It's My Non-Negotiable

There are so many self-care rituals to embrace, it can be completely overwhelming.  How do you know which one is really going to make a significant impact on your life?  When I started my journey into conscious eating and living, which was more than a decade ago, I was completely overwhelmed with all the beneficial things I could and should be doing in my day.  

If I adopted all of them I would have a full time job!  

So over the years I have slowly tried them on, experimented with them, and kept the ones that work for me.  It's important to recognize that there isn’t one right way for everybody, we’re all different.  And it's crucial that you find what works for you and it's okay if that changes over time.

I've tried a lot and I’ve sustained the self-care rituals that work for me and make me feel better.   Check out some of the self-care rituals I’ve tried...

 

When I decide to try out something I usually commit to it for at least a few weeks and see how it makes me feel.  If I feel better and enjoy it then I’ll keep it around. A lot of these things I still do on most days, but I only have one thing that I have to do everyday and it’s my non-negotiable.  

It’s warm lemon water when I first wake up in the morning.    

Drinking warm lemon water first thing in the morning hydrates you, helps your liver detoxify, brings your body to a more alkalized state, reduces water retention, aids digestion, improves your skin and more.  Check out this article for more info on the benefits.

But the reason why I have kept it as a daily ritual, and now it has become my non-negotiable, is because I feel better when I start my day with it.  I feel less bloated, my digestion feels better and my body feels clean and healthy.   

I do it because I feel better... it's that simple.  

If you are interested in experimenting with what warm lemon water can do for you, then give it a go for a few weeks.  It’ll take about a week before you feel a physical difference in your body. Try it and see how you feel.

Here's what to do: Take half a lemon and squeeze it into a mug of warm water (about 10oz) and drink it first thing when you get up in the morning.  This might taste sour at first, but you will get used to it… do NOT add a sweetener.  Then you can go about your normal morning coffee or tea drinking and breakfast.  

Whenever I try a new ritual I’m always shocked at how my regular habits are so ingrained.  

When I first decided to try the lemon water I found myself drinking my coffee before I would remember and then it was too late.  After a few mornings like that I decided to set myself up for success by placing a lemon in front of our espresso machine at night.  That way in my morning haze I didn’t have to remember.  The lemon was right there to stop me in my tracks.  

I would love to hear from you.

What's your non-negotiable self-care ritual?  

Are you interested in finding out more about some of the items on my list?  

Let me know in the comments below.

Hope you have found this helpful.

-love and gratitude

 

Healthy Granola Recipe

Hello!  Hope you all enjoyed your extra day yesterday!  I read that if we didn’t have leap year it would be July 15th of 2017!  Kinda crazy to think about, it leaves me feeling grateful that we are slowing the clock a bit;)

Today I’m going to share something a little different with you.  It’s my favorite granola recipe.  I’ve tried lots of different recipes and I came up with this one a few years ago.  It’s very basic and you can easily play around with it.  I usually use raw almonds, raw walnuts and raw pecans for the nuts.. but any of your favorites will work great!  The bulk bins at your local grocery is the best place to find raw nuts.

 

I also have two variations to share with you.

Chocolate/Hazelnut Granola

  • 3 Cups Rolled Oats
  • 2 Cups Raw Chopped Nuts
  • ¾ tsp Salt
  • ¾ tsp Cinnamon
  • 3 TBSP Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
  • ½ Cup Maple Syrup
  • ⅓ Cup Melted Coconut Oil
  • 1 Cup Raw Chopped Hazelnuts
  • 1 Cup Raw Chopped Almonds
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • ½ tsp Almond Extract

*Combine dry ingredients then stir in wet ingredients.  Bake at 300’ for 45 minutes on a rimmed cookie sheet.  Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

 

Pumpkin Granola

  • 3 Cups Rolled Oats
  • 1/2 Cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds
  • 1 Cup Raw Chopped Pecans
  • 1 Cup Raw Chopped Almonds
  • ¾ tsp Salt
  • 1 TBSP Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • ½ tsp Ground Ginger
  • ¼ tsp Ground Cloves
  • ¼ tsp Ground Cardamom
  • ⅓ Cup Unsweetened Plain Pumpkin Puree
  • ⅓ Cup Melted Coconut Oil
  • ½ Cup Maple Syrup
  • 1 TBSP Vanilla Extract

*Combine dry ingredients then stir in wet ingredients.  Bake at 300’ for 45 minutes on a rimmed cookie sheet.  Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.


Hope you enjoy!

-love and gratitude

I've been Bitten!

Last week I did something I've never done before and it was so amazing!  I ventured out on a little get away with Ivy Newport.  We planned to use this time and space to finalize our agenda for our sold out ArtWorthy Retreat in April.   

We met the week before to talk about what we needed to bring and to touch base on our agenda.  I mentioned that I was bringing supplies for us to organize our thoughts- and you should have seen Ivy’s response.  She got so excited at the word ‘supplies’ you would have thought she was a kid in a candy store!  She thought I meant art supplies!  And what a let down she had when she realized I was referring to post-its!  

Ivy did bring art supplies in the hopes that she could get me to paint.  Mind you, I've told her a billiion times- ‘I don’t paint, I’m creative in other ways.’  But, as we got deeper in our planning process it became apparent that some painting needed to happen.  I could feel the resistance in my entire body as I was realizing that I too needed to paint!

It was perfect because this is actually what ArtWorthy is all about!  We are all WORTHY!  

So I began tapping.  Ivy was very sweet and patient with me as I worked through my blocks to painting.  Like a light switch, I went from completely opposed to painting - to jumping off the sofa filled with excitement to see what I could paint!  

Ivy was a little shocked!  

It ended up being an amazing experience for me and I certainly have been bitten by the painting bug!  

I’m so excited for ArtWorthy and to share how we can use EFT, meditation and painting to facilitate a completely new relationship with ourselves.  We are focusing on creating a new relationship with our Inner Critic and opening up a channel for our Inner Guide.  I found this combination to be earth-moving for myself and I’m thrilled to share it!  

Here's a collage of pictures from our trip. We did use the post-it's and lots of paint!  


Trina LeeComment