Gateway to Health Challenge
Newsletters
Week 6
What Kind of
Eater Are You?
By Linda Rellergert, University of Missouri Extension
The following principles were developed by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch in their book Intuitive Eating. Tribole and Resch describe eight styles of eating. It is their view that seven of these styles lead to an unhealthy relationship with food which results in weight gain for many people.
- Distracted eaters eat while doing something else. This might be watching television, working, reading the paper, or driving a car. To sit down and simply eat is viewed as a waste of time. Distracted eating can lead to chronic overeating and reduces satisfaction.
- Chaotic eaters always seem too busy for regular meals. They work hard, volunteer, take part in their kids’ activities. This person seems to thrive on tension. They are gulp ‘n go eaters and rely on food which is quick and convenient, without regard to what is best for their body.
- Refuse-not eaters eat just because food is there. They are especially vulnerable to candy jars or buffets at social gatherings.
- Waste-not eaters are card-carrying members of the “Clean Plate Club,” influenced by the value of all-you-can-eat buffets and “supersized” meal deals.
- Emotional eaters use food as comfort. Stress or uncomfortable feelings trigger eating, especially when alone. This person eats in response to an emotion rather than physical hunger.
- Careful eaters are motivated by fitness and health. They have good intentions, but feel guilt when they eat food they consider bad. They anguish over each morsel. They may appear to be “perfect” eaters, but they are extreme in their vigilance and scrutiny.
- Professional dieters are always either on a
diet, just off a diet, or about to begin a diet. They
have tried them all and are motivated by “feeling fat.”
- They often binge or engage in “Last-Supper” eating (eating one last large meal before the latest diet).
- Intuitive eaters eat when they are hungry and
stop when they feel satisfied. Young children are
generally very good at this kind of eating. We all had
that ability at one time. They make food choices without
guilt, based on nutritional needs and appetite, and
enjoy the pleasures of eating.
We may see ourselves in one or more of these categories. We all eat in response to these different triggers sometimes. Having one or a combination of the first seven eating styles all the time will work against internal signals of hunger and fullness.
The good news is we can relearn how to become an intuitive eater if we have lost it.
If you are not now an intuitive eater, relearning those
skills will be a process which requires time and effort. It
may mean overcoming years of diet habits and thinking, and
sometimes going against the well-meaning advice of people
who care about you and who you care about too. In the
process your weight may go up or down or stay the same. But
freeing yourself from the diet culture will lead you to
improved physical and mental health and greater trust in
yourself.
Calendar of best buys in fresh fruits and vegetables
By Linda Rellergert, University of Missouri
Extension
Eat well for health and pleasure by including plenty of fruits and vegetables in meals and snacks. Choose fresh produce in season for highest quality, best flavor and lowest prices. Check out your local Farmer’s Market on the weekend for local fresh fruits and vegetables.
Here is a list of the fruit and vegetables that are in
season for the month of April:
• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Grapefruit
• Oranges
• Pineapple
• Rhubarb
• Spinach
• Strawberries
Activities for the
Month of April
By Linda Rellergert, University of
Missouri Extension,
adapted by Molly Vetter-Smith, University of Missouri
Extension
Being active doesn’t just have to be jogging or lifting
weights. There are so many ways to be active and to have
fun. Here’s some suggestions for the month of April, with
varying degrees of vigor or skill needed. Some are
individual activities; some require partners, teams or
classes. Some are even a little whimsical. Try something new
this month!
Gardening
Soccer
Wildflower trek
Golf
Washing your car
Baseball or softball
Yard work
NUTRITION TIP OF THE WEEK:
Sane Snacking
By Linda Rellergert, University of
Missouri Extension,
adapted by Molly Vetter-Smith, University of Missouri
Extension
Snacking can help us wait for an upcoming meal when we’re hungry. Snacking is also an opportunity to fit in healthy foods that might otherwise be missing from daily eating, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains or dairy foods.
The problem with snacking is that traditional snack foods are often not very healthful choices, but rather chips, cookies or pastries.
Keep snacks sane with healthful choices close at hand. Easy to grab snacks include: fresh fruit, washed and in a bowl out where you will see it, raw vegetables washed, trimmed and in a highly visible spot inside the refrigerator (NOT the vegetable crisper), yogurt, sugar free pudding, whole grain crackers, pretzels, dried fruit, or trail mix.
EXERCISE TIP OF THE WEEK:
Warm Up
By Greta Hopke, University of Missouri Extension
Warming up before exercising is important in preventing injuries and muscle soreness. A warm up routine is designed to increase body temperature, stretch ligaments and muscles, and increase flexibility.
Here is an example of a good warm up routine:
Begin with 2-3 minutes (longer if you choose) of slow
walking, jogging or cycling. Breaking into a light sweat is
a good indication that muscle temperature has increased.
Next, begin to stretch, concentrate on the muscles you will be using. For example concentrate on leg muscles if you will be walking or jogging, or shoulder muscles if you will be swimming.
The warm up routine should last no longer than 10-15 minutes. Begin your workout immediately after your warm up.
(Source: Prentice, W. (2004). Get Fit, Stay Fit. 3rd ed. New York: McGraw Hill, p. 55.)
RECIPE OF THE WEEK:
Easy Calzones
By Linda Rellergert, University of Missouri Extension
With more daylight hours, milder temperatures and welcome sunshine, we want to spend as many of our waking hours outdoors as possible in April. Quick and easy dinner menus help us get a tasty, healthy meal on the table in minutes. Easy Calzones are hearty and include lots of yummy vegetables. This recipe makes use of some of the time saving ingredients featured in February’s issue of Celebrate. Pick up a bag of salad to toss with reduced-fat dressing and a container of blueberries to layer with flavored yogurt for dessert to complete the meal. Why not get out the patio or deck furniture and dine al fresco so not a minute of precious springtime is wasted indoors?
8 oz. chicken or turkey sausage
½ cup chopped green or red pepper
1 ½ cup thinly sliced mushrooms
Cooking spray
4 9-inch flour tortillas, preferably whole wheat
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup prepared spaghetti or pizza sauce
Brown crumbled chicken or turkey sausage, green pepper
and mushrooms.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425ºF. Lightly spray baking
sheet(s) with cooking spray. Place tortillas in single layer
on prepared baking sheet(s). Divide mozzarella evenly among
tortillas, making sure to get cheese to the edge. Bake at
425ºF until cheese melts.
Portion meat-vegetable mixture onto tortillas and fold in
half forming a calzone. Using a fork, crimp edges together.
Bake until crisp, about 5 to 7 minutes. Top with prepared
spaghetti or pizza sauce.
Makes 4 servings. Nutrition information per serving: 374 calories, 22.5g protein, 29g carbohydrate, 17.6g fat, 221mg calcium, 1101mg sodium, 92IU vitamin A.
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