Archives for April 2015

 

When I hear the word outsourcing I think of the somewhat controversial practice of shipping jobs (or work) overseas to save on costs or taxes. In business school I learned a cost/benefit formula to determine whether a job was better outsourced or kept in house. Now I won’t bore you with that, but I will share how I use this principle in my personal life.

We already outsource aspects of our personal lives! The definition I use for this type of outsourcing is basically delegating a task off your mind/off your plate to an expert in that field. One of the easiest examples for females is hair. Majority of women seek out a professional to cut, color and style their hair. This is because the cost of a haircut is worth the benefits of feeling like you look great. The cost(s) of not outsourcing a haircut to a professional would be 1) time to learn how to cut your own hair 2) expense of supplies 3) embarrassment (during the learning curve), etc. Make sense?

So much like a business, we do a cost/benefit analysis of daily outsourcing possibilities. Make a smoothie or stop at Jamba Juice? Learn how to change my car’s oil or go to Jiffy Lube? Grow my own food or go to the grocery store? A lot of decisions boil down to these questions- do I do it myself or outsource? Each of us has different preferences, but there is a common theme- we outsource those things for which we don’t have time and/or expertise.

I’ve recently had the pleasure of picking the brains of more than 25 lifestyle experts: from organizational professionals to time management specialists, positivity and self-love experts to fertility and sleep doctors! Each interview gave me a new insight into just how different my life could be if I re-evaluated what I outsource. In a session about productivity I realized that we were never actually taught how to manage our time in school or in jobs, it’s just something we are magically supposed to know. What if I had the opportunity to work with someone who was an expert in managing competing priorities to ensure I was as productive as possible? How different would my life be? What if someone had enlightened me years ago that productivity wasn’t actually about getting a LOT done, but really about getting the RIGHT stuff done?! Enlightening right? You can sign up to see my interview with Amita, our productivity expert here (it’s free :))

 

Well the answer is my life would be very different, with less stress eating, less feelings of overwhelm, and less time spent working (and re-working) which means more time to enjoy the enjoyable things in life! This epiphany led me to hone in on my own Formula for Bliss when it comes to keeping tasks in house or outsourcing. I keep the following in mind:

1. TIME– do I even have time for the activity in question? My old roommate had an amazing quote on our refrigerator: You can do anything but you can’t do everything!
2. MONEY – this is an interesting aspect. There are some things that are out of budget, but it’s also amazing to discover what you can afford when you prioritize accordingly!
3. EASE– outsourcing is supposed to make your life easier + more enjoyable! Would having a positivity expert on speed dial improve your life and happiness? (Well the answer is DUH, click here and don’t miss our interview with positivity expert Dani)!

Next time you run up against something and think “I wish someone else would do this for me,” take a deep breath and actually entertain the idea! Think about the time and money investment and what ease or happiness would you gain? Looking for inspiration? Register for the Done with Diets summit here, it’s free and you’ll get access to all 25+ interviews so you can decide if your next big task is worth keeping in-house or outsourcing to an expert!

 

Let us know your Formula for Bliss in the comments below. What is one thing that you decided to outsource that has changed your life?!

 

Live your WHOLE life,

Shannon + Meg

 

 

So a couple things inspired me to write this blog about aging… ‘tis the season for me. Spring has always meant wonderful things to me: my birthday, lacrosse season and the end of tax season! In my previous world, April 16^th was one of the most celebrated days of the year- tax busy season was over and my co-workers and I could finally get back to normal life: and out of our 4 month hibernation period of working, eating, sleeping, repeat. My busy seasons were some of the most grueling months of my life, and I put my body through hell- physically with the horrible food choices + caffeine overload and mentally with the surprise deadlines and work-til-dawn stress.

There was a running joke in the office that one busy season was equal to 2 years of aging in your face…the sad part was that it was closer to the truth than fiction! The easiest way to notice was looking at your professional headshots over the years…

Now I know not everyone goes through tax busy seasons, but every one of us goes through periods of extreme stress, where we put our own needs 2^nd to those of work, family, school, you name it! These are periods of chronic stress- continuous, on going without letting up. Over time, stress overload can cause a chronic imbalance of stress hormones that can lead to aging rapidly.

Our bodies have mechanisms of dealing with real, life-threatening stress (like Fight or Flight), but when we don’t live in a state of life or death, we run those resources unrelenting when we’re under chronic stress.

Stress chemicals like cortisol are released in the body, shutting down all systems that aren’t necessary for survival. Cortisol interferes with learning, memory, lowers our immune system, increases weight gain, blood pressure and cholesterol! Stress chemicals cause biological changes, breaking our body down including cell damage. Thus, it’s no surprise that stress is one of the biggest contributors to premature aging.

