by Lucy | Jul 4, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
“What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.” -Gretchen Rubin
|
(This week’s post is courtesy of our new Chief Creative Officer, Kristen Norton)
Wouldn’t it be nice if healthy decisions didn’t have to be so hard?
Some healthy choices come only after spending lots mental energy. It takes effort to plan, willpower to stay the course, and emotional energy too. But what if you could just make the healthy choice without all that work?
I bet this morning when you brushed your teeth, you didn’t have to think about it. And when you drove to work, you probably let your mind wander or enjoyed your favorite morning radio station.
Most of us brush our teeth and drive to work without much thought or decision-making at all. We’re on autopilot. We’ve done these things so many times that it just happens.
Building a new habit tends to include hard work up front, but done right you can rely on autopilot to sustain the change.
In the beginning, it’s important to be consistent and never miss a beat. You must make up your mind to give it your all. It will require a lot of mental energy. The payoff, though, is that the grit and the effort won’t be required forever.
In other words, your goal is to make healthy habits something you just do automatically. You don’t have to make the decision to eat a healthy breakfast – you just do.
Think about your current routines and habits…
What things do you do automatically?
_________________, _____________________, _____________________, _________________, _____________________.
What healthy habits do you want to put on autopilot?
1. _________________________________________
2. _________________________________________
3. _________________________________________
What hard work would you have to do upfront to make this happen?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Food for thought:
Whether it takes 21-days or 6 months, when you put your mind to making a new healthy habit you will succeed.
The secret? Keep doing it! Consistency is key.
Recipe of the Week: Cilantro Lime Shrimp Quinoa Bowl
Cilantro. Yum! Lime. Yum! Shrimp. Yum! Quinoa. Yummy!
This recipe has some of my most favorite flavors of summer. What’s not to love?
This week’s recipe, Cilantro Lime Shrimp Quinoa Bowl is brought to you by Spoonfulofflavor.com.
by Lucy | Jun 27, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Beach house booked… Check!
Bags packed… Check!
Sunscreen… Check!
GPS set-up…Check!
Take out the trash… Check!
Set the alarm… Check!
Time to go!
Wait! What’s to eat?!
It is all too easy to hit the road, pick up snacks at the convenience store, or get fast-food, but how is that serving your goals?
Below are a few tips and tricks to guide you to more Well-Balanced eating on your summer vacation.
Plan ahead:
•Find some Well-Balanced meal options on the way and at your destination.
•Will you have a mini fridge/microwave where you are staying?
•Is there a fitness center, pool or nearby walking trails?
•Bring along an exercise DVD or pull up a workout video on your laptop or iPad.
Eating on the road:
Skip the sides – Just because they offer french fries, hush puppies or potato chips does not mean you have to get them. The 16 g fat in a medium McDonalds French fry order will likely not make you feel great in a swimsuit.
Make it Well-Balanced – Stick with your protein, veggies and fruits. This way you’ll reduce the bloating, fatigue and heaviness that can weigh you down. Consider trying the spicy Southwest Salad at Chick-fil-A, which includes 8g of fiber and 34g of protein at 420 calories.
Limit the calories you drink – 1 small sweet tea at Bojangles has over 4 tsp of sugar! And that tall glass of *craft beer could be as much as 240 calories (12-oz beer at 8% ABV). Drinking water can help keep you hydrated and won’t add any calories. Make it a club soda w/ a twist of lime for something fun and bubbly!
Use the grocery store or local market – Purchase pre-cut fruits, veggies, deli meat, cheese, chopped salads, and many more options to keep you on-track. Bonus! This will likely save money compared to eating out for every meal.
*Resource: beeroftomorrow.com
Food for thought:
No one ever said eating well-balanced doesn’t leave room for an ice cream cone or cocktail on the beach…
It just means you are making those choices mindfully.
Recipe of the Week: The Ultimate BBQ Chicken
For anyone doing a stay-cation style 4th of July, how about making Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Barbecued Chicken?
Nothing says good ‘ol fashion summertime fun like a barbecue!
