Recipe: Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas

My friend Kate shared her fabulous Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchiladas recipe and it tasted so good I wanted to share it with all of you. It's packed full of smoky flavor and I love the contrast of the sweetness from the potatoes and creaminess from the beans. Mmmm! It's also packed with natural sources of fiber and plant-based antioxidants. Pair it with some roasted veggies for a delicious winter meal. Plus it makes great leftovers. Enjoy!

Kate’s Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Enchilada Filling

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#endED Chat Re-Cap with Rosie Molinary: Living with Intentional Wellness

Thank you to all that joined #EndED this Wednesday. We had a very inspiring, powerful conversation with writer Rosie Molinary, about kicking off our year in a way that deliberately embraces intentional wellness. If you missed the chat, you can catch some of the highlights below!

Q1. Are there rituals/exercises you start the year with in order to inspire you to joyfully, deliberately live well?

• @rosiemolinary this year, I had a vision board party with friends and it was really fun & allowed us to learn about each other
• RT @rosiemolinary: Here is a link to a post where I shared this years vision boards (1 personal &1 professional)http://t.co/7dllAGVy 
• @krjourno I chose to not make resolutions this year (that I wont keep!!) and focus instead on taking action towards being better!
• @marcird I did start a new ritual this year though. I tried to think of something I'm grateful for before dinner. Calming ritual

Q2. What is your vision for yourself this year?

• @jessicaclaytonm Cultivating a healthy body and mind as well as self-compassion.
• @marcird  Balance is always something I'm striving for too. It's a constant moving target. :)
• @rosiemolinary I wish to be wholehearted + deliberately healthy.
• @MarciRD  My vision (& hope) is to keep an open mind- open to new possibilities, points of view, opportunities for growth, friendships, etc
• @jekjessTo live in balance - eating, exercise, work, social... so far so good! #endED

Q3. What do you already want to celebrate about the way you are intentionally embracing wellness this year? 

• @MarciRD I have always been fortunate to have in extremely strong and supportive network of positive people around me
• @GirlEat I am blessed to have chosen a life partner that celebrates true beauty.
• @jessicaclaytonm I am focusing on balancing my social life, academic life, and "me time".
• @jekjess Been really mindful of my physical and emotional needs. Mindfulness has been hard for me but I've really been succeeding recently. 
• @MarciRD I make time for laughter. Laughing is one of my FAVORITE past times and makes me feel so so good. I try to do it daily. :)

Q4. Wellbeing encompasses physical, emotional, mental + spiritual health. How are you caring for yourself in these areas?

• @jekjess Physical - balancing exercise and rest days, nutritious foods and less nutritious foods 
• @MiltonStokes imagine picking up and then letting go of THE it standing in the way 
• @jekjess emotional - Making sure that my relationships with others are healthy, making sure that I have time for self-care
• @krjourno: One word - yoga!! 
• @NeedStrength A4 mental: Going back to counseling Physical: T'ai Chi and Self Defense classes
• @jekjess mental - working HARD in therapy! spiritual - exploring different approaches to my religion, and seeking guidance.

Q5. What ways do you still need support for your journey this year?

• @jessicaclaytonm I need to kick the lingering parts of my ED to the curb. I already trust my treatment team, but I need to learn to trust my body.
• @MiltonStokes  gotta remember to plan what I need
• @NeedStrength After I graduate from college I will no longer have my counseling center and I will need support in the transition
• @jekjess 5. I need emotional support, true friendships, and the occasional reality check when I get anxious! 

Q6. What wisdom can you share with all of us about embracing wellness and ending eatingdisorders? 

• @MarciRD  Support, support, support, support, support.
• @ElizabethEats  I'm all about eliminating guilt and sending your body lots of love on the path to wellness
• @rosiemolinary I like to remind myself that choice- choosing behaviors to best respond to what my body needs and most responds to- is medicine. 
• @MarciRD:  in order to recover and in order to find true wellness we have to ditch perfectionism.
• @jekjess: Your mind and your body can be your greatest allies. Treat them well. Be grateful. And dont be afraid to ask for help. 
• @GirlEat: Ive learned that when I love my body (trust, love, nutrition), it loves me back (health, happiness, strength).
• @NeedStrength Being kind to yourself and consciously caring for your mind and body go a long way
• RT @jessicaclaytonm: Listen to your heart and your support system, not the media.
• 
  

