Love is on the brain as yesterday was Valentine’s Day.  This has always been a hallmark holiday for me, but it does always remind me of the importance of love in my life.  It is something many of us take for granted and I find it helpful to have reminders throughout the year that love takes nurturing and maintenance… just like everything else in our lives.  

Everyone is looking for the foods that are quick, affordable, and loaded with nutrients.  Lentils are most definitely on this list of powerhouse foods that any busy person can incorporate into their routine.  When I come home exhausted from a busy day, all I want is something easy that is also nourishing to my body. I love lentils because they provide all this for me, but they are also tasty and vary in types.  They are commonly used in many cultures around the world.  India, Ethiopia and Middle Eastern countries have diets that thrive off of lentils.  If you go into an Indian Market, you’ll see oodles of options in types of lentils.

Why are they so amazing nutritionally?

On our way to Tennessee for the Christmas holiday, we stop in Asheville to meet up with friends and my brother. This year, we met up at Chai Pani in Asheville, NC.  This place was amazing!  They offer innovative & affordable Indian street food.  

I love holidays where everyone brings a dish.  For last weeks Thanksgiving celebration, my sister brought this amazing Brussels Sprouts Salad she found on the Gluten Free Girl blog.  I ate a serving of that salad every day for a while and then I found 3 bunches of unused Brussels sprouts in the fridge. Thank goodness I love them!

I felt it last weekend when I ran some errands.  Halloween has passed and the orange/black candy is on sale to make room for the Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas candy.  It’s holiday season!!! 

This is a bittersweet time for most of us.  With all the food, travel, and celebration it’s both fun & hectic.  I am actually hosting Thanksgiving for the first time ever.  This is a REALLY big deal, as you can imagine.  I have about 20 family members coming to my home for the holiday. What an honor!! 

People always ask me questions about food and nutrition.  I’m a health coach.  I spend my time working with individuals on issues relating to food.  Lately, however, this has begun to evolve.  Food and lifestyle are still the initial platform I work with my clients on.  But I realize my true passion is in the coaching. 

Sure, I make recommendations on products or give advice on recipes.  But I excel at asking my clients the right questions.  Often people come in talking about whole grains and leave talking about self-worth.   There is no authentic change in lifestyle without peeling the layers back to deal with the real issues.

We all have lessons to learn.  You know, the ones that seem like they should be easy, but you somehow need to keep learning them over and over and over again.  One of mine (and yes there are plenty), is that I do too much.  That has been evident even on this blog. 

To my credit, I have gotten better.  There is much less on my plate than there used to be.  The hardest times for me, though, are weeks like this.  I'm sick.  I hate being sick.  And I got sick because I've been doing too much in the last few weeks.  But I hate being sick because it gives me time.  Time to think about all the things I want to do in life, to dream, and to reflect. 

Finding, creating, & sustaining home is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle.  Feeling good in your living space is just as important as in your body.

I found this picture earlier today. I just fell in love with the colors, the practicality of it, and how adaptable it is to any space.  This could easily be stained or painted.  Or a flat surface could be added.  

An important part of any healthy diet is produce.  In grocery stores and markets, produce has a higher cost usually due to its shorter shelf life.  So when we get produce home, we want to do whatever we can to keep it looking & tasting good until we can eat it.

In a busy lifestyle full of meetings, work & putting food in our bellies comes the fear of rotting food in the back of the fridge.  But it’s important to note that different types of produce are stored differently.

Two weeks ago I moved out of a wonderful house I lived in over the last five years with two of my best friends and into a dreamy house in the country with my boyfriend.  Big change.  Lots of transitions and new routines to be made.  I thrive on routine and work best when I know what to expect (of myself and my day). 

Moving made this hard. 

Since I’ve been in the new house, I’ve committed to the following: