Category: Ediciones

¡Hola, Sabrosa!, Edición No. 6: Healthy Eating, Spanish

Licuados y batidos: el “smoothie” Latinoamericano facil y rapido

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A donde quiera que vayas en México y América Latina, vas a encontrarte con licuados de frutas y verduras. Se venden en las calles y se hacen de volada en la mayoría de los hogares. En los Yunaides (EE.UU.), en la cocina popular, los licuados y batidos tienen su dichoso lugar, como muchas otras comidas deliciosas que se han adoptado de nuestras tierras.  

Los licuados, también conocidos como batidos en otras partes de América Latina, se transformaron en “smoothies” cuando emigraron a los E.E.U.U., así como los burritos se convirtieron en ‘wraps’. Pero de todas maneras, los licuados, batidos y smoothies  vienen siendo la misma cosa: un elixir delicioso, nutritivo y ‘on-the-go’ como desayuno o un ‘levanta-muertos’ por las tardes.

En nuestra cocina en casa, siempre contábamos con la licuadora en su lugar principal así como el tostador de pan y el comal. ¿Tenías prisa? En un dos por tres, le echabas un poco de Chocomilk, leche, un plátano y un poco de hielo en la licuadora, le dabas gas al ‘High Button’ y ¡listo! Déjate de decir que no tienes tiempo para el desayuno.

Los batidos en Ecuador y América Latina son fantásticos, preparados con frutas exóticas y deliciosas. Y son súper fáciles. Solamente necesitas una licuadora. Si te gusta usar aparatos ‘hi-tech’, hay todo tipo de licuadoras y Nutrí Bullets. Yo te aconsejo que para empezar, si tienes la humilde licuadora en casa, úsala. Si se te pega la rutina y sigues soñando con el aparato más fufo, pues cómpratelo. Te lo mereces.

Para hacer un buen licuado, típicamente, se usa leche, fruta, hielo y un poco de azúcar. Yo prefiero lo dulce de la fruta y no le pongo azúcar a mi licuado. Pero ponle lo que te guste a ti. ¡Experimenta, comadre! Una cucharadita de vainilla o de chocolate. Una pizca de canela. Un chorrito de jugo de naranja o toronja.

El otro día, pelé una manzana triste, piqué un poco de apio con una puntita de jengibre pelado, un poco de jugo de naranja, una taza de agua y hielo. Lo licué hasta que quedó bien licuado. ¡Y me supo a gloria!

No te imaginas la fruta vieja que he rescatado y echado a la licuadora. Usa cualquier fruta que tengas, menos la que está podrida.

Y no se te olvide de una regla muy importante de nutrición: come proteína con cada comida, especialmente con el desayuno.

¿Quieres agregarle más proteína? Muy sencillo. Usa:

  • Leche de vaca, cabra, arroz, nuez o soya
  • Yogur
  • Un ‘boost’ de proteína en polvo

Las ideas brotan de donde uno menos piensa. El otro día en el Safeway, me encontré un libro,  The blender girl por Tess Masters. ¡Es rete creativa, la muchacha esta! ¿Qué te parece un licuado con jugo de naranja, fresas, pimientos y coliflor? No lo he intentado, pero te prometo un reporte.

Aquí en De Las Mías, el libro de cocina, México, the cookbook por Margarita Carrillo Arronte nos está despertando el hambre. ¡Qué libro tan bonito! Fue padre ver que su licuado de miel y aguacate es parecido a la receta que tenemos en la colección de recetas de De Las Mías: Aguacate Mojito. Y en la página 578 está el Jugo de Vampiro. ¿Dime a que niño o niña no le gustaría probar el jugo de vampiro?

¡Si vieras las mezcolanzas que hago en mi licuadora! La semana pasada compré unas ciruelas que me dejaron con la boca fruncida por tres días de lo amargas que estaban. ¡Fuera de broma!  ¿Crees que , que las tire? No, señorita. Las pelé, les agregué un poco de jugo de durazno que me sobró de una lata de duraznos, unas fresas olvidadas en el refri, una pizca de ‘Stevia’, una taza de agua y un poco de hielo. Esto lo licué hasta que el licuado pidió paz.  Y para cerrar con broche de oro, lo rocíe con un poquitín de Tajín. ¡Ay qué delicia! ¡Agridulce como tamarindo!

Anda, y comienza a agregar el licuado a tu día. Es un buen hábito. Excelente manera de comer más frutas y verduras…¡Y le va a encantar a toda la familia!

¡Anímate a hacer licuados! Experimenta y mándanos tu creación: info@delasmia.com. Malena, nuestra nutricionista analiza el contenido nutricional y lo publicamos en nuestra sección de Cocina con tu nombre, para darte un  ‘pat on the back’.


¡Hola, Guapa!, Edición No. 4: Reflection, English, Healthy Comadres

The Vision Map – De Las Mías – Bringing Your Dreams to Life

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The Power of the Vision Map

I started using the Vision Map when I was a health educator working with people with chronic pain. Our team had all kinds of tools to help people who were suffering, and the vision map was like salve to a wound. Being in chronic pain is one of the most stressful, debilitating and depressing things that can happen to you. That is one of the reasons we are in the middle of an opioid crisis. Because we didn’t want our clients to rely only on medication to manage their pain, we taught a variety of stress and pain management classes. It was a fun and rewarding job and one of my first opportunities to help people make healthy changes.

