Jan 2, 2018 | Blog
I know New Years has come & gone but it’s never too late for a cocktail recipe!
Last week I saw this cranberry-kombucha cocktail recipe on Instagram & I decided to give it a try, but without the sugar it called for.
The recipe they shared includes cane sugar but I wanted to see if it would be tasty with just the sweetness from the kombucha. It turned out great!! It was definitely sweet enough for me so I’ll share exactly how I made it!
First, I headed to the liquor store to find vodka that is gluten free. Many vodka brands are grain-finished and therefore contain gluten.
I bought Zachlawi brand sweet potato vodka. It’s really smooth and even has a natural bit of sweetness to it.
You could go so many ways with the kombucha but I used GT’s brand – Trilogy flavor – and I got the 1.4 liter bottle. Every brand and flavor has a different amount of sugar so if you’re trying to minimize your sugar consumption, make sure to take a look at the label & compare!
Then I picked up fresh rosemary, fresh cranberries and unsweetened cranberry juice. Keep in mind: most juice you buy in the juice aisle will have added sugar so make sure you’re looking at the ingredients! Just cranberries and water! No sugars!
In a large pitcher I combined:
- 2 handfuls whole cranberries
- 1.5 cups unsweetened cranberry juice
- 1.5 cups vodka
- 1 large bottle of kombucha (1.4 liter bottle)
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
I let it sit for about 4 hours in the fridge before drinking. You want to make sure to give that rosemary flavor some time to develop! It’s so worth it!
I made sure each glass included some whole cranberries and a sprig of rosemary but I skipped the sugar rim around the glass.
The kombucha adds a sparkle & fizz plus some sweetness – it’s a great balance to the bright bitterness of the unsweetened cranberry juice.
Cheers! Enjoy it!
Jan 1, 2018 | Blog
This idea of “starving distractions” keeps popping up all around me.
I don’t recall where I first heard “starve what keep you stranded, feed what makes you fly” but I adore it.
Then, yesterday on Instagram, I read “feed your mind, starve distractions“.
If you’d rather listen to this post than read it, please click here.
In Tribe of Mentors, Steven Pressfield has some strong words about distraction.
“…the Internet. Social media. That wonderland where we can flit from one superficial, jerkoff distraction to another, always remaining on the surface, never going deeper than an inch. Real work and real satisfaction come from the opposite of what the web provides. They come from going deep into something…”
See? It’s everywhere.
It’s also great advice.
No matter how good our intentions are or how much we want to create change, if we continue to give in to distractions, we will struggle to get where we’re trying to go.
One of the questions I’ll be asking myself every day for the month of January is:
How can I remove or reduce distractions today?
I think it’s important to frame the question in terms of the day at hand instead of overall. First, that brings your attention to the present versus projecting it onto the future. Second, forces your answers to be immediate & tactical instead of theoretical.
To begin to implement this strategy of reducing distractions, first you have to know what is distracting you.
What takes your attention away from doing the things that will move you forward?
- Social media?
- Television?
- Video games?
- Comparison?
- Sleeping in?
Know what these are for you.
Then, ask yourself what you are able & willing to do today to reduce or remove your biggest distractions.
Here’s what that often means to me:
- Not turning on the television until after 8pm
- Adhering to specific windows of time where I will look at or respond to emails
- Closing Facebook & Instagram
I’m not suggesting those strategies will work for you, but I’m certain you can identify a few that work do!
2018: Starve distractions.
Starve what keeps you stranded. Feed what makes you fly.
Dec 29, 2017 | Blog
It would mean a lot to me if you would do something for me today. It doesn’t matter if you’re reading this post on 12.29.17 or any other day. Whenever you see or hear these words, please do me a favor.
Go out of your way to make someone smile. Go out of your way to make someone know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you care about them and love them.
On December 29th, 2004 my life changed.
If you’d rather listen to this blog, tears and all, instead of reading it, please click here.
I was in North Carolina in a teeny off-campus apartment during Christmas break of my senior year. Just the day before I had been at home in New Hampshire but drove back for my part time job.
The rest of my large family was in New England, skiing and celebrating Christmas.
Do you remember AOL Instant Messenger? Well, that night I was on AOL IM when my 13 year old cousin Dylan sent me a message.
“You need to call your mom.”
He was at my mom’s house – they had been skiing that day – but it was late. Probably almost 10pm. Maybe a little later.
“Why?” I asked. “It’s late.” My mom is an early bird like me. Early to bed, early to rise. I figured calling would wake her up.
“I can’t tell you, but it’s bad.”
I was worried but I figured something happened to one of my grandparents. They were in their 80s. I called home and my mom answered immediately.
Her voice sounded different than I had ever heard it. I still can’t describe what it sounded like. She didn’t say hello. She just said, “Why are you calling?”
Casually I responded, “I don’t know. Dylan told me to.”
There was a pause.
“Dad’s dead. The police are here. I have to go.”
She hung up. She was in shock, I’m sure. Only minutes earlier Dylan had answered the door for the police who told my mom that her husband, my step dad, the man who raised me, had been in a fatal accident just a few miles down the road.
It was a nightmare. It was real life, but that evening in North Carolina, planning how I could get home as quickly as possible, was the beginning of a terrible nightmare.
I’m not sharing this story because I want your sympathy. That’s the last thing I want.
I’m telling you this story, that I’ve never shared here with the Primal Potential family, because I want to share the joy and vitality of my dad with all of you. And I want to encourage you to share some of the joy & vitality in your own life.
I have an opportunity to really make that happen by sharing a little bit about him with you so that you can help me spread his heart & his joy.
He was not a complainer. He wasn’t a perfect man, by any stretch of the imagination, but he was undeniably full of life and full of joy.
We need more of that. All of us.
Growing up, when we’d leave for school, he’d send us off by saying, “Make someone smile today!” When we’d come home, he’d follow-up, “Who did you make smile today?”
He made everyone around him smile. He drove a big construction van and placed a huge, neon smiley face pin on the dash of the van. You couldn’t miss it. Everyone saw it.
He’d loudly (and perfectly) whistle “Don’t Worry Be Happy” in grocery stores so we’d know where he was, and to bring a smile to all the other shoppers.
He was never afraid to spontaneously break out into song. Of course we were regularly embarrassed but he didn’t care at all.
My mom hates this picture but I love it. They threw the best parties – this was their “ugly bridesmaid dress, tacky suit” party. He was the fun at every party.
He adored my mom & she showed it. He sent her flowers at work every Monday and would regularly say to me & my sister Debi, “Isn’t your mother beautiful?”
He had the loudest laugh you’ve ever heard and he wasn’t afraid to shout warm greetings in public places. “Heyyyyyyyyoooooo!”
He helped everyone he could, whenever he could. He gave huge hugs, even to strangers.
I am pretty sure that if I could speak to him today and ask him how I could make him proud, he would say, “Make your mother feel special today.” That I can do.
And I’d like to extend a variation of that to you.
Please make someone smile today. Be a bright light in the world today. Please do it today and please do it more often.
12.29.04. I will make your light shine brighter. The best of you is a huge part of me.
Dec 28, 2017 | Blog
Are you hungry or do you just want to eat? There is a difference & it’s an important one.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click here to listen.
I regularly remind my clients that there’s no food that is a good choice, from a fat loss perspective, when your body doesn’t need fuel.
If you eat when you’re not truly hungry and/or your body doesn’t need fuel, you’re giving your body extra, regardless of where that extra comes from (brownies, chips or carrots).
What happens to extra fuel? It’s stored.
Most of us have these internal dialogues…”It’s late. I’m bored. I’m not hungry but I want a snack. What I really want is ice cream but I’ll have a bar instead…it’s still sweet but better than a bowl of ice cream….
