I was recently featured in SD Voyager magazine with an interview about me, my background, how I came to be a Registered Dietitian, and where I am headed. Have a read, and if there is anything you would like to discuss, or maybe you would just like to connect, please feel free to reach out!
-M
As defined by Webster for our purposes today: cleanse: a very restrictive short-term diet primarily intended to remove toxins from the body.
Cleansing my soul :-)
Most preventative health professionals must be pretty excited for January, as it is the month when many people are going to make healthy living a priority. Now, the mechanisms many people will use for this commitment will vary widely, to include a very wide range of what would be labeled as a “cleanse”.
Over the past couple of weeks I’ve thought about this, which I would say is an overall cultural event in our country. It’s just what a lot of us do after the holidays. And it makes sense. Many of us just beat our bodies up over the holidays, drinking, eating a lot of very tasty, yet less nutritious food, and not exercising. Once the new year arrives and the holidays are over, we are tired of spending money, going to parties, and overindulging.
Even if you thought to yourself that this is the year you will not be participating in this “be super kind to your body” challenge, you soon see that, everyone else is doing it. No one is having parties (ok, maybe the Superbowl), your co-workers are bringing healthy lunches to work, your good friends are all on “veganuary” or “dry January”. Might as well join in the fun, since your entire environment is supporting it right now, yes?
So, with that being said, a few things to keep in mind.
1- Our bodies are pretty amazing at self-cleansing. For most of us, extreme measures are unnecessary for our bodies to run optimally. Nutritionally, a well-balanced diet, and avoiding alcohol and excessive sugar will do the trick for most of us.
2- Include mental, physical, and nutritive aspects in your plan. I see many people participate in a challenge of diet & exercise, but no psychological care. Some participate in a diet-only plan, or an exercise-only plan. Yes, I’d rather see you do one of those than nothing ;-), but consider a challenge that incorporates more aspects of well-being, such as mindfulness, spirituality, financial, social, in a addition to diet and exercise.
3- You are unique. The optimal plan for you will be different than everyone else. When considering how you will be good to your body in 2019, I highly suggest speaking with a qualified health professional who has YOUR best interests in mind, only. Most people have an agenda, even if they mean well. Speak to one (or more!) professional that is focused on your best interests, values and goals.
There is a plethora of avenues for optimal health. I hope that whatever your goals are in the new year, being good to yourself is one of them :-) Happy New Year, and as always, I’d love to hear from you. Please contact me if you have any questions.
-M
As we get ready to leave this morning for our annual Christmas road trip, I wanted to share some thoughts I had for your 2019 goals.
First, how about taking a moment to reflect on 2018. I don’t know about you, but I feel that this year flew by! Another year of learning, another year of wisdom.
Think about three things that happened to you, or three things that you did, that you are really grateful for. It could be something small, or a large project. If you do nothing else, if you stop reading here, please comment on this post with your three things. I would love to celebrate your gratitude with you, because gratitude is a great place to start!!
Ok, now on to 2019. I received my new planner in the mail yesterday. It’s so clean, shiny, and new, with crisp, blank pages. The way I think about my new planner is how I imagine we all think about the new year. Shiny and new…clean slate. Then the New Year’s goals follow. Here are four suggestions for not just setting, but also achieving those goals!
1. S.M.A.R.T.
I’m sure many of us have heard of S.M.A.R.T. goals. Here’s the short explanation: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, & Time-bound. We need a “What?”, “How much?”, “When?”, “Where?“, & “Why?”.
Without being able to measure and track your goal, you will never know when you have accomplished it. This is a big reason why many people set goals and feel they never achieve them. Achieve what? You don’t even know exactly what you were working toward.
2. Realistic
Be honest with yourself. For instance, if you currently lead a completely sedentary life, running a mile a day is probably a bit much for you in the beginning (not to mention you could injure yourself). Walking 10 minutes a day might be a better start. Sound too easy? Perfect, then you are confident you will reach this goal, making it a great initial goal.
