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:
Exercise Might Not Help If You’re Generally a Couch Potato
We often hear about the benefits of exercise, how it will improve your quality of life and help you live longer. It’s easy to assume that people who train for marathons or bike 10 miles to work each day would be the pillar of good health. Although exercise is key, how you spend the other 23 hours a day is just as important. Need another reason to lead an active life that doesn’t involve being a couch potato? A new study says that if you spend a lot of the day sitting, you have an increased risk of mortality regardless of how much you exercise.
Posted 8/3/2010 4:00:11 PM By: : 198 comments 48,660 views
Decoding the Mystery of Food Labels
I consider myself to be a conscientious label-reader at the grocery store. As a general rule of thumb, I don't buy products that contain a long list of ingredients with words I can't pronounce. If I have no clue what is in the product, I assume it's probably not the best thing to be putting into my body or serving to my family. But sometimes it's overwhelming and confusing. Companies do their best to convince us their products are good for us, even if they aren't. Do words like "all-natural" and "organic" mean "healthy"? Not necessarily.
Posted 7/30/2010 12:00:00 PM By: : 43 comments 21,310 views
Perfectionism Leads to Poor Health
In many ways, I consider myself to be a perfectionist. I work very hard to be a good employee, good mother, good spouse, etc. I'm slightly fanatic about having a clean and orderly house (which is no small feat with two little kids), and I'm not good at sitting down and relaxing. I always feel like there's something I could (or should) be doing instead. I get stressed out about these things from time to time (okay, actually it's often), and I know it's not healthy. New research is confirming what I would have suspected: perfectionists tend to be in worse physical health and increase their risk of death.
Posted 7/27/2010 10:14:28 AM By: : 87 comments 28,198 views
We Know Diet Pills Don't Work, But We're Still Buying
Most people realize that if a supplement's claims seem too good to be true, they probably are. "Lose 10 pounds in 2 days!" or "Look like this swimsuit model in less than a week!" are claims that make most of us roll our eyes and shake our heads. But for some reason, companies keep making diet pills and other supplements. What is that reason? Because they still make money. Even though we know they aren't likely to work, a lot of us are still spending big bucks in the hopes that diet pills will help us reach our goals more quickly and easily. Why?
Posted 7/23/2010 6:09:32 AM By: : 90 comments 28,300 views
Do Glucosamine and Chondroitin Alleviate Joint Pain?
For many years, people have been searching for ways to alleviate joint pain, especially those who suffer from the painful effects of osteoarthritis. Glucosamine and chondroitin are two naturally occurring substances in your body that help build and repair cartilage. The theory behind using them for joint pain is that more of the cartilage building blocks will be available for cartilage repair. Research has shown that these products are generally safe, but are they effective? Much of the current research says you should save your money.
Posted 7/20/2010 2:14:21 PM By: : 219 comments 58,118 views
When Picky Eating Becomes a Bigger Problem
Growing up, I remember my mom had a friend who would not eat anything green. She had tried, but it was almost like she couldn't force herself to take a bite of something if it was green. When we talk about picky eaters, the first thought that usually comes to mind is a child who won't try anything new. But many adults who have been labeled as "picky" aren't being particular by choice; some have diets that are so limited it interferes with relationships and has a significant impact on their lives.
Posted 7/16/2010 12:21:09 PM By: : 170 comments 33,851 views
Will Improving School Lunches Affect Childhood Obesity?
I've done numerous blogs about children and healthy eating. The topic has always interested me, but even more-so now that I have children of my own. Every day we hear statistics about the number of obese children in America and strategies for how to solve this growing problem. I wasn't familiar with celebrity chef Jamie Oliver until a few months ago, when I saw his new show being promoted on network television. I was curious to see if his approach to tackling childhood nutrition and obesity was going to work. Some say "yes", some say "no way".
Posted 7/9/2010 6:16:57 AM By: : 162 comments 31,512 views
Who's More Stressful: Your Spouse or Your Boss?
Jobs are a big source of stress for many people. It's hard when you're trying to balance tight deadlines, a demanding boss, competition with co-workers, etc. So you'd assume that a good way to unwind after a tough day and might be to go home and spend some time with loved ones. According to a new poll, you might want to rethink that decision. Spouses can end up creating more anxiety than your boss at the office.
