Anti-Inflammatory Foods, Blogging for good health!, Habit Building, This -n- That

No Foolin’

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In America, it’s April Fool’s Day.

Long associated with jokes, pranks, and Tomfoolery to make someone else look the fool, I want to assure you that this is no joke.

Chris Kresser’s weekly newsletter is inspiring today’s post about seafood consumption by children.

Seafood provides a host of nutrition including iodine, selenium, choline, and vitamin D, along with omega-3s, which are critical for brain development and function.

A well-studied important dietary component during pregnancy, seafood has not been the target of many comprehensive studies for children.

However, Kresser cited a study in the European Journal of Nutrition revealing that children consuming no seafood have a 35% higher chance of suboptimal social behavior compared to children consuming two portions every week. Children who regularly consume recommended amounts each week often demonstrate better emotional controls and focus.

Cost factors, availability, and awareness of mercury concentration in seafood may be influencing the inclusion of this food source into children’s diets, but we may be avoiding it at our peril. If you scroll way down this NIH resource, you will find this table showing how little seafood children in the U.S. are eating:

ABLE 3-12Weighted Seafood Meal Frequency, U.S. children, 2–19 Years

 n, Weighted0 Meals per Month, Percent (n)Less than 2 Meals per Week, Percent (n)2 or more Meals per Week, Percent (n)
Overall74,270,80843 (5,372)51 (6,631)6.4 (926)
Males (years)
2–57,908,05946 (698)49 (735)5.9 (103)
6–1112,925,78343 (945)50 (1,185)6.9 (164)
12–1917,022,52542 (1,131)51 (1,364)7.0 (199)
Females (years)
2–58,029,34839 (602)55 (828)5.9 (124)
6–1111,739,99843 (909)52 (1,183)5.7 (163)
12–1916,645,09644 (1,087)50 (1,336)6.2 (173)
Race/Ethnicity
Hispanic17,869,76644 (1,734)50 (1,936)5.4 (186)
Non-Hispanic Asian3,428,65431 (343)50 (574)19 (234)
Non-Hispanic White10,429,46336 (1,186)56 (1,896)8.1 (274)
Non-Hispanic Black38,447,67845 (1,708)50 (1,762)5.0 (159)
Other4,095,24743 (401)48 (463)9.1 (73)
Income (IPR)
Less than 1.325,389,48146 (2,488)49 (2,788)5.7 (325)
1.3–4.9937,715,36743 (2,448)51 (3,172)5.8 (455)
5+11,165,96036 (436)54 (671)9.8 (146)

NOTES: IPR = income-to-poverty ratio. Values in parentheses are unweighted sample sizes. Seafood frequency measured using a 30-day food frequency questionnaire based on the total number of meals per month for all seafood species. Respondents not reporting food frequency are not presented in this table; n = sample size. See NHANES Data Analysis Methodology in Appendix E.

SOURCE: NHANES cycle years 2011–2012 through 2017–March 2020.

The next table below shows serving size based upon age, the best and the good choices for seafood, and which kinds to avoid based upon concentration of pollutants (mercury).

Ask any teacher, kids are not learning as well, and their behavior is declining. Why?

Is consuming seafood the answer to this question?

Absolutely not.

But it may be one factor parents and grandparents can look at to improve the chances the children will have every opportunity for success in learning and socializing.

I often get on jags of preparing one kind of protein – usually the versatile and affordable cuts of chicken – and forget to mix things up a bit.

Omega-3s are great for all of us, so I am trying to be more mindful of including wild fresh caught Alaskan salmon on a more regular basis. It’s a matter of watching the sales; salmon this week, shrimp or white fish the next.

Maybe Taco Tuesday can become Fish Taco Tuesday!

In health –

Deidre

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There’s A New Season Coming

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Changes of the seasons.

What’s your inner calendar based on?

As a student, and then later as an instructor, the school calendar reigned supreme for me and my family.

Now, as a semi-retired empty nester with mostly self-created deadlines and obligations, I am turning more to the actual seasons of the year to mark my activities.

While fall still heralds a sense of fresh starts because of school calendar memories, I am mindful of the fresh starts I am making personally with the new season of the spring freshness that is upon us in the northern hemisphere.

Our readers from down under are beginning to feel the first cool whiffs of fall – complete with desires for favorite soup and stew recipes as they begin to naturally focus more on hearth and home.

Whatever our season, I thought I would share the steps for how we can contemplate our intentions for the next season of our lives.

First, I recently came across this thoughtful contemplation that came my way as a cleansing preparation for setting an intention for this new season:

“I trust that whatever is leaving my life is making space for something better. I trust in the shifts happening in my life. I release what no longer serves me and welcome what’s meant for me.”

