Building your Body Confidence

The Four Pillars of a Healthy Diet Series: part 1

2011-07-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

According to Dr. Cate Shanahan, author of Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food, there are 4 pillars that unite all the health promoting, traditional diets of the world. From the Maasai and ancient Egyptian, to the Japanese and the French, the same Four Pillars form the foundation of all the healthiest diets. Using the latest research in physiology and genetics, Dr. Shanahan explains how these foods influence our genetic potential and outcome.

The field of epigenetics states that our genes are always being influenced and changing according to the things we add to our system (foods/drugs) and the chemicals we come in contact with that are absorbed through our skin. Hence, we are in charge of our genetic destiny, and whether we live our life in a strong healthy body, or a body afflicted by the numerous epidemic illnesses we see on the rise today. By choosing traditional foods from the 4 pillars that have been shown to protect against the expression of disease, we will "recover the power we have to control our own health." When you use the 4 pillar foods to replace common processed foods in our standard American diet and you will begin to reverse the inflammation that undermines optimal health.

What do all the healtiest diets have in common?
French Paradox, Mediterranean Diet, Okinawa Diet…which one to choose?
You don’t have to choose, you can enjoy them all!
All authentic cuisines the world over include foods that belong to these four health promoting categories:

Meat on the Bone
Fermented and sprouted foods
Fresh, uncooked, raw ingredients
Organ Meats

While most of us are aware of the importance of fresh foods, including foods from the three other pillars will give your body the nutrients needed to ignite it's healing potential.

Meat on the Bone: protects skin and joints by boosting collagen and elastin
Cooking grass-fed or pasture-raised meat on the bone does two great things:
1) It enables the bones nutrient density to infuse into the meat.
2) It extracts glycosaminoglycans from the marrow. This is especially true when making broth or soup stock with raw bones. Heat, water, and acid extracts the wealth of collagen inside the bone marrow. When making bone stock (by boiling bones in water with an acid source, for instance tomato sauce, lemon juice, or white/red wine) you fill the water with molecules called glycosaminoglycans. These molecules act as joint growth factors, keeping the collagen and elastin in your joints and skin healthy, and facilitating tissue repair. No need for synthetic supplements, this is a much more powerful way to protect your joints from arthritis and your skin from wrinkling!
Dr. Shanahan recommends eating meat on the bone twice a week.
You will find instructions on making bone broth on her website.
Stay tuned - next week we give the benefits of fermented and sprouted foods!

Cleansing your Habits for Health

2011-05-27T08:38:00.001-07:00

In our 4Weeks2Fit Nutrition and Detox course, eight participants spent 4 weeks getting rid of some of the mental and physical baggage that was keeping them from their health and fitness goals. Many of them came to realizations that their "harmless habits", like a cup of coffee every day, were actually keeping them from feeling their best. Others began to connect their lack of energy to the gaps in their meals or timing of their food intake.

The biggest Ah-Ha, though, was the symbolism of our eating and exercise habits on a scale. Think of all the positive things you do resting on one side of a teeter-totter, and the things that you do to take away from the positive things being on the other side. The point is, to stay balanced. When you don't get enough sleep and you then drink a cup of coffee and have a bagel in a rush, you have now taken 3 things from the positive side and put them on the reverse. Your body is getting more drained of energy in the long-run because you have weighted the side that robs your body of health.

The time to treat yourself with a small coffee or a carbohydrate dense bagel would be when you have had plenty of sleep so your body is better able to flush the caffeine or high glucose intake through your system and use it. Most of the time, however, we add insult to injury by perpetuating the abusive cycle to our body by placing more and more actions on the side that keeps us from feeling great.

I get it. You need that coffee to function that morning, and it is true that in the short term your body may increase it's ability to cope with your lack of sleep. However, that next night, or as the weeks go on, you will become more and more dependent on more and more things to keep you "running". Why not take a step back and see what your body is really capable of on its own?

The participants of this detox lost an average of 5.7 pounds, 1.9% body fat, and 6.9 inches off their body. Not bad for a few weeks of eliminating the baggage in your healthy habits, huh?! Consider where you can clean up your health with a few things this week:
1) Reduce media and TV time
2) Go to bed 10 minutes earlier
3) Drink a glass of water every hour
4) Focus on eating whole foods from nature (veggies, fruits, proteins, and a few sprouted grains)

Let your body show you the miracle it truly is!

Getting your Protein and Veggies

2011-04-11T15:54:00.000-07:00

I preach the benefits of getting lots of protein and veggies in my clients nutrition. The combination gives you metabolism boosting amino acids, fiber, and lots of vitamins/minerals to support great hormone balance.
Sometimes, though, even when you know what is good for you, it is hard to know where to start to keep choosing the things that are best for you... Here is a list of some great ways to get in more protein and veggies:

Add chopped chicken or turkey breast or fish to salads, soups, or wraps.
If you choose a grain stick with quinoa. It has 7-9 grams of protein per 5 ounce serving and is high in fiber (it is still a carbohydrate, however, so eat sparingly!)
Add lentils/beans like baked or broiled chickpeas, kidney beans, or black beans to your soups, salads, or quinoa cold salad.
Have almonds or chestnuts in small snack size bags on hand for emergencies. Nuts are not super high in protein, but these types are lower in fat than other nuts.
Whey or vegan based protein shake mixed with a greens drink.
If you are okay with dairy, consider low fat cottage cheese or greek yogurt both of which have around 15 grams of protein per serving.
Pair your cut veggies with almond butter or hummus for a satisfying snack.
Try adding chopped kale, ground flax or chia seeds to your smoothies.
Put steamed cauliflower in a food processor and add a little olive oil and seasonings for a smooth taste like mashed potatoes!

Add your favorite option in the comments below!

Tracking Means Results

2011-01-25T21:47:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like you were working very hard and producing very little results? We call this busywork or chasing our tail. It's almost comical how easy it can be to feel like we are accomplishing things in life when we fill our days with busywork, but how much have you give thought to whether or not these activities are producing any positive results? When it comes to injuries or weight loss, I often hear people say that it is simply a case of poor genetics that they struggle with frequent injuries or the roller coaster on the scale. While this is a part of all of our stories, and while it may effect some more than others, it is no reason to neglect one's health. I challenge you to take inventory on how you fill your days and if the time you put toward reaching your goals is actually getting you closer to meeting them. What excuses keep coming up? How are you committing to progress by checking in with your results?

No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little. - Edmund Burke

There are many ways to gauge success when it comes to our health. I mentioned last week that one of the best ways to gauge health isn't the scale, body fat calipers, or pant size, rather, it is the consistency with which we move and exercise our bodies. One of the best methods to track your health is to use a Nutrition and Lifestyle Journal. The participants from the 2011 Resolution challenge are using their journals now and they are having phenomenal success at realizing where they could improve some habits. For those of you who always have your computer or smart phone at your side, there are some additional options to help you keep your stats handy.

Here are some suggestions for tracking your progress online:

FitDay: is a free online account to enter your daily foods and exercise. FitDay analyzes all your information and shows you daily calorie counts, macronutrient ratios, weight loss and goals, long-term diet analysis and more.

Online Fitness Log has nutrition and exercise tracking in addition to a metric system you can use for basic health information that you will likely record on a daily basis such as heart rate, blood pressure, hours of sleep, body weight, body fat percentage, and more.

iPhone Apps:

LoseIt: I have used this tracking tool for exercise and eating with great success. Their website claims that 96% of their users who stick with the product for a minimum of 4 weeks lose weight.

Livestrong Calorie Tracker: The Daily Plate at LIVESTRONG.COM helps you determine a daily calorie target based on your goal. Then you can calculate how many calories you can burn with listed activities.

Other Smart Phone Apps:

CardioTrainer: Tracks fitness only but has cool things like music integration and voice notifications for total calories burned, etc.

MyFitnessPal: Tracks mostly food but could also be used for some exercise tracking.

If you want to track your progress the old fashioned way (with pen and paper) and would like some extra helpful advice for what to eat, when to eat it, and how to exercise to lose fat and maintain healthy muscle, then purchasing a 30-day Nutrition and Lifestyle Journal

would be great way to get started! This compact journal will fit into even small purses and briefcases and walks you through the most important aspects of holistic health and lifestyle practices that will start increasing your energy, help you lose weight, and improve your consistency.

Boldly Defying Yourself

2010-12-12T20:01:00.000-08:00

It is often in life that we are faced, or shall I say, confronted with our own weaknesses and shortcomings. It takes discipline to keep our strengths and passions at the forefront of our minds and to persistently pursue them. Weakness would suggest that we have areas of our lives that hold us back that we have to fight against in order to overcome ourselves. To be human is to have faults and idiosyncrasies that make us individuals and that bind us together all the same. As powerful as our weaknesses may seem to hold us back or keep us from acting on our most noble character, we consistently have the choice to embrace our capacity to thrive and succeed.

Albert Einstein once said "weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character." As our attitude shifts, so can our character, or those attributes that distinguish us as individuals. In a single day, how can we gauge our attitude and therefore our character? What do people say about you if they are trying to describe your character? Usually it comes down to the simple things. How loyal we are to our commitments, whether we maintain an optimistic outlook on our circumstances, how we treat others, if we live with integrity, and more.

Are there areas in your life where your attitude is concealing a deeper more true character? If you could boldly defy your own weaknesses, laziness or pessimism, what would you pursue? These are the areas where we challenge our own attitude to believe something bigger and better can be made of our lives. It is in these beliefs that we choose to believe we are made of hope, success, beauty, ability, intelligence, and moxie to be the person we know we are at our core.

