Self-Compassion Leads to Healthy Choices

FEBRUARY 28, 2011, NYT, by Tara Parker-Pope                                                                                                                                         

 Do you treat yourself as well as you treat your friends and family? That simple question is the basis for a burgeoning new area of psychological research called self-compassion — how kindly people view themselves. People who find it easy to be supportive and understanding to others, it turns out, often score surprisingly low on self-compassion tests, berating themselves for perceived failures like being overweight or not exercising. The research suggests that giving ourselves a break and accepting our imperfections may be the first step toward better health.

Coconutty Spiced and Stuffed Butternut Squash

I got inspired tonight. I wanted East Indian flavors, but we recently found out my husband is sensitive to turmeric. So, I improvised and came up with a very delicious and nutrient packed recipe that was still very East Indian-esque...I have eaten stuffed butternut squash at some fine restaurants, and I have never had as good as it was from my own kitchen tonight! Just the right amount of sweet, savory, smooth and crunchy, this recipe also happens to be vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free. But you won't miss a thing!

Why Work with a Nutriton Pro?

The Nutrition Facts label, which is by law placed on the back of just about every food product in the U.S., was meant to tell you most everything you should need to know about what a particular food product is made of. The problem for most Americans, however, is that 1.) they don't read it and 2.) they don't know what it all means. This is where the nutrition professional can help a great deal. Not only do we teach our clients and patients what each part of the label means and why it is important, we can educate them on how to interpret many important subtleties of the Nutrition Facts label.

One little known subtlety has to do with trans-fats. These come from hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils. While most fatty acids are actually beneficial in the right amounts, trans fats are just plain dangerous to your health.

Free Range vs. Conventional

Why in the world do we need to eat free-range eggs? They're all the same, right? Wrong. The Rodale Institute studied free-range eggs and paritally pasture-fed eggs from 14 different farms in the U.S. and compared them with conventional eggs. Here is what they found.

Healthy Road Trip

We are road tripping to Phoenix from ABQ today. A short 6 hour drive, but no way do we want to leave our food choices up to truckstops and fast food joints. We want to feel our best when we reach our destination, and that means eating well on the road. When planning our road trip menu, my main focus was first, on the basics: a balance of healthy proteins, complex carbs and fats to keep everyone happy and satiated. We also needed things that would be easy to grab,low-mess and requiring little or no prep before heading out. It was a very busy morning to say the least! Here's what we ended up with:

Hummus Recipe

I often recommend hummus as a snack with veggies, whole grain pita or crackers, or as a spread on sandwiches and wraps. It is a perfect way to get more legumes into your diet, which adds protein, fiber, beneficial resistant starch, calcium, magnesium, B Vitamins and more. Hummus is a traditional Middle Eastern dish, which kids of all ages tend to enjoy. The combination of chick peas and tahini makes it a high-protein food. Tahini is a creamy paste made of sesame seeds and is a rich source of multiple micronutrients, including copper, zinc, calcium and magnesium. Find out more about the benefits of sesame.

Hummus

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked chickpeas
5 TBSP tahini
1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice (juice of 1.5-2 lemons)
1/2 tsp sea salt
2-3 roasted garlic cloves*
~3 TBSP Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp ground cumin
Dash of chile powder

Optional:
Chopped parsley
Chopped basil (fistful)
1/4 cup basil pesto
Pine nuts

Place cooked chick-peas in food processor or blender with tahini, salt, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, spices and optional herbs or pesto. Blend until smooth. Add water from can or cooking liquid to obtain desired consistency. Dish into a bowl. Make a small well in the center of the hummus when serving and fill with extra virgin olive oil and add a decorative dash of cumin and chile powder. If you like, garnish with any of the following: chopped herbs and pine nuts.

Make hummus at the beginning of the week for an easy protein to pair with baby carrots.

*Roast a head of garlic on Sunday to use throughout the week. Slice the non-root end off, just enough to make it flat. Wrap in foil and bake for 30 min, flattened side down, at 250 degrees F. Don't forget about it! Set a timer...
Store in the fridge when cooled.

Adapted from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair (one of my favorite whole food cookbooks!)

Enjoy,
The Gourmet Healer

Perhaps Everybody Does Need Milk?

Milk, and dairy products in general, have been demonized for years as common allergens, high-fat foods, and sources of hormones, pesticides, and other xenobiotics. But perhaps that cow has a silver lining. Just the fact of being overweight can result in increased oxidative stress and inflammation. In a recent study, two diets were tested to determine whether either diet had an effect on markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in overweight or obese individuals. A group of 20 individuals (10 overweight - BMI 25-29.9; 10 mildly obese - BMI 30-34.9) were randomly assigned to a dairy-based diet group (1,200-1,400 mg calcium daily) or a soy-based diet group (500-600 mg calcium daily). The dairy was provided primarily by three milk-based smoothies daily, while the dairy-free soy group consumed three soy-protein smoothies daily. The study was a crossover design, so after 28 days of consuming one diet and another 28 days for a washout period, the diets were switched. Caloric content of both diets was the same. Markers of inflammation and oxidative stress were measured at baseline and on days 7 and 28 of each diet period. The dairy-based diet resulted in a significant decrease in markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, while the soy diet did not exert any significant effect. The dairy, but not the soy, diet also resulted in an average 20-percent increase in adiponectin, a protein hormone that helps decrease obesity and related conditions, including insulin resistance, fatty liver, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes.
Am J Clin Nutr 2010;91:16-22.
http://www.thorne.com/practitioners/breaking_news.jsp

Caveat: If you're going to eat/drink dairy, make sure it is organic and preferably grass-fed.