Have food cravings been creeping up on you while being stuck at home for this COVID-19 quarantine? 

Mine have. So this week I want to share 4 tips to stop food cravings in their tracks so you don’t put on the Corona 15.  As a bonus, these tips can actually help you shed pounds too so you’ll feel great and be ready for summer once this thing is over. 

Before I dive into my 4 tips to help you stop cravings right now while you’re stuck at home in quarantine, I want to quickly tell you about two other things that I think will help you right now too….

• I kicked off a 10-day sleep challenge today to help you increase your energy, improve your health and boost your immunity.  By participating in the challenge, you could win a FREE DUTCH Hormone Test and Recommendations Session with me (($750+ value).  Follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook to see today’s 1st challenge post and to participate.
• Join me LIVE TODAY on Instagram at 1pm PST / 4pm EST with emotional eating expert coach Tricia Nelson for strategies to stay sane around food when you’re stuck at home so you don’t eat the house!

Ok onto the tips to stop food cravings…

Let’s start by understanding what causes cravings in the first place and why being stuck at home is triggering them.

Some of the most common food craving triggers include:

• Eating sugar and carbs that spike your blood sugar causing you to crave more of them when your blood sugar crashes
• Staying up late at night or not getting a good night’s sleep which disrupts your hormone balance and energy leaving you searching for energy via food
• Not drinking enough water or getting enough electrolytes to keep you hydrated – cravings can be a sign of dehydration 
• Feeling bored, anxious, emotional, overwhelmed or deprived 

Being isolated at home sets the perfect scene for all of these things.  There are less boundaries around your routine and food making it easy to snack throughout the day, and of course the best snacks are ones higher in sugars and carbs.

Are you staying up late binge watching your favorite shows or getting sucked into the news and sleeping then sleeping in?  Are you running out of things to do so boredom is getting the best of you? Are your emotions running high as you anxiously wait to see how this all pans out?  Or you’re doing so much for others forgetting to fill up your cup?

All of us are lacking structure a little bit because our typical daily routines have been interrupted.  Meal times, bed times and the general flow of life have been impacted, including when and how much water you are drinking.  

Now that you know the most common triggers for food cravings and how your current quarantine situation can aggravate them, you can start to examine which ones are true for you and take empowered action to stop them in their tracks.

In this week’s video and blog, I share 4 tips to stop food cravings in their tracks so you don’t put on the Corona 15.

First let’s explore the food you’re eating because this usually results in the quickest fix for cravings. 

When you eat the wrong ratios of proteins, carbs and fats for your body, it can leave you feeling:

• Tired, anxious, irritable or needing to nap
• Snacky, bloated, heavy or craving for sweets
• Brain foggy, wired but tired or physically full and still hungry

These are all signs that your food ratios are off, your blood sugar is likely not balanced as a result, and the nutrients in the food you ate were inadequate.

When you’re eating the right ratio of protein, carbs and fats per meal you will:

• Be able to go 3-5 hours or more without feeling hungry or needing to snack
• Have energy for hours and feel recharged
• Think clearly, feel uplifted and be more positive

Figuring out your food ratios is actually pretty simple.  All you need to do is:

1. Tune into your body 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating
2. Notice how it’s responding to what you ate
3. Adjust your food ratios until you get the perfect response!

To help you figure out what ratios are right for your body to avoid food cravings, click here to get my Food & Body Language Log.

Adding 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to your meals by drizzling it over veggies, meat or salad is an easy way to increase your intake of healthy fats to balance your blood sugar, keep you satiated for longer and fend off cravings. 

Next let’s address sleep because you have to learn to value sleep more than diet and exercise.  If you’re not going to bed at the right time or getting a good night’s rest, it basically cancels out your healthy eating and exercise efforts.

To balance your energy, blood sugar and avoid cravings it’s ideal to be asleep by 10pm most nights of the week (5 out of 7).  

Check out the sleep challenge I started today on Instagram and/or Facebook for pro tips to help you create a supportive sleep routine to stop cravings.

Once you’ve dialed in your food ratios and sleep and if you’re still experiencing cravings, it’s time to check your hydration.

