tarahmichele

5 Rules for establishing a healthy (and abundant) career path

Published on August 22, 2017August 22, 2017 by tarahmicheleLeave a comment

Have you ever felt yourself stressing out about finances, your current career path or your professional value? Do those things make you instantly feel lost?

Perhaps you’re shifting careers, trying to decide what industry to break into, or simply trying to get your foot in the door ANYWHERE you can.

Regardless of where you are, I’ve developed 5 rules for creating career peace of mind that will pull you out of a career crisis. As a professional who’s worked in corporate, freelance and remote environments, and who’s experienced almost every up and down possible in a short period of time, these 5 rules keep me moving forward, thinking positively and ultimately successful no matter what I do! They introduce the routines necessary to find ease in the trajectory of your career.

1. Keep planting seeds

OK – I’m not talking about a real garden here. What I mean is to continually plant seeds in your professional garden. This includes expanding your professional network, following industry trends and job postings, growing your “extra curricular” activities and perfecting your unpaid creative endeavors.

Most opportunities won’t come from blind online applications, they’ll come from the people you’ve met and talked to in person or the passions you’ve perfected. The more you create, the higher chances of success you’ll have. Finally – always imply that you have time for new opportunities when talking to friends and family. Next time someone thinks of a recommendation, they might think of you!

2. Develop career grit

Be ruthless. I’m serious about this one. Whether you’re in a full-time, part-time or freelance position, don’t allow yourself to accept laziness in the workplace. Give your your projects and your team the energy, focus and attention they need. Trade in softness for authority, maintain your personal voice and hold your team accountable. It’s vital to conquer your own limits and extend past what you believe you can accomplish, which sometimes relies upon others.

Either you’ll be someone who complains at work and finds excuses to stay home or you’ll be promoted based on your work ethic, leadership and unyielding enthusiasm. Be better than the complainers, stay committed and be the BEST at what you do. It’s as simple as that.

3. Give yourself more time

Time is something difficult to accept when you’re starting a new position or career. You think to yourself, “I can’t afford to be paid this little. I need to be earning what that guy is earning and NOW.” The truth is, if you’re first starting your career or even beginning a new position, sometimes you’re going to take home less cash than you want to.

To earn more money, you need to prove you have a backbone in business. Honestly acknowledge your work experience and remember that you’ll have to prove to your future employers (and yourself) the value you provide. Give yourself more time. Don’t rush, you’ll end up doing something you hate. If you need money right away, start an investment fund and watch your dollar bills do the work for you.

4. Hold on to the triumphs

Sometimes we have brief moments of spectacular recognition and then before you know it you’re back to the drawing board, looking for your next big gig. What your parents often forget to tell you, is that your career should be a marathon, not a sprint. Small and large victories will be followed by epic failures. This will go on and on until you retire and then it will become personal successes and failures. This is what life is. If you’re expecting to get your dream job and then watch everything fall into place and see money fill your bank account forever, you’ve been fooled.

Jobs end, gig’s end, people forget what you’ve done and your career “fame” can plummet to the ground. Even the most successful people in the world have “made it,” and then they fall flat again…or the market crashes, or your company falls apart. So hold onto the small advances you make in your career, but put them down when it’s time and find your next adventure with humility. Don’t hold onto that one big job you had or that higher salary you acquired for a previous position. You’ll have an epic journey regardless, just keep conquering your own expectations and find optimism for what awaits you!

5. Don’t EVER compare

Comparison is the true thief of joy. In our Social Media worlds, we compare now more than ever before and therefore hold ourselves in contempt for not being as epic as someone else. But how will you ever understand your truth and your strengths if they can’t even accurately challenge someone else’s? What you see ISN’T what you get. There will always be someone better than you and there will always be someone worse off than you, no matter what. You’ll never be able to see yourself in the honest glory that you are if you constantly repeat to yourself,

“I don’t have that,” “I don’t look like that,” “I can’t travel like him,” “They got promoted and I didn’t,” “They make way more money than I do,” “How are they getting paid for drinking a smoothie?”

