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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

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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

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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,

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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

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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

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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

Less Stress, More Fun this Holiday Season

November 4, 2021
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Food, Fun

Thanksgiving is only 3 weeks away. In this moment, it feels as though we have plenty of time to prepare.

And we do. IF we start NOW!

It hit me when I stopped in the grocery to pick up some fish for dinner yesterday and noticed all sorts of Thanksgiving dinner fixings on the endcaps.

Jellied cranberry sauce, pumpkin purée, miniature marshmallows, boxed gluten free turkey gravy…

I thought to myself, how many times do I think that I’ll have plenty of shopping trips to pick these items up, and guess what happens?

Yep, I’m in the store the week of Thanksgiving losing my mind.   

Typical scenario: Can you believe everyone else already bought ALL the jellied cranberry sauce and now I have to go to yet another store? (Mr. Non-Compliant must have his canned sauce with those can rings around it, or it’s not Thanksgiving.)

This year, I will not be a crazed Thanksgiving week shopper.

Many of those non-perishable items are tucked safely away in my pantry, just hanging out for the next 3 weeks.

My plan is to review my menu and make a list of the remaining items and pick them up later this week. The fresh items I’ll pick up on Monday of Thanksgiving week.

Less stress, more fun. I’m in.

Maybe this is something that could work well for you. Give it some thought, and if not, let it go.

Extra Halloween Candy

For those of you who live in Northwest Indiana, candy may be dropped off at all Franciscan Health Fitness Centers now through November 10th. Take it to the Service Desk and it will be sent to the men and women of our Armed Forces.

We gave out Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, not veggies. The goblins were pretty happy with those.

I took our extras to the Service Desk before Mr. Non-Compliant could squirrel more away for future snacking.

Please don’t feel sorry for him. He has enough leftovers to keep him happy until the pumpkin pie shows up.

Not only that, I have his cranberry jelly tucked away, right next to the pumpkin purée. 

Save the Date

I’ll be hosting The Amazing Cookie Bake with Health Coach Carol on Zoom, Saturday, Dec. 4 from 10:00am to 11:30am CST. We had a delicious time last year, baking our favorites together with the help of technology.

Mark your calendar to join me for this FREE event! More details coming soon.

Much love,
Health Coach Carol

“Every day brings a choice: to practice stress or to practice peace.” – Joan Borysenko

The Halloween Candy Quandary

October 28, 2021
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Food, Fun, Health

Every year, the question is the same. What kind of candy to buy for those little trick-or-treaters?

Here are some options:

  1. Buy your favorite in case there’s candy left over
  2. Buy your least favorite in case there’s candy left over
  3. Don’t buy any and leave home for the evening
  4. Buy your state’s favorite and hope to please most of the little goblins
  5. Buy a big variety pack and pass out your favorites or least favorites first, depending on if you prefer answer A or B
  6. Give out something on the healthier side and risk getting your pumpkin smashed

Should you buy your favorite, you may consider freezing leftovers (if it’s a kind you can freeze) so that you aren’t tempted to eat too much at once. 

If you buy your least favorite, give the last tricksters any leftovers and turn out your porch light.

Disappearing for the evening gets you out of any big candy decisions.

Buying your state’s favorite makes good sense, and perhaps you’ll make the locals happy.

According to a recent survey (which in my mind means it’s just fun info), here are the favorite Halloween candies of a few states:

  • Indiana: Peanut M&M’s
  • Ohio: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
  • Michigan: Kit Kat
  • Illinois: Airheads
  • Florida & California: Jolly Rancher Hard Candy (REALLY? Maybe because the chocolate melts.)
  • Georgia: Skittles
  • Kentucky: 100 Grand Bar
  • Wisconsin: Twix

I think there may be some dental offices that take candy after Halloween and do something with it that benefits others. It’s been a while since I’ve had little ones, so maybe not.

At any rate, it’s fun to see kids and adults get decked out in their costumes and be someone or something else for an evening.

And should you happen to overdo the candy thing, just eat a little bit better with your next meal or snack.

A mixed green salad with the addition of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, or any other vegetable you choose, will get you right back on track. 

As for our treat selection? Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Plain M&M’s, since that’s what Mr. Non-Compliant likes best. We usually get only a handful of trick-or-treaters, so Mr. NC has a small stash in the freezer for emergencies.

Could it be that the neighbors think I’ll hand out those mini bags of apples or some vegetable, so they skip our house?

Perhaps. At any rate…

…Wishing you a delightfully scary Halloween!

BOO!
Health Coach Carol

“A person should always choose a costume which is in direct contrast to her own personality.”—Lucy Van Pelt, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”

The “No Diet” Approach to Health

October 21, 2021
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Food, Health

As promised last week, I’ll present the last 5 principles of Intuitive Eating. In review, the first five are:

  1. Reject the Diet Mentality
  2. Honor Your Hunger
  3. Make Peace with Food
  4. Challenge the Food Police
  5. Discover the Satisfaction Factor

Principle #6: Feel Your Fullness

Just as we are attentive to hunger cues in the body, it’s important to know what full feels like. On a scale of 1-10, consider 1 is that point of needing food immediately or sooner, and 10 is the point that you’d like to lie down and hibernate. Practice noticing what 5 might feel like. You have some energy, yet you still need a bit more food. 

