8 things to start doing differently!

I'm not perfect at doing this myself but I'm learning to be intentional to start changing the way I see my life. I want it to have a positive effect on my family and create a pleasant atmosphere around my home and people I meet. I think everyone needs at least one pick me up a day just to get through it sometimes. Be that person who smiles at a stranger and greets them with "morning" or "afternoon", it really does leave a positive effect.

1. EXPRESS GRATITUDE

Never let the things you WANT make you forget about the things you have.

2. SAVOR LIFES JOYS

The real beauty of life is in each precious moment. Stop and watch, take time out to see the moments in front of your eyes.

3. COMMIT YOUR GOALS

Most people who fail at reaching their dream, fail not from lack of ability but from lack of commitment. Be intentional daily to pursue the nest step to reach your goal. It can take years.

4. CULTIVATE OPTIMISM

It takes time and growth but you CAN learn to stay positive.  When it rains look for the rainbows. When it's dark look for stars.

5. STOP OVER-THINKING

Thinking too much only complicates your life and creates problems that were not even there in the first place.

6. AVOID SOCIAL COMPARISON

Most of our insecurities come from comparing our behind-the-scenes with other people's highlights.

7. INCREASE FLOW EXPERIENCES

Flow is a state where you are so focussed it feels like time stands still. Doing what you love and challenging yourself is how you get there.

8. NURTURE YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

The happiest people alive have deep meaningful relationships. Nurture them and watch them grow.

You can start right now...........................

Things you thought your children would never eat!

This is a recipe that astonishes me. I made it on a whim and thought my children would NEVER eat this. Don't ever underestimate them! Yes, I feed them oven pizza's (we make our own as often as we have time) and garlic bread it's not all fresh food, the oven baked food has been a bit of life saver over the years, but I do encourage them to try new things and introduce healthy meals.

This is becoming one of their favourite and it is super Quick. Perfect with left over chicken, boiled eggs, salmon, prawns. I have used a peeler gadget to make the vegetables as "noodle" like as possible, but if you do not have one just slice thinly, shred or julienne.

Carrot Chicken Noodle Salad (serves 4)

Approx 20 minutes prep/cooking time. The more you do it the faster you get and can also be done in advance and put in the fridge.

For the dressing:

6 tbs tamari organic soy sauce

2 tbs sesame oil

2 tbs Honey

2 tbs fresh lemon juice

For the salad:

2 cups shredded roast chicken

2 large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cucumber peeled and thinly sliced

100g mangetout, thinly sliced

2 stalks celery thinly sliced

1 cup of Chinese beansprouts

2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

In a bowl mix together the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.

To make the salad, place the chicken and vegetable in a bowl and mix together well.

Toss through the dressing, sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds, then serve immediately.

For a bit of fun the children try to eat it with chop sticks, it can get a bit messy but they eat it. Super healthy and fresh.

Back to routine!

Oh my goodness.......it is absolutely FREEZING outside.

        This morning was the first early rise in order to get three of the youngest children off to school It is their first day back and boy was it a struggle. No-one wanted to get, everyone as cold, no-one could find their uniforms and one had a tummy ache already.

At least I was half organised and made packed lunches the night before and polished their shoes. Dad had laid the table ready for breakfast too which helped.

The next drama was discovering one of the bike tyres had a puncture. We have spent 3 years cycling to school each morning. It's 6 miles a day and for one year it was 9 miles due to my youngest still being in pre-school and only doing half days. If there is one change I can encourage you to make is switch the car for a bike. It really does not make much difference to time because you find alley ways and back routes where a car cannot go. It's so much healthier for you. Every day I raise my heart rate and push through the burn knowing I'm doing my body good. What's even better is the children are keeping fit and healthy.

The route we take is phenomenal. The sights and sounds we experience makes a nice relaxed journey as we see the horses and hear birds. We pass people along the way, commuting to work and just a smile or say "morning" actually makes a change to their day if they were feeling a little grumpy so early. It teaches the children manners and to be friendly too. We talk to each other on our journey and discuss what they are going to get up to today, what they would like for dinner in the evening? what their favourite subject is today? etc. It's also good on the way home, if they have had a bad day then cycling home and talking can de-stress them before they get in the front door. It makes for a nice pleasant evening.

So, the bike had  a puncture.....back up plan, dig out the scooter! They still complained all the way to school, hopefully the day got better and they are in a much better mood now they have seen their friends and completed their first day.

This is what every morning is like. Bikes everywhere. We do not have a side alley as out house is mid terrace. The solution we came up with was to put bike storage in the front garden to stop bringing the bikes through the house every day. It would really mess the floor up.

We made it on time and I made it home in the warm. Food shop arrived, dog walked and bathed, window cleaner been,  new iron arrived (January sales) so it looks like this evening will be ironing.....oh the joys! It's just been one of those days, but I'm thankful for waking up this morning.

DAY 1: 60 day challenge!

What's the point in doing this?

