Work on the following assignments with assistance or independently. When assigned, journal throughout your experience and be ready to discuss.

Stimulus Control

This technique is good for coping, but may not be affective all the time…

1. What stimuli are problematic?
2. In what way are they problematic and under what specific conditions?
3. What outcomes are desirable and achievable?
4. In what way will the stimuli best be managed?

Imagery:

Take 4 inhales and exhales in for second breaths.  When you’re relaxed, imagine the experience that causes you to eat something you don’t want to eat.  Where is this food, what are you experiencing when you want it?  Where do you have to walk to get it? Are there any preparations you do to it to eat it?  Where do you go to eat it?

What could you do to disrupt the routine?  What changes could you make that would make the experience happen differently?

Play the image out in your head of your new routine…

When you know the situation is approaching or is available that will require you to activate your new coping mechanism, remember to visualize.

2 Week Beverage Challenge

• Keep a log of what and how much you drink a day.   Know the quantity of how much your drinking container holds.  You can take a measuring cup and pour the contents in the container until you know.  Look on the product nutrition label and compare your serving with sugar in product. If you are adding “extra’s” to your beverages, record that as well (Ex: cream, sugar, artificial sugars, honey).

• To know total water you are drinking, fill a large empty liquid container you know the amount of.  Approximate how much you drank by the end of the day.

• Add up the cost of the beverage you drank over a week.

• The second week,  with the exception of water, drink half the amount of extra beverages you were drinking. If you drink more than 3 cups of coffee a day, drink half the amount you usually do.  If you have severe headaches from withdrawal, eliminate 1 cup a day for a week over several weeks until you reach 3 cups.  Remember to know how much your coffee container holds.  Control accordingly.

• Continue to half your “extra” beverages each week until they are gone.

You may be tired due to lack of caffeine by the end of the exercise, but the goal is to know how your body is REALLY feeling. Then adjust your energy levels accordingly with nutrition, sleep, and supplements.

Exploring New Taste Buds

When you go to the grocery store, do you find yourself buying the same thing every time?  Our taste buds get bored by the same repetitive meals and we consequently wake them with sugar, salt,  fatty snacks, or desserts.

Increase your flavor vocabulary.

1. Go to the produce section and choose one fruit or vegetable you like. Example: apple
2. How many different kinds (ex.apples) are there? Do you know what they all taste like?
3. Instead of spending your money on a snack this week, purchase one of each type (ex. Apple).
4. Create a tasting party with friends or family.  Maybe have the names hidden and take guesses at the types.  You could take a vote for favorites or write down each family member’s choice!
5. Start a “Taste Journal” and record: name, price, like or dislike and if you did like, what do you think it would go good with. Go to Foodnetwork.com and put in your ingredient.  Print one recipe you would like to try.

*If you are unfamiliar with how to choose a ripe version of your produce or how to prepare it, go to the following websites…

http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=2&tax_subject=270&topic_id=1330

http://www.whfoods.com

FAT’s:

You need fat in your diet just like protein and carbohydrates. About 20% of your food through the day should have fat that is well balanced in monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

Examples of fats:

essential fatty acids: Essential for body because we can’t produce.

• omega 3: (linolenic) brussel sprouts, soy, salmon, walnuts, seeds, halibut, cod, cabbage, cauliflower, cloves, mustard seeds, kale

• omega 6:( linolenic) Wheat germ, corn oil, safflower oil

monounstaturated fats: lowers cholesterol: avocado, nuts, olives, seeds, tahini, canola oil

polyunsaturated fats: Includes both Omega 3 and Omega 6

saturated fats (bad): Raises LDL: Butter, meat fat, dairy, eggs, often processed and fast foods

trans fats: Hydrogenated: Industry made and clog arteries: often fried foods, hard margarine, often processed foods.

HDL and LDL Readings:

If your HDL is high its a good indicator of healthy heart.  Less cholesterol is available in your blood to attach to blood vessels and cause build up resulting in clogged arteries.

The ratio of HDL to LDL you want is 1:1 or 2:1. To achieve this, keep your ratio of omega 6 fats to omega 3 fats 1:1- 1:4 and avoid saturated and trans fats.

Cholesterol Readings:

Your body makes its own cholesterol in small amounts that we match in small amounts with the good fat choices we make. According to studies done by Campbell, there’s no reason why we can’t have cholesterol readings at 150 and lower.

Look at the nutritional labels for what you are eating for 1 week and try to find your ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6. (Hint: if you are eating processed foods, you will be quite high in the Omega 6 category because of the corn product in your food).

What is the ratio of saturated and trans fats to healthy fats? Which do you eat more of?

Snack Jar:

During the day it’s hard to keep track how much we are eating.  Plan a day ahead what you or your children would like to snack on and how much.  Every person in the house should have their own snack jar.  Personalize it and make it fun.  During the day you can eat out of the snack jar whenever you want, but when it’s empty you are done for the day.  If children are participating, make sure you give them healthy choices to choose from to fill their jar with.