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December 5, 2024

Post-Thanksgiving Mini Reset

Thanksgiving may have left you feeling a little too much like the stuffed turkey centerpiece. If you’re ready to shake off the sluggishness before m

November 28, 2024

Savor, Stroll, and Stay Thankful

Thanksgiving. A time to enjoy the company of loved ones, share stories, and of course, indulge in delicious food. Here’s a tip to help you savor

November 19, 2024

Gobble Up These Thanksgiving Preparation Tips

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, gathering, and indulging in an amazing feast. However, hosting can sometimes feel more like a marathon than a ce

November 14, 2024

Mediterranean Feel-Good Soups for Fall

As we transition from fall into the holidays, staying mindful of our health goals can help us enjoy the season without feeling run down or overwhelmed

November 7, 2024

Healthy Eating FAQs and Answers

Before I get into this week’s topic, I must first retract a statement that I made last week about Mr. Non-Compliant. I stand corrected, as he did NO

October 31, 2024

Mr. Non-Compliant’s Birthday Fest

This week Mr. Non-Compliant (aka my dear hubby) celebrated a birthday. He flaunted his morning non-compliance by leaving the EMPTY cinnamon roll box o

October 24, 2024

Not a Vegetable Fan? Read This

It’s not just kids that wrinkle their nose at a plate of green stuff. Lots of fully-grown adults feel the same—inclined to hide their Brussels spr

October 17, 2024

How Safe is Your Cinnamon?

I’m a huge cinnamon fan. I shake it in my coffee, smoothies, muffins, stewed apples, and of course, pumpkin pie. Years ago I mixed it with a little

October 10, 2024

10 Simple Tips to Ease into Fall

Fall is officially here. I know this not only from the calendar and fewer hours of daylight, but by the temperature of my house when I wake up in the

October 10, 2024

Cumin, Coriander, Fennel (CCF) Tea

To make a cup of CCF tea (Cumin, Coriander, and Fennel tea) using seeds, follow this simple recipe: Ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Veggie Stuffed Turkey Burgers

(The following recipe first appeared in the September 2020 issue of Get Healthy, a publication of The Northwest Indiana Times.)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms or 4-ounce can of mushrooms, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 cups fresh spinach
1 small tomato, diced (liquids drained) or 1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
16 ounces ground turkey (can substitute ground grass-fed beef or bison)
8 outer leaves of romaine lettuce

Instructions:
1. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, cook for 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in mushrooms.
2. Add balsamic vinegar and stir. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add spinach and tomatoes and cook for another minute. Stir in mustard and turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper. Place spinach mixture in the refrigerator and cool for 15 minutes.
4. Form turkey into 4 equally sized balls. With your fingers, make a well in the center of each ball. Stuff about 2 tablespoons of spinach mixture inside each ball. Seal the top and flatten to form a patty. Reserve any leftover spinach mixture to serve on the side.
5. Pan-fry or broil your burgers:
• To pan-fry: Heat a pan and add a little oil. Add the patties and cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until desired doneness is reached.
• To broil: Set oven broiler to “high.” Place patties on a foil–lined baking sheet on top oven rack. Broil for about 3 minutes, flip patties over, and broil for about another 2 to 3 minutes or until burgers reach desired doneness.
6. Let the burgers rest for a couple of minutes.
7. To serve, take 2 romaine leaves and sandwich burger between them.

Notes: Tomato paste is available in a tube, and is great when you only need a small amount. The tube of paste stays fresh for months in the refrigerator. If you don’t care for the vegetables used to stuff the burgers, use what you like and they’ll be delicious.

The Gluten Thing: Fad or Fact, Part 1

What are your thoughts on gluten? Do you eat it, or not? Why are so many people talking about it these days?

Just this week I received a call from a friend who was in tears. She had just been diagnosed with a severe gluten allergy—AND she’s Italian. Horrors.

Sometimes before we can move forward, we need to have a good cry. 

I get it. I’m right there with her, even though I’m not Italian. It’s tough, yet it really is manageable.

In today’s blog I’ll discuss what gluten is, why it’s in our food, and how it may be affecting your health.

Gluten is a protein composite that’s found in wheat and other grains and starches: barley, bulger, rye, spelt, kamut, triticale, semolina, farina, wheat germ, matzo, graham flour, couscous.

Gluten is Latin for “glue” and acts as an adhesive that holds flour together to make food products. It makes pizza dough stretchy, breads and bagels chewy, and pasta noodles elastic.

It is a common additive that’s found in processed foods, cosmetics, personal care products, and even medications. It keeps sauces and gravies from curdling, as well as volumizing your mascara.

Celiac disease refers to an autoimmune condition that affects numerous systems in the body. Its primary target is the intestinal tract and affects approximately 1% of Americans.

Gluten sensitivity implies that there is some type of immune reaction occurring due to gluten in the diet. 35-40% of the population cannot tolerate gluten.

Gluten sensitivity is very real and causing major health issues for a growing number of people, even if they don’t have symptoms – yet.

