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Streamline Your Morning Routine

June 2, 2019 No Comments

Just a heads up: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. As always, all opinions are entirely my own. Thanks for supporting me!

If you’re anything like me, getting out of the house on time can be a STRUGGLE. Check out my top tips to streamline your morning routine.

1. Stop hitting that snooze button! I know it’s tough, and I’m [very] guilty too, but research shows that hitting the snooze button too many times isn’t good for you! Instead of hitting the snooze button 5 times *cough, cough, like me, *cough, cough*, try going to sleep 30-60 minutes earlier the night before. Also, there’s a lot to be said about having the conscious thought that you will wake up on time -seriously! Try getting a louder alarm clock, or placing it further from your bed if this is really a problem.

2. Pack your breakfast/lunch the night before. I work in a hospital, so there is always a cafeteria available if I forget or don’t have time to pack my lunch. But the downside of that is that I’m spending no less than $7 per day on lunch alone! (not so nice to the wallet). I’ve found that if I pack my food the night before, and my lunch box is just a “grab and go” in the morning, it’s much quicker than trying to pack it in the mornings. I eat both breakfast and lunch at work, so I pack it all the night before. Also, its SO easy to pack your lunch when you’re putting away leftover dinner from the night before! (I love these glass tupperware dishes from Amazon – Because I’m weird about microwaves and plastic…)

This also applies to coffee prep – I don’t function well without my cup of coffee in the morning, but plan for a quick (K-) cup, or set the timer on the coffee pot the night before so you’re ready to pour and go in the AM!

3. Pick out your outfits for the week or the night before. OK ladies, we’re generally indecisive. (Unless you wear a uniform) How many mornings have you gone in your closet to look at a mountain of clothes and ended up with the rationale “I have nothing to wear!”. YES you do! Mornings are the WORST time to try and make decisions like this, especially if you’re trying to hurry out the door early-morning! So to streamline your morning routine, my solution is to put together outfits for the next day, if not for the entire week, prior to the morning. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not always super on top of this one, with the exception of doing it at least the night before. And sometimes I do change my mind, but If I’m really struggling, I at least have several outfit options I’ve already paired together to choose from vs going into a closet with too many decisions to make.

4. Have a plan for any ongoing morning activities (dogs, kiddos, other pets, etc). First and foremost I would like to announce that I am not a mama- I have no idea what the hustle is like getting the family out the door in the morning – especially for school! You mamas really do have super powers! However, I am a dog mom, and I have a husband who travels a lot… I get it’s not the same, but they still require my time in the morning too, and I have to plan for it! Usually the hubs & I have a very brief pow-wow in the evening about who will handle the dog duties in the AM. This really adds an extra 20-30 minutes to my morning routine, so if you have something like this in your life, it seems pretty obvious, but be prepared!

5. Traffic you say? Well, plan ahead for that time commitment or leave earlier in the morning. My commute without traffic is about 15 minutes. And I know that my commute with traffic (between 7:45-9:00 am) so my goal is to plan to leave my house before hitting that 7:45 am rush. Trial a few routes, different timelines, etc, on your morning commute, and you will learn the best schedule to avoid traffic!

Ultimately, there may still be something standing in your way of getting to work early / on time / or even only a few minutes late. For example, you do everything right, and there is a car accident on the interstate, or you have everything planned, and then a kid or a pet gets sick. Allow yourself a little grace, and hopefully your supervisor will also! But following these simple tips can help you get out the door on time!

What other strategies do you guys use to get out the door on time?? Especially interested in feedback from any hard-working mamas out there!

Food, Lifestyle Nutrition

Farm Raised vs Wild Caught Fish

May 31, 2019 No Comments

Guys, we hate to admit it, but even some dietitians aren’t always so attune to EVERY single nutrition issue that comes up with our food. After all, if you’re in a hurry, trying to get through the store to feed your family, it’s easy to overlook a thing or two! One of those for me, was the difference in farm raised vs wild caught fish.

So, a few years ago, there I was standing in the meat section looking at some pre-sliced, pre-portioned salmon, and I happened to notice that there was a price difference in the salmon from the choice on the left and the choice on the right- clearly significant enough that I noticed!- And like any frugal shopper, I explored further.

I then noticed, that the salmon on the left was lighter in color than that on the right – still weird, right? I hadn’t figured it out yet…. until I continued comparing labels and the salmon on the left was farm raised. OK, not so bad, until I saw that the label said “ARTIFICIAL COLOR ADDED”. GROSS.
That was the last day I ever even considered purchasing farmed fish, and now it’s fresh caught only. I was incredibly offended that they have to add artificial color to my food! I mean, it’s salmon? Not anything you think might have something like Red #40 on the label!

