What's The First Thing You Do Every Morning?

Just as we've mentioned (lots and lots) how crucial getting enough sleep is, what you do first thing in the morning can often set the tone for the rest of your day. It can affect your mood and your behaviors for the following hours. What's the first thing you do every morning?

Do you:

• Check your e-mail?
• Run to wakeup the kids?
• Drink coffee?
• Check Facebook or other social media?
• Read the news?

What if you were to set your alarm for literally 5 minutess earlier and spend 5 extra minutes doing something that could really positively affect the rest of your day? It could lead to a more productive work day, keep your stress levels regulated, lead to a better workout, help your food cravings even! We'd love for you (if you don't do it already!) to add in one of these listed below or something similar that would jumpstart you in the right direction.

Try:

• Journaling for 5 mins about ANYTHING! A dream you had, an interaction you had from the day before you want to remember, your goals for the day, organizing your day, etc.
• Taking the time to listen to a favorite, motivational song that makes you feel like you can conquer the world! You can do this in between hitting the snooze buttons while you're still in bed!
• A 5 min meditation, this can be a guided recording or not and you can even stay laying in bed if you'd like! We think you'll end up loving this so much that you may end up choosing to wake up earlier for a little longer of a meditation.
• If you're not quite ready for meditation, take a few deep breaths and simply repeat a mantra you enjoy. THEN, hop out of bed! 
• Stepping out of bed and doing some gentle stretching right in your bedroom. Very gentle light stretches would be perfect; as easy as reaching up towards the sky with a deep breath in while lengthening your spine and then folding over letting your breath out. If you'd prefer, you can even stay in bed, laying flat on your back pulling one knee towards your chest at a time to start.

5 simple extra minutes in the morning can truly make a difference in how the rest of your day goes. Taking the time to center yourself and be present first thing in the morning  can bring a whole new outlook; the point is to take a few extra minutes for yourself to feel whole, reassured and happy. Give it a try! If you'd like some more guidance on some tools to use for your new morning routine, please feel free to reach out to us.

How to drop the 'weight' and reclaim your confidence

Ladies...

Do you dread facing your closet in the morning?

Are you tired of the rollercoaster of starting and stopping your health and fitness focus?

Does the constant voice in your head that tells you "you are too fat" keep you tired, frustrated, and sad?

"Drop the Body Guilt: How to surrender the 'weight' and reclaim your confidence"

After a long day fighting with your own head and heart around whether you really have the energy to go workout, doing everything you can to eat with some sort of control, and spending most of our time caring for everyone but ourselves...what we're really longing for is time to do something that makes us feel good.

Right?

Being a woman is hard enough. But when you feel horrible because

• your clothes don't fit
• you feel run down because there never seems to be enough time for your needs
• you are disappointed in yourself for "letting your body go"
• you have tried everything and nothing seems to really work
• you spend most of your time and head space beating yourself up for getting out of shape or gaining weight
• and you feel guilty for not being a better role model of health for your kids...

well...it's even harder.

And trust me, you are not alone. There are so many women out there who are overwhelmed with how much there is to do, and how little time they seem to have left for themselves.

So, in this 60 minute tele-seminar, we will take a look at how to help you redefine what is possible for your life, your heart, and your health.

We will open up our vault and show you:

• The number one strategy we use to help women kick start their health so they can start actually feeling good.
• The 3 primary ways women sabotage themselves and how to quickly make sure you don't make these mistakes yourself.
• Our super smart trick that turns your goals into easy action steps you can fully commit to and achieve with confidence.

We know you work very hard and are proud to be a devoted and driven woman. If you're committed to getting your health in order now in service of living a long life and to create the ease and power that comes with feeling amazing in your body, you must join us. Living a healthy life in which I wake up loving my body and treating it well is one of my greatest gifts that I can share, and I know you will gain super valuable and practical insights from what we have created.  Losing weight and having more energy are great outcomes, but what matters most in the end is how you consciously respect and honor yourself and your body by attending to your needs.  We have the tools that will make it so much easier for you!

The one friend who will NEVER leave you isn't who you think

If you had to count your friends, and I mean really really good friends, who would they be, and what number would you reach?  What makes a person a best friend?  My guess is, it's one of those people who is always there for you when you need them, they are able to empathize and say or do just the right thing you need, and they are totally accepting of you no matter what you do or say.  You can depend on them.  You can also tell them exactly what is on your mind, and even (sometimes) get away with being demanding or neglectful. Well, you may not have thought of your body in this way, but dear ones...your body is truly the closest friend you will ever have. The first time I really got this was when I was putting my twin boys to bed.  I tucked them in and kissed their cheeks and told them how much I loved them.  I thought to myself, "No one could know or love you more than I do right now"...and suddenly it occurred to me that they already have someone who actually knows them better than I do.  Their twin brother.  They started life side by side, they sleep side by side, they share every single meal together.  It occurred to me then how sad it is that the rest of the "singletons" like me don't have this.

