19 Easy 100-Calorie Snacks
Published November 2013: Livestrong.com
19 Easy 100-Calorie Snacks
Article Excerpt:
A New Year of Food: Buy, Sell and Hold
Published January 2013: Livestrong.com
A New Year of Food: Buy, Sell and Hold
Article Excerpt:
Achieving your financial goals and reaching your wellness goals may not be as different as you think. Knowing what to buy, sell and hold is crucial when it comes to both your finances and your food choices. “If you are a wise investor, you would keep the high risk portion of your portfolio to a minimum; and it’s the same story with your food choices. The consequences of those choices could not be more important,” says Dr. Joseph Colella, Pittsburgh-based bariatric surgeon and weight-loss specialist. Continue reading
Why Walking is Enough
Published September 2011: eHow Health
Why Walking is Enough
Small Steps Can Make a Big Difference In Your Health
Article Excerpt:
In 2008, Pam Mumper could barely walk up a flight of stairs, struggled to fit in a stadium seat and weighed in at 260 pounds. Three-and-a-half years later and 75 pounds lighter, she’s able to walk four miles consecutively, trek up flights of stairs with ease and share a stadium seat with her daughter. Continue reading
Stretchy Pants Make You Fat
When I was younger, I was fortunate enough to live next door to a very wise and patient lady. Each day after school I would make my way over to Joan and Jim’s house and soak up the advice she gave me on a regular basis.
Joan never preached to me and never intentionally pushed advice on me, but her words stuck with me throughout my entire adolescence. She was very wise and one of the most influential women I’ve ever come into contact with. Continue reading
Fatty Choices, Fatty Patterns
I’ve fought weight gain since I can remember – my family has taken note of my “Oprah Syndrome,” too. One year I’m skinny, the next I’m not. My kids, too, have fluctuated as well as seasons come and go. I’m not a doctor and I don’t pretend to be one. But, I am an observer and I do notice trends, habits, and behaviors of people, including myself.
So, when I read of studies about how childhood obesity is completely genetic, I get angry. Obesity, beyond medical conditions, is primarily a result of behaviors and choices. If you eat French fries on a regular basis, you will gain weight. If you consume three doughnuts for breakfast each day, more than likely, you will gain weight. We make the choice whether or not to eat healthy and our kids follow suit. Continue reading
My Love/Hate Relationship with Running
I love running, yet I hate running. We have this love/hate relationship – the type of relationship with days when I want to embrace it at times and then other days, when I want to just call it quits and kick it to the curb.
When I’m smitten and in love with running, it is less challenging. I look forward to the peacefulness of the neighborhood, the feel of the wind on my face, and the strength I feel building in my legs. I love the “alone” time it affords me. I love the freedom it brings – the choice to run hard or jog lightly. I love the rush I get and the self satisfaction I feel when I am finished with the workout. But most of all, I love the way it keeps me fit and tightens my toosh. Continue reading
Life is Not a Box of Chocolates … Anymore
Although I hate to quote Forrest Gump, I’m gonna. I used to think that life was like a box of chocolates. There were surprises in every bite, the smooth, creamy texture was calming, and just the scent of it energized me.
That was until I read the label. Continue reading
Fat Dog in a Little Coat
Before
As humans, our obsession with weight haunts us every minute of the day. Many of us weigh ourselves incessantly, critique every inch of our bodies and constantly evaluate how “fat” we are in the mirror.
We place pictures of skinnier versions of ourselves on the fridge, we buy fat free dressing that tastes like water and low calorie rice cakes that resemble cardboard, and we compare ourselves to other humans, wishing we could just shed 5-10 pounds.
In the meantime, dogs lounge around, lazily contemplating the next meal or planning their next nap on the forbidden couch. My dog is no exception. She snores the loudest in our house, seems put-out when I make her go outside to run and tears apart the trash searching for food just as I rearrange the pantry each night looking for a snack. Continue reading
About Me
Three words to describe me? Passionate. Motivated. Curious. These traits help me as a college media adviser and professor, freelance writer, author and mom. From student journalism and higher education to parenting and freelance writing, this site, focused on writing, reflecting and teaching, offers a mix of blogs with a hint of humor, sarcasm, and inspiration, as well as my published stories on just about every possible topic.
Feel free to browse my sample works including feature news, magazine, and web copywriting pieces from the past and present. You can also pick up my new book “Screen-Free Fun: 400 Activities for the Whole Family” now available. Check back often for daily updates, blog entries, and additional stories. Feel free to contact me directly at shphilpott@gmail.com, follow me on Twitter, or grab tips for Screen-Free Fun on our Facebook page. Comments are welcome!
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 