In this increasingly chaotic and shocking world, let us ground and center ourselves to become agents of smooth transitions and peace moving forward.

Follow along (links to original posts about these topics are provided):

  1. Pull the string as you sit comfortably, opening your chest for easy breaths, and come into stillness with a soft gaze or closed eyes.
  2. Take three deep breaths.
  3. With one hand on your heart and one on your belly, ask yourself: What do I truly want to create this season?
  4. Write down three intentions for this new season. Keep them clear, simple, focused, and measurable.
  5. Anchor your energies by:
  6. Focused breaths: take a few box breaths:
    • Breathe in on a count of 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4.
      • Rise from your chair and gently stretch.
        • Enjoy a cup of herbal tea (chamomile is good for calming).

Close with an affirmation: “I am stepping into this new season with clarity, confidence, and trust in my path.”

Posted on the whiteboard above my computer is a bookmark I created for my Word of the Year several years ago. Reaching others with my message through this blog, books, and speeches remains my overarching intention.

    This past week, at the start of spring, I submitted my next book, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions, to the production team! We have a ten-week window to make this happen.

    Stay tuned for announcements about progress and a release date! Whoopie!

    In health –

    Deidre

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    Blogging for good health!, Holiday Celebrations, Recipes, This -n- That

    Time For Some Egg Stretching!

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    Eggs have long been my main source of breakfast protein. With the price of eggs going crazy right now, I have had to rethink how many we are consuming.

    Hmmm. How do you stretch an egg?

    I’ve shared a couple recipes recently that have featured cottage cheese – an often-overlooked source of protein.

    Thankfully, I do consume dairy without serious adverse effects. A little more flatulence, perhaps, but with the price of eggs, it’s worth it – and its creamy deliciousness is delightful.

    Recently, I tried out a frittata recipe featuring sauteed minced potatoes, assorted veggies, optional meat, and – EIGHT … count them – EIGHT EGGS!

    Egads!

    I cracked one into the mixing bowl. Two. Three. Four. Gulp … Five …

    Okay! No more! Nuh-huh!

    Clearly, I needed more protein – more stuff – to complete the liquid required to pour over everything.

    Enter three dollops of cottage cheese.

    The result was yummy in every respect.

    “Wait!” you say.  Your family turns its nose up whenever you offer cottage cheese? No worries!

    Simply blitz your egg/cottage cheese mixture using an immersion blender or food processor and voila! You have turned the combination into creamy wonderfulness! No one will be the wiser.

    Shhh! Our little secret.

    Below is how I tweaked the JenSmiley@substack.com recipe. Again, this is a concept recipe that is perfect for modifications based on what’s in the refrigerator.

    How are you dealing with the rising egg prices in the United States?

    In health –

    Deidre

    Breakfast FrittataDownload

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    I Know A Place … A Very Special Place

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    My spot.

    It beckons to me like sirens calling from the deep seas.

    I always gladly yield to its call.

    Come. Come outdoors. Come to ponder, to read, and to write. Do some soul work.

    Ahhh!

    I had just created that perfect spot in my former home. It became a mystic place in the freedom of the outdoors, which allowed equal freedom of my mind and heart.

    Do you have such a spot? A place where you long to go that allows your mind to wander where it will, or to focus on deep truths that uplift and inspire you?

    For me, such a place requires a table where books and papers can be spread out. Where my drink and food can be close-by.

    Moving to my new home necessitated leaving that outdoor table behind, and while we have created lovely outdoor seating and conversation areas, I just hadn’t recreated my own special spot.

    Until recently.

    Yet unadorned with no potted flowers or decorations nearby, this humble space is beginning to become my spot. For there in the screened porch warmed by the sun, I can once again read, take notes, ponder, and create.

    At least until the pollen season gets in full swing, painting everything yellow. Achoo!

    Then we all head indoors until we can spray and wash everything before resuming our outdoor life.

    Where is your spot? Do you go there often?

    In health –

    Deidre

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    Just Say Yes!

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    How do we rise above the fray?

    Negative headspace generated by anything can pull us down, contributing to fatigue and inaction.

    I was already tired from two early morning ER visits from the week before, (my sweetheart’s new hip is fine, thanks), when I gladly supported a friend as they shared a challenging and dark period in their life. To add to the negative karma, I checked the world news before officially starting with my day’s activities.

    How was I supposed to buzz around, preparing for my sweetheart’s birthday dinner party at our house, when I lacked the energy or enthusiasm to even leave my chair?

    Straighten the house, clean the kitchen, prep ingredients, make things look festive and birthday party ready? In what universe?

