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carol@inkwellcoaching.com

Crown Point, IN

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March 14, 2024

10 Muscle Building Tips for Women

Most women I talk with would like to build more muscle and lose more fat. While strength or resistance training is a key component to building muscle,

March 7, 2024

A Taste of Spring

In case you’ve been missing out on some of the most delectable oranges, this is your friendly reminder that we are in the midst of SUMO season. This

February 29, 2024

10 Healthy Snacks for Busy People

My family loves snacks. I love snacks. Who doesn’t love a good snack? I believe snacking can be an important part of a healthy lifestyle. When you c

February 21, 2024

Saving Dough and a Surprise Cake from Mr. Non-Compliant

Some say it’s expensive to eat healthy. I believe it’s even more expensive, especially in the long run, to eat unhealthy. Today I present some tip

February 14, 2024

My Best Workout Tip for Top Results

Ever wonder how to get the most out of your run or walk or strength training workouts? It’s the same way you can feel the most productive about your

February 8, 2024

Celebrating the Birth Month Without FOGO

This year’s birth month is a rare one because I get to celebrate for 29 days. Those of you who get 30, or if you’re REALLY lucky, 31 days, may not

February 1, 2024

How to Stick with Exercise

Work is really busy. Or your kid is going through a “phase.” Or it’s chocolate season. Any number of obstacles, distractions, and competing dema

January 24, 2024

Find the Right Foods for You

You know what it’s like to create a pump-up playlist, right? You compile a list of songs that—when they come on—make you say: “Yes, I feel lik

January 18, 2024

Mastering a Dry or Damp January with Style

As the new year begins, many of us look for ways to reset and rejuvenate our bodies and minds. One popular approach is embarking on a ‘Dry Janua

January 11, 2024

Gluten-Free Substitutes for Healthier Baking

The world of gluten-free baking can be rather intimidating. Experimenting with various “other” flours and mixes can sometimes result in frustratin

Treat Your Taste Buds to This Simple Green Salad

As warmer days make their appearance, we tend to trade our hearty soup recipes in for light, bursting-with-flavor salads.

By increasing fruit and vegetable intake, and introducing a variety of produce, we can strengthen the immune system by diversifying the gut microbiome, or “good” bacteria. 

This salad is perfect for a light lunch or even a snack. Add grilled chicken to make it a more substantial meal. 

 Mixed Greens with Goat Cheese and Blueberries

Fill your favorite salad bowl with a mixture of greens. I used mixed spring greens, arugula, and buttercrunch. Crumble goat cheese (or your favorite soft cheese) and add a handful of blueberries to the greens. Toss first with extra virgin olive oil, then add fresh lemon juice and a bit of salt to taste. The sweet blueberries balance out the tart goat cheese and lemon juice. When sufficiently tossed, top with sunflower seeds or chopped nut of your choice.

For dessert, a honeycrisp apple. If you eat apples and don’t have the gadget in the picture, it’s time to invest in the apple corer slicer. With one quick swoop, the apple is ready to eat.

Confession: when I buy greens, I often get the organic varieties that are washed and ready to eat. They come in those recyclable plastic containers. I’m trying to bring home less plastic, however I eat more greens when it’s quick and easy. Still a work in progress here…   

Sautéed Vegetable Mix

This week I also made a side dish with some veggies that were hanging out in my vegetable bin.

It was quite a colorful combo and Mr. Non-Compliant commented on how much he liked them. Yes, you read that correctly. He is enjoying his vegetables these days.

I sautéed Vidalia onion, zucchini, red cabbage, and rainbow Swiss chard in coconut oil (avocado oil is good too, since it is stable when using high heat) until tender. Before serving, I sprinkled on some Tajín Clásico Seasoning, a unique blend of 100% natural chili peppers, lime & sea salt. You could sprinkle with your favorite seasoning, or salt and pepper.

Remember to find something “new to you” in the produce section this week. Have fun creating a simple colorful salad or side dish.

Cheers to colorful and delicious eating,
Health Coach Carol

“Food is not simply organic fuel to keep body and soul together, it is a perishable art that must be savored at the peak of perfec­tion.” – E.A. Bucchianeri

Six Tips to Make Gardening Easy and Fun

Depending on where you live, it may be time to plant a garden.

We are now frost free in Northwest Indiana. Allegedly.

We’ll see…

The rule of green thumbs around here is that it’s safe to plant after Mother’s Day. 

Grateful for the warm days of late and hoping that the sun sticks around.

Whether you have a green thumb or not, a generous area to plant a garden or only a patio, are a seasoned gardener or a rookie, here are a few tips to help inspire you and cheer you on to gardening greatness.

Tip #1

Gardening is supposed to be fun and relaxing. If any of these ideas cause you to cringe because it’s “one more thing to do,” then become good buddies with someone who always grows too many tomatoes and cucumbers. You’ll enjoy fresh produce without the stress. Or visit your local farmers market.

Tip #2

If you’re new to gardening and aren’t sure what to plant, consider growing a few herbs in containers. Fresh herbs add a delicious twist to salads, dressings, and recipes. They’re easy and attractive. Common herbs to grow: basil, parsley, rosemary, cilantro, chives, thyme, sage, mint (this one spreads and comes back every year, so it’s a good idea to only grow it in a pot).

 Tip #3

Seeds take several weeks to get off to a good start. Serious gardeners plant seeds indoors in the early spring so that they can move the plants to the soil once it’s warm. If that’s not you (it’s not me either) plant seedlings from a garden center that are already big enough to distinguish from the weeds.

Tip #4

Choose vegetables that you enjoy eating and maybe one that you are not familiar with. Last year I grew okra for the first time and was fascinated by the way the vegetable grew from a beautiful flower. Remember to get your hands in the dirt to promote a diverse gut microbiome. (We need good “bugs” in our intestinal tract.)

 Tip #5

Good container vegetables include tomatoes, peas, potatoes, zucchini and squash, lettuce and salad greens, peppers, cucumbers, radishes, arugula, eggplant. Of course, these will also do well in a garden bed. Full sun (6-8 hours of direct sunlight) is recommended for most herbs, vegetables, and fruits. 

Tip #6

Doing is better than perfect. When we lived on the farm, my dad planted a HUGE garden and to my recollection, it was always garden magazine worthy. My garden is not that way. It makes me happy and it’s “good enough.” Garden your way, whether you have an acre of vegetables planted—or one patio container with a tomato plant.

Having fresh food just outside your door is a healthy treat. Enjoy this beautiful time of year, weeds, and all.

Much love,
Health Coach Carol

 “There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.” – Janet Kilburn Phillips

What the Heck Do I Eat?

With all the conflicting information on what to eat, what not to eat, and how to eat it, this is what I know for sure.

Foods that are healthy for you may not be so healthy for your friend. Or vice versa.

The tricky part is figuring out the “best way to eat” plan for you.

I’ve spent some time studying the role our genes play in this, and it’s fascinating stuff.

It’s also rather complicated.

Add in your personal gut microbiome, current health status, taste preferences, and it gets even more interesting. (“Interesting” is code for “Are you kidding me?”)

For example, fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, yogurt, kimchi, and kombucha, are good to add to the diet for increasing diversity of the “good bugs” in our intestinal tract. 

This is true for lots of people. However, there are folks with a genetic makeup or food sensitivity that do not tolerate them.

Have you ever wondered why some people can drink one cup of coffee and be like the Energizer Bunny, and others can go to sleep after consuming a pot?

Some of this may be due to a caffeine tolerance/addiction. Conversely, some people carry a gene that indicates that they are slow caffeine metabolizers.

I bet we all have loved ones who think that they can handle lots of coffee, yet they probably don’t handle it as well as they’d like to believe. A few names come to mind here… 🙂

Nuts and seeds are good for some, not for others.

Same goes for dairy, grains, and even spinach.

An aside: Foods high in oxalate (spinach is such a food) may contribute to certain types of kidney stones in susceptible individuals. They may do well to be mindful of high oxalate foods and eat smaller amounts. The downside is that these are nutritionally dense foods, and to eliminate them completely kicks out lots of benefits.

Genes can even indicate if you would feel better eating more fat, carbs, or protein. People who thrive on a higher fat intake are probably the Keto lovers.

It’s complicated.

At any rate, as I’ve stated in previous posts, one way of eating is not right for everyone. I am even more convinced of this today. 

As I experiment on myself to figure this out, Mr. Non-Compliant has suggested that I go on the show “Naked and Afraid.”

He thinks I would at least be able to find water, and perhaps a gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free branch to gnaw on.

He’s a prize. I’m not doing it.

Instead, I’m working my way through a course to better understand how genetics add a missing puzzle piece to living our best life. (I may one day offer this as another service to help my clients.) It’s a better use of my time than hunting in the wild, getting sunburn, and driving a complete stranger crazy.

Besides, he’d go off the rails with his non-compliant eating if I were gone for 3 weeks.

Cheers to the great mysteries of life,
Health Coach Carol

“As with most preferences, health risks, and genetic traits, there are many complex, interrelated factors. There is almost never one single gene that inevitably leads to a given result.”—”Genetics: The Universe Within”

What to Do When Your Healthy Habits Go by the Wayside

It happens.

To everyone.

You do well week after week. You have a regular exercise program, a meal and snack plan that provides good energy and sleep, and the stress level feels tolerable.

Even your social scene is just right.

Then, the bottom falls out.   

A loved one gets sick, you lose your job, your gym closes, the world feels like it’s falling apart—or at least your world.

The stability you had in your life vanished due to one or more circumstances beyond your control. 

Poof.

And with the loss of stability went all your good habits. You lose focus. You lose drive. There’s no motivation around to bring you back.

Your days are suddenly filled with frequent drive-thru meals, few or no workout days, poor sleep, and more anxiety than peace.

Here’s the good news: You’re not broken.

Rather, your foundation of sleep, stress management, and recovery skills may not be strong enough to support your nutrition and fitness.

Solution: Make a list of some (5-minute) activities you could do in your week to make you feel as though you’re taking positive steps for your health.

The simpler, the better. Like, set out a glass to remind you to have a drink of water in the morning.

Or, set your sneakers by the front door to help you remember to take a 5-minute walk.

Choose one of them to get started. Do that thing. Then choose another. Build on your bright spots. Remember that this is about progression, not perfection. It’s not an all or none sport.

Allow your ACTION to drive your behavior, rather than waiting for motivation to kick in.

Here’s a Bright Spots Tracker to help you.

Celebrate every win. When we feel good about what we are accomplishing, we tend to draw more of that into our lives, despite what the world unexpectedly throws in our path. 

Need a little help? Email me and we’ll work out a plan together.

Cheers to you,
Health Coach Carol

“Right now, only THIS moment matters. Every single day, every hour, even every minute, you can wipe the slate clean and move forward.”—Krista Scott-Dixon