{HMW} Knowing the salad is the better choice and eating the ice cream anyway

Dear Reader,

When's the last time you knew exactly what you should eat, but did something else entirely anyway?

I'm willing to be that you already know "what to eat".

You're not confused about the "right" choice.

When faced with an option between a salad or ice cream, we know the salad is the better option nutritionally, and will likely make your body feel better too and still, we don't always make that choice.

It can be maddening that knowledge alone doesn't always make a difference in what you actually do.

What we really need is a bridge between the knowing and the doing. (spoiler, the doing is the hard part!). I promise you this is not a will power or discipline problem.

Knowledge lives in the thinking part of your brain.

Eating behaviors happens somewhere else, your nervous system, your habits, whatever your environment looks like in that exact moment.

When you're stressed or tapped out, your brain reaches for the easiest option, not the one you know is "correct."

Another rule or another plan or reading another article on the topic won't inherently fix this. What actually closes the gap and helps you cross that bridge is something that doesn't rely on willpower in the moment at all.

I'm actually building a coaching program all about this, and I'll be sharing more info about it soon.
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​In the meantime, try this: catch one moment this week where what you know you SHOULD eat and what you WANT to eat or DID eat didn't or don't match.

Don't correct it just yet. Just write it down and observe when this cognitive dissonance occurs.

Have it:

Interesting article alert: Drink This Daily To Build Your Strength & Reduce Odds Of Frailty​

If you have a highly sensitive nervous system and startle response like me, check out this site, which tells you EXACTLY, as in time-stamps, when the jump-scares occur in a film. You're welcome!

Made it:

​5-Senses Sunday​

Hybrid foods, a nosing kit with 120 aromas, an addictive online game of Name That Tune, what people say makes them feel most comfortable in their skin, and a thread of the most extraordinary eyes I've ever seen. This week's 5-Senses Sunday is live!

Want it:

How many of you use a wearable health device like an apple watch, fitbit or Oura Ring? 👋

I tried an apple watch but hated all the distractions and notifications - I just want something that I can check at the end of the day and in the morning to see how I slept. This is a new device from garmin that I've been eyeing. 👀

If any of you have this or a version of this, let me know your thoughts!

Ingredient Spotlight:

Raisins

RAISINS ✨

For me as a kid, raisins were ants on a log style, or not at all.

Now they show up in my shredded carrot salad, my morning oatmeal, a Moroccan-spiced stew, and of course still in the oatmeal raisin cookies.

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As a dried fruit, they're chewy and concentrated, with that deep caramelized sweetness with a slight tang underneath. Soak them in warm liquid (broth, tea, even just hot water) for ten minutes and they plump back up, softer and juicier.

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Yes, raisins are basically concentrated grapes, so the sugar content is more abundant. But they are also high in fiber and potassium. They're shelf-stable and travel well, which is part of why they've stuck around as a snack for generations.

I got some great raisin recipe ideas from this Substack article... enjoy experimenting!

Announcements & Upcoming:

The What's for Dinner Summit opens up for enrollment next week! I'm very excited about this one. So much so that I might even make you a quick video about why all of you should register for it. Stay tuned!

Extra Bytes:

What I'm Reading: Land, by Maggie O'Farrell

What I'm Watching: Trying, season 5

What I'm Listening to: 10% Happier with Dan Harris podcast​

What I'm Eating: One-Pot Mafaldine with Tomato cream sauce, kale, parsley-hemp topping​

That's it for me this week. I hope you have a happy and healthy hump day!

Warmly,

Jenny