June, 2006

Letter From the Founder

Dear Friends,

In the good old, bad old 1970s, I had a friend who adopted a very rigid macrobiotic diet. Even her five big dogs were restricted to brown rice and vegetables, and had to wear muzzles outside so they wouldn't accidentally ingest a little meat in the form of a hapless field mouse or June bug. Like a modern-day Carrie Nation, she blamed most of the world's ills on our shameless indulgence in "sensual eating".

Of course from the perspective of 30 years later, I realize that my friend probably suffered from an eating disorder. Like it or not, food is such a basic human need that it has undeniable social, emotional, and cultural components. It is perfectly normal and healthy to anticipate a good meal, and to delight in food that is pleasing to the eye, the nose and the palate. The problems occur when we develop an unhealthy relationship with food and begin using it to meet other needs, for example to distract from feelings of unhappiness or anxiety, to dull pain, or as an antidote to boredom or stress.

Mirasol's philosophy of mindful eating aims to restore a healthy, balanced relationship with food that honors its importance to our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. When we take food into our bodies, it literally becomes a part of us, assimilating into our inmost being, mingling with saliva and stomach acids while moving through the digestive tract and into our blood. Therefore eating is a personal and intimate act that should not occur without due appreciation, contemplation and a little meditation. We ask our clients to be present, moment by moment, for each sensation that happens during eating, and to think about where our food came from, how it grew, and what path it took before reaching our plates. The path to our plates is much shorter and easier to comprehend for fresh, whole foods. These foods not only provide superior nutrition, but help us appreciate food in its own right rather than for its ability to meet other social and psychological needs.

Mirasol is blessed to have a team of nutritionists and chefs who are committed to our whole foods philosophy. I hope you will enjoy learning about how they put this philosophy into practice every day in our residential eating disorder treatment programs.

Warmly,
Jeanne Rust, PhD, LPC
Founder and CEO Mirasol

Why Whole Foods?

Ask any Mirasol alumnus what she liked best about her stay at Mirasol and nine out of 10 will say, "The food! The chefs are awesome!"

Mirasol's residential eating disorder treatment program has been helping women heal their minds and bodies since 1999. According to Lauren Kanzler, nutritionist at Mirasol's adult residence, "one of the most important ingredients in that 'healing brew' is our use of whole, unadulterated, unprocessed foods."

Whole foods should be a big part of any healthy diet, but for women recovering from eating disorders, they are absolutely essential, according to Amanda Mellowspring, Mirasol's Nutrition Program Manager.

"When a woman is recovering from an eating disorder, she is generally malnourished," says Mellowspring. "Eating high quality, nutrient- and fiber-rich foods makes sure that she is getting the nutrition she needs and not just packing on the pounds."

The term "whole foods" conjures up memories of Saturday mornings in the Unitarian Church basement breaking down huge bags of wheat berries, mung beans and carob. Fortunately, whole foods have come a long way since then and are now more varied and widely available in supermarkets and health food stores as well as farmers' markets.

"Many people confuse whole foods with organic foods, which are much less available," according Mellowspring. "Whole foods are about where food comes from, and organic foods are about how it is grown".

Kanzler defines whole foods very simply as "foods that appear as they do in nature when we eat them and that are minimally processed and free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives".

Visit a Mirasol kitchen and you won't see trays of frozen entrées ready for the microwave. Instead, it's Chuck or Lane or Amy cutting up mountains of fresh vegetables and fruit while keeping an eye of a wok sizzling with fresh fish, chicken, turkey or tempeh. Every meal includes a vegetarian option, and the regular menu includes savory dishes such herbed fish with risotto and yams, roast turkey with stuffed acorn squash, or chicken or tempeh stir fry with soba noodles, miso soup and rice, to name a few.

Besides healthy, mindful eating, residential treatment at Mirasol includes classes in nutrition, cooking and gardening.

Amanda Mellowspring sums up Mirasol's nutrition philosophy as follows: "Our main goal is to help our clients develop good life skills and enough knowledge of food to make good choices that will continue not just through their recovery, but throughout the rest of their lives."

Recipe: Thai Lettuce Wraps

Thai lettuce wraps combine the crispness of lettuce with the tartness of ginger and cool tones of mint and lime. Perfect for a day when temperatures in Tucson are expected top (gasp!) 108°.

1 lb. ground turkey, pork, beef or chicken breast, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup purple cabbage, shredded
3 scallions, chopped at an angle
1/2 c. plum sauce
2 cups basil leaves
1 tbsp. fish saucve
1 bunch romaine hearts or 1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, cut in half
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 fresh lime, squeezed
A dash of red pepper flakes

Heat large skillet with olive oil. Add turkey or chicken and brown.
Add garlic, ginger, peppers, cabbage and scallions, stirrinbg constantly.
Add plum sauce to glaze the mixture and toss for 1 minute.
Add basil and mint leaves.
Add fish sauce and turn ingredients to coat.
Add a squeeze of fresh lime to complete mixture.
Spoon the turkey and veggie mix into the lettuce pieces. Garnish with fresh mint, fold lettuce, and eat like a taco!