blog

Breaking News: Man Eats When Damn Well Pleases

Wed, 08 May 2013 19:28:00 GMT

A friend and colleague of mine forward me this video clip from The Onion, which is perhaps my favorite place for news. (For those of you who don't know The Onion writes parodies of news stories and is often quite hysterical.)

Alert: if you are bothered or offended by profanity, please don't watch this. For those of you who aren't...now I really have your attention! So take a moment and watch this clip before reading on.

Man Says 'Fuck It,' Eats Lunch At 10:58 A.M.

This video really captures the ridiculousness of the arbitrary food rules that are ingrained into our cultural consciousness. Here are a couple of examples:

*No eating past 7 pm

*Don't eat lunch until noon

*Sandwiches are lunch foods not breakfast foods

So what arbitrary food rules are you carrying around with you? Are you even aware of what food rules govern your eating? Are they actually helpful to you? What would happen if you challenged them?

The next time your stomach is growling and you think you have to wait until noon to eat lunch... consider following this guys' lead and buck the status quo. Go get your lunch...even if it's 10:58.

What food rules do you want to challenge this week?

Fat, Sick, And Nearly Dead: A Guest Post Review

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT

Don't 'Reboot with Joe' A guest post by dietetic intern Shalini.

A little while back I was told about this “life-changing” documentary that I had to watch; it was called “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.” It fell within my scope of interest, so I watched. The cartoon illustrations between the major segments were amusing, but overall I found the content of the documentary to be extreme: a 60-day juicing fast to lose weight? Really? Of course! It all comes back to what extreme measures we can come up with to further destroy our bodies and minds.

In the documentary, Joe wants us to ‘reboot’. He explains to us what that means:
“A Reboot is a period of time where you commit to drinking and eating only fruits and vegetables, herbal teas, and water in order to regain or sustain your vitality, lose weight and kick-start healthy habits that recharge your body and get your diet back in alignment for optimal wellness.”

Well, that sounds fantastic, right? Nope. It sounds more like a disaster waiting to happen! A 60-day all fruit and vegetable juicing diet goes against what our body needs to sustain itself. With this “diet” we are only getting simple carbohydrates, which digest quickly and do not keep us feeling full throughout the day. Staying hungry all day sounds like a pretty miserable way to spend the day. Our bodies need a mix of carbohydrates (simple and complex), protein, and fat in order to properly function. By cutting out complete food groups we are not only harming ourselves physically, but we are also training our minds to believe that we need to treat our bodies unhealthily to look healthy? Wait… That doesn’t make sense!

Even though fruits and vegetables should be a part of a healthy diet, we need more that just that. Even in the documentary, the individuals who began the “reboot” program felt miserable when starting their juicing way-of-life. By restricting ourselves, we are just setting ourselves up for future disappointment and loss of control. When we are hungry, we need to eat; when we are satisfied, we need to stop. That’s it.

If you are trying to lose weight, the best thing you can do is follow a balanced ‘diet’ (and I use the word ‘diet’ loosely), consisting of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. We should not punish ourselves by having only juiced fruits and vegetables every day, being unable to enjoy the foods we desire! Is that any way to live? (No, its not.) There are so many creative and tasty meals we can incorporate into our day that can be part of a balanced lifestyle. And guess what? It’s okay to occasionally eat foods that have zero nutritional value just because they taste good – that’s what they are there for!

By restricting yourself from the foods you love, you will only be setting yourself up for a feeling of failure and regret. Don’t do that to yourself!

Well, from a nutritional perspective you’ve heard why I don’t feel these quick fixes are a good idea… Do you have any other reasons why you think this ‘reboot’ is a terrible, awful, horrible idea?

After the Boston Marathon...

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:55:00 GMT

All of us in the Boston area are still recovering from the shock of the events at the Boston Marathon yesterday. Despite the devastation I have been warmed by the generosity of the vast majority of the people in the world. The true colors of goodness, caring, and support shine through during the darkest moments.

I am in a helping profession. My colleagues are helpers. And my clients are often guilty of giving too much of themselves to others. So it is at this time that I'd like share a gentle reminder that you cannot give from an empty well. Take good care of yourself. Did you know that during times of high stress and anxiety our hunger cues become hard to hear? You may need to eat a little more mechanically during this time. You may need a little more fuel, a little more water, a little more rest, a little more quiet time.

