You may or may not have noticed, but I derailed a little bit in April. I had some other stuff going on (namely, finishing up my e-book that is now being edited and formatted), so I took a little blogging break, and in the process, totally neglected my Eating Intentionally series.
But I’m back now. So here we go.
I’m just going to totally skip principle #4 (Challenge the Food Police) because it kind of echoes a lot of the aspects of principle #3 (Make Peace with Food), and I feel like continuing in that vein will only result in beating a dead horse.
So onward and forward to Principle #5, which is: Respect Your Fullness.Ah, now, here we get to the good stuff.
I have read in many different places about how the French people (any actual French people out there who can attest to the accuracy of this analysis, please feel free to pipe up!) eat foods that we would often consider “bad for you” or “fattening”, but they’re typically quite skinny, and fairly healthy as a society. Many people speculate that one reason is because the French eat very slowly, enjoying their food; and they rarely eat seconds.
I think this is where we as Americans struggle the most. Besides the obvious fact that the average American eats a lot of junk, one big cause of our obesity issues is that we simply eat too much. Food looks appetizing, so we indulge. And we take another helping, because wow, that was some good stuff! We go to buffets and have to sample every single option offered.
In short, we are trapped in our abundance. Even people on limited budgets, like myself, have a wide array of enticing desirable food options, and our eyes are bigger than our stomachs.
So the secret is to gain a little discipline: learn to stop eating when the stomach is full. I have seriously been concentrating on this recently. So far, I haven’t seen an improvement on the scale yet, but I have definitely learned that I don’t need to eat as much as I’m accustomed to eating.
How does this work practically? Here are a few tips:
Start with small servings. Chances are, if you put it on your plate, you will eat it. This is why the oft-repeated advice to use a smaller plate is so effective.
Eat slowly. Use all the tricks: put your fork down between bites, take a sip between bites, converse with your fellow diners, etc. (Note: this is where it comes in really hand to have mastered the principle of Honoring Your Hunger. If you are starving when you eat, it will be difficult to eat slowly, and you will inevitably end up over-eating.)
Pay attention to the taste and texture of the food as you eat (more on this in principle #6).
After eating a portion of your food, ask yourself, “Am I starting to feel full? Am I still hungry?”
When you’re finished your meal, note how you feel: stuffed? comfortable? satiated? Learn to identify the feeling of satiated – no longer hungry, but not stuffed or “full” either.
Some friends and I have noticed a growing trend in the whole foods world that we find disconcerting, and we decided to join forces to counter-act it! We believe that it’s important to eat healthy food… but that it’s not everything. Each of us is sharing our thoughts on this subject today; you’ll find links to my friend’s posts at the end of this article.
True story: the first really bad argument my DH and I ever had was actually before we were married, and involved a quite heated discussion over the merits of… get this… whole wheat versus white bread. Yup. You can guess who was on which side.
Our second really bad argument was over the music we wanted at our wedding. Actually, to be specific, it was about the music for the prelude in our wedding – you know, the part of the wedding where neither one of us would be present and therefore would not even hear the music being played? Yeah. We had some silly arguments.
The second one I let him win because, I guess, common sense (and true love, of course) prevailed. After all, what was the point of arguing about music that we wouldn’t even hear? But the first argument continued to drag on intermittently over our brief engagement (I’m serious!) until we finally reached a compromise: I would learn how to make a good white bread from scratch. I figured that was better than buying the nasty store-bought fluff that passes as bread these days.
That particular argument, though, was only the harbinger of things to come. Around the same time, I read “The Maker’s Diet” by Jordan Rubin, and I realized that everything I thought I knew about healthy food was all wrong. Or at least only partially right. Already having a distinct bent toward all things natural and healthy, this book only intensified my desire to feed my family nourishing foods. On top of which, the author, Jordan Rubin, said that he cured his colitis by eating a diet such as the one he recommends. Since my husband happens to have colitis, I threw all my efforts into over-hauling our diet so that maybe – just maybe – he could be cured of his colitis, too.
Um. Well. That didn’t work out quite so well as I thought it would.
It turns out that my husband was quite pleased with his diet the way it was and had absolutely no desire to change it, even if it would, on the off chance, improve or eliminate his colitis. By this time fully entrenched in the whole foods movement, I set out to change his mind, by sheer force if necessary. I tried my hand at wheedling. At nagging. At expounding on the benefits of whole grains and cultured dairy. At surreptitiously sneaking healthy foods into his diet. At guilt and even occasional manipulation. None of it worked. Surprisingly, it only made him mad.
