Coach Nichole Thomas

No joke- Stress reduces your immune system in a very real way. But don’t let that stress you out😅 I have some tips below for managing stress. I want to hear yours too! Comment below with your go-to healthy ways to reduce stress 🧐🧠🙌🏽

Mine are:
✍🏽Write my gratitude list.
🔌Unplug from media stimuli.
🏃🏽‍♀️Get outside and walk, run or hike.
🌷Spend time barefoot on the grass/earth. (Grounding)
🙏🏽Prayer time.
📞Call a friend and focus on being of service to them. Send them an encouraging text.

Great post

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- The time I was featured in a womens sporting clay magazine.

Standing beside some incredible women. So full of GRACE & GRIT ❤️💪🏽 I have so many positive and empowering memories growing up shooting sporting clays.

Sporting clays is a form of clay pigeon (disc) shooting, often described as "golf with a shotgun" because a typical course includes from 10 to 15 different shooting stations laid out over natural terrain. Sporting Clays is in some ways similar to golf. You shoot 100 clay discs to complete a round of sporting clays.

The sport requires a clear, focused, positive mind. Negative thoughts will cause you to miss and cost you points. Managing your mindset is a crucial skill in this sport, and all sports … especially the game of life. Sometimes you are going to miss, but you can’t let the mess ups and misses derail you from present and future success.

Fun fact: Sporting Clays is one of the safest sports out there. Far safer than baseball, football and most certainly safer than cheerleading. If you have cheered chances are you or a few of your friends sustained some injuries. Two of my sister in laws sustained series injuries that required surgery from cheerleading accidents. While my friends were cheering or throwing footballs around I was shooting a shotgun.

📚If you read 10 pages a day for a year that’s 3,650 pages. Here is a stack of books to show you what that looks like ! I have 14 here 🥰 Consuming healthy food is super important, but don’t forget to consume healthy reading material. This will have a profound shift in your mindset and enrich your knowledge and perspective in life 🧠

Side note: a couple of my faves aren’t captured in this stack because I am notorious for giving people my books. Recently I gave ‘s book Sacred Drive to a friend. I’ll be ordering a few more - because it’s THAT awesome ! I highly recommend following and checking out what he is doing with .

I also gave The Last Arrow 📚 Another fantastic read! I can’t recommend these books enough.

QUESTION: What are some of your favorite books ?
COMMENT BELOW 🤓📚

🔧🪛Built a new weight rack for my home studio. Who LOVES to build furniture and assemble stuff ? Comment YAY or NAY below !

Whether you are building home furniture, a weight rack or building/ strengthening your body… it takes PATIENCE ! It also takes following instructions. Having a plan, a how-to, in order to reach your GOAL is vital! 💪🏽❤️👏🏽 Can I get an Amen ?

🇺🇸Happy ! Today we celebrate the achievement and resilience of American workers❤️💪🏽🇺🇸

It has been years since anxiety has ruled over my life- thank the good Lord ! 🙌🏽🎉What changed was my daily practices paired with my faith in God. There is so much we must surrender to the Lord, and also so much we CAN control to live a calmer and more peaceful inner life, despite circumstance.

Here are 8 daily practices that have helped me tremendously to calm anxiety and have better inner peace. Do 2 today or do all 8 ! 😁

❤️Don’t let your blood sugar get low - Low blood sugar symptoms can mimic anxiety disorders. Eat every 3-4 hours (include protein and healthy fat) AND drink plenty of water ! 💧💧💧

❤️Add magnesium supplements. This has helped keep migraines at bay for me too! 🧠

❤️Quickly squash the ANTS (Automatic Negative thoughts) 🐜

❤️Write down what you’re GRATEFUL for daily. 📓

❤️Call friends & family and tell them what you APPRECIATE about them. This will help you and them !

❤️Be MINDFUL of what you mentally consume - does it help or harm you mental well-being ? Be mindful about what you see and listen to. (images, content, music, TV) 👀👂🏽

❤️Spend time in NATURE 🌳

❤️ PRAY & MEDITATE! 🙏🏽❤️

Hugs to you, my friend 🥰 You are not alone.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not a single macronutrient or a food group that makes you gain weight. What makes you gain weight is the systematic, excessive consumption of more food (fuel) than your body needs. This means that all 3 macronutrients, including carbs, CAN make you “fat”…. if you consume them in excess. (Please don’t forget the quality sources of all 3 macronutrients are an important factor too😅)

A healthy diet can (and arguably should) include carbs. After all, carbs help fuel many important processes in your body.

