1-219-765-8600

carol@inkwellcoaching.com

Crown Point, IN

Top
July 24, 2024

Why Animal Protein Keeps You Fuller Longer

I was recently presented with this very good question from one of my readers: “Do different types of protein have more oomph? I noticed that when I

July 18, 2024

The Scoop on Tuna and a Light Recipe

Tuna salad makes a light yet satisfying lunch—if you like tuna. I do. It also offers several health benefits: High in protein Rich in omega-3 fatty

July 11, 2024

Celebrate Sweetness: Happy Rainier Cherry Day!

Today, July 11, is National Rainier Cherry Day. The theme for this year’s celebration is “Cherish the Cherry Bliss.” This delightful celebration

June 27, 2024

Time to Get Grounded

There are times when these lazy days of summer are anything but. I’m hearing how busy many of you are, how quickly time seems to pass, and oh my goo

June 20, 2024

Embrace the Splendor of Summer Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice! Today, June 20th at 3:50 pm CDT, we welcome the Summer Solstice. It is the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisph

June 13, 2024

Refreshing Drink Recipes to Beat the Heat

As the summer sun reaches its peak, staying hydrated is more important than ever. But who says hydration has to be boring? Here are some simple recipe

June 6, 2024

Fun and Healthy Summer Snacks

Summer is the perfect time to enjoy fresh, light, and delicious snacks that not only keep you cool but also pack a nutritional punch. Here are some fu

May 30, 2024

The Surprising Link Between Texting and Better Eating

Ever notice how you just feel a little lighter after a laugh with friends, or a heartfelt conversation with a loved one? These kinds of positive socia

May 22, 2024

Uncovering the Hidden Sweetness in Everyday Foods

(The following article was written for the December 2020 issue of Get Healthy magazine, a publication of The Northwest Indiana Times. I’m sharin

Avocado Toast

Shake up your morning and your taste buds with an order of avocado toast. I’ve seen this on some menus, and it’s a quick and easy dish to make at home.

If you have a ripe avocado, mash it, and add a dash of salt and a squirt of fresh lemon juice; spread on a piece of whole grain toast, or as I did, on a gluten free English muffin.

Your creativity can now take over. I added a fried egg, raw spinach and fresh tomato. Amazing! Other topping possibilities: crumbled goat cheese, red pepper flakes, diced green onions, fresh basil or other herbs, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.  

A recent discovery of mine that makes this recipe even easier is a single serving of avocado mash. I’ve also seen single serving sizes of guacamole–a delicious option.

When it comes to prepared avocado, I like the single servings since leftovers don’t keep well.

The good news about avocados: they are full of nutrients, contain more potassium than bananas, provide heart-healthy fat, are loaded with fiber, help you absorb nutrients from other plant foods, contain antioxidants that contribute to eye health, and help you feel—and stay—full.

Avocado toast also makes a perfect lunch or snack. As summer produce and farmer’s markets become abundant, it’s a great time to experiment with various ways of adding more vegetables into your life.

Eating well doesn’t have to be boring or tasteless. I challenge you to discover a vegetable this week that you may have overlooked in the past. If you aren’t sure what to do with it, email me and we’ll come up with some tasty ideas together.

Focus on eating real food that’s fresh and flavorful. Over time, you’ll reach your health and wellness goals without feeling deprived.

To Your Health,
Carol

“An English muffin with avocado is one of my favorite breakfasts.”—Mia Hamm

Float Your Troubles Away

There are many ways to improve your state of mind and health that have nothing to do with food. Floating is one of them.

Floating therapy is the relaxation practice of being buoyant in approximately ten inches of water and 1,000 pounds of magnesium sulfate—also known as Epsom Salts.

At Float Sixty Northwest Indiana, you have choices when it comes to your float. You may float in a float tank or a float suite.

I experienced my first float over a year ago, and thought I’d report now that I’ve had more floats.

The private float suite has a shower with all the necessary amenities: ear plugs, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, and towel. A shower is taken prior to, and after, a float. The suite is a very peaceful and quiet space.   

Upon entering the pool and closing that door, it takes a few minutes for the light to go out. I then enjoy complete quiet and darkness—for sixty glorious minutes.

Unlike my first float, when I was a bit unsettled about what to expect, I now know.

While practicing the art of relaxation and focusing on my breathing, I think about how nice it would be to fall asleep. Then I wonder if I’d wake up when I’m supposed to if I do.

I’ve considered that if I were deaf and blind, this is what it would be like, since it is completely silent and dark. (You may choose to have a small light on in the pool if you prefer.)

Maybe floating is similar to what it was like for us before we were born.

Has it been sixty minutes yet? When is that light going to pop on and end my bliss?

As I try not to think about anything, this is a sampling of the stuff I’ve not thought of. Interesting.

