Product Showcase: Candy Cane Green Tea from Trader Joe's

The holiday season gets me all excited for special things that are only available this time of year. Cozy sweaters, holiday decorations, Christmas music, the scent of cinnamon swirling in my apartment, and Burdick's hot chocolate (to name a few). But this year, I discovered a new favorite holiday obsession: decaffeinated Candy Cane Green Tea from Trader Joe's (which I just discovered is available on Amazon for those of you far from a TJ's!).

The topic of the health benefits of green tea is quite a controversial one. If you are interested in delving in to some of the research, this article summarizes a lot of the recent studies on the topic. Despite the enthusiasm over the tea's ability to fight cancer, lower cholesterol, and improve diabetes "real-world evidence is lacking; most of the consistent findings about green tea's health benefits have come out of the lab."

But don't let this dissuade you from warming up with a cup of Trader's Joe's holiday version. We do know that green tea is loaded with antioxidants. And THAT should come in handy as the holiday stress begins to mount. Call it fact or fiction, I can't deny that sipping on a cup of delicious tea does wonders for my mental health...not to mention the boost I may be getting from the antioxidant qualities of green tea.

Do you have any holiday favorites? I'd love to know about them!

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Holiday Treats

In the spirit of the holidays, I wanted to share with you two little "treats" I've recently discovered.

Treat #1

XO Jane: Check out this article "Suck It, Food Guilt Season." I had trouble choosing a favorite quote to share with you, but here's one to give you the flavor:

"You don't need to titter and say 'Well, maybe just a little bit more' when someone offers you something you want to eat. Nor do you need to apologize when you don't really want to eat any of Aunt Susan's sweet potato casserole because you can't stand marshmallows: it's totally fine to say 'I'm good, thanks.' "

Your food choices are yours to own. It's ok to eat foods you LOVE, it's ok to honor your hunger. But it's not ok to add a heaping plate full of guilt and shame to go along with it. Quite frankly, it just tastes bad.

Treat #2

Body Image Advent Calendar- 25 days to address 25 different body image topics via video. Nick and Sarah are tackling tough topics like: media, airbrushing, fat talk, plastic surgery, how to define beauty, etc. Enjoy!

Do you have any holiday treats to share?

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Mindfulness: The Art & Science of Changing Your Brain

What do you think about when you hear the word "mindfulness?" To be honest, I used to think "nope, not for me!". Breath in, breath out, follow my breath. Ugh! I honestly couldn't see the point and every time I tried it seemed like a miserable failure. 

And then I attended a workshop by the brilliant Dan Siegel, MD and also began reading one of his many books on mindfulness entitled "The Mindful Therapist." My mind has been forever changed now that I'm beginning to understand why mindfulness is so critical to our health. 

I'm going to give you a 3 part synopsis of how Dr. Siegel's work on mindfulness has changed my life:

1. Mindfulness can be defined as: awareness of the present experience with acceptance, no judgement

2. Our brain naturally goes a thousand miles a minute. That's what it is designed to do. When we practice bringing it to the present moment physiological and structural changes occur in our brains! Yes, the act of bringing our mind to the moment changes the very structure of our brain.

3. As this happens, there are PROFOUND consequences. I will name a few: we become more open, less rigid in our thinking, more creative and resilient, less anxious, able to act rather than to react.

Practicing mindfulness is tough stuff. But it's with the act of practicing, the act of drawing your mind to the quite present moment WITHOUT JUDGMENT that the magic happens.

Below is a story of one person's journey with a 30 min meditation. Enjoy.

Recently I went to a 30-minute guided mindfulness meditation session. The teacher spoke for about 5 minutes at the beginning of the session, suggesting ways we could approach quieting our minds for that half hour. She suggested relinquishing following the breath, which is a typical approach to mindfulness meditation.

