Rebecca Clyde – FamilyToday https://www.familytoday.com Here today, better tomorrow. Mon, 20 Nov 2017 11:26:00 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.3 https://wp-media.familytoday.com/2020/03/favicon.ico Rebecca Clyde – FamilyToday https://www.familytoday.com 32 32 The ultimate list of easy and dietitian-approved Thanksgiving side dishes https://www.familytoday.com/living/the-ultimate-list-of-easy-and-dietitian-approved-thanksgiving-side-dishes/ Mon, 20 Nov 2017 11:26:00 +0000 http://www.famifi.com/oc/the-ultimate-list-of-easy-and-dietitian-approved-thanksgiving-side-dishes/ Easy Thanksgiving side dishes that are as delicious as they are nourishing.

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We all know how much work and time goes into a successful Thanksgiving meal. And while I'm all about having a delicious turkey and all the accompanying sides, but ain't nobody got time for that.

Here's a list of dietitian-approved Thanksgiving side dishes that will wow your guests without totally putting you out.

Grains

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]]> What to do when your diet isn’t working https://www.familytoday.com/self-care/what-to-do-when-your-diet-isnt-working/ Wed, 11 Oct 2017 03:07:00 +0000 http://www.famifi.com/oc/what-to-do-when-your-diet-isnt-working/ Are you failing your diet, or is your diet failing you? Here are five questions to ask yourself about your…

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Every day I meet with a client whose confused and frustrated with their diet. They come in, feeling like they're doing all the right things. They don't eat certain foods, they eat a lot of other particular foods. They exercise consistently and feel like they're working hard to change their body and/or health. Even with all the intentional restriction, they're not seeing the results they want.

First of all, focusing on weight loss can be frustrating. There are many factors outside of our control that affect our weight, and also American culture is severely fat phobic. There's a strong stigma associated with weight, and unfortunately, it doesn't do much to actually improve behaviors or improve health. One of the biggest takeaways I hope for in my clients is to shift their focus on weight to focus on habits. Our habits, we can control, at least better than our weight.

But moving away from our focus on weight is hard, it's ingrained in our culture, worldview, and our daily thoughts. Here are a few questions to think about to actually improve your life.

1. Evaluate your stress levels

There are a lot of situations that affect our stress levels. We know that stress doesn't feel good, but it also isn't good for our health. It's not good at all. Are you letting your restrictive diet add to your stress levels? If so, it's time to evaluate how your diet affects your stress levels.

If your diet stresses you out, it'd be helpful to meet with a registered dietitian who specializes in intuitive eating, or follows a nondiet approach. I personally work with people to eat well and reduce the stress associated with trying to eat so perfectly.

2. Discover what you enjoy

Oftentimes, following a particular diet leads to eating foods you don't necessarily enjoy, or avoiding foods you really do enjoy. The thing is, enjoyment is an integral part of a healthful life. We aren't as likely to continue to do something long term if we don't like it.

Diets are miserable for so many, and that misery can lead to increased stress and negative feelings. When do unnecessary stress and negative feelings actually benefit you? They rarely ever do, especially when it comes to what you eat on a daily basis.

Instead of letting the miserable aspects of dieting take over, experiment with different foods & preparation methods to determine what you like to eat.

3. Stop believing it's your fault

Long story short, diets don't work. Through marketing and so many other factors, we've been lead to believe that losing weight, then regaining it after emerging from restrictive eating habits is all our fault. This idea of willpower and perseverance don't produce a healthful life.

The fact is, for 90+ percent of people, diets don't work. They give you a brief moment of excitement and progress, but then often lead to bingeing and other negative feelings.

Diets aren't necessarily built for long-term adherence, they give you a short-term result with long-term consequences like a slower metabolism.

4. Be compassionate toward yourself

This is part 2 to stop believing it's your fault. Self-compassion is something we need to focus more on. Self-compassion is the opposite of self-judgment. Self-judgment leads you down a negative spiral, self-compassion brings you out of that vicious cycle.

Research indicates that people who are more self-compassionate tend to have more beneficial health behaviors, and therefore are healthier. Increasing your self-compassion can decrease stress, increase your ability to connect to your body and it's individual needs, and most broadly, increase your wellbeing.

5. Try an anti-diet approach

This anti-diet approach brings together all of the other questions you can ask yourself. This anti-diet approach is the way to experiment with eating, discover what you enjoy and really listen to your body to know what to fuel it with, and all within the grasp of self-compassion. There's no judgment, no rules or expectations, just tuning into your body to realize your own needs and preferences. Here's more information on the anti-diet.

Here are a few resources to get you going:

All in all, dieting often leads to less healthy behaviors than not dieting does. Find ways to do and eat more of what you enjoy, recognize the things that you 'should' be doing that stress you out, and find ways to be more compassionate toward yourself. You deserve it, and your health will improve through this process.

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]]> 10 tips from nutrition experts to encourage your kids to eat well https://www.familytoday.com/family/10-tips-from-nutrition-experts-to-encourage-your-kids-to-eat-well/ Thu, 07 Sep 2017 03:32:00 +0000 http://www.famifi.com/oc/10-tips-from-nutrition-experts-to-encourage-your-kids-to-eat-well/ As parents, you want the best for your kids, but getting them to do the things that will make that…

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As a parent and a model to children, one of the best things you can do to encourage your kids to eat well is to teach them healthy eating habits by showing them those healthful eating habits. Simple, yes, but easy? Not necessarily.

Here are 10 tips from registered dietitian nutritionist moms to help you encourage your kids to try new foods and to nourish their bodies through food choices and to do so without complicating your life.

1. Take time for meals

If you can eat with your kids, even better! As moms, it's so easy to put our own needs on the back burner, or perhaps use your mealtime for cleaning or other busy work and nibbling here and there. But when you sit to eat a meal three times a day that shows your kids stopping for nourishment is important. -Adina Pearson, RD at Healthy Little Eaters

2. Eat the same foods at your meals

This shows your children that there is no such thing as "kid food" and that they are capable to try and eat any food. It expands their horizons when it comes to food and nutrition. -Brynn McDowell, RD at The Domestic Dietitian

3. Get your kids involved!

From picking out the produce at the store to helping prep recipes in the kitchen, letting my kids help is huge. They are so excited to eat the food we picked out and made together. Sometimes it gets a little messy in the kitchen, but it is worth it to see them learn and develop these cooking skills and eating habits that will hopefully stick with them into adulthood. -Local Utah dietitian, Brittany Poulson, MDA, RDN, CD, CDE of Your Choice Nutrition

4. Have control of what you feed your children but give them choices

Whether it's when you're shopping or planning meals. Also, allow them to decide how much to consume. Kids are great at regulating their intake and this will help set them up to have a healthy relationship with food as they grow up. -Lauren Sharifi, RD LDN of Bite of Health Nutrition

5. Eat together as a family as often as possible

Make meals a time for sharing. In my house, my kids know the kitchen table as the "safe zone" we share and listen without arguing or scolding. Family meals create a sense of security and stability, as well as the time to model nutritious food choices. -Kathy Siegel, MS, RDN, CDN of Triad to Wellness

6. Lead by example

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Once you, mom, learn how to have a healthy relationship with food, watch how your kids start to accept new foods! All too often, as parents, we are wanting our kids to eat their veggies every time we feed it to them, but they see what we are doing.

If you're skipping meals because you're afraid of weight gain or cooking multiple dinners to try to appease everyone's preference at dinner (like the new diet you're trying out), you're teaching your kids that it's normal to act this way.

In reality, it's only setting them up for the same situation you're in. Once you know that by feeding your body what it needs on a consistent basis, only then are you're being the example for your kids. It all starts with the parents (or whoever is around the children most). -Nicole Eichinger RD, LD of Nutrition's My Life

7. When your family is having dessert, be sure to enjoy some yourself

If you opt not to have any out of concern for your waistline, it sends a message to your kids and they may start to restrict treat foods themselves when they grow older, too.

One exception - if you're genuinely not hungry for the food, say so and make it clear that while you do like (ice cream, cake, etc.) you're not hungry for any right now. Or if you just don't like the dessert - you prefer ice cream over cake, for example - you could make that clear as well.

But be sure you're being honest about it and not using that reason as an excuse when you're really minding your waistline! -Diana K. Rice, RD, The Baby Steps Dietitian

8. Show that veggies are desirable, not obligatory

In our home, vegetables are the desirable dish rather than the obligatory one. I never sneak in vegetables - that would be giving the message that vegetables are undesirable and therefore they should somehow be hidden from our kids. We (the parents) genuinely love vegetables and the kids see this too. Here is a link on Olive Tomato Nutrition on how to help your kids love vegetables. -Elena Paravantes, RDN, Founder of Olive Tomato Nutrition.

9. Have fun with (healthy) food

Take your kids on a farmers market scavenger hunt, invite them into the kitchen to cook with you and present food on pretty plates and in colorful bowls. Ignite your child's senses and enjoy the journey. -Liz Weiss, MS, RD, host of Liz's Healthy Table podcast and blog.

10. Offer a variety of foods

I think it's so important to serve and offer a wide variety of foods, including lots of vegetables and fruit to your kids, but NEVER force them to eat anything they don't want to. It took my kids many years before they would try salad, but now both of my kids, especially my son who is 14, enjoy eating salads for dinner. -EA Stewart, MBA, RD at The Spicy RD

With all these tips and tricks, it's still helpful to recognize that we all have different ways of nourishing our bodies and living healthful lives. There's no one way to feed yourself or your kids, as a parent you have the opportunity to teach your children how to take care of themselves.

Just as you try to be patient with your children as they are learning and figuring life out, do the same for yourself. Those habits don't necessarily mean eating perfectly or any particular way, it means finding ways to nourish your own body that does not add stress to your life but allow you to do feel good and enhance your well-being.

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