Comfort Food Makeovers

I did a segment on Mass Appeal this week, and aside from a very dull knife incident with the spaghetti squash (see about 2 minutes in...yikes!), and the fact that they called me a "registered dietitian" (which I am not, and have notified the station that a PhD. is different than an RD!), the recipes went over very well with the cast and were easy to make!

Watch for "How to's" below:

Mass Appeal Segment with recipes on cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash pasta and zucchini lasagna:

http://youtu.be/uTilWwLjbnc

Meal Plan

Breakfasts

Egg whites and mozzarella or goat cheese with spinach on gluten free English muffin

omelette with goat cheese, red peppers and spinach with side salad of greens and balsamic vinegar

Gluten free bread (2 slices) with 2 Tbsp.. peanut butter and 1 banana

smoothie with greens, 1 scoop protein, almond milk, piece fruit

Plain yogurt with Bobs Red Mill gluten free Meusli and flax seed

Lunch

Tuna sandwich on paleo bread with apple slices, onion, and lettuce, side of veggies and piece fruit (2 days)

chicken (leftover from stir fry) on bed of lettuce with goat cheese, cranberries, onion, apple

chicken (leftover from stir fry) stuffed in gluten free tortilla with stir fry veggies, piece fruit

leftover zucchini lasagna and side salad, piece fruit

Snack (up to 2 per day)

celery with baby bella cheese

chiobani yogurt with flax seeds

apple with peanut butter

Dinner

Cauliflower rice stir fry with chicken, broccoli, peppers, carrots, and leeks

zucchini lasagna (2 nights)

spaghetti squash pasta with ground turkey, peppers, onion, pasta sauce (2 nights)

Dessert (because I feel like baking this week, and my exercise schedule is heavy, so a little extra discretionary Calories are in order :-)!)

Apple pie 

Grocery List

Produce

4 zucchini

1 head cauliflower

1 spaghetti squash

1 lb carrots

1 lb celery

1 leek

2 peppers

1 bag spinach

1 head broccoli

onion

fruit (5 pieces for lunches, plus 1 bag apples for pie)

bananas 1-2

Dairy

6 eggs

baby bella cheese

almond milk

mozzarella cheese

cottage cheese or ricotta

2-3 greek yogurt

goat cheese

Meat

1 lb ground turkey

1 lb chicken

2 cans tuna (plus either greek yogurt or light mayo to make it)

Other

2 jars pasta sauce

protein powder

goat cheese

gluten free tortillas

gluten free bread/english muffin

paleo bread

gluten free frozen pie crust (Whole Foods has a good one!)

 sugar and cinnamon  and corn starch for pie

flax seeds

dried cranberries

Bobs Red Mill gluten free Muesli

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail!

Last week I had my wisdom tooth taken out, which I thought was going to result in a liquid diet week...but I recovered pretty well and was eating solid foods by the next day!  The problem? I wasn't PREPARED!  I did not go grocery shopping or create any sort of weekly structure for myself.  My choices were ok, but they weren't great (lots of random lunch purchases at work, coffees out, a gluten free muffin splurge as I drove by the bakery on my way home from the gym).  None of these choices were horrible on their own, but add them up over 5 or 6 days, and they result in a lethargic, moody, bloated Laura.  So, I will NOT fail to plan this week! 

Recipes for the week are simple and easy to prepare on the spot.  There is not much time for food prep this Sunday, so I will rely on dinners that take 30 minutes or less to prepare and have little clean up! I always go to Clean Eating Magazine's Website when I am looking for quick and easy, because there are two awesome categories to accommodate that goal: 20 minutes or less meals and 5 ingredients or less meals!

