So you’ve been invited to a cookout, or maybe you’re hosting one? The summer months can be full of these backyard grill-out extravaganzas, and when you’re trying to eat healthy, that can be a problem. Cookouts bring to mind fat-heavy foods like hotdogs, chips, potato salads, and barbeque, all of which can wreak havoc on your heart, and your waistline.
It may seem impossible to make healthy choices at these get-togethers, but you really can join in the flavor and the fun without blowing your eating plan. Here’s your step-by-step guide to making it through the summer cookout season with your health, and your waistline, in check! Step 1 – Never Go Hungry Again! The problem: When the promise of free, splurge-worthy food is on the table, it can be tempting to ditch your own meal preparation and rely on the dishes provided by the host. As a result, many people make the mistake of showing up to a cookout with an empty stomach and an appetite that’s ready to go! I guess you can get away with that as long as you’re Scarlett O’Hara laced up in your corset! The solution: To avoid an all out bender, eat a light, fiber and protein filled snack before you leave for the cookout. Try a small salad with grilled chicken, or a plain yogurt with a piece of fruit. These foods will keep you from feeling ravenous and will make resisting temptation that much easier. You want to leave the cookout feeling happy, not regretful. Step 2 – Go Easy on the Pepsi! The problem: Okay, maybe I don’t mean the Pepsi specifically, but go easy on the drinks! Liquid calories are the sly culprit that can ruin healthy eating without so much as batting an eyelash. The solution: Drink at least two big glasses of water before you head to the cookout. You’ll be hydrated, fuller, and much less likely to indulge in empty calories like soda and cocktails. If you’ve budgeted for one drink in your food plan for the day, have it. Enjoy it! But don’t just guzzle one Margarita after the next. Grab your water bottle and beat the heat in style. Your head will thank you the next morning, and so will your waist. Step 3 – Life is Like a Cookout… The problem: You never know what you’re going to get! Leaving your meal plans entirely in the hands of someone else can be risky business. Luckily, you have a few options when it comes to taking some mystery out of the eating equation. The solution: Many cookouts are potluck. Offer to bring a healthy dish of your own to contribute to the party. Bring a dynamite seasonal salad, a vegetable tray, or some grilled meat and you’ll not only be a great guest, but a healthy eater too! If bringing your own dish isn’t an option, speak up. Ask your host to stock healthy choices like grilled chicken or fish, veggie burgers, fruit, and plenty of greens. You might be surprised by how open they are to stepping outside the box. Step 4 – Know Your Friends The problem: Some foods are pretty obviously unhealthy. It doesn’t take an expert to look at a bratwurst or a pan of macaroni and decide that those items don’t constitute lean eating. But when you don’t know exactly what went into your meal options, sometimes the fat and calorie content can sneak up on you. The solution: Know how to cut corners and find your healthy options. Ditch that white flour bun and eat your hamburger patty a la carte. Steer clear of sauce heavy foods and heavy dressings. Instead, fill your plate with seasonal fruits and vegetables whenever possible. Watermelon, for example, can be a tasty summer treat that keeps you full and hydrated! The bottom line is, you should go in with a plan. Fortune favors the prepared, and your summer cookout is no exception. Follow my 4 simple steps above and you’ll be well on your way to enjoying these backyard get-togethers while continuing to preserve your good health. Remember, these events aren’t about the food; they’re about the people. Socialize, laugh, enjoy the beautiful outdoors and do something active! Above all else, soak up the happiness that pervades these warm summer months. I’ll be doing the same. Our modern word Diet has a history, with origins coming from the Greek diaita . Diaita was a noun that meant a way of living, and also had a more specific meaning, signifying a way of living which could include a food diet as well as other other daily habits. Most of our daily food choices ultimately depend on preference, marketing and trends. Someone may decide to follow a trend and go fat free, carb free, hi protein, rustic or something else. Restaurant commercials and food products tempt us everywhere. When you combine our fast food culture, a trendy diet, and then limit it further with personal preferences, it’s fairly easy to come up nutritionally short, under satisfied, and overweight.
