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April 24, 2025

Healthy Popsicles That Make Summer Sweeter

Consider the humble popsicle. A nostalgic symbol of sticky fingers, grass-stained knees, and that sweet relief on a blazing summer day. But here’s t

admink
Food, Fun, Health
April 16, 2025

Time to Reflect, Release, Move Forward

Whether you celebrate Easter, Passover, or simply welcome the longer, brighter days of spring, this time of year invites reflection. It’s a season o

admink
Family, Food, Health, Personal Development
April 10, 2025

How to Stop “Night Worrying”

Ever find yourself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling while your mind races through tomorrow’s to-do list, replaying conversations, or wondering i

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Health
April 2, 2025

Four Cheers for Angelos and a Birthday Recipe to Reel You In

If you’ve been following my blog for several years, you may recall my weekly posts that were written comparing the size of my friend’s baby in ute

admink
Family, Food, Fun, Health
March 27, 2025

Springtime Tips for Home and Health

Spring is here, bringing longer days, warmer sunshine, and the perfect opportunity to refresh our spaces and our diets. Just as nature renews itself,

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Food, Health
March 20, 2025

Spring into Spring

The spring (vernal) equinox happens on Thursday, March 20 at 5:01 A.M. EDT, marking the moment when the sun crosses directly over the Earth’s eq

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Food, Health
March 12, 2025

Natural Ways to Tackle Seasonal Allergies

Seasonal allergies occur when your immune system mistakenly identifies harmless substances—like pollen from trees, grasses, or weeds—as dangerous

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Food, Health
March 6, 2025

Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the Kitchen MVP

When it comes to cooking oils, not all are created equal. While seed and vegetable oils like soybean, corn, safflower, and canola are common in proces

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Food, Health
February 27, 2025

Are You Stuck in the “I’ll Start Tomorrow” Loop?

Ever told yourself, “That’s it! Tomorrow, I’m eating healthy!” And then tomorrow shows up, and you think, “Eh, maybe next week.” Guess wha

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Food, Health, Personal Development
February 20, 2025

Simplifying Dinner with HelloFresh

I recently stayed with a friend and when I offered to cook dinner, she presented me with a brown paper bag that said “HelloFresh” on the outside.

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Food, Health

Easy(er) Food Transformations with Mr. Non-Compliant

April 5, 2018
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Family, Food, Health

Some folks think that eating healthy is hard and boring. Really? Say it isn’t so.

It isn’t so.

There is an easier way. Rather than following a food plan that may include foods you don’t particularly like and meal prep that is ridiculous, try the “just a little bit better” plan.

Take breakfast for instance. This is a true story, of how Mr. Non-Compliant has made subtle changes over time.

What Mr. Non-Compliant Used to Eat for Breakfast   

  • Orange or grapefruit juice
  • Frosted Mini-Wheats (or some similar cereal) with 2% milk
  • Toast or English muffin with butter and jelly
  • A cup of coffee with a bit of cream

 What Mr. Non-Compliant Now Eats for Breakfast

  • Grapefruit or fresh strawberries or some other fresh fruit
  • Egg sandwich consisting of two eggs, slice of Co-Jack cheese, shaved ham or leftover meatloaf, on a piece of Italian toast or English muffin OR
  • A bowl of Greek yogurt with natural granola OR
  • Malt-O-Meal, toast and hard boiled egg or protein shake
  • A cup of coffee with a bit of cream

He eats a breakfast that is tasty and he enjoys. Why is it better now?

  • By eating fresh fruit instead of drinking juice, he is consuming less sugar, and getting fiber, which is more filling and satisfying
  • In every instance, there is more protein
  • Fewer preservatives and sugars by omitting cold cereal
  • Less refined carbohydrates (that tend to raise blood sugar levels)

BENEFITS: he has more energy through the morning, stays full longer, and has increased his nutrient intake.

Could he do just a little bit better?

YES. Some days, he does, when the eggs are scrambled with sautéed spinach, mushrooms and sweet peppers. Adding vegetables is always a good idea.

However, sometimes he eats a donut.

So, if your typical breakfast is a coffee-something loaded with whipped cream and sugar and some type of sweet roll, you could switch to a basic coffee with a single dose of cream and sugar. Instead of the sweet roll, how about a whole grain muffin and hard boiled egg?

Just do a little bit better. When you practice this over time, one meal at a time, it won’t seem hard and boring after all.

“Healthy eating is a way of life, so it’s important to establish routines that are simple, realistically, and ultimately livable. “–Arthur Agatston

New Life

March 29, 2018
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Food, Health, Hope, Spiritual

I love this time of year. Spring, Easter, crocuses, daffodils, buds on trees, coloring Easter eggs, and the smell in the air after an early morning rain—or 3-day rain, which sometimes happens here in the Midwest. It’s a time of new beginnings, new life.      

The egg, which is often hard-boiled then colored for Easter, represents new life, fertility and rebirth in many cultures around the world. For Christians, the Easter egg is symbolic of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As a child, I remember my grandma and her friends ornately decorating the eggs. They’d use wax to draw a design, and then color them until they were perfect! I didn’t want to crack them they were so beautiful.

