alzheimer – Page 2 – Reclaiming My Health

Small Changes, Big Results

As part of my health coach certification, I learned many science based tools for healthier living. I’d love to share some with you, as I have found these small changes have had a big impact on my journey. I am a mere 18 pounds away from my target weight, a goal that once seemed impossible when I was 60 pounds away. I’m no longer focused on just my weight though, as I realize my health journey transcends more than just that number.

Over the next few weeks, I ‘d like to share a few of the tips I found most helpful on my own personal journey to wellness. This week, I’d like to share information about foods that help reduce inflammation in your body. Inflammation is a natural process by which your body protects itself from outside invaders, such as bacteria and viruses. Inflammation is often seen as bad, but it is the body’s way of protecting itself. The problems arise when we have too little, or too much inflammation in our body.

Many of us are battling chronic inflammation, due to our lifestyles, which isn’t healthy for our body. Diet, weight gain, illness, injury and life stressors can wreak havoc on our bodies, as my story has illustrated. Weight gain and inflammation affect the production of the hormone leptin, which works in your brain to regulate metabolism and control your appetite. Lower levels of leptin will make you feel hungry, adding to your inability to loose weight. In simple language, inflammation leads to weight gain and weight gain leads to inflammation. You are effectively stuck in this loop and seemingly unable to get out.

Your diet, meaning the foods you eat, can be considered an outside invader. Whatever you put into your body, must be processed by it through the digestion process. There are foods we can consume that will increase our inflammation, think an unbalanced diet with lots of processed foods, that contain ingredients that can activate an inflammatory response. These inflammatory foods are mainstays of the standard American diet, such as red meat, white bread, pasta, chips, pastries, soda and fried foods.

One of the most powerful ways to maintain healthy inflammation levels comes from the grocery store. Dr. William Sears, shared a simple way to think about what foods to eat when seeking to reduce inflammation as part of your health journey. It has been called the Six-S “Diet” to reduce inflammation, with the word diet being used to mean the food you eat, not a program.

Seafood – primarily wild pacific salmon
Smoothies – multiple dark colored fruits, berries, ground flaxseed, organic yogurt
Salads – colorful, arugla, kale, spinach, red peppers, tomatoes, legumes
Spices – turmeric, black pepper, ginger, garlic, rosemary, chilis, cinnamon
Satisfying Snacks – grazing
Supplements – ONLY as necessary to fill in gaps. Omega-3, Astaxanthium

For me, I found Dr. Sear’s list so helpful when planning my daily and weekly meals. I was severely lacking in variety in my meal choices, especially with fruits and vegetables. I’m a creature of habit and was eating a consistent diet of grilled chicken and chopped green salad. I’ve found that now my salads are more thoughtfully constructed, as I seek to add in spices and colors I was lacking. Grazing has helped me with my digestive issues and reduced cravings. The one area I still struggle with is seafood. I do not like salmon, no matter how much I tried. So in this case, I have been exploring other foods rich in Omega and have added in supplementation to close the gap.

My main focus is on the top four Ss listed above. When I plan the week, I am looking to ensure that my menu revolves around these choices. Yes, I do still eat meat, especially chicken, but it no longer drives the meal plan as the main event. As a known vegetable struggler, I have found soups, salads and smoothies serve as places I can increase my intake. I made a beautiful lentil soup this week, in which I added kale, carrots, mushrooms, tomatoes and pearled farro. It’s not perfect by any means, but this helpful information has given me some much needed guidance. Further, I believe it has helped reduce inflammation in my body, as based on my recent bloodwork and weight loss.

When planning your meals for the week, try to incorporate the six Ss listed above. Let me know how it goes and more importantly how you feel. I’m excited for you and look forward to hearing how it goes.

Keep it Simple

The food we eat,
The air we breathe,
The stress we feel,
Causes us to age faster.

The common denominator in these three items listed above is me. I am blessed to be in control of the food I eat. I have limited control over the air I breathe, but I can ensure I get outside in nature everyday, rather than sitting indoors. Lastly, I can control my stress and how much I allow it to take over. I know life is not always easy, having experienced the ups and downs of it, but I know now that the choices I make are what gives me control over my health.

This is a picture of me at my unhealthiest, as a result of poor food choices, lack of movement and an incredible amount of stress. I was literally stressed out of my mind, unable to sleep and experiencing brain fog.

This is a picture of me two months into my journey to reclaim my health. I had been making better food choices and walking for two months time. I remember I felt somewhat better, but still felt stressed, struggled with sleep and some brain fog. I felt like someone who was detoxing and wasn’t sure I could succeed.

This is a picture of me eight months into my journey. I have been consistently making better food choices and moving every day – walking, doing yoga and playing pickleball. I am sleeping better and not experiencing any brain fog.

The book Primetime Health, discusses the importance many of us place on planning for our future. Dr. Sears asks, How many of you have invested in retirement savings plans and IRAs? Like me, I’m betting many of us have planned in some way for our future finances. He then asks, how many of us have planned for our future health? Do you have an IRHA? Do you know what an IRHA is?

An IRHA, is an Individual Retirement Health Account. It is a plan for our longevity and wellness. I can tell you I never thought about making deposits into an IRHA account. I lived my life as I pleased and addressed any issue as it arose. The shift here is to live more proactively, ensuring that issues are less likely to arise. This shift brings us back to the food we eat, the air we breathe and the stress we feel. If we eat less processed foods, move daily and reduce stress, we can see success on our journey. That doesn’t come in a bottle, it comes from our choices and determination to make deposits into our health accounts.

What I have been doing is hard work for sure, but it doesn’t feel hard. I have kept things very simple. I love to cook and we eat most meals at home, though we do eat out at least once a week. I keep my meals simple, protein, complex carbs and vegetables. I move everyday and enjoy what I do. As I said last week, walking daily is my meditation time. It really helps me clear my mind and process any feelings that come up. Yoga is so good for the mind and body and I take classes three times a week. Pickleball feels like playing outside when you were a young child. We laugh, we play hard and we have so much fun. Enjoying the exercise you do is important to make it happen. Find something you love!

When I first heard about the IRHA account, I began to worry. I knew I made so many bad choices through the years. I also knew it is never too late to start again, one day at a time. My days are not perfect, but my choices are far better. Knowing that I am the one who controls my outcomes gives me pause to make better choices. There are many days I feel like just staying home and not doing anything, especially now that it’s colder. I push through that and remember I must make my daily deposit into my wellness account. There is absolutely nothing more important than that.

Please share what you are doing on your health journey. I’d love to deposit those ideas into my IRHA account. Comment below, send me an email or comment on my Instagram page. Together we are stronger.

There’s No There There

Thinking about this past year, I like to think about how far I’ve come. I’d like to say I have achieved my goal and host a celebration of some sort. But, sadly I’ve been down this road before. I’ve achieved a goal weight or fitness goal, only to regain the weight and lose the fitness strength. It’s not because I am a failure, slacker or loser, though that is how I used to think prior to giving up. Honestly, I bet this has happened to many of us. How many times have you lost and gained the same 20 pounds? I’ve finally realized that creating a sustainable healthy lifestyle is the actual work I need to focus on. Do you know how long it took me to understand this concept? My whole life.

Like me, I bet many of you have focused on losing weight for a specific reason. For example, an upcoming special event is always on the list of reasons. A few years ago, I waited to shop for a dress to wear to my son’s wedding. I was waiting to lose weight before ordering it. I almost waited too long and truly cut it close on getting a dress in time. I never did lose the weight either.

Another time, I worked out for several years to achieve the goal of finishing a full marathon. It took me three years to meet this goal, but over the course of three years of training, I had sustained several serious injuries leaving me wondering why it ever was so important to me to meet this goal. I finished the NYC Marathon, met my goal and then had to give up long distance running as a result of the damage I did to my hips and ankle.

In both of those examples, what was lost on me was that I was focusing on the end result, not the process. What I really wanted, was to be physically fit and healthy. What I focused on was losing weight and finishing a marathon. What I accomplished was losing weight, which I gained back; and finishing a marathon. Both of those were truly wonderful accomplishments, but neither did anything to help me create the sustainable, healthy lifestyle I was seeking.

I thought that by engaging in those two goals, I would become healthy. What I realize now is that living a healthy lifestyle is a process and that meeting one goal along the way doesn’t mean I’ve arrived at my destination. In fact, I’ve learned there really is no there, there. The destination is not something I can reach and be finished with the journey. Rather, I have to commit to creating and maintaining this healthy lifestyle for the rest of my life. It doesn’t just stay in place on it’s own, it takes commitment and work, but it also doesn’t have to be so hard.

