Your 5-Part Guide To A Delicious Workday

2012 by

Yesterday, as I returned from my barefoot lunch outside (even though it’s the middle of winter, I bundle up and step outside when a ray of sunshine shows up), I was saddened to see an ambulance drive away with a woman from the office building across the street. Oddly enough, the office building I look at every day has provided a lot of inspiration for my business. I support busy people who want to be healthier and happy. As an outside viewer of the building, I sometimes question whether it’s a completely healthy environment. I see some of the employees doing tai chi in the summer, and it makes me smile, but for the most part, especially in the rainy winter, people stay inside or come outside just to take a cigarette break.

 

Working in an office can be hard on the body. You might work long days, which require early wake-ups and a commute that leaves you with less time at home. There is the stress of deadlines, and occasional social discomforts. It’s easy to grab anxiety-causing caffeinated drinks, and candy always seems to be available at the desk of a co-worker. Your goal might be meditation in the morning, but if work comes first, the quiet time easily gets skipped.

I love the flexibility of working for myself, because I can mold my workday around my needs, and the times that I am most productive. Self-employment is not for everyone though, so whether you are self-employed or are an employee, here are tips to help you be your brightest, even at the end of a busy workday:

1. Eat breakfast~ Many people push themselves for hours without a decent meal. If your stomach doesn’t want food early in the morning, bring a snack or pack a supply of food at your desk or in a cooler in your car. I just opened up space on my bookshelf, and now keep snacks there.

2. Have just one caffeinated drink per day~ If you take the time to notice, you’ll be able to feel how caffeine reacts in your body. Sometimes people get jittery, others have enhanced focus, and some people can’t focus at all. Water, herbal tea and fresh juices are great liquids in the day, and choose them before your one caffeine kick.

3. Move your body ~ I know a few yoga teachers who teach movement that you can participate in while sitting in an office chair. If you are in the Olympia, WA area and would like their names, please contact me through this website.

4. Be positive ~ Even if you plan to eventually move to another position or on to another career, it’s important to accept where you are now, and to love it. Be the person in the office with a smile, and the person eating the food that provides you with unstoppable energy, healthy digestion, and a body you love. People are going to gasp and ask, “What happened to you!? You seem so different!” When you eat right, people will notice your energetic eyes.

5. Pack a lunch ~ With a little extra effort, the food that you bring from home will far surpass what can be bought from most work delis and restaurants down the street. You might be lucky and have access to an organic deli or juice bar, and that’s great! I still suggest bringing food from home, so that you know you’ll have plenty to eat, and can then supplement your meal with something you buy at work.

 

© 2012 Ava Waits

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Are Your Health Issues A Sign That You Are Ignoring Your Full Potential?

2012 by

“When people are not expressing their full potential, they often get illnesses that have vague, hard to diagnose symptoms. Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia are good examples of what I’m describing.” – from the book The Big Leap, by Gay Hendricks


I was reading The Big Leap last week, and when I found this quote, I paused to consider the controversy and to write it down. At the end of my college career, I spent several months on a final research paper to explore the benefits of a raw food diet for people who have chronic fatigue. From what I saw, raw food provided some relief for the aches, pains and grogginess that sometimes accompany this health issue.

For a moment, assume that the quote above is true.
I could ask you to eat all the raw food in the world, and bring in other delicious healing foods, but it might not do anything for you if you stay stuck in an unfulfilling job, a dead-end relationship, or in a creative black hole that is not lined up with what you want.
Will it take coming into alignment with who you are to clear up your health issues? People in my own life have been injured in ways that knocked them onto a new path, and the injury has given them time to explore their deepest desires. For other people, getting through a serious illness lets them fall back in love with their life. Each day that I say yes to what I love, I feel more energy and health.This goes a little deeper than nutrition now.You could be sick because you are ignoring your full potential and your brilliance!

If that is the case, the future of my career expands in this very moment. Let’s bring in more of the life that makes us happy and deeply fulfilled. What if those aches disappear as soon as you say yes?

 

© 2012 Ava Waits

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Eight experts are here to help you conquer your New Year’s Resolution!

2012 by

Happy New Year!

 

The theme word I chose for 2012 is bliss. To me, bliss comes through my meals, the food I choose to thoroughly enjoy, travel, and good music.

There have been times in my professional career where I’ve overworked myself, gone a little bit too long without food, and ignored a tired body. I always thought that pushing myself would mean that I could get further in business. I would work harder and harder, but I was extremely unproductive, and the things I did produce didn’t go very far. Now I know that if I want to give my gift of health to the world, I must stay happy and experience bliss as often as possible. I get so much more done this way.

