I'm a member of SparkPeople's editorial team and I write, edit and manage the content you read. I am passionate about living a healthy lifestyle and enjoy cooking for my family and friends, running, strength training, teaching weekly spin classes and playing outside with my kids. I also love a good challenge and recently found that in Barre class. That's not to say I don't enjoy a good indulgence once in a while--wine and chocolate are two of my favorite things. I am grateful to be here, helping our members reach their own healthy living goals.
Read More of 's Blogs:
Reward Hard Work With 25 Goal Gifts Under $25
The process of losing weight is riddled with thousands of deliberate decisions to do and be better. You consciously start your day with a healthy mindset that helps you eat that bowl of overnight oats for breakfast, say "no" to a high-fat lunch with coworkers, avert your eyes from the dish of chocolates staring at you from your coworker's desk and drive straight home to prepare a healthy meal for yourself or your family. You try to stick closely to your exercise schedule, stay properly hydrated and get enough sleep.
Getting healthy often feels like a lot of effort with little reward along the way. Sure, the ultimate reward is somewhere in the distance, when you finally get to your goal weight or bring your cholesterol numbers down to acceptable levels, but what about the little wins?
Posted 1/26/2017 12:00:00 AM By: : 31 comments 56,917 views
Finding Inspiration With Juliet Kaska
Inspirational women are all around us, teaching, motivating and leading others by example through the way they live their lives and inspire others. The Spark Your Life Series connects you to thought-provoking female leaders whose stories can help you achieve life balance, a health and fitness goal or a better state of mind.
Posted 1/23/2017 12:00:00 AM By: : 31,009 views
.jpg)
Build Your Perfect Workout Wardrobe on Any Budget
Just as it's important to mix up your workouts, it's also good to freshen up your workout wardrobe every so often. Invest in the right staples and you'll be able to mix and match items that are equally appropriate for yoga or spin class." Plus, with three different price point options, you can choose to splurge on socks and save on shorts, or swap in a colorful, budget-friendly T-shirt to go along with your favorite-but-worth-every-penny black leggings. Now the only thing you'll have to worry about is proper plank form.
Posted 1/10/2017 12:00:00 AM By: : 12 comments 32,497 views
100 Upbeat Songs to Fuel Your Best Workout Ever
Whether you’re feeling uninspired, bored, tired or just sick of the same old routine, a new playlist could be just the thing to kick your workouts back into high gear. In the past couple of years, various artists have delivered some amazing, funky, fast-paced and just plain fun tunes that offer a seemingly never-ending supply of music for every kind of workout—from spin to Pilates and everything in between.
Posted 12/28/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 23 comments 55,261 views
.jpg)
How to Organize 10 Empowering Weight-Loss Challenges
It's easy enough to make a New Year's resolution. All you have to do is say it right? "I will not eat sweets." "I will go to the gym five days a week." "I will lose 20 pounds." Even if you say it and don't exactly do it for more than a few days, weeks or months, then there's always next year right?
Posted 12/26/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 34 comments 136,643 views
10 Kitchen Tools That Help You Prep Like a Pro
By now you probably have a good idea which foods you should eat, which to skip and a general idea of the ideal portion size for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and weight. Unfortunately, a lot of healthy foods spoil quickly or need special treatment when cooking or storing, and a lot of serving sizes are elusive. Is a serving of poultry the size of a deck of cards? A billiard ball? How much is a pinch? What do those measurements really mean, anyway?
Posted 12/14/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 19 comments 48,984 views
.jpg)
A 5-Step Action Plan for Achieving Your Goals
What are your dreams? Everyone has at least one. Is it to finally finish that novel? Run a 5K? Start your own business? Watch all best picture Oscar movie nominations from the past five years? Fold all your laundry the same day it's washed and dried?
