Sharon Spruill-Independent Certified Coach

Another great high protein recipe! ❤️

Fall is around the corner! 🍂🍁 And with that comes jeans season! I know for me my jeans used to “shrink” a little over the summer. 😉

Are you ready for your gut to feel better, feel less bloated, to have more energy throughout the day, and maybe even sleep better? 🙌🏻 Maybe that sounds like you or someone you know. I’d love to help.

This promo comes around rarely, so don’t wait!! Only 6 more days left! 😬 Past clients who have not placed an order in the last 180 days (6 months) benefit from this promo, too! 🙌🏻 Even if it’s to stock up on healthy snacks to help with your optimization! It’s a great way to save!

And as a coach, I have recently been certified to help those who are using GLP-1s for medical weight loss with the nutrition side of their weight loss. Often those who finish their treatments are left without a nutrition plan and fall back into old habits. Let’s work on a plan for your unique needs so you can keep moving toward your health goals.

Just contact me or fill out the wellness form in the link in my bio (Instagram) or in the comments on FB.

Commit to your health this year! You are worth it. And I’ll walk along side you as you crush your goals! ❤️

#5&1

Bored with the same ol’ dinners? Give this Egg Popiah a try! Could also be brought as a healthy meal for a family gathering or a football get-together! 😀 (See recipe highlight for full recipe in Instagram or comments in FB)

Bring on football season! 🏈

If you’re looking for more healthy recipes, check out all the recipes in my highlight button. Let know if you made any! 😀 I’m always looking for feedback whether it was good or not so much. I’ll be adding a few more recipes each month so stay tuned!

&1

Let’s talk about “processed foods”. Sometimes I’ll get comments like “I really want to try your program and get healthier but it’s all processed foods.”

If you didn’t grow your food in your own garden, the food you eat is “processed” in some way!

Processed foods don’t have to be scary... 😱 In fact, some are actually designed to be HEALTHY! 🥑🍎🍚

Optavia has always focused on adding NUTRIENTS, not addictive chemicals, not refined sugars, not ingredients you can’t pronounce, and no artificial colors, sweeteners and preservatives. Our products contain none of those!

Yes, our products are processed PERFECTLY….with everything your body needs to support your health goals. Our Essential Line has your daily vitamins and prebiotic and probiotics, as well.

Our fall promo ends 8/30 to get discounts off your first AND SECOND orders! 🙌🏻 Message me for for info or click the link in my bio to fill out your wellness form and let’s chat!

Our current promo has been extended! 🎉

We already discount first-time orders for new clients and now there’s an additional $75 off! AND a discount on your second order, as well! Promo ends 8/31. If you’ve ever wanted to try this nutrition program for 60 days to see what you can accomplish for your health, now’s the time!

Let’s chat! You are worth it. ❤️

Wilderness Trip🫎

I had an amazing trip a few weeks ago. Pictures cannot do any justice on the experience; however I tried to capture many moments that represented how nice it was to be in the beauty of nature, spending time with God and having fun with friends for a full week!

There was LOTS of rowing. A full rainy day. A wonderful campfire with hot cocoa ready within minutes. Constant pitching of tents and hammocks and rearing them down to move on. Treasure chest hunts. 💩 A good amount of portaging in mud. Leeches. Mosquitos. Beautiful sunrises and sunsets! Lakes that looked like glass. Lakes that white capped by wind. Capsized boats. Lots of unintentional swimming. 🤣 MOOSE! 🙌🏻

I had the opportunity to do this about 5-6 years ago, but just couldn’t bring myself to go. 40 pounds of extra weight on me, severe knee and back pain and out of shape. I didn’t want to be the one that ruined the trip by not completing it or getting injured. I’m still out of shape (but in better shape than I was), I had leg surgery a few months back, and I’m up about 12-15 pounds from my lowest loss AND yes-I still have back issues. However, I also lost a lot of stored fat and I protected my muscles by eating proteins. By taking weight off, I took 4x the pressure off my knees and back. 4xs! And while I wanted to try and carry a canoe, I decided not to push it. 😂 But I did carry my own backpack and a separate food bag! 🙌🏻 And I did something crazy! (For me, that is.) Stay tuned.

5 out of 5 stars, would do again. 😉

Last week was amazing! We rowed canoes, hauling bags, and portaging (carry a canoe on your shoulders*)...I’ll share a few pictures later but for now, let’s talk about the foods I brought on this trip that fed me for an entire week…all the while eating gluten free, high protein and moderate carbs and fats to fuel my body.

1. Each morning I would have an Optavia protein bar and a flavor infuser in my water (it has caffeine and gave me a kick start to my day).

2. By mid morning I would have 1 or 2 of these Archer beef sticks (grass fed beef, no sugar added) and a That’s It fruit bar.