So as you attend to the needs of others, as so many of you do, don't forget about taking good care of yourself. Below are some resources that may be helpful to you.

Coping with Disaster

http://www.ready.gov/coping-with-disaster

Managing traumatic stress: Tips for recovering from disaster and other traumatic events

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/recovering-disasters.aspx

Taking Care of Your Emotional Health After a Disaster

http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4240142_EmotionalHealth.pdf

Recovering Emotionally

http://www.redcross.org/find-help/disaster-recovery/recovering-emotionally

Distress Helpline (24/7 phone and text)

http://disasterdistress.samhsa.gov/about.aspx

Building Your Resilience

http://www.apapracticecentral.org/outreach/building-resilience.aspx

Breakfast Outside the Box with Janel Ovrut Funk

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

My friend, colleague, and vegetarian food blogger Janel Ovrut Funk has an AWESOME idea to share for breakfast. She knows how much I value healthy fats in the diet and deplore the fat-free craze of the 90's that seems to be hanging around in our cultural consciousness. So thank you Janel for this post for today! To read more of Janel's fabulous blog, check her out here. In fact, I should also note that this original post is located here.

Lately the majority of my breakfasts have been this cranberry-oat amazingness that I whip up once a week in my slow cooker, or this new high fiber, high protein cereal from Attune. But every so often I crave something savory and have been getting my fill of healthy fats from avocados. I originally didn’t think this “recipe” was worthy of posting, but whenever I put a picture of it up on my Instagram feed, my followers are intrigued, and many have told me they were inspired to make it too. Always looking to inspire others to eat well and get creative with food, I decided to share here as well.

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

Lemon juice

Sea salt

Frank’s hot sauce (essential!)

Whole wheat bread

Directions:

Fork-mash avocado into a small bowl. Mix in a tablespoon or two of fresh or bottled lemon juice. Add in a pinch of sea salt to taste.

Spread on your favorite whole wheat toast, bagel, bread, pita, or whatever vehicle you want to get the avocado mash into your mouth.

Drizzle with Frank’s hot sauce. It must be Frank’s! I bought Frank’s for the first time this year and GAME CHANGER. I really do put that $*^# on everything. No other hot sauce compares. And for all you spice-phobes, it’s not terribly spicy if you buy the Buffalo wing variety.

The most recent time I had this, I spread my avocado mash on homemade whole wheat bread. I unearthed a package of Bob’s Red Mill 100% Whole Wheat Bread Mix from the back of my kitchen cabinet, dumped all the contents into my bread machine, crossed my fingers, and turned it on. A few hours later I had a perfect loaf of whole wheat bread. I’m always shocked when I successfully make a loaf! Thick and crusty, it made the perfect hearty base for this breakfast. Occasionally I’ll pair this with a hardboiled egg for protein and a juicy Clementine for a touch of sweet. Typically if I don’t have this for breakfast, I’ll enjoy it later in the day for lunch.

DIY Vision Boards

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 04:00:00 GMT

By Elizabeth Jarrard- Registered Dietitian at Marci RD Nutriton

Do you surround yourself with inspiration? Are reminders of your goals staring you in the face when you wake up, when you head out the door? What would happen if they were that close? What would happen if you were constantly reminded of where you want to go in this life, and how you're going to get there? I wouldn't think of traveling to somewhere unknown without a map (or my gps) in tow. So what if we map out what our dreams look like so that we end up at our destination-not lost forever.

Vision boards can be a great tool for getting back in touch with what our goals are and where we are headed. The act of creating them should be meditative, soothing and almost therapeautic, as you find images and words that resonate you with. Then when you have finalized it (for the time being), you can hang it as a constant reminder of where you are and where you would like to go. And of course because we are fluid, and our goals and dreams are ever changing it's important to create new vision boards to serve those changed desires.

Making a vision board is easy.

