Healthy Living

Welcome to another episode of Thriving Thursdays with Amelia! Today I'm talking about one of the topics I'm most passionate about: mindset. To watch the video version, scroll down to the end of this post!

As a high performance coach, I work with driven professionals to optimize their health and happiness so that they can discover their full potential in their career and life. My six month program isn't about a temporary fix, it's about creating a lifestyle that fills you with energy, focus, …

Did you get enough sleep last night? If you're like the majority of adults, getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night seems more like a fantastical luxury versus a necessity. But while many of us may tell ourselves that we still function pretty darn well without optimal sleep, the truth is we're not.

Sleep allows your brain to do important house keeping: clearing out toxins, supporting learning and memory, and re-energizing your mind and body for the next day. Really, wouldn'…

Are you feeling frustrated that you didn't take advantage of the last couple of months to finally start a fitness routine? Has spending more time at home resulted in constantly snacking in the kitchen? Are your sugar cravings getting out of control? If you started the year feeling invigorated with a list of ambitious goals that have now taken a back seat you're not alone.

Goals bring a fresh start and focus. But then life happens, right? There are too many everyday tasks and distractions an…

I originally started writing this post at the start of the New Year (how long ago does that feel?!). As a type-A, goal-oriented wellness enthusiasts (and health coach) New Year's Resolutions give me all sorts of warm and fuzzy feelings. This year I was excited about the prospect of a fresh start not only in the new year, but a new DECADE.

Fast forward 5 months: not gonna lie, I didn't see this coming. And by "this" I mean the current state of our word. But with dramatic changes …

Elimination diets can seem incredibly daunting. Here are six tips on how to set yourself up for success and survive an elimination diet.

1. Focus on what you CAN eat.

As soon as you start to consider doing an elimination diet, it's natural to automatically start focusing on all of the things you won't be able to eat. I'm totally guilty of that. But you know what? That's not super useful.

I could list all of the foods that are staples in my everyday routine that I'm going to miss. And t…

Elimination diets can be hard. There's no sugar coating it (no pun intended). I know this because I've done them before and I'm about to embark on probably the most restrictive one yet.

Why am I doing an elimination diet when I don't believe in restrictive eating? There are several reasons, but first I'm going to get a little vulnerable and share some of my own health challenges in hopes of helping some of you.

Starting in college, I would get …

1. Do a fridge and pantry makeover to remove the most tempting things that leave you feeling guilty or unsatisfied.

You can do this gradually or go all Marie Kondo in one fell swoop, but removing the items that aren't leaving you feeling joy or satisfied AFTER eating are best eliminated from the kitchen.  If you're upset with yourself after mindlessly consuming a bag of chips or if those packaged cookies just added fuel to the fire-that-is-your-sweet-tooth are those items really worth keepin…

A New Approach to Healthy Eating

It has been about six months since my first blog post when I talked about focusing on how foods make you feel instead of following strict rules from the latest trendy diet. This week I wanted to take that notion a step further and focus on adding to each meal rather than taking away. I'm talking about stepping away from tracking every fat, carb, protein, and calorie, taking a deep breath, and focusing on the nutrients, peeps.

I am a member of several work…

Welcome to Week 4 of Mindful May! I'm sitting outside on my deck feeling pretty content at the moment. I woke up feeling refreshed at 6 am this morning and decided to take advantage of some time outside before the heat and humidity take over for the day. I spent a couple of hours finishing up the last area that needed to be weeded while listening to Bon Appetit's Foodcast. It was quiet and comfortable outside and actually an amazingly peaceful way to start my Sunday (I started writing thi…

Welcome to Week 3 of Mindful May! It's kind of hard to believe we're already half way through the month. Although this weekend is HOT in North Carolina, so that's making it feel like summer already. If you're following along, the focus of this week is a fun one: spending a little undivided quality time with your pet. If you don't have a pet, you can choose any activity that you enjoy doing but want to focus a little more on being present like gardening, cooking, or even eating dinner toget…