How To Offer Support

November 19, 2014 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

I often talk about how I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the support of my family and friends. It is especially helpful to have a great support system when you decided to be healthier. It’s good to have people around you who will keep you accountable, pick you up when you fall down, and offer encouragement when you want to quit. I’m sure most of you can think of one person who is always there for you and ready to help no matter what. Here is my question for the day, do you give support back? As great as it is to receive support, it’s just as important to give support to others. Here are some good ways to give support to others who want to be healthier, as well as a few things NOT to do.

Don’t force it

Giving support is great, but sometimes it’s unwanted. Have you ever been working out at the gym and a stranger comes up to give you tips or tell you what you’re doing wrong? I’m sure they think that they are helping, but most of the time it’s just annoying and you want them to leave ASAP. Don’t be that person when being supportive. You might think that you are helping, but if the person really doesn’t want your support you’re just being annoying. Don’t force support onto anyone who clearly doesn’t want it.

Be gentle

You don’t need to be the crazy coach screaming in someones face trying to motivate them to be better. Sometimes it’s better to be the calm and gentle anchor for someone. When people decide to be healthier, many times their lives and routines are thrown into chaos. Suddenly they are eating a different way, exercising perhaps for the first time ever, and things can seem crazy. The last thing they need right at the beginning is a crazy friend yelling at them and telling them they are going to be unhealthy forever if they quit. Lend a listening ear when they have their struggles, offer advice if you have it, and reassure them that they can do this. These methods will work much better and actually help.

Know your audience

On the flip side of this, some of us work better with the tough love approach. We’re all different and different things work better to support us. Find out the best way to offer your support. I recently found out that my husband likes when I push him when we workout together, so make sure you know the best way to help.

Don’t make it just about you

This is one that I have to watch out for. Because I have gone through my own journey to get healthier, it is so easy to turn everything around and say how I did things. While it’s good to be able to give support and advice based on our own experiences, realize that this is about the other person not you. They are going through their own unique experiences, and while it might be similar to yours respect their journeys. If you find yourself starting every sentence with, “Well when I was doing…”, try to work on finding out how they’re going about things and offering advice when warranted.

Build them up

Probably the biggest thing you can do is to build others up. Eating better and exercising more and improving your health is hard and can have a tendency to break people down. There will be days that you just don’t want to do this anymore and those are the days that having a great support system really helps. When someone comes to you ready to throw in the towel, help show them how far they have come and all that they have accomplished. Tell them how proud you are that they have chosen to take better care of themselves. Motivate them to keep going and do what you can to help them pick themselves back up.

I know that I wouldn’t be where I am today without support from other people. I want to be able to help others the way that I have been helped and offering support is a kind of a way to pay it forward. Because I have gotten such great support I know how crucial it is to succeeding, so do what you can to help be that important influence in someone else’s life.

Sorry for not having a post on Monday, but I spent the whole weekend in bed with a fever and just general miserableness. I hope that you guys had better weekend and are staying warm with this early blast of winter. I will see you guys on Friday!

How To Preserve Food For The Winter

November 12, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Winter is coming. Actually, it’s kind of already here in the midwest. If you haven’t been paying attention to the news or stepped outside, there is a huge cold front that is moving through the country bringing snow and wind and cold. Yay…. Anyway, as the winter season settles in the harvest season winds down. There aren’t many new crops popping up in the dead of winter and while I know that in modern grocery stores we can get any fruit or vegetable at any time of the year, the selection of in season produce is slim. I have been trying to make a push in our household to try and eat as seasonally as possible. There will always be a few fruit and vegetables, like bananas and sweet potatoes, that I will buy no matter the time of year, but otherwise I try to eat what’s in season. Now, just because there isn’t a lot to choose from in the winter time, if you take a little time to plan ahead, you can eat all your summer/fall favorites through the cold months ahead. There are many ways to preserve food, but the three that I’m going to share here are the ones that I use most often.

Pickling

Most people only think of dill pickles when the hear the word pickling, but you can pretty much pickle any vegetable. Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, beets, asparagus, summer squash, onions, garlic….. you get the idea. Pickling has been around for centuries and it is a fairly simple process so don’t be too intimidated. Pickled vegetables can be used on a lot of different dishes, from placing kimchi on a burger or making a pickled beet salad, and really add a unique flavor. On the health and nutrition side of pickled food, they provide a great source of probiotics that can help improve your digestion and gut health. All really good things! Check out a few of these online tutorials for pickling and get started. Experiment with different vegetables and spices and enjoy delicious vegetables all winter long.

