Kindness cures!

I was completely blessed by the people who went out of their way to help during my recent surgery. People offered to help with children, cleaning and anything else I might need. Others simply showed up with food. These simple acts of kindness went so far with me and my family to make us feel loved and supported. Sometimes those simple acts are more important than we even know. A woman held the door for me and my son as we walked toward it the other day. She waited for us. This shouldn't have surprised me but it did. It seems like most of the time, people are so busy and caught up with their own lives that they don't even notice those around them. Most people any more are grumpy, angry and entitled to their negative feelings. Then we wonder how something as horrible as the Newtown shooting can happen. We live in a state of disconnect most of the time. Many people only interact with others through technology any more and so forget how to interact face to face. So we don't interact. We hustle around the grocery store only focused on our task and not at all at the people we rush past. I have become friends with Kristin at the grocery store, simply by saying hi when I see her every time and genuinely caring how she was.  At first she was surprised that I would take the time. And now every time I go in, she is genuinely happy to see me. One act of making eye contact with someone and taking a second to treat them like a worthy human being, is all it may take to turn someones day or even life around. There are so many people who live in a fog, a life where they feel so alone and unimportant, that they don't even know how to reach out for help. One person taking the time to see them, could mean salvation for them. Imagine if you did this next time you are out in town. Smiled, said hi, were kind to the people you encountered. They may feel better and continue the trend. It's the old pay it forward. Try it. I would love to hear your experiences. Mine have been positive! Not only do you make new friends but are usually blessed to be on the receiving end of their kindness as well. A rich life is measured by the relationships you have and the memories you make. Break the trend, connect today and watch your life get richer and more fulfilling.

Whoop there it is!

Old school music has found it's way into our gym rotation lately. It's funny how music, no mater how basic or era specific, can take you back to a different time or make you feel things you don't expect. Most of the old school rap is about, "tellin it like it is". It's life as they see it and everyone needs to know about it. But I doubt that Will Smith still thinks, "Parents just don't understand". He is now a parent and I am sure has found himself on the other side of the equation. Being on the other side of that equation now myself, I find that I am now, not only re-evaluating my view of my parents, "not understanding", but also, many other things that I was just, "so sure about at one time-or-another. When I first became a parent, I had all these plans about how I would be the perfect parent. My children would be perfect. I would have everything under control at all times, not just in their lives, but in mine as well. As time went on, the reality of life set in, I had to learn to relax my expectations a little. My children did not eat all-natural home-made food at all times. I did manage to nurse them as long as I wanted and most of the food I feed them is healthy. It used to be that I would beat myself up because the result wasn't exactly what I expected it to be. However, now, I'm celebrating the victories I have had and their end results are actually, pretty-darn-good, so far.  Now, I am not making an excuse to give up on ideals, no, in fact it is those "ideals" that propel us forward and help us to keep growing and changing. Rather I am challenging you to look at whether the ideas you hold on to still measure up to where you are in life, or are you holding on to something, just to hold on to it?
I just left the Dr.s office and I have an appointment to have my gallbladder taken out. Now, this is not an easy decision for me. I work very hard at keeping my body healthy and approaching my health in as natural a way as possible. However, I have reached the decision to have mine taken out. It quit working. Why? I don't know. No one knows. The suggestions for preventing this would be to exercise and eat well, but that is not the problem here. It just decided to stop working. I asked, if I could make it work again and was met with a, no. You will have it out, now or later. You can put up with the trouble it is giving you or you can take it out and get on with life, feeling better. Apparently you can operate just fine with out it. So it is coming out. This whole process has made me think about those ideals and pressures that we hold on to that we don't need to. They are only, making us uncomfortable. But because we made a statement at one time that life is one way or another, we feel like we have to hold to our statements and keep ourselves from growing past it. If I am sure of one thing, it is that life will throw us curve balls. If you are too stiff, or too committed before you know what is coming, you are going to get suckered into a strike. Stay loose. Know which direction your aiming and that you will get there, just maybe not on this pitch. Stay encouraged. Stay focused on the over all goal, but let go of the little details that are holding you back, not getting you where you are going. So "Whoop there it is"! Let go of the things that are holding you back and "You got to get up to get down" or get down to get up, it all depends on how you look at it, but, "Jump around"!