Ah, but we do.  We have our flesh and blood.  Our hearts and minds.  Our spirit and souls that are with us every where we go.  But all of that is encapsulated into this miracle we carry with us from embryo to death- Our Bodies.

Now consider this:  How are you treating the very best friend you will ever have in the world?  And how do you feel it is treating you?  Who's fault is it?

While the body does have some say in what it can demand and voice, it is ultimately a servant to our wishes.  And as our servant it's primary mission is to help us stay alive.  It takes effort to thrive, doesn't it?

That effort can either be from a place of pushing, punishing, and prodding, or it can be from a place of self-compassion, love, and respect.

You ultimately have a finite number of days to get to know your closest friend.  What will you do to love, nourish, enjoy, and free your body up to join you in the greatest possible life you could imagine?

As Many Reps As Possible- Workout

It sure is HOT out today! Stay inside and try this workout, no excuses! This is an AMRAP- As Many Reps As Possible. This was from a June Fitness Fire class (class cal link: http://www.inspiredathleticmovement.com/class-schedule.html). Set a timer for 8 (you can start lower and work your way up) minutes and see how many reps you can do. It is a great way to see improvement and push yourself to go faster the next time you do it. I like to do the same AMRAP workout at least every couple months as a base for my current athletic level. If you have weights, or a medicine ball, or some cans of soup... use a medium weight. If your back hurts, go down in weight. Bodyweight is also a great option!

1. Alternating reverse lunge with front reach from low lunge position (8 on each side)

2. Speed squats (16)

3. Jumping jacks with overhead reach (8)

That's it! Simple and can be done ANYWHERE! Write down your total number of reps so you can try to beat yourself next time. Let us know how you do!!

The Food of Movement

I read something recently that got me thinking. We expect food to nourish our body, feed our cells, replenish our brain energy, and we may even expect to have a little fun with food, but we rarely think of movement the same way.

Movement is Medicine.  And more than that, it is life.

We literally can go for weeks without food, but we cannot last more than a few minutes without oxygen.

How do we get oxygen?  MOVEMENT.

Our breathing center is in the brainstem which is the reptilian, and most rudimentary part, of our brain.  We have an ongoing message being sent to our respiratory and cardiovascular systems to expand the lungs and diaphragm, signal our heart to beat (about 100,000 times a day!), send depleted blood from our right ventricle into our lungs, take out the carbon dioxide, infuse it with oxygen, send it back to the left atrium and ventricle, and then push it out into every cell in our body through our arteries and capillaries to oxygenate every living cell in our body.  We don't ask it to move.  But for you to have life, you must move to inhale and exhale.

The medicine of movement is expansive.

• Movement enhances our insulin response to help us utilize glucose more effectively.
• Movement strengthens our bones to help us avoid fractures and shrinking posture later in life.
• Movement improves our mood and reduces stress by increasing a chemical release of endorphins (smiling and laughing are movement!)
• Movement helps us feel at ease and increases our clarity due to a release a protein called BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) which has a protective and reparative element to your memory neurons and acts as a reset switch.
• Movement improves our sleep which allows us to feel more rested and energized overall in life.
• Movement can increase muscular strength in both the heart and skeletal muscles allowing both to handle greater loads of stress more effectively.  This is a really big deal to mitigate heart disease and the overall effects of aging.
• Movement of any kind has been shown to improve body image.  And a person with a strong body image typically has greater overall self-esteem and will rise up as more of a leader in their world.

The list could go on for days.  I am guessing many of you can totally relate when I say that my body craves movement like some people (I'm not pointing any fingers here) crave chocolate. It is an inherent part of our DNA, we have simply made our lives so easy with automation that we tend to lose touch with what our bodies are telling us.  Just like the body CAN crave vegetables and protein when it is more balanced, it can also crave more movement.  So whether you have been an avid exerciser your whole life, you are trying to get back to moving more again after a long time off, or are moving intentionally for one of the first times in your life.  Grab onto it like your life depended on it.  It really does!

Take out your calendar right now and block out at least 5 times this week that you will move.  Anything will do!  And if you are needed a little hand holding and encouragement, reach out to us, we can help:).

What could you do in 30 days?

Summer is a time to gather for picnics, take time out for walks and hikes, go on the road for vacation, or slow down at a summer music festival.  My boys have been begging to go outside every day all day.  It's because summer is so full of possibilities that I hear so many of my clients and friends telling me they have a hard time staying away from the sweets and alcohol, and fitting in their strength workouts on a consistent basis.  Sure, they have great intentions, but too often "fun" wins over "fuel and function". But what if summer was the perfect time to take control over your health and jump start your body so you could feel like a million bucks?  The solution is actually pretty simple, but we get too distracted to see it.  Maybe you can relate.

