You Are What You Eat, And That’s Why I’m An Oompa Loompa
The past year has been a transitional one for me. I quit my job of six years, I was unemployed and financially broke for months, I wrote a full draft of my book, and I got a new job that I love!
It seems the winds of change weren’t done for me after just one year. I took on the task of planning an international wedding. I continued working on my book. I had a secret civil ceremony abroad. And then my family and I laid my brother-in-law to rest. Four days later, Joe and I had our stateside wedding ceremony and revealed our big surprise.
It doesn’t seem possible that I’ve undergone so many emotional extremes – some of which in one week’s time. I know I lived it. But I can’t believe it. I just knew it was time that I start taking care of myself. Mentally and physically.
The big push to get started came after reading Arianna Huffington’s book, Thrive. It’s amazing and well-researched. And I had the pleasure of meeting her at BlogHer14. In her book, she discusses the strengths and increased productivity from exercising meditation, getting enough sleep at night, and separating ourselves from technology for awhile.
I started practicing a few of her tips, like not checking social media an hour before bedtime – and going to bed earlier!
About a month ago, my best friend asked me if I wanted to do the 21 Day Fix challenge with her. It’s a daily workout and meal plan. I was in the midst of the wedding and decided not to, but when it came up again this month, I said yes.
And that brings me to all the green food I’ve eaten.
I’m eating a lot of green food.
Cucumbers
Avocado on top of my Chicken
Spinach and Kale
Kiwi
Everything I’m eating is GREEN!
In addition, I also ate peas, green beans, and asparagus.
I started worrying that if I continued to eat so many green foods, I would eventually turn GREEN!
And then I’d look like an Oompa Loompa!!!
But I still crave junk food sometimes.
I’m done with week one. And good news, I’ve gone grocery shopping and bought vegetables of other colors. For now, my pigment is sage safe.
I’m liking how I feel so far. Taking care of ourselves is a luxury most of us don’t honor. But I’m glad I timed myself out and did this. My brain and body feel energized and are able to start processing the events of this past year.
What are you doing for yourself this week?
Must Read Monday
Hello friends! I’m catching up on my NaNo goals today, so no post from me, but I won’t leave you empty handed. Check out my favorite posts from the past week. There’s a bit of something for everyone, practical writing advice, book reviews, creepy legends, and hilarious love advice!
Word Stuff:
MuseInks gives us the Top 5 Reasons You Should Do NaNoWriMo. Reason number 6: It’s fun!
Kristen Lamb talks Successful Writers and the real truth about the word “lucky.” A must read for all writer wannabees. Take control of your career!
Kristen Lamb also did a post about how to focus on relationships with other writers. She warns you of the bad advice and assists with how to make a real connection happen in How to Win the Hearts of Bloggers – Scoring the Book Review, Guest Post, or Interview.
Freshly Pressed blogger, Jolie O’Dell, gave her Secrets to Productivity recently and really revealed how this gets her a jump start ahead of her peers and what tricks she uses to help wake up in the morning.
Writer Unboxed shared a guest post on how to Be a More Confident Writer and offer 5 tips to help you on your way.
Jillian at A Room of One’s Own wrote a beautiful review on the biography and history of author Laura Ingalls Wilder. Get swept away into The Big Woods of Little House on the Prairie creator.
Health and Wellness:
Mark Landen gives you the health advice and brain foods you’ll need this fall to crack your “WIP” into place. *LOL, I’m hilarious! Ok, seriously* Must read: 11 Ways to a Healthy Brain and Healthy Writing.
Piper Bayard gives us the health care resolution for her presidential candidacy: Granny Care, Putting the Care Back in Health Care. To which I may add, a vote for Granny is a vote for free chicken noodle soup for all!
Social Trends of the Season:
Margaret Reyes Dempsey guest blogs at Celluloid Zombie about the Willing Suspension of Disbelief for movie watchers everywhere. Join the heated debate: 300 zombies out of nowhere, now spotted yards in front of you with binoculars…believe it or not?!
If you haven’t yet checked out Gene Lempp’s Zoo Arcane series, you’re missing out. He’s got great mythology research, enticing book ideas for your use, and never fails to find something most of us have never heard of before. His latest spooky series was on Evil Little People, a title I’ll try not to take personally at my whopping 5’2″. 😛
Amber West’s edition of Worth a Watch Wednesday was on ABC’s new show Once Upon a Time. Fairytales and present day crime drama combine. Just caught my first episode Sunday night, and I’m intrigued!
Looking for love in all the wrong places? Tawna Fenske just may have the answers after cat-sitting for a friend. For a good time, read Please Pee So I’ll Know if You’re Sexy.
Any other NaNo’s out there? How’s it going? And everyone else, what fun have you been up to since we’re all shut inside?
Hello Chip, we need to talk.
If you’re familiar with my blog, you know I am making this year a year of writing. And each week, I take on a new assignment or resolution to see how it will impact my writing. Many posts I’ve recently read have talked about living a healthy lifestyle to be able to have more focus and energy while we writers combat day jobs and novel writing, household upkeep, and family. You can read two very interesting blogs about that process by Kristen Lamb and Joy E. Held.
This week, I accept that challenge. I am boldly going where I’ve not gone before, and leaving the bag of potato chips untouched, for at least one more hour, meal, day. I vow for one week to make healthy living choices, and 
substitute chips for fruits and veggies at least once a day. And meals in general. I have been running on “fly by the seat of my pants” meals to be packed for work: String cheese, lean cuisine, a bag of chips, applesauce – I may or may not eat. Time to make time for cooking again. I know I’ll have fun making the grocery list! So many tasty words like garlic, chicken, pesto, and provolone. Mmmmm. Ok, definitely cooking again! Better not get too crazy with the list, add more green things.
But it’s not enough to change my diet and wallow over savory smells in the household again. I must also write. And what better way to keep me on track with my dietary discipline than to blog about my meals. So, sit back and relax, grab a bag of chips and transition with me for one week while I change the way I eat and see what it does to my writing for the next 3 posts.
*Writer’s Note* If any of you notice me pulling a Jane Eyre and describing something totally delicious on a plate right in front of me, using like 500 words to tell you about that delectable dish, and I don’t eat it, feel free to break said dish over my head. I cannot abide by oppressive dietary rules, nor make my readers deal with it either.
Happy writing! See you in the produce aisle!
Jess Witkins' Happiness Project 