Author: Deb Nelson

My greatest joy is helping people kick their old habits to the curb to live their best life. As an integrative nutrition health coach, I support people in individual and group settings as they set and achieve health goals. Healthy living starts now.

Are You All In Or Just Going Through The Motions?

Remember those health goals you set for yourself for 2022? Or those health goals you thought about setting for yourself? As we move through the year, are you all in on reaching those goals? Or are you just going through the motions with minimal success?

HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT YOUR HEALTH GOALS NOW?

Are you on track to blow past those goals for 2022 and do that well-earned happy dance?

Good for you! Keep on keeping on!!

Have you adjusted your health goals to reflect changes in your life over the course of 2022 and are now back on track?

Excellent – you are tuned in to yourself and what you need to meet these goals!!

Are you floundering? Starting, stopping, not feeling that these goals are what you need to work on? On track to meet those health goals, but don’t feel the joy you thought you’d feel?

If you’re floundering when it comes to tackling your health goals, why do you think that’s happening?

Are you afraid of failure?

Are you afraid of success?

Do these health goals mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to you?

Did you set your health goals to make your family, friends, colleagues happy?

Did you set these goals thinking your BFF would be able to keep you on track?

Are you at a point where you have absolutely no idea why you even set these goals?

Use this grand month of September – the second new year – to reset and recommit to your health goals:

Think BIG.

Make those health goals meaningful.

Make those health goals fun.

Make those health goals challenging.

Make a plan to achieve your health goals.

Need some  motivation?

Read The 12-Hour Walk by Colin O’Brady.
I could not put this book down and read it in one day.

After you read this book, set some goals for yourself, and go all in to crush them!

The 12-Hour Walk is inspiring, thought-provoking, action-inducing.

Share your new health goals proudly and publicly.

Are you up for 29029? Don’t know what 29029 is? That’s because you haven’t read this book.

Invest in yourself, and take a 12-Hour Walk.

Keep moving, one step at a time toward your health goals. You’re in control. Own your health. Make EVERY day count.

Are You All In Or Just Going Through The Motions? was last modified: September 16th, 2022 by Deb Nelson

Weekend Wellness

This weekend, give yourself the gift of focusing on your wellness. Make the conscious decision to take a few actions that just might impact your health in a positive fashion.

ENJOY LIFE

Do something that brings you joy:

Spend some time with people whose company you enjoy: in person or via phone, zoom, etc.

Read a book that you’ve been meaning to pick up, or read a book to your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews.

Get in the kitchen: cook a favorite meal or find a new favorite. Got kids? Let them help you out.

Turn on the tunes and have a dance party.

Listen to a podcast.

Meditate.

Relax: Take time to do nothing.

GET MOVING

Go for a walk. Don’t have a lot of time? No problem! 10 minutes at a time adds up.

Take a hike.

Go for a run.

Hop on your bike.

Do some yoga, tai chi, or qigong.

Here’s another opportunity for a dance party!

Swap an hour of online time for an hour of walking time.

Bad weather? No problem! Walk around a grocery store or a mall or visit a gym and hop on a treadmill. Take an online class.

Set a timer throughout the day so that you’re not sitting for more than 45 minutes without getting up to move around,

Water. Water. Water.

Here are some ways to add water to your day:

Drink a glass of water before each meal.

If you’re feeling hungry between meals, have a glass of water before reaching for a snack. It could be that you’re dehydrated, and your body is craving water.

Feeling sluggish? You guessed it! Have a glass of water.

Fill a water bottle in the morning and sip on it throughout the day.

Going out to a party or dinner where you’ll be drinking alcohol? Limit yourself to one alcoholic beverage and drink water throughout the remainder of the party / dinner.

Do you avoid drinking water because you find it boring? No problem! Boost the flavor of that water by adding:

Lemon slices

Mint sprigs

Strawberry slices

Cucumber slices

Orange slices

CROWD OUT

Crowd out food that’s not serving you well with a healthy, nutritious snack. Instead of that bag of chips or handful of cookies, enjoy:

A piece of fruit: satisfy that sweet tooth with an apple, orange, or banana.

