In honor of Valentine’s Day rearing its lovelorn head on Monday—and also serving as a PSA for you to gently remind your spouse lest they forget in which case you’ll be dishing out leering glances that laser beam directly into the back of their heads. Just me?—I’m going to share with you something to make you look at love all wide-eyed and teary!
Back in 1958, a lovesick boy received a letter from his father, John Steinbeck, furnishing solid advice in a way only an author can. It struck such a chord with me that I ended up writing it in a Christmas card to my hubs… taking full credit of course. (Kidding! I’m too afraid of ghosts to do that.)
This passage speaks of a kinder love, one that isn’t about ourselves but of what love allows us to see in the other person.
Here it is: (and yes, WE SERIOUS TODAY!)
“There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind.
The other is an outpouring of everything good in you—of kindness and consideration and respect—not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable.
The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage, and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.”
Go ahead and copy and paste that into Valentine’s Day card to your steady love because it’s SO MUCH BETTER THAN A HALLMARK CARD!
Ok, now that we’re square on love, let’s get into relevant matters having to do with wellness and health (although a love like that could result in a hot, sweaty romp—heartrates be beating!!)
Today I thought it would be fun to have another session with Stefanie Schwartz, nutritionist and owner of Nutritionally Yours in Chappaqua. (In case you missed our first chat, you can read that here.)
I asked Stef if she could give a little insight into the world of nutritionists… like do you really eat a lot of veggies, is Sunday a day of meal prepping and tofu, and can I eat a Walter’s hot dog and not feel guilty—because they’re literally THE BEST DOGS IN THE WORLD!?
Here’s what Stef had to say about her top five healthy habits, and since it’s coming straight from a nutritionist, we best pay heed if we want to be as healthy and fabulous as she is!
Take it away Stef! (And of course, any comments I may have will be bolded so you know it’s me just being me—because it’s all about me, right?!)
Here’s Stef:
So you’re asking me, “What are the top 5 healthy habits of a nutritionist?”
I can’t speak for every nutritionist out there, but I can tell you there is a strong theme! (dark underbelly!)
- We do not eat sugar or processed foods! (It’s like getting knocked out in the ring a nanosecond after they ring the bell… I’m out!)
- We are very focused and mindful about getting enough fiber in the diet from things like oatmeal, quinoa, legumes, farro, bean-based pasta, and black or wild rice.
- We are getting our fat intake from monounsaturated sources and omega 3 fatty acids. Examples of these fats are nuts, seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp, avocado, olive oil, and fatty fish such as salmon.
- Vegetables and fruits are front and center! (I knew it was true!)
- We eat regularly throughout the day with structure (no skipping), mindfulness, planning, and preparation. (All the things I suck at.)
Thank you Stef for your insight! And the best part is, none of this is confusing. It’s straightforward advice about how to eat right—truth be told if we ate like that more often, there’d be a lot fewer muffin-tops peeking out from over the edges in this world.
If you’re confused about how to eat, or you feel like it’s gotten out of hand (did I just eat a chocolate caramel for lunch?!), starting with these basic signposts is your best bet.
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be confusing or difficult… we make it difficult because we’re human, and it’s our job is to overcomplicate things because we have big juicy brains.
Stop overcomplicating it. In the simple words of Michael Pollan, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Till next week my herbivores!
And THANK YOU again, Stefanie! (Definitely reach out to her if you have any questions about eating more like a nutritionist!)
xoxo
AM
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