Summertime is here and full of road
trips to various destinations unknown. I am going to be taking a
lot of field trips this summer for school so I have to be prepared
for these eventualities of the road and dealing my PCOS related
dietary needs. In the best case scenario I will be making a series
of healthy lunches all neatly packed into eco-concious reusable bento
boxes. But I also know myself a little better than that.
Sure maybe me on a good day...
In my family fast food was a special
reward or reserved for when we traveled. And as an adult it set the
precedent (along with PCOS related food cravings) for me using fast
food as an all too ready reward in my past. The worst thing I did
was not be mindful about my purchases and then I decided there was no
path but abstinence entirely from road foods.
Thus over the last three years I have
developed a system of moderation which is constantly changing and
growing. Fast foods are full of processed foods and preservatives so I limit how much I eat out each week and I try to focus
on mindfulness of what I really want.
 |
| It tastes just as good... |
- “Small” Size It: Store cashiers will always ask “do you want that medium size or super size or biggie size?”But pretty much all of them have their meals advertised in small size with the small size price. Its just a trick of the tongue to get an impatient person to order more food and spend faster. Still the smallest versions of the things you really want will give you the flavors you crave. A good example is a Whopper vs a Whopper Jr. In that case you loose 290 calories and 20 carbs and it is still less than a regular cheeseburger.
- Which I note is part of the dollar/value menu trap. Simply by my research dollar menu foods have the same calories as the regular menu if not more and in fact people will buy more of them and consume 2-4 times more calories than a regular combo. Still some menus provide yogurt parfaits, small side salads, and other small servings.
=
- Unsweetened Beverages: Once you buy a sweetened soda or sweetened coffee or ice cream drink you are faced with the straight carbs from corn syrup sweetener. One soda can have up to 130 carbs and 300 calories in a medium sized cup. And diet sodas can still leave your insulin in a lurch because sweet tasting things still create an insulin reaction when you drink them. Thus insofar plain iced tea seems to be the only unsweetened beverage you can order that does not have any sugar or sugar emulating substances. Plus you can control if you put in just a teaspoon of sugar instead of six to twelve tablespoons in a Coca-Cola.
OR 
Some places, like Wendys, give you a choice or four different healthy items instead of fries that include two different salads, chili, baked potato, and/or apple slices. So it is easy to have a full meal with healthy choices aplenty.
Still the bottom line is you don't
have to have fries at all or any other element of a meal. Just get the one thing you
really want and just that. And reading the menu can save you even
then. You can always ask for the nutrition menu or look those menus
up on your phone/computer to pre-plan what is safe for you.
For example I found out that my
favorite burger had 1000 calories on its own, which is a little more
than half of my personal daily limit. So it is no longer my favorite
burger and I had to find a healthier alternative.
Healthy moderation
brings us the ability to enjoy small amounts without the feeling of
punishment. And it is a step forward in mindfulness of our dietary
moods and choices.
No comments:
Post a Comment