Popcorn Marshmallow Balls for Trick or Treat

This is the quickest, easiest recipe for my favorite Halloween treat.

3 Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter

• 4 cups miniature marshmallows

• 12 cups popped popcorn

Bonus ideas - add 1/2 tsp vanilla for flavor or colored sprinkles for fun

How to make:

1. Melt the butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Add the marshmallows a little at a time, stirring constantly, until they are all melted.

2. Place popcorn in a large bowl and slowly pour marshmallow mixture over the popcorn. Mix until popcorn is completely coated.

3. Grease your hands and form 2-3 inch popcorn balls. Let sit until firm.

Then bag each up to give to your trick-or-treaters!

Eat Well Even When You Are Too Tired to Cook

You rush from work to an evening event. Then from the event to home … and on the way home you think “I’m too tired to cook, so I’ll just run by ___ to grab dinner.”

That sets you up for hidden sugars, empty calories, and unbalanced meals.

But you don’t have to choose between either cooking healthy or living life. You can have both with this plan.

In this video I show you the two essential parts of healthy cooking.

Planning and Preparation are key. But did you know you don’t have to be the one to plan and prepare?

That’s right. Both can be delegated.

How?

Discover the three options for Meal Planning and Preparation.

My clients and I have used all three options with great success. I walk you through how to delegate healthy cooking so you get to have delicious dinners, healthy meals, time with family and friends. And you still have time to rest.

Sound good?

After you watch, let me know in the comments which options you will use.

Why You Numb Out and How to Stop

After conversations with two clients about numbing out and escaping with food, I got the message:

It is time to share with you 3 tips to stop numbing out and start actually comforting yourself.

I share a little of their stories and mine. So guess what? You aren’t alone.

Listen in to discover more about these three tips to stop numbing out:

• Set a timer with an exit for your numbing

• Determine how long you will sit with discomfort

• Include mini-fun and comfort breaks throughout your day

Strength Training Workouts for Your Busy Week

When you have a busy day, week, or season of life, don’t give up on strength training.

In this Strength Training video I show you …

• What exercises to do

• When you can workout

• Where you can workout

All in the rhythm of your day, so you don’t miss any of the fun stuff.

How to Fit in Strength Training when Your Life is Full

How do you fit in weight training when this season of your life is so full that finding 45 min to an hour to get to the gym is not possible?

The Struggle to Find Fitness Time is Some Seasons is Real

At a workshop recently in a company, one of the employees said she walks her dog when she gets home and then has to choose between making dinner and going to the gym.  

Just last night a client said “I can’t get to the gym, but I’m not sure if working out at home is a good option, either.”

They aren’t alone and neither are you.

First, make sure that your struggle is truly a time issue and not an “I-don’t-enjoy-this issue.”

If you try to solve the wrong challenge to sticking with fitness, it will never get easy.

Knowing Why You Want to Strength Train is Your Next Step

Whether you want to carry your groceries when you are 80, or go hiking, play tennis, or play with your not-here-yet grandkids, knowing your WHY will motivate you to find the HOW.

How Do Muscles Get Stronger?

Once you know your Why, then you need to understand the underlying principle to getting stronger.

What causes your muscle to grow and get stronger?  Fatigue.  The kind of “oh, that’s really burning” feeling, which causes microscopic damage. Which is 100% necessary.

Then when you eat well and sleep well, the muscle tissue heals back stronger.

So. unlike collecting step activity during the day, you don’t get real strength growth through doing a single squat once an hour.  Any movement is good and helps maintain the strength you have.  However, to build muscle, the exercises needs to be grouped together enough to fatigue the muscle.

You need to fatigue your muscles. It doesn’t have to look like this (unless you want). :-)

But that doesn’t mean it needs to be long sessions at the gym.

• It can be 20 minutes 2 days/week at home.

• You can do HITT (high intensity training) if you want, but you don’t have to.

• Or you can build strength training into your day.

Which is what I share in Part Two next week.

For now, follow me on Instagram (thevireolife) and TikTok (sheritraxler). Because every day I’m sharing an exercise you can easily build into your day.

A Small Easy Way to Manage Your Stress

How do you not get stressed out and end the work day completely exhausted?

Recently, I got tired of feeling completely spent at the end of a work day.  My mind and emotions both scattered and spent.

When looking through my journal, I began noticing that I followed a pattern…

• Work on something.

• Then while walking to get a glass of water, my mind would be thinking about what wasn’t finished or what projects were next.

• Dive into the next thing, with my mind a little distracted from what I’d just thought about.

• Drive to a meeting, thinking about what I was behind on.

• Engage with people, but with my mind a little more distracted and tired.

• Drive back to my office, my mind re-arranging how to fit 5 more hours of work into the 3 hours I had left.

