Category: health

My Summer Fitness Plan

On By Cultivate WellnessIn exercise, health, Health and wellness, summer, wellness5 Comments

Last Thursday was the last day of school for Reese, and on Friday we booked it up north for a couple of days of R&R in a 100+ year old lodge where we binge watched Anne With An E and puttered around looking at pretty stuff and eating banana splits and blueberry pie. So today starts the first full week of summer break. It was also the first day of my Summer Fitness Plan®. You see, a few weeks ago I approached my next door neighbor and good friend Catherine and asked if she’d like to work out with me three times a week in the wee hours of the morning before our kids were awake. She immediately said yes, and we both agreed that it was going to be amazing and awesome.

Fast forward to this morning when I woke up at 4:00, 4:50, and 5:00 (excitement) and then for real at 6:00 to begin our Summer Fitness Plan®. This is the gist: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays we will meet in our shared driveway at 6:15 and run/walk a couple of miles. Then we will use the Aaptiv app I’ve told you about before to do a strength workout. This morning we did our workout at the park in the wet grass while being feasted on by our state bird, the mosquito. There was also a for real boot camp happening and I felt like we were acting out that scene in Bridesmaids. We decided next time we will throw down yoga mats in the driveway instead.

Catherine proclaimed that by the end of the summer we will be bosses in every sense of the word (she didn’t really say it this way but it’s what I inferred so…). The first day was a success, in my book.

A couple of notes: I was worried that I would bonk if I didn’t eat anything beforehand, so I choked down a half of a banana. It’s almost two hours later and I’m still not hungry, so maybe working out on an empty stomach will work for me. Read about the research here. Also, next time I will spritz myself with bug spray. Thirdly, I have to say that if I’m awake everyday at 6:00 anyway, I might as well be exercising instead of laying in bed reading Twitter and stressing about the state of affairs. Who needs all that cortisol? I’m still 100% going to read the news, but an hour away from it isn’t a bad thing. Lastly, I will also be playing golf quite a bit, walking the dog, and doing some yoga and/or barre, but I think the bulk of my actual structured exercise will be from this plan.

What are your fitness plans for the summer?  Please comment and tell me!

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That’s A Wrap for the May Bee (And Why Drinking Coffee Cuts Your Risk of Dying!)

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, diabetes, diet, disease, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, summer1 Comment

coffee

I came into the May Bee challenge feeling energized and excited about the opportunity to blog every day most days in May. I had felt like I had been slacking on my posts, letting other things edge out my time spent at the computer writing. So I really relished the idea of doing this challenge. And I’m so glad I did! Not only did I learn a lot about the topics I’m interested in, but I also got to share that love with you. So, thanks for coming along on the ride. Maybe I’ll do it again next year.

For my last May Bee post, I want to talk about one of my favorite things in the world — a cup of coffee. If you know me at all you know I relish my coffee with gusto. So I was excited to read this article in The New York Times about how drinking coffee seems to reduce your overall risk of dying. Yay for no dying! As the article states “Coffee drinking was linked to a reduced risk of death from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, neurological diseases and suicide, although not from cancer.” I don’t need any health reasons to drink my two to three cups of coffee a day, but I’m glad to know I don’t have to feel guilty about my habit.

And with that, I bid a fond farewell to May 2017 as I welcome what I hope to be a really fabulous summer for me, and for you. Maybe it’ll be the best one yet.

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Maybe Some Slow Cooker Steel Cut Oats For Your Monday

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, health, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes1 Comment

My husband and I have a golf tournament in the morning and it starts pretty early. I am making this Apple Cinnamon Slow Cooker Oatmeal recipe tonight so that we can have something healthy and hearty in the morning ready to go.  I love crock pot oatmeal because it makes the house smell amazing and there’s something really pampering about having a hot breakfast waiting for you when you wake up. Just drizzle a little honey or maple syrup and heavy cream over the top and you’ll be happy as can be!

Recipe here.

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Maybe I Need A Timeout

On By Cultivate WellnessIn health, Health and wellness, stress, wellnessLeave a comment

So, I woke up feeling agitated about something this morning. And I was laying in bed just ruminating and getting more worked up. And then I remembered a tool I always have in my back pocket anytime I need it: my breath. Thanks to the regular use of my favorite mindfulness app Headspace for the past few years, I have built up all kinds of tools and mechanisms for when I feel angry, sad, stressed, overwhelmed or just in need of a break. 