This got us thinking. What could we create that would give you a (loving) kick in the pants and empower you with tools for exactly what you need to get the ball rolling in the direction of more energy, ease, and enjoyment in life?

Well, here are our 2 sweet solutions:

1) We are opening up 10 spots to coach with Erica and me - at no cost, our treat- for 30 minutes (over the phone).

It's our How to Take Charge and Reclaim Your Body Breakthrough Session.

However, with only 10 spots available, they will be snatched up fast.  In order to be considered, you'll need to complete the following application questions below before June 19th.  All you have to do is reply to this post and answer the questions FULLY in our .  If you do not answer each question you will not be considered for the session.

Together in this How to Take Charge and Reclaim Your Body Breakthrough Session we will:

• Discover what is sabotaging you from consistently giving your body the movement, nourishment, and recovery it needs.
• Create a clear plan that outlines the steps you need to take to embrace more energy, ease, and enjoyment through feeling kick-ass in your body.
• The one highest calling step you can take to resolve to take action for good.

Here are your Application Questions:

1. What is your name and tell me a little bit about your current health status?
2. When it comes to taking charge of your health, what are your biggest challenges?
3. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being highest) how important, honestly, is it to you to get your health back as a major priority...and why?
4. What is the #1 obstacle that's kept you from solving these challenges?
5. Where would you like your health to be in 6 months?  In 12 months?
6. What is your phone number and email address? (We'll contact you by Thursday, June 19th to let you know if you were accepted for one of these 10 limited spots).

Remember, to take advantage of this How to Take Charge and Reclaim Your Body Breakthrough Session opportunity, simply send us an email with the questions above answered in full.

 2) Use the Power of Connection:

Too often we buckle down in our shame or frustration and drift away in self-pity.  But as the wonderful Marianne Williamson states: "As we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people the permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our fear, our presence automatically liberates others."  Which is to say, rather than going inward and trying to push and shove ourselves to change, why not reach outward and lift others up while we work toward freeing our greatness?  There's a great App that we love called "Lift" which employs coaching, community, and data to help you be your best.  Check it out and join one of their great challenges- even if it is as simple as taking your supplements every day!

We would love to hear from you about how you are challenging yourself this month.  Don't worry, you are exactly where you need to be and have access to everything you need.  And if you don't believe me, fill out the application and let's talk!

Is it all in my head, or is my body stuck?

It's sometimes tough to know if our body is holding us back or if a lack of motivation and discipline is all in our heads.  We often talk about intuitive movement and eating at Restoration Fitness, and while we firmly believe that it is possible to get to a point where you can deeply check in with your body's needs and intuitively know exactly what to give it at any moment for nourishment and love- many of us are not able to get a good reading on this because our body's signals are compromised.  And we won't go into how it can become compromised, but suffice it to say, if you struggle to stay in motion and have trouble eating well, it is quite possible that your biochemistry is off.

Your body is undergoing chemical reactions constantly including using hormones (which tell you when and how much to eat), digestion and assimilation of food, and the utilization of amino acids and micronutrients, to name a few.  If you don't have a balance hormonal system, or you can't absorb your food and convert it to energy properly, or you have a deficit in the nutrients you need- your body will not be able to keep up.  When this happens, our body can either shut down leading to fatigue and a sluggish overall system, or it will work so hard to do it's best to keep up that systems will begin to fail.  Ever wonder why no matter what you do to avoid eating chocolate or to force yourself out of bed in the morning isn't working?  It likely isn't all in your head- it might just have more to do with an imbalance biochemisty in your system.

On the other hand, once we have a few exercise sessions where we feel defeated, it becomes easier and easier to loose our mental edge and we therefore end up giving in too easily to defeat.  A recent study in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Journal showed that positive self talk reduced RPE (rate of perceived exertion) and increased time-to-exhaustion by around 18% during high-intensity cycling exercise. This shows that, at least in recreational athletes, we really can talk ourselves into working harder if we keep a positive "I can do this" attitude throughout our workout. So what we think about ourselves during a workout, or during a time where we are avoiding overeating really does matter.

So what is to blame for those times you just can't get out of your rut and get your butt in gear to move and eat healthfully? Your body or your will power?

First of all, take a deep breath and remember that your body is an amazing miracle that is doing the best it can to keep up with all that is going in your world.

Secondly, take another deep breath and remember that you are not crazy or weird or stupid or too much or at fault for being human.

Nothing is to blame.  In fact, if anything, there is so much to be grateful for because our body does such a great job of giving us signals and helping itself to heal when we take baby steps toward nourishing and respecting it's needs.  The hardest part for all of us to swallow, is that it will take patience, and it might be a little out of your comfort zone at first to figure out what to tackle in the body-mind mix to help you get well and feel more empowered and energized in your health and fitness.  Here are the first steps to take should you feel sluggish, discouraged, or unmotivated:

1) Get your hormones checked with a reputable naturopath or physician.

