Summer is winding down
Welcome, September
I think I say it every month of the summer, but wow August went by quickly.
I am writing this before heading to Portland, Oregon tomorrow for my college girlfriend’s bachelorette. I began thinking about how much the women in my friend group have evolved over the years—grown apart, grown closer, moved across the country, started grad school, and planning weddings. It is hard not to compare sometimes. I admire each of them. I think about my clients and their supports, their friends, their families. I think about how I want to thank them. I want to thank them for being there for my clients on their hardest days. You, too, are a great support to your people. You are a gift to them.
📍 Walden Pond
As some of you know, I recently moved to Somerville and in with a college friend and her lovely friend of a friend. It is always wonderful getting to know new people’s ways— to see their patterns, and know their quirks. In the short time we have lived together, they’ve brought me to new experiences. One of which is to Walden Pond. One Friday in August, we got up with the sun and went for a swim. It was so peaceful and meditative to swim in the morning light. The moon was still high in the sky. Following this, we came back and made a big pancake breakfast.
I have always wanted to be “good” at journaling. My new roommate introduced me to the author Ross Gay and his book, Inciting Joy. I am starting to jot down little moments when I have felt joy. The morning on Walden Pond, which I just shared about, was one of those joyful moments. We were just bodies, floating in the water, no judgment, no rush to where we needed to be next, no fears — just comfort.
In what moments do you feel joy? It can be the tiniest moment.
15 minute meal
food, my favorite
I’ll start with my favorite, go-to recipe when I have limited time and/or energy.
Ingredients include: Trader Joes Squiggly Knife Cut Style Noodles, 2 eggs, seeds, frozen edamame or broccoli
Add-on’s include, but not limited to: sesame seeds, chili crunch, sriracha, scallion
What I love about this is that the noodles take 4 minutes, hard boiled eggs takes about 15 and sauteéing frozen edamame or broccoli takes about 5 minutes
Toss them all in a bowl and top with all the great toppings!
"“HOT TO GO” except this time it’s
“TOOGOODTOGO!” (okay, that was a stretch, but for Chappell Roan fans, I hope you laughed)
Too Good To Go is an app I recently discovered. It’s goal is to decrease food waste from local grocers, bakeries, and food spots. You hop on the app, put in your location and can go pick up a bag of items that is at it’s “sell by” date or won’t be sold the next day. This week I paid $5.99 and got a bag from Pemberton Farms. My bag had a cheese danish, coconut milk, two containers of pickles, sliced bread, and one chicken wing (yes, one, which made me giggle and was a great appetizer to dinner).
A note on serving size
Please ignore them. Listen to your body. There is no way that a box can determine what your body needs or know what you have eaten that day. What I love about these bon bons is that the serving size is all 12. I think I might get a tummy ache. Most trader joes meals, however, are not actually meals. They need sides or add-ons.
Noteworthy topics from sessions:
weight loss drugs on the rise
Now this topic truly deserves a whole newsletter. However, I will leave you with a powerful statement from a client that captures why I find them to be so harmful.
“they say these drugs quiet food chatter in your mind, but the only thing that has quieted food chatter for me has been nourishing my body more and more frequently”
This client points out how the drug reportedly gets rid of the mental chatter about food, but in reality, it is just taking away our natural drive for hunger that is necessary to live. These drugs don’t consider what happens when we come off of them. They can’t change behaviors. Regular nourishment IS key.
Live photos
In discussing body image and the difficulty of seeing herself in photos that were taken of her, my client mentioned something brilliant. She shared how when she uses her iPhone and the photo is live, she enjoys seeing herself moving in that moment. We talked about how you can see yourself laughing in preparation for a photo and how you can see yourself as more than a two-dimensional object. It humanizes the moment. When you feel frustrated after looking at a photo, watch the live. What do you see? What were you feeling in that moment?
You are not responsible for a family members emotions
Many of my clients are setting boundaries with family members in their lives who are either not recovery-focused, harmful, can be difficult or triggering. As clients set boundaries, I often hear they “feel like a b*tch” or “I am being mean”. It isn’t mean or bitchy to hold boundaries. It is healthy. If it doesn’t feel good, that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. Remember, feelings are not facts!
Last but not least
I am leading a workshop at our Hingham space this month on the 26th! I would love to have you.
you can purchase your tickets here!
see you next month!
xxoo,
Marina
