Happy Healthy Wednesday

I have decided I want to impose some order on this blog because I feel like it is all over the place. (Which is like real life and thoughts, but we have to impose order on those too sometimes).

So, I've decided that if you read this blog, you can look forward to the following topics/themes each day:

"Make Something Monday" in which you, dear reader, and I will attempt to make something fun or useful, preferably with cheap stuff or things we already have.

"Thumbs Up Tuesday" (or thumbs down) in which I tell you all about art/music/movies/books/etc. that I have personally been enjoying lately (or hating). I would love for you to share comments on things YOU have been enjoying/disliking as well.

"Happy Healthy Wednesday" where I share some ideas and tips and recipes that I've found helpful as I try to be healthier.

"Question Thursday" in which I ask some questions and you answer them. :) It's a way of helping fellow bloggers get to know each other, and who doesn't like to answer questions about themselves? I think this name is kind of dumb, though. Social Hour Thursday? Tea Party Thursday? 20 Questions Thursday? Eh.

and finally, "Fun Times Friday" where I share some fun ideas for your weekend! And I would love to hear your ideas too!

And since today is technically Wednesday, let's get right to some ideas/thoughts about staying healthy in body and spirit.
This has actually been a big concern of mine because a) I've gained weight since college, and never in places I could use some extra fat, b) I've had periods of really low energy since college, and c) I deal with ups and downs from depression and anxiety. Those are my personal reasons for trying to get back in shape and stay as healthy as I can, and I'm sure each of you have your own important reasons. A healthy body and healthy mind go hand in hand of course, so you can't get away with neglecting one or the other! I think many of us know what to do, it's just a matter of getting into healthy habits and avoiding things that we know cause problems for us, like watching tv for four hours, eating fast food too often, or drinking diet coke like it's water. For example, sometimes I skip breakfast because I'm lazy, eat a a fast food lunch, scarf down a huge dinner and then sleep on a full stomach. My mom chided me for this and encouraged me to start eating breakfast. Her great idea was for me to make shakes, and for about 3 months now I have had shakes pretty consistently and they are so easy!


Breakfast Shake
1 banana
4-5 frozen strawberries
about 3/4 cup plain yogurt
a little orange juice or applesauce
I add some liquid fish oil because it's supposed to help stabilize mood and just be good for you in general. Mine tastes lemony.
Blend it up and enjoy! It's really quick and won't give you a sugar high (and slump) like many cereals. You can totally experiment with any variety of fruit . Oatmeal or something with protein, like cheese toast or a scrambled egg with salsa in a tortilla would be good too. Anyone else have a favorite breakfast idea?

As far as a healthy mind goes, I encourage you to write things down throughout the day when you find yourself feeling stressed or upset, or just have a brilliant idea! I take a notebook with me almost everywhere I go and I write down ideas I have, to-do lists, and things I'm worried/upset about. This makes me feel better because I don't worry that I'm going to forget something important, and I know that I can take time later to think through something that's been bothering me instead of worrying about it all through the day.

So, happy, healthy Wednesday to you!