*note from Rachel: This is Kim’s last post here, she has a busy family and life and I’d ask that you keep her in your prayers as she moves on to all God has for her!

Photo by Kim Wilson

I love bins, bottles and jars! And I’ve recently been taking advantage of the use of all three in making my kitchen storage areas more efficient.

Photo by Kim Wilson

It all began with the freezer a couple of weeks ago. Now, keep in mind, this is the same fridge I’ve owned for over eight years and this idea hadn’t occurred to me until now. We don’t use an ice maker, but I’ve kept the bin that would catch the ice in the freezer and kept bags of bulk items (seeds, flours, etc.) in it.

Then the thought came to me- why don’t I add a couple of more bins to the freezer. I “stole” some from our toy area and was blown away by how it improved my freezer storage. All the frozen veggies stood up nicely in one bin. Frozen berries and bananas filled another bin. On and on until everything was sorted and easily accessible in their own bins. Then I took a look at the door shelves and thought that could use some sprucing up too. I poured seeds, flours and grains into quart jars and lined them up neatly on the shelf. Yay!– space-efficient, tidy and handy!

Photo by Kim Wilson

My pantry (metal shelving from a membership warehouse store) had started bothering me too. Assorted bags, of various sizes and shapes, cluttered the shelves. I had roughly sorted things into categories of foods (snacks, gluten-free flours, nuts and dried fruits, etc.) and had used some bins to do so  but I realized most of these items were things I regularly kept on hand and could warrant their own storage vessel. I started pouring poppy seeds into a cute little jar, cashews into a quart-size canning jar and raisins into a pint jar. I debated about adding labels, but realized that the jars on their own were attractive and self-explanatory. Hurray!– another storage problem solved.

I’ve found that storing items in this way has helped me to keep on top of inventory as well. When a jar is getting low, I know to add that item to my shopping list. When they were in assorted bags I wasn’t really aware of where things were at.

It seems with each transition to a new year I’m always keen to find new ways to organize in our home. The kitchen is a common target with these efforts. Different years I’ve focused on different areas.

Maybe you’ll find one or two you’d like to tackle this year!

Bulk Items and Baking Tools

General Storage, Cutting boards and Cooking utensils

I’d love to hear some of your kitchen organization tips. I’m always looking for new inspiration!

The post Optimizing Kitchen Storage appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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Written by Kim, Contributing Writer

Chai has become quite a popular drink and I imagine that most of the readers here are quite familiar with it. In case you aren’t, however, chai is a traditional Indian beverage- essentially a spiced tea with lots of milk. The basic ingredients are black tea, a variety of spices, sweetener and lots of milk, of course.

Our family tries to avoid caffeine, so we enjoy a variety of herbal teas plus naturally caffeine-free teas like rooibos and honeybush, so I became interested in developing a black tea-free version of chai.

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As a side-note, I LOVE Rooibos tea. If you haven’t given it a try, you might want to do so. We began drinking it about 10 years ago and I almost immediately noticed that my dental health improved. I can only guess that the high mineral content and alkalinity of the tea has discouraged bacterial growth in my mouth. And, as a nice side benefit, a noticeable reduction of tartar on my teeth.

rooibos has a nice mellow flavor (never becomes bitter, no matter how long you may steep it) and it is naturally higher in antioxidants than even green tea.

Consequently, in the process of developing a chai blend of tea I decided to use rooibos as the base. To this I added a variety of Indian spices that are common components of chai tea (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, etc.). Chai traditionally contains black pepper but I chose to substitute cayenne pepper. This gives a “zip” similiar to black pepper, but contributes the health benefits of cayenne.

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Certainly feel free to adjust the recipe to your tastes. If you favor cinnamon and cloves, add more of these. If you want it even zippier, you can add more ginger and cayenne.

We simply steep it as tea on its own (no sweetener or milk) but I’m sure it would be even more fabulous with these additions.

Chai is a great option at this time of year since the spices incorporated are warming and whisper of holiday scents and treats. Brew up a cup and enjoy!

Warming Rooibos Chai Tea Blend

1/2 cup rooibos tea

3 Tbsp. cinnamon chips

2 Tbsp. dried cut ginger root

2 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/8-1/4 tsp. ground cayenne (or an equal or greater amount of red pepper flakes)

Combine all in a glass sealed jar. Mix well.

Add 1 1/2 tsp. to each cup of hot water. We use a tea ball to do so.

The Bulk Herb Store and Rose Mountain Herbs are great sources for bulk herbs, spices and teas.

The post Make Your Own Warming Rooibos Chai Tea Blend appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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Written by Kim, Contributing Writer

I turned 45 this month and I’m a bit perplexed that it has taken me this long to discover the most effective (and natural and healthful!) way to take care of my hair. I literally feel like I have the healthiest hair of my life right now.

Why bother with a healthy approach to hair care?

• There are many concerning chemicals in common hair care products (sitting on your scalp, being absorbed into your head and bloodstream, oh my. . .)
• Traditional shampoos strip your hair and scalp of their natural, beneficial oilsThey are designed to make you dependent upon their products (strip with the shampoo, make manageable with the conditioner, on and on . . .)
• Your hair will stay cleaner longer between washings.
• The natural ingredients we use work with the design of our hair (relaxes scales/cuticles so your hair is more silky and manageable and encourages a healthy pH on the scalp and hair)
• Common hair problems (dandruff, dry hair, oily hair) can resolve naturally
• Your hair will naturally feel and smell nicer
• You’ll save tons of money on hair care products!

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It’s personally been a long journey to “natural hair care heaven” because it actually began about 15 years ago. At that time I became concerned with the chemicals in common hair care products and transitioned away from commercial brands to natural brands. A few years later we moved to Alabama and I moved away from shampoo entirely to using baking soda to clean my hair and scalp.

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 I’d simply wet my hair and then sprinkle some baking soda into my hand and work it into my hair and scalp, particularly along the hairline. Occasionally I would use a vinegar rinse (1 part vinegar, 2 parts water) to “condition” my hair. I didn’t fully understand how it worked (something about adjusting the pH of the hair) but I knew it made a big difference in how tangle-free my hair was.

This all worked fine, but my hair seemed a bit dry and unruly. I tended to keep my hair relatively short, so it wasn’t too much of a problem, but when I wore my hair longer I noticed the texture of my hair wasn’t as nice.

Over this past year I’ve read a number of articles online that have encouraged me to “tweak” my process a bit. I now mix my baking soda in a handy squirt bottle (I use one that I picked up at a college book store that a pottery student would use, but a cheap set of picnic mustard/ketchup bottles would do the trick too, or any other bottle with a small squirt top). I add about one tablespoon of baking soda per cup of water to the bottle and shake till mixed. This sits on a shelf in the shower just as a bottle of shampoo would.

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After I wet my hair I simply squirt a bit of this mixture along the hair line and onto the scalp. I can then massage it in. Now, this is entirely a different concept and experience from shampooing. Don’t expect bubbles or lather. You are simply cleaning your scalp. A clean, healthy scalp produces clean, healthy hair.

After rinsing thoroughly, I take the cup into which I’ve put a few tablespoons of my homemade Conditioner/Detangler (recipe below) that I’ve set by the shower and then I add some nice warm shower water to it. I gently pour this over my hair, making sure to give the ends a good dose (I actually swish the tips of my hair in the mixture before I pour the last of it over my head). I allow this to set for at least one minute and then rinse. You won’t believe how soft and manageable your hair will feel. It will brush out easily and have nice texture. I repeat this baking soda and conditioner routine each time I shower.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Expect a transition when you start “detoxing” your hair of the chemicals and hair products you’ve been using over the years. There is an accumulation of chemical residue on your hair and the baking soda treatment will begin to strip this away, but your hair will potentially go through a “straw-like” phase before it becomes silky clean. (It will feel nicer than it’s ever felt! Residue-free. It’s kind of like when you give up soap for bathing- yes, we don’t use soap either!. When you touch soap again, the residue feeling just doesn’t feel clean). You’ve just got to persevere and push through it this cleansing phase for your hair. The length of this stage may also be lessened with the use of the conditioner. I don’t know because I didn’t have this when I made the transition.

