healthy eating Archives - Page 2 of 16

The 2016 Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle

September 21, 2016 by Aliesha

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by healthy living?

It’s not that you don’t understand or agree with why it matters. You know the benefits of eating whole foods, raising healthier kids, getting fit, and using alternative remedies.

But sometimes it’s a whole lot easier to say than to actually do, right? Believe me, I’ve had the same struggles and questions as you. What on earth do you eat (and especially, what do you feed your kids)? (I’ll be sharing more about how to raise kids who love to eat real food tomorrow!) How do you afford to buy healthier products? And where do you find the time to make and do all this stuff?

I know what it’s like to feel that healthy living shouldn’t be this hard, and it shouldn’t have to cost so much, either! Don’t you ever wish someone would just tell you exactly what you need to know and how to make these changes for less?

Because when you have the best info and resources right at your fingertips, healthy living comes together so much more easily.

You know what to cook for your family (what is “real food,” anyway?). You’re more confident in choosing natural alternatives (tell me again when to use essential oils…). You find ways to save money without comprising on what’s important to you (isn’t eating “healthy” more expensive?).

You learn to replace store-bought products with DIY options that actually work and are easy to make (I can make that?!). You feel better (and even look better, too). Healthy living becomes less stressful and more enjoyable.

That’s why Stephanie and her team have put together the popular Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle for the fifth year in a row (yay!). I’ve been buying this bundle every year and I’m truly blown away by the quality of the bundle each year. Over 64,000 families (and counting!) have snatched up this complete library of natural living resources for one teeny tiny price.

You’ll have to see it to believe it, but the package includes 83 digital products and it’s worth over $2,400!

Now I know this sounds too good to be true, but here’s the main reason they can sell such a high-quality bundle at this price: it’s only for sale for six short days.

For the cost of a bag of groceries, you’ll get a complete healthy living library to help you:

prepare whole & delicious real food
get the toxins out of your house for good
understand and use natural remedies
breathe new life into your exercise habits
learn about important women’s health issues
raise exceptionally healthy kids in an unhealthy world
plus learn about gardening & homesteading, meal planning, weight loss and so much more!

These are such high-quality resources… no junky eBooks in here! Each and every item included in this bundle is excellent. While you may not read every eBook or take every eCourse, there will be MANY resources that you do glean from. It’s worth it just for those!

Could you do something for me for a second? Click over to see the bundle. Then pick out the five resources you are most interested in, and write down their value. Then come back to this post and tell me the value of those five things.

I’ll wait.

…

Are you back? When I did this, the five resources I was most excited about came in at around $80! To me, that made buying the bundle a no brainer! I get those five resources I KNOW I’ll use, plus 78 others to have on my “shelf” (ahem, digital library) for when I want to reference them in the future. Sweet deal!

Tell me in the comments which resources make this bundle a “no brainer” for you!

Plus, the bundle comes with over $250 worth of bonus offers including:

1. Bloom Naturals – $15 gift certificate toward any product ($15 value)
2. Perfect Supplements – $15 gift certificate toward any Perfect Brand product ($15 value)
3. TriLight Health – $15 off select TriLight products ($15 value)
4. MadeOn Skin Care – FREE BeeCool Muscle Balm Stick and Natural Lip Balm Combo (value $15.25)
5. The Maca Team – FREE Organic Gelatinized Yellow Maca Powder, 8 oz. ($15.44 value)
6. Primal Life Organics – FREE 1-ounce jar of Dirty Mouth Toothpowder ($15.97 value)
7. Get Kombucha – FREE 1-month supply (15 ml) of Kombucha Pro: Liquid Probiotics (value $29.99) AND/OR a FREE 1-ounce bag of 8. Get Kombucha’s Custom Organic Kombucha Tea Blend (value $15.99)
9. Orglamix – FREE Mineral Eye Shadow Trio ($18 value)
10. Experience Life – 4 FREE digital guides (value $29.99)
11. Grove Co. – FREE Mrs. Meyer’s 64 Load Laundry Detergent, Mrs. Meyer’s Fabric Softener, 60 Day VIP Trial, and FREE shipping with a $20 minimum purchase for new customers ($32.66 value); FREE 1-year VIP Membership ($39.95 value) for existing customers (sharing more about this bonus offer on Friday!)
12. Meal Garden – 6 months of Meal Garden FREE (value $35.70)

And if all of that isn’t enough, I also have an exciting EXCLUSIVE bonus offer for Feathers in Our Nest readers! I created a 2-Week Clean Eating Meal Plan as a special thank-you gift to all readers who purchase the 2016 Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle through my link. You all are so sweet to support this blog & my family… this is the least I can do to say thank you!!

Each week contains five real food dinner recipes that are gluten-free, grain-free, legume-free, low-calorie, dairy-free optional, and DELICIOUS! These are veggie-loaded, lean-protein recipes that I make over and over for my family!

