My goal is to help you improve your health so you can pursue your life’s adventures. And in 2017, I’m going to do something new. Each month this year, I will present one habit to work on and give you the tools and resources to be successful. Let’s get started.
Does this sound familiar?
“I do really, really good for a while, maybe a few weeks, or months, but then I slip. I sabotage myself, and I may not get back on track for weeks, months, or sometimes years”. As a fitness coach, I hear it all the time.
Today, right now, together, we’re going to take action two simple habits to say good-bye to the #1 perpetrator of your healthy living or weight loss efforts: the all or nothing thinking.
It’s simple, it’s free, and I invite you to join me in focusing on these two habits for the month of January.
Dive into the podcast to learn more!
Christmas decorations are making their debut, and the smell of fresh baked gingerbread cookies is in the air. Sticking to a healthy eating plan and regular exercise routine can be a battle any day of the year. During the holidays, however, festive feasts, willpower-impairing spirits, and tempting chocolate truffles team up to challenge even the most resolute health nut.
Unfortunately, the fear of putting on a few pounds, the stress of making too many ‘food choices’, or the feeling of guilt after indulging in too many shortbread cookies can overshadow holiday joy. tress and guilt around food choices is counterproductive to keeping healthy and enjoying the holidays.
Fortunately, you CAN look and feel your best during the holidays! Follow these tips to thrive during the holidays: to fully enjoy the holiday season without ringing in the New Year feeling like the jolly man himself.
In this episode of the Fit and Vibrant You Podcast I discuss simple strategies and mindshift changes so you go from merely surviving the holidays to THRIVING!
Think: being in charge of your eating habits, sticking to a workout schedule, managing stress, ENJOYING the holiday season!
My guest today is Kalene Smith, co-owner of Go Time Training, a fitness studio in Witchita, Kansas. I know Kalene through a business coaching program, and when we met, and learned more about her, I knew that you would want to hear from her as well.
During the interview, though, I quickly learned how much her story mirrors my own. And honestly, it's so refreshing to connect with other health and fitness professionals who can recognize that success goes far beyond the scale, and that health is not measure in body fat percentage.
In this podcast you'll learn about:
What happened when Kalene's decided to 'get healthy and lose weight', and cut down to 800 calories per day
How she found strength training, and bikini competitions, and what she learned in the process
Why she recommends some of her clients put their 'scale in jail'
Her own personal journey to overcome mindset challenges
Simple things you can do to get in the right mindset for real change
Have you ever been told that "food is just fuel"? If that was true, why is food such a huge part of our culture? We celebrate with food. We connect with food. We LOVE good food. And that's part of being human.
I'm excited to invite chef Bonnie Friesen to the Fit and Vibrant You Podcast to talk about how we can shift from seeing food as simply macronutrients and nutrition, and something that gives us energy, or perhaps something we fear, to seeing food as an amazing, enjoyable experience. How food nourishes our soul, and can help us build meaningful relationships with loved ones.
In this interview you'll learn:
- How to turn the most basic meals you prepare into an experience
- The benefits of eating local, in season foods, and how to do it
- To shift the way you see food and cooking from 'something you have to do' to something you get to do
The night is darkest just before dawn.
And for Ashley Wiles, that is certainly true.
Ashley has a powerful story of how running helped her through some pretty dark times of her life, and ultimately saved her life. From her difficult experience, she founded Sole Girls, an empowerment program for girls ages 8–12 to teach girls about self–esteem, confidence, bullying, being a positive peer, goal setting and success, healthy living, values and more!
Do you feel judged by others, especially other women? Or, do you find yourself comparing yourself to those around you, and perhaps trying to pick apart and being others down? Do you feel like you have no boundaries and are give most of your time and energy to others: career, family, friends, parents, with little time to 'fill your own bucket?'. If so, this podcast is recorded just for you.