At the time, our team of fresh-out-of-college and naïve health educators came up with the idea that if we could just get people’s mind off their pain, even for a minute, that we would make a difference in their lives. So we came up with several of what I call “gimmicks.” Now let me tell you that I love that word – gimmick. It’s kind of a no-nonsense way of naming magical thinking. I looked it up and one of the definitions is “a magician’s tool.” 

So allow me to share this magical gimmick with you — The Vision Map!

As I said, I have used the Vision Map with people in chronic pain so they could just imagine for even one sacred minute what their lives would be like without pain, but I have also used it with my daughter when her madrina and I joined her in a retreat to help her envision what it would be like to change careers and open a new pathway for her life’s passion and work. Another way I have used the Vision Map is for myself, when I lost track of my dreams and had to gather them all up again. The latest Vision Map I did was with our De Las Mías team, a vision board to visualize what the future might hold for us in this quest to live healthier and more joyful lives.

So here I am suggesting this magical tool to help you visualize your future, your life, your new kitchen, your garden, your nueva vida saludable, your new love, or your next move. A vision map brings your dreams to life and it is a lot of fun.  You can do it alone or with comadres.  It is so much fun to do it in a group, but it is also a magical experience to do it alone.  Try it, you’ll like it!

How to Make A Vision Map

  1. First of all, gather your tools.

Paper, poster board, scissors, glue, lots of old magazines, photos or copies of photos, drawing pens or pencils, ribbons, tissue paper, whatever you have handy that you like the looks of. You can gather or write a favorite quote or affirmation.

2. Next, spend some time in quiet reflection.

What does your heart desire? In this step, start with a few minutes to yourself. Find a comfortable spot where you will not be interrupted and take a few deep breaths and relax. Think about what you want your Vision Map to symbolize.

hero-visionmap-temp

3. Play music, light a candle, or bring a vase full of flowers to your work space to mark it as special.  

It would be good if you didn’t answer the phone and carved out this time just for yourself. You can use the Vision Map as a way to visualize your future career, your deepest desire for adventure, or an overall vision of what you want your life to be. I once did a Vision Map of what I wanted my house to look like. (That was so much fun!)

4. Next, start cutting.

You’ve set your intention of what you want your Vision Map to represent, now start looking for pictures, colors, photos, symbols, that match your intentions. Let yourself go for a few minutes — 15-20 minutes — and cut away. You can also write an affirmation or two to place on your Vision Map. Pick something that inspires you. Use a favorite dicho like “Querer es poder,” or “Real women have curves!” or a famous quote from one of your heroes. I like, “You can have it all!”

5. Arrange and group.

The next step is to arrange the images, colors, symbols, and affirmations on the poster board or whatever backing you are using. See how you like it. You can move the pieces around until it feels right. Once you are happy with the position of your images, start gluing. Stop anytime and take a breather. If there are blank spots on your Vision Map, it’s okay. Leave it and see how it feels to you over the next few days or weeks. Later on, you might find other images or words that you will want to add.

6. Now take a good look at your handiwork.

Put up your Vision Map in a prominent place where you can look at it often. You can add other images, colors, quotes and/or affirmations over time. Or you can create new ones.

Just remember, Vision Maps are there to make you feel hopeful about the future.

7. Some people have asked about sharing your Vision Map and I say this:

If you have a trusted comadre that is on your team and is your tried and true kindred spirit, I say yes. It is so much fun to share Vision Maps with a kindred spirit! But, if you think that it will be met with the slightest bit of skepticism, or criticism, I say no. Protect yourself and your dreams and share only with people who care about you and don’t criticize you. This needs to be totally safe for you. Think of it as your soul shining through, a diary entry, or a prayer.  

I have done Vision Maps with a group of professional women in a seminar where we mapped out our dreams and aspirations for our careers. We took turns sharing it in a group, and it was super fun and affirming. We did it once with our little family just to talk about what was on our minds and what we hoped was in store for us in our future.  That felt sweet and cozy and we even shed a tear or two. (We are lloronas.) My master vision map, the Mother of all Vision Maps, is tacked right in front of my desk where I can see it every day. (De Las Mías is on there!)

visionmap-inline

I hope that using a Vision Map turns out to be a fun and magical tool that you and your comadres, and daughters, sisters and friends will enjoy. I hope that it works for you like it has  worked for me — to see possibilities! May it transport you to that special place of contemplation where you can ponder what could be next and good for your life.

Not to sound too much like our beloved comadre, La Oprah, but one of the things I know for sure is that believing you can do something matters. It prepares you for what comes next. Belief is an essential part of making your dreams come true, and I want your dreams to come true!

Try it and let us know how it goes!

¡Unidas for a Healthy Life!

〰️

The De Las Mias app is free and ready for download in the Google Play Store.  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @delasmiaslife.

¡Hola, Guapa!, Edición No. 4: Reflection, Spanish

¿Podrías tener prediabetes?

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  Hoy te estamos haciendo una pregunta difícil, Comadre: ¿podrías tener prediabetes? ¡Toma “la quiz”!

  1. ¿Eres Latina?
  2. ¿Has tenido un bebé que pesó más de 9 libras al nacer?
  3. ¿Tienes un hermano, hermana, mamá o papá con diabetes?
  4. ¿Haces poco o nada de ejercicio?
  5. ¿Tienes de 45 y 65 años de edad?
  6. ¿Tienes sobrepeso?

