diet — Kim Hynes Health & Wellness Blog — Kim Hynes Health & Wellness

Stop Emotional Eating With This Surprising Secret (and it doesn't involve willpower)

I used to think emotional eating at night was all my fault. I thought, as an over 50 woman, I would have control at this point. I just couldn’t stay out of the sweets at night. I thought all I had to do was “lock it down” and have some willpower. Little did I know that my day from morning until that eating moment was the real predictor of my comforting myself mindlessly with food at night.

If you suspect emotional eating is sabotaging your health, making your cholesterol or blood sugar rise or affects your mood, keep reading. This one secret will help in all areas of your health, even with some menopausal symptoms.

Beyond the Scale: New Year's Resolutions that Truly Matter for Women Over 40

Traditionally, these resolutions often revolve around losing weight, hitting the gym every day, or sticking to strict diets. But let's be honest, how often do these resolutions actually stick? Over 50% of women will be off their plan by March. And more importantly, do they genuinely add value to our lives?

This year, I want to share a different approach that actually ADD to your life, especially for women over 40. It's about time you shift your focus from resolutions that often stem from societal pressures to those that truly enrich your life.

Let's talk about anti-resolution resolutions. These aren't about depriving yourself or setting unrealistic standards. Instead, they’re about adding joy, strength, and wellness to your life in a sustainable and fulfilling way.

Meet Your Health Goals With Intentional Rest

Chronic stress, that comes from your constant pursuit of doing more, not only affects you physically but also takes a toll on your mental health. Your body may feel like it's breaking down and you become less motivated to work out and move because you are so worn out. Your mind can become cluttered and your thoughts become negative when you are too busy and constantly stressed. You may not even realize the underlying stress until you are halfway through the wine, chips or cookies.

How Self-love is a Game Changer in Your Midlife Health Journey

I was doing “all the things”. I was running, lifting weights, eating a whole food diet, but I still wasn’t feeling healthy, energized or myself. I felt disconnected and checked out.

Self-love is understanding your needs and allowing yourself the necessary time and structure to take care of yourself.

Self-love is the glue that holds all of your health together. It's the secret ingredient that makes every choice, every habit, and every action more potent, doable and even enjoyable.

How to avoid overeating forbidden foods in the house: Letting go of willpower and discipline and giving yourself permission to eat

You know, those treats and snacks that you just can't resist, and you've been told you should avoid at all costs. Those foods that you say, “I just can’t have them in the house or I will eat all of them”. Let’s change your perspective on forbidden foods and discover a more balanced way of enjoying the foods we love without guilt or stress.

6 things to manage before going on a diet to manage your body

Feel the pressure to have a “summer body” each year? Or maybe you want to lose weight quickly for a wedding or party? Taking care of your body is a crucial aspect of leading a healthy and fulfilling life. However, it's so important to understand that managing your body goes beyond just food and working out. Here are 6 things to manage before going on that diet to help you feel even better.

Women over 40: Are you hanging on to the extra weight to protect yourself?

Women over 40 are discovering this surprising reason they are holding on to weight even after years of diets and programs. Could you be clinging to the pounds because of the perceived psychological benefit of protecting yourself?

Is the stress of dieting stalling your weight loss?

As a midlife woman, it is challenging enough to deal with menopause and weight gain. There are also challenges that stress us out. That stress can make it difficult to lose the menopausal weight gain because of emotional and stress eating. Read on to see how the stress is affecting your eating habits and your body and learn ways to reduce stress to lose the menopause belly WITHOUT dieting.

Tips to reduce emotional eating using positive self talk

When you struggle with emotional and binge eating, negative self-talk will only further the shame, guilt and self sabotage. The mind and body hear every word you say, but you can learn how to change those negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Check out 5 tips to reduce emotional eating using positive self-talk.

The late night sweet/salty cycle: Why you binge in the evening and 10 ways to stop it.

You had such a nourishing day and then, out of nowhere, you are having a late night binge. You are going back and forth between the sweet and salty flavors, feeling guilty and ashamed. It’s not all your fault. Find out why you are so vulnerable in the evening and 10 tips to stop the evening binge.

All I ask for Christmas is to let go of my perfectionism

Do you have super high expectations during the holidays or the new year when it comes to your eating? Whether it’s what you are eating or how interactions at gatherings will go, does your perfectionism make it hard for you to enjoy the holidays fully?

Making Peace With Your Body After Age 40

Somehow, because other people look different and have a different build, we often feel “less than” or not good enough. It doesn’t matter if you want to lose weight, gain weight, change the shape of your body or just look different, body image issues can affect anyone.

Hey Valentine! Treat yourself without candy and food

Do ever feel like it’s hard to stay on track from Halloween to Valentine’s Day? We use all these moments and holidays as reasons to indulge, but what if we can take care of ourselves without candy, cake, cupcakes and Valentine treats? When we indulge over and over again, it becomes a habit and it’s hard to kick the cravings. It's a vicious cycle.

Celebrate fall with this easy Pumpkin Soup recipe

If you are a pumpkin fan, this easy soup will warm you from the inside out. Fall weather is perfect for this warming and grounding meal. You can use an Instant Pot, crockpot or cook it on the stove and it’s simple and fast!

Chase the health and the body will follow

I tried every diet just to be thin and only got short term results. When we change our focus to what is even more important than our outer bodies which is our health, inner spirit and our mindset, we are more likely to have success, feel better and make lasting changes. Starting with our health on a cellular level and looking at how we actually FEEL can be a game changer.

Eating Out and Choosing Healthy Food is a Mindset

Whatever your reason for going out, there are some ways to help you stay on track. Restaurant food tastes great, but often it’s because of the ingredients they are adding to make it so flavorful and they are not always good for us. There are very healthy options that you can choose that taste great, but also keep you on track and guilt free.

Butternut Squash Soup: Sunshine In A Bowl

Do you ever try to eat foods you don’t like or just don’t fit you just because they are healthy? I really love a great salad with tons of vegetables, greens, nuts and a light homemade dressing, but I also love warming and grounding foods. That is why I make soup any time of the year. I love warm food and my husband, Mike, likes cool food. Luckily, this soup goes great with salad so we get both the best of both worlds!

Sunshine Butternut Squash Soup