Sleep Hygiene for Optimal Health & Fitness

Good sleep hygiene, done on a consistent basis, is your best, first course of action in supporting overall optimal health and vitality.
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If I told you that there is one important habit that if focused on, would automatically make all your other health and fitness disciplines work more easily, would you consider trying it? Of course there are no absolutes when it comes to nutrition and wellness science. But based on observation helping clients in nutrition and health coaching, sleep would be that one thing to focus on. There is a lot of old and emerging data on the impacts of sleep quality on our day to day lives. With that, a great place to start when considering what you can actually do within your control to improve sleep, is to begin the process of learning and mastering good sleep hygiene. So I thought I’d provide some information to help you assess your own sleep quality, sleep hygiene practices, and decide for yourself if and what you may want to do to embrace a better night’s sleep.

Good Sleep Hygiene Just Makes Sense

Sleep is a fundamental pillar of our overall well-being and plays a pivotal role in maintaining a healthy mind and body. Embracing the benefits of sleep and adopting healthy sleep hygiene practices can significantly enhance your quality of life. Beyond providing rest and rejuvenation, a good night’s sleep fosters improved cognitive function, memory consolidation, and emotional stability. It also bolsters our immune system, aids in weight management, and contributes to better cardiovascular health.

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What is Intermittent Fasting & Is It Worth the Hype?

a photo description showing the different types of fasting.
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Full
disclosure: I get so many inquiries from clients and people in general
asking, “what is intermittent fasting, and what’s your opinion on
it,” that I have been wanting to write this article for a long, long
time! But here is the thing: I typically try to actually do a diet at least a
couple times before writing about it. That way I’m able to also share my
personal experience with the protocol. But with my busy client schedule and
athletic training routine, I couldn’t find a compelling enough reason to
impose intermittent fasting and time restricted eating into my day to day
life. So, I’m sharing this article purely from research and observation in my
field of nutrition coaching work. So let’s dive in!

What is intermittent fasting? It’s a popular eating pattern that
has gained a lot of attention in recent years for its purported health
benefits. It involves alternating periods of fasting and eating, with the
goal of improving overall health and weight management. In this article,
we’ll take an in-depth look at intermittent fasting, its benefit claims, it’s
potential drawbacks, and whether I think you really need to do
it.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting (IF) is an eating
pattern that involves cycling between periods of fasting and eating. There
are several different approaches to intermittent fasting, but the most common
include:

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Tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain

Here are some tips for avoiding holiday weight gain.
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Indulging and gaining weight
over the holiday season is kind of like going into debt. It’s wonderful to
experience the immediate gratification that many high-fat, high-sugar,
carb-dense holiday foods  have to offer, but the pleasure doesn’t last
very long. And then it can take months for some people to recover physically
from the weight gain and other negative effects of unhealthy eating and
drinking. Wouldn’t it be nice to just avoid the holiday weight gain in the
first place, without sacrificing your fun?

According to this recent
study in the New England Journal of Medicine, chronic holiday
weight gain, and slow recovery time, are a reality for most Americans and
people all around the world. But you don’t have to be a part of the
statistics. Even though it is so close to Christmas, and you may feel like
any hope for managing your weight is lost, there is a lot you can do between
now and January 1st to give your body a healthy, helping
hand.

Tips for Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain
  • Burn Calories Daily.  All you
    need is about 30 minutes of brisk activity to keep that metabolism pumping.
    If you already have a daily workout, great! Keep it on the calendar. If not,
    just try to get anything in that will burn some calories. Or do things in
    addition to your daily Read More

A Real Weight Loss & Health Transformation Story

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Messages that convey weight loss
& health transformation are ubiquitous! Everywhere you look,
marketing messages on billboards, television and radio commercials,
magazines, friends with “breakthrough products,” and social media
are trying to sell us on their “solution” or “formula”
for the perfect, healthy body.

I want to share my weight loss & health transformation
story with you, with all the twists and turns and stuff that I learned along
the way! You can scroll down to skip right to the story and pictures, or read
the entire article…

In my 5 years of coaching hundreds of clients in nutrition, most
of which have focused on some degree of weight loss or body recomposition, I
have learned one solid scientific truth to be certain: Mastering healthy
habits and achieving sustainable weight loss & health is not
something you can accomplish in a hurry.

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Proactive Tips for Immune System Health

proactive-tips-for-immune-system-health
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Along with the COVID-19 pandemic
comes a tsunami of confusing and conflicting opinions and information about
immune system health and how to best protect and care for ourselves. I am not
an infectious disease expert. So telling you my opinion about whether I think
wearing a mask or not, how I feel about social distancing and self isolation,
or any other point of view related to disease control, would be not only
inappropriate and out of my scope of practice– but would also just add more
confusing opinions to the mix. This doesn’t really help
anyone.

So instead, I’ve prepared this article to help you better
understand what the data suggests (so far) as it pertains to what you
actually have control over in the face of this pandemic–  part of that
is your body’s own ability to thrive and defend
itself! Read More

Nutrition Coach- Do You Need One? Here Are Some Clues

nutrition-coach
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Nutrition coach, holistic health
coach, lifestyle coach, nutritionist…the world of wellness and nutrition
information, and the variety of professional designations, can be daunting.
So how do you know if you need a nutrition coach? Here are five clues that
you may want to look at. But first, let me share a little about my health
coaching & nutrition coaching approach.

