Salads are often labeled as “diet foods” and that is quite frankly a bummer. Rather than simply being a boring and healthy side dish. Salad should be reimagined as a delicious and satisfying main course. One way to do this is by adding flavorful and filling ingredients, such as protein-rich grilled chicken, hearty grains like quinoa or farro, and bold dressings made with fresh herbs and spices. With so many types of salads to choose from – leafy green salads, grain-based salads, fruit salads, and vegetable salads – there’s sure to be a salad that you’ll enjoy. Salads are a great way to increase your consumption of fruit and vegetables!
In the warmer months of the year, I thoroughly enjoy making fridge salads which are just salads that hold up in the fridge for several days. There are some tools that can make prepping delicious salads easier:
Chef’s Knife
Mandolin
Microplane
Food Processor
Perhaps you enjoy salads but have become salad weary. Are you using a salad dressing over and over again until you are so tired of it that you don’t want salad anymore? The more dressings you have in your repertoire, the more salad (i.e. vegetables) you’ll eat! Try some of these dressings to get out of your salad rut:
It is hard to improve on a classic. No dish is more classic than scrambled eggs. It is a go-to breakfast, lunch, or dinner for a quick comfort food that is bound to please. You may think it is impossible to improve. Well, that is what I thought until I added cottage cheese.
Yes, cottage cheese. Adding about 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese per egg results in the creamiest perfectly seasoned scrambled eggs ever. It is super simple. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat well. Add the cottage cheese and mix. Scramble on medium heat in a nonstick pan coated with nonstick spray. You want to make sure the cottage cheese melts well. It happens very quickly after the eggs are almost done. There you have it. An improved-upon classic that not only tastes great and low-fat cottage cheese only adds about 17 calories and does boost the protein a little adding about 3 grams.
In my recent blog post, Avoid the Trap of Comparison, I referred to “health and wellness” social media content as aspirational. I did this because most of social media’s “health and wellness” content is aspirational.
Aspiration refers to ambition whereas inspiration refers to the urge to do something. Aspiration motivates an individual to achieve a goal in the future, while inspiration is the trigger for aspirations. Inspiration comes from within the individual and aspiration focuses this energy toward future goals.
Translating aspirational content–from any source not just social media–into attainable practices can be a big step toward achieving personal goals and growth. While it is important to have a vision or goal to aspire to, it is often difficult to put that vision into practice in an achievable and sustainable way.
The key is to break down the aspirational content into smaller, actionable steps or practices that can be implemented daily. This involves identifying specific behaviors or actions that align with the aspirational content and then developing habits around those actions. By focusing on these smaller, attainable practices, individuals can make progress toward their larger goals in a way that feels manageable and sustainable over time.
Don’t forget to add fun to your practices! In order to sustain a new habit, there must be something rewarding–fun–about the process to make it worthwhile to continue long-term.
Even just a casual scroll through your social media feeds can trigger feelings of not being enough. With the prevalence of social media, it is so easy to become consumed with comparing oneself to others who appear to be living their best life. You may not even realize you are internalizing the messages on your social feeds. It is worthwhile to frequently remind yourself that social media often presents an idealized version of people’s lives, which may not accurately represent their true lived experiences.
Even if you feel you have a healthy relationship with social media it is a good rule of thumb to take content on social media feeds–especially aspirational health content– at face value. There is a vast black hole of aspirational “health and wellness” content on social media. This type of information and advice on social media doesn’t have the structure or support needed to make lasting changes in your life. That doesn’t mean you certainly can’t enjoy certain aspects of social media like peer support and camaraderie. But it can help to take an arm’s-length viewership stance and see this type of content as inspiration to fuel your personal goals and interests.
Maybe it is time to do a follower cleanse. This involves reviewing the accounts you follow on your social media feeds and asking yourself what their “value add” is for you in this particular season in your life. What emotions arise with specific accounts? It is probably wise to unfollow any accounts that make you feel unworthy, powerless, or just generally crappy.
Remember that rather than comparing oneself to others, it’s important to focus on personal growth and celebrate your own accomplishments and successes. You can cultivate a more positive and empowering relationship with social media by prioritizing personal growth and avoiding the trap of comparison.
“In March 2022, my doctor told me that my blood work was showing that I was prediabetic and recommended that I sign up for a class to learn how to not become a Type 2 Diabetic. As a then 68 year old, I knew that diabetes ran in my family and that my physiological make up made me an ideal candidate to be a diabetic. I searched the web and found the Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes online class and started attending in April 2022.
When I started attending my A1C was 6.4 and my weight was 227 pounds. Through attending classes and doing what our wonderful instructor told us could help, at the end of the program, I weighed 203 pounds (and still am losing weight), got my A1C down to 5.7, and am now swimming a 1/2 mile a day. I am eating healthy and watching my sugar intake. I can honestly say that I have never felt as good as I do today and my lifestyle of a good diet, daily exercise, and taking care of myself is the best it has ever been. The classes I attended weekly and then monthly are the reason why all this has happened to me. Today, I am not only healthier than every before, but as I spend time with my three grandchildren, when I take them out for ice cream, I make sure to get the non sugar ice cream!”
About a month ago, I broke my toe. It’s the big toe, and arguably the most important since it’s responsible for balance. I went from engaging in over 500 minutes of physical activity a week to maybe 100 minutes, severely restricted by my injury and a walking boot. Pre-injury, I enjoyed daily movement consisting of interval-based cardio and weightlifting, running, and walking. I was aiming for a few weightlifting milestones and training for a 10k.
Not only did I have a great movement routine that brought me joy and was a part of my social life, I had great balance in my nutrition. I planned out different meals every week, fitting in a few times to eat out with friends or family; I knew how many groceries to purchase; I never had to wonder what I would eat for dinner or if I would have time to cook, since I prepared most of my meals and snacks for the week over the weekend. All of a sudden, everything changed and my routine no longer worked for me.
At my initial appointment, my healthcare provider informed me that I would be in a boot for 6-8 weeks. If everything heals properly, I am looking at another 10-12 weeks to full recovery. For me, that means 6-8 weeks with no cardio, only some heavily modified bodyweight workouts, and some upper body weightlifting. This is movement, but not nearly what I was accustomed to. After I am cleared to wear a regular shoe instead of a boot, I will be able to do more, like stationary biking. This is good progress of course, but not the high-intensity, functional cardio movements that were once a part of my routine.
Adjusting to a New Routine Post-Injury
A month in, I have a decent handle on my new physical activity routine, but I am still struggling with my nutrition. It took about 2 weeks for my appetite to “align” with my decreased activity levels. I knew I did not need the same portions to fuel my body since I was not expending the same amount of energy daily. My hunger and satiety cues did not align, and for a week after my injury, I was eating as I had been. Knowing this was not sustainable, I decided to make some changes.
Overall, I eat smaller meals and try to include a high-quality protein source at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Since it is much more difficult to gauge how much food I need, I buy more shelf-stable foods, like canned tuna and canned fruit stored in water. This way, I do not waste food if I do not eat it in one week. Rather than preparing everything for the week over the weekend, I prepare a couple days’ worth of lunches and dinners at a time, and I make my breakfast every morning. I pay much more attention to my hunger and satiety cues. Once I feel just a little bit full, I stop eating. I store leftovers for my next meal, partial meal, or snack. If I do not finish my breakfast, I pack it with my lunch to have at work later in the morning. These strategies help me feel adequately fueled and not over-fueled while I learn to better recognize and honor my hunger and satiety cues.
Our routines change based on life events, natural aging, sickness, or injury. It’s not easy to adjust to these changes or establish new routines. Acknowledging what you can control in these scenarios is important because you cannot control everything–even if you wish you could. For example, I cannot control my recovery speed, because my bones can only grow so fast. But, I can take ownership of my new routine, adjust my physical activity, and make healthy nutrition choices as I recover.
If you experience an injury or setback, give yourself grace and time to find an alternative routine. Start slow and don’t push yourself to do activities at the level you might have done in the past. Don’t forget to be kind to yourself and allow your body time to regain strength and stamina. You may need more recovery time and that is OK. This mindset will allow you to lead a balanced life under your unique circumstances.
