Eating Healthy while Traveling Means Balance Not Boredom

Think about the times you’ve traveled and been stuck with energy-zapping meals.

Or when you’ve worried “The only way to eat healthy is to skip the restaurants and pack weird food?”

You aren’t alone.

The research on business travel and health shows that - on average - frequent travelers eat poorly, gain weight, and are less healthy than people who don’t travel.

The good news?

You don’t have to be a statistic. Nor do you have to live on protein shakes.

Here’s a realistic way to eat healthier when you travel.

On a recent business trip, I videoed my experiments with ways to overcome these common nutrition issues:

• Airport food options that are limited

• No time to get the if-fy airport food

• No healthy restaurant options

• To mini-fridge or not to mini-fridge

• What food to pack vs what food to buy on arrival

All of this for you to feel your best, have more fun, and get more done.

How Exercise Improves Your Gut Health

One of the surprising gifts of movement is how exercise heals your gut.

As I am researching to present at this year’s Nourished Festival (link below), the studies on exercise and gut health have gotten me even more excited to workout.

Here are just a few of the fitness benefits:

• Decrease gut inflammation

• Increase good bacteria

• Decrease pathogens in your gut

• Help heal a leaky gut

• Improve special-nutrients absorption

When you aren’t in the mood to exercise, sometimes the best motivation is a little knowledge.

Knowing the powerful perks can get you out of the easy chair, then out the door.

Join me at the Nourished Festival.

Register here:

https://www.nourishedfestival.com/gluten-free-expo-spring

Fun Spring Wellness Routines

Why is going with the flow of the season important?

Because when you try to go against nature’s rhythm, you make it harder for yourself to live healthy.

When you use the strength of the season, sticking with your wellness lifestyle is enjoyable. And easy.

For example, on a 70 degree, sunny Spring day, trudging on a treadmill is going to be procrastinated.

But a lunch time walk in the park feels like play.

Also, there are advantages to Spring offered to you in no other season.

Part of my evening routine is to journal and read. In the Spring I love to enjoy that outside. Why?

Spring is the only season with cool-not-cold evenings with no mosquitos.

Watch this video to get inspired by several ways to Spring-Fling your wellness rituals.

My Spring Challenge to you?

Create one way to embrace the Spring season into your healthy routines.

Enjoy Spring’s gifts while they are here. They truly only come once a year.

Move More and Sit Less with Dr. Stefan Zavalin

What an honor to interview Dr. Stefan. In addition to his smashing TedX Talk, he is super funny.

During our conversation I was surprised by these facts:

1. When you sit longer than 30 minutes your ability to metabolize fat decreases by up to 90%.

2. Stand when you work. Blood flow to your brain increases and you’ll be 46% more effective.

3. This was the big shocker: sitting for 30 minutes primes the body to lose muscle. While you don’t actually lose muscle after 30 minutes of sitting, you do tell the body “Hey, you may not need all of these muscles.”

In a conversation after the camera went off, Stefan shared with me that movement actually primes your body the other way. Standing and walking to the copier may not build muscle, but it tells your body “Hey, hold on to this muscle. I’m using it.”

That’s why, even if your primary goal is fitness, taking movement breaks throughout the day will help you get to your goal sooner.

Listen in for all the great ideas!

How to Design Your Environment to Build Better Habits

Think you lack “willpower”? Then I have great news!

You don’t have to have much willpower when you create your environment for your healthy lifestyle.

In the video I share my favorite 17 (yes, 17!) ways to set yourself up for success. I use these myself. You don’t have to use them all — pick the ones you need. And do them.

Reality? I am no different than you.

When I don’t set up my environment to live healthy, it is way too easy to slip into junk habits.

Here’s a classic. If I don’t keep water at my desk, then I think “I’ll go get some after this call.” Which turns into “I’ll go get some after these emails.” Which means I then forget.

And - bam - by the afternoon my thinking is slow because my brain is slightly dehydrated.

(Confession: I just looked at my desk and realized I didn’t fill my water glass. Be right back.)

Now that I have my water, I invite you to raise a glass of water with me while you discover the other 16 hacks to support your wellness lifestyle.

