The Beacon Program

WE LOVE A SIMPLE SKILL. HERE’S ONE THAT’S MIND-BLOWINGLY SIMPLE: USING ICE TO RELIEVE STRESS. WHAT BETTER SEASON THAN SUMMER TO PUT STRESS ON THE ROCKS. At Beacon, we use Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and DBT creator Marsha Linehan developed distress-tolerance skills that help people use more adaptive, less destructive strategies when in crisis. ... We all face situations that make us feel out of control or cause us to reach for comfort food instead of sitting with difficult emotions. Cue the TIPP skills from DBT. Today we focus on the T in TIPP, which means: Tip the Temperature! (Read more here: https://beaconprogram.com/ice-as-a-skill/

TRANSITION TO SUMMER! This transition to summer can be such a thrill -- or not!! For people with a history of food and weight issues, there might be a shrill of horror rather than a thrill of summer. Even if you have released some weight and made enormous progress, the well-worn summer groove of fear and panic might set in at the precipice of summer. We get it. ... If diet culture has had you in its grip for years, the conditioning when flowers bloom and humidity rises might be to feel dread. Anticipation of bathing suits, beaches, picnics, barbecues, tank tops, jean shorts and sleeveless nights might trigger terror, not excitement. Summer might conjure up dreams of ice cream binges, not sunbathing and swimming. For some, summer means chafing thighs, belly rolls and sweaty strolls. Years of internal conditioning do not dissipate with the release of weight. It is common to be at a healthy weight and get retraumatized by summer. But we can reimagine summer and create new memories from this day forward. We can create new conditioning..... Read more: https://beaconprogram.com/transition-to-summer/ Photo by Hannah Morgan on Unsplash

THE MOST PORTABLE SKILL: YOUR IMAGINATION!! Using your imagination is a valuable skill for building a healthy relationship with food and self. Here is a creative exercise to try: pretend your mind is a movie camera in fast forward mode!! Imagine you have an urge to grab a slippery treat that you know will steal your serenity. You know, the food that always steals your serenity. Maybe you can’t sleep and decide it is a good idea to eat a couple of scoops of peanut butter from the jar or delude yourself that corn chips are a vegetable. Read more: https://beaconprogram.com/use-your-imagination/

JUMP FOR JOY! At Beacon we are advocates of sustainable happiness, even in the face of short-term setbacks. We are in this for the long haul. However, here’s what we see all too often: fear of the other shoe dropping. Let us explain: When clients enjoy a stretch of serenity, they mar their joy by waiting for the other shoe to drop.... Read more! https://beaconprogram.com/jump-for-joy/

RECIPE: HERBAL ICED TEA! On ice!! Herbal teas on ice are delightful. No sugar or sweeteners needed! The fresh fruits and herbs in these four healthy iced teas definitely help naturally sweeten the iced teas. #winwin. There are tons of different ways to make read more: https://beaconprogram.com/herbal-iced-teas/

WAVES OF EMOTION ONE THING WE KNOW AT BEACON IS THAT WHEN WE CREATE A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP WITH OURSELVES AND WITH FOOD, WE DIVE INTO AN OCEAN OF FEELINGS TOO. We use Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skills that include emotional regulation, which helps us process and manage our emotions. DBT invites us to see the uniqueness of our human needs in multiple dimensions. It is rare that we feel one feeling at a time. There are usually multiple currents simultaneously. ... To read more! https://beaconprogram.com/waves-of-emotions/

RECIPE: BUTTERY SPINACH SALAD WITH TEMPEH We love a colorful summer salad that combines interesting texture (pumpkin seeds) with warm ingredients (crumbled tempeh and crispy shallots), along with a buttery tahini dill dressing and peppers for color. Ingredients... 1 cup gluten-free tempeh, broken up into little crumbles 2 tbsp olive oil, divided 1/4 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp garlic powder 3 shallots, finely chopped 1 medium green pepper, seeded and chopped 4-5 cups baby spinach 1/4 cup buttery tahini dill dressing 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds Buttery Tahini Dill Dressing: 1 cup extra virgin olive oil juice of 4 fresh lemons 1/2 cup tahini 2 handfuls fresh dill, stems removed For the Dressing: Combine all ingredients in a food processor. For the Salad: Preheat oven to 375F. Combine 1 tbsp olive oil, cumin, garlic powder and paprika in a bowl. Add tempeh and mix until coated. Spread tempeh on a foil-lined tray and bake for 20 minutes until browned. In the meantime, prepare your dressing per the instructions at the link below. Set aside in the fridge. Heat remaining oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add green pepper and continue to sautee for 4-5 minutes more, until shallots are crisped. Remove from heat and set aside. Toss greens with dressing, then top with tempeh, sauteed veggies and pumpkin seeds. Divide into bowls and serve. Prep time: 20 minutes Serves 2 Recipe taken from One Green Planet: https://www.onegreenplanet.org//buttery-spinach-sa/BUTTERY SPINACH SALAD WITH TEMPEH