 I love adventures. No matter how small, I enjoy doing something different from my daily routine - whether it is exploring a new trail, experimenting with a fun recipe or fishing on the river. What do these 3 things have in common? Because they are new, I don't know what to expect, I don't know what will happen next. The fear of the unknown can either hold you back or push you outside of your comfort zone to experience exponential growth. Sometimes that can feel scary. Life is full of unknowns, aim to embrace it and thrive from it! Isn't that why we sign up for races, get out in nature, make goals for ourselves? If we KNEW we could accomplish everything we set out to do and that it would be easy...then we wouldn't really be making any progress. That's why we try to get stronger, faster, better. Different.
Feat: an achievement that requires great courage, skill, or strength. Fuel. Explore. Aspire. Train. Fuel The food you eat should nourish your body so it can flourish and perform at its best so you can do the activities you enjoy, for life. Discover new recipes and how to incorporate more unprocessed foods, especially vegetables and fruit, into all of your meals and snacks. You will find by eating more whole-foods, you will be satisfied after eating, feel better and have more energy. The best part? You can still enjoy your favorite foods/drinks in moderation. Explore An adventure or experience (no matter the size) helps breathe life into the daily grind. By breaking out of the ordinary you can discover a fresh perspective on life and get re-energized. Learn how to maximize your life by prioritizing the things you WANT to do and the things that NEED to be done. Not everything on your to-do list needs to be done (at least not right away). Adventure surrounds us everyday, we just have to choose to acknowledge it, claim it as our own and seize it. Aspire Knowing who you are, what you desire to be/achieve and why, are the key driving forces behind your success in reaching your goals. Dream, find your purpose and create a plan with the tools, resources, motivation and accountability needed to help you down your path when it gets hard. Believe in yourself. The road might be long, have a few bumps along the way and will take a lot of determination, but it all is what makes it worth it. What does your best, balanced self. look like? Train Your body is a complex system that is meant to move. With proper preparation and care it can take you places you never thought it could go. Prevent injury, burnout, boredom and become well-rounded by working on stamina, strength, power, speed, balance and flexibility. Whether you are working towards completing your first organized walk, a long race, participating in an outdoor activity or maybe just need to be fit to travel, you can develop the skills to get there. WORK WITH ME It is no secret that there are positive physical and mental benefits of movement and nature within your daily life. Whether you have a goal to walk your first 5k, run a trail marathon or just to participate in more outdoor activities – the impacts they can have are life-changing. As your health coach I will guide you through a step-by-step process to transform your unique goals into sustainable behaviors that fit into your routine. Learn how to fuel your body for energy, explore the world around you, aspire to be your best balanced self and train for your adventures – all while enhancing your quality of life. *If you aim to live life by engaging in new or exciting activities or experiences, no matter how small or large (a beginner walking program, an intense hike, a new race, canoe trip, travel across the globe, or even gardening, etc.) to increase your health and happiness; YOU are a daily adventurer.
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The following is a list of kitchen staples for the pantry, fridge and freezer. Download the list above and start shopping! These items will help to get you through the week without having to plan your meals before you head to the store. Stocking your kitchen this way allows room for flexibility and cravings. Mix and match to fit your preferences. Oils, vinegars, condiments and spices can be used to cook and flavor the food and the other staples should be eaten as a carbohydrate/fat/protein combination to keep you full and satisfied until your next meal or snack.
For the fridge items you might want to start small and see what you end up actually eating or wanting so nothing goes to waste. Aim to utilize all fruits and veggies that you buy! Try to incorporate at least one serving of vegetables and/or fruit into each meals and snack. This list also happens to be gluten-free and dairy-free yet can work for anybody! If you keep your pantry and freezer stocked, when you grocery shop each week you will just need to replenish what you have used and then get the fresh fridge items you need…this keeps your grocery shopping trip easy and quick! Get creative and try new ways to combine different flavors, proteins, carbs, fat, veggies and fruit. You never know what you might end up liking! For an easy reference when you are in a hurry for a meal, pair a freezer protein with a pantry or fridge flavor (oil, vinegar, spice or sauce), some sort of potato/pasta/bread/bean (etc.) and/or fresh or frozen veggies and/or fruit. Don’t get overwhelmed with this shopping list. Start with just a few things from each category and grow your kitchen staples slowly every time you head to the grocery store. Underneath the list are some ways you can utilize the different food items to make quick and easy meals and snacks. Pantry (aim to choose no or low sugar/sodium)
Fridge (aim to choose no or low sugar/sodium)
Freezer (aim to choose no or low sugar/sodium)
Meal and Snack Ideas Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Snacks
One of the best things you can do is make double or triple servings and then freeze them for another day when you know you won’t have time to cook. Another backup plan is to have ready to cook meals (either a freezer meal with low-sodium, easily recognizable ingredients OR a fresh pre-packaged meal kit from a delivery service or grocery store). Another option is a low-sodium soup mix, canned soup, sandwich and fresh vegetables and fruit. Try different options and see what works best for you! Maybe planning meals for the whole week works for you or maybe you need to wing it from the ingredients you already have at home, whatever it may be – just try it and see what sticks! Checkout the free Prepear app if you need help with healthy recipes. 
