Loving my new Planner

I had the great pleasure of meeting with Beth Malecki of Positively Balanced the other day. She has created the most beautiful AND functional planner I have ever seen. All in a fairly small packaged! 

Features include:

• Vision Board
• Life Goals
• Important Dates
• Personal Health Info
• Monthly Body, Mind, and Spirit Goals
• Monthly At-A-Glance Calendar 
• Monthly Financial Budget 
• Weekly Goals and Shopping Lists
• Daily To-Do, Events, Fitness, Meal Planning, and Gratitude 
• Pockets, Stickers, and much more!

Here's what Beth has to say about her Planner:

The mission of Positively Balance is to inspire women to live life with a positive attitude and create balance within it. Our cornerstone product, the Positively Balanced Life and Fitness planner supports that mission. One of the core values and goals I wanted to achieve with the planner was to encourage  women to make their health and fitness and priority. The planner provides a place for women to track all important pieces of information including goal setting, budget tracking, meal planning and, most importantly, a daily workout box with motivating reward stickers to help women schedule daily exercise. Each day ends with a gratitude box for daily reflection on the positives in life. 

I've been using my Planner for a couple weeks now and I wish I had it years ago! You can get your own copy at Postivitely Balanced. Or by signing up as a coaching client with me at Second Nature Health Coaching!

Season of Change

I’ve never understood the New Year’s Resolution. Yes it is a new year, which may seem like the perfect time for change, but it happens in the dead of winter - a time when our bodies are in a state of hibernation, rest, and reflection. Spring, on the other hand, is just around the corner and happens to be the season for change and possibilities. So as we sit here in limbo between reflection (winter) and change (spring), it is the perfect opportunity to dedicate a bit of time to developing your ideal plan for a renewed you this 2014.

This year I’d like to propose you challenge the idea of a New Year’s Resolution in favor of a new paradigm – the intention. In many cases, a New Year’s Resolution is a vague wish. Intentions, however, are the opposite and include a plan of action, vision, and specific end goal, which can be very effective. Try this:

1. Get clear on what you want. Jot down thoughts or draw pictures as they relate to your ideal vision for 2014. Then create a detailed plan for how you will achieve this vision.
2. Create a vision board by gathering images and words that pertain to your goal. Hang the collage in a spot where you’ll see it often.
3. Do something to make your desire happen. Think baby steps!

After you’ve set your intention, it is important to discover your motivation so that when you find yourself wanting to just go back to your old familiar habits or faced with setbacks that you can persevere. To find your motivation, ask yourself: what is it costing me not to take action? And make sure to look deep and think not just of the immediate consequences but keep asking “then what?” until you get to the bottom of it and tap into the emotions that come with the outcome. Ask yourself “then what?” at least 5 times and see where it takes you. When you get to the emotional root of the issue, you know you’ve found your true motivation, which will make you more eager to stick to your plan and work harder to accomplish your goal!

Next, I’d like you to label your setbacks and find support. What is preventing you from reaching your goal? Most likely your answer boils down to stress, which may manifest as frustration, fatigue, anxiety, or depression. Stress management can be approached holistically from many angles to improve concentration, energy, mood, and efficiency. Here are a few of my favorite stress-busters:

• ·      Sighing is a completely natural function. We are all born knowing how to sigh, can do it subconsciously, and it is the last thing we do before leaving out earthly bodies. Do this several times and you will begin to notice your breath naturally comes and goes like an ocean wave.
• ·      Exercise, especially cardiovascular exercise, releases endorphin, which is a feel-good hormone. It will take your mind off your stressors as well as your normal comfort “food” (whether that be fat, salt, sugar, or another crutch like caffeine, smoking, etc.).
• ·      Often the reason many of us are so stress is due to stifled creativity (self-expression). Our days are consumed by to do lists, habits, and structure that we rarely take the opportunity to create anything, be free or enjoy life. However, the freedom of creativity is awesome for relieving tensions, improving your health and boosting your mood.
• ·      Reducing your intake of sugar and other processed and refined foods helps eliminate blood sugar fluctuations, which lead to mood swings and anxiety.
• ·      Stay hydrated. A hydrated body removes toxins from the blood stream, prevents headaches, reduces fatigue, and helps the mind work more clearly.
• ·      Time spent in nature has been proven to have mental health, cognitive, and physical health benefits for both children and adults and it also helps develop important life skills and characteristics.
• ·      Essential oils are powerful aromatic liquid substances that are extracted from plants and have great medicinal properties. Look for uplifting citrus scents, calming chamomile and lavender, and invigorating mints.
• ·      Spending time with friends is excellent way to reduce stress and receive encouragement as you work to achieve your goals.