Today’s food supply looks much different than it did 100 years
ago. Modern farming, demand for convenience, economics, and other influential
factors have us eating a lot more calorically dense, yet nutritionally
insufficient, and many times toxic foods and beverages. Our conventional
health care providers are not always set up, in the best way, to provide
in-depth education and guidance to people on the importance of establishing a
healthy lifestyle. This leaves many at a loss for a practical,
nutrition-based solution to their basic health and wellness goals and
objectives. Many of these can be supported by a more consistent,
healthy-eating lifestyle. But many people need the extra education,
knowledge, creativity, and personal guidance to make that happen. Simply
turning to a diet or a fad doesn’t really get to the core of what makes the
body function and thrive. That is where nutrition coaching comes
in.

So how do you know
if you need a nutrition coach?

1. You Feel Run Down & Want More
Energy

Proper nutrition is the key to maintaining healthy metabolism and
consistent energy levels. When we feel hungry, it is our cells telling our
stomach that they need nutrition. The key is to fuel your
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10 Superfoods for Your Autumn Grocery List

3 out of the 10 superfoods in this photo
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Often, when we think of
“superfoods” we think of special little bags of exotic seeds or
berries, always priced over $20-something for a few ounces. Because we are
conditioned in our Western culture to look at nutrition in separate
pieces, instead of the whole picture, many of us would typically purchase a
little bag of super food exotic something, sprinkle it over whatever, add
sugar, and voila- kind of like taking a pill for the indigestion caused by
the dinner we just ate.

“A lot of people have unrealistic expectations about these (super)
foods, thinking they’ll be protected from chronic diseases and health
problems,” Kris-Etherton
told Heart.org. “They may eat one or two of these nutrient-dense
foods on top of a poor diet.” In order to avoid falling into this pattern,
you need to look past the super marketing and cool packaging of the
superfoods trend, and learn how to incorporate seasonal, everyday super foods
into your everyday lifestyle.

10 Superfoods for
Your Autumn Grocery List

The fact is, many of the most common fruits and vegetables
that we all grew up eating can be Read More

Inflammatory Foods 101- What You Need to Know

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There is a lot of information on
the internet about inflammation,  inflammatory foods, and how to eat
that sometimes contradict each other. So, I thought I would put together some
basic information on what it even means to be an inflammatory food, what
foods are considered more inflammatory, and how you can protect yourself,
and-or heal, from their adverse affects.

First, let me explain what an inflammatory food actually is – it’s
when you consume a food and your body begins to attack that food and make
antibodies. The antibodies then create inflammation to help centralize the
area being affected by the foreign invaders and to help heal the area.
Inflammation is a natural outcome of an immune response in the body. However,
inflammation gone unchecked, such as in food sensitivities, can cause long
term symptoms and health problems like asthma, heart disease,
chronic headaches, digestive problems, pain and much
more. Read More

7 Superfoods for Summer Menus

superfoods for summer menus
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Entertaining and cooking
outdoors is one of my favorite ways to show my friends a good time. Many
people associate summer parties and barbecues with less healthful food
options. But you can infuse a lot of nutritional density into your celebration
by just knowing what’s at its best right now. Look for these
7 superfoods in season for summer and kick up the nutrition at all your
summer get togethers.

7 Superfoods In Season
for Summer

Blueberries: Blueberries are
available from May through October. So they are at their peak
now. Blueberries contain a type of flavonoid known as anthocyanins, which
are responsible for giving foods like blueberries, cranberries, red cabbage
and eggplants their iconic deep red, purple and blue hues. Anthocyanins are
responsible for more than just the blueberry’s pretty blue color – they also
contribute to the popular fruit’s numerous health benefits. This article from
Medical News
Today lists the many Read More

Edible Flowers You Can Find In Your Garden

edible flowers
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When we think about foods for
Spring, we often just think about the root, leaf, or stalk of the food. But
there’s a lot of nutritional and medicinal value being overlooked in many
varieties of edible flowers. Some flowers can be eaten, others can be mixed
in with the herb they are attached to, and then there are others that work
better as a tea or tonic.

This expands the argument for organic gardening. When you raise
your garden using GMO free, heritage, or heirloom seeds, and free from
chemical pesticides, you open up a whole new benefit from your typical flower
garden. Not only can you enjoy looking at your garden, but you can enjoy
eating and getting some nutrition form your flowers as well. Here is a list
of some edible flowers that you may not be aware are perfectly safe to eat,
along with some of their nutritional qualities.

Nutritious Edible
Flowers Sitting Right Under Your Nose

Nasturtium

Where I live in Southern California, nasturtiums grow wild and
sometimes occupy entire hillsides. Although foraging for wild edible flowers
can seem exciting, it’s best to only forage from private yards or remote
areas where you know for sure the flowers haven’t been contaminated by
pesticides, car Read More