Time Management and Fall Veggies

Fall is here!  It has been a while since my last post (5 weeks to be exact).  In that time, I have started grad school and been busy training people, as well as trying to market upcoming workshops.  Sometimes it feels like I don’t have enough of that dreaded four letter word: time.

The problem with time is there only a finite amount of hours in the day.  How you choose to spend those hours is entirely up to you; however, as we agree to more and more things, there are fewer free hours.  This results in that other t word: feeling tired.  When we feel tired, we don’t want to do things like exercise or take the time to prepare meals.  We want to be sitting, reading, watching the TV, or surfing the web.  The problem with this is it turns into a vicious cycle.  Exercise and eating well require thinking and energy.  When we exercise and eat well we feel better and have more energy, which makes us more likely to continue exercising and eating well.  When this cycle is disrupted, our energy plummets.  We then think we are better off resting instead of exercising because we are tired.  As the days, weeks, months go by eventually we forget that exercise, despite the fact that it is hard work, made us feel better and more energetic.  Instead, we continue to feel more lethargic and we begin to mutter the words, “I am sick and tired of being sick and tired.”  And when it comes to eating well, if you are low on energy, your body craves a “quick fix.”  This often comes in the form of sugary foods and caffeinated beverages.  This cycle continues to perpetuate itself until we take charge of our.  When I see my calendar filling up, I make sure I always block out time for my personal workouts.  They make me a happier person, and it such an ingrained part of my day that I always find time for them, even if it means getting up really early on a Saturday or staying at work an extra hour because I took a long lunch so I could exercise.  It is also helpful to buy healthy snacks when you grocery shop.  I am not much of a snacker, but my husband needs a constant stream of calories or he won’t exercise after work because he is too hungry.  On Sundays, we purchase a variety of healthy snacks, such as nuts, apples, and Lara bars, to keep him sated during the week.  When things get busy, take stock of what’s important and really look at your schedule.   Your health should be your first priority.

Fall veggies are here!  It always saddens me to say goodbye to the wonderful berries of summer, but September on the Monterey peninsula brings heirloom tomatoes, bell peppers, and summer squash.  These are great for fajitas, in salads, or in a whole wheat pasta, not to mention the fact they are full of vitamins C and A, as well as loads of fiber.  Buying what’s in season is a great way to ensure you are eating whole, fresh foods.  Bon appetite!

Yours in health and wellness,

Jenn