LifeTrek Coaching International
 Celebrate the Best for Exceptional Results
Mobile Site for: www.LifeTrekCoaching.com
Mobile Home • Weekly Provision • About

January 30, 2011
Coach's Kitchen #131
Catching Your Breath
by Kate Kriynovich

This was a jam-packed week. Attending a Punch Brothers concert, getting together with friends, meeting deadlines and managing difficult situations at work, personal appointments, and taking care of things on the home-front while Mark was out of town were all on the agenda. This is no different schedule than many of you manage, and there may be the addition of caring for children and/or parents, going to school, and volunteering your time.

This level of activity, faced every week, can be daunting and stressful. Especially if we are not pacing ourselves, keeping things in perspective, getting restful sleep, eating well, and exercising. That is one of the reasons I write about having fun, focusing some time on you, and dreaming.

Knowing this is not enough. It is a starting point, but to realize your best self and really enjoy life you must move your body and mind into it.

In the last couple of days, I spoke with a female executive who is struggling with balance and stress in her life. She is raising children, learning some new responsibilities which are very challenging and draining to her, hiring new team members, traveling for business, attending her children's sports activities, and grieving the loss of a family member. It is very hard for her to turn off the work stuff when she is home, but that is what she needs to do. She must find ways to quiet the noise, catch her breath, and find respite in order to keep herself whole.

This goal of decompressing begins with changing the thought tracks running through your mind. When you are at home doing family activities, you do not need to be regurgitating what happened at the office that week, what went wrong, what still needs to be done, and the deadlines coming up. Let it go. Focus on what is in front of you. Lighten up. Have fun and help those around you to do the same. And, don't tell yourself you "can't let it go." You can. It is a conscious decision.

Once you believe you can, the next step is to be aware of your thoughts. If they stray to all the stressors in your life, bring them back to the present. If something stressful is happening in the present, then keep it in perspective rather than "awfulizing." This may take some time and energy, but it is so worth it. Retraining the mind is possible. It may take focus and commitment, but it so worth it.

So, your assignment this week is to have fun. The more you build this in, the happier and healthier you'll be. And when you're in the midst of your fun assignment, let the other stuff go. You're shooting for a "10" on the fun scale.

Please send me a note about your fun success this week, using our online Feedback Form or emailing Kate@LifeTrekCoaching.com. I want to hear about it!

Coaching Inquiries: Do you over-think things? Ruminate on the negative? Not allow yourself to fully relax? If you were to focus on eliminating one stressful thought that keeps you on edge, what would it be? Are you committed to letting it go this week, and finding fun and energizing activities and thoughts to replace it?

Winter Salad with Maple Vinaigrette – I've served this several times and the combination is always well received.

Fresh spinach leaves or a lettuce mix with spinach
½ large apple, cored and thinly sliced
¼ red onion, thinly sliced
Toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped
Feta or goat cheese, crumbled—optional

Dressing:

5 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp of Dijon or stone ground mustard
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
¾ cup olive oil

Whisk the first three ingredients and gradually add oil. Cracked fresh black pepper is good either in the dressing, or cracked on top of the salad, once dressed. Salads are better if you toss the ingredients with the dressing, rather than just pouring the dressing on top. Wait until close to serving time before adding dressing.

If you would like to learn more about our Coaching Programs and to arrange for a complementary coaching session, Click Here.

Wellness Recipe #101
Fruit Chewy
by Bob Tschannen-Moran

Our favorite way to start the day is with a fruit smoothie that is so thick and rich that one of our friends calls it a "Fruit Chewy." This recipe will fill a blender with 3 servings of a delicious and healthy drink that will assist you to get through the morning without food cravings.

Ingredients (ideally organic):

Put Directly in Bottom of Blender:
Egg White Powder -- 4 Tbsp (28 grams)
Psyllium Husk (Ground) -- 2 Tbsp
Cinnamon Powder -- 1 Tbsp
Fenugreek Powder -- 1 Tbsp
Maca Powder -- 1 Tbsp
Ginger Powder (Organic) -- 1.5 tsp
Goji Berries (dried) -- 2 Tbsp
Probiotic Powder (dairy free) -- 1/3 tsp (2 grams)

Put in Bottom of Blender AFTER Grinding Separately in Coffee Grinder:
Hemp Protein Powder -- 4 Tbsp (30 grams)
Flax Seed (Fresh Ground) -- 1 Tbsp
Sesame Seed (Fresh Ground) -- 1 Tbsp
Bee Pollen (Fresh Ground) -- 1 Tbsp
Cacao Nibs -- 2 Tbsp
Hibiscus Flowers (dried) -- 2 Tbsp

Add on top of the powders:
Tropical Fruit (Pineapple, Mango, Papaya) -- 1 Cup, Chopped
Frozen Berries -- 1 Cup
Frozen Chopped Spinach -- 1/2 Cup
Ice -- 2 Cups
Refrigerated Water (enough to cover fruit) -- about 2.5 Cups

Blend on High, then add the following as everything is spinning"
Blackstrap Molasses -- 1 Tbsp
Ultra-pure, microfiltered fish oil -- 1 Tbsp

Instructions:

Follow the instructions above as to when and how to add what. You may have to adjust quantities to fit your blender or meal requirements. Drink immediately after blending and follow with a glass of water, to help hydrate the fiber.

Nutrition Information:

The entire blender (3 tall glasses) has about 850 calories, including 33 grams of fat, 50 grams of protein, 113 grams of carbohydrate, and 48 grams of fiber. Divide these numbers by 3 to come up with the nutrition information per serving. The energy ratio is 31.5% fat, 21% protein, and 47.5% high-fiber carbohydrates. The fat calories are rich in healthy, Omega-3 as well as lauric fatty acids. The protein includes all essential amino acids and no cholesterol. The molasses and spinach add 875 mg of potassium. The fish oil adds 45 mg of cholesterol. The probiotic powder provides 4.5 billion Colony Forming Units (CFU) of gut-friendly bacteria, including Lactobacillus acidophilus. The cacao nibs and hibiscus flowers, among other benefits, help to lower blood pressure.

Coaching Inquiries: How do you start your day? Would it be fun to make a fruit chewy? What modifications would you like to make to this recipe? What other ideas do you have as to how you might start the day with a healthy, dairy-free, gluten-free, whole-food breakfast?

Special Offer:

If you have a recipe you want to share, please use our online Feedback Form. To learn more about our Wellness Coaching programs and to arrange for a complimentary wellness coaching session, use the Mobile Request Form.
for
an archive of past Wellness Pathways, visit LifeTrek Coaching on the Web at www.LifeTrekCoaching.com/wellness.

May you be filled with goodness, peace, and joy.

Bob Tschannen-Moran
Coach@LifeTrekCoaching.com
LifeTrek Coaching International
121 Will Scarlet Lane
Williamsburg, VA 23185-5043
U.S.A.

Telephone: 757-345-3452
Fax: 772-382-3258
URL: www.LifeTrekCoaching.com

» Click to Reply to This Pathway
» Go To Weekly Provision
» Go To Wellness Pathway
» Go To Creativity Pathway
» Go To Career Pathway
» Go To Resilience Pathway
» Go to Poetry Archive
» Go To Reader Replies
» Subscribe to Provisions by Email

<Top>