It's here! My Holiday Thriving Tips

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Here it comes-- my favorite time of the year!   We keep things simple around here, basking in the time we can just spend together and enjoying 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 the 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, gift-giving financial strains, 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 keeping up that we forget that everything important in life starts with taking care of our health - so 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.  I began to look at what was important to me about this time of year, and how well I was taking care of myself, body and soul. Here are some of the things I put into practice then that are just second nature now! 

Holiday Thriving Tips:

Put people first. If the purpose of being together to make real connection, then people should be the centerpiece of the season, not food.  Don’t get me wrong, delicious food is essential, but set your intention on putting people first and really enjoy them. This is 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 stand your ground.  At the same time, let yourself  have a desert or treat, but limit it to ONE and slowly enjoy every delicious bite!   Do you really crave certain foods, like sweets or salty crunch?  Contact me and I'll send you my Best U article on cravings, what they mean and how you can turn a negative into a positive reaction!

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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 culinary skills!

Make a plate. Instead of grazing at the hors d'oeuvres table, just go ahead and make a plate so you can have a better measure of what and how much you’re actually eating. Nutritional              psychologists tell us that using smaller plates and bowls actually  help us eat less.

Embrace a plant-based diet.  Making fiber-filled veggies more of a centerpiece of your diet, with much smaller portions of meat and other foods, will help you get through the holiday season without the usual weight gain and bloat - and strengthen your immune system with all those antioxidants to stave off sickness. You'll also have a lot more energy and feel like going to that exercise class!

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!  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!

                                                                                                                 

Reach out!  Not wanting to appear needy can stop us                                                                                                                           from making wonderful connections with others at a                                                                                                                           time of year when it's easy to feel like an outsider.                                                                                                                                  Just remember, we are here for each other and                                                                                                                                         everyone has had  to reach outside their comfort                                                                                                                                     zones at different times in their lives. And maybe you                                                                                                                           can be the "connector' for someone else who needs a                                                                                                                             friend.  Just keep your eyes, ears and heart open!

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Share the season of brotherly love with yourself first.  Be compassionate and kind to YOU.  Practice self-care by starting the day with 10 minutes of mini-trampolining, a walk outside, stretching while deep-breathing, 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. These are reminders that you and your health are important, and this 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?

Want more tips like these? Sign up for my                                                                                                                                            bestUwellness Monthly Newsletter at the                                                                                                                                          bottom of this page,  and start living your best life!

Best U Specials!

Want a gift that keeps on giving?   For a limited time I have great special prices on all my Holistic Health and Nutrition programs which helps make it easier than ever to get thru the holidays without the weight gain and with a brand new healthy attitude going into 2018!  $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.  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!

Needing some healthy inspiration in your work place?  I love doing speaking engagements and have some awesome content to keep people healthier and happier in the work place!   Contact me, I'd love to help you be your Best U!

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Be Well!--Carol (and  Rob, Savannah, Dillon, Drew and Henry!)

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.

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!

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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.  

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  

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!  Find out more about my services on my website  and sign up for my e-newsletter at the bottom of this page, chock full of fresh inspiration for your Best You!

The Brain, The Gut and Hippocrates

Current research reveals that gut health is critical to our overall health, and that unhealthy gut flora leads to a wide range of diseases including diabetes, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, autism spectrum disorder, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome and other autoimmune diseases. Finding ways of supporting intestinal health and restoring the integrity of the gut is becoming one of modern healthcare’s new frontiers.  

Read More

It's More Than Skin Deep

In my makeup and hair freelance business, I see a lot of skin! And honestly it seems skin is getting worse over time for a lot of  young people. When I start talking with them about their skin care routine, I find that they are using harsh products on their skin and/or are using prescriptions meds, and I see them putting lots of junk in their mouths. It’s so important to look inside first at what's going on to find a cause, not just treat the symptoms. The body always strives towards healing, unless we put barriers in the way. Skin and digestive issues are intricately connected and once I guide my clients in making some dietary and lifestyle changes, skin clears up and looks younger and fresher. Your best age-defying product is REAL FOOD rich with live enzymes and antioxidants—think PLANTS!  These skin tips from friend Annamarie Gianni, maker of my favorite essential oil skin care lines,  are terrific.

If you’d like to try a special sample kit from Annmarie, click here. It’s only $10 and you get a free $10 coupon for your first purchase—sweet deal! I especially love the Anti-Aging Facial Oil and the Aloe Herb Facial Cleanser -makes my skin feel amazing!

Great skin treatment tip!  Try adding organic raw apple cider vinegar to your treatment routine! It has antibacterial and pH balancing properties, and helps to detoxify the skin and balance oil production. Add ¼ cup to a full glass of water, and drink it in the morning (this is also great for acid reflux!) Then, in the morning or evening, dip a cotton pad in a mix of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water, and smoosh all over the face, avoiding the eye area. You can also spot-treat any of your spots with the vinegar dipped in a Q-tip. 

Ferment It! Getting more fermented foods into our bellies is essential for good gut health, and great for our complexions! You can purchase a a high-quality organic product but why not try making your own for the thrill of it?  Although the process does take a few weeks, so you may want to purchase some while you're waiting. Learn more from my friends at Wild Fermentation. Here's a great recipe, the ginger really makes it zippy!

Ginger Carrot Saurkraut

  • 1 and 1/2 medium green cabbage, chopped finely
  • 3 carrots, grated
  • 1-2 TBS grated fresh ginger, depending how gingery you want it
  • 1 1/2 TBS unrefined sea salt

Directions:

  1. Carefully clean all equipment to be used. You can pour boiling water into glass jars or place dry jars in oven at 200 degrees for 10 minutes to sterilize. Place lids and utensils into a large glass bowl and pour boiling water over them (be careful!)
  2. Shred cabbage in food processor or cut by hand into thin shreds with a sharp knife. Place into a large glass bowl. Save a couple of the big outer leaves to cover kraut in the end.
  3. Shred carrots and add to cabbage, along with grated ginger. Sprinkle with sea salt and mix well.
  4. Pack mixture into large glass jar or crock. Press firmly down to release juices and remove any air pockets. Cover the mixture with a couple of outer cabbage leaves and place airtight lid on jar that is fitted with an airlock. Cover to block out light.

If after 24 hours, the liquid that is released does not cover the top of the kraut, make a brine (see recipe below) and pour it over the kraut until it is covered. Allow to sit, covered except for the airlock, for 4-6 weeks. Store in a glass jar in the fridge after it is done. 

NOTE: If you need a bit of extra brine in your kraut, simply mix 1 tablespoon of unrefined sea salt in one quart of water. Mix until salt is completely dissolved. Pour over kraut until liquid is above the level of the kraut.

How can I serve you? See more updated information about my Health & Nutrition Coaching Programs, Personal Training Services, or my Workshops & Retreats!

Be Well - Carol

GMO's and You

Are you sick of hearing about GMO's?  Is it just too much to worry about when there are so many other things going on in your life that you need to manage? Or maybe it's too confusing to understand, and especially with industry-paid-for ads and spokespeople (which can run the gamut between CEO's to researchers to science journalists, to politicians to everyday farmers) are telling you, "No worries, everything's fine, it's all safe, those other people are just crazy environmentalists!"  I get it. Seriously, between clients, classes, workshops, managing a home and family, and paying bills, it's hard for me to manage it all and still handle the informational overload every day to keep up with holistic health and fitness knowledge for my clients.  I am so grateful for sources that can help me understand difficult topics in a short amount of time, so today I present so today I present this short piece from Lisa Van, the 5-minute Molecular Biologist, . In 5 minutes you'll know WHY you should be concerned and HOW to be more proactive in your own kitchen to start a healthier life.

From my extensive research and political activism on this issue, I believe this is one of the most important topics of our time that is affecting the health of our soil, our food supply, and our families. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of monied interests in support of GMO's and influencing our national policy, so it’s important to not only make our opinions known but also to make the changes in our own households, using our consumer power.   

Most of my clients have digestive issues and gut problems. In fact, it's epidemic. If you have discomfort when you eat, problems in your elimination (diarrhea or constipation), skin problems, and low-energy, I will almost guarantee you that a change in your way of eating IS absolutely essential. If you work with me as your Holistic Health and Nutrition Coach we'll take a look at where your energy (food and drink) comes from FIRST, and then we look at all the other lifestyle factors. Eliminating GMO foods is at the top of the change list.  Need to know what those foods/food ingredients are? Click here for your free Quick Start Guide: How to Shop if You’re Avoiding GMOs.

Do you need a Renovation of your body and soul?  Do you need to clean your insides out and at the same time clean up the thoughts in your head that keep you captive to an unhealthy lifestyle? Then contact me! My Detox Divas (and Dudes!) Program will not only create healthy physical changes, but mental and emotional too.  I guarantee you’ll be not only energized but revived! See what my clients have to say! Contact me for my next start-up group date, or to work one-on-one with me!

Be Well - Carol

Time For A Revolution!

There are two things I can always count on as a new year arrives: more clients at the gym and more people dieting. Angst over body shape and size, fueled by trying to live up to impossible standards, gets worse as we start thinking about trying once again to create change and avoid the same old disappointments. The nagging fears about weight and the I’m-not-quite-ready-for-prime-time thinking follows us past midnight on December 31st, no matter how we try to party it away. We may think we’re hiding our insecurities, but if we’re a parent (or an adult who has kids watching and listening to them) the kids are not only picking up our body-image angst, but also dealing with their own stress; not only about their own bodies, but social, academic and athletic performance. And as anxiety increases, self-control decreases, as well as overall health and well-being. Just look around, it’s not hard to see.

