How To Not Be Overwhelmed This Season

December 10, 2014 / ktbuchs87

There are a little over two weeks until Christmas arrives. Try not to start hyperventilating like I did yesterday when I realized how close it is. Every year I tell myself I am going to be super organized when it comes to buying presents, decorating, baking, and everything else that comes with this season. And every year right about this time I’m still trying to get my act together. If you’re like me you’re probably wondering how you can get everything done in these last few days, while still getting all of your normal tasks completed. Don’t worry, it is possible to get everything done, go about your daily life, as well as enjoy a little bit of the holiday season. Here are a few tips to help keep you holly and jolly this year.

Make Lists

And check them twice. Seriously though, make lists for everything. Presents you have to buy, parties you’re going to, cookies you have to bake, if it needs to get done before Christmas put it on a list. If you try to keep everything in a mental list, trust me you are going to forget something. I like having one master list of everything and then smaller lists of specific things like gifts/cookies/parties/etc. This is the age of the smartphone and tablets, so it is really easy to have your lists right at hand. Or maybe you’re like me and you like having a good old fashioned hand-written list. Either way having a visual representation of what you need to get done will help, plus it feels really satisfying to cross things off your list.

Set up a schedule

With about two weeks left you still have enough time to spread out all of your tasks. Go through your list and make a schedule of when you need to get things done. Maybe you can bake cookies a few days ahead of time and freeze them or you have a free Saturday that you can dedicate to wrapping all your gifts. Plan out the next few days and try to get a few things off your list done. Having a deadline that is well before Christmas will save you from running around like a crazy person On Christmas Eve. It doesn’t have to be a strict schedule that you have to stick to, just a general idea of when you want things done.

Delegate

If you’re like me, you’re a little bit of a control freak. You like things done a specific way and at a specific time. The only way to get something done right and right away is to do it yourself. Believe me that attitude will not make your holiday season any easier. Learn to let a few things go and delegate jobs to others. You can’t possibly do every single thing on your list without going bonkers. Let friends and family help you and give some of your tasks to them. It will help ease your burden and it will let you enjoy Christmas. Plus it can be fun to have others help you and start new Christmas traditions.

Plan some fun

Yes your calendar is probably jam packed at this point, but try to make sure that not everything you have scheduled is work. It is easy to get wrapped up in all of the buying/gift-wrapping/baking/food-prepping that goes into this season and totally miss out on all of the fun things. Take a break from all of your work and go see a Christmas concert or movie, look at Christmas lights, go caroling, or build a fire, make some hot chocolate, and listen to a Christmas CD. Whatever is your favorite holiday activity, make sure you take some time to enjoy it. It helps to refocus your attention on all the fun and good of this holiday instead of becoming Scrooge who resents all the work.

I think the most important thing to remember is why we really celebrate this time of year. It isn’t all about the presents, the food, the shows, the concert, or the rush. It’s about our families and friends coming together to celebrate the gift that we were given all those years ago. It’s about spreading the cheer of this time of year to those who might not feel the Christmas spirit. It’s about being grateful for the immense amount of blessings that you have received this year and trying to pay it forward as best we can. Sure, parties and presents are fun and a part of the holiday, but they aren’t everything. Take a deep breath, turn on some Christmas music, and enjoy the most wonderful time of the year!

Monday Musings: Cookie Cutter Bodies

December 8, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I haven’t done a Monday Musing in awhile, so I thought I would bring that back. Sadly while the title of this post has the word cookie in it, there are no cookies. I’m sorry, I’ll make it up to you soon I promise. On with my musing.

Most of us want to be thought of as unique. We want to be seen as individuals and to have no one else like us. In general, I would say that these feelings are fostered in schools, at work, and in our daily lives. We are praised for being us and told that there is not another out there just like us. You think to yourself, “I am me and no one can be me like I can.” That all stops though when it comes to our bodies. Suddenly we want to have that person’s abs, that one’s buns of steel, and those eyes and hair.

You have probably thought of your dream body a lot. I know I have. I used to pour over magazines and watch movies and yearn for the perfect bodies that those people all seemingly had. Why couldn’t my body look just like theirs? I wasn’t happy having my own body looking the way I do because it seemed like everyone else looked a different way. How many of you have done that?

I know that there are so many of us who constantly pick apart our bodies and wish to wake up with the body of a goddess. I know that many of us work tirelessly to make that dream body come true, hoping if that we finally look like everyone else we will finally be happy. I know many of us just want our bodies to blend in with the general population instead of sticking out like a sore thumb. I have been there and I have felt those emotions time and time again. It took me a long time to be able to start to accept my body for what it was instead of what it wasn’t.