Defying yourself isn't about punishment or disbelief- it is exactly the opposite. Putting yourself to the challenge of defying yourself is about believing beyond any lies, fears, faults, or circumstance that may stand in your way of being boldly you! In January of 2011 Restoration Fitness is holding a Resolution Fitness Challenge. The challenge is meant to give you support and education that will allow you to find success in your health. I challenge you to join us!

What's cheating me?

2010-10-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

Nobody likes a cheater. So why do we let ourselves be cheated? We have all been persuaded, deceived, or influenced by a lie. However, we don't have to be outright lied to in order to be lured into believing we would be better off if ____ (fill in the blank). We don't even have to believe we would be better off, we just have to believe that whatever we are choosing to do or believe will benefit us or those we love in some way.

I can't even count how many women I have come across who are burned out, stressed, over-tired, and ready to throw in the towel, but for whatever reason, they continue to over-commit to keep the status quo going in their family or work. So how do we know what is permissible? Some people can give nearly all their possessions away and be perfectly content, others can't live without having tangible beauty around them. Some need to exercise to keep their sanity, while others can go without and still feel OK. There is no single right answer.

What we need to ask ourselves is, what am I doing or thinking that is cheating me from creating the joy I desire for my life? I faced this head on when I realized I was too attached to running. Of course exercise is good for me, and of course it is healthy, but in the end, my obsession with it was keeping me from connecting with the people I loved. What I thought I needed and couldn't live without, was really simply all about me. It was a self-absorbed way for me to get a fix. In letting go of what I thought I should do or what I had to do, I realized I could run for fun. I started to see how running wasn't my identity, it was just a way of moving. What is keeping you from living out your deep values, morals and beliefs? What is cheating you out of love, compassion, joy, abundance, or content? Nothing can cheat you of these things if you take responsibility for your actions. Examine your walk. Does it line up with your values, morals, and beliefs? Are you making clear choices based on these rather than the should's, ought to's, or guilty persuasions?

Water Cooler Talk- What does it do for you?

2010-09-16T08:02:00.001-07:00

After a class yesterday, every one of the participants hung around discussing the latest diet craze. I encourage people to talk about their struggles, what is working for them, and what is not- so it is not surprising to hear people throwing out information that they think will help, since it is working for them.

In all honesty, I don't know that every fad diet is the worst thing in the world for everyone. Sometimes a little more awareness about how much we really eat can become clear when we do some calorie restriction. And sometimes it is best for people to go completely off the recommendation of 5-6 meals a day and start listening to their bodies signal for when they are hungry and when they are full. And still others need to simply learn to eat whole foods and do more meal planning. What chaps my hide is that everyone is effected by conversations about dieting very differently. Some automatically dismiss it, others grab on to every detail and will try anything to lose weight. I work with multiple clients who have disordered eating. And the majority of women, whether they admit it or not, have distorted body image. The real question for me has never been- how did you lose the weight, it is why does being thin automatically make make us think you are better off? Do we even think about what we are saying and how it effects others?

It isn't just our societal and cultural expectations, it is the expectation we have of ourselves to look a certain way. It can be for health reasons, but at a certain point, it is less about health and more about making sure people perceive us as productive, meaningful, and accepted. I love to workout, and I value the fact that I am healthy- but I don't obsess over how many miles I run, how many times a week I lift weights, or how many calories I ate yesterday. I learned long ago that I wanted to fill my mind and heart with other details. I am speaking for myself here. I realize that the shame and discouragement that can come from not being able to loose weight is devastating. I want nothing more than for people to gain confidence through pursuing great things in their physical being. However, I am certain, that at least for me- the thing I will be thinking about most on my death bed will not be the size of my pants, the number on my scale, or how great I looked in my dress- it will be the people I loved and that loved me through this crazy roller-coaster of a life. Interestingly, later that same afternoon, another client of mine said, "It's not what you think you should do it is what you will do. Let's take out the should and focus on the will...once you take care of that step, then maybe we can look closer and bridging the gap." Why do we feel we should?

Getting more drastic, let's remove the word 'diet' and 'should' from our vocabulary. Let's start complimenting each other not for our amazing weight loss feat- but for our decision to start doing what we really know is best for us (and for those we love) and let the should's fall to the way side.

Fighting for Your Heart

2010-08-25T17:39:00.000-07:00

We hurt sometimes. There is no need to justify or rationalize it. Life can get messy, and we hurt. And when we hurt, we can either acknowledge it and feel it, retreat from it and pretend it isn't there, or wallow in it and let it take over our lives. It's interesting that we can know what we hurt about, and we can see hurt in others, but we shuffle past it within ourselves and in our interactions with others as though it is a discarded picture frame we have grown used to on the shelf.

Pain is a part of our journey, however pain is also a part of our story and therefore a part of our growth. For if we do not allow it to grow and mature us, we have labored over our grief in vain. As difficult as thinking about our pain becoming something more positive can be, we must consider how we can turn our grief into something valuable and share our life lessons with those who can learn from us. In this phase of my life, it is often times all I can do to put on a smile and get through the day. It isn't pretending, it is just functioning to so that I can continue the process of living amongst the process of grieving and accepting. And that is OK.

What grieves you? Are you frustrated with an illness, a bad relationship, or your lack of will power to make changes in your life? One of the greatest problems with grief is that it coaxes us to withdraw and become self-focused. On the other hand, in order to hide from our pain, we may withdraw from our own body or life in order to cope. This is so dangerous, because the more we place everyone else's needs before our own, or ignore our needs, the more we disconnect from what is the truest thing about us- our hearts. I challenge everyone to take time for themselves everyday. A part of this self-reflection is to check in with how you are doing. What are you feeling? What is true for you today? Compare what you feel is true to what your reality really is. Often times our emotional reality and our true reality are very much at odds with one another. To get in touch with this, we must give ourselves the space to listen. As the voice of truth comes through, will you honor it? What will doing what your heart truly needs bring you? If it is more peace, more love, and more grace for yourself and for others- then ACT.

Changing to Overcome Fear

2010-04-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

After five years in a home that has brought much disappointment and lost dreams, we are moving out in 2 weeks. Only a month into purchasing our home, we have been imagining the day when we would finally be able to leave. The crazy and kind of stupid thing is that now that the day is drawing near, I am beginning to freak out.

Isn't it funny how when facing change, the things we thought we wanted so much are the things we begin to fear? Right now, the fear is that we won't be able to recover; that the sale of our house and the prospect of a new direction will only bring more heartache. There is such a correlation to what I am facing now and what I perceive as the process some us go through with acting in love toward our bodies. Thinking that we will finally be happy when we shed the weight, or we can wake up and not constantly worry about what we will eat or how we will feel we build up the moment of change so much that we can begin to fear it. We want to protect our hearts from having to possibly deal with more failure, more disappointment, or more change that doesn't give us what we hoped for. This protective mechanism might help dull the pain, but it robs us from enjoying the journey toward a life full of mystery and unexpected joy. It's risky to put our hearts out there and really try for something bigger and better, only to feel like life has failed us, or worse, we have failed ourselves.

Leo F. Buscaglia said, "The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live." No matter how much fear might rise up within us, we must keep pressing into it with our hands open to the possibility of making change that will teach us more about how to love ourselves and others. We can't control every step of the way, but we can decide how we will move forward. What steps will you take today to move away from fear, anxiety, doubt, and confusion and more toward conviction, love, optimism, and hope? There is so much already within you to trust. Sometimes we just need a big step of faith to stand up to our fears!

Praying for Life

2010-04-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

Good Friday is tomorrow. Regardless of your faith, you most likely pray in some way. Why is this? My guess is either we believe prayer works through our connection to a higher power or it is a reminder that we better get cracking to save ourselves. The psalmist David prayed, "Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again." - Psalm 71:20-21

Restoration is a process by which the lost, broken, lifeless, or damaged is brought back to its original condition, state, or energy level. To believe you can be restored is to believe that you have something of value, worth, and meaning that needs to be brought back to the surface once again. To me, this is our life process: to enjoy the freedom to express more and more of the goodness, love, and unique character that is you by learning from and living beyond all that has been bruised and hidden because of the abuse and "troubles" (as the psalmist writes) in our lives.

I can't pretend to understand the anguish you might have been through because of family strife, financial worries, death, devastation of a dream, or any other host of problems. Each of us has a story that is filled with personal details that have let us down, or that have left us confused about why our life isn't working out like we thought it might. Thankfully, we all have this in common. The real question is not why, but how will you deal with the disappointment? Many of you who work with Restoration Fitness are on a journey to recapture the joy you may have lost in loving your body. There a million and one reasons for why you may have lost or want to maintain the "body you want".

Here is my question for you: Do you have confidence that your life and joy will be restored? Is there an expectation within you, without any harbor of doubt, that you can be brought up from the depth of your despair about your weight or how you look? What will bring you comfort along your journey? David knew that he would be restored, rescued, and comforted. Perhaps prayer isn't something you practice or want to practice, but can you sense how just reading David's words helps us move forward with confidence and peace? He isn't sitting around saying "Oh my god, I can't believe my life is like this, what is wrong with me, why can't I get my $#it together, I am all alone, poor me" etc., etc. We don't pray or wish or meditate to simply ask that our troubles be taken away. We pray to get through them and come out victorious in the end. We want victory not just to have happiness, rather, to engage in this life fully with those around us without reservation or regret. The victory awaits you, will you take the steps to seek the restoration of your body and heart, or will you let another month or year go by neglecting their importance? Take 5-10 minutes today to simply sit in silence to listen to what your body and heart need or what they are telling you.

Photo from GreyBlueSkies' photostream

Lying Hope

2010-03-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Mysteriously, hope is a thing that either we wrestle with, or that we let slip away. We are either praying to God that things get easier and we can stop all this clamoring to get what we need- what we hope for; or we are settle in for the journey and let ourselves lie with hope. This might mean that we are lying to ourselves that we really are hopeful when in fact we are actually hating every second of our plight, or we may actually be resting in hope and letting it guide us.

