Making Dinner Easy

Many people want to eat nutrient-dense foods but struggle to make it happen. Finding a way to fit healthy eating into your lifestyle is crucial. 

Some people love to cook, but fancy recipes and expensive ingredients do not work for everyone.  Busy people need something fast; foodies need something especially tasty, and those who do not like to cook need something easy.

The following tips will be helpful for anyone because you can adapt the basic principles to meet your needs. 

A Basic Plan for Lunch & Dinner 

• Non-starchy vegetables should make up three-fourths of your plate.
• Add a serving of protein about the size of the palm of your hand.
• Add healthy fat like oil the size of your thumb (olive oil, coconut oil, flax oil, avocado oil), one handful of nuts or seeds, half to a whole avocado, or one-third to one-half cup olives.
• Add one serving of carbohydrates (½-¾ cup) like pasta, bread, rice or other grains, fruit, starchy vegetables (sweet potato, carrots, beans/legumes, etc.) 
• If you notice that you struggle with portion sizes, it can help to use a smaller plate at lunch and dinner.

Making Vegetables Taste Good

Many people think they do not like vegetables because they have not tasted them well-made. Roasting vegetables changed my life; the key is to use some fat. Not only does the fat make the vegetables taste delicious, but it is good for you. Check out this article that explains how eating vegetables with fat enables you to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins better. 

Ingredients

• Vegetable(s) of choice
• 1-2 tbsp of fat of choice – coconut oil, butter, ghee, or animal fat (i.e., lard, beef tallow)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425. 
2. Spoon fat onto a 9x13 glass pan or cookie sheet with rimmed edges, and place the pan in the oven to melt the fat.
3. Cut vegetables into uniform pieces 
4. Mix vegetables in the melted fat and season with salt and pepper. 
5. Place vegetables in a single layer on the pan.
6. Roast in the oven. Cooking time varies based on the vegetable.  For heartier vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and sweet potatoes, cook for 25-30 minutes.  Asparagus is 15-20, depending on the thickness.  Look for the vegetables to soften (tender when forked) and start to brown on the edges.
7. Remove the pan from the oven and let the veggies rest for 5-10 minutes on the hot pan. This helps them to crisp up a bit. 
8. If you want to make it really tasty, and you tolerate dairy well, serve it with butter.

Chopping Quickly by Hand

Another challenge to making healthy food is time. Learning to chop and dice vegetables is a game-changer. Cutting will go much faster with the proper knife, a little practice, and the following cutting trick. Many people feel more comfortable with smaller knives. But chopping will be more efficient with a big, sharp knife. It can be intimidating, but don’t let that hold you back from trying. Start slowly; before long, you will be chopping like a pro.

Now that you have a good knife for the job, here is a trick that is especially helpful for those circular vegetables - onion, zucchini, carrot, eggplant - that keep rolling around as you cut them.

1. Cut the vegetable in half long ways
2. Place the flat sides down, so the food doesn't roll away from you.
3. Make quick slices lengthwise.
4. Slice in the other direction, across all the strips. 
5. Use them in your recipe or eat them straight. 

It takes time to master any skill. But the more you chop, the faster you’ll get! You can also use a food processor.

Simple Recipes for Protein

Now it is time to tackle your protein. You don't need a recipe; a little seasoning sprinkled on some meat before cooking will work fine. If you want to try something new, here are some easy recipes.

• Simple Salmon
• Tilapia Bake (or other white fish)
• Skillet Pork Tenderloin Recipe
• Roast a Whole Chicken

Salads

Another option for tasty vegetables is to make a salad; there's no need for a fancy recipe. Adding protein and fat to the salad will make it a complete meal.

