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!
by Lucy | Jun 22, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
Last week while working on the fifth edition of my business plan it occurred to me that I need to take a new approach. Instead of worrying this idea or that idea are not going to be “marketable” I decided I need to change the way I’ve been thinking about it.
My preferred approach is to start acting as though I’ve already succeeded.
Our minds are probably the most powerful resource we have regarding what happens in our life. As my friend Cameron puts it, “belief is the foundation for how your world operates.” Another way to think about the power of the mind comes from Theodore Roosevelt, “believe you can and you’re half way there.”
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by Lucy | Jun 15, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
I tend to say we make time for that which is important to us. Generally, I am referring to people making time or not making time to prepare food or exercise regularly.
Lately, I’ve decided this is not always true. Exercise is important to me; however, sometimes I get so preoccupied in the business at hand I’m lucky to squeeze in a workout in between everything else. (For those of you who don’t know me well, sitting still is not a strength of mine!)
A tale of poor time management
Fridays mornings are my day to attend to Well Balanced Nutrition and do meetings, errands and other business activities that need attention during regular business hours.
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by Lucy | Jun 8, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
I found this article titled “Three secrets to eating healthy” and I knew I needed to share it with you.
I try to eat healthy most of time time, but I’m always looking for ways to make it easier. Read on for some inspiration from the article.
The 3 secrets include making the healthy choices:
(1) Convenient
(2) Attractive
(3) Normal
Easy to remember because anyone CAN do it!
Below are a couple examples of how you can start to make good choices convenient, attractive and normal.
3 Simple Steps to Eating Healthy
1. Making healthy choices convenient may include having a bowl fruit, washed and ready to eat on the counter for a snack or food-on-the-go option.
2. We eat with our eyes, so it’s important to make the healthy food attractive. Small touches such as carving the watermelon rind into a pretty little bowl for serving a fruit salad increase people’s likelihood of reaching for that food.
3. To make the healthy options normal means to regularly include and offer the foods you want to eat more of. For example, instead of cheese and crackers before dinner, try sliced vegetables with hummus or ranch dressing.
Keeping these options in the house and reaching for them before the other snacks will help to make it less of a chore and more of a habit.
by Lucy | Jun 1, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
As a dietitian I get to spend most of my days talking about food and exercise – the fun stuff! Discussing what goes in often leads to what comes out – or in some people’s case, what does not come out. If I have completely mortified you, I apologize, but as the famous Japanese children’s book states Everyone Poops.
My friend, Kelly*, went to China a few years back and was retelling some tales, but she was particularly excited to tell me about the bathrooms… Did you know they squat over there?!
Turns out we silly American’s are doing ourselves a disservice by taking a seat to go potty. I recently read in this article – According to science you’ve been pooping wrong your whole life – American’s are using an inappropriate form to optimize going to the bathroom.
*Name changed to protect privacy
Keep it Moving
1. Relax – Our digestive systems are made up of a bunch of muscles. Think about when you tighten a muscle versus when you relax it – it’s easier to let things go when you’re relaxed, right?
2. Squatty potty! – In the article mentioned above discusses the benefits of changing your position to change your results. The Squatty Potty will help you make that adjustment without having to change the whole bathroom set-up.
3. Walk it out – A client of mine discovered that a 1-2 mile walk in the morning actually helps her “to go big potty.” Worth a try!
4. Do a little twist – In yoga practice we lay on the floor, bring the knees in toward the chest, drop the knees over to the right and then to the left. Holding each side stretch for 5 to 10 breaths. This motion helps to keep things moving along.
5. Relax – Yes, I’m saying it again because I really believe that if we were not so uptight then our bowels would not be either. Whether you do quiet time meditating, reading a book or taking a bath, do what relaxes you and your body will do the rest.
by Lucy | May 27, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
On this Memorial Day…
Remember.
Today I’m spending some time remembering what this holiday is really about. It does not matter what politics you believe or do not believe in. This is a chance to spend some time reflecting on the sacrifices of our nation’s heroes.
To me, it is important to remember the soldiers that have made the ultimate sacrifice, but it is equally important to remember their families. For anyone that has lost a friend or family member you know how much it can hurt.
I recently learned about a non-profit based out of Apex, NC called Support Military Spouses. This organization offers a multitude of ways to show support, from writing caring cards to volunteering at one of their care package assembly or distribution events.
The Unknown Soldier
by: Roger J. Robicheau
You need not ever know my name
This unknown soldier seeks no fame
I’m here to bring out thought from you
May your heart see more than your view
America, we marched with pride
We gave our life, for you we died
How well we knew the time might come
When life could sound that final drum
Please think of us as life moves on
We tried so hard till that last dawn
Do let our spirit fill the land
Pass treasured freedom, hand to hand
God blessed this country with such love
Hold in your heart, abundance of
And when you stand before my grave
Think not of one, but each who gave
by Lucy | May 18, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
“Ask for feedback; then shut up and take notes.” – Corey Lerch
Recently, I had dinner with a fellow small business owner. I admire for how driven and committed he to continuing to learn and improve in order to succeed. One method of self-improvement he practices is to regularly ask for feedback.
Once I got past feeling awkward, I decided this was brilliant!
[The original post included a survey based on the business model of May 2015]
Now is a good chance to meditate on what is not going how you’d like. Perhaps it’s a good time to reach out to a mentor, friend or counselor for some feedback on that situation?
by Lucy | May 14, 2015 | Well Balanced Wisdom
It’s nearly tomato season in North Carolina so I thought it was time to start trying new bruschetta recipes.
This roasted red pepper, tomato and feta variety was quick, easy and delicious. Better yet, it gets yummier when left to marinate overnight. It pairs well with fish and likely anything you want to throw on the grill!
Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Bruschetta
by Lucy | May 11, 2015 | Motivational Mondays
Dread grocery shopping? You’re not alone.
American’s restaurant spending just surpassed their spending at the grocery store according to this article in Bloomberg Business. The article suggests this is a generational trend from millennials. Unfortunately, eating out still comes with it’s pitfalls such as the increased risk of developing high-blood pressure as discussed in the Medical News Today article – Eating out ‘raises risk for high blood pressure’.
Truth be told, I actually really enjoy grocery shopping! It’s one of my happy places – I have even been caught dancing in front of the produce aisle. I am aware that this is weird.
Food for thought:
Recently as I was wandering around the grocery store I realized that it’s not easy to eat healthy by grocery shopping instead of going out to restaurants. The wonderful world of convenience foods has worked its way into every corner of our lives, which may be one reason why we are just going out to eat instead of messing up our own kitchens.
The good news is there are still lots of healthy choices it’s just a matter of learning to play my favorite game, which I like to call good versus better. Simply pull 2 options off the shelf – for example 2 marinara sauces. Look at the label for sodium, sugar and number of ingredients to determine which has less. There is so much information to look at and often it depends what your goals are to know what to monitor. I suggest working with a dietitian for more personalized recommendations.
