Two years ago I injured my right arm and neck after working forty hours a week for several months at a computer station that was not ergonomically designed for me. The cause of the injury is embarrassing, and for two years I have felt like a pathetic 26 year old loser who whines constantly!
For some reason, I will not heal. I have seen at least six different doctors, three physical therapists, and a massage therapist. I have had seven ergonomic evaluations, and I have every piece of specialized-weird computer devices ever invented! Still, the pain is constant, nagging, and incredibly annoying.
This past summer my pain traveled to my right hip. My right hip pain was so intense that I had a hard time putting any pressure on my right foot. I literally felt like a 90 year old living in a 26 year olds body. I received an evaluation from a sports medicine specialized doctor, I had an MRI that cost me as much as a new car, I had x-rays that cost as much as a day at the spa, and I went to several follow-up visits that cost me several hundred dollars in co-payments! After all of my specialized care and advice, not one healthcare professional had an answer for my pain.
Last week, I went to talk to my primary care doctor. For some strange reason I never felt compelled to talk to her about my joint/muscle pain. I just thought that I was being a bright and responsible patient directing my healthcare concerns to specialists; after all, they are the best, right?
I explained my symptoms, and the first question she asked me was, “Have you had your vitamin D level checked?” She explained that vitamin D deficiency causes musculoskeletal pain. I had a blood test and presto, I am severely vitamin D deficient. I was actually kind of excited about the news. Replacing my vitamin D is something that I can handle! I also learned that I should take the advice I give patients, and direct my medical care to my primary care doctor- go figure!
When I went to pick up my mega dose Vitamin D prescription from the pharmacy, I talked with the pharmacist for about an hour about Vitamin D deficiency and the consequences associated. He told me that I would feel a significant elevation in my mood, mind, and concentration. He said that vitamin D not only supports the musculoskeletal system (bones, joints, and muscles), but that Vitamin D protects the heart against cardiovascular disease, improves digestion, and prevents certain types of cancer. He said that Vitamin D deficiency is associated with PMS, depression, and gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and constipation.
I hope that replacing my Vitamin D improves the pain in my arm, neck, and hip. I am excited to see if I notice an improvement in my mood, or any other positive benefits. I wanted to share my story because I had heard about the statistics related to vitamin D deficiency and Mainers, but for some reason the information never resonated with me enough to ask my doctor to check my Vitamin D.
I asked the pharmacist, and he said that everyone living in Maine should take at least a daily 1000iu supplement of Vitamin D. Ideally, he said, everyone should have their level checked because the longer your body is deprived of vitamin D, the greater the health consequences. Prescription strength Vitamin D will raise levels quickly to replenish the body. Once the vitamin D level is within an acceptable range, prescription strength is discontinued and replaced with a daily supplement.
Enjoy a happier winter in Maine, get your vitamin D checked!!!
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Better food, more cash $$
James and I finally mastered the merger between eating superfoods and maintaining our food budget. Yesterday, we spent $75 on groceries for the entire week buying nothing but super foods! Our average per person, per meal cost is about $1.78, not including snacks!
Last night, I was talking with one of my good friends, and she was questioning me about my grocery bill. She asked me, “how on earth do you spend so little on groceries?” I threw out an immediate response stating that I thought meal planning was the method that keeps our grocery bill down.
However, after I hung up the phone with her, I sat at my kitchen table and reflected for a few minutes about all of the strategies we use to buy better food and spend less money. I called her back about five minutes later and shared some other tips. I don’t know if my call back was helpful, or if she officially thinks that I am crazy!
Once I started reflecting, I thought that others might enjoy learning how we keep our food bill so low. After all, who doesn’t want extra $$ in their pocket!?
• Meal Plan- We devote at least three hours on Sundays to plan our meals. We sit down together and think about what we would like to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for the entire week. Sometimes we search online for “budget recipes” to help with this process.
• Grocery List-We create a grocery list based on our plan, and we determine the exact portion of each item we will buy. For example, we buy 10 apples and 10 oranges for the week so that we can each eat an apple and an orange every day as a snack.
• Avoid Convenience-We buy the most affordable food options at all costs. For example, we buy a huge five pound bag of regular carrots, peel the skin, and dice them ourselves into mini carrot sticks, rather than buying baby carrots.
• Shop unit price- We constantly compare the unit price of foods. We learned that the best “deal” changes from week to week.
• Bulk cooking- Generally we have about three different dinner meals each week. We cook three bulk meals and eat the same thing for at least two to three nights in a row. This saves a ton of money because we avoid buying multiple ingredients for multiple meals. We choose one lunch meal for the week, cook the meal, and divide the meal into individual Tupperware containers.
• Stick to the list- We made a pack to only buy what is on the list. If we did not plan for an item, we do not buy the item!
• Use “fillers”- We think of creative ways to stuff cheaper food into more expensive food to keep our food budget low. For example, we stuff tons of veggies in our white meat turkey burgers to save $$ on ground white meat turkey, a high price item.
• Buy Frozen- We always buy seven bags of frozen veggies every week. We eat one each night, and we find that the frozen veggies are just as good as fresh and they cost less!
• Water only- We don’t’ buy any drinks (except milk). We only drink water from the tap, and we learned that this saves us tons of $$ If we want wine, or any other alcoholic beverage, we use our personal spending money.
