Your Body is Not the Problem. Society is.

So many of us think about the parts of our bodies that we would like to change. It doesn’t help that we are bombarded with messages both subliminally and overtly in our technology-laden world and part of a culture that is grossly superficial.

I’m a firm believer in the following statement:
“Love the body you have, so you can have the body you love.”

By that I mean if you are making dietary changes and increasing your physical activity because you want to look a certain way, you’re doing it wrong.

Believe me, I did it. If you want to live a healthy lifestyle that includes taking care of your body, nourishing it properly and giving it the movement it needs, then you will reap many benefits– both physical and psychological.

However, if you are looking to achieve your “dream body,” because you feel that once that happens, the rest of your life will just fall into place, then my friend I’m sorry to say you have a long road of dissatisfaction and longing ahead.

Exercise should not be a punishment for the food you eat. And eating should not be seen as sinful or something to feel guilty about. We all need food which is comprised of nutrients that help our bodies and minds function to their highest potential. Some foods are more nutrient rich (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, nuts, and seeds) . Other foods are more energy-rich (Sugary foods, fried foods). Some foods are both nutrient and energy rich (Avocados, nuts, fatty fish, olive oil). A healthy diet is comprised of a combination of these types of foods, with most foods being nutrient-rich with a few energy-rich foods interspersed.

My wish for everyone I care about (which is basically everyone I meet) is that we learn to love the bodies we have. They are the only bodies we’ve ever had, and we will never have a different one. Once we learn to love the vessel in which we live, then we will treat it with respect. From looking at ourselves from a standpoint of respect and love, we will appreciate all that it can do, and we will find joy in strengthening it, challenging it physically and providing it proper nutrition.

I urge everybody to refrain from talking negatively about their bodies. It promotes our culture of superficiality and further supports the notion that we must all strive to achieve something that may not even be within our genetics to achieve. Instead, be the bolder person and say something positive about your body. Everyone has something. Help me be part of a movement that challenges the norm of negative body-talk as an impetus for change. Let’s promote a culture of individuals who live balanced lifestyle because we care about ourselves.

 

 

12 Foods to Buy Organic

….and 15 that aren’t worth it.

 

There’s no denying the currently occurring organic food craze. With our country’s push on healthy living, many of us strive to be as healthy as can be, and many of us believe this quest involves purchasing all natural  and organic foods, for different reasons. One of these reasons is that we wish to avoid consuming foods treated with pesticides. While consuming organic foods may decrease your consumption of pesticide residues, there is no evidence to support that eating organic decreases cancer risk. In my opinion, getting people to just consume more fruits and vegetables (organic or not) is good enough. However, for those of you who love your organic produce, here are lists of produce which are highest and lowest in pesticide residue:

Highest in Pesticide Residue– “The Dirty Dozen”
1. Cherries
2. Grapes
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Celery
6. Nectarines
7. Pears
8. Spinach
9. Potatoes
10. Bell Peppers
11. Lettuce
12. Peaches

 

Lowest in pesticide reside– “The Clean 15”
1. Mangoes
2. Broccoli
3. Avocados
4. Cabbage
5. Sweet Peas (frozen)
6. Sweet Corn (frozen)
7. Onions
8. Asparagus
9. Papayas
10. Pineapple
11. Bananas
12. Kiwi
13. Eggplant
14. Watermelon
15. Sweet Potato

The purpose of this post isn’t to persuade or dissuade from buying organic; it’s to inform you!

This information was taken from the lecture on cancer in the “Nutritional Aspects of Disease” (NUTR 452) course at Penn State University, Fall 2013.

Nutrition and the Community

So this week, I worked in Penn State’s foods lab for “Cook Like a Chef” camp, in which kids aged 11-13 (mostly scholarship kids– their household income needs to be below a certain amount) learn the basics of cooking from the basics of all the food groups– grains, fruits and veggies, fat, protein, and dairy. 

PSU nutrition students (such as yours truly) got to begin the lessons with brief power point presentations on the food group(s) of the day. Following this, the kids usually did some sort of taste testing (of different breads, oils, unusual vegetables, milk & milk alternatives, etc). Most of the lesson was the actual cooking portion.

At the end of each day of camp, all of the food was placed in the front of the room, buffet-style, and the kids got to eat all of the creations that they made. There was always leftovers to take home. 

The purpose of the camp is to teach younger individuals (who are starting to make their own decisions regarding food) how to cook food and have fun doing it so that they may use the skills learned to be better informed consumers, and go home and have their parents follow suit. The kids always leave fed and eager to show their parents the creations they made. 

Today was the final day of camp and we had a reception to which all the kids’ families were invited. I was eager to meet the one boy’s mom because he was a 12-year-old boy who was absolutely considerate and overall just a total sweetheart, something you don’t come around that often. I commended his mom for raising such a great kid.

