Living Life Balanced Blog

Shrimp Pad Thai

8/28/2020

If I had to pick I would probably choose shrimp as my favorite protein. I feel like it goes so well in so many different dishes. This is a fun way to eat a bunch of different vegetables yet still feel like you are having an indulgent meal. You can very easily take out the shrimp for a vegetarian version (maybe add a hard boiled egg or peanuts) or replace it with something else. Either way, it's delicious and easy!

Shrimp Pad Thai, gluten-free and dairy-free recipes by Elena McCown, LLC a health coach in Franklin, TN

Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup freshly shredded carrots
5 oz water chestnuts, drained
1/2 onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz brown rice noodles (cooked according to package directions)
2 large eggs
16 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 green onions, finely sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 lime, cut into wedges (for serving)
4 tbsp thai sweet chili sauce (or pad thai sauce, just enough to lightly coat all ingredients)
2 cups blackberries

Directions

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add the water chestnuts, bell pepper and onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic and noodles and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Push the noodles and veggies to the side of the pan and add the eggs. Cook until set for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes or until shrimp begin to curl and turn pink.
Add the sauce and stir until everything is coated and shrimp are completely opaque.
Take off the heat and add the green onion and cilantro.
Serve with a squeeze of lime and a 1/2 cup of blackberries on the side.

If you like this recipe, download the Prepear app for more of my recipes (plus thousands of others), meal planning, grocery list creating AND grocery ordering from Walmart!

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Delayed Gratification

8/21/2020

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Delayed Gratification, healthy lifestyle habits over quick fixes by Elena McCown, LLC a health coach in Franklin, TN

We live in a world of instant gratification.

Amazon is a "prime" (hah, get it?) example of it. You can basically order anything you want and get it within the next hour or at least within two days. Think of how you feel when your order is postponed or if you order from somewhere else and it takes several days or (OMG) how about several months (especially during COVID-19 times)?! We want it NOW!

With technological advancements in this day and age, it seems like if you can't get something almost instantly, it isn't even worth it, right? Wrong!

I'm not saying instant gratification is bad, but delayed gratification can be even better. Now, this applies to a lot of things in life but I am going to direct it specifically towards living a healthier lifestyle.

What is instant gratification in the health and wellness field? Maybe it's something like "lose 10 pounds in one week with this diet", "run a couch to 5k in one month" or "take this supplement and sleep better overnight".

While in reality, sure those things all might SOUND nice, let's dive deeper into what happens when you give in to those instant gratifications and what you can do instead.

1. To lose 10 pounds in one week maybe your diet calls for you to only eat protein and some vegetables, no carbs, no fruit, no sweets, no dairy, no juice, no alcohol and not enough calories. Ignoring the fact that you most likely will mainly lose water weight - sure, the idea of 10 pounds in a week SOUNDS great. Only one week of hard work and then you get the benefits of being 10 pounds skinnier, right? Nope. Either you won't even be able to make it through the entire week without "cheating" OR you do it (miserably), lose the weight and then go back to your normal way of eating and end up gaining even more weight than you tried to lose in the first place because that diet is not sustainable.

Instead, you could take your time and slightly alter how you are eating (maybe add some more veggies and fruit, focus on complex carbs instead of simple (quinoa vs white rice), and drink more water than soda. Because these are small, sustainable steps and you aren't completely trying to change every habit and behavior you built up over the last 30 years, you WILL be successful in making these changes and can slowly build on that success over time - resulting in not only the results you desire, but an overall healthy relationship with food and approach to life. You don't have to avoid social situations that involve food because you now know how to handle them and can find your own balance.

2. Running a couch to 5k in one month seems cool because you only have to put in the work for one month and then you can run the race. You can do anything for one month. You go from nothing to running several times a week and you get super pumped for the race (which is great) - BUT because you didn't build upon a base, your body is feeling worn out, you aren't fueling and recovering properly and when you make it to race day - you get injured because you are not properly trained. One month is not enough time (for most people who aren't doing anything prior to beginning).

If you knew you wanted to run a 5k, why did you wait until the last month to start training? Is it because anything longer than a month seemed too long? Because you just wanted to hurry up and be able to run the race quickly, without taking that much time? Depending on where you are at with your fitness level, maybe a 3 month program (at minimum) would be the best place to start. You follow a plan that slowly builds up your base two to three times a week and can add on from there depending on how you feel. By adding in recovery days and taking the time to fuel your body after each workout, you feel great and make it to your race with a great performance!

3. You start taking a random supplement that you didn't research and doesn't have much science to back it up. It knocks you out at night pretty quickly. You go to sleep but still don't feel energized when you wake up. You want a solution now though so you keep taking the pills because it gets you to sleep. You never think that your nightcap while watching TV and scrolling social media on your phone has anything to do with it. You still feel tired and you are starting to experience some side effects from the pills.

