Snack Time

Snack Time

So am I that mom that curls her toes at the sight of her daughters helping themselves to munchkins and goldfish?  I am getting better!  Our girls have a handful of treats twice a week at school.  I can bring them cut up fruit if I want.  But in finding the balance in all of this I do not want our girls to be the only kids in the class eating a different snack.  And, of course, they love the snacks they get in school!  Play-date and party food makes our ladies giddy as well.  My friends all make fun of me when my daughters just sit and eat and don’t play.  I try to explain that they are eaters and even if it were something healthy on the table they would do the same thing.  But the sight of the Gilroy twins slamming munchkins and goldfish does make for some good comedy.  You should see their faces when they try to suck droplets out of a Capri Sun package!

They are almost 2 and I do what I can.  When we are not on play dates or at parties, I try my hardest to stick to the real stuff.  Here are some of the healthy snacks that we enjoy.

Healthy Snacks

• Fruit and vegetables.
• One of our favorites is sweet potatoes.  The girls love them so much they eat them cold!
• Vegetables and hummus, guacamole or a healthy dressing (healthy meaning the least amount of ingredients and additives in your dressing; low fat dressing is not a healthy option). 
• For younger kids, I would steam or boil the veggies for a few minutes so they are not too hard to eat.

• For bigger kids cut up a variety of fruits and vegetables and let them make their own salad.  It will make them feel like they had a choice too!
• Apples and peanut butter, almond butter or sun butter.
• Dried fruit and nuts.
• We enjoy dried apples and raisins.
• Nuts
• Go to the bulk bins with your kids and let them create a trail-mix.
• Fruit and vegetable smoothies.
• Popcorn on the stove!  (Olive oil in a pot, put the kernels in the pot, put the cover on - and instant snack; season to your liking).
• Pickles.
• Whole grain crackers and hummus.
• Sliced Banana with peanut or almond butter. 
• A small dish of last night’s leftovers.
• Rice cakes or rice crackers with a topping (hummus, almond butter, pureed or sliced fruit).
• Natural chips & salsa - add black beans for protein
• Drain, rinse and puree a can of black beans.  Add a half a jar of mild salsa, two tablespoons of pureed kale and you have one healthy dip! 
• Natural chips & guacamole.
• Homemade fruit juice popsicles.
• Organic yogurt / Greek strained.
• Granola (make sure you read the labels for the least amount of additives).
• A cup of oatmeal with fruit, nuts and honey.
• A few small pieces of cheese, some almonds and a piece of fruit.

Reminder! Don’t use any of the butters (peanut butter, almond butter, sun butter) unless you have gotten the OK from your doctor.

Love deeply and snack mindfully,

Kim Gilroy

Brown Bagging It!

Brown Bagging It!

I became interested in the health and wellness industry for a variety of reasons.  The biggest draw for me was the connection between what we eat and how it affects the way we think and feel.  I was always the kid with potential in class, but I often had difficulty focusing. I was bright, but often came up average.  But every school year was a clean slate for me!  “This is going to be my year!”  I would say to myself.

I vividly remember my new binders organized and ready because that was the year I was going to be organized the whole school year; not just the beginning.  Schedules, new fall clothes, and the lunches my mom made. My lunches were everything from an olive loaf sandwich to a leftover meatloaf sandwich that I would eat cold with a touch of ketchup.  Homemade chicken soup, left over stew or spaghetti and meatballs were thermos specials. I was a brown bagger through and through! 

Now as a mother, teacher and holistic health counselor, I look back on my school years and wish I could go back and track my behaviors.  I would love to see if I was more focused on the days I ate homemade stew (meat, egg noodles, carrots, and peas in a tomato sauce) compared to the days that I ate preservatives with a side of preservatives (olive loaf with mayonnaise on Wonder Bread!).

The health and wellness community is starting to understand the connection between eating well-balanced, whole food-based meals and our cognitive function.  Dr. Mark Hyman, author of “The Ultra Mind Solution” writes: “Feeding our brains is not something most of us know how to do.  What you put in your mouth provides all the raw materials to build the structure of your brain cells and keep all the communication systems running well so you can think, emote, learn and remember.  You have to start with the right food and enough of the right nutrients for the brain to function well.”

