If you were to ask Mark Twain how to get motivated, he’d say this, “The secret to getting ahead is getting started.” Getting started is probably the most difficult task ever. We know what we want to do, we can see where we want to go, but we don’t necessarily know how to start. In this post, I’m going to share with you the top three must-haves in how to get motivated to start anything.
Super important. Read this.
Before getting into the tips on how to get motivated, I want to address one thing. Fear. Fear can hold us back from…well…everything! The fear of failure is a big one. Unfortunately, our world measures success primarily based on money. So if the world saw you start a business and saw that you didn’t make any money, then the world would say you failed. Not cool. However, the Bible says in Romans 12:2 to not conform to the pattern of this world but instead, be transformed by the renewing of your mind, it is then you will be able to test and approve God’s will for you, his good, pleasing, and perfect will.
The Bible is truth, the world is broken. Your business that didn’t go the way you thought? Isn’t a failure at all. It showed the world that you had the courage to make something happen, you learned a tremendous amount about business, and you’re living a life without regrets; that is a whole lot of success that you can take with you wherever you go. Don’t be afraid to start anything, be afraid of not starting it. There are other ways to measure success and I encourage you to take a stronghold of these other ways, for if you only measure by money, you’re going to miss a whole lot of blessings. Read up on 5 Important Ways to Measure Success without Numbers.
4 Critical Tips to Start Anything
If you jumped to this spot without reading the two paragraphs above, backup, and read them.
1. Have a plan
Of course, I was going to say that. If there is no plan, there is no map. When the map isn’t in front of our faces, we won’t know what direction we’re going in. We could be going in circles for all we know…which has happened to me. In fact, I was going so fast around the circle, that I actually thought I was going somewhere. This creates busyness, and we all know being busy can be a trap. With that said, you may want to check out How Not to Be Busy and How Cookie Dough Gave Me Super Powers.
Take things one step at a time. The first step is to write everything down. I know your ideas are in your head, it’s time now to get them down on paper. For some of us, this might even be a scary thing to do. Draw pictures, and use details; it can be hard to transform information from your brain to paper, but at least we can see it now. Using a planner helps, especially if it probes questions and helps you organize. Being organized encourages your mind to get clearer on where you want to go. When your thoughts are down on paper, your idea becomes real. Now that’s really scary. But to move forward, it starts with paper and a pencil.
2. Get organized
As I mentioned before, how to get organized is a huge step in getting motivated. The next step is to take all those things you wrote down and organize them into categories or to-dos. Organizing your ideas, the steps you need to take, the research that needs to happen, and the tools you need to acquire are critical to your success. If we take things one step at a time, we won’t get overwhelmed and will stay motivated.
Lastly, break down these tasks into do-able steps. I know you’re going to want to go fast, but there is no sense in going fast if you don’t know what the heck you’re doing. Step by step. With each step, we get a little more confident in what we’re doing. And with more confidence, comes the next step, then the next, and so on. Get the free printable on goals at my Freebies.
Speaking of confidence. A lack of confidence can completely stop you in your tracks. We all struggle with confidence, it happens to the best of us, but what differentiates the ones to move on and the ones who go nowhere is getting back on the horse. Here are some tips on how to build self-esteem.
3. Seek encouragement – big one for how to get motivated!
“Gotta start somewhere” is a great weapon to protect you from judgment and to help you stay motivated. When you’re trying to describe your dream or idea to someone and they just don’t get it, you’ll probably get some weird looks and unasked-for opinions. Remember this with your kids. When they come to you and say, “Hey Mom! I’ve got this great idea to make popcorn bowls out of my old basketballs!” If you want your child to come to ask for your opinion in the future, be wise in how you react. The idea may stinketh, but they need to figure that out on their own.
Lesson one: tell someone you trust, who will encourage you…more on this in a minute. Lesson two; don’t say a thing to someone who may bash your idea into liver pudding. Remember, if someone comes to you to share an idea, this person came to you, they feel safe with you. They are seeking a green light. No matter what the idea they tell you, give them a high-five or an “Oreo Cookie” response: say something good, then your constructive criticism, then something good again! Anyone who drums up the courage to tell someone something dear to their heart deserves encouragement.
Encouragement from inspirational quotes
Inspirational and motivational quotes can also encourage you. Here are some great ones I look to often:
Super important about encouragement…read this, please!
My ideas got hammered many times before I finally learned my valuable lesson of ‘pick who you share with’. I touched on this briefly above. The most hurting time was when I shared some ideas with someone I loved. You’d think that is the right person to share with, and sometimes it is, but those loved ones can be very critical. Parents, spouses, and best friends listen to me, please. You may think you’re helping, but you’re not. At this point, think before you speak, this isn’t your spotlight to steel with knowledge or ego, it isn’t a time to ask a million questions about how they’re going to do it, again, just be excited for them, let them have this moment and give them encouragement.
Getting worked up
The embarrassing time when I shared my idea was at a dinner party with my husband and his colleagues. Wrong time. I panicked really. Of course, at any work function, one of the questions people ask is, “Where do you work?” I should have known better and prepared for this. Why wouldn’t they ask? We’re all curious to know what people do and secretly compare our lives to theirs. We’re all guilty of that. Weirdly, this experience helped me know how to get motivated. Anyway…while we were sitting at the dinner table waiting for our salads, the butterflies started to flutter in my belly.
Here I was a stay-at-home mom who was trying to start a blog. I wanted to say something important like I’m launching a new product. Everyone else has these big fancy things they were doing. My blog was just starting and I wasn’t too confident about it yet. My hands were getting sweaty as the person next to me told us what she had done. These people have awesome jobs. Me? I had a hobby. And the annoying part of this experience was that it was loud in the restaurant so you had to yell for anyone to hear. Go figure.
“What do you do?“
Yikes! My turn. “I’m starting a new blog to help people go after their true dream in life and do more than exist.” At the time my blog was domorethanexist.com. From my answer, people just stared at me, which seemed like five minutes. Because no one said anything I felt like I had to explain myself. I should have stopped there. Not knowing what I was saying I went on and fumbled, but tried to catch myself. Big “L” to the forehead.
When I was trying to explain the blog the expression on their faces made me feel so out of place like I had a bug on my face and they were trying to figure out if they should smack it or let it crawl in my mouth and choke me. All this was going through my head until I said my magic words “Gotta start somewhere, right?” All of a sudden, the bug jumped off my face and into their mouths, they couldn’t argue, they couldn’t judge. Those four words made all the difference, and who knows maybe they were jealous they weren’t in a position I was. Toast to that! Wipe to the brow.
Two quick lessons at the dinner party:
Lesson 1: Know your pitch before you go to a dinner party
Lesson 2: When you get that ‘bug on your face look’ use “Gotta start somewhere, right?”, they’ll simply nod their head and repeat, “Gotta start somewhere.” Try it, it’s funny.
Where do you get true encouragement?
Know who to go to.
This goes back to some of the things I just said. If you know the person you’re going to is going to be critical, don’t talk to that person. I know that’s going to be hard, because sometimes we have this weird emotional acceptance thing that goes something like this, “if Sally (the critical person) approves of my idea then it’s gotta be a good one. I’ll just keep asking her opinion on my ideas until I get a thumbs-up from her.” STOP IT! You’re playing the acceptance game, fold your hand and leave the table. If you continue to go to this person your self-esteem will tank.
The Bible.
The Bible is full of encouragement. Weirdly, the Bible is not dated, meaning God speaks to us individually through His words no matter what year it is. One verse may mean something one day, and then a year later that same verse may mean something different. He knows what you need to hear and when you need to hear it. You just have to be willing to read the pages. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? (NIV).
Teachers, mentors, coaches, our kids.
Teachers are great encouragers, and so are mentors, coaches, and even your own children. Kids are pretty smart, they’re extremely observant. On a side note, just the other day, I was trying to figure out a new plugin for the website and it took me forever to figure it out, when in fact, I couldn’t get it to work. My son had asked how my day went and I told him I had wasted it on a plugin, but nothing got done. His response surprised me, “Mom, you didn’t waste your day, you learned what not to do!” I laughed, smiled, and said, “Right On! I needed to hear that. Thanks, Honey.”
Yourself.
If anyone can encourage you, it can be yourself. Gotta start somewhere. With that said, head over to my Freebies and download my top favorite affirmations. Depending on others to motivate you isn’t doing you any favors. How to self-motivate is a BIG bonus. Practice different ways that will teach you how to get motivated.
Random places.
get on Amazon
More sources of encouragement come from non-fiction books, YouTube videos of motivational speakers, stories from TV talent shows, music, and even a stranger. When I first started I got encouragement from Holley Gerth’s book, “You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream“. I still reference it today. So good!
4. How to get motivated? Tap into courage.
In 2008 I started blogging. I had no idea what I was doing or how to do it for that matter. Note the dinner party. All I knew was that I needed to start somewhere. In the various books, courses, and ‘how to blog’ posts I read over the years, I’ve noticed a common denominator; nothing happens until Courage is invited. I had to get the guts to try. “Gotta start somewhere” permits us to take a step forward, to try it on for a bit.
With courage, it’s important to understand who you are. If you don’t know who you are, knowing how to get motivated is going to be tough. What makes you tick? Where you want to go. To learn more about yourself you’re going to have to make time for yourself. Embrace “me time”. Here’s a post on 9 Easy Ways to Learn More about Yourself.
What is courage?
Courage is the moment in time when we take a step of faith not knowing what will come of it but we do it anyway. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” (NIV) Gotta start somewhere.
When we put ourselves out there, people are going to judge. The magical element of courage is that we don’t care what other people think, we have a vision and we’re going to try our hardest to see that vision become part of the big picture. When people watch, give them a show. Show them how to move forward, how to stand back up, and how to live in freedom.
Those bug-on-your-face looks are beaming with curiosity or maybe jealousy. Remember, everyone has their own opinion, and they are only opinions; it’s you who you need to believe in. Here are 5 Easy Ways to Build Courage & Confidence.
Wrapping up how to get motivated
I’m going to keep this to the point in a simple way. And if you skipped the whole post on how to get motivated, you might want to reconsider and go back and read, you may miss the blessing you need to hear to get motivated. In the meantime, here is the nutshell review:
Pray. Daily. In Jesus’s name. “Lord, light my fire within. What is my next step?”
Plan. Step by step.
Practice. Try your dream on, take it off, try it on again. Trust who you tell.
There is one last bonus idea that you can try to get motivated, and that is to dress the part. Simply put, play dress-up. How to get motivated? “Gotta start somewhere” isn’t just permission to try; it’s also to inspire others to do the same.
If there is one thing in how to help your digestive system it is to figure out what is causing the digestive issues. When it comes to gut cramping and rushing to the bathroom it’s usually a bad burrito and clears up in a few days on its own, but when the bowels howl longer than normal something needs more attention. In my own personal experience with IBD (Intestinal Bowel Disease) over the years and with hours upon hours of research, I’ve found 10 major triggers that can set people off. If I had known these triggers earlier, I would have healed a lot faster. My hope is that this post will save you a lot of time and frustration. Let’s take a look at what might be triggering your lingering symptoms so you can get on the right intestinal track.
Step 1 in how to help your digestive system
Ever since I started to talk about my own digestive distress, more and more people have opened up to me about theirs. Let’s face it, talking about cramps and diarrhea is not something people want to talk about, but these things DO need to be talked about. A huge part of healing is understanding what’s going on and why. Knowing this, not only gives you peace of mind, but a solid direction to focus on in your healing journey. Discovering your cause can be a frustrating maze but it could be as simple as asking around and doing some research. You never know what someone is going to say that could be your ticket to healing.
