"How can you NOT go to the gym"! - I get it. Do you?

When I was unmarried, without a daughter, I recall not understanding how a mom coworker couldn't make the time to go to the gym that was IN our office.
Now, married and with a 1 year old, I get it.

A year has almost passed since our daughter was born and I ask myself “Am I fully recovered? Is my husband?” Maternity coverage would have been over 9 months ago and I reflect on that time with a fog and haze. Does it really take 3 months for one to recover; physically, mentally, emotionally? I know that this 3 month maternity thing is a concept to return women to the work force to make money to keep up the cycle of buying. I know many woman don't have a choice on whether to return or not, but that’s not the argument I’m tackling here, rather is our body - in all forms and ways - “healed” after 3 months?

I can only talk about myself, so hopefully in doing so I'll spurn some questions about your own wellness recovery after a life changing event, trauma or even set back and the choices to get yourself back on track.

Physically I had a very intense labor - both types really – vaginal and cesarean. Even the nurse said, " You got the best of both" - jokingly of course. Prior to labor, I was in very good physical condition so I thought I would bounce back, be at the gym within 3 months and have my physical strength back with the hopeful added bonus of my physique despite breastfeeding.

Nope.

I underestimated birth, life, and my own state of mind.

I go to the gym maybe once or twice a week, but it’s not my priority and I find that going religiously isn’t necessary when not sitting at a desk all day. However, the last few months I have lost the last remaining bits of strength from my pre-pregnancy days which has resulted in more aches and pains. As the gym isn’t as feasible I’ve taken up some home workout videos (Jessica Smith TV). I despise exercising at home. Despise. However, I have mustered the motivation and found a video I like. Even my daughter has embraced it. So how can I not even try!

With a C -section it takes longer than expected to heal and varies for every woman. I was exercising on my own within the 3 month mark, however, now I understand why some things in the abs didn’t feel so good. Now my organs finally feel in place. A year later. Certain moves no longer feel odd nor have some aches a day later. Although, now I have to work harder on my abs to keep my strength up and back pain low. On the plus side, exercise through daily movement and actions has kept the need for the hamster wheel (gym machines) at a minimum. I have a little extra weight on me and I need to work on that strength and tone, but it will come. All in due time. Slowly. Organically. Naturally. When my body is ready.

This is the same emotionally, with self care, relationships with your spouse, your career - give everything time to understand the new you, adapt and modify to meet your new priorities.

My point? Priorities shift when your health has been adversely or traumatically affected so recognize when it is time to adapt. Use it as an excuse to figure out a new way to challenge your body, redefine it. Set new goals. But most of all, give yourself the break you deserve that it takes a year or more for a woman to “recover”...to feel herself physically. Mentally...that’s another story...ask me in 18 years.

Fat Doesn't Make You FAT!

Don't misunderstand your need for fat! In a nutrient dense diet, the fats found in natural, whole foods are needed to help your body function—especially your brain and intestines. Fats are necessary for insulation within in your body. They enable vitamin absorption and provide energy to the brain. So don’t fear fat!

We’ve all heard about heart healthy fats such as olive oils and avocados, but there are other important fats to include in your whole food diet:

• Omega-3s - Found in fish, nuts, chia, and flaxseeds.
•  Monounsaturated fats - Found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados.
•  Saturated fats - Found in butter, eggs, and grass-fed animal protein. These fats are the most stable of all the fats. They are safe to cook with and do not go rancid easily. Refined and processed vegetable oils can have a toxic effect when cooked at a very high heat. Our bodies can’t process these oils as efficiently as they can the natural oils found in butter, ghee, and coconut oil. 

If fat has all these benefits, how can it make you fat? It doesn't necessarily, which is hard to believe after reading and hearing alarming messaging about it for over 30 years.

Here are are a few reasons why fat is good for you: 

• It assists with the slow entry time of refined carbohydrates, and keeps blood sugar levels even.
• Vitamins A, D, and E are fat-soluble vitamins and along with calcium, need fat for absorption. Butter is a wonderful whole food as it contains these fat-soluble vitamins and the fat necessary for absorption. In fact, butter is far better for you and more nutritious than margarine or cream cheese.
• Although fat has more calories, its satiating quality safe-guards against over eating (unless it’s coupled with sugar). Fat can lead to weight gain when it’s paired with sugar and refined grains. When you eat fat in large quantities it is often paired with sugar or refined carbs such as ice cream, cakes, cookies, donuts, and/or fries.
• Fat in and of itself will be used by the body and has the least impact on insulin. A high fat diet that includes sugar and refined grains increases your insulin, which is the hormone controlling fat storage. Swings in your blood sugar lead to spikes in insulin, which ultimately effects how calories are stored as fat. Try to avoid the desserts that contain both sugar and fat since it’s the tastiness of that combination that is addictive and causes you to overeat. Instead, focus on eating fat found naturally in butter and other dairy and oils and I bet you won't overeat the fat. Some good snack options are a banana with peanut butter and nuts or whole wheat (spelt) toast with grass fed butter. Or try a full fat yogurt with some berries and local honey or homemade granola with grass fed cow or goat milk.