1. Gather a large piece of construction or any other "heavy" paper
2. Find a bunch of magazines (from a variety of genres. Beauty, travel, food, you name it!
3. In a peaceful place scour the magazines for words and images that resonate with you and cut them out
4. Arrange the images and phrases on the paper and use good ol' glue or modpodge to adhere them
5. Hang in a prominent place to be forever reminded of where you are heading

I surround my desk with vision boards of past and present

Have you ever made a vision board? How has it helped you? Care to share?

National Nutrition Month

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 18:44:00 GMT

March is National Nutrition Month! And this year The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is celebrating with the theme "Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day." I actually love the theme this year because it embodies my belief that what is "right" in terms of nutrition is individual. And the key to good nutrition is honoring your own internally guided cues of what's "right" for you.

So in honor of National Nutrition Month, I'd like to share with you a video of my niece. Not only will this video bring a smile to your face but it will remind you of the amazing ability to intuitive eat that we were all born with.

Below are some of my favorite resources to help you "Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day."

www.intuitiveeating.org

www.ellynsatter.com

www.haescommunity.org

When Love Doesn’t Feel Like It

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:45:00 GMT

I know we just wrapped up Valentine’s Day. But the holiday really does get me thinking about love. And this year I thought a lot about loving ourselves. I know that sound cheezy but please keep reading. I actually think learning excellent self-love takes a lot of work. And I also think it can be quite confusing because really loving ourselves sometimes means doing things that might not feel great in the moment. Sometimes, love just doesn’t feel like it!
I think children are the best example of what I hope to describe. Think about the kind of melting down and tantrum throwing that happens when they are over-tired. Clearly, what they need most in that moment is sleep. But when Mom or Dad initiate the bed time ritual, most kids don’t acquiesce by saying “you’re right, I’m throwing these crazy tantrums because I’m over tired, it’s probably for the best that I head to bed now.” No! They kick and scream in the hopes of staying up later.

As adults, we often revert back to our child-like selves. We say yes to things we really ought to be saying no to. And say no when what we truly mean is yes! Here are some examples that might sound familiar:

I’m not hungry but I need a break from this project. Time for a cookie!
I’m starving but according to my diet I don’t have any more points left so I guess I won’t eat.
I’m exhausted and sleep-deprived but don’t have time for more sleep, I’ll just have an extra snack to boost my energy levels.
My neighbor asked me for help on this fundraiser and I agreed even though I’m already feeling overwhelmed with my PTA commitment.
I really love going out for a walk and getting some fresh air but find myself distracted on Facebook every evening instead.

Hey, it happens! As Tara Brach puts it, it’s easy to fall victim to “false refuges” such as overeating, compulsive shopping, or drinking too much. ”..They only provide temporary relief. Because [the relief] doesn't last, we have to do these things again and again. Not only that, most of us end up feeling bad about ourselves for taking false refuge, so we end up getting a secondary layer of shame added to it.”

But as adults, part of REALLY taking care of ourselves is refining our ability to find “true refuge.” I believe that requires learning to say yes or no when we need to most…and then sitting with the discomfort that might follow. If you’re not used to identifying and meeting your true needs this may feel tough and uncomfortable at first. But I promise that it starts to feel really empowering! Not only do you feel better because your actual needs are getting met but you also don’t have to deal with the residual feelings of guilt, shame, and disappointment that comes up when you hide in your “false refuge.”

Have you had an experience about self-love you’d like to share? I’d love to hear it!

Lessons From Nemo: Fasting and Feasting

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:44:00 GMT

This past weekend, we had a major storm out here in New England. In fact, I’ve never seen so much snow at once! As I was watching Facebook, my inbox, and news reports I was intrigued with everyone’s efforts to prepare for the upcoming deluge. In fact, I found it incredibly interesting. Many people headed to the grocery store and stock piled their cupboards, fridges, and freezers (along with grabbing cash and filling up their gas tanks).

I think this behavior has such relevance to the world of nutrition. When we fear impending famine, we stock pile “just in case.” How many of you repeat this pattern with your diets? If you have ever participated in a “diet” than you have repeated it even if you don’t know it! Creating a famine by cutting out certain foods or food groups actually triggers a natural and healthy survival mechanism to feast. This survival mechanism causes us to think obsessively and crave those forbidden items. And as many of you know from experience, when we are both psychologically and physically restricted we don’t just crave moderate amounts of those items, we yearn for COPIOUS amounts of them. And before you know it, a terrible pattern has emerged… Famine (even with the best of intentions) has set you up for feasting.

