Momma B: Overcoming the Winter Blues

I think my fellow New Englanders will agree - this time of year can be draining. The dark mornings and gray days often leave us feeling tired and worn out. That's why it's important to have a variety of strategies to use when you need an extra pick me up. Finding things that energize you can be challenging, but by making an effort to be more conscientious about how your lifestyle choices affect your mood, it's possible to develop an understanding of what foods and activities best elevate your spirits. 

“Eat whole foods that will nourish your body, make time for activities that will nourish your soul, and you’ll create a body and life that’s not fit to host any seasonal blues!”

When we're feeling 'blah' it's easy to forget that the choices we make everyday play a big role in how we feel. Movement is important for our digestion, circulation and respiratory health. We already know staying active is a huge component of any healthy, happy lifestyle, but so isn't your diet. Don't turn to sugary snacks to temporarily boost your mood. It's difficult to feel inspired and happy when your body is struggling to function on chemical, artificial and toxic "foods". Sugar can give you a high and make you feel energized in the short term, but as soon as your blood sugar levels fall, your mood will plummet too. Instead, eat plenty of cooked, nutritious foods throughout the winter, seasoned with warming spices, like cinnamon, cayenne and ginger, that promote easy, comfortable digestion. And when the sun is actually out, be sure to get out and soak that Vitamin D up! This is an easy, effortless way to boost your mood.

Taking time this season to restore and renew may be more vital than any other time of the year. Eat whole foods that will nourish your body, make time for activities that will nourish your soul, and you'll create a body and life that's not fit to host any seasonal blues!

B Well,

Momma B.

B Limber: Sides, Neck & Traps Stretch

Feeling lethargic, sore or stressed? Or worse, a combination of all of the above?? You'll want these stretches in your life.

[Side Stretch]
Purpose: To open up your body through your obliques, serratus muscles and lats. You'll feel your muscles lengthen with every breath & swear you grew a couple inches after you're done.
- Feet slightly wider than hips.
- Keep equal weight in each foot, even though you're leaning to one side.
- Pull on the wrist of your top arm with your bottom arm like you're trying to stretch your arm longer.
- Turn your chest slightly up toward the ceiling.
- Hold 5-10 deep breaths per side.

[Neck & Trap Stretch]
Purpose: to relieve tension in your neck and jaw. I love doing this when I have a headache or feel super stressed - I automatically feel better after!
- Drop your left ear toward your shoulder, then reach your left hand behind you to grab your right wrist and pull it toward the floor.
- Do it twice: once with right palm facing back, then once with it facing forward.
- Repeat on other side.
- Hold 5-10 deep breaths per side.

Is the world a better place now? I thought so ;-)

B Chill,

Cassie B.

Eat Your Wellness: [RECIPE] Creamless New England Shrimp Chowder

I got a Dutch Oven from my Grandmother for Christmas and to say I love it would be an understatement! This sucker is a life saver... well, it's really a time saver, which, to me, is everythinggg!!

With it being winter, and me being a curry lover, I searched for curry recipes online and found one for Curried Cauliflower Soup - what? OK! And that's the thing... I made it, and it was just OK... I felt like I was eating a cream soup, like spoonfuls of New England Clam Chowder minus the clams and potatoes and all the chunks of flavor we love it for. That's when the lightbulb went off... I'll make a mock chowder! So I did. And it was bomb. Here's how I did it:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 small yellow onion chopped
• 3 cups organic vegetable broth
• 1 cup organic coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 large carrots, peeled
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into large chunks
• 2 cups of (thawed) shrimp, cut into small chunks

Instructions:

• Heat oven to 375 F
• Spread chopped cauliflower & onion over baking sheet, drizzle in Olive Oil, (I used a chili infused olive oil for extra heat), then sprinkle with a little bit of salt.

• Roast these veggies in the oven for about 20 minutes. When you see the Cauliflower start to brown, they're done.
• While they're roasting, mix the veggie broth, coconut milk, & spices, then throw them into the dutch oven.

