Is it time for a tequila, rosé or chip intervention?

Clearly not my stash, no Summer Water or Miraval, also enjoy the cans (portion control)!

On Sunday nights, I remind our Foodstalking clients they signed up for the week ahead. If you have no idea what I’m referring to, Foodstalking is our e-nutrition program. For a week, we send a tip to participants in the morning and they send a complete food log to us at night. It’s a great way to tighten things up with added accountability. Typically, clients say “yup” or “got it” when I send the reminder. Last night it was, “I really need this” or “I’m looking forward to structure” across the board.

Whether your “thing” is chips or dessert or wine or portions, summer eating is tricky. Summer can be more social and there are many seasonal temptations. Here are a few tips if you’re looking to tighten things (or yourself) up:

 Pop a probiotic: sugar, carbs and wine wreak havoc on your intestinal flora. Why does that matter? Well that flora is sort of like a control tower for your body. One of the things it controls is cravings. 

I like this one.

Build momentum on Monday. If summer weekends are indulgent, make Monday matter. Skip booze and carbs to start the week.

Sprinkle cinnamon. Sugar cravings are caused, in part, by yeasts in your body (candida) that feed on sugar.  When no sugar is present they signal brain for more. Cinnamon wipes away these evil yeasts. Cinnamon also keeps you fuller longer. Put 1/4 to 1/2  teaspoon cinnamon in your morning coffee or smoothie.  This is the best type of cinnamon.

Lavish fats- as you’re working on decreasing carbs, sugar or wine consciously increase good fats in your diet. Coconut oil (despite recent brouhaha), avocado, chia seeds, olive oil and walnuts are some Foodtrainers’ favorites.

Give fruit a friend- summer fruits are tricky too. I’m pro fruit but, for now, try not to eat fruit on its own. Fruit and nuts, fruit and cheese, fruit as part of breakfast fine (once a day).

I know summer is about kicking back and relaxing and that’s all good. I just want you to feel your best and be without rose’ regrets come September. Fair?

Tell me how your summer eating has been, what’s your biggest challenge? Any questions or topics you’d like me to cover?

Should I see a nutritionist? I mean, shouldn’t I be able to do this on my own?

Our waiting room

Recently, I received an email from a longtime client, who I hadn’t seen in a few months.
She was emailing for an appointment but expressed frustration at not being able to manage things (food things) on her own. This is a legit question but one that’s not asked of other experts. We don’t try to do therapy on our own. We see trainers for years at a time. It’s understood that our minds and bodies are long-term projects. Why do we pressure ourselves to be "done" with nutrition?

At the same time, we do try to build a degree of independence in our clients. Most Foodtrainers’ clients start out coming weekly, move to every other week and then to once a month. Clients, who tweak their nutrition continuously, tend to fare better than those who come in intensely, disappear and then resurface with the common refrain, “I should have come back sooner.”

After all these years, it’s not a matter of being sell-y”.  I know what works. If we start to see nutrition the way we do personal training, gym going, therapy, hair coloring (I was trying to think of repetitive appointments), waxing etc. we’ll mitigate feelings of guilt and really feel better.

My son stopped eating fries and I had nothing to do with it

I have two sons. One is more curious about nutrition;  he’s currently is into acai bowls, helps Carolyn and I test recipes etc. Then there’s my older son. He isn’t super technologically-inclined but figured out Postmates/Shake Shack really quickly. While he’s very diligent about fitness and enjoys our organic, veggie-loaded family meals, he doesn’t care too much about nutrition. That’s fine, I have made a point not to shove nutrition down my kid’s throats (in the idiomatic sense, I guess those family meals are forced on them).

Last week, this study made the rounds. Less-healthy son is a current events buff. He came into the kitchen and declared he was giving up French fries. He told everyone about this study. The study found that those who had fries more than twice a week were twice as likely to die prematurely. For the record, non-fried potatoes (roasted, baked) were exonerated.

 I wasn’t going to tell my son to keep eating fries but this study has some issues. These fry lovers, we don’t know what else they did. They could also be soda drinkers or couch potatoes or super stressed out. It’s very difficult to tease out one relationship. And there’s a portion issue too, twice a week of fries makes you die but once is perfectly fine?

I get it, “fries twice a week is associated with early death but the relationship isn’t causal” isn’t too catchy. What interested me most of all of this was that this fact so changed my son’s attitude toward a food he loves (too much). Maybe, I need to be blunter? Video games, body odor and rudeness make you die early too? In any event, don’t tell my son about the technicalities of the fry news. And while we’re deceiving my kids, don’t tell my younger son about the sugar in those acai bowls.

I Was Lifted (and not talking levitation or any weird crap like that)

I started this week feeling like shit, full of self-doubt, it happens. I looked on Instagram (as if that’ll help any insecurities) and found that I had been tagged by Heather in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

She posted a quote from LittleBook of Thin and explained she was home with a sick baby. She could sit on the couch and eat Cheeze-its or get up and “be the boss of her body.”  My messaging was helping someone else, that’s why I do what I do, thank you Heather.

The next day, Marc and I watched the docu “if you’re not inthe obits, eat breakfast” on HBO.

It’s about kicking ass in your 90s. One woman, who is still running at 100, told her story. She used running to get over a family tragedy (tragedies actually). It got her out of bed, it got her to climb out of her grief. Jerry Seinfeld (not 90 but his mother was in the film) talks about his life principles, one of them is “bust your ass”. Whatever you’re doing, bust your ass at it. Get up, bust your ass- a theme was building

And on Wednesday, I’m telling you it was a week weird signs and signals, I ran into a friend. We have a high profile friend in common. I say that only because it’s relevant. My friend said, “do you know how I met her?” I didn’t. She explained that this high profile person wasn’t as high profile when they first met. She found out my friend’s husband was in a position to help her take her career to the next level. She didn’t mince words and asked my friend to meet her husband. I joked with my friend “wow, she just flat out asked for what she wanted, I could do more of that.” My friend, as she walked away, said “yes, you could.”  For the record, I’m a terrible “asker”.

Finally, last night Carolyn and I went to a book party at Hu for the fitness phenom Holly Rilinger. Holly’s new book “Lifted” offers fitness advice but also life advice (and my favorite nutritionist contributed to the book). Holly joked that she’s a journal keeper. When she reviewed her journals, in writing the book proposal, she constantly said “again”?  Holly said, “10 years later and the same issues?”We all have these reoccurring emotional themes we need strategies for. So whether you’re 40-something or 90-something, your words can “lift” someone else. Or, as Heather in Kentucky or the 100-year-old runner (I need to go back and learn her name) did, lift yourself.

Anybody or anything lift you up this week? Are you someone who asks for what you need?

Are you going to order LBT or Lifted right now?