Achieve Your Goals-- 5 Tips to Make It Happen

January 27, 2018 in Nourished Body, Nourished Mind

We are super exciting to have the one and only Amy Peterson, RN, personal trainer, and group fitness instructor extraordinaire as our guest blogger today! Amy’s been a guest on our first and second Living Wellness LIVE shows. Click the links here to see the Facebook LIVE recap videos of our shows: Show 1 and Show 2. Without further ado, here’s Amy with some great tips for jump starting or re-starting your 2018 wellness goals.

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January is that time of year where you get to start fresh. It’s a new year and there’s something inspiring about starting out with a clean slate. Setting goals are on the priority list for many people. Unfortunately, though, not everyone obtains their goals. You get busy, lose focus, the momentum slows, and, quite possibly, you might even forget them…not that that ever happens to me! 😊

Over the past 10 years, I’ve seen many clients and friends succeed in accomplishing their wellness goals, and I’ve seen many stall or just give up on their goals. Let me just say that it is never to late to start prioritizing your health by making some SMART goals, no matter how small of a goal it is.

Pantry Makeover Series: Part 3

January 21, 2018 in Nourished Home, Nourished Recipes

The Living Wellness Pantry Makeover Series is back for 2018! Check out our first two posts here and here!

Well welcome back our Pantry Makeover Series. I (Caitlyn) am excited to welcome you into my pantry to see a few of my favorite pantry staples. At Living Wellness we strongly encourage focusing on as much whole, unprocessed foods as you can. For that reason, I've included a few pantry staples that I use in conjunction with whole-foods to make meals or snacks.

Living Wellness LIVE recipes: Whitefish Fajita Stuffed Peppers & Grandpa Apples’ Favorite

January 14, 2018 in Nourished Body, Nourished Recipes

Today on the Living Wellness Blog we're excited to bring our second Living Wellness LIVE show into your own kitchen with two amazing recipes! Living Wellness Facilitator Bill Evans created these fabulous dishes for us this past Friday at Living Wellness LIVE. Check out the full recap video here including the cute story about the title for the Grandpa Apples' recipe below.

As Christina said in our show, Bill Evans is one of our talented Living Wellness Facilitators and also a food enthusiast. He hasn't always been super creative in the kitchen though. Bill's healthy cooking journey actually only started about 15 years ago when he decided that he wanted to find out how to make the commercially prepared foods he enjoyed at home without the additives. Bill also credits hunger and timing as sources of cooking inspiration as his work and hunger schedule allowed him to whip up new dishes for his wife to enjoy when she got home from work. Gotta eat to live right? :)

Trying new dishes and sharing them with others are some of Bill's favorite parts of cooking, but even more so, Bill has said that he loves finding foods that taste good and nourish our bodies at the same time. So, without further ado, here's two delicious and nourishing recipes. Enjoy!

Leadership Strategies for Leading Healthy & Effective Small Groups: Part 1

January 06, 2018 in Nourished Body, Nourished Mind

Leaders change the world by inspiring the people around them. As Bill Hybels, founding pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, says, “Everyone wins when a leader gets better.”

Learning about leadership is a huge passion of mine. I became fascinated with leadership after starting my first business in 2006. At just 22 years old, I hired my first employee. Two years later, I had 10 people working for me and I deeply desired to become a great mentor and leader following in the footsteps of a few influential people that had mentored me.

I’ve also always wanted to share what I've learned about leadership, but I didn’t think I had anything to add to the global conversation. Now that I’ve been a business and franchise owner for almost 12 years (with 4 separate businesses), I still don’t claim to know anything profound (insert crazy emoji face here), but I’m more passionate than ever about helping individuals grow into the people God created them to be. My focus is health and wellness—and leaders must be healthy in order to be as effective as possible. When we are physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy, we can change the world!

Mindful New Year

December 31, 2017 in Nourished Mind, Nourished Body

Everyone’s talking about New Year’s resolutions. Have you set any? Maybe your resolution is to set a resolution 😊 Or do you more resolve to not make any resolutions?

