There is so much information out there about how to eat for weight loss or for improving your health. It can be overwhelming. When I work with health coaching clients, I start with one simple idea: Instead of focusing on what not to eat, I tell them to add in more Good Stuff so that you begin to crowd out the Bad Stuff. The more healthy food you eat, the less room there is in your diet for
Weight Loss & Fitness
How to Manage Your “Creamy” Cravings (with Hugs & Tapioca!)
I work a lot with clients on getting a handle on their cravings, whether they are cravings for sweets, alcohol, salty, crunchy, or creamy foods, to name a few. The Wisdom of Cravings I learned in my training as a holistic health coach to honor our cravings and think of them as a critical piece of information that can help us understand what our bodies needs. The body is smart. It tells you when
Back-to-School Energy Bars
If you’re a regular reader, you know how much I try to avoid processed sugar. I am very busy, and I like to keep my energy level consistent and high throughout the day, without resorting to caffeine. In the summer, I will sometimes have an ice cream cone, and even less often I will order a dessert in a restaurant. As a health coach, I advise my clients to limit their sweets, and to focus on
It’s Not Just WHAT You Eat: 5 Tips for Reducing Midriff Bulge by How and When You Eat
We all know that what you eat is critical to maintaining a healthy weight. Experts often contradict each other in terms of what the ideal diet is, and I have experimented with many dietary theories over the years and I have found that no single plan is right for everyone all of the time. We all can agree, however, on the wisdom of limiting processed foods and sugar, and one trick that has worked
3 Desserts for a Healthy Gut
This post will soon appear as a guest blog for Crohns.net. Desserts are challenging for anyone who is concerned about their health, and especially for someone with gut issues! That said, dessert at the end of the meal can be a lovely ritual for a holiday or special occasion, and add a feeling of completeness to a meal. What’s Wrong with Dessert? For people with digestive problems, sugar can
Zucchini Oatmeal Chip Cookies with Sprouted Flour
My CSA delivered another boatload of zucchini this week, so I had to come up with a way to get my kids to eat them. Here’s what did the trick, and it included no white sugar and some sprouted flour to boot! This recipe will make a bunch of cookies (50ish). I took half the batter, wrapped it in non-toxic wax paper, and put it in the freezer. Then, any day we want cookies, I just slice some
Good Stuff About the Paleo Diet
In the 40-plus years that I have been studying and experimenting with diets and dietary recommendations, I have come to believe that no diet or rigid set of recommendations is sustainable or even appropriate for everyone. Humans have complex biological systems that constantly change over time. In my health coaching practice, I help clients listen to their bodies, experiment, and take the best
Raspberry & Coconut Cream Mini Tarts
Seasonally Delicious: Raspberry & Coconut Cream Mini Tarts If you’re a regular reader, you know I’m obsessed with eating seasonally and locally whenever possible. Right now, raspberries are coming into season on the East Coast so naturally I’ve been eating tons of them—in parfaits, on top of sprouted waffles, and in a variety of healthful desserts. Below is my favorite recipe for raspberry
5 Ways to Get More Energy Without Coffee Or Sleep (And You’ll Lose Weight, Too)
As a health coach, I work with lots of busy moms--and most of them complain of feeling exhausted. While getting more and higher quality sleep is vital to feeling good during the day, there is a lot you can do with what and how you eat to give yourself more energy. Here are the tips that my clients tell me have been most helpful. 1. Eliminate packages and containers (read: processed foods). Many
The Healthiest Gluten-Free Grains (and an Awesome Millet Burger Recipe)
Many (in fact, most!) diet books recommend avoiding carbohydrates and particularly grains. Grains have been cultivated by ancient people and eaten for thousands of years. My opinion is that whole grains contain many nutrients essential for human development, vitality, and prevention of disease. (I do feel it's important to soak all grains before cooking to make them more digestible.) With that
