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I have just two questions for you this week. That’s it. Two simple questions.
What’s your one change? This is just one thing that you know would be beneficial, but you’ve been holding off, and if you started doing it this week, you’d start to feel better.
What’s it going to take to make that one change this week?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
Back in 2019, I started attending Qigong classes facilitated by Michelle Eisenhauer, who wrote a lovely guest post for me about Qigong. For this week’s Wine & Wellness Wednesday, I asked her husband, Jared, to share a bit about Reiki. Cheers! Here’s to your health!
What is Reiki?
Hello everyone! Thank you, Jolie, for asking us to write a bit on Reiki! My name is Jared and I’ve been living and administering Reiki for around five years. I’ve been attuned to the master level and enjoy teaching and sharing what I’ve learned about reiki. My wife Michelle and I are owners and Reiki Masters with Inner Light Haven, LLC, in West Des Moines, Iowa.
Reiki is something that is very special to me and has been a stimulus for my own personal awakening and growth. It is something that can not only be used for energetic treatments and healing but also as a way of life and is becoming more and more prevalent in Western Society. It is becoming easier and easier to find Reiki Practitioners and Masters throughout the U.S. and even in Iowa. It is even starting to find its way into restorative care programs within Nursing Homes and Hospitals. The VA also recognizes it as a viable means of care. As great as this is, I find that while many may have heard of Reiki they don’t really understand what it is and how it can be helpful.
I am frequently asked “What is Reiki anyway? You’re a Master, help me understand.” This is such a great question and I love helping people understand just how special reiki is. Reiki is the divine spiritual energy of life. It can be used to help balance and restore energetic levels within our body. It can also aide in developing our patience, love of self and others, as well as, move us into a place of acceptance of others’ ideas and beliefs. It can help us to forgive and increase our gratitude for our friendships, family, and life. Reiki works to improve the quality of joy and peace we experience and is a great tool to help increase our spiritual connection with the divine. The thing I like the most is that it is not only a healing modality but a way of life and a means to enjoying life that much more. Simply put... Reiki is awesome!
As we look at how it can influence our daily life, I’d like to introduce you to the 5 Principles of Reiki:
1- Just for today, I will live in gratitude.
2- Just for today, I will live in trust and faith.
3- Just for today, I will walk in joy.
4- Just for today, I will live in integrity.
5- Just for today, I will love every living thing.
The profoundness of these simple words simply amazes me. Even while I write them out, I feel the immensity of their meaning and while I may or may not know you personally, I challenge you to review and implement them into your lives for one week and see what happens. I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the results. They are such a wise and simple way to live!
Reiki can also be delivered direct from a Reiki Practitioner. This can be done in a private or as a group session and usually is very relaxing and calming. The practitioner calls in the energy and delivers it through light touch or by positioning their hands over the client’s body. The intent is to balance and restore the energetic system within the body whether that’s physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Reiki can also be delivered remotely. Yes! That’s right, the energy of life is everywhere to bless and work with those who seek it.
I’d like to wish you all blessings on your path and sincerely hope these words provide the guidance you are seeking. If you have an interest in getting a reiki session or even learning to work with the energy of reiki please search your local area for a Reiki Practitioner or Master. Michelle and I would also be happy to help you and can be reached at services@innerlighthaven.com
Blessing to you all!
Jared
It can be incredibly easy to look back at the past year and lament the things we’ve missed, the people we haven’t seen, the things we haven’t done. I was recently walloped by the realization that this time a year ago, we were planning a weekend getaway with another couple, to just get out of town and have a change of scenery. Then the pandemic began, and all bets were off. There were so many things that didn’t happen, and sometimes it’s difficult to focus on anything other than what we’ve missed and lost.
I like, very much, the occasional things I’ve seen on social media or heard in virtual meetings, asking for at least one positive thing that has come out of the challenges over the past year.
Oddly enough, my answer from the first time hasn’t changed, and even though we are in the dead of winter and it is bitterly, horribly cold, thinking of this still makes me happy.
I spent more time both working in and enjoying my gardens in 2020 than I had in quite a few years previous, and that felt fantastic. It was good exercise, it felt great to be outside, and I reaped the benefits in so many ways. Gardening provides beauty, food for wildlife, food for us, and a tremendous sense of peace as well as accomplishment. As I look at the snow and shiver, I think of all the wonderful things that are sleeping under the soil, waiting for the thaw and sunshine of spring. Even the mowing, and the weeding, and the chasing-away-of-pests doesn’t diminish the pleasure I feel looking back at last year, or the eager anticipation I feel looking forward to this year’s gardening season.
Also, I have bean plants. LOL!! I started a project with a friend’s kids; we each have a setup and we planted and are watching bean plants grow. I think the kiddos are enjoying it, and I know I am. The bean plants give me hope, and that’s a good thing.
