A few weeks ago, I went on a teaching vacation with my adult daughter.   This was my second one this year, so I had a lot less anxiety about juggling my resort responsibilities and getting in some much-needed rest and relaxation.  I learned a few things about myself through the eyes of my daughter. Here are a few things:

1. I need to remind myself that I deserve a break and not feel guilty or feel like I’m “wasting time”.
2. I realized my daughter is growing up and is different from what I remember. This is a good reminder that we constantly grow and evolve and that we shouldn’t be making assumptions about one another.
3. I need to learn how to relax and be OK with doing nothing. Doing “nothing” is doing something – I’m recharging or filling up my cup.

Slowing down and truly relaxing has always been a challenge for me.  I feel like I always need to be doing something productive or something to check off ‘my list”. A lot of this relates to my personality color, red. Red energy is associated with assertiveness, action, decisiveness, and leadership. It’s important to know when this energy is appropriate and when you need to tone it down.

I’ve been practicing the art of toning down my red energy:

1. Pausing and taking a few deep breaths before I respond

Asking myself: “Is this the best way to say this?” or “Is it necessary to respond right now?

2. Practice Active Listening

Summarizing what the other person said before replying (“So what I’m hearing you say is…”). This helps me to slow down and build trust. It also helps the other person clarify further if I misunderstood.

3. Mindful of my tone and body language

Red energy can unintentionally come across as intimidating; so, I try to smile more and lower my voice slightly.

4. Embrace Collaboration over Control

Instead of saying “Here’s what we’re going to do,” I now let others take the lead by replying “Let’s figure this out together.”

5. Be Mindful of Timing

Not everything needs to be addressed immediately or directly. Now, I choose to slow down and assert my ideas later.

Being intentional about toning down my red has led to more peace in my life and less stress. I’m becoming calmer and have more mental and physical energy to tackle my top priorities.  If you scored high in the red category, I’d love to hear your strategies on how you manage it at work or in your personal life.

To your health!

Maria Karalis RDN, LDN

mariamkaralis@gmail.com

Got 2 minutes to exercise? Then you have enough time to lower your risk of heart disease, cancer, and even early death, according to a study published online Oct. 27, 2022, by the European Heart Journal.

Researchers looked at almost 72,000 adults, average age 62, who were free of cardiovascular (CV) disease or cancer. Study participants wore a wrist activity tracker for 7 days. The device measured their overall activity, vigorous activity (vigorous activity usually means activity during which you can’t talk in a full sentence) and frequency of vigorous activity lasting at least two minutes.

At the 7-year follow-up, investigators concluded that exercising vigorously for a total of 15 minutes a week was associated with an 18% lower risk of dying during the study period. Doing at least 19 minutes per week was linked to a 40% lower risk of developing heart disease in that time, and doing 16 minutes was associated with a 16% drop in cancer risk. The risk for all three categories dropped even more as the weekly amount increased.

I like to call these small bursts of exercise, “exercise snacks”. These snacks can be powerful, not just for your CV health but for your mental health too.

So, what is an exercise snack? I’ve been working with a client, Elizabeth, who is an oncology nurse. Her job can be emotionally draining some days, and these exercise snacks help her re-focus.  She claims its “like a reset”.  The clinic she works at is on the 3^rd floor and her snack consists of taking the stairs to the top floor of the medical building.  She aims to get 3 sessions in each time she is at the office.

Other “exercise snack” ideas:

• Place a walking pad underneath your desk and walk briskly in between meetings
• After you eat lunch, go outside for a brisk walk
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator
• Do 10 body weight squats every hour on the hour or every few hours
• Buy some dumbbells and keep them at your desk – do a set of 12 reps of biceps or triceps or deadlifts
• Use a giant medicine ball instead of a chair at your desk

What are your favorites?

To your health!

Maria Karalis, RDN, LDN

What is self-care? It is the act of doing something that rejuvenates YOU and is different for each of us. For me it is waking up before anyone else to pray, read scriptures, self-reflect and be alone with my thoughts and hear God’s whispers. It is waking up early to bake/fulfill a Phanouropita (cake) order. It is my time to revisit my priorities, make tweaks to my plans and design my future.

Many women I see in my private practice tend to de-prioritize self-care and exercise due to work and/or family commitments. We wear multiple hats: partner, mother, daughter, caretaker, employee or employer; the list is endless.  We strive to be perfect and juggle all these responsibilities alone. This is not what God had intended. It’s OKAY to ask for help. It’s OKAY to ask your partner to share household chores or oversee dinner a few nights a week.  It’s OKAY to say no and tell your family, this is my “workout time”.  When I discover that my female clients are hanging on by a thread, I immediately shift gears and focus on how they are going to make self-investment or self-love a #1 priority. We, literally, talk through specifics and logistics – what does it look like? Feel like? And most importantly when will this happen? Then I ask them to put it in their calendar and treat it like a work meeting or an important doctor’s appointment.

Because you can’t pour from an empty cup. Women do it all the time, but it is not sustainable and leads to anger, resentment, burnout, feelings of overwhelm and can ignite disordered eating or other addictions.