Increasing this awareness BEFORE the holidays roll around would be highly beneficial in keeping off those extra pounds.

Principle #7: Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness

You head for the refrigerator but are you truly hungry? Or are you stressed about some challenge in your life?

It is important to notice WHY you are eating, if not to satisfy hunger.

Are you seeking more fulfilling relationships? More satisfaction in your work/life? Are you tired and in need of some R&R? What is it you really need right now?

This can require some digging to uncover the ways you may be using food. Remember to be patient and compassionate with yourself as you work through this principle.

Principle #8: Respect Your Body

All bodies carry a different genetic blueprint, so it’s important to accept that you may not be the next champion bodybuilder or grace the cover of a fitness magazine. Stop focusing on society’s standards of how you should look and honor the body you have.

Principle #9: Movement—Feel the Difference

Find ways to move your body that make you happy and notice how good it feels! There’s no rule that says you have to go to a gym or be a runner in order for exercise to “count.” If you don’t love it, you won’t stick with it. Experiment with activities that help you feel energized and figure out what’s best for you. Your movement should bring JOY, not feel like punishment.

Principle #10: Honor Your Health—Gentle Nutrition

Diets begin by focusing on what foods to eat and avoid. Intuitive Eating has you first tap into hunger and fullness signals, emotional awareness around food, and body respect. This final step has you consider the nutritional components, such as how much protein you need in a day, or that eating vegetables is a smart move.

This final step looks different for everyone and there is no “perfect” way to eat. 

Intuitive Eating is a weight neutral approach to health. It’s a way of life that you may choose to practice.

In learning these 10 principles, I’ve become aware that my coaching practice actually integrates parts of Intuitive Eating with nutrition fundamentals. It’s a blend of both worlds that offers flexibility along with the idea that there is no one “perfect” way for everyone to eat.

And it’s NOT a diet. Email me and we’ll create a plan to help you sail through the holidays and look and feel your best as you move into 2022.

Much love,
Health Coach Carol

 “Those who are cheerful and merry at table benefit from their food.”—Sirach 30:25

Diets vs. Intuitive Eating

October 14, 2021
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Food, Health

Diet: a regimen of eating and drinking sparingly so as to reduce one’s weight; to eat sparingly or according to prescribed rules. (Merriam-Webster)

Intuitive Eating: rejects diet culture, a set of beliefs that values thinness, appearance, and shape above health and well-being.

This past weekend I attended an introductory workshop on Intuitive Eating. While I was familiar with some of the Intuitive Eating principles prior to this, I learned some details that I thought you’d find interesting.

For those of you who have discovered a diet that is working well for you, congratulations! 95% of diets fail over the long term and often promote weight gain, so you are a rare success story.   

There are 10 principles of Intuitive Eating that are to be done in order. Master principle #1, then move on and master principle #2, and so on.

The #1 principle: Reject the Diet Mentality

This principle alone could take some time, patience, and a good dose of self-compassion to master.

If you’ve ever failed at a diet, it’s not your fault. You were set up to fail from Day One. Odds are good that dieting has interfered with your life to some degree.

This is a big principle, which is why it’s the first one.

Principle #2: Honor Your Hunger

How does your body KNOW when you’re hungry? What happens within the boundaries of a typical diet if you get hungry when you’re not supposed to?

Principle #3: Make Peace with Food

Do you experience guilt when you enjoy an amazing piece of cake, or suppress a craving for ice cream until you end up eating an entire carton? The only restrictions with IE are those due to food allergies or other medical reasons.

Principle #4: Challenge the Food Police

Eliminate the terms “good” and “bad” foods, and “cheat meals.” Were you told to “clean your plate” as a child? I was. These words are probably still “policing” us today.     

Principle #5: Discover the Satisfaction Factor

How often do you eat on the run, over the sink, or while watching television? When you do, you rob yourself of the pleasure and satisfaction found in the eating experience.

I’ll tell you about the last 5 principles next week and offer a blend of eating alternatives. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more about Intuitive Eating, check out Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach, by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch.

Consider what this anti-diet way of eating could mean for you. Could you be open to new ideas and what is possible?

If you’d like to take a deeper dive into any of these principles, shoot me an email.

Sending you love,
Health Coach Carol

P.S. I was informed that October 13, was National M&M’s Day and shared the news with Mr. Non-Compliant. I know there are some of you who are always looking out for him. Perhaps he practices Intuitive Eating.

“If you don’t love it, don’t eat it, and if you love it, savor it.” —Evelyn Tribole

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