Vegetarian Proteins

I'm a vegetarian.  How can I get enough protein?

If you are a vegetarian you’re probably used to being asked, “Where do you get your protein from?”  Everyone becomes very concerned that you aren’t getting enough protein, but in reality, protein deficiencies in America are rare. Although meat is a standard protein staple in the American diet, many other non-meat sources can meet your protein needs. Protein is found in dairy products (cheese, milk, and yogurt), eggs, nuts, legumes, and in smaller quantities of starches and vegetables. The USDA recommends 10-35% of your daily calories come from protein. When broken down in day-to-day life, that can look like having 2 protein foods at each meal (eggs at breakfast, tofu at lunch, and a veggie burger at dinner) and 1-2 protein foods at snacks (such as yogurt or nuts). The flexibility of how to get your protein is up to you, but overall most Americans get plenty of protein regardless if they eat meat or not.

Protein has many valuable functions in the body – building tissue and muscle, hormone production, immune function, energy when carbohydrates are not available, and preserving lean muscle mass. And while there are some populations that might have higher protein needs – such as elite athletes, pregnant women, and older adults – society can certainly overvalue protein as the “ultimate” food group that you should eat all the time. This tends to stem from the same mindset that demonizes other food groups as being “bad”. Food does not have moral value. Eating more protein than your body needs is associated with its own side effects and medical conditions, as is the case with eating too much of any food group.  Finding the balance of all the food groups and eating them in moderation keeps your body and mind healthy and functioning at its best.

People choose to adopt vegetarian diets for many valid reasons, such as compassion for animals, trying to reduce their carbon footprint, or for religious reasons. Although a vegetarian diet can be nutritionally adequate, it’s important to be mindful of the intention behind following a vegetarian diet. Vegetarian diets aren’t necessarily more healthful or less healthful than an omnivore diet and restricting food groups can feed into disordered eating. If the goal is to lose weight or restrict certain food groups, it’s important to explore that with your dietitian and therapist.

Tori Davis, MBA, RDN, LDN - is one of the two nutritionists/dietitians at The Awakening Center.  You can contact her for individual nutrition counseling by emailing her at tori.davis3523@gmail.com

Fear of Carbs

Friday Food!  "Fear of Carbs!"

We're going to have a regular Q&A with The Awakening Center Nutritionists every other Friday on our Facebook page.  If you would like to  submit a nutrition question feel free to send it to awakeningintake@gmail.com. 

Here's our first Question:  I am so afraid to eat carbs because everything I read says carbs are so bad for you. Why can’t I cut them out entirely?

It’s a trendy thing for the media to do - to pinpoint certain macronutrients: carbohydrates, fats, proteins and turn it into a low-fat diet, low-carb diet, high-protein diet, you get the drift.  We always seem to be reading about why we should prioritize one macronutrient over another. When I was growing up, fat was the enemy. Most snacks were morphed and modified to be lower in fat. Even foods that never contained fat to begin with were labeled “fat-free” as a marketing ploy. Since trends eventually lose their spark, it only makes sense to slowly start shining this bad wrap on another macronutrient, right? Once it became evident that making foods fat-free or low-fat did not live up to its hype, the media decided to turn against another macronutrient. So now carbs are the enemy…but fat is okay again?

It’s confusing and frustrating right? Who do we even believe anymore? I think carbohydrates started to carry some stigma when the paleo diet grew popular. Carbohydrates were demonized as the media spread messages that they caused weight gain and bloating. Although these messages are trendy and appealing, there is little to no evidence to support these claims. In fact, this nutrition myth is very problematic as it leads to disordered thoughts and behaviors around eating and potentially inadequate nutrition.

Carbohydrates are our body’s primary source of fuel and because of this, they resist storing carbohydrates as fat. It would not make sense to store that preferred and valued energy as fat. Carbohydrates provide us with quick energy as they are digested and transported into the cells quicker than any other macronutrient. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose which then travels through our blood stream to supply energy to our brain, muscles and nervous system. Our brains are actually not able to store glucose; therefore, they need a constant, reliable supply.  If we do not give our bodies enough carbohydrates, it will begin to break down protein in our muscles, tissues and organs to use as energy. This is why low carbohydrates are not sustainable and can cause increased stress on the body. For optimal functioning, your body requires 50-60% of its total daily intake to come from carbohydrates.