I think that it’s time that we start valuing our bodies like we value our individuality. We don’t NEED to look like everyone else, in fact unless you are an identical twin it is impossible to look like someone else. That is ok. No, that is great. Just like you want your thoughts, ideas, personality, and talents to be special, you should want your body to be special. It isn’t perfect, but guess what? No one has the perfect body and that is a beautiful thing.

For those of you caught in the dark thoughts of poor body image, I know that you have heard these words before. Love yourself, you’re special, no one can be like you. Those phrases bounce off you and make no impact. They all sound like ways to say you’re not beautiful but there are other things about you that you should be happy about. You might not have the legs of a model, but you’re hilarious. You don’t have long flowing hair, but you can sing like an angel. Don’t focus on your lack of a six-pack, you’re the next Mozart on the piano. Those are all good things to be, but when you look in the mirror and aren’t happy with what you see, those things don’t really matter.

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to look like anyone else! All you have to do is look like you. Stop trying to come up with a way to look like the girl next to you at the gym. Instead come up with ways to be proud of the body you possess. It can do so much and it deserves a little TLC. I know from experience that when you start to love what you have, your outlook becomes more positive. You may never have rippling arms, but you have arms and they are pretty great.

I know this has been a long musing, but I can’t stress enough how important it is that we start loving our special bodies and stop trying to become clones of each other. Start today by being thankful for the body you have and tell yourself that you are special and unique and there is NO ONE out there who has what you have. Be proud of that. Own it. You are you and that is awesome.

How To Use Up Your Leftovers

December 3, 2014 / ktbuchs87

It’s almost a week after Thanksgiving and I’m sure some of you still have mounds of leftovers that you’re trying to get through. Thanksgiving leftovers are one of the best parts of the holiday but there are only so many turkey sandwiches you can eat before you never want to see a slice of turkey again. I thought that I would share some different ways that you can use up the various leftovers that you might have lurking around your kitchen.

Turkey/Ham/Whatever other meat you may have made

Obviously you can make a plain old sandwich, but why not jazz it up my making a turkey salad sandwich? Shred up the turkey and mix together with some mashed up avocado, a little lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Or use hummus or spicy mustard instead of avocado, whatever you have a hankering for.
Add shredded meat to any variety of dishes like soup, tacos, frittatas, quesadillas, or casseroles.
Make chili with leftover meat and any other vegetables you may have lying around.

Potatoes

Use leftover mashed potatoes as a topping for shepherds pie or meatloaf. You can even try it as a topping for my lentil loaf
Sweet potatoes can be used in many baked goods from bread to muffins. Just mash them up into a smooth puree and add into the batter.
Roasted potatoes (regular or sweet) make a great breakfast hash or can be added to scrambled eggs, stews, and casseroles.
Scalloped potatoes can be used as a crust for frittatas or quiche.

Stuffing/Dressing

Let some of your stuffing sit out on the counter overnight to dry out a little and you can use it as bread crumbs
Make stuffing dumplings by mixing stuffing together with 2 eggs, turkey, and some shredded cheese if desired. Form into balls and add into soup and cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes. You can also bake them in the oven at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes
You can also make a breakfast casserole with stuffing. In a casserole dish, place a layer of stuffing along the bottom. Add in green or red peppers, cooked sausage, or sauteed onions and garlic. In a separate bowl whisk 6 to 8 eggs and a little almond milk and then pour over the stuffing. Top with shredded cheese if you would like and bake at 375 for 25 to 30 minutes. Let sit on the counter for 5 minutes before you cut into pieces and eat.

Cranberry Sauce/Relish

Stir cranberry sauce into oatmeal and top with nuts like almonds, walnuts, or pecans for a seasonal breakfast
Use relish or sauce as a sandwich topping for a nice tart flavor
Make a winter salad by combining cooked quinoa/millet/farro/brown rice, diced sweet potatoes or butternut squash, cranberry relish or sauce, and seasonings like parsley or cilantro. Drizzle a little of olive oil and stir the salad all together.

Vegetables

Leftover vegetables often get put in the fridge and then forgotten. Add them into any dish like stir fry’s, soups, stews, or add into salads.
They are also good on sandwiches or if you’re having a taco night use as fillers for burritos.

These are just a few things that you can do with that pile of food you still have to get through. Get creative and see where you can add in leftovers to all of your meals. You can also freeze some of your leftovers to be used at a later time. This works well with meat and bread like dishes. As for all those desserts that are staring you down? I’m sure your neighbor or the office would enjoy having a treat!

The Holiday Cycle

December 1, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Thursday officially kicked off the holiday season. It’s also the start of the season of eating and tips, posts, and articles about how to avoid gaining weight or overeating during the holidays. I’ve even written a few posts like that in the past, but this year I am going to take a different approach. I’m going to tell you to take a deep breath and just relax.

