Fit in Real Life

We often talk about the physcial benefits of exercise- preventing heart disease, maintaining a healthy body weight, bone health, maintaining strength and function.  But most people I work with also understand the mental benefits of exercise.  In fact, the most common reason people workout is simply because it improves their mood.  It helps reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.  It improves focus...

Today we're talking all about motivation! Is there something you want... maybe it's improved fitness level, to take better care of your health, or to lose weight... but your actions aren't aligned with what you want?  In other words, you say you want to get in better shape... but you never really stick with it? If so, I can relate.  And in this podcast I dive into a few big picture mindset shifts...

Do you ever feel just plain tired?  Like you don't have enough energy to do the things you want to do in life.  And you know something's going on... but when you get help, you're told you just need some down time, or to sleep more, or you need anti-depressants? Exhaustion is NOT normal.  And in this episode, I talk to Dr. Carri Drzyzga about some of the reasons we may feel exhausted all the time,...

Imagine going an entire year eating only whole foods and no added sugar?  Now imagine doing it with two young kids. Becca Sterritt is doing just that.  She's a mom of a 5 year old and 2 year old and as of November 1st, 2015, her family is undertaking a project to live one year without sugar and processed foods.  On her blog, One Year Without , she shares delicious, easy to make recipes and lessons...

Today we're talking all about carbs! Carbs get so much attention these days. Are carbs good or bad? Which carbs are good? Is sugar bad for me?  And today we're going to learn why carbs are important, how much we need, and dive into simple ways to manage your carb intake. When you try one of the 'low carb' swaps, take a photo, post to Instagram or the Facebook group and tag #fitvibrantlife so I can...

Recently a client asked me about the macronutrient diet.  I was a bit confused.  Building meals that are macronutrient balanced is nothing new.  This new 'diet' though, takes things to a whole new level. Counting your 'macros', also known as flexible dieting, or 'If it Fits your Macros" is a hot topic in the dieting world, especially amongst bodybuilders. "Macros" or macronutrients, simply means t...

There's a lot of confusion about body love, and taking care of one's health.  How can you love your body and want to change your body at the same time?  In this podcast I talk to Mel Wells about finding the balance between self love, and choosing health promoting food. Mel is a Hay House Author, Speaker and Coach at The Green Goddess Life   www.thegreengoddesslife.com . She empowers modern day wom...

I said the D Word! Call it a diet, lifestyle, eating habits, I am simply referring to the food that you put into your mouth. Undoubtedly, what you put into your body impacts how your body looks, functions, and how you feel. There are plenty of eating styles and 'diet plans' to choose from: from Atkins to the Zone, vegan to paleo, low fat to high fat and everything in between. Proponents of each di...

I recently received this question from a listener: "I have really been enjoying the change of thought from good food and bad food to just food.  I'm just wondering how to start good habits with my 8 year old daughter now without it being too 'strict'" -Nancy In this episode, I talk to Juile Dillon, a 'weight neutral' registered dietitian and food behavior expert who helps her clients enjoy eating...

We talk about 'self-care' and 'self-love'... but what the heck is it?  What does it actually mean to practice self care, and how does it relate to overall health and our relationship to food?.  This week I'm thrilled to be joined by Amber Romaniuk and Leanne Vogel to talk about just that. Amber is a Holistic Nutritionist, Speaker, emotional eating expert and leading expert on healthy eating and ov...

We often start health and fitness programs when life is good.  Maybe we're in a good routine, the kids are back in school, or things are just 'settled'  But what do we do when life gets tough... really tough In this podcast I answer a listener's question: "How do you stay on track when something BIG happens and threatens to derail your life?  What are the "basics"?   Or put another away, when your...

"Weight loss is a joyous consequence".  YES! I first connected with Karina Melvin in a course we took together about writing copy.  As I got to know Karina and how she works with her clients, I knew you would love to hear from her.  I love how Karina focuses on why and how we eat, not what we eat. Karina Melvin has spent over ten years training in the fields of psychology and psychotherapy and now...

