A New Year, Version (12 years later)

A New Year, Something for Everyone:

“It’s especially hard to be healthy this time of year.”  So true, but what time of year is really easy to be healthy? Each season has it’s traditions, holidays, birthdays, and excuses. What are the reasons people want to lose weight, what are the goals, how we can figure out how to fit in the hard work, and the fun.  Why wait for the new year to start?

Figure out your goals, do you want to be at your wedding weight, do you want to wear that little black dress for the party in January, do you want to get off your diabetes medications, have your clothes fit again, feel better? Is it to get over your mood swings, to have more energy?  Do you want to run and play with your kids, your grandkids, hike with friends, or to dance again feeling confident?

We all have a reason to be healthy, that in itself can be the reason.  To be healthy is a great goal, and from there let’s figure out the right path for you.

1. Identify your goals and put in writing.
2. Pick your plan (or 2).
3. Exercise- yes, physical activity of any kind will improve your metabolism, relax you and make you feel energized, put you in a better emotional mood, and help you lose weight.
4. Watch your portion size and type of foods.  I don’t want to say any particular food is off limits, but how much you eat is under your control.  If you feel powerless with a certain food - then it’s time to walk away from it, at least for awhile, until you get control over your relationship with that food.

Suggestions: 

1. Eat your fruits and veggies.
2. Eat lean protein - chicken, fish, lean cuts of red meat no more than 1-2X/ week, beans, tofu, eggs, vegetable substitutes such as tempeh, low- fat or non- fat dairy products, and nuts.
3. No fried foods!
4. Eliminate processed foods, white flour, white sugar, and High Fructose Corn Syrup. People often blame "Sweets" for adding a lot of Carbohydrates to our diet, but Starches (Breads, Chips, Pretzels, etc.) are a prime offender as well.
5. Avoid high calorie beverages such as juice, alcohol, soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, coffee shop drinks, and vitamin waters.
6. Choose whole grains and whole foods such as sprouted wheat toast, quinoa, brown rice, beans, and soups made with beans/ grains/ veggies (see recipe below).
7. Drink lots of water, seltzer, unsweetened tea/ ice tea.
8. Watch your Sodium intake.. it hides in many prepared foods.

Winter Vegetable Ragout With White Beans

1 1/2# butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 T olive oil

1 1/2 T minced garlic

3/4 t salt

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 fennel bulb, halved, cored, and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 red pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 t ground fennel seeds

1/3 c white wine

1 15-ounce can Italian butter beans (or another white bean), rinsed and drained

1 c low-sodium vegetable broth

1/3 c sliced sun-dried tomatoes

8 leaves rainbow chard, stems removed, cut crosswise into thick ribbons

1 c rainbow chard stems, sliced on the bias into 3/4-inch pieces

1 T chopped fresh oregano

1 T chopped fresh thyme

1 T chopped fresh sage

1. Preheat over to 400 F.  Combine squash, 1 T olive oil, 1/2 T garlic and 1/4 t each salt and pepper in a large baking dish, toss to coat, then roast for about 20 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium.  Add the onion and 1/4 t each salt and pepper.  Sauté for 3 minutes or until onions are soft.  Mix in remaining garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Stir in fennel, red pepper, fennel seeds, and remaining salt.  Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Pour in wine and cook for 3 minutes or until pan is nearly dry.  Add beans and vegetable broth; reduce heat to medium-low.  Simmer for 15 minutes or until beans begin to break down and sauce thickens.
4. Add the cooked squash, sun-dried tomatoes, chard leaves, and chard stems.  Cook for 10 minutes, adding water as needed to keep ragout saucy.
5. Stir in oregano, thyme, and sage just before serving.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

(Serves 6, Serving Size 1 cup, 200 calories, 5 g fat, 36 g carbs, 7 g protein, 9 g fiber, 168  mg calcium, 4 mg iron, 760 mg sodium.  From Shape.com, January 2012.)

DREAM for Teens by WCC

Doing It, what is it? Who are you as a teen? Evaluate yourself (on the Wellness Wheel) and see what areas you want to work on because it's important to you now. As a kid, you are always being told what others think of you, or think you aught to do. But if you take time and evaluate, you may notice an area that is low that you didn't even think about, or realize it's an area you can actually work on. So you have a starting point. Then you get to ->

Reason to Be; your purpose in life. Often kids don't know because they didn't think about it. It could be your faith, saving the environment, helping others, being a caretaker or teacher. Kids tend to be self-centered, you know the moon is following them. The adolescent brain isn't fully developed until 20-25 years or more, so don't expect to be talking to a mature adult. Get kids to think outside of their own lives. Being part of the community, joining a team, doing volunteer work; all help. And you as a parent or caretaker, part of your purpose is raising a resilient, reliable, resourceful and responsible human, so what you say and how you say it also counts. Kids hear everything you say, so if you walk in after work and say, "Did you clean your room, you need a haircut, your shirt is backwards" or "How was your day, what went well, who made you laugh"; can change the whole tone, your kids social and emotional development, and your relationship. -> 

Expertise, it's becoming better at something, and improving self confidence and empowerment. How do you become better at something? By practicing. Join a team, take a class, join a club, learn another language, take piano or guitar lessons. What do you like to do? How often do you do it? Research shows that teens who do one challenging, consistent activity for a minimum of 2 years during the High School years, do better long term. It's no wonder because they are often getting experience and advice from an expert, as well as getting constructive criticism or coaching to improve. They experience sharing resources, wins and losses, applauses and praise. They learn that they can do hard things by practice, focus and perseverance. ->

Attention is the next part. This has become a huge problem with this generation. They unfortunately grew up during the Covid years, and social media has become a nationwide issue. Teens are unable to focus on an activity and are unable to function without devices. They learned this from us, so we can't blame them. We didn't know better. So here we are, and we are still the adults and the ones who pay the bills. I coach too many people that are "afraid" to take away their kids devices. I love telling the story how I took away my daughter's cell phone and got her a flip phone for emergencies. After 2 days, she left it at home. I didn't let her take it on vacation either. The tough love for me and anger for her, soon changed to gratitude and understanding. Take time away from your devices. Lose yourself in an activity you love, think of one you can share with someone. Maybe a sport, a hobby, time in nature, baking, singing, or doing a meditation. The more you practice, the more your brain will be trained to focus on this, so enjoy, and strengthen that muscle. ->

Motion is last but not least. Teens should be doing 1 hour a day of physical activity. It can be structured or not, but many don't get nearly close to that amount. Being active also gets you and kids away from their screens. It's fun. It's a good way to meet people and strengthen relationships. It helps prevent or lessen many of the issues kids and adults face, or will face, such as depression, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes, and many others. Many types can be at no cost and can be done almost anywhere. What are you waiting for? Make plans to do this, and don't break the plans. You, are the most important person and deserve the time for yourself. DREAM it into Your Life. 

Love, Me

If I Had The World To Give - Self-Compassion Myth#1 and Heart Month

I'd give it to you.

Self-compassion myth: it's selfish.

Truth is that people who practice self-compassion are more caring and supportive to others. They are more compassionate with others and are more forgiving.

How do you practice self-compassion? Start with a mindful minute:

Close your eyes and listen to the sounds. Open your eyes and gently observe the view with a wide angle gaze. Close your eyes again and feel where your body is touching the chair, your feet the ground. Put your hand to your nose and notice any scents from your skin. Now taste if there are any tastes in your mouth right now. How did that feel? Have a wonderful day.

February is the month of love, filled with red and pink hearts, dark chocolate, cuddling by the fireplace, and maybe digging your car out of the snow. Love fills your heart with warmth and can make your heart skip a beat.

This month I want to discuss dietary fats, and how they can help make your heart beat healthier. There have been many reports that say butter is now ok to eat, coconut oil is the next best thing, and that people are putting oil and butter into their coffee as a breakfast. You may be wondering what’s true, what’s questionable, and what you should know to help you make good choices.

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About Cholesterol

• HDL cholesterol is the good kind. You want this number to be high.
• LDL cholesterol is the bad kind. You want this number to be low.
• Total cholesterol should be below a certain range (200 mg/dL).

