What's your body image?

Are you one of the many women who has a hard time looking in the mirror? Do you have a warped sense of self? I know that this is an area that I have struggled deeply with myself. If you are you in need of a body image tune-up then, you might appreciate this show by Carson Kressley "How to Look Good Naked" - because most of us do have that desire to look smoking hot wearing zip/nada/nothing. Maybe you will be inspired. I think that this episode seemed tasteful enough though at first I was certainly fearful when they started the show in nothing but skivvies in front of huge mirrors, not to mention cameras...Check it out.

My Individual List of "poison" foods

Over the last 6 - 7 years as I have been working toward healing my various ailments (depression, bad skin, digestive discomfort, weight gain, insomnia, etc) I started doing a lot of research. My goal was to try and determine what I could do holistically to turn these problem areas around naturally and without prescriptions.

The two main tools I found have been through diet and lifestyle.

Each person is an individual and although there are many foods that are not beneficial, junk foods, excess sweets & alcohol, bad fat. Sometimes there are seemingly good foods that although are not "bad" can actually be seen as a poison to your own individual body. I know that using the word "poison" must seem like overkill, but as I have watched myself and my clients' health transform I think the word poison is actually very fitting.

Here are my individual foods that do not agree with my body:

• Bananas
• Soy (including Tofu, Tempeh, Edamame) 
• Catfish
• Cow's Milk
• Coffee
• Cornmeal
• Fructose
• Gluten containing foods (this is a major issue for many people and it is very hard to avoid if you use convenience pre-packaged foods)
• Halibut (sent me to the emergency room twice, though the doctors said it couldn't be the fish)
• Lamb
• Liver
• Mushrooms (again with the mold issue)
• Oat (typically cross contaminated with gluten)
• Peanuts (they can contain a lot of mold and I am very sensitive to mold)
• Pork
• White Potatoes (though I believe my clients on the whole do better leaving these out of their diet as it is such a high glycemic food)
• I still enjoy potatoes though rarely and I select Yukon Gold/Fingerling, Purple, Blue or Sweet Potatoes
• Shellfish (clams, crabs, oysters, scallops, shrimp, lobster)
• Strawberries
• Sucrose
• Black & Green Tea

It took me a while to tune into this knowledge. Even when I intuitively knew that dairy had something to do with being bloated. Or that gluten might have something to do with my lack of concentration, or that bananas (the perfect food for SO many reasons) would cause constipation - I still didn't want to believe it. I mean it seemed like an awful lot of work to remove these foods from my diet. Right!?!

Most of my clients know there are foods that do not work for them, but they continue to eat these foods because they are so common and they don't know any different. They also don't trust themselves and rather buy into whatever diet plan seems the most alluring at the time. And, I don't blame them - its what I did since I was 8 years old. My recommendation to you is to try tuning into that knowledge and seeing how much better you feel when you do.

How do you do that? Grab a notebook and start charting how you feel after you eat. You will start pin pointing what sets you off whether its migraines, gas and bloating, zits cropping up, your energy might be zapped, maybe your allergies are worse. Once you chart how you feel take the time to trust that knowledge. Pay attention to what you have been consuming - food and beverages (and don't forget about your body care!). Not only will you be much closer to your optimal health goals you'll realize that it is a lot less work to eat the right foods than the wrong. 

If you are interested in learning how to do an elimination diet and getting support then sign up for my newsletter on my website www.MaryLangfield.com and look out for one of my upcoming group programs (you'll get recipes & other health tips too).

Everyone needs a laugh...

This is probably my new favorite show! This seems to be the 1st episode so keep on the lookout for more after January 21st 2011. I haven't been to Portland, but I have always wanted to go. Maybe someday. Check out this silly episode and see if it makes you laugh. Sometimes I feel like a freak when I ask so many questions about the food I am about to order at a restaurant, but usually I end up sticking to veggies to keep it simple.

Cabbage Saute

I was asked to post this recipe that I made for Christmas. I hope you enjoy it as a main meal or as a side dish with lunch/dinner or for breakfast with a side of chicken sausage. Yum!

Ingredients:

• 1 Small Cabbage or 1/2 large
• 1 leek, sliced into rings (or yellow onions)
• 1 bunch of kale (de-stemmed)
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• Pinch Himalayan sea salt
• 2 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Ume Plum Vinegar - to taste

Directions:

1. Chop up the cabbage, chop up/rip the kale leaves, mince the garlic
2. Heat your pan on low, add the extra-virgin olive oil
3. Add the leek and let it sweat a bit
4. Add the sliced cabbage, stir and coat the veggies with olive oil, cover for 7 minutes (or so)
5. Add the kale with a bit of himalayan sea salt, cover for a few minutes until wilted
6. Add the ume plum vinegar to taste (it gives the greens a lovely sour taste)
7. Serve and enjoy. Makes enough for 6.

As with any recipe you may need to "play" with the ingredients to get the flavor you desire. Please do not feel constricted to follow these directions exactly. If you don't have cabbage, use what you have like zucchini or green beans.

Simple Soup

Hands down soup is my favorite food. I love them all - creamy, brothy, chunky, noodley...yum. Soup is nourishing and filling and it heats you up when it is chilly outside. Soup can also be paired with just about anything and everything - salads, sandwiches, pastas, entrees.

However, sometimes making soup seems like a chore. Forget that! Instead of slaving away just toss some "stuff" in a pot and call it simple soup. Don't over think it.

This soup is super healthy and nutritious and you can take this recipe and recreate it everyday by using other frozen veggie bags and adding favorite herbs or condiments to give it flavor.

• 1 Bag of Frozen Broccoli
• 1 Bag of Frozen Green Beans
• 1 Box of Chicken Stock
• 2 Large Leeks - chopped
• 3 Celery Stems - chopped
• 2 TBSP of Fresh Parsley 
• 1-2 Bay leaves
• 4 Cloves of Garlic - minced
• 2 TBSP of extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tsp (+) Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Sea Salt
• Couple cranks of ground pepper
• Pumpkin Oil - little drizzle over each bowl (totally optional, yet tasty)

1. In a stock pot, heat the extra-virgin olive oil on low heat. Once the pan is hot add the leeks, celery, bay leaves and cover
2. Add the garlic after a few minutes
3. Once the veggies are softening up add the box of chicken broth (about 4 cups)
4. Toss in the frozen veggies (add whatever you like no need to follow recipes 100% all the time - cauliflower, peas, spinach, zucchini would also be be great choices and easy to find frozen)
5. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and add salt, pepper, more garlic (optional), parsley
6. Shut off heat and pulse in a Vita-Mix blender if you want a creamy consistency or only blend part of the soup keeping some of it chunky.
7. This is COMPLETELY optional, but super delicious add a drizzle of pumpkin oil on top. Not only is it tasty, but it makes the soup look extra fancy!

This was a thick soup so if you wanted it thinner, blend it more or add extra stock. 

Serves 6