Just fill out this form once you have purchased your bundle! After the sale is over, I will email your bonus to you!
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Besides being so incredibly helpful and inspiring, one of the things I like best about the bundle is the price. By offering the bundle for a short time only, they’re able to give you access to over $2,400 worth of high-quality eBooks, eCourses, and printables for a whopping 98% off! Dare you to find a better deal than that!

Here’s how it works.

Visit their website (a video will autoplay, so if you have a baby napping, lower your volume a bit first), take a quick look at all the amazing stuff that comes in this bundle, then click the green “Buy now!” button to go through their simple and secure 3-step checkout process.

You’ll receive an email with a login to the online access portal, where you’ll begin downloading your eBooks, signing up for your eCourses, and redeeming your free bonus offers. (You can download it ALL in one click! But no sweat… you have a whole year to download everything.)

Use their Getting Started Guide to pick the topic you want to tackle first (eczema, paleo, picky eaters, etc.) and start making healthy changes!

The most important detail, though, is that this bundle is available for just six days! After Monday night, September 26th, the sale ends and you’d have to buy all of these products individually.

It’s even backed by a full money-back happiness guarantee, so you can make sure it’s right for you.

No one should have to put off a healthier lifestyle because it costs too much or they can’t get the help they need!

Our family has felt so much better by making changes to the way we eat, the products we use, and how we take care of ourselves. It’s made such a difference in our family and I want the same for you.

Get the healthy living mentors you need for your lifestyle. Learn more or get your bundle HERE.

(Psst… the bundle goes away at 11:59pm EST on Monday, September 26th, so don’t wait!)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting my family and this blog!

My Menu Planning Solution

May 31, 2016 by Aliesha

Menu planning paralysis. Have you ever experienced it? You’re sitting down at the beginning of the week to make your grocery list and menu plan, but you just can’t decide what to make each night for dinner. I have been there! Actually, the last six months I’ve been there almost every week. I’ve grown SO tired of menu planning in general that I needed to do something different or else this chef was going to go on strike!

I decided that I needed a meal planning solution. I needed a way to quickly and easily plan meals for the week and make a grocery list. When you get down to it, it only takes 15 minutes. Why is this so hard for me? I have no idea. It’s not that I don’t like to cook; it’s that coming up with a completely new menu every week (and corresponding grocery list) was mentally exhausting to me.

So I came up with a theme for each night of the week. I took into consideration our family’s schedule and preferences, and I assigned a theme to each day of the week.

My Meal Planning Solution

Sunday – rotisserie chicken/leftovers

On Sunday, we’ll grab a rotisserie chicken after church (as we’ve been doing for a while). We’ll eat that for lunch and/or dinner, depending on whatever other leftovers we have in the house. I serve it with salad, veggies (raw in warmer months and roasted in colder months), and sometimes baked sweet potatoes. Easy! I’ll throw the chicken bones into the Crockpot Sunday night so I have broth to use on Monday.

Monday – soup (or something else with leftover chicken)

On Monday, I will make soup with the bone broth and leftover chicken. We love White Chicken Chili. If we’re not in the mood for soup (and who is in July?), I can use the leftover chicken to make something else, like chicken salad, burrito bowls, or taquitos.

Tuesday – stir fry

On Tuesday, I’ll make one of my stir fry recipes. I change up the meat and veggies used so it’s always fresh and delicious. One week it will be beef, broccoli, and snow peas, and then another week it will be chicken, carrots, cauliflower, and peppers (I use the same go-to sauce recipe most of the time).

Wednesday – one-pot/pan

On Wednesdays, I will make something that just uses one pot or pan. Sheet pan suppers, one dish wonders, etc. I’ve really enjoyed making roasted chicken and veggies on a sheet pan, but there are lots of other options under this category! It’s simple because I don’t have to dirty a bunch of dishes creating a lot of side dishes.

Thursday – tacos

Thursday evenings we will enjoy tacos. I either make “traditional” tacos with ground turkey or beef, or I make lean chicken tacos or delicious (cheater) fish tacos. I always keep tortillas, cheese, onions, and salsa on hand, so tacos are a brainless addition to our weekly menu. I can even make the meat fillings ahead of time (by making a double or triple batch) so that I can just pull it out of the freezer on Thursday morning.

Friday – pizza

We’ve been having pizza on Fridays for a while now, so I’m sticking with this tradition. It’s a great way to use up whatever meat and veggies we have left in the fridge! I make two pizzas now so that we have enough for everyone. My homemade crust recipe is simple to make and not at all fussy. I usually do one pizza with a red sauce (and usually a bunch of veggies and a protein) and the other pizza I do without sauce (three cheese kale/spinach with bacon or sausage is amazing). We’re never sad if we have leftover pizza to enjoy on Saturdays!

Saturday – chef’s choice

I left one night without a theme – Saturday. I really do like trying new recipes, so this gives me one day where I can play around with something new. Or not… if there are leftovers to be eaten! I make salmon several times a month, so this would be a good night to slip that on the menu.