Natural Conditioner and Detangler Recipe

This is not a precise “recipe”, so adjust as you’d like

What to do:

Into a bottle, jar, etc. (I simply use a Trader Joe’s ketchup bottle, nothing glamorous, for sure, but it does the job) add:

• ½ cup raw apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup aloe vera gel
• ½ cup water
• 6-8 drops of essential oil of choice

**I usually opt for tea tree oil, but lavender and other botanicals are nice. You can research online what oils would be complimentary for your hair needs. Adrienne of Whole New Mom has some great suggestions on this post– one of several that inspired some changes in my routine.

Shake well to mix.

Before each shower, add about 2-3 Tbsp. (You don’t need to bother measuring this, it’s just an estimate) of the mixture to a 12 oz. cup. During the shower you will add additional warm shower water to it before pouring over your hair.

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NOTE: Some people may be concerned about the vinegar smell. Most of it rinses out and what is left disappears as your hair dries. I’ve never noticed (or been told) that the vinegar smell lingers at all.

TIP: DO NOT shave before using this conditioner! Any little nick will burn with the application of the vinegar mixture. Consider shaving after rinsing the conditioner from your hair.

Recommendation for an occasional deep conditioning treatment:

On occasion I will give my hair an extra special oil treatment. I’ve used straight coconut oil (works okay but doesn’t rinse out as nicely) but I prefer the Invigorating Hair Oil made by Mountain Rose Herbs (a company that is a great source for all kinds of herbs, spices, teas and natural care items- definitely worth checking out!).

You only use 5-6 drops per treatment and I only use it once every couple of months, so this tiny little bottle will probably last me for years.

They also have a great natural conditioning/detangler spray my daughter loves.

What do you do to keep your hair healthy? If you use a product, which one?

The post A Healthy Approach to Hair Care {with a Natural Conditioner and Detangler Recipe} appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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Jenn’s recent post on balancing motherhood and other priorities confirmed my idea to share this allegorical story I wrote a year or so ago. Please read it through to learn “the moral of the story”, a poignant message for we modern wives and mothers.

Early in my life, I was introduced to an old family friend.  In fact I can’t remember a time when Sophie wasn’t part of our family.  She was quiet and patient, but always ready with the right word at the right time.

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My folks sought to visit with Sophie in all kinds of circumstances, particularly when they needed direction or counsel. When discouraged about their financial situation, she had a word of encouragement.  When unsure of how to parent us children, Sophie had just the right advice.

But she didn’t just offer guidance for older people; she had great stories for children too!  And she seemed to have an endless supply of them, as most old people do.  She told stories of romance, family squabbles, war, intrigue, murder and even supernatural happenings.  We were captivated by her stories and asked to hear them over and over.

When I was young, Sophie’s stories stuck with me and helped me understand about life and the world around me.   As I grew older I also began to seek out Sophie’s wisdom and advice on living.  It seemed no matter what I came up against in life, she had a story or word of direction or encouragement that helped me on my way.

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I particularly remember in college (when life can get a little more challenging) feeling a little self-conscious about being seen with her (I didn’t see classmates hanging out with their older friends- maybe they didn’t even have one- so I felt a little self-conscious when I spent time with her on campus).  But as she had never failed me in the past, I still sought her out as needs arose.

Sadly, I didn’t spend as much time visiting with her on a regular basis (school was  pretty consuming) and I didn’t request her stories as much (not that I was too old for them or suddenly found them uninteresting). I just didn’t have as much time for stories.

