To Do

Those of you who know me personally know that I have many jobs.  I am first and foremost a health and nutrition coach where I work one-on-one with clients to help them find what foods work best for them, and help build healthy eating and lifestyle habits into their lives.  I am writing nutrition articles for a subscription based website that is going to be launched for the New Year, and am a monthly guest blogger on athleticmommies.com.  I will be starting to work on a nutrition guide and meal plan for a personal trainer.  I also tutor elementary students in math and reading, and nanny for two different families.  Add on to that planning an international trip for my boyfriend and me while he is in Mississippi.  Needless to say, I am pretty much juggling multiple knives while riding a unicycle backwards balancing on a tight rope…or at least this is what it feels like at times.    

There are times when I have all of my “things to do” running around in my brain, like second graders let loose for recess, running around and screaming with no order what so ever.  This is majorly overwhelming for me and I start to get nervous and anxious.  I start freaking out that I have too much to do with not enough time to do it.  I stress myself out and think there is no way I will get everything done. 

So, what do I do to help me through the stress and the mess?  I write a “to do” list.  I take five minutes to sit down and write everything down that I need to do.  Then I prioritize the list and start with the most important thing first.  And guess what happens?  I realize that I don’t really have that much to do, and that my list, when written down, looks totally doable. 

When everything I need to do is swimming around in my head it is chaotic and seems like so much more verses being written down on a sticky note or two.  It’s like your room when nothing is put away, laundry is on the ground, bags are scattered, and the bed isn’t made.  It seems like you have a lot of stuff and your actual living space in your room seems small.  But put away your laundry, organize your bags, and make your bed and your bedroom is streamlined and organized.  Now it seems like you have less stuff and much more space in your room.

By organizing my “to do” list and writing it out, I am able to simplify what I have to do and the task at hand is a lot easier.  And it feels so good to cross off something completed from your “to do” list!

The next time you find yourself disgruntled at the amount of things you have to do, write them down on a list. Prioritize them, and then start crossing them off. 

CrossFit Zen

Okay, it sounds like an oxymoron, I know, but this is the philosophy of my approach to CrossFit I have created for myself.  CrossFit is known to be very intense and intimidating, where beefy specimens throw around ridiculous amounts of weight and are highly competitive with one another.  Well, this may be true for some CrossFit affiliates, and it could possibly be true for the CrossFit box I attend.  However, I have decided to create my own approach to CrossFit.  I love the workouts, the personal attention, and the community that come along with CrossFit.  All I have to do is show up and I see friendly faces and they tell me what to do.  And since I love it so much, I want to be able to participate for as long as I possibly can.  Like all healthy relationships in life: everything in moderation.

I have changed my approach to CrossFit over the years.  I started in January of 2012 with my two good friends, Mary and Anna.  We would have a blast learning the new movements, laughing at our lack of knowledge, and celebrating a 25# PR for our overhead squat!

At the time, I was also running and paddling so I had a lot of other activities that I partook in, and would frequent the box about two times a week.

Flash forward to January 2013 where after cursing my last marathon and telling myself, “I’d rather be crossfitting” for 26 miles, my participation in running faded, and I started attending CrossFit more frequently.  This is when I drank the cool aid, folks.  You’re probably thinking, “I was right!  CrossFit is a cult.”  Not so fast.

I was deep into CrossFit and was sad on my rest days when I didn’t make an appearance at the box.  I was recording lift weights and WOD times and attempting to increase my PRs.  I joined the Barbell Club where we worked on strength and power lifting.  I had a group of people I would train with and compete with.  Along with heavy lifting and constant high-intensity competition came aches and pains, and I started getting pain in my wrists and shoulders.  I was always comparing my workout score or my lift weights to other people.  And after a while, this exciting, encouraging, and enjoyable became a place where I would walk out unhappy and frustrated with myself.  Why was this happening?  I used to love this place.  It would give me so much joy and I would leave in good spirits.

