Well this post has taken me way longer to write than I thought it would. I think this is the first time in quite awhile I have been late on getting the newsletter and post out.
As I’ve mentioned a few times recently, things are a bit hectic around here. I have been writing a ton, working hard, but also working through some personal goals, life lessons, and tough times. For the earliest part of this year, we were living a bit in a survival mode. The hubby’s schedule was crazy, I was launching my first book and starting about a thousand new projects, our poor Kitty was very sick, and we just had to keep moving each day.
Once some of it subsided, we found ourselves exhausted, drained, and honestly a bit depressed. After losing my cat, I found much more time, but I wasn’t exactly firing on all cylinders. I just wanted to sleep all the time and felt a bit off. Now that I am starting to feel a little burst of energy and more like myself, work has kicked up a notch.
Now I am working through a few things, putting together a few strategies to beat overwhelm and re-organizing some things in my routine. Look for these in next week’s newsletter. While I intend to share more posts, I may need to cut back as part of this plan. But I am still here and can still be found. Just scaling back where needed for the moment. For now, I am focusing on my upcoming programs over at jessiandricks.com and on writing my second book (title coming soon!).
One thing that we have been doing to get a bit more energized is eat more energizing, fresh food. And listen to pop music, which I usually am not drawn to, but after feeling down it is a welcomed change. Its an instant dance party.
But back to foods. We have, of course, been eating a ton of smoothies, since recipe testing in in full force at our house. Each day starts with a huge green smoothie packed with veggies, and I usually have one more for a snack or a dessert later on. We have also been eating more salads for lunch and plenty of veggies for dinner.
I joked the other day that since vegetables make up most of our meals, we could eat anything we wanted for snacks. Then I realized those are usually an organic protein bar or chocolate hazelnut butter and of course, a smoothie. We are getting plenty of produce, that’s for sure. 
One of my favorite new salads was inspired by this mason jar post. I made this in a mason jar one day, and will probably tweak that a few times before I share again. When I added it to a bowl, it filled the bowl, filled my belly, and was absolutely delicious.
It is also in season, so you can pick up many ingredients at your Farmer’s Market, which cuts back on cost and ups the benefits. A win-win. I used farm fresh strawberries and cucumbers, and topped with tofu for a protein boost. If you eat meat, grilled chicken would work well on this salad. It’s simple, healthy, and perfect for a quick lunch that helps beat overwhelm.
- ½ cup chopped, fresh strawberries
- 4 oz sesame ginger baked tofu (optional, grilled chicken), cubed
- 1 cup chopped spinach
- ½ romaine heart, chopped
- 1 pickling cucumber (or small cucumber), sliced into quarters
- 1 tbsp raw sunflower seeds
- 1 tbsp raw hemp seeds
- 1-2 tbsp vinaigrette (I used basic french vinaigrette)
- Chop spinach and romaine and add to your salad bowl.
- Top with strawberries and cucumbers,
- Add on cubed tofu or chicken or other preferred protein.
- Sprinkle on seeds and add dressing.
- Cover with a lid or another bowl and shake it up.
When you need to reboot your system when life gets overwhelming, what is your go-to?
Peace and Love,
Jessi