Hope sits with us through many things in life. We hope we get asked to the dance by the guy we like. We hope we will fit into our favorite jeans. We hope our friends will be faithful through our trials. We hope we don't get sick. We hope we find a job we love that pays us well and that we enjoy. We hope that when our finances faulter we will have the ability to bounce back. It seems our "hope list" lengthens with every breath we take. Like wrestling with a fish, it seems hope can often wiggle its way into worry. Living with hope transforms us into trusting ourselves, trusting our God, and trusting those we love.

We live in a world full of failure, disappointment, lost causes, and defeat. We love gossip and to hear when another person is down- simply to lift us up, and to give us hope that we are not alone.

Hope. How we handle hope is how we handle everything. Are you willing to believe that things can be different? Will you trust that when you decide to change, you have the power to do it? Can you act in faith that you have a story that matters and that what you do with your hope can impact not only the positive outcome of your life, but of the lives around you? What do you believe? Who do you or can you trust? Don't just lie down to resignation and fear. REST in hope by lying with it for awhile and living in trust.

Do you Dare??

2010-03-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

How dare you think you are beautiful? What with the amount of movie stars and popular girls out there who have their perfect pair of jeans...that fit, and the bigger boobs, and their makeup or hair so polished no matter what time of day it is. Isn't it easy to compare ourselves to other women and wish we had what they have? We miss the opportunity to love ourselves and to uplift one another.

We wonder if there is something more we could do, if we would just exercise more, or eat a little less. What about that article in People...didn't it say I should wear boots with these to make my butt look better? We obsess over ourselves and jealously salivate over other women. The posture is one of inferiority or rage, either way, it puts us in a place where we are not enough.

In 2004, I helped with medical services for the women's 3-day walk in Chicago. It changed my life to be a part of women lifting each other up in hope and love, struggling for the ability to help a sister in need. We might bake a dinner for a friend or watch her kids from time to time when she is struggling, but when was the last time you fought for your heart to be free to love other women so that they might prosper beyond you? I doubt any of us would volunteer that we are petty enough to succumb to jealousy, spite, competitiveness, or bitterness...but it these are probably some of the cornerstone pitfalls for women. This test could give you a clue if you aren't sure if you really are that much of a jealous person. But what would change about your life if rather than feeling jealousy, envy, rage, etc, you instead laid it down and start to increase our security in ourselves? Do you dare to believe you are beautiful, good enough, and valuable just as you are? Wrestle those mental demons down and stand up for your heart, dear friend. Constantly comparing yourself will only take you down to another persons level. You are who you are for a very special and specific reason. Own it!

Toxic talk

2010-02-26T06:48:00.000-08:00

You know how it goes. You call a friend thinking you will just catch up, and before you know it she is either complaining about how she is growing out of all her clothes, or she just hit the diet jackpot and recently lost 15 pounds. You want to relate to her or comfort her by identifying with where she is emotionally, but all you can think is...come on, is this all there is to life? And yet, there is something central in our desire to want to compete with one another or look the best. We want to be beautiful, and we want to feel confident in our own skin. We have been trained by society to believe that when we are in pain it is out bodies fault, or that the only way we can be truly happy, is when our body looks exactly as it "should". Where is the authenticity in thinking like this?

Let's be honest, haven't we all stepped on the scale at some point in our life and allowed it to dictate how we felt about ourselves? Less in this case might equal "good", and more might equal "bad" and if we are "bad" we must "fix" ourselves. This leads to patterns of self-destruction by yo-yo eating and erratic or extreme exercise to make sure we stay within the box. Why in the world do we all think we have to try to be the same size or that this is better? Obviously, our society places a great emphasis on thinness. Did you know that the center for disease control is coming out with new research that suggests that those who are in the overweight health category actually live the longest? Ha! Take that all you who say that it isn't about being thin it's about being healthy. Being healthy means we do things that support our entire life: body, mind, and spirit. We nourish our body with a wide variety of foods that help energize us and bring us satisfaction, we choose movement that helps us feel better in all of our daily tasks and that makes us feel alive, and we spend time developing our sense of self by identifying and investing in ourselves.

Your weight isn't a behavior. It might be one result of many behaviors, but let's start sharing these behaviors with our friends. In doing so we highlight the real issue behind the number or the size. Seek out communities that will support you in your quest to maintain self-love and a life of healthy habits around loving the skin you are in. Talk can be toxic, so let's clean it up and start loving one another to our own greatness. Because, we are all different...and that's beautiful.

What gives you Hope?

2010-02-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

We stand in hope every day of our lives. If we don't, we are in despair. To be in despair is to lose all hope or confidence. To hope is to long for the best outcome in our lives; to expect our dreams will be fulfilled; and to live with optimism about our choices.

It is possible to go about life from day to day trying to ignore our hopes for a better world, an easier lifestyle, a smaller pants size, or our desire to find the perfect job. But it is in hoping that we are brought to a place where we must trust that our lives and the lives of those around us really do matter. As we hope, we put ourselves in a position where we must believe in an inherent good, regardless of where we feel like life has done us "wrong". Where have you been "wronged"? Are you disappointed about something you can't seem to achieve, or that your feel you deserve, but aren't getting? With all the devastation around us it is natural to get pulled into a state of disappointment.

This video made me think about what I am hoping for, in the midst of my disappointment. How can you keep you own hope alive for the goodness of life to prevail today? I challenge you to ask the question, and start asking others what they hope for. You might be surprised to find that your previous state of despair will start to deflate as you notice the kindness and love around you.

Are you Healthy?

2010-02-04T08:08:00.000-08:00

In 1986, the World Health Organization defined health as "a resource for everyday life, not the objective of living. Health is a positive concept emphasizing social and personal resources, as well as physical capacities." Umm. OK. So what does that mean??

Let's just say health is achieved through the well-being of our physical, mental, emotional & social "Health Triangle". Each of these categories has multiple definitions, we can individualize them to make them even more unique in their specificity. So, how do we know if we are "healthy"? There are multiple blood tests, scans, physical exams, mental tests, and emotional markers to look at, but lets focus on a few that you can start paying attention to right now in your own home:

1) Resting Heart Rate: The best time to find out your resting heart rate is in the morning, after a good night's sleep, and before you get out of bed. It is easiest to find you pulse at your wrist or neck. Ideally, your resting heart rate will fall somewhere between 55-75 beats per minute, with athletes showing heart rates as low as 40 beats per minute. As you track your resting heart rate, you may notice that you can predict when you are coming down with an infection, are over training, or under more stress than normal. Having a lower resting heart rate will also indicate that you are improving your health over time.
2) Hydration Urine Test: The color of your urine can indicate your hydration level (see color chart). The optimal color of urine is a straw yellow color. Mild dehydration will make your urine a slightly darker or brighter yellow color. If your urine is bordering on a golden-brown color you are severely dehydrated. Some vitamins can change the color of your urine, so keep this in mind. Dehydration can lead to an increased heart rate, headaches, thirst, dry or acne prone skin, muscle cramping, constipation, fatigue, decreased sweating, an increase in body temperature, and much more. At a mere 10% dehydration level, our cells begin to get compromised and can start to die.
3) Body Circumference Measures: You can simply measure at the arms, chest, waist, hips, and thighs and add the total for a way to compare how your body can change with improved exercise and nutrition. But the US Navy has come up with a way to use 3-4 measurement sites to estimate your body fat percentage. You will need to know your height and the circumference measure around your neck (just below the larynx or "adams apple"), at the smallest part of your waist, and hips (for women only). Once you have these measures you can plug them in to this online calculator. Recommendations for body fat percentages depend on your age, but should ideally fall somewhere between 23-39% for women, and 15-27% for men.
4) Mental Health Questionnaires: There are multiple different questionnaires that target specific mental and emotional issues. Mental-Health-Today has some great tests that will give you results for you to take to a qualified physician or counselor for further assistance. If you test OK, and just need a boost in your mental fitness, try these websites for some exercise for your brain!
5) Know your Values: Often times our relationships turn sour when we don't honor our own values or we choose to take on the value of others rather than value ourselves. Take this test to assess your core values and get real with your social health.

Above all, listen to your heart and body. Do you feel healthy? If you don't get a check-up with your doctor, join a health club or support group, and start making a plan to take one step at a time to improve how you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally. The only person who can ultimately change you is YOU! Take control of the things that are in immediate need today, even if that means letting go of a few friends or habits. For more information about healthy habits, see my RestoreFitness YouTube videos!

Is food the missing link?

2010-01-28T12:08:00.000-08:00

Food. We have to have it, and yet, sometimes...well, it is a nuisance. Either we just don't have time for it, or we are obsessed with it, or we simply wish it would cook itself. It is a joy to be able to have wonderful smells, and savory tastes, but it can also get us into trouble when it becomes challenging to stop our cravings or dependence on food to regulate our moods. Food is a fuel. In its most pure form, it is meant to give us energy and vital nutrients to bring us life. However, in the another sense, it is also what brings us joy during times of socialization or comfort during times of stress.

What is food to you? Have you ever thought about it? There was a time in my life where food was an obsession. I thought about it all the time wondering when I would eat, what I would eat, where I would get my next meal, or what everyone else was eating around me. I controlled food as a way to control my environment. Now (at least 90% of the time) food is simply something I need to eat to prevent my stomach from growling. Don't get me wrong, I like to eat. It's just I have stopped using food as much as a drug and more as a way to get and keep energy.