• Avoid eating out- We try to avoid eating out because we learned that one meal at a restaurant costs us as much as half a week’s worth of groceries! If we do eat out, we use our allotted personal spending money. Most of the time, we do not want to waste our spending money on eating out!
When we will pay more for better food:
• Sodium- We always compare the sodium content of everything we buy. If one item costs less, but has higher sodium content than a more expensive item, we will buy the more expensive item.
• Sugar- We compare labels for sugar content. If one item has a significantly higher amount of sugar than another item, we will buy the item with less sugar.
We started this shopping/food plan about one year ago. Before we implemented these little tips, we went grocery shopping mindlessly. We purchased foods that caught our attention, packaging directed our nutrition! We spent at least $130, or more on food every week, and we ate out at least twice per week. In 2009, we estimate that we saved about $3960 by following this simple plan! If you would have told me a year ago that I could eat healthier, lost weight, feel better, and have an extra $3960 I wouldn’t believe you! Today I am living proof!
Sweet Potato Minestrone- Last week, our favorite meal was this sweet potato minestrone soup! I included a link to the online recipe. We cooked the soup, as directed, and we ate this soup for dinner three nights, and James ate it for lunch one day! Pretty sweet deal, very filling, and delicious!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sweet-Potato-Minestrone/Detail.aspx
Last night, I was talking with one of my good friends, and she was questioning me about my grocery bill. She asked me, “how on earth do you spend so little on groceries?” I threw out an immediate response stating that I thought meal planning was the method that keeps our grocery bill down.
However, after I hung up the phone with her, I sat at my kitchen table and reflected for a few minutes about all of the strategies we use to buy better food and spend less money. I called her back about five minutes later and shared some other tips. I don’t know if my call back was helpful, or if she officially thinks that I am crazy!
Once I started reflecting, I thought that others might enjoy learning how we keep our food bill so low. After all, who doesn’t want extra $$ in their pocket!?
• Meal Plan- We devote at least three hours on Sundays to plan our meals. We sit down together and think about what we would like to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for the entire week. Sometimes we search online for “budget recipes” to help with this process.
• Grocery List-We create a grocery list based on our plan, and we determine the exact portion of each item we will buy. For example, we buy 10 apples and 10 oranges for the week so that we can each eat an apple and an orange every day as a snack.
• Avoid Convenience-We buy the most affordable food options at all costs. For example, we buy a huge five pound bag of regular carrots, peel the skin, and dice them ourselves into mini carrot sticks, rather than buying baby carrots.
• Shop unit price- We constantly compare the unit price of foods. We learned that the best “deal” changes from week to week.
• Bulk cooking- Generally we have about three different dinner meals each week. We cook three bulk meals and eat the same thing for at least two to three nights in a row. This saves a ton of money because we avoid buying multiple ingredients for multiple meals. We choose one lunch meal for the week, cook the meal, and divide the meal into individual Tupperware containers.
• Stick to the list- We made a pack to only buy what is on the list. If we did not plan for an item, we do not buy the item!
• Use “fillers”- We think of creative ways to stuff cheaper food into more expensive food to keep our food budget low. For example, we stuff tons of veggies in our white meat turkey burgers to save $$ on ground white meat turkey, a high price item.
• Buy Frozen- We always buy seven bags of frozen veggies every week. We eat one each night, and we find that the frozen veggies are just as good as fresh and they cost less!
• Water only- We don’t’ buy any drinks (except milk). We only drink water from the tap, and we learned that this saves us tons of $$ If we want wine, or any other alcoholic beverage, we use our personal spending money.
• Avoid eating out- We try to avoid eating out because we learned that one meal at a restaurant costs us as much as half a week’s worth of groceries! If we do eat out, we use our allotted personal spending money. Most of the time, we do not want to waste our spending money on eating out!
When we will pay more for better food:
• Sodium- We always compare the sodium content of everything we buy. If one item costs less, but has higher sodium content than a more expensive item, we will buy the more expensive item.
• Sugar- We compare labels for sugar content. If one item has a significantly higher amount of sugar than another item, we will buy the item with less sugar.
We started this shopping/food plan about one year ago. Before we implemented these little tips, we went grocery shopping mindlessly. We purchased foods that caught our attention, packaging directed our nutrition! We spent at least $130, or more on food every week, and we ate out at least twice per week. In 2009, we estimate that we saved about $3960 by following this simple plan! If you would have told me a year ago that I could eat healthier, lost weight, feel better, and have an extra $3960 I wouldn’t believe you! Today I am living proof!
Sweet Potato Minestrone- Last week, our favorite meal was this sweet potato minestrone soup! I included a link to the online recipe. We cooked the soup, as directed, and we ate this soup for dinner three nights, and James ate it for lunch one day! Pretty sweet deal, very filling, and delicious!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sweet-Potato-Minestrone/Detail.aspx
Saturday, January 23, 2010
"Friends are the family you choose"
“Friends are the family you choose,” is the quote printed on the tacky porcelain plaque that my roommates and I proudly displayed in the house we shared together throughout college. This was the perfect quote to represent our bond for one another. We did all sort of silly “pseudo family” things such as name ourselves the “106 family;” the number of the first on campus apartment we shared. When one member of our family graduated college, we modified our family name to “BAP” a merger of the remaining family members last’s names. We even adopted children into the relationship; our two beautiful sons, Bernard Diesel BAP and Vincent Malone BAP, were the perfect addition to our family.
I was truly blessed with perfect roommates throughout college. Now, don’t get me wrong here, like every family, we had our challenges. We survived many fights including a potential “break up” when one of my roommates threatened to send our children back to the humane society! We had to demonstrate forgiveness for “annoying” qualities such as stealing other member’s Cheeze-Its, clothes, and hair products. We developed acceptance for certain member’s belief that “you can never have enough marinades” even if they consume the storage capacity of the refrigerator. Finally, we had the opportunity to practice patience on a daily basis because some members could not leave the house without changing their clothes at least four times, and talking while dressing and packing for the day is not a strength many members of the family possessed.
Despite the challenges, my roommates provided me just what I needed to perform at my very best. As I grow older, I find myself reflecting on each of their qualities and recognize that they all have strengths that I lack. I realize that we survived on the strengths of other members and grew because of the weaknesses of other members; this is why and how we managed to live together for about three and half years. Not only did we not kill each other, we loved each other. My former roommates are patient, organized, detail-oriented, nurturing, loving, domestic, and motherly. I am blessed to have each of them in my life.
My love for my friends doesn’t end with my roommates. I choose friends who support my goals, dreams, aspirations, and fill my life in a positive way. I have one friend who I know I could call at any time of the day or night and she would come and do anything that I needed no matter how large. I have tested this theory on several occasions, and this particular friend passes every test. She is genuine, loving, outgoing, energetic, competitive, and driven; I am blessed to have her in my life.
I have crazy friends with outstanding senses of humor! One of my friends is a “pseudo stand-up comedian,” I cannot imagine the thoughts that process through her mind! She can crack jokes on the spot in seconds, and she keeps everyone around her laughing for hours. She is spontaneous, adventurous, earthly, and extremely liberal.
I once believed that I was off the close “friend market” because I couldn’t imagine that anyone could possibly measure up to my current friends; however, I was wrong. I recently started a new friendship with an amazing person. She is extremely bright, sophisticated, silly, cultural, compassionate, and fun to be around. She encourages me to take risks and challenges me to step outside of my comfort zone. I am grateful that she stepped into my life.
What’s my point? My point is simple; I love my friends deeply because they are the family that I chose. They challenge me to be a better person. They fill me with joy every time I am with them. They encourage me to reach for the stars and chase my dreams. They tell me when I cross the line, they yell at me when I do something stupid, and they pick me up when I am down.
My friends might have a thousand annoying qualities, but I choose to focus on the qualities that I love. It’s easy to dismantle a relationship with a friend when you focus on the things that they do wrong, the mistakes they make, the things that they do or don’t say that make you mad. However, when you choose to love you friends for who they are let yourself grow because of their gifts and strength, you are truly blessed.
I was truly blessed with perfect roommates throughout college. Now, don’t get me wrong here, like every family, we had our challenges. We survived many fights including a potential “break up” when one of my roommates threatened to send our children back to the humane society! We had to demonstrate forgiveness for “annoying” qualities such as stealing other member’s Cheeze-Its, clothes, and hair products. We developed acceptance for certain member’s belief that “you can never have enough marinades” even if they consume the storage capacity of the refrigerator. Finally, we had the opportunity to practice patience on a daily basis because some members could not leave the house without changing their clothes at least four times, and talking while dressing and packing for the day is not a strength many members of the family possessed.
Despite the challenges, my roommates provided me just what I needed to perform at my very best. As I grow older, I find myself reflecting on each of their qualities and recognize that they all have strengths that I lack. I realize that we survived on the strengths of other members and grew because of the weaknesses of other members; this is why and how we managed to live together for about three and half years. Not only did we not kill each other, we loved each other. My former roommates are patient, organized, detail-oriented, nurturing, loving, domestic, and motherly. I am blessed to have each of them in my life.
My love for my friends doesn’t end with my roommates. I choose friends who support my goals, dreams, aspirations, and fill my life in a positive way. I have one friend who I know I could call at any time of the day or night and she would come and do anything that I needed no matter how large. I have tested this theory on several occasions, and this particular friend passes every test. She is genuine, loving, outgoing, energetic, competitive, and driven; I am blessed to have her in my life.
I have crazy friends with outstanding senses of humor! One of my friends is a “pseudo stand-up comedian,” I cannot imagine the thoughts that process through her mind! She can crack jokes on the spot in seconds, and she keeps everyone around her laughing for hours. She is spontaneous, adventurous, earthly, and extremely liberal.
I once believed that I was off the close “friend market” because I couldn’t imagine that anyone could possibly measure up to my current friends; however, I was wrong. I recently started a new friendship with an amazing person. She is extremely bright, sophisticated, silly, cultural, compassionate, and fun to be around. She encourages me to take risks and challenges me to step outside of my comfort zone. I am grateful that she stepped into my life.
What’s my point? My point is simple; I love my friends deeply because they are the family that I chose. They challenge me to be a better person. They fill me with joy every time I am with them. They encourage me to reach for the stars and chase my dreams. They tell me when I cross the line, they yell at me when I do something stupid, and they pick me up when I am down.
