Today's episode of the podcast talks about how to prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder from taking over your life.  As a midwesterner, it's hard to stay motivated in the winter!  Listen to the episode using the toolbar below or search for The LIFT YOUR LIFE Podcast wherever you stream your podcasts.

These are the resources I refer to in the podcast that can help you prevent SAD:

Sunrise Alarm Clock

Vitamin D

​Citrus Essential Oils

Seriously, it can be done!  Eating healthy is NOT just about calories and you CAN overhaul your nutrition without starving.  What you are going to learn today is the easiest way easiest way to improve your nutrition.

First of all, if you are new to the realm of cooking, and you're thinking, "I only have like two recipes that I know how to make", I promise you that skill of being able to cook and not need a recipe, it will come with time. But in the meantime, I want you to rely on recipes.  There is no shame in that.  Because really, they're just serving as inspiration for you. They're teaching you about new food pairings about new spice blends. They're teaching you all of those basic skills. And then over time, once you get better at making those tried and true recipes, you will finally start to feel like a home chef or a foodie.

Now on to my actual tip that I have for you.  You need to eat seasonally.  Think back to summertime, I'm assuming that every single one of you has probably had a homegrown tomato, and you know how much better that tastes, then which then the tomatoes that you buy at the grocery store. I think we all know that right? Now part of that does have to do with like the dirt that the tomato was grown in. It does have to do with that. But the biggest part is that that tomato was picked off the plant at its peak of freshness. What does that mean? Well, it means that that tomato had as much time as it needed to gain all of the nutrients and vitamins and minerals from the dirt from the sun from everything from the water. It had all of that time to get as nutritious as it can.

So obviously, you don't have to make your entire diet out of seasonal produce, but if you include at least some of the things that are seasonal, you can totally increase the nutritional value in your diet WITHOUT without having to take any extra time, or really take away any calories because who wants to be on a diet? No one.

The other reason that it is so great to eat seasonally is because it saves you money.  Why?  Because it is so much harder to grow things when they are not in season when they are just not naturally growing.

So I know I threw a lot at you. And especially if you are one of those people who is new to cooking, you're probably thinking, "Oh my gosh, this is a lot".  This website (US only) allows you to search by your specific area and by the month to see what's in season:

www.seasonalfoodguide.org

You can search on Pinterest or Instagram for recipes that include seasonal ingredients, but in my opinion, I think that ends up becoming a major time suck, because I don't know about you, but when I go on Pinterest, I don't end up doing what I went on there for... I end up like designing my dream house or renovating my laundry room... Or if I'm on Instagram, I get sucked into videos of chickens.

So instead of wasting your time researching seasonal recipes, I recommend having a trusted source on hand.  I've created this exact thing actually, a seasonal recipe membership where every single month you get 15 new recipes that are completely seasonal.

This recipe membership is only $7 a month (and you can get your first month free) PLUS you get a video training that covers all the produce that is in season, and it gives you tips on how to store and prepare those items.

This recipe membership is for you if you are someone who is just starting out in the kitchen. All have detailed instructions on how to create them, and they have beautiful pictures. And the recipes are just delicious. 

​So, what's this week's affirmation?  Write the phrase below on a sticky note and start building your confidence!

So, what's this week's affirmation?  Write the phrase below on a sticky note and start building your confidence!

food sensitivity test kit ($160):
I know...  this might not be the most fun present, but it is really cool!  Your green friend probably knows a lot about food and health, so give them the gift of learning even more!

squat rack ($300):
This is the exact rack I bought for my own basement gym and I love it.  It's simple, no frills and pretty easy to put together.  It's even travelled with me from our old house to our new one!

CSA membership ($ depends):
I am a big advocate for Community Supported Agriculture.  If you happen to be in the Dayton OH area, here's two that I use myself (Mile Creek Farm & Three Trees Farm).  If you are not, here's a website that can help you find one:  www.farmmatch.com

It's 5:45 AM in the dead of winter.  Your alarm is beeping but you just CAN'T get out of bed.  It's pitch black out and you feel like a bear who got woken up from hibernating.  After a few minutes debating sleeping in "just a few more minutes", you think about your new pumpkin spice coffee creamer and it motivates you to get out of bed.

Sound familiar?  If so, keep reading because after you've finished this post, you'll be armed with some new tactics and products that will set you up for a more alert morning and a more relaxing evening.

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Now that we've covered the details, here's a recap of all the things you need to set yourself up for a great morning and night.  After checking these items out on Amazon, share this post with a friend, we all need better sleep!

This is a lot easier said than done, I know.  With all the "motivational" things we see on social media like:

• rise and grind
• you can sleep when you're dead
• never skip Monday
• Fridays count too
• slay all day
• etc, etc, etc 

It is just SO hard to think we are allowed to rest.  But the reality is...  All the people you see succeeding in the gym are either:

1. taking rest days and just don't talk about them because it doesn't get them as much attention
2. or not taking rest days and are on the verge of sabotaging their health​ ​

All the work you do in the gym is great, but what you need to remember is that the 45 minutes you spent working out is not when your body gets stronger.  Seriously, it's not.  Those 45 minutes told your body what to do, but WHEN it happens is way after those 45 minutes are up.  Your body needs to recharge.  It needs to sleep.  It needs to leisurely walk.  It needs to stretch and regain mobility.  All these things that happen outside the gym are what let your body get ready for next time so you can be more agile, faster and stronger.

If you don't give your body time to repair, then you'll be in the second camp from above = on the verge of sabotage.  I've seen it many times before from training clients...  People get super motivated at the beginning and take on too much at once.  They feel great (at first) but eventually get burnt out and give up completely because they are so tired, sore and grumpy.  If they listened to their body's needs and took a break, they would have been able to continue.

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Here's the hard part.  Listening...  My rest days are never the same day each week, it always varies depending on what I've done in the week, what is on my to-do list, and where my head is.

What I advise you to do is use these two general rules of thumb:

1. if you have too much to do in one day (or too many fun plans), TAKE A REST DAY.  The mental stress that comes with a big to-do list and running from place to place does NOT equate to a good day at the gym, so you might as well just save it.
2. if you have been sore for two days in a row, TAKE A REST DAY.  That soreness means that your body did a great job then and needs some time to recover so it can do a great job again.  Wouldn't you rather have an awesome workout than just an ok one?  Save it for another day.

I really hope those two rules help you along your journey to wellness!  If you want to start a workout plan that DOESN'T prescribe specific rest days and gives you ultimate flexibility with your life, check out my workout cycles with the link below.  You pick from 1, 2 or 3 workouts a week and schedule those days in according to YOUR needs.

​Need even more help listening to your body?  Check out my confidence coaching plan, it helps you gain body confidence through working out, but also through treating rest as a way to honor your body!

Sometimes, you just need a crunchy snack...  I am a big chip lover...  and popcorn lover...  really I love anything salty.  If you're like me, chips are a HARD thing to say no to, especially when its summer time and the grill is fired up!  Chips are a perfect side to your awesome grilled meats and veggies.

What are you to do though?  Buy the conventional chips that have hydrogenated and inflammatory oils?

NOPE.  Get on Amazon and buy yourself some GOOD snacks, in bulk, so you never get tempted to buy the "bad stuff"!  Below are my top six snack items that I feel CONFIDENT eating on a regular (very regular) basis!  The first three are chips, just like discussed above.  The last three are the other things I order on auto ship just because I love them so much!

My favorite chips (in no particular order)...

The non-chip snacks I buy on auto-ship...

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