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April 24, 2025

Healthy Popsicles That Make Summer Sweeter

Consider the humble popsicle. A nostalgic symbol of sticky fingers, grass-stained knees, and that sweet relief on a blazing summer day. But here’s t

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Food, Fun, Health
April 16, 2025

Time to Reflect, Release, Move Forward

Whether you celebrate Easter, Passover, or simply welcome the longer, brighter days of spring, this time of year invites reflection. It’s a season o

admink
Family, Food, Health, Personal Development
April 10, 2025

How to Stop “Night Worrying”

Ever find yourself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling while your mind races through tomorrow’s to-do list, replaying conversations, or wondering i

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Health
April 2, 2025

Four Cheers for Angelos and a Birthday Recipe to Reel You In

If you’ve been following my blog for several years, you may recall my weekly posts that were written comparing the size of my friend’s baby in ute

admink
Family, Food, Fun, Health
March 27, 2025

Springtime Tips for Home and Health

Spring is here, bringing longer days, warmer sunshine, and the perfect opportunity to refresh our spaces and our diets. Just as nature renews itself,

admink
Food, Health
March 20, 2025

Spring into Spring

The spring (vernal) equinox happens on Thursday, March 20 at 5:01 A.M. EDT, marking the moment when the sun crosses directly over the Earth’s eq

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Food, Health
March 12, 2025

Natural Ways to Tackle Seasonal Allergies

Seasonal allergies occur when your immune system mistakenly identifies harmless substances—like pollen from trees, grasses, or weeds—as dangerous

admink
Food, Health
March 6, 2025

Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the Kitchen MVP

When it comes to cooking oils, not all are created equal. While seed and vegetable oils like soybean, corn, safflower, and canola are common in proces

admink
Food, Health
February 27, 2025

Are You Stuck in the “I’ll Start Tomorrow” Loop?

Ever told yourself, “That’s it! Tomorrow, I’m eating healthy!” And then tomorrow shows up, and you think, “Eh, maybe next week.” Guess wha

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Food, Health, Personal Development
February 20, 2025

Simplifying Dinner with HelloFresh

I recently stayed with a friend and when I offered to cook dinner, she presented me with a brown paper bag that said “HelloFresh” on the outside.

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Food, Health

Dining Out Made Simple

January 19, 2023
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Food, Health

We know that home cooking is the healthiest. For starters, we’re not loading our meals with ingredients that we can’t pronounce and preservatives to make the food last for weeks.

There are times, however, when it’s socially correct to go out and enjoy a meal with family or friends. After all, it’s fun to be waited on and skip the planning, cooking and clean-up.

(By the way, Mr. Non-Compliant is great at doing dishes. Thank you, Mr. NC.)

There are also business lunches and dinners and various celebrations. 

When we dine out, it’s easy to get swept away and lose control with all the goodies that appear on the table before us. While some restaurants inquire as to if you’d like bread, it often shows up uninvited.

And it brings along some very tasty friends: butter, olive oil, cheese, vinegar.

Then there are the cocktails, wine, appetizers, rich creamy soups, homemade pastas, desserts.

Indulging in the “extras” on occasion will probably not send your healthy eating goals out the window.

It’s the excessive number of food-centered meetings and events that tend to pack on the pounds, especially when there are several in one week.

Should you find yourself in this situation, here are some simple guidelines to help keep you from outgrowing your clothes.

Health Coach Carol’s Simple Dining Out Guidelines

  1. Skip the bread.
  2. Skip the alcohol.
  3. Skip the pasta.
  4. Skip the dessert.
  5. If steps 1-4 are not possible for you, choose two options out of the four—sort of like “You Pick Two” at Panera Bread.
  6. Whatever two you choose, make sure they are AMAZING!

When desserts are AMAZING, often a table shares a few options so that everyone can have a sample of each.

Perfect. 

Mr. Non-Compliant is a tough negotiator. Even he can handle choosing two. For example, when the bread is fresh out of the oven, he’s going to enjoy it, slathered with butter.

If he’s at a banquet hall dinner where the dessert is sitting by his place at the beginning of the meal, it’s probably not going to be AMAZING. Same goes for the bread or rolls.

These simple guidelines allow for a delicious dining experience without feeling as though you’ve overindulged.

No calorie counting. No food stressing. No outgrowing your clothes.

Bon appétit!

Much love,
Health Coach Carol

“We should enjoy food and have fun. It is one of the simplest and nicest pleasures in life.”—Julia Child

Look for the Bright Spots

January 11, 2023
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Fun, Health

It’s been almost 2 weeks since we’ve celebrated the newness of another year. Perhaps you’ve set up some small action steps that lead to a positive change.

Keep in mind, this could be about anything, not only health and fitness related goals. 

Whatever the case may be, how are you doing with them? Are you tracking your successes? Are you stuck in a mindset of failure?

About 99% of the time, when I talk with clients and friends, I first hear about the “mess-ups” that happened.

True confessions.

I don’t ask. They just tell.

My response to whatever I hear is, “What went well for you? What did you do that you feel good about?”

It’s much more fun and beneficial to uncover positive accomplishments. Nothing is too small to note. Every win counts.

