LOVE

There was an article circulating on facebook yesterday about women who try to avoid being photographed for fear of looking too fat in the pictures. I'm sure we can all relate to that feeling you get when someone aims a camera at you--chin up, stomach in, tilt head down, lean forward, etc...whatever you feel will make you look thinner in the photo. I know some women who are so sensitive about this that they literally will not allow their picture to be taken, and yell or cover their face like children when cameras come out.

I think it's important to respect people's personal wishes about things like pictures, but it got me thinking about where this fear comes from. We woman are obsessed with our bodies, and rightfully so. We are raised in a weight-obsessed, over-sexualized culture where women's bodies are scrutinized and objectified and glorified to the point where each woman's mind, soul, heart, and spirit are almost insignificant in comparison with her body.

My experience growing up revolved primarily around my appearance and my weight. It felt like everyone around me was obsessed with it. For a long time, I really thought it was all that mattered about me. It seems so simple and obvious, but it took me many years to realize I am worthy of love and respect, and people WILL love and respect me, regardless of how much I weigh or what shape my body is.

I was in the hospital for a week right before my 18th birthday getting my gallbladder removed. I had actually been suffering with undiagnosed gallbladder disease for several years (my own fault--I just never went to the doctor) before it reached a climax right after I left for college and became life-threatening. I was so sick, and in so much pain, and so sad to be spending my birthday in the hospital. I couldn't eat anything, and I was miserable. The majority of the people who called to check on me during that experience had the following words of encouragement: "At least you'll lose some weight." I remember being so frustrated and disgusted that everyone would still be so focused on my weight when I was so, so sick. I actually even wrote an angry letter to my entire family afterward, which went something like, "I don't care! I don't care how much I weigh! And you shouldn't either! It is not the most important thing about me!"

I feel like that experience was really a paradigm shift for me. I probably could have handled it a little more tactfully, but the act of standing up for myself and rejecting the status quo was huge! It was the first step in a journey of learning to love myself, after being taught to hate myself.

But back to the picture issue. It is really about loving yourself. Everyone can see you. We all know what your body looks like...and we still love you. Not wanting to be photographed is about you not loving yourself. We are so focused on our own flaws that we can't see our beauty.

An amazing thing happened last night as I was getting ready for bed. I was in my room getting undressed, and I happened to be standing at a place in front of the mirror where almost my entire body was blocked by the TV, so all I could see in my reflection was my shoulders and my face. I just happened to catch a glimpse of myself, and I actually did a double take. I am beautiful! I loved the way my shoulders looked, and my face and hair were just gorgeous. It made me realize, painfully, that all I focus on when I look in the mirror are my flaws. I am so worried about whether I look fat around my midsection that I never stop and notice everything else about me. I went to bed with a huge smile on my face, because it really feels good to love yourself!

We are so conditioned to be self-deprecating and critical that it feels unnatural to compliment ourselves. When is the last time you said to a girlfriend, "I look awesome today!" rather than "I look fat in these jeans," or "My hair is a mess." Sometimes, when the girls are around, I look in the mirror and exclaim, "Man, I'm good looking!" just to get them to giggle. But from now on, I'm really going to mean it.

Moods and Foods

I know it may be hard to believe, but I wasn't always this cheerful and loving.

There was a [long] period of time in my life when I was grumpy, moody, unhealthy, and had a terrible temper. I can remember feeling that flash of anger or annoyance at something, and bracing myself for what was to come--I felt that I had no control over it. And everyone in my family, including my pets, suffered.

Fast forward to today--I can't remember the last time I was really angry or lost my temper. I feel totally in control of how I let myself react to negative things in my life. When my boss says something that really pushes my buttons, I have no problem just taking a deep breath and going in the other room until the unpleasant conversation is over. Or when a certain dog with the initials of Rocky Hicks gets into the litter pan for the third day in a row, right after I've finished vacuuming, I can just sigh and clean it up.

I didn't even really realize the change had happened until I was recently telling someone a story about something that happened several years ago and I could remember so vividly the anger I felt back then, and it was so foreign to me now. It made me wonder what the difference is between now and then. I didn't go to therapy or do any serious soul-searching on this issue--it just sort of faded away.

Of course being in a happy marriage and having the two greatest kids in the world help a lot, but I think the biggest difference is in the way I eat and exercise. Back then, in the "angry years," I was morbidly obese (that was an actual medical diagnosis--I'm not just being dramatic), and I ate very badly. There was virtually nothing raw or natural in my diet. I subsisted on fast food, meat, highly refined carbs, and loads of sugar. I always had a stomach ache, my back always hurt (sometimes to the point where I couldn't stand up), and I felt awful pretty much all the time.

The things you ingest into your body dictate your mood, to a large degree. Some people are more sensitive to this phenomenon than others, but it is definitely a fact. Meat, especially red meat, is thought to promote aggression. Sugar and refined carbohydrates create enormous blood sugar swings that bring the emotional highs and lows with which we are all familiar.

Find foods that keep you even keeled. Personally, I feel amazing when I eat vegetables and protein and avoid refined carbs. I feel steady and calm and happy. Fish, in particular, makes me feel incredible, especially when combined with raw greens. Once you start noticing how foods affect your mood, you will want to eat healthier. It only takes a little extra effort to pay attention to what will make you feel good, and it's so much easier to make better decisions to support yourself. And an important detail is to make decisions based on what makes YOU feel good. Trying to follow a diet that someone else created is not necessarily going to help you be healthier, because we are all so different. Listen to your body.

Exercise & Depression

I am convinced that exercise is a largely untapped resource in treating depression. We all know that scientists have discovered the actual chemicals that are released in your brain during exercise that literally make you feel happier. But getting healthy and stronger is also a huge self-confidence boost. Getting your blood fully oxygenated gives you more energy, helps you think more clearly, and improves pretty much every aspect of your physiology. No one ever finishes a great workout and feels unhappy. And a bonus is that when you are exercising regularly, you are naturally motivated to eat better.

Have a great, happy day!

Post-Thanksgiving High

Hi! It's the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and I gotta say I feel a little heavier than I did a couple days ago. Of course I have eaten more than usual the past couple of days, but I didn't go crazy. Getting plenty of exercise this week really helped me stay on track and continue feeling great, regardless of how I ate.

On Sunday, I ran a 10K. Monday was a rest day. Tuesday I ran about 2 quick miles, including some hill repeats. Wednesday, I "rested," while trying to finish my work and do stuff with the girls and get ready for Thanksgiving. Thursday, we ran/walked a 5K as a family, and Friday I rested again.

Today, I was planning on sleeping in (Bill has to be at work at 6am on Saturdays so he usually gets up and walks the dogs and feeds everyone and lets me and the girls keep sleeping). But since I went to bed at 8:45pm last night, I found myself wide awake at 5am. I decided to get up and see Bill off and be as productive as possible, which included getting dressed in my running clothes rather than leaving my jammies on.

At 6:30, after I had emailed and face booked, I decided I should get my run in before the girls woke up. I just threw on my shoes and headed out the door. It was very cold and still dark, and my dog-walking neighbor looked at me like I was crazy. The first mile was rough--I was cold and stiff and couldn't remember why in the world running seemed like a good idea. But as I warmed up, my legs started to feel stronger and I started to feel happier and I remembered how great running makes me feel. By the end, I felt fantastic. I love feeling my strong heartbeat as I cool down, and I always get a kick out of the plumes of steam coming off all my exposed skin in the cold air. When I was finished, I came in and stretched and did some yoga and cuddled with my cats.

I read a quote yesterday that said something like: "The feeling you get from running is way better than the feeling you get from sitting on the sofa wishing you were running."  It is such a huge challenge to get yourself out there and get started. Especially in the wintertime, it is so tempting to just stay inside and stay cozy. But when you force yourself to get up and get going, that's when you really start living. There's just no other feeling like it--you feel good about yourself, you feel a little self-righteous, you feel in control, you feel strong and healthy and capable.

I have had several people come up to me, especially recently, and tell me they plan to start running sometime soon. After they finish something, or when the weather warms up, or after they buy a new pair of shoes, or after they lose a few pounds. I totally commend anyone who is inspired to make healthy changes in their life. But I want to say this one thing about running: it is never going to be the perfect time to get started. All the factors in your busy life are never going to align to make it easy to start running.

You will always have a hundred really good reasons why today isn't the best day--you're stiff, you have too much to do, you should really vacuum instead of exercising, you drank too much last night, you're a little dehydrated, it's too cold outside, you need new shoes, etc. The only thing you can do is just start. Ignore all those little excuses your mind is teasing you with. Act like running is part of your daily routine--you don't have to talk yourself into taking a shower or brushing your teeth or feeding the dog, because those things aren't optional. Don't let exercise be optional, either. Sometimes, the only motivation I have to get out there is a simple as, "Today is a running day."

