This is a guest post by Brooke Benlifer.
She’s back with Part Three of her Back To Goodness Series.
Aside from being a good friend of mine, Brooke’s a Registered Dietitian, food lover, and avid runner.
She also helped me with creating my Lose 10 Pounds In 30 Days workshop which has been extremely successful and well received.
Here’s another months worth of goodness and how to create your own.
It’s all yours Brooke!
There’s nothing like seeing friends accomplishing their wellness goals to inspire me to continue pursuing my own.
In April, the motivation came from a number of people. First it was Mike Goncalves (of the Wellness Bucket) and his girlfriend Kristen Blake (of Kristenrenae.com), who both competed in the NPC Vermont physique and bikini competitions, respectively.
( Note from Mike : Thanks Brooke 🙂 )
Then my son started walking this month (my daughter is almost there!). Seeing the pure JOY on both kids’ faces when they took steps and climbed up and down the stairs made me realize that’s exactly what “exercise” should be…
Fun and en-JOY-able.
Now that the days are getting longer, my morning sprints have been even better (and bonus—it’s already light outside).
I have said it before but it bears repeating that no matter how tired I am in the morning, actually getting up and fitting in a quick workout is key to not only gaining energy and momentum for the rest of the day, but also setting the tone for accomplishing anything that lies before you me.
Getting up early allows me time for strength training & core work before the day gets ahead of me.
Changing It Up
I admit to being a real information junkie. I love learning and delving deep into nutrition and science. Medical topics are some of my favorites.
As much as I can be a creature of habit when it comes to my eating preferences, I tend to switch things up every few months, based on the latest nutritional science findings.
This month I learned more about carb cycling and its benefits, so that is what I am going to be following for at least the next couple of months.
Paleo carb cycling for me of course!
It involves alternating between higher carb and lower carb days. Workouts generally coordinate with the carbohydrate intake.
For example, on heavy lift days, I’ll be eating higher carb meals. More cardio focused days are paired with lower carb meals.
Trying out a variety of meal plans also allows me to better relate to and counsel my own clients, who request meal plans that are tailored to their particular likes, dislikes and lifestyle.
Regardless of what meal plan you choose, make sure it is one that you look forward to.
I will keep you posted on how my carb cycling plan goes and report back in June. If it meets my goals, which I am confident it will, I will continue.
When I have social engagements or trips occur, I just make the best choices I can.
And of course, once a month, my husband and I treat ourselves to a fabulous dessert at a new restaurant, something fun to look forward to. We usually do this after our monthly running race… it’s kind of becoming a tradition. 🙂
Carb Cycling Meal Plan
I kept this meal plan very simple.
TIP: One thing I have learned is that automating when you eat can be really helpful in getting rid of decision fatigue and also allow for quick and easy grocery shopping and meal prep.
It also leads to good habits because you know you are automatically going to have healthy meals and snacks.
Guidelines:
5 meals daily
1 gallon of water daily
Green tea (optional)
I will follow the low carb/high carb cycle for 3 weeks followed by 1 week of high carbs, and then repeat
LOW CARB DAYS (Sun, Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri)
Breakfast @ 9am
1 cup coffee
Egg white salad w/ ½ Tbsp Primal Kitchen mayo (made with avocado oil) & seasonings
Sweet potato w/cinnamon
Steamed Broccoli
Snack @ 11:30am
6 oz Salmon salad made w/ ½ Tbsp Primal Kitchen mayo
Bell pepper (stuff the pepper with the salmon salad)
¼ cup dry roasted, salted almonds
Lunch @ 2pm
5 oz Tuna salad made w/ ½ Tbsp Primal Kitchen mayo
Greens (toss the tuna with the greens to create a huge salad)
¼ cup dry roasted, salted almonds
Snack @ 4:30pm
2 hard boiled eggs
1 bell pepper
¼ cup dry roasted, salted almonds
Dinner @ 7pm
7 oz chicken salad made w/ ½ Tbsp Primal Kitchen mayo
Greens (toss the chicken with the greens to create a huge salad)
¼ cup dry roasted, salted almonds
HIGH CARB DAYS (Wed, Sat)
Breakfast @ 9am
1 cup coffee
Egg white salad w/ ½ Tbsp Primal Kitchen mayo (made with avocado oil) & seasonings
Sweet potato w/cinnamon
Steamed Broccoli
Snack @ 11:30am
6 oz Salmon salad made w/ ½ Tbsp Primal Kitchen mayo
Bell pepper (stuff the pepper with the salmon salad)
Sweet potato w/cinnamon
Lunch @ 2pm
5 oz Tuna salad made w/ ½ Tbsp Primal Kitchen mayo
Greens (toss the tuna with the greens to create a huge salad)
Sweet potato w/cinnamon
Snack @ 4:30pm
2 hard boiled eggs
1 bell pepper
Sweet potato w/cinnamon
Dinner @ 7pm
7 oz chicken salad made w/ ½ Tbsp Primal Kitchen mayo
Greens (toss the chicken with the greens to create a huge salad)
Sweet potato w/cinnamon
GROCERY LIST
Coffee
Cinnamon
Egg whites
Mayo (I LOVE the mayo from Primal Kitchen—made from avocado oil)
Sweet potato
Broccoli
Salmon
Tuna
Bell peppers
Romaine lettuce
Eggs
Chicken
Almonds
Seasonings (balsamic vinegar, sea salt, garlic, pepper, onion)
Green tea
I’ll make substitutions as needed.
If one ingredient isn’t available, I swap it out for a similar item.
Avocado is an awesome substitute for mayo—same creaminess and healthy fat profile.
Also, I stick to the meal times as best I can to help stabilize blood sugar and keep my energy levels consistent!
Travel
I have a bunch of travel dates coming up. In these cases, I make the best choices possible.
Sometimes that means packing some healthy food with me and other times it means stopping at a local grocery store to pick up a few supplemental items.
It comes down to being prepared and having a game plan to set yourself up for success.
Portable items such as apples, peaches, oranges, bananas, nuts, avocados, carrots, celery, bell peppers, water, shelf stable almond or coconut milk, beef or turkey jerky, & granola bars can be very helpful.
If you have a fridge available, take it one step further and get guacamole and yogurt or cheese sticks, grapes, tomatoes and turkey slices.
Running
In keeping with my monthly running race, April brought the Foxy Trail Run 5K around the scenic Lake Hodges in San Diego. To say it was gorgeous is an understatement.
It was 47 degrees F when we arrived at 5:50am, but warmed up nicely by the time the race started (or maybe that was just my nerves!).
Because this race was on a very narrow trail and runners needed to be able to hear if someone was passing from behind, we were only allowed to wear one headphone, not two.
I had practiced doing this to no avail—the one headphone would inevitably fall out, leaving anyone in earshot to hear my Pandora mix. A fellow runner gave me this great tip before the race.
TIP: Put one earbud in your right ear and put the other one underneath the left strap of your sports bra.
This strategy worked perfectly!! I was able to listen to my music, which totally motivates me, and still hear any passerby.
I ran the race in 22 min 11 seconds. In retrospect, I could have run it at a faster pace…I had too much energy left over at the end.
Lesson learned: When it feels too easy, it probably is.
I felt like I was at a comfortable pace the entire race and before I knew it, the race was over and I had energy to spare.
For my 4 mile bridge run coming up in a couple of weeks), I will make sure to remind myself that stepping outside of my comfort zone will be to my benefit.
Rewards & Treats
After the race we made a stop at Betty’s Pie Whole Saloon.
My husband wasn’t in the mood for something sweet. Meanwhile, I was busy deciding between Milky Way Pie or Cookie Dough Pie.
Since you can’t go wrong with cookie dough, I made that my choice.
My husband chose a savory pie with broccoli and cheese. He said it tasted good, like a Hot Pocket from the grocery store.
My pie on the other hand was Ah-mazing. Well worth the monthly dessert splurge!
Recommendations
Last month I mentioned that I love my Hoka One One running shoes.
This month it’s all about smart supplementation.
There was a time when I believed that I had to take lots of supplements to achieve optimum health.
That is no longer the case.
I believe just a few supplements will do the trick and is healthier than taking more. Whole food sources provide a host of nutrients and they are more readily absorbed and assimilated into our bodies when they are in food form.
Here are three supplements I am a fan of:
Fish oil (omega 3 fatty acids)
Vitamin D
Probiotics
My favorite brand is Nordic Naturals.
They make all three of these supplements! I keep my supplements in clear view on the kitchen counter along with a plastic container so that I remember to take them every morning.
You’re Turn
I’d love to hear your feedback. Let me know in the comments below what motivates and inspires you to get back to goodness!
Wishing you a month filled with good food, company, and exercise – en-JOY!
Brooke Joanna Benlifer, RD is a Cornell University graduate and Registered Dietitian. She currently lives in San Diego with her husband and twins.
“My passion is preventative health through optimal nutrition. I want to lead people toward healthier, more fulfilling lives.”
http://www.brookejoannanutrition.com
Great post, Brooke (& Mike!). Perfect article at the perfect time for me, and I totally agree about supplementation. All fantastic tips …although the earbuds in the sports bra may get me funny looks…