by Libby

Everyday Eats 1.11.23

Happy Wednesday! We have FINALLY gotten a *rather small but appreciated* amount of sun here in Michigan the past day or two. I actually saw the sunset out our front window yesterday evening for the first time in weeks! I like the “natural bookends” to the day that the sunrises/sunsets give, rather than the usual grey and cloudy skies all day long.

We enjoyed the weekend celebrating my dad’s birthday, (me) spending time with my best friend from college, and our usual church activities on Sunday… also sadly witnessing the Lions fail to make the playoffs and continuing to block out Michigan’s horrifying football loss from memory!! (Will not even go there. Lol).

I made this cake for my dad’s bday and it was rather tasty if you are ever in need of a good chocolate cake recipe! (And who isn’t??). Much more moist than other recipes I have tried in the past as far as chocolate cake goes. Topped with a chocolate cream cheese frosting for the win.

Before we get into today’s tasty eats recap, I wanted to briefly mention that I have space for several new clients as we kick off 2023! I know the holidays tend to bring up a lot as far as food + exercise + body image go. January is a great time to reach out if you are looking to work on healing your relationship with food and your overall health this year. If you have been thinking of reaching out, I would love to work with you!

On to some delish eats from the recent weeks!

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by Libby

10 Intentions to Pursue in 2023 (Instead of a Restrictive Diet)

Welcome, 2023! Crazy that we are already starting another new year.

While there is obviously nothing “magical” about starting a new year, I personally often find the beginning of January to be a relatively encouraging and hopeful time. It feels encouraging to me to think about the year ahead, what it could hold, ways in which I want to grow, etc. I feel inspired thinking about what I can focus on in my own life despite what may be going on outside my personal sphere.

I am not one to make new year’s resolutions, but I do like to take time at the end of the year and start of a new year to reflect on the past year and consider ways I want to grow, be intentional, and engage with life more broadly-speaking going forward. I consider it a time to pause, “take stock” of how life is going, and think through ways I want to move forward in greater alignment with my values and desires.

I’m sure that you have already likely seen no shortage of resolution-type posts or articles on the Internet related to the best way to diet/eat, lose weight, change your body size, or exercise more effectively in 2023. Maybe you have seen segments on TV related to this or have heard a friend or family member express their intention to lose _____ amount of pounds, try the _____ diet, or up their exercise by doing ______.

I don’t think the intentions behind these pursuits are necessarily all problematic… I can understand and relate to what is in at least some ways likely a desire to feel healthier in one’s body and to take care of oneself physically. This is a great intention (on its own) in my opinion! What I don’t promote or agree with is what I often see as “quick-fix” solutions to food/exercise/body issues and/or the focus on physical appearance as a direct outcome at the expense of one’s overall health and well-being.

I am much more in favor of focusing on life-giving, sustainable behavior changes that consider ALL aspects of health and well-being – mental, emotional, relational, and spiritual included. I am a fan of ADDING foods whenever possible, not restricting. Exercising and moving one’s body in ways that bring JOY, not obligation. Eating in ways that bring SATISFACTION and NOURISHMENT, not constantly looking for the “healthiest” (typically code for low cal, low fat, or low carb) option. (A method that is sure to backfire).

In the spirit of thinking about health and well-being in a well-rounded way, here are ten intentions to consider pursuing in 2023 that DON’T involve restrictive dieting or directly focusing on manipulating/controlling your body size. Instead, consider joining me in focusing on doable changes that may bring you greater LIFE, JOY, and OVERALL HEALTH. Maybe one or all of these ideas will spark further thought and ongoing interest for you this year. You may want to grab a journal for whatever thoughts come to mind!

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by Libby

Everyday Eats 12.21.22

Hello, everyone! Only a few days until Christmas! How are you feeling about the holidays? I know they can bring up a mix of different emotions.

I am feeling grateful that this year I get to look forward to having some more downtime in the coming week. I will be taking Friday – New Years’ off of work and am definitely excited to have more time to relax, spend time with friends + family, and enjoy the Christmas season. Some of my plans for the remainder of this week include embarking on some Christmas baking projects (peppermint bark cheesecake and cranberry orange scones will be in the works…) and spending Christmas with my family in Grosse Pointe. Alec and I will also be celebrating our 4th wedding anniversary tomorrow! (See the end of this post for a couple of flashback photos…). Giving The Highlands in Detroit a try which I am pumped for!

I have a fun + different post scheduled for next week, but other than that I will report back in 2023!

On to our last tasty eats recap of 2022!

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by Libby

Roasted Butternut + Brussels Frittata

Bursting with fall + winter’s best flavors, this tasty frittata makes for an excellent meal any time of day. Roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts combine with fresh rosemary, all underneath a hearty egg bake. Feel free to customize this frittata as you see fit! (Ideas to follow!) 

Today I have a fabulous recipe for you all… one that you can make as suggested in this post, or customize in any number of ways. Let your imagine run wild!

I absolutely love frittatas and make them regularly because they (1) are relatively easy to whip up, (2) require minimal clean-up, (3) make great leftovers, and (4) can be adapted for any time of year with whatever veggies are in season/I have on hand/I think up as a flavor combination.

