How to Get Your Groove back and NEVER Worry About Your Weight Again!

I love it when people reach out to me for help! This is what I get excited about—helping someone change their health and their life! As you can imagine, the beginning of a new year is always busy with emails and messages from new potential clients who have once again come to a place of utter exhaustion and despair with the state of their health. Their adrenals are shot, and their brain is on overload. What is even more tiring is that they’ve tried everything else and done their best—and its only gotten worse.

“You don’t know why you’re exhausted? You’re fighting a war inside your head every single day. If that’s not exhausting, I don’t know what is!”

— Carol

I get it, I know the feeling. It reminds me of where I was about 39 years ago—at the end of my rope and reaching out for help. I just couldn’t do what I was doing anymore, I couldn’t abuse by body any longer with over-exercising and a full-blown eating disorder so I could be “skinny”. I could feel my body collapsing, I was sick all the time—not enough nutrients to keep my immune system strong and the emotional and mental stress of trying to be “perfect” just compromised my health more. Add onto that expecting my body to push through 2-hour workouts 4x a week because that’s what I thought healthy, beautiful, successful skinny women did—and that’s exactly when all the forces for my good came together to usher in a Tsunami of Dis-ease that slammed me into paying attention.

With the help of some very beautiful souls, I finally realized what I had missed a long the way—until I learned to love my self exactly where I was and valued not only my body—but my life—I wasn’t going to thrive, and I might not even survive. Until I gained the understanding that life wasn’t about comparing myself to others or worrying about they thought about me—and it sure wasn’t about ‘perfectionism” which ofcourse doesn’t exist—I wouldn’t ever find my personal “best”, my unique presence in the world.. Until I learned how to not be afraid to eat, but to love food for the good that it brought to my body, soul and spirit, I would never find the most loving weight and life-space for my body to fill.

In our US media culture, competition is rewarded, comparison encouraged, and self-punishment valued —and even more so when it comes to fitness and how to eat which also includes a heavy dose of deprivation. So we tell ourselves that getting fit has to hurt and it needs to be exhausting, that we have to deprive ourselves of food—especially yummy food—to lose weight, and we need to be constantly consumed with the number on the weight scale and the size of our thighs in comparison to the other person next to us at the gym. Because of these untruths that we tell ourselves—and then believe—confusion clouds out all rational self-preserving thoughts and reasonable knowledge so we find ourselves latching on to the latest “diet” or workout routine or supplement—and not for our good; all for the bottom line of the person or company that’s taking advantage of our weariness and insecurities..

“Please, is there any quick-fix out there that can help me to not be true to myself or the process of real authentic change and restoration?”

— Carol

The truth is this: You are more than your weight in the world. You are worth more than all the calories and time and energy you spend or don’t spend. You are more valuable than the most delicious chocolate cake you try your hardest to avoid or the bucket of broccoli you devour. You are more beautiful than the smallest pair of jeans and in your closet and much wiser than the biggest. You are so much more than your failures or successes—neither defines you, but they both inform you and want to see you prosper and become whole.

Once you believe that, once you tell yourself that several times a day till you don’t have to anymore, once you tell that shuckster to go find another sucker and the b**** in your head to “shut up!”—Then that’s when you’ll be on the road to never worrying about your weight again.

Need some help of your own? Sick of this merry-go-round of misery you’ve been on for years? Are you ready to learn to treasure food for the good that it brings to all of you—and find the most loving weight and life-space for your body to fill? Ready to LiveLoveEat  and feel your very best? Then contact me, I’d love to connect with you!

My new LiveLoveEat! 5-week workshop starts February 9th! Check it out here and contact me for more info! Space is limited and I would love to have you experience more healthy freedom in your life!

Be Well! Carol

Your Weight in the World is Not a Number

"Your weight is NOT your worth".
I can't count the times that I've spoke these words to a client, and this week it was part of a conversation about why they hadn't lost the weight they expected to. In fact, not much at all....

They're doing everything they can, they've hired me, they've changed a few eating habits and they're drinking more water, and yet, BUT--the weight on the scale is not what they were expecting it to be...and it's COVID ..or Menopause…and their blood pressure is way up and they're anxious and fearful and other people are also expecting this to happen--that's why they hired me as they're trainer!.

I'll admit it's a little un-nerving to hear, although I learned as a child to help myself calm down because it was always so nuts around my house. And growing up in a family of HUGE expectations without a lot of emotional and verbal support, I also thought my weight was my worth. Also my grades..looks..talents..awards..job..etc.

And I bought it hook, line and sinker.
So as a older teen and young woman, I watched that weight scale like a hawk--With a narrowed eye and very little self-love or care. When it wasn't meeting my expectations, a little obsessive exercise and bulemia got thrown in to the trauma mix. I was a mess.

I had to go on a journey of self-acceptance, inner and outer healing to come to a place where I could begin to be my true self and to try to help others--more than 2 decades later. In hindsight, I see so clearly how that time in my life prepared me to do what I do today to help others and I am so grateful!

You see, I know that fear in my client's voice.... because that was the voice in my head, I know the feeling of "not doing enough" because that's what I thought too...the crushing disappointment because ITS NOT WORKING... I know the feeling of not having control over some or any part of my life and how anxious and sick that can make someone. I know what its like to feel like a failure and insignificant and unworthy and IT"LL NEVER WORK. And that ever-present "SO WHAT DO I DO NOW??"

It SUCKS.

But IS IT TRUE?
Or is it just the story we tell ourselves?
What if IT ISN'T TRUE?
How would that feel? What if the OPPOSITE of all those negative things we tell ourselves is true? How would that make our lives different--our actions and reactions? Towards ourselves and others? How would that change the day, week, year, or a lifetime?

You see, the stories we tell ourselves are EVERYTHING.
We know thru research on the mind and emotions that what we tell ourselves, how we view ourselves and the world around us, affects our physical bodies and is reflected in daily habits, physical actions and words. And not only our physical responses but also our metabolism, our immune systems, our organs, digestion, hormones, blood sugar response, our sleep patterns, blood sugar levels...

We are integrated beings, and everything affects everything.

We know that to carry a fear-based story thru life is the quickest way to cut our lives short. And not just chronologically, but emotionally and mentally in our capacity to learn and grow as a person, to be focused and intentional in how we live, to persevere and create healthy relationships and beneficial changes in us and thru us. .

You see these "stories" can break our bodies down and inflame them, and create chemical/hormonal scenarios that prevent us from getting physically stronger, and actually finding our best weight,. They can make us physically ill, sometimes with chronic disease. They can prevent us from taking time to practice self-care because we are so pre-occupied in working (or worrying) for that outcome we're really counting on--and within our time frame--that nothing else feels like it's worth our time. And the constant stress-shame cycle continues.

And so the "outcome" just gets further and further away and we continue to feel like a failure.

So we have to change the Script. The Battle for your best life is truly fought in your mind.

Without taking time to construct a healthy balance between work and activity, peace and rest, the fun and the mundane, we're like a passenger on a train barreling down the track, eyes pinched shut and only waiting for the brakes that tell us we've arrived. Not noticing the lovely countryside, the people around us, the feel of the breeze coming thru the window, the lunch on board, the complimentary drinks. Forgetting the nap we really should take to feel rested for when we arrive, the book we've been so wanting to read, the card we've been meaning to write to a friend, and just the peace of having no thoughts in our head, only sensing, observing, breathing and being.

I try to prepare my training clients who want to lose weight:
Everyone does not lose weight at the same rate, for some it takes a short time--a few weeks or months to reach their goal. For others, it may take a much longer time. It is complicated, not simple. And it's what a client does in other parts of their lives when I'm not with them that will also dictate their outcomes.

Everyone is unique, so their chemical and physical responses to exercise are unique, Age is a factor, health and lifestyle history is a factor, sleep quality, medications, eating and drinking habits, normal daily activity and work, injuries, how they handle stress, muscle imbalances and structural alignment. Some clients come to me and they're ready to work hard because they're in a pretty good physical, emotional and mental place. Some are not, so we take more baby steps and establish the fundamentals--Core strength, balance and alignment issues. We have to teach the body to move in a certain way. We work on mindfulness, awareness of breath, body intuition. Inside-out training.

And we have to work on changing the Story..

What if we look at this thru a different lens?

What if Personal Trainers aren't looked at as "weight loss experts"--but as part of a master plan to assist every part of our lives become better and more aligned with our desires to live a truly healthy life--strong, flexible, resilient--and as a side bonus we can lose the extra weight along the way? What if we look at personal transformation and self-care as a long game, a marathon and not a sprint. A lifelong journey to health and wholeness instead of a short term goal of fitting in a certain size dress?

I know this goes against everything culture and media has trained us to feel and think and do and purchase. I know because at one time I bought into it too. But its just the Truth.

Embrace it. and Live your Best Life!
xoxo! Carol

Take a Chance on Love!

It’s Tough out Here.

As we come into this holiday season that looks quite a bit different this year, I know many of us are sad, some are broken-hearted, we’re anxious and all of us are being stretched past our comfort zone. Worry for family members and friends that are being affected by world events, political division, fractured family relationships, financial difficulty and housing instability are all just adding to the load we normally carry. If you’re like me, you’re worried about your adult kids too! (you never cease being a parent)

You never know what someone else is going thru, but if it's like most Americans right now it's not easy street by any means. And yes, we are coming into an election year where American citizens are still arguing about what the truth is. This is a very sobering time, yet maybe it can help us redefine what is important to us individually and collectively— and how we can learn to be authentic, empathetic and kind in this moment and continuing ahead.