What does your diet say about you? What is your Diaita; your way of living? Does it include too many fast foods, packaged foods, or high sodium meals that dominate your taste buds into food ignorance? Have you bullied your taste buds into submission? Our taste buds are capable of subtlety unless you bully them with salty, fatty or highly processed foods and add-ons. By giving our taste buds simple, clean foods, we can re-awaken our taste buds and our good health. My food philosophy is built around whole foods that are seasonally and readily available combined with essential food groups. Learn the basics, and then add flair and flavor! I assist my clients in learning simple recipes that use natural ingredients and to proportion their serving size for each meal and snack. Expanding the number of foods and flavors in your go to selections can bring even more flair and nutrition to your plate. You have to learn to play the diet game for good healthy living. Once you learn the game, you can keep your skills up by practicing. Some of my favorite ways to “practice” are to experiment with color themes of food, try something new or mysterious to me, and try foods and spices from other cultures. When at the local market, I look for fruits and vegetables that are bold in color, flavor and even name. An earlier post of mine was a recipe that used Daikon radishes as a sushi wrapper, and it was AMAZING! Finding new, unconventional ways to eat healthy can be such fun, and can really help expand your diet. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Trying new things, although sometimes weird or scary, can really open your eyes into a whole new world of foods, flavors, and cultures. Get some friends or family in on the game too! Go with whatever smells or looks good to you, and start playing in the kitchen! Expanding your diet is a great way to keep you moving forward in your health journey. The more you expand your healthy variety, the less likely you are to expand your waistline. I think it’s safe to say that everyone experiences the point in their fitness or nutritional journey where giving up begins to overpower perseverance. This can be especially true if the results we desire do not come as quickly as we want them to. We start to downplay our goals, cheat on our schedules and simply think that our dreams are not attainable. It is at times like this when our foundations become so important. Having something to reflect back on can be one of the best things to push you through whatever ditch is keeping you from accomplishing your goals.
I wrote in an earlier post about the importance of building a foundational “safety net” to fall back on when we start to lose sight of the finish line. Whether it’s a picture, list or something else, I can’t emphasize enough how necessary it is to have a method of reminding yourself of why you’re even on this journey to begin with. We cannot let our self-doubt keep us from accomplishing what we set out to do. A small reminder everyday can really make a big difference in the long run. Even something as simple as saying your self-mantra every morning can really help keep our negative thoughts away from our dreams. Something I like to do is keep an inspiring quote on my mirror so that when I look at myself every morning, I feel confidant and encouraged. Whatever motivates you to continue on, find a way to incorporate it into your lifestyle. Making motivation a habit will help prevent you from hitting rock bottom and keep you moving forward. So whether your just starting out, halfway done or at the end of your health journey, I highly encourage everyone to find a small motivational task that can be done every day. Keep yourself from loosing sight of your end goals. If you still lose sight, build a strong foundation that will get you back on track. Regardless of the method you choose, perseverance is something that must be maintained. I hope everyone enjoyed Mother’s day yesterday! It’s a wonderful time to celebrate the love and support that your mom has given you, and to show some love back! Whether it’s from your mom or simply someone special in your life, support is something that we could all use a lot of. Regardless of what we need it for, knowing we have a team cheering for us almost always gives us that extra boost of confidence to carry out our mission. I always give as much support as I can to my clients, because I know how much it can help them to do great things with their health. I am inspired and amazed by the efforts I see every day.
Not only do we need support in our healthy lives, but in our personal lives as well. When people support us through tough times, it makes a huge impact. I’ve written before about how important it is to have support, but I want to emphasize how important it is to give support. If someone you know is starting to pursue a healthier lifestyle, I highly encourage you to seek them out and let them know how much you are rooting for them! Letting them know that they have at least one person backing them up can be such a confidence booster and could push them to continue on if they get off track. There are plenty of influences out there tempting us off track. Let’s build a team of positive influence that supports the healthy efforts of those around us. Take notice of small things that people are doing to improve their health and fitness, and lend an encouraging word of support. If you see someone in your office filling up their water bottle, or a person loading their grocery cart with veggies or having an apple for snack – give a little kudos! If you’ve ever heard the line “you get what you give” then this is the idea that I’m pulling at. If you notice and seek out people who desire to be healthy and give them your support, you are more likely to find that support when you need it. Follow the pay-it-forward concept and inspire others. By giving others support and surrounding ourselves with supportive people, we can all feel and be healthier. Building a strong foundation is one of the best things you can do for a healthy lifestyle. This foundation acts almost as a net to fall back on if you lose your way, and makes it a lot easier to get back up and keep going rather than just quitting all together. We tend to avoid thinking about the possibility of getting off track with our health until it is upon us, but it’s an important factor to consider and plan ahead for. Our foundations are what define who we are, what are goals are, and how we are going to reach them. They are a reflection of our strengths and a tool to fight our weaknesses. If you think of your health journey as building a house, then you can see how important the presence of a foundation is. You can get every other detail right on the house, and make it gorgeous. But, if your foundation is weak, the house will eventually begin to fall apart. A strong foundation keeps a house together, and can keep your healthy lifestyle intact.
