Evolve Mastery of your Life

I did get busy. Such is life. I had much to do like win a couple basketball games, finish out a job, start a new job and run a college race. Also, after starting this blog I wanted some time to research. 

Once you figure out one fact, it leads to a fortune of other questions. Hence the time between blogs for research to bring the most trusted, up-to-date answers.

This blog is not to get you skinny. 

It's not to get you in body builder shape. Though, I do enjoy writing about exercise and nutrition.

It's to encourage you to take control of your life and be intentional.

America as a whole is not in control of the little things like portion-control (obesity epidemic), self-control (national debt), daily regimens (stress related health issues), adequate sleep (tiredness and laziness) or faithfulness (50% of marriages ending in divorce).

I love talking with patients that proudly state how long they have been married. My favorites are 40 years and beyond because the trials they have endured are endless and they are filled with wisdom. Tough people. I want to be intentional, daily, in my marriage to be like them one day.

When we each chip in, when we take a little more responsibility, when we take it personal that our nation is overweight, in debt, unfaithful, sleep deprived and not sure where to turn, we find an inner joy.

I have been rightfully taught not to take other's actions personal.

When it comes to whether I'm acting upon a need, I will take that personal.

Joy, I believe, is found in pleasing God. Despite whether you believe this, try the idea He gave for us to follow and tell me you felt more terrible after accomplishing it.

Love others

Find someone who has a need that you excel in.

Teach them something that will bless their lives ceaselessly. 

I have been blessed by the sweet little 5-6th grade girls basketball team I coach voluntarily. It started out rough but seeing the small steps of improvement, the girls thought impossible, is priceless and encouraging for their confidence.

They try to shoot free throws and 3 point shots and miss the basket by 5 feet! EEK!

I have shown them if they start close, make a shot, move back, make a shot....they are swishing free throws. They didn't know they could do that. I love the excitement in their eyes.

It's all progression.

(They don't know that they are also building my confidence to coach and teach more people.)

We are built for evolution, to learn from weaknesses and improve on them.

Progression is the only way to evolve. We take one step at a time. Take one thing we want to be intentional about. We increase our awareness of it for a month and rejoice in what we have learned despite not being perfect at it.

Older people teach us. Science and research teach us. Results teach us.

Don't rely on what one person says. Do the research. Ask lots of people. Know exactly what is working and take one step. 

Be intentional and confident in the little things you can control. 

Every little progresses to BIG so stay in control.

This blog is for tips to find joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control for You and Me!

Hard Evidence to Hard Tummies

 

<pppp>

4 P's in a Pod

As I was running I was thinking about what has helped me the most with staying healthy and fit.

Planning

You plan your daily, weekly, monthly schedules so you can do an amazing amount of tasks in a small amount of time. 

Don't act like you can't plan meals when you can plan life. I know you can do this.

It takes some time and effort, some trial and error.

I'm still not perfect at planning. I do make it a priority to take my lunch. If I haven't had time to think through the week, I, at least, think through the day, planning when I need specific nutrients and when I'm going to exercise.

Planning is everything. An awesome app for this is Paprika.

http://www.paprikaapp.com 

You can enter your recipes into the app. Then you plan what you want each day on the calendar in the app and it will add the ingredients to a shopping list. Doesn't get more convenient than that.

Now just knowing what your spouse and kids will want each day is your only question.

Patience

Fat does Not disappear over night nor does muscle appear after one hard workout. Every diet or exercise, that claims this, is fraud. Sorry. I've been praying off the extra for years and it doesn't budge without some dedicated work. 

Be patient. Learn to love your body and see how your mind can make it transform. Your mind is a beautiful thing. Use it!

It's going to take weeks, months, years to healthfully get to where you want. Keep up with your plan. Good things will come. They are promised to those who wait.

Portion

Knowing a portion size is crucial to health. 

Susan Ridgeway with diettogo has a perfect example of sizes.

http://diettogo.com/blog/portion-control

What you are served at a restaurant is Usually not a serving size. Your quarter pound meat portion is one ounce more than a serving which may be fine but not if you don't realize it.

 Having more than a serving size multiple times a day leads to extra calories, extra energy you probably aren't using that is loving your hips, tummy, legs or wherever fat loves you.

Watch portion control closely and it can become your best friend.

Partners

It's more fun to workout with a friend. Everything is quicker and easier with a buddy. Knowing you are letting someone down if you don't meet them is a great motivator to getting you out that door. 

99% of finishing is starting. 

