Body Image and Body Awareness

When I begin working with a new client, I send them some questions and a health wheel to fill out before our first meeting.  Many of my women clients, and some of the men, score themselves pretty low on body image.  (You can do the health wheel – the form is on my website).

I do a great job of helping my clients create healthy eating habits that work for them, get started with an exercise program, increase their awareness and make intentional choices.  Most of the time I can help them think about food, eating and exercise differently. 

But body image has been elusive.  Some of my clients become much more at home in their bodies as they feel better, more in control and more fit.  Others continue to hate their bodies, even as they lose weight.

Yesterday I tested out a body mapping technique that I’d developed with a friend. We had used it in a workshop as a way to access the wisdom held in our bodies, and the body’s ability to heal.  I wasn’t sure how it would work for body image, but I had a volunteer willing to give it a try and it seemed like it made sense.

My test subject drew an outline of her body on a big piece of flip chart paper.  I lead her in a body scan, doing a quick check throughout her body.  She used crayons to identify areas of pain or tension.  Then we went back through with a series of questions about where in her body she felt energy, where she felt blocked, etc, ending with what areas did she like and what areas did she not like.  She drew it onto the map as she felt it in her body.

She identified that her body part that caused her “disgust” was shut off from the rest of her body.  We tried tuning in to that area, but since it was blocked off, there was not much to pick up.  The energy about that area was all in her head/mind and we were able to get a clear sense of all the swirling mental energy around it.  But the mind was holding on to those thoughts, not very interested in letting go.

So we moved back into her body, and in a relaxed state, used visualization to help move the flow of energy into and through that area.  It took a little work, but she was able have a physical sense of reconnecting that part with the rest of her body.  And then she redrew it on her body map – the new feeling of connection and integration.

It felt really good, and it seems to me that having the body be integrated will change how it works.  We talked about ways she could access that connected feeling on an ongoing basis – how to keep it alive and help it grow.

I’m looking forward to seeing what develops.  The mind is powerful, and when it is connected to the body, healing can happen. 

Have any of you worked with techniques to change body image?  If you are willing to share your experiences, I’d really like to know what you’ve tried and what has made a difference!

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .
Eat well!

Sliding Portion Sizes

Last night it occurred to me (as I was serving myself dinner) that I’m taking more than I used to. Dinner was healthy enough (yellow split pea dahl and a mixture of brown rice and wheat berries).  But I think I ate more than I used to eat.

Being a dietitian is not protection against expanding portion sizes.  In fact there was a study that had a number of well known nutrition experts estimate portion sizes – and they were just as influenced by larger sized bowls and serving spoons as the rest of us.

Increasing portion sizes have been a big problem in restaurants and grocery stores, and it happens at home as well.  If you are like me, you go along thinking you are eating more or less the same as you always have and then you realize – wait a minute, this is more!

For a long time, I kept a bowl and ½ cup measuring cup near the boxes of breakfast cereal.  I think it is time to get them back out.  I think I’m pouring about a cup, but truly I’m just guessing.

I’m going to start measuring my rice too; at least for awhile. I generally aim for 1 ½ - 2 servings of complex carbohydrate per meal, although I’m usually just approximate.  Generally that is the amount that will keep me reasonably full until the next meal.  So for rice that will be 1/2 - 2/3 cups (1/3 cup of rice is considered a serving). 

Disclaimer:  I’m 5’2” – so this is just what works for me.  If you are taller, you might well need more than that!  I was just using myself as an example, but not “the right way”.

So here is an interesting point.  I don’t ask my clients to weigh or measure food – it feels too much like a diet and my goal is sustainable healthy eating habits.  Yet here I am finding my own serving sizes are slowly sliding into larger portions. 

It is not so much that I want to restrict my eating.  It is just that by time I eat enough to register being a little too full, I’ve already eaten more than I really needed.  I do pay attention to hunger and fullness, but I also generally know how much is enough.  Or at least I thought I did until I noticed the portions were creeping.

Just something to think about.  I actually think it is useful to measure and weigh at least once in a while.  Just like I think it is helpful to periodically keep a food diary.  Both practices may be hard to sustain for long periods of time, but when done periodically can help you get clear about what and how much you are actually eating.

ps:  the recipe for the yellow split pea dahl is on my website.  It is easy and really delicious.

