Good morning! I’ve been waking up naturally around 7:15 a.m. on the weekends and it feels so nice to get a little extra sleep but still be up early enough to enjoy some quiet morning hours. So far this morning I have started laundry, done dishes, vacuumed, picked up and made breakfast and now I’m settling in with coffee and my laptop. It sounds boring but makes me feel content.

I’ve got another installment of my new “Sunday Morning Coffee Chat” series for you today but this time it’s going to be all about YOU instead of me. I’m answering some reader questions I’ve received over the past few weeks.

I have been wondering if there are any blogs or websites that you follow on a regular basis and that inspire you?

Here are a few blogs and websites you’ll find in my reader…

Tiny Buddha for feel good/personal development/simple wisdom/relationship stuff/mindfulness/yoga/etc.
Joy the Baker for her baller recipes (she is even a go-to source for my dad) as well as her lovely/quirky personality.
Danielle LaPorte because…Danielle Laporte. She is a wonderful source of inspiration for me and keeps it really real without getting too personal.
A Healthy Slice of Life for her beautiful family life, balanced approach to food and fitness and because she’s a friend and fellow Dawg.
Pinch of Yum for great, easy recipes but mostly insights on professional blogging. I am also a member of their Food Blogger Pro community.
The Fitnessista for another career personal trainer/fitness instructor/blogger living on an opposite coast with a military spouse and two gorgeous girls.

There are many more and I’ll do a complete list of them sometime soon!

My problem is when I start eating my lunch or dinner I always want to end it with something sweet like a hard candy while reading or watching TV. I feel they’re lighter on the belly than fruits…How do I correct this?

I have two opposite thoughts here. The first is that there’s nothing wrong with having a little fruit or a piece of chocolate or a hard candy as a daily post-dinner treat. The second is that if you want to break the “something sweet” habit, it works best to go cold turkey on the post-meal treats for a set period of time and reassess after.

Oftentimes, I don’t find it necessary to completely eliminate sweets from my diet. Rather, it sometimes can “creep” until it’s out of control and I’m wanting something sweet all the time. At that point, it works best for me to cut out candy, cakes, cookies, etc. for a period of time and then slowly reintroduce. I honestly don’t think there’s anything wrong with a piece of chocolate at night or a cup of fruit after lunch. You just don’t want to be in the habit of wanting sweets all the time and after every meal.

We could go on and on about the addictive qualities of sugar and the health issues that come with it but I think all things in moderation are the way to go. When you feel out of moderation, it’s time for a change and only you know at what point that is. Some people might enjoy a nightly bowl of ice cream for their whole life while others do better on one bowl a week. You draw the line based on how you feel.

I will say that a lot of the wanting something sweet after meals is also directly tied to habit. I would suggest taking a break from it and trying to replace it with another habit like going for a walk or making a cup of herbal tea (maybe one that is naturally a little sweet). Or do something with your hands while you watch TV like knitting or a crossword puzzle to distract yourself.

I meant to ask you about the dinner plates you feature. Silly, but I’m all about presentation and of course yummy food and those plates make me happy.

You would laugh if you opened the cabinets in my kitchen because it’s a big mix of mismatched dishes. I’ve accumulated quite the collection of random dishes, dish towels and placemats over the years for food photography. My #1 tip for pretty presentation is white plates with clean, modern lines.

My go-to stores for affordable white dishes are Ikea, Crate and Barrel, Home Goods and World Market.

I do also have a set of everyday dishes from Vietri but while they are lovely, they chip terribly (and were expensive). We actually just discussed tossing them and actually buying a new complete set of white dishes.

I wish I had time to answer more but I am off to yoga teacher training. I hope you guys have a great day and please feel free to drop me any questions you may have via email, the contact form or comments below. I’m happy to answer! 🙂

Any recommendations for blogs or websites you enjoy following? And why? 

How do you tame the “wanting something sweet” after meals habit? Or do you roll with it?