ORANGE PARK – In the words of the late Jim Morrison, “Summer’s almost gone…where will we be.” Technically there is still a month left, but with the kids going back to school and life …
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ORANGE PARK – In the words of the late Jim Morrison, “Summer’s almost gone…where will we be.” Technically there is still a month left, but with the kids going back to school and life getting back to normal, thong season is drawing to a close.
Personally, I had a summer that was filled with tremendous growth. Life had presented me with a variety of challenges, and significant changes needed to take place. We welcomed a beautiful baby girl last fall, we lost a matriarch of our family in February and I was working entirely too much. As a result, my personal and professional lives were circling the drain. I started to address these opportunities approximately 6 months ago and the results are now starting to reveal themselves.
Once I made up my mind up that things were going to change, the doors started to open for me. I took the summer off from my second job in order to spend time with 6-year-old daughter. I reconnected with an old Muay Thai coach of mine, Kru Giles Wiley. Finally, I took a much-needed look at what I was putting into my body from a nutritional standpoint.
Kru Giles has a fantastic Muay Thai gym on the Southside of Jacksonville called Jacksonville Muay Thai. I have found it to be the most effective exercise for me. A domino effect occurs when I attend classes. I go to class twice (or more) a week, then I eat better and work out at my house as a result. It’s something that I know works so I just go with it.
Another huge change came in the form of nutrition. I wasn’t reacting to the challenges life was throwing at me in a healthy way and drastic action needed to take place. I purchased an 11-day program from a company called Isagenix and they included a detailed guide to kick start a healthy eating plan. The program helped teach me portion control and reinforced fruits and vegetables as part of a balanced eating plan. In addition to nutrition, I had to learn that unrealistic expectations were not the best environment to manifest growth on a personal or professional level.
Just like I preach in this column, mise in place is a practice that can be highly effective and used in other areas of your life. In order to have continued success in the changes that I have made, I had to prepare for the success the night before. Laying out my gym clothes and prepping my smoothies the night before have helped make these changes stick.
It’s been a great summer. I got to spend time with my daughter and reconnect with old friends. Drastic changes don’t feel drastic anymore; instead they feel empowering and encourage me to keep pushing towards what I want in life. Losing 10 pounds is only a byproduct of some much-needed soul searching. Below you will find my daily smoothie recipe. I like to prepare a few of them at a time and keep them in the freezer for convenience. I hope it helps.
1 large handful of raw kale (washed and stems removed)
1 large handful of raw spinach (washed)
1 tablespoon of raw flaxseeds
1 tablespoon of raw chia seeds
Protein or nutritional powder of your choosing
1 large handful of frozen fruit
Blend and enjoy