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carol@inkwellcoaching.com

Crown Point, IN

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April 18, 2024

The #1 Nutrition Principle

“Red wine is better than white wine!” “Kale is better than spinach!” “GRAINS ARE EVIL!!” Ever feel like good nutrition is just too complic

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Food, Health, In the Garden
April 11, 2024

Angelos Update and Green Thumb Time

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

admink
Food, Fun, Health, In the Garden
April 4, 2024

Tips to Get Past the Springtime Slump

Lately, I have this great desire to take a nap every afternoon around…well, anytime between 2 and 5. What is the deal with THAT? Can you relate? One

admink
Food, Health
March 28, 2024

The Miracle of Breath and Easter

Today while I was busy breathing, doing my best to focus on my breath and not what I would blog about this week, I was flooded with a thought that sho

admink
Family, Food, Health, Spiritual
March 21, 2024

Celebrating the Spring Equinox

This year the spring equinox occurred on March 19 at 11:06 P.M. EDT. That was the astronomical beginning of the spring season in the Northern Hemisph

admink
Food, Fun, Health, Personal Development
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,

admink
Food, Health
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

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Food, Health, In the Garden
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

admink
Food, Health
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

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Family, Food, Health
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

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Health, Personal Development

No Time? Quick Meal Ideas

September 19, 2019
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Food, Health

No time. Can you relate? I’ve been feeling the crunch of more scheduled evening events—and I no longer have kids going back to school!

As I sat looking at what happened to my calendar in the last week, I realized that many of my extracurricular activities were on summer sabbatical. They are all back with a vengeance.

EVERYTHING started up at the same time.  

The Challenge: My brain is still stuck in summer mode. Workouts feel hard, I can’t deal with buying more than 15 items from the grocery at a time, and I can barely find the cherry tomatoes in my garden because of the weeds.

Then there’s the little detail of making dinner really fast, so that I can be at my evening functions. Can you believe Mr. Non-Compliant gets hungry and wants more than M&M’s?

He does.

I thought it might be helpful for you to have some REALLY QUICK meal ideas, in case you’re finding yourself in a similar end-of-summer situation.

Here are my last four days of dinner menus, and all took less than 30 minutes to prepare: (Please don’t judge.)

Sunday: Hamburgers, angel hair pasta (for Mr. NC), tossed salad

Monday: Sautéed scallops, sautéed zucchini and onions, brown rice  

Tuesday: Beyond Meat Hot (not really) Italian Sausage sliced and sautéed with broccoli florets, orange bell pepper, and canned mushrooms, leftover brown rice for me and leftover pasta for Mr. NC

Wednesday: Rotisserie chicken (from the grocery) and tossed salad, which neither of us were home to eat—oh well

 

Quick Tips

  • I cook a surplus of pasta and brown (or white) rice so that they are ready to reheat as an accompaniment to the protein of choice. This saves time AND dirty pans, especially since I don’t eat gluten-filled pasta and Mr. NC is not so fond of brown rice. I love my Instant Pot for cooking rice.
  • Keep ground beef/turkey/pork, chicken, sausage—any of your favorite proteins—in the freezer so you don’t have to run to the store. Add a few vegetables (which could also be frozen) and you have a stir-fry. Really easy when you have your rice already cooked.
  • A tossed green or spinach salad goes well with everything and gives you another serving or more of vegetables.
  • Fresh fruit is a good choice for dessert if you don’t have to dash out the door as soon as you set down your fork.

We really DO have time to do the things that matter most, once we get our mindset right. If you’re struggling, I’d like to help. Let me hear from you! Clarity is a wonderful thing, yet it is sometimes tricky to find on our own.

Cheers to fall,
Carol

“Don’t be so easily moved by things that do not benefit the well-being of your soul. Time waits for no one, and you’re going to wish you invested more of yourself into the things that sparked your heart.”

The Biggest Nutritional Challenge

September 12, 2019
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Health

When it comes to losing weight and improving nutrition, what is the #1 challenge? Go ahead, take a guess.

If your answer is, “I don’t know what I should eat,” you’d be kicked off the game show. In fact, that challenge doesn’t even make the top 10.

The #1 nutritional challenge is (drumroll please): Emotional and stress eating.

If that was your guess, congratulations! Although, if that WAS your guess, is it because that is YOUR struggle?

You are obviously not alone. Who doesn’t have “stuff?”    

Let’s face it. Most folks know that eating a side of grilled vegetables is preferable over a side of fried onion rings. Even Mr. Non-Compliant!

Trouble happens when you are upset about (work, a relationship, the weather, etc.) and go for the entire carton of ice cream. Yep, I’ve been there…

There are lots of situations that lead us down the road of stress eating.

In most instances, what keeps people from hitting their health and weight goals has to do with behavior patterns that keep recurring. When we don’t deal with the behavior, nothing changes—long term, anyway.

It is necessary to determine what’s pushing those emotional and stress eating buttons, if you truly want to experience success.

To my point, “It’s always about more than the food.”

Today, I challenge you: If you’re stuck, what’s going to move you in the right direction?

