Laura is a Nutrition Specialist and Certified Health Coach with a Master of Science in Nutrition. Her goal is to help women reverse chronic inflammatory conditions by balancing blood sugar and reducing inflammation with a personalized Anti-Inflammatory Diet + Lifestyle.
When it comes to bulk recipes that are easy to grab-and-go, you can’t get much more balanced than these Green Smoothie Protein Muffins!
Not only do these powerhouse muffins have spinach in them (hence, the green color), but they’re also packed with fiber and a boost of protein to make these perfectly balanced.
3/4cup whole milk (organic, or non-dairy unsweetened milk of choice))
2 eggs
2cupsoats (rolled or steel-cut or old-fashioned)
1 TBSP baking powder
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350ºF (177ºC) and line a muffin tin with liners. Brush the liners with coconut oil or use silicone cups to prevent the muffins from sticking.
In your blender, combine the baby spinach, bananas, protein powder, dates, and milk. Blend until smooth, then add the eggs, oats, and baking powder. Blend again until a batter is formed.
Scoop the muffin batter into the cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean.
Let cool and enjoy!
Notes
Recommended Protein Powder
This recipe was developed and tested with a plant-based protein powder. If using a different type of protein powder, results may vary.
Leftovers
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 days, or freeze for two months or more.
Add-Ins
After blending, stir in chocolate chips, fresh berries, walnuts, or anything else you like to add to banana muffins!
Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook onion until clear, then add the garlic and cook about 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, lentils, rice, tomato paste, paprika, red pepper flakes, and mint. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils and rice are cooked through (this will take approximately 30 minutes).
Pour entire pot into a high-powered blender and pulse into a puree.
Pour soup back into pot and simmer, adding salt and pepper to taste, until time to serve.
10 Reasons Why HIIT Workouts for Women are the Time Saving Answer for Busy Moms That Don’t Have Time to Work Out
HIIT workouts for women are one of those Godsends that happened when I thought getting fit with small kids totally impossible. As busy moms like us tend to have more and more responsibility loaded onto our shoulders, fitness tends to get moved to the back burner. I know it is for me. Even though I know I’ll feel awesome when I do strength training, walk a few miles, or do my secret weapon workouts: HIIT workouts.
But honestly–the amount of time needed for a single hiit workout at home or at the gym inevitably will get clouded with questions about what else I could be spending that time doing. Is it that way for you, too?
I’ll preach this till the day I die to other moms, but in all heart-to-heart honesty💕: Your home and family cannot run well if YOU aren’t running well. Movement and fitness has GOT to be a mandatory part of your self care! It’s just as important as incorporating relaxation into your days, as well as being KEY to reducing stress and anxiety, not to mention a huge catalyst in getting better sleep.
Which is why I’m so incredibly thankful I discovered HIIT workouts. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. And if the term ‘high intensity’ scares you right off the bat–STOP! Please don’t let it! It’s actually a very effective (and super efficient) way to work out, and HIIT workouts for beginners are aplenty online (but really aren’t difficult to make on your own.)
My philosophy is to find the magic middle where we merge healthy + efficient to make healthy habits doable on the daily. And HIIT is a perfect example of that magic happening! ✨
The way that HIIT workouts work–simplified–is that you have a set number of exercises, and you go all out for about 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds, then move onto the next exercise all out for 20 seconds, and so on, until you finish all exercises. (BTW, a similar type of workout called Tabata is as effective since it uses the same high intensity interval method.) So basically you can work in cardio and strength at the same time.
When I have a serious lack of time I do the simplest exercise routine of HIIT exercises that I have. It’s printed out, and it’s 4 really simple exercises that get a workout in so that I can de-stress and rest easy.
The exercises consist of:
20 seconds-jumping jacks
10 seconds-REST
20 seconds-mountain climbers
10 seconds-REST
20 seconds-high knees
10 seconds-REST
20 seconds-burpees
Easy, right??!
So, I have asthma and long-winded cardio has never been a good option for me. Especially during my most allergenic periods, since my asthma is triggered by allergies.
Which is why I’m such a big supporter of easy HIIT workouts, and why HIIT for beginners can be so simple and hopefully prove the benefits in only that short amount of work. The shortest one can take ONLY 8 MINUTES!! (And if I’m sick or it’s that time of month, I may get away with only one cycle for only 4 minutes.) Honest to goodness, if you can’t fit an 8-minute workout it, we got problems. Cause the best HIIT workout is the one you actually do.
So here are the benefits of doing these quick HIIT workouts for women:
1-HIIT workouts are excellent for heart health
First of all, this includes lowering blood pressure. See, when you do things that make your heart rate elevated, the blood flow initiates the cells lining your blood vessels to release a compound that dilates the blood vessels. This is like your body’s own natural medicine working for it! Pretty cool, huh? When those blood vessels are more dilated, your blood pressure goes down. That’s why any good doc’s first recommendation for lowering blood pressure should be exercise! (IMO)
2-HIIT workouts allow you to choose your own workouts
Honestly, you can choose any exercise you want for each component. If you’re focusing on cardio, do something bouncy like burpees or jumping jacks. Want to focus on strength for legs and butt? Do walking lunges. Need more core work? Do planks. The possibilities are endless. Also, all you have to do to get ideas is go onto Pinterest and type in ‘HIIT workouts core’ or whatever you’re looking for specifically, even ‘HIIT for beginners’. A million people have already made this easy for you. 😉
3-HIIT workouts allow you to choose your own time allotment
Even the most Type-A’s of us sometimes let our fitness goals fall to the wayside when we’ve got super limited time. When that happens, do 3 rounds with 4 exercises. 8 minutes–bam! Got a bit more time? Add in another exercise, or opt for doing 4 rounds. The options for time restraints are limitless. Which–again–is why I absolutely love HIIT workouts for women.
