Denice Murray Health Coaching

We all have them. We’re busy moms, holding life together by a thread. You’ve had a series of THINGS happen. And by the way, it’s a BIG misconception, that it just came out of nowhere. No, it didn’t. This meltdown has been building up over time, like lava beneath the earth’s surface. The “things” can be big or small, it really doesn’t matter. It’s just a bunch of issues over time that build and build. You may have had moments where you thought you had dealt with them. But in reality, you were probably just dealing with PIECES of the issue, and the rest was getting shoved aside to be handled another time. Only, you’re a BUSY MOM! “Another Time” rarely comes. You’re pushing ahead through the next thing and the next. I’m just going to use my example really quickly because I know EVERYONE’S situation is different. Perimenopause is causing a plethora of physical issues including night sweats, fatigue, sleep disruption, mood swings, weight gain, and others. Big Issue . Crazy sc...

 My sons graduated college on Saturday. I'm still trying to process how I feel about that. On the one hand, I'm incredibly proud of them! Their major is Statistics (both of them), and it was not an easy degree to complete.  On the other hand, my "little" boys are grown up and about to face the world as adults. Everyone jokes about how time flies and don't blink or you'll miss them growing up. I never really cared for those sayings, as during that time I was eyeball deep in activities, work, and stress. I needed them to mature, as I felt I was going insane from the pressure. Now that they are grown, I realize how truly blessed I am. For many parents, this day never comes. They would give anything to see their child graduate from college. I'm beyond fortunate to have that opportunity. And I'm sad, too. I knew I was MOSTLY guaranteed school breaks with them, or at least large chunks of those breaks. That is no longer true. Their jobs and lives will be hea...

Hard Truths About Changing Your Health and Your Life. Unfortunately, there’s an untold side to changing your nutrition and fitness, losing weight, or improving your health that not very many people talk about. That is the criticism that can and does come with these changes. Most people in your life will be happy for you . They will be excited that you are making healthy changes, and maybe even inspired to start a health journey of their own. But there are some who will not. Most of the random comments - whether from a nosy neighbor or “Sally” in the office who always has something mean to say about her co-workers - are going to bounce right off you. “That’s just how Sally is,” will be the fleeting thought before you move on with your day. However, there will be comments or remarks that are going to catch you off-guard, and those comments are going to come from people you didn’t expect – a family member, a close friend, even your spouse. Something is going to slip out; a snide o...

While it might seem like just a matter of “willpower” or “motivation” stopping you from reaching your health and wellness goals – or even getting started – there are actually SEVERAL more factors involved than you might think. The three biggest categories that could be affecting your healthy actions each week are: BIOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL; and SOCIOLOGICAL. So, let's break it down a little more. Biological – How Does YOUR Body Work? These factors vary GREATLY from person to person. Metabolism; Age; Immunity; Male or Female; Recovery; Genetics; Hormones; Pathogens; Exercise; Digestion. All of these biological factors have an impact on your health.  And did I mention they vary a LOT from person to person? Yeah. That's why your spouse can decide they want to lose weight, stop putting an extra sugar in their morning coffee and lose 10 pounds in a week, while you can eat veggies all day, every day and still only lose half a pound. Psychological – What’s Your Mindset? You...

For busy moms, this is a tough question to answer. You’ve started making adjustments to your health. You’re drinking water and taking a multi-vitamin to hit possible nutrient deficiencies. You’re adding more movement to your day. You’re being more conscientious about the food you’re eating. All the Micro-Habits you can fit into your day are being utilized. And for a while, it seems to be working! Your energy is going up. You’re feeling better. You’ve dropped a few pounds. Overall, you’ve noticed an improvement in your health and wellness. But then something changes. Your energy is dipping again. You’re feeling more sluggish during the day. The scale isn’t going down, and your pants aren’t getting any looser. You’ve hit your first plateau. Thus far, all the LITTLE things you’ve been doing have been working. The tiny changes have been fitting into your busy life, and it hasn’t disrupted anything TOO MUCH . Maybe the occasional inconvenience, but nothing drastic. So why did the im...

Food as Medicine. Sounds kinda wacky, but it's actually a growing field of study in healthcare and nutrition – the idea of using food to slow, stop, and even REVERSE certain diseases and chronic illnesses. That’s it. Now, before you nod off to sleep or close out of this post, just hear me out for another minute. This can actually be INCREDIBLY beneficial to busy moms. How , you might ask? Please allow me to explain. The entire premise is that by eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods, it is possible to prevent illnesses, slow the progression of a disease you already have, stop the progression of some diseases, and in some cases even REVERSE certain illnesses. There are even trial programs around the country happening now between doctors, dieticians, and healthcare providers who are working together with chefs and food companies to actually PRESCRIBE MEALS as medication in order to treat diseases. These are medically tailored meals. Sometimes it’s pre-made meal...

Okay, so I think it’s been pretty well established that I’m a HUGE nerd! If I find something fascinating, I will research it to death! You can ask my husband or my daughter (or my sons when they’re visiting from college) that I basically study ALL THE TIME . So when I got on this idea of a capsule wardrobe, I have been studying the heck out of the concept. It is very safe to say that fashion is NOT my forte. At all. I suck. But I still LOVE this concept. I’ve been discussing it with friends (shout out to my friend Annie for listening to me and giving some solid advice!), and spending FAR too much time on Pinterest and YouTube checking out options.  I've been posting about it on social media .  And I’m not going to lie – with the plethora of information out there, I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed. That’s a lot of information to take in about a subject that, frankly, I find rather intimidating. But I love it so much for a few reasons. The first one being – I ...

REAL TALK…. So, today is Mini-Me’s 16 th Birthday! My sons came home from college for part of the weekend, but are going back to school today. I ended up with a migraine to begin the weekend and it’s been trying to creep back in. Yesterday Mini-Me ran in a cross-country meet (extreme heat and humidity) and almost passed out at the end of the race. Thank goodness “Mr. T” was there and caught her as she fell. And she is completely recovered, just so you know. 😊 I have been having an EMOTIONAL few days!!! Then, to top it all off, I was looking through Facebook pictures and saw a picture of myself that was NOT very flattering. Like, AT ALL ! And I dang near lost it. I wanted to cry my eyes out. I’ve been working really hard for months on my health and wellness journey. I’ve had major accomplishments, and I’ve also had frustrating setbacks. I’ve seen some pictures that I thought, “wow, I can really tell I’m getting in better shape” . I can feel it in how my clothes are fit...

WHAT NUTRITION COACHING IS   Nutrition Coaching is a partnership between the coach and the client to examine the client’s eating patterns, the reasons behind their food choices, and to determine what steps can be taken to improve their overall eating habits and reach their nutrition goals. Yeah…. So, what does all that mean? First, why do you need/want to work with a nutrition coach?  Well, a few reasons.  Each person is unique – and by unique, I mean we all have different things that influence our eating habits. I didn’t try LASAGNA until I was an adult. Why? Because I grew up in a rural farm community, both of my parents did the same, as did THEIR parents, and even though there was limited access to grocery stores, my family for several generations ate off the land, so to speak. Beef, pork, and chicken was butchered from their farms. Eggs gathered every morning. Vegetables grown in the garden. There was not a lot of cultural diversity in the area, either. So…...