These revelations did not come easy and quite honestly can be intimidating. I have tried every diet plan you can think of, had success and then went right back to my “old ways”. In all honesty, I love pizza. As I’m typing this, I am thinking about how hard I tried in the past not to have pizza because it wasn’t “good for me”. Does that sound sustainable? Not in any lifetime, is never eating pizza again sustainable for me.

While reading Prime-Time Health by William Sears, MD, I came across an acronym that has helped me rethink how to achieve a healthy lifestyle, which has been my actual goal all along. He uses the acronym LEAN to outline the four pillars of health.

Lifestyle – How we live
Exercise – How we move
Attitude – How we think
Nutrition – How we eat

I have found that this simple tool has led to my understanding that I did not have a strong system in place to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Rather, I was specifically focusing on what I ate, what I could do for exercise and what I looked like. I gave very little attention to my lifestyle choices, or my thoughts about myself. When I was meal planning, I focused on the what of eating. What could I eat that wasn’t full of carbs, fat, calories, etc; not, how I could eat to feel better. When I focused on exercise, I focused on what I could do to burn the most calories; not, how can I move throughout my day. This led to me forcing myself to push through routines, even when I was hurting, which ultimately led to stress fractures.

Attitude is the area I am specifically focused on right now. I take time each day to notice, note and move on. If I notice my weight is up, I take some time to think about the possible reasons why and reflect on any changes I might need to make. I come from a place of learning and inquiry. I no longer beat myself up, get down on myself about it, or worse give up. I choose to write positive affirmations about myself every day in my journal. I also have one word that reminds me of my why, my purpose for doing any of this work. I write this one word in my journal every day as well. I have found that just adding these two things to my morning routine have helped me stay grounded in the process of creating a healthier lifestyle and not getting stuck on just trying to lose weight.

I know that sounds so simple, but I realized that I am the one who has made this all so hard, by focusing on the wrong things. I plan to use the L.E.A.N. pillars to keep myself focused on what matters most – healthy living. How about you? How are you doing with your journey? Please continue to reach out, as I enjoy reading your stories.

Stress

This picture of me was taken just before I decided to retire from my much loved position as Principal of an Elementary School in New York City. It fully illustrates the impact of living under constant, high level stress on my body. Though I loved my position; my community and children, it did not love my body, especially during and after the COVID pandemic. My life was turned upside down during that time, with the loss of my mother, as well as the huge toll of working 24 hours a day to keep my school afloat despite loss of staff, family members, inconsistent messaging, funding and lack of clear guidance from the NYC DOE.

The impact on my physical body is clear to see, as I present as obese, haggard looking and quite honestly old beyond my years. The emotional toll is not as easily visible to the eye, but believe me it was there. By this point in time, it was getting harder and harder for me to find the will to engage in any social functions. Invitations to meet for dinner with friends caused anxiety and led to endless cancellations on my part. I was not able to sleep well and found myself lying awake each night filled with anxiety over all the things I needed to get done. It wasn’t uncommon to get a text, or social media post, from me at 1 AM during those times as I was wide awake.

This photo of me was taken this weekend, 8 months post retirement. These past 8 months have allowed me space and time to heal, both emotionally and physically. I wish I could say the healing was easy, but it wasn’t. During this time, I supported my husband’s healing from medical issues and cared my for aging dad in our home. But, despite those stresses, I still carved out space to focus on my own healing journey.

The impact of stress on our health cannot be underestimated. I hope my photographs serve as a reminder to us all that long term stress can destroy your health. Examining causes of stress and making changes to reduce it must be our driving force in our health journeys. For too long I acknowledged that I was under unrelenting stress, but yet did nothing about it. Rather, I used it as my excuse for being so unhealthy, as if it was expected. Finding the strength to make changes was the hardest thing I’ve ever done, yet I am so grateful I made the move as I am worth it. Living to see my grandson grow and thrive was worth it.

A dear friend said to me when I was struggling, “Laura, if you die tomorrow, there will be an ass in your chair before you’re even buried. We are all replaceable. Your family, however, will be forever changed. Your work family will move on and adjust pretty quickly to your absence. Your family will not.” That conversation really stuck with me and was what gave me the courage to step away.

Focusing first on my nutrition, helped by having to cook healthy for my two men, was pivotal. I worked with a nutritionist for the first few months to really look at what I was eating and gained knowledge of the impact of my choices on my healing. Slowing adding and increasing movement each day and tracking the impact on my body was next. Finally, returning to a yoga studio to connect with other yogis and more importantly, to myself.

