Check out the video of my son and I making a smoothie popsicle! This is his own creation, so it is kid-approved. ;)  He calls it "Merry Berry Smoothie"

Spinach For Breakfast? 

Do you have a case of the "shoulds and shouldnts?"  A lot of us go through out our day thinking, "I SHOULD eat but it's not lunch time yet." " I SHOULD eat this salad, but I'd rather eat this sandwich."  "I SHOULD exercise but I"m not feeling too well."

Sound familiar?  We beat ourself up because we have this notion of what we think we are supposed to do... like there is some Food Police in the sky keeping watch of our every move (or bite).

We even have notions of certain foods that go along with certain parts of the day.  I had a funny reminder of this today.  You would think as a health coach, that I shouldn't be surprised.  My 7 year old daughter can be a bit picky when it comes to breakfast.  She doesn't like the "normal" breakfast foods such as cereal.  I even made some home ade cereal bars which she didn't care for.  So today, she asked for spinach salad.   Now this was nothing new- as she had eaten it for breakfast a couple of times before.  But it made me wonder why I didn't offer it to her in the beginning.  I am so conditioned to thinking that only certain foods are eaten at certain times.

So I gave her the spinach salad (with natural ranch from Whole Foods) and she gobbled it all up!  Am I worried that she will be too hungry?  Not really.  It's certainly better than her not eating at all, and I"m sure the fiber in the spinach as well as the calories in the dressing will fill her up.  Fun fact: also, the protein content in spinach is 42%!

And, who can complain about a child who wants to eat spinach?!

The next time you feel yourself caught up in the case of the SHOULDS... ask yourself, "is this REALLY want I want to eat?"  No, it should not be an excuse to just eat whatever we want, but healthy eating should not be drudgery.

Spend time finding recipes for healthy foods that you really enjoy and even tweak them to make them your own!

Let go of the notion that everyone's diet and eating schedule should look the same, and focus on your body's intuition.


Questions for YOU:  what foods do you think you SHOULD try, but really have no desire to?  On the other hand... what foods do you REALLY desire to try but just need that extra little nudge and motivation?


Blessings,
Kellie
www.nourishedandnew.com

Putting On The Brakes In Life-- are you in the fast or slow lane? 

Yesterday I went to visit a good friend, in the city of Gilbert.  It's monsoon season in Phoenix now but as we sat at Chipotle, I wasn't expecting to look out the window and see torrential rain! Now, I love rain, but I am not fond of driving in it, especially when I can hardly see! I got on the freeway and drove slow, grasping the steering wheel and praying we would be safe.  Normally, I am not a slow driver, but in this case, driving slow was necessary for safety! 

Are you living life in the fast lane or the slow lane? Are you the type of person who feels you need to be constantly busy?  Many moms act as constant chauffeurs, shuffling their children from one activity to the next; barely getting time for themselves to catch a breath and relax.  As a society, we seem to practically worship busyness.  As school starts, the activities will begin to multiply.  Many families eat in the car because they feel they don't have time to cook between making sure their children do their homework, and getting them ready for sports practice.  

Now, don't get me wrong.  As parents, it is great to give our children a variety of experiences! Participating in sports or music lessons is wonderful-- but life is a dance between the fast and slow lane.  If we are always moving fast, this could actually cause our body to slow it's metabolism!  Our bodies are not designed to be in a constant state "fight or flight."  When we don't give our bodies the relaxation it needs, our stress hormone cortisol goes up.  Stress effects us all but it can manifest itself in different ways for different people.  It can cause us to gain weight in the middle, it can cause headaches, it can make us feel hungrier so we over eat, and it can even trigger autoimmune disorders. 

Neither do we want to be always in the slow lane.  These are the people who tend to procrastinate and never get anything done.  Some times this can be caused by feeling paralyzed about wanting to be perfect.  We fear failure so we don't even try.  These people need to really find what they are passionate about it and focus on getting out of their comfort zones. 

So we need to both let our passions drive us, as well as put on the brakes by slowing down.  What are some ways to slow down? Meditation, yoga, reading a book, taking a nap (just not at work! lol), or even playing a board game with your children (yes, this can be stressful but it's a good way to spend time with them and get some downtime for the whole family).  Also, don't forget to sit down at the dinner table with your family! 

Speaking of meditation, I will be participating in a 21 day, meditation challenge, led by Depaak Chopra.  It starts tomorrow! I have tried it in the past, and it seems to really relax me and reduce my stress. 

Here is the link to join! https://www.chopracentermeditation.com/Bestsellers/RegistrationPage.aspx?BookId=169

What are YOUR favorite ways to "slow down"?  Share in the comments below!