If today finds you fearful and anxious, let someone know. If someone asks you "how are you doing?", take a chance and be honest with them. Just speaking about what's going on can help us de-compress and feel less burdened, and you never know what may happen when you just speak the truth. And let’s all be ready to really listen and to do something for someone else in whatever way we can—it could just be a smile, maybe a hug—to intentionally look for those opportunities everyday. Many people around us in stores and on the street feel invisible and disconnected, and we can honor them with direct eye contact and a greeting, helping them feel seen and appreciated. Maybe buy coffee for the person behind you in line, go ahead and give some spare money to that person on the street (honestly, who cares what they’re going to do with your 2 or 3 bucks?)—and be sure to look into their eyes and ask how they are doing. We can all thank our cashier or grocery stocker or any service worker for being there for us, we can drop off flowers or a meal for a shut-in on our street, and how about taking time to talk to the young person who knocks on our door to raise money for their cause?

Living a healthy life is not just about what you do for yourself--eating healthy real food, getting regular exercise, practicing self-care and all the areas I help my health coaching and personal training clients refine--its how you treat the people that cross your path everyday. (and the creatures!) When we take the time to notice, to reach out with kindness and care to someone else, we are being kind and caring to ourselves. It is a daily reminder that we are all in this together, we need to depend on each other—and political, social or racial divisions don't matter when people are hurting and just need to be seen and heard. We may not agree with them on every subject, our backgrounds may be completely different, and we may be fearful of the “other”, but this is how we begin to heal and unify this country right now and expand healthy outcomes for everyone---reach out today to someone in need of love. Fear divides, love unites.

xoxo! Carol

**Today is Small Business Saturday, and that’s me too! So I’m offering a Holiday special—get a free Initial Health Assessment, normally $100, when you buy a package of 10 Personal Training sessions! And if you purchase a 90 Day Energy Recharge or 6 month Wellness and Nutrition Coaching package, the Initial Health Assessment is also free! The Health Assessment takes a comprehensive look at past and present health history, lifestyle factors as well as analyzing a 3-day food and drink log.  Based on this input, and your stated health goals, I’ll recommend the needed steps to help you achieve your goals and start feeling amazing! This would make a Fabulous gift—for YOU or Someone Else you Love! Contact me!-I’ll even wrap and mail or deliver a Gift Certificate (if you’re in Nashville)

Your Weight is Not Your Worth!

"Your weight is NOT your worth".
I can't count the times that I've spoke these words to a client, and this week it was part of a conversation about why they hadn't lost the weight they expected to. In fact, not much at all....

They're doing everything they can, they've hired me, they've changed a few eating habits and they're drinking more water, and yet, BUT--the weight on the scale is not what they were expecting it to be...and it's COVID ..and their blood pressure is way up and they're anxious and fearful and other people are also expecting this to happen--that's why they hired me as they're trainer!.

I'll admit it's a little un-nerving to hear, although I learned as a child to help myself calm down because it was always so nuts around my house. And growing up in a family of HUGE expectations without a lot of emotional and verbal support, I also thought my weight was my worth. Also my grades..looks..talents..awards..job..etc. And I bought it hook, line and sinker.

So as a older teen and young woman, I watched that weight scale like a hawk--With a narrowed eye and very little self-love or care. When it wasn't meeting my expectations, a little obsessive exercise and bulemia got thrown in to the trauma mix. I was a mess.

I had to go on a journey of self-acceptance, inner and outer healing to come to a place where I could begin to be my true self and to try to help others--more than 3 decades ago. I see so clearly how that time in my life prepared me to do what I do today to help others and I am so grateful!

You see, I know that fear in my client's voice.... because that was the voice in my head, I know the feeling of "not doing enough" because that's what I thought too...the crushing disappointment because ITS NOT WORKING... I know the feeling of not having control over some or any part of my life and how anxious and sick that can make someone. I know what its like to feel like a failure and insignificant and unworthy and IT"LL NEVER WORK. And that ever-present "SO WHAT DO I DO NOW??"

It SUCKS.

But IS IT TRUE?
Or is it just the story we tell ourselves?
What if IT ISN'T TRUE?
How would that feel? What if the OPPOSITE of all those negative things we tell ourselves is true? How would that make our lives different--our actions and reactions? Towards ourselves and others? How would that change the day, week, year, or a lifetime?

You see, the stories we tell ourselves are EVERYTHING.
We know thru research on the mind and emotions that what we tell ourselves, how we view ourselves and the world around us, affects our physical bodies and is reflected in daily habits, physical actions and words. And not only our physical responses but also our metabolism, our immune systems, our organs, digestion, hormones, blood sugar response, our sleep patterns, blood sugar levels...

We are integrated beings, and everything affects everything.

We know that to carry a fear-based story thru life is the quickest way to cut our lives short. And not just chronologically, but emotionally and mentally in our capacity to learn and grow as a person, to be focused and intentional in how we live, to persevere and create healthy relationships and beneficial changes in us and thru us. .

You see these "stories" can break our bodies down and inflame them, and create chemical/hormonal scenarios that prevent us from getting physically stronger, and actually finding our best weight,. They can make us physically ill, sometimes with chronic disease. They can prevent us from taking time to practice self-care because we are so pre-occupied in working (or worrying) for that outcome we're really counting on--and within our time frame--that nothing else feels like it's worth our time. And the constant stress-shame cycle continues.

And so the "outcome" just gets further and further away and we continue to feel like a failure.

So we have to change the Script. The Battle for your best life is truly fought in your mind.

Without taking time to construct a healthy balance between work and activity, peace and rest, the fun and the mundane, we're like a passenger on a train barreling down the track, eyes pinched shut and only waiting for the brakes that tell us we've arrived. Not noticing the lovely countryside, the people around us, the feel of the breeze coming thru the window, the lunch on board, the complimentary drinks. Forgetting the nap we really should take to feel rested for when we arrive, the book we've been so wanting to read, the card we've been meaning to write to a friend, and just the peace of having no thoughts in our head, only sensing, observing, breathing and being.

I try to prepare my training clients who want to lose weight:
Everyone does not lose weight at the same rate, for some it takes a short time--a few weeks or months to reach their goal. For others, it may take a much longer time. It is complicated, not simple. And it's what a client does in other parts of their lives when I'm not with them that will also dictate their outcomes.

Everyone is unique, so their chemical and physical responses to exercise are unique, Age is a factor, health and lifestyle history is a factor, sleep quality, medications, eating and drinking habits, normal daily activity and work, injuries, how they handle stress, muscle imbalances and structural alignment. Some clients come to me and they're ready to work hard because they're in a pretty good physical, emotional and mental place. Some are not, so we take more baby steps and establish the fundamentals--Core strength, balance and alignment issues. We have to teach the body to move in a certain way. We work on mindfulness, awareness of breath, body intuition. Inside-out training.

And we have to work on changing the Story..

What if we look at this thru a different lens?

What if Personal Trainers aren't looked at as "weight loss experts"--but as part of a master plan to assist every part of our lives become better and more aligned with our desires to live a truly healthy life--strong, flexible, resilient--and as a side bonus we can lose the extra weight along the way? What if we look at personal transformation and self-care as a long game, a marathon and not a sprint. A lifelong journey to health and wholeness instead of a short term goal of fitting in a certain size dress?

I know this goes against everything culture and media has trained us to feel and think and do and purchase. I know because at one time I bought into it too. But its just the Truth.

Embrace it. and Live your Best Life!
xoxo! Carol

Combining Personal Training with Integrated Wellness and Nutrition Coaching is a great way to support your journey and to speed up results because it's completely comprehensive. I help you create healthy lifestyle habits for a lifetime so you can rock your life like a Boss!

So maybe you want a plan that doesn't include personal training but everything else--I would love to be your Integrated Wellness and Nutrition Coach and help you become your very best YOU!

Or join me for a 5-week Integrated workshop starting the week of April 15th--my Detox Divas! Get rid of addiction to sugar and caffeine and learn how to eat intuitively for your energy needs-- Find out more info about that here and contact me with any questions!

Moving in the New Normal

I know it’s a weird time. Our daily/weekly schedules and rituals of the past seem so far away, and I can’t believe we’ve been on this totally different planet for almost a year now! We’ve all had to adjust to a new normal we never could have imagined and we’re doing our best.—I’m really proud of all of us! As I talk to my friends and health coaching clients, I hear about their struggles to fit exercise in now—mentally and physically. There’s the fear of infection at the gym, there’s the anxiety of financial insecurity, and the resulting bouts of insomnia. Hard to feel like exercising when you’re sleep deprived, you know? I do. So we talk thru our fears—talking really helps and having someone listening is the best! We breathe in and out deeply and renew our commitment to maintaining the peace in our minds, hearts and homes. And to EXERCISE…

Moving our bodies releases those lovely endorphins that help lift our spirits and calm our minds, as well as increases metabolic activity, improves digestion, regulates weight, boosts our immune system, strengthens muscles, keeps joints moving, etc.

It’s pretty much the best thing we can do anytime, but especially in the time of covid shutdown.

So what is the one big movement activity just about everyone can do for their health, fitness and sanity regardless of how much you can afford to spend or how much time you can spare?

Walk. Just walk. Putting one foot in front of the other is also potent medicine that enhances thinking, sharpens memory and safeguards brain health. So why not? Its a Win-Win! A few months ago after Covid lockdown, I started walking on a main boulevard near me at a quick pace for about 30 mins 3x per week to get my cardio time in, usually late in the afternoon and absolutely love it!

We even have research on the positive effects of walking to back up our resolve!

**Research on college students found that just 12 minutes of walking resulted in an increase in joy, attentiveness and self-confidence versus the same time spent just sitting.

**Walking increases creativity and inspiration, especially when you’re trying to solve a problem. A Stanford study found this effect while and shortly after walking anywhere between five and 16 minutes.

**Studies on older adults showed that walking creates more neuron activity and more effective communication between neurons and brain networks. This is super important as we age!