Three Ways Your Fitness Gadgets Make You Unfit

Seems counterintuitive.

You would think buying the latest book or gadget would encourage healthy choices, not unhealthy ones.

But there are 3 powerful reasons your plethora of gadgets may keep you trapped in skipping workouts or a bad relationship with food.

There is one way that gadgets can speed up your results. Watch to the end to find out how!

The best resource out there? You’ll discover it at my upcoming Break Free Retreat. It’s ladies only.

Here are your details on the retreat.

Got questions?

Just comment below or message me and I’ll answer them.

Use this Visualization to Improve Your Health

Visualizing is a simple, powerful tool to make it easier to improve your health.

It does not take hours a day. But it does take consistency.

So here’s your fun challenge.

Over the 7 days, invest a few minutes each day listening to this video and intentionally picturing yourself healthier.

Let me know your results!

Want more ideas to Break Free into healthier habits?

Click here for details on my upcoming Break Free Retreat.

Herb Garden - Parsley, Cilantro, and Chives

You’ve started planting a few herbs. Yummy harvest.

But then they bolt!

Now you’ve got seeds and you want to know what’s next.

Three easy to grow herbs are parsley, cilantro, and chives.

So, I’m covering those herbs and seeds for you here.

Want info on other herbs? Just let me know in the comments below.

Sugar. Ah, Honey, Honey

Summer time is lemonade time. And in the south, it’s pitchers of sweet tea on picnics.

A new connection on LI messaged me that she is decreasing the sugar she consumes by eliminating sweet tea and lemonade.

Within a day, a new client found out his A1C is almost double where it should be.

(Side note - A1C measures the average of your blood sugar over a 3 month period.  So he got really motivated to manage his sugar intake.)

A little warning: If you have diabetes or are dealing with an eating disorder, please pay attention to your health care team’s personal advice.  This article is for general information.

How do you lower your sugar intake, without getting into yo-yo dieting?

First, I wanted to see how you consume sugar.  So, this week I reached out to you on LI, IG, and FB.  (And if we aren’t connected on social - you are missing out.  So, wherever you hang out most, let’s connect.)

I asked if you tended to eat sugar, drink it , or avoid it.

Your responses were insightful.

20% drink

50% eat

20% limit

10% avoid

Comments included not consuming processed, but didn’t consider juice -- which is concentrated sugar -- as processed as long as it was fresh juice.

Someone else said they wanted to know how to have discipline and willpower with sugar - so that’s going to be part II

Why is this important?

This is sticky … so let’s be careful not to demonize sugar or make it a saint.

Let’s go to science.  

Sugar is not toxic, at least not in the sense that true poisons are dangerous.

The only health issue sugar is confirmed to cause is tooth decay.

Malnutrition, obesity, and even diabetes have not been shown to be caused directly by sugar itself.

All of these have multiple factors at play.

For example, if sugar is replacing nutrient-rich foods that your body needs, you may get the calories you need for fuel, but not the vitamins and minerals you need. That’s the essence of malnourished.

For diabetes, the evidence is conflicting and interesting.  In some populations in the world, an increase in sugar consumption has tracked with an increase in Type II diabetes.  In other populations, no relation has been found.

However, in some animal studies diets very high in sugar can cause diabetes like disease.

For obesity -- research is clear that you can gain weight whether you eat too much carb whether starch or sugar, protein, or fat.  However, because you can drink sugar, it is easier to get excess calories from processed sugar than from other sources.

What to do?

This is about understanding the principles vs. creating food rules

1.  Know the difference between sugar occurring incidentally in a whole food vs. in processed or concentrated form.

2.  Consume foods in combination.

It is not just about if the food has sugar in it.  It is about how quickly does the food digest and raise your blood sugar … and then if it makes you hungry quicker.

How does sugar fit in with IE?

Three components of IE that I teach you are eating what you really want and eating slowly, savoring your food, and stopping when you are satisfied.

If you are not following a medical diet, then try this experiment.  It is one I’ve used in workshops and with clients for years.

1.  Before you eat or drink something sweet, ask yourself “on a scale of 1-10, how much do I want this now”  and “on a scale of 1-10, how much do I want what I will feel like later”

2.  Second, pay attention to the pleasure of the food or drink.  Perhaps it is not savoring 3 bites of a brownie that is causing issues for you.  Perhaps it is eating multiple brownies, distracted while you watch YouTube videos.

