Someday is not a day of the week
I spent part of this holiday weekend watching “old” movies: A Fish Called Wanda with my son, who appreciates 1) anything with the word “fish” in it, 2) Monty Python,…
Gratitude … and recognition and appreciation
Every month in The (Sorta) Secret Sisterhood, we feature a Q+A with an expert—usually a woman who serves women 40+ through some type of healing modality, from conventional medicine to…
To Impossible … and Beyond!
As a health coach, I’m often asked to weigh in (hahaha) on what is the best way to eat: Keto? Paleo? Vegetarian? Vegan? High carb? Low carb? Zero carb? High…
That’ll never work!
Most of us have at least one teacher we’ll remember all our lives: s/he’s the one who made learning a spiritual practice (or maybe a spiritual discipline?) more than a…
Word games
I like to say that if you were to look at my CV, you’d think one of two thoughts: This woman is completely unemployable: what has she been doing with…
I got nothin’…
In an unusual turn of events, I’ve been traveling 10 days out of the last 25—first to Chicago to speak on a panel, then to Ohio for parents’ weekend, then…
Breaking up is hard to do
“I’ll bet you never rebelled as a teenager,” my son said last night. Well, no. I think I never really did. I’m an inveterate rule follower, and one of my…
The F word
If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ve heard me mention that I’m a finalist in the Michigan Women Forward’s Woman Up & Pitch competition that takes place next…
There’s a quiz for that
There’s an online “what’s your [fill in the blank] type” quiz for everything these days, and while I’m generally able to steer away from them—knowing that they can be a…
WHO said it
going grammanda I’m an admitted grammarphile. I still correct my children (and others): come—not go; bring—not take; lie—not lay; if I were —not if I was; I wish I had—not…
Am I in climate change denial?
To everything there is a season…. Some of you might know where in the Bible that line comes from. And I know at least half of you went there: turn,…
Confessions of a picky eater
Thanks to a long, cool, wet Spring, this year’s peak produce season is about two weeks behind schedule, and the sense that the long-awaited tomato season is probably going to…
I couldn’t care less…
Week 1 of my “international commuter marriage” is over, and I’m pleased to report that everyone is alive and well: my husband apparently snuck through Chek Lap Kok airport just…
Greatest hits | Happy Labor Day, Happy Birth-day
How is it possible that it’s the last weekend of summer?!? This week’s greatest hit, Happy Labor Day, Happy Birth-day, comes from two years ago, when my daughter first went…
Greatest hits | What’s for dinner, Mom?
As summer winds down, I’ve been thinking a lot about how the recent changes in our family life are playing out in the kitchen. My daughter spent her first summer…
Greatest hits | Breakdown on the 110
This week finds me at home in the Green Mountains of Vermont—I know that I can’t claim to be a Vermonter because I wasn’t born here, and their rules about…
Greatest hits | Absence makes the self care fonder
How is it possible that it’s been more than four years since I wrote this week’s flashback post, Absence makes the self care fonder?!? I’m now measuring time in BDL…
Greatest hits | My cat got eaten by a coyote
You know what’s really cool (and somewhat creepy) about the online world? The fact that I can get all manner of statistics about my blog, the emails I send for…
Greatest hits | A half-empty nest
Big changes in my world this summer, as my youngest got his driver’s license a little more than a week ago! He’s a social one, and in some ways, it’s…
Greatest hits | Where are you hiding?
As of May 2019, burnout is finally recognized as a syndrome according the the World Health Organization’s 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), a handbook that provides…
So much new + good!
how do you eat an elephant? As we plunge into the second half of 2019 (whattt? how is that possible?), I find myself reflecting on the first two quarters of…
Back to the kitchen
When my husband took his job at University of Michigan, we had just bought a house in Southern California—and I mean that literally: the morning of the day he found…
That’s a wrap!
As we head into the 4th of July holidays, we’re wrapping up our first anniversary festivities in the (Sorta) Secret Sisterhood clubhouse, and I wanted to say, “Thank you for…
Meet Diane Babalas
Diane Babalas practices something called Biogeometric integration—like acupuncture, another “dark magic” that will make you wonder how it really works … and it does! Check it out, then leave me…
Meet Melea Alexander
I’ve been intrigued by Traditional Chinese Medicine ever since college, when I was a Chinese major (yup, that really was my first field of study!), and I’ve always wanted to…
Meet Heather Glidden of Joy | Freedom in Motion
I visited Heather and Darlene’s studio, Joy | Freedom in Motion, for a presentation on Gyrotonic one evening a few years ago and was inspired. Heather is a wealth of…
Let’s get this party started!
How is it already May 31?!? That means tomorrow is the start of our month-long anniversary celebration of community! (Catch up on the details of that if you missed them…
Meet Tania Elfersy of The Wiser Woman
From the moment I read one of her blog posts, I just knew that Tania had to be the first person to do a Q+A in the (Sorta) Secret Sisterhood…
I believe…
Have you ever thought, “I need to do [something],” and the moment you go into the other room to do it, you don’t remember what it was you meant to…
Oooh! Aaah! Fabulous prizes!
In scrolling through my calendar recently, I came across a few dates of note: May 2 is the 4th anniversary of when I officially established my practice although it’s been…
#eatmorekale
Spring is here—which in Michigan means the temperature still dips below 40ºF and yet the upper limits (in the 60s) are starting to show up more often than the dips….
What’s in a name?
Have you ever changed your name? My friend Audrey, a business coach for women entrepreneurs, has a podcast called Women Are the Journey, on which she talks to women about…
Vitamin P(ee)
One of the principles of Integrative Nutrition® is the idea of bioindividuality: what is healthy for one person may be toxic to another, whether we’re talking about secondary foods (what…
Healthcare policy, healthcare agency
In the months leading up to and following the 2016 election, I stopped reading and listening to the news and I purged my social media channels. That doesn’t mean I…
Health coaching learnings … from Netflix?
Helllp! I seem to have fallen into a Netflix trap, one that features crime dramas from the UK: first there was Shetland, then there was Hinterland, then Broadchurch, and now…
Advance? Retreat?
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve probably come across my Kale + Kryptonite exercise, which is a tool I use with my clients to help them assess the…
#healthcoachvacation 2019
Once again, our family’s Spring Breaks didn’t align this year—and we did manage to have some fun anyway! After last year’s epic fishing adventure, my son and I decided to…
Spring into health
Spring has sprung, the grass is riz…. My father used to recite the poem every year around this time. In Michigan, it’s still blustery, and the the grass is not…
Sorry, not sorry
The American Socialist Party organized the first Women’s Day in 1909, but it was in Soviet Russia that March 8 became a national holiday after women gained suffrage there in…
Life without roads
I recently had a conversation with some much younger friends who were talking about what they see as one of the problems their generation faces: too many choices. Yes, this…
What’s for dinner, Mom?
what’s for dinner, mom? For a working woman, that one innocent question at the end of the day can cause a lot of stress. (Yes, yes, I know men cook,…
What was I thinking?
Every month in the (Sorta) Secret Sisterhood online community, I get to record a Q+A with an expert in her field—most often a health practitioner who works with women in…
Sweeten it, naturally
I recently conducted a survey of my virtual community to learn more about you, and one of the requests that came up most frequently in response to my question about…
Food porn fast
‘Fess up: did you binge watch the first season of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix? Because yeah, I did. And I read the book in 2015. I saw…
Self-ism as a scheduling tool
We’ve all had teachers (often more than one) who have little phrases and stories they use so much that while you’re in their class, you get really tired of them….
Sharpen your saw
I’ve spent a lot of the past 10 years writing grant proposals and reports, and I’ve been musing about the parallels between how a majority of funders invest their money…
Thanks to my hive mind!
Thank you to everyone in my hive mind who chimed in on last week’s post about independence and freedom! Here are just a few of your ideas; some came out…
Word-perfect
A quick shout-out to those who filled out my Tell me about yourself survey—I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day to help me out—and a request…
When the POTUS is late for dinner
A quick shout-out to those who filled out my Tell me about yourself survey—I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy day to help me out—and a request…
Survey says…
My brain and I are on vacation this week, so instead of struggling to come up with a new post, I’ve decided it’s your turn! I’m always interested in providing…
What’s your value?
This month, I’m taking a look in the rearview mirror at 2018 and a peek ahead at the road ahead in 2019. I invite you to hop in and take…
The struggle is real
This month, I’m taking a look in the rearview mirror at 2018 and a peek ahead at the road ahead in 2019. I invite you to hop in and take…
My relationship with what?
