New Year's Resolutions

I love New Year's resolutions. It's the perfect time to consider my big-picture goals for the upcoming year. I like to reflect on the previous year and how God has allowed me to grow and then consider the ways that I can continue to grow - spiritually, in my marriage, as a parent, and as an individual. 

For me, part of growing as an individual involves being the healthiest version of myself that I can be and learning about more ways to accomplish that. My diet and fitness goals are not motivated by a desire to look a certain way, be a certain weight, or wear a certain clothing size. As I often tell my kids - how you look is simply a reflection of how you feel. I love feeling strong and fit. Why? Because God created my body to have that ability. He created in me an ability to be strong and fit in order to be better equipped to face this thing called LIFE. If I am feeling run down, tired, and weak, I am more prone to struggling with things like irritability, impatience, and defeat. But, if I am at my best physically, I am better able to respond to things in life in a manner that is pleasing to God.

And ya'll, diet is essential to fitness. You simply cannot achieve fitness without the proper fuel. Let's compare our bodies to a machine for just a second. If you drive a car that requires unleaded gasoline and you fill the tank full of diesel, what happens? Your car will break down and you won't be able to drive it. Unlike cars, our bodies are beautifully designed and they can adapt but only for a while. When we put in the wrong fuel, we are still able to function on some level, but, eventually, we will break down and our bodies will no longer work the way they were designed. But, imagine, what if we were putting in the RIGHT fuel??? Wow! Work outs would no longer seem so daunting! 

This New Year, make the resolution to begin the journey towards being the healthiest version of yourself. That doesn't mean that you jump on some crazy-extreme fad diet that will cause you to fall off the wagon in three weeks and binge eat your way into the next pant size. Or enroll in a work out class that is beyond your current level of fitness that will leave you with an injury that will take months to heal. Be sensible and realistic. And keep your big-picture goal in mind. Remember, your health and fitness is a life-long journey. You don't reach a number on the scale and then stop exercising and stop eating right. Realize that your level of health and fitness is the result of your day to day decisions for the rest of your life. My husband likes to say "what you put in is what you will get out." And he's so right! 

May God Bless!

Ashley

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."

Back to Basics: Making Time for Healthier Eating and Exercise Part 2

Now that we've talked about getting exercise worked into your schedule, let's talk diet. But first, let's get rid of that nasty stigma that goes along with the word "diet." In today's society, you hear the word diet and you immediately start thinking about a complicated eating plan that you'll have to stick to and all the foods that you'll have to give up in order to adhere to it. That is not the real meaning of diet. Diet is your way of eating, it's the food you consume each and every day. It is, whether it's good or bad, the types of food or "diet" that is your norm. So, don't get paralyzed with anxiety, or rebellion, when I mention the word diet in this post! When people ask me if I'm on a diet, I always laugh and say "aren't we all on a diet of some kind?"

The other very important thing to remember here is that you need to give yourself a learning curve. I know more now about eating healthy than I did a year ago but that doesn't mean that I have it all figured out. I still eat things that I could probably do without but I don't beat myself up over it. Instead, I mentally fist bump myself for the good decisions that I did make that day.

Set reasonable goals. You do not need to change your way of eating all at once. In fact, you are more likely to successfully improve your diet if you start by making small changes gradually over time. So don't throw away everything in your pantry and then go spend a bucket load of money at the nearest whole foods. Start with small changes, read up about different foods that are packed with nutrition, explore new recipes, and try new things!

Add more fresh produce to your daily diet. Instead of grabbing that granola bar as a snack on your way out the door, grab an apple. Find a way to add more greens into your diet. I hate fresh spinach and kale. But it's so good for you! So, I mix it in with romaine lettuce, home grown sprouts, and sunflower seeds and then I douse it with a good dose of oil-less grapefruit dressing. Ta da! Can't taste the spinach and kale! Keep easy fruit options available so that you have easy go-to options. Strawberries are a much better option than that candy bar. Want something salty? Mash up some avocado, spread it on a piece of sprouted bread toast, sprinkle season salt and nutritional yeast on it and enjoy! Don't get me started on how much I love bananas and peanut butter...and it's way better for you than a bowl of ice cream!

Plan ahead. We all have that one day a week that is less busy than all the others. Use that day to do some food prepping so that on your busier days, you have healthy options to choose from. Buy some hummus and cut up lots of fresh veggies to store in your fridge to snack on throughout the week. I have created a few different protein bar recipes that I throw together and store in the freezer so that I have something I can grab when I'm in a hurry. Pack your lunch for work the night before so that all you have to do in the morning is grab it out of the fridge. Planning ahead is so crucial to making healthier food choices!

Read the ingredient labels. I don't know about you, but I often come across ingredient labels that list things that I've never even heard of or can't pronounce. And the ingredient list goes on and on and... A good rule of thumb is to look for ingredient labels that list as few ingredients as possible. And be sure to avoid things like high fructose corn syrup! Even things like barbecue sauce and ketchup can have high fructose corn syrup in them. Nut butters are one to look at too. Get the natural peanut butter, stir it up and store it in the fridge. Why? Because it only has roasted peanuts and salt. Have you ever read the label on regular peanut butter?? Start familiarizing yourself with ingredient labels as you shop and start looking for healthier options off the shelf.