Having someone who helps cheer for you is key as well. My husband is my greatest cheerleader and we learn new ways everyday of finding things that build me up to eat better rather than seeming offensive. He knows I have goals and he wants to help and I'm so thankful for his support.

Find someone, anyone and I bet it may be one of your strongest relationships. 

If you run with me you are family.

After all that is how my husband wooed me.

Do it right. Get healthy and take control of your energy levels by taking the correct steps and not being pulled in every direction by the newest, hippest diet or exercise.

Burn calories. Eat right. Plan. Be patient. Watch portion size. Find a friend. Get results.

Organ ICS

There are many websites to explain what organic food standards are but, sadly, very little research to suggest it is healthier. I suspect there are multiple studies in progress since this is a growing question.

Pesticides are supposedly decreased in organic food. Someone once explained that organic food put up their own fight and therefore were stronger or more nutrient rich. Web MD said that the plant's protective act could actually make harmful substances.

Organic is a little more environment friendly. For farm animals, organic is much more natural and friendlier to the animals but I guess in that case the animals have more freedom to eat something that could be poisonous to us when we eat them. 

Check out this article for more on organics.

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/organic-food-better?page=4

It's a hard question to answer, whether organic is better. I usually like the fresher taste because it brings back memories of my dad's garden. 

 

Buy what you can afford organic and what you can't just make sure and scrub.

Web MD included the dirtiest (foods with most pesticide residue) produce:

Spinach

Apples

Pear

Blackberries

Raspberries

Green peas

Green beans

Green onions

Peaches

Summer and winter squash

Strawberries

Really wash these or just focus your organic buys on these foods.

If you are not exercising currently

Focus on daily eating 

2 fruits

3 vegetables

3 servings protien ( meat, tofu, nuts, beans, seitan)

3 servings whole grains ( bread, brown rice, quinoa, freekeh)

A probiotic (yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso)

2 servings olive oil

If you do exercise most days, you may need to add about a serving of each.

Moderation is key. Yes, it would be easier if we had food set in front of us and knew this would do exactly what we need it to, but that's hard with all the options, food allergies, comfort foods, and sweets.

Keep with shopping the perimeter of the grocery store and starting with the natural food. Buying foods that have only one ingredient is best because you know exactly what you are eating.

Canned foods are loaded with either salt or sugar. You can rinse these and decrease some of the added preservatives or sweeteners.

Frozen produce is nearly as healthy as fresh produce but prepared frozen dinners usually come with added sodium.

Be aware. Know what you are putting in your body. 

Spices are a metabolism booster and a satiety booster, so learning to use them is beneficial.

This made my jaw drop. The person behind me in line needed some of this advice. Almost all of that food is brown/white. There is a lot of sodium and very little nutrients. Those foods won't make you full and therefore you will eat more. Sweet and salty foods make your body want more so it's harder to stop when you have had enough.

Keep those plates colorful. Those antioxidants help your body fight.

Thanks for reading! 

Please comment on here and let me know what you like.

Do you have Diet Debt?

When you decide to save money, do you decide to save so much that you can't even pay your bills?

That's dumb. That's more debt.

Bodily speaking, you need enough calories to pay those hot muscles for working for you today.

All 5 feet 7 inches and 140 pounds of me needs at least 1,400 calories to pay back those sweet resting muscles.

Welcome to a basal metabolic rate (BMR). This is the calories you need to pay your brain, your muscles, your heart, your lungs, your tummy...  for the calories they burned today while RESTING.

If you gip these muscles of payment they will come for you!

They come in the form of 

Sleepiness

Cramps

Exhaustion

Starvation

Dizziness

= x + Quick Math Lesson + = x

If you go to this website and click in your numbers it will calculate your BMR.

Calculate your wight from pounds to kg by dividing lbs by 2.2.

Calculate your height from inches to cm by multiplying inches by 2.54.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjeOyihzDlUldFAtSXV4TTg0VndPV25DV0RxMS1OU3c&hl=en#gid=0

A 5'7", 140 pound person example

140lbs/2.2= 63.6 kg

5ft x 12 inches + 7 inches= 67in. x 2.54= 170 cm

This calculates out to 1408 calories for a daily BMR (not taking into account lean muscle mass which DOES burn more).

Say that 140 lb, 5'7" person wants to be 130 lbs. Plug the weight in that you want to weigh, with the same height, unless you are planning on stretching yourself, and that will be your calorie needs at that weight. I would use that amount of calories to safely heads towards that weight. 

Remember to eat more as you exercise more.

