Stay on track this holiday season with our top tips for enjoying festive meals, keeping up with movement, and embracing balance. From mindful eating to setting small daily goals, these strategies will help you celebrate while supporting your wellness journey!

Struggling with emotional eating? You’re not alone. Learn how emotional eating works, why we turn to food for comfort, and practical steps you can take to break the cycle and build healthier coping habits. Discover how to create a balanced relationship with food while still enjoying what you love.

Many people are quick to blame nagging health issues on their food habits and often rightfully so. But they’re more likely to pin it on over-eating when often the root of the issue is actually the opposite. Under-eating is VERY common. We’ve conditioned ourselves to believe that eating less  = better life. The truth is that’s not always true. I know, I KNOW, this is the opposite of what you’ve believed your whole life! Eating too little is just as unhealthy as eating too much.

My best piece of advice to anyone looking to start up their nutrition journey with a coach is to keep an open mind. I mean, you're likely seeking help because your way hasn't worked for you in one way or another, right?

Things that I have new clients really hone in on in the first few weeks include:

Look, I know I JUST said I want you to be bored. But I also want you to have fun!

For some people, it’s hard to find joy in the grind of the process even if they know deep down it’s worth it. If you can trick yourself into enjoying the tedious need-to-dos, the odds of sticking with lifestyle changes, reaching your goals, & maintaining progress long term are much greater.

How can you reframe or remix the boring stuff to feel fresh & fun?

In 2021, I committed to walking one mile per day. When I told people I was doing a mile a day they always looked at me funny because they knew that I had a moderate level of fitness and could run much longer distances. But I knew I couldn't commit to running or even walking those longer distances consistently every single day for an entire year.

New year! New you...? What’s it really going to take to accomplish those goals this year? Here are five things you should be focusing on.

My Instant Pot has quickly become one of my most revered kitchen tools in the last two years. Cooking flavorful food fast is never wrong in my book. Rice cooker? Done. Steamer? Done. Hard-boiled eggs that perfectly peel? Double done.

I’ve cycled through lots of extremes regarding my nutrition. I’ve gone years never thinking twice about what I consumed. I’ve gone through periods of intense bingeing, only to restrict for days on end. I have also lived on the other side of the extreme…

Here’s a great recipe for Barbecued Hassleback Sweet Potatoes.

I felt it was time that I wrote something more personal. I think I have avoided delving too deep because of the shame that is attached to food addiction, emotional eating, binging, etc. It wasn’t until fairly recently that I was able to pinpoint exactly how I defined my own emotional eating behavior. I once sought the help of a therapist for this very issue. Why do I eat when I’m not hungry? I was met with amateur-hour suggestions. Eat off a red plate, drink water before meals, “I’ll fill a prescription for an appetite suppressant.”

As a business owner, I understand all too well what the December lull does for the coaching industry. If you aren’t selling something that can be given as a gift, your service or business is the first thing cut from a client’s budget this time of year, as gifts and travel expenses take precedent. I’m looking at you, online coaches. This is something most online coaches deal with, as it happens when you own a business that provides an “unnecessary” service. I am here to hopefully offer some words of wisdom to help your coaching business in the long term, as I for one think it is important to be sensitive this time of year.

If your nutrition is a priority of yours (and I'm sure it is or you probably wouldn't be reading this) then I hope this list comes in handy. Whether you travel for work or pleasure and whether you're on a road trip or flying somewhere far away, having a plan is key.