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How to Cope With Stress During COVID-19

Karee RussellLeave a comment

If you’re like me, COVID-19 has caused some stress in your life. I’m MAD at COVID and how it ruined our 2020!

Once the pandemic got worse in Germany it was the beginning/middle of March. I had just gotten back from a week long training for work when things got worse. By 16 March schools and childcare facilities had closed. I became a teacher, full time mom while still working full time, it was CRAZY!! BTW, I’m NOT a teacher and I am blessed my kids have amazing teachers. Because the rest of the school year was killer.

Spring break was the first week of April. We were supposed to go to Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris & the Black Forrest. It was supposed to be our baby moon. We had pre-booked our hotels and I nearly purchased the tickets for the attractions then BAM , COVID-19 sucker punched my plans in the throat. We were lucky enough to get refunds from all the places we booked through and did not have any hassle.

We were then stuck on post unable to go off unless it was for essentials. So my last part of my pregnancy I was home ridden after spending the first part of my pregnancy bedridden. I was sick and tired of being stuck at home. I wanted to leave but the COVID cases were still pretty high and the German government had banned all types of travel except for essential travel.

Therefore, we ended up not being able to do much. I ended up working from home since March 2020 & our gym opened up in the fall timeframe but masks were mandatory if you wanted to work out in the gym. With my asthma that was hard. Therefore, here are a few things I was able to do to cope with stress during COVID!

Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

This is the best time to cook healthy meals from home and to find a home workout program to use. I personally prefer to cook at home and we had many new crockpot meals and I use the SWEAT App to get my workouts in.

Do Daily Activities

Read a book, write a blog, learn to see or join a club. Whatever you do make sure you enjoy it.

Now that the lockdowns are lifting it is time to start planning travel but just remember to not stress about travel and keep an eye on the RKI (Europe/international travel) to see what places are requiring Covid tests, vaccinations or quarantine.

The Best of Prague, Czech Republic

Karee RussellLeave a comment

Had the best time on a three-day adventure to Prague, Czech Republic. Most of the time we spent at the Aquapalace. It’s a hotel within an inside/outside pool park.

The pool area had many slides, a lazy river that went around the whole park & tons of awesome areas for the kids. The hotel was nice and the staff very welcoming!

We spent only a few hours in Prague (Praha) and it was nice! the Prague castle was amazing. It was too crowded so we weren’t able to go inside but just the surrounding areas were very pleasant.

Ways to start Whole 30 and a meal plan example

Karee RussellLeave a comment

When I first started out on my fitness journey, I had NO idea where to begin to eat healthily. There are so many different options to “count” calories or macros. WHAT??? What the heck am I getting myself into? You may wonder. Well, I had no idea what foods fueled my body and what foods hurt my body.

Originally I started out with Beach body’s 21 Day Fix portion control containers. They were easy to use and helped me keep track of what foods to eat and what foods to stay away from altogether. It seemed simple, yet I was still bloating and feeling uneasy on most days.

Why I chose Whole 30

The whole 30 was my next choice and it was the best decision of my life. Now you do not need to buy Whole 30 as there are tons of free options out there. However, I purchased the book off of amazon. The eBook went straight to my kindle and I was able to access it immediately.  The only difficult part was learning what foods I had to, essentially give up during the 30 days, such as grains, sugar, legumes, dairy, or junk food.  “OH HECK NO!!” You’re telling me I cannot eat RICE? or BREAD? or REESE’S? What in the world is going on?

Alright, so it’s not all bad. It was actually a way to see what my digestion problems were. I did not last the whole 30 days because let’s are real I NEED FOOD. However, I learned a lot in the 20 days that I did stick with it. I learned that cheese and beans make me bloat. I learned that eating too much pasta or rice makes me gassy and constipated (TMI, #sorrynotsorry).

Overall, I learned that it was a great experience to try Whole 30. To see how to better nourish my body. This gave me more insight into the proper way to feed my body.

Try WHOLE 30 For Yourself

Here you will find some information regarding Whole 30. The dos and the don’ts.

Dos

Eat real food, such as; meat, seafood, and eggs; vegetables and fruit; natural fats; and herbs, spices, and seasonings. Eat whole and unprocessed foods.

Don’ts

  • Consume added sugar, real or artificial. 
  • Consume alcohol, in any form, not even for cooking. 
  • Eat grains. 
  • Eat most forms of legumes. 
  • Drink or eat any dairy products. 
  • Consume carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites. 
  • Consume baked goods, junk foods, or treats with “approved” ingredients.* 
  • Step on the scale or take any body measurements for 30 days. 
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