3. Third, when you eat slowly you are more able to stop when you are satisfied.  3 bites might be enough.

How do you handle sugar? Let me know in the comments.

Family Fitness Fun!

Imagine creating memories your kids and grandkids will talk about for years. Picture them passing down a legacy of health and wellness. And make it easier for yourself to stick with a healthy lifestyle, all at the same time.

Crazy thought?

Nope.

It just takes a little fun and creativity.

(Get your Fun Family Fitness Cheat Sheet. Just email me for it — sheri@thevireolife.com)

The 5 questions below will help you.

Want the details? Check out this video.

1. What ages are your kids and grandkids?

2. How can you add fun and games? (Fun Family Fitness Cheat Sheet is waiting for you. Just email me and get your copy — sheri@thevireolife.com)

3. What technology tricks can you use?

4. How do you plan for different personalities?

5. What relationship do you want to build?

The Dark Side of Dieting

“I hope this new diet will work, but …

I’m tired of trying and failing diets.”

“I’ve got this new healthy eating plan my friend tried.  I wonder if it will work for me - or if I can stick with it.”

If you have ever thought this, then today is your day to break out of food jail.

The idea of dieting, and even healthy eating, raises questions.

First, what is healthy eating, anyway?  How do you define it?  It’s different than a co-worker or friend.

And if you add weight loss as a goal, the answers to that question get even more diverse.

Second, if 95% of diets aren’t stuck with (which is a true stat), is it you that fails or is it something about dieting that doesn’t work?

Third, most important, IS there a way that actually works to improve your health and without adding stress but adding joy to your life?

Understand this: in trying to do good, you are actually doing damage.

The first diet I went on was basic calorie counting, when I was 9, to lose 2 pounds.  Simply because that’s what the women in my family did.

Following that were several other diets …

Is there hope? 

Yes.  Next week I’ll share in detail about getting free from food jail and all of the benefits.  For now, here’s the #1 benefit I’ve experienced in breaking out of food jail.  My mind is free to enjoy, experience, and live life.

I want the same for you.

Meal Kit Delivery - Is it Right for You?

Is a meal kit subscription worth it?  Is it right for you?  What are the pros and cons?  Honest review, not affiliated.

I’ve tried Hello Fresh and Green Chef … here is what is Fantastic and what is a Flop.

(Unfortunately, there is also one Fail.)

Fantastic

• Choose your meals from a pre set selections

• Recipe cards are step by step

• Reuse the great menu ideas

• Eat out less

• Learn to cook

• Ship to a new location when you travel

• HUGE Fun family activity

• Gift idea for wedding gift or baby shower

Flop

• Cannot choose ingredients specific (and some of the ingredients are “if-y” as you’ll see in the video)

• Very little vegetables and lots of starch, not in line with Powerful Plate. Plan to add your own vegetables.

• Time waster: Remember to choose meals IN ADDITION to still grocery planning and shopping for breakfasts, other meals and snacks. 

• Green Chef - says “organic” - but actually the veggies are organic, the meats are conventional.  You are what your dinner ate.

The Fail? Listen in for the shock I got.

Is it for you?

New to cooking or want fewer meals to plan - definitely try it.

Want to switch from eating out as often? Definitely try it

Want new ideas for menus? Yes.

Travel a lot? Yes.

Want something the kids can get in with you easily?  Yes.

Not for you?

If you cook often already, have a mix of menus you are already happy with, have ingredients you are particular about, it is probably not a fit.

Easy and Surprising Way to Improve Your Personality

Being healthy is only one reason to choose healthy habits.

You will improve your character and personality traits along the way.

You likely have a trait you want to strengthen. Maybe it is to be more assertive and confident. Maybe you want to be more creative.

But practicing a new way of being can be, well, risky.

Want to be more assertive and negotiate for a raise? That can be scary.

Trying to be more creative in a challenging project? What happens if you get stuck and fail?

You aren’t alone.

Here’s how five people, just like you, used Health Habits as a “training ground” for personality traits.