Next time you feel as though you’ve “messed up,” try looking for the bright spots. Odds are that you’re doing a much better job with reinforcing your new habits and sticking to your commitment than you think. By focusing on the bright spots, you maintain forward momentum. You’ll feel successful and accomplished.

If you’d like a Bright Spots Tracker to help you practice this, shoot me an email telling me of a success you had this week, and I’ll send it to you.

A Little Goes a Long Way

Movement, that is.

Just in case you’ve committed to going to the gym, walking, swimming, playing volleyball, etc. and are struggling, know this: Anything is better than nothing.

And since consistency is key, discovering movement that you enjoy is critical.

Check out the wide range of possibilities and go for it. Do what you can and build upon that. 

Even walking 15 minutes a day 4 times a week is beneficial.

Exercise adds to longevity. It reduces the risk of cancer mortality, cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality.

For example, there is a 14% decrease in coronary heart disease for those who exercise 150 minutes per week compared to those who do not exercise. 300 minutes a week lowers the rate to 20%.

At my gym, I always see the 3 Musketeers, as I call them. Three women who do a class or two a day, usually together. They are older than me. They have fun. They keep moving so that they can move. I aspire to be like them, and hopefully will age just as gracefully.

Trying to figure out what is possible for you? Let’s talk.

 Much love,
Health Coach Carol

“Just for the record darling, not all positive change feels positive in the beginning.” —S. C. Lourie

5 Ways to Stay Committed to Your Goals

January 5, 2023
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Health, Hope, Personal Development

We’re into another year in what seems like a flash.

Even if I didn’t look at a calendar, I’d know this.

How, you ask?

BECAUSE MY PARKING SPOT IS NOW OCCUPIED WHEN I GO TO THE GYM. 

I go to my same classes, at the same time of day, and I typically park very far from the entrance.

No more parking spot. So, I now park even further from the entrance.

Good news is that I get more steps into my day.

Good news is that more people are exercising.

Bad news is that in a few weeks, I’ll get my parking spot back.

It’s a pattern that I’ve witnessed for decades.

The excitement of the new year and goals of getting healthy tend to go by the wayside when real life takes over. It’s easy to fall into familiar patterns that often don’t serve us.

If they did, we wouldn’t have the desire to change them.

Today, I give you 5 ways to stay committed to your health (or any) goals, even when you don’t feel like it, life gets really messy, you lose hope and feel like nothing’s working or you absentmindedly eat an entire bag of cookies/chips/fill in the blank.

  1. WHY do you have the desire to get healthy or lose weight or whatever it is you’d like to do? Now, go deeper, with that WHY. Then, go even deeper. You know you’ve hit the real reason WHY when it almost (or does) make you cry. Getting clear on the REAL rock-bottom reason you’d like to accomplish your goal is key to making it happen. When you get off track for any reason, go back to the big WHY.
  2. Remember to practice one small activity at a time that takes you in the direction of your commitment. When you figure out what that is, put it into your calendar or it won’t happen. If you tell yourself you’re going to walk 10 minutes 3 times a week, schedule those times and keep the dates. You’re important!
  3. When you mess up (because we all do) admit it and begin again immediately. You’re in good company so don’t beat yourself up over it. Do not wait until Monday or after another social gathering or when the birthday cake is gone. Now is the only time we have. Make it count.
  4. Be flexible. If you decide on a plan that isn’t working for you, adjust accordingly. Sometimes we set unrealistic expectations for ourselves. It’s best to set yourself up for success, master one thing, then add another desirable habit.
  5. When you feel stuck, do an activity for 5-10 minutes that gets you back on track toward your big WHY. Even the tiniest action can get the momentum going again.

Need help with your big WHY? Email me and we’ll set up a time (for about 30 minutes) to figure it out together. It’s my New Year’s gift to you! WHOOT WHOOT! 

Oh, and my word for 2023 is…CLARITY. If you haven’t chosen your word for the year, it’s not too late. Go for it! Then practice living it.

May 2023 bring you health, happiness and clarity.

Much love,
Health Coach Carol

“Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is clarity.” – James Clear

Wishing You a Happy, Healthy 2023

December 29, 2022
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Health, Personal Development

It’s that time of year when we think about starting something new.

Perhaps even a resolution. Or three.

Here’s a tip: decide on a small daily action that you are highly committed to sticking with, rather than a big resolution.

Something measurable and specific, like starting each day with a glass of water. (Rather than losing weight.)

Trying one new-to-you vegetable a month. (Instead of eating healthier.)

Or reading a book about an interesting person or topic for 10 minutes most days. (As opposed to reading 20 books a year.)

By choosing one small, committed action that you can stick with, you’ll experience change that lasts. 

And leads to you being your best.

Another option is to choose a word that you’d like to live into for 2023. I’ve yet to choose my word.

I’ll be spending some quiet time in the next few days to reflect on the past year and consider my plan for the next one.

Perhaps you’d like to set time aside to review the year and all that you’ve experienced. What went well and what would you like to do differently?

I wish you all the best as we move into 2023 together.

Much love,
Health Coach Carol

“Tomorrow is the first blank page of a 365-page book. Write a good one.”—Brad Paisley

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