Short Sweet an to the Point!

The half-hour workout that took me from 180 pounds post pregnancy to an overall figure champion  in only 12 months!

    “To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.” Emily Dickenson

    Life is a startling thing.  The terrain changes with every step forward. With every change you have to be flexible to move with it and manage to stay on your feet. To do that, is seems like time gets sucked away from you. There are never enough hours in a day, never enough of you to go around. How to balance everything is one of the biggest challenges that we are presented with. Unfortunately in our society, health has become one of the first things to go. But don’t worry about it because there is always a new pill to take that will take care of the problems. Unfortunately, there isn’t a pill to actually make you fit and healthy both mentally and physically. That takes work. But where do we fit that work in to our schedule?
This question became very present for me when I had my daughter.  This new addition brought lots of laughter and smiles and a lot less time. The miracle of life is amazing, however, it definitely changes a woman’s body. I had worked to stay fit through out the pregnancy, eating well and staying active. None the less it was time to address the stretched out belly and widened thighs. I knew that I needed to get into gear because it was one of my worst fears to forever lose my body to pregnancy. The next question was how was I going to fit it in!
    As a competitor before my pregnancy, my goal was to get back on stage. With a new baby and having to go back to work, my time was limited. I needed to fit my workouts into a half-hour a day. So I developed a specific combination that triggered fat loss while shaping my muscle with weight training. It worked! By only weight training four days a week and two other cardio days, I was able to step back on stage when my daughter was 12 months old and take first and overall. If I could do it, so can you! If you can manage ½ hour a day and a healthy eating plan, you can see major changes in your body in the matter of a few months.
How could this possibly work! It’s simple. During weight training you put small tears in your muscles. Your body then works to heal the tears. When it heals them, you get stronger muscles.  Often when you do a workout you get really sore. This is because the tears are larger and it takes a longer to heal. Instead, with this method, we break down the muscles just enough to trigger the body to heal, but not enough to make you so sore that you can’t work that muscle out again in a few days. You can hit the muscles more often and recover quicker.
The program looks like this: Day one is upper body, day two lower, day three cardio, day four upper body, day five lower body day six upper body, day seven rest. Some of the lifts are heavy so have someone spot you if you can. If not, use a weight you won’t drop on yourself!

Day one: Warm up on a cardio machine for 5 min.
Chest- Choose 3 exercises. Example- Chest press, incline chest flies, push ups
Warm up on the chest press with a weight you can do 15 times pretty easy. Repeat if you don’t feel warm.
Now choose a weight you can do 5-8 times for the chest press
A weight you can do 8-10 times for the flies
Then pump out 15 pushups, as many as you can on your toes then drop to your knees to finish.
The goal is to have zero rest between each set and completely exhaust the muscles in a short time. You know you chose the right weight if you can’t do any more than you are supposed to do!

Cardio burst! This is where we keep you moving. Jump on a bike, a treadmill, grab a jump rope etc. Now go three minutes as hard as you can!

Back- Choose 3 exercises. Example Lat pull downs, Seated Row, Reverse grip pull downs. Warm up on the Lat pull downs with a weight you can do 15 times .
    Now use a weight that you can do 5-8 times on lat pull down
    Move directly to a weight you can d 8-10 times on the seated row
    Back to the pull down to a reverse grip you can do 12-15 times.

Cardio burst! 3 minutes as hard as you can!

Shoulders- Choose 3 exercises. Example shoulder press, side raises, front raises
    You should be warmed up by now so go right into the first exercise
    Shoulder press with a weight you can do 5-8 times
    Side raise with a weight you can do 8-10 times
    Front raise with a weight you can do 12-15 times

Cardio burst! 3 minutes as hard as you can
Biceps: 3exercises Example- Straight bar curls, hammer curls, dumbbell curls
    Straight bar curls with a weight you can do 5-8 times
    Hammer curls with a weight you can do 8-10 times
    Dumbbell curls with a weight you can do 12-15 times

Cardio burst!  3minutes!

