Through The Tulips Words of 'Wiz'dom

April 25, 2018

Team Self

Filed under: 5k Training,Food for Thought,Gratitude,Health/ Fitness,Life — gardener @ 6:51 am

The title of this post may seem very self absorbed- but actually it’s more self- care than anything else.     This year- I have come to certain realizations that SO many things no longer work in my life-    Things I once loved no longer bring me joy-     Such is the ebb and flow of life-  but rather than become complacent in my journey- as I somewhat feel in many aspects I had-   I decided, after much thinking and contemplating- that I needed to switch things up a bit.

You only need to know me in my everyday life to know the kind of person I am.   I’m very social and love people.    Because of that there tends to be this assumption that people make that my life has this perfect rosy tint to it.    While I lead a very blessed life- it’s far from perfect and I struggle with myself from time to time as much as the next person.  Also, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss being back ‘home’ with those I love and care for there-   It’s the blessing and curse of living in a space other than what you grew up with.  It has afforded me many amazing opportunities and wonderful people, and I am so grateful for that-   but I also miss my family and friends ‘back’ home’.     It is one of those things I am used to- but it is always there.

During this process I’m currently in-   I’ve decided that I need to be able to think of my own needs first- before those of others-  so hence the title of this post-    also hence the decision to join the gym and to spend more time taking care of myself- albeit a little later in life than I should have started-   Better late than never right?

So this is where I want to write about that journey to self-  to finding a balance in a world that is constantly connected-   I know that living my best life possible is going to mean letting go of some things.    Some of which will be much easier to do than others..

 

Stay tuned if you are interested in the journey…

September 9, 2017

Changes in Weather and Life..

Filed under: Health/ Fitness,Inspiration — gardener @ 1:08 pm

I’ve been thinking a lot about change lately- and how some things seem to happen easily and others- well, for whatever reason seem to yank us right out of our comfort zones.

I’ve been on the cusp of the latter for quite some time- a year, quite possibly. I will ‘think’ I’m going to take the step- and then for whatever reason (fear? ) I don’t make the leap, but I haven’t forgotten it- it’s there- so I haven’t given up- therefore I know I have not failed.

There was a time when every time I didn’t do things exactly as I had planned, I would have considered myself a failure. Thankfully, I am older and wiser now and while I am far from perfect, there are plenty of lessons I have learned and continue to learn- this one being one of them.

So I’m standing at this cusp- and rather than staring into the unknown- I’ve decided to start using this space or some space to write about it.

One week from Sunday- Change is coming. I better get ready- Life as I know it is about to turn upside down- Join me for the ride if you will.

August 24, 2016

Whole 30 – Take Two and Going Strong

Filed under: Food,Health/ Fitness,Inspiration,Life — gardener @ 1:19 pm

Since my last post- several weeks ago, Marcel and I have embarked on the Whole 30 adventure together.  It’s my second time and his first.    We started on the 15th, and while he wanted to give it up at around day four-   he decided in the end to stick with it and he’s doing great now.

It has been a lot more time consuming this time.   Mostly because with BOTH of us doing it-  it means a LOT more meal prep time since he can’t take his usual sandwich to work.  That means egg muffin cups for work- and omelettes for breakfast.  It’s time consuming, but definitely worth it.

Plus this week we’ve had some really warm weather and that meant me spending a LOT of time in the kitchen yesterday meal prepping for salads for the rest of the week.    The fridge is stuffed to the brim with various greens, bacon, turkey breast, roasted tomatoes, roasted zucchini and eggplant, grated carrots and beets, boiled eggs and the list goes ON..   It makes it so simple to toss together a salad of our choosing and it’s delicious!

I haven’t asked Marcel many questions on whether he feels like Whole 30 is changing how he feels, because I believe it’s too early to tell.    I’ll give it a few more weeks, or maybe he’ll discover it on his own.   I’m definitely having a little more energy than I was before, but still not at the tiger blood stage I got to at around week 2 before.   I am waking up earlier in the morning and feeling more rested- but not sure if that’s from Whole 30 or the warm weather.   Time will tell.

