Case of the Mondays?

For those "Office Space" fans, my version of "Mondays" used to be slightly different.  As my perspective has changed, so too has my appreciation for this grossly underappreciated day of the week!

Instead of dreading Monday and another week full of "to-do's" and "have to's", use it rather as a fresh start to correct the missteps of the previous week.  This is not however to suggest you quit half through each week and just say to yourself that, "oh well I'll just 'start over' on Monday."  Set your intentions for the week ahead of you, and make a plan for how to accomplish them.  By intentions (like goals), I don't mean "intend to but don't" or "this is what I'd like to do but don't see how it will ever happen" ..... I mean, contemplate what needs to be done and what you would like to do and set your focus, your heart, and mind to doing it.  Your intentions are your direction.  Your plan is your road map on how to get there and accomplish your goals.  Our limits are ever moving as we evolve on our journey.  Let's set about moving some "limits" this week & change what Mondays represent!!!!

How did I start my Monday?  Dragging ;-) 4:30 a.m. came way to soon this morning and I really had to talk myself into getting up and getting going!  Once I got into my daily routine of morning snack (protein shake & apple) before my 5:40 a.m. workout with friends, I was no longer thinking about what I didn't want to do and was completely focused on what I was doing in the present moment.  That's another little tidbit to try and start doing if you are not already in the practice:  Once you have assessed what needs to be done for the day, week, month, what have you, and made a reasonable plan for going about accomplishing that lovely list....don't dwell on the whole list, just take each item as it comes and live in each present moment.  Once I started practicing that, whew....so much stressed removed from my shoulders!

How did your Monday start?  Whether it was a rough or smooth start, did you feed your body the breakfast it deserved?  If you are not already in the habit of eating a supportive breakfast (or even eating breakfast at all), this is a great time to throw that ball in the air and give it a try.  There are a lot of breakfast ideas on Healthy & Yummy Recipes but if you want one more.....Following my workout, I of course drank a recovery whey protein shake along with a serving of prunes.  My breakfast was about 40 minutes after that and I ate:

3 large eggs prepared in an iron skillet with a 1/2 TBL of extra virgin olive oil and 1/2 TBL of Cayenne Pepper (no need to add salt when you can add something healthier and more flavorful...I get plenty of sodium from other sources and recipes that need salt).  I did my quick fried scramble method and when the eggs where close to done, I added 2 cups of fresh spinach.  Put that on a plate with a 1/2 cup of warmed frozen shelled edamame.  I ate all of that alongside a cup of strawberries, a whole grapefruit (all natural...no need to sugar or artificially sweeten), slice of whole wheat toast (post workout was the prime time to get in this carb), and a cup of decaf green tea.  Was a very quick and easy breakfast to prepare on this jammed packed day of activities and was an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, protein, healthy oils, needed carbs, and fruits/veggies.  In this one meal, I ate 592 whole foods, unprocessed calories, 28g of mostly healthy fat, 59g of healthy carbs, 34g of protein, 430mg of sodium (see what I mean about the sodium....it adds up quickly and that was without adding any salt to anything), 13g of fiber  This all added up to 4 servings of fruit (I like to front load my fruit so I don't get so much sugar later in the day) and 2 servings of veggies (that's just for breakfast).  To prep it was less than 10 min.  To devour and clean up was maybe another 10 min if that.  A little less than 20 min, I had prepared, eaten, cleaned up after, and logged (yes, logged my food) a very supportive and metabolic boosting breakfast!!!

Share your Monday in a comment below.  Or, share one of your supportive meals (whether it be breakfast, a snack, lunch, or dinner).  The more we share, the more we support others on their journey!  Happy Monday ;-)