Triceps: 3 exercises Example- Rope press downs, overhead dumbbell extensions, bodyweight dips off of bench
    Rope press downs for 5-8
    Overhead dumbbell extensions 8-10
    Dips for 12-15
(the more you bend your knees the easier it is. Use this to find the resistance that is right for you!)

        Cardio burst! 3 minutes last one!

Day 2: Warm up for 5 min.
    Legs: The fist group is going to primarily hit the quads, the second will focus on the hamstrings

    Quads: 3 exercise example squats, lunges, quad extensions
        Warm up with some light squats.
        Choose a weight you can do 5-8 times
        Move to lunges, hold weight you can do 8-10 times each leg
        Extensions for 12-15

Cardio burst! 3 min as hard as you can. A fun mix up here is to add plyos! Pop squat for 1 minute, Step up for 1 minute, then pop lunge for 1 minute.

Hamstrings: 3 exercise example Romanian Dead Lifts, machine hamstring curls, ball hamstring curls.
    Warm up with light RDL’s
    Use a weight you can do 5-8 times on the RDL’s (Versa grips help!)
    Machine hamstring curls for 8-10
    Ball hamstring curls for 12-15

Cardio burst! 3 min as hard as you can! Pop squats, soccer drills on medicine ball, jump rope!

Abbs: 3 exercises example weighted decline crunches, v crunches, leg lifts
With abbs you can’t quite fit it in a rep number. So instead push each exercise to exhaustion before moving to the next!

    Cardio burst! Last one! Pop lunges, pop squats and mountain climbers!


Day 3 Just cardio! Incorporate the HITT principle here you get done in ½ hour and get a killer workout!
    Warm up for 5 minutes
    Now push yourself as hard as you can for 1 minute
    Slow down to a moderate pace for 2 minutes
    Push yourself again for 1 min.
    Repeat this until you have 5 min left then slow it down and cool down.

    You can do this cardio anywhere! Use a treadmill, bike, elliptical etc! If you prefer to do it outside, run for a min, walk a min. Even in your living room, jump rope for a min, then walk in place etc. The possibilities are endless!
Day 4: Switch up the exercises, this time do:
    Chest: Incline press, flat press, cable flies
    Back: Bent over rows, modified pull ups, one arm rows
    Shoulder: Upright rows, bent over rear delts, barbell press
    Biceps: Cable curls, wide grip barbell curls, supination dumbbell curls
    Tricep:  Dumbbell kickbacks, reverse grip pull downs, v bar push downs.
   
Day 5: Dead lifts, walking lunges, ball extensions
    Good mornings, one leg hamstring curls, decline bench hamstring curls
    Abbs- Hanging leg raises, scissor kicks, oblique twists

Day 6: Hitt cardio again!


    That’s it, it is that easy. If you push yourself you should be fatigued by the end! Now you can fit your workouts in only minutes a day and get the results you want

I want it NOW!

There is a specific experiment that is used with children that sit them with a treat in front of them and tell them they can either have that treat now, or, if they wait, they can have more later. Most children cave and take the treat presented before them. They typically don't have the patients to wait even if the promised reward is much grater. Most adults suffer from the same thing where their weight and health is concerned. You know that the people who eat well and exercise, have the look and the health that you want. However, when it comes down to changing your lifestyle to achieve it, most people give up after a very short time. Why? It didn't come as fast as they want! We live in a fast paced,  now society. If you are hungry, you can go down to any store and buy what you want.  If you want a tv or car that you can't afford yet, buy it on credit. Need to cook your food? The microwave can do it in seconds. So it only makes sense that we would begin expect the same things for our bodies! With all the diet pills and surgery options that promise these quick fixes, it is no wonder that we get caught up in these expectations. Unfortunately, when these promises are proven to be false, many people give up and get discouraged instead of learning to push forward and develop the consistency and discipline that can lead to long lasting health and weight loss success! I read a quote the other day that said, "My diet secret is that there is no secret. Stop eating junk and get of the coach!" There is not a quick fix or easy answer! Learn to eat for you body. Learn to push through and exercise even when you don't want to. It is a misnomer that those people who do eat well and exercise regularly find it easy or are never tempted to fall off the wagon. However, what separates people who get there and keep it from those who don't, it is consistency. It's building a habit and sticking to it. Don't expect perfection, expect consistency. Look at your food plan, not as what you want to do, but rather what you need to do to reach your goal and nourish your body. Look at your exercise plan as an important part of maintaining your health and strength, not as something that you can neglect if you don't want to do it. You don't skip brushing your teeth or washing your hands because you just don't want to do it. These are important pieces of being healthy.  So why is healthy eating and staying active an option? You know where eating junk and being inactive leads. It leads to being overweight, out of shape, and unhealthy. Knowing that, push forward into your healthy eating plan and exercise and celebrate the fact that you are getting stronger and healthier. Focus less on the weight aspect and the pressure that is associated with that and you will see the change there in time. When you become healthy on the inside, it shows up on the outside! Don't give up! You can do this!