Your path is completely different from everyone else’s. I know it’s easier said than done, but if you expect your track to perfectly align with someone else’s, you’re not setting yourself up to win. Allow yourself a unique, healthy and abundant journey from start to finish. Forego badgering harmful thoughts into your head. Get off Social Media and read an inspirational book. Do more of what makes you truly happy and use it to find a work-life balance. Find gratitude no matter how difficult it may seem and remember that this chapter won’t last forever. You’re always on to bigger and better things.

If you want to read more about what you truly have to offer, read The Originals by Adam Grant.

This book will prove to you why the most successful people you’ve ever heard of, weren’t born with some magical gene that transcended them into fame and fortune. They were just like you and me.

Comment below with your own story! Have questions? Comment!

7 Tips for controlling your diet: beginner’s edition

Published on August 16, 2017August 17, 2017 by tarahmicheleLeave a comment

If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably spent a lot of time searching for ways to gain control of what you eat. If you’re trying to lose weight, get stronger, think more clearly or simply prove to yourself that you’ve got what it takes, then maybe it’s time to set yourself up for success!

Here are 7 ways to boost your appetite control and give yourself the necessary tools for a careful diet!

1. Don’t go to the grocery store hungry, EVER.

I mean it! If you go to the grocery store when you’re ravenous, you’re going to want whatever you see in sight. Grocery stores carefully place their food items in locations where customers will FIND the most visually stimulating foods. Take for instance the vegetables, meats and dairy. You have to walk ALL the way around the store to get to them! The unhealthy, snacky foods like sugary cereal, chips and soda are right smack in the middle aisle, across from the entrance of the store, which is where you’ll probably walk first. If you eat before you go to the store, you won’t throw whatever you see into your cart. You’ll spend time looking at ingredients, paying attention to prices and most of all, picking healthier foods.

2. Take your vitamins

This one seems obvious but you’d be surprised what people crave when they are nutrient deficient. That’s right. You eat random (often unhealthy) foods when you’re missing key nutrients. See below for samples of certain cravings and what could be causing them:

Sugar: dehydration, Magnesium or Chromium deficiency
Cheese: Essential Fatty Acid or Calcium deficiency
Red meat: Iron deficiency
Soda: Calcium deficiency
Alcohol: Calcium or Potassium deficiency

So pay attention to your cravings. See where they lead you and practice balance by taking your vitamins every day. If you need a great, reliable brand to start with, go with the doTERRA Lifelong Vitality Pack:

To buy from me directly, comment below!

3. Bring snacks with you EVERYWHERE

I’m not kidding when I say that I eat ALL DAY LONG. I do! No matter what, I keep a bunch of different snacks with me. Salty cashews from Trader Joe’s+ RXBARs are a current favorite. These foods last me no matter where I am or what I’m doing. If you let yourself go hungry and build up that diet frustration, you’re going to end up stopping at Taco Bell or something to grab a Crunch Wrap Supreme. Not worth it! So whatever your healthy snack is, just throw it in your purse or gym bag.

4. When in doubt, chug water

Okay so you think water is boring, I’m sure. It’s hard to drink it all day long. But truthfully, if you never leave the house without your HUGE (large Smartwater size) bottle, you’re going to mindlessly drink it all day. Leave it in the cupholder of your car and take a swig whenever you hit a stop sign or stop light.

You’ll quickly feel happier (because water actually lifts your mood, instantly), and you won’t crave nearly as much!

5. Give yourself a break

This is one of the biggest tips I can give you. Completely ditching particular foods for an unnamed length of time will lead to eventual failure. Don’t just stop cold turkey and expect it to last. Sometimes, you need to let yourself eat 3 cookies that your sister made when you went to visit her. (Yes that happened.) I basically inhaled 3 huge chocolate chip cookies because I KNEW that I stay on track every other day. It was a trust I developed with myself. It had been a long time since I had one chocolate chip cookie, let alone three, and here I was dipping them all in unsweetened almond milk and chowing down. Guilt didn’t overwhelm me because when I got back home, there weren’t any desserts in my house. I have established a solid habit of eating well and because of this, I can eat whatever I want sometimes. It’s called BALANCE.

6. Substitute dirty foods for clean foods (of the same flavor value)

Substitutions are a great way to balance your diet. I am going to give you some of the best substitutions I use to combat unhealthy fatty foods, carbo-loading and those desperate late night needs for sugar.

Rather than eating a bucket of ice cream eat this: (or any of Hail Merry‘s other delicious desserts.)

Rather than drinking sugary milks, drink this:

Rather than eating a regular greasy pizza, add your favorite toppings to this:

Rather than buying a Starbucks Lemon Loaf or pastry, drink this:

And finally, rather than eating ANY other power or protein bar packed with sugar and artificial crap, eat this:

7. Embrace small victories

It’s very important to congratulate yourself for conquering a sugar or unhealthy food craving. When you win, genuinely acknowledge how great you are and how difficult it is to smash these habits. After all, our “needs” are BIOLOGICAL after all! Take baby steps when creating a better diet routine. Don’t expect to have the same results as someone else, just take your fitness and health journey step-by-step until it’s manageable 100% of the time. Every time you go to the store and leave the chocolate cookies or caramel ice cream on the shelf, you win. YOU’VE GOT THIS.

By following these 7 methods for diet success, you’ll begin to build the foundation you’ll need to live your entire life from the seat of someone who’s killin’ it at life. That’s you.

Comment below with any questions or successes you might have!

The value of HABIT – 5 helpful tips to keep your fitness moving forward

Published on July 27, 2017 by tarahmicheleLeave a comment

Whenever people ask me about how long it took me to get fit and feel good, I say “25 years.”

And it’s true!

It took a long time – years and years, to establish solid habits, a routine and an expectation for how I want to feel. But don’t worry, you don’t need 25 years to build your OWN healthy lifestyle.

Over these 25 years there have been 5 distinct habits I’ve cultivated that give me the confidence to take a day off, and not worry that I’ll fall off the wagon.

5 tips to keep your fitness moving forward

1. You have your best workout, when you want to go the LEAST.

We all have days when the couch is calling. When we’ve had a long day at work, didn’t sleep very much the night before, or when we start making excuses because we are flat out lazy. Truthfully, all habits are built by actions. The moment you simply put your running shoes on, your mind is already changing. If you take the steps that you’d normally go through when getting ready for the gym or that spin class, your HABIT will start to develop. And watch, you’ll be SO happy you pushed through the lazy.

2. Find a buddy

Working out on your own is fine, but it’s WAY more fun if you can rope in a best friend or significant other to keep you accountable. If you feel lazy, knowing a friend is waiting for you will give you that boost to get off your butt and get out there. Plus, spending quality time with friends is one of the best ways to improve overall happiness.

3. What’ the rush?

Let’s be real, focusing on the “Lose 10 Pounds in a Month!” concept is ridiculous. It’s important to build fitness habits that are sustainable and not rushed. Embrace the moments of weakness, learn from them and document them. This is about building a healthy LIFESTYLE, not about finding a quick trick to shed the excess belly fat. While I’m a supporter of diving in head first, I’m also a supporter of establishing solid patterns. That is the best method for fitness success.

4. Month on, month off

This past year, I’ve tried a few different ways to get in control of my nutritional habits, and one method taught me far more than the others.

My boyfriend and I decided to take one month to give up something that wasn’t necessarily good for us, and see how we feel/see if we could actually do it! Our first month was alcohol, difficult, but not impossible. Our second month was sugar, eye-opening, yet effective. Our third month was simple carbohydrates – now I know how much muffins mean to me! So what was the result? The empowering feeling of knowing that we are 100% in control of what we put in our mouths. EPIC.

