It is no secret I am on the road a lot. But how does one eat while being a road warrior? Here are some tips that have been tried and tested by yours truly.

#1) Careful planning! I count how many meals I will be away for and either make a mental note or write it down in my trust iPhone. I always carry nut bars, jerky and pumpkin seeds with me. Planning ahead prevents you a lot of stress while on the road.

#2) Containers, containers, containers! I can’t stress this one enough. Small containers can make or break you while traveling. I pack Brewer’s Yeast (great source of protein), Ground Flax Seed, Hemp Hearts, and Chia Seeds. These are my staples on and off the road. And by packing these with me, my health travels with me. There is no excuse not to eat for health while on the road!

#3) Farmer’s Market’s, Co-op’s, natural health food stores. Make Yelp or Google search or your Twitter/FB feed your go-to resource for these hidden gems. I love to explore when I am traveling so I usually wander right into a Farmer’s Market or co-op as I am running. Or I research the town or city ahead of time and find out what day and time a Farmer’s Market will be open. I like to support small, family businesses so co-op’s, private, natural food stores and Farmer’s Market’s are my go-to place to shop for food. Chain national natural food stores are my second option. You can usually get a great, healthy meal at Whole Foods Food Bar if you stick to the salad area.

#4) Be flexible! You can plan all you want, but sometimes life just happens and you don’t have any control over it. Be calm and get back on track as soon as you can. Also, if you keep food with you, you won’t be caught off guard as easily. Carry Tanka Bars, KIND Snacks, Lara Bars, or Bearded Brothers. Don’t go hungry while traveling or yo

#5) Be wise! If you are eating out with business folks, be wise. Be smart. Don’t let them guilt trip you into eating crap. Don’t let their poor habits dictate how you eat. Set the positive, healthy example. You’ll be credible and secretly admired. Stick to your guns!

Those are a few of my travel-tried-and-true secrets. You can eat for health while on the road!

If you are more haunted by the past then being excited for NOW, you are living in fear. Heal & live in freedom!

photo credit: Victoria Peckham

Feeling like all hope is gone? Never, never let go of hope. It can move mountains. Survive valleys. Swim rivers. Trek deserts.

Photo credit: Ana_Cotta

Ate poorly recently? Detox your body this week by eating green, leafy greens, drink water & SWEAT!

Mondays are typically a day that people dread. How many people do you know that say “Happy Monday!” (well, besides me)? Very few! Well, we want to help you have a positive day, week, month, year, life … So every Monday we have a series called ME: Motivation Encouragement. This is one way we can help you start your Monday off on the right foot!

The other week, as I was traveling, I spotted an old VW Bug. Now I have a ‘thing’ for vintage bugs. Don’t know why, but I like them. Same with old VW Vans. So each time I spy one, I like to take a photo. I was walking down the street and there it was. An old, beat up bug. Flat tire, paint worn off, some parts sandblasted and in general rough shape by appearance . I immediately thought “a work in progress” and of course a life application started forming in my head .

I don’t know about you, but I’m a work in progress. In fact, just a few days ago, it was like I got soccer-punched. I wasn’t expecting to have life turned upside. AGAIN. But it did. And I was reminded that, like the vintage bug, I too am a work-in-progress. I think admitting that you are, is the first step in growing. If you don’t acknowledge there is a problem, change will never happen. Being a work in progress is sometimes painful, sometimes scary and sometimes hopeful. I don’t know the old bug owners, but I bet they are hopeful they can get the bug back to good as new. I also bet that putting time, money and physical hard work into fixing it up is painful and uncertain. But if they don’t try, they will never know what the car might have been. 

And so that’s motivation and encouragement for you and me to do what might seem scary, painful and fearful. It might take time. It might be daunting. But being a work in progress is much better than sitting on the sidelines wondering what you could’ve been. The more you learn, the more you grow. And the more you grow the more you can help others. So it all comes back around. A work in progress is a never ending task, but that is the nature of being vintage. You either get better with time, or you get worse. 

Food for thought: are you committed to being a work in progress?  

I travel frequently. Frequently, as in buying so many plane tickets, I’m an A-list traveler. Code for spending a LOT of time up in the air and in airports. Anyway, I always get a lot of questions on how I eat healthy while being a road warrior. Here are my secrets.

1) Prepare

The few days leading up to my trip (OK, more like a few hours) I plan my meals out, how many days will I be gone, will I have access to any health food stores, farmer’s markets, Whole Foods Markets, will I have access to a kitchen? I use Google, store Web sites and Yelp to find and research stores/restaurants in the area.

2) Pack

I actually pack a lot of my food(s). The great thing about plant and earth-based food is that they are packable. Nut and fruit based bars (LARA Bars, KIND Snacks, Bearded Brothers are my standbys), Amazing Grass individual packets of Wheat Grass or Amazing Trio or Superfood.

The second secret are small containers. They are invaluable for chia seeds, my own nut/seed mix, hemp hearts, ground flax seeds and brewers yeast. These are all things I eat on a daily basis. They store easily in my carry-on (I don’t check bags) and easy to use. You can even pack a spoon if you need to.