Winstead Hill Park is a 61-acre historic battle site that has significance for being in the Second Battle of Franklin in 1864. Winstead Hill was the vantage point that General John Bell Hood could see his advancing Confederate troops from. The overlook features a large map and memorials to the Confederates who died in the battle. The park is dog friendly and features a 3/4 mile walking path around a field surrounded by (and through) trees. It also has a picnic table, several benches, a bathroom, a water fountain and an observation post with a beautiful view, monuments and other historic pieces to the battle that took place here.
The park is located at 4023 Columbia Ave, Franklin, TN 37064. There are two entrances right next to each other. You can park on either side, one is closer to the overlook and the other is closer to the path. If you park closer to the marked path you can begin your walk/run by following the signs and sticking to the outer portion of the field, surrounded by trees. The path is marked every 1/4 mile. When you get back to the beginning of the path, you can then continue towards the overlook by going up the stairs and rocky path to get to the top. Here you will see all of the history and monuments from the battle. Once you take in the view you can turn around, come back down the stairs to the parking lot and back to the beginning of the marked path. Combining the path and the stairs up and back from the overlook it equals about 1 mile long. If you want to get more miles in, you could complete loops and cut through the path in the middle of the field to switch it up. It could even make for an interesting place to do 1 mile repeats (with stairs). There isn't much it connects to unless you want to run down Columbia Pike (no sidewalks). The path is wide and aside from the stairs to the overlook, it is a relatively flat loop (88 ft total ascent). The whole park area is so serene and makes for a great place to spend time alone or or it could also make a nice place to bring the family for a walk (or the dog for a run). It normally is not super busy, which makes it way less congested than some other popular parks. If you like history and enjoy beautiful views and serenity (ironic from what took place here years ago), come check out this park! Find more paths, trails and places to hike/run/walk in Williamson County, TN here!  I am always getting asked what type of workouts I do and what I recommend for others, especially for toned arms. This is my basic upper body workout routine that I do pretty regularly when I don't want to think or create something new. I recommend starting easy if you haven't been lifting lately (or ever). You might want to start with 3-5 lb weights and work your way up as you get stronger and you get the form down. For reference, I use 10-15 lb weights. I always stress form above all else! Go slow and steady and nail these moves before moving on to heavier weights. You will know you are ready for heavier weights when you get to your 10th rep and feel like you could keep going. Find the weight that works best for you - by your 8th rep you should still be keeping good form but your muscles should feel fatigued and you should just make it to your 10th rep before needing to stop. Do these moves in front of a mirror to make sure you are doing them correctly. If you belong to a gym, don't feel scared to ask a personal trainer to watch your form to make sure you are doing your exercises right. That is what they are there for. Complete the first exercise in the groupings for 1 set before moving on to the next exercise for 1 set. Complete those 2 exercises for however many sets you are doing before moving to the next grouping. I try to get through the workout efficiently so I don't take much time resting in between exercises. Sometimes I will stretch my arms out a little bit and walk around the room before moving on if I need to. Use as much time as you need to safely complete the exercises. It is recommended to exercise each major muscle group 2-3x a week with a day or so in between workouts so keep that in mind when planning your workouts for the week. Example for Intermediates: Triceps Push-Ups x 10, Standard Push-Ups x 10, Triceps Push-Ups x 10, Standard Push-Ups x 10, Rows x 10, Shoulder Press x 10, Rows x 10, Shoulder Press x 10, Biceps Curl x 10, Triceps Kickback x 10, Biceps Curl x 10, Triceps Kickback x 10, Mountain Climber x 10 (each side), Mountain Climber x 10 (each side). Videos of the exercises are posted at the bottom of the page. Always keep a slight bend in your knees and engage your core (picture pulling your belly button in towards your spine). Don't forget to warm-up, cool-down and stretch! Beginners: 1 set of 10 reps Intermediate: 2 sets of 10 reps Advanced: 3 sets of 10 reps ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Triceps Push-Up (do them on your knees or against the wall if you can't do a full push-up) Standard Push-Up (do them on your knees or against the wall if you can't do a full push-up) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Row Shoulder Press ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Biceps Curl Triceps Kickback ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mountain Climber (do against the wall if you can't hold the full plank) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Triceps Push-Up  Standard Push-Up  Row  Shoulder Press  Biceps Curl  Triceps Kickback  Mountain Climber Twist |
About MeI am a food loving, activity seeking health coach who resides in Franklin, TN with my husband and two sweet dogs (Lola & Penny). AllergiesI believe everyone should eat balanced and not cut food groups if you don't medically need to. All foods can fit in a healthy diet. Unfortunately, I have to avoid gluten and also limit myself with dairy, so my goal is to provide healthy, gluten-free/dairy-free recipes so EVERYONE can enjoy all foods, even if you do have to cut out certain food groups. My recipes are encouraged for everyone to eat, not just for those with sensitivities/allergies! Most of my recipes can be easily converted by using real dairy and whole-wheat in place of my allergy-free substitutes. SearchLooking for something specific? Everything can be found by category under the "Life" and "Recipes" sections on my website or you can search below. Archives
January 2021
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Elena McCown, LLC Health Coach in Franklin, TN