Eating Out!

I'm sure this has been said before, but the key to successful eating out is planning. I usually know when I'm going to be eating out, since it is typically something like a meeting with friends. When meeting with friends I generally let them know that I am watching what I eat, and most are understanding. This allows me to set the stage to go eat somewhere that is friendly to my plan. I am very particular about the places I can choose.

Here are the things I look for:
A menu with nutrition information I can look at before going (This does limit me to chains for the most part.)
A place that offers whole/fresh food options
Finally, a place I will enjoy eating at.

Some places I eat here locally are Laughing Planet, Chipotle, & Burgerville. So, now if I know I'm going out, the next step to my plan is to survey the menu. I'm looking for a meal between 200-300 calories, or 400-500 if I plan to split it. Keep in mind that I eat 5-6 small meals a day, each equal to about 200 calories more or less. I look at the carbs, I would not say I'm low carbing, but I'm cautious about my numbers on carbs and making sure that some of the carbs are fiber, not bunches of sugars. Next, I look at protein, and make sure there is sufficient protein for the meal to be satisfying. Finally, and something I'm finding increasingly important is sodium.

Sodium, especially when eating out, has become a pet topic of mine lately. I had hypertension when I started this plan just over 2 months ago, and I'm happy to report I no longer have high blood pressure. I'm quite sure that part of the high blood pressure was caused by all the eating out we were doing when I had the shop. I've been researching this after I discovered the high amount of sodium in some of the foods at restaurants.

To start off with, just how much sodium should we be taking in on a daily basis? According to the American Heart Association no more than 2400 mg a day, but recommended no more than 1500 mg a day. ("How Much Sodium Should I Eat Per Day?", 2017) Multiple sources say most of that comes from processed food. In fact "the watchdog group Center for Science in the Public Interest found that 85 out of 102 meals at popular restaurant chains contained more than a full day's worth of sodium. Some of the meals had four days’ worth of sodium."("Low-Sodium Diet: How to Eat Less Sodium at Restaurants", 2017). 

What does it all mean? It means eating out, and keeping sodium low is challenging. I will give you an example, I like Chipotle, and I know they try to offer healthy options. The great thing about their website is you can enter your choices and then see how it effects your meal. If I were to have 3 crispy chicken tacos with black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and romaine lettuce the sodium is 1440 mg. Well, that is pretty close to the day's recommendation for sodium in one meal. (Actually, I wouldn't eat this particular meal, because it is too high in calories, but I thought it was a decent example.) There aren't really many choices that don't exceed the daily recommended maximum. Last time I went I had a salad, with chicken, black beans, fajita veggies, and salsa, no dressing. The calories were a bit high at 365, but I adjusted through the day for that. The sodium was 1225 mg. More than I like to do for a meal, but workable.

Long story short, make your choices carefully, and thoughtfully. Keep eating out to a minimum since you cannot control the amount of sodium in the foods you are consuming. If you are eating in a mom & pop type of establishment that can be great, depending upon what it is. I guarantee that if one of their suppliers is Sysco or similar national restaurant suppliers, you are at risk of eating high levels of sodium. Just making you aware, as I have become aware.

Citations:

"How Much Sodium Should I Eat per Day?" Sodium Breakup. American Heart Association, n.d. Web. 21 May 2017.

"Nutrition Calculator." Chipotle. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2017

.Zelman, Kathleen M. "Low-Sodium Diet: How to Eat Less Sodium at Restaurants." WebMD. WebMD, n.d. Web. 21 May 2017.

Re-Learning Social Eating

Yesterday I had an event with my daughter. It tested my resolve a bit. It was a mother daughter lemonade party. We planned ahead and took our own Zevia sodas, since I knew I wouldn't want the lemonade. It is always challenging eating in a social situation. So much of our social lives are centered around eating. Think of this, does a wedding feel complete if there isn't cake? How about a funeral, with no food? Or, even more regular things, like how about going to the movies? Spending family time? Netflix and chill? All of it seems to involve food. For a food addicted person this can be challenging.

Think about it, food addiction isn't like other addictions that can be stopped entirely. (I'm not saying that stopping isn't a challenge.) This is where the problem lies. Couple that with a society that glamorizes overindulging, and it is no wonder we have an obesity epidemic. I could go on and on about the ties between eating, media, body image, weight, and exercise, but what really matters is how am I dealing with those issues today?

Like any addict, it is one day at a time. Yesterday, I was victorious. I avoided the gluten filled foods, which is a challenge for me. I ate the vegetables and fruit, and indulged in a bit of fruit dip. In the end, did I feel deprived? No. It is those little victories, where I change my actions for my pursuit of health, that really are awesome. These are daily reasons to thank God as he transforms my mind, and consequently my body. I'm realizing daily, that I'm no longer a slave to my desire to eat. In fact, I am finding more pleasure in eating well than I was in just eating as my flesh willed me to.