Steven's Superfoods!

Steven finally sat down and wrote a post for you all about some of the foods we like to keep in our house. These are some of his suggestions and the justification for why he likes to keep them on hand:

I often have clients ask me what foods they should eat, or keep in their fridge and pantry that contain high levels of vitamins. They also ask which foods will give them energy, power, endurance, and aid in muscle recovery and growth. Here are a list of my favorites as well as the favorites of most high intensity athletes:

Top 4 for proteins are: 

1. Whole eggs or egg whites

2. Super lean meats including poultry and game; organic free range beef, free range and grain fed chicken, deer or bison. 

3. Fatty fish - like wild salmon (Try to stay away from farm raised salmon; wild salmon has half the fat, fewer calories and it has a higher content of potassium and zinc.)

4. Fermented soy such as tempeh, natto and miso. Why? Because it helps to reduce the hazard of disease like cancer. Do not confuse with non-fermented soy like soy milk.

Top 2 for legumes are:

1. Beans (Not the kind in a can, people! Instead choose dry beans that needs to sit over night in water to be rehydrated. The more variety the better-Black beans, white beans, navy beans, pinto beans, lima beans, etc.)

2. Lentils ( brown lentils, green lentils or beluga lentils- black) Why are lentils so awesome you ask? They are high in protein and low in fat. Need I say more?

Top six fruits and vegetables are:

1. Tomatoes: Why? They are high in vitamins A and C as well as calcium, potassium, and lycopene which all help to fight heart disease and cancer.

2. Spinach: Why? Dark greens are good for skin, hair and bones. It lowers the risk of cancer and helps to improve and maintain overall health. Just ask your boy, Dr Oz.

3. Organic Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. These are known as super veggies because they contain disease fighting phytochemical. 

4. Avocados: Why? Avocados work as a anti-inflamatant. They are high in monounsaturated fat which reduces bad levels of cholesterol. They are also an excellent meat substitute. 

5. Citrus such as oranges or grapefruit. Why, you ask? Um duh, we should of learned about these fruits in kindergarten people. 

6. Berries: Why? They are full of nutrients and antioxidants. The top berries I would suggest are Goji, blueberries and Acai. Berries are a great energy booster and you should eat them everyday. 

Top three starches and whole grains:

1. Sweet potatoes (no yams in a can people) Why? Because they are packed with minerals like folate, copper, magnesium, and iron. Plus they are inexpensive!

2. Quinoa: why? Quinoa is very high in protein and riboflavin which is good for the brain and helps with migraines. It is also low in calories and gluten free.

3. Amaranth: Why? Because it is also very high in protein (26 grams per cup), can aid in natural weight loss and it is gluten free. 

Top three source of good fats:

1. Nuts and nut butters- like cashews, almonds, pecans, peanuts are filled with heart healthy fats, a great source of protein and are a great in between meal snack.

2. Seeds, like flax, hemp, and chia are high in good fats like omega 3 and a great source of energy

3. Olive oil helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. It is also great for diabetics because it helps to regulate sugar levels in the blood 

Top two drinks:

1. Water: Why? Well, just to name a few reasons, it prevents dehydration, curves appetite, promotes high energy levels, flushes out toxins in the body, improves the skin, promotes regularity (helps you to poop),improves mood, and great for preventing headaches. 

2. Green tea: Why? It improves metabolism, lowers blood pressure, reduces the formation of plaque and it increases the amount of catechin which is an antioxidant that promotes healthy cell growth. 

The basis of maintaining a healthy life style is knowing what to put in your body that promotes a healthy mind and healthy body. These power foods are loaded with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that promote muscle growth, recovery and cardiovascular endurance so you can heal and to continue to develop a strong, lean and healthy body. When you are in the grocery stores, try to stay out of the aisle and rather, shop outside of them. Stay away from the boxed and canned goods; instead, eat seasonal produce and learn how to properly prepare your vegetables so you get the most out of them. I wish you the best on your journey to becoming and maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle. 

