Food Challenges

What are your greatest food challenges? Click here to find out what you can do about it.

Challenge of the Month

January 2007 Balance Challenge Special

Jumpstart Package: The Balance Challenge with Gloria Bakst and Patrice Cahill

Take your own “Balance Challenge.” Gloria Bakst and Patrice Cahill are offering a two-week startup package for $240 that includes four personal training sessions with Cahill and two consultations with Bakst that include a health and wellness assessment, and a food, lifestyle and awareness education toward a balanced lifestyle based on individual needs.

Call 781-598-9313 or e-mail Gloria to sign up.

Healthy Bonus!

1 (60 minute) consultation that includes a health & wellness assessment
food, lifestyle education towards a balanced lifestyle based on individual needs
a grocery tour (90 minutes)

Price: $125.00 ($40.00 savings)

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Challenge: Breads and Sweets

You have asked a very common food challenge that many people share. Breads and sweets are addictive. Once you start eating them you will crave them all day. They are sugar, simple carbohydrates that offer no nutritional value, they are empty calories. The key to avoiding them is too delay and balance. Try not having them until later in the day and be sure you are eating some lean protein and monounsaturated fat with them. It is all about balance and learning how to do it so that you can decrease your cravings.
Understanding how food affects you is how I help clients deal with their food challenges. For more information on how to deal with your problems please give me a call and we can work on your individual problem in a way that will work for you.

Challenge: Snacking, Soda and not eating enough small meals and instead eating one our two large meals a day.

Thank you for submitting your food challenge. My first question before I can respond to your question: are you eating breakfast and what are you eating? Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should be eaten within one hour of waking. A good breakfast will prevent cravings and will get your metabolism working efficiently. If you skip meals you slow down your metabolism and burn calories very slowly. You also can’t think clearly without the right balance of food. A good way to think about it is if you were to take a drive in your car, you’d check to see if you had enough gas to get to where you’re going. Food is your fuel and energy and you won’t get very far without it.

Drinking soda is like drinking 9 tablespoons of sugar for every 8 ounces. It rushes into your blood stream, gives you a boost for a short time and then it drops and you feel tired, hungry and craving more carbohydrates. A better choice would be drinking water, or carbonated flavored water and having a smoothie if you are in a rush. I have a delicious blueberry smoothie recipe in my book ZonePerfect Cooking Made Easy. This book has many fast, easy recipes and tips for people who don’t have time to cook.

To get the most energy from your meals be sure to always include the 3 macro-nutrients: low fat protein, fruit, vegetable, and whole grains for carbohydrates, and mono-unsaturated fats.

I do personal consulting, personal chef services, grocery tours (you will learn how to run into the market and come out with a healthy meal all prepared, plus much more) and help you develop a meal plan that will fit in with your lifestyle.

Challenge Tip:

One thing pastry lovers can start doing right away is eliminating the sugar from the pastry and substituting it with Splenda.
Chatila's Bakery has done just that. They only produce sugar free pastry, using Splenda as a sweetener, and it's fantastic.

Past Balance Challenge

The Balance Challenge with Charlene Peters

"I feel like I’ve been taught a most valuable life lesson: how to achieve a healthy body and mind simply with food choices and meal planning." Read about Charlene's success with The Balance Challenge.

Grocery Tour with Charlene Peters (left) and Gloria Bakst of Balanced Nutrition. Charlene is taking the Balance Challenge.

Charlene Peters (L) with Gloria Bakst (R) during the Grocery Tour.

"For two months, blog along with me while I re-program my less than stellar eating, exercise and stress coping mechanisms.

My goal is to sit without bulges and to fit into my true size 8 navy pinstriped Dolce & Gabbana suit by January 1, 2007, and remain 'in balance" for the rest of my life.'"

Follow along on Charlene's blog as she documents her progress.