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While I have been home I have been going through various things and some things were pertaining to my mom- she had COPD, sarcoidosis, congestive heart failure, insulin issues etc especially in the later years before her passing-- she's a big reason for my journey towards becoming a nutritionist. I am not quite to the point of being a nutritionist yet-- but I have made it to being a nutrition intern. Hoping she is seeing this and is proud-- wish I could still be helping her along with others but I think she would be excited to know I am at least still trying to help others..
Well, it's an understatement when I say how emotional some of these things are but I thought I would share some of the things in them such as a 7 day meal plan I used and modified for my mom weekly... We stuck towards 6 small meals/snacks with high fiber and protein. See below for examples of what we tried to follow-- Monday Breakfast: Greek yogurt with strawberries and oats. (would make a few for the week and place them in the frig for whenever) Snack: Baby carrots with homemade hummus Lunch: Whole-grain sandwich with precooked turkey beast sliced and vegetables (her favorite was baby spinach-there would be quick to grab sandwich baggies prepped without mayo or mustard- and no lunch meat-- the meat would be from grilled or cooked skinless chicken breast sliced for sandwiches or baked turkey beast sliced etc.) Snack: Homemade Chocolate Protein bar Dinner: Homemade chicken salad with celery, ranch dressing. Snack: A piece of fruit or cup of fruit for dessert (orange or kiwi or berries such as a medley of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Tuesday Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins, walnuts and cinnamon. Snack: Small apple with nut butter (she loved apples and it was usually peanut butter low sodium) Lunch: Leftover chicken salad from the night before. Snack: celery with cream cheese Dinner: Salad with tomatoes, grilled chicken and cheese with Italian dressing. Snack: Smoothie (usually pre-made sandwich baggies (fruit and/or veggies) for quick to grab then all that would be need is almond milk or juice) Wednesday Breakfast: Omelet with veggies (peppers, baby spinach), and tomatoes. A piece of fruit. Snack: Small banana with nut butter (peanut butter low sodium.. but there are others out there) Lunch: Whole-grain sandwich, with leftover grilled chicken, cheese and fresh vegetables (baby spinach usually-- it was a favorite). Snack: Homemade Chocolate Protein bar Dinner: Meat lasagna. (individual homemade lasagna containers placed in the freezer) Snack: Mixed, unsalted trail mix of nuts sprinkled on top of frozen yogurt Thursday Breakfast: Yogurt with berries and unsalted nuts or ground up flax seed or granola. Snack: A piece of fruit with cheese stick Lunch: Leftover meat lasagna from the night before. Snack: celery with cream cheese Dinner: Baked chicken, served with brown rice and vegetables. Snack: Homemade Chocolate Protein bar Friday Breakfast: Eggs and vegetables, rolled in a burrito (usually homemade pre-made in freezer). Snack: A piece of fruit with cheese stick Lunch: Greek yogurt with strawberries, oats and nuts. Snack: Baby carrots with homemade hummus Dinner: Stuffed pepper with a side salad. Snack: Smoothie (usually pre-made sandwich baggies (fruit and/or veggies) for quick to grab then all that would be need is almond milk or juice) Saturday Breakfast: Oatmeal with raisins, nuts and cinnamon. Snack: Small apple with nut butter (she loved apples and it was usually peanut butter low sodium) Lunch: Whole-grain sandwich with vegetables. Snack: Baby carrots with homemade hummus Dinner: Homemade pizza topped with cheese and vegetables Snack: Homemade Chocolate Protein bar Sunday Breakfast: Omelet with veggies (peppers, baby spinach), and tomatoes. Snack: A piece of fruit with cheese stick Lunch: Leftover pizza from the night before. Snack: Smoothie (usually pre-made sandwich baggies (fruit and/or veggies) for quick to grab then all that would be need is almond milk or juice) Dinner: Grilled chicken, with vegetables and a small baked potato. Snack: Mixed, unsalted trail mix of nuts sprinkled on top of frozen yogurt Please note she didn't always follow above especially towards the end but she tried as much as she could... plus there were foods we had to avoid because they caused bloating and gas which would make eating for her uncomfortable like beans, broccoli, onions etc. Lastly, some tips we learned along the way-- -Choose foods that are easy to prepare. Save your energy for eating, otherwise you might be too tired to eat-- definitely made sure of this while making sure less sugar, processed foods and low salt options were eliminated. -Ask your family to help with meal preparations or other tasks too-- This was a hard one for my mom-- we tried to make sure she was as independent as she could be but when she couldn't we were ready to help but getting her to ask was very hard.. so please ask family and/or friends for help-- it's okay to do so when you need it. This was one thing we worked