**If you want to sharpen your memory recall, lace up and get out there! A German study found that performance on challenging working memory tasks improved for participants allowed to walk at their own steady pace

**Walking yields the right "rhythm" for thinking. That's right! The steady pace of intentional locomotion is just what the doctor ordered for effective "thinking time".

**Walking is a powerful way to get outside into fresh air and combined with intentional deep breathing helps clear our minds and lower stress levels in the body. I love having this time to look around and pay attention to beautiful plants, flowers, trees, the birds—and really notice the sounds and gorgeous colors of nature!

Walking is soooo good for you! I hope you'll add this into your weekly routine. And don’t forget to layer up and hydrate!

xoxo! Carol

P.S. Love to hear from you! What have been your “exercise” challenges over the last year? How have you coped?

Embracing the Suck of New!

This is definitely a time like no other we’ve seen in our lifetimes.  I’ve felt gob-smacked, I don’t know about you.  It’s understandable and expected that people will experience fear, anxiety and loneliness, and I am dealing with some of that myself.  But can all agree that the more time we spend feeling afraid and anxious, the more those emotions take over and leave us feeling paralyzed?   It’s also very easy to feel powerless when we are listening and/or watching the news 24/7 which seems to be only reporting the coronavirus and it’s effects.  While it’s good to stay informed, it doesn’t serve us to always be hooked in.  
I think today is a good time to take back our power in this situation!

Feeling powerful right now is seeing the good in what is happening. As Brene Brown would say “Embrace the suck of new”.  The changes we’re experiencing right now can be the Beginning of something, not the Enduring of something.  Part of embracing this new reality is seeing how connected we all are, that however independent we felt we were before, it’s becoming very clear that we are interdependent in so many more ways than we ever imagined.  Your livelihood depends on mine, your health depends on my health—and visa versa!  We can use our personal power to choose new ways to take care of our neighbor and to care for ourselves.  In this time of social distancing and staying at home, being careful when caring for others and paring down our normal daily activities and stressors, we can begin to open up “margin”—open space--in our own daily lives.  This actually makes us more resilient in time of stress, and gives us time to learn new things—that also includes new ways of strengthening our immune system and improving our health. We don’t have to feel like we’re killing time waiting for things to change or symptoms to develop.  We can be pro-active!  

There are many things we’ve all been prone to take for granted –going to the gym and working out, going out to eat at a restaurant with a group of friends, being able to shop whenever we want to or running out to a movie, taking a weekend trip to the beach.  Or thinking that things will always stay the same and that we don’t need to even think about contingency plans for hardships, disasters, sadness and grief.  Our grandparents and great-grandparents knew they had to plan ahead because they had been thru some pretty tough times before--they always had extra food stored up, cash on hand and money in savings.  To them, change was just a part of life, not something to be avoided but to always be prepared for.

Our fear comes from not only the virus itself, but losing what we are accustomed to and depend on for physical and emotional support.  I admit that I am a creature of comfort; I don’t like change and I’ve never found it to be exciting as some do.  And right now its easy to feel like we’re free-falling without a parachute—Oh no! what is going to happen? Where will we land?  But we have no other choice but to HOLD ON and embrace the “suck”—we may land in an unknown place far away from our comfort zone, but resisting the change in scenery actually makes it much harder than it needs to be, and will lower our ability to not only survive, but thrive.  It’s time to trust that everything will “fall” into place-- and just hang in there!

Although I am scared, I’m also hopeful of new beginnings!   Have you noticed that pollution has gotten a LOT better?…people are getting outside more to move their bodies which is always a plus, we’re starting to reach out to friends and neighbors that we haven’t talked to in years, and we’re helping strangers that need a hand-up: food, shelter, even just a kind word that says “I see you, you’re important to me.”  We’re thanking people that are still serving us every day, realizing how important they are to our lives.  If we didn’t before, we have time now to work on relationships with people we live with instead of unhealthy ones with the outside world. We’re beginning to be more grateful just to hear a bird sing, the flowers bloom, and the beautiful sounds of QUIET…Nature is reminding us of the simplicity of all things, the constant renewal of life, the beauty that always surrounds us—even when we were too busy to see it before.  When I take my pups out for walks, I’ve been especially touched lately by the presence and fullness of life that stirs my soul!  I am so much more present to all he colors around me, the feel of the wind against my skin, the smell of grass and blooms and even the majesty of trees.

I want to share with you the things I think are essential to be doing right now to either keep you and your family healthy, or to make the shift into a healthier lifestyle.  This has been a much-needed wake up call for  many to change their lifestyles to create the life they really want to live! 

Let’s start with the basics:
 (These recommendations in no way contradict our health advisory instructions regarding hygiene, social distancing, self-isolation, etc)
 
Limit (or eliminate) alcohol and any foods containing sugar. These have been shown in numerous studies to deplete immune protection. 
 
Stop it with the smoking and the vaping!  Just stop. Enough said
 
Get outside!  Soak up the sun whenever you can. Tune in to the beauty and sounds of nature right now and feel enormous gratitude that seasons always change and where we are right now in this moment of crisis will pass too.  
 
Pray and Meditate.  Pick a scripture, a poem, a quote, a daily devotional reading.  Remind yourself that it is not only ok, but required for humans to take the time to slow down, be still and listen instead of speaking.

Eat clean food as free of preservatives and additives as you can afford.   Aim for 2 servings of fruits and 8 or more servings of vegetables!  A serving is half a cup. Make it colorful! Eat lots of Greens!  Include pickled foods! Add garlic, onions, ginger, and lots of spices (oregano, turmeric, rosemary) to your meals! Add these to your soups and vegetable dishes, as well as bean dips and sauces. Garlic, ginger and onions offer wide spectrum antimicrobial properties. Cooking with medicinal mushrooms like shiitake is also helpful.  

Eat fermented foods to support your microbiome and immunity. Eat sauerkraut, kimchi, natto, miso, tempeh, unsweetened yogurt, kefir.
 
Drink filtered water, a LOT, and not from plastic bottles!  (i.e.contaminents in the plastic and increasing our already burgeoning  environmental plastic pollution) Keep a bottle of filtered water with you at all times.  If you can’t drink filtered water, JUST DRINK WATER. Drink herbal teas like ginger and turmeric tea.
 
Keep physically active, Move that body!. Map out time daily—to take a walk, take a hike, do some body core and weight exercise, practice yoga and stretching at home. I set up my gym space on the screened in back porch last week, and I’m loving it!  Get creative about equipment. (you also don’t need much at all and you can use ordinary items around the house!) And don’t forget that you can dance as crazy as you want in the space of your home without being seen (if you’re worried about that J) and it is not only perfectly ok, but I totally recommend it for a great cardio workout—so fun!   And it’s also a great time to foster or adopt a dog that you need to walk--Win-Win!
 
Get a good 7-8 hours of sleep—you certainly can’t say you’re too busy to sleep right now… Sleep is a crucial part of human design, where restoration, recovery, healing and repair occur.  Especially important for the health of the brain. You can’t afford to be at odds with your body’s required needs, and especially now when you’re trying to stay healthy as possible.
 
Take 2-3 minutes 2x per day to relax and Deep Breathe….3-4 counts in thru the nose, 4-5 counts out thru the mouth.  Lowers stress levels in the body, clears and refocuses the mind and is restorative to all of your metabolic functions.
 
Read a real book—not a kindle if possible (don’t you have enough screen time already??)  Take time to escape in a book, if even for a few minutes.
 
Start learning something new!  A new skill on line or just a subject you’ve always been curious about! 
 
Listen to music—whatever kind it is that makes your soul melt, your heart soar, your brain focus, your spirit rise!  This is a NECESSITY!
  
The only thing we can control in this moment is how we react to it.  What helps you reduce stress?  Do that!  Could be yoga, meditation, listening to music or going for a long walk, hugging your dog, cleaning your refrigerator, organizing your closet.  Keeping the level of stress down as much as possible will allow your immune system to function at its best. . 
 
What about supplements that you can use daily to boost your immune response?
If you are taking a multiple vitamin, make sure it comes from whole food sources. Although it normally contains many of the vitamins listed below, the dosages may not be optimal so check.
 
Vitamin C 3000 - 5000 mg daily in divided doses with meals and snacks. Buffered Vitamin C
The role of vitamin C in supporting the immune system has long been known.
Vitamin D3 5000 IU per day
Magnesium 400 ml daily
Zinc 30 mg daily  Seafood, esp. oysters,red meat,pumpkin seeds are the best food sources.
Selenium 100 mcg daily
Broad range Probiotic  ones that offer several species of good bacteria and contain at least 5-10 billion organisms per capsule. Lactobacillus plantarum and spore forms of Bacillus are the best for immunity. 
Fish Oil (Arctic Cod Liver Oil): This old-time remedy for good health and robust immunity still stands true! In addition to the good fats, this cod liver oil contains additional vitamins A and D for added immune protection. 
** It is not necessary to take all of these. Just starting with a multivitamin, vitamin D3, vitamin C, zinc and fish oil is a great start


Several herbal and other preparations that are known to help to boost immunity:
Organic Green Tea, Astragalus— has broad-spectrum antimicrobial effects or immune-enhancing effects
Unfiltered Organic Apple Cider Vinegar .  ¼ cup in a full glass of water each day helps restore alkalinity to the body, reducing inflammation.
Fresh herbs
Echinacea
Siberian Ginseng
Matcha
Quercetin
**Again, not important to do all of this, pick a few that you can do consistently!
  
So stay home, enjoy nature, practice good hygiene, take care of yourself and your family, be more mindful about what you eat and drink, preparing delicious healthy foods at home, and look out for your neighbours!  T
 
Together, we will get through this better and stronger!  Remember we are all in it together--this is the good news about Coronavirus.  I for one hope we never unlearn this lesson!  
 