My friends might have a thousand annoying qualities, but I choose to focus on the qualities that I love. It’s easy to dismantle a relationship with a friend when you focus on the things that they do wrong, the mistakes they make, the things that they do or don’t say that make you mad. However, when you choose to love you friends for who they are let yourself grow because of their gifts and strength, you are truly blessed.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Do you love your job?
When I graduated college four years ago I faced corporate America with zest, passion, and enthusiasm. My energy for contributing my entire being to my job was high. Four years later, I feel like I am running on a dead-end hamster wheel. Corporate America is not all that it is cracked up to be, politics plague work environments, generational conflicts barricade collaborative work teams, and passion and energy are misrepresented as threatening and therefore unwanted. All of a sudden I realized that my energy, passion, zest, and enthusiasm dried up. In only four short years, I felt defeated, beat down, and shut out. After four years of experience, I should have things figured out, right?
I began to reflect on the steps that I took from the time I graduated until now. I was attempting to determine my “mis-step” where did I go wrong? I began to believe that my decision to leave acute care nursing to fulfill my passion for wellness was the wrong decision. Trust me, multiple friends, family, colleagues, patients, and random strangers believe that I am not a “real” nurse because I do not work inside the hospital, and after a while this notion of being “less than a nurse” wears on me.
I decided to read the book, “48 Days to the work you love by David Miller.” The message in this book is plain and simple, do what you love! He reviews the ridiculous reasons why we choose our jobs or our career paths: our parents told us to, job security, pay, and family legacy to name a few. He explains how our initial reason for choosing a career can infect our job satisfaction and fulfillment if we did not choose our career based on our passions. The book provides a step by step plan to help you align your core values, strengths, and personality style to a job you love! Miller devotes several chapters to innovative and aggressive job search, interview, and follow up techniques that will secure you the job you love.
Miller’s book affirmed that I am 100% committed and passionate about wellness and helped to put my mind at ease about my decision to forgo working in acute care. Although the book did not help resolve my frustration with corporate politics, generational conflicts, and misrepresented passion and energy, I felt liberated after reading the book. I felt like my attitude to choose my career based on my strengths, interests, passions, and work-life balance was accepted. Maybe my other frustrations can be resolved by reading a different book, I will keep you posted!
Miller’s book also helped me realize how many people do not work within their passion, and I began to think about the negative ramifications that exist in our work places because people remain in jobs half heartedly. For example, if I secured employment as a basketball team manager, my lack of enthusiasm, passion, and love for the basketball would penetrate those around me. How could I help fuel my colleague’s energy and drive if I felt miserable every day? How could I challenge my colleagues and teams if I didn’t truly care about the outcome of the basketball game? How could I possibly bring my best self to a job that I didn’t feel passionate about?
I highly recommend the book “48 days to the work you love” I promise you will not regret the purchase! I added the link to my recommendation list on the right hand side of the page. Happy reading! J
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Super Foods Wrap up!
Even though we decided to forgo super foods on Friday, we collectively agree the benefits of the super food plan outweigh the challenges. After 5.5 days of eating nothing but super foods, I will share the benefits we discovered:
• We noticed that we did not feel as hungry throughout the day
• We felt more satisfied after our meals.
• We enjoyed the new recipes- with the exception of the sweat potato/pumpkin soup that I shared with you earlier in the week (We will NOT repeat that recipe!!!)
• We felt more energized and alert
Today we reflected on the new recipes we tried this week, and we crowned “super food chili” the winner, I provided the recipe at the end of the post if you are interested. We found the original recipe on www.sparkpeople.com, but James substantially improvised the original.
Since we considered our super food plan a success, and we enjoy the noticeable benefits of our experimental super food diet, we decided to continue the plan next week. Today we spent time preparing our menu and grocery list for the week, we went grocery shopping, and we prepared all of our meals for the week. The super foods diet poses a risk to our food budget. We went over the grocery budget by 15 dollars this week. We will continue to refine our portions and purchases to maintain our budget. This week’s food preparation time was significantly reduced. James and I prepared our weekly lunches and seven dinners in two hours (we prefer to cook our meals ahead of time because it saves us time during the busy week). You should give it a try sometime! We’ve tried meal prep during the week, and we find that we are irritated with each other because we are hungry, and we eat later in the evening.
I did a little taste test this afternoon, and I think that the recipes for this week will surpass last week’s in the deliciousness category!
Strout’s Super Food Chili
1 large onion (1 cup)
1 Large Red pepper (1 cup)
1 Large orange pepper (1 cup)
2 tbsp chili powder
½ tsp ground cumin
1 small jalapeño
3 ½ cups 100% low-sodium vegetable juice
1 can red kidney beans
1can black beans
1 tomato
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a 4-quart saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 4 hours.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Does your career define you?
Does your career define you?
Two years ago while talking to one of my patients I asked her what she did for work. She paused for several seconds, answered my question with humiliation and shame, stating, “I just work at Dominos.” My heart melted instantly; empathy poured from my soul and I immediately imagined a world without Dominos workers. Why did she feel ashamed to tell me where she worked? Why does our society determine a person’s worth and value based on his or her career? Furthermore, what defines a successful career? How did we get to a point where a Dominos worker feels like less of a person because she prepares pizza for hungry people?
Last weekend James and I spent some time with our good friend who happens to be in the market for a new job. We were discussing his job search and his ideal job and all of the other frustrations and joys that accompany careers and work. One of the interesting points in our conversation included his experience meeting new people while he is unemployed. He explained how when met new people he hoped that they would not ask him where he worked because he felt embarrassed to have to explain his unemployment status.
