Beef Stew over Mashed Sweet Taters

So once again I had to get creative with a kitchen disaster, and the result was phenomenal! I bought a couple of grass-fed beef roasts only to find them tough and gristley. I had been planning to serve them with mashed sweet potatoes, so I rummaged around in the refrigerator and decided a beef stew would work just as well, and topped the potatoes with it.

Emily's Beef Stew
1/2 shallot, minced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp arrowroot flour (a gluten-free thickener)
1 lb stew beef, preferably grass fed with some fat or bone
1 24-oz can fire-roasted plum tomatoes
1/2 bottle of red wine
4 bay leaves
dash half-and-half
1 parsnip, peeled and chopped
1 turnip, peeled and chopped
half a bag of baby carrots
1 carton organic chicken broth
1/2 package mushrooms, sliced
1 head of broccoli, chopped
salt and pepper

Saute shallot and garlic in butter in a large pot on med-low heat for 5 minutes. Add arrowroot flour and stir briefly to make a roux. Add beef and brown on medium-high heat, about 3 minutes, salting and peppering liberally. Add tomatoes, wine, and bay leaves; if you are using fat or bone add at this time. Add half-and-half, just one swirl around the pot, mix, and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and drop in parsnip, turnip, and carrots. Simmer for about an hour (or longer, the longer the better), then add chicken broth, broccoli, and mushrooms and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove fat and bone if used, remove bay leaves, and serve over mashed potatoes.


Mashed Sweet Potatoes
I like to mix in one or two white or red potatoes as well. Leave the skins on—it's good fiber, and I don't trust mashed potatoes that don't have lumps!

4-5 sweet potatoes
1-2 white potatoes
dash half-and-half
2 Tbsps butter
1/2 shallot, minced and sauteed

Wash and cut the potatoes in half. Boil them in enough water to cover them for 15-20 minutes or until easily pierced by a fork. Mash in a large bowl and add enough half-and-half to thicken without being soupy. Add butter and shallots (use some leftovers set aside from preparing the beef stew) and mix thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste (or add a little beef stew juice) and serve under Emily's Beef Stew, or as a side dish for any meal.


Mashed Butternut Squash "Potatoes"
I also made some of these inspired by a recipe from Rosebank Farms. Unbelievably delicious, and possibly the easiest way to prepare butternut squash.

1-2 butternut squash, peeled
dash half-and-half
4 Tbsps butter
salt and pepper
1/2 shallot, sauteed

Cut the butternut squash in half and remove seeds with a spoon. Place cut side up in a glass baking dish with half an inch of water in the bottom. Reserve 2 Tbsps butter and divide the other 2 Tbsps between the squash, placing a pat inside the cup of each and along the stem. Roast in the oven on 350 for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and drain any excess water (you may need to add water partway through the baking process). Mash squash in a large bowl with shallot, half-and-half, and remaining 2 Tbsps butter. Salt and pepper to taste.

When It Comes to Health, Community Is Key

So many times in my food therapy practice I hear about how someone is struggling to do something they know is good for them but just can't convince themselves to do. Losing weight, exercising, quitting smoking, making dietary changes, setting aside personal time, etc. For instance, I know I need to start doing yoga in order to get some exercise and improve my flexibility. But I haven't done it.

This kind of thing is so common, and I think it is because we are all isolated in our own lives. We don't have real "community" anymore―at least, a lot of us don't. We're not surrounded by our families and extended families, so we're raising our children alone. Once we get out of high school or college, we don't have a "posse" anymore―people who's time is spent doing the same things we're doing. We may have a community at work, but even there work is usually the only thing that coworkers have in common, and conversations revolve around the workplace.

In contrast, think about how we used to live, in a "tribal" system where everyone cooked and ate together, traveled from place to place together, endured hardship and danger together. As much as we might crave our own space or time for ourselves, it's hard to find that time and space when we are doing everything for ourselves. Very few people enjoy cooking just for themselves, but there's something fun about preparing a meal for someone you love, or making a dish to share at a friend's potluck. Most people enjoy exercising with a friend, or at least find the motivation in someone with a common goal.

Because we are made for community. For sharing. That's why relationships are so important.

So how to find a community? I'm not sure there is a good answer.

