Eating Healthy on Vacation. Is it possible? And do I want to?

One week ago, our family returned home from our first vacation in quite some time (thank you, COVID). I admit I was a little concerned about how I would be able to eat reasonably healthy during our trip without being perceived as a Debbie Downer by my family....more than I normally am. Full disclosure, I'm training for a bodybuilding contest in November (yikes!) so going completely off the rails wasn't really an option. My husband even asked if I would be able to "enjoy myself" on vacation which I translated to "Can you go out to dinner and partake in a glass of wine?". The answer was YES!

I imagine that I'm not the only person who is working on incorporating some healthy habits in order to keep up my energy level and avoid some chronic lifestyle diseases. So what happens when we are outside of our little bubble at home....surrounded by swim up bars, fancy restaurants or possibly foods that are the specialty of your destination?

I've assembled a few tips to help you feel good and eat well while on vacation. These can also apply to work or other travel.

1)    Have some healthy snacks readily accessible. Depending on your method of travel and amenities where you're staying, bring some of your own food. A couple of my favorites are plant-based protein powder as well as rice cakes and PBFit powdered peanut butter. SIDE NOTE- if you think the idea of powdered peanut butter is blasphemous or just plain gross, don't knock it 'til you try it. This is the brand I typically buy https://pbfit.com/product/pbfit-original/#https://pbfit.com/product/pbfit-original/# Other options could be fruit, veggies with hummus, individual portions of nuts, popcorn or crunchy chickpeas, high fiber granola bars, etc. We made a trip to the grocery store when we reached our destination and stocked up on some of these things.  Full disclosure, I was traveling with teenagers, so we absolutely had some treats in that haul as well!

Our vacation shopping destination

2)     Plan (a little). Vacation is supposed to be fun and relaxing, so no one wants to spend a ton of time worrying about food. That being said, it's also no fun to come home after vacation feeling completely bloated and sluggish....so it's about balance. Planning could be as simple as having a lighter breakfast and lunch on days when you have big plans for dinner (occasions where you may want to indulge a bit, have a cocktail, a favorite entree, etc.).  This doesn't mean you starve yourself all day. Eat when you're hungry and look for foods that are high in water content, fiber, etc. We were fortunate that our hotel bar had hummus and veggies on the menu which I ordered more than once (this is also something you can buy pre-packaged and keep in a cooler or mini-fridge)

3) Eat when you're hungry. Thank you, Captain Obvious. Seems like "duh", but we aren't always great at listening to hunger cues. If your stomach is rumbling or you're getting hangry, then eat something. Don't restrict food when you're physically hungry simply because it's not "time" to eat or you "shouldn't" be eating for some other random reason.

Likewise, if you're not hungry, don't feel obligated to eat simply because it's lunch time or Happy Hour or whatever. This can be tough....as we are social creatures and typically want to join in the fun (food related or otherwise). A possible solution is to enjoy a lighter beverage or snack - therefore honoring your body's hunger signals while enjoying others' company. If you need a break from your friends or family, however, then bypassing a meal may work out perfectly!

4) SLOW DOWN and savor amazing meals, drinks or desserts! When I look up the definition of savor, it says "enjoy it completely".  This means putting the fork down occasionally and chewing your food slowly vs. inhaling it like a golden retriever. You may laugh, but I have observed family members scrambling toward an appetizer or the bread basket as if it's the last one on earth. More than likely your meal isn't going to sprout legs and hightail it away from you. Over the course of our recent trip I enjoyed several cocktails, some fantastic Mexican food and a couple of Impossible burgers...and tried really hard to not rush through them.

5) Stop eating when your body says it's comfortably full. This goes hand in hand with #3 as it takes some time (maybe 20 minutes or so) before your belly tells your brain that it's had enough. If you grew up as a member of the "clean plate club", it takes time to become accustomed to leaving a few bites (or half an entree) behind. Your body will tell you when it's had enough.  The joy in this process is that you walk away from the meal feeling satisfied but not uncomfortable or queasy. The latter often results in the shame spiral and the "I can't believe I ate that much....I'll never do that again" conversation we have with ourselves. That sucks all the joy out of eating delicious food.

