September, the disappearing month

Can you believe that September is almost over? Where did it go?

We have had some beautiful fall weather here in Upstate New York. What have you done to get back in touch with nature and enjoy the last few weeks of great weather before the winter kicks in? My family finally checked out Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville. If you have never been, make sure to check it out. The walking paths are beautiful and there is plenty for your little one to explore.

We also were able to get out apple picking. There is a little organic farmer near us in Jamesville called Adams Acres. This man has planted an organic Apple Orchard in his backyard as a hobby- how cool is that! Unfortunately he lost about 80% of his crop this year due to the frost this spring. His apples are still delicious; so make sure to keep him on your list for next year.

With the change in temperatures, I am finding that my body is craving more comfort foods in the forms of soups and stews. I am looking forward to making a batch Shepard’s pie this weekend with some local lamb and beef. That is the ultimate comfort food at this house. I have an amazing recipe that is definitely a labor of love, and worth every second!

For those of you in the Syracuse area, I have some upcoming classes you may want to check out:

Kick Start Your Health Mini-Series at The Beattie Sanctuary 

10/11- Got the Sugar Blues?

10/18- Deconstructing those cravings

10/25- Intimidated by Green Smoothies?

Make sure to visit my website: www.besthealth-forlife.com for more information on these classes and more!

Rejuvenation

What do you do to regroup when you are feeling stressed? This week I am officially on my summer vacation with my family. I left behind the stress of my {OT} job, and house cleaning for a week in Maine. And let me tell you it has been therapeutic! My daughter and I spent some time at the top of a mountain while my husband did some mountain biking. Just watching her explore brings the biggest smile to my face.

Monday night we took her to the ocean, you should have seen her eyes light up! Here is a picture of her running on the beach, just look at the innocent joy on her face.  

Having a child really does bring out the child in you. I find that I am re-experiencing life through new eyes, and it is amazing.

I find that just breathing the fresh, salty air clears my mind and rekindles my soul. It also sparks my creative juices and leaves me motivated! What motivates you?

 For those of you in the Syracuse, NY area, I will be hosting some great workshops this fall to help kick start your health. Check out my website for details.

Paralyzed

Does this ever happen to you: You have a “to accomplish list” that is a little too long, and rather than crossing things off, you find yourself paralyzed, unable to complete anything?

This happened to me this past week. I find that there are days in which even the smallest items on my list are impossible to complete. I call these days my “ADD” days. My mind is on overdrive with all that I want/need to do, and nothing ends up getting done.

I wish I had some novel, mind-blowing tips to help others in this situation, however my suggestions are basic: make a list and cross it off as you go. In situations like this, it is important to prioritize. Here is my example from this week:

1.     Reports for work (these have specific deadlines)

2.     Meal preparation (my daughter requires food)

3.     House cleaning (I focus on one room at a time)

I read somewhere a great way to help with housecleaning is to set a timer for a specific amount of time [say 10-20 minutes] and focus on only one room. When the timer goes off, time to move to a new room. This would help a person like me that tends to wonder from room to room.

What are your tips and strategies for when you are overwhelmed?

Time Warp

I am finding that mommy hood brings this weird time warp phenomenon. Does this ever happen to you: you look at your schedule and see that you have a “light” week [either work wise, appointment wise etc.] and you are all excited. You begin to think of all of the things you can either do or get done [read: clean the house]. But by some weird magic, you find yourself on a Sunday not able to remember what you did the past week?

Now I do remember this happening pre-child, however it was more a of conscious thought back then. Now I make a “to accomplish list” [sounds better than a to do list- right?] and I am lucky if I am able to cross of one task.

Like many new mothers, I was initially very hard on myself when I was “home” all day and I was unable to complete a load of laundry or prepare dinner. In the past year I have let go of those feelings [most days].  I take one look at my daughter and am brought back into mommy bliss. She will only be 13 months and 1 day today, and I will never get this time back. So dinner and the laundry will have to wait.

MommyOm made this beautiful little quote that I feel is important to remember on days when you are feeling frazzled:

With that being said, here are some of my tips to accomplish some of the items on your to do list:

Make a ball pit:

While researching very important home tips and tricks on Pinterest, I stumbled across this gem: A ball pit.  Super easy to make: take your pack –n-play and put plastic balls in it. Depending on the child, this could safely entertain them for 10 minutes to an hour! [read: able to at least switch the laundry]

Mini-Chef

Remember that children do not need to be constantly entertained one-on-one style. If you are in the kitchen, bring your little one along with you. Depending on the age here are my suggestions:

1.     Use a baby carrier to wear your child so that you are connected, yet have your hands free (extra tip: make simple dinners involving minimal time at the stove)

2.     Place a blanket on the floor for some tummy time for your little one while you prepare dinner. This will give them an extra reason to life that head to watch you move around the kitchen (developmental bonus!)