Another thing I realized recently is that I’ve maintained my intentional cross stitching streak, and I’ve gone past 1,200 days of consecutively cross stitching. I also passed a year of intentionally crocheting daily. These feed my creative side and I love spending time on them each day!
What’s your good? What’s your moment of realization that there have been good things over the past year?
Take a deep breath, and focus on that feeling. Go ahead. I’ll wait.
There! There it is. That moment of peace, and joy, or bliss, or whatever suits you to call it. That’s a good thing.
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
I mentioned last week that one habit I’ve done fairly well at maintaining over the past year has been my meditation practice. Typically, I meditate in the morning, then I journal, then I exercise. Sometimes, I’ll go outside and meditate in the hammock. (Yes, even in the winter. In fact, the thumbnail photo for this post is a recent pic I took while in the hammock!) Sometimes, I’ll repeat one of my mantras to myself to relax and fall asleep. I’m grateful for that practice and I’m grateful that even if it’s only for three minutes, I make time for it daily.
What does meditation do for the body, exactly?
Lowers blood pressure. Helps increase focus. Can provide clarity. May boost your immune system. Creates a general feeling of relaxation, which is never a bad thing.
And you don’t have to sit there saying “ommmmmmm” for an hour. :) I mentioned a mantra; my mantras vary and I take them from things I’ve read. They’re usually short, which makes them easy to memorize. While meditation isn’t strictly a religious practice, either, maybe your mantra is a prayer. Maybe it’s a poem. Whatever it is, make it positive, and something that is meaningful to you. For example, here’s one I like:
Forgetfulness is the darkness, mindfulness is the light.
I bring awareness to shine upon all life.
~Thich Nhat Hanh, PEACE IS EVERY BREATH
Sometimes, I practice the Small Universe meditation from my Qigong class, which helps me be mindful of and focused on many parts of my body. That also helps me relax and bring my blood pressure down.
So it’s highly varied, but the consistent thing is that I do it, in some form, every day.
I led an activity once for a virtual team meeting in which I talked about the benefits of meditation. As part of the activity, we meditated for one minute. One minute. Sixty seconds. Several people on the call were amazed at how fast it went. One person said “That was the worst minute of my life and don’t make me do that ever again.” That still makes me laugh to this day! Everyone’s experience is going to be different!
How about you? Have you tried meditation? What did you like (or not like)?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
I did something odd last Friday.
I exercised.
That wasn’t the odd part. One of the things I’ve been happiest with for the past weird year as we dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic was that I maintained my morning routine of meditation, journaling, and exercise.
So how was last Friday weird?
I exercised at 4 p.m., after breakfast and lunch and coffee and running errands.
Why was that weird?
I didn’t exercise in the morning per my usual habit, thanks to a rough night and a late start on the morning.
But as I was dragging and lacking motivation and energy in the late afternoon, I thought, “Why can’t I exercise now? Maybe it will energize me a bit and it will make up for missing the morning.”
I was right. I felt better after I was done on the exercise bike. It was movement without having to leave the house again and go out into the cold for a walk, and it was something I enjoy doing. It was just strange to do it so late in the day.
I’ve posted about routines and also about breaking routines, and this was a really good break in routine.
What routine have you broken lately that felt good? Do you give yourself flexibility to shift between routines in case you don’t do something at the usual time?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
YES, I know. LOL!! The pic isn’t a real lime. It’s all I had on hand. It may be time for a grocery store run…
Up until the weather we had last week, I’d have said we could have used even the thought of citrus to make our days a little sunnier! And then (in Iowa, anyway) the weather went and got gorgeous. I mean seriously! We even turned off our furnace and opened the windows…on the same day we had the fall furnace service. Ha! Naturally, the 70s couldn’t last and this morning we scraped frost off the car. It was fun while it lasted, though.
I have had citrus on the brain, though, recently. I was thinking about one of my favorite recipes (lemon & garlic chicken) while sipping on some limeade. We all know that citrus fruits such as lemons, oranges, and grapefruits are high in vitamin C. But beyond that, what other health benefits do we get from adding citrus to our diets?
Ok, refresher time. Why do we need a good amount of vitamin C in our diets? Vitamin C is needed for healthy skin, bones, blood vessels, and connective tissues. It helps the body absorb some iron from foods, so add a citrus vinaigrette to your spinach salad or add lemon juice to your lentil soup! It is critical to immune system support and may help fight inflammation. In the case of fighting inflammation, vitamin C could then also help prevent many different diseases. Citrus fruits are also high in flavonoids, nutrients that both give the fruits their colors and aromas, as well as possibly fighting inflammation. In addition to vitamin C and flavonoids, citrus fruits provide B vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and copper. The body needs small amounts of all of these nutrients to function properly. Also, vitamin C is water-soluble so the body doesn’t store it up. Massive and regular megadoses (over 2000 mg/day) are not healthy, but regular intake of normal doses either through food or supplements is safe and good for you.