We can agree that all of our bodies are different. What works for one individual may not be best for you. But one thing that is certain and consistent across the board is that all of our bodies require carbohydrates in order to flourish. The media will continue to tell you otherwise simply because it’s trendy and seductive right now, but don’t give in. Don’t fight what our beautifully instrumented bodies are innately born to do.

Karlee Pinto, RD, LDN - is one of the two nutritionists/dietitians at The Awakening Center.  You can contact her for individual nutrition counseling by emailing her at karleepinto.tac@gmail.com  

Self-Care During Busy Times

Lovely Vase and Cup of Tea by Jamie Paterno

By Mary Claire Schibelka

What do you think of when you hear “self-care”? Painting your nails? Getting a massage? Journaling? For a long time, I rolled my eyes at the thought of doing these things. “I’m way too busy for self-care,” I thought. Regardless of how many people told me about the importance of self-care, I never looked at it as a necessity. Instead, I actually believed that doing things to take care of myself would only take up more time in my schedule, hence making me even more stressed out.

            Ironically, it wasn’t until several months into my internship at The Awakening Center—when my schedule became busier than it ever has been—that I discovered the power and importance of self-care. Part of this came from taking an honest look at myself and realizing that my current self-care plan (or lack thereof…) wasn’t working. The other part came from reassessing what self-care actually meant to me and questioning whether or not that definition was flexible. What I learned is that self-care doesn’t always have to mean going to a spa or taking a luxury vacation or doing a Pinterest-worthy art project. Those things are great, but when life gets busy, they aren’t always practical. Sometimes, self-care is more about looking ahead, asking yourself what you really need, and then setting yourself up for success.

Planning. One of the most important self-care strategies I have discovered is planning ahead. Using a planner allows you to take what seems like an overwhelming list of things to do and organize it into shorter lists of what you need to tackle on a day-by-day basis. When you take on a busy week one day at a time, it suddenly seems much more manageable. Plus, planners can be great outlets for creative energy if you’re an artistic type. Check out Target, Amazon, and even discount stores like TJ Maxx for cute stickers, markers, and other supplies.

Routines. Not a morning person? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. It’s easy to opt for sleeping in and then rushing out the door in the morning. However, I think most would agree that this usually just ends up making us more tired. A morning routine, on the other hand, sets the tone for a positive and productive day. Your morning routine can start off small, with only one item on the list, like making the bed. By completing just that one task, you’re starting off your morning with a feeling of accomplishment, and this can be very energizing. The same is true for nighttime routines. Just like morning routines help us feel more awake, nighttime routines tell our bodies that it’s time to wind down. This leads to a more restful sleep, and again, a more energetic morning!

Sleep. Since we’re on the topic of sleep anyways, now would be a good time to talk about the importance of it. Sleep is so beneficial to our bodies. It’s restorative, it’s relaxing, and—in all honesty—it’s often a much-needed break from the business of our days. I’ve learned that sleep works best when it’s structured. Our bodies love rhythm. When we stick to a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, our bodies start to naturally fall into the pattern, and we can then reap the benefits, such as more energy and a better mood, throughout the day. Of course, there are circumstances in which we might need more or less sleep, like when we’re sick or during finals week. Remember to listen to your body and give yourself some grace when this one gets difficult.

Preparing. Remember when we talked about planning? This is where it really starts to come in handy. When you have a layout of what your week is going to look like, it’s much easier to figure out what you need to do and when you have time to do it. For example, if you have class at 8am on Tuesdays, and you know you’re not a morning person, it might be helpful to do tasks like showering or putting supplies in your backpack the night before. Also, if it’s difficult or exhausting for you to cook throughout the week, advance meal-prepping can be a great skill. If you have a dietitian, talk to him or her about how to prepare balanced, easily stored meals that fit your meal plan.

Schedule in fun. In the past, whenever I’ve gotten exceptionally busy, the fun activities on my to-do list were always the first to go. I believed that I could do those things only when I completed all of the other requirements. The problem with that philosophy is that when you cut out time for fun, the quality of all your other work suffers. You’re more likely to feel drained, distracted, and resentful of everything else you have to do, so you don’t do it as well. However, if you intentionally schedule in things like hanging out with friends, watching your favorite TV show, doing yoga, or whatever else it is you love, you approach your other obligations with more energy and passion. Next time you find yourself feeling guilty for taking time out of your busy schedule for fun, think of it as an investment, and then notice how it impacts the rest of your tasks for the week.