Since our conversation, I have reflected this particular piece of the conversation for the past week. It dawned on me how much we focus on people’s careers. When you meet someone new, one of the first questions you ask is, “where do you work? What do you do for work?” Based on the answer you immediately form an opinion about the person. If he or she tells you, “I am the Lawyer” you give them “important, smart, successful” label. If he or she tells you, “I work at Mardens,” you give them “unimportant, unintelligent, unsuccessful” label.
I don’t know why we jump to ask the people we meet about their careers. I am guilty as charged. The first question out of my mouth whenever I meet someone is, “where do you work?” I really have no explanation for why I choose to jump to the career question, I do not consider myself one who judges a person based on their career success, but I still choose to ask about career status believing that will give me the best information about a person’s life. Our unemployed friend is energetic, funny, outgoing, smart, caring, and spontaneous. He enjoys having fun, hanging with his friends, spending time with his family, and he is a hard worker. However, if I met him for the first time today, and choose to find out more about him by asking him, “where do you work?” and he answered, “I am unemployed.” I wouldn’t know anything about him except that he is opening the door to a new opportunity, and I would probably through in a few judgmental thoughts about his unemployment status.
Look around your workplace. How does your opinion of a person change based on his or her title within the organization. When you walk past the secretary in the morning, do you make it a point to say, “good morning?” Do you go out of your way to get to know him or her? Do you care if she notices you and thinks that you are a good person and a good worker? Now let’s switch gears to your manager, or the vice president of your company. When you walk past him or her do you make it a point to say “good morning?” Do you go out of your way to get to know him or her? Do you care if he or she notices you and thinks that you are a good person and a good worker?”
We place tremendous personal value a career, a job, or a title. Funny thing is there is so many beautiful things in live to value. I want to start valuing people for things beyond their career. My husband recently made a pledge to stop asking people about their jobs, or careers. He has a long explanation for why he believes that these types of conversations are useless and unhealthy. I plan to follow his footsteps. I want to start really learning about people by asking them questions that I would never think to ask like “what are you passionate about” “what do you like to do for fun?” “tell me about your family.” I can only imagine how my conversations will change when I shift the focus from one’s career to one’s life.
Finally, what about those who work in careers that identified as “not professional?” What are we doing to help people like my hard-working, loving mother of three, patient who works at Dominos feel valued? What would you do if people stopped working at pizza shops? What if you literally could not buy a pizza because there wasn't anyone left to work at the joints? I know this unrealistic and obviously not going to happen, but just think about that for a minute. Personally, I am incredibly grateful for people who work at Pizza joints and everyone other employee who works in the service industry! In fact, this Christmas I decided that I would extend my gratitude for the employees at Whole Foods in Portland, ME. I took some time to sit down and write them a two-page non-double spaced letter about how much I appreciate their positive energy and superior customer service. I presented them the letter as a Christmas present.
What have you done lately to tell someone you appreciate him or her? Have you had time to reflect about people you really appreciate? I find it easy to start taking simple things and people for granted, and I have started challenging myself to tell people exactly why I appreciate them and the things they do for me. I bet our world would change if we started expressing our appreciation for people on a daily basis. I would guarantee that if everyone who took the time to think about their appreciation for the Domino’s worker, and explicitly shared their appreciation with the Dominos worker, than when asked where she worked she would not respond, “I just work at Dominos.”
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Constructive Mind-Games
You have experienced trying to get what you want from someone by playing a mind game. Maybe you are irritated with your friend because she did something rude or plain annoying. Instead of approaching her and stating the facts, you play a mind game. Maybe you reciprocate her action to help her “understand how it feels,” or even worse, maybe you avoid her and terminate communication to “teach her a lesson.”
The truth is you are friends with her for a reason. Initially, something about your friend attracted you to her; she possesses something that positively benefits your life. Is a mind game the answer solving her rude or annoying actions? Probably not; however, in extreme circumstances, mind games strengthen relationships! The positive application of a mind game that I am about to describe is the answer to solving your relationship with healthy food!
My husband LOATHES yogurt; the smell disgusts him and the consistency repulses him. James is not friends with yogurt; however, yogurt’s life giving qualities including, life active cultures, complete protein, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, potassium, magnesium, and zinc helped him to realize that yogurt has something that positively benefits his life. How will he confront his repulsion for yogurt’s annoying smell and consistency? The answer is simple; he will play a mind game.
We tricked James mind into a consensual relationship with yogurt. You may ask, "how did James look past his hatred for yogurt?" This is a wonderful question, and the answer is mischievous! We played a deceitful and successful mind game with James’ brain. We learned that if we slipped yogurt into a “super food” breakfast shake, James forgot all about his repulsion for this almighty super food. The best part, James looks forward to his morning dose of yogurt, and his body appreciates the positive life-giving qualities the yogurt offers!
Mind-Game Breakfast Shake
1 cup of low-fat fat free plain yogurt
1 cup of berries- blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries mixed
1 cup of low fat or fat free soymilk
1 cup of 100% organic, not from concentrate orange juice
2 tablespoons of flax seed
1 tray of ice cubes
Mix in a blender for 2 minutes and ENJOY!
Yields= 4 16 ounce glasses of yummy-ness.
What powerful healthy foods do you avoid? Can you change your relationship with healthy food by playing a mind-game? Let your creatively soar; I challenge you to find a way to incorporate “loathsome” healthy food in your diet!
Helpful tips for buying the “right” yogurt:
1. Always buy low-fat or nonfat varieties
2. READ the label- you do not want artificial colors OR flavors- sorry chocolate pie, cream pudding, vanilla…you are OUT!
3. Check the expiration date- your body DESERVES fresh yogurt
4. Live cultures (probiotics) - TRUST ME your gut LOVES these bad boys! *L.acidophilus, S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, B. bifidus, L. casei, and L. reuteri- THE MORE THE MERRIER!
You follow these steps, and you ask, “What’s in this for me?
1. Decreased risk for cancer- THANK YOU LIVE CULTURES! J
2. Decrease allergies (eczema, milk allergy, nasal, GI)- Again, LIVE CULTURES!
3. Regulate the poop shoot- AGAIN….LIVE CULTURES
4. Decrease blood pressure & cholesterol…who knew Live cultures could do so much?
5. Decrease/reduce ulcers- probiotics help to “beat up” h.pylori a bacteria that causes ulcers and gastric cancer.
The truth is you are friends with her for a reason. Initially, something about your friend attracted you to her; she possesses something that positively benefits your life. Is a mind game the answer solving her rude or annoying actions? Probably not; however, in extreme circumstances, mind games strengthen relationships! The positive application of a mind game that I am about to describe is the answer to solving your relationship with healthy food!
My husband LOATHES yogurt; the smell disgusts him and the consistency repulses him. James is not friends with yogurt; however, yogurt’s life giving qualities including, life active cultures, complete protein, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, potassium, magnesium, and zinc helped him to realize that yogurt has something that positively benefits his life. How will he confront his repulsion for yogurt’s annoying smell and consistency? The answer is simple; he will play a mind game.
We tricked James mind into a consensual relationship with yogurt. You may ask, "how did James look past his hatred for yogurt?" This is a wonderful question, and the answer is mischievous! We played a deceitful and successful mind game with James’ brain. We learned that if we slipped yogurt into a “super food” breakfast shake, James forgot all about his repulsion for this almighty super food. The best part, James looks forward to his morning dose of yogurt, and his body appreciates the positive life-giving qualities the yogurt offers!
Mind-Game Breakfast Shake
1 cup of low-fat fat free plain yogurt
1 cup of berries- blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries mixed
1 cup of low fat or fat free soymilk
1 cup of 100% organic, not from concentrate orange juice
2 tablespoons of flax seed
1 tray of ice cubes
Mix in a blender for 2 minutes and ENJOY!
Yields= 4 16 ounce glasses of yummy-ness.
What powerful healthy foods do you avoid? Can you change your relationship with healthy food by playing a mind-game? Let your creatively soar; I challenge you to find a way to incorporate “loathsome” healthy food in your diet!
Helpful tips for buying the “right” yogurt:
1. Always buy low-fat or nonfat varieties
2. READ the label- you do not want artificial colors OR flavors- sorry chocolate pie, cream pudding, vanilla…you are OUT!
3. Check the expiration date- your body DESERVES fresh yogurt
4. Live cultures (probiotics) - TRUST ME your gut LOVES these bad boys! *L.acidophilus, S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, B. bifidus, L. casei, and L. reuteri- THE MORE THE MERRIER!
You follow these steps, and you ask, “What’s in this for me?
1. Decreased risk for cancer- THANK YOU LIVE CULTURES! J
2. Decrease allergies (eczema, milk allergy, nasal, GI)- Again, LIVE CULTURES!
3. Regulate the poop shoot- AGAIN….LIVE CULTURES
4. Decrease blood pressure & cholesterol…who knew Live cultures could do so much?
5. Decrease/reduce ulcers- probiotics help to “beat up” h.pylori a bacteria that causes ulcers and gastric cancer.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
“Fourteen Foods That Will Change your Life” this is the title of the book I recently checked out at the library (the library is a great money saving tip that James inspired from James’ Dad). My plan for knowledge I obtained by reading this book was simply interest by no means did I have any further intention with this book.
Apparently, James, even though he did not turn one page of the book felt inspired by the title. One late night last week, after an intense Bikrham yoga practice, James and I were sitting at our table eating dinner. We were both tired from our long days at work, not to mention the brutal sweaty Bikrham yoga torture that we endured for 90 minutes. James pulled his head from his dinner and said, “next week, we are eating nothing but super foods.” We love challenges, and we embraced James plan with excitement!
Here is the list of the 14 super foods: beans, blueberries, broccoli, oats, oranges, pumpkin, salmon, soy, spinach, tea (green or black), tomatoes, walnuts, and yogurt.
Challenge #1: How to create a complete 7-day menu with only 14 foods.
Solution= Creativity!! James and I worked together diligently this past Sunday to create fun menu with new recipes full of super foods!
Challenge #2: Financial implications. Our food budget rose from $100 to $150 dollars; super foods are expensive!
Solution: James bought too much food! We have enough fresh spinach to feed an army! Note to selves, next time do not buy three pounds of spinach.
Challenge #3- Preparation. Our creative menu was fun to plan; however, James spent almost an entire day cooking and prepping our meals for the week.
