Let me tell you a little bit about my life lately. It's been like this..... without the sequin socks. I've got at thing about tags and itchy metallic stuff.
Life has been a whirlwind of change in the past few months and everyday I have to remind myself that I'm along for the ride and that everything is happening to pull things together exactly how they are supposed to be. I've embraced big schedule changes, (think 20 years of living on a particular schedule then NOT following that schedule) personal identity changes, a senior getting ready for college... I could go on and on but I'll save you the list. The point is that life can get a little crazy sometimes and that is definitely where I'm finding myself as of late. Don't get me wrong, it's not BAD; it's just spicy! It's a bunch of new flavors and sensations that I'm learning to embrace - sometimes with tears and a glass of Cab. Can you relate to that feeling of fear, excitement, annoyance, and unease that all comes together? I think at some point in our lives we all have it and this is my season.
In order to try and keep some sanity in my life while I adjust to the changes in my life and into my new career as a health & life coach, I'm focusing on what I know, and what works best to keep everyone in this house going and grounded.
Food.
I mean, you have to have it, if you're going to eat it, it better taste good and it certainly had better do some good for your body, or its just a bunch of wasted calories. I don't know about you but I don't need to feel like garbage from what I ate when I'm already stressed with everything else in my life. I want my food to heal me and not just give me a tasty mental hug. I want both! I want flavor, nourishment, and to leave me happy dancing at the table.
I have GREAT news for you! Food; delicious and healthy food, can still give you the same happy and snuggly feeling as a brownie while it boosts immunity, fights sickness and diseases, and tastes like it was made by angels. Those sugary go-to snacks and junk food items that we grab first trigger our bodies to pump out serotonin. Serotonin is a mental hug - it's your feel good chemical. It's the same chemical that your body secretes when it gets a hit of cocaine, or you score a lot of likes on an Instagram post. What we are going to learn today is how to feel great, eat healthy, keep our energy up, and not have to buy new pants in the process. Ready?
I created this pretty fantastic little ebook called 15 Favorite Herbs and Spices To Boost Your Health. Obviously from the cover that I'm showing you it covers Ginger, Cinnamon and Cumin, the benefits to those three spices, and several ways to use them. I'm assuming (or hoping) that you have these three kitchen staples in your spice rack somewhere. When is the last time you used them though? It's so easy to grab a packet of taco seasoning at the store but if you had to make your own, do you know what goes into taco seasoning? (You can find out in the book. There are also a few delicious recipes waiting for you in there.) Do you know what all of those warm and spicy flavors can do for your health other than fill your belly with yummy tacos?
Or what about ginger? Last summer I went to the local farmers market and bought some really big hands of ginger root. That's actually a picture of one that I pulled from my freezer in the ebook. I threw the whole unchopped hand into a ziplock bag then into the freezer to last all winter. When I need a warm tea, I take it out and grate it into my tea strainer and let it steep. It's GREAT with honey! BAM! I've got an anti-bacterial, allergy fighting, anti-nausea, body easing tea for about $0.00. (Okay, maybe $.05 or less).
If you dig a little further into the book, you'll find out that onions can increase your libido, turmeric can speed wound healing and cilantro can help you tackle stress! I've tried to really add flavor and spice to all of our meals based on what I know we need. For example, honey is a big deal at our house because my boys are sneezy and snotty this time of year and honey soothes the immune system of allergy sufferers and eases their symptoms. I am always cold, even in the summer, so add ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and curry powder to my foods to warm me from the inside and help me keep the crud that has kept so many of my students out with the flu and strep this winter, out of my system. So far, I'm batting 100! (KNOCK ON WOOD!)
We can't control all of the chaos in our lives but we can control what we do to improve our bodies healthy, to keep the effects of stress to a minimum and what we put into our mouthes. I'm riding this emotional roller coaster to the end and enjoying every hill as much as I can with a cup of tea and a big bowl of curry to keep me hanging on and feeling great. If you're sick of having an upset stomach, headaches, or no energy. If you're tripping over the fear of cancer, Alzheimers, or another bout of anxiety or depression, why not take empowered action and grab your copy to see if you move a little easier, breathe a little deeper and sleep a little sounder tonight? What do you have to lose?
Happy Eating!
Megan