Feel Good Effect Q&A: Meals, Mindset, Movement
We’re diving into all things mindset, meals, and movement.
Feel Good Effect Q&A: Meals, Mindset, Movement
In this episode, I’m answering your questions about how to get out of the driving mindset and love where you’re at, how to eat for your individualized wellness, and how to find movement that you love, even if you’re recovering from an injury
We’ve got a big Feel Good Effect Q & A coming at you, answering all of your questions on meals, mindset, movement (and a few personal details).
Mindset
Q: How do I step above the all or nothing mentality and do this without guilt?
A huge part of my book (coming out next year!) is about moving out of the driving mindset and into the feel-good mindset.
Without giving away too much, I have a quick and easy strategy out of all or nothing thinking.
First of all, know that that is a completely normal part of human cognition.
It’s not that you’re doing something wrong or aren’t motivated enough, it’s actually how our brains evolved.
It’s normal, but it can also keep us stuck in the loop of feeling burned out.
My quick strategy is to simply ask yourself, “is there a third option?”, to help you see the grey when everything looks black and white.
Another thing you can try is the two out of three rule by focusing on the next two things you can do.
Guilt is really perfectionism in disguise, thinking that we can do it all and do it perfectly.
I encourage you to practice self-compassion, knowing that to be human is to make mistakes.
When mistakes happen, treat yourself with kindness.
Q: How do you handle being an introvert? Do you have mindset tips to conquer sharing on Instagram? How did you get over sharing? Is it still scary? And have you always been comfortable on social media?
First of all, it took me a long time to understand myself in that way.
It’s surprising to me how long it took me to understand that I was an introvert, and the way I think about it is: do you get your energy from being alone or from being around other people?
Something to consider in your own life: Where do you get your energy? Where is that working and where is it conflicting?
Use self-knowledge to your advantage.
Secondly, I have not always been comfortable on social media.
Part of it is just practice, and showing up and doing it, even when you’re not good.
In the beginning, I did a lot of recording and deleting.
“Practice self-kindness and know that it’s going to be messy at first.”
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Tactical tip 1: I schedule social media because it’s not something I necessarily love doing.
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Tactical tip 2: I batch it to help with energy management. I’ll record a whole bunch of video (and a lot of podcasts) at once and then schedule them out.
Keep in mind why you’re doing it.
For me, it’s connecting with you, changing the conversation about what it really means to be healthy, that you feel seen and heard and know there’s a different way to wellness.
If you can hone into that purpose, it becomes less about you.
Meals
Q: What do you eat in a day?
There’s a variety of what I eat in a day, but these days I have it down to a system that I can share.
I use what I call “decision templates” to make my decisions around food ahead of time.
Breakfast: I usually have a green smoothie or a grain-free tortilla with an egg and greens.
Lunch: Almost always a protein salad with greens or frozen and defrosted soup with greens.
Learn more on freezing in mason jars here.
Dinner: Usually one of my slow cooker recipes from the blog, a sheet pan meal, or a bowl/taco.
I put together a whole program that is very reflective of what I eat in a day, because I got that request so often, and it’s called the Simplified Reset.
It’s make-ahead breakfast, lunch, dinner, and treats for 30-days with a grocery list and prep guides.
Q: Should you stay away from dairy and gluten if you have no issues with them?
If you’re first trying to switch the way you eat to a healthier way of eating, no.
I think the best place to start is with real food, meaning food in its most whole form, five ingredients or less, minimally processed with ingredients that you can pronounce.
That said, if you’re struggling with a health issue, and specifically, if you have an autoimmune disease, then I would say that gluten and dairy are things to consider.
If you’re eating real food and still not feeling great, a 30-day elimination is a great way to explore what works for your body.
Cutting them out completely may not be necessary for everybody, especially if you’ve tried a 30-day elimination without them and you feel fine.
There are plenty of real foods that have gluten and dairy in them.
Switching to real food, cooking at home, and adding more veggies is a great option for everybody.
Q: There is so much conflicting information out there. How is a person supposed to know who and what to trust when it comes to supplements?
If you are fueling yourself with a variety of real, whole foods, most people don’t necessarily need a bunch of supplements.
I also think that if you’re going to start adding supplements, you should be working with a medical doctor or a naturopath.
What is healthy for one person can actually be really damaging to someone else, so I’ve chosen not to give supplement advice.
If you can, I recommend getting a basic blood draw next time you see a doctor so get the basics of where you’re at.
Q: How do you know what you can and can’t freeze and for how long? Is there a general rule?
You can freeze pretty much anything, especially if it’s cooked.
Things you may not know you can freeze: cooked and drained pasta, cooked rice, cooked meatballs, cooked pancakes and waffles, casseroles, soups, stews, and chilis.
I also have a variety of raw meat individually frozen in 1lb packs, raw fish, frozen veggies, and frozen fruit.
The options are endless, and if you have leftover things if your fridge that you don’t want to waste and you think you’ll use in the next few months, put it in an airtight container, label it, and freeze it.
As a general rule, I would advise you to consult the FDA guidelines on food safety, but my rule of thumb: I freeze raw meat for up to four weeks and cooked items for about three months.
I make sure that whatever is going into the freezer is going in really super fresh, (cooled if it’s something cooked), sealed tightly, and labeled.
Q: Top healthy travel eating tips?
My favorite tip here is to decide ahead of time (create a decision template when you can).
Are you going to be on an airplane? For how long?
What options are you going to have for food? Will you be in all-day meetings that are food is brought in for?
If you don’t have a lot of control over what your days will look like, decide ahead of time: Am I going to bring something to eat? If so, what?
If you know you’ll be eating out, look at the menu ahead of time and decide what you’re going to eat.
Movement
Q: What is your current workout routine?
Normally, my routine is a lot of hiking, a ton of walking, and a lot of yoga.
Right now, I’m healing from a broken toe and none of those are working for me.
But this recovery period has given me a chance to reevaluate what works.
For me, getting to the gym, getting set up for class, and getting back home adds an extra hour, and I just don’t want to prioritize an hour of transition and travel in addition to the workout.
So I’ve been working to find a better home workout routine that works for my schedule and is efficient.
There are three things I’m doing right now:
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Online pilates 2-3 times a week
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Online barre
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Home spin and the Peloton app
Q: What do you do when coming back from an injury?
It totally depends on the injury, but there’s almost always something you can do.
Maybe you can spin, maybe you can swim, maybe you can do pilates
“There are often a lot of options between going all in or all out.”
Focus on what you can do, little things, a little at a time as you work your way back.
If it’s needed, though, rest and recovery can be as productive as any kind of movement.
Some personal questions:
How to simplify routines with kids in the morning: check out this episode.
How I do my messy top knot: check out my Instagram story highlights for a how-to
What kind and how I use dry shampoo: check out my Instagram highlights to see more on how I use Dry Shampoo
No hairdryer hair hacks: I use a wet brush after washing my hair, then again when it’s almost dry. Then I add dry shampoo after my hair dries.
Ask me your questions at hello@realfoodwholelife.com or on Instagram or Facebook.
Resources
How to Freeze Anything in a Mason Jar
The Simplified Reset
FDA Guidance & Regulation (Food and Dietary Supplements)
How to Radically Simplify Your Morning Routine
Real Food Whole Life on Instagram and Facebook
Show the Feel Good Effect Love
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