I wish I could say I’m completely cured, but that would diminish the actual process of this journey. It’s a process, not a cure. I am most definitely feeling healthy again. I have a vibrant social life and have met and connected to so many great people in our new community. I have found a sport I love to play and engage in – pickleball. I have lost weight and gained better emotional health. My sleep is improving, but still not where it needs to be. I am sleeping well and getting quality REM, but still need to examine my Restoration sleep, which is still impacted by my restlessness during the night. Improved for sure, but not where I want it to be.

My next steps on my journey begin next week. I have been accepted to and registered for a Master Health Coach certification course with Dr. Spears. My specific focus will be on Adults and Aging. I cannot wait to learn more about the role nutrition plays on the body as we age as I continue on my road to Reclaiming My Health. This blog may undergo some updates during the year long coursework, as I look forward to sharing my learning with you all.

Please share your experiences with stress and nutrition. I’d love to hear what you have done to reclaim your health.

Life Reimagined

It’s hard to believe it has been over a year since I’ve sat down to write anything. When I look back at the year itself, I’m in awe at all that we’ve endured. Never in my life did I think I’d be living and leading in a global pandemic. There truly is no course that would have prepared me for this.

My last post was May 2020 and at that time I was deeply grieving the loss of my beautiful mother. She succumbed to COVID in early April at the height of COVID-19 outbreaks. After that, I feel like I was swallowed up into a black hole. Life continued, at a ridiculous pace, in my position as a Principal of an Elementary School. Every day felt like a month, every challenge felt tough, every event unchartered territory with no guidelines or support to be had. Yet, I am one of the fortunate ones as I work in a community that banded together and stood strong. I never would begin to tell anyone how to move through something like this and that may be one of the reasons why I stopped writing.

I decided this summer to begin to process what I’ve experienced this past year and a half, which is something I’ve avoided. To disconnect with any expectations and take the summer to relax, recharge and begin again. I decided to not let the lessons of this pandemic be lost on me. To do that would feel like I’d not been changed by it. I am not the same person who existed on March 12, 2019. I’d like to think I am stronger, wiser and better, but those would be lofty goals. What I am is more aware of the fragility of life, both in length of time and on this planet.

Like many people, during COVID lockdowns, I found myself making poor eating choice healthy and not engaging in exercise. Seriously, it was hard enough to get through the emotional exhaustion of most days without it, so why bother. I didn’t miss any time at work, even during the loss of my mother, as being absent just didn’t seem to be an option. I worked through all holidays and the summer that followed, as did most of my colleagues. We were able to bank the vacation time for use at a later date, which in hindsight was a blessing. This June 2021, I decided that taking time off was essential to my emotional well being.

I spent the summer engaging in deep personal reflection around the events of the past year and their impact on me. I returned to the gym in late June and found that the lack of exercise had taken a huge toll on my health. I was determined, but way out of shape. I dabbled in healthier eating, but still was not motivated to cook, despite building a state of the art kitchen in our renovated home. I lost 20 pounds and am proud of that, but know that I haven’t given it my best effort.

I have wanted to go fully plant based for a long while, but just couldn’t seem to take the plunge. I increased the amount of plant based meals I was eating, but without cooking, I grew tired of endless salad offerings. Rather than give up, I began to drill down. What could I do to make this more doable and motivate myself to cook again.

I found a wonderful woman, Chef Cynthia Louise, who has many cooking and plant based offerings. I had not heard of her, but seemed pulled toward her food offerings. They were realistic – not a ton of ingredients; holistic – organic, plant based foods; easy – not too long from prep to table; and delicious. I joined her 14 day plant based challenge, which comes with shopping lists and recipes. I’ve made two days worth as of this writing and none have taken more than 30 minutes to prepare. All have been delicious, like really delicious. I just made a salad dressing for a salad that truly left me wanting to eat more salad.

I have cooked the past two days and actually enjoyed it. My kitchen has been done since February and I have only cooked one meal a week at best – Sunday sauce. I’m super excited to feel like cooking again and hope this continues now that I am returning to work tomorrow. The ease of these recipes makes me feel like it will. The early morning offerings at the gym make me feel like that is doable as well. Stay tuned for my weekly blog to return.

To learn more about Chef Cynthia Louise visit her website at

http://www.chefcynthialouise.com

I get no compensation for my recommendation to her website, just the knowledge that you are possibly going to engage in a healthier journey. If you do, let me know as I’d love to hear about it.