Julia Ross, the author of the book The Diet Cure, states that most people eat too few calories, they don't have a "real' appetite, and that they can't discipline themselves because their biochemistry is off. Great! I can finally forget the excuse of laziness or gluttony. I hear it over and over again...it isn't that people typically aren't trying, it's that they aren't seeing results or they are sabotaging themselves right and left by going back to their unhealthy habits. Julia's suggestions aren't easy though. She has worked with addicts for years and has found that amino acids, the nutrients found in protein, are the "miracle cure" for those with eating disorders, weight problems, yo-yo dieting habits, low energy, and many others. Think that describes you? Take her quick symptom questionnaire to start looking at what could be at the root of your problem.

The following 8 steps are her cure for dieting and getting balance back in your relationship with food:
1) Correct brain chemistry imbalances
2) End low-calorie dieting
3) Balance unstable blood sugar
4) Repair low thyroid function
5) Overcome addictions to foods you are allergic to (that's right...you could be eating something that is at the very least an intolerance, but even more, could be triggering your cravings).
6) Calm hormonal havoc
7) Eradicate yeast overgrowth
8) Fix Fatty Acid deficiency

I highly recommend her book, and will be posting more about her tips. Her book is more of a repair manual than an informational tool. First and foremost, as with any 8-12 step program is admitting you have a problem. If you aren't satisfied with your health, keep focusing on it with a consistent intention. It will only improve if you do something about it!

image by JungleBoy, Flickr CreativeCommons

Goals in the New Year

2010-01-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

A new decade has arrived, and with it, a revived sense that the universe has opened a new door to reveal fresh light on our lives. Whether that means re-organizing our homes, setting a new budget, or making small or large changes, we all have an inner desire to create a life that embodies greater meaning and expresses more gratitude, peace, and joy. Isn't that what all the greeting cards said over the last month anyway?

A friend of mine said that she recently heard of something called "post-holiday depression". Interestingly, it would appear that our tendency in January is to push really hard to get the new year started off with a high intensity and purpose. However, many of us still need time to simply relax and simply let ourselves BE. In the spirit of the new year, my business recently launched a 90 day Healthy Habits Challenge. Needless to say there has been great intensity and focus for this challenge to birth, and in my own way, I am encouraging others to step up to the plate and battle to change their health through improved sleep, stress management, consuming more nutrient dense foods, and increasing their quality and quantity of exercise.

The catch is that we do want our lives to be more rich with healthy habits and to feel better about our bodies. The likelihood of this happening simply because we wish it would is pretty low. But there is something that transpires in us when we focus on our physical and mental health that strengthens our whole countenance. We are better able to handle life's ups and downs, we are more able to fully engage in our relationships, and we are more willing to take risks to express our true identity because we have learned how to love ourselves well along the way.

My suggestions to overcome your own Post-Holiday Blues?...

Don't bite off more than you can chew.
Set authentic and realistic expectations and goals.
Be patient with the process.
Cut yourself some slack.
Always find fun in small steps and progress along the way.

Think of the movie Rudy. What would it look like for you to be your own Rudy? What would would you win at the end, and how will it satisfy your ultimate dreams?

image by quinn.anya

90 Day Healthy Habits; Day 4, Cut Yourself Some Slack

2010-01-07T11:37:00.001-08:00

Making healthy changes can be extremely hard. Depending on where you are starting from, you may have a lot of changes to make. Don't try to bite off more than you can chew. This process is 90 days for a reason. Some people may find that going "cold turkey" on some things works best, however, if you find that you are beating yourself up and sabotaging your progress because you can't get it all perfect, then you probably need to cut yourself some slack. Focus on your top 3 goals that will get you closer to your desired health status. Get these down before you try to tackle more!

Cinderella is More Than a Story

2009-12-16T16:51:00.000-08:00

Poor Cinderella. All locked up, treated like a slave by her mean step-mother. She dares to keep her positive attitude while cleaning and befriending the animals. When the prince sends the invitation to the ball, she doesn't automatically believe she should stay cooped up and hidden. To stay behind with her "unworthy" and "unlovable" self would mean that everything that her step-mother and step-sisters said and believed about her was actually true. So, Cinderella does everything possible, to get to where she knows she is invited and to arrive where she ultimately belongs. It is a beautiful story of a woman who has a such a core belief in her value and worth that she disregards her circumstances. In the end, her dreams come true.

How many of us can say that we ignore our circumstances, what others say about us, or even what we might have been told from a loved one in order to rise up to live out what we know to be our strengths? My 10 year old niece recently auditioned for the role of Cinderella. She has always been a dramatic girl, and has a definite talent for the stage. Courageously, she stepped into her version of Cinderella...and got the part. She stood up in an audition and boldly believed she could be the lead character in a play. No negative thoughts to hold her back. No limiting beliefs about how she might fail, or screw up, or not be good enough, or that someone else was better than her. She believed in the magic of who she inherently is.

How are you stepping into your part? Do you face each day with dread for the duties you have agreed to that don't really matter to you? Who are you trying to please in your life? I challenge you to release your strengths and start living out of your inherent gifts, talents, and beauty. You are needed. Your life is special.

Try this meditation...
1) Picture yourself as Cinderella. Where are you in her story? Are you...

sulking in the tower?
frantically trying to clean and be friendly to help make yourself feel more adequate?
finding the joy in life as you embrace your essence?

2) What are you doing with your invitation to the ball? Are you...

becoming bitter and angry as you compare your life to those around you who seem to have it "together"?
squelching your heart to keep the peace around you and maintain the status quo?
stepping out in faith and living with confidence that you are loved, needed, and worthy?

3) How are you responding to your lost slipper, or the inevitable reality that life is hard even when your dreams and desires are strong? Are you...

Striving harder and expecting more out of yourself and others
Giving up and letting go of hope
Finding new ways daily to expect only good regardless of your current circumstance

You may think Cinderella was unrealistic to believe in her dreams of a better life. But, the alternative is to believe that life will never change. Which will you embrace in the new decade to come? You already have the lead role in your story, how will your story unfold in 2010?

"A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're fast asleep
In dreams you lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep
Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come smiling through
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
the dream that you wish will come true"
-Cinderella

Something to Chew On

2009-11-21T17:51:00.001-08:00

I am reminded today that the primary perceived role of personal trainers is to help people lose weight. However, let it be known that some personal trainers focus on many other priority items such as injury prevention and recovery, sports performance, or diabetes management to name a few.

I happen to love to work with women around body image. Helping women and girls develop a strong inner belief about their beauty is what makes my heart sing. "The Body Positive movement, started by Dr. Deb Burgard, focuses on defining 'healthy weight' not from a generic height/weight chart or even by arbitrary Body Mass Index cut-offs, but rather as the weight your body is when you are living a reasonable life. The practice of the Body Positive message is not in focusing on weight at all, but rather the decisions you make day-today about how you parent yourself and meet your needs." Here is where it gets tricky.

We can be obsessed with an ideal that is not realistic for our life circumstances and body type, but we can also self-sabotage to the point where any attempt we make to feel better about ourselves ends up getting flushed down the toilet along with our sense of self-worth. There is the over-striving to please a peer-pressured and media driven society, and then there is the horrible consequences of hating ourselves so much that we don't even remember what it means to have a day where we are proud of who we are outside our own skin.

Where do you fall? "Who am I and how do I make a difference in the world?" has been replaced with "What should I look like and what image should I project?" (Kearney-Cooke & Striegel-Moore, 1992, p. 99).

How is your perception of your body or the energy of your health taking you away from how you are making a difference in the world?

Now that is something to chew on!

STOP the Chaos Inside

2009-10-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

Every now and then, I have an event or circumstance that tries to knock me flat on my back with hopelessness, despair, and, in the end, a fruitless freak-out attempt to scramble to get things back under "control". We truly are are own worst enemy. Rather than saying no; rather than just letting things go and letting life flow out from us, we have an internal tantrum and demand that life behave. After all, it is our life and it must be tamed so that we know what to expect and live in such a way that our days stay organized and pretty, right?

Well, in my humble experience, the most important thing we can do is STOP. Will the world really end if we don't wear the same size jeans we wore in high school? Will all our friends truly desert us if we don't go to that happy hour on Thursday? What will people really think if we start allowing ourselves to be in the moment instead of constantly worrying about the past, hiding our present, or sacrificing what really matters most for the unknown future?

I am a driven person. I inherently push those around me and I get disappointed with myself and others easily. But I have found that when I let go, and I give my life some space to let in love and simply stop to see what can happen...then I allow others and myself to experience more in this life through the chaos than we would have if I would have kept it stuffed my tiny little box of expectations. See what a little chaos might do for you today...I dare you!

Are you a victim?

2009-09-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

Women are fascinating. The highs and lows of hormones often leave us victim to unpredictable days. The problem: We slip easily into victim mentality when we aren't fulfilled by life. To fill our void we allow ourselves to be filled by whatever comes easy...food, alcohol, toxic relationships, etc. When we are in victim mentality, we don’t see the range of choices we have and we wallow in resentment. We feel helpless.

The solution: In order to eliminate our victim mentality, we must:

1. Start by accepting the reality of the situation instead of trying to achieve an unrealistic ideal.
2. Find the best choice available within the reality of the circumstances, and then
3. Accept that choice instead of resenting it.

Victims live in fear. They make excuses for their lives. They hide to make themselves secure. They make up irrational ideas to help them cope with their circumstances. They shut out relationships and turn to addictions to keep themselves numb. Victims don't always consciously choose to live this way, it is simply how they have survived their life experiences. We all have a story with a history and a plot, with tragedy and triumph. Have you been a victim to the story of your life, just letting life happen without any intent or goals, or are you embracing the story with all its highs and lows and forging ahead toward what you need regardless of what standards and ideals the media and social pressures may expect from you?

Let's face it. Life is not easy. We have to make the best of our individual experience. Which means that killing ourselves to try to fit into a size 6 jeans may not be what is best for our lives. It might feel good for a a moment when or if you can reach the goal, but only if it can help you to live a more balanced, healthy, and joyful life.

How will you embrace your story? What do you need to help you make your story more enriching and vibrant?

For more information about how you can connect with community and overcome feeling like a victim in your health and wellness program, read more about the H.E.A.L. program.

Exercise: Friend or Foe?

2009-08-11T13:24:00.001-07:00

Time magazine published a feature article this past week about "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin". Far be it from me (a gal who has spent half her life studying exercise) to argue with the author, John Cloud, for profiling exercise in a predominantly negative light. I agree, losing weight is much more about what we eat and where we stand mentally/emotionally than simply spending hours on the treadmill. Let's take a closer look at a few common fitness beliefs to see how we can apply this information to our highest benefit:

1) Exercise burns calories which in turn helps us lose weight. The fact that exercise burns calories is true, and we can tweak how many calories we burn in a session by the intensity with which we exercise. However, it takes way more energy to burn calories through exercise than it does to simply just not eat as much. As we commit to more and more exercise, we may be left feeling worn-down and even more hungry.
Solution: Don't try to kill yourself with every workout. Make sure you still have enough energy on most days to do your "chores", play with your kids, etc. Surround yourself with healthy food choices so you are combining your exercise with a balanced diet/post-workout snack rather than binging after your exercise session.
2) When I exercise, it will automatically help me make better food choices. Unfortunately, when we rev up our metabolism from increasing our exercise, our body will tend to want to increase its drive for caloric intake as well. In Brian Wansinks studies on mindless eating, he found that out of 1,004 Americans surveyed, 86% sought out comfort foods when they were happy, and 74% when they wanted to celebrate or reward themselves. In other words, when we feel we have accomplished something, like completing a hard workout, we might lean toward rewarding ourselves with food. Not a great combo when trying to shed pounds.
Solution: Take the mindless eating challenge. It's free and could save you hundreds in unnecessary calories, simply by staying aware and making small, painless adjustments in your eating habits.
3) I have to run or lift weights to get an effective weight loss workout. As much as I love both running and weights, every one of us has different needs when it comes to exercise. Our personalities have a huge impact on what type of movement we enjoy, and what our bodies typically need most. However, doing any activity that gets your moving, smiling and generally getting our stress out is the primary goal.
Solution: You don't have to do what your neighbor does or things that simply drive you nuts. Commit to something you genuinely enjoy and do it consistently. I have some suggestions based on personality type here.

Overall, my response is that exercise can make you thin when it is used for the right reasons, with the right expectations, and in combination with many other life-style habits that contribute to wellness. These things might include getting consistently good sleep, eating mindfully and sticking closely to a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water, and surrounding ourselves with good relationships and work environments. Our individual health does not simply follow a single stream, it has multiple tributaries that create our river of life.

Expectation overload

2009-07-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

I love waiting for a good thing. Maybe it is a sick trait of personal trainers, but I really do find amazing satisfaction out of watching the steady progress of physical change in others while patiently waiting for all the hard work to pay off. Perhaps this is what has always made me love running so much. In fact I get down right giddy about waiting to open a gift. Although, I have to admit, these days my ability to wait has waned. The expectation of what is to come is overwhelming at times. It doesn't really matter if we expect it to be a good thing or not, if what we expect doesn't actually happen, we are inevitably disappointed.

What are you expecting out of life that has left your overwhelmed or disappointed? The women I work with have a mile high list of expectations for themselves everyday...and they wonder why they always feel like they never measure up. It is even harder for high achievers or people pleasers to keep our expectations in check. We want it to have it all, give it all, and be it all...all the time. This just isn't realistic.

Here are some ideas to keep your daily, monthly, and life expectations in check:

Make a vision board: Take a half day (trust me, the time is worth it) and gather lots of magazines, clippings, drawings, or whatever reflects your life passions and put together a single page map of what is most important to you. If over the nest 2-5 years you could have all that you think would make you happy and successful, what would it be?
Plan out your days in time blocks. Not only should you put in your regular daily appointments for you, your kids, your mate, and your pets, but you should enter things in like, pay bills, grocery shopping. Anything that regularly takes time.
If possible, check in with your to do list as it reflects on your time blocks above. Do everything you can to delegate or get rid of tasks that either someone else can do (or be paid to do) or just decide to scrap them. This works well for things like book-keeping, cleaning, or dog walking.
Make a conscious decision to let go of your expectations and be gentle with yourself. If life is coming at you way too fast, and you are getting altogether too down and out about what you are doing or being...stop, take a deep breath, and let go. Ask yourself this question: In 5 years from now, will I be stressed out for not having done or accomplished whatever it is I am freaking out about now? If the answer is anywhere near no, then, please, let it go and relax. You are superwoman just as you are. Really.

Beating yourself up won't help

2009-06-25T16:09:00.000-07:00

As a personal trainer, I often times feel like I am managing a jack-of-all-trades health position. Not only am I to be educated and experienced at weight training, flexibility, and cardiovascular health, I also feel I need to be a coach, psychologist, nutritionist, and holistic lifestyle guru. Now, if I can wear all these hats and do them perfectly, everyone will lose weight and love me, right?

WRONG. In the same way that we cannot be everything to everyone, and do everything perfectly all the time...I cannot try to be all-of-the-above-trainer at all times.

I am perfectly flawed. Yep, I have flaws...and they are perfect. I own up to them, I acknowledge them, and I understand that it will take a lifetime to either embrace them or work toward improving them. There are multiple reasons why I might sabotage my abilities by getting down on myself (and I promise I am ALWAYS trying to live above this) but I wanted to point out some ways you can avoid crippling your ability to stay on course with your health and wellness:

Get accountability: via classes, friends, a trainer, a coach, or by joining a training group for a race or charitable event.
Eat no less than 1200 calories/day for weight loss. You can estimate how many calories you need online. Be sure to include at least 25 grams of fiber/day, and lots of lean protein.
Get 5 days of at least 30min high-intensity interval training: this would included circuit resistance training or interval cardio work.
Drink half your body weight in ounces/day and reduce alcohol and caffeine
Sleep 7-9hours every night. Ideally try to be asleep by 10:30 so you are ready for your morning workout.
Plan. Put your workouts on your calendar and keep a log of what you actually do. You will stick to your plan longer, and have a nice reward of being able to look back at what you have accomplished. You can even keep track online!
Have fun, ask for help when you need it, and reward yourself when you meet specific goals.

Getting past your past

2009-06-11T12:31:00.000-07:00

I recently started a new program called "Downer to Dynamite". It is an 8 week series aimed to help educate, motivate, and support women who want to get out of their unhealthy habits, and begin to respect themselves mentally, emotionally, and physically. The incredible thing that has happened, is that I, too, have found myself being challenged by the program. Some questions really get you thinking about a variety of life-issues.

What has occurred to me is that most of us are still getting over insecurities or coping mechanisms we learned from our youth. If any of our basic needs for safety, love, food, movement, and shelter were ever unmet (think Maslow's Hierarchy), we likely created our own way to protect and care for ourselves. It is in these mechanisms that we are still reacting to our life circumstances. For instance, in the fourth grade, my family moved to a new school district where I first felt the stares of the "new girls". I felt totally unsafe and unloved. I thought I couldn't really trust people and that I had to please a lot of people in order to be accepted. Well, I still get anxious about friendships for that reason. And sometimes I cope with this anxiety by dressing differently or reaching for exercise or food to calm myself.

Thankfully, I have a high level of awareness of these defense mechanisms and have realized I have a choice to either react and let them control me, or I can let the real emotion sink in and deal with it healthfully by talking to people, doing some journaling, or remembering the truth that I AM ENOUGH, just the way I am.

CS lewis once wrote, “Pain removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul".

Understanding our source of pain helps us to unveil the truth of how we have created habits of self-preservation. Some habits could be healthy, others may simply serve to bring us even more pain. Ask yourself these questions when faced with chronic anxiety, stress, negativity, or pain to unveil your truth and start the process of forming new reactions to your circunstances:
1) Where have I felt this before? or, When did I start feeling this way?
2) Why am I reacting this way in response to this feeling?
3) Do have someone I need to forgive or talk to about this to get past my past?
4) What are some other ways that I can act out my response that honors my heart but empowers me rather than bringing me down?
For more info, visit Getting Past your Past

Play that funky music...

2009-05-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

I often hear people say that they just can't motivate themselves to workout. Admittedly, I occasionally have those days too. But what I have found, is that when I really think about it, 9 times out of 10, I will always feel better if I just make myself get out there and move. Once I am moving, the stress and fatigue melts away, and I am can get in the zone. However, if you are finding that shear will-power isn't quite enough, you may benefit from having a trusted play-list of your top workout favorites to keep you going. A research team out of Stanford showed that music engages the areas of the brain involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating the event in memory. All great ways to make your workout more effective. Listed below are some resources for making your own awesome and moving playlist:

Did I tell you I am now a hip-hop extraordinaire? Get your top 10 hip hop workouts songs!

Wanna know what made the overall top 10 list?

Think you could do better? Create your own list with lots of recommendations on iTunes through the Sport iMix site.

Feeling manly?...here are the 52 Best Workout Songs according to "The art of manliness"

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a resource for a womens' top workout mix. Help a girl out! I would LOVE to make a Restoration Fitness top 25 by having you list your favorite workout music for women in the comments below!!

H.I.T. IT!

2009-05-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

H.I.T., or High Intensity Training, is one of the best ways to get a great workout and overcome weight loss or strength gain plateaus. Essentially, it means packing a big punch of effort into little packages throughout your training. HIT stresses intensity over repetition. Additionally, adding higher intensity, more powerful effort bursts into your cardio program can also have huge benefits. Twenty minutes of high intensity interval cardio increases your aerobic capacity (VO2max) dramatically, maintains lean muscle mass, boosts your metabolism during and after exercise, and potentially burns more fat calories than 30-45 minutes of low intensity cardio.