Foundations for health feel or look different for every individual, but should share a common purpose. The purpose is to help support us when things get a little shaky. If the foundation is strong, we weather the storm better, and can put ourselves back on track much more quickly and efficiently. Whether it’s setting goals with dates attached, writing down the top 5 reason’s why you want to be healthy, or that picture of what you DO, or DO NOT want to look like - your foundations should be inspiring things that will push you forward to the finish line. Summer is just around the corner, and the lively weather is the perfect inspiration to make that push towards a healthier lifestyle. With all of the fresh produce and cheerful faces and warming sunshine, it’s hard to resist the urge to go outside and be active! Take those pale limbs out for some fresh air, and take advantage of this time to strengthen your foundations. You will be amazed at what motivation and confidence it brings. As the last few days of April come to an end, I am starting to plan for summer! In the next month or so, school will be out, folks will start vacationing, and I will finally be ready to enjoy the sunshine! There’s just something about the approach of summer that makes me feel extra bright and happy.
One of the best ways to embrace the upcoming change in seasons is to embrace the new foods and styles that will come with it! Summertime is filled with tons of colorful fruits and vegetables. There are endless possibilities when it comes to summer snacks, salads, and even healthy desserts! I am a huge fan of fresh stuff! Luckily, with farmers markets being at almost every corner, we can find awesome foods that were literally just picked. I really want to encourage you to give each meal some color in the next few weeks. Don’t be afraid to experiment with things you’ve never had before. The more color you bring to your meal, the better! Another way to embrace the upcoming season is to brighten up your workout clothing. I always feel more confident if I’m wearing a little bit of color when I exercise. There’s just something about bright colors that really makes me push myself towards success. Have fun with your workout gear and match the happy weather! Be bold, and pick something that pushes your color limit and you might just push your workout limits too! Coloring up your health can have so many great effects. In the end, it’s all about finding ways to motivate yourself to keep working towards a healthier lifestyle. Whether it’s through new recipes or updating your wardrobe, the key thing to take away is that motivation can come in many different forms. As May is upon us, I encourage everyone to find ways that will motivate them to stay healthy during the weeks ahead! “Growing” your health can be a hard concept to grasp. For most of us, when we think of changing to a healthier lifestyle, we want the changes to be easy, and to start seeing results fast. That’s why quick fix diets and products are easy to sell. We want it now! The reality is that it takes time for results to show, and that can often be frustrating. Growing our health can seem like standing there watching, waiting for the garden to grow. It takes so long to actually harvest something you can see. The good news is that you can harvest feeling better very quickly! Improvements in energy, attitude, sleep patterns, and alertness are right around the corner, and well within reach. The visual and physical harvest will follow if you tend the garden well.
