All Out Nutrition

Do you have a reason to worry about blood sugar spikes?

Blood sugar fluctuations are normal; they show that your body is functioning properly by breaking down foods into energy (namely carbohydrates into glucose).

Glucocentric thinking; it’s all the craze right now. It’s this idea that your glucose levels are all that matters, and if you can get those under “control,” then your health will be under control. In reality, a glucocentric approach is important when glucose metabolism is impaired (if your glucose metabolism isn’t impaired, worrying about glucose/blood sugar doesn’t do any good).

Some people might disagree with me here, but I talk with a lot of people who are scared to eat carbs due to blood sugar spikes, whose labs and health history show no indications of glucose dysregulation.

Labs, genetics, family history, dietary habits, preexisting conditions, etc. all play a role in assessing your individual health, not just glucose control.

We live in a time where anyone with access to a phone and social media can post information… sometimes misleading information which leads to health anxiety (and avoidance/restriction of certain foods groups 🚩). It’s easy to fall victim to this.

Don’t self diagnose. ❌
Don’t let an “influencer” diagnose you. ❌
Talk to your doctor. ✅

Glucose spikes ARE NOT bad. ✅
Carbs ARE NOT bad. ✅
Unnecessary health anxiety IS bad. ❌

Do you have a subconscious list of “off limits” foods? If not, this post isn’t for you.

However, most people I chat with do indeed have a list of “off limits” foods…

…but why? What makes these foods so dangerous, controlling, and powerful?

Well, the answer is never really THAT simple. There’s typically an emotional, social, and/or psychological component to it…

But here’s what I know to be true: humans don’t like to be told that they CAN’T have something. So when you create subconscious (or conscious) restrictions surrounding some foods, that makes them more valuable and we become much more likely to overindulge in said “off limits” foods when they do become available.

If you struggle with this, I challenge you to incorporate your “off limits” foods more regularly into your food choices.

When you have a craving for ANY FOOD, honor it, and see what happens 🫡

*The only “off limits” foods should be ones that are rotten, spoiled, you’re allergic too, or you simply don’t enjoy ✅

We all know food provides the energy and nutrition we need to keep going…

BUT

I think sometimes we forget that food is SO much more than just energy and nutrients….

Food…
- Provides nostalgia
- Provides comfort
- Brings people together
- Gives textural satisfaction
- Gives mental satisfaction
- Reinforces traditions and heritage
- Provides an outlet for creativity
- Is in abundance for some
- Is scarce for others

Just a good reminder ya on this BEAUTIFUL THURSDAY 👌

Challenge Yourself.

I’m not gonna sit here and act like I challenge myself everyday… I definitely enjoy propping the feet up and getting lost in the sauce (aka scrolling too long on the ol’ cellular device).

But, it does feel good to challenge yourself and try new things (duh Chase).

I’m currently challenging myself to do push-ups every day, which honestly makes me feel super accomplished once I’m done, and I actually feel like it’s finally becoming habitual (even though it’s only been a week 😅).

So, I’m curious how y’all challenge yourselves! If you feel so inclined, let me know what activity you do that’s consistently challenging!👇🏻

…and if you’re not challenging yourself at the moment, well, that’s cool too because sometimes being comfortable is just fine 🤙🏻

For those of you who struggle with moderation❗️PLEASE READ THIS❗️

Moderation is almost a BUZZ word at this point… it gets thrown around, even by myself, but what does moderation actually mean?

Moderation defined: the avoidance of excess or extremes (but what are extremes in the world of food?)

Here’s the problem: moderation is super subjective. I could (and recently did) smash an entire pint of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.
- Do I do this often? No.
- Do I personally see a problem with it? No.
- Would most people consider it moderation? No.
- Do I care? No.

Moderation generally implies that you need to eat LESS of a certain food that you typically eat A LOT of and genuinely ENJOY. This can lead to depravation and guilt. What’s the point of feeling so bad about foods that make you feel so good? That’s some bullllllll sh*t if ya ask me.

So what do we do?
1. Make sure you’re eating consistently throughout the day (typically every 3-4 hours) to avoid large swings in appetite.
2. Up your snack game to include carbs, protein, and even healthy fats to promote satiety.
3. Eat what you WANT, but add what you NEED (ex: I want chips (carbs), but I know I could smash this whole bag cuz it won’t fill me up, so I’ll ADD beef jerky (protein) and nuts (protein and healthy fats) cuz I NEED it to feel more satiated).
4. Allow yourself to have that “treat” more often than you think. The more you blow off your cravings, the more intense they’re gonna get.
5. Pre-portion chips, nuts, ice cream, etc. When the whole bag is in front of you, it’s easy to over-eat.
6. Understand you’re human and we’re wired to crave mentally satisfying foods 🤷🏻‍♂️

All foods fit, especially comfort foods 🍦🍪