Momma B: An Alternative to a New Year’s Resolution - A New Journey

I was never great at keeping my New Year’s resolutions, so I stopped making them. It seemed like a waste of time if I never got anywhere with it. But in the last couple years, I've managed to achieve a lot of the goals I never followed through with in the past - and these achievements didn't start as New Years Resolutions. What was the difference? Just like you, my goals in the past were too big, and therefore not sustainable. But I wanted a change in my life, and I knew just changing 1 simple thing wasn't going to change everything. So instead of picking an overwhelming goal based on something I didn’t like about my life, I chose one word to symbolize the bigger picture of what I envisioned for myself: "wellness". I wanted to be happier, have more energy, and to look and feel healthy as I entered my 50's.

After I created my vision of what I hoped to become and chose the word to represent what I was working toward, I created mini goals. There were many things I knew I needed to adjust, but, as I'd learned from New Years Resolutions, changing everything all at once never got me where I wanted to go. So I only let myself focus on one thing at a time. After 1 year of making several, small adjustments, I had a whole new lifestyle. A year after that, I'm a whole new person.

Now let's figure out how to kick off your journey. First, envision who you want to be by the end of 2016. Next, come up with a word to represent your goal. If you have a specific goal - like you would like to lose weight - write down why you want to lose the weight. This will help you come up with a vision of who you want to be and determine a more positive word than "thin" - maybe it’s "confidence" or "independence", or, like me, "wellness" - this way you are inviting many different facets of confidence, independence, wellness, or whatever you desire, into your future rather than focusing on your external body alone. Now you're ready to choose your mini goals. Instead of being vague and overambitious with one goal, determine one mini goal for each month of the year that will all lead you to your more well/confident/independent self.

Let’s stick with the weight loss example. You may reflect on your goal and decide that what you truly desire is confidence. That's now your focus: your journey to confidence. Now, map out the steps along your journey that will help build your confidence by choosing your 12 mini goals. Some of these will be weight loss focused, but there will be other mini goals that you know will also help boost confidence that have less to do with your weight and appearance. This way, by the end of 2016, you'll grow into the person you desire to be.

Here are some examples of mini goals:

January – add vegetables to each meal.

February - participate in physical activity/exercise you enjoy 3x a week.

March – keep a bottle of water with you throughout the day to sip on.

April - spend 15 minutes a day outdoors.

May – stop drinking soda.

You see how it works! Come up with 12 mini goals that relate to your overall goal and put them on your calendar each month. It only takes 21 days to create a new habit, so by the end of 365 days you'll be a happier, healthier you!

Momma B: The 2 Simple Steps I Made To Bring My Healthy Back

Two years ago, I lived off of quick, easy and convenient "foods". I had no interest in eating what I now consider real food.  I loved the, (what I now know are processed), foods I ate, and I believed they were "working" for me. I didn't like cooking because I wasn’t creative with preparing meals and always relied on a recipe to do anything interesting. Most of the time, I didn't want to follow a complicated recipe, nor did I have the time. By using packaged/processed foods, I avoided recipes and the pressure to get creative. Moms - is this story starting to sound familiar??

Little did I know, eating this way, my family and I were not getting the nutrients we needed. I never really thought about that part of eating - that by consuming real food my body would get the vitamins and minerals it needed to be healthy and function properly. I was keeping myself and my children fed, with limited sweets and no fast food, so I considered us an exceptionally healthy family. Unfortunately, that wasn't entirely true.

The day I realized I needed to eat better was not an exciting one. I had no idea where to begin and I was so overwhelmed. Going to the grocery store was a horrible experience.  I had to change everything I knew and shop in an area that I wasn’t familiar with – the produce section!!! The only thing I ever bought there before was fruit - I had always just heated up canned veggies in the microwave. I had no idea how to prepare fresh produce with meals, or even how to cook it properly.

"Did you know that oftentimes frozen veggies have a higher nutrient content than the "fresh" veggies in the produce section?"

After overcoming the initial confusion, stress and frustration, I decided I needed to keep it simple. The first step I took was buying organic frozen vegetables. Did you know that oftentimes frozen veggies have a higher nutrient content than the "fresh" veggies in the produce section? That's because they are flash frozen shortly after they are picked, locking in most of the nutrient content they have at that exact moment. Alternatively, the veggies that aren't frozen lose more and more nutrients by the hour as they age. By the time they ship across the country or around the world, end up on grocery store shelves, and then finally in your home, they've lost a ton of the nutrients they contained when they were fresh picked. Learning this was my saving grace. I began packing frozen vegetables to eat for lunch. Nothing fancy... How much easier could it be?! I did make sure that it was just vegetables and didn’t buy anything with any sauces or creams. This worked so well with my desire for convenience and my body was delighted to have something it could work with.