I met my current group of friends and my boyfriend playing kickball in a community league. We have a blast gettin together for potlucks and cookouts and beach outings, but slowly the group is dwindling as people move away or move on to the next phase of life. We've also recently been blessed with some new neighbors who are great at getting everybody together and have introduced me to some cool new people.

Attending a place of worship is probably the closest thing to community that we have right now. At Seacoast I've found that getting to be a part of a life group is essential to getting to know people at the church. So is volunteering. But even bolstering yourself to begin doing these things can be intimidating, and ultimately people have their own lives and families and agendas and priorities, and rightly so. It's healthy and normal to prioritize the immediate family; it's just that in this day and age the immediate family is a lot smaller.

I guess that's one of the main reasons to start a family of your own. And I like to think that when I do, it will become a big family, full of all my kids' friends and their parents, the neighbors, my own family members, and my friends. We'll get together and play neighborhood sports and grill out and support each other and be honest with each other.

Sounds a little bit like utopia. But impossible? I hope not.

Sausage & Bean Stew

This is a most delicious dinner inspired by a recipe by Real Simple. The peppers and eggplant are entirely optional but add delicious flavor and hearty texture to this awesome winter stew. It's quick and easy, too; it's ready in 30 minutes, or you can make ahead of time and simmer longer for added flavor.

2 Tbsp coconut oil
4 organic chicken sausages, sliced
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 medium eggplant, chopped
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 quart low sodium chicken broth
1 28-oz can spicy diced tomatoes
1 can cannelloni beans

1. Saute sausages in coconut oil for about 3-4 minutes.
2. Add peppers and eggplant, and saute for another 3-4 minutes.
3. Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add broth, tomatoes, and beans, and bring to a boil. Simmer 20 minutes to 4 hours.
5. Turn off heat and mix in kale 5 minutes before serving.

Breakfast Blog: Egg Sandwich

First of all, I have to say I am SO excited that Queen Street Grocery down the street from my house is carrying raw goat's milk from Burden Creek Dairy. I bought a bottle yesterday (only $4.99) and tasted it: no weird goaty flavor, lots of fresh milk flavor. I usually only drink a little milk in my coffee, and I don't think I'll start drinking it regularly now, but I am SO happy to feel good about this option.

A friend did point out that humans are not supposed to drink animal milk. While this is technically true, there are a few exceptions: traditional cultures gave raw animal milk to children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers due to its high nutrient content and high amount of saturated fat, which is essential for brain development, among other things.

Also, we are a dairy-ridden society, so asking people to simply give up milk is not always easy, and the alternatives are not always an improvement (soy milk) or an easy substitute (coconut milk, baking, etc.). It is much better to have non-homogenized, non-pasteurized, predigested raw milk available.

This morning it was really cold in my house, so I wanted a hot breakfast. Having been without eggs for most of the week since I used them up in my quinoa brownies, I was really craving a fresh egg. I was also missing my sister, who is out of town, so I made a variation of her signature breakfast: the egg sandwich.


To make an egg sandwich, you will need:

• 2 pieces of Ezekiel bread
• 1 egg
• tomato
• 2 pieces turkey bacon
• mustard

I fried the egg, broiled the bacon, slathered the bread (Ezekiel) with mustard, and sliced up a fresh tomato from Rosebank Farms. I also had two pickled okra that my mom made to make it feel really gourmet. I have the most awesome mother! Served it up with some coffee laced with raw goat milk, and voila! A delicious, filling breakfast.

Pro: Local organic egg and additive-free turkey bacon provide some quality protein and fat, combined with quality carbohydrate and fiber from the sprouted bread.

Con: This is a fairly acidic, and therefore inflammatory, breakfast: meat, mustard, tomato, and coffee are all acid-producing, so if you are prone to acid reflux or upset stomach this is not a great choice.

Pro: A relatively quick breakfast, I had everything cooked, toasted, and slathered in about 10 minutes.

Con: This is a fairly dish-heavy meal: broiler pan for bacon, pan for egg, plate, mustard knife.

Primary Food*: Holidays and Health

I have been seeing a lot of advertising lately with this message:

"Are you booked for the holidays? Are you so busy going to parties you don't even have time to shop for clothes to wear to them?"

The unspoken message here is "Don't you want to be booked? Wouldn't you feel happier and more successful if you were that popular person invited to all these parties?"

I think this is a very negative perspective, and I would suggest a different one.

