JLoeats.com

Listen to your body,
it tells you a lot.

i was so full the other day, even though i was at work and i knew i hadn’t eaten in about 6 hours straight, but my instincts when i’m stressed out is always — feed my body when i’m tired, because if i don’t get enough sleep, then at least i can get enough calories to counterbalance how i feel – which is lacking something

well, it doesn’t happen that way i guess.
because the next thing that happend was that i went to see my circulation doctor and she said that i had over eaten in the past week, that i was “stuck” and that i needed to detox. and clear my system.
“how’s your appetite?”
“eh, i completely lost it… and i work around food all day long, it’s very strange to know that i SHOULD eat, but don’t feel like it”
“yea, you need to empty your system, it’s stressed out”
“haha, all of me is stressed out right now, so what can i eat?”
- PLUM JUICE.
like oldies do every morning,
i was in dire need of some fibre and liquids.

and the coolest part was –
instinctually i knew it.
because for 3 days, all i was craving was a big fat salad, or liquids like soup, juice, and water when i was at work,
but sometimes getting to eat what you crave at exactly when you crave it isn’t so easy.
(you’d think it is when you work in a kitchen with a huge menu, and hence a ton of MISE EN PLACE to pick from to eat everyday, but my schedule sometimes just doesn’t allow me to even go Pee when i have to for hours!)

so i guess this is where i can get creative.
haha..
i put together a variety of meals with the mise that i do find, which can be fun.
a 4 oz piece of salmon here, some couscous from the special on that section of my plate, a strawberry from my own station, and ooh salads! grab some spinach and shaved peppers there…
vola! mmmm, BRUNNER.

sometimes, i just feel like a machine at work, pumping out dessert after dessert
(my favourite is when a chit comes through my printer and says something like -
“ice cream, cream anglaise on the side – dairy allergy, or berries, but no extra sugar, or bread pudding (with a crushed pecan topping) no nuts – nut allergy”
like WTF??
that’s like saying:
“dessert please, no sugar” — can you pick out the components of the food that don’t suit my diet or health requirements because i want to eat it anyway???
hmmm.
how does that work?

well,
it doesn’t.

listen to your body,
and learn to make adjustments.
haha, it’s funny that people will crave certain foods, but don’t realize what they’re actually craving.
as in, what their bodies are actually telling them that they are depleted of.
i believe that your cravings never lie.
because your body never lies
if you’re feeling lethargic, low energy, or loss of appetite, it MEANS something…

i totally loss my appetite last week,
and i thought it was cuz i was sad,
but it’s also cuz i overate heavy foods and force fed myself because i was so tired and exhausted at work that i thought, the more i ate, the more energy i would have,
but it was making me feel even more tired because i was putting my digestive system in stress…
how funny my bodily sensitivity can be.
and then i did a detox,
and i was hungry after 2 days of a few bites of fruits and veggies here and there, plum juice galore, and three or four number twos all day…
it felt so good to be HUNGRY again.
i wanted food,
because my body was like, umm, ok, i’m ready!
FEED ME now
give me nutrients!!!

and my mouth was craving all sorts of flavours
and i often experience this –
my stomach says stop, but my mouth says i want more banging flavours in my mouth…
hahah what a feeling!!

so i try to figure out what i want,
what an understatement huh?!?! :)

for instance –
if you are feeling like something sweet,
try eating fruit instead of candy
if you’re craving something greasy
try eating some good fats like avocado, nuts, instead of say french fries
if you’re craving something salty, your body needs to retain some water, some liquids, because sodium holds water
if you want like a huge steak or burger –
maybe you need protein and iron

make good choices, your body with thank you later ;)
it’s like a savings account
if you put good stuff in,
it’ll swirl around and give you interest back
if you keep spending it,
it’ll all go away and deplete fast.
and who likes to go down to zero?

be good to yourself!
happy eating ;)