I started to notice a positive change in my mood and energy levels within the first week. Then, after several months of eating frozen vegetables, I felt ready to take on another challenge. I started making green smoothies every day! I was so proud of myself! I had never even eaten kale before I started adding it to my smoothies. I didn’t do anything fancy here either. I just used a green leafy vegetable, threw in some fruit, added water, then blended it in my Nutribullet. I knew if I didn’t keep things simple I would fall back to my old habits and just eat more processed foods.

After making these 2 simple changes that added 2-4 more servings of veggies a day to my diet, I realized how simple it was and I started taking my journey to a sustainable healthy lifestyle a lot more seriously. Now, every time I eat I ask myself: “How does this nourish me?” Once I realized that what you eat builds your cells, runs through your blood, serves as your fuel and influences your thoughts, I wanted to be more aware of what I was putting into my body. I didn't want powdery protein bars to make up my blood or ritz crackers and cheese sticks building my skin cells! The last year and a half has been fun experimenting with new foods while feeling my body and mind grow healthier. Was it easy? No, it wasn’t easy. Was it worth it? Yes, it was worth it. It was a process, and though it was slow and tested my patience, it worked for me better than any pill, book or diet ever had.

America Runs On Quick Fixes: Why I Gave Up Coffee & Encourage You To Try It Too

“When you don’t feel 100%, it’s because your body doesn’t have 100% of the nutrients it needs.”

I've survived 2 months without coffee! Nope, it wasn't a bet that's finally over with, and nope, I don't plan to drink coffee daily anymore. Wait, wait, wait... with no cash prize, what ever could possess me to stop sipping on the gas that got me through my crazy days?! Well, after Momma B, (that's my mom!), wrote her article "The Best Diet For... Everything", I started thinking that maybe my usual dragging feeling in the morning was not just that I'm not a morning person. I've never enjoyed waking up, and I thought I needed an extra kick to get going. After reading the article though, I thought: maybe my body isn't rejecting early mornings after all; maybe it's expressing a desire for energy. And as much as we hate it, energy for the human body is calories, not caffeine. So I decided to fuel my body with nutrient dense calories when I felt tired instead of turning to the caffeine in coffee. (Clementines have been my go to because they're not overboard on calories, they contain lots of energizing nutrients, and the citrus gives me a natural jolt!) 2 months later, how do I feel? I'm happy, I'm functioning, and honestly, I can confidently say that I'm happier and functioning more efficiently.

I enjoy black coffee as a treat now because I enjoy the beverage. It use to be a daily staple, but it wasn't doing anything to help me through my day. If anything, it was building me up for a hard crash later on.

Caution! Brash words are about to follow: coffee is a quick fix. Yeah, I said it. Believe me, I would have told myself off 3 months ago. "Screw your science argument you cold-hearted nerd!" You're reading the words of someone who enjoys hot, black coffee, so honestly, if I didn't believe it made a drastic difference in how I feel, I wouldn't recommend swearing off this daily delight. But I do feel different. In a great way. I don't believe it's so much because I gave up coffee - although I'm sure my body appreciates not dealing with that acidity on the daily. I believe the main reason I feel better is because I focus on nourishing my body with nutrients instead of stimulating it with caffeine.

Coffee does not give you "energy". Energy in = calories consumed; energy out = calories burned. Caffeine is nowhere in that equation of physiology. Know what is in that equation though? Nutrients. The amount of nutrients, (vitamins and minerals), a food contains, in ratio to the number of calories it contains, determines how "healthy" it is. The more nutrient dense a food is, the better it aids your organs and your body in its everyday function. When you feel like you could stand to function better, take a good look at the nutrients you're putting into your body. And no, I'm not talking about vitamins and supplements here*.

Where I'm going with this is: when you don't feel 100%, it's because your body doesn't have 100% of the nutrients it needs. Caffeine isn't a nutrient, it's a stimulant. Therefore, it does not play a critical or even necessary role in your body's ability to function, (no matter how much you try to argue that it might). It's a cold, (pun intended), harsh truth. I'm not trying to convert you - coffee runs through the veins of us New Englanders. And usually we're too stubborn to do things differently... but we also love to be the best. So basically what I'm saying is "What would Brady do?" I believe he'd do what helps his body perform the best it can. A body stimulated by caffeine doesn't always perform better, but a body that's completely nourished will always feel great, perform its best, and recover more quickly. That's the Brady we want and that's the body we should want. So buy some clementines, slice up pineapple, keep packs of berries or bottles of green juice around, and turn to nutrients when you need something to lift you out of an energy slump. With all that good ish in your body, you can't help but feel fantastic. Give it 1 week. Feel the difference - and admit the difference, you stubborn soul! - and you'll know what the best decision is for your body too.

