Healthy - Denise Joyce

COVID-19 lockdown was very impactful on my diet. First off, to be clear, when I talk about my diet, I mean it as a noun, not a verb. I think about my diet as simply the kinds of food that I habitually eat. While in the past, I ate Paleo, intermittently fast, ate low-carb, etc., dieting doesn’t work for my mental health. Instead, I constantly keep my favorite healthy snacks in my fridge & my pantry to ensure I always have healthy options on hand to snack on, instead of eating chips or candy.

Mixed Nuts & Dried Cranberries

The first time I had this snack was in the waiting room at a spa. It’s the perfect combo of salty & sweet in my opinion. I even make my own trail mix sometimes for long hikes by mixing Craisins with my two favorite nuts: Almonds & Cashews.

JIF Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter & Fuji Apples

Because of my mom, I’ve always loved Fuji apples. They are the only type of apple that my mom would buy growing up, & I still do not love any other type of apple just as much. When I still worked at IPSY, I LOVED that our office manager always kept single packs of JIF Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter & apple slices in stock. Nowadays, I put a huge scoop of peanut butter on a spoon & bite in a whole apple.

Baby Carrots & Hummus or Ranch

I owe this favorite snack to my sister. She buys two giant bags of baby carrots from the grocery store every week, & every week, we finish every last carrot. While I’m fine eating baby carrots on their own, I do love dips & sauces. Hummus & ranch are my favorites ones to pair with my baby carrots when I’m feeling saucy.

Edamame

I love Japanese cuisine, & I love going to restaurants that offer edamame as an appetizer. Costco has huge packs of edamame that you can quickly heat up in the microwave. Edamame is high in protein, can help lower cholesterol, & reduce the risk of breast & prostate cancer.

Cuties

I don’t recall when Cuties came onto the scene, but I’ve loved them since the first time I picked up a bag from the grocery store. I must eat at least two at a time, if not more. They are my favorite snack when I’m craving something juicy & sweet.

Bananas

Whenever I need a piece of fruit that’s going to keep me full for a significant amount of time, I reach for a banana. Unlike cuties, bananas keep me feeling full if I have a long meeting before lunch, or I get hungry in the afternoon with several hours to go before dinner. Another plus to bananas is that if I ever forget about them, I have an excuse to bake my ultimate banana bread.

Do you share any of my favorite healthy snacks? Do you have anything that you always keep on hand in your fridge or pantry that you want to recommend? Let me know in a comment below!

XO Denise

SOURCES

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/edamame-benefits

I haven’t always been the best when it comes to setting healthy boundaries. It’s definitely something that you learn over time, especially after mistreatment & manipulation. It’s important to be honest & upfront with your expectations. Boundaries set the space between where you end & another person begins. Healthy boundaries involve defining what you will & will not tolerate. It’s clearly communicating what you need, protecting your well-being, standing firm in your needs, & respecting the needs of others.

Here are some examples of setting healthy boundaries:

“When you bail on our plans without giving me a timely & considerate heads up, I feel like you don’t respect me or my time. I can understand when you lose track of time, get caught up, & need to reschedule. But not replying to me for three hours is unacceptable behavior that I will not tolerate again in the future.”

“Please do not go through my personal belongings. I have nothing to hide from you. When you invade my personal space, I feel like you don’t trust me & think that I’m hiding something from you. Can we please talk about why you feel this way? I don’t want you to do this again in the future.”

“I do not appreciate when you make comments about my weight. I have body dysmorphia, & I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life. Even when I’m underweight according to my BMI, what I see in the mirror always looks exactly the same. I appreciate your concern about my health. But I am very self-aware & taking care of my body to the best of my ability.”

“I don’t want to go to the party tonight. I’m mentally exhausted from work, & I don’t want to ruin the vibe if you force me to go. I promise to attend the next social event with you. This way, I can be more social & good company.”

Don’t think that your boundaries always have to be negative as well. You can also set boundaries to encourage the behaviors that you want to receive more often.

Here are some examples of setting healthy boundaries in a way that encourages the positive reinforcement of good behaviors:

“When you text me Good Morning, Goodnight, or simply check in with me regarding my well-being, I feel so special. I appreciate that you care so much & are always thinking about me.”

“When you kiss my forehead, I feel so cherished & precious. Thank you for showing me how much you love me through the smallest gestures.”

“When you go more than 48 hours without reaching out when you’re away, I worry about your safety & well-being. I want you to have fun & enjoy the time you have with your friends/family. But please let me know that you’re safe when you get a free moment because I want you to come back home to me.”

A good rule of thumb is to use the formula: “When you do X, I feel Y + solution for the future”. When you have strong boundaries, you learn how to always respect yourself & how to respect others. When your needs are consistently met, you’re more assertive & less likely to be angry or resentful towards others. Settings healthy boundaries are important for all the different types of relationships that you have in your lifetime, both professional & personal.