Holiday Stress

What is it about this time of year that gets everyone so uptight?  Really, this is the time to be happy and rejoice in life but yet the depression and suicide rates jump during the holiday season.  The truth is, woman tend to suffer the most from holiday stress.  Well DUH!  That's because we take it upon ourselves to plan parties, take control of gift giving, decorating, cleaning, you name it, we do it all at extreme measures from the end of November through the beginning of January.

While it's easy to say "don't stress, everything will work out perfectly," that really doesn't ring true in the eyes of us women.  We want everything to be perfect and leaving it to chance is far to risky when so many people will be watching.  Whether you are hosting the family dinner, a neighborhood party, or just in charge of gift duty for the kids, making sure everyone is happy with the final work is vital to our psyche.  I call it Super Woman Syndrome and I suffer from an extreme case.  I have learned that I have to practice some daily disciplines or you can count on my being a complete basket case of emotions and daily migraines.  They are simple and effective but if not done daily, they don't work.

The first is to give thanks and remember the many blessing I have in my life.  I take a few minutes every morning to meditate.  I take a wide angle look at my life and remember all the amazing reasons that I love the life I live.  I make a point to THANK others for the blessing they unknowingly gift my life.  This is important because we are so focused on what we are going to physically give others during this season that we forget that truly the best gift we can give is ourselves and the relationships we have with others.  It really does boost your spirits as much as singing loud for all to hear.  LOL I love ELF for those that caught that movie line plug ;)

I also make a serious effort to give my body some love and get in at least 20 minutes of physical activity every day.  The endorphin rush really does wonders to the weight stress can literally put on your shoulders.  The movement releases acid build up in your muscles that make stress physically painful.  This doesn't mean that I am telling you that you have to get in a killer workout everyday (although you would not regret it if you did!) but even a walk around the block or some jumping jacks, push ups and crunches to get the heart pumping and increase your brains best chemicals serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine which soothe the effects of tension and stress and may also prevent aging at the cellular level. (stress and tension WILL age you!)  Really getting your exercise in first thing in the morning will prep your brain to be more focused and will improve your memory.  You will set your day up for more efficiency if you just get it done.

Another daily activity I include to ward off unneeded stress is reading.  I spend at least 20 minutes a day reading something inspiring and uplifting.  I actually read more than 20 minutes every day because reading in the morning just puts me ina good mood and then reading right before bed helps my subconscious mind relax and dream happier meaning more restful sleep.

The next thing that I will share with you is to spend time getting yourself ready.  As moms we often put us together last which means that we often run out the door in sweats and our hair in a pony tail.  This is fine if you are making an unexpected run to pick the kids up from school because of sickness but it's not okay to go run the errands that you knew you had to do that day.  They were scheduled so you need to schedule time to prepare YOU for those outings.  It doesn't have to take long, but get dressed, wash your face, put on some mascara and lip gloss and if you still rock the pony tail well at least you are more put together than your jammies or sweatpants.  You will feel more confident and therefore happier while out running around.  It does make a difference and it will improve your tension levels and boost your mood.  Nothing is more empowering than confidence.

Now, if you are hosting parties write out a plan.  Don't just keep it in your head - write it out.  Putting it on paper allows you to prioritize more effectively so that you can make dishes in advance if possible, get the proper decorations, have all the tables and chairs needed without the last minute freak out because you forgot to get the cream that is the key component to the dish you are serving.  Really, making a daily list of things you want/need to accomplish that day will help keep you on track with less panic attacks.  What you don't finish can be moved to tomorrow's list.  This way you don't space vital activities and can more efficiently manage your time.  

We all know that we have TONS on our mind at all times and we just add to that during the holiday season.  Us women are magnificent multitaskers but we are not Super Woman, but by taking some time to do these activities daily, we can sure look like we are!

I made this while I was home this weekend with the kids in an attempt to find some alternatives to the traditional Holiday Dessert spread.  I must say that it turned out SO good!  There are a few things that I will likely tweak next time to see how it turns out only because I was low on a few of my staples that I normally keep around.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

3/4 C pureed 100% pumpkin
1 1/2 C low fat or skim milk*
1/2 C unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 C unpacked brown sugar*
1/4 tsp sea salt
3 eggs
1 tbsp pumpkin pie seasoning
5 slices of whole wheat or grain bread

Preheat oven to 350°.  You will need a large mixing bowl, toaster, whisk, good knife, and a deep casserole dish.  Whisk all ingredients except for the bread together in the mixing bowl and set aside.  Toast the bread to a medium color.  This will help the bread keep it's form when the custard is poured on top.  Cut toast into cubes and place directly in the ungreased casserole.  Pour pumpkin mixture over cubes and place in the oven for about 30 minutes or until set.  Top with your choice of coconut whip (directions posted below), real whipped cream (as in heavy whipping cream beat with a mixer to light and delicious topping...NOT the fake stuff...please!?!), or good old vanilla ice cream (which kind of defeats the purpose of making this a little healthier but it's really good, just ask my 8 year old!)

