Pot Roast for a family of 4 with leftovers (or Coach G and Lillie and Roadie 🙂 ).  You will need a Crock Pot or Insta-Pot…. continue reading »
Success is a journey, not a destination. And Coaching by G is about being there for you throughout your journey. In this blog, Coach Giulia not only shares fitness training and nutrition tips, but motivation and personal stories for inspiration.
Client Spotlight: Casey Ford
Casey Ford – an OPRF senior heading off to Lafayette Colleg in the fall – wrote this:
“I started working out with G when I was in 5th grade, at about ten years old. I was born with a very rare connective tissue disorder, and the most impactful fact of that disorder on my physical health is my lack of kneecaps. I worked with G up until around early high school. I began walking with a cane because of my disorder, and mentally I struggled with it. I convinced myself it was better to just sit down and do nothing, I accepted the inevitability of my loss of motion…. continue reading »
The Coach-Client Relationship
Change is at the heart of coaching and that can be pretty scary for most people. Once a client decides they are ready to embark on real transformation, they can experience a sense of vulnerability which can be a valuable tool if it is managed in an atmosphere of trust and is respected above all else.
The Coach-Client relationship is built on mutual honesty, respect, and transparency and is the vehicle used to move the client forward. And as in any healthy relationship, both parties must be fully engaged and ready to do the work.
The coach has to believe in her client and the client has to trust the coach to guide him toward his loftiest goals.
A strong motivation for many clients is that they may be struggling with important transitions; sometimes wrestling with very deep personal transformations and are left feeling vulnerable. But it is at this point of authentic vulnerability that will allow clients to embody their own capacity for self-reliability and responsibility, and ability to achieve…. continue reading »
Healthy Holiday Eating Strategies: How to Eat Like You Love Yourself This Season
The holiday season is a challenging time for fitness. Are you anticipating the food coma associated with overeating at Thanksgiving? How about the beginning of the holiday party season? Traveling, cold weather, and family stress can also add to the madness.
The Struggle is Real!
The social pressure around family dinners, office holiday parties, platters piled high with pie, and endless streams of alcohol prove to be too much for many people. Traveling leaves people turning to fast food options and it is also tempting to indulge in family members’ famous dishes. These few healthy holiday eating strategies from Coach G will help you navigate this tricky time of year, avoid mindless consumption, and leave you feeling successful but not restricted.… continue reading »
Why, When, and How Does Remote Fitness Coaching Work?
At Coaching by G, we work with you to discover what motivates you to want to become the best version of yourself. Â We know that is different for everyone, and that it changes over time with the ebb and flow of life. At Coaching by G we also know that coaching (remotely or in person) is all about the relationship we build together. When you schedule your free consultation we begin building the relationship that will help to change your life.
The Importance of Sleep
“Lots of students are suffering from depression, anxiety and A.D.H.D., all of which can be symptoms of sleep deprivation or worsened by it.”
There is a plethora of information now about why we sleep; it is the most important thing that we do. Here is a link to a recent NYTimes article detailing some of the pitfalls college students face by not sleeping well.
Sleep is not just about quantity. It is also very important to get quality sleep. Our world is governed by lunar cycles and as humans so are we. As the sun “rises” so should we. As the sun “sets” so should we. Fighting this natural rhythm is a way of life for some people. As a coach, what often surprises me is the amount of false pride people have about their self-diagnosed need for less sleep. No one needs less sleep. All people, regardless of their age, need sufficient sleep. Lack of sleep can kill you; it can make you sick, depressed, anxious, angry, slow, legally “drunk”, and clumsy.
Being sleep deprived will not make you better at anything. Get sleep. Take pride in your ability to go to bed at the same time and wake at the same time every day—not just work or school days-everyday. Through creating healthy habits, you are setting yourself up for success. Good sleep habits will serve you well in every aspect of your life. It will help you in school, work, sport, and social situations.
Create healthy bedtime rituals of no screen use 2 hours before bed (or using blue-light blocking glasses available on Amazon), having the bedroom dark and cool, no WiFi, and heading to bed well before midnight. You will not only feel better, you will be happier and be more productive. If you have trouble falling asleep, start a meditation practice. There are several apps available that offer fantastic guided meditations. One of my favorites is 10% Happier. It is also important to engage in evening activities that are calming and relaxing like taking a hot bath before bed and reading an actual book, you know, the kind with pages you turn. If you master sleep, everything else will come much easier. Have questions about how to create the best conditions for great sleep hygiene? Schedule a free consultation with Coaching by G today online or by phone (708-267-7173).
Related Resources:
Making the Most of Your Summer Garden
It is July and my garden is in full bloom! Cucumbers are bursting onto the vines, tomatoes are green and getting ready to ripen. Basil, chives, cilantro, dill, oregano, thyme, and rosemary overflow the beds. My biggest crop is butternut squash. I think butternut squash and its seeds are my favorite food ever. As a professional chef, I was trained how to cook a variety of fresh foods in creative ways. However, you do not need to be a professional chef to make the most of your summer garden or local farmer’s market. Simple preparation often yields the best results.
Gardens are very affordable to start, and gardening is a rewarding activity that can involve the entire family. I started my garden for very little money – purchasing organic seeds and planting those seeds in paper pots on my screen porch. I planted them all in May and now my garden is overflowing in bounty.
