On Life As A Picky Foodie

Dear Friends;

It’s been a bad week for body image in America. 

First, the trainer of one of the popular weight-loss reality shows talked about not wanting to “ruin” her body with pregnancy.  Then, two major networks refused to air lingerie ads featuring full-sized models. 

Finally, one of the hosts of a popular entertainment show touted her “failure” to get pregnant despite a 7 lbs weight gain.  She does, however, do intense cleanses as well as work out every single morning and so considers herself extremely healthy.

I am by no means a fertility expert.  However, due to my personal history, it did all hit pretty close to home. 

We expect things to happen immediately, at the click of a button, a flick of a switch, a snap of the fingers.  But the body does not work that way.  It takes its time – to heal, to change, to create.

A few years ago, I was told that there was little chance that I would be able to become pregnant.  I had been working in stressful jobs for a decade and had recently lost a lot of weight very quickly.  In my mind, I was living a very healthy lifestyle: eating “well,” working out a lot.  I was also constantly on the go, with little time for myself.

Then my period disappeared and the pronouncements about fertility (or lack thereof) began.  My progesterone was low, my ovaries were lazy, my body wouldn’t be able to hold on to a pregnancy if I was even able to get that far. 

I took supplements and put myself through countless tests, and nobody could give me a conclusive answer.  Worst of all, I started believing that there was something wrong with my body.  After all, how was it possible that a strong, healthy woman in her early thirties would not be able to conceive?

I worked out a little harder and became even more religious about my food choices. What I didn’t do was slow down.

When the body is overworked and overstretched, the first thing it shuts down are all the non-essential parts -- like reproduction.  Many people live in a constant state of stress without even being aware of it.  Our hectic lifestyles are so ingrained in normality that we don’t feel the effects anymore.  And when different health challenges arise, we don’t connect the dots, because we have no idea that we are, in fact, doing too much, sleeping too little, constantly pushing our bodies beyond the realm of what will keep us functioning at our peak.

For my part, I did everything they told me to do: I took every pill as if my life depended on it, ate as “perfectly” as I could.  But it was only when I stopped trying so hard, when I relaxed – both in my life as well as my attitude – that things slowly started to change.   

And now, at 37 weeks pregnant, I feel that my body is anything but “ruined.” I know that that tummy will not be as taught as I would once have wanted, that those thighs will get jiggy with every step I take, and I will never be as small as I used to think was attractive.  But it matters little these days.

Because body image is in the eye of the beholder. 

7 lbs is not a switch, or a magic pill.  In the scheme of things, on an extremely skinny lollipop-head, 7 lbs. will probably not make much difference, nor will anything happen overnight.  And I have little hope that someone who sees pregnancy as the ruination of their body will ever be able to grasp what is actually important. 

Just because these camera-obsessed creatures buy into some computer-generated, airbrushed image of perfection doesn’t mean we have to. 

With love and a sincere desire that every woman who dreams of motherhood be granted that wish, and every person dealing with health challenges through diet and lifestyle achieve their goals.

Gabriela

P.S.  As of this week, The Friday Night Dinner Blog is on maternity leave.  But stay tuned for more awesome, delicious, gluten, dairy and refined-sugar-free recipes (and possibly a redesign) later this year.  Thank you all for your support, comments, emails and input in these past few months.  I’ll be back!

Dear Friends;

Are you the kind of person who eats just once a day?  Do you stuff your plate full, and then shove it down your throat in an attempt to avoid having to deal with food again?

Or are you a grazer – ingesting a little here, a little there -- without ever sitting down to a full-on meal?

Do you prefer to stick to solid breakfast, lunch and dinner?  And what about snacks or are they verboten?

Let’s not talk about what the diet books and gurus tell us is “better” for our metabolism, weight maintenance, energy levels and the likes.  For now, let’s focus on personal preference. 

The way we eat, the food choices we make, even the way in which we combine the different things on our plates says a lot about how we live our lives.

