Let's Appreciate

Hello, all my good friends!

I hope this post is finding you in good spirits on this day that we have been blessed with.

I wanted to write a short post on appreciating things that we have, not to take things for granted.  Too often we like to dwell on the past or stress about what may happen in the future.  What we need to try to do is appreciate that we are in.

What happened in the past is over and done.  Learn from it, but move on.  There is no point to lose the current moment by wondering what could have been.  "If only I had done it this way" or "I shouldn't have done that" will only make you miss out on the things happening right now.

Stressing about what possibly could happen tomorrow, next month, or even next year will also hinder what you could be doing in the moment.  That's not to say that you shouldn't plan things or set goals.  We need to prepare ourselves in certain ways.  

But let's not miss out on the beautiful sunrise that we get to see on our way to work in the morning.  Let's enjoy the time that we get to talk to our families.  Let's have fun with our friends as we enjoy a meal together.  

Let's appreciate everything that we have going for us.  Many people could be praying for the things that we may have.  For instance, I am honored to serve at my job.  I have had jobs in the past where I didn't get nearly the perks that I currently have.  PTO would have been unheard of at some of the places I have worked.  Yes, I could ask for a vacation and may get it, but they certainly weren't going to pay me for it.  If I get called for jury duty, I am not losing any money.  My health care benefits are top notch compared to most places.  (And I do appreciate all the jobs I have had, just in different ways.)   

I also appreciate that I have a running vehicle that gets me to and from places.  Many people struggle to purchase a car that runs, and I have one that reliably gets me where I need to go.

I am blessed that I have no major health issues.  There are people out there that have to go to their doctors for issues on a regular basis.  And that's assuming that they can (health insurance or other issues.)

And I am super grateful that I have a warm bed to sleep in every night.  There are many people that may not know where they are going to stay from day to day.  

And lastly, I appreciate you for reading this post.  You could have spent these few minutes checking your instagram or scrolling through Facebook, but you chose to read my blog.  Thank you!

I could go on and on.  But I wanted to talk about some of the things that I appreciate.  What do you appreciate today?

My First Try Of Huel Protein Powder (Salted Caramel v3.0)

Hello, my good friends!

I hope you are having a super Sunday!  It's still a bit chilly here in western PA, but spring is just around the corner.  I am definitely looking forward to consistent warmer days ahead.

Lately, I have been trying to be more mindful of my protein intake.  Since I don't eat meat and I don't eat much eggs or dairy, I have to especially be mindful of it.  I do try to load up at breakfast, with my protein powered oatmeal.  This consists of oatmeal, a good dollop of peanut butter (Justin's), a couple smidges each of ground flax seeds and chia seeds, and a half serving of plant based protein powder.  All together, this is probably 20-30 grams or protein wrapped up in my breakfast, which is a decent amount.

However, the rest of the day, I normally don't eat an abundance of protein.   Sure, I sometimes have some plant based meat or some sort of beans, but that doesn't happen every day.  I am probably lucky to average around 45 grams of protein daily. 

Since I have moderate physical activity most days, I felt that I needed to kick it up a notch.  I also wanted to try something more as a meal replacement.  I was looking at several different ideas.  My first serious look was at Oats Overnight.  I loved the concept.  Essentially I would be drinking flavored oatmeal that was also packed with some other sources of plant protein.  They had some delicious looking flavors (some vegan, some not).  But I could not spend almost $3 a meal on oatmeal.  Sure, it was already portioned out. But I could make my own much cheaper.  Plus, I was looking for something that was a little more calorie dense.

I had heard of the company Huel before.  Plant based protein that also was a meal replacement.  So I looked more into this.  They do have a couple of different lines, some even with more protein, some just protein without being a meal replacement.  I decided to try the 3.0 line.  This was a meal replacement, but was not the most expensive in their brand.  It has about 30 grams or protein per serving.  Now, I do want to add that this isn't cheap.  I got a bag of the peanut butter and also the salted caramel flavors.  Total of about 34 servings for $75 (subscription price).  I did also get a free t-shirt, shaker bottle, and with a code they sent me, a bag of Mexican chili meal replacement.  This last one is actual food.  Just need to add some boiling water and let it set for a few minutes.

After several long days, I finally got my box in the mail.  Since it was too late in the day yesterday when I got home, I had to wait until today to try it.  I waited until dinner to open up the salted caramel powder.  I shook everything up in the shaker and I could not wait to try it!

Let me just say, the taste is pretty good.  I personally think they should add a touch more sugar to it, but that's just me.  It is for sure a protein drink.  It said to shake vigorously for about 10 seconds, but it takes longer than that to give it a good mix.  I might suggest putting it in a blender for a better blend.  After letting it set for a few minutes, it did dissolve better in the water.  I also think it would be fantastic to blend some fruit in it as well.  That would give it a little more sweetness.

I have not tried the peanut butter powder yet.  I'll give it a try later in the week.  I also will try the Mexican Chili and let you know what I think.  

Overall, for a protein powder, I would give it a 7/10.  The taste is good, but the consistency could be better.  It's not chalky, as some protein powders in the past have been.  But you can feel the powder if you don't let it sit for a few minutes.  I drank this about an hour ago, and it is definitely filling.  I am not wanting to go grab a snack.  I will also try drinking this earlier in the day to see how long it takes for me to feel hungry again.

If you would like to give Huel a try, let me know and I will send you my referral info.

Thank you for reading and I'll catch you next time.

We Can Change The World

Hello, my friends!

I hope this day is bringing you many moments of joy and happiness!

I know it sounds cliche, but we have the power to change the world!  These past few years have been tough on many people, for a variety of reasons.  Yes, unfortunately things have happened that brought about a negative energy for some.

In today's world, some people like to focus on the negative side of things, and I am not sure why.  However, I want to focus on the positive.  Energy attracts energy, so let's attract the good energy.  The more positive vibes that we send out in the universe, the more we are going to get back.   Yes, it's that easy.

We have already been doing many positive things out there.  We have been helping our neighbors when maybe they were short a cup of sugar.  We have been donating to the food bank when maybe we have a couple of extra dollars.  We have been giving our time to speak out for those that don't have a voice.

I have been seeing so many good things happening out there.  It would take me many days to even begin to scratch the surface.  At the beginning of the pandemic, I saw many of my fellow coworkers helping out by bringing in supplies to the community homes they worked at.  Whether it be toilet paper, a gallon of milk, or a dozen eggs, many helped out how they could.  

I saw many people donating to shelters.  I personally reached out to see if people could assist where I work.  We needed help getting supplies, such as cleaning products and paper towels.  And people helped, no questions asked.  And I still cannot even begin to thank them enough for their generosity.

Together, we are a force.  One small random act of kindness can have a butterfly effect.  Telling someone that they are beautiful can put a smile on their face.  Which leads to that person holding the door open for someone.  Then that person helps someone helps someone else pay for their groceries if they were a couple of dollars short.  That person in turn donates their time to the local humane society.  Which leads to those animals in need getting the needed socialization to help them find their forever homes, possibly to the original person that told someone that they were beautiful.

Acts of kindness can also spread across the world.  Your act of kindness can make its way to the child starting in a brand new school in a third world country.  It can make its way to the freed people in a recently democratized country.  Maybe it will help someone learn how to start their own business.  We can make the world a better place.

We have the power.  And don't let anyone tell you different.