• Grab a base (or combine several) - spinach, lettuce, sliced red or green cabbage, grated beets, beet greens, sliced fennel, Swiss chard, kale, shredded carrots, microgreens, cilantro, basil, mint, parsley, endive, or dandelion greens, etc.
• Add brightly colored chopped fruits and veggies on top - tomatoes, carrots, apples, pears, cucumber, zucchini, onion, shallot, avocado, oranges, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, peaches, dried cranberries, shredded beets, broccoli, olives, mushrooms, etc
• Make it your main course by adding a protein (fish, chicken, steak, pork, eggs, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, pecans, sunflower seeds, pine nuts, cashews, hemp seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, and flax seeds are just a few ideas)
• Make it your main course by adding a fat - avocado, nuts, seeds, animal fats, etc. (or use the salad dressing suggestion below)
• Optional HomemadeDressing - Oil (1-2 T. olive OR avocado) + acid (1 T. lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, apple cider vinegar, OR balsamic vinegar.) + optional add ins (salt, pepper, honey, mustard, berries like raspberries, garlic, dill, oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, etc.) 

Do you have some simple recipes to share? I would love to hear about them at your next appointment.

Dr. Jamie

Counting Calories Is Not the Best Approach

Our bodies are not simple scales balancing calories in and calories out. It has many complex chemical systems that process each ingredient in different ways. Because of this, eating a low-calorie diet is not the best approach to losing weight. 

Buzzwords like low-fat, heart-healthy, all-natural, vegan, and gluten-free make us believe that foods are good for us. However, Starbursts are low in fat; Oreos are vegan; and Reese's peanut butter cups are gluten-free. We can't trust claims on labels.

We must look directly at the ingredients. Typically, a shorter ingredient list with words you understand is best. My rule is: "If I wouldn’t want to eat the ingredients plain, then I don't want to eat them all combined in a food-like product." My main concern is my health. 

Let's explore ten foods that food manufacturers tricked me into thinking were healthy and how eating real food is more important than counting calories. (Note: I am not picking on the brands below. It's the type of products that concern me.)

Foods I Thought Were Healthy 

2. Fruit-flavored yogurt

This was my breakfast every morning. I thought it must be healthy since it was only 80 calories. Now, I avoid “naturally and artificially flavored” whenever possible. I get plain yogurt and add berries.

I also prefer to get full-fat yogurt. Milk naturally contains fat, so I want to keep it that way. We need to eat healthy fats to produce hormones. It also helps us feel full, maintain energy, stabilize blood sugar, and help with insulin resistance. 

3. Orange Juice

Orange juice was my favorite beverage growing up. Who doesn’t love 26 grams of carbohydrates to start their day? 

Unless you are SUPER active, most people will gain weight and struggle with blood sugar control if they have over 150 grams of carbs. With a glass of OJ, you are already 17% there (not including the 30+ grams you might eat in the cereal, bagel, or toast alongside the orange juice).

A typical orange has 11 grams of carbohydrates. The membranes between the segments contain fiber, which fills you up and keeps you more satisfied. This principle is true for all juices, so consider it when you want apple, cranberry, or any other juice. 

Read more ...

How People Pleasing Blurs Your Priorities

People-pleasing can take many forms, but key elements are putting other people’s needs, desires, and opinions above our own. You may feel like you have to agree with others, habitually volunteer, excessively apologize, or never ask for help.

According to therapist Erika Myers, when kindness to others involves “editing or altering words and behaviors for the sake of another person’s feelings or reactions,” it has crossed over into people-pleasing behavior.

It may seem benign, but this can be quite destructive. People-pleasing can make us live less authentically and fill our lives with other people's priorities. This is not good for us or our relationships with others.

Let’s evaluate the pitfalls of this practice so we can live our most authentic life.

Behind the Compulsion 

It may be okay to put their people's needs before ours at times, but it is important to recognize why we are doing it. Fulfilling a request may feel like a compulsion for people-pleasers as if they have no choice. This might be rooted in a desire for love and acceptance. Other people want to avoid conflict at all costs. Some have just never learned to value and take care of themselves.

While pleasing others may seem easier, according to Myers, “the urge to please others can be damaging to ourselves and, potentially, to our relationships when we allow other people’s wants to have more importance than our own needs.” People-pleasing keeps the focus on what is important to others, causing us to lose sight of what is important to us. Even when we think about our priorities, our schedule may be too full to include them. Our resources are limited (time, energy, money, etc.). Saying "yes" to something means saying "no" to something else.

I realize there are seasons when this will be more possible than other times. If my baby is hungry, I can not ignore her to watch a show. However, I can recognize what I want and plan to do something for myself later. 