A person who eats one huge meal a day might do the same with the relationships in their life: theirs may be an all-or-nothing kind of deal.  They might be the kind of people who will call and call, and then disappear.  On the other hand, someone who eats continuous, small snacks throughout the day, might be a bit more laid-back, the type of person who feels more comfortable in a good, steady routine.

What I’m talking about is not a science; it’s not black or white.  However, it is a tool that we can all make use of when looking for answers about our selves and the choices we make. 

Do you stop eating before you are full or when you are so stuffed that you need to buy a new pair of jeans? 

Do you often eat in secret? 

When ordering in a restaurant, do you stick to what you think sounds the healthiest, or do you have whatever you feel like?

How does that attitude translate into your everyday? How different is the person you want to be from the life that you lead?

Our bodies are constantly trying to tell us all kinds of things.  Every craving, every preference, every meal is a way in which we are trying to tell our selves something.  The question is do we listen.  They say you can tell a lot from a person’s body language, but how about looking at our own – our own body and the language it is speaking to us. 

On Saturday, September 12^th, 2009 I woke up with a desire for a peanut butter and banana sandwich on run-of-the-mill wholemeal bread.  Now this wouldn’t be extraordinary except that I rarely eat bananas, I don’t usually like peanut butter, and let’s not even talk about the bread to which I am allergic.  The last time I had a peanut butter and banana sandwich was so long ago that I actually remember it: there was a little coffee shop on Broadway between 19^th and 20^th in Manhattan that made them with just the right amount of honey.  This was almost ten years ago.  I was still working as a television producer and it was my favourite breakfast at the time.  In fact, I had it so often that until that morning last September, I couldn’t even think about having another one.  Anyway, halfway through my banana and peanut butter on gluten-free bread indulgence (man was it delicious!), I thought maybe something else was up.  Sure enough, the little stick read “pregnant.”  As did the four others I tested immediately afterwards. 

We are not separate entities – we are integrated beings with bodies, brains, bones, muscles, opinions, emotions and everything in between.  But not every part of us speaks English (or French or Norwegian for that matter), so it is up to us to identify the ways in which our different components communicate.  

I’m not sure Food Translations can predict the future, but based on the work I do with my clients, I am convinced they can help us tune in to what we are trying to tell our selves. 

With love,

Gabriela

P.S. Do you find going to weddings challenging because of the food on offer?  Check out this week’s Friday Night Dinner Blog for a few tips and tricks to help you through it.

P.P.S.  This may be your last chance to get a free one-hour consultation.  This offer will only be valid until the end of April.  Here's a final reminder of how it works: get five friends, co-workers, family members or strangers to sign up to the On Life As A Picky Foodie newsletter, and you will receive a free forty-five minute consultation with yours truly.  Simply ask anyone signing up to email me and let me know your name. 

Dear Friends;

So what’s a “good” fat?  What’s a “bad” fat?  This kind of labelling is not only simplistic, it is wrong. 

Saturated fat, for example, found in most animal products, has been linked to high cholesterol and heart failure.  However, it is also used to form sex and adrenal hormones, Vitamin D and bile, and a certain amount can be needed for good health.  A major cause of too much cholesterol in the body – a problem largely blamed on saturated fat – is due to overconsumption.  Many people eat foods high in saturated fat multiple times every single day.  Does that sound like something that would have a reasonable, healthy outcome?

On the other end of the spectrum are the essential fatty acids – EFAs.  Sometimes I think this is the closest advertising will ever come to claiming we have found a magic pill.  We hear a lot about Omega 3s, but in fact, there’s a whole host of essential fatty acids.   EPA can help lower cholesterol.  DHA is essential to brain development and growth; it boosts the immune system, aids in combating arthritis, depression, prostate problems and migraines.  EFAs also support thyroid function and promote healthy skin, hair and nails. And many people will be surprised to find out that all green – chlorophyll-rich – foods contain ALA, another essential fatty acid that could help combat high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma and breast cancer.  You see, there’s a reason I keep going on about greens, greens and more greens!