Up until recently, I only knew a little bit about Aryn Savard: I knew she owned the Goddess Movement, a pole fitness and circus studio in Abbotsford BC- and that she can dance... like really dance (click here to visit her Facebook page and check out the videos!) But when we met up for a walk (yes, with her dogs), the conversation flowed, and I knew you'd love to hear from her.
We cover a lot of topics such as...
How many times have you been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, or that you need to eat small meals often throughout the day to 'fire up you metabolism'.
What if it's simply not true?
I'm thrilled to bring Sharon Fast, Registered Dietitian (back onto the Fit and Vibrant You Podcast for the third time) to talk all about Intermittent Fasting.
We cover:
What it is
Who should do it (and who should not do it)
Benefits of Intermittent Fasting
The right mindset for Intermittent Fasting (in other words... don't make this another 'diet'!)
Simple steps to get started
I interviewed Sharon in Episode 2 (Eating for All Day Energy) and Episode 31 (Supplementing your Real Food Diet). Sharon is also a contributor to the Whole You Transformation Project, and someone I regularly refer my clients to go see for additional nutrition support.
And if you live in Chilliwack, BC (my hometown) be sure to check out the Emotional Eating Seminar on October 26th. It's free (yay!) but registration is required.
Do you recall times in your life, or maybe you're like this right now, when you just feel really good? You're inspired, you have energy, and you're simply happy.
And then there's other times when things aren't so hot. Everything seems to be a bit of a struggle.
Wouldn't it be nice to know why, and better yet, what you can do about it?
In this podcast I chat with Michelle Richardson, business and life coach, author and founder of Momentum Works, about Needs-Based Goals that Inspire Action.
There are many ways to set goals; few, if any, are as effective at inspiring action and achievement as a needs-based approach. Each person has a unique set of personal needs; discovering them and designing their life around them is a critical, yet little known determinant of success and happiness. Setting goals that align with personal needs and result in the experiences required to feel inspired, vibrant, and fully alive on a daily basis makes them more compelling and increases the likelihood of achievement.
In this episode you'll learn:
How to determine what your personal needs are
How to set goals to align with your personal needs
A bit more about me... Michelle uses the needs-based goals assessment on me :) Be sure to download personal needs worksheet by clicking here!
Connect with Michelle online: www.momentumworks.com
Email: michelle@momentumworks.com
I have to. I can't. I shouldn't. If I don't do it, no one else will.
Rules, expectations. Usually self-inflicted can rob us of our happiness and the ability to take care of ourselves. Instead of spending time doing the things we want to do, we fill up our schedule with the 'have to's', the obligations. And the outcome is often resentment, failed relationships and letting ourselves go.
My guest today is Amy E. Smith. Amy is a certified confidence coach, masterful speaker, and personal empowerment expert. Founder of TheJoyJunkie.com, Amy uses her roles as coach, writer, podcaster, and speaker to move individuals to a place of radical personal empowerment and self-love. With acute focus on helping people "find their voice", she is highly sought after for her uncommon style of irreverence, wisdom, and humor and has been a featured expert on Fox 5 San Diego and YourTango.com.
We talk about:
How to determine which things/ tasks/ events to say yes to, and when to say no
Exactly what to say so that you can say no with grace
Simple action steps to get started on setting boundaries and spending more time doing the things that are truly important in your life
I got so fired up during this interview- I look forward to sharing it with you! Be sure to visit Amy online at the www.thejoyjunkie.com to download her free workbook "How to Stand Up for Yourself without being a Dick".
Do you want to get the most out of your time at the gym?
Silly question. Of course you do!
In this podcast I go over 4 steps to optimize your workout. And, to make it super simple, I've put together a handout for you. Click the big green button to download the "Optimize your Workout" Worksheet.
Are you stressed? Do you feel burnt out? Overwhelmed?
Me too.
Life is good. Really good. But sometimes things can still get a bit too much. To many 'to do's'. Too much work (even though you may love it). Not enough play. Not enough down time.
