Ho, Ho, Holiday Pounds!

How to keep winter weight to a minimum.

by Dr. Sandra G. Carey

It is not uncommon to gain some weight during the winter months, and a few extra pounds can even be healthy. The cold weather and winds of winter calls for insulation from body fat, which may keep us warm and strengthen the immune system. However, holiday parties and family gatherings, which provide ample opportunity to indulge in the goodness of the season, may lead to unwanted pounds. Below are some ideas for enjoying the many festive occasions this season while minimizing extra weight.

• Eat a light meal or snack before going to a party



This will decrease feelings of hunger and limit sugar cravings, lessening the likelihood of overindulging on cookies and cakes.



• Wait 20 minutes before going back for seconds at holiday meals



This amount of time gives the body a chance to register what you have eaten. If you are still hungry after 20 minutes, please enjoy a second helping, but if you do not feel hungry refrain from extra helpings to keep extra pounds at bay.



• Remember: “The feast is in the first bite.”



Take time to give full attention to what you are eating. Explore the textures, tastes, and smells of the food you eat by chewing slowly and thoroughly. This will slow down the time it takes to eat, and helps avoid that “stuffed” feeling. This mindful approach to eating can also bring awareness to the love and time it took to prepare the food and may increase your sense of thankfulness and joy.



• Increase movement during the day



Winter weather may inhibit your desire to get outside and be active, so create new opportunities to keep the blood and calories flowing through your body. Take the stairs up to the office, or park towards the end of a parking lot, when safe, to add in a few extra steps to your day. Add some stretching or isometric (contracting muscles while standing still) to your work breaks or after a meal.

Be well!

Basic Guidelines for Good Digestion

• Eat in a relaxed environment and an attentive manner
  
  • Stress impacts the body’s ability to digest nutrients
  
  
• Chew food completely before swallowing
  
  • Poorly chewed food is not digested well
    
  • Nutrients are not available to the body if food is not digested
    
  • Partially chewed food particles can compromise intestinal health and be attacked as a foreign object by cells, lowering the immune system
  
  
• Include raw foods (uncooked) into your diet
  
  • The enzymes present in raw foods aids digestion
    
  • Eat warming foods to help aid digestion, such as Ginger and Curry
  
  
• Avoid substances that hinder digestive health
  
  • These include:
    
    • Cigarettes
      
    • Caffeine
      
    • Alcohol
      
    • Pesticides on foods
      
    • Antibiotics
  
  
• Exercise
  
  • This stimulates digestive organs
  
  
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day
  
  • Water helps digestion and elimination
  
  

References

• Bartholomey, Paula. Hawthorn University, 603.1 Lecture Series, Whitehorn, CA, 2006.
  
• Lipski, Elizabeth. Digestive Wellness 3rd ed. Los Angeles, CA: McGraw Hill/Contemporary Books, 2004
  

Nutrient-Rich Snacks, Beverages, and Desserts

by Dr. Sandra G. Carey

Food is the fuel necessary for our body to run well, and what we eat directly affects the way we feel physically and emotionally. Every person has unique dietary needs based on genetics, environment, and lifestyle. Listed below are several suggestions for supplying your body with fuel that will provide the body with nourishment and please the palate. Enjoy discovering what you like best!

Nutrient-Rich Snacks

• Choose snacks that feature whole, natural ingredients and avoid white flours, refined sugars, or hydrogenated vegetable oils.




• Whole foods will provide the body with consistent energy while processed foods can lead to depletion of energy, decreased mood, and may lead to certain diseases of the heart and digestive system.


• Sprouted Nuts and Seeds




• Sprouting (soaked in water overnight) helps the nuts to be easier to digest and increase availability of nutrients


• Healthy nuts can include almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts, and cashews




• Hummus and whole grain or sprouted breads and crackers




• The protein and fat found in hummus helps repair and build muscles and increases concentration


• Sprouted grains increase the content of vitamin c, and several B vitamins and helps with absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper, and zinc.







Beverages



• Make water your beverage of choice each day




• Our body is made up mostly of water and our body needs it to thrive at all times and more so during stress and illness


• Mineral water can increase additional benefits of hydration by adding nutrients to the body




• Avoid sodas, especially those with artificial sweeteners
  
  
  
  • Phosphoric acid in soft drinks blocks absorption of calcium and magnesium
  
  
  • Artificial sweeteners, like aspartame, are neurotoxins and break down into poison in the body
  
  
  
  
• Include Herbal Teas




• Provides nutrients and has soothing qualities


• Does not contain caffeine, which negatively impacts digestive health





• Avoid drinking beverages with meals


• Interrupts the digestive process







Desserts
Choose desserts that contain natural sweeteners, fruit, whole grains, cream, and butter




• Natural sweeteners help control a dip or spike in blood sugar, stabilizing mood and physical energy.


• Avoid drinks, like diet sodas, that contain artificial sweeteners


• Aspartame breaks down into methanol, a known poison


• May cause dizziness, visual impairment, severe muscle aches, numbing of extremities, pancreatitis, seizures and depression


• Phosphoric acid in soft drinks blocks absorption of calcium and magnesium contributing to fractured bones in children and osteoporosis in adults and a compromised immune system

References:

• Bartholomy, P. (2008) Micronutrients and Water. Hawthorn University Lecture Series, Micronutrients.