We are further motivated by successes. Setting attainable, sometimes smaller goals, and achieving them, will keep you more motivated than if you fail to hit a big goal in the time alloted. And speaking of time, don’t set a short-term goal with an extended time frame…that would be a long-term goal. Set a daily goal, or a weekly goal. Celebrate those successes. Maybe keep, and achieve that same goal several times before moving on. This is how you create habits.
3. Relevant
Look at your goal and ask yourself why this goal is important to you. Is this something that is going to help you grow in a way that you feel is important? Is this something that is not only important to you, but also urgent? If it doesn’t feel urgent to you, you will likely not be motivated to complete the action plan to achieve that goal. This is what happens with many goals that we feel are important, yet not urgent.
4. Abundance instead of restriction
I am already hearing about “No alcohol January” and …..well, that’s all I’ve heard so far. But it will come soon…”No more chocolate, no more sweets, no more French fries”…etc. So here is one thing that can backfire with this strategy. “No more ____ in January” may lead to “Free for all February”, where you often undo all the good you did in January, and then some.
I have another strategy in mind for 2019. Instead of restricting yourself of anything, focus on ADDING a healthy behavior. For example, eat one serving of vegetables with breakfast every day, or one nutritious vegetarian dinner a week, or walk 5,000 steps a day. Need ideas? Please comment below, or shoot me an email!
Wherever you are in life right now, say with me, “no regrets”. YOU ARE EXACTLY WHERE YOU SHOULD BE. There is no “shoulda, coulda, woulda”. You’ve done the best you could with the resources you’ve had, and here you are. Embrace it, enjoy it, take it in. Be proud of what you have accomplished so far. Now, imagine how awesome your future is going to be. You have all this knowledge you gained about yourself and the world over this past year, adding to all your knowledge of years before.
Now go forth, make history!
-M
The scene: You have been on a roll and eating very healthy. You may have even recently lost some weight as a bonus. Maybe you recently hit a weight loss or training goal. Then you see it…the chocolate croissant, coconut creme pie, sweet cream ice cream…you get the picture. You make the decision, “I will eat (said treat)” and proceed to enjoy yourself, indulging in every…last…bite. About 2 minutes later, or maybe even while you are enjoying the treat, you think to yourself “This is bad. I am eating a bad thing. At least 1 pound gained; one point for added diabetes risk.” The half-ass regret, or maybe whole hearted regret (depends on the person), may stay around the next 30 minutes, or maybe even the rest of the day.
Sound familiar? Ever happen to you or someone you know? It’s a pretty common thought process. We formulate our own specific food rules throughout life based on what we’ve learned from professionals, the media, friends and family. Break the rules…shame on me.
I imagine we are all on a spectrum with this behavior. My concern is with those who stay on the far end of this spectrum, married to the “all or none” thinking of diet. You are either eating well, or eating like shit, there is no “sweet” spot (haha, see what I did there?). Extreme guilt is felt with every treat eaten, and every decadent restaurant meal. There is an arsenal of food rules that should not be broken.
If you are feeling bad, or guilty about something you ate, how about reframing the situation? Ask yourself, “What was the positive thing I wanted to achieve with that decision?”
For many, the answer may be
1. Celebration, enjoyment.
or
2. Experience a unique, exquisite flavor and texture.
Next, consider your overall eating pattern. YOU HAVE THE POWER to make all of your food decisions day to day. You may feel guilty that sometimes your decisions do not reflect your commitment to eat better. Well, that’s because maybe at this time you are honoring your commitment to be happy, to enjoy yourself…not just to feed your body, but to feed your soul.
As for your food rules — first, consult with a dietitian regarding nutrition education. Second, how about looking at those rules more as guidelines?
This study suggested that those who associate guilt with eating chocolate cake had a harder time, on average, succeeding with weight loss goals and maintaining weight. This supports a decision to lose the guilt associated with your food decisions.
Enjoy!
Use your power of choice to be intentional about your eating. Make choices based on nutritive value and satisfaction, and what makes you feel the best physically and emotionally. Plan ahead. Listen to your body. Really listen to be aware of what you need, what you want, and be able to feel when enough is enough. By being completely in tune with your unique condition and needs, you can learn to make confident food decisions to honor all of your needs, and leave that guilt behind.
-M
One of my recent meal prep classes focused on using herbs and spices to flavor up vegetables. I love cooking various vegetable dishes. I love it even more when I not only see people eating their veggies, but also LOVING their veggies.
Much of our medicine, historically, came from herbs and spices, before the days of big pharma. Herbs and spices often carry higher concentrations of antioxidants, polyphenols, and other micronutrients that help to fight inflammation, ease gastrointestinal distress, soothe skin, control blood sugar, lower blood lipids, strengthen the immune system, delay Alzheimer’s, and kill bacteria, among other things.
It’s a good idea to start thinking of ways to incorporate these foods into your everyday meals, if you aren’t already.
Spicing things up…a guide to adding flavor-
My latest spice order. If you want to try some fun spice blends, check out Savory Spice or Penzeys!
alt & pepper, easy. Onion and garlic, got it. But what about all these other herbs and spices? There are so many. Which go together? Am I using enough?
I hear you. I still have to look up what spices go together in different cuisines. I am a self-taught cook from South Louisiana. I knew, “Slap Ya Mama” (that’s a spice mix, for you non-Southerners), and file’. If you are just starting out, start simple. Using any herb or spice is better than none.
Following are a few blends based on cuisine. I included just a sampling of herbs and spices for each cuisine, so as not to overwhelm. Don’t feel tied down to only those spices, and you don’t have to use all of them. Feel free to experiment!
Cajun cuisine: cayenne, paprika, garlic, black pepper, oregano, thyme, bay leaf
Mexican cuisine: Chili powder, cilantro, coriander, cumin, garlic, lime, onion
Italian cuisine: Basil, fennel seed, garlic, oregano, parsley, rosemary, red pepper, onion
Mediterranean cuisine: Dill, garlic, lemon, oregano, cardamom, sumac, cumin, thyme,
French cuisine: chervil, chives, herbs de provence, garlic, onion, oregano, rosemary, thyme
I’d love to hear about your favorite spice mix/spice uses in the comments below!
-M
I recently took off on a last minute trip home to Louisiana to visit family. I am always so happy to go home to see all the family that I can. It warms my heart.
In the past, I would say that all wellness goals fly right out the window when I went home. It was all about seeing how much fried, smothered, and covered food I could eat during my visit. I would eat out pretty much for every meal. I would carry Tums with me and would often need them in the evening, right before trying to stuff some leftover food or dessert in my mouth. I also made sure to try all the beer and other alcoholic drinks that were calling my name. I mean I was basically on vacation, right?
Chargrilled oysters are a must when I visit home. I think I got one or two of these, thanks to my nephew :-)
The one thing I would always try to do is at least get in some exercise. I was usually successful here, but couldn't say that I exactly felt my best during said exercise, considering my pre-exercise fuel.
Got a lot of walking in at the local park with my nephew and brother!
During my most recent trip, I followed a few guidelines that, not surprisingly, helped me to feel much better physically AND emotionally during this trip.
1. Eat at least one meal "at home".
In the past, I found a way to eat out for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This visit, I ate breakfast at home. Simple eggs and veggies to get the day started. Thanks to my sis for already having some pre-prepped when I got there. ;-) This guideline alone probably saved me from overeating at least 500 calories a day. Another thing we did a couple times was order food out and brought it home to eat. This can also be helpful for a few reasons:
*You may be less inclined to order fried food as it will be soggy by the time you eat it
*Since you are not in a rush to eat and leave, you will eat slower, becoming more full before overeating
*By transferring food from the to go container to a plate, you can create a more appropriate portion size, not feeling you have to clean the plate of the original portion
2. Chill on the fried food.
And this goes for all rich foods. This includes pre-packaged fried foods like potato and corn chips. I know, fried food and bananas foster bread pudding with ice cream is the bomb. I get it. I LOVE crunchy french fries. I grew up on fried food. But it provides no positive nutritional value for you (besides keeping you alive in the scenario of actual starvation). Sure, have a taste of some of the specialties you'll never see at home...but you don't need to eat platefuls of it. Chances are, in a few hours, there will be something else you just HAVE to try. When I used to go home, I ordered fried food almost every meal (probably why I needed the Tums). I had fried food twice this past visit. One was on accident, which brings me to a lesson in ordering food. You really need to ALWAYS ask how a food is prepared, as they may not list it as fried on the menu, yet it will be fried, which is a real bummer when you DON'T want your food fried (To my Louisiana friends, who fries BBQ shrimp???).
3. Chill on the alcohol.
Yeah I know, tough one for my alcohol connoisseurs out there. I am one of them. It's a triple threat because I love wine, beer, Mezcal, whiskey, and sometimes other stuff. I get it, especially when away from home, you want some fun drinks. The best strategy here, I think, is just to think about the facts...alcohol wreaks havoc on your insides. Just google Youtube videos "what alcohol does to your body". Acetaldehyde, fatty liver, heart and stomach issues, liver and brain cell death, cancer, anemia, organ malfunction....just think of those things the next time you're reaching for a third drink. Our bodies are incredible in the way they detoxify themselves as we constantly beat them up. Eventually, your body will start to wear out if you don't practice more self care.
4. Be very aware of your food choices, and your portions.
So often, when we eat out, we order food, not really thinking of how it is cooked, how many vegetables come with the dish, how big the dish is, etc. I know most of us don't go out to eat healthy, BUT, there is a way to compromise by eating smaller portions and not ordering the dish that's fried, covered in a creamy sauce and cheese, with a huge side of buttery potatoes, or creamed spinach. It takes practice, and you won't get it "perfect" every time, but the more you try, the better you will get. Seriously, check yourself on portions. If you eat part of an appetizer, and entree, salad, sides, a dessert, maybe some bread or whatever free stuff they give you in the beginning.... that's a lot of food!
Awww, Mom bought cupcakes for my birthday. I graciously ate a couple bites of one.
My niece showing me how it's done.
5. Eat slowly.
This goes for food and drink. When on vacation, or sometimes with family or friends, we become excited when eating out. In that excitement, we may be influenced to eat faster, with gusto, often reinforced by seeing the same behavior exhibited by those we are eating with. Take the time to taste your food, chew it, feel the texture, and relish in this moment of happiness, taking in the ambiance, company, the food, and drink. Take a mental picture, put your fork down and talk, play the "guess the ingredients" game, which really helps to slow down everyone's eating, tuning in to every detail of their food.
6. Get the exercise in.
Don't become a couch potato when you are away from home. The less you move, the less calories you're burning, which is not good if you are also eating more calories than usual. You don't have to visit a gym or sign up for boot camp. It's also not only about getting one exercise session in each day. Find ways to keep moving throughout the day. Go for walks or a jog. Go window shopping. If you are with kids, find a playground or park, and bring a ball or frisbee. Hiking, swimming, cycling, kayaking, ziplining, indoor rock climbing, trampoline park....google activities wherever you happen to be, and get out there! Not only are you burning more calories, you are giving yourself a mental boost, having fund, and exercising two very important things, your heart and respiratory muscles!
Working off some calories at the local trampoline park. Need exercise? Find a 6 year old boy :-)
7. Be a food/drink snob.
When I met my husband, he was not picky about food, and he'd drink almost any glass of red you would put in front of him. He is much pickier after 4 years with me. Unless you are dealing with a food insecurity issue, please do not feel the need to gobble up every morsel and drink you buy, just because it's there and you don't want to waste it. For many of us, our food problem is an issue of overabundance. You can be picky, save your calories for the good stuff! Sometimes it's not just about being a "snob", it's about being able to push away the rest of the food. I know this is hard when the food or drink is really good, this is your brain talking. Try listening to your stomach too. When you start to physically feel full....move away from the food.
Unless you are on an epicurean cruise or a foodie trip to wine country, not every trip should be centered around food. For instance, when visiting family, even if your family eats out a lot, focus more on the time you're spending with your family, minus the food. Think of things you can do together, unrelated to food. When on vacation, what are the things you can do besides eating out? Go for a hike, or sightseeing. Take a healthy sandwich or some small snacks to keep you from getting too hungry. You can experience so much of a place, of people, unrelated to food. Food is only part of the whole picture.
The grocery run when I returned home. Fresh veggies and fruit for days!!
I'll leave you with this thought. No matter how your next vacation or trip away from home ends up, no matter how bad you "fall off the wagon", do not feel like it is now an excuse to throw all goals out the window and continue down the road away from good health. This is often the case. How many of us get to that point a year down the road thinking, "how did I get here??". Allow yourself the fun time, regroup, and set some goals going forward to get you back on track.
If you need help with setting goals, figuring out the right goals for you, and reaching those goals, please reach out to me. I can help you whether you are in San Diego, Louisiana or anywhere else!
-M
I grew up in South Louisiana. With a Cajun grandmother, Chinese mother, and Italian Aunt, I had the fortune to be exposed to a variety of cuisines at a young age. My Aunt’s homemade spaghetti sauce and my Mom’s chili shrimp stand out in my mind. Cajun food was my mainstay since my grandmother did much of the cooking for me as a child. It was red beans and rice, smothered mirliton, chicken sauce piquante, crawfish bisque, shrimp and okra gumbo, and potato salad. Lots of potato salad. I especially remember the potato salad, because, as a young child, it was the dish I was entrusted to make. I was very proud of my potato salad. I would not say that anyone in my family was “health conscious”, or cooked that way. I remember loving food as long as I can remember. I don’t remember that anyone ever had any issues getting me to eat.
I really didn’t understand how lucky I was. By the age of eight, I lived on an eight-acre horse farm with my step-mother, dad, horses, dogs, goats, 2 pigs, 1 cat, and gaggles of chickens. I have fond memories of egg gathering in the barn. Pastured eggs every day.
By the time I was 13, I lived on 33 acres with my dad, who had decided to raise cows and plant a very large garden. We had grass fed beef and fresh vegetables right in our backyard. During my teenage years, I’d be introduced to the idea of dieting. I struggled with my weight and first tried the low-fat diets, then the low-carb diets. Of course, I had no idea what I was doing.
As a young adult I started going to the gym and even started to teach group exercise classes. I still lived on quite a bit of fast food, Lipton Noodles & Rice, Hamburger Helper, and Lean Cuisine meals. You know, typical Southern Louisiana college kid in the 90’s.
Thirteen years ago, at 27, I moved to San Diego. I was slowly introduced to a new culture of “healthy living”. Between a blog I followed and my circle of influence, I began to learn about the Paleo diet, which sparked a deeper interest in nutrition. I finally decided it was time to stop researching nutrition on the internet and embark on a 4-year career change which led to a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist credential. Between education, experience, and using myself as a subject for almost every diet out there, I have learned a lot.
I know there is still much more I want to explore and experience. I will never stop learning. My current nutrition opinion right now? It’s probably pretty boring to most. We are all such unique people with unique circumstances, some we can or can’t control. If I’m speaking in general to everyone, then my #1 piece of advice is to eat lots of vegetables and fruits that you can tolerate, #2 is eat as little added sugar as possible.
I hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about me. Please post any comments or questions. I would love to hear from you!
-Michelle