4-HIIT workouts can be done with or without any kind of equipment, so essentially you can do your HIIT workout at home
Yep–isometrics are totally fine with every exercise you do in your HIIT workout. But if you wanna add in something like a kettlebell (which is what I do when I’m working on legs and butt), you can absolutely do that, too!
And–get this–there are HIIT treadmill workouts, too! So if you’d rather do this on a treadmill, tread-climber, whatever–it’s totally doable. And this is sometimes the ONLY option if you have a joint injury or condition where burpees and the like aren’t possible. (Or, ya know, just had a baby.)
5-HIIT workouts can be done literally anywhere!
Going on vacay? Or a work trip? HIIT workouts can be done right in your hotel room. And if you’re doing one of the treadmill workouts, nearly every hotel chain has a fitness room. Take advantage of it!
6-HIIT Workouts burn calories and fat in a short period of time (this one is my absolute fave!)
Studies have shown HIIT to burn the same amount of calories in just a 15-minute session than would happen in an hour session of jogging on the treadmill! That’s pretty incredible! And a giant bonus for us moms that have limited time!
7-HIIT Workouts boost your metabolism
HIIT keeps that metabolism going way after you’ve quit working out. Yeah, you heard that right! The research also says it can keep burning calories 1 1/2 hours up to 24 hours after your workout. As a result, that’s gonna help you burn calories, so if you’re trying to lose some fat, this is an excellent type of workout to consider.
8-HIIT Workouts help build endurance
What this means is that if you ever do any other types of exercises, even, say, riding a bike, that doing HIIT workouts will help you be able to ride for longer on that bike. As a result, the increase in endurance on your system will translate to other physical demands you have.
9-HIIT Workouts allow you to be creative and sort of ‘multi-task your fitness’.
Need to get in some play/exercise time with your dog? Go in the back yard with a dog toy and do sprints around while he chases you to get the toy. Rest for about 10 seconds, then do the same again. My lab particularly loves to chase her soccer ball, and WANTS me to kick it around and chase her when she has it.
Wanna spend more time with your kids while they get energy out? Chase them on their bikes for 20-second sprints. Kick a ball back and forth with them. Also, the younger they are, the worse their aim–you’ll have to chase it down every time! Jump on the trampoline with them. Play freeze-tag!
These examples, and any you come up with, should be based on spurts of all out work balanced with small periods of rest.
10-HIIT Workouts Reverse Signs of Aging
Whuuuuuuttt??!! YES!! HIIT workouts for women have been shown to reverse signs of aging better than any other type of workout! This is also especially important when you cross the age-40 threshold, and having that cellular performance already in place when you do turn 40 is even better. Seriously, busy Mama, that expensive wrinkle cream can only do so much. 😉
Ready to try out a HIIT workout? Maybe you already do an awesome one? Let me know in the comments!
Know someone that could use help with a super time efficient and effective workout option like HIIT? Please SHARE this post!
Tips and checklist for how to talk to your husband (or wife) to ease the stress and replace resentment of the female mental load women inevitably take on in your household.
One of the most frustrating arguments I can have with my husband revolves around this topic. Not because I feel it’s taboo, or because I believe the whole ‘women’s chores’ BS (I grew up in the South where unbelievably demeaning attitudes involving gender inequality in household work, among other things, still exist heavily.) I think it’s because I could never quite put my finger on what “it” was for a long time.
One of our biggest blowups involved going to a kids birthday party one Saturday. I am always expected to be the one who knows the day and time, has bought the gift, gift bag, and card, and then prepped everyone for the party, in addition to picking outfits, making the kids get dressed, and then doing hair for 4 females in the house. That doesn’t count me getting myself ready either. And one day I’d had enough.
My husband, after lounging on the bed watching TV during the whole ordeal of us getting ready without his help, couldn’t understand why I was fuming when he didn’t remember to grab the darn gift on his way out the door. And I lost it. (Please know that I have a short fuse, and up to this point I had exercised extreme patience with this whole situation…or maybe not patience, but holding my sh!t together, minimum.)
What is *The* mental load for women
I had to explain that this wasn’t an isolated occurrence. This kind of thing happened on a daily basis with literally any family or household thing going on. I realize I’m a SAHM, but when he honestly doesn’t even put a single thought into anything regarding the kids or family, that’s where I’d drawn my line. And I just could not, for the life of me, put my finger on what the real issue was.
He’s repeatedly said to me, ‘Tell me what to do and I’ll do it!’ So from the outside, it should look like he’s totally innocent and I’m the nastiest Momzilla that ever lived. (Or maybe Wifezilla.) But what had been festering for years finally made perfect sense when another mom with the same issue gave it a name: The Female Mental Load women take on in nearly every household.
It was the mental load.
The overbearing, heavy, unmovable mental load of moms everywhere.
The mental load women take on of having to remember everything, coordinate everything, plan everything, buy everything, assemble everything, and do everything–which smothers me with the stress of it all. It was a lack of initiative from him in any one single part of all those things. He didn’t want to have to think about anything. So he left it all to me.
I already ran the household by myself, especially since he’s gone for work so much. That means I’m already a single parent the majority of the time. So I had that plus the mental load of all of it. All to myself.
Guilt steps in…as always
For a while I felt guilty; I mean, I am the one staying home instead of working outside the home. But one day I snapped. Ya know, the birthday party day. Yes I stay home with the kids, I’m not at a job outside the home. But I thought back to when we both worked full time. And it finally dawned on me… things were the same way back then.
And I don’t think it’s an on-purpose thing for him (or any male partner.) It’s just, for one–we think differently than men. But I think a little of it is that they don’t want to have to think about anything. (It is for my husband anyway.)
And this happens in soooo many households even though we’re supposed to have evolved from this whole ‘traditional’ attitude of the woman doing everything involved with the kids and household. That whole gender inequality in household work thing. Many friends have told me they feel it’s come from how their husbands were raised. Meaning: we have to be very direct and communicate the fact that they’re not guests in the household (nor are they king of the 7 realms that sits on the iron throne.) They’re our partners. Plain and simple. A partner contributes to running and maintaining the household and children you BOTH have.
