Author: Vibrant Life

The Sweet Spot

Posted on April 7, 2017 by - Balanced Living, Fitness, Healthy Eating

When I was younger…in my 20’s (I swear that was just yesterday), I was so obsessive about my fitness that I would be a bear if I didn’t get my minimum number of workouts in per week and it had to be for a minimum amount of time as well. It’s as though I thought my body would puff up in one day if I missed a workout. I struggled hard with body image and weight in childhood & adolescence. It’s amazing how wide that pendulum swing can be. It took several years to settle. Thank you, God, that it did.The journey has been interesting and eye opening, however.

A few years ago I went to see a holistic doctor after struggling with my energy level and being confused by it. After all, health and fitness is my thing…I thought I was doing everything right. My diet was spot on, my exercise was spot on…what the heck? To my surprise, the doctor sat down in the office and started asking me about my life starting back in childhood. I was very impressed by this, given that I was in the midst of earning my masters degree in Health Psychology and really learning how tangled the web is that connects our physical, mental/emotional and spiritual selves. What a concept that a doctor would ask me about my mental/emotional health from childhood on. I had never had a doctor spend time fully listening to me about surface level issues let alone asking me all this stuff. This is when I first learned about Adrenal Fatigue.

Truly the man scared me. He talked about what chronic stress can do to a body and there I was thinking I was not part of that population. I have never smoked, drinking has amounted to one or two glasses of wine a few times a week (hello antioxidants). I never eat fast food. I exercise 5+ days a week. I have awesome friends and a solid network and my faith is integral to me. What’s the problem? What stress? If there’s any there I know how to deal with it…or did I? I was a single mom, working and earning my masters degree at the same time. Sleep was something I did not do much of.

So really, what does all of this mean? Since that appointment I have done a lot of research on Adrenal Fatigue and it has made a lot of sense looking back. I realize this has been something I’ve struggled with for years. Now, I know when I am dipping back into it. In fact, this past year has been the worst ever (you’d think a girl would learn, right?). I had so much transition in my life, a lot of it actually good, but change nonetheless, that my body just decided it had had enough. My energy levels plummeted, my immune system took a nose dive, my sleep suffered horribly…

What do you do when you hit bottom?

You breathe. You pray. You rest. You take care of your body by not overworking it.

This stuff is NOT easy for me! Thankfully I found PiYo a few years back and started teaching. It has been such a Godsend for my body. The strength and balance I get without the hard impact has been amazing. However, I stopped teaching classes at night for now. That was a huge step for me toward simplifying my life. I didn’t like leaving a dinner time and coming back when it was pretty much bedtime 3 times a week. Plus it made it hard for my body to settle down at night. I gave up running for several months to let my body heal as well. Running is such a love of mine, but it can also be so hard on the body. I’m back at it and thankfully it feels good again!

I have been practicing the art of saying “no” as well. Seriously not easy for me! And I say “practicing” because I have a ways to go yet. But, it’s amazing how freeing it feels to protect your little world by saying that. When I say no to something that doesn’t fit my own schedule or goals or that of my family, I am saying yes to the direction I am really trying to go in and I am saying yes to my family. That part feels amazing.

So now, I am enjoying exercise on my own terms rather than having it dictate me and how I feel about myself. I am being more purposeful in decisions I make and making sure they line up with what I want life to look like for my family and myself. I am embracing “no” as something that can can be such a gift. It’s always an adventure, life is. I love that I am operating less on caffeine and autopilot and more from intention. It’s kind of nice.

If you are caught up in the constant going, always busy, saying yes to everything cycle….I encourage you to sit back and breathe. Then pick something today to say no too and say yes to something better.

The Astonishing Power of Habit & How To Make it Work in Your Favor

Posted on March 21, 2017 by - Inspiration

First of all, wouldn’t you agree that when you hear the word “habit”, you instantly think of bad habits? I mean, most of the time when the word even comes up, it’s due to the fact that we want to get rid of a bad habit. This is part of the mindset that I think gets us off on the wrong foot with this whole thing.