Posted 7/6/2010 6:00:00 AM By: : 123 comments 23,417 views
Is Marriage a Reason to Pack on the Pounds?
If you're someone who regularly follows my blogs, it's easy to see which topics are really interesting to me. I have an easier time writing about things I can relate to, which is why I had a hard time deciding how to approach this topic. I think the research is interesting and I'm sure a lot of people have had a similar experience. I just don't happen to be one of them.
I've weighed about the same amount for the past 15 years or so. Since having children, my weight is now distributed a little differently, but I'm around the same size as I was before I got married. I never felt pressure to be a certain size as a single woman. Being healthy and active has been a big part of my life for many years, married or not. But I know that I'm not the norm. Statistics show that both men and women tend to gain weight after they get married.
Posted 7/2/2010 10:00:22 AM By: : 139 comments 26,226 views
If More Americans are Exercising, Why Aren't We Losing Weight?
After I had my second child, I lost most of the pregnancy weight pretty quickly. I was active throughout the nine months and started back into my regular routine soon after birth. I even started training for another marathon when my son was 7 months old. But I had this pesky 5-10 pounds that just wouldn't go away. I assumed it was just because I was nursing, but I stopped when my son turned one and those pounds still hung on. I couldn't understand it; I was extremely active and ate a (generally) healthy diet. Was I destined to keep those extra pounds forever?
Posted 6/29/2010 2:00:00 PM By: : 149 comments 33,837 views
Skip the Plastic Surgery-- All You Need is Floss!
Flossing your teeth is something everyone knows they should do, but many people don't. When you're in a hurry to get out the door in the morning, or ready to go to sleep after a long day, stopping to floss is the last thing you want to do. But you'd be surprised at the benefits of regular flossing. Experts say that flossing can do more than plastic surgery to fight the effects of aging.
Posted 6/25/2010 6:00:00 AM By: : 111 comments 22,549 views
Hit the Books—and the Gym—to Boost Grades
Although it seems like a lifetime ago, I remember my college years were a stressful period of time. Trying to figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life, learning to become more independent and juggling priorities made college about a lot more than fraternity parties and late-night pizza gatherings. Some of my college classes were very difficult, so I would have given anything to improve my G.P.A. and make studying a little easier. Who knew regular exercise might have given me that boost?
Posted 6/22/2010 6:01:01 AM By: : 62 comments 16,689 views
Getting Enough Sleep Could Make Kids Smarter
My kids have always been pretty good about going to bed when I tell them it's time. I'm someone who likes to stick to a schedule, so we stay consistent with bedtimes (although what time they get up and how long they nap is a totally different story.) My friends who don't have kids and my relatives with grown children don't understand (or have forgotten) why I can't be a little more flexible. The bedtime routine is so important in my house because if my kids don't get enough sleep, the effects are felt for days to come. New research shows that sticking to a schedule and getting enough sleep could give young children a developmental boost.
Posted 6/18/2010 4:09:58 PM By: : 71 comments 27,767 views
Stretch Your Muscles with Strength Training
Although not everyone agrees about when to stretch, how long to stretch or what to stretch, most people include stretching as a regular part of their exercise routine. Research has shown that flexibility and range of motion decrease as we age. Regular stretching has a number of benefits, including increased range of motion, reduced muscular tension and increased circulation. But could there be another way to improve flexibility without having to stretch? New research shows that something else can help improve flexibility just as much- if not more- than stretching. What is it?
Posted 6/15/2010 8:16:04 AM By: : 36 comments 20,087 views
More Americans are Heading Outdoors This Year
My kids love to be outside. They don't care if we're taking a walk, playing on the swing set or just looking at bugs on the patio. As long as we are outside, they are happy. And I'm happy too. It's easy to get depressed during the winter when it's cold and dark all the time. But when springtime comes, I find myself looking forward to each day a little more. My family spends a lot of time outdoors, and according to new research, we aren't alone.
Posted 6/8/2010 4:10:37 PM By: : 47 comments 16,786 views
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