Here are some tips to add high intensity into your program:

1) Choose a weight for an upper body exercise that you can only lift 6-10 times, lower body would be closer to 8-15 times. Use a 3-1-4-1 cadence for the lift. For instance, on a seated row: Pull bar toward your ribs for 3 seconds, pause 1 second at end range, spend 4 seconds allowing bar to return to start, and finish with a 1 second pause prior to repeating.

2) Finish your lift with a hold at mid-range to force the muscle to near complete failure.

3) For an intense cardio interval program try this:

3-5 minute warm up at easy pace
30 seconds at a sprint followed by 30 seconds rest
Add 30 seconds to each sprint and rest interval until you reach 4 minutes total for your "sprint" interval
After your sprint interval, take 4 minutes rest, then reverse the order back down to 30 seconds for each "sprint" and rest interval.
Finish with a 2-3 minute walk or cool down followed by a great stretch!

**you should always either consult with your physician for clearance or have worked up to a high level of fitness so that you are able to work at a high cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscle intensity without risk of injury

How often? 2-3 days for interval cardio training and 2-3 days for your weight training. See expert Yuri Elkaim give you specifics.

Shrinking or Shining?

2009-04-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

I have recently become the proud personal trainer for a wonderful woman named Sara. She is blogging and twittering her ups and down along her journey to lose 100lbs. Now, as much as I want to see Sara free from her extra weight, everything in me wants start out by saying...NO! It isn't about shrinking...it's about shining!

It takes a bold person to lay out her entire process of life-change for the whole world to see. That's not shrinking...that's letting your light shine! What if all of us started getting more real about our struggles, triumphs, failures, and victories? If you want extra support to help you reach your weight loss goals, follow these tips:

1) Follow a twitter dieter to learn great tips, tricks, and to follow along in the weight loss ups and downs. AOL health is currently following 24 dieters.
2) Read other great bloggers who talk about boosting your body image and self-confidence. My top 2 favorites are Dara Chadwick, who writes about the statement "You's be so pretty if...", and, Back in Skinny Jeans.
3) Get involved with a community of women:

Invite women over to share your favorite health recipes, or, better yet, plan a cooking extravaganza one day a month for healthy freezer meals.
Join a local training group. My favorite running group in the Northwest Denver area is The Solepepper F.I.T. club. All levels are welcome and Erin is so positive you can't help but want to laugh even while you run.
Get real. If you aren't ready to tell the world about your process and want a more intimate setting with some direction and small group accountability on exercise, nutrition, and embracing a positive body image, you will find it at the 8 week Downer to Dynamite series. Semi-private classes are starting in June.
Stay real. Tell at least a few friends our family members what you are doing. We all need support, especially when we are trying to change something that is a long-time habit like overeating or lack of exercise.

“Love is all around you, love is there in your laughter, in your hair, love flows everywhere. Love is older than you but the light shining through makes me see your love is all new.”-anonymous

Let your love for yourself and others SHINE!

Take 5 on Mindless Eating

2009-04-11T17:02:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered in mid-bite (or maybe later, when your pants are a little snug after a big meal) why we eat what we eat, and why we think we need certain types or amounts of food?

Mindless eating is an American pastime.

Food will not fill any void other than physical, bodily hunger. It won't love you back, it won't fill your heart with love, it ultimately won't change your mood (at least not in the long term). YOU change your mood and YOU decide what is best for you because YOU are smart and are worthy of loving yourself. Even if the kids and family and work all seem to come first, you still get to decide that YOU are on the list.

It helps to start living more in the moment, and choosing to let the moment fill you up with joy and gratitude rather than using food to escape or fill a void you might feel. Celebrate with hugs, music, pictures, jokes, stories, listening, and being present. Put the food/drink down and simply notice. Food is not the occasion!

To overcome mindless eating, it helps to have some guidelines,
My challenge to you is to "take 5":
1) Eat 5 small meals a day (small is relative, but most snacks=100-150cals, meals=400-800cals)
2) Get 5 fruit and veggie servings within your 5meals/day
3) Maintain total calorie intake at 500cals less than what you mindlessly eat for weight loss
4) Take 5min at the start of each day to meditate, read a healthy affirmation, or write about gratitude for the changes occurring in your body
5) Workout at least 5 days per week

These 5 goals are not impossible to meet, it just takes being very intentional.

You should not feel hungry. Eat when you are hungry, and STOP when you are full. Stopping when you are full and waiting until you really are hungry is hard, and it may not serve you at first to eat the 5 small meals if you are really paying attention to hunger and fullness. Still, do your best to keep yourself from getting ravenous...that's why the small meals work.

If you can start thinking and living this way...you have won!!

Sizing up your mind

2009-03-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

"A woman is but the product of her thoughts. What she thinks, she becomes."- Mahatma Gandhi.

Our thoughts, feelings, intentions and expectations are nothing other than waves of energy that vibrate at a certain energy level. We “broadcast” our inner thoughts and feelings continuously and magnetically attract all that is on the same vibrational level. So, when we are stuck in negative thoughts, feelings, intentions, and expectations about ourselves or our circumstances, we often attract the same things back to us.

Knowing that these declarations about ourselves are registered at a unconscious level by the world around us, we can begin to see why it can often be so hard to make changes in our lives. In order to change our habits, thoughts, and feelings we must first begin by committing to think about ourselves differently. Let's look at how to tilt the scales so that more positive than the negative experiences can come our way...try this exercise:

1) Close your eyes and imagine looking at your reflection in the mirror.

2) Rather than seeing what you might normally see, choose to see what you think you would look like if you were perfectly satisfied with your life and your body. Pay attention to the details of what you see.

3) When you open your eyes again, keep the image of what your mind brought up close to you throughout the day. It might help to journal about it so you can read aloud the words and description of yourself that you created.

4) Repeat this exercise weekly, and continue to journal what you see and how your life might be changing as you begin to deepen your connection with a positive and loving relationship with yourself.

Food as Fuel

2009-03-17T13:26:00.000-07:00

If food were something we could live without, we might just try to give it up so we weren't so tempted by it. However, as luck would have it, we obviously must have it. As fad diets come and go and different opinions splash the news, how do we make sense of it all?

I mean, if we must have food, and we desire to treat our bodies with respect, then how can we begin to trust our instincts with food? We must start to see food as fuel. Just as a car must have the right type and quantity of gas for fuel, we too will function best when we fuel ourselves with fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean meats.
Try this experiment:
The next time you are tempted to eat something that will likely not be a great fuel source (ie. doughnut), ask yourself this question:

"Would I feed this to Lance Armstrong right before he raced?" If not, then why are you eating it?

Stop the mindless eating. You have a tremendous role to play...feed your engine to stay on track!

Positive Thinking= Loving your Body

2009-03-10T20:26:00.001-07:00

I was listening to a podcast from Compass, a women's coaching group, when the author/coach (Natalie Tucker Miller) said..."our positive thoughts give off energy, or vibrations, into the universe that not only affect ourselves, but others."

This is not the first time I have heard that our thoughts not only dictate how we live, but can also influence how others react to our energy as well. Recent studies completed in San Diego and Britain have shown that happiness is contagious. This is not to say that we should ignore our feelings, or try to deny our hearts when we are unhappy or discouraged. What researchers are showing here, is that by thinking positive thoughts, we can actually choose to change how we and others feel and act. Pretty awesome, especially for those of us who have chronically chosen to be negative toward ourselves.

The next time you hear that little voice inside reminding you about how fat, stupid, or "not good enough" you are, start thinking positive thoughts. It might seem crazy and a little like a lie to think the positive at first, but after trying this in my own life, I have proven this theory works!

Create your own inner catalyst for positive thinking, and watch for others to join you in your happiness!

Saying NO to the critic

2009-03-02T14:53:00.000-08:00

I am reminded today of a time back in 3rd grade, when a few of the 'popular' girls poked fun at me for what I was wearing. I was brand new to the school, and could only conclude that either 1) they were stupid and didn't know what they were talking about, or 2) what I was wearing really did make me uncool.

I am not sure where the point is in life when we start believing both other people and even the voice of the saboteur in our head more than what is reality about ourselves. Take for instance my example above...what if they had said I were fat, or too skinny, or just plain ugly, or stupid? Would I go on believing that about myself and try to fight against it my whole life, or choose to say, "NO, my clothes are what I love to wear, and I happen to love them, so go find someone else to pick on!"

Often, some things people say or what we hear in our minds might even hold some truth. Our power to overcome these negative thoughts, inner self-pity, tormenting voices, or just plain old bad habits, is to choose to say NO, even if some part of them is true or holds a place of comfort for us. If what we have bought into is keeping us from accessing our strength and real character, it is destructive. So what if we have gained a few pounds? We are not defined by the size of our waist. We get to decide what we will believe, how we will respond to our circumstances, and what choices we can make to live our lives with abundance and joy.

What will you say NO to today?

The Biggest Winner...

2009-02-25T13:56:00.001-08:00

I am constantly amazed at the amount of people who are obsessed with "The Biggest Loser". I suppose the compulsion to watch is driven by the fact that you get to see a person going through a real-life struggle, and whether they succeed or fail in the big and small decisions. Unfortunately, many of the people on this show are doing extreme exercise and food control. There is a benefit to this occasionally. To push beyond our limits and test our will and strength. I give them major kudos for the undertaking, especially when it seems half the world is on the edge of their seat to see the number on the scale every week.

