THE HAPPY & HEALTHY BLOG
Back Pocket Dealing Skills
Nikki Downey, CTRS Everyday, whether you are on a wellness journey or a different journey, we all face obstacles and must use accessible, problem solving skills to overcome them. At camp, with our young adult and teens, we call these Dealing Skills. At camp, campers might express soreness after a long hike. Our counselors are…
Holiday Meal Planning: The Plate Method
Cari Coulter Thiede, RD, LD Meal Planning Last month we talked about strategies for sticking to a healthy lifestyle over the holidays. At our summer camps for teens and young adults, we encourage them to find holiday traditions and activities that did not revolve around food, such as a 5k Turkey Trot or gift exchange. …
Holiday Recipes
Sweet Potato Latkes Ingredients: 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated 3 scallions, finely chopped 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/8 tsp cumin 1/8 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp nutmeg 1 Tbsp olive oil for greasing baking pan Instructions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees…
The Holiday Survival Guide
The holiday season is in fully bloom. You’ve made it through Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and now you’re on to the next joys and challenges of December. We have created a complete guide for this season with a Holiday Menu Planner, Holiday Recipes, Back Pocket Dealing Skills, and Using Dealing Skills During the Holidays. We also…
Camper Corner: A Note from Alex
Hey! It’s Alex and I’d l like to share with you how my transition home has been. Before attending camp, I had a difficult time with my self-confidence and stress. While at camp, I learned so many different things such as how to reduce stress in my life in various ways. One way I learned…
Camp Magic: Turn Guilt & Self-Blame Into Better Decisions
This morning was a “mom-fail”, as I so lovingly call them. Not because I believe that I am a bad mother by any means, but because I’d rather laugh at myself than take mornings like these too seriously. It was one of those mornings when I swear the allotted use of the word “Mom” that…
Fast and Easy Thanksgiving Recipes
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and you are probably starting to plan your menu. The traditional Thanksgiving menu focuses mainly on those carb-loaded side dishes. One simple modification you can make is to add some color to your menu by adding vegetables and a salad. At Empowered Wellness Camps, we teach our young adults…
The Pedometer Challenge, Part 3: Set Goals, Plan, and Track
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…
The Pedometer Challenge, Part 1: Which One Is Best For You?
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…
Using Dealing Skills Over the Holidays
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…