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carol@inkwellcoaching.com

Crown Point, IN

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April 2, 2026

Six Foods With a Reputation Problem

Some foods have terrible PR. They are not trendy. They are not glamorous. They are not showing up in beautiful little bowls on social media with chia

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Food, Fun, Health
March 26, 2026

Post-Workout Protein Without the Panic

For years, fitness culture has pushed the same message: if you do a strength workout, you had better get protein into your body within 30 minutes or y

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Food, Health
March 18, 2026

Mind the Gap, But Don’t Live There

I recently read The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy, and I think it is one of those books that can help just about anyone in j

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Health
March 4, 2026

Stop the 3PM Snack Spiral

Stop the 3PM Snack Spiral Last week we talked about why the 2 to 4 PM slump hits so many of us: a natural energy dip, lunch patterns that don’t hold

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Food, Health
February 25, 2026

Why You Want a Nap After Lunch

You know the moment. It’s mid-afternoon. You’re doing fine… and then suddenly you’re not. Your energy drops like a phone battery at 12%. Your

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Food, Health
February 19, 2026

Evening Snacking, Emotional Snacking, Snack Menu

Week 1 was the “why” behind cravings. Week 2 is the “what now.” Use a simple Snack Menu, set up your environment, and handle evening/comfort s

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Food, Health
February 12, 2026

Snack Strategy for Cravings

Quick note before we dive into cravings: I mentioned resistant starch last week, and several of you wanted more clarity. Here you go. Resistant starch

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Food, Health
February 4, 2026

5 Fun Fiber Facts and My Birthday

Fiber isn’t flashy. It doesn’t have a trendy hashtag. But it is a quiet overachiever–supporting digestion, heart health, steadier energy, an

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Food, Fun, Health
January 29, 2026

The Great Fiber Upgrade–Made Easy

Fiber doesn’t get the glamor of protein or the buzz of probiotics, but it quietly supports a long list of things we care about–steady energy,

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Food, Health
January 22, 2026

State Snack Spotlight

Quick–what’s Indiana’s official state snack? If your brain immediately went to something fried at a fair, you’re not alone. But the answer

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Food, Fun, Health

Beef Vegetable Soup (Crock-Pot)

December 15, 2015
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Main Dishes, Recipes

You will need:             frog-929341_640
32 oz. organic beef broth/stock
2 small onions, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 carrots, sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
1-14½ oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
½ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt (optional)
2 cups frozen green beans
12 oz. package frozen soup mix vegetables
1/4 cup quinoa
1 pound ground beef, browned and drained

At the end of cooking time:
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup flour (use brown rice flour or gluten-free flour blend if you avoid gluten)  

Directions:
Put all ingredients in the crock-pot, except the butter and flour. Cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours (High for 4 to 5 hours).

One hour before serving, make a roux by melting the ¼ cup butter in a small saucepan, then stirring in the ¼ cup flour, until smooth. Add this mixture to the soup and stir. Cook the soup on High until it thickens a bit.

For variety you could:
*Substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for the beef (and use chicken broth in place of beef. I have never done this, but why not?) Or, finely diced chuck roast, browned.
*Add different vegetables

Hints:
*I usually double this recipe so I have plenty of leftovers
*Brown your ground beef (or ground turkey or chicken) ahead of time and freeze so you can put this together quickly on another day.
*No time to chop vegetables? No problem. Use a couple bags of frozen soup mix or other vegetables you like. It will be tastier than any soup that comes out of a can or box.

Choose Now

November 30, 2015
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Health

An announcement was made at my gym the other day that as of January 1, 2016 thru the end of March, no one would be allowed to come late to class. The reason for this is that the classes are quite crowded for those three months and it is not safe to have people walking around lots of moving bodies. That makes sense to me. Then I wondered about the other nine months of the year. Where do those people go?

AHA moment! The New Year’s resolutions wear off and people go back to their all-too-familiar habit of being too busy to go to the gym. I will give some folks the benefit of the doubt that the weather gets nicer come April so they are more apt to walk, run or bike outdoors. What are your thoughts? Has this ever been you?

