Good Mood Diet Blog

Hi Everyone,

As we head into Super Bowl Sunday I had some thoughts about the party. It is really easy to get carried away with “traditional” party food. The key to having a successful party while eating The Good Mood Diet way is to follow some basic rules.

• Don’t save your calories by starving yourself earlier in the day. Eat normally earlier so you don’t eat every thing in sight during the game.
• Have some healthier choices for party food. Consider serving recipes from the book like the Turkey Braid, Spinach Tofu Dip and Chocolate Popcorn.
• Don’t eat during the game. This helps prevent nervous, reflexive eating. Rather, eat conciously during half-time.
• Lastly don’t over-do the alcohol! Choose beverages that are low in calories.

As I was sitting in my office in Pennsylvania, watching the snow fall around me last week, I knew that school would get out early and the next day would be a snow day. According to the weather report, the storm front was running from Indiana all the way to the East Coast. Plenty of people would be at home with their kids.

This always causes a unique dilemma over how will you spend the day. One of the hardest times when making changes in eating habits is when the routine you follow is altered. Snow days definitely alter your day. The kids are home and need to be entertained. So the question is what to do with them. Do you, a) have a cookie baking day with the kids with hot chocolate and sweets or b) find a less food-oriented activity to while away the hours.

The solution is a combo of the two. It’s a great day to spend time in the kitchen as long as you don’t go overboard. Try the Chocolage Pecan Clouds (page 189) or Brownie recipe (page 192) in The Good Mood Diet book. Follow it with a snowball fight while the cookies cool and finish off with hot chocolate. If you need more activities, consider having a dance-off as a great source of aerobic activity.

Stay warm and drive carefully!

Karen
Nutritionist and contributor of the recipes for The Good Mood Diet