3. Lunch was 1 pkg of 2 granola bars with peanut butter (not my ideal PB choice but it traveled well) and a Gatorade zero/Liquid IV or EAA depending on the day.

4. Mid afternoon I would have another Optavia protein bar and some fruit snacks.

5. Dinner was freeze dried MRE type meals. Each packet was 2 servings and I ate both! Roughly no more than 560 calories combined (sometimes the packet was less) for the entire packet.

6. I brought my Essential Amino Acids along (a client told me to mix the two flavors together and it’s so good!) and I also made my own trail mix by adding in almonds, walnuts and some Keto granola with some Libby’s chocolates. Also not pictured are some high protein organic PB cups from Costco that held up pretty well considering the weather temps. I had one of those before it was time to collect our bear bags and secure them for the night. 👍🏻 I would rotate between trail mix or the PB cups as my last protein intake.

It is possible to eat healthy while out in nature and off the grid. *I have bad back pain for several years and by eating anti inflammatory foods (and losing weight) it helps to not trigger arthritis pain. On this trip, my back was sore even though I was not someone who was able to carry a canoe, but once my tent was set up, I stretched, and relaxed, I was fine! 🙌🏻

And I did something I was petrified to do! I’ll share that later, too!

Nutrition matters! It just takes preparation and a commitment to yourself to properly eat the way your body needs to be fueled. If you’d like to learn more, I’m happy to help.

Only 2 weeks left on the summer promo! Did you know new clients get a nice discount for trying Optavia for their first month? And now the company is offering an additional discount! Why not commit to your health for 30 days to learn how to fuel your body, take care of your blood sugars and protect your muscles…for life?! And I’ll coach you through the process! 👍🏻

Message me or simply fill out the wellness form in my bio link and let’s do a free consult! It feels good to feel good! ❤️

❤️🙌🏻 Great reminder!

Blood sugar matters. Not just for maintaining a healthy weight but for so many areas of health. (Pancreas, brain, heart, etc.)

This fall I will be leading a weekly small group on habits of health over zoom (20-30 minutes tops). You do not need to be a client to participate. Message me if you would like to join in.

I’ve talked about this before, but it’s worth sharing again. Especially during the summer, questions about consuming carbs, fats, and proteins, and how much of each, come up often. With more summer parties filled with great foods, we also want to feel better in our clothes and swimsuits. 🥴

Here’s a great graphic with a few examples. Eating more foods in the green categories, moderately eating foods in the yellow category, and rarely eating those in the red helps create a balanced nutrition plan. I’d suggest avoiding anything in the red category while in a weight loss phase, as they are higher in calories. In any phase, calories matter and it’ll be different for everyone (more on that later). Eating foods higher in proteins with small amounts of fat and carbs are better to fuel your muscles (protect them) and help you feel fuller longer. Additionally, eating smaller protein snacks with small amounts of carbs between meals helps keep your metabolism burning and your blood sugar stable all day long.

Carbs and fat fuel the fire for your metabolism. Protein helps you feel full and protects your muscles. Just like any fire, you have to stoke that flame to get a big burn going. But if you build a fire with just small twigs, it burns up fast—that’s what carbs do. You crash quickly and then you’re looking for more snacks within an hour or so. Fat, on the other hand, are the logs, baby! So what does the body do when the kindling of carbs is gone? It looks to stored fat to burn. And it’s a slow burn. You need to keep the fire going with some kindling under those logs, so every now and then, you need those carbs to keep the fire burning. Your body will place more logs of fat to burn! 🔥

What happens when you eat too many carbs? The body stops looking for the logs of stored fat and uses up the kindling, leaving you searching for more in an hour.

What happens if you eat too much fat? It’ll burn up that fat first and not look for the logs until it’s burned the fat you just ate, slowing progress.

Calories? The range will be different for everyone and I can calculate the range for anyone who is interested. You can drop me a message if you want to know your specific range.

Conditioning my body to haul all of my essentials for an upcoming hiking/canoeing trip! Almost all my stuff is packed in this bag with the exception of a tent and a few small items that will have to wait until it’s go time. Decided to add weights to my walks and increase the weight each week. Hopefully by the time we leave, it’ll be easily! Ok well….easier…..this won’t be easy. But it’ll be worth it!

Here’s a few things I’m trying to prepare myself for:

Lifestraw failure
Bathing in a lake far enough out to avoid leeches 😱
Leeches
Bathroom in woods (bladder is the size of a goldfish)
Bugs
Bears
Leeches 🤣

Have you done this type of hiking? Give me your best tips!!

As a volunteer at Special Olympics, I thought I’d pass along this opportunity for a free workshop. Sharing for those who may need more information about planning for special needs family members.