This week’s recipe, The Ultimate Barbecued Chicken is brought to you by FoodNetwork.com.
by Lucy | Jun 20, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace. -Psalm 29:11
Do you ever get the feeling that you might have put a little too much on your plate?
This, of course, happens literally when we are really hungry and find ourselves at a buffet or party and end up dishing up too much, especially when our eyes are bigger than our stomachs.
Feeling overwhelmed can also happen figuratively if you get excited about something and end up taking on too much at once. This may be followed by feeling a lack of motivation, discipline or confidence. Feeling overwhelmed by life is less about what’s going on and more often related to negative thinking.
Below are a few ideas to keep in mind when you feel overwhelmed:
Don’t sweat the small stuff – Day by day, week by week we all have busy lives, responsibilities, and unexpected disappointments. When we let the little annoyances, such as the unexpected bank fee or a last-minute cancellation get us down, we waste energy worrying about things that we cannot change.
I can stop worrying about: ______________________________________________
Connect with your emotional energy. If you, or someone in your family, has gone through a distressing health experience such as a cancer diagnosis or heart attack you know how emotionally exhausting those situations are. Other drains on our emotional energy include exciting stuff such as a job promotion, buying a new house or finding out you’re pregnant. Anything life-changing takes energy to process and absorb. During those emotionally charged weeks – good or otherwise – remember to be extra gentle with yourself.
I use emotional energy when: ___________________________________________
Recharge your batteries. In yoga last week, our wonderful instructor read a passage about the importance of recharging our batteries. We give, give, give all day at work and then go home and give more to our families. For myself, I recharge with yoga, walking (in the woods!), spending time with friends or cooking. Other people find energy by playing golf, doing artistic projects such as knitting or sitting back and enjoying their favorite TV show.
I recharge my batteries by: ______________________________________________
Get back to your happy thoughts. Whether you choose prayer, meditation, pranayama (breath practice), an upbeat radio station or your favorite book – the options are endless when choosing to get your mental state rebalanced.
I feel happiest when: ___________________________________________________
Food for thought:
The tragic attack in Orlando, FL shook the nation as with each horrible event of that nature. It’s all too easy to fall into a negativity black hole, but we can do better.
Let us unite in love, hope and peace by taking care of ourselves and creating the world we want to live in.
by Lucy | Jun 13, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
“Strength is the capacity to break a Hershey bar into four pieces with your bare hands – and then eat just one of the pieces.”
-Judith Viorst
Do you remember the book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst?
If not, it’s about a kid that experiences one horrible thing after the next, which turns into a very unfortunate day. From getting from waking up with gum stuck in his hair to getting punished after shoving the bully that called him a crybaby. Oh, and he is the only one that has a cavity when they visit the dentist.
We’ve all been there. The days or weeks it seems nothing is going our way and clearly the world is plotting again us.
I had one of those last week :-/. I’m okay, all is well (especially after a Daddy sushi date on Saturday!). Anyhow, I know how it goes to feel overwhelmed by the world.
This week I’m sharing some of my favorite tools in my toolbox that get me through the rough days. On the days you don’t want to “adult” anymore I hope you’ll find guidance, peace, hope or at least a smile from one of these resources.
–> Dr. Wayne Dyer – A brilliant motivational speaker, American Philosopher, and self-help teacher/author.
Here are Dr. Dyer’s Top 10 Rules for Success, which is a video (shared here) and a great book.
–> Amy E. Smith – Is a life coach and entertaining hostess of The Joy Junkie Show. She uses humor (some vulgarity) and inspirational tips to teach confidence, peace and self-love.
Here’s an episode I recently enjoyed, called 4 Ways to Love Yourself When You’re far from Where You Want to Be.
–> Chel Hamilton – A meditation and hypnosis specialist who provides free meditation tools through her podcast Meditation Minis.
Most recently, I found this message called The Trap: Breaking Free to be incredibly transformational.
Food for thought:
Life is good.
Life is also hard, messy, stressful, overwhelming, chaotic and exhausting.
In those times, try using a tool in your toolbox – or mine – to help get you to the other side.
