Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!  I <3 You!  Seriously, if you're reading this it's probably because you're a friend or a family member and I really do love you.  If you are neither, then I bet I would love you if I got to know you.

Today is a wonderful day to practice loving others.  Jesus said that others would know us by the way we love others (John 13:34-35).  I hope that most of the time I do that.  Today, I'm going to try extra hard to be loving.  I love John Wesley's admonition to us:

It's also a good day to love on someone with a good meal.  Hopefully you have something special planned for yourself today, maybe it even includes someone else.   Make it a healthy one.  Today is also a good day to think about your heart and the heart of the ones you love.  Whatever you're putting into your mouth is impacting your heart too.  Choose wisely.  

While we were snowed in this week, I made a version of these delicious Snickerdoodle Pancakes.  I couldn't actually bring myself to making them just as the recipe is...too indulgent, too much sugar, not really breakfast material.  Instead, I tweaked the recipe like this - replace the AP flour with 1/2 cup buckwheat flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour; omit sugar (you'll add syrup and they'll be sweet enough); trim the butter to 3 Tbs; replace sour cream with plain yogurt and use buttermilk instead of milk.  They were delicious, cinnamony, light, and slightly sour from the buttermilk, slightly sweet from a drizzle or real maple syrup (not the fake stuff!).  And...no guilt for me.  Enjoy! Be healthy!

What's Cooking in the Snow

We're totally snowed in - ice everywhere.  We can't get out if we want to...ok,we might be able to if we had to.  But why bother?  It's toasty inside and there's plenty to eat.  So far...this is some of what being snowed in has produced from the kitchen:

This recipe but with butterscotch chips.

Chicken, Broccoli Soba Noodle Bowl recipe from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

Hershey's "Perfect" Hot Chocolate

And One Simple Roasted Chicken recipe from How to Cook Everything

What's next? Roasting some beets, baking some bread, oh...and a special Valentine's dinner.  Are you cooking for <3 Day?  What are you making?  Be healthy!

Compared to...

Do you find yourself comparing to see how you rank against the people around you?  Are you constantly trying to be more like him or her?  Have you spent an inappropriate amount of time and energy - maybe money too - to keep up with the "Joness"? 

When it comes to weight and fitness, this happens all the time, right?  But it also happens at work, in the neighborhood, within families, among friends.  It happens between new mothers, newlyweds, and new college students.  Everyone trying to fit in, but also to measure up. 

Source

The truth is that you are great.  And there will always be someone who is richer, skinnier, more beautiful, smarter, better at _____.  And it doesn't matter.  Your race doesn't need to be against someone else.  Whatever your battle, calling, purpose...your in a one woman, one man race against yourself.  Your job is to be the best you that you can be...To use the gifts, talents, and treasures that God has entrusted to your care to the best of your ability to serve him and bless others.  

Original Source Unknown

If you're struggling with comparison, Northpoint Community Church's The Comparison Trap is a great resource for you.  Take time to consider how wonderfully made you are and let go of the expectation that you will be like someone else.  You are good enough.  Be patient with yourself.  Be healthy!

Three Easy Ways to Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

If you read my recent post about setting goals, you know one of my goals is to eat 5 servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit each day.  For some people this sounds like a ridiculous amount of produce, however it's actually about what's recommended for most people each day.  I'm close.  Most days I eat at least one serving of fruit and 3 or more servings of vegetables...but that's not my goal.  Since setting the goal, I've done well.  Here are three tips for eating more fruits and vegetables:

1. Eat salad.  Obvious, I know, but you can pack in a lot of vegetables by eating salads at least once a day.  A small side salad with dinner or a big salad at lunch.  Just 1 cup of leafy greens counts and who's only eating 1 cup of salad?!
   
2. Smoothies.  Love them! You can get so much goodness into a smoothie.  Fruit, vegetables, greek yogurt, peanut butter, and the list goes on.  You can sweeten with honey or add fiber and omega-3 fats with chia or flax seeds.  Yum!
   
3. Sneak them into casseroles, pasta, and eggs.  Adding vegetables to these kinds of dishes makes them simply disappear, but they still count!  Shred some spinach, carrots or zucchini and toss them into any of these dishes for more nutrition without changing the flavor at all.  Or add salsa and spinach to your egg sandwich.
   
    
   
   
   Try these ideas and let me know how they work for you!  Or you can do what my sweetheart advises...marry a dietitian.  Be healthy!

Do you eat for any other reason?

I was reviewing a client history form recently and came across this question of her - do you eat for any other reason [than to nourish your body]?  I think we all do.  I do. My guess is that you do too. 

The truth is that food and drink are part of our lives in many different ways.  Coffee as a morning ritual; birthday and wedding cakes; champagne to toast the new year; lamb at Easter; and potato latkes for Hanukkah. These are just some of the well-recognized ways that food is part of our lives.

You may have your own food rituals or habits.  Usually the center around other people and social events. As we approach the holiday season, there'll be lots of these.

There's nothing wrong with having these rituals or using food for more than just fuel.  One reason dieting can be stressful and one reason they fail is that a dieter may feel a sense of loss or over-restriction.  If an (non-medically necessary) eating plan makes it hard to participate in celebrations with your friends and family, it's unlikely to last. 

Source

The truth is that you can enjoy your favorite foods AND adopt a healthy lifestyle (see my Thanksgiving tips. The secret is moderation - a small serving will do - and balance - 80% super nutritious foods and up to 20% indulgence. A registered dietitian can help you create a plan and provide the support and (gasp!) accountability that you may need to learn to successfully navigate these food-filled events. 

Celebrate the season.  Enjoy a small cup of eggnog, slice of pecan pie, or gravy on your turkey.  Don't go overboard.  And don't feel guilty.  Be healthy!