Limit your intake of artificial sweeteners and refined sugars. It's time to learn new ways of getting that sweet tooth fix with foods that are naturally sweetened. There are so many recipes online that have yummy desserts that are naturally sweetened with things like blue agave or maple syrup. The other night, I made vegan dark chocolate-peanut butter bars that were sweetened with maple syrup that were out of this world! My husband couldn't stop raving about them! You don't have to give up sweets.

Every single time you choose a healthier food option, you are one step closer to reaching the goals that you have set for yourself. Each choice is a building block to the foundation that you are trying to lay for your overall health and well-being. And don't give up on yourself if you had a bad day! Start fresh the next day and remember, this is not a sprint. It's a marathon.

May God Bless!
Ashley

Clean Eating Chili

Clean Eating Chili

I love this recipe because my kids and husband love it and it's so easy to throw together!
This recipe can be done with chicken or it can be done vegan. My husband and I are vegan but our kids are not. So, depending on who I am cooking for, depends on how I use the recipe. I will post options for both!

Ingredients:

2 tbs olive oil (if cooking without oil, use a little vegetable broth in place of oil)

2 lb chicken breast, cubed (if vegan, use fresh mushrooms and sliced zucchini in place of chicken)

2 onions, chopped

2 red bell peppers, chopped

2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth if vegan)

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup frozen corn

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 cans tomato paste (approx ½ cup)

½ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 ½ tbs chili seasoning (see recipe for chili seasoning)

4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

Non-vegan option - heat oil (or a little vegetable broth) in a large stock pot, saute chicken for 2-3 minutes. Then add the onion and bell pepper and saute for another 2-3 minutes.

Vegan option - In large stock pot, heat oil (or a little vegetable broth) on medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and zucchini and saute for 3-5 minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve topped with sour cream (here is a link for a vegan sour cream recipe that we like a lot! Cashew sour cream) and enjoy!

Chili Seasoning Recipe

Chili Seasoning Recipe

Ingredients:

¾  cup chili powder

⅓ cup ground cumin

2 ½ tbs garlic salt

2 ½ tbs oregano

1 ½ ground coriander

½ tsp red pepper flakes (Add more if you like your chili spicier!)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and store in glass container.

Back to Basics: Making Time for Healthier Eating and Exercise Part 1

Getting back to the basics - sounds simple enough, right? But then you start to closely examine your busy life-style. Whether you are a working mom or a stay-at-home mom, let's face it. You are busy. Figuring out how to juggle kids, work, marriage, friends, family, church...and still find time to get in a quick work out and eat a healthy meal -- it can all seem pretty daunting. The goods news? We have so many resources at our fingertips! So many recipes, ideas, opinions, tricks and tips...just one click away on our phones or computer. My goal in writing this blog is to share the things that have helped me to prioritize my health and wellness in ways that didn't make me feel defeated before I even got started.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Ashley. Professionally, I am a nurse that specializes in hospice and palliative care. Currently, I am taking time off from being a nurse to be a stay-at-home mom to my adorable 20 month old son and my almost 9 year old daughter. I also have two stepsons, ages 10 and 8. We have a pretty busy household. And three and a half years of working night shift as a nurse left me in pretty bad shape health wise. No matter how hard I tried NOT to, I kept gaining weight. By the time I left night shift, I was 50 pounds overweight, my immune system was shot, and I felt terrible. Not long after leaving night shift, I got pregnant with our son. By the time I gave birth, I was 86 pounds overweight. 20 months later and I have lost every single one of those pounds. That's right, all 86 of them! 

It all starts with deciding that your health and wellness is a priority. It matters! Once you come to that conclusion, the next step is realizing that the road to a healthier you is a marathon, not a sprint. It is a life-long journey of learning, and trying new things, figuring out what works for you, what you like and dislike, and what leaves you feeling like the best version of yourself.

Okay, now what? Well, let's start with exercise. Plan a work out schedule. Sit down and figure out how many days a week that you can fit in a work out. Maybe Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are all you can handle right now. I know that on Tuesdays, I have to take my daughter to school by 8am and then I have an hour and a half of free time before moving on to the next thing in my schedule. So, on Tuesdays, I get up a little earlier, eat a power snack, drop my daughter off, and then head straight to the gym and get my 5 mile run in. Fridays are a busier day for me so I only plan a 20 minute strength training work out that I can do right in my living room. Type up your schedule. Literally. Type it up. Print it out. Hang it on your wall. Put it in your planner. It's a schedule. It can be flexible, but non-negotiable. I've even taken my work outs with me as I've traveled! I like to cross off each day on my schedule as I complete my workouts and then at the end of the week, I draw a smiley face if I didn't miss any work outs that week. It doesn't matter what kinds of exercise you decide to do in the beginning. Just get moving. At the end of your 8 week schedule (or however long you make it for), decide what changes you need to make to fit your needs. And then type up the next schedule! I highly suggest taking 1 full week of rest every 8-10 weeks of exercise. Your body needs this time to rest and recover and you will find that you can go harder in your work outs when your body has had this chance to rest. I tried exercising for 12 weeks and resting 1 week in the beginning and I found that by week 8, my body was exhausted and I was struggling to get in a good work out. 

This is just a good starting point for anyone trying to begin making exercise a priority. Schedule your workouts just like you would schedule a meeting or a doctor's appointment. And then stick to it!

May God Bless!

Ashley