Practicing an “attitude of gratitude” has physical, mental, spiritual, and social benefits.

I know life is hard sometimes – this year, maybe more than most. And that’s partly why being deliberately grateful is so helpful. When our hearts are flowing with gratitude, there’s not much room left for fear or apprehension. Grateful people tend to be happier and healthier than their grumpier counterparts. Saying “thank you” spreads happiness one little bit at a time.

So, this year, amid all the hustle and bustle, be sure to express your gratitude on a regular basis.

​Write a daily gratitude list.

Tell someone you appreciate him or her every day – a friend, family member… heck, the delivery driver! It doesn’t matter.

Journal, meditate, or engage your spirituality with thankfulness.

Here’s a bonus tip: Do this even when you don’t feel like it.

I promise it will make you feel better – and that’s always something to be thankful about.


<3
Paige



WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!

We are heading into a “special” time of year for your health and fitness:

The holidays! And not just any holiday - but the holidays of 2020. I want you to be ready and fired up!

Earlier this month, I posted about finishing the year STRONG. But there’s something that happens this time of year – it’s like clockwork.

During the holidays, a surprising number of people say they are “too busy” to workout and stick to their health and fitness routines.

I wanted to talk about the “too busy” excuse... because you are WAY TOO IMPORTANT to let that get in the way!

Earlier this year, we had a wakeup call to be grateful and thankful for our health – and we also had a lot of extra time on our hands.

Even with that extra time – just an observation here, not a judgment – many of us let our routines slide. Because we were too stressed, too worried, and everything felt too uncertain.

Don’t let being “too” anything stand in the way of your wellness! It’s time to get ahead of it, and the time to start is NOW.

You’ve probably heard of SMART goals before. It’s all about setting specific, measurable goals that are attainable, relevant to your life, and TIME-SPECIFIC. They have a deadline!

Well, we have a big deadline coming up – Dec. 31, 2020.

What can you do between now and then so that you feel stong, healthier, and more energized than you do right now?

What can you do NOW so you’re not playing catch-up in January and start off the New Year with momentum!?

Let’s plan ahead and take action on the things we CAN control.

Today, take a few minutes to think about changes you can make. Things like:

● Planning your meals ahead of time
● Finding 20-30 minutes to exercise 3-4 times a week
● Meditating 5-10 minutes a day
● Hydrating yourself - drinking half your body weight in fluid ounces daily

Then, take ACTION!

I’ll be in your corner, cheering you on! Just comment here and let me know what you are going to be working on to finish this year strong.

Photo: my kids in their Christmas jammies - I couldn't resist!


<3
Paige



WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!

It’s almost the week of Thanksgiving! And with all of the fun and busyness of the holiday, things can get a little hectic and crazy. Am I right?!

Run to this store… go to that place… pick this up… drop that off… get this done… and the list goes on and on. Figure out how you are going to handle the holidays for the first time during a pandemic...

The number of things you need to get done in a day (let alone a holiday week!) are INCREDIBLE.

It’s easy to feel drained, rushed, and pressured, and feel like you need to focus your attention on all the things you still HAVE to do.

The LAST thing you want to take the time to do is slow down and practice a little gratitude. But guess what?

Gratitude is one of the surest ways to protect yourself from getting pulled into the negative, stress-filled, and energy-draining hamster wheel.

It can literally help you short-circuit stress before it has a chance to set in.

Gratitude is NOT wearing rose-colored glasses and ignoring what you’ve got going on...

But it is taking intentional time to notice the GOOD things happening in our lives!

Did you know that on top of giving you an extra shot of the feel-good hormone serotonin, feeling gratitude actually can CHANGE your brain?

It helps strengthen the connection between the emotional and thinking parts of your brain – and people who have a gratitude practice are less likely to suffer from depression or anxiety.

They also are more optimistic in general, less angry, and sleep better! (Win, win, and WIN!)

Having a gratitude practice can even help lower your blood pressure and raise your heart-protective HDL cholesterol!

Pretty incredible!

So, how do you start a gratitude practice that actually feels AUTHENTIC to you and your life?

That’s easy. Start just like you would begin a workout routine... slowly.

Take a few minutes every day to think about (and even write down) a few things that you feel truly grateful for – and why you’re grateful for them.

This isn’t about going through the motions, but about actually FEELING them.

If you want to amp it up, place your hands over your heart as you think about what you’re grateful for. (I know this may sound weird, but try it before you knock it!)

Over a short period of time, you’ll notice that it becomes a lot easier, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to have a better day because of it.

Think of it as an experiment and give it a try – there are no negative side effects. :)


Lots of love,
Wilcox Wellness & Fitness



​WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!

This year has been challenging in many ways. Anxiety is rising in people who haven’t ever experienced it before as we have less certainty than ever. 
 
A few weeks ago, I shared my thoughts on anxiety – basically saying that we can strive to change our thoughts from negative to positive as they pop into our heads.
 
Obviously, it is a lot more complicated than that. 
 
I am so thankful that Brittany Barker reached out to me to help me unpack this issue that is impacting so many of us.
 
Brittany is a long-time Wilcox Wellness & Fitness client and a psychotherapist/LCSW (licensed clinical social worker). She works full-time in the local healthcare system, but also has a private practice where she sees clients via telehealth during this pandemic.
 
Anxiety is a stealer of joy. It is complicated. It is deep-rooted. And if it is left un-checked, it can take you away from living your very best life.
 
Brittany’s passion is working with women of all ages, building up their self-worth, using cognitive behavioral therapy to restructure faulty thinking styles, and uncovering old toxic core beliefs so they can live life now. No more waiting. 
 
I think you are going to love hearing from Brittany to better understand the impact of anxiety on your life.

