There are two words I often hear in my coaching.  They are most often used when a client is describing how well he or she managed to incorporate the food strategies I’ve shared with them.  It usually goes something like this: “I was so good for 5 days straight and then I just completely fell off track and was bad all weekend long!”  Their expression often looks strained, ashamed, and embarrassed.  But why?  Why all the fuss about being good or bad?  It’s not a healthy way to live, and if it is your goal to achieve and maintain optimal health for the long haul you’ll need to rid yourself of these two words. “Good” and “bad” have to go.

Most often, people describe themselves as “good” or “bad” as it relates to their food consumption. The reality though is that we are all good people, end of story.  We may make poor choices, and fuel our body with foods that wreak havoc instead of supporting us in health.  But this doesn’t make us a bad person, and we probably made the choice we made for a reason. Maybe it was a stressful day, or you found yourself tired during your afternoon meeting and gave into chocolate, or it was a special occasion so you ate a little more than you usually do. The bottom line is in each of these circumstances we have a choice.

It’s time to shift our mindset from guilt, restriction, and shame to freedom, and power.  We each have the power to choose; and we also have the freedom to do so without guilt.

Here’s how you can make the shift happen.  Begin by recognizing that you can make a conscious choice about how you want to participate, regardless of the situation.  In any decision, whether it’s about food or life, ask yourself  “What will it provide me to make this choice?”

By simply pausing, and asking yourself this question, you’ll be more apt to make a decision that will support you in health and happiness.  Once the decision is made, own it, and move forward.  No guilt, no regrets.  And if by chance you realize it wasn’t the best decision for you at that time, take time to assess why.  Understand the impact it had on you, learn from the situation and choose differently next time.  No need to beat yourself up about it.  None of us are perfect, but we can all learn each and every day and continue to grow.

Now, say your goodbyes, and step into your power and freedom!

Dairy and gluten are two of the most common food allergies, so in the graphic below, we’re sharing  some easy swaps you can make the next time you’re planning a meal with food sensitivities in mind. You may even find yourself incorporating these healthy foods into your menu even if you don’thave food allergies since they’re so delicious!

These food swaps are just a small preview of what’s included in our FREE online guide for meeting planners and others interested in creating a culture of health. In the guide, you’ll discover:

• How to create an all-inclusive dining experience for varying dietary restrictions
• Strategies for incorporating wellness into your event
• Six tips for helping YOU stay sane through it all!

Click below to get the guide! It’s full of practical ideas for how you can create meetings with the health of your attendees in mind and realistic ways you can practice health and stay sane throughout the process!

Addiction played a major role in my health crisis (if you’d like, you can watch a video and learn a bit more about my story here). The problem was that I never wanted to admit it.

I wasn’t addicted to alcohol or cigarettes. I was addicted to sugar.

My body knew it loved sugar and the cycle continued for a long period of time. I would try to cut sugar out of my diet and at one point, I finally did.  And crazy as it may sound, I had withdrawl symptoms just as any addict would. I felt like I had the flu, a horrible headache and was irritable with all those around me. Sugar addiction is just as serious as any other and unfortunately it’s difficult to kick because you can find sugar everywherein our food system!

It takes years for disease to set into the body. There is consistent research suggesting that sugar feeds disease and while we may not see or feel the longterm effects of sugar today, consuming excessive sugar can slowly feed disease in our bodies over time. Research indicates that Americans consume an average of 150 pounds of added sugar per year, with some studies even estimated upwards of 300 pounds of added sugar per year!  The good news is that as you slowly shift towards a colorful diet rich in whole foods, you’ll find that you can enjoy foods that are naturally sweet and will have less of a craving for processed sugar.

This week, set a goal of limiting your daily sugar intake to 25 grams or less.You’ll have to keep a close eye on your food labels, and you may find some unexpected sugar in foods that you didn’t realize contain added sugar. Keep a little piece of paper handy to jot down a quick note as you go through the day or simply create a note on your phone and mark down your sugar intake  – it doesn’t have to be fancy!

Don’t be discouraged if you initially find that you’re consuming more than the recommended 25 grams of sugar – for many people, this is a big shift! Be encouraged that simply by bringing awareness to your sugar intake for a week, you’ll become more mindful of how much sugar is in the food you’re consuming. You’ll quickly start to see what foods contain added sugar and can shift your diet towards other natural, nutrient-dense foods.

We want to hear from you! Click here to share on our Facebook page that you’ll be taking the challenge and tracking your sugar for one week. We’re here to cheer you on and support you as you take an important and eye-opening step in your health!

