It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and that means it’s time to start thinking about the health of your breasts. Whether you’re male or female, you have breasts, and it’s important to be aware of them. This year, make a commitment to being breast aware. That means knowing how your breasts normally look and feel, and being alert for any changes. If you notice anything unusual, don’t delay in getting it checked out by a medical professional. It’s also important to be breast aware in terms of your risk for breast cancer. If you have a family history of the disease, you may be at increased risk, and it is best to talk to you doctor about your risk and what you can do to negate those risks.
Here are some action steps you can take to help support breast health.
1. Perform monthly breast self-exams.
2. Schedule regular mammograms.
3. Be aware of any changes in your breasts, and report them to your doctor.
4. Limit your alcohol intake.
5. Maintain a healthy weight.
6. Exercise regularly.
7. Eat a healthy diet. (Dr. Josh Axe has some great ideas https://draxe.com/health/best-foods-for-breast-health/ )
When it comes to breast cancer, knowledge is power. The more you know about the disease, the better equipped you are to deal with it if you or someone you love is diagnosed.
Here are some facts about breast cancer that everyone should know.
1. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women.
2. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women.
3. Early detection is key to successful treatment.
4. There are different types of breast cancer, and each type is treated differently.
5. Breast cancer can occur in men as well as women.
6. Breast cancer is not just one disease – it is a group of diseases with different causes.
7. Genetics play a role in some cases of breast cancer.
8. Breast cancer is treatable, and there are many different treatment options available.
9. There is no one “right” way to treat breast cancer – each person’s treatment plan is individualized.
10. There is no sure way to prevent breast cancer, but there are things you can do to reduce your risk. (Please see the actions step above).
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with breast cancer, know that you are not alone. There are many resources available to help you through this difficult time.
Here are some organizations that can provide support and information.
1. Susan G. Komen
2. National Breast Cancer Foundation
3. Breast Cancer Research Foundation
4. American Cancer Society
5. Avon Foundation for Women
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, make a commitment to being breast aware. It could save your life.
​

When it comes to weight loss, the discussion of calories inevitably comes up.
Does paying attention to calories even matter? Yes and no.
As we all know, counting calories can be tricky and very time-consuming. It can often put one in a restrictive mindset. We start to plan our days around, “I have to have this vs. that,” when it comes to choosing what to eat, merely based on the number of calories a food has. This is why diet food companies put dessert-like snacks with very few calories in their prepped food options. If you’re counting calories, those would seem like a smart choice. Yet what is really important here, is the quality of the calories.
It is very important to be aware of the type of calories that are coming in. For example, are you getting enough protein, and from what source?
Protein, fat, and carbohydrates all have calories, but instead of counting them, we should really be conscious of what sources they are coming from. Getting our fats from avocados, walnuts, and fish versus ice cream makes a big difference to our health. They may have the same amount of calories, but their effect on our bodies is completely different.
But does this mean there is no room for ice cream? That depends.
When a majority of your food is coming from nutrient-dense foods (in other words supplying you with what your body needs), then yes, there is room for ice cream on an occasional basis. There is also room for the occasional sweet treat like ice cream, when one is exerting themselves in activities that burn calories, like yard work and other forms of fitness. (Calories in, calories out.)
Calories are not the whole picture when it comes to weight loss, but they are not something to be ignored either. The number of calories matters, yet so does the quality of calories.
Here’s were when just paying attention to the number of calories can back fire…
When someone consumes less calories than their resting metabolic rate (RMR), the body can go into “starvation mode,” and instead of burning calories (because it’s not getting enough) it will hold onto calories.
Also, if those calories are from poor-quality foods then the body will send signals that it has not received enough of the right nutrients, and hunger might pursue.
So….
Go ahead and count calories if you’d like, but definitely pay attention to the quality of those calories you are consuming. Your best bet is to put your attention on whole foods from real sources and incorporate exercise that involves both cardio and strength training. (Calorie burn is complicated when it comes to exercise too- it may not matter as much as you think.)
Hopefully, for you, this evolves to become more of a natural way of eating.

​#calories #qualitymatter #wholefoods

Meal planning is a great way to ensure that you eat healthily, and get this: it doesn’t have to be hard! That’s right, despite how overwhelmed many of us become when we think of planning meals for an entire week, meal planning can save you time and money. 
Without being prepared, it is easy to end up eating something on the go, like pastries, fast food, or prepared meals. The problem with this is that often grab-and-go options are not the most healthy, and we end up spending a lot of extra money that could be saved by being better prepared.

The trick to successful meal planning is, of course, all in the preparation. Follow these steps to get started:
Pick a Day
When meal prepping, you want to start by choosing a day that works best for you where you will have a good couple hours to plan, prep, and prepare your food. Sunday is often a good day for this because it gets you ready for the week with a fresh menu.
Prepare
Next, you will want to get prepped by getting your food containers ready for each day and clearing out space in the refrigerator for your week of meals.
Create a Plan/Shop
Meal planning is about prepping food in bulk to eat throughout the week, so you will want to choose foods with lasting power, so no light greens or foods that are likely to lose their integrity after a few days. You are preparing meals for 5 days, so think balanced. You want a protein, a healthy starch and fat, and a bunch of veggies. 
Get to Work
Time to get going! Because you are prepared, prep should be easy.

Here are some great ideas for your meal planning:
Breakfast - Overnight Oats
-Fill 5 jars each with ½ rolled oats 
-1 tablespoon chia seeds or powdered flax seeds
-1 tablespoon protein powder
-Enough almond milk to cover your mixture
*Optional - 2 tablespoons of pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and coconut flakes.
Lunch - Turkey Taco Bowl
-Sautéd 2 lbs of organic ground turkey 
-1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning (or make your own)
-Roasted peppers and onions 
-Rinsed black beans
-Salsa of your choice
Add in each ¼ cup black beans, ½ cup prepared ground turkey, salsa, roasted peppers and onions to each of your five containers 
Dinner - Marinated Chicken Breasts
-Mix together 1 tablespoon Dijon, ¼ cup balsamic, ¼ cup olive oil, chopped fresh rosemary, garlic and a hint of sea salt into a bowl. 
-Place 5 chicken breasts in a glass container and coat with the marinade. 
-Marinate chicken for 1 hour. 
-Bake for 1 hour at 375 degrees.
Prepare sides, such as sweet potatoes, roasted carrots, or mashed potatoes to include with your meal.
Snacks - Smoothie
-½ banana
-½ cup blueberries
-1 cup chopped kale
-1 teaspoon each of flaxseed, hemp seed, and chia seeds. 
Put each smoothie combo in a separate freezer bag or container and freeze until you are ready to enjoy.
Simply add water, coconut water, or your favorite milk - blend and enjoy!

​The weight lose industry is a billion dollar industry.  We all know that right?
For years they have been suggesting ways to lose weight that are so wrong it makes my head spin.
I am going to make this post short and to the point...
Dieting is NOT about cutting calories.  Eating a tiny piece of cake for the day is not going to work, nor is eating salads all day. 
Zeroing in on what macro-nutrients your body needs does work.

Dieting is NOT about cutting out fat.  Eating skim this, low-fat that, or 0 grams of a fat free processed food will not work.
Zeroing in on healthy fats, what fats to cook with and learning what fats we’ve been misled to believe that are good for us, helps you to make healthier choices. The right fats can help you keep your youthful appearance ;). Message me if you want more info on fats.

Dieting is NOT about eliminating carbohydrates.  Our bodies need the glucose, the fiber, the micro-nutrients, and the energy carbohydrates provide. 
Your diet should be balanced according to your body’s constitution and to your lifestyle.

Dieting is NOT about eliminating foods.  Real foods are not the enemy. Trying to hand pick your foods from trial and error can be stressful (and thus raise cortisol levels).

Out of all these styles of dieting, limiting calories, in my mind,  is the worst. 
Why?
Because reducing calories to a level of starvation on a day by day basis will mess up your metabolic rate. A low burning metabolism leads to storing fat, and thus either plateauing with your weight, or worse, gaining more back.

