Reclaiming Life

Reclaiming My Life

(email me comments, Qs, stories at: LunchLadyCynthia@gmail.com)

When I was thinking about what I wanted for 2010 to be like for me as 2009 ended, I started making a list of things that went something like this:

• Join a gym again and get back into athlete shape (I had been working out at home since moving into center city Philadelphia mainly due to convenience and time, but in the process I had lost my athlete mindset and motivation and I was not proud or happy about that…)
• Save money for minor renovations and fixes on my home
• Give more love to those that are in my life and find new ways to put love into the universe
• Get to know my neighborhood better and explore/take advantage of the city more
• Adopt a dog
• Travel and relax more
• Spend more time with people that make me feel happy and good
• Begin to take steps to owning my own business

In making this list, it became clear that there was a common theme: I was reclaiming my life.  I have been through a divorce (about 5 years ago now); been serial dating men who continually let me down; been wading my way through corporate America (yes, money makes the world go ‘round and so we all get sucked into the political vortex) and trying to define myself professionally; as well as countless other life-altering events. 

Looking back at my experiences, I had come to know myself better (like discovering my love of clean eating and healthy cooking and realizing that is a true passion of mine…like loving that I have the confidence to stand up for myself in my personal and professional life and realizing that living my truth empowers me daily…) but I also had lost pieces of myself.  It was time to find those pieces…time to reclaim my life. 

I broke it down to four major areas that needed attention:

• Spiritual
• Physical
• Mental/Psychological
• Social

But the problem with breaking my desires into parts and pieces is that everything is connected and it is hard to focus on one area of your life without paying homage to other areas of your life.  What you eat has an impact on your performance as a human as well as how you feel; what you think has an impact on how you treat your body and what energy you put into the universe…and so one.  And so, part of my blog will be dedicated to my journey to reclaim my life and feel like the best version of ME…but it begins with what I am putting into my body and my recipes for health and wellness.

Physically Reclaiming My Life

When I joined the gym, I had set a goal that I would log 25 miles of cardio and 1.5 hours of weights/week.  3 weeks after joining, I can happily say that my clothes feel looser on me and fit me better and I feel stronger…happier…confident…fit.

I am more focused at work.  I have more energy.  I am sleeping like a baby, getting 7-9 hours on any given night. I am more motivated in life than I have been since college (which was the last time I remember feeling really good about myself and life).  While the scale has not budged (and to be honest, I have never been overweight but my weight has fluctuated as life has taken me on its roller coaster), I feel better in my clothes and they fit me better.  Perhaps some of the latter is mental -  I am working out like an athlete so I feel like my clothes should fit me better and that I should sleep better and feel better – but this gets back to my point that everything is connected. The psychological benefits of working out have empowered me to feel like I can take on life’s challenges again…I may get knocked down again but I WILL get back up.

Next time on LunchLadyCynthia…more recipes and Happy Salmon Salad

Ode to Spinach: Goat cheese crumble spinach salad

Having been in some unhealthy relationships over the last decade of my life (and I haven't hit 30 yet...) I decided that this year I would approach dating and relationships differently.  I need to listen to my instincts more and stop trying to find evidence of how I am feeling about someone.  I need to realize that I deserve someone just as amazing as me - motivated, intelligent, generous, kind.  I need to stop thinking that everyday that I am not actively trying to find someone that my reproductive eggs are dying slow deaths, decreasing my chances of having children.

This year is my year for finding health and wellness and nah-mah-stay in my personal life and in my relationships...and I hope that it is also your year to do the same!

With that in mind, I have to take a moment and evangelize the mind-body benefits of healthy living, eating, and positive thinking.  Every action we take, every person we meet, every thought that we think has a micro and macro impact on you and this world...

Hence my ode to spinach.  It is one of the healthiest foods and is a treasured vegetable that I love to cook.  It is rich in folate, vitamin K, vitamin A, and a whole list of other nutrients.  Spinach helps protect against heart disease, osteoporosis, colon cancer, arthritis, and other diseases.  It is the Superman of veggies in my book.  And so, this recipe is just one of the many posts that you will see with SPINACH!

For more information on this or any other recipes, or if you have Qs or feedback, please email me at lunchladycynthia@gmail.com

Goat cheese crumble spinach salad

• ~3 cups spinach
• ~3 T goat cheese crumbles
• ~2 slices red onion, chopped
• ~3T walnuts, crushed
• ~2T dried cranberries or cherries, or other tart berry/fruit
• ~4T balsamic vinaigrette dressing (I like the one from whole foods brand: www.wholefoodsmarket.com)

1. I like to suate my spinach a bit so that it is a bit more dense to eat but not pureed or dripping in oil...to do so, I add ~1t olive oil to a pan, ~1/2 t crushed garlic and saute for about 1.5 min or until the spinach starts to wilt. (you can skip this step if you prefer your spinach super leafy and fresh)

2. Take spinach and rest of ingredients and mix

3. Add a sprinkle of garlic powder for extra flavor and enjoy!

Health benefits:

• spinach - I already sung its praises...need I say more?
• goat cheese - calcium and protein
• red onion - contains quercetin, which is an antioxidant
• walnuts - full of healthy fats (MUFAs - monounsaturated fatty acids, which help with satiety) and omega-3s, which may aid with fat burning, decrease chances of heart disease and stroke
• cranberries - full of antioxidants which help fight cancer and protect against bladder infections
  

Green-n-Blue Salad

I just got back from Jamaica and feel refreshed!  I went with my little sis, whom I will call 'I', and we had an amazing time reconnecting with each other and letting the woes of 2009 go...