 Be Well!—Carol

Need some help with making healthy lifestyle choices?  During a time of social distancing, my Health Coaching programs can all be done long-distance!   Check them out here.  I'd love to help you live your best life! By the time we get on the other side of this, you will be stronger and healthier than ever!

Live with Intention!

What will you do today to make a difference in your life, to make a change?  Give yourself love and acceptance and others too. Pick just one small thing---drink more water, have raw veggies for a snack instead of a candy bar.  Prepare and cook a delicious healthy meal.  Go for a 15 minute walk.  Take 2 minutes during your day to pause and deeply breathe--3 counts in thru your nose, 4 counts out thru your mouth,  Drink one less coffee and one less soda and add more water instead. Say something kind to a stranger.  Notice someone doing something good and praise them for it,  Count to 10 before you react to a volatile situation. Take 5 minutes in your day to mediate on what's good and positive about life and share it with someone else. Without any distractions from computer, phone or TV, write a note to someone who's having a hard time and let them know that you care.  Do something nice for yourself that you've been putting off because "everyone else comes first",....What do you want to do? What WILL you do? 

Take a look Inside!  Become more self-aware and set a serious Intention to change. Then it’s about daily cultivating positive, flowing energy in your body and spirit. That’s what happens when practice self-care and we treat ourselves kindly, which includes what we say about—and to—ourselves and others. Its about remaining present for your magnificent life and being grateful every day!

To create energy like that, we have to take a sincere and deep look at the barriers, practices and beliefs that have kept us stuck. Many of these started as messages when we were children and they have been holding us back ever since, leading to the building of a big wall that prevents us from stepping out and embracing challenges, new experiences and new direction. Once we begin to really see, we can tear that wall down!

Do any of these sound familiar?

I can’t write that book because everything’s already been said and my story isn’t that interesting.  

I can’t go out with my friends because I’m embarrassed by how I look.

I can’t go to the pool or the beach because I feel exposed and insecure

I can’t be a part of that book club because I’m not as sophisticated as they are

I can’t lose weight because I’ve tried before and nothing works

I’m going to keep quiet because I have nothing interesting to say.

I can’t go out on a date because I don’t want anyone to know the real me.

Would it surprise you to know that I’ve had nearly all of these thoughts and MORE?

These type of messages will ALWAYS hold us back.  And when they pop up in our heads, the onus is on us to slay these dragons!  If you’re not feeling on your game right now, if this seems really hard, that’s OK, I get it. When I’m in that place it’s just a sign that I need to wake up , pay attention and redirect my focus. For me that means giving myself a loving (no-nonsense) pep talk. Once I’ve cracked through my defeating chatter, I’m better able to create healthy habits (actions) that support who I want to be and how I want to feel.

These are the lessons and tools I share with my training and health coaching clients! For example, if we want our bodies to be strong, then we have to take time to create a fitness routine that supports those goals. If we choose to believe that we don’t have time to work out, then we’re choosing not to thrive. It means we’re prioritizing the safety/familiarity/comfort of where we are over where we want be. And if you’re struggling with anxiety, feeling unmotivated and depressed at times like I have, deciding not to move your body is not a loving choice. Exercise does a world of good for anyone’s mood, being shown to be more effective than anti-depressants. If we can create time to just do nothing but veg on the couch, then we have plenty of time to go out and walk, take a yoga class or do a few situps.

If we want to be healthier and stronger people, more resilient against disease, we have to change our eating habits from a processed food-based system to a REAL FOOD-centered plan. There is simply no other way to better health outcomes. Is it hard to change? Yes, it can be difficult. But like anything else in life, the hard things become easier and easier the more you practice them, then before you know it you’re a virtuoso of Healthy eating!

When we grab on to the positive energy we create by setting our Intentions and following through with loving lifestyle choices,  we are stepping into fullest expression of who we are—loving, thriving, forces for good in our own lives and those around us!

Be Well! Carol

It's a New Year! Rise and Shine!

Sunrise over the Bay, Cape San Blas—my happy place!

What trips us up from living the healthy, beautiful lives we desire? Well, there are many answers to that question. But the #1 cause is found in our thinking, then works its way into our hearts and outward in our actions.  Somewhere in the nooks and crannies of our minds, we just don’t think we can pull it off.—too old, too fat, not good enough/smart enough/thin enough/pretty enough/ talented enough/rich enough/strong enough/decisive enough…” Yuck. I’ve been there too.  A lot in the past, and sometimes that little voice will whisper in my ear now too—but I know what to do when it does! I’m here to give you a little love blast and reminder of your greatness, just like I do for myself!.

Truth:  No matter what your life looks like right now, or how you feel in body and spirit, you’ve got what it takes to thrive—whatever that looks like for you. Thriving isn’t about striving or “fixing yourself”. It’s not about having perfect health, a perfect body, relationship, kids, job, etc. In the healthy world that we want to be a part of, it’s a LOT more about self-acceptance —” love myself, I am worthy of love  and where I am right now is the perfect place because I’m learning and growing!” —and a lot less about self-improvement aka “I’m not enough” Positive thoughts will lead to loving actions.  Towards ourselves and others!

So how do you start changing the mind?

First, look inside! Become more self-aware and set a serious Intention to change. Then it’s about daily cultivating positive, flowing energy in your body and spirit. That’s what happens when practice self-care and we treat ourselves kindly, which includes what we say about—and to—ourselves and others. Its about remaining present for your magnificent life and being grateful every day!

To create energy like that, we have to take a sincere and deep look at the barriers, practices and beliefs that have kept us stuck. Many of these started as messages when we were children and they have been holding us back ever since, leading to the building of a big wall that prevents us from stepping out and embracing challenges, new experiences and new direction. Once we begin to really see, we can tear that wall down!

Do any of these sound familiar?

I can’t write that book because everything’s already been said and my story isn’t that interesting.  

I can’t go out with my friends because I’m embarrassed by how I look.

I can’t go to the pool or the beach because I feel exposed and insecure

I can’t be a part of that book club because I’m not as sophisticated as they are

I can’t lose weight because I’ve tried before and nothing works

I’m going to keep quiet because I have nothing interesting to say.

I can’t go out on a date because I don’t want anyone to know the real me.

Would it surprise you to know that I’ve had nearly all of these thoughts and MORE?

These type of messages will ALWAYS hold us back.  And when they pop up in our heads, the onus is on us to slay these dragons!  If you’re not feeling on your game right now, if this seems really hard, that’s OK, I get it. When I’m in that place it’s just a sign that I need to wake up , pay attention and redirect my focus. For me that means giving myself a loving (no-nonsense) pep talk. Once I’ve cracked through my defeating chatter, I’m better able to create healthy habits (actions) that support who I want to be and how I want to feel.

These are the lessons and tools I share with my training and health coaching clients! For example, if we want our bodies to be strong, then we have to take time to create a fitness routine that supports those goals. If we choose to believe that we don’t have time to work out, then we’re choosing not to thrive. It means we’re prioritizing the safety/familiarity/comfort of where we are over where we want be. And if you’re struggling with anxiety, feeling unmotivated and depressed at times like I have, deciding not to move your body is not a loving choice. Exercise does a world of good for anyone’s mood, being shown to be more effective than anti-depressants. If we can create time to just do nothing but veg on the couch, then we have plenty of time to go out and walk, take a yoga class or do a few situps.”

Isolation is growing in our culture with many choosing to just avoid connections with others, because of disappointment, shame or fear. This can keep us from reaching out for help with our mental, emotional and physical health and It can cause our spirits to whither, developing a “I give up” mentality. If we want to have vital and healthy community in our lives, to create and maintain vibrant relationships, we have to be brave and show up. The thing about courage is, the more you practice it the more you have! It won’t be comfortable at first getting out of your “comfort zone”, but it will get easier and easier!

If we want to be healthy and resilient against sickness and disease, that takes eating foods and liquids that support a healthy brain and body. And it’s up to us to make the best choices! That takes learning, experimenting, preparing and developing a palate for REAL whole foods. But until we start a new food plan with the intention to transform our bodies and lifestyles to fit our dreams of vibrant health, it will remain a wishful thought. And nothing will change….

When we grab on to the positive energy we create with loving choices,  we are stepping into fullest expression of who we are—loving, thriving, forces for good in our own lives and those around us.

Make it a great 2020!   And make self-care your creed! Carol

**If you’re ready for a really healthy challenge, contact me Now! I have groups starting up for my 5-week Detox Diva program and room for personal health coaching and training clients too! I’d love to know how I can help you live your Best You! And there’s no time like the present to start.

Weight Loss--What does it REALLY Take? It may surprise you.....

Let’s face it, wanting to lose weight is really the #1 reason most people seek out a personal trainer and a health coach. They’ve just had an epiphany—usually from a doctor or a best friend or their closet— about the current health trajectory of their future lives and they’re reasonably upset and scared. They are also usually confused about what to do about it, and rightly so: We live in a “diet culture” where fad diets pop up every week, with a $19.99 book and $29.99 cook book to go along with them, and 1000s of fitness and health gurus that are advertising their “brand”. We’re told to work out hard and fast to lose calories, and that the ratio of “energy in” to “ energy out” is the only equation that matters. To someone who’s exhausted and sick already, that is a horrible piece of advice. And it’s totally wrong. Our metabolic physiology is a lot more complicated than that, and each person is unique!