In addition to putting our body and mind in harm’s way, there are other problems with sacrificing our personal health and wellness for (insert your excuse here….the deadline, exams, kids, etc.). Stress causes people to take care of themselves less, creating unhealthy lifestyle changes to adapt to this new anxious lifestyle. Studies show anxious, chronically stressed people tend to:

• Eat poor
• Exercise less
• Drink more alcohol
• Rely on medication

So what to do?! Because it’s not that easy to switch your mindset and pay attention to what YOU need. I know, firsthand, that this is an issue that affects us, our sister, friends, mothers, bosses, etc. I actually sought out the top experts in the field of lifestyle wellness and interviewed each one to their best strategies and secrets to get back to balance. You can sign up for the WHOLE interview series here, but here’s a sneak peak:

1. Lack of Sleep! Not getting enough sleep can inhibit how we function during the day, not to mention lead us to consume more caffeine, energy drinks, and greasy comfort foods. There are physiological reasons for this that I discuss in my interview with Dr. Oz’s Sleep Doctor in our upcoming summit (Click here to register).

2. Mental decline- studies show that letting go of stress can help you avoid cognitive impairment and keep your mind young. It’s not only detrimental to your long-term health, but makes tasks take twice as long and increases frequent mistakes. Kiss efficiency goodbye!

3. The Enemy of Fun! One of my friends actually coined that phrase, but it really is true! A person who is always running around, worried about something and stressed about what they did, didn’t do, or should will not be the life of the party, or even on the invite list…take care of YOU so your personality can really shine through!

4. Take Care of It! Are you one of those people running around always taking care of other people? While it’s good to be in tune with the needs of others, it doesn’t make sense to run yourself ragged while doing so. Think of a school bus- its job is to safely and efficiently help students get home. But if that school bus ignores its own needs (like filling up with gas), some of those kids are going to be stranded!

Most importantly being constantly stressed out prevents us from thinking clearly and blocks our ability to “show up” 100% to whatever we do. Don’t turn into an exhausted flake who can’t commit! Take a deep breath and think about what you want to invite into your life, and where you can do some Spring-cleaning!

 

Live your WHOLE life,

Shannon + Meg

When was the last time you woke up and REALLY experienced the morning? Not the hectic craziness that can so often consume the early parts of our days, but rather the stillness and the quiet the comes at the time before the world is up and running?

Before baby, I was a huge fan of the morning. Three days per week were my 6AM workouts and three days per week were 5:30AM walks with my dog. I am fortunate enough to live in southern California so those walks with the dog were either by the ocean or by the bay – I ALWAYS had something beautiful to look at.

Quite often I would listen to a podcast or sometimes just walk with the headphones in and no sound. It’s so rare that we actually get to experience that “quiet” these days.

Since having my little guy, the mornings have become much more hectic. My sleep is not the same as it used to be. (I WAS warned that once you bring a child into this world, you will NOT experience deep sleep for years.)

It’s hard enough to wake up early and I don’t want to wake him up to do a workout. Once he wakes up, he’s ready to eat and there’s nothing quick about it. All these are REAL issues that have to be ironed out, but they’re also EXCUSES.

As part of our upcoming women’s event, we’re interviewing experts from all over the globe. Each interview is talking about the HOW and WHY women NEED to prioritize themselves. Whether you’re a busy Mom or overwhelmed Single Lady, you MUST give yourself permission to take care of YOU.

The reason, I mention this is because Shannon had and interview scheduled with an expert and due time differences, the only time that would work was 7:00AM. All of the interviews take place at my house and it works best if the house is quite – which means NO BABY.

1.) PLANNING VS. REACTION

My little guy and I NEEDED to be out of the house by 6:30AM (and I’m so glad we did.) You see, when you can plan for something like this, its easy to do. There’s not stress because you can anticipate what’s coming and you already have a course of action. There will be times that plans change and you have to react, but when you’re ALWAYS in a state of REACTION, you’re always in a stressful state.

2.) EXTERNAL DEADLINES

I’m a very motivated individual, but sometimes, I let excuses get in the way. After a lot of thought, I actually realize that its not so much the excuse, but rather, it’s the fact that I didn’t take the time to put a system in place that would hold me accountable. I now realize that I CAN find a way to take these morning walks even with the Baby. I had a non-negotiable external deadline that I had to problem solve. This gave me the REASON to problem solve it. Look for external deadlines that can give you the motivation to do something that you know you’ve been wanting to do, but haven’t quite found that motivation. Maybe it’s signing up for a race to encourage you to get on a running or walking plan. Maybe scheduling a painter to paint a room will give you the deadline you need to clean out the clutter.

3.) BETTER ON THE OTHER SIDE

Once you actual complete your task, you’ll likely realize it wasn’t that hard. It probably felt like more work in your head and now that you’ve done it, you wish you’d done it sooner. Think about this feeling when you’re having the doubts or the tough times that creep up in any new experience that we do.

Based on my amazing morning experience this week, I ‘ve decided that I want to continue it at least two times per week. I love the quiet feeling of the morning and starting my day by seeing the world as such a calm space before the hustle and bustle of daily life begins.

If you’re looking for even more ways to help you become a happier and healthier woman and doing it in a way that fits your lifestyle, then please join us for our FREE interview series – DONE WITH DIETS: Discover how the Modern Lady Incorporates Lifestyle Changes to Create and Abundance of Health, Time, and Vitality.

Click here to get your FREE access to this event.

We’ll be speaking with 25+ Women’s Health and Wellness Experts to teach you how to prioritize YOU. Give yourself this moment and in less that 30 days, you’ll see the difference. We look forward to seeing you there.

Live your WHOLE life,

Meg + Shannon

P.S. We all know an incredible woman that has been putting everybody else above herself. Please share this event with her so that she knows how valuable she is!  She can register here!

 

I celebrated my birthday with one of my favorite meals- a Sushi Dinner with family and friends! Believe it or not, this traditional Japanese meal was not a staple in our household growing up! In fact I didn’t venture into the world of sushi until college. My initial sushi experiences were from a varying array of restaurants, everything from a Villanova budget-friendly student favorite “Sushi-land” to high-end Philadelphia Morimoto restaurant, run by the Iron Chef himself!

I became a big fan of sushi because it was fun to share on a date or with friends, tasted deliciously light and airy and I could leave feeling satiated yet not sluggish and too full. Done right, sushi can be one of the tastiest healthy meal options offered for your date night, take-out, or birthday celebration!

A little background…

Scientists believe that sushi could be one of the reasons why the Japanese are among the healthiest people in the world! Sushi actually originated as one of the earliest fast-food options in the 1800s Japan. People could take it with them and eat it on the go. The fish was literally taken straight from the bay, it was so fresh that there was no need to ferment or preserve it! Now we have modern advances in refrigeration and shipping that allow people all over the world to enjoy this traditional dish!

Sushi can be delicious or nasty, nutritious or the equivalent of junk food! Traditional sushi rolls have a great mix of fresh fish, crunchy vegetables and white rice rolled with nori, dried sea vegetable. There are many new roll variations that have made their way into mainstream, some good and some bad. Below is a guide to the best and worst options at your local sushi bar.

BEST

• NORI is a type of seaweed that many consider a superfood! Its concentrated mineral content has made it a staple in the Japanese diet. It’s also loaded with vitamins A, B-6, minerals like iodine and proteins that reduce blood pressure and improve heart health. Nori also has magnesium, calcium, iron and antioxidant phytonutrients and folic acid.

• GINGER, usually pink or white and pickled, is an optional topping served with your sushi roll. Ginger is an antimicrobial and antiviral agent that aids in digestion and has been linked to a number of other therapeutic remedies. It’s even been linked to easing flatulence…good option!

• RICE is a staple in the Japanese diet, and can be a great source of energy and a fiber-filled addition to your sushi. Whole grain brown rice can usually be substituted for more fiber and nutrients! Brown rice will also cause less of a blood sugar spike than white rice.

• FRESH FISH is high in protein, Omega 3 fatty acids (necessary for a healthy brain) and Vitamin D! Whether you choose a raw (see below) or cooked version, fish & shellfish has shown to be a beneficial addition to your diet when eaten in moderation- aim for 12 oz. (2-3 servings) per week.

• WASABI is thought to cleanse the palate. This spicy green paste contains antioxidants and isothiocyanates, don’t try to pronounce it, just know it’s been linked to prevent tooth decay!

WORST

• TEMPURA is just a fancy name for battered and deep-fried in hot oil. , so kiss your light and airy departure good-bye. Try to skip ordering Tempura all together, but if you can’t help yourself, eat these rolls sparingly.

• CRUNCHY rolls are not named these because of their multiple fresh vegetable ingredients (nice try). The “crunch” is actually deep fried onions sprinkled on top, so think French fry or onion ring when you see this option.

• SPICY SAUCE is usually an indication that mayonnaise has been mixed with some hot chili sauce. A dollop the size of a pencil eraser should do, but avoid slathering this sauce on (I learned this the hard way, as the aforementioned Sushi-land had a wonderful spicy sauce).

• SOY SAUCE can be loaded with sodium. Experts suggest diluting your regular soy sauce with half water. This is the best option of reducing your sodium. You can also try the soy sauce with a green-cap, which is low-sodium. This option will have less sodium but added chemicals.

• IMITATION CRABMEAT or “surimi” is actually just a combination of Alaskan Pollock, a white fish (but can also be mackerel, barracuda, blue whiting and cod) that has been formed and colored to look like crab legs. While it is still real fish and a good source of complete protein, it’s also loaded with artificial flavor and preservatives and a LOT of sodium! All of this extra processing puts imitation crab pretty low on the list of healthiest options at the sushi restaurant.