2) Reduce the sugar (particularly the fructose) in your diet and choose protein instead.  Protein takes more energy to digest and it provides you with the building blocks that support elevated brain function and muscle growth and repair.  Often when we crave sugar, we are actually low on the amino acids that keep our brain happy, and eating protein helps give us the boost we need.

3) Drink tons of clean water. Water makes up 60% of your body.  If you aren't hydrated, your body will fatigue.

4) Surround yourself with positive people you admire.  The only caveat here, is that this is not meant to become a comparison game.  Use their positive action and energy as a catalyst for your own growth.

Reach out to us if you are struggling with your motivation for a pep talk!  We are also connected to quite a few practitioners in the area who would be happy to help you out. All it takes is knowing that something needs to change and asking for the help you need.

What you do means more than you think

I was asked a week ago, "Nicole, what were you put on this planet to do?"  As an entrepreneur, this question is on my mind all of the time.  It isn't easy mothering a business (or two), and it is even harder when you have a couple of twins running around who are a big distraction!  But when I am asked this sort of deep deep question, I have to pause and consider that I've made some pretty significant decisions based on the answer. "Why am I here", of course begins with me wanting to be a devoted lover (and biggest supporter) of my husband, kids, family, and friends.  One of the major decisions I made outside of my personal life, though, was a very conscious choice to help all women and girls KNOW that they are valuable and beautiful. And I can speak for Erica when I say that she, too, has a deep passion to start a revolution that supports a tidal wave of positive body image to well up in the women of our world.

What drives our purpose and our decision to keep going is that we know that when women and girls don't have a foundation of love for themselves and their bodies, they can lose a lot of precious time and energy.  Negative self-talk can isolate women and girls from having authentic and meaningful relationships and careers, and poor boundaries can cause women and girls to extend themselves beyond human capacity.

It might be easy to brush it off and think, well, it's only really hurting me.  But if that is what goes on in your head, then you need to know the truth....

Everyone has at least 5 to 10 things they excel at. If you can sing, calculate odds, track bird migrations, or know which direction is north better than 100 random people or your high school class -- your gift puts you in the top 1% of the population.

When you start calculating the odds as you add in more of your gifts and talents -- your combination of 5 skills means you are one in ten Billion likely to have that combination. That is more people than are alive on the Earth today. And when you add in the other 25 + ingredients of your work potential, you get numbers that are astronomical. (from Manifest Your Potential.com)

Human DNA consists of more than 3 billion building blocks whose sequences form genes, just like letters spell a word. For any two unrelated people, these letters are 99.9 percent the same. But that leaves millions of single-letter differences, called SNPs (pronounced “snips”) that provide genetic variation between people.  To make this even more complicated, you are the result of the fusion of one particular egg with one particular sperm. Each sperm and each egg is genetically unique because of the process of meiosis. A fertile woman has 100,000 viable eggs on average. A man will produce about 12 trillion sperm over the course of his reproductive lifetime. Let's say a third of those (4 trillion) are relevant to our calculation, since the sperm created after your mom hits menopause don't count. So the probability of that one sperm with half your name on it hitting that one egg with the other half of your name on it is one in 400 quadrillion. (from huffington post)

The problem is, too many of us walk around talking poorly about ourselves and generally dismissing what a unique and amazing gift we have been given simply by being born.  The fact that we get a body for our soul to inhabit is truly a miracle.  So rather than beat ourselves up about not being good enough, or worthy of time to devote to your own well-being, or feeling like you are incapable of living up to expectations, why not start a revolution?  What you say and what you do with the time and the body you have matters, because in all of time and space, there is only one like you.  Let's start speaking to ourselves and our youth from the "I Am A Miracle" Perspective!!

Feeling like you could use some support to raise up your banner and charge ahead?  There are 2 ways to get involved:

1) Check out our Redefining Revolution at Inspired Athletic Movement: a 6 month support series dedicated to redefining how we interact with ourselves and our culture to cultivate positive body image.

2) Register to get more information about "Us Girls": A 1-day workshop for women and girls to come together to learn about loving your bodies with fun movement, a confident voice, and a centered sense of sexuality.  This workshop highlights Nicole Irlbeck, Catherine M. Houston, and Johanna Walker...3 women's health advocates who are dedicated to creating a world of where bold and authentic tweens and teens can thrive.

At the very least, give yourself a little pinch.  You are a living breathing miracle!!! You can be the example for all others to follow in how you act on your behalf to believe it with everything you do.

The best way to dissolve stress

I'm guessing you can relate to my day today.  It was one of those "Can anything else go wrong today?" kind of days.  These traditionally completely take me out and send me catapulting into a downward spiral of negative self-talk and defeating thoughts.  Generally, these sort of days have taken me out from being effective in any way in my life. But not anymore.

I'm not saying they don't shake me up or get me frazzled.  They do.  But they don't turn me into a self-sabotaging crazy person who believes she would be best off hiding in the closet for a few days.  Can you relate?