Been there., done that.

I have noticed even our teenagers will notice when their bodies are sending them messages....even if they don't always listen. I guess teenagers not listening shouldn't come as a huge surprise!  Anyway, I heard comments a couple of times during the trip such as, "I feel kind of yucky", "I feel bloated" or "I'm not really hungry....I may not go out to dinner".  It can be helpful to acknowledge these feelings in our kids and share with them that it can be hard to stop eating something that's delicious or something that we don't typically have at home.  By not making a big deal out of it and not piling on the shame and blame, we can encourage our kids to keep listening to their bodies (and respond to the clues by leaving some food on the plate when full).

It can be a challenge to find the happy place between "What the heck- I'm on vacation! I'll eat whatever I damn well please and as much as I want!" and "I'm only going to eat 'healthy' foods because I don't want to destroy the habits I worked so hard to create".  If you plan ahead a little , listen to your body's cues and implement a tip or two mentioned above, you can enjoy amazing food, avoid feeling deprived AND keep your long term healthy habits in check.  Baby steps.

Kid Food vs. Adult Food and Short Order Cooks- How Did We Get Here?

As I continue to ponder how I can help individuals (kids, too!) create sustainable eating habits that lead to better physical and mental health, I wonder how we got to this place where families are sitting down to a buffet every night where more than one meal is prepared (or purchased). Often it's the kids' food that looks different from that of one or both parents. I can't believe I'm saying this, but "WHEN I WAS A KID", there was one meal and you ate it. Or you ate the parts that you liked and fed the rest to the dog (when no one was watching).

It's concerning that the message to kids is that the only foods suitable for their discerning palates are mac 'n cheese, chicken nuggets, pizza and hamburgers. It's as if the kids menus have mandated that children can only eat foods that are beige. On the other side of the table, you may have a parent who is attempting to eat something a little more colorful.

Pretty typical.....

Am I suggesting you never take your kids out to dinner and that you must stock your fridge with only fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.? I am doing no such thing. At some point, kids will be able to make 100% of their own food choices, and you want to prepare them for that. The goal is for everyone to enjoy eating while increasing knowledge and awareness of what foods benefit our mental & physical selves. I wouldn't begrudge you eating food purely for enjoyment (sometimes). I will suggest that eating too many processed foods or too few nutrient dense, fiber rich foods won't make you feel great. It could also move you toward chronic lifestyle diseases, unnecessary medications, inflammation, etc.

I will also tell you that I am by no means preaching from my ivory tower. I am working through all these things in my home on a  daily basis. In the past, I would often make my now teenage girls separate meals that I thought THEY would eat....typically the beige food mentioned earlier. Looking back -why would I put food on the table for my kids that I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole? We then wonder why our teenagers suddenly don't proactively seek out broccoli and sweet potatoes or (maybe worse) start feeling the need to diet or restrict food. Although I'm pretty confident that my kids know what foods contain more vitamins, fiber, etc., they would prefer to eat chips and guacamole for dinner.  

Now we all know someone whose kids NEVER ask for Lucky Charms or ice cream and prefer kale chips to french fries....but I don't think they are the majority. For most of us, helping kids establish healthy long-term habits is a challenge.

Said most kids....not very often

Here are a few ideas to help you prepare (yes, I said PREPARE) a single meal and cultivate some healthy eating habits for the whole family. I'll also suggest that you not demonize certain foods or food groups i.e. I can't eat too many carbs, cake will make you fat, etc. It's not helpful.

1)    Focus on ADDING in extra nutrition to normal favorites vs. going cold turkey (pun intended) on the meals in your normal rotation.  For example, mash up some black beans (preferably oil free), diced mushrooms and/or onions when cooking "meat" for tacos or enchiladas (we use plant based meat, but it works the same if you're using ground beef). This will provide valuable fiber as well as other nutrients without drastically changing the flavor. This addition also works for enchiladas or other ground "beef" recipes.

2) Pizza (yes - pizza gets its own segment!). First, try making your own. With rare exception, anything you make at home will contain less fat, sugar or salt than anything you have delivered or eat in a restaurant. Look for a veggie or two that is acceptable to the troops (truth be told, this has been a challenge in my house....wish I had been more consistent with this when the kids were small). Other options are reducing or ditching the processed meats and going lighter on the cheese (go completely cheese-less or try a nut-based cheese if you're working on a plant based diet). You don't have to go crazy- you can throw toppings on whole wheat pita or a thin bagel....making your own pizza dough can be fun, but may not be everyone's Step One.

3)  Make a habit of putting out a fruit or veggie (or both) on the table, regardless of whether it "goes" with the main meal. Your kids (or spouse) may be skeptical of the crispy tofu tacos that you've presented to them, but they'll at least have some apples or berries to enjoy....and they won't starve to death. And after a few tries, they may realize how delicious those tacos are! 

These are one of my faves (recipe below) and my kids will eat them!

3) Give kids or other family members some choices or have them help you prepare meals. If you're single, you may have less help in the kitchen, but it will easier to get agreement on what to make! I understand that cooking together sounds all kumbaya (and impossible) when Joey has baseball practice and Chloe has piano lessons, and it is possible to carve out time here and there. The key is finding a meal that contains some nourishing ingredients but isn't too "out there", or see tip #1 and make some adjustments to something you know they like!

If you have really young kids (or know someone who does)....take it from me and start now with the "one family, one meal" approach. Most of us survived without mom or dad making us a special meal every night.  For those of you working with a family that is more set in their ways....take baby steps. It doesn't need to be perfect and it's not all or nothing. Helping ourselves and our families create healthy habits for the long haul can take some time.

Please share any other suggestions you have!

Also, here is the recipe for the crispy tofu tacos mentioned above. They are FANTASTIC! Also, if you live near a Trader Joe's, I suggest using their High Protein Organic Super Firm Tofu.

Crispy Tofu Tacos

All the best,

Michelle 

Focus on one thing to improve your health (that's ISN'T the scale!)

Yep....you heard me correctly. First, I'm asking you to incorporate one healthy habit at a time. There's an endless list of things you could do differently right now. Keep it simple to avoid feeling overwhelmed and improve the likelihood of success! Second, I'm asking you NOT to focus on the number on the scale. Wait...what?? For many people, weight and health are inextricably linked. Yes, excessive weight can be its own risk factor for certain chronic diseases. However, an obsession with weight and weight loss certainly hasn't improved our country's health. A Google search for "lose weight" yields about 2 billion results and the weight loss industry is worth about 70 billion dollars, so clearly there are a lot of resources and dollars pointing us toward weight loss as the be all, end all...that are not benefiting our long term health.

I'm not naive enough to think that people can magically stop their preoccupation with the number on the scale. Believe me- if I knew how to do that, I would tell you! I will ask you to focus MORE on a single food-related habit that will improve your health.  Evidence shows that the foods we eat impact how we feel both physically AND mentally. If you are not content with your overall health right now, and worry that you might spend the next 20, 30 or more years walking the earth feeling like crap, taking a bunch of pills and suffering from chronic lifestyle diseases, then it's time to make a change.

If you're still reading and are considering this approach, then the next question might be "What DO I focus on?" or "Where do I start??" This is not a one size fits all situation - some people may already in the midst of some lifestyle changes while others may want to change, but struggle with the first step. A few things to consider:

• Make your one thing to focus on very specific. "Eat more fruits and veggies" has the right idea, AND needs to be more clear.  "More" to one person could be eating one cup of broccoli per week while "more" to another might be eating one cup of broccoli every day!
• Make sure you know HOW to do the "one thing" (more on that in a second)
• If possible, draw on a previous success. What have you done in the past that made you feel stronger, gave you more energy or improved your mood? That could be a great starting point.

Following are a few ideas...by no means an exhaustive list. Any of these can be adjusted to fit what works for you.

• Eat at least 2 servings of fruit and 1 serving of vegetables FOUR days per week
• Eat 25 grams of fiber per day (most Americans consume about 10 to 15 grams per day)
• Eat two meatless dinners per week (you can substitute in beans, meatless meat, tofu, lentils, etc.)
• Spend 45 minutes per week doing food prep (chopping fruits and veggies; making a batch of quinoa or brown rice; roasting a few sweet potatoes, etc.) If you have minimal cooking experience, your first step might be spending 45 minutes practicing basic knife skills)
• Journal three days per week. You can write down what you eat and drink and/or write about how you're FEELING when you are staring into the fridge or pantry. Humans tend to eat when we're happy, sad, celebrating, stressed, etc., so journaling can help you be more aware of what you eat or drink and why.
• Measure out "treats".  It's unrealistic to think you'll live out the rest of your days without occasional cookies, candy, chips, etc. Measure out a serving, then sit down and enjoy. This is preferable to mindlessly eating way more than you realize- perhaps while sitting in front of the TV or while standing in front of the fridge- then falling into the shame spiral afterward (or I am the only one who does that??)

Crazy concept...put the cookies on a PLATE! 

To sum things up, focusing our attention on the outcome (like our weight on the scale) can set us up for disappointment. If the number doesn't move quickly enough, we might be tempted to say "Screw it!"rather than staying the course. That stress and frustration often leads to eating more food representative of the standard American diet....I suspect no one is using kale as comfort food!

If you want to improve your energy level and ward off as many chronic health issues as possible, identify a clear, achievable (maybe not easy) habit to focus on....something that you feel will have a positive  LONG TERM impact. Notice how you body feels over the next few weeks (see "journaling" above). Stick with it until it becomes nearly automatic.  At that point, you can add on a new healthy behavior.

Until next time,

Michelle

 

Who's afraid of the big bad.....carbohydrate?!?

Before we get rolling, and in case you're new to this blog, I have had a lot of ups and downs in my food journey. I went on my first diet before high school and have tried SO MANY eating plans- low fat, low carb, Weight Watchers, South Beach...you name it. Coming from someone who worked for years in the fitness industry, you'd think I would have gotten my act together a little sooner. The truth is that there is a lot of confusion (and conflicting information) out there. 

A mainly "plant forward" diet has worked well for me over the past three years, but I did (and sometimes still) struggle with the idea of all the carbs. Carbohydrates, or "carbs" for short, have been largely vilified. And there remain many so-called experts who give blanket advice about "cutting your carbs", many of whom do not appear to be the poster children for health & wellness. Let's be honest, we can find information on the internet to support pretty much anything we want to believe. Keep in mind, doctors used to promote cigarettes....

So what is a carbohydrate anyway? Brace yourself for some basic nutrition lingo...A carbohydrate is one of three macronutrients  or "macros" for short (protein and fat being the others). Each of these macros serves important functions in our bodies, so it stands to reason that we should not put extreme restrictions on any one group (it would also hurt their feelings!). Carbohydrates and protein each contain 4 calories per gram while fat contains 9 calories per gram. High fat foods such as oil, cheese, meat, nuts, etc. are typically much more calorie dense...so eat less of these if you're working toward a healthier body weight. You can read more about calorie density in an earlier post https://dontcallmevegan.blogspot.com/2020/02/calorie-density-eat-more-plants-for.html 

In the past, I had 100 percent been on the "can't eat that- too many carbs" train. Bowl of berries anyone? "uh no thanks...but do you have any pork rinds? a block of cheese? a bone-in ribeye perhaps?" In my head, the carbs from fruit or a piece of sprouted bread terrified me, but the fat and calories from the meat and dairy seemed perfectly acceptable and supportive of a long-term weight loss plan. Weird, huh?

I'll attempt to cut through a little confusion...and make the case for a little less carb avoidance.

1) Stop stereotyping carbohydrates. Do not lump straight up sugar and processed foods (cookies, chips, etc.) together with strawberries, greens, quinoa and sweet potatoes. That's simply not fair. Eating an apple is not the same as eating a bag of gummie bears or a handful of Oreos. When suggesting you eat more carbs, no one should be promoting daily consumption of highly processed, high sugar foods. As a recovering carbo-phobe, I admit I now get slightly annoyed when someone says, "I've really got to cut my carbs"- as if raspberries and green beans are at the root of anyone's weight or chronic health problems.

2) Complex carbohydrates, specifically fruits, veggies, legumes and grains have something you won't find in meat, cheese and eggs- FIBER! We've talked previously about society's fixation on protein...and likely protein deficiency is not a concern for the vast majority of us. Lack of fiber, on the other hand, can contribute to weight gain (fiber helps you feel full), can increase risk of diabetes and heart disease, and can cause the always-fun-to-talk-about constipation. THESE are things you want to be concerned about, and it is estimated that up to 95% of Americans do not get enough fiber in their diets- yikes!

3) Please stop saying "good" vs. "bad" carbs or suggesting that YOU (as a human) are good or bad based on what you eat on a particular day. Be honest, how many times have you said (or have heard someone say), "I was SO bad today, I ate a pint of ice cream, an entire charcuterie tray....whatever."? When thinking of carbohydrates, simply think in terms of ones that are more friendly to a healthy diet - fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, and high fiber grains. There is certainly an endless supply of chips, cookies and candy that are also full of carbohydrates (and likely sugar and added fat) which are not conducive to maintaining a healthy weight or warding off chronic diseases. That being said, you're probably going to eat some of those things from time to time. Don't sweat it, and don't allow an occasional "treat" to knock you completely off the wagon.

4) Take a look at the Blue Zones. Trying to determine how to eat well for the long term is not easy - we know there are a million short term solutions!  There are boat loads of conflicting information on what we should eat for optimal health, and it's not a 'one size fits all' situation. As I fumbled my way through my own food issues and what made the most sense, I stumbled across information on the Blue Zones. These are areas of the world where people live the longest without chronic diseases. It stood to reason that these folks might be on to something. There are several facets beyond dietary habits that keep them healthy, but eating diets rich in fruits, veggies, beans, etc. is a big component. You can read more here https://www.bluezones.com/

I'm hesitant to go here, but the question always comes up- how much of my daily food intake should come from carbohydrates? You can find folks suggesting anywhere from nearly zero to upwards of 70 percent. Unless you are embarking on a low complex carbohydrate diet (which I'm not advocating), many guidelines suggest around 50-70% of your daily calories should come from complex carbohydrates- fruits, veggies, beans, high fiber grains, etc. Please note that many of your complex carbohydrates (especially beans and lentils) contain protein, too. You can add nuts, seeds, tofu, or meat substitutes to get additional protein and some fats... or lean meat, if that's your preference. Remember- judgment free zone here. 

I'll leave you with unique recipe from my cooking course, if you're feeling adventurous https://rouxbe.com/recipes/4801-coconut-braised-chickpeas-w-spinach-sun-dried-tomatoes

Thanks for reading!

 Michelle

 

Plant-based Cooking Course COMPLETE - Homework Highlights

To be clear, I do not consider myself a pandemic overachiever....in the past six months I have not learned a new language, built my own she-shed from the ground up or spent countless hours making origami animals. Completing a six month cooking course was purely coincidental- I signed up in February before our daily lives were turned upside down due to the coronavirus. The timing did work out well, however, as I've had a little extra time on my hands.

I stumbled across one of Rouxbe's virtual cooking courses when I was checking out a Forks Over Knives newsletter. (Side note- Forks Over Knives has a TON of info, recipes, etc. if you're curious about how you can get a few more plants into your day https://www.forksoverknives.com/) I signed up for Rouxbe's (pronounced roo' bee) six month plant-based program that included graded homework assignments, quizzes, etc. I enjoy cooking and baking (and can maneuver around the kitchen reasonably well) but was excited to embark on some "formal" instruction.  