Sauces, Jams, and Butters

This is my go to way to preserve fruit, especially the bounty of fruit that is available during the fall. If you’re like me you’re probably swimming in apples and a great way to save those apples (other than making a million pies!) is to make apple butter or apple sauce. You can pretty much use these two methods for all fruit. You can make sauce or jam from strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, any berry. Fruit butters are another great way to save fruit and many can be made right in your slow cooker. One of my favorite combos is a pumpkin/apple butter and I usually have a jar or two on hand. I have myself have never made jam, but I have made quite a few sauces like cranberry and tomato sauce. You can find a few good tutorials here for making big batches of jam and on Friday I’ll share a really easy way to make a big batch of applesauce, so check back for that!

Freeze

This is by far the easiest method of preserving your produce and the one that I use the most. During the fall when squash is super cheap I stock up and then freeze the extra. I either peel and dice the squash into cubes and freeze that way or I peel, dice, steam, and puree it and freeze the puree in batches. You can also freeze things like broccoli and cauliflower. Cut and steam the vegetables until brightly colored and then dunk them in a bowl of ice water. This is called blanching and it helps preserve their flavor. Once they are relatively dry, place them in freezer safe bags or container. When you want to use them just steam until cooked through. I like freezing produce because it is a great way to have quick meals on hands. I can use my purees for baking or soup or gnocchi and having vegetables on hand make an easy side dish or add nutrition to stir fry. Plus frozen foods can last for up to three month as long as they are properly stored.

These are my favorite ways to make the bounty of produce available during the warmer months last all winter long. There are other ways, such as canning, to preserve your food so find the method that works best for you. If you take just a little bit of time and effort you can eat well even if the weather is frightful!

How To Grocery Shop For Health

November 5, 2014 / ktbuchs87

If you are the regular grocery shopper for your family, you probably have your routine down pat. You know exactly where to go, what to get, and what aisle everything is in. I know for me, I can pretty much grocery shop on autopilot and get everything I need in less than 30 minutes. But when you decide to make a big change in the way you eat, the grocery store suddenly turns into unknown territory. You’re now hunting the aisle for foreign ingredients and wondering whether lacinato kale and curly kale are all that different from each other. It can be frustrating to try and navigate your store and have no clue what to buy. I thought that I would share a few tips from my own grocery shopping routine to help you get in and out quickly and healthfully!

Plan Meals First

I always start my grocery list with a menu. During the week, I stick to simple meals that stay generally the same, I just change the flavors/seasonings based on what I have on hand. I save my new or more complicated meals for the weekend when I have more time. Once I have a menu written out, I can add the ingredients I don’t have in my kitchen to my list. This way you aren’t left wondering what ingredients that meatloaf dish needs while your standing in the grocery aisle. Meal planning is also a great way to start eating better. When you have a plan, you can stick to what you need and steer clear of the impulse buy in the chip aisle.

Use this template to plan and write out your list. Or find another one you like better online!

Change Your Route

Speaking of the chip aisle, wave good-bye. You probably have a specific route you take through your store and probably include a few less than healthy aisles. If you want to start eating better, I suggest changing your route. I personally like to start in the produce aisle. I fill my cart with all of the fruits and vegetables I will need for the week and then I move on to the other items I need in the store. I also don’t wander up and down each aisle, I go to the specific ones I need and avoid the temptation of the less than stellar aisles. For me this includes the aisles for tea/coffee, canned goods for diced tomatoes/tomato paste/tomato sauce, dried goods like rice and beans, and the frozen foods section for fruits and vegetables. While there are healthy things in the aisles of your store, your best bet is the produce section and the frozen food aisles. However you choose to eat, make sure you are shopping for those things and try to avoid the food aisles that have nothing you need.

Consider Multiple Trips

I know this might not be a popular tip for everyone, but consider making more than one trip to your grocery store or going to multiple stores. I do this for two reasons. One, I am fairly frugal with my grocery budget and I want to make sure that I am getting the most for my money. There are some stores that have better deals on food that I buy regularly and it is worth it to me to go to a few different places. My rotation of stores right now is Jewel, Aldi, and Whole Foods. Between those three I am able to get good prices on all of my food and eat healthy on a budget. The second reason I suggest multiple trips is that stores stock their products at different times of the day/week. I try to get to the store on the days/times that they restock the produce so I can get the best pick. Also multiple trips tend to save you money because you can buy only what you need instead of overstocking because you only go once. Again, I know that some of you are too busy for multiple trips during the week, but give it a try and see if it works for you.

