Bariatric Blog for March

March 2016

Hello everyone…

Hopefully March is setting a precedent for our spring weather! With thoughts of spring, & frolic, & fun on the brain, let’s try to stay focused on the nutrition habits that will help us stay healthy & able. Here are some reminders & tips for how to listen to our bodies about true hunger. Please feel free to call or ask our staff if you have any questions!

Follow these steps to discover more about your “hunger”:

• Ask yourself, “Am I really hungry, or just bored, anxious, emotional… (fill in the blank)?”
• Consider whether or not you have hunger signs, such as stomach growling, low energy, grouchy mood, etc.
• Think about what you may be looking to eat. Ask yourself is it a healthy choice, & if not, would you be willing to make a healthier one due to the hunger. If you are not willing to eat an apple, but would be willing to eat a cookie or other snack, this may not be true hunger!
• Drink a glass of water, & decide if you still feel hungry 15 minutes later. This will help to determine if you are truly hungry, or just dehydrated.
• If you have eaten & still feel like you could eat more, have you waited at least 15 minutes to see if you have given yourself time to digest before taking a second portion? It takes our stomach’s receptor cells at least this long to help our brain register a feeling of satiety.

These are some basic concepts that can be very helpful in training your stomach to agree with your brain. As much as we think we “know” how to eat well, our bodies find many ways to trick us & sabotage us into eating out of stress, boredom, or just because some particular type of food tastes too good to resist.

Let this be the month you start to “March” in the right direction! Let our staff help you in your journey!

Angela M. Simmons, CRNP, CBN

asimmons@atlanticgeneral.org

Office #: 410-641-9568

Fax #: 410-641-1006

Direct #: 410-629-6513