When you give it even a little bit of thought, it is clear that everything we do is based on habit. That’s what allows us to go about our day and not think through every little thing. I don’t argue with myself over whether or not I am going to brush my teeth, I just do it. I don’t ponder the idea of using my turn signal or not, I just do it (bad example? Don’t be that guy! Use your freakin’ turn signals #petpeeve). I don’t have to think about bringing my phone with me when I leave the house, it’s an automatic thing. I don’t have to think about doing something with my hair and makeup before I leave the house (you’re welcome) : I just do it.

We all differ in our habits, the ability to easily create new ones and on which are more important to us. But, we all have habits that are deeply ingrained in us and in our routine.

Here are some tips to help you along the way:

LET GO OF IDEAS THAT MAKE CHANGING HABITS HARDER
First of all, I beg of you to get the “it takes 21 days to form a habit” crap out of your head. Let it go. I have never read/heard any scientific evidence that this little idea is anything more than just cute. Truly though, it can make habit forming so much harder. Do this for me: think LIFESTYLE CHANGE. Don’t set your eyes on just 21 days. Likely, that time will come and pass and then it will be a big relief (even subconsciously) to let go of all the progress you’ve made. Because, let’s face it: it’s hard changing habits! Instead, think of the awesomeness that will happen in your life because this new habit will be part of you.

REPLACE THE BAD HABIT
I cannot emphasize this enough! If you don’t purposely replace the bad habit with something that serves you better, you’ll unknowingly replace it with something just as bad, if not worse. Think about it: you’re doing it (whatever habit it might be) for a reason!For example: I have the habit of munching at night. I get very snacky, even if I’ve had dinner and I’m truly not hungry! What I have come to realize about myself, after trying to majorly restrict myself and feeling miserable, is that it’s a form of relaxing for me. It is part of my nightly ritual once my kiddo is in bed and I’m not longer focused on “work” and what all I NEED to be doing, to just take care of me for a bit. Isn’t that why we snack? It gives us happy feelings. It truly does. Food releases all those awesomely wonderful happy chemicals and that’s why we treat it like a drug without even realizing it. So, rather than trying to take the habit away and hope it sticks, I have another plan that works better. I change the habit. I do a few things: I LOVE baths and an epsom salt bath in the evening really makes me feel more calm, relaxed and like I am doing something good for me. I exercise a lot, so it truly is therapeutic. I also still allow myself to snack, but it’s purposeful. I love a glass of wine in the evening and will do something like air popped popcorn (with real butter & sea salt!) with my hubby or a frozen Greek yogurt bar. It’s controlled, rather than mindless! No regrets then.

REWARD YOURSELF
I am a big proponent of recognizing hard work and celebrating it! Make a chart of what you will do when you’ve reached small steps with your habit. Choose a that will help inspire you to keep going and help make that habit even more a natural part of your life. Obviously a donut would not be the choice to make if you’ve lost 5 pounds from eating better! A health magazine or new workout top would be, though!

GO PUBLIC
Now, for this one I don’t mean posting on Facebook that you will never be eating sugar again starting NOW. That can backfire and then you feel ashamed when you slip up. Rather, announce that you have accomplished “fill in the blank”. Let’s say it’s been 7 days since your last soda: celebrate!! 2 weeks of smoking half as much as you used to and it continues to go down: tell us! You’ve exercised 5 out of 7 days for 3 weeks in a row: hello!!This is when you let the world know what’s going on, because the encouragement you will get will totally propel you forward! AND, you will inspire people along the way as well. Pretty awesome!

BE REALISTIC
Let’s me real about how hard it really is to change habits. Why oh why would you try to change 7 at once? Really. “I’ve never exercised before and I LOVE fast food, but starting tomorrow I’m exercising 7 days a week, tracking ALL my food, eating no sugar, giving up fast food, drinking 64 oz of water a day, eating 5 cups of veggies AND no more staying up until midnight: bed at 9pm!”
GOOD LUCK to ya.

Start with one thing. Focus on that and I am tellin’ you, other habits will change as well without you even realizing it! You might stop drinking so much soda simply because you’re exercising more and just don’t have the same cravings, for example. It’s awesome how this stuff works!