Making New Year’s resolutions is definitely a common thing people do. What’s the point of making these resolutions? No, no…it’s not just to break them. I’d like to suggest the practice of New Year’s resolutions can actually be quite transformative if you go about it with an honest heart.

I love taking a few moments during this time of year to reflect on all the changes, blessings, challenges, triumps of the year. It helps me to first and foremost reflect on God’s provision. Reflection on the past year can help you to identify what you were really proud of and things that you wish that you could change. In the process of doing so, you then have the opportunity to look forward into the next year with a sense of opportunity for something new.

Rather than setting goals to eat less sugar or exercise more (which are great goals), I’m setting an intention this year to be more mindful.

Pantry Makeover Series: Holiday Baking Edition

December 03, 2017 in Nourished Home, Nourished Body, Nourished Recipes

For many people who have recently changed or thinking about making changes in their health or wellness routines, the holidays and health can be stressful. Will I be able to keep up with my typical wellness routine with holiday parties, family time, work commitments? Maybe I should just skip working out or watching my calories until after the holidays, I mean could I really do it anyway? What am I going to eat at that holiday party...or...do I really have to avoid all of those amazingly delicious looking treats to follow my nutrition plan?

"The ultimate goal of eating is to nourish our bodies. My personal goal is to eat for nourishment 95 percent of the time and reserve that last 5 percent for healthy, natural treats" Living Wellness for Growth Groups, 2017, p. 20.

During this holiday season, we want to empower you to continue to make choices that will nourish your body, mind, and soul. That's why over the next 4 weeks we're going to be sharing some great resources with you to thrive during this season.

We’re back for the Living Wellness Pantry Makeover Series this time for our Holiday Baking Edition! We absolutely love the holiday season including all of the amazing treats that fill our homes, hearts, and tummies this time of year. This week's post will include a variety of pantry items that you may want to consider stocking up on as you prepare your lists for holiday baking and menus for holiday parties. We also wanted to let you know we're launching our....

The Final Button: One Mom’s Journey to Postpartum Weight Loss

November 26, 2017 in Nourished Body, Nourished Mind

This is it. This is the post that I was hoping to say I hit my postpartum weight loss goals. My journey started in September when my doctor gave me clearance to start exercising again. I’ve been blogging about my weight loss journey in hopes to encourage you in your wellness journey--wherever that may be. While I haven’t hit my end goal yet, I certainly haven’t lost hope and I have made quite a bit of progress. If you have followed my story, I hope you’ve found it encouraging. I'm so grateful for this community we share to uplift and cheer each other on.

Here are my greatest takeaways from the last three months’ weight loss progress:

Eat to nourish your body. The next time you eat or drink something, ask yourself, "is this simply providing fuel, or is this food/beverage nourishing the cells in my body." I make it a goal to eat a vegetable at every meal (except breakfast) and most snacks. It’s not always what I want, but I can tell you from experience it’s always what I need. And when I eat vegetables, I feel better, more energized, and more vibrant. The 95/5 guideline is good for me-- Not a hard fast rule, but a great reminder that 95% of my food should nourish my body, and the other 5% can come from healthy treats.

Press Release: Weight Loss and Wellness Go Hand in Hand

November 19, 2017 in Nourished Body, Nourished Mind, Nourished Soul

We're very excited to something big: our official Press Release for Living Wellness for Growth Groups! Our book was published in February, but it recently won the Gold Evergreen Metal for the Living Now Book Award!

About the Award

Four years ago, the Evergreen Book Medals were launched to commemorate world-changing books published since the year 2000. We all seek healthier, more fulfilling lives for ourselves and for the planet, and books are important tools for gaining knowledge about how to achieve these goals for ourselves, our loved ones, and for Planet Earth. Divided into five categories, these books are honored for their contributions to positive global change.

We're so honored that Living Wellness for Growth Groups won the GOLD Evergreen Metal for the Health and Wellness category!

Weight Loss and Wellness Go Hand in Hand

Not everyone recognizes the link between nutrition, fitness, and faith, but longtime personal trainer Ashley Darkenwald is an exception. In her award-winning new book Living Wellness for Growth Groups, she takes readers on a journey of self-discovery toward exceptional health through freedom of mind, balanced living, and an abundant relationship with God.

