No. 3: My menu this week, 4 thousand weeks, and shoal creek trail

Good morning,

I’m writing to you from a quite uncomfortable chair with a cold and rainy day ahead of me. And happy valentine’s day! Hopefully you are able to spend time with your significant other, friends, or family today in the spirit of nurturing our relationships with one another.

Let’s get into my top 3 for the week, shall we?

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Body: This week’s menu

Disclaimer: I am not a registered dietician or medical professional.

I am simply offering what I meal-prepped this week, should you like to take inspiration from my list. Keep in mind I am a young, female individual seeking to meet my dietary needs with an increased fiber & protein intake, while keeping my saturated & trans fat consumption low. Your circumstances may differ, and I encourage you to explore that.

Breakfast: Oatmeal with blueberries

Oatmeal is my current hyper-fixation breakfast, and has been for the past couple of months. Oddly, I used to hate oatmeal growing up, but its health benefits and warmth during this cold season have seemed to win me over lately.

What I throw in my morning oatmeal:

• 1/2 cup Steel-cut oats (to soak up the milk faster)

• 2 tablespoons of a mixture of chia, flax, and hemp seeds

• Small handful of chopped walnuts

• 1/3 cup frozen blueberries

• Generous amounts of cinnamon

• A pinch of salt

• A pinch of sugar

• As much milk necessary to drown the aforementioned ingredients

I microwave my concoction for 1.5-2 minutes and end with a warm bowl of goodness ready for consumption with a boiled egg on the side (because you know how important getting in that protein is).

Lunch: Chicken, parsley, feta, and chickpea Greek salad

With a bright lemon & olive oil dressing, this dish is becoming one of my favorites to meal prep ahead of the week to have something protein-packed, fibrous, and full of healthy fats for my day.

I forgot to get olives at the store </3 but you get the idea.

Here are the details:

• 1 bunch parsley

• 1 cucumber

• 1/2 red onion

• 4 Roma tomatoes

• 1 package feta crumbles

• ~1 pound grilled chicken

• 1 can chickpeas

• 1 can navy beans

• 1 can of your favorite olives

• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds

The dish wouldn’t be complete without the dressing it’s been marinating in:

• 2 tablespoons EVOO

• Juice of 2 lemons

• 1 teaspoon of dried dill

• 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning

Chop, combine & toss, and you’ve got a salad-for-one for the whole week! I find it lasts me 6-7 days and pairs perfectly with honey-wheat pretzels on the side.

Dinner: Tuna, spinach, and rice

I’m not going to lie, I have a hard time defending this one. It just wasn’t the best choice. I needed to get rid of some brown rice and tuna and wanted to get in some leafy greens for dinner, so this is what I ended up with. No picture necessary—it’s on my ‘do not make again’ list.

Mind: 4 Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

As a self-identified ‘Type A’ individual, I couldn’t resist picking up yet another book up about time management and productivity. I’m about a third through with this book after starting it last week.

I can only describe this novel as sobering so far. His writing forces you to confront the reality of a finite life that could end at any given moment. Truly, the next day is not given. So, why should I spend my time guilting myself to hang out with that person I don’t really like? And working towards goals that don’t matter to me? This notion has lit a fire under my butt to get my life priorities in order.

What should I do to combat this debacle? We’ll see what Burkeman suggests further on in the book. Maybe I’ll write my takeaways and what I plan to do to align my time allocation with my priorities when I reach the end of this book.

Soul: A walk around Shoal Creek Trail

I had no idea I lived about a 15 minute walk from one of the most beautiful nature trails I’ve seen in my life. Hidden behind the highway full of cars lies Shoal Creek and an accompanying trail pictured below by yours truly.

Although I visited in the crisp temperatures of the winter, I still found my trek quite rewarding simply because I made the effort to try something new. I’ve so far walked the trail with one of my friends, and another time on a solo hike.

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That’s it for me! Wishing you health & fulfillment.

XO,

Katy

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