SUCCESS: When Preparation Meets Opportunity

I'm sure you've heard it that quote about "success" before. It's not luck when someone is successful at what they do - it's because they did what was necessary while waiting for the right opportunity to arrive. I apply this principle to my business and personal life so why would it be any different with my Maximized Living nutritional plan? I would like to share with you a few simple preparation techniques and tips that I incorporate into my daily living to ensure that I will experience health and wellness success!

• Wash, cut, and store food in advance. I know this sounds terribly simple but how many of us do it? Before putting your groceries away, place on the counter anything you know you can wash, separate, and store right then and there. Do it right now. I wash, cut, and store as many fruits and vegetables as I can for the week ahead. Some go to the fridge and some are headed for the freezer as an ingredient for smoothies.

• Prepare, prepare, prepare! Even when it comes to the simple things like pouring your coconut milk (which is a constituent of many of the Maximized Living recipes) in a glass jar in the fridge. Pour your organic coconut milk in a Mason jar with enough room to shake like the one here in my fridge, and when you need 3 tablespoons or half a cup for a smoothie, it's readily available (and cold!). You will see that I have Mason jars for just about everything. What I did in advance for this week was (from left to right): make trail mix; bottle organic coconut milk; make green pomegranate tea to add to water several times a day; and make my own Maximized Living granola. Green tea has many health benefits and drinking it cold in the summer is an easy way to consume and reap the benefits! For this particular jar of iced tea I added 2 teaspoons of Xylitol (optional). I can't say it added enough sweetness to make it worth adding to be honest.

• Make recipes ahead of time, especially snacks! I make sure that I am prepared for emergencies - those times when you're running out for a meeting and don't have time to prepare food. Sometimes, a snack has to replace a meal so have some Chocolate Almond Protein Bars and trail mix ready to throw in your briefcase or purse! When I make these protein bars I divide them up in groups of 6-8, wrap them in parchment paper, and then place them in a snack size ziplock bag. I put them in the freezer and every few days I take a little snack-size baggie of them out of the freezer and transfer them to the fridge. If I'm on the run - I grab a baggie and I'm off! This means my diet doesn't suffer and I have fuel for the next few hours. Sugar-free, packed with protein........ YummO! Even my young grandchildren love these bars!