Jennifer Voorhaar Jennifer Voorhaar

A Balanced Approach to Holiday Treats

If you love the idea of celebrating holidays with food, Halloween is a great time to practice your creative skills! With the latest trend of charcuterie boards, you can use this concept for a CharBOOterie board with cheeses, meats, dried fruits, nuts, olives, and chocolates. If you are looking to get festive with your dinner menu, try incorporating some fall foods and flavors such as pumpkin, apples, or winter squash into your menu. Experimenting with fall herbs and spices such as cinnamon, cumin, or ginger is another way to embrace the season. You can enjoy a healthy balanced meal and add some fun snacks and appetizers as well. You may enjoy finding some new traditions this season such as Halloween-themed recipes you can make with the whole family. Check out the link for some mini mummy pizzas, bat energy bites, or spiderweb guacamole! 

Written by: Tracy Pritchard (MS, CNS, LDN)

We know that foods is an important part of many holiday traditions. Halloween is fast approaching and the stores are stocked with all kinds of candy. In addition to the tailgate parties or spreads associated with both college football or the NFL, we are entering a season of parties and celebrations that are intimately associated with foods such as cookies, candy, party platters, and alcohol: Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Instead of worrying about the next several months, try to manage one holiday at a time and consider some new traditions.   

Since holiday activities are a great way to have fun and catch up with friends are family, consider some tips to kick off the season. Halloween is for those of all ages and those fun-size candies seems to be everywhere, including work. If you know you are likely to eat several throughout the day, instead of putting the wrappers in the trash, keep them visible so you don’t lose track of how many you consumed. If you know that you will have a hard time limiting these extra goodies, be intentional about choosing the one(s) that you truly love and pass on the ones you aren’t really interested in. When planning and preparing for the work week, try to bring extra snacks with you that are aligned with your health goals. This could be some whole fruit, trail mix, or popcorn. Keep in mind that you are probably not the only one trying to make or stick to healthy changes – consider finding some coworkers who want to find (or share) healthier options. This is also a great opportunity to get others involved in a challenge to drink more water or to get more physically active by setting some step or mileage goals. The holidays are entering at the same time that it is getting darker out earlier and the weather is getting cooler. People are likely not spending as much time outside and would welcome the opportunity to incorporate healthy habits at work. 

If you love the idea of celebrating holidays with food, Halloween is a great time to practice your creative skills! With the latest trend of charcuterie boards, you can use this concepts for a CharBOOterie board with cheeses, meats, dried fruits, nuts, olives, and chocolates. If you are looking to get festive with your dinner menu, try incorporating some fall foods and flavors such as pumpkin, apples, or winter squash into your menu. Experimenting with fall herbs and spices such as cinnamon, cumin, or ginger is another way to embrace the season. You can enjoy a healthy balanced meal and add some fun snacks and appetizers as well. You may enjoy finding some new traditions this season such as Halloween-themed recipes you can make with the whole family. Check out the link for a variety of fun recipes including mini mummy pizzas, bat energy bites, or spiderweb guacamole!  

You may not be someone who likes to participate in trick-or-treating and that is ok. This may be a good opportunity to meet friends out for dinner and establish your own traditions.  


For those participating in trick-or-treating:


Healthier Treats

Instead of mindless grabbing a huge bag of candy, consider healthier treats or offer alternatives to the traditional bite-sized treats. This may include packages of dried fruit, pretzels, trail mix, individual applesauce containers or squeeze pouches, or other small snack items. Ok, ok, if you believe that Halloween treats MUST be a certain type of candy, perhaps do not stock up on personal favorites in case there are leftovers you will be less tempted to keep (and eat) them all! 


Other Treats

Some people may want to consider non-food options. Aside from less sugar, this also allows those with food allergies to have a little fun. Think about items that you may find in a birthday party goodie bag. Some ideas may include stickers, spider rings, temporary tattoos, pencils, fun erasers, glow sticks, or small toys. 


Halloween Dinner 

Be sure to make time to eat a balanced meal before heading out. Going out hungry is more likely to lead to snacking on treats in-between houses and overindulging at the end of the night. 


Before and After the Haul

Have plan prior to Halloween night when everyone is very excited. This is a great time to talk to kids about moderation and making healthy choices. Let them know beforehand what the expectation is on how much they may take at each house and how much they will be allowed to keep and eat. One option is to allow them to keep enough to have a piece or two each day for a week or two until they are no longer excited about it. Try to pair the candy with a healthy snack such as a whole fruit or veggies. If there is just too much candy, most kids won’t be upset about giving up on their (hard earned) candy if you offer to trade for a fun activity like going to a movie or to a trampoline park. If you prefer to repurpose the candy, you may want to save it to fill a pinata at the next birthday party, use in a project, or save what you can to help decorate a gingerbread house. If you would like to donate the candy, you can donate to a homeless shelter or to care packages that are sent to troops overseas – sometimes a familiar treat can be comforting around the holidays. Many dental offices participate in a Halloween buy back program where you can trade in your candy for incentives like coupons, toys or other prizes. Depending on their age, let kids help decide what to do with all of the extra candy. 


