Weekends that don’t go as planned. That’s the theme of this weeks blog. One of the things I like to re-emphasize to clients, is, that I’m not a perfect health coach. Over time I’ve learned to be grateful that I’m not a perfect health coach. It just means I struggle like everyone else and hopefully that I can identify with everyone else. On to telling you about my weekend….My Saturday started out well. I woke up at 4:30 and had an hour and a half prayer and bible reading time, ran a strong 4 miler, went to work from 8 to 12, and did some chores around the house in the afternoon. Unfortunately, as the day went on, my stress was compounding. What I should have done was take a nap. Instead, I kept pushing through and family stressors increased. By the time I got to dinner with my husband, I ate more than I should have, and felt miserable. To top it off, someone had left out some chocolate. So, when I got home, I just had to finish that bag. The bag of chocolate that I never should have bought. So, there you have it.. even the health coach blows it sometimes.
The point is, I didn’t do well, and my guess is that my problems are pretty universal. So, what’s my strategy to keep from repeating my behaviors?
#1. Don’t wallow in guilt. What’s done is done. Learn the cues that attracted the bad behavior and move forward. One of my favorite quotes from Winston Churchill is: “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” #2. Don’t compare yourself to others. II Corinthians 10:12 “…But they measuring themselves by themselves, and compairng themselves among themselves are not wise.” (It won’t help). #3. Set some goals. #4. Get a strategy/plan and stick to it. #5 Get some accountability #6. Find things to be grateful for. Finding things to be grateful for changes your perspective. Everyone messes up. I’ve spent years of wasted time, beating myself up, comparing and wallowing in self pity. Finally, I realized it was not getting me anywhere. More importantly, it wasn’t consistent with the Christian walk or faith. Ask Christ to forgive you, and know you are forgiven. Guilt is just a tool of Satan to keep you from living a fruitful life.
Here’s my menu for getting back on track. I encourage you as always, to keep it simple, move your body, get sleep, and drink lots of water in addition to following the menu. Have a blessed week.
Sunday
Brunch – Blueberry Detox Smoothie
Dinner – Detox Soup
Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Breakfast – 2 hardboiled eggs with sliced red and yellow pepper
Lunch – Antiox Detox Chopped Salad
Dinner – Ground Beef Stir Fry
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday
Breakfast – Breakfast Cookies
Lunch – Paleo Loaded Wrap
Dinner – Spaghetti Squash
Snacks – Energy Balls (recipe from @bigmansworld.com) Ingredients: 1/4 cup raw cashews, 3/4 cups raw almonds, 1 1/2 cups medjool dates, 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Instructions: In a high speed blender or food processor, add your nuts and blend until a crumbly texture remains. Do not over-blend, as this will result in nut butter. Pour the chocolate energy ball batter into a large bowl. Form the dough into small balls and refrigerate for 10 minutes, or until firm. (Calories per 1 ball: 49)
Easy Blueberry Detox Smoothie – Dr Hyman’s (from @amealinmind) Ingredients: 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries, 1/4 cup frozen cranberries, 1/4 lemon with rind, 1 TBS almond butter, 1 TBS pumpkin seeds, 1 TBS chia seeds, 1 TBS hemp seeds, 2 walnuts, 2 Brazil nuts, 1/4 avocado peeled, 1/2 TBS coconut butter, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup water (optional) or extra almond milk. Instructions: Soak the pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, and brazil nuts in the almond milk for at least 30 minutes. This will activate the enzymes for easier digestion. Combine all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blend on high speed until smooth. You can leave it thicker, pour into a bowl and eat with a spoon, or add additional water so that the smoothie is drinkable.
Detox Soup (recipe from @detoxinista.com) Ingredients: 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil, 1 yellow onion chopped, 3 carrots chopped, 5 garlic cloves, minced, 1 1/2 inches fresh ginger, minced, 1 1/2 tsp ground tumeric, 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme or fresh rosemary, 6 cups water, 1 cup lentils, 2 tsp Himalayan salt, fresh black pepper, 1 cup fresh cilantro, 1 TBS fresh squeezed lemon. Instructions: In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and stir until softenened about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, ginger, turmeric and thyme and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Immediately add in the water after that, so the garlic won’t start to burn. Add in the lentils, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and let the soup cook until lentils are tender about 30 minutes. When lentils are tender, add in the remaining 1 tsp of salt, along with the cilantro and lemon juice. Adjust seasoning to taste and serve warm. Store leftover soup in a container or freeze for later.
Hard boiled eggs with sliced red and yellow peppers. Boil and peel 2 eggs. Slice two red and yellow peppers to eat with the eggs. Salt as desired.