Focus on adding just enough fat to support your body and satisfy your appetite to keep the portion sizes and calories where they should be. In the end, fat won't make you fat! 

Winter Warnings & 6 Quick Solutions! - Guest Blogger!

Forget the blizzard warnings. Winter should come with another weather advisory—rough beauty conditions ahead. The main culprits are cold air, which holds less moisture than warm air, and low humidity and central heating, which makes already dry hair and skin even drier. But cold weather also hits harder as you get older, when the production of skin's natural moisturizers dips with age, says Doris Day, MD, a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at New York University Medical Center. The result: Your skin becomes rough and flaky while your hair feels dry and loses its shine. These simple cold weather beauty tricks will help your skin stay smooth, your hair retain a shine, and your makeup looking fresh well past the groundhog’s springtime start date.

What is the Solution? 

• Use a humidifier. Add some drops of essential oils to create the relaxing spa feel and assist with sleep. Lavender is a relaxing sleep aid. 
• Put lotion on at night then wear gloves and/or socks to increase locking in moisture.
• Don't wash your hair so often. 
• Take shorter showers - excess washing and with water too hot can dry the skin.  Condition your hair before washing it.
• If you have static in your hair, calm it with a dryer sheet, new or used.
• Keep many sticks of lip balm handy so you never go outside without applying. 

- Dahli Mama!

Do your grocery habits impede your health goals?

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions? Or “challenges” as I called them in a piece I wrote this time last year. If you are one of the many that tackle weight loss, cooking more, eating out less or anything dealing with food and nutrition, then consider your grocery shopping habits as one factor that can positively or negatively affect your goal’s progress and outcome. Many people just tackle what they eat and how they prepare the food. This is important, but take a few steps back and consider how you obtain the food. Is it grocery shopping, prepared meal delivery, CSA/Farm Share box, and/or grocery delivery? Do you enjoy the process or do you view it as a cumbersome necessity to reach your goal?

When I begin working with a new client, one of my services includes going on a grocery store tour with them. Why a tour of the grocery store? How can you obtain the most nutritious food in an efficient manner if you don’t know how to navigate your grocery store or a new one you want to visit? Some of the time-saving tactics I suggest include shopping the perimeter of the grocery store, choosing name brands over store brands for certain items, identifying effective substitutes, and selective choosing of pre-chopped veggies and sale items. We all can’t spend hours at the grocery store so the key is creating the knowledge for efficient shopping with usually less money spent. Lack of knowledge and time often leads to over spending. Don’t be left making one of these excuses: “I don’t have time to shop around” or “I have no clue how to use these ingredients so I’ll just buy this prepackaged all in one item.” These excuses result in dining out more often then in.

What about the size of the grocery store you visit? Is it massive with aisle numbers well into the double digits? When you forget an item on one end, does it take you over five minutes to walk to the other side? Is the size so daunting that you find yourself dreading to go or needing to budget over an hour just for the shopping and checking-out process? If so, you may need to rethink your grocery habits. Is there a smaller one closer or farther away? Sometimes two quick trips are the same as one long one and can lead to more deals and better quality food. For example, we shop at a Whole Foods that is farther from us than the Star Market nearby. However, the Whole Foods is smaller and I can easily navigate it within 10 minutes. I shop the perimeter mostly and buy about 75% of my items there. The rest come from our bi-monthly organic vegetable delivery box, sometimes a local butcher, and then random items at Star Market, which are usually last-minute needs. This has equated to more piecemeal shopping however, we have saved money because I’m not buying EVERYTHING at Whole Foods (which can add up). We have guaranteed organic, and I’m using everything I purchase with no waste. Plus, I love supporting local vendors when I can!

So choose a store that feels accessible and approachable, not overwhelming. Familiarize yourself with the store so that at each return trip you know where to go. Consider proximity, but also think outside the box so that you can have more variety for your body and mind! Variety creates interest and ultimately, leads to success in developing and sustaining a new habit.

