let’s talk about having more energy

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Let’s face it, we can almost all use more energy. It’s something that most people struggle with at some point. So let’s talk about some helpful tips to make us all feel more energetic throughout the day.

SLEEP
Getting the right amount of sleep for your body is optimal in terms of energy. There is no perfect set number of hours of sleep, but experts say between 6-9 is perfect. You have to figure out for yourself what is your optimal time by seeing how you feel for each of those timelines. A great way to help you get restful sleep is to diffuse or use topically a blend of oils to relax you like: Peace & Calming, Lavender, Cedarwood or my favorite is a blend of Bergamot, Lavender and Frankincense. (when I speak about using an oil topically on the skin, I’m only speaking about Young Living Essential Oils because I know they are safe to be used that way)… 

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whole30, again

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“Hey, it’s been almost a year. Let’s do Whole30 again. It’s so fun.”

Okay, so that’s not really how it went. It really went, “my pants don’t fit, I’m the heaviest I’ve been since I was pregnant, something’s gotta give and I need structure.” So there you have it. I’m doing my fifth Whole30 and I started on Monday. I’m calling this a modified whole30, because of a few reasons.

  1. The obvious – I’m doing it to lose weight and that’s totally not the premise of a true Whole30.
  2. I already know what my body doesn’t like, so I won’t be doing reintroduction like a true Whole30.
  3. If I go out to eat and want bacon on my bun-less, cheese-less burger, I’m going to have bacon even though it might have a little added sugar in it.
  4. I’m still taking my supplements. I take this to regulate my blood pressure and you better believe I don’t drink this stuff for the sugary taste. My bp is more important than the tiny bit of stevia that’s in it.

… 

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paleo coffee creamer

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My husband and I are slightly obsessed with Califia Farms Chocolate Coconut Almond Milk. It’s so creamy and delicious and now that they’ve taken out carrageenan, I feel comfortable drinking it. The other day when I was at the grocery I saw that they now carry Toasted Coconut Coconut Almond Milk blend (still carrageenan free) with no added sugar. Now, it still has some of the “gums” in it, so you can decide wether or not to drink it. I brought it home to try it in my coffee and decided to make a creamer out of it. It’s sweet and slightly coconutty…. 

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paleo peppermint mocha

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peppermint-mocha

Paleo Peppermint Mocha

8-10oz coffee
dash of your favorite non-dairy milk
1t cocoa powder
2t maple syrup
1 drop Peppermint Vitality

Simply mix all of the ingredients. You can customize the taste by changing the amount of milk, cocoa or syrup. This blend was just perfect for me. I personally chose to put them in my individual-sized blender to froth the milk but you can also simply use a whisk to do so or choose to not froth the milk at all. An extra bonus with the peppermint oil in addition to it tasting great is that it supports normal digestion and helps with gastrointestinal comfort. Yay for that!

I personally use and trust Young Living as my source for essential oils. They have a line of essential oils that are labeled for internal/dietary use called the Vitality line. When I speak about ingesting essential oils, the only brand that I can recommend from my experience is Young Living. There are many opinions about ingesting essential oils and the French school of thought is the route I go: some essential oils are safe for internal consumption. Young Living’s integrity and quality is so important to me and I love their Seed to Seal process. The fact that I can visit the farms and see how the oils are produced speaks volumes to me. If you’d like to learn more about essential oils, I’d love to talk to you more about them and how to purchase them or click here to learn about becoming a wholesale member.

what I learned from my first half marathon

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img_0890On Saturday I ran my first ever Half Marathon in Indianapolis. No, I’ve never really run any considerable distance before more than 2 miles and yes, it was difficult. But the reason why I ran made it easier to do being that I’m not a seasoned runner. This whole experience was challenging and I learned a lot along the way that I wanted to share with you all. These are in no particular order and I’m sure as soon as I hit “publish” there will be more things that pop in my head so this list might be ever-growing and changing.

What I learned from my first half-marathon (and maybe my only half-marathon):… 

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workouts + protein

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almondsMost of you have heard how important it is to pair working out with protein. The question is, should you eat protein before or after a workout and what type of protein is beneficial?

According to bodybuilding.com,

adding protein prior to your training session primes the pump: It starts protein synthesis during rather than after your training session. Pre-workout protein most likely increases amino acid delivery and uptake by muscles during training. A study published in Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise found that one scoop of whey protein prior to working out increased calorie burning over the subsequent 24 hours.

One protein source option for whey protein would be Young Living’s Pure Protein Complete. … 

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roasted chicken with carrots and potatoes {whole30 & paleo}

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IMG_8941About a month ago I roasted a chicken for the first time – before that I always threw the whole chicken in the slow cooker all day long. Roasting it just creates a different taste – the skin gets crispy and the veggies almost caramelize in this recipe. It’s all just so delicious and super easy.

I don’t have exact measurements, because I just made how much I thought would fit in the dish and how much we’d eat. I don’t have a roasting pan, so I had to use a glass casserole dish. I need to get a roasting pan so that I can fit more veggies in there because they are so good, especially the carrots. Yum! I hope you enjoy it and if you have chicken left over, it’s perfect for soups or chicken tacos…. 

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simple spicy chili {whole30 & paleo}

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IMG_8949This is Dave’s favorite chili and I’ve adapted it from this recipe (didn’t take much amending) to make it whole30 compliant and Paleo. Like all recipes, check your ingredient list for canned goods to make sure there isn’t any hidden sugar or other things that you don’t want while doing whole30. This is a spicy chili, but not overly hot. Our kids like it too so it’s a great way for them to get some veggies. This is a great recipe to double and freeze some for later. Our family of 4 eats almost all of this in one sitting…. 

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10 helpful wellness links

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10-wellness

This past week I listened to quite a few sessions at the Wellness Family Summit and gleaned a wealth of information through those sessions. I thought you all might enjoy some of the new resources I’ve come across so here they are!

Mommypotamus // recipes for food, beauty and home products

Saving Dinner // recipes, helpful food information, encouragement… 

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small victories

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celebrateLast week I had a bit of a low point. On Tuesday morning I woke up overwhelmed and frustrated at this journey. I thought – how boring for the kids to have ham, carrots & grapes every day. How in the world can I NOT give them a sandwich in their lunch? We’re just going to have to keep eating grains. I went to the grocery store and grabbed a few things, but was still frustrated. Later in the afternoon I watched some sessions from the Wellness Family Summit and it renewed a fire in me. … 

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