+ Circulation - Body Fat, Part Deuce (the How)

Now that you know how circulation has such an impact on fat gain vs. fat loss, here's a list of how to improve your blood flow, therefore improving your waist line:

• MOVE! Like I said in Part I, "A stagnant lifestyle means systematic torpidity." The more the movement, the more the blood flow. Stretching throughout the day, walking more, pushing, pulling, doing CARDIO, yoga, pilates, tai chi, move your arms, move your core... They're all ways to get blood flowing. Anaerobic activity (i.e. weights) will help build muscle tissue which will help increase blood flow throughout the day & night.

Walk around the office, take walks outside, stretch at your desk, etc. When you get home instead of plopping in front of the television, go to the gym or get your workout outside. Walking is one of the best forms of aerobic activity!
  It's ok to rest when you need it, but rest assured that stimulation from the tv can be just as stressful on the mind, body and soul as real life can be.

• NUTRITION! Here are some foods that aid in improved circulation as well as contain an abundance of Nutrients for the body:

        - Ginger
         - Ginko Biloba
         - Cayenne Pepper
         - Blueberries
         - Grapes
         - Salmon
         - Almonds
         - Seeds
         - Avocados
         - Oranges
         - Grapefruit
         - Garlic
         Also look for LEAN natural foods that contain Niacin (Vitamin B2). Niacin opens capillaries for 
         increased blood flow. 

• REDUCE STRESS & STRESSORS! As you were told in Part I, the Circulatory System comprises the Heart, Lungs, Capillaries and Veins. It is clinically proven that stress has highly negative effects on the Heart by creating a prolonged increase in Blood Pressure which puts stress and strain on the heart. Chronic Stress also makes the blood twice as thick and sticky, therefore increased clotting as well as compromising and obstructing blood flow.

To reduce stress:         -practice yoga breaths  - if you can, remove all stressors from your life  - clear your environment of all clutter  
          - practice positive thinking  - take time to relax, reflect, and be thankful  - BREATH

• Hydrotherapy  The word Hydrotherapy means 'Water Cure'. You can do this through showers or pools. This uses water temperature to stimulate blood circulation. When you're in the shower, put it as hot as you can handle and soak for a minute. You will feel the blood flow to the skin, feeding it. Then put the temperature as cold as you can handle and soak for a minute. This will make the blood rush to the internal organs. Now back to hot to complete the flush of toxins and increased circulation. 

Moral to the story? Keeping the blood flowing will help keep calories from showing.

+ Circulation - Body Fat, Part I (the What, Where, & Why)

"A stagnant lifestyle means systematic torpidity."

This is my obnoxious way of saying when you're lazy, rest assured your body and all its inner glory will be too. Working out is great, but if 90% of your day consists of sitting on your butt, that 10% won't do you much good. 
  The Circulatory System consists of the heart, lungs, capillaries and veins and effects everything in the body. When I say Circulation, I mean Blood Flow.

  When it comes to FAT LOSS, the key is increased blood flow.  When your blood flow increases, like during exercise or physical activity, the blood vessels in your muscles dilate, making blood flow greater. This allows Systemic Circulation, taking the good stuff (oxygen, nutrients, H2O) to the cells and removing the other stuff, (adenosine, toxins, hydrogen ions, carbon dioxide) from the cells. This counts for the adipocytes (the Fat Cells). 

Lack in Blood Flow = an increase in Triglycerides (unused calories stored in fat cells). What we want is to remove the fat from the fat cells, not make it accumulate! 

Active, Healthy Blood Flow = transportation of the fatty acids from the fat cells to active tissues, where they can be BURNED. 

If the Circulatory System is lacking, it effects all other systems. Here are some effects of poor circulation to the body:

• Slowed Metabolism
• Cellulite/ Fat Accumulation
• Fatigue
• Memory Loss
• Migraines
• Lack of Aerobic Endurance & Capabilities
• High Blood Pressure
• Chest Pain
• Increased Possibility of Heart Attack & Stroke
• Lackluster Skin Tone (Cyanosis)
• Muscular Cramping
• Numbness
• Swelling of Hands, Feet, Ankles
• Varicose Veins
• Itching
• Skin Breakdowns, Infections, Sores
• Lack of Stamina
• Etc. 

Holiday Hints for a Healthy, Tiny Hiney

'Tis the Season of Holiday parties, dinners, drinks with old friends and dare we forget, family time. With all of these Seasonal celebrations we tend to let go of our strong control and fall into a food-focused frenzy that leaves us lethargic, heavy, and completely out of touch with our healthy controlled routines.

