Let's talk about "Mindful Eating." What exactly is it? When you eat, do you typically eat and do something else? Maybe you're scrolling through social media on your phone, watching TV, reading a book, or some other form of multi-tasking. Well, here's a tip and some homework to help you be more mindful...

I challenge you to try eating and only focus on eating. That means not doing anything else but focus on your meal. That means really taking the time to taste the food, explore the texture and focus on whether you're actually full or not. When you eat distracted, you often don't realize how much you've eaten or you're not full because you're not consciously aware of how much you've consumed. When you mindfully eat, you really hone in on how the food tastes. Take your time to slowly eat, chew and swallow. Typically, we rush through our meals instead of taking the time to enjoy the experience. My challenge to you is to be mindful when you eat. Try it! You'll be surprised at how...

There's one component that many people disregard when it comes to your metabolism, and that's your mindset. Some of the vital pieces I've covered in the past are nutrition, movement, rest and recovery. The last piece of the puzzle is mindset. And sometimes that can be the hardest part.

So what do we mean by mindset? It's really your attitude or how you approach different situations and challenges. And having a positive growth mindset is going to make all those aspects of your metabolism that much easier. Ultimately, you want to look at your health holistically. And your metabolism is very adaptable. So it's going to adapt to all those different changes. Whether you have hard workouts, light workouts, eat a lot, eat a little, and then having that strong mindset is key to bringing all the pieces together.

When it comes to ways that you can ensure you nurture a growth mindset, you want to focus on things like being grateful or having a gratitude journal. I've found that's one of the...

When it comes to your metabolism, another key component is rest and recovery. Now I know most people will be like, "that doesn't seem like it's important." But that is a vital aspect of your metabolism.

As you're working out, and you're trying to build muscle, and you're running, you're doing all the things, it's really important that you get adequate amount of sleep and also look for ways to engage in active recovery. That could mean more long walks, yoga, pilates -- different ways where you continue get movement, but you're not stressing your body.

Why is that important? Rest and recovery are not only important for muscle building, but key for hormonal health. Cortisol, the stress hormone, spikes after an intense workout. So it's super important to look for ways to calm yourself down. There's active recovery and there's also things like massage, meditation, breath work, stretching, going to the sauna, going to a steam room --all of these things aid in recovery and bringing your...

Here are four ways to share the love with your Valentine without busting your waistline:

1. Go for a walk or a hike. Spend some quality one-on-one time getting some fresh air and really connecting and talking.
2. Send or buy flowers. Who doesn’t love beautiful flowers? And you’d be surprised by how many men would appreciate getting a bouquet of flowers.
3. Make a cute Valentine’s card for that special someone. Include a coupon for a massage or breakfast in bed. Writing something thoughtful is much more valuable and precious than a box of chocolates.
4. Get a gift certificate for an experience. Whether it’s a manicure, a massage or some much-needed babysitting time, many busy moms would appreciate some quiet time and self-care over candy or a fancy dinner.

What’s your favorite non-food Valentine’s Day gift?

4 Tips to Overcoming Intimidation at the Gym 

Going to the gym can be incredibly intimidating, especially if you’re unsure where to start. But getting into a regular gym regime is a key component to a healthy lifestyle. So how do you overcome your unfounded fear? Here are 5 tips to conquer your gym-phobia:

1. Take a tour.
   Half the battle is not knowing where anything is located. Get a thorough tour to look at all the equipment, class offerings, locker room and any other areas that you think you’ll be using. This could be the pool, steam room, sauna, spin class area, yoga room, etc.
   
   
2. Sign up with a friend or get a few training sessions.
   Isn’t everything easier to do with a buddy? If you can’t get a friend or significant other to join with you, sign up for some onsite training. After one or two sessions, you’ll get comfortable with the layout of the gym and get into a routine.
   
   
3. Find the right time for you.
   You may be intimidated when you first walk in. I...

Cardio Motivation is Here!

You’ve heard of #squadgoals, well I have #quadgoals. Cardio is hardio so I need some motivation!

When you need to complete a certain amount of cardio each week, it can a drag. Currently, I need to complete 30 minutes of steady state, 20 minutes of HIIT (high intensity interval training) and then one day where I just run as fast as I can for one mile. Each session has its role, but sometimes the thought of cardio isn’t very motivating. I even wrote a post about getting back your running mojo if you’ve lost it.

That’s where a new goal comes in handy. I’ve been wanting to break my 5k time of 26 minutes for years. As I get older, it doesn’t seem to get easier. My dream PR time is 25:30, which means I need to run an 8:12 minute per mile pace for the entire race. Well, right now running a 10:15 pace for one mile feels painful!

So let’s go back to my cardio sessions and see how I can make my 5k PR goal happen, while also...

I’m strange; I love getting up early. Not just early...4:30 a.m. early. I'm a 100% early-morning exercise. It’s quiet, it's dark and it’s my time. I wasn’t always like this. I used to struggle with getting out of that warm, cozy bed first thing in the morning. That said, there are ways you can convert to those early morning workouts.

First, I have to say that I LOVE to work out and look forward to it each day. It’s my time, and that’s an important first step. Find a workout that you love, whether it’s weight training, walking, yoga, spinning, or running outside.

Become an early-morning exerciser

I used to rely on my vibrating Fit Bit alarm, which definitely helped and I highly recommend it if you have one. But my Fit Bit alarm has since stopped working and now I get up early naturally. (Yes, I even wake up at the crack of dawn on the weekends.) How? Here are five tips on how you can retrain your brain to become an early riser:

1)...