Athletes face

What to do to clear up the complexities of your skin!

    Pounding the weights, watching every morsel of food, pushing the cardio till the sweat pours in pursuit of that healthy, toned, sexy body we all desire.  As a result, your body and mind are healthier. However, there is one organ that is sometimes affected negatively by our sweaty pursuits, our skin! It is the largest organ in our body and the most visible. The rest of us can be in great shape, but if our skin is out of whack, you know it and so does everyone else! What a buzz kill to have the red marks scarring up your canvas. Our skin is particular, like our body.  The more we understand, the more we can be proactive in the health of our skin!

What is going on with your skin? Our skin is the largest organ of the body. One of its functions is to eliminate a portion of the body’s waste products through sweating. As these toxins leave the body, the bacteria can get stuck in your pores leading to an outbreak of Acne or pimples. Athletes often notice a rise in their skin problems as their activity increases. Extra sweat- extra bacteria! Pressure or friction on the skin, often caused by tight workout clothing, can make acne worse. Hormone changes that occur during our menstrual cycles, pregnancy and weight loss can also cause breakouts. Other culprits are make-up, medicines, foods, allergies and stress. Family history also plays a part. If other people in your family have acne, chances are you will have it too.

    The good news is that if we can find the cause of the acne problem, we can find an answer.  There are always medications on the market for any given issue. But as health conscious females, we should know that drugs can cause health problems. Medication may be necessary in very persistent cases. However, most problems with acne will respond to natural treatments and a diligent program of diet and skin care. By following these natural remedies, you are sure to see a difference in your skin’s health!

     Water is one of the crucial elements for health. It is also important for clear skin! The minimum amount of water needed is 8 glasses a day! That is the minimum. As an athlete as you sweat out water, you need to replace it. I tell my clients to aim for a gallon a day! Sounds like a lot, but you will feel and look better!
Here’s why water is the #1 acne cure!
Water allows our organs to do their job. The liver performs the important job of cleaning the wastes and excess hormones out of our system and moves it to the kidneys.  The kidneys flush the toxins it gets from the liver, out of our body. Without the proper amount of water, the toxins get stopped up in our muscles and organs. It has to find another way to come out or a place to go. So it oozes out of the skin in the form of bacteria.   Start properly hydrating to move these toxins out through regular bowel movements and to allow your tissues to repair themselves.

The number two cure for acne is healthy nutrition! It is not only the key to a healthy lean body, but also to beautiful skin! Maintain a diet that is high in fiber, raw foods, fruits and foods rich in zinc (shellfish, soybeans, whole grains, sunflower seeds and raw nuts.) These foods cultivate a healing atmosphere in the body.  Also keep your diet high in protein and limit your carbs to low glycemic carbohydrates. Protein is the main building blocks of muscle and tissue. It will also slow down the absorption of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can cause a spike in our insulin levels, even if they are low glycemic. Eating a protein with them slows down their absorption and keeps the body in harmony. The more your body is in harmony, the less inflammation will occur. Whenever we throw off the harmony in our bodies, it lets us know through our skin. Breakouts mean something is off inside!
Other foods that can cause inflammation in the body and should be avoided if you are prone to breakouts are: alcohol, butter, caffeine, cheese, chocolate, cocoa, cream, egg yokes, saturated fat, fried foods, hot and spicy foods, hydrogenated oils and shortenings, margarine, soft drinks, wheat, dairy products, and sugar. Often the inflammation caused by these foods is the result of an allergy. Dairy products are a common culprit.  After we are about 3, the enzymes needed to digest dairy often disappear. When this happens, our bodies have a hard time processing it. It can’t digest like other foods and begins to ferment in our system. It can cause digestional issues, acne, asthma and other health problems. Simply cutting dairy out of your diet, the body will begin to return to its homeostasis and will allow your skin to begin to repair.