Preparing my homework assignments (shopping, prep, photos, presentation, etc.) was both enjoyable and time consuming.  Each graded assignment contained the following components. A photo of the "mise en place" (a fancy way of saying "get all your ingredients prepped and organized"), a photo of the dish in progress and a photo of the final dish. A write-up of the dish- including aroma, taste, texture and techniques utilized- is also required.

Photo 1 - Prep for black bean & sweet potato burgers

Photo 2- In process

The final dish...garnished and ready to eat! YUM!

I thought it might be fun to share a few of my favorite assignments. These are all 100% plant-based meaning they contain no meat, dairy or egg products. 

1) Homemade manicotti. I had never before made pasta from scratch- partly because I don't LOVE pasta as much as some folks, and I also perceived it as VERY labor intensive. That being said, I was intrigued by this assignment and curious to learn first hand what all the fuss was about  Will this be worth the effort? Now was my chance to find out (shout out to my neighbor Kathryn for loaning out her pasta maker!!).

What did I learn? Will I whip up some fresh pasta on a random Tuesday after work? Ummmm no. This was a project. Making homemade noodles (using tofu in place of eggs) as well as marinara & pesto from scratch took up an the bulk of an afternoon. Was it worth the time and effort? A resounding "hell yes!" Full disclosure, I made the noodles little too thick, so I had a couple of points deducted from my grade...sigh. My technical error did NOT stop by family from fighting over the manicotti like a pack of wolves.

Vegan Manicotti

2) 'Raw' zucchini lasagna with a pine nut "parmesan" crisp. This dish was from the raw gastronomy section (meaning no components are cooked at a temp over 118 degrees). I AGONIZED over what I was going to make for this assignment. Also, if I'm honest, I assumed that whatever I came up with would taste less than stellar. If it's not ice cream or salad, doesn't food need to be cooked??  

Once I finally got settled on an idea and got organized, the dish came together more quickly than I imagined.The lasagna noodles are zucchini sliced thin on a mandolin. I always wear oven mitts while using this gadget after losing a piece of my fingertip in a cucumber slicing incident. But I digress...other components included a raw marinara and a pesto made from walnuts and kale. I made the accompanying crisp (not sure what else to call it) mainly from pine nuts and nutritional yeast. The mixture was spread thin and and put in the dehydrator. This dish was not my absolute favorite from a taste perspective, but it was tastier than I expected and I was proud of the presentation. Raw food is now a little less mysterious.

My 'raw' zucchini lasagna 

3) Cauliflower 'steak' with chimichurri sauce. I'm not sure why I use quotes around references to meat substitutes...it doesn't take a genius to see there is clearly no steak on this plate. Anyhow, this dish was certainly something new for me and it was DELICIOUS!  The cauliflower steaks were first braised in the oven for about 40 minutes, then seared in a hot skillet. The chimichurri sauce was bright and flavorful, with roasted red peppers mixed with various herbs and spices. This was also one that was a hit with three quarters of the family, which I consider a win.

Cauliflower Steak with Chimichurri Sauce

Overall, I was very pleased with this course and would recommend it. It provides both the basics (think knife skills, steaming, stir frying & vegan desserts) as well as more advanced cooking techniques (raw gastronomy and gluten free cooking). The course also discusses culinary wellness and the health benefits related to a more plant focused way of eating. Here is the link if you want to check out available courses  https://rouxbe.com/individual-training/

Thanks for reading! 

Michelle

5 Healthy Tips - Keeping Fit Through COVID19

Hello everyone- I hope you're all adjusting to these unique circumstances as well as can be expected. When it comes to healthy eating and exercising in the midst of "stay-at-home" guidelines, we can view the situation in a couple of ways. Option 1, "I think I'll just hibernate until this is all over. I will resign myself to coming out of this with some extra pounds and not feeling so great (mentally or physically). Once things get back to normal, THEN I'll get healthy'".  With plenty of "bake your way through the pandemic" recipes on Instagram, endless carryout and curbside pickup food options and the lack of ideal workout venues, it might be tempting to go this route.

