Creating Your Day

This is a poem my husband, Jonathan, wrote a few years ago about creating your day. He stumbled upon it again recently and I thought I would share.

I think of the smell of fresh cut grass in the morning as I wake

It reminds me of  starting anew, accepting no determined fate

I smile and think another day, stretching and rolling in bed

If I need another thought of joy, I just conjure one up in my head

To some it seems, not I, their blood, is always at flow

I need some action to get myself going, to shake off dampening slow

As I ride, or run, or walk, or play, I think of what I will paint today

Not just the contents of breakfast, not just the smoothness of employ

Not just a guess, not a round-about wish, no reason to be coy

My breakfast will give me energy, so much I can give it away

I’ll eat every bite, savor its flavor, and intentionally start my day

Something at work will surprise me.  I don’t know what it will be.

All day it will keep me excited.  Not matter the size, it’s for me.

I’ll also receive a compliment, so I may receive a correction

Whatever it takes, I’ll take it today and tomorrow can be that much better

I’ll also be kind and grateful, more to those in need

More to mean and bitter, I’ll be grateful I’ll plant a seed

There is so much to which I am grateful, so much to think of it all.

The air, each other, knowledge, power, a pet, a friend, sex, lights, and water.

Soothing music, cozy blankets, dancing, parties, plants, and planets.

Movies, colors, shade, wind, rain,

Food, festivals, my imaginative brain.

I can go on… shall I not?  I can go on and rarely stop.

This day is for me, I’ll conjure it all, I’ll do it and no one around me will fall.

I’ll lift every spirit that touches with mine, it happens with barely a mention.

This day is for me, no one else is to blame, all it takes is a little intention.

Vacationing in the mountains

If you are headed to the mountains this summer, I have to say I am envious! Being in southern Louisiana we don't see mountains or even hills unless we are making a point to find them. A mountain view is so refreshing for the heart and soul; a great time to relax and stretch your mind and body. A vacation in the mountains is the perfect opportunity to spend a little time with yourself-listen to peace & quiet and revitalize your sense of well-being.  You can take advantage of the unique outdoor experiences, such as hiking, horse-back riding, and fishing, and if you're of the brave, white water rafting or kayaking. These things truly nourish the soul. 


When you want to nourish your body here are a few tips to keep in mind...
Experience what the local fare has to offer. Whether it's a roast elk tenderloin or freshly caught fish, just enjoy! Give yourself permission to eat foods you don't typically have available to you. Allowing yourself to eat these great foods without judgement and guilt will have an affect on how you digest your food.

Stick with the menu options. Even if a buffet is available, use the menu to find one thing really can't resist and go for it. Keep in mind you don't have to eat everything on your plate and it's okay to leave a restaurant satisfied but not stuffed, which I call "pleasantly plump."

Make sure to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. A good rule of thumb is to drink 1 oz of water for every 2 pounds in body weight. Don't confuse water with soft drink (even diet ones), iced tea, sports drinks, coffee, you get the picture. Water is water and that's what your body needs for hydration.

Relax. Allow yourself time to re-energize! Most importantly, have fun!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane?

The weekend is fast approaching! If you are headed out of town by way of flying, inevitably you will spend a chunk of time in an airport. Self-entertainment in the airport and on the jet plane are somewhat limited-I mean, you can read a good book, catch up on gossip magazines, catch a few zzzz's, or find something to eat. If eating is on your agenda, let's explore a few ways to keep your wellness in check.

Of course a plan is always a good idea. Keep a few snacks in your carry-on so you can have easy access to something you "approve." Some ideas could be a Zydeco bar, some toasted pumpkin seeds, dried chickpeas, or if you are brave throw some edamame in there.

If you are looking for something at the airport grab a boiled egg and throw some hot sauce on it (that's one of my favorite snacks). You can also look for some fruit or a little salad if you need a snack. If your stomach is growling and you are more in need of a meal, consider a slice or two of thin-crust pizza. Of course, you have to obey The Pizza Rule-for every meat you have, you must also have a veggie. Another option for a meal would be an omelet, which The Pizza Rule would also apply. Deli sandwiches are also usually pretty easy to come by, but bypass the chips.

The last time I was on a plane they were charging for the snacks, and it the price was ridiculous! That made it easy to pass on the junk food they offer. Unless it's just good ole' roasted peanuts, the snacks usually have little nutritional value. If you can't say no, you can always tilt your head back, close your eyes, and pretend like you are sleeping, the flight attendants won't even ask if you are sleeping. If you feel compelled to get a beverage, as I always do, water is a fave or better yet, sparkling water with a splash of fruit juice.  And if you decide you want to start your vacation early with an adult beverage on the plane, red wine is likely the best option.