Let me reiterate that when people are silent about their chronic digestive system it is only going to make them worse. What ends up happening is despair, loss of hope, loneliness, and settling with chronic misery. Self-confidence goes down the drain and limitations in physical activity and social outings go on the wayside. You do not deserve to live like this!
Listen up, this is super important
Another thing about “ignoring’ this issue is that if left untreated, it will lead to other misery down the road; for instance, vitamin absorption problems, depression, stress, hair thinning, and more. I’ve been there, done that, with tears and frustration and a sink full of hair. There is nothing worse than not understanding what is going on and if you’ll ever get better! So please, listen to how to help your digestive system if you want to get better.
I HIGHLY recommend reading the “Triggers and What to do for IBD: How to Identify and Heal for Good” ebook. I wish I had this information when I was having problems. This book would have saved me LOADS of time and frustration. Download, read, and heal. It’s a quick read packed with answers that will help you.
Encouragement Coaching Moment
First off, you will get better. If you want it bad enough, you will go into remission and will live a life of no more cramping, no more rushing to the bathroom, and no more uncertainty. The work it takes to heal is totally worth it. It is possible to manage this thing without having to take any pharmaceuticals! The body will heal if you help it.
My journey has been quite a road. I am not a doctor or gastroenterologist, but I have experienced firsthand what it’s like to carry colitis and all that goes with it. With an un-relentless drive to figure it out, I’ve tried many different treatments and have spent hours and hours researching (probably too much time) to get to the bottom of my imbalance. After all, when something isn’t right, things aren’t aligned. So this bullcrap all starts with what threw you off in the first place.
How to help your digestive system starts with questions.
Ask yourself the following questions and maybe even jot down your answers on a piece of paper. I have kept a “digestive journey” journal where I write down my flares, what might have happened before it, and what I tried to manage it. Answer these questions to help you figure your digestive issues out.
Was I recently sick? Stomach bug? Food poisoning? Bacteria infection?
What are my hormones doing?
Did I eat something funny? Eat too much of something? Eat the same thing every day?
Have I been taking NSAIDs (ibuprofen, Tylenol, etc) regularly?
Has my gallbladder been acting up? Do I still have my gallbladder?
What has my stress level been these days?
What exactly am I eating every day?
Is my back out of whack?
Answering these questions might help you get on the right track from the get-go. It’s important to go over these things with your doctor or functional doctor before diving into a treatment plan.
A closer look at digestive triggers
Let’s take a closer look at what could be the cause of your cramps, bloating, diarrhea, loose stools, and stinky gas. When you have a flare, it is usually caused by a trigger. For instance, when I get a flare I can usually figure out what brought it on. Most of the time it was something I ate. But other times it’s been hormones, stress, or even a change in weather or time zones. The body is so amazing when it comes to healing; it wants to be aligned and working as it should. When it’s not, it tells you through pain or digestive distress. Let’s look at a few things that could be causing the alarms to go off.
Again, I’m not a doctor, nor am I trying to be. I share the information I have either experienced myself or am extremely interested in, and then I keep things simple and give you the nutshell version. This post is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your physician before jumping into new things. This post is for information purposes only and to help you figure out what you might have going on.
IBS
What is IBS anyway? IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome, is simply an angry bowel. For instance, when I was a runner I would occasionally get really bad “poop cramps”, this is what IBS is, cramps out of the blue followed by urgency. With my story, the doctors first diagnosed me with IBS, since I knew what IBS was, I had a hard time respecting their diagnoses. Come to find out what I learned through the years is that if doctors can’t diagnose your digestive problem, they’ll usually say it’s IBS. When I went back to the doctor’s office I asked for a colonoscopy which gave us the real answer. So stick with your gut when you go to the doctor and ask a lot of questions; if they say it’s IBS, ask them why they think so.
Food sensitivities: dairy, gluten, eggs, soy, grains, white sugar, fructose.