Join the Pumpkin Craze with These TWO New Recipes

November 12, 2017 in Nourished Recipes

I love fall for many reasons, but one of my favorite parts of fall is the harvest. Fresh squash, apples, potatoes, garlic, and. . . pumpkins! I have especially enjoyed making all sorts of pumpkin recipes over the years. Every where you turn it seems you see a new product with pumpkin spice!

With only 49 calories per cup, pumpkin is loaded with vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, and more! Sorry to break it to you, fresh pumpkin is what is loaded with these amazing nutrients...probably not the "pumpkin" in the coffee shop pumpkin spiced latte. Fresh pumpkin puree also has fiber and protein! This health food is tasty and versatile.

Join with me in celebrating the harvest with these two delicious pumpkin recipes--which just might hit your craving for pumpkin spice :)

5 Tips to Avoid Vacay-Mayday

November 04, 2017 in Nourished Body, Nourished Mind

My dad always taught me to leave a place better than when I got there. Whether it is cleaning up my kids dishes in the kitchen or picking up a paper towel in a gas station bathroom, I’ve tried to live out this saying. As I continue on my post-partum weightloss journey, I’ve decided to take on this motto with my body and traveling. I want to leave healthier than when I arrived. Quite the opposite of how we normally feel after traveling, right?!

Whether it’s the snack displays at the airport, those airplane snack-packs that look mouthwatering in the pictures but don’t quite live up to their image, or just being in a new environment with new foods, traveling can really off set your body…but also your wellness journey. But! It doesn’t have to!

This weekend while visiting a long-time friend of mine in LA, I’ve committed to 5 things to avoid Vacay-Mayday.

Bible verse_ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”Colossians 3_17.png

Introducing: My Friend Areya Goodnuff

October 29, 2017 in Nourished Mind, Nourished Soul

Today on the blog, I wanted to do something a little different. I wanted to introduce you to a dear friend of mine: Areya Goodnuff. Yes, I know, she does have a bit of an unusual name. I just checked and it is not on the top 10 (or top 100 for that matter) list of baby names for 2017. Regardless of her quirky name, we're great friends and chat often.

Areya Goodnuff and I chat daily. We're besties. Okay...maybe daily was a bit of an understatement. We check in often during the day. Hmm... how often? Maybe really often. Okay, fine, I'd call it frequently. I consult with her about pretty much everything. See Areya Goodnuff just has an opinion about everything and she helps me remember things I might forget.

She reminds me how often I forgot to work out this week. How few veggies I've eaten today...or this week. She challenges me to think of other activities I could get myself involved in at home, work, church, community, etc. I mean there's always more of me to go around right?

When's the last time I cleaned the toilet? Areya reminds me: three weeks ago. Is a full night of sleep really necessary or could I use some of that time to be more productive--that was an Areya original! She reminds me that I really could do more in the day and that even my best efforts could be better. Isn't it great to have a friend that doesn't let your shortcomings and mistakes fall through the cracks? What would I do without her? What would I be without her?

Roots: Going Deeper

October 22, 2017 in Nourished Mind, Nourished Soul, Nourished Body

I recently had some dental work done to fix alignment issues in my mouth. The treatment was pretty straight forward:

I was to pay x amount, follow the instructions attentively and in x weeks I will achieve x results.

The more I thought about it, the more it sounded like how I use to view my work as a personal trainer.

Clients would pay x amount, follow the instructions carefully, and in x weeks they would achieve x results.

Both of these equations lead to a positive end result. The difference between these two equations, however, was that one ends in lasting change all the time, the other does some of the time. Can you guess which one is which?

The answer is in the roots. See, my dental changes are a permanent change because my dentist made sure to address the problem deeper than the surface level. In my early days as a personal trainer though, my guidance and strategies often seemed to just stay at the surface--clients would commit to my program, loose weight, stop the program, gain the weight back. What I didn't realize at the time was that our health and weight journey is usually grounded in deep emotional, psychological, and/or spiritual roots. Let's dig a little deeper :)

Power Breakfast: Green Egg Burrito

October 15, 2017 in Nourished Recipes

Move over green eggs and ham, there's a new dish on the breakfast menu: Green Egg Burrito! Today we're excited to share with you quick and nutritious breakfast recipe that is super easy to customize and is sure to fill you up!

