Happy Mother’s Day! I hope it it was filled with flowers, foot rubs, meals cooked, houses cleaned, diamonds dispensed. OK, now for the bad news. I’m long past it, but Menopause is a time of major hormonal, physical and psychological change for women. Although symptoms may vary, hey hey, there will be symptoms. You’re not nuts if you can’t sleep at night. Or you feel restless. Or hot. Unfortunately, post-menopausal women are less satisfied with their sleep, and as many as 6o% report insomnia symptoms. Including snoring. I always thought we could blame that on our husbands! So what’s a Big Girl to do?
Category: Health
My Fitness Journey, Part One
OK, first caveat. I am no expert on fitness. But I embrace being fit. I studied ballet from ages 5 to 13, then switched to modern dance in high school and college and years after. During that time, my Dad tried desperately to get me to fall in love with with tennis. I didn’t hate it, but the times didn’t stress girls in sports. OK, now I know! Fast forward to my marriage to a diehard jock and giving birth to three sons. Tennis, Football, Ice Hockey, Baseball, Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball…and that’s just Elementary school. (Don’t worry, art and music classes balanced out their activities!) High school added Sailing, Cross Country, Track, and even Ultimate Frisbeee. Vacations added Skiing and Snowboarding. It was a challenge to keep up with my uber active family. I think I’ve been doing pretty well all these years. And yes, I do kinda sorta play tennis. And ski. But to be honest, these days I find myself in a bit of in a rut. So this post is here and now. Let me know your thoughts and comments. Let’s see where we go!
Green Grain Bowl
OK, so full disclosure I did NOT invent this delicious salad. But one of my favorite JC restaurants, Hamilton Inn, did. I just became obsessed with it and had to come up with a way to make it my own. That meant substituting more calorie -friendly vinaigrette as opposed to Green Goddess dressing, as well as keeping a close eye on portion control. I promise you this is the perfect serving size for one. But this grain bowl salad is so delicious you may want to multiply the proportions and serve it at your next dinner party or brunch. And if you do, you have to let me know what everyone says! Most importantly, what you think!!
Hearty, Healthy, Heavenly Granola
If you know me, you know I’ve been a Smoothie for breakfast devotee for decades. My husband Chris on the other hand loves a varied menu of eggs, toast, cereal, fruit, juice, yogurt and…granola. We go through a lot of it. And since I don’t eat it, I often forget to stock up on it. That’s just what happened the other week. That misstep inspired me to take matters into my own hands. Literally. It helped that Cookie and Kate, one of my favorite online cooking sites, was featuring this Orange & Almond Granola recipe. It sounded delicious to me, but I knew Chris would not like the orange flavoring. And so my first batch of homemade granola was born! It was easy and fun to mix up. Best of all, it was a hit with the Hubs.
Give Thanks!
It’s not like me to step off the grid completely, even at our cabin, but this past week I did. I even stayed up there by myself with Bowie for two nights — a first! I thought about my family, my life today, and my intentions for tomorrow. No Black Friday shopping! Though I did happily do some some Shop Local Saturday shopping in Keene. I’m sure you’ve been bombarded by both other bloggers and company emails. I don’t think you need me adding to the din. If you did get some holiday shopping or decorating done, I say good for you.
Crunchy Chickpea Salad
In my continuing quest to come up with healthy lunchtime options, I decided to shop my pantry and fridge for inspiration. This salad combines some of my favorite things: chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans), Brussel sprouts, cucumber, radishes, red onion, and at the last minute…quinoa (not shown). I also added some leftover grilled chicken. Think this would make a nice, light side dish, especially for a grilled dinner. I made it in the morning for lunch later, but it was still fresh and delicious the day after, too. Calorie count? At about a cup and 1/4, 300 calories. With chicken, 420 calories.
6 Steps to a Better Night’s Sleep
Studies say that up to 61% of women who are postmenopausal experience frequent bouts of insomnia. For me, sleeplessness started sometime in my early 40s. It kind of goes in waves, depending on my stress level, late dining, too much wine, too much work, ummm…life. At its worst, I’ve gone up to two months without sleeping through the night. Yes, I know there are prescription drugs out there that can help, and I did speak with my internist about them. But in the end, I decided to go for a more holistic approach. I doubt I’ll ever be a “perfect sleeper,” but these 6 steps have helped me a lot. If you experience sleepless nights, I hope some or all of them will help you too!
ASIAN STYLE LUNCH BOWL
I’ve been really busy but doing most of my writing from home. Which also means I’ve been doing most of my “lunching” from home. While I have quite a few tried-and-true go-tos, there are days when I’m craving something new, different, unexpectedly delicious. And so, my Asian Style Lunch Bowl was born. The no-egg version weighs in at around 420 calories. With an egg, it’s around 500 calories.
Open for Lunch: Egg & Avo Sandwich
As much as I can obsess over fashion, I can also obsess over lunch. Especially on days where I’m home writing various projects. I was already serving this open-faced sandwich (to moi!), and my recent trip to Santa Fe only confirmed its deliciousness. It’s super easy and super fast to prepare. I promise you won’t be disappointed. And you’ll enjoy a power-packed lunch full of protein, fiber, no GMOs and super low on added sugar and fat.
Egg-cellent Lo Cal Lunch
As a freelance Creative Director/Writer I work both on and offsite and often find myself at home for lunch. It’s a lot easier on my wallet but also requires some creativity to keep calories in check, tastebuds satisfied. And this 250 calorie meal (yes!) is one of my good-for-you, good-to-eat go-tos. In all, it’s super easy to prepare and includes an open face sandwich, beverage and “dessert.” And yes, it keeps me going all afternoon long.