When I took a look, I noticed that I was not following my intentions of why I love CrossFit.  I didn’t join CrossFit to be super competitive or to be an elite athlete.  No, I joined because I enjoyed the workouts, I loved the community, and I got stronger doing it.  A total win-win!  I had gotten caught up in the competition of it all and started comparing myself to other members.  It’s not fun to compare yourself to other people, and in fact, it can be down right miserable. 

So, I took a step back and looked at why I enjoy CrossFit.  I revisited my intentions and the reasons why I joined in the first place.  I love the way I feel when I am done.  I love how strong it has made me, and consequently I feel stronger in general.  I love the unpredictability of the workouts.  You go in not knowing what movements you are going to do that day.  I love the community and encouragement other members give each other.  In my intentions, there was nothing about lifting a certain amount of weight over my head or getting a sub 6-minute Fran time. 

Now, my current approach to CrossFit is what I call Zen CrossFit.  I workout for myself and remember my intentions.  I don’t lift as much weight as I used to, and that’s okay.  Because I’d rather be CrossFitting when I’m 70 with light weights than CrossFitting until I’m 40 with heavy weights and having to stop because of injuries.  I’ll pass on the injuries, please.  Before class I will check in with my body and see what it feels like.  Does it want to do more cardio or more lifting, and I will set my weight accordingly.  I don’t compare myself to anyone!  People’s scores from previous classes are up on the board for people to see, and I just ignore them for the most part.  Sometimes I will reference to see what someone comparable to me did if I am unsure of what weight to use.  But for the most part I just look and see who has been in for the day.  I stay present with the workout and focus on form and technique, concentrating on the specific movement I am doing at the time rather than watching other people and seeing what round they are on, or if I am ahead of them. 

This approach has been working out in my favor!  I am enjoying CrossFit again, I am sans injuries, and I feel positive, energetic and confident when I am done.  My body feels lighter, and I can recover quicker from workouts.

So, when it comes to working out, find a form of exercise that you love to do, stay present, remember your intentions, and don’t compare yourself to others. 

I Got a New Attitude!

Have you ever woken up on the wrong side of the bed?  You wake up with an attitude, pissed off, and you don’t exactly know why.  You unwillingly get up and get ready for the day with a chip on your shoulder.  Any encounters with other humans are in the form of eye-rolls, grunts, or shoulder shrugs.  You just can’t shake it, but you continue on your day. 

Well, I had one of these mornings today.  I woke up with a ‘tude that I just couldn’t shake.  I was angry at the world but wasn’t sure exactly why.  I looked something like this: 

I have grudgingly learned these past couple of years that I have the ability to choose how to feel.  I could choose happy, or I could choose pissed off.  And today I was choosing pissed off!  So, armed with the knowledge that I could choose my attitude, I knew that this mindset was brought on by none other than myself.  It wasn’t the garbage truck’s fault that woke me up early, or the fact that my boyfriend has been gone for two weeks, and will not be coming back for two more.  It’s true that these annoyed me and made me sad, respectively, but I could choose to give into those feelings, or I could acknowledge them, say hi, and then choose to be happy. 

So, I put myself back to bed.  I felt like a mother disciplining her young child.  I willingly hopped back in bed and told myself to choose a new outlook.  I laid there for a few minutes resisting this idea, but as soon as I surrendered to my demands, and chose to be happy, I got out of bed, and started my day over again, sans attitude.  This time, I made my tea de jour, (Good Earth Original…it’s a great fall/winter tea), meditated, checked on my garden, and then got ready for the day. 

By changing my attitude, which I had total power over, I was able to have a productive day where I concentrated on my work, researching and writing nutrition articles, and could give my full attention to my clients.  I made taco salad for lunch, had a great workout at CrossFit, and a delightful chat with my boyfriend (He's showing me his shooting helmet).  I’m glad I called myself on my mindset, acknowledged that I was grumpy, took some time to turn my frown upside down, and carried on with a new outlook on the day.  Now, I didn’t have to change my attitude, but I am so glad I did. 