Si contestaste que sí a 3 o más de estas preguntas debes de ir a tu clínica a que te hagan un examen de sangre. No necesariamente quiere decir que tienes prediabetes, pero debes de chequearte. Para tomar un quiz sobre el riesgo de tener prediabetes de parte del Centro de Prevención de Enfermedades de los EEUU, CDC, ve a este link. Si tienes prediabetes, no te asustes. ¡Antes que nada, agradece que lo hayas averiguado! Tienes la oportunidad de prevenirlo, comadre. Hay estudios muy claros sobre la prevención de la diabetes y las conclusiones son igual de claras. Tu puedes prevenir o dilatar la diabetes. Pregúntate a ti misma: ¿Estoy lista para hacer pequeños cambios por grandes beneficios? Si respondiste, que sí, ¡Bienvenida a De las Mías! Si sigues nuestras recomendaciones, estarás bien en el camino a la buena salud y a la prevención de la diabetes. Habla con tu médico o dietista y muéstrales nuestras recomendaciones, ¡Estamos seguras que estarán de acuerdo! Mi Nana tenía diabetes, mi tía Paqui lo tenía. Mi hermano la tiene y probablemente la mitad de mi familia materna, la tenían y no lo sabían. Esa es una historia común entre los mexicanos americanos, los puertorriqueños y los indigénas de Norteamérica. Así es, pero no tiene que ser así.   Los estudios científicos sobre la diabetes nos dicen que la diabetes se puede prevenir o dilatar. Con decir “dilatar” queremos decir que si te cuidas, no te da diabetes hasta después de lo que te hubiera dado. Ejemplo: Podrías haberla tenido a los 45 pero porque te cuidaste, no te dio hasta los 65.  Eso es como un descuento, Comadre. Tener diabetes es duro. Quieres dilatarlo tanto como sea posible. Pero seamos claras: Si te da diabetes aunque tomaste precauciones, no te culpes, ¿de acuerdo? Sólo intenta vivir lo más saludable posible y se amable contigo misma. Queremos mejorar nuestra salud, claro, pero no buscamos la perfección. . Así, aquí mi historia… Hace 15 años, yo pesaba unas 30 libras más de lo que peso hoy, y era bastante sedentaria, porque mi condición de espalda me impedía salir a caminar. Tenía poca energía y no me sentía muy atractiva. La verdad es que probablemente estaba un poco deprimida. Fui a nuestro médico de cabecera que era alguien de mucha confianza y me mandó a que me hicieran análises de sangre. Cuando volví a la consulta, miró mi archivo y dijo, “bueno, tengo buenas noticias y malas noticias. ¿Qué quieres primero?” Dije, “las malas noticias.” “La mala noticia es que tienes prediabetes.” Me quedé aturdida pero no sorprendida. Ya bien conocía mi propia historia familiar y mis hábitos alimenticios. Sin mencionar el tiempo que pasaba tirada en el sofá. “¿Y cuál es la buena noticia”? Le pregunté. “Tienes prediabetes.” “¿Qué? ¿qué?” Y es entonces cuando me dijo que tenía una oportunidad de oro. “Yo digo oportunidad de oro, porque tu tienes el poder de escoger tu camino.” Si no te hubieran revisado el azúcar en la sangre, no sabrías nada del prediabetes. Así que aquí estás en una encrucijada importante. Me dijo que probablemente sólo por bajar 5%-7% de mi peso, yo podría evitar tener diabetes.  También me recomendó que me fuera lo más activa posible. Le dije lo que había dicho mil veces a mi misma…”Tengo mucho dolor de espalda, no puedo caminar mucho.” “¿Tienes bicicleta?” ¡Mi bici! ¡Mi vieja amigo de mi niñez! ¿Cuánto tiempo había pasado? También me recomendó que tomara una clase de yoga terapéutica para comenzar a poner mi espalda en mejor condición, y que procurara caminar un poquito cada día. “Si no puedes caminar por 30 minutos, camina por 15. Si no puedes por 15, ve por 10. Si no puedes, caminar, paséate en tu bicicleta. Y si no puedes pedalear, ve a nadar. Si no puedes nadar, baila. Haz lo que sea, pero muévete. Mueve tu cuerpo, porque si no lo haces, vas a sufrir mucho cómo mujer mayor.” “Wow, un poco duro,”  pensé con lágrimas en los ojos. Me miró con esos tristes ojos azules y dijo, “Lo siento, Ana, pero, te conozco. Sé que puedes hacer esto.” La verdad no peca pero íncomoda. Le puse atención. La bici que tenía era un vejestorio pero mi marido me ayudó a bajarla de la viga de donde colgaba en el garaje. La limpiamos y le pusimos aire en las llantas. Le comencé a dar vueltas al vecindario, unos minutos cada vez. Llegué a lo suficiente como para saber que necesitaba que comprar una bici más nueva. Me compré una bici marca Raleigh como la que tenía en la Universidad. No me costó mucho y era mucho más ligera que la viejita del garage. Compré una de esas a las que le dicen “hybrid” porque en Santa Fe donde yo vivo hay muchos caminos de tierra. Hasta compré una goma verde – el “green slime” –  “baba verde” para proteger las llantas contra las espinas del desierto… (muy desagradables) ME compré un casco feo y shorts de bici. (Sí, créemelo.) También hice otros cambios. Dejé de comer carbohidratos y azúcares refinados. Dejé de beber sodas. Comencé a comer más frutas y verduras. No me he vuelto loca. ¡Empecé a hacer pequeños cambios, poco a poco y funcionó! A los 2 meses, más o menos, me inscribí en una clase de yoga todos los viernes. Mi maestra tenía 70 años de edad y era una cosa asombrante lo fuerte que era, ¡y lo humilde que me sentía yo frente a ella! Durante un periodo de 6 meses, bajé 24 libras. Regresé a ver a mi médico y a los 9 meses, la prediabetes se me había quitado. Eso fue hace 15 años, y sigo paseándome en mi bici todos los días. También camino 30 minutos cada día. Y cuando no puedo caminar por 30, porque me duele la espalda, camino por 15. Y cuando no puedo caminar por 15, camino por 10. Y si no puedo caminar por 10, bueno, ya sabes el cuento… Tomar el camino a la buena salud es posible, comadres. Y si puedes cambiar una cosa, puedes cambiarlo todo. Fundamos De Las Mías porque queremos que todas seamos sanas y fuertes. ¡Qué nuestras hijas sean fuertes! Que nuestros hijos sean sanos y que nuestros nietas y nietos también sean sanos, activos y fuertes. Es una jornada, Comadre. Pero no tienes que hacerlo sola. ¡Aquí estamos! ¿Estás lista? ¡Acompáñanos! 〰️ The De Las Mias app is free and ready for download in the Google Play Store.  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @delasmiaslife.