Believe me, I know just how tough it is to do that this time of year. It feels like there is food everywhere you look and parties every weekend and it’s almost like you are just eating every single second of the day. All of these things contribute to an already stressful time. You feel guilty with every cookie you eat, yet you can’t stop eating those cookies. You try to eat well in between those parties just to offset the binge that is inevitably going to happen. It’s all a huge, guilty, vicious cycle and no one looks forward to that.

This is why I am going to take a different approach to the holiday eating season this year. I am not going to worry about every single piece of food that passes my lips. I don’t want to be spending the most wonderful time of the year thinking about food I have eaten, or shouldn’t have eaten, or won’t eat. Adding more stress to my life is not going to help my health in any way, so I am going to do my best to keep calm.

This doesn’t mean that I am going to go hog wild with food. I’m still going to eat real, whole foods and limit my sugar intake. My meals won’t look much different than normal. I’m still going to exercise regularly and go about my days like I normally do, but I am not going to sweat the holiday treats. After years of punishing myself for being “bad” during the holidays, I have learned that it isn’t one meal or treat that will undo all my hard work. It is what I do day in and day out that will affect my health. Worrying over food will also affect my health in a negative way.

You can do it too. Maybe you have spent many a family gathering eyeing all the delicious food and forcing yourself to sit miserably on the sidelines eating carrot sticks. Or maybe you load up your plate and stuff yourself full of your off-limit foods and immediately regret the massive food baby you currently have. You don’t have to let something like food have so much control over your life. Go into this holiday season with that mindset; food does not control you. Know that one meal doesn’t make you unhealthy and one party isn’t going to ruin your progress. You can still enjoy yourself and not feel guilty about eating. Like I said before, take a deep breath and just relax. Focus on all the other things that are going on during this season and trust yourself to do what is best for you. You’re stronger than you think!

Be as confident as this cat 🙂

I hope you all had a great start to the holidays and that you have an awesome week!

Don’t Do That, It’ll Kill You

November 24, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I don’t know if many of you read as many health related articles and studies as I do, but let me tell you: we are doomed. At least that is the feeling I get sometimes. The titles can read all doom and gloom and it would seem that we can do nothing right. From eating the wrong foods, breathing in the wrong chemicals, and even not standing enough, every aspect of our health is in danger. It can be overwhelming and cause you to feel like it is a hopeless cause because no matter what there is going to be something that you do that is going to kill you or compromise your health.

I started feeling this way when I really started to dig into making myself healthier. I wanted to make sure that I was doing everything right so that I could be the best and healthiest. I wanted to be eating all the right foods, doing all the right exercises, and so I turned to health research. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate and value all research. It is what helps us learn more about ourselves and the world around us. Research helps us do better, but it can also be a double-edged sword. Any study that you find proving one thing, you will undoubtedly find a conflicting study proving something else. This is especially true with health research. So when I started in on finding the healthiest life possible, I got confused and overwhelmed. I was doing everything wrong it felt like and if I kept this up it would lead to a morbid end.

I began to worry about everything I did when it came to my health. Was I eating at the right time to get the optimal nutrition from my food? Was I exercising enough or too much? Did I sit down too often? Should I ever sit again? Were the cleaners I used in my house going to undo all the healthy eating I had been reading about? I second-guessed every choice I made, and fretted over if I would ever be able to do it right. Ironically enough, all that worrying about doing everything perfect is what led to me not being as healthy as possible.

Stress is one of the biggest health busters and it can wreak havoc over all areas of your life. It can affect sleep, which can then affect your hormones that help make food choices, which then affect your body, which in turn affects your physical activity. By stressing over all the research that I was taking in, I was doing the exactly the opposite of what I wanted.

I’ll tell you something I needed someone to tell me: you aren’t going to do it all perfectly. There is no way that you can eat every super food out there, perform all the most challenging exercises, eliminate every bad habit that is going to be the demise of your health. It is impossible and it is also ok. You can’t be perfectly healthy and you shouldn’t expect yourself to be. Rather than stress over all the things you have to do or suffer the consequences, focus on doing the best you can. Remember when your parents told you even if you got a bad grade on something as long as you gave it your all and did your best that was what mattered? The same applies to your health. Eat as best as you can, whether that is organic or conventional. Exercise in the way that works for you, whether that is doing CrossFit or yoga. Make as many healthy choices as you can, whether that is using all natural cleaners or walking more throughout the day. The little things will add up and you’ll live a healthier life by doing the best you can.

I’m not perfect, you’re not perfect, and we aren’t meant to be. Don’t let all those studies and research get you down and make you hopeless. Don’t give up or worse, not start, just because it appears to be a lost cause. Making today better than yesterday is a healthy goal, and research says that’s a good thing!