3.     Place a blanket on the floor and offer your child (safe) measuring cups/spoons and containers to explore with.

4.     As your child becomes older, start to utilize their help in the kitchen. Allow them to stir ingredients together, mix pizza dough with their hands etc. This offers a great bonding time, while also working the muscles in their hands (developmental bonus!)

Ask for help

It is not a sign of weakness to ask for help. We as women have this unnatural idea that we should be able to “do it all”. We are not built that way. We are social creatures that require the connection of others. This is true in raising a child as well. In the years past, women turned to family members to help in the care of their children and home. With families being spread across large areas now, it is not always easy to lean on your family. That does not mean that you cannot ask for assistance from non-family members. You can hire a caregiver to assist with watching your child while you do tasks around your home. This is also a great opportunity to “trial” a babysitter, as you can watch how they interact with your child while you are home.

What tips do you have to keep your sanity as a mom?

Weekend Recap

So this past weekend was the most beautiful weather we have had in a while. While I love the heat and tend not to complain about things such as the sweat dripping off my body, or the fact that my car never really cools between seeing my kiddos for work, I do enjoy that “perfect” summer day of low 80’s, low humidity, and not a cloud in the sky.  And this weekend was most certainty that.

I also did some experimenting in the kitchen. I have a serious sweet tooth, and I am always on the lookout for something healthy that will ease my cravings. My first trial was a success- raw chocolate. My second concoction (chia pudding) still requires some tweaking for my personal taste {I found the Kefir to be a little too tangy for my taste. Next time I will try with milk or almond milk}. I also made some (healthy) Jello for my daughter. Check

Coconut chocolate

I modified the recipe from here:

½ cup (organic) coconut oil (melted)

½ cup raw cacao powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (or more to taste)

Combine all in ingredients in bowl using whisk or hand mixer. Pour into candy molds or on freezer paper and place in freezer for 15-30 minutes.  Break apart and enjoy!

*Note keep in refrigerator/freezer until ready to eat as they will melt on the counter

Chia Seed Pudding

I modified the recipe from here

1 cup (organic) unsweetened plain Kefir

2 Tablespoons chia seeds

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Place in fridge for approx 1 hour for chia seeds to soften. Top with fresh fruit/cinnamon.

Healthy Jello

2 cups not-from-concentrate juice

1 packet unflavored gelatin

Bring ½ cup of juice to low boil in pan on stove. Stir in gelatin until dissolved. Combine with the remaining 1 ½ cups of juice and place in glass bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight until jelled. Enjoy!

Beets, they're what's for dinner

Do you visit your local Farmer’s Market with an adventurous attitude, or with a list of safe items? I challenge you to strike up a conversation with a farmer and ask them what they are offering, and how they would prepare it. You made be surprised to learn that you like that green vegetable!

Speaking of exploring new vegetables, I am enjoying exposing my daughter to a whole world of foods that I have been intimidated by. I am working hard to incorporate more fruits and vegetables to my diet. One food that I attempted again this week was beets. I understand the amazing health benefits, however I have been intimidated by them. After a breakfast with a friend who offered tips on preparation, I attempted them one more time. And the verdict… I like them! I am not going to lie; the texture is not my favorite, however the sweet earthy flavor that they offer is wonderful. I mixed the roasted beets with fresh mango at dinner and what a wonderful combination that was!

 

Here is my preparation suggestion if you are a newbie to beets:

·      Cut off tops, and rise/wash

·      Cut in half/quarters depending on the size

·      Spray lightly with Olive Oil

·      Wrap in parchment paper

·      Place in oven preheated at 425

·      Roast for 45min- 1 hour until fork tender

·      Let cool slightly, then remove skin

·      Enjoy!

***Warning, roasted beets are full of staining red juice, use caution when pealing and eating :)***

Suggested serving tips:

Chop roasted beets and add to your salad

Serve roasted beets with fruit and top with plain, unsweetened yogurt

Roasted beets pair nicely with goat cheese

What's for Breakfast?

What does the word breakfast really mean? For most of us, the time between supper and morning is a time for fasting. When we sleep, we are recharging our bodies. Each morning is a perfect opportunity to set the stage for the day.

How will you begin your day? Many studies suggest that those that take the time to eat breakfast are more successful in maintaining a healthy weight. Why is this? Many people think that by skipping breakfast you are able to cut calories. The problem lies when mid morning/lunch time sneaks up on you. When your body is starving, you are less likely to make healthy eating decisions, rather grabbing for a quick fix to end your hunger pains. This in turn starts the sugar crashing cycle for the afternoon (you know that cycle when you continue to reach for the quick “fix” of junk food).

So take the time to prepare a healthy breakfast to start your day off right! Breakfast does not have to be complicated in order to be healthy. A bowl of oatmeal paired with fruit and maybe a side of nuts is light enough to feel healthy, but packed with protein, to keep you full and energized until lunch.

My newest favorite breakfast is muesli, I love that I can start it in the evening and it is ready when I wake up. Here is my version:

·      1 cup (organic) rolled oats

·      2 cups (organic) plain yogurt

·      ¼ cup ground flax seeds

·      ~ 1/8 cup maple syrup to taste (or sweeter of choice)

o   Makes 3-4 servings.

Mix ingredients together in bowl and place in refrigerator overnight. In the morning you may have to add additional yogurt/milk to get a consistency you like. Add fresh fruit (bananas and strawberries are my favorite) and enjoy!

Stress Free Traveling?

Is it possible to take a family vacation that is stress free? Probably not, but this weekend I am attempting to take a decreased stress trip with the family. Here are my strategies:

1. Pack/prepare as much as you can the night before.  This should help lessen the running around in the morning in a scattered manner
2. Make a list as you go of things you do not want to forget (i.e. camera, power cords, sunscreen)
• Check off the list as you pack items
3. Set an estimated departure time in pencil
• Traveling with children is full of the unknown, make sure to leave ample wiggle time
4. Bring healthy snacks for the car ride to prevent stops at McDonalds
• We packed a cooler of healthy snacks including organic string cheese, almonds, fresh fruit, and plenty of water to sip on.
5. Cross your fingers and hope that your child cooperates in the car
6. Lastly, remember that you are on vacation, which means to take your time and relax. If you are taking a long car ride, make sure to look out the windows and enjoy the scenery along the way.

Choosing a diet plan.

It seems like there is a new diet in the news each day. Each diet boasts theories on why it is the only plan that every one must follow to ensure their health. Lately the trend is moving away from fad quick diets to more lifestyle diets. (Think low-carb, vegetarian, And Gluten-free). Again, each claims to be the best in guaranteeing weight loss and disease prevention. So how do you choose what lifestyle is best for you?

One way is to try out a diet and see how your body reacts. Remember that each person is unique, in that what works for one person may not work for another. For example, my husband functions better on a more protein based diet, where as I require more carbs than protein.

Use a food journal to experiment with a diet. Remember to give yourself ample time on a diet to fully explore how it works for you. Take note of things such as mood, energy levels, digestion, and even skin conditions.

No matter what dietary plan you choose to follow, always stick to these basic principles:

1.     Eat whole food in it’s most natural state

2.     Limit processed/packaged food

3.     Limit white sugar

4.     Eat free-range, grass fed meats when possible

5.     Eat whole grains

6.      If you do not know what it is, do not eat it (applies only to packaged food, not fruits/vegetables!)

A Holistic Health Coach can be a valuable guide for assisting you with identifying a lifestyle that works best for you. If you are interested in learning more about finding your best health for life, contact me today!

Goal Setting 101

Why do we set goals for ourselves? In the therapeutic setting, we set long-term goals as well as short-term goals. These goals help therapists to structure our therapy sessions. Without goals, we do not know what we are working on or for.

In our personal life, we also set goals. However they may be much more general and less specific. We set goals for retirement, vacations, weight loss, personal goals, and maybe even home maintenance. When you set a goal, do you sit down and plan it out in detail, or is it something that you just keep in your mind? I want you to think about how successful you are in reaching your goals. What do you think helps or hinders you in reaching your goals?

Did you know that research indicates that those that actually write their goals are much more successful in reaching them? So let’s write some S.M.A.R.T. goals! For those of you unfamiliar with this acronym, let me break it down for you:

            Specific

            Measureable

            Achievable

            Reachable

            Time specific

 Ok, so how do you write a S.M.A.R.T. goal? I will direct you to my friend over at OT Mama for her break down her goal of waking up early in the morning.

When we take the time to write our goals in a structured manner, we are increasing our success in actually reaching them.  Today’s challenge is to write your own S.M.A.R.T. goal.

