health

Making and Meeting Goals

/ ktbuchs87

SetGoalsChalkboardThis past week I celebrated my 26th birthday.  I also thought of things that I had accomplished over my life as well as the things that I want to accomplish.  Clearly I am still relatively young and I have a lot of living left to do.  I know that I want to make the most of that time and for me, making goals to strive for really helps.

When I first decided to be healthier, I made big goals of losing a ton of weight and eating perfectly and exercising every day.  While those are good goals, they are big picture goals.  Those goals can also often seem unattainable, and if you’re like me, you want to feel like you’re actually accomplishing something.  Over time I realized I had to make smaller and more realistic goals.  Instead of losing a ton of weight, I focused on fitting better into my clothes.  Instead of eating perfectly, I focused on choosing better options than what I had been previously eating.  Instead of exercising every day, I focused on running a little farther each time I went out for a run.  With these more manageable goals, I saw results and felt so proud of myself for accomplishing things.  I kept up with making smaller goals to be met.  I ran in a 5k race and then a 10k race.  I started doing yoga and practicing more difficult poses.  I immersed myself in learning how to cook with healthier ingredients and now can create my own meals and recipes to be shared with others.  I stopped focusing on a number on the scale and feel comfortable and proud of the body I have and all that it can do.

It is important to have goals and it is also important to have big goals.  All the little goals I made and met, helped to move me toward my ultimate goal of being as healthy as I possibly could.  I am still working towards that, but I am knocking out the little steps all along the way.  You can do that too.  Maybe you want to be healthier, maybe you want a better job, or maybe you just want to get through the day with less stress.  Set small and attainable goals for yourself that will help you reach that overall goal.  Once you meet those little goals that you set, you’ll be more motivated to keep going and meet that ultimate goal.

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With all of that being said, I wanted to set another large goal for me to accomplish.  I have really developed a passion for health as well as a heart for helping others to enjoy the best health they can.  I want to make this my everyday work and I feel that the best way for me to get my message across and help others is to become a health coach.  I have been researching this for quite some time now, and I am ready to start taking steps to reach that goal.  What am I going to do to help that?  I have been looking into certifications, once I settle on one I can start classes.  I will continue to write and maintain this blog, as well as continue to learn as much about health and nutrition as I can.  I want to start looking for opportunities to reach more people with my knowledge and message, maybe reaching out to people and offering my help.  As long as I am moving towards that ultimate goal of health coach I am open to anything.

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Sure, it is a little scary to declare that you are going to do something.  What if you fail?  What if it’s impossible?  What if others don’t believe in you?  Yes, those things can happen.  You could also succeed, prove others wrong, and become a better version of you.  You won’t know until you try!

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

/ ktbuchs87

Another slow cooker recipe for you today! I have been on a soup kick lately, probably because of the colder weather.  I have been craving warm and hearty and delicious soup. Plus the house smells amazing all day as the soup simmers in the slow cooker!  Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup | Life Healthfully Lived Continue reading →

Grocery Shopping Tips

/ ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Clearly I believe that one of the components of living a healthier lifestyle is to eat well.  In order to eat well, you have to shop for that better food.  Grocery shopping can be an intimidating task for some people.  There are so many options, so many different choices, so many things that it can be overwhelming.  Where do you start?  What do you choose?  How do you ignore the things that aren’t good for you?  How do you know what is and isn’t good for you?  Whew!  If you are going to live healthier you HAVE to eat healthier and I don’t want you to feel intimidated by that.  I want it to be easy for you to shop and eat well, so I am going to give you some of my grocery shopping tips that help me stick to what I need and bypass everything I don’t.  Some of my tips might not apply to you or your grocery store, but there should be something in my list that will help you out and every little bit helps when it comes to eating better.

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Make a menu for the week.  Try to plan ahead as much as possible.  I grocery shop Friday morning, so I like to write out a dinner menu through Thursday.  If you can’t handle a whole week just do a few days in advance.  Writing out a menu helps you to think about what ingredients you will need for your meals and what you will need to shop for.