¡Hola, Guapa!, Edición No. 5: Stress, Spanish

Caminar para relajarte

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Malo que yo lo diga pero, nací estresada. Mi sobrenombre, entre familia, es ‘bultodenervios’. También me dicen ‘ansiosa’, ‘alterada’ y a veces hasta ‘pesada’cómo a la Pepa en la película Mujeres al borde de un atque de nervioso.

Nadie nos tiene que decir que la vida es estresante. Para cada solución, hay un problema…el estrés es una aspecto de la vida diaria, parte del tejido de la vida, pero algunas tenemos demasiado y nos puede causar problemas.

El estrés puede causar que no duermas bien, que se te suba la presión de la sangre, y hasta te puede impedir que logres tu peso saludable.

Esta parte, la que te puede impedir que bajes de peso no me la sabía yo hasta que lei un artículo muy interesante sobre la hormona Cortisol.  Todas tenemos esta hormona – el cortisol – pero algunos científicos le llaman la hormona del estrés. Cuando nos estresamos al extremo, producimos más cortisol que lo normal. Y sin darnos cuenta podemos subir de peso o no poder lograr un peso saludable.

Y ya sabemos que cuando andamos bien estresadas, para el colmo de los colmos, nos complacemos con comer más comida chatarra, grasosa o dulce, como chicharrones, pan dulce, cheetos o pulpitas de tamarindo.

Les confieso que durante un ‘perfect storm’ (¡LA TORMENTA PEFECTA!) de estrés me comí una bolsa entera de papitas con chilito y limón.

A esto se le dice comer emocionalmente o como dicen en los Yunaides, ‘Emotional Eating’.  Y el EE se convierte fácilmente en CD – comer demasiado – y asi comienza un círculo vicioso que resulta en aumentar más y más de peso, hasta llegar al punto de ‘self loathing’, el odio a si misma. ¡Cálmense, comadres! ¡Que hay ayuda!

¿Listas?

A enfocarnos en 3 consejos básicos para su cajita de herramientas.

CONSEJO #1

Practica ‘mindfulness’ = poner atención. Un concepto sencillo, realmente. ‘Mindfulness’ quiere decir tomar tu tiempo y ser conciente de lo que estás haciendo… lo que comes, lo que escuchas, lo que compras.

  • Pon toda tu atención en el momento de cada actividad.
  • Concéntrate en cómo te sientes en ese momento.

Comienza poco a poco. Pon atención a como tratas a tu cuerpo. ¿Qué te hace sentirte bien o mal? Pon atención en como te sientes después de comer una comida deliciosa. Pon atención en cómo huele la comida, de qué colore es.  Pon toda tu atención en lo que estás haciendo en cada momento. Practica un poquito más cada día… mañana y pasado mañana también. Pon más atención la semana que entra y sigue tratando cada día de estar más presente en lo que estás haciendo.

CONSEJO #2

Usa tu ‘mindfulness’ para chequear contigo misma sobre tus ‘antojos’. Cuando llegues a casa, después del trabajo, ¿sientes que vienes muerta del hambre? ¿Te sientes ansiosa? ¿Traes ganas de comer algo?  Ahora pon atención a lo que quieres comer y practica:

  • Toma tu tiempo.
  • Pon atención.
  • Hazte esta pregunta:  ¿Tienes hambre física o hambre emocional?

Si tienes hambre y no puedes saber si traes hambre física o emocional, escoge una fruta con una manita de almendras o algo con proteína.  Ahora cómetela y para un momento. Si sigues con hambre, ¿qué te apuesto que tienes hambre emocional? Y lo que necesitas, comadre, es un antojito emocional. Entonces llama a tu comadre, corre un ‘bubble bath’ abraza a tu compañero, o compañera, pon tu música favorita,  o juega con tu perro. Haz el esfuerzo de conocerte a ti misma mejor y establecer si el hambre que traes es por comida o por cariño.

CONSEJO #3

Aprende a meditar. Ya sé lo que estás pensando. Imposible. Soy muy inquieta. ¡Te comprendo! A veces tiemblo como hormiguero al sentarme quieta por 5 minutos.  Pero inténtalo. No cabe duda del valor enorme de la meditación. Hay décadas de investigación sobre los beneficios de la meditación y del ‘deep relaxation’. Si no has aprendido a meditar aquí te va una nueva herramienta…

Esta meditación es especialmente buena para las personas nerviosas inquietas como yo…

#1  Compra zapatos cómodos

No tienes que gastar un dineral ni comprar lo de la última moda. Solo necesitas un par de zapatos que te sostenga bien el pie para caminar. No tienes que elevar tu ‘cardio’,  pero puedes caminar tan rápido como quieras. Yo salgo de la casa como bala tratando de escapar el estrés, pero después de un rato, relajo las manos, calmo cado paso, levanto la cabeza y respiro profundamente. Practico ser conciente de cada paso que tomo y se siente bien padre.

#2  Respira profundamente

Cierra la boca y respira profundamente por la nariz y sopla por la boca. Hazlo tres o cuarto veces.  Cada vez que respiras, siente que estás más calmada. Toma tu tiempo.

#3  Camina

Vete sola o con una comadre o con tu perro.

Consejo Extra: Si tu perro anda igual de nervioso como tu, pues déjalo en casa y llévalo más tarde.

Ahorita, toma cada paso con la meta de dejar el estrés atrás de ti.  Paso por paso.

#4  Practica ‘mindfulness’ = poner atención

  •     Camina con atención.
  •     Concéntrate en como te sientes mientras caminas.
  •     Pon atención cuando tu talón baja y como sigue el resto del pie.
  •     Relaja tus brazos y pon atención a como se mueven por el aire.
  •     Respira.
  •     Pon atención a tu ambiente y las sensaciones que sientes.
  •     Deja que entren los pensamientos y preocupaciones del día, pero respira profundamente y pon atención solamente a tu cuerpo y a cada paso.

Un Tip: Cuando mis pensamientos me están volviendo loca, repito este dicho. “Voy derecho y no me quito”.  Me calmo y sigo caminando. Camino. Camino. Camino.

#5  Camina por 15 minutos

Regálate esto 15 minutos. Hazlo cada día y pon atención. ¿Cómo te sientes? Si con el tiempo quieres oír música, pues hazlo. (A mi me gusta – “Caminando por la calle yo me fui…” de los Gipsy Kings’) Yo te aconsejo que para empezar, camines en silencio por unos 3-5 días.

Camina. Camina. Camina por 15 minutos poniendo atencón. Verás que con esta simple práctica te vas a sentir menos estresada.  ¡Anda! ¡Te lo mereces!

# 6. Al terminar, respira y mira.

¿Cómo te sientes?

Después de unos cuantos días de practica por favor aviéntanos un ‘text’. Nos encantaría saber cómo te fue y con toda la confianza del mundo dinos:

  •     Que te gusto.
  •     Que no te gusto.
  •     Otras ideas en cómo relajarte.

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The De Las Mias app es gratis. Búscala en el Google Play Store.  Síguenos en Facebook y Instagram @delasmiaslife.

¡Hola, Guapa!, Edición No. 4: Reflection, English, Healthy Body

Walking Meditation

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Are you stressed out? I know I am! My natural way of being is kind of high-strung. I am, what my Mexican family calls, nerviosa. So yes, high-strung, hyper, even at times, a bit over the edge. Some people may even call me anxious, like the Mexican version of Woody Allen. But I still prefer nerviosa which simply means – nervous.

The truth is, life is very stressful and some lives are more stressful than others. But did you know that stress can keep you from achieving a healthy weight? There is this hormone, cortisol, that some scientists refer to as the stress hormone, and when we get overly stressed, we produce more of this hormone than normal. And sometimes, some of us may have cortisol interfere with our healthy weight goals.

Of course we also know that we can’t blame it all on cortisol. We know that sometimes, when we are overly stressed we reach for crunchy, fat-filled foods like chicharrones, Cheetos and potato chips, or the sugary stuff like candy bars, pan dulce, churros and pulpitas de tamarindo.

Emotional eating is easily converted into overeating, and overeating leads us to unhealthy weight gain and sometimes even self-loathing.

In today’s article, I want to cover 3 basic pieces of advice and a special tool for your toolbox.

First, let’s talk about mindfulness. You hear a lot about mindfulness now. Mindful eating, mindful listening, mindful shopping, you name it. It’s a very simple concept, really. Being mindful is paying attention. So the first piece of advice from me to you is — be mindful. Pay attention. Pay attention to what you eat. Pay attention to how you treat your body. Pay attention to what makes you feel good and what makes you feel bad. Pay more attention today than you did yesterday. And tomorrow, try it again.

Second, use your mindfulness to check in with yourself regarding your cravings and your hunger pangs. If you come home, nerviosa, from a hectic day at work, and you want something to eat, pay attention to what you want.  Practicing your mindfulness, ask yourself if you are physically hungry or emotionally hungry. Just ask yourself that question. Try it. If you answer ‘physically hungry,’ pick up something healthy like an apple, an orange or a pepino with chilito y limón. If after you eat something healthy, you are still hungry, the sure bet is that you are emotionally hungry. You need an emotional snack. Call your comadre, hug your husband or partner, kiss your kid on the head, play with your dog.

