Health + Diet

Perfect Eating is an Illusion – Be a Qualitarian

by Diana on April 5, 2013

in Food Chic,Health + Diet

Vegetarian, flexitarian, vegan, carnivore, pescatarian…there are many words to describe the way people eat.

I finally found a word that accurately describes my eating style: Qualitarian

One of the best things about this style is that it can be combined with others. You could be a Vegetarian Qualitarian or a Carnivore Qualitarian. It’s a simple, but effective concept and one that I’ve followed for awhile now, though I never had a single word to describe it.

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I discovered the above snippet in my January/February 2013 copy of Vegetarian Times. I know it’s April, and I’m a little late sharing, but better late than never, right?

In case the the above photo gets broken or isn’t view-able for some reason, it’s a photo of a snippet from the magazine, and it reads:

Be a Qualitarian: “The best change you can make in the New Year is to become a qualitarian,” says Ashley Koff, RD, founder of the ashleykoffapproved.com (AKA) Stamp of Quality Nutrition. “That means making the better-quality choice – note, I never say best quality – for everything you put in your body.” Aspiring to eat perfectly all the time isn’t practical, but in most situations, there’s a better choice, she says: “For example, if you’re at a convenience store grabbing something on the go, that could mean buying water, unsalted nuts, and a piece of fruit. If the fruit isn’t organic, aim for organic next time.”

This pretty much describes my eating style from the last couple years to the present. I like to say, “it’s about choosing the better choice…not the perfect one.” But, it hasn’t always been this way.

I have perfectionist tendencies, so I used to beat myself up about not getting things just right. I found that this type of thinking led me down a negative path that was not conducive to my goal of healthy living. Worrying about not making the perfect choice was stressful and would sometimes make me feel more like quitting than moving forward.

“Perfection is an illusion. Imperfection is beautiful.” -Tanya Beardsley

When I started focusing on a more positive approach, thinking about making better choices instead of perfect ones, I really started feeling more confident and happy about healthy eating. Mostly, when I started focusing on choosing better over perfect, I found a certain sense of freedom…like the weight of perfection had been lifted. It was wonderful.

We all have different budgets, time constraints, and resources available. What works for one person may or may not work for the next. Personally, I strive to eat clean, local, and organic food, but I take help from processed foods sometimes and I definitely don’t eat 100% local and organic. Do I beat myself up for eating boxed mac and cheese? Nope. Not any more. But, I do try to purchase the ones with cleaner ingredient lists. To me, this choice is better in two ways. It’s better than eating a more processed version, but mostly, it’s better than giving up completely and just getting fast food. Grilled chicken, steamed broccoli, and boxed mac and cheese > fast food

Bottom line – my current eating strategy is to do what I can, focus on the positive, and make the better choice. Yup, I’m definitely a Qualitarian, and I’m loving it.

What better choices have you made recently?

{ 7 comments }

The Forgotten Component of Health: Wellness

by Diana on October 24, 2012

in Health + Diet,Wellness

The Other Component of Health

I bet a lot of you reading think a lot about your physical and nutritional health, but do you ever think about your mental health? I remember when I first started doing Small Changes, Big Results by Ellie Krieger, almost four years ago now (click here to read about my journey), that wellness was my weakest area (nutrition and fitness were the other two). And this is likely a common problem, not just for me.

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According to Ellie:

“The third component of the program is often overlooked by fitness-minded people. They realize it is important to eat better and move their bodies more, but they’re surprised when I tell them there is one more key factor – to examine their lives to determine the biggest stressors, and figure out ways to reduce or eliminate them. You can learn to eat a nutritious diet and exercise regularly, but if you ignore your mental health and emotional well-being, you won’t feel good.”

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Oops. I know I’m guilty of this. What about you?

Stress: Pain in the Neck…Literally

I found myself rethinking my approach to healthy living when I woke up at 6:30am this past Sunday with excruciating neck pain. My neck had been sore most of the weekend, but on Sunday morning, I could barely move, and I felt sharp pain radiating from my neck even though I was just laying there. Not fun.

As I lay there, I wondered how to remedy my situation. I felt like traditional medicine would only focus on treating the symptoms with pain medicine. And though I did take some, I really wanted to think about my situation from a more holistic perspective. What was the cause of the pain? That was what I needed to fix, maybe for the present but mostly for the future. I didn’t have to think long before I came to the conclusion that I’d been working myself into the ground the past few weeks without giving de-stressing or relaxation a second thought. Heck, I couldn’t even make myself get a decent amount of sleep. Sound familiar?