Kellie McGarry, Certified Health Coach

www.nourishedandnew.com

Email me to sign up for your FREE Breakthrough Session!

healthcoachkellie@gmail.com

Do you listen to your body?

If you sit with my family and I at the dinner table, chances are you might hear  my 7 or 8 year old say, "I'm full. I can't eat another bite. I"m listening to my body!"

How many of you listen to your body when you are eating? I know many of us grow up being taught to finish what is on our plate.  Or when visiting a family member or friend, it is only polite to have seconds or even thirds.

How about when we go out to eat and we are given that huge plate of pasta? Do we feel obligated to eat it all?

I am reading a fantastic book called "Intuitive Eating" by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, both in the nutrition field.

In this book, they list 10 principles, such as Honor Your Hunger, Feel Your Fullness and Challenge the Food Police.

Intuitive Eating basically means trusting your body in regards to food.   If it is telling you to stop eating, then stop.  If you are hungry, don't ignore  your hunger because you feel you are not supposed to eat at that particular time.

Really stop and think, "why am I craving this food?"  Is this something my body is telling me to eat?

Next time you sit down with your meal, stop half way through and really feel what you are feeling.  Assess your hunger level from 1-5.  Five would be completely stuffed and 1 would  be ravenous.  I would suggest eating until you are about a 3 or 4.

Is this something you are aware of when you eat?  Do you feel like you "listen to your body?"

I welcome all comments! Let's hear from YOU!

Kellie McGarry, Certified Health Coach
www.nourishedandnew.com

Do you mourn your past, fear your future or celebrate your life? 

Today I  turn the big 34.  Yep, one more year until I am halfway to 40!  It is REALLY hard to believe! I do make sure and give my husband grief because he is already on his way to 40-ha ha.

The irony of it all is that most people don't think I look my age at all.  You would think that would be a good thing.... yet, in a way it is both a blessing and a curse! LOL   I do very much thank my family for my good genes.....as everyone says, I will like looking young when I am older .

In any case... it doesn't matter how old or young you look.... you are only as young as you feel.  I remember just a couple of years ago, I felt like I was 80 years old.  Not kidding.  My body was sore all over, my right hip was so stiff I couldn't walk fast, I would bump into things, I would get light headed easily, and I would constantly forget to put my clothes in the dryer (okay- I forget now, but not as often! lol)

But just as quickly as I started feeling bad and got the diagnosis of Fibromyalgia (ie.- we don't know what else is wrong with you),  I figured out I was sensitive to gluten and I felt better within a month.  Now,  I do still have a weak back and can't over do it too much, but it is SO amazing the difference!

While I was busy just trying to get through the day without crying from the pain, I would pretty much dread the next day. Sure, I still enjoyed being with my family, but I was depressed because I accepted constant pain and fatigue to be my lot in life.  Growing old didn't really appeal to me and birthdays weren't as exciting.

Now, I am so excited to really ENJOY life and I look forward to growing old!  So many of us fear our birthdays... we don't want to celebrate because it reminds us of our lot in life and how we are destined to just start falling all apart-- because after all, aches, pains, digestive problems, headaches and fatigue are all just a part of getting old, right?

Wrong! Getting a year older every year is a part of life..... before long, we are all meant to pass from this life to the next ...... yet our quality of life does not have to suffer!  Heart disease and cancer is not inevitable! Neither is chronic pain, fatigue or gray hair! (okay, maybe I lied on the gray hair part, BUT some experts say gray hair can be related to mineral deficiency...hmmm) .

The key is to take care of yourself and prevent these conditions NOW!   Don't wait until it's too late.  Don't wait for the perfect cure, or until you first start to show signs of cancer.  The best part about prevention is you do not need to rely on medications with a long list of side effects.   You simply need to eat more whole foods; especially fruits and vegetables, reduce stress in  your life, and practice an attitude of gratitude!  A spiritual practice helps too, such as prayer and meditation.

Notice I said "simply"... yet it's not always that simple; is it?  We need support and accountability.  We also need a way to make healthy living FUN!  It shouldn't be this boring, dreadful thing.  So many of us are tainted by restrictive diets; but I say, aim for the opposite! Reject diets! Trust your body and what it is telling you.

Above all.... LOVE your body and yourself!! This is really the key to loving life and having the motivation to practice some TLC on a daily basis.

Don't forget..... I offer a FREE initial consultation!  We can discuss your health goals and concerns and what obstacles may be getting in your way. You will find out about the programs I offer that will be perfect for YOUR needs!  I will be starting to charge for these sessions soon, so act now!

healthcoachkellie@gmail.com
www.nourishedandnew.com