This month, I’m taking a look in the rearview mirror at 2018 and a peek ahead at the road ahead in 2019. I invite you to hop in and take…
Rearview mirror | What we learn from reaching (or not) a goal
It’s definitely wintry in Ann Arbor, and our seasonal diet has shifted from the cool leafy salads and quickly grilled foods of summer to heartier root veggies and slowly simmered…
New + improved?
Full disclosure: if you love Black Friday, this post is likely to piss you off—maybe read it anyway? america, the privileged Last weekend when I was grocery shopping, I discovered…
Come up to the lab…
If your mind immediately filled in that blank with “and see what’s on the slab,” you’re proof that campy movies never die. THAT one has been entertaining college students since…
Own the Crone
the end of the human race Just before the mid-term voting took place, I listened to a podcast in which Carol Cox discusses a TEDx talk she gave just before…
Soup weather
what happened? That’s right: I’m baaack! Thanks to everyone who reached out and said, “What happened? Are you alright? I didn’t see a new blog post last week!” Yeah, I’m…
Yes, I am.
This week, I’d like to revisit last week’s post, Full stop. Why? Because I can and because it sparked a lot of responses, not just a couple in the blog…
Full stop.
On the anniversary of the breaking of the Harvey Weinstein story and the explosion of the #metoo movement, I’ve been reminded time and again of the fact that women still…
Early birds, night owls, and soul care containers
I’ve always looked at my ability to wake up without an alarm as a superpower: whether it’s for my usual wake-up time (ungodly early) or from a power nap or…
Every board of directors has one….
“Dressed in a navy suit, Dr. Blasey Ford maintained her composure throughout the hearing….” Oh yeah, here we go again. Really, New York Times?!? Let’s ignore the fact that Dr….
Green lights, stop signs, and speed bumps
My son is learning how to drive (yay? yikes? jury’s still out but leaning towards yay), and something that we’ve been commenting on is that he seems to have a…
I can hook you up … with some good bacteria!
“I fed my sourdough this morning.” “What? What sourdough? Who’s got sourdough? I want some!” “Liza got it for me.” “Oh! That reminds me, Liza, can I get some more…
Oxymorons, their opposite … and hot breakfast
If you’re a working mom … ha, what is the opposite of an oxymoron? I mean, if an oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two seemingly opposite ideas (living…
New (School) Year’s Resolutions?
It’s Labor Day weekend, and we’ve made another circle around the sun: as hard as it is to believe, I have two sophomores now: one in high school, one in…
Gordon Lightfoot: coincidence or miracle?
When I was growing up, we didn’t have a television (no, I’m not THAT old—my parents just chose not to have one!) so we listened to the radio a lot….
Making space for the invited inevitable
Make space in your life for the inevitable arrival of what you want. ~Danielle LaPorte If you’ve been with me for a while, you know that in addition to…
Fl!p Your (Airbnb) K!tchen
Airbnb has been around since 2008, and as usual, I’m a late adopter—this summer’s trip to Scotland was my first time taking advantage of it. From Edinburgh to Inverness to…
Scotland, self care, soul care … and social justice
I’m “on holiday,” as the people of the UK would say—spending two weeks touring Scotland. Diana Gabaldon’s Jamie Fraser and Dougal MacKenzie might be involved—no sightings yet, but stay tuned….
I’m going on a trip….
After years of staycations, 2018 is becoming the year of traveling for me—and I’ve been thinking about the learning that comes from not just the trips themselves but the packing…
Velcro + Teflon | What’s new + good?
Like many health coaches, I offer a free initial consultation—I call mine a YOURstory session (like HIStory, but we live in a world where “gendering” has become a frowned-upon practice,…
Is self care really the answer?
“Self care” has become a real buzzword in the past decade—and it can include anything from an hour (or a day) at the spa to meditating to practicing yoga to…
Who are your VEEPs?
Uh oh—am I really going to stray into politics on a health coaching blog? No, not entirely, but with the news focusing so much on the administration’s attempt to rid…
Reclaim your flame
The clubhouse doors are open at the (Sorta) Secret Sisterhood online membership site, and last week, I had the honor and pleasure of interviewing Tania Elfersy of The Wiser Woman…
Who are you comparing yourself to?
I recently walked the Dexter Ann Arbor 5K in 40:49 (beating last year’s 52:12 by a long shot despite the pouring rain)—I had meant to run this year, but some…
Everybody poops…
When I was studying to become a health coach, one of my favorite lectures was titled, “Does Your Poop Float?” I wish I could remember the lecturer’s name, but it…
I’ll have what she’s having…
If you’re about my age and you’ve seen When Harry Met Sally, there’s at least one line that people of our generation all know: I’ll have what she’s having. It…
Normal vs. common | Learning in the loud moms’ corner
I’m not much of a gym fan—I’ve flirted with them before, even had (always brief) love affairs with them, but I always return to working out at and from home….