Turkey Black Bean Soft Tacos (I use coconut paleo wraps from Julian Bakery instead of corn tortillas)
Greek Style Fish with Mint Cucumber Sauce
Chicken and Lentils

Breakfast Choices:
2 days: Greek yogurt with 2 tbsp. flax seed, 2 Tbsp. walnuts and 1 banana
2 days: Smoothie made with 1 cup cherries, 1 cup almond milk, 1 scoop protein powder, 1 cup spinach
1 day: breakfast sandwich: 2 eggs, 1 slice cheddar cheese, 2 slices gluten free bread with 1/2 cup spinach and slice of tomato mixed in sandwich

Lunch Choices:
"The usual" 3 days: Paleo sandwich with 3 ounces turkey or ham, lettuce, tomato, mustard
Baked sweet potato 2 days: (baked in the morning before work) topped with leftover stuffing from tacos and 1 ounce cheddar

Dinners:
Monday: Breakfast for dinner: 2 egg omelet with ham, cheddar, apple with side of greens in oil and vinegar dressing
Tuesday: Turkey Black Bean Soft Tacos
Wednesday: Greek Style Fish with mint and cucumber sauce with side of cauliflower mashed potatoes (see four weeks ago for recipe!)
Thursday: Chicken and Lentils with side of jasmine rice
Friday: Leftover Chicken and Lentils

Snack choices:
Apples or celery with nut butter

Shopping List:

Middle Aisles

• 12 corn tortillas or other tortillas
• 1 15-oz can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 1/2 cups dry green lentils
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• oregano
• flax seed
• nut butter
• protein powder
• bread for sandwiches
• vinegar for dressing

Meat

• 4 5-oz cod fillets
• 1 1/4 lb extra-lean ground turkey
• 1 lb deli meat
• 12 ounces chicken breast

Dairy and eggs

• 4 cup 0-2% plain Greek yogurt
• almond milk
• cheddar
• eggs (4 for recipes)

Fruits and veggies

• 3 tbsp finely chopped English cucumber
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• lettuce and tomato for sandwiches and tacos
• 2 bananas
• 5 apples
• 2 cloves garlic, minced1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 head cauliflower
• 1 lb spinach
• celery

1 Hour+ 1 Skillet=Meals for the Week!

Lately, I have been seeing nutrition clients on Sunday afternoons, which means less prep time.  I was also craving pizza, so that had to be on the menu this week.  So, I did a whirlwind grocery trip, and made a breakfast and 3 dinner options out of 1 skillet, and tada!  Interesting breakfast and dinner options to the rescue!

Skillet Meal made in to
1. egg white muffins
2. feta, ground turkey and veggie pizza
3. meat sauce to pour over spaghetti squash
4. taco filling to stuff in to tortillas (with optional cheese and avocado on the side to make it pretty!)

Ingredients: 1 jar tomato sauce, 1 jar salsa, 1 carton liquid egg whites, 1 premade pizza crust (I use the gluten free, grain free "Against the Grain" crust), olive oil, spaghetti squash, tortillas (corn or whole wheat), 8 ounces feta cheese, optional cheddar cheese and avocado for tacos

Skillet: 2 peppers (1 red, 1 orange), 4 cups spinach, 1 zucchini, 1 summer squash, 2 cloves garlic, 1 onion, salt and pepper to taste, 2 lb ground turkey (I used 99% fat free variety found at Stop and Shop)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook ground turkey in a pan. chop veggies and add to pan.  Saute until cooked to desired texture.
spread 1/4 jar pasta sauce on pizza crust.

Put 1/4 skillet mixture on pizza
Put 1/4 skillet mixture in 6 large or 2 regular sized muffin tins (greased or lined with muffin cups)
Put 1/4 skillet mixture in bowl with rest of pasta sauce
Put 1/4 skillet mixture in bowl with salsa to stuff in to tortillas at some point

Sprinkle feta cheese on pizza and cook for time recommended on pizza crust box.

Cook spaghetti squash while pizza is in oven.

Pour contents of egg white carton evenly in to egg muffin tins. Put in oven for 15 minutes.

When spaghetti squash is done, prep it for "pasta", and store in a bowl for later in the week.  Save remainder of feta for spaghetti squash pasta!

