We all want to be healthy. We want to eat healthy, feel healthy, and have healthy relationships. There is no lack of articles on how to be healthy. In fact, one could argue there are too many articles telling us the “secret” to feeling good. You’ll read the generic stuff about eating whole foods, getting… [Read More]
How to have better skin, lose weight, and feel more energetic
Here’s a hint: It makes up 60% of your bodyweight. And you need to keep replenishing it! It’s no secret that you MUST drink a fair amount of water every day. Since you also lose large amounts of water every day through urination, bowel movements, perspiration, skin evaporation, and breathing, you need to replenish what’s… [Read More]
Dispelling myths about calories
Do you know the science behind calories and how to use that to help you achieve your goals? I’m sure you hear people talk all the time about “counting calories” or “watching their calories”. But what are calories, and if you’re trying to lose weight, what do you need to know about them? If you… [Read More]
Ha ha ha ha ha
When was the last time you were with some friends and someone told a joke that caused you to snort your drink through your nose? When did you last laugh so hard your stomach hurt, and you couldn’t stop laughing, and you waved your hand soundlessly at your friend – who was also doubled over… [Read More]
When counting sheep doesn’t work
Maybe you’ve been up late, burning the midnight oil, trying to finish that last proposal… or client project… or email… Maybe the next day you found yourself nodding off while at your kid’s soccer game… or in a meeting… or while watching a movie… or most dangerously, while driving your car… Maybe this isn’t an… [Read More]
It’s the little things that count
I remember learning a new language when I was in school. I remember being completely overwhelmed on that first day of French class. I couldn’t believe I was expected to listen to, comprehend, and respond in another language. That seemed like a tall order considering I knew exactly one French word at the time: bonjour…. [Read More]
It’s pretty sneaky. Here’s how to protect yourself
I want to tell you a riddle today, about DHMO. It causes death if you accidentally inhale it, even in small quantities. Prolonged exposure to solid DHMO causes severe tissue damage. It’s a major component of acid rain. In a gas form, it can cause severe burns. It contributes to soil erosion… It’s sometimes called… [Read More]
Meal Planning Made Easy – For The Busy Person
Meal planning made easy – for the busy person Let’s make eating well – for you and your family – as easy as possible. Simplify, simplify… You probably already know the best things to do in order to make eating right as easy as possible: Shop on the edges of the grocery store, where all… [Read More]
The Ugly Truth About Health and Fitness
The ugly truth about health and fitness Feeling guilty about “sneaking” some “forbidden” foods… Exercising as a way to “make up for” all those calories you ate (or as punishment)… Binge eating because “I’ve already messed up so much today, what’s a little more?”… This is what happens when you look at food not as… [Read More]
Inflammation
You don’t even know this is happening… Sometimes things don’t turn out the way they’re supposed to. Sometimes you show forget the eggs at the grocery store. Sometimes the FedEx package arrives a day later than it should have. Sometimes you eat “healthy” and still gain weight. And sometimes your body does what it thinks… [Read More]
Do You Do This?
You’ve heard of siblings like this, right? Three brothers, all within about 6 years of each other. Everything is a competition. Even eating. Whoever gets the food onto their plate first gets to eat it, but it had better be gone fast or it could get stolen. If the serving dish on the table only… [Read More]
“What in the world will we eat for dinner tonight??”
How often have you picked up the kids in the evening and let them talk you into the local drive-through, because it was easier than going home and trying to figure out what to serve for dinner? If this ever happens to you, even occasionally, you are not alone! We live in what seem to… [Read More]
How to create “more” time by finding “lost” time
The last blog post I encouraged you to look in the rearview mirror before planning goals for your new year. Did you have a chance to do that? If not, take another look at that message, because looking at LAST year is a critical first step to achieving your goals for NEXT year. And based… [Read More]
Why looking in the rear view mirror is the best way to go forward
Are you feeling inundated with offers to “create your best year yet”, or “goal-setting for 2018!” or any other way of saying the same thing? I know my email inbox is full of subject lines like that. And I’m not knocking forward thinking or planning. Not by any means. There are a lot of different… [Read More]
December Fitness Survival Guide
I remember surviving December last year. The kids’ teachers had just about given up trying to teach anything constructive before vacation. The dog got into a whole batch of cookie dough (presumably left high enough on the counter to be out of reach) and needed to be rushed to the vet. The relatives who were… [Read More]
A Goal-Setting Strategy Unlike Any You’ve Heard of Before
What if I told you that “positive thinking” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be? Well it turns out that once you think positively, your brain believes the goal is already achieved, and it saps your energy to accomplish that goal. NYU and University of Hamburg professor, Gabriele Oettingen, is the author of… [Read More]
Here’s Why Any ‘Ol Diet Just Won’t Do
