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Yes, it’s holiday eating all over again!

Remember:
•Don’t save up all day for the big meal. That just slows down your metabolism and causes you to eat more. This also changes your hunger patterns for a couple days after
•Choose items that you do not get to have on a daily basis. Pick your grandma’s famous ________ or your aunt’s homemade________…. Skip the foods that you can have on non-holiday meals
•Portion your plate! Try to make 1/2 vegetables and fruits, 1/4 lean protein and 1/4 whole grains
•If buffet or family style, remember that your stomach is the slowest organ to respond. Wait 20 minutes before taking seconds.
•If the food wasn’t as divine as you had hoped, you do not have to finish it.
•Oh yeah and the Easter candy. Everything in moderation. You do not have to eat it all at once. You can save it to enjoy a little at a time. We have awhile until Halloween.

Enjoy family versus focusing on food.

How many of you gave up sweets or chocolate for Lent? Have you felt deprived and plan on going crazy in less than two weeks? Deprivation leads to wanting to over-indulge…. my suggestion is to take the opportunity to start moderately.

Where do our chocolate cravings come from?

Chocolate is the most frequently craved food, with 40% of women and 15% of men claiming chocolate yearnings (Yanovski 2003).

Chocolate comprises a complex medley of chemicals that give rise to its unique taste, texture and aroma. Over 400 distinct substances contribute to chocolate’s familiar melt-in-your-mouth smoothness and sweetly unique odor. Chocolate has orosensory properties that enhance our urge for sensory gratification: Simply seeing or smelling it can trigger cravings.

Like drug addictions, food cravings alter potent neurotransmitters that regulate mood. Cocoa butter changes from solid to liquid at mouth temperature, providing the characteristic melt-in-your-mouth quality. This sensation causes the brain to release a flood of endorphins, the body’s natural pain killers, producing temporary feelings of warmth and euphoria. The analgesic effect of chocolate may be a source of sensory addiction for some.

The sugar in chocolate stimulates serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and provides a sense of calm and well-being. Within minutes of consumption, the chocolate eater may feel a balmy glow. Chocolate may help chase the blues by raising serotonin levels, though the science behind the “serotonin hypothesis” has been mixed (Parker, Parker & Brochie 2006).

Chocolate contains psychoactive agents that can change mood. Theobromine, a chemical similar to caffeine, is absorbed quickly, mildly stimulating the nervous system to increase the heart rate.

So truely cravings can come from foods. To help reduce cravings start with a well-nutrient-balanced intake including whole grains, lean proteins (animal and plant sources), vegetables, fruits and heart healthy fats. Also, be sure to eat consistently to prevent blood glucose crashes that increase food cravings.

NutriFormance wants to wish all the participants of the 110 hour basketball game benefit for Joplin good luck! Nutrition is always an important part of sports and I am sure these athletes will quickly realize how important it is to fuel their bodies. Imagine how many calories these athletes are burning! Fueling and hydrating their bodies takes nearly as much work as the actually playing for that long.

Sports Nutrition Tip: Try to eat a carbohydrate rich snack 45-60 minutes before exercise. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for working muscles, so it is important to make sure fuel stores are topped off before exercise. Carbohydrates are found in starchy foods (bread, rice/pasta, cereal, bagels, potatoes, etc), fruit and dairy products.

Caffeine may be readily available in many drinks, but it can still be dangerous. It is classified as a stimulant, which means that it fuels your central nervous system and increases your energy levels. In small doses, caffeine temporarily gives you pep in your step and it may elevate your mood. However, caffeine’s stimulating effects can quickly become adverse if you consume more caffeine than your body can tolerate. There are also other forms of stimulants to look for on energy drinks (guarana, tyrosine, kola nut, citrus aurantium). Here are four major signs that you should be cutting back.1. You drink more than 4 cups (more than about 400mg per day. Depending on how you brew your coffee some may have 95 milligrams per cup and some may have 200 mg per cup. Too much caffeine can result in side effects such as irritability, restlessness, rapid pulse, muscle tremors, and an upsetstomach.2. Small amounts make you jittery. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine as others. 3. You aren’t sleeping well. No amount of caffeine will recover a good night of sleep and in fact can further interrupt your sleep.4. Are having signs of dependency such as: headache, lethargy, muscle stiffness, nausea. My suggestion to help balance caffeine intake is to make sure that you are hydrating with non-caffeinated beverages such as water in the same amount of ounces as your caffeinated beverages. Many of the people you know probably drink coffee, tea, cola, and other caffeinated drinks on a regular basis. Caffeine seems pretty innocent since it’s so widely available. However, it’s important to keep in mind that caffeine is a drug and that there is such a thing as consuming too much. If you’re like most people, you can have a few cups of a caffeinated beverage per day without any problems. Still, you should be aware of some danger signs that you’ve gone overboard.