Year of Rejuvenation!

Many of you know that we have moved AGAIN! Yes, it is true. How many times can one move in a year...apparently a lot. And this time it is to another state. Unfortunately, Andy doesn't have one of those live-in-one-place kind of jobs. He usually travels all over the place for work, which means Hazel, me, and Mr. Buckles (the dog) are left at home doing our own thing, eagerly awaiting his return.

Our move to Maryland is a long story, but hopefully it will mean that we will see more of Andy since the majority of his projects are here in MD. We are also hopeful that this move will only be for 1-year. At which time, we will happily move back to Harrisonburg and Andy will once again work remotely.

A lot of our moves are chosen by us, such as buying a new house, but a lot are also dictated by Andy's job. It is somewhat of a nomadic life, which I used to like, but have just decided that I am over it. Moving with a child and dog multiple times in a year is just draining. Back in our childless days, Andy and I would rock and roll a move! We'd put on some loud tunes, pack up our things, throw them into a truck, and off we'd go. We could be 100% moved in just 24 hours. Now'a'days moving isn't so simple. One of us has to watch the toddler, the dog gets anxiety so we have to pay special attention to him, so only one of us can move things until nap time, then nap time for the toddler is when we crank out the real work (no rest for parents), and so it goes until we are all moved. Shew, it is draining!

In the past year and half Andy and I bought a new (old fixer upper) house, completely renovated it ourselves while living in it and then living with friends, part of the renovation was during my pregnancy, then we brought our new baby home to that house, finished the renovation, bought a different house (a duplex!) in our favorite part of town, lived in one part while we rented the other, worked on updating and maintaining the part we were in, then moved to the other apartment and found new renters, fixed a bunch of things in that apartment and landscaped the backyard...and now we are moved yet again! So while we currently live in a tiny RENTED apartment in Maryland, we own two houses in Virginia, of which we have poured our blood, sweat, and tears into. This was not our original plan...but alas, it is life. And the hope is to get back to our home in Virginia (and houses) in a years time.

So all of that said, we have decided to make this year of living in Maryland a year of rejuvenation. We are planning for it to be a year of cooking fun healthy food, exercising as a family, and enjoying more of the outdoors, all the while living in an apartment and not worrying about renovating a house or doing yard work. (Not to say that we won't maintain our houses as rental properties, we just won't actively work on them.) I'm also making a monthly list of things that I would like to work on during this year of rejuvenation:

October......write more letters
November......meditate every day
December......get better at wine tasting
January......yoga/hot yoga
February......do more drawing/art
March......learn new recipes
April......exercise outside every day
May......hike a new trail every weekend
June......go to bed early
July......photograph something every day
August......no sugar
September......drink 10 glasses of water a day

May it be a healthful year of rejuvenation in Maryland!

10 Healthy Habits

I am always striving to live healthier along with developing and maintaining healthy habits. These are a few of the things that I do to stay healthy on a regular basis. What are your healthy habits? I'd love to add some new ones to my list.

1 - Keep a FILLED WATER bottle (or glass) near you all the time
{If it is right next to, you will drink it. Keep filling it up, so you always have something to sip on. Adding a straw will also help you to drink more.}

2 - Drink GREEN TEA
{The benefits of green tea are endless. It is an antioxidant, can help with weight loss, depression, cancer, blood pressure, tooth decay, it can help your skin and wrinkles...and it goes on. There are lots of fun flavors now, so it is easy to find something delicious that you will like.}

3 - Take DEEP BREATHS throughout the day
{When you breathe deeply, your brain gets more oxygen helping you to be more alert, perform better, and be in a more positive mood. Deep breaths help to relax you and relieve tension. Breathing deeply can also help with your posture and digestion. All it takes is a few deep breaths when you can remember.}

4 - Eat BREAKFAST
{Eating breakfast breaks the fast that your body has been in all night long. You need to fill your body with healthy and sustainable nutrients so that you can take on the day. Eating breakfast can also help with weight control. Eat your largest meal at breakfast so you can burn off the calories throughout the day.}
 
5 - Take a MULTIVITAMIN
{A multivitamin can help you get the extra nutrients into your body that you are not getting through your diet. Unless you only eat a clean diet filled with fruit, vegetables, nuts, and lean meat, you will need the extra nutrients from a multivitamin. A women's multivitamin is especially good for the iron.}

6 - Take WALKS
{Walk first thing in the morning or after dinner in the evening. Take your family along and your dog too. It can be a little walk around the block, or a 3 mile long walk through a park. Getting outside will clear your head, the fresh air is good for you, and any kind of exercise is great.}