During those college years I made a new significant life-long friend who was quite different from Sophie.  Linnea was up on all the current issues and trends and seemed to know the answer to just about any question.  She was exceptionally popular.  It seemed like everyone on campus was friends with her.

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She was so easy to spend time with- the hours would pass by so quickly.  Whatever I was in the mood for- studying, chatting, shopping, exploring, or just hanging out and watching a movie- she was always up for any option.  A lot of people got together and played games with her.  I never did that much, since I was so busy with my schoolwork, but I heard it was lots of fun.

As I moved on from college to career and then career to married life, these two friends persisted in my life.  It seemed when things were going smoothly I’d spend more time with Linnea but when things proved more trying, I would call upon our old reliable family friend.

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When I began having children I found I didn’t have enough free time (or energy!) for all the fun escapades I’d had Linnea, but the long extended times spent rocking, feeding and tending to the young children allowed me many long extended visits with Sophia.  Each visit encouraged me in my role as a wife and mother and brightened my days.  She always had a way of putting life into perspective and affirmed the investment I was making of my life into my family.

I wanted to spend more time with Linnea, yet there just weren’t the same time freedoms during this season of my life.  But, as the kids got a little older, I found I had bit more time available for she and I to go on little shopping outings and catch up on what was going on in the broader world.  Sometimes she’d want to share about stuff that I really didn’t care about (or didn’t even want to know about), but I’d just steer the interaction back to something I was more comfortable with.   She was always very accommodating to my interests.

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As the kids continued growing, Linnea introduced me to even more things that we could do together.  We began exploring new areas of interest. We tried some crazy fad diet plans, started reconnecting with old friends and classmates and even started a business endeavor that seemed designed for stay-at-home moms.

At the same time that I found my young friend enriching and expanding my life, I found time with my old friend getting less frequent and even put-off.  Sophie was still available but, sad to say, I was giving our relationship low priority. I knew she’d always be there and whatever Linnea and I had going on at the time just seem more immediate and pressing.

Of course, through the years, my children had gotten used to me spending time with Sophie and Linnea.  They had always enjoyed hearing Sophie’s stories, but began to get bored and antsy when I spent time with Linnea.

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Soon, though, she had offspring of her own that were more than ready and available to occupy my kids so we could spend more time together.  This was really handy at the outset.  It allowed many nice extended, uninterrupted times with Linnea.  In time, however, my kids wanted to do nothing more than play with her kids.  They also enjoyed going on adventures, shopping and catching up on modern life with these new friends.  It was all pretty innocent at first, but when her kids started playing rough games with my kids I started getting concerned.

In time, I actually felt like I was in competition with Linnea’s kids.  I started setting limits on how much time they could spend together.  All the while I continued to spend as much time as I could with Linnea.  She proved to be a treasure- an endless source of great travel ideas, super recipes, handy shopping tips and, of course, we had our business.  I could always justify spending a little more time with her each day.

Sophie began leaving messages to get reconnected, and I really wanted to, but everything I was pursuing with Linnea seemed, at least temporarily, to take precedence.  I trusted that Sophie would always be there for me, so I put her off to what I figured would be a less busy time in the future.   But my kids also started to show signs of neglect and I knew for their best I needed to spend less time with Linnea.

Knowing it, however, didn’t translate to any change in my behavior.  Even as my conscience nagged me, reminding me that the time I set aside to spend with her meant time apart from my family and other significant friends, I found the draw to her was too great.  She was just so easy to get together with; she was always available and always accommodating to my needs and interests.

I could call her up at any time to get a quick answer to a question or check in on how things were going with some mutual friends.  I found myself checking in with her anytime I passed by her place.  I would stop by just to see if she had any new news.  I’d fully intend to just spend 5-10 minutes with her but, before I knew it, we’d have spent an hour running off on endless bunny-trails.

