From Cravings to Control: Managing Your Foodie Side on Wellness Wednesday

Welcome to Wellness Wednesday, where this  foodie is trying to take care of her diet, and no, it doesn't involve sacrificing deliciousness for healthiness.

As someone who loves food, I've always found it challenging to strike a balance between indulging in my favorite flavors and making sure I'm treating my body well. But over time, I've come up with some strategies that work for me. And by "work for me," I mean they make me feel like I'm living my best life while still fitting into my jeans.

The Usual Healthy Eating Tips

I've followed all the usual tips:

1. Embrace the power of herbs and spices. 

2. Getting creative with veggies.

3. Treating myself, but doing it mindfully. 

4. Making meal prep a fun activity, not a chore.

5. And finally ... I'm not taking it all too seriously.

At the end of the day, food is meant to be enjoyed. Yes, it's important to take care of your body and make choices that support your health, but that doesn't mean you have to be a perfect robot all the time. 

If you want to indulge in pizza (last week) or some ice cream (this afternoon) every once in a while, go for it! Just remember to savor every bite and enjoy the experience.

Food Cravings

What is a major struggle is food cravings. You know the feeling - you're going about your day, minding your own business, when suddenly, out of nowhere, you get hit with an overwhelming desire for something sweet, salty, or greasy. It's like your taste buds have declared mutiny and are demanding to be satisfied, no matter the cost to your waistline.

Today it was loh mai kai, a glutinous sticky rice wrapped in a pandan leaf. A few weeks ago, I was seriously wanting a sugar hit. 

Well, fear not, my fellow craving-sufferers! As someone who loves food, I have a new way to help navigate the treacherous waters of food cravings. 

Strategy to Control Cravings

I have a general rule of having to make it from scratch so it's healthier. It saves money too sometimes! 

So if I'm cravings something, I will look for a recipe. Here are some which I found recently; 

• Glutinous Rice
  
• Muffin Tin Mini Apple Pies
  
• Banana Fritters
  
• Soft Pretzel Twists
  
• Key Lime Pie
  

You know what's funny? After finding recipes, I'm content. I save them and think I will make them, and I'm soothed, like a child which has not been denied. 

What is hard for us is hearing no, even if it's just in our head. Saying later, on the other hand, calms the beast. 

In Australia, I kept thinking about bagels. When I got back to London, I did treat myself to one from a bakery, though I have looked at recipes and will make it some day. (It's a general rule remember, and it's OK to break the rules).

I bought the bagel from Rinkoff's, a cheap East End institution, which avoids the crazy Brick Lane crowds on Sunday. (We stopped there after buying flowers at Columbia Road Flower Market - see my tip for saving money when you go.)

The next day, I made a simple gourmet homemade lunch with the coloured bagel, a bit of cream cheese, avocado and sea bass. It was awesome! 

I adapted this cream cheese spread recipe. 

So instead of having cheesecake, the cream cheese spread gave me with the fix I needed. 

Meat Free Meals

I realised I've neglected my diet lately. It's easy to forget what's important when it's hectic. Today I had a meat free meal, which I haven't done much of recently. 

I started with a pocket mini wholemeal pitta with reduced fat hummus. Then I had smashed chives parmesan potatoes with roasted kale. 

Take this smashed potato recipe, then add parmesan & chives before it goes in the oven. 

The potatoes managed my recent craving for crisps. I've been thinking about doritos, walkers or those super addictive cheese puff ones that Rihanna was addicted to. So far, I've resisted. Smashed potatoes has satiated my desire. 

Foodie Guilty Pleasures

Two of my foodie guilty pleasures are:

1. Reading CNN food articles. They have exceptionally good ones. :p 

Here are a few: 

• Asia Best Street Foods
  
• American hamburger restaurants history
• Classic french dishes wellness

2. Food videos on TikTok. Inspiring, but I never end up making any of them!

Here's some I recommend:

• Burrito pie
  
• Dumpling wrapper scallion pancakes
  
• Chicharon & guacamole
  

These links worked at the time of writing, but I've noticed some that I send on whatsapp from a few months ago don't go anywhere any more, so apologies if they become duds! 

What I noticed is, these TikTok videos don't make me become unhealthy like when I watch cooking shows on TV or look at food posts on Instagram. Idk why. 

Hope you've had a fabulous wellness Wednesday. Good luck with controlling your cravings and managing your foodie side. 

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E.M. Blake is the author of 'Dilly Dally Sally' and 'This Silly Bench.' She's also on Twitter and lots of other social media. 

'This Silly Bench,' is currently free to download on Amazon and Kobo for a limited time. The book is quirky and features benches around London and also some from around the world. There are some cool characters too, like Joe the Crow, Matt the greedy rat, a baby gosling on Regent's Canal who has mastered Paddington's hard stare, a family of swans bringing contentment and calm, and many more wonderful animals.  

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