Denice Murray Health Coaching

Why is it so hard to improve our healthy habits? To make better choices? To take the necessary steps to live healthier, happier lives? Maybe it's because you don't know what to do. You've never been taught the true fundamentals of nutrition and physical activity. There's a TON of information out there - some of it accurate and some of it not so much. Maybe you're confused. With the plethora of diets and fitness programs out there, maybe you don't even know where to begin. Is Keto right for you? What about Weight Watchers? Fitness class, yoga, or just walking in your neighborhood? Strength training, or no? If so, how much should you be lifting? Most of us have at least an IDEA of what we should be doing. We know we probably eat too much processed food, too much sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. We know we're not getting enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein with each meal. We also know we're not moving our bodies enough - we are more sed...

For anyone trying to live a healthier lifestyle or lose weight, there’s no denying that exercise is considered a KEY step in that process. In fact, some may argue it’s THE most important step to getting healthy and staying fit. But for some, like ME, I’m not into exercise. I may go for walks. I may stretch when I’m sore and tight. I might even bike or swim when it’s for fun. But I have to FORCE myself to get in any movement that is considered exercise (any movement outside of pleasure, fun, or relaxation). There are tons of reasons people don’t actually like exercising – bad experiences in the past (body shaming), pain (injuries or illness), discomfort (difficulty breathing or getting sweaty), exercise feels like a chore or punishment, or you just don’t identify as an exercise-type. And although exercise is great for your body, not everyone gets the “rush” from exercising like some people do. I can personally say that I have NEVER had the “runner’s high” – the rush of endorphins...

As you’re working on your health, wellness, or nutrition journey, you’re going to face daily challenges. It happens. Obstacles. Setbacks. Faltering Motivation. Resistance. It’s frustrating to hit a roadblock. But hopefully some of the tips compiled here will help you navigate around these challenges and continue on your way to a healthier you. Focus on Your Behaviors, Not Your Outcomes .  I know I’ve talked about this before, but it’s actually a critical step of creating healthy habits. Outcomes vary. If you’re trying to lose 10 pounds, but the scale hasn’t moved past 5 pounds, it’s easy to get caught up in the number on the scale and fail to give yourself credit for the habits you’re creating like riding your bike 4 times per week, cooking healthier meals at home, and losing inches from around your waist. It’s important to praise and celebrate each habit you do, rather than only giving yourself credit when you hit a certain milestone, like the number on the scale. Take a...

We all do it.  I know I’m guilty.  Go for a 2-mile walk in the evening, come home feeling great, and then see a post on FB of someone training for a 5k Run and think, “Gah! They are so much better than me! I should be running more/exercising more/working harder/etc.” Well, newsflash to me – I have knee problems and I'm not supposed to be doing ANY running (unless being chased by something!). So, why would I do that to myself? Compare myself to a person who DOESN’T have knee issues and actually LIKES to run, whereas I’ve NEVER liked running, even when I was perfectly capable of doing it?! Everyone working on their health and wellness, at some point, has thought other people were doing better than them, that their efforts weren’t enough, or they can’t quite seem to get where they want to be like so-and-so does. So, if comparing ourselves to others is a normal part of human nature, how do we stop doing that and focus on feeling good about ourselves? Here are a few ways to...

When you have health and wellness goals, your expectations can determine whether you reach those goals or not. Everyone wants wow-worthy results, be it weight loss, body re-composition (toning and tightening), better sleep, or managing your stress, but having unrealistic expectations can lead to giving up entirely. Meeting your health, nutrition and wellness goals comes with trade-offs. That’s simply the reality of changing your behaviors and habits. And unless you are able to understand the trade-offs and set your expectations accordingly, you are setting yourself up to be disappointed. Let’s use stress management and yoga as an example. It’s been proven that a regular yoga practice helps reduce stress, reduces anxiety, improves mental health, and can improve your quality of life – along with numerous physical benefits like increased flexibility, strength, balance, boosted immunity, and better sleep . But what does it take to achieve the FULL benefits of doing yoga? Five minu...

Yes, I said it! If you are not used to living a lifestyle where nutrition, movement, and stress management are a regular and routine part of your life, it’s hard to get there. That’s why it’s so important to build a health and wellness routine that fits your current situation. But you have to be ready. It will be that much harder if you’re not prepared. It’s important to start with a few essential questions. What’s Important to You RIGHT NOW? Is it losing weight? Longevity? Treating a medical condition? Improving your body composition? Strength or Flexibility? Better nutrition? The things that are most important to you will determine what you’re willing to put the most effort into. For me, I’m more interested in improving my nutrition and eating habits. I know I will be putting food into my body at least 3 times per day, and it’s more important to me to work on my eating habits than it is to focus on fitness. I’m already fairly active, and even though another area I want to...

Most of the time, if you mention the dreaded “Carbohydrate” word to people trying to lose weight, they will tell you they’re talking about bread, pasta, sweets (desserts like cakes, pies, ice cream, candy, etc.), potatoes, rice – and they would be correct. However, talking about carbs isn’t as simple as you might think. Broccoli is a carb. Strawberries are carbs. Beans are carbs. Almonds are carbs. When it comes to carbohydrates I think we, as the general population, have gotten a lot of mixed messages over the years – as research has continued and studies have been conducted – and our understanding of carbs has become a bit skewed. We have lumped certain unhealthy foods into the general category of “Carbohydrates” and by association, a lot of healthy – even NECESSARY – foods have gotten a bad rap. The most common sources of carbohydrates include Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Milk, Nuts & Seeds, and Beans, Peas & Lentils. And all of these food sources – even the...

Hello. I took this week's post from an article I read from Precision Nutrition . I am a huge nerd and love learning about my topic of choice when it includes graphs, charts, research studies, etc.! So this information was super fun for me to read about. The author of this piece is Brian St. Pierre and compiled by Adam Campbell. I hope you find the information useful on your health and wellness journey.  "Here’s a fun chart, courtesy of some clever scientists in the Netherlands. It tracks changes in people’s average daily energy expenditure from 1900’s to the early 2000’s. But to make it interesting (this is why they’re clever), the researchers also plotted the widespread adoption of both time-saving and time-wasting technology. The finding: there’s been a 60 to 70 percent reduction in total daily energy expenditure over the last century . In a previous study, the same scientists calculated that actors at a historical theme park set 150 years ago were 1.6 to 2.3 times more ac...

I read a really interesting article this week on the concept of Slow Eating , or Mindful Eating . Not gonna lie, at first, I thought the idea was kind of woo-woo. Mostly because I've spent most of my life in a hurry and trying to shove food in my mouth as fast as I can so I could either get to my next "thing" that I needed to be doing, or to get whatever delicious food I was eating scarfed down so I could eat MORE. Not to mention for the past few years I've been dealing with 3 teenagers who stuff their faces as fast as possible, and there was a good chance I might not get to eat at all if I didn't hurry. But the more I've learned as I studied health coaching, as well as working on my own personal wellness journey, the more Mindful Eating kept popping up in my classes and in my research. It almost sounds too simple to be effective. Eat slowly. Ummm....okay? Why? What does eating slowly do for your body? Well, based on research from the University of Rhode Isla...