 

As a passionate professional or business owner, I can presume that you also want to enhance your productivity efforts for 2012. Your passion has taken you this far, but it’s time to ramp up your productivity so you can enjoy a balanced life, a more profitable schedule and a stress-free environment.

The formula to have a successful and ever growing business is to leverage your time in a way that allows for growth and balance. Following a productive regimen gives you control over your schedule, allows you to focus on tasks, and achieve more in less time. Isn’t it time you lived all year this way? 

I am delighted to be one of the eight experts participating in The 2012 Productivity Revolution Telesummit. I accepted this challenge because I want to help you reinvent yourself into the productive, focused, and empowered person you are meant to be.

The 2012 Productivity Telesummit begins Monday, January 9 and concludes Wednesday, January 18. Each speaker will present once a day for an hour, at 1:00pm (EST) Monday- Friday (we’re off on the weekends). You can listen to all the live calls absolutely FREE. However, if you cannot make it to a live call, don’t worry. You will have an opportunity to upgrade your subscription and purchase the recordings at a very low price.

 

Just imagine what your life would look like if:

You started your days with purpose and determination.

You didn’t just put out fires, but accomplished milestones every day.

You achieved more in less time and then had enough time to enjoy the other things you love.

Your physical space was organized.

Your eating habits gave you energy and helped you feel great.

You no longer felt overwhelmed and tired.

You embraced your financial situation.

 

That is the way you are meant to live!

By participating in the Productivity Revolution Telesummit, you will receive the tools you need to make 2012 your most productive year yet! Will I see you there? I hope so! Because this event was created specifically for you!

To learn more about this remarkable and revolutionary telesummit and to register, please visit http://the2012productivityrevolution.com  

 

Enjoy,

 

Ava's Signature

Ava Waits

Nutrition Mentor and Founder of Parisian Picnics, LLC.
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30 Days of Wonderful™ in December ~ Day 6

2011 by

Have you ever thought about doing a salad swap in your home, where another person makes a bowl of salad for you, and you make one for them? I think it’s a great idea, especially since you know that they will put those extra touches in to impress you. I can imagine that whoever makes one for me will add satsuma slices, cranberries, and toppings that I don’t always think about. It’s a swap that you can do at each meal you eat together.

 

 

I see that it’s very important for my happiness to get out of my home each day. I have an immense feeling of purpose and drive each time I walk down the first couple front steps of my home. By stepping into the world, people can have chance encounters with me, and I am kept excited by the changing scenery.

On my way back home this evening, a woman walking next to me had the biggest smile on her face as she complimented my shoes. (These are the heels from Belgium that I lovingly addressed in the 30 Days of Wonderful™ post for day 2.) Speaking with this woman for 1 minute totally made my night! It’s not that I love shoe compliments (I’ve never been much of a shoe person), but that she interacted with such a wonderful upbeat personality.

 

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About Ava Waits, HHC AADP

I am a Nutrition Mentor, Global Nutrition Concierge, and the Founder of www.ParisianPicnics.com. Behind the scenes, you’ll find me reading personal growth books, basking in the bliss of life, eating quality food, and letting my dreams come true.
The “30 Days of Wonderful” project is a personal endeavor, and I feel compelled to share it publicly because of the life-changing success that I experienced during my first 30 days in the summer of 2011. One of my nutrition programs was also named in honor of this project.

 

© 2011 Ava Waits

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30 Days of Wonderful™ in December ~ Day 2

2011 by

There are so many amazing things in life, especially when it comes to food. Last week, I was prompted to write down 101 things that I am grateful for, and I am sharing some of them with you now. As I wrote, it brought me back to international meals, trips that changed me, and memories from childhood that I long for.

Some of the things I am most thankful for:

My first hangliding experience over Interlaken, Switzerland.

