Have you ever tried avoiding certain foods as a way to meet your health goals?

Are your health goals only centered around weight loss?

A common pattern I see with my health coaching clients is being stuck in the restrict and binge cycle.

Here is how this plays out:

1. Removing food such as carbohydrates in the pursuit of weight loss

2. Lasts for a few days, or maybe even a few weeks, until eventually the carb cravings become so strong and you cave and eat carbs at a family dinner or when your partner brings home carbohydrates you’ve been keeping out of the house.

3. You end up eating more servings than what you are hungry for and eat past fullness and enjoyment.

4. Afterwards you feel guilty, like you have done something terrible wrong and ruined all your progress.

5. The next day you vow to never eat carbs again and the cycle repeats itself.

If this story, or something very similar, sounds familiar and keeping certain foods out of your diet is a constant struggle then read on my friend!

Let’s get you out of this cycle and practicing a more balanced approach to eating.

SO HOW DO YOU UNWIND THIS PATTERN?

First, just by creating your own category of "off-limit" foods you are preventing yourself from creating healthy and balanced eating habits.

Let’s breakdown why this is.

Either from Instagram, blogs, what I eat in a day videos, or from past diets that tell you to eat this and not that, conversations with friends, coworkers, family… somewhere along the way you have developed rules around food as a result of diet culture messaging.

By placing foods in an off-limit category because you have labeled them as “bad” or “unhealthy,” you are placing morality on your food choices and creating an all or nothing mentality.

And this makes your hyper aware and hyper-focused on that food choice and creates obsessive thinking about food.

And when you inevitably eat any of these foods that you try to have control over, you lose control and believe that it has a certain power over you. Food can FEEL addicting, when this is really just a natural response to restriction.

Instead of restriction, here is how to practice healthy and balanced eating:

1. Fuel yourself with nutrient dense foods that give your body what it needs to feel its best and function optimally.

2. Give yourself permission to ENJOY all food with freedom and flexibility, and without the moral labels of good vs. bad. Food is not just fuel and nutrition, it is also enjoyment, connection and community.

3. Break your food rules. Start slowly and start with awareness of what they are. Download my free 4 Steps to Food Freedom worksheet to get you started on your path to a better relationship with food that is free from restriction.

Other resources on this topic:

Why Guilt-Free Foods are Actually Full of Guilt

The REAL reason you feel guilty after eating certain foods

** cake pictured is made with Simple Mills Vanilla Cake mix and Miss Jones Confetti Pop Frosting

Believe me when I say that the most important marketing strategy for owning your own online business as a Health Coach is your email list.

YUP. Not social media.

Surprised?

Let me tell you why…

While social media serves an important purpose in growing your audience and business reach for your brand, it has one BIG limitation: you don’t “own” your audience. If Instagram or TikTok shut down tomorrow, you can say goodbye to your followers. You’d have no way to connect with them.

On the other hand, when someone joins your email list, you “own” that relationship.

AND with the ever-changing algorithms with Instagram, the amount of people who actually see your posts has decreased to somewhere between 1-3%. That means that your followers don’t always see your posts if ever! And Instagram stories? An average of 4-10% of your followers view these and less than 1% interact.

YIKES!

But email marketing? My average open rate for my emails is 39%. This means that almost 40% of my subscribers read my emails. Which is fantastic! And gives me a direct way to reach people.

So how do you get subscribers for your email list?

Step one:
Sign up for the email marketing software of your choice. I started with MailChimp, which is a great option and free up to 2,000 subscribers.

I now use ConvertKit and I am SO glad I switched. It’s the simplest and easiest-to-use email marketing tool out there IMO. It takes me a while to learn new tech and ConvertKit was a breeze.

Its dashboard is super minimalist, contains all you need (and nothing more!), which makes it really easy to navigate and efficient to use.

Step two:
Give your potential subscribers free stuff! But wait, why would you do that?

To build trust by helping them out with something they struggle with!!

For example: How to incorporate Healthy Carbs into Your Diet? How to Break Your Food Rules? How to Eat More Mindfully?

You can find my freebies here. You can also provide your subscribers with access to free webinars or free quizzes.

Step three:
Create a Landing Page on ConvertKit for your freebie.

Your Landing Page will ask permission from your new subscriber by asking for their name and email to sign up for your email list in exchange for your freebie. It’s as easy as that!

Once you create a Landing Page, you can share the landing page link (by simply copying and pasting) into story swipe ups on Instagram, your bio on your Instagram or TikTok, your pin on Pinterest or in your blog posts on your website.

You can also create a Form in Convertkit and embed on your website or as a pop-up in a blog post where the subject is similar to your freebie and what you are providing.

When a new subscriber signs up, they will have instant access to the freebie that you provided under Landing Page Settings > Incentive > Download attachment.

THAT’S IT! EAZY PEEZY.

That is how you begin to build your subscriber base. Next step after this would be Writing an Introduction Email to introduce yourself to new subscribers. Should I write a separate blog post about how to do this and what to include in this email??

Until then!

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One of my favorite fruits to add into smoothies is oranges! I feel like they are an underrated smoothie add and add such a fresh and bright taste.

Adding the banana and avocado creates this creamy consistency that is reminiscent of the Orange Julius drinks from my childhood. Remember those?!

This combo is great in the Winter to brighten my days, and also a perfect refreshment for Spring or Summer. Here is how you can DO IT:

1 cup water
1/2 of an orange or Sumo Citrus, in slices and frozen
1/2 frozen banana
2 big handfuls of spinach
1 tbsp. chia seeds
1/4 small avocado
2 scoops Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides Protein Powder

Blend everything up in your high speed blender. I use a Vitamix, and I recommend running it for about 10 seconds longer than you think you need to. This will take your smoothie to an ultimate level of creaminess!

Note that I use water and an unflavored protein. I feel that using a nut milk or flavored protein alters the taste of the smoothie. By using water and unflavored collagen the taste of the fruit really shines through! Plus nut milk is expensive. So save your money and try your smoothies with water instead!

CHEERS!!

Made with a blend of oat flour and gluten free flour, these tangy and fluffy muffins are bursting with blueberries and guaranteed to make your morning that much better.

This recipe will make 9 bakery style muffins or 12 snack muffins. If you do bakery style you’ll get that nice crack at the top which is oh so satisfying.

Here’s how you can DO IT🏼

1 cup Gluten Free Flour blend 

1 cup oat flour (made by blending rolled oats)

1/2 cup raw cane sugar 

1/2 teaspoon salt

2.5 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup cashew milk or almond milk

juice and zest from one meyer lemon

1 egg

1/3 cup oil (I used a light olive oil)

6-8 oz. package of fresh blueberries 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place your nut milk in a bowl with the Meyer lemon juice and let sit for 10 minutes while you prepare the other ingredient. This will help to “curdle” the milk to act more like buttermilk in the recipe. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Add the remaining wet ingredient plus lemon zest to the bowl of nut milk and whisk. Add to dry ingredients and stir, careful not to over mix or the muffins won’t rise. Fold in the blueberries. Add to a greased muffin tin and bake for 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy! 

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Hey there! You have arrived at this blog post because you are currently in the cycle of binge and restriction. Or maybe you landed here to discover if you are engaging in bingeing. To help answer this question, my blog post on the difference between binges and emotional eating will help.

Regardless, you are looking for answers. You are looking for healing. And you are looking to stop the cycle of bingeing that you likely feel shameful for, but can’t seem to end.

Let’s start with the first step in your journey to end restriction.

Repeat after me:

“I AM NOT A BINGER. I AM A RESTRICTER.”

Say it out loud. Yes, in this moment say it out loud so that you can hear these words.

This is an important distinction and step to start the healing process.

A great place to start with the binge/restrict cycle is to become aware of WHERE there is restriction. Heal the restriction and not the binges.

By identifying that you are a restricter before you are a binger. Because what you want to heal isn’t the binge behavior. It is the restriction.

Ask yourself:
Where am I restricting with food and in my life?

Where is there physical restriction?
-Not eating enough
-Only eating certain kinds of foods
-Only eating at certain times

Where is there mental restriction?
-guilt around food
-considering your next diet
-food rules

I suggest taking out a journal to write down where restriction exists physically and mentally. By identifying where restriction is present, you can then take action to shift from the scarcity mindset into the abundance mindset.

Then write down one way that you can end restriction this week. Possibly eating breakfast vs. intermittent fasting. Or identifying a food rule you would like to break. Or eating brownies instead of ignoring your craving. Write it down and commit to making the change.

This will be your first step to ending restriction in your life which will end the bingeing. It takes awareness, hard work and leaning into the terrifying feeling of not dieting and restricting.

The reason we binge is because we restrict. End the restriction and the rest will fall into place

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During quarantine this spring, most of us began to bake to pass the time and soothe our anxiety over an uncertain future. Banana bread became the most popular item to bake, and rightfully so with its fluffy texture and sweet taste. Then when fall and the holiday season came around, baking shifted towards everything pumpkin and gingerbread.

Thankfully I am still having a craving for banana bread, and I hope you are too. Because I feel there is still a very special place for this classic loaf. It’s been a stressful year, and therefore any banana bread baked in 2020 deserves chocolate chips. And a lot of them.  

I am so happy I discovered Open Nature® products that are available exclusively in my area at Albertsons and Safeway, especially their Almond Flour. I typically bake with Almond Flour on special occasion because of the price, however I found it for an affordable price.

Upon grabbing a bag of Almond Flour I also picked up Open Nature Cashew Butter and O Organics Unsweetened Coconut Milk to make an epic paleo banana bread loaf. You are definitely going to want to add this to the top of your winter baking list.

 Here’s how you can make this amazing loaf of chocolate chip banana bread. It is so easy you can blend the ingredients in a blender to make this recipe. I know you will enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients:
2 large very ripe bananas (lots of brown spots!)
2 cups Open Nature Almond Flour
2 tbsp. O Organics Unsweetened Coconut Milk
2 medium eggs
1/3 cup Open Nature Creamy Cashew Butter
1/3 cup maple syrup or coconut sugar
1.5 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1.5 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips (stevia or coconut sugar sweetened for paleo)

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your loaf pan or line with parchment paper.  Mash your bananas using a fork in a bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, into a blend and blend until smooth. Add to bowl and fold in your mashed bananas. You can also blend with the bananas, but I personally like the specks of bananas in the bread.

If you are eating more plant-based or gluten-free for health reasons, your local Safeway and Albertsons stores have thousands of products to choose from. I especially love O Organics because they are USDA certified I ca find all my favorites at affordable prices and Open Nature makes products with simple ingredients and great quality. In the San Francisco area Open Nature products are available exclusively at Albertsons and Safeway.

Try any of these clean, free-from Open Nature products and USDA certified organic O Organics products exclusively at stores and online.

• VISIT www.albertsons.com/exclusivebrands

• VISIT www.safeway.com/exclusivebrands

This is a sponsored blog post in which I received payment for my opinion on all products.

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Guest Post written by Hande Mirel of Let’s Start Pilates

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I used to think a “real workout” meant spending hours at the gym and dripping in sweat until you’re out of breath. I'd tear myself apart with long, intense workouts to see results. I would DREAD working out.

My name is Hande. I am a certified Pilates teacher and the creator of Letsstartpilates.com, based in the beautiful San Francisco. I'm far from a perfectionist, but I spent years thinking that I had to follow a plan perfectly, do exercises perfectly, never skip a workout, never have an "off" meal, etc...in order to be fit and healthy.

As a result, I found myself grinding away at the gym, gasping for breath as I forced myself to perform high-intensity workouts. I’d spend hours scrolling through “fitspiration” accounts on Instagram, drinking in images of women with perfect physiques and gorgeous bodies. The addiction only served to fuel my own self-limiting beliefs. It was unhealthy. Self-sabotaging. And it certainly weighed on my mental health.

So, what changed? I discovered a way of moving my body that works for ME through the power of Pilates and how impactful intuitive movement could be. 

What is Intuitive Movement?  Moving in a way that feels good to you. Tuning in and listening to exactly what your body and mind are craving and whatever movement would honor you in that moment.

What is Pilates? Pilates is a form of exercise designed for enhancing strength, flexibility, and body awareness. Pilates offers plenty of benefits to your body like a stronger core, better posture, improved spinal health, stability, and overall better well being through the use of precise, low impact movements with breath control.

After integrating intuitive movement into my Pilates practice, for the first time in my life, exercise felt like I was giving my body and mind the self-love (not self-punishment) they deserve. My focus shifted from losing weight and looking “skinny” to feeling GREAT inside. It was no longer about having a “bikini body,” six-pack abs, or counting every single calorie. Instead, it was all about my mood and a holistic approach to my overall health. 