Citrus fruits are good sources of dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber can help fight LDL cholesterol, while insoluble fiber can boost gut health. The recommended daily fiber intake, which nearly no one actually gets, is roughly 14 grams fiber per 1000 calories. One cup of orange segments has roughly 60 calories and 4 grams of fiber. So it’s a low-calorie, high-benefit snack.
Citrus fruits are lower in sugar, overall, although oranges and grapefruit have the highest amounts. (Adding brown sugar and a maraschino cherry and broiling a grapefruit half definitely increases the calorie count…but it’s delicious!)
Water!! Even during the winter, it’s still important to drink water. An average orange is made up of 88% water! While eating enough oranges to get your water intake for the day is inadvisable for the total calorie count and possible issues with citric acid and cavities, you can still count an orange or a grapefruit toward your daily water goal. Adding a squeeze of lemon to a glass of water with a meal is also beneficial; the acid may aid in digestion and the water will help fill you up so you don’t eat as much. But, again, don’t sip on lemon water all day. The acid intake over long periods can aggravate cavities.
Let’s talk about how to get more citrus fruit in your diet. Is it better fresh, frozen, canned, cooked, whole, or juiced? First, juices are delicious, however, some juices have added sugars as well as lots of fructose from the fruit, and they don’t all have the dietary fiber present in the whole fruit. So keep the juices to a minimum. Don’t eliminate them entirely, just don’t rely on them for your daily citrus intake. Mostly, look for ways to incorporate citrus fruits into your diet fresh and whole, or as juice without added sugars, for example, as bottled lemon juice. Cooking can break down vitamin C so it isn’t as beneficial, although it’ll still be delicious. (Case in point, my lemon & garlic chicken is marinated and then baked. And scrumptious!)
Citrus! It’s good for you! How will you get more citrus in your diet? Cheers!
My alliteration is failing me. I could not think of a funky alliterative title for this post. So. Yogurt!
Recently I went looking for information about healthy snacks for late in the day that will also help me sleep. Found a few. Some of them won’t work at all for me. (Hello, almond allergy. I miss almonds. And cashews. And…but I digress. Again.)
One of them surprised me a bit: yogurt. To help with sleeping? Ok…Quite literally did not see that coming.
So, ok. I like yogurt. Husband likes yogurt. Our fridge is regularly stocked with Chobani and multiple flavors of AE yogurt. And, yes, most of them have too much sugar. I keep forgetting to add things like Epicure sweet dip mixes, for example, to plain yogurt. Silly me! No, really. Using the dip mix adds LESS sugar. It does! It’s also really tasty.
There are lots of ways to mess up sleep patterns. There are lots of things to do to fix them. So I can’t say for sure that eating yogurt has been the best fix ever…but it seems as if I’m sleeping better if I have yogurt near-ish bedtime, and it hasn’t seemed to impact weight loss. Ok. So I’m sortakindaseriouslyish trying to remember to have more yogurt.
AND then of course because it’s me…I went looking for the health benefits of yogurt.
All together now: “Yogurt has probiotics!”
All together now: “What does that mean?”
*insert laughter here*
Short version: probiotics are live bacteria that are promoted/expected to provide health benefits. Everything I’ve read says that more research is needed and the actual benefits are unclear. At any rate, look for the words “active cultures” on the label, otherwise, pasteurization will have potentially killed the useful bacteria cultures.
Yogurt provides lots of protein and nutrients such as calcium & vitamin B. Usually it’s also fortified with vitamin D, which, together with calcium, is important for strong bones. It has the potential to benefit digestive health, stave off or decrease the severity of yeast infections, strengthen the immune system, and help balance your gut’s microflora to improve gut health.
So…long story short? Yogurt can be really good for you. It’s probably going to be better for you to take plain yogurt and add fruit or low-sugar flavorings. But try it! There are so many varieties nowadays, you have lots of options!
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
It might even be safe to say I love drinking water.
I like plain water, sparkling water, flavored water, flavored sparking water. The only kind I really don’t like is flavored sparkling water with artificial sweeteners. Ick. Not my jam.
Mmmm…jam…
Meanwhile, I digress.
I am great at remembering to drink water when it’s hot and I’m active.
I’m less great at remembering to drink water in the cooler, quieter, less active times of the year.
So this re-post of a favorite topic is as much a reminder to myself as it is to anyone reading: DRINK WATER.
