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Seth Simonds
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Posts by Seth Simonds
5 Painless Ways to Eat More Green Leafy Vegetables
May 13th
Green leafy vegetables are among the best foods on the planet and the closest to universal miracle foods.
Want to lose weight? Eat more green leafy vegetables.
Want to have more energy? Eat more green leafy vegetables.
Want to have a healthy baby? Eat more green leafy vegetables.
Want mental clarity? Eat more green leafy vegetables.
Want to live to 100? Have good luck and eat more green leafy vegetables.
Yet despite knowing how great green leafy vegetables are, most of us struggle to eat them with any frequency. Here are a few tips to get ahead of the green leafy vegetable curve.
1. Toss them in a smoothie.
Hardcore “green smoothies” are probably too, well, hardcore for most people. But even vegetable haters can easily toss a handful of spinach or romaine into a frozen mixture of bananas and berries and enjoy the drink without noticing the added health benefit of the hidden greens. Green leafy vegetables can be added to just about any smoothie, but work especially well when masked by chocolate, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries. You can gradually add more greens as you adjust to enjoy maximal health benefits.
2. Replace your potato chips with green chips!
If you have not yet tried kale chips you’re missing out. It is as simple as tearing up kale or collard greens, tossing them in salt, oil and lemon juice and cooking at 300 degrees for 25 minutes on a baking sheet.
Experiment with the flavors of honey, soy sauce, vinegar, and red pepper flakes as you like. Just make sure to give kale chips a try!
3. Wilt them!
A plateful of raw green leafy vegetables can be daunting to all but the most devoted of vegetable lovers. But when wilted, green leafy vegetables still provide most of their nutritious goodness in a more manageable form.
Add raw green leafy vegetables to your hot pasta after it is drained or your steaming rice. Arugula and spinach will quickly wilt and add both color and flavor without overwhelming your plate. Mustard and dandelion greens are also great for added zip, and do not forget your usual herbs and spices to keep things interesting!
4. Make soup!
The amount of greens appropriate for soup varies greatly depending upon the type of soup, but just about any soup can easily be made more nutritious by adding green leafy vegetables. Kale and spinach are wonderful in Italian soups, mustard greens add zing to otherwise boring bean broths and soups, and swiss chard can be enjoyed in a vegan borscht.
5. Re-examine your seasonings.
You know that nice bunch of parsley? The one right next to the dill and mint? It too is a green leafy vegetable!
I do not recommend chowing down on a handful of basil or oregano, but I do recommend adding them to your cooking with abandon. Not only will you enjoy more flavorful food, you will also be benefiting from the added nutrients of often-overlooked green leafy vegetables. Two teaspoons of thyme will give you 60% of the vitamin K your body needs for the day, along with 20% of your iron, all for a mere 7 calories! Two tablespoons of parsley will give you 150% the daily value in vitamin K, along with 15% vitamin C and 10% A!
Green leafy vegetables may be both green and, well, leafy, but they are not really that difficult to incorporate into one’s diet. So get to it!
Greetings, loved ones! I'm the founding editor of Real Zest and spend far too much time asking questions on Twitter. Say hello and stay blessed!
11 Things to avoid in 2011
Jan 1st
While millions head to the gym for the next two weeks, there’s cause to consider some things to avoid in the coming year. Here are 11 things you might do well to avoid in the coming year and beyond!
1. Withholding forgiveness
If the person who wronged you really cares about you they’ll have beaten themselves up sufficiently before asking for your forgiveness. Don’t risk the health of your relationship by withholding forgiveness. That’s a vengeance that tastes good on the way down and breaks your heart on the way back up.
2. Using your job as an excuse
Far too often the phrase, “I’m doing this for my family!” is given as an excuse for neglect. If you are actually indispensable your employer will, perhaps begrudgingly, give you the time you need to get your relationship with family and friends back on track. You’ll be glad you did and so will your employer!
3. Eating for all the wrong reasons
Don’t eat because you’re tired, bored, thirsty, or anxious this year! You might consider those four different things to avoid but they all lead to the reason you probably resolved to hit the gym more often this year. Consider the notion of eating with purpose and see where it takes you in 2011.
4. Assuming that you always know the entire story
You don’t. Ask more questions. Listen. Ask more questions. Give yourself an out and don’t back others into corners when you give your final answer.
5. Self-loathing
Most aren’t aware of just how much they beat themselves up over things. Note this: You set an example for others as to how you should be treated and appreciated. Respect and take care of yourself and most will follow your example. This is one of those wildly simple yet agonizingly difficult things to accomplish. Try to get a solid start this year!
6. Blaming anything on gender
For example: I was in an argument recently (imagine that!) and my partner in the argument forcefully uttered the remark, “typical male!” in response to something I said that was admittedly unkind (imagine that!). This created a predicament in which my subsequent apology would be not just for my comment but also for my gender. I can’t change my gender (really, not an option) so I’d be apologizing for being myself. Crazy, right? She doesn’t do that because she’s a woman. She does it because she’s an imperfect human. He doesn’t do that because he’s a man. He does it because he’s an imperfect human. Things are simpler when we approach conflict with as few stereotypes as possible.
Such an approach will change things. I promise you.
7. Needless exhaustion
Try to be better about skipping the late-night TV or web browsing when you have work early in the morning. You’ll be more useful at work, more fun as a friend, and it’ll be easier to hit the gym or whatever your new year’s resolution was!
8. Neglecting your mind
You’ve talked about taking a class, joining a book club, working on more challenging projects, and taking time to read more or even start a blog. You’re officially done waiting. Congratulations!
9. Putting off your dreams
Look at your big dreams and identify what makes them so appealing. Is it the free time, the nice things, the great relationships, or being in the best shape of your life? Identify something you can do this year that will allow you to enjoy some of that dream without all the extras. Save up some cash and splurge on that amazing purchase or take some unpaid time off. Treasure the time you have and don’t wait until you’re loaded to start savoring the world around you.
10. Not asking for help
You’d be stunned if you knew just how many people are ready and willing to help you if only you’d clearly define your need and directly ask for help. Don’t ask for help like the friend who begs people to help him move but has nothing put in boxes when they show up. Ask for help like the friend who has done everything in his power to achieve and needs only that final push from a buddy to reach success. We want to be a part of your success!
11. Taking so many moments for granted
Time is limited my friend. Seize the moment. Try to freeze it and own it, squeeze it and hold it. (Eminem) We’ve not been promised another year. Only this moment right before our eyes, between our hands, and in the breaths of those we love.
Here’s to an amazing 2011, friends! Stay blessed!
Image: Today is a good day
Greetings, loved ones! I'm the founding editor of Real Zest and spend far too much time asking questions on Twitter. Say hello and stay blessed!
5 Things to beg your boss for this week
Dec 5th
Unless you’re one of the nomads who has broken free of every attachment to the office but an internet connection, this short talk from 37 Signals’ Jason Fried will resonate with you.
It’s great for managers to hear that they should minimize meetings, hire people they really trust to do great work, and work to empower instead of frustrate.
But what can you do as an employee to make a difference at your workplace? Request one of the following to start.
1. Extended lunches – You’re probably eating lunch at your desk these days so this will be a game-changer. Ask for a 2 hour lunch and make it a working lunch. Get out, stretch your legs, and settle into a quiet place for a solid hour of uninterrupted work time. You’ll kick yourself for not asking sooner!
2. Meeting agendas – If a meeting doesn’t have an agenda, you can argue that you won’t be able to prepare properly and won’t be able to bring your best contribution. In reality, agenda-less meetings tend to be a huge waste of time and using the “I want to give my best” argument is your quickest ticket back to productivity.
3. To be excused – If the portions of a conversation relevant to you have been covered in a meeting, excuse yourself. Being in-demand is a huge asset and so long as you’re gracious and apologetic, you’ll get away with murder so long as you’re outproducing the people who stay for entire meetings.
Note: Perhaps that’s the key to anything like this? If you’re making the requests but not following up with a boost in productivity, you’re just spoiling things for others. On the flipside, if you put the work in and set a precedent for a more flexible view of scheduling based on your results, that’s good for everybody.
4. For more work – If you’re getting more work done because of the changes you’ve made in your process, ask for more work. You’re ringing the cash register now!
5. For objective feedback – While being free of meetings and running around outside the office might improve your short-term productivity, make sure it doesn’t affect the long-term quality of your work. Especially for creative types, it’s important to get quality interaction with different perspectives and process-driven types who force you to think in new ways and try new things.
If you’re not getting face time at the office and chit-chatting at meetings, you’ll need to put the time in other places to stay on the same page with coworkers. Make sure your manager knows you care about making that happen and that you want her help and feedback on how you’re doing.
What else could you ask your boss for that I haven’t listed?
Greetings, loved ones! I'm the founding editor of Real Zest and spend far too much time asking questions on Twitter. Say hello and stay blessed!
7 Things to remember this holiday season
Dec 2nd
1. Eating healthy matters today (don’t wait until January 1 to start believing your mirror).
2. You need time for yourself (make sure you’re getting some time to close the year as you’d like).
3. Honesty can be the best present of all (if it’s delivered for the right reasons).
4. Joy comes from within (don’t expect others to work toward your yuletide happiness).
5. Memories have a shelf life (keep working to make great new memories for your loved ones to treasure).
6. Not everybody celebrates holidays as you’d prefer (especially when religion comes into play, it’s good to remember we all have different takes and that’s okay).
7. Unprovoked generosity is terrific fun (give it a try, you’ll get a kick out of random kindness without all the planning we usually load up with).
What do you often forget that you hope to remember this holiday season?
Greetings, loved ones! I'm the founding editor of Real Zest and spend far too much time asking questions on Twitter. Say hello and stay blessed!
5 Simple ways to live a life you love
Nov 22nd
The quickest way to living a life you love is through learning to love the life you live.
You’re waiting for something to change in your life before you can be happy. You might think if only you had a different partner (or one at all), a better job, or kids that did their homework then surely you’d be happy. Surely then you’d wake each morning with the glow of one living a life worth loving. Enough! Here are 5 ways to get started:
1. Be present – You must be aware of your current existence and that you have control over your perspective. Whether you’re willing away early morning grouchiness or seeing a messy house as a chance to teach teamwork, your choice of perspective will make all the difference between just living and loving.
2. Practice gratefulness – Every day, no excuses. Pretend to be grateful if you must. It’s one of those things that catches up to you quickly as life reciprocates your emotional generosity. Seeing the good in your life will allow you to keep your heart fed while you work to change the more unsavory parts. Try it. Live it. You’ll love it.
3. Pursue balance - As a person given to extremes this has always been a tough one for me. I’ll go from taking great care of myself and communicating well to abandonment and silence as I let work consume me. The pursuit of balance requires constant adjustment as your life shifts but every time I really try for the middle I end up happier about my life. And that’s truly the point.
4. Nurture friendships – You know the people who for some reason or other welcome you into their lives? Treasure them. Make time to spend with them. It is those relationships that you’ll look back on with satisfaction when you get old and begin to wonder what your life was worth. Many of us spend far too much time thinking about how some material possession will improve our lives. An iMac would be nice. A good friend is worth just about everything though!
5. Embrace simplicity – You don’t need to have all your gold-plated ducks in a row in order to love the life you’re living. You don’t need lots of stuff and relationships so driven by drama that you often wish just to be left alone in silence. Instead you might try for a simpler approach and enjoy things because they are useful and not because they are expensive. You might join a friend just to talk and not worry about all the expensive trappings we so often heap on get-together’s. Try for simplicity and if complexity sneaks up on you, so be it. In learning to love the basics you’ll find a wondrous appreciation for the nicer things that come along.
What have you found helps bring you back to the moment you’re in and really start to enjoy the life you’re living right now?
image: adam foster
Greetings, loved ones! I'm the founding editor of Real Zest and spend far too much time asking questions on Twitter. Say hello and stay blessed!
7 Things you should stop doing at work
Nov 18th
1. Being too busy for breaks (you’re better at everything when you’re rested).
2. Replying to email instantly (if they’re really waiting, they’ll call you).
3. Getting caught up in politics (it’s rarely worth it and never fun).
4. Pretending you’re saving lives (if you actually are, no need to pretend).
5. Refusing to give yourself uninterrupted time for work (they don’t need you that much).
6. Complaining about how little money you make (the people you’re complaining to can’t change it).
7. Forgetting to laugh and have fun (this can take work some days but is always worth it).
Bonus round: Stop eating lunch at your desk. You really deserve a walk, conversation with a friend, or a quiet hour away from your desk.
Greetings, loved ones! I'm the founding editor of Real Zest and spend far too much time asking questions on Twitter. Say hello and stay blessed!