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .
Eat well!

Beverage Calories Add Up

Americans are consuming more calories from beverages than we used to. In a study published in November’s Obesity, calories from beverages increased from 236 calories per day in 1965 to 458 calories in 2002.

Wow – that is a lot! Just think, if you consumed 458 calories a day from what you drink, just by stopping that you could lose a pound a week. Of course that also means that if you are drinking 458 calories a day, and they are extra calories you don’t need, it could be adding a pound a week.

My first response when reading this (in the American Institute for Cancer Research newsletter) was to see if it matched my experience. My clients typically don’t drink soft drinks, and most of them don’t drink much fruit juices or fruit drinks either.  They might enjoy an occasional coffee drink, but usually not often.

Ah. But then there is wine. I live in prime Sonoma County wine country. Many of my clients enjoy their wine. And of course that can add up.

Wine runs somewhere in the range of 20 – 22 calories per ounce. So if you have one glass of the recommended 5 oz serving, that is 100 – 110 calories. Not too bad. If you have two 8 oz glasses of wine, the calories jump to 320 -352. 

Beer is generally around 12 calories per ounce, or 144+ calories for a 12 oz can. Spirits are 64 -73 calories per oz (for 80 proof or 90 proof). And then you have to add whatever you useas a mixer. One beer or one mixed drink is probably not bad – but more add up quickly. Alcohol tends to be seductive, making you want more.

Soda’s and juice all run in a range 10 calories/ounce (tonic water and gingerale) to 14 calories (orange juice) to 16 calories (cream soda or apple juice). A recommended serving of juice is only 4 ounces, but sodas come in 12 ounces as the smallest size, on up to huge servings. A 12 oz can of cola is around 144 calories (about the same as a beer). And a 32 oz serving would be 384 calories.

Ok- I’ve gone into much more detail than I intended. But you can see how it all adds up. I didn’t even get into milk, which at least has nutritional value. 

Keep in mind that the calories we drink tend to be extra. The calories we eat seem to impact our hunger and our food choices, but we don’t naturally adjust for the calories we drink. Somehow our bodies don’t recognize those calories. 

I think it is really something to be aware of. Even if you are health conscious, like so many of my clients, the beverage calories can still sneak up on you. It is wise to pay attention and to occasionally measure how many ounces you are actually consuming. 

Sometime take your various glasses and measure what you think is 4 oz, 5 oz or 8 oz. All of my glasses hold more than I thought they did!

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .
Eat well!

Red Meat and Heme Iron

I get excited by the amount of nutrition research and all the new findings – and it does make healthy eating challenging at times.  I’ve recently come across arguments for and against the heme iron in red meat.

The argument against red meat:
The American Institute for Cancer Research has recently published the results of its second expert report.  They found convincing evidence in a major review of published research that more than 18 ounces of cooked red meat per week significantly increases the risk of colorectal cancer. 

They think that the heme iron in red meat could raise levels of compounds that irritate the colon.  Alternatively it could be due to certain bacterial activity in connection with the red meat.  Either way, it seems wise to limit red meat to less than 18 ounces a week.

The argument for red meat:
I recently attended a lecture given by researcher and professor Alan Titchenal from the University of Hawaii.  He told our group of local dietitians that iron deficiency often goes undetected. 

We usually base iron status on blood levels of iron – primarily hemoglobin and hematocrit.  Iron is used by many body organs (including thyroid, brain, liver and heart), yet the body will take it from the organs to maintain adequate blood levels.

Therefore the blood level of iron could look good, while indeed the levels in our other body systems are low. 

I found this fascinating – especially considering most multivitamin and mineral supplements for men and post-menopausal women don’t contain iron.  We don’t need the full 18 mg of iron that is recommended for menstruating women.  But we need some! 

Dr Titchenal believes that our efforts to eat healthy by having less red meat could be hurting our iron levels.  Many of us have stopped eating red meats  which are one of the better easy-to-absorb sources of iron. 