What does it take for you to remember to drink water? Reminders on your phone? Cute aps where you can build aquariums as you record how much you drink? Water bottles with measuring lines on them?
Whatever works for you, get going and get it done! Drink that water!
Cheers! (With a glass of water!) Here’s to your health!
Back in 2017 I posted about clearing clutter & getting giddy.
It’s still true.
Whenever I clear a cluttered pile of STUFF that has been making me a bit crazy, there is a definite lightness, a letting go, a giddiness. Clutter is not healthy, mentally or physically.
I think quite a few people have spent at least some of their time during this pandemic clearing the clutter in their homes. (Maybe also clearing the mental clutter?)
Decluttering can also lead to magical discoveries.
I, as many people know, love to cook. I use recipes, and I use Epicure products, and I make stuff up as I go. I have many, many cookbooks. Some of them I haven’t used yet, and some of them I use so frequently that I’ve memorized some of the recipes.
One of my favorites is BREAD TOMATO GARLIC, by Jill Dupleix.
You saw the picture that goes with this post?
Yeah. Have you figured it out yet? That would be two copies of the same cookbook.
Quite a while ago I lost track of my copy. I couldn’t remember whether I’d lent it to someone, or to whom I might have lent it. I asked the usual suspects, and nope. I sort of wrote it off and ended up getting a decent used copy off Amazon or HPB.
Yesterday, while delving into the depths of a large plastic tub of miscellany, guess what I found.
Yep. My original copy, with my notes. (Honestly, losing the notes almost bothered me more than losing the book.)
I’ll be keeping both. It is genuinely one of my favorite recipes. Simple is good. (Each recipe in it has 3 primary ingredients, and no more than 4 to 6 supporting players. It’s lovely.)
Declutter something. Even if it’s a one-foot-square space, you’ll feel a difference. You may even make a magical discovery!
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
When I say the words, “comfort food,” what do you think of?
Merriam-Webster.com defines it as follows: “food prepared in a traditional style having a usually nostalgic or sentimental appeal.”
I think it’s fairly safe to say that many of us have turned to comfort food since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in order to find something familiar, safe, and, well, comforting.
Believe it or not, this post isn’t going to be about how to turn familiar comfort food recipes into healthier versions. It’s totally possible to do. Surprisingly, sometimes, it’s even nearly impossible to tell the difference. And while I may be a health coach, that’s not my purpose today.
Comfort food is good for your health, specifically, your mental and emotional health. (Let’s be honest. It won’t always be good for your weight…)
What do you consider comfort food? For me, it’s recipes like my dad’s beef stroganoff and rice pilaf, or spaghetti carbonara, or our family version of a big chef salad, or chocolate pudding. What do those have in common? They’re mostly rich, full of carbohydrates (potentially), and high in fat. Why are they comforting? One: memories. Many, many times through my life, those foods have been around for family celebrations or just because we needed pick-me-ups. I remember the first time I made each recipe and it turned out like Dad’s; I was ecstatic! Two: eating food that are high-fat/high-sugar activates your brain’s reward system, improving your mood.
There are drawbacks, too, of course. Too many high-calorie, high-fat foods are not great for your physical health. What’s the answer? Find the balance. Make the comfort food, but figure out how to make it a little healthier. (I KNOW, I know. I couldn’t resist. ;) I didn’t try too hard either.) Make the comfort food, and accompany it with a salad. Drink more water. Make the comfort food, and then go for an after-dinner walk.
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
Lots of things have been said over the years about building good habits or breaking habits that don’t serve us well. (Including by me on occasion!)
Most of the time, we think of those habits as actions or tasks; as things we want to do on a regular basis.
How often do you think about those habits as thoughts; as things you want to think or believe on a regular basis?
During the upheaval of the past few months, I’ve been struggling to maintain routines and habits, and my thought processes have been wildly uneven. It’s frustrating, to say the least.
Several days ago, I said to myself, “Self, it’s ok. You are doing the best you can. You have a finite amount of energy on a daily basis. Give yourself a break. Accept that you’ve used your energy, be ok with what you’ve gotten done, and let go of any guilt you’re feeling. Tomorrow is another day.”
I also said to myself, “Self, look at the things you’ve done the past few days. Maybe you haven’t done ALL THE THINGS. But look at what you HAVE done and the habits you’ve started back up again. That should feel great!”
What are you saying to yourself or thinking to yourself ABOUT yourself right now?
I have a challenge for you. Spend some time with yourself and make it positive. Pick something you’re grateful for, or positive about, and focus on that feeling. Pick a conversation to have with yourself, and do it again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next.
That habit you’re building? It’s good for you. Cheers! Here’s to your health!
Ok, tonight’s beverage isn’t wine, it’s a rum & coke, and, TBH, I’m sort of struggling with things that require a lot of brainpower.