Later that morning, my dad (we were visiting my parents) decided to turn to Dr. Weil for some advice, so he consulted his copy of “Spontaneous Healing.” I’d quote the book, but it’s at my parent’s house, and I just ordered it on Amazon today. Hopefully, I can share more later. But, basically, the book confirmed my suspicions. We read that neck pain, even if tied to a previous injury, is usually related to stress. Hmm…

I knew I’d been pushing myself a little (way?) too hard, but what was I doing about it to counter that stress along with other, everyday stressors? I tried to think back to the last time I’d paid any attention to relaxation and de-stressing. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d thought about either of those things. I couldn’t even remember the last time I’d gotten at least 8 hours of sleep. In fact, as I tie all of this together, I’m reminded of how I didn’t pay as much attention to the wellness challenges of Small Changes, Big Results. I guess I’m stubborn like that. Always pushing rest and relaxation to the side burner. In some ways, I don’t feel like I deserve it. Like I haven’t earned it or something. Who knows.

Going Forward

But, I think it’s time to re-evaluate things. Healthy Living is about more than just food and fitness. And I guess I could just pop some pain medicine every time my body flips out, but I’d rather fix the cause than treat the symptoms. Stress is going to happen, but what can I do to minimize it? Additionally, what can I do to better handle it?

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According to Dr. Weil from this article:

“While it is always worth trying to change external situations that are destructive, keep in mind that you have a choice as to how situations affect you. In time, you can learn to change your reactions to them – simply making changes to what you see as the external aspect of stress (such as getting a new job, moving, ending a relationship) does not give people tools for managing future problems any better. Therefore it is also important to learn how to relax and protect yourself from the harmful effects of stress.”

So, what does this mean for you? If you’re good at relaxing and handling your stress, then, probably not much. And I’d be surprised to see you’re still reading this, though maybe my train-wreck-workaholic-self does lend some entertainment value. Either way, I hope to be more like you one day. But if you’re stressed out like me…if you’re paying little or no mind to rest and relaxation, then I invite you to start doing so.

My Plan for Better Managing Stress

My plan is to spend more time (even if only 5 minutes a day) focusing on relaxation and learning how to better handle stress. I think I’m going to take another look at my SCBR book and maybe do just the weekly wellness challenge for the next 12 weeks. But, I’m also planning to do additional research to find more helpful info. It’s time to pay more attention to the third aspect of healthy living – wellness. Care to join me?

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You can start now.

Challenge: The first challenge in SCBR is to spend 5 minutes focusing on your breath. Pay attention to how it changes. Do you feel more relaxed? I tried this last night right before bed and fell asleep. Not sure if that’s what Ellie was going for, but I did feel more relaxed, at least. I’m not going to give away all of Ellie’s challenges, but this 5 minute breather is one that is simple enough, anyone should be able to include it in their daily activities. If I can do it, you can too!

Ready for more?

***

Reader questions: Do you devote time to relaxation? How do you handle stress? Do you have any recommendations for further reading on relaxation and stress-management? Please share in the comments!

{ 10 comments }

Healthy Eating is a Journey, Not a Destination

by Diana on April 20, 2011

in Groceries,Health + Diet,Life

You know the old saying “Life is a journey, not a destination?” I think the same holds true for healthy eating. Hubby has asked me in the past why I’ve changed so much how I eat over the years. Is it because I’m ADD? No, I just constantly learn about healthy eating – what works for me and what doesn’t.

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What makes me feel like my diet is restricted and what makes my diet feel like it’s free. What keeps me satisfied and what doesn’t. I learn and I adapt and I repeat the process. I am far from the best example of a healthy eater, but when I think about how much my eating has changed over the years, it makes me really happy. :)

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I’d consider myself a pretty average American, so I ate all the usual suspects as far as less-than-stellar food choices. But, here are some things I’ve just outgrown in recent years:

  • Fast food (McDonald’s, Chick-Fil-A, etc.)
  • Candy (the junk food kind – it tastes like plastic to me now – give me dark chocolate!)
  • Heavily processed foods (anything with an ingredient list that reads like a novel – it tastes fake)
  • Stuff you eat out of a vending machine (Oh I ate a honey bun in my day, but now it seems so gross)
  • Fake pancake syrup (I used to like the buttery flavor, but it tastes like plastic now to me – I prefer real maple syrup)

My taste buds have changed! I really think it’s true that the better you eat, the more you grow to like the lighter and healthier foods and the more you outgrow the unhealthy ones.

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I still eat sweets, but I prefer to get them made from scratch at local bakeries – or to bake my own from scratch using healthier ingredients.

And I still eat some processed foods, but I try to limit them and choose the versions that are as close to natural as possible. I look for short ingredient lists that I can read and understand. Food Rules anyone?

