Confessions of a Former Sugar Addict

Note: This is a guest post by Dr. Stefanie Stevenson, our Nourish Integrative Physician.

Are you addicted to sugar? Do you believe sugar can be addicting in the same way as nicotine or cocaine? If you would have asked me these same two questions five years ago my answer would have been “no”. (But I would have also been eating my Starbucks scone, drinking a Diet Coke, and wondering why I didn’t feel well). I was reminded of this last night when I watched a new movie called Hungry for Change. I encourage you to click the link I’ve included here, where you can watch it for free until March 31st.

I am a doctor and I clearly learned in my training the devastating effects of smoking, drinking alcohol, and using illegal drugs, but nowhere along the way did I learn about the negative consequences of the typical American Diet. My med school classmates and I ate our pizza, drank our Diet Cokes, and gobbled down our massive muffins as we studied pathophysiology, not realizing we were doing to our liver exactly what we were studying – making it fat.

It is a strange disconnect that we have between our health and what we eat. I finally made this connection a few years ago after attending a conference on nutrition and health. It was hearing the information in an informative manner and not in a disapproving manner that let the message sink in – it was like a close friend pointing out that drinking Diet Coke and eating a Hershey’s chocolate bar was bad for me. The other huge difference that week was being fed tasty, healthy food for the five days that I was at the conference. I was amazed by how great I felt and I was anxious to live that way every day. I can honestly say I no longer wake up craving a pumpkin scone like I used to.

If you are ready to break your sugar addiction as well, our team at Nourish can help. The answer lies in getting good solid information and learning how to fill your daily diet with healthy, real food, to crowd out the desire for sugary treats. You can reach us at info@nourishyourself.com or 513-245-4224 to schedule a FREE consultation and get on the path to thriving well-being!

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In sickness and in health

It’s been a rough week in our house! Everyone except the 20-month-old has taken a turn with the flu. The real, honest-to-goodness flu that you try like heck to prevent with a flu shot and those sanitizing wipes for grocery carts and frequent hand washing. That flu. And let me tell you, it was not fun. Body aches, high fever, congestion, sore throat, ear pain, sinus pain, extreme fatigue, no appetite, and a hacking emphysema-like cough. Good times. We missed school. We missed work. We even missed fun appointments on our social calendar so we wouldn’t spread our germs around the city. It was one loooooong week.

Yet now, miraculously, we’re healthy again! We’re back to school and to work; we’ve changed the sheets and aired out the house, and we’re busily making up for lost time. It feels great to be back to normal.

All of this sickness has had one overwhelming effect (beyond the 6-pack abs I’m developing from all the coughing!). It has made me grateful. I’m so grateful that I spend 99% of my days feeling healthy. I feel so fortunate that I wake up in the morning excited about what the day holds and with the energy to take it on. I feel blessed that I can chase my three munchkins around and manage our household and my job and have something left to go out and have fun.

This week, I renewed my compassion for those people who don’t, both for the ones who are debilitated by undiscriminating illnesses like Cancer and Multiple Sclerosis and Cystic Fibrosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis and for those whose daily lifestyles rob them of the energy they so desperately need and deserve. I was reminded that it’s not just the ill person who is affected by his or her illness either; it’s the entire family. When one of us was confined to the couch, we all suffered. Being a caregiver is exhausting and limiting in its own right!

Overwhelmingly, I believe we all deserve to experience life with a sense of thriving well-being. It’s why I left my safe and predictable corporate job and ventured out into the uncharted waters of entrepreneurship. I believe that people, especially women, deserve to THRIVE despite the demands of their professional and personal lives. Everyone who works for Nourish believes that; it’s why we do what we do. I write this blog and speak and teach and coach to help as many people as I can live “in health” instead of “in sickness.” Some people have a longer and harder road than others to walk before they experience thriving well-being but there are steps that anyone can take to move closer to this desired state. Where are you living?

If you’re ready to live “in health,” we’d love to help you begin. Schedule a FREE consultation with a Nourish Coach today. Call 513-245-4224 or email us at info@nourishyourself.com.

 

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Arugula and Avocado Salad

I have such a thing for arugula. I just can’t get enough of all that peppery, bitter, green goodness! If you’re buying iceberg or romaine lettuce every week on autopilot, you’ll be amazed by the flavor in this green! I usually just toss plain arugula with lemon juice and a good fruity olive oil and top with a little shaved parmesan. It’s so simple but incredibly delicious! The salad below adds a few more goodies that make it even more interesting. But if you don’t care for carrots or onion in your salad, just leave them out! Salad recipes aren’t particularly scientific, so you can add or subtract based on what appeals to you. Just keep the arugula; trust me on that one.

 

Arugula and Avocado Salad

adapted from Martha Stewart’s Dinner at Home

serves 4

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 oz. baby arugula

1 or 2 carrots, cut into small matchstick pieces

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 ripe but firm avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced

1 oz. Parmesan cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler

 

Directions:

1. Combine 1 Tbsp. oil and pine nuts in a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat, tossing occasionally, until nuts are golden brown (watch these little guys – they have a tendency to go from golden brown to burned before you can sneeze!). This will take about 4 minutes. Remove from heat.  Let cool at least 10 minutes and transfer to a plate with a small spoon.

2. Pour remaining 2 Tbsp. oil into a small bowl and whisk in vinegar and lemon juice.

3. Place arugula in a salad bowl. Add carrot and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of dressing on top and then sprinkle with pine nuts. Toss gently to combine. You want the dressing to fully coat the arugula leaves so that every bite is flavorful!

4. Divide salad among four plates; top with avocado slices. Drizzle with remaining dressing, dividing evenly, and top with cheese shavings.

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