I am, however, extremely, thoroughly grateful for sun & rain & warmish weather & my garden. Maybe we’re limited in what we can do and where we can go, but I have endless things to do in my garden, so I’m getting fresh air, and dirt under my fingernails, and sun on my face. (But! Sunscreen!)
Diving back into old topics, I couldn’t decide which one works best for me today; they’re both true. Go outside! And, if you’re so inclined, plant a garden!
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
http://www.makeonechange.today/blog/2016/4/13/wine-wellness-wednesday-go-outside
http://www.makeonechange.today/blog/2017/3/15/wine-wellness-wednesday-gardening
My coaching philosophy is that anyone can make one positive, sustainable change a week to improve their health and wellbeing. We are living in turbulent, unprecedented times. So what’s one change you can make in order to keep yourself healthy now? (AND yes, I know. The phrase, “unprecedented times,” is becoming overused, much like the phrase, “out of an abundance of caution.” It doesn’t make it less true!)
Caring for your mental health: stop watching the news. Take a break from it, even if it’s only one day. I had been watching the local and national news pretty much daily. Right now, that isn’t necessarily a good thing. I’m not saying give it up for a week, although that might be beneficial. Right now it seems as if both the local and national news broadcasts are on repeat. Take a break. They’ll be there the next day. In fact, I did this yesterday. It was hard. It was REALLY hard. I enjoy the routine of having the news on while I’m making dinner. I also knew that I needed, even just for a day, not to watch the news.
Caring for your mental health: take a break from social media, even if it’s only for a day, or half a day, or an hour. Put down the gadgets, put down the technology, and pick up a book, or a crossword puzzle, or a deck of cards, or yarn and a crochet hook, or bake bread. There are loads of studies and links (ah, the irony) out there saying that baking is good therapy. Taking a break from technology gives your brain – and your emotions – a break.
Caring for your mental health: don’t compare yourself to other people. Keeping up with the Joneses? Don’t. Each of us is unique. Each of us is experiencing these times differently. How you’re feeling is valid for you. What you’re doing – or not doing – is valid for you. (This is where that whole taking a break from social media might come in handy.) You don’t have to come out the other side of this with your entire house scrubbed from top to bottom, or the next great American novel drafted. If you WANT to draft the next great American novel, go for it! But keep in mind that you are unique, and amazing, and take care of yourself.
If you had a schedule or a routine before COVID-19 hit, keep it. If you didn’t, maybe this is a good time to make up a new routine. Maybe this is the time to make some changes. There’s a lot out there about keeping up habits that you had while commuting to work. If you’re working from home, still get dressed. Maybe you don’t need to wear the three-piece suit. Maybe it’s just throwing on a clean shirt and jeans and brushing your hair. Nothing about these times is normal or routine, so even if you’re accustomed to being home, it still FEELS different. Most humans need some kind of structure in their days to keep calm and focused. At the same time, give yourself some grace to let go and be less rigid about some things. Sleep is important, so going to bed at the same time every night? That’s important. But deciding that maybe today you can have ice cream for breakfast? That’s also important. The weather is shifting, even though this week it’s shifted for the worse. Add a walk to your day. Or just go outside and sit in the sun.
Have you always wanted to <insert new thing here>? Maybe now is the time to start learning about it. After all, learning new things builds new pathways in your brain. It’s good for you! Are there things you’ve wanted to do and haven’t made time? Now is a good time to do them – or, maybe, not to do them. It’s up to you. Take stock of how you’re feeling. Are you tired? Hungry? Anxious? Crabby? Giddy? Can you figure out why? What can you do about that feeling in that moment? If there isn’t something you can do immediately, can you let it go? If you can’t let it go but you can’t deal with it immediately, make a plan. Write it down. You don’t have to be someone who journals in order to get some mental benefit from writing things down. Write whatever-it-is down, and, if you feel like it, shred it. But get it out. Get it on paper. Recognize and acknowledge how you’re feeling and when you need a break…and, most importantly, take that break.
DRINK WATER. If you find that you’re hungry, short-tempered, depressed, or distracted, take stock of your day. How much water have you had to drink? Staying hydrated can help with your sleep quality, your brain function, and your mood. You all know that water is one of my favorite topics. I know that especially when I’m less active, it’s hard to remember to drink water, so I have a reminder set periodically on my phone. Sparkling water, water with lemon, tea and coffee and even juice (up to a point) all help keep you hydrated. Have watermelon. Have other fruit. Drink the water. But stay hydrated! (Maybe put that water in a fun wine glass!)
Are you having trouble figuring out what to make for dinner? Lunch? Breakfast? Having more meals at home as a whole family instead of just breakfast and dinner?