*I only had about 1 C unsweetened almond milk in the fridge so next time I will make sure I have enough and swap out regular milk for almond milk but I didn't want to sacrifice my last glass for my kids dessert...I know I know...
*Pure maple syrup would likely be a great substitute for the brown sugar but I was out.  Pure maple syrup will definitely increase the cost of making this dish but the depth of flavor may be more than worth it not to mention you will completely remove refined sugar.

The Challenge of Getting the Family to Love Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a nutrient dense and surprisingly low calorie food. They are packed full of vitamin A - nearly 8 times the recommended daily need for the average adult, and because it's fat soluble instead of water soluble, it can be stored in the body to be used later instead of being wasted. They are also good sources of vitamin C, potassium, magnesium and many other nutrients.

The problem is that my family doesn't love the flavor.  I personally enjoy them baked with a little sea salt and black pepper just fine but the other 3 members of this house disagree and straight up refuse to eat them this way.  In fact there really is only one preparation method that I know I can win the battle with and that's roasting.  There are a few variations for roasting these orange little beauties but this one is a great way to easily get your veggie intake up in any meal and great for using up what is left in the fridge before shopping day which is always a bonus!  You can definitely add more than what I have here but this is what needed used in our house,

The kids had already eaten so I made less this week for just the hubz and me.

EVOO and seasoning time

stir to coat each delicious morsel with the oil and seasoning

Spread out and pop in your super hot oven to do it's thang

Roasted Root Veggies
2 sweet potato peeled and diced into 1/2-1" pieces
4 good sized carrots peeled and diced into 1/2-1" pieces
1 medium onion (I like yellow or red) sliced in to 1/2" wedges
2 tsp EVOO
Mrs. Dash or sea salt and black pepper to your preference

Preheat oven to 450°.  You will need a good sized cutting board, good sharp knife, a large baking sheet,  teaspoon measuring spoon.

You want all your veggies to be about the same size.  Pile them all on your baking sheet or you can dirty a bowl but I never do, and pour on the extra virgin olive oil and seasoning.  Toss to coat each piece and spread evenly out on baking sheet.  Roast in the hot oven for about 15 minutes.  Stir veggies and continue to roast for an additional 10-15 minutes or until lightly crisping.

Some other tasty additions would be a fresh beet (so different than the canned version!), butternut squash, and halved mushrooms.

I am always looking for new ways to eat healthy carbs and sweet potatoes are one of my favorites!  They are so much more flavorful than brown rice and packed with far more nutrition!  Since it is the Holiday Season and sweet potatoes are in abundance I will be making lots of dishes and (if they turn out good!) will posting them all here for you to add to your recipe repertoire too!

xoxo,
Laura

This Black Friday Deal is OFF THE HOOK!

Hi there and Happy Thanksgiving Week! I don’t know about you but I am so excited to spend time with family and indulge in a delicious scape of food. I personally LOVE pumpkin pie but for that same reason, I don’t make it, so I am extremely excited for some pie and REAL whipped cream – you know, the full fat heavy cream whipped up in to creamy heaven? MMMM, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm! 

But with Thanksgiving Day also comes Black Friday. I know that many of you are already scoping out the pre-released ads and making your game plan. What if this Black Friday you don’t waste money on things that you don’t need and instead invest in health and fitness?

Imagine how great you would feel if you lost those extra pounds that haunt you every time you put on your favorite jeans, or how it would feel if you had enough energy to keep you moving all day at full speed without that Red Bull. How would it feel to make 2014 the year you reclaim your life and take control of your own health?

This Black Friday, I challenge you to not buy something you will only regret come January and instead invest in making 2014 your best year yet. I’m making it a little easier on you to get that ball rolling! 

This week only, when you purchase ANY Challenge Pack, you will get your option of one- 30 day supply of either E&E Energy and Endurance Pre-workout formula or Slimming Formula Pre-workout formula.  A Challenge Pack already includes your full workout program of choice, a month of Shakeology, and a free trial Club Membership to TeamBeachbody.com along with FULL and FREE support from me to help see you through the program and beyond!  Both pre-workout supplements are fantastic additions to the Shakeology and workout program that comes in your Challenge Pack to help you burn calories and fat faster and keep you going throughout those long holiday get-together's ahead.

But that’s not all! Beachbody will also send you a $20 gift certificate towards a future purchase as part of the Feed America Promotion. For every Challenge Pack sold in the month of November, Beachbody is donating $20 to the Feeding America. That $20 is going to provide 180 meals through that foundation and that is coming from you! I don’t know about you but I am always looking for ways to give back this time of year especially! 

