cut in half when you consider that we are only awake half of those hours).  So that’s more than a year of steady practice.  So it’s no wonder that these brief  on-again, off-again diets don’t work.  The consistent practice of balancing calories in with calories out and eating whole, unprocessed foods for snacks and meals is never truly mastered, if you don’t put in the practice (and train your brain) to eat well. 

Practice eating well today – it’s a brain-altering step in the right direction…

My dearest friend in the world is having a special birthday next week — yes, she’ll be 4-0.  What that means for me  is that I am not far behind with a mere 3 months of 30-somethingness left!  Not that 40 is a big deal (my kids can’t even fathom what year I am), but it is a magical age in that it ushers in midlife.  It makes me think about eating, of course.  Midlife brings metabolic changes  as hormones begin to communicate in a new way, metabolism slows down and fat can begin to accumulate in places that it never had before.   In other words, we have to eat less to maintain weight and fit into our favorite jeans.  

In order to avoid what I call the “Midlife Metabolic Crisis”, in which you turn around and your waist is up 2 inches, clothes are too tight and elastic waistbands become the norm,  there are some key things to do before it hits:  

1) Eat what you love, but LESS of it.  By not denying yourself, but just taking less you won’t notice the difference (that much!) and you won’t be eating as many calories.  Split portions in half and save the rest for later or the next day.   

2) Grow UP your eating.  In Hal Edward Runkel’s book, ScreamFree Parenting, he talks about ‘growing yourself up’ to parent more effectively and essentially more calmly.   I equate his concept with what we need to do once we hit 40, grow up when it comes to what you choose to eat.  Try to refine your tastes to include less processed food, less animal-based protein and fat and MORE (what I call Grown Up fare) plants including fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains and vegetable oils.  It’s time to grow up…

3) Savor what you eat.  Take the time to eat mindfully by eating more slowly and really tasting your food.  After 40 years most of us have mastered the act of eating, but the art of eating requires a lot of work and practice.  By paying attention to how you feel when you are eating without judgement, you can become objective to your eating. Pretty soon, you’ll learn to choose food for quality and understand what your body really needs. 

4) Keep the metabolism up with movement.  Activity helps in so many ways; there is research to show that cells benefit, especially in midlife.  The mitochondria or powerhouse of our cells are better powered when we use our muscles regularly.  It makes me want to bike, hike, swim and plain old walk more - maybe that’s one of my ”40 Club” resolutions.

The bottom line is we all get older and that’s not the big deal to me.  What’s on my mind is the growing up that I need to do at this point in my life….:-

In what ways, can you grow up your eating?

In thinking about my 2010 resolutions, a big one is creating more meatless opportunities – it’s not only healthier for us, but the planet, too.  After seeing the movie, Food Inc. over the holidays I am surprised I have not swarn off meat altogether!  Why not start off the first weekday of the week devoid of meat – including turkey, chicken, fish, pork, beef, quail, ostrich and bison (and any other meat product available).    

Of course, I could live on beans, legumes and nuts alone, but my family is a different story.  Last night’s chickpea salad, which I savored and devoured, was barely touched by my toddler son and daughter.  My husband gets a few more fiber points than them, but not many.  Do I have to hide the beans in hummus, dips and soups?  Maybe. 

For a simple Chick Pea Salad, just toss a rinsed and drained can of chick peas (aka garbanzo beans) with a tablespoon of olive oil and one of balsamic vinegar.  Dice up a small juicy red plum tomato and a handful of fresh cilantro and add it to the dressed chick pea mixture.   Add a dash of salt and pepper to your taste.  

Yum….meatless Mondays here we come!  Want to join us?

It’s that time again, to welcome in another year in our lives — ofcourse we want to be happy, healthy and productive. But what does that mean?  Is it a smaller waistline, a healthier heart, an arsenal of easy, healthy and satisfiying recipes at your fingertips or the opportunity to make a difference in yours and others lives?  Happiness comes in many shapes and sizes; unwrapped and wrapped; it’s a compilation of many things that come together in your life.  For me and my life’s work, I want to help people figure out how to make their health goals a reality.  Here is some food for thought as we enter 2010:

- Become your biggest health advocate – think about what you really want and GO for it!

- Write out your goals and enforce them with your signature on the page (somewhere….anywhere!) It becomes more contractual (aka harder to break) if you put it on paper and sign it.

- Shoot for small changes to what, how and when you are eating.  Since we have to eat to live (or live to eat as some of us do!)  It’s important to choose a food-related goal toward health because I know there’s always another serving of veggies that we can get in our day (yes, that includes me!)

As I write this at 12:06 am on the second day into another year – I think about the possibilities for change, growth and adventure in the coming 12 months.  It’s exciting!  As a wise person once told me, “Listen to your life…”  We can all learn a lot about where we are (and want) to go, if we pay attention to where we’ve been.

Happy & Healthy 2010!  I look forward to listening with you…