I get it. It’s logical. I’m all for making improvements, but the reality is, extra fuel is stored. It doesn’t matter where the fuel came from. If your body doesn’t need it, it gets stored.
To practice improvements here, create a habit of asking yourself this simple question:
Am I hungry or do I just want to eat?
I ask myself a similar question when I’m working out: Do I have to stop or do I just want to? One hundred percent of the time I don’t have to stop, I can keep going, I just want to stop because stopping is easier. That simple question helps me keep pushing.
But what if you don’t know? What if you aren’t sure if you’re truly hungry or you just want to eat?
It’s totally normal to struggle to know what’s true hunger. For example, you might feel that hunger sensation in your belly just a short while after eating and wonder how you can be hungry already. I try to think about it from a common sense perspective:
- What did I eat last?
- When did I eat last?
- What have I been doing since then?
- From a logical perspective, does it make sense that my body needs more fuel right now?
If I had a full meal a couple hours ago and I’ve been sitting in my office working since then, it’s very unlikely that my body needs more fuel.
When in doubt, wait it out.
Rate the hunger sensation on a scale of 1-10 and then do something else for 30 minutes. If you’re still thinking about food in 30 minutes, rate your hunger again before deciding if you want to eat.
If eating when you’re truly hungry (and not eating when you aren’t hungry) is something you need to work on, take a listen to these episodes of the Primal Potential podcast for specific strategies on improving your response to hunger and minimizing hunger all together!
Episode 051: False Hunger & Real Hunger
382: The Relationship Between Hunger & Results
403: When Hunger & Satiety Signals Break
174: Hacking Hunger
137: Always Hungry?
Dec 27, 2017 | Blog
As I’m writing this, it’s early morning on December 27th & I’ve decided to create 4 great days, starting now.
If you’d rather listen to this post than read it, click here.
The holidays can be tough. Our schedules are off, there are lots of parties and get-togethers, treats, sweets, drinks, leftovers…you name it.
A holiday can turn into weeks or months of over-indulging and not feeling so great.
The good news is – we can create a change right now. We are all just a few great choices away from feeling so much better. That’s why I’m leading the charge with 4 great days.
Of course, you don’t have to do 4 days. You can do 4 great hours. You can do 1 great day. You can do a great week or a great month.
As for me, I’m drawing a line in the sand right now. I have zero guilt about holiday cookies. They were delicious. I’m not trying to make up for them, I’m just trying to make myself feel great today.
I have zero guilt about not getting in the workout I planned to do yesterday. It didn’t happen. I don’t have to make up for it. But I’m ready to make myself feel amazing.
There is a caveat: It’s not enough for me to define what I’ll do and not do, what choices I’ll make and not make. It’s not enough to define a great day and then hope I execute it. It takes more attention & effort than that.
I will write this plan out here and then I’ll keep coming back to it, several times a day, to make sure I’m focused on making the next hour or handful of hours amazing. I’ll focus on just a few hours at a time.
So, for today and the following 3 days, here’s what amazing looks like to me:
- Up at 5am
- Drink a full glass of water before having any coffee
- Journal for 5 minutes before work
- Work for 90 minutes without TV on
- Workout!
- Black coffee only until lunch & 2 liters of water daily
- Lunch will be the same for all 4 days for simplicity: cabbage salad bowl
- No snacking
- Dinner will be noodle-free chicken soup OR meat & veggies depending on how hungry I am
- Meditate for 10 minutes no matter what
This structure helps me establish simple decision making criteria.
Will I crave sugar? No doubt! I’ve had a fair amount of it over the past few days. But, for the next few days I’m simply not having it.
I’m not negotiating with myself. I’m not making a case for why it’s an okay choice or arguing for doing better on Monday or when the leftovers are gone. I’m creating 4 amazing days now.
When I find myself wanting something sweet or wanting to snack on nuts or bars, I’ll remind myself why I’m doing this. In just a day, I can feel more energetic. I can feel motivated. I can feel leaner. My ring can fit more comfortably. My workouts can feel better. And in 4 days, going into New Years Eve, I can feel pretty dang fantastic after 4 great days.