#1 is always go back to the breath. When we are stressed our breaths become shallow and restricted, which depletes our oxygen levels and makes us feel worse. Spend a few minutes focusing on helping your breath normalize. When we take a slower, deeper breath and hold it at the top for a moment or two before letting it back out, it sends a signal to the brain that things are OK. 

So, when you begin your day at 5:45 am already stressed like I did, try some relaxed breathing. Or check out Headspace and take advantage of their free trial offer. Maybe you could also look up free meditation videos on YouTube if that’s more your thing.  The point is to find something that works, and revisit it when you need it. 

Maybe It’s The Weekend And Weekends Were Made For Cocktails! The Rhubarbarita.

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, health, Health and wellness, Recipes1 Comment

It occurred to me that maybe some of you might think that I drink a lot of cocktails every week, seeing as I’m so enamored with trying new recipes. Truth be told, I drink maybe two a week, so I’m sorry to burst your bubble. I do have a small glass of red wine most nights. You know, for the resveratrol. I’m a very compliant patient, and since Mayo Clinic’s website says red wine is good for the heart (in small doses) then I feel like it’s my duty to oblige.

Anyway, it’s the weekend, and for me that usually means trying a new cocktail recipe (or at the very least an old favorite). This recipe for a twist on the classic margarita enticed me. It’s rhubarb season in Minnesota, so naturally a recipe for Rhubarbaritas seem like just the thing.

It’s supposed to hit 84 degrees here in the Twin Cities today. A cold summery beverage is maybe (definitely) in order. Cheers!

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Vitamin D, The “Sunshine” Vitamin

On By Cultivate WellnessIn disease, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, summer, supplement, wellness1 Comment

sunshine drawing.png

This time of year, when the weather starts to hint at warming up in colder climates, you might think that you don’t need to supplement with vitamin D anymore. Or maybe you’ve never supplemented and think that because you live in a more temperate place like San Francisco or Kansas City that you get enough from the sun. But the truth is, if you draw a line from Atlanta across the U.S. and your city falls above it, you won’t get any meaningful vitamin D from the sun most of the year. Additionally, many people aren’t good “converters” of vitamin D, meaning they might get a lot of unprotected sun and still not have adequate levels of vitamin D.

It’s for all those reasons that supplementing with vitamin D is a good idea. And because so many of us wear sunscreen religiously throughout the summer, I don’t even stop taking my supplements in the warmer months (although I do cut back from about 3,000 IUs a day to 1,000 IUs). Read and print this informative page for more important vitamin D information.

***I am not a doctor and I am not qualified to prescribe any therapy or medication. Please always check with your practitioner before you start taking any new supplements. Vitamin D

Mocktails — Green Tea Mojitos

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, diet, disease, health, Health and wellness, holiday, Kids, Recipes2 Comments

cocktailsmocktails

My 12 year old daughter is having a sleepover tonight and instead of the usual soda, I think I will make this Green Tea Mojito recipe for them to try (obviously as a mocktail).  I want to test it out for an upcoming dinner party we are attending. The dinner party is on St. Patrick’s Day and I have a 5k the next morning that I’ve been actually training for these last couple of months. And I want to do well. Generally if you want to do your best in a 5k you do all the right things the night before, which includes getting enough sleep, eating nutritiously  and abstaining from alcohol. Totally boring, I know. But I’m committed this time!  My usual M.O. is to sign up for a 5k with plans to “really train this time”.  And then a week before the race I realize that I methodically have trained 3x week using a calendar that I’ve printed out and taped up on the wall failed to do any training whatsoever. So I suck it up and do the 5k and want to die by 1/4 mile in because I’m not at all prepared. But something clicked for me this past fall and I’ve been as committed to my exercise as I have been to my other healthy habits. Hence the “dry” St. Patrick’s Day.

I thought this recipe with green mint looked fun for St. Patty’s day . I love mint and I love green tea. Did you know green tea has lots of antioxidants and cancer-fighting polyphenols? Studies have also shown that people who drink green tea regularly have less belly fat, lower cholesterol, and better blood sugar control.  The original calls for white rum, and I figure I can bring a carafe of the mix without the alcohol and people can add it if they want.