Also, like my example with nighttime snacking, I am being realistic by recognizing it’s part of my ritual and it doesn’t have to go away: I just have to change how I do it. I’ve learned that trying to totally do away with it is not what I am interested in. If you’re not all in, it just won’t work.

So there you have it. This is all just my opinion and what I have noticed in myself and clients I’ve worked with. I want to hear from YOU! What works for you? What hasn’t worked for you?

Are you currently working on a habit and in need of some accountability? Connect with me! I’d love to offer some support and help you celebrate along the way!

BLT, Chicken, Balsamic & Feta Salad

Posted on March 1, 2017 by - Lunch

BLT, Chicken, Balsamic & Feta Salad Recipe from That Vibrant Life
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BLT, Chicken, Balsamic & Feta Salad

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  • Author: Jessica Parker
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Description

If you’re looking for a filing and tasty salad that is full of savory flavors…look no further! This is easily a meal in itself and one you’ll want to make again!

Ingredients

Scale

Basalmic Dressing

  • ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 tsp honey
  • ¼ tsp teaspoon salt (add more to taste)

Salad

  • Chicken: either 2 chicken breasts, cooked or use the meat from a rotisserie chicken (we love doing this on busy nights when there’s not a lot of time for cooking!).
  • 6 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled
  • 8 cups mixed salad lettuce leaves
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • ½ cup mushrooms, chopped
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Whisk balsamic dressing ingredients together until well combined. Set aside.
  2. Arrange all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Top with the bacon, chicken, avocado and sprinkle with feta, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with dressing, and enjoy!

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1

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Bone Broth

Posted on February 12, 2017 by - Healthy Eating

So there is all this chatter about bone broth going on in the past few years. It has gotten more and more mainstream. As with anything, I like to do my research before deciding if I should jump on whatever bandwagon has presented itself.

One thing I love about bone broth is that it’s been around forever. People have been using bone broth for generations and in many different cultures. This alone says something huge to me.

First off, let’s clarify that regular broth and stock are different than bone broth. What makes it different is really in how long you simmer the broth. Broth is a short duration simmer, 45 minutes to 2 hours, roughly. Stock is a longer simmer, around 4-5 hours. Bone broth is a much longer simmer, anywhere from 8-24 hours. The purpose of a longer simmer is to release gelatin from the collagen-rich joints as well as important trace minerals.

So there’s the “what”. Now, how about the why?

Bone broth a are very rich in protein and minerals, for starters. But there are many other amazing benefits. Bone broths offer glycine which aid in detoxification as well as digestion, hemoglobin synthesis and a number of other important functions. In addition, the gelatin that is released is amazing for the skin. Who doesn’t love that??

Plus, the whole chicken soup remedy when you have a cold…that’s a thing. It’s because of bone broth and the fact that it mitigates cold symptoms. So, reach for the real stuff and not the canned chicken soup on the shelf at your local grocer.

We recently made some. Bone broth recipes are a plenty on the internet (hello Pinterest!). We picked up an organic chicken from a local store (it’s amazing how much more accessible & affordable organic and natural options are nowadays!). We baked the chicken, used the meat in a recipe for dinner then put the bones in the crockpot with salt, pepper, carrots, celery, onions and cilantro…simply because we had some & love it. I put the crockpot on low and just let it go for 12 hours.

From there you have options. Some people just drink the broth daily. In fact, some cultures keep a pot on simmer and drink it like tea regularly. I prefer using it in recipes. This time around we used it in chicken soup adding fresh veggies (first straining the broth), quinoa and chicken.

My mother & father in law recently had 2 steer butchered and we will be using some of those bones in a broth pretty soon. It is best to use grass fed, antibiotic & hormone-free meat as to not release all of that into your broth and then into your body. Makes sense, right?

There you have it. Bone broth. I would love to hear your experiences & recipes!!

Happy health!

Living Real

Posted on October 8, 2016 by - Inspiration

Wow this road has been an interesting one for me. I did not get into health and fitness because it sounded cool…because exercise was always my thing…because I’ve always just been that healthy girl and wanted to share. I got into health and fitness because I struggled so damn hard for so damn long.

We all have our story. It is so important to remember where you came from…to remember your why. I took such solace in food as a kid. The first half of my life was all about avoiding pain. Sounds dark, I know. It was. And I know there are plenty of people walking around like “normal” but are oh so broken. My journey has just downright sucked at times. And…it has been so full of hope I’ve felt like my heart could burst at times. There has never been a straight line because, well, that’s not how it works, is it?

I didn’t want to get too deep but, I guess it’s too late! There are so many people struggling deep in their heart and feel there is no way out. We all have our own ways of coping with life, don’t we? It’s our human nature to numb out at times…and depending on the time in our lives and what is going on…some times more than others. I lived a very numbed out life for years. Years. I had no tools for coping and just wanted things to always feel more “normal” and so I turned to my drug. Mine was food. That’s why I’m here in this health and fitness world. My struggle might not look like yours, but I likely understand more than you think.

I used to try hard to make people happy and had no sense of me. Wow there are so many many girls out there like that these days I’m afraid. But, instead of trying to figure out who they are, they think selling themselves short and trying to compete for attention by compromising who they are is somehow their truth. It breaks my heart. That is not strength my sweet sisters. It’s just not. Not even close. The people who love you for what you truly have to offer this world and for your uniqueness will not even want to be a part of you sacrificing your truth for attention.

It took me what felt like eons of holding so tight to God, sitting through storms, feeling lost and totally alone and getting good counseling, seeking wise words from books, people I saw truth in…letting certain people in who showed me that they had “been there” too, to get to where I am. Not perfect, but genuine and so much healthier. I failed at times. I let people in I shouldn’t have. But over time I’ve learned to be truer to me; to who I believe God made me to be; to who I think my son needs as a mom; to who I would’ve wanted as an example to me when I needed one.

Why am I even spewing out my guts on my little health and fitness site? Because we all know that these things we struggle with on the surface have deep, deep roots. I wasn’t able to really let go of my food issues and my eating disorder until I was good with me. God was always good with me. I was the one who needed to get my head out of my rear. I needed to realize no one would do it for me and that God loving me fiercely never meant He would do it all for me. No. In fact, it meant quite the opposite. And why? Because He loves me that much. And He loves YOU that much. He wants us to grow through our struggle rather than protect us so much that we end up safe and oh so very weak.

I’ll end here having poured out enough for tonight. Just know YOU have more to offer than you even know and it has NOTHING to do with how you think the world needs you to be. The expectations we think we need to live up to are SHALLOW. Be who you are meant to be. If not for you, for the girl who will cross paths with you (perhaps your own daughter) who needs you to be that example for her.

You are loved.

An ingredient by any other name…

Posted on May 2, 2016 by - Healthy Eating

Ok. Trying to be funny and poetic. Maybe I shouldn’t try that on a Monday. So I know that people think of clean eating as totally made from scratch, organic, nothing packaged, etc. Well…that’s not me. That’s why I call it cleanER eating. I like convenience…in it’s healthier forms, of course. No fast food here. But, I do like to make good choices easier on myself.

That’s where snack bars come into play. Love ’em! So easy to just grab an go. I always have one with me. If you look in my purse and you don’t find one…it’s probably because I just ate it! 🙂 There is a lot of confusion with all of this though. Walk down this particular aisle in the store and wow…talk about overwhelming! Unfortunately it’s so easy to get sucked into the buzz words too! “natural” “organic” “gluten-free” “healthy”…you name it. (Ya’all know those words don’t necessarily mean that’s what you’re getting…right? *please say yes*)

To hopefully make this a little easier for you, here are some things I pay attention to when I shop for bars…

Ingredients list
This is the main overarching thing to pay attention to! Please don’t just look at the nutrition info that tells you how much protein, fat, carbs, etc. Although these things are important, it’s MORE IMPORTANT to know where those nutrients come from! What kind of protein is it? Are there a bunch of fillers in it? Is it full of artificial ingredients? Pay attention to the ingredients list!