Food sensitivities are HUGE triggers that lead to digestive system issues. The number one ‘problem food’ is dairy. So many people have issues with dairy; in fact, I heard everyone is a little sensitive to dairy. Lactose intolerance or sensitivity to whey or casein (a protein found in milk) are a few roadblocks to dairy digestion.
The second big one is gluten. Gluten is the protein found in wheat. People who have Celiac disease cannot have any gluten. Most people with digestive issues steer clear of gluten as well. This bugger is hard to digest and wreaks havoc on your innards. Talk about inflammation! It’s just not worth it folks.
Other popular food sensitivities and allergies are nuts, eggs, soy, white sugar, nightshades, and fructose.
How do you know if you have a food sensitivity?
Pay attention to how you feel after you consume it. Do you have a headache? Is your skin itchy or throat? Heartburn? Do you have gas cramps within an hour of eating? Dizzy? How about your nose, is it runny? What about severe congestion? Are you rushing to the bathroom?
Hormones: can’t live with them, can’t live without them.
This is a tough one to figure out. Do hormones play a factor in digestion? Women get a chance to pay close attention to our system every month (if we’re still menstruating). Both progesterone and prostaglandins can mess with your bowels. Even though prostaglandins focus on your uterus, they can also affect the colon that is nearby. Plus our friend, Progesterone, can pilot our trip to the bathroom more often.
On the flip side, when estrogen declines, cortisol rises which can slow the digestion process down and cause constipation…a.k.a. too little progesterone. Without the proper balance of estrogen and progesterone, your bowels get a bit confused.
Alignment
Who knew that a kink in your back could cause issues in digestion and elimination? The vertebrae in your spine are connected to nerves that send signals to the digestive system which includes the stomach and intestines. When the vertebrae are off or twisted this can affect those nerves and give you symptoms like bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, and bladder issues. Before you head to the chiro, talk to your doctor or physical therapist.
A bug
There are some pesky bugs out there. Bacterial infections, viruses, and parasites, all of these cause inflammation. And when inflammation is present and not calmed down, irritation of the intestinal lining is sure to happen. E. coli, Guardia, Norovirus, and the stomach bug are the main culprits of diarrhea, not to mention vomiting. Yes, even though these are short-lived 1-7 days on average, they can mess up your gut flora and cause silent inflammation in your digestive tract.
How to help your digestive system? Reduce stress
Constant stress on the body and mind can be a doozy for your digestion. It can throw your whole system off! From muscle tightness, knots in your gut, to indigestion, stress can physically hurt you. One thing you can do right now in answering the question of how to help your digestive system is to learn some stress-relieving techniques.
Ibuprofen/Tylenol
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) like acetaminophen and ibuprofen if taken on a regular basis can actually cause inflammation in your intestines. Yep. Too much of a good thing can backfire. This is true for anything, even food! When inflammation is present, cramps and diarrhea are sure to show up.
Lack of probiotics and digestive enzymes
Sometimes our bodies need a little help getting back on track. Probiotics and/or digestive enzymes are here to save the day. Getting the right bugs in your gut makes a big difference in your digestive health; a game-changer for most folks. The hard part is figuring out what probiotics or digestive enzymes you’re lacking. This is especially important if you’ve been on a regimen of antibiotics. Antibiotics kill everything in your gut, so it’s important to get your gut back up and running as it should. Incorporating probiotics after your antibiotic treatment will help you bounce back a little quicker.
Depending on your condition, probiotics may need to be taken every day. They also help your immune system and even your skin.
If you have heartburn or stomach acid issues please read my post about stomach acid, it goes more in-depth about digestive enzymes and food combining, you will get a digestive enzyme chart as well!
Bile acid
This sounds kind of gross but excess bile acid from your digestive system can cause diarrhea. Bile acid diarrhea (BAD) or bile acid malabsorption (BAM) is what can cause that urgency, watery, and bloating feeling. Bile acids are produced by your good ole liver and stored in your gallbladder. Their job is to help break down fats to put it simply. For people who have had their gallbladder removed, you may experience a bit of diarrhea…at least now you know why. However, sometimes the body can get confused and cause large amounts of bile acids to exit into the large intestine, hence, diarrhea. Normally there is very little bile acid in the large intestine. I highly recommend you continue to investigate this; check out Verywellhealth.com for starters.