I think Dr. Hyman and others are on to something.  I have big dreams of sending my ladies on the school bus with cute lunch bags filled with nutritional goodness to “feed their brains.”  Here are some of my ideas:

1.)   Cook once and eat twice.  Turn leftovers into sandwiches.  Meatball sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, pot-roast sandwiches.  Or use a thermos and heat up last night’s primavera and beans or soup.

2.)   Egg salad sandwiches.  Puree carrots and broccoli and add it to the mayonnaise in the sandwich. And chop up celery and you have a serving of vegetables in your egg salad!

3.)   Almond butter, sun butter, or good old fashion peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Please read your labels.  Your butters should not have any sugar added to them and your “jelly” should really be a fruit spread with no sugar additives.

4.)   Hummus, avocado, cucumber, and carrot sandwich.

5.)   Raw vegetables, a piece of fruit, a bag of trail mix, a side of hummus to dip the vegetables and some whole grain crackers.

6.)   Good quality yogurt with granola and trail mix, raw vegetables (if you don’t have raw vegetables on hand, thawed out frozen veggies work just well . . . my girls eat them just the same), and piece of fruit.

   

Get creative and accept help from anyone who is willing to help you prepare good, healthy food!  Review my kale blog for the vegetable soup recipe and ideas for getting leafy greens into your food.  Remember, you don’t have to start your day on a school bus to be a brown baggerJ

Love deeply and eat mindfully,

Kim Gilroy

Vacation!

Vacation

I wrote a blog before I left for vacation and never posted it.  The un-posted blog was about ways to stay healthy on vacation.  It’s a good thing I didn’t post it, because as it turns out, I am the last person who should be providing advice about healthy eating while on vacation!

It is 2:00 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon and I am alone in a cheese shop, sipping wine and eating a plate full of goat cheese. I have had ice cream the last two nights and all of my alcoholic beverages have had way too much sugar!  I have not been a model of healthy eating.  So today I reflect and am writing about balance.

Balance.  Eating whole foods that work for you, praying, working out, surrounding yourself with people that support you, feeling good about yourself, taking control of your life, but not being a control freak, thinking about your words and actions, but not thinking too much about your words and actions . . . it’s a lot of work striving for balance!  So, I have been spending my vacation unbalancing, and that too is part of a balanced life.  The hardest part of tipping the balance into vacation mode has been re-programming my brain.  As I sit here and de-compress, not thinking about what is going into my mouth and just enjoying the moment, I am realizing how great it feels to lighten up every once in a while (it also helps that my little girls are napping and will be at the beach playing with their cousins when I am done playing hooky).

Vacation!  Make it what you need it to be; only you know what you need.  One of my clients went away on vacation and ate what the natives ate – fruit, vegetables, and fish – and hiked every day.  She never felt better.  Her healthy vacation wasn’t planned, it just happened for her.  I am on the North Fork of Long Island, eating cheese and sipping wine (and of course experimenting with the local leafy greens . . . but not as many as I planned!).  Not exactly a healthy vacation, but I feel great. 

“You can only be you when you do your best.” The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.  I was going to use this quote for the un-posted blog.  But I use it today to remind you to be the best at letting go, relaxing, and enjoying.

Love deeply and eat mindfully (and maybe change the course while vacationing),

Kim Gilroy

Insideout Wellness

Changing Behaviors

Changing Behaviors

Today’s blog is inspired by the master behavior changer Colleen Simko, a teacher and friend who I deeply admire for a variety of reasons.  Her organization and unwavering consistency mixed with the ability to reach children on all academic levels is truly amazing!  

My last year of teaching I had a student whose behaviors changed so drastically at mid-year that I was forced to completely change my approach with him.  Before my eyes, this student began to unravel; his emotional breakdowns were beyond words.  I had a behavior plan in place but at times, all I could do was try to make him feel comfortable and loved.  Now some of you non teachers might be saying: “Oh Kim, how sweet, trying to make him feel comfortable and loved.”  And my seasoned teacher friends are saying: “You fool that’s where you went wrong!”

There are many theories and strategies to assist students in changing their behaviors.  Among all of these strategies and theories, the principle that behaviors can be changed is the common theme.  So, what does all of this have to do with health and wellness . . . EVERYTHING!

