Day 26 - Root Vegetable Rumble & Peter Pan Pesto Green Beans

Busy all the time and feel too tired to make a homemade meal? Read this blog for a super simple and easy dinner that is packed full of goodness!

With only 20 bucks in my wallet I had one goal: use only this money to make a killer dinner for three that is delicious, inexpensive and feels good in my family's collective belly well after suppertime.

 WHAT I GOT:

2 Large Yams
3 Large Purple Potatoes
2 lbs. Green Beans
1 package Garlic/Almond Pesto
Red Leaf Lettuce
Carrot
Avocado
Red Onion
Can of Olives
 

 WHAT I MADE:

Root Vegetable Rumble: Cut up the potatoes that I purchased and put into a baking pan, drizzled with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Baked at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Peter Pan Pesto Green Beans: Lightly steamed green beans that were then coated with a container of pesto.

Hodgepodge Salad: I added the rest of the ingredients I bought at the store above into a bowl along with some avocado, yellow beet and red bell pepper that I had left over. I sliced some chicken sausage on the side for those who wanted a denser meal. Served with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

 HOW IT WENT:

It is never too late in the day to make a delicious and fast meal!

My daughter (the current guinea pig in an unconditional permission to eat anything experiment) knocked my socks off with shooting for the two big plates of salad first. She gawked at the green beans (not a favorite) but I told her they were Peter Pan Pesto Green Beans; 'C'mon!!! Give just one a try.' She loved them. Ended up eating a plateful.

The decadence of the pesto paired with the simplicity of the green bean was genius. The way the crunchy and juicy texture of the salad items mingled with the Roasted Vegetable Rumble was divine. It reminded me of roasted vegetable salads that I used to have years ago at a pub. 

With candle lit and the table set we had the nicest meal of the week. Going out to eat is so overrated. Do a Root Vegetable Rumble instead!

Nat

Day 25 - Unconditional Permission to Eat for Kids

Basic Principles of Unconditional Permission to Eat

1. There are no good foods or bad foods, only foods that create different experiences in the body (this is my favorite principle to remember).
2. Allowance is key. Research shows that the more a well-meaning parent interferes with a child's eating the more likely they are to have a problem with eating and a problem with their weight. Allow your child to develop their own mastery of hunger and fullness.
3. Every single one of us was born with the ability to nourish and feed ourselves without input from others. We can trust ourselves.
4. Call 'healthy foods' nourishing foods. Their purpose is to feed and take care of the body.
5. Call 'unhealthy foods' play foods. Their purpose is to have fun. 

Basic Parenting Tips for Implementing Unconditional Permission to Eat

Empty bag of cheese puffs in my daughter's room after movie night. 

• Have your child choose one play food for every grocery shopping trip (every three to four days for me). This is a gentle way to slowly incorporate the idea that any food is okay, without triggering a budget problem from the cart being full of every item imaginable. 
• Portion sizing can be helpful. I do not encourage counting calories or measuring food. That is counter-productive to awake eating. One thing I did notice, though, was that with my daughter's first play food of chocolate pudding had individual cups that made it easier for her to know when the play experience could end. She never went back for more and felt complete. With her second choice of cheese puffs the large bag was challenging. What I am going to do for these non-individual container items is divide them up into individual baggies in the pantry. If she wants to have more than one serving (or more than one baggie) that is fine. The point is to get her to develop an awareness about amounts by simply reaching the bottom of the first serving and asking herself if she really wants a second or third.
• Make sure that nourishing foods are provided at least three times out of the five times your child eats (3 meals, 2 snacks). For example, the play foods that my daughter has chosen are mostly snacks. I serve nourishing foods at the three meals, and she can choose what she wants for the snacks of the day. If your child wants a meal play food (lets say it is pizza or a fast food item) than make sure that snacks are provided that are nourishing foods.
• Make sure that you are feeding their body enough food so that red-flag hunger does not motivate eating behavior. If we get too hungry we are not able to listen to our body and enjoy the eating experience.
• Remind your child that to truly enjoy their play food they must pay attention to the eating process. Have them release distractions and sit down and savor it. This is key!
• What is a satisfying food experience? What was it like eating chocolate for dinner? Engage in empowering conversations about how best to enjoy their play foods and how different eating experiences made them feel.
• Make a list of your child's favorite nourishing foods. This should not be all about play food but about allowing your child to experience unconditional permission to eat any foods that she/he desires. 
• If you find that you are having a hard time allowing, read the basic principles above. Remember that food is not the problem, it is the consciousness of lack and deprivation that is.