What could you do with that $20 gift card? Well if you like your free Black Friday supplement, it will make your first purchase that much easier on the pocket book!

If you are not sure what workout program is best for you, contact me (bottom right hand corner of this blog) and let’s figure out your goals and map out the course to reach them.  Let's ring in the New Year with a new outlook on life!

To place an order, you must go here!  If you place your order through another site, you will not receive this special.

Super Easy Tuna Patties

I am always on the search for new quick lunch ideas.  Today I needed to stick to a lower carb meal and decided that I would do something with tuna, but I didn't want tuna salad again and definitely no tuna noodle thing.  I found some recipes online for tuna burgers all of which had things that I didn't want to add to my tuna (mayo, bread crumbs, mashed potatoes) so instead I used a couple of them as inspiration and came up with something that was quite easy and tasty.  I will be tweaking it and updating as I continue to make these tuna patties.

Super Easy Tuna Patties:

2 4oz cans chunk light tuna in water, drained

1 whole egg, beaten

1 whole dill pickle diced

1/4-1/3 C old fashioned oats (I kept mine whole but you could pulse them in the processor to make more of a breadcrumb texture)

1/2-1 Tbsp Sriracha (chili sauce) or add more if you want it spicy

1-2 tsp EVOO

Mix everything but the EVOO together and form into 3-4 patties.  Heat EVOO on medium and add your patties.  Cook each side for 2-4 minutes or until lightly browned.  Be careful when flipping as they are very fragile.  (If you are patient which I'm not, you can refrigerate the patties for about an hour and supposedly, the tuna will hold together better.  I honestly don't know if it works and doubt I will ever find out.  A can of tuna is a quick meal in this house for a reason.)  Serve as I did with a couple big handfuls of baby spinach (a splash of balsamic vinegar would probably be divine or fresh lemon juice) or as a sandwich on whole grain bread like my little man had his.

We personally like dill pickles not sweet pickles but they would work just fine too...if you like that kind of thing.   

McDonalds As Rewards?

I have been thinking on this post for a while now.  I have hesitated over and over and over not wanting to offend anyone, but I just need to get it out.  To be clear, I am guilty of what I am about to rant about myself.  I have done it in the past and still occasionally find myself in the same pattern.

Recently, I joined my son at school for Picnic With Parents in his 1st grade class.  I genuinely had a fabulous time.  It was so nice to get to know his teacher, the friends that live outside of our neighborhood, and of course the other parents.  I chatted with some other mothers about our kids and the classroom - just the usual stuff.  Lunch was fun and Kaden read me a story about spiders from his Weekly Reader News (I LOVED those when I was his age and glad he does too) and I read him and his pals a Halloween story.

So...now my problem. Again, I don't want to offend anyone because the truth is, I have been guilty of this too.  We were all given the option of ordering a sack lunch from the school or bring in our own for us and our child.  My kiddo had requested a ham sandwich and his water bottle; that was TOTALLY doable!  We each had a ham sandwich with mustard and veggies; I even splurged and we shared a snack bag of Sun Chips.  His teacher provided dessert so we both had a pumpkin shaped shortbread cookie - we agreed that it was just okay.  Everything was fine until he noticed that almost all of the other kids that had parents there had McD's and sodas.  "Mom, can I have a soda?"  Dang!  "Nope kiddo.  Mom only brought us waters."  This is when it hits me...What in the world are we teaching our kids without even intentionally doing it?  Now I get to feel like the "bad mom" because our society is so trained to reward our kids with junk food.  I said it...and it's the truth...and I'm just as guilty as anyone else.

UGH!  Here we are trying to teach our children how to respect themselves, their bodies, their family and friends, but we are rewarding them with food that is less than respectful to their little bodies.  It's time to change this trend.  We love our children and we all want nothing but the best for them right?  Silly to even have to ask that, but we are guilty of of giving them the complete opposite completely out of love.  UGH again!  I'm not saying that my children will never again get fast food, that's silly unfortunately.  In a perfect world, the temptation wouldn't even exist, but it does, so saying they will never again eat a french fry is a lie.

There is one thing however that I do know for sure.  I will be much more aware of our trips through the drive-thru and it won't be for rewards or "special occasions" because those should be nothing but the best.  We have plenty of other treats that we use for rewards and celebrations (cake, cookies, etc) that are far sweeter than a french fry. ;)  We already very rarely hit a drive-thru but it will be even more rare now.

If you agree, leave a comment and tell me what you would have brought and what you would choose to pack now?  It's time to change the trend!

P90X: I Love It? Really?

When I became a Team Beachbody Coach clear back in April 2011, I ordered P90X. I was in the middle of my first round of Insanity and truly loving it. Truthfully, the only reason I ordered it was because I felt that if I was going to be apart of the company, I needed to be a graduate of both our big name programs. I had never really had too much interest in doing P90X...ever. Looking back, I know that my attitude going in to the first day was ultimately set me up for failure three, yes 3, times. 

I really didn't want to do it and therefore the excuses were easy to come up with. I was only starting because I felt I HAD to if I was really going to do my business justice. Three times I started and not once did I make it past the second day as scheduled. There was one attempt about a year ago that I did get 4 workouts done, just not consistently. If I remember right, I think those 4 took me a week and a half to get through and the program is designed to be 6 days a week. Hmmm... I couldn't handle the slow pace after Insanity and Tony Horton's jokes were not amusing in that mindset but I wasn't confident in my lifting to mute everything but the cues. I lent the program out to friends quite often because I just wasn't doing it. 

Fast forward two and a half years later and we find that today I am on Day 4 (Yoga day) and I am honestly loving it. My arms are feeling yesterday's Shoulders and Arms workout. That means that I am changing and I LOVE it. This time around, I had already made up my mind that I wanted to really learn about weight training, so I did my research. I learned about form, movements, and sought motivation. (The internet...man what did we ever do without it!? ha!) I decided that I WANTED to do P90X not try but DO. I set this week as my start and had to get my set back from a friend. I got the discs back on Monday afternoon and spent Monday evening and Tuesday afternoon going through the guides again to re-familiarize myself with the workouts. Wednesday morning, 6 am, I pushed play and completed Chest and Back.  It wasn't pretty.  You do one full round of the movements (mostly push-ups and pull ups) and then you do them again in different order.  The second round, there were sets that I could only get out 3 push-ups and the 3rd had such poor form I should have stopped at 2. :/  BUT!!!  I finished and it felt awesome!

Day 3 After Shoulders and Arms.  I have a long way to go.  This is only the beginning of this journey!

I have now successfully completed 3 days and about to get Day 4 on the books.  I do love yoga!!!  It's all about attitude and desire.  I set a goal for what I want to accomplish with this program.  I am keeping myself accountable by posting on Facebook and will continue to log here as well.  I am going to be a P90X graduate in 86 days.  Help keep me accountable and follow my journey, add me on Facebook.  If you want to join in and have your fittest holiday season to date, my next challenge group, Fit the Season, starts soon!  Use the Contact option you see on your screen or message me on FB!  Tons of fun, motivation, easy healthy recipes, and more.  You won't want to miss your spot!

Choose to be a better you today!

~Laura

Hello! My First Message to YOU

Hello and welcome to Laura Raymond Fitness!  I believe that in order for you to be truly healthy, you need to reach beyond fitness.  You need to be aware of what you are eating - everything we put in our mouths either fuels or famines our well being.  You must be humble and appreciate all of life, even the parts that you don't understand.  You HAVE TO LOVE YOURSELF so that you can be a light to some one else.  It's treating your mind, body and spirit right and sharing that compassion with others that truly makes you YOUR HEALTHIEST YOU.  The WHOLEistic way.

While I have been interested in health and fitness for most of my life, I never really understood how important it was for me to go beyond my daily fitness routine and clean eating until recently.  

Yes, of course I felt better getting back in to fueling my body with nutrient dense foods instead of junk and getting my butt moving again, but it wasn't fueling my soul.  My fitness results were hindered by my psyche and so were my personal relationships.  Yes, you need to exercise and avoid fast food, processed food, sugar, etc for your internal health.  BUT by feeding your soul too, you are less likely to be depressed and anxious which will boost your internal health as well.  Think about it, when you are feeling down in the dumps (we all have those days) you don't feel good.  You may not have the sniffles or be vomiting, but your immune system is weakened by your mood.  Crazy you say?  Not really.  Stress can actually over-activate your immune system which can lead to an increased risk of autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and arthritis.  Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University monitored the emotional health of 300 participants and then exposed them all to an infections virus.  They found that the subjects that were happiest were 3 times more likely to NOT get sick than those that were depressed or stressed.

This blog is a place for for inspiration, tips, recipes, family, fun, and spiritual freedom!  I invite you to share your stories in comments or when I am holding an open discussion on Facebook. I want to hear from you on what you want to see so if there is ever anything that you like and want more of TELL ME!  I'm listening because it's YOU who keeps me my healthiest!

I just want to throw this picture in because to me, it is perfection and fills my heart with happiness! :)  I took this picture of the Tetons on top of Grand Targhee Ski Resort where despite the brutal wind that day, I felt warmth, purpose and spiritually fulfilled.  God is amazing.