Here are a few key points on how it works:

1.)  Start slowly and be specific on the behavior you want to change.  Like I have mentioned in the past, don’t say, “I am going on a diet!”  That is too vague and you are setting yourself up for failure.  Keep your wellness goals attainable and simple.  For example, add more fruits and vegetables to your diet.  The summer is bursting with fresh fruits and vegetables and now is the best time to focus on that one simple goal.  If you are eating more fruits and vegetables and you are not working out, that would be your one goal.  But again be specific and reasonable.  “I am going to start working out!”  Too vague.  What are you going to do?  “I am going to do free weights for my arms and 20 minutes on the treadmill 3 days a week” is more like it. Set an attainable goal that you can build on!

2.)  Reflect and analyze why this behavior is happening or not happening.  Why don’t I eat fruits and vegetables?  Why am I not working out?  Think about you, your actions and your feelings towards health and wellness.

3.)  Create your plan and take ownership of it!  If your goal is to eat more fruits and vegetables, make a shopping list of the fruits and vegetables that you like.  Where are you going to get them?  How are you going to prepare them?  If you are working on getting your kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, start a garden.  That is an amazing way for your family to take ownership of eating more fruits and vegetables (for more information on starting a garden visit Earl’s Kitchen Gardens on Facebook).  If your goal is to start working out, what days are you going to do it?  What time?  Lay out your work out clothes the night before and have a clear plan on what you want to accomplish during the workout.

4.)  Keep track.  Journal about your goal and continue to reflect on what is working and what is not working.  If you are not one for journaling, create a tally chart to help you keep track of your success. 

5.)  Positive language is key.  “Oh, I am the worst at cooking vegetables!”  “My family does not do vegetables.”  “Uh, I am not a workout person!” You have to change your thinking.  When talking about how you and your family eat, say things like, “I am excited about all the fresh foods this time of year” or  “I think I am going to experiment with new fruits and vegetables this season” or “This nice weather is inspiring me to work out.”  This positive language component is also positive thinking.  There is something called the “Shadow Theory” that Debbie Ford and Deepak Chopra talk about.  Under the Shadow Theory, you take the negative quality that you want to change and view it as a positive.  “I hate working out” becomes “I love working out.”  “I am the worst cook” becomes “I am the best cook.”  When you focus light (positive) on the shadows that have brought you down, you reverse the negative and turn it into something positive.

6.)  Reward yourself.  If you have reached your goal, do something special for yourself.  Get a manicure or a pedicure! 

Changing behaviors (old habits) is a journey.  Walking through the halls where I used to teach made me extremely emotional and reminded me of how amazing the journey can be.  On the drive home, I reflected on the growth of my old students, and how they have changed in so many ways, specifically the student I mentioned above.  I felt such joy for him in his present state.  He is mature, with clearly a new confidence.  His journey has taken years, but let his success (changed behaviors) be an inspiration to all of us.

This blog is dedicated to all the amazing teachers, administrators, psychologist, social workers, therapists and aides I know (and don’t know).  The time, effort and dedication you give to your students is beyond amazing!  Enjoy your summerJ

Check out Simply Vegetarian

Check out Simply Vegetarian by Stacie Dooreck. 

Whole Grains

                                                WHAT ARE WHOLE GRAINS?

            A few years ago I was eating lunch with a co-worker and she asked me what she could eat to help raise her energy level.  Her health history and her diet both play a factor in her energy level.  I was not aware of either.  But our lunch period was short and I wanted to keep the answer simple. I said, “Well, for breakfast you can make sure you eat some whole grains; they are a great source of energy.”  My co-worker looked at me and said, “What do you mean by whole grains?”  I rattled off a list of whole grains and stressed the importance of reading labels to make sure they are in the cereals and breads that she eats.  I stopped the conversation there because I didn’t want to overwhelm her.  I get the sense that food choice has become a topic like religion, politics and money.  It is intimate and personal and some people would simply rather not talk about it.  I also got the vibe that the rest of the lunchroom didn’t want to hear me ramble on about the value of whole grains.  However, the question, “What is a whole grain?” is an important one that I feel we as consumers and you as my loved ones need to know the answer to.

What are whole grains?           

            Whole grains are brown rice, quinoa, barley, bulgur (cracked wheat), couscous, millet, whole oats, oatmeal (rolled oats), amaranth, spelt, buckwheat (kasha), cornmeal (polenta), kamut, rye berries, wheat berries, and wild rice.           

