Have you ever wondered why you crave the foods that you do? Most cravings have an explanation. For instance, if you crave sugar (which many people do) your body may have a poor fuel-burning capacity. What you really require are minerals. Zinc and chromium are required for carb metabolism and could be especially low. How about salt? Typically, people that crave salt have weak adrenal gland function. Bread cravings are a sign of yeast problems which can have an emotional effect with mood swings, digestive distress and chronic allergies. Chocolate? Believe it or not, you may be able to attack the same craving by eating mixed greens. I know, it's a totally different taste, but your body is requiring magnesium which is in both. Try to get to the source of your craving instead of feeding your desire.

—Wendie Pett, Fitness and Wellness Coach, www.wendiepett.com

The average person/family eats out 3-4 times a week due to busy schedules, laziness, and lack of knowing how to prepare meals. The calories that you may be consuming will shock you. I recently came across a book called Restaurant Confidential: The Shocking Truth About What You're Really Eating When You're Eating Out. Obviously, some of the better choices were Subway 6 gram of fat sandwiches and a Chicken Caesar from McDonalds with fat-free herb vinegarette dressing. But, check this out…if you ever have a craving for a mushroom cheeseburger - I would think twice. It contains 900 calories and 57 grams of fat. They say that if you added onion rings to this meal it would be like eating "5 strips of bacon, 4 Twinkies, 3 slices of pepperoni pizza, 2 banana splits and a Big Mac." WOW - that's enough to make me want to throw up.

The key here is to try to eat at home as much as possible. You will know how your food is prepared and you will save money and caloric intake in the long run.

--Wendie Pett, Fitness and Wellness Coach, www.wendiepett.com

Really, a wellness coach? How can hiring a wellness coach assist you in reaching your goals? A wellness coach, such as myself, offers an individual program that is customized just for you so that success is more attainable and you reach your wellness goals - mentally, physically,and spiritually. Beware of "generic programs". We are all unique and may need a specific fitness routine and eating plan in order to see maximum results. It's fine to have similar foundational methods to a program and I would even say that it's encouraged. But, beyond the fundamentals, it's important to have an individual customized wellness plan.

My coaching program (The VItal Discovery Process™) keeps you accountable, motivated, and in extreme alignment with the way that you live each day of your life. Is each day full of intention (a wish to carry out your wellness plan) or is it full of action and you follow through on your plan each and every day? Are you eating properly or just think you are? Are you feeding you mind and spirit? With what? Are you nurturing yourself and your family? A coach allows you to become closer to a more balanced way of life. Will life ever be fully balanced? I don't believe so, but it's important to know how to achieve more balance and know how to adjust accordingly to whatever season your life is in at that moment.    

Sign up for one of my upcoming teleseminars to hear what coaching can do for you!  

--Wendie Pett, Fitness and Wellness Coach, www.wendiepett.com     

If you are incorporating more push-ups in your workout routine then you are probably noticing great results in your chest, back, shoulders, and arms. Sometimes the more push-ups you add to your routine the more your wrists may become irritated due to the weight they are supporting. If this happens then try using push-up bars to relieve the stress on the wrists. Or, if you don't want to make the purchase then you can do what I do and perform push-ups on your fists to alleviate the bend in the wrist. I may alternate a set using a normal stance and then perform one on the fists. It's important to always warm your wrists up just like any other joint in the body and you can do this by merely rotating your wrists around in slow circles forward and backward. 

--Wendie Pett, Fitness and Wellness Coach, www.wendiepett.com

I'm sure most of you have heard of Ali Vincent by now. She is the first female to win The Biggest Loser competition and has been plastered on just about every news medium around the country. I LOVE the fact that Ali accomplished what she deserved. Her story and her heart-felt determination will prove to inspire many. It shows that hard work does pay off and you can do anything you set your heart and mind to do. During one of Ali's interviews, she makes a valid statement that I feel others can identify with whole-heartedly. She said, "The weight came on 3-5 pounds at a time and she didn't realize how truly overweight she had become over the years." Ali also mentioned that she never saw the woman in the before photos as overweight until now, after losing 112 pounds. She always hid herself from the mirror, certain activities such as going to the swimming pool, etc. Now she says that true beauty to her is to now have the strength and confidence that she was lacking in the past. Way to go Ali!

There may be many of you that don't even realize how much weight you have "packed" on over the years. You too could share a similar story by just getting your body in motion and eating proper well-balanced meals that are intended for maximum nutrition. Spring is here and great produce is trickling in to your supermarkets. Take advantage of what is provided and start seeing results today!