Are you in the (Sorta) Secret Sisterhood?
Let’s take a look at the business side of health coaching for a minute. As a business owner, I spend a fair amount of time networking, and in networking groups—as…
High anxiety (in the dentist’s chair)
I usually try to avoid the word “hate”—there’s enough hate in the world already, no need to add to the bad energy. Yeah, I’m the one on social media who…
Pet Lessons
Is it really possible that Spring has sprung in Michigan finally? This past winter really felt endless—more so than others for some reason. And yet, thanks to a new furbaby…
Happy Mother’s Day (just say no)
Ahhh, Spring. We wait for it with longing, especially here in Michigan, where it comes quite late and often teases us for a while before committing. And then, just as…
Spring detox (further proof that I’m so basic?)
I love tulips: I love their beautiful simplicity, the fact that they herald the arrival of Spring, the variety of colors they come in, the fact that the financial health…
Al Perkins teaches portion control
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know that in addition to being a health coach, I have a side hustle that used to be my full-time job and…
Whine + cheese | What’s the payoff?
Very often, when I encounter a deeply-entrenched, clearly unhealthy habit in a client, I get curious about the payoff: every habit, according to research in this area, brings with it…
The Elves began it….
I’m a walker—no matter what form of exercise I’ve done in the past—from running to aerobics to HIIT—I always come back to walking. It’s as though there’s a set point…
April’s FREE health coaching webinar is on Wednesday!
Just a quick heads up: April’s FREE health coaching webinar is going to introduce you to what I call the DR/EAM process—a way to stop playing best supporting actress in…
#healthcoachvacation
When I was growing up, it seemed as though my vacations never lined up with those of my parents, who taught at a small liberal arts college. There may have…
The secret’s out….
Last night at the dinner table, my son asked how long it’s been since the new Administration has been in the White House. More than a year, I said, thinking…
White jeans … and apples and pears
I lurk on a lot of Facebook pages and sites that claim to support us women over 40. I say “lurk” because I stopped posting comments and questions when I…
Breakdown on the 110
If you follow me on social media, you’ll know that I was recently featured in an interview on my friend Audrey Groeschel’s Women are Journey podcast—you can check it out…
Do your own (!@#$%) dishes!
Why…was it always my responsibility to turn on the stove and begin to think about my family’s food needs, even when I wasn’t hungry? Why couldn’t my husband get the…
Joint pain | On diet, physical therapy, and woo
In response to my question about curve balls two weeks ago, Susan wrote, “I had pinching pain in my left hip which turned out to be early onset arthritis. At…
I can still get 3 hours….
I’m one of those lucky people, blessed with the ability to fall asleep just about anywhere, anytime, even during a bus or train commute (yeah, sleeping on the Red Line…
My own personal summer
Sooo much wisdom (and a fair bit of humor!) in last week’s conversation on the blog in response to my question about what (if any) curve ball/s your body suddenly…
“Can we tawk?”
I once introduced myself in a networking group by saying that I support women who believe the only way out of their overwhelm involves a plane ticket, a wad of…
SOUL food | Loving
This is the final post in the SOUL food series—you can find the first one at SOUL food | Seasonal, the second at SOUL food | Organic, and the third…
Why should I clear my (virtual) plate?
I recently had the honor of interviewing the lovely Dr. Fiona Lovely of the Not Your Mother’s Menopause podcast and Facebook community. We talked a lot about bringing peace to…
SOUL food | Unique
This is the third post in the SOUL food series—you can find the first one at SOUL food | Seasonal and the second at SOUL food | Organic. Integrative Nutrition®…
SOUL food | Organic
This is the second post in the SOUL food series—you can find the first one at SOUL food | Seasonal. “Organic” has a lot of meanings—perhaps the most familiar in…
Overwhelmed in the kitchen?
