Healthy Baking Swaps: Reset your Mindset

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How often do you find yourself saying something like, "I need to stop eating so much sugar!"

You might be successful for a day or a week, or you might experience even worse sweet cravings!

A lot of the time, when we tell ourselves we can't have something or can't do something, we start to crave it more. When we are trying to avoid eating or doing something, it can take over our brainspace to be all that we think about! Putting something - chocolate or alcohol or cigarettes or even social media - into that category of "forbidden" makes it very shiny and appealing, and we start to want it even more. 

Instead, try to make peace with having treats once in a while. If we allow that treat to take a healthy place in our routine, we might start to think about it less and actually end up eating it less. If we are successful in removing the sparkle from the treat by normalizing it in our routine, it can start to lose its power over us. This can be very hard to do, and is a process that takes time and support. 

If you tell yourself "I can never have cookies again" and then find yourself at a party with cookies, you may adopt a diet starts tomorrow mindset and eat way more cookies than you'd like to... rinse and repeat. 

Instead, try buying a bag of cookies to have one at a time. Tell yourself "there will be more cookies tomorrow, and I am allowed to have them." See if you are able to remove the forbidden sparkle from having treats in the house. Warning: it can be really hard and can take some support! Be gentle with yourself if it takes a few attempts to adjust your mindset.

Some tips for maximizing enjoyment your treats:

  1. Savor. Eat slowly and notice all the sensations from all 5 of your senses: aroma, beauty, texture, sound, and taste
  2. Focus. Remove distractions: turn off the TV, stop working, pull your car into a parking spot.
  3. Choose real versions. Sugar substitutes, low fat versions, and "lite" treats don't provide the same satiety as real ingredients. Our brains can tell the difference- fat and sugar send your body signals from your brain's reward system. You might feel more satisfied eating a small portion of the real item than you would from eating more servings of a diet treat, especially if you slow down, notice, and savor. 

If you are struggling with your relationship with food, consider talking with your doctor or dietitian for more support. Many dietitians are trained in helping people make peace with food. 

If you liked this type of information, learn more about intuitive eating. 



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