These days, my hubby colors the eggs with the ever-popular PAAS Egg Decorating Kit. Our big problem each year is the same—trying to peel them so they don’t look massacred by the time we get finished.

I’ve tried all kinds of tricks to help the peels “slide right off.” What I have determined is that you cannot hard-boil fresh eggs and expect them to peel easily. So, if you’re reading this and have not yet purchased your eggs for coloring, you are in trouble. Good luck.

Eggs are a healthy food, and that includes the yolk. Most of the nutrients and vitamins are found there. One egg contains about 6 grams of protein, vitamins A, B12, D, riboflavin (B2), pantothenic acid, folate, some antioxidants, and cholesterol. Wait, what? Cholesterol? Relax; the cholesterol in the egg does not raise blood cholesterol. YAH!

As we celebrate this time of new life, what would you like to make new? If you’re ready to break up with a habit that’s weighing you down or create a new habit that will positively affect your life, there is no time like the present.

Begin today. Take that walk, eat more vegetables, do those push-ups, drink your water, skip the soda. Do, or don’t do, that ONE thing that will make you feel new. Remember, I’m right here, cheering you on!

“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”– Psalm 118:24

 

Savor the Good Stuff

March 22, 2018
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Family, Food, Health

This past weekend, my dear beloved, aka Mr. Non-Compliant, made me the most delicious Birth Month Cake. I refer to it as the Birth Year Cake, so we have agreed to disagree. Since my birthday is in February, the Birth Year concept offers much grace.

My cake was yellow with chocolate frosting, made with real, organic ingredients. Oh, and most importantly, he made it with LOVE. The best part was that my boys and some friends were in town to share it.

The point of this is that I savored every bite, including the ice cream that came along for the ride. This indulgence is one of my very favorite treats.

One of the tricks of eating in a healthy manner over the long haul, is to savor the good stuff. Every bite of that cake was a reminder for me of birthdays past when my mom or grandma made me a cake. It was as much about reliving a childhood memory as it was about the food. And, it was amazing.

How many experiences are the same for you? You make the apple pie the same way your grandma did, and the smell of it baking warms your heart. The Easter breads and nutrolls remind you of a time when no one said much about gluten.

This week, whether you are enjoying a simple cup of coffee, spinach salad, or homemade Birth Month cake, practice the art of enjoyment. Whatever you choose to eat and drink must be worthy of nourishing the only body you have.

Sometimes circumstances dictate food options that are not ideal. Do the best you can and choose to enjoy whatever it is that you’re eating. And when you are presented with the most wonderful treat that’s made with love, allow gratitude to fill your heart and savor the moment. Oh, and share.

“Cakes are healthy too, you just eat a small slice.” –Mary Berry

Tips to Stay and Get Back on Course

March 15, 2018
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Health, Hope, Personal Development

There are those times when we are consistent and persistent with a good habit, and positive results aka success, elude us. This may be the case with your health and fitness, your work, and your life.

What then? What next? Do you revert back to an old way of thinking and doing? Do you get depressed and eat an entire bag of chips or carton of ice cream?

Sometimes. Sometimes, we simply feel like giving up and wallowing in our misery. Then, suddenly, we hear that little voice that says, “Wait! Keep going. Have faith and keep moving forward.”

And so it goes—the rollercoaster of life.

If you’re feeling like eating the chips or ice cream, WAIT! Here are some tips to help you not commit dietary suicide in 15 minutes or less. In other words, here is your HOPE.   

*If you’ve been following a solid routine of exercise and eating nutritionally sound and are not seeing results on the scale, remember that time is necessary for your body to shift. Is there another way to measure the benefits of your new routine? Has energy, blood pressure, sleep quality, mood, self-esteem, attitude, ANYTHING improved? I’d bet big money that SOMETHING is better. And kudos for eating foods that are higher in nutrition and moving your body. Success in every way.   

*Look back on how you were doing with your program two, three or six months ago. What’s gotten easier? What’s a habit now, that wasn’t then? Don’t act like it’s no big deal that you used to eat two vegetables a day and now you eat three. This is progress!

*Let’s say you spent a weekend binging on food, drink and non-activity and feel downright crummy. Do the next right thing. Drink a glass of water, take a walk, eat a spinach salad (even if you have to get it from the grocery salad bar), roast a big pan of vegetables for a snack, call your friend to meet you at Zumba, schedule your workout plan for the week ahead then do ten push-ups. Do the next right thing.

*Remember this is about progression, not perfection. We all have days, even weeks, that come apart at the seams from time to time. Wallow for 5 minutes, then listen to your favorite music that lifts your mood and shifts your attitude. Change your state. Movement helps immensely!                           

*Set up a time to have a free chat with me. Sometimes all it takes is another perspective to get you headed in the right direction. Here’s the deal: you tell me the “elephant” in your life that is keeping you stuck and I’ll help you get out from under his really big foot. This is what my research and coaching session is about. My curious mind wants to know: What is your elephant?
CLICK HERE to book your chat 

 “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.” –Corrie Ten Boom

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