Sugar
Sugar likes to disguise itself in many different forms. Especially these days with all the buzz words, it can be easy to be fooled. Don’t fall prey! Even if it’s slightly on the “healthier” side, your body still processes it much like regular white sugar. Here’s a list of SOME ingredients that are just sugar with a different twist (there are plenty more out there!):

  • Agave Nectar
  • Barley Malt Syrup
  • Beet Sugar
  • Brown Rice Syrup
  • Brown Sugar
  • Cane Crystals (or, even better, “cane juice crystals”)
  • Cane Sugar
  • Coconut Sugar, or Coconut Palm Sugar
  • Corn sweetener
  • Corn syrup, or corn syrup solids
  • Dehydrated Cane Juice
  • Dextrin
  • Dextrose
  • Evaporated Cane Juice
  • Fructose
  • Fruit juice concentrate
  • Glucose
  • High-fructose corn syrup
  • Honey
  • Invert sugar
  • Lactose
  • Maltodextrin
  • Malt syrup
  • Maltose
  • Maple syrup
  • Molasses
  • Palm Sugar
  • Raw sugar
  • Rice Syrup
  • Saccharose
  • Sorghum or sorghum syrup
  • Sucrose
  • Syrup
  • Treacle
  • Turbinado Sugar
  • Xylos

Soy
I am not going to go into a lot of detail here with soy. A lot of it is really still being researched and figured out. Personally, I allow myself soy here and there (I do love it in my coffee if I go out for coffee…so creamy, I will say!)…but that’s only on occasion, as a treat. Otherwise I make sure ingredients in things I buy don’t contain soy & I don’t use soy milk at home. Soy is heavily used as a filler in processed foods and it’s getting easier and easier to find packaged foods that don’t contain it (that’s the good news!). There’s too much grey area and evidence that is surfacing as to how soy could negatively impact hormones. Lord knows we don’t need more of that going on! *yikes*

Preservatives
Essentially you want to watch out for long, complicated words that are super difficult to pronounce. If you buy something that is a natural product, you will likely find some superfoods and such listed that are hard to pronounce, but it’s far different than the “chemically” sounding words you will find preservatives listed as. How do you know?? See my next point!

Google it!
If I see something listed I am unfamiliar with and unsure about…I look it up. Easy peasy. The cool thing is, you start getting to know which has what in it and it’s no longer confusing.

There are some good bars out there and I am seeing more and more of them as consumers dictate that kind of demand. Larabars are an awesome example of this! You look on the ingredients list and all you see are nuts and fruits listed for most of the bars. That’s. All. Simple. Look for simple.

Speaking of simple, I’m going to end here! We can get super detailed about this…but that’s for another show 🙂 For now stick to getting familiar with ingredients.

Here’s some homework for you (yay!!): open your cupboard and fridge/freezer and take 5 boxes/packages out. Go through each one and familiarize yourself with at least 5 of the ingredients you find that you are not familiar with. I would LOVE to hear what you run across! What surprised you? Are there any things in your cupboard you will no longer buy? How about things that are healthier than you thought?

Becoming You

Posted on April 28, 2016 by - Fitness

Tonight was an emotional night for me. It was an end and a beginning all wrapped up in one. 2.5 years ago I started my journey as a fitness instructor. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was in high school and was navigating my body image, my identity and my path in life. I fought with all of these things hard as I struggled with some pretty deep family issues. But that’s when I landed softly in God’s hands and realized, struggle I might…but He’s got me.

Life sure did not turn into a field of flowers after that, nor do I ever expect it too. But, I found purpose. I found purpose in the struggle, I found hope, I found grace, and I started to find my strength and my voice.

It might sound silly that being a fitness instructor is tied up with all of this, but it’s amazing how intensely true it is. Although I dreamed, early in my adulthood, of being an instructor, life took me in many different directions until recently. After I earned my masters in Health Psychology I naturally went for a certification in Health Coaching and also finally decided the time was right to dive in and get certified as a group exercise instructor.

I’ll never forget my first class! OH man was I nervous. It was Turbo Kick. I remember teaching and then at the end turning around and telling the class, “that was my first class EVER!” Um…I’m sure they knew that. HAhaha! Lord. Thank you for grace!

I struggled and learned and grew and stretched and was challenged and I got certified in several other formats in the meantime. PiYo was where things changed though. I fell IN LOVE. I joke all the time that I don’t have the attention span for Yoga. Well, there’s a lot of truth to that! PiYo brought something to me that was different and more me and yet challenged me to do things I hadn’t done before. I always walk away from class feeling STRONG, HEALTHY and just plain AWESOME! There’s no better way to say it. Awesome. From the inside out.

