Denice Murray Health Coaching

To stay on track. To meet your health, wellness, nutrition, or weight loss goals. To keep going. I had my entire day planned out. Just like many of you do, as well. Whether it’s a loose idea of things you wanted to get done, or a detailed, meticulous plan of each thing you wanted to check off your list. You had your day planned. Then comes the monkey-wrench getting thrown into the program. Maybe it’s a forgotten appointment. Or a work-project deadline that got bumped up without any warning. Maybe a child got sick at school, and you had to go pick them up and take them to the doctor, or just home for some medicine and rest. For me, it was my daughter being out of school for the day, which I had completely forgotten about, and her having a long list of things SHE needed to get done as well – and some that required my help. Plus, a banquet that I had ALSO forgotten about (and I KNEW it was coming, I just forgot to put it on my calendar), so that meant the projects I intended to fin...

My post will be brief this week. I have one specific thing on my mind and that is my knee. It's killing me.  An old issue I've had for years that flairs once in a while. Lots of pain and swelling, then the inflammation reduces, swelling goes down, pain goes away. This week it is flairing with wild abandon and has wrecked my walking goals. We've had pretty nice weather so I've been pushing my steps each day. But now I've had to back off. However, I'm not letting it derail my focus on moving more. There are aerobics moves I've been trying (hello, YouTube videos).  Chair yoga.  Anyone remember Tae Bo? Yeah, been doing some punching and half-kicks (while holding a chair for balance!). It doesn't have to look a certain way for movement (or eating, or hydrating, or stress management) to be effective.  This week has been a true test of my experimental fortitude. How willing am I to try something different because what I WANT to do isn't really a...

Well, not to sound doom and gloom, but inflation is on the rise. Prices are going up, and with that increase comes uncertainty around food and how to feed yourself and your family. So, how do you navigate the rising costs while still trying to satisfy your family, continue focusing on your health, and not be stuck eating beans and rice for every single meal? (Not that there’s anything WRONG with beans and rice, they are actually two of my favorites!) First, Make a Plan . It might seem pretty obvious, but it’s probably going to be the number one money saver at your disposal. Knowing your schedule, which nights you’ll be home and which nights you’ll be out and about, can be the difference between packing snacks/quick meals, or stopping at the drive-thru and blowing money you don’t need/want to be spending. This also applies to helping avoid impulse purchases at the grocery store. Planning ahead lets you take advantage of sales and deals happening in your area. And if you have the ab...

The topic for today is food. Specifically “Clean Eating” vs “Junk Food” and the controversy around those two terms. Clean Eating implies eating whole, minimally processed foods that are organic, non-GMO, locally and/or sustainably sourced, no chemicals added, no artificial ingredients, no use of herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics, hormones, or other possibly toxic substances during the growth of specific foods, animals and their by-products (eggs, dairy) that were free-range or pasture-raised and THEIR food had none of the above mentioned products either. Junk Food implies ultra-processed foods that have had a few, some, or all of the previously mentioned substances added to them including but not limited to dyes, artificial flavors, preservatives, emulsifiers, etc. It also implies foods that may have whole ingredients but are also low in nutrient quality (vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, monounsaturated fatty acids), but are high in calories or high in exc...

I’m gonna make it short…shorter….short-ish….today. Just eat the banana. I don’t care if it’s organic, sustainably-grown, non-GMO, blah, blah, blah. Just eat it. If it comes down to eating a candy bar or eating a banana…..eat the banana. Pick the healthier option when you have a choice, but when you don’t, eat what you’ve got. I face this dilemma often when we go to sporting events for Mini-Me. Concession stands are notorious for having lots of junk food, and not a lot of whole food options. You’re going to find chips and candy more than you’ll find vegetables or fruit. And if we don’t pack it ourselves, we’re stuck with whatever the concession stand has. Mostly, I go with popcorn because it’s a whole grain. I’m fully aware that it’s not air-popped, all natural, no unhealthy oils, etc. I’ve seen the palm oil substance they use to make it. I’ve seen the popcorn salt. It’s still better than a bag of Doritos. So, popcorn it is. Nachos or a burger? Probably go with the burger. Is it...

“Yes, eggs are ridiculously expensive right now. Yes, I still eat a ton of them anyways. I will never prioritize saving money on groceries over fueling my body with what it needs for optimal health. The cheapest food is not always the best food.” Okay. This is an anonymous post on a social media site. And while I genuinely appreciate the sentiment – fueling your body with what it needs for optimal health – I don’t think I agree with a part of it that seems to be kinda tone-deaf….in my opinion. While I agree with fueling your body, I also understand that not everyone has the ability to AFFORD the most nutritious options. This post stressed (and again, I sort of agree – to an extent) that making healthy food choices is their priority, and they will not compromise that value to save a few dollars. My disagreement is that everyone’s circumstances are different. At the time of this blog post, I was able to purchase boneless, skinless chicken breast on sale for $1.99 per pound. I ...

I came across a social media post that was essentially blasting the generalization of the health, wellness, fitness, and nutrition industry as a whole. If, as a health and wellness practitioner, you are someone who takes the one-size-fits-all approach and then places the blame on the person trying to follow your approach when it doesn’t work for them, then this post was correct. But there is one caveat I will touch on here – sometimes a generalized approach is all you can do as a practitioner unless you can get deep-down, one-on-one with a client. Taking a generalized approach is a good starting place for a health and wellness journey, but eventually, you’re going to have to dial-in and figure out some specifics for your situation. I had to travel this past weekend for a memorial service. And while I knew the GENERAL area I was going to, I didn’t know the exact location of the chapel. So, I knew I was traveling west. I knew the interstate I needed to travel for a few hours. I ...