Straight Up About the Sug...and Living Honestly

Ok, So just to make things clear, I am giving up the hardcore stuff. I am not by any means giving up sugar in order to lose weight or be super skinny or anything like that. I am actually trying to find my health again. With a new baby, a wonderful college-age stepson, a full and part time job, a husband with a full and part time job, and 2 dogs, I picked up some pretty unhealthy habits. I stopped exercising, stopped grocery shopping and started living on sugar and protein bars. Giving up the white stuff will help me make better choices (I hope!!). The goal is to eat more whole foods that can nourish my bod instead of making it wrinkly, tired, inflamed, and riddled with cavities.

All the while, I have been telling my clients to do everything that I don't do and then I lecture them when they don't do it. Oh, I am far from "holier than thou" and I certainly hope I never made anyone feel otherwise. So this blog is hopefully going to help me call myself out on everything I call my clients out on!!

What do I always tell people that I am infamous for not doing myself??

SLEEP - the bambino eats every 90 minutes all night long.

Eat Healthy - I just pounded a hot cocoa with chocolate covered almonds for dinner.

Take Time for Yourself - I don't know if I have shut the door to pee since I had my babe. Peeing at work is actually exciting.

Make "Couple" Time a Priority - We haven't had a "date night" in over 7 months.

Exercise - I used to run every day, do yoga every day, and lift weights AND I loved it. I haven't done anything in 7 months.

Be Responsible for Your Health - Okay, this I am doing. I just went to the Dr. after a raging headache for the past 3 months and realized I had a terrible sinus infection - I am on the mend thanks to antibiotics, had an MRI for a suspected stress fracture, went to the dentist to replace the crown that fell out thanks to a starburst (5 months ago) - I got a cleaning too! I am going to the eye doctor in 2 weeks and I have a physical in a month.

So hooray, I am doing one thing that I tell everyone else to do. Let's see if I can get back on track. If I can, I hope you can if you are off track. Being on track is better for everyone. Really it is.

So, no more of the white stuff for me - I have eaten almost all that we have in the house and feel pretty yucky!! I won't however be a nut job about it. No white sugar. No overly processed foods. If I have honey in my tea (bee-friendly of course!) that is okay. If the 10th ingredient in my salad dressing is sugar that is okay too. I am just trying to get away from my sugar habit and replace it with cleaner eating habits. So here is looking at tomorrow, a step closer to better health!!

Take Care of Yourselves. Really!

And, if you are a South Shore person, check out http://www.sustainablebraintree.org/food

This is Braintree's fabulous farmer's market - they rock and they are going to have a CSA this year!!! I haven't decided if I will do the farm share - I did one last year and sadly wasted a great deal of kale because I had no idea what to do with it. We'll see - it is a great thing to do!!

New Blog, New Attitude

Okay, so this is my new blog - the old one The Stress Less Home seemed to have a funny effect on my life. Once I started it, my newborn got croup, conjunctivitis, adenovirus, some weird liver results, and needed to change daycare. I ended up with conjunctivitis, a URI (upper respiratory infection - cool slang!!), sinus infection, and more and more stress. My husband chugged along just fine which was super annoying to me. My stepson went to London by himself (kind of, it was a school sponsored trip but no parental figure was there) and he is turning 21 tomorrow. My job became helatiously stressful since I am in mental health and January and February in the Northeast honk in terms of well-being in the winter.

So I am off to a new start! The currently healthy (knock on wood) babe just started a new daycare with super nice teachers, my stepson is still turning 21 - I can't stop him from growing up so I have to learn to enjoy it, I do love my job despite the stress and without it I would have more stress, I have learned to accept my husband's laid back attitude (I am really just jealous that he can chill out and I can't), and it is mid-February which means us Bostonians are about halfway through winter which is not too bad.

So, what is this blog about? Instead of the artificial zen stuff I was trying to incorporate into my life and everyone else's in my old blog - this one is going to be the real thing. How do you deal when life keeps tossing stuff at you while you are down? There will be humor, there will be helpful tips, there will be honesty.

I do actually have a degree in mental health and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor so I do know a thing or two about a thing or two, but I am also human, and sometimes all the schooling and theory in the world just doesn't do the trick so you have to be creative.

One more thing I will post in this blog are some local reviews. Random right? Totally, but I have decided since watching Food Inc. - very interesting film, that I am going to do my best to support my local peeps and small businesses. So if you are a Bostonian, or even better - a Braintreeite, you will see reviews on places you can get to and support as well!!

Well, toodles for now, I have to go pump (more on the pleasantries of that later).

Hope your day is filled with dazzles and you aren't too frazzled!