Browse published articles attributed to Lynn Smith, with full-archive search.
Do you have too much stress in your life? Do you realize that high levels of stress can lead to significant medical problems? In this article I will discuss some common causes of stress, the harmful effects of stress on your health and some simple steps you can put in place to immediately ...
Has life ever had you feeling overwhelmed? I don't think there's anyone who has never felt overwhelmed at some point in time. Women are especially prone to overwhelm. Why? Even though most women now work outside the hone, the sad fact is the majority of the household and childrearing responsibilities still rest on the shoulders of women. We may be bringing home a paycheck but we aren't getting much help at home. Feeling overwhelmed can happen for time to time. Special circumstances, like planning a wedding, can create some temporary feelings of overwhelm.
It is hard to ignore the fact that Americans are getting bigger. It has been a growing problem for the past few decades. Did you know two thirds of adults in the United States are overweight? Studies have shown that 80% of people diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes are overweight and 70% of people ...
Practically everyone these days is watching what they eat. Are you one of them? If you are, you probably try to make informed decisions about your food. Do you find it’s sometimes hard to know what a good choice is and what’s not? It’s easy to be confused. Look at all the ads on TV. Every ...
Would you like to feel less stressed? Would you like to have more energy? Would you like to live a long healthy life? When asked these questions most people say YES. Who wouldn't want to be more relaxed, have more energy and live a long healthy life? One secret to having all of this in your ...
Weight loss is, quite simply, about the numbers. How many calories in verses how many calories burned dictate your weight. There are two ways to shed extra pounds; either cut back on calorie consumption or move more to burn off more calories. Moving more doesn’t mean you need to train for a triathlon. There are plenty of opportunities to increase activity during the course of a day. And it may not be as hard as you think. If you could burn off just an extra 100 calories a day you could lose 10 or more pounds over the course of a year.
Diets don't work. Yet, even though we all know this, we keep trying them anyway; just in case there is that magic diet that will drop pounds effortlessly. However, you have probably been on dozens of diets, yet you are still struggling with your weight.
How often do you stop for a latte? Do you find yourself doing it more often that you used to? If you are, you’re not alone. Consumption of things like lattes, cappuccinos, energy drinks and sweetened teas have gained popularity. So much so, that liquid calories now account for 21% of our daily intake – that’s more than twice as much as 30 years ago and amounts to over 400 calories a day from beverages. To put that into perspective, it’s the equivalent of two slices of Domino’s sausage pizza.
Do you ever experience stress during you day? A dumb question, isn't it? Life is full of stressors: a traffic jam when you're already running late, a phone that won't stop ringing, a looming deadline for a project you're running behind on. How do you deal with your stress? Do you just let it build? Or do you proactively do something to better cope? By coping, I don't mean consoling yourself with a bag of potato chips or hitting happy hour after work.
You want the maximum benefits from your workouts, don't you? Of course, who wouldn't? What if there was a way you could burn more fat, build muscle mass faster and do it all in less time? Sounds as believable as a commercial for a fat-blasting pill, doesn't it? But, unlike those commercials, this has reputable research backing it up. What is it? It's interval training. What is interval training? It is short bursts of high-intensity exercise which is then followed by longer periods of lighter exercise. How can it benefit you? There are four advantages to interval workouts: 1.
How much time do you spend in the sun? Do you limit your exposure for rear of skin cancer? If you do, you may want to read on. Recent research has shown that spending some time soaking up the rays may provide some serious health benefits. You've probably heard of vitami D. It's in milk, along with calcium. But did you know there is an epidemic of vitami D deficiency in America? More than 40% of Americans have low blood levels of vitami D. According to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, there is a dramatic increase in vitami D deficiency in the U.S.
In part 2 of our series, we are starting with the N in our Mind acronym, which stands for Nemesis or inner critic. You have probably noticed that you have this non-stop voice in your head that is constantly rambling; often it is saying things that are not supportive of you.
How does your day start? Are you someone who hits the snooze button, staying in bed as long as possible? Or maybe your mornings are rushed and hectic, trying to get the kids out the door. In this crazy morning routine, are you taking time for breakfast? Many people don’t. They say they don’t ...
At the age of 42, I got remarried. At that time I was thin and energetic. I’ve never had a weight problem. But somewhere along the way, I woke up 34 pounds heavier! I could have asked, “How did this happen?”, but I’m not stupid. It was all those nights sitting on the couch watching TV and eating Doritos. The surprising part is how did I not notice? I still don’t have a clear answer to that. You’d think it would have been a gradual process and I would become aware that things were changing. I never noticed until I had gained four pant sizes!
Do you find you occasionally have days where you feel down? Most women would likely answer yes to that. Days like that happen to everyone. Remember that old song by The Carpenters, Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down? We don’t want to spend our lives feeling down or blue; first off, it doesn’t feel good. Secondly, it kills our productivity. How can you pull yourself through it as quickly as possible?
