Just once, I will not talk to you about my patients, but about myself! I am writing this post on the train, after a week’s vacation with my parents. Have I ever told you my father was a chef? Staying at his place is like going to a restaurant morning, noon and night. His cooking is amazing, but it doesn’t always shine with its lightness. My father is part of this generation for whom hospitality rhymes abundantly. The first two or three days I enjoy it, I’m in shock, then I start dreaming about grated carrots and steamed broccoli. I promise. Then I kindly invite my dad to make his menu vegan and put on my trainers to exclude myself! It took me years to find an eating routine that works for me and I have trouble breaking away from it for too long… The routine is overall healthy, but not perfect. And that is very good.
Diversity above all else
Let’s first thank my dad, who might be offended by reading these lines. I was extremely lucky because as a child I was able to taste extremely varied, juicy and 100% homemade cuisine. I grew up in a restaurant and by the age of four I was eating homemade carrot puree as well as oysters, sea bream with sorrel or a delicate apricot and verbena pie.
Today, I strongly advise parents not to hesitate to let children try a wide variety of foods, without preconceptions (my daughters liked oysters at the age of two!) and without ever starting the sentence with “be careful, ‘it’s new’ or ‘be careful, it’s strange ”, which always dampens enthusiasm! Don’t just order them burgers and fries at a restaurant, yes, make Fast Food a family outing of the week: introduce them to all kinds of food and especially all kinds of vegetables!
As for me, I was exposed to a great variety of tastes and developed a taste for the good stuff. Which makes it easy for me to give up finishing a bad dessert or tasteless brasserie meal. What’s the point of finishing a plate if it’s not really good? But it took me quite some time to know how to adjust my portions when it was delicious! In my family, as with many of my patients, it’s common to have more… and leave the table feeling like I’ve eaten a little too much.
The right amount
This doesn’t happen to me anymore or only occasionally. Especially because at home I predict the right portions and serve everything on a plate. I put an amount on my plate that seems appropriate to my current hunger. And I leave it at that. The same goes for the rest of the family: when preparing a plate, I ask my husband or my daughters: “How hungry are you? » and I serve accordingly.
The dish is never on the table, and if I’ve cooked in proportions that are a little too generous, I store everything in airtight glass boxes in the fridge before eating; As the years go by, I am more convinced that maintaining a healthy weight is largely determined by both the quantity and quality of meals. On this last point, I try to cook as many things as possible at home and apply the advice that forms the first chapter of my book “The Gentle Method for Better Eating” (Leduc edition): I put colors on my plate, ideally at least three! This guarantees a large space for plants and a good amount of nutrients: antioxidants (found in the pigments that give plants their color), fiber, vitamins, minerals.
I am also inspired by an ideal “healthy” plate consisting of half, by volume, fruit and vegetables and a quarter protein (meat, fish, eggs, but also dried vegetables, whole grains, nuts, tofu or seitan) and a quarter starchy foods ( pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, etc.) choose ideally rich in fiber (quinoa, wild rice, buckwheat, etc.) These ratios allow you to nourish your body favorably, be well satisfied and have fun! This is especially important at lunch: I see many patients who skip starchy meals, which increases the risk of cravings in the afternoon or evening.
Prioritize pleasure
However, snacking is not a sin. I take one almost every day! And I’m far from perfect at this point! If I really like mixing fresh fruit with cottage cheese in the summer, I often eat industrial cookies for a snack! It is bad ? Let’s just say it would be better to make them at home, but I’m often lazy! So yes, I allow myself 2/3 of a 100% pure butter high-calorie brittany puck or 3/4 of a chocolate oat cookie, which I also really like.
But I’m making this moment a real break. Presumed. Stop the screens, the madness of the world. I make tea, sit down and enjoy it. The best way to send the brain all the expected pleasure messages. And here I am portioning again. The package of cookies is not on the table: I put the appropriate amount on the plate and that’s it. And I never want to use it again? Well of course! Then I apply the RAS method, which I describe in detail in my book. I breathe (R), I wait (A) for the impulse to pass, and if after 10 minutes I really want to have some more, I enjoy (S) but only one cookie…
Life is a matter of priorities, it’s the same with food
I actually try to eat while aligning my head, body and heart. I listen to my body to give it what it needs, I listen to my heart so that each meal brings its dose of pleasure and I listen to my head to stay sane but not in control: alert yes, but not hyper alert! For example, sometimes I have a craving for chocolate an hour after dinner. That’s when my heart speaks. Yes, but what is my body saying? He often does without it… And my head? It depends on the day, sometimes he admits that there is no harm in indulging in a square and sometimes he makes me understand that without this piece of chocolate, my day really won’t be any less pleasant…
Life is about priorities, it’s the same with food. I think about what I am not ready to sacrifice: a pastry now and then, a nice evening at a restaurant, a little chocolate. And I integrate them into a routine that remains overall healthy, meaning mostly plant-based, adjusted in quantity, limited to ultra-processed products. This routine is key to allowing yourself deviations that are not only acceptable but necessary so that you never feel frustrated. It represents the spirit of my BOOST online program, dedicated to anti-inflammatory food, pleasure and healthy nutrition par excellence.
Good breakfast
Oh, I didn’t tell you about my breakfast. However, I know that this dish is the subject of many questions during consultations. Sweet salty? Mandatory, optional? My attitude towards others, as towards myself, is pragmatic: rather than following orders, I advise you to go and find out what works for you. An ideal breakfast should start the day in a good mood and provide energy until lunch. If you are not hungry in the morning, or if you are hungry in the morning, you can easily skip breakfast. I do it myself sometimes. Otherwise, there is no need to do violence!
Especially if this morning meal brings you pleasure. A sweet breakfast isn’t ideal to keep you up in the morning without peaks of fatigue, but there’s no point in forcing yourself to have a salty breakfast if you don’t feel like it. That’s my case! As for me, I alternate between overnight pudding, oat/banana cake, natural almond and nut yogurt, and rye bread with a dollop of butter or avocado and lemon. That is, a breakfast that is not too sweet, filling, rich in fiber… and that makes me happy! And even though I’m happy to have a roll now and then, I always go back to this routine. The key, if there is one, is this. Find a healthy routine that works for you and don’t worry too much about any occasional deviations.
#nutrition #coaching #routine #diet #perfect #Elle