If you can, you can also relate to the fact that days like today result in a few tears and a quick call to mom for some lovin'.  Mom's, and those other magical women (and even men) who mother us well, are like nothing else on this planet when we need a shoulder to lean on.

I did that, and then I did something that I have learned to do when the world feels like it is caving in.  It helps me connect with my body, feel more centered on what is REAL truth, and it takes the edge off my emotions.

Are you ready?

I breathe.  Not just in and out, but I intentionally and purposefully connect with my breath in long deep inhales and exhales.  With each breath I remind myself, "I am loved", "I am enough", "Everything will unfold as it should", and "Trust".  Here is one of my absolute favorite tutorials on deep breathing from Sean Corn.

And the next time you want to go crying to momma, take a few deep breaths, find your inner calm...and then call your mom to tell her you love her.

Complex Workouts that are Simple!

There are limitless ways to workout, and I am sure I will never experience every possible rendition of moving my body.  However, there are a few things I have been exposed to that I really, really enjoy.  One of the specific things we incorporate in our workouts at Restoration Fitness that I personally love to do, are complexes.  A complex is essentially a string of exercises that flow from one to the next, and they most often involve some type of olympic lift (but they don't have to).  There are a few ways you can complete complexes:

1. The most traditional way is the string 3-5 exercises together, complete them as fast as you can, take at least equal rest to how long it took you to complete the complex, and repeat it again 3-6 times, depending on the amount of reps you do with each exercise.
2. Another fun method is to string the exercises together and just keep going until you either reach a specific time (and you record the number of reps you get) or you commit to doing a certain number of reps (and record how long it takes you for 4 sets for example).  You can also get more information on the effectiveness of this type of workout on the Metabolic Effect website.

Here are a couple of sample complexes you can do at home with little to no equipment:

Complex Workout 1: Choose 1 set of dumbells that you can bicep curl 5 times but not 8 times.  Start a timer for 10 minutes and see how many total reps of each exercise you can complete going straight from one exercise to the next.  Take rest if you have to, but do not lower the resistance, even if you have to lower the reps.

8 Alternating Reverse Lunges

8 Bentover Rows

8 Squat to over Press

8 Push-Ups

Complex Workout 2:  This is a nice body weight circuit you can do anywhere.  Set a timer and see how fast you can complete the following 4 exercises.  Rest for the same time it takes you to complete the complex, and repeat 3-6 times seeing if you can match or better your time with each repetition!

15 Squats

10 Burpees

15 Push-Ups

30total  Mountain Climbers

Enjoy!

The Redefining Revolution: Begins April 22nd!

 

How to Create Confidence From a Body That Works

Join us April 29th from 7-8:30 to learn more about how Restoration Fitness is supporting amazing moms who give so much to others that their health and self-care has fallen off the priority list in their own lives. We know the feeling of neglect and guilt all too well and how it can completely sabotage your life.  As  moms and business owners, we know what it is like to feel overwhelmed by all we have to do and how challenging it can feel to get control of  time so we can prepare healthy meals and snacks, get in workouts, get rest, and still have a little brain space to grant self-compassion in our lives for what we know we "aren't doing".

We will share what we are learning and how we have created a program that gives moms out-of-this-world accountability, education, and support to help them gain control, confidence, and the energy to be the proud and excited women they want to be!  We will have snacks and a glass of wine too!!

Energizing Exercises for Your Body, Heart, and Mind

In Paul Chek's book, "How to Eat, Move, and be Healthy", he states, "Building energy and vitality in your body is a lot like investing.  Just as it takes money to make money, it takes energy to make energy. You might often find yourself thinking, "I am too tired to workout", when in reality, the systems of your body that produce energy also use energy. Usually, we just think of expending energy as something that results in fatigue or loss of energy, but in fact, our muscles are often working to generate more energy.

Muscles help energize the body by producing electromagnetic energy and by behaving like pumps to assist the heart.  When tension is created by a muscle contraction an electric current, called a "piezoelectric current", is generated in the connective tissue, tendons, and even over the skin.  The body uses this energy to help run its systems.  Another name for this current is "Chi".

There are specific zones of the body that when activated, create a targeted effect on the Chi or energy that is elevated in that area.  This is beneficial energy that is activating and awakening which is reffered to as "anabolic", not the kind of energy we typically think of with exercise that is depleting and "catabolic".   These type of exercises can often be found in practices like yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and the Zone exercises we use at Restoration Fitness, founded by Paul Chek.

Which zone are you depleted in?

The table below outlines the Zones numbered 1-6, the correlating muscles that tend to have issues, and the related functions and issues people will have if they are stuck in one of these specific zones.  This is a very broad overview, but you can easily see that if you are a person who has digestive issues, you may also have a correlating recurring problem with your upper abdominals or lower back (or may at least have weakness there).  In our programs, we go through a detailed questionnaire and then offer specific exercises that help you build energy back into these zones.