It does help to have a schedule, so maybe a good first step for you is planning what days you will exercise, and writing it on your calendar. I always have a plan in my head of what exercise I'm doing each week, and I try not to let more than one day go by without exercise. Even if it's just walking the girls to school...that's part of my plan. I have a couple of basic guidelines, like "run at least 3 times this week" or "do two long walks this week."

I have never followed a formal training program for an upcoming race. This year, I decided I was going to improve my time for the Iron Girl Half Marathon in Columbia in April. I will be starting a formal novice training program with a group of my girlfriends in late December. I am so excited to have a program to follow and a group of people to support (and be supported by!). Running is such a great way to stay healthy and stay social and boost your self-confidence.

Good luck with whatever exercise program you follow, and please get in touch with me if you want to be part of my training group for the Iron Girl Half Marathon!

Have a wonderful weekend!

I Must Be Crazy

That's the second time I've said that [publicly] this week. The first time was when I was at the animal shelter adopting my new adorable dog, Felicia. Let's pause for a moment to remark on how cute she is:

The second time I called myself crazy this week was about 7 pm on Saturday night, when I was having waves of dread regarding the race I was signed up to run on Sunday morning. There has never been a time...not once...that I haven't completely regretted signing up for a race. The dread usually starts to build a couple weeks beforehand, when I look at my calendar and sadly remember I can't plan anything fun for the Saturday night before the big day. Then it reaches a climax the night before, when I am suddenly overwhelmed with an urge to go clubbing or stay up all night watching movies, or a million other things that I never normally want to do.

This particular race, the Turkey Chase, is a 10K organized by local people with whom I am friendly. Last year was the inaugural year, and I was registered to run. I woke up sick the morning of the race and decided to stay in bed, which I bitterly regretted for a long time afterward. I was determined not to miss it this year, so I forced myself to go to bed early and set the alarm for 5:30 a.m., and power through.

I woke up feeling great on Sunday morning. Really unusually good..full of energy, and in a good mood. I actually surprised myself. I relaxed and stretched and cuddled with my dogs and chatted with Bill (while lovingly encouraging him to get off the sofa and get ready to go--he has a tendency to wait until it's 10 minutes before we need to leave and then try to go to the bathroom, brush his teeth, get dressed, walk the dogs, prepare a bottle of water, etc...I guess he feels like he works best under pressure).

As you may recall, yesterday was the coldest day ever anywhere in the history of the universe. Ok, I may be exaggerating, but it sure felt that way when I was standing outside waiting for the race to start. I just decided to make it fun, and do my best, and keep a smile on my face. Both my sister and my hubby were volunteering as course marshals, so I felt really supported and safe and happy.

I took it slow and steady and just remembered to enjoy myself. Once I warmed up, I could appreciate how beautiful and sunny it was, and there was a nice, jovial atmosphere in the crowd as we all tried not to succumb to hypothermia.

I really had one of the best runs of my life. It wasn't particularly fast (4 minutes faster than the Clyde's 10K I ran in the spring), but I was happy and felt great the entire time! And, as always happens after I finish a race, I was so thrilled to have done it! It is such a huge confidence boost and I feel so happy and proud and motivated for days afterward.

Running is a huge psychological paradox...at least for me. I loathe it and dread it, but then I love it and can't wait to do it again. Running organized races is such a great place to receive support, and be supportive of others. There are always a million people who are way, way faster than you, and many who are far slower, also. It's a good reminder of where you stand, and where you want to go.

It's easy in this cold weather to become a little bit of a couch potato. I certainly have that tendency myself. But being forced to get out there in less-than-ideal conditions and do something awesome is an great way to keep yourself on track.

Have a great Thanksgiving week!!

What Does Your Inner Child Eat?

Everyone grew up with certain messages about eating. Some families had three regular meals each day at specific times, some families grabbed something on the go when they had time, and others grazed all day on leftovers. So many factors go into a family's eating habits: whether there is someone at home with the time to prepare thoughtful meals, whether there is enough money to buy quality food, whether there is enough education about nutrition to plan what they are going to eat, etc.

As you got older, you may have realized that the patterns you learned as a child stick with you today. For example, my models for eating oscillated between times of figurative "famine" (parents working, haven't been grocery shopping in a while, not much around the house), and times of literal "feast" (going out to dinner, McDonald's for breakfast, making cookies after dinner, etc). Those patterns stuck with me as an adult, and I have had to work hard to develop some healthy habits and break free from those  cycles--particularly the "feast" part.

I clearly remember the joy and happiness and freedom associated with times of "feast" (particularly when we were with our dad). Since we were only with him two nights a week, he lovingly indulged us in whatever we wanted--it was like a mini-vacation for all of us. I can vividly remember the restaurants we went to, and how good the cheeseburgers tasted, and the anticipation of waiting for the chocolate chip cookies to finish cooking. Those are very clear memories tied with very strong emotions--pretty powerful to overcome when I was trying to develop healthier eating patterns.

Of course I am still susceptible to the power of those messages I received as a child. When I am tired or lonely or bored, my heart still tells me that overindulging in food will make me feel better...even though my brain is trying to convince me otherwise. It's hard to break free from the incredible influence of those emotional associations.

The first step in moving toward a new framework for eating is acknowledging the history and events that influence the way you eat. Once I started realizing these powerful ties between food cravings and emotional needs, I could slowly start to deconstruct them. I can replace overindulgence with things that genuinely comfort me (self-improvement, time with loved ones, self-respect, improving my home environment, reading, etc).

Suddenly I crave meaningful things, rather than self-destructive things that only provide a temporary and superficial comfort.

There is an enormous freedom in not being subject to mindless cravings. It does take a little extra planning (for example, I really need to be thoughtful at the end of a long day when I am tired and stressed and in need of comfort), but it is definitely possible to start new habits. Some of my successful strategies include:

1) carefully planning meals (so I don't have to be creative or responsible when I am feeling emotionally weak)

2) taking some time to decompress and focus on my inner self before I eat

3) moving on to something else after I am finished eating (i.e. not continuing to sit in front of the TV and snack after a meal is over)

4) doing something that really nourishes me (such as reading, or yoga, or writing a blog post)

Part of the process of becoming an adult is to recognize and acknowledge the patterns you were raised with, but also realize that they are not your destiny. We are all constantly evolving, and it is possible to create a new reality for yourself at any given moment. Develop your own action steps to move toward healthier eating patterns. The desire isn't enough--you need a plan.

Happy Monday!

Holiday Survival Guide

If you're anything like me, the upcoming holidays strike equal parts fear and anticipation into your heart. I am happily anticipating the time with friends and family, the time off work, and of course the delicious food. I am fearing the bloat and lethargy from overeating, and kicking off a long-term no-holds-barred eating extravaganza that won't end until I wake up dazed and confused on New Year's Day, wondering where the extra 20 pounds came from.

Sound familiar??

In the past, I've had an all-or-nothing attitude about this issue--either I am going to enjoy the holidays, eat whatever I want, and kick health and wellness to the curb for a couple of months, OR I am going to muster all my willpower and pick over the carefully prepared food and field a thousand questions from my family about why I am not eating anything, and be generally miserable.

This year, I vow to plot a new course for myself, and I invite you to join me!

I will model this new course on my favorite and most practical concept of moderation. I have actually accomplished this a couple times in past years, and I still remember those times as the happiest holiday experiences I have ever had. I didn't have the stress of knowing I was packing on the pounds, I had tons of energy, and I felt happy and in control.

How shall we do it?? It will take a little extra thought, and a small amount of effort, but the difference in the way you feel will be well worth it!

1. Make indulgences matter. Don't mindlessly stuff your face with the crappy caramels your aunt Edna has out on the coffee table, or the mediocre boxed cheese danish your mom is serving for brunch before the real meal. Save your calories for the main event, and really enjoy the food your family (or you) took so long to prepare!

2. Eat carefully for other, less important meals. Make a point to have a really light and healthy breakfast before you head off to see your family, and get your day started off on the right foot. The night before, have a light dinner packed with vegetables to get your system cleaned out and ready to handle the big meal the next day. You will enjoy the experience so much more if you aren't miserable with feeling overstuffed.

3. Keep exercising! Your digestive system works best, and you burn the most calories, when you maintain a regular exercise program. Don't forget to go for a walk or run the morning of the big day, so you are prepped for some extra calories. There are several local runs and races on Thanksgiving morning (and the weekend before Thanksgiving) to get you motivated.

4. Choose your food wisely. Take a step back and really study your choices before filling your plate. You don't have to take everything, and you should avoid things that aren't delicious and just fill you up with empty calories. Although there are dinner rolls and butter being offered, remember those are pointless and you can have them anytime. Focus on the really special things that you love and only have once or twice a year.

5. Remember your veggies. One of the great things about holiday meals is that there is usually a great variety of vegetables being offered. Squash, green beans, pumpkin, cranberries--ok, most of these are technically fruits, but you get the point. Maybe try making your servings of stuffing and gravy a little smaller, and increase your veggie portions.

