Life has been crazy and I have been very busy. I am still working full time as an RN in Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. I have my business Connie’s Pathway to Health LLC., I am a Shape ReClaimed practitioner, I offer redlight therapy and body composition analysis at my office. I am continuing to learn and grow about health and wellness in order to provide my clients the best quality care. Last year I started a youtube cooking channel called Cooking with Connie. My channel focuses on gluten free and sugar free recipes to improve your health through the foods you eat. The basics of gluten free low sugar baking (youtube.com) This is the first of the videos and we have created a lot of recipes over the past year with new ones to come. We put the recipes in the comment section of the videos. Remember to like, share and subscribe to my cooking channel.

Ingredients: 4 Chicken Breast Cooked and shredded

1 32oz Jar of low sodium Chicken Broth

30 oz Jar Salsa Verde

2 4oz can diced green chiles

2/3 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 12oz bag rice cauliflower

1 cup Greek yogurt

Mix all of the ingredients in a soup pot or your crockpot and heat until all ingredients are hot and mixed well.

Happy New Years!!!! 2019 was a year filled with learning and growing. I started my Master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling and Life Coaching this summer and through this process I have been challenged to learn new skills and to grow with my relationship with God. My son got married in September and I was able to travel to Greece which is something that I have been planning for the past 10 years. I was able to share this experience with my best friend and adventure partner. 2020 I will have new challenges to experience and with God as a partner He will take me to where He needs me to be. I will try to add more recipes that you can incorporate into your new healthy lifestyle. Remember that the greatest danger to a great life, is a good life, so make sure you are not settling for less than what God wants to give you.

33 years ago today I completed my last exam in my ADN in nursing program and embarked on my nursing career.  I had a 10 year plan that took and abrupt turn this very night 33 years ago because I also met my husband that night.  My plan was to leave my home town to move to Indianapolis and continue my education getting a BSN and specialize in psychiatric nursing because I was very fascinated by the mind and how it works.  I moved back to my home town after working in Indianapolis for only 1 year to marry the man that I met that night.  My continuing education was delayed by 15 years due to marriage and 2 children but God really did put the desire to learn in my heart so I went back and got my first BS but it was in management and not nursing.  God also through some of my own health challenges in their to lead me to pursue a Master’s degree and Doctorate in Natural Health.  Then final in 2013 I completed my BSN and then went on to get a Master’s in nursing education.  When I decided to surrender my path to God I was able to find my what God had planned and that is where my joy and happiness were found.  Raising 2 great children and having a husband that always supported my educational pursuits which has allowed me to accomplish all of these things.  My nursing career has lead me into teaching patients how to be healthy through Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.  I continue to embrace what is coming next in my journey and pray for God’s wisdom to make correct choices.

I have not been on here for a long time but I am going to try to commit to writing more in the new year.  I have gone through tremendous change and challenges the past 2 years and about to start a new adventure.  I have had personal success in weight loss and improving my health through the Shape reclaimed program.  I am excited to be able to provide this program in my community to others.  I have been approved a Shape practitioner and will soon be open to seeing clients in Shoals.  This program is all about decreasing inflammation and detoxifying the body in order to regain health and to make permanent changes that will lead you down the pathway to health.  If anyone would like more information contact me or check out the website www.shapereclaimed.com

If you are looking for a sweet treat and you want to pack some nutrients then make your own.

My version of peanut butter cups

4 scoops of vanilla Biotrust protein powder

2 tablespoon chia seeds

2 tablespoon flaxseeds

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 cup creamy peanut butter ( use the natural to eliminate transfats)

3  3.5oz 70% dark chocolate bars

1 teaspoon coconut oil

Mix together all ingredients except the chocolate bars and the 1 teaspoon coconut oil.  put the filling in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.  Melt your chocolate bars and 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Use the mini cupcake wrappers and put a small amount of chocolate on the bottom of the wrapper then make a small peanut butter ball and place in the wrapper then cover with the melted chocolate,  Place the candy in the freezer to set up.  I made about 20 candies with this recipe and they have less than 10 carbs per candy and have and have  nice does of anti-inflammatory omega 3s.

 

 