Wouldn't you rather take the time to see what is causing your sleep issues? Maybe you do need medicine but go to a trusted doctor or therapist first AND try natural remedies before popping random supplements. You take out your nightcap and replace it with a cup of tea while reading a book instead of watching TV and scrolling through your phone and within a few weeks your circadian rhythm has been reset and you are sleeping like a baby. You actually feel refreshed every day!

While wanting to make changes to your lifestyle and health is fantastic, there are safer, better ways to do it than ANYTHING that promises instant gratification. These behaviors and habits you have developed throughout your ENTIRE life, are not going to go away in one week. There is no shortcut. You have to put in the work. The harder you work for something, the greater you'll feel when you achieve it. I also have to emphasize, putting in the work does not mean you have to do everything perfectly. There will be lapses and relapses and ups and downs along the way and that is 100% okay. Slow and steady is the way to go to make lasting changes. Nothing good happens overnight (normally). Stop trying to do everything so fast. "Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome." ~Arthur Ashe

Put in the work even if you can't see or feel the results yet. You will, and it will be worth it.

Think of your body as a 401K. The veggies you eat and activity you do each day is like depositing money from each paycheck into your account. When you are young, it might not seem to make that much of a difference, but as you continue to do it over time, you are building up bigger and better habits that will work to keep you safe and sound in the future. You would hate to wait until you are 50 to find out you have nothing to keep you going. It is impossible to catch up at that point. Wouldn't you rather look back and see how those small changes you made throughout your life added up to create vibrant results when the time came and it really mattered?

Invest in yourself. Don't sell yourself short. Your reward will come. Trust in the method.

If you are done with quick fixes, contact me for lasting results.

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Summer BBQ Salad Virtual Cooking Class

8/7/2020

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Summer BBQ Salad Virtual Cooking Class: make a chopped bbq ranch chicken salad with skillet cornbread and a peach shrub all gluten-free and dairy-free with Elena McCown, LLC a health coach in Franklin, TN

Please ROMAINE calm, even though school is back in session, summer is NOT officially over yet.

LETTUCE TURNIP the BEET and celebrate another month and a half of long summer days!

Join us on August 22nd at 5pm (CDT) via Zoom to make a filling and satisfying summer salad. $20 per household (we encourage the whole family to join in)!

We will be making:
Chopped BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad (naturally gluten-free and dairy-free)
Skillet Cornbread (can be made gluten-free and dairy-free but doesn't have to be)
Peach Rosemary Shrub (best made with gin or bourbon but really any alcohol would work)

Salads don't have to be a boring, obligatory side dish, make them the highlight and the main meal! This is the type of salad you will tell your friends about. No, no grill is required for this BBQ. Also, you can never go wrong with cornbread as a side dish ;) Let's soak up this summer feeling for as long as we can and enjoy these southern BBQ specials!

After you register, the week before class starts, you will receive an e-mail with a list of ingredients so you can buy your groceries and prepare ahead of time, as well as the Zoom meeting information! See you soon!

Register for the class by clicking Buy Now. By clicking Buy Now you agree to the Agreement, Waiver and Release below.

Hold Harmless Agreement, Waiver and Release

In consideration of being permitted by Elena McCown, LLC to participate in a virtual cooking class, I hereby waive, release and discharge any and all claims for damages or personal injury, death, or property damage which I may have or which may hereafter accrue as a result of my participation in said activity. This release is intended to discharge, in advance, Elena McCown, LLC, its officers, directors, members and managers, and all other members of its virtual cooking school staff whether contracted, employed or related, from and against any and all liability arising out of or connected to in any way with any participation in said activity. I understand that the activity that I am participating in may be of a hazardous nature and/or include physical and/or strenuous activity, that serious accidents occasionally occur during the said activity; and that participants in the said activity can occasionally sustain personal injuries as a consequence thereof. I also recognize that all people react to food differently and I will avoid the foods that I know I am allergic to and will ask for substitutions when necessary. Knowing the risks involved, nevertheless, I have voluntarily applied to participate in said activity, and I hereby agree to assume any and all risks of injury or death and to release and hold harmless Elena McCown, LLC, its officers, directors, members and managers, and all other members of its cooking school staff whether contracted or employed, or related, who might otherwise be liable to me. I further understand and agree that this waiver, release and assumption of risks is to be binding on my heirs and assigns. I hereby grant Elena McCown, LLC all rights and consent to copyright, use, re‐use, publish or re‐publish, copy, exhibit or distribute all photographs I have posted of the food I created to be used for Elena McCown, LLC website, social media, and any educational, training or promotional electronic or printed material without restriction as to frequency or duration of usage and without compensation. By agreeing to this waiver by clicking BuyNow, I acknowledge that I have carefully read this Hold Harmless Agreement, Waiver and Release and fully understand its contents. I am aware that this is a release of liability and a contract between myself and Elena McCown, LLC and any staff member of cooking class whether contracted or employed, or related.

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