Not this year. This year you will focus on the people around you instead of how many mini cupcakes you can stuff in your mouth. This year you will wake up the morning after a party or event and feel light and proud. This will be the New Year that you will maintain, instead of make up for. This year you will celebrate smart, have control, and shine your healthy happy Holiday light onto everybody. And this is how you'll do it:

• Organize your schedule. This may sound like something more fit for a business blog than a fitness blog, but rest assured that unorganized calendar chaos can break focus immediately leaving you panicked and lawless. This is the most important time for you to plan and document meetings, work, business events, fun events, friend events, and family events. And plan these carefully. If you overbook you could find yourself off schedule nutritionally, skipping meals or overeating at every stop you make. Also, be sure that when you have control of where an event will take place, it's a place with healthy and portioned options. If you decide that your Holiday white elephant girlfriend get together will be at a Mexican restaurant, rest assured that those margaritas and endless chips & salsa will pack on the pounds (remember, it takes just 3,500 calories to gain 1 pound. The average Mexican restaurant margarita has anywhere from 270 to 800 calories and the average bundle of "freshly made" chips has 600+ calories per basket of 50 chips).

Also, staying organized will help you stress less, which is important because stress =s
abdominal fat storage, poor circulation, and a domino effect of other physical and
mental imbalances.

• Maintain a Fitness Routine. It's easy to let the Holiday hype take your focus away from your normal routine. Don't let it. When you're organizing your schedule, schedule in ME Time. Look at your exercise as an escape from the chaos and a mental break from constant electronic and social stimulation. When you keep your workouts in your daily/weekly schedule you will not only maintain (may even LOSE) weight, you will also feel happier and more in the Holiday spirit as exercise releases Endorphins which are feel good hormones.

• Be Mindful on what you're putting in to your body. When we lose clarity on what we're taking in we lose accountability. When we're not accountable for what we're eating while we're eating it, we absolutely will be accountable after, when we're trying to take that weight off.

Mindless eating is why we gain, crave, and gain some more. We're too busy, there are temptations all around us, and without thought we grab & eat. Consuming foods and drinks this way is very dangerous. When you don't recognize how much you're consuming, neither can your internal sensors, so you're less likely to feel full.

Keep a food log. This doesn't have to be forever, and really shouldn't be. Just for the Holidays, log what you take in throughout the morning, day, and night. Everything. What you're drinking (alcohol, water, pop, juice, etc.), what you're eating (breakfast, snacking, lunch, snacking, dinner, snacking, desserts, snacking), and how much. This doesn't mean weighing food and calculating calories. Unless you're getting ready for a fitness competition and as long as you're eating fresh natural foods this is never necessary.
This means documenting the type of foods that you're eating so that you hold yourself accountable.

Portion Control. If you want to taste, taste. But know what taste means. To taste is to try
or test flavor or quality. The opposite of to taste is to devour. Know the difference! If you feel that you may struggle with self control, steer clear.

• Be Active Inside & Outside of the Gym!

Walk More. Like Hippocrates said, "Walking is a mans best friend". Bundle up and park further away, take the stairs, walk your pet, walk your neighbors pet, etc. Walking is often overlooked as a cardiovascular activity but is actually one of the best forms. When we walk we not only burn more calories than we would taking an elevator, escalator, or parking close, we also increase systemic circulation (blood supply throughout the body), prevents type 2 diabetes, enhances cognitive functions, preserves bone density, alleviates symptoms of depression, reduces risk of breast and colon cancer, improves range of motion & endurance, and is a great way to get your cardio in without putting stress on the joints.

Take Advantage of Time. If you don't have time for the gym, make the most of whatever time you do have. Do situps, pushups, crunches, jumping jacks, high jogs in place, utilize stairways, do squats & lunges, etc. while watching tv, getting ready to go out, talking on the phone, etc.! Also, DANCE! Dancing around at work, home, when you're out, etc. not only will burn lots of calories, it will also make you and people around you happy! Dancing releases the same endorphins that exercise does and also provides the same health benefits. Don't dance well? Don't worry! Jump around and have fun, as long as you MOVE.

• Party Planning- ahead If you're going to a party and you're worried about healthy options, take action and make your own! You shouldn't go to a Holiday party empty handed anyways and most hosts welcome any help that they can get. Get fresh vegetables and fruit and create your own appetizer plate. For the dip, take tofu "sour cream" and add onion powder, lemon dill, & garlic powder for a veggie dip. Or come up with your own healthy Holiday concoction.

Keep the Water Flowing. I always say, one of the main reasons that we crave and munch is because we're dehydrated. Our bodies are 60-70% water, so when we're even a bit dehydrated we feel it. Drinking water throughout the day and the night will help keep you from the cravings and also aid in metabolism and keep bloat away.