Click here to read more about giving ourselves Unconditional Permission to Eat..

Nat

Day 24 - Dieting's Dirty Secret

Driving to work I was listening to the local radio station. My interest peaked when I heard the DJ talking about dieting. I slowly turned up the volume (my daughter rolled her eyes at my so incredibly predictable interest).

"So how much are your customers losing?" the young female DJ said in a infomercial tone.

"Some are losing as much as 2 pounds a day!" the woman responded.

"Wow! And this is not a fad diet. This has been approved by doctors."

"That's right! We work in tandem with some local doctors to help customers lose weight with a sensible diet and exercise."

Later the DJ voiced that she herself used this program to lose 20 pounds in the past and that she loved the results so much that she always comes back to it when she wants to get 'beach body ready.'

GAG!

I could not help but wonder if anyone out there listening realized the irony of this sales segment. Yes, people can lose weight but the point is; are we gaining health, confidence, vitality and lasting changes that permeate our very existence? Obviously the DJ didn't. She had to go back whenever she wanted to lose weight. It reminded me of a movie I watched with my daughter; a woman having to touch a flower of immortality to look young again, only to whither within a short amount of time when she had to leave it and live life.

A diet is a regulated selection of foods that is prescribed for medical reasons or cosmetic weight loss. There is not a day that goes by where its marketing magic is not on radio, television, in print and spoken about by word-of-mouth. American's spend upwards of 60 billion dollars to discover the next diet or weight loss technique and yet we are getting more and more overweight than ever before. What is the common denominator in this flawed system?

Imagine going to the doctor and getting prescribed a medicine for your headache that improves your condition for a few weeks, only to stop working and causing your migraines to worsen in the long term. Would this be something that you would take? What about a cold medicine that actually caused you to contract more illnesses?

Dieting is a prescription that initially appears as an antidote to weight gain when in reality it causes more pounds to pack on. Would you diet if you knew that it promoted weight gain?

Here is some evidence*:

• A team of UCLA researchers reviewed 31 long term studies on dieting and concluded that dieting is a consistent predictor of weight gain - up to two-thirds of the people regained more weight than they lost (1).
• Research on nearly 17,000 kids ages 9-14 years old concluded, "...in the long term, dieting to control weight is not only ineffective, it may actually promote weight gain." (2).
• Teenage dieters had twice the risk of becoming overweight, compared to non-dieting teens, according to a five-year study (3). The dieters did not weigh more than their non-dieting peers, exhibiting that becoming overweight could be linked to the independent factor of dieting in and of itself.

Dieting is harmful for weight management and health. Here are some of the physical reasons why:

• Low calorie dieting doubles the enzymes in the body that store fat.
• Dieting slows the rate of weight loss with each new attempt.
• Metabolism is decreased by as much as 40% and may take up to a year to heal.
• Binge eating episodes and intense cravings are exacerbated. 
• Premature death and heart disease are at an increased risk for yo-yo dieters.
• Other side effects of dieting: headaches, menstrual and hormonal imbalances, rapid aging, fatigue, dry skin and hair loss.

Emotionally, dieting has also been linked to an increased risk of developing a progressed eating disorder, heightened stress, depression, moodiness and social anxiety. In my personal practice I have seen an even more profound theme in dieters; complete dis-empowerment and loss of hope for inhabiting the body.

I am going to clue you in to a secret. Dieting is not what healthy and sexy people use to achieve their physique. These people are just active and joyous inhabitants of their bodies. They are awake and intuitive eaters.  

Now you know dieting's dirty little secret. Just like the flower of immortality; it may seem to change you and give you a gift. The only caveat is that its effect is an illusion; a trap. Every time you go back for more you become weaker and more dependent on its misconstruction. It has the exact opposite effect of what you are desiring. There is no diet that has been invented already or will come out in the future that is the key to your dreams - that is all within you right now. 

Nat

For nutrition counseling programs designed to awaken your inner intuitive and conscious eater, check on Natalie's website www.rootednutrition.com.

*Studies compiled and cited by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD.


[1] Mann, T. Medicare’s search for effective obesity treatments: Diets are not the answer. Am. Psychologist, 2007; 62(3): 220-233.
[2] Field AE et al. Relation Between Dieting and Weight Change Among Preadolescents and Adolescents. Pediatrics, 2003 112:900-906.
[3] Neumark-Sztainer D. et al. Obesity, disordered eating,and eating disorders in a longitudinal study of adolescents: how do dieters fare five years later?J Am Diet Assoc. 2006;106(4):559-568.

