With Thanksgiving quickly approaching I thought this would be the perfect topic for a new blog post. Aside from the Thanksgiving holiday, this time of year always brings to mind a wonderful friend that, sadly, passed right before the holiday several years ago. Year after year my friend would take to social media each day during the month of November and post about something that she was grateful for. My friend’s life was full of challenges and a lot of heartbreak but her daily posts each November were so full of joy, happiness, and thanks. I would often notice her mood change…

Oh my GOSH, the holidays are OVER and a fresh new year is laid out before us with unlimited possibilities! I hope your holiday season was FABULOUS, full of peace and fun, and that you are ready for new beginnings! How did it go with your healthy holiday habits?? I, personally, had a little battle with some incredible cream cheese sugar cookies that I tried baking for the first time…I got a little overzealous with the baking process and ended up making about 300 cookies-for THREE people! They were…

Staying on track with our health and wellness goals can be HARD during the holidays! Busy schedules, exhausting to do lists, travel, and social events revolving around food can make it hard to stick with-or build-our healthy habits this time of year. I thought that offering a few healthier versions of some favorite holiday dishes could be helpful as we head into this incredible season…

I woke up this morning feeling and looking quite horrible. Despite getting over 7 and a half hours of sleep, I almost fell asleep in yoga class. My balance was off, my head felt achy, my stomach was a mess, my skin was puffy and blotched, and my plans to sit and write had to be put off for hours because my brain was foggy, and I couldn’t focus. Was it a cold? Was I just exhausted? Nope-I knew precisely what was wrong: Sugar hangover. I normally eat a sugar free diet and am not a big fan of sweets (my go to treat is buttered popcorn!) but on occasion, will indulge in a sweet treat. This past stormy weekend…

Without a doubt, one of the biggest health concerns I hear about from friends, family, and clients is that they are just not getting proper sleep. Either they can’t fall asleep or, once they are asleep, they cannot seem to stay asleep. I, personally, am a lifelong insomniac who knows the struggle first hand. I’ve spent years trying to find what works for me-and that fix usually only lasts a few weeks or months before I’m looking for the next solution. Many turn to over the counter sleep meds which are not to be used regularly, or to herbal remedies which can have odd side effects. There are many different things you can try to get a better night’s sleep including certain foods that can help us drift…

Super Bowl Sunday is upon us, and in my family-that means HOLIDAY! As a child this was always one of the biggest days of the year in my house as we also celebrated my football obsessed dad’s birthday on the same day. The amount of food bought and consumed was ridiculous! We usually started off the day with a huge breakfast, and about 2 hours later the table and countertops in the kitchen would be completely covered with lunchmeats, chips, cookies, various chips, potato salad, macaroni salad….

We are one month into 2022 and spring weather is hopefully right around the corner! It’s been a long, cold, dark winter here on my island in the southeast-we even had snow! I’ve stuck to my winter workout plans consistently, but I am SO ready to get back outside to bike, hike, beachcomb, kayak and paddleboard under the warm sun! I hope that your winter weather has not been too horrible, and that you’ve managed to stay active in recent months.

Sticking to those health and wellness plans…

Hello dear readers, and blessings of the New Year ahead of us! Despite my best intentions, I found the end of 2021 quite exhausting, and though I spent a wonderful holiday with my family, I felt great need to take a step back from my business duties and practice a bit of self-care. I hope the holidays treated you with joy, and you were surrounded by much love and peace.

As we head into this new year, I am feeling very aware of the emotional impact the last few years has brought us…

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and I’m going to be the first to say-I may have overdone it! It’s not that I ate too much, drank too much, or dropped out of my regular daily exercise, but I DID eat and drink some things that left me feeling less than great! I followed my own advice when sampling the foods, being social instead of food focused, drinking plenty of water, and getting out for some long walks each day, but I enjoyed some foods that don’t always agree with me, and had some…

As I stated in my last post, the average Thanksgiving Day dinner intake, according to The Calorie Control Council, is around 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat. And that doesn't include our drinks, appetizers or leftovers, or our sampling of food. That’s SO much food! (If you missed my crazy Thanksgiving food video, watch it HERE) While Thanksgiving only comes once a year, and I believe whole heartedly in enjoying everything in moderation, I thought I’d use this week’s post to provide some healthier…

The average Thanksgiving Day Dinner intake, according The Calorie Control Council, averages 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat. And that doesn't include our drinks, appetizers or leftovers, or our sampling of food. I thought we’d have some fun and see what that actually looks like!

