Eat all meat! No, go vegetarian! Low fat is the way to go! Eat ALL the fat! Coconut oil daily! No, don't eat coconut oil! Eat a BIG breakfast! Eat small meals throughout the day. Intermittent Fasting is the healthiest thing- just eat a few meals a day in a small window. Your brain needs carbs! Never eat carbs! Your brain needs ketones. 

In today's constant barrage of pop science headline news, it can be incredibly frustrating to separate the noise from the helpful advice. I find that most of my nutrition and training clients have given up because its all just too complicated. I'm going to give you the three habits that I start EVERY client with. The beauty is in the simplicity. Start with these three habits and you will feel better and improve your health. 

Duh, right? Every single client says the same thing; "I knew that!"
"Great!," I respond, "so have you been doing it?"
"Um....no"

Everyone knows you need to drink water and yet the majority of Americans are chronically dehydrated, affecting their  metabolism and brain performance.  Drinking water helps your body function better and when you are drinking water, you are drinking less of everything else! Sodas, juice, tea, coffee, beer, wine, and other drinks can add unnecessary calories and a spike in insulin, causing your body to store extra fat and increase your appetite. 

If you struggle with drinking enough water, here are my tips:

Every night, fill 3 insulated bottles with cold water and put them in the fridge. In the morning, grab all three. The insulated bottles should keep them cold throughout the day and you don't need to keep track of how many times you refill. Just drink!

Start every meal with a large glass of water. The water will help you digest your food and help your body differentiate between hunger and thirst.

Flavor your water or drink carbonated to make the switch.  I flavor my bottles with fresh lemon juice or a few drops of Doterra's Slim and Sassy and I also enjoy the occasional can of unsweetened sparkling water when I'm craving something bubbly. 

Again, this is common sense, but most people aren't doing it. Notice that I didn't say Fruits and Veggies. I'm not entirely certain why they are bundled together, but I prefer to recommend them separately. My goal for myself, my family and my clients is 5 VEGETABLES a day. Since most people rarely get 2 or 3, I know this can still feel like a big stretch. Here are my tips for getting in 5:

Start Lunch and Dinner with a Side Salad- If you start these meals with a small salad, you will get your veggies in and the added fiber will help prevent you from overeating. 

Mix It In- Find ways to "bulk up" your existing dishes with extra vegetables. Breakfast is easy- turn your scrambled eggs into an omelette or a frittata. Throw in spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers. I tend to throw in any cooked vegetables I have leftover from dinner the night before. When I'm cooking taco meat or fajita meat, I always add diced zucchini. It takes on the flavor of the seasoning and stretches that expensive meat much further. 

Switch it Up- Swap out cauliflower for rice or spaghetti squash or zoodles (zucchini noodles) for pasta. 

Snack!- Keep crunchy vegetables clean and cut and ready. That way they are easy to grab to munch on while you are cooking or when you just need a quick snack. My favorites are bell peppers in all colors, cucumber, and sugar snap peas. 

There is no way you are surprised by this one on a blog called Sweat and Smile! Obviously, exercise is incredibly important for every part of our lives and our health, but the important thing is to find exercise you ENJOY! Yes, I promise you there is something out their that you are going to have fun doing. It could be a class (dance, pump, kickboxing, yoga, pilates, boot camp, step...the list goes on forever), it could be a program you enjoy (TurboKick, p90X, T20, etc.) or running or biking or kayaking or walking or sports such as basketball, volleyball, soccer, etc. There are a million ways to move your body and sweat for at least 20 minutes a day, 5 times a week. Find your soul mate workout and you reduce your chance of depression, Alzheimer's, diabetes, anxiety, arthritis, obesity, thyroid issues and a host of other things you don't want. Not only that, but that 20 minutes will make you feel happier, calmer, more centered, more confident, and overall just BETTER. So find what you love and DO IT! Here a few tips for making it habit:

Try New Things- Most of the people who tell me they hate exercise haven't tried much of a variety. They've tried running and hated and assumed they hated exercise. Spend a month trying a large selection. Try each type at least 3 times. That way, you can form an actual opinion about whether you like it instead of basing it on the fumblings of the first few times you try something unknown. Try similar workouts in different settings. For example, I detest spinning. I can't stand the class and I will never teach it, but I LOVE riding my bike. I have a one speed cruiser that my husband makes fun of me for riding, but it lifts my spirits and I enjoy being outside. 