One specific exercise we love is the "breathing squat".  Paul Chek demonstrates it here so well and gives you more insight into how Zone exercises are performed!

"Fancy" Frittata

Ingredients:

Olive oil

5 eggs

4 egg whites

1 medium to large sweet potato, chopped into small cubes

1 clove chopped garlic

Sprinkle of crushed red pepper

Optional: 1/4 cup of crumbled goat cheese

Swig of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

- Set oven to 400 degrees

- Heat a large, oven-safe skillet to medium heat

- Add a swig of olive oil, add garlic and crushed red pepper. Stir until fragrant

- Add cubed sweet potato to pan with olive oil and stir on and off for about 10 minutes or potato is cooked through

- Beat eggs and egg whites together well. Add salt and pepper to taste

- Layer cooked potatoes evenly on bottom of pan. Pour eggs on top of potatoes in pan and sprinkle goat cheese evenly

- Turn heat down and let egg mixture cook for 6-8 minutes until edges have hardened/browned slightly. Check frequently to avoid over cooking

- Place pan in oven for 10 minutes or until eggs are cooked through

Timed Workouts

To help you focus your time for your workouts so you have abundant energy, time, and flow to be present for your life's passions, here is a quick workout that you can complete in less than 30 minutes.  I have recently been turned on to this type of escalating density training, which essentially means getting your body to do more work in less time.  It is formatted after what is called an "EMOM" approach, which is to do an exercise every minute on the minute for a certain number of reps, but I like this one for the additional endurance piece.  Christine Neff gave me a similar workout like this at her noon Elevate Metabolic Boost and Mobility Class at Inspired Athletic Movement (which is on Mondays and Thursdays...I LOVE it). DIRECTIONS: Start a timer that will repeat every three and a half minutes (3 min 30s).

Complete each exercise for the reps listed in order with as little rest as possible until you are finished.  Then repeat the same exercises every 3 minutes and 30 seconds. In essence you are working as fast as you can to "earn" more rest by getting done faster before the next 3min 30s starts.  Complete 4-5 total rounds of three and a half minutes.  As a warm-up you could do a lighter round of each exercise, then to finish, be sure you stretch and use your roller!

1) 10 Perfect push-ups (you can do these off a counter or couch to make them a little easier so your form stays pure).

2) 10 Bentover rows with Dumbells.

3) 10 Squat to Overhead presses with Dumbells or Medicine ball slams.

4) 60 jump ropes.

Be sure to pick weights that are challenging by the end of workout and that still allow you to use good form.

And reach out to us tell us how you are using gratitude to honor the time you have and to bless your body!

Your Body and Your Significance

Have you ever stopped to think about how significant your body really is?  Without it we can't do much of anything we love.  We wouldn't taste the amazing melt of divine chocolate, we wouldn't hear the sound of laughter, we wouldn't see the beauty of a sunset, or feel the loving touch of our closest friends.  Whatever you believe about the spirit or your soul, it is clear that the body is our home here on this earth and that so much of how we are able to engage with the world depends on our relationship with our body.  Even if some of our senses are stripped away, we still inhabit this body- for better or worse until we die. I am writing today to grovel and plead that you begin to take your body seriously.  I know you have heard the quotes like, "Your health is your greatest wealth", and some of you live to up hold that.  However many of you may be in the midst of the craziness of life and have fallen off the wagon a bit when it comes to listening and respecting your body's needs.  The miracle is that the body will do whatever it can to keep going, regardless of how much you neglect it.  That;s what makes the body such an amazing gift.  We can ignore it and abuse it for years and it will say, "Whatever you wish".  However, there will come a day that you will reap the consequences of what you sow.

I'll be the first to concede that sometimes things just happen.  People who are incredibly "healthy" by our standards get cancer, sometimes trauma happens to the most ardent of the health conscious.  But I am talking about those things you know you should be doing but you aren't.  Let me lay it out for you.  If you aren't getting the following items into your life on a consistent basis, then you need help and support regardless of your weight, blood pressure, or waist circumference:

1. Sleeping greater than 6 hours a night of uninterrupted sleep.
2. Drinking at least 1/3 your body weight in ounces of water daily *ideally more like 1/2*
3. Eating minimal amounts of processed sugar and white flour.
4. Avoiding all hydrogenated fats and oils.
5. Getting the following recommended movement according to the American College of Sports Medicine
   1. Complete flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to improve range of motion.
   2. Complete resistance training targeting each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment.
   3. Complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week which can be met through 30-60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (five days per week) or 20-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise (three days per week).
6. Engage in stress reduction techniques daily through belly breathing, talking with a friend, meditating, or other methods.

Frankly, wouldn't life in general just be better if we committed to these 6 steps?