I love having food at my fingertips. Nourishing, fresh, organic, delicious food. No package. No additives. Just pure unadulterated food.
So, you didn’t start a garden. Ok—there are farmer’s markets galore and fresh organic produce all around. Farmer’s markets are the way to go, if possible, because you will know exactly what is in season—because that is all they have! No fruit from across the globe ripened unnaturally with chemical assistance, just fresh ready to eat goodness. In many cases, farmers will have creative suggestions to prepare the food they are selling. Learning where your food comes from is very important and at the farmer’s market, you are purchasing goods directly from the source.
Eating what is freshly grown is not just about organic—it’s really about HOW we were meant to eat. The way food ripens—the time of it with the season and with the pollinators has a rhythm of the earth. The sugars and starches and fibers and minerals and vitamins in each morsel is timed just right by mother earth to support your microbiome-your second brain. One of the ways we whack our rhythms is by eating fruit and vegetables that are not in season. Yes—Mother Nature has a plan and we are best off following it. Want to learn more? Schedule a nutrition Counseling session with Dr. Giulia Isetti and learn how to create the rhythm and routines that best suit your individual needs.
What I Took Away From My Weekend With Tony Robbins
When I saw Tony Robbins was hosting “Unleash the Power Within” here in Chicago, it was a no brainer for me to attend. Unleash the Power Within is a 3.5 day personal improvement conference hosted by New York Times best selling author and life coach Tony Robbins. As Tony Robbins says, “There is always room in your life for thinking bigger, pushing limits, and imagining the impossible.”
I believe that hunger defines success. I have had such a wonderful life of learning, growing and exploring new fields including sports, music, cooking, biochemistry and coaching. I know that coaching is my true calling and I would be remiss not to take as many opportunities as possible to become the best coach I can be. So much of what I help people with is transformation; whether a client wants to gain or lose mass, get better at sport or life, become a collegiate athlete, compete at a new level, begin a fitness journey—all of these have change in common. How do we change? That is why I chose to attend Unleash the Power Within. My business strives to help others unleash the power within themselves.
There were so many memorable moments in the long hours spent at the United Center over the weekend. One of them was the Firewalk. Yes. We walked on fire-2000 degrees Fahrenheit. HOT!
“How do you do it?”, people asked me afterward. Like anything. You just do it. You decide what you are going to do, get yourself energized, use language that reflects the meaning and emotion of what you desire to change and take massive action. Explain what this means: this can sound like jargon to someone who does not know Tony Robbins. This how we did it. Some people burned their feet, for sure. I didn’t. Why is that? I think some people’s feet were blistered because it was fire. Some people got burned because they just didn’t really believe they could get across without burning.
What I have learned from coaching hundreds of people is – if you don’t think you can, you’re always right!
At Unleash the Power Within, we learned about what makes us tick as individuals by delving into our basic needs and how we meet them. We then determined how those were changing throughout the weekend. We did this with the guidance of Tony Robbins story telling elaborate more on what makes his story telling great.  We meditated with Master Co and heard personal accounts of transformation from Siri Lindley, Wim Hof (The Ice Man), Jennifer Hudson, and Mark Hyman, M.D. to name a few.
Storytelling is a huge component of change. The stories we tell ourselves shape our lives. Two people can have the same experience and tell a very different story. What you will focus on, you will feel. When you work with a professional coach at Coaching by G, you will learn how to tell your own story. You can rewrite your story to find meaning in countless ways. You can learn how to move with intention, choose foods that fuel your body, and practice mindful meditation. By rewriting your story, you will be able to find the empowering meaning in everything and live towards yourself.
The Truth About Sweetener
Everyone loves a sweet treat. But if you are going to indulge, make sure to do so wisely. Many people are unaware of the harmful toll added sugar takes on their body. Simply adding sugar to your coffee every day can add up. According to the book Nourishing Traditions: “Sugar consumption is associated with hyperactivity, behavior problems, lack of concentration, and violent tendencies. Sugar consumption encourages the overgrowth of candida albicans, a systemic fungus in the digestive tract causing it to spread to the respiratory system, tissues, and internal organs.” It is important to note that the sugar we use to sweeten coffee is manufactured, not found in nature. A fantastic and natural alternative to sugar is stevia. Stevia comes from a leaf and it is found in nature. It can be added to sweeten coffee or anything else. When selecting stevia at the store, look for one that is water based rather than alcohol extracted. Here is G’s favorite stevia.
Cooking Fats
It can be a challenge to determine what oil to use for cooking. There are many new oils on the market, but they are not as clean as advertised. When selecting an oil to cook with, it is important to consider the process used to produce the oil. Dr. G recommends using expeller pressed oil only. Expeller pressed coconut and avocado oil both have high smoke points which makes them great for cooking.
Another fantastic cooking fat to use is high-quality butter. Both coconut oil and butter are high in vitamins D, A, and K which are essential for proper brain and bone development. The short chain fatty acids that can be found in high-quality butter have antimicrobial properties that are great at protecting us from viruses. Coconut oil contains medium chain fatty acids that also have antifungal and antimicrobial properties.
When selecting your oil at the store, it is important to make sure it is expeller pressed and extra virgin. Here are some of G’s favorite products: