Baked oatmeal, loaded with summer berries and lightly sweetened with brown sugar is a great way to start the day. 

Baked Berries with Oatmeal

A few days ago, I was having a conversation recently with our followers on our Facebook page about fall flavors and it turned into a discussion about why we associate certain seasons with certain flavors and foods.

It has only been in recent years that things like fresh strawberries and blueberries are in grocery stores year around. While I do love making and enjoying things in season when I get a craving for dishes with fresh berries it is so nice to be able to find them regardless of time and year and location.

That being said berries are a mainstay in my refrigerator. The other day I had a few things that needed to be used up and baked oatmeal is the perfect way to make sure those berries didn’t go to waste.

This oatmeal recipe isn’t overly sweet and it allows the bright flavors of the berries to shine through.

Baked oatmeal is one of those breakfast dishes I don’t like to oversweeten before making. It is easy to take the sweetness up a notch by topping it with honey or maple syrup when you serve it – if the finished oatmeal needs to be sweetened at all.

Oatmeal is one of my children’s favorite breakfasts and we’ve gathered a huge collection of great oatmeal recipes over the past few years.

My youngest son loves oatmeal so much, there was a phase where he attempted to order it at almost every restaurant we visited.

There was nothing quite like watching the waiter’s face when he requested, “A big bowl of oatmeal, please,” while we are dining at a Mexican restaurant. Luckily, he loves chips and salsa almost as much, so it was easy to distract him.

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Laughing with our friends is one of the best things we can do for our mental health, but how do you navigate spending quality time with them in the current economic crisis? We share eight low-cost and free things you can do together

The current economic climate has seen many of us take to money-saving hacks and low-cost spending as we try and negotiate the colder months. During this period of uncertainty, it is important that we continue to support our mental health. One of the best ways we can do this is by socialising.

Laughing with our closest friends releases feel-good endorphins, which is just what we’re all in need of right now. So, how do we balance meeting up with friends whilst still setting boundaries for our spending? The good news is that there are many free and low-cost things you can do whilst still enjoying some quality time with your pals.

A dinner party

Rather than going out for a meal, why not try hosting a dinner party instead? Ask each of your friends to bring a plate of food, whether that’s something cooked or just some nibbles. If you don’t fancy trying your hand at cooking a meal, you could try cooking together, with each of you bringing an ingredient.

A movie night

This is guaranteed to be a night of giggles. With October just around the corner, you could get together for a series of Halloween films complete with snacks and cosy drinks. If you’re struggling for some inspiration, here’s our top Halloween movie recommendations for a spooky night in:

• Halloween (1978 / 2018)
• Hocus Pocus (1993)
• The Shining (1980)
• IT (2017)
• Ghostbusters (1984)

A spa day

Rather than paying for a day out at the spa, why not bring the spa to you? You could get your friends to bring lotions, foot scrubs, face masks, and anything else that may make you feel pampered. Complete the day with some snacks and fizz and enjoy a relaxing time full of laughs.

Do some outdoor activities together

Whether that’s getting together for a game of football, going out for a walk or just spending time in nature with a picnic, getting outside with your friends is a great way to reap the benefits of both socialising and the outdoors. Getting fresh air and taking a moment of mindfulness to embrace the beauty of nature will do wonders for your mental wellbeing.

Volunteer together

Giving back to the community is a great way to boost your feel-good hormones, drive positive change and build social connections. Even better, get your friends involved and make a day of it, or schedule time to make it a regular occurrence. Try and decide on a common interest and something you’d all like to do together. If you can’t commit to volunteering regularly, you could go to a local organisation or food bank and ask if they need any one-off help.

Visit a local town

Another great low-cost activity to do with your friends is to get up a map and pick a local town that you’ve not visited before. Perhaps there’s a historic monument you could visit or you can do some window-shopping and stop for a coffee. By chipping in on fuel and spending the day taking in the sights of your local surroundings, you can have a great day out without spending too much money.

Bake together

For keen bakers, you could get together and each bring

Hi friends! Happy Thursday! I have a new podcast episode and can’t wait to hear your thoughts on this one.

Today, I’m chatting with Lisa Moskovitz, RD, all about quieting the diet noise and why diets don’t work.

Here’s what we talk about on today’s episode:

How to quiet the diet noise: how become a more confident, autonomous, and intuitive eater, and improve your relationship with food

How to move the needle towards fitness and weight loss goals in a healthy way

Why  diets don’t work: how they actually bring you further away from finding your healthiest, happiest weight

How diets impact your metabolism

Her tips for being Healthy in Real Life

and so.much.more.

I LOVED today’s conversation and hope that you’ll take a listen!

111: Why diets don’t work with Lisa Moskovitz, RD

Here’s a bit more about Lisa and her background:

Lisa Moskovitz, RD, is a registered dietitian, the CEO of NY Nutrition Group, a large group nutrition practice and the author of The Core 3 Healthy Eating Plan, a personalized, science-based guide to finding your healthiest, happiest weight. She received a BS in nutrition from Syracuse University and then went on to complete an intensive dietetic internship at NYPresbyterian Hospital. Since then, she has accumulated over a decade of experience in private practice, providing nutrition workshops and working with the media. Lisa is regularly featured in major publications such as Well + Good, Eat This Not That, Yahoo Health and is often interviewed for popular news channels such as Fox 5 NY, CBS News and Inside Edition.