Personally, I wonder if it is really the red meat itself that is a cancer risk?  Could the problem be the type of meat we eat with our current feedlot practices of fattening animals quickly with grain feeds – and also that we eat too much?

We know that keeping portions of meats small and choosing lean cuts makes a difference for heart health.  And we know that animals that have been primarily grass fed are leaner and have a healthier ration of omega 3 to omega 6 fats.

My recommendations:
Include some red meat in your diet, but less than 18 oz per week.  If you have the recommended 3-4 oz serving (about the size of a deck of cards), you could have up to 4 servings a week.  Buy 4 oz of raw meat per person to get a 3 oz cooked portion.

Choose lean cuts and when possible purchase meats that come from animals that have been grass fed without hormones or antibiotics. 

If you take a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement, choose one with a low dose (8 – 10 mg) of iron.  Or take a regular multi (with 18 mg of iron) every other day.

My own plan is to include one red meat dinner per week with a 3 oz portion size for me (Bill gets 4-5 oz because he is larger and doesn’t always have protein at lunch).  Some weeks the left-overs will provide a second meal.  And I just purchased some multi’s with a small amount of iron. 

Check out my website for more nutrition information and for my monthly newsletter, the Wellness News:  http://HealthyHabitsCoach.com.

Drinking more Water: Mint Water

I came across a great tip in my reading:  mint water! To make it, add a couple sprigs of fresh mint to a container of water and let it sit at room temperature overnight. Simple and delicious!

I grow mint in a pot because it spreads so quickly that when planted in the ground it can become a pest. Growing it in a pot contains it and gives you fresh mint whenever you want it.

I mostly have used mint in summer salads. I also use it with other fresh herbs, ground up with peppercorns and garlic as a rub for lean cuts of beef.

I had tried making fresh mint tea before, but it always came out strong and bitter. So I was delighted to come across the suggestion to just let it sit in water for several hours at room temperature. It keeps the flavor soft and delicate. I actually prefer drinking it at room temperature as well, but it would also be good chilled.

Adding a little flavor to water can make it easier to drink more. I like the idea of adding the mint, because besides tasting great it adds extra nutrients. I’m not sure how much you actually get in mint water, but I figure every little bit adds up! Check here for some of the beneficial properties of peppermint.

Mostly I like it because it is so refreshing. Try it!

Find more nutrition tips on my website and in my monthly newsletter, the Wellness News:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com

Finding Nourishment

While it is useful to have knowledge and helpful tips, ultimately it is how we nourish ourselves in a full sense that matters.  The people I talk to mostly know what to eat: it is eating when they didn’t intend to that causes problems.

We eat for so many reasons. Difficult conversations or relationships send us to the refrigerator. Food choices are usually worse when we are tired, or frustrated, or overwhelmed.  I’ve often heard emotional eating described as “filling a black hole.”

In all these situations, we are seeking nourishment.  But not necessarily food.  I suspect that feeling nourished is one of the really deep human needs, and one that we are not very skilled at.

How do we nourish ourselves?  Besides food (we have that one down, but it doesn’t help for very long), where do we find nourishment?

I think this is a fundamental question.  I’m not really sure what the answer is, but I think it is still important to keep asking the question.  It is one of those questions that we can hold open and gradually work our way into the answer.

Even for those of us who don’t fill the black hole with food, we often have an assortment of behaviors that we use to “fill” it (or stuff it!) 

Some people eat.  Some gamble.  Some drink.  Some shop.  My own “fix” is constant activity, relentless “doing”.  It doesn’t have calories, but I don’t think it is any healthier – stress can play as much havoc as food with our internal systems.

So how do we nourish ourselves?  What I notice is that I’m happiest when I slow down – even when it is just a little.  That there is something about the small things in life that feels nourishing.

Sunsets.  A child’s hug.  The beautiful oak tree at the end of the street.  The birdsong in early morning.  My cat stretched out full length in cool shade.  A heart to heart talk. 

These are some of the things that I have noticed are nourishing - when I remember to notice.  That might be the crux.  Remembering to notice!

But this is an exploration without set answers.  It might be that we each have to find what nourishes us.  We may each need to pay attention to when we feel nourished, and learn to let it in – to really, fully, let ourselves experience it.

