Top 5 Ways to Avoid Cheating and Excessive Snacking

We’ve all fought our inner-selves at one point or another, particularly when you’re at a family party and everyone’s eyes, including those of the Dorito bowl, are on you.

Okay, totally exaggerating, but it’s still stressful! Cheating and its temptation to excessively snack are as much a part of this clean eating lifestyle as eating healthy all the time! We all have to learn that cheating is just a part of the process, and there are ways to work around it; snacking is the same. Remember this: moderation, not deprivation.Cheating shouldn’t be a frequent occurrence, but that doesn’t mean that you can never have an [insert bad food here] once in a while. Snacking, as well, is much needed but has a definitive line that should not be crossed. We decided to collaborate and write a list of our top five reasons/ways to avoid having that extra cheat!

5.) Water. When was the last time you drank it? How much have you drank today? 60% of the human body is water, yet we continually forget to nourish ourselves with it. One of the biggest reasons for cheating and binge eating is the body tricking your mind into thinking you’re hungry when, in fact, you’re simply thirsty! Drink half a bottle 30 minutes before you plan on eating a meal or a big snack. If you’re only eating because you’re bored or need something to do, which can often be hard to figure out, then doing this will tell you the definite answer. If it was out of boredom, then by the time 30 minutes rolls around, your stomach will be fuller. (Tip: If you’re unsure how much water you should be drinking a day, divide your body weight in half and drink that much in ounces a day. For example, if your weight is 150, then 150/2=75. You should drink 75 ounces of water per day, or 75/16.9=4.4 bottles.)

4.) Creativity is key. Still feeling hungry after a snack or meal? This is when most cheating or binging is most likely to occur. If it’s not that you are thirsty, try a piece of fruit or some cut up veggies? Sound boring? Spice it up! Instead of having a few berries, make a smoothie! Smoothies will fill you up more and keep you satisfied longer. If you feel veggies aren’t enough, try making a yummy and filling avocado dip! This can be done by either just blending (or food processing) a plain avocado or try adding some lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil to the mix for some fun flavor. (Tip: Make sure you get at least 3 snacks a day or 5-6 small meals a day. You won’t feel the urge to binge or cheat because you will feel fuller and more satisfied.)

3.) What have you eaten today? If that insatiable food craving just won’t go away and you’re on the verge of cheating, consider this: what have you eaten today? If you think back and it has mostly consisted of fruits and vegetables, or was water based, then maybe it’s time to feed your body some more complex carbs! Have that sweet potato or avocado! Have you eaten mostly carbs? Have some fruit! Not enough protein? Throw a scoop of whey protein into your favorite smoothie! It’s all about striking a balance that your body will reward you for. It’s a matter of trial and error, but you can do it! (Tip: Having trouble keeping up with all of those confusing nutritional labels? Try downloading the app MyFitnessPal to get you started. It will keep track of how much of each food category you’re eating, what you need more of, and even lets you share it with friends! Use this for a couple weeks and see what your eating has been like, then adjust it.)

2.) Don’t skip meals. Have you ever thought, “I’ve eaten so much today, I just won’t have dinner?” If you have, this is definitely not the way to go! Skipping meals is not healthy, despite seeming so, and can actually cause you to gain weight at first. This is because when your body isn’t fed the proper amount of nutrients a day, it will digest the next thing it receives as fat. By skipping a meal you are more susceptible to cheating or binging later on in the day. A binge is your body’s way of calling out for what it needs that you have failed to provide it with. So don’t skip; steadily nourish! (Tip: Like mentioned before, you should be eating 5-6 small meals a day or a breakfast, lunch, and dinner, consisting of at least 250-300 calories each, as well as 3 snacks throughout the day.)

1.) Don’t fear the silly “preoccupations.” Ever heard that you should avoid snacking by counting to a hundred? No? How about by painting your nails? Doing your makeup? Going for a run? If you have a hunch that you’re about to cheat out of boredom, and that’s truly what it is, then doing any number of these things should help to pass the time and make you forget about this faux-hunger! Clearly, you can’t go for a run if you’re that hungry. Your body will protest it, and then you’ll know that you truly do need that snack. Try any number of these things to pass the time, and if, say, half an hour later you’re still hungry, then eat! Refer to #4 on how to eat these snacks. (Tip: Community is key! Comment below with any ideas you have about how to pass the time that adds to the ones listed above. If we like one you write, then there’s a chance we will post it on our Instagram and attribute it to you!)

This is a small list of ideas compared to all of those out there. There are so many reasons against cheating, but there are also reasons for it! Cheating can renew your willingness to continue on this lifestyle, particularly when you feel like it’s depriving you of what you love. As said earlier, remember: moderation, not deprivation. As for snacking, pay attention to the tips we provided about how to avoid having too many, but also how to know when it’s boredom snacking versus real snacking. If you can implement these things into your amazing clean eating lifestyle, we are confident that your journey will get that much simpler! Have an amazing week nourishers!

xoxo Valentina and Jaimee

Restaurant Review: Blue Sage Vegetarian Grille in South Hampton, PA

For my sixteenth birthday the other week, Valentina and I decided that it was the perfect time for us to drive a little further to try out an extremely recommended restaurant. Blue Sage Vegetarian Grille in South Hampton PA, located in a quaint shopping center with its pleasant service and delicious food, turned out to be all that we'd hoped for, and then some. They serve a variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes that are marked according to what they are, and the simplicity of the restaurant offers an entirely new take on how we eat.

To start, we went with Organic Stash tea. Basically, they bring out boiled water to you in a cool layered tea kettle, along with packets of different Stash teas, and you can choose them and pour your water at your leisure. We really enjoyed this for a few reasons. One, we could try out flavors we didn't normally drink. Two, we didn't have to ask the waitress for more drinks when we ran out. Last, it was delicious! Nothing is more calming than enjoying warm tea and a chat with friends in a bustling restaurant.

There were tons of appetizers to choose from, but we decided on the only vegan one available-the Mediterranean Sampler. Four small bowls (hummus, falafel balls, guacamole, ??) plus pita bread made this appetizer extremely tasty and extremely filling, pretty much to the point where it should have ideally been our meal. The pita bread, salted and most definitely white bread, was delicious but not desirable for vegetarians and vegans. I came here expecting everything to be prepared to the utmost health standards, and I was disappointed with the bread with this "vegan" app.

 Now, silly old me accidentally deleted the pictures of our main meal without sending it to myself...looks like you're going to have to imagine what it looked like!
For our main meal, we got the Blue LT to split. It consisted of metropolitan whole grain, yellow tomato and avocado crispy Asiago "bacon," pea leaves, crumbled Maytag, green Tabasco aioli, served with the house root chip mix. This was available to order dairy-free (omits the "bacon"), but we also screwed that up and ended up ordering the full meal and taking off the "bacon," which we both found too strong and unsettling. The "chips," which consisted of potato and beet mixtures, were tasty but too greasy to be our idea of "vegetarian." Once again, we had a hard time calling this a fully vegetarian restaurant when half the things we ordered were fatty and full of grease. However, we both finished our meals and called it a day. 

So, what exactly did we think of this restaurant as a whole? Well, the food was delicious, I will tell you that. We disliked the overuse of grease, but we enjoyed the simplified vegan/vegetarian/dairy-free menu that fit so many diets. The service was slow, but they were busy and the meals were beautifully prepared. The staff was extremely kind, and the small, homely setting made the restaurant a one of casualty. Out of ten,we'd reward it a seven. If you ever find yourself in South Hampton, PA, we'd highly recommend checking it out! 
-Jaimee

Gooey Sweet Potato Brownies (Vegan)

                Gooey, fudgey, chocolatey sweet potato brownies! I could not wait to share this delicious recipe with all of you! Each brownie is so gooey and delicious, it is almost impossible to just eat one (I speak from experience)!

INGREDIENTS (yields 16 small brownies):

-1 large sweet potato
-1/2 cup oats
-10 medjool dates
-2 tablespoons cacao
-1 tablespoon agave (could use honey or maple syrup)
-2 teaspoons cinnamon
-3 tablespoons almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla)
-1/8 teaspoon baking powder

STEPS

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 F

2.) Fill a large sauce pan with water and bring to a boil

3.) Wash and peel the sweet potato, then cut up into large pieces and place into saucepan covered with a lid; allow to cook for 20 minutes or until soft

4.) In a food processor, process ½ cup of oats into a powder and then place into a separate bowl and set aside

5.) Next, combine medjool dates (pitted), cacao, agave (or honey/ maple syrup), cinnamon, and almond milk in the food processor; process until a thick paste consistency

6.) When the sweet potatoes are fully cooked and soft, transfer into a large bowl and mash well

7.) Add the sweet potato into the food processor with the chocolate mixture and process until smooth
 

8.) Scoop all of the batter into  a large bowl and stir in the baking powder and ground oats (oat flour)

9.) If the batter seems too thick, add in more almond milk (I added about ½ cup more)

10.) Grease a pan with coconut oil and pour the batter in evenly

11.) Bake the brownies for about 20-30 minutes (keep an eye on them because they could be done sooner or later; they should be a gooey texture when done, the baking just sets them and they will still seem raw but not fall apart)

