Snacking is a healthy thing!

Are you a snacker? If so there is nothing wrong with that! Well to be clear as long as the snacks are healthy ones, I say go for it!

Your body needs the fuel. I am a professional snacker. I would rather snack every couple of hours then sit down and eat a huge meal three times a day.

Here is why being a snacker is good for you!

1. Helps burn fat!! Say what? When eating the right types of snacks like almonds for instance, you are actually fueling that internal furnace.

2.  Snacking can help keep your blood sugar stable. If your blood sugar tends to run on the low side like mine. It is probably best for you to keep healthy snacks around.

3. Giving yourself a boost in the old metabolism! Making mindful snack choices is one way to boost your metabolism. My go too booster is edamame or pita bread with hummus!

4. Keep your stomach small. When you are eating three large meals a day you are more likely to over eat. I find that when I snack healthy I keep the bloating at bay. My waistline looks better too! 

I have included a Chocolate Avocado Smoothie recipe below. Try it out and let me know if you found it tasty. I know I did! 

4 tbsp of Almond milk (you can use soy, or coconut milk etc.)

1/2 fresh avocado

4 oz. of vanilla yogurt 

1 scoop of chocolate protein powder (or fresh coco)

1 small banana

1 tsp of honey

  ENJOY!

                                             

Close your eyes and just be...

Hi there friends! Hope everyone is having a relaxing Saturday and soaking in some sunshine. 

My name is Jennie Frake (not Frank) and I am a mother of two girls, married to my high school sweetheart and a lover of art, music and yoga!

 In my free time you can find me making ice cream and practicing my handstands. I am so happy to be guest blogging over here (or blogging at all for that matter) Writing can very therapeutic.

 Today, I want to share with you guys why I love yoga. Simply put, yoga makes me happy, maybe even a little high. It's my drug of choice for sure! 

It has helped me learn to love more (myself & others), opened my heart & mind and challenged me both mentally & physically. Its the best thing ever!
 I could totally stop there and leave you with some inspirational mantra but I won't. 

Today I want to share something that is weighing very heavy on my heart and scares the shit out of me to talk about especially on a blog. But if it helps even one person out there to not feel alone... then its totally worth it. 

So here we go! For several years, I have been fighting some seriously difficult ups and downs. There are no significantly good or bad things going on around me, it pretty much all in my head. The highs are awesome and the real reason I don't want to get on any medication.
 Dear God, the lows are brutal. 
I feel like celebrating every time I make it out the other side alive. I usually find ways to cope with the things mentioned above (art, music, ice cream, wine, handstands, etc).

 Yoga is truly the one big thing that helps me get out of my head. I don't know exactly what it is but its the one place I can let go of things in this world that are weighing me down. 

The world can be a wonderful, magical place to explore on the good days but on the not-so-good ones... its can be soul crushing, scary and a bit lonely. I avoid everyone on those days. I miss appointments, I cancel plans or just don't respond to anyone at all. 

I struggle just to play with my kids without them seeing my tears. I typically hide out and do my own thing until the little dark cloud passes but lately I have found I way to cope that really works. It sounds very simple and it is! 

You just stop what your doing, close your eyes and just be

. 

Sometimes there are so many distractions in this world that you can completely avoid sadness/depression, but it doesn't just go away because you pretend its not there. 
Sure! Smiling and dancing your way through a bad day can most certainly turn your day around but when you get to a place where you can deal with it, do it. 

Just take a few minutes to acknowledge whatever it is and truly let yourself feel it all. No matter how bad it gets... just acknowledge the pain, sadness, madness, anxiety, whatever it is that's stealing your joy and just feel it. Amazingly enough, it eventually goes away. And you will feel so much better!! 

I hope that if you struggle with depression at all that you will tell a friend so that you don't have to feel alone. 
If you are one of those lucky people that are happy-go-lucky all the time (like Erin) I hope you know that your smiling faces and open hearts make this world so much brighter! 

So thank you happy people! We are all in this together. 

Namasté! 

JENNIE FRAKE

Like a Feather Friday

                                                    

 

Welcome to Like a Feather Friday! 

It is said that a feather is weight-less. So each Friday I want to help you take the weight off. 

                                        

Quiet time ~  How do you spend the first five or ten minutes when you wake up? 

I slowly rise like the walking dead with my eyes either closed or half open and make my way to the Kureg.

As I become awesome with the help of coffee, I say a prayer and plan my day. 

Having quiet time seems almost impossible if you are mom. Whether you work, stay at home, or do both. 

I myself have five children, lets just say quiet time is must for me. 

Smile ~ All around the world a smile represents kindness and joy. 

It is proven to be the one facial expression that humans recognize no matter what part of the world you are in. 

When you smile your body is releasing endorphins that can in return relieve stress. 

I know their are times when it seems impossible to wear a smile. If that is you today, try forcing one! 

Smiles are contagious so lets spread them around. After all happy = healthy.

Work out~ Who doesn't feel light in water? 

Swimming is a great way to torch calories.

 You can burn up to 1000 calories in one hour. The faster you swim the more you burn. 

This of course means that you are swimming laps and not just floating around. 

If you don't have access to a pool, try performing Swimmers. 

Swimmers move is a Pilates exercise  that is performed laying on the floor on your stomach. 

You should feel this move in your back, thighs and in the glutes. This one move can sculpt your entire body.

I want to hear about how your "Like Feather Friday" is going, comment below and don't forget to share! 

Romans 12:2 “Do not be conformed to this world,  but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.