In my pharmacy practice, I was often asked to recommend a diet aid. Naturally, I began asking questions about that person’s lifestyle and usually came to the conclusion that the best diet aid was none at all. Long-lasting results come from changing habits and lifestyle. Practice, practice, practice leads to a healthier you.

I challenge you to begin now to make subtle changes that you can sustain through December into 2016. Now is the time to think differently about your health and wellness. Why spend another month being upset about the way you are taking care (or not) of yourself?

What ONE thing can you do differently to feel better today? Drink more water? Let go of the sweets? Honor your workout schedule?

I will be giving some tips on my “Inkwell Healthy Lifestyles” Facebook page. Please “Like” it so you don’t miss out on an idea that could change the way you feel and look, come January 1. Oh, and don’t be late for class.

“If you truly want to change your life, you must first be willing to change your mind.” Donald Altman

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P.S. If you’re tired of the holiday weight gain and dread November thru December year after year, let’s hop on the phone and I’ll share some ideas with you so you can thoroughly enjoy the abundance without it showing up on the scale.  Contact me today!  Now is your time!

I can’t wait to speak with you and take you from dreading this festive time of year to truly cherishing and appreciating it again.

Oatmeal Bake

October 30, 2015
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Breakfast, Recipes

Here is a breakfast dish that can be prepared the night before and baked in the morning, making it a simple weekday treat.  I cut back on the sweetener, so if it’s not quite to your liking, drizzle a bit of maple syrup over the top once it’s baked.  Serving it with berries or another fruit will add sweetness without overpowering the oats.  Alternatives are given to make this dairy and gluten-free.

Oatmeal Bake
1/3 cup melted butter or Soy Free Earth Balance
2 large eggs
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 ½ teaspoons baking powderfile711336976676
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons milk or reconstituted goat milk
3 cups gluten-free oatmeal            

Grease 1 ½ quart baking dish. Drop eggs in and whisk until well beaten.

Add maple syrup, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and whisk until there are no lumps. (This may take a minute or two, but keep whisking.)

Whisk in melted butter and milk. Stir in oatmeal and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, or until set in the middle.  (If you need to bake it immediately, that will work fine too.)

Serve warm with sliced strawberries or fruit of choice.

The Seasons Change and I Feel Icky…Why?

October 17, 2015
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Health

Summer changes to autumn. It is a beautiful time of year here in the Midwest. So, why are you so tired, you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t sleep, your nose is runny and your throat and head hurt, your indigestion has kicked up, and you just feel icky? If any of this sounds familiar, read on. If not, you are blessed and I wish you well.
Autumn BeachThe body needs stress to survive, and even thrive—to an extent. When we have too much stress in our everyday, we get sick. We may not always get indicators, but stress is cumulative. It is kind of like the straw that broke the camel’s back. One more thing and…we are done.

The beautiful change in season is simply one more stressor. It is a physical stress that cannot be avoided when you live in the Midwest. Think about it: we have had 40-something degree nights and tomorrow could be near 70. These radical swings happen often until we settle into the next season, so we pay a price. (Review some symptoms in paragraph #1.) It is tough on our endocrine system and our immune system gets kicked too. When I practiced pharmacy, the prescriptions for ulcers, anxiety and sleep increased in spring and fall.

Once we have a hard frost and temperatures stay more consistent, we will all feel better. Here are some tips to help reduce some stress so you can make it through another day:

*Breathe—deeply and often.
*Move—walk, dance, run, find a sport you enjoy.
*Drink pure spring water. Lots of it.
*Eat only when hungry, and steer clear of sugar and refined carbohydrates. In other words, eat pure food and stay away from those that come in packages.
*If it’s not delicious, don’t eat it.
*Laugh more often.
*Create boundaries.
*Stay away from negative people.
*Begin and end the day with prayer, meditation, reflection.
*Be instead of do.
*Cultivate gratitude.

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These are some suggestions (with adaptation) from Sarah Ban Breathnach’s book Simple Abundance. (A great book, by the way.) You may not get rid of your stuffy nose, but you will a happier, calmer person with a stuffy nose.

Live well,
Carol

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