Instead she referred to a passage she had recently stumbled upon in the Bhagavad Gita that suggested that the labor, or effort, was the goal of this meditation practice; that we should not expect results or a mindfulness “product.” She went on to give us other ideas to use as a focus: the deep red of fall leaves that correlates with the chakra of groundedness, or the fiery red that corresponds to passion for life and self-confidence. We could also focus on an image from nature, or the words “softer, softer, softer.”

Then she was quiet. The room was quiet. My mind was not quiet: “ ‘Effort,’ I like that idea, just keep putting in the work at all my endeavors, yes, effort, interesting.” Then I observed that I was “thinking.” “Thinking,” I told myself.

I tried to see the two colors of red and feel grounded and self-confident. My mind wandered to an image of a leaf I had seen earlier that day; it had startled me by being so loud just by turning onto another leaf after a puff of wind.

The room stayed quiet. My neck felt tired. I felt tired. I wondered if anyone would mind if I quietly lay down. I decided they would.

I remembered an image I like that I recently cut out from a magazine—a young woman, smiling, her arm draped around her painted self-portrait (with the help of Photoshop). My words for that image have been “Here I am; I am good.” I want to be her: solid; self-confident; with an inner self that she herself has created that goes with her throughout her day, unchanging, no matter the circumstances. I stayed with this image for a few minutes.

I continued to move from image to image, occasionally saying the words “softer, softer, softer.” These words were soothing.

Then the session was over. I walked home and Ms. Anxiety swept into me like a Nor’easter. At home I stared out my window at the crescent moon’s light.

No results? Perhaps what the meditation leader meant by the words “effort” and “labor” was “engagement”—that engaging with any activity, including mindfulness meditation, is accepting, not resisting the activity. I stared at the moon and thought, “I will continue this labor as best I can.”

Ha! I’ve just spent 2 hours playing Freecell on my computer. The images from last week’s meditation session have grown pale. Today was an anxious day and “engagement” seemed impossible. I know the labor takes practice (as in, it must take place). I am resisting.

But: Begin again. Loud leaf. Quiet night. Re-engage to groundedness and self-confidence. “Here I am; I am good.” Softer, softer, softer.

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Recipe: Eggs Poached in Marinara Sauce

Another reader passed along this tasty and super easy recipe and I had to share. Talk about a great week night speed meal. Plus the eggs are a stellar source of very affordable protein and the fat-soluble vitamins are a plus. Please don't fret about the cholesterol in eggs. Even the American Heart Association gives a thumbs up for 5 eggs a week, even if you have high cholesterol! So dish up and enjoy and warm, comforting, tasty, nutritious meal you can whip up in minutes.

Picture and  Recipe Source: New York Times

Eggs Poached in Marinara Sauce

1/2 cup marinara sauce, made with fresh or canned tomatoes

Pinch of cayenne (optional)

A couple of leaves of basil, slivered

1 to 2 eggs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 teaspoons freshly grated Parmesan

1 or 2 slices country bread, preferably whole-grain, toasted and rubbed with a cut clove of garlic

1. Bring the marinara sauce to a simmer in a small saucepan or an 8-inch omelet pan and turn the heat to low. Add the cayenne, if desired, and the slivered basil.

2. Break the egg or eggs into a teacup, and carefully tip them into the tomato sauce. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until the tops of the whites are set but the yellow yolk shows through. It’s important that the yolk be runny. Turn off the heat. Season the eggs with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle on the Parmesan.

3. Serve in a wide soup bowl, on top of the garlic toast or with the toast on the side.

Yield: 1 serving.

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Holiday Tips for Healthy Conversation

Semantics are important. The words we choose hold a great deal of meaning, whether we realize it or not. So I’d like to give you something to ponder during this holiday season. As you spend time with family and friends you may want to consider a few of the following tips. My hope is that they will keep you focused on the reason for the celebrating without the distractions of excessive concerns with weight, food, and body talk.

Tip #1
Try greeting your loved one with “it’s so great to see you!” rather than “you look so good!” A comment on appearance might seem benign but in many cases it isn’t. For example, if you have a family member whose weight tends to cycle, a comment when their weight is low may put a lot of stress, pressure, and anxiety for future visits when their weight may be higher. The goal is for family and friends to feel love and acceptance for WHO they are, not WHAT they look like. 