It may help to bring intention.  To think of how the little things - like the feel of warm dishwashing water on our hands – are nourishing.  Just acknowledging it might amplify it.

I don’t know . . .  what do you think?  What have you learned or noticed or wondered?  What nourishes you?

Visit http://healthyhabitscoach.com to get my monthly newsletter, the Wellness News.
Eat well!

Folic Acid: Do You Get Too Much?

The Nutrition Action Healthletter has had two recent articles about research indicating that high blood levels of folate could increase risk of prostate and breast cancer. It is tricky - it appears that folic acid might help prevent tumors from starting, but feed them once they start.

It is too early to know if this is truly a risk – more research needs to confirm and support these theories. But they raise an interesting question. How much is too much when it comes to vitamins and minerals?

We have a tendency to think the more, the better – but it is not always so. This is especially important to keep in mind with all the fortified products available.  Companies add vitamins and minerals to just about anything – even water – and make big health claims. 

How does it all add up? If you take a variety of supplements, you may be getting multiple doses of some nutrients. Look at labels for duplicate nutrients.

Breads and cereals are often fortified with folic acid. Since the US began fortifying flour with folic acid in 1998, neural tube birth defects have dropped by 20 – 30%. 

However, if you take a multiple vitamin you are probably getting 400 mcg – the recommended daily value. If you are eating a cereal that has been fortified with a full dose of 400 mcg and breads with fortified flour – you could easily get 800 – 1500 mcg a day.

It is not clear yet that these levels are a risk. The evidence is iffy, but it is good to know about. Keep your radar open for new information on folic acid.

Meanwhile, the Nutrition Action Healthletter recommended taking a multivitamin every other day if you eat grains that are fortified. I eat plain oats for breakfast and whole wheat bread is not fortified (being a natural, and safe, form of folic acid): so eating less fortified foods is also an option if you are concerned.

I think it is wise to think twice about buying regular food products with too many vitamins and minerals added. Personally, I’d rather take a multivitamin and know what I’m getting and how it adds up.

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .
Eat well!

 

My Favorite Barbequed Chicken

Summer barbeques are a great way to have delicious and easy healthy meals. Yesterday we had our entire meal on the grill.  Here is my favorite recipe for barbeque chicken.  Healthy eating was never so easy!

Sesame Barbeque Chicken
Chicken*
Marinade:
¼ low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons orange marmalade (I’ve also used jalapeño jelly, honey or agave nectar)
2 cloves garlic
Hot peppers of some sort: ie  ¼ teaspoon Tabasco, 1 tsp chili paste or dried red chilis

Mix the marinade ingredients in a container about the size of the chicken.  Add the skinned chicken to the marinade and refrigerate.  Allow at least 4 hours for marinating, but when possible start early in the morning or even the night before. Grill over low-medium heat.

*This Sunday we used whole bone-in chicken breasts.  They cooked for a long time, but were really moist.  We served them sliced, rather than with the bones.  You can also use skinless, boneless breasts or thighs.  It is all good. 

What I like about this approach is that you never spend more than 15 minutes in the kitchen at a time and yet the result is a delicious meal!  Make extra and you have dinner for a second night.

The original recipe that I adapted this from suggested marinating the chicken in strips and cooking it on skewers.  That makes a great picnic dish, but is too much work to do often.

Yesterday I served the chicken with Yukon gold potatoes, summer squash, red torpedo onion and eggplant.  I precooked the potatoes a little in the microwave, but the rest we just put directly on the grill.  We used olive oil and balsamic vinegar to brush the veggies while cooking slowly over low heat.  My goodness it was good!  The Yukon potatoes were so moist that no topping was necessary.

Note:  it always bothers me to pour so much soy sauce into the marinade.  Even the low sodium variety has about 2,000 mg of sodium in 1/4 cup.  I have used less and it still tastes good (maybe because I usually never salt my food!) 

We got multiple servings from the recipe, and I figure that with a marinade not all the salt gets absorbed.  I think it must be the salt in the soy sauce that makes foods marinated in it so tender.

Does anyone know more about this?  How much of the sodium in soy sauce is actually absorbed into the meat?

