Thursday Thoughts – Grace & Space

Thanks for hanging out with me for a few minutes today for Thursday Thoughts. This is my (mostly) weekly column about all the random stuff going through my brain and things I’m digging. Mostly, it’s a way for me to connect with you!

1) Grace and space. Last week, I didn’t publish a Thursday Thoughts column. It’s not that I didn’t want to, but the week totally got away from me. I introduced my new Made Strong strength program last week, and it was banana-pants-crazy-awesome to see it being so enthusiastically received by you. But, every time I launch something, it requires a higher level of focus and energy. So by the time Thursday rolled around, I was feeling a little drained. And then I felt the tiniest guilty for flaking on you with the column.

But then I remembered my theme for this year: grace and space. Some people think themes are cheesy, but in that moment, it helped me. I set the intention that this year, I’d be a little bit easier and softer on myself when normally I’d be quite rigid. I am an Upholder after all. (If you’re familiar with Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies framework, that shouldn’t surprise you.)

I’m ridiculously committed to and love my job, but I’m also trying to give myself the grace to put the phone down, close the browser tabs, and just be.

2) Favorite Pandora station for work…Hans Zimmer Radio. What’s yours?

3) Huge props to Snooze AM Eatery for its new “no straw” policy. Since the beginning of 2017, I’ve been trying to limit the amount of disposable plasticware I consume. I carry a Mason jar plus leather holder (from Holdster) for drinks; a kickass insulated water bottle (from Mizu); and a metal straw when I can. I don’t always get it right, but I feel a lot better about trying to reduce how much single-use plastic I use.

4) I’ve been working with an awesome team on the upcoming website transition. If you didn’t catch my announcement last month, I’ll be rebranding to a new name this year and building an entirely new website!! One of the things that’s come out of our work so far is that this site isn’t very easy to navigate, and we’ll be taking great pains to structure a user experience that’s far better for you.

So here’s where I’d like to hear from you:

What are your features that make it easier for you to use your favorite websites? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

5) Black. Panther. I’m so excited to go see this today! Have you seen it yet?

6) I’ve been thinking a ton about personalized nutrition since that’s where the food part of this website is going. Paleo is one on-ramp to understand eating nutrient-dense whole foods but it’s not the be all, end all. Here’s what I wrote on Instagram yesterday:

“You have to know the rules before you can break the rules. It’s hard enough to go from a Standard Western Diet with tons of processed carbs, poor quality fats and low protein intake to something that resembles a nourishing whole food diet. But then I see you struggling because before you’ve learned the basic ins and outs of a nourishing whole food diet, you’re trying to sexify it with all the trendiest stuff (some of which is bullshit) under the sun. It’s tempting. Marketers are tricky. And convincing. Hardly your fault.

“How do I intermittent fast and eat very low carb while also fueling for my triathlon training or the CrossFit Open?” isn’t an uncommon question amongst some newbies to a whole food approach. So I ask back:

Do you eat lots of veggies and enough protein and healthy fats?

If you’re avoiding animal protein, do you know how to properly combine protein-dense plant foods?

Do you understand what to supplement if you’re eschewing all animal products?

Do you eat roughly 3 times a day?

Do you cook a majority of your meals at home?

Do you know how to properly prepare grains and legumes if you’re eating those foods?

Do you have normal hunger/satiety signaling?

If these answers are no, that’s when people usually wind up being LESS successful with taking on more specialized eating tools or trends like cycling carbs, keto, intermittent fasting, vegetarianism/veganism, butter coffee breakfasts, and the like. I’m not against these approaches across the board, but they’ve got to be used in the right context. A hammer can be used to build a house or smash someone’s car window. Same tool, different application. One works. The other is gonna get you in trouble.

Again, these things can work but you have to know the rules to break the rules. You may be too stressed, too busy, or not yet experienced enough to dabble in the sexy shit right off the bat. If you really do want long term change, commit to mastering the basics first. You got dis ”

This message is so important that I wanted to share it here on the blog, too. More on this to come as the rebrand goes forward.

7) OMG! The new cooking videos are here! The goal is to share one per week going forward. You get a peek into my kitchen, and I’m sharing some of my favorite recipes. Click here to see the first one where I make my Roasted Butternut Squash Soup!

Okay my lovely. Hit me back with an answer for: What are your features that make it easier for you to use your favorite websites? Can’t wait to hear from you!

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