Posted 12/12/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 79,322 views
.jpg)
10 Products Designed to Eliminate Fitness Frustrations
Sometimes putting forth the effort to work out can seem like a workout in and of itself. You set your workout clothes out the night before, pack your bag for the gym and set the alarm for a time that allows you to sleep until the last possible second yet still squeeze in a good workout and a shower.
Posted 12/1/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 31 comments 61,543 views
.jpg)
Cyber Monday Bargains for Your Healthiest Year Ever
If you chose sleeping in over shopping on Black Friday, haven't yet found that perfect bargain or simply spent the weekend in a post-turkey, tryptophan-induced haze, too tired and full to even open your laptop, we have your back. Shop even more deals and steals and score big on gifts and gadgets to help yourself or someone on your holiday gift list live a healthier, happier life.
Posted 11/28/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 7 comments 23,453 views
30 Ways to Make the Most of Every Moment
You may have heard that practicing mindfulness can open doors to all sorts of new experiences—you can take in the world around you, eat less, exercise smarter and become a more compassionate person. Despite your best efforts to walk without looking at your smartphone, eat without watching TV, exercise without music or take time from your stressful day to silence your inner critic, though, your best efforts never quite seem to stick.
The good news is, making the most of your moments doesn't have to be an all-or-nothing deal. There are many smaller ways you can incorporate awareness into your daily life. Whether you practice one a day or 10, what matters is you take the time to stop and smell the roses—you'll be thankful that you did.
Posted 11/14/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 33 comments 56,214 views
.jpg)
Stir, Sear and Sauce With These 10 Non-Toxic Cookware Items
Are you a choosey grocery shopper who reads nutrition labels, avoids produce from the dirty dozen list and prepares healthy meals for yourself or your family only to cook up a meal on an old, warped, non-stick pan whose coating has been worn, chipped or rusted after years of use and abuse?
Posted 11/2/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 34 comments 63,646 views
Fit to Be Tied: Our Favorite Hair Ties and Headbands
High. Low. Half. Double looped. Triple looped. Smooth. Messy. Braided. Deconstructed. Bumped. No matter how you choose to keep your hair out of your face during your workout or throughout the day, nearly every style requires a handy helper (or two) to keep it in place.
Posted 10/31/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 31 comments 43,039 views
6 Solid Tricks to Help You Get the Sleep You Need
Sometimes getting a good night's sleep is like staying away from the birthday cake in the conference room: Easier said than done. You know that sleep makes you feel better, but did you know it also has a host of other benefits? Getting a solid eight hours of sleep is integral to living longer; improving your memory, attention span and creativity; cutting down on inflammation; performing better, both at work and at play; helping you maintain a healthy weight; and lowering instances of stress and depression.
Posted 10/10/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 27 comments 82,805 views
Is Apple Cider a Miracle Cure-All or Just an Old Wives' Tale?
You've probably used apple cider vinegar for pickling or as an ingredient in dressings and marinades. Like most vinegars, it, too, has been touted as a miracle liquid, capable of everything from deodorizing and cleaning the house to controlling blood sugar and clearing up acne. And that's not where it ends. Do a little research and you'll find that people swear by the stuff for solving all kinds of everyday problems.
Posted 10/10/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 33 comments 73,847 views
7 Ways to Survive and Thrive in Cooking School
When faced with another Sunday and another week’s worth of meal possibilities, do you envision earmarked cookbooks, julienned veggies, perfectly grilled meat and the smiling faces and full bellies of loved ones around the dinner table? Or, does your vision more closely resemble a photo of the Mojave Desert—a barren and idealess wasteland with unhappy, hangry kids making an occasional, tumbleweed-like appearance?
If it’s the latter, instead of routinely picking your way through the the same old, last-minute, tried-and-true dinner staples or occasional drive-thru dinners week after week, consider going back to school—cooking school. From learning a new technique or two to discovering your next favorite dish, cooking classes can take the stress out of meal mania. Plus, no dirty dishes.
Posted 9/19/2016 12:00:00 AM By: : 5 comments 30,395 views
‹ Back Read More Entries ›