The benefits are threefold. You’ll learn to like grocery shopping more, you will ensure you reach your wellness goal by providing a solution that tackles many impediments to improving health and you may even find yourself motivated to search out and try new ingredients.

Need help navigating your local Whole Foods or health food store? Contact me!

Holiday Blues – Do they strike you? Quick tips to overcome the blues!

Feeling blue when you take down the decorations or have no more parties to attend? Or, when the holidays are over do you have trouble getting back on track? Some years it seems the holiday spirit is harder to muster along with the recovery from the holidays. Your waistline doesn’t need to suffer nor does your productivity and mood. All that sugar, alcohol and caffeine increases the roller coaster of emotions, hormonal imbalances and over indulging. So cut yourself some slack, everyone gets off track.

We often experience some sadness this time of year amidst joyous times even when with friends and family. End of year memories, dark days, stress over holiday plans, are often the triggers. The pressure to be “happy” and joyous during this time makes the sadness more apparent. Often perusing sites such as Facebook can increase these feelings that your life is seemingly without or that others are having more fun and success than you. Is that really the case? Guilt over feeling this sadness creeps in when everyone around you is happy and enjoying the season. But again, these feelings are normal.

So how do you move past the sadness or maybe recover from the holidays? With no more holiday parties or family gatherings around the corner, there’s a lack of something fun to look forward to, right? Or is there. We need to remember this is a time for self-care and attention. Check out this quick tips for how you can get back on track and ditch those holiday blues. 

• Find outside activities like hiking or if snow bound go sledding to renew the kid in you!
• Enjoy comfort foods in moderation. This is the time of year for them, not the summer. 
• Seek out friends or other contacts. 
• Maintain a schedule to keep you on track; don't give into what you want or don't want to do. 
• Conversely if alone, meditate and find some solace with a book or a hobby. Pick up a new book or find a new television series to indulge. Remember the creature comforts, of good food, intelligent reading, loving relationships, are often the more sustaining comforts. 
• Seek out a new activity for January. Maybe try that new cooking course you have been eyeing or that Meetup on hiking, sewing, fixing cars. Choose one. Don’t overload your calendar in desperation to stay busy.  
• MOST OF ALL! If you have overeaten a bit don't put the pressure on yourself to loose immediately.  No rush to lose a pound in January.  February will be here soon enough. 

Remember, small changes lead to lasting results. Focus on the activities that make you happy, the foods that nourish you and the weight will come off. Being convicted in weight loss is important, but not to the point of stressing and depriving yourself. Let me know if you need help with finding quick tips that you can easily integrate everyday into your life.

The increasing light and longer days will help with the mood and the appetite, so be patient with yourself - all will pass.  Change is always happening. Enjoy the present, the future is right around the corner.  

SAD? Combat the cloudy days with these tips!

For those of us who live in those northern climates and states, the effects of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) are felt in various degrees. Can it happen to you? Sure! Be aware and accept when you have those feelings; learn how to identify, cope, and move forward.

FALL and WINTER SAD
Symptoms specific to winter-onset SAD, sometimes called winter depression, may include:

• Irritability
• Tiredness or low energy
• Problems getting along with other people
• Hypersensitivity to rejection
• Heavy, "leaden" feeling in the arms or legs
• Oversleeping
• Appetite changes, especially a craving for foods high in carbohydrates
• Weight gain

Sound familiar? Below are some tips from Your Wellness Scout, guest blogger “Dhali Mama,” and WebMD. Great tips for anyone trying to avoid the winter blues.

Your Wellness Scout:

• Eat a wide variety of vegetables, lean protein, fruit and lots of fish. Choose dark chocolate over milk for an afternoon treat. Both fish (salmon especially and dark chocolate increase serotonin, the mood boosting hormone.
• Although cold and cloudy weather increases the desire to choose happy hour over exercise, try to not always choose happy hour. Even if the gym doesn’t inspire you, take a walk with friends or enjoy a fun outdoor activity.
•  Maintain or increase your social activity to increase feelings of connection and social community. Relationships and social connection increases pleasure and positive thought.

Dhali Mama:

•  Keep curtains or blinds open in the bedroom so you rouse and waken with the dawn and natural light. 
•  Go to bed with complete darkness at the same time each evening.
•  Refrain from watching TV in bed.

WebMD

What can you do on your own to feel better?