• When the cauliflower and onions are finished roasting, add them to the dutch oven, then bring it all to a boil.
• Let it boil 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.

• As it cools, boil your carrots & potatoes to preferred softness.
• While they boil, chop up your shrimp into preferred bite size.
• When carrots & potatoes finish, chop them into preferred bite size.

• Hopefully now your soup will have cooled enough. Time to blend it into a paste, (I used my Nutribullet!).
• Dump the curried cauliflower paste back into the dutch oven, add the shrimp, carrots & potatoes, season with black pepper to taste, (and maybe warm it up a little again if it's cooled off too much).
• Serve & enjoy!

Momma B: Another New Year, Another Resolution

Every new year brings with it a host of feelings: excitement for the celebrations and anticipation of the future, sure, but many of us find ourselves struggling with negativity too. Feelings of failure because we didn't finish what we had planned to accomplish; feelings of disappointment because the year has flown by and we feel like we're still where we were a whole year ago. Yet, year after year, we create so much pressure on ourselves when we act as though we must make a grand New Year's Resolution.

Instead of feeling defeated, or torturing yourself with the pressure to "get it right this time!", make your goal to live and be more present. Each day, we actually accomplish so many great things. You owe it to yourself to celebrate those small victories! It's not about making one drastic change because it's the New Year; it's about each decision you make each day that eventually leads to a great change by the end of the year.

To keep myself present, I take time each day to reflect on 3 things I am grateful for. This took a lot of practice for me to be consistent, but once I got consistent it didn't take long for me to notice the benefits. When we take time to focus on what makes us happy and what we are grateful for, we don't have as much time available to focus on the things we think need to be different in order to achieve happiness. 

Throughout 2017, I challenge you to take time to focus on what is going right. Be present for, and celebrate all the positive changes you are making to create a healthier lifestyle. Regularly patting yourself on the back may be all you need to realize you are truly happy, even as you journey toward becoming healthier.

Wishing you a Simply Happy 2017!

Momma B

Momma B: Your Life, Your Story

I once suffered from daily headaches and chronic migraines. Yes, daily. I lived with it for so long, I became accustomed to it and told myself I needed to get use to living with the daily pain. I tried for many years to find relief from them; I saw several specialists, had a ton of tests done and tried more medications than I can remember. Nothing ever worked.  I got frustrated that doctors couldn't seem to help me, so I took responsibility for my own fate and started experimenting with solutions on my own.

The turning point for me was when I realized the true meaning of nourishing my body. Choosing foods with five ingredients or less wasn't enough and avoiding foods with artificial colors and preservatives wasn't enough either. I had to learn how to provide my body with the nutrients it needed to function efficiently and pain free. For so long I had been focused on what to avoid: fatty, high calorie and dyed, preserved foods. Suddenly I realized I didn't need to focus on what to avoid nearly as much as I needed to focus on what not to go without. I knew I was in for a challenge. 

Our stories keep us stuck. For so long I told myself I was doomed to live with chronic migraines, without realizing that pain is our body's way of telling us something isn't right. Instead of taking more medications to mask the pain and ignoring the symptoms of nutrient deficiencies, we need to understand that our symptoms, pain and disease are our body's way of letting us know it's unhappy. When I realized that I needed to nourish my body, not keep track of calories, points or ingredients, my body started to heal. Not only did the daily headaches subside, but the chronic migraines did as well. 

Want your pain to go away too? Take charge of your own fate a decide to change the ending to your story. Each time you eat ask yourself: what vitamins and minerals am I feeding my body? Keep it simple! Focus on eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, in a variety of colors, and you'll immediately notice a huge difference in your energy and mood. Once you start speaking your body's language, things will continue to improve from there.

What kind of foods do you want to focus on ADDING to your diet? Tell me on IG/TW @simplypuzzlin!

B Well,

Momma B