Greetings, friends! It has been a while since I posted on here. I’ve been through quite a struggle these last few months with the back to back passings of my two best male friends. I had to back off from my cooking videos and blog posts for a bit, but I am so glad to be back to this thing place that I love.

I have a super easy how-to for you today that will save you lots of time in the morning. I’m showing you how to make Steel Cut Oats in your Instant Pot! Check out the recipe instructions at the bottom of this post. I also made a video tutorial which gives you a great tip at the end about freezing single servings of the oatmeal. Perfect for busy mornings!

Beyond the oats, I have some other things on my mind and I’d like to begin sharing a bit more openly on this blog. I feel I do a disservice to my followers if I don’t show a little depth to who I am. So, here goes…

Man! The devil is firing on all cylinders this week. He is trying hard to break me down.

I am a strong person, y’all. But, like everyone else, I do have feelings. Those feelings have been bruised several times this week, and at times when I was least prepared. Isn’t that the worst? When you’re flying high, and someone comes along and just steals the wind from your sails? You try your hardest to let your guard down and relax, but it seems the second you do you get sideswiped in a hit and run.

Since I have been through quite a lot lately, I’ve put more thought than usual into the various moments of transgressions over this past week (and, gee, it’s only Wednesday). It is very easy to lose perspective when you’re under duress, and I’m careful to keep a level head so I don’t crash and burn. Here are my takeaways:

👉🏻People don’t always mean what they say. Give grace even when it seems grace isn’t being extended.

👉🏻People sometimes say thing out of turn because they are mad about something else. Try to think beyond only your own thoughts and feelings to uncover the reason behind their action. What are THEY going through?

👉🏻Sometimes the way you interpret someone’s words or actions are based on how you are feeling internally about completely unrelated situations. Example: I feel insecure already because of XYZ that happened in the past, so I am adding a bunch of unintended meaning to someone’s innocent remarks.

👉🏻Some people just plain value their own feelings more than yours. This is one of those hard facts of life. It is your responsibility to release them from your circle. (Remember my bless and release post?)

👉🏻And, finally, people only have as much power over you as you allow them.

My heart is tender right now. A few layers of my thick skin have peeled away. I’m cleaning up some messes that were left behind from some very unfortunate things that happened recently. Maybe you can relate. So, I’ll tell you what I’m telling myself:

Rule #1: Wounds heal.

I’m entitled to my feelings and they are based solely on my own experience. When they are hurt, I can recognize and honor those feelings without wallowing in them forever. In fact, the faster I validate my own feelings, the faster I can help my wounds heal. As my wounds heal, sometimes the bandaid will slip off and other people may unknowingly (and sometimes knowingly) cause me more injury. When that happens, it is my job to say “wow, that hurt,” cry if I need to, clean up my wound and put my bandaid back on. No one will do this for me. Also, sometimes other people need to have my bandaid pointed out to them, and that’s ok if it protects me from further injury. Finally, when it feels like I don’t have the answer, go back to rule #1.

Wounds heal.

Xo
Jaime

Photo of Dale Hollow Lake by my husband, FotoJo. Not exactly sure why I picked this one, but it seems to portray my feelings right now.

Listen, folks. I’m not really a skin care girl. Years of sun exposure have made my chest look like this:

I’m 41 years old and I’m doing fairly well as far as wrinkles and decent looking skin goes. This is especially true considering that when I do use face wash it comes from Dollar General or a bar of soap. Honestly, it’s just not something I put much thought or effort into everyday. But, I started to become a little bothered over the last couple years that my chest area was making me look older than 41! All those years of outdoor swim team and lifeguarding, beach vacations, running outside, and just being in the sun from day to day without enough sunblock are responsible for my now visible signs of skin aging, including bumps and discoloration. I also started developing those deep wrinkles – I call them “eye crinkles” – between my eyebrows. Too many years of making the “are you stupid” face at people, I guess! (Just ask my husband. He hates that face.) Bottom line — I couldn’t hide from years of abusing my skin any longer. That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to try out a HALO Laser Treatment and a Botox injection at the Skin and Allery Center in Middle Tennessee. If there was a way to make myself look a little younger, I was ready and willing to give it a shot.