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As I mentioned earlier…one thing I constantly try to do is learn. Learn about new ingredients that are more healthful than others I’m more familiar with. I love browsing a health food store, finding something I’ve never heard of before and figuring out how to use it. I try to move not-as-good ingredients out of my life and these new finds in. For example, I find myself baking much more with sucanat than granulated sugar. And I now use unbleached flour instead of traditional AP flour…though I usually try to use whole grain versions (yay spelt!) whenever possible.

I hit up one of my local natural grocery stores yesterday and stocked up on some of my fave ingredients and a couple new ones.

From the bulk bins:

  • coarse salt
  • kamut berries
  • sucanat

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Other buys:

  • Organic raw cacao powder
  • teff flour
  • amaranth flour
  • vital wheat gluten

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I’m really excited about this amaranth flour. I’ve been wanting to try this stuff for about a year now, but it’s so darn expensive. I haven’t been able to force myself to buy it.

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And this was something I’ve been looking for but haven’t seen around town yet – organic raw cacao powder. I’m really looking forward to finding some fun ways to utilize this. It reminds me of that fabulous lunch I had at Cafe Gratitude in November .

I know I’ve asked about foods that make you say, “I can’t believe I used to eat that!“, but without it having to be shocking, what are some not-so-healthy foods that you’ve just grown out of over the years?

{ 33 comments }

Portable Breakfast #2 – Smoothie + First Acupuncture Experience

by Diana on November 16, 2010

in Breakfast,Dessert,Dinner,Health + Diet

Hey Chic-lets! Hope everyone is having a fab week so far!

For those who don’t know, I’m featuring 5 portable breakfasts – one for every (traditional) work day this week. I’m so glad you guys got some good tips from my Portable Breakfast #1 post! Now, it’s time for our second breakfast-on-the-go for the week…

Portable Breakfast #2 – Smoothies

Smoothies are probably the easiest to enjoy in the car or walking around because they just stay in a cup, which you can leisurely sip on.

In my opinion, smoothies are be the most easy to make nutritionally balanced. You can add protein servings, carb servings, fruit servings…even veggie servings! You can add healthful mixins like chia seeds and maca powder. You can easily get dairy servings, vitamins, nutrients…the world is your oyster when it comes to smoothies because they are so flexible.

Whenever I make smoothies, personally, I shoot for: lots of fruit, dairy or non-dairy milk, protein powder. I rarely add extra sweeteners since I try to get the natural sugars from the fruit.

Step 1 – Get out your blender & choice of smoothie ingredients

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For today’s smoothie, I made this Strawberry Banana Smoothie (click for recipe), but sans oikos, sub Vega Vanilla Chai Whole Health Optimizer + extra milk using bananas we had around and frozen strawberries. I got my fruit servings, my dairy, my chia seeds, and my protein. Vega is my protein of choice because is plant-based and not only provides protein, but also lots of vitamins & minerals. You can read my review to learn more about why I like Vega WWO.

Here are a couple more smoothie recipes:

If you want to get some whole grain servings in your smoothie, you can add in some oatmeal or granola during blending.

Step 2: Add ingredients and blend (I like to put the larger, harder to process frozen fruits on the bottom). Blend till it reaches the consistency you like, adding juice or milk/non-dairy milk to adjust thickness. Note: Add a little at a time – you can add more later, but you can’t take it back out. Tip: try to not make the smoothie too thick, or it will be difficult to drink on-the-go.

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Step 3: Put your smoothie in a to-go cup. I used a coffee thermos to help it stay cool. The added benefit of the thermos was the lid helped me prevent spills, though you may still want to use the dish towel trick from yesterday.

Step 4: Clean-up. It will save you pain later and it really doesn’t take very long at all…even if you’re in a rush.

The clean-up on this isn’t quite as easy as the toast from yesterday, but the key is taking care of it first thing. As my mom always says, it’s easier to clean it up right away than if you let a mess sit and set (said for spills on the stove and other kitchen messes). For most blenders, clean-up is a breeze – rinse out the pitcher of your blender to get most of the remnant smoothie off the sides. Then add warm water and a bit of dish soap (not dishwasher soap), put back on blender base, cover and let it whirl for a couple minutes. Rinse soap out. Depending on how messy your smoothie gets, you may want to hand wash the lid, but the base should be done. My family has been using this trick for years and it works like a charm!

Smoothies As Breakfast Benefits:

  • Pantry-friendly – you can keep your fruit frozen so it’s ready whenever you are.
  • Good use for leftovers – freeze fruit before it goes bad and use it later in your smoothie
  • Portable-friendly – easy to take with you
  • Quick – from start to finish, it only took me about 10 minutes to get my materials, blend my smoothie, and even clean-up!