            Whole grains are a high-energy food.  They contain essential enzymes, iron, dietary fiber, vitamin E, and the B complex vitamins. According to Dr. Willet, M.D., chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, “the bran layer of many grains contains essential minerals, such as magnesium, selenium, copper, and manganese that may be important in reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes.”  Grains are complex, “good” carbohydrates.  The human body absorbs whole grains slowly, providing us with a sustainable high-quality energy.   Refined grains (white breads, pasta, bagels, cereals) should be a limited component of our diets because they are grains that have been removed from their natural state, are quicker to digest, and have little nutritional value.  Dr. Willet, M.D. further states in his book, Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less, that “[t]hese quick-to-digest foods can set off a risky roller coaster effect.  They can cause a sudden rise in blood sugar, trigger a flood of insulin, which, in turn, drives glucose levels too lower and thus generates new hunger signals.”

Where and how can we incorporate grains?

            The grains identified above can be found in bulk bins in most super markets or local health food stores.  Packaged whole grains can be found  in the same isle you would find rice or pasta.  Some larger chain grocery stores have a dedicated health isle (I have to laugh at that) and you can find packaged whole grains there as well.  There are several ways to prepare the grains for cooking.  If you choose grains from the bulk bins, they should at least be rinsed well.  But preferably, they should be soaked overnight to fully rinse the phytic acid that coats the grains.  Phytic acid binds, or restricts, the minerals in the grain preventing release into the body.  Although, some health professionals argue that a good rinse before you cook does the trick.  Personally, I let my grains soak.  If I forget, I rinse them really well and cook a little longer.  I feel that soaking allows for easier digestion.  Now being a mom on the move I often opt for pre-rinsed packaged grains. 

          Whole grains can be apart of every meal.  Yes a serving of carbohydrates with breakfast, lunch and dinner! 

            As I mentioned in my marketing blog…DON’T BE FOOLED BY STEALTH MARKETING!  Just because it says “whole grains” on the front of the box does not mean it is a healthy whole grain.  Some products that have a significant source of whole grains are Ezekiel breads and cereals and Bobs Red Mill products.  Whole grain products are a growing industry.  These are just a couple that I recommend.  When looking for whole grain products, read the labels to make sure that the first few ingredients are actually whole grains.  

            The first few times looking for and preparing these grains may take a few extra minutes but your energy and wellness are well worth it!

Love deeply and eat mindfully,

Kim Gilroy

Insideout Wellness

Party Weekend

Memorial Day weekend is upon us.  Let the barbecues begin!  I wanted to utilize today’s blog as an opportunity to share a few party health tips.  I know, I know, I know, party health tips…sounds like an oxymoron.  I don’t mean throw a health party and I certainly don’t expect anyone to avoid a hotdog this weekend.  But there are a few suggestions I have for this kick off to summer party weekend (and other holiday weekends that have more than one day of celebrations). 

1.)   Stay hydrated:  I am sure many of you are going to kick the weekend off on Friday and plan on festivities through to Monday night.  Make sure you are drinking tons of water throughout the day and evening.  Try to do cocktail, water, cocktail water.  In the morning the first thing to hit your lips should be water (two glasses).  As a host and hostess make sure there are water options for your guests.  If it is out they will be more likely to have a glass.  Make it inviting.  Add mint leaves and lime or lemon.

2.)   Appetizers:  Take a breath.  Survey the situation.  What do I really want to try?        Don’t just dive in for the sake of diving in.  What is appealing to you?  And when you find it, chew it, taste it and enjoy it.  I have found that I am really good at enjoying food while sitting at a table, but when talking, drinking, and eating appetizers, I am really good at shoveling…into my mouth!  One way I have learned to stop my disaster approach to appetizers is by not going to parties totally starving.  Eat some fruit and a handful of nuts or a Raw Food Bar (my food bar of choice because it is made with real food and no fillers) before you go.  Also, look for the healthy option.  Is there a crudités?  Guacamole?  As a host and hostess, try to make sure there are some raw veggies for people to snack on.  It’s refreshing and easy.  Most of the prep-work can be done the day before!

3.)   Mingle:  The weekend parties don’t have to be all about food.  Make it about primary food…your loved ones!  Chat it up and really hear about what is new and good in your friends and families life.  As a hostess have some social games set up like baci or ladder golf.

4.)   Workout:  Don’t make working out an after thought.  Plan for it.  If you always go for a run on Saturday’s but have a soccer tournament to get to, plan for it.  When can I fit this in?  Even if you only walk or run for 15-20 min.  It is better than not getting your workout in.  Monday morning you have off, plan for a bike ride, a hike, a run!