So in all this hefty load-bearing, we’ve come to use these 4 ways to work through the communication of the whole issue, to help the load get split more evenly and, hopefully, relieve some of the resentment from the mental load I’d taken on by myself for far too long.
Open a conversation about it
One of the first things I always have to remember in this is to NOT start our conversation while in attack mode. Using ‘I feel’ statements to communicate the burden you have makes a huuuuge difference. Maybe even make a list to give examples. And reiterate that he is one of two parents here, and half of a couple.
Let him know how much you feel this is on you. Maybe even talk about how this kind of thing puts you in a bad mood, stresses you out, and makes sexy time feel so-NOT-sexy. (It does for me anyhow!) Open up about your feelings and let him know that you shouldn’t have this entire load to yourself.
Then make a list of all the things you handle and anything he handles, then split it up. Be very clear that you will each be responsible for those things without the other’s help unless necessary.
The whole point is for you to not have to remind + direct when it’s time to do each thing.
Be calm and listen to both sides regarding the mental load (BOTH of you)
Lord help me this one was hard. I felt like this was so one-sided forever that the years of resentment and trying to figure out how to talk to my husband about the mental load when I couldn’t even define it created this huge storm in me that was a Cat 3 hurricane bout to level our marriage.
But through the stack of books I’ve read and therapy (yes go do this even when you don’t ‘think’ you’re having problems!) I’ve been able to learn the skill of stepping back and putting myself in his shoes for the sake of seeing the other side to be able to put my own resentment to rest. It’s hard. It’s really freaking hard. But it falls in line with the whole ‘forgive someone else for YOU not them’ mentality. This is for your sake.
The other side of the coin is that he has to be able to also be calm and step back himself (or herself) and see your side as well. That’s the whole point of this, and if you don’t have a receptive partner, you’re wasting your breath. So I won’t lie and say this will be easy. It may take extra steps to get into the correct listening mode for both of you.
Tips for collaboration
Make sure you’re planning ahead, first and foremost. It’s super simple to either set a timer, or create a system for something. For example, if his new responsibility is to do one load of laundry a day, ask him to set a timer on his phone, or ask that he throws it in while dinner is going.
Reminders are always going to be your friend (well, actually his since you already remember this stuff.) But using things like lists, sticky notes, and reminders on phones are always really helpful.
Make sure you’re dividing things up by either skill level, or what one or the other likes to do. My husband actually really likes to cook. So when he’s home–I don’t have to cook! 🎉🙌 I don’t mind doing floors, so I sweep and vacuum. (Also, we delegate stuff to the kids as well, and they have chores. If your kids are older, make sure they’re doing their parts, too–sometimes we forget how capable our kids actually are!)
Reversing roles
Don’t feel like specific tasks need to go to one or the other based on gender. My husband likes mowing the yard, but I used to do it as a teen at my dad’s house, and actually loved the peace and quiet. And what mom couldn’t use that, right? 😂 So I’m absolutely not opposed to doing the yard in lieu of him taking something I do inside.
I also got a big wakeup call on this after my brother got married and had their first kid. His wife was in the Navy, and he was a ‘military mom’ for years because she was out of the country on tour. Since her being back for months at a time, he’s never handed over the roles he started out with. He still takes the kids to school and daycare, picks them up, and does all afterschool activities. They both work full-time. It’s actually been refreshing to see him in that role–especially since we both grew up in a traditional, patriarchal community. Honestly it makes my heart smile. 😍
Learn to let go
If you have a real problem with things getting done a certain way because you’ve always done it that way… you’re gonna have to just let some things go. Trusting that it’ll get done–even if it’s not exactly how you do it–is gonna be huge in letting some stress fall away from your shoulders.
If it’s a matter of it being done properly (either by your partner or your kid), that’s a different animal. Take some time to teach how it’s done correctly, whether it’s the hubby or a kid, then move on.
The biggest takeaway here is to understand that your house doesn’t have to look like a Pottery Barn catalog all the time. People actually live in it. So if the tasks that have been handed out don’t get done the minute you think they should, you’re gonna have just step back a little. Leave the load on the other person. That’s why you handed it over in the first place, right?
How’s your female mental load, women friends? Have you had this discussion in your household? How did you go about splitting it up? (Let me know in the comments!)
By far one of the coolest things to trend in the last couple years is the love of mocktails–hence special months like Sober October and Dry January–so that we can enjoy special treats without the guilt like this sleep-inducing Lavender Lullaby Mocktail.
Don’t be intimidated by the lavender… this is just one of many new types of drinks and mixers more crafty than our Boonesfarm predecessors. 😁
The lavender in this craft lavender mocktail isn’t overwhelming; but it is known to induce calmness and help some sleep. Which makes it the perfect post-dinner treat.
**One thing I will caution: Not all lavender sodas are sugar-free, EVEN if they say ‘dry’!! Check the label to ensure you’re getting sugar-free to keep your mocktail anti-inflammatory, low-carb, and keto!
The lavender in this craft lavender mocktail isn't overwhelming but is known to induce calmness and help some sleep. Which makes it the perfect post-dinner treat.
Prep Time:5 minutes
Total Time:5 minutes
Yield:11x
Category:Drinks
Ingredients
Scale
1 bottle dry lavender soda (*Make sure it's 'diet' or 'sugar-free'!)
2–3 basil leaves (muddled)
1 TBSP lemon juice (fresh is best)
2 drops liquid stevia (or use 1–2 tsp erythritol (Swerve brand is great))
Instructions
Fill glass with ice. Fill a highball glass with ice.
Muddle basil. Place muddled basil in glass.
Pour lemon juice + sweetener. Pour in lemon juice and drops of stevia (or other sweetener).
