On Capacity, Exercise Dependence, and Your February Menus
Managing your capacity to stay informed and well, and time for the Winter Olympics.
Last month (which seemed like it had 6,000 days), I wrote about my word of the year - capacity. Since then, I’ve had newsletter readers, friends, and clients say they found the explanation of how capacity may be what stands in the way of what they want to do or accomplish helpful. Capacity is something I continue to discuss in client sessions. It’s less about wanting to make changes and more about having the tools to do so. If you missed that explanation, you can read it here.
Something I’ve realized that's been really important for maintaining capacity, especially when we've witnessed so many recent atrocities in this country and beyond, is stepping back for rest and connection. Please stay informed, AND rest. Please stay informed, AND seek connection. Please stay informed, AND feed yourself. I hope you don’t fall into the trap of thinking that you can’t help move the needle toward change, because you can. You can start by emailing or calling your representatives. As my colleague, Abbie Attwood said in a post last week on Instagram…
“We can’t disappear - that’s what they want. Grief and rage need fuel. Eating keeps us human.”
Rest, connection, and nourishment are essential. If we don’t get fed, have time to rest, or connect with those who help us stay calm, heard, and supported, I believe our capacity to stay informed and regulated also diminishes. So please take time for rest, like watching fun shows, going to bed early, and limiting your time on the news and social media. Even though there are times when we just want to check out from people and just isolate, please don’t.
Connection keeps us grounded and cannot be skipped. You can have coffee with a friend, call a buddy, join a book club or small group, go to therapy, walk with a friend (I guard my Saturday time with my friend), or snuggle your pet or someone else’s. Mr. Peabody, my sweet King Charles Cavalier, is wedged in beside me as a type this newsletter. I even take him to pick up my daughter from school more these days - we get connection and calm wherever we can!
Meanwhile, the Super Bowl and Olympics are a week away. I’ve planned a fun dinner option for you if you watch the “Big Game,” or even just the commercials. If you’ve been around a while, you know that I love the Olympics (far more than the Super Bowl). It could be that I’m a sports dietitian and have worked with amazing athletes. It could be that I was an athlete, and I just love seeing these competitors coming together. Now, it’s time for the Winter Olympics in Italy.
I’ve loved being either an athlete or supporting athletes most of my life. It can be amazing to watch them soar, overcome the hazards of high-level sport, recover, and become amazing role models for others - think Ilona Maher, Lindsey Vonn, Simone Biles, etc. Even the greats have to deal with diet culture, uniform constraints, coaching challenges, and the demands of managing their schedules and mental health. There is so much work behind that podium smile that we just don’t know about it.
You don’t have to be an elite athlete for this to be true. These days, I consider myself a former athlete who enjoys being active. I’m a hiker, a walker, sometimes a racer, and a person who enjoys strength training. All that to say, the ways we choose to move our bodies can bring us joy, which likely leads to a more sustainable way of being active. However, sometimes our relationship with exercise can be strained and forced, causing harm to our physical and mental health.
I had the pleasure of chatting with Claire Shorenstein, a sports RD and host of The Eat for Endurance Podcast. We chatted about exercise dependence, evaluating your relationship with exercise, and so much more. If this is of interest to you, I hope you take a listen.
I also got to chat with Cynthia Donovan, a dietitian and host of The Period Recovery Podcast. We chatted about body image, diet culture, the importance of body trust, body diversity, and more. It was a good conversation. You can listen below.
February Menus
There are so many cozy meals in this month’s worth of menus. I hope wherever you are that you are warm, safe, and connected with people you enjoy being around. Stay fed, friends, in any way you can. And remember, not every meal is a party in your mouth, but you still have to eat. You can’t fight fascism on an empty stomach, so take a look at your menu idea lineup.
Stay fed and watered,
:) Leslie