Solution: Next time try less complication recipes!
Our super food creativity backfired when James spent his entire day prepping foods for the week while I graded papers in our office. Before he began his prep, his enthusiasm for the “super food diet” was intense. He eagerly prepped the menu, he enthusiastically shopped for the foods, and he enjoyably placed the foods in our fridge. However, within two hours all of his happy adjectives fled from his body. When I came down to check on his food prepping progress, I was surprised to find a blasé, uninterested, and unconvinced “super food” supporter. Laid out in front of me was several “pureed” meals (I provied an visual above), and I thought to myself, “where is the baby, last I knew my womb was empty?” James spoke my thoughts, “this is going to be a loooooong week.”
Despite our dietary skepticism for the upcoming week, we did have an amazing revelation: we can make our own salad dressing in less than two minutes. Not only can we make our own salad dressing, we can make a “super food” filled salad dressing. No more sodium, sugar, fat, and empty calorie-filled salad dressings for the Strout family.
If you are interested, here is the salad dressing recipe we are using this week:
Raspberry Vinaigrette:
½-cup raspberries
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1- tablespoon unsweetened apple juice
1-teaspoon canola oil
1-teaspoon honey
Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl. Toss the dressing with the salad.
Raspberry Vinaigrette:
½-cup raspberries
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1- tablespoon unsweetened apple juice
1-teaspoon canola oil
1-teaspoon honey
Whisk the ingredients together in a small bowl. Toss the dressing with the salad.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Goodbye 2009...HELLO 2010!!
Welcome to my blog! The start of 2010 initiated personal self-reflection. I started to think about the Christmas holiday passing and my failure to send out cards to my family and friends. When I began to brainstorm some alternative to relieve my guilt, I thought about sending out a gratitude card revealing the memories, events, and people James and I appreciated most this year. As my brainstorm continued, I quickly remembered that I am living in the year 2010, and I am a proud member of generation Y; therefore, why on earth would I waste my money on postage, envelopes, paper, or cards when I could just hit one button and share my story with an entire world!? After deep thought, I decided that 2010 is the perfect year to create a blog. James and I have many exciting plans in store this year, and I honored to ask you to be a part of our exciting journey!
To put 2009 to rest for good, I will quickly share the “ah- ha” moments and best learning experiences that we uncovered this year.
James and I took our first step out of our comfort zone and moved two hours from our family to Portland, ME. James graduated after six and a half years of full-time studies with his Bachelor’s in Psychology and his Bachelor’s in Engineering; he was ready to face the ‘real world!’ The “real world” smacked James on his bottom as soon as it saw his face. Within 30 days of employment, James received notification that he would likely lose his job. Additionally, his seven student loan lenders began to knock on our door requesting their cash at a steep 6.8% variable interest (thanks to yours truly, George W.).
I will never forget the panic and fear that passed through my body during the early weeks in January 2009. A million thoughts raced through my mind, “why did we move to this city?” “is this God’s way of telling us that he didn’t want us to move away from our family?” “how will we afford our house in Bangor and our apartment in Portland?” “how will James find another job in this recession?” I felt physically and emotionally sick.
One year later, as I reflect on the seemingly devastating moment in my life, I recognize that these challenges positively changed my life forever. I quickly learned that financial security is critical. James’ Mom bought us the best gift that we have ever received, “Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey. This book has blessed our lives, and the lessons learned will continue to bless our lives forever. If you have not received the opportunity to read this book and learn about the principles Dave preaches, take some time and order the book TODAY! Total Money Make Over!
James and I read Dave’s book in two days, and we immediately turned ourselves into gazelle intense debt reducers!! I called our pesky student loan lenders to calculate a grand combined debt total= $45,000! James used his creative talents to construct a perfect “debt thermometer” that we proudly display at the entrance of our home. We began to brainstorm money saving strategies that would allow us to fill our thermometer quickly!
We started with our grocery budget. We defined a budget of $100 per week that we would devote to food. We started shopping according to portion control; how much chicken do we really need this week? How many servings of fruit will supply our nutritional requirements this week? Our grocery shopping saving proved the biggest success this year! By shopping with a plan, list, sales, and portion control, we managed to spend between $80-$100 all year; additionally, we threw away about six food items for the year and James lost 10 pounds!
We continued our spending elimination process by blocking text message from our cell phone plan (savings $30/month and $360/year). We committed to driving one car (saving thousands in payments, gas, repairs, oil). We changed our internet to a lower speed (saving ($20/mo and $240/year), and we eliminated eating out, visits to the coffee shop, and any other unplanned frivolous expenses.
We experienced multiple “setbacks” throughout the year with our house in Bangor. The furnace deceased. The electrical system from 1900 decided to join the furnace. The foundation decided that he couldn’t mentally handle the demise of his basement friends so he rolled in on himself. To make matters worse, the Bangor code enforcer decided that we hadn’t had enough financial challenges so he informed us that we needed to build a fire escape! Before the house decided to spontaneously combust on us, we had purchased a full bathroom remodel for one of the units.
However, I am proud to announce that despite our setbacks and challenges, in 2009 James and I paid off $24,000 of DEBT!!
Since the introduction of Dave Ramsey penetrated our lives and filled us with peace and a future filled with opportunity, I had to use most of the blog space to elaborate on our 2009 experience with debt, finances, and Dave. I hope that you find our experience an inspiration.