Yeast
Where do we start with yeast? Is it good or bad? Well, if you get too much of it, it can trigger diarrhea. Along with yeast-associated diarrhea, you may see other signs of too much yeast by looking at your tongue. If it has a white coat on it, you probably have more yeast than you need. You could also have sinus infections, fatigue, and skin fungal issues. The medical term for an overabundance of yeast is Candida. Check out Dr. Axe about Candida.
Histamine
Histamine is another big trigger. The nutshell about high histamine; as you age your DAO enzyme depletes. This DAO enzyme helps regulate histamine; it aids in breaking excess histamine down. When it depletes, it doesn’t work as well and histamine builds up in your system. As histamine increases in your body, you may experience digestive issues, itching, headaches, and sore joints to name a few.
Before you buy antihistamines, please know that antihistamines may work for stuffy noses, but they don’t usually work for diarrhea and low DAO enzymes. I’ve done the research.
What can help increase the DAO enzyme is vitamin C, P5P (the active form of vitamin B6), and magnesium citrate or glycinate. Also, it’s best to get into a rhythm of eating low-histamine foods and knowing your own personal limits. It takes about 2 weeks to get your histamine levels back to your baseline after you have changed your diet and have done your part to help your body. Again, I am not a doctor of any kind, this is what I’ve learned; always proceed with caution and talk to your doctor or functional doctor before trying anything new. I don’t know your body, diseases, or imbalances.
In conclusion: how to help your digestive system
WHEW! That was a lot to take in. But how to help your digestive system is no joke. From my personal experience, I wish I had this post in my hands when it all started in me. Again, I can’t tell you how many hours I researched diarrhea. I’ve probably clocked as many hours as a gastroenterologist. Anyway, healing is possible, but you must want it to happen. And if you really want it bad enough, you’ll be able to manage it without drugs and their nasty side effects. You got this. Healing takes time so keep moving forward. To help you get started in healing your gut I wrote this mini book: Triggers and What to Do for IBD: How to Identify and Heal for Good. It only takes a few minutes to read, but could contain your path to healing! Download it today and start reading!
Please note: talk to your doctor or find a functional doctor before you jump into anything new. If you want to go the natural way without prescriptions, I’ve had success with a functional doctor.
Every year we recognize Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday. Banks close. The Post Office closes. Public schools close. If you haven’t heard of Martin Luther King Jr. or haven’t understood his stand, he was the most visible spokesperson in the Civil Rights Movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. Dr. King believed in non-violence, he was determined, he knew his purpose, and he acted on it. He paved the way for peace. But what did my son say about it?
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
When my son was 7-year-old he HAD school on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. His school honors Dr. King by teaching the students about him…what better way to celebrate this day? His teachers explain what Dr. King was fighting for. The students experience his “I Have a Dream” speech. When my son first heard about this man he came home from school excited yet a little confused.
At dinner, our son started the conversation like this, “Guess what?”
“What?” we respond.
“Did you know… that some people had to go to different schools? They couldn’t ride the same bus or use the same bathroom because they were tan? That’s so weird.”
We respond, “Yeah, we know. Thankfully, it’s not like that anymore.”
I pause and ask. “Did you guys talk about Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech today?”
“Yeah.”
What happened in our neighborhood
For you to understand the next question I asked my son, you need to know that we live in a diverse neighborhood. Our neighbors come from all over the world; we exchange smiles, conversation, baked goods, a cry on a shoulder, and a helping hand. We look after each other and even pray for each other. Our next-door neighbors and our neighbors across the street are African-American.
“Honey?” I ask. “Do you know anyone who is “tan” which is also called “African-American” in our neighborhood?”
Our son says, “No.”
My husband and I look at each other and smile. I wink at him.
