In Poor Health and In Poor Taste

As a devoted viewer of the Food Network, I perked up last week when I heard the news that Paula Deen was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  While I do not and would not cook many of the dishes I see on the Food Network, I do enjoy watching the cooking shows for ideas, inspiration, and ingredients that I could use to make my own healthful meals and dishes.  I have enjoyed Paula Deen’s shows over the years, admittedly mostly as entertainment.  If you don’t know of Paula Deen, she is most well known for her overuse of butter and does not shy away from sugar or fat.  She is a southern cook who goes the extra mile in ruining the reputation of southern cooking, and appears to enjoy doing it.  She has become famous for her butter-loving ways and has earned a fortune from her shows, cookbooks, restaurants, and appearances. 

When I heard the news of her type 2 diabetes diagnosis, I was not at all surprised.  This is a woman who is a self-confessed “fat girl” who admits to not exercising and had a bust of herself made of butter.  But I must say that the way she handled the public announcement was a huge disappointment to me.  She same out on the Today Show and made successive appearances on numerous talk shows throughout the week last week.  As it turns out, she was diagnosed three years ago and kept it a secret.  She made the announcement last week which just happens to coincide with her new endorsement deal with Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company that makes an injectable diabetes medication that she began promoting.  She and her sons Jamie and Bobby (neither have diabetes) are all now paid spokespersons.  This week of announcements and appearances also coincides with the launch of her sons’ new television shows.

As I watched Paula and her sons’ appearances last week, she said that she does not blame herself for her type 2 diabetes.  She does not plan to change her lifestyle or cooking style, other than limiting her sweet tea.  She said that she, like all other baby boomers, must face the reality of developing diabetes, heart disease, and high cholesterol.  Since when did these health conditions become inevitable for baby boomers?  I have personally helped baby boomers, as well as younger and older generations, eliminate their medications for all three of those health conditions simply through healthy eating and exercising.  The fact that she is capitalizing on fattening and sugary recipes and now simultaneously capitalizing on a drug that combats a disease caused by them is simply distasteful.  To me, it is similar to making money on tanning beds as well as skin cancer treatments, or cigarettes and nicotine gum.  Moreover, she is advocating a medication as the way to alleviate type 2 diabetes symptoms.  However, the American Diabetes Association states that the main treatment for type 2 diabetes is exercise and diet.  Many people can control their type 2 diabetes without medication. 

I also heard Paula say several times that a diabetes diagnosis is not a death sentence.  While it may not be a direct sentence, adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about 2-4 times higher than adults without diabetes.  And the risk for stroke is 2-4 times higher among people with diabetes. 

The important thing to remember is that Paula Deen is a celebrity – a public figure that should be enjoyed for entertainment and not consulted for nutrition.  We are in control of our own cooking & eating and we decide how much to exercise.  Paula Deen may be in poor health and in poor taste, but that is not your fate!  Take control of your health – I will help you find your good health and do it in good taste!  I’ve got delicious recipes as well as personal catering that will do your taste buds and your body good!  Go to http://www.coachdconsulting.com/Services.html to see all the ways I can help you and those you love.  Obesity is 100% preventable – let’s tastefully eliminate it! 

New Year, Better You

As we head into the New Year, I keep hearing the phrase “New Year, New You.”  I’ve seen it on TV news shows, run across it online, and read it in every magazine.  It is a great concept – start a new year and create a new you in the process.  However, unless you’re Madonna or Sylvester Stallone, most of us can’t successfully reinvent ourselves each year.  Typically, we are who we are, and it will take more than a simple statement for us to change our lives.  Some of the top resolutions each year are life changing – lose weight, get in shape and/or eat healthy.  But, only about 50% of people keep their New Year’s resolutions for three months, and even less keep them for six months.  So many times we don’t stick to our resolutions, especially when it comes to weight loss or exercise because we either put unrealistic limits or expectations on ourselves.  Besides, who can honestly follow through if they resolve to quit sugar or workout every day of the week?   This year, instead of making a New Year’s resolution that sets you up for failure, make one that will ensure you succeed. 

Take small steps each week or month towards doing something that will make you feel better.  This approach takes away limitations and restrictions and focuses on adding exercise, healthy eating, and yes, even rest!  For example, instead of telling yourself that you can’t have dessert, just add at least one vegetable serving each day.  Rather than resolving to lose 20 pounds, make a promise to yourself that you will increase your workouts each month.  And if you are already lifting weights, add a few minutes of cardio to your routine.  Or, if you are doing cardio, add a couple of weight lifting exercises to your routine.  Also, try to get an extra 10-15 minutes of sleep each night for a week.  Just don’t overload yourself – that’s when we feel overwhelmed and are more likely to give up.  Concentrate on what you can do, not what you can’t do; and focus on what you can have rather than what you can’t have. 

And don’t think January 1^st is the only day you can make a change.  You can decide while it’s still 2011, or February 2012, that you will make an improvement and strive for a better you.  And don’t think of slip-ups as reasons to give-up.  Just because you miss a day at the gym or you eat more than one brownie, pledge to make a better choice tomorrow.  You don’t have to become a new person in the New Year to be successful, you can simply become a better you.  You will live better, look better, and feel better. 

It’s a New Year!  You don’t have to reinvent a new you – just uncover a better you!  I will help you find the better you in 2012.  I promise to help you find ways to live better, look better, and feel better.   I will make sure you haven’t given up before Valentine’s Day rolls around!  You’ll continue to see a better you all year long, and I guarantee the better you will be ringing in 2013!  Go to http://www.coachdconsulting.com/Services.html to see all the ways I can help you and those you love.  Obesity is 100% preventable and it’s time for us to all find our better selves! 

It’s Thanksgiving – Be Full of Thanks Not Food & Frenzy

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s the time of year when we all seem to be filled with stress, to-do lists, anxiety, the turkey dinner, and other holiday foods.  Thanksgiving is the beginning of a two-month period where most of us put the festivities ahead of our health.  The holidays can be a very hard time to stay healthy and maintain your weight, much less lose weight.  Several studies have shown that the average American gains anywhere from three to 12 pounds during the period from Thanksgiving to New Years.  So, I encourage everyone to kick-off this season by being full of thanks this Thanksgiving and taking the focus off of the food and frenzy.  Here is my plan to tackle Turkey Day and get a healthful head start to the holidays:

·         Eat Breakfast – On Thanksgiving morning, wake up and eat a healthy and hearty breakfast.  Go for a mix of protein and carbs like peanut butter on toast with an apple or pear; an egg with a slice of cheese on a whole wheat English muffin with a bowl of raspberries or blueberries; or a bowl of oatmeal made with skim milk and a banana.

·         Water – drink lots of water throughout the day.  About 30 minutes before you are scheduled to eat, drink a glass of water.  Avoid sodas, teas, and any pre-made drinks.  These are loaded with sugar.  If you drink any alcohol, stick to wine.  If you have more than a few alcoholic drinks, alternate a glass of water between each drink. 

·         Appetizers/Snacks – Avoid the urge to eat mindlessly.  If trays of food are put in front of you, don’t grab for things just because they are there.  Avoid creamy dips with buttery crackers.  Stick with veggie platters or baked tortillas or pita chips with salsa or hummus.  A handful of nuts are better than greasy chips or crackers.  Also, wait as long as possible before you give into the first bite of the appetizer.  Once you start, it’s hard to stop.  So, chew a piece of gum or pop a mint to keep your mouth fresh. 

·         Turkey – Turkey is a better choice than ham.  Dark meat turkey does have more fat than white meat, but it also contains more iron and zinc than white meat.  Plus, it has more flavor and doesn’t dry out as easily, so you may need to pour on less gravy.  Or, better yet, pick cranberry sauce which is a healthier condiment than gravy.  Whether you pick white or dark, you should always remove the skin because that is where the truly unhealthy fats are found.  

·        Sides – Make your plate as colorful as possible.  Try to limit mashed potatoes and gravy and go for sweet potatoes.  For my meal, I add a bit of real maple syrup to mashed potatoes and I replace marshmallows with a walnut topping.  Green vegetables can be good, although at this time of year, they can be loaded with cream and fat in a casserole.  Instead of creamy green beans topped with fried onions, I toss my green beans with olive oil and sliced almonds.  Avoid creamy-looking casseroles and dishes with “crumble” toppings.  These are typically just greasy crackers with added butter. 

·         Bread – Avoid adding rolls or muffins to your plate.  You will get plenty of starch from everything else on the menu like potatoes and stuffing.  If you must have bread, go for just one piece and don’t add butter. 

·         Dessert – Stick to pumpkin or sweet potato pies.  Both of these are healthier than pecan or apple.  Avoid any pies with a double crust.   Crust is very fattening because the main ingredient is shortening, butter, or lard.  If you must have two slices of pie, eat only the filling, don’t eat the end crust.  You’ll save calories and still get the best part.  Also, try to avoid adding whipped cream or ice cream and just enjoy the taste of the dessert.  Eat it slowly and enjoy it. 

·         Stick to your Faves – Don’t put something on your plate if you aren’t that excited about eating it.  Save the calories for something you’ll enjoy.  Furthermore, if you put something on your plate thinking you will like it but don’t, you do NOT have to eat it just because it’s on your plate.  Even if old Aunt Mable thinks you should eat more, just smile and tell the old lady how wonderful everything was. 

·        Seconds – Don’t immediately go back for seconds.  It takes 20 minutes for our brains to register that our stomachs are full.  So, if you hoover through two plates of food, you will likely have overeaten which will lead to feeling severely uncomfortable for the rest of the day.   

·         Get Moving – While watching the traditional Thanksgiving Day football game, don’t sit for any period longer than an hour.  Get up during a commercial break and walk around.  After you eat, take a walk around the block, or take your kids out for a game of football or tag.  Or, impress your family and take out the trash, walk the dog, help clean up the dishes, or start putting up Christmas lights and decorations! 

If you want more tips, ideas, or recipes for the holidays, contact me today.  I will help you and your family fill up on thanks rather than the food and frenzy of the season.  Go to http://www.coachdconsulting.com/Services.html to see all the ways I can help you and those you love.  Let’s be thankful that obesity is 100% preventable and make a change today! 

A Coach for Life

I discovered my love of softball very early

The definition of a coach is one who instructs or trains, and it is usually sport-specific.  I have had many coaches in my life who instructed me within a specific sport.  However, several of those coaches taught me skills that go far beyond the field or the court.  They didn’t simply coach me for a season – I consider them coaches for life.  They taught me how to play on the field and how live off the field. 

Since becoming a full-time health and weight loss coach nearly 18 months ago, I have reflected upon the lessons my coaches gave me and the motivation they used to push me to my potential.  They had high expectations of me only because they knew what I was capable of.  I also now have high expectations of my clients because I see what they can do and I want them to realize their potential.  As a coach, I get so much joy from watching my clients succeed. 

This joy is why I am so proud and excited that my role as a coach has taken on a whole new meaning.  As of this week, I am the new head coach of my alma mater’s varsity softball team.  I am a 1998 graduate of Battle Ground Academy (BGA) and played five years of varsity softball.  I was blessed to have been coached and mentored by Coach Pat Stoffel.  My true love was softball and in addition to playing for BGA, I played year-round for various travel teams.  I recently discovered that BGA’s girls’ softball team was struggling, and actually did not even have a team for the 2011 season.  This was very disappointing for me as I feel such a loyalty to softball, especially BGA softball.  After nearly two years of correspondence with various BGA staff members, I had a recent meeting with the Athletic Director where I was asked to be the new head coach of their softball team.  After a few successive meetings, one with a few girls interested in playing on the softball team, I have gladly accepted my new role as the new head coach.

Coach Stoffel was a mentor on & off the field -
here she is talking to my catcher & me as we come off the field

When I think about the experiences in my life that have created who I am today, softball and my many coaches top the list.  Even as an adult, there is hardly a week that goes by that I don’t recall something one of my coaches taught me.  Coach Loring, Coach Overstreet, and Coach Gleason all nurtured me from a shy little girl into a competent young athlete.  Coach Belliford and Coach Eisenhauer pushed me from a timid teenager into a tough competitor.  My amazingly talented pitching coach Gary Martineau tapped into every ounce of talent I had and transformed me from a girl throwing a softball to a skilled pitcher – and even taught me which part of my mouth had the stickiest spit to help me throw a wicked rise ball.  Coach Stoffel developed me from a talented athlete to a champion on and off the field.  And of course I can’t leave out my dad and my step-dad.  They were my original coaches – they practiced with me, sweat with me, even bled with me and cried with me.  But they always encouraged me and cheered me on. 

I am so proud and happy to be able to share these types of experiences with my new players.  My coaches taught me beautiful lessons in accountability, perseverance, humility, personal growth, awareness of others, self-discipline, and self-esteem.  And most importantly, they taught me how to be a champion no matter what the scoreboard showed.  I feel I am a better person because of softball and the coaches who taught me lessons on and off the field.  I only hope I will be able to have the same impact on my new players for many years to come! 

Even as BGA’s softball coach, I still plan to coach my clients on health and weight loss.  So, make sure you go to http://www.coachdconsulting.com/Services.html to see all the ways I can help you and those on your “home team”.  Obesity is 100% preventable – if we play hard, give it all we’ve got, we will win the game!    

More Meds Due to More Laziness?

These days the amount of prescription drug use is at an all-time high.  Between 1999 and 2008, the number of Americans who take at least one prescription drug rose from 43.5% to 48.3%.  And nearly 11% of Americans take five or more prescription drugs.  The numbers continue to rise – it seems that no matter what ails you, the easiest solution is to pop a pill rather than tackle it head-on.  Among the most commonly prescribed drugs are central nervous system stimulants (ADD/ADHD meds) for youths age 12-19, antidepressants for people age 20-59, cholesterol lowering drugs for adults 60 & older, and diuretics & beta-blockers used most often to treat heart problems & high blood pressure in adults of all ages.

There are two primary concerns I have about this finding.  1) The average number of side effects for a prescription drug is 70, but for those listed above can range from 100-500 side effects.  2) Studies have been shown that lifestyle changes and healthier habits can do nearly as much or even more to combat the original condition. 

So, why on earth are we spending so much money and putting ourselves at risk of side effects (some are pretty darn unsavory and quite scary), when all we have to do is take better care of ourselves – lose weight, exercise, eat well?  Here’s some proof in black-and-white that with a little effort, we could reduce our dependency on the script pad. 

·         Many psychologists prescribe exercise to children & adults with ADHD.  Exercise almost immediately elevates dopamine and norepinephrine and keeps them up for a period of time so that it acts like Ritalin or Adderall.  It also helps to lower impulsivity and still the cravings for immediate gratification as it wakes up the function of the frontal cortex, which in turn allows for delay, better choices, and more time to evaluate consequences.

·         Brain researchers & ADHD experts say added protein (including beans, cheese, eggs, meat, and nuts) to improve concentration, limited simple carbohydrates (such as candy, sugar, products made from white flour, white rice, and starchy potatoes), more complex carbohydrates (such as vegetables & fruits), and more omega-3 fatty acids (such as tuna, salmon, walnuts, and olive oil) can alleviate symptoms of ADHD. 

·         Exercise stimulates the brain and releases endorphins – the feel-good chemicals that leave you feeling happier and more relaxed.  A 20-minute sweat session can be enough to perk up your mood for a whopping 12 hours, reports a University of Vermont study.  It may also be as effective as medication for treating depression.  And exercise can lead to changes in the brain that strengthen your resolve against stress. 

·         Research from Florida State University reports that pectin (found in apples, carrots, plums, citrus, cherries, & strawberries) reduces the body’s absorption of cholesterol.  In fact people who ate the pectin found in two fresh apples each day for a year saw a 23% drop in LDL (bad) cholesterol. 

·         Regular physical activity boosts HDL (good) cholesterol while decreasing triglycerides (fatty blood lipids).  

·         Findings in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health show that just 30 minutes of walking three or more times a week can lower your blood pressure by five points.

·         A recent study followed 32,000 subjects for 18 years and found that those who ate the most whole grains (about 46 grams per day) were 19% less likely to be diagnosed with hypertension than those who ate the least.

These are only a few of the hard facts about how exercise and nutrition can help us avoid spending our hard-earned cash on prescription drugs and also help us avoid serious, risky, and unpleasant side effects that come with them.  So, help your kids combat ADHD by getting up and running around the yard with them, then go in and cook them a wholesome meal.  Avoid heart disease and high cholesterol by getting up off your tookus and rake some leaves then help your family make a meal full of whole grains and produce.  You will truly enjoy all the extra time and money you’ll have without prescriptions...especially minus dry mouth, nausea, dizziness, and constipation!

If you’re trips to the pharmacy outnumber your trips to the gym or walks around the neighborhood, or if your pills outnumber your servings of produce, it’s time to combat the condition with some sweat equity.  I will help educate, encourage, and motivate you to reduce your dependency on meds, and increase your quality of life.  Go to

http://www.coachdconsulting.com/Services.html to see all the ways I can help you and those you love.  Obesity is 100% preventable – let’s combat the condition today! 

In This Economy, It’s Even More Essential to Trim the Fat

In the recent months, our economy has taken a pretty tough beating yet again.  The stock market has weathered the biggest drop since the collapse in 2008/2009.  Besides having a 401k, I am honestly a little uneducated when it comes to stocks, Dow, S&P, bull and bear.  However, I do know that our country is in an economic crisis.  Most every American, from those on welfare to those on Park Avenue, has felt a pinch in their wallet at some point over the past few years.  As a result, many Americans feel they must scale back on spending.  They are shopping at Wal-Mart rather than Pottery Barn, Kohl’s instead of Barney’s.  These cut backs are great, but an even more critical move is to cut back your numbers on the scale.  While many people might think they can’t afford to eat healthier, get more exercise, and lose weight – in this economy, it is even more vital.  Facts and statistics show that being at a healthy weight and taking better care of ourselves not only adds years to our life and life to our years, but adds dollars to our pockets.  Here’s proof that cutting the fat can save you big:

• George Washington University recently reported that the average annual cost of being obese for a man is $2,646.  If an obese man got to a healthy weight, he could save enough money for a new car within six years!  

• Obese employees earn $7,000 less annually than their fellow lean employees.  This may be due to the fact that obese employees cost employers millions of dollars each year in lost productivity, restricted activity, and more time spent on doctor’s visits.
• The annual medical spending on an obese person surpasses that of a normal-weight person by $1,429.  You could make a house payment with your savings each year if you got to a healthy weight. 
• The average cost of gastric bypass or gastric banding ranges from $17,000 to $35,000.  However, the total number of fat cells in your body remains constant once you reach adulthood.  Even after radical weight-loss procedures such as gastric bypass, fat cells return to their pre-surgery numbers within two years. 
• Being overweight reduces a woman's chances of getting pregnant.  The average cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF) is about $12,000.  The National Institutes of Health believes obesity is one of the reasons why the fastest-growing group experiencing infertility is that of women under 25.  
• People who regularly eat dinner or breakfast in restaurants double their risk of becoming obese.  You may think cooking healthy food at home is expensive, but I can make a healthy fresh meal for eight for less than $20 – it’s hard to find a restaurant that allows to people to eat for under $20. 
• A Men’s Health survey recently found 62% of respondents would consider it grounds for divorce if their wife gained 100 pounds.  The average cost of a divorce in the US is $15,000 – incentive enough for both sexes to keep their weight in a healthy range.
• People who lose just 10% of their weight report significant improvement in their sex lives.  With Viagra costing approximately $15 per pill, the annual cost of treating erectile dysfunction (which can be caused by obesity) could be a real downer!

While I couldn’t tell you if now is the time to buy or sell your stock or precious metal, I do know now is the time to drop your extra weight.  There may be many luxuries we can’t afford these days, but one thing we can always afford in any market is our health.  If your weight numbers are trending up, I will help you bring them down.  I will help you drop pounds, save money, and reclaim your life.  I promise that the pounds you lose will be worth their weight in gold! 

In this economy, we all need to trim the fat.  Go to http://www.coachdconsulting.com/Services.html to see all the ways I can help you and those you love.  Obesity is 100% preventable – and something we can no longer afford! 

It’s One Thing to Get Up, It’s Another to Get Out

I was driving across town yesterday and couldn’t help but notice all of the advertisements at churches about “Divorce Care”.  Living in the Bible Belt, it’s hard to go too far in any direction without passing several churches.  But for some reason yesterday I was surprised by how much support there was for people affected by divorce.  As someone who has been through a difficult divorce, I understand the need for support and help finding your way in the aftermath.  In the last few weeks I have also been watching the new season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.  In a very odd way, I have found that the more I understand people’s tendencies to engage in things that are not good for them only aids me in helping my clients.  So, while this rehab show is quite entertaining, I also learn a lot about human behavior.  While I have never been addicted to drugs or alcohol, I have witnessed in my own home how addiction can ruin a person, a life, and an entire family.  Just as with divorce, overcoming addiction requires a huge amount of support and love to conquer the demon within. 



Me moments before my wedding
It can take far too long
to find the strength to get out



While many people would not be willing to compare divorce or substance abuse to being overweight or obese, in many ways they are much the same.  In all three situations, it takes courage to admit there is a problem, willpower to fight the problem, and immense strength, love, and support to destroy it for good.  When I was going through my divorce I remember my pastor saying, “It’s one thing to get up, it’s a whole other thing to get out.”  It rang so true for me because I knew for far too long that my marriage was toxic, but it took incredible conviction to actually get out of it.  While I had not heard those words at the time, it was the same way when I was overweight.  For years I felt self-conscious, lethargic, unhealthy, and simply unhappy with myself.  But it took true dedication to get healthy before I actually did it. 



Me at 15 years old
With courage & support, 
I got out & you can too



Now, I completely understand that substance abuse can be dangerous and even deadly – I have witnessed this firsthand.  And I am awfully aware that divorce can destroy a person and a family – I am not only a divorced woman, but the child of divorce.  I know how destructive these circumstances can be.  But, I also know that approximately 10-15% of Americans suffer from addition to drugs & alcohol, approximately 40-50% of marriages end in divorce, but nearly 70% of Americans are overweight or obese.  So, while obesity may not be such an obvious devastator, it is much more widespread.  When you have mothers dying from heart disease, fathers dying from diabetes, children living shorter lives due to illnesses causes by junk food and their sedentary lifestyle, obesity is just as dangerous and deadly.  And it is currently affecting most every American in some way.  What’s worse is that obesity is preventable. 

If you are feeling lethargic and unhappy due to your weight or if your weight is out of control, or someone you love has health problems due to obesity, don’t just get up, GET OUT.  It is a toxic and destructive place to be and it is time to make a change.  I will help you – together we’ll find the courage, willpower, and strength to get out for good.   I will help educate, encourage, and motivate you to find your way out and get your life back.  Go to http://www.coachdconsulting.com/Services.html to see all the ways I can help you and those you love.  Obesity is 100% preventable – let’s conquer the demon and get out today!