I met with Jeana at the Skin and Allergy Center in Murfreesboro for my initial consultation. The office was clean and bright, and I was greeted warmly by the staff and Jeana. She took me back to a private room to look over and discuss my skin issues and various treatment options. During our consultation, one of the lead doctors, Dr. Robb, came in and also looked at my skin and offered his recommendation. Both Jeana and Dr. Robb felt that I would benefit greatly by having a HALO treatment on my neck and chest, and roughly 15 units of Botox to take care of those “crinkles.”

Jeana explained the benefits of Halo are that you can custom tailor the strength of the laser, the coverage, and the density depending on your needs. She also said I would see results in 1-2 treatments as opposed to 3-5 traditional resurfacing treatments. She assured me that the treatment would not cause much pain other than a little discomfort similar to light needle pricks and a little heat. She said after the treatment my skin would become very red and hot like I had a sunburn from being on the beach too long. This would only last a few hours and the pain could be alleviated with a cold water spray and frozen washcloth. The days following the treatment my skin would be red and blotchy, but I would eventually start peeling. After that, new, refreshed skin would start to appear! I felt very assured by Jeana’s thorough consultation so I decided to set an appointment for the HALO treatment.

My treatment took place in the Spring Hill Skin and Allergy Center location and my laser nurse was named Sara. Like Jeana, Sara was very warm and welcoming and made me feel comfortable right away. Sara explained everything that the treatment would entail and then applied numbing cream to my chest and neck. She also took Visia photos to show the true aging of my skin. If you truly want to be freaked out, I recommend you do these photos. Check this out:

The photo above shows the pigmentation of my skin and the darker areas are where it’s the most heavily pigmented. That makes me want to go running to the nearer bottle of sunscreen! My “TruSkin age” ended up being 44, so I wasn’t TOO far from my actual age. Those photos struck a nerve though, for sure.

After the photos, I had to let the numbing cream take effect for another 40 minutes. During this time I of course managed to get it on my forehead and the side of my mouth and couldn’t feel half my face. Never a dull moment! Sara then took me to the treatment room and gave me big, silly protective glasses before she began the treatment. It didn’t really hurt at all other than just feeling a little heat. In fact, the crackling sound of the laser was more unsettling than the actual application. After the HALO treatment was completed, Sara gave me three shots of Botox (15 units) in the deep lines between my eyebrows. She also gave me a ton of samples for Epionce products including a great tinted sunscreen as well as a water spray to help relieve the burning from the treatment. And, burn it did! My chest and neck was on fire on the way home! I sprayed nearly the whole can of water on my chest and neck. Like Jeana had warned me, it was very similar to having a bad sunburn but only lasted a couple hours.

The next day my chest and neck were quite a sight. Look here:

All of those red dots on my skin are called MENDs, or Microscopic Epithelial Necrotic Debris. This is a normal response to the HALO treatment and means that the laser is moving deep sun damage to the surface. I was advised to moisturize several times a day and eventually my skin would start peeling. It took several days, but this did happen and my skin looked a little better each day. I went back for a follow-up visit with Jeana about two and half weeks later, and she decided to do one more Broadband Light treatment on my skin just to help tone down the pigmentation that still remained. By the time a month past my initial treatment rolled around, my skin was glowing and beautiful. Here are the results:

I am amazed at the glow. I still have freckles, but my skin is much brighter and healthier looking. It also got rid of nearly all the bumps that covered the center of my chest and the half circle around my outer neck (outside the shadow of my chin). Sara said that I will continue to see the tightening effects with the collagen remodeling over the next several month. Full collagen remodeling can take 3-6 months to peak and can stretch to even a year after treatment.  It’s great to hear that I will just continue seeing more glow to my skin as time goes on!

And, how about that botox?

I’m totally pleased with the botox injections! I didn’t think 15 units was going to be enough, but Sara did a wonderful job injecting and the amount of units used still allowed some movement in that area. It’s a very natural effect and I love it! I had a photo shoot about a week and a half after the injection and I didn’t have to have my face retouched in the photos at all. That was something to smile about!

Besides the HALO and Botox, I also fell in love with the Epionce products, especially that tinted moisturizer! Take a look at this before and after (done while my chest was still healing) where I only used the moisturizer and a little powder:

I made a video of the experience with an intro from Sara:

If you are interested in rejuvenating your skin, Sara and Jeana at the Skin and Allergy Center are just a phone call away! If you are interested in trying the Halo laser treatment or you wish to learn a little more about the process, schedule your initial consultation with the team at the Skin & Allergy Center in Tennessee. You can also follow them on Instagram: Jeana @jeanaelhart and Sara @lasernursesara You have my recommendation that you are in good hands with this team and it will be an investment well worth it!

xo Jaime

We are proud to be able to offer the Desert Okie Strong t-shirts that we wore to support Chad Trout during his year long fight with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer. Chad loved these shirts that his Aunt Sharon Bledsoe Foster had designed for him, and many people have asked about purchasing them after seeing the family wearing them. Thanks goes to Sharon Bledsoe Foster, Kim Scholwinski of Flip Flop Bling for generously donating the design, Lori Brown for putting together the purchase links and assisting with shipping, and my sister-in-law Wanda Warf of Maverick Ink for assisting us with a limited press.

Here is the shirt:

We will be running a pre-order from June 9, 2018 through June 24, 2018. The shirts will be pressed and shipped out during the two weeks following. Our goal is to get the shirts delivered in time to be worn at Chad’s Celebration of Life on July 5th (public celebration) and 7th (private celebration).

We are able to offer three styles and the cost will be $20 including shipping. 2X will be $3 more.

Gildan – Basic Sturdy Adult T-Shirt

Hanes Tagless Soft T-Shirt

District Women’s Junior Concert Tee (these run a little smaller and have a slim fit)

Here is the link for purchase. The shirts will show as $15 with a $5 shipping charge added for a total of $20 (except 2X which is $3 more).

We are so thankful for all the support for Chad and his family. All profit from these shirts will go into the Desert Okie Strong for Chad Trout fund that the family is using for costs related to Chad’s final arrangements.
With love,

Jaime

Age 41 must be the year where I have to face the idea of mortality, how it affects my life and those around me, and how I feel about my own mortality. As if that wasn’t deep enough, I have two little kids who are soaking up everything going on in their mom’s life. While I’m trying to navigate my own feelings, I have to figure out how to gently navigate through their feelings as well.

For those of you who have just recently started following me here, my posts generally focus around health, fitness and nutrition. But, I do a disservice to everyone if I do not touch on subjects in my life that are vulnerable too. The more I coach others and the bigger my following grows, the more I understand that people just want to be understood. So, if you can find something relatable in my words that also helps you in your journey, then it’s worth sharing. As much as I’d like my life to revolve solely around my happy family, my workouts and the Instant Pot, it’s just not that way.

Also, for those just joining here, I lost my best friend seven weeks ago unexpectedly to a pulmonary embolism and my other best friend is fighting for his life in the hospital with stage four pancreatic and liver cancer. This is some deep stuff to deal with all at once (or ever). I’ve tried hard to be sensitive around my kids, but it’s impossible to shield them from the emotions surrounding this. And, it’s also important not to completely shield them from it either. Finding the balance is challenging though.

Yesterday my four-year-old got stuck on the subject of beating hearts. He kept asking us if his heart would beat forever. I tried to explain that you have to take care of your heart and that’s why it’s important to have a good diet and exercise. With both those things, you can hopefully keep your heart beating for a long time. He started getting very agitated and saying that he wanted to have his heart beat forever. All of a sudden, he burst into tears and sobbed into my chest that he wanted to live forever. That’s when I snapped this picture. I happened to have my phone open with the camera on because just minutes before we were taking pictures in a happy moment, right before the tables turned on me.

I really didn’t know what to say. I’m not gonna tell him that we live forever because that’s not true. I told him that he should try his very hardest to live forever, but that even if one day his heart stops beating he had nothing to fear. Just like he has been learning about at school, Jesus would be waiting there for him and he would continue to live forever in heaven and the hearts of those who love him. That led to lots of other questions, most of which didn’t make a whole lot of sense except maybe in the mind of a four-year-old. I quickly changed the subject as it was clear we both had as much as we could take of this conversation.

Later that night as I prayed, I asked God why in the world he was putting all this on me at once. “Why, God, are you making me explain death to a four year old??” It was one of those rare moments when I could actually hear Him answer – “You weren’t explaining it to him. I was explaining it to you.”

I don’t know what lies in the days, months and years ahead. But I’m holding on to the faith that whatever it is I don’t have to be fearful of it. It’s weird how that makes me comforted and angry at the same time. You know?

