Update

Since I started the other blog (http://theeclecticepicureeats.wordpress.com/), I have not kept up with this one very well. Lately, however, I have been referring often to the list of resources/books I maintained here, and I realized that this list really needs an update. In the next few days, the list will be updated, and I will attempt to maintain it on a more-regular basis.

Note on Blog Posts

I am starting the blog posts for each individual "rule." In order to get the information up as soon as possible, I will be posting my first drafts. Please note, however, that I will be updating these posts with links and other information. I will let you know when posts have been edited or updated. I have also made it possible to subscribe to this blog, so that I can keep you updated on new posts and/or changes.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail!

Guideline 1: Get in Touch With and Listen to Your Body

As promised (yes, I know it was a long time ago), I am expanding on the individual “rules” I presented in an early post. Now, you may be thinking, “Oh, here she goes, getting all ‘new age-y’ on me, talking about listening to my body,” but listening to and understanding your body is very important for several reasons. Your body, if you listen to it, will let you know what its true abilities and limits are, not those you impose upon it. It will also let you know if something is wrong, if you truly have an injury, need more or less food, or are ill. Become friends with your body, as you are going to be together for quite a while.

How can you get in touch with and listen to your body? There are several things that can help you, but the main thing one needs to do is become more aware. Here are some helpful techniques:

1) Mind-body exercise: Yoga and Pilates, as well as many other forms of exercise, fall into the category of mind-body exercise. With these exercises, one must be connected physically and mentally with movement. Focus is placed on correct positioning of the body, breathing, and sensations within your body. Start slowly if you have never done such work before. You don’t have to be perfect in your practice of mind-body exercises; do your best and focus on how you feel while doing the exercises.

2) Focus often on your body: How does your body feel in this very moment? Are you pulling in your stomach? How is your posture? Are you comfortable? Ask yourself these questions while you work, walk, watch TV, read this blog, etc., to be more conscious of your body and how your hold your body.

3) Focus on your breathing: At any time of the day, and several times a day, you should note how you are breathing. Are you taking deep breaths, exhaling completely, and using your diaphragm? Focusing on your breathing can have several effects, including giving you energy, relaxing you, and increasing your endurance during exercise.

4) Listen to your tummy: When you are eating, or wanting to eat, ask yourself if you are hungry or satiated. By understanding when you are really hungry, you will avoid eating because you are bored, sad, happy, or simply because there is food in front of you. This will not only help you have a healthier relationship with your body; it will also help you have a healthier relationship with food.

5) Consider what your body is trying to tell you: Are you feeling pain? If so, what kind of pain is it? Is it the pain of working hard, or is it the pain of serious injury? In other words, do you need to stop what you are doing, or are you giving in to a simple, muscular pain? Be honest. Are you feeling tired? If so, did you have a stressful day, are you sleeping too little, or do you have an imbalance (due to illness, vitamin deficiency, etc.) in your body? Remember, movement – even just a light walk – can give you energy when you think you are tired after a long day at work, so be completely honest with yourself. Proper diet and exercise can help you conquer tiredness, but you need to listen to your body and understand what it is trying to tell you. See your doctor if pain or tiredness seems serious and/or consistent.

Getting in touch with and listening to your body can help you in your quest to become healthier. This week, try one or more of these techniques every day. Become more aware of your body, and make a conscious effort to understand and respect what it can do. In the comments, tell me what you are doing to get in touch with and listen to your body.

Dr. Weil on European Eating Habits

While he refers to the French here, Dr. Weil's observations are also very true for Italians (and many other countries where obesity is less of a problem than in America): www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP03550/Why-Are-The-French-Slim.html

Why Are The French Slim?

For years, scientists on both sides of the Atlantic have been trying to unravel the "French paradox" - the finding that despite a high-fat diet, the French appear to have a lower rate of heart attacks (as well as a lower rate of obesity) than other Western countries, particularly the United States. While no definite explanations are available, it may have a great deal to do with how the French approach eating. Try these seven steps that are the norm in the typical French diet:

1. Eat smaller portions.
2. Eat only at mealtimes, and avoid snacking.
3. Eat a wide variety of food.
4. Don't skip meals.
5. Enjoy your food, and focus on dishes made from quality ingredients that are fresh and locally grown.
6. Stick to your internal cues. When you no longer feeling hungry, stop eating.
7. Eat meals with family and friends so eating becomes a pleasurable experience and not something to "fit into" a schedule or feel guilty about.

Consider changing your approach and attitude toward eating and see if it makes a difference in your life.

Thank you to www.drweil.com for this article. Please visit the site for more informative health articles.

Let's Eat Like the Italians Do!

