Gluten free class at Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana

Hey, errybody!  Long time, no blog.  :D  Sorry about that, life snuck up on me. But, let's get right to the point, shall we?  I am a Master Nutrition Therapist, in case you don't know. And when I get the chance to spread the nutrition love, it's always very rewarding.  Like last night, for example, I held a gluten free cooking class for Cancer Services of Northeast Indiana.  The room was full of people eager to soak up the information I had for them...and even more eager to eat all the foods.

Like these Easy Paleo Tortillas and veggie noodles for example:

The oohs and ahhhs I was getting from just veggies sautéed in olive oil and sprinkled with a bit of salt and pepper was amazing. You'd think I had served them a 5 star meal.  And that is always music to my ears.  Veggies are good. Sometimes you just need to get creative with em.

The tortillas are great for sandwich bread replacement or any kind of burrito. And they're ridiculously easy to make.  And the veggie noodles cook up in no time, if you're looking for some quick, easy meals to make during the week (or even prep ahead!  These can both be made in larger batches and used throughout the week) look no further.  The kids will even have fun helping you peel them, which will (hopefully) lead them to want to eat some!  ;)

The julienne peeler I prefer can be found here. But you can find different ones now at most major grocery chains, I believe.

If you try these tips, let me know!  I'd love to hear what you think.  Happy eating! <3

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Do you want me to come to your place/company and teach a healthy cooking class?  Contact me for rates!  260.580.2759

Food is heroine. And other fun stuff.

This was written about 3 1/2 years ago.  I no longer struggle like this, but it was very real at the time.  It's sad that food has this effect. I would love to know your thoughts in the comments!

Recently I’ve had some time to reflect.  I’ve always liked looking at both sides of an issue, but rarely ever get to actually feel both sides of an issue.

For example, I’ve been on antidepressants before, and knew that at that time I didn’t have a choice.  I felt like it was the only logical next step in a roller coaster situation that I knew nothing about.  Fast forward thirteen years later, and I know more about hashimotos thyroiditis and depression than I ever wanted to know.  I haven’t taken antidepressants in twelve years, and am doing everything in my power to avoid it.  However, since I had been on them, and also felt like I needed to be on them at the time, I can truly feel both sides of that issue.  While I believe you can stay off of antidepressants, and can certainly get off of them if you’re already on them, I do value that they are absolutely life saving in certain specific circumstances.  Had I never been on them, I may not have ever been able to have the sympathy that I do have for those people truly in need of some medically assisted mood lifting. 

Similarly, now that I have sore ankles, and aching knees, and tight muscles – all from not eating right and not exercising – I am seeing a new side to a different issue. I’ve made judgments. I’m not proud of them. I’ve seen overweight people in a motorized shopping cart and thought, “How lazy.”  I never once gave a thought that it may be beyond their own control.

I also have a friend with a sister who has MS. I’ve tried to help in any way that I can by researching for her. We’ve stumbled across a few articles that indicate eliminating artificial sweeteners, and potentially even gluten, can have enormous positive effects on MS symptoms.  She tried giving up her beloved Diet Coke for a weekend, only to surrender to its grip before 24 hours was up.  Her words were essentially, “I’d rather die than give up my diet coke.”

Who wouldn’t cringe a little when hearing those words?  Who in their right mind would ever even say those words?  How could you possibly ever put food above your health?  Or putting diet coke above a life without a mother for your kids?

But, here I am.  Weighing in at a life altering 193, with pains, and critical health issues that could easily lead to my death, or at the very least a less than full life. I have chosen cheetos over my very own life.

I am no different than those people I have judged. I can feel both sides.

If you’re 20 pounds overweight, or 200 pounds overweight, what really is the difference?  Where does that line stop? If I can’t stop eating these foods that are slowly killing me, then who’s to say I won’t be the one riding that motorized cart? I’ll be the one holding up the line at the zoo, because I had to lean on the railing and catch my breath after 3 stairs. 

Where does that change occur, and how the hell do we stop it?  I’m serious. I’ve been working out with a trainer. I have all the skills and recipes it takes to be a healthy eater. I am a great cook. I’ve eaten healthy and organically and maintained a fairly decent weight for most of my life, and yet here I am again. And, there I was today.  Like a crack addict.  I may as well be a heroin addict with a needle dangling from my arm, the way I ransacked my house looking for a hit.  Ooh! A stash of skittles….a mini crackle bar from Halloween…laffy taffy will even do the trick in a pinch. I glanced around corners, making sure my husband wasn’t looking.  I shoved that candy bar entirely into my mouth and instantly felt the drug coursing through my body. 

First, it’s the frantic search for the drug your body is screaming at you to find. Your brain has convinced you somehow, any way possible, to go looking for it.  

Next, it’s the sneaking. Making noises to drown out the sound of wrappers being opened.  Or, you hide in a room far from everyone else and down the goods before they know you’re missing.  Hiding the wrappers is an art all its own. I’m really good at hiding my traces. It scares me.

Then finally, it’s the glazed over look in the eyes, after the drug has entered the body. You relax. You smile. You feel good. For a moment.

The most hysterical thing?  Right after you’ve eaten something…while the drug is still in your blood stream…you say to yourself “That’s it. I’m never. doing. this. again!!”  

Cut to two hours later when the drug is leaving your system, and you’re digging in the bottom of the fucking garbage can again, for that little bit of chocolate you thought you were done with. 

Some berries.

I have something that I need to get off my chest.  I've only been in nutrition school for 3 years now, but I've been a dieting fool for as long as I can remember.  Not only have I dieted, lost weight, fallen off "the wagon", got back on, lost the weight *again*...repeat, repeat, repeat, but I've seen countless friends and family members do the same thing.  I've also worked in the weight loss and wellness field and heard similar stories from all of them, not to mention from my current clients. There’s something seriously wrong with this picture.

There’s no secret that the obesity rate in our country has reached epic proportions, but the bigger problem, in my mind (and most likely a culprit of it), is the dieting epidemic.  All too often we start a diet, only to abruptly end it when we feel like we've failed. We couldn't sustain this way of eating long enough to reach our weight goals, let alone for a lifetime. Then, where do we go? Some sort of "diet wonderland" that rests magically in the middle of perfect and horrible?  Nope, we end up going right back to where we were eating before: Crapville.

Recently, I've read two blog posts by a local physician who leans heavily towards a paleo way of eating, and the wording he used bothered me. He suggested that the vast majority of people should be eating "grass-fed meats, wild caught fish, nuts, and seeds, with carbohydrate sources only from vegetables and some berries". Honestly, I don't care what any one particular person eats. If they are healthy and successful at keeping up that way of eating without feeling deprived or without having to restart week after week, then more power to them. Had these blogs been directed to a paleo community I wouldn’t have thought twice, but these blogs were directed to the general public. A public that is already overwhelmingly confused with what is “right” and “wrong”.

Our country does not have a fruit eating problem.  I don't even think we have a grain eating problem, technically.  And no one that I know has a protein deficiency, that's for sure. What we do have is a country that doesn't eat ENOUGH fruits, vegetables, and healthy whole grains.   But, most people that I know, past and current clients included, DO have a vegetable and fruit eating deficiency.  So, when a doctor recommends "some berries", like that's the only choice of fruits, it really bothers me. And here's why:

I don't know the exact percentage, but I'm just going to go out on a limb and say that well over half of this country is eating Standard American Diet (SAD). If you don't know what this is, it's basically all packaged, heavily processed foods with an emphasis on fast foods, soda pop, white breads, white rice, white pasta and lots of transfats and sugar.  Telling someone who is currently eating SAD to only get carbs from "vegetables and some berries" makes we want to scream that this is what's already wrong with the world!!  This is no different than when I tried to just eat grapefruit to lose weight, or when I tried the atkins diet, regrettably.  If it's too strict for me to do long term, then it certainly isn't something to START OUT with.  If my client is on a SAD, I would gradually get them to eat more and more veggies and eliminate some of the obvious bad habits, like fast food and pop on a daily basis. As they feel healthier and stronger from this change in foods, their taste buds will change and they'll start to desire even more healthy choices.  As eating more veggies becomes easier for them, then, and only then, would I recommend tweaking other areas of their food plan.  I want to empower my clients and make sure they feel in control along the way.  I don't want them caving in after 3 days and giving up completely, only to return to their daily junk food.  When you tell people in general to follow a diet, such as the paleo diet, or any restrictive diet for that matter, you are telling them (especially when a doctor or nutritionist is saying this!) that they can only be healthy if they follow this exact course.   I am here to tell you that isn't the case.  If you are already eating as clean and healthy as you possibly can, and you are STILL experiencing health concerns, and you've met with your physician to address underlying metabolic issues, then it is possible that you can start getting more restrictive with your food.  As you clean up your diet, these choices will not seem as overwhelming, and will therefore be more attainable. Most people can reach their desired health without getting that restrictive, however, so why start with the hardest possible answer?  

I have seen COUNTLESS clients get OFF medications while still eating...wait for it....GRAINS.  Gasp!  I know!  The horror!  I am not a doctor, but if my client can get off the diabetic medication that he's been taking for YEARS, while still eating a diet that he can sustain long term, even if it contains the dreaded grains, then I'm more than ok with that.  Don't shame him into thinking that he's not good enough because he ate more than just berries, or god forbid, had a paleo-ized dessert, or some brown rice.  

Moral of the story:  Treat the person where they are, not at the finish line.  Be responsible with your "health" recommendations and know that not everyone reading your blogs is as strong as you are, or in the right mind set.  They will get there, but on their own time. So, eat those berries, but don't hate yourself if you end up eating a few oranges....a kiwi....or even a watermelon or two.   And if you need a Paleo cupcake, made of coconut, eggs, raw honey and grass-fed butter, just to keep yourself from completely falling head first into a box of Krispy Kremes, then get with me. I can hook you up with a good whole-foods baker. 

Lose the wagon. Walking is better for you anyway.