Halloween Health

Adults can't eat candy like kids can. That's just the way it is! Kids can consume candy bar after candy bar, while we eat one Milky Way and start to feel the side effects.

What can we do, as adults, to enjoy Halloween without going crazy? (because I liked this one too...)

Here are some tips to stay on track for Halloween:

1. Watch your drinking. Halloween translates to "party" in my generation, which means lots of opportunities to drink your calories. Even if you demonstrate self-restraint in the candy bowl, drinking 3 beers at a party can do just as much damage to your diet. What's worse, submitting your body to alcohol stops the fat-burning process in your body. Your liver can only do one thing at a time, and if it is processing the alcohol you just consumed, it cannot burn fat. Therefore, your physical goals are put on hold twofold. (hey, that rhymed!)

2. Eat chocolate! Yes, I said it. You can eat sweet treats without going insane. Portion control is key: go for one small "snack sized" bar over a full-size bar. Go for "healthier" candy options, too (check out this article from Reader's Digest that informs you of the 6 worst Halloween candies on the market).

3. Eat fruit before candy. If you want a candy apple, just eat the apple first. Go into your house and eat fruit before you eat the candy. This will curb your sweet tooth and fill you up (with the fiber from an apple, for example) before going crazy on the candy.

4. Make your own sweet treats! If you want to eat something on Halloween that's delicious, make your own candy! Most of the candies on the market today have so many preservatives and saturated fats. You can avoid it by making your own things on which to munch while giving out candy on your porch. For example, check out this chocolate-covered banana pieces recipe from my Gluten Free Advocate blog. 

Keep Halloween healthy in your book this year, and have a great night! 

Food Mapping

As of October 2013, I have found meal planning to be virtually impossible. How do you say "no" when your 16-year old brother goes out to dinner to celebrate his academic victory, and they invite you? Should you really respond, "thanks, but I already had my healthy meal planned for tonight!"
I say no to that because family time is too precious.


From what I have discovered, though, is that through food mapping, you can start to see where the most difficult meals lie for you and how to fix them with future planning. I find it less intimidating than scheduling every single meal for the week.


Here is a typical week for me (which fluctuates, depending upon my academic schedule):

Monday: Cook 1 cup lentils in morning (while doing classwork);
Oatmeal for breakfast, banana post-workout;
Leftovers for lunch (at home);
Shakeology en route to hour-long grad school commute
night class 5-9pm: lentils (cooked earlier in day), applesauce, Greek yogurt, cheese, rice cakes

Tuesday: Day off!
Oatmeal for breakfast, banana pre-workout;
Shakeology post-workout;
Lunch leftovers as discovered;
Dinner with the fiancé

Wednesday:
Oatmeal for breakfast, banana post-workout;
Eggs and veggies for lunch (at home);
Shakeology en route to hour-long grad school commute
dinner with my grad student friends!

Thursday: 
Oatmeal for breakfast, Shakeology post-workout;
Lentils and veggies for lunch and dinner (at work)

Friday: 
Eggs for breakfast, Shakeology post-workout;
Last bit of lentils + chickpeas + veggies for lunch;
Dinner plans with the fiancé


Saturday:
Banana for breakfast, Shakeology post-workout;
Chickpeas + veggies for lunch;
fruit as snack mid-day;
Dinner plans with the fiancé

Sunday: (rest day, no workout)
Oatmeal for breakfast, 6 am;
Banana AND Shakeology, mid-morning snacks (10:30 and noon)
(this is where it gets tricky) late lunch (2-3 pm)
Family dinner




When you write down what (and how) you typically eat in a day, it says a lot about you. You see what is the most difficult to plan and stay healthy with, which, in my case, is definitely dinner. I struggle constantly with getting enough food at dinner and end up snacking later. By food mapping, you can see where your weakness lie and work on strengthening them.


What will you do to keep yourself healthy and on track?

One Year.

October 1, 2012

On October 1, 2012, I was a 20something woman who always, always, always joked about how out of shape she was. People told me that I should play basketball (because of her height), but I always joked and said that I would be no good due to the fact that I was afraid of the ball!

On October 1, 2012, I was a gluten-free eater. I ate a lot of GF pastas, like a lot of people, and made lots of Lean Cuisine chicken meals (yes, there was one Lean Cuisine that was gluten-free!). I constantly ran to the grocery store and bought my daily meal, not thinking about much more than that.

On October 1, 2012, I had been drinking Shakeology for a month. I was feeling incredible and wondered how far I could run with this feeling, both literally and figuratively.

On October 1, 2012, I decided to stop living as the sum of my excuses. I decided that I was sick of being out of shape. I made a goal to run just one mile by December 25, 2012. On November 1, 2012... I ran two.  On December 23, 2012...I ran three.

On October 1, 2012, I changed my life in countless ways. Within a week of beginning my exercise journey, I had a personal revelation: I was ready to return to graduate school. I found energy and passion and a direction that I had been longing for, and so I began to apply for a graduate degree that I always felt was best for me (but was afraid to reach for it).

On October 1, 2012, I began to consider making a gluten-free blog. "There are countless blogs out there," I thought, "why would anyone read mine?"

October 1, 2013

On October 1, 2013, I have finished a 10k race.

On October 1, 2013, I am a graduate student in a fabulous program, making fabulous friends.

On October 1, 2013, GlutenFreeAdvocate.wordpress.com has Twitter followers, Instagram followers, Facebook followers, Pinterest followers, and almost 8,000 blog views.

On October 1, 2013, I have lost 8 inches off of my waist, hips, and thighs. I haven't lost much weight but have gained incredible muscle that I am so proud of.

On October 1, 2013, I am in the process of getting my teeth and jaw fixed through braces and upcoming oral surgery. (This was something I have NEVER had the courage to do.) 

On October 1, 2013, I am engaged and planning a wedding to my best friend.

On October 1, 2013, I am a Beachbody Coach. My fiancé and I are both coaches and help many people lead healthier, happier lives. As a result, he and I have bigger dreams to create and build and live than I ever thought possible. Honest.

In the span of one year, fitness, health, and overall wellness has transformed my life into something I NEVER dreamed for myself. While you may doubt that all of these things are connected to making a goal of running one mile, they are. I have learned over the course of just one year that we are the sum of daily, repeated, seemingly small actions. Those actions are adding value to others as well as eating one extra serving of vegetables. Even my braces are a result of this compound effect.

What can being truly healthy do for you?