There are tons of BMR calculators out there that will give you a little bit different results suggesting that none of them are exact but a close estimate based on research.

 

*If you use the food journal apps, they will usually calculate this for you.

When you exercise you are going over your data plan on your cell phone and you will have to pay for those. Every penny. 

Your muscles need to be refueled.

You may have your own idea of beauty.

If you are making yourself sicker or weaker the lines of beauty are blurred.

It is possible to lose weight without exercise. 

Keep in mind, exercise will lower your risk of high blood sugar, clogged veins, and breathing problems.

Quick shout out to all those people I see making the same 1.5 hour commute to work each way!

On that commute I love listening to the Doctor Radio.

Today they were talking about how studies showed that a sedentary life led to heart failure, which is your heart not pumping efficiently.

With exercise you are working out your heart and keeping that loving muscle strong.

30 Minute Workout Challenge

Turn on your Hip Hop Music and dance with vigor for 30 minutes. Include lots of Jumping. No stopping.

HAVE FUN!

Stay warm!

To Lose It, You Must Keep It

Real Scenario:
"Hi I'm your nurse. With your condition, it looks like you will need to start journaling your foods, eat absolutely no sugar, no salt, make sure to exercise vigorously 1-2 hrs every day, and quit smoking immediately. I could never do that. It's practically impossible but I am sure you will manage."

This is a normal practice in the hospital and in clinics. Doctors and nurses are the exact opposite of the regimen they prescribe.


I wouldn't listen to posers, haha.


To give advice, you must find something that works.

Healthy GUIDANCE means you take care of yourself and then teach that to others. No Evidence, No Convince.

Nurses, mothers, coaches... are all guilty of "being selfless" ( unhealthy/sedentary) now so that we can "take care" of others.


One Life. One Chance. Be Selfish to Be Selfless.

You only have so much time until that catches up with you.

People like comfort. Teaching them to, briefly, get outside of that comfort, daily, will bring more health and comfort later in life.



Seize the opportunity to learn some advice to give and be giving!

My little sister asked me today if I could send her 30 minute workouts to get her and her roommate in shape by spring.

My little sister Ryli

On my run today....
7 miles on a 200m track..... there were lots of boring laps (at least 60) to think upon this blog.

I came up with the bare basics of getting healthy and fit.







Step One:To get the tummy you want, you will have to keep a log of all your foods.

Studies show that keeping a food journal is the only way people keep the weight off. 
http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20080708/keeping-food-diary-helps-lose-weight


Accountability is the best way to reach goals and keep them.

To Lose It, You Must Keep It!


Bodybuilders.com lives by "Abs are made in the Kitchen."

You need to know if you are getting enough calories to support your body. Without the right amount of food your body will starve and go into binge mode. 

If you don't ever fuel your body it will start to break down muscle and then leave toxic waste (ketones) in your body. Not good. This will send you to the hospital and not towards health.

Jonathan after a long day at work, not enough food or water and then a hard spin class.

On the other side, if you don't know that you are eating too much, you will keep tediously working yourself out to extremes and have nothing to show.


So journal.
I use the Loseit App
Loove it. 

1. It shows me the fat, protein, carbohydrate break down. 
2. Shows how many calories eaten and how many left.
3. You can add your exercise and it calculates how many more  calories your body will need that day. 
4. The Nike Fuelband syncs with it and gives you calorie bonuses based on movement.
5. It keeps a record of foods and meals you eat to easily add them again.
6. Recipe calorie content is easy to store.
7. Enter your height, weight, and goal and it calculates a daily calorie budget.
8. 
   

Awesome App. It has helped me lose10 lbs, a weight I haven't weighed since 19. I feel healthy, strong, and slender.

https://www.loseit.com

Start journaling everything! Don't cheat. It won't help.
You may go over your calorie budget but this is all a learning process and we will get you there!

Keep a positive attitude and don't give up. Just learn from what doesn't work and how you can change it the next day.



My sister wanted an indoor workout for these cold days.

Make sure you are well hydrated and either have workout shoes on or are on a soft floor.
Be cautious and listen to your body. If something doesn't feel right it probably isn't.

Turn on your favorite hip hop music or watch tv.

30 Minute Workout for the Day

cardio party

Every other minute you will run in place, the other minutes you will jump rope in place for 50 seconds.
At the last 10 seconds of each minute you will do the bunny hop, then the high knees, switching off with each minute. 
After 5 minutes you will do the jumping lunge for the last 10 seconds of the 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th and 30th minutes.


