I love food, but I don’t always love to cook.
This month, during Intermittent Fasting, I love cooking once again, and here’s why…
This is my 4th month into my ‘12 Diets in 12 Months’ nutrition challenge and finding recipes every day can be trying. With each diet comes new restrictions and new ideas about what you put into your mouth.
During Vegetarian month, I longed for a plate of salmon. During VEGAN month, I couldn’t wait to become reacquainted with dairy cheese. During Probiotic month – well, you get the picture. Each month was a foray into the unknown. Sometimes it was delightful, sometimes not.
During the month of June 2020, I have chosen Intermittent Fasting
I love it.
A quick definition: Intermittent Fasting is a pattern of eating where you cycle between eating and fasting. Typically, the focus of IF is to narrow the window of time when you eat to 8 hours or less.
There is a certain magic to this concept. I don’t have to change WHAT I eat. I am only focused on changed WHEN I eat.
Was it hard to narrow my ‘window of eating’ ?
Yes. Of course.
But, like a petulant child, my mind adapted once it was shown consistency and purpose.
Am I getting enough calories?
Yes, I maintain my RDA for my gender and height. I am very careful to consume the proper number of calories and not turn this into a mode of starvation.
So, what about the cooking? Well, when you look forward to your meals, instead of waking up and shoveling cereal, you start planning more. I find my thoughts go more like this, “Oooh, I get to eat in 3 hours! What can I make?” This makes me anticipate my time in the kitchen. Since I don’t have to dramatically alter what I eat, I have become a google hound for great recipes.
What am I cooking?
Well, regular meals. Like chicken, but with an amazing homemade marinade and tikka masala sauce. Or Italian sandwiches, with pepperchinos spread. Or tacos with homemade pico de gallo and guacamole. And because I have broadened my horizons with food that are VEGAN or Probiotic-rich from previous diet challenges, I have become acquainted with flavors and textures I normally would not have considered. Enter tempeh wraps, sauerkraut and rainbow chard. I feel like a celebrity chef at the dinner table sometimes! (not me below, though I think I could rock the hat)
I am loving cooking again, and that is why.
I am a nutritionist, a nurse, and a health coach. If you are looking for a creative approach to healing your relationship with food, then look no further. I would be honored to work with you to help you find the balance of health where you thrive. Contact me here
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