*This blog post was authored by Dr. Carolyn Dunn and edited by Casey Collins
We may think of negative body image as something that mostly impacts young people. As someone in their 60s who has experienced decades of society telling me what my body should look like I know that negative body image can continue well after youth has faded. I did think, however, that at some point in our lives, we would relax and understand that our bodies are just fine the way they are. As long as you are healthy, let your body just be that—YOUR body. Several recent experiences proved to me that negative body image is alive and well in older adults.
My mother-in-law who is 88 and incredibly fit, not just for 88 but for any age, has dementia. She recently transitioned to an assisted living facility. One evening while helping her shower she said without hesitation “I know you are looking at me and think I am fat!” Even at 88 with dementia, she is still concerned about a made-up body image ideal. Since spending more time visiting this facility, I noticed my mother-in-law was not the only resident with these ideas. Another resident who is 90 was talking with a friend and discussing what she should and should not eat that night because “I need to lose a few pounds.” Yet another resident commented that “Sarah is thin but she could be really skinny if she didn’t eat all of her meals.” A new resident in her 90s was struggling to eat and had finally eaten a roll. When an encouraging nurse asked if she wanted another roll she said no because she should not eat too much bread.
Even in an era where body positivity is more popular than in my youth—or the youth of 80 and 90-year-olds—we continue to be barraged by media images of unattainable and unhealthy thinness. My hope is that someday whole-body health will win over society’s outdated idea that thinness equates to health. Perhaps the younger generations embracing body positivity will be less burdened over their lifespan by these antiquated ideas. The sooner we realize that the body we have should not be judged by unhealthy standards controlled by media hype the better.
Changing your inner monologue about your own body image can be complicated. Here are some thoughts that may help.
Appreciate what your body can do.
Think of all the miraculous things that your body can do physically. Walk, jump. Play with your children or grandchildren.
Avoid comparisons to others or your younger self.
No two bodies are alike. Your body is unique, comparing it to anyone else’s just sets you up for negative thoughts. Also, our bodies change as we grow older, and it is normal to not look like you did 5, 10, or 20 years ago.
Focus on the positive.
Instead of looking in the mirror and only noticing what you think are your negative traits, focus on the positive aspects of your body. If you wouldn’t say it to your friends, don’t say it to yourself. Treat your body like your best friend!
Think about your positive traits that are not physical.
Chances are when someone describes you, they don’t only list physical traits. In fact, they probably don’t list physical traits at all. They may say you are funny, smart, a good friend, a mother, a father, or any number of things that have nothing to do with your body.
Evaluate your relationships.
This is a tough one but a necessary one. If you have a friend or family member who is constantly saying negative things about their body, your body, or other people’s bodies, evaluate how you can distance yourself from this person. At least distance yourself from the talk. I have a relative who is constantly talking about her aging body and asking questions like “Why is this happening to me?” “I used to be so skinny and now I have a fat stomach.” I simply remove myself from the conversation or quickly change the subject to something non-body or food related.
* If you need further help or if negative body image is controlling your thoughts, please seek professional help as you need. The National Eating Disorders Association can provide resources.
Food fads come and go. However, a hot trend from several years ago is still going strong. Kale. There is a reason for that. Kale, a leafy green has the potential to improve your overall diet in several ways. It is high in fiber and low in calories, and a diet high in leafy greens can decrease the development of chronic disease. Leafy greens can also help with inflammation, something that is the root of many chronic illnesses. Lucky for us, kale is available year-round and can be found in most grocery stores. It is a versatile green and can be eaten in salads or cooked.
A pro tip for eating kale raw is to macerate it. This is a very simple process. Cut away the large stem all the way up the leaf and cut the leaf into narrow strips. Massage the kale with a bit of olive oil for 5-10 minutes. This softens the kale and makes for a much better salad.
Recently, there has been a lot of buzz around Intermittent Fasting and its effect on weight loss. But does this really help us lose weight?
What is Intermittent Fasting?
Before we dig into this topic, let’s first define what is meant by Intermittent Fasting. Intermittent Fasting, also called Time Restricted Eating, refers to an eating pattern that involves fasting, or not eating, for a period of time each day or week. According to the Mayo Clinic, some popular types of Intermittent Fasting include:
Alternate-day fasting. Eat a normal diet one day and either fast entirely or have one small meal (less than 500 calories) the next day.