I often talk about my growing up in a time (60s-70s) where the idea of being on a “diet” was very uncommon, knowing or hearing about someone having cancer was very rare, as were heart disease and diabetes, dementia, cancer, kidney disease, breast and prostate cancer and auto-immune disorders—all chronic diseases that are epidemic in our country now. Obesity is an epidemic as well, and has been labeled as a disease because this condition results from a malfunction of the ability to regulate energy balance and has cascading effects on the entire body. And the more extra fat you have on your body, the harder it is to lose weight metabolically. Not only that, but the risk of all the above-mentioned diseases is higher when a body is storing fat around the central organs—the midriff. We call this the “central fat” and it’s interacting metabolically with the bloodstream that surrounds our major organs in an “angry” way, creating a higher risk of disease. More than 36 percent of Americans are now considered obese, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An additional 34 percent are considered overweight, and this is a growing trend—especially among children and young adults. The enormous ramifications of this on our healthcare system, national debt and future generations should concern all of us. Especially since the younger generation is having “older” health issues at much higher rates than ever, and it will only get worse. As individuals and a nation, we really need to change course now!

While the solutions to these health problems are not magical and “instant”, many of them are simple and involve common sense and looking back at how people used to eat and live 50-60 years ago. Move. Eat regular balanced meals. Work hard. Play and Laugh. Take time to relax. Make time for recreation. Everything in Moderation and in balance. Guard your sleep time. Cook most of the food you eat and sit down for a meal. Get up early and go to bed at a decent time. Value the importance of social connections.

The National Weight Registry research shows that the Registry members have lost an average of 66 lbs and kept it off for 5.5 years. To accomplish that, here are some of their common habits: 78% eat breakfast every day and have significantly changed their way of eating including portion control and exchanging processed foods for more whole and plant-based ones, 62% watch less than 10 hours of TV per week, 90% exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day.

Things that are different now that work against a healthy weight and life? Here are my top ones: Electronic devices that keep us preoccupied and on our butts. Unmanaged stress which creates lots of anxiety and fear, leading to a continual release of stress hormones into our bodies that create more fat storage, Working longer and more erratic hours, upsetting our circadian rhythms and leaving us too tired to exercise—triggering cravings fpr “energy” drinks and sugar.. Poor life and time management skills, which paralyzes us moving forward to reach our healthy life goals.. Unhealthy fast food everywhere and eating in a hurry, leading to digestive issues and poor nutrient assimilation. Too many confusing and misleading food choices in our grocery stores, mostly processed and devoid of nutrients that energize, heal and sustain. Searching for a “magic pill” and an instant fix and trying them all unsuccessfully. Overlooking sleep as essential to our well-being and crucial for weight management. Thinking that being “busy” is a marker of a successful life. Not having enough solitude and silence—the brain needs a time-out! Reaching for a pill(s) before we contemplate a lifestyle change that could very well take care of the problem without side effects. Thinking that time and money spent practicing self-care is “frivolous”. TOO MUCH EXERCISE, NOT ENOUGH FOOD (yep, that’s right!.) And finally this big one—Not honoring our deepest longings and desires enough to take action consistently and long-term to have the life we really want!

Change takes continuous EFFORT! You keep making changes and taking small steps DAILY, and you don’t stop when it’s not moving quickly enough for you. You practice PATIENCE and PERSERVERANCE and you see the picture of what you want clearly in your mind when you wake up, all through the day and when you close your eyes at night. Eventually—and in your own metabolic timing— you will see the changes you want! It takes COURAGE, and courage comes with PRACTICE!

So what are some good habits to learn?

Prepare Breakfast! If you prefer, You can do this at night with some Overnight Soaked Oatmeal or a fabulous Green Smoothie Both can be put in the frig and ready to go in the morning! I personally love my 2 fried eggs and avocado toast with tomatoes and a dash of balsamic vinegar and sprinkle of cilantro. Getting your day off to a start properly fueled will prevent blood sugar crashes, give you plenty of energy for the morning and prevent hunger binges later! It also starts your metabolic furnace burning fpr the dayand that’s exactly what you want!

Prep your food. In order to make it easy and quick to make a meal, there are things you can do after each grocery trip—1. Chop, Grate, Shred Veggies and store in containers ready for a salad, a saute or a veggie wrap. 2. Pre-cook meat and have ready to add to rice, veggies or to make a sandwich. Make a big pot of soup and a grain each week—try one of these easy vegan soup recipes (a great way to get your disease-fighting plant foods in, and slimming too!) Great for late meals, in-between snacks and even breakfast. If your food is already prepped, grabbing snacks, packing lunch and making a quick dinner is a snap! Embrace a plant-based way of eating to balance hormonal levels and stabilize blood sugar, both of which are essential for weight loss and maintenance. Check out this great prepping how-to article!

Move Everyday. Whether it’s walking around the block or for 20-30 mins. Put on some dance music on and go for it in the comfort of your home (one of my favs!). Join a gym and try a different class every week till you find 2 or 3 you love. Hire a trainer and set up appointments that you have to keep (or you’ll be charged..)! Get an accountability partner that wants to get healthy too! (to see what 15 minutes of walking a day can do for your body, click here)

Get outside and go hike —important even in the winter!

Keep a Gratefulness Journal List 5 things you’re grateful for everyday—people, things, YOU! Include beautiful quotes and poems and pictures of things you love, anything that inspires you towards joy and higher purposes and motivates you to lean in to your goals.. Keep a next-day to-do list in it as you check off worries and duties before you sleep. (this can really improve the quality of your sleep!) Keep it by your bed and take it with you when you go. You never know when you’ll need positive reminders and encounter inspiration! When we cultivate being grateful for our lives and curious about the world around us, our emotional and mental health improves and we naturally want to take better care of ourselves in every way.

Develop Mindfulness and Intuitive Eating as a way of life. Not only is slowing down and paying attention a great way to reduce stress and inflammation in the body, it’s also an essential habit to learn in the quest for weight loss. It could be slowing down to really chew our food, enjoying a meal with people we care about, taking a time-out during the day to re-charge, keeping our eyes and ears open (and our phones at home!) on a walk through the park,, taking 2 or 3 minutes to deep breathe and clear our minds, meditating on a verse or a thought that is calming to us, or pausing to decide if we’re really hungry and that’s why we’re reaching for that candy bar or extra helping —-or if we’re angry, sad, frustrated, bored, tired or just really need to talk to a friend… Learning to get in touch with our feelings, thoughts, bodies, hunger signals and the world around us can help us to appreciate how wonderful our life is, what we need to change and gives us the courage to rearrange our priorities so we’re creating the peaceful and healthy life we want to live!

Be Patient. Rome wasn’t conquered in a day and neither will your weight easily fall off. That may be hard to hear, but it’s the truth. If you have more than 50 pounds to lose, give yourself about 6 months to stabilize your weight in the healthiest way possible.

DRINK WATER! Tons! Make it your main drink. No way to lose weight without doing this. Nuff said.

These are just a few important first steps to take, and keep this in mind—nothing will change until you change it. But once you start, momentum will grow and so will your passion for more, more!

I would love to assist you, walk beside you, motivate and coach you, educate and inspire you—let’s connect!

Be Well—Carol

Power to the Posture!

As a Trainer and fitness instructor, I can just take a look at my clients and see the toll that emotional, mental and physical stressors are taking on their physical bodies. It’s in the way they stand and move, the fatigue and muscular imbalances that hunch the shoulders over, compress the spinal column and constrict the breath and energy-flow through the central organs.  Creating alignment and stability in our physical frame by developing core muscles that support our spinal column is foundational for any other body work we do.  What we can’t see on the outside is how poor posture affects the internal landscape—the physiological functioning that is crucial to our overall health

A spine that is lengthened, not compressed, is a more open channel for life-giving energy to flow through. Each organ of the body has its natural position that is to a large degree maintained by correct alignment. Optimal physiological functioning depends greatly on a neutral and supported posture that is open and elongated. This also affects our ability to fully breathe because the diaphragm--the primary muscle responsible for breathing--is attached to the ribs, spine and hip flexor muscle. Rounded shoulders and protruding head not only create neck pain, but prevent the rib cage from being flexible and fully expansive, which interferes with our ability to breath deeply. Just addressing proper alignment can make all the difference in the world in your health!

This is the first place I start with new clients: their alignment and foot placement. The integrity of the entire frame begins at the foot!   So I analyze their foot placement--do they strike heavily on the inside of the foot or outside? I check knee-to-toes alignment and note how we can improve if needed and then we work on building strength and flexibility throughout the foot and the ankle. Next we start working on achieving and maintaining neutral posture thru core strengthening.  The most important function of proper posture is to keep the body in an upright position, supporting the frame that houses all vital organs against the pull of gravity.  If there is dysfunction in our alignment, metabolic activity is hindered and excess stress and weight is put on muscles and joints, which can lead to a significant amount of pain and discomfort—and also future injury.  And if you've ever had this type of back pain you know what this is about!

What is neutral posture?  The head centered over the shoulders, shoulders pressed down & back, back pulled up out of the hips and chest lifted, knees slightly bent, a gentle pull-in of the belly-button to engage the abs, and feet stable on the floor with your body weight distributed evenly between both feet.  Whether seated or standing, we always want to keep the back lifted, and not settling into the hips. Visualize a string attached to the crown of the head pulling you towards the ceiling and another string attached to the tail bone pulling you towards the floor.  Once you learn how to do this and start to practice it in everyday life, it doesn't take long to get to the point where it just occurs naturally without any thought.  At this point, you’ll notice how much stronger and more open you feel as you move. If you have a job that keeps you seated during the day, it is especially important that you begin to address this right away!. When carrying a heavy backpack, purse or briefcase on one side, the ability to keep the spine in alignment and supported is even more important to avoid imbalances leading to chronic pain,

Its amazing how much more confident people look when they walk into a room with a balanced upright posture—have you ever noticed that?  Body language is powerful and we know that confidence attracts others to us, improving our ability to feel connected with our inner strength and more positively engaged with others. This is one lesson I learned from my mom as a young girl—Being taller than anyone else till I turned about 13, I always wanted to hunch over.  And yes, my mom did make me walk across my room with books stacked on my head everyday--ha!  But she was right--Thanks Mom!

