When you learn the proper way to do something, you will find more understanding and have a steady journey. The path may twist and turn and climb uphill and flow down gently but it will always take you forward; trust it.

When looking toward a big goal, it’s often helpful to make small goals along the way because they’re more manageable. Small steps lead you to your destination better than a large leap; a large leap can sometimes find you falling backward shortly after landing. A steady journey helps you to find your sure path/footing along the way.

Give yourself space, kindness and forgiveness, Vow to go deep within and understand your true self and then love that person up!

Colors are a very personal preference for each of us. We all have our favorite color and for me that color is light blue…and various shades of pink…and more recently, orange. Orange?!! Where did that come from?

For the past year I’ve become attracted to oranges, not the burnt, muted nor bright neon orange shades, but the cool, bright, full oranges. First I would see an orange car, it was a cool, bright, almost creamy orange, then It would be a shirt or a phone case, another blog site I have is orange, a notebook, kitchen ware, not to forget the beautiful orange trees this time of year, etc. This week I saw a photo of an orange colonial home and I was in love with it – it just popped but it was subtle and classy. It’s difficult to describe what my eyes feel like when I see the perfect orange for me, it’s as though they are filled to the rim with love and joy and a little happy dance.

I decided to look into my new obsession with orange. After learning the what power that colors can do to us or for us I decided I like changing my favorite colors because I believe change happens for a reason. Here’s what I found orange to influence in us:

Orange represents transformation, warmth, happiness, emotional strength, it’s optimistic and uplifting; orange induces spontaneity & a positive outlook and is motivating. Orange suggests adventure & risk taking, it inspires physical confidence, competition and independence; it’s extroverted and uninhibited. Orange is known to stimulate the appetite (be careful of orange in your kitchen or wherever you dine if you’re controlling your diet!), as well as aid simulation of new ideas. This vibrant color frees the spirit of limitations-giving freedom to be ourselves and it encourages respect of self and of others. Whew! After all this positive representation, who wouldn’t love orange?

I believe things we need to push us forward come into out lives when we need them. For me, orange just might be that ‘thing’ that helps feed my spirit for growth. When something that you feel is unusual for you comes along, don’t fight it, go with it and learn from it; there’s a lesson in everything.

What is your color? What does it mean for you?

We all have the desire to lose weight or eat better for better health. We all struggle too. Not one of us is alone no matter what discipline we use. Even the firm bodied, glowing fitness trainer struggles. As a nutritional and lifestyle wellness coach, I hear people tell me all the time that I’m perfect, I eat only the good things and I get a workout in every day; the truth is, I’m human, imperfect and I don’t workout nearly as often as I want to. I have the time so why don’t I do it? It’s not fun to me, I’d rather do something else, I’d rather do it with someone, I’ll do it later…these are only a few of the excuses I give myself. I most often eat only foods that are healthy, but I often eat too much; I do workout, but I don’t workout hard or regularly.

I coach people to let go of habits that don’t do them any good and to adopt good habits that make them feel renewed and re-energized. I love my work and I love my clients, every single one of them that I’ve had and I can assure you that I will love each new client down the road. I love them because they care about themselves to get better and they inspire me to share my knowledge and inspire so many more to follow their dreams and reach their goals.

One of my first clients in 2011, whom also happens to be a good friend, went through my entire 6-Month Progressive program with the desire to lose weight, limit eating sugary snacks and develop healthy eating habits overall. She will confess to you that it wasn’t and isn’t an easy thing to do; there is no simple, quick fix; it takes time, know-how and dedication. I myself was confused and disappointed for a while at the fact that the process was slow-going. Then something clicked. My client learned all the steps while working with me but the one thing that wasn’t 100% in gear was the commitment to herself. Know-how, desire and commitment are three entirely different things but together they work amazingly well. In the past five to six months my client has lost twenty-three or more pounds! That is a huge accomplishment and she hasn’t stopped, she uses what I taught her and she finds it easy to follow without craving the unhealthy snacks. Stress no longer takes control over her dietary discipline nor does she let stress eat at her. What happened when she suddenly began dropping pounds? She was ready.

Don’t give up hope, don’t throw away your dreams and goals of being healthy and fit. When you learn what it takes for your particular body and lifestyle and when you’re ready to commit, you will succeed. Commitment comes from within and there’s no right time or wrong time, it’s personally up to you to decide when it’s right.

Love yourself enough to be healthy and happy. Here’s to you and your personal journey. Want help? Write me.

In health and happiness.

I was clean out of mayo and wanted to use some for a fun summer meal that typically includes mayonnaise. Instead of running to the market for one small item that potentially has sugar or worse, high fructose corn syrup(!!) in the mix I decided to make my own. I based my recipe on a video that happened to pop up in my email earlier in the day; instead of logging back in and searching for the video I made my mayo by memory and it came out pretty great for the first try.

I used the ingredients listed in the video but amounts except for the 2 egg yolks were just estimated; I used too much mustard so I added 2 more egg yolks and roughly another cup of oil ending up with a double batch which is a perfect 12 ounces.

Here’s what you need:

• 2 egg yolks , a teaspoon or less of Dijon mustard (next time I will try my spice shelf dry mustard instead)
• dash of salt – I used pink Himalayan salt
• 1 cup of a mild tasting light oil, I used grape seed, you can use a light olive oil, sunflower seed oil or any light nut oil for variety
• if you use dry mustard instead of prepared you will want to add a teaspoon or so of apple cider vinegar
• A handheld mini-blender or a small handheld type mixer (you probably can use your stand mixer too, I will try that next time and check in if no one else does

Put the yolks, salt and mustard in a 2 cup measure and begin beating, slowly drizzle the oil in beating until it mixes well and thickens, you’ll know when to stop due to consistency.

Put into a jar or container with a tight-fitting lid and store in refrigerator.

Tip: I cooked up the 4 egg whites and added them to my 2 dogs dinners for added protein. You can refrigerate them and make an egg white omelet the following day or for dinner.