Well, along the way these people were coming and challenging themselves and experiencing these things with me and for themselves. Can I just say it is the COOLEST thing ever to watch someone come in, struggle, feel overwhelmed and COME BACK and do it again because they felt that, as much as it may have been “too much”, it was also some how SO good for them?! Then to watch that person improve and get stronger and then fall in love with it just like I did? Amazing.

Tonight I received a message from Jenny who has been coming to my class for a couple of months. She put into a message my why. It means more to me that someone would share this with me than I can even express. But really…it says it all and what a confirmation that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing as I taught my very last PiYo class at the Y and venture out on my own…

” Hey Jessica, I found you!! I just wanted to share some things as you begin your next journey! As someone who has always struggled with weight, poor food choices, and body image I feel like I found myself in your class with your teaching! You have a true gift of encouragement and make it seem easy that everyone and anyone is able to achieve even the smallest goals and of dream! I want to personally thank you! Having never heard of PiYo before your class I found something that works for me! But honestly the thing that kept me going was when I first heard Oceans and heard that you were a Christian! It is so encouraging to me to be in a class like that and not feel spiritual heaviness and the need to leave! I come into your classes and feel alive! Like I can breath fresh air. But that is because of what you carry! You are so genuine and I have felt very blessed these past 2 months to learn from you! While it is so sad to see you go, it’s so encouraging to see you chasing your dreams! Praying that God meets you in your new adventures and you feel the support you need! Hope this isn’t the end but only the beginning of learning from you! Hope this doesn’t come across as weird but rather encouraging. Thank you for being you and doing all you do! My husband is sick of hearing me talk about Piyo!! Thanks again, Stay blessed, Jenny

*Big sigh* I messaged Jenny back and tried to eloquently tell her just what it meant to me that she shared that…but I’m not sure I could express it exactly. This is why I do what I do. Truly.

That God would give me this awesome thing to do and share with people is an incredible thing to me. That I would come full circle and be able to be on this journey with others is a gift. So. Off I go and I am thrilled, a little scared but beyond excited to see how things unfold. I’ve had affirmation after affirmation that I am doing the right thing. These messages from God just have been continually showering down on me. So much so that it’s almost a tangible feeling. For those of you who have been a part of this chapter…thank you! And for those who will continue on with me…I am so excited for more!

So, what’s the moral of the story? Be you. Find your strength. Challenge yourself. And always know that God’s got you <3 I love you, PiYo Peeps!!

Dream a Little Dream

Posted on April 24, 2016 by - Balanced Living, Healthy Eating

Today Ashton and I spent some time on a couple of projects in the kitchen. He used to LOVE cooking and baking with me when he was really little. Not always the story these days. Today he was super into it and it just made my heart happy?

I am starting a new venture in life with my business and a lot of the “why” behind my goals are because of that cute, sometimes stubborn, often funny kiddo of mine. Today sure did validate my decision. He commented several times on how good it felt to just hang out and do something like that together…not be plugged in, not be rushing around everywhere, just be together and creating stuff. I was impressed by the maturity in what he was recognizing and yet wanted to cry at the notion of my 10 year old, that seems so old and so young all at the same time, essentially asking me for “more of this”.

Well, “more of this” is what we shall have. Life is changing. And, although I know it won’t all be easy…the sacrifice…I know it will be worth it.

I preach balance all. the. time. Well…here I am creating it. I’m leaving my job for many, many reasons. This living breathing example is one of them. Sometimes we have to step off our current path if it means staying 100% on a journey with those we love most.

Here’s one of the things we created ? A healthy “dessert”. You should try it! Ashton was impressed by my chocolate drizzling skills which made me think “oh I love that I can still impress you”. I know those days are numbered! I will cherish each one. ❤️

FRUIT KABOBS

  • Cut up fruit
  • Melted chocolate
  • Melted chocolate AND peanut butter (Duh. Have to have this one too!)
  • Shredded coconut
  • Chopped nuts

You decide what fruit and how you want to assemble. As always: simple, easy & delish!

