Do you ever wish you could just slow down? Do you ever get so frustrated with your toddlers that you as the mommy have to take a time out? Do you workout hard but have no time to stretch or recover because you are always going a million miles a minute? Do you have passions in life that you never feel like you will get to enjoy? Are you changing your diet/eating habits weekly because you don't see results right away and are confused with the endless amount of dietary/nutritional guidance? Bottom line, do you just wish there were more hours in the day?
In all of this how is it possible to find and maintain your balance?
This is exactly what I have been working on and continue to work on a daily basis. How can we be super moms but still keep our sanity and have the energy to entertain after a long exhausting day with the kids or be able to sit with your husbands and just enjoy a quiet moment together, what I call a "NOW". I believe that a lot of the balance comes from eating the proper foods and allowing our digestion system to rest and catch up so it can efficiently pull the nutrients that we need. This is something that a Celiac struggles with on a daily basis but thankfully it can be corrected with food alone. I also believe that once you have your food intake under control many other things fall into place. The first thing you regain is your energy. Now this energy should be consistent and steady all day long. No spikes, no lows, just even keel. That is the GOAL! If you get this you find the patience you need to take care of your little ones and then you find the time to take care of you and your spouse (this is extremely important).
The other day I was on my Ayrurveda therapists, Ayurveda Peter, table getting an amazing treatment of shiatsu, lymph drainage and massage and was clearing my mind of all my surroundings, well at least I was trying to clear my mind. One of the most difficult things to do during the middle of the day is quiet that busy brain down. The to do lists are endless and will consume you if you don't keep them under control. If you don't write your lists down I highly recommend it. You can close the notepad and relax knowing that you have a plan. Don't try to plan while you are getting a much needed massage, pedicure, manicure, doing yoga or quigong or sweating it out in a good CrossFit workout. That is counterproductive. Take the time for you and you will thank yourself.
Now that I am in week two, round two of the Paleo challenge I highly recommend this diet/lifestyle to everyone, Celiac or not. The first 30 days I always felt hungry and was constantly going for the nuts and fruits and probably over did both not too mention the coconut. Remember, everything in moderation!!! This time I feel much more balanced, energetic and completely satisfied after a meal. So if you don't get it the first time around, don't worry. Try try again! Don't we tell our kids that everyday? If you have a problem figuring out portion sizes look to the Zone diet for guidance. Once you figure out what the correct proportion is for your physique then you can apply that towards the Paleo diet and it will quickly start to become second nature.
After all my ramblings let me get to the point...
Great Food + Tough Workouts + Therapy (Recovery of the body & mind) + Passion (i.e.. hobby or the thing you always wish you had the time for) = BALANCED LIFESTYLE!
If you have read this far you might be interested in how I plan my days to maintain my balance so here is my step-by-step summary...
- On the weekend I sit down and plan out my dinners for the week. Don't worry about planning breakfast and lunches as those will fall into place as long as you make large dinners that can be used the next day.
- Pick a favorite blog and or website and subscribe to the RSS feed. Ones that posts recipes on a regular basis so you will have plenty of options.
- Look to your kitchen and see what ingredients you might have in your fridge or pantry.
- Then choose your recipes for the week and put it on your calendar.
- Make a grocery list and do your shopping before Monday if possible. Sometimes I get what I need for Monday and then pick up the rest of the week supply on Monday or Tuesday.
- Take advantage of you freezer and keep meats frozen that are to be used later in the week.
- Don't forget to thaw the meat out ahead of time.
- Now that the meals are set it is time to plan your workouts.
- You will need to keep a small notebook to plan your workouts and record your progress. A friend of mine gave the most awesome book that I highly recommend... called fitbook... but if you don't want to spend the money on that you can pick up a small spiral book for under 5 bucks. The thing that I really like about the fitbook is it also has a food log so you can track everything in one small book that can go everywhere with you. :) And mine does.
- My workouts are as close to the prescribed CrossFit workouts as possible. Some I do at CF Assault, our local Box, and if I can't get the boys to school on time I will do the WoD in my own garage. I have just enough equipment to be able to do some damage... haha.
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| My Garage Gym |
- Monday - CF WoD
- Tuesday - Crosstrain/Bootcamp Class (major cardio/agility day)
- Wednesday - CF WoD
- Thursday - REST and Ayurveda Therapy
- Friday - CF WoD
- Saturday - CF WoD
- Sunday - REST
- I plan a date night with my husband once a week or at least every two weeks!!!
- Tuesday's after my workout is Knitting class with some of the coolest chics ever!
- Friday's have finally become my painting day... it has been too long since I painted and I'm tired of saying I have no time for it.
Don't forget... you must WRITE all your weekly plans down in your calendar or notebook. The power of suggestion is huge especially by the act of writing. Don't feel bad if you don't get to everything on your list that week because we all know, life happens and just be proud of the things you did accomplish. You will surprise yourself on how much you actually do stick to your plan if you have one! Get it done!
If you have any questions or need help to get on the right path please feel free to contact me at gfconnoisseur@gmail.com
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