7 - Get SUN, even if it is just sticking your face out the window
{Sunlight is a wonderful source (and the best source) of vitamin D. You need vitamin D for proper functioning of your organs. The sun can also enhance your mood through releasing endorphins. A bit of sun each day is good for your mental health.}

8 - Eat YOGURT
{Yogurt contains "probiotics", which are good bacteria necessary for your digestive system. Yogurt is also high in protein, healthy fats, and calcium. In fact, the calcium in yogurt is supposed to be easier to digest than milk. When buying yogurt be sure to look for "live and active cultures" on the label.}

9 - Add LEMON to your water
{Adding lemon to your water is not only delicious and fresh, but it also helps with digestion. Drinking it first thing in the morning is great, but throughout the day can be just as beneficial.}

10 - Eat meals with COLOR
{Foods with different colors have different nutrients and antioxidants. It is best to get a good variety of these "colors" in your diet to stay healthy. Try for meals of at least 3 different colored foods. Read more about colorful foods here.}

Healthy Egg Blueberry Pancakes

I've seen a few different versions of these on pinterest and had to try them. The first few versions that I made were a flop. Either I got better at making them, or my recipe improved because now they are awesome.

These are by far the healthiest pancakes I have ever had. Now I can eat pancakes everyday and not feel like I'm carb-loading. I eat them everyday too, no lie. Oh, and they are gluten-free. Not that I am gluten intolerant, but for those of you who are, this is a safe recipe.

Egg Blueberry Pancakes:
-2 eggs
-1 banana (mashed)
-1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
-sprinkle of baking powder
-1/4 cup blueberries

Mix all the ingredients together and cook like pancakes on a sprayed pan. This recipe is enough for 1 person, for two people I double it, etc. Recipe for 1 person has 230 calories.

These pancakes are already sweet enough that you don't need to add anything to them. Andy likes to put peanut butter and honey on his though. You could also sprinkle them with cinnamon.

Ditch your coffee, try a morning tonic

I am a bit of a health freak. This comes from my mom, I know it. She raised us on whole wheat cookies and broccoli. Most often, my brothers and I would request mashed potatoes for dessert because that was the closest thing we got to junk food.

My health freak ways go in phases. Usually I will research a health habit and then become obsessed with it. I've done some weird things, BUT- I have stayed healthy, so I know that my health freak obsessions are paying off.

Lately, I have been into honey. I researched it up and down, inside and out. Honey seems to be a miracle cure all! Here is why: yes, honey is sweet and it has calories, but it doesn't affect blood sugar the way regular sugar does. It keeps the blood sugar consistent, rather than causing a spike like white sugar. Honey gives us an energy boost...once again, without the insulin spike. Honey is also an antioxidant and anti bacterial, meaning it helps improve immunity and keep us healthy. It also helps with digestion, fighting disease, hangovers, sore throats, weight loss, and cholesterol.
*A fun little fact about honey: it doesn't go bad. It may crystallize, but melting it will bring it back to its normal sticky state.*

I have decided to switch out my normal morning coffee with a honey tonic instead. So far I have been quite happy with my switch! Here are the tonics I switch between, each having their own benefits.

Honey & Lemon:

This is a good combination for weight loss. Honey aids in weight loss while lemon is a digestive aid and liver clenser. Lemon also provides calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, along with its fighting power towards infections, acne, anxiety, and canker sores.

1-2 lemon wedges

1 Tablespoon natural organic honey

Hot water

Honey & Cocoa:

This is a good combination for heart health. Raw cocoa powder contains flavanoids that are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. Cocoa also helps to decrease blood pressure and improve heart health. Not only is this tonic good for you, but it is a healthy replacement for hot chocolate, as it is only about 65 calories.

2 teaspoons raw cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon natural organic honey

Hot water

Honey & Ginger:

This is a good combination for respiratory relief. Ginger helps with colds, cough, sore throats, asthma, and indigestion. Antioxidants in ginger also help with improving immunity, digestion, gas, diarrhea, and nausea. This could be a good tonic if you suffer from morning sickness, or feel a cold coming on.

1-2 slices raw ginger root

1 Tablespoon natural organic honey

Hot water

You can also enjoy these tonics throughout the day, after dinner, or before bed. I like to jump start my day, metabolism, and digestion with one which is why I prefer to drink it in the morning. 

Enjoy, and happy health!

What health habits are you into?