Check out her website here, her Instagram here, and get a copy of The Core 3 Healthy Eating Plan (use Core20 for 20% off!).

Resources from this episode:

I love love love the meals from Sakara Life! Use this link and the code XOGINAH for 20% off their meal delivery and clean boutique items. This is something I do once a month as a lil treat to myself and the meals are always showstoppers.

Get 15% off Organifi with the code FITNESSISTA. I drink the green juice, red juice, gold, and Harmony! (Each day I might have something different, or have two different things. Everything I’ve tried is amazing.)

The weather is cooling down, and I’m still obsessed with my sauna blanket. It fe

Pumpkin bread filled with melting chocolate chips and bursting with autumn spices – is there anything more quintessentially fall than the smell of pumpkin spices drifting through the house?

I tasted pumpkin bread for the first time about 20 years ago, when one of my students shared her mom’s pumpkin muffins with me. The recipe below includes both traditional and gluten-free variations.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I have no idea how I survived up until then without this awesomeness in our life, because pumpkin muffins have been a year-round (yes, pumpkin haters – year-round) favorite in our home ever since.

These muffins are moist, sweet, and packed with real pumpkin flavor. A spoonful of pumpkin pie spice (homemade or store-bought) brings out the classic fall flavors.

And while I’m a bit of a purist about some recipes, I have to admit that pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips added into the mix are truly irresistible.

The aroma of warm cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg wafting through the house as the muffins bake is one of the best parts of this recipe. Aside from eating the muffins, of course!

We can’t get enough pumpkin-based recipes during these last few months of the year. If you like these pumpkin muffins then you’ll love our Pumpkin Spice Waffles too.

Another easy hearty breakfast all of my kids love is Pumpkin Spiced Baked Oatmeal. It’s one of our favorite ways to eat oatmeal; and that’s saying something because we eat a lot of oatmeal around here.

And of course, no autumn lover’s season is complete without a few afternoons sipping homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes with a friend.

(Our homemade version is just as good as anything from a coffee shop but with real pumpkin instead of syrup!)

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

I’ve played with the recipe countless times adding all kinds of ingredients. If that’s your style, have at it. This recipe includes both traditional and gluten-free variations as well instructions for baking a loaf of pumpkin bread or a tray of pumpkin muffins.

Add in handfuls of chocolate or nuts, whatever makes you grin. Chocolate chips and walnuts are a delicious combination. Cranberries, raisins, and other kinds of dried fruit are also tasty.

For me, it’s all about the basic pumpkin bread with a handful of chocolate chips thrown in. Whether I’m eating this for breakfast or sneaking a muffin as an afternoon snack, the simple combination of pumpkin and spice all baked into a portable baked treat, just can’t be beat.

We explore the signs of empty nest syndrome and how you can manage this big life transition

Raising children and being a parent sets us up on a rollercoaster of emotions. One minute you’re feeling the joy and pride of seeing them thrive, the next you’re filled with worry, doubt, and frustration as they veer wildly off-track. A lot can be said about parenting… but no one can say it’s a boring endeavour.

Throughout the journey, there are a number of transitions. One that may take you by surprise is the day your child(ren) leaves home and, suddenly, you’re alone again.

“Some parents may find the departure of their child to school or university a relief, time to get their space back, and get on with the goals they’ve been holding back on during the years of parenting,” life coach Geraldine Macé explains. “For some, however, it leaves a big empty space that they have no idea how to fill – an empty nest.”

Empty nest syndrome is a term used to describe the grief, anxiety, and sadness some parents and caregivers feel at this time. Here are some signs to look out for:

Loss of purpose

A feeling some empty nesters may resonate with is being ‘redundant’. Geraldine notes, “Parents may be feeling incredibly sad with a loss of focus, spending hours on their own thinking back to the times they had with their child. Sometimes that can be with a sense of regret for the things that they did or didn’t do while their child was at home.”

Becoming a parent or caregiver changes your life in a huge way, often having an impact on your sense of identity. So it makes sense that, once you don’t have kids in the house to look after, you may feel a little lost.

Languishing

Some empty nesters may also feel generally ‘off’, noticing a lack of motivation. Perhaps you think you should feel exhilarated now that you have more time to dedicate to yourself but, instead, you struggle to focus and lack the energy to do what you used to. The term languishing is used to articulate this sense of listlessness.

Using numbing techniques

“Other signs to look out for are using things to distract themselves so that they don’t have to think about how they feel, such as with food, drink, shopping, watching TV, gaming, or exercise,” Geraldine says. If you’re trying to distract yourself from the difficult emotions you’re feeling, this could be a sign of empty nest syndrome.

Restlessness

For some parents and caregivers, having an empty nest paves the way for some true relaxation, however, those experiencing empty nest syndrome may find this a struggle. Instead of being able to switch off, empty nesters may find themselves worrying about their child(ren) excessively, and unable to concentrate.

More emotional

There are a range of feelings that can come up during this time, so you may notice your emotions are close to the surface. “As parents try to negotiate this transition, they may find themselves feeling more emotional than normal,” Geraldine explains. “Tears come readily, or they may find that they get angry more easily.”

Relationship conflict

Raising a family will likely have an impact on y