Hi again ☺ Not too long ago we revisited high school chem class and learned about acidic and alkaline blood? To recap: your blood MUST have a slightly alkaline pH in order to be balanced, and if it’s off, other body systems will sacrifice themselves – by donating essential nutrients – in order… [Read More]
Why I Drag My Sorry But Out of Bed
Why I drag my sorry butt out of bed at 5 am The alarm clock comes on and at first I pretend I don’t notice. I think that maybe, if I shut my eyes a little more tightly, it won’t really be true… But then my mind begins to wake up, I start remembering the… [Read More]
“Appreciate Me”
One of my friends was telling me a story about her 4-year old daughter. They were at a store and my friend was looking through the racks of clothes when her daughter kept calling her name. “Mommy… mommy… mommy…” My friend casually said “yeah?” but kept looking through the racks. So her daughter, clearly annoyed… [Read More]
Delicious Slow Cooker Recipe
Some days I know I will have very little time to come home and prepare a healthy meal for everyone. I’ve also noticed that those days are the hardest to stick with my meal plan. Stopping at McDonalds seems so much easier. But we don’t do that, right? J Here is one of my favorite… [Read More]
An African Proverb Holds the Answer to Weight Loss
An African Proverb Holds the Answer to Weight Loss There is an African proverb that says… “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” The journey of getting healthy follows this quote beautifully. I know a lot of people who have decided to start a diet and… [Read More]
Fake VS Effective
Fake VS Effective I often cringe when I walk by fitness or health magazines these days. It doesn’t matter if I am in a bookstore, the grocery store, or simply scrolling through Facebook… I just can’t seem to get away from the splashy headlines. “Lose 20 pounds in 7 days!” “Eat tree bark and pine… [Read More]
The Story of 2 Monks
The Story of 2 Monks You may wonder why I’m telling you a story of 2 monks. After all, monks aren’t what you think of when you think of weight loss, nutrition, or working out. But I promise that it will give you something to think about. A senior monk and a junior monk were… [Read More]
Your Pre-Flight Safety Checklist – for Weight Loss?
Your Pre-Flight Safety Checklist – for Weight Loss? Imagine you’re about to head out on a much anticipated trip. You created an itinerary, planned excursions, scoured reviews of local places to eat, triple-checked your luggage, and made sure you hired a dogsitter. You get to the airport, albeit a bit frazzled, but you’re here. You’re… [Read More]
Should You Read Fitness Magazines?
Should You Read Fitness Magazines? Earlier this week a client and I had a conversation about all the misinformation in the health and fitness industry. She told me that in her old life, meaning before she was a member of , she would read magazines and try to piece together a diet or a workout… [Read More]
The Night I Couldn’t Get You Off My Mind
The Night I Couldn’t Get You Off My Mind I usually write these articles during the day. I try to build it into my workday so that I can keep “work at work”. But this article is different. I’m sitting on my couch and it’s 9:26pm. This last week has been pretty busy. It was… [Read More]
Let’s Be Geese
Let’s Be Geese Last week’s article about a bucket of crabs was a big hit! Click here if you want to read it again. Thank you to everyone that reached out to me and gave me feedback. PS – I love getting feedback on everything I do. Emails, classes, the facility… all of it. So… [Read More]
Are You in a Bucket of Crabs?
Are You in a Bucket of Crabs? You may have heard the story of a bucket of crabs before. If not, you’re in for a treat as this story is one that I think about often – not just when it comes to working out and eating healthy. I think of it when it comes… [Read More]
Write Your Novel
Write Your Novel I’ve been giving a lot of thought to life and its meaning recently. Specifically the phases we go through and how each stage presents us with different challenges – and gifts. For example, if you’re reading this then you’ve gone through quite a few stages yourself. You’ve experienced life as an infant,… [Read More]
All-Time Favorite Quotes
My 10 All-Time Favorite Quotes There’s something about quotes that get me. I love the power they have to deliver a lesson or give me something to think about in such a short and to-the-point manner. And it seems I’m not the only one who loves them. I can open any of my social media… [Read More]
A Little Change Is All You Need
A Little Change Is All You Need References: http://ElMag.com/cauliflowercrust When I first started learning about being healthy I was, admittedly, a bit overwhelmed. It seemed as if there was a “bad” way of doing things and a “good” way. If you just go to the local bookstore you’ll see shelves upon shelves of weight loss… [Read More]
“A great stress reliever for me after a long day of work.”
I started coming to AFC’s Group Training because I wanted to start focusing on strength training the right way. Friends and co-workers have talked about how much they enjoyed this class and I wanted to try it. I can tell that I have more strength-endurance than I had before. When I started weight training myself… [Read More]
Can Hope Help You Lose Weight?
There are lots of hard-lined health and fitness experts out there that believe nothing is needed to lose weight other than restricting calories and being more active. I definitely believe they are 2 major components of weight loss as well. But I’ve been around long enough to know that there are also hidden factors that… [Read More]