Wherever you are headed have a great time!

Beach Vaca!

So the time has come...you are headed to the beach with family & friends. It's about time!


Here are some hints to make sure you can fit in your swim suit when you leave the beach and avoid the post-vaca guilt.

• Have a plan. Plan to eat at least one or two meals in every day. This will allow you to be in charge of what you are eating. Keep some quick meal options available such as turkey-tortilla roll-up, fruit salad with yogurt & nuts, or peanut butter and banana sandwich.
• Get rid of your watch. Your schedule is going to be different, after all you are on vacation! Don't worry about eating at certain times, eat when you are hungry...and stop when you are no longer hungry. Let your hunger be the guide to tell you when to eat not your watch.
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. The heat at the beach will cause you to sweat, so don't forget to stay hydrated. Of course water will work. We always make "party drinks" when at the pool and these will work for the beach too. Mix sparkling water and a splash of pineapple juice (or any other juice). You can add frozen grapes, strawberries, or pineapple chunks to your drink to keep it cool. As the fruits defrost they will keep your drink cold and you can eat them! Feel free to add a little umbrella, just for good measure! Remember, your body doesn't absorb much water from drinks with alcohol, I'm just sayin...
• Master the munchies. Have some refreshing snacks to pack in the ice chest-watermelon chunks & grapes-and some that will hold you over until you get back inside-beef jerky or walnuts. When you are not at the beach much on some hummus and pita chips or carrots, bean dip, salsa, or guac with baked tortilla chips. Keep in mind munchies are just to get you to the next meal, not to make a meal out of them.
• Move! It doesn't matter what you do, but get your body moving. Of course you can bring tennis shoes and walk the beach, but I prefer to do activities on vacation that I do not do other places. We always bring a football or frisbee to the beach. To me, throwing a frisbee is not fun unless you have sand between your toes. You can blow up the beach ball and pop it around like volleyball, or actually play volleyball (I have never been brave enough to do this one, but it will certainly get your heart pumping). A swim in the waves can also get your ticker beating. If none of these sound good, just dance!

Your vacation meant for chilaxin', unwindin', and rest, so go and have fun! You don't have to spare taking care of yourself while you are away, and you'll feel better when you get home if you know you've put forth a little effort. Enjoy!

I'm on vacation!

Aahhh! Finally! The end of the school year is upon us, summer is quickly approaching and it's time for vacation!

As a child my family often went on vacation with my "cousins." We typically went to the beach and when the cars were unpacked and the condo was set up my uncle would announce, "I'M ON VACATION!" As the years went by we grew to realize this translated into "I am taking on the least amount of responsibility as possible so don't bother me with petty stuff." After all, isn't this what vacation is all about-to unwind, decompress, relax and HAVE FUN!

Along with all of this, a vacation is a great time to consider self-kindness; a time to stop beating yourselves up over, what else,  food stuff-what you should be eating, should not be eating, blah, blah, blah. 

When you are getting ready for vacation, consider these things to help you get through without having to "go on a diet" when you get home.

PLAN. The #1 best thing  you can do when preparing for vacation is to take a little time to plan and prepare how you will take care of yourself, including what you will eat. You've already started by reading this blog. Excellent!
If you'll be cooking on vacation, consider some simple meals and snacks:

• tacos-Simple, yet fun! You can have black beans, fish, or traditional tacos. Add salsa and you have added a vegetable. Add guacamole and you have a great fat and a super taco!
• kabobs-Stab some marinated chunks of meat on a skewer with pineapple, bell pepper pieces, and mushrooms. Throw it on the grill and BAM a great, easy meal.
• dehydrated foods-beef jerky is a fabulous snack packed with protein; dried apricots is a great snack that will give more nutrition than candy, you get the idea.
• baked chips-you need something to scoop up the salsa and guac

If you are not going to be cooking, avoid the buffets, limit fried foods (if you can't possibly avoid them share the friedness with whomever else is at the table), and split entrees with someone. After all you don't want to eat until you are stuffed and you can't bring it home to eat it later.

KISS-Keep It Simple, Silly! While planning is good, keep it simple! After all you are going on vacation so you can get away from the hustle and bustle of your daily routine.