There were evenings we stayed up way too late exploring a new area of interest.  Sometimes I even cancelled a scheduled visit with Sophie the morning after I’d spent a late night with Linnea.  Sadly, on too many occasions, my family reaped the consequences of poor mood and attitude when a late night with Linnea meant a missed visit with Sophie.

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I knew things couldn’t continue with Linnea as they had, but I had no desire to break things off with her entirely.  There wasn’t anything unwholesome about our relationship, it had just become out of balance.  But I felt lost to consider how to bring it into balance and felt I was struggling with having right priorities on a daily basis.

My nagging conscience and lack of insight finally spurred me to consider the obvious- seek out the friend who had always helped me through tough decisions and hard times.  Maybe it should have seemed obvious to consult with Sophie about this situation, but I had kept these two worlds pretty separate.

Sophie of course, was ready, willing and more than able to give me the direction and insight I needed to keep this relationship more in balance.  She had just the words of encouragement to spur me on in a more wholesome, balanced relationship with Linnea.

Sophie/Sophia (Greek for wisdom), of course, is the source of all wisdom (God’s own word) and by seeking God’s direction in any problem in our lives, including possibly spending too much time with our electronic friends and gadgets online (Linnea), we can learn His best wisdom for our lives.  We live in a day and time where it is all too natural to be a “Martha” (homeschooling, maintaining a blog and perhaps a home business), yet we all know that “only one thing is needed.” Let’s seek the Lord in how to live in a way that is fully pleasing to Him.

“A discerning man keeps wisdom in view, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.” Proverbs 17:24

How have you worked out a balance of home/family life with the use of tools like the computer, internet, email, blogging, etc. in a way that is glorifying to God and honoring to your family?  

The post Time with Friends {A Personal Story} appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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Written by Kim, Contributing Writer

If we’re honest with ourselves, SAD eating (eating the Standard American Diet of refined, processed, convenience foods) can be pretty easy and comfortable. Healthy eating, in contrast, can seem pretty overwhelming. Planning for three meals a day, from scratch, plus snacks, everyday! How’s a mom to manage it?!

I encourage people to break it down. First of all, most families (healthy eaters or not) tend to stick to a limited number of recipes that they use over and over.  Family favorites seem to form the base of a menu with occasional special-occasion dishes and new recipes rounding it out.  Many people settle into a routine with breakfast- perhaps 2-5 different breakfasts repeated over and over.  Lunch also tends to translate into another 3-5 options.

Dinner, the main attraction, usually has a little more variation.  But, surprising to most, the average family has just 7-12 different dinner menus that they cycle through repeatedly.  So, if you consider that you just need to find 7-12 great wholesome dinners to settle into as your new healthy dinner standards, it just doesn’t seem quite as intimidating, does it?!

Create a recipe shelf or binder

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One of the best tips I can share is to intentionally collect all your new wholesome recipe staple recipes into one location. “Back to School” season is a fun and motivating time to start something new like this (and it gives us another excuse to head to the store for more fun “back to school” supplies!).

Choose a special binder (for full page print-outs of recipes) or a photo album (where each spot is perfectly sized for recipe/index cards). The key is to intentionally put all the recipes you want to regularly include in your improved diet in this collection spot.

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Let’s say you like a recipe a friend prepared.  You can easily copy it down and slip it in a sleeve.  Or maybe you’ve clipped a recipe from a magazine or printed one out from the internet, tried it and liked it- then just slip it into another slot.  Or maybe you like a recipe that you prepared from a cookbook but you don’t want to take the time to copy the recipe onto a card.

Still be sure to add the recipe name, source and page number to an index card and slip it in or, better yet, photocopy the recipe and add it to your book.  It’s all too easy to prepare a great dish, put the cookbook back up on the shelf and forget about it.  This way, though, you’ve got a great reminder of another tasty dish you can prepare.  This binder/album becomes a handy collection place for successful wholesome recipes.