Third, learn to meditate. I know what you’re thinking. You can’t sit still, either? That’s me. Sometimes I am so nerviosa, that I can’t sit still to take a deep breath. Sitting still to take deep breaths when I am so nerviosa, just makes me twitch. But we know that the value of meditation is enormous. There is a lot of research on the benefits of meditation and deep relaxation. It’s been there for many years and it’s held up. But some of us, hyper-active nerviosa types just can’t sit still. So here’s a simple tool for your toolbox: Walking Meditation.

 

Here’s how it goes:

 

1. Get yourself some comfy shoes.

They don’t have to break the bank or impress the neighbors.They just have to provide you with support to take a nice leisurely walk. Now remember, this walk is not intended to get your cardio up, although you can walk as fast as you want.The intention of this walk is for you to chill out.

2. Take some deep cleansing breaths.

Three usually does the trick. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

3. Now walk.

Go by yourself or with your calm dog. If your dog is just as hyper and nervioso as you are, take him later.  Right now your mission is to let the stress fall away from your body and your mind.

4. Go back to mindfulness.

Walk mindfully. This means pay attention to how you feel as you walk. Pay attention to your feet as they touch down on the ground. Pay attention to your heel as it touches the ground and how the rest of your foot follows. Relax your arms and let them swing in a natural way and pay attention to them as they move through the air. Pay attention to your surroundings, the sensations you feel as you breathe in. Keep your attention on walking. Thoughts will come, worries will come, your to-do list might haunt you, but your job right now is to take a walk and pay attention to yourself,  your body, your breath, and your surroundings. One trick that works for me, when I get lots of distracting chatter in my brain, is to simply say to myself, “walking.” Repeat that each time some random thought comes in to distract you. Walking. Walking. Walking.

5. Walk for 15 minutes.

Set the intention that you are doing this for yourself. Do it. See how it feels. Some people like to play soft music, but I would advise you to just do it a la natural for a few times and see how it feels. You can add soft music later if you like. For now just walk mindfully for 15 minutes because you deserve this sacred time for yourself.

6. When you are done, take a deep breath and look around.

Smile. How does it feel?

Now that you have given yourself this nice little walking meditation gift, if you feel like going for a power walk and get your heart rate up, knock yourself out. You can go back for your crazy dog or your kids now, if they wanted to come with you, but those 15 minutes are yours and yours alone. You will benefit by lowering your stress level, curbing the cortisol, and being healthier than you were 15 minutes ago.

We would love to hear from you. Is this content useful? Does our advice make sense? Let us know, so we can provide you with the right kind of information that you can use to be healthier and happier!

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¡Hola, Guapa!, ¡Hola, Sabrosa!, Edición No. 3: Stay On Track, English, Healthy Body, Healthy Comadres

Sticking with Your New Routine

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Making healthy choices is empowering. Turning those choices into lifestyle changes is even better. But it takes work! Here are some ways to stick with your routine, push through challenges, and turn healthy choices into healthy habits.

Have you started eating healthier, or exercising regularly with your comadres? Great work! Getting started is the hardest part. But sticking with those new choices is just as important as making them in the first place. The best ways to do that? Stay consistent, hold yourself accountable, and give yourself new challenges.

 

Consistency is Key

Our strongest habits are the ones we do every day — or at least on a consistent schedule. Whether you’re exercising with your comadres 3 times a week or putting some healthy veggies on the table every night, be consistent. It takes time and commitment to change a habit, so the more you stick to it the quicker it will be second nature.

Prepare for setbacks. Having plans in case of setbacks puts you in the driver’s seat. For example, if the weather is bad, find ways to be active indoors such as an exercise video. If you’re dining out with a friend, make up your mind ahead of time that you will look for healthy menu options. It’s important to make the effort, even if you’re not meeting all of your goals. Make a goal to do something good for yourself every day!

 

Keeping Yourself Accountable

Speaking of goals, are yours written down? Having something to work toward is essential to your success. Writing down your goals and revisiting them helps keep your eye on the prize. Whether they are on your bathroom mirror or a post it on the fridge, put your goals some place you’ll see and read them often.

As Latinas we also know the strength and support of our community is vital. Tell your comadres and friends about your new healthy habits. This can give you the extra ganas you need to stick to your plan.

 

Find Challenge in Change

Routines can get boring. We know. But you don’t have to give up your healthy habits just because you’re getting used to them. Give yourself some credit! And then mix it up.  Change your walking routine into a jog. Find a new De Las Mías recipe or two and try them out! And if you find you’ve met your goals, give yourself an ¡Eso! Share your new triumphs with your comadres. Add some new ones! Our philosophy of “poquito de todo” applies as much to activities as food choices: a little bit of everything helps achieve balance, puts variety into the mix and makes your body feel good.