Hunger. When you get to your destination, let your hunger guide your eating. Consider the hunger scale: on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being ravenous and 10 being so stuffed all you can think about is lying down and falling asleep, let this guide when and how much you eat.  Grab something to eat when you get to about a 3 (don't let yourself get too hungry), and stop eating when you are about a 6. Remember it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the signal that you are no longer hungry.

Alcohol. Drink with caution! Not only does alcohol have a significant number of calories, sugar, etc. The most detrimental thing about drinking alcohol is that it breaks down your inhibitions to other things you may eat. A handful of chips turns into a 1/2 a bag, then the next thing you know you are headed down a path you'll wish you hadn't started.

This is the beginning of the vacation blog series. I'll be blogging about specific vacations-beach, cruise, mountains, you get the pictures. Check back in a few...

Baffled at the grocery store?

Grocery shopping...everyone has to do it (or have someone do it for them), yet few enjoy the routine chore. Brian Wansink, Ph.D., author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More than We Think, popularized the term nutritional gatekeeper. Your home's "nutritional gatekeeper" is the person who has the biggest influence on the foods consumed, thus the nutritional health of the people within the home. No pressure, right?

I often hear people say, despite the 40,000 food items offered at a large grocery store, "I don't know what to buy." There is a great deal of information out there regarding healthy foods, however I find quite a bit of it misleading and often very confusing.

In honor of March's National Nutrition Month, I had a Grocery Store Excursion Sweepstakes. I recently had the opportunity to journey through the grocery store with the sweepstakes winner, Laura. We used her typical grocery list as a guide and to explore the store. In the produce area we discussed which foods are most important to buy organic. We reviewed and compared food ingredients of a variety of hummus spreads, which they enjoy regularly. We discussed probiotics in yogurt and the difference between traditional and Greek yogurt. We also inspected the whole grains in a variety of bread loaves.

This week is National Women's Health Week, so I have another Grocery Store Excursion sweepstakes running. If you are the nutritional gatekeeper for your family and would like to explore your grocery store together, register for the Grocery Store Excursion sweepstakes! The winner will be selected on Friday, May 13. Good luck! 

Mother's Day

So, Mother's Day is right around the corner. Here, in southern Louisiana, every occasion can be a reason to get together with the family for a big feast. Let's make a change! For those that know me well, you know I often encourage enjoying and having fun with people without having the focus on food. While I know food is always around, let's find something else besides food to be the center of attraction for the day. Here are a few things you can do instead of sitting around the kitchen grazing the day away.

• Go bowling~take the whole family! It can be girls against boys, just like it used to be.
• Have a hula hoop contest. If you decide to do this, please video tape it and post it on the blog! :)
• Take your mother to have a psychic reading-whether you believe in psychic abilities or not, this would be so fun!
• Spend the day with her, doing whatever she wants.
• Give her your service as her Mother's Day gift. She may like for you to clean her car, help weed the garden, or just sit and listen to her.

Whatever you choose to do, remember that your mother is the reason you are here. Celebrate the day in a way that will give her long lasting memories and don't forget to give her thanks for making you who you are today!

Thank you my best friend, mom! XOXO

Festival Internationale-part 4

Today was the last day of Festival, so I couldn't miss it. I decided to go back and try a few more foods. We were only there for a short time today; my body needed time to recooperate.

We started with the LA Seafood House's Shrimp & Grits and Blackened Tuna Wrap. The Blackened Tuna Wrap was awesome-the tuna was slightly spicy, with the perfect amount of lettuce covered in a barely sweet sauce, wrapped with a wheat tortilla. Yummy!

Shrimp & Grits was good, but the shrimp were swimming in butter (or something) and difficult to eat because it was hot. I have trouble eating hot foods when it's hot outside. That's one of the biggest downfalls to Fest Food.





The last thing I tried for Festival Internationale 2011 was Alligator Shake's Alligator Sauce Piquante. It was spectacular! It was the kind of spicy that makes you sniffle. I really enjoyed the few bites I took, but again, it was too hard to eat because it was hot & spicy, and I was hot & sweaty. I wish I would have tried that yesterday when it wasn't so hot out, I think I would have enjoyed it more.

So this is the end. I'm sad to see it go, but thankful to have been a part of it. While healthy food and a southern Louisiana festival are a little oxymoronic, I can say there was good food that I was able to enjoy, both with my tastebuds and my wellness. Goodbye Fest Internationale, thank you for the music, the food, and the memories. I look forward to next year, only 359 days to wait...but who's counting?