“It doesn’t matter what people look like, does it?” I ask.
Our son says, “No, that’s silly.”
“That’s what Dr. King was trying to tell the world,” I explain.
“Yep. He did a good job,” he says, then continues to eat his apple sauce.
If only we could be more like kids
What I took from this small yet huge conversation was that our son has lived seven years on this earth and hasn’t seen skin color. Children have this awesome power to look beyond the surface and see the heart. They are more concerned about how people make them feel, rather than what they look like.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr.
After this conversation, I was simply in awe of my son’s observations. And I hope and pray his views will continue as they are. Just remember, no matter how we were raised, it’s never too late to start looking at the world with the message Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to. You can make your own opinions and not be molded by what other influences tell you. Do more than exist, love all people the way you would like to be loved.
The combination of brats and bacon is amazing! Add them into a stew and you got yourself a hearty winter meal. This simple and tasty bacon stew is loaded with flavor. It might not be the leanest, but if you want to splurge on a cozy winter evening, this is a stew you should try!
As for nutrition for this stew, we’re getting protein from the brats and the bacon, we’re getting carbohydrates with the noodles or mashed potatoes we serve with it, and we’re getting a slew of vitamins with the add-ins.
Yams or sweet potatoes. There is a difference and you can use whichever one you want for this stew. As for yams, their nutrition label looks great. Yams are a great source of manganese, copper, and potassium. They have a little bit of folate and magnesium too. Yams are an excellent source of fiber and vitamin c. These orange tubers may help our brain function, ease symptoms of menopause, help manage blood sugar, and are a great alternative to white potatoes.
If you go the Butternut Squash route, it’s easy on digestion and has great flavor. This squash is a good source of calcium, potassium, vitamin A, E, folate, B-6. It helps lower blood pressure, cancer risk, and asthma. Butternut squash is also great for your hair, skin, and immune system.
Tools I love for this dish
Get a small one on Amazon!
The number one tool for this dish is the trusty cast-iron pan. It gives the food an extra layer of flavor. Believe me, I’ve done a lot of research on what pan is the healthiest to cook with. One that won’t leach chemicals, aluminum, or Teflon into my food and the cast iron wins every time! It may be heavy, but it’s extremely low maintenance. In fact, if you’re anemic (iron deficient) it helps put a little iron in your system.
One more thing about the cast iron pan, it’s SUPER easy to clean, no soap required. Seriously, no soap, you’ll wreck the ‘seasoning’ of the pan. I highly recommend getting a cast iron pan, even if it’s the small one. You can find them on Amazon.
Other ingredients and variations
As for other ingredients, I recommend a leaf to two of basil, chopped fresh tomato, or chopped kale to give it some color and an extra nutrition boost.
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The piece that brings it all together for me is the olive oil. I use a little bit in the pan, and if I serve gluten-free Ramen noodles I add olive oil to the noodles with a dash of salt. I love the flavor it brings to each ingredient. My favorite, hands-down olive oil is California Ranch Olive Oil. It’s 100% olive oil. With that said, be sure you get an olive oil you trust is 100%. We don’t need no stinkin’ canola or vegetable oil fillers. I have more information on what oils are best here.
Chop the onion, celery, yams (or squash) and make sure they're ready to go.
Slice the brats into 1/4 inch slices (chuncks) with skins removed.
Slice the bacon into small 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch slices.
Put the 2 TBSP of olive oil in the saucepan or cast iron pan, turn on the burner to medium heat. Braise the brat slices.
When brats are halfway braised, add the bacon and cook lightly. Do not over cook the bacon so that it is crispy, we want the bacon flimsy. If you used a cast iron pan, transfer cooked brat slices and bacon sliced into a saucepan.
Add celery and onion and cook slightly. Stir while cooking.
Add the water and garlic powder and bring to a boil. You can add the yams at this time if you want, but I recommend adding them a little later since they are pre-cooked.
Once boiling, turn down to a simmer with a top on the pan but slightly cracked.