Figure Out What You Need to Get From the Workout-   When I was a new mother with two young babies, I was desperate for adult interaction. Zumba was the perfect therapy. It was happy and energetic and I got to make new friends. It was very social and it helped fill that loneliness from that phase of my life. Now, I teach classes and train clients and talk to people ALL DAY. I love that and it fits my personality, but when I go to workout now, I just want to be alone. Lifting sessions with ear buds or long bike rides or runs give me that quiet "me" time that I never get throughout the day. Figure out what kind of feeling or social interaction you need from your workout and go from there. 

Adjust Your Attitude- If you treat your workout like a punishment for something you ate or the way your body looks, you will definitely hate it. Remember that exercise is the best therapy and that time to protect your happiness should be treated like the gift that it is. If you find yourself saying, "I HAVE to workout.", stop yourself and redirect your language and your energy.
"I GET to workout."
"Its been a crazy day, I'm so glad I can let it all go when I exercise." 
"I know as soon as ____________(the music starts, I hit that first mile, I get through that first set, etc...),
I'll feel so much better!"


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Don't let yourself get overwhelmed when you are trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle. If even these simple steps feel like too much, implement one at a time. When I start with a training client, we work on the habit of exercise first. In the 2nd or 3rd week, we start tracking water. Then we focus on vegetables. It doesn't have to be everything, all at once. Just focus on being healthier and happier than the week before. You are worth it!
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Do these sound familiar?  These are some of the most common Resolutions and the ones that fall flat a few weeks into the New Year. Why? Because they have no number attached to them. They are not specific. How will you ever know if you achieved them? If you lose 1 pound, is it a success? Spend $1 less? 1 extra workout? If you are SERIOUS about changing a behavior, it needs to include an exact number. Here are improved examples:

We are deadline driven creatures. Deadlines motivate us and get us up off our butt. Its the reason I always encourage clients who want to start running or run longer to sign up for a race. An actual even looming over our heads makes all the difference. So take that goal (with a NUMBER!) and a add a definitive date.

I will lose 20 pounds by March 1st.

I will exercise for 30 minutes, at least 3 times a week, so that I have worked out at least 36 times by April 1st.

I will budget to spend $200 less a month in order to build $1000 in savings by June 1st.

You have a goal. It has a NUMBER and a DATE. GREAT!  Now who is making you hold to your promise? This critical step is the most skipped. People assume they just need to be self-disciplined. They might be embarrassed to ask for help or scared they might actually have to follow through. Involving another person and charging them with checking on your progress requires a significantly higher level of commitment. Knowing who to ask and how to ask makes all the difference. In this instance, you really do "get what you pay for". A professional life coach, business consultant personal trainer or nutrition coach is going to be experienced and motivated to keep you on track. Your neighbor, sister, or best friend might have the best intentions, but they are human. They get busy, they lose track of YOUR goals and often, they are uncomfortable calling you out if you need some tough love. If you are determined to go it alone, here are some ways to build in personal accountabillity:

They are great as snacks, sprinkled in a salad, mixed into yogurt or oatmeal, used to dress up a pork chop, or dropped in a champagne flute for a festive holiday drink.

Tonight, they shine in an easy tossed salad with greens, goat cheese, apple slices, pumpkin seeds and a Pomegranate-Balsamic Vinaigrette. Paired with an Acorn Squash soup, it was the perfect meal for a meatless Monday in December. Enjoy!

1/4 cup Pomegranate Juice (or you can blend a 1/2 cup of seeds if you have a high quality blender)
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/3 cup Real Maple Syrup
1 TBSP balsamic vinegar
1 tsp mustard (dijon or plain)

**** I do not receive any money or commissions from Nikki's. I just think its fantastic and they were sweet enough to offer a discount. I will ALWAYS let you know if I am sponsored to recommend a product.

