This week is my 32nd birthday…. I’m not really sure where the time is going but it sure is going F-A-S-T. (Side-note: Speaking of fast, I’ve got my favorite red quinoa Buddha bowl for you today… because cooking quinoa is super simple and fabulous. More on that down below….)

I’m sure you feel the same way about how life seems to pass by so quickly. So, in the spirit of trying to slow life down a little bit, focusing on the little things in life that make me happy, I’ve decided to share a few ways in which I’m slowing my life down a bit.

Don’t worry, I’ll still be here for you every Monday with a NEW blog post. These next few months I’ll be chatting about how we can all slow down a bit. Because we all need it. Don’t we?

Hopefully some of my ideas will inspire you to stop n’ smell the roses and be grateful for our lives, friends, families, health and more.

How I’ve learned to SLOW the heck down….

I started walking barefoot, more often.

I turned off all technology and stopped looking at my phone, social media, etc.

I starting doing daily yoga. I stopped feeling bad if I didn’t want to go to yoga and chose to rest instead.

I stopped putting so much pressure on myself.sweet-potato-vegan-bowl

I scheduled more ME time.

I stopped beating myself up for things that are not in my control.

I started to learn more about my hormones, cortisol, DHEA and how if just those three things are off, everything in your body can be off and you can feel like crap and look like crap.

I started realizing so many of my client’s ‘healthy lifestyles’ are doing more harm than good because they are pushing themselves to eat perfect, workout daily and be perfect. But none of us are perfect and we can’t push ourselves to eat, sleep, work and do everything perfectly. We have to LIVE a little. It’s been amazing to see my clients transition into living instead of having their end goal be perfection in the gym, on the yoga mat, in the office, with their family, etc.

I started saying NO to things I honestly didn’t want to do.

AND I stopped feeling bad about saying no.

I started checking my emails 2x a day instead of every 5 minutes.

I started sleeping A LOT more than normal. More than 8 hours a night.

easy-buddha-bowl-anti-inflammatory

I started a gratitude journal.

I began breathing from my belly and not my chest.

I stopped answering emails, working, and spending way too much time on social media on the weekends.

I started taking daily Epsom salt baths.

I started getting into bed by 10PM and turning off my computer by 8PM.

I started adding A LOT more healthy HEALING fats like coconut oil, raw and sprouted nuts, seeds and avocados to my meals and snacks to feed my hormones — to help heal my thyroid, gut, a little relapse of a health-thingy and my PCOS.

MUCH, MUCH more to come on all this in the next few weeks… but for now, we’re movin’ onto this buddha bowl, folks.

How have you slowed down lately?

Red Quinoa Buddha Bowl
Serves: 6
 
Prep
Cook
Total
 
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Author: Amie Valpone
Recipe type: Entree

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Place sweet potato cubes on a rimmed baking sheet.
  3. Whisk oil, honey, 1 tsp. lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl and drizzle over sweet potato cubes.
  4. Bake until tender and golden brown, about 1 hour.
  5. Meanwhile, cook quinoa according to package directions.
  6. Serve Buddha bowls by taking a scoop of quinoa, radicchio and sweet potatoes into six bowls and serve warm. Drizzle each bowl with fresh lemon juice and additional olive oil, if needed. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper and lemon zest.
Nutrition Facts
Red Quinoa Buddha Bowl
Amount Per Serving
Calories 291 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 90mg4%
Potassium 745mg21%
Carbohydrates 52g17%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 21450IU429%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 63mg6%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Try to buy everything you need for this Buddha bowl organic. Here’s why: The Benefits of Eating Organic.

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17 comments

  1. 5 stars
    This sounds heavenly! I truly enjoyed reading you slow down thoughts too. More people need to incorporate this into their lives.

  2. Amie, I’m happy to see how you incorporated both wellness and a food recipe in this blog post! Also, love the use of red quinoa and bright sweet potatoes for these cold, winter months when I’m very much in need of a pop of color! xo

  3. Hi Amie, happy almost birthday and wanted to send you my very best for your continued success and good health. You’re so smart and accomplished and I think slowing down while your body is telling you to do that is an example of your wisdom. P.S. I keep meaning to e-mail you, but if you’re going to be in CA this spring, I’d love to try and get together.

  4. Thanks for the reminder to slow down! As a 34 year old who was diagnosed with UC a few months ago, I’m struggling with this as well. Lowering our stress levels is so important to our health (spoken as a perfectionist multitasker who stressed herself into the hospital)

    I’m trying to do most of the things on your list, I also try to walk each day. It’s great, low-impact exercise that gets me outside in the fresh air and sunshine. And my dog appreciates it as well 🙂

  5. This is amazing Amie – the recipe and the post 🙂 – so happy you are lightening the load on yourself – you deserve it! You’re always going at 90 – so much energy, I’ve never known how you do it!

    I could stand to do a few of these myself! I’m working on the “no” one, which seems to be the hardest. As practice, I’ve said “no” to every “meeting” invite for Expo West. I’m going to simply go and savor the show, and see what comes out of it – no plans or expectations! Not big, but it’s a step 🙂

  6. Really awesome list, Amie! For you and for us. 🙂 There are certain things that I do on the list always without giving it a second thought. Other things I will do well on for a while and then Ill regress. 😉 We are all works in progress, but I really appreciate these reminders. Glad you’re doing much better and your clients are doing much better by slowing down and kicking that perfection thing to the curb. I don’t think perfection has ever served anyone well. And happy, happy birthday, dear! Mr. GFE’s birthday is Saturday so we’re taking a weekend trip with some dear friends to visit some more dear friends. Can’t wait!

    xo,
    Shirley