I couldn’t believe it! Why was he mad at me? I was only trying to help, after all! In my mind, he should have fallen gratefully at my feet, thankful that his wife cared enough about him to serve him only the healthiest and very best food.
It took me longer than I care to admit, but finally I came to the realization that I could not – and should not – try to change my husband. Our relationship became a lot more peaceful when I stopped trying so hard to turn him into what I thought he should be, and simply accepted him the way he was (junk-food-loving fiend that he is!).
When we’re passionate about something – like good health and nutritious food – it’s easy for those passions to override our common sense, and even our love for those closest to us. Over the past few years, I’ve learned that relationships are far more important than food, and that the value of a relationship far exceeds the nutritional value of the food I eat.
Let me say that again:
Relationships are far more important than food,
and the value of a relationship far exceeds the nutritional value of the food I eat.
Simply put: food is not worth arguing about with the people I love. The preservation of the relationships I treasure is of more importance to me than the food I – or anyone else – eats. In practical terms, this means:
I don’t offer my opinion on food and health unless somebody asks for it. (This blog is the exception. This is where I come to spout off my opinion!)
I eat where everybody else wants to eat, even if that means a fast food restaurant.
I don’t ask about the ingredients or method of preparation of food when I eat at someone else’s house. (Exception: if my children are eating food someone else has prepared. They have food allergies, so it’s essential that I get nosy about the food someone wants to give them. If you have any kind of dietary concerns, you understand what I mean.)
I don’t refuse food given to me simply based on the grounds of its nutritional value (or lack there0f).
If the situation warrants (like a pot luck dinner, or a casual dinner), I bring a healthy dish to share, but I still eat the other food that is offered.
I occasionally buy special (and not particularly healthy) treats that my DH and children enjoy.
My DH and I have both grown since those early days of our marriage. I backed off on forcing him to change, and instead began to introduce small changes to our diet as he was receptive to them. He, in turn, relaxed and became more and more willing to try new and healthier foods. We’ve been married 6 years now, and our diet at home is at least 80% whole foods, and both of us are happy. He still gets to eat things like hot dogs and marshmallows sometimes, and I’ve completely given up on trying to get him to eat homemade yogurt, so he still eats sugar-laden store-bought stuff. But he’s also learned to enjoy healthier foods, too, like whole grain pasta… and even whole wheat bread! Yes, that argument has finally been put to rest.
And I’m happy to report that at his last check-up, his colon was completely free of inflammation! I can’t claim the credit for that; God is the one Who heals – or not – as He chooses. I also can’t forget that the condition could flare up any time, regardless of what he eats. But for now, we are both grateful that God created so many healthy and nourishing foods that are also delicious and enjoyable to eat!
Does your significant other balk at healthy food? How do you handle it?
Read the rest of The Real Truth About Real Food posts:
Please welcome regular contributor Nancy of Real Food Allergy Free once again! Today, she is giving us some great tips for living without a microwave.
My brother recently called me a hippie. I had to laugh, because I am not a hippie! But when I say things like “We don’t have a microwave” I certainly see how it could look that way.
Last fall our microwave started sparking and smoking, and the interior of the microwave had burnt spots. That was the end of our convenient friend. My sweet husband was ready to run out the door to buy a replacement, until I told him I wanted to try to live without one. Money was tight so we agreed to see how long we could go before replacing it.
I’ve never understood how a microwave works. It looks like magic to me! Smart people tell me it radiates our food and changes the composition of the food. That doesn’t sound good to me. You can read Microwave Ovens: The Proven Dangers and The Hidden Hazards of Microwaves for more information.
Now, to be fair, there are plenty of articles written by smart people who say microwaves are absolutely safe. I am no scientist. I don’t know exactly how safe or unsafe microwaves are. My gut tells me to be skeptical of them, but if our microwave hadn’t died on its own, we would still be using one.
When our microwave was working, I told myself we hardly use it; I only use it to heat a mug full of water for my hot tea. The reality is we used it quite often. To me it’s kind of like sugary cereal. Eating an occasional bowl of processed cereal is not going to hurt anybody, but eating it every day is not good for you. If I have sugary cereal in the house, we eat it! It’s too easy to pour a bowl for breakfast, snack or dessert. It’s the same with a microwave. If it’s in the house, we’ll use it out of convenience.
In fact, we used it so much that after four months without a microwave, my husband and kids still look me straight in the eye and say they can’t heat something up because we don’t have a microwave.
My family may miss the microwave, but honestly, I have missed my microwave very little. Yes, it takes a little longer to heat something up on the stove or in the oven, but it really is just a little while longer.