Did you know that dieting is the #1 predictor of future weight gain? If you read my blog regularly you do! Now, the hard truth is that the only way out of this vicious cycle is to give yourself permission to have the foods you want while honoring your body’s cues for hunger and fullness and navigating your emotions without using food. Figuring out how to go about this can be very challenging and take quite some time. But I can promise, the effort is well-worth it.

In my next blog post I’ll share with you an exercise to practice this concept. If you’re afraid that giving yourself permission will only make you more out of control, you’re not alone. Stay tuned. And I HIGHLY recommend buying the book “Intuitive Eating” by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.
Happy eating!

Eating Disorder Training for Nutrition Counseling

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:18:00 GMT

When: April 27^th, 2013, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Where: Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett Street Cambridge, MA 02138

Investment: RDs $125, Interns & Students $105

Participation Limited to 20

* Become familiar with the basic psychology of eating disorders and common co-morbidities.

* Learn basic counseling & psychology terms to increase confidence when working with clients & colleagues.

* Integrate basic tenants of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and motivational interviewing (MI) into nutrition counseling sessions.

* Develop an appropriate nutrition assessment and prescription for the eating disorder patient- including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and eating disorder not otherwise specified.

* Utilize mindfulness exercises to teach difficult concepts such as hunger, fullness, and satiety.

*Get an introduction to principles of Intuitive Eating and how to integrate it into eating disorder work.

*Leave with a tool box of educational and experiential interventions and handouts for working with this population.

I will be using a wide variety of methods for this one-day workshop. This will include lecture, video, case studies, small group work, and mindfulness exercises.

For questions or to register, please email me: marci@marcird.com.

A Value-Driven Model Towards Health and Wholeness

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

I intentionally held off on writing a "New Year's Blog Post" this year. I think everyone gets inundated with them and I wasn't so sure that I had anything that I really wanted to contribute. But now that it's the end of the month I feel like it's an opportunity for a little quiet reflection.

I believe in living a life based on specific values that are important to me. In fact, there is a "newish" type of therapy called "ACT" which stands for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. "ACT aims to help the individual clarify their personal values and to take action on them, bringing more vitality and meaning to their life in the process, increasing their psychological flexibility."

This speaks to the work I try so hard to do with my clients. In fact ACT nicely parallels the messaging of intuitive eating. I believe that when we listen and make changes based on our own internal compass (which takes a lot of honest listening!) we are much happier and the changes we make are more sustainable. When our actions align with our belief system (rather than someone else's) this decreases stress and actually becomes empowering.

So I would like to challenge each of you to take this opportunity to learn something about yourself. It will only take a few minutes.

1. Take out a scratch sheet of paper.

2. Make a list of 10 things you value. If you need some inspiration, there is a list of over 400 values listed here.

3. If you made specific goals this year, compare those goals to your values. Do they align?

4. Compare your daily actions with your values. Do they align?

Sometimes we have to make dramatic changes in our lives when we become more clear about our values. But if I could give each of you a gift, it would be the gift of living in alignment with your core values. Just as the definition of ACT states, it brings more vitality and meaning to our lives. And when it comes to health, isn't that what we're all after?

I'd love to hear about your core values and what you are doing to better align your life with those values. Anyone brave enough to share? It is anonymous! :)

The Biggest Loser & Why I Can't Support It

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:46:00 GMT

It should come as no surprise to anyone who reads my blog that I do not support or agree with the show “The Biggest Loser” (TBL). I recently shard this article on my personal Facebook wall and it generated a discussion about the show. I decided to write a more thoughtful response here on my blog as to why I find the show so problematic.