Keep a Straight back, keep your tummy in (belly button pulled towards spine)
 Goal is to keep moving the entire 30 minutes.
Start at a comfortable pace and get faster as you learn what you can do.
If you can only do 10 minutes great!!! Do what you can

Quick videos

running in place legs

running in place arms

jump rope to crossover

bunny hop

knees high and quick

high knees

knees high and quick

jumping lunge

Minute one

50 seconds running in place

10 seconds bunny hop

Minute two

50 seconds jump rope in place

10 seconds high knees

Minute three

50 seconds running in place

10 seconds bunny hop

Minute four

50 seconds jump rope in place

10 seconds high knees

Minute Five

50 seconds run in place

10 seconds jumping lunge

Repeat x 6

Possible 300 calorie burn in 30 minutes

Thanks for being my motivation to my Passion!

Enjoy and leave Comments!

WARNING
Smoking will hinder your health efforts
It is one of the leading risk factors for heart problems, stroke, COPD and cancer. "Even an e-cigarette", The Doctor Radio stated, "can have 2 packs worth of nicotine in one cartridge". Smoking is to health as playing in mud is taking a shower. Decrease the struggle and work towards quitting AND not being near it.

Creamy Brûléed Vegan Tomato Soup

Mmmmm amazing.

Jonathan and I love TOMATO SOUP, NAAN, AND HUMMUS as a quick and easy meal any night of the week.

Problem is finding a delicious creamy vegan soup in the store and homemade soup can be much cheaper and richer made at home.

So last night I scoured recipes. Jonathan picked one that sounded good and then we pulled all our knowledge together to make some soup.

I made the soup. Jonathan needed time to play his new games since he works full time and goes to school. He is usually the passion behind finding the creamier, heartier meals.
Recipes for me are usually simple.


Note: Brûlée in this recipe is to roast in the oven but I'm sure you can garnish with a dollop of coconut creme and tomatoes on top- brûlée with a torch! Ingredient List and Utensil List is at the end of recipe for beauty of blog :)

 

For 5- 1.5 cup servings or 10- 0.75 cup servings

With some good sourdough bread the 1.5 cup serving can be your whole meal

The 0.75 cup serving is pretty filling too but could go with more.

2.5 pounds tomatoes (roma or larger)

  

 My tomatoes were not that beautiful since it is winter and we have no Whole Foods or Sprouts. I can only imagine what this soup would be with in-season Farmer's Market tomatoes.

Cut tomatoes in half. Cut the onion into 1/8's. Add 7-10 whole garlic cloves.

Drop all on a baking sheet with enough oil to keep from sticking.

Sprinkle with Himalayan salt and black peppercorns.

Stick in the oven at 450' for 25 minutes. They will caramelize and be juicy.

I did this wrong. Supposedly, it is better to put the cut side up.

Enjoy the Aroma!

They will look like this when finished.

Throw this in a stock pot with tongs. I poured the extra juice in as well.

Add 3 cups water, 4 Tbsp. Earth Balance Spread, and 3 tsp. Better than Bouillon vegetable stock and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add fresh basil or dried basil if none of your grocery stores or plant stores have fresh basil. Grr.

Immersion Blender time! Jonathan introduced me to this amazing kitchen gadget.

Get the soup as smooth as you want and add 3/4 cup coconut milk.

Use the creamy kind from the can and mix the contents before adding so you get a little bit of everything.

Blend. Then.....

Make it as thick as you want.

Take a tablespoon of cornstarch to a small dish and add enough water to make a thin paste. Mix that well then add to the soup. If you want a thicker soup use another tablespoon of cornstarch.

**The important thing is to add the dry cornstarch to a dish, add the cold water next and then add to the soup to avoid clumps.

Then you have perfect 

Creamy Brûléed Vegan Tomato Soup

Best with Homemade Sourdough Bread.

Ingredients List

2.5 Tbs Tomatoes

3 tsp Better than Bouillon Vegetable Stock  with

3 Cups Water 

4 Tbsp. Earth Balance Spread

1 Onion

7-10 Cloves Garlic

0.5 cup Fresh Basil or a few shakes of Dried Basil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil- enough to keep the veggies from sticking to the pan

0.75 Cup Canned Coconut Milk

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Kitchen Utensil List

Baking sheet

Stock pot

Cutting Board 

Knife

Immersion Blender

Small whisk

Large Ladle 

5- 1.5 Cup Filling Servings

ENJOY. I hope this soup warms your Soul!