5.)   Focus on what you do have control over:  While you are not out partying it up, focus on the food choices you do have control over.  Eat tons of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Raw or juiced when possible.

6.)   Enjoy the choices:  Don’t feel guilty about the hotdog you are eating, enjoy it!  Often times when we are eating foods that aren’t the best for us we feel so guilty eating it, we don’t even know we ate it!  Commit to your choice.  If the burgers look big, ask a friend to split one. Look for healthy side options.  Bottom line, be aware and conscious of your choices and enjoy. As a host and hostess, make sure there is a big salad as an option.  If you know a healthy side dish that is a crowd pleaser, offer to bring it!

Happy Memorial Day and a special thanks to all the men and woman who have served for our country!

Love deeply and eat mindfully,

Kim Gilroy

Hail to the Kale

Hail to the Kale

I have been out-greened!  I often take pride in watching my daughters eat a bowl of quinoa, with pureed leafy greens.  I feel a sense of accomplishment when they don’t pick the broccoli out of their morning eggs.  I have to say, I thought my daughters ate a whole lot of greens.  Then, I met her.  A girl who suddenly threw everything into perspective and made me realize that my family could be eating even more greens!  This perspective-placing, bar-raising gal out-greened me.  After a chance conversation with this girl about graduating from the same nutrition school, I happened to notice her daughter sipping on something . . . something green!  This bar-raising, super mom juices and blends a green smoothie for her daughter everyday!  The woman was kind enough to share the recipe with me, but I didn’t have a free hand to write it down.  But I do remember the healthy glow her little girl had! 

Calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, C, E and K, fiber, folic acid, chlorophyll, and many other micronutrients and phyto-chemicals.  Yes, we have seen these vitamins and minerals listed on cereal boxes, but factory infused, low-grade substitutes are not the same.  You can’t beat greens when it comes to nutritional value.

Broccoli, broccoli rabe, escarole, bok choy, watercress, mustard greens, napa cabbage, green cabbage, dandelion, arugula, endive, chicory, lettuce, mesclun, spinach, and beet greens.   Some greens are easy to eat in the form of a salad and can be decorated with a variety of fruits and nuts and a delicious dressing.  The trusty broccoli green can be enjoyed in a variety of ways as well.  Then, you have the big leafy greens that can be very intimidating to bring home to your kitchen (kale, collard greens, Swiss chard to be specific).  What do you do with them?  I have tried baking them, boiling them, and sautéing them.  I’ve tried everything to convince myself that I can enjoy these greens as a stand-alone dish . . . not happening for me.  So, I just add them to other dishes.  I add these leafy greens to everything.  Here are some of the ways that I do it:   

Kale:  Rinse the kale and take the bottom stems off and break the leaves into pieces about the size of your palm.  Put the kale in a pot and fill the bottom of the pot with water (maybe 2 cups) and sauté it for about 3-4 minutes on med-high.  The leaves should get darker and the kale should become a bit more manageable (easier to stir).  As soon as the leaves start to look a little wilted, take the pot off the stove.  Next, puree the kale and transfer it into a glass storage container.  Let it cool before you cover it and then put it in the fridge.  Now you have a big bowl of green goop!  What do you do with it?  Add it to everything!  Add it to your sauce, meatballs, smoothies and eggs.  For the girls, I add it to brown rice or quinoa; add a little tomato sauce and provolone cheese or a teaspoon of butter and cheddar cheese.  Start out with a tablespoon here a tablespoon there, and then push yourself a little each week to try more.  Hail to the kale! 

Collard greens: Rinse the Collard greens and take the bottom stems off and break the leaves into pieces about the size of your palm.

 

• Vegetable Soup - Get out a large pot.  Chop 8 carrots and a 1 large stalk of celery (really you can add as many carrots and celery stalks as you want).  Sauté a medium size yellow onion in 3/4 cup of water and a 1-teaspoon of unsalted organic butter.  Once the water is almost evaporated, take pot the off the stove and add carrots, celery, and water (fill your pot half-way with water).  Put back on the stove at medium high.  Add 3 cloves of garlic and a handful of fresh parsley.  Add 3 pinches of sea salt and 3 pinches of black pepper.  When everything comes to a boil put on low and add collard greens.  Let cook for about ½ hour stirring every few minutes (you can let it cook longer if you want vegetables to soften more; I just never have that kind of time).  At this point, you can do anything you want with this delicious vegetable soup.  Puree it and add a grain to it.  Put beans in it or add chicken.  For my daughters, I puree it and add a grain and some parmesan cheese.  Again, endless possibilities.

Here is some information from a handout I received from The institute of Integrative Nutrition:

“Green vegetables are the foods most missing in modern diets. Learning to cook and eat greens is essential to creating health. When you nourish yourself with greens, you will naturally crowd out the foods that make you sick.  Greens help build your internal rain forest and strengthen the blood and respiratory systems.

Some of the benefits from eating dark leafy greens are:

            Blood purification

Cancer prevention

Improved circulation
            Strengthened immune system
            Promotion of healthy intestinal flora

Promotion of subtle, light and flexible energy

            Lifted spirit and elimination of depression
            Improved liver, gall bladder and kidney function
            Cleared congestion, especially in lungs by reducing mucus

Spinach, Swiss chard, and beet greens are best eaten in moderation because they are high in oxalic acid, which depletes calcium from bones and teeth, and may lead to osteoporosis. Cook these vegetables with something rich like tofu, seeds, nuts, beans, butter, animal products or oil.  This will balance the effect of the oxalic acid.”

From my experience, the freshest leafy greens can be found at Wild By Nature in Huntington and Makinajian Farm in Elwood.  Trader Joe’s in Commack also carries leafy greens, but they are pre-rinsed and in a bag.  Not a bad place for new leafy green eaters to start, but fresh is really the way to go.  Stop and Shop in Northport is inconsistent with the leafy greens that they offer, but I have seen broccoli, broccolini, and broccoli rabe there. 

Branch out and sneak it in!  Out-green someone!

Love deeply and eat mindfully,

Kim Gilroy

Eating After The Holidays

I want to thank everyone for their feedback and support on my first official blog post.  I really don’t have an exact vision for this blog, but I have never been an exact vision kind of a gal.  So here I randomly start another journey in my life. I look forward to sharing!

Easter Sunday has come and gone. There was not a jellybean I didn’t touch or a bowl of M&M’s that I did not paw at. I didn’t taste my first helping of dinner because I was worried that the girls were going to fling their plates across the room.  So when my father-in-law kindly took the ladies away to play, plates safely on the table, I helped myself to round two.  And dessert.

What do you do the week after a holiday when you have just stuffed yourself silly?  Continue to eat, drink and be merry!  Let’s start with the eating. Eating the day or week after a holiday can be a challenge. You want to start over.  Clean slate. Whatever you do, don’t start a diet or a cleanse the first few days after a holiday.  But do start a new approach to food.  Food can’t be an after-thought.  You have to plan for it.  Grow it, buy it, prepare it . . . FOOD.   I’m still investigating food and learning what to do with it.  Discovering food is a journey that many of us have put on the back burner because when we think about food, we immediately get cravings.  Someone once told me that they don’t eat breakfast because it makes them hungry the rest of the day.  We are supposed to eat the rest of the day.  After breakfast, you still have two more amazing meals ahead of you.  And if you are so inclined, a healthy snack!  So please eat today. 

As far as recommendations for what to eat this week, I advise to eat as many vegetables and fruits as possible, raw when you are in the mood to help balance out all the delicious cooked food we ate for the holidays.  Don’t go making huge diet overhauls now that spring is here.   Go slow, be easy on yourself and be mindful.  When you start adding in the good quality whole foods, your body will begin to rebalance and have fewer cravings for the non-food foods (if you don’t know what these are you really need to hire meJ). Remember, no dieting!   Implement healthy tendencies to enhance life!  Eat your fruits and vegetables.  Experiment with new ones, fall back on the trusty carrot stick, cook them, eat them raw . . . Eat more fruits and vegetables!

Just in case you don’t want to take my advice, here is a paragraph form the book Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less by Mollie Katzen and Walter Willett, M.D.

Most diets will work in the short term, because they cause you to be more conscious about food choices you make and limits you set.  But most are not designed for the long haul. They tend to be too monotonous, deprivation-driven, or extreme to stick with.  And to the degree that many popular diets are all of the above, their effects tend to be easily reversed, leading many dieters into an agonizing loop of gaining, losing, and gaining again – which is as bad for health as it is for morale.