Baby carrots and low-fat hummus: proof that low-fat can taste great and satisfy those hunger pangs! Baby carrots not your thing? No worries – cucumbers, bell peppers, radishes, and more. Experiment to find what tastes best to you!

Curry popcorn: curry adds a pop of flavor to popcorn. Give it a try!

Take note of how weekend wellness impacts you.

Do you feel more relaxed? Less stressed? More energized? Less fatigued? More likely to explore how small steps and small changes can affect your health? Will you continue those activities / actions that suit you? Will you implement a daily self-care practice?

You’re in control. Own your health.

Healthy living starts now.
Weekend Wellness was last modified: September 9th, 2022 by Deb Nelson

Welcome September and Your Wild New Beginnings

Since we tend to attract what we focus on, let’s focus on the wild new beginnings that September brings:

  • A new season
  • Crisp fall weather
  • Return to school
  • A clean slate
  • Endless possibilities
  • Opportunity to reset and connect with whomever and whatever is important to you
  • A moment in time to embrace change and wild new beginnings

Why are wild new beginnings so important?

We humans tend to be creatures of habit. Who doesn’t love getting cozy with a favorite habit or two? While that comfort zone we create can seem to be nothing more than a safe zone, our cozy comfort zone can also become a danger zone by discouraging us to test and stretch ourselves or to look at the world from different perspectives. To ease out of that comfort zone during this month of September, which some call the second new year, change things up a bit:

  • Monitor your actions and question yourself when you see autopilot kick in.
  • Why are you working toward those health / career / life goals? Do they still suit you?
  • Why are you still scrolling through your phone at 10:00 p.m.? What will happen if you take a two-hour break every day from your phone?
  • What can you do to shake things up in your life that will bring you more joy?

Embrace small steps to create wild new beginnings.

Never underestimate the power of taking small steps: after all, that’s how we get most everywhere in life. Dip your toe into the idea of shaking things up:

  • Get up 15 minutes earlier
  • Go to bed 15 minutes earlier
  • Spend more time with people who get you, and less time with people who don’t
  • Say no thank you to binge watching
  • Take the first stepRead a book for fun
  • Get outside – yes, 10 minutes counts
  • Meet up with a friend
  • Send a note to five people
  • Sign up to take a class
  • Ask for help
  • Volunteer for a community project
  • Assess your food intake
  • Evaluate your exercise program
  • Avoid multi-tasking
  • Accept a leadership role
  • Send that resume
  • Support a friend or co-worker
  • Make a list of things you’d like to do – and start at least one of them

How will wild new beginnings change your life?

step by stepStep by step we can create the lives we are meant to live. Step by step our lives become filled with joy. The changes and joy that you bring to your life can make a world of difference for you. Take that first small step today!

Live well. Eat well. Be well.

Welcome September and your wild new beginnings.

Welcome September and Your Wild New Beginnings was last modified: September 1st, 2022 by Deb Nelson

Bring Joy to Your Day

How often do you think about bringing joy into your day?
What if you take ONE action TODAY to bring joy to your day?

 

What’s the big deal about having a joyful moment? Well, first of all, how awesome is it to have a sense of joy? Appreciating a moment in time that makes you feel good and puts a smile on your face seems like a good thing.

Experiment a bit. Does having a joyful moment:

Put you in a better frame of mind to be more productive?

Allow you to appreciate your friends, family, colleagues?

Ease feelings of anxiety and depression?

Give you more energy?

Here are a few suggestions to add a moment of joy to your day:

Connect with a friend – via phone, text, over coffee

Get outside

Spend some time with a furry friend

Read for 20 minutes

Hit the gym

Listen to a podcast

Pump up the volume – listen to music: sing along or dance

Meditate

Cook your favorite meal

Sign up to volunteer

Write a thank you note

Take 15 minutes to declutter  – a room, drawer, yard

 

Make a conscious effort to take ONE action that will bring joy to your life TODAY. What brings joy to your life will be different than what brings joy to your family and friends. Do what works for you. Do that today. And then tomorrow. And then the next day. Make note of how your body and mind respond to adding a little joy to your day.

