Easter is going to turn up, whether we like it or not. Chocolate displays and hot cross buns are all around; in every shop and advertising billboards. It’s enough to melt away your good intentions and, with this much pressure, bingeing feels almost inevitable for some of us!
Of course, chocolate is available all year round. The trouble seems to come when there’s too much chocolate, as is the case at this time of year, which leads to too much temptation, eating too much in one go, then feeling miserable because you over indulged. The worst parts of overeating are the feelings of guilt and failure that you feel afterwards. So let’s fix that.
Let’s accept that Easter will mean chocolate indulgence on one level or another. So, here’s how to make the best of it:
1.Discourage family and friends from buying chocolate for you. This puts you back in control of how much you have.
2. Ideally choose the darker chocolate eggs or chocolate slabs. The higher the percentage of cocoa, the less room there is for sugar. Aim for over 70%.
3. Quality is important. Darker chocolate from higher quality suppliers, like Green & Black’s in the UK, Lindt & the local handmade, & organic ranges in health food stores and food markets, which usually have less sugar, so won’t throw out your blood sugar as much.
4. Don’t to eat too much in one go with the intention of getting ‘rid’ of the chocolate sooner. Eating a whole egg will lead to a major energy crash later on, not to mention, for many, feelings of disappointment in yourself that you ’gave in’ or ‘failed’ somehow! It’s healthier all round, both for your body and mindset to have a small amount of chocolate more regularly and try to cancel out the sugar rush by eating a small handful of nuts at the same time (did you know that protein slows the speed at which sugar enters the bloodstream).
5. Save Easter eggs for pudding. Eating chocolate on an empty stomach spikes blood sugar levels more quickly. Have yours after a protein and veg-based meal.
Plan ahead so you can make the right choices. Don’t give yourself the excuse that there was nothing else to eat. Ensure you have plenty of your usual healthy food choices to hand.
One of the biggest takeaways here, as with many aspects of of our habits and our food and drink choices, is to make sure your decision to eat chocolate is a conscious one. “Some chocolate would be nice, but I choose not to have one right now”. Don’t take orders from an Easter egg! Choosing puts you back in control. Remember, the responsibility is yours. You are the one who puts food in your mouth, even if it sometimes feels as though it is out of your control, it never is.
If the Easter egg (and everything that goes with it) genuinely plays a big part in your family’s tradition, consider doing something a bit different this year. Here are some great alternatives to the traditional Easter egg hunt https://www.parenthub.com.au/education/easter-egg-hunt-alternatives/.
Consider that even the healthiest people over indulge – but they don’t beat themselves up about it. They just go back to eating normally. Even after an Easter indulgence, you can still rescue the situation and stop it turning into a binge, sabotaging all your good work. Say: “It’s done, it’s in the past and I choose to move on”. Easter is ONE DAY, that’s all. Don’t be on the rollercoaster for the rest of the month.
Most of all, enjoy the chocolate you do have. Know that the only way you can feel good in your body and mind about it is to eat consciously. Don’t forget that small amounts of the best quality, dark chocolate has the following benefits: anti ageing, reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke, is packed with antioxidants and important minerals like iron, potassium, zinc and selenium. Chocolate also contains phenylethylamine; the same chemical your brain creates when you’re falling in love …
PS. If you are the kind of person who KNOWS you will have a problem with the Easter binge because this kind of bingeing and self sabotage is what you do or you need some help to get healthy, click HERE to book a chat with me.
My programmes are designed with you in mind. I offer the essential supportive, encouraging coaching support that busy women need to change their relationship with food and improve their lifestyle to support this, for good.
You can tailor your journey to reaching your happy weight in a sustainable way, according to your needs, without being completely thrown by the inevitable high days and holidays that roll on year by year.
I’ll show you the essential steps to regain control of your energy levels, build manageable healthy habits into your everyday whilst removing limiting beliefs that may be getting in the way. By reaching what you want for your mental and physical health, with the right support and accountability, you can get your energy levels back and feel your confidence self again, as you move into the shifting seasons of your life.
Don’t forget, you can book your complimentary “Time for Me” health and energy session, with me, now. What do we really have when we don’t take care of ourselves and our own health first?
No Comments