Nourish What Matters with LEAN CUISINE®

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I turned 50 a week ago. I know… go ahead and tell me how amazing I look for 50… that you had no idea I was that old. Because at any given moment I feel really old… and then seconds later I feel like I’m in my 20’s. Age is a funny thing, it creeps up on you really fast and then you kind of start putting things in perspective in terms of what you want to do with the rest of your life. I’ve done a lot of thinking on that topic lately and I think anyone (at any age) needs to learn to nourish what matters. Figure out your priorities, what is most important to your life goals, and stop thinking it’s all going to happen on it’s own. Get up and make your goals happen. Start today.

I’ve had a lot of different jobs over the years and I think that no matter what you do, it all leads you down a path to where you are now. My very first job was selling clothes at a store in the mall when I was in high school. The store doesn’t exist anymore, but I hated that job. Obviously, retail wasn’t for me. I had a career in the interior design field, which I have a love/hate relationship with. I wasn’t sad to leave it behind when I became a Mom and stay home to raise my kids. Today, at 50, I have a new career (blogging and social media) and I probably wouldn’t even flinch if I found myself doing something completely different when I turn 60.

I certainly don’t feel like it’s the end of the road… or that I couldn’t do something different if I really wanted to. I have friends in their 40’s who have gone back to school and are studying things that they never would have imagined 10 years ago. Life has a funny way of leading you to destinations on it’s own terms and in it’s own way. The biggest piece of advice I would give any younger person right now would be to just live one day at a time and trust that everything you learn will be stored up and used somewhere down the road. Not every day is going to be fabulous, but you get another chance tomorrow.

So… be happy with what you have and with where you are right now. Do things for yourself that are going to make you feel good. Take care of your body and your mind… and don’t forget your soul. Start simply and find what fits your lifestyle. It took me a long time to find what was right for me, but I thought I’d share some of them.

Meditate

I know, sounds corny, right? I was always the one who would roll their eyes if someone suggested meditation. But meditation isn’t what I always thought it was. It’s just sitting quietly, putting all the day-to-day out of your mind and focusing in on one thing. It doesn’t mean your mind won’t wander… of course it will wander… but being focused means you can bring your mind back to it’s center and regain your peace again. Some people meditate in the morning, but I have found that meditating in bed before I fall asleep works best for me. It gives me a quiet peace at the end of the day and I have never slept better. I also find that I wake up in a much calmer state in the morning. I’m not waking up stressed about the day ahead.

Pamper Yourself

A few years ago I used to get regular monthly facials. I had found this fabulous woman who charged me very little and I would look forward to lying back and relaxing for 90 minutes as she cleaned my skin and massaged my shoulders. It was amazing and I never missed a month in about 2 years. Unfortunately, she moved out of State and that was the end of my facials. When I was working full time (way back when) I would get my nails done every two weeks… but that all went away when I had kids and was lucky to have 5 minutes a month to do my own nails.

Now that I’m older, I’ve realized that if it makes me happy to get my nails done (or my hair or a massage) then I’m darn well going to do it. We regret the things that we don’t do. I’ve never once regretted going to a salon. Never ever.

And pampering also means buying that expensive shampoo or the fancy department store makeup… if you want to. Unless you are seriously not able to pay your bills… a little splurge will work wonders for your mental state.

Eat Great Food

I spent way too many years worrying about what I looked like - whether I was eating too much, eating too little, being hungry or feeling too full. It was ridiculous. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m fine just the way I am and while I’m not going to sit and eat gallons of ice cream every day… having a pint to myself once in a while isn’t going to kill me either.

I tend to skip meals a lot, mostly due to not having time to eat properly and I’m not a big fan of drive-thrus. When I was in Target this past weekend, I wanted to make sure to buy a few things to keep at home for when I was short on time, but didn’t want to skip a meal. I normally would purchase a few LEAN CUISINE® meals (because they taste great and are lower in calories). This trip, I found these new LEAN CUISINE® MARKETPLACE meals.

Just the names of these new meals had my mouth watering. I was going to pick up several different varieties, but my husband kept throwing more and more into the cart. He wanted to try all of them. At $2.00 each, we figured better to stock the fridge up as much as possible.

One of my big issues is not getting enough protein in my diet. I might have some with dinner, but unless I eat an egg for breakfast (which I rarely do) I think my protein intake is way down. Probably why I feel run-down by mid-afternoon. Not only does LEAN CUISINE® have protein packed options, they also have gluten-free options and organic ingredient options. I know how important it is for some people to be able to purchase a variety of meals according to their dietary restrictions.

My personal favorite… the Vermont White Cheddar Mac & Cheese. So so so so so so goooooood!

One thing I also discovered was the LEAN CUISINE® Well Being Website. Seriously, they developed a website to share their new way of thinking… they call it “Cuisine with a Purpose.” You can sign up to receive newsletters, earn points, and learn more about the foods you are eating. This more mindful LEAN CUISINE® fits in exactly with what I’ve been talking about and feeling for the past few months.

The best part about 50? I finally get that it’s all about being happy with who you are.

 

Starting on January 3, you can download a $1.00 off coupon to use at Target when you purchase any 5 LEAN CUISINE® MARKETPLACE meals.

Which LEAN CUISINE® MARKETPLACE variety are you most excited to try out?