Checkout more of Steven's tips at  https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=856757004377197

Trying to Say Goodbye with Grace

It has been exactly one year since I said goodbye to my Gram.  For those of you who don't know, my Gram was an integral part of my life.  She and Pap helped raise me, taking place of an absent, alcoholic father. They made sure my brother and I felt loved and special, even though the demons planted in my soul by my father fought to tell me differently.  They took us on vacations, and fostered my love and appreciation for culture, history and learning.  My Gram taught me several lessons of life and love over the 28 years together.  But most importantly,  my Gram taught me what a good grandmother, mother, wife and friend is supposed to look like; she taught me grace.

Everyone who knows me, knows that I don't fit the picture society paints of grace.  Well put together, classy, polite at every moment-that is definitely not me.  But what society doesn't show us is the true meaning of grace. Loving every person we come into contact with despite their faults, character flaws and indiscretions toward us. This lesson Gram taught me has led me to become a wonderful social worker, and a person I am proud to be on a daily basis.  Without this lesson, I do not know where I would be.  I fear that I would not be in a job that I love, attempting to fill the lives of the most hopeless and unlovable people with a glimmer of hope lit by my acceptance of their flaws.

Even though I am able to be thankful for these lessons, and carry Gram with me on a daily basis, it wouldn't be fair of me to say that I am okay with her death.  Or that I have completely grieved the loss of one of the most beautiful souls I have had the privilege of knowing.  In fact, I would say the complete opposite.  And as I write this I begin to think that maybe I am not the epitome of the grace that was taught by Gram, and perhaps I am the opposite.  I am still angry that a routine procedure turned into over 2 weeks on life support.  I still want to scream when I think of the countless mistakes that were made in Gram's care that led her to living her last days kept alive by machines.  I want to tear into the doctor who looked me in the eyes and lied to me telling me that, "she is going to recover from this" rather than being a man and shooting it straight to me-after I begged him for honesty.  I am angry, and there is no doubting this lack of acceptance would not be considered graceful by Gram.

With 3 years under my belt as a hospice social worker, I thought I would move quickly through the Stages of Grief that I would venture to say every individual passes through. However, I seem to be stuck in the Anger stage, angry with everyone including God, the doctors, and even myself for not letting my Gram know every single day how much she meant and continues to mean to me, even after her untimely death.  I hate that I am stuck in this phase, and even though I know grief is individual and everyone's journey is like a rollercoaster filled with highs and lows, I am exceptionally hard on myself for being stuck in anger. 

I think that part of the reason I have found myself stuck in the anger stage is due to my lack of allowing myself to feel all of the feelings I have about Gram's death.  It is so much easier to be mad at everyone and everything about losing one of my best friends, than to feel sadness. And it is even harder yet to accept that I will never see her face or hear her sweet angelic voice ever again.  So instead I allow my blood to boil thinking of that doctor I mentioned before, or the fact that we were mislead about treatment and therefore kept Gram alive much longer than we would have if given the truth about her condition and the ultimate outcome.

So where do I go from here? I guess if I go back to what I wrote about in my New Year's post, I should try to figure out a way to make the next year less angry, and more graceful and accepting; like Gram would want.  I also guess this means I need to add to my list of resolutions and goals for 2015 and allow myself to move through the grieving process.  I am not sure what that means exactly, but I know that something needs to change or I will live the rest of my life being angry about Gram being taken away from me.  And that is not what she would want.  She would want me to move forward, to think of her and accept her death, and to have nothing but happy thoughts about the times we had together; the lessons she taught.

The lessons Gram taught me helped me counsel so many people through the grief process helping them to reach ultimate acceptance.  However, I am not sure which direction to tell myself to venture down this path.  I have encouraged people to write letters, go to counseling, and to talk openly about the memories they have of their loved one; but none of this seems right to me.  I am kind of lost on this one, and maybe that is not a good thing to "admit" in a blog dedicated to helping people become a better version of themselves; but it is honest.  Incredibly honest. And how can I help others if I don't admit my own weaknesses and faults?

This honesty was taught by Gram, and I believe as I write this post to share with you is the first step to my ability to accept her death.  If I use this honesty, I am able to see the senselessness in my anger.  Wanting to rip a doctor's head off won't bring Gram back, and it sure as hell won't make me move forward in accepting her death.  And since I am being honest, I don't know where I will start.  I don't know what the first step is, and I honestly continue to feel stuck. 

