1-219-765-8600

carol@inkwellcoaching.com

Crown Point, IN

Top
March 23, 2023

The Truth About Green Bell Peppers

Green bell peppers are not a favorite of mine. In fact, when I order veggie skillets, I usually request that they be omitted. I find them to be bitter

March 16, 2023

Care for an Exercise Snack?

The terminology “exercise snack” is rather intriguing. I wanted one before I knew what it was. Would it be coated with dark chocolate? Is it low i

March 9, 2023

Decrease Your Stress and Enjoy a Muffin

Let’s start with the muffin. Last week I wrote about the health benefits of eating wild blueberries. Saturday morning, I decided that I had to have

March 4, 2023

Plant-Based Wild Blueberry Muffins

Plant-Based Wild Blueberry Muffins These muffins are dairy-free, gluten-free and egg-free. The texture is different than mainstay blueberry muffins. I

March 2, 2023

Tiny Berry Packs a Powerful Punch

If you’ve not yet discovered Wyman’s Wild Blueberries, now is your time. These tiny little berries are one of the healthiest (perhaps even #1) and

February 23, 2023

Debate on the Dirty Dozen

“Should I spend my money on organic fruits and vegetables?” “Is organic produce superior nutritionally?” “Does it really matter?” I hear t

February 16, 2023

Choosing a Tasty Pineapple

In the past week, a discussion came up about pineapple. How do you choose a tasty one? Well, for those inquiring minds, here you go.  How to choose a

February 8, 2023

Happy Birth Month

You’re probably thinking that I just celebrated my birth month. And I did. One year ago. Already. How quickly the years go by.  I recently read No

February 2, 2023

Colorful Cauliflower and Fresher Berries

Interesting what shows up in conversation when a bunch of friends gather. Most recently, this is what happened. “So, have you ever wondered how caul

January 25, 2023

5 Ways to Stop Playing the Comparison Game

We all do it. As human beings, it’s part of our nature. We compare for points of reference. But we don’t have to play the game anymore. If you fin

My Friend Julia

In honor of my late friend Julia Child’s Birth Month, I’ve decided to share some interesting facts with you about her life.

I did not know Julia Child personally, although I wish I did. I’ve been reading about her, own several of her books, and still enjoy watching her cook, thanks to reruns.   

Julia was born on August 15, 1912. She was the eldest of three and lived in Pasadena, California. She graduated Smith College in 1934, with a degree in History.

During WWII, Julia joined the Office of Strategic Services (the OSS), and became a research assistant in the Secret Intelligence division. In other words, she was a spy. She was responsible for handling high volumes of top-secret documents.

Here’s the part I think some of you will REALLY find interesting. Julia was not always a great cook! She grew up in a home with a cook, so she didn’t have a clue about cooking until she met her would-be husband Paul, who grew up in a family that was very interested in food.

We learn to cook (or not) because there was someone in the kitchen to teach us. For Julia, that someone was a recipe book.

She was often frustrated because sometimes she would follow a recipe to the letter, and it would turn out great. Another time, it would be a disaster. Can you relate?

I hear from many people that planning, cooking, time, are a few of the challenges that contribute to less than stellar health. They simply don’t know how to begin the process, so nothing changes.

Julia learned proper cooking techniques when she attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Even with that, she still suffered from occasional disasters in the kitchen.

Fortunately, her husband Paul was a patient man who loved her beyond her messed up recipes.

As she worked on her first cookbook, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” which took 7 years to complete, she tried to write the recipes so that any new American bride could cook a French meal successfully—each and every time.

Seven years of what Julia referred to as “practice and passion.”

Practice and passion. Pratique et passion.

Life is a practice.

We’d best be passionate about living it.

Cooking a French dish may not be something you’re passionate about, however I encourage you to consider what you ARE passionate about, and then keep practicing.

If you’re not sure how to begin planning, cooking, finding time to take care of YOU, I’m here to help. We will come up with a plan so that you know what to do first!

Practice and passion. Pratique et passion.

And if you are not a particularly good cook and would like to be, consider yourself in good company with Julia. It’s never too late to learn—and practice.

 “This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”—Julia Child, My Life in France”

As the Fog Clears

I’ve been in some pretty thick fog in the past. Sometimes over land, sometimes over water, and sometimes, in my brain.

If you’ve ever found yourself in any of the above, it can be somewhat frightful.

In each situation, all I needed was for someone to take my hand and help me find a clearing.