To add to our gratitude list in 2009:
1. James still works 32 hours a week as a Structural Engineer at Stantec.
2. James and I vacationed in Florida, with the in-laws, for the first time, on their pocket book thanks to their success with the Dave Ramsey plan!
3. James and I ran our first 10K race in less than 55 minutes!
4. James continued to follow his passion for baseball and played on a men’s league team in Portland.
5. James and I played on a Flag Football team for two seasons.
6. I graduated with my Master’s in Nursing, and started teaching a Nutrition course at University of Phoenix.
7. Vini lost 3 pounds!
8. James and I had the opportunity to reunite with our best friends from college at Carly and Albert’s wedding in September.
9. James and I spread our Christmas holiday over four days to devote much needed time with each of our families. The 2009 Christmas is our best yet, and we look forward to many more.
That’s all I have for today! Tomorrow you can look forward to our first 2010 experiment: eating nothing but “super foods” for seven days. Before I get into the details, I want to clear my name from this experiment…..James thought of this one all on his own!
To put 2009 to rest for good, I will quickly share the “ah- ha” moments and best learning experiences that we uncovered this year.
James and I took our first step out of our comfort zone and moved two hours from our family to Portland, ME. James graduated after six and a half years of full-time studies with his Bachelor’s in Psychology and his Bachelor’s in Engineering; he was ready to face the ‘real world!’ The “real world” smacked James on his bottom as soon as it saw his face. Within 30 days of employment, James received notification that he would likely lose his job. Additionally, his seven student loan lenders began to knock on our door requesting their cash at a steep 6.8% variable interest (thanks to yours truly, George W.).
I will never forget the panic and fear that passed through my body during the early weeks in January 2009. A million thoughts raced through my mind, “why did we move to this city?” “is this God’s way of telling us that he didn’t want us to move away from our family?” “how will we afford our house in Bangor and our apartment in Portland?” “how will James find another job in this recession?” I felt physically and emotionally sick.
One year later, as I reflect on the seemingly devastating moment in my life, I recognize that these challenges positively changed my life forever. I quickly learned that financial security is critical. James’ Mom bought us the best gift that we have ever received, “Total Money Makeover” by Dave Ramsey. This book has blessed our lives, and the lessons learned will continue to bless our lives forever. If you have not received the opportunity to read this book and learn about the principles Dave preaches, take some time and order the book TODAY! Total Money Make Over!
James and I read Dave’s book in two days, and we immediately turned ourselves into gazelle intense debt reducers!! I called our pesky student loan lenders to calculate a grand combined debt total= $45,000! James used his creative talents to construct a perfect “debt thermometer” that we proudly display at the entrance of our home. We began to brainstorm money saving strategies that would allow us to fill our thermometer quickly!
We started with our grocery budget. We defined a budget of $100 per week that we would devote to food. We started shopping according to portion control; how much chicken do we really need this week? How many servings of fruit will supply our nutritional requirements this week? Our grocery shopping saving proved the biggest success this year! By shopping with a plan, list, sales, and portion control, we managed to spend between $80-$100 all year; additionally, we threw away about six food items for the year and James lost 10 pounds!
We continued our spending elimination process by blocking text message from our cell phone plan (savings $30/month and $360/year). We committed to driving one car (saving thousands in payments, gas, repairs, oil). We changed our internet to a lower speed (saving ($20/mo and $240/year), and we eliminated eating out, visits to the coffee shop, and any other unplanned frivolous expenses.
We experienced multiple “setbacks” throughout the year with our house in Bangor. The furnace deceased. The electrical system from 1900 decided to join the furnace. The foundation decided that he couldn’t mentally handle the demise of his basement friends so he rolled in on himself. To make matters worse, the Bangor code enforcer decided that we hadn’t had enough financial challenges so he informed us that we needed to build a fire escape! Before the house decided to spontaneously combust on us, we had purchased a full bathroom remodel for one of the units.
However, I am proud to announce that despite our setbacks and challenges, in 2009 James and I paid off $24,000 of DEBT!!
Since the introduction of Dave Ramsey penetrated our lives and filled us with peace and a future filled with opportunity, I had to use most of the blog space to elaborate on our 2009 experience with debt, finances, and Dave. I hope that you find our experience an inspiration.
To add to our gratitude list in 2009:
1. James still works 32 hours a week as a Structural Engineer at Stantec.
2. James and I vacationed in Florida, with the in-laws, for the first time, on their pocket book thanks to their success with the Dave Ramsey plan!
3. James and I ran our first 10K race in less than 55 minutes!
4. James continued to follow his passion for baseball and played on a men’s league team in Portland.
5. James and I played on a Flag Football team for two seasons.
6. I graduated with my Master’s in Nursing, and started teaching a Nutrition course at University of Phoenix.
7. Vini lost 3 pounds!
8. James and I had the opportunity to reunite with our best friends from college at Carly and Albert’s wedding in September.
9. James and I spread our Christmas holiday over four days to devote much needed time with each of our families. The 2009 Christmas is our best yet, and we look forward to many more.
That’s all I have for today! Tomorrow you can look forward to our first 2010 experiment: eating nothing but “super foods” for seven days. Before I get into the details, I want to clear my name from this experiment…..James thought of this one all on his own!
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