Fill with lavender soda. Fill the glass with lavendar soda.
Garnish + enjoy! Garnish with basil if you need more fragrance. Enjoy!
What a better way to celebrate summer than to use in-season ingredients that have the bonus of giving us better sleep — like this Cucumber Cherry Lime Mocktail!
Although this craft mocktail contains cherry juice, which is essentially straight fructose, the cucumber’s fiber will help blunt the blood-sugar spike. Also, tart cherry juice has mega phyto-nutrients and antioxidants!
{If you’re diabetic or pre-diabetic, please be smart about consuming drinks with fruit juice. This is technically sugar free, but that only means ‘added sugars’. The fruit juice still contains fructose!}
An amazing way to celebrate cooler weather and earlier nighttime hours is to combine tart cherry (for its sleep-inducing properties) with a Moscow mule to make this delectable Cherry Sour Mule Mocktail.
Although this mocktail is technically sugar-free, it does have tart cherry juice in it, which is basically straight fructose. Tart cherry juice does have less sugar than other cherries, so pay attention to the type you’re buying (it will say Montmorency cherry juice).
So if you’re able to have a bit of sugar and need a boost in sleep, this Cherry Sour Mule Mocktail could be the perfect warm-weather after-dinner beverage!
If you’re searching for a way to use tart cherry to improve your sleep, look no further than this Tart Cherry Almond Mocktail! The sweet almond and tart cherry mesh together beautifully and give a delicious treat to send you off to dreamland.
So while keeping your blood sugar down is a concern for supporting better sleep (and is necessary for diabetes and inflammatory conditions), this mocktail may still be a viable option, even with the straight tart cherry juice.
Although alcohol can always be added to mocktails to make a full-on cocktail, I don’t advise doing it with this recipe. The recipe-tester (that would be me) advised that it will turn this delicious treat of a beverage into a large, full glass of cough-syrup flavor. No thank you.
Instead, enjoy this tart cherry mocktail treat alcohol-free after or during dinner to prep you for bedtime!
How Moms Can Use Forest Bathing for Stress Management + Anxiety Relief
What is Forest Bathing?
Ok, I usually don’t subscribe to the latest ‘trend’ when it comes to health, UNLESS it’s super science-backed + super cool, so when I first heard the term ‘forest bathing’, I immediately thought you sought out a lake in a forest to actually bathe. (Ew.) This, however…THIS–is so much better than a weird bath in a questionable lake with God-knows-what nipping at your body.
Forest Bathing is actually a practice (sometimes referred to as shinrin-yoku) where you immerse yourself in a forest (specifically trees) and just….be. You basically empty your mind and use your senses to be very mindful of the things around you and what you’re experiencing right then. It’s sort of like meditation, but where your eyes are open and you’re focusing on the nature that surrounds you.
“Ok-so why the heck would I bother seeking out a forest to do this, then?”, you may be asking…. and since I advocate merging healthy + efficient for doable daily healthy practices, you may also be asking how in the world forest bathing would be efficient. The long and short of it is that taking purposeful breaks during your day boosts your patience, creativity, and productivity. So that, combined with all the health benefits, is where the magic ✨of forest bathing comes from.
What are the Benefits of Forest Bathing?
The things that Forest Bathing do to your body, mind, and soul are absolutely incredible. It invokes calm and peace, sure–but it actually does all these physiological things to your body that are crazy therapeutic! Like INCREASED: parasympathetic nervous activity, positive feelings and feelings of well being, and even a boost in the immune system from the essential oils in the trees and plants that are emitted to protect themselves from germs and bugs! And don’t forget the DECREASED stuff, like: lowered cortisol levels, lowered pulse, lessened feelings of depression and negative feelings, and even stress and hostility!
Honestly, the benefits are overwhelming–and totally worth it. And–this is the best part–it’s not just for adults. Kids are totally benefited just as much–especially kids with ADHD!This study determined that as little as a 20-minute visit to a nature setting could increase attention performance in kids with attention deficits. In fact, they compared the results to being as effective as recent formulations of ADHD drugs that fall under the brand names Concerta, Daytrana, Methylin, Ritalin, and Aptensio. That’s pretty incredible!!
What is a Nature Bath?
This is just a matter of semantics, as a nature bath is relaxing in nature or a forest atmosphere, the same as a forest bath.
How do you Take a Forest Bath?
Here’s how to take a nature bath or forest bath (with or without kiddos).
Step 1: Forest Bathing Near Me
At the expense of being Captain Obvious, first thing is to actually find a forest. If you already know of one near you, great! You’re on to step 2A or 2B. If not, there are a few resources online to help you locate one. The first is Discover the Forest. This site will locate a forest within a given radius in miles, based on your zip code. It also has a few other pretty cool pages, like the Discover the Urban Forest button. It’ll take you to some cool activities you can do in the forest with kids….which we’ll get to in a minute.
The second resource is the National Forest Locator Map. This option lets you see which national forests are around you, and then has the link to visit each forest’s web page.
The third resource is to just Google: ‘National Forest Near Me’ or even try ‘forest bathing near me’. Just doing this alone pulled up 3 separate hiking trails near my home within 7 miles.
And the fourth option is to find the outdoorsiest person you know and ask them! Seriously–friends/family/coworkers that camp, hike, or trail ride will absolutely know the best and/or closest forests to you.
Step 2A: How to do Forest Bathing Alone
Just FYI, I’m not about to suggest leaving your phone at home for this one. Way too many people have gotten lost in the woods for me to think that’s a good idea. However, I am ordering you to turn the ringer off, and the vibration off. And any notifications, period. Also, I know you want to log these steps on your fitness tracker. But it’s best to actually leave that thing at home. Besides, most have apps that sync with your fitness tracker will track you via GPS anyhow. Just set that to start when you get to the forest and it should sync. Bottom line: NO ELECTRONICS.