Remember to check back tomorrow for Portable Breakfast #3! Or you can click here to see Portable Breakfast #1 (or if you just want to see the fabulous homemade almond butter I made).

***

I had a special appointment scheduled after work.

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I had my very first acupuncture appointment with Caitlin’s hubby Kristien of Holistic Wellness Center of Charlotte.

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Note needles in my legs!! Whoa! I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous…maybe even a little scared about trying acupuncture for the first time. But, I trusted that Kristien would take good care of me and he definitely did. I didn’t really even feel the needles go in. Phew!

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I also got some cupping on my back along with some Chinese massage. The massage was very relaxing and very much like traditional massage and yet not. It’s hard to explain. Guess you have to try it yourself. I was a little nervous about the cupping as well. I wasn’t sure if it would hurt, but it didn’t. The cupping actually felt a bit massage-like as well. I did have one funny moment before the cupping started but when Kristien was explaining it. He was walking about the how the cupping worked and mentioned the “fascia” under the skin. I couldn’t help but think of this guy (“fasha”) and had to laugh out loud. :)

Anywho, I felt soooo relaxed after the appointment. I think I almost fell asleep on the table. lol I’m really excited to see how I feel over the next few days.

Here’s what I thought of my first acupuncture experience overall:

  • First things first, the Holistic Wellness Center of Charlotte has a neat online scheduling tool that allows you to fill out your paperwork online before you even show up at the office. Loved this!
  • I was impressed with Kristien’s knowledge and professionalism, and I’m not just saying that because he’s my friend IRL. He explained everything in great detail and was really good about making sure I was really following. He also made me feel comfortable to ask him to re-explain a few of the more complex ideas. He was also very personable and friendly, which helped calm any nervousness I had about the needles or cupping.
  • I also really liked how the Chinese medicine style is very holistic, which is what I lean towards more and more. I liked how Kristien explained how some things were tied to specific organs and what that could mean from an overall well-being point of view. I especially liked how my take-aways are very practical to-dos, for example drinking warm water. I can do that!
  • I was relieved that the acupuncture was positive and I didn’t feel the needles. Yay!
  • I was also really impressed with the cupping and Chinese massage and will remember that the next time I’m having any pains that could possibly be remedied with this more natural solution.

Interested? Jealous? Curious?

The Holistic Wellness Center of Charlotte is running a special through the end of this week for your first appointment free (the deal I got today), so hurry up and book your appointment before they fill up!

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And look who I got to catch up with at the center – Caitlin!! :)

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Hubby and I decided to just do Thai take-out tonight at Thai Taste (which I’ve heard is the best in town, but hadn’t yet tried!), so we got Pud See Ew with chicken and spring rolls. I mainly got the Pud See Ew for me (though I did think it was one of my usual Thai faves that he would actually like) and the spring rolls mainly for him. Hubby actually really liked the Pud See Ew. Yay!

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And I also spotted something on the menu I had to try – coconut pudding! The base was almost like a gelatinous coconut/rice mixture with coconut cream on top. The flavor was light and very tasty. I loved it and totally enjoyed every bite whilst catching the latest Glee. That Singing in the Rain number was pretty awesome, wasn’t it?

Have you ever tried cupping? What did you think?

{ 26 comments }

Healthy Thanksgiving Challenge 2010

October 26, 2010

It’s here! Time for my 2nd annual Healthy Thanksgiving Challenge! Read on for details on how you can participate… The Challenge Concept If you’re like me, you believe that every change, no matter how small, in a positive direction, helps make the world a better place. So, why not use our knowledge of healthful eating [...]

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Wardrobe Age = College

August 21, 2010

Morning friends! Sad to miss the farmers market this morning. But glad to sleep in. Egg/organic veggie scramble with onions, bell pepper and spinach with toast/butter. Plus the ever-wonderful coffee. I must really be sugared out because hubby offered to pick up a cinnamon roll from Great Harvest today and I turned him down! Ahh…the [...]

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Tonight’s Theme = BEER!

May 5, 2010

Happy Hump-day everyone! The week is officially more than half way over, and I’m already ready for the weekend! I have some scary, frightening, what-did-I-get-myself-into but mostly exciting, exhilarating, and happy things in the works now. I can’t wait to share more details with you guys! Workday Eats We had some bread on its last [...]

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Scales Are Over-Rated + Vega Health Optimizer Review

April 15, 2010

Happy Thursday The Chic Life readers!!! Thursday Eats I woke up early enough to repay hubby for all his thoughtfulness yesterday by whipping up a quick breakfast – one of his faves – fried (cage-free) eggs! I toasted up a piece of spelt bread to go with the egg for hubby. As for moi, I [...]

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