Is washing dishes stopping you from preparing food?

     Many people are reluctant to cook or prepare food because of the dirty dishes that will result. Some people are very busy and don't have time for another task, and other people find that they continuously put off washing the dishes, and the dishes just pile up. Here are a few tips. 

• Use disposable cutlery and containers for packing your food for lunch or work
• prepare one-pot or one-pan meals to limit the amount of dishes you need to wash
• Cook in disposable pans and throw them away when you are done cooking
• Line washable pans with parchment paper to limit the mess and make washing them easier
• When you use pots or pans, immediately soak them in the sink to make cleaning them easier when you do get around to it
• fill a dish basin with soapy water and add your dirty dishes and silverware to it after eating so they can soak and make washing them easier

Tips for healthy eating with executive functioning challenges

• Have the same structure for dinner every week. For example, Sunday is pizza, Monday is chicken, Tuesday is fish, Wednesday is pasta, Thursday is ground beef, Friday is vegetarian, and Saturday is beef.
• Choose simple recipes. For example, chicken, beef, or fish topped with a store-bought seasoning mix or jarred marinade or  and baked. 
• Make partially prepared foods a part of your meal routine. For example, use frozen vegetables or instant/quick-cook grain mixes as sides. 
• Prepare breakfast the night before to be grabbed on your way out in the morning. For example, add the ingredients for overnight oats to a container or spoon yogurt or cottage cheese and fruit into a container. Put a spoon on top of the container in the fridge to have one less thing to remember in the morning. 
• You don't need to eat "breakfast foods" for breakfast or "dinner foods" for dinner. Do what works for you. For example, scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast can be dinner or leftover chicken and rice can be a filling breakfast. 

Executive function and nutrition

    Meal planning can be a challenge for people with executive function issues. Executive function is a set of mental skills that help us to plan, focus, remember, and organize. It involves the ability to control our thoughts and actions in order to achieve our goals. When we have difficulty with executive function, it can be hard to make decisions, stay focused, and follow through on tasks. This can make meal planning a daunting task.

Here are some tips for meal planning for people with executive function issues:

• Simplify your meals. The simpler your meals are, the easier they will be to plan and prepare. Choose recipes that have few ingredients and steps.
• Plan ahead. Try to plan your meals for the week in advance. This will help you to stay on track and avoid making last-minute decisions.
• Use a meal planner. There are many different meal planning tools available, both online and in print. A meal planner can help you to keep track of your recipes, ingredients, and grocery lists.
• Delegate tasks. If you have family members or friends who are willing to help, delegate some of the meal planning tasks to them. This could include grocery shopping, cooking, or cleaning up.
• Don't be afraid to ask for help. If you are struggling with meal planning, don't be afraid to ask for help from a friend, family member, or professional. There are many resources available to help you.

It is important to remember that everyone is different and what works for one person may not work for another. Experiment with different strategies and find what works best for you. With a little effort, you can meal plan successfully even if you have executive function issues.

What is the best food for weight loss?

     I often hear this question. I've been a dietitian for about 8 years, and I don't know the answer. End of post.

    Ok, I'll give you a bit more. There is no good answer to this question. In the research literature, there are many foods that are found to be associated with a lower body weight, but when we look studies that are trying to determine a cause and effect relationship, those foods are unclear or nonexistent. In short, there is no food that is known to cause weight loss, when all other factors are equal. 

    Honestly, the issue is really with what is behind the question, not the lack of answer. There are two problems. First, there is rarely a quick, simple, one factor answer any health concern. Second, this question insinuates that weight loss is the outcome to be looking for. Some more useful questions to ask are: 

• What types of foods will keep me feeling satiated while helping me maintain blood sugars in my goal range? 
• What types of foods can assist in improving my blood pressure? 
• How can I eat to lower my risk of heart problems?
• Are there any foods that can help prevent my kidney disease from getting worse?
• Why am I unsatisfied with how I look? What societal pressures cause me to be preoccupied with my weight?
• Given that there are factors that I can't change about myself, what can I do or focus on to feel good about myself? 
• Am I pushing off experiences until I reach a certain size? Can I pursue those experiences now?
• Do people around me make disparaging comments about my looks? Who of my friends are kind to me? Can I pursue those relationships more?

    Now, if after a thoughtful conversation with your healthcare provider, the two of you conclude that your weight is impacting your health, and you decide you would like to treat this medical concern, just know, that diet is not the only treatment of choice. Perhaps it is not even a treatment at all. 

Why does my weight fluctuate?

     Many of my patients are concerned and confused by day to day fluctuations in their weight. They wonder how they gained so much weight in one day. They wonder if their scale is broken. They wonder if this happens when they eat "badly." 

    Let's review some information. If you drink two cups of water, you will weight about one pound more. An average-sized meal weighs about one pound, so you will weight one pound more after the meal than you did before the meal. A bowel movement can weight one pound, so you will weight less after using the restroom. Many people lose one pound of sweat from a one hour run, so the pound of weight lost from that workout is from the sweat. In short, there are many normal bodily functions and activities that can account for day to day weight changes. 

    In general, daily weights can be exasperating for most people. Besides for some very specific medical reasons, it is not necessary for people to weight themselves daily. Many people would even benefit from rarely or never weighing themselves. Because our body uses many functions to maintain our health, our weight can shift from one day to the next. 

Triggers of binge eating

    Binge eating is a serious eating disorder characterized by episodes of eating large amounts of food in a short period of time, while feeling out of control and unable to stop. Binge eating can be triggered by a variety of factors, including:

• Emotional distress: Binge eating is often triggered by negative emotions, such as stress, anxiety, depression, or boredom.
• Dieting: Dieting can lead to binge eating in a number of ways. First, dieting can create feelings of deprivation and hunger, which can make it more likely to binge eat. Second, dieting can lead to feelings of shame and guilt, which can also trigger binge eating.
• Lack of self-esteem: People with low self-esteem may be more likely to binge eat as a way to cope with negative emotions.
• Body image issues: People with negative body image may be more likely to binge eat as a way to cope with these feelings.
• Genetics: There is some evidence that genetics may play a role in binge eating.

Disordered eating and guilt

    Guilt is a common emotion experienced by people with disordered eating. It can be triggered by a variety of factors, including eating foods that are considered "forbidden," overeating, or not eating enough. Guilt can lead to a number of negative consequences, including further disordered eating behaviors, low self-esteem, and depression. When people feel guilty about eating, they may try to restrict their food intake in an attempt to "make up" for what they've eaten. However, this often backfires, leading to binge eating. Additionally, people with eating disorders may avoid social situations where food is present, out of fear of eating too much or of being judged for their food choices. Guilt can also contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety, which can make it more difficult to cope with disordered eating.