Truth be told, the color of the fish may vary between Atlantic and Sockeye Salmon…. which doesn’t have anything to do with the nutrient content; however, I was not ok with fresh fish that had artificial color added.

So, then I did a little research. Before I tell you what I learned, let me give some background about what most dietitians are attune to. And as an aside, my background is working with sick patients in a hospital-style setting. I handle patients needing assistance with serious medical conditions; less so, optimizing nutrient intake for generally healthy people.

After doing a little research, calorie for calorie, fat gram for fat gram, farm-raised and fresh-caught are not the same, as I originally thought. That being said, the real difference here is on a micronutrient level that does make a difference, but possibly only minimally. As a reminder, micronutrients are the nutrients you require as part of a healthy diet (like magnesium, potassium, fatty acids, etc), on a much smaller level than carbohydrate, fat & protein, which we identify as macronutrients, or calorie-providing nutrients.

So lets go over some immediate concerns that I had when the decision came to farm-raised vs wild caught:

Diet of Farmed Fish – Guess what they eat? FEED. High fat, high protein feed, to produce larger fish with more meat, for more gross product, which equals more dinero. This is great for business/increasing the availability of said fish to many Americans (did you know up to 90% of fish consumed in the US is farmed fish?), but what is it doing to the quality of the fish that we will then consume?

If this is something you’re interested in, I highly recommend the book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma“. The author addresses a lot more controversial issues, similar to this. Definitely thought provoking!

Nutrient Content – They are calorically similar – ish, but the micronutrient content does differ. Farmed salmon is higher in fat generally, and over 3 times higher in saturated fat. But wait? I thought salmon was really high in Omega-3s? And aren’t those supposed to be good for you? Well, yes, they are, but when farm raised salmon is fed a diet that it is not supposed to consume, in nature, that nutrient profile changes. Farm-raised is also significantly higher in Omega-6 fatty acids, which are known to be pro-inflammatory vs the anti inflammatory properties of the Omega-3s. Regardless, the amount of Omega-6 is not so high as to be concerned when eating farmed salmon.

Contamination – This actually has pros and cons with either type of fish. Farmed fish live in pools, and swim around in their own waste; additionally, fish can ingest harmful contaminants from the water they swim in, which may even include wild caught fish from the ocean. A 2004 study showed that levels of one common carcinogenic chemical (PCBs) was higher in farm-raised fish.

THE VERDICT: So what’s the best choice? Well, that’s a bit of a loaded question. For my family, I stick with wild caught. That being said, if the choice is farm-raised salmon vs. a fast food cheeseburger, or a large pizza, farm-raised salmon is still the better choice. If it fits in your budget, however, I’d choose wild caught over farm raised any day.

**Consult further with your doctor or dietitian regarding individual recommendations for your health.**

Food, Recipes

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito Bowls

May 30, 2019 No Comments

Are you ready for a delicious, spicy, seasoned, veggie-filled meal? I love to eat colorful food, and these Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito Bowls certainly do not disappoint!

To get started, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

While the oil is heating, dice 2 medium sweet potatoes into uniform sized cubes. It’s important that they’re uniform sized because this is what will ensure even cooking. Once chopped, add to the pan with heated olive oil and begin cooking, stirring every few minutes so that they cook evenly.

Chopped Sweet Potatoes | Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito Bowls | www.margeswearin.com — I cut mine into about 1/2″ (ish) cubes.

While the potatoes are cooking, chop up the Anaheim chiles and Onion. After the potatoes have cooked 8-10 minutes, (they should be almost fork tender). Add the onions & chiles to the pan and stir to combine.

Chopped Onion & Jalapeno | Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito Bowls | www.margeswearin.com — Cut Anaheim chilis just like a bell pepper, cut off the top, and remove the rind & seeds. These chilis are pretty mild. Feel free to use Poblanos or Jalapenos if you want more heat!

While this is cooking, add the spices, and wait…. just wait…. for that delicious smell! You should smell all those seasonings cooking after about a minute. Drooling yet?

Cooking Seasoned Sweet Potatoes | Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito Bowls | www.margeswearin.com

Continue to cook the vegetables for several more minutes until the onions become translucent. Add the drained black beans, and stir to combine.

Chopped Sweet Potatoes, Pepper, Black Beans, Seasoned | Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito Bowls | www.margeswearin.com

Deglaze the pan by adding the scant 1/2 cup of broth to the vegetable mixture, and add a lid to the pan to retain the moisture. Allow the chicken broth to cook off over the next few minutes. Continue to cook until most of the broth has evaporated, sweet potato is completely fork tender, and mixture is heated through.

