Health Coaching Tip | Smarts and Stamina | Attractive Minds. Productive Bodies.

07 Aug 2012

How to Get Support Where You Least Expect It

Tags: habits, Health Coaching Tip, how to be healthy, obesity, peer pressure, social contagion
Posted in Blog, Building habits, Food and Nutrition | 2 Comments

A growing body of research shows that our food, mood, and exercise habits are strongly influenced by the behavior of other people in our networks. I bet that our sleep habits are too, although as far as I know, there is little research on that subject. Our weight is thus strongly influenced by the habits of those around us. So we’re quite right to say we’re having an obesity epidemic: obesity indeed spreads from one person to the next, just as other diseases do. But what can we do about it?

03 Jul 2012

My Newest Craving

Tags: green smoothies, Health Coaching Tip, Healthy Lifestyle Tips, how to be healthy, wellness
Posted in Blog, Building habits, Food and Nutrition | 11 Comments

My friend Christa Smedile, RD, LDN had been telling me for a long time how much she loves her morning green smoothie. The idea seemed intriguing. I mean, starting your day with 2 servings of fruits and 1 serving of greens sounded very appealing to the health nut in me. But come on! A green smoothie? It just didn’t sound sexy.

After hearing a few testimonials from her clients, who raved about increased energy, nicer skin, reduced need for caffeine, and fewer cravings throughout the day, I just had to give it a try. I guess that’s one of the bitter-sweet things about being a health coach. I feel driven to try every plausible strategy to really know how it feels. Also keeping in the best possible shape is part of the job description. So I have a little extra motivation to do things that I might otherwise find excuses not to do.

I am now totally hooked! If you’d like to learn how to seriously crave the been goodness, here’s how to get started.

18 Jun 2012

Fitness Goals That Get Results

Tags: goal setting, Health Coaching Tip, Healthy Lifestyle Tips, latest buzz, weight loss, wellness
Posted in Blog, Building habits, Media | 5 Comments

Do your fitness goals propel you into action, or do they just make you feel guilty? If you have abandoned resolution after good intention, or if you have a hard time helping someone else with their desire to eat well, exercise or meditate regularly, get ready. This post, an excerpt from my interview at Be Healthy, Be Well, will help you set goals that are excuse-proof.

22 May 2012

He Had Me at Goodbye

Tags: 3 dates, Health Coaching Tip, how to be healthy, wellness strategy
Posted in Blog, Building habits | 2 Comments

My dad’s best friend bugged me for 4 years to meet his son. Each time we’d meet or talk on the phone, Bob would tell me all about his son’s prowess, which impressed Bob much more than it impressed me. You see, Rob (yes, that’s Bob’s son) lived in the United States. Having lived all my life in a small French suburb of Montreal and now being a bank manager in the same area, I pretty much knew everybody around town. I had no intention of leaving my life behind, much less move to a different country. So why would I voluntarily put my future in a precarious position by agreeing to meet Rob?

01 May 2012

Can You Think Your Way to a Thinner You?

Tags: Health Coaching Tip, Healthy Lifestyle Tips, how to be healthy, mindset, positive affirmations, stress, weight loss
Posted in Blog, Building habits, Exercise and Fitness, Food and Nutrition, Mood and Positive Psychology | Leave a comment

One of my coaching clients once asked me what I thought of using positive affirmations to lose weight. Will repeating “I am losing weight every day” to herself and posting “I love to eat healthy” on her fridge help her drop a jeans size? My answer? Yes, but mostly no.

23 Apr 2012

Try These Mood Boosters if You Dare

Tags: Health Coaching Tip, Healthy Lifestyle Tips, how to be healthy, Mood, SaS Compass
Posted in Blog, Mood and Positive Psychology | Leave a comment

In our last post, we mentioned that being in a generally perkier mood can help you feel more energetic to exercise. But if you understand the SaS Compass, you know that improved exercise is not all that a better mood can do for you. It can also lessen food cravings, reduce insomnia and help you feel more collaborative and creative. Much better side effects than any sleep, energy or appetite-related “magic” pills! So – ready for a few mood boosting tips? Here are my favorite 4.

09 Apr 2012

How to Be Healthy Like a Marathon Runner

Tags: exercise, happiness, Health Coaching Tip, healthy, Healthy Lifestyle Tips, longevity
Posted in Blog, Exercise and Fitness, Mood and Positive Psychology | 1 Comment

What would be a great indicator that someone is remarkably healthy? Would running a marathon be proof enough? Don’t worry, I’m nowhere near ready for a marathon either, so that’s not where I’m going with this. Assuming running a marathon is a good benchmark, let’s push this idea a little farther. How would running a marathon after age 50 sound? How about after age 60? You get the idea: the older the marathon runner, the more remarkable the individual’s physical shape.

Can you guess the age of the oldest marathon runner in history? And what does that mean for you, regular person for whom running a marathon seems as likely as taking a ride on the back of a flying giraffe?

26 Mar 2012

Smart Way to End Your Afternoon Snacking

Tags: Cortisol, Health Coaching Tip, Healthy Lifestyle Tips, how to be healthy, nap, Sleep, snacking
Posted in Blog, Building habits, Food and Nutrition, Sleep and Rest, Stress Reduction | 1 Comment

“How can I stop snacking in the afternoon?” That’s a question I get asked quite often. If you feel tired, a little sugar or caffeine may seem like an easy way to get that extra oomph you need. But let’s put it this way: with over 2/3 of the adult population being sleep deprived in the US (and if you are in Australia, Canada, France or England, my bet is that your stats are very similar), and with ever-increasing obesity rates everywhere, most of us would benefit more from fitting in a few extra Zzzzs per 24-hour cycle than we would eating a few extra calories.

Napping will not only help boost your energy, but it will also slow down your production of cortisol, the stress hormone that drives you to want more high-sugar, high-fat foods. So what may seem like an over-the-top indulgence may actually keep you away from needless decadence! Ready to give it a try? Here are some basic rules to get the most out of a nap.

09 Dec 2011

5 Lazy Ways to Get in Shape

Tags: exercise, Health Coaching Tip, Healthy Lifestyle Tips, how to be healthy, meditation, nervous system, podcast, SaS Compass, Sleep
Posted in Blog, Exercise and Fitness, Food and Nutrition, Sleep and Rest | 2 Comments

If you know me, you know that my thing is connecting sleep, food, mood and exercise. I love to discuss how these four groups of habits are connected and make each other easier. But improving one habit is already a challenge, never mind improving habits in 4 categories! Agreed, doing so can sound daunting and effortful (if you don’t know my full process, that is ;0), so today I’d like to share ways that will improve your health and simultaneously save your energy.

25 Oct 2011

Tired of Boiled Broccoli?

Tags: Health Coaching Tip, healthy eating tips, Healthy Lifestyle Tips, how to be healthy
Posted in Blog, Food and Nutrition | 3 Comments

In theory, we all agree on eating more veggies. The challenge is often to get excited about doing it. If your veggie repertoire consists mainly of raw baby carrots, boiled broccoli and celery sticks, I can understand why you can’t get your portions each day. Here’s a tip to make the process a lot more compelling.

Posts Tagged ‘Health Coaching Tip’

My Newest Craving

Fitness Goals That Get Results

He Had Me at Goodbye

Can You Think Your Way to a Thinner You?

Try These Mood Boosters if You Dare

How to Be Healthy Like a Marathon Runner

Smart Way to End Your Afternoon Snacking

5 Lazy Ways to Get in Shape

Tired of Boiled Broccoli?

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