There you have it!  3 dinners (5 if you count the leftovers that will probably happen from the spaghetti squash and pizza nights!)  and 3-5 breakfasts, depending on how many egg white muffins you eat per time.

Add in a few "usual suspects" (fruits, veggies, lunch meat, salad ingredients, yogurt, oatmeal, protein powder), and the week is set.

Make ahead Meals for a Week On-the-Run

I always dread these weeks: The ones where I have to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner away from home unless I want to eat at 4am and 9pm due to  a heavy work schedule.   But, I know with a little planning, at least my meals can be healthy and tasty!  This week's theme is meals on the go!

PS---I won a shiny trophy at my Crossfit Competition!  Must be all those good meals I am eating :-) (I think Pioneer Valley Crossfit coaching has something to do with it too)

 

Recipes

crustless quiche

sausage spinach skillet (I added a sliced apple)

Ground chicken curry

How to cook spaghetti squash

Meal Plan

Last week, I realized that the only lunch I am really loving is my sandwiches.  So, I will try and alter them a little bit each day, just in case my readers are not as boring as I am and want to mix it up for lunch a bit.

Breakfasts

3 days: crustless quiche (made in advance) with 2 cups salad greens on side

2 days: smothie with 1 cup frozen cherries, 1 cup almond milk, 1 scoop protein, 1 cup spinach

Lunches

every day: sandwich on paleo bread, crudites, piece of fruit

Sandwich options: 

turkey with pepper jelly, cheddar, romaine lettuce

ham with stone ground mustard, apple, spinach, and sprouts

Turkey with stone ground mustard, pear, sprouts

ham with honey mustard, cheddar, romaine lettuce                  

Dinners

2 days: chicken apple sausage skillet with roasted potatoes

3 days: ground chicken curry with vegetables served with spaghetti squash

(I will make both ahead and the meals are great for travelling because they are 1-dishers!)...I will try to include some salad greens on the side to encourage veggie intake as well!

Snacks (1-2 per day)

Ants on a log: 2 celery stalks with 2 Tbsp. nut butter and raisins on top

greek yogurt with flax seed

last resort: protein shake!

Shopping list (tried to make this a little more user friendly by specifying where to find foods in the store!)

Produce:

1 red onion

1 white or yellow onion

garlic

broccoli or other desired veggies for chicken curry

salad greens

spinach (1-2 bags)

romaine lettuce (1 head)

2-3 sweet potatoes

2-3 lbs small potatoes for roasting

6 apples

1 pear

1 package sprouts

celery (and any other veggies like carrots and peppers for crudites)

cherry tomatoes

parsley

Dairy:

8 ounces feta

3 ounces cheddar cheese for sandwiches

milk or milk substitute (I use almond)

6 eggs (or could also go with 10-12 egg whites here)

parmesan cheese

Meat:

1/2 lb ham (deli)

1/2 lb turkey (deli)

package chicken or turkey sausage

Other:

1 can tomatoes

curry powder

fish sauce

nutmeg

salt and pepper

mustard (stone ground and honey mustard)

pepper jelly

frozen cherries

protein powder

paleo bread (or other desired bread for sandwiches)

olive oil for cooking

ghee or butter for cooking

nut butter

raisins

pine nuts

Easy Peasy Week!

We hosted a Mexican fiesta last night, and while it was fun and awesome...

 

 

...it resulted in a Sunday morning full of clean up and a Laura who is not so thrilled about messing up her pretty kitchen again today J 

 

So, this week is for those who sometimes feel the same!  I am also planning on going out to dinner at some point this week, and soups are great for freezing and reheating when you make too much!

Recipes

Protein Pancakes    

Rotisserie Chicken Salad and Rotisserie Chicken Soup

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup (I omitted the milk all together and used chicken stock in place, and took out the bouillon cubes…however, you could make this vegan by following the instructions or using veggie broth in place of milk!)