When brain fog hits, I find it tough to focus on one task for very long. I lose sight of my priorities.

My Spotify station is often on the genre of music known as “Focus.” Sometimes I need more. 

Sometimes I need an expert to help me find a clearing.

My coach helps me get through the fog and find clarity.

Clarity. Is. Awesome.

The more I learn, the more I realize that we are all so unique, that there is no cookie cutter way to find clarity, our ideal weight, or our best life.

What works for your best friend may make you crazy—or foggier.

To my point, there are numerous ways to get from Chicago to New York City. The route you choose depends on your specific goals, vehicle and time frame.

Oh, and weather. You may hit patches of fog. Scary.

If you are experiencing fog around getting clarity with your food, health, fitness, and making it happen in YOUR life, I can help.

I take your hand, listen, and lead you to a clearing, in the way that serves you best.

The week of August 6, I’ve set aside some appointment times to listen to your struggles around the fog that is keeping you from reaching your destination.

Click Here for my calendar to book a call with me. I look forward to hearing from you!

As for this week, I’m kicking off my shoes, reading some books (most likely about food), and keeping a close eye on Mr. Non-Compliant. If you don’t hear anything from me in your Inbox next week, you’ll know I got caught up enjoying summer.

“When the fog clears, clarity will follow.”–Trav Bulb

Tomatoes, Lilies and Being Gratefully Silent

My garden is producing tomatoes–red, ripe, beautiful tomatoes. I picked a large tomato and a handful of cherry tomatoes yesterday.

My assorted lilies are blooming abundantly. They are so delicate and detailed; it’s hard to imagine that they burst forth from little brown bulbs—at exactly the right time.

Each bloom of my lilies lasts only one day. One. Glorious. Day. If all you had was one glorious day, how would you spend it?     

When I ponder the length of the gardening season or the lifespan of a lily in bloom, I am reminded of the brevity of each day.

I am grateful for this moment.

The topic of meditation and enjoying some silent space has come up in conversation numerous times this week.

I have an App on my phone that reminds me to give my sympathetic nervous system a break and breathe for 10 minutes. Or, the 1% (10 minutes) of my day I spend sitting quietly uplifts the other 99%.

There is a strong connection between our bodies and our minds. When our minds are going crazy, our bodies follow along.

The state of the mind has a direct impact on health. And the way we care for our bodies has a direct impact on our minds. Imagine!

Today, find some silent space in which to feel gratitude. Slow your mind and your body for a few brief moments.

If it feels uncomfortable, that’s okay. I would say that about 99% of the time, those things we do that are the most transformative are a bit uncomfortable.

Here’s some good news: unlike the tomatoes and lilies that take weeks or months to produce, the effects of some intentional quiet time has immediate benefits.

I’d love to hear how this exercise made you feel and what differences you noticed, if any.

“The quieter you become the more you are able to hear.”—Rumi

It’s the Same Story

“Now that I’m over _______________ (I usually hear the number 50), the weight just won’t come off and my body isn’t cooperating with me.”

I hear this story from clients, friends, workout buddies, acquaintances, men, women–even ME!  

It’s a common topic, right up there with the weather and how fast summer is flying.

Can you relate?

Which brings up the question, “So, how do I feel about myself and my body today?”

It’s tough. You exercise (at least some of the time), eat the best you can, skip the bread basket, and NOTHING MATTERS. I understand. The reality of aging and having less control over life than we care to think about is hard.

The process of acceptance and actually figuring out what steps to take in order to move through this challenge is a journey I’ve been on for a number of years now. We typically try to hang on to that vision of younger self, yet we have to let go. Ouch.

I’ve done my share of kicking and screaming, to no avail. It’s a practice. It’s MY practice. It’s a “practice” because there are no hard and fast rules, no time frames, no perfect way.

Fitness begins with food. Fitness begins with joy. In my recent interview with breakthrough coach Emily Rose, we touched on the importance of finding joy along the way to our fitness and health.

Where do you find your joy?
What’s keeping you from your “practice?”
What needs to shift for you to find your unique path?

Perhaps you need a new hobby or a different job. Perhaps you need to let go of the perfectionism. Perhaps you need to give yourself compassion.

Whatever it is, I’m here to help you figure out what one small (but mighty!) step you need to take to move through this. I know it may seem scary, but…

…you’ve got one amazing life, so let’s practice living it from the most joyful place possible!

 “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”J.R.R. Tolkien