Do you need any more convincing to run to your local farmer’s market or nearest grocery store to grab the ingredients for tonight’s dinner? Better yet, head to your fridge and check out whatever veggies, cheeses, or meats you already have on hand! I’m sure pretty much anything can be thrown into a frittata with at least reasonable success…

In today’s frittata example we are giving attention to two key ingredients: butternut squash and brussels sprouts. If you have never prepped and chopped a butternut squash, you need not fear! Instructions up next.

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by Libby

Experiencing Rest + Presence This Christmas Season

I know that for me, the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas always seems to go by too fast. Anyone else??? Every year it feels like there is so much to do, so much to fit in. How can we approach the holidays in a way that feels more life-giving and restful and less hurried and distracted? How can we enter the new year feeling more present and centered rather than feeling like we need a few weeks time off from our so-called “vacation”?

Gifts to buy, family plans to be had, decor to get out (and to put away…), seasonal food to make – all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season is enough to make anyone’s head spin. What’s more, the holidays can be an even more challenging time if you are struggling in your relationship with food. There may be get-together after get-together featuring festive holiday food as well as family time + plans less outside of our normal control. Even if you are reading this and don’t consider yourself someone who struggles with disordered eating or an eating disorder, you may still experience some of the anxiety + guilt surrounding food that is so common in our culture, especially at the holidays.

For me, this is the first Christmas I have had in a long time where I wasn’t in school or (last year) my dietetic internship. “Christmas break” was always intermingled with finishing grad school projects, dietetic internship applications, dietetic internship work, prepping for a new semester,  etc. etc. THANKFULLY I am done with all that. With the heightened pace of work in December and/or work I had to get done over the break, it was hard to feel rested over the Christmas + New Year holidays.

Even if you are in school or a place of increased busyness for whatever reason during December, how can you create (even just slightly) more rest and presence for yourself this holiday season? How can you experience more of what you truly want over the holidays (whatever that may be for you) and less of what leaves you feeling drained and discouraged heading into the new year?

I’ll share some thoughts that come to my mind heading into the holiday season, and hopefully you will feel encouraged or inspired to think creatively about rest + mindful presence for your own holiday season in whatever way that might realistically look like for you given your current circumstances, challenges, and life season.

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by Libby

Day in the Life: Intuitive Eating Edition

(Note: This post was supposed to go up 11/23, and unfortunately it didn’t go live as scheduled! I thought I would post it now as a Thanksgiving week post even if it is a little late!) 

Happy almost Thanksgiving! Today I wanted to share a “day in the life” post with some thoughts on how I incorporate intuitive eating into my everyday life. I know I find it interesting to see how others go about their days and hope you do too! See this post for a previous day in the life post.

To recap, intuitive eating is a way of eating that focuses on tuning into your own bodily cues, mind, emotions, and overall intuition. This is how we are born eating and it is our bodies’ natural way of eating. Intuitive eating focuses more on internal cues + rhythms versus external cues (diets/plans, calorie counting, “macros,” etc.) and other “should” voices in our heads regarding when, what, and how much to eat.

The principles of intuitive eating are as follows: reject the diet mentality, honor your hunger, make peace with food, challenge the food police, discover the satisfaction factor, respect your fullness, cope with your emotions with kindness, movement – feel the difference, respect your body, and honor your health with gentle nutrition.

A day in the life + reflecting on intuitive eating:

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by Libby

Some Thoughts on Fullness + Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas!

Happy Wednesday! How is your week going so far? We went to one of my friends from high school’s wedding on Saturday and then church + celebrating Alec’s bday with my side of the family on Sunday. It also went from 60s/70s/sunny to 20s/30s/snowy/cold rain in the past week… I suppose it is goodbye to fall!

Can you believe it is already Thanksgiving next week? We have plans to spend the week in Iowa with Alec’s side of the family. I always enjoy getting away for a few days and seeing family (+ meeting our newest nephew!).

How do you feel about Thanksgiving? I know for some of my clients and for many people in general, Thanksgiving can be a source of stress, anxiety, and discomfort. For anyone struggling in their relationship with food, the holidays can be a tough time to navigate. (On top of any usual family and/or disruption of routine stressors!)

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday, I wanted to share a brief post today on some thoughts regarding FULLNESS. (Plus some fun Thanksgiving recipes!)

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by Libby

Everyday Eats 11.9.22

Hello everyone! How is your week going so far? I am feeling a bit worn out this week with two recent weekends away. Both very enjoyable and worth it, but being away from home always tends to wear me out. It seems like this fall really crept up on me with a lot of weekend plans!

The first weekend was up north to Charlevoix/Petoskey area for camping with Alec.

I was thinking a few weeks out that we should cancel the trip and book a hotel or Air BnB instead because I was worried it was going to be really cold and/or rainy for camping in mid-October in northern Michigan. Would not be fun! BUT we ended up having amazing weather (60s/70s and sunny!) and perfect timing for peak fall colors!

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