The QuickieChick’s Guide to Eating Your Heart Out

Laurel House -- a.k.a. the "QuickieChick" -- is a girl after our own hearts.  At the tender age of 23, she quit her job to build a lifestyle business based around the idea of making the most out of every moment in your day, whether it's through a "Quickie workout in bed" (not what it sounds like!) or a facial made from the ingredients in your refrigerator.  Today, to get us excited about her new book, QuickieChick's Cheat Sheet to LIfe, Love, Food, Fitness, Fashion, and Finance on a Less-Than-Fabulous Budget, Laurel has offered us some advice on how to make food work to our advantage when it comes to dating, love, marriage, and heartbreak (hopefully, not in that order!):

QuickieChick’s Relationship Tips for Smart (Broke) Chicks: Break-Ups, First Dates, and Wedding Bells  

Before a big date, you make it a point to cut your calories in hopes of shaving off a few pounds from your hips. You break up and those cartons of ice cream suddenly become your best friend -- screw the thighs! Hot and heavy dating can lead to sexy and sticky nights of chocolate and whipped cream dripping from your skin. You get engaged and you go into major diet mode; just married, and mealtimes become treasured bonding moments with your hubby. When it comes to love and heartbreak, food plays a major role.  

Instead of going so yo-yo, start looking at food from a multitasking perspective. We’re expected to be multitaskers, and it’s time to put our food to task too -- by not just gorging or grazing, but eating "Bites with Benefits." Yes, foods can do more than just fill and fatten you up. They can actually help trim you down, increase your energy, or even ease a broken heart. Here are a few of my favorite ways to celebrate love and help make heartbreak not hurt so much…

Before a promising first date, have a pre-date de-puffing foundation food -- like a banana or half a baked yam -- no butter, no salt. Next, slip on your "Power Panties!"

Why?  The problem with dating, particularly “drinks dates,” is that you are generally going out on an empty stomach. Then you’re drinking with an empty stomach. Not a good thing. Why? Because you could get wasted from the get-go and not be your best self. So, you should eat first, right? But if the drinks date goes so well that it turns into a dinner date, you don’t want to have already eaten dinner. Then, you’ve eaten dinner twice and you feel bloated and sick, or you ordered a salad, didn't eat much, and look like a typical picky-eating chick. Also bad. Instead, eat something that gives your stomach a foundation. Even better, eat something with benefits like de-puffing. Potassium helps to pull out puff. Both the banana and the yam set a base in your stomach so that you can drink and not be an instantly drunk freak.

And the "Power Panties?" Men have "Power Ties."  Well, we have "Power Clothes," too. Ours are just a little different.  According to Feng Shui belief, wearing something red can up your “wow” factor, arouse self-confidence, energetically emit power, and attract luck. But you can’t always wear a red outfit, or even a red accessory. So, wear red panties to take your confidence to a whole new level. This isn’t about looking sexy for him. Nope, this is all about you!

After a broken heart, indulge in a chocolate-banana milkshake with low-fat milk (or soy milk) while blasting “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen.

Why? Serotonin, often called the “cuddle hormone,” is produced when you feel loved and comforted. You don’t need a pair of arms to produce this feeling of comfort! Low-fat milk and soy milk both do the trick just fine! Chocolate helps release endorphins -- happy chemicals in your brain -- while bananas are packed with potassium, a naturally de-puffing mineral that also helps calm the nerves and ease the mind. Of course, make it all low-fat because there’s no reason to destroy the diet just because you were dumped. There’s another fab guy around the corner. Always be at your best, but allow the mini-splurge to mend your heart for now. Create an intention board of what you’re really looking for in a guy. Because he wasn’t perfect. In fact, he was flawed in many ways.  

When your ex starts dating a supermodel, delete his number, block him on Facebook, and go on Match, eHarmony, JDate, and every other dating site STAT! Yes, it costs money, but investing a bit in yourself -- particularly your sanity -- is essential. Have a couple of girlfriends come over, and have a glass (or several) of rose champagne while creating your profiles.

Why? First of all -- the champagne is a lower-calorie alcoholic beverage. It’s a much better choice, calorically, than something like a margarita (which can have as many as 5x the calories). And while you’re bummed, why not lighten the mood with a pink and bubbly drink -- onward and upward!

Blocking him on FB also blocks you so that you can no longer see his wall and obsess over the new pics. Even if you’re not ready to date yet, getting yourself back out there can help you get over him faster as you realize that there are some seriously hot and seriously fab guys still out there. Just browsing all the guys late at night will keep you upbeat and minimize your late-night loneliness.

When your man proposes, celebrate with Skinny Jalapenitos -- they are spicy, strong, naturally fat-burning (giving you a jump start on your wedding-dress diet), and seriously tasty. And party with your girls!