75: Heather Englund: Self-Care for Body & Mind

05/06/20 • 57 min

Just in time for Mother’s Day, let’s all take a deep breath together and celebrate the hard work we do every day taking care of our families ... by taking care of ourselves. Today’s show features self-care strategies and “you” time. Together with my guest, Heather Englund from Fit Mama Real Food, we’ll explore things like food and hydration, mindful movement and outdoor time, and fun, laughter and gratitude. Self care is important for the health of your body and your mind.

Heather Englund is a self-care guru and fellow podcaster. She’s the face and voice behind the food and healthy living website, Fit Mama Real Food. On her blog, podcast, and website, she shares recipes for the entire family, tips for bringing kids into the kitchen, and quick and effective home workouts--all to help you feel and live your healthiest, happiest, and best life. Heather and I met through email and connected over our love of podcasts. In today’s episode, Heather shares self-care strategies to help us carve out that essential time for ourselves.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Heather: she’s a mom of four young kids, makes her home in the state of Washington, and is a fitness instructor, blogger, and podcaster
Why Heather wakes up early to get it all done and steal a few kid-free moments
Eight strategies for carving out time for self-care:
- Nourishing food--You will feel better and more energized if you fuel yourself with good food.
- Meal planning--It cuts down on food waste and takes stress away. Heather shares how she makes Banana Custard Oatmeal and Homemade Flaxseed Granola for her family.
- Moments of quiet--You have to be intentional about stopping and being quiet. Take a solo walk and find ways to pause to breathe and be present.
- Hydration--Water is good for your health and affects your energy level. Add in fruits and flavors to make it fancy!
- Laughter and fun--It really is like medicine for your soul. Tell jokes, play games, and don’t be so serious about life.
- Gratitude--Think about what you’re grateful for and how you are blessed with big things and little things. Be more positive.
- Outside time--Vitamin D from the sunshine is good for your health and immunity. Even a few minutes of sunshine and fresh air can improve your quality of life.
- Mindful movement--Take a walk. Find an exercise that you enjoy to get the maximum physical and emotional benefits. Get the kids involved, and remember, if you can’t commit to long workouts, that every single minute still counts!

Resources:

Banana Custard Oatmeal recipe

Meal Planning Mamas Meal Planner:

A 52-week meal planner and favorite recipe keeper. Includes step-by-step meal planning + meal prep instructions to simplify your meals.

Hemp Granola recipe

8 Minute Get-Energized Yoga Workout with Heather

5 minute fitness challenge on YouTube

YouTube channel with more workouts + recipes

Fit Mama Real Food: https://www.fitmamarealfood.com/

Liz Weiss, MS, RDNFood & Nutrition Blogger, Podcast Host, Author, Speaker, Spokesperson

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz's Healthy Table

Listen to my Podcast

Read my Blog

Media Excellence Award winner - Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics

Show Highlights:

Get to know Heather: she’s a mom of four young kids, makes her home in the state of Washington, and is a fitness instructor, blogger, and podcaster
Why Heather wakes up early to get it all done and steal a few kid-free moments
Eight strategies for carving out time for self-care:
- Nourishing food--You will feel better and more energized if you fuel yourself with good food.
- Meal planning--It cuts down on food waste and takes stress away. Heather shares how she makes Banana Custard Oatmeal and Homemade Flaxseed Granola for her family.
- Moments of quiet--You have to be intentional about stopping and being quiet. Take a solo walk and find ways to pause to breathe and be present.
- Hydration--Water is good for your health and affects your energy level. Add in fruits and flavors to make it fancy!
- Laughter and fun--It really is like medicine for your soul. Tell jokes, play games, and don’t be so serious about life.
- Gratitude--Think about what you’re grateful for and how you are blessed with big things and little things. Be more positive.
- Outside time--Vitamin D from the sunshine is good for your health and immunity. Even a few minutes of sunshine and fresh air can improve your quality of life.
- Mindful movement--Take a walk. Find an exercise that you enjoy to get the maximum physical and emotional benefits. Get the kids involved, and remember, if you can’t commit to long workouts, that every single minute still counts!

Resources:

Banana Custard Oatmeal recipe

Meal Planning Mamas Meal Planner:

A 52-week meal planner and favorite recipe keeper. Includes step-by-step meal planning + meal prep instructions to simplify your meals.

Hemp Granola recipe

8 Minute Get-Energized Yoga Workout with Heather

5 minute fitness challenge on YouTube

YouTube channel with more workouts + recipes

Fit Mama Real Food: https://www.fitmamarealfood.com/

Liz Weiss, MS, RDNFood & Nutrition Blogger, Podcast Host, Author, Speaker, Spokesperson

Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series

Website: Liz's Healthy Table

Listen to my Podcast

Read my Blog

Media Excellence Award winner - Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics

Previous Episode

74: Grocery Shopping, Food Safety, and Take Out in the Age of COVID-19 with Hilary Thesmar, PhD, RD

Join me on this week’s podcast as I clear up the confusion about the safest and most efficient way to grocery shop, food safety and coronavirus, and restaurant take-out in the age of COVID-19. My guest is Hilary Thesmar, PhD, RD, Chief Food and Product Safety Officer and Senior VP of Food Safety Programs for the Food Marketing Institute (FMI). Hilary is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in Human Nutrition and a Ph.D. in Food Technology. Wait until you hear her advice on how to handle your groceries when you get home from the supermarket, why it’s OK to order and eat take-out from your favorite restaurants, and how the supply chain is adapting to the distribution of things like milk, eggs, and toilet paper to the supermarket.

Show Highlights:

Get to know Hilary, her work at FMI, her family, and her dog
A recent survey’s findings about grocery shopping habits during the pandemic.
How people have changed their shopping habits
Why people worry about finding groceries and supplies that they need
How the supply and demand principle affects our resources during a pandemic
Why we can’t find toilet paper at the store
Why farmers are having to dump their milk
Procedures to follow for food safety in the middle of COVID-19, including employee health, cleaning and sanitation policies, and social distancing rules
What to do with your groceries when you get home from the supermarket
Why water is the best way to clean your fruits and vegetables
Why we need to be smart in our shopping practices
The increase in food assistance programs and their benefits
Why it’s OK and safe to order take-out meals from your favorite restaurants
Hilary’s home-cooking food philosophy during the pandemic

Resources:

Grilled cabbage from Liz’s website

Podcast Posse

COLOR, COOK, LEARN 26-Day Challenge

Next Episode

76: Kitchen Conversations During Quarantine with Amber Pankonin, David Orozco, and Melissa Joy Dobbins

How have you been navigating grocery shopping, cooking, and meal planning during quarantine? My habits certainly have changed, and I've talked about it on the show over the past few months. So this week, I thought it would be fun to hear from three fellow dietitian friends and podcast hosts to see how they're coping with the new normal and how their cooking, shopping, and eating habits have evolved over the past few months. Tune in for tips on turning dinner into tasty lunch leftovers the next day; how to bust through dinnertime boredom by trying new "out of the box" recipes; and why you don't have to feel guilty if you're not baking your own sourdough bread.

Amber Pankonin hails from the great state of Nebraska. She hosts the Healthy Under Pressure podcast, where she interviews entrepreneurs about how they thrive and grow even when faced with daily stresses and challenges. Amber has important words of wisdom for each of us about giving ourselves a break during difficult times and not feeling like we have to be Wonder Woman or Superman right now. She reminds us that we don’t have to play the comparison game. I am not making sourdough bread at home, and I’m no longer feeling guilty about it.

David Orozco is a “guy-e-titian” who hosts the One Small Bite podcast where he addresses nutrition topics for men. He joins us from Georgia with survival stories from his home kitchen. Every night he’s there with his wife and daughter as they prepare healthy dinner meals that double up as lunch the next day. No PB & J for this guy-e-titian!

Melissa Joy Dobbins, from Illinois, hosts the Sound Bites podcast. She has a magical way of taking the latest science and nutrition and translating it into essential news that we can all use. She’s home with her husband and two kids now, and she’s craving variety because she’s bored with the same old meals. You could say that the pandemic has brought out the chef in Melissa as she has explored new mealtime creations. She’ll share her inspiration with us.

Show Highlights:

From Amber:

Get to know Amber and her podcast
How we stay healthy during stressful times:
- Take care of yourself
- Don’t play the comparison game
- Give yourself grace
How Amber’s shopping habits have changed as she is more intentional about food waste and more experimental in the kitchen
Liz’s dinner plans for tonight: Asparagus Quiche (check out the recipe in Resources!)
Why Amber is more intentional about meal planning
How living in Nebraska gives Amber access to local meat and produce directly from the farmers

From David:

Get to know David and his podcast that’s geared to men
How David is handling the pandemic with weekly grocery trips that include masks, gloves, and extra cleaning measures
The biggest difference for David and his family is that they are home together for all three meals---and the dishwasher runs almost non-stop
Repurposing family dinners for lunch the next day:
- Cuban Pork Sandwiches made from leftover tenderloin
- Buddha Bowls made with leftover tofu stir-fry
Why handmade pizza is a favorite for dinner--and breakfast--and lunch
David’s Colombian roots, his childhood in NJ, and the last 30 years in Atlanta

From Melissa:

Get to know Melissa, her podcast, and her family
How Melissa has coped by shopping less often, mostly buying the same foods, but keeping more junk food on hand
The changes in Melissa’s household: her husband has started making homemade bread again, and they have made homemade birthday cakes
Why dinnertime for Melissa’s family has included more variety and more comfort food
How Melissa finds one-pot inspiration from Shelley Rael’s The One-Pot Weight Loss Plan cookbook
Why ordering takeout has become a huge treat for the family
Melissa’s advice for feeding a family during a pandemic: “Find what works for you.”

Resources:

Links for Amber:

Amber’s website: www.stirlist.com

Amber’s podcast: www.healthyunderpressure.com

Instagram: @RDamber

Twitter: @RDamber

Liz’s Asparagus Quiche: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/2014/06/06/crustless-asparagus-quiche/

Liz’s cookbooks that she’s revisiting: https://www.lizshealthytable.com/cookbooks/

Links for David:

David’s website: https://www.one...