6 Ways to Get a Better Sleep

I am so happy today! Want to know why?
I finally got some sleep last night! Woohoooooo

 Beware of Sleep Disturbers! 

I usually sleep really well. Like hit the switch and I'm out kinda sleep. The last couple days though were out of my control. We are babysitting a year old Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy and have had some troubles getting him to sleep through the night. Yesterday I seriously thought I was going to fall asleep during yoga class standing up or absolutely lose it on someone.

This got me thinking about how precious our sleep time is to our bodies, mind and soul. I have lots of clients who come to me for help with their sleep. Today I thought I would share the risks of not getting enough sleep or good quality sleep and 6 ways you can get to sleep better and stay asleep.

First the risks of not getting enough sleep or good quality sleep:

• Brain Function: without a good sleep your mind does not function the same. You have poor concentration and you are unable to memorize new things. A little slow today?
• Mood & Stress: just think of those grumpy toddlers who didn't sleep through the night. We haven't changed. You might notice you have those same type of temper tantrums but just in a grown up way. A little snappy at some poor innocent person at the office?
• Metabolism & Weight: When we don't get enough sleep our whole body starts to go backwards. Your metabolism slows down and you start storing carbohydrates and fat differently. This leads to weight gain.
• Disease Risk: When our bodies are running on low fuel it brings down our immune system. This puts us at risk for viruses, flu and higher risk for abnormal cell growth. 

6 Way to Get a Better Sleep:

1. Eating Time: Try not to eat anything at least 2.5 hours before bed. Food is fuel for our bodies. If we eat something we are telling it to start the engines. Start moving! That's not what we want our bodies to be doing while we are trying to close our eyes. Mixed signals!
2. Fluids: Just like food, water or any fluid is also fuel for our bodies. I try to avoid drinking an hour before bed.
3. Electronics: Turn that tv, cell phone, computer and anything with a bright screen off an hour before bed. The flashing and brightness confuses our brains. Our brains are thinking "If it's night time than why is there bright light and motion going on? Must be daytime... Keep awake!". Can we say mixed signals once again?
4. Journal: If I've had a really active day and my mind is racing I like to journal it all out on paper. Get it out of my mind and let there be space for silence. This is also a great time to do some gratitude journaling which helps calm your nerves.
5. Breathing: Lay on your back and close your eyes. Start by observing your belly rise and fall in a natural way. Then notice your breathe start to slow down. If your mind wanders off just bring it back with ease and let that thought float away like a cloud. Let your body melt into the bed with each exhale. Continue...
6. Goodnight Yoga: Tara Stiles has a great yoga routine for bedtime. Relaxing and for all levels.

Do you have great sleep tip you would like to share? Leave it in the comments below and I may share it with our Facebook followers as well. 

Sleep well!

-Michelle

Holistic Health Coach

New Season • New You (Health Program)

*Sigh...  Summer has come to an end and it's time to face reality once again. I know how busy people get during the summer months. Trying to cram 3 get togethers into every Saturday and Sunday during the Summer. There's little or no time to think about your healthy lifestyle or exercise. Although we are outdoors more often, the multiple potato salads outweigh the effort we put in.

That's why I thought a 3 Month Fall Program would do the trick to get you back into shape. Whether you didn't achieve your Summer health goals, looking to lose some baby weight and want guidance getting there or you just want to shape up for the winter parties coming up... this program has something for everyone! The Fall Program is infused with positivity. I'm ready to help you achieve those goals you've been humming and hawwing about. There's no better time than now! (cliche but true).

This program can be done in person or via skype (free yoga class not included in skype package). The  program keeps you accountable for your health and the once a week sessions keep you on track to success.

The initial health consultation is complimentary as it's a time for us to go over your health history, current health and all the goals you have planned for yourself. This is also a great time for us to see if we work well together.

Email or message me today to book your initial health consultation.

-Michelle

Certified Holistic Health Coach

The Soda Pop Ban Debate

What's your opinion of the ban on super sized sodas in New York City?

I think it's a good idea. People don't realize how many calories they are consuming and how much sugar is in them. People also don't take in account the amount chemicals they are consuming when they drink the diet and normal soda pop. Over time a large consumption of soda pop can catch up to your health and cause harm.

I understand that everyone has a right to choose what they eat or drink but we are still in the times of extreme marketing and advertising that hypnotise people and then have them addicted to the sugar.

Check out this infograph that presents some interesting facts:


Source: everyday HEALTH


-Michelle

Healthy Weight : Halloween Candy Comparison

Oh those little bars of sweet goodness. How can anyone resist? Before you reach into that bucket or bowl, let's go over the facts and maybe it will make you think twice.

#1 turn off: It's SUGAR and when we eat sugar it has us wanting more in mere minutes. The chocolate bars are also loaded with preservatives and chemicals that cause harm and discomfort in our bodies.

I've gathered a couple of my favourites from the past :

• Resse's Peanut Butter Cups : 80 calories - 4.5g fat - 7g of sugar
• Peanut M&M's : 93 calories - 4.7g fat - 9.1g of sugar
• Skittles : 80 calories - .8g fat - 15g of sugar
• Butterfinger : 100 calories - 4g fat - 11.5g of sugar

Why not opt for one of these 100 calorie snacks that will actually do your body good and provide proper energy.

100 calories =

• 3 cups of air popped popcorn
• 1 cup of baby carrots and table spoons of hummus
• 1/2 Larabar

and if you are craving more of a sweeter taste:

• 5 Hershey's Dark Chocolate kisses
• fruit is always great a better choice when you are needing something sweet

Although it's not that exciting to choose the healthy snack, it's important to remember that those calories add up quickly. If you choose to have 3 of those "small bite" chocolate bars in one day, you would have to do an hour of moderate exercise (fast paced walking) to burn off those 300 calories.
Why set yourself back?

When you have a craving for candy or treats how do you avoid the temptation?

-Michelle
Holistic Health Coach

Health Coach: The Ups & Downs of a Healthy Weight

As a healthy coach I not only want to help people learn to avoid cancer and disease but I also want to help them with weight issues. 

Lots of people assume I have always been this weight and it comes naturally to me. They assume that I have never had to work hard for my body and I've never struggled with my weight. Well let me tell you, they gotta it all wrong...

Feeling healthy and happy

I don't share this with a lot of people because it's a thing of the past but I want to be open and true with my clients and let them know that I've been in their shoes before, I want to share my journey through weight loss with you all.

When I was around 5 years old I was super tiny and a healthy kid. I was always outside and wanting to go go go. My family always had to drag me inside from playing. From the age 10-12 I started putting on more and more weight. I believe it was caused by a number of factors. Moving to a new school, staying inside more/less active and be self conscious of the weight I had put on. There were days when I would go out to the playground and kids would tease me about being fat. At the time it didn't really hurt me but it's one of those moments that gets drilled into your brain for the rest of your life. My eating habits didn't help and my family didn't know much about nutrition. We ate meat and potatoes or pasta. Always with a bun or bread on the side. I became a big snacker too.

The summer before I went into high school, I decided to start walking every where instead of taking the bus or asking for a ride. I was back to being outside and active again like I was when I was 5. Without even meaning to, the weight started to slide off. When I went back to school everyone noticed and commented. It felt great to be complemented. Like monkey see - monkey do = I started paying attention to what my mom was saying about dieting and keeping up with the latest diet fads in magazines. I started to try diets, running and working out. It became natural to worry about what I was eating and how my body looked. I kept a pretty standard weight during high school but had poor eating habits. I would sometimes only have a slurpee for lunch because it was what I was craving and I didn't want to eating anything else as I was afraid of gaining weight.

The year after high school I became clinically depressed. I felt lost in life, my family became healthy so I no longer could be the care giver and I had a poisonous relationship with my boyfriend that I could not give up. I became very vulnerable and insecure. It didn't help that my boyfriend at the time was lets say "not so great" and more attracted to other girls. Feeling like I wasn't good enough (physically), I started to control my weight intensely. There wasn't a certain point when I began my deadly downwards spiral. Slowly I became anorexic. I started to lie to family and friends that I was perfectly fine and I was eating. Truth was, I wasn't okay. My lowest weight was 108lbs - 113lbs and I'm 5'8. I would eat one piece of fruit in the morning and a snack at night. I would also run or walk for 30min everyday. I stepped on the scale 3 times a day. I was obsessed and it was something I could control when I felt like I had no control over anything in life at that time. I was also receiving lots of attention, so it felt good and I couldn't see anything wrong. I look back now and I can say I looked so unhealthy and unattractive.

At my unhealthy lowest weight

I never went for help for my anorexia directly but I had gone to a naturopath for my depression. He had found that I was allergic to several common foods and I had a brain allergy to sugar. Once I had something new to focus my attention on and something to control, I slowly returned to a healthy weight. I gained a new interest in health and nutrition and started learn about how the food we eat tremendously affects how our brain functions and our bodies feel.


With my knowledge of health and fitness I now maintain a healthy weight and am not afraid to step on a scale. I understand that a healthy combination of mind, body and soul can bring happiness to your life. There's been times when my weight fluctuates due to stress or something in my life being out of balance. I've learnt how to reflect and make corrections. I love the way I feel inside and out when I'm eating healthy, working out and my life is in balance for me.

I want to help people feel alive and healthy!

Have you ever dealt with weight issues?
-Michelle