Save the date for February 22^nd! We'll be celebrating Eating Disorder Awareness Week with National Eating Disorder Association @NEDAStaff 

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#endED Chat with Rosie Molinary- Embracing Intentional Wellness

 Help us ring in a body positive 2012 by participating in our #EndED twitter chat on Wednesday, January 25th. I'm honored that writer Rosie Molinary will be there to talk about kicking off our year in a way that deliberately embraces intentional wellness. If you're new to Twitter, here's a primer on how to participate. It's simple, go to www.tweetchat.com and enter the keyword "#endED" and it will appear as if you're in a chat room. Watch the tweets stream live and join in on the conversation. Be sure to follow @MarciRD and @RosieMolinary.

Here are the questions we'll be chatting about Wednesday evening, 8:30 EST

1. Are there rituals/exercises you start the year with in order to inspire you to joyfully, deliberately live well?

2. What is your vision for yourself this year?

3. What do you already want to celebrate about the way you are intentionally embracing wellness this year?

4. Wellbeing encompasses physical, emotional, mental + spiritual health. How are you caring for yourself in these areas?

5. What ways do you still need support for your journey this year?

6. What wisdom can you share with all of us about embracing wellness and ending ED?

The author of Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance, Rosie Molinary inspires women to embrace their authentic selves so that they can live their passion and purpose and give their gifts to the world. She teaches Body Image at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and facilitates workshops and retreats for women. She loves to garden, cook, read, and play outside with her son. Learn more about her and read her blog at www.rosiemolinary.com.

Hope to talk with you on January 25th! Feel free to RSVP on Facebook today!
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Understanding Body Image: Part 2

 This post is part 2 of what will likely be a 5 part series on understanding bod image. My first post in the series can be found here. To reiterate, body image is actually really complex. The series is aimed to help you understand more completely what the phrase "body image" actually means in order to help you better understand your own concept of your body and the way you relate to it.

As I mentioned in my first post, body image issues are influenced and made made manifest in four areas: perception, cognition, affect, and behavior. Today we are going to explore what is meant by perception.

Perception can simply be defined as sensations or mental images of physical appearance and body size. Typically, people with poor body image have some common features related to perception that aggrevate body image issues:

1. Weak central coherence. This means you have a bias for "details of discontent" and tend to miss out on the big picture.

2. Focusing on the negative. When looking in the mirror, research shows individuals with EDs look at parts they dislike. In contrast, non-ED individuals with high body satisfaction look at parts they like.

3. Mental images may not be current, but rather based on stored memories.

Therapeutic Exercises

The cool thing is that over time perceptions can change. A couple of therapeutic exercises that help to shift perception include:

1. When you are looking in the mirror, try to pay attention to where your focus lands and how long it stays there. Can you look at your body as a whole or do you get overwhelmed by specific body parts?

2. Make a list of positive or even neutral body parts. Draw a body figure and color the parts you feel positive or neutral about.

3. Looking at photographs at previous weights/sizes compared to mentality at time of photos.

I hope this post on perception is useful. What shapes and informs your perceptual experience of your body image? 

Stay tuned for part 3, coming up!

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Product No Case: 100 calorie packs by Nabisco

 I periodically review products that I personally think are pretty crappy. Products that tout themselves as health food or diet food but don't do much more than set you up for overeating while providing no nutritional value. Do not get me wrong. I am totally a proponent of incorporating food into your diet that is simply for fun. I am the last to turn down dessert. But I can't stand all of the products that advertise as healthy options but leave you feeling unsatisfied and undernourished.

And this month's product no-case has been around a long time. In fact, I can't believe I haven't blogged about them yet! Yes, the dreaded 100 calorie pack by Nabisco. Here are a few reasons why I don't like them.

#1: They taste gross. If you like them and find them satisfying then go for it. But if you find yourself reaching for one bag...and then another....and then another, it's an indication that they aren't satisfying. You may want to consider another snack option.

#2: The 100 calorie frenzy. There is nothing magical about the number 100. It is a marketing gimmick. If you are using the 100 calorie packages as a snack, 100 calories of refined flour will hold you over for approximately 10 seconds. If you are looking for a snack that actually keeps you full and satisfied (rather than hungry and irritated) you'll need some protein and fat to add in the mix. For example: pretzels with PB, pita chips with hummus, you get the idea.