Good luck, and Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hot & Heavy vs. Light & Juicy

Have you ever noticed your eating patterns and cravings change as the weather gets colder? During the summer, I have no problem eating salads and fruit and fresh things, but when it gets cold I want soups and stews and heavier cooked foods.

Don't worry! It's normal! Our bodies are naturally responding to the change in temperature by helping us store fuel for the cold months (when food might not be as plentiful)--kinda like squirrels and bears and a million other animals that naturally prepare for cold weather. I like the reminder that despite how removed we are from our hunter/gatherer ancestry, we are still connected to the natural rhythms of our environment.

How Do You Survive Winter Without Gaining Tons of Weight?

The combination of our natural cravings for heavier food, the holidays, and fewer outdoor activities means it's quite easy to pack on the pounds during the colder months. What to do? 

1. Maintain an exercise routine. It might not be the same as what you do during the warmer weather, but there are still plenty of options to stay active in the winter. Here are some ideas:

-get bundled up and walk outside (you naturally burn more calories as your body works to stay warm--bonus!!)
-join a gym and use the indoor exercise equipment
-get involved in a weekly exercise class that you enjoy
-spend a couple bucks on a workout DVD that you can watch at home
-do 20 minutes of jumping jacks, sit-ups, leg extensions, etc, each morning and evening at home
-schedule a regular walk or run with a friend, and take advantage of the less crowded parks and pathways
-go hiking: Maryland has many beautiful state parks, and the snakes and ticks are less prevalent now

2. Enjoy winter produce. The farmer's markets are still open for a couple more weeks, and they are jam packed with winter squashes (butternut, acorn, spaghetti), zucchini, kale and other greens, peppers, green beans, apples, pears, broccoli and cauliflower, potatoes, leeks, and onions. Try out some new recipes that call for roasting the vegetables or incorporating them into soups and stews.

I made a chili yesterday that was rich and delicious, but light on calories and fat. Rich foods don't necessarily have to be fattening. (See recipe below)

3. Learn to bake healthful things. I love to make muffins for my family, and I've found some fantastic recipes that are high in fiber and low calorie. Try incorporating mashed fruits like apples, pears, and bananas which will add moisture and sweetness without lots of sugar and fat. You can also use oats as a binder to replace some of the flour. I have found that whole wheat flour makes a delicious, hearty muffin that's perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.


YUMMY CHILI RECIPE:

1 pound ground chicken breast
1 jalapeno, minced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 cubanelle pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can organic dark kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 large can petite diced tomatoes in sauce (I like the Cento brand)
3-4 tablespoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Salt, pepper
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1 tablespoon chicken base
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
2 cups of water

Directions: Brown the chicken in a pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil (you need sufficient oil because the chicken is very lean). Throw it in the crock pot. In the same pan, cook the chopped onions, peppers, and garlic in for a few minutes in a little oil (don't let the garlic burn--it gets super bitter). Throw those in the crock pot. Throw the rest of the ingredients in the crock pot, stir, and cook on "High" for about 20 minutes. Reduce to "Low," stir, put the lid on, and ignore for 4 hours. Check for taste and consistency. If too watery, remove lid and allow to continue cooking for another hour or so until some of the liquid evaporates. Invite your favorite chili lover over, and enjoy! I usually serve over pasta.

I Thought You'd Be Thinner...

Have you ever gone to a professional who is supposed to be helping you with some aspect of your life, and found yourself silently critiquing them? For example, a dermatologist with bad skin, or a spinning instructor who's obese, or a marriage counselor who clearly has relationship issues...

Like that doctor in Forest Gump...the one who's fat and smoking during the exam...you automatically question their authority, don't you? Or find yourself thinking things like, "Why should I listen to you? You clearly don't know how to be [healthy/thin/happy]."

I find myself struggling with that awareness about myself: why would people want to take health advice from someone who is still struggling with her weight and health? AND, why aren't I healthy and thin yet?

There are a thousand different factors that determine a person's health and body mass. Family history, genetics, the culture you were raised in, the food choices available to you, where you live, your natural appetite, your metabolism rate, your body type, your knowledge about health, and your fragility.

All my life, I've been comparing myself to other people. Especially since my best friend weighed about 90 pounds all throughout high school and never seemed to crave all the unhealthy things I craved. I was constantly wondering why I should struggle with my weight, and feel sick all the time, and have back problems, and gallbladder disease, and be constantly starving, and she and so many other people just seemed to be able to stay thin and eat normally and not have chronic pain.

Listen To, and Respect, Your Body

I always thought I was cursed, fragile, unlucky.  Then, I suddenly realized how lucky I was to be so in tune with my body's needs. When I ate crappy food, I felt like crap.  When I didn't exercise, I felt awful. When I didn't drink enough water, my body let me know in a hundred different ways. I slowly got the message that I didn't have to wonder how to be healthy, like so many people probably did. My body was giving me all the answers--all I had to do was listen. It was like having a treasure map handed to you--naturally you will encounter obstacles along the way, but you have a very clear idea of the course you need to follow.

Those people who could eat anything and feel fine, or don't need to exercise to stay thin, aren't necessarily healthy. They just don't have as sensitive a bio-feedback response as I do.  They could probably eat cheeseburgers and milkshakes every day of their lives and feel fine, but still drop dead of a heart attack at age 50. How lucky am I that my body won't let me do that!

Health is not a destination...it's a journey. You don't arrive at health one day, wipe your brow, and declare success. Health is a process of learning more about yourself, and doing the best you can to support your body, and finding happiness. Health is a means to an end...the "end" being enjoying the best life possible. Health is also always evolving...what is healthy for you at age 20 is certainly not going to be the same as when you're 70...so you have to keep learning, and keep listening, and keep trying.

For me, health means having a passion to feel better, trying different ways to nourish myself the best way possible, and being happy.  Somewhere along the way, I hope to overcome my sugar addiction and permanently get control over what I put in my mouth at night, and get to my "ideal weight," whatever that means.  But for now, I'm feeling pretty darn good about myself.

I'm not perfect, but I'm honest, and I'm trying.

And if anyone questions my authority on health because I'm not super thin or in perfect health, I guess my best response would be that I eat better and exercise more than 90% of the people I know, and this is the body I was given, and I'm learning to love it and support it, and I'm on the same journey as everyone else.

T-G-I-a beautiful, sunny-F!

Love, Teddey

My Evil Weekend

So, here's what happened.

I'm always preaching about moderation, right? Find a program you can stick with for the long-term, diets fail because they are too restrictive, enjoy the things you love in moderation...sound familiar??

I totally got sucked into the extreme diet mentality after reading that book I wrote about a while ago: Eat to Live.  I committed to six weeks of vegan, low fat, mainly vegetarian eating. And you know what happened? I didn't stick with it! And do you know why?? Because it was too restrictive! I was really hungry and didn't feel satisfied at all. I also felt a little sad...like some of the joy was being sucked out of my life.

So, in response to that, I completely rebelled. I went into binge mode over the Halloween weekend. The more candy the better, and don't forget the chocolate chip cookies and cupcakes! I would like to say I enjoyed myself, but I really didn't--I felt guilty and out of control and a little panicked about what was going on with me mentally.

So, when two people asked me on two consecutive days why I hadn't written a blog since last Wednesday, I finally started to calm down and really think about what was going on. I didn't have anything to write about because I felt like I had failed, and I felt guilty, and I felt tired and uninspired from eating too much sugar. But I finally managed to make the connection between the Eat to Live "failure" and my weekend of debauchery, and consequently my lack of energy around this blog.

So, I learned a great lesson...again. And I had a very concrete, recognizable experience of "proving" one of the philosophies that I feel strongly about: don't be so extreme! It only leads to yo-yo dieting and swinging of the proverbial commitment pendulum, from super rigid to way-too-relaxed (read: out of control).

I like the idea of my body as a laboratory--trying out the things I'm learning about and seeing what happens. So far, my biggest successes involve EATING MORE VEGETABLES and less animal protein and dairy. I also really need to control my sugar intake (see: "I'm An Addict").

None of this is rocket science, but when our emotions get involved, things get complicated. Bottom line: keep it simple, do your best, and use your common sense. Oh, and learn from other people's mistakes...

I'm An Addict

OK I know it seems ridiculous that you could be addicted to food...I mean, we need food to live, right? Food isn't the addictive thing; it's the crap in the food that's addictive. Have you ever heard of anyone being addicted to cauliflower?  No, because cauliflower is gross (just kidding...but I really don't like it).

It's because vegetables and other natural, healthy foods nourish you properly and calm your cravings. When you are eating a variety of foods containing all the nutrients you need to be healthy, your body has what it needs and doesn't crave anything. Trust me, it's true.