Then you’re ready to build your bowl! I like to have this meal over my low carb Mexican Cauliflower Rice, but regular ol’ white rice is ok too. This is one of my favorite parts of cooking – the choice is yours.

Toppings are up to you! I like mine with sliced cherry tomatoes, a squeeze of fresh lime, some chopped cilantro, diced radishes, and a great sour cream substitute (1 single serve container of greek yogurt mixed with 1/2 pack of dry ranch seasoning – YUM). And I added a few tortilla chips to mine for some crunch!

Toppings! Avocado, Cilantro, Halved CHerry Tomtatoes, Fage Yogurt + 1/2 packet of Ranch Seasoning - yum! | Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito Bowls | www.margeswearin.com — Radishes MIA…. These were totally an afterthought.

This is the fun part – cooking has no rules (Well, a few, but I’ll get into that another time). If you want to add some other deliciousness – GO FOR IT! Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite toppings were!!

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Burrito Bowls

A totally vegetarian option, with some easy swaps to make it vegan!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 35

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 Anaheim Chiles, chopped (could substitute bell pepper)
1 can black beans, drained
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup (scant) chicken broth

Instructions

Heat olive oil in saute pan.
Chop sweet potato evenly (so that it cooks at the same rate), add to pan, and cook over medium heat. Stir every couple minutes so it does not burn.
While the sweet potato is cooking, chop the onion & Anaheim chiles.
Once the sweet potato is nearly cooked through, add the onion & chiles. You will know when they are nearly fork tender, or tender enough to stab with a fork. They should still be a little undercooked at this point.
Add the spices, and stir to combine while the vegetables cook.
Continue to allow the vegetables to cook, and once the onions become translucent, add the drained black beans and stir to combine.
Add the scant 1/2 cup chicken broth, and cover the mixture with a lid so that the moisture is retained, and the veggies continue to cook for a few minutes.
Once the broth is evaporated & sweet potato is completely cooked through, it's ready to eat!
Build your burrito bowl with the sweet potato black bean mixture, and serve over cauliflower rice.

Notes

Serve “Buddha Bowl Style” along with some rice, quinoa, or my Mexican Cauliflower Rice.

Optional toppings include:

avocado
salsa
cherry tomato
cilantro
sliced romaine
sour cream (I mixed 1/2 pack ranch seasoning into 1 single serve container of greek yogurt – YUM!)
cheddar cheese
Squeeze a little lime on if you like! (I do!)
tortilla chips, for some crunch!
Chopped Radishes are also great for some crunch!

To make this recipe vegan:

Swap chicken broth for vegetable broth
Omit any dairy (cheese, sour cream) from toppings

Too much heat?

If the chiles are too much heat – consider swapping for bell pepper or omit.
Omit cayenne if you do not like spicy food.

Keyword black bean, burrito bowl, mexican food, sweet potato

Family, Future

Embracing your Inner Amazon Woman

May 29, 2019 No Comments

OK. Full disclosure. When people used to tell me I was “like an Amazon woman” it hurt my feelings. I had this terrible vision of a bulky non-feminine, giant lady!… from the Amazon (in South America – you know, like where the Amazon river is…) Unbeknownst to me at the time that an Amazonian women were actually in reference to a Grecian matriarchal society, of strong, (mostly gorgeous) warrior women – i.e. Wonder Woman.

I’m 5’10”. I’m long. Proportionally, my arms and legs are “too long” for my torso. I’m lanky and awkward and uncoordinated. Dressing this body is rough, especially with regular shirts becoming crop tops and denim jeans that should brush the floor (thank goodness for ankle pants the last few years). Did you know there’s an ideal physiologic “attractiveness” hip:waist ratio of a women’s body? Well, my ratio doesn’t fit the bill. I’m V-shaped, and probably should have been a professional swimmer, but honestly I’m just not that competitive.

It took me YEARS to become comfortable with my shape and size. Honestly, there are still moments I am doubtful, especially when I want to wear cute new styles, that just don’t fit my body proportions quite right.

Here’s the thing, and I hope you’re reading this at a younger age rather than an older one–but the important part is that you’re reading it. LOVE yourself. It’s that simple. Own it. Learn to love you. Learn who YOU are. Be Yourself.

The message here, is to have faith in yourself in who you are, and what you want. Do you know who you are? Way deep down on the inside? I like to think I do (most days).

I can tell you about a distinct moment around the age of 21, that I realized that I was the only one fighting to make me happy. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up in a loving family, with parents still married who support me always. But I knew that I was going to have to pave my own way into the future.

It’s so important to captain your own ship, and I hope that you are able to find some empowerment in this! Be YOU. Love YOU. Until you love yourself, are you open to actually loving another? WAY existential – don’t answer that.