Watch That Alcohol! Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, that's 3 calories more than carbs and protein and only 2 calories less than fat. Now add the calories from sugar and other things in the drink. Also, when you drink alcohol, it's the first thing digested, meaning that everything else you ate will sit in your stomach creating excess bloat and making that food more likely to be stored as fat, instead of burned off or utilized. If you're going to drink, go for something light and be sure to drink water the whole time as well, since alcohol also dehydrates you. Below is a list of alcoholic beverages and the calories in each:

Beer (12 oz) 180
Light Beer (12 oz) 105
Glass of Red Wine 120
Glass of White Wine 116
Glass of Champagne 95
Pint of Cider 200
Vodka (1 0z) 50
Cream Liqueur 160
Gin & Tonic (7.5 fl oz)170
Gin & Diet Tonic 115
Rum & Coke (10 oz) 356
Rum & Diet 115
Chianti (4 oz) 100
Chardonnay (4 oz) 90
Riesling (4 oz) 90

Don't loiter around the Table Station. During Holiday parties/events, focus on the people and not the food. Catch up with old friends or meet new ones, and this doesn't mean types of fudge. When you focus on the social aspect you'll forget about the desert table. Also, if you're at a party and you don't know a lot of the people, try not to overindulge on food or alcohol. This is easy to do when we're in a seemingly uncomfortable position but it backfires on us fast. Make the munches light and keep the conversations flowing.

• Go Easy on Yourself. If you do indulge, all is not lost. Try not to stress, pick yourself up and focus forward on your goals and your self control. When we stress we release an excess of cortisol, the fight or flight hormone, which is the brother of ghrelin, the hormone found in the gut that tells your brain that you're hungry, so we eat more and store that fat around the abdominal area. No one's perfect and indulgences happen. Just work a little longer at the gym the next day and eat extra healthy that week. You'll be fine. Too much pressure isn't good for the mind, body, or soul.

Here's wishing you & yours a healthy, happy, heart-filled Holiday Season!
Namaste`

Curb the Midnight Hour Cravings

For a lot of people, night time is when they snack the most. This is also the time that your body shuts down, which makes the "snacking hour" extra bad on your fat cells (those poochy areas that cause so much stress in your life day in and day out) because your internal clock is saying it's shut down time, meaning that you store energy (1 calorie = 1 unit of energy) as fat instead of burning it off. SO, when you sit in front of the television and do the hand to bag to hand to mouth routine over & over again, not only are you mindlessly eating (which means that you're not even allowing your stomach to realize it and send receptors to the brain to let the brain know), you're also STORING all of that fat instead of having time to burn it off!

There ARE a few things that you can do for this though:

1. Read a book. When you've got one hand holding onto something and you're in a full focus mode, you're less likely to use the only other hand you've got for stuffing your face
2. Have some tryptophan! One reason why we eat is just because... we're up! So instead of fighting staying awake, have some Tryptophan (which is an essential amino acid which aids in producing Serotonin, a hormone mostly found in the gut that when produced makes you feel happy and content). Great Tryptophan-filled nighttime foods include: Tofu, Seafood, meat such as Turkey & Chicken, Soy Beans, Hummus, Lentils, Hazelnuts, and Sesame Seeds.
   
3. Eat some soy for dinner. Studies show that soy helps the body improve insulin sensitivity, which means that you won't wake up in the middle of the night because of an insulin roller coaster
4. Be active throughout the day. When your body is up n' about physically throughout the day, you're more likely to crash at night, getting the good nights sleep that you need (7-9 hours)
5. Drink water!!!!! Most of the time when you think that you're hungry, you're actually just dehydrated. So before you reach for a snack, reach for the H2O

You can also pick up some habits like I say in the Idle Hands post. There is no reason for you to wake up and wish that you hadn't eaten what you did the night before. Don't let your walk of shame be with food!!!!!

All Natural Skin Remedies!

Pamper Yourself! Try my Natural Wake Up and Soften hydrating mask!

• 1/2 ripe Avocado
• 1/2 cup All Natural Oats
• 1 Banana
• 3 Fish Oil Tablets
• 1 bag Green Tea

Mash Avocado, Oats, and Banana together in a bowl. Slowly cup open each Fish Oil tablet and mix into mush. Now open tea bag and mix Green Tea into mush (this is a wake up call to skin). Add water if needed until a paste like matter. Rinse face with warm water and immediately smooth on mixture in upward circular motions onto face and neck. Keep on for 30-40 minutes and lightly rinse off with luke warm water, then a splash of cool water to seal the pores

Hydrating Spray for throughout the Day!

