Ascend Lifestyle Performance Podcast

Thank you so much for being here! Really really appreciate it :) One of the most common struggles my clients have is SUGAR cravings! And I can definitely relate! Join me in this podcast as I dive into WHY we crave sugar, and more importantly what you can do about it!  

I'm back! It's been a while... a long while and I'm back at it. Not perfectly, but I'll do my best because it's my PASSION to help you make ignite positive changes so you are free to take on life's adventures and today's episode is all about just that! Thank you for your patience, and your encouragement to get back out there and start my podcasting.  I get a lot of questions about my own personal 'life planning' system. I've been tweaking it for the past 3 or 4 years, and have been pretty regular (but not perfect) on planning everyday so that I show up in life the way I want to be. So that I become the person I want to be. Because it's not enough to just say "I'm going to be more happy" or "I'm going to spend more time with my family" of "I'm going to eat healthier". We need to get specific on what ACTION steps we do weekly or daily in order to be the person we want to be. It's the things we do every day that matter.In this podcast I walk you step by step on how to plan your every day so that you actually liv

The turning of a new calendar year, and the disruption of routine over the holidays make it a perfect time to pause, reflect, and to create intentions for the year ahead. Each year, we block off two full days to review our business and to plan the year to come (this years planning day was the day I created this 1-dish chicken dinner recipe).  I also think its a very useful, and fun exercise to do personally. It’s an opportunity to check in with yourself, where you’re at, and to write your story for the year to come. Join me in this month's podcast as I go over how do a meaningful review of the previous year and set intentions and goals for the following year. Of course, setting goals and 'themes' for the year is one part, but actually taking action is the other, more important part. In episode 75 of the podcast I share how to break larger goals down into smaller, daily actions. After all, all we have is this day, one day at a time.  We'll also go over setting goals to ensure you don't plateau after working on

My goal is to help you improve your health so you can pursue your life’s adventures. And in 2017, I’m going to do something new. Each month this year, I will present one habit to work on and give you the tools and resources to be successful. Let’s get started. Does this sound familiar? “I do really, really good for a while, maybe a few weeks, or months, but then I slip. I sabotage myself, and I may not get back on track for weeks, months, or sometimes years”. As a fitness coach, I hear it all the time. Today, right now, together, we’re going to take action two simple habits to say good-bye to the #1 perpetrator of your healthy living or weight loss efforts: the all or nothing thinking. It’s simple, it’s free, and I invite you to join me in focusing on these two habits for the month of January. Dive into the podcast to learn more!

Christmas decorations are making their debut, and the smell of fresh baked gingerbread cookies is in the air. Sticking to a healthy eating plan and regular exercise routine can be a battle any day of the year. During the holidays, however, festive feasts, willpower-impairing spirits, and tempting chocolate truffles team up to challenge even the most resolute health nut. Unfortunately, the fear of putting on a few pounds, the stress of making too many ‘food choices’, or the feeling of guilt after indulging in too many shortbread cookies can overshadow holiday joy. tress and guilt around food choices is counterproductive to keeping healthy and enjoying the holidays. Fortunately, you CAN look and feel your best during the holidays! Follow these tips to thrive during the holidays: to fully enjoy the holiday season without ringing in the New Year feeling like the jolly man himself. In this episode of the Fit and Vibrant You Podcast I discuss simple strategies and mindshift changes so you go from merely surviving t

My guest today is Kalene Smith, co-owner of Go Time Training, a fitness studio in Witchita, Kansas. I know Kalene through a business coaching program, and when we met, and learned more about her, I knew that you would want to hear from her as well. During the interview, though, I quickly learned how much her story mirrors my own. And honestly, it's so refreshing to connect with other health and fitness professionals who can recognize that success goes far beyond the scale, and that health is not measure in body fat percentage. In this podcast you'll learn about: What happened when Kalene's decided to 'get healthy and lose weight', and cut down to 800 calories per day How she found strength training, and bikini competitions, and what she learned in the process Why she recommends some of her clients put their 'scale in jail' Her own personal journey to overcome mindset challenges Simple things you can do to get in the right mindset for real change