Mommy Me Time?

Mommy me time, is this even possible? When I found out that I was pregnant, I had all these plans in my head how I would be able to find the balance between being a mom and keeping my self-identity. I always knew that my number one priority would be my daughter and that my needs will follow second. What I didn’t plan on was how difficult it is to schedule me time.

In theory my husband and I have worked out a great arrangement. I mentioned in a pervious post that we have verbalized our “me “ time, in that we each have 3 days a week in which we each have time to ourselves. I find for me the problem comes on days in which he works until 6. We attempt to keep a nightly routine for our daughter, which consists of eating dinner as a family, bath time with daddy, and then bedtime by 7:30.  In order to accomplish this, I find that my “me time” is significantly cut short. I am not sure how many mothers out there have the energy to work out after dinner at 7:30 at night and still be able to go to sleep at a reasonable hour. 

Okay, enough complaining. So what is a mom supposed to do? I recently visited OTMama and she had some thoughts on waking up early before the rest of the house to have a few minutes to herself. The idea behind this is that a mom can enjoy piece and quiet in the house and prepare for the day in a less stressed manner. What do you think of this idea? I think I will work on making this a goal for August. Check back later to see how I do!

Habits, Roles, and Routines -Oh My! (Pt 3)

By now you have begun to think about how your roles are impacting your life, as well as ways to make adjustments if needed. I want to continue our discussion and move on to routines now.

Dictionary.com defines the word routine as “commonplace tasks, chores, or duties as must be done regularly or at specified intervals; typical or every day activity”. While I feel that this definition is a little sterile, it does stress how routines can be perceived as rigid, inflexible instructions for our daily lives.


I challenge you to think about your life. Are you one that functions more efficiently when your routine is written in pen? Meaning your life runs smoother when there is structure and consistency? Or are you on the opposite end of the spectrum and just fly by the seat of your pants? I personally find that especially now that I have a child, I function best when I have a schedule written in pencil. Having a plan of action helps to guide my day and increase my productivity, however having a child has taught me to be flexible.


This can be applied to all of the contexts within your life. For example I find that when I am more structured and prepared when it comes to meal planning, I am better able to stick to a healthy diet. I take the time on Sunday to go grocery shopping and stock my fridge with healthy foods and snacks. Within my work life, the more organized I am, the better I am able to handle challenges that pop up.  The same also holds true on the home front as well. When I take the time to keep up on housework, I tend to be less stressed. However if I take a couple of days off from straightening up and laundry, I become overwhelmed with the catch-up game.


What role do routines play in your life? Would your life be less stressful if you followed a routine, or abandoned one?

Habits, Roles, and Routines- Oh My! (Part-2)

So now that you have had some time to ponder your new habit and begin to implement the steps for success, I want to move on to our next topic- Roles.  I am going to gear this article more towards the women- sorry guys.

I invite you to participate in a little exercise with me. Take out a sheet of paper and write down all the roles that you take on.  Now take a look at that list and notice the order that they came out in, specifically the first role you put down. Would you describe that is being the most meaningful/important for you or is it a role that, not by choice, has moved its way to the top?

Here is my list:

1.     Mother

2.     Wife

3.     Daughter

4.     Sister

5.     Friend

6.     Homemaker

7.     Career

I know that I carry many other roles with me, but those are the ones that came out the quickest. I think that I actually did an accurate job in placing them in the order of most importance for me personally.

So what do we do when our roles are not lining up with our heart? Make adjustments! What is important to you? How can you adjust your schedule or do things differently so that the roles that are important to you are being addressed? Here are a couple of ideas that work for me:

1.     I enjoy eating meals with my daughter. I spend time preparing nutritious, healthy meals for her. I take time the night before I work to prepare her meals. While I am preparing her food, I think happy thoughts. That way I know the next day she is eating food that is prepared with love.

2.     In order to keep a balance within my life, my husband and I devised a schedule that allows “me” time. While I do not always leave the house, I know that 3 evenings a week when my husband comes home from work he is on baby duty. This mentally frees me to do what I want. Which tends to be laundry.

3.     The husband and I also reach out to family or hire a babysitter at least once a month for “us” time. We use this time to go out to dinner and relax together without being on parental duty. Extra bonus- the baby is able to get her grandparent’s fix.

4.     Find a good daycare provider. This was a biggie when I went back to work. I struggled for 4 months to find someone what I trusted my child with and that she also liked. This caused me stress in my job, as I was always rushing to get back home to her.

So I challenge you to look at your roles. Are they in line with your heart? Where can you make changes?

Dessert spelled backwards is stressed.

It is that time again; you are running around attempting to get a million things done. You do not have time to prepare your usual healthy meal, so what do you grab? For me it is something sweet and portable.

This past weekend we celebrated my daughter’s first birthday. While I succeeded in my goal of letting go of perfection, I still had tons of prep work to complete. Lucky for me my planning ahead of having the cupcakes baked and ready to frost for Saturday morning would lend itself well to having a tasty snack to get me through the morning (and afternoon, evening, breakfast….)

Are you a binger like me? I am able to display self-control most of the time. But add a combination of stress and sweets and all bets are off. As I am stuffing my face with all sorts of sweet goodness, I tell myself “back to being healthy Monday”. I find that I justify this to myself by remembering my diet has significantly improved over the years. I find a good binge now and then reinforces my healthy habits.  And after eating sweet empty calories for a couple of day’s wrecks havoc on my body and I begin to crave that nutritious healthy food again.

I challenge you to notice what is happening in your life when you crave your desserts. I also challenge you to forgive yourself when you binge. Enjoy that cupcake (or three) and set your date to bring yourself back to healthy. Mine is tomorrow.

Seeking Perfection

Are you a perfection seeker? Some days I am. I personally find that when I am seeking out perfection in an activity, I become paralyzed. I become hung up on the smallest details, unable to move on to enjoy my project.

I recently decided to challenge myself in NOT seeking perfection. Today was my daughter’s first birthday and I hosted a nice little party for her.  When I started thinking about her ideal party a couple of months ago (yes, I know she is 1), I was overly focused on finding the perfect invitation. I opted for e-invites. They were “perfect”; I could track who opened them and who responded. 

Next was the planning of the food. I originally was looking to have a barbeque. After some deep thoughts on food preparation, especially knowing how my family does not RSVP, I chose to just do a dessert party- specifically cupcakes. I thought it would be “perfect” in that I could make them during the week, freeze them, and frost the morning of the party. This would relieve some of the last minute stress of morning preparation.

The biggest part of letting go of perfection came with my cupcakes. I feel that what I cook tends to be mighty tasty (or so my husband says), however I lack in the presentation area. I resorted to my go to chocolate cake recipe and prepared as cupcakes. They cooked all sorts of funky and lopsided, which started to foil my letting go of perfection plan. I remained positive and decided they were “rustic”, and they tasted amazing.

Next came the frosting of the cupcakes. I dug out my fancy frosting tips and of course, did not have a pastry bag. No worries, I just snipped off the bottom of a zip lock bag. But of course the frosting had other plans and did not come out of the tip. Again, no worries, I can just snip off the bottom of the bag and frost from that.  Well, what came out was a sort of ribbon looking blob. Again, I decided not to stress and put the better looking cupcakes on the pedestal and the imperfect ones had a flag placed in them to hide their flaws and I moved on.

Skip ahead to the party. I had strategically planned the party around my daughter’s naps. However my daughter had so much fun she needed an early nap. Instead of stressing and hoping people would understand, I just put her down and opted for no excuses- she was tired, end of story. The amazing thing was people actually understood. And what was I left with- a great time! It ended up being a perfect party after all.

So my question to you is in what area do you seek perfection? What happens when you let go of that expectation?

Habits, Roles and Routines- Oh MY! (Part-1)

For those of you that do not know, for my "career", I am an Occupational Therapist. I specialize in working with children ages 3-5. My most simplistic definition of what I do is I work with children to address their challenges so that they are able to play, explore, and learn. Of course I work on handwriting too :)

When I was completing my Master’s degree, we had a whole semester dedicated to exploring the theories that frame our thinking when working with a client. Per my usual self, I spent the minimum amount of time learning the theories behind what I do because, well, they are theories and I am a “doer”. Now that I have graduated and began my practice, I find that I resort to few of my favorite theories to help guide my treatment with my clients.

Now back to my title: Habits, Roles, and Routines. This is a simplified version of Gary Kielhofner’s Model of Human Occupations Theory (MOHO). Ok, so what does all of this OT jargon have to do with wellness? EVERYTHING! (Sorry for shouting there). Since this may get a little lengthy, I will break it to 3-parts.

Habits. Did you know the research indicating that it takes 21 days to change a habit was actually from a Plastic Surgeon who discovered in the 70’s that it took 21 days for a person to adjust to the loss of a limb? (random bit of information) So how long does it take to build healthy habits? It can take upwards of 2-3 months. Please don’t be discouraged by this. When we are talking about your health and wellness, 2-3 months is hardly a drop in the bucket compared to the years we are living.

