Cupcakes are mini cakes. But muffins? I don’t get the oversized, sugar-coated versions sold at the coffee shop. Is that supposed to be breakfast?
Give me a break.
The truth is, when you stop eating so much sugar you actually give your tastebuds a chance to recalibrate and appreciate more subtle flavors. This is a good thing. Because real food tastes good!
This whole idea of cutting out sugar and appreciating food for real is a huge part of my 21 Day Detox program. Just today I got a wonderful email from a woman who completed the detox back in the fall. She had just been diagnosed with pre-diabetes and wanted to revamp her diet, pronto. I recommended the detox because it’s an immersion in clean, whole food and that’s exactly what she needed. Well guess what? It’s about 3 months later, she’s 15 lbs. lighter and her A1c test is back in normal range. How amazingly fantastic is THAT??
Man, I love my job.
Anyway. When you make these muffins, be prepared for your husband to tell you they’re missing something on first bite. That’s because he’s expecting a sugary muffin, a little cake like the ones at Starbucks. So tell him it’s more like a bread or a biscuit. Then he’ll tell you they’re delicious.
Update: Registration is closed but if you’d like to purchase our informative Building a Baby Ready Body eBook to learn on your own, you can!
When I was thinking about getting pregnant, my doctor mumbled something about folic acid, gave me a prescription for generic prenatal vitamins and sent me on my way.
Is that really all there is to it? What about someone getting off birth control? What about preparing for the ups and downs of trying to conceive? And isn’t folic acid available in real food, not just a pill?
I notice with many of my clients that after a few months we’ve built a relationship beyond “What should I be eating?” It’s pretty great to feel like you are working with friends all day. Jodie and I have still never met in person, but maybe she’ll visit Boston or I’ll find myself in Michigan sometime! For now, Jodie is rockin’ and rollin’ towards a lifetime of better health. After completing 6 months of health coaching, here’s what she had to say:
Smoothies are a pretty hot ticket item these days. I see ‘em being sold for $8 at cafes and touted as healthy so everyone can feel good about themselves.
Let’s be honest though. Most smoothies being sold at restaurants or take-out places are full of sugar. They’re the “healthy” person’s ice cream cone.
Wait – I can already hear what you’re thinking! “There’s a place near me that makes fresh smoothies from real fruit!” I think that’s great if you have that nearby. But still, $7 or $8 for a smoothie? Yikes. Plus, I hear a lot of people talk about drinking fruit smoothies for breakfast. If that’s the case, chances are you will be starving by 10am. Most of us need some fiber and not so much sugar first thing in the morning. (Unlike juicing, smoothies include the whole vegetable with all of its fiber.)
As with absolutely everything, when you make it yourself you save big bucks and have 100% control over the ingredients. And so, I present to you….green smoothies!
Last week I received this email from one of my private health coaching clients. I immediately burst out in to a little jig and asked her if it was ok to share with all of you. My client is anonymous, but you should know she is one awesome lady.
I did not drink wine last night.
I had my all-vegetable dinner I was craving.
I went to the gym again today!!
I was adamant about getting to my 3:00 class.
When I sit at my desk, it seems impossible. When I go to the gym, I can really begin to visualize a better “me” months down the road.
You know what’s great about this? Everyone wins. My client wins because she is moving towards her goals. Her friends and family win because her positive mindset is contagious. Her clients win because she is more able to focus and work productively when she is feeling her best. And we win because it’s motivating to see others making positive change in their life.
Ok, ok maybe the wine producer doesn’t win. Tough break, wine guy.
Jodie and I began working together a few months ago. At the time, her main health concerns included weight loss, lack of energy, extreme mood swings and infertility. She represents many women across the country – so while this is a story of a woman in Michigan named Jodie, it’s also your story, or your neighbor’s story. Follow Jodie as she walks powerfully towards good health, one step at a time. And please, show her some love in the comments! She’s a very brave woman to be sharing her story with the world.
Change is Good! It has been an exciting and eye opening three months so far, and I cannot believe how many things I have changed – for the better! Now when I go pick up groceries for the week, I find myself going directly to produce, then skimming over aisles just for things we need.
When I get home from work the first thing I do is put together a veggie tray for my family and I to pick over while I make dinner and do my household chores. So really, this one basic thing helps in a huge way: I don’t hear “I’m hungry” or “when is dinner going to be ready”; we are all eating a healthy snack; I can get dinner ready and other household chores without interruption; and best of all, I am not overeating at dinner!
I have been doing a lot of roasting in the crock pot, then using leftovers to make soup. This is also very helpful as far as, getting more for my money, easy preparation, timesaving, and not to mention, what we are eating is healthy, home cooked meals! And the best part is I am not slaving over the stove every day! I have also tried some new recipes with squash that are going over great in the household.
A few months ago, I was feeling exhausted, not to mention crabby, almost like being in a rut. After three months, I have lost six pounds, I am having normal menstrual cycles, I have started smoking less, I have more energy, I have better concentration, and I have a much better attitude.