After 10 minutes, add the pre-cooked yam cubes or squash, along with a dash of black pepper, and add the wine (wine is optional).
Simmer for the remaning time, checking on it frequently. If it looks like it needs more water, add just a 1/2 cup at a time.
Allow to cool to your liking, serve over mashed potatoes, pasta, or Ramen noodles.
Notes
The calories are per serving, which is about 1 1/2 cups; this is an estimate and depends on the type of brats and bacon you choose to use. This dish is amazing with Ramen noodles and a side of spinach. Add some fresh tomatoes to give it some color, or a nice piece of garlic toast!
Check out my other simple and delicious recipes that your family will love. All are gluten-free and dairy-free!
Thanksgiving activities can be more than shopping, tree trimming, football, and food! There are loads of Thanksgiving activities can we do…for FREE! Let’s dive into 10 free activities you can do with your family. I personally love #6. Make this Thanksgiving memorial and fun!
1. Tell Jokes
Jokes can be pretty corny…get it…corny on Thanksgiving! See what I mean? Nothing gets the Thanksgiving table rolling or moaning other than a joke or two. Jokes for kids are great because they’ll probably understand it and join in on the laughs. Need some jokes? Download my Lunchbox Note Jokes! You can cut these up and put them in a hat, then pass them around the table.
2. Write out the things you’re thankful for
Take the time to write out all the things you are thankful for over this year. I know this sounds boring, but it will really help improve your mood and the room. For example, this year our family did a lot of camping. In years past, we would not have done that if it wasn’t for the pandemic, so I am very thankful for all the camping we did this Summer and Fall. At your meal with your family, go around the table and read some things off the list.
3. What’s your favorite thing about Thanksgiving weekend?
Ask your family members what they like best about the Thanksgiving weekend, is it eating turkey and napping? Christmas shopping? Watching football? Playing football? Decorating for Christmas? So on and so forth. THEN, make those things happen for them in a safe (germ conscience) way; for instance, shop online together instead of going to the store (this one might not be free). Remember everyone enjoys Thanksgiving a little differently, it’s not all about you.
4. Do a little history lesson
Reflect on the first Thanksgiving. Get back to your roots and read about how Thanksgiving came to be. Research together online and have everyone find some fun facts. The History.com site is a good place to start (minus the ads). For kids, check out Kids.NationalGeographic.com. For some Thanksgiving fun facts, Goodhousekeeping.com has a great list of 25 facts. It would be fun to talk about these during dinner or dessert!
5. Movie time!
Pop some popcorn and turn on the movies! Thanksgiving weekend is a great time to kick back and have family movie time. Write down some of your favorite flicks on scraps of paper, put them all in a hat, and have someone pull one out.
6. Bring on the games
Play charades using the Thanksgiving theme. Or bust out the board games. Depending on the age of your kids, embark on The Ultimate Scavenger Hunt Challenge this is perfect for tweens! I have a post where you can download the scavenger hunt challenge. It’s super fun for the entire family!
7. Turkey Trot
Do your own Turkey Trot. Lace up the running shoes and head outside. Make a common goal, like let’s go three miles. Make your gobble call and get running! Or walk. If you have little kids, simply go for a walk and play I Spy.
8. Bonfire!
Build a bonfire! In fact, the Thanksgiving fun facts would be fun to talk about around the fire.
9. Declutter. Thanksgiving Activities?
On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, while you’re digging out the Christmas decorations, declutter some closets to make room for gifts! This is a wonderful time to declutter and drop donations off at the local donation center. Here’s a post to help you out on how to simplify your stuff! You can find it here.
10. Crafts anyone?
Feeling crafty? Here is a super fun Thanksgiving activity for little ones. There are 40 ideas over at CountryLiving.com that you may want to check out.
I know that some of these free ideas are obvious, however, we all need a little remembering of what we can do. Let’s make the best of this Thanksgiving by doing what we can! What’s even better is that you saved a lot of money and miles on the car.
