Lemon-quoteFamily has a way of affecting you unexpectedly, sometimes it’s positive other times its  negative…. as people like to say you can’t pick your family but you can pick your friends! In recent days my heart and head have been in another place, which makes it difficult to function.  Despite the sun shining I feel a large cloud looming over and as a mom it’s the worst feeling in the world to know your child is hurting and be rendered helpless. My intent is not to trivialize my situation but to do something that alters my headspace. I need to function. I am no stranger to these situations; regrettably I have spent way too much time and energy dealing with them.  I have tried a multitude of coping mechanisms some good others not so good.

As I want to morph into a positive headspace these are the good ways that help me to cope. Fitness, going for a walk with the dog can be therapeutic.  My body moves and my mind does also…many ideas/inspirations come from these moments. Going for a run with awesome music lets those endorphins kick in and start the feel “better” process, thank you Rock My Run. Friends, I know that I can pick up the phone and call one and get someone to listen while being non-judgmental yet supportive…. Amen to that! Family, despite their good intentions this can be tricky, they too are hurting and can fall into a “protective mode”,  “I can fix that” mindset, or the role of the “blamer” or “psychologist” but most times all you need is a “I love you”, “sorry you are going through a difficult time”…. and maybe a hug!

Food can be a negative coping mechanism.  Sometimes you want to feed your soul to see if it can swallow up that pain but generally the wrong food choices are made and perhaps washed down with a glass of wine or 2 and you …ok me are not making any progress due to this being a temporary fix.  As I said in my first blog post I need to look at things as the glass half full not half empty. Most days I try to make reasonable food choices and monitor the wine consumption.  Quite honestly, I enjoy wine and love sipping on a glass of wine in the evenings but I am also noticing that at my age that wine and sleep are not a good combination. Sleep is a necessity with a young child , so I try to limit wine and find alternatives.  Lately I have been repeatedly hearing the phrase “when life gives you lemons make lemonade” (BH Housewives finale last night) and last year I came up with a version of a lemon slush that is healthy, tasty and makes a great mocktail to sip on in the evenings. Despite it not being the ‘fix” I so desperately want, it does fuel my mind to come up what I hope will be positive strategies ….so on that note lets hope that there are some restoring powers within this Lemon Slush to help achieve a sunnier disposition….Cheers!

lemonslush

Lemon Slush

Blend the following together pour and enjoy!

-One whole organic lemon quartered(I use a Vitamix, if you do not have a high power blender use fresh organic lemon juice from one lemon and add some filtered water as needed) see below for benefits and links

-1 tbsp. of Apple Cider vinegar see below for benefits and links

-Handful of ice

-Few drops of stevia or organic honey for sweetness (optional)

-serving over tequila or gin optional

Did you know that consuming the lemon peel has a multitude of benefits such as peels contains 5-10 times more vitamins than lemon juice, also peel is a fabulous source for fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, folate and beta carotene. The benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar are also amazing, it can be used as a weight loss tool, sunburn relief, teeth stain remover and the list goes on.

Check out these links: 

Eating Lemon Peel

Reasons to use Apple Cider Vinegar every day

The Zoe Report- ACV wellness