This includes:

❤️🧠Powering your heart and brain.

🏋🏽‍♀️Fueling anaerobic activity (think weight lifting) via glycolysis (the breakdown of carbohydrates).

👟🏋🏽‍♀️Helping with recovery by restocking glycogen (carb stores) that has been depleted through hard training.

💪🏽Supporting an anabolic (muscle-building) environment after training.

Safe to say carbs are not bad, regardless of your activity level. But, eating in a way that supports your activity level is important so that excess carbs don’t become unwanted weight gain.

Some people will thrive on more carbs, while others require less. The easy way to determine how many carbs you need (and how high you can go with your carb intake) is based on your activity levels (more on this soon).

There are many benefits of choosing complex carbs over simple s carbs (be on the lookout for a post on this topic soon). Here are 3 of my fave sources of (complex) carbs: sweet potatoes, oats, & squash😋

❌FITNESS MYTH: If you aren't sore, it wasn't a good workout.

Many people go all-out in the gym just to make sure that they will be sore after their workout, thinking this is a good measure of progress. And well, quite frankly, soreness is not really the most important thing you should strive for.

As a matter of fact, the more you advance in your training, the less soreness you are going to experience

Just because you don’t feel muscle soreness as intensely as when you first began doesn’t mean a workout is not benefiting you.

Your body is an amazing machine and it adapts very rapidly to whatever challenges you present it with. Whether you’re taking up running or the reformer, or any other physical pursuit, you can expect a physiological response and change to the muscles. When you’re first starting any new type of exercise, you’ll often feel very shaky upon completion and then sore shortly afterward. As your body gets stronger, and your muscles adapt to the new type of movement, you won’t feel the soreness afterwards.

Does this mean you should stick with the exact same routine and intensity for years ? NO! 😅 It most certainly is beneficial to switch up your routine every so often, and to change intensity - to reduce the likelihood of boredom, the real the benefits of cross training and for the extra challenge.

🤔What do YOU prefer?
Almond butter OR peanut butter ?

For a quick answer, both nut butters do have similar nutritional value. Almond butter is slightly healthier than peanut butter because it has more vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Both nut butters are roughly equal in calories and sugar, but peanut butter has a little more protein than almond butter.

💪🏽PROTEIN CONTENT: Both almond and peanut butter contain about the same amount of protein. Although nut butters are a source of protein, they are not a complete protein.

This means they do not contain all the essential proteins or amino acids that the body requires.

🍂FIBER CONTENT: Almond butter has double the amount of fiber that peanut butter does.

Fiber is especially important for:

✅regulating bowel movements
✅improving overall health
✅helping a person feel full
✅providing prebiotics for the large intestine
✅helping control diabetes
✅lowering levels of bad or LDL cholesterol in the blood

👉🏽 Fat:
The fat content between different nuts varies significantly. Some people may consider almond butter a better option than peanut butter as it contains less saturated fats and more unsaturated fats.

👀 SUGAR CONTENT: Almond butter has roughly 50 percent less sugar than peanut butter, even in unsweetened varieties. However, peanut butter also has low sugar content.

When purchasing almond butter and peanut butter, it is essential to check the nutrition label and buy products with no added sugar or salt whenever possible.

🌱Minerals and vitamin E

Almond butter contains a higher amount of magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, and calcium.

🇺🇸Land of the Free because of the Brave!

Remembering all who have given the ultimate sacrifice for each of us. I am proud and grateful to be an American, and hope to live my life in such a way that reflects gratitude for my freedoms that were paid by the blood of Patriots 🇺🇸❤️

🙏🏽 God bless our men and women in uniform, God Bless their families, and God bless America🙌🏽.

🤔 Have you heard of a “gateway habit”?

The Two-Minute Rule states “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.”

You’ll find that nearly any habit can be scaled down into a two-minute version:

“Read before bed each night” becomes “Read one page.”

“Do thirty minutes of yoga” becomes “Take out my yoga mat.”