 1) I have done it before as a way of losing weight in a healthy way and a way in which I can learn  about good nutrition, which I can take away with me for life and teach to my family.

When we started our adoption journey we had to have a medical and my results came back as borderline Obese. With a history of diabetes in my family I did not want this to happen to me. I already had 3 children at home relying on me to stay healthy and be around for them. This was a major turning point in my life.

2) Although I am not at my heaviest weight I am also not at my goal.

I hate to quit. It may be a year down the line since I started but I have come along way in my health and fitness and not quitting now. Being a busy mum in a household of 4 active children and a husband that works mon-fri long hours I pretty much feel like a single parent during the week. I do not drive which in a way makes it harder but actually has turned into a blessing. I will explain this later. Because families are unpredictable I have not always stuck to my health plan but we roll with it.

3) I have short term goal to reach.

My husband has booked us a little break away as a family in a few months time, so I am using this as a short term goal and really push myself over these couple of months to improve my health.

4) I ate too much junk over Christmas. I'm weak and it just happened. ooops!

Yes, this happened. In need of a much needed detox and USANA My SMART Food range is great at putting clean ingredients back into my body.

5) New Year New Start!

I'm very much in a need of a New start and like to get the year off to a positive start. Whatever happens as the year progresses, I will face as it arrives but right now I have a choice to make  SMART choices about where I want to be in the future.

6) I hope to inspire others.

I love to talk to people about their goals and aspirations in life and of possible ways to reach them. One of mine is to adopt again which is why I want to maintain my health as 5 children is no joke and I need an income to match the lifestyle. USANA provides me with both. I have met hundreds of people with health goals and financial goals and have been able to encourage them to step out of their comfort zone. But if my lifestyle doesn't match my words then no-body will pay attention. The results I have witnessed have been phenomenal. For example an old neighbour was due to have a knee replacement operation but was told he had to lose weight before they would operate. He was in pain daily but decided to try USANA. On the 4th day he messaged me and said he has never felt better, he was actually up a ladder cleaning his bathroom ceiling lol a man about to have a knee replacement up a ladder was not a great thought but I was so pleased his life had been changed. He also went on to have the operation and made a speedy recovery.


7) It makes me feel amazing.

yes, last time I went through this transformation, I felt amazing. My body was cleansed, I enjoyed exercise and eating plenty of fruit and veg. I gained energy and stopped napping during the day. I could keep up with my children and focus much better on the household.

So, day 1 of a 60 day challenge and believe me it will be a challenge. I spent time preparing for it, got all the right food in the house, meal planned a week in advance and will continue to do it each week. I have had my shake, vitamins, probiotics, even took the dog for a run. I have booked a day at my local gym on Monday to see if it's something I want to do or if I think working at home and outdoors would be my choice this year.

Preparing for a weight loss journey!

From doing the RESET Nation Challenge last year one thing I have learnt is that you cannot just pick a day and start on that day your healthy eating habits and expect to stick to it for 60 or 90 days. I tried that and failed miserably. One of the best ways I found is to start making subtle changes 5 days in advance. Little changes to your diet for example drop any fruit juice and switch it to water instead. Randomly eat a piece of fruit a day if you don't do it already. Get your taste buds use to fresh fruit and vegetables if it's been a while since you have eaten them in their raw form. Cut out a couple of coffee's a day, drop down to just one in the morning. I switch coffee for herbal teas such as, peppermint, Lemon and ginger or green tea, all great to help with weight loss.

If deciding to start a weight loss programme after a time where you have eaten a lot of junk food it might be a good idea to detox for a few days. I take USANA's probiotics for a few days in advance to help with my digestive health. Digestive health is the core of our overall health. A healthy digestive system helps our body efficiently break down many of the nutrients we consume into forms that are easily absorbed, maximizing the benefits of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and defending against nutritional deficiencies. So, when doing a healthy eating programme to bring on weight loss your body will need some help in absorbing all the new goodies you will be putting into it. If you want to loose weight it is roughly 80% based on your nutrition and not primarily exercise (although this is important too for cardiovascular, strength, bone and organ health. It is also really good to exercise just before you start your period as it can stop the cramps and PMS.

As I am starting the 60 day challenge tomorrow (we have a holiday booked in a few months and It would be nice to be fit and healthy after indulging at Christmas) I spent the past few days meal planning. Meal planning in my household is never just for myself I have to think about what the 4 children would like to eat too because we often eat together. Breakfast is simple enough. Lunch for myself is often an USANA protein shake with a USANA snack bar with water or a hot herbal beverage. The children either have a packed lunch at school or a school dinner. But dinner time at home is when we come together as a family and eat together while we talk about our day, so it's important to have something warm, yummy and healthy and one which I can incorporate into my weight loss programme.

I read cook books both for adults and children and come up with a meal plan for the week. Writing a shopping list. I'm feeling that this blog is getting rather long. Shopping, meal planning and cooking nutritional food is a whole new subject. That's for another blog.