Celebrate You

Christmas is next weekend and for many it can be a time of great emotional pain. There are empty chairs at tables around the table and loved ones left to deal with this loss. One way I deal with it is to always keep my loved ones near. I have something of these loved ones included on my tables when I set them. It may be a simple thing like the salt shakers, or the china we eat on, or my memories of them sitting and laughing at my table. It can be a very trying time, but we must celebrate life and continue our journey as that is what they would want for us.

When I think back on Christmas past, I often take out old photographs and am always surprised by how absent I am in large chunks of time. I remember avoiding the camera at all costs but I never thought about the future and how I’d be noticeably missing from our past. What will my children and grandchildren have to remember me by? I wrote about this in a previous column and I think it’s worthy of a reread. The unintended consequence of my action is that I removed myself from my children’s past memories. Don’t let this happen to you. Get in those photographs this year regardless of how you think you look. I guarantee when you look back on them they will bring you joy and you truly won’t even notice!

Take a moment to read this column and leave me a note below. Enjoy the holiday week with your loved ones and be sure to capture each moment.

Unintended Consequences

Taking the Plunge

What do you do when you need to try something new? Do you hesitate, or jump right in? Do you try every new thing you encounter, or are you cautious and selective? I am the cautious and selective type. I like to read and research before taking the plunge, especially when it comes to what I put into my body. I want to be healthy and not fall victim to the mind robbing disease that has devastated my family. I must admit it is hard with so many “things” out there. I get emails, see videos, advertisements on Facebook and encounter people who truly believe in programs on a daily basis. If I took the plunge each time, I’d be broke and most likely still in the same boat.

The way I stay focused is to remember my why. My why is to remain healthy, active and maintain my memories long into my 90s. With this in mind, I must remain careful about what I eat and drink. My philosophy around nutrition is that food is fuel for my body and the means to remaining healthy. These weight loss programs sound so darn appealing and I must admit those who have had success are totally passionate and committed to them. The before and after photographs are so inspiring and I am extremely happy for them all. But, I just can’t do them. Those programs are not for me as I don’t want to get my nutrition from powders and pills and often if you dig deep enough the ingredients are not totally pure.

With the exception of Purium, a program which I’ve yet to find any bad ingredients in, most of the other programs have at least one ingredient that just won’t work for me personally. I did use Purium for a while last year and will say I had no problem buying it. I truly didn’t mind the expense and it was expensive. My only problem with some of their drinks was the taste. For me, they just didn’t taste good. I am a fan of the Apothe Cherry drink and like to drink that at bedtime. I found a version that cost less though and has the same impact for me.

Dynamic Health Tart Cherry Turmeric and Ginger Tonic Supplement, 16 Ounce

I mix 2 tbs of this juice with 8 oz of water and drink about 30 minutes before I go to bed. You can drink it straight, but I prefer to dilute it.

Last week, I told you I was planning to do a 10 day green cleanse and shared the book I use with you. I cleaned up my act this week for sure, but still was not able to feel totally on track again. It just feels like there is something every day that gets in the way of my nutrition. I made better choices and definitely lost 5 pounds, but I’m still not satisfied that I’m fueling my body properly.

This week I attended two days of professional development, not for nutrition mind you. As part of the presentation, the presenter was sharing his struggles with weight loss. As he talked, he shared an app that he was using to keep focused. I am not a fan of programs, but found myself at a center signing up that very afternoon. I have decided to do this program only because –

I get to prepare and cook my own food.
I don’t have to count or think about anything.
I will get daily feedback on my journey.

I signed up at Weight Watchers not because I need them to tell me how to eat, what to eat or why to eat that way. Believe me I know that already. I signed up because they have made it so easy to monitor what I am doing on a day to day basis. I love the app (yes I know I could just use a free app) and how simple they have made it to track my day. Yes, the program is about tracking points and that’s just fine. Yes, I’m aware that it really is about counting calories and portion control. Yes, I know that I need to eat healthy fats and this program attempts to limit that, but I think I can make this work to keep me focused and get me back on track.

Right now, I can eat 30 points a day. My superfood coffee counts as 9. Though they would encourage me to swap that out, I know I need the healthy fat it contains and that in the long run it connects to my why. I am able to eat vegetables and fruits as low point and no point options. So, of course you know this will motivate me to increase my intake of those foods from my least favorite food group. The best feature of all is I don’t have to convert or count anything to figure out points. I get to simply scan the barcode and it’s there, or type in the food. Thank you for this wonderful feature! Lastly, you get points to swap the more you move which sure motivated me to take an extra walk last night with my dog.