1. Figure out what’s in your pantry and freezer. Why do you have a dozen boxes of Rice-A-Roni? How old is that bag of frozen brussels sprouts?
2. Make a list of the things you love to make. What are your favorite recipes? When was the last time you made …? What can you make out of what’s in the pantry? What do you make that can be frozen and made later? I have stuffed both of my freezers with frozen veggies and other convenient things, along with seasoned meat and veggies as freezer meals. Thaw them (sometimes you don’t even need to thaw them) in the morning and you’re ready to throw them together for dinner. Crockpot? Instant Pot? Microwave? All good tools.
3. Make a menu plan. Be flexible with it, but make a menu plan. Write it down – and use pencil. If this isn’t something you’re accustomed to doing, do two days at a time. Or if you think you’re up for it, do a week. Or two weeks. Or a month. I’ve used several different tools over time to do a menu, and right now I have two-week templates that I print up on Word documents. Usually I put the menu on the fridge, so it’s easy to see.
4. Plan eating out. Ok. So eating out isn’t really a viable thing right now. Many restaurants are still open for carryout or delivery, and they depend on regular business to stay in business. I would advocate for focusing on local businesses instead of national chains. And if you make a plan, for example, every Tuesday you order a pizza from Gusto, then you know it’s happening and you know you don’t need to figure out what to prepare from scratch.
Give yourself a little grace. Go for a few extra walks, but don’t beat yourself up for having ice cream and potato chips for dinner.
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
One of the problems, if you want to call it a problem, of trying new things is that it seems as if everything I try becomes my new favorite thing. Last fall, I signed up to sell Epicure products as an independent consultant, because the overall theme of the company (Good Food, Real Fast) and one product line in particular (Epic Life Collection) fit with my coaching philosophy. (Everyone can make one sustainable change a week, and eating fun, healthy food is one tool that will help!)
Epicure sells a collection of teas, and so far, they’re all delicious. One of my favorites is the Hibiscus Bliss herbal tea. It can be made hot or iced, of course, and it’s a lovely, refreshing drink.
I was talking about the tea with someone and they mentioned hibiscus as being good for digestion. We all know what that means…I had research to do!
First things second. I’ll be referring to it as hibiscus tea. Some people will take issue with this, as for the most part, hibiscus is used in herbal teas that don’t actually have tea leaves from the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. Well, that’s fine. It’s my blog post and I’m calling it tea.
Some research shows that hibiscus tea can decrease blood pressure. There is inadequate research supporting claims that it decreases cholesterol or helps with kidney or bladder infections, along with being good for colds or constipation or other issues. Research is also incomplete on whether hibiscus tea is beneficial for digestion. It does contain high levels of vitamin C, which can boost your immune system. Drinking it can decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Drinking large quantities of it, however, can be problematic and cause liver damage. So don’t drink gallons of it and think you’ll be even better off if you take it in supplement form.
Here’s the thing: as long as you’re not adding sweetener – or at least not adding loads of sugar – any tea is beneficial, because you’re drinking more water! And water is definitely good for you!
Is there a clear consensus on what the benefits are? Not yet! Is it still going to be good for you? Potentially, yes! And it’s delicious!
How do you take your tea? Cheers!
My husband called me “My Mad Food Scientist” today. I am amused. :) For the first time in a while I didn’t have a specific plan for lunch, which is odd. I recently inventoried our freezer and pantry, so I knew I had canned tomato soup, bacon bits, frozen peas, string cheese, and frozen tapioca cheesebread balls. (I usually have Brazi Bites brand of pao de queijo in my freezer. Gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, flavorful and amazing. I love Brazilian cheese bread!) So today’s lunch was cheesy-bacon tomato soup; I added peas to mine and baked some of the Brazi Bites to go along with the soup.
Uh, yum.
And since we are trying to limit how often we do carryout, it was a lovely feeling having something quick and moderately healthy to put together. Also I’m weirdly tired of frozen pizza, even though Udi’s makes one I can eat and enjoy.
I do typically have a plan. I plan menus, sometimes a week at a time, sometimes a month at a time. Recently, I did indeed take an inventory of everything in our freezers (we are lucky and have a small chest freezer in addition to the fridge/freezer) and the dry/canned goods in my cupboards.
The first time I created a menu and went grocery shopping after doing my inventory, I was nearly giddy. I felt so organized! (AirTable is a wonderful tool. Yell if you want more info. Happy to share the organizing nerdiness!)
Meal prep can also be hugely beneficial! Cutting stuff up in advance helps you figure out not just how much you need but what you’re going to use it for. I cut up peppers & onions recently for totchos, and then used the remainder – already chopped – for breakfast hash. The peppers and onions ended up being in four meals, not just two, which was awesome.
