Why do I need a health coach to show me around a store? Because I'm in a rut. I love to cook and I love to eat my raw meals as well. But after a while I find myself picking the same things to eat over and over again. I also am aware that I need to plan ahead for healthy fast food. With two children, a heavy work load and a house to keep in order, I frequently get caught with no time and no plan for food. I need a health coach to help me come up with some back up plans so I don't end up in the drive through at McDonalds.
Meet Megan... isn't she lovely?
I want to share a little bit about some of our time together. Of course, it was so comprehensive that I can't include it all here, but I can give you a little taste:
The first thing that Megan and I did was sit down and talk about my lifestyle, about my hopes for optimal health and the issues I'd like help with (all that stuff I just mentioned above). After a lovely chat, we headed to the produce section because that is where good health begins. More specifically we headed to what Megan called the "wall of greens". Has this section ever been intimidating to you? It is for me. I always grab some romaine and a bunch of kale and run away. Sometimes I venture into the world of chard, but usually I stick to my old habits. Try something new! Bring it home, cook it up and you just might make a new food friend. Here was my takeaway information from the "wall of greens".
1. Leafy green things = Awesome for your health
2. Greens are the building blocks of life
3. Get them into your diet EVERY DAY
Cooking Tip: if a recipe calls for a certain kind of green you can interchange it with any green.
Shopping Tip: There is always at least one dark leafy green on sale. Megan says she buys whats on sale to keep her budget in check.
Next, Megan took me to the bulk section. You know, it's the isle with all of the stuff in bins. Instead of getting stuck with big packages of nuts, baking products, grains and spices, you can come to this isle and just try out a little! Then if you like it you can come back and get more. I usually shop the bulk isle for nuts, but have never considered spices.
Cooking Tip: If you're in a cooking rut, ditch the salt and pepper and grab some Tumeric, Basil, Cumin, Cardamom or anything that sounds wonderful. If you don't know how to use it, hop online and search for recipes.
Shopping Tip: Don't buy your raw honey in jars, bring your own container and get local raw honey from the bulk section. You'll save packaging (less waste), it's cheaper and local honey will help you better defend against allergies than the stuff shipped in from elsewhere.
I came home with a lovely selection of fruits, vegetables and even some new additions to my grocery list like a probiotic supplement, Chia seeds, Hemp Hearts, Ume Plum Vinegar and for a quick snack - Mary's Gone Crackers. I also picked up a spaghetti squash and cooked it for dinner with a little help from THIS post on Megg's blog. It was delicious!
About Megan:
Megan received her training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York where she was trained in more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. She also has a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin. You can read more about Megan's offerings HERE.
In her words:
We all have to find the right balance that enables us to get what we want out of our days and our lives. As a holistic health coach, I work with people to help them find balance for themselves and achieve their own personal health goals. Whether it’s to have more energy, lose weight, prevent disease or learn to cook, I work with people to help them take small, manageable steps toward a happier and healthier life.
Megan elsewhere...
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