On that note, I have found that it takes more energy to resist a situation that you cannot change than it does to embrace it and find a way to deal with it...breathe through it.  When we face situations that leave us feeling anxious, it is often because it is unexpected or the resolution did not turn out as we expected.  However, while it is necessary to dream and have goals in life in order to live a fulfilled life, it is also necessary to learn how to redirect your goals or take a different path when life happens.

And so, on my trip to Jamaica, I decided that my new year's resolution was to SLOW DOWN and have more patience...really savor life and manage through the good and bad times with grace.

One of my go to comfort foods that I love when life happens is blue cheese - it adds an amazing flavor to foods and is a nice complement to neutral or sweeter veggies...and so, here is my recipe for Green-n-Blue Salad

Green-n-Blue Salad
~1/2 bag spinach
~3T blue cheese crumbles (if you dont like blue cheese, as it is an acquired taste, try feta cheese)
1/2 avocado
1 can black eyed peas
2 slices chopped red onion
1 tomato and/or 1 tomatillo (if you have not tried tomatillos I highly reccomend them!!  Like tomatoes, less sweet, and have a crunchier texture)
~3T Ken's light ceasar dressing (http://www.kensfoods.com/kf/products/productView.servlet?consumerProductId=8&productCategoryId=2&productFlavorId=8)

Mix all ingredients and enjoy!

Health benefits:
-spinach is chock full of fiber, antioxidants, and helps keep you full
-blue cheese has calcium and protein which can aid weight loss
-black eyed peas are chock full of fiber and protein which (again) help keep you full
-red onion has quercetin which has been shown to be an antioxidant
-tomatoes have lycopene which is an antioxidant shown to help prevent cancer

Feel good food without the guilt! 

How will you handle the events to come in 2010?  Tell me about it!  Or write me about what you struggle with in eating healthy...I would love to hear from you!!  I can be found at LunchLadyCynthia@gmail.com

Beets 'n Beans

After officially dumping S (yes, my friends, he was seeing other people behind my back) and needing some love from my girlfriends to remind me that life will be ok and that I will go on and find happiness, I decided to have one of my closest girlfriends over.  Sammie is near and dear to me with a heart of gold...not to mention that she is a totally gorgeous babe with an amazing outlook on life.  I truly believe that you have to get a little dirt on your face and be roughed up by life in order to appreciate and drink in the sweetest moments that life presents to you...moreover, the dirt and bruises help you identify when those sweet moments come to you.  Sammie is one of those people who has hurdles lifes obstacles and is still smiling - a woman akin to me and my heart.  She and I bond over delicious food and fine wine.  So while she brought the champagne, I made the meal. 

Since it is hard to find other beet lovers (myself, being one of them...) and since I know that Sammie is also a beet lover, I decided to indulge us.  Hence, my beets n beans salad:

Beets 'n Beans
1 can black eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 can beets, chopped
2-4 chives chopped
~3 T goat cheese
~2-3T white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
(you can also try balsamic vinagrette dressing instead of vinegar)

Mix and enjoy!  If you have Qs, comments, or want more information about me or my meals, please email me at LunchLadyCynthia@gmail.com


The health benefits:
black eyed peas - full of fiber and protein
goat cheese - calcium and protein, both of which may stimulate metabolism
vingear - supposed to stimulate metabolism and help drop those lbs

Berry Bliss Breakfast

While I am no expert in love or relationships, I am very self-aware as well as aware of others.  The man that I had been dating, let's call him S, went away to the bahamas with a friend.  While he did not have cell phone access since the bahamas is international, he had friended me on facebook before he left, saying something to the effect that we could keep in touch through FB.  Further, he left before Christmas and was not returning until Dec 30th, right before new year's.

After a week of nauseating, anxious-filled moments that I tried to offset with loads of exercise (hi, I can see my lovely muscles again thanks to S!) he called me to tell me he was back.  No mention of why he didnt contact me when he was away.  No mention of new year's.  It does not take a love genius to realize that S wasn't that into me...

On that note, it is time to get control of my life again and I am beginning with breakfast:

Berry Bliss Breakfast

1 4-oz cup of greek yogurt (I like oikos: http://www.stonyfield.com/oikos/index.jsp)

1 T ground flax seed

1/4 c Kashi Go lean honey almond flax cereal (http://www.kashi.com/products/golean_crunch_honey_almond_flax)

2 T sugar free syrup or 1T honey

1/4 cup of 2 berry types: blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries

Mix together and enjoy!  Pair with a banana for a nice dose of potassium (helps with bloating...)  If you have Qs, comments, or just want to more about me and my meals, please email me at: LunchLadyCynthia@gmail.com

Health benefits of this delicious nutritional meal to kick-start your weight loss in 2010:

greek yogurt - loaded with protein, low in sugar, and the calcium in yogurt is believed to help with weight loss

flax seed - loaded with omega-3s and fiber

Kashi cereal - loaded with omega-3s, fiber, protein

berries -loaded with vitamin C, phytochemicals including flavonoids  (the stuff that gives dark berries thier color) which may be a potent antioxidant and help prevent cancer, fiber

Feedback anyone?  on my life? the recipes?  anything?  Happy 2010 :)