If you have been on and off so called diets and have seen your weight fluctuate throughout the years, you might want to consider hiring a Nutrition Coach.
A Nutrition Coach can help you

• Learn more about healthy eating practices
• Lose weight in a safe and effective manner
• Learn how to incorporate healthier lifestyle habits to help keep the weight off for good
• Have more energy and better sleep
• Learn about healthy shopping, cooking and dining out strategies

There’s a lot of information out there. A Nutrition Coach can help you sift through all the different type of dieting ways, and cater one that is unique to you and your lifestyle.
The bonus is…
….you get human support and a "real person" accountability partner.
You’ve got a question to ask; text it to your coach.
You’ve got a hurdle to jump; your coach has your back.
Need a quick breakfast idea; reach out to your coach.
I think you get the idea.
To see if nutrition coaching is for you, schedule a free consultation here: 

Lately we have had to get a new perspective on a lot of things due to this COVID-19 virus and it's grip on what we can and can't do.
Looking at how we live our lives from day to day, and getting creative with how we can do things differently can be a good thing.

In my world right now, there is a push to offer on-line personal training.  This is the last thing I want to do.  I like working with my clients in person, making sure they are lifting weights, remaining flexible, scheduling, breathing, maintaining, etc, etc....correctly.  Motivation and accountability are key components as well.  

However, due to the circumstances, exercise "how-to's" are flying through the internet as I write this.  No more in-person for now.

So I can offer two bits of advice...
                                              PLAN AND IMPLEMENT
Maybe the catchy title of "The Power of Ten Times 3," can help.

Pick 3 different exercises, do ten reps of each, for 3 sets, for ten days in a row.
Of course rest in between sets.

You could be even a little more discipline and pick 2 groups of 3 different exercises to make a real push with your athletic finesse.

I have been doing 3 for my upper body and 3 for my lower body.
My routine includes free weights, however I am going to give you ideas for both.

This is what I have been doing for the last three days:
Upper Body: Standing Bicep curls, Standing Over Head Press, and one-arm Tricep extensions.
Lower Body: Squats with weights, Forward Lunges with weights, and Side Leg Lifts.

Ideas if you don't have weights at home:
Planks
Jumping Jacks
Squats 
Push-Ups
Lunges
Donkey Kicks
Burpees
Lateral Skater Jumps
Ab Side Crunches
And the list could go on!
​
I found a helpful video of Jackson Bliton explaining how to do some of the workouts I mentioned. He does them in super sets, however you can do super sets of three as well.
Be creative and do what you are comfortable doing. Stick with in your own workout parameters.
(Don't forget to warm-up before and stretch afterwards).

Until we meet again...in person, stay well.
-Coach Ann
#exercisefromhome

If you're trying to lose weight, tapping into the power of peer group support may bring you the best results.
 
Putting Peer Group Support to Work For You
 
1. Feel validated. For many people, the most important component of a peer support program is joining up with others who share their experiences and goals. It's easier to empathize when you really know what someone is going through because you've lived through similar events.

2. Develop a sense of community. Your weight loss buddies can become like a second family. You share each other's struggles and victories.

3. Address emotional issues. Being overweight can be more than a physical health issue. You may need support to overcome emotional eating habits or deal with social stigmas.

4. Get practical assistance. People who have reached their own weight loss goals are in an ideal position to advise you about what really works. Focus on improving your daily routine and locating helpful resources in your community.

5. Change your behavior. Losing significant weight and keeping it off involves choosing the right foods and much more. You'll learn a broad range of behaviors for eating better, exercising and managing stress.

6. Take a long term perspective. Maintaining a steady weight is more important than losing a couple of pounds for a special event . Learn skills that will keep you fit for life.

7. Remain flexible. Your body and living conditions will change at different times in your life. Be prepared to adapt your diet and workouts to your current needs.

8. Stick to your budget. While some expensive diet products have little research to back up their claims, peer group support is effective and affordable. Many group services are very reasonably priced.

9. Discover the power of reciprocity. One of the most amazing benefits of peer support programs is the phenomena by which people help themselves by helping others. You become empowered and make more progress while you reach out to others.
 