Detox Salad (recipe from @tanaamen.com) Ingredients: 1 green apple cored and diced, 1/2 cup pomegranate seed, 2 cups kale, 4 cups mixed greens, 1/2 cup raw walnuts, 2 cucumbers sliced thin, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 TBS red wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp curcumin, 1 garlic clove minced, 1 avocado diced, 1 tsp xylitol or raw unfiltered honey (optional). Directions: In a large salad bowl combine apple, pomegranate seeds, kale, mixed greens, walnuts, and cucumber. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, curcumin, garlic, and xylitol or honey. Whisk until well blended. Combine with salad mixture and toss well. Divide evenly among 4 plates. Top with avocado. (calories 209 per serving) Note from me: there is a little protein in this recipe with the walnuts, but if you are feeling shy on the protein, add 4 oz of clean chicken or fish.
Ground Beef Stir Fry (recipe from @paleorunningmomma.com) – Ingredients: 1.5 lbs sirloin steak or flank steak thinly sliced into 1/4″ strips against the grain, sea salt and ground black pepper, 1 TBS coconut aminos, 1/2 TBS rice wine vinegar, 2 tsp arrowroot or tapioca flour, Stir Fry: 3 TBS avocado oil, 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced, 1 cup snow peas, 4 cloves garlic minced, 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and minced, 1 bunch of scallions green and white parts separated, thinly sliced. Sauce: 1/3 cup coconut aminos, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/4 cup beef bone broth, 1 TBS apple cider vinegar, 2 tsp arrowroot flour or tapioca. To Serve: Green parts of the scallions thinly sliced, toasted sesame seeds for garnish, sauteed cauliflower rice to serve over. Instructions: Season the beef with sea salt and black pepper. Place the beef in a large bowl and toss with the coconut aminos, vinegar and arrowroot to evenly coat, then set aside. For the sauce, in a medium bowl combine the coconut aminos, sesame oil, broth, vinegar, and 2 tsp of arrowroot or tapioca flour. Whisk well to fully combine. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat 2 TBS of the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the beef in two batches, browning for about a minute on each side. Remove the beef from the pan to a clean plate and set aside. Adjust the heat to medium and add the remaining TBS of oil. Add the bell pepper, carrots, and snow peas to the hot pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just getting tender, about 2-3 minutes. During the last 45 seconds or so, add in the garlic, ginger, and white part of the scallions and stir. Stir the sauce into the pan with the veggies and add the beef back. Cook until the sauce thickens, about one minute. Remove from the heat and add the green part of the sliced scallions. Serve right away over cauliflower rice, garnished with sesame seeds if desired. Store leftovers in a tightly lidded container for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
Paleo Breakfast Cookies – (recipe from @bigmansworld) Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups almond flour, 4 large bananas, 1/2 cup almond butter, 1/2 cup no sugar chocolate chips (Lily’s brand is a great choice) Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the chocolate chips. and mix very well. Gently fold in chocolate last. Form balls of cookie dough and place on the lined tray. Press each ball into a cookie shape. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden-brown. Do not overcook. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. If your batter is too thin, add some almond flour. (1 cookie/168 calories)
Paleo Loaded Wrap – things to keep in mind when choosing a wrap: check your ingredients. There are many brands of wheat free tortillas on the market today. They are made from a variety of gluten free grains like corn and rice. I prefer paleo wraps made with almond flour, arrowroot powder and tapioca flour which makes them grain free and gluten free. Since they are paleo friendly they would also be free of dairy, soy and sugar. Ingredients: Shredded rotisserie chicken, 1 TBS primal kitchen mayo, handful of spinach, julienned cucumber, pepper and carrots, onion is optional, 1/4 avocado. Instructions: Mix chicken and mayo in a bowl. Layer mixture and veggies. Roll up and slice in half. (Calories @ 350 to 400 calories depending on wrap you choose)
Ground Beef Spaghetti Squash – Ingredients – 1 spaghetti squash, 1 lb ground beef, sugar free spaghetti sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil, and oregano. Instructions – Slice and clean out your squash. Take one TBS of Olive oil or coconut oil and rub the inside of each of the squash sides. Bake the Spaghetti Squash at 350 degrees, face down on a parchment paper lined baking sheet until soft when fork is placed in it. Meanwhile cook the ground beef and onion. Add the sauce and spices. Put a generous amount of sauce on each upturned squash or scrape the squash onto 4 plates and top with sauce. (approximately 4 serving/@ 300 calories per serving)
Deep Roots Wellness 