on all the time because it was so hard for my mom to ask for help especially what she deemed as “easy” tasks when in reality they weren't easy tasks anymore. -Check to see if you are eligible to participate in your local Meals on Wheels program. Or the various shopping programs like Instacart, Peapod etc. -Freeze extra portions of what you cook so you have a quick meal when you're too tired- definitely tried to help make sure things were in the freezer for quick meals and snacks. -Rest before eating so you can enjoy your meal. Try eating your main meal early in the day so you have enough energy to last you for the day-- sometimes mom's dinner meals were breakfast and breakfast were dinner... it helped to make sure she was getting everything necessary for the day. -Don't drink 30 minutes to an hour prior to meals and don't drink during meals-- save fluids for after meals/snacks or in between so that you get the necessary nutrients – another aspect that was hard for mom but we worked on it especially when she could only have 64 oz daily (CHF). -Also putting down your fork or spoon in between bites so you are mindful and in the moment helps with slowing down one's eating. -Making sure airways are clear and sitting up while eating is also a key point in lessening pressure on the lungs while eating. Well, that's all I have for today... will continue to dig through what I have and research for more... Hope this helps and finds you well. With Gratitude, Linnette Johnson, MS, MA Integrative Functional Nutrition Intern Health & Wellness Coach 5 Elements Coaching LLC
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I have been having a few off days... Feeling sluggish and fatigued beyond measure...along with asthma flares... makes things hard and I have to push extra hard to get things done when this happens ..
Well it came to a head today...it was so bad today that I barely got out of bed... When I get like this I feel even worse cause I feel guilty about being so anti-social...and at the same time I can't help this... It doesn't occur often but when it does it hits hard... No its not the corona virus...no fever, no cough etc.. No...I have Hashimoto's (autoimmune) and PCOS (metabolic)...plus asthma..all things that are at play right now...mentioned in my introduction video the other day... Furthermore, I had some blood work that showed I was having iron deficiency issues...started the OTC treatment along with making sure my food intake increased with iron rich foods too... B12 was fine and so were my thyroid levels (Hashimoto's) and female hormones/insulin levels (PCOS) etc...however I see more blood work in the near future to make sure other changes aren't needed... At first the change was great...felt energized and probably over did stuff... Now I'm feeling the affects... Hoping to gain some balance soon...doing some self care currently by resting, eating healthy, drinking water and maintaining the required wash hands and social distancing... Well, I wanted to let you know..Im still here and will be back little by little... See even a Nutrition Intern and Health & Wellness Coach has health and other issues that occur in life that can knock them for a loop too.. With all that said.. How are you doing today?? In all that's occurring don't forget to take care of yourself and your family whether blood or not... With Gratitude Linnette Johnson MS, MA 5 Elements Coaching LLC Health & Wellness Coaching is– Goal oriented and driven by YOU
Support to help YOU reach your goals Holistic– Health and Wellness focused for YOU Big picture focused by YOU Two-way relationship between YOU and coach Tailored to YOU Health & Wellness Coaching is NOT– Prescriptive Medical Advise or Therapy Focused solely on Nutrition and fitness Being told what to do One size fits all 1. Ask Evocative Questions – Use Open-Ended Questions
Examples: – Why would you want to make this change? (Desire) – How might you go about it, in order to succeed? (Ability) – What are the three best reasons for you to do it? (Reasons) – How important is it for you to make this change? (Need) – So what do you think you’ll do? (Commitment) 2. Ask for Elaboration When a change talk theme emerges, ask for more detail: – In what ways? – How do you see this happening? – What have you changed in the past that you can relate to this issue? 3. Ask for Examples When a change talk theme emerges, ask for specific examples. – When was the last time that happened? – Describe a specific example of when this happens. – What else? 4. Looking Back Ask about a time before the current concern emerged: – How have things been better in the past? – What past events can you recall when things were different? 5. Look Forward Ask about how the future is viewed: – What may happen if things continue as they are (status quo). – If you were 100% successful in making the changes you want, what would be different? – How would you like your life to be in the future? 6. Query Extremes Ask about the best and worst case scenarios to elicit additional information: – What are the worst things that might happen if you don’t make this change?