1. SWEAT!

Yes, if you have bothered to look at the title of this blog, you knew that SWEAT would be the very first thing on this list. Here's why I'm so obsessed: When you exercise, i.e. sweat, you help regulate the hormones in your body, you increase your sensitivity to insulin (which lowers your risk of diabetes), and you promote a healthy brain. If that's all you needed to know, go ahead and stop here. If you like more details, keep going!
     Let's talk hormones- they can improve our mood, help us sleep, give us a sex drive and help us concentrate OR they can make us tired, overweight, cranky and foggy headed. If our hormones are out of wack, it affects everything. Thyroid issues are on the rise and sweating (especially at 70% of max effort) is shown to increase the circulation of our T4, fT4 an TSH. If you are like me and want the actual research, here's the full study: Exercise intensity and its effects on thyroid hormones. 
     Now, let's discuss insulin. We all know that excess insulin can cause some serious problems. It increases our chances of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease. Regular cardiovascular exercise has been shown to significantly increase insulin sensitivity. Check it out here: Effects of Exercise on Gylcemic Control. 
      My favorite reason- EXERCISE MAKE YOU SMARTER! Despite popular belief, we do continue to produce new brain cells in the hippocamus throughout adulthood. This study found that older mice who ran on a wheel learned faster and created more new neurons in their brains than those who did not.
 
2. SMILE

What can I say, when I find a good catch phrase, I still with it! Seriously, smiling improves your mood! When I push my clients and my students to smile, I know sometimes they get annoyed with me. I don't care. Its good for your soul. It will make you happier. Don't believe me, check out this study and this study.  Then smile. Like, right now.  :D 

3. DRINK WATER

You know this. Need more? Go here. 

4. EAT VEGETABLES

Notice that I did NOT say FRUITS and VEGETABLES. Somehow, people always hear "fruits and vegetables" and completely forget the second part. Not that I have anything against fruit, but its still fructose (sugar) and they do still affect the insulin in your body. Depending on your body type and genetics, that may or may not make a difference in your health. I'd love to point you to a controlled academic study here, but the sad truth is that even dietary studies lump vegetables and fruit in the same category. Want to know why? At the risk of sounding like a crazy conspiracy theorist- There is no drug company out there pushing for a study on the effects of vegetables on your health. Wellness has no profit margin and funding for such studies are difficult to find. That doesn't change the fact that you need vitamins in your diet and you don't need a big dose of sugar to go with it. Eat your vegetables. Seriously. There have been studies on the diets of ancestors and unless your entire genetic line is from somewhere very tropical, like Hawaii, your ancestors probably did not eat 4 servings of fruit every day year round.

5. SIP BONE BROTH

This is the one I get the most questions about. Honestly, I've read about bone broth for years, but it wasn't until recently that I finally incorporated it into my daily healthy habits. Now, I make a fresh homemade batch about every 3 weeks and then freeze into 3 serving containers. I just take them out and thaw in fridge as I need and I drink 1 cup a day. Sometimes 2 if my joints are hurting or if I feel that I have overtaxed my body. My bone broth is made from Grass FINISHED beef bones and I'll be putting up a video later this week on the simple recipe. If you don't want to make it yourself, you can order a dehydrated version from a reputable company. Here's a link for brand that you can stick in your keurig: Lono Beef Broth. 

Bone broth (technically its stock. Yes, foodies, I know it isn't properly named. I'm sorry. I didn't (mis)name it, but the professional nutritional world calls it "broth" and so I'm sticking with that.) is a powerhouse of essential nutrients. It contains bone marrow, collagen, cartilage, gelatin, protein, calcium, essential fatty acids and so much more. Its been proven to help heal the gut, increase red blood cell counts, and improve bone density. Want some more detail? Check out this article. While it took a bit of adjusting for me to get over the look of it (its gelatinous from the fridge- ew!) and the taste wasn't my favorite, now that its a regular habit, I do look forward to sipping my cup of bone broth every day. I put garlic salt and fresh Parmesan cheese at the beginning, but now I just add a little bit of garlic salt. 
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6. PRACTICE GRATITUDE

Positive Psychology is an emerging area of study and gratitude has shown to reduce stress, improve resiliency, and improve overall mood. Check out this study on positive effects of gratitude. I recommend writing what you are grateful for as a part of your daily journal. In fact, I require that my personal training clients practice gratitude as a part of their journey to health.  Here's the Sweat and Smile log that I use in fitness challenges. Feel free to download it and stick it on your mirror, your fridge or by your bedside; wherever you will remember it the best. 

