by Lucy | Nov 16, 2016 | Well Balanced Wisdom
Awh..the season for feasting is here. There is a good chance you will be eating some turkey, gravy, rolls, stuffing and all the things to go along with it soon. YUM!! Who is excited for the yummy food?! (Me!) I could go on about how to be mindful, eat a well-balanced turkey dinner, avoid overeating but let’s face it…. Thanksgiving is about celebrating our food! Dare I say it but… I think it’s okay to overindulge a bit at your Thanksgiving meal.
Perhaps the most important thing is what you do afterward. Here’s what I plan to do after the feasting is done.
- Get outside and move! One year I did a turkey trot walk/run the morning of Thanksgiving. Another year my family walked around Duke’s campus after eating our meal. This year I’m gonna #OptOutside! Will you join me? Let’s say no to the long lines and madness of shopping and say yes to nature!! We’ll be posting pictures of us opting outside on our Facebook page. We wanna see your nature selfies too! Post them with the hashtag #OptOuside and #wellbalancednutrition
- Go green! Leftovers are awesome. We will likely have plenty of turkey, mashed potatoes, rolls and pie left after it’s all said and done! It’s really easy to over-do it if we don’t balance them out with some fruits and veggies. I am planning to buy a variety of greens and fruit to eat alongside the remaining foods from the turkey day spread.
- Eat breakfast. When you overeat a bit on Thanksgiving, skipping breakfast that morning or the next day may seem like a reasonable thing to do but it’s not wise. I will keep my metabolism going with a small and healthy morning meal such as eggs and fruit.
There you have it, folks! Those are my plans. What will you do? Comment below and let us know or let us know on Facebook.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Ya’ll!!
by Lucy | Nov 13, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Monday, November 14, 2016
Whoa! We made it!
We’re on the other side of November 8th and no matter how you felt when you woke up November 9th I’ve been thinking we all need a bit more love and kindness.
A few months ago I went to a talk at the City of Durham and our City Manager spoke about the philosophy they share with their employees. It’s three parts, starting with taking care of yourself; then taking care of work/life responsibilities and finally taking care of the community. I love this! It directly lines up with what we teach at Well-Balanced Nutrition. First and foremost, all of us need to take care of ourselves. Last week, I had a client who was trying to give from an empty cup – see What fills your cup? – and as a result her mental and physical health are declining with poor sleep, high blood pressure, weight gain and elevated stress hormones.
As Dr. Wayne Dyer reminds us we cannot give away that which we do not possess. For example, you promise someone a bag of oranges, if you don’t already have oranges at home you would have to go to the store and buy them. To share love and kindness with your friends, family and community you must start by loving and being kind to yourself. Some do this by staying connected to their source, God. While others find more connection in nature or other outlets.
In an effort to help myself, and everyone in my life, I spend time practicing a loving-kindness meditation or exercise as I walk through the woods, which I shared below. This gives me peace and gratitude while I use energy to send love first to myself, then my loved ones. Ultimately, extending this loving-kindness to someone I find difficult to love. Maybe it’s a politician, a group of people with different beliefs and more violent lifestyles or a coworker who causes stress or anxiety.
Food for thought:
I invite each of you to join me in 5 to 10 minutes of this loving-kindness exercise today.
Caution: Doing this exercise will make you feel happy and peaceful.
Loving-Kindness
Shared by: Ann Thornton
(Say aloud preferably, but you can speak it silently)
Loving kindness to [your name]
Repeat 3 times
May [your name] be happy, free from worry and pain
Repeat 3 times
May [your name] have the strength, courage, hope, and faith to meet and overcome the difficulties in her/his life.
Repeat 3 times
Next replace your name with names of your close loved ones, then you can pick the names of others you want to send loving kindness. Last, replace your name with someone you may be having difficulties with or trouble understanding.
You will soon memorize the phrases and the words will come naturally.
I was taught not to say them with strong emotions, but rather just calmly repeat them.
by Lucy | Nov 11, 2016 | Well Balanced Wisdom
Have you heard of the cave man diet? How about the Twinkie diet? Then there is the Whole30, Alkaline diet, the Zone diet, South Beach diet and so on. We hear new and often conflicting information on food and nutrition several times a day.
There is a new diet or a research finding on Dr. Oz, O Magazine, or on your Facebook feed all the time. It’s exhausting. Overwhelming. Sometimes annoying and downright confusing.
With so much out there, what is a gal or guy to do when they just want to eat healthy? Have more energy? Make a change?
It’s important to find a Registered Dietitian you can trust. An expert in the field that understands what it takes to change habits. I polled my fellow RDs to bring you THE THREE THINGS DIETITIANS WISH YOU KNEW…
- Want to make a healthy change? You cannot do it overnight. Consistency, tracking, and accountability are the keys to healthy change. BOTTOM LINE: If a program or pill promises instant results, sounds too good to be true or makes it seem way too easy… it probably won’t work in the long run. You have to be willing to put in the work and have patience. The good news though, is you don’t have to do it alone. You got this and we are here to help.