Amy Cutter, a social psychologist and Harvard professor reminds us of how powerful an upright position is when we want to put our best foot forward socially and professionally. The release of feel-good hormones associated with this “Power Pose” are changing our body chemistry to help us actually feel more confident and strong. This makes perfect sense when we remember that how well we live and take care of ourselves begins with our thoughts—our mindset—and that is why changing habitual behavior has to begin with changing how we THINK about our lives and our own self-worth. From our thoughts flow emotions, words and actions. Since everything is connected to everything else in our bodies, our overall health outcomes are affected far more deeply than the physiological affects of building structural integrity through physical training. (Click on picture above for video of Amy’s TEDx Talk.)

In my public talks on body image, I often bring in the example of someone walking into a party and feeling less-than—could be because they don’t know anyone, or they’re self-conscious because of their weight or how they’re dressed, or just any number of ways we tell ourselves we “don’t belong”. But how about truly “owning” that piece of ground that we all walk and stand on, wherever we are? It is our rightful place—to be there and to feel part of the whole, because we are. Just that powerful acknowledgement can truly change not only our demeanor but our inner confidence!

I would be amiss if I didn’t just state something obvious—too much weight on a frame that wasn’t designed to carry it will create life-long and debilitating back problems— as well as issues with shoulders, hips, knees, ankles and feet. If you know you have weight to lose to feel your very best—emotionally, mentally and physically—but you just can’t seem to conquer that obstacle, I promise to help you do it! As a Wellness and Nutrition Coach, I take my clients right where they are and create a unique program just for them that finally helps them address their challenges, slay their dragons and reach their health goals! Looking at all lifestyle factors, and with healthy nutrition at the center, together we can transform your health and create your Best You—your life is worth it! The gift of health is truly the best present you can give yourself—check out my Health Coaching programs and contact me today!

Pssst! I have an amazing Personal Training Special leading into the holidays—and this would make a great gift for someone you love, including YOU! $15 off each session when purchasing a package of 10—that’s $150 savings! This must be purchased by November 30th —and if it’s a gift, I will wrap and send—or deliver—for you! Contact me!

Let me help you find your perfect alignment and best health—We will have you walking taller, feeling stronger and living healthier in no time, promise!

Be Well!  Carol 

“I do not live in my thighs or in my droopy butt. I live in joy and motion. .I live in the nourishment of food and the sun and the warmth of the people who love me. Learning to eat was about learning to live—and deciding to live, it is the most radical things I’ve ever done.” Anne Lamott

Something Better = Something Different

Change or die.  There really is no alternative.  At the cellular level, we're changing all the time: cells die and they reproduce, with no awareness on our part. My goodness, in one year you'll have a completely different skin!  In much the same way the world keeps turning, although so slowly we can’t perceive it and we of course we can’t control it.  Change happens - and we can either go with the flow,or resist at our own peril.

But what about the changes we can control, the "how we think, feel, what we say and do" changes, the ones that either bring life or death to our relationships, physical health, community and workplace?  These are the really tough changes, and they can be painful - although perhaps not as painful as staying stuck in a place that isn't working for us anymore.  Discomfort can be a great catalyst.

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Making these changes takes willpower, persistence, patience, in fact everything our culture is not a big fan of.  This is America! The land of convenience, immediate gratification, plastic surgery, Prozac, “lose 10 pounds in 10 days," and instant celebrity.  It’s easy to get lulled into laziness, an attitude that derails our health, sabotages our marriages and other relationships, and puts our careers and goals on the slow boat to China.  

Attitude. Mindset. Thoughts. World View. These are the interior spaces where change is born or buried, and only we are responsible for our lives and the thoughts that create them.  Trying to change other people is really exhausting, isn't it?  And usually fruitless,  so why not shift our energy toward higher purposes?  Like creating a life we really want to live!   Key insights from the blending of psychology and neurosciences show that by choosing the thoughts we hang on to and the ones we let go of, we can establish permanent new thought patterns, transforming our lives from the inside-out: emotionally, spiritually and physically.  Good news, you're not stuck!  Through the power of intention, or mindfulness, the glass half-empty can really become a glass half-full! 

Habitual thought patterns are like the tire tracks in a muddy road.  The mind naturally slips into them, and it takes focused effort to steer one’s mental energy in a different direction.  Those tire tracks are your default position-- I have mine, we all do. They're the culmination of our family of origin, our past experiences, our social environment and present circumstances.  But don’t we really want a new and better framework from which we see ourselves and the world?  Without changing something, that just won't happen - we can make the choice to speak life to ourselves and to others, and to act in ways that bring renewed vitality and joy into our own lives and the world around us--we can all be life-changers, starting with our own lives!

So what’s your first step?  Make a decision.  Decide to live intentionally, not haphazardly, and take aim at something! What kind of person do you want to be, what characteristics or virtues do you admire, how healthy do you want your body and life to be?  Go ahead and write your thoughts and goals down, tape pictures and inspiring words on the fridge or your bathroom mirror, and refocus your mind on being the person you want to be.  Visualizing the changes you want to make can help you see yourself walk them out.  Just like a professional athlete getting ready for a big event, you're getting ready to WIN!  Refocus your mind on those thoughts every day and commit to act and speak in ways that re-affirm your intentions.  

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Next step?  Don’t procrastinate any more-- just do it, and now!  To arrive at something better, you have to do something different.... And that will involve action.  It's impossible to learn any new skill or develop new habits without consistent effort daily.  And we're talking about small changes,  small decisions, and all adding up over time - not huge leaps all at once!  Experience tells us that doesn't work long-term. Real change takes time.  If we want to change the path we're on,  we have to steer in a different direction and keep our hands on the wheel!

Your WILL creates the right ACTIONS, leading to your best RESULT.

You may already know that change can be threatening to others who have found solace in the old you-- and then there’s always the struggle against the tide of culture!  So be prepared for resistance, and decide on the front end how you want to handle it.  Don't expect an easy ride--there will be bumps and a few unexpected curves, and you just might run off the side of the road at times. That's ok!  Give yourself grace when that happens, but get right back on your determined path, and never let yourself lose sight of where you're headed!  Just as your muscles can’t get any stronger without the stress of resistance, your willpower won’t get any stronger unless you exercise it!  Instead of telling yourself I won’'t  or I can’t  try this:  I WILL  make better choices in what I eat, I WILL make time for exercise this week, I WILL be a better friend, a more loving spouse, a more effective employee, a more compelling leader.  It's a pattern that will become your new habit.  What are your "I Will's" ?  Declare it! Do it! See it!

I’m always ready for change in areas of my life, and if you’re reading this I’ll bet you are too.  I think together, we can create something much different and much better, in our own lives and the world!

Would you share this today with a friend that may need some encouragement?  Maybe they're in a place where they have given up trying and just need to know ALL things are POSSIBLE!

Be Well- Carol  

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I am here to be part of your Front Row Cheering Section!  I truly believe Holistic Health Coaching is the missing link in most people’s efforts to create successful long lasting changes to their health and their quality of life overall.  I am ready to be your Coach, your Mentor, your Accountability Partner, and your Cheerleader!  Contact me today!  Also, find out more about my Personal Training services on my website (I have some GREAT specials right now, including a Training & Health Coaching combo that will ignite the fire of change for you!)  and sign up for my e-newsletter at the bottom of this page, chock full of fresh inspiration for your Best You!

Your Body is In Love with You

Think about it for a moment. Your body’s whole purpose is to be a home for your spirit, a frame for intentional movement, a space for your life-sustaining organs, a daily companion for your soul. A vital resting place at the end of the day and a launch pad at the beginning, it’s what we do between the waking and the sleeping that greatly determines how well our body lives. Your essence—your energy-- is the meaning for it’s existence, and it will do everything it can to protect you, to support, energize, heal, rejuvenate and strengthen you from the inside out.. If this isn’t a beautiful expression of Love, I don’t know what is!

Sunset on the Ocean, Cape San Blas Sometimes, after an intense day, sleep just doesn’t come. Unwinding mentally so you can rest involves unwinding physical tension. Begin with your feet. Take a deep breath in thru the nose and hold it while you stretch your toes wide apart. Then exhale thru the mouth and relax. Now squeeze your toes as if you were making fists with your feet and hold, hold, hold your breath. exhale as you relax your toes. Then lift your leg 2 inches off the bed and squeeze your leg muscles; exhale and drop your leg. Move to the other leg. Makes fists with your hands, lift your arms 2 inches off the bed; exhale deeply as you drop your arms. Lift your legs and your arms and squeeze your belly, then exhale and release. Finally, squeeze your face like a prune and, on a big exhale, let go. Sink into your mattress….

I have learned over the years to return the love my body has for me, to express my gratitude .for its constant attention, whether I am awake or asleep (because our bodies are always “on”). I have learned how to feed it healthy foods that won’t hinder it’s ability to help keep me well,, how to pamper it with self-care habits that keep it relaxed, strong and limber, when to give it rest and when to put it to work, what it needs to feel joyful and content, how to shield it from worry and anxiety—and when I can’t do that, how to help it manage the negative energy that comes my way, whether I like it or not. Above all, I’ve learned how not to repeat the destructive path that I was on as a young woman who didn’t know any better than to push herself beyond her limits and gauge my body’s worth by the opinions of others and my own very narrow view of life. I do all of this imperfectly of course, but my strong will is joined at the hip to live a life filled with vibrancy and purpose!

Sunrise on the Bay, Cape San Blas Ahhh… It’s easier to respond to whatever the day may bring if we spend a moment centering ourselves. Start with 3 gentle breaths in and out of the belly. Then bring your hands to your center chest and imagine taking a long, long breathe in from the soles of your feet through the top of your head, intersecting in the heart. Exhale slowly and deeply through the mouth and feel your ribs soften downward under your hands. Do 2 minutes of this and mediate on how you want to respond to people and situations today. Speak a prayer of thankfulness and ask for guidance—notice a feeling of focus and ease!