What you SHOULD do, however, is get into a purposeful mindset about getting out into nature, in the quiet, away from everything. A cool practice I read about is finding a rock at the edge of the forest, telling it all your worries, then tossing it onto the ground. Your worries should stay with the rock. And when you come back out, pick the worries back up if you want. (Undoubtedly nobody does.)
Your only goal in the forest should be to take note of the things around you. Use your senses. What do you see? Hear? Smell? What do the leaves feel like? (Please look up what poison ivy looks like, like a responsible human being with common sense does, before you go. Coz looking it up on your phone is NOT allowed, Cheater!!)
Step 2B: How to do forest bathing WITH Kids
Obviously it’s going to be a completely different experience to forest bathe with your kids. First you should probably lay down some ground rules. Kids also need explanations for things–otherwise how do they learn?? Explain what this is for–getting in touch with nature, separating from electronics for a healthy mind break, a nice relaxation period to recharge.
Then tell them the rules: no electronics, no running, no screaming, no fighting, hands to yourself. Calm. You can touch things. But think about the things you’re seeing, the things you smell, the way those things feel in your hands. Take it all in and stop to breathe deeply with eyes closed every few minutes just to smell and hear.
Remember that there’s always the chance that the kiddos will go nuts about being in nature instead of cooped up inside in the first place. Some kids need to get all that giddiness out of their systems before they can really get into the mode of just being present.
If you feel your kiddos fall into that category, try the activity sheets from the Discover the Forest site. Print them out and let them do the activities the first few times you take them out into the forest. Then try actual forest bathing after that.
If you go out and they’re calm, but say they’re bored, even after trying a time or two, maybe let them take a book out and read, or even journal or draw. Just being in nature will give many of the benefits of forest bathing while keeping their mind going without the stimulation of electronics. Here are some journals available for books he or she has read, as well as several journals for adventures, bucket lists, and even bird watching!
And let me know how your experience was in the comments below!
Know someone who could use the health benefits of forest bathing? SHARE this post!
When it comes to a mocktail that’s fun + fruity but has the added benefit of improving sleep, this Pineapple Kiwi Mocktail is pretty much perfect!
Pineapple contains melatonin, which helps improve sleep, and kiwifruit has been shown in studies to improve sleep as well, making them a perfectly dynamic duo.
What I love about this Pineapple Kiwi Mocktail recipe is that even though we’re using fruit, which contains fructose, we’re not using straight juice. The fruit itself stays in the recipe, which keeps all the fiber. This is important for sleep to help blunt blood-sugar spikes, which can interfere with sleep.
Plus the tropical feel of this mocktail is super fun!
{This is not to say that this mocktail is a good option if you’re diabetic or pre-diabetic and having a hard time controlling your blood sugar. Know your body and go from there. ie-be smart about your mocktail options!}
1/4cup frozen pineapple chunks (or can use canned)
2–3 drops liquid stevia (to taste)
1 can lemon seltzer water (or sparkling water)
1 sprig fresh mint leaves (optional, for garnish and aroma)
Instructions
Puree fruit and stevia. Put chunks of kiwi and pineapple, and stevia drops in a high-powered blender cup. Add 1/4 cup seltzer water and pulse approx 20-30 seconds until pureed into a smoothie-like texture.
Place ice in glass. Place ice cubes in a large glass.
Pour into glass. Pour fruit mixture into glass.
Top with selzer. Top it off with seltzer water and stir.
This high-protein, high-fat breakfast bowl will keep you satisfied and focused for hours in the morning. Plus it’s a perfect post-workout muscle builder!
These little savory muffins are full of comfort, without the carbs. They’re gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, and amazing as a batch-prepped breakfast or snack!
Place the broccoli in a pot of boiling water and cook for approx. 3 minutes. Strain and cut into small pieces.
Beat the eggs in a medium-size bowl, add the minced garlic and season with salt and pepper, and chili flakes if using.
Grease a 6 muffin tray with oil or butter, and fill the muffin tin with evenly divided broccoli, ham, and grated cheese. Pour the beaten eggs into the muffin tin and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until eggs have set.
Notes
Per muffin nutrition:
6 g fat
4 g carb
10 g protein
*For vegan option, replace cheese with plant-based cheese + replace turkey with meat-free option.
This delicious high-fat take on egg salad is a perfect breakfast or lunch, and can be easily paired with whole-grain or grain-free bread for a quick toast or filling sandwich.
Boilthe eggs (put in warm water and cook 5 and a half minutes after the water hasboiled, then pour cold water in the pot and cool). Once cooled, peel and chop into cubes and put in a bowl.
Press the garlic,and addto the eggs.
Half the avocado, remove the stone and cut the flesh into cubes. Place the avocado and cilantro the bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil.
Season everything with salt and pepper, and gently mix. Garnish with more cilantro.
Serve immediately on whole-grain or grain-free bread or on its own.
Heat a dry frying pan and toast the pine nuts for 2 minutes, then set aside.
In the meantime, heat the oil in a frying pan and stirfry the spinach and tomatoes for 2 minutes on medium heat until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add in the vinegar and turmeric. Turn the heatdown so that the water no longer bubbles. Carefully break in the egg and poach for 3 minutes; repeat with the second egg.
Divide the spinach over two bowls, top with the poached egg and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. Season withsalt and pepper. Breakopen the eggs just before serving.
If you’re looking for a delicious summery treat to cool down, this tart and cool fruity ice cream with a sherbet feel is the best!
Super easy to make, no added sugars (it does have natural sugars in the berries and bananas, but comes with all the fiber goodness), and phytonutrients from these gorgeous raspberries!
*On a side-note, I know lots of readers + clients who aren’t crazy about the seeds in raspberries (myself included). If that’s the case, it’s perfectly fine to sub out the raspberries for blueberries, strawberries, or any other berry that’s frozen and does not have sugar added.
Enjoy!
