Is Seitan Healthy? (And What the Heck Is It, Anyway?)

My editor, who is way cooler than me, has been hanging out on TikTok lately and says she is seeing lots of videos about cooking with seitan. Apparently, this meat substitute is having a bit of a moment. But plenty of people are still unfamiliar with this ingredient: What the heck is it, how does it stack up nutritionally, and how do you eat it?

Apparently, seitan is having a bit of a moment. But the food it refers to has been a staple in Asian cultures for at least 15 centuries.

Seitan is not a new thing. The word (pronounced say-tan) is Japanese and was coined just 50 years ago by one of the proponents of the macrobiotic diet. But the food it refers to has been a staple in Asian cultures for at least 15 centuries. I remember seeing it (but not buying it) at the Food Coop I belonged to as an undergraduate at Boston University. Although that was not quite 15 centuries ago, it was still long before the days of Whole Foods stores and yoga studios on every corner. Back then, food coops (and health food, in general) occupied a sort of a fringe culture left over from the Age of Aquarius.

Today, of course, plant-based and plant-forward diets have become relatively mainstream and you are much more likely to run across seitan at your local grocery store. It's often next to the tofu or the plant-based meat alternatives. If your local grocery doesn't carry it, seek out a health food store, food coop (yes, they still exist!), or Asian grocer. You can even make your own! (More about that in a moment.)

What is seitan made of?

Seitan is most frequently used as a meat substitute in vegetarian diets. It has a sort of stringy, chewy texture that makes it a fairly good substitute for meat. Unlike some meat substitutes, however, it’s actually a decent source of protein. But the source of the protein might surprise you.

The source of seitan's protein might surprise you!

Seitan is made from wheat gluten. Yes, you heard me correctly. This “health food” consists almost entirely of gluten: a substance a lot of people are going to great lengths to avoid these days. It’s made by rinsing wheat flour dough to dissolve and remove most of the starch and fiber. Eventually, what you have left is a sticky, elastic mass of protein.

Wheat as a source of protein

We tend to think of wheat and products made from wheat (such as bread and pasta) as “carbs.” However, people forget that...

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Making More Out of Less: The Power of Subtraction

1. What inspired you to write on this topic? Was there a specific situation where you realized that people overlook subtraction? 

Our struggle to subtract has long puzzled me. Sure, we can find terrific advice on digital minimalism; five-ingredient recipes; and, of course, decluttering our homes. But why do I need to read three different books to fix the same basic problem when it crops up in my inbox, my kitchen, and my home? Why does this advice remain surprising?

It’s been five centuries since Da Vinci defined perfection as when there is nothing left to take away; seven centuries since William of Ockham noted that it is “in vain to do with more what can be done with less,” and two and a half millennia since Lao Tzu advised: “To attain wisdom, subtract things every day.” The advice endures because we continue to neglect subtraction.

My favorite (non-research) breakthrough was when my toddler son, Ezra, and I were struggling to build a “bridge” using his Lego Blocks. The support towers for the bridge were different heights, so we couldn’t span them. I reached behind me to grab a block to add to the shorter tower. But as I turned back towards the soon-to-be bridge, Ezra was already removing a block from the taller tower. While my instinct was to add, putting an additional Lego on the short support, it was actually faster and more efficient to subtract to create a level bridge. 

(To be clear, Ezra isn’t any better at subtraction than the rest of us. He just caught a lucky break..)

2. How can ordinary people start “subtracting” from their own lives, and where is it most important to start from? What are the first and second steps toward achieving this “deletion” mindset?

The essential first step is to appreciate that our brains are wired to overlook subtraction. That’s why I wrote the book. It turns out that this mindset is the root cause of so many of our problems.  Cluttered closets, inboxes, and calendars are just symptoms.

Only when we focus on the root cause can we move on to the next step: to subtract first. Say, for example, you are planning your schedule for the upcoming week. Force yourself to take away one regular group meeting as the very first thing you do. (Don’t worry, you will be fine, they will be fine.) Once you start subtracting and realize you like the results, it becomes much harder to overlook subtraction going forward....

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How Should Skinny People Exercise?

A while ago, a listener named Luis wrote in and asked:

I have thin legs and thin arms and a flat chest. What I do have is a pretty big belly. What is the fastest way to gain muscle?

To start with, in the fitness industry, Luis would be termed an “ectomorph” body type, meaning he's naturally thin. He is also what we would call a “hard gainer,” meaning his body type has difficulty putting on muscle.

