When Liz (not her real name) arrived at her nutrition session, it looked like the world had defeated her. "What's up?" I asked "Well, since our last session, I had blood work done." "And?" "I'm so frustrated! I thought I was doing all the right things - eating more fiber, trying to get in more protein, stopped emotional snacking, mountain biking more, and strength training twice a week. But my numbers are still high! And given my Dad's heart attack 5 years ago, is this another genetic "gift"...
4 days ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, How do you deal with the winter blahs and cold weather? Asking for a friend 😉 My coping strategy a couple of years ago was chocolate chip cookies made with coconut oil. I thought, "full permission! I'm allowed to eat cookies whenever I want! If I eat the whole batch in 3 days, I'll make more!" At the same time, I was coping with more than winter blahs and cold temps. I was stuck in a broken relationship, living between 2 states, and all with a heavier sense of loneliness than I'd...
11 days ago • 3 min read
Have you tried the new bagels with 30 grams of fiber Reader? I just learned about these in a conversation with Andrea this week. One of her behavior-based intentions is to increase fiber to reduce her cholesterol. Andrea: "I feel like I'm doing great with my fiber and protein intake!" Me: "Amazing! What does that look like?" Andrea: "Well, I found this brand of bagels that has 30 grams of fiber per bagel! I'm having one for breakfast with a couple of eggs and a little cheese. Then I have...
18 days ago • 3 min read
“Running fashionably late, but on my way, Reader!" Friends often get this text from me. Inevitably, I try to do everything for all the reasons, and occasionally my body battery runs out sooner than I'd like. Limited capacity is real! Many of us have limited capacity to do “all the things” compared to when we were in our 20s and 30s. Despite good intentions, dropping the ball on behavior-based intentions is easy. Not because you don't try hard enough. Because your body's battery has less...
25 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, After reading last week’s email, Mary sent me this question: “What do you think of the new dietary guidelines?” Oh! I love a meaty question (pun intended, see new pyramid image below). The new upside-down pyramid image isn’t helpful, in my opinion. It’s confusing and puts eaters at increased risk of consuming more saturated fat. The image is misleading and doesn’t align with the actual recommendation of no more than 10% of calories coming from saturated fat. Foods that are only...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Did you have a chance to read the blogs mentioned in last week's email Reader? If you did, you know there’s a distinct difference between desired health outcomes and our intentional behaviors. Health outcomes focus on the result. Intentional behaviors, when done consistently, lead to the desired outcome… ”I want to lose X pounds before summer!” Desired outcome "I want to lower my cholesterol before my next blood draw." Desired outsome Intentional behaviors... ”I want to walk 3 days per week...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
"Look at this board," Mary said, staring at the broad, wooden trailhead sign at the start of the Ingalls Lake Trail. "It's like entering the land of No." No campfires at the lake. No camping at the lake. No dogs allowed No firewood cutting If you think January feels like the "land of no" Reader, you're not alone. No more sugar Don't eat after 8 pm Don't eat processed foods After the food and drink free-for-all of the holiday season, many of the clients I've seen this week feel the pressure to...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Confession time, Reader. I used to have a lustful affair with food. My 20s were fraught with food rules and conditions. My healthy eating habits were more about not eating and less about health. During the holidays, I gave myself seasonal permission to eat chocolate, baked goods, and other high-calorie foods sworn off-limits for the rest of the year. From Thanksgiving to New Year's, I'd sneak chocolate toffee bars (recipe below), mini-pecan pies, and chocolate peanut butter balls. I ate...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Did you see the picture from Thanksgiving on Facebook, Reader? How did it make you feel about your body? On a recent call with the Midlife Feast Community, we talked about ways to support self-care and negative body image moments during the holidays. Movement and the mindset are at the top of the list for many Featers. Finding fun ways to move your body this season is a great way to help decrease stress and the critical body image voice. But what if it’s difficult to get in exercise due to...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hey, how was your Thanksgiving Reader? "That's a loaded question," said Liz at the start of our session this week. "What happened?" I asked "I hit a deer on the way to my sister's for the holiday - well, almost hit the deer. I swerved to avoid it, skidded through a ditch, and took out a farmer's fence in the process." "Whoa! Fine for the deer, how about you?" "I'm fine. No major injuries other than a little soreness. My car, on the other hand. Totaled." "And I got a traffic ticket for...
3 months ago • 3 min read