Your body is in love with you! What will you do to return the love? This affair is meant for a lifetime and it deserves your attention, nurturing and a clear vision for it’s future, one that is sustainable and brilliant!

When mindful awareness, focused breathing, strengthening and lengthening of joints and muscles, intentional balance and alignment and personal commitment come together for my Personal Training clients, they are on their way to a whole new health paradigm. This is how I train, this is how I coach, and this is how someone’s courage to try something new truly changes their life. I would love to help you find that sweet spot!—contact me and let’s start a conversation about your unique needs and how you want to love your body back. (P.S. I have some great specials this summer on training packages of 10 and there’s no time like the present to create a better future)

Be Well! Carol

Find more info about my Personal Training and Health Coaching programs here!

My precious daughter Savannah and me, Cape San Blas—our happy place! We’ll be there again this September for my birthday and I can’t wait!

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, th

The Miracle of Aging....

Have you ever thought of aging as a miracle? But it is! There are actually miraculous things that happen along the way—we get wiser, we know more clearly what we like and what we don’t (no more BS!), we stop sweating the small stuff so much and develop a keener eye for everyday miracles.  Growing older can be challenging too as I’m finding, because of course we also develop a few lines on our faces and a little more padding in our bellies and tushes!

The truth is our metabolism does slow down as we age. This involves hormonal changes, less muscle density and sleep issues too--which only aggravate all of the changes we’re not crazy about like more chemical stress response and more belly-jelly!

I think it’s already pretty evident to most of us that our eating and exercise habits impact the numbers on the scale. But there are other things involved too, and I have a list of tips you may not have considered. Save yourself the expense (and torture!) of the Spanx, and take a few minutes to read below:

Let’s begin with the basics--What is Metabolism?

This is how your body converts calories into energy, and your body is always burning calories, even when you’re coach surfing or sleeping.—doing stuff like keeping you alive,  repairing your cells, supporting brain and nerve activity, breathing, This is called your BMR, or basal metabolic resting rate. You also burn calories when you EAT—glory! Digesting food takes a lot of energy, and then of course any normal physical activity and intentional exercise.

Your metabolism doesn’t always stay the same throughout your life. For most women, metabolism drops about 1-2% per decade after age 25. For men, it’s less (of course, what else is new?J))  because they tend to have more muscle composition, thus burn more calories.  If you continue to eat the same way and exercise the same amount after the age of 25, you could gain about 2 pounds per year. This may not seem like much in the beginning, but then project forward 10-15 years—yikes!

Alright, so what’s the good part, Carol?? 

We can boost our metabolism! Not by starving yourself either-- in fact, if you do, there’s a good chance you can be much worse off in the ‘burning” department. And find yourself on that yo-yo rollercoaster like its Ground-hog day over and over again.

Let’s get smart and try something different!

1. Drink to your Health! Try to consume at least half your bodyweight (lbs.) in ounces of water per day. Studies show that poor hydration is linked to higher weight and obesity, and lowered resistance to sickness and disease too!

2. Embrace blessed sleep! 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night keeps your metabolism running strong. When you’re chronically sleep deprived (consistently getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night), your body produces more of the stress hormone cortisol. This uptick in cortisol throws your hormonal balance out of whack, which can slow down your metabolism. Plus, sleep deprivation increases your appetite for carbohydrate-rich foods, like sweets and snacks, making sleep loss a double whammy for weight gain.

3. Pump it up!: Thirty minutes of weight-bearing exercises 2-3 times a week can help increase and maintain muscle mass, which revs up your metabolism. A pound of muscle burns about 6 calories a day compared to a pound of fat which only burns 2 calories a day. That’s a BIG difference!  Not only will your body be better defined with weight training, but you’ll be strengthening your bones and joints, AND your metabolism will get a huge boost—win/win! (I always recommend that if possible, hire a personal training for a few sessions to help you form a plan and work with you on proper form and safety cues. This could save you a LOT on wasted time and injuries!)

4. Fill your plate with REAL whole, plant-based foods: People following a plant-based diet usually have an easier time losing weight and keeping it off compared to their omnivorous pals because plant-based foods are typically lower in calories than animal-based ones, contain filling fiber, and contain the micronutrients and antioxidants your body needs to have a healthy metabolism (and a healthy immune system)! Also, whole plant foods have a greater thermic effect than animal-based ones because of the fiber—meaning you burn more calories while digesting them.  Studies have shown that plant-based eaters burn about 300 more calories a day on average while at rest (study).

5. Think Zen: Maintaining a healthy metabolism is also connected to our levels of stress and our ability to manage it.  Stress reduction practices, like saying “no”, meditation, breath work, exercise, and other self-care strategies, are very important to your health and well-being.  An increase in insulin release as part of a stress response in the body triggers appetite and can chronically hamper our metabolic system.

6. Spice it up! Adding a spicy kick to your food on a regular basis can increase your metabolism (and make your meals even tastier). Try adding hot peppers, chili peppers, hot sauce and even red pepper flakes to your foods throughout the day

7. Bring on the Plant Proteins! When you choose plant-based protein, you get metabolism-boosting benefits without the potential drawbacks of eating more animal protein-- for example, increased heart disease and cancer risk. and lowered immune response. Try adding a serving of beans, lentils, hemp seeds, chia seeds or some of the other rich sources of plant protein to your snacks and meals.

8. Tea anyone? Research suggests drinking 1-2 cups of green tea daily, preferably before noon.  It’s been shown to significantly increase metabolism for 24 hours after and may boost fat oxidation, which means less storage of body fat.

9.  Find your joy!  When we follow our passions and life interests and spend quality time with friends and family, not only do we find purpose but we also experience a brighter outlook—towards our own circumstances, work, people and the world around us.  Taking time to feed our souls makes us better in every area of our lives and helps us manage everyday stressors in a much healthier way, countering the release of excess cortisol and other metabolism-hindering hormones.

10.  Don’t worry about getting older.  Easier said than done I know, but a worthwhile goal!  A positive body image is well worth cultivating and nurturing, because learning to love yourself no matter what or when is the most important thing you can do for your overall health—present and future! Follow the steps above and also be sure to take care of your skin—having a daily skin-care regimen, and one with non-toxic ingredients, is very helpful to avoid premature aging and should be a part of any self-care strategy. Feeling good in our own skin is important but feeling good about who we are on the inside no matter our age is much more important!

As we age, we begin to think about what we have accomplished thus far and what we want to leave behind one day as our legacy.  There is no time like the present to spread our wings, try new things, and look around for others you can encourage and help along the way!  

I’d love to help you find—and keep!—your groove. Together, we’ll find ways to rev up your metabolism and explore what your best healthy life looks like— contact me!

Be Well! Carol (and Henry!)

How to get your groove back and never worry about your weight again. Lesson 1

I love it when people reach out to me for help! This is what I get excited about—helping someone change their health and their life! As you can imagine, the beginning of a new year is always busy with emails and messages from new potential clients who have once again come to a place of utter exhaustion and despair with the state of their health. Their adrenals are shot, and their brain is on overload. What is even more tiring is that they’ve tried everything else and done their best—and its only gotten worse.

“You don’t know why you’re exhausted? You’re fighting a war inside your head every single day. If that’s not exhausting, I don’t know what is.”

I get it, I know the feeling. It reminds me of where I was about 38 years ago—at the end of my rope and reaching out for help. I just couldn’t do what I was doing anymore, I couldn’t abuse by body any longer with over-exercising and a full-blown eating disorder so I could be “skinny”. I could feel my body collapsing, I was sick all the time—not enough nutrients to keep my immune system strong and the emotional and mental stress of trying to be “perfect” just compromised my health more. Add onto that expecting my body to push through 2-hour workouts 4x a week because that’s what I thought healthy, beautiful, successful skinny women did—and that’s exactly when all the forces for my good came together to usher in a Tsunami of Dis-ease that slammed me into paying attention.

With the help of some very beautiful souls, I finally realized what I had missed a long the way—until I learned to love my self exactly where I was and valued not only my body—but my life—I wasn’t going to thrive, and I might not even survive. Until I gained the understanding that life wasn’t about comparing myself to others or worrying about they thought about me—and it sure wasn’t about ‘perfectionism” which ofcourse doesn’t exist—I wouldn’t ever find my personal “best”, my unique presence in the world.. Until I learned how to not be afraid to eat, but to love food for the good that it brought to my body, soul and spirit, I would never find the most loving weight and life-space for my body to fill.

In our US media culture, competition is rewarded, comparison encouraged, and self-punishment valued —and even more so when it comes to fitness and how to eat which also includes a heavy dose of deprivation. So we tell ourselves that getting fit has to hurt and it needs to be exhausting, that we have to deprive ourselves of food—especially yummy food—to lose weight, and we need to be constantly consumed with the number on the weight scale and the size of our thighs in comparison to the other person next to us at the gym. Because of these untruths that we tell ourselves—and then believe—confusion clouds out all rational self-preserving thoughts and reasonable knowledge so we find ourselves latching on to the latest “diet” or workout routine or supplement—and not for our good; all for the bottom line of the person or company that’s taking advantage of our weariness and insecurities..

“”Please, is there any quick-fix out there that can help me to not be true to myself or the process of real authentic change and restoration?””

The truth is this: You are more than your weight in the world. You are worth more than all the calories and time and energy you spend or don’t spend. You are more valuable than the most delicious chocolate cake you try your hardest to avoid or the bucket of broccoli you devour. You are more beautiful than the smallest pair of jeans and in your closet and much wiser than the biggest. You are so much more than your failures or successes—neither defines you, but they both inform you and want to see you prosper and become whole.

