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The Joys of June…and Strawberries

June 6, 2019

Along with June come some fun celebrations. Besides the new season of life celebrated by many graduates (and parents, now free of tuition payments), and newlyweds, there are a variety of other important days you may find of interest:

Donut Day, June 7 (Mr. Non-Compliant is VERY excited)
Family Fitness and Health Day, June 8 (probably to compensate for the donuts)
World Bike Naked Day, June 8 (interesting—apply plenty of sunscreen)
Flag Day, June 14 (is your flag in good condition?)
Father’s Day, June 16 (be sure to remember dad)
Summer Solstice, June 21 (plan a special dinner al fresco)
Take Your Dog to Work Day, June 21 (schedule the grooming appointment)
National Eat at a Food Truck Day, June 23 (is there a salad food truck?)
Pink Flamingo Day (lawn ornaments), June 23 (order yours today)

June is also the month that local strawberries are available here in Northwest Indiana. I checked the website of Johnson’s Strawberry Farm in Hobart, and U-pick for the strawberries begins June 15. (Probably a good idea to call first.)

When my boys were younger, we would make the annual trip to Johnson’s, ride the school bus out into the dusty fields, and pick berries until the complaining was more than I could bear.

As we picked the berries, we would often put our heads into the buckets and inhale deeply. The strawberry scent was fresh, sweet, and made this annual event deliciously memorable.

Once home, I would make jam, shortcake, and we’d eat them plain, non-stop. It was the official beginning of summer.

Fortunately, strawberries, and all berries, are extremely healthy. They are low in sugar, full of antioxidants, high in fiber, help fight inflammation, loaded with nutrients, and they’re delicious.

I often enjoy fresh berries in my Greek yogurt (Fage 5%) along with some granola, as a breakfast or snack. If you’re in the mood for chocolate, mix in some cocoa or cacao powder and a bit of honey.

Add berries to your protein smoothie, as a topping for your oatmeal, or side garnish with your eggs. Spinach salad with berries, pecans, goat cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, is a summertime favorite.

By including fresh, nutrient-rich foods in your life, like berries, you won’t miss those snacks that may not lead you to your health goals.

Cheers to June…and strawberries,
Carol

“As our lives speed up more and more, so do our children’s. We forget and thus they forget that there is nothing more important than the present moment. We forget and thus they forget to relax, to find spiritual solitude, to let go of the past, to quiet ambition, to fully enjoy the eating of a strawberry, the scent of a rose, the touch of a hand on a cheek…” ~ Michael Gurian

Avocado Toast

May 30, 2019

Food, Health

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

avocado breakfast guacamole toast

Float Your Troubles Away

May 23, 2019

Fun, Health

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

cryotherapy Epsom Salts Float Sixty Gloria Morris Off The Dome Radio relaxation

Fitness Made Simple

May 16, 2019

Health, Personal Development

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

Goddard habits inner agreements

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