HEALTHY EATING ON THE GO

BY BERNADINE OTTO

How to fuel your body for better health and more energy even when you have a crazy busy schedule.

One of the biggest struggles that most people face today is a hectic schedule.

We’re so busy that it makes eating healthy a real challenge. Quick and convenient foods end up taking the place of healthy, nourishing food when we’re on the go, go, go all the time. These less-than-ideal food choices put us on the hamster wheel of experiencing low energy, weight gain, and potential health problems.

What if I told you it didn’t have to be this way? You don’t have to be a slave to your schedule and resort to fast food or processed foods on a regular basis.

It’s possible to eat healthy foods, even with a jampacked schedule. It just requires a little bit of preplanning to ensure success. You’ll feel better, have more energy, and your waistline will thank you too.

When you start fueling your body with healthier choices, you’ll probably also find that you do have that 3 PM slump or need that afternoon caffeine boost. (These are a couple of added benefits many of my client's experience, and they’re always pleasantly surprised).

I’ve included a list of healthy snack ideas to get you started, so keep reading.

Eating healthy when You’re Not Home

There are plenty of circumstances that will take you away from home, and make it more challenging to eat healthy food. Take the time to plan ahead and you can relax knowing that you won’t be derailing your healthy living efforts by consuming empty calories that only make you hungry again a short time later.

Daily Errands and/or Kid’s Activities

Most of us spend several hours in our vehicles every week running errands, stuck in traffic, or shuttling kids back and forth between activities. If we don’t plan ahead, it is easy to fall into the trap of swinging through the closest drive-through when you (or your family) are hungry. Don’t wait until the point that you’re starving to make food choices, as this will almost always lead to bad decisions. Instead, plan ahead, so you don’t have to rely on your willpower alone to keep you on track. Pack easy-to-carry healthy snacks, and keep them in either your purse or your vehicle. This way you always have healthy choices right at your fingertips.

Road Trips

Just because you’re on vacation, doesn’t mean you should take a total hiatus from your health goals. You can still live a healthy lifestyle on road trips by packing healthy foods to eat in the car. You can pack a cooler to keep handy so you have easy access to snacks while on the road. If you’re planning on stopping at rest areas along the way, pack a nutritious picnic lunch to eat before you head back out on the next leg of your trip.

Airports

Even though you can’t pack liquids in your carry-on bag, there are still plenty of options for what you can bring. You can pack wrapped whole food snack bars, nuts, seeds, or even pieces of fruit in your personal items bag. With a little creative planning, you can keep your nutrition on track, and save yourself a bundle of money you would have otherwise spent on pricey (and often unhealthy) airport food and snacks.

Foods That Are Easy to Pack

The following items are all easy to prepare, and convenient to take on the go. Feel free to experiment, and find out which snacks best fit your preference and lifestyle. Mix and match options to see what works for you. Be sure to keep any perishable foods in a cooler or use an ice pack.

Baby carrots and cucumber slices with hummus. Sliced or whole apples with nut butter or sun butter Clementine or mandarinoranges Grapes

Sliced or whole pears. Smoothie (if you plan to drink it within 30 mins or so), Nuts and raisins (you can make your own trail mix)

Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)and/or sunflower seeds. Whole Food Snack Bars (such as Larabar). Sandwiches or wraps

String cheese or cheese cubes, High quality beef jerky

Cut-up rotisserie chicken (keep cool with an ice pack). Hard boiled eggs

Make the Most of Technology

Almost everyone has a smartphone with them at any given time. You can use this readily available technology to your advantage. Keep your food choices healthy when you’re on the go by utilizing apps that make healthy living easier.

“Healthy Out” is a handy app to keep your nutrition on track when eating out. You can search by tags like meals under 500 calories, paleo, heart-healthy, and more. Download the app for iOS or Android to find restaurant meals that fit your needs. If anyone in your family is gluten-intolerant, it may be a challenge to find restaurants that serve gluten-free meals. You can use the app called “Find Me Gluten Free” to help find restaurants with gluten-free offerings in your vicinity.

Make Midweek Meals Easy

Just because you have had a busy day doesn’t mean you have to resort to fast food or processed foods for dinner. With a little forethought, you can make sure your family has healthy meals ready to go when you walk in the door. With the advent of Pinterest, you now have thousands of healthy crockpot meal ideas available for free. Do a quick search and see what recipes may interest you and your family. If you prep everything the night before, or even earlier in the morning, you can come home to a delicious home-cooked meal that is ready to serve.

TIME SAVER TIP: Batch cook and plan for leftovers. When you do have time to cook, simply double the recipe and set the extras aside to use later in the week on a particularly busy day. It takes very little extra effort to double the recipe, and you will reap the benefits of time savings later in the week.