Join me Tuesday, January 16 at 5:30pm at Argus Farm Stop on Packard for a hands-on introduction to meal planning. Argus is a next-generation farmers’ market whose mission is to…
SOUL food | Seasonal
As I mentioned at the end of last year, my focus has been shifting from helping clients with their SOLE foods—the seasonal, organic, local, and ethical foods that I recommend…
Unlimited do-overs
It’s pretty common for New Year’s resolutions to dissolve just weeks into the new year, and as we approach the start of 2018, I have some thoughts on why that’s…
SOLE food | SOUL food
At the end of 2016, I shifted my health coaching practice from focusing almost entirely on secondary foods—what we put in our mouths—to primary foods—everything else in our lives that…
If it ain’t broke, reframe it
Occasionally, I need to disappear from my health coaching practice due to the demands that my side hustle as a grants consultant places on my schedule. Late November and early…
Do you really need another blender?
My biz bestie, Holly Southerland of Waco Home Organizers, recently sent a note of encouragement to her email list about FOMO (fear of missing out) and doing a “digital detox”…
My cat got eaten by a coyote…
As a “wellpreneur” who works with clients online and by phone/Skype as well as in person, I spend a fair amount of time marketing my services online, mostly through my…
Welcome to the trough
Because explaining what I do as a health coach can be difficult—while the profession is certainly growing, it’s still an alien concept for many—I like to talk about my work…
How do you come to the kitchen?
As I mentioned last week, explaining what I do as a health coach can be difficult: while the profession is certainly growing, it’s still an alien concept for many. I…
Thanksgiving 2017 Helpline
Have you downloaded the Fl!p Your K!tchen Thanksgiving 2017 recipe packet yet? If you have and you have questions about the recipes or the strategy that will help you cook…
Where are you hiding?
Explaining what I do as a health coach can be difficult: while the profession is certainly growing, it’s still an alien concept for many. In my workshops, I often like…
SOLE food | Your nickel’s worth
This is the final post in the SOLE food series, in which we stepped away a bit from primary foods nutrition and focused again on secondary foods, the ones we…
SOLE food | Ethical
This month, we’re stepping away a bit from primary foods nutrition and focusing again on secondary foods, the ones we put in our mouths. As you find your way on…
SOLE food | Local
This month, we’re stepping away a bit from primary foods nutrition and focusing again on secondary foods, the ones we put in our mouths. As you find your way on…
SOLE food | Organic
This month, we’re stepping away a bit from primary foods nutrition and focusing again on secondary foods, the ones we put in our mouths. As you find your way on…
SOLE food | Seasonal
This month, we’re stepping away a bit from primary foods nutrition and focusing again on secondary foods, the ones we put in our mouths. As you find your way on…
I know I should be….
I spend a lot of time talking to people about their health goals and their primary and secondary food choices. And one of their most frequent comments is, “I know…
We interrupt this programming…
Fair Food Network, the awesome non-profit where I work part-time as a contractor, has been growing in leaps and bounds since I started there eight years ago. When I reduced…
A still, small voice
We have a freshman in college, and as most freshman parents, we attended a parent orientation when we dropped our daughter off in August. The auditorium was packed with parents,…
Happy New (School) Year | What’s new + good?
I’ve always felt that September is, in an odd way, the start of a new year, and so it was nice to hear this confirmed by Lisa Woodruff of Organize…
Happy Labor Day, Happy Birth-day
Labor Day weekend has come to represent a lot more than just a moment to honor the labor movement in the United States, so much so that we don’t often…
A few of my favorite things | Books
Last week’s post on the podcasts I recommend generated quite a few replies, one of the more common being, “But what if I don’t listen to podcasts?” I don’t find…
A few of my favorite things | Podcasts
Vacation ends soon—I’m slipping in another quickie post before I run out to enjoy the end of it! If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I’m…
Gone fishin’ … and a request for the fall!
You may or may not know that in my “other life,” I contract for an amazing nonprofit called Fair Food Network—our healthy food incentive program, Double Up Food Bucks, is…
Guest Post | From Ow to Wow, Overwhelm to Wonder
Look, look—another guest post! This one comes from Linda Joy Stone, OMD, L.Ac., with whom I connected on Daocloud, which I describe as social media for practitioners and answer-seekers in…
A half-empty nest
I’ve recently been going through an experience that in an odd way reminds me of what my daughter went through most of last year: encountering the inevitable questions. For her,…
Guest Post | Kitchen Organization with Lisa Woodruff
As I like to say, there are no mistakes or coincidences in the Universe, only miracles. A very special guest post arrived just as we are scrambling to pack our…
Guest Post | Tending the Wild Heart
There’s still time to RSVP for Ruth Wade’s workshop on Gyrotonic and bone health tonight, July 26, and in the meantime I have another cool guest blog post and offer…
Laundry loads and mental (over)load
A few weeks ago, I was tickled by a comic strip in The Guardian about “mental load.” Yes, it’s sexist, and it generalizes (a lot), and yet, based on the engagement a…
Guest Post | Gyro-whattt?
As a health coach and Membership Coordinator for the Women Business Owners of Southeastern Michigan, I do a fair amount of networking, and I get to meet a lot of…
A way forward | Getting past nonstarters
I mentioned a few weeks ago that at my house, we’re going through a Hamilton phase, and I can’t help but view the current debates about health care as just one…
A summer of firsts and lasts
This is turning into a summer of “lasts” at our house: one child’s last summer before college and last day of work at a job held for three years already,…
Happy Half Birthday, 2017!
It’s 4th of July weekend, which means (yikes!) we’re half way through the year. Whattt? I was thinking that in some ways, this weekend is like what kids call their…
Dear Wonder Woman…
Have you seen Wonder Woman yet? It’s definitely been a hot topic of conversation at my house this summer, and it’s getting rave reviews from a lot of critics. My own…
Mind. Blown.
Time for a shout-out to all the guys: Happy Father’s Day! Thank you to all the dads, dads-to-be, stepdads, grandfathers, foster fathers, AND all those who father and mentor us….
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Yay—another fun guest blogger! Today, I’m happy to share a great reminder with you from my friend Cheryl Meyer, who is going to let you in on a deep, dark…
Multitasking | To hack or not to hack?
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’m a big fan of podcasts—I listen to a fair number of self-improvement, health, and entrepreneur/business related ones, and my…
Belly up to the [fill in the blank] bar
It’s a gray early Sunday morning in Ann Arbor—even I sleep in most Sundays (sometimes even as late as 7am 🙂 ), but today is my first 5K—nope, just walking—and…
Finding your tribe | Are you my people?
A business coach I work with recently posted a question on her Facebook page, asking what word is so overused in our respective industries that we might just scream the…
Guest Blogger | Why Don’t Fad Diets Work for Everyone?
Thanks to Helen Sanders of Health Ambition for this guest post! Helen is chief editor at HealthAmbition.com and says, “Established in 2012, Health Ambition has grown rapidly in recent years. Our goal…
Granola | GOOD 70s hippie food
Back in the 90s when I was working for a caterer in Boulder, CO, one of my coworkers also hailed from Vermont. The two of us would often talk about “back home.” Jordan,…
Put your schedule on a diet | Authorization
First of all, Happy Mother’s Day to everyone, because let’s be real—whether you’re female or male, whether you have borne children of your own or raised someone else’s or been part of a…
Put your schedule on a diet | Delegation
If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you’ve probably heard that healthy, sustainable weight loss is not something that happens quickly; after all, you didn’t put on all those pounds overnight,…
Are you cancelable? (Part 2)
In a post from February (Are you cancelable?), I wrote about how we often let our self-care appointments slide off our calendar: those things—some big, some small—that we tend to think…
“Getting” religion, getting spiritual
It’s April 22 (Happy Earth Day!), and if you’ve been following along on the blog, you’ll know that the past month has seen me on the West Coast, in the…
Driving Duke Ellington
Every intersection in the road of life is an opportunity to make a decision. ~ Duke Ellington From driving to Ohio to driving in Southern California to driving to Vermont,…
Life and love in La La Land
This week finds me back in Los Angeles, where we lived for four years before moving to Michigan. It’s odd to be back. I can’t say I’ve missed driving here, and…
Life: rewind, fast forward, or play?
Have you ever noticed how when you’re paying attention, you see “coincidences” everywhere? Last week, I had two acquaintances, both of whom have colored their hair for years, start conversations about…
To my sisters: I hear you.
[Edit: Since this post was written, the S.A.N.I.T.Y. program morphed partly into Declutter Your Daytimer and partly into my membership site for women 40+. I’ve left this post up because…
Emotional Sixpack | On power outages and flexing different muscles
The power went out last week in the wake of a crazy windstorm. And it stayed out for almost six days. We lasted two nights in the house, then resorted…
Mixed Metaphors | Stories of the resistance
I learned one of my favorite mixed metaphors from a fellow coach who said, “I view my job as leading a horse to water, then teaching it how to fish.” (My…
Do less better.
Today marks the beginning of a series of workshops my collaborator, Holly Southerland, and I are calling Month of Margin. The goal of the workshops is to help women create margin in…
Are you cancelable?
When I was being certified as a health coach, I live-streamed the Institute for Integrative Nutrition’s live events, which are weekend long extravaganzas of top speakers from the world of health…
Because taxes. (And because chocolate.)
A few weeks ago, after finally registering the copyright for Fl!p Your K!tchen, I asked a question of my Facebook hivemind: what tasks do you put off and put off and…
Got blank space?
I know how one of my teens would respond to that question, and if you do, too, then you’re welcome for the earworm. But the kind of blank space I’m thinking…
Month of Margin
Are you… Overwhelmed by the clutter in your pantry, closet, or home office? Feeling like you don’t have time to take care of your home the way you want to? Busy taking…
Are you reacting or responding?
What do a rotisserie chicken and a kitchen sink have in common? It’s been an interesting week for me—I don’t know whether it’s been a phase of the moon or some…
What’s in your banker’s box?
Last fall, my brother and I spent a weekend in Colorado sifting through the piles of paperwork left by my late uncle—we were on the hunt for 1 specific document, and…
[Not so] secret sisterhoods
More than 2 million people reportedly participated in more than 670 marches in DC, across the country, and around the world yesterday. While not all the marchers were women—shout out…
When the power goes out: on habit + ritual
I once asked a native Michigander why, while rain and snow storms are common in Michigan and even tornadoes occasionally pass through, the city where we live—Ann Arbor—seems to largely go…
When the stars line up: on luck, grace, and goals
When the stars line up, and you catch a good break, People think that you’re lucky, but you know it’s grace. “Timing Is Everything,” Natalie Hemby/Troy Jones I’m a huge…
Hold out for the fairy tale
It seems as though 2016 was a particularly rough year in terms of celebrity deaths. (Although I will admit I had to laugh when my daughter found a comment on…
Crazy Wisdom covers release of FL!P YOUR K!TCHEN
Thanks to Crazy Wisdom Journal for covering the release of Fl!p Your K!tchen and to the Crazy Wisdom tea shop and store in downtown Ann Arbor for carrying the cookbook! You can pick up…
About those resolutions…
Where do you stand on making New Year’s resolutions? Do you set them each year and achieve at least part of them? Do you set them and never think about…
Goodbye, Hello: New Year, New Practice
As I get older, I feel the pull of the seasons more and more strongly, and the words of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 feel more true each year: “To every thing there is…
Baby Step #12 | Celebrate (yourself)
This is the final installment of a 12-part series titled “Baby Steps.” On the first of each month, I post 1 tiny step toward better health that you can take every…
Fill Your Plate | Feed Your Life
One of the fundamental principles of Integrative Nutrition® health coaching is that we are not only nourished (or toxified) by the food we put in our mouths—our secondary foods; we are…
“Harry was Voldemort, and Voldemort was Harry”
I’ll be honest: my candidate was out of the running after the primaries, which may be one reason that I’ve been feeling a bit detached from the aftermath of the…
A (video) taste of the Fl!p Your K!tchen™ project
You can now order Fl!p Your K!tchen! More details about the book can be found on the blog. And check out this beautiful video created by Christian O’Grady and Victoria Zegler of…
Baby Step #11 | SOLE Kitchen
This is the eleventh of a 12-part series titled “Baby Steps.” On the first of each month, I post 1 tiny step toward better health that you can take every day…
Q + A with Su Hansen | Where does your soul want to go?
As a health coach, I love meeting colleagues who not only can serve as a resource for my clients but also challenge and inspire me in my own work. Personal and…
Self-care + Happy Stockholders!
I wrote this for a wonderful networking group I am privileged to belong to—if you’re an entrepreneur looking for a facilitated referral team, check out Caerusnet (and if there isn’t one…
Baby Step #10 | An attitude of gratitude
This is the tenth of a 12-part series titled “Baby Steps.” On the first of each month, I post 1 tiny step toward better health that you can take every day…
Supper + Support | Spring 2017 series open for registration
do you need a new cooking/eating + life style? Have you decided (or have you been told) that you need to change your cooking + eating style – eat more…
Guest Blogger | A Full Circle: The Conclusion from Growth to Ground
Part of my Fl!p Your K!tchen™ system encourages you to minimize the amount of food wasted in your household. There are plenty of ways to “flip” your ingredients, but if they’ve…
The buzz in the kitchen
Seventeen years ago, I spent Labor Day in labor: Happy 17th Birthday to my firstborn! This year, I’m spending Labor Day weekend on the final revision of Fl!p Your K!tchen. If my…
Baby Step #9 | Try on a new eating style!
This is the ninth of a 12-part series titled “Baby Steps.” On the first of each month, I post 1 tiny step toward better health that you can take every day…
The 101st Way to Cook Zucchini
It’s that time of year – when gardeners start leaving “gifts” of zucchini on their neighbors’ doorsteps in the middle of the night so they can’t be refused…. This recipe…
Registration deadline extended for Fall 2016 Supper + Support
I’ve extended the registration deadline for the Fall 2016 Supper + Support group coaching series to September 7, 2016. You can read about the series here: https://simply-healthcoaching.com/supper-support-fall-2016/ Questions? Please don’t hesitate…
Eat Drink Man Woman | Of kitchens, frog farming, video games, and upset cards
Long before he really made a splash as the director of blockbusters such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee made two of my all-time favorite food movies, Eat Drink Man…
Baby Step #8 | I get to…
This is the eighth of a 12-part series titled “Baby Steps.” On the first of each month, I post 1 tiny step toward better health that you can take every day…
Why farmers go organic
Ever since we lived near (actually, right next door to!) the farmers’ market in Torrance, I’ve loved supporting local small farmers. Moving to Ann Arbor gave me the chance to…
Join me for the Fl!p Your K!tchen Launch Party!
Join me for the launch party of my Fl!p Your K!tchen book – I can’t wait to share it with you! Signed copies will be available for purchase. If you preordered, you…
Baby Step #7 | Cure the sugar blues
This is the seventh of a 12-part series titled “Baby Steps.” On the first of each month, I post 1 tiny step toward better health that you can take every day…
Supper + Support | Fall 2016
do you need to develop a new cooking + eating style? Have you decided (or have you been told) that you need to change your cooking + eating style – eat…
Ask us anything | The recording
Yesterday, I had the extreme pleasure of sharing an hour on the phone with Andrea Catherine Bachman of Grounded Here, LLC. We had a great conversation about who we are,…
Share the love!
FL!P YOUR K!TCHEN How to cook 21 meals a week from scratch (without spending your life in the kitchen) Cookbook, cooking class, and time management tool all in one, Fl!p…
Baby Step #6 | For not to
This is the sixth of a 12-part series titled “Baby Steps.” On the first of each month, I post 1 tiny step toward better health that you can take every day…
Happy (early) Father’s Day!
A big shout-out to all the dads and all those who act as our dads: thanks for all you do! So why is it that for Mother’s Day, we expect…
Ask us anything!
What do you want to know? As a health coach, I spend a lot of time asking clients questions. Well, now it’s your turn! My friend Andrea Bachman (Ayurvedic Health…
15 Ways to Make Life Simple Again
“It’s complicated….” Just about everything feels complicated these days, … and there’s a great excuse for not taking action, which causes us even more (di)stress. How to make life simple…
Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and all those who act like moms! I hope you are completely spoiled today – my day started with a blissful hour of…
Baby Step #5 | Try sea salt
This is the fifth of a 12-part series titled “Baby Steps.” On the first of each month, I’ll post 1 tiny step toward better health that you can take every day…
Fl!p Your K!tchen | Cookbook update
What’s New + Good? Lots! In fact, so much that I couldn’t wait to share some of my good news about the progress of the cookbook and express my gratitude…
Baby Step #4 | Turn it off
This is the fourth of a 12-part series titled “Baby Steps.” On the first of each month, I’ll post 1 tiny step toward better health that you can take every day…
Mother’s Day Sale!
Mother’s Day is May 8 – and Mom doesn’t want more stuff she has to dust! Show your love by getting her a hands-on cooking class or sign her up for…
How I learned to meditate
About five years ago, I switched from a conventional primary care physician to an integrative medicine physician. My hope was that when I brought up alternative therapies such as massage…
How to Prep Your Meals Like a Pro Triathlete
Well, nobody could accuse me of being a pro triathlete…but I sure can prep meals like one! Check out my appearance in “How to Prep Your Meals Like a Pro Triathlete”…
Health coaching…in a client’s words
If you’ve ever been curious about what it’s like to work with a health coach, here’s an awesome peek into a (star) client’s side of the health coaching equation! I wasn’t…