Recommended water intake is half of your body weight in ounces; if you weigh 200 pounds then you should drink at least 100 ounces of water per day.  You’ll want to add an additional 8 ounces of water for every 30-minutes of exercise you do or caffeinated drink you have in order to make up for the water you lose from them. 

Drinking water is just one part of staying hydrated.  In order to hold onto water, you need electrolytes. 

If you’re eating a lower carb diet or having a hard time sourcing veggies then supplementing with electrolytes is crucial.  You can get more electrolytes by generously adding Himalayan or sea salt to your food or water, or by adding an electrolyte supplement such as LMNT electrolytes. 

Lastly, of course emotions are running high or boredom might be getting the best of you with what is going on in the world which can lead to food cravings.

So the best thing to do is Stop & Shift…

• When a craving pops up STOP and check in with yourself before giving in
• Ask if you’re really hungry or is there something else you want or need
• SHIFT your attention to something else for 20 minutes; journal, dance, meditate, breath work, exercise, take a bath, read, call a friend etc.

And after you shift, evaluate if the hunger is still there.  If it is, honor it and if it’s not, congratulate yourself on overcoming it and recognize what you probably need more of instead in your life. 

What was the most insightful or helpful tip for you?  Hit reply and let me know!

If you’d like to get your hands on the right lab tests and resources to find more missing pieces to your health puzzle so you can feel like your best self, schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session with me here today!

This by far has been the oddest start to a year, let alone a decade.  In the midst of the COVID-19 chaos and as I turned 37 on Monday, I have been reflecting a lot on what this all means for me, you and the world around us.

Life gives us exactly what we need when we need it, we just have to be open to receive it.

The recent events are forcing change.  They are forcing us to change the way we look at the world, the way we look at our health and what we prioritize in our lives.

What’s important to you?

For some it has been toilet paper and for others it’s been making sure they have high quality food in the fridge.

While I was re-evaluating my priorities with the recent full moon on March 9th (noted as a day to release things), the intention I set was…

 “I let go of busy-ness to hold space for my intuition, creativity, health & happiness” 

Little did I know the COVID-19 situation would explode just a few days later and it seems this is exactly what it’s calling us to do…

• Slow down
• Let go of being busy
• Look inward instead of out
• Be with yourself and those closest to you
• Practice patience and hold space for health
• Take time to create and contemplate what is really important

Interestingly, these are also basic practices that help you to build and maintain your health, and they were pivotal parts of my health journey that helped me to reverse Hashimotos, balance my hormones, restore my energy and get back to my ideal body. 

Part of the reason why people get sick is because we are so busy.  Think about how many times you or people you know have…

• Come to work sick
• Pushed through the pain
• And kept going till burn out

All because there was “too much to do.”  And all of which suppresses your immune system, making you susceptible to the common cold, flu, chronic illness and pandemic type viruses such as COVID-19.

Your body can only heal in a relaxed state.

If you’re always on-the-go, when does your body have time to heal and to strengthen its defenses?

While being quarantined to your home doesn’t sound like the most ideal situation, maybe it’s what we all need right now in order to not only prevent the spread of the Coronavirus, but to also allow a deep healing to happen that we wouldn’t have otherwise permitted.

In this week’s video and blog, I’m giving you tips to help you make the most of this Coronavirus situation so you can come out of it healthier than ever before!

Word on the street is the people with the highest risk for contracting Coronavirus are immunocompromised.  

Immunocompromised simply means having a weakened immune system, it doesn’t mean you have to have a more chronic illness such as an autoimmune condition.  In fact, a weakened immune system can occur over time from the accumulation of simple stressors such as:

• Mental or emotional stress
• Eating low quality foods or drinking alcohol
• Going to bed late or not sleeping through the night
• Toxins you’re exposed to at home, work or in your food and products
• Over exercising when you’re already stressed or exhausted

It wouldn’t be crazy to say that all of us have some level of a weakened immune system given this list, and especially right now with stress regarding the state of the world.

The good news is there are plenty of simple things you can do to offset the accumulation of stressors to not only boost your immune system but also to build your health.

