Outside of the Box: Clark College Spring '13

Today, I spent the better of my day guest lecturing at Clark College. Three classes with about 90 students! This is the third quarter my cookbook, "Shop, Cook, Eat: Outside of the Box" has been used as part of the curriculum for Health 100: Food and Your Health -- surreal. 

My lectures focus on the sections from the cookbook: Grocery shopping, kitchen basics, and in this case how to prepare whole grains. I also demonstrated a couple of recipes from the cookbook so the students can see how simple and delicious eating Outside of the Box can be.
 
I absolutely love visiting campus. There's something about the energy, the youthfulness. I am thrilled, humbled, and honored to be a part of the students educational journey to health.

Habits

Despite not wanting to. I did. 

Sleepy. Low energy. Unenthused. I went.

See, the thing is I'm just now getting back into a workout routine.  So, I don't want to miss a workout -- especially because of a lame excuse like I'm sleepy.

I'm trying to form a habit. Forming a habit takes consistency. You know, doing the same thing again and again. Over and over. Day in. Day out. And when it comes to working out -- doing it even when you don't want to.
 
To establish a routine and form a habit -- here's my approach:

- I've started with a small goal. I don't want to overwhelm myself.  Three times a week for now. Once the routine is engrained. I'll add another class or two (Yoga, Weight Training, etc.).

- I'll attend the same class (5:30 a.m. Cycling M,W,F) for a month. This establishes a pattern. Once the habit is formed I'll be more flexible on days and  times.
 
- First day, I introduced myself to the instructor.  This gives me someone to be accountable to. Even if I let myself down. I won't let him down.

- The night before, I set out my workout clothes, underclothes, socks, tennis shoes, towel, and fill water bottle. Preparation equals success. Besides, it gives me a few extra minutes to sleep in.

- Stay away from the negative thoughts. Instead, replace these thoughts with positive,
upbeat messages. The mind is powerful.

So, this morning despite not wanting to. I did. And I'm glad. I feel energized, accomplished, good.

Legendary football coach, Vince Lombardi said: 

“Once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit.” 

I'm not going there!

Instead, I'm with Aristotle:

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

Nature's Got You Covered

As I sat on my deck this morning sipping on a freshly blended smoothie chocked full of goods, this thought came to mind...Nature's got you covered.

Think about it: All the food that is good for us is of the earth.  Fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, roots, herbs, on and on. There are no fruits or vegetables that are bad for you. Roots and herbs are used to heal and soothe. And mostly all things of the earth have multipurpose uses.  You can eat the flesh of a coconut, drink the milk from the coconut, extract the oil for cooking or use the oil for your skin and hair. How cool is that?  Nature's bounty is simply amazing.

So do your body a favor...When you're ready to reach for a so-called energy drink: 5 Hour Energy, Red Bull, Monster, etc. Remember, Nature's Got You Covered -- Opt for a homemade blended smoothie or juice and don't forget to add chia seeds or wheat germ to give you an extra-nutritional boost.

Blueberry Banana Kale Smoothie: 

Blueberries (Antioxidants), kale (Vitamins A, K), bananas (Potassium), 

chia seeds (more Omega 3 fatty acids than Salmon!)
 non-fat plain yogurt or non-dairy milk. 

Naturally sweet. Full of energy. Liquid Goodness!

Something NEW!

I've been in a workout slump for weeks. Honestly, it's probably been a few months now.
I like working out it makes me feel good. Eating healthy and working out combined helps my waist line -- bonus! But, truthfully I've become tired of the same ol' same. I need a fresh workout routine, new workout music, and even a new workout facility. Y'all know by now I don't sit on the sidelines long complaining  -- that's a waste of time and energy. Y'all also know I'm not afraid to step outside of my comfort zone and seek what I need.

So,this afternoon I went to an awesome studio -- Northwest Personal Training. I took a kick-butt Bike/Row class led by an enthusiastic certified personal trainer, Ted, alongside five other folks rowing and riding to the beat of Bob Marley's "Jammin." During class I admit I became winded a couple of times and took a breather, but otherwise I rode and rowed right with the others. When Ted instructed us to crank our bikes to another gear, I cranked. When he told us to find another rowing level, I did. 

Today, I tried something new and I liked it. I believe this class and the new workout environment is the very spark I needed to get myself back moving in the right direction. It's time I take my fitness and weight loss to the next level.

On empty

I hate to admit this -- only three days into February and five weeks into the new year and my tank seems to be on empty. I've been trying to rev up my energy level, but everything I've tried including working out has not helped. Not sure, what's going on. I am so excited about all my upcoming events. Perhaps, I'm overwhelmed by it all. Being a one-woman show means I do all the networking, follow-up, scheduling, marketing, and then there's showing up to the actual event. In between time, I'm on a mission to become Fit by Forty. And, let's not forget about all my other normal day-to-day activities. Heavy, heavy sigh. Suddenly, Fabulous February seems more like Frantic February. I'm running on fumes. I'm running on empty.