I have found the only real downside of giving up a microwave is having more dishes to wash. We typically store our leftovers in food storage containers. In the past, when someone wanted something to eat, they would scoop out an individual portion, put it on their plate and then heat the plate in the microwave. Without a microwave you have to scoop it into a pan and heat it up on the stove top or the oven. This could mean dirtying up several pots and pans at each meal.
If you decide to try life without a microwave here are some tips for you:
1. Plan ahead
It would be ideal if we all had a menu plan that we actually followed. Every evening we would check the menu plan and defrost what we needed for the next day in the refrigerator.
2. Defrost with cold water
Since we live in a real world there will be times when we have forgotten to defrost the meat. My favorite trick is to submerge the meat into cold water. More smart people tell me it’s not safe to use hot water. Don’t tell, but I’ve done that too!
3. Buy a toaster oven
Many people who don’t own microwaves swear by a good toaster oven. They say it reheats things like pizza in a jiffy and is more energy efficient than a regular oven.
4. Add water to stove top cooking
When you are reheating leftovers on the stovetop, add a little bit of water so your food doesn’t dry out.
How about you? Do you have a microwave? What are your tips for living without a microwave?
Nancy is a home-schooling mom of four beautiful children. Her youngest suffers with severe eczema. Part of her treatment plan is to avoid the top 8 allergens (dairy, egg, wheat, soy, tree nut, peanut, fish and shellfish). Nancy is passionate about the real food movement, but is also a real mom with a limited amount of time and money. Her blog, Real Food, Allergy Free, features fast, frugal and (mostly) healthy allergy-friendly recipes that even “normal” people would enjoy.
OK, so the boys can go away now because I have a funny story that involves girly stuff, and you definitely don’t want to read it. This is girlfriend-to-girlfriend talk here. So buh-bye, boys!
Ok. Are they gone? **peering into all the hiding places**
All righty, coast is clear (I hope.) Here we go…
I have a funny story to tell you girls. Recently, my DH and I had this conversation:
DH: “I think Aunt Flo is going to arrive either tomorrow or the next day.”
Me: “Nah. Too soon.”
Fast forward to the next day.
Me: “You were right.”
DH: *beams with pride*
Yes, I had to say those dreaded words: “you were right, and I was wrong.” You know how he knew? My mood! It was apparently a total give-away, having that PMS-y edge to it that (thankfully) appears only during certain times of the month.
So now I’m on a mission to see if I can reduce those tell-tale signs of Aunt Flo’s imminent visit by making a few changes. I’ve done a little research (not extensive, mind you! I’m not a scientist by any means) online and identified 5 different habits that should make a significant improvement in PMS symptoms. (Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor and this is not medical advice. Just friendly suggestions from a fellow sufferer.)
Just in case I’m not the only one with the problem (ahem), I’m sharing those 5 habits with you.
Drink Water
Bloating is always an issue for me, and I know it is for many other women as well. The solution is counter-intuitive: drink more water! This is something I really stink at, so I’m making a concerted effort recently to drink more than I usually do. I also don’t believe it’s essential to drink a specific amount every day; I believe my body will tell me when it’s thirsty, I just need to heed the signs.
Reduce Stress
Stress just deteriorates your health all together: it affects mind, body and spirit. Women are particularly prone to allowing life to stress them out, which is why I asked my friend Leigh Ann to contribute her amazing article about emotional and spiritual health to this series.
Stress is particularly bad for PMS symptoms, because it depletes the “feel-good” hormones (serotonin and dopamine) that help prevent PMS in the first place. So if you’re on an endless cycle of stress, you’re going to be on an endless cycle of PMS moodiness. Reducing stress is easier said than done, though, isn’t it?! Here are some ideas for restoring balance to your mood on a regular basis:
Pray and Meditate on Scripture
Be Grateful (Get specific! List in a journal specific people and things that you are grateful for.)
Get pro-active about reducing stress – exercising on a regular basis will help your body keep up production of those afore-mentioned “feel-good” hormones. Hate exercise? Don’t think you can squeeze it into your already jam-packed day? Check out my list of ideas for sneaking in exercise.
Probiotics
Controlling PMS is mostly about hormone regulation. Too much estrogen and not enough progesterone are a primary cause of the majority of PMS symptoms. This excellent article about PMS suggests that too little beneficial bacteria in the gut reduces the body’s ability to eliminate excess estrogen. The best way to solve this problem is to take probiotic supplements and eat a diet rich in probiotics.
