Empowering Renewed Health

02/19/2026

Trying something new on my health journey 🤎

I’m swapping out some of my coffee for ground cacao. Cacao is considered a superfood and is packed with nutrients like magnesium, copper, and iron. It’s also a powerful antioxidant that supports overall wellness.

One of the things I love most is how it supports mood and relaxation. It can help reduce stress while still giving a gentle lift in energy. Unlike coffee, cacao contains theobromine, a naturally occurring stimulant that feels smoother and longer lasting, without the jitters.

It also supports heart health by helping reduce inflammation, improve blood flow, support healthy cholesterol levels, and maintain balanced blood pressure.

Always learning, always making small changes toward better health 🌿

01/27/2026

Snow Ice Cream ❄️☃️

Ingredients:
2 cups clean snow
1/4 cup milk of choice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 T sugar or sweetener equivalent
Optional: toppings of choice

Directions:
Mix together milk, vanilla, and sugar in a bowl then slowly mix in small amounts of the snow until consistency of ice cream.

01/26/2026

Weight Loss Tip 💡

If you are serious about weight loss, weigh and measure your food.
I have weighed and measured everything since I started my health journey over 3 years ago, and it has helped me lose weight and keep it off.

Most people do not realize how small true portion sizes are until they actually measure them. It is a real eye opener.

Is it a pain to measure food? Yes.
Does it work? Also yes.

Weight loss takes effort, consistency, and determination. It is easy to gain weight, but losing it and becoming healthy takes work. There is no easy way out. Even with bariatric surgery, GLP meds, or other natural or prescription options, you still have to put in the work to reach and maintain your goals.

Hard work pays off. Stay consistent. You are worth it 💪✨

01/21/2026

Found these at Meijer and had to share. If you are on a health journey and looking for a better snack option, these mini rice cakes are worth checking out. They are made with chia, quinoa, flax, and avocado oil. One serving is 28 mini rice cakes for 120 calories, which makes for a satisfying snack without feeling deprived.

They come in so many fun flavors too, s’mores, lemon cake bites, chocolate and strawberries, birthday cake, French toast, cookies and cream, and cinnamon swirl. A great way to curb sweet cravings while staying mindful of your goals.

12/31/2025

Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone! 🎉 As I reflect on this past year, I am feeling incredibly proud and grateful. I lost 15 pounds this year, bringing my total weight loss to 187 pounds. I ran a few 5Ks, hiked many miles, and checked off some big bucket list items like ziplining and parasailing, things I once thought were impossible.

Heading into the New Year, my focus is progress, not perfection. I am committing to getting back into the gym, building strength and muscle, fueling my body with healthier choices, and continuing to care for my mental health. I am 20 pounds away from my ultimate goal weight of 125, and I am excited to keep moving forward one step at a time and at my own pace.

I am planning more hiking, biking, and kayaking adventures this year, and I would love to have others join me.

It is never too late to renew your health. This is your reminder that renewing your health can start at any moment. It does not have to be rushed, compared, or perfected. Progress is built one choice at a time. This journey is not a race, it is a process, and every step forward matters. Here’s to a year of strength, patience, and believing in what is possible. ❤️

12/30/2025

09/22/2025

Vacation and exercise can go hand in hand when you make it fun. Today I hiked almost 7 miles in Gatlinburg, TN exploring the Sky Park and Ober Mountain. The views were so gorgeous that it didn’t even feel like exercise, just pure adventure. 🥾🌳

02/01/2025

Healthy Snack 🍎

I highly recommend these low-calorie apple chips as a crunchy, low-calorie snack option, available in single-serving bags at Walmart or Sam’s Club, as well as larger bags at various grocery stores. These apple chips are ideal for an evening snack or a convenient work snack, containing only apples or apples and cinnamon, without artificial preservatives or oils. They also carry them in banana chips which are another great low calorie snack option. 🍎

01/23/2025

Health Tip 🩺

Inflammation, elevated blood sugar levels, and poor digestive health have been associated with the consumption of certain foods, including sugar and other sweeteners, gluten, highly processed grains, starches, most dairy products, processed foods, alcohol, as well as soy and some legumes. It is advisable to limit or avoid these foods to support overall health and well-being (Cygan, 2016, p 6). (The Exercise Coach Nutrition Playbook by Gerianne Cygan)

01/22/2025

Avocado Toast 🥑

Ingredients:
1 Slice Sourdough Bread, Toasted 🍞
1 Small Ripe Avocado, Cored & Smashed 🥑
1 Egg, Cooked Scrambled or Sunny Side Up 🥚
Optional: 1/2 tsp Spicy Chili Crisp
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions:
Toast sourdough bread. Core avocado and smash. Add salt & pepper to smashed avocado to taste. Cook egg per preference scrambled or sunny side up. Put smashed avocado on toasted sourdough bread. Add cooked egg. Top with spicy chili crisp.

01/21/2025

Chicken Big Macs

Ingredients:

2 Mission Carb Balance Fajita Size Tortillas
8 oz Ground Chicken
Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Salt & Pepper
2 Slices Cheddar Cheese
Lettuce, Chopped
1 T Minced Onion Reconstituted with 2 T Water
Dill Pickle Slices
4 T Light Thousand Island Salad Dressing or Make Your Own Big Mac Dressing
Olive Oil Spray

Directions:
Spray tortillas lightly on both sides
with olive oil spray and fry in skillet until crisp but still bendable. Remove from skillet. Make 2 thin patties the size of tortilla out of ground chicken 4 oz each. Season patties with onion powder, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Cook patties in skillet until done. Place patties on tortillas. Add one cheese slice on each patty. Top with minced onions, pickles slices, and 1-2 T thousand island dressing. Fold tortilla. Enjoy. Makes 2.