Live Your Best Life
As you know, I just recently moved back home to Louisiana. In doing so, I am essentially a newcomer. I don’t remember street names. I’m meeting new people all the time. Checking out neighborhoods that I haven’t seen in a minute. Just generally getting to know the city. [Read more…]
One of the major decisions that people have to make when they start living and eating a healthy diet is whether or not they want to switch to eating organic foods. Of course we all want to eat organic because it’s healthier, right? But then they quickly learn that “organic” often means “expensive” and it becomes outside of the financial reach for many that merely want to eat better and protect there family from harmful chemicals in foods. [Read more…]
This weekend I had the opportunity to speak at the “Exuberance Festival” in Independence, La. I have to say that the event itself was awesome! I got a chance to meet some really great people, some of which became instant family. There was a class on Thai Massage that we got a chance to participate in. The land was peaceful and inviting enough to walk around barefoot so that I could ground myself and connect with the earth (if you haven’t done that lately, I HIGHLY recommend it!) And of course, my talk. I talked about “Building Healthy Habits.” [Read more…]
I’m sure you’ve heard of turmeric by now. It’s been all the rage the last couple years with people saying that you MUST get it into your diet. But, is it REALLY all that it’s hyped up to be? The short answer is YES!! [Read more…]
Well, let me tell you!! If you are not eating veggies for breakfast, you are missing OUT!! There is an entire world of food out there that can help you start your day on the right foot! And if you are not exploring them, are you REALLY LIVING??
Grits, eggs, sausage, ham, bacon, pancakes, blah blah blah!! Although these options may be exTREMELY delicious, let’s face it. It’s actually kind of boring. Yes, you can put different fruit in your pancakes. You can get the fancy ham. You might even try your eggs sunny side up instead of scrambled, but when you look at it it’s still just the same thing. And what does that get you? It get’s you falling asleep at your desk somewhere around 12:30pm or so. That afternoon energy slump. YES, it is usually caused by your breakfast choices. Did you know that? What usually happens is that your body processes the high sugar and carbohydrate content of your breakfast, and a few hours later, your blood sugar crashes. This makes you not only sleepy, but very hungry. Which makes you want to go to the vending machine for your between-meal snack.
I don’t know about you, but I like variety. I also like to have energy throughout the day! So, one way you can spice up your breakfast meal is to add different veggies to it.
Think about it… if you can eat pancakes and waffles for dinner time, why can’t you eat veggies for breakfast? Who set the rules and why can’t they be broken?
The next time you are cooking breakfast, try something different. Steam some broccoli to go with your oatmeal. Sauté some stir-fry to have with your eggs. My favorite go-to breakfast at one time was baked salmon with sautéd chard and kale. It was the BOMB!!! I absolutely loved that meal and it was super easy to make! I’d season my salmon (always a different blend of seasonings and oils each time) and bake it while I got dressed. When it was just about ready, I’d chop my chard and kale and put it in a large wok-type pan (use what you have, of course) with a little bit of Bragg’s Amino Acids (you can also use soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, or just salt and seasonings) and a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Put the top on it so that it cooked down a bit, then once it cooked down, I’d sauté it. SOOO simple and delicious! And quick too!
Another favorite of mine is to just have a very large salad with ALL the fixin’s. Just pile things on top of the salad and go. What helps me do this is to purchase the pre-cut veggies blends and have a variety of those on hand. Depending on the store you go to, you can usually find things like zucchini, jicama, celery, bell peppers, mushrooms, corn, onions, etc all chopped up for you. Just grab a few varieties of those and go. You can also consider having bags of seeds (pumpkin, flax, chia, shelled sunflower, etc) or nuts (slivered almonds, walnuts, pecans, etc) and fruit on hand to sprinkle on top. Really, the only thing limiting you is your imagination!
When I was at TrueNorth, they would always have at least one steamed veggie for breakfast. It was usually a squash (butternut, spaghetti, acorn, etc) or Plantains and something like broccolini or asparagus. It taught me to think outside-er of my box. LOL!! I tried something that I’d never had and LOVED it. It really opened my mind even further to the possibilities.
My rule is to have half your plate filled with veggies. And not just a few sprigs here and there. It needs to be piled on. Go CRAZY with the amount of veggies that you eat!! Remember that veggies go through you differently than other foods, so you want to make sure you are getting your fill.
Are you ready to try to have some veggies as your first meal of the day? Or are you still pretty hesitant about it? Let’s talk! What’s holding you back? Let me know!