The transformation into a healthy lifestyle needs to be thought of as a progressive process, making sure to embrace even the small details that go into the mixture. I am known for asking my clients to “Dream Big, and Work Small.” Having a vision of where you want to be; change goals that encourage you to reach; that’s the Dream Big. Taking small steps each day to implement changes; that’s the Work Small. As you emerge into a new way of thinking about your health, it takes time to understand the significance of each part of the process. One of the best things you can do for yourself is make a plan as to how you’re going to attain a healthy lifestyle. What mini goals must you achieve in order to accomplish your big goal? How will you get there within the constraints that you have? These are questions that I help folks with every day. Transformation doesn’t have to be a lonely process! Mapping out your goals can not only help you stay organized, but it can make you appreciate the small accomplishments that you have made in order to reach your end destination. Think about a plant. You don’t usually see a flower with a dead stem and blossoming petals. Every part of the plant; roots, steam, leaves needs to be healthy in order for the flower to be full of color and life. The same idea goes for your healthier lifestyle. Instead of rushing the process of building a healthy lifestyle, take the time to make sure every part of your plan is strong and will actually lead you to your end goal. Takes those small steps every day to nurture your garden of good health. Plan your journey, and celebrate the small victories. Nurture and grow your health and fitness. Not only will you achieve your goals, but you’ll build a strong foundation and feel great along the way! April is the month for “going green”. It’s not hard to get this feeling when everything around us is finally coming back to life! Our awareness of our amazing planet soars, inspiring us to pay attention, and make a difference. The idea of going green can incorporate many things. Greening up our lives can mean as much to our health as it does to reducing our carbon footprint. For example, if you choose to ride your bike somewhere instead of driving, you save gas of course, but you also got your metabolism boosted. If you choose less processed and more local foods, you reduce the environmental impact of production, and the health bonus is that you will likely be eating much more nutrient dense food with less calories. What if you do your work-out outdoors, instead of in the gym or house? Maybe that means you don’t have to have the AC as cold, and you use less electricity – side bonus: a fresh view from your “workout area” and some new challenges. From reducing processed foods to exercising outside instead of in the gym, there are tons of ways to make your lifestyle just a little more GREEN! Good for you, and good for the planet – now that’s a winner!
Farmer’s Markets are finally starting to open up for the summer! What better way to start going green than by buying locally grown foods? Our Famer’s Market here in Northwest Arkansas are a HUGE deal, not to mention you can make a whole day out of it. Walking along the square, enjoying the sights and smells of foods and flowers, listening to local bands play on the sidewalks… there really is something for everyone. If you have not had a chance to stop by the Farmer’s Market, I highly encourage you to do so. Try something new, it’s a great experience and can really open your eyes to a whole new world of fresh living. If crowded markets aren’t your thing, I recommend just spending time outside. With the weather being warm, it’s a great time to start getting in fun bike rides, hikes, and jogs! I always feel so much better when I exercise outdoors. Feel the wind on your face and embrace the change in scenery! As you work towards a healthy lifestyle, I ask that you keep the idea of “going green” in the front of your mind. Earth Day is approaching, so as your community takes a step to reduce their carbon footprint, make sure you take a step in reducing yours and reap the benefits all the way around that waistline! The difference that living green makes is one we can all embrace! Peace of mind is not the absence of conflict from life, but the ability to cope with it.” ~Unknown
April brings lots of change in the natural world. Everywhere you look, things are morphing into a new shape, growing, shedding, bursting, and blowing. The natural world and the living things in it aren’t still or stationary, they are ever chaotic. That phrase about the “balance of nature” doesn’t really mean that nature IS balanced. In fact, the natural world is constantly in chaos, seeking towards balance. Maybe that’s how we are too, constantly in chaos, movement, change, but striving for balance. It is this striving for balance that helps nature, and us, flourish. I think one of the hardest things about staying healthy and happy is finding the strength to continue on even when things are tough, and the courage to believe that things will swing back in the other direction. The courage that builds our strength ultimately roots back to our inner peace; our peace of mind and heart. So, this week I am suggesting the idea of nourishing our inner peace. Sounds like a tall order, but it can be accomplished through consistent, small efforts. Here are some ideas to try. Remembering to Smile This is something that is so simple, yet can make a huge difference. Finding a way to smile (or even just stay positive) through tough or stressful situations can help you work towards an impactful solution and keep you from getting too worked up. We all know how wonderful it is to bump into that person with the infectious smile. Mantra: “Let it be me that shares an infectious smile.” Loving-Kindness “If you look for the bad in people expecting to find it, you surely will.” ~A. Lincoln Wise statement. The concept applies in looking for good as well. If you work to notice and embrace the loving-kindness of others, you will find yourself exemplifying loving-kindness without even trying. Mantra: “Notice acts of loving kindness – see them, share them” Embracing Quietness This is something that I think a lot of people (including myself) struggle with. It can be hard to completely clear your mind and hear nothing but emptiness. But, if you embrace the weightlessness that comes with peaceful meditation, it becomes easier to push away the heaviness of stress and life. Mantra: Today I will sit quietly with myself for 5 minutes”. More is even better! EMBRACE YOURSELF this week and see what amazing things can come from it! Hey everyone! I recently posted this recipe in my April Newsletter, but honestly, it's such a hit with my family that I decided that I would share it on here with all of you! If you want to see more delicious, healthy recipes along with other fun lifestyle content from me, you can subscribe to our free newsletter program! Click here to subscribe! Ingredients:
