Stories of Health, Happiness and Growth

Welcome back to the 3rd part of our 3-part series. If you’ve been following along, you have your pedometer and your step baseline (go back and read them if you haven’t). Now let’s talk about setting a SMART goal for your next 3 weeks. Set SMART Goals There’s a very specific formula our teen and…

At Empowered Wellness Camps, we use pedometers as a great tool for measuring and recording fitness goals. The teens and college students who attend our weight loss program create baselines and then try to beat those baselines over the course of the summer.  On average those who use a pedometer and track their progress take…

Written by Jessica Revord MA, LPC, NCC Holidays are approaching quickly, which means there will be many opportunities to use dealing skills we teach at our Empowered Wellness camp.  If you’re an Empowered Wellness graduate, you’ll recognize these concepts! If they’re new to you, look for opportunities to “test drive” these simple strategies for making choices…

Gratitude is a foundation at our Empowered Wellness camps with our teens and young adults.  We use mindful meditation and cognitive brain strategies to help us to be in our wise minds. Gratitude is front and center in our strategies.  Why?  Because it changes us. First of all, it’s a simple strategy. It takes discipline…

Welcome back to Part 2 of our 3-part series on pedometers. Our teens and college students at Empowered Wellness use pedometers to measure their steps and to record their overall fitness progress in our camp. This week we will start using our pedometers and finding our baselines.  If you haven’t bought your pedometer, it’s not…

Hello everyone! It’s insane how it has been three months since we’ve embarked on our fitness journeys without the in-person-at-camp-guidance of Empowered Wellness. I will admit that I was apprehensive about coming home because I believed that I wouldn’t be strong enough to stay on plan; however, I have proven myself wrong. Since we’ve last…

Ensuring A Healthy Holiday Season Cari Coulter Thiede, RD, LD Did you know that it’s totally possible to stick to a nutritious eating plan throughout the holiday season?  While this time of year may present additional challenges to a healthy lifestyle, by engaging in some pre-planning and establishing how you will address any challenges you…

Winter Oatmeal Ideas During the cold winter months, consider starting your day with a warm, filling breakfast.  One fun way to add some comforting seasonal flavors to your oatmeal is by first steeping bags of tea or cider spices in the water that you’ll use to cook the oats.  Top the oats off with some…

Written by Jessica Notermans At camp, you learned that mindfulness is a great skill to re-engage with the present moment; acknowledging how your body and mind feels and just accepting whatever is without judging it. When you find yourself in an emotional pattern or in a difficult situation (i.e. fight with family or friends, urges…

Football season can bring opportunities for tailgating and parties to cheer on your favorite team.  Chicken wings, pizza, hamburgers and chips are all staple foods at these events.  Before you attend a party be mindful of what foods might tempt you and bring some of your own foods that are healthy options.  Here are a…

By: Quiggy At camp, we frequently took little mindfulness breaks dubbed “Mountain Moments”, in honor of the beautiful Santa Ynez Mountains right in our backyard. Even in such serene surroundings, we often find ourselves forgetting about the beauty around us, hurriedly caught up in day-to-day tasks or our own heads. So, after a hot and…

By: Nikki Downey, CTRS Creating Routines Think back to the cool mornings at camp, you’d wake up to exciting music playing in the courtyard and Ben banging on your door! You’d come out half asleep, chat with your friends and then head out on your morning walk to the beach! You did this every morning…

Hello everyone, I hope you’re all doing well at home. As you already know, the adjustment back to reality after being in sunny Santa Barbara for such a long time can be hard. But hey, at least you’re not in freezing England where my high of this past month has been buying a thicker blanket…

With leaving behind the hot, muggy temperatures of summer and heading into the cooler, refreshing temperatures of fall, it’s a great time to take a hike.  The beautiful colors of orange, browns, and reds are a sight to see and enjoy by yourself or with your family.  Here are a few tips to help you…

by: Cari Thiede, RD, LD I don’t know about you, but I am very excited to be leaving the oppressive heat of summer behind me and am looking forward to enjoying everything that fall has to offer: milder temperatures, cozy layers, and seasonal dishes thatare satisfying, flavorful, and festive. Nothing screams fall to me as…

Choosing the best weight loss camp for your teenager, young adult or college student is one of those decisions that really, really counts. When you know in your heart your child’s losing the battle with weight — and you’ve tried everyone’s well-meaning suggestions with no success — finding the right immersive program can feel impossible.…

Research has shown that if you’re overweight when you’re young, you’ll probably be heavier as an adult – and more discouraged than ever by yo-yo weight cycling. Break that cycle early with effective life skills, daily habits and other tools that work now, in college, and beyond. Do this and stay in control of your…

What you weigh is the result of many factors, including emotional and environmental influences as well as food or exercise. This is why “eat less, move more” advice often doesn’t result in lasting weight loss, no matter how hard you try. It’s also why no one should feel guilty or ashamed about their weight. If…

A few days ago a dear friend reached out to me with a text that said “Help! My five-year-old just said that she can’t wear that dress because she looks fat! What do I say?” My friend and I then proceeded to have a great conversation about how to start teaching her daughter what “beauty”…