Denice Murray Health Coaching

I love working with clients. I love walking them through the process of their health concerns, what their goals are, and how those goals can be achieved. But there is inevitably a glitch in the process where clients get stuck. For me, as well, when I’m working on my own personal goals. They hit a point where they feel like they’ve stalled in their progress. Or they feel like they don’t know where to start. Or how to navigate through an issue. And when these obstacles happen, the secret ingredient that health coaches use to help clients through these barriers is to Name The Problem . In my own personal experience, I have a tendency to get overwhelmed when I’ve made a goal too big. I get sucked into the vastness of the “forest” and I struggle to recognize the individual “trees” around me. For example, let’s say you’ve set a goal to “ Eat Healthier” . That is a very broad goal, and it could cover hundreds (if not thousands) of options. But you’ve made some changes that work for yo...

I had a conversation with a friend the other day, and it got my brain stuck on this topic, so I thought I’d write it out today. I’ve always had kids who were into sports. From the time my sons were 4 years old (and they just graduated from college), until now with my daughter in her senior year of high school. A large majority of my friends also have kids in sports. Recently, our coaches have been talking to the players, as well as their parents, about nutrition. The players are running out of fuel for their bodies long before their events have ended. The result has been kids getting quite sick in one way or another during or immediately after their event. The majority of the issues are coming from a lack of proper nutrition and a lack of hydration. The coaches are taking it all VERY seriously, and have taken a lot of steps to help remedy this situation. The conversation with my friend brought up this point (which is the one that stuck with me), as we were discussing how much ...

This is the question I asked myself this week as I cried over going to a school event for my daughter. She’s a senior this year and I am already struggling with my “baby” about to fly the nest. But the truth is, I wasn’t crying for sentimental reasons. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but I was crying because I didn’t want to go . I felt obligated to go and support her because it’s her senior year and that’s what I’m supposed to do as her mother, but honestly, I’ve been feeling the burnout for WEEKS now. I didn’t want to go and socialize. I didn’t want to interact with people. And I LIKE people. We’re incredibly fortunate to live in a supportive and active community with people who are very nice and get along. Most of the time. (Let’s be real – everyone has their moments.) But 99% of the time our little town works together and supports one another and they are ESPECIALLY encouraging to the kids. So, there I was, crying and trying to hide it from my daughter and husband because...

I’m probably going to get some backlash from this, but my give a cares are pretty much gone at this point in my life. I check social media platforms pretty frequently to see what topics are trending in health and wellness. I feel like it’s not only important for me to keep up with my formal continuing education but to also see what people are thinking outside of a course or a classroom. To say we have problems in this country, and as a society, would be an understatement. We have huge SYSTEMIC issues around healthcare, wellness, disease management and prevention, weight loss, etc. The list is utterly exhausting. Every person has their own ideas and opinions on what health and wellness look like to them. It might mean the absence of disease (ex. heart disease) or no chronic health concerns (ex. high blood pressure). It might mean a certain number on the scale, the range of your biometric markers (blood pressure, cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels), or your ratio of body fat to ...

While we may not have all the time in the world with back-to-school creeping in, last minute vacations before summer is officially gone, and dealing with the ridiculous end of summer heat (at least where we’re located), as Busy Moms we still have daily opportunities to get Quick Wins for our health and wellness that don’t require an entire rearranging of our lives to get them. So, here’s my list of five Quick Wins you can implement TODAY with little to no extra effort or going out of your way to make them happen. Eat a Piece of Dark Chocolate Every Day . I know it’s not everyone’s favorite, and to be honest it can be an acquired taste. I didn’t like it years ago, either. But if you get 70% or higher, you’re giving yourself a mini-health boost with vitamins and minerals like copper, manganese, zinc, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, selenium, calcium, and almost all the B vitamins. From CHOCOLATE! And an added bonus, your kids probably aren’t going to want it because it’s not a...

I don’t know how many of you have ever been to Las Vegas, but there’s a saying that, “The House always wins,” when referring to gambling. As I was taking a walk last night, the thought that we’re “playing” in a rigged system kept popping in my head. We’re constantly surrounded by nutrient-poor food options (fast food and ultra-processed foods); we have chaotic schedules that make it hard to cook nutrient-dense meals or find time for physical activity; we live in spaces that make it more difficult to have movement as a natural part of our days (more driving, long commutes, less walking on average, etc.); and we have financial, environmental, cultural, or social constraints that make it harder to focus on our health, wellness, or weight loss. As Busy Moms, it seems like we’re always trying to play by The House rules, but they always have the edge. The casinos are DESIGNED to give The House the edge. And I kept asking myself, “How do we win against that? As a Busy Mom myself, and as...

