Tuesday's Q&A in Lafayette LA - 3/24/14

Spring is officially on its way here in Lafayette LA and I couldn't think of a better time of year to prepare for the renewal this season provides.

One of the things you can do right now for yourself is prepare for the upcoming opportunities of the new season. Spring often inspires us to increase our fitness levels, participate in more activities outdoors and embrace a healthier way of eating - more greens perhaps as local food becomes increasingly available. Use this time to prepare yourself for those opportunities by getting organized.

Clutter, which has likely been accumulating all winter long, keeps us from moving forward, it blocks energy, it stops our creativity and it weighs us down. The more we have in your home, car, office, hand bag, computer hard drive, the more energy we need to attend to those things. Organizing, de-cluttering and preparing will put you in a physical, emotional and spiritual space that supports you in the new changes you have the opportunity to make this spring.

Here are a few steps provided by Modern Chiropractic in Lafayette to follow if you want to change your physical and spiritual landscape in order to prepare for spring:

1. Eliminate and purge.
You can apply this principle to all of your living spaces, or you can choose to apply it one room at a time. Evaluate what you have and what you need, keeping in mind the 80/20 principle that suggests we use about 20% of what we have and essentially do not really need the other 80%. Decide what you longer need or what no longer brings you pleasure, and donate it.

2. Make function easier.
Once you've gone through the elimination process, create a system to keep things neat and organized. Pick the system that you're most likely to stay with and is most effective for your situation. Here are a few options to consider: baskets, file folders, storage containers, or dividers. When organizing your things, keep the items you use most often easiest to access. For example, organize and sort your clothing by season - take out your spring and summer clothes and find a storage solution for your winter clothes. Sort items by their function and keep like things together. For example, create "stations" in your home. In my extremely teeny-tiny kitchen adjacent to the fridge and right next to my cupboard, I have a smoothie station where I keep my Bullet Blender so I have quick access to all of the delicious ingredients I throw into my morning delight smoothie: spinach, kale, almond milk, flax seeds, oat bran, cashews, etc.

3. Create a donation bag.
Keep a bag or box to which you can add items you no longer want. Instead of allowing drawers and closets to fill up throughout the year with things you don't need or want, create a place in your home where you can collect these items and then donate them in the spring as part of your regular spring cleaning. There are several GoodWill donation centers throughout our area, one right near our clinic at the corner of Kaliste Saloom and W. Pinhook. They'll even pick up furniture and small appliances from your home for free!

4. Eliminate clutter hot spots.
Flat surfaces, drawers, the back seat of your car and sometimes handbags can become repositories for all sorts of unwanted or unused items. Mail and paperwork are classic examples of the clutter that can accumulate easily when left unattended. Devise a system that works for you in addressing your mail and paperwork as it is generated. Take a few minutes each week to place important documents in these files and recycle any unneeded paper, or, when possible, go digital, and file your documents electronically. By implementing a system for use and function after you've purged, you'll likely feel much lighter, energized, renewed and inspired after your hard work, providing you with the motivation and energy to continue moving forward with your goals and embracing the newness of spring.

5. Upgrade your home's energy.
This may sound a little coo-koo, but your home will literally feel differently when you take a few moments to rearrange your furniture, get a new houseplant, play upbeat music and/or open a window to allow some fresh air in, even for just a few moments. Diffuse essential oils throughout your home like grapefruit or sage. Invite new energy and life into your home to become a happier and healthier You this spring.
By using this transitional season to organize your living and work spaces, you can position yourself to achieve the health, wellness and personal goals you are designed to achieve!

This week's recipe:

Cookie Dough Bites
(that are actually GOOD for you)

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw organic cashews
• 1 cup fresh medjool dates, pitted
• 2-3 Tablespoons raw cacao nibs, or vegan chocolate chips

Directions
Put the cashews into a high-speed blender or food processor and blend until they are very small pieces. Then, add in the dates and blend to combine. If using a high-speed blender, you may need to stop the blender to stir the mixture, making sure the dates get diced into small pieces.

Take the mixture out of the blender and place in a bowl. The mixture will be sticky. Use your hands to fold in the chocolate chips so they spread evenly throughout the mixture.

Take a tablespoon of the cookie dough and roll around in your palms, forming a ball. Repeat until all of the cookie dough is used.

By Francesca Marino D.C.