Mint-Watermelon-Feta Salad: The Sweet, Tangy, Easy Super Salad of Summer

This salad is so easy and doesn’t really even need a recipe! The tangy feta balances the sweetness of the watermelon, and mint adds a bit of complexity to the flavor that makes it all come together so nice.

Ingredients:

watermelon

feta cheese

chopped mint

I don’t measure the quantities but add feta and mint until it looks good! You can start with a smaller amount and add to taste, but keep in mind the flavors of the feta and mint will get more intense the longer the salad sits in your fridge. If you don’t love mint, you can try basil or pretty much any summer herb you love. Many people will also add thinly sliced red onion to this salad, which is great if you want a flavor with more kick and less sweetness.

Directions:

Combine cubed watermelon (roughly 1/2 inch cubes), chopped mint and crumbled feta into a bowl. Mix lightly and enjoy! This salad is best chilled and tastes great the next day, too!

A Little More Nervous System Regulation Is What We Need

Life (and stress) happens. Daily, we are exposed to situations and experiences that elicit a stress response. Our nervous systems and bodies are designed for those responses; we are supposed to be alert to danger and to fight or flee to keep ourselves safe. There are many ways our modern lifestyle is stressful and continually activates this stress response. Over time, these continuous responses can become unhealthy for us.

Our response to stress (which can include increased heart rate, anxiety, trouble sleeping, compulsion to ‘fix’ the problem, etc.) is going to happen regardless, but we can facilitate more regulation to help our systems come back down to the parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system state. Why is this important? We aren’t meant to be in that heightened stress response state all the time. Being able to go up and then drop back down is really healthy. We want our nervous systems to be responsive and move into and out of stress states with ease.

There are different ways to support this process of more regulation, but a great way to start is by noticing:

• Can you notice when you are stressed?

• What does it feel like in your body?

• Can you notice when you’re less stressed?

• What happens when you take a few deep deeper and slower breaths? Does that change anything?

• Is there someone or something that feels supportive or calming? What happens in your body when you think about that person, thing or experience?

• Can you notice the difference between an easier, calmer and more relaxed nervous system state and a state that feels more triggered and stressed?

One of the most annoying things (to me) is when you are super stressed and someone tells you “just relax”. If you could, you would, but it isn’t as easy as just telling yourself to do it. Even though being able to relax may be the end goal, I like to think about what you can do to take one step down toward being relaxed, and then see and notice how you feel.

So much of learning about your unique nervous system is about slowing down and observing yourself and what changes moment to moment. If you’re curious to learn more, I’d love to have you come in for a Somatic Experiencing session!

Find Consistency with Your Summertime Movement Practices

For so many things in life, consistency is key. As we approach summer, the time of year that for many involves different schedules, vacations, kids home from school, and more outdoor and social opportunities, you might need to think about strategies to support your health and movement routine for this season. If you’re like me, I know I feel better when I exercise. Often when I’m on vacation, that routine slips.

Of course, being flexible with ourselves through every season (of the year and of life) is important, but it makes sense to find a really solid and consistent movement program now, so you are set up for success.

What does that mean? I highly recommend and encourage you to have a few exercises you do every day (or most days). It doesn’t really matter what they are, but they should be exercises you enjoy, or you feel good after doing. These exercises should take only a few minutes so that you can and will actually do them, no matter what else is happening that week. I like bridging, hands and knees, cat/cow stretch, birddog (where you are reaching one arm and opposite leg away) and hip stretching. Those options are good for everyone!

You can also try a virtual mat class. All you need is a mat or towel and small props to add extra weight (but not necessary). Taking class at home helps you get used to working out at home and on the mat, if you are used to the reformer.

Taking some time to think about how you can be consistent now will set you up for success with consistency as we move into the summer season.

Please reach out using the contact form on this webpage or call me if you’d like to work together on a home workout progam.

Lyme Disease Awareness Is so Important

May is Lyme Disease Awareness month, which is well timed because with the beautiful spring weather, out come the ticks! As someone with personal experience with Lyme Disease, I think it’s so important for people to be aware of common myths and to know what to do if you think you might have Lyme.

Lyme Disease is incredibly prevalent. Yet there is so much that isn’t agreed upon in the medical community around Lyme, especially if you are experiencing a chronic case, or what is sometimes called “post-Lyme Disease syndrome.” So much more research is needed around Lyme disease, and I hope there is an option for a vaccine at some point in the future. 

The disease can be different in different people but symptoms often include flu-like symptoms and muscle aches. If it moves into a chronic case, then jaw and neck pain, chronic fatigue, brain fog and headaches are all common symptoms. If you think you might be suffering from undiagnosed Lyme, please get tested. Reach out if you want local recommendations of practitioners to work with.

Here are common myths about Lyme Disease I want everyone to know aren’t true:

• You don’t have Lyme if you didn’t get the bullseye rash from a tick bite.

• You can’t get Lyme if the tick hasn’t been attached for 48 hours.

• Chronic Lyme doesn’t exist.

• If you have a negative Lyme test, you don’t have Lyme.

• A few days or a week of antibiotics will cure Lyme.

If you do have an attached tick, don’t freak out. Remove it and monitor the area for a rash and any symptoms. Antibiotics work well in many people when Lyme is caught early so it is ideal to be proactive. There are also places where you can send a tick off to be tested to see if it carries Lyme or other tick borne illness. Tick Report is one that I have used. 

Enjoy being outside, but make sure checking yourself and pets for ticks is part of your daily routine. 

The Practice of Noticing What Has Changed

When we want to change something in our lives, it is easy to focus on the big change we want and to notice what’s not working. But change doesn’t usually happen in huge leaps and bounds (or if it does, it usually doesn't last). Change happens slowly, sometimes two steps forward and one step back and sometimes so slowly that it seems hardly noticeable. What I want to encourage you to do is to take the time to notice the small changes along the way. This makes a huge difference in enjoying the process and becoming more aware of yourself.

We miss a huge piece of being present and actually changing if we don’t pause to notice how the things we do affect us. What feels different? Is it better, the same or worse? What does our body feel like? Do we like doing this thing or are we just going through the steps because we heard on a podcast that we should do this thing? 

Something happens when we pause to notice change, to notice a difference in ourselves, that allows our brains and nervous systems to really absorb and integrate what is different. Focus on what is working, what does feel good or easier. That practice can be beneficial to show your nervous system what is working and that change is possible.

When you are doing all the wonderful things that support your health, make sure to pause and notice how these things are feeling in your body and how they are impacting you in a positive way. The practice of noticing change can take some time. Since we tend to notice what’s not working (pain, anxiety, overwhelm, etc.), it can be different to cultivate this awareness of positive change. I encourage you to spend some time with this, especially after you actively do things to better yourself (eating well, doing Pilates, etc) and really notice how you feel in your body.