Find more nutrition information and my monthly newsletter on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .
Eat well!

 

Stress Eating: Managing Stressors

Are you a stress eater?  Stress eating is one of many reasons for eating when not hungry.  Eating can dull the edgy discomfort of stress, and food is comforting.  But these effects are temporary because they don’t last, and they can add more stress and frustration.

Sure it makes more sense to manage the stressor – but how can you do that?  Try stepping back and observing.  Becoming aware, without judgment, begins to produce change.

I have a client who is going on a 3 month cruise.  She told me that she felt this would be a life changing event for her, and as she said that I could feel the excitement and possibility. 

Yet without even pausing, she went on to tell me how stressed she was feeling about deciding what projects she should take to work on.  She was up against deadlines to order the supplies she would need and was feeling really pushed.  I could pick up all the feelings of stress, overwhelm, and pushing to make it all happen.

I pulled her back to the life changing effect of this cruise.  What was it about the cruise that made it feel life changing?  What was needed to give more space and opportunity to life changing potential? 

As you read this, can you feel how the idea of life changing feels open and spacious?  Just taking it in feels pretty delicious.  Then notice how you feel when you read the paragraph about all the things she needed to decide and wanted to do.  I feel my chest constrict and my breath gets tight. 

As my client slowed down and considered what was most important, she decided she wanted to bring in meditation, writing and exercise as ways to stay open to new experiences and possibilities.  As she shifted her focus of what was important, she stopped feeling so stressed.

Even if you are not going on a life changing cruise, you can still use the same principle.  What is important to you in your life?  What are your true priorities?  When you are 90, what would make you feel like you had lived your life well?  Notice how that feels!

While life certainly is full of stressful situations, a lot of our stress is from our own choices.  When we say yes to too many things or set expectations about what we will accomplish we can feel stressed. 

When you step back – create a little distance – and pay attention, it makes it easier to see what your choices are.  Usually there are more choices than we had realized – something my clients frequently comment on.  When there are choices, and you get to choose, it feels better.

Just seeing the choices helps.  Even if you choose to continue in the same way, it may feel less stressful because you feel more in control.  If you feel less stressed and more in control, you might be less tempted to eat. 

Next time you find yourself stressed and opening the refrigerator – stop.  Instead of stress eating, or at least before choosing to stress eat, step back and check in.  What is important?  What can be let go of? 

It may take some practice, but just becoming aware can help you make new healthy eating choices.

Find more nutrition information on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .
Eat well!

 

Purple Potatoes: have you tried them?

My dinner plate was a splash of color: bright green broccoli from my farm box, stunning orange salmon with a sprinkling of red chipotle powder, and purple potatoes. All this on a yellow plate. A good reminder how beautiful healthy eating can be. It was a picture!

I actually tried to take a picture, and it gave me admiration for all the bloggers who post pictures of food regularly. There is an art to it, one I haven’t mastered yet. My husband response to my picture was yuk! Guess I need to think of it before I start eating.

Anyway, if you haven’t tried purple or blue potatoes, you are in for a treat. They actually taste pretty much like other potatoes. I like them even better, but it might because I’m so smitten by the color.

There are a number of different varieties ranging in colors from blue to purple to black. The Cooks Thesaurus says they have medium starch content and are better for color than flavor. Also that they get mushy if overcooked.

Well, I love them. The deep colors come from an antioxidant called anthocyanins, the same kind found in blueberries. This makes them both fun to eat and nutritious.

Last night we just barbequed them. I cooked them for about 3 minutes in the microwave, then finished them off on the barbeque. This is a quick way of ending up with something like baked potatoes: a soft inside withcrispy skin. This technique works for other forms of potatoes as well, also for yams and sweet potatoes.

My other favorite way of cooking purple potatoes is to roast them with other vegetables. They give the dish a splash of color and interest. They are good mashed, but I don’t mash potatoes often because it is too easy to eat extra that way.

If you need more incentive or information:
The Perufood blog has beautiful pictures of Peruvian purple potatoes.
Recipe tips has info on how to select and store them.

Enjoy!

Find more nutrition information on my website:  http://healthyhabitscoach.com .