One client wants to be more assertive. Intuitive Eating is helping her to ask for what she really wants in the safe area of “where to eat dinner.”

Another wanted to improve his confidence for business meetings. Getting to the gym boosted his esteem, before he lost any weight.

The book The Millionaire Mind lists fitness, exercise, health, eating well, energy habits - as all vital to develop discipline, stress management, focus, and ability to take risk.

Another client increased his creativity by going against the workout norms and creating his own routine.

And yours truly? I’ve been working on mindfulness for a year or so. Intuitive Eating is a safe and fun way to practice being present.

How to choose healthy habits? That’s what this whole site is about.

If you want to speed up the process and stop wasting efforts, email me (sheri@thevireolife.com) and let’s chat. We’ll personalize your plan.

You need to B.Y.O.B. (Umm...No. Not that.)

“How can I make it easier to have a wellness lifestyle?”

When this question comes up, I notice the answer is embedded in the question.

Lifestyle.

If you don’t make healthy living part of your lifestyle, you will stay frustrated with it.

To live well, to live healthy, is not living singular disconnected actions. It is a lifestyle.

One simple question to strengthen that lifestyle is “What would my future self want me to do?”

My two week ago self chose to not wash the apples, but leave them in the bag.  My self today got an apple out of the bag and it was rotten.

My self today also went for a walk in clean workout clothes because my last weekend self folded the laundry and put it away.

What about your lifestyle?  Do you set out your workout clothes the night before a morning walk?  One of my favorite ways to prep my workout clothes is pack them in my gym bag for the whole week. 

With plastic grocery bags to bring home the sweaty ones, of course.

If you want to cook creatively in the evenings, but just cannot face standing and chopping after a long workday, could your lifestyle include some pre-chopping on the weekend?

The flow of your lifestyle will change over time.

My schedule used to be that if I wanted healthy convenient lunches, I would need to pack them all on Sunday for the week.  Now, I don’t need to do that.  

But for the days I am out during lunch, I need to already know where the quiet places - or parks are to enjoy a relaxed lunch.

All of this means you will need to prioritize your healthy lifestyle.  That doesn’t mean there is never a place for “Oh, let’s be spontaneous and road trip this weekend instead of grocery shopping and prepping food.”  It does mean that if road-tripping is every weekend, your healthy lifestyle needs to plan for it.

What to do?

In the words of Chase Hughes, “Be Your Own Butler”

Step One: What’s the most emotionally painful part of healthy living for you?  Is it rushing to get a healthy dinner on the table?  Is it missing a lot of your workouts?  Or are you tired of stressing out because you are always late?  Or ____________?

Step Two:  For that area, how can you be your own butler?  What do you need to prepare ahead?

Your future self will thank you.

Tale of Two Companies - Part One

Does your workplace have a healthy breakroom and wellness culture?

It’s Employee Health and Fitness Month. Let’s create some fun and fitness in your workplace. This week the focus is on creating a culture of wellness in companies.

Makeover Your Pantry This Weekend Part Two

Now that you have the staples and spices you need to stock your pantry and you have the boxes/bins to organize them (Part One), it is time to invest part of a weekend cleaning out and organizing.

Why? It is so much easier to cook when you can get to everything you need quickly, without having to reach over other stuff or have things knock over.

So here’s your final step:

• Clean out everything that is expired or that you know you will never use.

• Then group items into your bins, leave a little space for new foods you may purchase, and LABEL so everyone knows where to put food.

When my husband saw this transforming, he said two things -

“This makes it look appealing to cook.” (So, I get more help in the kitchen.)

“Now I know where to put something back.” (Which means I don’t have to look for things later.)

Makeover Your Pantry This Weekend Part One

This seems to be the time of year for deep-organizing house projects. It is too cold or rainy to be outside, or even open the windows, so everyone is cleaning out closets and junk drawers. I challenge you to makeover your pantry this weekend - it is one adventure that will help you eat healthier the rest of the year.

To really deep-organize your pantry for healthy meals, I teach a simple six step process. You’ll need parts of two weekends, so I’ll walk you through this in a two-part series.

This weekend focus on Steps One - Five. Next weekend is Step Six.