Other benefits from my floats:

  • Mental clarity
  • Better nighttime sleep
  • Complete relaxation
  • Decreased pain–if I had any

I always enjoy the post float room and my herbal tea. The Float Sixty tea infuser is charming and always makes me smile.

Who could benefit from floating? Everyone! The list of potential benefits is quite impressive, partly because of the magnesium salts. Magnesium helps soothe muscles, reduce inflammation and release toxins.   

As a gardener who sometimes over-gardens, this is all good stuff. And if floating doesn’t do the trick, there is always cryotherapy to eliminate any aches and pains.

Owner Gloria Morris chats with Off The Dome Radio on why floating is so beneficial to your overall health and well-being… give them a listen today! Click Here to Listen

Happy Floating,
Carol

P.S. For membership specials and more info on floating and cryotherapy, Float Sixty. When you schedule your appointment, tell them I sent you!

“To make the right choices in life, you have to get in touch with your soul. To do this, you need to experience solitude, which most people are afraid of, because in the silence you hear the truth and know the solutions.”― Deepak Chopra

 

Fitness Made Simple

When you boil it all down, getting fit is really very simple.

Here’s the secret:
Create a habit that leads you in the direction of improving your health and fitness level. Once you master it, add another one.  

Repeat. Continually.

Creating—and maintaining—your unique health and fitness program is a matter of mastering one good habit after another and stringing them together. Like popcorn.

This is also a great plan for your life.  

Simple.

So, why isn’t it working?

Some thoughts:

  • Feeling so overwhelmed, you don’t know where to begin
  • You’ve tried everything and nothing works
  • Friends and family members are not supportive, and you cave
  • There’s no time
  • You’re too busy
  • Your good intentions get waylaid by real life happening, over and over and over….
  • The weather is crummy
  • You hate to exercise
  • You hate to cook
  • And, a combination of any or all of these

In actuality, the reason you are not hitting your goals is this: YOU ARE NOT HONORING YOUR INNER AGREEMENTS.

You are not honoring your word with yourself.

Consider how you feel when you break your word with another human being. (If this has never happened, please share your secret!)

It’s not a good practice to break our word with others. It’s not a good practice to break our own inner agreements.

We all do. Perhaps you’ve never really thought much about it.

Until now.

Pay attention to the times that you give someone (even YOU) your word, and then don’t follow through.

An Exercise (relax, it’s not a physical exercise):
Write down your inner agreements and take them seriously. (Like: I am hitting the gym 3 times this week for at least 30 minutes; or, I am going to bed 30 minutes earlier most nights because I need more sleep.) When there’s a breakdown, acknowledge it, clean it up, forgive yourself, and move on.

This is not an exercise to make you feel bad. We’re doing this to get into the habit of integrity.

Honor your inner agreements as if you made them with your best friend, and see what happens.  

I’m happy to help you find clarity and create a plan to live your amazing life now. If you’re struggling with your weight, health, or keeping your inner agreements, it’s time to play the game of life as though it’s the only game that matters. Schedule your complimentary consult today.

Live amazing,
Carol

“All you need is time…and you have it…NOW.”—Neville Goddard

I Ate Raw Cookie Dough

As I was making a batch of gluten free chocolate chip cookies, I caught myself swiping my finger along the inside of the bowl.

I then proceeded to lick the raw dough from my finger. (Caution: DO NOT EAT RAW COOKIE DOUGH!)

Not long ago, I had to make a dinner selection from Five Guys on a Friday night during Lent (no meat for me). I was with a group, we had limited time, and Five Guys was it.

I did a happy dance because on the menu was a sautéed vegetable sandwich. Gluten and I are not friends, so I ordered it without the bread, along with a small order of French fries.  

Recently, I ate a bowl of ice cream after 11:00pm.

I LOVE FOOD! I’m guessing you love food too. Our lives pretty much revolve around meals, snacks, and how we choose to nourish our bodies.

In spite of what you may think, it is possible to make this food thing work to your advantage AND enjoy your life.

I’ve snitched raw cookie dough since I was about four.

The Five Guys vegetables were actually pretty good, and so were those fries.

And about that ice cream, well, it really made me happy, and it was amazing.

Feeling more confident in your body begins with eating food you love. The trick is eating–and loving–REAL, WHOLE food, and occasionally accessorizing with an amazing favorite, or whatever is available.

Starving, dieting, and feeling bad about food do not inspire you to be more confident in your body.

If you’ve got the “I’ll diet on Monday,” or the “Someday I’ll lose the weight,” mantra running in your head, what’s going to be different this time?    

Your life is happening now. I’m happy to offer you a free consult and we’ll figure it out together—accessories and all.

I’ve opened up my calendar next week, since bathing suit season is nearly upon us. Book a call with me today. CLICK HERE for my calendar

To Your Abundant Life,
Carol

“I love raw cookie dough, right out of the tube. The other thing I eat is marshmallow fluff.”—Sandra Bullock