The third secret are small Ziploc bags. You can make individual servings of nuts/dried fruit/seeds or any of the above earth-based food items.

Little containers and Ziploc bags are a staple of eating for health while on the road.

3) Plan

Planning is critical to making sure you eat healthy (and I realize that is a loaded word) on the road. If you know you are weak in a certain area, admit that and only allow yourself to have it one time or if having it just one time causes you to have more, don’t have it at all. Hold yourself accountable. When I eat out, I make wise choices. If I am by myself, I will pick out a place where I have options. If I am with other people and the decision isn’t mine, I pray for a Hail Mary. Kidding. I just do the best with what I’m given. For example, the other night the others wanted pizza. How does a person who doesn’t eat grains, dairy or most meat, eat at a pizza place?! I didn’t know, but I was going to find out! I was BEYOND thankful that this place had some options. It just took a little asking on my part. I ended up with a fresh veggie salad with straight tuna. Now, the veggie salad wasn’t iceberg lettuce (no nutritional value), BUT fresh carrots, red cabbage, red beets, romaine lettuce, sprouts and from a can/jar black olives and artichoke hearts and I asked for avocado. Always ask for avocado. It’s a healthy fat and you can usually count on it being fresh. They will probably up-charge you for it, but that’s OK. I asked for no cheese and no bread and a pitcher of water. (And keep in mind that I just ran a marathon too.)

The key with eating for health while up in the air is being being prepared, packing and planning. And of course will power and dedication and commitment. Visualize the body you are working for in your head. Keep that in memory when you are tempted to have that cupcake!

Don’t use the excuse that eating for health while traveling is hard- it. can. be. done. You just have to want it!

(Now. Disclaimer. When I visit Italy (TBD), my healthy eating habits may be a bit different )

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

Mondays are typically a day that people dread. How many people do you know that say “Happy Monday!” (well, besides me)? Very few! Well, we want to help you have a positive day, week, month, year, life … So every Monday we have a series called ME: Motivation Encouragement. This is one way we can help you start your Monday off on the right foot!

What are you struggling with today? Like the intro says, Monday’s are generally tough days for people. So let me ask you this next question. (Perhaps today’s article should be called Question Monday )

Do you have love in your life? Not the wishy-washy kind of love, but true, compassionate, tender hearted love?

Sometimes encouragement comes in the form of love. When you give love, you receive love. And when you have love in your life, the whole world seems brighter. Fun. Life is doable.

Love in a relationship isn’t the only way to receive love though. You can give love by being kind, thoughtful and compassionate. Seeing a need- big or small- and doing something about it. It’s interesting that when you give love, your outlook and mood improves. Love is a natural mood-lifter! Love can give you hope. Love can give you peace. Love can give you love.

If you are feeling down, discouraged, or unmotivated, go love someone. It will lift you and the person you love! How can you love? Here are two practical ways to love: send a handwritten card (yes snail mail). Call a friend (yes an old fashioned thing called a telephone).

Your acts of love encourage not only you, but the person receiving the love. Love is amazing and I’m thankful that I get to experience real love and give that love to others.

Food for thought: who can you show your love to today?

photo credit: epSos.de

Welcome to Soul Food. Each Sunday, on this site, we focus on healthy living by reflecting on our soul and God. For if we neglect that, we have lost everything. (Luke 9:25 and Matthew 16:26.)

Question: Have you ever been overwhelmed by life?

If you said yes, you’re being honest. I don’t think any of us have ever not been overwhelmed with life to a certain extent! The question is what are you going to do with that overwhelming feeling?

Last week, I was under a ton of stressful, overwhelming situations. And then I encountered someone else who was also feeling overwhelmed by life and was going to end it all. My heart went out to them. I did what I could (email, resources, prayed with them over the phone and called the police). I don’t know what happened, but I am hopeful that they chose life.

Naturally, I started thinking and pondering on why some people lose ALL sight of hope and others hold on to that very fine thread of hope in the pitch black. I don’t have an answer, but I do know that when I am overwhelmed there are a few things I do to keep that spark of hope alive. Perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed today (and if not today you probably will in the future!) and I hope they help you.

1) Talk. It’s very natural to want to withdrawal and not talk about what is bothering you. By talking with trusted friends you can gain a different perspective and lean on them when you don’t see the light. We were created to be social, to talk, to be with people. We weren’t made to do life alone. If you don’t have a trusted friend, seek one. A good, Christian church is a great place to start. When you deal with your overwhelming stuff with someone else, the mountain doesn’t seem so challenging anymore. 

2) Time. It’s been said that time heals all wounds. I don’t necessarily believe that. I do believe that time will make the pain a little more bearable and the scar that forms serves as a reminder that you’ve survived. The second piece of time is that even if you can’t see your future in front of you (and if you do, it looks like a never ending black cloud) it’s there. Don’t think about months from now, focus on today. Slow down and do what you can to make today better. If you do that each day, things will get better. 

3) Tackle. What is bothering you? What is overwhelming? Don’t be afraid to get dirty and wrestle with what is weighing on your mind and heart. We can only change what we acknowledge. It might be scary and frightening but healing can only happen when we face what is bothering us and work through it. 