It was not just the adjustment to eating that did this though. It was starting to walk on my lunch time at work twice a week; It was making a point to call my best girl friend every single Saturday, for one hour; It was making a point to visit one relative, once a week with my daughter; It was making sure I set aside some time alone with my fiancé; Most importantly, it was making sure I set aside time for myself!
In the next few months, I would like to see myself quit smoking once and for all! I want to continue watching the pounds come off. I look forward to challenging myself in the area of exercise, especially with the cold winter ahead of us! I look forward to letting the holidays be joyful and be a positive time with my family!
I know the holidays are a challenging time for everyone. The decorating, the baking, the parties, the shopping, the financial strain, and the relationship strains can all be almost too overwhelming.
My advice to myself and to anyone else is to take it day to day and to not take it too seriously or you’ll wind up having a nervous breakdown or be ill! Pace yourself, don’t be afraid to say “No!” once in a while, don’t fall for guilt trips, do (and eat) what feels right for you and your family (and if it does not feel right, don’t do it!)
Isn’t she unbelievable? Let’s hear it for making positive change!
Within weeks of beginning her 6 month health counseling program, Jodie started feeling better and having more energy. She began cooking more, lost a few pounds and – excitingly! – her period began to regulate itself. But then, I suddenly didn’t hear from Jodie for awhile. After two missed appointments I began to get really concerned. After all, Jodie was making such great strides – it was unusual for her to drop off the radar. Was something wrong?
Let’s hear what Jodie had to say:
Have you ever had so much going on in your life that your health has suffered? That is how my last month has been going. My three year old daughter, Allison started preschool. My fiancé was in the hospital for three days for out-patient IV steroid treatments for his multiple sclerosis. I had my final projects due for my classes. At work we began our vigorous schedule of flu vaccinations.
I was so exhausted trying to be super woman that I wound up getting sick. I missed work; I had to push back my next scheduled classes; I missed my appointment with Michelle. Lesson learned! While trying to accomplish everything and not taking care of own health, I found myself even further behind!
I am starting to feel better though, and I am trying to catch up – slowly. I have been cooking more at home and saving a lot of money on groceries. My skin and hair seem healthier as well as my finger nails. I have only lost one more pound since I last posted, but that is better than nothing. Most importantly I have learned a valuable lesson about taking time for myself and my health. I cannot give my family or my employer 100% if I do not put my own health first.
Jodie is doing amazing work, isn’t she? This lesson seems to be one that comes up with so many of my clients. We simply cannot do it all. When we try, we get sick. My own mother spent a decade in bed, exhausted and sick, for similar reasons. I personally spent a large percentage of my young adult life too sick from anxiety to live life fully. How can we slow down, take on less stress, manage our busy lives in a healthy way? I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments below.
I’m very happy to introduce you all to someone today! Jodie is a new client of mine and we will be working together in a 6-month health counseling program. Excitingly, she has agreed to share her journey with all of you. Here’s your chance to get a glimpse into someone else’s life and be there as Jodie walks her path to find greater health and happiness. My clients’ information is all completely confidential but in this case Jodie is generously opening up for everyone else’s benefit. Join me in congratulating her on taking this step! I’m sure she’ll appreciate your comments and support as we go along.
Ready, set, here she is…!
Hello, my name is Jodie. I live in Cass City, Michigan, born and raised here. I am 34-years old and I have a beautiful 3-year old daughter, Allison. I am a single mom, but I am engaged to be married to the love of my life, Al. I have been a Certified Medical Assistant for 9 years and I am currently working for a rural family practice. I love learning and writing, and I am currently enrolled in online classes for Information Technology. I also love gardening, flowers, music and cooking.
My main health concerns include being overweight, lack of energy, extreme mood swings and infertility. I found Michelle and her website through WomenCo.com. I loved reading Michelle’s articles. She was so informative and her writing was very relaxed and fun, and was also enlightening. I decided to give her website a look and what I found was a site with loads of information about health and fitness, cooking and recipes, organic foods and wonderfully fresh and new approaches to lifestyle and food. I then immediately signed up for her newsletters, took the health profile questionnaire and signed up for her six month counseling program.
I am very excited to be working with Michelle to reach my health goals. I look forward to feeling better and having more energy. I want to set a good example for my daughter, teach her good habits and how to have a healthy relationship with food. I want to look and feel good for my fiancé. I want to find balance, not just in my life, but with my health. I believe the goals that I set, and with Michelle’s support, guidance and knowledge, I will be able to achieve all these things.
At the end of six months, I hope to have good habits established and have all the tools and knowledge to meet and exceed my goals. It is also very important to me, and to Michelle, to share my story. I hope that I will inspire others to make a change for themselves.
How sweet is she? My head just grew so big I’m not going to fit through the door. Please show Jodie some serious love as we kick off these 6 months – you can leave words of support in the comments. And look forward to hearing the next part of Jodie’s story in about a month!
This post is part of Food Renegade’s Fight Back Fridays and is dedicated to Jodie fighting for better health and a better life!
I help busy people find balance in their over-worked, over-stressed lives. Trust me, it's not an all-or-nothing situation! A few shifts in diet and lifestyle can rock your world like they did mine. Read on
