Tag: life

Cultivating Gratitude

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I’ve started keeping a gratitude journal to help keep me focused on the goodness in every day.

Sometimes it is hard to think past all the things going wrong, and focus on all the things going right. The downward mental spiral can be difficult to turn off.

But this little journal has turned things around for me. Every morning and every evening  I sit down and focus on what I’m thankful for or what good has come my way.

The journal has prompts to help you get your thoughts in order. And it doesn’t take up much time at all. IMG_4960

It looks like this. You complete the top section every morning, and the gray section every evening. There is a quote at the top of every day to get you in the right frame of mind. And I’ve come to love this little ritual. It’s something I look forward to every day.

So if you are looking for a way to cultivate gratitude, I highly suggest this. If you have a stressful job, I highly suggest this. If you are naturally more gloomy, I highly suggest this. You won’t believe how much good you can come up with until you are forced to focus on it. Get your Five Minute Journal here. 

Disclaimer: This is not an ad. I was not paid to write this. I just really love this product, and think everyone needs one. 

Paleo Pancakes

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The one thing about Whole30 that gets me down is the you-can-only-have-eggs-for-breakfast thing. Sometimes, a girl just wants a stack of pancakes.

So with September Whole30 coming to a close, we thought it would be a good idea to try out some paleo pancakes.

Originally, I had planned to make them from scratch. But wondering the aisle of Whole Foods, I found this little beauty.

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Here are the ingredients: almond flour, arrowroot, organic coconut sugar, organic coconut flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and sea salt.

You mix in eggs, milk (I used the Original flavored Nutpods) and oil (I used coconut oil).

And you have delicious paleo pancakes.

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I topped my pancakes with Thrive Market Crunchy Almond Butter and a little dab of Cinnamon Pecan Creamed Honey from Lake in the Willows Apiary from my favorite farmers market.

The only non-compliant things on this gorgeous plate is the creamed honey topping and the coconut sugar in the pancake mix. Coconut sugar has a lower glycemic index than traditional sugar, supports good gut bacteria and has less fructose than other forms of sugar. The honey just made it decadent.

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But here’s the thing. We both had full plates, but we didn’t eat everything. We ate until we were full. And then we acknowledged that we were indeed full so we stopped eating. Food Freedom Rule 1: Don’t eat it just because you think you have to.

I’m excited to share our Food Freedom journey with you. It’s always a learning process, but this time it feels different to me. I plan on finding paleo alternatives whenever possible and go back to the Whole30 rules when I feel like I’m losing control.

September Whole30 Complete

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Hello October.

Not only is October my favorite month, but we successfully completed the September Whole30 reset. And we absolutely feel fantastic.

So what’s next?

As of this morning, I’ve been re-reading the major points of Melissa Hartwig’s Food Freedom Forever to get a handle on how to do life after the Whole30.

For me, after Whole30 is over is the hardest part. I’m always nervous about reintroducing foods I know will have a negative affect on me, and I don’t want to lose all of the wonderful good feelings I’ve cultivated over the last 30 days.

But we have a lot of be thankful after this season of Whole30.

Here are some of our NSV (Non-Scale Victories):

  • Long-lasting, sustainable energy
  • Less digestive issues
  • Complete mental clarity
  • No brain fog
  • Zero bloating
  • Less headaches
  • Mindfulness of the meal prep stages
  • The ability to say “no thank you” in certain situations
  • Sharper sight (colors look brighter, richer)
  • Lack of cravings
  • Less snacking, if at all
  • More exercise
  • Better quality sleep
  • Ability to tackle hard tasks or challenging things after a long day
  • More motivation in the morning
  • Clear skin
  • More creative recipes and flavor profiles
  • Zero joint pain or aches

And I’m sure there are others I’ve left out.

Since this was our third time to complete the Whole30, I did notice the hangover phase lasted considerably less time than round one and round two. It took me 12 days to feel better during round one. It took eight days in round two.

But this time, it only took four (excruciatingly hungover) days to feel awesome. That to me was the biggest win of all. The mental clarity part of Whole30 is what I crave. The sustainable energy is also a big one.

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It feels good to finish something so rewarding.

Check back tomorrow to see how we celebrated our completed Whole30.

Something New and Safe

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When I started down the road of cleaner and safer, my focus was food related.

But I quickly realized to live my best life I had to think about what I was putting on my body.

Never once did I bat an eyelash at the thought of my disposable makeup removing cloths weren’t safe for my skin and eyes.

Enter Beautycounter.

I’m so excited to have a safer, high performing formula to remove my eye makeup. It works perfect for waterproof and long-wearing mascara and eye shadows. But it’s free of silicones and mineral oils.

It uses the power of coconut and macadamia oils to break down pigments and cornflower extract to soothe delicate skin. Safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers, too

This is an easy way to introduce yourself to Beautycounter and its mission without giving up all the things you currently love. Safer beauty starts with a choice. And I can’t think of a better one than this one.

Start small with our Instant Eye Makeup Remover. Then add in a Charcoal Cleansing Bar to try out a best seller and a favorite of mine for skin care. Then try our new Volumizing Mascara.

One piece at a time. Safer beauty with each step.

Friday Favorites

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We’ve made it to Friday.

It’s day 29 of Whole30.

I’m almost there. The end of the clean eating road. Though I don’t think much will change. I’ve been feeling so good and clear-headed. Don’t really want to lose that.

So what are my favorites today?

Share some of your favorites.