Bring Joy to Your Day was last modified: March 28th, 2022 by Deb Nelson

Disconnect to Reconnect

There are days when I thank my lucky stars for technology and all it allows us to do. There are other days, though, when I feel the need to be unreachable.

 

The solution for me is to disconnect to reconnect. At first blush, it might sound a bit odd or contradictory to suggest disconnecting in order to reconnect.

Here’s how it works for me:

Unplug – whether for fifteen minutes, an hour, a day, or a week. No phone, no email, no social media, no traditional media.

Read a book. Dive into a children’s book or a novel.

Move. Go for a walk, a run, a bike ride, take a yoga class.

Be still. Mediate, take a nap, sit in a sun spot (indoors or outdoors), do nothing.

Cook. Cook. Cook. And then eat an amazing meal or two.

After taking a break, even for a brief amount of time, I am recharged and ready to reconnect with the people in my world. Give it a try, and let me know how it works for you when you disconnect to reconnect.

Healthy living starts now.

Disconnect to Reconnect was last modified: February 11th, 2022 by Deb Nelson

Reach Your Health Goals One Step at a Time

Two important to steps to reaching your health goals include:

Establish a clear vision

Set a strategy

Putting these two elements in place can help ensure that you achieve big results!

Have a clear vision when considering your health goals:

What does life look like when you reach your health goals?

How will you feel when you reach those health goals?

How will your life change when you reach your health goals?

What steps will you take to reach your health goals?

How will you document your progress?

Where will you post your goals so that they’re front and center every day?

Will you join a group or work solo?

Will you have an accountability partner?

What action will you take daily / weekly / monthly?

How will you get back on track when you hit an unexpected obstacle?

How will you celebrate success of each milestone along the way to your health goals?

Answer these questions to set yourself up for success as you move toward your health goals. Achieve big results one step at a time. Need help? Let’s chat.

Healthy living starts now.

Reach Your Health Goals One Step at a Time was last modified: February 4th, 2022 by Deb Nelson

Three Reasons to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone & Take a Walk on the Wild Side

You’ve got your schedule down. It’s predictable. A bit boring, perhaps, but you can deal with it. Then you notice it: you’re slogging through the day, productivity is down, you feel like you’re on autopilot.

 

This is the perfect time to get out of your comfort zone and take a walk on the wild side.

What will getting out of your comfort zone do for you?

Here are three reasons I like to kick that comfort zone to the side every now and then. Doing something outside of my comfort zone can:

  1. Jumpstart creativity and kick boredom to the curb. Entering an unfamiliar space can help approach issues in a new way. The result: increased creativity, enthusiasm, and productivity!
  2. Gain a new perspective. When we step outside of our comfort zones, we have the opportunity to look at the world through a new lens. That lets us see different ways of looking at an issue to discover a compromise that will work for all.
  3. Remind us that we’ve developed a host of skills. That story our inner voice loves to tell about our weaknesses and insecurities? Maybe that story isn’t accurate.
    • Hate networking? Try going to a networking event and see if that’s actually true.
    • Not a good cook? Get that recipe out and have at it.
    • Exercise makes your skin crawl? Get outta here: go for a walk!
    • Not good at sales? Oh yes you are!
    • Strategic planning isn’t your thing? What if it is?
    • Don’t like hiking? Try it; you might find you like it.

So…stick your toe out. Get out of your comfort zone and get out of that rut. Stretch yourself, and enjoy that walk on the wild side!

Three Reasons to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone & Take a Walk on the Wild Side was last modified: January 28th, 2022 by Deb Nelson

Focus on Your Progress and Watch it Grow!

Staying focused to reach our health goals can be daunting. What’s a person to do when it’s so easy to get sidetracked and follow the latest shiny object that shows up in our inbox or social media feeds?!?!