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7. SLEEP AT LEAST 7 HOURS 

Sleep is so often overlooked in our health. We know its important, we know we function better when we get it, but it is overall undervalued. Did you know that lack of sleep or poor quality sleep can slow your metabolism? If you went without sleep for 24 hours, your fasting glucose would look worse than a Type 2 Diabetics. Lack of sleep can destroy your gut microbiome which effects everything from your mood to your vitamin levels. When we are sleep deprived, our job performance is low and our decision making skills are severely hindered (hello potato chips and ice cream!) 

8. PRACTICE POSITIVE SELF TALK

The way we talk to ourselves can affect our performance, our hormones and our overall mood. Talk to yourself like you would your best friend or a sibling (assuming you speak nicely to your sibling!) We say mean things to ourselves that we would NEVER say to someone else. It might feel cheesy or silly at first, but just roll with it. Sports psychology research has shown that it makes a difference. Professional athletes use this technique all the time, so why would you be embarrassed about it? (Check out this study.)

9. SUPPLEMENT YOUR DIET

If you have followed me for awhile now, you know how important supplementation is. Even if you eat a fantastically clean diet full of well sourced meats and organic vegetables, the fact is that the foods we eat just don't have the same nutrients that they used to. Also, most people who *think* they are eating healthy, still have some major gaps in their vitamins and minerals. The proper supplementation ensures that your body is performing at its best and if you are trying to lose weight, you need to make sure you aren't deficient in nutrients. I strongly encourage you to do your OWN research and find the best supplementation. Check ingredients and the company itself. The FDA does not regulate supplement. Let that sink in. You could buy a capsule full of sawdust that claims its Vitamin D. There is no government agency actually ensuring it is what it says it is. That's why research is so important. You can't rely on Amazon reviews here. Look for third party (meaning, no company is paying them for the results) reviewing companies. I like www.foodfacts.com and labdoor.com. 

I supplement with Shakeology and I have for the last 8 years. My kids drink it, my sister drinks it, my mom drinks it... you get the picture. (***Hey! Guess what? I make money off of this. Does this change what I recommend? Not really, but I would understand why you might be skeptical. YOU SHOULD BE! Be skeptical of everything. I would never recommend anything that I don't personally love and believe in, but I love it when people do their own research. Here's my video on it if you want to know more.  As always, you can message me with any questions.) 

10. GET SOME SUNSHINE

Everyone is happier on pretty, sunny days. That's because sunshine helps us create Vitamin D in our bodies. It doesn't take much; just 20 minutes will do wonders. Sunshine is found to be one of the biggest predictor of positive behavior. If you live in an area that doesn't get sunshine or its a rainy season, I do still recommend supplementing with Vitamin D, but that's not a replacement for getting outside. Take the dogs for a walk. Ride a bike. Play kickball with your kids. Sit by the pool and chat with a friend. It will do your heart some good!

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​Most of you know that I recently fulfilled my lifelong dream of traveling to Italy. My wonderful husband agreed to celebrate our 15 year anniversary there and I love him so much for that.  I told everyone who would listen (and dozens who just nodded and smiled) that I was just going there for the food, the wine and the coffee and I truly meant it. We skipped all of Northern Italy and concentrated on Rome and the southern tip. Who needs museums when there is pizza? Why would I care about a gondola ride when there is fresh pasta and gelato? Ever since I read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, I've been obsessed with the idea of Italy and visiting a country where everyone takes food just as seriously as I do. (If you haven't read it and you care about food at all, I highly recommend it. Seriously. Read the book.) As you can imagine, after dreaming and drooling about this trip for a lifetime, I had no intention of watching my portions, counting my calories or checking my macros. I anticipated gaining 10 lbs over my 10 day trip and I was completely ok with that. I ate it all. Cappuccino, chocolate croissants, pizza, pasta, risotto, gnocchi, pre-dinner drinks, wine, beer, after dinner drinks, dessert, gelato, you get the picture. This was no time for restraint! 

     Despite all this amazing food, when I went to button my jeans towards the end of the trip, they were loose. (!!!) I figured it was a fluke. Maybe I was dehydrated from the lack of AC or something. When I finally got home, I warily circled my scale and finally screwed my courage and stepped on. Then I double checked. I had lost weight. I have NEVER lost weight on a vacation, despite usually running wherever we go and trying to (somewhat) watch my portions. I was amazed, intrigued and more than a little obsessed. What could be so different? Everyone said the same thing, "Oh, its all the walking." Um, no. I am a very active person. I teach fitness classes, I walk my dogs and I love to ride my bike. Yes, it was a lot of walking, but it was still less activity than my average day. Also, I run the strip in Vegas and walk everywhere. Still gain weight. We hiked to the highest point in Hawaii. Still gained weight. We walk everywhere in Nola. Definitely gain weight there. So, I've made a study of the Italian culture and how it differs and I think I've figured out some things and I wanted to share. 

​Almost every day in Italy started the same way- Standing at the counter with a cappuccino** and a chocolate cornetti. (Cornetti is the Italian version of a croissant.) To the average calorie counting American, this sounds incredibly decadent but the Cappuccino has no sugar, comes in a small cup (there are no, venti, grande, etc. in Italy) and the Cornetti comes either filled with chocolate or cut, toasted and slathered in Nutella. Even so, I would wager it still has less sugar than the average overly sweetened grande flavor of the month at Starbucks. Here's the big difference- NO ONE is sitting, buried in their phone, their laptop or a newspaper as they slurp and gobble their breakfast down. No one is eating while they drive (seriously, you would die and kill 5 others if you tried to eat and drive in Italy) Walk into any coffee shop in America and you will see people completely absorbed in something. The Italians stand at the counter. Its a brief social event. You stand, you sip your cappuccino, you enjoy your pastry, and you chat with the people around you. The only people sitting for breakfast are tourists One sweet "bar" owner asked if I wanted to sit or stand. When I said I would stand, he kindly explained that if I sat, he promised he would not charge me extra (as some do to the gullible Americans). Even though we didn't speak Italian, some of our favorite social encounters were standing with the Italians for breakfast. 

**side note- breakfast is the ONLY time you may order a cappuccino in Italy. Italians believe that milk should not be in your stomach at any other time of the day and if you try and order it with lunch or after dinner, you will get some strange looks. A kind waiter might even refuse "for your own health". There was a morning that we woke up very late and I was desperate for one. I explained to the bar owner that I was stupid American and could I please have one anyway?

    In America, lunch is generally the least thought about. Its fast, its easy, and its usually distracted.  A quick drive through, a protein bar on the go, a fast sandwich packed the night before. People work through, balancing their meal around the keyboard, kids get psuedo-food in 20 minutes from a cafeteria, and busy moms are generally grabbing a few bites and just trying to hang on till naptime. 
    Pranzo (lunch) in Italy is a leisurely affair, generally lasting an hour or longer. Some school children go home for lunch so they can eat a fresh meal with their families. In the countryside, work stops. In the city, shops close. There are separate courses to each be enjoyed in their own time. Antipasto (appetizer), Primo (first plate) and ​Secundo Piatto (second plate). All meals are served with acqua e vino (water and wine). No sugary sodas. No iced tea filled with flavoring and artificial sweeteners. Water. Wine. Those are the options. Its impossible to speed through a meal when it comes out in different courses and you are sipping wine.  Looking around the restaurants as we ate, I never saw Italians buried in their phones. Even those eating by themselves still looked completely present and engrossed in their meals. Once, I saw an older man reading a newspaper, but he was still aware of his surrounding enough to notice us and insist (all in Italian) that we switch tables with him so we could properly enjoy the view. 

One of my favorite meals was a long lunch in Sorrento. Trey and I spent almost two hours savoring our food and having one of those conversations that reminds you of why you married someone in the first place. 

.   Like lunch, Cena ​(dinner) is all about the company you keep. Its meant to be enjoyed with friends and family with good conversation and local wine. As with lunch, it is served in courses (but traditionally less food). When you sit down, you order your entire meal and then its brought out to you in the proper time as it is ready. Since everything is cooked fresh, you can't order an antipasto and then see if you are in the mood for a primo. If the cook is going to cook and toss the pasta in time, it must be ordered at the beginning. We had some fantastic desserts, but the most common is a simple, small plate of fruit, followed up with a digestivo (after dinner drink). The after dinner drink can be cafe (espresso) or a liqueur such as lemoncello. This may be one of my favorite traditions. It felt like the final punctuation to the meal. period (​cafe.). exclamation point (limencello!). Either way, the meal is over. It has come to a proper conclusion in the proper time and that is the end. You would never leave an Italian meal and then go rummage around in the pantry for a snack. You are finished. You observed the digestivo. È finito. It is finished. 

I can hear you thinking, "That's nice Melissa, but I can't take an hour and a half for lunch. I can't sit at dinner with my family for 4 courses. I don't know how to make a cappuccino." I get it. I'm trying to incorporate so much from my trip in my current lifestyle and it is a challenge. I'll be posting more about my adventures in making my own cheese, importing Italian flour and more, but for the moment, just embrace the joy of savoring your food and your company. Now, instead of eating my lunch over my laptop (or with my phone), I take a breath. I walk out to my patio and I sit down with my plate of food and my sparkling water (some days its with a glass of wine or a cold beer from the tap) and I give my entire attention to the food that I'm enjoying it. I don't watch a show. I don't scroll through Facebook. I just eat the ​Italian way. 

     There's been another tragic mass shooting and once again we're all inundated with the articles, news shows, blog commentary and Facebook posts about gun control. Statistics are popping up everywhere. The guns laws versus mass shooting in other countries. The number of people killed in mass shootings per year in the United States. The illegal guns in crime versus the legal guns. I'm watching the heated debate play out between friends in social media.

    From our president to the moms at school pickup, this is all anyone can talk about and it makes my heart ache, because everyone is missing the point. 

     Why is that all we ever talk about when these shocking incidents occur? Why aren't we discussing the real issue? Why are we ignoring the fact that mental illness is on the rise in our country? That we are a nation of people who are losing our grasp on sanity? Instead of constantly debating the access to guns, why aren't we trying to figure out how to prevent people from getting to the point that they have so much rage and lack of empathy that this is what they resort to? We are a society that puts very little value on the importance of mental health and the concept of prevention is completely ignored. To give you an example; Psychologists make, on average, $88,482 a year. A plastic surgeon makes, on average, $355,585 a year. Therapy is still considered taboo and life coping skills are not in the curriculum in our public schools. More and more people are lost, hurting, hopeless, and angry with no where to turn. Its so bad that a term has been coined; "the teacup generation". A generation of people who shatter the moment anything goes wrong. As a whole, we have lost our ability to cope with adversity and if we don't find a way to fix it, things are just going to continue to get worse.

    I don't pretend to have all the answers. God knows I wish I did.  I do know that we are fighting this from the wrong end. You can't wait until after tragedy strikes to cry out about the guns. The answer isn't to arm our teachers, either. You have to start before. We have to rethink how we are raising our children and how we are treating our fellow adults. Lets go back to preschool. How do we teach empathy? How do we teach self control? How do we place value on self assessment and how do we break down the social stigma of getting help?

     We are hurting, we are bleeding, and we are scared. But there is always hope and there is always love. I am praying we find a way to love ourselves and the hurting people around us. Its time to start talking about the real issue and how we are going to fix it.

***** I will not entertain the gun control debate. If you try to continue it here, I will delete your comments.

   Thanksgiving morning I woke up early, ran to the store (twice; I always forget something), put on some Christmas music, sipped my coffee and started on breakfast. My parents, Trey's parents and my sister Connie and my brother-in-law Russ were all coming over for lunch and I was anticipating a pleasant day. As I started breakfast, hot tears began to trickle down my face and land on the counter. I knew why. I was attempting to make my grandmother's Cocoa and Biscuits. Its a family recipe of thick, dense biscuits that are baked and crumbled into a bowl and served with a mild hot cocoa (more like a thin chocolate gravy) poured over them. (Trey is completely appalled by this Cajun meal, but he also doesn't appreciate sweet cornbread and milk, so I generally discount his feelings on food.) I still haven't  gotten it quite right. I didn't pay enough attention when my Mawmaw was alive. I just remember walking into her house early Thanksgiving morning to the smell of the biscuits in the oven. No matter how crazy busy she was cooking everything else, she always found the time to make us our special breakfast, too. I wouldn't exactly say I was close to MawMaw; she was always very busy caring for her parents, her garden, her church, her son still at home, her other 5 kids and all of the grandkids, but she was an amazing cook. She knew all of the grandkids favorite meals and cakes and she always showed how much she loved us with the food she lovingly cooked for us. My sweet girls know how important this meal is to me, so they make sure to ask for it the night before and then excitedly come downstairs and eat a bowl and then ask for seconds. I suspect that they don't even like it. There is a strong possibility that they are just humoring me. I am completely ok with that. One day, I hope that they make it for their kids as a way of remembering me and the memories of their childhood Thanksgiving mornings.

Even though its a happy memory and a happy day, I felt sentimental, emotional and just raw. This can be such a rough time for so many of us. The pang of lost or far away family members, the stress of family coming together, the horrible weather, the financial stress and the lack of sunlight can all conspire to steal the joy from our celebration and our daily lives. I'm personally very sensitive to the winter blues. I hate being inside, but I can't stand the cold. One of the downsides to losing 100 lbs is that I have zero tolerance for cold. I live my winters huddled under 3 electric blankets, sipping something hot by the fire, still shivering. (And I live in Texas, ya'll. I can't imagine how bad it is for people who deal with serious winters.) After 37 winters, I've finally started to anticipate just how likely I am to get depressed. Knowing this, I arm myself against it, so I'm still sane come January and my husband, my friends and my family hopefully still like me. So here's what I've learned to help myself and now to help my coaching clients stay sane and happy through the winter:

No surprise there, right? I know I sound like a broken record, but sometimes we all need to hear it 84,000 times to make sure it sinks in. You can't control your emotional state if you are not moving your body. Countless studies have been done on this and the evidence is in. Physical activity can treat or prevent depression. Move your butt. However you enjoy moving, make sure you do it! Zumba, Kickboxing, T25, Piyo, Tai Chi, Xbox Kinect games, WHATEVER. Just move it. Not because you are worried about your holiday weight gain, not because someone told you that spring break bodies start in the winter, not because you feel guilty about that pie you ate. NO! Exercise because it will make you a happier, more pleasant person.

Look, I get it. The holidays are all about the food. Do you think I calculated the calories in Cocoa in Biscuits? That I thought once about how this was throwing off my macros? Or that eating it early in the morning would throw off my intermittent fasting? That I mentally added extra burpees to make up for it? NOT FOR A SECOND! Nothing us ties us to family and memories and emotion quite like the smell and taste of traditional foods and despite what the Fitness Culture tries to tell us, that's OK! That being said, if you eat food that has no nutritional value from Thanksgiving through Christmas and then straight on through New Years, you will feel horrible and you will get depressed. Our brains need decent food to regulate our hormones and keep our moods level. So, you have to be smart about your indulgences. You still need your daily veggies and you need to supplement your diet to make up for the fact that we don't have the high quality fruits that we would see in the summer. Smoothies and supplemental shakes are a great way to make sure you continue to get greens and antioxidants in your system on a daily basis.

Everyone knows this. A gratitude mindset has been shown to improve your mood and boost your happy hormones. Yet, its not enough to just say you are grateful. Personally, I don't think its enough to just think about it. Its best if you have some action associated with it. I always have my clients keep a physical list every day of what they are grateful for (with a PEN and PAPER). If you want serious benefits, you will tell someone how grateful you are. I'm not gonna lie, this one takes some bravery, but its powerful. Write a letter or a text or a private message, or go all out and call them. Tell someone sincerely how much you are grateful for them and exactly why. Not only will it make their day, it will completely change your life. Do this for 7 days straight and I guarantee, you will be deeply affected.

This once can feel impossible. I promise its not. Even if you are an introvert and living in a new place and you don't know anyone. The internet is an amazing thing. It allows us to truly connect with so many people just like us. Figure out what you really love and then go find other people who really love it and build a connection with them. Churches, group fitness classes, Facebook groups, Meetups, Volunteering- there are hundred ways to find people to connect with. Every positive connection you can make improves your immune system and protects you from depression and just makes life more enjoyable all around.

When the holidays hit and we suddenly have parties, shopping, traveling, and hosting, our schedule can feel like a constant stream of exhausting activity. I haven't mastered the serious mediation, but I do schedule in 10 minutes of quiet time on my phone every day. An alarm goes off and I color in my coloring book or sip a cup of coffee on my patio or listen to some music by the fire or sometimes I doze on the couch. The important thing is that I focus on shutting off my brain and the constant to do list that is always running in the background and I try and just breathe for 10 minutes. Schedule it. That's the only way it will actually happen.

The short answer is nothing. Not really. Fitness doesn't usually have much to do with a hardwood floor unless you are discussing some workout involving sliders.

But this week, in my house, fitness had a tremendous to do with hardwood floors. You see, this week I paid off the floors for our our house and that is a pretty big deal to me.

I almost never talk about money. Part of me thinks its just awkward and another part of me is embarrassed. In my industry and in my company, I see so many stories from people I know of fancy new cars. over the top vacations, and paid off houses. While I'm happy for my friends and mentors and all their success, my business isn't there yet. I'm not the sole breadwinner of the house, I'm not on any ranking boards, I'm still paying off student loans, and I still drive a 14 year old hooptie. In short, I'm still very careful with money. My husband and I run a tight budget for everything from food to birthday presents to Aggie football (of course there's a budget for that), so I don't really feel like a success.

I think in my head, "success" means not having to budget every penny, but I'm in the process of revising that self-made definition and I'm trying to celebrate my smaller accomplishments. When we moved into this house two years ago, I HATED this house. Yes, I seriously hated the house. We moved for the school, the beautiful yard and the awesome neighbors, but the house itself was old, outdated and oddly built. There's crazy Burger King crown molding all over the place (still there), the walls were all shiny white (except the dining room that was some horrid wall paper), there are two showers and no bathtub in the carpeted (wth?) Master bathroom and the floors throughout the house were disgusting. The entryway had narrow, obsolete hardwood, the kitchen had small, white tiles and the living room carpet was ancient and gross.  Even so, this new (ha! just new to us) house was much bigger and in a nicer neighborhood, so the move and the new house note meant that our budget became even tighter to accommodate. That meant there was zero money for the very necessary and important home improvements that desperately needed to happen.

So, Trey and I decided that my business would pay for our upgrades. The business that I never talk about about because I don't feel successful enough and I'm a little embarrassed.  My small, seemingly insignificant business that I had original started so that I could just pay for my personal supplements without it stretching our household budgets.  This week it does not feel insignificant. It feels powerful. Not because I'm featured at convention or because I'm in the millionaires club or because I'm driving around a new, electric blue mustang (*sigh* one day!), but because I was able to financially improve my family's life. I'm proud of my house and I'm proud of all the changes we've made to it. Now it feels like our house, and it will just keep getting better as I fund more projects.

I tell everyone that I am a Beachbody Coach because I love helping people get fit and because it keeps me healthy and happy.  That is the honest truth and the heart and soul of my team, but I always fail to mention what else it has done for me. I've had some of the best training on how to help people, I've paid my personal way to conventions, seminars and trainings in Vegas, California and Florida. I've gotten my personal training certification, equipped a full private gym in my house, and paid for beautiful new floors. Today, I feel like a SUCCESS! Thank you, Beachbody!