While I am still stuck, this post has been cathartic and I hope that maybe, just maybe this is the first step.  As I journey into this New Year, I hope to find my way through the peaks and valleys of grief and on my road to acceptance.  As angry as I continue to be, I know that Gram is watching over me and will help me along my way.  I will continue this path with Gram and grace in my heart, and hopefully by this time next year, I will be able to tell you that I have reached acceptance and will be filled with less anger and more happiness as we remember my Gram on the anniversary of her death.

In Memory of

Marian Louise Fischer Yatsko

1935-2014

New Year, New Post

It's no secret that I have "fallen off the wagon" when it comes to writing posts.  Life has been so busy over the past few months. Between my brother's wedding,

the holidays

and trying to keep my house running in some kind of fashion,

I have let sitting down to write take a back seat.  I have been feeling guilty about this but have continued to put it off.  Maybe because I figure, "who wants to follow a blog where the author writes maybe once a month" or maybe because at the end of the day when I finally feel like I have time, all I want to do is catch up on the newest episodes of my favorite shows available on Netflix.  Either way, I have decided today, on the first day of the New Year, to make time to sit down and write; and to continue doing so at least once a week for the next year. 

Maybe this is a little bit ambitious, but isn't that what New Year is about?  Setting goals that we hope to achieve and if we don't we restart them the following year?  I know that for myself I more or less set the same resolutions every year. And every year, I do great for the first 6 months or so and then life takes precedent and my goals are quickly forgotten.  So, this year, I am hoping to do things a little different.  It has been proven that setting goals that are achievable and time sensitive help us to reach them.  And doesn't it feel much better to set attainable goals and complete them?  There is such a sense of pride that comes from being able to say "I did it!".   Additionally, I have found both with my personal life and the work I do with my clients that if there is someone to be accountable to the goal is much more likely to be reached.  Therefore, I am putting my readers in the position of holding me accountable, and am sharing my top 5 goals with you today.

 

New Year's Resolutions

1. Live a healthier lifestyle-less wine, more workouts. Less junk, more clean eating.  Even though I do well with this most of the year, the past few weeks I have definitely gained what I call "The Holiday 5" by eating handfuls of Chex Mix, Cookies and anything else I could indulge myself in.  I am not going to say, "I am going to lose 15 pounds" because I don't know if that will happen.  But I will say that I am going to make better choices, and hope to be able to share with you my journey as my body begins to thank me for giving it what it wants and needs rather than what I want and think I need.
2. Finish my LISW.  For those of you who don't know, I have been working on completing this next level of licensure in Social Work for a little over 2 years. The doors that will open with having an independent license will be phenomenal and therefore I am making it a point to complete this license this year. 
3. ORGANIZE my house.  It feels like every time I get something organized, there are 858492893 other things that need the same attention.  I plan to knock this all out within the first 3 months of 2015, room by room.  I will also be getting rid of a lot of stuff that I don't need to hang on to.  I will let you all know what I will be getting rid of, in case you want any of said stuff.
4. Write recipes.  Everyone knows that we cook in my house.  Normally Steven is in charge, and that makes it hard for me to write and share recipes with you.  Therefore, I am proposing (without Steven's knowledge) more joint cooking, and more recipe writing.  Even if we have to video tape ourselves and write the recipe after, I think it will be worth it.
5. Number 4 led me to this last top 5 goal, which is share more of our tips with you, my readers.  We will be posting videos, recipes and more blog posts about what I think are helpful topics.  And hopefully through doing so will be able to get Let's Be Wellness off and running.

So maybe these goals aren't written as time sensitive and specific, but I didn't want bore you with all of the "I will do this by this date to make this goal happen".   But they do give you the idea of what Steven, my family and I will be working on to make this year, the best year possible.  

 

I hope that all of you have set some achievable goals for the year, and I look forward to watching us all grow during 2015.  Here is to a wonderful year filled with happiness, love, progress and wellness for our minds, bodies and souls. Let's Be Happy, Let's Be Healthy, Let's Be Wellness!