Visions

How did it get to be March already? I dunno. It seems I used to do this while sitting at my desk in my old corporate life. I watched time go by and I felt like I missed so incredibly much.
Now, I'm certainly engaged in it, but how do we all those things we want to do? There is so much to be done in my life! I wanted to be home so I could enjoy more spaces in my life, have a work from home career that I love, and get some around the house stuff done. From time to time I stop and remember to breath. Gaining balance outside of boundaries has been a challenge, but I'm beginning to find it. The first place I had to look? The clarity of my vision for what I wanted.

A few years ago, I sat in a cubicle wishing my days away and cursing the space I was in. Fat, sick, and resentful, I wanted out ... badly.

And then, I became inspired. I was inspired by a vision to change and a realization that I could make change. That realization that I wasn't truly trapped and that I had total control changed my whole life.
After some deep introspection, I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and began to create a vision for where I wanted to go. For me, this was to be to a career of helping others to find their way to healing and happiness.

I have come a long way in a very short time. But it wasn't by chance, or luck, or happenstance that I am where I am today. It was through planning, dreaming, and creating a very, very clear vision.

I created a vision board. Finding magazine photos and phrases that resonated with my life intentions, I cut and glue words, phrases, colors, and images to this board that  proudly sat in my home office. Everything I wanted to create, is now what I'm living.

I am now creating a new vision board, next week when my daughter comes to visit. We'll each create one while she is here.

I need to create a clear vision for what I want in my life next.

Have you done this? I'd love to hear about your journey, your tools, your successes.

In Vibrant Health & Happiness,
Tammi Hoerner, CHHC, AADP, MH
Director, New Beginnings Health & Wellness
Founder, The Nourished Life

B2B Strawberry and Banana Smoothie

I LOVE SMOOTHIES!

In a blender add the following ingredients and blend until smooth.

2 Cups frozen Strawberries & Bananas
½ Cup Spinach
1 Cup coconut yogurt
1 Cup vanilla almond milk
2 Tbsp Flax Seeds

This will make 2 or 3 servings - depending on how much you share. 

Coco-Yogurt Parfait

1 Cup Coconut Yogurt (I find this at Whole Foods or Sunflower Market)
¼ Cup Homemade Granola or favorite brand
½ Cup Mixed Berries
½ tsp Flax Seed

Layer yogurt, granola and fruit, sprinkle with flax seed

This recipe makes a single serving. 

Let the Sunshine In

I've just come in from enjoying the first super warm sunny day with my son. I'm not sure what the temperature is, but once I realized it was warm out... I donned my socks, rolled up my sweat pants and shirt sleeves and pulled a lawn chair up on my patio out of the breeze.
I soaked in the sun for the entire morning, while my son quickly found the dirt...and yucky pond water and gleefully played. (all the while I'm warning him over and over to remember to not touch his face.)

Both Tigger and Dom find a cozy spot on my lap,
soaking up rays, we all were smiling!

Sitting in the sun, thinking about how much it can change how I feel with an effect that lasts for days, I thought I'd share with you one of the most basic ways to be fit and well.

Yep, you guessed it - GET IN THE SUN! 

See, while Vitamin D supplements fill the stores to address the national issue of serious Vitamin D deficiency, there is only one sun. This is the very best source of Vitamin D for our bodies and TRULY the one our body know what to do with best. It's whole food in zero calorie format and it's free! 

Every one needs a different amount, I try to get at least 30 minutes a day through the summer. In the winter, if I'm finding I'm not getting out regularly enough, I might add in a liquid D3 supplement to my diet.

So, enjoy these early warm sunny days with a dose of Vitamin D and see how you feel after ward! It's awfully hard to be grouchy and sad when you've let the SUN SHINE IN! 

Read more about this topic:

http://www.news-medical.net/news/2008/01/07/34041.aspx

http://simpleorganic.net/3-benefits-to-soaking-up-some-sunshine/ 

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl/may/050500pusunshine.htm

In Vibrant Health & Happiness,

Tammi Hoerner, CHHC, AADP, MH

Director - New Beginnings Health & Wellness

Founder - The Nourished Life

B2B

Back To Basics

Starting out the journey toward eating well can often turn awry when all the recipes that make their way into your hands seem to have 35 hard to find ingredients and take 2 hours to chop and 4 hours to cook. Experiencing just this when I attempted to change how I ate in my 'prior life', I know how easy it is to return to old patterns of eating from a box or drive thru. 

Over complicating things seems to be natural behavior for people. Why? 

My curiosity surrounding this concept is never ending, and I find I too can take something simple and make it very difficult to accomplish. Over complicating our lives reaches far beyond recipes. We over complicate our relationships, our daily to do tasks, even exercise can quickly become an overwhelming and complicated activity. 

Some reasons why we might create complication in our routines could be: 

1. Safety of staying in our present situation.  (It's just easier to stay put)
2. Fear of what success might mean in our lives (If you reach your health goals, will it change your relationship? Your career?)
3. Fear of the unkown (What will your life be like if you are so healthy and vibrant you have energy to whatever you like?)
4. Predetermined concepts around what we fear we might become (what messages have you heard about people who are thin, beautiful, and successful? Are they consistently good or do you associate bad things with such goals?)

This experience is my inspiration to create a New Approach and More Options in working with my clients to reach their goals. 

My approach is highly focused to help you deconstruct and remove the clutter from your current habits, altering your approach and helping you to simplify your routines around food and working with you to create this approach fluidly throughout your life.

The new tools are including meal plans within the program that detail 7 days worth of meals, recipes, and shopping lists during your 6 month program, with the option to continue to subscribe to the meal planning for an ongoing basis (annual subscription).

While I've learned to deconstruct and make my own habits and routines simpler, thus easier to accomplish, I have gained many tools to offer to you! I'm excited to share these tools and to continue to support you on your journey toward a healthy and dynamic life! 

For more information about these offerings, visit my website at: http://www.thenourishedlife.net

In Vibrant Health and Happiness,

Tammi Hoerner, CHHC, AADP, MH