1. Our culture is one of extremes and I can think of no other TV show that reflects such extremism better than TBL. Four years ago I attended a talk given by Cheryl Forber who was actually the dietitian behind TBL. The diets designed for the contestants to follow meet the criteria for an eating disorder. My colleague has a very close friend who was a contestant on TBL and reported to her that she spent 3 days prior to the weigh in starving herself, exercising to exhaustion, and sitting in the sauna for a couple of hours to lose as much weight as possible. What is it about our culture that finds this entertaining rather than concerning?
Lesley Kinzel, author of “Two Whole Cakes” says it beautifully: “The reality is that fat people are often supported in hating their bodies, in starving themselves, in engaging in unsafe exercise, and in seeking out weight loss by any means necessary. A thin person who does this is considered mentally ill. A fat person who does these things is redeemed by them…A culture that supports weight loss by any means necessary is a culture that supports eating disorders. It is a culture that supports the sickening and weakening of us all…”
2. TBL’s focus on weight-loss at all costs actually supports a culture of weight bias and discrimination. Please consider reading the compelling research that is being conducted at The Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity. Research clearly shows that weight bias is rampant in ALL medical settings and actually INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH OBESITY to engage in:

Unhealthy weight control behaviors
Binge-eating episodes
Avoidance of physical activities (where stigma often occurs)

We have ZERO compelling evidence that a weight-focused approach actually helps people lose weight. ALL of the long-term clinical trials of weight-loss interventions result in a J-curve two years post-treatment (ie people end up heavier 1-2 years after the intervention). I learned this from Dr. Lee Kaplan (who is an obesity researcher at the MGH Weight Center) at my certification for weight management given by The Academy of Dietetics and Nutrition.
3. TBL promotes a pattern of exercise and eating that is both eating disordered AND unsustainable. In fact, dieting (significantly reducing calories while following a plan someone else gives you) is actually the #1 predictor of future weight gain

(scroll down to "studies related to intuitive eating"). The #1 predictor of future weight gain! Why are we doing this to ourselves?

(I cannot specifically comment on the long-term outcomes of contestants participating in TBL because to my knowledge, reliable data does not actually exist.)

4. We live in a weight OBSESSED world, which is supported by our medical system and our capitalistic economy. If you are interested in a different perspective, I highly recommend that you check out a few articles:
Association of All-Cause Mortality With Overweight and Obesity Using Standard Body Mass Index Categories: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Men and Women with Intuitive Eating Scales had lower BMIs
Weight Science: Evaluating the Evidence for a Paradigm Shift

Often, people say that they find the show inspirational. This makes me question- what in particular do you find inspirational? I have built a career that is the anti-thesis of TBL and have counseled dozens of women who are trying to heal from the trauma of overly restrictive eating and excessive exercise. Don’t confuse what I am saying- I am all for supporting behavior change for health. I just don’t think that yelling, screaming, excessive exercise, starvation diets, or humiliation create permanent lifestyle change...no matter how entertaining you might find it to be.

My Bliss List

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:00:00 GMT

A couple of days ago I was listening to a great episode from one of my favorite podcasts called RadioLab. In this particular episode the researchers were talking about “bliss” and they invited a variety of scientists to finish the sentence “bliss is…” And so I thought it would be fun for each of us to think about our own “Bliss List.” Before you read any further, close your eyes and think about what things in life represent the meaning of the word “bliss” to you.

I have a lot of things on my “Bliss List” and will share five of them here with you.

1. Uncontrollable laughter

2. Climbing into bed with newly cleaned sheets

3. My favorite perfume

4. Getting a massage

5. A freshly baked chocolate chip cookie (or put more accurately, a couple of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies with a cool class of milk)

After I made my list I noticed that it contained areas of “bliss” from all of the different senses including sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, and feel. And I didn’t even realize that when I made the list. Take a look at your bliss list. Do you notice any themes in terms of the kinds of “bliss” you listed?

I love this concept of knowing and living from our “Bliss List” because this actually supports our health. It’s easy to get into ruts and routines in life. But if our daily routines do not consistently include items from our “Bliss List” this actually may be a risk factor for overeating, eating in a compulsive way, or binge eating. When we are not feeling satisfied in life, it becomes easier to overly rely on food as a way to feel good. Without regular doses from our “Bliss List” we are at risk of higher levels of anxiety and greater rates of depression.

So as the days get colder, take a look at your list and see what you can do to find a little extra bliss today. What’s on your list? I’d love to hear about it!