When you're eating processed foods that are full of sugar and have been stripped of their natural fiber, healthy fats, and nutrients, your body is OVERFED and UNDERNOURISHED. I remember the moment when I first heard this concept back when I was a teenager, and it blew my mind!  Suddenly it all made sense...how we [Americans] can have such a problem with weight, and have tons of food swirling around us at all times, but we are still starving!

Have you ever wondered why people in other countries with less processed food available to them can eat so infrequently, or eat such low calorie food, and not be starving all the time? Or have you ever had one of those friends who can just eat regular, healthy meals and not worry about stuffing his or her face all day long? It's because they are getting the nutrients they need, and they aren't addicted to unhealthy additives.

When I was in high school, there was a pretty significant period of time when my regular daily diet looked something like this:

-Mountain Dew for breakfast (couldn't live without this!) and maybe a candy bar (but only one that contained nuts, so it was "healthy")

-Bread and cheese for lunch (we would leave campus and go to a local deli and get like a pound of cheese and several rolls and make sandwiches--it was the best thing ever!)

-After school (or, sometimes, if we decided school wasn't working for us that particular day, during school), we would go to my best friend's house and she would make me a big cheesy quesadilla with sour cream

-Maybe another soda and candy bar in the afternoon

-Pizza, or KFC biscuits (not the chicken--I was a vegetarian, for goodness sake!), or pasta for dinner

Now that I've written that down, I can hardly believe that was me. Any one of those things (except maybe the pizza and pasta) would send me into an absolute tailspin in my current life. And I was eating like that literally every day. No fruits, no vegetables, not even any nuts! Nothing healthy or natural. No fiber, very little vitamins, no phytochemicals. But PLENTY of saturated fat, processed white flour, sugar, and artificial colors and flavors.

Compare this to my best friend (the one who made me the quesadillas): she has a totally different body type than I, so it's not a perfect comparison. But she was raised on natural, more healthful foods, and simply didn't have any food addictions. Her mom made her a healthy breakfast every day, she brought vegetables to school to snack on, and she had a healthy dinner with her family every night. She just didn't obsess about food like I did. I remember one specific time, we had taken a impromptu trip to the beach for one night. Of course, I was so excited to visit the vending machine and get some candy to eat in the hotel room--after all, that's what you do in hotels, right? I remember her expression when I asked her what she wanted...she looked a little confused. She said, "I don't want anything. I'm not hungry." I remember thinking that was the craziest thing I'd ever heard--who cares if you're hungry...you can have CANDY!

There was even a brief period of time when I was 14 when I went on a candy bar diet. I knew I wanted to keep my weight under control, but I [obviously] didn't know how to do it. I just felt like I couldn't control myself around food, and all I wanted was sugar and fat (mostly cheese, please). So, I thought, if I just ate 1 candy bar 3 times per day in place of meals, that would be much better. Needless to say, it didn't work, and I didn't feel very great.

Anyway, the bottom line is that I've nursed a sugar addiction my entire life. I've always had a sweet tooth, and I really got to start indulging it when I got old enough to have my own money and buy my own food. The thought of not having any sugar in my diet still scares me a little bit, but I know I can do it if I focus on what's really best for me and makes me feel good.

How Do You Fix It?

Now that I've been eating tons of fruits and vegetables and natural grains and nuts and seeds, I can feel my cravings fading away. I never said: I'm not eating sugar anymore. Or: I'll never have cheese again. I know myself better than that--denying myself something makes me want it more. All I did was develop a healthy eating pattern that is giving my body what it needs, and suddenly sugar doesn't seem all that appealing anymore...most of the time.

Last night, I was home by myself. I didn't really have a plan for dinner, but I knew I wanted to make some soup. So, I made and ate some mushroom and spinach soup. It was delightful and I felt full and satisfied...for about an hour. Knowing I hadn't eaten enough calories, I began searching for something else to eat. I decided on hummus and Triscuits (my guilty pleasure). Then I was full, but I immediately wanted something sweet.  Suddenly, I couldn't remember why I wasn't eating sugar. I couldn't remember why it would be wrong to raid the Halloween candy. I didn't care if I had a headache when I woke up in the morning, or if I got incredibly tired and had to go right to bed, or if my pancreas had to work too hard to pump insulin into my bloodstream to counteract the loads of sugar I was about the stuff into my mouth. None of it mattered--all I could think about was how good a handful of M&Ms would taste.

That was a huge eye-opener for me. Isn't the definition of addiction caring more about getting the thing you're addicted to than anything else in the world?  If it isn't, it should be. I couldn't talk myself out of the damn M&Ms. So I walked over to the cabinet, and pulled out a bag, and even tore the top a little as I started to open it...then some magical force intervened and I managed to throw it back in the cabinet and grab a mandarin orange from the fruit bowl instead. It was a true miracle! Or maybe I really am becoming a healthier, more thoughtful person. Nah, it was probably a miracle.

(I apologize in advance if your kids trick-or-treat at my house and get the partially opened bag of M&Ms.)

6-Week Challenge

I'm reading a book right now called Eat to Live, by Dr.Joel Fuhrman.   (http://www.drfuhrman.com/weightloss/why.aspx)

His basic premise is that overweight and most chronic lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure can be reversed permanently with dramatic changes in your nutrition. This is not exactly a revelation, but he argues his case using a lot of science and a lot of statistics which really drive the point home.

He advocates for dramatic change, saying moderation is insufficient to counteract our horrendous eating habits as a society. The basic concepts are this: much less animal protein and animal fat, huge amounts of fruits and vegetables (approximately half cooked and half raw), lots of beans, moderate amounts of nuts and seeds, and small amounts of unprocessed whole grains.

He also says that vegetable oils (canola, olive, etc) are processed and unhealthy, because they are essentially the fat of the vegetable stripped of its natural vessel of fiber and nutrients. This isn't necessarily surprising to me, but is something I definitely hadn't thought about. I was on a quest to get more unsaturated fats into my diet for heart health, and was basically using as much oil in my cooking as I wanted.

One of the points he argues in his book is that there is no such thing as being too thin. He says at several points that the thinner you are, the more healthy you will be. And that most people who feel they've reached their ideal weight are not nearly thin enough. I am obviously not a doctor, so I can't speak to the medical validity of that point, but I think the very concept is a dangerous one. He probably does not have the perspective of a teenage girl agonizing over her body weight and dieting dangerously in the forefront of his consciousness.

Regardless, I am sold on the general idea of a vegan diet free of processed foods and sugars (and I was before I read this book). I feel motivated to take my nutrition to the next level. He challenges the readers to a very strict 6-week introductory period where the diet is very limited and the body goes through a detoxification process. It isn't hugely different from the breakfasts and lunches I already have on a daily basis, but it will mean dramatic changes for my dinnertime routine (and finally completely ridding my diet of sugar).

Basically, you can eat as much as you want--there is no calorie counting or any kind of quantity restrictions--but it must be almost completely plant-derived, and about 75% vegetables and fruits.  I am still going to live by my normal rule of doing my best 90% of the time, and letting myself have a break 10% of the time (which he also advocates). It is not what you eat sometimes that makes you healthy; it is what you eat most of the time.

Telling people about it is a much more effective way to commit to something. If you were trying to quit smoking, you wouldn't keep it a secret--you would ask for support. So, I figure I might as well tell everyone and hopefully that will keep me motivated late at night when I'm staring at the Halloween candy in my cabinet and trying to remember why I thought this was a good idea...

I talked to Sydney and Katie about it this morning. Sydney's response was, "Go, Mom!" and Katie said, "Why can't we just all eat like that?"  I love my kids!

Give Your Leftovers a Facelift

In an ideal world, we would have the time, energy, and resources to prepare everything immediately before we eat it from fresh ingredients. Of course, many people can barely find time to eat a meal, much less prepare it themselves, much less from fresh ingredients. I would certainly find it difficult to take a 2-hour lunch break every day to cook fresh meals for myself.

So, we occasionally have to eat leftovers. It's a huge time-saver for me to make more than enough food for dinner, and be able to use it for lunches the next day or even another dinner. I am starting to experiment with ways to revamp the leftovers and turn them into something different so we're not eating the same exact thing for 2 days straight.

Here are some ideas:

1. Make a vegetable stir fry and cook a bunch of rice. For different meals, add different kinds of protein like peanuts, chicken, or tofu. When you heat up the food for a second or third meal, chop up some raw veggies and throw them on top. They add crunch and brightness and life to the leftovers--and help you get the mix of raw and cooked vegetables that many experts say is ideal. Also, don't add flavoring sauces (like soy sauce or teriyaki or sriracha) until right before you eat, so you can personalize each dish and create variety. One final idea is to create fajita filling out of the veggies and toss them in a tortilla for Mexican night.

2. Cook a bunch of pasta and a lot of tomato sauce. Create different meals by adding different things to the sauce. For example, one night could be meat sauce, the next night throw in a cup of pesto, and the third night mix it with some homemade alfredo. You can also make a casserole with the leftover pasta and sauce, and add a bunch of fresh veggies and maybe some italian sausage, and top it with cheese. Lastly, get creative and experiment with spaghetti tacos or spaghetti burritos--for an Italian/Mexican night.

3. Make a big pot of chili full of vegetables. Serve it in the traditional way with biscuits and cheese, onions, and sour cream the first night. For a change, serve it will rice or pasta. A third meal could be nachos with chili on top, or even tacos or burritos filled with chili.

Good luck with your leftovers, friends!

Friday Night...Party Time!

So, my daughters had their long-anticipated Halloween Extravaganza last night (complete with a sleepover). I knew I was going to need to keep my energy up all day, so I made a point to eat especially well yesterday. I had a salad with salmon for lunch (hold the croutons and cheese, please), and then a bowl of vegan chili when I got home. I really felt great and happy and energetic all day.

Then the girls settled down to watch a movie, and the pizza and Halloween candy in the kitchen began to lovingly beckon me. I really felt like I deserved a reward for my hard work. I ate some pizza for dinner, and then I ate about 50% more pizza than I really needed or wanted...just because it was there and I was "cutting loose!"  Then Bill started eating little Snickers bars, so of course that means I can eat them, too, right? It is so amazing how we unconsciously enable each other.

The end result was that I went to bed with a headache and tummy ache, and I was incredibly grumpy. The contrast between the way I felt before and after eating that food was measurable. Eating the pizza actually gave me an asthma attack that lasted until this morning.

When I am eating well most of the time, I am much more sensitive to unhealthy foods. And it really highlights for me how bad that food really is. I think when I was eating badly all the time, I just didn't really know what it felt like to feel good...so there was no contrast.

Anyway, hopefully I can recover today and learn from my experience last night. I am really good at teaching myself lessons over and over again, aren't I?

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

"Are You Getting Enough Protein?" ...everyone asks every vegetarian all the time

In our weight-obsessed culture, we spend a lot of time thinking about macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat.  Many recent diets have been based on the theory that eating more or less of any of these three things will lead to miraculous weight loss.

What category do vegetables, fruits, and other plant foods fall into?  Most everyone knows fruits are high in natural sugar, so we would classify those as carbs, right? What about lettuce? Is there protein or fat in lettuce or is it all carbs? It may surprise you to learn that romaine lettuce, for example, is 17% protein and an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids.  An entire head of lettuce only has about 100 calories and 7.7 grams of protein. Other rich sources of plant protein are beans, of course, and asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, watercress, and artichoke. Fun fact: 100 calories of broccoli has 11 grams of protein (along with huge amounts of many other nutrients), and 100 calories of steak only has about 8.

Think about huge, muscular animals like cows, elk, and even some dinosaurs. They are herbivores and only eat plants foods for their entire lives (after being weaned). No one's asking them if they get enough protein. Grains like oats, quinoa, amaranth, and spelt have high protein-to-carb ratios.

Consider nuts and seeds. Peanuts have the highest protein content of any nut, with about 7 grams per ounce. The highest protein containing seeds are pumpkin seeds and pine nuts. Close runners up are almonds, hemp seeds, pistachios, and sunflower seeds (all about 6 grams per ounce). Nuts and seeds also contain hundreds of nutrients and phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fiber.

How Much Is Enough?

Many people are convinced that without huge amounts of protein, we will become weak and lose muscle mass. This is simply not the case. The average person needs somewhere in the range of 50 grams of protein per day. Pregnant and breastfeeding women may need a little more, and endurance athletes may need a little more. The average person in our culture gets plenty of protein on a daily basis. Protein deficiency is only common in underdeveloped countries where there are very limited food sources. For example, one eight-ounce steak has over 50 grams of protein.

Eating too much protein can wreak havoc on your body. It can cause build up of toxins like ammonia in your blood, and is very hard on your liver and kidneys. Your body has to do a lot of work to process and excrete excess protein, and it has been linked with kidney disease. Also, if you are eating too much protein from animal foods, it is likely you are also eating too much fat and cholesterol.

Have a nutty day, friends!

You Are A Bright, Colorful, Vibrant Rainbow

What Kind of Energy Are You Getting From Your Food?

I've mentioned before that I completely adhere to the philosophy that You Are What You Eat.  The energy of your food becomes your cells and tissues and bones and blood. So, in the most literal sense, you turn into what you eat.

Think about the difference in your energy level when you eat a salad versus when you eat a big greasy burger. Once I started thinking about the process of my body incorporating the energy of that food into every cell I have, I wanted to eat better. I want to be made up of vegetables and fruits and healthy grains and nuts and things that came from the earth. I don't want to be made up of grease and refined sugar (I'm already sweet enough :-) and chemicals and artificial things.

Also, think of the energy that went into creating the food you are eating. Without getting too graphic, we all know that conventionally raised meat and dairy products are the result of an intense and brutal life of suffering for the animals involved. So, that food has the energy of sadness and pain and fear. The energy of plants is much different.

A long time ago, I heard that dogs who are aggressive or anxious by nature should eat less meat protein, because meat protein promotes aggression, and plant-based food promotes calmness. That completely made sense to me when thinking about my dogs, but it took me a long time to apply that concept to my own eating habits. Now, I can really feel the difference in my demeanor depending on what I eat.

Here's an example: when I was a senior in high school, I was vegan. Not for very long, and I probably wasn't very "good" at it (I ate a lot of boca burgers and tortilla chips and not a lot of vegetables), but I did it for about a year. Honestly, I have never felt better. I still think back on that period of time and wish my digestion was in order like back then. I was maintaining a healthy weight and my stomach never hurt. I just felt good.

Since then, over the past 18 years, I have struggled with depression and anxiety and all kinds of digestive issues, not to mention back pain and irregular menstrual cycles and headaches and joint pain. I had the mentality that I was just unlucky...I was one of those people who was fragile and weak and had all kinds of health problems, and I just had to deal with it. After all, I was eating just like everyone else in America, and they all seemed to be fine.

But we're not fine, are we? Many of us are overweight, and cancer and diabetes and cardiovascular disease rates and depression are skyrocketing. I think there are very few people in this society who really know what it feels like to be healthy and feel great. I heard a statistic yesterday that on average, only 5% of the average American's caloric intake comes from fresh fruits and vegetables. Something like 60% comes from processed foods. That struck me as totally insane.

So, yesterday, I challenged myself to have a vegan day (with the exception of fish--because I feel that fish is one of my personal super foods). I didn't make any long term commitments or promises to myself. I just set a goal for one day. I will admit that last night all I wanted was a cheeseburger or toast smothered in butter, but I stuck to my plan and ate healthy vegetables and fruits and nut butters, and a piece of leftover salmon for dinner.

I woke up feeling like a new woman. My stomach felt great and I was full of energy and practically had a smile on my face when I opened my eyes. I honestly feel transformed. I am not saying I will never eat meat or dairy again, but I am definitely re-learning a lesson from 18 years ago about how good I can feel when I nourish my body in the proper way.

This morning, I was inspired to make vegan chili using all the vegetables I have in my house.

It took my about a half hour to put it all together, and it's still simmering right now. It made an enormous amount, and I'm sure it will be plenty for lunches for me for the rest of the week, and maybe a dinner for all of us. And I feel great about it. I loved chopping up all those veggies and feeling like I am setting myself up for good health for the next few days. I was excited while making it. I am just going to say it: vegetables make me happy.

Have a wonderful day, friends!

Fat Is Great

I grew up in the 80s, when the trend was low-fat, high-carb. I can remember going grocery shopping and picking out prepackaged, sugary cookies and cakes which proudly advertised themselves as "Fat Free!" and thinking I was the picture of healthy eating. Luckily, we have recovered from that trend a bit, but I think fat=bad is still the predominant thinking in our culture.

1. Body fat is not the same thing as dietary fat. Eating fat does not necessarily make you fat. Eating too many calories makes you fat, because your body stores the excess energy that it cannot use immediately. Your body is very efficient at storing excess carbohydrates and sugar as fat.

2. Your entire body needs sufficient amounts of fat to function properly. You need fat for skin health and eye health and brain health. Fat is necessary in order for your body to absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K. You need fat.

3. All fats are not created equal. By now, hopefully you know trans-fats are bad. Really bad. They are human-made, unnatural, artery-clogging, carcinogenic, awful little devils. Trans-fats are present in the form of partially hydrogenated oils, which can be found in packaged baked goods, fast food (some fast food chains cook their foods in giant fryers filled with trans-fats), some margarines, and microwave popcorn. Saturated fats are not as bad as trans-fats, but should be limited. Saturated fat is found predominately in animal foods, and should make up no more than 7% of your total fat intake.

