Reasons to Take Advantage of Group Training & Clubs

Every year we get bombarded with so much health and fitness information it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. How’s a girl or guy to figure out the best approach to getting to a healthier place?

Here’s the harsh reality: There are no shortcuts to getting “fit.” However, there are lots of approaches you can take. What is important is that you know how to judge whether a program will be effective for you. When you understand more about the different components needed to see changes in your fitness level and your body, you’ll find it easier to find the perfect fitness program for you. And when you find the balance between effective and enjoyable plans, you’ll be more likely to stick with it long-term. There's the magic bullet!

There are literally hundreds of different group exercises available to be found, there really is something for everyone's fitness goals, whether that be a relaxing yoga class, a high intensity interval training or a circuit training class, or a team game there will be something for you.

In many gym memberships, group exercises classes come as an added bonus, yet many people overlook their benefits. 


Some reasons why taking advantage of group training or clubs is good for you!!

1. Time.

Keeping your workout efficient would be much more difficult with a solo routine, making group exercise classes the optimal choice for those wanting to fit more into their week effectively. If you're lucky, you may even find a free class at your local gym too. Time can not be bought or sold, yet we spend vast amounts of our life working and sleeping with very little to spend on the activities we enjoy.

2. Challenge

Whether it's a yoga class or a body pump class, provided you have an effective instructor, the second reason you should be taking advantage of group exercise classes is that they are challenging.

3. Develop more than fitness

Aerobic capacity, flexibility, strength and speed are some components of fitness, but overall health is also developed.  Mental and emotional wellness - groups and clubs and classes can still offer an opportunity to develop and strengthen your weaker areas which will help you perform better in your chose event - 5k or 10K or even life choices.

4. Accountability

Group exercise is, you guessed it, completed in a group setting. The interesting psychology of this is that working out in a group can actually ensure you work harder. Working out with company has been shown to have a positive impact on how hard you work at the gym, one study revealed that 64% of people who exercise, push themselves harder when they are with company compared to working out alone - plus if you're slacking off everyone will know!

5. Advice

Gyms and clubs or group exercise classes will have selected who they think is the best person to lead a fitness class in terms of motivation, knowledge of exercise physiology and health and safety. Not sure about that aching in your hip when you squat?  How about the best post workout nutrition to eat after a workout?

6. Structure

Without a plan you might find yourself spending too long on the warm up, leaving yourself without enough energy to set a new personal record for the bench press. Following a workout routine will ensure you not only start the main section of your exercise ready to set new personal records, but the final period of the class should kick start your recovery process, maintain your flexibility, help to eliminate muscle soreness and even ward off injury.

 7. Make New Friends & Be A Part of A Team

You'll always met some really great people when going to fitness class or group training, people who are like minded, who inspire you to push out an extra repetition and who can make you laugh once the class is over. 

Effective teams outperform groups of individuals. They push each other harder, support those who need it and generally have lots more fun in doing so.  Being part of a team will not only increase your motivation, but workout out with other people has been shown to increase the intensity in which people workout, thereby increasing the calories burnt even further. Of course, more calories burnt often translates into more fat burnt too! Think of it as heading into the gym alone, but instead of the other people in the gym working out in their own worlds, they are completing the same exercises as you and cheering you on in the process.

Not only will you be surrounded by people who will grow to be friends, but you'll be in an environment that supports you and your goals.

Conclusion

In many ways, group training or clubs can give you the benefits of the ability to build strength, endurance and flexibility, the team mentality and the sessions being led by a qualified instructor. 

 

Groups and clubs are fantastic for truly building not only a fit body, but a healthy mind and soul plus having fun while you're at it. 

I recently joined a group, called the WholeLife Fitness Manifesto.  I tell ya, it feels great to be a part of a group of individuals who are cheering for each other.  I am only in day #2 and while fitness and my over all wellness is a lifestyle choice for me already, joining a group of people who are all striving to be a better version of themselves makes be better. I am challenged, I am held accountable, I make time for them and the commitment I made to myself, I get advice from Dai Manuel[group leader] and others in the group, AND i also get to lead, inspire and motivate others!

I invite you to check it out. AND join!  

http://www.wholelifefitnessmanifesto.com/

Spring Cleaning

ITCHY EYES. SCRATCHY throat. Relentless sneezing!

It's spring time!  And allergy season, yet again. Try a few of these tricks to keep your symptoms in check, instead of going to the drugstore for antihistamines!

1.) Take off your footwear.

You can track pollen and other allergens all over your house. leave your shoes at the door. Indoor air pollution levels are already up to five times higher than outdoors.

2.) Purchase an air purifier.

Look for one which traps tiny particles like viruses and smoke.

3.) Bedtime Showers.

It'll keep you from rubbing pollen you've gathered all day onto your pillow and then inhaling it at night.

4.) Workout Inside for the time-being.

Especially if you're a morning person, pollen counts are said to  highest between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m.

5.) Put on your sunglasses

Sunglasses help keep airborne allergens out of your eyes, and wearing them even when it's cloudy.

6.) Try natural remedies.

Eat more leafy greens, blueberries, red wine, green tea, kale..the antioxidant helps to block histamine. The super-food known as quercetin, a natural compound tied to what all of us seek: better longevity, heart health, endurance, immune system and more. Other remedies include fish oil and herbs. 

7.) Wash your vehicle.

And clean the inside, too. After all, you're in your vehicle an average of 20 hours per week.

8.) No sugar and dairy.

