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Word on a Wall

Put your goals where you can see them.

Think this one through, because the answer you choose might be staring you in the face every day for a year or more. What one word or phrase should you write on a piece of paper and place on a wall at eye level so that you will have no choice but to see it every single day?

Mine: Be responsible for the energy you bring into the room. 

It’s on a small, pretty piece of paper on a cork board about 2 inches above the screen where I am currently typing. I don’t just see it, I read it, every day, actually multiple times a day, and it helps.

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My Mid-Morning Green Juice

My basic recipe for a little something green in a glass.

Throw these things in a blender, and you’ll feel amazing! Not to mention it will curb your hunger for pre-lunch snacks you shouldn’t be getting into.

  • 8 oz light/diet cranberry, grapefruit, or other juice–but make sure it’s VERY low sugar (maybe 5g). Better yet, mix a little water in with less juice.
  • A generous handful or 2 of spinach or kale (I use baby spinach or baby kale for a little sweeter flavor)
  • 4 or 5 baby carrots
  • 1 heaping Tbsp Arden’s Garden Power Fuel (or other green powder of your choice)
  • Handful of frozen blueberries, mangoes, strawberries, or other fruit
  • 1/2 to a whole banana (to your taste!)

If you leave out the frozen fruit, just make sure to add some ice for texture. Play with the ingredients a little and you’ll find a blend that tastes just right to you. Enjoy!

Aim High, but Be Realistic

When the fear of “things staying the same” surpasses the fear of “failure,” stuff happens. 

So what are you afraid of? I’m hoping it’s more of the same. What IF you register for a 5K three months from now even though you are not currently in shape? What IF you commit to a workout class once a week by pre-paying even though you’re “uncoordinated”? What IF you decide to finally let the youthful, energetic person buried deep inside you out to shine? What’s the worst thing that could happen?

It’s so easy to let your life slide into auto-pilot. Every morning, coffee, cereal, grab your bag, go to work. What’s the point? Have you heard this: Try something once every day that scares you. That means give your life purpose. Reach for new heights. Stop letting fear hold you back.

After all, if you think about the reasons why you haven’t yet made the call to the personal trainer, or signed up for that 5K, they really are pretty silly. They probably go something like this: I don’t know how we’ll coordinate a time with my busy schedule. Or, I’m so out of shape, where would I begin? Or, What if I can’t finish the race? I have answers for all of those, as I’m sure you expected. A) There’s always time for exercise, even if you have to get creative. B) If you’re out of shape, there’s only one way to get in shape, and that’s to get started (we all started somewhere…). C) Who cares? Walk if you can’t run. Do your best. You will never regret having tried. And how fun will it be next year when you look back at that first 5K and laugh at how hard it was back then?

So I say aim high. Set goals for yourself. Real ones you can measure. But go for it—don’t be easy on yourself. Working toward big goals gives us a reason to get up in the morning. It makes the routine bearable because there are bigger things going on that are yours alone to hold close. Ask yourself what accomplishment you’d like to be able to say you achieved this year, and then let it be known that that’s what you’re working toward. Set your fears aside and watch what you can do!

What Not to Skimp on This Year

Resolve to spend your money on the right things.

Some things I don’t skimp on, and I don’t think you should either:

  • Skincare products (If you can’t eat them, why would you put them on your skin?)
  • Healthy foods
  • Workouts

I guess in my 41st year I’m acknowledging that I’ve been working since I was 11 years old, so if organic apples cost $6 instead of the $3 for heavily sprayed ones, I’m going for the organic variety.

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In with the Old

Revisit your old brilliant ideas.

You know how your mom’s old purses are so old that they’re trendy again? I have some shoes I just know will have a second life one day. So I’ve been thinking this concept could pertain to old ideas you’ve had as well. We search and search for new theories and motivation, when sometimes it might do us just as well to look back at our old things and ways to get trendy new inspiration.

Old dusty cookbooks you never open anymore—they used to be your favorites, so check out what you used to make. For us, the cookbooks have evolved from “10-Minutes Meals” to “101 Vegetarian Meals” to “Quick-Fix Vegan.” But once in a while we’ll crack open an old one and find a recipe we used to love—back when our spice rack held dried oregano, dried basil, and garlic salt (and that’s it)—and we’ll dress it up, make it vegan, and see if it’s our taste buds that have changed or our taste for fancier cooking.

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Blood Type Diet: Does it hold any weight?

The era of always seeking a reason

I set out to do a thorough discourse on the blood type diet, but I just don’t care enough about it to exert the energy. Maybe that gives you a sense of how I feel about it.

If you know me or have read my previous posts, you can guess that I could take or leave the whole theory that you should eat according to your blood type—and it is just a theory, without much in the way of evidence to support it. According to the diet’s founder Dr. D’Adamo, I should “focus on lean, organic meats, vegetables and fruits and avoid wheat and dairy which can be triggers for digestive and health issues.” Well, isn’t that eye-opening. Who decided this guy had something enlightening to tell us?

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What NOT to Say to Your Trainer

Trust your trainer–or find a new one.

You are dissatisfied in some way by your body. I get it. If you train with me, it is now my problem, too. But it is NOT my fault.

Here is something you should never say to a (good) trainer: (Said with ‘tude) I don’t know, you tell me. You’re the trainer.

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A Brownie for Breakfast?

Good habits are hard to form, but form them we must.

I just read an article in O magazine that suggests that a brownie at breakfast might help you lose weight. I’m thinking: really? That sounds like brilliant advice to give people who struggle with weight loss. Start the day off with 400 extra calories. Really?

This is not a review of O magazine. If it were I would have LOTS to say about the heavy cream that is an ingredient of almost every recipe they share. This is just me wondering, could that really work? Eat sweets at breakfast to stave off cravings the rest of the day? And is it worth it to try it?

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Into the Mouths of Babes

Train the taste buds right from the start.

My baby is 6 today. Six! My baby! I remember the day we brought her home from the hospital SO VIVIDLY. And yet…

The other day when her 2-year-old brother was begging for a granola-type bar right before dinner, Bella said, “Mommy. I have to tell you something. It’s a secret, so lean down close to me.” I leaned down. She said, “I think when these bars are gone, we shouldn’t buy bars anymore.” I said, “Really? Won’t you miss eating them?” She nodded. But that was okay with her. Because she wants her brother to have better eating habits. At 6, she already says things like, “I think I need to take a break from sugar tomorrow.” And when tomorrow comes and she asks for dessert and I remind her what she said, she ACTUALLY SAYS “OH YEAH” AND DOESN’T EAT DESSERT.

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Susie’s Story

Couldn’t have said it better myself.

I am Fit: And No One Is More Surprised Than Me
By Susan Cooper

Growing up, I was never very physically active. I didn’t like sports and considered myself to be generally goofy, uncoordinated and terrible at anything physical. In fact, I was thrilled when a bad concussion in 9th grade got me out of taking PE for a whole year. Really. A serious head injury was preferable to me over physical activity. As an adult I tried to get in shape to keep the pounds off but didn’t really know what to do other than walking and playing around with the machines at the gym. I was prone to muscle strains and had frequent back, neck and knee pain.

I will never forget the first week of 2009 when I threw out my back so badly that I couldn’t get out of bed for a week. Standing and sitting up were excruciating and all I could do was lie flat on my back and take muscle relaxers. It sucked. My orthopedist told me that my problem was that I was actually too flexible with no core strength to support my spine and joints and keep my muscles from overextending. If I wanted to stop straining my back, I needed to get in much better shape and build muscle. He recommended pilates, strength training and more cardio.

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