Don't Wait for Your Wake Up Call

It's been five and a half months since my husband's heart attack.  Since then I've joined multiple groups on social media for people who have survived heart attacks and for those working hard to make a healthy life style change.  One common phrase that sticks out to me is "This was my wake up call."

I've also read multiple research articles that discuss the incredible value of living a healthy lifestyle.  Reducing sugar intake.  Increasing physical activity.  Drinking water.  Eating fresh fruits and vegetables.  Research is finding that even if you have a genetic predisposition to things like heart disease and diabetes, making healthy life choices can lower your risk of developing these conditions.  (Please note that there are situations when living the healthiest of lifestyles cannot prevent these diseases.  I've read many many stories of people who are as healthy as can be and yet find themselves in the ER with a heart attack.)

If that is the case, why are so many of us waiting for the crisis moment to be our wake up call?  Denial?  Lack of knowledge?  Laziness?  Low self-worth?

I don't think people realize how much that crisis moment changes your life - physically, emotionally, mentally.  These crisis moments can also impact your personal relationships, your job and your social life in very dramatic ways.  You have anxiety.  You can't sleep.  You've lost control of changing your life style because now it is truly a life and death situation.  You're on a ton of medications which blows your budget out of the water.   You're down on yourself because you read somewhere or heard someone mention the impact that healthy life choices will have on your life, but you blew it off and now here you are in this mess.

So I encourage you . . . no I'm not encouraging . . . . I implore you to not wait for that wake up call.  Don't wait for the crisis to happen to add healthy choices to your life.  Do it TODAY!  Be kind to yourself - change is hard.  Start small - buy a bag of carrots and eat half carrots half chips with your lunch, go for a walk around the block, exchange two cans of pop today for glasses of water.  Every great journey starts with that first step.

One of my favorite illustrations that frequently pops up on Facebook.

From my perspective, the benefits of living a healthy life don't even compare to not focusing on your health at all.  I still eat donuts - I have one instead of four.  That one donut tastes so good and I don't feel sick after.  I still lay on the couch on a lazy Saturday afternoon - I also join friends for a relaxing evening of Yoga in the park.  I'd say that my life is fuller as a result of focusing on my health.

Starting now may not prevent the crisis from happening, but you'll be more prepared.  And if hopefully a crisis never comes - you will live life feeling fantastic and with enough energy to enjoy every single moment!  Learn from those of us who are on the journey and wish we hadn't waited for that wake up call to make changes in our life.

This cartoon may be blunt, but it 's true.

If you're not sure how to start, stick with me.  I'm going to spend some time over the next several weeks talking about how to begin making healthy life choices, how to keep going when life gets tough and how to celebrate success.

Hummus = How Much

Looking for a healthy and creative way to show your staff, co-worker or teachers that you appreciate them?  Try a Hummus Party!

Today was one the last day for a consultant working with the Social Workers in our office. We wanted to thank and celebrate her work, but didn’t want to go with the traditional cookies or a cake. While brainstorming ideas, we talked about how much she loves hummus.  That’s when it hit us that hummus sound a lot like “how much.”

There are many phrases that you can use

You’ll never know HUMMUS we’ll miss you!

HUMMUS do we appreciate you?  Let us (or LETTUCE) count the ways.
We’ll never be able to say HUMMUS we appreciate you.
Check out HUMMUS of an impact you’ve had!
HUMMUS do I love you?

Just another way to make appreciation events or celebrations a little healthier!  Enjoy the hummus!

3 Tips for Sticking with Whole 30 Through a 24-Hour Crisis

A key part to success with Whole 30 is planning.  However, life does not always go as planned.   Like this past weekend for example.  I honestly didn't know if I would make it through while successfully sticking with Whole 30, but I did!  Here's the story of how . . .

This past weekend's schedule was jam packed.  I was scheduled Friday, Saturday and Sunday at my side hustle (aka second job - side hustle sounds more fun).  My parents were moving on Monday so our weekend was to be full of prep work, plus I had a special project to wrap up with my Dad. I had set aside time to plan the upcoming week's menu, grocery shop and meal prep (as of Friday, I was on R2D12) on Saturday evening.  Both of my teenagers were working at their summer jobs.  My husband, who suffered a massive heart attack on February 1st of this year, had plans to attend Cardiac Rehab on Saturday.  All four of us were set to move through the weekend in a carefully choreographed performance.

When I clocked out from my side hustle on Saturday evening, I checked my phone and found a text from my husband.  He had stopped at Urgent Care on his way home to have his ear checked out (he suffers from frequent ear infections).  His ear looked fine, but due to his history and the fact that he was reporting some of the same symptoms he had prior to his heart attack, the doctor suggested that he go to the ER for some tests.  They had called ahead for him and he was on his way.

By the time I arrived at the ER, my husband was hooked up to an IV and the initial round of tests had been done.  We knew at that point that he was not actively having a heart attack and were waiting for the results of the various tests.

This is one of my favorite pictures of my husband and I from

our recent vacation.