You might find it beneficial to break the binder/album into sections- breakfast, lunch, salad, entrees, desserts, special occasion dishes, etc.  This single collection spot allows you to keep all your new “healthy lifestyle” recipes at your fingertips and you’ll find it encouraging as your options for healthy meals grow in number before your eyes.

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It is really important to write down all your successful recipes no matter how simple they may seem, because if you don’t have a written record of it, it will too likely become a lost memory.  Even something as simple as “grind up flax seed as a smoothie topping” or “puree cored apples in blender with a little cinnamon to make raw applesauce” or simple directions for preparing a common dish like hot oatmeal.

A lot of times it is the simple dishes that we thoroughly enjoy, but if we don’t write them down, we often forget to repeat them.  Even something as simple as “steamed sliced carrots make a great side dish” or a list of the components of a tasty snack mix would be lost if not written down.  I guess, to sum it up, what I’m trying to say is, “WRITE IT DOWN!”

Since we all have different organization and operational styles, not one system works for all in terms of menu-planning. My ebook, Good and Easy Eats, comes with a few bonuses including step-by-step instructions for two different menu planning systems I’ve developed. You’ll probably be able to quickly determine for yourself which system would be a good match for you and your family. Both systems only require a stack of sticky notes or index cards to develop.

One involves developing a regular repeatable monthly menu. The benefits of this plan is that it doesn’t require any weekly planning- you just keep with the plan. The downside is that it can be less flexible and adaptable.

The other system involves using set dinner themes. After you develop recipe categories for each evening of the week you choose meals from each category that fit with items on hand or purchased. For this reason, it is a very flexible and adaptable plan, but on the downside it does require a small amount of weekly planning.

I hope you might take advantage of the special I’m offering on my Good and Easy Eats ebook (a collection of over 70 simple, family-pleasing wholesome recipes) and get the menu planning system bonus in addition to a free wholesome eating podcast and smoothie tutorial video. All for just $3.99!

And now… a GIVEAWAY!

Enter this giveaway! If you win, you will get Good and Easy eats an ebook (note: an ebook, not a printed book).  There will be 3 Winners!

Just use form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What’s your favorite food to make homemade?

The post Simplifying Meal Planning For the New School Year {and a Giveaway!} appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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Written by Kim, Contributing Writer

You may have in mind a whole list of wonderful healthful habits you’d like to incorporate into your lifestyle. We all know, however, that the steps between good intentions and practical application can seem arduously uphill.

I always encourage folks to start with small, “do-able” goals. For instance, if you’re new to healthy eating, you might simply strive to choose a fruit over an otherwise poor snack selection. Or maybe you want to eat salads regularly. These both may seem like “do-able” goals, but without the practical preparation, even these small goals won’t be met.

For instance, it’s not enough to rid your shelves of less-than-ideal foods. You need to intentionally stock your pantry and refrigerator with great options. So if you want to make healthy snack selections, be sure to have your fruit bowl and cupboard stocked with attractive, easy-to-grab options for you and your family.

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And if you want to eat salads on a daily basis, there are simple steps to encourage this along as well. Having pre-washed lettuce on hand (whether store-bought or hand-washed by you) is probably the biggest help. If you haven’t invested in a salad spinner yet, you’ll find this to be a handy tool for expediting this process. Be sure to have some basic salad toppings (tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, etc.) always on hand and then “mix things up a bit” by offering other toppings (dried fruit, nuts, toasted seeds, chickpeas or kidney beans) on a regular basis.

I sometimes keep a little bin of salad toppers in the refrigerator that automatically comes out with our salad course (seeds, nuts, oils, sprinkles, dressing, etc.) so everyone can further customize their salads. You don’t want your family to become bored with the “same old” green salad.

Keeping salad prep simple increases the chances of it becoming a regular part of your diet. We all know it’s all too easy to drop the salad from our meal plan when time gets tight or energy gets low.