*Note: Cultures for Health is a great source for all kinds of starters to make your own cultured probiotic-rich foods at home. They always have a great sale going, so sign up for their emails to keep abreast of the good deals.
Eat Right
Of course, you know I would say that, right? What you put into your body directly affects how it behaves, so make sure you’re filling it with the good stuff. Naturally, not only will eating right help ease your PMS symptoms, it will improve your over-all health.
What does “eating right” really mean, anyway? Seems like everybody has a different idea of that these days. When it comes to PMS health, here are some basic guidelines.
We women have been on quite the roller-coaster relationship with the sun, haven’t we? Way back when (I’m talking turn of the twentieth century), the well-bred woman was supposed to have a demure look, which was as pale as could be. Contrast that with the hard-working lower classes who spent a lot of time in the sun and sported a hearty tan. Fast forward a few decades, and it became popular to get as dark as possible, so women learned all kinds of tricks to attract the sun’s rays to their skin, and spent hours burning in the sun. Then we realized how terrible that was for us when the incidence of skin cancer started to rise, so we went to the opposite extreme and started wearing sunscreen every time we stepped out the door.
Like most things in life, I think the true answer lies somewhere in the middle between either extreme. Too much sun is bad for you. So is too little.
Case in point: the current “epidemic” of Vitamin D deficiency. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the occurrence of vitamin D deficiency increased along with the increased use of sunscreens and higher SPFs. What does vitamin D have to do with the sun and sunscreen?
Everything.
Our main source of vitamin D is from the sun! The above referenced article states that 50-90% of usable vitamin D comes from exposure to the sun, and the remaining amount is procured from the diet. (Very few foods have any amount of vitamin D at all, and those that do, don’t have a lot of it.)
Why is vitamin D so important? It seems like every new scientific study reveals a new purpose that vitamin D fills in the body, preventing all kinds of diseases and conditions. Many of these are of particular interest to women. For example:
Vitamin D helps the body make use of calcium, which strengthens the bones and helps prevent breaks and falls.
It reduces the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in women.
It has been linked to maintaining a healthy body weight.
People with higher levels of vitamin D have a lower risk of developing cancer (including breast cancer).
There are a lot more benefits to having sufficient vitamin D, but those are the ones that concern women in particular.
Let’s put these two thoughts together, then: we need vitamin D for good health, and our main source of vitamin D is from the sun. One might conclude from those two facts alone that the answer is to go sit outside all day in the sun and soak up as much vitamin D as you can!
Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. First of all, as far as I can understand, any excess vitamin D garnered after 15-20 minutes in the sun is degraded. Furthermore, too much exposure to the sun has definitely been linked to an increase in skin cancers. The sun is powerful and shouldn’t be underestimated!
So what’s the conclusion? This:
Enjoy 15-20 minutes in the sun several times a week, making sure to expose as much of your face, arms, and hands as you can. After that, go back inside or cover your skin with clothing and wear a hat.
One article I read suggested that the UV index of 3 or higher was optimal for the highest levels of vitamin D. Weather.com usually indicates the UV index in each day’s forecast.
Personally, if I’m going outside before or after the sun is at its peak (before 11 or after 3), I don’t worry about any exposure I may get. But if I go outside when the sun is really strong and hot, I try to stay in the shade or cover up somehow to limit my exposure.
with a delicious-looking smoothie recipe… plus information about how maca increases a women’s wellness!
Maca is a tuber root (similar to potato) grown high in the mountains of Peru. Though it’s been used medicinally in Peru for thousands of years, it’s just recently gaining popularity in the US. Since its Women’s Wellness Month here at Quick and Easy, Cheap and Healthy, we will focus on how maca root benefits women.
Maca root is a super-food that is packedfull of nutritious goodness. It’s loaded with over 60 micronutrients, 18 amino acids and 20 fatty acids. Maca is 40% potassium, 10% calcium and contains vitamins A, B, C, D, E, B12, B1, 2, 3, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, silica and zinc.
It is believed that maca is most beneficial because of its effect on the endocrine system. Maca is an endocrine modulator and the
endocrine system includes all of the body’s glands and the hormones they secrete. Hormones regulate many, many things including tissue function, mood, growth and sexual development.
Here are some of the ways maca can help women:
Sometimes called Peruvian ginseng, maca increases energy and provides mental clarity.
Maca helps to regulates hormones which can alleviate PMS and perimenopause symptoms.
Leveled hormones lead to less mood swings and better emotional health.
Also called nature’s Viagara, maca is known as an aphrodisiac, increasing libido.
Maca has a very strong smell and taste. It is somewhat malt like, so I find a chocolate based smoothie is the best way to get it down. This Maca Mocha Smoothie is my favorite.
Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Add sweetener if necessary.
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Nancy is a God fearing, family loving, and homeschooling mom to four. You can find her at www.RealFoodAllergyFree.comwhere she shares her family’s favorite recipes and money saving deals for foods that are free of the top 8 common food allergens (egg, dairy, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, peanut, tree nut).
Don’t miss a single exciting post in my Women’s Wellness Series – subscribe today! We’re talking about all aspects of women’s health, plus I’ve got a great giveaway and some guest posts lined up for you! Follow my Women’s Wellness board on Pinterest for even more great articles and product recommendations.
One cannot speak of wellness without consider emotional and spiritual health. After all, we are not just a body – we are a spirit and a soul, too! And the three work together, inseparable. I am so honored that Leigh Ann of Intentional By Grace is sharing with us about spiritual and emotional wellness today. You will definitely enjoy her post!
The beds lay unmade for the fifth day in a row. Laundry piles atop the kitchen table waiting to be folded. Men’s work shirts call from the corner chair begging to be ironed. The work sits by the computer waiting to be finished. The checkbook lies open on the counter with the rent check still in place. It should have been mailed yesterday. A lot of things should have been finished yesterday, and yet today is almost gone.
Sometimes, things are just hard.
Sometimes, everything around me just feels out of place and chaotic.
Sometimes, I just wish I could crawl into a closet, plug my ears, and sing Jesus Loves Me until the cows come home.
Recently, the hard days have far outweighed the easy days. The days filled with tears take first place in my mind while the days filled with laughter feel like a distant memory.
Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5b
In my own strength, I am failing. In my own strength, I fail to believe God’s promises, and I fail to rest beneath His wings.
Sure, I am in His eternal rest, Heaven, because of the blood of Christ, but I am not able to experience His earthly, spiritual rest that He has offered me because I’m working out of my own strength.
For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:10
Canaan was the earthly rest that was offered to the people of God in the Old Testament. Unfortunately, an entire generation did not get to experience it because they hardened their hearts, even after going through Egypt, the Red Sea, and Sinai! They rebelled against God. They tested God. They failed to believe Him, and as a result, they perished in the wilderness and were prohibited from entering God’s rest.
What’s sadder than this Old Testament story is how many of us come right up to the edge of entering into freedom and fullness and fruitfulness in Christ, and then our hearts are hardened. We look at giants. We look at our circumstances. We quiver in fear, and we say, “We’re not going forward. We’re not believing God.”
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. Hebrews 3:12
As a wife and a mom, I have found the days are hard sometimes, and more often than not, I fail to believe that God is capable of providing me with the much needed rest that I long for. But, I must put off unbelief. Instead, I need the shield of faith, faith that holds firm to Jesus Christ all the way to the finish line. I cannot accomplish my goals on my own accord, with my own plans, with my own ideas of success. I must instead say that Jesus Christ is enough. My greatest need has been met, and because of this, God has promised me a present rest, a life of freedom and fullness and fruitfulness in Christ.
The life of rest is a life of faith, faith in Christ and Christ alone. We will not experience rest here in this life – the peace, the abundance, the freedom, the fullness, the fruitfulness –as long as we are striving in our own effort to be who God wants us to be. It has to be Him at work in us for us to experience peace that surpasses all understanding.
So I must ask you. Are you resting in the peace that God has offered you today, or are you striving to accomplish all of your work in your own strength? My friends, Christ longs to carry the burden for you. It’s hard enough being you without carrying that which was never meant for you to carry.
For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? Psalm 18:30
Leigh Ann’s life goal is to create a home where it is impossible to not think about God. At Intentional By Grace, she blogs about her journey of intentional living in order to make this goal a reality.
She is the wife of three years to the man of her prayers, Mark, and mama to a loveable little boy, Samuel. She takes joy in spending her days creating memorable moments with her husband, conducting kitchen experiments, researching every natural alternative known to man, and making her little boy laugh. She does it all by the grace of God.
Don’t miss a single exciting post in my Women’s Wellness Series – subscribe today! We’re talking about all aspects of women’s health, plus I’ve got a great giveaway and some guest posts lined up for you! Follow my Women’s Wellness board on Pinterest for even more great articles and product recommendations.
I just finished reading a fascinating book called “The Good Fat Cookbook“. It’s not what you might think, especially if you subscribe to contemporary thought that designates polyunsaturated fats as good and saturated fats as evil incarnate. The back of the book will give you a clue, though, as it lists the Good and Bad fats under consideration. On the list of good fats: butter, coconut, red meat, eggs, bacon, milk, and ice cream. Surprised? How about the bad fats?Canola oil, reduced-fat anything, soy, vegetable oil, and more. Doubly surprised?