Instead of being "booked" this holiday season, I am planning time with people I love and care about spending time with: my family, my boyfriend's family, and good friends, who may or may not be having parties. And following several weekends full of wonderful celebrations—a wedding, a girl's night in, dinner potlucks, and out of town travel—I'm refusing to make plans this weekend. I'm going to enjoy some free time.

There is nothing wrong with being social, enjoying parties, or meeting new people. But if you're actually stressed out by your party schedule, as retail stores seem to indicate it's OK to be, just remember that they're trying to sell you something. If you find yourself tempted to fill your holidays up with networking, social events, and shopping simply for the sake of seeing and being seen, consider where those messages are coming from. Often you'll find they're not even your ideas—they are placed there by carefully worded messages from people trying to sell you something by making you feel inadequate without it.

My love of Madmen aside, I don't think we need to perpetuate the glamorous lifestyle so prevalent in the media, which ultimately turns out to be self-destructive. It's fun to watch; it's empty and painful to live. And if you really need a glam fix, you can always Madmen yourself.


*Primary food is a concept licensed to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

The Stinky Cheese Man, and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

*Warning: I get a little political in this article, and more than a little philosophical.*

I had to steal my blog title from the children's book of the same name, simply because it was too appropriate to this article in the New York Times, which a friend pointed out. I'll sum it up thus:

The US Dept of Agriculture (read: our government) created a "Dairy Management" organization to boost cheese sales. Their big client: Dominoes, which was encouraged to create a pizza with 40 percent more cheese to boost sales. It worked. People like cheese on their pizza.

Does it bother anyone else that there is an entire part of our government devoted to promoting dairy? I mean, really? And that they PAID FOR A $12 MILLION DOLLAR MARKETING CAMPAIGN for Dominoes? (Their annual budget is a whopping $140 million.)

This is where our taxpayer dollars are going.

If you think about it, the whole idea of marketing food is ridiculous. We have to eat. We'll die if we don't. Nobody has to convince us we need food. But when government subsidizes an entire food produce industry in return for that industry's financial backing, marketing becomes a little more understandable.

All that aside, I want to take issue with a couple of points:

Point 1: "One slice [of Dominoes cheesier pizza] contains as much as two-thirds of a day’s maximum recommended amount of saturated fat."
If you've read my blog for any length of time, you'll know I don't think much of government recommendations for daily intake of anything. They are highly influenced by industry concerns, which are very different from health concerns. Saturated fat is an area of contention for the USDA and FDA. In their desperate attempt to appear concerned for the health of the American public, which is decidedly at odds with the food industry making any money, they have vilified saturated fat due to some dubious studies.

While processed cheese slathered on pizza is not a great source of saturated fat, the fat is not really the issue. Nor is the cheese. It's the processing. And the fact that $12 million is being spent to convince Americans to eat more fast-food pizza, which essentially has zero nutritional value.

Let's take a look at another side of this issue:

Point 2: "Urged on by government warnings about saturated fat, Americans have been moving toward low-fat milk for decades, leaving a surplus of whole milk and milk fat."

Cheese is now the number one source of saturated fat in this country. This is because we've all been conditioned to be afraid of fat in milk and beef.

Again, this is a fallacious fear, and not only that, but it is hurting us. Saturated fat in animal products allows for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K, which cannot be absorbed without fat. Saturated fat greatly increases the absorbability of calcium, magnesium, and other essential minerals for healthy bones. Drinking skim milk is not the same in terms of nutrients as drinking whole.

Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health and a former member of the federal government’s nutrition advisory committee, says it better than I can:

“The U.S.D.A. should not be involved in these programs that are promoting foods that we are consuming too much of already. A small amount of good-flavored cheese can be compatible with a healthy diet, but consumption in the U.S. is enormous and way beyond what is optimally healthy.”

Point 3: “When eaten in moderation and with attention to portion size, cheese can fit into a low-fat, healthy diet,” the [Agriculture] department said.

Why yes, it can. However, a low-fat diet isn't necessarily healthy. It's often full of sugar and processed vegetable oils. Also, beef and dairy that isn't organic and grass fed isn't good for us whether it's lean or not. Finally, saturated fat isn't bad for us! Humans have been eating it for thousands of years. It's highly nutritious and contains vitamin D and antibiotic and antimicrobial properties (which support immune function) in healthy, grass-fed or wild-caught animals.

The Weston A. Price Foundation is a great resource for information about fats and other nutrients. Co-founder and president Sally Fallon's cookbook, Nourishing Traditions, is available online.

Point 4: "While warning about fat, U.S. pushes cheese sales."

This is the title of the article itself, and kudos to the NYT for calling the U.S. government to task. We are getting mixed messages from our government, which is trying to promote itself as a concerned parent while behaving like a money-hungry corporation. As I've said in recent posts about the egg recall, GMOs and Frankensalmon, and McDonald's, we have to take full responsibility for our own health. Asking the government to do it for us is not only irresponsible, it's dangerous.

Don't let the government dictate what you eat! Their concerns, as in the health care/pharmaceutical industry, are widely swayed by money, not your health.

Breakfast Blog: Pros and Cons

Eggs with Mushrooms, Kale, and Red Pepper

Since so many people (including myself) have difficulty figuring out what to eat for breakfast, I've decided to blog what I eat for breakfast and give pros and cons.

This slightly blurry but delicious breakfast I had this morning involved the following:

• coconut oil
• minced onion
  
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• handful of chopped mushrooms
• 2 large kale branches
• 2 eggs
  

Pro: It took less than 10 minutes to make this breakfast.

1. Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil in large saucepan on medium high heat.
2. Chop red pepper and toss into oil with 1 tsp minced onion and mushrooms.
3. Crack two eggs into a bowl. Stir pepper mix and move to one side of the pan. Pour in eggs.
4. Wash kale and strip from stems, tearing into bite-size pieces. Toss on top of eggs and peppers, close the lid, and cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Gently stir ingredients to make sure kale and eggs are cooked. Serve.

Con: It takes at least as long to eat this meal as it does to cook it, since due to the kale you have to chew thoroughly. This is good for your health but bad if you're late.

Pro: This is a healthy meal full of zinc, calcium, fiber, and antioxidants. If you need something a little more filling (this kept me plenty full until lunchtime), add a piece of Ezekiel bread toast with goat cheese.

Pro: This meal only used one pan, one plate, one bowl, and one cutting board.
Con: That's still four dishes to wash. (Did I mention my dishwasher is broken?)


Overall: If you plan to wash your dishes, you'll need at least 20 minutes for breakfast. If not, you can probably make it out the door in 15.

Time-savers: the night before, dice the pepper and wash and strip the kale and put into a tupperware. If you have whole mushrooms, chop them. Then you just have to toss everything, and no cutting board is needed.

What's Your Food Philosophy?

In blogging about nutrition and food there is a temptation, I think, to make every post "marketable" in easily accessible formats like lists. This isn't to say lists are bad. One of my favorite bloggers, Danielle LaPorte of White Hot Truth, frequently posts lists of books or steps or things she's learned, and I love her stuff—she's authentic and inspiring.

But every now and then I really want to indulge my penchant for the philosophy of food and health. In pursuit of my goal to officially launch my food therapy business Jan 3, 2010, I've been examining some marketing angles to communicate how important this program is and to make it appealing, since nobody's ever heard of "food therapy" (because I made it up).

A good friend and marketing guru asked me today what my mission statement was. Normally when people ask me what I do, I say, "I counsel people to help them resolve their food and lifestyle issues."

Which is true. But kinda vague. So as I was thinking about "what is the problem I'm trying to solve?" it came to me that two kinds of people would most benefit from food therapy:

• people who basically know how and want to be healthy but can't make themselves implement what they know into their lives

Darn it! I failed again!

• people who want to be healthy but don't know what to do because there is so much conflicting information

Enough already! I'm overwhelmed and confused!

I think everyone on the quest for health has fallen into both of these categories at some point. When I started out at Integrative Nutrition, I fell into the second category. Since then I've been empowered to examine conflicting information and make decisions for myself. I still fall into the first category in some areas, and I think I always will, because implementation of good information is a lifelong process.

But recently, in my love of "facts," I've overlooked the beauty of this program, which is that everyone gets to develop their own philosophy—AND action plan. You get to decide what works for you and what doesn't, you become empowered to learn about what you're eating and how you're living and make an informed decision.

