by Lucy | Aug 3, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
In clinic last week, I walked into the break room to find a provider enjoying a cupcake while her lunch warmed up in the microwave. I said “life’s short, eat dessert first!” She replied, “it’s the best part of being a grown-up.” This got me seriously thinking… Is it?!
Maybe not just cupcakes, but these rules put in place to make sure we start off well:
(1) Don’t spoil dinner w/ junk foods
(2) Go to bed at bedtime
(3) Do your chores every week
As my oh-so-wise father says “life’s all about choices.” Oh how neat!
You can choose to do the dishes by hand or put them in the dishwasher. You can choose to pay your bills early or after a couple friendly reminders. You can also choose how you spend downtime, what foods to buy at the grocery and so on.
Choices everywhere!
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by Lucy | Jul 27, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
Yep, you read that right! There is such a thing as healthy fast food!
It’s not what you think. I am not saying you should never do to the drive-thru; however, if you ask me about healthy fast food options I will not hand you a list of approved foods from Wendy’s, KFC, McDonald’s, etc.
I believe there is another option (and perhaps I’m saving those menu selections for future Motivational Monday, wink wink).
I’ve recently discovered the Dole Chopped salad kits and let’s just say… I’m obsessed.
It typically includes lettuce, cabbage, carrots, cilantro and other delicious vegetables with crunchy topping such as tortilla chips or almonds AND salad dressing! I’m partial to the Asian variety, but I’ve tried them all and have not been disappointed. The Bacon & Bleu includes real bacon, not those fake bacon bits that you’re expecting. Top with your own protein of choice (I’m weird, so it’s always cottage cheese) and you have a complete meal.
Another easy fast meal, includes a small baked potato (cooks in 4-5 mins in the microwave) with whatever delicious toppings you enjoy. I’m partial to baked beans and coleslaw, but you may prefer the more traditional broccoli and cheddar.
Finally, a dietitian friend of mine used to mix a bag of the precooked Uncle Sam’s rice, a can of tuna and a bag of steamed mixed vegetables. Top with a little Italian dressing or your preferred seasoning and you’ve got yourself a scrumptious and fast-fix meal.
Food for thought:
My point being, food prep does not have to include hours slaving away in the kitchen. Also, fast food doesn’t have to be over-salted, over-processed and come in a greasy paper bag.
What’s your favorite fast-fix foods?!
by Lucy | Jul 20, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
You catch more flies with honey! Let’s apply that approach to our diet and food choices.
Noooooo, I don’t mean putting honey on everything; however, sometimes just a squeeze of the bear can enhance your salad dressing, yogurt, peanut butter toast, etc… Yum.
The power of a positive message is shown to be more effective on influencing food choices. Most of us do not respond well to “don’t.” I believe this is a natural resistance that I liken to our former 2-yr old selves that did not like being told how to do something. Parents of young children, you know what I’m talking about!
For example, telling yourself, your spouse or children the positive effect of picking an apple to fuel our bodies instead of chips or crackers is going to be taken better. Read more on the study conducted by Cornell in this Science Daily article “‘Do’ is better than ‘Don’t’ when it comes to eating better.”
Additional information on the power of positive thinking can be found in this article on the “Six habits of positive people“. My favorite is number 6 because that is important in our health decisions too! Even if you eat ice cream for dinner it’s okay to just accept it and get back on track tomorrow.
Food for thought:
What’s one healthy thing you can pat yourself on the back for this week?
Maybe you got up and went for a nice long walk on Saturday morning or enjoyed strawberries for dessert!
Good for you! I’m here cheering you on and so proud of you for making the right decisions and if nothing else being mindful and enjoying the moments that you indulge.
by Lucy | Jul 6, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
There is always something to celebrate.
Most likely we’ve all been celebrating this past weekend for the 4th of July.
While walking through the grocery store last week I got to thinking about how there’s almost always something to celebrate. Notice the ever present holiday season – thank you retail stores of America for always reminding us what the next holiday is.
Each season comes with it’s own respective food to mark the occasion:
-> Cookies at Christmas
-> Cake for birthdays and graduation
-> Plenty of ice cream to bring in the summer months
If you’ve been following, you already know I’m not opposed to treats (see “What’s your vice?” for proof)! However, this constant bombardment of sweets, treats and so on can seriously start to impede on all the good stuff we do when we are not celebrating.
As someone who often finds herself indulging in these traditional celebration treats I want to take a moment to applaud those of you who have overcome the temptations.
I once had a client for personal training who told me that she had turned a new leaf because when she would go to parties or gatherings and somebody would offer her something off the dessert table, such as a rice crispy treat, she would simply say “no thank you, I already know what those taste like.”
Food for thought:
Never say never. The key to a well-balanced diet and life is to teach ourselves how to indulge within our limits.
If you can’t stop at 2 or 3 Oreos, you know not to buy Oreos. My go-to midweek dessert is 1/2 banana w/ 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter and a handful of chocolate chips. Yummy!
by Lucy | Jun 29, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
It’s that crazy time of year when everyone is hitting the road to make their way up the coast, into the mountains or wherever makes the heart happy. With the chaos that surrounds this season of travel I’d like to bring the focus back to the simple things in life that make summertime enjoyable.
I’m including my top 10 favorite summer activities from realsimple.com 50 Fun Summer Activities. Have you made your list? In September you can look back and see how much fun you had!
Lucy’s Top 10 Favorite summer activities:
10. Go get FroYo with a friend (with all the toppings!)
9. Blow bubbles, do chalk art and catch lightening bugs w/ my niece and nephew
8. Ride a roller-coaster!
7. Play miniature golf (preferably at Lakeside, OH)
6. Take a trip to buy fresh local produce at the big
Farmer’s Market
5. Eat corn-on-the-cob at the State Fair
4. Go kayaking and swim in a lake
3. Collect seashells at the beach
2. Go to a baseball game, drink a beer and enjoy a corndog
1. Go White Water Rafting in WV!!!
Food for thought:
At the end of the day it’s not about the adventures we go on, the stuff we buy or the food we eat. Instead it’s about the people we get to share these experiences with.
Spending quality time with the people we love is what really matters. I wish that for you and yours!