In this podcast I share a few questions to ask yourself if you're feeling this way, how to check in with yourself, and a few simple actionable items to implement right away. I have a few podcast interviews lined up with AMAZING guests (can't wait to share) on the topics of self care, saying no, early warning signs that your life is out of balance.
In this podcast I bring on Sue Iverson to talk about her transformation from being a 'chubby' kid, to a battle to lose those last 5 pounds as an adult, and her journey to find real health.
I recently received this question: “I find it challenging to stick to a healthy eating routine while I’m at work. I have long days; sometimes they start at 7am and end at 9pm. To make things worse- most of our meetings are over meals. The meals are usually catered, and the food is pretty unhealthy. Sometimes I skip the meals, but then go too long without eating and get overly hungry. I find it really challenging to pack all my meals with me. Please help! “ –Katrina B.
Katrina thanks for your question. First, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with finding the time to prep and pack food for meals outside of the home. Your situation is especially difficult as sometimes you are out for all your meals, and the meal options at meetings are not the best choice.
In this week's podcast I give 9 Tips to Easy Meal Prep.
If you search for ’30 Day Challenge’ on the Internet, you’ll quickly realize the popularity of 30-Day Challenges. There’s a plethora of options, from ab challenges, to squat challenges to arm and weight loss challenges.
They all go something like this: Day one 5 reps of exercise X, Y and Z. On day 2, you do 6 reps of each exercise. On Day 3 you do 7 reps and so on and so on, until by day 30, you’re doing quite a few repetitions of the 1-4 different exercises. Sometimes there’s a rest day built in: for example, you’ll do 6 days of an exercise, then take one day of rest.
As a fitness professional and lifestyle coach, I understand the allure of 30 day Challenges. Even though I fiercely promote long-term lifestyle changes, doing a “rest of your life” challenge is not appealing. As humans, we are hardwired to focus on short-term goals, which, when stacked up with a continuous number of goals, and quickly lead to a lifestyle change. We love challenges, seeing that there will be an end point, and are able to stay focused. There’s nothing wrong with doing fitness and health challenges: they are a great way to get back to being focused on your health after a bit of a drift, and they can kick start you back to healthy habits.
There are, however, a few downsides to this particular type of 30-Day Challenges. And in this podcast, we go over the dark side of 30-Day Challenges, and what to do instead.
We often talk about goals in terms of outcomes. For example, we have weight loss goals, or we want to improve our health, or our fitness level. But what about how we want to feel? And how we want to live our life?
In this episode, I talk to Ann Green all about creating simple rituals so that you can truly live the life you want to live.
We talk about:
Ann is a yogi, a runner, a surfer and a shineologist and has been teaching this revealing force of nature in her approach to yoga, humbly inspiring more bliss in this awe inspiring world. Ann’s mission in life is to manifest that deep vibration of connection and happiness discovered through the web and flow of love and nature. An active green ‘be’ing, she inspires others to act as a conduit in their own deep power all as an integral part of the magical tapestry of life interwoven and connected to be a force of that nature and surf that magical tapestry creating a truly deep and connected quilt of community, harmonious to all. She aims to inspire and to spread happiness in neighbourhoods everywhere ~ SHiNE on! She radiates living life to the fullest!
We often talk about the physcial benefits of exercise- preventing heart disease, maintaining a healthy body weight, bone health, maintaining strength and function. But most people I work with also understand the mental benefits of exercise. In fact, the most common reason people workout is simply because it improves their mood. It helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It improves focus, concentration and productivity. I hear "it makes me a better mom". It simply feels good.
And quite frankly, moving your body because it feels good is a lot more motivating than exercising to burn calories, or to reduce a risk of heart disease.
But do you know why exercise improves your mood and brain health? And do you know what types of exercise best boost your brain health?
I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Dr. Norm Hoffman on the neurological benefits of exercise, and I'm excited to share this episode with you.
Thirty-four years ago, Dr. Hoffman's dad visited his medical doctor because of severe lower back pain that was preventing him from being able to do the manual labor associated with is job. His doctor told him that there was nothing he could do for him and that he would probably end up in a wheelchair within a few years. Dr. Hoffman's didn’t accept this answer and upon the advice of a friend visited their chiropractor. Right away he experienced great relief and his back pain went away in a short time. And that prompted Dr. Hoffman's decision to become a chiropractor.
Since graduating valedictorian with research honors, Dr. Hoffman has continued his passion for learning. He has completed courses and earned certifications in the following so that he can offer his patients the broadest range of natural health choices possible. Dr. Hoffman's credentials include Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Neurology Board and Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician.
In this episode you'll:
Today we're talking all about motivation!
Is there something you want... maybe it's improved fitness level, to take better care of your health, or to lose weight... but your actions aren't aligned with what you want? In other words, you say you want to get in better shape... but you never really stick with it?
If so, I can relate. And in this podcast I dive into a few big picture mindset shifts to help you bridge the gap between desire, and action.
Do you ever feel just plain tired? Like you don't have enough energy to do the things you want to do in life. And you know something's going on... but when you get help, you're told you just need some down time, or to sleep more, or you need anti-depressants?
Exhaustion is NOT normal. And in this episode, I talk to Dr. Carri Drzyzga about some of the reasons we may feel exhausted all the time, and more importantly, what we can do about it.
Dr. Carri Drzyzga is known internationally as ‘The Functional Medicine Doc’ – the go-to expert on finding the root causes of health problems so you can feel normal again. She is a chiropractor and naturopathic doctor, host of the popular podcast “The Functional Medicine Radio Show”, and author of the hit book “Reclaim Your Energy and Feel Normal Again! Fixing the Root Cause of Your Fatigue with Natural Treatments”. Dr. Carri is the creator of “Entrepreneurial Fatigue: How to Fuel Your Brain & Body for Entrepreneurial Success”. Her private practice is Functional Medicine Ontario located in Ottawa, Ontario.
In this episode you'll:
Hear Dr. Carri’s personal journey from overworked, over stressed and over committed, and how she used functional medicine to heal herself, and how she applies the same principles to help clients all over the world
Learn what functional medicine is, and who it can benefit
Learn why cortisol is important- but having coritsol imbalance can be detrimental
Discover why you may still have a problem, even though all your tests come back 'normal'
Learn how to make the smoothie that Dr. Carri drinks for all day energy (we're talking 6-9 hours!)
Visit Dr. Carri online:
www.DrCarri.com
Imagine going an entire year eating only whole foods and no added sugar? Now imagine doing it with two young kids.
Becca Sterritt is doing just that. She's a mom of a 5 year old and 2 year old and as of November 1st, 2015, her family is undertaking a project to live one year without sugar and processed foods. On her blog, One Year Without, she shares delicious, easy to make recipes and lessons learned along the way.
Going an entire year without eating any processed foods may not resonate with you, and Becca is not going to tell you that you should never eat anything processed, or that all sugar is bad for you. However, she is on the podcast to share a lot of real life tips, tricks and mindset shifts so that you can transition to eating more whole, real foods.
In the interview we talk about:
Today we're talking all about carbs!
Carbs get so much attention these days. Are carbs good or bad? Which carbs are good? Is sugar bad for me? And today we're going to learn why carbs are important, how much we need, and dive into simple ways to manage your carb intake.
When you try one of the 'low carb' swaps, take a photo, post to Instagram or the Facebook group and tag #fitvibrantlife so I can see your creations!
Recently a client asked me about the macronutrient diet. I was a bit confused. Building meals that are macronutrient balanced is nothing new. This new 'diet' though, takes things to a whole new level.
Counting your ‘macros’, also known as flexible dieting, or ‘If it Fits your Macros” is a hot topic in the dieting world, especially amongst bodybuilders. “Macros” or macronutrients, simply means the ‘big’ nutrients in our diet: carbohydrates, protein and fat. Vitamins and minerals, on the other hand, are called micronutrients.
The macronutrient diet is simple: stick to your prescribed grams of protein, fat and carbs, and you’ll lose weight, or bulk up, or maintain your weight, whichever your goal may be. It’s touted as being more ‘flexible’, since it doesn't matter what you eat, as long as you stick to the grams of macros you’ve been allowed for the day. This ‘new’ diet is armed ready with calculators so determine your ‘ideal; macronutrient target, an app to track your macronutrients, websites and meal plans to make it easy to reach your target each day.
In this episode, I review the 'macronutrient' diet and break down which key components are worth applying to your eating plan, and which you can ignore.
There's a lot of confusion about body love, and taking care of one's health. How can you love your body and want to change your body at the same time? In this podcast I talk to Mel Wells about finding the balance between self love, and choosing health promoting food.
Mel is a Hay House Author, Speaker and Coach at The Green Goddess Life www.thegreengoddesslife.com. She empowers modern day women to stop dieting for good, by adopting a healthy, loving relationship with food, and a brand new lifestyle that reflects this.
Mel has sparked ‘The Goddess Revolution’, which is taking over as the new ‘anti-diet’. This is not a fad diet or a set of rules to follow, but a revolutionary new way of thinking that will help women to end the war on their bodies, start embracing an incredibly rewarding relationship with food, and become happier and more fulfilled than they ever thought possible. Tackling very modern issues – including ‘fitspiration’ and the obsession with perfection caused by celebrity culture and magazine airbrushing – Melissa speaks in a language that modern day women can relate to.
The Green Goddess Life has been hugely successful and appeared in various women’s magazines such as Hello!, Cosmopolitan, Heat, Closer, New! and more. Mel has also built up a client list including celebrities, actresses, models and reality stars, helping them quit dieting, and transform themselves into Goddesses too.
Mel lives in London, but you can find Mel usually hanging out with her Goddesses online, blogging, or making a mess in her kitchen.
I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did!
I said the D Word! Call it a diet, lifestyle, eating habits, I am simply referring to the food that you put into your mouth. Undoubtedly, what you put into your body impacts how your body looks, functions, and how you feel.
There are plenty of eating styles and 'diet plans' to choose from: from Atkins to the Zone, vegan to paleo, low fat to high fat and everything in between. Proponents of each diet tout that their plan is better because of X, Y and Z, and each are backed up with plenty of before and after photos and success stories. Some even have legitimate scientific evidence to ‘prove’ that the plan works.
So what is the best diet? Good question. There is no ‘best diet’- but there may be a ‘best diet’ or 'best way of eating' for you. In this podcast I dive into a few of the key questions you need to ask when experimenting with new styles of eating.
I recently received this question from a listener: "I have really been enjoying the change of thought from good food and bad food to just food. I'm just wondering how to start good habits with my 8 year old daughter now without it being too 'strict'" -Nancy
In this episode, I talk to Juile Dillon, a 'weight neutral' registered dietitian and food behavior expert who helps her clients enjoy eating again. She's also the host of the Love Food Podcast. Julie says "You can raise a healthy eating adult, or you can have your child be a healthy eater today. But you can't have both".
Using her own specialized method of nutrition counseling, Julie Dillon considers the specific needs, unique lifestyles and health concerns of her clients. She then customizes a comprehensive program that best addresses their eating difficulties. Julie’s clients enjoy a positive, nurturing and goal-focused environment where they find invaluable resources to heal their relationship with food and enjoy the benefits of healthy eating.
In this episode we talk about:
How to foster a positive body image in your kids
Which 'food rules' to follow when feeding kids
Your real job as a parent when it comes to feeding your children