5:2 fasting. Eat a normal diet five days a week and fast two days a week.
Daily time-restricted fasting. Eat normally but only within an eight-hour window each day. For example, skip breakfast but eat lunch around noon and dinner by 8 p.m.
If we look at how metabolism works in the body, it would make sense that Intermittent Fasting could be beneficial. When we eat food, it is broken down into sugar in the blood that our cells use for energy. Insulin is the hormone that enables the sugar to leave our bloodstream and enter our cells to be used by the body for energy. If our cells don’t use all of the sugar from the food that we eat, then this gets stored in our bodies as fat. The more fat cells our bodies have, the less efficiently our insulin can work to lower our blood sugar, leading to insulin resistance. Higher blood sugar can also cause inflammation. Insulin resistance and inflammation are highly linked to increased risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, and obesity.
It is thought that the mechanism for Intermittent Fasting producing weight loss is that during the period of fasting, insulin is lowered causing the fat cells to release their stored sugar to be used as energy by the body, which can result in weight loss.
What does the research say?
One research study looked at two groups that both reduced their daily calories by 25%. One group incorporated Intermittent Fasting and ate all of their calories in an 8-hour window, while the other group ate the same amount of calories without a time restriction. At the end of the 12-month study, both groups lost similar amounts of weight and there were no differences between the groups related to weight loss. Both groups also had similar improvements in blood pressure, lipids, blood glucose levels and other risk factors.
What does this mean for us?
For most of us (excluding those who have diabetes, eating disorders, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or require food with medications), Intermittent Fasting does appear to be a safe strategy for modest weight loss. When used as intended, it limits the time window for eating and therefore can reduce the number of calories that we eat during the day.
There is a major pro and major con of Intermittent Fasting.
Pro
By limiting the amount of time that we are eating, it sets a natural stopping point for eating each night, which can greatly reduce nighttime boredom snacking, which is a challenge for many of us.
Con
If we use our eating window as a license to eat as much as possible during that window, it can produce the opposite results. It is still important to practice mindful eating and refer to our own calorie needs even while Intermittent Fasting.
Perimenopause and menopause have had their challenges for me, including weight gain despite no change in diet or exercise. In addition, a baseline bone density scan performed last summer revealed lower than normal bone density in my hips. Needless to say, I became very motivated to lose weight, especially abdominal fat, and prevent further bone loss. My physician recommended 5+ days of weight-bearing exercise per week as well as minor nutrition adjustments for bone health.
Around this same time, I saw Dr. Dunn’s review of the book “The Whole Body Reset” by Stephen Perrine. This book is targeted to those in mid-life and beyond and focuses on consuming an adequate amount of protein at each meal throughout the day. I changed my eating habits to incorporate the recommendations in the book and was surprised to notice that my urge for a mid-morning and post-dinner snack disappeared. I also began to slowly increase the amount of weight-bearing exercise I performed each week. Gradually, I began to lose weight. Hooray! Unfortunately, however, I hit a plateau prior to reaching my goal weight.
One of the key tenants of our programs is tracking so I decided to try a calorie counter app to see if I could move past my weight loss plateau. Below are the pros and cons I experienced when using the calorie counter app:
Pros
Knowing the total number of calories consumed per day
Increased awareness of how activity affects the total daily calorie budget
Pinpointing my afternoon snack as the likely result of my weight loss plateau
The convenience of logging foods and activity
Cons
Focusing on calories to the point of obsession
Exercising for the sole purpose of increasing daily calorie allotment
Guessing at the caloric content of home cooked meals
Consuming an evening snack simply because I had more calories available for the day
The app provided me with very beneficial information, especially regarding the caloric content of my afternoon snack, and helped me move past my weight loss plateau. However, due to my newfound obsession with calories and exercise, I deleted the app from my phone. Instead, I am opting to focus on consuming an adequate amount of protein throughout the day, being mindful of the caloric content of my afternoon snack, making sure half of my dinner plate contains vegetables, and making sure I am getting regular weight-bearing exercise. It took some time and effort to figure out what works for me and is sustainable long-term. Have you found what works for you?