Have you tried the Whole 30 plan?  What were your thoughts?  I would love to hear your experience.

March 19, 2016

What a Difference a Day Makes

Filed under: Gratitude,Health/ Fitness — gardener @ 2:02 pm

I spent a little time the past weeks feeling somewhat down and deflated about the total lack of energy I’ve had. Sunshine didn’t help, vitamins haven’t helped, nothing has. I know that the flu so many have had this winter (myself included), has left lingering effects of tiredness long after the flu had gone, so I really felt that it was probably that.

I also started the Whole 30 five days ago, and have been following the plan to the letter. Today, I woke up feeling not much different than I usually do, although I didn’t have that immediate feeling that I wanted to sleep for another hour, nor did I feel groggy. I noticed, but didn’t attribute it to much.

As the day wore on, and I wasn’t dragging and actually felt like getting out and walking- I was SO excited! My energy is so much better today and I can’t tell you how much joy it brings me. I’m grateful.

Tomorrow, after I finish working, I may put on my running shoes and walk a little further. Little by little I’m going to rebuild my stamina.

If today brought this- I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.

January 28, 2016

That Tiny Grain, Teff

Filed under: Food,Health/ Fitness,Things I Love — gardener @ 10:58 am

Being the forever curious I am, I love when something new crosses my path that strikes the core of my curiosity. In this case, it was the tiniest grain in the world- Teff. Back in the day, quinoa had become a huge favorite of mine long before it was as readily available as it is now. To this day it’s my favorite and I buy in bulk. I use it instead of rice in most everything and the nutrition can’t be beat, but I digress- we aren’t discussing ‘that’ grain, we’re discussing Teff.

I had read bits and bobs here and there over the years about Teff, but nothing that really struck me. Last week, though- I was perusing Instagram and came across this Teff porridge and immediately my ears and tastebuds perked.

After pulling out my trusty BFF for all information (Google), I found several recipes that I knew I’d want to make.    I went to my ‘go to’ website for all the healthy grains and other healthy products I enjoy (vitamins, freeze dried fruits, flours, grains, essential oils and more).  I love one stop shopping and I was able to find the Bob’s Red Mill Teff for a great price.  I’m a HUGE fan of the quality of products that Bob’s sells, so I added some to my cart at <a href=”http://iherb.com/?rcode=QJK747″ Target=”BLANK”>iHerb</a> and checked out.     I’ve been using iHerb for years, so I know that not only is the one-stop-shopping amazing, but also that their customer service is outstanding BUT their delivery quick.     All huge reasons they continue to be my ‘go to’ place to this day.

My Teff order arrived yesterday and today I made an amazing porridge with the recipe straight off the back of Bob’s Red Mill bag.     I personalized it a little to suit me, but it was so delicious!

My next experiment will be creating some deliciousness with some Teff flour- that I’ll be ordering soon!

If you would like to order some Teff flour or anything for that matter-  Use the code “QJK747” when you check out and you’ll receive a discount on your first order-   Trust me, it’s worth it.  You won’t be sorry-  plus those hard to find things you can’t seem to find-  they probably have them if it’s relating to a healthy lifestyle.

Enjoy-   and if you’ve tried Teff, I’d love to hear your thoughts about it.

 

 

 

 

January 15, 2016

FitBit Resurrection

Filed under: Health/ Fitness,Life — gardener @ 11:08 am

I spent some time resurrecting my FitBit- which mainly meant that I needed to charge it- add the app to my new iPhone, plus update it, since it had been so long since I’d used it. I have felt inspired and also very much felt energized since I’ve been working towards getting into a regular exercise routine again.

I have to ask myself (and have) why I ever got out of the exercise habit in the first place, and truth is- I don’t know. I stopped making it a priority- along with healthy eating, and it shows in my bootay. ha.. But no blame or woe-is-me here. I’m responsible for my choices- and I’m owning them. I’m not taking my good health for granted and trying to ensure that it continues as best I can.

January 6, 2016

One Month & a New Year Later

Filed under: Food for Thought,Health/ Fitness,Inspiration,Life — gardener @ 12:05 pm

Happy 2016 y’all- Six days into the new year and I’m finding myself on a good track to getting myself exactly where I need and want to be. Where is that, exactly?