Step One: Review your menus for a Powerful Plate. Do you have enough combinations of vegetable, protein, fats, and complex carbohydrates? What ingredients do you need to stock up on?

Step Two: Purchase the foods you need for a Powerful Plate and order any specialty items so they will arrive by next weekend.

Step Three: Look through the food in your pantry. Begin to organize it in your mind. What goes with what? For example, “protein powder” for me could go with protein snacks (since I use it as a shake) or with breakfast/oatmeal (since I use protein powder in my oatmeal every morning).

Step Four: Take measurements. Both of the shelf space and of any items that you are going to group and crate together. For example, if you usually keep 20 cans of fruit, vegetables, and tomato sauce in stock, measure how wide a bin you will need to store them.

Step Five: Decide on the supplies you need and then go shop. Shelf liner? Plastic bins? Wood crates? Glass jars? Shelving unit pull-out for a deep pantry?

Step Six - next weekend is clean out and organize.

Eliminating the hassle of expired ingredients - or simply not having healthy options on hand - will make these two weekends worth your effort. Turn on some music, get the family involved … whatever it takes to make it fun and make it happen.

6 Reasons Why You Need to Learn to Thrive

While growing up I suspected I had developed an unhealthy relationship with food – and sometimes even exercise.  But it was years later at a work potluck Christmas party that I knew I absolutely had a problem and had to change.

Everyone else was at the buffet ooh-ing and ah-ing over different dishes colleagues brought. 

I was in the bathroom terrified. 

“If I eat that _____ I’ll have to workout extra tomorrow. Who knows how many grams of ____ it has.”

“I want to try ____ but if I do I’ll probably not be able to stop eating it. I’ll lose control.”

“I’ll be good and just have the veggies I brought.  If I break my diet I’ll be bad.”

I realized I was the only one, apparently, who did not feel she could enjoy the food, the people, or the party and I stayed as far away from the table as possible.  Why?  I thought something was inherently wrong with me. 

Truth? By that party I had spent almost 20 years fine-tuning my “diet mentality,” through the various diet and exercise rules I “learned.”

And I wanted freedom.  Desperately.

I wanted to exercise just because it felt amazing and made me strong and healthy. Not because it burned calories I’d eaten the day before.

I wanted to eat a balanced meal because it was satisfying.

I wanted to enjoy a cookie without fear of eating five.

I wanted to go to a party and enjoy it all.

Scratch that.

I didn’t even know that was possible.  All I could fathom was maybe not being consumed with worrying about every morsel, gram, or repercussion after a party.

Thankfully, that part of me is a distant memory, because …

I found my path to THRIVE.

Did you see?

I released a brand new course where I’m going to share with you the mindset, principles, techniques, tools and skills practiced by people who find – and follow – their unique path to health, wellness, and a Thriving Life.

It’s called …

THRIVE LIFE (Go here to learn more; we get started in just a few days.)

While there are so many health benefits to this way of life, the most surprising benefit has nothing to do typical health-parameters.

It has to do with relationships and accomplishing other goals.

Huh?

Let me explain.  Envision that same work party where I locked myself away in the bathroom.  If my mind had been free from food-fear, I would have been mingling with colleagues and enjoying getting to know their families, enriching my relationships.

And when my mental and emotional space is not cluttered with how many calories I eat or burn or how much I do this or that, my mind is free to be creative and pursue dreams.  Plus, there is way less stress.

Here are six reasons why you need to learn your path to THRIVE.

#1 – You stop outsourcing your emotional health to food or over-exercise

You can learn the difference between physical and emotional hunger.

Food was created to bring you pleasure, but it is not what heals hurts or brings peace.

Exercise has many ways that it lifts your mood, but there is a point of using exercise to escape struggles vs. helping you overcome them.

When you sit with discomfort and find what actually fills you emotionally, your strength of self grows.  Your confidence to live and handle difficult situations increases.

#2 – You have mental space to pursue your dreams

This one is huge.

When your mind is cluttered with searching for the next diet or exercise program, or finding recipes that fit the new fad, or shopping for the latest exercise gear you cannot focus on what really matters most to you in life.

It may even go deeper.  If you are staying focused on analyzing food / exercise to avoid dealing with something else, it is time to move forward. 