Day 23 - Eyes-Inward Awake Eating Exercise

Every single day I become more enriched and excited about being in my body. Being an awake and intuitive eater is a constant process of using every moment of uniting food and body to the highest potential. It is a joy that I cannot fully explain. As a child and young adult my body was this meat suit that I took advantage of and sometimes I even felt as though it was a burden to carry. Now it is my body that sends me tidbits of inspiration and excitement that set the stage for a fantastic day.

Engaging in the Awake/Intuitive Eating approach can start with some simple exercises that gently begin to send attention inward. This blog today will be introducing you to a brand spanking new exercise from my counseling practice Rooted Nutrition for experiencing joy with food. 

I usually start an intuitive eating exercise in the 'field' by experimenting with it personally for about two to four weeks. If I was impressed with its results and accessibility I will merge it into my nutrition counseling program and start to create a trial run with clients.

Here is a link to this new exercise: Eyes-Inward Awake Eating Exercise. Travel there and give it a try.

Cammie and I had a profound experience this morning doing this exercise! Woah!

I had a smoothie in a bowl and she had her cereal. We sat next to each other giggling about the awkwardness of it initially. Cammie loves to put down her spoon in between bites (because she usually wanders off and does baby talk to the nearest pet) and she had trouble finding it a couple times. It was interesting that I did not have that problem. I always kept my spoon in my hand like a physical extension of myself. Why was it hard to let go?

I found that it was challenging to not know how much I was placing on the spoon. Usually when I eat I like to know that with each bite I am getting a certain amount. Isn't that fascinating? I take comfort in knowing there is a certain amount of substance on my utensil. With my eyes closed I had to trust that any amount was okay because I was going to savor it. 

I ran my lips and mouth over the spoon more than a couple times with each serving to see if I got all the liquid off from the smoothie, sometimes discovering a small pocket hiding on my spoon. I never do that when my eyes are open.

There were many times that I was agitated and wanted to open my eyes and just 'get on with it.' It was only natural to go slow and take my time and if I tried to increase the pace it seemed nearly impossible. If I got distracted I would bring myself back to the sweet and creamy sensation on my tongue.

It seemed like a whole half hour went by and I had taken in hundreds of spoonfuls of my breakfast. I had memorized the cold and velvety consistency and the taste-fusion of berry coconut. My taste buds were now calming down, signaling that they had enough of this experience and it was time to move on. I felt done. I opened my eyes and was in absolute shock. I had applied the Two-Time Sit Down exercise so many times that I knew just the right portion that I needed in the morning and that is what I prepared and put into the bowl. Yet now, as I was looking down, I had only eaten half of the bowl during the whole exercise and felt complete. I could not believe it. Cammie was surprised as well. She is notorious for never finishing her food because she gets distracted. She had eaten the whole bowl no problem.

How could this be?? This is the magic of awake and intuitive eating! When we stop and are present, savor the food and enjoy our body the always in attendance natural health potential pulses its way back in. If you do not nourish yourself enough, you naturally do. If you stuff too much in out of fear you stop when you have received enough physical nourishment.

This breakfast was so enjoyable. Camaria and I talked about what it must have been like to be Helen Keller, engaged largely in the inner world of bodily sensations without sight and hearing for distraction. During the exercise we both felt that reality shifted and during that meal we were in an alternate reality. Do you think telescopes looking outward to space are where its at? I don't think so. The most fascinating world to me is when we close our eyes and the whole world falls away to reveal only a singular consciousness.

I ended up feeling light and optimistic starting my day, even spending extra time preparing a delicious salad to bring to work with me, to practice the Eyes-Inward exercise again.

How did it work for you?

Nat

Day 22 - Unconditional Permission to Eat

It was a moment I will never forget. Immersed in Nutrition college with textbooks and research papers gobbling up my desk I sat with jaw open and in shock. Could this be true? That all this (looking at the piles before me and recollecting the memorization of number, figures and chemical names) that I have learned is only secondary to such an immensely profound yet simple philosophy? It made sense to me; it was a rare intellectual moment that seeped into my gut and punched up through my heart. From simply allowing in a new thought I was transformed.

I had just read a paper by a Naturopathic physician talking about the scientific studies showing transformation in patients who had been trained in unrestricted eating. This went against everything that I was learning. I was hooked. I dived into every book, periodical, research paper and article I could find.

The true start of the revolution was one concept: giving ourselves unconditional permission to eat. This means that we are responding to our biological hunger as well as the desire for the food we want. We let go of the restriction, demoralization and deprivation of demonized foods (high fat, high calorie, carbohydrates, sweets, etc.) and rather accept that all foods have equal status. If we desire to experience them then we should have not only the right and inclination but the willingness to become familiar to their sensations.

With a prohibitive attitude it is only natural to want to rebel. Our diet and its rules develop biological food cravings and yearnings, food obsession and binge eating behavior to counter the feeling that certain foods will be removed or withheld. With unconditional permission to eat we discover our true synergy with a food, whether it speaks to us, feeds us or depletes us. We learn its subtleties and texture beyond the thrill of taking in the forbidden fruit of society. We finally allow ourselves to experience the complexity and honesty of each consumable. This is not a delusional process. There is not a assumption that a donut has the same nutrient density as a bushel of spinach. The point is that by becoming an awake eater who trusts his/her body enough to feel any food, you naturally have an inclination to follow the sensations of the body; which by the way are always pointing you towards health and well being.

Giving ourselves unconditional permission to eat requires some simple (but not necessarily easy) steps:

• Recognize that there are no good or bad foods, just foods that create different experiences uniquely in your body.
• Recognize that one food, one snack, one meal or one day does not make or break your health.
  
• Allow yourself to have the foods that you have forbidden yourself to have. Ask yourself these questions before eating them:
• Do I really want this food?
• Do I want it now, or later?
• When you eat any food, but especially the ones that are challenging for you, make sure that you are awakened to the sensations of your body so that you are truly in a state of unconditional permission.
• Apply every step in The Awake Eating Method
• Stay connected to the eating experience by taking note of the aroma, taste, texture and temperature.
• Make sure you truly believe that this item will always be available to you no matter what. You must believe this to truly be engaging in this step.

 Although you may fear that unconditional permission will give you creative license to consume gallons of ice cream that turn into rapid weight gain, you may be fantastically surprised by the outcome. When food is no longer forbidden the opposite happens - we begin to listen to our body and its amazingly wise intuitive nature.

Guinea Pig Update

Our Under-the-kitchen-table fort!

Shredded Spoonfuls

For those who have been curious about my journey with my daughter and this awake eating step it has definitely been interesting, both in observing her as well as listening to my own internal reactions. Her seeming obsession with chocolate pudding is rather hilarious. She ate it while standing in the bathtub naked tonight and later declared that she was done with all chocolate pudding. Over. Time to move on. Interesting. When we built a fort in the kitchen (which was my attempt at playtime but we ended up talking about Sudan) she could not get enough of dry cereal (she even took a picture out of pure excitement to share it on my blog). She said to me later, "Mom, it feels so good to have play food. I missed it."

Hmmm....

Nat

Day 21 - Inconsequential Sundays

I don't feel much like writing today. That is okay. Maybe you will enjoy a blog that is no longer the size of a novel?

I found as I sat down at the blank screen tonight that I should have something more profound to share... and then I realized something: this inconsequential Sunday was a a perfect character in the play of my week. She was quiet and slow starting; a supporting actress so-to-speak who gently glided her way into my heart. I may have had my initial judgments, wanting to have more from her hushed demeanor than the seeming monotony of sun arching then setting. In retrospect she gave a brilliant performance that could only be absorbed by those looking to the periphery of the stage.

Nothing really happened too significant. A few things made me stomach laugh; my husband getting stuck in his jacket; my daughter doing a 'walk like an Egyptian' dance while hula hooping; trying to get a photo of my dog only to get pushed over into the snow when she pummeled me; Cammie and I making a fort underneath the kitchen island with sheets and blankets only to get raided by a grown man in his skivvies becoming the tickle monster.

When was the last time you were critical of yourself for not doing enough? Do you feel like a day is only of meaning if it is also productive?

Overeating, under eating, binge eating, and emotional eating can all be derived from an inconsequential Sunday (or any day of the week) if we let it. You may be in the house all day, only feet away from a smorgasbord of snacks, meals and decadence that feel like are the only things to do. Stop and remember that sometimes doing nothing is okay. You have my permission.

Nat

Day 20 - Daughter Guinea Pig in Awake Eating Experiment

No Auld Lang Syne, party hats or streamers when it hit 12:00 AM this morning. I was lying in bed with my daughter, weaving in and out of the night stories of my mind. With one ear plug in my right ear (salvaged in angst right before the dog could swallow it) and my left ear positioned in a deep and fluffy pillow like a silencer to a gun, it was my prime resolution to get deep sleep without the interruption of the tag-team-Satan cats beckoning me awake.

