These are crazy times. Nearly everything has been canceled for at least two weeks and we have been asked to practice "social distancing." Kids are home from school. People are buying toilet paper like there will never be any ever again. And the numbers of those who've contracted COVID-19 keep going up. It's enough to make anyone have a panic attack.

Now is the Time to Practice EXTREME Self Care
But what exactly does self care look like now? I mean, likely your family is at home trying to work or bored out of their minds. How the hell are you going to take care of yourself with everyone around? 

Well, if you freak out then everyone will too. You've got to muster up your strength to be the calm example they need. I'm not saying that you should stuff down your feelings of anxiety, but quoting every click bait headline to your family that reads: COVID-19 Heralds the Coming Apocalypse, doesn't help at all. Here are some simple things you can do to practice self care in the time of COVID-19:

1. Stop Reading/Watching the News and Social Media
Get updates if things change in your local area then get off! I was driving myself mad by checking news sites every five minutes. Things are changing rapidly but not that fast. You can check once or twice a day but then stay away. It's only going to fuel your anxiety, and most of it is total crap. 

2. Read/Watch Content that Makes You Laugh
We all need a little laughter right now. So binge away on SNL, funny cat videos, Schitt's Creek, or anything that you enjoy. Fuel your mind with things that aren't so gloom and doom.

3. Take a Walk
If the weather permits, go outside and take a walk. Notice the blue sky, the flowers in bloom, and your neighbor's pristine lawn. Walking can be very meditative so take breaks as often as you need. 

4. Get Some Rest
We've got a real opportunity here to slow down. Isn't it kind of nice not to have to get up at the crack of dawn and cram down breakfast, rally up the kids, or whatever your morning routine usually entails? Now you can put on a pot of coffee and some light jazz (or other music you enjoy) and ease your way into the day. 

5. Prepare Your Own Food
Many of us love to dine out of the home. For me, it's because I hate the clean up after preparing a meal! But there's something very nurturing about preparing your own meals. You know exactly what went into your dish so there's no concerns about how healthy it is for you. You can even make it a family affair (but be sure to wash your hands!).

6. Breathe
Deep abdominal breathing sends a signal to your brain that everything is okay. Essentially you turn off your "fight or flight" response. Read more about this here​.

We don't know how long social distancing will last but we can do things that bring more calm and self nurturing so we can deal with whatever happens.

​Wishing everyone health and peace!

Most people think of fiber as basically tree bark. It's unappetizing and something that old people need to help keep them regular. And it's definitely not something gourmet foodies talk about because it's not sexy. But fiber is the key to health and something we all need a lot more of in our diets. Everyone (not just the elderly).

What is Fiber and Why is it so Important?
Fiber is a non-digestible carbohydrate and naturally concentrated in only one place: whole plant foods. Processed foods have less, and animal-products have no fiber at all. Animals have bones to hold them up. Plants have fiber. There's soluble fiber that dissolves in water and can be metabolized by the "good" bacteria in the gut and insoluble fiber that does not dissolve in water. Both forms have health benefits. 

While fiber definitely helps keep you regular and maintains healthy bacteria in your gut, there are also a ton more health benefits to making sure you're getting enough of it in your diet. High fiber intake appears to reduce the risk of colon and breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and premature death in general. A number of studies now show that high fiber intake may also help ward off stroke. Current nutritional guidelines recommend that men should eat 39 grams of fiber per day and women 25. Sadly, most Americans only eat about 15 grams a day.

How to Add More Fiber to Your Diet
This is where Michael Pollan's famous quote on what we should eat from his book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, holds true: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Whole plant foods —fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes—are good sources of fiber. Processed foods--chips, cookies, crackers, burgers, chicken nuggets—aren't.

Legumes in particular are fiber superstars. A cup of peas, beans, lentils, peanuts, and other legumes give you twice as much fiber as fruits or vegetables. And if you're worried about gas from consuming too many beans, gas is one of the byproducts of the kind of healthy soluble-fiber fermentation. So you can take your increased flatulence as a sign that you’re doing it right. And maybe not go out in public places after you consume a bunch of beans. 