“Run three miles” becomes “Tie my running shoes.”

The idea is to make your habits as easy as possible to start. Anyone can meditate for one minute, read one page, or put one item of clothing away. And, as we have just discussed, this is a powerful strategy because once you’ve started doing the right thing, it is much easier to continue doing it. A new habit should not feel like a challenge. The actions that follow can be challenging, but the first two minutes should be easy. What you want is a “gateway habit” that naturally leads you down a more productive path.

You can usually figure out the gateway habits that will lead to your desired outcome by mapping out your goals on a scale from “very easy” to “very hard.” For instance, running a marathon is very hard. Running a 5K is hard. Walking ten thousand steps is moderately difficult. Walking ten minutes is easy. And putting on your running shoes is very easy. Your goal might be to run a marathon, but your gateway habit is to put on your running shoes. That’s how you follow the Two-Minute Rule.

By James Clear, The Atomic Habits

🧠⚔️Having the knowledge about what to do is just half the battle.

The other half, which is actually harder, is to get started! 🏃🏽‍♀️

It sounds simple but it may turn out to be one of the hardest things to do.

The truth however is that you can start

WHENEVER... It will always be NOW, so why not just start now?

I invite you to wash your dishes, go grocery shopping and prepare some food for days ahead.

I invite you to fill up your big water jug.

I invite you to prepare your gym bag and go move a little.

I invite you to start paying more attention to yourself and your physical and mental
development.

I invite you to doing it imperfectly … just get started!

Being the best version of yourself, doesn’t have to look perfect.

Get up and go get it … just get started. 💪🏽❤️😁

You got this !

FITNESS MYTH: You should stretch before you workout.

When it comes to warming up, many people consider stretching to be a good pre-workout practice.

Well, the fact of the matter is that stretching actually RELAXES the muscles. And during a workout, you want your muscles to be activated, not relaxed.

Ultimately, your strength-training warm-up should increase your heart rate & activate your muscle fibers.

The best bet for this is to utilize low-intensity cardio, along with a dynamic stretching routine.

Dynamic stretching is the type of stretching that also allows you to contract and activate the muscles, rather than just stretch them statically. This is what you want to do.

This morning I was reminded to take a second to be silly! Being serious all the time is not good for our health. How are you reminded to “lighten up & brighten up”? 😁😉

This is how it went down for me today ...

Woke up at 4:00AM. Drank the water... drank the coffee, prayed... got in my car and trained a client from 5:00-6:00AM. (Grateful for my amazing clients. I love the impact I have. I love witnessing my clients push past limiting beliefs and achieve their goals.) Came home to my family still sleeping. I check my calendar to review my schedule again. Organized paperwork for school registration. Remembered I forgot to order a birthday surprise for a friend’s birthday 😅. Responded to other client messages. Reviewed my action items doe the day. Reviews my calendar AGAIN because with T-ball and Tutor now on the calendar things are shifting a ton. The serious face is on full swing as I try to manage this level 10 jigsaw puzzle of a calendar. I remind myself I am grateful for a full schedule and that things are finally opening up again. Serious face still on, I get Jaxyn up and ready for a school Easter party.

Jaxyn requests a silly new style that he wants just right and I’m like “we don’t have time for this”... he begs and is finally satisfied by the outcome and asks to be photographed .... he poses and acts silly and I realize that I can’t afford not to take a moment for these moments of silliness. It hit me hard! I love his silliness, and no matter how busy we get, I want that JOY too!! Some days I’m great at fostering this joy and then other days I need to be reminded by this cutie !

So take time to be silly and LAUGH😁😂 When you start to laugh, it doesn't just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body. Laughter can: Stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.

🥳TIME TO CELEBRATE- I AM DOUBLING MY DONATIONS TODAY TO GIRLS ON THE RUN 💜👟

Wishing Girls on the Run an extra special 25th birthday!

