Persistent Pickers Be Aware!

Persistent Pickers Be Aware!

Have you ever had a day where you are just picking at food ALL DAY.   Well maybe you have and won't admit it, maybe you haven't or maybe you're looking at this screen and secretly telling me to get out of your business- whatever it is I've been there.  Good news- it's not something that can't be fixed immediately when you recognize what is going on.  Persistent picking at snacks (and I'm not talking about the chocolate cake, cookies and ice cream- although I've done that too) is the mind trying to find the filler for the body requiring water.  Ok, prime example which is the real reason why I am writing this blog-  This weekend I was extra hungry, I don't know why; I rarely ask questions and just eat.  Hey it is what it is!  I was eating apples, bananas, grapes, an awesome chicken salad I made- (I'll put the recipe below, sorry no picture- Its devoured)  oh yeah, the frozen Greek yogurt bar, some tea and ginger candies..It could've been more but really I wasn't counting until I started to question why I am eating like this.  Every time I reached for a grape, I recognized that the coolness and the juices from the grapes is what my body was needing.  Light bulb moment doh doh..  Dehydration!  You brain is telling you that your hungry but what your body is doing is attempting to extract the water from the foods that your eating to replenish it.  Fruits and vegetables contain water content, but do not contain enough to sustain you throughout the day.  

Dehydration is serious!  You start to feel sluggish and can lead to shortness of breath, quick onset of fatigue and can even give you heart palpitations.  My body was so dehydrated that when I looked at my hands the veins were at the surface.  You can take a look at your arms or hands and see the raised veins and know that your body is in need of some water.

Rule of thumb not just for weight loss but healthy hydration.  You should drink half of your body weight in ounces of water per day but no less than 8 cups (64oz) per day.  So if you weigh 100lbs then you should drink 8 cups of water per day, if you weigh 150lbs then you should be drinking 75oz or 9 1/2 or 10 cups of water per day.   For healthy weight loss increasing the amount of water in take makes the body fuller longer and also helps move fluids.  Remember fluids push fluids so an increase in water helps rid the body of "excess" quicker.

Signs of dehydration to look out for:

• Again your hands and vein appearance is a telltale sign that your dehydrated if the veins are raised and bulging
• Low blood pressure which leads to dizziness and extreme fatigue
• Palpitations and rapid heart beat
• Chapped lips and excessive thirst (which can at times feel unquenchable)
• Persistent snacking on fruits
• Headaches
• Nausea 
• Feeling like you're going to pass out
• Poor urine output
• The moral of the story--  WE ALL NEED WATER... 

Simple Chicken Salad

Awesome recipe for a simple chicken salad as promised!  Sorry no pictures as previously stated I was doing a little extra picking today and well ate it with quinoa cakes ALL GONE!  ..  Next time

On the stove boil the chicken breast- Add enough water to just about the top of the breast and boil down usually until the water is gone or until fully cooked being able to pull the chicken (like shredded pork)

I personally don't like big chunks of chicken salad so I put in a bullet to get the texture of tuna fish (that's just me but you don't have to)

I bought Marie's salad dressing Parmesan, Pine nut, basil and tomato (NOW THIS RIGHT HERE!!! psst.. its not that good for you but its gooood!)  added that to the pulled chicken and used avocado oil mayo..   ** Now I left it there like that, but if you want to get fancy with it and add it on to a salad you can dice up some apples in really small pieces and add it over a salad **

It was amazing!!   You didn't need onions or celery or relish or any of the other stuff that you add.  Real simple, quick and easy ...  

RISE S T R O N G Disclaimer:   There is a high fat content in the salad dressing and I'm still trying to figure why but never the less I used it and its good.  It is important to look at the labels and judge appropriate portion control for high fat content items or high caloric intake.  If you are trying to lose weight this is not a recipe that should be eaten regularly but can eaten as a meal when served with a large portion of greens eliminating complex carbs.   If you've earned your cheat day by all means get it in, but if you are looking to lose weight I wouldn't suggest more than a half of cup (which really is a good size portion) over a green salad and combine with other veggies.