Understanding the Limits of Peer Group Support
 
1. Eat less and exercise more. Of course, diet and exercise are essential along with group support if you want to take off some pounds. Eat a balanced diet and try to get at least a half hour of exercise at least three days a week.

2. Talk with your doctor. Peer support programs complement medical care rather than replace it. It's especially important to follow your doctor's recommendations if you have conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.

3. Adapt successful techniques to your own needs. Our eating habits are as different as our thumbprints. What works for some, doesn't work for all. It's important to learn what works and doesn't work for you, just don't give up.

4. Consider online options. If there is no established program in your immediate area, there may be support for you on line. It may be possible to get support through group conference calls with or with out video. You may even be able to start your own group through a community organizations or a wellness coach.

Losing weight the healthy way is a gradual process that needs to be sustained for life. Increase your chances of success by putting peer group support to work for you along with a sensible diet and regular exercise.

Please reach out to me if you are interested in starting such a group.

-Coach Ann
​

Transform Your Life, Transform Your Health! ​

Your emotional health is just as important as your physical health. Raising one's self-esteem sounds easier than it actually is.  We all know that if we've suffered from low self-esteem for a long time, simply telling ourselves to feel better about ourselves, won't do it.  We need what I call a "mental habit" change.
 
Sure maybe people from your past contributed to your poor image of yourself, yet believe it or not, you have choice.
​
It's time to RISE above it.  Rise above what they have said about you, how they made you feel, influenced what you believe, persuaded your values and made you feel guilty that you were never enough.
It's time to honor your freedom to choose what you think and how you feel about yourself. 
Why must we do this?
Because having a poor self-image can affect all aspects of your life.  
...it affects your:
Relationships:  How you act in social situations, how you communicate in your relationships, and how you feel and who you are within your relationships, can be influenced by a lack of self-esteem.  Outburst of anger or acting like a doormat are aspects that can come from having a low self-esteem.
Vocation: What type of jobs you feel you are qualified for, what you choose as a career, how well you like what you do for a living...can all be affected from your self-image. 
Health:  Often times you can bring on an illness from low self-esteem due to wanting to play a victim or from having stress in regards to how you view yourself in certain situations.  Your food choices may be influenced by how you feel about yourself as well.  You may sabotage your diet because you feel undeserving or incapable.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Now that you are reacquainted with the importance of having a higher level of self-esteem, let's go over ways to improve upon your habits of positive self-regard.   
The first step is to...

Notice What You're Thinking:   What is your mental chatter like?  Are you critical of yourself and of others?  Are you thinking positively or negatively regarding what you are doing?   What are your thoughts like when you make a mistake? For the most part, are your thoughts positive or negative?
HIT THE PAUSE BUTTON on your negative thoughts!  Remind yourself that there is no such thing as perfection, it's a choice of how you feel about something.  Stop worrying that you're not going to do it "right" and/or you'll make a mistake.
As you hit the pause button, let that be a reminder to lighten up and take a different view.  Maybe list in your mind all the things you do well (I call this internal bragging), or learn to laugh at your silly mistakes and move on.  Don't focus on the negative.
"Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly." -G.K. Chesterton
It seems to be that when you internally judge yourself, you think others are judging you too!

Visualize a Positive Outcome: I view any type of visualization as a meditation technique.  It helps to align your mind (thoughts) with your body (action).   See, feel, and imagine yourself as succeeding at what it is you wish to accomplish.  This type of visualization can help you to step out of your comfort zone and reach for the possibilities that you may of thought were impossible.  Vividly picture yourself reaching the results you wish to achieve.  Be and become the person that succeeds.  Again, focus on what can go right. 
Utilize affirmations through listening to recordings of you saying positive and encouraging affirmations, or read positive quotes daily.  Affirmations and positive quotes can act as encouragement when you are feeling poorly of yourself.   

Journal Your Daily Accomplishments: At the end of the night, write about how you did for the day in regards to feeling good about yourself.  Be honest with yourself.  With honesty, comes room for improvement.  Were you able to keep your thoughts about yourself,  about others and what you did throughout the day in a positive light?  If not, how can you remind yourself to think positively?
List all that you accomplished in the day. 
List the things that you are grateful for in life and things that you are grateful for regarding your abilities and accomplishments.  Go ahead brag, nobody will notice, but you. 
Did you step out of your comfort zone, or did fear hold you back?  Write a story about how great you are!

