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The ultimate guide to stress
Welcome to the third and final post of my "Back to School" series. Click here for the previous post. Although most of us are not going to school, many of our routines are changing due to the end of summer, our children going back to school or job schedule changes. This is a great time to reevaluate your goals and revamp your routines. We have all experienced stress in some form in our lives and developed an expectation to its appearance. Honestly, I did not know how stressed out I was until the pandemic forced our society to shut down. Even though we cannot avoid stress, we can minimize the…
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4 new ways to improve your mental health
The following blog post was written by our guest contributor Melissa Howard, the founder of stopsuicide.info. When it comes to outside-the-box ideas on how to improve your mental health, it may be time to think beyond some of the standard advice like meditation, relaxation response, or journaling. While these are all worthwhile and effective endeavors, if you’ve already tried them, and you’re still experiencing a sense of anxiety, it’s time to try something new. What Are Your Stressors? Before you embark on a mental health improvement journey, it’s important to target the specific things in your life that are causing you mental distress. According to the American Psychological Association, for…
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How to overcome setbacks during your change process
Welcome to the final post in the “Make a Change” series. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing tips and other information to help you reach your 2022 wellness goals! Read the previous post here. When you are making a change in your lifestyle, setbacks are inevitable. Although they can be discouraging and disruptive, experiencing challenges are part of the change process. During my process to become a healthier eater, there were a few times that I did not follow my plan and reverted back to my old habits. Instead of letting my failures get the best of me, I used them to my advantage and kept working…
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The ultimate guide for creating SMART goals
Welcome to the second post in the “Make a Change” series. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing tips and other information to help you reach your 2022 wellness goals! Read the previous post here. Are you creating SMART goals? If you are ready to make a change in your life, you most likely have an idea of some goals you would like to reach at some point. According to this website, here are some of the most common health-related New Year’s Resolutions: Get in shape Lose weight Drink less (alcohol) Reduce stress Get more sleep These are wonderful changes that an individual can make to improve their…
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Are you ready to make a change for better health? Consider these 8 questions.
Welcome to the first post in the “Make a Change” series. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing tips and other information to help you reach your 2022 wellness goals! Are you ready to make a change to improve your health? You may have considered making changes to your diet or incorporating more exercise into your day. However, making a lasting change is often more difficult than it seems due to multiple factors including friends and family, work and lifestyle. It also may be possible that you are not fully ready to make a change or need to revise your plan before you get started. A few years…
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What is a health coach and should you get one?
A health coach helps guide individuals toward a healthier lifestyle through awareness and ability for change. They provide a support system, accountability and relevant information to assist clients with their wellness goals.
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The bizarre truth about “starvation mode”
My body thought it was in danger. Apparently, it went into “starvation mode.” After I started cutting down my calories more aggressively for an upcoming competition, my body went into survival mode. My body started to conserve energy and I actually started gaining weight. I thought this reaction was weird since I have cut my calories in a similar fashion two years earlier. My coach told me to take a week off from the gym to give my body a break and allow it to adjust. During that time, I lost about two pounds without changing my macros. After a week, I was able to work out again without an adverse…
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Are sugar substitutes healthy? Here is the research.
Based on what we already know about sugar and its effects on the body, you might consider including sugar substitutes in your diet, whether it is in your prepackaged foods or in your baking. With the increase of diagnoses of chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes as well as more educated consumers, there is an increased demand for reduced sugar or sugar free foods and beverages. When I started my wellness journey and started making changes in my diet, one of the first things I did was reduce the amount of sugar in my diet. During my first bodybuilding competition prep, I used sugar substitutes and sugar-free foods to…
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13 healthy foods that I always have in my house
This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing an item through these links will provide me a commission at no additional cost to you. Please see my disclaimer, privacy policy, and terms of use for additional information. What healthy foods do you have in your house? As a habitually healthy eater, people often ask how do I always eat so “healthy.” Aside from my learned knowledge about nutrition and discipline, I am strategic about the foods that I keep on my shelves. Although I have some junk foods in my cabinet, most of the foods in my house are generally on the healthy side, meaning minimally processed, low in calories and/or are…
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Why you should be stretching regularly
This page contains affiliate links. Purchasing an item through these links will provide me a commission at no additional cost to you. Please see my disclaimer, privacy policy, and terms of use for additional information. Are you stretching regularly? If not, you should be. For a while, I was consistently stretching after my workouts and longer yoga sessions on my rest days. However, moving into my new home and living in the house during renovations made my usual routine difficult and ended up skipping my bi-weekly yoga sessions for weeks. Well, my lack of stretching finally caught up with me at my most recent sports massage therapy appointment. Before this…
balancing between work and wellness