7 Things you should stop doing at work
Nov 18th
1. Being too busy for breaks (you’re better at everything when you’re rested).
2. Replying to email instantly (if they’re really waiting, they’ll call you).
3. Getting caught up in politics (it’s rarely worth it and never fun).
4. Pretending you’re saving lives (if you actually are, no need to pretend).
5. Refusing to give yourself uninterrupted time for work (they don’t need you that much).
6. Complaining about how little money you make (the people you’re complaining to can’t change it).
7. Forgetting to laugh and have fun (this can take work some days but is always worth it).
Bonus round: Stop eating lunch at your desk. You really deserve a walk, conversation with a friend, or a quiet hour away from your desk.
Greetings, loved ones! I'm the founding editor of Real Zest and spend far too much time asking questions on Twitter. Say hello and stay blessed!
7 Quick ways to turn a bad day around
Nov 16th
Have you had a bad day recently? This is me raising my hand alongside you. My most recent “bad day,” like most days, wasn’t wholly bad. It just had some bad parts that I allowed to spread across my entire day and sour the entire mix.
That doesn’t need to happen! While I’ve yet to reach the point where I avoid bad days entirely, here are some things I’ve found help turn what could be a bad day into something better.
1. Make a list of things you’re grateful for
This one is so simple! If you’re having a rotten day, grab a piece of paper and start listing things you’d be grateful for if you were in a grateful mood. As expected, you’ll soon find that the growing list of things to be grateful for in your life dwarfs whatever is ruining your day and you can move on with your life. Read more about the qualities of grateful people here.
2. Clear out your inbox
If you don’t work at a job that requires you to spend time around the corporate email monster, this might not resonate with you as much. But if you do, know that your perspective can be changed dramatically just by selecting all your emails and placing them into an archive folder. If it needs to be done today, move that email back into your inbox and knock the task off. Setting aside the conversations that can wait in favor of earning a productive finish to your day will always prove worthwhile.
3. Phone a good friend
Call a friend who won’t allow you to gripe about your problems for more than a few minutes before turning the conversation to something far more interesting than what’s making you sad. Talking to somebody you trust who cares enough to guide you toward positive thinking has tremendous value. It’s basic, sure. But so are most things that work really well yet are so often forgotten early on.
4. Help out a stranger
Doing something for others has the dual benefit of making the world a better place while at the same time taking your focus off your own problems as you work to solve another’s. If you’re having what’s shaping up to be a bad day you may find it very helpful to go out of your way to help somebody you don’t know at all or might not know very well. I always do!
5. Drop something from your schedule
If you’re overwhelmed by a day gone awry one very quick solution is to drop something of lesser importance from your schedule and take some time for yourself. This is terribly simple and quite easy to do but the part of your brain that tries to convince you your work won’t survive without you will get in the way. Don’t listen to it!
6. Take some time just for you
Most of us don’t schedule time alone and away from others. Whether its so we can listen to music, go for a walk, a run, or grab a cup of tea in a quiet corner, taking the time you may have freed up by clearing your schedule (see above) and investing it back into yourself will render dividends galore.
7. Start laughing
Laughter, even if you really have to work at it to begin with, truly is the best medicine to cure any ailment that threatens to wreck your day. You can find jokes online, watch silly youtube videos, hang out with a hysterical friend, or whatever gets you giggling. The big point here is that if you are aware of what makes you laugh you’re in a great position to set yourself up to laugh even when your day tries to get you down. We can learn a lot from kids about having fun and being goofballs. That sort of childlike whimsy, if carried into your day, will help you cut off the bad days before they get out of control and help maximize the days each week you look back on and say, wow, that was a great day!
If you’d like to chime in with additional tips or a link to something that really makes you laugh, I’d love to read your thoughts!
Stay blessed.
Image: PhotoRita
Greetings, loved ones! I'm the founding editor of Real Zest and spend far too much time asking questions on Twitter. Say hello and stay blessed!
7 Simple Ways To Be Happier
Nov 9th
Would you like to be happier? I’ve gathered 7 tips you can put into practice immediately for more happiness in your life. The trick is to take what you believe will work for you right now, put it into practice, and build on your successes. You needn’t always be grins but I’m hopeful that you’ll get a few more with the following insights. Enjoy!
1. Listen to your inner child
I wonder sometimes what would happen if we all pursued the art of being a goofball. If both sides of a debate dropped their pickets and traded knock-knock jokes instead, what would change? Would we see each other differently? As opportunities, rather than problems? Read more.
