I had an experience this morning that just made me laugh.  I had a check up with the eye doctor.  I’m sitting in the chair with some apparatus pushed up against my face, and the doctor says, “I see from your chart you’re a dietitian.  You’re probably interested in the diet I’m on.”  As it turns out, I wasn’t.  I was there for an eye check up.  This appointment was about my health, not his.  And as it turns out, the diet he’s on is crazy.  It has him rubbing testosterone cream on his arms once a day, apparently because he’s low in this hormone which is making him gain weight.  Oh, and by the way, the diet recommends he eat a low carb diet and exercise every day.

It’s an unfortunate truth that in our society we want glitz, glam and sex appeal.  We want there to be a catch, to be a magic bullet.  In reality, weight management isn’t glitz and glam.  It isn’t rubbing testosterone cream on your body every day or taking a diuretic or wearing a special suit in the sauna.  It’s boring, it’s day to day work, it’s routine.

That said, we are all creatures of habit.  So if we build in the right habits, live those habits every day, weight management won’t be a struggle and we won’t need the latest fad diet that guarantees we’ll lose 10 pounds this week.  There’s an opportunity for all of us to put those habits in place in our lives and the lives of our family members, and then not have to stress out and worry about it all the time.

And if you still need the glitz and glam, try a new type of exercise (I’m trying kettle bell classes right now!), take an adventure vacation (white water rafting is on my list), spice up the foods you eat or buy new trendy workout clothes.  These have to be better choices then rubbing testosterone on your arms every day.  . .

Visit www.nuval.com to choose nutritious foods to build into your daily habits.

In my husband’s extended family, there is an Aunt Roanne.  Yes, Roanne, named after her parents’ neighbor’s girlfriend.  We sometimes refer to her as “Crazy Aunt Ro.” The reason?  She is always the life of the party, has a personality bigger than life and impossible to resist, introduces her third husband John as her “current husband” despite the fact they’ve been married for almost 20 years, brings her dogs to every family gathering, and shows up for a week at the cabin with enough food to feed 20 people instead of the two people she brought.  She’s a gem.

As a reader of this blog, Ro asked me to talk about food cravings.  Tricky topic.  Some people crave sweet, some salty.  Are cravings related to monthly hormonal changes in women?  Are they real or a factor of boredom, anxiousness or nervousness?

No matter the answer to any of these questions, the trick for Roanne and for all of us is learning how to manage these cravings so they don’t sabotage our eating habits on a regular basis.  Here are some ideas to do just that:

1. You’ve heard it before, but I’ll say it again.  Drink water.  If you’re feeling hungry or are caving something, you may actually be thirsty.
2. Don’t underestimate the power of sugar-free gum, especially if your craving is a sweet one.  Sometimes just giving your jaw and mouth something to do will make the craving subside.
3. Give in to the craving, but in moderation.  My favorite candy is Dots.  When I’m craving them, I don’t eat the whole box.  I eat one of each color, and my craving is satisfied.
4. Analyze the craving. Food is a complex issue.  We eat when we’re nervous, bored or worried.  So before giving in to the craving, seek to understand it and then determine what will really help.
5. Journal about it.  Tracking what you eat is one of the most effective ways to manage your eating habits.  By journaling your cravings – time of day, type of food, what happened prior to the craving – you can more effectively manage it.
6. About 3:00 pm every afternoon, I crave something sweet.  Since I know this about myself, I plan it into my day.  To satisfy this afternoon craving, I choose a sweet fruit like blueberries, a calorie-controlled protein bar, or a warm coffee with sugar-free flavoring.  This way, I’m not adding a bunch of calories into my day.

Do you have ideas for managing cravings you can share with my Aunt Ro?

Visit www.nuval.com to discover the most nutritious products to feed your cravings.