by Lucy | Feb 18, 2017 | Motivational Mondays
Monday, Feb 20, 2017
Last week, one of our tribe members told me “I think I’ve lost my mojo, I just have no motivation!” She’s been working long hours from 7 AM until after 5 PM. She states “I should do some activity in the evening, but I just have no motivation.” I replied, “please don’t should all over yourself.” When we say “I should” we are focusing on the negative or external expectations because the unspoken truth that follows is “but I don’t want” or “I can’t…” Rather than focusing on should, it’s helpful to accept the reality, be kind to yourself, and make a plan.
Whether you:
1. Gained weight at the holidays
2. Suffered an injury that required steroids and lead to a 20-pound weight gain
3. Just plain got busy
There’s hope and a strategy! Let’s reflect how to get back on track and over the speed bumps of life.
The best way to reach your potential is to create a roadmap and revisit the map regularly. We often have big goals at the beginning of the year such as losing 30 pounds or training for a marathon. Big goals are similar to taking a road trip. In order to plan a trip, we need to know the specific destination and what path will take us there (without too many detours!). If your goal is weight loss, you may first want to assess your eating and exercise habits to determine what steps will help you lose weight.
Create the path
Start by tracking your food intake and exercise habits to determine what can be improved. If you are mindlessly snacking at the desk or in front of the TV, set a new habit to drink water or unsweetened tea instead. If you are not getting at least 7,000 steps/day, find ways to include more movement in the day.
Markers of success
Set up mini goals or milestones along the way. Continuing with weight loss example, perhaps you get to buy a new article of clothing for every 5 lbs you lose!
Stay on track
It’s easy to feel discouraged when the scale won’t seem to budge or goes up a pound or two. Consistently checking your weight at least 1 time per week will give you the accountability to stay consistent with your new healthy habits.
Get a copilot
There are lots of people that want to support your goals! Tell your family, coworkers, best friend, and other members of your favorite group fitness class about your goals to have a few more people cheering you on. Some days feel harder than others, their support may be just what you need to keep going.
Food for thought:
If you find yourself thinking “I should,” pause and consider if it’s really something you want to do? If not, please stop ‘shoulding’ on yourself. Create a roadmap, find an accountability partner, and set the vision so you know what success looks like!
What’s your next well-balanced destination?
by Lucy | Feb 17, 2017 | Friday Favorites
Happy Friday! How are you feeling? I hope you had a healthy and productive work week!
I’m feeling grateful because I’m just coming back from a “stay-cation” with my husband and little ones. We were able to slow down our busy lives for 7 days and enjoy each other’s company in town. It was a lovely reminder of how much I love spending time with my family and how much we love the Durham/Raleigh/Chapel Hill area. Therefore, I thought I’d show some local love in this week’s Friday Favorites.
Favorite Gluten-Free Local Restaurant: Primal Food and Spirits in Durham, NC
I don’t have to follow a gluten-free diet and for some people it’s a fad, but for those with Celiac disease it’s a serious matter. That’s why I think it is really awesome that Primal Food and Spirit keeps a 100% gluten-free kitchen, meaning there is no possibility of cross-contamination. We’ve been there a few times, not because it’s gluten-free, but because the food is really good, unprocessed, healthy and unique. I was very happy with my Valentine’s Day lunch there: chopped kale salad with hard boiled eggs and bacon-wrapped dates.
Favorite Local Museum – Marbles Museum in Raliegh, NC
I can’t say enough great things about this place. My little girl is just the right age (almost 4) for the Around Town exhibit. She spent hours exploring and playing in the pint-size town on the first floor. They had a grocery store and kitchen area that (of course) I just loved watching her play in. As I dietitian, I really appreciate the emphasis on healthy living in the kitchen area, farm area and the Power2Play area.
Favorite Family Dinner Time Saver for Busy Weeks:
Did you know that Foster’s Market in Durham and the Root Cellar in Chapel Hill have family dinners? If you know you are going to have a crazy hectic week, can’t plan/prep ahead, or just plain need a break from cooking simply order a week’s worth of family meals in advance and you can eat local, scratch-made, delicious food without any fuss. All you have to do is heat and eat! LIFESAVER!
Have a healthy, happy weekend!!!
by Lucy | Feb 15, 2017 | Well Balanced Wisdom
Every Wednesday this month we are talking about whole grains because of their connection to good heart health. If you missed the first two posts check them out: Not all carbs are bad: whole grains and heart health part 1 and You’ve been challenged | whole grains and heart health part 2. Today, I share 4 delicious whole grain swaps.
Last week, I didn’t just challenge you, I accepted the challenge myself. I was pumped when I found these Super Grains at Aldi! It is a mixture of millet, buckwheat and quinoa – all gluten-free whole grains. I’ve had quinoa but never millet or buckwheat. So, I tried them out! I simply prepared the grains as directed, then added them to stir-fried vegetables. Voila! Pretty tasty!
SWAP #1 Replace white rice with brown rice or a super grain blend. 
I also had the Super Grains for breakfast with some cinnamon, almond milk and maple syrup. It was delish!
How about you? Did you get a chance to try out a new whole grain? If you didn’t try something new, I hope you’ve checked out your local grocery store to at least see what is available. I know it’s not easy to incorporate something new into your diet. So, I wanted to highlight some more common options you can SWAP OUT.
That’s right. Take those refined grains and just swap them with nutrient-rich, heart-saving whole grains. These pictures prove just how delicious whole grains swaps can be.
At my house it’s pizza night every Friday. When we make our own at home we use a store bought whole wheat crust (and use lots of veggies).
SWAP #2 Buy or make a whole wheat pizza crust.
SWAP #3 Buy whole grain/whole wheat bread products. One day last week my husband made these delicious burgers and we ate them with whole wheat buns. They were as good as they look.
SWAP #4 Use whole wheat flour in place of white flour. I’ve been baking with whole wheat flour or whole white wheat flour for quite some time and I’ve never been disappointed. These are almond butter cookies made with whole wheat flour plus a little almond meal. 
Stay tuned! Next week I’ll talk about how to truly tell what is a whole grain and what is not. It’s confusing sometimes. I’ll show you the item that completely tripped me up!
by Lucy | Feb 10, 2017 | Friday Favorites
Local charity: Activate Good
Activate Good is located in Raleigh and offers volunteer opportunities around the Triangle. That are affiliated with hundreds of local nonprofit organizations to provide volunteers for the local charity events and programs.
Mark your calendar for April 23-29, which is national volunteer week!
Favorite TED talk: You are what you think
I love TED talks! This one spoke to me because of the touching story and the wonderful message explaining how our spoken and unspoken words lead to actions that lead to our destiny. Powerful stuff.
Daily Mindfulness blog: Daily Om
“All too often our lives can be spread too thin and it becomes important to gather our thoughts and center ourselves to become whole again.” -Madison Taylor
Sign up to receive these free inspiring emails: https://secure.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/userinfo/settings.cgi?subscribe=1
Recipe of the week: Roasted Beets ‘n Sweets 
If you don’t think you like beets, I am guessing you have not tried them roasted. This is a simple, delicious, and nutritious side dish (or dessert if you’re weird like me!).
by Lucy | Feb 6, 2017 | Motivational Mondays
We can shift the world through love, but we must have love in our own hearts first. -Daily Om
Recently, Kristen and I read Daring Greatly by Brene Brown, which is about understanding shame, embracing vulnerability, and ‘enoughness.’
At Well-Balanced Nutrition, we see folks, mostly women, at all different parts of their wellness journey. Last week, I saw a young woman who had lost nearly 50 lbs three years ago and maintained her weight loss until recently. She put on 5 lbs after starting a new relationship and “getting more liberal,” in her eating habits. She came to see me about losing the weight after spending all of January following her healthy diet (with no change on the scale… frustrating!).
Shortly thereafter, a good friend explained her own dissatisfaction with “those last 3 pounds she couldn’t lose,” and proceeded to berate herself for eating a handful of M&Ms.
While reading Daring Greatly, I kept thinking of all my loved ones and how much I wanted them to read this book too. It’s so easy to get swept up in feeling inadequate, shameful, or unwanted. Our basic human desires are to belong and all too often that is tied to our body weight, shape or pants size. The story we tell ourselves is if those numbers don’t match the societal or our personal expectations then we’re not good enough. As Kristen put it, “We all fight the voices that tell us, if only I had ____, I would be _____. You can fill in the blanks.”
Food for thought:
A couple weeks ago Kristen wrote about Getting rid of perfection and embracing enough. Did you notice the inner voice she mentioned?
What would you tell your daughter, sister, or bestie who is shaming herself about the handful of M&Ms?
It’s time we start to love ourselves for who we are. Remember, we must first show love to ourselves in order to share love with those around us.
Here’s the one thing we really want you to know: You are beautiful, just the way you are!