Just Ask

If you’re totally changing the way you eat, chances are there are going to be some food items that you are unfamiliar with. Rather than just wandering around and getting frustrated, ask a worker. I have found that most of the time they are happy to help and it cuts down on wasted time to just ask someone for help. Plus if you get a really great employee, they can help you with how to prepare and eat that ingredient. So don’t be afraid to ask!

Grocery shopping is a vital part of eating well and it is disheartening when you feel lost. It can feel easier to just give up and go back to your old habits because you know what to do. Don’t give into the temptation and slip back to your old ways, try these tips and give yourself some time to get used to your new way of eating. Soon you will be flying through the store with ease and will be on your way to eating a healthy meal!

How To Keep Moving Forward

October 30, 2014 / ktbuchs87

Since we have moved to Chicago and Adam started working at Aon, I haven’t had a “real” job. It was a conscious decision on both our parts and it is working well for the moment. I knew with all this new found free time, I would need to make sure that I had things to keep me occupied and moving forward on my goals and dreams. It could have been so easy to just waste the day away and not do much at all, but I didn’t want to be complacent.

I think that the idea of moving forward and reaching goals can be applied to pretty much any area of life. Whether it be losing weight, completing a home project, getting a promotion at work, or getting into the college of your choice. I don’t have all the answers on how to achieve those goals but I do have a few tips on how to keep moving towards those goals. These are some things that I have used to help from keeping me sitting on the couch all day eating bon bons. Does anyone actually eat bon-bons all day?

Create a vision board

Have you ever heard of Pinterest? If you haven’t, it’s like a giant cork board on the internet You can save all the recipes, workouts, outfits, etc you find on the internet in one place. You can create different boards to sort all your pins. Having a visual representation is a great way to keep your goals at the front of your mind. You don’t have to use Pinterest (even though it’s awesome) you can just use a regular pinboard. Find images that embody your goal and hang them where you can see them everyday. You can add or subtract as you reach your goals or they change.

Tell someone

Share your goals with another person, preferably someone that you trust. It’s really helpful to have another person know exactly what you want to accomplish. That way you have someone that can support you and keep you accountable. Ask them to check in with you every once and awhile to see your progress. While you might think you’re really independent and can do everything on your own, it’s really important to have someone there to support your dreams. You will be much more likely to reach those goals with that little extra oomph.

Do something everyday

It doesn’t have to be a huge or monumental task but do something everyday to propel you towards your goal. If you want to lose weight, try keeping a food journal each day to see where you can make changes. If you want to write a book, try writing a chapter or paragraph everyday. Little steps like this will get you closer to your goal and before you know it you’ll be there. Also little steps can lead to bigger steps and you can reach your goal even faster. This is also another great way to keep yourself from stalling. If you actually do something you’ll feel more motivated to keep working hard.

Be kind to yourself

This one is tough for me. I often get down on myself for not reaching my goals sooner or I keep beating myself up for not doing more. Don’t worry if you aren’t going at the rate you think you should be. You will reach your goals at your own pace. Don’t compare yourself to others or give up because it isn’t happening as soon as you want. As long as you are continually working towards something, you don’t need to beat yourself up. Be kind and keep going.

Like I said, I don’t have all the answers and maybe these tips will not help you in any way at all, but give them a try. They might be a good starting point if you are at the beginning of your journey. No matter what you decide to do, start making decisions and steps to accomplish your dreams.

Just A Thought

October 27, 2014 / ktbuchs87

I had a great weekend spending time with my in-laws, watching marching bands, and celebrating my upcoming birthday. It was nice to relax with my family and spend time together.

With all of my relaxing this weekend (there may have been a few glasses of wine), I don’t have a very long post for you today but I do have a thought. I have noticed that with all the social media out there, we have become people who are constantly comparing. I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me until I would find myself looking at pictures on Instagram and comparing my life to them. I didn’t just compare my health or body or food but my clothes, my apartment, essentially my life. Somehow there was always someone who had something bigger or better or seemingly more perfect. My life just didn’t seem to meet their standards and it was making me grumpy. I took a step back and realized how silly it is to want my life to meet OTHER people’s standards.

How often do you try and compare yourself to others, fall short, and then feel inadequate? Probably more than you know. It’s impossible to totally isolate yourself from social media, but even if you could there are still opportunities to compare. There will always be other people who seem to have everything in life and you wish you could be just like them, but that will never make you happy. You will end up always reaching for things and never have time to enjoy all the great things you already have. I stopped caring what my life looked like next to the person standing next to me and what do you know, I’m a lot happier. My life is amazing and it’s my life so the only person that needs to set the standard is me. It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing, as long as I’m achieving my goals and satisfied with things, it’s all good. Take one day to stop comparing and see how much better your life and all the things you do really are. Because you are a very awesome person.