Tag your friends who may want to join this webinar on June 20 at 6pm over zoom! Sponsored by New York Life.

She camped for all of 18 hours but she’s feeling how I am feeling! 🤣 Beautiful weekend! Even when the fog rolled in last night making it look eerie! It looked like we should have expected the Black Pearl or the Flying Dutchman to burst on the scene! 🏴‍☠️It turned chilly enough to see our breath, too! And then it stormed. So packing up all the things that are soaked…..rain happens. ⛺️ 😉 Can’t complain!

Remember and honor those who have fallen for our freedoms. 🇺🇸

As we head into the holiday weekend, here are some reminders to help us to make healthier choices and not feel regret or guilt come Tuesday. Remember, it’s not about the food. Make it about relationships. ❤️

Remember, honor and respect those who gave all for our freedom. 🇺🇸

Stop. Challenge. Choose. Do you do this?

Take a moment and pray, self-reflect, and choose what will be better for you in the long term. ❤️

All of this….

Exciting to see warmer colors starting to get used for this 2024 temperature blanket! ❤️🥰

Yesterday Dr A shared this diagram about energy density and I wanted to expand on what it means because this is why we get munchies over and over again!

Energy density is like a roller coaster ride through the world of food. Sometimes we reach for that tempting dark chocolate or carb-loaded snack, riding high on the energy boost, only to come crashing down harder than a dropped soufflé. 🥱

Understanding energy density can be our culinary compass, steering us towards foods that keep us cruising smoothly through our weight management journey. So check out this diagram to navigate your way to snacking successfully. Those in red are HIGH CALORIE snacks and those in green are LOW CALORIE. So you can eat more of the lower calorie section for the same amount of energy. This is why snacking on proteins along with low glycemic carbs and some healthy fats helps keep your energy up and protects your muscles. 👍🏻

If you want to learn more, let’s talk. Knowledge is free! 😉

Whatcha reading?!

I finished one of my fiction books (The Exchange) and am looking for something else. Either for me or as a gift. 😉 Mother’s Day? Graduations? Fathers Day?

I do have a bunch of Christian theology/wisdom books to go through. But I can always add to my wait list! 😀

Thanks friends!

Protein packed mashed potatoes air fried into bite size pretzels. With Everything But the Bagel seasoning. 😋

Protein snack at 100 calories. With essential vitamins! 👍🏻 And so yummy!

Age-Appropriate Nutrition! Is that a thing?

Do you struggle with conflicting information about nutrition, feeling like you’re in a game of dietary tug-of-war between kale and sourdough?

Did you know that without a clear understanding of how nutrition needs change with age, people often end up on a rollercoaster diet ride, feeling like they’re perpetually stuck on the loop-de-loop of fear, disappointment and failure.

On top of knowledge, did you consider how our emotions and mindset are crucial to our nutritional behavior? Because, let’s face it, sometimes our cravings for chocolate cake are more emotional than rational. A positive mindset is the best seasoning for any meal, especially if it’s kale. 😉

As we age, we tend to lose muscle mass, impacting our metabolism and overall health. Additionally, modern sedentary lifestyles contribute to decreased mobility and slower movements, exacerbating the effects of aging. And it’s why older individuals have a harder time lifting themselves up after a fall…..or we unconsciously make that groan our parents made when making the effort to get out of a low chair. 😬

This is why nutrition matters. It’s why strength training matters. If you want to feel less frustrated and more knowledgeable about your specific needs, let’s discuss how your nutrition should evolve with age for a healthier, happier you!

Hmm….might mix things up! 🤔😋

What if I told you that you may be recycling “dirty” water to your organs?

How much water do you drink a day? Seriously? Do you track it? Did you know that our body needs a minimum of 64oz of fresh water a day? Minimum. And if it doesn’t get that, it finds water from somewhere in your body to give it to necessary function of your organs. 😬 Dry skin, dry eyes, can be (not always) a sign of dehydration.

For context that’s about 4 of the 16.9oz water bottles a day. Your organs and joints needs water. Ever hear your knees crackle when you bend? It can be that your joints and cartilage need water! (It can be other ailments, too, especially as we age!) But start with water! 💦

Most people think sodas or coffee count toward your water. Try to keep it to just water. See if you can tell a difference! 👍🏻

How much do you drink? Too little (under 64oz) or too much (over 150oz)? I’m really curious! Is it a struggle?

If I have to elevate my leg, she does too. 🤣 Thanks for the text messages and calls. I’m doing really well after a minor procedure on my leg and recovery hopefully will be quick. Was able to get up and pull weeds on this beautiful day! And now it’s rest time with my snuggle buddy. ❤️