Nobody's Perfect, and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Many people assume that those of us who are health coaches eat perfect all the time and are always blissfully happy. While this is true quite often, here is a newsflash: we are only human and we have bad moods too. I believe we've just learned how to turn things around by finding the smallest little postive niblet to focus on.

This morning was a prime example for me. As many of you nkow, I'm about 4 and a half months pregnant. Like many women, at this stage in my pregnancy I am frustrated with a lot of things. Some of which being that my bump is growing quickly but its at that awkward stage where I look really paunchy in the middle, I have no energy and I'm way behind on my daily to-do lists (including keeping up with this blog and my daily chores around the house). I also crave and occasionally munch things I hardly ever eat (I have an unusal fascination with birthday cake lately). These feelings also tend to put one's self esteem in the toilet, despite the fact my brain gets the logical reason for these symptoms, my heart does not understand. I have always been an over achiever and find all this beyond exasperating.

The alarm went off today and I was grumpy. I didn't want to get so early for a part time job,  (that is not exactly all that challenging)... I'm behind on my laundry and since I haven't really made the switch to maternity clothes yet, my choices were limited. I grimaced as I reached for the only dress hanging in my closet. It is a cute little black linen number that I picked up on my honeymoon in Hawaii two years ago. I slipped it on thinking it would get stuck around the middle, but the most amazing thing happened. It fit and with room too!!! I wanted to let a whoop of joy but didn't want to wake up my hubby who was still asleep in bed.

I could not figure out how this was possible. I thought about it on my drive to work and then it hit me: I had a flashback to two years ago.

Just before getting married, to say I was a stressed out mess would be a serious understatement. I was working in a job with a very unhealthy environment that was also rather sedentary. Planning a wedding between two states with lots of friend and family drama did not exactly help either. I became bloated and literally sick. I had already studied Reiki, as well as other holistic health modalities, so I knew this lifestyle wasn't working for me. I needed a big change. That fall I started attending the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. As a health coaching and nutrition student I decided to learn by immersion about all the dietary theories we were studying in school. Please understand, I wan't on a crash diet to lose weight or working out with a trainer like crazy. All that I have done since embarking on this journey a few years ago is change my eating habits to what people now call "clean eating". Ironically enough, this is how I pretty much ate growing up, but its easy to forget because there wasn't so much processed stuff in our food supply back then..... at least not that my family ate.

The other thing I learned at IIN is to balance my work life and relationships better. What works for me is a daily goal to find mini victories each day to help me maintain my focus. Staying healthy and happy is easy once I've done that. 

 

Now, as an IIN graduate these concepts are what I help my clients learn too. Everyone needs a different approach, one that works and suits their own personal lifestyle. Your daily goals and challenges will be different  than mine, but the concept is the same.   No one is perfect and there is no point in beating up oneself. Especially for things that we have the power to change, even when it feels like we can't. My exciting revelation with the little black dress this morning proves that this approach works, even after a long period of time.  Let me help you discover your own personal gifts and power to change your own life.  Call  or email me to book your free initial health consultation today. I'd love to help you find your own path to happiness. In the meantime, be good to yourselves and remember to celebrate your own daily mini victories. I think after work I'm going home to try on my wedding dress to remind myself how far I've come. Have a great weekend!

Earth Day 2012

Happy Earth Day everyone! This Sunday, April 22nd is Earth day. It is a holiday very near and dear to my heart since I was in middle school and met a  biology teacher, Mr. Thompson, who taught me about conservation and the importance of taking care of our home planet.  On some fronts we've come a really long way since I was a kid: recycling is a standard curbside service at most cities across the country, eating local organic foods is getting increasingly popular and a lot of people are using less energy by switching their light bulbs and major appliances to more energy efficient models.

We still have a long way to go though and everyone's participation and attention to what is happening around our little green planet is so crucial. There are also a lot more of us around, using up the resources even faster. We need to work together to make a much smaller impact so our grandkids won't have to live  a life without the things like water and trees that so many of us take for granted. Want to plan a fun earth day with your loved ones but don't know where to start ? Here are a few suggestions and links to help you on your way.

1) Have a Picnic- whats a better way to appreciate the outdoors than to spend a day outside. A day outside is a great way to enjoy the natural surroundings mama nature has provided for us. It also is a great opportunity to get your family active and moving with a game of frisbee or catch. You can get your kids involved by letting them help plan your menu. This is also a great opportunity to talk to them about where their food comes from.
Another bonus of a picnic is that by enjoying the energy of the sun you will not be raising your electricity bill by staying home watching tv or playing video games.

The nature conservancy is sponsoring a worldwide event called Picnic for the planet. They are trying to break a record. Check out this website to see if there is an event already being hosted in your tow, or you can organize one to join the movement: http://www.nature.org/earthday/attend/index.htm

2) Catch a Flick
If the weather doesn't cooperate and you end up being stuck inside, why not watch a great movie with the family that has an environmental message. Here are a few of my favorites:
1) Ferngully, the Last Rainforest
2)The Lion King
3) Finding Nemo
4) Happy Feet
5) WALL-E

If the kids want to go out to the movies (or you're a big kid yourself) here are two great choices currently in the theatres
1)Dr. Seuss' The Lorax
2) Disney Nature- Chimpanzee

3) Have a special Earth Day Meal
This is a great time to introduce concepts like the importance of eating local and organic foods. Head to your local farm or farmers market to pick out the ingredients for your meal and talk to the people who grew them. You can also talk about going meat free at least once a week and why it is important. You also could find a local grass fed meat farm locally. It is so important for us as a society to start eating a more sustainable diet. 

4) Plant a Tree

Every day we cut down thousands of trees around the world and only a small fraction of them get replanted. This not only destroys the landscapes and creates more desserts, but also depletes our planet of oxygen. Trees also act as natural filters and help clean our air. There are a number of places to buy seedlings online.  Local businesses like hardware stores and nurseries will also have special deals on Earth day to help plant more trees.

5) Help Clean up
Tons of trash is left along our roadways and get into our water supply every day. Spend a few hours with some of your neighbors cleaning up a local park or stream area. Not only will it make the area more beautiful, but it also will be a much safer place for local animals to live.

6) Go on a Hike
get some exercise and enjoy the beauty of the outdoors while you're at it.


7) Where's My Water?
Water is a precious resource on our planet and most of us don't realize how much we waste everyday.Do some exercises around the house to measure how much water you use and then work together with your family to figure out how you can bring that amount down.  A good place to start is http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sq3.html.  There is also a great ipad app created by Disney called "Where's My Water?" to help explain the concepts to the younger members of your family

8) Head to the Zoo
Zoos are a great way to learn about how our actions every day affect lives of animals all over the world. The kids will be fascinated and who doesn't love pandas or polar bears?!

9) Start a Home Garden
You don't need a big  yard to have a great garden. You'd be surprised at what you can do with containers when space is a luxury.  Start small with a few easy to grow staples like tomatoes, lettuces or culinary herbs. Then you can branch out from there.

And the most important rule of all no matter how you celebrate is to have fun & enjoy your time together!
Remember: Every day is Earth Day. Anything to help our environment is a perfect thing to do on Earth Day and every day. Don't restrict yourself to just one day a year; learn about how you can make a difference to environmental protection all the time. And put it into practice - every day!

My food battle plan.

I am fighting a war. A war against junk food. I am a busy professional with a home that requires a lot of love & attention...not to mention a husband to keep happy. When a soldier goes off to war they have weapons and armor. My greatest weapon is my weekly plan; My armor is all the vitamin rich food my body takes in to stay healthy. Sound a bit dramatic right?!

I feel it needs to be. If I don't think about the coming week ahead and figure out a meal & chore plan for the upcoming week, I've found that I get short on time, am more stressed and will occasionally opt for the easier meal solution, like takeout Chinese.

I do eat pretty healthily, but I can always do more. The core of my coaching clients are busy professionals with families. So what better way to make sure the strategies and meal plans I suggest work than to try them out with my own family first? Taking just 1 hour each week to make a food plan is a great way to reduce stress and ensure you're family eats healthily. I made mine last night while we were watching tv.

I love digging up new recipes and have a ton I've wanted to try. Often times I find them surfing the web or in the latest issues of my favorite magazines. I then file them, either on a bookmark file on my computer or in a folder, by the season their ingredients are available.

When I sit down to make my plan for the week I open my current season folder and I have a ton of new meal ides at my disposal. I try to coordinate recipes so I can use leftovers for lunches or use recipes that share some of the same ingredients. I also make sure 1 or 2 of the dinners for week can be made in advance, such as a casserole or a crockpot meal. Once I've picked my meals then I make my grocery list of the items I don't have in the pantry already. After doing this planning a few weeks, you'll find that you will also have a list of family favorites to work off of as well.

When I go grocery shopping I make sure to stick to my list. Iq so try to only shop the perimeter of the store where the main staples like the produce are found. By avoiding all the junk food in the center aisles I'm not even tempted to buy them. Out of sight, out of mind. I am always pleasantly surprised when I hear the total. Shopping this way not only makes my time at the store shorter, but also saves a ton of money.

My plan this week has a few new squash recipes and some yummy homemade snack foods. I'll let you know how they turn out  and share the recipes for the successes. I hope you all have wonderfully low stress week and keep warm. I'm now off to the gym and then the grocery store to put this week's battle plan into action.
It sounds like a lot of work but it truly only takes 1 hour each week.

Healthier & Happier for the holidays: The importance of self care

Hello all. Sorry for the several week gap in my posts.Life has been nuts and I'm working hard to stay healthy and keep my "Life in Balance". We bought a new house Thanksgiving weekend and have been gradually moving. So needless to say we've been busy, not to mention the holiday season activities with family and friends.   For me, part of keeping balance is deciding  what are my priorities each week.  Priorities aren't just the activities I pursue, it also means taking time to take care of myself and actually schedule self care. May sound a bit crazy but it really helps to keep me sane and more relaxed.

Self care is a is exactly what it sounds like: taking some time to be good to yourself and it can be done in ton of different ways. You also don't need a lot of time to practice it.WhenI have a full day off, I definitely take advantage of it, but thats not a typical amount of free time for most of us.  Instead try to plan 2 things a day. They don't have to be long activities either. Check out some easy and quick things you can do to help take care of your body:
 
1)First step of self care: Banish the guilt. I spent way too many years of my life as a workaholic. Guilt used to be my middle name. Believe me, if you feel guilty about taking time for yourself, it kind of defeats the purpose. Life is meant to be enjoyed. This means that if you're tired it is ok to take that nap, you'll feel better. If you need to recruit the help of friends and family to get 10 or 15 minutes of "you time" thats ok too. When they realize you are a nicer person to be around when you have a few minutes to relax, they'll be happy to assist and they will want to spend more quality time with you as well.

2)Part of my self care is of course taking the time to cook myself healthy and nourishing foods. I love seeing my family over the holidays but I can't help but notice the insane amount of carbs ingested and lack of veggies at holiday mealtime. (A huge thank you to my sister in law Eriko for making my brussel sprout slaw on Christmas eve, it was much appreciated!) So all week I've started my mornings off with a nice green smoothie.

3) Next up hit the showers, or if you have time, enjoy a nice soak. While in there, a sugar or a salt scrub will not only help your dry skin, but its really relaxing too. Meditations in the shower are also a great way to relax.  While the running is running down your skin visualize not only, the grime of the day washing away, but also anything that stressed you out or got you upset. Literally, wash your cares away. For you Reiki practitioners out there, infusing Reiki energy into your shower head is a very energizing and soothing tool as well.  When you hop out be sure to moisturize. When your skin is still damp is the most effective time for your body to absorb that nice lotion. For other spa like experiences at home check out my  previous post : Treat Yourself to a Spa Day.

4) Treat yourself & Celebrate! No you don't have to have a party...we're reducing stress remember?! Once a week, if not daily, I reward myself for accomplishing my goals. I have various things I'm working on posted on little notes around the house. When I get to take one of these notes down because I've accomplished it I treat myself. Sometimes its an nice hour of restorative yoga other times I might buy myself something. Today for example, I'm treating myself for getting back in touch with this blog and attacking the massive pile of laundry that is amassing in my basement. So I used one of the gift cards I received to buy myself a compost pail for my kitchen and a cookbook I've wanted for some time. Rewards don't have to be things to be bought. Some days I jam out to a favorite cd or call a friend I've been missing. The idea is to give myself a warm fuzzy just for accomplishing the day to day tasks that make up life.

