New Year and a New Katie! A New Horizon health transformation story for 2014!

Katie of New Horizon Elk River made the decision in 2014 to get healthy!  

Katie began her health journey May 2014 starting at 315 pounds and fast forward to today (December 31st) she proudly reflects on her 117 pound weight loss story.

Facing the summer of 2014, she decided to make a change in her health along with her family’s health. At the time Katie felt tired, uncomfortable, not motivated to do much of anything.  Katie found a program that was comprehensive, focusing on a whole approach to health and habits of health for long term results.   Katie enjoyed the support of a free health coach, a virtual network of support, without having to attend a support group or commute to a location. 

As Katie continues in her health journey, she is now paying it forward, helping those looking to make a change, as she did this year!  Please contact Katie to learn more. 

Katie9576@aol.com

763.486.2795

Looking at Each Day Differently!

We humans are certainly creatures of habit. Once we wrap our arms around an idea or a behavior, we tend to hold on for dear life. As a matter of fact, holding on to old thinking and old ways of doing things is one of the most difficult issues people face when trying to live healthier lives. 

Repetition creates habit, and we are all, to some degree, hostages of our past selves. To make this point, let me share something I read by mind/body expert Dr. Deepak Chopra. He says the following: “It is estimated that 90% of the thoughts a person has in a day are a literal repeat of the thoughts the day before.” No wonder change is so difficult! This brings me to my thought for the day.

If Chopra is right, you must be very mindful and very aggressive about bringing change into your life. With that said, I’m going to declare this Try Something Different Day! Here is what I’d like you to consider: Choose one thing you will do differently. Maybe it’s to take a different route to work. Maybe it’s wearing a color you never wear. Maybe it’s eating no junk food. Maybe it’s not smoking. You get the idea! Just pick one thing you do mindlessly and habitually and then… do it differently. 

Who knows, Try Something Different Day just might turn into something much better!

Wishing You Great Health in 2015!

Sugar and Sleep

One of the pillars of a healthy lifestyle is a good night of sleep. But a good night’s sleep isn’t always easy to come by. While many people just disregard their tiredness the next day, the fact is they may be partaking in some bad habits that affect their sleep.

For the average adult, a healthy amount of sleep is considered to be seven to eight hours a night. But many people cite having too much energy at night to settle down and fall asleep. One of the main culprits may be having too much sugar too close to bed. Having a lot of sugar before bed can cause blood sugar to climb and then fall quickly as the body brings it under control with hormones. The swing in hormones and blood sugar levels may impair sleep.  For people with diabetes, high blood sugar is often a warning sign for sleep issues. When people are tired during the day, they are inclined to eat more to give themselves a boost of energy. This tends to boost blood sugar. But eating right throughout the day actually has a better effect on tiredness, as proper blood sugar levels will aid people in getting a good night’s sleep and then waking up with enough energy to last the day.Some studies even show that eating high-sugar foods before bed causes nightmares.

Here are some foods to avoid before bed if you want to get a restful night of sleep.

Candy: Too much sugar will give people energy and they will not be able to settle down and get to sleep. Give yourself a couple of hours before bed without any sugary candy to help aid in getting to sleep.

Soda: Soda has little nutritional value to begin with, and since it is high in sugar and caffeine it will probably keep you awake longer than you want. Try and avoid soda in the hours leading up to bed.

Coffee: This one should be obvious, as coffee is loaded with caffeine and is meant to give you energy. But even with a decaf coffee, you could be kept awake, especially if you add sugar to sweeten the drink. Don’t drink coffee past mid-afternoon if possible if you don’t want it to hinder your sleep.

Ice Cream: While it is often tough to resist a nice bowl of ice cream before bed, all of the sugar is going to give you too much energy to get to sleep. Additionally, ice cream is packed with fat and your body won’t have a chance to burn any of it before lying in bed for the night.

If you are looking for a restful night of sleep, avoiding sugar should be your top priority. 

You’ll be happy you did when you wake up refreshed the next morning.

Ten Gifts That Will Not Break The Bank

Gifts That Have a Deeper Impact and Meaning:


1.) Volunteer- (Check out this organization if you live in the Twin Cites: Hand on Twin Cities)

2.) Scoop your Neighbor's Driveway or Sidewalk (Bonus if you do this all winter long after each snowfall!)

3.) Help a Friend with Their Holiday Cards

4.) Babysit for a Couple Free of Charge who could really use a date night (They will be forever grateful!)

5.) Send a Homemade Thank you Card to a Person Who Has Impacted Your Life (Only expense is a stamp)

6.) Re-gift one of your Favorite Books you have already read 3 times (Write a meaningful message inside the front cover)

7.) Clean out your Closet and Donate your clothes, jewelry, shoes, etc to local thrift store (OR deliver it personally to a less fortunate family in your area. Give Locally:  http://givelocally.net/ )

8.) Create a Family Recipe Book (Use this website to create and customize your own Ebook and Ipad app for free: http://www.bakespace.com/cookbooks/submit/)

9.) Walk Someone's Dog for for Them Once a Week for a Year (Great exercise for you as well!)

10.)  Put Together a Care Package for a local shelter out of new things you already have in your closets or cupboards.