5 Nutrition Tips for Women on Mother’s Day

Whether you’re a mother or not, most of the women I know have hectic schedules and don’t take enough time for themselves. Family and work obligations often come first. Who has time to plan healthy meals and snacks, fit in exercise or get enough sleep? This takes a toll on our energy levels, weight and overall health. In honor of Mother’s Day, I wanted to share the top 5 diet/lifestyle pitfalls of women and give some quick solutions.

women

Top 5 nutritional pitfalls of women and quick solutions

Problem #1: Inadequate sleep. The majority of women I know (myself included!), don’t get enough sleep. Inadequate sleep contributes towards carb cravings, weight problems, low energy levels and increased risk of diabetes and heart disease.

Solution: I know that getting more sleep is easier said than done! Set small goals. Start by going to bed 30 minutes earlier. Turn off the computers and tv at least one hour prior to getting into bed. Ideally, try to read in bed.  Um … this doesn’t mean getting in bed with your smart phone.

Problem #2: Inadequate protein at breakfast and/or lunch. Many of my female clients have smoothie made with almond milk and fruit or a bowl of cereal for breakfast and a soup or salad with just veggies for lunch. Could be problematic! Not eating enough protein early in the day can set you up for an afternoon of carb cravings and low energy levels.  Studies have also shown that eating a protein rich breakfast can help you lose weight. Lastly, consuming adequate protein can help prevent/slow the loss of muscle mass that occurs with aging or when you are dieting.

Solution: Try to include a protein rich food at breakfast and lunch. Examples: Greek yogurt, eggs and egg whites (BTW – nothing wrong with the whole egg!), cheese and cottage cheese, poultry, fish or  lean meat. Vegetarian sources of protein include legumes, quinoa, nuts, nut butters, seeds, soy including edemame.

Problem #3: Keeping tempting food in your environment. Gone are the days when you keep only salad in your fridge. Now that you have family or significant other around, your home has turned into a minefield. How many times have you found yourself digging into your husband’s pint of ice cream or kids bags of cookies?

Solution: This is a huge problem for many of my clients and it doesn’t mean you are “weak” if you can’t resist these foods. But you will need to learn how to deal with this trigger or you will end up gaining a lot of weight! Don’t keep problem foods in your environment. This doesn’t mean you have to totally deprive your family of their favorite treats, but start buying less of them. Buy a flavor you don’t like, buy individual sized bags, keep less variety around, stock up on healthy snacks for you and keep any tempting snacks out of sight. Get your whole family eating healthier and start to buy less of the processed “stuff”. Be pro-active and come up with a plan. *My bf has been warned not to bring any tempting goodies into my apartment … or else.

Problem #4:  Carb cravings. The majority of women I counsel report carb cravings usually in afternoon or evening.

Solution: Try to eat meals at regular intervals, include protein at meals, don’t keep “problem” foods in your environment, don’t start with a food that triggers more cravings and limited processed carbs.

Problem #5:  No time to plan meals. How many times have you ended up getting not-so-healthy take out for dinner, grabbing a slice of pizza for lunch or a snack from the vending machine? Most of us are so busy that we really don’t take the time to plan healthy meals and snacks.  (pic credit)

Solution: Go grocery shopping once a week and stock up on healthy snacks and easy to prepare meals. If you don’t even have time to go to the store, try placing an order with Fresh Direct. I would also suggest you find 4-5 healthy take-out places in your neighborhood. So you don’t have time to cook, at least your “dial-for-dinner” will be a healthy option.

Here are healthy (at least somewhat!) takeout dinner choices:

–Chinese: steamed chicken, shrimp, tofu or scallops and veggies with sauce on the side and brown rice
-Rotisserie chicken, ½ baked potato or piece of pita bread and steamed veggies
-Japanese: 2 rolls and soup or salad or one roll and 5 sashimi and soup or salad
– Middle Eastern: chicken kabobs and salad, piece of pita bread
-Frozen dinner under 350 calories. Add a salad or cooked veggies
-Fresh Direct under 500 calorie meals
-Salad with grilled chicken (dressing on the side and use sparingly)

Give  a HEALTHY Mother’s Day gift to a woman in your life – a NUTRITIONAL COUNSELING SESSION with me! One session can get her started on the road to better health, decreased carb cravings, increased energy, decreased health risks and support with losing weight. I also provide counseling for medical conditions including IBS, PCOS, diabetes and pre-diabetes and heart health. Check out my website for more information. Contact me at mmckittnyc@gmail.com for details.