Click here for an excerpt from my Everyday Wholesome Eating book for more tips on simplifying salad preparation.

And don’t forget that a great dressing can really make a salad. There are more healthful options in grocery stores now than there were years ago, but it’s always best if you can prepare your own salad dressings. I find I don’t need to be shy applying dressing when I’ve made it myself because I know it’s full of good stuff!

Many dressings are super simple (like my Italian Dressing, just combine and shake!) and some require only a little more preparation (like my Ranch Dressing made from sunflower seeds!), still ready in under 5 minutes. You can find other dressings in my cookbooks that are quick, easy and far cheaper and healthier than store-bought!

I hope one or more of these suggestions help you along with some of your first baby steps towards better health!

What other steps do you think we can take towards better health?

The post Baby Steps towards Better Health (plus salad tips!) appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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But before I get on to sharing the wonderful wholesome alternatives to common barbecue fare, let me share a bit about how we may be tempted to alter some of our social interactions based on our new eating style, but how we really shouldn’t. 

 

Try a bun-less burger with grilled veggies at a BBQ

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Hopefully this has encouraged you to share information where it is desired and to refrain from shoving diet stuff down someone else’s throat.  If you’ve possibly already offended someone, it’s quite simple to say, “I realize I’ve probably come across a little strong about this diet stuff recently.  It’s just that I’m so excited about the difference I see it’s making for me, but I’m learning that I shouldn’t be so pushy about sharing it with others.  Will you forgive me?” or something like that.  Remember, maintaining good relationships is a part of your health equation because it is God’s best for you.   

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When information is shared from a personal experience standpoint, it is more well-received than from a “you should” preaching stance.  (Think about how this rings true with the gospel- People are drawn to how you are different.  They ask “Why?”  You share how God has changed your life.  They get to hear the gospel from a first-hand experience, instead of being beaten with “Repent . . . or die!”). 

When we teach or preach instead of sharing, people usually feel defensive or guilty because we’re bringing to their attention that they have a personal responsibility for their health.  By keeping it personal, you stay focused on yourself, not on them and what they should be doing.  This gives them the space and freedom to silently consider to themselves if this might work for them also.  Stating that, “I’ve found that my body doesn’t deal well with _____” gives them the space and time for them to consider if that might be true for them as well. 

If your problem isn’t in trying to convert people to healthy eating, but in avoiding any uncomfortable interactions about your new dietary choices, I encourage you to take a look at the wonderful, wholesome items below that you could bring along to a barbeque. Bringing incredibly tasty and broad appeal items not only gives you great options, but might be the first introduction some people have had to the idea that healthy eating can actually be enjoyable! 

Here are some great healthy BBQ options 

• Gluten-free and Soy-free Bean Burgers 
• Grilled marinated portabellas as burger alternatives. Great on a bun with all the traditional toppings! 
• Super Easy Baked Beans (also, a “from-scratch” recipe can be found in my ebook, Good and Easy Eats) 
• Barbeque Sauce 
• Grilled veggies– slice and marinate (or brush with oil) yellow squash, zucchini, onion, asparagus, eggplant, bell peppers, halved tomatoes, even pineapple! Then grill for a few minutes on each side. Easy and delicious! 
• Corn on the cob– in the husk. Wrap the whole unhusked cob in foil. Grill for at least 10 minutes. Allow to cool before unwrapping and unhusking. YUM! 
• Veggie Shish Kabob– described in my Everyday Wholesome Eating recipe book 
• Potato Salad 
• Cole Slaw 
• Black Bean and Quinoa Salad (a great contribution to a potluck- everyone loves this one!) 
• Need a dessert contribution? How about Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler! 

What’s the best way to talk to others about Healthy Eating when they’re not on board?

 

The post Having the Right Attitude about Healthy Eating { And Healthy BBQ Options} appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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The post Isn’t Exercise An Optional Activity? appeared first on Day2Day Joys.

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