Hello body.  Let's be friends. I'm back at it with a solo episode on 10 steps to body acceptance.  I get this question a lot, and it's time I put together some action items to help you find peace with your body. To download the steps go to www.tanjashaw.com/46  

"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right" When we want to improve our health, we often think about diet and exercise.  Let's 'clean up our eating' and and start hitting the gym, and everything will fall into place... right? Nope.  Not always, anyway.  We're missing a big part of the picture: stress, and our self-limiting beliefs. In this podcast, I talk to Ali McWilliams, li...

During this interview, I hung onto ever single word that Becca spoke, starting from when realized that he had gained 100 pounds in one year, and why weight gain has less to do with food, and more to do with life.  She has so much to offer, and I know you're going to fall in love with Becca and everything she has to say. I did put off releasing this episode until my new website is live.  Becca is t...

95% of people who start a fitness program in January have quit by the time this interview has gone live. Why? That’s exactly what we’re going to dive in to in this episode.  More importantly, we’re going to give you very actionable steps so that you don’t become a statistic. Jack Wheeler is a personal trainer, and owner of 360 Fitness in Red Deer, Sherwood Park and soon to be open in Calgary, Albe...

Relationships are a big part of life, and today we talk about why dating yourself will help re-ignite the fire in your current relationship, or help you attract your ideal partner. Veronica Grant is a Mindset and Dating coach that believes that every woman needs to learn how to create the life and feeling she desires from a relationship herself, before being able to truly get that from someone els...

I called this podcast 'the Sexy Side of Listening" because my initial thought was that talking about listening isn't nearly as sexy as the 'shape up your body' or 'improve your sex life' headlines. Unless it is (and I think it is)... Want to dramatically improve your life?  Have more meaningful relationships?  Be that person that people love being around? Feel more connected to your loved ones? Th...

I’m going solo again!  A few weeks ago, I spoke at the Chilliwack Women’s Health Summit on “3 Tanja Presenting WHSMistakes Women Make when Trying to Lose 10 pounds”, and I received a lot of very good feedback.  While it was a bit different talking into my mic versus to a live audience (I enjoy both… but I LOVE speaking to an audience), this podcast gets the points across. Enjoy the podcast with an...

What does it mean to be a 'normal' eater?  In a world full of diet plans and food rules like "never eat after 7, or eat every 4 hours" that can be a difficult question to answer. In this episode, I brought on Paige Smathers to talk about what it means to be a 'normal' eater, and how you too, even after years of dieting, can transition to a more natural way of eating. Paige is a registered dietitia...

Dr. David McKenzie recently spoke at the Chilliwack Women’s Health Summit, and event I organized to support our local Starfish Backpack Program.  He spoke for 20 minutes, and left everyone wanting more. So, I've invited Dr. McKenzie onto the podcast. My goal for the Fit and Vibrant You podcast is to give your the resources, tool, motivation and inspiration to live a fit, vibrant life.  And in orde...

We’re talking about women’s health- specifically hormones into a women’s 40s and beyond.  And when it comes to health and fitness, most women will notice that their bodies change during this time.  We hear things like “I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted, and now the weight just keeps creeping on”, “I’m gaining weight around my midsection and I don’t know what to do about it”.   And if you,...

When it comes to nutrition, and fitness for that matter, there is no shortage of information… and all the information can be so overwhelming! In this episode, I talk to Glenn Johnson, health coach, personal trainer, college professor and founder of Life Fit Lean, about the food rules worth following. We talk a lot about sugar as well, and Glenn has some great links below on how to curb the sugar c...

Rock Bottom is a beautiful start. It’s the moment when you wake up and see things with such clarity. Often it’s someone else who calls it out: a loved one, a coach a friend. Sometimes it’s an event that occurs. Sometimes you just wake up and see admit that you have a problem. It’s not that you didn’t know about the issue. We knew about the problem the whole time. But we keep it down. And even deep...

When it comes to living a fit and healthy life, you cannot rely on willpower.  Willpower is a limited resource; it usually lasts til about 8 in the morning, and then slowly wanes with each decisions you need to make, and each emotionally charged moment in your day.   Decisions such as "should I workout?" or "what should I make for dinner" can take away from your willpower... and if you're making t...