A fun blog post before we begin discussing the guidelines. As some of you know, I am married to an Italian (yes, an Italian from Italy), and I have lived on-and-off in Italy. Although I had already begun incorporating some of the guidelines into my life prior to going to Italy for the first time, I learned a lot about food while I was living there and I lost some weight, too! We often think of Italians as people who eat A LOT of food. It’s true: in general, they eat more, but they eat better-quality food and, more importantly, they enjoy and appreciate their food.

When I was teaching Italian, I made a handout for my students, who were often asking me about the Italian diet. While this is very generalized, I thought I would share a similar version (since I cannot find the file) also with you:

What Italians Eat: A Typical Day

(Warning: Generalizations Abound!)

Breakfast

(upon waking or immediately upon leaving house)

Option 1: at home

Fette biscottate and jam OR Yogurt

Tea

Option 2: at the café

Cappuccino

Brioche/croissant

Lunch

(hopefully, at home, around 1pm)

Pasta w/fresh sauce or risotto

Salad

Wine and water

Fruit

Caffé (espresso) + 1 piece of chocolate

Snack

If needed, a gelato or a pre-dinner aperativo w/wine and crudités

Dinner

(around 8pm)

Option 1 – at home or at a restaurant

Fish or meat

Vegetables (salad, roasted veggies, etc.)

Wine and water

Fruit

Small dessert, if desired

Option 2 – restaurant

Pizza

Dessert (usually gelato!)

A holiday or special occasion would include A LOT more food. Imagine: two or three different kinds of pasta, followed by several kinds of meat, then vegetables, fruit, and two or three different desserts, all accompanied by appropriate wines and finished with a digestivo.

Mealtime is a time to enjoy friends and family, in addition to enjoying the highest quality of ingredients. Relaxing and appreciating your meal gives you an important break from even the busiest of days.

Rules Are Made To Be Broken

While I try to avoid the term "rules," which tends to cause distress and an eventual breaking of the rules, there are some guidelines I follow when eating. Remember that these guidelines are simply and solely for your health; they are not meant to restrict you but to help you make good choices for your health.

While reading this, please keep in mind that each individual will have individual needs. If you are gluten-sensitive or have difficulty with lactose, make the modifications needed for those sensitivities. I advocate a Mediterranean-style diet, but there are many wonderful gluten-free alternatives to the wheat-filled foods normally associated with the Mediterranean diet. Listen to YOUR body, which brings us to guideline number one:

1. Get in touch with and listen to your body.
2. Eat food that tastes good and is satisfying.
3. Exercise regularly.
4. Choose organic and hormone-free foods, whenever possible.
5. Make as much of your own food as possible.
6. Avoid trans-fats, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and processed foods.
7. When eating out, choose places with similar food policies (a commitment to REAL food), or choose the simplest item on the menu. Eat only half of the dish.
8. When eating in general, choose:
* whole grains over white/sugary foods
* fruit and vegetables
* fish over meat
a.k.a. Mediterranean-style diet

I will try dedicate at least one post to discuss each of these points in detail. I will also dedicate a lot of space to discussing quality of life. Being healthy is not about weight but is about mental, emotional, and physical well-being. When one is out of alignment, the others will suffer, as well.

Please feel free to comment and/or share your experience!

And check out the Resources page!

About Me

So, why would someone like me write such a blog?

As a teen, I reached 200 lbs, a lot for my 5'7" pear-shaped frame, and my cholesterol, at age 15, was considered high. From the moment I learned that my health was at risk, I made drastic changes that included renouncing fried food and exercising. I did lose weight, but I have changed my way of eating and exercising over the years to find what works best for me so that, while I may gain 5-10 pounds during holidays or times of stress, I know I will never be that overweight again.*

The most important thing I have learned is to enjoy food, and my wish is to impart what I have learned about the joy of eating and being healthy to help others find what works for them.

I have also learned a lot about myself and exercise. First of all, I'm not a person who hates to workout. I am a person who likes how she feels when she works out, but must motivate herself to do so. I LOVE dance, and wish that I had pushed myself to pursue dance more seriously. I am still active in dance, however, and enjoy workouts related to dance: for example, Pilates, the Bar Method, Lotte Berk, and my new favorite, Physique 57. I have tried other types of workouts, but these are the workouts to which I keep returning and that give me the body I want.

I became an ACE-certified personal trainer in 2009 in the hope of helping others find movement they love in order to improve their lifestyle and health.

*For those of you who MUST know, I don't know what size I was at my largest, but I am now a size 4-6 and have been for many years. And, yes, of course there have been setbacks and weight gain as I have journeyed to this point. I learn from what works and what doesn't.