 

Meal Plan

Breakfasts

Greek yogurt with flax and banana (2 days)
Protein pancakes (3 days)

Lunches

Paleo bread sandwich with boars blackened turkey, mustard, lettuce, tomato, and onion, crudités and apple (3 days)

Rotisserie chicken salad on bed of spinach with dried cranberries, walnuts, red onion and cucumber (2 days)

Dinners

Rotisserie chicken soup (2 days)

Breakfast for dinner (1 day): 3 egg omelette made with goat cheese, red peppers, spinach, and red onion with a side of greens (also with goat cheese, red peppers, and red onion on top!)

Butternut squash and apple soup (2 days) with 4-6 ounces Boars head black forest ham rollups

Snacks (1-2 per day, depending on exercise level)

Apple with almond butter (2 days)

Smoothie with 1 scoop whey protein, 1 cup almond milk, 1-2 cups spinach, 1 cup frozen cherries (2-4 days)

Greek yogurt with flax (3 days)

Grocery List

large butternut squash (3 lbs.), 3 red onions, 9 medium apples (any cooking variety), peeled, cored and diced, nutmeg, ginger, salt, pepper, 3 leeks, 1 lb celery, 1 lb carrots (plus more celery for chicken salad and carrots for crudités), 1 red pepper (plus an extra pepper or 2 for crudités), 1 white onion, garlic, 2 bananas, 2 grapefruit, 1 lb spinach, 1 small head of lettuce for sandwiches, 2 cups cottage cheese, 10 eggs, 6 Greek yogurts (plain), ½ cup goat cheese, 1 carton liquid egg whites, 1 bag frozen cherries, whey protein, almond milk, 1 lb Boars head turkey, 1 lb boars head ham (don’t need this much for 1 person, but there is a certain husband in my house that likes to break in to the deli meat), 1 rotisserie chicken, 1 cup chicken stock, 4 cups chicken broth, almond butter, flax seed meal, gluten free oats, Julian bakery paleo bread (or other bread of your choice for sandwiches), mustard.

 

Rotisserie Chicken Recipes

I am often left with half a rotisserie chicken (I buy a whole one and eat half for dinner when I'm in a rush!) and I'm not a huge fan of reheating it.  These are two recipes I use to make the most of "the other half",  so I don't waste my pricey Whole Foods chicken!

1. For lunches: "Cleaned up" Rotisserie Chicken salad

Ingredients: 1 cup greek yogurt, 1/2 Rotisserie chicken (skin removed and chopped in to pieces), 1 cup chopped celery, 1 small red onion chopped, 2 Tbsp deli style mustard, salt and pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Makes about 4 cups (4 servings) of chicken salad.  I like to put mine on top of apple slices, on a salad, or in a sandwich for a yummy lunch!

2. For dinners or healing a cold or flu :-): Chicken and veggie soup

Ingredients: 1/2 rotisserie chicken (chopped-you can leave skin on or take it off, depending on preference), 2-3 cups chicken broth, 1/2 lb carrots, 1/2 lb celery, 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves,  1-2 leeks, salt and pepper to taste, oil (just enough to saute)

Sauté veggies in olive oil or coconut oil. Add broth and chicken. Cook on low for 1 hour. Serve on its own or mix in 1/2 cup rice per bowl (makes 3 large or 5-6 small bowls)

Meal plan and shop for week of 1/20

This week is a tapering week, because I have my very first crossfit competition on Saturday! I'll be exercising a little less, so Calorie needs will be slightly lower (1800-2000 range). When Calorie needs decrease, we really need to focus on quality of food, reducing any extra solid fats and added sugars, in order to make sure we pack in the fiber, vitamins, and minerals necessary for optimal performance and health!  Therefore, I'm making a little goal for myself to make sure I have a high quality protein, plus a fruit and/or a veggie at every meal and snack.  I am also increasing my snacks to 2 per day so I don't raid the chocolate and cheese supply after dinner!