Raspberry Nice Cream
A submlime and sugarfree sorbet-type ice cream for raspberry lovers!
Food Processor
Freezer safe container with lid (for storage)
2 bananas (frozen, sliced)
1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
2-3 TBSP milk of choice
2 tsp vanilla extract
Place the frozen bananas and raspberries into the food processor, add the vanilla extract and almond milk. Blend until creamy.
You may need to add one or two tablespoons of milk, to achieve a thicksmoothie like consistency.
Serve immediately (soft-serve) or transfer into a dish or plasticcontainer, cover with a lid and freeze for 2 hours.
As a busy mom, I’m sure you can relate to the dinner-time frenzy of ‘what’s for dinner?’, as well as the panic that beginners of meal planning encounter regularly. It’s seriously draining to have tiny humans to feed when you have no clue how to meal plan or where to start meal planning.
I actually advocate meal planning as one of the FIRST things to get in order in your household to help reduce stress. (Seriously–order and a plan = calm + collected).
Finding the magic ✨ middle between healthy + efficient will change everything.
But there are actually a lot of other reasons to meal plan, and here’s why you should get your ish in order and get started!
1. Benefits of meal planning
Meal planning is one of those things that people just hate doing. It usually feels like an impossible task, not knowing where to start or end. Most people are very confused about what meals they should include for staying with a particular dietary style, which meals through the week they should plan for, and how make the shopping lists.
I get it—before I started meal planning it felt completely overwhelming. Evenings were stressful, because even if we did agree on a meal, I had no idea if we had the ingredients to make it. (Forget whether or not it fit into our ‘diet’ we tried to adhere to at the time!) The frustration of not ever really knowing what was for dinner got the best of me once we had kids and our time became a gazillion times for valuable (because it was qucily becoming in more short supply).
That’s when I decided to get serious about meal planning.
And you know what? I discovered that there were several benefits to meal planning I didn’t even realize until we were into it a couople weeks.
First, our ‘diet’ we were trying to follow—we stuck to it because I took the time to search out recipes that followed it. The confidence it built in both my husband and I after eating good for two weeks was amazing! That alone helped us stay motivated to keep working out as well. We didn’t want to waste our efforts at proper eating habits.
Second, we saved money. (Serious.) When you have an actual plan, you don’t wander through the store and grab at whatever looks good. You get your stuff and get out. This also allows to intentiaonally search up recipes that cost less if you’re serious about bringing your budget down on groceries.
Third, we eliminated multiple trips to the store. Translation: time saver!! We honestly didn’t have time to make so many trips to the store in the first place, and this just put me into panic runaround mode the days I had to ‘stop real quick’. Think about how much time (and brainpower) it’s taking for you to realize you forgot something or you’re out of whatever you dreamed up for dinner on a whim, then the time to get into the store (especially if you have to take kids in with you!), the time in the store, loading the car back up, then unloading everything while unloading kids. Oh yeah—and getting everything put up. This can suck hours out of your week. Only one trip a week has saved me boatloads of time!
And last, our stress levels were exponentially less in the evenings. That may sound like an exaggeration, but I’m not kidding. There was no scrambling around, no arguments, no searching online like a madwoman for something—anything—I could make with mushrooms and ajar of relish. We had a plan, we both helped in cooking every night, and we started having some amazing conversations while spending relaxing before-dinner time with the kiddos.
So now that you’re convinced you’re definitely on the right track–
2. How do you start meal planning?
Meal planning will come down to a couple of different things.
First, are there any dietary styles you need to adhere to? If so, those are the kinds of recipes you need to search up.
Second, how many people will you be cooking for at night? Think about if you need to cook for adults and kids.
Third, do you want to take advantage of leftovers for lunches? This will determine the number of servings you cook of the dinner recipe. This is a GREAT way to also make sure you stay on track with your dietary style. As long as you cook your dinners in that style, you’re assured your lunch is the same when you’re using them as leftovers. Plus you don’t have to go searching for lunch when you’re hungry. It’s already done and ready in the fridge.
Do you need to plan for breakfasts, snacks, or more lunches? If so, you should also account for these when sitting down to meal plan.
3. How do I create a weekly meal plan?
Creating a meal plan takes a little time each week, but once you have a system set, you begin to follow it automatically and it gets easier.
The first thing you should do is print out a meal planning template (which you can get below), and find recipes. Consider all those things above when coming up with your plan.
Next, start filling in the days and slots you need a meal for with the recipes you’ve found. Think about any nights you won’t be home for kids’ practices, nights you eat out, or nights you’re planning for leftovers. Mark those out or make a note.
You’ll also want to note any nights you want to cook but it needs to be simple or a slow cooker meal that you threw in first thing in the morning to be ready by dinnertime.
Third, you’ll need to create shopping lists. This can be done by either using recipe or meal planning apps, or by simply writing a list with a meal planning template and shopping list template yourself while looking at the recipe. It’s a little time-consuming, but once you get the hang of it, it’s not difficult.
Fourth, double-check you don’t already have those ingredients (I hate when I buy something I already had 5 of !)
Last, I suggest posting your weekly meal plans somewhere anyone can find it. This is so that if your partner needs/wants to start the meal, or even has questions about it, you always have a designated place so there are no questions.
4. Meal Planning Template With Shopping List
Meal planning templates with a shopping list can be very simple, planning only for dinners, or you can find very complex meal planning templates when you need to plan for multiple meals per day. The advantage of printing these out is that you have a very clear, organized picture of your week right in front of you.
5. Schedule in Meal Planning Every Week
One of the biggest mistakes I see beginners make is not taking the time to meal plan, and not making it a priority. If you’re serious about saving time in your week and nixing the constant anxiety about what’s for dinner- schedule in a time to sit and do meal planning every single week!
6. Get organized
Every time I ask a client where their recipes are, I know what’s coming: “Oh they’re on my phone”. But the where is the bigger issue. I know how this works– we get going down the recipe rabbit hole on Pinterest, pin a thousand recipes that all look amazing, then we never see them again.
Friend! Stop doing this!! If you find something you think looks fantastic and your family will love it, do yourself a HUGE favor and get organized with your recipes so you can find them again later!! I use a recipe organization app that’s amazing at analyzing nutrition information, too. They use a ‘collections’ feature to organize recipes, and (although they will have an official ‘meal planner’ feature soon within the app), I use that ‘collections’ feature to do my meal planning. Plus they generate my shopping list and you can send it any store from there for shopping– SO EASY!!
7. Save + Reuse Favorites
This one is so easy, but always easily forgotten. When you find something that everyone likes, don’t forget to save it and reuse it. These start to fall under the category I call ‘Family Faves’. What’s so great about these is that once you’ve made it a time or two, it starts to be second nature– meaning it takes you less time and brainpower to make it. Heck-some of ours I actually know all the ingredients by heart now!
Know someone else that could use help meal planning? SHARE this post!
Lifting Weights for Women: the 7 MEGA Benefits You Didn’t Know
Somewhere along the line, Mamas have gotten so completely exhausted that we sometimes don’t believe we can even take the time to stay fit, or even get fit. Walking, home workout videos, and aerobic classes seem to take too much time. And forget about strength training! Nobody has time to do circuits in the gym while there are a million and one things to get done at home, and all those munchkins to haul around all afternoon, right?
But the thing is, lifting weights for women, or strength training, has some really huge benefits! And while you may think strength training should be at the bottom of your priorities when it comes to fitness–or even stress relief–I totally disagree.
My whole philosophy is to find the magic middle ✨ between healthy and efficient to make sure healthy habits are doable on the daily. And working in strength training, whether via lifting weights for women, or isometrics in a HIIT workout can be that happy median.
It’s super easy to fit in a HIIT routine, and-although it’s a little more difficult to track with a fitness tracker like a Fitbit, there are a ton of apps you can log for HIIT routines. MyFitnessPal can also log your strength training.
But aside from that, here are the super compelling arguments for lifting weights for women:
As soon as you give birth to your first born, you know the need for sleep like no other human on the planet. And unfortunately it doesn’t get a whole lot easier for a while. Especially when more babies are added, in addition to the normal stresses of modern life. I know SO many women that have so much on their plate that they literally can’t turn their brains off at night to sleep.
3. Strength Training and More Energy
I know this sounds sort of counter intuitive, but it’s real. Somehow, when we’re feeling fatigued, our cells are sort of in a drowsy state. But when you start to move, everything wakes up and things start percolating. And that doesn’t end when you quit working out. It helps you have more energy all day. Not to mention that you’re getting better sleep from strength training already, so it’s sort of a double whammy of awesomeness for your health.
4. Strength Training Burn More Calories
Even though per minute, cardio burns more calories–and it’s only like 2 calories–strength training still trumps it for kcal burn. The reason is that strength training induces calorie burn way after your workout as well. Plus, if you’re actually putting the correct amount of effort into it, you’re still getting some cardio while you strength train.
5. Strength Training and Stress Reduction
Stress reduction is such a HUGE part of self-care for busy Mamas. We have so much responsibility piled onto us all the time that we really have to stop and pay attention to reducing the anxieties and stress that are nearly unavoidable. Strength training also helps reduce anxiety and stress as well. Part of this also may have to do with the sleep connection, but regardless–it’s another major benefit!
6. Strength Training for Increasing Bone Muscle Density
Unless you live under a rock, you’ve read about the reduction of bone muscle density in women–especially past menopause. (Settle down–I’m not saying you’re in or even close to menopause, I’m just saying this is important in the same way your retirement account is important!) Strength training actually increases bone density because of the resistance against your muscles and bones. This is a really big deal as hormones (many of which directly affect bone density) start going haywire. Mine started in my early 30’s, I just didn’t know that’s what the problem was until later.
7. Strength Training Boosts Confidence
I don’t know about you, but I have lots of times when I feel less than…anything really. Why I love strength training is that it makes me feel strong, and the changes in my body make me more confident. Seriously. I feel better, I think I look better, and those combined make me more confident. Also I can wrestle with my husband and I’m convinced I almost win sometimes. 😉
How about you? Do you already strength train? Thinking of starting?
Let me know in the comments below!
Know someone that’s thinking of starting strength training? Please SHARE this post!
As a nutrition specialist, this is by far the most commonly asked question. And I get it– your dietary style has a lot to do with how you feel every single day.
I wasted so much time trying to lose baby weight after my second and third kid using a dietary style that didn’t support my body type and allergic condition.
It was a miserable multitude of months seeing weight go up and down while relying on daily antihistamines and asthma medication that made me feel like I was in outer space.
I felt like a failure, and I didn’t get why my allergies, hormones, and energy levels seemed to get worse even though I was eating ‘healthy’.
(In my defense, I didn’t understand food labeling or what even food intolerances can do, at the time–that came much later as I completed my formal education in nutrition.)
How do I know what diet is best for me?
So when people ask this question, the thing to know first of all is this:
Whether your goal is losing weight, maintaining weight loss, managing a condition, or looking for steady energy and emotional stability, finding YOUR perfect dietary STYLE, first and foremost, is where you should start.
This means a dietary style that supports your conditions in addition to your health goals.
*If you’re looking to lose weight, START with a dietary style that supports your body first, then calculate your daily energy needs and do things to boost your metabolism. Another option is reducing portion sizes, which inherently reduces calories or carbs (or both).
What is the number 1 healthiest diet?
Studies from the last decade or so have consistently deemed the Mediterranean diet a top global recommendation because of its lack of junk food and calorie dense foods, and focus on healthy foods that have been shown to reduce disease risk. This includes heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory conditions, among others.