We finally have some sunshine here in Tennessee! Boy, is it hot but I would choose that over cold any day! Warm weather means more patio dining which I love. The other night I found myself on the patio of a cool little Nashville vegetarian restaurant called The Sunflower Cafe. I was meeting up with some new friends who also are eating a plant-based diet. I ordered this scrumptious vegan barbecue bowl that was made up of brown rice, smoky collards, and vegan seitan barbecue. It was out of this world!! I don’t know how in the world they made that barbecue taste and feel so much like pork, but they did it. Blew my mind!

I got home and immediately starting longing for a repeat of that meal. I tried making the seitan in my instant pot and although it wasn’t a disaster, it was way too chewy. I will have to keep trying on that one. The collard greens was quite a bit easier to recreate, and today I am sharing it with you! These collard greens have NO oil, NO meat, and only a few ingredients. Quick, easy and healthy!

Check out how it’s done here:

I know many of you see my invitations for my monthly challenge groups and think to yourself that your issues with your health and weight go deeper than just committing to an exercise program or meal plan. In fact, exercise might not even be something you can do at this point in your life. It might be instead that the answer to your health obstacles does not start with a dumbbell.. it might start with changing your… MIND!

Your mind can make or break you in every area of your life. It is the thing that gets you going in the morning, helps you excel at your job, helps you deal with your everyday relationships and navigate through problems. But, it can also be your worst enemy. The thing that tells you aren’t “good enough,” “won’t ever succeed,” and “you should just eat everything in sight because what difference does it make it anyway.” It can tell you constant lies about your ability to find change in your life. And, it’s the one thing you cannot escape.

Maybe you know what you should be doing as far as your nutrition, but you consider yourself an “emotional eater” and cannot get a handle on it. Or, maybe you just don’t have the first clue what a healthy diet even looks like. Either way, my company has created a revolutionary program called 2B Mindset that  focuses first on why you are making the food choices you make, and what triggers make it hard to lose weight. Now, wait a minute! Don’t get me wrong! The 2B Mindset can ABSOLUTELY help you lose weight without feeling deprived, counting calories, cutting entire food groups, and even without exercise if you aren’t ready for that. Take a look at this overview of the program:

2B Mindset faces head on the leading cause of weight loss issues and weight management — our relationship with food! Of course exercise is essential for a functional life, but good health truly starts in the kitchen.  The 2B Mindset solution is created by someone who has actually been there and lost over 100 lbs herself using this method. Ilana Muhlstein is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist — the highest standard in the field of nutrition — and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Maryland. (You know I loved her immediately because she is a TERP!) Illana, along with a private success group run by me, will personally help you shift your mindset, helping you to create a positive, healthy weight loss. Ilana’s system is a healthy approach to eating that lets you feel full and satisfied, while arming you with proven strategies that will help you co-exist with food in real-world situations, satisfy cravings, and anticipate setbacks before they happen. This is the key to winning the weight loss struggle!

Here is a little more on Ilana:

This program is simple to follow. You will learn strategies to help you consume more water, prepare and eat wholesome foods and actually enjoy them, and we will shatter the myth that the bathroom scale is your enemy. In fact, you’ll end up loving the scale, because it will become a powerful weight loss tool. Once you take ownership of the program and its principles, it’s yours for life.

One of the first questions I’ve gotten from my existing client base about this program is how Shakeology is integrated into 2B Mindset. Ilana is a huge fan of Shakeology! Because of its high-protein content (17 g), Shakeology can count as the protein for any 2B Mindset meal. One of Ilana’s primary tips for weight loss is for people to have a consistent breakfast. And since Shakeology is easy and quick to make—and tastes great—she chooses it as part of her consistent breakfast every morning. Since it’s a protein, it can also work as part of your lunch, snack, or dinner so it integrates perfectly into every day, and the best news is you get to decide when! And she has so many great ways to enjoy it and make it even more satisfying.

The next question is whether exercise can be incorporated. Absolutely! As I said before the 2B Mindset does not require exercise, but it’s encouraged and it’s considered “extra credit.” Yes, the program focuses on nutrition and weight loss through the foods we eat. But, once you start seeing some real progress with your weight loss, you are inevitably going to want to move in your new and improved body!

So, are you ready to say goodbye, once and for all, to emotional eating, mindless snacking, punishing yourself for indulging on foods you love? If so, 2B Mindset is the answer. Let’s change our MINDS together. I am thrilled to be able to offer this brand new program that is 100% focused on changing your relationship with food. Whether people have 150 lbs to lose or 5 lbs, this program is going to change lives. Beginning May 7th, I will be launching The Mind Shift Success Group on Facebook (secret, completely private group) and I want YOU to be a part of it. With this program and the help of me, your dedicated Team Beachbody Coach, we will master the 2B Mindset! The time is NOW to take control of your life and your MIND! For more information, fill out this form!