2. Be grateful for something every day
One benefit of being grateful and expressing your appreciation to others is the reciprocal nature of such things. The natural response to somebody saying, “thank you” or “wow, I really appreciate you” is the discovery of reasons to respond in-kind. If you’re constantly finding things to be grateful for and sharing your discoveries with others, be assured that they’ll begin to notice things you do and express their gratefulness to you before long!
3. Let some plans go
Giving up goals works in any area of your life. Take health and fitness: I used to have specific fitness goals, from losing weight or body fat to running a marathon to increasing my squat. Not anymore: now I just do it because I love it, and I have no idea where that will take me. It works brilliantly, because I always enjoy myself. Read more.
4. Reduce your exposure to negative media
If information isn’t helping you make decisions and only makes you feel miserable, why are you consuming it? Surrounding yourself with celebrity magazines and television shows featuring spoiled rich kids can fuel that urge to compare. Read more
5. Learn to say “NO!”
At the end of the day, it’s about how you say “no”, rather than the fact you’re saying no, that affects the outcome. After all, you have your own priorities and needs, just like everyone has his/her own needs. Saying no is about respecting and valuing your time and space. Say no is your prerogative. Read more.
6. Nurture happiness where you find it
Be grateful for your joy, every day. Be in the moment with that activity, instead of having your mind drift elsewhere. Refresh your joy often, by starting over or approaching things from a new angle or doing something a bit differently. Find new people to share this joy with, people who love it as much as you. Read more.
7. Get and stay organized
The National Association of Professional Organizers estimates that a huge percentage of work days are lost to people looking for things they have misplaced. Disorganization is the enemy of productivity, and it may even fuel procrastination. A few minutes spent every night organizing papers, assignments, long-term deadlines and goals can pay off handsomely in higher well-being and accomplishments. Read more.
What have you found makes you happier? I’d love to know!
Image: Martin Neuhof
Greetings, loved ones! I'm the founding editor of Real Zest and spend far too much time asking questions on Twitter. Say hello and stay blessed!
Where Do You Find Truth?
Nov 4th
You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. ~Middle Eastern Proverb
You lie online. It might be a lie to sell something or a lie to make yourself feel better. You might lie to help somebody else or perhaps to make another feel worse. Perhaps you just exaggerate. You brag. That’s not lying, right? That’s just expanding something to be more than it should be. Surely there’s no harm in that?!
There probably wouldn’t be any harm if we didn’t live such nuanced lives.
A required smile is just a glint away from a genuine grin. A really great product is only a few words away from a product that often fails to work. A cool link is a millisecond away from a link we’re sharing just because somebody shared a link of our own.
It’s all nuance.
The truth that lies within you does not arise as some blazing scepter for the world to see. It peeks out in wisps and glimmers through the nuance of your everyday life. It flits about the stream of clicks and characters you produce as you move about and share online.
Have you seen it? Can you point to a conversation and say, “Aha! There. That is my truth!” or are you forced to rifle through your words and excuse yourself for not lying overtly?
My sister often makes a joke that, “Everybody runs faster online.” in reference to the ways people lie about things online. But if we allow the behavior of the masses to choose the way in which we share or muzzle our truth, what then? What happens to the community made up of people who only pretend to like each other? Is that a Tribe that will bring about real change in the world or will it end in a disappointing trail of tears?
I fear for any community that sets aside truth in the pursuit of short-term goals. I fear for any person who throws away their convictions in the name of fame and glory. Can we not build real communities that trust each other or have we been sucked into an echo chamber that insists community is about the number of people who sign up and has nothing to do with the number that shows up? Are we so jaded as a people that we shall always withhold good things from those who do not make an effort to lie to our faces with caramelized hyperbole?
Will we continue to lie? Or will we take another look in the mirror and ask our tired reflection to show us a bit of truth?
If we can find that truth and hold it tightly with unwavering palms, I believe we will find freedom. Not freedom from work, or pain, or tribulation. But freedom from the tiny guilts that gouge away at our joy.
When we can look at our conversations and say, “Yes, there is my truth.” I think we’ll discover more grins in our day and hands that reach out to catch us when we start to fall.
Image: Giampolo Macarig
Greetings, loved ones! I'm the founding editor of Real Zest and spend far too much time asking questions on Twitter. Say hello and stay blessed!