Flipping this mental switch taught me to be kind to my body and work with it, not against it. And looking better on the outside became a natural result of these efforts. I call this exercise freedom. Here is how you can practice intuitive movement and achieve exercise freedom.

3 WAYS TO HAVE EXERCISE FREEDOM AND PRACTICE INTUITIVE MOVEMENT 

1. Do a Self Check-in before working out

Have you ever taken a moment to pause and reflect on how you are feeling that day and what your body is craving before a workout? We like to treat movement like it’s another thing on our endless to-do lists. Like it’s something you dread but “should” do? Like there’s no in-between? No healthy balance? Why are we forcing ourselves to wake up at 5am in the morning to do a HIIT class when our body needs rest or a more gentle movement? 

For this tip, I want you to do a self check in before and after your workouts. Ask yourself these questions: “What does my body need today?”, “What type of movement do I feel like doing?”, or “What type of exercise would be most beneficial to my body today?” Some days this may mean you do an intense spin class, while other days it may mean restorative pilates or a short walk. Intuitive movement is flexible, not rigid, and gives you the space to explore what feels good in your body.

2. Shift Your Reason for Movement

Who the heck feels good and positive about their body 100% of the time? I mean, let’s be real here. Some days you feel good about your body, some days you don’t  – but every day you can respect your body. This is why I think we should unlink exercise from weight and dieting and focus on taking care of your body, mind, and health.  

For this tip, practice shifting your motive for movement. When that “should” voice pops up (“I should exercise more to lose weight…”) take a moment to pause and ask yourself why? Do this with kind curiosity. When our motivation for movement is extrinsically motivated, ie as a way to look a certain way, we’ll forever be stuck in the on-again-off-again loop with exercise. There are so many “better” reasons to move your body. Do it because it brings you joy, gives you energy and strength, improves your mood, grounds and comforts you, or something else you might need in this moment.  Simple, but not easy!

I decided to take this unique and transformative approach to Pilates after witnessing how impactful it was in helping others have a better relationship with their body and exercising. By adopting this mindset, you’ll never feel like you’ve “failed.” 

3. Be Aware of Your Triggers 

Triggers can appear in a medley of different ways. Maybe you have a body-shaming friend or aunt. Or, maybe an influencer on social media feels compelled to share her “fat burning” workout routine. Whatever the case may be, be aware of what triggers you. Yes, I realize it’ll be tough. But, it can also be life-changing. Protect yourself by increasing your awareness and creating an environment that’s empowering rather than cynical.

There are going to be times in life where you feel down in the dumps. And that’s okay – no one is perfect. When you feel like you’re sliding towards a dark place, talk yourself into a safer, kinder mindset. It may sound silly, but you’d be pleasantly surprised how something as small as telling yourself, “ Diet culture is capitalizing on my insecurities. The perfect body? Doesn’t exist. I will not let the fitness (or food) industry dictate my life. I choose to trust my body here, not them.” Not only are you speaking the truth, but you’re prioritizing self-love, which is crucial for your well-being. 

Embracing this new mindset will help you to stay consistent for the long haul. It will help you to break old habits that used to hold you back so that you can become the healthy, happy, and strong woman you want to be. When we stop criticizing, judging, and disrespecting our bodies, we can finally start to transform.

Want to experience the transformative power of Pilates in a safe and empowering community? Start Your 7-Day Free Trial of The Pilates Club Now!

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Visit Hande’s Online Pilates Programs: https://www.letsstartpilates.com/ 

Connect with Hande on IG: www.instagram.com/letsstartpilates

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The temperatures are officially starting to drop and it’s time for everything pumpkin spice. I know, I know… pumpkin spice may be a little overplayed this fall and winter according to some, but just wait until you try this bowl for yourself! I promise you will be boarding the pumpkin train and embracing the seasonal goodness when you have this.

This bowl of oats is nourishing, grounding and absolutely delicious! It is also so easy to make with just a few simple ingredients that you have on hand in your pantry.

Here is how you can make this for yourself, and enjoy a warm breakfast and celebrate the new season and changing leaves!