Now, go hug your little (or not so little) ones?

Stress and adrenal fatigue

Posted on April 20, 2016 by - Balanced Living

Chances are if you’re part of this fast paced, over stuffed, over stimulated, over stressed culture you have experienced adrenal fatigue. This is an issue plenty of people deal with, however there is very little knowledge about it in mainstream medicine and therefore our society in general. Typically, doctors don’t recognize a problem until the adrenal issues have gone to an extreme level and thyroid issues ensue. This is not to point at doctors, it is simply outside of the realm of the modern medical perspective at this point in time. I will add though…awareness seems to be slowly occurring and I remain hopeful.

So what exactly is adrenal fatigue? Our adrenal glands are small walnut sized glands located above the kidneys. They create corticosteroids like cortisol, adrenaline and noradrenaline that then communicate specific messages to our brains that release certain hormones in response. I am going to keep it simple for the moment and focus on “CORTISOL”.

Our bodies are amazing and designed to work in very intricate ways with impressive communication skills. Cortisol may be a familiar word to some as it is linked to stress and weight gain.

Here is what happens: stress comes in different forms, physical, emotional, mental. What is stressful to me may not be to you and vice versa. We all have different tolerance levels of stress as well as different ways in which we deal with (or avoid) stress. However, when stress becomes chronic, our bodies become overwhelmed.

If I am dealing with a high level of stress for a prolonged period of time, rather than stress hormones spiking and then returning to normal, they will remain at an elevated level. Specifically focusing on cortisol today…if I have an overload of cortisol I will likely experience things such as headaches and backaches, cravings for junk foods (salty and sweet…refined stuff), sleep will be an issue perhaps having a hard time falling or staying asleep and then feeling tired even if I do get an adequate amount of sleep. A big one for a lot of people is weight gain and difficulty losing weight. Cortisol tends to make us hold on to body fat especially around the belly (aren’t we lucky?). Then it gets overzealous and won’t let go. Some people will experience depression and/or anxiety as well as gastrointestinal issues. Infections and allergies are also more prevalent with high levels of cortisol. And one more…it can kill your sex drive.

Anyone relate to any of this stuff in conjunction with some stress you’ve been dealing with? Yup. We all do at least at some point in life…especially in our crazy, fast paced society that has too much, is too busy and far too distracted.

If these type of stress responses continue for long, because we are not able to change the level of stress in our lives or haven’t figured out how, then our adrenal glands get worn down. **newsflash** We are not meant to have chronic stress in our lives. After a while our adrenal glands say…”well, I’ve put in my hours. This ‘overtime’ was not in my job description…I’m out”. They end up slacking off, but it’s because they aren’t equipped for the overload.

When adrenal glands become fatigued, the symptoms are like those I mentioned above. The symptoms often become more pronounced and you will likely have a more difficult time “shaking” whatever you feel you are dealing with.

I went to a naturopath several years ago because of this heavy fatigue I was experiencing that I didn’t understand. I eat healthy and balanced and exercise regularly…but the doctor sat and talked to me about my life in general. He even talked about past stress (yes, some childhood questions came up). He essentially brought to light how spread thin I was and how my body just needed rest (not just the sleep kind of rest) and more balance in all areas. I do struggle with this and have learned to be aware of it and manage it far better than ever before. This whole issue with our adrenal glands can really be a good thing…IF we listen!! It can motivate you to seek balance in your life. And balance, as we know, is one of my favorite things. <3 My hope is to help individuals to start recognizing the havoc that is being reaped on their bodies BEFORE it gets to such a critical level that medication and other things are necessary just to regain some form of “normal”. ATTENTION: once we reach critical levels with our health in general, we risk never being able to return to “normal” without the aid of modern medicine…which can often lead to other issues. It is super important to address problems and symptoms when they are manageable! Our issues are an opportunity to create healthy change!!! As I finish this I am noticing it is nearing midnight. Oops. I am a work in progress 😉 Good night sweet friends…

Where Do I Start???

Posted on April 16, 2016 by - Balanced Living, Fitness, Healthy Eating

Is this you?? Have you been wanting to lose weight, get in shape, have more energy, be a good example to your kids, just FEEL BETTER, but you don’t know where to start? OR you start and can’t seem to keep going? OR you just feel OVERWHELMED?

Here are 5 simple tips to help get you going!

  • START NOW!
    One of the biggest issues I notice with people is that they want to wait until circumstances are perfect in order to start getting healthier. “I’ll wait until after the holidays” “I need to get through this busy time” “I need to wait until I have extra money to buy healthy food” “Maybe when…”START NOW! You are either procrastinating and really not willing to change things yet OR you’re over complicating it! Life is never going to present the perfect scenario for this stuff.You just have to want it bad enough.
  • KEEP IT SIMPLE
    If you jump into this trying to start exercising 5 days a week (when you haven’t been like….at all), totally overturning your diet, cutting out all sugar, saying no to alcohol (bye-bye nightly glass of wine), waking up early, drinking only water, blah blah blah…..is your head spinning yet? This is what I see people do ALL. THE. TIME. And it makes me a little crazy. Maybe a lot crazy.Don’t do it! Pick one or two things and go from there. AND don’t pick monumental things!! Think LESS.
    Think BALANCE.
    Think BABY STEPS.
    Think SUSTAINABLE.
    Think LIFESTYLE CHANGE (not “diet”…notice that’s a four letter word?? Just sayin’”
  • BE ACCOUNTABLE
    I think most of us get this one, but, we still don’t always build it into our plan very well. Accountability could mean you check in with someone every day, or it could mean you’re actually doing it with someone! The best kind of accountability is when it is a “doing it together” kinda thing. It makes it FUN! You can relate to each other and have a mutual “YOU CAN DO IT!” thing goin’ on.Have you ever noticed that when you are pulling someone else up who is struggling, you get inspired and motivated yourself? Same with teaching. When you teach someone something you have to be a step ahead to be able to show them what you know. So that makes you dig in a little deeper.
  • REWARD YOURSELF FOR PROGRESS
    Seriously people. Change is hard. BE PROUD! Make a chart of short and long-term goals AND rewards for those goals! Don’t skip this part! You need to recognize the small and big steps toward progress that you make. And remember, BIG CHANGE OCCURS FROM LOTS OF LITTLE CHANGE.
    Examples:
    lost 5 pounds, buy a new book, get a mini-massge
    exercised all 5 days you said you would, buy a new nail polish
    drank water instead of soda all week, spend the $ you would’ve spent on soda on a fitness
    magazine or clean eating magazine that inspires you
    reached your goal weight, go on a little mini-trip, get a new exercise outfit, new running shoes…Get the idea?? IMPORTANT: Please, please, please do NOT reward yourself with FOOD!! Talk about a slippery slope! Be kind to yourself, take care of yourself. Reward yourself in ways that keep you on your healthy path <3
  • WHEN YOU REMOVE SOMETHING, REPLACE IT
    This is another biggie! (Maybe they all are…hmmm….) If I take something out of my life, I need to purposefully replace it with something, otherwise I will subconsciously replace it with something that is NOT beneficial.Extreme example, but I had a guy in my office recently who used to be a drug addict and now he binges on soda and crap food. No big surprise there. Junk food and sugar really hit that happy spot in our brains. Like REALLY. No wonder America is the way it is in terms of health. Ok…let me stop before I really get going on that one. ;-)Here’s the GOOD NEWS: exercise also hits that happy spot in our brains! Like REALLY 🙂 I know it sucks a little at first…but you keep your head up, hold onto your accountability peeps, keep inspiration around you all the time and FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT!! One day, you will stop and realize: “I FEEL AMAZING”! Then you’ll be hooked. Trust me. It’s worth it, my friend.

If you are on a journey and trying to change habits in your life I would LOVE to hear from you!!! I want to know if you have tips to share, what’s worked, what hasn’t?

I CONSTANTLY have groups going on and YOU would be welcome to join anytime! Just send me a message and I’ll let you know what’s currently going on and you can team up with us 🙂 Better together is a true thing.

I hope you are all having an amazing weekend and get to take a minute to refuel and recharge <3