There is still time to join me in the weight loss 60 day challenge. Please message me for further details.

Plan how to develop yourself

Self development is going to happen once you have decided to take control of your life. Once those goals have been set and you have planned how to get there it's inevitable that you will also change in the process of your life steering in the direction you want it to go. It will not happen in an instant and take some time, remember Rome was not built in a day.

The best way I have found to create that change in yourself or at least help it happen quicker is by reading, not just any books but through books that are similar or have some connection to your goal. Perhaps it's about getting healthy, so read books about nutrition. Maybe, you want to start a business so read books by people that have done it before and learn from it. It could be parenting, so find some good books about ways that people have parented their children.

I like to plan in January all the books that interest me and make a reading list. I may add to it throughout the year or take away or re-read some books two or three times. I will always read the bible within the year as this  is where I get most of my inspiration from and it's super encouraging along the way. As the year goes on you will have peaks and troughs and it's important to remain humble when things go right and to be encouraged or inspired again when you hit a trough. The bible is great to keep me focussed and remember the plans I have are not my own and that they are often for a reason far above what I can do by myself.

When I first decided to join USANA, my husband and myself had completed a 3 year adoption journey and adoption was still very much on our hearts. We knew we were called to adopt again. I chose USANA because I wanted to be a fit and healthy mum so I can stay active and keep up with my children and also I wanted to provide an environment where I can work from home so I am there to take them and collect them from school. I wanted to be present in their life but also be able to come up with a back up plan for keeping in employment. USANA ticked all boxes and the company themselves with their customer service is second to none. The compensation plan is great and the products are brilliant and really work which helped me to become passionate about them. My whole family can enjoy the products and my eldest son is even preparing his own USANA business when he becomes 18. It's great to do part time with the possibility of earning a full time income.

I encourage you to make list of the books you plan to read in 2017. Read a mixture of fiction and non fiction. Do some research into the types of authors that will inspire you and create self development in yourself. Dream BIG.....I know you can do it!

Here are a few of the books I have on my reading list. I am currently reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S.Lewis. It's good to read between 3-4 books a month or more if you can.

60 Day Challenge!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 The 1st of January 2017.....what a great day! It may be raining outside but with the rain comes growth, water is a life source.

This time last year I took part in USANA RESET Nation 90 day challenge and lost just over 18% of my body fat. I felt amazing and gained all energy back. I stopped taking naps in the day because I just didn't need them any more. Energy levels along with the weight loss were the biggest side effects and ones I desperately needed to keep up with 4 busy children. Being a Nationwide competition the categories were split and I came 4th in Europe which won me a whole bunch of stuff. The motivation to do it was for my family and children, I just didn't want to be that worn out mum anymore, struggling through the day fueled by coffee. Don't get me wrong, everyday is still quite a struggle to keep up with all the demands of daily life and I still loooove coffee but changing my lifestyle to a more healthy one and watching what I put in my body is definitely a much better way, plus my children get to learn about good nutrition and are starting to follow in my foot steps. These are the things I want them to take note of and not the bad habits that we all have.

Over the next few weeks I will be blogging this journey and spending time to show you good nutritious meals, how to plan the week ahead, shopping lists with things to buy and what to dispose of. Cutting out all sugar is a major one to look out for. I will be showing some great smoothie ideas with the help of my son Joshua, he has become quite the smoothie whizz and loves inventing his own ones for snacks or meals throughout the day.

Although nutrition is 80% of the programme there is the 20% of exercise to help with the process too. Being a qualified Fitness Instructor I would love to show you some gym and home based exercise you can do daily. I left my previous gym a few months back so this week I will be looking at my local gyms for a good sign up deal, I encourage you to do the same. Getting that time out for yourself is important to keep you motivated and gives you some space away to reflect. Always keep in mind your end goal and something to focus on.

You are very welcome to join me in this programme and get full access to the meal guide, smoothie menu, gym and home based exercise plans plus learn about keeping up a healthy lifestyle, one which you can apply everyday easily. By becoming a preferred customer to USANA you get 10% off your order. Or if you fancy giving the business side a go you will also get 10% off becoming an associate.

This is my dear friend Veronica who is on my USANA team. She absolutely smashes these detox and weight loss programmes and is known as the RESET Queen. A great source of information if you need advice on USANA products.

This is my before picture. I'm pretty sure this was my heaviest, coming close to 16 stone. I would take naps during the day and felt sluggish. Coffee was my life source. This was a turning point when I knew I needed a change. I had tried all kinds of diets and none had worked for me.

 This is what we are doing for 2017. Starting on the 4th January. We have been pretty unhealthy over Christmas and New Year and planning on starting the year right. You are all very welcome to join us!

I am happy to help you every step of the way and show complete support as we do this together as a team. The way you feel during and afterwards is amazing and I will be blogging the journey for you all to follow and give it a try yourself. The kits can be purchased from www.rebecabonfield.usana.com or contact me for help. You are welcome to find me on face book too!