Like many people- getting into a regular exercise routine is on my agenda in a big way. Finding balance in the busy and the various projects I have going on is a key for me this year. I really don’t love that discombobulated feeling, and I’m starting with- (in addition to the exercise) creating a schedule of de-clutter and getting rid of unwanted items, and creating a space that will encourage creativity, which I do believe is important!

Scheduling is BIG on my list this year- because I’ve realized that working with a schedule makes things happen fluidly. It doesn’t mean things don’t pop up from time to time, but I know that I’ll be ready to put plan A or B into action if that happens. I do it in my business all the time, but now it’s time to add it to my personal life as well.

This is only the beginning. What about you- What do you have on your list this year to accomplish?

June 30, 2015

Keeping Promises

Filed under: Health/ Fitness,Life — gardener @ 10:33 am

It’s warm today-   not hot, but warm.  Much warmer weather is coming- and I spent the entire morning making meals that would last us the rest of the week so that I don’t have to spend any time cooking in the heat later this week.

I also baked a cake- which I’ll stick in the freezer and pull out Friday evening for a Saturday afternoon visit from friends- to celebrate (a little early) my birthday.  Plus it’s Independence Day- another reason to celebrate!

Once I finished – I also did the bed linens on both beds, plus vacuumed and mopped the floors- again so that I don’t have to think about it later in the week (except the vacuuming part, which will definitely need it).

By the time I got everything done- I was ready for some chill time-  but I knew I’d promised myself to get on the elliptical daily- and for a nano-second I considered skipping it.    Instead, I got up immediately before I had time to talk myself out of it- or got distracted with something else. and I did the work out.    Granted, it was a hard work-out (which shows how out of shape I am at the moment) but the main thing is I  kept my promise to myself.

Integrity and keeping my word is so important to me, and over the years- I’ve broken promises to myself- which should be held to the same set of standards that I have for the promises I make to others.   It’s one of those life lessons I’m grateful for- and I’m grateful for understanding the importance of keeping my word to me.

 

September 18, 2014

Moving Right Along

Filed under: Health/ Fitness,Inspiration,Life — gardener @ 10:42 am

My last post was a few weeks ago and I talked about getting back into a healthier lifestyle change, and it has made a huge difference in how I feel, not only physically, but also mentally. It has been challenging at times, because I still fight the urges to snack in the evenings, and sometimes I do have those ‘junk food’ days, but I’m moving more- and even starting to do a little running, and it feels good.

This amazing weather we’ve been having has definitely added to the incentive to get out and enjoy- so much so that I’ve let a few things go- such as writing here more often. But I’m working on finding that balance that works perfectly for me.

Today for dinner- I had some steamed broccoli, green beans, half an avocado, tomatoes from my garden (which is oh-so-good) and some grilled shrimp. It was delicious, and filling. Plus I knew that when I was finished- that even if I was not ‘stuffed’ (which I am learning all over again that I don’t ‘need’ to feel full all the time) that my body was being given what it needed nutrition wise- and I would not have that evening sluggish feeling from eating junk.

I haven’t looked at the scale, and honestly- I’m not sure if I will. It’s secondary to good health and feeling good. That’s what matters- not a number.

September 5, 2014

Lifestyle Changes

Filed under: Health/ Fitness — gardener @ 8:09 am

This has been a different kind of year for various reasons. Not that every year is the same, but we’ve been tossed quite a few curveballs this year that has cost quite a bit of energy. There have been some great changes that have taken place, so even the curveballs have been knocked out of the park with the good results of choices we’ve made.

One of those things, for me- was to start making a shift towards a healthier lifestyle change. Granted, I lead a pretty healthy lifestyle by most standards- I rarely eat anything processed, but I knew I needed to start adding more exercise into my life- and I’ve been slowly doing that and with great results.

We tend to have this mentality that we have to change everything at once- which can become overwhelming, but one little change at a time and things add up quickly. If you don’t believe me, give it a try yourself and see.

Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress