bloom where you're planted
hi!!! it has been almost 2 months since my last treatment and i am finally starting to feel like myself again. most side effects have stopped, my port area has healed, my energy level is improving - life is good!
it most definitely was a long road getting here. everything changed for me when i received my diagnosis. the healthy lifestyle i thought i was living suddenly didn’t seem “healthy” enough, i really began questioning everything. during treatments i started to make small changes here and there as best i could… limiting my sugar intake, eating more protein… it’s just hard when you feel like absolute garbage! but now that i am through the worst of it, there are some new things that i have been incorporating into my daily routine that i want to share!
work it out. following the advice of my radiologist, i have started working out daily! he is a big advocate on keeping your heart healthy post radiation… working out daily can do this… not to mention it is just a smart decision overall, so i’m doing it! it was hard for me to decide what type of workout i wanted to do. i am NOT a runner… so that option was out…. going to the gym every day is next to impossible with kids… well for our schedule anyway. i had to find something that i could have fun with, that would make sense for my situation, and that i would see results from. i went with BBG (bikini body guide) by kayla itsines and let me tell you… it is serious business! i opted to do the printable version instead of the app for cost purposes… the convenience of the app would be more ideal, but i am working with low funds… so printables it is! dan & i wake up each morning at 5:45 (waaaahhh) - he goes to the basement for his workout and i do mine in our room which works for us. it was hard waking up the first few days (and continues to be challenging some mornings) but there’s something to be said about waking up early and starting the day with a work out! it’s a nice feeling.
shakes! i’m also back to my daily morning shake… for a while i would have a bagel, or leftover christmas candy or cookies… not very healthy choices… having the shake each morning changes everything!
my go to recipe has been:
12 oz of coconut water
1 scoop vanilla protein powder. i have been using this brand and really like it!
15 drops liquid chlorophyll - i know, sounds weird… but read the benefits!
1/2 banana
handful of spinach
1 tablespoon of Organic Cacao Powder
1 tablespoon chia seeds
and occasionally a spoonful of raw almond butter if i’m in the mood!
some other additional add in’s depending on the day would be cinnamon, strawberries or other mixed berries, etc.
it doesn’t look pretty… but it tastes really good. it normally will keep me full for a while also… which is appreciated because i am a snacker!! i make dan the same smoothie each morning but will leave out the cacao… he’s not a huge chocolate fan… but i am!!!!!!
morning pages. i am a religious follower of my girl lauryn on the skinny confidential. she is a blogger, has an amazing podcast and is legit goals in the health and wellness department! i strive to be on her level of self care but most definitely fall short in some areas. anyway - she mentioned how (and why) she does morning pages every day. basically, each morning you start your day by writing down the top 7 priorities you have that day… just 7 things you need to accomplish. i’ll also write down a quote i may have heard & liked…. a gripe i may have about something…. a quick to-do list… just a place to get my thoughts down on paper. sets up my intentions for the day and provides some clarity to my very jumbled mind. plus i love any excuse to buy a new pretty notebook!
be grateful. i also will write in my five minute journal after my morning pages. i.love.this.book!!!!!!!! i feel like there’s so much crap that happens throughout the day and sometimes it’s hard to remember the things you have in your life to be grateful for… and this book helps me do just that. there’s a place to write in the morning and then a place to write at night.. i love it! i actually purchased the book last spring and was using it a couple times per week (when i remembered) and stopped the day i found out about cancer. it was too hard for me to write down things i was grateful for when i was filled with so much frustration. looking back i’m a little angry at myself for not having a different perspective… maybe if i would have made it a point to find the good in that day it would have helped my overall spirits. but! i can’t change that now!
something on my list to try soon is meditation. i know there are some great apps to use that can help with that… but i am not at that point in my wellness journey yet… baby steps!
food and drink. i love wine. a lot. and even though i love it dearly, we have decided to limit our alcohol drinking to weekends only. of course certain occasions may occur where there’s a function midweek and i’ll make an exception… i’m not that rigid!!! but, for the most part it’s wine on the weekends only. it’s good not only for my body but for my wallet as well! i have always been a relatively healthy eater. i buy organic as much as i possibly can, i do not eat red meat and eat other animal protein sparingly. i try not to eat much sugar but have learned that i can’t deprive myself completely because then i am craving it and end up binge eating a bag of candy!! everything in moderation. i’m also trying my hardest to drink as much water as possible. my goal is 64oz per day… i don’t always get there but i do try. cute water bottles help.
I read a quote a couple weeks ago and it really stuck with me “in the blink of an eye it could all be taken away. be grateful always.” those words carry so much meaning in my life. life is short and precious and i don’t want to spend it worrying or stressed out. i am learning to take the good with the bad and am trying my hardest to not let trivial things [or people] get the best of me.
“i don’t have it all together but i’m working on me. i want to remain in a constant state of improvement. that’s my idea of the perfect journey.”
xo