Here are my top 5 tips for boosting immunity and building health:

1. Avoid inflammatory and toxic foods such as gluten, dairy, sugar, soy and alcohol
2. Be asleep by 10pm OR earlier – every hour before 12pm is worth 2 hours of rest
3. Move your body daily at a moderate intensity to break a sweat without overdoing it
4. Do the 557 breath 10x before meals – inhale for 5 seconds, hold for 5 and exhale for 7
5. Get outside daily for fresh air and sunlight to boost detoxification and balance your body’s natural rhythm 

Doing these things doesn’t take much time, energy or resources so even if you are quarantined they are within your reach and doable.

And if I was to pick ONE thing for you to focus on right now out of all of them, it would be sleep.  We have to learn to value sleep more than diet and exercise, especially during times like these. With everything being closed at the moment, there’s no reason to go out and stay up late. 

Getting to bed before 10pm positively impacts your immune system, hormone balance, energy, and overall health on a huge scale.

To help keep you motivated, focused on your health and accountable to getting proper sleep, I’m going to be hosting a sleep challenge on my Instagram and Facebook next week that you can participate in.  All you have to do is follow me on Instagram and/or Facebook.

In addition to the challenge, I’ll be posting regular tips, resources and bits of inspiration you can use to support your health.

I want to be a resource and of service to you during this time.  Please don’t hesitate to message me if you need a word of advice, encouragement or resources to help you support your health.

This too shall pass and we’ll get through it together.

Can you believe we just started not only another new year BUT an entire decade???

The start of a new decade brings a whole new meaning to setting goals for the year – what you set your sights on now can set the tone for what you want the next 10 years to look like.

To help you kick your decade off right, I want to give you 5 tips to help you actually nail your health goals this year, for real this time.

Because, how many times have you told yourself this is going to be the year?

The year you…

Get your energy back

Finally feel good in your body again

Ditch the stress and make more time for self-care

Figure out what is really going on with your hormones

Reverse your autoimmune issues and manage them naturally

Or get to the bottom of your bloating and digestive struggles

…and ultimately get back to feeling like yourself again (or for the very first time).

As most people do, you probably always start the new year with the best of intentions but quickly find yourself getting lost in the chaos of everyday life.  And before you know it, the whole year (or a decade!) has practically passed you by, and you still feel uncomfortable in your body, sick or tired all of the time.

I feel ya, I’ve fallen into this vicious cycle myself in the past, but I made some major shifts halfway through the last decade to get my energy and body back.

First, let me tell you, it’s not your fault if you haven’t reached your New Year’s resolutions in years past.  There is no such thing as failure, only feedback. Feedback that you need a different plan of attack.

There’s more to achieving a goal than just setting one.  

Marathon runners don’t just wake up one day and run a marathon.  They train for it. They fuel their body for it. They buy the right clothing for it.  They put energy and thought into exactly how they are going to make it to the finish line on race day.

Like training for a marathon, in order to nail your health goals you need the right plan, resources and support.

In this week’s video and blog, I give you 5 tips to help you actually nail your health goals this year, for real this time.

I have worked with hundreds of clients, and no matter what the goal might be, I have found these 5 tips to be critical for reaching the finish of any health goal.

1 – Focus on the why, not the what
Who wouldn’t like to lose a little weight, have more energy or control of their health naturally?  Those are surface goals. It’s not what’s on the outside that matters, it’s what is on the inside that will keep you motivated.

What would having more energy, control of your health and weight do for you?  How would it change your life?

It would give you more confidence.  You would feel more comfortable in your skin.  You would be able to focus better at work, and as a result make more money.  You would be a better partner and parent. You would be able to travel the world, hike the tallest mountain, do anything you physically wanted to do with a feeling of joy.  You would be limitless!

When I trained for a marathon, sure there were days I didn’t want to get out of bed and run a ridiculous amount of miles.  And when I was in the depths of healing Hashimotos and mold illness, there were plenty of times when I wanted to throw in the towel, but reconnecting with my “why” is what kept me going, and it’s what keeps my clients going too.

