Irenek coach

Fluffy white clouds, intermittant showers, and blooming irises -- yep, it's springtime!

For those who will celebrate this weekend, Chag Purim sameach!

Today's lunch was followed by dessert at The Cheesecake Factory!

Celebrating my birthday weekend at Wilkommen in SF.

At Carmel by the Sea as we continue to celebrate Sara's birthday.

Christmas brunch in Noe Valley

In the midst of all the preparations at this point in the holidays, may you have the space to take time to care for YOU, and be grateful. For it is in being grateful that we can build our health in body and mind.

Take time to pay attention to your meal and chew your food well. The benefits for doing so?
• Improved digestion and absorption of nutrients. If you are prone to periods of anxiety, as folks with Hashimoto’s might be, eating more slowly nourishes the body AND calms the mind.
• Eat more slowly and you’ll feel full sooner – and feel the need to eat less.
• Your body needs time to send the message to your brain that you’re full – and distracted eating disrupts that process, leading to overeating, feeling bloated and possible weight gain.

The ability to multi-task, can sometimes be a good thing. But slowing down to focus on a meal provides multiple health benefits that are worth the challenge of making this change.

Need help getting started? I’m here for you. Just email me at [email protected]. Wishing you good health!

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Healthier for the Holidays - part 2. Staying hydrated
Cold weather, too much coffee, sugary or salty foods can cause dehydration. And being dehydrated can cause headaches, affect your energy levels, lead to dry skin and hair, difficulty concentrating, and poor digestion. And if you have Hashimoto's you are already dealing with these challenges.

Staying hydrated provides many health benefits: improved skin and hair texture, clarity of though, and better digestion. Finding it hard to drink a lot of water? Eating several servings of fruits and vegetables daily can help you stay hydrated due to their natural water content.

Need help getting started? I’m here for you. Just email me at [email protected].

Wishing you good health!

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Healthier for the Holidays – the gift that keeps on giving. Part 1.

The holiday season is fast approaching. And with everything it brings, self-care can end up last on the To Do list. But it IS possible to enjoy this time of the year AND take care of yourself. First step: get enough sleep.

Not enough time to do this, you say? Well, here are several reasons why it is worth the effort to make the time.

Quality sleep provides time for the body to heal and repair, helps balance the ghrelin and leptin hormones (the ones that signal with you are hungry or full), helps balance blood sugar to prevent energy and mood swings, and supports a healthy immune system. Plus, rested, you have more energy and better focus.

Need help getting started? I’m here for you. Just email me at [email protected].

Wishing you good health!

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(Next time: Healthier for the Holidays. Part 2 - Staying hydrated)

Hashimoto’s and Diet

Did your doctor ever discuss, post-diagnosis, factors that may impair proper thyroid hormone absorption? If the acid level in your stomach is low, for instance, your body may not be absorbing the thyroid medication(s) you are taking.

Food can impair the absorption of thyroid hormones, which is why it is recommended to take them on an empty stomach, and at least an hour away from eating.

You may have one or more undiagnosed food sensitivities or digestive difficulties, where otherwise healthy foods cause inflammation, bloating, fatigue, joint pain and weight gain. Doing an elimination diet where certain common allergens are removed from your diet and reintroduced one by one can help identify if you are sensitive to any of them. This would include elimination of caffeine, dairy, eggs, grains (specifically, wheat, rye, barley, oats), legumes, nightshades, nuts, seaweed, and sugar.

If this seems too daunting, start with eliminating caffeine, sugar, soy, and anything made with flour for two weeks and see if you start feeling better. Then you can begin working on building up your microbiome to better support your digestive health and your body’s ability to absorb nutrients from the foods you eat.

Need help getting started? I’m here for you. Just email me at [email protected]. Wishing you good health!








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Why Are Habits so Hard to Break?

A habit is a behavior pattern we’ve repeated so many times that we don’t even think about it, and our daily lives are a whole tapestry of habits. Think of what you ‘automatically’ do when you first get up in the morning. Your regular routine is made up of many small habits strung together. So, changing – or replacing – a certain task or behavior requires us to actually pause and think about what we do next. With enough repetition, it too becomes a habit.

If this sounds like something you’d like to try, let me know. I’m here for you. Wishing you and yours good health,

[email protected]

How to Get the Most Out of Working with a Health Coach?

Be prepared to ‘do the work’. A good health coach listens to find the answers with you, rather than pretending they already have them. You are a unique individual. So being to explore new ideas, question old ways of thinking about what you want to accomplish for better health and why. Be willing to try new things or doing old things a new way. Believe you can – your coach does.

If any of this sounds like something you could use, let me know. I’m here for you. Wishing you and yours good health,

[email protected]
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Why work with a health coach?

First and foremost, it's all about YOU. You pick the goal(s) for the work you will do. The coach's job -- my job -- is to help break it down into achievable steps, cheer your every success ( matter how small!), be a sounding board, provide emotional support when things feel difficult, and hold the vision of what you want to achieve when you feel frustrated or 'stuck'.

If any of this sounds like something you could use, let know. I'm here for you. Wishing you and yours good health,

[email protected]

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