Hello there!

Ashley Quadros here, the nutrition specialist at EGB. As we move beyond the first month of life with COVID-19, I find myself constantly working on what I like to call mental hygiene. My mental hygiene comprises the daily habits that keep my emotional health in shape. Just like brushing my teeth or taking a shower, these have been essential for me.

I would like to share what my routine has been. Hopefully it inspires you to add a ritual, or remove a negative influence and bring better balance to your emotional world. If you do make a change, my only recommendation is to choose something that will make you feel better. If it feels overwhelming or adds to your stress it’s not the right choice.

7am (upon waking) – 10-minute meditation after I pee, but before I do anything else (even before coffee!)

7:30am (shower) – I always use essential oils during my hot shower for aromatherapy. This plus meditation starts the day on the right side of the bed ☺ I’m loving lavender and eucalyptus right now.

Noon (lunch break) – 10-minute mini yoga session. I’m still working full time so when I get to work from home this is a great way to reset before getting back to work. If it’s my day off, I’ll do a full 60-minute session.

5:30pm – 90-minute dog walk/hike or mountain bike ride. The trails are just starting to get perfect!

Last, but by no means least, is eating to boost my mood. For me, that means two things:

1. Getting the recommended servings of fruits and veggies. Research has shown that higher intakes of produce are correlated with feeling calmer, happier, and having improved mental wellbeing. Not to mention, eating lots of fruits and veg just makes me feel lighter, more energetic, and all around better.

2. Making sure I’m not wasting any food. The closure of restaurants, schools, theme parks, and cruise ships, etc. has led to the dumping of mass quantities of milk and farmers letting produce rot in the fields because there is literally nowhere for it to go. The loss of all that food hurts my heart. Not wasting anything in my home is one thing that helps me feel better about that and cope with those feelings.

So just a little refresher: the daily recommended minimum servings for a 2000 calorie diet is 2 cups fruit and 2½ cups vegetables. What does that mean exactly?

1 cup fruit =

1 small piece whole fruit (like a small apple)
½ large piece whole fruit (like half a grapefruit)
1 cup chopped fruit (grapes, berries, canned fruit)
½ cup dried fruit (you need less because much of the water is gone!)
1 cup 100% fruit juice (I recommend limiting this to no more than ½ cup per day)

1 cup vegetables =

1 cup chopped vegetables (like sliced cucumbers or baby carrots)
2 cups raw leafy greens (such as arugula or lettuce)
1 cup cooked leafy greens (sautéed kale or frozen spinach)
1 cup 100% vegetable juice (choose lower sodium options)

Does getting 4½ cups of fruits and veggies seem like it’s a long way off? My recommendation is to focus on getting one extra serving than you normally do. Try to have fun with it! Here are some of my favorite ways to boost up fruits and veggies:

Add baby or frozen spinach by large handfuls to your favorite homemade or canned soup. It wilts quickly, has a mild flavor, and brings cheerful green to your bowl.
Load up salads, soups, eggs, pasta dishes, rice (basically everything!) with chopped fresh herbs. They add flavor and springy freshness to all meals and sides.
Throw 2-3 frozen cauliflower florets into your morning smoothie (you’ll just have to trust me with this one).
Keep unsweetened dried fruits (my favorites are dates, golden raisins, and apricots) in a bag by your workstation or in the car. They are the perfect natural energy snack when you need a little boost.
Stir unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana into your morning oats to add natural sweetness.
Blend frozen fruit and 100% fruit juice together. Freeze in popsicle molds or paper Dixie cups for a cool treat as the weather warms.

Now, how do you make sure you are not wasting food?
It’s all about getting creative. Here a few ideas to get your juices flowing:

Never throw away meat offal. Use it for stock or cook and feed it to your pet.
Never throw away bread. Make croutons for salad. Or process and make breadcrumbs to use in muhamara (red pepper sauce) or breading, meatballs, etc.
Never throw away leftover nubs of veg. Compost is great. However, you can also freeze them and once you have 4-5 cups use it for stock.
Buy smaller containers of milk or yogurt if you find those going moldy in your house.
Buy 1-2 short shelf life veggies (lettuce, herbs) and make the rest of your purchases hearty (winter squash, onions, kale, potatoes).
Buy 1-2 short shelf life fruits (berries) and make the rest hearty (frozen fruit, dried fruit, apples, pears, bananas)
Beet greens are awesome raw in salad, or sautéed with garlic and olive oil
Carrot tops make excellent pesto. Just add some to your favorite recipe.
Potato peels can be roasted for a crisp crunchy snack.
Draining garbanzo beans? The liquid, called aquafaba, can be whipped like egg whites and used in place for them
Leftover citrus peels? Make candied citrus peels

What are you favorite ways to sneak in fruits and veggies or reduce food waste? Mention us @everlygracewholebeauty. We’d love to hear from you!