Ask open questions about where the client sees themselves on a scale from 1 – 10. – On a scale where one is not at all important, and ten is extremely important, how important (need) is it to you to change _______? -Follow up: Explain why are you at a ___ and not (lower number)? – What might happen that could move you from ____ to a _____[higher number]? – How much you want (desire), – How confident you are that you could (ability), – How committed are you to ____ (commitment). 8. Explore Goals and Values Ask what the person’s guiding values are. – What do they want in life? – What values are most important to you? (Using a values card sort can be helpful here). – How does this behavior fit into your value system? – What ways does ________ (the behavior) conflict with your value system 9. Come Alongside Explicitly side with the negative (status quo) side of ambivalence. – Perhaps ____________ is so important to you that you won’t give it up, no matter what the cost.  1. Write out your goals and desires. In my classes we learned that goals should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Action-based, Realistic and Time-oriented. We all have visions of what our wellness and health should be so by starting there we can begin the journey.
2. Ask what, when and how. Make a list of the hurdles that keep getting in your way of living a life of wellness. Then determine which ones are true obstacles – things that you need to work around or find solutions to along with the dreaded excuses. Anything that feels like a pit fall from previous attempts. 3. Have a plan. Most major tasks and/or projects have a plan in place so this should be no different. Make a plan for accomplishing your goals, as well as solutions for overcoming the hurdles. Be flexible, kind and compassionate while also having fun and making it active. Lastly, be specific about your goals and how you want to make them happen. 4. Start a journal. Great way to keep your goals, desires, barriers, obstacles, excuses, solutions and plan all together but remember this is your journal and should reflect you. Set it up so it’s easy to use so that you will use it and can find everything you may need fairly quickly. Lastly, include space to just let your thoughts flow no matter if it’s venting, rejoicing, celebrating or just writing your feelings. You’ll be amazed at how freeing a journal is and how much growth can be obtained but just writing it down. 5. Begin your journey where you’re standing now. Where are you right now, this moment, on your journey? Accept where you are and where you need to be and begin the steps necessary to bridge that gap. If, however, you find that old issues keep popping up, preventing you from reaching your goals, you may need to seek counseling. Sometimes the only way to move forward is to first go backward if needed but there is no time like the present. 6. Take one step at a time. What happens when a builder forgets an important step in building a house? Or a chef leaves out an important ingredient in a recipe? Doesn’t work so well, does it? It’s the same thing with your life. You must take certain steps in order to reach a place of well-being—and remember to make it fit your lifestyle. This is all about you.. 7. Learn from your setbacks. Making mistakes and experiencing failure is all a part of being human and living. Rather than getting down on yourself, take that setback and turn it into something positive – something you can use to reach your goals. Sometimes life is indeed two steps forward, one step back! 8. Spend some time “cleaning house.” This is intended to be both literal and figurative. When our homes are a cluttered mess, it’s impossible to function well. Ditto for our schedules. Create a list of your activities and decide which ones aren’t contributing to your overall purpose in life. De-clutter the schedule and concentrate on those activities that bring meaning to your life, and ultimately to others that matter to you! 9. Stop comparing yourself to others. We’re bombarded by images of “perfect” bodies every day. It’s easy to get caught up in all of it and feel as though we’ll never measure up but reality is we are unique and there is no one else like ourselves so it’s time to embrace- love ourselves, enjoy what we have to offer and give because it’s enough. Also remind your self that what is seen on televisions, magazines etc., at due to great lighting, photo shopping, professionals such as mark up artist, surgeons etc. Not all of it is real Stop comparing yourself to a fantasy and just be the best you that you can be because in the end– that’s all that truly matters! 10. Reward yourself. It’s OK to feel good about yourself! And it’s OK, and beneficial, to reward yourself for your accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem. A date at the movies, a new outfit, a bubble bath and if it has to be food then may be a meal at your favorite restaurant… whatever you don’t normally take the time to do, as long as it contributes to your well-being, is an awesome reward! You deserve to shine to the world who you are because you are amazing right now and right here… be healthy and well… Blessings, Linnette Johnson 5 Elements Coach |
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