The simplicity of this structure make it easier and faster for me to make decisions without stories, drama, excuses, delays or justifications.
Your structure might (and probably should) look different. Your timeframe might look different. You get to define what a great day or a great morning, evening or afternoon looks like for you.
But the point is this: we all have the ability to create an amazing day today. We have the ability to feel infinitely better tomorrow, physically & emotionally, by capitalizing on the choices that are opportunities today.
Dec 26, 2017 | Blog
It’s the day after Christmas! I hope you had an amazing day!
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click here.
My pre-Christmas dinner strategy was on point for sure.
- I got up early and worked for a few hours.
- I worked out at home with my sister.
- My first meal was around noon – a shared charcuterie board with nuts, meat & cheese.
- I skipped the bread at Christmas dinner, and the booze, in favor of cookies and ice cream (dessert is more worth it to me than alcohol or starch)
But I definitely had those cookies & ice cream. And a chocolate covered pretzel. They were delish. No drama, no guilt.
I find that it’s super important to have a post-holiday strategy. Not rules, not restrictions, just a clear sense of how I’ll make myself feel amazing the day after indulging.
Surely my energy will be a bit lower than normal today and my cravings a bit higher – those are pretty predictable responses to the sugar I had last night.
My strategy always includes a few components:
- movement
- nutrition
- hydration
- mindset
- sleep
I can’t get to the gym today because of a conflict between the limited holiday hours and my work schedule, but I can workout at home. Ready for this one? I am!
- 100 kettlebell swings
- 100 goblet squats (with the kettlebell)
- 100 push-ups
I’ll complete the entire workout as fast as possible, resting only when I have to.
As for nutrition: I have plenty of fuel in my system. Put plainly: I ate more than my body needed yesterday. That’s totally fine, I’m not mad about it, but it means my body doesn’t need as much fuel today. I have a holiday dinner tonight so I’m planning to fast until dinner. This is not a punishment for eating cookies last night, it’s just a simple response to the fact that my body doesn’t need more fuel right now. It has plenty from yesterday.
Hydration: Other than a couple cans of La Croix, I didn’t drink much water yesterday. Today, I’ll prioritize hydration. I’ve already filled up my Yeti tumbler with water and I’ll make sure to drink three of them today, at a minimum.
Mindset: I’m expecting cravings. As they come, I’ll remind myself that I had plenty of sugar yesterday and while yes, it tastes great, it doesn’t make me feel great. I want to feel amazing. Today I’m making choices based on how I want to feel. Less is more. Choose less.
Sleep: I will be in bed by 10pm tonight.
Remember: you are only a few great choices away from feeling amazing! Make one great choice at a time!
Dec 22, 2017 | Blog
Someone reached out to me yesterday on Instagram to request that I share my top songs of 2017. I’d be happy to!
This list is courtesy of Spotify, which curates a list of your top songs, artists and genres each year!
I have super diverse taste in music. I’m a fan of rap & hip hop when I’m working out, classical when I’m writing and for every time in between, it totally depends on my mood.
My top artist of the year was Imagine Dragons followed by Chris Stapleton, The Score, The Chainsmokers & Max Richter.
My top genre was pop followed by modern rock, country road, contemporary country & country. Interesting!
My top song was There’s Nothing Holding Me Back by Shawn Mendes. All the rest are below!
Here’s a link to the top 100 songs I listened to on Spotify this year.
On this list, my current favorite is, by far, Fire Away by Chris Stapleton. I’m actually suprised he doesn’t have more songs in my top 20 or so because I’m certain I listened to Tennessee Whiskey a few billion times.
Turn me on to some new music! What were your top songs & artists of 2017? What’s your fave song to workout to?
Dec 21, 2017 | Blog
There are no words to express how much I love my Primal Potential Masters Club. One of the posts from yesterday inspired me so much I just have to share it with you.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click here.