Make it Yours

Here are a few other theme ideas if you want to adapt this menu planning solution for your own family: Italian, breakfast for dinner, sandwiches, baked potatoes & toppings, international, slow cooker, and salads.

Like the menu planning printable I made? I’ll be sending it out as a special freebie this week to newsletter subscribers! If you’re on the list before Friday morning (6/3/16), you’ll get it!

Subscribe now.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Why Chasing Kids All Day Doesn’t Count as Exercise

December 28, 2015 by Aliesha

I’ve said it, my friends have said it, and you’ve probably said it too. It’s the answer you give when your doctor asks, “Do you exercise?”

“Well, I chase kids all day!”

Like you, I assumed this qualified as some sort of workout. At the end of the day, after taking care of four kids, I’m beat! (Even when I was “only” taking care of one toddler, I was still beat!)

Unfortunately, I had a rather rude awakening when I realized recently that this does not actually count as physical exercise. (Yes, it’s “activity,” but I’ll talk more about that in a minute.)

My mother-in-law gave me a Fitbit (this one), and I started using it a month ago. It is automatically set up with 10,000 steps as the daily goal. I assumed with my normal life activity, I would hit that without trying (or at least come close). Wrong. This is embarrassing to admit, but during my first week wearing my Fitbit (without changing anything about my life), I was taking 4,000-5,000 steps a day. That included the day when I was cooking, cleaning, and hosting a Christmas party (5,300 steps), and doing all the normal “mom stuff” I did: laundry, cleaning, cooking, chasing children at bedtime, etc. Best day that week: 8,300 steps. Ouch!

And then there is the “active minutes” tracker. Oh boy! I was logging big, fat ZEROS for my active minutes that first week! Apparently “chasing kids all day” was not enough to elevate my heart rate in order to qualify as a workout. And there’s a lot of sitting involved in being a mom: reading books, nursing a baby, editing photos, etc., as well as standing: folding laundry, chopping veggies, etc.

I knew I needed to start working an exercise routine into my life for several reasons.

I want to be healthy, have energy, and be able to participate in any activities my family may want to do.
I want to model a healthy lifestyle to my children so they want to be active also.
I have no excuses right now. I’m very good at coming up with reasons not to exercise (I’m pregnant. I just had a baby. I don’t have time. It’s cold. It’s hot. I hate it. ETC.), but I’m not making excuses this year. I want to be known for excellence not excuses.

So all through the month of December, I’ve been challenging myself and making small changes. Baby steps, my friend.

My goals:

Take at least 10,000 steps a day (planning to increase this goal soon!)
Exercise (30 minutes walking or jogging) six days a week.
Be conscious of how much sitting I’m doing and make an effort to get up and move regularly
Start the Couch to 5K program

My progress so far:

–22 out of the last 23 days I have hit my step goal, and many days I’ve gone well above that. (Best day so far: 13,699 steps.)
-I’ve been exercising 40-70 minutes a day (often split up – perhaps a family walk in the morning and then walking in place inside in the evenings while watching something)
-I’m much more aware of when I’ve been sitting for a while. I’m still trying to figure out how to edit photos, blog, etc. while still being active and not just sitting at my computer for hours. Balance! But I’m seeing lots of improvement in this area.
-I started the Couch to 5K program today! It’s SO doable and great for beginner runners.

I am also actively combating the lies in my head… lies such as “You’re not a runner. You are just going to quit. You can’t do this.” Instead, I’m speaking truth to myself. “Who I was does not limit who I can be. I can do this. I will live with intentionality and excellence.”

So how am I finding time for this? Tad’s schedule currently does not require early morning shifts, so either I’m running before breakfast, or we’re all going on a family walk together or to the park where I can run/walk around the track. If his schedule changes, I’ll have to adapt, but since he works from home I have more flexibility than I have had in other seasons.

Another thing I should note… I got some awesome activewear from thredUP. I found a great pair of Nike shoes, some Gap athletic pants, a Nike t-shirt, and a New Balance zip-up track jacket, all for great prices. (Use this link to save $20 on your first purchase.) It sounds odd, but “dressing the part” has helped me tremendously. I may not be an athlete (yet), but at least I can look presentable!

I’ll end this post with a sweet story that I’m keeping in my mind for motivation and encouragement. One morning recently, Vera saw me heading out the door for a run and asked if she could come. She had her shoes on and was out the door before I could even answer! While we were running, she kept saying, “Mommy, we are the best runners! We are so fast! We are so strong! We are so good at this!” With a smile on her face, she ran her heart out in the cold December air. Towards the end of the mile, she wanted to walk, but it was my turn to encourage her to finish strong. It just blessed my heart so much to hear her cheering us on! On days when it’s hard, I want to remember her sweet little voice.

How about you… do you have any health or exercise goals for 2016?

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links.

The 2016 Ultimate Healthy Living Bundle

For the cost of a bag of groceries, you’ll get a complete healthy living library to help you:

Plus, the bundle comes with over $250 worth of bonus offers including:

My Menu Planning Solution