What’s your eating profile? Are you the 1-block or whole bar of chocolate type of person? (PART 2)

In Part 1 of ‘What’s your eating profile?’ I shared with you how different genes and genetic expressions influence the amount of stimulus we need and the degree to which we are able to experience pleasure and satisfaction. Hence why some people are satisfied with one block of chocolate and others need much more to experience a similar level of satisfaction.

If you fall into the second group like me, then managing your food intake for example will be a little trickier and more challenging. You will definitely need to harness more willpower and discipline. However, as I mentioned there are definite strategies you can easily employ to support you and make your life a lot easier in this regard. (And these of course apply to everyone wanting to manage portions with less stress and be more health conscious.)

My top 5 strategies are simple and easy. You just need to consistently implement them in your life.

1. Where possible, buy portioned packages of your favorite foods. These are much more readily available today – from yogurt, to cottage cheese, to trail mix, hummus, crackers and yes, even chocolate. I happily pay a premium for these items.
2. Make your home a nutrition wonderland with only healthy, nutritious foods available. This will limit temptation dramatically.
3. Don’t allow yourself to get overly hungry because once that train leaves the station, it will be a runaway train with little chance of stopping it! Never leave home without a couple of healthy snacks on hand.
4. When eating out order appetizers as your main course. I will order two appetizers – one as my actual appetizer, the other for my main course. Yes, I often get weird looks from the servers, but a girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do!
5. Avoid buffets at all costs. If you cannot, always do the following:
   • Don’t arrive hungry! Have a snack that is high in lean protein or healthy fats about an hour before you head out.
   • Scout out the entire selection of foods on offer – from appetizers to desserts.
   • Decide on what you most want to eat. Plan your meal.
   • Have a green salad to start. This is almost always an option.
   • Take a small plate for your main course and choose one type of protein and plenty of greens. The notion of having a taster of a few different foods almost always results in more food eaten overall!
   • Sit as far away as possible from the buffet table as possible.
   • As with all meals, eat slowly, be mindful and enjoy the company!
   • If you decide to have dessert, follow the same instructions. See what there is, pick the one you would most enjoy, take the smallest plate and amount, eat it slowly and ENJOY it!

Although our genes may be stacked against us, there is plenty we can do to compensate. Never forget that genetics loads the gun but lifestyle pulls the trigger.

At the end of the day, regardless of your particular genetic make-up, the huge “take-always” (no pun intended) are:

• Pay attention to your consistent habits – there may be more to them than you realize.
• Some things are just not in our control but that is no reason to throw in the towel or constantly beat yourself up.
• There are always solutions to be found it you are willing to look.

From my perspective, knowing and understanding all this information is empowering and liberating. If you are willing to take responsibility for your life and I hope you are, then you can create an environment that will best support your specific needs based not just on your preferences and lifestyle but also your genetic make-up. I know it is possible. I know you can do it!

To find out more about having your genetic profile assessed email me directly at lauren@laurenjawno.com. I’d be happy to refer you for testing if this interests you.

Until next week – embrace your inner truth, live your purpose and make your contribution in the world today.

With gratitude and appreciation,
Lauren