Walking the Talk

There’s a potential cost to blogging about healthy living. I thought about it before I started this blog and the fact that it exists still worries me just a teeny bit. What’s the cost? It’s simply this. Once you’ve put it out there….the dos and don’ts….the shoulds and shouldn’ts… People. Will. Watch. You.

People ask me what they should order for dinner, what I eat for breakfast, and where I shop for fish. They want to know how I make my oatmeal, what brand of salt I think is best, and whether or not they should shell out the money for organic milk. And if they don’t ask, they just observe! In the grocery store, at restaurants, at parties. Don’t get me wrong, I’m usually quite excited by these inquiries – they give me a chance to talk about my passion and who doesn’t love that?

It’s just that knowing that other people are watching can create some pressure to be….well…flawless! Sometimes I feel like I have to make the healthy choice all the time. And friends, that’s just no fun.

During the time I was nurturing the wisp of an idea that would eventually become Nourish, I had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Cincinnati (Boca, if you’re curious). I ordered something that sounded amazing from the menu along with a fantastic glass of wine and looked across the table at my husband. It struck me at that moment that I did not want to start a business or create a life that would ever preclude me from repeating this experience. I worried out loud that if I started a healthy living company, then I would not be able to have these happy moments of indulgence because people might judge me for them. My husband (smart guy, that husband of mine) put a stop to this quickly. We resolved that any philosophy I adopted within my public persona would be entirely consistent with the philosophy I already espoused in my private life. This decision would allow me always to walk the talk. We sealed the resolution with a toast and I breathed a sigh of relief. There would be more Boca evenings in my future. Whew.

So what is my philosophy? In a nutshell, I believe that if you are eating fresh, healthful, homemade food MOST of the time, then there is ample room for periodic indulgences at great restaurants or at family celebrations or around the kitchen counter of a girlfriend on a Friday night. I think if your child eats healthy lunches and nutritious snacks most of the time, they can have ice cream and potato chips and chocolate, too. (Not sure about Airheads, though. I’m on the fence on those.)

In my heart of hearts, I’m a foodie. I’m one who has learned that too much food or too many indulgences make me feel like garbage and make it difficult to fit into my jeans. And so I’ve discovered ways to feed my foodie self with healthy renditions of my favorite kinds of foods. But a foodie I remain. I try to get this across in my blog posts, my speaking engagements, and my coaching sessions – there is no perfect diet or lifestyle. There are no “good foods” and “bad foods.” You get to decide what is right for you, right in this moment.

So when you see me order the key lime pie or you spot me at my favorite pizza joint, don’t panic and look the other way. Come over and say hello – ask me what I had for breakfast or where you can buy wild caught salmon – or just grab a chair and ask me for a bite of my pie. (I believe in sharing, too.)

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Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes

It finally feels like winter (again) around here. After weeks of spring-like weather, we’re back to the right season. No snow falling gently from the sky to make it worth it either – just cold and wet and dreary conditions. Crock pot weather, if you ask me. Nothing like a big pot of something warm and cozy to make you feel better about the icky view out the window and the bad hair day that ensues. Unfortunately, while extremely convenient, most crock pot concoctions start with high-fat cuts of meat and too many cans of cream-of-something soup. Not this one! This vegetarian chili is hearty and delicious and healthy.

In your quest to save a few minutes in the morning, you may be tempted to skip the sautéing step but promise me you won’t give in to the temptation! Set the alarm for a few minutes earlier and get out that nonstick skillet! Taking the time to sauté the vegetables before adding them to the slow-cooker intensifies their flavor and is key to this recipe’s success. This is a pretty mild chili, not a fire-breathing-dragon variety, so it’s broadly appealing, even to vegetable-eating children (wink).

Stay warm!

 

Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Chili with Sweet Potatoes

adapted from realsimple.com

 

serves 4-6

 

Ingredients:

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon cumin

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

salt and pepper

1  28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1  15.5-ounce can black beans, rinsed

1  15.5-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

low-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt, sliced scallions, sliced radishes, and tortilla chips for serving

 

Directions:

1. In a large nonstick skillet saute onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, cocoa, and cinnamon, in 2 teaspoons of olive oil.

2. In a 4-to-6 quart slow cooker combine sauteed vegetables with the tomatoes (and their juices), beans, sweet potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 cup of water.

3. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, until sweet potatoes are tender and the chili has thickened.

4. Serve the chili with sour cream or Greek yogurt, scallions, radishes, and tortilla chips.

Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

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Oh yes you can…

I’ll let you in on a secret. Sometimes, the things you think aren’t possible, actually are. Sometimes, suspending your disbelief so that you can focus yourself on doing instead of on disbelieving is what it takes to achieve a breakthrough. Sometimes, you need to believe in magic, or luck, or miracles, to live really really big.

I’ve been reminded of this twice since the first of the year. (Perhaps God is trying to tell me something.)

The first was in my New Year’s Day yoga class. I was there, doing my personal best (or so I thought) when I noticed something amazing happening on the mat behind me. The woman there appeared to be floating from pose to pose effortlessly. It was as if her feet didn’t even need to touch the floor. This was not a cupcake class. It was challenging, and long (2 hours) and hot (95 degrees). Yet this woman was unaffected, possibly even uplifted by it all. I later learned that her name is Tonya Butler, and she is an experienced yogi as well as a yoga instructor. As such, she has some videos on YouTube. I was so glad to learn this so I could show my husband the feats of strength and grace I’d witnessed. The odd thing is that I was not envious of her. I didn’t feel worse about myself. I was simply inspired that not only was this level of yoga possible, but also that it was transpiring right next to me! Here is one of the videos. I mean, really. Just amazing.

The second reminder? You’d better sit down for this one. You are probably familiar with a marathon – a 26.2 mile running race. This can take anywhere from 2 hours to 5 or more depending on your speed and is quite a feat of endurance.

An Ironman is a marathon PLUS a 2.4 mile swim and a 112 mile bike ride – all back to back in one event. The winners finish these races in 8 to 9 hours and all competitors must finish within 17. SEVENTEEN HOURS. Of EXERCISE. In a ROW.

But get this. This year, a new event emerged. Epicman. Epicman is THREE TIMES THAT DISTANCE. (7.2 mile swim – 336 mile bike – 78.6 mile run.) It sounds impossible, right? Yet, apparently it’s not. The winner (on January 1st, coincidentally the same day I was watching Tonya Butler on her yoga mat) finished in 48 hours and 30 minutes. It was a woman. Her name is Kellie Smirnoff. And…wait for it…I used to run with her in the late ’90s when I lived in Atlanta! You cannot make this stuff up. Kellie and I have a mutual friend who brought us together and I can tell you she was a great runner back then, too. But in the years since, she’s become a competitive ultra-marathoner, and now THIS. Go back and re-read those distances. Does it sound possible? Not to me! But it IS.

These two glimpses of the impossible being made possible have me wondering. Where am I holding back? What could I do – physically or otherwise – if I suspended my disbelief and just gave it my all? What could YOU do? Maybe, just maybe, this is the year to find out.

 

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