Since when is it ok to eat raw fish and shellfish?!

Eating raw seafood is nothing new; people have been doing it since the beginning of time. Does that make it good for us? Our world has definitely changed in the last few centuries, and environmental contamination is a legitimate issue when it comes to selecting the fish you eat. Mercury, a neurotoxin, contamination is one of the most common concerns. I always refer to the FDA’s brochure that covers the mercury levels in seafood options and gives advice on which fish or shellfish to choose. Large, predatory fish (like shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish) tend to have the highest mercury levels. Tuna has moderate levels of mercury, so eat in moderation. Most health organizations agree that the health benefits of fish and shellfish outweigh the risks of mercury exposure.

If raw fish or shellfish freaks you out, there are plenty of other options to try- cooked shrimp, sweet potato, or vegetable rolls are always offered on the menu. Some kinds of sushi include uncooked fish, but safe and reputable chefs use only fish that have been frozen. The deep freeze will kill off parasites, rendering the fish safer to consume. However, the deep freezing will not kill bacteria, it will only stop or slow down its growth until the temperature warms up again. Eating raw fish inherently comes with an increased risk of foodborne illness compared to eating cooked fish.

Resources:

FDA Resource for Mercury Contamination in Fish

EPA Fish Consumption Advisories

**Young children, pregnant women, and women planning to get pregnant are advised to minimize their consumption of these fish known to have high levels of mercury. For more information, check out the FDA’s guide for Pregnant Women and Parents.

Hope our Sushi Survival Guide helps you at your next night out!

Live your WHOLE life,

Shannon + Meg

 

Pssst registration for our upcoming Women’s Event- The Done With Diets Summit is now open!  Don’t miss your chance to hear from 21+ experts about how to put yourself back at the center of your life- like your birthday, everyday!  It’s important to prioritize YOU + reduce overwhelm, so reserve your spot today!

When was the last time your prioritized yourself? When was the last time that you took time just for YOU and didn’t feel guilty about it? If it’s longer than you remember, you’re not alone – nearly ALL women struggle with this.

Whether you work, stay at home, are a Mama or and Empty Nester, its our biological nature to care for others + put their needs above ours.

 WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU’RE LAST?

Do feelings of overwhelm, fatigue, and just getting through the day strike a chord with you? This is what it feels like to be burned out and I’ve been there.

I’ve struggled with this during different times of my life. Of course, there are big projects at work, moves, new babies and times of transition when we expect to feel this way, but what if it doesn’t pass?

In December 2013 I had my son and less than 1 month later had to pack up and move for the hubby’s job. As you can imagine, this was a hectic time – adjusting to becoming a Mom, getting baby’s schedule under control, and trying to unpack and settle into our new space was enough to make your head spin. This coupled with new growth at Whole Food Love left me feeling excited on a professional level, but sometimes exhausted in my personal space.

WHAT TO DO?

We all want to know what the secret is to alleviate these feelings and I’ll tell you – it’s ask for help. It may feel like there should be more, it should be more expensive, or it should be more complicated, but its THAT SIMPLE.

Everybody’s “help” will look a little bit different. For me, it was finding childcare once my little guy got older. For others, its finding a personal trainer, working with a meal planner, hiring a cleaning lady, or taking a yoga class.

We are creatures of community. We’re not SUPPOSED to be able to do it alone (and why would you want to??)

After sharing my story, I learned that I’m not alone! So many women right here in our Whole Food Love community are caught in the same trap. There are too many women that fall into these ruts and some take years to get out. Even scarier, some women just accept that “this is how its going to be”.

THE MESSAGE FOR YOU + FREE INVITATION

This message needs to be shared and here’s what we’re doing about it. For nearly 3 months, Shannon and I have been planning an incredible event that we’re so proud to finally share with you!

This FREE virtual event is called Done with Diets: How the Modern Lady Incorporates Lifestyle Changes to Create an Abundance of Health, Time and Vitality and you’re invited!

We’ve brought together an amazing group of over 20 women’s health, wellness, and lifestyle experts to share with you WHY + HOW to start prioritizing YOURSELF first. This approach is absolutely VITAL for you to flourish and in order to take care of others.

Click here to join us! The event starts May 11^th and we look forward to seeing you there!

Live your WHOLE life,

Meg + Shannon

P.S. Does overwhelmed + tired sound like someone you know? Maybe a friend, sister, or daughter? If so, share this event with her. Our incredible panel of experts is going to cover everything from Mind, Body, Spirit, Communication, Confidence, Sleep and much more.

Aspects of my life changed hours after I completed some of the interviews. Its that POWERFUL and we look forward to seeing YOU there!

We’ll be sharing even more about our experts in the coming days…so keep checking back!

www.donewithdietssummit.com