Take inventory of your kitchen and make a list.  Check your fridge, your pantry, and your cabinets.  What things do you have and what things do you need?  I check my supply of dried goods like beans, rice, quinoa, and things like that.  I check  my supply of canned goods like diced tomatoes.  I also check things like potatoes, garlic, and onions as well as spices.  If I am low on any of my staples, I put it onto my grocery list.  Anything that I need for my weekly dinner that I don’t already have also goes on the list.  I also tend to arrange my list in the order that I will shop for it at the store.  For example, I put all my fresh produce on the list first because at my grocery store that is the first thing I get.  This helps to streamline the process as well as helps avoid any aisle that I do not need to be in.  Some people just wander up and down the aisles throwing whatever they think looks good into their cart.  They tend to end up with a lot more food than they need as well as the unhealthier fare that the store offers.  By preparing a list you can avoid all that!

Get to know the store.  Yeah I know this is kind of an obvious tip, but I’m including it anyway.  If you’re relatively new to grocery shopping don’t be frustrated if it takes a little longer to shop.  As you get to know your store and get to know the products offered, your shopping time will go down.

Shop for fresh produce first.  This is a personal preference, but I find that buying all the fresh stuff first is a little easier because there aren’t 5,000 different types of broccoli to choose from.  Broccoli is broccoli and you don’t have to compare ingredient lists or wonder which head of broccoli is better.  Plus I like to try and fill up my cart with good stuff first so it is easier to avoid the “bad” food because there is no room in the cart.

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Don’t let the aisles scare you.  A lot of people tell you to avoid the aisles and only shop the perimeter when you are trying to shop healthier.  While it is true that the aisles host pretty much all of the processed junk that you shouldn’t be eating, they also have some really good and healthy staples.  The aisles are where I get my canned/jarred tomatoes, rice, condiments like mustard, and occasionally salsa if I don’t have any homemade in my pantry.  My grocery store has a bulk section where I get all my spices, dried beans, and flour, but you can also find those things in the aisles at your store.  The key is to not go down every single aisle, this is where knowing how your grocery store is set up and what aisles contain the things you need on your list comes in handy.  Only go down the aisles that you need items from and you won’t have to worry about being tempted by the processed food.

Get your meat/dairy/eggs/frozen foods at the end.  I get my eggs, almond milk, and frozen vegetables last so they aren’t sitting in my cart getting warm the whole time.  The frozen section can be another tempting place as it houses all the ice cream/frozen treats as well as frozen dinners.  This is where having a menu planned out will help.  If you already know what you are going to eat for the week you will be less tempted by the convenience meals in the frozen section.  Let’s be honest, anything you make will be a lot tastier and healthier than anything you can get in a box, even if it does seem easier to just throw your dinner in the microwave and hit start.  Just stick to your frozen vegetables and fruit, which usually are in the same aisle so you don’t have to go down any other aisles.

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Get to know the products you use most.  For the foods that you do purchase in packages make sure you know the ingredients and are ok with them.  The first few times you shop this way you might have to spend some time comparing products and choosing the one you feel best about.  Once you get that down you can just go in and choose your regular product.  I know there are a few apps like In R Food and Zipongo let you scan bar codes and compare products based on ingredients.  You can also look up a lot of products online and look at ingredient lists and nutrition facts before you even go to the store so you don’t have to even look at any other product.

Those are just a few tips that have helped me stick to healthy and easy grocery shopping.  Trust me I know it’s really easy to get lost in all the aisles and products offered at the store.  If you prepare as much as you can beforehand it will make your actual shopping trip that much easier.  That way you can just go in, get exactly what you need, and head on out.  My best piece of advice for new healthy grocery shoppers is to take your time.  Plan to spend a few extra minutes at the store when you are first starting out.  It will take some time for you to get used to your store, the products that work best for you, and a new way of shopping.  As time goes on you will get faster and be a grocery shopping wizard!  Just stay calm and know that you are shopping for better health!

