Maybe Food is Love - Rachel Myhre, MS, RD, CD

Food, Relationships and Love

 

At the core of the human heart -- indicative of an innate longing -- is a desire for connection. Connection with people. The words and life of Christopher McCandless capture this notion well. The24-year old hiker -- who ventured into the Alaskan wilderness, desiring a time in solitude – stated these words near the end of his life: “Happiness is only real when shared.” [Italics mine]The very wildness that would take his life, exposed his profound realization. A realization that rings true for so many.

Although unique to each individual, the desire for genuine relationships, connection and love is safe to assert. And may we pause to reflect on the fact that human connection is unattainable separate from the building blocks of life which sustain it.

“Everyone runs on food. Every hug, every kiss, every page ever written is because of food. Without food there is no life. Everyone has to eat! I was so disconnected from the real purpose of food as nutrition and so focused on the emotional uses of food that I forgot that we all run on food. This was an important realization in my recovery and still strikes me as important.” –TA ¹

How often do we become disconnected from the primary purpose of food and nutrition that we overlook the fact that food is fundamental to life? And thus fundamental to connection. This is not breaking news to anyone I am sure. And yet, how often do we neglect the role of food as nourishment? And letexpectations, diets, fears or destructive habits pertaining to foodbecame our focus? How often do we trust our innate ability tolovingly fuel our body?

In the midst of this appreciation, we acknowledge thatconnection can be stirred by a candlelit dinner. We acknowledge that memorable holidays and celebrations would not be the same without the food traditions that enrich them.

Food nourishes our body in a way that is vital to life.Connection nourishes our soul in a way that breathesrelationship, meaning and love into our existence. Our experience with food can never replace the genuine connection we experience with people. And connection with people, alone,cannot sustain our lives. So let us embrace the relationships and love that are beside us. And may the nourishment of your bodyset the stage for the nourishment of your soul.

 

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8 Keys to Recovery from an Eating Disorder. Carolyn Costin &Gwen Schubert Grabb

Google embarks on smart contact lenses for diabetics-Dara Kerr

What if people with diabetes didn't have to prick their fingers several times a day to conduct blood sugar tests -- but instead could simply wear contacts?

A prototype of Google's smart contact lens that could measure glucose levels in people with diabetes.

Google

Google has been working on smart contact lenses embedded with sensors "so small they look like bits of glitter" and an antenna "thinner than a human hair."

But these lenses aren't being developed to give people super-human sight or cast the Internet over their field of view -- rather, they could potentially help diabetics monitor their glucose levels.

Google announced Thursday that it's been working on this secret project at its Google[x] research lab. Not only has it developed prototypes of these smart contact lenses, but it's also done multiple clinical research studies, met with the US Food and Drug Administration, and is looking for potential partners to bring the product to market.

"We're now testing a smart contact lens that's built to measure glucose levels in tears using a tiny wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor that are embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material," the project co-founders Brian Otis and Babak Parviz wrote in a blog post. "We're testing prototypes that can generate a reading once per second."

Diabetes is said to be one of the fastest growing diseases in the world. According to Google, it affects one in 19 people around the globe. In order to keep blood sugar levels in check, diabetics must give themselves finger prick blood tests throughout the day.

These tests can be time consuming and painful. But they're crucial -- if glucose levels get out of control, diabetics risk damage to their eyes, kidneys, and heart.

For years scientists have been investigating other ways to test blood sugar levels. One branch of research has been exploring breathalyzers as a way to detect heightened glucose levels. Researchers have also looked into using tears for glucose tracking, which is where the idea of a contact lens came along.

Using tears is complicated, however, because it's been hard for scientists to collect tears for testing. So, it's still unclear how effective this body fluid works in measuring glucose levels. Additionally, this product is far off from any sort of mainstream use. Not only does Google need to find partners to get the contact lenses to market, but it also needs to go through the arduous FDA clearance process.

Besides blood sugar testing, Google also hopes that the smart contact lenses can warn users if their glucose levels are high or low.

"We're exploring integrating tiny LED lights that could light up to indicate that glucose levels have crossed above or below certain thresholds," Otis and Parviz wrote. "We hope this could someday lead to a new way for people with diabetes to manage their disease."

A Resolution to Make 2014 Your Best Year Yet!

     2014 is here! After the celebration on New Year’s Eve with a glass (or three) of champagne, and that special kiss to ring in the New Year, we turn our focus onto New Year’s Resolutions; the list of resolutions which we’re really (we swear), going to commit to and keep this year.  After some brainstorming we often come up with a list that seems to resemble that our peers'. Maybe to sleep more, become more organized, save money and often to lose weight.

     In Googling “New Year’s Resolutions”, Tips on how to maintain your resolutions, appear first. Why are our resolutions so difficult to maintain? Why do our lists resemble last years' and the year before? Why can't we seem to lose the weight, or become more organized? 50% of Americans make a New Year’s Resolution, and within 30 days, only 8% of them are still committed. Experts say that it has a lot to do with the approach we take when making our resolutions, and that using guilt or fear as motivation seems to be a deterrent.

     So how to we achieve success? On Bankrate.com, they offer a tip. ”Make a resolution to fit with your own values."  My own values? After thinking and internalizing this idea, I have come up with a resolution that might just make 2014 the best year yet:

• "To put myself first.

     Webster Dictionary defines Self-Centered as having or showing concern only for yourself, however it continues to add independent of outside forces or influences. I can only assume most of you are thinking that, living this way is being selfish. Yes, by definition, Self-Centered is considered to be negative, however can we redefine it as being centered on ourselves. Not influenced by media, our significant others or friends/family's' opinion, but truly what is important to us. Influenced simply by our own values. Being authentic to who we are. If we can acknowledge that we OWE it to ourselves, to love, care for, and respect ourselves, then it becomes easier to achieve our own resolutions.

     In today’s world we constantly lose, what I like to call our self-center. We center ourselves on friends, spouses, school, and family. We often lose our values in the midst of this. We put all of our external responsibilities and obligations first and fall into a cycle of fatigue, anxiety, and stress. This activity of putting others first consistently seems to ignite feelings of resentment, guilt and a sense of failure. By making a resolution to put ourselves first, we acknowledge that once we meet our basic needs and desires, we are able to give and accept from a place of true joy and happiness because we eliminate the cycle that leads to resentment and feeling overwhelmed.

     What would a life of putting ourselves first actually look like? It would include remembering each decision we make should point toward our own values. It would include saying “no” more often, and allowing space for our own thoughts. Showing ourselves love and respect on a daily basis would mean letting some people down once in a while, and in turn, it would be giving from a space of true love and happiness.

     Our resolutions of wanting to lose weight, or to eat better, often fail because we fall into feelings of guilt and fear from an outside force or influence. So if we allow ourselves to be self-centered and focus on our own values and what our own desires are, we might see that the world has endless possibilities. Our goal is to, eventually, through putting ourselves first, have our resolutions become a part of who we are!
-Sarah Morrison, RD, CD, Director of Medical Nutrition Therapy for Ramey Nutrition