Here are a few things I’ve noticed:

What gets measured gets completed.

Want to read a certain number of books this year? Log onto Good Reads, set up an account, and record your progress. You can connect with others on this site and get and give book recommendations. (And, yes, setting a goal to read books is a health goal.)

Small steps add up to success.

Want to achieve a big health goal? AWESOME! Break that goal down into bite-sized action steps. Celebrate every time you reach a milestone. Track your progress on a chart, excel spreadsheet, poster, or post-it. Share your success with friends, family, and colleagues. Need help reaching that goal? Recruit someone to join your team or join an online group for accountability. Just focus on your progress and watch it grow as you acknowledge each achievement along the way to that large goal.

That negative self-talk can be silenced.

When those doubts about your ability to achieve your health goals creep in (and they always do), respond with a quick and powerful “I got this!” and keep going one step at a time! Putting your focus on positive thoughts will spur you on to keep moving toward those health goals!!

Focus on your progress and watch it grow!
Focus on Your Progress and Watch it Grow! was last modified: January 19th, 2022 by Deb Nelson

What Does Healthy Look Like to You?

There’s a lot of buzz around health and wellness, and self-care has become a readily accepted concept. Yay for that!! Let’s dig a little deeper, though, and ask a question: what does it mean to be healthy?

Once we ask that question, a BUNCH of clarifying questions jump to mind.

What does healthy feel like?

Do I have to eat a perfect diet to be healthy?

Is there a perfect diet?

I’m not an athlete. Can I still be healthy?

Am I too stressed to be healthy?Healthy

How much time does it take to be healthy?

Does happiness play a role in health?

Where does wellness fit into being healthy?

How do I find time for self-care?

Meditation, really?

Does being healthy mean I have to go to the gym everyday FOREVER?

 

Yikes – that’s a lot of questions. Once our minds start questioning something, roadblocks appear all over the place!

Where to begin?

Take a deep breath.

Take two minutes and write down what healthy means to you:

What does healthy look like?

What does healthy feel like?

What do you need to do to be healthy?

What changes do you need to make to be healthy?

What one action can you take today to move toward healthy?

Remember:

To acknowledge your existing healthy habits.

Small steps add up to help you achieve big results.

Go for progress over perfection.

Celebrate your success.

Healthy looks different for each of us.

If you’re making changes to your lifestyle, setting short-term and long-term goals can be helpful. Work on areas that are important to you. Need a hand staying on track? Let’s talk.

You’ve got this!

What Does Healthy Look Like to You? was last modified: January 13th, 2022 by Deb Nelson

Give Yourself the Gift of a Timeout

We see it in sports all the time. The coach needs to strategize and motivate the team, so they call a timeout. Why can’t we do that for our own self-care? Well, guess what? We have the power to grant a timeout to ourselves 24/7!

 

Take a timeout to recharge, regroup, and refocus.

 

What can a timeout do for you? That little old timeout can help you:

Take a look at where you’re focusing your energy. Are you moving forward or spinning your wheels?

Confirm that you’re paying attention to the tasks that will move you closer to achieving your goal(s).

Enjoy and appreciate the present moment.

Be joyful.

Have the energy for playtime, or to finish a project or workout.

Avoid the temptation to multitask.

Stay in the present moment, which keeps you from being stuck in the past or thinking about what might (or might not) happen in the future.

 

What might you do during your self-imposed timeout?

Meditate

Breathing exercises

Go for a walk

Listen to a podcast

Chat with a friend

Have a refreshing glass of water

Relax

Ten quick jumping jacks

Read a chapter in a book or an article in a magazine

 

You get the idea.

A timeout is an opportunity to do whatever it is that will help you stay on top of your game: whether that game is work, play, or family life. Self-granted timeouts are a gift to yourself.

 

How will you use your timeout today?

 

Give Yourself the Gift of a Timeout was last modified: June 28th, 2021 by Deb Nelson