Tap here to check out our featured recipe: Curried Butternut Squash Soup from Rebecca Katz Kitchen

Read More
Jennifer Voorhaar Jennifer Voorhaar

Focus and Attention: The difference, our abilities, and how to increase them

A healthy attention span and ability to focus may be characterized by higher levels of productivity, good listening skills, and a strong orientation to detail. Lacking attention and focus, however, may look more like forgetfulness, difficulty retaining information as it’s being heard/read, or difficulty prioritizing/completing tasks. Since our abilities to pay attention and direct our focus can be influenced by biological, environmental, emotional factors, and beyond, there are many things we can do to improve them.

Written by: Leslie Wells


Many may not realize or consider the differences between focus and attention. Season 1, Episode 14 of The WingSpace Podcast provides listeners with a full length episode on the subject, complete with explanations and examples, but for the purpose of this blog, here’s the short hand: 

Attention v. Focus


“According to the Information Processing Model — a model used in psychology to describe how we make sense of the information we get from our environment and our minds, and how we take action — attention is the process that allows us to bring what we perceive into short-term memory. By doing this, we become conscious of the perceived information and can decide what to do with it. Since short-term memory is limited in capacity, paying attention to fewer things prevents us from being overwhelmed by all the information available in the environment and in our minds.” 

Focus is characterized by being locked into a task for a prolonged period of time. However, like attention, it is not always intentional — even if we tend to think the opposite. Let's say you have a problem with your boss, and you can't help but think about it during your off-hours. You spend a lot of time stuck on those thoughts, and the more you try to move your mind away from them, the more it latches on. That's focus. Not a productive type of focus, but still focus.” (Concetta Cucchiarelli, June 24, 2024)

A healthy attention span and ability to focus may be characterized by higher levels of productivity, good listening skills, and a strong orientation to detail. Lacking attention and focus, however, may look more like forgetfulness, difficulty retaining information as it’s being heard/read, or difficulty prioritizing/completing tasks. Since our abilities to pay attention and direct our focus can be influenced by biological, environmental, emotional factors, and beyond, there are many things we can do to improve them. 

Physical/Biological 

Sometimes the barrier to attention and focus has to do with excess energy in the body, or contrarily, a depletion of nutrients, hydration, or sleep. Starting by examining physical and biological factors can look like:

Prioritizing movement- adding steps, stretching, and maybe even a little sweat to your day can relieve stress and increase blood flow, which both support increased levels of concentration

Eating brain nourishing foods- foods such as blueberries, leafy greens, eggs, and fatty fish contain nutrients that support concentration. 

Prioritizing sleep- 8-10 hours of sleep is the recommended amount for adults to function optimally throughout the day. 

Environmental

Setting up for success might have less to do with what’s going on in the body, and more to do with what’s going on in the space around the body. Creating an environment that supports high levels of focus and attention can look like:

Eliminating distractions- this could mean using earplugs or headphones to reduce loud noises, adjusting the climate or lights to be comfortable for longer periods of time, choosing a comfortable seat, or even communicating the need for privacy.

Listen to music- music with a slow tempo, repetitive nature, and few/no lyrics can help increase concentration. 

Use organizational tools- timers, to do lists (and distraction to do lists!), and calendars provide visual or auditory cues/reminders to keep us on track.  

Mental/Emotional 

While they may be less obvious, mental and emotional conditions may also be the culprits of lacking attention and focus. Processing emotions and creating mental space looks differently for everyone, but here’s a few great places to start: 

Concentration Exercises- games or puzzles that challenge memory or attention to detail can help increase abilities to focus and pay attention over time.

Meditation- if you’re new to meditation, tune into a free guided meditation here to give it a try!

Externalize- engaging in therapy or journaling can help to clear the clutter in our minds and make sense of issues that are otherwise distracting, confusing, and exhausting our energy!

To learn more about attention and focus, tune into Episode 14 of The WingSpace podcast!

Sources:

https://getfreewrite.com/blogs/writing-success/the-psychological-processes-of-attention-focus#:~:text=In%20simple%20terms%3A,they%20hold%20very%20different%20purposes.

Read More
Jennifer Voorhaar Jennifer Voorhaar

Celiac Disease and Gluten Free Diets

Written by: Tracy Pritchard (MS, CNS, LDN)

September 13 is National Celiac Disease Awareness Day. This day is named after Dr Samuel Gee (born September 13, 1839) who was the first researcher to link celiac disease to the diet. It wasn’t until 1952 when scientists in England linked celiac disease with gluten specifically for the first time. Prior to this discovery, Aretaeus (a Greek physician) gave a description of this disease in AD100 calling it “koiliakos,” an abdominal infection. Bringing awareness to this condition is so important because many cases go undiagnosed in the United States. Researchers estimate that up to 83% of Americans with celiac disease are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.

Celiac disease is diagnosed through a combination of blood tests and an intestinal biopsy. Most people with celiac disease will have certain antibodies in their blood, but the test is only reliable if gluten has been regularly eaten. This can be a challenge for those who already gave up gluten and feel better, and have to weigh the pros and cons of reintroducing gluten for several weeks in order to get an accurate diagnosis.


Celiac disease is a chronic genetically based autoimmune disease where gluten triggers antibodies to attack the villi of the small intestine. It effects approximately three million Americans, or about 1% of the population. Over time these exposures damage the lining of the small intestine. This often leads to the malabsorption of nutrients resulting in anemia, fatigue, bone/joint pain, headaches, low vitamin D and vitamin B12, osteoporosis, and others. Celiac disease has been called “an invisible illness” due to the major impact it has on health. People with celiac disease have reported sacrificing major life events because of their dietary requirements, social anxiety and isolation, and symptoms of depression and brain fog. 


Approximately thirty eight percent of the population carries genes for celiac disease but only a small percentage develop it. The most common age to be diagnosed is age forty to sixty. It may  seem confusing why “all of a sudden” someone can no longer consume gluten without feeling ill. Sometimes it becomes active after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth and may be triggered by a viral infection or severe emotional stress. 


There are many people who complain that they do not feel well after consuming gluten who do not have celiac disease. This sensitivity has been called Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) and must be differentiated from celiac disease. People with NCGS may complain of bloating and diarrhea after consuming gluten, but they do not experience the compromised immune system of those with celiac disease. NCGS typically does not have the same negative impact on health like celiac disease; someone with NCGS may find some relief and symptom improvement simply by reducing gluten intake. Many are unaware that celiac disease can cause symptoms in parts of the body other than digestive system. Symptoms can vary from person to person, and some may not experience symptoms while gluten is damaging their small intestine. Symptoms other than digestive symptoms may include unintentional weight loss, skin symptoms, nervous system symptoms, and variety of other seemingly unconnected symptoms such as delayed puberty and infertility. 


We all know someone who has tried a gluten free diet, yet many misunderstand why those with celiac disease can’t consume any gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, oats, and barley. Celiac disease is different than a food allergy such as a wheat or peanut allergy when the immune system overreacts to a specific protein in a food resulting in symptoms such as itching, hives, or even anaphylaxis. (Those with celiac disease do not get anaphylaxis). While both those with celiac disease or a food allergy need to avoid certain ingredients, that is the only thing they share in common. Celiac disease and wheat allergy are very different conditions with different health effects and treatments. Those with celiac disease need to completely avoid gluten for their entire life – even a crumb of gluten will produce symptoms that can last for hours or days. 


 “Gluten free” products seem to be everywhere these days; they are often higher in refined carbohydrates and sugars and are not always a better choice for those without celiac disease. It is important to understand that gluten free does not mean “grain free” or “healthy”. There are many gluten-containing whole grains that are suitable for those without celiac disease. There are also many inherently gluten-free whole grains that can be part of a healthy diet. It is important to learn how to read labels for gluten containing ingredients since they can go by many names. 


Gluten containing: barley, bulgur, cereal (whole wheat), couscous, crackers (rye), kamut, spelt


Gluten free: amaranth, buckwheat, grits (corn/soy), millet, oats (GF), quinoa, rice (basmati, black, brown, purple, red, wild, white), sorghum, teff


There are many common foods that contain gluten. These include baked goods such as cookies and muffins, beer, bread, cereal, crackers, flour tortillas, granola, pancakes pasta, and pastries such as pies and rolls. It has become easier to find gluten free pastas made from lentils or chick peas that include fiber and protein rather than just carbohydrates associated with traditional gluten-free pasta made with corn and rice. You can also find gluten free tortillas that do not contain glutenous flour – these are typically made with almond flour, rice flour, corn, or a gluten-free flour.



Challenge: 

  • If you know someone who has celiac disease, consider hosting a gluten-free bake off. This is a tasty way to learn about safe food options. They will undoubtedly be grateful for the opportunity to participate in this event. Other friends who choose to avoid gluten for other reasons will also appreciate this! 

  • When contributing food to a pot luck consider a gluten free version and label it accordingly so those with celiac disease know it is safe for them to eat.


Extra Resources:

National Celiac Association: https://nationalceliac.org/

Celiac Disease Foundation: https://eat-gluten-free.celiac.org/recipes/

Beyond Celiac: https://www.beyondceliac.org/

University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center: https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/conditions-services/gastroenterology/celiac-disease


Read More