5. Switch it up

This is the one time I would say to break habit rather than develop it. Working out and exercising is effective until that day that your body gets too familiar with your workout routine. If you always warm up with the bike, jump on the elliptical, play a game of basketball, do something completely different to confuse your body. If you lift the same weights, even in rotation, give your body something NEW to get sore from. If spin class is your go-to, switch it for a jog or a yoga class. Then – watch your body transform.

Comments or questions? Comment below!

Are you following me on Facebook? Like us for all the best no-bullshit fitness + health tips. – Click ME

How I survived a month without alcohol or sugar (and lost a LOT of body fat)

Published on June 2, 2017 by tarahmichele4 Comments

I know, you’re thinking: “she’s crazy, right?” Well… I might be, but it worked! Yep, I’ve continued to keep this going past the one month mark and had no intention of doing so. After moving back to Seattle, I realized that coming off of a huge 6-month traveling tour took it’s toll on my gut as well as my mood. I’ve spent hours thinking about how food affects my body and mind and I soon realized that it wasn’t about cutting out cheese and butter. After reading a few books outlining the benefits of a diet with no sugar or simple carbs and an increase in healthy fat, I finally decided to commit to it. Just like that…commitment happened.

This new approach to eating began with baby steps. When I started to analyze my habits, I noticed that every time I’d drink wine or any alcohol, the rest of my diet would slightly slip. On nights I omitted the wine, I’d usually eat a delicious salad with hefty vegetables and sugar-free, healthy salad dressing for dinner. But whenever I’d drink even one glass of wine, I’d sit one my couch and start snacking on processed popcorn or ‘healthy’ chips. Then, that jolt of energy would kick-start my cravings for bread, chocolate, parmesan, pasta, pizza and everything else I was trying to avoid. I had never associated the two habits before, but once I paid attention, it made sense.

The first two weeks of cutting out alcohol were easy. My routines continued without issue: working out, lots of decaf tea and plenty of new books. But once social events began to fill the calendar, avoiding alcohol became far more difficult than I thought it would be. My friends and I would go to dinner and everyone would order a glass of something. But rather than sip on a cabernet or merlot, I’d just order boring old water and sip it begrudgingly as the rest of them cheered with wine soaked smiles. To add more to the struggle, I traveled to San Diego on a weekend business trip, which was filled with evening parties, networking events and business dinners. This is where the learning curve made itself even more known. During moments when I’d normally think nothing of a drink or two, I was suddenly glancing around the room like an ugly duckling with no social safety net.

I didn’t drink casually because I necessarily wanted to, but because it is a cultural norm. Conversation flowed more easily, happy buzzed vibes gave me energy and I’d enjoy a night out a whole lot more. When I stopped drinking, there was a constant, uneasy feeling of FOMO, (fear of missing out) on nights where everyone would go out to bars. It just didn’t sound fun to soberly watch drunk people laugh and spill their beers all night. ‘Why don’t we go to the park? How about a picnic? Laser tag anyone?’ I’d think to myself.

Noticing the social expectations of having a drink made me feel somewhat frustrated. I’m not an alcoholic, but it was eye-opening to watch how much of society revolves around drinking alcohol.

Soon though, something interesting and unexpected occurred. Once I set the standard for not drinking, I noticed my friends absorbing my actions. When I’d say, ‘No thanks, I’m not drinking tonight,’ they would say, ‘Oh, yeah I don’t think I want anything either.’ Then, we’d order hot water with lemon instead and guess what… we’d STILL enjoy each other! How incredible!

Kicking alcohol was just the start. The confidence I mustered during those initial thirty days led me into my next challenge: NO SUGAR. Cringe-worthy, right? I didn’t know what shutting out sugar would be like, but I wanted to discover what else I could accomplish.

Normally, I wouldn’t consider reading food labels because I usually eat whole, unprocessed foods, but once I started paying attention to what contained sugar, my habits again became even more obvious. Initially, I decided to cut all desserts. Yes, this was insanely challenging, but I remained bold and strict. (Even when someone brought Top Pot Doughnuts to work). Now THAT was excruciating. But every time I forced myself to walk away from those sugary foods, it got easier and easier. The first three times I nearly ruined my streak, but soon enough there wasn’t a question of whether I’d eat it or not. I just didn’t.