Health conditions that may be linked to gluten sensitivity:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • ADHD
  • Autoimmune disorders (diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s, etc.)
  • Bone pain/osteopenia/osteoporosis
  • Dairy intolerance
  • Digestive disturbances
  • Infertility
  • Hives/rashes
  • Migraines
  • Food malabsorption
  • Neurological disorders (dementia, Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, etc.)
  • Seizures/epilepsy

This is not a complete list. A delicious piece of bread can sure wreak havoc on a body. 

Remember, I’m merely the messenger and am continually putting the pieces of my own puzzle of health together. It’s a process.

Next week I’ll address more on this topic: How do you know if you have a gluten issue? What other foods contain gluten? What CAN I eat?

In the meantime, if you’d like more detailed information, check out the book Grain Brain, by David Perlmutter, MD.

If you should find yourself in the 35-40% or wish to eliminate a food group from your diet, I’ve had LOTS of practice.

Finding ways to eat deliciously without gluten and dairy are my specialty. Contact me today and I’ll help you live healthier with food.

Much love,
Carol

“People are getting to this place of understanding that their lifestyle choices actually do matter a whole lot as opposed to this notion that you live your life, come what may, and hope for a pill.”—David Perlmutter

Anchor Habits, Being Still, and My Resident Rabbit

It almost feels as though our world is sort of opening up again. For now.

How very indefinite.

At any rate, prior to everything shutting down, perhaps you had some great pro-health habits in place to keep you feeling energized and happy. Or perhaps not.

While motivation can certainly get you started, the best way to stick with your habits is by having systems in place. The past year may have wiped out your anchor habits—those things you do without having to think about them. 

Like making coffee first thing when you get out of bed, reading the newspaper, then showering to get ready to go to work.

Because maybe you had to stop GOING to work.

Here’s another example of an anchor habit in action: On the days you plan to work out, you have your gym bag by the front door, ready to go with you. By doing this, you can go straight from work to the gym without stopping at home. (Stopping at home could mean you don’t leave the building again.)

If you now work from home, or your gym has been closed—well, so much for that anchor.

For some, a new anchor habit has been created that includes a little too much wine, or too little home cooking.

Now is a great time to review your priorities and see what’s different for you. As you go through your day, are you engaging in the activities that are truly important? Don’t be surprised if things have shifted a bit.

Once you complete your review, look at how your old systems might work and if necessary, create new ones that support your life today.

If you need help creating a new plan, let’s talk.

On Being Still

In order to review your priorities, you’ll need to find time to be still. I understand what a challenge this can be.

This is important. A year ago, we were forced to be still. If you find yourself back on the merry-go-round, feeling as though you have no time, then you really need to do this. 

Take 10 quiet minutes and simply BE. You might like it. You might gain some insights. You may hate it. Just try.

My Resident Rabbit

This furry little guy/gal (I wouldn’t know even if I could get a hold of it) has beheaded 4 of my tulips and demolished 2 strawberry plants. The fact that I have a dog doesn’t faze this wascally wabbit. 

The Animal Stopper I use probably couldn’t endure all the rain. I’ve since reapplied.

While many flowers are safe for human consumptionnasturtiums, lavender, pansies, zucchini squash blossoms—bunny goes for my tulips every spring. Guess bunny knows I won’t be eating those.

Rabbit stew, anyone? Just kidding.

Much love,
Carol

“The world’s just spinning
A little too fast
If things don’t slow down soon we might not last.
So just for the moment, let’s be still.”—The Head and the Heart, “Let’s Be Still”

3 Reasons Why Losing Weight is Hard

It seems like such a simple concept.

Expend more calories than you eat, and BOOM. Off go the pounds.

Not so fast.

There are lots of reasons why it’s more complicated. Here are a few of the big ones from some really smart scientists who study this stuff for a living.   

Reason #1. Once you’ve lost some weight, you burn fewer calories. Think about it, in case you haven’t. A person weighing 100 pounds needs to consume less calories than someone who weighs 150 pounds. Even a 5-pound decrease in weight means you need fewer calories. Bummer.

Reason #2. Your metabolism shifts in a way that is not helpful. For instance, let’s say you have been the same 100 pounds most of your adult life, and your friend lost 20 pounds and now weighs 100 pounds. Your friend has to eat less in order to stay at that 100 pounds than if she’d been that weight most of her life. SO not fair for your friend!

Reason #3. As you lose weight, your appetite increases. This increase in appetite can last for up to a year. WHAT? I know, it’s crazy!

If you’ve struggled to lose those same pesky pounds for years, now you know why.

 It’s not that you don’t have enough willpower or discipline. If you’ve been saying that to yourself, STOP IT!

Weight loss isn’t only about what you eat (or don’t eat) and how much you exercise. Although this is a big part of it, there’s much more.

The scientists who have done these studies say that “promoting a holistic approach to achieve a healthier lifestyle is necessary to maximize quality of life.”

It’s not just about a number on the scale.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned the concept of Deep Health: relational, existential, mental, physical, emotional, environmental. 

These are all connected, which also explains why sustained weight loss can be hard. There are no quick fixes.

Needing guidance and help along the way is the norm, not the exception.

I’m here for you.

Connect with me by email. We’ll look at what’s getting in the way of maximizing your quality of life—and losing those pesky pounds.

Much love,
Carol

“We do life. We do it abundantly. And we have a good time.”—Carol Slager