Choose one of these strategies of building yourself esteem or all three.  Do it with consistency and watch your self-image improve.  Discover what it means to be at your BEST health!                                                                                                                                                          

Coaching can help you open many more doors on your path to success. Give it a try!  Schedule a complimentary 40-minute session today!  See what it can do for you.

When it comes to losing weight, staying healthy and feeling your best, one of the worst things you can do is to be unclear of what you DO want your health to be like.
What do you want your weight to be at; how do you want to feel and look like; what would you love to be doing more of (or less of) with your new healthy body, or what would your life be like as the new healthier version of yourself? 
​So many questions to ask of your desires.
Clear goals bring clear results!
So as you go about your day, making choices of what foods to eat, do you have your desired destination in mind?
For me, eating all the wrong foods is like putting the wrong clothes in my suitcase, because I have no idea where I'm going.
It's easier to slip up on your eating habits when you don't know what you're trying to attain.  
Put a picture to the results you want and watch your motivation and inspiration soar!
Get clear with your VISION!
I know when I become more clear with my desired destination for my overall health, I begin to make better choices.
"Eat this, not that," became second nature to me.
But it takes an end goal in mind.  It takes a crystal clear vision.
My imagination begins to take over and my actions and thoughts are all guided from my vision.
Discover what it can do for you.
Your free gift ​of rediscovering your destination!  

If you have heard of the movie, The Secret, you have heard of the Law of Attraction, as well. The Law of Attraction is not something that simple comes your way; you have to put a little effort into, as well.
 
There are techniques that you can use in order to make the Law of Attraction work for you so that you can get what you want out of life – and not just this life – but YOUR life.
 
1. Learn How to Meditate Using Creative Visualization
 
First and foremost, if you are interested in utilizing the Law of Attraction to its fullest potential, make sure that you begin each day with meditation. Meditation is important as it brings your focus toward what you desire and what you expect for that day.
 
Creative Visualization is a powerful tool in creating the feelings behind the desire. It is not enough to just meditate on something you wish to attract into your life, visualizing brings it to life.
 
Creative Visualization takes it one step further by incorporating the feelings you are feeling as you see yourself, receive what you want to receive, and be a person of increase in health, relationships, and purpose.
 
As you embrace the feelings of joy and happiness, you will see that more joy and happiness will enter your life. Creating visualization makes this happen by using your emotions as triggers.
 
2. Learn the Art of Being Grateful
 
Being grateful means truly understanding how much we already do have without asking for any more. When you are in a state of gratitude, so many more things to be grateful for come your way.
 
Take a look around you, there is so much to be grateful for, but you need to stand up and take notice. When you start to understand the simple blessing such as butterflies or flowers that envelope your life, you will feel more joy. Once you feel more joy, you will manifest more joyful events in your life.
 
3. Write Your Own Thoughts
 
If you really want to get the most out of the Law of Attraction, then you must consciously control your own thoughts on a daily basis. Sometimes you must control your thoughts on a moment-by-moment basis.
 
If you find yourself going into negative or self-sabotaging thoughts, you need to take responsibility in several ways, such as moving towards routinely thinking more positive, concentrating on all that you are grateful for, and giving yourself positive affirmations.
 
By creating your thoughts to show up as you wish, you create your life to show up as you wish, as well.
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Both our lives and our minds can become consumed with things that keep us "stuck" and unable to move forward.  We often feel like the wheels are spinning, but we aren't moving.
 
What direction would you love to be going in? Are there times when you just want the chaos and overwhelm to course correct itself?

My Dream Builder Program addresses these feelings of "spinning your wheels" and the chaos and overwhelm that so many of us feel.  It helps you to discover exactly HOW to create a life that you've imagined. 
​
I offer complimentary Strategy Sessions to help you gain more clarity of ways to get "unstuck" so you can head in the direction you wish to go.  They're pretty powerful and they're absolutely free!