SparkPeople Community Director and Fitness Coach
Jen Mueller left her first career in corporate finance to earn a master's degree in health education. She is a busy mom of four and holds a number of fitness certifications (including ACE's Health Coach, Personal Trainer, Medical Exercise Specialist and Behavior Change Specialist). She is passionate about helping people reach their health and fitness goals. In her spare time, Jen loves running, kickboxing and spending time with her family. Jen enjoys blogging about raising healthy children and how small behavior changes can impact health and quality of life.
Read More of 's Blogs:
Confession: My Kids Eat Better Than I Do
I've blogged about my kids' diets many times in the past. I try hard to provide them with good, wholesome meals. Fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy and lean meats are the norm in my house. My kids have treats, but in moderation, so overall, I feel pretty good about how they eat. Interestingly, I can't say that my or my husband's diet lives up to quite the same standard. According to a new online poll, we're not alone.
Posted 2/18/2011 2:09:08 PM By: : 34 comments 19,326 views
Another Reason to Avoid Trans Fat: Depression
If you've read many food labels over the past few years, you're familiar with trans fats. "No Trans Fat" is a popular slogan to help attract consumers and give them a sense that a product is healthy. We avoid trans fats because of the physical affect they can have on the body, increasing the risk of heart disease. But did you know that they can also affect you mentally? New research shows that trans fats can actually make you sad.
Posted 2/15/2011 10:11:00 AM By: : 32 comments 19,589 views
Are You Having New Year's Resolution Success?
So many people start out the New Year full of momentum, ready to change their lives for the better. Maybe you've set a goal to lose weight and get fit. You start the year full of excitement, and even lose a few pounds before the novelty begins to wear off. Sound familiar? If it does, then you're not alone. According to one SparkPeople.com poll, more than 50% of people report losing momentum within the first two weeks of starting a diet, and almost 20% lose willpower within 3 days. If you've made it this far with your goals, congratulations! If not, what can you do right now to get back on track?
Posted 2/11/2011 6:21:10 AM By: : 24 comments 14,910 views
Improve Heart Health with Short Activity Breaks
When I'm busy at work, I can easily go a few hours without getting up to move around. All of a sudden I'll look at the clock and think "Geez, when was the last time I stood up?" So I'll take a quick break, even if it's just to walk down the hall or go to the bathroom. I find those quick breaks give me a quick boost of energy and improve my concentration levels when I sit down to start working again. New research shows those quick breaks might also be keeping my weight in check and improving my health.
Posted 2/8/2011 5:34:58 PM By: : 35 comments 21,042 views
Parent's Diet Might Not Influence Child's Choices
When you look at all of the information out there regarding children's eating habits, it's enough to make your head spin. As parents, you should do this, but don't do that. As an example to your kids, you should eat this, but don't eat that. Helping a child establish healthy eating habits begins at home, right? For years we've been hearing about studies that say if parents eat healthy, their children are more likely to mimic those behaviors. But a new analysis of previous research says that there is only a weak relationship between what parents and children eat.
Posted 2/4/2011 2:00:00 PM By: : 76 comments 27,789 views
Walking Speed Could Indicate Life Expectancy
I've never been someone who likes to walk for exercise, mostly because I'm so slow. I'm amazed at people who race walk, since I'm convinced I'd have to break into a jog before I could ever walk that fast. I hope that's not a bad indication of my life expectancy according to new research, which claims the walking speed of older adults could determine how long they live.
Posted 1/28/2011 6:00:00 AM By: : 77 comments 36,871 views
Stuff We Love: Healthy Kid Products
I always try to research products before trying them on my 4 and 2-year-old children. Whether it's healthy foods for their bodies or healthy games for their minds, I'm pretty picky when it comes to what I give my kids. I've made purchases that weren't well-received when I brought them home (especially food items), but through trial-and-error I've found some staples that work well in our home. Here are just a few.
Posted 1/25/2011 10:00:00 AM By: : 29 comments 25,316 views
Poll: Did You Get a Flu Shot This Year?