Fish has commonly been known as the best source of omega 3s.  However, due to the high mercury content of wild-caught fish as well as overfishing, this is not a viable long-term option.  In addition, I was shocked to discover that because of the feed given to farmed fish, it is no longer a good source of Omega 3 – quite the opposite!  However, EFAs can be found in flax and hemp oil, chia seeds (a more recent addition to the Superfood family), pumpkin seeds and walnuts.

Essential Fatty Acids are Polysaturated fats.  Unlike their saturated counterparts, they remain liquid even in the refrigerator and can easily go rancid when exposed to light and air.  Make sure to buy them cold-pressed in dark glass bottles from a trusted brand.

Ideally, what we are looking to achieve is a balance between all of these fats.  Consuming too much of one will not – as the marketing of omega 3s would like to have us believe – create optimum health.

In the end, the most important piece of this puzzle is quantity.  Fats become unhealthy when we consume them in excess – even the so-called “good” fats.  The liver plays a major part in fat metabolism, and so can become sluggish from overwork.

Changing up the kinds and amounts of fats we ingest are the perfect example of how making little alterations can create a huge ripple effect on our wellbeing.  How about starting with just one meal?  Using a great olive oil and fresh lemon juice on your salad every Sunday evening instead of pre-packaged dressing can make an enormous difference in how you’ll start off your week.

I cannot say how much fat is the right amount as it varies from person to person -- though going fat-free is far from the one-way ticket to health that we are promised in all those 0% ads.  However, if you do want to reduce the amount of fat in your diet, be sure to do so slowly to avoid cravings.  And, as always, make sure that what you do decide to put into your body is the best quality that you can afford.   Because when it comes to fats, quality is as important as quantity. 

With love,

Gabriela

P.S.  What is the difference between a Superfood and a super food?  Find out in this week’s Friday Night Dinner Blog. 

P.P.S. Thanks again to all of you who sent along new subscribers.  Please do keep 'em coming!  The free Picky Foodie one-on-one counseling session offer will be valid until the end of April.  Here's a reminder of how it works: get five friends, co-workers, family members or strangers to sign up to the On Life As A Picky Foodie newsletter, and you will receive a free forty-five minute consultation with yours truly.  Simply ask anyone signing up to email me and let me know your name. 

Dear Friends;

What is it about fat that has us so riled up?

Atkins-heads and low-carbers claim there’s nothing wrong with it, while others swear that it’s not about a diet but rather low-fat tastes better (yeah right!).

Here’s the skinny. 

Fat is, along with protein and carbohydrates, one of the three macronutrients that we need for a balanced diet.  It is available in both plants as well as animals though different sources yield different fats that our bodies absorb in different ways. 
So what’s all the ruckus about then?

Fat has veered between good guy and bad guy in the past couple of decades and while it is true that it yields more calories than its compadres – protein and carbohydrates provide four calories per gram, fat provides nine – it also has unique beneficial properties.

Fats are what give us a feeling of satiety, which is why many people who go on low-fat diets end up with humungous cravings.  Fats digest more slowly than other foods, keeping us full for longer.  And fats help with the assimilation of certain vitamins – A, D, E and K.

Many health problems related to fat intake are about the quality of fats ingested.  However, when consumed in appropriate quantities, fats give us a sense of grounding, a sense of security.  Fats help slow us down and help us stay warm.  In this crazy, fast-paced world, who wouldn’t crave those things? 

We hear a lot of fats being called a lot of different things: polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, saturated, EPA, DHA, GLA, omegas, etc.  In truth, all oils contain all of the above, but they are classified by the kind that is most predominant.

For example, did you know that olive oil, the darling of Mediterranean cuisine is 82% Monounsaturated fat, 8% polyunsaturated fat (what walnuts are famous for), and 10% saturated fat?

