Eat + Drink

Think Short Term

If someone brings a king cake to the office and you are thinking of having a piece at 10:30 in the morning, stop and think of how it will make you feel later in the day. “Following the sugar high, you are going to bottom out in the afternoon and then you will crave more sugar,” advises Molly Kimball. "One meal or snack is not a make or break in the long run, but who wants to feel like that in the short term?”

Alcohol Begets More Alcohol

“Alcohol and processed carbs are cyclical,” Kimball said. “When we consume them, we just want more. They light up the parts of our brains that give us highs. Another way that alcohol is cyclical is we drink to feel better and unwind but in the long run alcohol makes us more sensitive to stress.”

The Expert

Molly Kimball is the Director of Nutrition for Ochsner Health & Wellness Solutions, Founder of Eat Fit, a collaboration between Ochsner and restaurants and markets to offer healthy menu options, and author of Craft: The Eat Fit Guide to Zero Proof Cocktails (Pelican Publishing, 2022)

The Lasting Power of Protein

Studies show that proteins are the most filling of all nutrients and will keep you feeling full longer. This is partly because protein reduces levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin while also boosting levels of peptide YY, a hormone that makes you feel satiated. According to the Holt Satiety Index of Foods Chart, fish scores higher than all other protein-rich foods, including eggs and beef. “Protein keeps us alert, levels things out so we feel less irritable,” continued Kimball.

Setting Sensible Dietary & Lifestyle Goals

Resolutionary (noun) A well-intentioned over-indulger who hits the new year and the gym with vigor and rigid diets only to putter out and give up by Mardi Gras.

“Goals should be set in small, manageable bites," said nutritionist Molly Kimball. “Shifting the narrative in our minds is what motivates us. If goals are too far reaching, they become hard to attain.”

– By Jyl Benson

The Zero-Proof French 75

From Craft: The Eat Fit Guide to Zero Proof Cocktails

Makes 1 serving 1 ounce zero proof gin 2 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp Eat Fit Simple Syrup (recipe follows) 4 ounces zero proof sparkling wine Lemon swath, expressed, for garnish Combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a small shaker tin filled with ice. Shake and double strain into a tall champagne flute. Top with zero proof sparkling wine and garnish with lemon swath.

Eat Fit Simple Syrup 1 cup water 1/2 cup Swerve granular or 1 1/2 cups granular allulose In a saucepan, bring water to a boil. Reduce to medium-high heat and add sweetener. Stir to dissolve and continue to heat for 10 minutes. Pour into heat-safe glass container and refrigerate to chill. Store unused portion in airtight container in refrigerator for up to four weeks.