“Work-life balance was a mistake from the start. Because we don't really want balance. We want satisfaction.”—Matthew Kelly, author

Balance is a sticky subject among many people. We have careers, partners, children, family commitments, charity work, classes, hobbies, worship time—plus, big desires to improve our health. How can one possibly balance so many things?

I’m going to let you in on a little secret here: You can’t.

Balance. Is It A Myth?

“Harmony” is an easier goal than balance.

Harmony means everything is co-existing in a spirit of cooperation. But whatever you want to call it —harmony, balance, or “fitting it all in”— there is a secret to doing more of what you want and less of what you don’t want.

Want to hear it?

I just need to warn you that although the equation sounds simple, it actually takes massive dedication and action to execute. It also requires that you get absolutely clear on what you want your life to look like, and what you do not want in your life.

Ready? Okay, here’s the secret:

• First ask yourself what isn’t serving you. What doesn’t need to be in your life? What is dragging you down? Keeping you awake at night?
• Have you identified a few things? Now get rid of them. (Or fix them. Now.)
• Next, ask yourself what you want in your life—or in this week or day? What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to do? Who do you want to be with? Focus your energy on these things. Anything that doesn’t fit into this larger scheme… let it go (or learn how to say “no”).

Ready to dive in and make a few changes? Give these tips a try and see how much more harmonious your life can be. No balance required.

Harmony Shrimp Tacos
These gluten-free, dairy-free shrimp tacos are quick and light for summer with a perfect harmony of sweet, savory, crunchy and delicious! You can make them your own by swapping the shrimp for your favorite grilled or sautéed fish, and adding other healthful toppings such as shredded lettuce and micro sprouts.

Makes 8 tacos

Print Recipe

1 package organic, gluten-free corn tortillas
2 T olive oil
2 lbs peeled, veined wild shrimp
2 limes
1 large red pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
Cashew cheese to spread (I used The Cultured Kitchen Cashew Reserve, Herbs and Chives.)
2 avocados, sliced thinly
1 daikon radish, grated
16 cherry tomatoes, quartered
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place 8 tacos on cookie sheet and warm in oven for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, warm 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in large sautée pan. Add shrimp to pan and sautée for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until opaque and cooked through. Season with juice of one lime, salt and pepper to taste and turn off heat. In a separate pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sautée red pepper slices until soft.

Prepare tacos by spreading with cashew cheese. Top with shrimp, avocado, red pepper, daikon radish and tomatoes. Serve with wedge of lime.

I'll admit it; we are a little weird in my family. Often we discuss the balance of macronutrients (carbs, protein and fat) in our diet with genuine interest and curiosity. That's mostly due to my tenacious son, Dylan, an athlete and body builder. When you eat protein, complex carbs and healthful fat at each meal, you optimize your nutrition, energy, muscle mass and weight. And you stay full longer between meals. If you want to geek out on recommended percentages and grams of each macro, see below under "Recommended Ranges." And stay tuned for a delicious Hemp Seed Tabouli recipe at the end.

Getting enough protein while consuming the correct balance of carbs and fat can be challenging for a number of reasons. Do any of the following sound like you?

1. Carb loading: Remember the widest part of the now-defunct food pyramid most of us grew up with? Think bread, rice, pasta, potatoes! I, for one, ate carb-heavy meals for years. Plus, junk food and sugar addicts beware! You are filling up with empty carb calories leaving less room for nutrients.
2. Animal mindfulness: Fish and chicken are health conscious protein sources, especially wild-caught and organic/pastured, respectively. However, eating too much saturated animal fat is risky business so beef should be eaten judiciously. For the vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians and minimal animal protein eaters among us, fueling up and filling up can mean carb-dependence.
3. Fat out of whack: While we now know that good fats are imperative for our health (think: olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds), it's easy to overdo it and throw the macros ratio out of whack. 

Recommended Macro Ranges
1. For a maintenance 2000 calorie diet, the Institute of Medicine established ranges for carbs and protein daily:

• Carbs: Between 45% and 65% of daily calories, or 225 to 325 grams of carbs
• Protein: 10% to 35% of daily calories, or 50 to 175 grams of protein
• Fat: The American Heart Association recommends limiting fat to 20-35%, keeping saturated fat at less than 10%, or 44 to 78 fat grams a day with just 22 grams of saturated fat. You can use apps like My Fitness Pal to track your macros and other nutrients if you're so inclined.​

2. Athletes, who have slightly higher carb and protein needs, should stick to the higher end of the established ranges. 
3. For weight loss, higher-protein, lower-carb diets are effective because you typically eat fewer calories this way, and your blood sugar stays lower, thus enabling fat loss. 
​
Plants to the Rescue!
So, how do you eat to feel satisfied and stay in the recommended macro range all while optimizing health? Plants offer all three macros: complex carbs, protein and healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids, not to mention phytonutrients, and vitamins and minerals! Beans, nuts and seeds have some of the highest amount of protein. Here are some examples:

Edamame or soy beans: 18 g protein per cup (Be sure to eat only organic.)
Hemp seeds: 10 g protein per 3 Tbsp – contains all essential amino acids!
Lentils: 9 g protein per ½ cup
Peas: 7.9 g protein per cup
Black beans: 7.6 g protein per ½ cup
Peanut butter: 7 g per ¼ cup
Wild rice:  6.5 g protein per 1 cup cooked
Chia seeds: 6 g protein per 2 Tbsp
Almonds: 6 g protein per ¼ cup
Walnuts: 6 g protein per ½ cup
Chickpeas:  6 g protein per ½ cup
Steel cut oats: 5 g protein in ¼ cup uncooked
Pumpkin seeds: 5 g per ¼ cup
Portobella mushrooms: 4 g per cup cooked
Beet greens: 3.70 grams per cup cooked
Spinach: 3 g protein per ½ cup
Kale: 2.47 g protein per ½ cup cooked
Avocado: 2 g protein per ½
Broccoli: 2 g protein per ½ cup

HEMP SEED TABOULI
Hemp seeds contain all of the essential amino acids, which makes it a complete source of protein just like chicken, fish or beef. Instead of typical bulgur wheat tabouli, this version is gluten-free, high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids and a rich source minerals; three tablespoons meets 50% of the RDA for magnesium and phosphorus, 25% of the RDA for zinc and 15% for iron.
 
Serves 4
Print Recipe
 
2 c hemp seeds
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped into ½” dice (or 4 Persian cucumbers chopped into ½” dice)
2 large tomatoes, chopped into 1/2” dice
3/4 c mint leaves, finely chopped
1 c parsley leaves, finely chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 T red wine vinegar
3 T olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 t salt or to taste