4. Unsaturated fat is good for your health, and you should eat more of it. Of course, your total caloric intake should not be too high, but the health benefits of unsaturated fats are very important. Unsaturated fats can be found in most plant oils, like canola oil, olive oil, avocados, and nut oils. In addition, seafood is an important source of Omega-3 fatty acid which is essential for heart and cardiovascular health, as well as brain and eye development.

In order to avoid bad fats and get enough good fats, the general rules are to eat many plant foods and nuts, lean meats, and seafood. Avoid red meats and fatty animal products like butter and cheese. And most importantly, avoid packaged foods whenever possible. Even if a product says No Trans Fat, it can legally contain up to half a gram of trans fat per serving. That can really add up (the maximum recommended amount for adults is only 2 grams).

Enjoy your healthy eating, friends!

Stop Drinking Milk.

Ok, I'm going to give you a fact about the government-generated nutrition guidelines (food pyramid, My Plate, etc): like all laws and government decisions, they are highly influenced by lobbyists. They require extensive compromise in order to be "approved" by the various politicians (protecting the interest of lobbyists who are giving them money) that are involved in the process. The politicians may consider advice from nutrition experts, but the final product is influenced by many more people--people with a financial stake in the outcome.

So, what are the implications of this? Let's consider milk. Why are we supposed to drink milk? Because the government tells us that it is important for strong bones. It is the drink served exclusively in schools. I have kids tell me proudly that they drink 4-5 glasses of milk every day, because they and their parents are so convinced that it is the key to good health.

Where is the evidence that milk strengthens bones? It doesn't exist. In fact, long-term health studies show that people who drink the most milk throughout their lives have the highest rates of bone fracture later in life. Osteoporosis is virtually unheard of in countries where people don't regularly drink milk.

Why? Milk is acidic. It throws off the pH balance in your body. In order to correct this, your wonderful body needs to find an acid neutralizer to fix the problem before it reaches and causes damage to your kidneys and urinary tract. So, your body voluntarily leaches calcium from your bones in order to neutralize the acidifying milk, resulting in a net loss of calcium after drinking milk.

The dairy people have done an excellent job convincing the American public otherwise. Their "Got Milk?" ad campaign has thoroughly permeated our culture. It is very influential to see all those famous, beautiful, happy, beaming people with milk mustaches, isn't it? It must be good for you. In fact, they have a spiffy website with stylish graphics and a whole new campaign, complete with a female narrator with a foreign accent, to make milk your go-to bedtime drink.

Using our common sense, let's consider the facts of nature. Cows make milk to feed their enormous 100lb calves. Once the calves get old enough, they are weaned from their mother's milk and eat an exclusively vegetarian diet rich in nutrients and calcium (in an ideal world, of course; these days factory farms feed cows all manner of unhealthy and unnatural things to fatten them faster). Like cows, human babies drink their mother's milk and then are weaned, and under natural conditions would not ever consume milk again in their lives.

Why are so many people lactose-intolerant...not just individuals, but entire cultures and races of people? Because humans are not supposed to drink milk after they are weaned as babies. That is a fact.

In addition to leaching calcium from our bones, milk also contains an enormous amount of sugar and is high in calories. It is not a health beverage. Also, in our current factory farming climate, milk is just chocked full of chemicals and steroids and hormones that are extremely detrimental to health, particularly the health of the vulnerable children who are guzzling so much of it.

What is the alternative? Almond milk is a great option. It has twice the calcium of cow's milk, and contains many more important nutrients like potassium, magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin A, and iron. It is also low in fat, cholesterol-free, low in sodium, and low on the glycemic index. And it's mildly alkaline. I find almond milk to be much richer and pleasant-tasting than soy or rice milk (it is less processed than these options, also--it is made by simply blending almonds with water and salt). It is also very easy to obtain--I see it in every grocery store and "big box" store in the area. And it's vegetarian, and cruelty-free.

So, drink your [almond] milk, friends!

Someone Just Tell Me What To Do!

Do you feel overwhelmed by the amount of [conflicting] information about health and weight loss? We get so many messages every day from friends and the media about what to eat and how to exercise. I used to find myself just wishing someone would tell me what to do, because I constantly felt like I was guessing.

Low carb, high protein, low fat, all organic, nothing white, nothing after 6pm, fast 2 days a week, only eating prepackaged foods delivered to your house?! What's the best way?

First of all, be highly skeptical of the claims of anyone who stands to make money on your health choices. If a company is telling you that their product or their food is the key to health and wellness, you cannot trust what they are saying because they are simply a business trying to make money and your best interest is not their priority.

Second of all, listen to your body. What makes you feel good? Figure out how much exercise energizes you and makes you happy, rather than exhausting you and making you grumpy. Experiment with different types of diets to see which one works best for you (and by "diet," I mean way of eating, not Atkins Vs. Weight Watchers). Some people thrive on a mostly vegetarian diet (me!), and some people require more meat to be satisfied (my husband!).

Thirdly, use your common sense. You know prepackaged foods with artificial colors and flavors are not good for you. You know eating McDonald's does not support your long term health. You know you should be eating more vegetables and fish and less red meat and fried foods. None of this is particularly mysterious.

Lastly, find support. Reach out to friends or a personal trainer or health coach or your spouse and tell them your goals. Ask for help. Formulate a plan to incorporate more healthy choices into your life, and get your family involved. Long term change is not easy or immediate, and you'll need help remembering your priorities to make new habits.

Beginner Cheat Sheet

The fact of the matter is that while we are all individuals with unique needs, there are some basic changes that will improve everyone's health. Incorporate the following steps into your life at a rate you feel comfortable, and in whatever order strikes your fancy. You will feel better and be healthier...I promise!

1. Drink more water, and try to make water the only thing you drink. The more you have, the more you will want.

2. Get some exercise every day. For some people that means a 5-mile run, but for others that means a 20-minute walk. Don't compare yourself with others--do what is right for you. Different body types really do require different levels of rigor when it comes to exercise. If you're short on time, do something for 15 minutes in the morning, and then again in the evening. You know you have 15 extra minutes.

3. Make half of what you eat every day be vegetables and fruit (70% vegetables, 30% fruit). In the beginning, don't even worry about what else you eat as long as you are maintaining this ratio. You will naturally crowd out other, unhealthy foods as you move toward this goal.

4. Take a multi-vitamin every day.

5. Eat closer to the source, and organic whenever possible. Think about how far the food you are eating had to come, and how many things had to be done to it, to get it in the form in which you are eating it. The fewer steps, the better.

Best of luck, friends!

The Skinny on Self-Love

By now you probably know that I feel strongly about respecting individual body types, and not expecting everyone to be the same shape or size. People can be super healthy and be overweight, and people can be super skinny and super unhealthy. However, we cannot ignore the fact that there are many inherent health problems that go along with being overweight and obese. In fact, scientists are now saying that obesity is as much of a risk factor for cancer as tobacco use!  That's a pretty sobering statement.

Losing weight and changing eating habits is not easy. All kinds of social traditions are woven throughout our eating habits, and people often use food as a palliative drug to mask emotional issues. It is not simply a physical act of putting food into your mouth.

I am convinced that the reason people "fail" on diets is because they are unrealistically restrictive. You are not going to eat 1200 calories a day for the rest of your life, or through the holidays. You are not going to go to the gym every day for the rest of your life. You are not going to eat only pre-packaged brand name diet foods for the rest of your life (thank goodness!).  And once you blow it, you feel like you've failed (again) and go completely off the program.

It's much easier, and more realistic, and healthier to make subtle changes that you can stick with for the long-term. Change your mindset about eating and health and exercise. Don't set yourself up for failure by making unrealistic rules and unattainable goals for yourself.

We have completely bought into the "Lose 20 Pounds in 20 Days" mentality that the multi-billion dollar diet industry is selling us. Their promises are so alluring...it's hard not to get sucked in. Their programs might be successful for the short-term, but as we all know, you can't live that way forever and inevitably you will go off the program and gain back what you lost, plus more in most cases.

Diets also don't teach you anything about the way to be healthy and nourish yourself. They only teach you how to lose weight, and only for a short period of time. Once you don't follow those restrictions and rules anymore, there's nothing to fall back on, because you haven't learned anything or changed your mindset...or dealt with the emotional issues that may have contributed to your overeating in the first place.

If you are overweight or unhappy with your body, chances are you've spent a long time and a lot of energy criticizing and critiquing yourself. You know what it feels like to check the mirror a hundred times a day to make sure you don't look too fat, or to avoid mirrors altogether because you can't stand the way you look. Or to be constantly wondering what people think of you or whether the clothes you are wearing are flattering.  Or to hide, or even lie about, your actual weight for fear people will find out how fat you really are.  Can you imagine how it would feel to be free from that burden?  To feel confident all the time, and not worry about how you look? To a lot of people, especially women, this might sound like a completely foreign concept.