· 1 Daikon Radish · 1 cooked chicken breast or ½ cup shredded chicken · ½ cucumber · 1 mango · ½ red onion · ¼ cup coriander · ½ avocado · 1 lime Ingredients for Sauce: · 1 ½ tbsp. peanut butter (or cashew butter if paleo) · 1 tbsp. sesame oil · 1 tsp. tamari (or soy sauce) · 3 tbsp. orange juice · 2 tsp. lime juice Instructions: 1. Wash and scrub the Daikon Radish thoroughly to remove as much dirt as possible. Peel the outer skin off using a vegetable peeler. 2. Using a cheese slicer, cut thin strips running all the way down the length of the radish. Try not to push down too hard when peeling to keep the slices as thin as possible. Once you get close to the center of the Daikon it may become harder to slice as the flesh will have more holes, so flip the radish over and continue slicing on the other side. Depending on the length of the Daikon, each strip will make 2 rolls. 3. Prepare your filling. Shred the chicken and sprinkle it with the juice of 1 lime. Finally, dice the peanuts and cut the mango, avocado and cucumber into thin strips. 4. To assemble, lay out 1 strip of the radish and top with a few pieces of each filling. Top with coriander and then roll, ensuring you press down and keep the rolls tight. Repeat with the remaining rolls. 5. To make the sauce, place all of the ingredients listed above in a hand blender and pulse until well combined. You may want to add more orange juice depending on desired consistency. This sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead and stored in a sealed container in the fridge. I don’t know about you, but I am so excited that April is just around the corner (just a few more days!!)! The flowers are starting to grow, the grass is slowly turning green, and I can hear the birds chirping when I’m on my morning run. There’s just something about the smell of new beginnings that makes me think about starting fresh in my health actions.
Everyone must enter a time where they reevaluate their goals and their routines. In fact, this is something I work with my clients on. One of the biggest things about your health/fitness goals is that they must be adaptable and dynamic just like your life, and just like you! Whether we are looking to lose weight, get lean, take on a new job or event, or simply “eat better”, it is easy to become stagnant in our efforts. Sometimes we think we are on track, simply because things have become routine. We feel like we know what we’re doing, that all our choices and actions are sound. That routine that gets us through, can also become our nemesis, holding us back from where we want to be. Start fresh; don’t let the groove of your routines hold you in place. While some of your actions may be worth holding on to, being challenged and inspired in new ways is what helps us soar. I love helping people find their inspiration, motivation, and means of achieving a healthier, more confident life. The added bonus is that it inspires and motivates me as well. April is a beautiful month, full of new life and change. So, feel the flow, embrace the change, and be inspired to start fresh with your health and fitness. Spring Break is something that almost everyone looks forward to. Whether you’re going on vacation or simply relaxing at home, the week-long detox from busy work schedules is absolutely necessary.
When I think about Spring Break, the first word that comes to my mind is emergence. One of the best things about this week is that you can finally have the chance to shed the hibernation lifestyle and start thinking FRESH for spring! Think of it as a spring-cleaning for your health lifestyle. It’s an awesome time to get rid of all of that junky comfort food laying around, open up the windows, and get some fresh veggies in the kitchen. I just love the idea that outdoor workouts can finally not be paired with bitter cold winds or icy sidewalks, but instead cool breezes and green grass. Now of course, it’s a lot more tempting to still eat all of the comfort foods when you’re on vacation. But this is a choice you make for yourself. Are you going to let your vacation be a health dropper or a health improver? Don’t let the fatty foods on the menu keep you from having a time of emergence. A fun trip to the beach can still be healthy if you keep yourself accountable to your time of change. Instead of ordering something deep fried and greasy, the grilled fish and fresh veggies will be just as rewarding. Plus, healthy eating will keep your energy up, which means you’ll be up for even more adventures on your trip! Next week marks the beginning of April, so I encourage all of you to start spring-cleaning your health lifestyle and try new things. Go to the farmers market, try an outdoor workout, or simply just spend more time outside enjoying the beautiful weather. Whatever you choose to do, this is your time to emerge into a better, fresher YOU. And in the end, that’s what Spring Break is really all about. Are you getting in the way of achieving your goals? We can talk all day about how setting the right goals and staying accountable is super important (and of course, it is), but when everything really boils down, the only thing left standing there is you. So, what can we do about that?
