🏃‍♂️ I asked her for 15 minutes. Ever seen that single eyebrow lift? 

“Hey honey - how was your day?” I asked my then-fiancé, bopping into the house after a long day of training clients (and not training myself).

One look at her face told me her day was rougher than mine.

“Terrible. Sophie was up super early, and she wouldn’t nap, so she was fussy and wouldn’t let me put her down. I haven’t gotten anything done!”

“Oof. Tough day, babe…”

“Yeah. I haven’t even started dinner. And this house…this house!” she said, gesturing at the toy tornado in our living room and the mountain of dishes in the sink.

After another minute of venting, she took a breath, pulled herself together, and asked, “Anyway - how are you? How was your day?”

“Good! Busy. Full of clients and… not much else.”

She raised an eyebrow - the one that said: “What are you about to ask me?”

“Think I could sneak in a quick workout?” I asked, grimacing like a man who knew he was gambling with dinner.

Her face went flat. Silence.

Then: “Fifteen minutes. You’ve got fifteen minutes.”

“THANK YOU!”

I kissed her on the cheek and bolted out the door before she took it back.

I sprinted half a mile to my in-laws’ condo gym (four minutes), ran through two circuits of pull-ups, shoulder presses, and v-ups (seven minutes), and sprinted back home (four minutes).

Fifteen minutes, door to door.
A full-body, sanity-saving workout squeezed between chaos and dinner prep.

“Phew! Thanks, babe. Now—how can I help?”

That’s how my wife and I have always made time for wellness in the middle of life.
We create (or negotiate) tiny pockets of possibility—
for a nap.
for a workout.
for a smoothie.
for some sunshine and silence.

Was that 15-minute session groundbreaking? Not even close.
But it was enough. Enough to breathe, to move, to take care of myself - so I could show back up with a little more capacity.

Sure, I could’ve said:

“Forget it, there’s not enough time.”
“Maybe tomorrow will be better.”
“We’ll start fresh Monday.”
“She sounds stressed, I better not ask.”

But if you’re a parent? Working full-time? Or both?

You already know:
Start-fresh Mondays don’t exist.

So here’s what I’ve learned:

• It takes 7 minutes to break a sweat.
  

• One or two sets of strength training builds muscle (especially if you’re just starting out).
  

• Making tomorrow’s lunch takes 10 minutes.
  

• A 10-minute nap can reset your brain.
  

• A 3-minute nap? It has been done.

Would I love a two-hour gym session complete with stretching, a long sauna, and a bougie $14 smoothie to top it off?
Of course.
But this newsletter isn’t for people with time to burn.

It’s for people like us.
The ones who are ready to reclaim their health through small, doable, high-impact actions.

Because once you decide that time is not the enemy,
Once you choose conviction over convenience,
Once you stop waiting for perfect…

The world gets out of your way.

Welcome. I’m glad you’re here.

🔄 Tiny Lifestyle Shifts That Actually Stick

✅ Choose Safer Products at Home
Swap out harsh cleaners and heavily scented personal care items for non-toxic alternatives. It’s one of the easiest ways to reduce your family’s daily exposure to harmful chemicals—especially for kids.

Check out EWG.org to review the safety score of  your home cleaners and personal hygiene products; you may be surprised at what lurks inside.

✅ Try Food Journaling (But Keep It Simple)
Track what you eat for a few days—not to judge yourself, but to notice patterns. You might spot a snack-time sugar spike, or realize lunch is when your energy dips. Writing our actions down brings them to light.

✅ Set Small, Doable Goals
Forget the all-or-nothing mindset. Focus on one change at a time, like adding veggies to dinner or taking a 10-minute walk after lunch. Big results often start with tiny shifts.

✅ Add before you subtract.
Before cutting anything out of your diet, try adding something in - like a handful of leafy greens to your lunch, or protein with your snack.
Crowding in the good stuff naturally shifts your habits over time, without feeling deprived.

Little by little, these choices add up. They don’t have to be perfect. They just need to feel possible.
Progress beats perfection - every time.

💉 The Ozempic Secret Nobody’s Talking About

So here’s a crazy story: a woman lost so much weight on a new medication, her husband thought she was terminally ill.

She wasn’t. She was taking Ozempic - one of the now-famous GLP-1 medications (like Wegovy and Mounjaro) that’s helping people lose significant weight. And she didn’t tell him.

Turns out, she’s not alone.

This week, writer Imogen West-Knights spoke with folks who are using these medications in secret - hiding vials in garages, wine coolers, and even empty mascara tubes so family and friends won’t find out. There are whole online groups where “secret jabbers” share stealth tips and support each other in silence.

Why the hush-hush?

Because for a lot of people, using a medication to lose weight feels... taboo. Like you’re “cheating.” One person said his friend stopped speaking to him after finding out. Others say they’d rather lie than be judged for “taking the easy way out.”

But here’s the kicker: that “easy way out” idea? It’s a myth. Research shows weight is about way more than willpower. There are genetics, hormones, metabolic conditions - things a low-carb smoothie just won’t touch.

Still, many people feel caught in a trap. If you’re overweight, you’re shamed. If you use a tool to lose the weight, you’re shamed again.

As one Mounjaro user put it:

It’s complicated. It’s emotional. And it’s definitely not just about the number on the scale.

Let’s keep talking about this stuff - with honesty, with kindness, and with way less shame.

✨ June is Beautiful In Your Skin Month

This month is a reminder that wellness isn’t just about how we look - it’s about how we feel in our own skin. Whether you're rebuilding energy, rediscovering movement, or just trying to drink more water and eat a vegetable, your body is on your side.

So here’s your permission slip to appreciate the skin you're in - not when it's “better,” but now. While it's carrying, stretching, healing, and doing its best with what it's got.

Let’s treat it with kindness. And maybe some face lotion.

🥑 Skin-Friendly Snacks to Glow From the Inside Out

Snack time is a perfect moment to sneak in some skin-loving nutrients. Here are a few that work hard while tasting good:

• Avocado on whole grain toast – healthy fats = happy skin
  

• Berries and yogurt – antioxidants + probiotics = glow-up
  

• Carrot sticks with hummus – vitamin A supports skin repair
  

• Walnuts or pumpkin seeds – full of zinc and omega-3s
  

• Cucumber and citrus water – hydration is the original beauty filter
  

Simple, satisfying, and yes—your skin will thank you.