#1 Tip for Healthier Eating + What's in My Earbuds
life is hard; food doesn't have to be #82 [vol3, 2.3]
I find that everything in my kitchen (or lack thereof) lives and dies on the plan.
Fail to plan? Plan to fail.
There, I said it. My top tip to ensure healthier eating is to meal plan.
It’s not sexy. Nor difficult (this point is arguable).
There are a million ways to meal plan and I’m definitely not the person to tell you HOW to plan meals. I’m just sayin’ if you want to succeed, you need to have a plan.
Planning is not my favorite. And I don’t do it every week. But every day about 4pm I’m either thankful I did or wishing I had planned.
My routine is to plan on Sunday and shop Monday. Usually I brainstorm 4 or 5 meals for the week and write them in my planner.
I’ve had all kinds of methods to meal planning. Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, use a whole chicken once a week, needs to be fast on Tuesdays, etc. It doesn’t matter the matrix or the intricacy of the plan, just make a plan. Then get the groceries.
In the Lazy Genius podcast #245 how she personally plans, Kendra said something that was like a gong in my brain.
… not everything can matter. For meals especially, you cannot hold equal priority for the following words: quick, easy, healthy, homemade, and cheap. And frankly there are dozens of others you could list.
At this point in my life, I want food to be healthy, fast, and everyone like it.
Not gonna happen.
Well, it might one night. But not the remaining 364 nights.
Realizing that not every priority can hold equal weight was freeing! Some meals take more time. Sometimes the fast meals compromise high quality ingredients.
Lazy Genius #76 Meal Plan, #174 Fall Formula Meal Plan
Meal Ideas I’ve Written Before
What I’m Listening To
I’m not one to listen constantly because I actually enjoy silence. Yet when on a road trip (like to see my mom after knee surgery last week), I catch up and listen to new.
Podcasts I’ve listened to for a while: Next Right Thing by Emily P. Freeman, The Lazy Genius Kendra Adachi, Raising Boys and Girls with counselor Sissy Goff.
New to me: 1/ Deep Cover: Mob Land - it’s a show about people who lead double lives, how far they’re willing to go in pursuit of a greater cause, and how sometimes seemingly small decisions can change the course of history.
2/ Church History by Tommy Nelson - it’s links on a website, not a podcast so it’s kinda clunky. My husband recommended it because we are huge Tommy Nelson fans from our college days (he spoke at Cru conferences). The series is educational and Tommy Nelson is entertaining. Highly recommended.
Foundation
If foundation is makeup you wear frequently, consider switching to cleaner the next time you need to buy some. The more frequently I use something, the harder I work to find a clean alternative.
Problems with conventional foundation:
Parabens & phthalates are 2 ingredients I consistently look to avoid. They disrupt our hormones and harm fertility while increasing the risk of cancer.
-Fragrance is an umbrella term that over 3,000 ingredients can exist under. We can be absorbing a chemical cocktail of toxic ingredients if the company doesn’t disclose the ingredients used in fragrance.
Problems with BB creams or foundations SPF:
-Chemical sunscreens. Only 2 sunscreen ingredients have been approved for human safety: titanium dioxide and zinc oxide (mineral sunscreens). Any other active ingredients in SPF, the safety data just isn’t there.
What I love about the Beautycounter versions:
-60 days to love it or get your money back. Skin Twin Foundation is consistently a top 10 best seller within the company.
-Skincare benefits: hyaluronic acid plump and reduce fine lines/wrinkles and jojoba esters to moisturize & soothe!
-Obsessively tested for over 1800 potentially harmful ingredients.
-27 shades (9 new shades released this week!)
Beautycounter has a Flawless in Five package where you can replace 5 essential makeups, choosing your shades, in one fell swoop for a discounted price. I especially love the brow gel and cream blush that can also tint lips (and eyes, if the right shade).
What She Said
A friend emailed to say:
Thanks for all the Beautycounter help too. I use the overnight peel and love it. I love all the products. The pastor I work with told me last week he thought my skin was looking younger. (I’m old enough to be his mom!) But I do believe any improvement is the Beautycounter regimen for sure. Thanks for the introduction.
This is the skin care line she uses. Even if I wasn’t a consultant, I would use it. It’s that good. Let’s talk when you’re ready to upgrade your skin care. There are lots of options I want to help you find what fits your skin and budget.
Sleep Aid
I’ve not been sleeping well for months. I don’t know if it is peri-menopause or all the things racing in my brain pending a move. While marijuana use can lead to dependence, current research suggests that CBD is not addictive and does not produce psychoactive effects.
In January I started eating a low dose CBD gummy about an hour before bed and it has been so helpful. While I still occasionally wake in the night, I fall back asleep much faster.
The company I’ve been using has a promotion that ends today. There’s 14% off site wide plus free gummies. Use my code REFLUVMYHUB@GMAIL.COM and we both win! You get $40 off and I get $20 store credit.
Life is hard, food doesn’t have to be,
Julie