Composing your Life

Is nursing my passion? 

The Idea of a Nurse job is stainless but

Let me answer that with a question. Do you like cleaning up poopy messes, dealing with blood, sticking people with needles, being coughed on, thrown up on, worrying if you have thought about everything that could go wrong, and taking orders from coworkers and patients?

To say the least, no, it is not my passion but rather a means to my passion

I do it because I want to help people, it helps me pay bills, it helps me learn about my passion better, and I got a degree in it. 

I'm scared to start in the ER in 2 weeks but I am also excited for the experience and knowledge I will take from it. I expect to feel more confident, when I am training people to get healthy, answering questions with past evidence.

Have something in your life like this?

How could it be building a better You?  

My Passions:  Running    Nutrition    Exercising    Traveling    Relationships

These are what I get excited about!

Make sure you know your Passions. They do change with different stages of your life but there are some underlying ones that just never go away.

photo credit of http://www.flickr.com/photos/36196762@N04     

This picture gives me endorphins!

What makes your heart pump and your skin get goose pimples?   

                                                                          

Knowing what makes you think or feel the way you do can make you more confident and focused.

Okay, Here is where I come in!

 

I fully believe that taking care of your inner body will help you appreciate the big and littles of life!

Let me help you do this.

Your motivation is to reach your utmost potential by taking control of the small things.

Today's Challenge

Today think about everything you eat. How is it helping you? Ask me or google it if you don't know. 

Think "is this making me better today? Is this taking me towards my goal? Is there any possibility what I am doing right now is taking me towards who I want to be today,tomorrow, and forever?"

If it isn't lets change it now!

Chew on that today.

Stay tuned for the best vegan fire roasted tomato soup recipe!!

Have a day lined with the path to your passion!

Why Blog?

Reason #1

I live in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma_county_map.jpg

Picture from when my in-loves (in-laws) and I hiked the wichita mountains

I have Family and Friends in Australia, California, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Washington, Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, New Mexico, North Carolina, Montana, Tennessee...

Moving every year at least once over the past six years makes it impossible for me to keep up with everyone I would like to.

To my Friends and Family, if you think I do not keep in touch well or I don't like you ;), it is because I am overwhelmed with wanting to talk to all of you and tell you everything!!

Hahaha I just got a text asking why I didn't tell her (my sweet, sweet friend) I started a blog... You know who you are and you know I love you.

I love you friend. Thanks for the encouraging texts that made me laugh.

To tell you the truth I didn't tell anyone I was starting a blog until I had to have my husbands help to do so.

**Please at anytime Call, Text, Email, Facebook, Comment on my Blog, Come see me (notification ahead of time will be to your advantage)

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.  Matt. 26:41
My scatterbrain needs to know you need my undivided time. :)

My sweet college roommate and wonderful friend Leila has always encouraged me to keep a journal. She recognized that it helped me sort out my thoughts and have more direction. My thought is if I am going to journal I might as well share it with the world rather than keep it all to myself. So this is me journaling. Thanks sweet Leila.

I'd rather share in real time. Maybe the next generations could benefit from finding my hidden journal in a dusty house when I die but I believe it will me more productive and encouraging now!

I looked up some quick tips on starting a blog. Research is a topic my husband has made me rely on.

His example makes me a believer. 

I got all my tips from from the blog of Problogger

http://www.problogger.net/archives/2009/01/30/starting-your-first-blog-29-tips-tutorials-and-resources-for-new-bloggers/

Anyway a piece of advice was to make sure you have enough time and that you would probably have to give something up because blogging takes a lot of time.

Hahahahaha

I do not have animals, I have no kids, and my husband is in school, providing lots of time I can't talk to him. I like to sit by him while he studies to keep him company but I WILL talk to him if I don't keep my mind busy.

The look he gives when I interrupt his concentration.
He looks similar to this

I don't think I will have to give anything up :)

Except exploring Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.
Maybe a little less OCD cleaning.

No big.

So, the time is RIGHT!

Reason #2

Health and Nutrition!!

I am a runner, a nurse, and a vegetarian/vegan.

I have seen the health benefits adequate exercise and a balanced diet provide me.
I have also seen too much of what happens when you don't take care of yourself and I want it to STOP!

There is only so much in life you can control. I want you to take advantage of what you can.

These are a few items that I use to help motivate me to exercise. I will talk about them more in future posts.

I plan to give daily tips on how to take control and make simple steps towards
you daily overall health with nutrition tips as well

Thanks for following!!!

Let me know what you think and any questions or requests.