It’s that time of the year again! In keeping with my current holiday theme, I’d like to address some of the habits that seem to fall by the wayside for many of us each year during this time. For many, it’s the comfort food, sedentary behavior, extended darkness, and cold weather that tend to affect our health goals just as much as parties and social events. My goal, as a health coach, is to make people aware of the habits and hidden traps that can lead people into the land of temptation…

As the holidays approach each year, I find myself watching friends and family post their pics of big meals, decorations, and crafts, as well as several posts about being stressed. It seems we all love to go BIG on the holidays, but it’s also an incredibly stressful time for most. Hosting family, baking cookies, shopping, and social events fill our schedule quickly, but the aftermath of all that activity and fun is often exhaustion. I’m no stranger to going BIG on holidays…

And just like that…What seemed more like an endless 2020 than a new 2021 is suddenly drawing to a close. I personally have no idea where the last 11 months went; They seriously flew right on by in a blur. But now, with Halloween happening this weekend, we are headed into the frenzy of holidays bringing us to the end of another year. With that comes the endless amount of busy schedules, family occasions, parties, and food. It can be a tough time for anyone that tries to eat well, exercise, and stay with a wellness routine…

Trying to stick to a healthy lifestyle when traveling can present many challenges. Hours spent sitting in the car, or on a plane, crazy schedules, staying in hotels, and finding lots of local treats when arriving at your destination can wreak havoc on every aspect of your wellness plan. It doesn’t have to be difficult though! Some careful planning and scheduling can remove most of these issues rather easily, and make your travels healthy, and even more enjoyable.

In the spring of 2018, to celebrate the homeschool graduation of my youngest child, and a huge farewell to 22 years of the home education of four children, I planned what I called “The Ultimate Fieldtrip”….

For many, life is beginning to look a bit more “normal” after too many months of 2020, and that may mean more dining out with family and friends. One of the biggest questions I hear from my friends and clients these days is how to navigate a fun meal out without overdoing it or falling completely off of their health goals. As we move into cooler months, with less cookouts and BBQ’s, and more opportunities to dine out, I thought this might be a great topic to address.

Who doesn’t love dining out? Having someone wait on you…

Everyone has seen all those pretty Pinterest and Instagram posts with the little containers of perfectly prepped and planned meals. This leads to the question-How can I possible do this with a family to feed??

It’s not as hard as it seems! With a few little tips, a clear grocery list, some input from your family, and an afternoon of cooking, you can have a week’s worth of healthy meals that will not only save time, but keep everyone’s bellies full-while sticking to a healthy food plan-and perhaps even saving some money and frustration at the same time…

For many of us, the hot weather of summer is here! Summer can be such a fun time, with so many outdoor activities, and lots of fabulous foods at parties, cookouts, and picnics. It can be super easy to find yourself straying from the healthy eating habits we may have built in recent months, or even the habits we may still be trying to build. There are lots of ways to enjoy the summer fun while still sticking to your healthy eating plans though! I wanted to pass along a few quick ideas to get you thinking…

It’s December 1st, and Thanksgiving is over, but the biggest holidays of the year are heading quickly into sight! On average, many American adults gain anywhere from 5 to 20 pounds in the weeks between Halloween and New Years.  Although this crazy year of 2020 has changed the way we generally celebrate this season, food, sedentary behavior, extended darkness, and cold weather tend to affect our health goals just as much as parties and social events. My goal, as a health coach, is to make people aware of the habits and hidden traps that can lead people into the land of temptation and help them create tactics and plans to avoid those added pounds…