You’ll find that most items with heavy sugar content also are cakey, starchy, carbo-loaded foods like cookies, coffee cake, pancakes, pasta, etc. So cutting out alcohol led me to cut out sugar, which then naturally became cutting out simple and unhealthy carbs, all by association!

Fast forward to a month and a half later and I feel happier than ever with a clean gut and far less excess body fat. I don’t weigh myself because pounds aren’t important to me, but I still FEEL fifteen pounds lighter, which should be the focus of getting healthier. Throughout this time, I continued my workout plan of exercising five to six times a week, switching off between yoga and weightlifting. Cutting out all this crap has resulted in far more energy, improved mood and lightened spirit, all because I decided to take the plunge and risk being the ugly duckling at a gathering.

In order to give myself some inspiration to continue my alcohol free lifestyle, I tried having a glass of wine while working at a restaurant one night to see how it would make me feel. Immediately, my body spoke loud and clear. One glass of wine after weeks and weeks of a clean liver made me feel foggy, slightly dizzy and again, pushed me to order a cheesy french onion soup that I later regretted.

So what does this mean for you? Start small. If you aren’t someone who drinks at all, (good for you), this domino effect system will still work. Starting with something like caffeine, sugar or bread is just as good as alcohol. Test yourself to see what you can truly accomplish. This system especially works when you have a buddy doing it with you. My boyfriend was the one to initially suggest cutting out alcohol to be healthier and his partnership in the adventure helped immensely. In those moments where I was about to give up, I’d think of his dedication and successes, and find the strength to say no. So, to inspire you further, here are three books you MUST read:

Sugar Crush by Raquel Baldelomar & Dr. Richard Jacoby

Skinny Bitch by Kim Barnouin

Smart Fat by Jonny Bowden and Steven Masley

Eating well and regaining control of your diet takes small, intentional steps and patience. Upwards of 80% of fat loss can be credited to diet. Not only that, but mood and behavior is directly associated to what you put in your mouth. “Your mood comes from your gut,” my mother used to say. Cutting out something that is making your body sick, blended with activity and exercise will shove you into a new mindset, thus giving you the strength you need to be truly heathy and lose excess body fat.

If you need help getting started or some more information about health and wellness, write in the comments below so we can get connected! For more health tips, follow me on Instagram or Twitter !

Secrets to tackling winter in Banff

Published on February 18, 2017February 18, 2017 by tarahmicheleLeave a comment

Well, I definitely didn’t mentally prepare for winter in Banff. This place blew my mind and froze my face off! If you haven’t heard of it, you have to go there.

Banff was way colder I realized it would be and far more beautiful than I could actually pictured in my head. A few friends warned me about the temperatures, but you have to feel -10 degrees Fahrenheit to actually understand what that means. I’m not a pansy in weather either! So in order for you to rightfully prep yourself and have the most incredible experience possible, here are some travel tips:

1. Rent a car

There are shuttles that take you from Calgary International Airport to Banff, but if you want to capture the most beautiful photography at Lake Louise, Abraham Lake or in Jasper, you’ll need a car with all wheel drive. I can’t tell you how many front wheel drive cars we saw on the side of the road, stuck deep in about 5 feet of snow and ice. Make sure you get insurance for your vehicle to avoid that mess. I think its about $30 a day (Canadian). The best rental service as far as speed, affordability and availability was Alamo, located right in the Calgary Airport. We went to all the services trying to get the best rate and they beat out all the other companies. You can’t really walk very far in the winter, as it’s way too cold, so a car is definitely a must.

2. Clothing

You can’t mess around when packing for Banff. Pack a ton of layers, long johns, hand
warmers, hats, high quality gloves/mittens, face mask for skiing, a fleece, snow jacket, multiple thick winter ski socks, Sorel boots (or similar), waterproof snow pants, all camera equipment (including a tripod), hats, long insulated snow jacket and a GPS. There’s spotty service in the mountains!