What do you drink the week after a holiday feast?  Drink tons of water.  Add lemon to it.  Add lime to it.  Add mint leaves. Add ice.  Drink tons of water.  If you are feeling adventurous, boil water in a teakettle, shred some ginger in a cup (shred to your tastes liking) and make homemade ginger tea.  Ginger tea is great to help clean things out.  Drinking boiled water can also help with bloating.  Drink more water!

Eat, drink, and be merry!   And for the merry, I wish I could say it was as easy as going to the cupboard and finishing the open bottle of wine from the festivities, but that is not my recommendation for continuing the merriness into our week.  My recommendation to continue the celebration is to workout!  Download some good tunes and move your body.  Dance, run, walk, yoga . . . move your body!  My theory on downloading good music is this: you can do anything to a great song.  So if you have a few great songs in a row, push your walk into a jog.  Push your jog into a fast run.  And when you are finished make sure you stretch and give yourself a few moments to feel a sense of accomplishment.

If you need a bit more inspiration on the being merry recommendation, here is a prayer written by Marjorie Holmes that makes my mornings a little brighter!

“Just for Today”

OH, GOD GIVE ME GRACE FOR THIS DAY.  NOT FOR A LIFETIME, NOR FOR NEXT WEEK, NOR FOR TOMORROW, JUST FOR THIS DAY.  DIRECT MY THOUGHTS AND BLESS THEM, DIRECT MY WORK AND BLESS IT.  DIRECT THE THINGS I SAY AND GIVE THEM BLESSING TOO.  DIRECT AND BLESS EVERYTHING THAT I THINK SPEAK AND DO.  SO THAT FOR THIS ONE DAY, JUST THIS ONE DAY, I HAVE THE GIFT OF GRACE THAT COMES FROM YOUR PRESENCE.

It’s hard to be merry everyday.  But when we take a minute and reflect on living for the moment and realize the blessings around us, we will then see the grace around us and allow it to lift our hearts and our spirit.

Food.  Think about it.  Learn about it.  Discover how it makes you feel.  Enjoy the journey!

Love deeply and eat mindfully,

Kim Gilroy

Insideout

My goal as a health counselor is to guide people to their optimal health.  Understanding the food and care our bodies need is imperative to maintain wellness, focus and energy levels.  When we incorporate the proper diet, exercise, and other wellness practices into our lives we can attain our optimum energy.  What we put into our bodies has great effects on our mood, focus and overall wellbeing. Today’s demands are greater than ever.  What we feed ourselves can make a difference in our life and how we handle those demands.

The following information is

provided by Kim Gilroy

Insideout Wellness

To schedule a free health history, e-mail Kim at

kimgilroy@gmail.com

Please don’t be fooled!

Exciting, misleading labels and adds, cartoon characters, product placement in the stores, marketing strategies that guides us to hasty impulse buys that contribute to the perpetual weight gain in our society. “Food marketers work hard to convince you that eating their particular product will make a big difference in your health.”  (What To Eat, by, Marion Nestle, pg. 11).  Sugar coated cereals claiming to be good for you because they are made with whole grains, crackers lowering your risk of high cholesterol, and for the mothers shopping with their children…SpongeBob, Barbie, and Scooby-Doo selling fruit roll-ups and other fructose infested products!  Marion Neslte states that, “These are forms of food advertising visible to anyone paying attention, but twenty-first century methods of stealth marketing are designed to slip under the radar of parental oversight.  The next time you take a child to a cartoon movie, notice what the cartoon characters are eating and drinking.  You can bet that the film studio has a deal with food company sponsors (hence: SpongeBob Square Pants on Kraft macaroni and other products)) (pg. 378). 

Deciphering labels and understanding what a healthy choice is, confuses consumers and often leads to poor choices and putting more of what we don’t need into our shopping carts which perpetuates into our bodies.  For example, cereal companies add vitamins and minerals to their sugar coated cereals and market them as if they are healthy. “The three little round tokens on the front of boxes display health messages like ‘good source of whole grains,’ ‘low fat,’ ‘excellent source of iron,’ ’12 vitamins and minerals,’ and so forth.  The tokens are clever.  The FDA has rules about such statements and General Mills follows them, but the same claims could be made for any comparable nutritional value, unprocessed as well as processed.” (Pg. 349).   These health symbols and labels are appearing on a variety of products and are extremely misleading.

Don’t be fooled!  Read the ingredients on the food you buy and become an informed shopper.