~ Bright orange sunsets in India
~ Artichokes
~ Dancing
~ Raw chocolate mousse
~ The smell of French pastries and butter
~ My iPod
~ Traveling on trains
~ Riding escalators at airports
~ Fizzy kombucha
~ Crunchy apples
~ Eating with a fork and knife
~ Posters of my trips to Europe and India
~ Vision
~ Garden parties
~ Fresh spring water from the Alps
~ Shoulder massages
~ Paradise
~ Beautiful sparkling earrings
~ Cantaloupe
~ Take off
~ Flapper hats
~ The opening notes of concerts
~ Walking barefoot in grass
~ Watching vegetables grow
~ Silent meals
~ Eating lunches on the waterfront of Vashon Island
~ Being gifted with gifts from Egypt
~ Buying food in other countries
~ Receiving phone calls from the other side of the planet
~ Creamy textures
~ Clean German trains
~ French baguette sandwiches
~ Holding bouquets upside down like the French do
~ The organic farm in Geneva
~ Digging carrots out of the ground
~ Indian chai in small cups
~ Accents
~ The smell of the flowers in the air in Spain
~ My passport
~ Belgian heels
~ Hang gliding
~ The Swiss Alps
~ The smell of damp forest soil
~ The scent of dahlia stems
~ Walking while listening to music
~ Erte
~ Raw “cheese” cake
~ Watermelon
~ Fresh blood orange juice in Italy
~ Greek Islands
~ Opportunities to gather with other people who will change this world

 

At the end of the night, I paused to marvel at a coincidence. I was at The Painted Plate pottery shop in Olympia, and saw the back of a plate that a younger man had painted as a Christmas gift. It said, “Mom, Someday we will be in Paradise.” The word “Paradise” has been very big in my life lately. The MindMovie I created and watch several times a day is accompanied by the song “Paradise” by Coldplay. In this month, I am also creating a paradise of my own life. Seems to me that I’m on the right track.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About Ava Waits, HHC AADP

I am a Nutrition Mentor, Global Nutrition Concierge, and the Founder of www.ParisianPicnics.com. Behind the scenes, you’ll find me reading personal growth books, basking in the bliss of life, eating quality food, and letting my dreams come true.
The “30 Days of Wonderful” project is a personal endeavor, and I feel compelled to share it publicly because of the life-changing success that I experienced during my first 30 days in the summer of 2011. One of my nutrition programs was also named in honor of this project.

 

© 2011 Ava Waits

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30 Days of Wonderful™ in December ~ Day 1

2011 by

I’ve been training myself in anticipation for this 30 days, and it has already been a great week. These posts were going to start on Monday, but December 1st of 2011 seemed like a more fitting start date. This way, we can go through December together.

This has been the first week that I have consistently woken up at 7am. (If you are a morning person, I know that doesn’t sound very early, but I would sleep until 11am if I could.) Since my brain works best in the night from 7pm to 11pm, I usually stay up late to work on projects. Rising before the sunrise is a new skill that I am learning, and it’s a commitment made specifically so that I can have an extra 45 minutes to program my mind with positive influences. It’s my time, and it’s off limits to interruptions, unless I decide that I want to step out of it.

An earlier start to the day also allows more time to enjoy breakfast. If I begin without enough food in my stomach, it keeps me anxious and hungry, which points me right to the fear of not enough food. This 30 days is not about fear. It’s about hope and dreams. This morning began with a delicately sliced persimmon on a plate I hand painted, followed by a brunch of polenta, avocado, a green salad and Indian food from a cozy and authentic restaurant I visited this week.

 

The wonderful parts of today:

~ I spent 3 hours resting against a chair in a French inspired cafe to speak with colleagues of mine. It didn’t feel like work, but it was.

~ A very spicy dinner made my nose run and my eyes tear up. What a great way to undo any stuffiness in these colder months.

~ The world already mirrors my own attitude upgrade back to me. As he smiled and welcomed me, I could tell that the shuttle bus driver by the Olympia Capitol building actually enjoys his job. I was also the last person to go through the line with the nicest grocery store clerk tonight. As I left, another woman took over the register, and it was obvious that she didn’t want to be there.

~ There was a lot of work to finish up this evening, but I have had a sense of calm the entire time. In situations where I would normally be tense in my stomach, I have been at ease.

~ I just stumbled upon a very affordable round trip ticket to Paris. It’s such a good deal that it would even work for a week-long getaway.

~ A check arrived unexpectedly in the mail.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About Ava Waits, HHC AADP

I am a Nutrition Mentor, Global Nutrition Concierge, and the Founder of www.ParisianPicnics.com. Behind the scenes, you’ll find me reading personal growth books, basking in the bliss of life, eating quality food, and letting my dreams come true.
The “30 Days of Wonderful” project is a personal endeavor, and I feel compelled to share it publicly because of the life-changing success that I experienced during my first 30 days in the summer of 2011. One of my nutrition programs was also named in honor of this project.

 

© 2011 Ava Waits

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