Tip #2
“Oh, I’m being so bad right now” is a comment that many of us have heard or even spoken. Comments about fat, calories, and “being bad” are nothing but an unhelpful distraction. And quite frankly, it’s obnoxious and may put a damper on the meal for others. Ironically, keeping the focus on enjoying the meal, tasting your food, and listening to your body’s hunger and fullness will improve your mental, physical, and emotional health. And you won’t annoy your loved ones, which is a huge bonus.

Tip #3
Keep your diet and weight loss goals for the New Year to yourself. Seriously, a holiday party isn’t the time for it. Enough said?

I hope you find these holiday tips useful. Do you have any conversation tips you’d like add to the list? If yes, please comment!

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Tips for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a wonderful yet stressful holiday for a lot of people. The entire day is centered around food. And if food is a source of stress and anxiety for you, that's a lot of pressure! I won't be providing you with a list of food do's and don'ts at your Thanksgiving meal. So if that's what you were hoping for, I do apologize. But I will provide you with some ideas to contemplate. If you are anxious about Thanksgiving, I'd encourage you to take a pen and  paper and journal about some of the questions below.

1. What gives Thanksgiving value and meaning for you?

2. What contributes to or detracts from the "specialness" of the holiday?

3. When it comes to food, what are you worried about specifically? Really give this some thought. What concerns you?

4. How would you like THIS Thanksgiving to be different from past Thanksgivings?

5. How would you like it to be the same?

6. List 3 specific factors that will make it hard for you to have a different experience?

7. How can you plan for those challenges? Can you do it on your own? Do you need support? Do you need a new/creative strategy?

8. What thoughts and beliefs do you have about eating on Thanksgiving? Where do those thoughts and beliefs come from? Are they really yours? Really listen to those thoughts. Do you believe them? How do those thoughts affect your feelings and actions?

9. When it comes to eating, food, and your body- what are you truly grateful for? What makes you feel good?

Thanksgiving, just like all eating experiences is highly individual. While eating is the central event in most homes on Thanksgiving, I hope your holiday is also filled with positive relationships, peace, and gratitude.

What tips have helped you have a positive food experience on Thanksgiving?

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Recipe: The Best Sweet Potatoes EVER

I truly LOVE Thanksgiving food. And sweet potatoes are at the top of my list of favorites. I tried these sweet potatoes two years ago and posted on my blog immediately. But it came to my attention that the link to the recipe is no longer active! So I felt the need to re-post. The recipe is so simple, so nutritious, and so yummy. Talk about comfort food. If you have any unique Thanksgiving recipes that you love, please share!

Note: This recipe was originally published at NYTimes.com.

Garlic-Scented Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Milk and Cilantro
Serves 4. Published November 1, 2002.

Shake the can of coconut milk before opening to combine the coconut cream with the
liquid beneath. Cutting the sweet potatoes into slices of even thickness is important in
getting them to cook at the same rate. A potato masher will yield slightly lumpy sweet
potatoes; a food mill will make a perfectly smooth puree. The potatoes are best served
immediately, but they can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and kept relatively hot for
30 minutes. This recipe can be doubled in a Dutch oven; the cooking time will need to be
doubled as well.

Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 small clove garlic , minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 2 large or 3 medium-small potatoes), peeled,
quartered lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices pinch ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves

Directions
1. Combine coconut milk, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, sugar, and sweet potatoes
in 3 to 4 quart saucepan; cook, covered, over low heat, stirring occasionally, until
potatoes fall apart when poked with fork, 35 to 45 minutes.

2. Off heat, mash sweet potatoes in saucepan with potato masher, or transfer mixture to hopper of food mill and process into warmed serving bowl. Stir in pepper and cilantro; serve immediately.

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Serving Size vs Portion Size : What's the Difference?

