I am so excited about this new Intuitive Eating Online Community!

You can find it at www.intuitiveeatingcommunity.org. The community is an extension of the book Intuitive Eating by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.

THIS COMMUNITY IS FREE! And they are committed to maintaining free access. What a wonderful source of inspiration and support for your intuitive eating journey. The online community went live just last week and I joined today. I hope you find this resource helpful and supportive as you move toward a healthy relationship with food!

Are you new to intuitive eating? Check out this list of "10 Principles of Intuitive Eating."

POPULAR FOOD MYTHS

Check out this informative video addressing many "old-wives' tales" surrounding food.

Topics highlighted in the video are:

• What's the truth about high-fructose corn syrup vs. cane sugar in my food?
• Are there negative-calorie foods?
• Are brown eggs more nutritious than white?
• Does eating late at night make you gain weight?
• Are fresh vegetables more nutritious than canned or frozen?

This recent video (1/12/12) from a Minnesota newstation features a Registered Dietitian debunking popular food myths. 

Disclaimer: I am a consultant to the Corn Refiners Association (CRA); however, all statements and opinions are my own.

Tryptophan-rich Foods for Better Sleep

Having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep? 

Try adding a tryptophan-rich food/beverage to your bedtime snack. Tryptophan is an amino acid and it is the precursor to serotonin. Adequate serotonin encourages healthy restorative sleep. 

Your tryptophan-rich snack must also include carbohydrate. Carbohydrate helps the tryptophan enter the brain.

The tryptophan-rich foods that I recommend are:

• egg white
• soy (in all forms)
• pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds
• chicken or turkey

Try half of a chicken sandwich with soy milk. Or a soy fruit smoothie (milk or tofu) with a snack of sunflower or pumpkin seeds. Or a turkey wrap with sunflower seeds. Or scrambled egg whites and half a banana.

Sweet dreams! 

Americans are pros at getting all caught up in the latest food fad. We start eating a certain food because its "a superfood and its good for you" or we avoid another food or ingredient because it’s supposed to be evil and will make you "gain 10 pounds in a week." We just do not listen to the feedback that our body gives us.  I think we are too busy and distracted to notice how the food we eat affects us physically. 

For me, Pizza Hut pepperoni pan pizza is a no-no! Those thick slices with too much oil in the crust spell disaster to my digestive system. Yes, it might be fun eating it and it tastes good (kind of). But I have learned that I usually regret eating it because it really does make me sick. 

I could say that I avoid Pizza Hut pan pizza because its "bad, processed, evil, too fatty, and will make me fat." When in reality I avoid it because it really makes my body sick. 

Very sugary stuff is not the best for me either. I felt physically terrible last week after I drank 3/4 of a grande Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks. My body rebelled against all the sugar and I felt nauseous and weak about 20 minutes later. What was I thinking? Everyone else seems to love these things! 

So, did I avoid the sugary concoction with whip because I thought it was evil or I thought it would make me gain 3 pounds overnight? No, but I WAS reminded of why I typically do not drink LARGE amounts of OVERLY sweet hot beverages! Moderation is best when it comes to ALL types of sugar.

I was recently reading an interview with Michael Pollan, author of Food Rules, where he was talking about sugar and high-fructose corn syrup.  He said that in his book "people took away the message that there was something intrinsically wrong with it (HFCS). A lot of research says this isn't the case. But there is a problem with how much total sugar we consume." I do agree with him here. It’s best for the human body to moderate all types of sugar, not just high-fructose corn syrup.

The point is sometimes we should listen more to our body and allow it to decide the food that we eat. Have you noticed how great you feel after a breakfast of mildly sweetened steel-cuts oats, berries, and milk? I could probably go all morning with a nice steady stream of energy and a fantastic sense of well being. Healthy eating and good nutrition is as much about HOW food makes you feel as it is about WHAT is in our food. 

Pay attention to how your body reacts to the food you eat. Do you feel stuffed, unfocused, queasy, have a headache OR do you feel just right? You may find yourself choosing healthier options or smaller portions because of the way they make you feel and not just because you are "following the food rules" or "avoiding bad food."