I'm going to tell you a secret: everyone knows what you look like. This might seem obvious, but when I realized this and really thought about it, it was incredibly liberating! Oh, you mean I'm not fooling anyone when I wear baggy sweatshirts or tell people I'm actually 30 pounds lighter than I really am?! Oh, and people still love me and want to be friends with me and think I'm smart?! Now I can just be myself!

Once you start loving and respecting yourself, you will be more beautiful. Confident people glow. And I promise you: 99% of the people you come into contact with on a daily basis could not care less about how much you weigh.

Health comes from, and creates, love. Loving yourself and respecting yourself and being calm and happy with the body in which you were born is step 1 in losing weight and being healthy for the long term. It is impossible to have good health when you are berating yourself or hating yourself. And once you really begin to love yourself and your body, you want to take better care of yourself. It's not difficult or painful to be healthy.

Enjoy Your Butter, Cheese, and Chocolate

These are my three favorite things (wait, I mean foods...) in the world: butter, cheese, and chocolate. I really crave them on a regular basis. I used to have the attitude that these things were supposed to be on the No-No list. I mean, they really have no nutritional benefits and are loaded with saturated fat. I guess you could argue that chocolate has some antioxidant benefits...but not the type that I crave. I am not craving dark, organic, pure chocolate. I want Hersheys.  Isn't that awful? I want M&Ms and Hershey Bars with almonds. It's my dirty little secret.

So, in my efforts to be healthier, I tried really hard not to eat these things. I made silent promises to myself that I would not eat any chocolate, and stop cooking with butter, and avoid all cheese. The end result was that I would just eat everything else in the house in my efforts to avoid these naughty items. And I realized I was probably eating far more calories trying to avoid these things than if I had just had indulged a little.

Tonight, I was tired and hungry, as usual. All I wanted was potato skins loaded with cheese, and beer, and Hershey bars.

So I made eggplant...bitterly. I don't like eggplant at all. I have never liked it. I carefully cut it up, and salted it (to get the evil out), and breaded it, and fried it. It actually tasted pretty good...but made me feel awful. I immediately got a stomach ache and headache. So I stopped eating that.

Then I realized what I really wanted was this fabulous cheese I have, and some organic grapes, and organic apple slices, with a glass of wine. Why not? The kids weren't here, and Bill was at work. SO...I fixed myself a hearty plate of cheese slices and yummy sweet grapes and tart apple slices, and washed it all down with a glass of local fruit wine. And you know what? I felt fabulous. My whole body relaxed and I was energetic and happy.

And I learned an important lesson--that attitude you have about your food is very important. Feeling happy and excited about the food you are eating is as important as the nutritional benefits. So, while it wasn't potato skins and beer, the cheese plate and wine was my perfect indulgence for tonight and I feel fantastic about eating it. I actually feel a little excited just remembering how happy it made me. That counts for quite a lot.

Enjoy your life, friends!

What's Up With Sports Drinks?

I wonder if I'm the only one who cringes when I see well-meaning athletes guzzling huge amounts of neon green sports drinks after a hard workout.  I know we need to replenish fluids and electrolytes after excessive sweating or other dehydrating activities (like drinking alcohol), but do we really need to compromise other aspects of our health in the process?

Can you imagine what shady characters had to be added to sports drinks to get those bright colors? And fruity flavors--when they contain NO fruit juice? Not to mention the huge amounts of sugar necessary to make it taste good. I don't really care to explore the details, but my common sense tells me that commercial sports drinks should be avoided.

So, the primary electrolytes we need to pay attention to after exercising are potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, and sodium. By the way, for workouts up to an hour, or on cooler days when there is not as much sweating going on, plain water is perfectly acceptable for hydration. Our bodies are adapted for exercise and sweating, so we need not panic and think we are going to die if we don't have some expensive sports drink on hand at all times.

I do need to replenish electrolytes after exercising because I sweat like some kind of farm animal once I get warmed up. Guess what the highest electrolyte-containing citrus fruit is?  That's right...lemon. So, if you're having lemon water every day, you're on the right track. 

Here are two simple recipes for totally natural "sports drinks" you can make at home, using ingredients you probably already have:

juice of a lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
teaspoon of maple syrup (of course, this means real maple syrup...don't even get me started on those "pancake syrups" you get at the grocery store)

(This next one closely resembles my morning smoothies...coincidence? Probably not.)

1 cup Almond milk
Handful of Kale
1 Banana

Enjoy this with a handful of almonds or peanuts, and your post-workout nutrition is complete.

Short on time? Grab a coconut water. It's easy to find now that it's popularity has exploded (be sure to get the plain kind with no added sugar or flavorings). It's a natural electrolyte boost and prevents muscle cramping.

Happy Exercising, friends!

Fony Food, or Phony Phood

I coach Girls on the Run at my daughters' school. You can imagine my delight when I was reviewing the curriculum for one of last week's meetings, and saw that it was about nutrition and healthy eating. Turns out I have a lot more to say about that particular subject than they want to hear, and, as my mom would say, they finished listening long before I finished talking.

Regardless, I was able to get the conversation flowing with a little visualization exercise. I asked the girls to close their eyes, and imagine someone who lived in this country 200 years ago. Whether it was a native American, or a well-dressed politician, or a rural farmer wearing overalls. Then, I told them to picture that person walking into one of our modern-day grocery stores, and then trying to find something to eat. What sections of the store would look familiar to him or her? What would be confusing or totally foreign?

All the girls immediately knew that the produce section, the dairy section (including eggs), the bakery, and the meat counter would be where this person would shop. I asked them to picture their historical person's reaction when going down the Hawaiian Punch aisle, or the Oreo aisle. Would these "foods" make sense to their person? What would they think about goldfish crackers, or blue colored fruit punch?

I made the bold statement that those types of processed foods are made up, make-believe. At one point, long ago, their basic ingredients were food, but they have been so manipulated and artificialized that they barely resemble food in their finished state. I told the girls that these foods were created in laboratories by "food scientists" with beakers and scales and chemicals. Their eyes got wide and they stared at me in disbelief. It was abundantly clear that this was very new information, and these young ladies had never thought about the source of their food.

And that's probably true for the vast majority of Americans...particularly of my generation and younger.  We were raised on packaged, processed, chemicalized food, and have never given a thought to what that really means.

Take the basic premise of You Are What You Eat and apply that to everything you consume. Produce is crisp, fresh, vibrant, colorful, nourishing. I want to be crisp, fresh, vibrant, colorful, and nourishing. That kind of food comes directly from the earth, and it is perfect for us to eat.

Think about how many steps it took for the food you are eating to get from the earth to your mouth, and how much it has changed since being in the earth. How long does an Oreo take to get from the earth to your mouth? At some point, there was some natural wheat involved, but many, many unhealthy ingredients and many, many steps were required to get it to the grocery store shelf. The process involved huge metal machines in huge warehouses and lots of transportation on trucks and being handled by many different people. I am thinking from wheat to Oreo is a least 50 different steps.

On the other hand, think about going to the Farmer's Market and buying a squash, and purchasing a piece of fish from the local fishmonger. These things may have been handled by two or three people before they got to you. And you can take them directly home and cook them in a simple way and be nourished by their natural state and freshness. It's a huge difference.

My mom came over last night and we decided to roast some butternut squash as our vegetable. I was a little nervous about how my girls would react to that, since I had never served it "naked" before. All it had on it was a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Both of my little ladies asked for seconds. Score!

Have a beautiful Monday!

Making Lemonade Out of Lemons

In the not so distance past, I used to always ask for water with "no lemon" because I didn't like the taste in my water. Then I read one little article about the health benefits of lemon, and I was sold.

I started squeezing an entire lemon into a cup of water each morning, and drinking it on an empty stomach. This routine has provided amazing benefits in the way I feel each day. It is cleansing and hydrating, and I really feel that it boosts my energy. I buy lemons in bulk in those mesh bags in the produce department. They are smaller and much juicier than the big shiny lemons you buy individually. I go through a bag per week.

Some people prefer warm water with lemon in the morning, but I drink it cold as a post-exercise refresher.

We tend to think of lemon as a garnish, but, like parsley, it is a garnish with amazing health benefits! Lemons contain fiber, calcium, huge amounts of vitamin C, iron, vitamin B6, potassium, folate, and even some Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids.

Check out these fun facts:

-Lemons can be used in a whole host of beauty routines, including highlights in hair, nail strengthening, treating dandruff, and clearing up acne (literally rub a cut lemon all over your face!)

-Lemon is a natural liver cleanser and digestive aid

-Lemons are naturally antibacterial

-Lemons can protect against intestinal parasites

-Lemons help reduce gallstones and kidney stones

-Lemons have a host of anti-cancer properties

-Lemons help strengthen your blood vessels

This past summer, my girls wanted to have a lemonade stand. This requires hours of me squeezing lemons and making simple syrup and mixing huge quantities of lemonade in my kitchen...so naturally I procrastinated as long as possible. The dreaded day finally came, and one of my neighbors came over to buy a cup.

