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On this episode
When the mid-afternoon slump hits, we’re often left reaching for quick energy boosters like biscuits, chocolates, or other sugary snacks. These choices might give us a brief spike in energy, but they don’t sustain us and often leave us feeling worse. We know this, but lack of information isn’t the problem.
What we need is to become more intentional about how we eat and to understand the impact of food on our energy and mood. By making small, manageable changes to our habits, we can feel more in control and stay energised throughout the day. We don’t need to overhaul our entire diet overnight, but instead choose habits that align with what our bodies truly need.
One snap decision can create a vicious cycle that leaves us feeling worse and reaching for even more unhelpful foods. Over time, these choices impact our physical and mental health, leaving us more drained and less able to keep up with life’s demands.
Rather than throw everything out and vow to only eat kale, we can make simple additions, to bring in more fibre or help out our gut biome. And on those days when the cake is unavoidable, we can choose to intentionally enjoy it and restart the plan directly after – not tomorrow or next week, but straight away.
Show links
More episodes of You Are Not a Frog:
- How to Change Your Life One Tiny Step at a Time – Episode 248, with Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi
- Why Setting Goals Alone Won’t Help – Episode 210
- 11 Ways to Back Your Wise Self – Episode 263
About the guests
Reasons to listen
- For practical ways to manage sugar cravings and adopt healthier eating habits without feeling deprived
- To discover how small, intentional changes in your diet can improve energy levels, focus, and mood
- To understand the connection between food, stress, and your gut biome, and how to make choices that support long-term wellbeing
Episode highlights
The beliefs that shape our eating
Replacing unhelpful thinking patterns
Building habits that help shape our identity
Finding the “secondary gain”
Getting specific about sugar
The Shapes Toolkit approach to healthier eating habits
Surfing the wave when cravings hit
How food changes our stress levels
How can we want what we need?
Quick and easy ways to feed your gut biome
Food and your zone of power
Episode transcript
[00:00:00] Rachel: You know that mid-afternoon slump when the biscuits tin suddenly becomes very persuasive. Or those moments when you know what you should eat, but still reach for the exact opposite. In this episode of You Are Not a Frog, i’m joined by nutrition and health coach Becky Balzano to ask a surprisingly powerful question. Are you truly nourishing yourself or just getting by? [00:00:20] Rachel: Now, you might be wondering why are we talking about food on a podcast about thriving in healthcare? Well, this is part of a special off-piste summer series where I’m exploring a few…