Make Healthy Eating Strategies Work for You

Even with a busy schedule, you can still make sure that you are eating healthy, nutritious meals. By putting in a little bit of planning, you can ensure that you and your family enjoy healthy foods that support your lifestyle and your goals.

You can do this! Let me know if I can help.

Bernadine Otto is a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach & an EFT Practitioner and the Managing editor of The Live, Love and Eat Magazine. She helps women to make peace with food, cravings, and emotional eating by using a technique called The EFT Tapping Method for Weight Loss and Cravings. She also works with women who are tired of dieting, and women who have a negative body image. My approach is not to focus on calories or the scale but to find the root cause so my clients can have a happy, healthy life that they deserve. https://www.bernadineisthebodyshrink.com/

GRET A M . KEPH A RT

Personal trainer, health coach, fitness nutritionist, weight management specialist

'''I teach clients the importance of balance in everything. Weights and cardio, healthy meals and treat meals, high-intensity days, and rest days. My motto is “everything in moderation” to avoid boredom and binging''

You can learn more about Greta here:

E-mail: Gretbags2003@hotmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gretagoyh

How did you get started in your career? In What Year?

I got started after overcoming my own health struggles. I had gained 20lbs in stress weight, was dealing with mental health issues, had very little energy, and had poor sleep. I began using the products I now promote and joined the company to share my story and help others. I earned my certs between 2017-2021. Since then, I have been able to help many both online and in-person with their fitness and nutrition journeys.

Who or what has been your greatest professional inspiration and why?

My greatest professional inspiration would have to be my best friend, Vickie AKA “My Lobster” . She supported me through my darkest times and has always been a pillar of strength and grace. Vickie is someone who exemplifies hard work, dedication, and a “not going to give up” attitude. She has always encouraged me to learn and grow and be the best version of myself.

What advice would you offer to someone starting out in your industry?

The advice I always give is to stay present! Get loud and proud about what you do and share it! People are looking for professionals like us and aren’t always sure where to go. We need to put ourselves out there and show what we have to offer.

What professional challenges have you faced that have contributed to your overall success?

So many challenges! I have gone through a divorce, financial hardship, legal battles, all of which made me better equipped to handle struggle. I overcame these by staying focused on my “why” and not getting distracted by the things that could derail me.

Are there any specific contributions, you have made in your field which contributed to your success? (i.e. inventions/patents. Books authored or co-authored, etc.)

My biggest contribution to this field is sharing my knowledge and ensuring people know I’m available to assist them. That’s what most people are looking for today; someone to hear them and offer a solution.

What do you do in your free time (volunteer, work, hobbies, etc.)

My free time includes reading, exercising, travel, time spent with Cosmo, and sharing the opportunity with my company.

What would you like readers to know about you and why?

Things about me: I LOVE sharks and am a huge advocate for them, especially with regards to the shark finning trade. I love music in all forms, Motown being my favorite genre! Weight training is my niche in this space and I feel it’s so important to break the stigma of females lifting weights.

What is your favorite quote and why?

“If you're serious about changing your life, you'll find a way. If you're not, you'll find an excuse.

” ― Jen Sincero.

This quote is from my favorite author. When I read “You Are a Bad-Ass” , it lit me up inside. I believe this quote is the epitome of what choices can do for us and how we need to really step outside the comfort zone to see real growth.

What 3 tips will you give someone who is struggling to live healthy?

What kind of legacy would you like to leave the world?

Get a coach! Find someone who is credible in the field. Seek out those who have had success and kept it. Don’t focus on the scale; focus on how you’re feeling; the goal is sustainability and lifestyle change.

I want to leave this world knowing I worked myself out of a job; meaning I armed my clients with enough knowledge, confidence, and attitude that they can carry through life.

What is your preferred method of training?

I teach clients the importance of balance in everything. Weights and cardio, healthy meals and treat meals, high-intensity days, and rest days. My motto is “everything in moderation” to avoid boredom and binging.

What is your most rewarding experience thus far in the field?

Any time a client hits a personal best is the best thing a trainer can experience! Seeing our clients achieve something they never thought they could is the most uplifting feeling. Clients spend their money and time with us and when a return is given on that investment, it’s really something to see!

ONE ENERGETIC CHANGE TO ATTRACT MORE MONEY

B Y S H E R R Y P A R K S

My sister and I were born 13 months apart and often mistaken for twins. As we were growing up, it seemed like there were always two of most things. If one got something, then the other likely got one too. New dresses, new dolls, new shoes, etc. Our mom was pretty careful to make sure we had the same thing or equivalent.

There were a few things that my sister had different than me though. One of these was a little baby doll that she got before I was born. This baby had a super soft body made of stuffing and cloth, and a molded plastic head.