A few weekends ago, I had committed to going to “Game Night” at my church on Saturday night. I had a long week filled with difficult conversations/ challenges and when Saturday rolled around, I wasn’t feeling up to going and socializing. I thought I needed “girlfriend time” so I called my best friend and told her I was coming over. After a few hours, I realized that wasn’t what I needed either. At that moment, I knew exactly what I was craving – alone time. To completely disconnect from everyone and everything just for a little bit. So, I checked myself into a nearby hotel and spent 12 hours on my own. No one knew where I was and that, in and of itself, was a liberating feeling. I watched a comedy in bed while eating straight out of a popcorn bag (what a rebel! LOL).  I woke up the next morning and went to the gym then treated myself to a hot breakfast. It was exactly what the RDN ordered! Listen to what YOU need and not what others or our society is telling you what you need.

Be kind to yourself and true to who you are.

All the best,

Maria Karalis RDN

Maria Karalis, RDN

“Yeah…NO.” That’s the phrase on my newly purchased T-shirt, and it perfectly embodies my word of the year: NO. For me, it’s about setting boundaries and saying no to situations, events, or even people that no longer serve me.

Let me explain. I used to be a perpetual “yes” person, always eager to help and reluctant to disappoint. Naturally kind and compassionate, I often made other people’s problems my own, leaving little room for my own needs or challenges. Over time, this pattern drained me, leaving me feeling like I was merely going through the motions—an empty shell with no energy to nurture myself.

I now dedicate daily time to meditation or self-reflection to evaluate my progress across key areas of my life. I’ve often written about my priorities, or “buckets,” which include: 1) spiritual, 2) family, 3) health, 4) career, 5) volunteerism, and a new addition for this year: 6) creating social platforms. Each morning, I assess how I’m doing in each area by giving myself a grade. If I fall short in any category, I create a plan of action to address the issue. This method has been instrumental in helping me overcome challenges and stay on track toward my goals.

During a self-reflection session, my word of the year revealed itself, and it has truly transformed my life. I’ve learned to set boundaries by declining social events when I’m overly tired or already stretched too thin. At the start of each month, I evaluate my commitments and identify opportunities to pare them down. If scaling back isn’t possible, I proactively schedule a three-hour block of self-care, knowing I’ll need time to recharge.

When it comes to saying no, I’m referring to safeguarding your well-being and mental space from individuals who may be harmful to you. We all have people in our lives who can negatively impact our mental health or inner peace. Take a moment to identify who those individuals might be and consciously reduce the time you spend with them. While it can be particularly challenging if the person is a family member, you can still create healthy boundaries by limiting your interactions with them.

Embracing the power of saying no has opened up more time in my schedule to focus on what truly matters in my life. I hope this inspires you to reflect on how often you use the word no and perhaps even discover your own word of the year.

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

Like we have a dry January, why not have a Dry Social Media month? Let’s all consider a new New Year’s goal of putting our phones away and focusing on ourselves. It does seem like an insurmountable task.  I’m not sure I could do it but I definitely will try! We spend far too much time mindlessly scrolling on social media. Social media is a major distraction and impacting the health and mental well-being of children and adults alike.

During my interactions with clients, I listen for social media influence and how much time my clients spend on social media.  When clients come to me, thoroughly confused about what to eat, how to exercise, or ask questions like, “should I stop eating at 6 pm?” Or “I heard you shouldn’t drink water during meals…” Or “I heard that you shouldn’t eat certain foods together, is this true?”  All these statements suggest that my clients may be spending too much time on social media. So, I probe further…

The conversation goes something like: So, how many hours do you think you spend on social media? I get responses like, “Hmmm, I’m not sure” or “I’m not a fan of scrolling; I may spend 30 minutes at the end of the day”. For those that have no idea, I consider that they may be spending more time on their phone than they think.  So which camp do you fall into? I bet you don’t really know. Indulge me for a moment. Pick a day – one typical day during the week then another day on the weekend. Document each time you pick up your phone to scroll. Document the start and end time and keep track for 24 hours. I think you’ll be surprised as to how many hours you spend scrolling mindlessly.  Truth is, unless we track it, we really have no idea how much time we spend scrolling.

Next, think about what you could have done with that time. You could have:

• Gone to the gym or for a walk
• Called a family member or friend
• Volunteered at your church or local shelter
• Decluttered a closet or drawer
• Read a book or a magazine
• Learned a new language you’ve been dreaming about
• Honed a craft or started a new hobby
• Played a musical instrument

You get my drift. I’ll be the first to admit, that I spent several hours on my phone each day right after I retired from the corporate world, primarily playing games. Looking back, I was distracting myself and using it to decompress.  Once I put my phone away, I used that time to reflect and eventually found my purpose in life. Mark Twain said, “the two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find your purpose”.  I can confidently say that I have finally found my true calling and am loving what I’m doing!