Festival Internationale-part 3

Another full day of Festival...We were there when it got started (even in the rain) and stayed until we shut it down! I got to try lots of different food. Here's the breakdown.

I started the morning choosing between the Village Wrap and the Holy Guacamole Wrap from Village Market. The Holy Guacamole Wrap won-it was a tortilla stuffed with turkey, guacamole, lettuce, and tomatoes. I'd had my eye on it for a couple of days, but it didn't live up to my expectations. It was tasty, but not really what I would consider "festival food."

Next we had the Crawfish Corn Macque Choux from Antlers. It was served over rice, which I found odd. The macque choux was seasoned to perfection and the flavors of crawfish, corn, and tomatoes merged wonderfully. Although, it would have been much better without rice, even if the serving was smaller.

My hubby tried Fezzo's Crab Cake topped with Seafood Etouffee. There was nothing healthy about that one! 

Right about this time I was really wishing Dean-O's still served the Marie Laveau pizza. Oh Dean-O's, please bring it back to festival~it is missed very much! There was not much enticing about pepperoni or cheese pizza, so I skipped them.

Later during the day we tried Poupart's Stuffed Bread and Shrimp & Tasso Pasta. Both were pretty good, but they don't qualify as Best (Healthiest) Fest Food.

Now, if we are talking about incredible Fest Food, I can't go without mentioning Bon Creole Seafood's Crawfish & Spinach Boat. 

While one could argue that this is nourishing to your body because it has spinach (a vegetable automatically makes it good for you, right?) there is nothing about this dish that qualifies as healthy. However if sharing this with a few people it could be totally worth it! But don't try to finish the bowl.

To round out the day we finished with Couchon's Smoked Pork Sandwich. It was much better than I anticipated! Instead of lettuce it had what tasted like slightly pickled cucumbers, which was an added bonus.

Now for the last day of Festival. I am trying to decide if I'm headed back to Festival International or will swing another local festival, the Etouffee Festival in Arnaudville. Oh, decisions, decisions...

Festival Internationale-part 2

Another day of Festival, and I'm just as excited! I love listening to the music as we walk around, it's just a reminder that there's so much life out there beyond cajun/zydeco, which I also love!
Fest Food is the next best reason to spend the weekend at Festival Internationale. The great thing about Fest Food is the size of the portions are (usually) much more appropriate than if you'd go to the actual restaurant.  Although I did have something last night that I chose not to eat the whole thing because I didn't want to be uncomfortably full. The "con" of Fest Food is that nearly everything is served hot. While that wasn't a problem last night because the air was cool and breezy, during the day it's sometimes hard for me to eat hot food when it's hot outside.

As we were walking around, I was checking out what was available in different locations. I did have my reliable snacks in my bag-pineapple chunks, grapes, honey roasted carrots, and Zydeco nutrition bar. Those are in-case-ance (pronounced N-K-shuns, like insurance) in case my son has a meltdown because he gets too hungry. Luckily we didn't have to use them yesterday. Some things I noticed throughout downtown:

• There are far more adult beverage stations than non-adult beverage locations. Or maybe the adult beverage stations were just MUCH bigger, so they were easier to spot. This is why I also always carry water in my bag.
• I love that they sell iced tea and lemonade in addition to blah sodas. I didn't find out if it was sweetened or not, but I will and let you know.
• I saw a stand with roasted peanuts~awesome! It's a much better snack for kids than the Dairy King ice cream, provided there are no nut allergies. Check out the peanuts, they were at the corner  of Jefferson St and Vermillion. The cart looked like it had wheels, so I'm not sure if they were on the move.

So my selections from lat night included the Fried Eggplant Seafood Volcano from Big Wil & The Warden. I would typically never choose anything fried unless it were really irresistible, but this one came recommended to me. I tried it, it was good, but not irresistible and not worth the fried-ness. I gave most of it away to someone else who seemed to be enjoying it. Next! The next thing I got was the Chicken Schawerma Sandwich from Zeus Cafe.  The sandwich was great with a hint of cool yogurt sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, all enveloped by a pita bread wrap-thingy. Yummy! But I didn't eat the whole thing-it was too much.

So I'm getting ready to head out there again today with the family. I've had my eye on several things to try! I don't know how I'm going to fit them in. If you see me randomly taking bites of people's food and asking them about it, don't worry, it's only so I can better inform everyone about the Best (Healthiest) Fest Food!