•  Regular exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Getting more sunlight may help too, so try to get outside to exercise when the sun is shining. Being active during the daytime, especially early in the day, may help you have more energy and feel less depressed.
•  Moderate exercise such as walking, riding a stationary bike, or swimming is a great way to get started. But any activities that raise your heart rate-including daily chores-can help, especially if you can do them outdoors or near a sunny window.
•  Try to do muscle-building exercises at least 2 times each week, such as weight training or stair climbing.
•  Moderate exercise is safe for most people. But it's always a good idea to talk to your doctor before you start an exercise program.
•  Some people try complementary treatments to help with SAD. If you want to use them, be sure to check with your doctor first. They may interact with other medicines or treatments. 

Tips for Maintaining your Health during the Holiday Party Season

The holidays are here! Do you have a holiday party or two to attend? Maybe a few work gatherings? Lots of food, drink, and fun to fill your day and bring some added variety to the week! However, does your stomach start to constrict with a slight increase of anxiety wondering how you will be able to indulge but not wreak havoc to your waistline, sleep, skin, and more? Do holiday party invites inspire you to cook that new, healthy dish on Pinterest, but you won’t have time to actually make it? Don’t know what to cook, bring, or eat? I can provide quick easy solutions to many of these questions and more to help you maintain your health and culinary adventures, without adding hours to your weekend in the kitchen.

Whether hosting or attending a party, below are some tips to ensure your health needs are met without sacrificing your guests' needs:

                  Hosting:

o   Include a variety of healthy menu items to please all palates. Focus on vegetable sides, but also include one or two hearty, creamy dishes and some meat appetizers. Dips, fruit based desserts and one chocolate or more savory dessert can round out the menu.

o   Consider serving bean-based dips like hummus and spicy black bean dip or olive and/or pepper-based dips like tapenade.

o   Offer non-alcoholic options such as sparkling water with cucumber and mint, low sugar sparkling fruit juice or tea infusion juices. Kombucha is a fun alternative as well.

o   Prepare what you can days in advance to avoid relying on processed foods. Chop your vegetables along with dinner prep one night and store them in the refrigerator. Make your dips a day or two in advance. Even cook one weekend prior to the party and freeze the dish. Make sure you choose one that stands up well in the freezer.

o   Look to ethnic foods for fun alternatives such as roasted chickpeas, mini-sushi rolls, beans and olive oil based sides, and smoked fish.

o   Incorporate chia seeds into desserts. Chia seed and almond milk with cinnamon make a tasty and unique textured alternative to traditional puddings.

Attending:

o   The tips for hosting can also be applied to attending. Your host might even appreciate the unique item you bring versus the typical potato chips and ranch dip.

o   Need recipe ideas? Try one of these…

• Buffalo chicken with feta sauce
  Black Bean Dip
  Quick Quinoa Meatballs
  Roasted Beet & Walnut Dip
  Potato, Celery Root, Pear Gratin
  Mushroom and Leek Stuffing
  Raw Chocolate Coconut Date Candy
  Upside Down Chocolate Fudge Tart

o   Don't cook? But dreading what to bring? Don't rely on the conventional. Use the opportunity to share the health alternatives you may be trying.

o   Below are substitution suggestions for typical holiday potluck items.

§  Pita chips vs. Ruffles

§  Hummus, pestos, bean or veggie dips vs. Ranch dip and processed cheese dips

§  Gourmet cheeses and tapenades vs. cheese logs

§  Prosciutto and asparagus spears vs. pigs in a blanket

§  Spicy baked chicken or mini meatballs vs. fried chicken tenders

§  Artesian bread vs. packaged yeast rolls

§  Chocolate dipped fruit vs. packaged cookies.

You have arrived at the party! How can you navigate the party in order to focus on socializing versus what you will eat?

• Move, move, move! Change your position at the party. Don't just sit in one spot. Mingle. Dance!
• Always have a glass of water in your hand. Take sips in between bites. Drink some water before you sip that eggnog, sugary beverage, or wine.
• Accept that you will have one or two full plates, a dessert and two drinks. Determine what your limit will be. Allow yourself to enjoy and indulge just in moderation. Going into a partying denying yourself all the fun sets you up for sabotage and it often leads to overeating later on once you have had a few drinks.
• Eat before you go. Having a light, fiber rich snack will help you choose more wisely at the buffet table. An hour before the party, enjoy an apple with peanut butter or a cup of lentil or minestrone soup. Try washing that down with a glass of milk for added satisfaction.

Remember, the party is about unwinding with friends, making new friends, and sharing good food without producing a lot of guilt. You can enjoy your traditional comfort foods and enjoy some new ones by incorporating a variety on your holiday plate. After all, you may have another party just around the corner!