One-Two Punch

Burn

Think of your abdominal area as an incinerator. When the incinerator lid is open (when you’re hungry), your body will BURN and use anything you put in it. When you feel hungry, it’s your body’s way of indicating you need fuel and it will BURN it. Sensing hunger requires mindfulness. Before you reach for something to eat: stop, take a deep breath and ask yourself, “Why am I eating? Am I physically hungry?” If you are hungry, eat slowly and pace yourself in order to sense the other side of hunger; fullness.

Balance

BALANCE protein and carbohydrate by having a fist-size serving of a carbohydrate and a fist-size serving of protein every time you eat. This BALANCE of protein and carbohydrate creates the perfect “One-Two Punch.” Carbohydrate without a protein anchor can spike blood sugar levels and leave quickly, leaving you hungry again (sooner) for more carbohydrates. Protein slows the entrance of carbohydrates into the blood and the BALANCE keeps you satisfied longer.

Become

Now it’s time to put it all together. BECOME is putting into practice the first two components, BURN and BALANCE.  It is the practice of sensing hunger, balancing protein and carbohydrate, and choosing the options that are most helpful to you and the circumstance. Practice is a verb – it’s doing. To BECOME is an active process, not the end goal we achieve. As you practice the concepts of BURN and BALANCE you’ll develop a healthy lifestyle that works for you – both physically and mentally.