Nurture Principles

By Leslie Goldman-Originally posted on http://healthbreaksloose.com/

When I was a little girl, I wanted to grow up and become a fashion and jewelry designer. I dabbled in both industries before I was old enough to wear a bra, even opening my own “jewelry store” calledDazzle by Leslie. I created – and sold, to varioussuckers compassionate family members – matching earrings, pins and barrettes made out of rhinestone-dusted Legos (yes) or splatter-painted wooden hearts of various sizes …again, bedazzled with fabulous faux crystals.  Much like Adult Leslie, back then, there was no such thing as too much shiny. I even had my own sparkly business cards. (Of course, this was before email or Twitter, so customers had to contact me at my parents’ house on Ridgewood Lane.) Dazzle by Leslie was, plain and simple, a smash hit on the Buffalo Grove Bar Mitzvah circuit.

I also designed clothes for my Barbie dolls. I remember sewing my mom’s fabric scraps into deliriously glamorous outfits for my pint-sized babes – satin ball gowns, denim jumpsuits, gold lame bathing suits. And even though I was still a half-decade away from needing a bra, I recall having a hard time fitting Barbie’s enormous chest. As Joe Simpson once famously opined of his daughter, Jessica, “She’s got double D’s! You can’t cover those suckers up !” But while it was frustrating for this child designer to struggle to accommodate Barbie’s curves, I was also mesmerized by them. Barbie was everything I wasn’t: Thin, blonde, tan, blue-eyed, and a real woman.

But do I blame her for the eating disorder I developed in college? Only a tiny bit – about as much as you could fit into, say, her size 2 perma-pointed foot. It was Barbie, it was my dad’s Playboys, it was airbrushed ads (before I knew what airbrushing was),  Diet Coke and Snackwells, Howard Stern, MTV music videos, models on the runway, catcallers on the street, stories of liposuction and breast implants. It was genetics and family dynamics, nature and nurture.

I found myself assessing Barbie’s role as I flew to New York Sunday night for my Today Show appearance with – who else? – Barbie! Hamilton College student Galia Slayen constructed a life-sized Barbie doll by extrapolating her measurements to adult size. The result: A 6’0”, 11o-lb monstrosity, with Dolly Partonesque 39-18-33 proportions. Galia and I spoke with Natalie Morales (who actually interviewed me for my very firstToday Show appearance, when my book, Locker Room Diaries debuted) Monday morning. Here’s what we had to say:

Watch Leslie go toe-to-toe with a life-sized Barbie doll on the Today Show.

Dr. Robyn Silverman was also interviewed for the segment. Check out her take on Barbie here.

Who’s Catcall Avenger Barbie? Locker Room Barbie?

Continue Reading

By Carlene Helble

Stress has become part of our culture and undoubtedly, you may have experienced this sense of being overwhelmed quite often. For some, stress eating or stress drinking alcohol are an enormous saboteurs on the path to health and wellness. It’s not just the excess calories that can nudge you away from your goal though. Read on for common problems people struggle with and get some great solutions!

Alcohol Backfires on Your Well-Being

Stress drinking cocktails or a few beers after a hectic day at work is what some see as a ritual to unwind, but this canbackfire later. Alcohol prevents the brain from entering deep sleep leaving you unrested and restressed the next morning. Alcohol also dehydrates you If you do drink, keep it to one drink a night. That means 5 ounces of wine or 1 shot of liquor…not an oversized glass with a mixed drink.

Crush Stress with These Foods

Instead of fatty and sugar loaded ‘sometimes foods’, do your waistline a favor by choosing berries instead. These power fruits are super rich in vitamin C, which assists in battling increased levels of a stress hormone called cortisol. Pistachios offer a more savory option plus a blood pressure lowering bonus. If you find overeating is still a problem, try picking up some smaller plates. American dinner plates have morphed into platters! By using a smaller size, you are tricking your brain into thinking there is more food on your plate. Your eyes are bigger than your stomach…use it to your advantage! Save calories and get double your benefits by making smart food choices if you do feel stressed.