Spaghetti Squash Chicken Pesto

When I first heard about the idea of going grain free, I thought that there was NO WAY this was possible!  I was eating toast, beagles, pb&j, pasta, cereal, rice, crackers, and granola bars on the daily.  Grains were a HUGE part of my diet and I was very skeptical of going grain free….how is this humanly possible?

However, I was challenged to go sans grains for 30 days, along with, dairy, legumes, or added sugars, and having somewhat of a competitive spirit, I took on the challenge.  Fast forward four years, and there is no way I would ever go back to eating grains as a food staple.  As there have been amazing changes in my life by eliminating grains from my diet.  Over the past four years, I have experimented with recipes, some successful and others, shall we call “learning experiences”. J  

I look back to my first nutrition challenge, and yes, I made it through and I was able to feel the difference in my body with having more sustained and lasting energy, no more sugar crashes or crazy sugar cravings, and improved mental clarity, however; it wasn’t very exciting and at times frustrating in the sense that I didn’t know what to eat instead of grains.  I was eliminating a lot of food, however not sure what to add back in to replace those foods.

Now, I have years of recipes under my belt, and find eating grain free exciting and oh so DELICIOUS!  So, to save you some agony, I wanted to share a food that I only discovered recently, and wish I had known about years ago!  

Being part Italian, I was raised on pasta.  It was a staple in my household, along with bread.  So, the thought of not eating pasta made me think that I was going to have to give up those secret family Italian recipes that I loved so much!

Once I discovered this food, I was in love!  It was so useful to me and added a whole new realm of possibilities in the kitchen.  And I was able to eat those scrumptious family recipes I had been craving.  This wonderful, magnificent food I am talking about is spaghetti squash!  When cooked, spaghetti squash creates stringy noodles that replicate pasta.  I was now able to make “spaghetti” and meatballs, and “spaghetti” carbonara without suffering the consequences of eating a plate full of inflammatory gluten, and a blood sugar spike.  Not only did I feel amazing after I ate spaghetti squash, I was consuming significantly fewer carbs than if I had eaten the same amount of pasta.  One cup of spaghetti squash has 9 grams of carbs verses a cup of spaghetti having around 40 grams of carbs.  Spaghetti squash also contains antioxidants such as Vitamin C and Vitamin A, as well as fiber, potassium and Vitamin B6.  What’s not to love about spaghetti squash?

I am sharing with you a recipe that is deliciously, filling, and well rounded with macronutrients; proteins, fats, and carbs.  I used a store bought pesto to save on time. However, it took some looking around and label reading to find a pesto that used olive oil and not soybean oil, canola oil, or some other inflammatory fat.  Look at your local farmers market or health food store for pesto made with olive oil.  If you choose to be ambitious, I set a link to a recipe for pesto below.

Ingredients:

·      1 medium sized spaghetti squash

·      1 cup pesto sauce Many of the store bought pestos contain inflammatory oils such as soybean or corn oil.  If you are unable to find a pesto that only contains olive oil, here is a great one to make at home.  

·      1 lb chicken breast

·      Olive oil

·      Sundried tomatoes (optional)

·      Fresh basil leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees 

2.  Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise

3.   Remove seeds with a spoon or fork and save for toasting J

4.  Place halves face down on baking sheet and cook for 40-45 min.  The spaghetti squash should be somewhat soft to touch when done.

      

      5.  While spaghetti squash is baking, heat a large saucepan on the stove and add a tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook chicken breast until cooked through.  

      6.  Once chicken is cooked, slice chicken into bite sized strips and set aside.

      7.  Once spaghetti squash is finished, allow to cool for a few minutes and then shred the meat of the squash with a fork into the saucepan. The spaghetti squash should come out easily and will be stringy like spaghetti. 

      8.   In a saucepan, on low, mix the spaghetti squash, chicken, and pesto sauce until warm.  I added sun-dried tomatoes and some fresh basil from the garden.

        9.  Serve warm and enjoy!

GET EVEN HEALTHIER!


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Starting From Scratch

To truly start from scratch, you need to let go of all that negative stuff that you are getting away from in the first place.  Though you may physically be away from it, you need to also mentally let it go.  Stop listening to the negative stories you have been telling yourself, and let go of the negative beliefs you have about yourself and lack of ability as a result from the previous situation.  By letting go of all those negative ideas and stories, you are truly starting from scratch and creating room for positive stories to form and cultivate.  I have learned that in starting over it is not just enough to physically move from one place to another, or change locations.  You also need to mentally let go and change your thinking and attitude in order to start over, move forward, and create something new and amazing in your life. 

This subject matter came to mind when I went out for a run the other afternoon for the first time in 5 months.  Now, I have been doing crossfit, surfing, and paddling, however, running is a different story.  I had hurt my ankle earlier this year and have been unable to jog any distance before it starts to hurt.  So, I just haven’t been partaking in this activity.  I have been busy doing other activities that I haven’t really missed it until about a month ago.  There’s just something I get from running that I don’t get from my other activities.  I think it’s the mindless repetition of moving my feet that allows my mind to meditate as well as work through issues or challenges in my life.  Since I started to miss running, I had been THINKING about starting to participate in my old exercise staple again as my ankle has been healing.  I was brought the perfect opportunity on this particular day; I was unable to make it to crossfit, there weren’t any waves and the ocean was pretty choppy, there was no paddling that day, and it was cloudy with a nice cooling breeze.  So I thought to myself, “what a perfect opportunity to actually DO what I have been THINKING about doing for the past month or so”.  I dusted off (literally) my running sneakers and headed out on a 2.5 mile run…nothing too long. 

On my way out on my jaunt around the loop, I realized that I was making a fresh start and that I should have no expectation of my performance what so ever!  I mentally prepared myself knowing that I hadn’t been on a run in a while, and that since this activity is not a strength of mine, I needed to let go of what I used to be able to do and be super stoked with completing a 2.5 mile course, no matter how long it takes.  Though I had completed a couple of marathons, I wasn’t out training for a marathon, nor do I ever have the intention of training for one EVER again.  I needed to let go any thoughts that compared me to the past, or what I used to be able to do.  With this mindset, I was able to just run and be proud that I was out jogging and working hard doing it.  I didn’t get down on myself because I was out of breath, or that I was slugging along. No, I had let that go, and was super stoked that I was running and that my ankle didn’t hurt while I was doing it.

Then I had a realization: making a fresh start and letting things go doesn’t only apply to my running or any other physical activity I participate in.  It in fact applies to EVERYTHING in life!  This realization especially hit home to me regarding my recent career change. 

Though I had quit teaching and started health coaching, and yes, my life has been changed for the better in many ways, I still was holding on to old beliefs that had formed as a result of working for an organization for five years that didn’t respect or value me.  I was still feeling a lack of confidence, I was questioning my validity and credentials, and I was still full of fear and the idea that I wasn’t good enough to be a health coach.  Who’s going to believe me? My voice was never valued or respected in the DOE (department of education), so why would anyone listen to me now?  All of the stories that had built up while working for the DOE and over time were still here with me and they were preventing me from moving forward in my new career! 

So, I started letting go of these limiting beliefs and the negative stories that I had been making up in my head as a result of my past experiences.  By letting these beliefs go, I have made room for positive beliefs and thoughts that serve me.  I see possibilities instead of insecurities, solutions instead of roadblocks.  By letting go of negative self-beliefs, I have been able to move forward with projects that have been sitting on the back burner because fear and doubt would not let me move forward. Also, by letting go of negative stories and self-talk, I am open to receiving complements and positive feedback from clients, friends, and family. (And believing them too!) I am starting from scratch and moving forward with the belief in myself, that my voice is valued, and that what I know IS important to other people (because it IS! Food changed my life, and I know it can change your life too!), and that other people are dying to work with me.  Because they are! 

A physical change in location is only part of starting over.  Letting go of the mental and emotional connection to that time you are getting away from is how to truly start from scratch and make amazing, positive things happen in your life!

Interested in creating the healthiest you?  Contact me at keysa.hale@gmail.com or visit my website:

www.keysahale.com