One of the main concerns people have when trying to eat a nutrient-rich diet of whole foods is time! It takes time to plan a meal, shop for ingredients, prep the meal, and cook it. Even people who know food cooked at home is healthier option can feel overwhelmed by the time it takes to prepare a meal.
It is important to recognize this reality and look for ways to make cooking from scratch a little easier. Once we become more confident in our ability to create a tasty meal quickly, we will be less tempted to grab a meal of processed food.
Since fruits and vegetables are important ingredients in most real food recipes, learning to cut them quickly will be important.
Chopping Quickly by Hand
Learning to chop and dice vegetables is a game changer. If you are a slow chopper, making meals can seem to take forever. Cutting will go so much faster for you with the proper knife, a little practice, and the following cutting trick.
Let’s start by considering the best type of knife for the job. Many people feel more comfortable with smaller knives. But chopping will be quite a bit more efficient with a big sharp knife. It can be intimidating to use a large knife, but don’t let that hold you back from trying. Just start slowly as you get used to it, and before long you will be chopping like a pro.
Now that you have a good knife for the job, here is a trick that is especially helpful for those circular vegetables - onion, zucchini, carrot, eggplant - that keep rolling around as you try to cut them.
- Cut the vegetable in half long ways
- Place the flat sides down, so the food doesn't roll away from you.
- Make quick slices lengthwise.
- Slice in the other direction, across all the strips.
- Use them in your recipe or eat them straight.
It takes time to master any skill. But the more you chop, the faster you’ll get!
Using a Food Processor
Many people are intimidated to use a food processor, but it is such a helpful tool. It slices and shreds things so efficiently and evenly.
Once you set it up, you can slice (or shred) a bunch of vegetables really quickly. It’s helpful to think about what vegetables you will need for the next several days. Even if you aren’t ready to cook all your meals at once, you can prepare the vegetables. This keeps you from having to set up your food processor and clean it multiple times throughout the week.
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Our world has been in a state of chaos for much of this year and many people are feeling an intense emotional load as a result. What started as a two week shelter in place order has led to months of isolation. Work, school, and social connections have all been disrupted without a clear end in sight.
At first, many people tried to view this as an opportunity for growth - a time to consider what really mattered and focus on that. Some people spent more time with their families, some sewed masks or ran errands for those who couldn’t, while others worked on home projects or took time to declutter.
But as time has worn on, many people are feeling the emotional impact of the situation weighing heavily upon them. With all these difficult things to process, it is a great time to consider how we handle these difficult emotions and if we are dealing with them in a healthy way!
Difficult Emotions NOT Welcome
As a child many people are given the message that their difficult emotions are not acceptable. It may be that their parents didn’t recognize the child’s emotions. They were simply told to “look on the bright side” or “be grateful” for what they had. Some parents were so disconnected from their own emotions, that they couldn’t provide a healthy role model on how to handle intense feelings. Still other children were outright ridiculed for showing “negative” emotions, even being told “stop crying or I’ll give you something to cry about.”
These techniques are often used as an attempt to shut down the child’s emotion when it is uncomfortable for the adult. Even well meaning parents may use them as ways to distract children from dealing with the difficult emotions when the emotion feels too big to handle. But having a parent gently accept and guide their child through these big emotions, is an important step in teaching the child to regulate their own emotions.
Without the ability to self regulate, people are often left either flooded by their emotions or trying to push the difficult emotions away in an attempt to disconnect from them. Being flooded by intense emotions can be really overwhelming, but pushing them away is damaging as well. When we “put on a happy face” before allowing ourselves to experience our emotions, we miss out on the valuable information those emotions are giving us.
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Essential oils are really popular right now, but getting started with them can be overwhelming. It is helpful to have a guide that can teach you how to use them safely and effectively.
In the past couple months I have started to learn more about them. It's been great to have the guidance of Young Living distributor Ashley Grice.
She is a fantastic resource, and we are excited to share this guest blog written by her...
Back-to-School Wellness with Essential Oils
August always brings with it a sense of anticipation and excitement, but there’s nothing quite like the anticipation (and maybe even anxious-laden uncertainty) that we’re being met with this Back-to-School season. Whether your little ones are heading back for in-person education in the classroom, exploring e-learning options from home, or you’re homeschooling for the first (or fifteenth!) time, protecting the physical and emotional well-being of our Littles is at the forefront of our minds.
While we are faced with lots of different choices and decisions as parents, the good news is that keeping them supported and healthy as they embark on -what will likely feel like- a new adventure this year doesn’t have to be overwhelming or difficult.
Young Living Essential Oils has been supporting families on their wellness journeys for over 25 years, and the following are some of my family’s favorite essential oil singles, oil blends, and oil-infused products that have allowed us to experience exceptional health outcomes.
First, all things THIEVES!
Even if you’ve never used essential oils before, you’ve likely heard about this incredible oil blend and its use for overall wellness and immune system support. And those who have used it before know exactly why this is the first essential oil I’d never want to be without!
Young Living’s Thieves oil blend was inspired by the 15th century legend of French thieves who formulated a combination of aromatic herbs and oils that was highly effective in supporting their bodies amidst the bubonic plague that had been ravaging Europe during that time.
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A Trip to the Farmers Market, a Nap, a Bath, & a Walk
Saturday morning began as any other morning, except that I was 11 days past my due date. I had only ever gone 5 and 6 days past my due date with the other babies, so this was uncharted territory.
We decided to go to the Farmer's market so we could get out of the house for a little bit. I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions with activity for days, so the slight contractions I was having that morning were nothing new.
When the girls went down for naps in the afternoon, I decided to take a nap as well. This time, I continued to have some light contractions while laying down. This was new, so I figured something was starting to shift. When I woke up around 2, I sent messages to my sister (who was going to be hanging out with our kids), our doula, and the midwife to let them know that maybe something was finally happening.
I called my parents to see if they would play with our big girls for the afternoon so I could relax. I took a bath while listening to a hypnobirthing meditation and continued to have light contractions, maybe every 10 minutes or so.
After the bath, my husband Jared and I went for a walk around the neighborhood in the light rain. I continued to have contractions every 7-10 minutes, but they were nothing intense. I could walk and talk through them, so I figured we were still very early in the labor process.
We picked up dinner and brought it over to my parents house. I didn't feel like eating, but sipped on a smoothie. Around 7 we headed for home. The plan was for my sister to come over to our house around 8. We set up air mattresses for both her and the doula so everyone could get some sleep, as I figured we'd be up in the middle of the night at some point once things picked up.
Calling the Midwife
I called the midwife at 7:10 to check in and get her input on when would be a good time for her to come over. We decided that things still seemed a little early since I could still talk through contractions (but was starting to vocalize a little). She was going to finish up what she was doing and then drive over (30 minute drive) just to check in. Her assistant lives about 4 minutes from us, so she said if things were too early, she'd just go hang out there and drink coffee and wait close by for us to call.
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There are many things people know they must do if they want to be healthy: eat well, get adequate movement, refrain from smoking, and limit alcohol. But now we can add “enjoying social connections” to our list of healthy habits!
Social Connections Impact on Physical Health
Research is showing that social connections have a major impact on both our mental and physical health. It is not hard to believe that those who feel more connected with others tend to struggle less with anxiety and depression. They also have higher self esteem, greater levels of empathy, trust others more, and tend to be more cooperative.
While the impact of social connections on emotional wellbeing may be expected, the extensive impact on physical health may come as a surprise to many. According to Dr. Emma Seppala, the American Association for the Advancement of Science published a study that found that “a lack of social connection is a greater detriment to health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure.”
A lack of social connections has been linked to obesity levels, inflammation, and hypertension. It may be shocking, but strong social connections actually improve your immune system and lead to a 50% increased chance of longevity. More research is needed to discover why social connections have such a dramatic impact on health, but the research is clear that social connections are extremely important if you want to live a long and healthy life.
Insights From the Research
- Research shows that the quantity of relationships is important both with teens and the elderly, while the quality of relationships matters more in midlife.
- It is also important to realize that you don't need to be physically with someone to have a social connection. If you feel seen, heard, and understood, that is enough to feel connected to others.
- Recognize that it is possible to feel isolated and alone, even if you are surrounded by people.
- Don’t underestimate the importance of feeling connected to yourself.
How to Cultivate Connection
In this season, with Covid-19 and the social distancing mandates, it is more important than ever to find ways to cultivate social connections. You may have to be creative, but your health is worth the effort.
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