- We aren’t judging your food choices. If you sit down at the lunch table with one of us, you shouldn’t worry, we really don’t want to be the food police and we don’t want you judging what we eat either! Dietitians eat sweets and junk foods sometimes, too! BOTTOM LINE: No food shaming here! We try really hard not to label foods as good or bad. We actually encourage enjoying sweets, beer/wine or other indulgent foods that are worth it to you on occasion.
- There isn’t a ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL approach to healthy eating. Each of our bodies is unique and the foods that will make us feel our best will be different. We love to help people figure out the right eating pattern that fits their individual needs and preferences. BOTTOM LINE: Just because your friend had success on a diet, doesn’t mean you will. We encourage you to do what is right for you. We can help you find what that is.
Food for thought:
Do you agree with these 3 things?
What is the most absurd diet advice you’ve heard?
So what’s the right choice for you? I know, I know. Maybe you’re thinking, “if I knew that I wouldn’t be talking to you!” That’s why we call it a journey.
Start your wellness journey with us today.
by Lucy | Nov 6, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Cathy Passeun, aka Mama Cathy, is an inspirational woman. When we lived in Arizona she frequently climbed Shaw butte – A solid 3 mile hike uphill in the desert. When I was in middle school she went to grad school and completed a masters degree. When I was in high school she chose self-employment to have more freedom in her schedule and spend quality time with her teenage daughter (brave, right?!). She has bought and sold houses and investment property. She teaches yoga and stays actively involved in her church as a believer in Jesus Christ. The word you are looking for is multifaceted.
When my mom got above her desired weight range earlier this year she became motivated to get it in check, and lucky enough she has a dietitian daughter.
Mama Cathy is preoccupied with knowing how long it takes her to do certain tasks. For instance, she discovered it takes 7 minutes to empty the dishwasher – now when she’s contemplating if there is enough time she knows it’s just 7 minutes. Recently, in an effort to include more energy during the day my mom started including a whole grain English muffin and a microwave scrambled egg at breakfast (did you know this is a thing?!). One day, for fun she timed how long it took to prepare and eat this meal, which she discovered totaled 16 minutes – 3 minutes to cook and 13 to eat. Now she knows how to (1) make a simple, healthy and well-balanced breakfast and (2) block time for breakfast, which is important for her weight-loss goals. (see note from Mama Cathy below!)
I’m not trying to call her out; however, my mom is no stranger to fast food restaurants. As a busy executive for JDRF she is often on the road for business. Going to a sit-down restaurant is not always an option so occasionally Wendy’s, Taco Bell or aother drive-thru comes in handy. Last week while running around town, Mom realized she forgot to eat breakfast before leaving home. While driving by McDonald’s she noticed a grocery store in the same shopping center and passed the drive-thru to go pick up hard-boiled eggs and an apple to give her the protein and complex carbohydrates for energy to last through the morning.
For as long as I remember my mom has always been a walker, but in more recent years I’ve discovered she loves taking classes. Forever a student, she enjoys the community and encouragement in the group fitness setting. Now Mom signs up for water aerobics at the community center and looks forward to her workout and whirlpool time every Monday and Wednesday evening.
I’m so proud of my mom for many reasons, but this year I am especially proud of the commitment she made to her health. She inspires me and I hope has inspired you too!
Food for thought:
It can be overwhelming when you try to change your diet and lifestyle. Fortunately, you are part of the Well-Balanced Tribe who wants to encourage and support your healthy choices.
What is 1 day-to-day habit you can work on this week? ___________________________
How can you make it fun (like combining exercise with the whirlpool fun!)?
___________________________________________________
Note from Mama Cathy: 2 thoughts – breakfast takes 16 minutes because I’m also making a fresh made shake that I put in a travel mug and take to work with me. While I’m cooking my breakfast I’m also making my midmorning healthy snack. Also, just so folks know change can take a while-it took me six months of being on Weight Watchers to get to this point with my food.
It didn’t happen all at once it and it certainly doesn’t happen quickly and it doesn’t happen in the span of an hour show. It’s something where I believe little changes incorporated overtime are really what add up to the difference.
by Lucy | Nov 5, 2016 | Recipes and Meal Ideas
Staying in your pajamas a little longer, watching cartoons, and snuggling on the couch… all reasons I love Saturday mornings. It is a sunny but cool day here in Durham and the perfect fall day for pumpkin muffins. We had these as a mid morning snack and they really hit the spot!
This recipe is modified from this post over at The Kitchn. They make a point to use the individual spices instead of the premixed pumpkin pie spice. They also remind you that the recipe calls for plain pumpkin puree not the sweetened pumpkin pie mix in a can.
- 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/3 cups light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/3 cups pumpkin purée one 15 oz can
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan (or two 6-cup muffins pans) with liners, or skip the liners and just grease the cups.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after adding each one.
Add the pumpkin purée and vanilla extract.
Stir in half the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Add the second half. Do not overmix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups so they are 3/4 of the way full.
Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a tester comes out with few crumbs.
Let the muffins cool enough to handle. Enjoy!!