As you set your intentions, discover your motivations and support your growth process, don’t forget to include a plan to celebrate your achievement! And always remember, renewed moms are the best moms. Welcome to the season of possibilities!

* As published in Wise Mom, Spring 2014 Edition, Cover Story, Page 14. The Wise Mom is a quarterly, membership-based, digital magazine for the Holistic Moms Network, featuring articles from holistic healthcare practitioners and parenting experts. *

Sweet Quinoa Breakfast

Sweet Quinoa Breakfast

1 c leftover quinoa

1-1/2 Tbsp oat or almond milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp raisins

1/2 tsp maple syrup

Mix, warm and enjoy! Serves 1.

Notes: In this recipe, I used quinoa leftover from dinner but you could cook the quinoa in the morning and make a full pot for the family for breakfast. The photo shows a half and half mix of traditional and inca red quinoa but any variety would work. The milk helps plump the dried berries but you could also use fresh fruit. And the cinnamon gives it a little extra warmth.

Quinoa tips: Rinse your quinoa before cooking to remove the phytic acid (which gives it that bitter taste). Add a 1 inch piece of kombu or other sea weed to the pot before boiling to add beneficial minerals. I promise you won't even taste it!

Pesticide in Produce

People always ask me which produce items I buy organic. The truth is, I shop the organic section first and buy anything we eat a lot of like apples and carrots, regardless of the price. Then I will get any items I need that are considered highly toxic (see list below). Lastly, I will add in a few additional items that I know we will eat and are good deals. Anything I need that isn't available organically, I will purchase in the regular produce department. 

The following list is based on information and studies by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Consumer Reports, and the Environmental Working Group. (Copied from about.com)

1. Nectarines – 97.3% of nectarines sampled were found to contain pesticides.
2. Celery – 94.5% of celery sampled were found to contain pesticides.
3. Pears – 94.4% of pears sampled were found to contain pesticides.
4. Peaches – 93.7% of peaches sampled were found to contain pesticides.
5. Apples – 91% of apples sampled were found to contain pesticides.
6. Cherries – 91% of cherries sampled were found to contain pesticides.
7. Strawberries – 90% of strawberries sampled were found to contain pesticides.
8. Imported Grapes – 86% of imported grapes (i.e. Chile) sampled were found to contain pesticides.
9. Spinach – 83.4% of spinach sampled were found to contain pesticides.
10. Potatoes – 79.3% of potatoes sampled were found to contain pesticides.
11. Bell Peppers – 68% of bell peppers sampled were found to contain pesticides.
12. Red Raspberries – 59% of red raspberries sampled were found to contain pesticides.

Here is a list of fruits and vegetables found to contain the least amount of pesticides. Notice that many of these have thick, inedible skins which protect the fruit.

• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Corn (However, almost all corn is genetically modified)
• Kiwi
• Mangoes
• Onions
• Papaya
• Pineapples
• Sweet Peas

Cosmetics Cheat Sheet

Unfortunately it still isn't very easy to search the Skin Deep Database via your phone. When I first started searching for safer products, I took this Cheat Sheet with me to the store (made by the amazing folks at Gorgeously Green). They have an interesting but very practical system - they also have sorted products by degree of hazardousness but instead of giving everything a number, everything is sorted into three groups (Red, Orange or Green). The most toxic ingredients are listed with a reason and list of aliases.

• Green means GO - These ingredients are some of the safest you will find. 
• Orange means CAUTION - Meaning these ingredients are pretty bad but it should be ok for you to finish the bottle. Just promise not to buy it again!
• Red means STOP - As in stop using products with these ingredients immediately!

Fatal Attraction: Cosmetics and Chemicals

This is the most concise and informative flyer I have found so far.