We have already spent a month growing and becoming healthier and more mindful! How are you feeling? Have you noticed any differences in your body from taking out your artificial sweetener? How has putting down technology after 7pm affected you and those around you? I truly hope there have been a ton of new positives in your life, causing you to start thinking more mindfully.
Before we move on to our goals for growth in February, I want to explain a few things about the goals and carrying them through the year.
First, each nutrition goal we have is one we will carry throughout the year. Now don't get me wrong, I know artificial sweeteners "may" touch your lips during the year. Sometimes an Oreo makes it's way into my mouth and I have no idea how it got there...Seriously, they have legs and just walk their way into my mouth. What we don't want, is to have any food items in our regular diet or our homes that has any form of artificial sweetener. So, get ready to discover a healthier you, who will be super mindful about how they eat.
Second, I would love for each "mental" goal we have each month to continue throughout the year. However, I know it may not be possible for you. Instead, I want you to think mindfully and choose what is best for you. Remember that mindfulness is truthfulness. Be honest with what is best for you and your family.
Now...On to our goals for February!
Goal #1: Eat your full servings of fruits and vegetables each day!
I bet you are asking yourself how many fruits and/or vegetables you ate yesterday. My other guess is that you are discovering that you may not have eaten any where near the amount you should have. How many servings of fruits and vegetables should you eat? The experts recommend that you eat 5-9 servings of these wonderful foods each day.
Now I'm sure you are asking what counts as a serving. Below is a great chart by Natural Grocers. I truly love this chart and how they break it down into 1 and 2 serving sizes.
Pick your jaw up off the floor and relax. You've got this! It is all about food prep. Grab fruits that don't need refrigerated, like apples, oranges, bananas, pears, tomatoes, etc. I always have ours in a huge bowl on the kitchen counter where you cannot miss them. This way everyone in our house can grab some healthy fruits for meals, to pack for lunch, or to just snack on.
Vegetables are just as easy to grab and go. My friend Claudine gave me the greatest idea last year. Prep all your vegetables when you get home from the store, and then put them in a tray and they are ready to go at any time during the week. This is great for making salads, or in my families case, I put out the tray of veggies at each meal, and when we are playing board games in the evening I have the tray out for us to munch on. Seriously....DO THIS! It will make it so much easier to get your servings of veggies throughout the day.
Goal #2: Write down key points of your day each evening.
Each day I've always asked my son what the best part of his day was, and what was the worst part of his day. I find this is a great way to really talk to him about his day and what happened and the highs and lows of his day. This has always been a great conversation starter at our dinner table, and we have been able to teach our son (and each other) how to handle difficult situations.
Sooooo....I put together two printouts for you to choose from for the month of February. Each evening (before dinner, during dinner, before bed...you get where I'm going with this) have each person in your home fill in the following for "The Best Part of Your Day", "The Worst Part of Your Day", and "What are You Thankful for Today." Now, one of the printouts does not have the "Worst Part of Your Day" on it. I understand that some of us want to keep it positive, so I made one that doesn't make you look at the negative. After you fill in your key moments and what you are thankful for, share them with your family or friends. These are great conversations starters at our dinner table each evening, so give it a try!
Now, I'm sure your asking "why?" am I asking you to do this. I'm one of those annoying people who always wants a reason for what I'm doing (drove my parents nuts), so here is the why...Research suggests that physically tossing your worries on to paper can lessen their hold over you. On the other side, writing down the positive experiences in your day that you feel grateful for will allow more happiness and satisfaction in your life. The best mood booster is when you take those happy and grateful times and share them with others.
Just click on the printout you want to go with below and print it out!! Each printout is 2 PDF pages.