#3: For most people, it doesn't really teach portion control even though that's exactly what it's marketed for. I explain this in #s 1 and 2. But the bottom line is, if you are truly hungry for a snack, you will likely need more than one of those packs to do the job. If you reach for a 100 cal pack to "be good" then find yourself wanting more it becomes demoralizing and frustrating. 

So what do you think about the 100 calorie snack packs? Like them? Hate them? I want to hear about it!

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Yoga &/or Meditation: Why She's in Love with It

For those who know me, either personally or professionally, it’s no surprise that I am an avid and whole-hearted cheerleader for yoga and meditation. Over and over, I sing praise for (but try not to preach about) all of the benefits of a mind-body practice. My yoga classes sometimes sound like therapy sessions, and my work in individual and group sessions certainly resonate with tones of Eastern medicine, holisitic psychology, and integrated healing.

…but I never push. (As it turns out, attempting to push, force, control, insist, or fix people just doesn’t work – and it wastes a lot of energy).

However, I have noticed that almost all of my clients that have sustained any semblance of longer-term recovery, balanced living and wellness have one thing in common: a mindfulness practice. They do something, consistently, that involves A) being in their bodies and B) being in the present moment. Yoga just happens to be one of the easiest and most accessible ways to accomplish this, but is – by no means –the only option.

So why does it work?

Okay, first we have to go back. Way back. As lovely as it is to run around in our designer heels and fancy cars, we have to remember that our ancestors were cave people. We developed, biologically, from these very primitive and less sophisticated ancestors. Parts of our brain are primitive, and as sophisticated as our thinking can be, we still have our limbic system, firing away, in a similar fashion to our ancient relatives.

Imagine that you are a cave person and your survival depends on your ability to A) eat and B) not get eaten by a saber-tooth tiger. Imagine that you are out in the sunshine on a beautiful day, with the sun shining on your face, and feeling the soft breeze blowing in your cave person hair – and then BAM!!!!!!!! You hear a rustling in the bush. Immediately, you are prepared for danger because that sound may be a predator. You’re ready to run, or to fight – sending your parasympthatic nervous system into fight or flight response. Adrenaline pumps, and stress hormones are shot into your bloodstream so that you can survive.

Okay, so what?? We’re not cave people any more, so how does this apply to me and my life today?

Science has shown that our brains continue to demonstrate this negativity bias. In a split second, even when there is an infinite amount of positive stimuli to attend to, our brains with naturally, automatically, and because of evolution, zero in on the perceived threat, the “negative” experience, the rustling in the bushes.

And at one time, this saved our lives.

As the psychologist, Donald Hebb, put it: “Neurons that fire together, wire together.” Our thoughts, feelings, memories and behaviors leave behind lasting impressions on the brain – a lot like the grooves created by a stream flowing down a hill. These grooves are pathways, of sorts, that create the lens in which we perceive reality – both ourselves and the world. So very simply, our brain grooves set us up with a lens to perceive our reality in one of two ways: views that make us suffer, or views that lead us to happiness. Your experience matters.

As the intersection of science and Eastern philosophies continues to develop, the exciting news is this: there is a scientifically supported rationale for being nice to yourself. If your experience matters, this creates a substantiated argument that creating and experiencing more wholesome, calm, joyful, pleasant, and satisfying experiences will change your brain.

This is where yoga comes in. While there are many ways to access the elusive and healing “present moment”, we typically don’t learn them. We are top-heavy learners, relying on our rational minds, our intellect, and our reasoning to develop. We sit in desks and eat at scheduled times instead of moving our bodies and learning to trust our hunger cues. We learn to trust “what we are told” instead of our own intuitive sensations, essentially leaving the present moment behind over and over again to examine the past or to predict the future.

