Your quick challenge is to do at least 50 burpees in 10 minutes. Take as many as 30 seconds rest per 1 minute round, which makes this challenge totally doable. Record in a journal each day how many burpees you can pull off and challenge yourself to do 1 or 2 more per day than the day before, and watch numbers quickly add up! If you are getting started, aim for 25 in 10 minutes and work up to 60, 70, even 90 burpees in a 10 minute stretch.

Doing burpees, or any exercise, consistently, you will find that your core will get stronger and if you want a further challenge you can add an additional squat round while holding arms at shoulder level for 50 squats, keep a wide stance and be sure to squeeze your glutes while standing. Always remember that your knees should never go past your toes during the squat. If you can’t squat low without letting your knees project past the toes, then don’t go so far down. Stay strong and build the muscles, and always squeeze the glutes at the top of each rep.

If you can spend only 15 minutes every other day doing these two exercises, you will find a long term change in both your body and your mind. Give those minutes to yourself as often as you can!

One of my go-to freezer items is Morning Star Farm’s meatless crumbles. It is so quick and easy to heat up and adds well to almost any meal. Besides the taste, I love that I can have the family eating a nutritious meal in under 15 minutes. The crumbles are of course high in sodium, but soak up any spice I give it, which allows it to pair well with rice, pasta, veggies, salad, and is especially delicious in a quesadilla!

These meatless crumbles contain 75% less fat than regular ground beef, and have 9 grams of protein, making them a welcome veggie addition to almost any dish. This food is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Iron, and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12.

Tonight when my son told me he was hungry for a pasta dish, and asked if we’d be eating soon, without missing a beat, I grabbed a pan and started boiling water. While the pasta was cooking, I put a bag of crumbles in another pan, added only extra virgin olive oil, ground pepper, oregano, and a little garlic powder (no salt), and while that sautéed over low-to-medium heat, I cut up a bunch of fresh broccoli and a few mushrooms, and added them to the crumbles with a little bit of water and covered. In those next couple minutes, I cleaned up my little mess on the counter, and stirred the fusilli until it was al dente. After draining the pasta, I added it to the pan with the crumbles and veggies, added a little more oil, stirred just enough to coat all the pasta with the flavorful topping and served our vegan meal.

I feel fortunate that my family enjoys a vegetarian diet, and that they prefer homemade meals filled with fresh and nutritious ingredients over dining out. If your family is the same, I hope you will try Morning Star Farms’ crumbles for your next recipe.

Every morning, as your feet hit the floor, just before you head to the bathroom, take a moment to take a deep breath in and think about one or two things you are grateful to have in your life.

Sometimes when I’m feeling too rushed, or have a particular annoyance on my mind, I consider a related thing I am grateful for. For example, on days when I realize the laundry basket is overflowing, just after my shoulders slump as I wonder how I’ll find time to fold the stacks later, I think kind thoughts onto my washing machine and dryer which have never failed me in all the years since I’ve had them. It is nearly a miracle to put dirty, smelly clothes into a machine, press a button, and within a couple hours everything is practically like new.

Count your blessings as you cherish all the good in your life. Find something to be grateful for as often as possible.