• 1/2 cup purified water
• 2 drops Lemon Balm Oil (*relieves anxiety, anti-inflammatory)
• 2 drops Rosemary Infusion (*moisture, scent)
• 1 drop Fish Oil (*moisture)

Shake infusion up and into a small spray bottle that you can carry with you. When you're feeling dry or stressed, mist onto face, neck, and collar for a lift and hydration that will slowly heal you skin and immediately heal your heart**

Power Foods for your Power House

Your core area is the PowerHouse. Anytime I teach a Pilates Class I tell my ladies, "Focus on the PowerHouse! Use your Control Center (lower abdominals) for all movements."

What we take into our body we pull from and pick from in our center, and our center decides whether that food will enhance & enrich, or pull us into a dark place of stress, fat, and strain.

Here are some foods that will help make yours a lifestyle of Health & Wellness:

• Asparagus: Vitamins B3, Folate, Potassium, Zinc, Rutin, Sapsonin, Tanin, Fiber, Protein **Diuretic, fights UTIs, aids in liver function, helps protect against heart disease arthritis, and cancer
• Cauliflower: Vitamins C, B3, B5, B6, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Glucosinolates, Fiber, Protein **Helps production of antibodies and hemoglobin, protects body against allergy, asthma, migraines, depression. Improves skin vitality and regulates fatty acids
• Kale: Vitamins A, C, E, K, B2, B3, B6, Folate, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Manganese, Fiber, Zinc, Bioflavonoids, Glucosinolates, Kempferol, Fiber, Protein ** Helps to protect body against and to fight cancers, Strong Antioxidant, Helps build immunity
• Lemon: Vitamin C, Folate, Calcium, Potassium, Citric Acid, Fiber **Aids digestion, Speeds Metabolism, Builds Immunity, Enhances Iron Absorbtion, Strengthens Cellular Membranes, Lowers blood fat levels
• Grapefruit: Vitamins A, C, Folate, Potassium, Bioflavonoids, Lycopene, Fiber, Pectin Lowers Blood Pressure, Lowers Cholesterol, Detoxifying, Boosts Metabolism, Builds Immune System & Strengthens
• Avocado: Vitamins E, K, B1, B2, B3, B5, Biotin, Folate, Potassium, Zinc, Beta-Sitosterols, Carotenoids, Glutathione, Fiber, Unsaturated Fatty Acids **Antioxidant, AntiCancer!

Remember: Cooking foods past 117 degrees does kill 50% of enzymes and vitamins, so if you're feeling sick or a lot of people at work are down, go raw for a day

Feng Shui Your Space

Feng Shui is the philosophy that teaches that with healthy and balanced environments, we create a healthy and balanced body & soul. Creating a harmonious living/working space will clear your mind of clutter, energize your spirit and mind, and allow you to be productive, relaxed, and happy.
Whether it's your home or office, be sure that all things in your surrounding areas bring on positive emotions. Everything has energy (Energy Feng Shui), so work and relax in a positive space.

• Stop.

• Clear your mind of any biases.

• Take a look around at each individual item.

Assess how each thing makes you feel, honestly. If you get stressed or unhappy focusing on something, get rid of it. If it makes you happy, keep it and place it in a clear surrounding that's in eye-sight. Your surroundings should best represent you (Symbolic Feng Shui) and on the other side of that your surroundings should help you achieve physical, emotional, professional, spiritual, and mental fulfillment and harmony (Personal Feng Shui).

Plants are not only amazing to view, but they also create clean air and represent growth, life, pure & positive energy, and add a Yin element. Below are plants that NASA has proven to clean the air and provide significant O2 amounts:

• Syngonium
• Ficus
• Heart Leaf Philodendron
• Boston Fern
• Dumb Cane
• Peace Lily
• Dragon Tree
• Lady Palm
• Dwarf Banana

Organize your areas, and toss out any unwanted items. Keep bills and work neatly filed in a drawer or closed area, out of plain sight. This will avoid anxiety. Also be sure to never procrastinate, which leads to chronic stress, type-A depression, and illness.

Keep your blinds open to let in natural light, which will energize you and help you to avoid SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

Your main focus should be to radiate calm and productive energy that emanates efficient surroundings, and vice versa. CLEAR SPACE, CLEAR MIND

Namaste*

Healthy Holiday Hints

One of my biggest pet peeves is the labels of "diet" food. Many restaurants now even have a "healthy" section on the menu with the exact calories shown. While it's GREAT that we as a society are taking steps to bring awareness to healthy lifestyles, it's also naive to think that every chef measures and personalizes each portion to the exact amount that corporate has shown you via the menu. Also, sometimes the ingredients are bad for you but the portions are minuscule, leaving you hungry and irritated.