None of us are perfect but everyday we have choices to make.  When I get up in the morning I can let myself think I dread this day or whatever I may have to do today but is there any benefit to those thoughts.  I think not!!!!  What if we got up in the morning and said this is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it. Or the song Oh what a beautiful morning, Oh what a beautiful day.  We can actually impact our mood by our thoughts and we can chose what we think.  We often develop bad habits of seeing and thinking the worst of every situation but I would like to challenge you to try to find the silver lining.  Happiness is a choice and it does not come from other people and no one can make you unhappy unless you allow them.  If you have fallen into bad habits of negative thinking and negative talk it will take some effort to make this change but every time you find yourself speaking negatively or thinking negative thoughts tell yourself “Stop It” and then make an effort to find something positive in the situation.  I believe deep inside we all want to be happy and have a good life so start by being grateful with what you have and maybe even take the time to right down the things we are thankful for and put them some where so that we see them on a daily basis.  Some of the other choices that we have to make are about food and whether or not we exercise.  I know the perfect diet would be all organic or better yet we can raise our own food but for some of us that is not a very practical option.  Often people feel if they can not eat this way that is and excuse to continue to make very poor choices when it comes to the fuel that feeds our bodies. I am going to ask you to try to make better choices not perfect ones.  If you can not buy organic can you at least buy fruits and vegetables to eat on a regular basis.  If you can’t buy fresh what about frozen and as a last resort canned.  This is a better choice than buying processed food that comes in a box with a lot of ingredients that you do not even know what they are that can not be the best choice that you can make.  What about physical activity?  I know that most people feel that they do not have the time or they are too tired or whatever other excuse that they can find.  I challenge you to stop making excuses and instead make a plan to include regular physical activity into your life and make it enjoyable.  What if I spent 30 minutes playing with the dog or the children or grandchildren and if you cant manage 30 minutes at one time what about 2-15 minutes sessions during the day.  If you have difficulty with movement what can you move.  Use the ability that you have and make it better.  Always focus on what you can do and not what you can’t . Dreams come in cans not can’t.  If you believe you can or can’t do something you will be right.  One of the things I have always told my children is to every problem is a solution and sometimes we just have to take a step back and think it through.  If your health is not where you want it to be I hope that you will take this information to heart because for the most part are choices are what make our lives. If you want a better life make a better choice.

I have tried a couple of new nutritious recipes that I would like to share with you.  These recipes are a tasty way to add quinoa and chia seeds into your diet.

Spinach Feta Wild Rice and Quinoa Casserole

1 Cup Onions Chopped

3 Tbsp minced Garlic

Sauté in 3 Tbsp coconut oil until clear

I prepared the quinoa and wild rice the day before and refrigerated

In a large bowl put 2 cups cooked quinoa and 1 cup wild rice

12 0z chopped spinach drained well

80z Feta cheese

1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese

1 Tbsp Dill

1 Tsp salt

2 eggs

mix all ingredients together and the put it into a greased 9×13 pan bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees

 

Desert Recipe Chocolate Chia Pudding

1 can full fat coconut milk

1.5 Tbsp chia Seeds

2 tsp cocoa powder

2 drops full of chocolate liquid stevia

Put the coconut milk, cocoa powder and stevia into mason jar put the blades for your blender on the mason jar and invert on blender and blend  until smooth the mix in chia seeds and place in small glass bowl.  Refrigerate for at least 6 hours for chia seeds to swell and create pudding effect.

As we begin a new year and make all those promises to eat healthier and lose weight why not try to add avocado into your diet.  It really is a super food with lots of great nutrients.  I am making this soup for my husband and myself for New Years Eve but it sounds delicious and nutritious.

Ingredients:

1Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 Cup chopped green onion

2 cloves garlic

1lb Chicken Breast

32oz Chicken Broth

1 teaspoon cumin

Heat your oil and sauté your onion, garlic and chicken breast then add the chicken broth and cumin cook until chicken is well done.  Remove the chicken from the broth and shred the meat.

In a blender place 1 1/2 avocado, 3 tablespoon lime juice, and 1/3 cup of cilantro then mix the broth in with it and blend until smooth.  Place the shredded chicken and liquid mixture back into the soup pot and cook until the desired temperature.  Serve with some shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

It was December 31st 2014 that I felt the call to write a blog.  I had  no idea how to get started so like everyone else I just googled it.  This year has been a year of great change for me.  I left my job of 27 years to take a new position which lasted all of 6 months and now I am unemployed looking for my next adventure in my career path.  I have met new people and made new friends all the while learning new lessons that will prepare me for the next part of my journey in life.  I try very hard to have a close spiritual walk with God and spend time daily with Him by reading my bible and listening to music that reminds me of what a wonderful God that we have.  I am currently involved in a bible study in my church and the one theme that I have found in the bible is the people that remain close to God are the ones that will come out on top and that does not mean that they are perfect people but when they make a mistake they ask for forgiveness which God is always  willing to give.  He knows our heart and our motives at all times and when we do things that we think will bring glory to Him, He is well pleased.  Some people may look at my situation and not see things to be thankful for but I want to count my many blessings. I am a very independent person and have always worked and made a good wage so I did not have to depend on my husband for the things that I wanted, now that I am not working he has been very supportive and has encouraged me to focus on finishing my MSN and to not worry so much about getting just any job.  God put him in my life because He knew exactly what I would need and it is his support that has allowed me the confidence to not settle for anything that God does not have planned for my life. I had the most wonderful opportunity this year to go to Israel with a wonderful group of people most of them were strangers in the beginning but after 10 days together they were all like family to me because we are all God’s children and he loves us all.  He has a great plan for all of us and when we are faced with challenges it is just part of our growing process so that we will learn to lean on Him.  Just as with me being out of a job I have had to be more reliant on my husband, God wants us to lean on Him.  When we are weak He is strong.  We are not meant to go through this life alone so humble yourself and allow God to take the lead and boldly go where he is leading.  My prayer for 2016 is that God will fill me with the Holy Spirit so that I can be His light to every person that I encounter.  I know that I am only human but I can do all things through those who love Him and will submit to His will.  I pray everyone and has a wonderful 2016.