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

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Fats, Carbs and Protein For The Win

On By Cultivate WellnessIn breakfast, Cooking, diabetes, diet, disease, dysglycemia, eating, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, wellness2 Comments

I have always struggled with my blood sugar. I am infamous in my family for getting, shall we say, cranky if my blood sugar dips. I regularly get a little lightheaded upon standing if it’s been too long since I last ate, and there have been times when I have gotten sweaty, shaky, and nauseated from waiting too long to eat.

I always just thought that this was how I was built. I couldn’t understand it when people told me they regularly skipped meals. I couldn’t fathom how that was even possible. In my recent studies to become a Nutrition Consultant, I’ve been learning a lot about blood sugar irregularities, also knows as dysglycemia. Because of regular blood tests, I know that everything else is functioning normally, and so far my low blood sugar issues haven’t caused any damage. BUT, left unchecked, high or low blood sugar can lead to all kinds of problems. We all know diabetes is a huge problem in our country, and chronically high blood sugar can (and probably will) lead to a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis somewhere down the line unless you get it under control.

The good news is there is a lot we can do with our nutrition to help stabilize our blood sugar. Last week I started a concerted effort to make sure every single snack and meal contained a healthy fat (think nuts, avocado, fish, whole fat yogurt, olives, olive oil), a healthy carb (like those found in sweet potatoes, sprouted grain toast, or an apple), and high quality protein (again, nuts and fish and yogurt, but also chicken, legumes, a hard boiled egg, or hummus). Plus for each meal, lots of non-starchy veggies. I also have been giving myself a snack a couple hours after breakfast. I used to try to just hold out until lunch, but would find myself literally counting the minutes until 11:00 a.m. Ever since I’ve made these changes, It has made a HUGE difference in my hunger levels. It used to be that every afternoon between about 2 pm and dinner time, I would be ravenous. Normally that’s when I would inhale too many crackers because my blood sugar was low and simple carbs were what my body was begging for. But for the last week my blood sugar feels quite stable. I can wait until 12:00 or 1:00 for lunch now that I’m having a snack. And that period between lunch and dinner is no longer excruciating (because I’m nourishing my body with what it needs earlier in the day). I’ve been on vacation with family and have been so much more flexible in when we eat our meals because I’m not feeling like I might pass out if I don’t eat rightthisverysecond.

I don’t know if my weight will change, and quite frankly I don’t care. I like the fact that I feel healthier, more flexible about my eating schedule, and less cranky. I’m sure my family will enjoy those benefits as well.

So, if you feel like maintaining an equilibrium with your blood sugar is an issue, try this method. It takes a bit of planning, but it is worth it. And please check back in with me and let me know if it works for you!

For healthy snacking ideas, click here.

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Healthy Breakfast Recipe: Pumpkin Waffles

On By Cultivate WellnessIn baking, breakfast, Cooking, diet, disease, eating, health, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness4 Comments

The third healthy breakfast recipe I want to feature this week is one you can make ahead of time and keep in the freezer until you are ready. We regularly make extra batches of waffles and pancakes on the weekend to pull out on busy weekday mornings. These waffles are gluten-free and paleo friendly (even though we are neither in our household). To add a bit of extra protein to your breakfast, I would suggest a serving of chicken breakfast sausage. I really like Applegate. Their chicken apple link sausage only contain Chicken, Dried Apples, Water, Honey, Salt, Spices and Parsley. 3 links are 120 calories and will add 9 grams of protein to your meal.  They are pricey, but because I eat mostly vegetarian and my husband does his own thing for breakfast, we use them sparingly.

If you don’t have a waffle iron, you can use this as pancake batter instead.  Enjoy!

pumpkin-waffles

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Healthy Snacks

Healthy Breakfast Recipe: Smoked Salmon Egg Bake

On By Cultivate WellnessIn baking, breakfast, Cooking, diet, disease, eating, health, Health and wellness, Nutrition, Recipes5 Comments

Following up on yesterday, I’m featuring a Smoked Salmon Egg Bake for today’s healthy breakfast. It has healthy fats (salmon, eggs), high quality protein (eggs, salmon), and some healthy carbs in the form of zucchini. These three components of breakfast will start you on the right path first thing in the morning, help stabilize your blood sugar, and hopefully reduce those sugar cravings later in the day.

Give this a try, eat it as easy leftovers all week!

 

smoked-salmon-egg-bake

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