I happened to be outside refilling their supply, and the neighbor said to me, "This tastes great! What brand is it?"

I said, "I made it."

And she said, "I know, but from what mix?"

God's mix, lady!

Have a happy, lemony day!

Results of Week-Long Focus on Healthy Evenings (see: Confessions)

Good morning! It's been a week since I wrote my Confessions post, in which I admitted to my secret evening demons. I was overeating and occasionally drinking too much beer on a regular basis. It was commonplace for me to snack up until I went to bed, and eat far too much sugar. I outlined some action steps to curb this behavior, which included eating a large, healthy snack in the afternoon so I didn't get too hungry at night, taking some time to focus and decompress after my long day (yoga), and planning and eating a healthy, early dinner.

The first night was picture-perfect--healthy, vegetarian dinner, long walk, no alcohol, in bed by 9. The other nights, I did a fairly good job. Much different than what I was doing before, at least. I did yoga probably 5 of the nights, and did eat a healthy early dinner all the nights except one. And I managed the substantial healthy snack every day.

This made a huge difference in the way I felt at night, and also how I felt in the morning. I went to bed every night feeling calm and peaceful, and woke up feeling well-rested and healthy, not to mention proud. Remembering how good I would feel in the morning was a huge motivation for me when I was feeling weak at night. It would be easy to feel like I was making a lot of sacrifices, but I was really figuring out a way to serve my whole self better.

Oh, and I lost 5 pounds.

I also learned an important lesson: we beat ourselves up too much. We are our own worst critics, but we should be our own best cheerleaders. I had a problem in my life, and it took me years to figure out that I could just sit down and work out a solution. Outline some steps and follow them. I was criticizing myself over and over again, rather than helping myself get to a better place. Would I ever do this to my kids? Or my coworkers? Or my husband? No way! So, why is it ok to treat myself badly?  It isn't!

So this exercise in trying to remedy a specific problem in my life really became a lesson in self-love. Treat yourself the best you can. When you eat healthier or exercise more or focus on your spiritual life, you are helping yourself. So many people think of it as punishment. Think of it as doing yourself a favor...treating your body and your mind the best you can.

Have a beautiful rainy Thursday morning!

Break All the Rules; Better Yet, Don't Have Rules!

I am thinking about that hilarious Little Caesar's commercial:

"There are no rules!"
"Put your shirt back on!"
"There's one rule!"

Anyway, there seems be a lot of rules when it comes to healthy living.

-No sugar
-No trans fat
-No saturated fat
-No while flour
-No red meat
-No artificial sweeteners or colors
-No preservatives
-No eating after 7pm
-No alcohol
-No pizza
-Exercise a minimum of 30 minutes every day

What really matters? What rules do we have to follow? What happens when we break the rules?

People who are focused on their health really want to do the right thing. And it's so much easier when we have guidelines. That's the whole premise of a diet--do these things, and you will lose weight. However, most people find it very hard to stick to those rules.  Personally, I feel that I mentally rebel when I'm told (or tell myself) that I can't do or eat something.

Supposed you wanted health advice, and you came to me and asked for help. How would you feel if I said, "You are never allowed to eat chocolate again," or "You are never allowed to drink beer again." Or red meat, or wine, or cheese. Whatever you love...you can't have it anymore.  My guess is, you would either politely tell me to go to hell, or you would adhere to my restrictive way of eating for a couple of day or weeks, but then eventually succumb to your cravings and go back to square one.

Wouldn't it be totally different if I said, "Try to only eat red meat twice a week," or "Chocolate is ok, but keep it to an ounce or two of high quality organic chocolate, and not every day." And, "You really should exercise as much as you can, even if that's only a 20-minute walk after dinner most days of the week." Or even, "Do the best you can five days a week, and do whatever you want on the other two days."

It's the difference between making restrictions, and finding a way of living that you can stick with for the rest of your life. I personally don't have any rules for myself. My guidelines for health are only doing what makes me feel my best and cutting myself some slack when I need to relax a little. I eat red meat, and I eat chocolate, and drink beer. But not too much. Five nights of the week, I am cooking healthy meals at home and doing my best to avoid sweets and get to bed early. When Bill wants to go get a burger and have a few beers, I do that too.

There is a huge difference between saying, "I'm doing this for a while to lose some weight, and then I'll be finished," and "I'm changing my eating and exercise patterns for the better, and will continue to do so forever." Figure out what you can handle. Some people can handle being vegan and only eating organic and raw foods and running marathons every weekend. I am not one of those people!  Get to know yourself. Figure out what you want and what your body needs to be healthy, and strike a balance.

Whole-istic Health...it's all in your head.

I think people are intimidated by the concept of holistic or natural health, mostly because they don't really know what it means. Accordian to Merriam-Webster online, holistic is defined as "relating to or concerned with complete systems rather than with individual parts."  Wikipedia says, "Holistic health (or holistic medicine) is a diverse field of alternative medicine in which the "whole person" is focused on, not just the malady itself."

Ok, so we're looking at the whole person. What does that mean? Health is in your physical body, but also in your mind and your spirit. Many things affect your health, including your happiness in your relationships and your career.  All of that feels a little overwhelming to focus on, but my experience has been that once you start "fixing" one aspect of your life (like finances or relationships), the other parts magically come into alignment also. All the various aspects of our bodies, minds, and spirits are very closely related and affected by each other.

It's easy to focus on physical health, because that's really tangible. You can eat certain things and exercise a certain amount, and the doctor can even do certain scientific tests to see how healthy you are. How do you quantify spiritual health? How do you work on being happier?

Let me suggest two very simple exercises: 

1. Make a habit of focusing on the positive. Express gratitude for everything you have. Think about how well you are served by the possessions you already have, and forget about things you think you need. Appreciate the food you have, and the car you drive, and the fact that you have a reliable job, and your family, and your sturdy house that keeps you warm and dry. Notice every detail of your life that works well and brings you joy or stability. The more you do this, the more natural it will become. And I promise you will be smiling more.

2. Pay it forward. Be very generous with compliments. Tell people what they mean to you. Say thank you to people and explain how they've helped you in your life. Have you ever run across someone who really just made you feel good? They gave you an unexpected compliment or noticed something about you that they appreciated. Didn't that completely change your mood?  

I felt really compelled to write this blog, for no particular reason. I just had things I wanted to say, and didn't have a specific audience in mind. Now that I've started doing it, I realize it's like a journal. And I think it might be useful in my new career as a health coach. I have to admit my confidence was waning a little because I haven't gotten too many comments, and not very many people are reading each post. 

Yesterday, someone I know and love came up to me and told me that they love this blog, they find it inspiring, they make a point to read it every morning, and they've started to get back on a healthy track because of it. I cannot explain what a huge difference this made to me. It completely changed my perspective, and gave me a huge boost of motivation and confidence. Thanks, that guy.

I hope everyone has a peaceful and productive Wednesday!

Stick to the Routine

Eating well and cooking at home takes a lot of time. It also takes a lot of thought and planning. Preparing breakfast and lunch for all 4 of us at home takes me a full hour each morning. And don't even get me started on dinner!

Wouldn't it be so much easier to just jam a granola bar in their hands as they're running out the door, and give them a couple of dollars for lunch? Yes, that would be super easy.  But think of all the benefits they, and I, would be missing. First and foremost, starting the day with a quiet meal together is incomparable. And when it's a homecooked, tasty, nutritious meal, I really feel like I'm doing my mom-job the best I possibly can. It's tremendously satisfying.

I have to have my own eating habits well thought-out in order to focus so much attention on everyone else. I don't have time to sit down and think about what I'm going to eat every day, so I have to have a routine.

Yesterday, I strapped on my frilly apron (just kidding...I was wearing cargo shorts and a t-shirt) and baked zucchini muffins and made vegetable soup. This will provide me with breakfasts, snacks, and possibly some desserts for the rest of the family all week, and the soup will be my lunches all week.

Every morning, I make myself a smoothie in my Magic Bullet with some kind of greens (this week it's baby kale), plain greek yogurt, half a banana, coconut water, and whatever other fruit I have lying around. The Magic Bullet has these little cups with handles and tops you can screw on, so I can grab it and take it to work with me. (For added fun, it freaks out my corkers that I'm drinking a thick green drink every morning--they don't know how delicious it is!)  For lunch, I have the vegetable soup, and an apple with peanut butter in the afternoon. I also make hummus frequently and eat that with carrot sticks while I'm at work.

I eat like this 80% of the time. And then the 20% of the time when we are going out, or the kids really want pizza on Friday night, I feel perfectly fine about cutting loose and having whatever I want. And I am able to tolerate those indulgences so much better because my system is working well and I am well hydrated.

Good luck coming up with your own routine, and Have a Healthy Monday!