Alright, I'm about to get on my RD soap box here. I have a little pet peeve. Ok, sometimes it's a big pet peeve. Have you ever noticed that popular diet books, magazines, and well-intended news reporters get confused between serving sizes and portion sizes? Probably not. But I'm writing about it because it's important! And it all comes back to the difference between a rule-bound diet mentality and eating based on internal wisdom.

Serving Size: A standardized, measured amount of a food that may be determined by "typical" portion sizes from consumption surveys, convenience in measuring, nutrient content, and sizes from previous guides. This is what you see listed on a nutrition facts panel, diet plans, and the food guide pyramid.

Portion Size: The amount of food YOU decide to eat. 

Note: these two concepts are quite different. Since nutritional content of food values dramatically, it can SOMETIMES be helpful to have a sense of how much nutrition is contained in a product. You can read here in more detail if you're curious to know how to use nutrition information (like calorie counts) in a productive way.

However. no one on this planet is a better judge of how much food you need than YOU! Sometimes dieting and eating disorders disrupt a person's ability to determine how much food they need.If you have gotten used to someone else telling you how much to eat, it makes sense that you'll have to re-learn this skill.

So the next time Shape Magazine tells you to eat 14 almonds for an afternoon snack, you can say "I'll decide what portion size is right for me, thank you very much!" Then consider the following 4 factors:

1. How hungry am I?

2. When will I be eating again?

3. What nutritional qualities does this food possess? Carbs = quick fuel, Protein = fullness, Fats = Satiety and stick around the longest

4. What type of meal or snack balance do I need for my overall health?

Hopefully you can feel a little more confident knowing that you don't have to rely on any outside measurements or randomly determined serving sizes to determine how much food you can eat. If you listen, your own wisdom won't let you down!

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Recipe: Pecan Crusted Baked Salmon

A client was telling me about this fabulous salmon recipe that has been passed down to her from her Grandma. It sounded so scrumptious I had to share with you guys. I love salmon for it's deliciously fresh flavor. But I also love eating it, knowing all the omega-3s are doing great things for my brain, hair, and skin. Enjoy paired with roasted sweet potatoes. Yum.

Pecan Crusted Baked Salmon (serves four)

2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon margarine
4 teaspoons honey
1/4 c fresh bread crumbs
1/4 c finely chopped pecans (I crush them in a ziploc with a meat mallet)
4 (4-6oz) salmon fillets
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Mix mustard, margarine and honey in small bowl
3. Mix bread crumbs, pecans and parsley in a separate small bowl
4. Season salmon with salt and pepper if desired. Place on lightly greased baking sheet (we used PAM spray). Brush with mustard honey mixture. Pat crumb mixture on top.
5. Bake for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at thickest part, or until the salmon just flakes when tested with fork.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, ENJOY! YUM YUM

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Understanding Body Image: Part 1

When you read the words "body image" what does that mean to you? Body image is actually a pretty complicated topic. I google searched a definition and there were over 4 million results and quite the variety of definitions. For our conversation, I decided to select my favorite definition: 

A term that refers to a person's inner picture of his or her outward appearance. It has two components: perceptions of the appearance of one's body, and emotional responses to those perceptions.

There are multiple factors which influence your body image. And I've decided to create a series of blog posts dedicated to helping us better understand what creates our own body image. I will not make promises to change your body image (this may take a lot of work in therapy). But I can give you some tools and insight to get started with your body image work.

Body image issues are influenced and made made manifest in four areas: perception, cognition, affect, and behavior. The following four blog posts in this series will target each of these individually. Often, people believe that they can only feel better about the way they look once their physical appearance changes. I am here to tell you that it is possible for your body image to improve without any physical changes taking place.

I have worked with countless individuals who admit that the only time they felt slightly ok with their physical appearance (if at all) was when they were engaging in harmful eating and exercise patterns that became self-destructive and non-sustainable. My hope with this blog series on understanding body image is to help you empowered by realizing WE create our own body image. And I promise, the only lasting way to feel better about yourself is by treating your here and now body with love, kindness, and lots of self-care.

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