5) Another part of my self care is paying attention to my physical health. With some preventative maintenance I find the holidays (which can be rather stressful) can be a lot easier, to not only get through, but actually enjoy.  Over the past month I've been doing my annual checkups, just to be sure if there's anything I've been neglecting. Happily I received a clean bill of health. And with some of the new modifications I've made in my eating habits this year, some of my "not so nice" numbers actually have gone down.

SO, as you can see self care isn't hard. The hardest part is reminding yourself to do it. Its nice to get a pat on the back, especially when you're giving it to yourself.  I hope you each take a few minutes for yourself today any have a happy new year 2012!

Next post: 2012 is an exciting year, I'll be talking about all the great posts to come.

Treat yourself to a Spa Day.....at Home

I don't know about you, but this spring so far is a little bit stressful for me. I am so ready for the warm weather to arrive.  After overindulging during the winter on comfort food we're thinking about how to get the extra weight off before spring/ summer bathing suit season arrives.....Not to mention cleaning up our living spaces because of all the dust the winter dry air creates & the extra stuff we've acquired over the holiday season. Add a wedding about a month and a half away to the mix and I could really use some "me time".


In an ideal world, we should all be able to take a spa day, but realistically that usually costs a lot more money than most of us can afford. ( I'd love to head down  the road to the Hershey spa once a month for a chocolate facial but I'd need to win the lottery first). Here are some ideas to combat stress by taking a mini spa vacation at home.  These ideas are not only good for the planet,  and relaxing for you, but also good for your budget.

For a calming start to your at-home-spa session, dim the lights, light a fragrant candle, and let your mind wander while you soak in the tub.

You already know that it's good practice to exfoliate your face with a gentle scrub at least once a week, but don't overlook your body. Then scrub off all that pesky dry skin using  a good salt scrub (mine's NYR Organic Frankincense & Mandarin body polish).

For a homemade salt scrub mix: 1 cup sea salt, 6Tbsp vegetable oil with 8 drops of each  the following blend of essential oils:lavender , vetiver & ylang ylang.

A quick rinse off and then use a good body lotion, like NYR Organic Calendula & Oat body lotion.

Make sure to have some good meditation music playing in your home to get the true spa experience and take you away from all the stress & worries surrounding you at home.

Next up, slip into a comfy robe, and slippers…….. then onto the facial.  First, wash your face with your favorite cleanser. Then, treat yourself to a face mask.  If you’re channeling you’re inner (and more thrifty) Martha Stewart you can totally make your own with ingredients you have in your pantry. Here is one of my favorites:

Avo Beta Cream Masque
This combination of ingredients will improve your skin's texture, dimminish age spots & rebuild collagen when used regularly. It also helps to tighten your pores. Mix the following:
1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 carrot that has been cooked & mashed , 1 avocado (peeled, pitted & mashed), 2 Tbsp honey & 1 beaten egg.

Spread the mixture over your face & neck. Relax for 15 minutes. rinse with cold water. The thicker the consistency, the more intense it will feel on your skin.
Bonus: An avocado pit makes a natural massage tool. Rub & roll it against your skin to soothe tired muscles.

OR, if you want to use something that’s already made for you,  I can’t recommend NYR Organic products enough.  Here are a few good choices depending on your skin type:

Fighting Signs of Aging? Check out the Rejuvenating Frankincense Firming Mask

For Normal Skin try the Rose Formula Antioxidant Facial Mask.  If you have Dry Skin the Nourishing Orange Flower Facial Mask is the perfect fit for you.  I have combination skin so I like the Palmarosa Purifying Facial Mask and Honey Orange Facial scrub.  These are also great choices for those of you with oily skin. Super Sensitive?  Try the White Tea Enriching Facial Mask.

After applying your mask, slap some cucumber slices on your eyes and lay back for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the mask, and apply a toner. Then, be sure to moisturize.

About now,  you should probably be feeling a bit peckish, so treat yourself to a nice spa lunch. Here is one of my favorite spa themed lunches which I tend to prep ahead of time, so I can truly relax during my spa experience.  This recipe is courtesy of food & wine magazine: Red Lentil Salad with Feta & Beets

After lunch I curl up with a good book until the family comes home and I have to return to the muggle world. I hope you enjoy your home spa days as much as I do. Make sure to treat yourself at least once a month.

Interested in trying out the luxurious products from NYR Organic Yourself? You can buy them here:

https://us.nyrorganic.com/shop/MichelleKing