Can you imagine? How would you like a film crew fixed on you the next time you step on a scale? On the flip side, what would be a better motivator? How can we choose to find our inner camera crew that will reflect and remind us of the desires of our hearts and the best-self characteristics that could make us choose moderation and hard work over binging and laziness?

If we can't all be on "The Biggest Loser" and have our entire life focused on health and weight management, what will we do to keep ourselves on the winning side of health for our bodies, hearts and minds?

FOOD LOGS ARE FUN

2009-01-22T22:35:00.001-08:00

I LOVE food logs. Not because I am nosy or want to frown on those who eat too many cookies, (I just ate about 4 home-made chocolate chip ones...) but because I find that the food log gives little snapshots of why we eat and how food effects us. I just spent the last hour and half scouring through a week of food logs for a client. Perhaps it is my manic desire to help people find peace with food, but I love this process. As much as I loathe math, I find meaning in calculating grams and calories and suggested food ratios for clients. Here is a quick calculation you might find useful:
To find your basic caloric needs:

Weight________x bf%________=Fat lbs________

weight_______-Fat lbs_______=LBM (LEAN BODY MASS)______

CALORIC NEEDS:

LBM:________ x 12=CALORIES TO FEED LBM/DAY_________

This is your estimated minimal caloric need to feed your body so you don't start using muscle tissue for food. Ultimately the standard of eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full is key. I would add that getting as much of your calories from fruits, veggies, and lean proteins is the other biggest bang for your buck. Sorry cookies...you lose. Salad for me tomorrow:)

Resolve to restore that which is lost

2008-12-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

Millions of people make new years resolutions, and the majority never even get past day one at making them stick. Unfortunately, I hate to admit, but I am often times one of the these people. My misfortune at sticking to all my goals is likely due to the fact that I lean toward the unrealistic expectation that I can achieve "life nirvana" in ALL areas, in less than a week. Right. And I will soon be Mother Teresa too.

Well, if there is to be any success, we must first and foremost make up our minds what it is we REALLY want to accomplish. Resolution does, after all, mean to be resolute, firm, determined, and have unshakeable faith. Can we really believe in OURSELVES with unshakeable faith? What is it we are resolving to change and WHY. For that matter, what is your ultimate WHY? What drive you in life more than any other thing? You may find it challenging to believe whole heartedly at first that you CAN achieve that which you desire, but we can enlist those who do believe in us or can help us in this way. Two are always better than one.

Ultimately, though, we are human. We must see that we cannot accomplish everything in our own strength. Humility is key here. Albeit we try pretty hard and have fairly good success in life most of the time. So, what is your measuring stick? How will you know if you have succeeded? Make a concrete list of ideas about what you are trying to achieve, how you will know you have achieved it, and by when you will achieve it. This should help you weed out the unimportant stuff. Who has time to do it all?!

Lastly give yourself a little wiggle room. Life is much too short to always beat yourself up for not making the world's best charts. It is in life's little successes and failures that we often reap the greatest reward anyway. We have all lost a little bit of the child in us as we hurry from deadline to duty. What have you lost in the sense of your time, character, or goals that you want to restore?

Take steps forward with unshakeable faith to tell a friend, celebrate life everyday, and then make each stumble a part of your dance. What may end up being restored, is exactly that unshakeable faith in you you were looking for in the first place.

Creative Calorie-Burn Exercises

2008-12-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that time is short and exercise is hard. So, here are some suggestions to up the daily burn and some suggestions for quick calorie blasting exercises:

Increasing your daily calorie expenditure basically means that you are simply adding in more movement throughout your day that causes your body to require more calories for that day to sustain itself. Some easy ways to accomplish this are pretty obvious, but not always at the forefront of our conscious mind. This is my reminder...

Park at the farthest spot from the store door or at the opposite end of the mall from the store you are trying to reach.
Take the stairs. Even in your own home. Rather than piling things at the bottom and taking big load up at once, choose to take the items up one at a time as you gather them.
Fidget. It has been researched and proven by the Mayo Clinic that those who fidget (picture a knee bouncing like crazy or the gal who can't stop twirling her hair) burn 70 to 100 calories more per hour when they stand compared to laid-back people who stand still.
Eat regularly throughout the day. Your body conserves energy by lowering your metabolism when it has not eaten for quite some time. So skipping breakfast, skipping meals, and going on starvation diets are counter-productive to weight loss. And the ultimate tendency is to eventually give in and binge.
Do a short circuit of 10 push-ups, 10 squats, and 10 lunges on each leg. Repeat as many times as you can in the amount of time you have.
Jump rope. It's not just for kids!

Holiday Challenge!!

2008-11-17T22:25:00.000-08:00

There are 5 weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years. Resolve to THRIVE in your wellness plan during the holiday season this year. All my clients will be asked to accept a Holiday Challenge this year to help them stick to their goals. Check out my NEW WEBSITE and click on "What's New" for more information! (A special thanks to VocoCreative for making the website a reality)

Happy competing!

Bring on the Holiday's...no seconds, please!

2008-11-07T16:48:00.000-08:00

One of the things I hate most about "The Holidays" is that it is the hardest time of year to get and stay motivated to workout and eat healthy. But the worst part about it is that it is just assumed that it will be hard! I am CHALLENGING ALL OF YOU this year between Thanksgiving and January 1st, 2009 to determine with others on this post that rather than just going with the flow and letting ourselves go...we will prevail!

Let's decide how we will live our lives rather than letting our lives decide FOR us! What will it be for you? Perhaps a commitment to drinking half your body weight in ounces every day, or getting a minimum of three 60minute workouts in every week? Maybe you want to give up the processed carbs every day except the BIG holi-DAYs. How about keeping a consistent log of all your workouts and eating for 34days so you can keep track of all that you accomplish? Wanna start a yoga class...its a great way to reduce stress:)!

I challenge you ALL to commit to what you want most out of the holidays...living a life you can feel proud of and that brings you joy. Not for the sake of how you look, but to be able to participate in life so that every year gets better and better...even if buying gifts and stuffing turkeys doesn't!

Why can't I lose weight- Part 3...Food

2008-08-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

I have a poster hanging in my room from a local yoga store, and one of my favorite quotes on it is, "Coke, Pepsi and all other pops will be known as the cigarettes of the future. Colas are NOT a substitute for water. They are just another cheap drug made to look great by advertising." Likewise, (and especially now that I have seen the documentary Super Size Me) I am completely convinced that many of us are very unaware of what we actually put in our mouths on a daily basis.

The United States alone sprays 2 billion pounds of pesticides a year on crops. Many foods we eat are so mass produced that we don't know what is on the ingredient list let alone how to pronounce them! The majority of our food is so pasteurized and sanitized that it destroys many of the vitamins, essential fatty acids, and other nutrients in our foods. What all this means is that we end up eating very low-quality foods that are full of calories, but low in actual nutrient value. This ends up tricking our body into thinking that we still need more calories to get the essential components to repair and build new cells and tissues to maintain optimal function in our bodies.

The ideal diet is in fact a "non-diet". It includes all of the following suggestions to keep you eating whole foods that will keep your energy up and your body revving like a well-oiled machine:

1) Eat breakfast. Be sure to kick start your metabolism with a good fiber, protein, and a little healthy fat. A great breakfast includes a hard-boiled egg and a 1/2 cup oatmeal with raisins with a smidge of honey and cinnamon for flavor.

2) Eat a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack: One of the biggest pit-falls is the fact that people choose snacks that actually make their blood sugar go crazy. Choose low glycemic foods.

3) Keep track of what you eat: Writing down your food for the day is always a good check to see what you are actually eating, what triggers over-eating, and may give you some insight into ways that you could shift your eating habits to make improved choices. I love using www.fitday.com to log in my food so I can see exactly where my diet might be suffering.

4) DRINK WATER: This can not be stated enough. A significant fraction of the human body is water. Lean muscle tissue contains about 75% water. Blood contains 95% water, body fat contains 14% water and bone has 22% water. When we don't drink water, the whole body suffers! You should try to drink a minimum of 100-120 ounces of water/day.

5) Eat organic when possible. You will have higher nutrient density foods, less chemicals and additives, in addition to simultaneously helping the environment!

6) Avoid simple sugars, refined salt, pre-packaged foods, caffeine, and trans-fatty acids.

7) DO EAT foods high in Omega 3's, raw fruits and veggies, whole or sprouted grains, and lean meats.

8) Supplement. See more in the next blog! for snack in 100-200 calorie portion sizes.

Above all, take slow steps to change one habit at a time. It is amazing how you body will begin to crave what it really needs!

Why can't I lose weight?: Part 2

2008-07-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

In Part 2 we will discuss stress and its effects on our ability to lose or manage our weight. It is no thing new to hear that Stress is a problem in our society. But WHY? We are the most wealthy country with the some of the best medical care available, the most readily available food sources, and an the most information available than ever before at our fingertips through the internet. Why can't we get a handle on this STRESS, and why does it have such an impact on our ability to manage our waist-lines?

It is my opinion that Stress is the NUMBER ONE killer of our bodies. Stress has many effects throughout the body. I will name a sampling of them here as they relate to metabolism, and offer a few solutions for each.

1) Energy: Let's face it, we are tapped out. Many of us long for a hot bath and a good book just to get an escape. We don't need much, just a little nap every now and then. Stress increases our bodies Cortisol, which basically decreases our ability to come under the influence of Serotonin...that lovely hormone that helps us relax, have a joyful and balanced mood, and sleep well. To increase energy, try going to bed by 10 pm and rising by 6 am. Sticking to a regular pattern of sleep will help you sleep more restfully, and recover better through the night as our brain and bodily cells rebuild and restore.