When we experience negative emotions (caused by anxious thoughts) our brains produce and release hormones - cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones exist for a reason... technically they keep us safe in times of danger. They help our bodies fight against a threat (think big scary bear in the woods on a casual hike). They help athletes win the game or run the race. Well that’s great, if you’re in the woods or you’re running a race.

But what if you’re sitting at home on the couch thinking? Thinking about applying for that promotion, going to the gym by yourself, going to the post office, or what the results of that ultrasound might be? And then the hormonal release happens. No bear, no race. 

It feels just awful.


We might feel lightheaded, like we can’t catch our breath, like we can’t get to a restroom fast enough, like our hands are numb, like we want to run away, or we’re suddenly overcome by irritability and can't get to sleep at night. 

We decide that whatever we’re thinking about is clearly not a good idea. Whatever we’re thinking about is “the problem”. So we stop. We avoid the thing. We don’t go to the post office. We don’t take the next step. 

And we definitely don’t ask that person out!  
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And slowly, subtly, we start shaving away the things in our lives that we think “cause” the feelings that we dread. We begin living smaller and less authentic lives, forfeiting what we want in exchange for just not feeling like “that”. We start making choices based not on our desires and wildest dreams, but on what allows us to stay comfortable.​

​Safe.
 
It just makes sense. If going out to dinner alone makes us want to vomit, we’re probably not going to do it. If asking for the promotion keeps us up at night and resurfaces that old habit of biting our nails or eating an entire sleeve of Double Stuffed Oreos -  it’s highly likely that we’ll tell ourselves, “I don’t really want it. It’s too much work anyway. I don’t really care about progressing. I’m just fine where I am. I can’t even ask for it for the love of Pete, what makes me think I can actually DO it?”. And it snowballs from there.
 
We do less of the things that create passion, excitement, and joy.
 
We put off so much of what we dream about, sometimes we stop dreaming entirely. And this often makes us feel depressed. Hopeless. Bored. Stagnant, etc. We say we’ll do it when we’re – thinner, older, richer, wiser etc. We’ll do it some other time when it feels easier.

If this feels at all like something you’ve experienced, you’re not alone. You are so very much not alone. Not even a little bit. Do you want the good news or the bad news? The bad news is, if you don’t address it – it probably won’t just go away on its own. The good news is, you can address it and regain your life and start living. Is it easy? No, it’s really not. Is it worth it?  100%. How do I know? Because you are worth it. You’re so unequivocally worth it.

Join me next time as we learn about 5 techniques you can start to integrate into your life now as you begin to target your anxiety and live your life fully.

-Brittany Barker

Wow – that was the best explanation of anxiety that I have ever heard.  Thank you so much, Brittany, for breaking it down for us. 
 
I am certainly excited for the next post on how to target anxiety in order to live life to the fullest.
 
In the meantime, if you are interested in talking with Brittany directly, you can set up a time to chat by clicking here.
 
Lots of love,
 
Paige



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Now, more than ever is the critical time to focus on your nutrition - to keep your immune system up, to feel good, and to keep you mentally sharp.

I would argue that NOW might be the easiest time to focus on your nutrition - you have complete control over what comes in and out of your house, you aren't on the run as much anymore, and there is more time to cook and meal prep.

And yes... I know it is a stressful time and that can trigger some stress eating but we can get on top of that by ensuring that we put the good in first.

Today, in my quarantine kitchen, I am making chicken burrito bowls. This is one of my favorite recipes - it is always a little different and always delicious.

I am sharing the steps here and you can get the ‘real’ recipe by downloading our most popular slow cooker cookbook.

Hope you love it!

Paige
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Helllooooo - it is day 4 of our 5 day Sugar Detox Challenge.  We. Are. Almost. There.  

Keeping today's video short because it is a snow day and I am home with my 5-year-old who could come running in at any minute.  

Stay strong!

Happy Detoxing!

Paige




​WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!

CONGRATULATIONS - you are more than half way through your sugar detox challenge!!!  

Hope this is helpful to you.  Interested in joining our Sugar Detox program?  Click here to join us for the next round!

Happy Detoxing!

Paige





​WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!

Yayyyyy!!! It is day 1 of our community wide Sugar Detox Program.  Here is a LIVE video where I am talking through some of the keys to success in the program.  

Sugar is no go for you at all.  If you needed more reasons to cut out the sugar, hopefully this list will help you harden your resolve: 
 
●     Added sugars will can lead to weight gain. Added sugars load your body up with calories that have virtually NO nutritional benefit. In fact, sugar can rob your body of vital minerals (like calcium and magnesium). 
 
●      It can raise your risk of heart disease. Excess sugar can increase inflammation in your body as well as your triglyceride, blood pressure and blood sugar levels. 
 
●      It is linked with type 2 diabetes. Your body goes through hormonal swings when you eat sugar – releasing insulin and other substances to help your body remove it from your bloodstream. If you’re consuming too much sugar, you can potentially develop insulin resistance and diabetes over time.
 
●      Too much sugar can 1) cause acne and 2) speed up the rate your skin ages because it interferes with collagen and elastin, which affect how firm your skin looks.
 
●      It’s linked with certain cancers. Research is still ongoing, but a diet high in sugar can lead to other factors (such as obesity, insulin resistance, and inflammation) that are associated with some forms of cancer.
 
●      It speeds the aging process. Studies show it makes your cells age more quickly – and potentially does the same to your body.
 
●      and so much more it can also harm your liver, it’s linked with depression, it’s not good for your teeth, can affect your hunger hormones, 

Hope this is helpful to you.  Interested in joining our Sugar Detox program?  Click here to join us for the next round!

Happy Detoxing!

Paige



WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!
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