If you’ve ever done a Google search on how to eat vegetables consistently, you’re bound to find plenty of experts who say meal prep is the answer or others who swear by juicing.

I admit that meal prepping a whole week’s worth of vegetables has never turned me on, and I know plenty of people who don’t have juicers. But I’ve found other ways to fill up on bright, glorious greens and veggies throughout the day.

1. Eat Vegetables for Breakfast

This one’s my favorite. Eating a salad for breakfast, or vegetables like asparagus and broccoli helps to set my palate for the rest of the day. It’s like I’m sending my body a secret signal.

First, my tummy feels happy because the vegetables I’m eating aren’t causing gastrointestinal distress.

Next, my brain is humming along peacefully because it’s eating food that helps it feel clearer and calmer to face whatever is ahead.

2. Decide how you want to feel the next day.

I can always tell how my body feels by what I fed it the day before.

Am I achy or stiff? Then I might have had processed food, like crackers or chips. Am I antsy or stressed? I may not be eating enough magnesium-rich foods like quinoa and almonds that help quiet the mind.

Is my gut health leading to better bathroom breaks? I know no one wants to talk about how regular they are, but if you’re getting enough fiber from plant foods, you’re less likely to feel constipated and bloated. Also, fiber-rich foods keep you feeling full longer.

3. Write it down

I always start my day journaling. As I write down my thoughts, I also jot down what I plan to eat over the next several hours.

I might write for lunch that I want black bean tacos with a spicy chipotle sauce or for dinner–zucchini pasta with kale pesto sauce. A lot of times, I keep it simple: steamed spinach, maybe squash and roasted sweet potatoes, and I’m good to go.

By putting down a food plan on paper, I’ve discovered that I’m more likely to stick to it. It also eliminates those all too familiar take-out runs to the nearest restaurant when you’re too tired to cook.

4. Fall back on frozen.

While I love the feel of fresh vegetables and I may be one of the few people who could spend hours in the produce section at the grocery store, I always keep a stash of frozen vegetables in my freezer.

Frozen fruits and vegetables are usually picked when they’re ripe, blanched in hot water to kill bacteria, and flash-frozen to preserve nutrients.

I always keep a few bags of vegetables like cauliflower, sweet peas, and green beans on hand. Frozen vegetables can also help you save money since you don’t have to worry about throwing spoiled vegetables away.

Those are my strategies for staying plant-powered strong. What’s yours? Let me know in the comments below.

Raise your hand if you feel me on this one: Constantly checking your email, Facebook page, or whatever the latest update is on your phone while you’re eating.  I  notice when I do this, I don’t entirely enjoy my meal.

Come on, should we really be texting and enjoying a forkful of food at the same time? When I keep getting pulled back to my phone, my meal suffers.

Focusing on your food helps to relax your mind. You’re less prone to anxiety because you’ve ignored (at least for a few minutes) the latest tweet, post, or like.

According to experts at Ohio State University, you should chew softer foods 5-10 times and more dense foods (meats/veg) up to 30 times before swallowing.

Chewing your food slowly reduces indigestion, constipation, bloating, and bacterial growth. It can also help you to lose weight.

So, here is what I’ve started doing: I set my phone or laptop aside. I take all my devices off the table so I can’t touch them.

For those who eat while sitting on the couch or in the bed, it won’t hurt to move your phone a few feet away, so you can’t reach it.

I also try to wait a few minutes after I eat before checking my phone. This is a tough one, and I admit it’s a work in progress.

Concentrating on your meal and avoiding mindless distractions can help you to feel calmer and really taste your food. And isn’t that what healthy eating is all about?

Are you staying off your smartphone during mealtime?  Let me know by leaving a comment below. 

When I made this smoothie in advance to store in the fridge overnight, my heart, my brain, even my tummy, seemed to say, “We want this NOW!” Another 8 hours seemed too long. It tasted that good.

I always like to dunk a few herbs in my smoothies. It gives them a more complex flavor, not the same old same old. Herbs seem to have their own personalities and therapeutic benefits.

Studies show dill can ease depression; cilantro can help lower anxiety. Parsley is vitamin-rich and contains the minerals iron and potassium.

The warming power of ginger helps reduce inflammation. Its little pop of heat is perfect on a cold day. After my sis drank this, she said, “You’ve gotta make this again. I feel like I’m on 10.”

I’m not one to keep family secrets, here’s how you make it:

• A handful of lettuce leaves
• ¼ cup of kale stems or kale
• 1 Apple or pear
• A few stems parsley
• A couple of stems cilantro
• ¼ to ½ inch of fresh ginger
• 1 Tbl hemp seeds
• Feel free to add some more of your favorite herbs like mint or dill
• Add a half-cup to 1 cup of water

I added a splash of organic white grape juice because I had some that I needed to drink up in the fridge.

It provided a delicious touch of sweetness to my concoction. I usually don’t put fruit juices into my smoothies.  Packaged fruit juices are often loaded with sugar.

How do you like to make your smoothies? Are there any unusual ingredients that you add? Leave a comment below.

Change is hard for me.

That’s why I try to force myself to do uncomfortable things.

Like the time I jumped out of a plane when I didn’t want to.

I literally knew I was facing death. 

Yeah, sure I read the stats:  According to the United States Parachuting Association, there is only a 0.006 chance of dying from the sport.  I wondered what if I became exactly that: a stat.

But the thought of who and what I would become after the jump far more intrigued me.  

I knew I would be stronger, more confident and frankly freer in thought and spirit than ever before.

So, I harnessed up, listened intently to my tandem instructor and edged closer to the airplane door.

That’s when I nearly forgot everything, he taught me.  I forgot to pull the cord.  Fortunately, he didn’t.

Once I gained my breath and got over the miraculous feeling of being suspended in the sky, I thought about completing other things that seemed nearly impossible a few minutes before. 

My mind held endless possibilities of future horizons and dreams to conquer.

In other words, we sometimes have to burst through our fears to make change happen. 

It’s either change or die.  And I decided that not changing was a slow death in itself.

What are your solutions to overcoming your fears?  I want to hear them all.  Do you stick to something simple or do you like to push the edge?  Share in the comments.