If you were even mildly surprised by that good and bad listing, you should read this book! Before diving into some delicious and awesome healthy-fat-filled recipes, author Fran McCullough takes you through the history and science regarding all the various kinds of dietary fats, and explains all the ramifications they have on our health. And even though I’ve been a full-fat enthusiast for years, I learned a lot in this book, so I can recommend it for seasoned whole foodies, too.
Enter my giveaway for Fran McCullough’s #1 recommended fat: Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil. You can win one whole GALLON of this fantastic, healthy oil, that you can use in all your cooking and baking.
Here are some quotes from the book:
In 1875, Americans ate 30 pounds of butter per year. … In 2002, Americans have dropped their fat consumption by 17 percent since 1977. The obesity rate has increased by 25%. Americans now eat 5 lbs of butter, 11-12 lbs of margarine, per person a year. Since 1952, trans fat consumption has risen 2500%. We still eat the same amount of food we ate in 1900, but we eat 127% more sweeteners….
According to Dr. Ron Rosedale of the Colorado Center for Metabolic Medicine, fat is the body’s preferred fuel, not sugar (in all carbohydrates). He points out that when the body stores excess sugar, it’s stored as fat, in a good usable form. Fats not only don’t make you fat (unless you eat them to huge excess – and even then, only if you also ingest enough sugars and starches to stimulate your fat-storage system), they’re good weapons against obesity.
We know… that by and large the food we’re eating in the early twenty-first century is not making us flourish. There are exceptions, of course: the Japanese and French, who happen to be the most and the second most healthy people in the world. Both these groups eat quite a different menu from the standard American one, and both their diets are full of good fats (fatty fish and eggs for the Japanese, butter, cheese, duck fat, olive oil, and an occasional treat of foie gras for the French). Right behind these two exemplary groups of healthy populations are the Mediterraneans, whose famous diet, rich in monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, is especially tasty. … It seems that every geographical area supplies essential fats for its population in a natural, accessible form. Among the Greenland Eskimos, traditionally there were no reliable supplies of vegetables and fruits, but fatty fish and seaweed provided them a completely healthy diet, perhaps the healthiest of all. In the Pacific islands, there’s fish and coconut – that miraculous substance. In Mexico, there are avocados and fish and lard. In Russia, caviar is a traditional miracle cure, prescribed for pregnant and nursing women and anyone whose health needs a boost. Even in the Ireland of the great famine, there were fish and seaweed and wild purslane for the taking. Only in America, where we insist on having it all, do we have very little of these valuable foods, mainly because we’ve taken them out of our food supply in the misguided notion that our health will improve as a result.
The food industry and healthy food police, those talking-head health experts with their extensive media exposure, have promoted polyunsaturated fats mercilessly, which is why all of us think they’re so good for us. These fats do reduce cholesterol in the blood, but they have a disastrous downside: they increase it in the tissues, which is where it really matters. They are deposited in the vascular membranes, and because they’re unstable, cholesterol has to come and pave them over to stabilize them. That’s the way, current thinking goes, we get vascular blockage that can lead to a heart attack. but, in fact, only polyunsaturated fats oxodize cholesterol; saturated fat, from animal sources, won’t oxidize that cholesterol, which is what makes it dangerous and likely to trigger cardiovascular incidents and strokes. … And for strokes too, according to Dr. Mary Enig, polyunsaturated fats are initiators, while saturated fats are protective.
I could offer you a lot more quotes from the book, but really, you should read it yourself. Some of the topics McCullough covers:
how the cholesterol-heart disease connection came about, and how it is faulty
how the different types of fat work in your body
why the government and media make recommendations that have been scientifically proven to be faulty
good sources of good fats
what are the best fats for your budget
why polyunsaturated oils are so terrible for your body
free radicals, oxidation, and antioxidants
There are some things I noticed in the book that you should be aware of. For one, I find the author to be occasionally confusing, and seems to contradict herself at times. Also, while she is well-researched regarding fats in the diet, she misses the mark on some of her other recommendations (for example, she offers Splenda as a good substitute for sugars in the dessert section of the cookbook). Also, be aware that the book was written 10 years ago, so some of the information is outdated.
Over all, though, I highly recommend reading this book, whether or not you are well versed in the sad history of fat in America. You will find it fascinating and thought-provoking if nothing else. And besides, she’s got some great recipes in the back of the book, like Lemon Posset, and Cuban Roast Pork with Lime.
Since my topic is Women’s Wellness, though, I want to focus for a second on the connection between fats and hormones, which she mentions in the book. Here’s a quote:
What we have deprived ourselves of – the delicious, satisfying good fats of traditional diets all around the world – are also startlingly health-protective and offer many other desirable benefits, such as good skin, great hair, a good sex life, fertility, a vital immune system, enough vitamin E for your heart, optimum hormone production and antiaging properties. (This sounds like a headline list for a woman’s magazine! Only you won’t find these things in bottles or pills, you’ll find them in fat! ~ AS) Your hormones, which control every cell in your body, don’t work properly without adequate fat, and neither does your immune system.
Clearly, our bodies require fats, and not just in small amounts, either. It’s a commonly accepted fact that fat is one of the three macronutrients – foods our bodies need in large amounts in order to survive and thrive. Many people try to reduce either carbs or fats, but the simple truth is we need both.
While the media continues to draw the opposite conclusion, it seems to me that all the evidence points to this: fats are essential to health, especially to a woman’s reproductive health. The only kind of fat proven to be detrimental to reproductive health is trans fats, and we all already knew those were evil. But basic biology and nutrition show us clearly that we need to have an adequate amount of fat in our diet in order for all our body’s systems to run smoothly.
Women, in particular, struggle with this because of our body shape and image. We want to look skinny, so we follow the contemporary advice that instructs us to eat less fat so we have less fat. The problem is that this advice is flawed on so many levels. First of all, women aren’t meant to be super thin. We’ve all heard of the gymnasts and ballerinas with amenorrhea (absence of menstruation) because they don’t have enough body fat and exercise too much, but we don’t stop to consider that the same thing could be happening to us, just not on as extreme of a level. Maybe we don’t want to look like a gymnast, but we still starve ourselves or work ourselves to the bone trying to get rid of something that’s supposed to be there. (Now, of course, there’s the opposite extreme. Obesity doesn’t help your reproductive system – or any system in your body for that matter – either. I’m talking about a healthy weight here!). Secondly, fat doesn’t make you fat!
So what fats should you eat? McCullough’s “Good” list pretty much sums it up:
Butter
Nuts
Coconut
Olive Oil
Fish
Avocado
Red Meat
Eggs
Bacon
Milk & Full-Fat Dairy
So go clean the low-fat, fat-free fake food out of your fridge, and enjoy some real, God-given fat-full food!
Enter my giveaway for Fran McCullough’s #1 recommended fat: Tropical Traditions Virgin Coconut Oil. You can win one whole GALLON of this fantastic, healthy oil, that you can use in all your cooking and baking.
Welcome back to Women’s Wellness, a series all about wellness issues that particularly concern women (if you couldn’t figure that out by the title!). Today we’re talking about exercise.
Yes, the dreaded E-word. It’s not a 4-letter word, but it might as well be for some of us! If you are a busy mom (can I get a witness?) who isn’t real keen on exercise to begin with (another witness?) it can be a seemingly insurmountable task to carve out time in your day to get the job done.
But it is possible! I have 5 easy ways for you to squeeze moments of exercise into your day, without costing you an arm and a leg. Because if you can barely afford the time to exercise, you certainly aren’t going to dump your hard-earned money into a gym membership.
Do a 10 or 15 minute routine.
If you’re serious about it, you can squeeze 15 minutes into your day, at least a few times a week. Here are a few suggestions for fitting it into your schedule (I’ve done all of these at one time or another):
Get up early before the kids wake up.
Exercise during naptime.
Exercise before you go to bed (after the kids are already in bed).
Did you notice all those options involved sleeping children? Hmmm. Well, even if your children never sleep, surely you can squeeze in a few moments while they play quietly (or loudly) with one another, or perhaps while they are watching TV (Of course, my children never watch TV. Never! Ahem.).
Now, the question is, what kind of exercise can you do in 10 or 15 minutes? Well, I’ve got you covered! All kinds of quick routine DVDs are available and typically come with 3-5 different routines so you don’t get bored. Some of my favorites are:
Search your local library’s catalog to see if they carry these or similar titles. My library allows me to borrow non-fiction DVDs for 3 weeks at a time, and they have enough DVDs to keep me in a supply of routines without getting bored.
Here are some other ways to get access to these DVDs without paying $15-20 a pop:
I found most of those on Netflix (the availability fluctuates; they may or may not be available all the time). If you already have Netflix, then these resources are already available to you. If not, you can get unlimited streaming from Netflix for $7.99 a month.
Amazon.com has a similar program; if you’re already a Prime member, you can upgrade your membership to unlimited streaming for only $39, which is a little over $3 a month and gives you access to all kinds of streaming exercise DVDs. Or you can pay for each individual title you purchase (same with iTunes) and download (still cheaper than buying the actual DVD).
If you already have cable or satellite TV, chances are, they have an on-demand channel full of exercise routines, including mini-routines like these.
If all else fails, check out Workoutz.com, a website that’s chock full of all kinds of exercises, as well as an exercise routine generator. Be warned that it’s kind of the YouTube of the exercise world, so the videos there are not necessarily offered by professionals. Just so you know.
Take a Walk with Your Kids
Walking has often been touted as the perfect exercise, and happily, it’s also the easiest. Take your kids for a walk outside; they will run in circles around you, and you will all get plenty of exercise! And if baby’s in a stroller, so much the better. Push that baby up the hill, girlfriend!
Use a Pedometer
This Multi-Function Pedometer by Heart Rate Monitors will count all your steps as you take them through the day, as well as calculate the distance you’ve walked, and the calories you’ve burned. And it’s only $6.75! Make it your goal to take 10,000 steps in a day, and this (or any) pedometer will keep track and let you know when you’ve reached that goal. And you don’t have to be going anywhere in particular for the steps to count: figure out ways to add extra steps into your daily routine.
Walk in place as you load the dishwasher or the washing machine.
Take the scenic route wherever you go, even if it’s just to the bedroom in the back of the house.
Stand up, stretch, and walk around during TV commercials.
Play with Your Kids
Kids love a good workout, only they call it “playtime”. Play with your kids – they’ll have a blast, you’ll have a blast, and once again – every one will get exercise! Here are some ideas for kids of all age ranges:
Piggy-back rides
Horsey rides
Catch
Jumping Jacks
Leap frog
Kickball
Soccer/Football/Basketball
Jump Rope
Hopscotch
Races/Relay Races
“Wrestling” or Rough-Housing
Ring Around the Rosie
Duck Duck Goose
Turn Chores into Exercise Opportunities
Most of our “chores” these days have the benefit of a machine to help us, so we don’t get as much exercise in accomplishing household tasks as previous generations did. Build some beneficial movement back into your chores:
Stretch or do basic Pilates/Yoga moves while the mixer is mixing or the blender is blending.
Squat with each handful when loading clothes from the washer into the dryer.
Do lunges while vacuuming.
Do in-place step/aerobic exercises any time you’re standing in one place (at the sink, over the stove, looking in the mirror).
When doing any household chore that involves rhythmic or energetic movement already (like scrubbing, reaching up high, dusting, etc.), focus on even movements, strengthening from the core, and breathing with your movements. (It helps to have some experience with Pilates or yoga in order to be effective with this.)
Before you know it, you’ll be fit as a fiddle!
How do you sneak in exercise as a busy woman?
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Eating intentionally is, in the end, about having a normal relationship with food. Food was created to nourish our bodies, and it was also created for enjoyment. So often we abuse it to the extent that it does neither, and intentional eating is about getting back to that balance of food that both delights and nourishes.
That’s why principle #3 – Make Peace with Food – is so important. In the end, that’s what it’s about. You shouldn’t be in conflict with your food. Food should not control you, but neither should you control it. It’s not a domineering relationship on one side or the other.
And it’s not the enemy either. Think of food more as your ally, not your enemy. It’s not the “thing that makes you fat” – no! It’s what nourishes you, gives you energy, keeps your body’s systems running smoothly, and yes, is enjoyable.
Just think about that for a minute: food was meant to be enjoyed. Not in a gluttonous way, but as a simple pleasure. It’s a necessary fact of life, but it’s not a drudgery! Isn’t that amazing? Truly, if we don’t eat, we die, so it’s an absolute necessity. And yet, unlike other necessities of life, it’s a pleasing occupation. It’s a pleasure to sit down to a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, yogurt and fruit. There’s no need to feel guilty about enjoying it, because it was given to us to enjoy.
So here’s permission to enjoy your food, especially your favorite foods. It’s not a sin to savor a piece of chocolate or laugh over a cupcake at a birthday party. Food is a way to share love, with your family, with a sick friend, or with a neighbor. Food is the centerpiece of celebration, so celebrate!
* QUICK - because who has time for anything more?
* EASY - because I'm no gourmet.
* CHEAP - because who has money for anything more?
* HEALTHY - because you are what you eat.