Can anyone relate??

But WAIT! There are other possibilities. Option 2, "It's hard to use the 'I don't have time' excuse anymore. Could I use the time in the upcoming weeks to keep myself on track or even improve my health?". Spoiler alert- YES YOU CAN! What might it be like to come out of this feeling BETTER, to be on top of your fitness game once we are again free to roam the earth? Is it the easiest option in the short term? Maybe not. But give it a go, and you'll likely thank yourself later!

Here are 5 tips, in no particular order, to help you put some healthy practices into your day. Please note that I'll dive into more specifics around healthy eating in the next post!

Tip #1 - Be kind to yourself. You might wonder how this tip aligns with creating a fitter, stronger or faster version of yourself. And it might even sound a little kumbay-ish....All I'm saying is to commit to a few good habits, and if you experience a setback, let it go. This isn't going to be perfect. Remind yourself why you're taking these steps in the first place, and get right back to it. If you eat an extra cookie...don't sweat it...simply load up on more fruits & veggies at your next meal.

Tip #2 - Put your dessert or snacks on a plate or in a bowl.  Measure out a serving (or maybe two) and that's it. Yep, you heard me. Do NOT saddle up in front of Netflix with a bag of potato chips or three sleeves of Thin Mints. We all know that is not going to end well. If you want the cookie or some chips, by all means, enjoy them. Simply take what you're going to enjoy and then put the rest away. Take your time....enjoy the texture and flavors of your treat...but save the feed bags for the experts!

Whatcha got in there? Donuts?

Tip #3 - MOVE. How easy is it these days to go hours and HOURS without leaving the couch, except maybe for a bio break and to see if there's anything new in the fridge? Now more than ever it's important to move your body every day. What's a reasonable time commitment? 10 minutes? 30? This may depend on where you're starting. There are tons of at-home workouts available- on Facebook, Instagram, maybe from your local gym - including many that do not require equipment. Find something that looks interesting to you and TRY IT. For those of you with weights or other equipment in your house, dust it off and make the best of it. It may not be pretty- my temporary workout area also houses our washer & dryer, my husband's work bench and a couple of litter boxes. Not exactly inspiring....but I'm grateful to have something.

Hang in there- this is temporary!

Also, at the time of this post, Peloton is offering a free 90 day trial of their app. There are a variety of workouts available...might be worth checking out!

Tip #4 - Get outside. If your mode of exercise already involves something outdoors -you can kill two birds with one stone. If not, fresh air is still crucial to your physical and mental well being. Besides getting Vitamin D, being outside may reduce anxiety, improve focus, improve your sleep, etc. Even if the weather isn't ideal, go out anyway.  Listen to a podcast or music, call a friend...or enjoy the solitude (which may be hard to come by these days).

Ensure proper social distancing guidelines....

Tip #5 - Try on your "regular" clothes at least twice per week.  Many of us are working from home or just plain don't leave the house. Do NOT make the mistake of wearing ONLY yoga pants or sweats (or other male equivalent of yoga pants) for eight weeks straight.  Put on a pair of jeans or other less-forgiving pants as a check-in. Do they still feel good? Are they a little snug? If you've got less breathing room, now would be a good time to incorporate any of the tips listed above! A wise friend informed me that I don't have to wear my jeans all day...I just need to try them on. Then it's back to my work pajamas!

Uh oh!

You'll notice that none of these tips are earth shattering, mind-blowing rocket science. So if you're not yet doing any of these, figure out what's getting in your way. Maybe you could write down your plan or perhaps enlist a buddy who will hold you accountable. Start with one of two of these...and determine when it makes sense to add another.  

Again, the next post will focus on more on food- meal prep and simple menu ideas to get you through this time feeling good!

This week's recipe is a simple one...and easily modified based on your preferences and what you have in the house. It's a burrito bowl from Forks Over Knives. https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/amazing-grains/burrito-bowl/#gs.2e2ntz

Take care and stay safe.

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