As Tara Brach points out, “the only place that is ever REALLY safe is this present moment.” And as for as our neurobiology is concerned, that is true. Whatever type of yoga class you sign up for, there is one unifying characteristic – breath. All yoga is (or at least should be) an exercise in finding the breath, yoking the breath to movement, and –alas- using the breath as a vehicle to come back to the present moment. That’s why yoga works. Eventually, the brain starts to change, and the cumulative effect of our nervous system registering the safety of this moment right now takes effect. I could sing praise for all the physical benefits of a regular yoga practice: joint health, muscle recovery, flexibility, and appetite regulation – but for me, the mental and emotional benefits have been profound.
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Recipe: Stuffed Dates

One of my all time favorite restaurants, Upstairs on the Square, serves these incredible stuffed dates. They come out warm from the oven and taste absolutely heavenly. I LOVE dates. The sweet, chewy gooeyness is to die for if you ask me. I know they aren't super popular in the U.S. but give them a try! Since I can't march on over to Upstairs on the Square every time I'm having a stuffed date craving, I decided to make my own batch. And let me say, I impressed myself! They make a great party appetizer or fun/unique snack to shake things up a bit. The savory creamy cheese is a delightful match for the chewy sweetness of the date. Plus it's a nice balance of carbs (for energy) and fat/protein for satisfaction and staying power.

The recipe below is a blending of a couple of recipes I found online. If you Google "stuffed dates" you'll see there's a ton of options. So get creative!

Ingredients

24 (or so) Medjool Dates- you can get these at most grocery stores, slice in half and remove the pit

Goat Cheese Log, I think around 6 oz (or any other soft cheese you like)

Fresh lemon juice, one lemon's worth

2 T honey

2 tsp fresh lemon zest

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees before you are serving. You'll want to heat just before serving them up. But they also keep well in the fridge. They can be eaten at any temperature, I just love them warm.

1. Slice the dates, but keep the halves intact on one side. You want to remove the pit but don't want two separate halves.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients until silky smooth.

3. Line the dates in a baking dish and fill with a couple tsps of the cheese mixture.

4. Heat in oven at 400 degrees for 2 min.

5. Eat up!

Do you have any unique and yummy snack ideas? Share with us!

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Defining Self-Acceptance... Or At Least My Definition

I have felt a strange sort of pressure to write something profound on my blog to ring in the New Year. And I don't like that kind of pressure! It doesn't support my creativity, it stifles it. In fact, I started to lose hope that I'd find something truly meaningful to write about. And then I had this awesome learning moment with a client that sowed the seed for this little post.

My client, whom we'll call Sally, was telling me how she's been reading up on all sorts of positive body image blogs. You know, blogs that encourage you to love yourself and accept yourself as you are right now. And that was just all too far from reality for her to be able to swallow. She told me "I can't love my body. I can't stand living in it. I don't feel good physically in my body. Why would I accept something that makes me so miserable?" 

And I understood what Sally was saying. Often, people confuse self-acceptance with stagnation. Staying miserable, learning to put up with something you hate. Many people wrongly assume that they'll never change if they accept themselves (not to mention love themselves!) as they are right now. But it turns out that isn't true.

ACCEPTING SOMETHING DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO LIKE IT. The reality is that self-acceptance FACILITATES CHANGE. Acceptance can be defined as "the act of assenting or believing." Once we come to truly accept where we are at in life, what works for us, and what doesn't, we are then able to make decisions based on that reality. Here are a couple of diagrams to show what I mean.

Cycle of Non-Acceptance

Cycle of Acceptance

I share this message with you as a new year is about to begin because it's a time that you might be thinking about setting goals and contemplating how you'd like to improve upon this past year. So  you just might want to consider adding self-love and self-acceptance to the top of your list. Ironically, it just might help you accomplish everything else you had in mind.

I'm going to leave you with a quote from a fabulous book that I stumbled upon while researching this blog post. The quote relates to accepting your body as it is right now.

How can you begin to learn the lesson of acceptance? By recognizing that what is, just is, and that the key to unlocking the prison of self-judgment lies in your own mind. You can either continue to fight against your body's reality by complaining bitterly and immersing yourself in self-deprecation, or you can make the very subtle but powerful  mental shift into acceptance. Either way, the reality remains the same. Acceptance or rejection of your body only carries weight in your mind; your perception has no bearing on how your body actually looks, so why not choose the ease of acceptance rather than the pain of rejection? The choice is yours. "

Found in "If Life is a Game, These are the Rules" by Cherie Carter-Scott PhD

Have you had an experience with self-acceptance? Please share it!