4) Faith. Not a “t” word, but it has to be here. There are times in my life when the only thing I had was my faith. Two verses that helped me:

Joshua 1:6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.”

AND

Deuteronomy 31:6 “So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Read them until you believe.

Feeling overwhelmed by life? You shouldn’t. God will never fail nor abandon you. Chances are that your perspective is skewed and just needs a little encouragement. So be of good courage and live life with faith vs. overwhelming fear.

photo credit: david.nikonvscanon

The other day I was watching a Dr. Oz clip and the segment was called “The Lazy Girl’s 4-Step Guide to Getting Healthy”. It got me thinking that we live in a lazy society. We live in a world where everything is NOW, in “real-time”, instant, fast food, 10 minute workouts, drive-thru, push-a-button-get-results kind of world. Why are the books 4 Hour Body and 4 Hour Work Week so popular? Because people want the least amount of work & effort and maximum results.

Do you think Steve Jobs thought about how he could work with the less amount of time and effort? I highly doubt it- just look at his Apple empire. He worked hard. Think of successful people in your life- famous or friends. Each and everyone of them has made a commitment to give it their all and to work hard at whatever they are doing. You don’t get anywhere in life when you sit on the lazy chair. You get results when you stand up and work hard.  

People want abs without changing the way they eat (don’t want to “give up my soda”).

People want to live on a beach without working for the beach.

People want to run a marathon without training or minimal training (don’t want to get up early in the morning!).

People want empires without villages.

People want to lose weight with surgery instead of changing their lifestyle.

People want success without ever lifting a finger.

Are you lazy? Do you want the maximum results with the less amount of effort? If your attitude is to do the less amount of work possible, you will always fall short. And wonder everyone around you is making progress and you aren’t.

God didn’t make us to be lazy, he made us to be hard-working, diligent, persistent. There are plenty of Bible verses that explain this. Here are a few:

• Proverbs 10:4 “Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich.”
• Proverbs 12:24  ”Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.”
• Proverbs 13:4 “Lazy people want much but get little, but those who work hard will prosper.”
• Proverbs 19:24 “Lazy people take food in their hand but don’t even lift it to their mouth.”

What’s the difference between successful people and lazy people? Their commitment to work hard. They know that sacrifice is a reward far better than a cookie. Tempted to be lazy? You might want to think twice about that. When you work hard you get results. With laziness you get no where. You don’t see lazy leaders. You see lazy followers. It takes a lot of effort to make a commitment to change your lifestyle, the way you eat, your work habits, your sacrifice to get up before the rooster wakes and go for a run/swim/ride/workout. The people that understand the principle behind hard work are the people that are making things happen and will see results.

Want a 4-step guide to results? Here you go:

#1) Hard work

#2) Sacrifice

#3) Commitment

#4) Dedication

If you are sitting in the back row and trying to do the least amount of work as possible, jump up and go to the front row and start giving it everything you have. When you give it your body, soul, spirt and mind, you’ll have no regrets. Go work hard!

peace, sweat, love: life

photo credit: Loco Steve

Mondays are typically a day that people dread. How many people do you know that say “Happy Monday!” (well, besides me)? Very few! Well, we want to help you have a positive day, week, month, year, life … So every Monday we have a series called ME: Motivation Encouragement. This is one way we can help you start your Monday off on the right foot!

Question: which F word do you live by? Fear or faith?

Sometimes it’s easier to fear potential fear than to take a risk and be proven that you had nothing to fear all along.

Last week, I was having a conversation that produced the above thought (you’re welcome). I made the comment that I feared what might happen. Keyword: might. They responded back “what’s there to fear?” It hit me like an avalanche. I was fearing nothing. What could happen. What might happen. Using past situations to justify future fear. Letting fear stop me from fully living life. Using fear as an excuse to not do something for what might happen. At that every moment I made the mental switch to stop living it fear and start living in faith. Freedom. Peace. 

Realizing this was so empowering. I realized that I had been living an excuse of fear. Most of us – at least not me – think of fear as an excuse, but it is. “What if I fall down and scrape my knee?” So I’m not going to run. “What if I hop on my bike and fall over?” So I’m not going to ride. “What if I get in a relationship and it doesn’t work out and I get hurt?” So I’m going to stay single. “What if the plane crashes?” So I’m not going to fly. (Planes are actually the safest form of travel – more car crashes than plane crashes.) Name your fear/excuse.

Fear is like worry. Both are about things that haven’t even happened and probably never will. Live in freedom and faith.

So what if you fall down and scrape your knee? You get back up again and keep running. What if you fall over on your bike? You get back on the bike and ride. What if you end up breaking up? You heal, learn and move forward. Most times, our fear is unjustified and never even happens. Making fear have a stronger grip on our lives then faith does. 

You live by faith, then no matter what happens, God will always be there. Faith isn’t thinking that everything will work out the way we want it, faith is trusting and believing that God has a greater plan for us. Fear is keeping us from living a life that God wants us to have.

So today, say no to fear. Say yes to faith.

What’s your fear/excuse? Make a commitment to say no to fear and start living by faith!

Photo credit: Dayana Neid