All About the Presentation

/ ktbuchs87

words2As a health blogger, I view my posts as possible guidelines for someone who may or may not know a whole lot about being healthier.  Maybe they are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, maybe they are looking for different ways to live healthier, or maybe they just want to see other people’s opinions on a certain topic to make an educated decision about their own life.  I am very conscious of the way that I present my views and opinions because I know that they can be integral in someone’s journey to a better life.  Lately, I have noticed that other people in the health world might not have this same view.

I started noticing this on my Instagram account.  I follow mostly health bloggers/enthusiasts/chefs/anything to do with food and every once and awhile I would see a post bashing a certain food/way of eating.  The post would have a picture of some type of food (usually processed food like Oreos) and then state something along the lines of, “I can’t believe anyone can eat this junk”.  I will be the first one to tell you that I don’t think processed food does anybody any good.  I will also be the first to tell you that you’re not a bad person for eating those foods, nor do you need to feel guilty.  Shaming anyone into a better lifestyle doesn’t work and most times has the opposite effect.

For the most part, people know when they don’t lead a healthy lifestyle.  They know when they eat food that is not good for their health.  What they don’t know perhaps is how to change, and making them feel badly about themselves is not going to get them to make a change.  I would like to believe that the majority of health professionals out there genuinely want to help people be as healthy as possible, I know I do.  The health community needs to make sure that rather than shunning people for eating poorly or not making the best health decisions, they need to understand it’s hard to make a big change.  They need to remember when they first started their own health journey and the struggles they went through to get where they are today.  Most people don’t just magically become super healthy overnight.  It is a slow and gradual process with plenty of setbacks  I still have to work at it each day.  When I first started out, if someone had shamed me about the food I ate or all the exercise I should be doing but wasn’t or couldn’t I would have quit.  No one wants to feel bad about themselves even more than they already do.  They don’t need people to point out their downfalls, they need people to help them up and show them the way.

That’s why the health world needs to not just focus on the message of better choices, but on how they present that message as well.  We need to be welcoming and understanding and let others know that they are not alone in their struggles.  Ever heard the saying it’s easier to attract bees with honey rather than vinegar?  That same message applies to the world of health.  Those just starting out or looking to become healthier, don’t need our bitter or angry put downs.  They need words of kindness and encouragement.  They need to know they can do this and that we are here to help.  If we follow that philosophy, maybe more and more people can join us in leading healthier lifestyles.  That’s the whole point right?

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Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce

/ ktbuchs87

I didn’t think that this recipe would be a winner.  I had a vague idea of what I wanted to do, and in my head I could see it working, but as I started to put this together, I got nervous.  Luckily it all worked out and this turned into a favorite around here!  This makes a lot of falafel, so it would be good for a get-together or even as appetizers at a party.

Baked Falafel with Tahini Sauce 

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  • 2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in a big pot overnight
  • 1 onion, diced small
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch fresh parsley
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro
  • 3 tbsp almond flour
  • 1 tbsp coriander
  • 3 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2-1 tsp cayenne, depending on how spicy you want your falafel
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder

Tahini Sauce

  • 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (you could use any non-dairy milk, but I think coconut works the best)
  • 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed butter)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp liquid aminos or soy sauce or coconut aminos
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Drain and rinse your soaked chickpeas, place them in a food processor and pulse until crumbly.  Place in a large bowl.  Place the diced onion, parsley, cilantro, and garlic cloves into the processor and pulse until it looks like paste.  Add the herb paste to the chickpeas and combine.  Mix in the seasonings and then the baking soda and powder.

2.  Using a tablespoon, ice cream or cookie scooper, form the chickpea mixture into little balls.  Don’t make them too big or they will fall apart.  Place the falafel onto a cookie sheet that has been oiled or use a baking mat.  Flatten the balls just a little, brush with a little olive oil and bake in the oven for 10 min.  After 10 minutes, flip the falafel and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

3.  For the sauce, combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until thick.  Pour over falafel or use it as a dipping sauce.  Either way is delicious!

Don’t freak out if it looks like the falafel is not going to hold together, it will.  Do be gentle with these, though, since falafel is usually fried, these are just a little bit more delicate (and healthier).  So get to cooking and let me know what you think!