    Where was the forward motion going to come from?

    I had none.

    Zero. Zip. Zilch.

    Wait.

    I know this one!

    What am I always telling others? Right after, “pull the string”?

    “Your mind believes what you tell it.”

    What was I telling myself that day?

    That I was beat. I felt like staying in my chair. I was discouraged, not only by world news and what my friend had endured, but also my inability to get going – in the face of being the hostess to a birthday dinner party in seven hours.

    Pity party – poor me.

    Clearly, those were the wrong messages. There was nothing in those thoughts that would build me up.

    After reluctantly getting up from my chair, I said, “yes.” A very feeble, “yes.”  Not a, “YESSSS!”

    Not yet; but, I persisted.

    Pulling that string for all it was worth, I said out loud, “YES!” I put one foot in front of the other.

    One small task on the back of another small task. “Yes.”

    After a while, I threw in a half-hearted, limp smile. “Yes.”

    Another small task.

    “Yes,” with a better smile.

    Pausing in the bathroom, which I was making sure was clean, I faked a real toothy smile while looking in the mirror, “Yes!”

    Whoa! Did you catch that energy?

    Gradually, over the course of the next hour, I was transformed from giving a lackluster, “yes,” while faking a smile, to finally feeling it.

    “YESSS!”

    My mind believes what I tell it.

    My mind believed what I told it.

    Rather than a whole routine of affirmations – remember, no energy – all I could muster was one simple word. Yes.

    Yes, I could do this. Yes, I color how I feel. Yes, I am in control.

    You know what?

    It was a great birthday dinner party, and I had limitless energy to enjoy it!

    In health that can be born from a weak, “yes.” –

    Deidre

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    Stuffed French Toast – A Different Kind of Yum!

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    Before you entertain visions of thick sliced bakery bread cleverly slit open and stuffed with a fluffy, cheesy, sweet cloud of decadence … hold it right there. We are going in an entirely different direction.

    Think yummy, eggy French toast topped with savory goodness.

    Think making it the night before, if you wish, so there’s only the baking to be done the next morning.

    Think enjoying the leftovers the next day with no effort!!!

    Yes!

    Best of all, it’s a ‘concept recipe’ that’s easily adaptable to ingredients on hand.

    We’ve developed a saying at home to describe using the last dab of anything. We call it ‘community service.’

    We are performing an act of community service when we eat that last piece of cheese, drink that last half-glass of kombucha from the bottle, or heat up that half-bowl of soup languishing in the refrigerator.

    When preparing this week’s version of Stuffed French Toast, I used the last four okra, looking for a home. The week before, there were a few seasoned oven-roasted potato wedges that were put to good use.

    As you look over this concept recipe, imagine how you might adapt the ingredients to what you have on hand.

    Stuffed French Toast

    Grease a baking dish sized to fit a single layer of the bread component.

    Place slices of bread at the bottom of the dish to cover the entire area. Sourdough is our bread of choice.

    In a sauté pan, crumble and cook ground breakfast sausage. For a square 8–9-inch glass pan, I used 1/2-pound ground sausage.

    When the sausage is almost cooked, add some diced onion, maybe bell pepper, mushrooms, fresh okra (oh, yes!), cut up leftover roasted or baked potatoes, or anything else that suits you and might assist in community service.

    Continue to cook and brown the mixture until the sausage is cooked, the onion becomes translucent, and the veggies begin to brown.

    Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk eggs, a dollop of heavy cream (half and half will do, but the heavy cream is the yummiest – having said that, you can ‘thin’ the heavy cream with water if more fluid is needed). Season with salt and pepper. For the square baking dish, I used six eggs.

    Spread the sausage and vegetable mixture over the bread layer. If desired, sprinkle grated cheese on top.

    Pour the egg mixture evenly over the top.

    At this point, you can cover and refrigerate this overnight or put it into a preheated 350-degree oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

    Download the recipe here:

    Stuffed French ToastDownload

    The square pan made four servings – two for now and two for later! I left it in the oven a few minutes too long and things got a bit browner than I had wanted, but we both agreed that it was a yummy breakfast!

    Now, that’s community service in the kitchen at its finest!

    In health –

    Deidre

    Next week, I will post the results of my following my own advice: how I found energy and a mindset that changed the path of my day. Make sure to subscribe to foodtalk4you so you will not miss a single post delivered directly to your in-box Tuesday mornings!

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    Caregiver Confessions

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    Note: Make sure to read until the end to catch an important tweak to last week’s Cottage Cheese Blueberry Bake.

    This week’s post is a confession – or, more accurately – a sharing of a recent revelation.