            Beginning a self-care plan can seem like a daunting task. It requires intention and dedication, and at times you may wonder if it is worth it. But take it from a former skeptic like me: When you invest in yourself, it becomes much easier (and more fun) to put forth energy into everything else. I encourage you to start slowly and choose just a few things you can implement today. Little by little, add more strategies to your self-care repertoire, notice the benefits, and above all, don’t forget to thank yourself.

Mary Claire is a graduate intern therapist at The Awakening Center. She will graduate from Northeastern Illinois University in August 2019 with an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and will become certified as a Licensed Professional Counselor.

Still Contemplating January

Yes, I know it’s February, but we're still orienting to the new year.

           January Fun Fact: January is named for Janus, the ancient Roman god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces because he looks to the future and to the past.

            Janus fits in nicely with the month of January; New Year is a natural time of self-reflection. When we look back at last year, we can see how we intuitively want this year to be different, to be better. However, most find that by mid-January they have already broken and abandoned their resolutions. Usually that's because they made their resolution from a harsh, critical, and judgmental Part. Additionally, the resolutions may be vague or feel very demanding and perfectionistic, have no workable plan, and are not sustainable for the long run. For example, “Get healthy,” “Get organized,” “Be perfect!”

            What if we tried a different approach? Have you heard of SMART goals? SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. Let’s rewrite one of the aforementioned resolutions, engaging Wise One Within and using curiosity, compassion, clarity to create a workable plan. 

            Our SMART goal resolution says, “I will eat a vegetable with dinner, three times a week.” I'm sure you can see how that's very specific. It is also measurable—you eat a vegetable or you don’t. It’s achievable to eat a vegetable with your dinner. Realistic? Yes, you are able to do this. And timely? We said we would do this three times a week.

            Because of the way this resolution is worded, we know exactly what we are trying to achieve, and it gives us some wiggle room for those days when vegetables are not available. We don't expect ourselves to be perfect. 

            Your perfectionistic or critical Parts may not like what I have suggested. These Parts may want to force us to change even though the way it has tried in the past has not worked. Our Wise One Within knows the wisdom of trying something new, and something is better than nothing..  

Namasté,

Amy Grabowski, MA, LCPC

Amy is the Director of The Awakening Center, which she founded 25 years ago! She is the author of Healing Part by Part: An IFS Guide to Recovery from Eating Disorders. For more information about her book click here: http://www.awakeningcenter.net/new-book--cd.html.

Seeing the World with Purpose

Photo by Erin Channell

By Erin Channell MA, LPC

As an art therapist, I believe that a depth of healing and growth are uniquely reached through the process of making art. Growing up people are often encouraged to create things that are “beautiful.” At some point during the early middle school years, those who do not excel in rendering “beautiful” art stop practicing and engaging in the process. What a shame, because when creativity is not fostered, it is often lost. We begin to believe the lie “I can’t.”

            One of the best tools of self-care that I have nurtured is my own practice of art-making as a way to process personal issues and gain perspective in a quickly shifting world. This is practicing art as therapy (a way to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of embracing creativity) in contrast to art psychotherapy (art utilized during therapy to enhance the verbal communication between therapist and client).            

           Personally, photography is the medium that I gravitate to when the desire to make art surfaces. There is something transcendent that occurs when I am looking at the world through a lens and purposely observing details that many others miss. I don’t mean snapping some pictures with my iPhone (however, the accessibility of iPhones has brought photography to a much wider audience). I mean charging the battery of the good ‘ole DLSR and manually changing the settings to adjust for light changes, depth, and feeling the weight in my hand as I purposely walk around observing the world around me.

            It takes a minute to fully slow down, forget about looking, and to begin seeing. I believe that this process is available to anyone who searches for it. Take a different route to work and leave 30 minutes early. In these moments of slowing down, I begin to feel full and alive. This practice of seeing highlights the importance of therapy through the process instead of becoming consumed with creating a visually appealing product.

            Challenge yourself today to bring creativity to the way you approach your daily activities. This could be creating visual art or simply approaching something mundane with a new perspective. My guess is that you will be surprised by the new flow that often occurs when you bring your creative brain into your everyday life.

Erin Channell is an Art Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) at The Awakening Center. She facilitates a weekly art therapy group and sees clients for either art therapy or talk therapy services. She has special training in working with children on the Autism Spectrum and adults facing a range of issues including, but not limited to, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and stress related struggles.

I Go Easy on Myself.

By Sheana Tobey, MA, LPC

So, I’ve been trying this new thing for about a year now, and I dare you to try it too. Any time I notice that I am being hard on myself—or when my thoughts start to spiral out anxiously—I stop, take a deep breath, and say “I go easy on myself.” I learned this simple mantra from an old therapist of mine. I’ve been sharing this idea with loved ones whom I notice are a bit hard on themselves too. Of course it’s so much easier to have compassion for others than for ourselves, which is why this mantra is so neat to try. It is simply presenting the idea that you CAN go easy on yourself, and things will still get done. You CAN go easy on yourself and learn from your “mistakes.”

            So often, I find that we are hard on ourselves because we think we have to be. We believe the tough love approach is the ONLY thing that will keep us motivated and working toward the impossibly high bar that the American culture encourages us to set for ourselves. So, how has that been working out for all of us? For me, it created an internal environment ruled by fear of punishment and a feeling that I wasn’t doing anything _________ enough. It felt like I could ALWAYS be doing something better, more better, or even better than that. It was exhausting.      A key piece for me to learn to go easy on myself was to identify my core values and then choose to allow them to be a guiding post. Now the bar I set for myself is simply to live by my values as much as possible. There are moments, of course, as we all have, when I act outside of my value set. And that’s when I practice going easy on myself. I go easy on myself so I can move forward with an internal environment that is nurturing and allows for growth. I am able to take these moments and learn from them, rather than become ashamed of them.

            Another large piece of learning was to acknowledge and allow myself to make these “mistakes” and then recognize that it is a human thing to do. I used to believe everyone else was allowed to make “mistakes” except for me. My bar told me I had to be perfect or get as close as possible to perfect. Only then would I have value as a person; only then would I be loveable. Once I allowed myself to make mistakes and go easy on myself when I did, I noticed that I still had value. I noticed that the people around me still loved me. The bar I set for myself wasn’t the bar anyone else even dreamed of setting for me. They just loved me. Because I am loveable. And so are you. So. Is. Everyone! Every. Single. Person. In. This. World. Was. Born. Loveable. Period. And you are no exception.

            So, I encourage you to give this a try. Introduce the idea that you are allowed to go easy on yourself by using this mantra any time your thoughts are spiraling anxiously, or anytime you are being hard on yourself. Stop. Take a deep breath. “I go easy on myself.” Repeat as many times as needed.

Sheana is a Licensed Professional Counselor at The Awakening Center working with individuals and groups. She creates an empathic, accepting environment in which she walks with her clients on a path toward peace and happiness. For inquiries or to set up an appointment, please contact her at (773)929-6262 Ext. 16 or TobeySheana@gmail.com.

P.S. If you need help identifying your values, try Googling “list of core values.” Find a list that has A LOT, even one that feels like it’s too many. Then, write down next to each one a V if the value is very important to you, an I if the value is important to you, and an N if the value is not important to you. Then, see if you can identify your top 6 values. See if you can put those in order of importance. If it’s too hard to narrow it down to 6, go for 10 or 20. Whatever works for you. If you can’t identify 6, only list the ones that make sense for you. If you have questions, feel free to reach out and ask or leave them in the comment section below.

Tackling the Gut

Karlee Pinto, RD, LDN

Sometimes I think of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract as this large dance party. There is a lot going on. Everyone is spinning around on the dance floor. All different dance styles and music. Unique and individual wardrobes and personalities. So much is happening at once. The night is constantly evolving. OK, bear with me here…we don’t have a dance party in our bellies (although sometimes it may feel like it), but the GI tract is incredibly complex and intricate. It feels like we have been researching the GI system forever, yet we still have so far to go. But this is the true beauty of it. There is so much to learn and so many unknowns to discover.

            Because this system is so intricate and a hot topic to study right now, it receives a lot of attention, specifically when addressing food and its effect on the GI tract. Think about it. When you have an upset stomach, a lot of gas, or some abnormal bowel habits, often the first thing you think is “ohh…what did I eat today??” Certainly, some medically diagnosed conditions—such as an allergy or intolerance—relate specifically to a certain type of food. If you feel that you may have an allergy or intolerance, please consult your general practitioner. But in this post, I hope to provide you with a little more knowledge to help you understand just how complex this system is and how many factors impact our GI health.