Emily Conrad says, “What we call a body, is Life, expressing itself” 

So whether you choose to express negative or positive, the body will respond.  Ultimately the question is, How Will You Live?  Because what you do now has a direct impact on what you will feel later and what you will be capable of in the expression of your life right now.

"As embodied souls we are never less than our bodies. Our bodies are part of the gift of being a creature of God. We are born with limitations and needs because of our physicality." - Joel Shuman author of Heal Thyself. In his book Joel talks about the duality of believing we have a soul that lives eternally and a body that dies.  In this sense we can begin to dismiss the body as less important, but the point he makes in the quote above is that our bodies are, if anything, a temporary gift.  And we are to be the best stewards we can possibly be to this miraculous and beautiful gift.

To say it another way, "Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos—the trees, the clouds, everything." -Thích Nhất Hạnh

And the cosmos, God, and even I am begging you to see your body and your life as significant.

Rise up, take the 6 point challenge, and put your body back on the priority list!

Are you doing it right?

The fitness world has exploded with thousands of new and upcoming techniques and gurus who have created their own "best practices" method of getting fit, strong, and sculpted.  Here's a list just to name a few: Insanity; P90X; CrossFit; Jazzercise; Yogalates; Brazilian Butt Lift Workout; Kettlebell training, TRX training; Zumba; Metabolic Resistance Training; Paul Chek; Mike Boyd; Functional Movement Screens and Gray Cook/Lee Burton; and the list could go on forever.

For as many methods as there are, there are just as many reasons why each and everyone of these techniques could be the best thing ever for you.  Obviously there is something to the fact that you actually need to like what you do for movement, but wouldn't it be nice to also know that whatever you are doing, you are doing it right so that you aren't spinning your wheels?

I've been caught up in this thought for the last week or so.  We just launched our first 90 Day Reclaim Your Body Program and as we neared the start I was overcome with the fear that I wasn't going to do it right.  Even as one of the contributing partners in creating the program, I was still overwhelmed with the sense that what I was doing wasn't good enough, it wasn't going to work, and that it wasn't going to be exactly what my clients needed.  This program has required hours upon hours of Erica and I's time, we have poured over various texts and articles and methodologies, we have interviewed multiple women to make certain that what we are delivering a product that will fully support and teach them exactly what they need.  But my need to do it RIGHT was getting in my way of seeing everything I was doing that was awesome.  Erica likes to say something like this when attitudes like this come up:

"Don't let perfect get in the way of great" 

We don't know who first said it, but even thinking "don't let great get in the way of good"...is still pretty darn awesome.  The idea that we have to do it RIGHT often translates to "we have to do it perfectly".  Too many times we are stagnated with fear rather than courageously being vulnerable enough to do it wrong..and end up doing something even more amazing in the end!

Ken Robinson, a leader in the development of  innovation and human resources said,  “If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.” 

Now I am not saying you go out and do something crazy with your body or do a bunch of "latest fad" techniques and go get yourself injured here.  What I am saying is that your body needs to move, and if you aren't moving because you are being held back from doing it wrong then hear this...Do It Ugly.  At least until you can get the momentum to pretty it up and get more fancy.  What we are looking for here is momentum otherwise defined as: mass in motion.   Trust that when you commit to the process of consistent movement, your body will crave more and you will find the curiosity to seek out how to keep doing it better and better...and maybe even get it "right"!

Taste Like a Restaurant Crockpot Split Pea & Ham Soup

Ingredients:

1 16 oz package of split peas (rinse well)

1- 1/12 pounds of ham shanks

1 1/2 cups sliced carrots

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 cup celery (include leaves)

2 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

5 cups of chicken broth

- Layer ingredients in crcockpot in order listed above, pouring in broth last

-Cook on low 8-10 hrs or high 4-5 hrs until peas are very soft and ham falls off the bone

-Shred meat and discard of bay leaf

This is such an EASY recipe but truly so delicious and a real crowd pleaser. What an easy thing to make for a group of people coming over for dinner! Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Using the Chocolate Box Effect to Diminish Overeating

How many times have you finished a fitness class only to start talking with your buddies about the awesome indulgent meal you had last night, or the few extra drinks you had over the weekend that led to a super-sized-hangover-you-hadn't-had-in-years kind of day?  I'm not sure if it is the high from the sense of accomplishment after a workout or just the extra need to confess now that one has done a little something to "make-up" for going a little out of bounds, but either way, it is testament to the fact that we all have those times were certain foods just win us over and we over-indulge. I won't go in to all of the reasons we over do it with food and drink- addictions, emotional comfort, nervousness, depression to a name a few, but what I will tell you about today is the Chocolate Box Effect.

This is one method that has helped some people actually savor their food rather than mindlessly gobbling it all up in a single sitting.  For me, chocolate is my most coveted dessert (besides cookies and doughnuts...but let's stick to the point here).  Not many of us purchase whole boxes of candies, but since Valentines day is only a month away, this may be more pertinent soon.