The bad news is that there are many facets that go into the weight loss equation: meal planning, sweet tooth, eating out, cravings—to name a few.  

The good news is that it’s possible to solve these in a way that won’t make you—or your family–crazy.

If it’s time for you to get past whatever it is that’s preventing you from moving ahead with your health and life goals, let me know. Together, we’ll explore what’s working and what’s not and uncover obstacles that are keeping you from achieving your most optimal state of health and wellness.

Send me an email and we’ll set up a time for your complimentary coaching session.

NOW is the time to feel the excitement of knowing EXACTLY what to do next to create the health you truly desire.

Blessings and love,
Carol

“Now is the time to fix the next ten years.”—Jim Rohn

Mr. Non-Compliant Ate Gross Greens

September 5, 2019
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Family, Food, Health, Hope

Miracles do happen and life is full of surprises.

If your loved one is not keen on eating as healthy as you’d like, keep the faith. I offer you a story of hope.

The other day, Mr. Non-Compliant (aka my husband), and I, were having dinner. I’d ordered sea bass served on a bed of boiled greens. He ordered rack of lamb.

I carefully removed the skin and bones, and the fish literally melted in my mouth. It was amazing.

After several bites, I tried the greens. They resembled spinach–sort of—and provided a bed for the fish. (See photo)  

One bite sent me into a nasty face and a verbal “BLAGH.” This had to be the most bitter, vile, vegetable I’d ever tasted. I like cauliflower better—and most of you know where THAT vegetable rates.

I applied a liberal amount of lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then gave it one more shot. NO WAY was I going to eat anymore. I continued to enjoy the fish.

Mr. NC then decided to take a bite of the gross greens, expressing his disbelief that they could be that bad. He finished them off, making me a member of the “Clean Plater’s Club.”

As I looked at him in the most horrified way, he smiled back and replied most innocently, “What?”

I shook my head. As we left the restaurant, I wondered when the aliens would return my M&M, donut-loving husband to me.

Still waiting….

 

Mr. NC offers the rest of the story:

So the Health and Wellness Coach didn’t like her veggies. When she told me she was writing about this, I said the story could probably use balance, so here I am, back from the alien convention.

As I’m sure you know, I have a reputation for going off the rails as it relates to Coach Carol’s dietary beliefs. But as she says, “Eat it if it’s amazing.” I just believe that M&M’s and donuts are amazing!

Anyway, vegetables were always boiled when I was a kid—a bit bland. Carol however, broils or sautés them with seasoning so that they’re actually a terrific compliment to the meal. (Be sure to check out her vegetable recipes on her website.)

So I was obviously surprised when she recoiled over the vegetables being too strong – since they were served with a very mild fish that needed something with a punch!  

The one vegetable that I’ve always liked is spinach and this was very similar but stronger, and nicely seasoned too. I don’t understand what the issue was. It was a perfect compliment. But then I wouldn’t be Mr. NC if I didn’t go off the rails.

By the way, if you see me eating something that I shouldn’t, no need to tell me you won’t tell Carol. I need you to be sure to tell her. After all, I have a reputation to maintain!

Much love,
Carol and Mr. NC

“Only eat it if it’s amazing!”—Health Coach Carol

The Other 84% of Health

August 28, 2019
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Food, Health, Personal Development

In last week’s blog, I mentioned water intake, slower eating, and increased movement. Did you pick up on the fact that I never suggested WHAT to eat?

This week, I invite you to look at all the habits you are living into throughout your day. The way you live plays into how, why, where, when, and even what, you eat.

Food and fitness, the physical aspects of health, determine only 16% of your success in achieving your optimal health goals.  

Yes, you read that correctly. On the surface, dropping the pizza and getting off the couch may help you drop some pounds, lower your cholesterol, and give you more energy.

That’s a step in the right direction, if you find contentment with whatever you choose to eat and do instead.

However, if you feel as though you’re living life in food and exercise prison, you will never be able to maintain whatever it is you have achieved, for any sustainable length of time.

Which is why losing the weight and getting healthy is always about more than the food.

In order for you to reach your optimal health goals, we must also consider the other 84% of the total picture:

  • Relational: Do you feel connected to others? Do you feel as though you belong?
  • Existential: Is there meaning and purpose to your life?
  • Mental: Are you alert and focused? Do you continue to learn and challenge yourself?
  • Emotional: Do you feel a variety of emotions and express them appropriately?
  • Environmental: Do all your environments (work, home, social, etc.) support your best health and wellbeing?

All of these areas play into the total picture. This is the reason why diets are typically not effective on their own. There’s always more.

As you review your habits—food and otherwise—look for clues to help you figure out what may be keeping you stuck. And, celebrate those areas you’ve transformed that are helping you move ahead!  

If you feel as though you keep hitting a brick wall, I invite you to email me and we’ll set up a time to figure it out.

By the way, this conversation is complimentary. Together, we will identify the most powerful action you can take immediately to feel balanced and energetic.

To your best life,
Carol

“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.”—Thomas Merton

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