by Lucy | Jul 25, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
Last Friday I was thinking about how I ought to start drafting Motivational Monday, but I just couldn’t get inspired. Sure, I have a few ideas and stories I want to share with y’all – it’s just finding the time, motivation and energy that’s the problem.
According to Darren Hardy, we are up to 30% less productive during the summer months than any other time of year. As far as I can tell, this seems pretty accurate, but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Of course, the boss lady is still going to expect you to show up for meetings and answer emails, but why not play hooky a few Friday afternoons just because?
Kristen and I were discussing “summer vacation brain” (as I keep calling it) and she made a good point… Isn’t nice to have a season that is all about playing with friends, cooking outside on the grill and getting rest & relaxation?
I’m thankful this concept is starting to sink in for me! Below I thought it would be fun to share a few pics of how your WBN team enjoys R&R in the summer.
Whether it’s a simple Saturday morning trip to the Durham Farmer’s Market, enjoying indoor s’mores (easy to make on a gas stove top!), or taking a northern Michigan road trip adventure, Well-Balanced Nutrition loves summertime!
For those of you not on Snapchat with me, you may not know about my obsession with picnics. I find great joy in eating outside – plus it’s way easier to be mindful! This photo above is from a particularly delightful lunch at Atlantic beach with my old friend Harry Potter.
Food for thought:
•Food adventures at the Farmer’s Market
•Long weekends at the beach
•Field trips to the library
•Stopping by a lemonade stand
•A froyo date (topped w/ fresh berries, of course!)
•Reading a good book with a cool drink by the pool
How are you enjoying summer vacation?
Speaking of summertime food adventures, what’s a summer vacation without delicious corn-on-the-cob?!
This week’s recipe, Perfectly Grilled Corn on the Cob is brought to you by Bobby Flay with FoodNetwork.com.
by Lucy | Jul 18, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
The best way to get something done is to begin.
If you’ve missed the past couple weeks, we are currently in a series about changing habits… You can thank Gretchen Rubin the author of Better Than Before :-).
I have a friend who decided to put off a work project until September and I couldn’t understand why. This project is going to benefit her job and help her clients; however, she decided to wait 4 months to get started. After a few conversations, I finally asked her “why wait?” She explained that this project includes learning a new computer system that she’s unfamiliar with and she didn’t know who to ask for help.
This got me thinking, there are a lot of reasons why we don’t get started on projects – even the ones we know are beneficial to us.
Typically we are putting things off for one of the following reasons.
We need:
More education. Maybe it’s a matter of finding a book or dependable online resources to supply the knowledge and know-how you need to get that seemingly insurmountable task accomplished.
More support. If you want to stop drinking alcohol for a month it’s hard to ask your regular happy hour pals to give you support for that goal. Instead, you need to surround yourself with people that will support you by finding non-drinking entertainment alternatives.
Less to-dos. This is in reference to the “full-plate syndrome.” If your life is already full of responsibilities with a new job, aging parents to care for, doing the prescribed bedtime routine by your doctor and buying a house… This may not be the time to try and add a new healthy habit to your plate.
More fun. In a 1-on-1 with my lovely business partner, Kristen, I was reminded that in order to make a change it helps to make it fun! I don’t see my 21-day challenge as a deprivation experience but instead a fun challenge to get really creative (and a great excuse to eat more sunflower seed butter!).
Food for thought:
Perhaps it’s a creative project or new healthy habit you’ve been putting off?
Now you can identify the reason and get the education, support, time/energy or creativity to make it happen!
Recipe of the Week: Quinoa and Black Bean Salad
Here’s a fresh and delicious summer salad that is great to take on a picnic, to a barbecue or on a camping trip.
This week’s recipe, Quinoa and Black Bean Salad, is brought to you by Epicurious.com.
by Lucy | Jul 11, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
There is nothing peanut butter and a spoon can’t fix.
Funny story, I am a self-proclaimed peanut butter addict. I usually have 2-3 jars in the cupboard (gotta keep a crunchy, creamy and backup jar!). I can literally put peanut butter on anything – peanut butter & banana, peanut butter crackers, peanut butter & carrots. Let’s not forget the peanut butter sauce on my stir-fry veggies and tofu.
Did you know that peanuts are not a nut but actually a legume? That’s right, they’re in the same family as beans, peas, and lentils.
I used to wonder if there would ever be a reason good enough to stop eating peanut butter. Turns out there is… I’ve been battling IBS for a few years now and recently I became so fed up I decided it’s time to find the culprit. In short, I’ve recently started the journey on a 21-day elimination diet that excludes all legumes.
Yep, that’s 21 days without peanut butter.
I never imagined I’d be the kind of person to take on this type of challenge – no dairy, legumes or grains – but here we are.
I credit some of these changes to the book I’m reading called Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin, which I highly recommend! Below you’ll find a few points of inspiration I wanted to share with you:
1. We manage what we monitor. I like this because it’s true. Anytime we’re keeping track of our habits we tend to make better choices that will serve our goals.
2. When you decide to start a new healthy habit it inspires you to do other healthy things too!
When I took on this 21-day experience I found myself organizing my bedroom, washing the sheets and mopping the bathroom floor. Not to say I wouldn’t do these chores anyway, but I was especially motivated to “start fresh.”
3. It’s true what they say… Starting is half the battle. Once you start it’s as though you are halfway done because getting off the starting line is a huge mental hurdle.
Food for thought:
Sometimes we make changes because we want to and sometimes because we have to.
Either way, isn’t it nice to know you’re not alone?
Your Well-Balanced Nutrition tribe is here to support and empower you every step of the way.
Recipe of the Week: Chocolate Almond Energy Balls
In case you’re wondering how I’m surviving without peanut butter – it’s a good excuse to eat almond butter instead!
It’s also a great reason to try these 5-Ingredient Chocolate Almond Energy Balls, which is brought to you by TheFitchen.com.
by Lucy | Jul 4, 2016 | Motivational Mondays
“What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.” -Gretchen Rubin
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(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.