Oils can and are used medicinally – like flax, which many people take for a host of reasons.  It’s important to be aware of which oils can be used for what. 

When purchasing, check labels for unrefined, and use each oil according to what will best enhance its properties.  For example, cooking with flax oil will destroy the omegas it is famous for and actually render it detrimental to your health.  However, using it in a salad dressing is a great way to boost your greens’ nutritional properties.  Olive oil, on the other hand can, and has been used in a host of ways for centuries. 

For maximum benefits, store oils in dark glass containers away from direct sunlight.  The most fragile oils need to be refrigerated and always give them a good sniff before use: if it smells rancid and bitter, chances are you’d be better off investing in a new bottle.

Want to know more about what mono, poly, etc means?  Next week’s On Life As A Picky Foodie will chew the fat just a little more. But in the mean time, I’d love to hear from you what kinds of questions you ask yourself when you’re trying to figure out which oil does what and to whom. 

With love,

Gabriela

P.S. Do you take advantage of a day off to treat yourself extra well, or do you indulge in the things that you normally refrain from?  With the prospect of a few days of rest, we decided to dive deep into a bowl of Asian-inspired noodle soup.  Check out this week’s Friday Night Dinner Blog for the recipe. 

P.P.S. Thanks again to all of you who sent along new subscribers.  Please do keep 'em coming!  The free Picky Foodie one-on-one counseling session offer is still valid until the end of April.  Here's a reminder of how it works: get five friends, co-workers, family members or strangers to sign up to the On Life As A Picky Foodie newsletter, and you will receive a free forty-five minute consultation with yours truly.  Simply ask anyone signing up to email me and let me know your name.

(source: Paul Pitchford, Healing with Whole Foods)

“How beautiful it is to do nothing and then rest afterwards”
Spanish Proverb

Dear Friends –

How often do you do absolutely nothing?

Our world is full of shoulds and woulds and coulds.  I know I wang on about it quite a lot, but that is only because everyone around me seems to be constantly telling me what they should be doing, could be eating, would be living like if only… 

Why don’t I just burst that bubble right now and remind us all that we’re simply not.  We’re not eating “perfectly” or staying in touch with as many people as we would like, or working out as often as we feel would benefit us most.

Even relaxation has become just another thing on many people’s to do list – something else we should be doing.

I guess what I’m trying to ask you is: when was the last time you did nothing and enjoyed it?

Take a bath, take a walk, take a vacation – take a break from the shoulds and woulds and coulds.  Because this moment will never return.  And whether it’s a great one, a terrible one, or one that you don’t even notice as it passes – each moment is precious. 

We’re all so busy doing, that we forget to feel, smell, see, notice what’s going on.  And that’s what life is about.  Let’s not miss it because we’re too busy ticking to-dos off our list. 

As you can probably tell, I am really feeling time flying by these days.  I am now 33 weeks pregnant and very aware that my life is about to change.  In the run-up, I have been trying to do the things that I haven’t necessarily made enough time for in the past.  Like creating special moments with my partner or seeing concerts, going to the movies, having dinner with friends.  And doing nothing.  While I am usually running in a million directions, this doing nothing thing has opened my eyes to how valuable it can be. 

Because it’s when we do nothing that everything seems possible – much more so, in fact, than when we try to get everything done. 

With love,

Gabriela

P.S.  Few of us need more reasons to enjoy our food.  But isn’t it wonderful when what we eat also makes us feel fantastic?  Check out this week’s Friday Night Dinner Blog for a recipe that will do exactly that. 

P.P.S. Thanks again to all of you who sent along new subscribers.  Please do keep 'em coming!  The free Picky Foodie one-on-one counseling session offer is still valid until the end of April.  Here's a reminder of how it works: get five friends, co-workers, family members or strangers to sign up to the On Life As A Picky Foodie newsletter, and you will receive a free forty-five minute consultation with yours truly.  Simply ask anyone signing up to email me and let me know your name.