The real highlight of my New Year's was the night before instigating a nutrition experiment with my daughter as the prime subject.

Even though I teach how important it is to reject the diet mentality I am vigilant about what makes its way into my household and even more anal about what my daughter has her pick of (cinnamon roll from the coffee shop? no way!). I have felt that I have gained such a intricate level of awareness about food that I must know what is best for her. I am realizing that I may have been wrong. There are plenty of studies that are now showing that children who have parents who monitor or control their diet have a greatly increased chance of becoming overweight or developing an eating disorder. In fact, in my training and research in intuitive and conscious eating I have seen such powerful and consistent evidence that supports one simple truth: true health with food starts with complete allowance to discover it for oneself.

I decided it was time to fess up. I knew that I had to let go and allow my daughter Cammie to discover her own inner feelings with food. Even though my work with adults has shown amazing results from such an approach, I was still terrified. I questioned whether, because she is a child, she had the capacity to withhold the desire to eat twinkies and pizza for every meal and not put herself in a nutrient-deficiency coma. Alas, though, I reminded myself that this does works. The reason why is simple. The human body is magnificently wise. When a child perceives that something is no longer withheld they no longer feel the need to seek it out and gorge. They really and truly believe that the opportunity to have that experience is always available; why obsess or over emphasize it? Not controlling their diet communicates that we do trust their innate knowing and they begin to believe that they can trust themselves as well. This sets the stage for looking inward for answers and guidance rather than into the imperfect world of external monitoring systems (calorie counting or point systems). Wouldn't we rather awaken their natural internal health barometer?

As parents it is our job not to dictate rules and regulations. We are to help them discover the tools and assets that are already within them that they can use to journey through their life with joy and passion. 

This challenge is just like the challenge I give to clients who are trying to lose weight, gain weight or develop a healthier relationship with food; eat what you love, love what you eat and allow yourself to experience both unconditionally. I know.... woah.

Yesterday was the first day in the challenge. I had Cammie write down all the foods that she loved (and I specified also to include foods that she thought were 'unhealthy' or 'forbidden' in the household because this was about discovering her pleasures). I explained the exercise that we were doing; that there are foods that feed our body and foods that are for 'play' (there are no good or bad foods). This new experience was a way of discovering more of her 'play' foods. Below is what she wrote down:

Yes, she wrote wine. She is Italian!

At the grocery store she chose some of the items off her list: cheerios that ARE sweetened (after my attempt to get an unsweetened version months ago that is still sitting in the pantry), frozen strawberries for smoothies, chocolate pudding and coconut vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips. The other items we will incorporate in the next couple of weeks.

For dinner she had a big smoothie. She loved making it with me, feeling like she had created the meal from start to finish. Both my husband and I scowled a bit silently at the thought of something so light and sweet for dinner but we persevered. After she was done she wanted ice cream with chocolate chips. It took her about a half an hour to eat it and she relished every bite. She looked absolutely blissed out. She ended up leaving chocolate chips in the bowl because she felt that she was totally done.

I ate my salad with fresh onions, red bell peppers, grated carrot and beet, olives, avocado and baby spinach a bit later. She approached me from behind leaning her head on my shoulder peering up at me with a face of want. At first I thought she was joking. She usually does this when I am eating something sweet and decadent to signal that she fancies a bite. On further inspection I realized that she really did want a bite. I gave her some. She ended up eating half my salad with a diverse range of vegetables that she usually never touches.What happened?

When we are allowed the freedom to experience desire and know that we are not deprived we no longer make decisions from a place of lack and longing; we make decisions from a place of true nourishment. Cammie was listening to her body because she experienced pleasure from being in it. It is a balance of 'play' food and 'nourishing' food that institutes a health.

We still have a long way to go together but this was the first step in rehabilitating my role as the 'nutrition rules' mother into a 'nourishing mother.' I hope to help her reveal the skills of inner guidance, body awareness and calm pleasure in the process - because I believe those are more important than any number or figure that exists in the diet world.

Instead of 'diet' resolutions here are some that empower you to discover your own intuitive health:

• I commit myself to restrict nothing.
• I give myself permission to unconditionally eat any food that I desire.
• I listen to my body, down to every cell, to give it what it needs.
• I revel in the pleasure of food.
• I enjoy the pleasure of my body.
• I move my body but do not abuse it.

To a new year of allowance and pleasure!

Nat