How's your summer so far, Reader?

“I thought I was going to have all this time off to eat healthy and work out consistently this summer, but THAT hasn’t happened. Summer is chaotic around here - it’s good chaos, but I need to get back on track. I want some better habits going into the fall when I go back to teaching - a different kind of chaos.”​
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This was Mel’s answer to the question above.

Her good kind of chaos involved a family trip to Colorado, with mountain biking, easy rock climbs with the kids, and LOTS of backyard BBQs with plenty of chips, guac, fudge icles, and an unfortunate kale salad situation (when she was trying to “be good”).

There’s freedom in letting go of food rules and always having a plan for your next meal. But eventually, chaotic eating gets old.

The women I work with, including Mel, look forward to the seasonal shift into Fall and a routine with food, exercise, and daily schedules.

You too?

There’s comfort in routine. Our bodies like the rhythm of routine.

Rhythm helps us stay attuned to our hunger, satisfaction, and fullness cues.

Routines create consistent lifestyle behaviors like eating adequate protein and complex carbs, moving your body, and getting to bed at a reasonable time.

⚠️ But a word of caution.

Watch out for “getting back to a routine” being code for controlled or restrictive eating in the hopes of weight loss.

To find your rhythm and routines with food, exercise, and sleep without being obsessive, try these strategies:

• Frontload your day with more nutrition to improve energy and mental clarity and reduce food noise.
• Focus on adding foods to support your health goals rather than fixate on what foods you “should” avoid.
• Get a variety of nutrient AND pleasure-dense foods to increase satisfaction with meals and reduce 4 pm mindless snack cravings
• Move your body in ways that feel satisfying rather than punishing

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Over the next few weeks, we’ll dive into these strategies and why they help keep nutrition easy in midlife.

Until then, check out this blog post: Strategies to make Intuitive Eating easy after 40.​
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RECIPE SHARE

This might be my new favorite granola recipe! I inherited it from Chef Shannon's cookbook collection and made a few tweaks based on ingredients I had on hand. It's definitely my new favorite snack for adventures and afternoon pick-me-ups.​
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Savory Granola makes about 5 cups

1/2 cup rolled oats

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

2 cups puffed brown rice or wheat cereal

1/2 cup flaxseeds

1/2 cup sesame seeds

2 large egg whites

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 TBSP Berbere spice mix (optional) or 1 TBSP curry powder and 1 TBSP ground ginger

2 TBSP Tamari

1/4 cup hemp hearts (seeds)

1/3 cup cocoa nibs

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Combine oats, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, puffed cereal, flaxseed, sesame seeds, egg whites, oil, maple syrup, spices, and tamari in a medium bowl. Toss to mix. Spread evenly in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, rotate the baking pan, and return to the oven for another 20 minutes.

Remove from oven when granola is golden brown. Stir in hemp hearts and cocoa nibs. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container at room temperature. Sprinkle over yogurt, salad, stir-frys, or eat it by the handful!

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What routine are you looking forward to this fall?

Hit reply! It's fun to have something to look forward to 🤩

Enjoy the weekend savoring food and your body!

Amanda

PS: There’s freedom in letting go of food rules and always having a plan for your next meal. But eventually, chaotic eating gets old. There’s comfort in routine. Our bodies like the rhythm of routine. Rhythm helps us stay attuned to our hunger, satisfaction, and fullness cues. Routines create consistent lifestyle behaviors like eating adequate protein and complex carbs, moving your body, and getting to bed at a reasonable time.

To find your rhythm and routines with food, exercise, and sleep without being obsessive, scroll for 4 strategies and check out this blog post.​