At the end of the reception, each of the kids got their own individual awards. Even the ones who had the mentality that they were “too cool” for the camp had smiles on their faces when they got their awards. Of course, being an oversensitive female, this made me want to cry.

Some of these kids come from homes or environments in which they are told or treated like they won’t amount to anything, or they are ignored or get very little praise or recognition. These are the kids who grow up feeling like they can’t do anything great, but in an environment such as this cooking camp, they’re part of a group, they accomplish things, and are rewarded in the end.

When I was younger and still deciding on what I wanted to do with my life career-wise, I knew one thing: I wanted to help people. Whether its being a teacher, a doctor, or a counselor, I just wanted to help. After being fascinated with weight-loss and overcoming an eating disorder, I realized that I could study nutrition and help people, whether its helping people reach their weight loss goals, counseling eating disorder patients on how to nourish their bodies again, or teaching kids how to cook and feel good about themselves. I absolutely love every part of it.

Have a lovely day everyone! Wishing you health & happiness!
Love,
Marilee

P.S. I took this photo this week during camp, this quotation was written on the wall of the HUB parking deck at Penn State

Sleep, Stress and Overeating

Here we go, a post related to what I’m actually studying!

I know I write a lot about mood, but our lifestyle factors (attitude, sleep, exercise, and nutrition) definitely have an impact on how we feel, act, and portray ourselves!

Recent research done by Harvard Medical School actually did a study on sleep and weight gain. To make a long story short, those who don’t get enough sleep make poor food decisions; they opt for high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, and they overeat. 

I can personally attest to this finding. When I don’t get enough sleep, I’m grumpy, and I feel the need to eat to increase my energy. As a result, I feel stressed, then I turn to food. Then I over eat, gain weight, and the cycle repeats. 

In contrast, when I get a full night’s sleep, I’m more energetic, productive, and likely to make better choices regarding food, and I feel as though I get more from my work outs.

The best way for me to see this is by keeping a food journal. Writing down what you’re eating makes you more aware of what you’re putting in your mouth, so you think more about what and how much you’re eating. In my food journal, I write down the following:

Time
Mood & energy level
Food item & quantity (drinks included)
Calorie content

So, an example would look like this:

6/29/13 2:26pm
feeling sleepy, annoyed. Somewhat tired.
2 cups of coffee with 2% milk (~50cal), 5 small pretzels (60), 1 tbsp natural peanut butter (100)
Total calories: 210

The more detailed your logs are, the more it will help you! I also recommend keeping a log of how you sleep, and an exercise journal. That way you can see how your lifestyle choices affect your mood, and you can make changes from there to create a more productive and fulfilling life for yourself 🙂

Age is a state of mind

 

I can’t tell you how many times I hear, “Oh, I can’t do that– I’m too old.”

Excuse me? Too old? You are never too old to improve your health. Not only is the scientific proof, but I’ve seen it happen, both in my personal life and my professional life.

My Godmother, my aunt, just turned 60 last week. She drives, teaches yoga, is in the process of fixing up and selling her house, has 4 grandkids that she takes care of and plays with, she dances (many different types of dance, may I add) and she still finds time for fun, and herself. One of her yoga clients is a 73-year-old woman who was previously on oxygen. After training and meditating with my aunt, she no longer needs oxygen. When she talked to her doctor about this, she said, “I don’t need oxygen anymore, because Marlene (my godmother) taught me how to breathe.”  Oh, and my aunt is a breast cancer survivor who has been in remission for 15 years. She also is extremely independent– she’s single and doesn’t feel the need to search for a new man.

Her sister, another one of my aunts, just turned 63 and is also still in control of her life. Her husband suffered a stroke, and she lost her oldest son a few  years ago. Does she choose to sit in her house and let her health fall to pieces? No, she doesn’t. She still takes care of herself, her house, her yard and spends time with her two granddaughters. She looks fabulous, and she still smiles and laughs.

Growing older is absolutely NO excuse to stop taking care of yourself. If anything, it’s an opportunity to illustrate how incredibly resilient humans are.

At the personal care home where I work, we had our 3rd annual “Senior Prom.” The seniors dressed up in suits and dressed, were served h’ors deuvres and they danced. Many of them had the thought in their heads that “they’re too old to dance.” Many of them were in wheelchairs. Did they dance? Of course they did! They didn’t get out of their chairs, but that’s no excuse to not dance and have a good time! I danced with a few of the residents who were on foot and one woman kept saying to me, “I don’t know how to dance!” Just because you don’t know dance steps, doesn’t mean you can’t dance! I feel like dance was created to express yourself and just move to music. Maybe it’s off beat a little bit, but who cares! 

You are never too old to improve your health, dance, or have fun. Health and happiness is for anyone of any age. It takes effort and change to improve your current state of health and happiness, but it certainly is possible.