How to Break Out of the People-Pleasing Cycle

Here are some things to help people-pleasers realign their lives to reflect their values and priorities. 

• Know Thyself - Listen to your preferences and desires. It can be as small as thinking about what show you want to watch rather than just going with the flow. As you develop the habit of checking in with yourself, lean into what your gut is saying. At first, you don’t have to act on it, but over time, you will learn to trust that your desires matter.

• Communicate - When you recognize what you want in a situation, communicate it in a kind and clear manner. Ask for what you need, express your preferences, say “no”, or put a boundary in place. Done respectfully, these things allow the relationship to grow and you to show up more authentically.

• Give Yourself Time - When changing people-pleasing tendencies, you may need time to figure out how to respond. It is okay to say, “I’ll need to think about that” or “I’ll have to check my calendar.” Then, take some time to check in with yourself before replying.

• Don’t Explain Yourself Too Much - It is okay to say “no” to a request without giving a reason. You don’t need to justify your decision to others. A simple “Thanks for thinking of me, but I won’t be available this time” is all you need.

• Don’t Apologize - Reserve your apologies for when you are in the wrong. You don’t need to apologize for disappointing others with your boundaries, preferences, or opinions. 

• Be Ready for Some Slack - Some people will respect you for this change, while others may push back. Notice the response and see what it tells you about the other person and your relationship.

  Read more ...

Try This Sleep Experiment at Home

Life can feel pretty overwhelming. Even good things like hobbies, friends, and family take time. You may feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day, so there isn’t enough time to get a good night’s sleep.

Sleep is one of the most fundamental functions we do each day though. Without good sleep, you will not only feel terrible, but you will begin to damage your body.

Everyone thrives on a different amount of sleep, so how can you tell if you are getting enough? What are your body's unique sleep needs?

Let’s dive into that question and figure out what your body needs to function at its best.

Sleep Research

Researchers took a group of people, put them in a stimulus-free room for 14-24 hours daily, and monitored their sleep. There were no clocks, so the subjects didn’t know when they went to bed or when they woke up. 

The first couple of days, sleep times averaged 12-20 hours per night. This seems to indicate that many subjects were in a “sleep deficit” going into the study, meaning their bodies were trying to catch up from chronic undersleeping. 

Over a few days, the participants' sleep began to average approximately 8 hours a night (with some sleeping more and some sleeping less).

How many hours would you sleep in a study like that? Do you think you are running on a sleep deficit? Is your body "charging you interest" on the sleep you are missing?

How Much Sleep is Enough?

Sleep researchers have noted that decreasing sleep time strongly impacts reaction time and other mental functions. You can use “reaction time” to determine if the number of hours you sleep is ideal for your body.

Here’s how...

• Write down when you typically go to sleep and wake up.
• Do a little experiment for 3 days. Each morning at the same time after waking up, take the reaction time test from the following website https://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime 
• Make a note of your score each day.
• On day 4, try moving your bedtime up by 30 minutes. Continue with that amount of sleep for 3 days, checking your reaction time each morning.
• Notice if your score is significantly different with more sleep. Pay attention to how you feel throughout the day. How is your energy level? Is your mental functioning better?
• After a few days, try moving your bedtime up another 30 minutes. Pay attention to your reaction times and how you feel.
• Repeat the steps in this experiment again until you find a bedtime that seems ideal for you based on your reaction times and how you feel.  
• Ideally, you will wake up ready for the day without an alarm clock.

Ditch the Alarm Clock

We want our bodies to wake up naturally when we are well-rested. You can use your alarm clock to ensure you are up on time, but the goal is to wake up before it goes off. If you are chronically fatigued when your alarm goes off, it is a sign that your body needs more sleep!

It is also important to mention that many factors impact how much sleep we need. Extreme physical activity, fighting an illness, or times of extreme stress can temporarily make your body need more sleep. If we honor our bodies' needs for sleep, we can feel and function at our best.

Let me know if you have specific questions about sleep. If you try this experiment, I’d love to hear how it goes!

Dr. Jamie

P.S. For more information about sleep research and this experiment, check out this article by Dan Pardi.