Americans spend 42 billion a year on dieting and diet-related products, more than the federal government spends on education. This doesn’t even include what we spend on fitness products.  What we don’t realize is by our words and actions, we encourage children as young as 8 to buy into the tragedy of measuring self-worth by the numbers on the scale and their ability to be “perfect”. 

The results have been an explosion of eating disorders in every segment of the population, but especially teenagers and young adults, accompanied by poor self-esteem, shame, fatigue, self-mutilation, mental disorders and disease. If you’re my age, you grew up in a time when kids and families ate well, got plenty of exercise, were healthier and more content, and obesity was a rarity. And noone was on a diet. 

We have allowed food manufacturers and advertisers to usurp our responsibility to take charge over our buying and eating choices, which means we eat and cook less real food. So many of us today think that a processed muffin or Frappuccino is a real breakfast, chicken nuggets and fries are a meat-and-veggie combo, and a Lean Cuisine is the perfect low-calorie dinner. Faced by an onslaught of processed foods over the last 3-4 decades, we’ve seen our waistlines expand and the rates of all major diseases dramatically increase - and we know there’s a direct connection.  

Processed foods are sweetened, salted and chemicalized to appeal to our taste buds, so we’ll want to eat them compulsively. Your health is not the food manufacturer’s bottom line, money is. And these foods are very cheap to manufacture! Real food, with real flavors and natural vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber is much more satisfying, healing and strengthening, so we need and eat less. Try not buying junk food for a week and you’ll see your food bill go down. In a nut shell, REAL is always be the best choice.

According to cross-cultural studies, Americans are the world’s most anxious eaters. We worry more about food and derive less pleasure from eating than any other people on the planet.  We’re also fatter and sicker than any other developed nation. For others, the French or Italians for instance, eating is about pleasure, not fear or obsession. As a nation and people, we’ve forgotten when food was good for us and we approached the dinner table with hunger and thankfulness. 

It’s time for a change, time to push back against the media which saturates our minds and homes with images of unattainable thinness and “perfection”, courtesy of digital manipulation. It’s foolishness to strive for the “image” because that’s choosing to embrace the ”unreal” for ourselves and our families. Americans spent more than 11 billion on plastic surgery last year, and that’s mostly elective surgery for non-health reasons. That’s crazy. What’s the message this emphasis on fake and perfectionism sends to the next generation?

What about embracing uniqueness, fulfillment and gratitude? Not just in eating, but in every part of who we really are. Why do we try to beat ourselves up with exercise formats that are exhausting and unsafe, and are designed for professional athletes? 

There is no magic bullet! It’s time to approach the table and the rest of our lives with a reality check, and to commit to a life that is healthy, real and lasting - not fake and temporary. Together, we can teach the next generation to be not only wiser than us, but healthier and stronger in every way.

Time
Time to start a revolution! 
Be well,
Carol
Do you need a Renovation of your body and soul?  Do you need to clean your insides out and at the same time clean up the thoughts in your head that keep you captive to an unhealthy lifestyle? Then contact me! My Detox Divas (and Dudes!) Program will not only create healthy physical changes, but mental and emotional too.  I guarantee you’ll be not only energized but revived! See what my clients have to say!  
My next start-up date for this unique way of detoxing is February 1st, with early bird pricing till January 22nd.  Space is limited, so act quickly! 

My Best Tips To Stay Healthy This Winter

1. Keep your hands clean, with good old fashioned soap and hot water. Anti-bacterial products contain toxic ingredients like triclosan, and studies show that this chemical penetrates the skin and causes hormone disruption. Most health care professionals argue that for the general population there aren’t any benefits. Due to public response, many manufacturers are quietly removing this ingredient from their products, so check the label and see what you're using!

2. Make water your main drink. Dehydration is the start of many illnesses and diseases.  Nothing is water, except water! And drinking ½ your body weight in ounces is a good goal to have. It also fills you up, gives you energy (especially with fresh squeezed lemon juice), helps with digestion and metabolism, strengthens your immune system and keeps your skin looking good!

3. Avoid eating processed foods and refined sugars. At the very least, cut way back. It’s no wonder that most people get sick around Valentines, Halloween and Christmas. People tend to eat more sugary and processed foods due to holiday activities. Sugar lowers our immunity, and we know conclusively that it is largely to blame for the epidemic of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, as well as obesity. Focus on naturally sweet veggies and fruits instead. A good rule of thumb to follow when choosing foods: if it isn’t a whole food, avoid eating it regularly. Load up on real, whole foods (and plenty raw) for snacks and meals alike.

4. Consume plenty of healthy oils and fats. Real, organic butter (grass-fed and raw is a recommended), ghee, extra-virgin cold-pressed olive oils, coconut oils, flax seed oil. As well as healthy animal fats from organic, grass-fed sources and pasture-raised eggs. Supplement with fish oil daily and cod liver oil for Vitamin D.

5. Avoid vegetable oils and trans fats. These are in all processed foods, and include vegetable shortening, margarine and fake butter spreads, soybean, cottonseed, canola, corn, sunflower, safflower, and peanut oil - which are rancid, contain too many Omega 6s, and have inflammatory and hormonal disrupting properties. Read labels before you buy!

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” - Michael Pollan

6. The healthiest food is going to be what you prepare on your own at home, so increase these opportunities. Eat when hungry, stop when full. Become intuitive about what foods make you feel and operate at your best. Eat plenty of veggies and low-sugar fruits, like lemons, limes, grapefruit, and organic (frozen this time of year) berries. See the Clean 15/Dirty Dozen  list for how to spend food dollars wisely, and what is most important to purchase organic. Especially eat those in season in your local area. Vegetables and fruits are high in nutrients and antioxidants, which help thwart the development of disease and illness.

7. Drink bone broths. A lack of minerals is a big reason for illness and disease. Bone broths made from the bones of healthy animals and birds on pasture are full of easily-digested and essential nutrients which can help you stay healthy, such as magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, amino acids, and glucosamine (for bone health), and gelatin (muscles, metabolism, weight, skin, digestion, hair, fingernails, joint health).  Experiment with different types of sea salts in cooking! Here’s my favorite and easiest Bone Broth recipe, and I would definitely recommend grass-fed beef.

8. Eat real, fermented foods like home-made yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut. Be certain to take a good probiotic each day, especially if you are lacking fermented foods. 

9. Watch your intake of alcoholic beverages, which tend to increase during holiday months. Excessive alcohol has a negative effect on  your appetite, blood sugar, blood pressure and cardiovascular function, metabolic processes, and weight.

10. Make sure you are getting adequate rest and not over-extending yourself. Learn to say “no.” Stay home on a night where you might normally go out and rest, relax, and catch up. Have a family night. Go to bed by 10 p.m and get up early! You will be in tune with your circadian rhythms and be much healthier for it.

11. Set aside time for some regular exercise, and getting outdoors. In the colder months people tend to go to health clubs more, but indoor environments aren’t necessarily healthy, so bundle up and go for a walk, hike, or bike ride. At work, avoid sitting for long periods of time. Get up every 30 minutes and move around, or set up a standing desk!

12. Set aside time for contemplation, prayer, stress reduction, and relaxation.  Whether that is a hot bath, a massage, tai chi, yoga, stretching or meditation, make sure you give yourself this time to recharge.  Even 2-3 minutes of deep breathing everyday can reduce stress levels, improve focus, energy and metabolism.

13. If you do experience cold or flu symptoms, load up on probiotics, foods with healthy fats, and everything else mentioned above. Take time to pamper yourself, rest, and put off things that aren’t necessary so you can get back to a state of health quicker and easier.

14. Avoid taking pharmaceutical drugs and antibiotics unless absolutely necessary. These rarely help your body to heal sooner, are over-prescribed, and actually cause nutrient depletion and lowered immune system function by wiping out friendly bacteria that are vital to health.

Heres the deal! If you maintain a schedule of eating real food, most that you prepare yourself, avoid processed foods and beverages, take proper supplementation when needed, obtain moderate activity, exercise, rest, and relaxation, you will notice an improvement in your health. My hope is that you will have more energy, feel more productive, and fortify your immune system. 

Be Well! 

Carol

And Visions of Sugarplums Danced in Their Heads...

Adorable candy-grabbing Halloween monsters have disappeared, and now we quickly we move towards the winter Holidays. These can be wonderful and joyous times to be together and count our blessings, but also two major sugar binge times of the year. Is it any wonder that this is also a time for lots of flu and colds? Sugar suppresses the immune system by increasing inflammation and mucus, creating much more susceptibility to sicknesses, allergies and digestive issues. 

If you’ve been listening to health news over the past year or so, it’s become all too clear that it’s the sugar, not the fat, that’s causing the bulk of metabolic problems in our society. Insulin, which manages your blood sugar, is critical for life and good health (just ask any insulin-dependent diabetic), but constantly high insulin followed by sugar lows harms our health too, and has been implicated in virtually every major metabolic problem. I’m not just talking about High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), but sugars from all sources which have become so prevalent in our food supply, especially in our beverages. 

Did you know that a 20-ounce Coke contains 16 tsps. of sugar? That’s a third of a cup! And then, what about that candy bar that many of us turn to in the middle of the afternoon for a “pick me up?” A regular size Snickers equals about 4 tsps. of sugar in your body, a king size bar about 11 tsps. It’s numbers like these that are fueling our obesity and diabetes epidemic, heart disease and cancer. Artificial sugars are not off the hook either, with many studies showing no difference in weight management when we use them, also since these chemicals mimic sugar, the body reacts to most exactly the same way as sugar, taxing the adrenals and hampering metabolic functioning. 

Sugar is proven more addictive than cocaine and stimulates the same brain centers. Food companies know this very well, and in fact it’s put into almost all processed foods and drinks as a way of tantalizing our taste buds and our brains, telling us we need more—more! It’s also very cheap to use in many of it’s forms, especially HFCS—a heavily subsidized and very cheap GMO crop. If you find “high-fructose corn syrup” or the new term “corn sugar” on the label, you can be sure it is not a real, whole food full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants which are the very things that will keep your body healthy and able to combat disease and stress. 

Other key words to look for on labels? Concentrated fruit juice, dextrose, maltose, crystalline fructose, evaporated cane juice, invert sugar, raw sugar, malt syrup, cane crystals and fructose. Another important tip on reading product labels:  4.4gms = 1 tsp of sugar. So check “sugars’’ on the label, then divide grams of sugars by servings listed, and that's what you're ingesting in just one serving… think about it!

And parents, please control the amount of sugar your child is ingesting each day. I know it’s difficult to change habits, but working in naturally sweet fruits (and in small amounts) and naturally sweet veggies (carrots, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, etc.)  will help re-sensitize their taste buds to the subtle taste of real sweet and also keep them healthier this winter – not to mention help them avoid many of the chronic lifestyle diseases that are epidemic in the US.

Whether you’re a parent or not, you are the CEO of your kitchen and household, so take charge! 

Need help with making your family healthier and happier? Want to stay accountable during the holiday season with strategies for healthy eating and fitness? I'm offering $75 off three months of any Health Coaching Program if you sign up by November 19th.  I’ll help you not only survive the holidays, but THRIVE without the weight gain and guilt, and you can still eat, drink and enjoy all the festivities! And you'll start the New Year with a whole new attitude and no regrets

Pregnant Mamas, Please Don't Do Bootcamp!

Pregnancy + Bootcamp = NEVER!

One of my great joys for many years has been teaching a VERY early morning mat class 2 days a week at my local YMCA. Many of the same fabulous women who began with me are still there, and yes we do all drag ourselves in there at 6am. But by 7am we are bright and ready to take on the day, feeling strong, stretched, oxygenated and energized! The great thing is then we’re DONE with fitness for the day, off to other things -like work. : ) Last week I had a new student who came up to me before class started to let me know she was 20 weeks pregnant and would appreciate any adaptations that she should make. First of all, she’s one smart cookie who cares about her health and her baby, and second, she’s picked the right class because I major in giving modifications and love helping all my students have a successful and safe workout. 

My pregnant mama did great during the class and there were several times I helped her adapt positions and checked in to make sure she was okay. As we were putting equipment away, she thanked me for my help, and also told me that being pregnant was making her scared about her weight and body. She expressed frustration with not knowing how to best exercise and eat because of all the conflicting information coming from different directions. (I understand, I’ve birthed three kids and it’s not easy to cope!) She’d done Boot Camp her first semester, but stopped when she realized she was hungry all the time.  

Seriously folks, being hungry all the time is only half the story. What about all those stress hormones coursing through the mom and growing baby’s veins? Not only that, but there is much greater risk to joints because of a changing center of balance, and a greater risk of direct abdominal trauma, falling or injury. Straining to handle heavy weights causes increased intra-abdominal pressure which could cause uterine contractions or rupture of the membranes surrounding the uterus. There’s also greater risk of becoming dehydrated and decreased blood flow to the uterus. Very Intense exercise IS NOT what pregnant women need! It's way too much for mom, and the baby needs the extra energy used  by this demanding workout to grow and develop.  

If this is you, please don't listen to the cascade of voices that tell you to be worried about your weight or that you should be afraid you'll never "get your body back" after birth. Pregnancy is never a time to diet and feel like you're working out just to work off calories, nor is ANY time for that matter! You have a little human being growing inside you that needs healthy foods, lots of water, balanced metabolic activity (that means eating, rest, work, stretching, moderate cardio, strengthening, breathing, sleeping, and all in good measure), and a peaceful, hopeful and happy mama host - not one consumed with worry about not working out hard enough, and "what does that freaking scale say today?!"  

healthy pregnancy eating.jpg

If you're loving your body, eating and drinking healthy, and taking care of yourself in every way, weight will not be an issue EVER. And yes, you'll take off the extra weight later - again, the healthy way - and your body may be a little different, but still va-va-voom! Let yourself enjoy this time, it's precious for you and the babe in so many ways!  And please, don't punish yourself for being pregnant!