Have you ever been told that "food is just fuel"?  If that was true, why is food such a huge part of our culture? We celebrate with food. We connect with food. We LOVE good food. And that's part of being human. I'm excited to invite chef Bonnie Friesen to the Fit and Vibrant You Podcast to talk about how we can shift from seeing food as simply macronutrients and nutrition, and something that gives us energy, or perhaps something we fear, to seeing food as an amazing, enjoyable experience.  How food nourishes our soul, and can help us build meaningful relationships with loved ones. In this interview you'll learn: - How to turn the most basic meals you prepare into an experience - The benefits of eating local, in season foods, and how to do it - To shift the way you see food and cooking from 'something you have to do' to something you get to do

The night is darkest just before dawn. And for Ashley Wiles, that is certainly true. Ashley has a powerful story of how running helped her through some pretty dark times of her life, and ultimately saved her life.  From her difficult experience, she founded Sole Girls,  an empowerment program for girls ages 8–12 to teach girls about self–esteem, confidence, bullying, being a positive peer, goal setting and success, healthy living, values and more!

Do you feel judged by others, especially other women?  Or, do you find yourself comparing yourself to those around you, and perhaps trying to pick apart and being others down?  Do you feel like you have no boundaries and are give most of your time and energy to others: career, family, friends, parents, with little time to 'fill your own bucket?'.  If so, this podcast is recorded just for you.   Up until recently, I only knew a little bit about Aryn Savard: I knew she owned the Goddess Movement, a pole fitness and circus studio in Abbotsford BC- and that she can dance... like really dance (click here to visit her Facebook page and check out the videos!)  But when we met up for a walk (yes, with her dogs), the conversation flowed, and I knew you'd love to hear from her.   We cover a lot of topics such as... Judging others and being judged (ie. 'mean girls') and what it really means Aryn's breakdown, which ultimately lead to learning to set boundaries and prioritizing her health How to actually start working on

How many times have you been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, or that you need to eat small meals often throughout the day to 'fire up you metabolism'.   What if it's simply not true? I'm thrilled to bring Sharon Fast, Registered Dietitian (back onto the Fit and Vibrant You Podcast for the third time) to talk all about Intermittent Fasting. We cover:     What it is     Who should do it (and who should not do it)     Benefits of Intermittent Fasting     The right mindset for Intermittent Fasting (in other words... don't make this another 'diet'!)     Simple steps to get started I interviewed Sharon in Episode 2 (Eating for All Day Energy) and Episode 31 (Supplementing your Real Food Diet).  Sharon is also a contributor to the Whole You Transformation Project, and someone I regularly refer my clients to go see for additional nutrition support.   And if you live in Chilliwack, BC (my hometown) be sure to check out the Emotional Eating Seminar on October 26th.  It's free (yay!)  bu

Do you recall times in your life, or maybe you're like this right now, when you just feel really good?  You're inspired, you have energy, and you're simply happy. And then there's other times when things aren't so hot.  Everything seems to be a bit of a struggle. Wouldn't it be nice to know why, and better yet, what you can do about it? In this podcast I chat with Michelle Richardson, business and life coach, author and founder of Momentum Works, about Needs-Based Goals that Inspire Action.   There are many ways to set goals; few, if any, are as effective at inspiring action and achievement as a needs-based approach. Each person has a unique set of personal needs; discovering them and designing their life around them is a critical, yet little known determinant of success and happiness.  Setting goals that align with personal needs and result in the experiences required to feel inspired, vibrant, and fully alive on a daily basis makes them more compelling and increases the likelihood of achievement. In th

I have to. I can't. I shouldn't.  If I don't do it, no one else will. Rules, expectations.  Usually self-inflicted can rob us of our happiness and the ability to take care of ourselves.  Instead of spending time doing the things we want to do, we fill up our schedule with the 'have to's', the obligations.  And the outcome is often resentment, failed relationships and letting ourselves go. My guest today is Amy E. Smith. Amy is a certified confidence coach, masterful speaker, and personal empowerment expert. Founder of TheJoyJunkie.com, Amy uses her roles as coach, writer, podcaster, and speaker to move individuals to a place of radical personal empowerment and self-love. With acute focus on helping people "find their voice", she is highly sought after for her uncommon style of irreverence, wisdom, and humor and has been a featured expert on Fox 5 San Diego and YourTango.com. We talk about:     How to determine which things/ tasks/ events to say yes to, and when to say no     Exactly what to say so that yo

Do you want to get the most out of your time at the gym?  Silly question.  Of course you do! In this podcast I go over 4 steps to optimize your workout.  And, to make it super simple, I've put together a handout for you.  Click the big green button to download the "Optimize your Workout" Worksheet.

Are you stressed? Do you feel burnt out? Overwhelmed? Me too. Life is good. Really good. But sometimes things can still get a bit too much. To many 'to do's'. Too much work (even though you may love it). Not enough play. Not enough down time. In this podcast I share a few questions to ask yourself if you're feeling this way, how to check in with yourself, and a few simple actionable items to implement right away. I have a few podcast interviews lined up with AMAZING guests (can't wait to share) on the topics of self care, saying no, early warning signs that your life is out of balance.

In this podcast I bring on Sue Iverson to talk about her transformation from being a 'chubby' kid, to a battle to lose those last 5 pounds as an adult, and her journey to find real health.  

I recently received this question: “I find it challenging to stick to a healthy eating routine while I’m at work. I have long days; sometimes they start at 7am and end at 9pm. To make things worse- most of our meetings are over meals. The meals are usually catered, and the food is pretty unhealthy. Sometimes I skip the meals, but then go too long without eating and get overly hungry. I find it really challenging to pack all my meals with me. Please help! “ –Katrina B. Katrina thanks for your question. First, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with finding the time to prep and pack food for meals outside of the home. Your situation is especially difficult as sometimes you are out for all your meals, and the meal options at meetings are not the best choice. In this week's podcast I give 9 Tips to Easy Meal Prep.

If you search for ’30 Day Challenge’ on the Internet, you’ll quickly realize the popularity of 30-Day Challenges.  There’s a plethora of options, from ab challenges, to squat challenges to arm and weight loss challenges. They all go something like this: Day one 5 reps of exercise X, Y and Z.  On day 2, you do 6 reps of each exercise.  On Day 3 you do 7 reps and so on and so on, until by day 30, you’re doing quite a few repetitions of the 1-4 different exercises.  Sometimes there’s a rest day built in: for example, you’ll do 6 days of an exercise, then take one day of rest. As a fitness professional and lifestyle coach, I understand the allure of 30 day Challenges.  Even though I fiercely promote long-term lifestyle changes, doing a “rest of your life” challenge is not appealing.  As humans, we are hardwired to focus on short-term goals, which, when stacked up with a continuous number of goals, and quickly lead to a lifestyle change.  We love challenges, seeing that there will be an end point, and are able t

Quite often I bring on experts onto the show, but equally important is to hear the stories of real, everyday people (not saying that experts aren’t real) to get an insiders look as to what other people are doing.   My guest today is Lisa Parr.  When Lisa was in high school, she was very athletic, and active.  But in her 20s, she started smoking and stopped being active- it simply didn’t cross her mind that she should exercise.  Plus, she was busy raising her kids.  When she encountered a health scare, she knew it was time to start focusing on her health, and since then, Lisa’s been on a journey to better health.    I’ve brought Lisa on to share the things that she has done to transform her health.  She offers practical tips, and a whole lot of inspiration, all from ‘the horse’s mouth’. 

We often talk about goals in terms of outcomes.   For example, we have weight loss goals, or we want to improve our health, or our fitness level.  But what about how we want to feel?  And how we want to live our life?  In this episode, I talk to Ann Green all about creating simple rituals so that you can truly live the life you want to live.  We talk about: Exactly what at ritual is, and how to create rituals around 2 things that you're already doing How to connect the things you do each day to the values you want to live, so that you can be your best self Exactly how to put the idea of 'living your values' into action... because I'm all about taking ACTION! Ann is a yogi, a runner, a surfer and a shineologist and has been teaching this revealing force of nature in her approach to yoga, humbly inspiring more bliss in this awe inspiring world. Ann’s mission in life is to manifest that deep vibration of connection and happiness discovered through the web and flow of love and nature.  An active green ‘be’ing,

We often talk about the physcial benefits of exercise- preventing heart disease, maintaining a healthy body weight, bone health, maintaining strength and function.  But most people I work with also understand the mental benefits of exercise.  In fact, the most common reason people workout is simply because it improves their mood.  It helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.  It improves focus, concentration and productivity.  I hear "it makes me a better mom".  It simply feels good. And quite frankly, moving your body because it feels good is a lot more motivating than exercising to burn calories, or to reduce a risk of heart disease.  But do you know why exercise improves your mood and brain health?  And do you know what types of exercise best boost your brain health?  I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Dr. Norm Hoffman on the neurological benefits of exercise, and I'm excited to share this episode with you.  Thirty-four years ago, Dr. Hoffman's dad visited his medical doctor because of sever