Sound familiar?

Then at the end of the day I would “practice stress management” - whether meditation or journal or an evening walk or just collapse with a movie.

Is a Daily Stress Management Session Enough?

No.

These once-a-day practices weren’t enough to keep my build up of mental and emotional stress. 

So every day I had less creativity and energy and more frustration than the day before, until I would end up with a day every couple of weeks completely spent.

Once I drew the line in the sand and said “No More”, I recalled an idea a therapist shared with me. Something she does to keep stress at bay throughout the day.

I call it “White Space Mindful Moments”

In just two days I noticed a massive shift in my energy, creativity, and - yes - lowered stress.

Watch this quick video. Then comment how you will unplug in your own “White Space Mindful Moments”

What to do When You Skip Fitness for a Lack of Time

Why can’t I find time to exercise?

I hear this from clients. And recently, when I wanted to skip some stretching, I heard it from myself.

In the video below I share about my yoga-class-gone-bad experience and the lessons you can use.

How to apply the Pain vs. Pleasure Principle

In everything in your life, you run on the pain vs pleasure principle. The return on investment of any activity - including fitness - needs to be pleasure in the moment and fulfilling now or, at least, soon.

To increase your pleasure and enjoyment of a fitness lifestyle, ask yourself three questions.

• What do you like to do on vacation?

• What activities make you lose track of time?

• What makes you come alive?

Let’s put these questions to use.

1. What do you like to do on vacation?

Do you love road trips to see new things?

Then going to the same gym, doing the same workout, seeing the same people may get boring quickly.

Colorado Road Trip

You need to change up your routine, working out one day at the gym, another day at the park, one day at home.  Doing an exercise class one day and meeting a friend to walk another day.  On the weekend going to a park you’ve never seen for a long hike.

Perhaps you prefer heading to the ocean; alternating between strolling the beach and reading a book?

Walking the Beach at Navarre Florida

Then you may enjoy walks in the park or taking your stretching mat by a stream on the weekend for a long stretching session.

2. What activities make you lose track of time?

Do you forget where you are when you are woodworking, painting or playing with a craft project? When I am organizing something, I can go for hours and it feels like minutes.

Is it sitting and looking at nature that absorbs you?  If that’s you, definitely include outdoor workouts.

Before a new client and I commit to work with each other, we talk to see what their needs are and how I can help.  In one of these recent sessions, a woman shared that she loves being with people but hates being out in nature.  So a dance session with her grandkids or a yoga class is more her style than a walk at the park.  

3. What makes you come alive?

• Physical movement?

• Learning something new?

• Interacting with people?

• Art?

• Music?

For me, physical movement and learning both make me come alive.  Stretching does not involve much movement, which may be why I find it boring.  But…if I put on a podcast or audiobook to learn – it helps.

If you love art and music, make sure you have some of your favorite art in your home gym and your favorite music playing.

Putting this together with my own example, why was taking the class easier?

• It is in a different location than my home

• It is a long session of movement with short holds, vs how I usually stretch alone which a few minutes here and there and is long holds.

• I’m learning something new each time from the instructor.

In addition to these questions, I have a fantastic Fitness Personality Quiz for you. 

It will help you identify your fitness personality and, based on that, what fitness activities you will enjoy most.

Email me at sheri@thevireolife.com and I will get the quiz to you.

Why Did I Ditch Dieting for Intuitive Eating (and Why You Should too)

When I’m asked “Why are you so passionate about Intuitive and Mindful Eating?” I answer simply…

The Diet Mentality is Dangerous and Robs You of Your Life

I was 9 years old when I first dieted. It is what the women in my family did. And like all new diets, it was exciting.

Until it trapped me.

Here’s what I learned by experience:

• Dieting destroys self confidence

• Dieting damages social skills

• Dieting makes you consumed with thoughts of food

Diets trap you.

Break free faster than I did. (In this video you’ll discover how long it took me to break free on my own vs how long it takes Intuitive Eating clients to break free.)

Don’t waste years trying alone. If you or someone you know is trapped in the diet mentality, reach out to a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. (Yes. I am one. Whether me or someone else, just get the help you need.)

How to Think About the ILLNESS WELLNESS Continuum

To reach your potential and have more energy, you need to understand the Wellness Continuum.

Wellness is not just the absence of disease or disease-risk. I’ve learned it can also be experienced despite disease.

This is good news.

Because no matter if you are in perfect health or struggling with a medical issue, you can grow your wellness.

What is Wellness?

Wellness encompasses your physical health - and your mental and emotional health, too.

John Travis, M.D., developed the Illness - Health - Wellness Continuum in 1972. As a continuum, it is not static. You can move up and down on the scale.

• The closer to disease you go, the more signs and symptoms your have.