Try not to just go for what companies tell you are better, and instead go for what you know. Think about it, you wouldn't take a piece of candy from some stranger in a suit because he said it's "fat free and sugar free". Think for yourself. Take your favorite meal and make it healthy.

If you're dining out don't be afraid of telling your server what you want. As long as you say it with a smile, you'll be fine. If you're embarrassed to tweak an item to optimal health, tell your peers who you're eating with that you're lactose intolerant so you can't have anything cooked with butter and you can't have any cheesy or creamy products (cheese served at restaurants usually are the cheapest kind, therefore the most fattening), and that you're allergic to nuts so you can't have anything cooked with peanut oil. You can even tell them to let the chef know how to make something (i.e. saying "naked grill" so that they don't use any oil at all). Allergies and Intolerance's are no joke in the food industry, so rest assured you'll have the cleanest plate in the room.

Healthy Ingredient Substitutes to Make For Home
Instead of oil & butter use no sugar added apple sauce or apple butter
Instead of egg use two egg whites or 1/4 egg beater
Instead of flour use 100% whole wheat flour
Instead of Sour Cream use Fat Free Organic Plain Yogurt
Instead of Cream Cheese use Fat Free or Low Fat Cottage Cheese
Instead of butter or oil for nonstick cooking use a Spray
Instead of Milk use Skim
Instead of regular Sugar use Molasses or no sugar added pureed fruit
Instead of Whipped Cream use Whipped Evaporated Skim Milk
Instead of Mayonnaise use Low Fat Yogurt mixed with Low Fat Cottage Cheese
Instead of Dry Bread Crumbs (frying) use Oats or Sugar Free Bran Cereal Crushed (cook)
Instead of White Bread use 100% Whole Wheat Bread

WISHING YOU A HAPPY & HEALTHY HOLIDAYS!

Understand the Body & Relieving the Pain

Back/joint pain is something that 78% of Americans will suffer from at least once in their lifetime. When your body alerts you with pain, it's important to read what your body is telling you and understand why this is happening.

Back and joint pain are caused by Somatic (body) dysfunctions. These happen because of muscle imbalances (when a muscle/muscle group does more work than the opposing muscle/muscle group). For instance, if you've got a lower back problem then you are using your back to lift your torso or an item up instead of focusing on the hips and quads (muscle group above your knees consisting of Vastus Lateralis, Vastus Intermedialis, Vastus Medialis, Rectus Femoris). Knowing the cause can help you fix the problem. Focus on how your torso moves. If everything that you do is following a front or back move with your torso then you need to work on keeping your back straight and utilizing all other muscle groups first, like the legs. If one muscle is imbalanced, or does all the work, eventually it pulls bones out of alignment causing joint damage and herniation.

If you've suffered from joint pains for some time, try these two natural Cures to rebuild cartilage and alleviate pain:

• Glucose Sulfate- (1,500 mg) promotes joint healing as well as alleviates stiffness and pain
• MSM- (750 mg) methylsulfonlymethane which is a form of sulfur. Sulfur is critical for cartilage repair and health).

Find more helpful information on this subject at www.losethebackpain.com

Namaste*

Sugar Elucidation

Fact: America is highly medicated.

If you are suffering from: agitation, difficulty concentrating, weight gain, mood swings, sleep deprivation, headaches, and stomach discomfort and go to your doctor, there's a high chance that you'll walk out with a prescription for a brand of thyroid hormone replacement. Now, there are absolutely legitimate cases of hypothyroidism, however many times all that needs to be done are some little tweaks in your daily intake. Here's something to think about before shelling out a co-pay; what are you eating? If sugar is at all (and many times it's hidden) in your daily or even weekly diet, you may be experiencing its nasty effects. Here are some not so sweet facts about sugar that may leave you salty:

• Sugar desensitizes taste buds, leaving you less alert and attentive then you naturally should be
• Sugar puts stress on the adrenal glands which causes the same effects as stress does, releasing hormones that create an imbalance of your bodys "smooth sailing" systems. Released large amounts of Cortisol causes lack of Serotonin (tells your brain it's full) as well as a rise in Leptin (tells your brain you're hungry). It also creates an imbalance of insulin levels which can make you crave even more sugar.
• Sugar puts stress on your liver, which is where toxins are processed
• Sugar dehydrates your body, which creates quicker aging, a confusion in cravings, weak circulation, weak immune system, and a sluggish metabolism
• Refined sugar (anything that's not 100% organic) is not recognized by the body like natural things would be (apple, raw vegetables, etc.) and is quickly stored in the waste areas (fat cells)

When you feed your body Natural things, your body thanks you from the inside to the outside. Keep it clean*

Namaste'

Real Remedies

If you're feeling down & out, hold off on the doctor and try some Natural Nourishment's that may heal your dilemma:

• Ginseng: A Natural Anti-Inflammatory, Improves Mental Performance, Improves Cardiac Capacity therefore Improving Stamina and Endurance during Exercise
• Eucalyptus: An Instant Stress Reliever, Fights Infections, Heals Wounds, Relieves Muscle Aches/Pains, Reduces Mucous Membrane Inflammation of Upper Respiratory Tract helping people with Asthma, Laryngitis, and Congestion
• Apple Cider Vinegar: Everything from a Natural Hunger Suppressant to an Acne fighter. This is Natures Everything Medicine. It fights Sinus Infection, and it is a Natural Detox for your whole body system
• Sage: Enhances Dark Hair through Wash, Used as Potpourri, and can be used as an Anti-Persprant because of its moisture Ridding Effect
• Tea Bags: Put them in all of your drawers and closets for an instant relaxing fragrance

It's Just a Little FUNK

Seasonal Affective Disorder, Cabin Fever, Hibernation Season... Call it what you like. I say it's just a little funk. You feel funky, your motivation's all funky, your thought process is funky, you're just stuck in a Fitness Funk. Don't let the funkiness de-funkify your funky self! All you need to do when this happens is STOP, look back at your old processes, you know, the ones that worked. What were you doing? What have you strayed from? Are you getting your cardio in? How many days per week are you exercising and are you actually reaching your highest potential when in the gym? Are you pushing yourself? Are you eating things that weigh down your mind and body? Have you lost sight of WHY you want to be healthy?

Write these things down. Then, write down your program and plan your "Back on Track Attack"! (I know... a little too cheerleaderesque).
Here are some things to look at:

• Nutrition
• Daily Activity
• Anaerobic Exercises (weights)
• Aerobic Exercises (cardio)
• Intensity
• Toxins in your life
• Lengthening (stretching and elongating the body)
• Water Intake
• Surroundings (stress, clutter, work, relationships)
• Alcohol & Drugs (too much wine? Too many unnecessary medications?)
•  Workout Diversity (are you switching up your routines enough to keep your body from plateau?)
• Periodization (Is it time to amp up your level, add more time, add more circuits, etc. to your fitness regime?)
• Are you working out at your optimal energy time?

Now, stop beating yourself up. We All get in Funks sometimes, it's normal to get off track when "life" gets in the way. Just remember; it's not living when you're not enjoying it. Focus on Wellness & Goodness and you'll watch everything fall into place

StressLess

You're stressed. Even if you didn't think you were, you are. Maybe you carry your stress in your back, your shoulders, your neck... regardless, you've got it somewhere and it all comes crashing at one time.

Stress effects belly fat AND is a major component in early aging. No matter what, we're going to come across stress in our daily lives. Here's what to do when it does:
1.) Ask yourself why you're stressed and if the situation, person, job, etc. is worth your body and mind
2.) Ask yourself what you can proactively do to eliminate this stress, whether it be taking care of a situation immediately with positive energy or deleting that stressful aspect of your life completely
3.) Ask yourself if the object of your stress is within your control. If not in your control let it go and completely release it from your mind, body and existence.
4.) Instead of surrounding yourself in negative crowds or with stressful people and situations, take time to get to know yourself and feng shui your surroundings into a calm and cool environment. Then re-emerge into your social settings with serenity and happy armour:).

You control WHAT effects You and HOW it effects You, and if You don't believe that I shutter to think what ELSE You don't think You control.

Exercise like you always Eat, Eat like you never Exercise

When you begin exercising and becoming healthy you may notice that you're hungry more often. This is because you're building muscle tissue as well as burning calories more rapidly throughout the day, so your system assumes this means that you need to take in more calories. Not so. In actuality you want to, if you're trying to lose weight, consume less calories and exercise more. As long as you know why you're craving consumption more often you'll in tern be able to understand that craving and know that it's completely normal and not to give in.

Like I always say; eat more fiber early in the day and past about 4pm stick with lean meats and veggies. The fiber will help you curve any cravings. Also, keep hydrated!!

"Quick & Easy"

The most popular excuse as to why we eat so unhealthy is "Because they're quick and easy". I hear in my business all the time. The question is, is it really quicker and easier to always guess what you're going to eat, drive to get it, spend extra money, come back and eat it, and then feel guilty for the rest of the day about what you ate creating added stress??

If you pre-pack for the week or even the day with fresh and nutritious options from your grocery store, then you're erasing the wonder, stress, and guilt caused by the "fast food" that we put so much effort in excusing. Having apples, grapes, bananas, oranges, grapefruit, celery, clean (little ingredients) peanut butter, raw nuts, carrots, etc. available at your desk or home throughout the day will help you from going out and getting a "quick" treat because you've already got nutrients at hand. Making a whole wheat sandwich, grilled chicken/fish salad, pita & hummus, Mediterranean salads, etc. for your day prior to that day will keep you skinny, healthy, happy and stress free without the excuses!

Big Muscle Little Muscle

Finding the correct anaerobic routine can be tricky. To get the most out of your weight exercise, work the big muscle first and then move to the little muscle. For example, if you're going to work on your chest area then do chest exercises (chest press, bench press, push ups) first, then move to tricep exercises (skull crushers, body dips, overhead tricep extentions). If it's your back that you want to work on, do back exercises first (lat pull downs, lat raises, seated rows) then bicep exercises second (bicep curls, pull ups, forward rows).

Back & Bi
Chest & Tri

H2O

Ever had an amazing workout one day and the next morning you step on a scale and it reads over what it had been the day before? Don't freak out people! This is because when you get an anaerobic workout (weights, ploys) your muscles are literally tearing to build fibers, so in order to recoup they need hydration and they hold the water that you put into your body. It's about the same effect that salt does, but for a good reason:). So unless you figured that since you had a great workout you could indulge in a cake, it's just water retention in your muscles! Give it a day or two and then check out the results. It should be the same or less if your diet was the same or better. Also note that the numbers on the scale aren't the way to track progress. Built up stamina, endurance and how your clothes fit are the essential tool to use and listen to for self betterment tracking.

Preserved Products (Sucrose vs. Sodium)

Products that are boxed and stored with longer expiration dates are preserved through high levels of sucrose (sugar) or sodium (salt). I always say how important it is to stick with fresher foods, and this fact just confirms how unnatural it is to consume something that is boxed up or plastic wrapped and can last from two weeks to five months. It's difficult and overwhelming when you say that you will ONLY eat fresh foods and the last thing we want is for you to be so stressed about food that you store more and you give up. SO.. go with as much fresh as is obtainable for your time and means. If you absolutely must eat something that isn't as fresh then look at the ingredients. Steer clear of foods that are bleached or foods that have the words for sugar at the beginning of the ingredients lists. Go with foods that have cane sugar (most sugars are from the cane, but usually if it's organic cane then it still has nutrients) instead of sucrose or foods that don't have hundreds of milligrams of sodium. Remember, the closer your food is to the Earth the more recognizable your food is to the body.

Diet Myths

1. 100% Fruit Juice- Lookout for this one. What they mean is that the fruit juice inside is 100%, however they don't take into account the added sugar and preserves. Instead of looking at the Nutrition label (there will be Natural sugar), check the ingredients for any form of added sugar
2. 0 Calorie Spray- A few years back some big food companies went to the Government stating that they'd like to state that their product contains zero calories. With this, the allowance was made that if the consistency per serving is 4 calories or less and it can be used as a cooking product, they can say that it's zero calories. Look at the serving size per bottle, 225-1,220 sprays. That could be 4 calories per spray. This is not to say that these are all horrible products (although they're definitely NOT all natural). It's still portion controlled through the spray bottle. So if you absolutely need something like this to keep you from over indulging, go for it. But remember, not natural. 
3. 100 calorie snacks are always best- FALSE! The issue with 100 calorie snacks is although you have portion control, they're still chalk full of the sugar and preservatives. When they hit your systems since they're not fresh or natural your body does not recognize them so rather than utilize them for your body you store them because of little to no nutrients. You're far better grabbing an apple or some celery & peanut butter. Something FRESH and nutritious
4. If I shower at night will it help me lose weight?- YES, if you're the type of person who snacks in the evening then doing your shower routine before bed will get you up and focused on something other than relaxing in front of the TV with a bag of chips. Also, you get to see your naked body! Sounds strange, but if you bare it all before sit down time you're less likely to indulge. Anything that you can work on at night to keep your mind off grazing is sufficient enough (unless it's a pie eating contest)
5. The 'eating once per day' "diet"- We've seen people do this and lose weight from it, so why not?- There are SO many reasons why this should never be done, but the largest in terms of weight loss is this: your body will shut down! When you starve your body it begins to store anything that you put into it, and when it's only getting one thing per day your insulin levels rise and you reach for something high in fat and sugar.. This means that you're storing only bad foods. Then, when you do begin eating again you will have twice the fat count as you had before. If you keep to this diet for the rest of your life then eventually you'll have what I call the "Tire". You store more in the core abdominal region, and through time while you keep storing a large portion of what you take in you will accumulate throughout those trouble areas. Keep your metabolism constant and running with small nutritious meals throughout the day and you will defy age and stay lookin' slim and good
6. When I'm pregnant I can eat whatever I want.. Hey, I'm eating for two!- WRONG! A.) you're NOT EATING FOR TWO! You can't count a fetus the size of a pea another person! (B.) This is the time when you should be eating the cleanest, freshest foods! Think about all of the facts now coming out about preservatives and obesity. If a babies' on board, stay close to nature with all that you consume
7. A few glasses at night can't hurt- Actually, a few glasses a night is hurting your body more than you think. Alcohol is 7 calories per gram (that's more than carbs AND protein and just under fat!) and it puts stress on your body, and we all know what stress does to your waist line (if you don't then you need to read this blog more often;). It's also carbs/sugar at night which you're more likely to store as fat AND it will begin to take a toll on your skin, energy, happiness, and youth. One glass of red wine is ok, more is no good
8. No Fat-  lots of labels are stating this claim now. Sure, there's no fat content, however the sugar will convert to fat in your system if you do not immediately burn it ALL off. Labels don't need to tell you the path that the ingredients will take in your system. 'No Fat' doesn't mean that the ingredients won't be stored as fat, which sugar usually is. Also remember that all fats are not created equal. We need healthy fats for cognitive function, tissue repair, and overall health. It's the Saturated and Trans Fats that you don't want, and the Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats that you do want.

Homeostasis

Homeostasis: Balancing the Body and Your Life

Homeostasis is defined as the ideal state of equilibrium in which body systems are working together in balance for optimal health. If one part of the body is weak, others have to compensate for it. Becoming fit and living a healthy lifestyle cannot only be achieved by solely exercise or just tweaking your diet. It comes from all elements of your life; your daily surroundings, the components of your diet, your daily activity level, your job, your relationships, your stress levels, your nutrient intake, relaxation, etc.

Without finding a happy and simplistic balance within all of these elements, you can never truly reach the level of health & wellness that is optimal.

Things to do to help you in your search for yourself, fitness, health, & serenity

• DeClutter! Take a full day to completely declutter your house and office. Go into this with a clear mind and the mindset of "clear space, clear mind". If it doesn't REALLY have true value to you, toss it or give it away! (be sure to recycle if you're not giving it away, you're not only helping others and the environment, but you'll also feel better about yourself as a person:). This goes for the kitchen, living room, laundry room, bedroom, closet, office, etc. EVERYWHERE!
• When all things pointless are gone, view your surroundings. Is the paint a soothing color or a color that brings out anxiety? Go with blues, greens, yellows, oranges, violets, salmons, even white. Try and stay away from blacks, deep reds, dark dark colors all together. Look at paint slabs, whichever ones make you smile.. GO FOR!
• Now organize. Don't stash away. If it's memories, create books or memory boxes for them that go with your decor. If you've got a place where you throw your bills every time you get the mail, clear off that space and instead put taxes, bills, etc. in organized structured binders or boxes and place them in an office area or a clear cabinet/closet. Try and keep the stressful papers out of your 'relaxation rooms'. The places that you go to unwind.

• Get your workout done at your highest energy level of the day. If you're energized in the morning, afternoon, right after work, etc. get it done at these times. This way you don't spend the rest of your time wondering when you'll fit it in

• Get greens! Studies show that live plants/flowers in the home and office space decrease stress and anxiety and increase positive 'opium like' chemicals in the brain. Bamboo is GREAT because it's so easily kept and creates a very Zen atmosphere. Also, if you have the time to care for it, a bonsai tree is amazing to have in the house.
• If you've got a task to do, GET IT DONE. Procrastination only causes high levels of stress. Do it and relax!
• When you're home and relaxing for the day/night stash the phone/crackberry. This will be an "out of sight, out of mind" exercise that you should practice daily (not to mention the intense relationship therapy it will instantly provide)
• Don't dread the workout! It's all psychological. If you are excited about the release and escape that your workout for the day will provide you, then there will be no psyching yourself out and instead of dreading and stressing, you'll be excited and looking foreword to it
• Your body is your temple, and the only temple you've got. Treat it well. The things that you put into your body should be fresh. Fruits, Vegetables, Lean NATURAL Proteins, lots of Greens! If it's in a box or was found in the middle isles in the grocery store, it's preserved and probably has little nutritional value
• Be nice to people. You don't know what others go through. Be happy that you're a good person and have a clean lifestyle, and spread that positive attitude to everyone that you see. The effects from one smile could eventually save the world.