3. Skiing/snowboarding

The first thing the locals told us was, “Make sure you have a face mask and goggles.” We didn’t prepare for it to be -15F at the peak of the slopes, so we had to buy those when we got there. My hands were throbbing and completely red with two layers of gloves on, so hand-warmers were completely necessary. You have to cover every tiny area of skin on your body with layers of clothing in order to feel comfortable in that kind of weather. Pack snacks and make sure you get to the slopes in the morning if you want to be on the mountain all day. For instance, Sunshine Village closed at 4:30pm, which felt somewhat early.

Rankings for ski resorts:

1st Sunshine Village – best variety of blues, greens and blacks, 25 minutes from the town of Banff

2nd Lake Louise – great option if you’re staying close to Lake Louise

3rd Mount Norquay – mostly blacks

4. Find the good food

If you’re going to stay in the town of Banff, make sure you take a walk through the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. It was built in the early 1900s, is definitely haunted, has a secret Gold Floor, boasts a beautiful outdoor heated pool in the snow and has some of the best restaurants in the area. Samurai, located on the first floor, has really great sushi. It’s not super cheap but worth it! (And I’m a sushi snob.) The town of Banff has mostly pubs and your average Canadian comfort food so we kept choosing the Fairmont restaurants time and time again. There are 12 dining options to choose from there!

5. Be adventurous

Make sure you don’t simply go wherever the top spots to visit are. Lake Louise, of course isn’t something you want to miss, but get out there and drive a ways out of town to find remote places that you can make your own. We took a long walk into the woods, not knowing where we were going and it was a blast. There was a wolf warning (a first for us) at the time, so we were careful, but other than that it was perfectly peaceful.

Spots not to miss:

Lake Louise

Johnson Canyon (there are two waterfall locations, both beautifully frozen in winter. Prepare for a 30-minute hike to the lowest point and a bit longer if heading to the upper waterfall. Can be icy, be careful!

Jasper

Lake Minnewanka

Banff Upper Hot Springs

Fairmont Banff Springs

Finally,

Leaving Banff can be hectic during the wintertime because airports and flights often get cancelled due to weather conditions. Our flight was cancelled and rescheduled for the next day. It might be safe to save a day after your trip for potential flight issues!

5 steps to boosting creativity

Published on January 10, 2017February 17, 2017 by tarahmicheleLeave a comment

Have you ever been caught in a creative lull? Perhaps you’ve been sucked into a negative spiral and can’t seem find your inspiration. Or – maybe you’re usually bustling with creative energy, yet it’s been weeks and you can’t seem to hold onto a good idea? We’ve all been there.

Some days are going to be better than others and we all get that. So how to you jump back on track? Well, it’s certainly different for everyone, but here’s a list to help you find your spark again.

1. Find your spot
I know when I need something to get my mind going, I search tirelessly for the most creative space I can find. Sometimes it’s a park, a library or a wine bar. Most of the time though, it’s a coffee shop with really, really good coffee. Sorry, no Starbucks for me. Getting myself out of my house or office, where I can people watch, daydream, sketch, and simply watch the world from a different perspective, helps fuel my artistic side. It’s the honest truth that I never blog while sitting on my couch; it just doesn’t happen. So find that place in your city or town that exudes good energy, often all you need is just some new vibes.

2. Break the routine

You have a specific routine. Everyone does. So when you desperately need to shift your stale mind, you must think differently and DO something different. What I mean by this is, when you have a go-to for inspiring yourself or a particular thought like,

“Oh, I’ll go read this one book and I know I’ll be inspired.”

Change it up. Rather than doing the expected, go ahead and have a glass of wine and relax. It takes opening our minds to get ideas flowing. You won’t get new ideas by doing the same thing over and over again. So go someplace new, text an old friend and meet up just to talk, or go to an art gallery and observe someone else’s creativity. Trust me, the next time you sit down to start working, you’ll have new images in your mind to work with.

