The Skinny on Fats with Holiday Temptation Tips

The Skinny on Fats with Holiday Temptation Tips

By Food Freedom Mentor and Yoga Teacher Darshana Weill

All I can think about is butter. I was standing in my kitchen tonight cleaning the dishes and there was the butter staring at me. My impulse was to take a bite. I didn’t but immediately following was the thought, “What can I eat so I can put the butter on top?” And then I realized, I just ate dinner I’m not even hungry. So I put the butter back in the fridge and went on with my evening.

Is the urge to eat gobs of butter off the stick, or rather fats, that unusual?

Your first thought might be yes but the truth is it’s not. Think about it, how many scoops of ice cream, boxes of cookies, candy bars, pieces of pie and especially holiday treats have you consumed?

I imagine tons.

My point is this, when you reach for these foods there is an underlying need …fats! OK, I don’t want to be naïve, there are lots of other reasons for eating all those foods, but let’s get down to the skinny on fats, we want them, we crave them and to be honest, we need them.

Let me name a few of these vital needs.

Every cell in your body is made up of a fat. That fat (lipid) coating, protects the cells and without that coating your body will not function as well. Your endocrine glands require fat in order to construct hormones like estrogen and testosterone. I love this next fact; the human brain is 60% fat. That means our thinking would be and is compromised when we eat poor quality fats or are on a low or non-fat diet.

I’ll name a few more fat facts.

Fat is required for the production of serotonin, which elevates mood and promotes good sleep. Well yoga does that same thing right? Think about how awesome you would feel if you ate high quality fats and did yoga.

You might be noticing I am an advocate for fats but I think the main reason is this. Fats help you feel comforted, satiated and satisfied.

When you eat a meal rich in high quality fats your physical body is no longer grasping, wondering or wishing for something else.

I see this over and over again with new clients. They think they are being “good” by eating a low fat diet. Only to tell me, towards the end of a session, that they gorged out on ice cream the same day they were “so good” on their diet. Now please note, I have zero judgment about gorging on ice cream, but what I am concerned about is that most people do not see the connection. There are reaching for snack foods that are saturated with fats and not eating much fat as part of their regular daily diet. I kindly point this out to them and before I know it the jaw has dropped. They thought the ice cream was “the problem” but it’s not. Ice cream, or other snack foods, is your attempt to get fat into your body. You need fat!

I am teaching a workshop on Sunday, December 2^nd called The Skinny on Fat: Surviving the Holidays without Overeating. 

I will be diving into the why’s, what’s and how to work with your relationship to fat during our time together. Relationship to fat you ask? Yes that’s right. If it were easy to just tell you to eat more fat and you would feel better you would. But the word “fats” can feel like a four letter word. They are complex and people get confused about how much, when, what kind to eat. It’s simpler than you think. In the meantime what I want to point out in today’s article is this:

Eat fat.

Don’t avoid it.

Start to notice when you eat more of it how do you feel?

Do you feel more satiated?

When I ask this question I ask it from a physical standpoint. Notice your physical needs. Are you craving any other kind of food? Are you distracted by the need to keep eating or do you feel satisfied?

When you can distinguish between the needs you have for food physically vs. the needs you have for food emotionally you will know the exact steps to take to heal. Eating fat is one of the steps to take when it comes to healing your physical needs. When the physical longing for food starts to find balance then you will find it that much easier to work on any emotional reasons you reach for food. Having this distinction is the beginning of your investigation into food freedom.

I hope you can join me Sunday December 2^nd,

Click here to see more details or to register.

In the meantime and especially during the month of December (holiday temptation), try these 5 tips. These tips may seem simple and no brainers but the magic comes in the practice of them. Just like yoga, it’s a (daily) practice.

1. Don’t skip meals

2. When going to a holiday party, make sure to eat during the day and even before the event. Try not to go hungry. Then you won’t over eat.

3. Take on the attitude that your health matters now, not starting January 1^st and ask what can I do to support my health today.

4.  Avoid boxed treats and instead make your own holiday desserts.

5. Incorporate the following fats into your diet:

·         Coconut oil

·         Avocado

·         Olive oil

·         Ghee

·         Coconut milk

·         Fish

·         Butter

Let me know how it goes.
In addition to the workshop

The Skinny on Fat:

Surviving the Holidays without Overeating

On December 2, 2012

1:00pm – 5:00pm at Yoga Tree Mission

Details and register here. 

I also will be leading a course called:

21 Days to Food Freedom

A cleanse for women ready to kick their crazy cravings to the curb.

January 2013. January 12, 19 & 26, 2013

Details and register here.

HERE’S TO YOUR FOOD FREEDOM!

Darshana

Darshana Weill is a Food Freedom Mentor and Yoga Teacher. She founded 21days Food Freedom Program and the Kiss Emotional Eating Goodbye Program. She teaches women to use consciousness in their relationship to food. She works with individuals and groups. She also teaches a variety of health related workshops around the Bay Area, Santa Cruz and nationally.

WORKSHOPS DARSHANA TEACHES AT THE YOGA TREE:

21 Days to Food Freedom, The Yoga of Food: How is life feeding you? Nutrition 101, Sugar can be Medicine, Women’s Wellness: Treat PMS Naturally, To Be or Not To Be a Vegetarian and Yoga and Food For Emotional Eating.

To find out more about Darshana’s program

FINDING FOOD FREEDOM

Check out www.darshanaweill.com or

www.findfoodfreedom.com/21days

To contact Darshana directly call 510-423-0603 or email her at darshana@darshanaweill.com

Want more recipes? Check out Darshana’s 50 quick and easy recipes Ecookbook: http://darshanaweill.com/page/cookbook-1