Recipes for the week will help me ensure that fruit and veggie intake is high, as well as help me keep my healthy fats and high quality protein in a good range.  I also have some extra time this week, so I don't have to prep ahead as much! If I did, I would make veggie egg white muffins (see last post) vs the scramble and prep bison chili, cauliflower, chicken, and root veggies in advance! Depending on how my workouts and recovery are feeling, I might add some jasmine rice or gluten free cornbread to the bison chili.

Recipes 

Mashed cauliflower

Mashed root veggies (I used parsnips, rutabaga, turnip, and carrots)

Bison chili (I added diced peppers and black beans)

Broiled chicken thighs (I used coconut oil in place of butter, and Braggs aminos instead of soy sauce)

Egg white scramble(I omitted the cheese)

Lemon codfish

For the green smoothie: 1 cup spinach, 1 cup frozen berries or cherries, 1 scoop whey protein, 1 cup almond milk

Grocery list

Healthy fats: coconut oil, olive oil, walnuts, flax seeds, almond milk

High quality protein: 1 lb boars head turkey breast, 1 lb bison meat, 1 lb chicken thighs, 6 eggs, whey protein powder, 1 carton liquid egg whites, 2 cups plain greek yogurt, can of black beans (12 oz cod purchased on day of)

Fruits: 5 apples, 2 grapefruit, 2 bananas, 3-4 pears, 2 cups frozen berries, 1 cups frozen cherries, 1 lemon

Vegetables: 6 cups spinach, 2 cups peppers, 4 cups celery, 2 cups carrots, 2 onion, 4 sweet potatoes, 1 tomato, 1 cucumber, 2 parsnips, 1 turnip, 1 rutabaga, can green chiles, jar salsa, canned tomatoes, head garlic, Brussels sprouts, head lettuce, head cauliflower

Other: Paleo bread (coconut from Julian bakery), vega protein powder, amazing grass chocolate superfood, Braggs amino acids, (bacon and parmasean cheese for Geoff's Brussels sprouts)-this is obviously optional!

Meal plan (note, grocery list includes dinners for two!)

Breakfasts (20-30g protein, 400 Calories):

1. Green smoothie (3 days)

2. Egg white scramble with a side of fruit-grapefruit (2 days)

Lunches (20-30g protein, 400-500 Calories)

1. Greek yogurt with flax seeds (2tbsp), walnuts (2tbsp), and banana (2 days)

2. Paleo turkey sandwich (4oz turkey)  with mustard, tomato and lettuce, celery sticks and piece of fruit (3 days)

Snacks (10-20g protein, 1-200 calories)

1. 2 hard boiled eggs, crudités-cucumber/peppers/carrots etc, fruit (3 days)

2.  Turkey roll ups with 2 oz turkey, lettuce, mustard and apple slices (2 days)

3. Vega protein post workout shake mixed with almond milk and chocolate superfood (every day post hard workout---run/row/crossfit)

Dinners (35-45g protein, 600 calories)

Monday: chicken thighs broiled with baked sweet potato and mashed cauliflower

Tuesday: leftovers from Monday 

Wednesday: bison chili

Thursday: leftovers from Wednesday 

Friday: (purchase fish day of): lemon codfish, mashed root veggies, roasted Brussels sprouts

Weekly Meal Planning and Shopping

As the new year rolls in, I have had a lot of clients interested in doing more cooking at home.  As a person who has a very limited amount of time during the week to cook (and also really hates cleaning), I have become a master of the "plan ahead Sunday". In just a half hour of planning, a one hour grocery trip, and 2 hours of cooking and cleaning, I have planned and prepped my Monday through Friday meals (note: Saturday and Sunday are sort of a free-for all....I'm working on it!).

15 minute planning session: I thought about my goals for the week (limiting added sugar, packing in nutrient density, portable breakfasts to eat post workout, 1 portable dinner for my late Monday work night, and some meals that my husband will actually eat at dinner!)   I have to plan dinners for the two of us, but we fend for ourselves for breakfast and lunch (i.e. I plan and pack my meals, and he drinks coffee for breakfast and purchases some sort of cheesy, fatty deliciousness for lunch...working on that one too).