Ingredients:

1 cup water
½ cup rolled oats
2 tbsp. nut milk (cashew or almond works best)
3 tbsp. pumpkin purée
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt

Method:

Bring one cup of water to boil // add 1/2 cup oats // cool until the oats absorb the water // add your cashew or almond milk and stir // add 3 tablespoons of pumpkin purée + a pinch of sea salt + 1 tsp. cinnamon + 1/4 tsp. ground ginger + 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg* // spoon into a bowl and top with maple syrup and pumpkin seeds.

*if you have a pumpkin spice blend on hand, you can use 1.5 tsp. of this instead of the cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg combo.

Now sit in your favorite chair or couch, put those cozy socks on and dive under a warm blanket. Things are about to get cozy! Enjoy!

For more warming breakfast recipes, download my free breakfast recipe ebook!

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If there is one thing I have been cooking more of during this uncertain time it has been comfort food. More specifically, my childhood favorites. There is something about the nostalgia of a childhood favorite that is so comforting.

When my family took road trips when we were younger, we used to stop at Burger King and I would always get the chicken tenders. They were my absolute favorite. Now that I am older, I wanted to recreate them.

Enter this delicious and healthy version of my childhood favorite. I am so happy I discovered Open Nature® products that are available exclusively in my area at Albertsons and Safeway, especially Almond Flour which is used for the crispy coating on O Organics® Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts. They are so easy to make and I love to eat them with a crunchy side of carrots or celery, O Organics Kettle Cooked Potato Chips and ranch or buffalo dipping sauce.

Here’s how you can make these paleo chicken tenders come together. I know you will enjoy it as much as I did!

Ingredients:

1 pound O Organics Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 egg
1 cup Open Nature Almond Flour
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. dried parsley
½ tsp. each salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a small bowl whisk together the egg with 2 tablespoons of water to make the egg wash. In a separate bowl, mix the almond flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, parsley, salt and pepper together.

Cut the chicken into tenders. Place a chicken tender in the egg wash and shake off the excess. Immediately place the chicken tender in the almond flour mixture and coat liberally. Shake off, then place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat for remaining chicken tenders.

Bake at 400 degrees for 16 minutes flipping half way through. After 16 minutes, turn the broiler on high. Broil 4-5 minutes to make the chicken extra crispy. 

While the chicken bakes prepare your veggies for the side, grab a handful of chips and pour your sauce of choice!  

If you are eating more plant-based or gluten-free for health reasons, your local Safeway and Albertsons stores have thousands of products to choose from. I especially love O Organics because they are USDA certified I can find all my favorites at affordable prices and Open Nature makes products with simple ingredients and great quality. In the San Francisco area Open Nature products are available exclusively at Albertson’s and Safeway.

 Try any of these clean, free-from Open Nature products and USDA certified organic O Organics products exclusively at stores and online.

• VISIT www.albertsons.com/exclusivebrands

• VISIT www.safeway.com/exclusivebrands

This is a sponsored blog post in which I received payment for my opinion on all products.

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I am originally from California so I like eating my tacos with melted cheese. It’s definitely a thing, versus eating traditional street tacos that are just the meat, onions and cilantro. And when you don’t feel like eating meat, cheese is a great substitute with your beans of choice for extra protein.

I actually had a debate the other night on what the difference between tacos and quesadillas are. Like if there is melted cheese is it automatically a quesadilla? If you add beans is it automatically a taco? Does how you hold it or prepare it matter? Apparently so! And if you want to go down a Google rabbit hole like I did on the subject, feel free to do so.

Otherwise, I highly recommend you make THE BEST vegetarian tacos you will ever have.

(Serves 1) Depending on Hunger Level

Check out my Fear to Freedom Online Course to learn more about how to listen to your hunger cues in Module 2.

Ingredients:
2-3 tortillas of choice (I used a wheat and corn combo)
1/2 cup pinto or black beans
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar or jack cheese
2 large handfuls shredded cabbage
1/2 ripe avocado
2-3 tbsp. of green salsa

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Shred your cheese using a box grater (I prefer how freshly shredded cheese melts vs. pre-shredded). Open, drain and rinse your can of beans. Split beans and cheese evenly between your tortillas. Pop into the oven on a cookie sheet. While your cheese melts, thinly slice your cabbage and chop up your avocado. Remove tortillas with beans and cheese after 7 minutes, or as soon as the cheese melts. Assemble your tacos and top with your salsa. Dig in and ENJOY!