As much as I don’t want to, I need to check social media periodically for the growth of my business. I follow other Registered Dietitians to hone my craft and get business ideas. I also follow “Nutritionists” – I want to hear what messages they are communicating. It helps to keep my finger on the pulse.

I hope this message inspires you to track how much time you’re mindlessly scrolling on social media.  May you have a healthy start in 2025, and a future filled with self-love, compassion and good health.

P.S. I always have goals in many areas of my life (spiritual, family, health, career and volunteerism). For 2025, I’ve decided to add a new area called Creating Social Platforms. Follow me to learn more about this and how I’ll bring it to life.

To your health!

Maria Karalis, RDN

Thanksgiving has passed and you are now faced with more holiday parties and family gatherings. You tell yourself to wait and kick off your diet or exercise program on January 1^st. I’m here to tell you: don’t wait and start right NOW!

What if you were to start right now so you are armed with all the tools and strategies you need to ‘officially’ kick off on January 1^st? It takes time to figure out what strategies and tactics to deploy to make this happen. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) is a Food and Nutrition Expert. These individuals are trained to assess your situation and develop a personalized approach to getting your health back on track. For instance, my initial consultation with clients is very lengthy. I ask all kinds of questions about mind, body and spirit. These are all connected and need to be aligned, or in balance, as one embarks on a sustainable health journey.

Need another reason to start NOW? The average holiday weight gain in the U.S. is typically around 0.5 to 1 kilogram or 1 to 2 pounds. This gain occurs between Thanksgiving and New Year’s and is due to increased calories consumed and less physical activity. This doesn’t sound like a lot of weight and usually goes unnoticed by both people and their health care providers. The data shows that this 1 – 2-pound weight gain is not reversed during the spring or summer months. This means that the cumulative effects of yearly fall/winter weight gain are likely to contribute to significant increases in body weight over time. Not to mention, as we age, it is a bit more challenging to get the weight off. It is possible though, don’t get me wrong, but you do need to focus and have a thoughtful and intentional plan on how to lose it or keep it off, depending on your situation.

An RDN can help you devise a personalized health plan to achieve your goals – whether it is losing weight, gaining weight for a sports competition, treating an eating disorder, fine tuning your diet or preventing a chronic condition such as end stage renal disease or diabetes. An RDN is trained to conduct “medical nutrition therapy” which is very different from a basic nutrition consultation, which can be provided by Medical Doctors, Physician Assistants, Nurses, Personal Trainers or Celebrity Nutritionists. For more information on what an RDN can do for you, visit https://www.eatright.org/about-rdns-and-ndtrs.

The holidays can be stressful with work and family gatherings, shopping, decorating and baking, not to mention family dynamics. Food and adult beverages take center stage at family or work gatherings, including the peer pressure to indulge in extra servings or cocktails. Here are a few “tried and true” strategies for approaching the holidays this season:

• Choose one ‘cheat meal’: Choose one meal you will indulge in, be it on Thanksgiving, Christmas, NYE, etc. Maintain your usual healthy eating habits for the other meals/snacks on that day. Avoid cheat days – those are harder to come back from.  The foods for your cheat meal should be strategically chosen. Scope out the buffet table first.  Be strategic about what you add to your plate. Choose foods you will thoroughly enjoy. Take a small amount – not a heaping portion. Fill up your plate with a lean source of protein like lean cuts of meat, chicken, fish, eggs. Make sure its at least 5 – 6 ounces. Load up on vegetables then add your starches – sweet potato casserole, stuffing, Christmas breads, etc.
• Eat your protein first. Proteins are very satiating making it less likely you will overindulge in extra helpings of carbs or sugars.
• Never go to a party hungry. I always have something high in protein before leaving the house and never skip meals/snacks to ‘save up my calories’. This strategy backfires because you get hungry (or hangry in my case) and end up eating a lot more food.
• Take a family walk after your big meal to help bring blood sugar down. My husband and I always take a “no-excuses walk” after dinner, weather permitting. This is a short 1.3 mile walk and we talk and catch up on the day’s activities.
• Eat slowly and chew thoroughly. Savor each bite and engage in conversation with others around you. This helps to improve digestion and gives your brain time to recognize fullness. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that you are full.
• Don’t feel obligated to finish everything on your plate, especially if you are feeling full – listen to your hunger cues. If you are eating slowly, your body will cue you to stop eating. My grandmother used to say, you should be able to eat a little bit more after leaving the kitchen table.
• Drink extra water, especially when eating out or having foods catered in. Foods we haven’t prepared come with extra sodium. Staying hydrated is important. Don’t wait until you get thirsty. If you do, you are already dehydrated. Sip on water throughout the day.  Try drinking 16 ounces of water for every alcoholic beverage you consume.  Better yet, try a mocktail to save some calories.
• Have your CAKE or favorite dessert – I’m going to! LOL. I always have dessert. I make Kourambiethes for Thanksgiving and Melomakarona around Christmas. Melomakarona are my ultimate favorite.  These are Greek cookies dipped in honey with crushed walnuts on top. They are very sweet and you don’t need very much to satisfy your sweet tooth.