This recipe is so quick a easy and the brownies are absolutely delicious! Each brownie is under 40 calories so it is perfectly okay to eat more than one in a sitting like I did! I topped mine with peanut butter, roasted buckwheat, and raw walnuts, but feel free to try any combos you would like. Enjoy! -Valentina

Remember: Don't Fear the Stress

                No matter how long you’ve been a part of this lifestyle of clean eating, whether it be a day, a week, a month or several years, I think you understand how trying it can be. Some days you’re so busy putting thought into how many calories, how much sugar (from fruits) and how much protein you’re having that you can forget to take care of your basic needs, such as sleep, mental rest or the proper amount of time to work on other obligations (homework, work, social life, etc.). I’ve had several of these kinds of days in the past month, and I think something needs to be said about it.

                First, you’re not alone. Whether you’re deeply immersed in the clean eating community on Instagram or not, there are endless people having bad eating days where they’re stressed, tired or may actually want to give up. This lifestyle is hard. Being a part of a family where there is a hot dinner in the kitchen, ready to consume, at six in the evening every night, and a breakfast at nine AM, beginning to cook for myself was a huge change. It was a change that took some serious adjusting and hard work. I think our blender has been used more times, per day, in the past few months than it has been used total since my parents got it at their wedding thirty years ago! Previous to this change, I didn’t have a single clue how to use a blender. Now? Hell yeah I do!

                Second, when you’re freaking out over how to balance all of this cooking and health-consciousness, remember to take a deep breath. Your mental health, as I said earlier, is just as important (if not more important) than your physical health. Yes, they’re both high up, but mental may just take the cake in this battle. I like to calm myself down by drinking tea (right now my favorite flavor is Lavender and Honey by Yogi), lounging in a hot bath, or watching a movie with a big bowl of fresh fruit to snack on. I find that when I do the last choice, I feel so relaxed and ready to tackle my work when it’s over. This applies to exercise as well! If I truly think that exercise is going to set me back more than it does forward on any given day, I simply don’t do it, no questions asked. If going for a thirty minute run with the proper extra thirty cool down minutes following will keep me from working on a particular project that’s due, I skip the run and remember my obligations. Don’t beat yourself up: you’ll only set yourself back even more and get more upset.

                Last, remember to remember what’s important. It sounds stupid, but it will help, I swear. If what you’re eating, how much exercise you’ve done and how much fresh food is in the fridge is what’s weighing on your mind, and you can’t do anything about it, think about the other things you love. I always turn to my family (particularly my grandpa, parents and brothers), you and your family’s health, the fact that you’re alive, and the fact that you have made it through another day alive, well and breathing. It sounds melodramatic, but I find that telling myself these things can make a major difference. Things can easily get overwhelming if you don’t prioritize.

                So, as jumbled as all of these thoughts may seem, I urge you to take them into consideration. There is truly so much more than can be said about this particular issue of stress, but for now, this is all I will leave you with: Remember that you’re not the only one. You can do this. -Jaimee

Vegan Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Love carrot cake, but hate the calories, sugar and carbs that come along with it? Then look no further! This oatmeal tastes just like the real thing, and it's good for you too! 

After scrolling through many recipes of carrot cake oats for inspiration, we decided it would be so much easier to ditch the lengthy descriptions and make this delicious breakfast from scratch! And it only takes a few ingredients! 

INGREDIENTS (yields 1 serving):
-1/2 cup rolled oats (gluten-free if necessary)
-1 1/2 cups water
-1 medium sized carrot
-1/2 banana (mashed)
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 tablespoon chia seeds
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon



1) Begin by grating 1 medium carrot over a bowl

2) Place 1/2 cup of oats and 1 1/2 cups of water in a pot on medium heat, constantly stirring to avoid burning
3) As the oats start to cook, add in 1 tablespoon of chia seeds
4) Next, add in the grated carrot and cover the pot with a lid after it is thoroughly stirred in; reduce to low heat

5) After 2-3 minutes, add in 1/2 mashed banana, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and remove the lid of the pot, turning the heat back up to a medium flame

6) Constantly stir the oatmeal for a few more minutes, until the oatmeal reaches your preferred consistency (we like ours when the water is completely absorbed and the oatmeal is sticking together)

~

Once finished, dish out into a bowl and enjoy! Toppings include but are not limited to cashews, fruits, nut butters and seeds. You can easily double or triple this recipe to share with family and friends. If you make this recipe, be sure to hashtag #simplynourishing on Instagram for a chance for us to feature your post! Most of all, have an amazing day whenever it is that you're reading this, and stay HEALTHY!