If you are hiding your best self behind counting this or that, trying to control every bite or workout, it is time to open the curtain and step out on your stage.

#3 – You have increased physical energy

You sleep well, you wake up with energy, and it stays consistent throughout the day so you can accomplish your goals and still enjoy family and friends at the end of the day.

#4 – Your ability to enforce boundaries, with yourself and others, improves

Food police?  Exercise drill sergeant? No more.  Either from others or yourself.

You confidently handle critics.

You also are able to tell yourself “no” when a choice does not value you.

#5 – You have more fun and are more fun to be around

When your excitement comes from discussing the latest fad exercise or diet, it is a boring life.

However, when you have recent adventures or a book you read or a funny family gathering or ____ to talk about, conversations have life in them.

You meet up with people, confident as you accept yourself and others, with less judgement.

Social situations around food are no longer stressful.

You have the physical fitness to enjoy the adventures you want.

#6 – You feel successful, because you are successful

When you learn what works for your body and your lifestyle, and you have the tools and techniques to stick with it, you reach your goals.

You feel successful along the journey because you are living what you value.

#7 – This is a bonus reason because I just had, an hour ago, a conversation with a client and this reason came up – so I added it: 

You become a leader and influencer for good in those around you.

This client was waiting on the inspiration to make changes to come from his circle of family and friends.  I challenged him “Think about who you want to be.  Do you want to be the person who waits to be led or do you want to lead?  Do you want to be influenced or do you want to influence?”  I challenge you, too.  When you find your path to Thrive, you will inspire others to do the same.

This is what finding your path to THRIVE brings you.  It is one of the most amazing adventures you’ll ever go on.

Go here to check out my newest course, so you can THRIVE in your LIFE.  (We start in a few days.)

Never too cold to exercise (at least inside)

When it is cold and snowy outside, you may want to hibernate.  But don't!  Get moving inside.

• Pull out your old step aerobics bench and video from 15 years ago.
• Straighten your house, making as many trips up and down the stairs as you can.
• Go walk the mall.  Without stopping to shop.
• Turn on your favorite dance tunes, close the blinds, and pretend you are on Dancing with the Stars.
• Turn on your kids' favorite dance tunes and have a dance-off.
• Those podcasts you've been meaning to listen to?  Turn one on and alternate push-ups, crunches, planks, and other strengthening exercises.
• What do you do to keep moving when it is cold outside?

One Thing at a Time

Are you as impatient as I am to accomplish goals?  Do you want to have all of your New Year's Resolutions achieved now?  We've all learned (the hard way) that focusing on one or two at a time accomplishes them faster, in the long-run.  Scripture teaches us that, too.  Today's excerpt from my book Go Forward: 28 Days to Eat, Move, and Enjoy Life God's Way introduces how to make changes that last.

If you would like to read the full chapter, just follow this link to purchase Go Forward.  2016 will be a strong and healthy year for you!

Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.  1 Timothy 4:15(NKJV)

“Meditate on these things.”  In order to successfully move forward on your health journey, you will need to remove different obstacles.  One hindrance is unhelpful thoughts such as, “I don’t know if I can do this.”  Rather than thinking negative thoughts, meditate on what the Bible says, particularly in regard to your health. 

Another hindrance is that we all live our current patterns by reflex and without thought.  To change to a new manner of living, you must consciously choose your actions each moment, until the new way of living is automatic.  How do you break an engrained pattern and start a new one?  Think constantly on the new habit you want to form or the lifestyle you want to live.  (For "how to" ideas, refer to the list in Go Forward.)

“Give yourself entirely to them.”  Decrease or eliminate what distracts you from your goal.   Do not have so many new goals that they distract from each other.  Choose one or two new habits that reinforce each other to focus on at a time.  For example: I will drink two cups of water after my mid-day walk.  “Entirely” means one hundred percent.  If you try to form several new healthy habits at once, you will not be able to give all of your attention to each.  After a week (or a month) of practicing one habit, add another.  What if you have a setback?  No worries.  Turn lapses into lessons.  Do not judge yourself, but learn from your experiences.  This time next year the “new habits” will be a lifestyle.