Several of you on my email list received this week's newsletter about my beautiful Korean friend (the one who reminds me of Princess Kate 😊) whose mom came to visit from Korea and immediately pointed out that her skin wasn't as "glassy" anymore... and that she'd put on a little weight. It got me thinking about something psychologists call negativity bias. Our brains are incredibly good at highlighting what's wrong, or what could go wrong. That wiring helped our ancestors survive but today it just keeps us in a low-grade stress state. In the newsletter I talked about the negative stressors we have some control over like: ❌self-criticism, ❌overcommitting and ❌under-eating, ❌ over-exercising I also talked about something we don't hear enough about... Good stress! 💯 💪 The kind that not only cancels negative stress but also actively makes us feel and look better... stronger. One of my favorite forms of good stress is strength training. Because it teaches our body that we can do something challenging... recover... and come back stronger (mentally, emotionally and physically) the next time. That's the definition of resilience and it's my favorite word in 2026. My current lower-body workout is linked below. Three exercises. Three sets. About 20 minutes. I'm focusing on lower body because training the bigger muscles gives me the biggest return on my time. Plus, I want larger, stronger glutes. 😉 🍑 🌺 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐎ʻ𝐚𝐡𝐮, I have 𝟐 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫y 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐬 left for my 𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 session this 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟎, 𝟏𝟐:𝟎𝟎–𝟏:𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐌. I'll teach you a simpler structure, proper form to build muscle faster and we'll eliminate unnecessary fluff. We can also go over nutrition 101 and FAQs. If you're interested, simply DM me or post "me" below!

Who thinks recovery = cold plunges, sauna, red light, foam rolling, creatine and getting more sleep? 🙋🏻‍♀️ Yes ... those are all forms of "recovery"! 🤔 The thing is ... RECOVERY isn't something you necessarily add ... ... it's something you REMOVE An overcommitted schedule. The dinner you felt guilty saying "no" to. The volunteer role you didn't have the energy for. The obligation you dragged yourself to because of FOMO 🤭 or because you didn't want to disappoint someone. We spend so much time trying to "optimize" our recovery... ...while overlooking the fact that our calendar might be what's keeping our nervous system stuck in survival mode. Your body can't exit survival mode if it's constantly running from one commitment to the next. Time and energy are currencies. 💰💰 Every intentional "no" protects both. When our body isn't depleted of "currency", it has more resources to put towards repairing muscle tissue, healthier food choices and letting go of unwanted body fat. Saying "No, thank you" ❤️ is a more powerful recovery tool compared to the next supplement or biohack. RECOVERY isn't an accessory to the strength and nutrition "training." Recovery IS the training!! What's one thing you could say "no" to this week that your future self would thank you for?

Aloha Hazel! Welcome to the Strong Women team - we are stoked to have you join us! We'd love to get to know you-- feel free to introduce yourself below. Let us know where you're from and what you're currently loving for nutrition and training in 2026. 😊 💪 Here's one of my go-to tricep movements and a favorite functional movement for legs and glutes. What type of arm and legs movements have been working for you so far?

Halfway through 2026, I think a lot of us are simply taking life one day at a time. Today's post is some encouragement to give your heart a dose of happy. The kind you'd get from a hug... or a good laugh with a girlfriend. ❤️ Quick story. The last three weeks have been a lot. I came down with a respiratory infection on my son's birthday, and I'm still not quite over it. In the middle of that, we traveled to Phoenix and Reno for baseball. It was hot. It was busy. It was fun. It was exhausting. Every day was making sure the kids had breakfast, snacks, water, sunscreen, clean uniforms, enough sleep, and enough opportunities to make special memories. I happily ate the burgers and fries with them... while secretly missing my cottage cheese, slow-cooked oats, and giant arugula salads. I'm not complaining. I'm just tired. And if I'm honest, there was a little part of me hoping someone would say, "Thanks, Mom (or "Sis" or "Babe"). You're doing a great job." 😂 I laughed at myself as I wrote the above sentence. Because that's not usually how caregiving works. Women just keep the show running. We solve problems before anyone notices them. We carry the mental load - heck, even the physical load like coolers full of drinks and ice! We love hard. And then we wake up and do it all again. That's why I think we need to cheer for one another. And maybe... learn to cheer for ourselves, too. Quit focusing on everything you're not doing silly.😉 Pause long enough to notice everything you already are. The meals you've made. The appointments you've remembered. The people you've encouraged. The countless little things that no one else even sees. So if you need someone to tell you today... You're doing a fabulous job. You are strong. You are kind. You are deeply loved. We see you. Keep going. And when you need it... Take a bow. Then take a rest. 💚 💚 Consider this my little gift to you today: My friend and fellow health coach, Azul, shared a beautiful breathing practice inside the classroom

The reason you're doing more but feeling worse and how you can have MORE AGENCY TODAY. In perimenopause + menopause, estrogen and progesterone decline but in an erratic, non-linear style. That hormonal "wonkiness" can disrupt normal cortisol rhythms: • Blood sugar elevates • More belly fat storage • Middle-of-the-night waking • and every other woman I talk to tells me :"I tend to lose my sh$! more"😜 Our body gets stuck in low grade "survival" threat mode which is stressful. Stress KILLS progress. What do most women do? They tend to do more. More cardio, more dieting, more self-deprication ... which raises cortisol further. Which keeps us spinning wheels and tired. We had it backward. We don't get cortisol back to baseline by controlling our external environment harder. We get cortisol back in balance by IMPROVING OUR INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT. Our external environment is made up of stressors outside of us, including: - Work demands - Relationship challenges - Deadlines and time pressure - Overcommitting and busy schedules - Comparing ourselves to others' physiques - Traffic and commuting - Bills and financial responsibilities - Other day-to-day life demands Here's how to start improving your internal environment: - Start using food/exercise as privilege not punishment. - Get to bed earlier without feeling guilt or like you're missing out. - Strength train- not too much, not too little, but just the right amount - Learn the difference between cravings, and true hunger. - Eat enough protein to support muscle and recovery. - Protect your energy by saying "no" more often even when it feels uncomfortable - Learn about your tendencies and recognize patterns; more awareness, less forcing/pressure A "lighter" internal environment fosters brain safety and cortisol is encouraged to drop back to baseline. When cortisol drops, insulin works better, muscle tissue can grow and fat metabolism actually functions. Today's action: Identify one area of your internal environment you'd like to improve. If you feel comfortable, share it below and we can drop tips as a team.