    In the final editing process for the content in my next book, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions, I am making sure to mention, those who are short-term caregivers might experience the same mindsets and emotions experienced by those who are long-term caregivers.

    Hah! Little did I know I was going to be a short-term caregiver, who would experience some of those same things.

    My sweetheart just had hip replacement surgery. We’re looking at a six-to-eight-week standard recovery for general mobility issues.

    Meh. No big deal, right?

    Caring for someone with post-op pain concerns, decreased mobility, and who uses a walker along with other adaptive equipment is not the biggest hurdle ever for me.

    I found, however, that my role as the primary caregiver, helping with activities of daily living, (such as bathing, dressing, and bathroom needs) – along with managing a variety of new temporary medications – quickly put me at risk of falling into a mindset of self-neglect.

    Granted, there are no raging, random caregiver emotions here. The first two to three days post-op were hard on both of us – it’s a shared experience – but as I observed myself, it was easy to see self-neglect wiggle its tenacles into my day.

    As we both experienced for the first time all the hip replacement concerns – the ice pack apparatus, careful spacing of pain meds, frequent transfer concerns with bed/chair, home exercises, movement restrictions, and dealing with the side effects of medications – we were both frequently exhausted.

    Then it happened.

    “My sweetheart is all set now; I’m just going to rest – I can skip my shower and my daily vitamins.”

    In those first two days, I think such a mindset is normal. The importance of caregiving being a priority is evident as our kitchen island has been taken over by medical paperwork, and a row of short-term medications serves as a reminder to administer them on time.

    But, dear caregivers, going beyond that initial adjustment period with self-neglect is not healthy.

    Remember, there are two patients in any caregiving situation – the person giving the care and the person receiving the care. Ignore the needs of the first one and the needs of the second one might not get met because the first one may have collapsed!

    If your adjustment period is not getting better – as ours did, thankfully – then it’s time to call in for help. Use those offers of assistance to free up time for your daily selfcare.

    Next week, I’ll be sharing another breakfast casserole recipe that was easy to prepare in advance and gave us a fresh-from-the-oven treat this morning – no big clean up – and a promise of another easy meal the next day.

    Speaking of recipes – as I prepared that Cottage Cheese Blueberry Bake again this week, I paused after stirring the ingredients a final time. Hmmm. Wasn’t there oatmeal in the version I baked the first time? Friends, caregiver brain is a real thing. Yes – please add one cup of uncooked oatmeal to that recipe. Apologies for any inconvenience or recipe “flops.” Sheree is reposting the downloadable corrected recipe below.

    In health and healing –

    Deidre

    UPDATE-Cottage Cheese Blueberry BakeDownload

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    Cottage Cheese Blueberry Bake – An Easy High Protein Recipe

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    Shhh!

    The devices are listening! We have witnessed how our silent, listening devices, (Alexa, Siri, et al), have been tailoring our news feed and apps to reflect our ambient conversations.

    We have seen in our family how what we see on our screens is a direct reflection of our group conversation around the dining table or in the car. Phones were not engaged – they were simply near us.

    This is totally creeping us out.

    Anyway – we had been talking about wanting higher protein meals, and we have made comments about how much we really like cottage cheese.

    Presto!

    The recipes popping up in my Facebook feed are now regularly featuring – drumroll … cottage cheese.

    Sheesh!  

    Breakfast casseroles have long been a favorite because, after the initial work of preparing them, leftovers reign supreme – requiring little effort to serve beyond reheating.

    After reading several iterations of the featured Cottage Cheese Blueberry Bake in my Facebook feed, I pulled together the best elements to create my own.

    The pure simplicity of this recipe, the minimal mess involved with putting it together, its great taste, and its powerhouse ingredients make for a winner in every department.

    Most recipes I have read which contain blueberries, also feature an element of lemon juice and/or lemon rind, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

    For me, the lemon zest and the freshly ground nutmeg put this recipe over the top. Treat yourself to the delightful aromas and taste of freshly ground nutmeg! You will never go back to pre-ground nutmeg again.

    I hope you try this lovely recipe using the printable download below. It’s going to be a regular part of our breakfast line-up.

    UPDATE-Cottage Cheese Blueberry BakeDownload

    In health –

    Deidre

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    Sit, Boo Boo, Sit!

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    We’re not talking about giving your furry canine a command. Rather, we’re talking about what many of us do too much: sit.

    Chris Kresser’s weekly Friday email opened my eyes to a couple of things. We sit for too many hours of the day, and we are probably sitting the wrong way. 

    Neither was news to me, but the ramifications and the corrective methods were.

