Hi friends! Today we're focusing on the topic of health. Time for some real talk: In both working in the health & wellness industry and just randomly talking to people in my life, one thing that I've noticed is that people love to make excuses when it comes to their health. There certainly may be obstacles in taking charge of your health, and sometimes eating well and exercising often are not easy, but when it comes down it, they're excuses used to justify why people are giving up on themselves. The other day my neighbor and I were talking. He's a middle-aged guy, and was telling me how his sister just passed away. She was in her 60s and died of a heart attack. "People in my family just don't live long. We don't usually make it past 60, it's just the way it is," he ... [Read More]
healthy living
Be an Adventurer, Wherever You Are {Weekend Recap}
I like to think of myself as an adventurer. I love exploring new places (I have constant wanderlust!), doing "dare devil" kinds of things, and looking at life as one big adventure. Many come up with lots of reasons as to why they can't travel, move somewhere new, or be more adventurous in general. People have jobs they don't want to lose, family they're afraid to leave, and a pretty fixed vision of what "home" looks like. There's no doubt that taking risks is scary, and there's comfort in the familiar. I've also noticed that people like to look at this kind of stuff in a "lucky you" kind of way - as in, it's great that I have the ability to do it, but it's not possible for them. "You're traveling to XYZ? Do it now while you're young!" "You're thinking of moving to XYZ? ... [Read More]
Striving for a Healthier Lifestyle? Surround Yourself with Healthy People
It's been said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. While we often think about healthy living as largely a sum of eating habits and activity level, sometimes we tend to forget about the importance of mental health and surrounding ourselves with healthy, positive people to help us lead healthier lives ourselves. When I was a student at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a health coach, we talked a lot about what we refer to as 'primary food' - the things that feed you that aren't food, like relationships, career, physical activity and a social life. Relationships are such a big aspect of health, and they have the power to bring us up or hold us down throughout our lives in such significant ways. I got to thinking about this topic ... [Read More]
Focus on Gratitude with a 2017 Positivity Jar
Here at Foodie Loves Fitness, I practice & preach the concept of moderation when it comes to most things. But, if there's one thing that I think you can't have enough of, it's gratitude (well... and love). Longtime readers probably have heard me talk about the concept of practicing gratitude daily. I believe that doing so brings lots of positivity into your life, and as with the law of attraction goes, it also attracts new good things. I've noticed that a lot of people tend to harp on the negative, and instead, I invite you to focus more on the positive this year. If you're wondering about techniques to be more consciously grateful, you're in luck, because today I'm sharing one new way to bring more gratitude into your everyday life. It's called a positivity jar, and ... [Read More]
The Best of 2016: Favorite Recipes, Workouts, Adventures & More
Happy New Year! I hope that 2017 is off to a great start for you. I'm back in California after a week and a half on the east coast for holiday vacation, and ready to see what wonderful things this year has in store for me. Since I love to reflect on the positives of the year at the start of a new one, today we're looking back at my 2016 favorites! Recipes. When I think about favorite recipe posts, what pops into my mind are the recipes that I shared with loved ones, made numerous times and couldn't get enough of! My top 5 recipes of 2016 that were popular on the blog are... Mini Pretzel Twists with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce. I had a thing for soft pretzels in 2016! Mediterranean Feta & Lemon Hummus Dip. After creating this dip for a health coaching event, I ... [Read More]
Unwinding This Holiday Season with Zeel Massage on Demand
Has December been a whirlwind for everyone else too? I feel like this month has been flying by, and in just a few days, I'll be flying to the east coast for holiday vacation with my family! Luckily last week, I had a chance to stop and unwind a bit with one of my favorite means of de-stressing: a massage. It's no secret that I love a good massage.... and I've gotten a number of massages this year since part of my calf & foot injury rehab/maintenance plan has been getting massages every 4-6 weeks. Being such an active person, getting a massage makes a big difference in smoothing out those knots in my injury spots. While the deep tissue rubdowns on my calf and other tight spots are usually more painful than relaxing, it's a good kind of pain knowing that I'll feel better in the ... [Read More]