• Bland, J. S. & Beenum, S H. Geenetic Nutritioneering. Lincolnwood: Keats Publishing.


• Fallon, S. (1999). Nourishing Traditions. Washington DC: New Trends Publishing, Inc.


• Margel, D. L. (20005). The Nutrient Dense Eating Plan. Laguna Beach: Basic Health Publications, Inc.

Project Renewment Group

The book Project Renewment, published in 2008, has caught my imagination--not so much for the book itself, but for the possibilities it stirs up for me. Two women wrote the book--Bernice Bratter, a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and advocate for women & aging; and Helen Dennis, an expert on aging, employment, & retirement--after developing a new model for career women looking for an alternative to the traditional forms of retirement. Project Renewment began as one small group in California, connecting women close to retirement or recently retired, and has grown into a movement of sorts with groups continuing across the country. The authors describe the concept as "a combination of retirement and renewal," suggesting "optimism and opportunity, growth and self-discovery." It's really about women learning together, from each other and from themselves, to make the coming years abundant with life, passion, and purpose.

My vision is to start the process in the Chicago area, with the first group beginning September 21, a Monday night at 7:00, in our Park Ridge offices. We will meet together for 4 weeks, processing some of the book topics together (including "Who am I without my business card? What if he retires first? What is productivity anyway? Why do I feel guilty reading a book at 3:00 p.m. on a Tuesday? How do I feel about not earning another dollar?"). We will also bring in other relevant resources as needed or desired by group members--from books, movies, and news sources. This is not a "therapy group"; but it is not a traditional "support group" either. It is a new creation developed by and for career women, building on the strengths and processes that already have aided women in their professional lives. My hope is that group members will find sufficient support and inspiration to continue meeting on a longer-term, monthly basis, as highlighted in the Project Renewment model.

If this process catches your imagination as well, please contact me before this group fills up (we're limiting the first group to six women). Reach me by phone at the Willow Wellness Center at (847) 318-8200 or email at lcampbell@willowwellness.com. Thanks.

Diversity of Faith Traditions

Our staff consultation group has been talking about spirituality and religion, and how faith issues impact both our clients' lives and psychotherapy, and it occurred to me to make a list of all the different faith traditions we've welcomed here at Willow in the last 4 years. I was amazed at the diversity, especially because we practice in a suburban area that on the surface seems anything but diverse. Take a look (in alphabetical order), though know that we've left out a couple very small religions in the interest of protecting our clients' confidentiality, as well as many people who consider themselves "spiritual but not religious":

• Episcopal Church
  
• Evangelical Christian Churches (non-denominational)
  
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA)
  
• Greek Orthodox Church
  
• Jainism
  
• Jehovah's Witness
  
• Jewish (Orthodox, Reformed, cultural)
  
• Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod
  
• Muslim
  
• Presbyterian Church
  
• Roman Catholic Church
  
• Salvation Army
  
• Seventh-day Adventist
  
• United Methodist Church
  
• Unity
  
• Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod

New Old Age

There is a wonderful new blog on the NY Times website titled "The New Old Age." It deals with all kinds of topics on aging and caregiving. Check it out at http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com.

Can Christians Meditate?

Meditation is the practice of focusing the mind. Although many people associate meditation with Eastern religions, Christianity also has an important meditative tradition. The Bible mentions the word "meditate" or a variation at least 20 times. In Joshua 1, the writer tells us to meditate on God’s word.

Many Christian saints were practitioners of meditation, and encouraged others to learn to meditate. St. Ignatius of Loyola wrote about meditation in his Spiritual Exercises. St. Teresa of Avila wrote about her daily meditative practice in a wonderful book titled The Interior Castle. More recently, Father John Main, a Benedictine monk, taught a type of meditation that makes use of a repeated phrase, or mantra. Centering prayer is another meditative method that has been taught by Father Thomas Keating and Father Basil Pennington. Richard Foster, who wrote the book Prayer, is one of many Protestants (including some on Willow’s staff) who utilizes meditative techniques.

For Christians, quieting the mind and clearing out extraneous thoughts is a way to prepare for God's inspiration. Like prayer, meditation is a form of worship. It can be considered a way of kenosis – the “self-emptying” that is modeled after Jesus’ life (Phil. 2: 6) – that allows God to enter in. In our busy lives, we can be easily distracted. Meditation is a way of intentionally moving our focus back on God.

There are all kinds of meditative techniques that can be used to develop a meditation practice. You may have heard of Transcendental Meditation, tai chi, zen meditation, or others. At Willow Wellness Center, we teach Mindfulness Meditation, which is a well-researched method that has been scientifically shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and is associated with a number of additional health benefits. It has been used to help individuals cope with chronic pain, and is taught to parents who are interested in developing new ways to relate to their children. Mindfulness meditation can be easily used by those of many faiths to clear their minds of distractions.