Back to tall girl problems….where this all started! Embrace the you that you have now, every day. If you’re not a big fan of her, change the things you don’t like. (Example – I’m currently weighing in at least 10 pounds heavier than I would prefer, so I’ve begun eating healthier & exercising regularly). Ultimately you have to live with yourself, and I hope so much that you know her & love her.

I would love to hear if this post inspired you in any way. I believe every woman has the gumption to become everything she wants to be!

Fashion & Beauty, Fashion & Style

Memorial Day BBQ // Casual Weekend Wear

May 29, 2019 No Comments

Hi Friends!, I wanted to to a very quick share of my Memorial Day outfit! I had a few questions about a couple of the pieces which are linked below.

I’m always in for a great, fashionable budget-buy, and was pretty pleased with the overall look of this! Great for a summer BBQ, or even a casual dinner out. It’s still a little chilly in Colo, or I’d have gone with some white denim shorts instead of the jeans! ha!

Just a heads up: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. As always, all opinions are entirely my own. Thanks for supporting me!

Top // White Denim (similar here) // White Denim Shorts // Sandals // Earrings (similar)
And thanks for ignoring my messy room…

Flora

Succulent Love? Yes!

May 28, 2019 No Comments

The top 5 reasons you will want to add some succulents to your life

Just a heads up: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. As always, all opinions are entirely my own. Thanks for supporting me!

About 2 years ago I was gifted a little succulent arrangement from a friend. Within a few months, it was overgrowing its original little pot. SO, at this point, I decided I needed to repot, and since my thumb was turning a little greener (after all, I’d kept the plant alive for THREE months!), I opted to hit up a nearby nursery to get a few more baby succulents to add to my collection. Then began the repotting game. Why I am I so obsessed with succulents? Keep reading to the top 5 reasons you should add some succulents to your life.

1. They’re resilient. Let’s face it, my history with keeping plants alive has not been great. Usually it’s because they require more maintenance than I’m able to *regularly* provide. What can I say? I have a busy social life…
So- back to succulents. They generally only require watering once or twice per week – EASY for someone who travels or isn’t home often. And I’ve occasionally gone a touch longer without watering, and they bounce back very quickly! If the leaves begin to become shriveled, it’s only taken about 12-24 hours for these little guys to bounce back with a good soak. 🙂

If you’re following me on Instagram, you may note that I have a rather -let’s call her *curious* pup. Well, she decided to eat half my succulents one lovely afternoon, and this poor guy suffered the consequences; however, even after knocking off all the leaves, the stem began to sprout new little plants!!

2. They are self-propagating. Essentially, you can make more tiny plants from the “mother” plants that you have. Some varieties will sprout chicks/babies from their root (aloes, hens & chicks), and others will begin to sprout roots from a leaf pulled cleanly from the mother plant. Inevitably I always seem to have some fallen leaves sprouting in my tiny kitchen-based gardening project. Keep in mind, if you plan to propagate a plant, this should be done seasonally to optimize the growth potential of your new little plant!

I don’t have the best lighting in my place, so some of my succulents have gotten a little leggy – in other words, stretched out so that they don’t maintain their pretty rosette form any more. This is the perfect time to propagate! I love having these around – not sure my husband would agree because my kitchen looks like a bit of a science experiment… ha!

…*TIP! Egg cartons are GREAT for propagating these little guys! (and easy to come by!)*

3. They make your house more home-y. Ok, ok, you could claim this about any living plant, but I’m biased. It makes me feel like my house is a lot more homey with some greenery. I love fresh cut flowers, but frankly a bouquet just doesn’t last as long! So, my preference is to go with these little succ-ers (see what I did there?) as my live greenery & have a seasonal bouquet of some gorgeous silk flowers that I keep on my kitchen table.

4. They make great gifts!! I pot them in small 2-3 inch pots like these, or these. I often gift the “chicks” that have sprouted from the mother plant, or the babies that have sprouted from the propagated leaves. I’m big on bringing hostess gifts when friends invite us for dinner – PERFECT option, and budget friendly . If this is an ongoing project you have, you’ll always have something nice to take. Like we’ve already addressed…. they require VERY little maintenance!

Note the mother plants in the larger arrangements – having more babies!! These are the 2-3″ pots (above). Don’t mind the spritzer bottle. Thats for the babes!

5. House plants have added health benefits. We all know that plants create oxygen, but did you know that having indoor plants also reduces stress? They purify the air, can improve your mood, and lower your risk for illness. And this is just me speculating, but there’s something to be said for having good mental health, so if indoor plants reduce stress and create a sense of calm, why the heck not?

Are you ready to add some succulents to your life?? Show me your indoor window garden? I’d love to see it!