I was given permission to share this with you and really, there’s nothing I need to add to it. It’s pretty perfect as it is. Here’s the post from one of my incredible Masters Club members.
It’s Win it Wednesday! I have to share a little story which sparked today’s thoughts. My just three year old has a darling lisp and a bit of an over bite that makes understanding her hard sometimes. She and my 5 year old had a strep throat /stomach flu combo this week. Needless to say they’ve spent some time on the couch watching movies. She started yelling something that I could decipher as “align! Re-align!” I finally figured out she wanted me to rewind a part of the movie she found funny. If I rewound it too far she’d say “not that far, just again!”
This sparked a lot of thoughts and journaling on them. How many times do I start over, or go back too far? Why do I find repeating the work that is important and needs to be repeated to become habit so hard sometimes? Instead of saying “I’ve blew it today I’ll start over later, what can I do right now to align myself with my vision, values and/or goals again? I know I make a lot of extra work for myself physically, mentally and emotionally when I rewind to far and start over instead of pressing on with the next choice.
So I’ve been adding the affirmation “I align, not rewind” to my journal every morning this week. It’s helping form that mindset a little more and stay focused on what real focus should be on. That’s been a big win for me, especially after a less than stellar weekend.
Anyone want to share a favorite way you align yourself back?
Completely amazing, right?
You don’t need to rewind. You just need to align.
Dec 20, 2017 | Blog
My fall Fat Loss Fast Track groups are coming to a close this week (winter kicks off in early January) and I’ve been reminding my groups of the importance of being a finisher – of learning to finish strong – practicing a strong finish to a program, to a day, to a week, a month or simply a meal. In a world where we feel like we’ve mastered the strong start (at the expense of ever finishing, nevermind being a strong finisher) this practice can be a real game changer.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click here.
My grandpa used to love coming to my basketball games when I was a kid. In addition to shouting at me to rebound and be aggressive, he’d remind me to leave it all on the court. Give it everything you’ve got. Don’t come off the court with any energy left. Leave it all out there.
That has evolved into one of my favorite mantras during a workout – “last set, best set”.
Last set, best set.
It reminds me to bring my very best effort at the end of the workout. Even if I was pacing at the start to feel out the workout, the end isn’t the time to give up or surrender or back off. It’s the time to bring my best and leave it all on the floor. I want to finish with nothing left to give. I use the end of the workout to show myself what I’m really capable of and push beyond my comfort zone.
Every time I do, it builds my confidence. It shows me where maybe I was slowing down or stopping short of my capabilities because of fear or uncertainty or discomfort. Practicing this strong finish makes me better.
Of course it improves my fitness but it dramatically improves my mindset.
I’m sure we’ve all seen runners who put on the brakes as the finish line gets close. Their last few steps are slow, resigned lopes. We’ve also seen runners who turn on the turbo boosters for those last few steps – blasting across the finish line with every ounce of energy they can muster, and then some. They finish with nothing left.
It’s easier for me to apply this inside the gym than outside the gym.
For me, and for many of my clients, outside the gym we’re more likely to finish with resignation & surrender than strength – to finish with the hope for tomorrow instead of pride in today. The perspective of “Oh well, I’ve already blown the day, I might as well eat the rest of the cookies so they aren’t here and I have a fresh start tomorrow” is the absolute antithesis of finishing strong.
We have to use every day as an opportunity to practice.
Did you go out to dinner & indulge in a couple drinks and the warm bread from the bread basket? Finish strong without dessert.
Was your day a hot mess of stress & chaos? Finish strong by slowing down, getting organized and setting yourself up for success tomorrow morning.
Have you been eating everything in sight for the last few hours? Put on the brakes. Have the rest of your day be the rest of your day.
Maybe 2017 hasn’t been the epic year you hoped it would be and you can’t wait for a fresh start in 2018. Sure, new beginnings are great but commit to finish 2017 strong. Impress yourself. Do your best. Make yourself proud.
Practice being a finisher.
Leave it all on the court.