Cope With Friends

One of the best things you can do to relieve stress is phoning a friend. Call an impromptu gathering for berry parfaits (stress hormone reliever) with protein packed Greek yogurt. Take a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood which will keep your heart healthy and give you time to enjoy the scenery. A Harvard study even suggests that for every hour you exercise, your longevity increases two hours! Enjoying the company of friends at home or on a walk is free and keeps you smiling through the crazy events of the day.

Sleep on It

Catch some z’s. For a healthy heart, you need at least seven hours of sleep. Less than lucky number seven and metabolic changes could occur and even increase your risk for diabetes. Before jumping into bed tell yourself ‘tomorrow is a new day and I can make it great!’. Think of sleep as a reset button to start fresh in the morning. Sweet dreams!

Stress happens, but with the tips above, stress eating and drinking can be edited with healthy alternative options.

Continue Reading

By Carlene Helble

Women love their hair…and somedays love to hate it (bad hair days, ugh!). Between washing, styling, and brushing the average person loses 50-100 hairs each day. The way your hair looks is an indication of health and shedding could actually be a sign of a serious medical condition.  ABC recently looked into nine reasons for hair loss in women.

• Telogen Effluvium

Losing major hair each day? Telogen effluvium (T.E.) can occur “after pregnancy, major surgery, drastic weight loss, or extreme stress” or even as a side effect of some medications. At the peak of T.E., usually 6 weeks-3 months after the high stress event, you could be losing handfuls of hair at a time. During this time, hair moves faster than normal from the growing phase to the resting phase and into the shedding phase.

The fix: If it’s medication related talk to your doctor about dosage or switching drugs. Stress? Reduce your anxiety through relaxation techniques like yoga.

• Hereditary Hair Loss

Meet the #1 cause of hair loss. When hair loss is passed down through generations it is known as androgenetic alopecia. The gene can come from Mom or Dad, but your chances of inheriting the gene increases if both parents had hair loss. This kind of hair loss is seen as a slow developing thinning at the hairline. If your doctor wants to test, they may do a scalp biopsy to look for miniaturized follicles (a major sign of this cause).

The fix: Rogaine. Really! It works on men and women, but if you’re pregnant or nursing Rogaine is not a safe option.

• Hypothyroidism

Thyroid hormone helps regulate your metabolism, heart rate, and mood. An underactive thyroid could be the cause of irregular growth of hair, skin, and nails. You may also see unexplained weight loss, feel tired, and have a hard time concentrating. Hypothyroidism is seen in 5% of the US population, but it’s ten times more frequent in females.

The fix: Luckily, a blood test can be done to diagnose hypothyroidism and thyroid hormone medication can help restore levels to normal.

• Lupus

Often seen in women of childbearing age, Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes serious fatigue, headaches,swollen joints,and anemia. Hairloss in women with Lupus can be mild (while shampooing or brushing hair) or serious where large patches come out at once. Lupus can be defined through 11 diagnostic criteria.

The fix:Your rheumatologist will probably prescribe a medication like prednisone and a dermatologist will help find a cream for a scalp rash.

• Iron Deficiency Anemia

This can be caused by a low intake of iron rich foods leading to iron deficiency which affects red blood cells (and oxygen transport) within your body. The symptoms include fatigue, weakness, and pale skin but a blood test will provide a definite diagnosis .

The fix: Take a look at your food intake and aim for iron rich foods like:

• beef , pork, fish
• leafy greens
• fortified cereals
• beans

Each day, women need 18 mg of iron (8 mg after menopause) so talk with a healthcare professional to see if an iron supplement is right for you.

• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

PCOS is a hormone imbalance where the ovaries produce excess ‘male hormones’. You may notice irregular periods, acne, and scalp hair loss but facial hair growth. Blood work can be done by your doctor to look for elevated testosterone levels.

The fix: Medication is often used to block testosterone including birth control pills, or spironolactone.

• Skin Conditions of the Scalp

Dandruff,psoriasis, and fungal infections can make it difficult for hair to grow. You may notice your scalp is shedding skin, or has rough patches.

The fix:Depending on the skin condition, a prescription may be provided for a medicated shampoo or even an oral antifungal.