Both men and women can fall into this category, and when they’re out of shape, it’s fairly common for extra fat to gather around the mid-section, which causes the look Luis mentioned. 

How to bulk up

To help with this question, I reached out to coach Bryan Parady who specializes in what he calls “bones to bulk” training. He told me a bit about his origin story.

"Way before I started Bones to Bulk, I used to be a super skinny guy." Bryan said. "I weighed 118 pounds and was super insecure. I walked with my shoulders stooped. I couldn't look you in the eye. I just had zero self-confidence. Then I was watching the Rocky series one day when I was 23. And after I watched it, I was like 'I'm going to get buff!' And I went out the very next day, I bought some weights, I bought a bench, I brought it home, I set it up at my house and worked out consistently for about a year. And I saw literally no change. And I was like 'What in the world is going on?' That's when I really started to dive in, and really do my research and learn things. So that's what got me started. I have to think Sylvester Stallone for that."

I put Bryan on the hot seat and asked him to give us his take on a few questions that I get asked often via email, Facebook, Twitter and voicemail. Here are his responses.

Do I need to work out if I am already skinny?

A lot of people will say "Oh, I wish I had that problem of not being able to gain weight," but you know, both sides of the spectrum are really difficult. When you're very underweight, it's just as mind-crushing as being overweight. It's still that mental battle that we have to realize "I'm not happy with who I am." So I think it's important on both sides of the spectrum to workout. Not just for our physical...

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It's Time for a Spring Cleaning of Your Mind

Here in the Northeastern U.S., spring has finally sprung. It’s sunny, breezy, delightful … and time for a spring cleaning.

I used to dread the spring cleaning—the switching out of seasonal clothes, the wiping down of fans, the whole drill. It was a chore, a drain of my time and energy. 

But one day a few years ago, I realized how much lighter I felt post-cleaning. That annual process I dreaded? It actually left me feeling refueled and ready to tackle the next big thing. I wondered if I could get that same sense of energy and renewal for my work life (not to mention life in general) with a little spring cleaning of the mind.

Why clean out your mental closet?

Our closets can get overwhelmed by an accumulation of things. So too can our minds. Unfortunately—unlike with excess shoes, clothes, and accessories—there's no charity organization or resale shop waiting to take in your mental clutter.

When I realized that my brain was suffering from an accumulation of unused junk, I roughed out a process and took myself through a professional spring cleaning. And it was a clear win!

Not only have I done a mental spring cleaning every year since, but I’ve also developed a version that leaders can use with their teams.

If you’re a leader (or an aspiring one) feel free to grab your guide to running a Team Renewal session here.

Ready to spring clean your mind? Awesome. Let's do this!

Set yourself up for success

This exercise can deliver a little value or a ton. If you’re here for a ton, then let’s start by setting you up for maximum success.

A great setup means focusing on three key factors: 

1. Mindset. Look at this as that opportunity for renewal. Not only is it a chance to let go of anything that isn't functioning anymore, it's also an opportunity to dial up the things that are working. The process should feel like a gift, not a chore. Tell yourself this until you believe it.
    
2. Time. Give yourself time to be reflective. You don’t want to race though this exercise. It should feel thoughtful and intentional. I typically set aside two to three hours, sometimes in a single block, or sometimes in smaller chunks. Whatever works for you is great.
    
3. Space. Try to clear a space in which you’re unlikely to be distracted. Move physical clutter and ask anyone (big or little) who shares your space to steer clear of you. This isn’t a meditation retreat. Nothing has to be perfect. But try to separate yourself from “real life” as much as you can. 

Now you’re ready. So let’s get you...

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Why Do I Grind My Teeth So Much—And How Can I Make It Stop?!

Today Savvy Psychologist is excited to share a special episode of Checking In, a new wellness advice podcast from SELF magazine. Checking In tackles our most personal health and wellness questions, no matter how complicated or embarrassing. In this episode, you'll hear how anxiety can manifest in our teeth and jaw, and you’ll learn practical tips for relieving the physical symptoms of stress. Enjoy!

In this episode, a woman named Sarah calls in to tell us that she’s been grinding her teeth a lot lately, thanks to her anxiety.

“I started to notice an increasing amount of jaw pain,” she says. “I could feel my jaw spasming during the day.” She says that the more she does it, the more worried she gets about it, which then creates a nasty cycle where her anxiety triggers her teeth grinding and vice versa. Sarah wants to know why this is happening, and how to make it stop.

This is all very relatable to me, and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone in that.

New episodes of Checking In come out every Monday. Listen to this week’s episode by clicking on the audio player above, and get more episodes of Checking In on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Teeth grinding, or bruxism, is when you clench your jaw and grind and rub your teeth together, generally unintentionally. There are a number of different causes of teeth grinding, and mental health conditions like anxiety can absolutely be a factor. So to get some insight into that mind-body connection, I first talk to licensed clinical psychologist Andrea Bonior, Ph.D., the author of the book Detox Your Thoughts.

“There’s really no disconnecting the physical response of stress from the mental one,” Bonior says. She and I discuss the fight-or-flight response, and why anxiety can indeed manifest physically in many different ways—like teeth grinding, of course, but also gastrointestinal distress, headaches, shortness of breath, insomnia, and so on.

We’re in a situation where ... we have to overthink whether or not everyday, simple decisions are going to harm us. We used to take for granted the fact that we could go get groceries. Or we could get the mail, or we could talk to a neighbor. We now have to think about that on such a level that it’s exhausting.

...

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4 Super Fun Family Challenges to Help You Stay Connected

A few years ago, I read about an interesting study in the New York Post. The destination marketing organization for the city of Anaheim, California surveyed 2,000 parents with school-aged children across the U.S. and found that American families get just 37 minutes of quality time together per day. According to the New York Post article:

The top things to blame are, inevitably, long hours at work (67 percent), weekends spent doing chores, and the kids' school schedule.

Wow, I definitely related! We spent the majority of our family time in the car driving back and forth to school and afterschool activities. But we were usually distracted by thoughts of our upcoming work or school day, sports practice, or other things we needed to accomplish. That meant we weren't in the right mindset to soak up some good conversation. Our drive counted as together time, sure ... but there wasn't anything quality about it.

Why is connecting with your family so important?

When I was raising my eight kids, it felt like they'd be little forever and I had all the time in the world. But when people tell young parents that the years fly by so quickly, they aren't kidding! It seems like my kids graduated from high school in the blink of an eye. Then, they were off to college for the next phase of their lives.

Once my kids started kindergarten, I feel as though I spent nearly half the time with them that I had before they reached school age. And that time got even shorter as they got older and more involved with friends and outside activities.

That's why, when I read that article in the Post several years back, it really resonated. Before long, our kids are grown and living lives of their own. Family together time is the best time to connect with your kids, engage with their daily lives, and learn more about the passions that drive and motivate them. It's a time to teach life lessons and help them build the foundation for successful adult life.

Creating a connection with family challenges

Although our busy 21st Century lives seem like they're custom-made to interfere with family connection, there are still creative ways to sneak in a little quality time. One of my favorites is family challenges. I...

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Benefits of Investing Through a Crypto Wallet

For the past few years, it has continued to become quite clear that there is a lot of value and potential for future gains for those that continue to invest in digital currencies. When you are looking to invest in digital currencies, there are plenty of important decisions that will need to be made along the way. This can include choosing which coin to invest, how much capital to invest, and what to invest through. For most people, investing and holding your crypto funds in a crypto wallet is a good option. There are a variety of benefits that come when you invest through one of these wallets.

For the past few years, it has continued to become quite clear that there is a lot of value and potential for future gains for those that continue to invest in digital currencies. 

Easy to get started

A key advantage of investing in Bitcoin and other digital currencies is that it is easy to get started. The application process to open up a wallet and account can take just a matter of minutes. Once the account is opened, you will be able to start purchasing these coins immediately after a deposit is made. This is very quick compared to investing in a stock or other investments through traditional brokerage accounts.

Variety of different coin options

A key advantage of using a well-established crypto wallet to invest and hold your digital currencies is that there are many coin options for you to choose from when you are picking an investment plan. While Bitcoin may be the best-known digital coin available today, it is far from the only one. Today, there are many coins that you can choose from, each of which has unique features that can help to provide a great service and offer promise for future price appreciation.

For those that are going to invest in digital currencies, having access to more coins is very important. Those that are able to invest into different coins will effectively be able to diversify their investment holdings in this industry, which can mitigate some risk and improve your overall return potential. Some other coins beyond Bitcoin to consider investing in include Ethereum, Ripple, Litecoin and others that provide value to you as an investor. No matter what type of coin you want to invest in, they can be easily purchased through a wallet. Many of these platforms use more traditional forms of payment including Apple Pay and credit cards to complete these transactions.

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