Taking time to appreciate
Most people resolve to exercise, eat better or something along those lines. Personally, I don’t make resolutions. I do set goals and intentions for the year that include business and personal items. In the first week in January, I put out a large self stick table top pad. Then my son, husband and I take turns remembering what we appreciate about the past year. We write them on this large sheet of paper and then hang it in the hallway so we can read it throughout the year. It’s a great activity to do with the whole family. I feel it’s so important to take time to appreciate what you’ve done and accomplished and in doing this, it releases the energy for more good stuff to come your way in the new year. As they say, what you focus on is what you manifest, so focus on the good stuff.
How about you
As for resolutions, they are fleeting if you don’t make a plan. What I like to do is take a goal and then break it down into small doable steps. That way, by the end of the year, you’ve accomplished the resolutions you had in mind. For example, say you want to lose 10 pounds . The plan would be to lose a pound a month or .25 a week. How would you do that? You could eat 250 less calories per day and increase your steps by 250. You’d be amazed at what you can achieve when you break it down into very manageable steps. Now slowly but surely, translate that energy into the other resolutions you’ve made for the year. As they say, How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!
Given that less than 14% of people over the age of 50 and 39% in their 20’s actually achieve their New Year’s resolutions, I believe that setting a goal for the year and making a plan will best support your efforts.
Support Team
And remember, I’m here to support you in your commitment to make change. Having a support team increases your rate of success.
Even the smallest changes can make a huge impact in your life. Have you ever heard the analogy of a ship sailing towards Europe and it makes a 1 degree shift and ends up in Africa? That’s what I’m talking about. Making small, simple changes that will make a big impact on your overall life. That sounds doable, doesn’t it?
Start with Breakfast
Is there such a thing as a Healthy Breakfast Cereal? Breakfast can be a challenge for most people. Mornings are rushing around and most times it’s a grab and go situation or perhaps instant oats at your desk while checking your email. I often hear patients telling me that they eat a “healthy cereal” that contains grains and low sugar. I have yet to find a healthy processed breakfast cereal. My suggestion is to look at the grams of carbohydrates per serving and if it’s under 23g, then it’s within a low glycemic range.
Healthy Alternative
I’m always looking for good breakfast options that can be made in advance or easily prepared in the morning. This one is from my friend, Toni, who is an expert when it comes to healthy food options. The great thing about this is it can be made in advance and then you can just grab and go in the morning.
Kasha (another name for buckwheat groats) is a pseudo-cereal, which means it’s more of a seed than a grain. It’s gluten-free, higher in protein than cereal grains (like wheat, oats, and rice), and is considered an “ancient grain” having avoided the selective breeding of big agriculture. It’s pretty much the same food as it was a hundred years ago.
Prep Time: 3 min Cook Time: 40 min Total Time: 34 min
Yields: 6
Ingredients
- ½ cup raw almond butter
- 3 cups raw buckwheat groats
- ½ cup chopped raw pecans
- ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 2 tablespoons REAL maple syrup or raw honey (optional)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of sea salt
- ½ cup unsweetened dried fruit of your choice (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees
- Spread the raw buckwheat groats across a large cookie sheet and bake them for about 40 minutes. Shuffle them around halfway through the process until slightly golden.
- Mix all other ingredients in a large bowl as best you can
- Immediately out of the oven, stir in warm toasted groats into the bowl until everything is evenly distributed (the heat from the groats will soften the nut butter and allow it to coat everything nicely)
- Let cool to room temperature
- Place in a tightly sealed glass storage container and store in the fridge
Notes
This recipe is super versatile — you can switch out almond butter for your favorite nut butter, trade the seeds and nuts for other varieties, and play with the amount of maple syrup you use to vary the sweetness. Enjoy Kasha Krunch with milk, yogurt, or as a dry snack.
Enjoy!
If you need help with any of this, I’m here to support and guide you. Have a great week. Donna |