So how to we create new habits that stick? That is the million-dollar question. I suggest starting small and do not try and change everything at one time. Here is a little exercise that I find useful. Sit down with a piece of paper and list the areas of your life you would like to address into columns. Under each column, list 5-10 things that you could do to improve that area. Now take one just one change under one column and make that your priority for the next month. Try writing a mantra and placing it around your house so that you can focus on that one change.

Here is my example: I am working on drinking more water during the day. I know how important water is to my health, plus it just makes me feel good. To help ensure that I drink throughout the day, I make sure that I always have water with me. In my car I have my cute purple Sigg bottle, at home I just bought a bright blue COPCO cup with a straw. I even have cups of water strategically placed throughout my home. Having this visual reminder helps to cue me in to drink.

The most important thing to remember when creating new habits is that you may take 1-step forward and 2-steps back. Just keep moving and change will happen. Sometimes the path is not straight, but we must keep moving in the direction of our goal and we will get there, learning all along the way!

Diets Don't Work

I know, I know, you were on a diet once and lost all this weight. But I ask, how long before you gained back the weight? I also want you to think about how you felt while you were dieting. How much time did you spend trying to plot out what to eat, or what not to eat for that matter? How many times did you start a diet, only to have an event come up in which you felt deprived and stressed when you attended?

I attended a presentation one day by a Bariatric Surgeon for potential patients. While his presentation was full of amazing scientific information boasting the greatness of the surgery, the presenter stated over and over “Diets do not work for our clients”. Well duh!, diets do not work for most people. (FYI I DO believe in Gastric Bypass surgery for the appropriate candidates)

Diets are designed to be restrictive, short-term weight loss “fix”. Think about the cabbage diet, the soup diet, or even the Adkins diet. Think about how specific these diets are. Do you think that you could sustain them for a long period of time without inducing health complications? Moving forward, once you are off that diet, what are your eating habits like? Do you resort back to your previous pattern? If so, then how do you expect the weight to stay off?

Back to my introduction statement, Diets do not work. Small, realistic, healthy changes in your diet and lifestyle are what DO work. When I use the word diet, I am not talking about the restriction, rather the quality of food that you take in. My first step in living a healthy life very simple in theory: Eat as clean as possible.

What do I mean clean? There are many different perspectives, and you need to decide what it means to you. For me it means to limit the amount of sugar I consume. When I do eat sugar, I try to avoid white sugar. It also means limiting the amount of ingredients that I cannot pronounce. If I am not sure what it is, I am pretty sure that it is produced in a lab, therefore not real food. Check back soon to learn more about Clean Eating!

What is a Health Coach?

So, what exactly is a Health Coach (HC)? It is a person that is in your corner, cheering you on and supporting you to achieve your best health. A HC is different from nutritionist in that we understand the concept of bio-individuality; what works for one person may not work for another. A HC works with YOU to identify areas in your life where you may be struggling, an assist you in brainstorming solutions that will work for you. A HC is also different from a counselor; we allow you the room to grow by providing you with the tools you need to recognize your solutions. A HC varies from a Doctor in that we do not prescribe medication, but rather wellness to assist in improving health.

My approach does not seek out perfection, but rather balance. Diets do not work. Stringent lists of do's and don'ts do not work. For success, small, realistic steps must be identified and implemented. There is no failure, no judging, just success.

Interested in learning more about whether a Health Coach is for you? Contact me for a FREE health consultation at:
andrea@besthealth-forlife.com
315.796.1211

Family Time

What is it about spending time as a family that is so rewarding? The hubs, E and I got out and enjoyed some fresh air this weekend with a bike ride and a little hike. I realized two important things: 1. I am severely out of shape and 2. exercise and fresh air rejuvenate me.
What did you do this weekend?

The beginning

When I originally thought of the name "Best Health for Life" almost three years ago, my life was in a completely different place. At the time I was completing my Master's degree in Occupational Therapy as well as completing a Certificate Program in Holistic Health Coaching. I had originally wanted to assist individuals struggling with weight loss. As my life has changed, my focus has also changed. A little over 9 months ago I was blessed with the most beautiful daughter. As I have navigated the past 9 months, I have learned that motherhood is the most amazing, rewarding, challenge that I have ever experienced.

My focus has now shifted to where my heart is, motherhood. I am thick in the trenches of all things mommy, and want to share my triumphs and mishaps with others. I welcome you to join me along this journey :)