Meal planning helps you manage your intake. Need help? There are lots of tools out there. Epicure has one, called the Epic Life Collection and one of my coaching tiers uses it.
How often do you find yourself thinking, “What’s for dinner? I can’t decide. I’m too tired to cook. I don’t want to cook. I’ll go to <insert restaurant name here.>” Whatever the reason may be, it happens. Maybe it’s been a really long day. Maybe you hate to cook. Maybe you have stuff in the cupboard and fridge, but you don’t want to be bothered.
Maybe planning ahead would have helped you ward off the “I’ll go to <insert restaurant name here.” ☺
I don’t always stick to the plan, which is fine, because even plans can change. Even before the COVID-19 outbreak, it’s truly impressive how we’ve reduced our tendency to go out to eat at the last minute. So how am I doing it? I sometimes print out a blank template that looks like a calendar, fill in the month and days, pencil in events I know about, and then start looking at cookbooks, or recipe cards, or recipes I’ve saved online. I found a wall calendar with columns of empty boxes; I can write down schedule items and I use one column for dinner plans, which has been awesome. I think about what might be going on that day; is it a weekday? I know my workload, so I know I won’t necessarily want to work on something that could take three hours to prepare. Maybe there’s a recipe I haven’t made for a long time, or a new-to-me healthy recipe I really want to try. (Maybe there’s a not-so-healthy recipe I really want to try!)
What are the benefits? I mentioned the grocery list and my inventory. Going to the grocery prepared with a list helps cut down on impulse buys. It also cuts down on going out to eat, which is both good for the pocketbook and the waistline. (I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find it’s much easier to indulge and overeat at a restaurant!) Having the menu also means I can plan on healthy meals and I know what I’ll be making, which takes away the stress of “What’s for dinner?” following a busy or stressful day.
How about you? Do you plan menus? Do you repeat favorite recipes, or try new things?
Menu planning! It’s good for you. ☺ (It can be fun, too!)
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
(By the way…I really did have to laugh at myself. I had this written. It was ready to go for last Wednesday, March 4th. And then I DIDN’T plan my day and it went a bit sideways, although in all good ways. And didn’t end up with me eating a pint of ice cream at 4 p.m.!)
Picture this: you have an unscheduled day, unexpectedly, all to yourself. You make lists, mental or otherwise, of all of the things you want to get done. You think, “TODAY IS THE DAY!”
At 4 in the afternoon, you find yourself chowing down on a pint of ice cream, watching kitten videos, wondering what happened to your productive day.
The ice cream – while delicious – is not exactly the best midafternoon snack. At least, not if you eat the entire pint. (I do advocate, on occasion, for ice cream as dinner. Because occasionally it’s a fun plan.) An entire pint of ice cream before dinner? Life is short, eat dessert first is a fun theory, but not the healthiest plan in the world.
What happened to your productive day and how did it devolve into ice cream at 4 in the afternoon?
Now, picture this: you have an unscheduled day, unexpectedly, all to yourself. You make lists, mental or otherwise, of all the things you want to get done. You think, “TODAY IS THE DAY!” You take out your calendar, whether paper or digital, and you chunk out time in your day for the things you want to do, including watching those kitten videos and eating ice cream.
Here’s the key! You pay attention to your plan.
At 4 in the afternoon, you look around, you think, “Gosh, I was productive,” and you make a lovely cup of herbal tea. Or a margarita. Or you have carrots and dip. Or you start prepping dinner. Whatever it is, you’re purposeful about it, and you didn’t eat a pint of ice cream. Because, truly, ice cream would be better after dinner. Unless it is dinner.
So, what’s the difference?
To-do lists are wonderful things. They are. Checking things off the list feels great! LOOK AT ME, I DID STUFF. It’s a good feeling. Planning time on your calendar to DO the things on your list sets limits and goals around your time.
Also? Schedule your screen time. Unless your to-do list includes loads of stuff that require a smartphone, tablet, or computer, gadgets are distractions, not tools. Whether it’s kitten videos or reading endless news articles, suddenly you look up, the to-do list isn’t done and it’s past time for dinner so you end up with carryout, and that’s not always the healthiest.
I’m not saying don’t deviate from the plan; that will happen. Having a plan, though…that’s a really good starting point for a healthier, productive, relaxing day.
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
“The whiter the bread, the sooner you’ll be dead.”
Well, that’s cheerful.
As Michael Pollan points out in FOOD RULES, white flour is not much different from sugar, in that the body processes white flour as it does sugar. Whole grains are better; we all know that.
It’s hard, though, SO hard, to turn down a piece of bread. Even going gluten-free, while it’s harder to find good bread, doesn’t exempt me from that temptation. Some of my very favorite memories of Dad baking when I was a kid are of fresh bread, recently out of the oven, slathered in butter.