What about Fiber Supplements?
While fiber supplements like  Metamucil, Benefiber, Fiber Choice, and Citrucel can give a boost to diets low in whole plant foods, they're no substitute for the real thing. research suggests that aiming to meet fiber needs—or at least a large portion—through naturally occurring fiber in foods is ideal. When food choices focus on getting fiber, an individual typically consumes fewer calories, chooses foods that have a lower glycemic index, consumes more whole foods like fruits and vegetables (and thus more nutrients), and consumes fewer processed foods. Relying primarily on supplements or fortified foods means missing out on these things. So, while you may be getting plenty of fiber, overall diet quality hasn’t improved. Also, most research looking at health benefits is based on higher dietary or intact fiber intake, so consuming fiber from a supplement doesn’t necessarily guarantee the same outcomes.

Fiber also has different effects based on its solubility. An insoluble fiber like wheat bran helps constipation, but has little to no effect on glycemic response or heart disease. A soluble fiber such as b-glucan lowers cholesterol, but isn’t the most effective when it comes to regularity. And, not all soluble and insoluble fibers are equal. In fact, research has linked only a handful of specific fibers as being effective when it comes to inducing certain health benefits. This means that consuming a supplement or fortified food has little effect if it doesn’t contain a specific type associated with health benefits.

So, instead of reaching for your Metamucil, why not whip up a black bean burrito? It has more fiber that will give your more health benefits, and if you add guacamole it tastes delicious! That sounds like a friendship made in heaven to me. 

I remember watching the Oprah show one time and she talked about a moment she had with a guest on her show. She described a split-second when she caught the person's eye and saw his reaction when he felt that she had really heard him. She said, "I witnessed the one thing all of us want: to be seen and heard. And it was beautiful."
​
 Why Can't We Get People to Listen to Us?
Because the world is a noisy, distracting place, and the distractions keep mounting with each passing moment. Because of all the distractions and stress from the distractions, each of us feel that WE are not being heard so we talk more, and louder. It's only natural. When we're upset about something or very passionate about it, I believe our ears shut off and we talk even louder because what we have to say is so critically important to us that nothing else matters but getting the words out. 

There's a problem with this however, because the person or people that you're screaming at also want to be heard. And they want to react to what you just said. They want to react so much and so vehemently that they start talking louder. So you see where this is going, right? No one is heard but everyone desperately keeps trying.

Our Damn Ego
The other big thing that gets in the way is our damn ego. If someone says something that sets us off, touches a nerve, or hits our insecurities, the ego steps up and says, "Oh no! We must defend ourselves!" Because we can't be exposed or vulnerable. Basically, the ego's job is to protect us but we have to really examine if we're in actual danger. Most of the time we're not.

But here's the interesting thing about the ego: it fears that listening or seeing someone else will result in a loss of self. When we are fully present, when we listen and really see someone we not only fill the need of the other person but also within ourself. That's why Oprah said it was so beautiful when we witnessed the moment her guest felt seen and heard. She experienced it too. 

Be the Change You Want
Gandhi had it right. First, you have to experience what it is to be seen and heard before you can give it to another, and receive it from another. It all starts with you. Every. Damn. Thing. Starts. With. You. 

In your crazy day, week, month, life, you absolutely MUST find time to shut out all the distractions. Turn off the phone. Shut down Netflix. Don't listen to the radio. Just be quiet. You'll find that you don't like it, or that it's really uncomfortable. You're going to want to grab your phone and check it. Or you're going to start hearing all the chatter in your head, and some of it is not very nice. 

You need to stick with it. Stay with the feeling of being uncomfortable and remind yourself that you're not going to die from it. Then listen. Put your hand on your heart and hear it beating. That's you. You are listening to yourself, perhaps for the first time in a very long time. 

Practice doing this for a few days and you'll notice that you're more open to listening to others. You'll also find that some people will begin to listen to you. Some people won't listen to you, ever. But YOU get to choose how much time, if ever, you spend with the non-listeners. And you wouldn't have figured this out if you hadn't listened to yourself first.