Every year, especially since having kids, I go back and forth about getting the flu shot. My family is generally healthy and we don't usually get much more than a routine cough and cold during the winter. My husband works in a hospital where the flu shot is mandatory, and since my daughter started preschool, I've gotten them for my children, too. But I've never gotten the flu shot, which I might live to regret some day.
Posted 1/18/2011 10:25:01 AM By: : 161 comments 30,763 views
The Key to Weight Loss Isn't Just Diet and Exercise
If you're trying to lose weight, you've probably been paying a lot of attention to what you eat and how much you exercise. It's great when everything is going right and you're losing like you expected. But it's frustrating when you feel like you're working so hard but aren't getting the results you were hoping to see. What could possibly be going wrong?
Our bodies are very complicated, so it's not always just about activity and food. There's another magic ingredient that can help or hinder your weight loss efforts. What is it? Sleep.
Posted 1/14/2011 6:01:16 AM By: : 72 comments 35,779 views
Mealtime Screentime Could Mean More Calories
I'm one of those people who always have to be busy doing something. In fact, if I'm not doing multiple things at once I don't feel very efficient. I know that I should sit down for meals without distraction, focusing on just eating and nothing else. That way it's easier to pick up on hunger cues and know when I'm full and need to stop. But in reality, that's not what I do. One of the things I'm most guilty of doing is eating in front of the computer. Could that end up making me eat more? A new study says "yes".
Posted 1/11/2011 2:32:19 PM By: : 43 comments 16,568 views
Chubby Babies No Longer Considered Healthy Babies
I apologize in advance if this blog sounds like a vent, because it's a touchy subject for me. I have two children. When my daughter was born, she was small and stayed in the lower percentile for weight and height during her first year. As a new mom, it stressed me out, mostly because of comments from other people about how she wasn't growing fast enough. When my son was born, his weight shot up rapidly. At 5 months, he weighed 20 pounds, and I would definitely say he was a chubby baby. Both of my kids were breast-fed and the pediatrician said there was no cause for concern. Kids grow at different rates, and mine were both happy and healthy which is what mattered most. My 4 and 2-year old children are now average when it comes to weight and height.
Posted 1/7/2011 10:38:51 AM By: : 193 comments 94,436 views
Jen's Goals for the New Year
Happy New Year, everyone! Hopefully 2011 has gotten off to a great start, and you've been thinking about how to make this year even better than the last. I'm not a big fan of New Year's Resolutions. I think it's good to make positive changes in your life just because you think you should- not because the calendar says it's time to try again. But I've been thinking about what I want to accomplish this year, and hopefully I've come up with some goals that will help me become more of the person I'm always striving to be.
Posted 1/4/2011 6:21:52 AM By: : 40 comments 15,916 views
5 Miles a Week Protects Brain for 10 Years
Walking is a great form of cardiovascular exercise. It doesn't require any equipment and can be done anywhere, anytime. Walking can help strengthen your heart, but might also sharpen your mind. New research shows that walking could help slow the progression of Alzheimer's or even help prevent onset of the disease in healthy individuals.
Posted 12/31/2010 10:31:56 AM By: : 50 comments 18,970 views
Childhood Eating Disorders on the Rise
When you think of childhood issues related to weight and health, overweight and obesity are probably the first two that come to mind. The media puts a lot of focus on kids who eat too much and don't exercise enough. But there is another alarming trend related to weight and health that parents need to be aware of: eating disorders. The incidence of anorexia and bulimia in young kids has increased dramatically over the past 10 years. Who is at risk? And why are these rates increasing now?
Posted 12/28/2010 5:00:00 AM By: : 30 comments 17,876 views
Senior 15 May Be More Accurate than Freshman 15
Any young person who's headed to college hears about the dreaded "Freshman 15"- those extra pounds many students gain when they get into a routine of high-calorie dorm food and less physical activity. Changes have been made in recent years to help students learn to make better food choices and get into a healthy routine so that they can avoid extra weight gain. New research shows the trend is actually moving toward the Senior 15, as more students gain weight as they progress through their academic career.
Posted 12/24/2010 9:34:22 AM By: : 36 comments 24,046 views
‹ Back Read More Entries ›
.png)