Meal Plan for the Week (2000ish Calorie diet with 40% Calories from Carbs, 30% from protein and 30% from fat spread pretty evenly throughout the day, with carbohydrates focused at the beginning of the day and around exercise)

Breakfasts (500-600 Calories per day): 

3 days: egg white veggie muffins and oatmeal

2 days: banana walnut paleo pancakes

Lunches (500-600 Calories per day)

3 days: turkey sandwich on gf bread, 1 fruit, 1 cup veggies

2 days: chicken sandwich on gf bread, 1 fruit, 1 cup veggies

Snacks (roughly 200 Calories per day)

3 days: yogurt with flax seeds

2 days: veggie lite muffin (these things are awesome little treats-my indulgence for the week)

Dinners (500-600 Calories per day with some extra for sure when I go out Friday night!)

Monday: Baked chicken with quinoa and sauteed veggies

Tuesday: Zucchini lasagna

Wednesday: Whole foods rotisserie chicken and sweet potato fries, sauteed cabbage

Thursday: leftovers (chicken, cabbage, quinoa)

Friday: Out to eat with my hubby :-)

So, my make ahead meals this week include (kept oven at 350 degrees at times listed for each)

http://www.buff-dudes.com/egg-white-muffin-recipe/ (used some cut up mushrooms, and tomatoes in place of peppers and added in 2 chicken sausages to the recipe)-makes 3 servings

http://jenessasdinners.blogspot.com/2013/04/almond-flour-pancakes.html (omitted the honey and used coconut milk instead of skim milk.  Also used 3 egg whites in place of the 2 eggs)-makes 2 servings

http://staceyschaedler.blogspot.com/2011/10/fun-food-for-fall.html (I used 2 large zucchini, and added in 1/2 cup feta cheese, 1 jar pasta sauce, and 1/2 cup cottage cheese)-makes 4 servings

Also: chicken, sweet potato fries, bacon, quinoa

Grocery list includes:

4 large zucchini/summer squash (could also do 5-6 small)

2 onions

1 cabbage

1 head garlic (mixed this with sauteed veggies and put a little in lasagna)

1 package mushrooms

2 bananas

5 apples (2 red, 3 green, just to mix it up!)

2 lb carrots

lb spinach

1 head romaine lettuce

1sweet potato

2 lb celery

1 tomato

12 eggs (whites)

4 chicken sausage

2 chicken breast

1 lb lean beef

1/2 lb bacon (to put on some of Geoff's meals---I ate a little too much bacon over the holidays!)

1 lb turkey (boars head blackened turkey)

1 loaf canyon bakehouse bread (need 10 slices)

1 jar tomato sauce

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup feta cheese

coconut oil

flax seed (ground)

almond flour/almond meal

instant gluten free oatmeal (need 3 packets)

veggie lite muffins (just need 2 this week-save the other 2 in package for next week)

coconut milk (1/4 cup for cooking, about 1 cup for coffee)

coffee for the week :-)

To buy midweek: Rotisserie chicken from whole foods!

After the grocery store, it was prep time.  I browned the meat for the lasagna, sliced up my zucchini, chopped the extra zucchini, onion, garlic, mushrooms, spinach, and fully cooked chicken sausage, and cut the sweet potatoes in to strips.  Then I started boiling water for the quinoa.  I mixed the lasagna ingredients as directed and put the lasagna in the oven. (45 minute timer)

Next, I put the chicken breast, sweet potatoes, and bacon on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven (30 minute timer)

By this time, the water was boiling and I added the quinoa.

Next, I sauteed the rest of the veggies with the chicken sausage and put half the mixture in muffin tins, then poured egg whites over the mixture and put the egg white muffins in the oven (20 minute timer).

I cleaned up my mess, got out a bowl, and made the pancake mixture.  I made the pancakes on the stove top while everything cooked.  The pancakes finished just as the quinoa was ready and everything in the oven was ready to come out.  I took 2 cups of the quinoa, sauteed it with the chicken sausage and veggies, and that was our dinner last night (with a little left over for Monday evening dinner)!  I let everything else cool, put things in individual containers for the week, and put half the lasagna in a freezer safe container to save for a future hectic week.  Did the dishes, and BAM!  Weekly meals done in about 3.5 hours total (including a trip to the grocery store!)  Now all I have to do is pack up my breakfasts and lunches, make a little cabbage mid week, and pick up a rotisserie chicken on Wednesday.  I am set up for a nutrient dense, quick and easy week!

2014 Intentions and Goal Setting Tips!

Well, 2013 was the best year of all time for me. Got engaged and married, spent more time with friends and family than I have in a decade, committed to yoga, found crossfit, became a tenured professor, and took about 4 full weeks of vacation (which I have never ever done)! All in all, I would say I really learned how to partake in the "life" part of work/life balance last year :-)

I envision 2014 as a time to put a little more focus back in to work and personal growth, while keeping the rest and the play that I have learned to incorporate this year!

When I think about setting goals for the year, I try to include something from every aspect of wellness, including physical, emotional, occupational, spiritual, social and intellectual. As a holistic health coach, I use the wellness wheel pictured below as I help clients set nutrition and exercise goals. An imbalance in any component of wellness can really affect the progress in others. For instance, if you work 80 hours per week, motivation to come home each night and cook a healthy dinner and run for a half hour might not be feasible: the occupational wellness is the issue, whereas the client tends yo beat him/herself up about "failing" the physical wellness goal.  

The wellness wheel can be really helpful in creating a balanced and happy life:

  

For some goal setting suggestions, check out my segment from yesterday on channel 22, "14 Tips for a Healthier you in 2014"!

http://youtu.be/VnyXXJ2jsuc

My goals for this year are as follows...note that I created overarching goals or visions, for each section and daily or weekly action steps to get there. It is important to 

physical: overarching goal=stay injury free and progress in my sports, while nourishing my body with real, healthy food.

---action for physical activity: get coaching and trust the process for crossfit and running, and challenge myself to compete in run/row/crossfit events 10 times this year.

----action for nutrition: join winter and summer farm share, eat at least 2 sit down meals per day, try 1 new recipe per week and post on this blog!

emotional: overarching goal: continue managing my work/life balance so I don't burn out

---action: take one complete day off work per week, one full weekend per month, and one full week quarterly (4 weeks per year)

occupational: overarching goal: figure out where I want to take my business

---action: enroll in Continuing education "Immersion" program through the institute for integrative nutrition to work on taking my business in a new direction

---financial action: make a monthly budget and be a better record keeper

spiritual: overarching goal: continue my yoga habit and add in meditation

---action: incorporate a meditation in to my daily routine and work up to 5 minutes per day

social: overarching goal: spend quality time with friends, family, and Geoff 

---action: take weekly action to speak with/meet up with friends and family and go n a date once per week

intellectual: Overarching goal: learn something new!

---action: enroll in the Precision Nutrition program to learn about and incorporate some new wellness skills for myself and clients.  

In order to stick with my lofty list, I have committed to a variety of "helpers" to hold me accountable, including an Ayurvedic health counselor to help with developing a mindful nutrition and meditation practice, IIN and Precision Nutrition programs to help me follow through with occupational and intellectual goals, and a crossfit endurance coach to help keep me in check with my typical "over do it" approach to athletics.  I also payed for the yearly farm share and yoga in advance to hold myself accountable.  We can't go at our goals alone. In order to create our best life, we must  invest in the resources to hold us accountable to get us there!  My clients are often surprised when I say that I work with coaches as well, as they see me as the "expert" in holistic health.  I truly believe that in order to be a great coach, one must put him or herself in his/her clients'  shoes and work on improving in all aspects of wellness as well.

Happy New Year and happy goal setting :-)