Last week I shared a post talking about prepping all of your food for the week in one afternoon (I also have a whole chapter dedicated to make-ahead meals in my popular ebook) I offered lots of tips, pictures, and gave a step by step on what my food prep day looks like. I received lots of positive feedback on this post. However, within those comments were statements like this:

That looks amazing, I wish I could do that!
Wow, you are so organized, can you come to my house and do that for me?
I would love to food prep but don’t know where to start…
I tried to prep my food and got so overwhelmed I quit!

These comments, and others like them, made me think. I want you (my reader) to read the posts I write and think to yourself “I can do this”. I do not want you to feel overwhelmed or that it’s too out of reach. BELIEVE ME if you knew me in “real life” you would say “Dang, if Tammy can do it then I can definitely do this”. Not kidding! Some of my closest friends wonder how I even tie my own shoelaces some days. But one of my favorite quotes is “It never gets easier, you only get better”. This is so true. The more I work at something the “easier” it gets. Not because the task itself got easier but because I got better. I evolved. The person I am today with food prep is not the person I was 4 years ago just starting out.

If I were to give weekly food prep guidelines to the “just starting out” Tammy this is what they would be…

Don’t try to prep it all!

First and foremost, when starting out, don’t try and make ahead your entire weekly menu plan. This will completely overwhelm you – it can still overwhelm me. Start slow. The first week prep 1 or 2 recipes ahead of time and as you get comfortable with the process you can prep more.

Don’t try new recipes

When starting out with food prep it is best to stick with recipes you already know. This way you are confident in the outcome of the recipe and the only thing you need to focus on is preparing it ahead of time. This is the way I started with my food prep. I took recipes that I made often, like taco meat and red clam sauce, and prepared them ahead of time and then stored in the refrigerator and sometimes freezer. I was able to focus on what worked, what didn’t, and most importantly it allowed me to experience the benefits of having food ready. I know taco meat and clam sauce is easy to make but I still found having these meals made ahead of time to be extremely beneficial.

Choose which recipe(s), if made ahead of time, would make the biggest difference in your week

This is huge! If you are short on time or don’t have the energy to prepare a lot of food then prioritize your meals. Which recipe, if made ahead of time, is going to make your week easier? If you are rushing around every morning and always running out of time for a healthy breakfast then maybe focus on preparing breakfast sandwiches or steel cut oats. If dinnertime brings you the most stress then put together some meal starters or prep ingredients for a couple slow cooker recipes. If you are always running to the vending machine at 3:00pm then put together some veggie packs or bags of almonds. What is going to make it easier for you to eat healthier during the week?

When I was working out of the house having lunch prepared was huge. If I didn’t I was going to the vending machines or cafeteria for sure. You can view all my mason jar salad recipes here.

When we truly love someone, we want to see them thrive. We want the best for them, and we want to see them happy.

In our world today, too many people are struggling day-to-day with their health. They are barely surviving, let alone thriving. And often times they have no idea things can change, or no motivation to do anything about it.

It can be one of the hardest things in life to see someone you love struggling with their health… especially when you know just how good it can actually be.

Today you’re going to find out some powerful ways to help motivate your friends and family to take better care of themselves. Sometimes it’s not the message itself, but how it’s delivered that can make all the difference in the world. That’s why today you’re also going to learn what NOT to do when communicating with the people you care about if you really want to effect change in their life. This is essential stuff, and very powerful… so use the forces for good young Jedi.

While your workouts always leave you feeling refreshed, the muscle soreness afterward can also leave you feeling like a Robaxacet puppet – especially if you’ve just increased the intensity, frequency, or duration of your workout. For times like these, it’s always helpful to have muscle recovery strategies at your disposal.

Below are 10 natural ways to aid muscle recovery and ease muscle tension:

1. Hydrate

Okay, this one seems obvious, but many of us have a nasty habit of waiting until we feel thirsty to drink water – and if you’re not hydrated properly, your muscles will become stiff and prone to injury. I used to carry a giant bottle of water to work with me, but I found it to be really intimidating, so now I focus on drinking a glass of water every hour (with a hardcore replenish after each workout).

2. Lemon towel

Lemons are a natural anti-inflammatory (and smell amazing too). Mix two tablespoons of honey with the juice from three lemons and microwave for 30 seconds (an acceptable use for a microwave!). Dip a towel into the mixture and apply to sore areas to help your muscle recovery along.

3. Epsom salts

Epsom salts are made of magnesium sulfate: Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant, and as a salt they help reduce tissue swelling. Dissolve one or two cups of Epsom salts into warm bath water and soak for 15 minutes or until the water has cooled.

4. Ginger supplements

According to researchers at Georgia College and State University, ginger may help reduce muscle soreness: A change was noticed within 11 days of using two grams of ground ginger daily.

5. Drink tart cherry juice

Studies suggest tart cherries may be more effective than aspirin at relieving pain and reducing inflammation, thanks to the antioxidant anthocyanins, which can help minimize swelling in sore muscles. Drink about an ounce of cherry concentrate right before your workout – or, if cherries aren’t your thang, enjoy other foods that are rich in antioxidants like quinoa, kale and blueberries.

6. Heat therapy

Heat therapy increases the flow of oxygen and nutrients to sore muscles while suppressing the pain signals being sent to your brain. Apply some form of heat – hot water bottle, heating pad, or a hot towel – to sore areas.

7. Cool with ice

With pain comes inflammation – and ice is the best natural remedy. It also acts as an anesthetic, essentially numbing the effected area and giving you a muscle recovery breather.

8. Stretch

Here’s the thing about muscle pain: It limits your movement, which ironically makes the pain even worse. (Oy to the vey.) Make sure to get your stretch on as often as possible – especially after sitting for extended periods of time or before an intense workout. Once you’ve incorporated more stretching into your day, muscle recovery will be a snap.

9. Exercise

You know how they say the best thing you can do to cure a hangover is to drink what caused the hangover? A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found the same is true for exercise: They compared the effects of massage or exercise to relieve muscle soreness, and found exercise to be just as effective.

10. Rest up

Especially after trying an intense workout you’re not used to, it’s best not to overdo it: If you sense an injury coming on, rest up before taking the plunge again. Listen to your body, and it’ll take care of the rest (no pun intended).