2 – Clear the clutter
Distractions are everywhere and they can come in any form; food, finances, physical clutter in your home, negative people who drain your energy, or people who convince you to do things that aren’t in your health’s best interest.

If you have to stare the cookies in the chocolate chip eye every day in the pantry, eventually they will get the best of you.

Give yourself time to set up your environment to support the pursuit of your goals.  Clear the food out of the pantry and fridge that isn’t in alignment with how you want to be eating.  Put together a budget or get your finances in order so you don’t have to worry about them, and you can focus on yourself.  Take one day to organize that hall closet, garage or other cluttered space in your home. And set some healthy boundaries for those people in your life who may not be on the same path as you – instead of gossiping over cocktails, grab a coffee or take a walk and set a time limit with a reasonable excuse as to why you need to get going.

Once the clutter is out of the way you can move forward on a clear path.

3 – Build upon your existing rituals
We all brush our teeth in the morning, or at least I hope you do.  This is a ritual, or a habit, and something that we can build upon.

Often times what feels overwhelming about going after your health goals is the idea of having to “create time” or space to workout, eat healthy, meditate, drink more water etc.  But what if you just built upon the time you’ve already carved out for the rituals or habits you already have in place?

This really helped me build a meditation practice.  I started with just 10-15 minutes of meditation after our evening family dog walk as part of my nightly “wind down.”  It eventually grew into 30 minutes and I yearned for it so much that I eventually implemented into my morning routine right before my workout.

Oil pulling is another great example for me.  I do it 3 mornings per week while I prepare my dog’s breakfast – tackling two things at once!  I’m all about efficiency.

Another great example that my clients really enjoy is doing their meditation in their car in the driveway when they get home from work before entering their house.  It’s a great way to disconnect from work and be present for loved ones.

Assess your current rituals and how you can build upon them with the things that you would like to be doing for yourself to support your health.

(NOTE: Want to learn more about rituals to support your health and happiness?  Check out the upcoming Return to Ritual Show that I was a guest on)

4 – Recruit the right support and resources
It’s ok to ask for help, and don’t let your ego tell you otherwise.  Instead of spinning your wheels about what foods to eat, what exercise to engage in, which meditation to try, supplements to take or about anything else that might support your health goals, recruit the right experts and resources to be your guide.

As the old saying goes, “it takes a village to raise a child”, it can also take a team of experts or resources to help you reach your health goals.  Set yourself up for success by hiring the right experts to hold you accountable and give you the resources you need to feel your best. Your health-goals dream team might include a personal trainer, health coach, chiropractor, acupuncturist, spiritual guide or other health professional.

YOU.ARE.WORTH.IT

5 – Stop shooting in the dark
If you’ve “tried everything” when it comes to diet and exercise, yet nothing seems to work, then it’s time to test instead of guess.  You are unique and therefore your diet, exercise, sleep, supplements and stress reduction needs will be too. What works for one person isn’t exactly going to work for you.

When your attempts to lose weight, increase your energy and get your health back under control aren’t working, it’s a sign that something bigger is going on beneath the surface such as hormone imbalances, liver congestion, poor nutrient absorption or fat for fuel metabolism, and your typical blood tests won’t pick up on these hidden dysfunctions.

Your results will always be lacking, no matter how many diets or workout routines you try, if you’ve got something greater going on under the hood.

So stop shooting in the dark, run some functional lab tests that will give you a bigger picture of your overall health and take a more strategic, and personalized approach to reaching your health goals this year.

Let me know how I can support you more in achieving your 2020 health goals…

Take 2 minutes to complete this survey by Jan. 16th and be entered to win 3 FREE HEALTH COACHING SESSIONS with me! ($750 value)

As the (W)holistic Health Boss, my mission is to support busy, health-minded people like you in getting access to the right lab tests and resources so you can find the missing pieces to your health puzzle and get back to feeling like yourself again (or for the very first time!).

Here’s to you achieving your health goals this year and setting the tone for you decade!

(P.S. I would be thrilled to be on your team, and I’m currently offering 20% off my coaching programs for those who are ready to take serious action to get their energy and body back.  Schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session here)