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Has fat really “replaced” carbs as the new “magic bullet” for better health and wellness?  Years ago when the low-fat craze started (remember Snackwells), people began eating more carbs and reducing their fat intake. Years later, the results are that, we as a nation, are heavier and sicker, hence the term “Diabesity”. So the new thoughts and research show that by reducing carbs, and replacing some of these calories with healthy fats, you can lower your risks of obesity and related diseases. With all the fats available figuring out how to make good choices can be confusing. When considering total calories, it is important to understand that fat is more calorically dense than protein or carbs, so the calories can add up quickly. Choose whole foods over fast foods to make up your diet. They are lower in fats, sugars and salt.

Some Guidelines

• Eat good fats. Include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in your diet. These include: olive oil, canola oil, hemp , flax and chia seeds, walnut, sesame, and flaxseed oils, nuts such as walnuts and almonds, avocados, and fish oils naturally found in fish like salmon.
• Limit or eliminate bad fats which include saturated and trans fats. Butter, margarine, palm oil, visible fat of meats, poultry skin, full fat dairy foods/drinks, fried foods, and high fat, high sugar treats like cakes, cookies, pies, etc… Coconut oil is out since it’s high in saturated fat and solid at room temperature.
• Get your Omega 3's and Omega 6's. These polyunsaturated fats are good for you and can help lower your cholesterol. Aim to get yours in the food form vs. supplemental pills. Many fish and nuts are great sources including salmon, tuna, walnuts, pistachios, chia seeds and ground flax seeds.
• Eat a well-rounded diet. Get a balance of foods with complex carbs, protein and fiber (25-35 grams/day).
• Stay hydrated. Don’t forget to drink lots of water!
• Get moving. Physical activity helps your waistline and is directly correlated to heart health.
• Slow down. Find ways to relax and reduce stress including yoga, meditation and massage.

Simple Swaps
Trade a bagel with cream cheese for a whole wheat "english muffin" with almond butter and apple slices;

a roast beef with mayo and cheese sub for a turkey whole wheat wrap with mustard, cucumbers, tomatoes and red peppers;

2 slices of pepperoni pizza for one slice of thin crust pizza and a salad;

steak and potatoes for grilled fish and veggies;

fettuccine Alfredo for whole wheat pasta with olive oil, garlic, broccoli and white beans;

chocolate cake for a banana sliced with yogurt and honey; 

apple pie for a baked apple.

And, as always, combining a healthy diet with exercise, stress reduction, getting enough sleep, and removing toxins, will lead you on the path to optimal health and wellness.

RECIPES:

Gluten Free Cauliflower Soup (serves 4-6)

• 2 ½ cups chopped onions
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 potatoes (about 2 cups diced)
• 1 medium head of cauliflower (about 5 cups chopped)
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 ½ tsp ground fennel
• 4 cups hot water
• 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder or 1 bouillon cube
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chopped fresh tomatoes and chopped chives or scallions

Directions

1. In a soup pot on medium heat, sauté the onions in the oil for 5-10 minutes, until translucent. While the onions sauté, dice the potatoes and chop the cauliflower.
2. Stir the cumin, fennel, and potatoes into the pot, and cook for a minute. Then add the hot water. Cover, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. 
3. In a blender, food processor, or using an immersion blender, puree the vegetables and broth until smooth.  Add the lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Reheat the soup if necessary, taking care not to scorch it.
4. Serve garnished with the chopped tomatoes and chives or scallions. Goes nicely with a salad and small whole wheat pita bread for a winter dinner.

(Recipe Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home by The Moosewood Collective)

Gluten Free Slow Cooker Chicken with Rice (serves 4-6)

• 2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomatoes, drained
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped
• ¼ cup chopped sundried tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 ½ tsp dried oregano
• ¾ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground pepper
• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
• 2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions

1. Stir together the first 10 ingredients in the slow cooker crock.
2. Nestle chicken thighs into the mixture. Cover and cook 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. At the end of cooking, use tongs to transfer thighs to a plate and cover with foil. Add rice to the tomato mixture. Stir well.  Cover and let the mixture cook for 5-10 minutes, until the rice heats through.
3. Divide tomato and rice mixture between shallow bowls, top each bowl with the cooked chicken.

(Recipe Adapted from Everyday Gluten-Free Slow Cooking by Kimberly Mayone and Kitty Brohier MS, RD)