Turning inward, we must make space for sorrow and acknowledge the spiritual warfare that surrounds us in our daily lives. We must seek clarity over confusion and intentionally put on the armor of love to protect our minds, our hearts and our relationships. 

During times of chaos, I especially look for clear, more simplistic ways of understanding. I have recently discovered Byron Katie’s, The Work, (2003)  which lays out a framework for seeing the world as it is and focuses our attention on our thoughts and actions, and not those of others. 

Katie outlines that humans can only be in one of three places with their thoughts: in your own business, in someone else’s business or in God’s business. 

When it comes to fitness, most of us know what we should be doing—move more, lift weights, eat well, rest. But knowing and actually doing are two very different things. That’s where having a plan comes in.

A plan isn’t about being rigid or following some cookie-cutter program that doesn’t fit your life. A plan is about creating structure that works for you. It’s knowing what workout you’re going to do before you step into the gym (or your living room), instead of just winging it and hoping for progress.

Here’s the truth: the people who see the best results aren’t the ones doing the “perfect” program, they’re the ones who follow a plan they can actually stick to.

We’ve all heard the phrase “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” but let’s be honest — it usually gets the least attention. A rushed cup of coffee, maybe a granola bar, and you’re out the door. The problem? Most breakfasts are carb-heavy, low in protein, and leave you hungry an hour later.

Here’s where one small shift can truly change the game: start your day with at least 30 grams of protein.

Humans that change their routine while they also believe in something larger than themselves and have hope that their circumstances will get better are able to maintain new habits, even when confronted with a significant life event. It’s evidence that hope matters. Feeding our souls with hope in the future is integral to building and sustaining new wellness habits. Our wellness coaching and life design practice can help.  Let’s get started! 

There is wisdom in wonder, if we are intentional about opening ourselves to it. Pivot away from worry and turn to wonder. Trust again like a child. You will soon find yourself more at peace and moving away from fear, the fear that holds you back. 

We live in a noisy, chaotic world that seems to be getting louder and faster every day. Learning how to manage the noise and pace of daily life is essential to balanced living. Diego Perez is a poet and NYT best-selling author under the pen name Yung Pueblo who writes about creating peace within our own selves. In a recent interview with Mel Robbins, Perez urges that we have the power to release the stress we hold and unlock the confidence we crave – no matter what is happening around us. 

When we feel stress from overwhelm or fear,  Perez offers this 6-step process.

Let’s be honest: it’s easy to get caught up in how we feel about our fitness progress instead of looking at what’s actually happening. Some days we feel on top of the world, other days we swear nothing’s working—and neither tells the full story.

That’s why tracking matters.

When we talk about “fueling our body,” we often jump straight to nutrition—and rightly so. What we eat plays a major role in how we feel, function, and show up each day. But this week, I want to flip the script and talk about another kind of fuel.

Because we don’t just feed our bodies through food.
We feed ourselves through everything we consume.

What we watch, listen to, scroll past, read, engage in… all of it becomes fuel.

In this new season, don’t wait. Carpe Diem! It is not as hard as you may think. What I have learned is this, you and I are irreplaceable. We are unique and here for this very time made for us. We cannot let history, worry, fear or even a little anxiety hold us back from what has been placed in our hearts.  What you desire is calling you to your best and highest self. We are so excited to hear your story, your dreams and to walk beside you!

Too often, we think wellness has to be this unrelenting practice of moving our bodes in extreme ways, without excuses (lookin’ at you Jillian Michaels). On the contrary, living in the “sweet spot” requires finding balance, somewhere between “Just Do It” and “Wait for It”.

Let’s be real. Fitness advice is everywhere, and a lot of it is either confusing, overhyped, or just flat-out wrong. After years of coaching people through the ups and downs, here are 7 hot takes I stand by. Take them or leave them, but they might just shift your mindset!

We’ve all heard the phrase, “you are what you eat.” And while it’s true that what you put into your body matters - it impacts your energy, mood, hormones, recovery, focus, and more - there’s a second part we often forget:

It’s not just what you eat. It’s also how you eat.

Mojo is defined as a quality that attracts people to you and makes you successful and full of energy. Award winning journalist, Carl Honoré challenges in his book In Praise of Slowness, that today’s culture has us living on the edge of exhaustion and constantly reminded by our bodies and minds that the pace of life is spinning out of control. He asserts that a Slow revolution is taking place. People all over the world are reclaiming their time and slowing down their pace -- living happier, healthier, and productive lives. Slow is their mojo.

Big T, little t…

What begins with T?  According to Dr. Seuss, “Ten tired turtles on a tuttle tuttle tree,” (Seuss, Dr. Dr. Seuss's ABC. New York: Beginner Books, 1963.)

When I completed my first well check-up 5 years ago, I resonated with the description “tired turtle” 🐢😞. I had lost a good amount of weight (again) over the late winter/early spring  months through good habits that were working for me. Though I was feeling pretty good about my Physical Wellness, I was fearful about being able to sustain progress as my new self. I had been on the weight loss rollercoaster too many times. But to my surprise, the well check-up revealed something unexpected.  Of the 8 Wellness Dimensions, my Emotional Wellness lagged behind. Why?

Trauma isn’t just stored in memories—it embeds itself in the body. It rewires our nervous system, disrupts our sleep, and heightens our stress response. Over time, it can make us feel unsafe in our own skin.

In the bestselling book The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk writes:

“Trauma is not just an event that took place in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on the mind, brain and body.”

He emphasizes that while cognitive approaches like therapy are helpful, they often don’t fully address the physical imprint trauma leaves behind.

Insert: movement.

Six months ago, in December 2024, I began a personal experiment. One rooted in curiosity, healing, and a desire for something deeper. I wasn’t drinking every day, and I would never have called it a problem. But alcohol had become a social norm in my life - something I turned to out of habit, routine, or simply to fit in. And somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling aligned with the version of myself I was working hard to become.

If you are here, I have something so important to share with you that perhaps no one else ever has. 

You are enough. You are loved. If you are seeking your best self, it is right within you. You are smart enough, disciplined enough, organized enough and you do have enough time to be who you are meant to be. You may just not know how to find it. And what you think your best self looks like, I promise you are not thinking big enough. It is more than you can even imagine.

I never lost sight of her, that twenty-something girl in the mirror. I was in my early twenties when my wellness journey would begin. Plagued with infertility and hormone imbalances, there was little to know and understand. With no such innovation called “the internet”, you saw doctors and talked to family and friends about your struggles. All you could know was that you weren’t “normal”. As the girl in the mirror aged and took on various shapes and sizes, I was driven, consumed with finding her again. Where did she go, and why was this so hard to understand and “fix”?

After a long stretch focused mostly on strength training, I’ve decided it’s time to switch things up, and I’m officially back in race training mode! I’ve signed up for a 5K in May and a Half Marathon in October! I’ve completed a 5K, 10K, and Half in the past, but running hasn’t been a regular part of my training for a while.

Travel season is upon us, and while hitting the road can be exciting, it often throws our healthy habits off track. Rest stops, airport kiosks, and roadside diners rarely offer food that leaves you feeling your best.

Fueling your body right while traveling takes intentional effort, but with a little planning ahead, it’s totally doable. In my latest blog post, I’m sharing a real moment I had on the road (hello, fast food overload) and the steps I took to stay nourished and avoid the regret that often follows those quick-fix meal.