Ahhh, summer vibes. The sun’s out, the grill’s fired up, and patio season is calling. There’s nothing more Canadian than a good backyard BBQ with friends, burgers, and let’s be honest—those refreshing cocktails.

But if you’re working toward health or fitness goals, alcohol can sneakily slow your progress more than you might think.

Here’s why: 🥂

Alcohol impacts fat metabolism – When you drink, your body pauses fat burning to focus on breaking down alcohol first. That mojito? It might be putting your workout gains on hold.

It messes with your sleep – Even just one or two drinks can affect your sleep quality, leaving you groggy, hungrier, and more likely to skip your workout the next day.

Hidden sugars and calories – Cocktails often come loaded with syrups, juices, and extra sugars that add up quickly.

And let’s be honest—alcohol rarely makes you crave a salad.

But don’t worry—you don’t have to ditch the fun! Summer is about balance, not restriction. Here are a few refreshing, l...

As a health coach and personal trainer, I always emphasize the importance of a balanced diet, exercise, and proper rest. However, supplements can play an essential role in supporting your fitness goals. Today, let’s talk about three key supplements that can make a real difference, especially for women looking to enhance their performance, energy, and overall well-being.

1. Creatine – Boost Strength and Endurance

Creatine is one of the most researched and effective supplements when it comes to improving physical performance. While it's commonly associated with muscle growth in men, it can be just as beneficial for women. Creatine helps to replenish the energy stores in your muscles during high-intensity exercise, allowing you to push harder and recover faster.

Women often shy away from creatine due to myths about it causing bulky muscles, but the truth is, creatine helps improve strength and endurance, making workouts more effective. Whether you're lifting weights, doing HIIT, or ev...

As a health coach and trainer, I talk a lot about taking care of your physical and mental well-being. But today, I want to shift the focus to something just as important—your financial health. Just like regular check-ups for your body, it’s essential to regularly check in on your financial habits. One simple way to do this is by doing a credit card audit. 

You might not realize it, but credit card debt can quietly sneak up on you, and before you know it, you’re paying more in interest than you should. A credit card audit helps you get back in control and, more importantly, puts that extra money back in your pocket! 

Step 1: Review Your Spending
Start by reviewing your credit card statements for the last 3-6 months. Take a close look at what you’re spending on and ask yourself: “Do I really need this?” Look for unnecessary subscriptions, excessive impulse purchases, or recurring charges that you’ve forgotten about. It’s time to cut out the financial clutter! 

Step 2: Check...

As a personal trainer and health coach who’s been in the trenches with those juggling it all—whether it’s being a mother, partner, entrepreneur, daughter, or friend—I’ve seen firsthand how easy it is to let yourself slip to the bottom of the priority list. But here’s the truth: if you’re not taking care of yourself, you’re not able to show up as your best self for anyone else. 

So, let’s talk about your non-negotiables.

These are the commitments you make to yourself that are absolutely essential for your well-being. They’re the practices you choose to integrate into your life to make sure you stay grounded, energized, and healthy. Without them, you’ll find yourself running on empty, trying to pour from an empty cup.

1. The Power of Movement

Whether it’s a quick 30-minute walk, a yoga session, or strength training, moving your body regularly isn’t just about staying fit—it’s about honoring the incredible machine that your body is. Movement doesn’t have to be intense every day, but...

As women approach their late 30s and beyond, many start to notice changes in their body—especially when it comes to weight, energy levels, and overall health. While many of these shifts are often chalked up to aging, one often-overlooked factor plays a significant role: hormones.

Hormonal fluctuations can affect everything from metabolism and appetite to sleep patterns and stress levels. For women aged 35-55, the hormonal transitions that come with perimenopause and menopause can make maintaining a healthy weight and feeling energized more challenging. The good news is that understanding these changes and working with your body can help you take control of your health.

The Hormone-Weight Connection

Hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and insulin are vital for regulating key processes like metabolism, fat storage, and muscle maintenance. As we age, estrogen levels start to decline, which can result in increased fat storage, especially around the abdominal area. Similar...

As a female personal trainer and coach, I’m passionate about helping women achieve their health and fitness goals. One area that often gets overlooked is the menstrual cycle, a vital part of our health that can significantly influence how we feel and perform. Thankfully, technology is here to help! Apps like Ovia and Lively can provide valuable insights into your cycle journey, empowering you to understand your body better and make informed decisions about your health.

Tracking your menstrual cycle isn’t just about knowing when your period will arrive. It’s about understanding the hormonal changes that affect your mood, energy levels, and even your workout performance. With the right app, you can gain insight into your unique cycle patterns, allowing you to align your fitness routines with your body’s natural rhythms. For instance, during the follicular phase, many women experience increased energy and strength, making it a great time to push through intense workouts. Conversely, duri...

Do you struggle to achieve and stick to the health goals you set for yourself? You are not alone. Accountability is one of the top reasons people are unable to stick with and achieve the health goals they set for themselves.

The definition of accountability is: the fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility. For example, if you take responsibility for your own actions, you show accountability. 

This applies to almost every aspect within our lives. You can take these steps and apply them to other areas in your life as you see fit! Here is how to become accountable for your health goals:

1.  Set clear and concise goals: it is very important to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve. Be specific - i.e. "I want to be able to run 10km in under 50mins." Write it down somewhere you can see it all the time - the visual component really helps. 
2.  Keep a pulse: track what you are doing and review your progress, this is helpful to see where you may need to make chang...

Back to school is in full swing! A few weeks in, take some time to reflect on how it is going - Are you settling into a new routine easily? Do things feel more chaotic than usual? Are you craving some changes to optimize how everyone feels as a family? Whether big changes need to be made, or small ones for everyone to feel like a healthier family unit - this happens with small steps, conscious effort and setting goals. Let’s look at how you can achieve a healthier family unit for this new school year. 

Food

The best way to achieve your healthier food goals is to make a plan. Find your families favourite go to meals and create a meal rolodex that you can rotate through to have a plan for the meals you will eat. You can add to this as new recipes come your way. 

Plan your meals for the upcoming week and shop accordingly - Make the menu visible so you can remember to take out what is needed the night before, or note if you need to pick anything fresh up.

Bulk prep food - Cook ahead...

You want to eat healthy and feel energized, but it is so much effort…sounds familiar right? One of the biggest obstacles to achieving this for many of us is the minimal time we have to plan and prepare our food. Let me take some of the time and planing energy off your plate! Here is a complied list of foods that pack the best nutrient punch, why they are so good, and ways to eat them:

Dark, leafy greens - they are an excellent source of nutrients, including folate, zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium, vitamin c and fibre. Some examples are kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, turnip greens and spinach. They are great added to soups, salads, smoothies and stir-fries.

Berries - a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. The most common berries falling into this category are raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and cranberries. They are delicious with yogurt and oatmeal, in salads and smoothies and of course just on their own!

Eggs - rich in vitamin B and A, c...

Are you worried that your hard work and healthy lifestyle might take the back seat over the summer months? With all the the festivals, vacations, lazy days and BBQ’s it can feel like food and drink are always taking the front seat! It is however, totally possible to keep it healthy and balanced at the endless events. 

Here are some of my favourite health-conscious food swaps that can be made at your next BBQ, or any summer-time event really! 

•  Choose lean cuts of poultry, such as skinless chicken breast or turkey - these options can significantly reduce saturated fat intake. 
•  Opt for fish, like salmon or tuna - they are excellent, as they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
•  Swap out the bun on your hamburger, hot dog or sandwich with fresh and crunchy lettuce!
•  Go for the fruit platter for dessert over the sweets, but ice cream can still be a nice treat from time to time :)
•  When there is an appetizer spread out in advance of the main BBQ meal, snack on the veggies.
•  Fill your ...