• Alopecia Areata

Like Lupus, Alopecia areata (A.A.) is an autoimmune disorder. A.A. specifically attacks hair follicles and occurs equally often in men and women. There are three forms of symptoms:

• round, smooth patches of baldness on the scalp, eyebrows, or legs
• total hair loss on the head is known as alopecia totalis
• hair loss that occurs all over the body is called alopecia universalis

Your doctor will probably take a look at the pattern of hair loss and run some tests to rule out other underlying causes.

The fix: Rogaine may help, as well as a stress reduction program in patients with Alopecia areata. Corticosteriods may also be prescribed.

• Excessive Styling

Alright ladies…put the brush down and back away! Heat and chemicals can cause breakage and damage to the hair. If styling is the cause of hair loss, the hair will often snap off without removing the root bulb.

The fix: Give your hair a break! Use the cool setting on the hair dryer and skip the flat iron every morning. Crazy color changes (like black hair to bleach blonde) can make it especially hard on hair so embrace your look for your hair’s health.

Continue Reading

Each day, children and teens spend more than four hours watching TV and more than seven hours using entertainment media instead of engaging in physical activity. These children are more likely to be overweight than children who walk, run, and play more often.

Today marks the start of Screen-Free Week and there’s no better time than now to replace screen time with physical activity and healthier living. WeCan! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition) is a great organization and shared these tips for replacing screentime. With seven fantastic ideas, you can add just one per day to make your family much healthier! And these tips apply to those without children too-we could all use a little time away from the TV and computer!

7 ways to get more active

1. Walk your children to school, walk to work or take a walk around the block
2. Go for a half-hour hike instead of watching TV, getting plenty of freshair
3. Play with your kids at least 30 minutes per day, tag, foursquare or volleyball will get your heartrates pumping
4. Dance to music with your kids
5. Do yard work. Get your children to help rake, weed, or plant
6. Head to the pool for a swim
7. Downward dog in a new yoga class

Find many more ideas at the WeCan Website!

Still worried about Screen time?

• Set Screen Time Limits: Create a house rule that limits screen time to two hours every day
• Talk to Your Family: Explain to your kids that it’s important to sit less and move more
• Don’t put or remove the TV from your child’s bedroom
• Find many more ideas on the WeCan Website!

What will you do to replace screen time this week?

Continue Reading

By Leslie Goldman

A few years back, my cousin Rob visited his mother at her New England home. She asked a seemingly simple favor: Could he help with some yard work? Rob, nice Jewish boy that he is, headed out to rake the leaves. It was a warm day so he stripped off his shirt before digging in. When confronted with his bare torso, my aunt calmly commented in her thick Boston accent, “My, you’re getting round.”

Then, the very next sentence: “When you’re finished, come inside. I made you pie.”

I imagine Sally Struthers’ pained, empathic voice narrating: “All around the world, countless other young Jewish women and men are suffering this same experience. Guilt. Passive-aggressiveness. Love offered in the form of baked goods. Pick up the phone now and call 1-800-HERE – EAT.”

I was reminded of this exchange when the New York Times recently ran a story highlighting a wave of anorexia and eating disorders among teenage Orthodox Jewish girls. I have long felt that to be Jewish is to have an eating disorder: Pressure to succeed. Perfectionism. Mothers constantly on the Grapefruit Diet or Weight Watchers (founded by a Jew!) or uching in the bedroom mirror. A total lack of personal boundaries amongst family. The societal struggle to conform (Victoria’s Secret is epitomized by long/lean-limbed Germans and bedroom-eyed Frenchwomen; there’s not much of a demand to see Mayim Bialik in a thong bikini.) All lay a fertile groundwork for feeling like complete and total crap about the way we look, not to mention a woefully distorted view of who we are as individuals.

Our holidays alone are enough to put a girl on Lexapro: We fast from sundown to sundown on Yom Kippur, our day of atonement, then “break the fast,” a massive group binge the likes of which have not been seen since my junior year of college. During Passover, we deny ourselves any type of bread or pasta for eight days — it’s like going on Atkins (another Jew!), but instead of losing weight, you get constipated. Oh, and we are commanded to slaughter a lamb and wipe its blood on our front doors to protect our eldest brother from being slain by a passing evil spirit. Is it any wonder we have issues?

As a 5’11″ blonde woman, I’ve heard my share of “That’s funny, you don’t look Jewish!” comments – generally said as a compliment. But my height and hair colorist didn’t prevent me from falling into the trap of anorexia. Now recovered, I hope to raise my one-day daughter to truly value herself inside and out; to hone her strength and smarts; to feel respected as an individual by her parents. Then again, this is how I was raised and I still became a body image cliché in college. How can Jewish families revamp our cultural traditions and priorities to raise confident, empowered children who don’t grasp hold of food as a means of control?

Tell me what you think. Then go fix yourself a sandwich. You really are looking a little thin.

Leslie Goldman writes for Women’s Health, O: The Oprah Magazine, Self, Health, Natural Health, Runner’s World and more. She is the author of Locker Room Diaries: The Naked Truth About Women, Body Image, and Re-imagining the “Perfect” Body (Da Capo, 2007). Follow her on Twitter @LeslieGoldman

Continue Reading

We had a very peaceful #mefirst twitter chat with @letitgo8 as we talked about all things yoga.

• Have you ever tried yoga? if so what kind? if not – why not
• What are some of the benefits of Yoga?
• What are some misconceptions you’ve heard regarding yoga
• Is yoga better in a studio or can one practice at home
• What’s the most important thing you have taken from yoga to “off the mat”
• How can yoga help you to be a more mindful eater?
• What are some of your favorite yoga resources? books/dvds/websites/podcasts

Regular yoga practice is associated with mindful eating and we had a great talk about all the benefits (better sleep, strength, flexibility, relaxation, crushed some myths (you don’t have to be flexible or know all the poses to start doing yoga) and had some good belly-laughs

Me First Yoga Challenge: The #mefirst challenge for the upcoming weeks is to try yoga, a new pose or a new studio!

Write it down-put it in the comment section or tweet @scritchfieldRD Then all week tweet what you got, or leave more comments here! We’ll keep up this challenge until our next  #mefirst chat, with Stacey Capers of I Can Do fitness @bl6stacey(and don’t forget you can follow the hashtag all week long here)!

If you weren’t able to make it (or even if you were) we’d love to hear YOUR answer to those questions in the comments section! How are you finding sticking to your Me First Goals? Namaste!

Continue Reading

By Carlene Helble

If you’re a Mom, you’re more likely to eat more and exercise less than non-Moms according to the LA Times and Pediatrics. I can’t speak from experience, but I know my Mother would do anything for her kids, and her needs and health were not the priority.

The Pediatrics study found that while Moms eat their fruits and veggies, their whole grains, and similar poritons to non-Moms, they are also more likely to eat high fat and sugar foods. When time is limited, the typical ‘easy’ on the go foods are usually high fat and sugar and there’s sometimes that rogue french fry you’re just finishing up from kiddo’s plate. Moms consumed, on average, 370 more calories per day than non-Moms.

So what about fitness? Moms engaged in structured exercised about an hour less per week than women without children. Dads on the other hand, still managed 8.3 hours per week while their non-child counterparts had 10 hours per week.

Here’s where The Me Movement comes in. We like to explain #mefirst just like the airplane instructions: ‘putting on your oxygen mask before you help others’. When you do little things to help your health, like grabbing a banana instead of a pop-tart snack, kids will likely model those same healthy habits. Go to the park instead of watching a movie and schedule in some time for you to do what you love. Of course this can be easier said than done, but know that it is okay to take care of you!

So to all you Moms, we LOVE you so take some time to love your health!

Continue Reading

During my journey (I can’t help it–journey is now coming naturally.  Probably watching too much Biggest Loser.) I’ve learned some things that continue to surprise me each day.

• I eat a banana every weekday as I’m walking to the bus.  This was an easy change and I’m glad I did it.  I need to work on eating my bananas on the weekend.
• I’m really enjoying water aerobics.  I’d never go so far as to say that I’m thankful for my achilles injury, but I’m glad that it made me try something new.  I’ve signed up for a swim class as well because I want to be more comfortable at the pool.  I’m just so excited to find a workout that I really enjoy and look forward to.
• It amazes me every day to see how little food and how few calories I need to be satisfied.  It is getting much easier to stick to a 2,000 calorie diet and that encourages me.  Sometimes I do not get as many fruits and vegetables as I need for the day, and it’s a constant challenge.  I feel like I’m always trying to balance getting enough veggies, sticking to the calories I need, and being satisfied.  I know that feeling deprived will not help my situation and could cause me to eat more of something my body doesn’t need.  So, I’m going to keep trying, and I don’t expect to be perfect every day, but I do expect to put forth the effort to keep listening to what my body needs.
• And the biggest shocker of all–it has been so much easier than I ever expected to refrain from drinking.  About 9 months ago my dietician, Rebecca, and my trainer, Mo, approached me about my alcohol intake.  It was kind of a mini-intervention because it was clearly impeding my weight loss.  And it was a shocker.  It wasn’t what I wanted to hear and it wasn’t something I was ready to deal with.  But now, I can go weeks at a time without drinking.  I can go out to dinner and I don’t need to drink.  I don’t think I’m quite ready to hit up a bar for happy hour because I’m not sure how strong I will be in that situation.  But I would prefer to skip happy hour and not tempt myself yet.  This isn’t to say that I’ll never drink again, but I think this is a big obstacle I’m tackling and I’m really proud of the progress I’ve made.

In terms of progress, as expected, having been in a walking boot for a month, weight loss has been a little slow.  But as of now, I have managed to lose 12 13.2 lbs since I began blogging.  I’m happy with slow and steady progress, and I can see myself getting stronger everyday.  Hopefully I’ll only have two more weeks in the boot and it’ll be guns blazing from then on!

Continue Reading

Meet the Expert:

Thais was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil. After moving to Washington, D.C. area at seven years old she fully embraced the beautiful American lifestyle while still maintaining a firm grasp on Brazilian culture and family down south. She says that “people often forget how abundant love is and my goal is to inspire everyone to keep a clear heart and open mind. I love life, laughter and leading a healthy lifestyle.” We will be chatting about one of her passions: Yoga! Be sure to follow Thais @letitgo8 and Elizabeth, the moderator @elizabetheats!

Have a question you’d love to ask? Leave it below in the comments section and we’ll be sure to include it! Check back on Thursday for the best of the chat! We look forward to tweeting with you! You can also RSVP on Facebook

Continue Reading

Posted on Gluten Free Goodness Blog:

I stumbled upon Rebecca Scritchfield’s Nurture Principles and I was delighted at from first glance! Rebecca is a fellow RD and I haven’t had the pleasure to meet her in person (yet) but this philosophy meshes so well with mine that I was inspired to mention it.

No matter what we are doing, I rarely meet someone who doesn’t feel they should be doing more (especially women)  And one of my favorite quotes is a Buddhist saying, “You can search the world over and will never find anyone more deserving of your love than yourself”.

It’s shown up in different ways at different times in my life: Running on injuries and making them worse.  Eating disorders in high school. Doing a double degree program in grad school (& working part time).  Pushing my

self through many years of illness and not reaching out for help when I needed it.  Not only didn’t I get the love and support I needed, but I deprived my friends of the opportunity to be there for me, too.  At this point I consider myself a recovering Type A.   I understand my actions, and yet, wish I could have had the wisdom to be kinder and gentler to myself and put “me first” more often.  I also struggle with step 2 of “me first”, which is not feeling guilty about step 1.

I’ve made “me first” a priority, and .  I meditate almost every day, and host a mediation group, too.  I eat good food and thoroughly enjoy my indulgences.  As you well know, Iplan our meals weekly, which greatly reduces my stress.  Especially in the summer-ish months, I’m outside enjoying nature every day.  I have a job I adore and am working on the ability to say “no”.

And yet it’s still an every day practice.  I have even more need to put my wellbeing first, especially as we get ready to move and there is much more chaos at home.  So I’m hoping the badge will help remind me of what is most important.  Some people view self-care as extravagant or self-indulgent, but IMHO, that couldn’t be further than the truth.  Children learn their self worth through how they are treated, but also the way we treat ourselves.  And I know I function better and am a better human being when I take good care of myself.  I can’t do anywhere near as much to help the people I love take better care of themselves (or my clients) unless I first take care of myself, and treat myself with kindness and gentleness.

Now, it’s time for bed.

Peace, love and broccoli,

Cheryl

Continue Reading