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You know those nights when you slip into bed and the sheets feel soooo good? Your body is tired, your mind is calm, and you’re perfectly set up for a great night of zzz's. It’s the best! And then there are those nights you go to bed and just can’t get comfortable. Your muscles are tight from sitting all day, and your mind can’t seem to settle down. It seems to take FOREVER to fall asleep and when you finally drift off, you toss and turn all night long. Ugh. Not fun. Here’s the difference: The nights you fall asleep easily usually follow the days you did something to EARN that sleep. When you think about sleep that way, it makes it a whole lot easier to set yourself up for sleep success! If you don’t make it a point to be physically active — and/or you sit in front of a screen for most of the day — you’re making it harder for your body to get into a good sleep groove. Here’s how to earn that sleep: ●     Be active during the day. Regular exercise doesn't just boost your health, it sets the stage for deeper sleep. Hit the gym, take a brisk walk, and/or find a reason to move — your body will thank you at bedtime. ●     Train your brain. Make it a habit to do activities that give you a mental challenge. ●     Release tension. Help ease stress and work out muscle tension with sex, a bath, foam rolling, stretching, or mobility work. ●     Eat well. Give your body the right nutrition and plenty of water during the day to keep it functioning at its best. ●     Go outside. Natural light and fresh air can improve and help lock in your sleep cycle. If you’re looking at this list thinking, “But I’m too tired to do all of that!”, I can help you find the best place to start. In my upcoming challenge (which will open soon), we'll work to create a personalized plan that fits your lifestyle. It doesn’t have to be complicated… It just has to be consistent! Here's to getting you feeling happy, healthy, and energized!

If you’ve been scared to eat much fat because you think it’s unhealthy, it’s time to get your head around which fats are actually unhealthy. It’s true that some fats are definitely best kept to an absolute minimum but there are others that are really important for staying healthy. These good fats can play lots of roles in your body, including keeping your heart and brain healthy, boosting your immunity, balancing hormones, stabilizing your metabolism and keeping inflammation to a minimum. Stock up on these foods to make sure you get plenty of healthy fats! Fatty Fish Eating fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines two to three times per week helps you to get a good boost of omega 3 fatty acids. If you go for tuna, just be aware of the mercury content if you eat it a lot. Eggs Eggs are hugely nutritious and are great for keeping you feeling full thanks to their protein content. For years, we were told that eating eggs would raise “bad” LDL cholesterol levels but we know now that this isn’t true. It’s actually the opposite: people who eat plenty of eggs often have lower cholesterol. As an added bonus, it also helps to keep your heart healthy. Avocado Avocado is a great way to get more monounsaturated fats into your diet. These are a double whammy for heart health as they’re known to raise levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and at the same time, they also help to lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol. Healthy fats aren’t the only thing you’ll get from them though; they’re incredibly nutritious and give you a good range of vitamins and minerals. Guacamole is a delicious way to get more avocado in your life. Not a fan? You can also drizzle avocado oil on salads or even cook with it. Olive oil Olive oil is another fantastic source of the same kind of monounsaturated fats that you’ll find in avocado. Studies have shown that it can make you less likely to get heart disease or have a heart attack.  It’s a bit more expensive but extra virgin olive oil is the best bet as other types of olive oil won’t bring quite the same health benefits. Coconut Oil A lot of people don’t feel comfortable using coconut oil because of its saturated fat content but it’s actually super healthy and increases levels of “good” cholesterol. Plus, it’s packed full of antioxidants. You can use it in cooking or baking but the fairly strong taste can take some getting used to at first. Nuts and seeds The good fats found in nuts and seeds can help to lower LDL cholesterol so they’re a great choice for super healthy snacks. Stick to a small handful though - these fats may be of the good variety but you still don’t want to go overboard with them! They’re also a good source of other nutrients such as vitamin E, magnesium and selenium. If you don’t want to snack on them, try adding them to baking or using them in salads and smoothies. Beef Grass fed varieties are another good source of omega 3. An added bonus with meat from grass fed animals is the much lower risk of consuming hormones and antibiotics compared to their grain fed counterparts. Dark Chocolate Here is a source of healthy fat that you’re sure to love! Dark chocolate ticks two big boxes from a health perspective: antioxidants and healthy fats. You don’t want just any type of dark chocolate though - go for something with at least 70% cacao. If you can find it, 85% cacao is even better. The more cacao, the more benefits you’ll get. As always, be sure to eat a balanced diet so that you can ensure you are eating the rainbow and getting the right amount of nutrients each day. What is your fave healthy fat?

At my last doctor's appointment (I see a functional doctor, and you should too), my integrative doctor mentioned that I had gained weight since I'd seen him 3 months before. No woman adores hearing these words. But I actually appreciated the honest truth and took it to heart. It was a defining moment that pointed out my abuse of grace and even self-sabotage. Like you, I know how to be healthy but don't always do it. I sat on this information for a few days or weeks, to be honest.  I needed to think through my approach.  If you known me, you know that I have done dumb diets in my life and that is not for me ever again.  I marinated on my action plan. My goals: make it easy, make it effective, make it sustainable. No deprivation.  No restriction.  No starvation.  No complication. I have to be able to do it on my busiest of days (and my days, like yours, are saturated). Real talk, I already had a string of important habits in place:  water, workouts, sleep (sort of).  That meant I would focus on 2 things:  movement (not exercise) and food. I set a higher daily steps goal (you know I walk stairs every day, right?) and have met it nearly every day.  It's a freaking game changer, no lie.  You gotta move more.  Seriously.   Not workout more or sweat more, just be active.  It melts off inches. I started eating with intention.  No mindless eating ever ever ever.  I would pause before opening my mouth.  I increased my protein at every meal, had breakfast within 1 hour of waking (and BEFORE a sip of coffee), only had a snack if I was actually hungry, and changed my nighttime eating.  Every night, I have 1 piece of Unreal chocolate and a Crave hot cocoa.  I still have my weekly splurge of pizza and dessert, and I still have drinks on date nights.  I like to think of nutrition like a financial budget.  My weekdays are tighter than my weekends . . . but I monitor it all to make sure it works. I measured consistently to make sure that what I was doing was effective (and already knew it was easy and sustainable).  My energy has been level as I've stayed encouraged. I measure 2 places on my waist, my hips, and my thighs.  In those 4 places, in 4 weeks I lost a total of 6 inches.  I don't say that to brag, I say that because it's data. The changes I've made work; if my body was not responding, well, I'd need different tactics. Maybe you KNOW what to do.  Maybe you do not. Maybe you are *DOING" the things that make you strong, lean, and on track.  Maybe you are not. My doctor's words have enhanced my life.  My husband notices and my pants notice too. Change is possible.  It does take some grit, some self-control, some inner drive, but it's possible. I'm not dwelling on the weight gain I allowed.  I'm human.  But I'm far too stubborn to let those pounds creep higher and higher each year, spiraling out of control and acting like I'm a victim. Let's not be victims.  No excuses.  No empty promises.  No denying reality. Acknowledge the loopholes you've created / allowed, then reach out to me so we can go from goals to RESULTS. P.S.Fit + Freshis open for enrollment!  Go check it out for FREE!  It's where I keep all workout videos, all recipes, and all fat-loss lifestyle resources!