The answer? Know that you can do it. If you believe that you can accomplish your goals, then you certainly will. But having a strong self-mantra goes beyond setting goals. It can be the foundation that allows you to build confidence. Confidence leads to courage, and leads to success. This success could be personal, work related, or whatever else you might think of. This is a tried and true fact. The book store is full of books based on this simple, but elusive concept. I personally see it every day, in action. My clients not only talk about how they loved losing weight having more energy, sleeping and eating better, but describe how they are changing with the feeling of confidence from loving themselves more. Here’s one of my secrets. Everyone looks in the mirror at some point in their day. Our reflection stares back at us from glass doors, elevator walls, and sleeping computer screens - but it's best to do this idea when you aren’t in a crowd. Say your self-mantra 3 times while looking yourself in the eyes. Self-doubt is easy, self-belief is challenging. Make it short and make it powerful. You are strong. You are your own force. In both good times and bad, remember your statement. Have one, have three, change it as you feel the need. It is who you are and who you will be, for as long as you continue to remind yourself of it. Remember “I Love Lucy?” Well, I love Lucy – really! She was so public and out there with everything she tried to do. We laughed at her epic failures, but we also cheered for her and secretly wanted her to succeed. I keep her in mind when I need to give myself a boost toward a goal. I have a Lucy magnet that I use to pin my goal to my refrigerator when I’m really trying to challenge myself toward something. Everyone who sees the fridge can ask me about it, and I see it every day, multiple times a day. I cut the note out of colored construction paper, so it looks like a cartoon message balloon, with Lucy saying the words. I also try to talk to friends and family about the events I have coming up—what I’m training for and what new foods or food changes I am working to implement (thank goodness I have tolerant friends and family!). Right now, I’m searching for some new athletic goals for myself. I want to do something epic. So, look for me to be sharing those ideas sometime soon. I’m going to take my own advice…and go public with it!
Accountability to yourself, while important, can be a lonesome journey. There’s a reason why sports teams need cheerleaders and fans. There’s a reason why we go to the dentist to get our teeth cleaned and checked. There is a reason why schools give grades and measure performance. We need someone besides ourselves to help us stay on top of those things that are important to us. We need a way to measure our progress. We need a way to find out how we are doing outside of our own opinion. We need to share and be shared with. How many times do we say, “I know what I need to be doing, but I’m just not doing it,”? Staying accountable and consistent to your goals is half the battle of getting lean and healthy. In fact, it is half the battle of any goal you might set. The consistency of doing the good stuff, is where real change comes from. We can all talk about how it’s important to keep going and stay motivated, but where does accountability actually fit in? Staying healthy and fit is no different. One of the best ways I’ve found to keep myself accountable to my health and fitness goals is going public. If you put it out there and you aren’t afraid to talk about it, you’ll be surprised by how supportive people can be. Sometimes it’s uncomfortable, if you aren’t staying on top of things. Sometimes you’re just itching for someone to ask you, so you can say proudly how well it’s going. If you don’t tell anyone, you miss out on both sides of this. Pick something on your goals list and give it a try. Post it on your refrigerator, put a sticky note on your desk or wall at work, tell your friends what you are working toward, and put it on social media if you REALLY want to go pubic! How you choose to share, that’s up to you, but keeping it only to yourself reduces your probability of success. Make it big, make it little, it doesn’t matter, just pick something and go public about it. It can be as simple as committing to meet someone at the gym at 5:30 am for a workout, and not cancelling. Maybe you are trying to give up diet soda? Put it out there – let people know that you’re working hard to make it happen So, here’s the bottom line. “Go public. “ Share your goals and be proud of what you accomplish. Put yourself out there—just like Lucy! |