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A Holiday Eating Guide: Revised... Again

Recently, an article on eating well during the holidays appeared in The Boston Magazine. The writer shared her spin on eating tips that "you can actually use" during the holidays. No surprise. It's that time of the year and everyone is dishing up advice on how to avoid gaining weight during the holidays. I'll be honest, I didn't hate the article. But.... I didn't love it either. So I'll give my take on the age old tradition. Here it goes.

Old Rule #1: Bring a bag of baby carrots with you to munch on during the party. 

Marci's "Rule": Don't eat food you don't like. It's a party for crying out loud! If you LOVE baby carrots dipped in Ranch dressing, go for it. But let's be honest, you can have that 365 days of the year. Eat what you love. Eat what's special. Skip the rest. Do you really like those holiday colored M&Ms?

Old Rule #2: Wear tight fitting clothes to the holiday party, preferably something with a belt.

Marci's "Rule": I don't believe in self-harm. Wear an outfit you can rock! Seriously, wear something you feel dang sexy in. Confidence and self-love often leads to better self-care!

Old Rule #3: Take only three bites of everything on your plate.

Marci's "Rule": I really don't know what to say about this rule, but it's just plain silly. Don't do this. But do stay present and actually TASTE your food. Yes, truly taste it. When you start to notice that you are getting full, take a little break. Socialize. Play with the kiddos or play a game. You can always go back to eating later but give your body and brain time to catch up with one another.

Old Rule #4: Dab a napkin on top of the food, if it leaves an oil mark, leave it behind.

Marci's "Rule": This is also totally crazy. Again, don't do this. Fat isn't bad. Fat is what allows us to feel satisfied. Fat adds flavor and texture. We need to stop demonizing fat. But, too much of anything doesn't leave us feeling good physically. Again, take what you love. Leave the rest behind. Eat what tastes good. Take a pause when you are getting full.

Old Rule #5: Eat less during the day prior to the party to “save” calories for later.

Marci's "Rule": This is a disaster waiting to happen. Eat during the day! Fuel is what our brains and bodies need! You may want to think about balancing your food choices if you know what the evening menu has in store. But please don't starve yourself prior to arriving at the party.

Old Rule #6: Drink multiple glasses of water prior to the party to fill you up and prevent overeating.

Marci's "Rule": Here's a little known fact. Our bodies do NOT process water the same way they process food. You cannot trick your tummy into thinking you have fed it when you guzzled a gallon of water. Anyone who has tried that old dieting gimmick knows it doesn't work. Make sure you've had a little something an hour or two before the party. Stay hydrated. Stay tuned in to how you're food tastes and your body feels. You'll do great.

Remember, our culture thrives on a restrict/binge mentality. So learning to eat in a mindful, balanced, nourishing way takes practice! It's a skill that probably needs developing. But I am fully confident that with practice, you can get there.

Happy Holidays. Your nutritionist in Cambridge.

Marci

What are your tips for healthy eating during the holidays? Do share!

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A Holiday Message: Gifts and Traditions

The holiday season brings to mind two words: gifts and traditions. And it is with those two words that I write this holiday message to each of you.

Gifts: For those of you celebrating Christmas, you may be frantically shopping and wrapping for the coming weekend. But have you thought about what gift you'd like to give yourself this year? I'm not talking about JCrew here! If you read my blog, you what I'm getting at. Do you want a more peaceful relationship with food and your body? Do you want more time for self-care and reflection? Do you want less self-criticism. Do you want more energy? 

Now that you've identified what gift you want, what do you need to make it happen? Can you get a small dose of this gift during the holiday season? Get creative, I bet you can.

Traditions: 'tis the season for all kinds of traditions. Many are exciting and happy traditions. And many are accompanied by large doses of stress, anxiety, and guilt. Are there any traditions you want to keep alive this holiday season? Any that you'd love to DROP?!

You do not have to bake cookies for the entire neighborhood just because you did it last year! You do not have eat Aunt Sarah's fruit cake if you really don't like it! Sometimes we create unrealistic standards for ourselves, simply out of tradition. But guess what, you really can keep what you like and truly ditch at least some of what you don't. :)

I'd love to hear about the gifts or traditions you'll be treating yourself to this holiday season. Do share!

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