Am I excited about the program itself, not so much. Am I excited to have a focus to get me ready for training, yes! This sign up for me was for a 3 month pass. Just enough time to get ready to toe the line for my marathon training program which officially starts in June.

I’d love to hear your success and failure with Weight Watchers. Please feel free to share below, or shoot me an email.

Recipe Swaps

Coffee, the favorite drink of many. Some drink more than three cups of coffee per day. Many never stop to think about the chemicals, pesticides or other issues with consuming large amounts of coffee. The debate over coffee’s benefits are conflicting at best. Research shows it is beneficial to drink, but there are also studies that show it can be detrimental. For those reasons, I chose to spend some time revamping my daily coffee fix to ensure I am getting the most out of it.

Last year, there was a disturbing video on Facebook showing a little thought of issue with using a Keurig coffee maker. As I watched this video, I vowed to stop using my Keurig immediately. This machine, found in most homes and offices, has been shown to create mold. It makes perfect sense that this could happen as water just sits inside of the machine’s inner mechanisms. This dark environment is ripe for breeding mold. Additionally, the fact that this machine and the pods used cause damage to our planet are not lost on me either on this Earth Day. My husband and I when we used the Keurig always used the reusable attachment and did not purchase pods. It was not only better for our environment, but more cost effective.

Aside from mold, coffee is a crop that is known to be heavily sprayed with pesticides. Most people don’t stop to think about this when they are sipping up to six cups a day. My husband drinks 5 cups of coffee per day. If we didn’t purchase organic coffee, his exposure to pesticides would be extremely high. Though it may be more expensive to purchase organic coffee beans, I am asking today that you think about the long term effects of drinking cups of chemical laden coffee.

Finally, most people use coffee creamers in their daily coffee. I was a huge fan of french vanilla flavored creamer and thought nothing of adding it to my cup to make it light and sweet. Others use artificial sweeteners to avoid adding calories to their morning cup. Research has strongly linked these sweeteners to autoimmune diseases, as well as cancer.

With all these dangers lurking, you begin to wonder if your daily cup of coffee is even worth drinking. Then you read that coffee has many benefits to your health, plus you just plain love it. The simple solution here is to do a recipe swap and upgrade your coffee drink.

Here is how I updated my coffee routine to ensure I was getting the benefits of drinking coffee while limiting the dangers.

Change Your Pot

I stopped using the Keurig after watching the mold video. I definitely don’t want coffee laced with mold. Honestly, I was so grossed out I don’t think I’ll ever use one again. I immediately pulled out my old Faberware pot given to me 30 years ago when I got married. When it finally died a few months later and I began looking for a replacement. The newer Faberware pots did not have great reviews, so I decided not to spend the extra money to purchase one. I purchased a Presto pot and absolutely love it.

An added benefit to percolator coffee, aside from the fact that it’s a hearty cup, is that it is hot. I never felt the drip coffee pots, or Keurig made a hot enough cup. I often put it in the microwave for 30 seconds just to heat and you know how I feel about using the microwave. Here is the actual pot we purchased. We also bought one for all our family members over the past year in hopes they’d make the change. Not everyone has joined us on this journey, but we tried.

Presto 02811 12-Cup Stainless Steel Coffee Maker

My son purchased a French Press for his girlfriend. This is another great option for a healthier cup of coffee. This is a great option if you don’t drink a lot of coffee in one sitting. It wouldn’t be a good choice when you have a lot of company. Here’s the French Press I liked.

French Press Coffee & Tea Maker Complete Bundle | 34 Oz | Best Coffee Press Pot with Stainless Steel & Double German Glass

Change Your Coffee

I only purchase organic coffee at this point. My husband occasionally picks up coffee on sale which is not organic. I will drink it, but really try to limit my exposure to pesticides through coffee consumption. If you order coffee at Starbucks they have organic options. I’m betting you can request this when you go in for a cup as they do sell organic coffee beans. I’ve tried many different brands and have settled on one of these two options. Both are available through subscribe and save for further discounts.

Cafe Don Pablo Gourmet Coffee Medium-Dark Roast Whole Bean, Subtle Earth Organic, 2 Pound

I prefer to purchase whole beans for the freshest cup. I grind the beans on a weekly basis.

Bulletproof Whole Bean Coffee 12 oz.

This coffee is slightly more expensive so I only get one bag per month on subscription and fill in with the other less expensive option in between.