I wanted a baby doll just like it for myself. At first, I just asked for one. But Mom would explain that she couldn’t get me one. Things weren’t like they are now, where you can find things online. As the years went by, I began to covet my sister’s and really wanted to take it from her.

My sister would sometimes let me play with her, but mostly, she kept her for herself. I tried to get my sister to give her to me, but she wouldn’t.

I remember one day, in particular, I wanted her so bad and my envy got the better of me. I grabbed her head and my sister held tight to her body. I yanked so hard trying to get her for myself that I pulled her head right off her body.

Luckily for us, my mom was a seamstress and she was able to reattach her head. Not as good as new, but as close as she could make it.

After that, my sister wouldn't let me play with the doll at all. In fact, she became very protective and possessive of the doll.

HAS IS ENV SOMEONE EL WANTING WH REMIND YOU TH

Another thing that my sister had this little metal bank that secured on the bottom with a key. She won it playing bingo of all things!

Boy let me tell you that I had MAJOR bank envy. I remember eyeing that thing and wanting to hold it and try out the key. It just seemed not only exotic and special, but more secure than anything I had. I’ve loved stashing money in secret hiding places as long as I can remember and this bank was PERFECT for that. I remember begging her to trade with me for one of my treasures. But she never would. No matter how much I begged and pleaded with her, she wouldn't give it up.

To me, that bank was the gold standard for saving money. And I wanted one badly. I remember asking my mom where I could get one too. I was even willing to give up some cash for it, but it was another thing that my mom just couldn’t find for me.

STORY IS

SHARING TH THE REASON I

And envy just doesn’t create the right energy to attract what we want.

It’s like when you compare yourself with someone you see on social media. You often find that you don’t measure up to some perceived standard. That leads you to feel less than. It leads you to feel discouraged and often creates strife in your life.

It works the same with money. If we envy the money and success that someone else has or perceive them to have, you are putting the focus outside yourself. You lose sight of things you can control and that gives away your personal power.

It also creates repellent energy rather than attractive energy. And that for sure doesn’t get us what we want.

Hey, I get it. We are all just humans here. It’s easy to fall into a pattern of envying others. Here are a few tools to help you shift that feeling and to start creating the right energy for more money.

Be happy for others

No, really. Being happy for other people can shift your own mood into a more positive place. Just by taking the thought off of “I want” and switching to “yay you” , can diffuse a bit of the feeling of envy. You take the focus off of wishing you have what they do and put it on gratitude that they have it. Test it out and see.

The next time someone buys the new car that you want – tell them you love it and are so happy for them. Or at the very least, tell yourself you are happy for them. The next time you find yourself wishing you are making as much money as someone you know or see online – congratulate them. Tell them you are happy about their success. And if it feels fake, that’s okay. Just keep practicing it until you feel it.

Celebrate where you are right now.

Often when we want more money, we forget to look at what we’ve already accomplished. We tend to lose sight of the progress we’ve already made and for sure we often forget to enjoy it.

Instead, we look outward and see what someone else has and focus there. Which not only creates those feelings of envy but also robs us of our joy in our own successes. On the other hand, if we can celebrate where we are right now, we anchor in our trust in our own ability to change, grow and succeed.

So, the next time you feel envious, take a look at your own journey. Make a list of all the things that you have accomplished. Big or small, it doesn’t matter. They all count.

All of these are celebrations. And you deserve to feel joy in them. When you allow yourself to truly feel happiness and joy from your success, there is no room for envy.

Did you start saving money every month, rather than spending it all? Did you pay extra on your credit card, instead of just the minimum payment? Did you see and pick up some money on the street, rather than looking at others and not even noticing it?

This one is super powerful because it takes your focus completely off of what you don’t have and puts it onto what you can give to help others.

It doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money or even a lot of time. Just do something for someone else without expecting anything in return. You could:

Remember, it doesn’t have to be a lot of time or even money, but just doing something for others, will remind you that you have enough. More than enough even.

I encourage you to test these out and see what happens. I just bet you’ll find yourself feeling better, taking more action, and attracting the money that you want.

What do you think? Is envy keeping you stuck? I’d love to hear from you.

Make sandwiches and hand them out to the homeless. Volunteer to walk dogs at the animal shelter. Offer to clean house or carpool for your friend, so she can get some self-care time. Find a cause you love and raid your piggy bank or change jar to donate.

Sherry Parks, CPA, is a Money Mindset Coach who helps women escape feeling trapped by their finances. She is passionate about helping women change mindset, emotions, and actions regarding money so that they learn to keep what they have and generate more. Check out her 5 Steps to a Better Money Story workbook or join her women-only Facebook group More Than Enough Money Sisterhood.