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

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 19:54:00 GMT

This past weekend I was giving a workshop on Intuitive Eating/Intuitive Living with my colleague and friend Amber Barke. During the workshop we were discussing the very challenging topic of self-acceptance and I shared this blog post, which I wrote just over a year ago. I thought I'd re-post it, as the message seems relevant, particularly around this time of year. Enjoy.

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!

Guest Post: On Purpose and Eating Disorder Recovery

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:00:00 GMT

Have you ever looked in the mirror and been unhappy with what you saw? Maybe you've even hated what you saw or even thought "if I could change that one part of me, I'd be ok." As an eating disorder (ED) therapist, I am especially interested in how people see their physical bodies and their relationship to it. Often, someone suffering with an ED may feel that her body is merely a means to gain approval. "If I keep losing weight, I'll be lovable."

Recovery cannot simply be described as the reverse of these thoughts and subsequent behaviors, nor is it simply subjective. To sidestep semantic debates, the ever-peppy positive psychologists have coined the term “subjective well-being” or SWB (1). It is typically thought of as analogous to happiness but easily applied to the recovery process. One of the most important components of high SWB is having a sense of purpose (2). Thus, in recovery, our bodies become something more! They become purposeful.

Our bodies allow us to see sunsets, hug children, listen to music, go to school, pursue dreams, help others, and any number of amazing things (3). With purpose, we step outside of ourselves and become a part of something bigger. It's down right spiritual if you think about it! With purpose, recovery takes on a whole new light. It becomes easier to follow a meal plan and change behaviors. As the old saying goes, it is easy to endure the how, when you know the why.

Purpose is unique to the individual and may take time to discover or create. However, we all have “signature strengths” which can be used “in the service of something larger than yourself” (4). In many ways, recovery gives a person an opportunity to explore the endless possibilities presented by those two very vague descriptors of purpose. Isn’t it exciting? Maybe a little stressful, but very, very exciting. As an eating disorder therapist, I get the biggest thrill out of seeing people find out that they are so much more than their eating disorder. If you are struggling, please believe that there something else out there, and luckily, there are dozens of professionals in the area waiting to help you discover the rest of your life!

Share with us what in your life brings you purpose. We'd love to hear about it.

Citations

1. Segrev, Z. (2004). Accentuate the positive: David Myers describes facets of positive psychology. APS Observer, 17, 1-2.

2.Seligman, M. (2002). Authentic Happiness. New York: Free Press.

3. Frankl, V.E. (1985). Man’s search for meaning. New York City: Simon and Schuster, Inc.

4. Matousek, M. (March, 2004). Choose happiness. O: The Oprah Magazine, 5(3), 190-197

Casey is a licensed mental health counselor with a private practice in Harvard Square, specializing in eating disorders. She utilizes multiple modalities in the treatment of eating disorders, including working as part of a team with other professionals like dietitians. You can learn more at MendedWingCounseling.com or by calling (617)797-7949.

Product Showcase:Frozen Sweet Potatoes

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:06:00 GMT

I don't know if you're like me but I love really good food and I like it pretty darn quick. Right now, my schedule just doesn't allow for meals that take more than 30 min to prepare. So I'm always looking for nutritious, speedy options for meal time. And this weekend I stumbled upon another gem from my BFF Trader Joe's- Frozen Sweet Potatoes. Given the fact that just prior to vacation I tossed out about 4 sweet potatoes that had started sprouting before I cooked them, this sounded like a fabulous idea.

Needless to say, I am in love. The sweet potatoes are pre-roasted, mashed, and frozen in little discs. You toss those babies in a pan with some water and they are ready in about 5 minutes. Actually, I added a tablespoon of coconut oil, water, and crushed red pepper and thought I had died and gone to heaven. So so so good. You could easily pair this with some grilled chicken, tofu, or even with cheese inside a tortilla for a spin on quesadillas.

The cool thing about these frozen veggies is that they are PURE sweet potatoes. NOTHING more. Whole veggies prepped and frozen at their prime which means they retain high nutrient value. Who can't get behind that?

Do you have any quick nutritious products you're in love with? If so, send it my way!