3. Get away from your phone

Our phones are fun and all but our creativity shuts down when we mindlessly flip through other people’s amazing pictures. Not only that, but we tend to feel less confident afterward. You have to get outside and put your phone away to see color again. What I mean by color is the trees, landscape and beauty around you. I know vast landscapes always make me feel unstoppable. That, and a spontaneous road trip.

4. Use your contacts

TALK TO PEOPLE. Don’t be afraid to ask others to bounce ideas around with you. Even if you don’t tell them you’re seeking inspiration, just chat with someone who makes you happy. Matter of fact, find your most hilarious friend. When you laugh, you tend to be the most creative, unless you’re one of those genius melancholy artists who can always bust out something amazing.

5. Music choices

Music is everything for me when I’m working. Whether it be jazz, rap, acoustic, country or something else, each genre creates a different emotion within me, thus inducing completely varying reactions. Sometimes I throw on the Beatles in the car and I’ll have such a strong reaction that I’ll find myself daydreaming about traveling abroad and how I can get there. Then I’ll end up going. When it’s jazz, I feel more mellow and romantic. So think about it next time you throw on some tunes. Be intentional!

I hope this helps you brainstorm a few ways you can bring that fire back into your creative space. If you’re still struggling, this quote always helps me:

“All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning.” — Albert Camus

Staying healthy during the holidays

Published on November 23, 2016February 17, 2017 by tarahmicheleLeave a comment

The holidays are almost here! As much as we garner joy from this time of year, we also find ourselves dreading some of the hidden habits that we take on from October 31st to January 1st (or 2nd depending on how hungover you are.)

So how do we stay on track? Is it simply impossible? Should we just accept that we’ll fall off the bandwagon and deal with it later?

One of the most important aspects of staying healthy and lean is to not give yourself the option to dive off the deep end. I know that whenever I’m home with family, I’ll crave baking a pie or cooking with as much butter as I can get my hands on. But before I give myself the option to consider opening up that old school cookbook my mom’s had for 30 years, I remember that if the food is there, I’m going to eat it. I can’t handle the temptation. So how do we still enjoy this time of year without quitting our favorites cold turkey? I have one word for you:

SUBSTITUTIONS.

Substitutions definitely work but take more thoughtfulness. Nowadays, there are so many foods that can help to stop your cravings and make you feel satisfied without having to indulge.

This is what I mean:

Craving sugar? Pie? Cookies? = chia pudding with almond milk, cinnamon, honey, shaved almonds, fruit or a cup of tea sweetened with honey or Stevia. Many times your sugar cravings kick in when you’re dehydrated. Take a minute to down a few glasses of water, wait 10 minutes and see if you still have the craving. I bet you don’t!

Want a big ol’ juicy steak? = often times we crave a burger or steak because we’re low on iron or protein. Our minds are wired to go there because the flavors are most abundant. But, there are so many vegetable dishes that end up satisfying us just like a burger would. I know that sounds crazy and you might be rolling your eyes right now, but give it a try. Here are some decadent vegetable recipes that will help curve that craving while satisfying you on all levels: Dig-in!

Need a buzz? = GO FOR WINE. Don’t slap the bag or chug it at dinner, but wine often helps with digestion. Still, don’t go crazy. Try having a glass of red rather than sugary, syrupy, goopy, Cinnamon Bailey’s, Egg Nog over-the-top holiday craziness.

Overeating = overeating is a common side-effect of the holidays. Everything is just so yummy so why not fill your entire plate twice because it’s so welcoming? Because you’ll die from the expanding digestive tract inside you. THAT’S WHY. Think about this: the day before everyone arrives for Thanksgiving and Christmas, drink as much water as you can. Drink water like it’s your job. The more water you drink, the less pain you’ll feel after the meal. You’ll be slightly full before the meal so you’ll eat less.

So while that turkey looks beautiful and indulging, think about preparing for the massive amounts of food and set yourself up for success. You’ve worked so hard to eat consciously, now keep yourself on track!