            Often, when we are presented with some sort of GI issues, the immediate recommendation is an elimination diet. For those unfamiliar with elimination diets, here’s a brief overview. Individuals experiencing GI distress keep a detailed food log and deeply analyze and study the specific GI symptoms that they experience to try to link them to a specific food or food group. Depending upon the specific protocol, foods and food groups that are more common allergens and intolerances are strictly removed from the diet and then gradually added back, one by one to determine which ones could be causing the GI symptom. This may seem like a no-brainer protocol, however the restriction has the potential to be harmful and triggering to someone who has a history of dieting, an eating disorder, or disordered eating. There is a fine line between reasonable intention to take care for one’s own body and using elimination as a vehicle to manage other aspects of our well-being. Maybe it is that inner factor that thrives on controlling all aspects of the diet. Or maybe we are searching for stability in our live, so we seek this through our experiences with food. In these moments, we need to take a step back and take a look at the bigger picture. The sole focus may not necessarily be on food itself.

            Our digestive system is intricately connected to the nervous system. Our thoughts and feelings can transform into a very real, physical experience or sensation. Have you ever been super-stressed before an exam and your breakfast just didn’t sit too comfortably? Or you had a meal just prior to experiencing some unpredicted stressful situation and suddenly a wave of nausea hits? Our GI system is heavily impacted by emotions, such as stress, anxiety, fear, depression, and so forth. Surely, we could be having some other co-occurring physiological symptoms that exacerbate the feelings of GI distress and discomfort. However, add in some other strong emotions like anxiety and stress around eating, and you can see how we fueling the fire. Thoughts and emotions live in our bodies and deserve to be acknowledged while we try to understand and decipher this mind-gut connection.

            Gastroparesis is a fancy term that can be easily defined as delayed emptying of food from the stomach into the intestines. This process is caused by decreased stomach motility, or movement. In some cases, the vagus nerve, which controls the stomach muscles, is damaged. This interferes with your stomach’s ability to naturally contract and move food along the GI tract. Another possible determinant to gastroparesis could be a change in the gut microflora, which could be triggered by restricting specific foods or food groups. There could also be changes in the production of digestive enzymes. In simple terms, this variation could impact how certain foods are broken down and digested. Once restriction barriers are taken down and food is reintroduced back into one’s routine, some GI discomfort could potentially arise.

            So how do we begin to calm down this gastrointestinal dance party? How do we wind down and relieve some of this chaos? What follows are a few simple steps to help work through some of these GI issues:

Balance and Regularity

Our bodies love routine. In fact, our digestive tract prefers meals every 4 hours or so. Things may seem to pass along more smoothly when we honor our bodies’ natural rhythm. Make it a priority, and care for your body by eating balanced meals and snacks every few hours. Bring mindfulness and awareness to this need. Just as someone with the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus is more mindful of the impact of carbohydrates on their blood sugar, perhaps you may need to be more mindful of routine eating patterns to aid in the digestion process.

Stress Management

Work with members of your treatment team to develop skills and tools to tackle and manage stress. Remember, the nervous system feeds into the gut. A stressed-out mind can lead to a stressed-out gut. Consider how an emotion might be affecting your digestion just as you would question the impact of food.

The Squatty Potty

Well, I guess this is happening—I am indeed going there. Because of the body’s natural physiology, the rectum and anus are located at the end of the digestive tract. You have a muscle that sort of ropes around the rectum, kinks, and contains the stool so that you can go about our life. Using a squatty potty allows our knees to rise above our hips, mimicking a natural squat. The muscle that loops around the rectum loosens up, making it much easier to go to the bathroom.

Fibrous Foods

Are you eating a lot of raw produce or fiber-enhanced foods, such as protein bars or crackers? Highly fibrous produce can be taking a toll on our GI system as it may not have the capacity to digest all of this roughage. Allow your gut to relax. For ease of digestion, try to cook some of the produce that you believe may be triggering GI distress and see if this helps to alleviate gas and bloating.

            Most importantly, give this process time and grace. If you are experiencing GI distress and discomfort, let your treatment team know as each member can contribute something meaningful to help improve your digestive health. Allow them to provide you with that support and guidance while you patiently explore your own, individual digestion. 

Karlee is a staff nutritionist at The Awakening Center. To schedule an appointment, call 773.929.6262.