Change Your Recipe

I stopped using flavored creamers completely and will not use artificial sweeteners to replace it. I’ve written and shared about my switch to drinking superfood coffee. I only drink one cup per day and it’s very satisfying and has been said to improve your health. When intermittently fasting, this coffee, with its healthy fats is very satiating and provides a nice energy boost. Here is my recipe for coffee (based on bullet coffee):

Ingredients

1 cup brewed hot coffee
2 tbs collagen
1 tsp ghee (or Kerry gold unsalted butter)
1/2 tsp organic raw honey (optional)
5 drops of liquid stevia
dash cayenne pepper, turmeric, cinnamon, vanilla extract
1/2 tsp raw cacao
1 tbs brain octane oil (or coconut oil)

Directions

Place all ingredients in blender. Blend (hold the cover) until smooth for a refreshingly delicious frothy cup of coffee.

I played with this recipe for a bit until I got it the way I liked it. The first day I wasn’t sure about this whole concept, but gave it a week. I love it so much now that I can’t drink a regular cup anymore.

If you are a big coffee drinker, I hope you’ll spend some time reflecting and exploring. Read up on healthier options for your daily cup. If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Here’s the link to the collagen I use and the brain octane oil in the event you’d like to give those a try.

Bulletproof Upgraded Collagen Protein – Net Wt. 16 oz

Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil – 16 oz.

Snap Out of It

Well this has been a rough week for me when it comes to healthy eating. My birthday was Wednesday so there was some eating of cookies and cake during the day at work, followed by dinner out and some wine. Then Thursday was a late night at work so we ordered dinner in – Chinese food. Friday was a night out for dinner at a yearly PTA function which involved more wine and restaurant food. While I didn’t over eat at any of these events, my body is just not used to eating in this manner anymore. I’m feeling lousy because my eating routine is totally off kilter. I’ve been eating out, not home cooked, so I feel sluggish and tired. I feel like I’m full of salt, chemicals and wine. I need to snap out of this and get back on track, but I’m not feeling motivated right now to even move. My bed is so comfy and cozy and it’s cold and dark outside right now. I have a scheduled slow, long run today and I’ve yet to move. I feel like slapping myself and yelling, snap out of it girl.

I think I need to do some detoxing this week to get myself clean and restart my mojo. It’s so amazing how much difference a week of unhealthy choices can make on my overall feeling of health. I’m tired, bloated and totally lacking motivation. I feel myself struggling hard to get back on track. I know how easy it would be to just say forget it and continue on this path, but I just can’t let myself do it. I have got to get myself back on track and quickly. It seems to take me six months to lose 10 pounds, but I can put them back on in less than two weeks. Funny how life works sometimes, right.

I’m not a fan of pills and drinking powdered shakes when detoxing. I am a firm believer in nutrition and using the power found in food itself to get myself back on track. I am going to pull out a 10 day green smoothie cleanse I used a few months back and give that another round. Yes, this plan does involve drinking smoothies, but they are filled with delicious vegetables and super foods, not powders and expensive products.

10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse

This cleanse is super easy to follow. I do the modified version which involves drinking two green smoothies a day (breakfast & lunch) followed by a healthy dinner. There are options in the book for the modified version, as well as the full version. The full version involves drinking three smoothies and eating healthy snacks and drinking tea. I like to eat food and the thought of ten days without does not appeal to me. Doing the modified version and substituting breakfast and lunch are super easy for me because then I don’t have to worry about packing lunch. The author also hosts a free Facebook group, so you can go on and network with other people doing the cleanse. This book provides shopping lists, recipes, and detailed instructions for the 10-day cleanse, along with suggestions for getting the best results. It also offers advice on how to continue to lose weight and maintain good health afterwards. Easy and far less money than purchasing a program! Many programs will cost $200 or more to get started. This book is under $10. You know I’m going to say it, win – win.

This is just the jumpstart I need right now! How about you? Are you ready to do some internal cleansing? Do you want to jumpstart your spring healthy eating and just plain feel better? Then join me in doing the 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse! I’m heading out to do my shopping after my run. I’m feeling better already and can’t wait to get some healthy food coursing through my body! If you are joining me, leave a comment below. I’d love to exchange recipes and good health with you.

On the Road Again

Sometimes I feel like I’m always starting over with my running. I’ve had to overcome some serious injuries along this path, but I keep getting back out there. As you know this Christmas Eve I broke three toes. Not quite the present I hoped for, but you take what you get in this life. Even though I worked out over the winter these first days back out on the road reminded me just how daunting my new challenge really is. 26.2 miles – gulp!

This week, I started reflecting back on my running journey. When I was younger my dad and I used to run together and do some local fun runs. My training runs back then consisted of me running either on the track across from my house, or around Juniper Valley Park. I was blessed to live across the street from this beautiful park. At the time, I worked in the city and also did some fun runs with my work friends.

Fast forward far too many years to mention and I returned to running with the hope of losing weight. I was doing some walking, but always felt the pull to move my feet and run, so figured I’d go for it. I had no plans to do any races, but ended up signing up for one with my work friends. The running community is a beautiful one to be part of so I’ve continued doing races. To date I’ve completed many 5k, 10K, 15K and one half marathon. The half was my goal race last year and I thought that would be my distance limit. Why then do I now find myself signed up to run in the NYC Marathon?

I can’t even tell you why anyone would even want to run 26.2 miles. I’m not sure how I plan to do it, but do it I will. The real training plan starts June 12th, but the base building plan has already begun. With the arrival of warmer temperatures and healed toes, I’ve taken myself off the treadmill and put myself back outside. With my broken toes, I tried hard to maintain my base by using the elliptical and treadmill over the long winter months.

My first few outside runs have been challenging and disheartening anyway. I feel like I’m back to the beginning again and three mile runs have felt like marathons. Already I feel my negative self talk returning full force. As I’ve been out there I say mean stuff like, “Are you out of your mind? Three miles feels like this, imagine what 26.2 will feel like. Why do you have to do this anyway? You should forget about it.” Right now I’m procrastinating getting out to do my long run. Lord, I need to get CONTROL.

What do you do when you feel yourself giving in to fear of an upcoming challenge? Do you eat, drink or quit? Me, I definitely eat and indulge in some nice wine. I wallow in self pity for a bit and beat myself up with negative self talk. What I don’t do though, is quit. Once I’ve allowed myself to go through the process of eating, drinking and talking trash, I begin to claw my way back out and get busy.

This week has been about that – getting over it and getting serious. This goal is not going away and I fully plan to meet it. Here are a few of the ways I get myself back on track when fear of failure gets in my head:

Connect with People Who Share Your Goal

I reminded myself this week that I am NOT alone on this journey. I have a tribe of people who are supporting me. In addition to my family, I have running friends who will support me as I train for and run this race. I have a running club that I am part of and have started reaching out for support. They connected me with another group who consists of people also training to run the NYC Marathon this year.

I also have two running partners in crime who will toe the line with me this November.

10534645_899009690182769_7738830869866166531_n — Helen & I – Roosevelt Island 10K

12187987_728554383944340_9051102710924042981_o — Flo & I – Freshkill 10K

I also have my 2017 Run the Year teammates coming up to NYC so we can run this race together. We have in essence created our own tribe of strong women who will meet this goal.

Read, Read, Read

When I start feeling self doubt, I like to read motivational books, articles, quotes, basically anything I can. There are tons of books out there written by others who have walked our walk in life, whatever it may be. This week I reread my own blogs written to remind myself why I am on this path. These two in particular were most helpful –

I Got This

Declaring My Why

I also read a wonderful memoir that truly resonated with me.

Running Like a Girl: Notes on Learning to Run

In her memoir, Alexandra speaks to the journey through self doubt and hard work to meet her goal of running the London Marathon. I laughed out loud in some parts and strongly connected to her pain in others. A true journey of triumph and highly motivational to me and many others who have read it. Worthy of a read for anyone questioning their ability to meet their goals.

Get Started and Try Your Best

The hardest part of the journey is often getting started. Just lace up and get out there – take that first step. I’ve been using my week off to jump start my motivation. I’ve been able to get my runs in outside in the beautiful world. It’s refreshing to see the sights after a winter in the basement. It’s good for my soul to be out in nature and though it’s been hard this week, I know I’m making progress. Finally, in the words of William O’Brien –

Some say risk nothing, try only for the sure thing,
Others say nothing gambled nothing gained,
Go all out for your dream.
Life can be lived either way, but for me,
I’d rather try and fail, than never try at all, you see.

The sun is shining, it’s a beautiful day, I’ve bared my soul here and now feel ready to get out there and get it done. Enjoy this day and set yourself back on the path to meet your goal, whatever it may be.

Please take a moment to leave a comment. I’d love to hear about your goals and plans to meet them.

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