As you know, I have been donating $1 for every recipe guide sold this month to Girls on the Run. Today I am doubling that to $2 🎂🥳💪🏽 (plus a $1 to =$3 donation) Let’s show our support nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams. 🌎

What’s included?
46 Pages of beautiful meals & recipes
Shopping Lists for each week!
Week at-a-glance of meal chart
Detailed recipes that offer substitution ideas

Switching to a diet without gluten or dairy not only benefits those with gluten sensitivity or lactose intolerance, but benefits anyone who needs more energy and desires a healthier lifestyle. Cooking without them is simple! You no longer need to give up the foods you love because with easy substitutions, some creative cooking, and the recipes in this guide, you will still enjoy all your favorite foods.

https://coachnicholethomas.com/product/gluten-free-dairy-free-recipe-guide/

Tune in Tuesday, March 23 @ 8:00pm PST the low-down on CLEAN EATING & MACRO’s 💪🏽😋 LIVE on Instagram !


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Wondering how to plan a full weeks worth of tasty gluten-free & dairy-free meals ? Are you currently bored eating GF & DF and need new ideas ? I’ve got you covered!

Check out the link below for my for my 2 week guide !

Www.coachnicholethomas.com/product/gluten-free-dairy-free-recipe-guide/

This two week recipe guide comes complete with a shopping list and week-at-a-glance meal chart. For every day of the week, there is a breakfast, snack, lunch and dinner recipe. Be sure to read the notes below each recipe for substitution ideas. I really encourage you to explore and use your own creative flare too! These notes are helpful if you have a nut allergy, or perhaps don’t have a particular ingredient.

What’s included?
46 Pages of beautiful meals & recipes
Shopping Lists for each week!
Week at-a-glance of meal chart
Detailed recipes that offer substitution ideas.

PS. 20% goes to supporting some really awesome non profits❤️ Currently supported: Girls on the Run and Operation Underground Railroad

Instagrams algorithms are constantly changing- here is a little update ! Be sure to supper your friends businesses and fave accounts. I was surprised by this too! ❤️🙌🏽.

Exciting news 🥳 I will be doing a LIVE with a leading expert in CLEAN BEAUTY & LIVING - Her name is also Nicole and is known as here on . We know how important it is to choose quality, healthy food and supplement to best fuel our bodies and empower our immune systems for optimal, but have you thought about what you put on your body ? Did you know your skin is the largest organ in your body ? Did you know it absorbs the ingredients (including toxins) that you put on it ?!

Crazy right ?! Well, Nicole is going to share with us some clean beauty tips that will help you to be a more informed consumer and make healthier choices for you and your family. She is good to take some of the confusion out of this mucky realm of deceptive “green washing” marketing and ingredients that are hard to pronounce.

Check out my IG stories on March 17-18th for more info and be sure to tune into our LIVE, Thursday, March 18th @ 8:00 pm PST 😄

I swipe to see a few of my favorite “clean products”.

Natural deodorant that works, non-toxic foundation that gives great coverage and feels good on my skin, and a nutrient packed brightening serum with vitamin C + Turmeric ! ☀️

Every person will not respond the same way to medication, supplements or vaccinations.

There is an ever increasing population with severe food allergies. Think about it - a peanut butter sandwich might be a normal lunch for one person, but for the next person is deadly.

Every person has to weigh the risks of what goes into their bodies.

Rarely is there ever an instance where there is 100% certainty of NO risk- no matter what you choose.

Certain people groups are higher risk of damaging, and even fatal, side effects of medication, vaccines or even food. While some are higher risk of complications of the flu.

I am making this point to say, we are not all the same. What is safe for one, may not be for the next. I have experienced this first hand and have witnessed this with family and friends. I nearly lost of my life from an uncommon side effect from a commonly used medication. A medication that is safe for a lot of people, but dangerous for some.

I support your RIGHT to choose. If you want to take the vaccine or not, that is a unique and very personal decision. I see a ton of pressure happening right now and also virtue being attached to a serious decision. Either way, you should not be shamed for your decision. And no one should be forced. I respect our differences.

Praying for discernment and peace for all. 🇺🇸🙏🏽

“She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” Proverbs 31:25

In a world where you can be anything, be KIND 🐝💕🥰

Don’t let the mean voice rule your life. You are in charge of your inner dialogue. So tell that voice to shut up and take back your power💪🏽 You freaking got this !

What’s an extra little step you like to take when preparing fruits & veggies ? I can no longer resist cutting all strawberries into hearts ❤️ Its so quick and so simple- and puts a hug smile on Jaxyn’s sweet little face😍 Why not ?!