In the last few years, I’ve been lucky enough to build relationships with many incredible meeting planners. Not only have I partnered with them as a speaker for their events, I have also seen the unique challenges meeting planners face in a career that is consistently ranked as one of the  most stressful in America.  As the world of meeting planning continues to evolve, the demands continue to increase and so many planners are finding themselves stretched thin as they work to add elements of health to their meetings.

That’s why I created this guide, “Three Ways To Upgrade Your Meeting (And Take Care Of Yourself Too!)” for meeting planners and I’m so excited to share it with you today!

In this guide, you’ll discover:

• How to manage varying dietary restrictions to create a delicious menu
• Practical strategies for incorporating wellness into your event
• Six tips for helping YOU stay sane through it all!

My hope is that this guide will give you some fresh ideas for incorporating health as you create beautiful, vibrant events.

In the midst of it all, don’t forget to take care of yourself! That’s why you’ll find tips we’ve created specifically for you on the last page of the guide. As a meeting planner, you have the opportunity to use these strategies for the health of your attendees andpractice them for yourself!

We hope you enjoy! Please reach out anytime and let us know how we can support you in health.

Cheers to your health and happiness,
Angela

Click Here To Get The Guide!

Dairy and Gluten are two of the most common food allergies, so in the graphic below, we’re sharing  some easy swaps you can make the next time you’re planning a meal with food sensitivities in mind. You may even find yourself incorporating these healthy foods into your menu even if you don’thave food allergies since they’re so delicious!

These food swaps are just a small preview of what we’re including in our FREE online guide that’s set to be released in the next two weeks! If you’re involved in planning events, this guide is for YOU! It’s called Three Ways To Upgrade Your Meeting (And Take Care Of Yourself Too!) You’ll discover:

• How to create an all-inclusive dining experience for varying dietary restrictions
• Strategies for incorporating wellness into your event
• Six tips for helping YOU stay sane through it all!

If you want to receive this free guide as soon as it’s released, click here and we’ll automatically send it straight to your inbox! It’s full of practical ideas for how you can create meetings with the health of your attendees in mind and realistic ways you can practice health and stay sane throughout the process!

Click Here To Receive The Free Guide When It’s Released! 

It’s been a full week in our business and in our family life this past week. It’s easy to let a hectic schedule put us on autopilot as we rush from place to place or project to project. When we become overwhelmed, it can be difficult to see all of the beautiful things that are right in front of us.

Not only that, but it’s easy to put our health on the back burner in times of stress. Not getting enough sleep, skipping time for movement, or choosing food that doesn’t fuel your body in health are all choices that are particularly easy to make when we are stressed. But continuing to be your own advocate in health – even during busy times – simply means making one small, healthy choice at a time. So if this week you find yourself in a similar position and are feeling overwhelmed by the fullness in life, I invite you to join me in the celebration exercise below. It just requires a little bit of intentionality and taking a big, deep breath.  Enjoy!

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Celebrate! Especially when  you feel overwhelmed, you must remember that health is about progression. Achieving life-long health means making one high-quality decision after another, no matter how small! Every healthy choice you make for yourselfcounts. It doesn’t matter how small your successes are – it’s time to celebrate them!

So today (yes today!) no matter how busy you are, stop and celebrate! Whether it was simply choosing a healthy salad for lunch, managing to drink a little more water than usual, or choosing to find an extra 10 minutes for a brisk walk, your choices are worth celebrating.

Keeping track of your celebrations provides you a record to look back on and motivation to keep the momentum you’ve built. One high quality choice can be followed by another. Days of healthy choices will turn into weeks, weeks into months and months into years of healthy living.

So if you’re feeling particularly overwhelmed or busy this week, now is the perfect time to start jotting down quick notes about your progress. It will give you the momentum you need to keep going and provide some perspective and joy in the midst of the busyness.

Click Here For a FREE Tool To Celebrate Your Success!

MY NUMBER ONE TIP: Check the ingredients! The biggest things to avoid with any candy choice are these offensive ingredients: 
• High Fructose Corn Syrup, Corn Syrup
• Corn Syrup Solids
• Food Coloring
• Artificial Sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose and phenylalanine)
• Hydrogenated oils
Remember if you can’t read it, pronounce it, or understand an ingredient, it’s not worth the risk to consume it. 

YOUR CHALLENGE: Talk with your children about your concerns.  Be upfront with them about why you want to help them make good choices. Things created in laboratories are not food, they are a food product.  Food is necessary in this life, and we need to make choices that feed us health and happiness.  Let’s make sure it’s good food we are putting into our bodies and take the tricks out of the treats!