¡Hola, Sabrosa!, Edición No. 3: Stay On Track, English

What is Portion Control: Part 2

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en tus manos Becoming aware of serving sizes and how they impact your healthy eating goals is a key step toward healthy living. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, De Las Mías is not about diets or deprivation. We don’t want you to stop eating anything that you love to eat. Even a sweet treat is okay in moderation. The other day I was talking to a doctor, a specialist in diabetes, and we were discussing the traditional New Mexican diet. She said, “Face it—there is no way of making a healthy bizcochito,” and she is right. Traditional bizcochitos are made with flour, sugar and lard. Period. So, what to do? Are you really going to try to give up these tasty little morsels? I don’t think so. The next-best thing is to eat a smaller amount. Enjoy it, savor it and don’t overdo it. So, if you’re used to dunking four bizcochitos into that hot chocolate on a cold winter’s eve, now you cut it by half. Dunk two and enjoy! Giving up your favorite foods is just going to make you feel deprived, and we don’t want you to feel deprived. We want you to feel nourished and happy. Treating yourself once in a while is not going to hurt you; it might even make you happy. That’s why one of our favorite traditional dichos is “Una vez al año, no hace daño”—”Once a year doesn’t hurt.”   We believe that, with small tweaks, a traditional recipe can be turned into a healthier recipe without sacrificing flavor. See what we have done with traditional green chile: we use olive oil instead of lard. Try our low-fat pozole recipe and taste a bit of heaven. And go ahead and make the enchiladas, but instead of frying them before rolling them, make them flat and use a little less cheese. The De Las Mías recipes are chock-full of traditional foods made healthier, but even the best chef can’t get the fat out of the bizcochito. At those special times, just eat “un poquito,” a little less of it, and you’ll be fine. And by the way, don’t begrudge yourself after you eat a special treat like that. Once you decide to indulge in the deliciousness of a homemade bizcochito, don’t ruin it by beating yourself up. Own it and go on to healthier options at your next meal. Remember, you always have a chance to have a healthier meal. Here are five ways to cut down on serving sizes:

  1. Instead of four bizcochitos, have two.
  2. Divide a meal. Instead of having the whole burrito, eat half now and save the rest for later!
  3. Instead of two flour tortillas, have one flour and one corn tortilla.
  4. At a restaurant that serves chips and salsa along with big meal portions, simply skip the chips.
  5. Eat a salad before your main meal. That way you will naturally eat less and get your veggies to boot!

The biggest takeaway is this: By making small changes to your portion sizes, you can still enjoy your traditional foods. Cutting back on the amount of fat you eat is a good way to make healthy changes. You can cut back on fat without cutting back on flavor. If you follow these guidelines, you are well on your way to making healthy changes without compromising your passion for traditional foods.

¡Hola, Sabrosa!, Edición No. 3: Stay On Track, English, Healthy Body, Healthy Mexican Food

What is Portion Control: Part 1

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Do you have a grandma or madrina who’s always using old Spanish dichos to give you guidance?

Dichos are little golden nuggets of wisdom passed down by generations. They abound in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and California.

Not surprisingly, there are many dichos about food, like the New Mexican favorite, “Panza llena corazón contento.” That one (full stomach, happy heart) could get you in a whole lot of trouble if you let it. Better to counter it with “Poquito porque es bendito,” (A little bit because it’s sacred). Sooo much more civilized, and your abuelita would approve. It cultivates honoring your food as if it is sacred.

I’m sure many of you have seen your tíos or tías crossing themselves before they dive into a bowl of pozole. That’s the same idea: blessing your food, pausing and becoming aware of how delicious it looks and how grateful you are to be enjoying such a lovely meal…

Now think about this: what if you treated your body as if it were a sacred place, as if it were the temple in which you live? Imagine, if you treated your body with that much respect and love, how eating would change for you.

What if “poquito porque es bendito” guided your daily enjoyment of food? This old dicho passed on to us by our ancestors is perfectly aligned with our De Las Mías philosophy of “Poquito de Todo”—eat a little of everything.

At De Las Mías we want you to be passionate about food and passionate about your body. We want you to be Food Positive and Body Positive. We want you to embrace the deliciousness of our food and our cultural connection to it, and we want you to love and accept your body as it is now.

In keeping with our Poquito de Todo philosophy, we want you to make healthy changes that will result in a more empowered life and a healthier connection with your body. By embracing this “eat a little of everything” approach, you can make slight changes that will result in better health.

One of the ways to do that is to become aware of the size of your servings. We don’t want you to give up your favorite foods and family recipes—we just want you to reduce those serving sizes.

One tool to get a handle on serving sizes is our En Tus Manos Infographic. This handy little tool shows you how to use your hands, like your grandma did back in her day, to measure food.

Try it and let us know how it goes!

Check out our other articles in Healthy Mexican Food for ideas on how to cut down on serving sizes and enjoy your food.

¡Hola, Guapa!, Edición No. 2: Support, English, Healthy Comadres

Better Together: How to Start a Comadre Support Group

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We have just finished analyzing the results of our 2 year De Las Mías study! And our research confirms that a healthy lifestyle journey goes better if you have a comadre by your side! Yes, it’s true. Supportive friendships have been proven to help us make our lives better, and health is no exception. Social support and supportive friendships are keys to making healthy changes and having a healthy life.

In our work with our comadres at De Las Mías, we have come across several great ideas on how to nurture healthy and supportive relationships. Would you like to have a group of women support you in your healthy lifestyle journey? You can do that by inviting your girlfriends, comadres, madrinas, hermanas and tías to download the app and join the De Las Mías digital community. You can also start your own in-person De Las Mías Support Group. Here’s how!

How to Create a Comadre Support Group

1. Make a date

 

 

Invite 3 to 5 of your best friends and comadres who are ready to start living a healthier lifestyle. Agree on how often you will meet. We recommend once a week for 4 weeks. Then decide if you want to continue to meet once a week or go for every two weeks. This might be stating the obvious, but do what works for your group.

2. Take Turns

 

 

A great way to build support and confianza is for each person to take 3-5 minutes and give an update of what is on her mind without interruptions or advice. This is great practice. I don’t know about you but my comadres and I are constantly interrupting each other! You get your own special 3 minutes to say what is on your mind. Then the next comadre takes her turn.