2) Digestion: When we are stressed, we often times revert to shallow chest breathing and our eating goes "wonky". Our satiety, hormones, and GI tract function will be much more optimal when we stick to foods that are low in saturated fats, high in lean protein, and that include lots of fruits and veggies. Take the time to plan your meals ahead of time so that you don't have to stress at 1:30 when lunch and hunger are all you can think about. If that suggestion stresses you out, at least plan ahead where you can access good-for-you foods at the local cafe. I also recommend good portion control, particularly at lunch and dinner when we are most likely to eat past fullness due to hunger. Eating 5-6 small meals/day helps, but we should also be willing to really pay attention to when we are hungry (growl) and when we are comfortably full (this is way before you have to undo the top button of your pants to feel comfy.)

3) Chronic disease: Chronic Stress when unaddressed can lead to elevated blood sugar and blood pressure, loss of muscle and bone tissue, and a suppressed immune-system. Now I don't know about you, but it there was one thing I could start to regulate that would make all this symptoms improve, I would work on that! I love the idea of my hormones working for me in situations where I might need to "fight or flight" quickly, but we tend to stay in this fight or flight stage all the time. Our bodies get confused and start breaking down muscle for energy while dumping increased loads of blood sugar into our system to be ready for the attack. If this sounds like you, then find a friend with whom you can download your anxieties. Talking and getting things off your chest might be just the ticket. Better yet, find a life coach who can help you get your life in balance. If nothing else, visit your local library for a yoga video or sample some Tai Chi exercises for fun.

In the end, we all have the same 24hours in a day...let's choose to make the most of them by choosing to take moments to reflect and relax!

Why can't I lose weight?: Part 1

2008-06-24T07:48:00.000-07:00

As many of you who have tried know, losing weight is not an easy task. For one, our bodies are hard-wired to keep us from starving. A little trick from mother nature from back in the day when we actually had to hunt and harvest for our next meal. Today, it's as easy as driving through the corner coffee shop and we have a sugar and caffeine jolt that could feed and jump start a small village. I often wonder how I ever got through my teens without my beloved coffee, so don't get me wrong, the advances we have made are wonderful. I am thankful for the ability to spend my time and money doing much more fun and enlightening things than "working" for my food, but why can't we make it "work" for us? The funny thing is, there is more information than ever to help us navigate this mysterious topic of healthy eating and weight loss. In the first of this 5 part series, I will address the topic I have the most experience and love for...exercise.

There are lots of variables that factor into how our bodies will shift into a fat burning mode, but the first and foremost thing you should know, is that the best, fastest, and easiest way to maintain weight loss, is to combine a modification of you diet, and to increase your exercise on a regular basis. It is a well known fact in the diet world that it takes an expenditure of 3500 to lose one pound. This expenditure can come in three forms; decreasing the total amount of calories we eat, increasing the amount of calories we burn during exercise, or increasing the amount of calories we burn at rest. The benefits of exercise are vast, but here is a top 5 list:
1) Increases energy and immunity
2) Increases bone density
3) Improves cardiovascular health
4) Burns calories and increases our basal metabolic rate
5) Relieves stress
To meet the above criteria of a 3500 calorie expenditure, you would have to use an extra 500 calories per day for a 1 pound weight loss in a week. You can use this great website at NutritionData to calculate what that would look like for you. But even better, is to combine a little exercise with a little better moderation with food. That means 4-5 days of moderate exercise and a couple hundred less calories a day (choosing skim milk in that coffee would make the difference).

Ah, but the time...how can you fit in this 4-5 days of moderate activity. Well, if you can, try to start with just 2-3 days of a 30min. walk where you can get in some hills or stick in a light jog for a couple minutes every so often. The idea is to increase the intensity when you are going for a shorter period of time. In the other two days, just try to get in 3-4, 5-10minute bursts of activity like walking from the farthest spot in the parking lot or taking the stairs. To know how hard you should be working, see my previous blog on breathing.

Check in next time for more information on losing weight, Part 2...What should I eat?

Stress and breathing

2008-06-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

The topic of relaxation and dealing with stress has come up frequently with many of my friends and clients as of late. There is a tie to it all that can be be realized just by getting our breathing back to its intended state. I have listed below some interesting info about stress, breathing, and how you can implement a quick and easier way to tap into the healing power of BREATH today.
BREATH:
Few people would argue that breathing is one of the most important aspects of human life! However, it is likely that many of your clients do not breathe properly. The two most common problems are a rapid respiratory rate and overuse of the chest during the inhalation cycle. In the later of these two there is inadequate downward travel of the diaphragm, inadequate expansion of the abdominal wall and inadequate expansion of the rib cage resulting in an alteration of blood-gas mixtures which favors the action of calcium and can result in muscle cramping.

Poor respiratory performance is usually related to several factors, such as:

· Poor posture
· Emotional stress
· Fear
· Bad diet
· Poor examples of how to breathe from parents

Because many people are exposed to at least one of the above factors, the inability to breathe properly is a common clinical finding. I have personally found many people who have breathing dysfunctions in the presence of pain and dysfunction in the head, neck, jaw, shoulder and arm regions. There may be an additional visceral dysfunction related to poor breathing habits as well. The diaphragm is a major player in the circulation of lymph and blood through your internal organs, in addition to its role in keeping the organs mobile. When the respiratory apparatus is dysfunctional, the chance of developing visceral ptosis is elevated as is the chances of becoming constipated. This is just one way incorrect breathing will diminish the body’s ability to eliminate toxins.
-Paul Chek

STRESS:
Chest breathing can be the result of stress. In order to better understand stress, we must first understand stress’s connection to the sympathetic nervous system.

The sympathetic side of the autonomic nervous system has a lot to do with our “fight or flight” response. When you encounter a stressful situation you evoke a sympathetic response. Imagine that you are at a gas station paying at the counter and in comes a man with a ski mask waving around a gun demanding money. You would surely experience a sympathetic response. You would probably have an overwhelming urge to do one of two things. One, sprint out the door, run home and change your shorts. Or two, kick some serious butt!

This is an example of a very stressful situation evoking a sympathetic response. Very few of us encounter stresses of this magnitude on a regular basis, but we do experience more subtle stresses frequently, which still warrant a sympathetic response. Examples include worrying about bills, driving in traffic, feeling pressed for time or encountering a difficult business or personal relationship. These types of stresses can stay with us day in and day out, and even carry over to our sleep.

One of the first things that happens in a stressful situation is our respiration increases, and generally we breathe more from the chest. Returning to our extreme example from above, ask yourself if you would experience a faster respiration rate. You most certainly would. Going back to the smaller everyday stresses, when you are under a constant “fight or flight” response you do not experience any time between stressful situations to recover from them. This is all too common today. People over-stress themselves and do not do enough to relieve the stresses that they experience. So they live in a constant state of increased respiration relative to what is optimal for good health.

There is sufficient evidence out there to conclude that the human body is not meant to be under a constant “fight or flight” response. What really seems to be likely is that our sympathetic nervous system is meant to function for survival reasons and then be less active when the body is not being threatened. Primitive man most likely lived an extremely healthy life compared to what people do today. They most likely ate the best food around, got the right amount and type of exercise through their everyday living, and had little stress in their lives. They would have had the occasional stress back then, but not to the frequency that people experience today. A stressful situation in the primitive days would be the caveman going behind a bush, doing his business and coming out and to see the occasional tiger looking him in the eye. Anyone would get a sympathetic response from this, but once the acute situation was over the primitive man would go back to living a peaceful life. The human body is equipped to effectively handle this because the body has a chance to recover from the stress. What it does not seem to be equipped to handle is the chronic type of stress that so many people in the modern world now experience.

Society has evolved a great deal faster than the human body. The result is that the system – that is the human body – wears down from having to function in an environment that it has not yet evolved to effectively manage. I’m not suggesting that we pack up and move to the Amazon rain forest (or what is left of it), but we do need to realize that we and our clients live in a stressful world. We can combat stresses that do us harm. Addressing breathing is a powerful weapon we can easily use.
-Jonathon Sears

How to breathe more deeply and effectively:

• Lay on the floor with your eyes closed, arms out to your sides, palms facing the ceiling, knees bent, and feet flat.
• Keep your mouth closed and begin taking slow breaths through your nose.
• Try to think about pulling the breath in by allowing your stomach to rise first. As you fill your lungs, during the last 1/3 of the breath, you will see/feel the rib cage expand.
• Hold the breath at full inspiration for 1-2 seconds.
• Exhale slowly either through your nose or through a small opening of the mouth as though you were blowing through a straw. This will help the keep the diaphragm highly engaged.
• You should feel the stomach fall or “sink” in unison with the rib cage.
• Repeat for 10-12 breath’s or as long as you have time for. The longer you breathe like this the more beneficial the effect.

Let me know if you have any questions, I'd be glad to breathe along with you!

May 20th: My first post!

2008-05-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

As I sit over lunch on a wonderful and sunny Boulder, CO afternoon, I am reminded of how much in life I take for granted. It is so easy to stress over the "stuff" of life. The question I think I forget to ask is, "will this really matter in a year or 5 years from now?". If I can say no in any way, then it is really not worth the worry. Interestingly enough, this question can really help with the "should" we all have constantly nagging us from within. For instance, as you ponder whether working out is really worth it, you might say something like, "I really should go workout for an hour today because I said I really wanted to commit to my health and attempt that 5k walk at the end of this month". However, life happens, as it always does. So we are tempted to refrain from the workout because the laundry calls, the dishes need done, and you have to get the project completed for work by its deadline. I am sure you could really use the time for that. So, rather than begin to clamp down and feel the tension rising, ask the question. Which boils down to, what will I value more in 1 year from now, that I got the dishes done, my project perfect, or, that I paid attention to my body and did something good for my health? Whatever the answer, if your intentions are true, you will make the right decision. Committing to an exercise routine is hard, but with a better sense of purpose, and a clear way to set your priorities, you can do it!