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Knowing When It’s Worth It and a Whole30 Chicken Salad with Avocado Poppy Seed Dressing
Over the past few months, I have been trying to stop saying I am busy. I have probably always been somewhat aware of the extent to which "being busy" is often glorified in mainstream culture today, but have become increasingly convicted about this fact over time and also more cognizant of its ill effects. Besides, I acknowledge that "being busy" is relative and there are plenty of people the world over who actually are much more busy than I. All that to say, there are definitely seasons when my calendar is more richly scheduled than others and currently I am in the midst of one of those times. Thankfully, this time around…
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The Flex in the City September Studio Whole30 and a Salmon Summer Salad
September is the new January. And as shocking as it may be, we are almost there already. As the summer draws to a close, the vast majority of us resume our usual schedule and routine, often focusing our efforts on new or revised goals and resolutions. I've shared before how just how powerful the shift in season can be due to the phenomenon of "fresh starts." Research shows that when we experience a change in season (metaphorically or literally) we experience a psychological clean slate which provides a unique and important opportunity to make considerable changes to our health and habits with less concerted effort. And I personally feel that…
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For the Right Reasons and a Whole30 Shrimp Pomodoro Pasta
There's doing the right thing. And then there's doing the right thing for the right reasons. Lately, it seems that I am being reminded of this important fact everywhere I go. As I mentioned earlier this week, one of the benefits of reading fiction is that it allows us to see things from different perspectives - from that of the characters, their setting and situations, and also from a big picture. That, in combination with a powerful message last week at Grace Church, has prompted me to more closely
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How To Do Your Own Happiness Project and Whole30 Coconut Pistachio Crusted Chicken
As I am sure we have all experienced firsthand, being inspired to do something or thinking that a certain thing is worth doing can still be quite a distance from knowing exactly how to do it or getting started. Although I am full of good intentions, one constant struggle for me is taking the first step to get things moving. I am often paralyzed by the desire for perfection or afraid of making a mistake I’ll later regret, but I am continuing to learn that that it is often better to do it now and to get things going, rather than to get them perfect. And now that I described…
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Learn to Flourish: Why Do a Happiness Project and a Whole30 Broccoli “Cheese” Frittata
"However much we resist acknowledging it, we humans are not static. We're either on a positive trajectory or a negative one. Either we're growing in goodness, becoming more creative and resilient, or we're solidifying our bad habits, becoming more stagnant and rigid. [Our] life trajectory is leading [us] to languish or flourish…. People who flourish function at extraordinarily high levels - both psychologically and socially. They're not simply people who feel good. Flourishing goes beyond happiness, or satisfaction with life. True, people who flourish are happy. But that's not the half of it. Beyond feeling good,
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Conducting a Personal Mid Year Review With a Side of Whole30 Southwest Stuffed Avocados
Although I know firsthand that it requires a lot of extra effort on the part of the manager or supervisor, and that the feedback may not always be all that wonderful, I think I've always been someone who really enjoys regular performance reviews. For as long as I can remember, I've looked forward to report cards, parent-teacher conferences and both corporate/companywide and personal reviews on the job. It's nice to get a reality check or alternative perspective on what's going well and what can be improved upon. Far too often, I find for myself at least, that I can really beat myself up or minimize my successes and progress and…
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One Year of Barre Eat Repeat! Celebrating Milestones with a Paleo Spinach and Artichoke Pizza
Guess what?! Today is the one year anniversary of the launch of barreeatrepeat.com!! Last year, I resolved to have things up and running by the beginning of July, which was probably a bit overambitious (story of my life), so although I did post my very first entry on the first, I didn’t actually tell anyone about the blog until the 13th so that I could have more than just the one page up for viewing. Plus I was NERVOUS. This whole thing has been a big experiment in being more vulnerable. Writing the blog has provided me with an opportunity to share some personal confessions and has provided an open…
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Considering “What Went Well” and a Whole30 Blackened Tilapia with Cherry Salsa
If you are familiar with traditional applied psychology, therapy, or counseling, you may be aware of the fact that there are several different protocols, or interventions, which may be employed to reduce the patients' negative symptoms depending upon the presenting problem. Although Freudian psychoanalysis is not generally leveraged or deemed effective these days, many other forms of treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be effective at reducing symptoms of mood disorders such as depression or anxiety. However, throughout his practice, Dr. Martin Seligman, former president of the APA, founder of positive psychology, and someone whose research has had tremendous impact on my own life over the…
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Know Your Purpose + a Whole30 Strawberry Walnut Salad
It's important to know your purpose. This is true on a large scale of course, but I acknowledge that might be slightly too big a topic to cover right here and now. I mean it in a more temporal and specific kind of way which I was reminded of earlier this week. On her podcast, Happier, Gretchen Rubin and her sister Liz Craft discuss ways to live a happier, healthier, and more productive life. One of the things that I really appreciate about the podcast and Rubin's approach in general, is that she is very good at making the esoteric, transcendental, or very aspirational more practical and tangible. In this…
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Push Yourself! Taking on a Challenge Builds Self-Efficacy :: Whole30 Burgers with Sundried Tomato and Basil Artichoke Sauce
Today is a very exciting day because it marks Day 31 for the rockstars of my very first Flex in the City Studio Whole30! They did it! And I couldn't be more impressed or happier with how well so many of them did. They committed to the program, changing not only what was on their plate (which was hard!) but also they committed to changing their habits and their relationship with food (which is HARDER!). If you heard or saw the physical changes that they've experienced, you'd be pretty darn impressed. And when you consider the psychological side of what they have done, you'd be positively blown away. Yes, sticking…