For me this means that I'm anti vegetable oil, pro saturated fat, pro soaking grains and relatively anti dairy, though I eat cheese and love half-and-half in my coffee. Other people might be more anti-wheat. Some may do better as vegetarians. There is an answer for everybody and until you discover it and own it, you'll be dissatisfied.

This goes for your life, too. Not everybody wants to be a food therapist, and not everybody should be. But it's my passion and purpose—what makes me most satisfied, happy, fulfilled, and whole. I also truly believe I wouldn't have discovered this career if it weren't for my relationship with God and an almost daily spiritual practice. I rely on Him every day to guide my decisions, my inspiration, and my attitude. If I had to do this on my own strength, I would have given up long before now.

So some people will decide to quit their jobs. Others will need to discover the purpose in them. Most everybody will need to delve more deeply into a spiritual practice, which as a nation we've lost touch with that side of ourselves and our deep need to rely on something bigger and more powerful than us. Some might find they are exercising too much, or relying too much on a romantic relationship to make them happy.

All this starts to become clear with food therapy. And as a result, more than just what we eat changes. Our whole lives change.

What's your food philosophy? What's your nutrition lifestyle?

Come find out.

Fall Recipes: Warming, Soothing, Healthy and Easy!

Even though I always deviate from recipes, I usually need to start off with a recipe for inspiration—at least inspiration to go grocery shopping! Below are links to some basic fall recipes with a lot of flavor but not a lot of work. And they're good for you!

One Pot Chicken Recipes

From chicken soup to cumin chicken with black beans, these are great cold-weather dinners from RealSimple. (photo by Marla Robledo)

Beet-Carrot-Parsnip-Fennel Extravaganza

Don't be afraid of the "exotic" ingredients in this one; it's a great fall vegetable recipe with only simple prep.

Swiss Chard and Potato Frittata

A delicious Saturday morning treat—or a great dinner recipe. The Nourished Kitchen also delves into the nutritional value of ingredients. (photo by Nourished Kitchen)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

This simple and surprisingly delicious preparation may make you rethink this veggie's reputation! (photo by Jacob's Kitchen)

Black Rice Porridge with Coconut

If you're tired of oatmeal, give this amazing breakfast dish a try! (photo by Coconut & Quinoa)

As always, these recipes are free of trans fats and high-fructose corn syrup.

What Do You Crave?

Ever wonder why you crave pickles or coconut or a ham sandwich? Chocolate and ice cream cravings make sense to many of us because they taste so good. But that's not the only reason!

We all experience cravings, some more than others. If you start to pay attention and maybe even keep a food diary, you can sometimes recognize patterns. Cravings can be emotional, but a lot of times they are your body's way of demanding a certain nutrient. That's why it's important not to deny your cravings, but to figure out what they mean and how to meet them in a healthy way.

First, Try These Simple Steps

1. Drink water. A large percentage of all cravings can be satisfied by hydrating your body.

2. Use a tongue scraper. Clearing your palate of sensation will reduce cravings and prevent eating something to get rid of a "bad taste."

Craving dairy?

A craving for dairy, whether cheese, milk, ice cream, or something more specific, can mean that your body is in the market for fat. Healthy fat, contrary to popular belief, does not make you fat. In fact, it's essential to losing weight, as well as brain function and absorption of nutrients (which makes you feel satisfied and full sooner).

Try these healthy fats.

They key here is to avoid polyunsaturated, omega-6 rich vegetable oils (soy, corn, safflower, and canola) at all costs and go for saturated fats. If you don't use fat to cook with, now is a good time to start. Cooking with olive oil at medium temperatures and coconut oil at any temperature does adds taste and nutritional benefit to your food that makes the additional calories negligible. Try it, and you'll find that it's easier to lose weight and keep it off.

Animal fats are also incredibly beneficial, despite popular belief that saturated fat is bad for you. Actually, saturated fat is the most stable fat, meaning that it does not break down and become rancid at high temperatures, like polyunsaturated fats do. It also contains vitamin D and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

Do make sure that you are eating organic meat, and that it has been pasture raised and grass fed (cows) or caught wild (fish). Organic butter from grass-fed cows is also highly beneficial. If you eat dairy, be sure to eat full-fat products, in which the nutrients and minerals (including calcium) are more absorbable, and which satiate you more. Raw dairy contains many health benefits.

Finally, monounsaturated fats (olive oil, nuts, avocado) are also highly stable and beneficial, though nuts can be high in copper and are best soaked overnight before consuming.

