Holiday Reminders

On Our Minds

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A few weeks ago, there was a buzz around a series of studies in the Annals of Internal Medicine about red meat consumption. The studies conclude that people do not need to reduce their intake of red meat, and disputes all previous findings that it may increase risk for things like heart disease and cancer. Well, this certainly stirred the pot.

Low-carb, no-carb, low-fat, sugar is bad, gluten is bad, butter is bad, butter is good, foods that contain cholesterol are bad, foods that contain cholesterol is fine. With so much back and forth, what is there to believe?

Without getting into the nitty gritty of the studies, we have a couple of thoughts about this. Remember, studies aren’t “proof”. When it comes to red meat, most studies don’t consider other lifestyle factors. What else are people eating besides red meat? Do they eat a SAD (standard American diet) or a diet rich in fruit and vegetables? Do they smoke and drink alcohol often? Are they eating red meat with fries and creamed spinach, or are they eating it with roasted vegetables and sweet potatoes? Context matters.

From a nutrition perspective, red meat (especially grass-fed) is rich in vitamin B12, zinc, iron, conjugated linoleic acid, iron and omega-3 fatty acids. It is not a “bad” food by any means. After looking at both sides of this argument, we aren’t swayed entirely one way or the other. Enjoy your red meat (grass-fed when possible) a couple times per week while also incorporating heart healthy fish and lean poultry. Once again, balance is key.

In Good Health, 
Lisa Brown & Jennifer Medina

Holiday Reminders

It’s one thing to work on finding peace with food on your own, but it’s an entirely different obstacle course when you are faced with questions and comments from family and friends.

The holidays may be a tough time for this, despite our loved one’s best intentions. Comments such as “I’ll run this off tomorrow” or “No thanks, the stuffing has way too many calories” or “I started this new diet”, can be seemingly harmless for the person saying them, but can be detrimental to another person’s food healing journey.

We’ve come up with a couple of reminders to help get you through:

  • No one else is in your body. No one else can feel your fullness or satisfaction. You have all the power when it comes to fueling your body.

  • Food and dieting comments usually come from someone else who is struggling with their own relationship with food and their body. Can you turn this around and find compassion for them? Beginning this journey requires a lot of insight, self-awareness and strength. They are not there yet.

  • Fullness is a beautiful thing. It means you have nourished your body. Most of us go past fullness from time to time. It’s OK.

  • You don’t have to engage in food and diet conversation. You can set verbal boundaries by saying things like:

    • No, thank you. I’ve had enough.

    • I don’t like talking about diets at the dinner table. Can we talk about something else?

    • I’ve been focusing on tuning into my body and listening to what it needs. It feels wonderful.

    • I’d like to request that you not put yourself down and especially in presence.

We hope these tips are helpful and provide some relief moving into the holiday season.

On the Lighter Side

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Recipe of the Month:
Creamy Broccoli + Cauliflower Soup

Photo from www.hummusapien.com

Photo from www.hummusapien.com

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium onion, chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 carrots, diced

  • 1 medium head broccoli, finely chopped (florets and stalk, about 4 cups)

  • 1 medium head cauliflower, finely chopped (about 4 cups)

  • 1 small-medium potato, diced

  • 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or flour of choice)

  • 4 cups vegetable broth

  • 1 cup unsweetened, unflavored almond milk (not coconut milk)

  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast

  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt (to taste)

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions:

  • Heat oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, 1/2 tsp salt, and a grind of pepper and sauté for 5 minutes, or until softened. Add garlic and cook for another minute.

  • Add carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and potato and sauté for another 3-5 minutes. Add flour and stir well to combine.

  • Add broth, milk, nutritional yeast and another 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until veggies are tender. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Season with salt/lemon juice to taste until the flavors really pop.

  • Use an immersion blender to blend half the soup, leaving some chunky for texture. You can also blend half in a blender, being careful as the soup will be very hot!

Recipe courtesy of www.hummusapien.com

lisa brown