One of the best things about training one-on-one is that I’m privileged to help someone do things the right way avoiding injury and chronic problems that develop because of improper form, core instability, over-stressing of joints and lack of balance.  I’m also trained to adapt exercises for different fitness levels as well as physical circumstances, and I’m constantly learning from my students and clients—as well as PTs and Doctors that I come into contact with through my practice.  I’d love to help you learn and become stronger, better and healthier!  If you need help knowing how to eat and exercise, so that you wake up energized and feeling healthy every morning - whether you're pregnant or not - contact me! 

Wellness and Nutrition Coaching Special

I'm offering $75 off three months of any Health Coaching Program if you sign up by November 15th! I’ll help you not only survive the holidays, but THRIVE without the weight gain and guilt, and you can still eat, drink and enjoy all the festivities!

Creating Resilience and Change

I had a crazy encounter with a woman at the park near my house a few weeks ago, and it reminded me of just how many people are living on the edge. By that I mean, it doesn't take much to slip into a WAY over the top response to a very normal situation. 

What should have been a 1 or 2 on the reaction scale skyrocketed into a 10: eyes bulging, pulse racing, temperature rising, lungs yelling, and mouth cursing. It's difficult to conceive of a grown adult treating another person this way, especially one who isn't taking the bait. This is the type of escalation you might find in a locker room right before the peers arrive and start egging on the girl-fight. Teenage craziness.

I can only be sorry for this woman from the park, and wonder what is really eating at her soul - what type of stress she's under everyday. (And seriously, what she’d had to eat or drink that morning!) It’s easy to see that modern life and its pace has wreaked havoc on our ability to be resilient. We experience that pressure ourselves, and see it in other people. The old adage of pulling ourselves up by our boot straps gets harder and harder to emulate. While the term resilience is defined as the ability to withstand stress, change and catastrophe, it doesn't mean going through life without experiencing pain, anger and hurt. Being resilient means having the ability to work through our circumstances without completely losing it, to bounce back from our struggles, not completely avoid them or simply be spared the stress that life can bring. At times we’ll still find ourselves right on the edge, but with just enough self-awareness to pull ourselves back before jumping.

The wonderful thing about resilience is that it’s not something you're either born with or not.  It's cultivated as we grow older and gain better thinking and self-management skills, more knowledge about what’s good for us and how to take responsibility for our own lives and others. There are things we can do to increase our capacity to be resilient: foster close relationships, cultivate a positive view of ourselves and our abilities, eat cleaner, let our bodies rest and move, and learn to manage strong feelings and impulses by using self-control and good communication skills. Did you know that our capacity for resilience expands when we ask for help? Being an island and struggling alone isn’t necessary, and it’s not healthy.

Learning to be resilient is also about practicing courage. When we act courageously by taking on challenges, we create more courage to take on other risks - and that makes us stronger, more adaptable and more resilient in every area of our lives - it's an amazing cycle of positive growth!  This growth helps us remain calmer and less stressed, knowing we don't have to overreact in the face of adversity; we can step back for a moment to assess the situation, and look for solutions and amiable outcomes. 

Take time to ask yourself these questions:

  • What kind of stress are you under and how do you deal with it?
  • What are the things you feel you can't change? And is that true?  
  • What would happen if you did change your mindset? How would that affect your ability to be resilient?  
  • What will happen if you don’t change how you're living, where will that lead?  
  • What actions are going to have the best outcomes for your life?

We may not be able to control the changes in our lives, the events or people around us, but we can courageously play the one card we have: our frame of reference. As captains of our own lives, we can choose our mindset, we can choose to live and act differently when difficulties arise, to chart a new course when we see problems coming our way or unhealthy behaviors dragging us down. As a victim of circumstance, we have no choice. Which would you rather be, captain or victim? You get to decide. What a gift!

Are you looking for help along the way? Are you ready for a challenge? The last Detox Diva workshop of 2015 begins October 19th. Six weeks to jumpstart your health, inside and out. Prepare to enjoy everything about the upcoming holiday season, while staying healthy, energized and non-stressed. This can be the year when you don’t gain the extra 10 and you’ll go into 2016 feeling renewed! Guys can also do this, so Detox Dudes, sign up! This is a wonderful thing for a couple to do together or a group of friends. Prices will go up in January, so this is the last time you can get this program at an amazing price.

To learn more about the Detox program, click here. It's a great start! If you want help cultivating long-term changes to build your capacity for resilience both physically and mentally, contact me about my in-depth Health Coaching programs.

Be well!  Carol

 

Why Not Shift?

In sports and competitions, there are always winners and losers. We accept this and cheer for our favorites, sometimes the underdog and sometimes the most likely to succeed. We love it because it’s an unfolding story about strategy, skill, patience, persistence, and hard work.  

Except when it’s not. When the games are rigged, the athletes are doped, the officials lie, and the judges are paid off.

Just one example of sport’s fallen heroes, Lance Armstrong, with his can-do attitude. He was our Golden Boy, an American - no, a human success story! His narrative was so compelling: cancer survivor, seven time Tour de France winner, an entrepreneur creating from his own struggles and successes an amazing cancer survivor foundation and movement, LiveStrong. What a winner!  Until we discovered he wasn't. Armstrong’s inflated ego and anything-to-win instincts had made him feel invincible, untouchable, and above the rules. In wanting so badly to be a winner he had became a loser, and we all fell from Grace.

Unfortunately, comparison is always part of competition. They have that thing, so I need that thing too, or I need an edge on what they've got.  It’s the “killer instinct” and “the strongest survive” mentality - and this is the same stuff bullies are made of. We see them at games, outbreaks in the stands and on the playing field; fighting, screaming, whining. We didn’t win, it’s not fair! Why you, why not us, why not me? We also see them in everyday life, in our neighborhoods, classrooms, tv's, school hallways, on the internet. They play their games and use words and threats to neutralize their victims - the weaker among us. This mentality doesn’t sow acceptance or compassion, it leads to a narrowed eye and closed heart, and has ruined many a life.

Every day we see this truth in our society. The poor, or the weak, will always be with us. They’re on our corners selling newspapers, crowding homeless shelters, coming to our front doors and sleeping on bus stop benches. What are we to do? The strong ones in our culture, the “winners” might not be empathetic. With narrow eyes, what is perceived as weak is often declared unworthy and unlovable, a "failure" to be avoided. During our last great financial crisis, it was Wall Street vs. Main Street, and the "Occupiers" were called slothful, unemployed nuisances and bums.  Pride, greed, fear and nearly causing another Great Depression were totally acceptable (and evidently non-prosecutable), but Main Street's hopelessness and anger at the concentration of power in the hands of very few, and the underlying economic disparity, were treated with disdain.  It was obvious to all that the game was rigged and the criminals got away with it.  

Making friends and having healthy relationships is really hard, pretty much impossible, when you’re caught up in the comparison and competition game. To try to overcome or even keep up requires so much emotional energy that there’s not enough left to just BE YOU, and let others just BE THEMSELVES. To be real and present in a relationship, one has to be vulnerable enough to take the winner-at-all-cost mantle off to even out the playing field. This is how we remain open to the very real possibility that we're on this earth not to compete or always be right, but to encourage, support, and comfort each other. To help each other climb the mountain, and then to celebrate the wind at our backs that helps us fly down the other side!

Sports are competitive, and that won't change.  Unfortunately, today it’s been tainted with so much money and ego that it hardly resembles a game. But out here in the real world, beyond the arena, the halls of congress and the spotlights, it should me more about community and collaboration as a way to support and lift each other, to create momentum to reach our highest good and potential.

Maybe it’s time for a paradigm shift. Instead of Winners and Losers, how about Collaborators? 

How about creating a new habit of asking someone “What can I do for you today to help you be your best?” and in humility, asking yourself “What do I need in this moment from someone else that can help me be my best?” That’s vulnerability, not competitiveness or self-sufficiency.  Together we become stronger and more effective than if alone. 

How about trusting people again instead of being suspicious? Being honest instead of avoiding others? Seeing beyond someone's skin and lot in life to really see their hearts, to realize we are more alike than not. Believing that mutual respect and kind communication can work things out, so everyone feels that they are valuable, instead of dishonored and demoted, in other words, a “loser”.

It can be tough out here on the road, especially when you’re struggling and there seems to be no end in sight. But open your eyes, you’re not alone - can you see your Collaborators around and ahead of you? Just draft off their back wheel, and have faith: your up-and-over is coming. And to those of us at the front of the line? I believe we need to be willing to make a shift today; provide a smile, a respite, and a hand-up to those who are struggling. We’re all in this together, and together we’ll make it.  The only way this works smoothly is if everyone joins in and shifts together.   

Excuse me, if you will, my idealism, my holistic view of a better life. But, why not? 

Why not shift?

If you need a Collaborator and Coach to help you overcome obstacles to be your healthiest and strongest, contact me!

September News

It’s a fresh new day at bestUwellness, with lots of great things planned for the rest of this year and a brand new website! I hope you’ll enjoy perusing my renovated site, with lots of new additions: BestUShop, Guest Speaking, Testimonials, Workshops & Retreats, and great new info about me and my services. There’s nothing that jazzes me more than helping people get healthy and realize their goals and dreams, it’s my passion! So whether you need a one-on-one Health Coaching program, a 6-week fresh start Detox, a Certified Personal Trainer, a Guest Speaker for your weekend retreat or conference, or someone to get you and your business staff in ship-shape, I would love to help you!

Let me know what you think about my new site and any questions you might have!

The American Waistline

Where Has The American Waistline Gone?

Surely you can look around and see that waistlines are disappearing. As a health professional, I am very alarmed because this type of weight gain in the central fat area around the organs is a predictor of a huge increase in risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes. So I looked up the stats!

The average American lady in the 1960’s was 5 feet, 4 inches tall and 120 lbs, with a waist size of 24-25 inches, and a BMI of 20.59. She wore what was referred to then as a size 8, which in today’s sizing is more like a size 4. The average American lady today is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and 166 lbs, with a waist size of 37.5 inches, and a BMI of 28.49, and wears around a size 10-14.

The American women's body weight has increased by 18.5 percent since the 1960's.

Meanwhile, guys you are not off the hook: U.S. men have also gained almost 30 pounds— 166.3 to 195.5 pounds today, with the increase in waistline as well. (But I'm dedicating this post to the gals.) Now I read so many things claiming 'oh, it's hormonal', it's menopause, it's genetics, it's sleep deprivation, its medication... And in truth, these can all play a part! But let's go ahead and look at the first three potential causes: hormones, menopause, genetics, all of which we should be dubious about, because did not the women in the 60's have the same chemical/hormonal issues we do, and also receive genes from their relatives? Let's look at sleep deprivation. Absolutely our metabolism can get whacked by this, but there are lifestyle strategies we can implement to get more in line with how often and how long our bodies want to sleep. Medication? Yes, definitely, and I am very attuned to health coaching and personal training clients who are dealing with several meds and the effects on their weight. But there are also strategies for dealing with this, and the first place we start is: what are you putting in your mouth? Where do you get your energy from, and what lack-of nutrients is affecting your hormonal balance?

The biggest change since the 1960s is the explosion of fast, processed, and convenience foods with little or no nutritional value, coupled with the decrease of physical activity, especially in the last 15 years where we've seen the rise of obesity in both adults and children. These have led to the epidemic we now have in this country. And this is exactly where we start to begin to whittle that waist down! 

Need help? Contact me, I think I can find your waist for you!

The Protein Craze

We are currently in yet another food fad in this country - The Protein Craze!

As if we really need to be concerned about not getting enough protein! Americans typically eat WAY more than they need, and especially in animal products. Protein is an essential nutrient that plays a key role in how our bodies function, but despite all the hooplah about high-protein diets, our protein requirements are really not that much: only about a third of a gram per pound of body weight.  

Protein should provide about 15% of an average healthy person’s daily calories. As a rule of thumb, people of both sexes and any size will do fine with about 60 grams of protein a day. 

About 6-12 ounces of meat for example, will more than fit the bill! If you are active and a regular exerciser, you will need more protein in your diet. (This is not an estimate for professional athletes or bodybuilders, this is only for the average person.) A woman’s risk of breast cancer goes up significantly the more animal protein they consume, so it’s recommended that women only have one serving of animal flesh per day. In fact, eating a high-meat diet is related to a much higher risk for many diseases in both males and females, especially heart disease and colon cancer. Excess dietary protein also increases calcium loss in the urine, raising the risk for osteoporosis and kidney stones, and resulting in more inflammation throughout the body.

To avoid weight gain, you don’t want to take in more protein than you need. Your body will use the protein it needs and actually just store any extra as fat! We also need to be concerned with meat sourced from factory farms that raise animals loaded with growth hormones and antibiotics, and increasingly provide products contain salmonella contamination, not something you will find in organic sources, nor in most local sources of meat. Just keep in mind, it’s always more important to eat a varied diet than to isolate and focus on any one nutrient.

Did You Know? A cup of cooked lentils provides you with almost 18 grams of protein and 16 grams of fiber! Lentils are also loaded with iron, zinc, phosphorous, potassium and folate. In fact, plant foods are a great source to fill your protein needs. Including more plant sources of protein will also offer more health benefits including more fiber and nutrients. There are lots of nutrient dense foods with a high protein content!

Website Makeover!

You may have noticed some changes here at the bestUwellness site! I'm excited to launch the full site, including a full online shop for health coaching and personal training services soon!