Once you believe that, once you tell yourself that several times a day till you don’t have to anymore, once you tell that shuckster to go find another sucker and the b**** in your head to “shut up!”—Then that’s when you’ll be on the road to never worrying about your weight again. That’s Lesson 1.

Need some help of your own? Sick of this merry-go-round of misery you’ve been on for years? Are you ready to learn to treasure food for the good that it brings to all of you—and find the most loving weight and life-space for your body to fill? Ready to live, love and eat and feel your very best? Contact me, I’d love to connect with you!

Be Well! Carol





It's Back Again--My Favorite Time of the Year!

Look what's here--my favorite time of the year!   We keep things simple around the Frazier household-- loving the time we can just spend together and enjoy family meals, maybe a movie or two and walks in the park.  With all three of my kids being grown ups now-- and living in different places-- the most cherished gift is just having them all home!  A few years ago, we decided not to do gifts anymore, just invest in a little better wine and ample healthy food stuffs, maybe catch a Nutcracker performance-- and I can't tell you how much this has lowered our pre and post-holiday stress!  But stress can come in many forms; maybe it’s the fear of weight gain, or too little  margin time in the schedule for self-care like exercise, could be gift-giving financial strain, or too much partying and not enough sleep.  For some, it comes in feeling lonely and isolated without friends or family nearby. All of these can take a toll on us emotionally, mentally, and physically. 

With all the glitter and the hustle-bustle, it’s easy to get so caught up in trying to keep up that we forget that everything important in life starts with taking care of our health - so that we can feel good, enjoy the time we spend with others and have the energy we need for work and play. Adding extra weight over the holidays was something I used to battle until I learned some mindfulness strategies to put that behind me once and for all!   Food has a lot to do with this of course, but there are several other issues that impact our health and well-being and our weight!.  I began to look at what was important to me about this time of year, and how well I was taking care of myself, and here are some of my own Holiday Thriving Tips I put into practice then that are just second nature now! 

Put People First. People and relationship should be the healthy centerpiece of the season, not food.  Don’t get me wrong--delicious food is essential! --but set your intention on putting people first this year, and really enjoy warm conversations and heart-sharing. This is also guaranteed to cut a lot of unnecessary calories!

Fill up your tank. If you’ll eat a mini-meal that’s healthy and filling before a party, you’ll be less likely to over-eat those creamy dips, cheese and crackers, and meatballs covered in sauce. Going to a party when you’re starved, just like the grocery store, is never a good idea!  

Plan your Resistance.  Think beforehand how you’ll handle all the suggestions to load your plate up again, or what to say to people like your Aunt Kate who thinks you really need one more piece of pie. You’ll feel a lot more prepared to follow your intentions!  At the same time, for goodness sake let yourself  have a desert or treat, but limit it and slowly enjoy every delicious bite!   

Bring your own. Prepare one or two healthy, flavor-filled side dishes that you love to eat and take them to your next get-together.  Your host will be happy for the extra food and you’ll get to practice your healthy culinary skills!

Drink one, chase one. For every glass of wine or alcohol you drink, drink one large glass of water. This will both fill you up and help you track how much you're drinking, because calories count, whether they’re in food or liquids. Water is always the most important drink to put in your body, and not getting enough hampers your metabolism and immune system.

Prioritize sleep.  Settling in for that good night’s sleep is crucial for your body's restoration, rejuvenation and repair. If you want a kickin’ metabolism, balanced hormones, and less age lines on your face, sleep should be your best friend!  (p.s. If you or someone you love has sleep issues, check out this amazing  Fresh Air segment on why sleep is crucial and how you can get your healthy share!)

Share the season of brotherly love with yourself first. so you're more equipped to reach out to others!   Practice self-care by starting the day with 10 minutes of mini-trampolining, a walk outside, stretching while deep-breathing, prayer and meditation, a green smoothie - just a few ideas that can help set the tone for your day.  And then 3 to 4 days a week, pencil yourself in your calendar: take a yoga class, get in a workout at the gym or a hike in the park, or give yourself the present of a massage. Just little reminders that you and your health are important!  This realization is what changes our mindset to create a healthier life! When you feel better, you enjoy others more - and isn’t that what we want to do over the holidays and all year round?  Let's all  share the season of brotherly love with someone outside our normal circles, because there are some who don't have family or friends nearby and may feel lonely and sad.  Keep your eyes, ears and heart open to the possibilities of a new friend!

Want more tips like these? Sign up for my bestUwellness e-newsletter at the bottom of this web page and start living your best U life!

Best U Specials!

Want a gift that keeps on giving?  For a limited time I have great special prices for new clients on all my Holistic Health and Nutrition programs which helps make it easier than ever to have a brand new healthy attitude going into 2019!  $75 off my 6-month to Your Best U! program, $25 off my 90-day Energy Recharge program and $25 on my 5-week Detox Divas/Dudes Program. Exciting news! Coming up in January—My brand new BIO Workshop (Beautiful Inside & Out) More details to come in the upcoming weeks, but I know you’ll LOVE it!. If you're looking for a Personal Trainer in Nashville, right now is the best time to get started with me--$75 discount on a package of 10 sessions.  And any of these would make awesome gifts for someone you love, I can even send a wrapped up gift certificate to your special one! Just contact me by December 5th for this special pricing

The best presents EVER!

I'd love to hear from you!  Let me know if you're enjoying my emails, what content you'd like to see here and if I can help you finally achieve your health and wellness goals in 2019!  Just reach out

Be Well!  Carol

thing 1, thing 2, thing 3!

When it comes down to it, it's just plain ole common sense that can teach us how to be healthy and stay fit. Truly, we just have to calm down, get rid of the constant current-fad static that only confuses, and think back 40-50 years at what history shows us!  If you weren't alive then, I'll be happy to describe it :)

First, people MOVED!  It was part of our everyday lives. We were all active, adults and kids.  We worked in our yards, played with our friends, and engaged in sports.  As a kid, I was on my bike or walking to a friend's house every weekend and sometimes during the week.  We weren't sitting in front of a computer, or glued to video screens or tv. I did enjoy though watching cartoons on Saturday mornings and Dark Shadows after school (addicted!) Click on the link.

2nd, we FED OURSELVES!   We ate 3 meals a day with  snacks in between. We ate REAL food that was mostly home-cooked and families sat down together for dinner in the evening. My mom sent my brothers and I off to school in the morning with a stomach full of eggs, bacon and toast (or oatmeal and juice) and she packed our school lunches every day (a routine I continued with my own kids). We didn't have the enormous array of processed foods that we have today--the aisles upon aisles of chips, crackers, bars, boxed and frozen dishes. And the processed foods we did have back then was healthy compared to today's offerings which are packed with artificial ingredients, lots of soy and corn, fillers, flavors, colors and devoid of live vital enzymes and natural vitamins and minerals, and all designed to be as cheap as possible, thus keeping food manufacturer's profits high.  Our body's Metabolic system knows what to do with the REAL stuff--but the fake?  It's confused!  And dysfunction follows, causing a cascade of unfortunate events leading to disease.

3rd, SUGAR wasn't KING!

We had treats for sure, my mom fixed dessert a few times a week--of course you couldn't have it unless you ate your dinner!  But there wasn't the abundance of sodas, energy drinks, flavored waters, artificial sugar, cookies, cakes, and bars in our cupboard and refrigerator.  Today we're inundated with these sugary calories every time we turn around, whether at home, the office or the grocery checkout line.  Not only does eating sweets constantly destabilize our blood sugar--leading to inflammation, fatigue, dehydration, insomnia, lowered immune system, and higher risk of chronic diseases--but it piles on the weight.  One soda per day for 365 days per year adds up to a 15 pound weight gain yearly--that's one big reason people consistently gain weight over time--too many calories, mostly from sugary sources, and we're NOT MOVING. Less than 50% of Americans exercise 3x per week for 30 mins, and more importantly most people are not active at all during the day. 

Back in the 60s and 70s, "Diets" were pretty unheard of and obesity was extremely rare.  Diabetes was something you might occasional find in an older person and Heart Disease was also uncommon--I knew more about it because I had it in my family.  You never heard about someone being on medication for cholesterol or blood pressure. And Cancer was never a childhood disease and only touched a very small number of adult lives.  Now these chronic diseases are epidemics, and sadly most of them are called "lifestyle diseases" because lifestyle factors far outweigh any genetic factor when it comes to determining risk to the individual. 

So why is it so hard to just take this practical common sense to heart and start making head way?  Well, it depends on how comfortable you've become with your status quo, how well you can "rock the boat" and manage living with a little discomfort for a short while as your brain gets rewired to think and feel differently. Changing habits that have developed over a lifetime is never the easiest thing, but it is the only thing you can do to make a 180 degree change in the direction you want to go. There are truly no quick fixes that won't boomerang back on you, no supplement, shot or pill that's going to create long-lasting change.  Creating new healthier patterns of behavior takes your desire, your brain, your will and your daily commitment.  Once you start though, it gets a lot easier as momentum builds and that starts to propel you a little faster towards your goal--but you've got to BEGIN, and there's no better time than NOW!

What has changed in our culture is  EVERYTHING.  We move less, we eat more and more that isn't REAL, and we consume far too many sugary calories.  We could add to this an overload of unmanaged stress that hampers our ability emotional, mentally and physical to take true ownership of our bodies and lives, and practice self-love and care.. These are the areas I work on with my clients as a Wellness and Nutrition Coach and Personal Trainer--it's a 360 approach to lifetime health and wholeness.  Just reach out if you need help creating the healthy life that you really want--for you, for the people you love.  My work is my passion and I want the very best for your life!  Contact me here

Try to keep thing 1, thing 2 and thing 3 in your mind this week and begin to act on good, practical common sense advice from the past that will create a much healthier future!

Be Well! Carol