Instead of it being in the shrinking lot of low fat diets, or even a low carb diet, it focuses onfiber and resistant starches (healthy carbs) in the form of lots of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and beans, legumes, and lentils, and also promotes healthy fats like olive oil, avocado oil, and even coconut oil.
It also limits red meat and unhealthy forms of saturated fats while eliminating added sugars and processed foods.
Other examples are the paleo diet and a more plant-forward dietary style. The common factor is that these are all anti-inflammatory diets, which is what TRUEWELL is all about.
How do I know what diet is best for me?
Most people want to know this as if there’s a magic answer. But there’s a lot more that goes into this question. Here’s why.
First, every single body is different. Meaning your metabolism is different. Your body type is different. Yes, your DNA is different. But also, your tastes, environmental factors, lifestyle, and habits are all so very different!
So what I aim to do is give you some guidance on where to start based on what your goals are. Then you can further research different dietary styles with the resources listed below.
And keep in mind that many people have more than one health issue that needs to be addressed with diet. When you’re looking at your issues, notice recurring dietary style recommendations. These are where you should start.
But I cannot stress enough 2 important things:
1) EATING CLEAN will do more for you right off the bat than counting anything. If you’re eating starchy or sugary junk (sugar + processed junk foods), refined carbs and flours, and processed foods, eliminate those first.
2) Finding the closest dietary style should be a goal in getting curious about healing your condition and managing inflammation with food. This will make it easier to find recipes.
3) It will probably require you TRYING a few styles to get the one that’s BEST FOR YOU. There’s almost no way around that. But there are some guidelines to which ones you SHOULD try. So let’s get started.
Start with your conditions, intolerances, or food allergies
What I like to guide clients and readers to do is figure out which goals they have based on their medical issues FIRST.
Do you need to avoid foods you’re allergic or intolerant to, pull down blood sugar levels, decrease inflammation, manage anxiety and/or depression, get your gut health back on track, get energy levels steady all day, get blood pressure under control, or something else? This is not all-inclusive, by the way–there are many, many other health issues that could be leading the way on this.
Bottom line is that starting with the Mediterranean framework (or basic anti-inflammatory dietary style), then eliminating possible foods inflammatory to YOU can be accomplished with an elimination diet. This is the best way to find the anti-inflammatory dietary style unique to YOU and your needs.
Next think about your habits
Unfortunately, some dietary styles are harder to maintain until you get the hang of it.
Some will start a dietary style only to quit because they get in the habit of listening to friends or family members giving advice or push-back.
Some get in the habit of going in hard and strong, only to lose interest in a couple of weeks.
And yet others are in the habit of trying simply to see ‘how hard’ this is gonna be before throwing in the towel.
My whole-hearted advice is to:
Go into this with the attitude that this is going to be a life-long change for you (and maybe your family), so instead of worrying about if it’ll be ‘too hard’ or ‘too boring’, look at in through the lens of you and your family’s lifelong health and well-being.
Just be prepared up front for some work on your part. The sad truth is the diet industry has purposely made this as complicated as possible. Honor yourself by being ready for some work, but seeking the truth for YOU, and being prepared to put in that work up front to make massive gains for your life.
Don’t brush off the idea of CHANGING your habits to ensure you can stick to your perfect dietary style. Of course it’s easiest to just keep your current habits and figure out how to work within them. But you wouldn’t be reading this article if you believed your current habits were keeping you healthy. So be ready to learn about modifying or eliminating habits when it comes to behavior change that will benefit your health for life.
Which type of diet is best to lose weight?
I consistently recommend starting with an anti-inflammatory lifestyle change that includes an ideal diet for yourself, then working on a weight loss program within that if you also seek weight loss.
Part of this is because once you start eating clean and reset your body from processed junk foods, refined flours, and sugar, weight tends to naturally come off. So if you’re supporting your body’s needs first it’s much easier to just adjust your macro levels within that framework to achieve even greater weight loss.
Since studies have shown that the best diet is the one you’ll stick to, I recommend following the above process to nail down a dietary style perfect for you FIRST, then working on your metabolism.
As far as what works with your body type, some people do much better on low-carb or keto styles where you severely limit carbohydrates. Others do better when limiting total calories.
This is a lot of information overall, and it can be confusing to figure out overall.
So really dig into what diets you’ve tried in the past and how you’ve FELT on each.
Think about your past attempts to lose weight
Ask yourself these questions:
Did I lose weight in a healthy, steady way?
Were the recipes and types of food easy to find, cook, and choose when out (eating out/drive-thru)?
Did I have enough energy to do my work AND exercise?
Did the diet disrupt any gut issues? Or solve any?
Were there any other noticeable changes (good or bad) regarding skin, mood, and brain fog/focus?
Why did you quit? What were the barriers that made it unsustainable for you?
Here’s a flow chart to get an overview of what this means so far:
How to Choose a Diet or Dietary Style
Once you’ve explored the options for each dietary style, see which recurring ones come up for your conditions.
And now comes the fun part: Trying different things.
Yes, this is a pain in the butt. Yes, it takes time. But this is the way to finding the *perfect* diet or dietary style for you. You wanna be in the group of people that actually lose weight because you stick to it? Then quit asking, ‘what is the best diet for me’ and actually do the work to find it!
YOUR NEXT STEPS –> Get started with the free Anti-Inflammatory Quick-Start Guide below! 👇
Discover My Unique 4-Pronged Approach to the Anti-Inflammatory Diet So You Can Get Started Immediately (Without Getting Overwhelmed or Cleaning Out Your Entire Pantry)
Why a full-scale pantry clean out is NOT the best way to start your anti-inflammatory journey, and the steps you can take instead to make sure you’re fueling your body with foods that love you back
The essential foods you MUST add into your diet if you want to nourish and heal your body naturally
My anti-inflammatory shopping list so you can quickly fill your cart with the right foods (no googling in the produce aisle or wasting hours staring at ingredient lists)
QUICK-START GUIDE! 