We've likely all heard someone say that breakfast is most important meal of day, but is it really? Does it really make a difference if we take a moment to pause and "break the fast" to eat breakfast?

The truth is yes, breakfast really is important, especially for those who want to maintain or lose weight: "The decision about if and what to eat and drink at the start of the day has been shown to have some profound effects on our health, well-being, and cognitive performance" (Spence, 2017). I vy (2017) also provides an excellent summary of the current research on why breakfast is important. He reports that "breakfast is the most satiating [hunger satisfying] meal of the day. This satiating-effect can impact food consumption for the entire day...Therefore, eating a larger breakfast and reducing the blood cortisol level lowers appetite and reduces daily caloric intake."

Photo Credit: The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food by Stan & Jan Berenstain (1985) — *Photo Credit: The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food* by Stan & Jan Berenstain (1985)

BackTRACKing

October 08, 2017

A month ago, I made it my goal to start recording my food intake and exercise. I failed. I didn’t do it. I have no excuses. I just wasn’t ready to start that discipline. This week however, the pain of my current state was more than the pain of changing: I was frustrated at my lack of progress. So, I jumped back on myfitnesspal app and began recording. Every. Single. Meal. And! Every snack and beverage for that matter.

Let's back up a minute for a little context.

Over the past 6 weeks I have been writing about my postpartum weight loss journey (read the intro post here). These posts are not just for new mothers. They are for anyone who is interested in ideas and encouragement for your own weight loss journey (or getting healthier journey). Here’s what I’ve been up to the last two weeks:

Before I began tracking, I thought I might be a little high on my calorie intake, but I even surprised myself with how much food I was consuming. I wasn’t necessarily binging—the snacking was subtle. An extra cheese stick here. A handful of nuts there....and then another...and one more to make a nice set of three handfuls. A bed time snack so I could sleep better (after all, I’m nursing!). I was well over my recommended intake- even for a nursing mom. My habits reminded of the Berenstain Bear book Too much Junk Food! There is a picture in the book where the doctor grabs a handful of papas midsection and basically says, “this is the result of all that extra snacking!” That is me!

The first three days of tracking everything I ate and drank felt a little like torture—because of my unhealthy habits. I’m even a little embarrassed to write this given my 14 years as a fitness professional who has encouraged people to track calories millions of times. But, it’s the truth and it’s where I’m at.

Pantry Makeover Series: Part One

October 01, 2017 in Nourished Home

As we jump into the first week of October, I am greatly looking forward to more beautiful fall days ahead. Yesterday, we enjoyed a beautiful crisp yet sunny day, while today we're blessed with a nourishing rain that helps to bring out the fall colors. As the rain patters near me on the windowsill, I can hear the birds chattering among the falling raindrops. It is funny how they sound different in the fall than they do in the spring. I am no bird expert, but I believe this may be do to the migration process. There are different birds visiting in the spring than there are in the fall. In some ways, these changes of the season are like the changes we see in the foods we eat and crave at different times of the year.

In our household, our food preferences change often, even within a season If your household is like mine, your family goes through various 'food kicks.' Meaning, there are certain pantry items that you keep well stocked for everyday life, but after a month and a half, everyone is tiring of the pantry staples.

At Living Wellness, we are always looking for nourishing foods that require little preparation while also pleasing to the whole family. With that in mind, we want to introduce you to our Pantry Makeover Series. Each posting will include a few pantry items that the Living Wellness staff enjoys! Sometimes, all it takes is someone to present an idea to you before you are able to embrace it and make it part of your wellness routine.

I can't...

September 24, 2017 in Nourished Body, Nourished Home

I can't play volleyball like I used to. I can't run without my knees hurting. I can't take long strenuous bike rides because I don't have the energy. When I get in a new season of setting goals and committing to being healthier, I sometimes find myself falling into the "I can't" trap: focusing on all the things "I can't do." However, when I reflect on the seasons of my life when I’ve made positive progress, I'm usually focusing on all the things I CAN do, even if they're SMALL things.