Craving sugar?

Sugar is addictive, so it's easy to fall into a cycle of needing more and more of it. Using sugar-free products containing aspartame is not a solution; it's a gamble with your health, as calorie-free sugar substitutes have been linked to nervous system dysfunction, among other things. And while new-fad sweeteners like agave nectar claim to be healthy, their processing makes these supposed benefits are highly controversial.

Try sweet vegetables, fruits, and natural sugars.

To satisfy the sweet urge, sweet vegetables such as winter squashes (acorn, delicata, spaghetti, butternut), sweet potatoes, beets, rutabegas, turnips, radishes, cabbage, corn, carrots, onions, beets, parsnips, daikon radish, and burdock root.

Fruit can also be beneficial, though stay away from fruit juices because the natural fiber in fruit helps balance out blood sugar.

Also consider natural sugars such as raw honey (try to buy local if possible), date sugar, Rapadura (dehydrated sugar cane juice that still contains B vitamins and other nutrients to help regulate blood sugar), and maple syrup (buy organic and make sure it has not been processed using formaldehyde).

Craving potato chips?

Craving a salty snack can indicate a nutrient deficiency, so nutrient-dense foods are your best bet.

Try dark, leafy greens.

This may not sound very satisfying at first, but kale, collards, broccoli, arugula and other dark leafy greens are packed with vitamins, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, iron, potasand phosophorus. Not only that, but these minerals are much more absorbable than those found in pasteurized dairy products. In addition, greens require a lot of chewing, even when cooked, so this will satisfy the texture craving for crunchy foods like potato chips and pretzels.

Craving coffee, chocolate, or beer?

Cravings for these foods indicate a stressed liver. When the liver is blocked and overloaded, it may cause cravings for these bitter flavors that cause temporary movement and relief; however, alcohol and caffeine only cause more blockage in the long run.

Try foods that support the liver.

There's nothing your liver loves more than raw foods, so organic vegetables and fruits are your number one friend here, especially garlic and onions, apples, lemon, cruciferous vegtables, and dark leafy greens. A lemon juice and olive oil dressing further promotes liver support and maximum absorption of nutrients. Dandelion and milk thistle tea can also be beneficial to the liver, and if you need a caffeine fix, green tea is a great substitute that still provides energy along with antioxidants.

I wouldn't dream of asking you to give up chocolate, but try organic dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate or conventional candies, which are usually laden with sugar and preservatives. If you can find it, raw cacao is actually a superfood with many health benefits.

Craving your favorite creamy beverage?

Vanilla or chocolate soymilk may seem like a healthy treat, but think again. Non-fermented and genetically modified soy have serious side effects, among them links to reproductive issues, sterility, and breast cancer. By the same token, lattes are usually made with non-organic dairy, which means antibiotics and added hormones.

Try coconut smoothies and rooibos tea.

If you're looking for a cold, creamy drink, a smoothie made with coconut milk, natural vanilla flavor, and a frozen banana is a surprisingly delicious, healthy sweet treat. (Add a tablespoon of raw cacao if you want chocolate.) If you need something hot and comforting, rooibos tea is full of antioxidents with a rich flavor. It's caffeine-free, and many varieties are naturally sweet. My favorite is Yogi Chai Rooibos.

Craving entertainment, comfort, or movement?

Many times when we are bored, stressed, or lonely, we fill the void with food. Becoming aware of what we are really wanting can help reduce emotional eating. If you are lonely, call a friend, attend a local cultural function, or take yourself on a date to a movie you've been wanting to see or dinner with a good book. Go out for a walk or sign up for an exercise class you've never tried before, or treat yourself to a few sessions with a personal trainer. Fulfill a creative passion from your past: maybe you used to play an instrument, paint, or hike.

Also, when we are dissatisfied with a certain area of our life, such as a job or relationship, we turn to food to "feed" us emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. This can never create satiation, for while food can create a sense of emotional well-being, it is physical sustenance. Create balance by journaling, meditating, practicing yoga, attending a place of worship, or developing a spiritual practice. Evaluate your career and passions, and try to match them up. Let go of unhealthy relationships, or agree to work on them together. This takes time, so be patient with yourself.

What do you crave?

Post your craving or e-mail me at emily@eat2prevent.com, and I'll help you deconstruct it!