And there are some things for which there are just no substitutes! Cauliflower doesn’t make good toast, even as it makes good pizza crusts.
I limit the amount of bread I eat on a daily basis, typically to one slice at breakfast. It’s very rare for me to have more than that. I love it, but I also know that it’s better to have in small amounts.
So keep in mind that your body treats white flour like sugar…and limit them both!
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
I love potato chips. And (even though they’re not good for me) Cheetos. And other snackery type things. Those snackery-type things are not great for me, for either my weight or my pocketbook.
I also love lists. And I love using lists to keep track of how I’m doing with some of my habits. For example, I have a list in my phone listing all of the days I’ve cross stitched since May, 2014. It helps me keep track and I also know how many days I’ve stitched in a row. I started a new list tracking the number of days I’ve crocheted. I keep track of my exercise routine and my meditation routine.
And I keep a list of the days I’ve gone without potato chips.
When I say going without potato chips, I mean going out of my way (or sending my hubby) to go to a store and buy those so-called individual serving bags (Big Grab bags) of chips. (Have you ever looked at the nutrition information on those? They’re meant to be 2 or 3 servings per bag. But who does that? Who only eats one serving out of one of those bags?!) On occasion, chips might come with a sandwich or meal. Sometimes I remember to ask for something else; sometimes I don’t.
Feeling virtuous wasn’t cutting it. On days when I was tired, or stressed, or feeling like I needed a treat, I’d cave to the temptation and get a bag – or sometimes two – of stuff I’d be much better off not eating.
Several weeks ago, I had the bright idea to toss the rough equivalent of the purchase price of one bag into a jar. I haven’t decided what I’ll do with the money or when, but so far, putting aside a couple bucks every day I don’t go buy chips has been a much stronger motivator than just feeling happy with not eating those snacks.
Incentives and motivation. It’s a moderately complicated balance, but so far I’m happy with the results. I’m also hopeful that the longer I go without those snacks, the less I’ll want them, and that’s going to be really good for my weight and my pocketbook!
What have you done to reward yourself for changing habits & behaviors? Have you found that incentives work for you?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
How do you protect and take care of your mental health?
Are you protective of your time?
How do those questions relate?
I recently had someone ask to schedule something over time that I already had allotted to something else. It would have been easy to say yes, but for one thing.
That allotted time and that other activity have become very important to me. I needed that time in order to fill up my energy so that I could be present and more effective with the people in my life and with the things I needed to do.
Mental health and physical health are inescapably – and critically – intertwined. It seems obvious to say so, however, we don’t always acknowledge the fact. We also don’t always make conscious choices that support one and therefore the other.
Making the deliberate decision to put my allotted time and activity first felt fantastic. Mostly. I had a small twinge of something that might have been guilt for telling someone, “No.” I didn’t really say that; what I said was along the lines of, “That time doesn’t work but I can do this instead.” I protected my time and my activity and still made myself available at a time that could work for both of us.
It’s hard to do, sometimes. It’s hard to step back and take actions that we need in order to be our best selves.
It’s also incredibly important.
How have you protected your time this week? How have you protected your mental and physical health?
Cheers! Here’s to your health!
In the next few days I’ll be adding specific information to the My Services section of the web site, however, I wanted to share a little bit about what’s coming up & why I’m adding it.
I’m a foodie who’s allergic to many foods and who loves to cook, both complicated recipes and fast recipes. And to be honest, sometimes my cooking is healthier…but sometimes it’s not. Because come on. It’s about balance. And dark chocolate. And spinach. But maybe not spinach with dark chocolate.
But I digress.
For several years I’d bought freezer meal kits from a direct sales company called Wildtree, and I enjoyed many of the products, even though I couldn’t eat as many of the things in the catalog as I would have liked. I toyed with the idea of signing up to sell it, and then Wildtree announced they were closing. Well, ok, selling that won’t be happening. My consultant found Epicure, I sampled one of the seasoning mixes, did some research, and I found the Epic Life Collection as one of the Epicure offerings. And I was intrigued. And then I signed up to sell Epicure as an independent consultant.
The Epic Life Collection is seasonings, measuring cups, a journal, and a menu plan/shopping guide. It’s an easy, accessible, and delicious approach to quick and healthy eating in positive, sustainable ways. It also matches my coaching philosophy really well! (For the record, Epicure sells many, many delicious things beyond this collection!)
The new offerings from Make One Change Health Coaching include several layers of coaching support tied with the Epic Life Collection, and I’m excited to offer it as a tool to help my clients build sustainable, healthy habits!
Please get in touch with whatever questions you have!
Cheers! Here’s to your health!