mood – Jenna Jamieson, Author

Replace + Reduce > Rationalizing

By Jenna Jamieson | July 29, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

All too often I hear people say, “I worked out earlier, so it means I can eat this cake and cookies now” or “I ate fruit at breakfast and a side of vegetables at lunch so I can cheat at dinner” or the best one is “I ate clean all week, so it means I can eat whatever I want this weekend” but rationalizing your choices when it comes to your health is not a good compromise or balance. Try replacing rather than rationalizing to reduce your calories and your chances for heart disease (which I will add is the number one killer of Americans yet can be reduced by the choices we make).

I am not suggesting that you don’t allow yourself to eat sweets or desserts, but getting into the habit of rationalizing your choices is a sure way to lose track of your fitness goals and see a decrease in your progress. Instead, eat in moderation and remember that replacing with fruits and veggies rather than rationalizing with junk food will boost your energy level and make you feel much better. Consider replacing at least one food item at each meal to reduce the fat content, sodium, and carb load that is almost always higher than it should be. Replace unhealthy sides such as mashed potatoes for a baked potato or make mashed potatoes that are 1/2 cauliflower and 1/2 potato and use Greek yogurt, low fat milk, and unsalted butter to get the creamy consistency you want. Replace onion rings or french fries for healthy veggies such as grilled onions or roasted potatoes. Further, at breakfast, replace potatoes and bacon in an omelette for veggies such as spinach (leafy greens are great for you!) and mushrooms. At lunch, replace BBQ potato chips for plain tortilla chips or unsalted almonds and a BLT or chicken quesadilla for a turkey, spinach, and cheese wrap. Small healthy choices at each meal may not seem that important, but small steps can help make a big difference in the overall progress you see. Three small healthy choices (one at each meal) is a great way to work on making progress over time.

Remember that when you eat like crap, you often feel like crap so don’t use your weekend as an excuse to give up on your goals. Instead eat for success because no diet does what healthy eating will do for your life. It will change your mood, stress, and energy level! Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to eat less, just eat right! 🙂

~jj

Tea, spice, and everything nice!

By Jenna Jamieson | June 19, 2014 | Comments 0 Comment

Teas often come with an acquired taste over time, but give them a chance. If you don’t want tea every day, consider making it a routine once a week. While many people think of tea as a more wintery drink choice, you can enjoy hot tea in the winter and iced teas in the summer (and I don’t mean iced sweet tea)! There are tons of flavors and they can be great for your health (key word being CAN BE, see below)!

If you aren’t a quick breakfast eater in the morning, tea can be a great alternative and a much better choice than coffee (sorry coffee lovers)! Try to quench your thirst in the morning with a tea, preferably within the first few hours of waking up. It helps diminish heavier cravings and assists with waking you up each day. Enjoy tea before you eat breakfast or choose to drink it with your breakfast. Teas such as ginseng tea (increases focus and concentration), green tea (great replacement for coffee because it has caffeine, but not as high as coffee), chai tea (my favorite, just ask my boyfriend; high in antioxidants and spices), or black breakfast tea (alternative to coffee that has a rich flavor and is often enjoyed with milk or creamer, boosts brain activity, reduces anxiety). Other great morning drinks are warm water with lemon and water with aloe. Both are great for your immune system. Chamomile tea and peppermint tea are great relaxers that help calm nerves and allow you to destress in the evening hours. Chamomile tea is also great to help you go to sleep. If you have tried tea and you can’t seem to find a tea that suits you, consider a morning protein smoothie with fruit.

From tea to spice and everything nice! 🙂 Spice up your life with some great spices, non-spicy and spicy, both will get your metabolism and body going (in a great way)! Consider cinnamon, ginger, or cardamom to add flavor (non-spicy, rich decadence) or if you are like me and like some heat in your food, add mustard, horseradish, cayenne, chili flakes, jalapenos, etc. to add spicy flavor that will have your heart beating faster and your nose running! 😉 So no excuses for not using spice, there are mild to hot spices and something in between to satisfy everyone’s taste buds!

So, what’s the everything nice part? Studies have shown that drinking tea and adding spice actually improves a person’s mood, provides significant energy, and gives a person a more positive energy and outlook. That’s nice, right? Hey, I will take it, after all, some days, we need all the help we can get! So, drink some tea and add some spice, it might just change your perspective, mood, and your entire day!

~jj