When the box of chocolate enters the house, put it in the freezer.  Let yourself know that if you really want the chocolate, you can have it, but in order to really savor it, you have to bring out 2 pieces at a time and wait until they are thawed to have your special treat.  And if you really really want more after that, the same process has to occur.  You would be surprised what giving yourself these 10 minutes or so of waiting can do to help your rational brain start to kick in and talk you into something else or not eating them at all.

One of the main reasons we love our favorite foods so much, is that they are special to us.  So why not upstage the whole thing and really give yourself the sense of something special.  It isn't that the chocolate is bad or forbidden, it is just something so awesome that it deserves to be savored slowly and with intention.  This works with more foods than you might think, but it isn't possible to put everything you love in the freezer.  This is reserved for those extra tempting treats.  And if it is something like ice cream, purchase a very special small bowl that is reserved for the ice cream.  The goal isn't to idolize the food, it is to give yourself permission to have it on a schedule and amount that actually serves your body as well as your heart.  And you can do this with chocolate bars too...just make sure you break up the bar into bite size peices before you freeze it so you don't have to thaw the whole thing out!

There's always the choice to just keep it out of your house. And I like this idea for going out for ice cream or a special piece of dessert, but for my chocolate...no way.  What's your Chocolate Box Effect Method that you use to keep tempting foods at bay?

The 4 Rules of Will-Power to Strengthen your Resolve

In a 2011 study by the Stress in America Survey, 27% of respondents stated that they believed will-power was their primary barrier to making changes in their lives.  However, they also overwhelmingly agreed that they had the ability to change their will-power.

Willpower is the ability to resist short-term temptations in order to meet long-term goals.  It's being able to say no to a candy bar or glass of wine now, because you know you will feel better in the long run without it.

Researcher Roy Baumeister at the University of Florida has found the four primary "rules of willpower" that will help you strengthen your self- discipline muscle.

1) Using Will-Power involves a Mind-Body Response.  Not unlike the "flight or flight response" to stress, the will-power response is called the "Pause and Plan" response.  Essentially this response pairs our autonomic and sympathetic systems so that we have the ability to focus attention (as in the fight-or-flight response) but also to stay calm (as in the relaxation response).  We have the power to alter our responses by being more aware of how we react to the situation, but some of us are more attuned to being able to mitigate our "Pause and Plan" response than others.

2) Using Will-Power creates "Central Fatigue".  When we have to exert our energy to fight our instincts, it depletes our our overall muscular endurance and reduces our blood sugar levels.  Our efforts to mentally will ourselves not to do something can fatigue our system overall, making every effort a little harder.  Just one more reason to never skip meals and eat foods that help you maintain more stable blood sugar levels.  Eating foods that have more protein , fat or fiber will all help stabilize blood sugar.

3) Will power is limited.  At some point your will power will run out.  It is not only limited because of our physical capacity, but additionally, the more we use will power, the weaker it becomes.  If you resist a beer one time, the second time you try to resist will be slightly harder.  And the resistance is cumulative, meaning, if your are trying to resist lots of things at once, each occurrence will make every other one that much harder.  On top of that, isolating yourself and dealing with high stress situations in your life will also deplete your ability to commit to change.  The good news is that it isn't all in your head, but the bad news is that you may not be able to make huge sweeping changes in multiple areas of your life all at once.  Select one thing at a time and stay focused.  It's easier to keep your focus when you share your journey with a support group or friend too.   It’s important to set reasonable goals and priorities so you can conserve your willpower for what really matters.

4) Will Power is Trainable.  Stanford researcher, Kelly McGonigal calls it "Becoming the Will Power Athlete" because strengthening will power is comparable to strengthening any other muscle in your body.  With consistent training over time, the body adapts and can improve the ability to discipline itself.  In fact, research shows that committing to small, consistent acts of willpower in any area—from drinking  more water to watching our finances—can increase overall willpower.

Assuming you have done all you can to follow the four rules above and you are still in need of a little more resolve then there are a few options of amping up your ability to stick to your guns:

- Understand that will power is not all in your head, and do your best to support your best ability by decreasing stress where you can, sticking with foods that regulate your blood sugar, and surround yourself with as many positive experiences and reinforcements as you can to remain motivated.

- Be overly prepared.  The more you can pre-plan for obstacles the less opportunity you have to be faced with tough choices in the moment.  Visualize the way out of all the scenarios you can imagine and make sure to have your primary plans in writing.

- Give yourself a break.  Rome wasn't built in a day, and setbacks can truly be just a bump in the road if you don't let yourself fall into the trap of letting one mistake completely take you out of the game.  A single mistake doesn’t mean you are weak. It may just mean you’ve already succeeded to the limits of your current ability, and now you deserve a rest or reward to restore your strength.

The Science of Will Power, Kelly McGonigal

What You Need To Know About Will Power: The Psychological Science of Self Control.  American Psychological Association