Just the sight of fruits and veggies is energizing! This is totally what your body is moping around waiting for - not coffee.

*Want to know why I'm not talking about supplements? Here's why: Supplements are called exactly what they are: a supplementation to your diet. If your diet is a crappy one, your daily multivitamin isn't fixing it, it's searching for any tid-bit of goodness you've consumed to supplement. If your diet is generally healthy and filled with nutrient dense foods, your daily multivitamin will offer some extra support in helping you absorb what your body needs to function at its highest potential. I could go on about supplements more, but I'll save it for another day.

Momma B: Living With Chronic Pain

For all of you that suffer from chronic pain and argue that what you eat and drink doesn’t make a difference, I’m here to tell you - it does. I know you don’t want to hear that, because I didn’t want to either. For 30 years I wanted to prove that what I ate didn’t make a difference - mostly because I felt that preparing whole foods was just too much work. I was wrong about that too. But thanks to my stubborness, I suffered chronic headaches/migraines and extreme neck and shoulder pain for the majority of my life so far.

I went from doctor to doctor seeking relief. Once I realized that the meds caused me more grief than the migraines did, I started playing around with things on my own. I learned how to decode nutrition labels and had eliminated a lot of headache-triggering ingredients, so I thought I had things figured out. I was eating shredded wheat for breakfast - no artificial preservatives in that. I ate protein bars for lunch - I sit at a desk all day, so I wanted to watch what I ate so I wouldn’t gain weight. 

“Planning and preparing does take some time, but when you start to feel better it motivates you to plan and prepare for success.”

I had my system down, I was settled into my routine, but the frustrating thing was: none of it was working for me. The daily headaches continued and the migraines got worse. I was at a point where I was taking 7 Aleve a day for my neck and shoulder pain. I was also taking 20 Midol pills a month for headaches because they worked better than Tylenol. I used 15-20 migraine pills a month, and pills for acid reflux to top it all off. Turns out, the acid reflux was caused by the medication I was taking combined with the crappy foods I was eating. And oh yeah, I was anemic too. My body was SCREAMING at me, but I wasn't wise enough to listen. 

I just couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong until IIN taught me how important whole foods are for our bodies.  Now, I've traded my shredded wheat for Quinoa and my protein bars for vegetables. I've also discovered that preparing whole foods isn’t that difficult. Planning and preparing does take some time, but when you start to feel better it motivates you to plan and prepare for success.

Within four months, eating whole foods had created change!  It’s now been a year and a half since I made drastic changes to my lifestyle and diet. I no longer take Aleve for my neck and shoulders, I've stopped taking Midol, my daily headaches are a thing of the past, and I haven’t had a migraine in the last three months! I've also lost 10lbs and I’m no longer anemic. 

If you suffer daily from chronic pain, I encourage you to start creating a healthy sustainable lifestyle one step at a time. What you eat will either fuel the pain or relieve it. I started in the same place you did. If I can do it, you can too.

Maple Coconut Overnight Oats

Overnight Oats are where it's at. These babies save me on the days I wake up at 4:30am, when getting dressed and walking Tucker before 5:00am are a grand feat. Then I make my mug of warm lemon water, (if you missed why I'm obsessed with that, read here), throw berries on top of my oats, kiss and squeeze Tucker until I can't deal with anymore guilt, and I'm out the door. All because my breakfast was prepped the night before.

It's too healthy and too tasty not to get excited about, so go ahead and brag! Post it on Instagram, you health nut, breakfast freak - just tag me @cassiebstrong. Oh, and #BWell #EatYourWellness. See what I did there? I don't eat my feelings, I eat my wellness. Clever.

Anyway... Pour the following ingredients into a mason jar, (or glass tupperware), in this order:

1/2c. Rolled Oats

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1c. Coconut Milk (any variety of milk is fine!)

1 tbsp. chia seeds (optional)

2 tbsp. Coconut Flakes

2 tbsp. Maple Syrup

Don't mix it! Just refrigerate overnight.

On your way out the door: Throw berries or fruit of your choice on top! (I love blackberries.)

Chow time: Mix it all together and bask in the glory of the easiness, healthiness, and yumminess of your breakfast!

B Well,

Cassie B.