3 Ways to Embrace Change & Love Yourself this New Year

As we grow older we evolve and change rapidly.

Some changes are welcome with open arms as others are met with kicking and screaming.

But no matter our reaction, the conclusion is always the same, whether we like it or not things will always continue to change.

And it won’t be the change itself that will impact our lives the most, but how we choose to react to it.

If we can learn to embrace the natural occurrences of change as a constant flux and a continuous flow that can rise and fall, then we can let go of the expectations and enjoy the ride while it is happening instead.

Without this acceptance and freedom to feel what is changing around you and within you, there will be a lack of balance and self love.

When you fully love yourself for who you are and for who you are not, then you can gently float through the waves of emotions that come up with calmness and level-headedness rather then with anger and upset-ment.

Here are 3 ways to embrace change and love yourself in the New Year:

Find Your Own Answers. You might be a heavy reader, a podcast junkie or a documentary buff, all of which will provide you with endless knowledge to what you should eat, how you should live, what kind of education you should follow or how you should set yourself up for retirement. But all of these stories are just someone else’s answers. Don’t be afraid to find your own answers, that’s half the adventure.

Know Your Worth. It is sometimes very difficult for us to have a good relationship with our worth. Often, when our worth is challenged whether in the office or at home we tend to either shutoff and retract or become defensive and react. However, we can avoid these two extremes by becoming more aware of ourselves and connecting with what we want, where we are and who we are on a regular basis. Meditation is a great way to tune in with how you feel and as I mentioned above, change is rapid and there for so is our worth within that movement. Try to connect in daily with how you are feeling and where your worth is best used.

Accept You’re Perfect. Perfection is a funny thing. It is quite often a trigger for anxiety, stress and tension but what we often fail to realize is that there is no perfect, no one way of doing things or of being, there is only being you and you are perfect at that.

Perfection’s definition is;

a perfect embodiment or example of something.
When you figure out you, what makes you happy and what makes the people around you happy that is your perfect. Don’t spend your time following someone else’s idea of perfect; use your time doing the thing you can do best, which is being perfectly you.

The happiest of New Years to all of you.

xoxo

Anna

Healthy Glow Smoothie

This smoothie not only tastes amazing but it also makes you feel and look amazing from the inside out.

The main ingredient in this smoothie is sweet potatoes which are very high in skin damaging protector Vitamin A, and in glowing skin produces Vitamins C & E.  Sweet potatoes are also great for digestion and maintaining energy. (Woohoo!)

Check it out and let me know what you think in the comment section below. 🙂

Healthy Glow Smoothie

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup frozen banana
• 1/2 sweet potato, baked or canned (baked is better) 🙂
• 1 apple, I used Gala
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of chia seeds

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Apple Ginger Soup

I created this soup the other day when my body needed something soothing and warming. It’s a sweet and spicy kind of soup that is not to filling but leaves you feeling very satisfied. Feel free to experiment with adding extra spice with more cayenne or more sweetness by adding extra apple. 🙂

Sweet Potato Apple Ginger Soup

• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
• 2 large sweet potatoes, chopped
• 1 apple, chopped (I used gala)
• 4 cups vegetable broth (low sodium)
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

In a large pot sauté onions, garlic, cayenne, salt and pepper over medium-low heat or until onions begin to sweat and break down. Then add sweet potatoes and apple tossed to coat in onion mixture. Next add broth, and ginger, turn heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Let boil for 2 minutes and then turn down the heat and let soup simmer for 10 minutes or until sweet potatoes are completely cooked through.

Lastly add the soup to a Vitamix blender and blend until smooth. Be careful as some blenders will erupt if you add hot liquids so make sure your blender can blend hot liquids.

Enjoy!

Practice being YOU

We all know the saying “Practice makes perfect”.  This saying has been ingrained in us from a young age and was used anywhere from making us better at hitting a baseball to making us more intelligent students in the classroom.

But what would happen if we applied this practice to our overall selves? What if we practiced being us, focusing and listening to what makes us happy and practicing doing more of that?

We all know when we are happy, it’s an overwhelming feeling that is undeniable. Becoming more aware of your state of mind during good and bad times can really help you understand your needs and help you know how to navigate them better.

Having a fulfilling life isn’t about traveling, eating healthy, exercising or making a lot of money. Fulfillment comes from the inside, it’s a state of being. Practice being, find what makes you have to smile and go towards that.

You are filled with possibilities, all you have to do is open your eyes to them. 🙂

#30DayFearlessHeartChallenge Follow me on Instagram @akgannon for the month of December for heart inspiration everyday!

 

Warming Winter Mushroom Bowl

When it’s cold outside your body can really benefit from warming foods that will help balance your cold exterior. Try sautéing your favorite vegetables together and top them with your go-to vinegar and oil combo. This is a simple, cost and time effective way to nourish your body.

Warming Winter Mushroom Bowl

• 1 cup portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 cup zucchini, sliced
• 1/4 cup kale, sliced
• balsamic vinegar & olive oil

Sautee mushrooms over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until they begin to become tender. Then add zucchini, sautéing for a minute. Lastly add in the kale, stirring well until kale becomes bright green. Transfer veggies into a bowl and top with vinegar and olive oil.

Enjoy! 

Balanced Winter Salad

This salad has been one of my favorites for a long time. It balances sweet, salty and tangy perfectly and to be honest I tend to eat it when I am feeling a little unbalanced because it reminds me to find evenness.

Let’s get balanced. 🙂

Balanced Winter Salad

• 1/2 cup tuscan kale (spinach or arugula would work also)
• 1 small sweet potato baked
• 1 tablespoon goat cheese
• 1 tablespoon kalamata olives, sliced
• 1/2 tangerine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste

Bake sweet potato for 45 minutes or until completely cooked through at 375 degrees.

Massage kale with olive oil, salt and pepper for 2-3 minutes or until wilted and bright green.

Combine kale, slices of sweet potato, goat cheese and olives. Top salad with tangerine zest and juice.

Enjoy!

The Ultimate Holiday Pie Smoothie (Apple Pecan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie)

Oh yes I did.

I couldn’t decide what kind of smoothie to make this morning. So I made a combination holiday pie smoothie! This smoothie is an apple pie, pecan pie and pumpkin pie smoothie tied into one awesome heart bowl.

Check it out. 🙂

The Ultimate Holiday Smoothie

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 FROZEN banana
• 1 apple (gala)
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup pecans (8-10 whole pecans)
• 1 drop vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.

Enjoy!