How often do you stop for a latte? Do you find yourself doing it more often that you used to? If you are, you’re not alone. Consumption of things like lattes, cappuccinos, energy drinks and sweetened teas have gained popularity. So much so, that liquid calories now account for 21% of our daily intake – that’s more than twice as much as 30 years ago and amounts to over 400 calories a day from beverages. To put that into perspective, it’s the equivalent of two slices of Domino’s sausage pizza.
Would you like to feel less stressed? Would you like to have more energy? Would you like to live a long healthy life? When asked these questions most people say YES. Who wouldn't want to be more relaxed, have more energy and live a long healthy life? One secret to having all of this in your ...
Do you want to be able to age gracefully? Strength training may be your answer. Strength training can keep you strong enough to participate in aerobic activities, outdoor recreation and sports. Being strong can keep you feeling youthful and vibrant, full of life, able to dance the night away! ...
It seems to me the concept of living in the present or the Now is a focus of much conversation. One example is, Eckhart Tolle, who was recently featured on Oprah with a ten week webinar of his book The New Earth which is all about the power of living in the Now. I attended a week long Yoga ...
Now that school is back in session, everyone is settling back into routines. Seems fitting that this would be a good time to examine your routine and see what habits are serving you and which ones could use some improvement. Let’s start by looking at your morning routine. Do you get up early ...
Do you find you’re stressed out a lot? Are you also gaining weight? There’s a definite connection between the two. The American Psychological Association did a survey of more than 1,800 people last year and 43% of the respondents reported to overeating or eating unhealthy foods in response to stress during the previous month. Women were more inclined to do it than men. There’s new research about stress and snacking the sheds light on the biology behind it and also shows how to combat the problem.
Health and wellness is a booming industry. We all want to feel better and have increased energy. Billions of dollars a year are spent to improve health. Just look at all the ads the pharmaceutical industry is running. But did you know there is a simple - and free - way to improve your overall ...
What do you think of when you think about losing weight? Does your mind immediately conjure up images of being on a diet: meager portions, calorie counting, not being able to have any of the foods that you love? If you are trying to lose weight in that way it can be discouraging, but did you know that there is another way? A way where you are not feeling deprived, where you are not looking at meager portions, or left counting calories? It is the magic of 100. That being 100 calories.
How we deal with stress in our everyday life is different for each person, but some groundbreaking research from UCLA is showing that there are some very distinct differences in the way men and women deal with stress. So much so, it’s bringing into question the whole fight or flight response. For nearly 50 years, stress research has been done almost exclusively on men. The assumption was that the fight or flight response was a human reaction to stress but now it’s becoming apparent that it is a male reaction.
If there was a way you could boost your weight loss efforts by 50%, would you? Your first thought might be. “What’s the catch?” In this case we are talking about the weight loss drug Alli. Alli says you can lose 50% more weight using their pills. Before you run out and buy yourself a package let us take a closer look at the Alli program. For starters, the Alli packet says that you should start exercising and eating a low-fat, low-calorie diet. The fact is, if you started exercising and eating a low-fat, low-calorie diet, you would lose weight. So why take the pills?
"The foundation of prosperous health depends on the basic ability of getting oxygen to the cells, and deep breathing is the simplest, most fundamental method of accomplishing that." Robert Fulford, DO Very few people regularly take deep breaths. Most of us are under a lot of stress and as a result take very shallow, fast breaths. An effective way to reduce stress and oxygenate is to take slow deep breaths throughout the day. Every cell in our body needs a constant supply of fresh oxygen to stay alive and work efficiently. Oxygen is the most vital nutrient for our body.
Have you ever had the experience of someone being genuinely surprised that you are as old as you are? What a boost to the ego! We all want to look young for our age. In fact, looking younger has turned into a booming industry. Plastic surgery. Botox. Rejuvenating face serums. Chemical peels. It ...
I recently came across this quote from Stephen Covey PhD "Anything less than a conscious commitment to the important is an unconscious commitment to the unimportant." I find this to be a very true statement. Either everything we do is done with a conscious commitment or we are going through ...
Do you wish you had more energy? One of the main conce s of my health coaching clients is their lack of energy. It can be difficult to accomplish goals when you are exhausted all the time. This article will explore some of the reasons you may be low on energy and how to fill up your energy ...
Sleep deprivation is a growing problem in the United States. More than 40% of the population is chronically sleep deprived. Prior to the invention of electricity people slept an average of 10 hours per night. Today people are trying to get by on as little as 4-6 hours per night. This chronic ...
Health coaching is a process in which the health coach and the client work together to set goals and create new health habits. With health coaching women there is a special factor that needs to be taken into account. Women are generally the caregivers. As a gender, we have a tendency to take ...
How is it some people can join a reputable program, such as Jenny Craig, but still not achieve their goals? Jenny Craig, among others, has an extensive support system, plenty of tools a person needs to reach their goals, yet not everyone walks away a winner. Why is that? Is it because not ...
You may be wondering, what does it mean to eat raw food? This diet consists of eating unprocessed, uncooked fresh raw fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Some people on a raw food diet will prepare food in a dehydrator, but the food is never exposed to temperatures above 116 degrees Fahrenheit. ...
“Have another cookie. Go ahead, they’re fat-free.” Have you ever succumbed to such logic? Modern science has brought us many blessings. The internet. Strides in medicine. But are fat-free variations of your favorite foods really a modern miracle? Can you really have your (fat-free) cake and eat ...
Every day we are bombarded by toxic chemicals. The air we breathe has toxic fumes, the tap water we drink has chlorine, fluoride, traces of prescription drugs and other chemicals, the food we eat has pesticides, artificial colors and flavors, chemical additives, preservatives. These are just a ...
Recently I was listening to a program by Anthony Robbins where he said something that really struck me "If you ask yourself a better question, you will come up with a better answer and therefore a better result." The process of thinking is nothing more than asking and answering questions. We ask ourselves questions all the time, however usually we are not even aware that we are asking questions. We have a habitual way of talking to ourselves which is for the most part out of our conscious awareness.
Face it, ladies, we have a natural predisposition to take care of others. Usually to the point that we put others before the care of ourselves. The problem with this is…if you don’t take care of you, who will? Then there are those elusive Somedays. “When the kids go off to college, I’ll have ...
Have you seen the television ads that recently started running about high fructose corn syrup? The Corn Refiners Association started running them a couple of months ago. This campaign is estimated to cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 to $30 million. Why is the Corn Refiners Association ...
Do you take the ability to breathe for granted? Do you ever think about breathing? Breathing is something that most people do not think much about unless they are having trouble breathing. Most people breathe very shallowly. Start to pay attention to your breathing and you will notice only ...
You’ve had enough! Your weight keeps creeping up and you’re feeling progressively more out of shape. You joined a health club but you stopped going. You’ve been on Weight Watchers off and on. You know you need to get serious about taking care of yourself before you get any older. You’ve heard ...
I am sure everyone reading this article knows on some level that physical activity is important. Knowing that you should be physically active and actually being physically active are two very different things. Why is it that we know we would feel and look better if we were more active, yet we ...
Ever had a day that left you feeling stressed out? Maybe traffic was at a standstill and it made you late for work. Once on the job, it seemed like everyone needed you for something, every phone call was for you, and that project with the deadline wasn’t any closer to being done. On the ride ...
The most common complaint we hear from our health coaching clients is lack of energy. Everyone seems to be burning the candle at both ends. Our lives are filled with activities from the moment we wake up until we fall into bed in the evening. We find ourselves running on the treadmill of life, not sure if we are really getting anywhere. Have you ever felt like this? Have you ever wished you had the energy to get you through the day? If you implement these 5 habits into your daily routine, you will start to notice a significant boost in your energy.
Recently I read a National Center for Health Statistics report on the CDC website that 66% of the U.S. population is overweight and of those 32% are obese. In 1980, 47% of the population was overweight and 15% of the population was obese. This is a staggering increase in a relatively short ...
Are you a fan of the Biggest Loser TV show? Many of our clients love that show. It is very inspirational to watch people working so hard to achieve their weight loss goals. Who would have thought anyone could lose 100 pounds in just 8 weeks thought diet and exercise alone. It shows what the ...
The restaurant was beautiful. The menu was multi-course, prix fixe French bistro fare. What an enjoyable evening of good friends and good food. But on the way to the parking lot it became apparent that not everyone was happy. Seems the guys took exception to the size of the portions. Has this ...
Do you feel like no matter what you do, you can’t lose weight? You have been on every diet, tried to exercise, eat healthier food, yet the scale doesn’t budge? You wonder why you even try anymore to lose weight or get in shape. Even though there are thousands of diet books, weight loss products and programs, exercise equipment and gyms, 66% of Americans are overweight and 33% of them are obese. How can this be? We have so much information and resources, yet we keep getting heavier. The reason is diets don’t work.
It is hard to imagine, but the holiday season is upon us. What visions do you create in your mind when you think of the holidays? Are you rushing from one holiday event to the next, frantically shopping for the perfect gifts, overeating on all the holiday treats, feeling exhausted from all the ...
Diet - not one of the most loved words in the dictionary. Yet so many people are on them, over and over again. What is it about dieting that incites such a negative reaction? Mostly because diet is synonymous with restriction. Nobody likes to fee restricted. When one is dieting life is all about ...
It's so easy to become a couch potato. Are you less active today than you used to be? Between the career and raising kids you're pulled in many directions during the course of a day. By the time dinner is in the table you're exhausted. Instead of taking care of yourself, are you in the habit of ...