Happy New Year! This is the time when many people like to start over and try to change their behaviors for the better. Unfortunately the majority who attempt fail and the rest don’t even make the effort.

As much as 92% of people fail to achieve their New Years resolutions according to one study from The University of Scranton. The most common New Year resolutions based on a recent Harris poll are

Endurance sports typically refers to running, cycling or swimming events lasting an hour or longer. Or all three combined as in triathlon events which has become very popular in the 40 plus age group. Rowing and Cross country skiing are other examples of endurance sports that require a high level of cardiovascular conditioning and aerobic endurance to be successful. It involves the aerobic energy system rather than anaerobic and it burns predominately fats as the primary fuel which require more oxygen to burn. It can be general endurance or specific endurance in relation to a particular sport. Endurance athletes typically have high VO2 max levels as they have conditioned their cardiovascular system to absorb and utilize oxygen at a higher rate than most and developed their aerobic metabolism to a high level which allows them to fuel their muscles for longer without stopping.

There are so many challenges today in the lives of teens such as struggling with procrastination, stress, low self esteem, digestive issues due to stress, poor body image, inability to focus effectively, anxiety, poor sleep habits, poor eating habits, social anxiety, test anxiety; and many teens suffer from most of these to some degree.

While we know bad moods can lead to bad eating habits; it’s also true that bad eating habits can lead to bad moods.

Food can impact our moods because of two factors. First, the nutrients are the building blocks for everything in our body, including mood-regulating “neurotransmitters.” Second, what we eat affects our blood sugar levels, which also impact our moods.

There is a list of common healthy foods that have positive impacts on our mood. But some junky ones make us feel better sometimes too. Once we see this is as temporary (industry engineers processed food is designed to hit those “pleasure centers”), we can ditch those.

Plus, I have a super-easy dessert or snack recipe for you too. Especially if you crave the mood boost from sweets.

Ever heard conflicting information on the healthfulness of different fats? Olive oil; coconut oil; soybean oil; etc.?

Well, I have some clarifying information in my newest post.

In this post, I list out my favorite cooking fats. I also give you my full permission to ditch a few of the popular but oh-so unhealthy fats.

And, I give you a healthy (and delicious) recipe for an all too common source of cruddy fats. You can make it a health-booster, rather than buster!

Salt: The Delicious Health-Buster (And What to Use Instead)

If you (or someone you know) has ever been told to “eat less salt,” or go on a “low sodium” diet, what does that mean? And how much sodium is actually in salt?

I can tell you right now that cutting down on the salt you sprinkle from your salt shaker probably isn’t going to have the effect you think. The problem is rarely the salt on your table. The problem, well 75% of the problem, is the salt that’s already in the food you eat.

I was surprised to read the statistics about where people’s salt intake was coming from. You may be surprised too.

I explain it all in today’s post. And I have created a low-sodium spice mix recipe for you to try out.

Keto this and keto that. What does this new (and very popular) dietary craze mean?

It’s high fat and ultra low carb. It tells your body to burn fat for fuel. Yes, it actually reprograms your body to burn fat.

Sounds good, doesn’t it?

Before you get too excited, I’ll tell you right now: It’s not for everyone.

But it works for some people. Perhaps it’s something you’ve considered?

I have some great info on the ketogenic diet in my latest post “Ketogenic Diet 101.”

Oh, and yes, I have an amazingly delicious dessert recipe at the end.

Do you find cooking to be fun? Or do you do it because you know it’s good for your health?

Maybe you avoid it because it’s such a chore?

If you’re in a rut and want some inspirational tips on making cooking more fun, I’ve got you covered.

I’ve compiled my five best tips and a fabulous (and fun) recipe for you to try.

Does stress make you feel a bit off? Do you notice negative health effects when stress is the worst? Maybe it affects your sleep, or maybe you get sick more often.

Yes, stress can definitely mess with your health.

Today I talk about some of the telltale (and not-so-obvious) signs that stress is messing with your health.

Oh, and I have relaxing recipe for you (two ingredients – no stress!).

Origin story of why I started Invigor8 coaching and how I serve clients to help with weight loss and stay on track with healthy habit change. I also serve the athletic population to help them to train smarter through physiological profiling and coaching to help them achieve their goals and be successful in their sport

This topic may be uncomfortable, but it’s so important for you to know what makes a healthy “poop” because it can tell you a lot about your digestion.

And if your digestion is off, this could be an indication that something else is going on that you need to address.

I know you are either dying to dive into this post, or feeling like you want to close this and forget I ever mentioned it.

Which one will it be?

Not everyone gets migraines, but you probably know someone who does. It’s estimated that 15% of adults get these debilitating headaches.

And there are known triggers. This week I’m listing out the foods and drinks to avoid if you’re prone to migraines.

And my recipe couldn’t be simpler. I know if you have a migraine, the last thing you want to do is prep ingredients in the kitchen. Super-fast and super-simple herbal tea to your rescue.

We all know we need to drink “enough” water… But how much is “enough?” And what non-water options count toward my daily intake?

Let me tell you that the amounts often suggested as optimal might not apply to you; this is because everyone is different. #surprise

In this week’s post, I’m sharing with you the signs and signals your body uses to communicate how much water it needs. I also have a list of non-water drinks and foods (yes foods!) that count toward your daily water intake.

Plus, I have ten non-water hydration ideas for you as well.

Let’s dive right in (pun intended)…

Turmeric is touted as a superfood and miracle spice. It’s delicious, and one of its “active ingredients” curcumin has been studied like crazy. It has antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory properties, and many other great health benefits.

In this week’s post I go over:

● The difference between turmeric and curcumin.
● Turmeric’s amazing health benefits.
● How to get the most out of your turmeric.
● Things to consider before running out to buy yourself curcumin supplements.

Not to mention my weekly whole-food dairy- and gluten-free recipe! Can you guess which famous turmeric recipe I’ve created my version of?

Most nutrition and health practitioners agree that protein is critical for health. Protein is essential for muscles, bones, organs, enzymes, hormones, etc.

So how much do you need to eat?

While there may be “standard” recommendations, they don’t apply to everyone. There are at least three different groups of people who need more than the standard recommendation. Are you one of those people?

In today’s post, I talk about protein recommendations and list the amount of protein in many common foods. Then I have a fantastic recipe for tonight’s dinner.

In the past, exercise was believed to be potentially associated with reduced immunity, due to the so-called “open-window theory” (where your immune function was thought to decline immediately after exercising, thus providing an “open-window” for pathogens to proliferate). Over the recent years, this theory has been largely challenged, and a growing number of scientists now acknowledge the beneficial impact that acute and chronic exercise has on immune health.

As we age our bodies deteriorate over time. For the majority of people this is noticed in a number of different ways such as a general slowing down, our bodies taking longer to recover and heal, declining immune function, stiffness and soreness of our joints, more aches and pains and less energy than we used to have.
The good news is that we can do something about the negative effects of aging by moving our bodies on a consistent basis through exercise.