(THIS IS ALSO CROSS-POSTED ON SUBSTACK ) I don’t know about y’all, but I cannot BELIEVE summer is more than halfway over. In fact, where we live, school will be starting again in less than a month! Most of the moms I know tend to fall into three categories: The ones who LOVE the Summer with their kids. The fun, the craftiness, all the “adventures” they have, and dread school starting again in the Fall; The ones who LOVE when school starts back up for the stability and the regular routine it provides; And the ones who are a mixture of both – they enjoy certain parts of the summer (not having to wake up so early, some of the activities and vacations, etc.), but they also look forward to getting back into a regular routine and not having to hear, “Mom! I’m BORED!” 500 times a day! This warp-speed passing of summer also means you might have let time get away from YOU , and haven’t been able to put as much energy or focus on your own health goals as you would’ve liked. So, I...

MY FOOD IS FOR NOURISHING MY BODY , and even though I’m ALLOWED to eat whatever I want, if I want my body to be well and function for me, I’ve got to give it what it needs. I’ve seen way too many posts about how “toxic” it is to chase being skinny, and trying to lose weight means you don’t love yourself enough as you are, or accept yourself for who you are. Fair enough. If that’s how you feel, I understand. I’m not suggesting anyone turn themselves inside out or upside down to chase a number on the scale or a certain size jeans. But I AM suggesting that if you want your body to function optimally, you have to nourish it with the foods it needs. Your body needs protein, it needs fats, it needs carbs (yes, really), it needs vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and water. The ratios in which your body needs these nutrients will vary, but you still need them. And I’ve been gaining a lot of clarity in the last few years as I’ve gotten older, learned more about health, nutrition, and ...

Well, that’s not entirely correct. You probably KNOW you’re in it, you’re just not sure what to do about it or how to get OUT of it. Let me explain. In this article I talked about five top health issues we face as busy moms: weight loss, stress management, sleep deprivation, dealing with mom guilt, and struggling with life balance. And the truth is, all of these health issues can be interconnected in ways we aren’t even aware of. You’re a busy mom. You’re going to have a hectic schedule. That can lead to sleep deprivation, which can lead to stress or weight gain (or both), which can lead to more sleep deprivation, which circles back to mom guilt for being tired and cranky and stressed out, and you’re trying to find a way to balance it all…. Sound familiar? In the article , I mentioned that an easy first step is to just Start Small . Have one glass of water. Take a 5-minute walk. Do 5 squats while you’re waiting for the microwave. Eat one piece of fruit. Just one little thing...

I’ve blogged about this before , but I feel like it needs another moment in the spotlight. If you’re a busy mom and you try something new or different – a new haircut, a different shade of lipstick, wanting a new career, or starting a health/weight loss journey – you may not have the support you THINK you will. It might be a co-worker, your spouse, your children, a sibling, or a friend who makes a comment. “Why did you order the salad? Are you trying to lose weight, or something?” “What did you do to your hair?” “I don’t like that color on you. You should change it back.” “What do you mean, you want to try photography? You already have a full-time job. How are you going to do both?” Most of the time, these comments aren’t meant to be hurtful. They’re coming from a place of confusion because not everyone understands you’re looking for something deeper, more meaningful, or you’re simply not happy with the status quo. Sometimes the people in our lives, especially those close...

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a HUGE fan of Meal PLANNING .  But there is a difference between Meal Planning and FOLLOWING a Meal Plan.  Also, full disclosure, I actually HAVE a sample meal plan that I created . And the entire time I was making the meal plan part, I felt awkward for all the reasons I’m writing about in this blog post. The first drawback (for me) with a Meal Plan is people thinking it must be followed TO THE LETTER . Like, there’s no wiggle room for personal preferences. If you don’t like broccoli, but the recipes in the plan call for a steamed broccoli side dish or adding broccoli to a casserole then you’re just stuck eating broccoli. Now, realistically, we all know that’s not true. Just switch out the broccoli for another veggie you like, and you’re done. But in reality, people who are following a meal plan want that plan to be tailored specifically to their tastes (and those of their family), and when they aren’t, when there are substitutions that need...

I usually write posts for ALL busy moms because I know no matter what phase of motherhood we’re going through, there is a universal acknowledgement that we are all working on our own health and wellness while also dealing with everyday life struggles. But today’s post is specifically about dealing with the difficulties of perimenopause while also trying to handle everyday life. I have never been this out of control with my emotions or my body in my life! I’ve gone over the list of symptoms, and I swear, it’s the weirdest collection of nonsense ever. EVERYTHING is a symptom! Fatigue, brain fog, muscle aches, joint pain, heart palpitations, night sweats, headaches, insomnia, mood swings ( SEVERE! ), inconsistent menstrual cycles, cramps, weight gain, water retention, itchy ears! Like, what?! No lie, I am in some kind of pain every single day. There is no such thing as a good night’s sleep anymore. My emotions are fluctuating all over the place and I’m bouncing from anxiety to ...