This week I'm committed (with the help of my accountability partners) to get rid of the I can't's and I'm going to focus on one thing I can control-- what I put into my mouth. With a lifetime of experience to look back on, I admit that I'm always healthiest when I focus on eating plenty of vegetables.

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Potage Parmentier (Potato Leek Soup) Recipe

September 17, 2017 in Nourished Recipes

Everywhere I look the leaves are turning colors and there is a refreshing crispness in the air. Oh how I love autumn! Playing in the leaves, drinking hot apple cider, and trips to the apple orchard, all favorites of this time of the year. With the chill in the air, I love to wrap up in a cozy sweater or blanket with a warm mug of soup in my hands.

Here is one of my favorite soups to make in the fall. This soup is modified from one of Julia Child's classics: Potage Parmentier soup. There are so many ways to vary this soul-warming soup! Here's my favorite combination. I would love to hear how you like to adapt this recipe--comment below or on our social media sites!

Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

September 10, 2017 in Nourished Body, Nourished Mind

Two weeks ago, I received clearance from my doctor to get serious about my postpartum health and exercise journey. Check out my first post here.

As many of you have read, I recommend setting goals for your wellness and fitness journey that are SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals (Living Wellness for Growth Groups, p. 17). I've recently decided to make it my goal to be back to pre-baby shape and size by Thanksgiving. That gives me about 3 months from now (5 months since baby was born)--Just in time to make a new plan to get through the holidays, healthy- and with a new baby! My point in blogging this journey is not to keep a digital journal, but rather give you inspiration AND to receive encouragement as well. I have been thrilled with your response from my first post-- please keep your stories coming! I want to hear about your struggles and progress.

I'm happy to report I HAVE made a little progress these past two weeks, but progress nonetheless! Here's what I've been up to, I hope this inspires you, wherever you're at in your health journey.

Autumn Peace- Piece by Piece

September 02, 2017 in Nourished Mind, Nourished Soul, Nourished Body

I feel blessed to live in a place where the season of fall feels so magical. As a child, I loved to jump into piles of raked leaves. This was one of our favorite family celebrations to welcome fall.

Many people celebrate the fall season with crisp morning walks, cozy blankets, or homemade apple pie. These I do enjoy, but mostly, fall is a season to meditate on a change in of season, a change in life, and to find peace within God's divine presence.

Without the warmth of the sun the leaves surrounding us will begin to change and true colors will be revealed. Friends, we have unique colors within ourselves too, at all times of our lives. God creates our colors to change and shine, and not to be covered up. See your colors as transition, moving into the next season of life. Someone once said to me, "Without change, there will be no change". This made so much sense to me, and to this day I silently speak this in my mind when I am afraid of the unknown or of what will be in my future.

The Last Button: One Mom’s Journey to Postpartum Weight Loss

August 27, 2017 in Nourished Mind, Nourished Body

I couldn't tell if the audible crying in the bedroom was from my baby or me as I tried on my jeans, for the third time. I'm not even talking about my everyday jeans. I'm taking about the other ones.

I'm almost 8 weeks postpartum. Although I've come a long way from the moo-moo I wore home from the hospital, I still can't comfortably wear ANY of my old pants that have a button, snap, or zipper.

A few minutes into my pity party, however, I looked in the mirror. I starred at the reflection looking back at me. As I gazed at my reflection, I realized that I wasn’t actually feeling upset with myself at all—I was only reacting to how I thought I should feel after seeing a number on the scale that I haven’t seen since my “overweight” days. Once I really searched my heart, I realized I was quite at peace with my body and my weight, albeit larger than I would like. My body had carried yet another (praise the Lord!) precious life in it for nine months and now serves to feed and sustain that life. My body carries the marks of motherhood, and I’m so so grateful for them.

Although I am at peace with myself, I feel excited and ready to start getting back into shape for this next season—life with a baby, two older children, and a business. I'm ready to enjoy feeling strong and healthy again. With support from my family and friends, I'm ready to take this journey that I have coached so many people on.

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