Obviously, my main focus at this moment was my husband.  However, as time went on, I began to a panic a little.  I was filled with worry for my husband.  I was tired and hungry.  My schedule for the weekend was shot.  I had plenty of time to meal plan while I sat there, but when would I get my shopping done?  How would I find time to do the prep work?  My emotions were bouncing all over the pace.  I wanted a pizza and I wanted one bad.  As soon as we found out what was going on, I was ordering a pizza.  I was going to pick it up on my way home.  I was going to eat it - A LOT of it!

But that didn't happen.  I stayed focus and hung in there.  I pushed through that intense desire to cave and maintained my Whole 30 eating habits the entire 24 hours that my husband was in the hospital.

Three things prevented that from happening and keep me on the Whole 30 straight and narrow:

1) PREPARE FOR A FOOD EMERGENCY - I had emergency provisions in my purse - a Larabar (a compliant one of course!) and an apple.  As soon as my husband was allowed to eat something and was brought a tray, I broke out that Larabar.  When I left the ER a couple of hours later to run home to get the belongings he would need for his night stay, I munched on that apple.

A schedule or a plan can change at any time.  You never know when life is going to throw you a curve ball.  It's normally always easy to find a fast food restaurant to pop in to, but that's not the type of food we're looking for now is it?  I always carry some sort of compliant snack in my purse for such emergencies.

I sent this picture to my friends from the ER - I was ready for a food emergency!

2) A STRONG CIRCLE OF SUPPORT - I know that I am an emotional eater so as soon as I settled into the ER I started texting my two friends who I am currently traveling with on this Whole 30 journey.  They texted me throughout the evening and into the next day.  Words of encouragement.  Funny memes.  When I texted that I thought this would be the moment that sent my Round spinning out of control, my phone went crazy with positive reinforcement to stay strong.

A positive circle of support is so important - whether you are facing a crisis or its just a regular Tuesday afternoon.  Support can come in person, by phone, via text or from people you've never met face-to-face - your Whole 30 Facebook family!

Me (right) with one of the members of my Circle of Support!

3) POSITIVE SELF-TALK - Early on I was thinking that I was not going to be able to hold on.  Pizza is often my go-to emotional support and, trust me, I could taste it!  However, as my friends kept picking me up off the ground, I began to change that conversation going on in my head.  I was telling myself, "You can do it."  As I drove thru the driver-thru to get my kids dinner and could smell those French fries, I ran through the list of positives in my head - improved sleep, decreased pain in my hands, faster time on my last run, looser pants.  I became my own one-member cheerleading squad!

It is easy for self-talk to defeat you and it takes purposeful effort to change the conversation, but it is possible.  Sometimes when I'm by myself or running a 5K, I talk out loud.  That way I'm not only thinking it, but I'm hearing it.  You can do it.  You got this.  You are rocking this round!

picture from www.caba.org.uk

To be honest, I'm kind of proud of myself that I faced this crisis and stuck with my eating habits.  It's the first time my emotional eating habits were tested to this extreme.  And if I can do it, I know that YOU can do it!  Just remember - be prepared with a snack, surround yourself with a strong circle of support, tell yourself that you can do it!

Italian Stuffed Peppers - Whole 30 Compliant

Have you ever picked out a recipe, bought all the ingredients and then on the night that you are ready to make it actually read the recipe and realized that it's not at all what you thought?  Well, that happened to me tonight.  So I had to improvise, and they turned out pretty well.  I'm capturing the recipe here on my blog so that I can make them again.  Plus I thought you might enjoy them, too!

Italian Stuffed Peppers

 Italian Stuffed Peppers

INGREDIENTS
3 large bell peppers
1-1/2 lbs lean ground meat (turkey or pork can be substituted)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp dried basil
salt & pepper to taste (What exactly does that mean?  I used a 3 shakes of both!)
1 - 24 oz jar of spaghetti sauce (divided)*
1 - 10 oz bag frozen cauliflower rice

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Grease a 9X13 pan
3. Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce on the bottom of pan
4. Cut peppers in half, remove stems and seeds
5. Brown meat.  Drain.
6. Add garlic powder, Italian seasoning, basil, salt & pepper and half cup of spaghetti sauce.  Stir until combined.
7. Fill pepper halves with meat mixture and place in 9X13 pan. (I had some filling leftover which I used for my breakfast the next morning.)
8. Place a spoonful of spaghetti sauce on top of each pepper
9. Pour 1/2 cup water into the 9X13 pan.
10. Bake covered for 35 minutes.  Uncover, bake an additional 15 minutes.**
11. Prepare the cauliflower rice.
12. While rice cooks, heat up the remaining spaghetti sauce.
13. Serve the peppers on a bed of cauliflower rice and a spoonful of spaghetti sauce.

*If you are following a Whole 30 eating plan, make sure that your spaghetti sauce is compliant.
** If you are NOT following a Whole 30 eating plan you could top each pepper with some shredded mozzarella cheese.