Even when we maintain a healthy and well-rounded diet, we often are deficient in specific nutrients. Supplementing with these nutrients have been shown to make a change the health of the skin. 

Acidophilus- replenishes essential bacteria to reduce outbreaks.
Chromium picolinate- Aids in reducing infections of the skin.
Colloidal silver- acts as natural antibiotic.
 Essential fatty acids (flaxseed, primrose oil etc)- aids in healing
Garlic-destroys bacteria and enhances immune function
Potassium- a deficiency has been associated with breakouts
Vitamin A- strengthens skin tissue. (Emulsion form easier assimilation)
Vitamin B complex- Important for healthy skin tone, anti-stress
Vitamin C- Promotes immune function and reduces inflammation
Vitamin D3- promotes healing and tissue repair
Vitamin E- is an antioxidant that enhances healing and tissue repair.
Zinc- Aids n healing of tissue and helps prevent scarring.


The number three cure is to avoid stress! There have been debates as to whether or not stress causes or worsens acne. However, it has been proven that stress causes hormonal changes within the body. These hormonal changes can lead to breakouts, increased blood pressure and weight gain.  Stress also increases the amount of oil your skin secretes, which can clog pores. It doesn’t help that we tend to adopt stress related habits such as scratching, picking, laying our hands on our faces, etc. All of these transfer the bacteria from our hands and our surroundings onto the delicate balance of our face! By recognizing your nervous twitch and finding other ways to deal with your stress, you can eliminate a large portion of the problem.

Here are a few other natural suggestions that will help to clear up your skin:
Sun, rest and exercise are often suggested by dermatologists.
 Wash your face twice a day with warm water and mild soap.
Always wash or at least rinse your face with warm water after exercising. 
Exfoliate a few times a week to get rid of dry skin that could clog pours.
After you exfoliate, use a mud mask to draw the bacteria out of the skin.
Make sure your moisturizer and makeup is oil free.
Use a squeeze of lemon after washing your face; wash it off the next morning (only if not sensitive)
Apply toothpaste directly to the pimples to dry them out
Apply tee tree oil to affected areas.
Use a natural steam with ingredients such as; Chamomile, rose petals, comfrey leaves, neem leaves, lavender and sandalwood. Helps kill bacteria and prevents dryness.
Remember, don’t pick! This only spreads bacteria!

Healthy skin starts on the inside!

How do you measure up?

Not too long ago, I went to a highschool reunion. While it was great to see old friends and reconnect, I was amazed at  how it sent me right back to the way I used to feel in highschool. All my old insecurities came rushing back and I had to sincerely fight back against the feeling that I was being measured. Those types of situations seem to always make you question whether you have been successful enough, are still thin enough, etc. The truth is, if we will be honest with ourselves, it's not just at reunions that we are asking ourselves if we measure up. It's a daily fight. When we look in the mirror, most of the time we are measuring ourselves up against the other women we know, the magazines and tv shows. As mothers we measure ourselves against the other moms that seem to fit it all in and their children seem to be smarter or more adjusted. As professionals there is always someone who does more or makes more money. The truth is,that there will always be someone prettier and more successful. If we have to have a measuring stick to justify whether we are doing well with ourselves, we will always come up short. Life is too short and too precious to waste time on that! Instead embrace who you are! It is important to remember that you are one of a kind. Only you have to offer exactly the amazing combination that is you. Don't waist any more time wishing you were something different. Instead find what is amazing about your life. Take the time to be thankful for it. Take the time to truly look at what you want out of your life. Don't turn it into a stress, but start moving in that direction, taking one step at a time, enjoying the journey. If you don't start walking, you will never get there, if you race to fast, you miss the scenery.  Embrace who you are and stop measuring yourself up against someone else. You can only be you and the world needs you to be.