• The closer to health and wellness you go, the more energy and vibrancy of life you enjoy.

However, after years of working with clients, I have seen that there is something outside the traditional Illness - Wellness Continuum.

It is when a friend with chronic pain still thrives in life, even competing in ultra-marathons.

Or when a client manages post-cancer issues and becomes more vibrant and stronger in every area of wellness.

Is there better Wellness Continuum?

After years of experience, I decided to experiment with re-drawing the Wellness Continuum to illustrate what I’ve seen better motivates clients. True, no simplified illustration captures every facet of a concept.

Dr. Travis’s version created a solid foundation to think about wellness. Watch the video to learn how my re-vision of it can motivate you.

No matter what your health status, know that you can improve your wellness with small daily steps:

• Alternate standing and sitting when you work

• Go for a walk each day for fresh air and sunshine

• Drink more water. Drink less of, well, everything else

• Practice mindfulness, meditation, and other stress management techniques

• Stay connected with friends

• Disconnect from social media periodically

• Eat a Powerful Plate

• Eat mindfully and intuitively

Don’t let a diagnosis discourage you. You can improve your wellness. No matter what.

The 75 Hard Challenge is NOT for you

When a new friend told me he was doing 75 Hard, I decided to check it out. At first I got excited about it.

I like a challenge.

And because I was already doing most everything on the list, I thought “Cool. It will encourage me.”

Then as I read the full website, all of the guru-speak gave me a creepy-vibe. The more I read, the more red flags went up.

The guru-speak is common in pseudo-fitness programs.

Not just 75 Hard.

How can you know if a program is right for you?

Listen in.

Learn how to evaluate if a program is based on principles and science — or just the creator’s idea.

Would you like me to help you evaluate a program you are considering?

Please reach out to me for a free 15 minute consult. I want to make sure you are set up for success.

Simply email me at sheri@thevireolife.com

How to Sleep Better When You Travel

When you travel, it is hard to be productive for work - or really enjoy a vacation - when sleep deprivation is screaming in your head.

I know.

Because I have struggled with sleep, too.

So, I’ve tried several sleep tools and supplements and now have a combination that helps me.

Try these. Mix them with your own ideas.

And get a great night’s sleep again!

Fitness Travel - The workout routine you ACTUALLY need

Your lifestyle changes when you travel. That’s a “reason” that over 50% of business travelers don’t stick with their exercise. (Yes. That’s from a real study.)

You are not one of them.

In fact, after you watch this video, you will know how to use the “travel makes life different” to your ADVANTAGE.

How?

Tuli Kupferberg said “When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.”

When it comes to starting and sticking with fitness, nothing breaks old patterns like travel.

You’ll discover:

• The benefits of exercise when traveling

• Which type of workout you need to do

• Which type of workout you may NOT need to do during travel

• Places to be active that you’ve not dreamed of before

• What to do if you don’t have access to a “gym”

Eating Healthy while Traveling Means Balance Not Boredom

Think about the times you’ve traveled and been stuck with energy-zapping meals.

Or when you’ve worried “The only way to eat healthy is to skip the restaurants and pack weird food?”

You aren’t alone.

The research on business travel and health shows that - on average - frequent travelers eat poorly, gain weight, and are less healthy than people who don’t travel.

The good news?

You don’t have to be a statistic. Nor do you have to live on protein shakes.

Here’s a realistic way to eat healthier when you travel.

On a recent business trip, I videoed my experiments with ways to overcome these common nutrition issues:

• Airport food options that are limited

• No time to get the if-fy airport food

• No healthy restaurant options

• To mini-fridge or not to mini-fridge

• What food to pack vs what food to buy on arrival

All of this for you to feel your best, have more fun, and get more done.

Think Different about the Stress (and Fun!) of Business Travel

What if traveling for business could be fulfilling and not frustrating? What if it could leave you not exhausted, but energized?

It can.

Two weeks ago I experimented - with myself - on a business trip. My goal?

• Decrease the stress of travel

• Create fulfilling moments with business partners

• Come away refreshed instead of feeling run over

I got inspired by two of my clients who travel constantly for business.

In this video I tell you their secrets, show you all of my personal experiments and share my results.

Sneak Peek:

• Taking made-local gifts for the meeting hosts strengthened new relationships.

• Arriving a few hours early eliminated the worry of “what if the flight is delayed or cancelled”

• The bonus time turned into a historic walking tour!

• Staying at a local B&B, instead of a chain hotel, made the evenings feel like a vacation.

• A last minute decision (you’ll find out what in the video) increased my productivity and lowered my stress at the same time!

7 Easy Ways to Stay Energized During Conferences

You know the brain drain that hits after a few hours of a conference? It doesn’t have to be that way.

Here are simple and surprising real-world ideas to help you stay energized during your event.

In a recent business conference, I asked other participants “What do you do to keep up your energy — without living on lattes?”

Their answers were solid advice, plus fresh ideas I had not thought of before!

You don’t want to waste your money and time.

You want to absorb all you can from the event.

So grab a pen, pick your favorite ideas, and go be amazing!

3 Unusual Ways to Improve Your Gut Health

Two weeks ago at the Nourished Festival I spoke with 495 participants on Improve Your Gut to Improve Your Brain. So many people reached out after with their stories and insights.

I am sharing with you three unusual tips from the workshop.

Guess what? It’s not all about food.

(Yes. Some of it is about food — check out this recent blog post for those steps to take.)

These off-the-beaten-path tips are simple and they will fit in your busy lifestyle. And I promise, your personal ROI is great.

To get the full workshop replay, email me at sheri@thevireolife.com.

Simple Standing Desk Options + Unboxing My New One!

So, you’ve heard all the rave about standing while you work.

Good. Because being able to alternate between sitting and standing is great for your health and your productivity.

But.

How do you decide what option works best for you?

I’m excited to unbox and review the new standing desk converter I’m using now!

Plus, here are some questions I ask myself and my clients to decide what option is best.

1. Is your current desk one you want or must keep?

2. Do you sit for most of every day?

3. Do you have several virtual meetings in which you could easily stand?

4. How often do you work in multiple locations (coffee shop, clients’ offices)?

5. Do you mostly work from a laptop, a desktop, or does it depend on the day?

There are several sit-stand desks and standing desk converters available.

You may need one that is several hundred dollars. (And if your situation needs it, that’s pennies compared to back pain.)

On the other extreme, I show you the two DIY versions I used for years. My situation changed. So, I changed my desk set up.

Whatever you choose, make sure you easily get movement put into your day.

Because that’s what will keep you healthy and achieving all you want in life.

Hiking First Aid Kit Essentials

When you are ready to hike or play outside it’s a bummer to realize -

“Oh, the First Aid Kit needs updating.“

“Things have expired.”

Or Worse!

You don’t remember to look at the First Aid Kit and then end up needing it.

(I can relate, unfortunately.)

Spring is the best time to refresh your kit — before the summer adventures kick in.

What are the essentials you need in your hiking kit? Here’s a video to guide you - PLUS an Essentials List.

Hiking First Aid Kit Essentials:

(Hint - This is a kit to take on the trail for day hikes.)

• Antibiotic cream

• Allergy medication for stings or other allergic reactions

• Adhesive bandages

• Gauze and tape, if room

• Alcohol wipes or other antiseptic wipes

• Ibuprofen

• Bite/Sting cream

• Ankle brace, if room

You don’t want to need the kit. But, like insurance, it is comforting to know the supplies are in your pack.

Congrats on cleaning out and restocking your First Aid supplies.

Now it’s time to get out there and play!

Top Foods for Prebiotics and Probiotics

Your gut health strongly impacts how happy you feel and the health of your body.

What impacts the health of your gut?

Most importantly is how much good and bad bacteria live there.

You get to determine which ones hang out in there. Did you know that in just a few days you can change - yes, change - that ratio of good to bad bacteria in your gut?

Through the right prebiotics and probiotics.

Feeling happier and thinking clearer is only a few days away.

In this short video, I introduce you to the top foods for prebiotics and probiotics.

What is a prebiotic and a probiotic?

A prebiotic is the fiber the good bacteria love. Hint: Some of the foods with prebiotic fiber are superstars because of other compounds you’ll discover in the video.

A probiotic is the good bacteria itself.

Some of these foods will be new to you.

Here’s your 7 Day Challenge:

Over the next 7 days, eat a few prebiotic foods and at least one probiotic food.

Here’s to your healthy gut and your happy brain!

To learn more … Join me at the Nourished Festival

https://www.nourishedfestival.com/gluten-free-expo-spring

Or check out my Nourish Your Life workshop

http://www.thevireolife.com/video-store

How Exercise Improves Your Gut Health

One of the surprising gifts of movement is how exercise heals your gut.

As I am researching to present at this year’s Nourished Festival (link below), the studies on exercise and gut health have gotten me even more excited to workout.

Here are just a few of the fitness benefits:

• Decrease gut inflammation

• Increase good bacteria

• Decrease pathogens in your gut

• Help heal a leaky gut

• Improve special-nutrients absorption

When you aren’t in the mood to exercise, sometimes the best motivation is a little knowledge.

Knowing the powerful perks can get you out of the easy chair, then out the door.

Join me at the Nourished Festival.

Register here:

https://www.nourishedfestival.com/gluten-free-expo-spring