 

3. Ask First

 

After you go around the circle and each one has shared without interruptions, you can respectfully ask if they want advice. If they say yes, offer your words of wisdom.

 

4. Speak from Your Own Experience

 

Try to speak your own truth. Say things like, “This is what worked for me,”  or “This is what I did that really helped.” Avoid saying, “You should…”

 

5.Share Your Goals

 

¿Sabes qué? Research shows that if you tell someone that you are making a change it increases your chances of sticking to it. Next time you are having a group meeting or even just sharing a private cafecito with your best friends, state your goal out loud. “Comadre, I am committing to cutting back on Gummy Bears.” (Or Oreo cookies, or chicharrones, or Doritos. You get the picture.)

Getting together on a regular basis to share your goals, frustrations and progress will get you to your healthy goals a lot quicker than doing it alone. Plus, it will be more fun!

Activities for Your Comadre Support Group

  • Do you want to walk more and sit less? ¿Sabes qué? If you commit to going on a walk with your comadrita 3 times a week for just 15 minutes, you are much more likely to do it. You might even do it for longer!
  • Start a Healthy Lifestyle Group at work. If you are lucky enough to get an hour for lunch, eat your lunch for 30 minutes and then go for a healthy walk for 30 minutes. If you can’t go for 30, go for 15! We know a group of 3 teachers that pitch in and buy the makings for healthy salads for lunch for the work week. They share the cost of the groceries, make healthy salads to share, and then go for a 20 minute walk. They feel great and have even shed a few pounds without getting obsessive and ‘all loca’ about it. Try it!
  • Is there a pretty street or an interesting neighborhood that you have often admired on your way home from work? Gather your comadres in your car-cancha, drive there and then go for a long walk. If you’re lucky enough to live in a town with a plaza, like Santa Fe, Albuquerque or Mesilla, New Mexico, cruise around the plaza and take in the beautiful adobe architecture of your ancestors.
  • Design a treasure hunt! Get some fun little objects like a shell, an old door knob, a porcelain duck, and an old teddy bear. Hide the objects around your neighborhood or the nearby park. Give your crew some clues and go walking for treasures. Take the kids or take your kid at heart.  
  • Make my day and go for a De Las Mías group bike ride! Take pictures and share them with us so we can post them on our Instagram feed! (I have a bias! I LOVE MY BICI! And I want you to love your bici too!)
  • Walk and pray! I am not kidding. I found a group of comadres and compadres in Silver City, New Mexico that used to pray the rosary while they walked laps around the field of the local high school.  
  • Do you have a book group? How about getting together to discuss an article from the De Las Mías blog? Combine it with a healthy potluck from our delicious collection of De Las Mías recipes.
  • Find a cause! Once you form a comadre support group, find a cause you can all support. If you can’t give money, give time. Make a difference in your community.
  • Craft day! Pick a date once a month or every three months and get together with your comadres to do something with your hands. We come from a long tradition of women getting together to sew, knit, and embroider. Start your own tradition with  your supportive friends and comadres. I have a group in Hood River, Oregon that gets together to make Valentine cards, or hand-made regalitos.
  • Have a clothing exchange party! Each comadre brings 2-3 items of clothing that they want to share. Bring 3 and take 3, or give away what doesn’t get exchanged to a good cause like Salvation Army, St. Vincent’s de Paul, Goodwill or the local Women’s Shelter.

There are many ways to get together with your comadres to improve your chances of living a healthier, more joyful and more supported life! It really helps if the comadres in your group also want to live a healthier life. You may all be in different stages of the journey (and that’s okay!), but doing it together builds confianza and success. Share your goals, your frustrations and your triumphs. We are better together, Comadres!

¡Unidas for a Healthy Life!

¡Hola, Guapa!, Edición No. 2: Support, English, Healthy Comadres

With a Little Help from Our Comadres: Part Three

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As Latinas, warmth comes naturally to us—and being a supportive friend is important. With help from our comadres we can achieve a healthy, content and successful life.

How to Be More Helpful to Your Comadres

Dr. James Prochaska, a well-respected researcher on making healthy lifestyle changes, offers the following advice to those looking to be a more supportive friend.

Show Empathy

When your friend is considering a change, one loving and kind thing you can do is be empathetic. Show her you understand.

Dr. Prochaska states that when people are thinking about making a change, they can feel like they want to take action but have self-doubt at the same time.

As a helpful comadre, you can let your friend know that you understand how hard making a change can be, and that you are there to support her as she tries to move into action.

Ask, “How Can I Help?”

It’s a good idea for the person asking for support to say what kind of support she needs. This isn’t always easy, so the helper may need to prompt her friend to ask for what she needs.

Miriam asked how she could help and I told her. You may also want to give your friend permission to tell you what is not helpful.

As the helping comadre, don’t fall into giving advice right away. Wait for your friend to ask for what she needs, or ask her, “What can I do to help?”

Show Warmth

As Latinas, warmth comes very naturally to us. We are lucky that way. We know how to show cariño.

It is a good reminder to show authentic cariño and acceptance for your friend. Give authentic feedback. You can say something like, “I know how hard it can be to make changes and I know you’ll do the best you can.”

De Las Mías is about helping one another succeed. When we have a strong support system, we can be more successful. Trust the journey, trust in each other.

Want to know more about living a healthy life in an atmosphere of kindness and support? Read part one and part two.