Finally seeing some sunshine here in Tennessee. Wonder how long it will last? Sunshine has got me like….mmm, I need TACOS!  I whipped up some delicious 100% plant-based Mexican cauliflower tacos topped with a super easy Mexican slaw, and I’m sharing it with you today! This preps so well and keeps in the fridge for 4-5 days. Make it on a Sunday and enjoy it later in the week to make your busy week a little easier! (If you can wait that long to eat it, that is!)

Ok, Tennessee. I’ve had about enough of your weather identity problems. Bring on spring already!! I swear my sons have had more cancelled soccer and flag football games than they’ve actually gotten to play. Bummer!

One thing that always make me happy is… ranch. Since moving to a plant-based diet, I have really missed dipping any and everything in creamy fattening Ranch dressing. Good news is I’ve perfected a plant-based version of Ranch dressing and it’s coming soon to this blog! You know who else loves Ranch? My two boys. And thanks to them, I get to share with you a delicious Ranch chicken you can easily make in your Instant Pot.

Here’s to clean plates and NO complaints!

Check out this video to see how it’s done:

A quick reminder that my monthly challenges are still happening – if you are ready to change your health and fitness for once and all, send an email to moderndayfox at gmail.com and let’s get this party started!!

This last month was hard on me. Losing my best friend, Ted, to a pulmonary embolism just four weeks ago blind sided me like no other. It’s hard to grieve when you have little people to take care of and a household to run. You wonder how the world keeps turning when something so tragic happens, but somehow it does. You want to be mad about that, but it’s actually the thing that forces you to move forward. You literally have no choice.

Here is a photo of Ted and me on one of our many trips across the world. We were in Athens, Greece:

That’s why I’ve been absent from my blog for several weeks. I hope you understand! The good news is that Ted and I mutually shared a love for cooking (and eating) and so I believe I would do a real disservice to him to give up on my recipes and videos. Ted would look at me in his overly sarcastic way and say, “Really??” if I even considered that. So, I’m back!

Today I have a 21 Day Fix and 80 Day Obsession approved Creamy Zucchini Soup that you can make in your Instant Pot with the help of your blender! I recommend doubling or even tripling this recipe if you are feeding a crew. I made this specifically for my meal prep and the serving size is only 1/2 cup which equals one green container and one blue container. This recipe makes 2 cups total so that’s four snacks for my meal prep for the week. We all know that your family will laugh at you if you give them a half cup of soup, so doubling the recipe may be best for you.

Here is a video to show you how it’s done:

I am so excited to be teaming up on a couple recipes with a local business owner and chef, Kristie Holdren. Kristie is the owner of My Veggie Chef, a Nashville company which delivers prepped freezer bags of whole food plant based meals locally here in Middle Tennessee and also ships to 38 states.

Since switching to a whole food plant based diet back in December, my weekly meal prep began kicking my booty. Without meat, dairy, or eggs, I basically have had to teach myself to cook all over again! I needed to press the “easy” button. Enter My Veggie Chef. Each week, Kristie releases a menu of five entree choices and allows customers to customize their orders by choosing which meals they prefer for the week. Don’t care for tempeh (like me)? No problem. Double up on the Carribean Quinoa Burgers. The meals, which feed four, are delivered to my home every Sunday and left in a complimentary freezer satchel provided by My Veggie Chef. The meals arrive in Ziploc bags with a sticker containing the cooking instructions. I put them in the freezer and set one out each day. They take roughly 20 minutes to cook each night. The best part? There are many meals that I can put directly into my Instant Pot frozen, and you know I love that! The meals are healthy and delicious, and full of plants!

This is not a sponsored post. I just love small business owners with unique ideas, especially when they support healthy lifestyles. I’m a paying customer, and plan to continue to being one!

Kristie sent me this hearty split pea soup recipe to share with all of you. Of course I converted it to the Instant Pot! Did you expect any less? As we hammer through these frigid days at the cusp of Spring, this soup is sure to warm you up and make your belly happy!

Photography and Food Styling Credit: Sherry Mata

Check out a video tutorial here: