Category Archives: All blog posts

The Trouble with Safe Foods

When I was in college, if I would have ranked (by frequency) the foods that made their way into my mouth, bagels, Diet Snapple, yogurt covered pretzels, dry cereal, pasta, fat free frozen yogurt, and rice would have topped the list. These were my Safe Foods – the ones I was sure were the ticket to weight loss. I wasn’t actually losing any weight, but that didn’t seem to matter. I just kept eating the same things day after day thinking, I suppose, that one day the pounds would just start to drop off!

Looking back from my current vantage point, I can see how misguided that was, but at the time no one could have told me I was wrong. I’d constructed this security blanket of Safe Foods and was terrified to veer from it. Being asked to eat, say, a steak and a baked potato, was scary. Pizza? Terrifying.

This behavior of maintaining a mental list of Safe Foods is quite common, but it is fraught with issues.

1) The lists are often illogical – they include some junk foods (like frozen yogurt or Twizzlers) while omitting nutritional powerhouses (like avocado or nuts or oils) without good reason.

2) They’re trend-based instead of science-based. The diet trend of the year rules. In my day it was low fat (but anything with the word “yogurt” in it was deemed healthy as well!) Then it shifted to low carb, then NO carb, now gluten free. People seem to get stuck in any one of these phases and can’t get out.

3) They’re limiting! Safe Foods rob us of the chance to experiment, to sample, to dabble. In my view, eating should be a pleasure, not an exercise in vigilant self-deprivation.

Are you feeling constrained by a list of  foods that you turn to again and again? What would it take for you to open your mind to new possibilities and make selecting from a menu fun again? Does the idea exhilarate you or might it actually scare you?

To get started, perhaps you could try one of the recipes in this archives of this blog. Or contact one of our Nourish Health coaches – we’d love to help you rediscover the vast world of healthy foods out there for you to explore!

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Cranberry-Avocado Salsa

December means holiday parties galore, so this month I’m setting you up with a series of healthy hors d’oeuvres that you can proudly take to any soiree to be assured of rave reviews. No one will suspect they’re healthy – they’ll just know they’re delicious!

To kick things off, here’s an amazing interpretation of guacamole straight from the Grand Dame of Entertaining, Martha Stewart herself. While your initial reaction to avocado mixed with fresh cranberries may be skeptical, trust me on this one. Something terrific happens when that creamy avocado is paired with the tart, slightly crunchy cranberries and as a result, this dip is a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Better make a double batch.

 

Cranberry-Avocado Salsa

adapted from: Everyday Food

 

serves 6

 

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons honey

1 minced jalapeno

1/4 cup red onion, minced

2 ripe avocados, diced into 1/4″ pieces

3/4 cup halved fresh cranberries

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced

kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

tortilla chips or pita crisps (or make your own substituting whole wheat pita)

 

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey, jalapeno (remove seeds for less heat), and red onion.

2. Add diced avocados, cranberries, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently to combine.

3. Serve with tortilla chips or pita crisps.

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Have your healthiest December ever!

It’s almost here – the most challenging month of all when it comes to healthy living – December! Amid insanely busy schedules and countless holiday parties and all those cookies, scores of otherwise healthy women are throwing their hands up in surrender. It’s so easy to write off this month and allow yourself to abandon healthy habits you’ve worked all year to build. Don’t do it.

Instead, decide which rituals you’ll commit to maintaining throughout December. Choose the ones that make you feel terrific and when the going gets tough, remind yourself that keeping up with these practices is a TREAT to your deserving body and soul. You don’t have to do everything on the list below; just use it to help you decide – what will you do for yourself this December that will help you arrive at January 1st feeling one step ahead of the game?

 

Healthy December Habits:

– 7+ hours of sleep each night

– Breakfast

– Vitamins

– Water, and lots of it

– Fruits and/or vegetables at every meal

– Strength training (even more important than cardio!)

– Your skin care regimen (stress, alcohol and lack of sleep can wreak havoc on your skin!)

– Yoga or stretching

– Meditation or prayer time

– Breathing exercises (like the ones Dr. Stevenson recommended in last month’s newsletter)

– Phone time with a close friend or relative every day

– Herbal tea as an afternoon or evening relaxation ritual

What will you choose? Tell me in comments and hold yourself accountable…you’ll be so glad you did!

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