Yummy sweet potato

The yummy sweet potato is a terrific root vegetable that is nutrient-dense and has good fiber. For those who love potatoes, this is a healthier alternative to hash browns or home fries. It's a terrific side for breakfast or any other meal for those of us trying to eat more veggies for more Flat Belly food. Bonus: sweet potatoes help boost your mood and if so many picky baby eaters love this food, I think Mother Nature gave it an advantage for our bodies! By cutting up the sweet potato into small diced cubes, you can cook this in about 5-minutes!

5-minute RECIPE
olive oil or grapeseed oil
1 small sweet potato cut into small cubes
4-5 mushrooms (white button ok, crimini preferred)
1 dash (2 tbsp) of white wine (optional) or water
Italian herbs that you have handy (3-4 fresh basil leaves, sprinkle of oregano, 3-4 stems of fresh thyme leaves)
salt + pepper to taste
optional: for those who like more spicy or more flavor
a pinch of smoked paprika or taco seasoning

Warm skillet over medium heat. Warm oil before putting in chopped veggies and liquid. Cover to steam and make the sweet potatoes cook up quickly. In the next 2 minutes chop up herbs and add. Cover for another minute or until the sweet potatoes look tender enough for a fork to pierce easy. Makes 1-2 servings (depending on the size of your sweet potato and your appetite!)

If you have trouble getting your minimum 5-7 servings of veggies/day, you can strategize by picking one meal a day that you have better control over -- whether it's breakfast or lunch to really focus your veggie efforts. Smoothies with added spinach or kale can help. To boost your veggie varieties, you can try this tasty greens powder that can be added to smoothies, soups, and other foods like our turkey meatballs recipe.

Boost your energy in less than 5 minutes

Easy ways to boost your energy in less than 5 minutes!

Some strategies only take 30 seconds of tuning in.

Are you one of those people who go non-stop? Or maybe feel rushed? Try some (or all) of these strategies and see how you get a boost of energy!

* Stop rushing and Tune in: Take breaks from the computer screen or whatever you're focused on. Close your eyes, sit tall and calm, and breath deep belly breaths for 30 seconds. You can do this on your bathroom break--sitting break, or while you're washing your hands.
* If you have a place to lie down quietly in a comfortable place, we call this "active rest," it might even be better than a nap. Our spine is working hard to be in vertical so it is such a relief to allow your spine to rest horizontal! Keep your knees bent to give your low back some support. Breathe deep belly breaths and let your back relax/melt into the mat or floor.
* Sometimes it's just that your body needs more support all around. Did you get enough healthy energizing food or snacks throughout the day? Take these Activated B vitamins that have super absorption (feel the boost within 5 minutes!). Time it either in the morning or in the afternoon to avoid the post-lunch lull. B-vitamins helps support your nervous system as you deal with daily stressors and it's good for your heart! And it's great to take it before a workout. Some athletes have reported that the lift stronger weights or have other performance boosts with this vitamin B. And it's safe! Most of us are low on B-vitamins and because it's water soluble, it's safe to take several caps a day bc any extra will simply be disposed of in your urine.
* If you've had long-term stress, whether from a family/life incident or chronic long work hours, you might need some support to bring down your cortisol levels (a stress hormone) and support your adrenals. This supplement helps you improve your health of your stress hormones to a better balance-- why it's called ACTS (adrenals, cortisol, thyroid, and stress).
* Depending on your mood, listen to some happy or relaxing music on your way out of the office to your exercise class or home workout so you have the energy! My favorite diva power songs come from Pink or old school Gloria Gaynor. What are your favorite power songs?

* Have fresh plants at your desk or home. Nature helps change the energy in the area and might even make you smile! I bought these potted tulips before the flowers were in bloom, and apparently they were bursting with so much energy that each stem produced twin flowers! Now, that's extra energy from the flowers for you!

Meditation for Beginners - Belly Breathing!

I've found that a number of people who come to my hikes or meet me in their physical therapy appt have trouble with breathing or meditation. As babies and dogs are easy to find their happy belly breathing, somehow we adults get challenged with stress and forget how to belly breathe. If it's hard for you to find your belly breath, check out this article from Daily Om.

If you have trouble finding it sitting up, try lying on your back, with your knees bent in "active rest" position, so that you can let gravity help you feel your belly rise on the inhale, and flatten as you exhale. When I first learned to sing in a choir in college, I had lots of trouble figuring out how to not shrug my shoulders on the inhale, and I spent time lying on the floor to find my belly breathing. So, if you get distracted and need to focus on something while looking for your belly breathing, you can pick your favorite slow happy song and that can help you out! My favorite song for this exercise is the chorus from ABBA's "Dancing Queen." It makes people chuckle and yes, when you laugh, you find your belly too! BONUS: The more you use your belly breath, the more you can help waken your abs and tone them. Belly breathing is the easiest way to start to manage your stress and get started on meditation!