Recipe of the week: Fish Tacos w/ Mango Salsa
Now in case the taco teaser has you craving tacos too…
I think these summer temperatures (like 101 degrees F, yesterday!) call for something light and refreshing, such as Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa.
This week’s recipe, Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa, is brought to us by thelemonbowl.com.
by Lucy | Jun 6, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food. -Hippocrates
Recall your last truly enjoyable, savory and delightful meal.
•Think about where you were eating, who you were with and the emotions (happy, peaceful, festive, etc) you felt. Maybe it was at a fancy restaurant, home-cooked or down on the farm.
•Imagine the setting, tastes, and smells.
•Remember the conversation you enjoyed or the connection to nature (if your memory is also on a picnic, like mine!).
Chances are the meal experience you are imagining has nothing to do with the chicken sandwich from the drive-thru or energy bar and apple you ate while you were running from meeting-to-meeting last week.
Most of our meals are eaten as a reaction instead of an experience. Sometimes we eat because of the time of day, an attempt to cope with uncomfortable emotions, or out of habit – including mindless munching on the donuts your coworker brought to work.
How often do you eat and experience the food sitting in front of you?
Below are the first steps to trying out mindful eating for yourself.
(Modified from Eating with Fierce Kindness by Sasha Loring, M. ED., LCSW)
1. Find a minimally distracting place to eat, ideally a clean table set with utensils and a napkin.
2. After you set the food down, sit down and close your eyes to check in with your hunger level. On a scale of 1 to 5 identify how hungry you are – 1 and 2 are hungry, 3 is neutral, 4 is satisfied and 5 is full.
If you are feeling the urge to eat but don’t feel hunger check in on the emotional reason you want to eat.
3. Assess for stress. Do you feel relaxed? If not, take a few deep breaths, and focus on relaxing your muscles especially around the digestive system putting job throat and stomach.
4. Look at your food, notice what appeals to you such as the smells wafting from the plate. Take a moment to consider what went into this meal, including where the food came from, how it got to be on your plate. What do you appreciate about it?
5. Reassess your hunger level and sensations in the digestive track. Do you feel more or less hungry now?
6. Choose to take the first bite. After that, set down the fork, spoon or food item you’re holding and notice the taste, texture, temperature and so forth of what you are chewing. Pause to notice the compulsive reflex of how quickly you typically take the next bite or chew and swallow your food.
7. Continue enjoying the meal, including frequent fork breaks (FFBs) to stop and notice the flavors and reassess your hunger scale.
Food for thought:
A little challenging, huh?
No kidding, my first mindful eating experience – about 3 years ago – included a Facebook post halfway through where I decided that it just wasn’t for me.
Three years later, mindfulness and mindful eating have changed my life. Give it a try today to see how it can change yours too.
Recipe of the week:
On vacation last week, I had the most scrumptious turkey burger. It’s one of those foods I keep meaning to prepare myself – so let’s see how this flavorful option turns out!
This week’s recipe, Garlic Rosemary Turkey Burger, is brought to us by thenewhotess.com.
by Lucy | May 23, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
A body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest. -Lucy Hayhurst
At the gym last week, I was watching a gentleman jump rope when his iPhone jumped out of his pocket and rolled onto the floor. This clearly wasn’t the first time it was dropped… The screen was already shattered.
I remembered when I bought my iPhone and decided to invest in the extra-strength case and screen protector in order to prevent a similar tragic ending.
The scenario got me thinking about how much hard work we put into regular exercise and consistently eating a well-balanced diet. Sometimes all it takes is one “wild weekend,” such as Memorial Day at the beach, your baby’s 1st birthday party or a road trip to visit the family, to unravel weeks or months of hard work.
In order to protect your hard work, WBN recommends implementing strategies or game plan to set yourself up for success.
Here are a few ways to stay on track no matter where this busy travel season takes you!
Well-balanced Starter Shake – Before a weekend enjoying “whatever!” I find it helpful to have a fruit and veggie packed smoothie each morning to kickstart my taste buds and my mind onto healthy eating choices.
Keep on tracking – Even if you do not want to write down or enter 10 chicken wings, a large order of onion rings and 4 beers into myfitnesspal, it is important to stick to the habits, such as a daily food journal, that keep us on track.
Don’t stop moving – Find ways to incorporate physical activity into your weekend getaways, during the birthday festivities or travel plans. One idea is to try this awesome website one of my clients shared with me: https://www.doyogawithme.com
Remember! A body in motion stays in motion, a body at rest stays at rest.
Food for thought:
Rest. Relax. Repeat.
How are you planning to relax AND stay on track this summer travel season?
by Lucy | May 16, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Be the change you want to see in the world. -Mahatma Gandhi
I had a great conversation with a colleague and friend of mine, Chan Little, about change. Chan is the owner of The 360 Approach, a boutique wellness studio offering personal training, fitness classes, health coaching, and more!
I asked her about if/how all of us could achieve her fantastic figure.
Her answer? Yes, you can achieve the body and physic you are looking for, as long as you want it bad enough. (Sure, our genetic tendencies will play a role too, but genes do not choose what we eat or how we exercise).
What change are you looking for?
A change in your weight? In your strength or athletic ability? Or maybe you want to feel more well-balanced with your food choices?
My desired change: _______________________
What’s the first step to making this change?
Do you need an accountability partner? Maybe some personal training and coaching from Chan at The 360 Approach? Do you need a plan of what to eat or strategies to make healthy choices?
My first step: _________________________
Who will help me make this change?
There are helpers in our life that want us to be happy and inspire us to be our best. Reach out to your helper(s) let them know what change are looking for and ask if they can help keep you accountable.
My helper is: __________________________
How will I stick with my changes?
Whether it’s a daily reminder, such as a picture at your heaviest, reminding you why you want to change. Or a journal you keep to track the success and progress from this change. Perhaps it’s a mantra written on a post-it note hanging on the bathroom mirror?
My daily reminder: _________________________
Food for thought:
For many of us, change is difficult.
If you really want it, and the change is that important, you will do whatever it takes to make it happen.
I believe you can and you will!
by Lucy | May 9, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
| The struggle you are in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow. |
|
|
|
|
Last week, I had the opportunity to get a lot of administrative work done because it was national reschedule your nutrition appointment week… I tease ;-).
Anywho, I was working on a few tasks on Thursday afternoon when I noticed a nagging desire to continue eating. It was strange because I had just finished a delicious lunch. I decided to take a moment to pause and meditate over my cravings. During that time, I realized something that I already kind of suspected…
I’m an entertainment eater! I find eating to be a very fun activity so if I’m doing something boring, my mind chooses to wander to food or the idea of eating.
Below are a few common reasons – other than hunger – that people eat. You may identify with more than one description.
A stressed out eater: These are my “I just need something crunchy to relieve the stress” eater’s – you know who you are! Crunching can help relieve some stress; however, it is not helping our waistline.
A procrastinator eater: These folks tend to turn to food when they want to put off another task such as cleaning the house, doing homework, studying or preparing for a presentation.
A social eater: The social eaters are those that love to eat whenever somebody else is eating and may overindulge whenever they are eating with other people – especially in the all-you-can-eat environment.
A reward eater: Someone who is so pleased with whatever task they’ve completed that they decided they deserve a treat, salty snack, pizza or another comfort food.
A lonely eater: These folks may turn to food as their friend when they feel lonely, because food has always been there for them.
Food for thought:
The first step is recognizing why we want to eat. The next step is discovering how to better serve our bodies.
There is a power in naming the problem. Now you get to choose how to respond to it!
by Lucy | May 2, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Last week at a group presentation, one of the attendees commented I was only suggesting foods and habits to quit. He asked, “wouldn’t there be a benefit to making a healthy addition?” I took a paused… and replied “brilliant!”
This group often frequented a local sandwich shop for a convenient lunch, but typically ate burgers, fried chicken or other fried foods – including very few vegetables. His idea was to eat a serving of vegetables, perhaps a salad, baby carrots or steamed broccoli before going out for lunch. So clever!
By making a healthy choice your mind will then be more likely to want to make more healthy choices.
This idea of adding a healthy habit reminds me of the Keystone habits, which include behaviors that lead to more good habits. For example, when someone makes sure to get 8 hours of sleep they are more likely to make time for exercise, be more productive and consume less junk food. By getting sufficient sleep, it causes a cascade effect of other healthy decisions for rest of the day.
Caution!
Sometimes our minds operate on a reward system. Occasionally, when we exercise or drink a calorie-free beverage we decide we can splurge and eat or drink whatever because we’ve earned it.
Ideas for healthy additions:
1.Add some avo – Did you know ounce-for-ounce an avocado has more potassium than a banana? And an avocado has healthy monounsaturated fatty acids – these are good for the heart. Not to mention, they are very satisfying and fiberful (that’s a new word, I just made up) to keep us satiated longer. Why not add 1/2 of an avocado to your salad, sandwich or leftovers from the night before?
2. Do a smoothie – If you’ve been considering blending up a fruit and veggie smoothie in the morning now is the perfect time to start! Fresh produce is prolific at the farmers market and grocery stores right now.
3. Add 20 minutes of activity – We all have 20 minutes. Maybe it’s 20 minutes you’re looking at Pinterest or Facebook, maybe it’s 20 minutes of a TV show or playing a video game. Consider taking a short walk around the block when you get home from work before settling in for the evening. Or using 20 minutes of the lunch hour to do yoga or a short workout video – such as the Ultimate Fat Burn Workout w/ Denise Austin!
4. Incorporate meditation – Taking time each day – maybe 10-15 minutes to sit and be in the moment. You can find a mantra to repeat, watch the breath or observe the thoughts coming and going as if they are clouds overhead. Or spend time with the poem included in Today is the day!
Food for thought:
Sometimes being healthy feels like we have to deprive ourselves. By looking at it as an opportunity to add to or enhance your current lifestyle you can have the same results with a more positive outlook.
What’s your healthy addition this week?
by Lucy | Apr 25, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Power is in the choices you make each day. Eat well. Live well. Be well.
This week’s post was written by Kristen Norton, RD, LDN
I have a confession. Although I wish it could, my title of dietitian does not make me immune to cravings and the tendency to overeat sugary foods. I am only human after all. Furthermore, I am an abstainer which means I find it easier to make something completely off limits than trying to enjoy it in moderation.
I am pretty sure you’ve heard the food advice “everything in moderation.” Unfortunately, that doesn’t work for abstainers.
You can read more about abstainers and moderators here. So, here’s what happened this weekend when I found myself confronted with soooo… much… candy…
You know the old Pringles commercial, “Once you pop you can’t stop?” That is so me! I’m an abstainer. One bite of something sweet usually leads to a whole lot more. I do best when I abstain from really sugary foods like chocolate, candy or cookies altogether. Which I normally do… but then it happened. I found myself confronted with So. Much. Candy.
After a stressful morning, I found myself staring at this basket of candy from my daughter’s Egg hunt. I grab one bite-size candy bar. Yuummmm. I immediately want more and the rest of the day ALL. I WANT. IS CANDY. It didn’t stop there. The cravings lasted until the next day and were intensified when I hadn’t packed enough healthy snacks for the afternoon. I wound up eating cookies and candy instead of my usual snack of fruit, nuts, yogurt or granola bar. Sigh..
You see as an abstainer once I rock the boat with a little taste of something highly palatable like cookies and candy it can steer me in the wrong direction and trigger intense cravings. Are you an abstainer??
Food for thought:
At first, I didn’t really want to admit to you all that I ate a bunch of candy, but I don’t feel guilty. It is what it is.
The key is to not letting moments of weakness steer us so far off track that we can’t easily get ourselves back. I acknowledged it, accepted it and I’ve moved on…now back to healthy snacking and avoiding sugary treats.
This week’s post was written by Kristen Norton, RD, LDN (thanks, Kristen!)