    Chris cited a major study released last November which followed almost 90,000 participants over eight years who wore devices measuring their activity. Researchers found that sitting more than 10.6 hours a day resulted in increased mortality due to heart failure and cardiovascular (CV) death.

    Interesting fact – those who were sedentary (at least 10.6 hours of sitting a day) and who exercised the recommended 150 minutes a week still had higher rates of death, but at lower levels than the purely sedentary group.

    The sedentary group had a 40% higher risk for heart failure and a 54% higher risk for CV mortality – whereas the sedentary/active group had a 15% higher risk for heart failure and a 33% higher risk for CV mortality.

    Bottom line: yes, exercise is important, but breaking up periods of sedentary time should be the focus of those who are stuck sitting all day. Consider using a standing desk to break up long periods in the chair. Walk around when taking calls. Break up each hour with some water/restroom/walking time.

    Which leads to the second part of his message: how to sit properly. Check the video below which beautifully demonstrates the ergonomics of sitting at a desk. Under six minutes long, I highly recommend you look at this.

    While I am keenly aware of my posture (“pull that string!”) there can be a struggle while sitting for long periods. A portable standing desk option, below, has been helpful, but the video recommendation of how to sit using a standard office chair looks like it will be my main improvement – along with elevating my laptop and adding a wireless keyboard.

    Decades ago, I tried a kneeling chair that promised improved posture, but my knees complained. Then there was the sitting ball, which is quite effective, but has its own issues. The chair featured on the YouTube video is intriguing – I finally found one on Etsy.

    But I’ll have to wait until I win the lottery to get it – it’s expensive!

    This new information, that exercise for people who sit too much only partially helps heart health, is motivating me to make a few changes.

    In addition to a new desk set up, I am taking movement breaks much more seriously. A phone call with a friend provided me with time to take a long walk in the warm, fresh pre-spring air while chatting. The hourly reminder to stand now includes a trip downstairs for a glass of water.

    What are you going to do?

    I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

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    In health –

    Deidre

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    Brain or Body? Which One Controls You?

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    Who’s in charge?

    I have long been a firm believer in the controlling power of the supercomputer sitting inside of my cranium.

    Our thought processes are key elements in living to our fullest potential; but is that the only source of guidance and power within our bodies?

    For an average 150-pound person with a brain weighing about 3 pounds, is the 147-pound balance just there to carry around that computer?

    While finishing the content editing for my next book, Toolkit for Caregiver Emotions, I am balancing my message about the methods we can use to manage our thoughts and emotions – with an equally important message of helping our bodies send uplifting and power-generating messages to our brains.

    In last year’s post on September 10th, I shared about the daily habit of ‘pulling the string,’ followed by assuming a power pose for two minutes. These two simple actions set our bodies up to fill with personal power, strength, and optimism.

    In reading the latest release by Janice Kaplan, What Your Body Knows About Happiness, I am being reminded of the wealth of information our bodies send our brains, and that our bodies are doing a lot more thinking than we once thought.

    Case in point. Kaplan shares neuroscientist David Eagleman’s example of a baseball being thrown and hit. “When a pitcher throws a ball at 100 miles per hour, it takes about four-tenths of a second to get to the batter. Conscious awareness takes about half a second – which means that the ball crosses the plate before the batter quite literally – knows – it. If the body weren’t functioning without conscious input, nobody would ever hit a baseball.”

    Eagleman says, “Your consciousness is like a tiny stowaway on a transatlantic steamship, taking credit for the journey without acknowledging the massive engineering underfoot.”

    Kaplan builds her case for purposefully directing our bodies to avail ourselves of increased happiness and positive outcomes. She cites clinical studies which demonstrate how small cues from our bodies can direct our mental activities and perceptions.

    One study by cognitive scientist, John Bargh, just blew me away. As study participants were individually entering the lab, they were greeted by the research assistant outside who was holding a drink and fumbling with her briefcase, trying to get to some papers. The participants were asked to hold her drink so she could free her hands.  Once inside the lab, they were given some forms with a description of someone, and they were asked how much they liked them.

    What the volunteers did not know was that some of them were given a cup of hot coffee to hold briefly for the lab assistant, while others were given a cup of iced coffee to hold.

    Here’s the amazing thing: those who held the warm cup gave positive ratings for the person being described on the form, saying they were warmer and kinder. Those who had held a cold drink found the person colder and less likeable.

    This experiment has been repeated in different forms around the world, all confirming that the warm sensations from the cup of hot coffee primed volunteers to be more generous and more trusting.

    I highly recommend her book, and you will be hearing more about what I am discovering in future posts.

    In the meantime, if you a feeling cold and edgy toward others, wrap your hands around a warm drink to change your mental outlook.

    In health –

    Deidre  

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