Milk and its by-products can increase mucus production, so cutting back when you have symptoms will help you breathe easier. Sugar's even worse. A single teaspoon of the sweet stuff can hike your body's inflammation levels and suppress your immune system by more than 50%.

9.) Invest in a neti pot.

Some may find these teapot-looking remedies a bit weird, but they're effective at reducing sinus pressure and flushing out your nasal passages.

DrinkAware

The Irish are famous for two things. One, they can drink like a fish and keep the spirit flowing. Two, they know how to take a joke. The Irish also love to joke, especially about themselves. They don't care about political correctness and other such mumbo-jumbo. For them, a below-the-belt barb is an expression of endearment.  So while you are out celebrating the day for the Irish with your pals...here's just a wee note to remind you the effects on your body from indulging in your favourite green coloured beer and cocktail.

 

Alcohol comes from fermenting starches and sugars. Alcohol has about 7 calories per gram. These are considered "empty" calories because alcohol contains no beneficial nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals  Calories from alcohol are 'empty calories', they have no nutritional value. Most alcoholic drinks contain traces of vitamins and minerals, but not usually in amounts that make any significant contribution to our diet. Drinking alcohol also reduces the amount of fat your body burns for energy.

 

Alcohol use constricts metabolism and endurance. Being physically fit and well-conditioned is the hallmark of a champion. However, no matter how many wind springs and laps you do, drinking alcohol constricts your aerobic metabolism and endurance.

Alcohol use requires increased conditioning to maintain weight. Alcohol holds very little nutritional value to the athlete. The relatively high calories in alcohol are not available to our muscles. Alcohol calories are not converted to glycogen, a form of stored carbohydrates, and thus are not a good source of energy during exercise. Each drink contains approximately 100-150 empty calories. The body treats alcohol as fat, converting alcohol sugars into fatty acids.

 

Alcohol use inhibits absorption of nutrients. Not only is alcohol devoid of proteins, minerals, and vitamins, it actually inhibits the absorption and usage of vital nutrients such as thiamin (vitamin B1), vitamin B12, folic acid, and zinc.

• Thiamin (vitamin B1) is involved in the metabolism of proteins and fat and the formation of hemoglobin. It is also essential to optimal performance for its role in metabolizing carbohydrates.
• Vitamin B12 is essential to good health. It helps maintain healthy red blood and nerve cells.
• Folic acid is an integral part of a coenzyme involved in the formation of new cells; a lack of it can cause a blood disorder called "megaloblastic anemia", which causes a lowering of oxygen-carrying capacity and thus negatively affects endurance activities.
• Zinc is also essential to your energy metabolic processes. Since alcohol depletes your zinc resources, the effect is an even greater reduction of your endurance.

Alcohol use prevents muscle recovery. In order to build bigger and stronger muscles, your body needs sleep to repair itself after a workout. Because of alcohol's effect on sleep, however, your body is robbed of a precious chemical called "human growth hormone" or HGH. HGH is part of the normal muscle-building and repair process and the body's way of telling itself your muscle needs to grow bigger and stronger. Alcohol, however, can decrease the secretion of HGH by as much as 70 percent! Also, when alcohol is in your body, it triggers the production of a substance in your liver that is directly toxic to testosterone. Testosterone is essential for the development and recovery of your muscles.

 

Remember that you don’t have to use alcohol or other drugs to have fun. Eat well before you leave home. A full stomach slows the absorption of alcohol. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a casual exerciser, are in the gym every day, or compete in regular matches or events, anyone who cares about playing sport or keeping fit needs to understand the effects alcohol can have on their performance. Not having a balanced approach to alcohol could be what gets in the way of you reaping the rewards from all the work you've put in.

See Yourself Healthy

All this talk of health care reform in the USA has got me thinking about how we can take control of our own health.  Instead of restoring health care why not start at the core?!? Teach people how to look after themselves from the inside out, to be proactive when it comes to their own well-being, to make good, educated choices instead of reacting to a health problem and medicating it after the fact.  Healthcare is all backwards.  Besides government - like NDP and Liberal - should only set policies - not do the work that takes money and opportunity out of the pockets and hands of the people they serve.  Another story for another day!

Even small changes can be difficult and I coach people in making changes to their lives. 

We all read interesting information, yet the majority of us will forget about it very shortly after, no matter how interesting. When you sit down and attend to your new daily plan; you think about how what I’m saying applies to you. That creates a new way of thinking that sets you up for long term success.   

 

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”   George Bernard Shaw 

 

Health is the most frequently ignored aspect of our lives.  And often health is the thing that gets put lower on the priority list - below work, taking care of others, and whatever else that comes along.  Changing the foods you are used to eating, giving up things you love to eat and making time to exercise, more often than not meets resistance. When this resistance happens, it is harder to stick to your new plan. I invite you to start by looking at the bigger picture.  

 

Why is it that we know something is good for us but we stubbornly hold on to what we are used to? 

 

Here are some steps to success:  

• create a vision board
• spend time visualizing yourself in your future; enjoying everything you are working for 
• create affirmations that are in alignment with your vision for yourself (and your family).

Key areas that often need attention in the pursuit to [Re]Fre5h and [RE]Start your life.

1. Health takes planning and dedication.
2. Food and fuel: look at food as fuel for your body. Are you fuelling your body or feeding fat?
3. Metabolism, energy, and all functions of your body are regulated by hormones: and hormones need fuel.
4. Regulating blood sugar by choosing your fuel from low glycemic index foods.

Will you say -  "I wish I had, or "I am glad I did"?

The Community of Sport

 

 

 

The value of sport extends beyond sport for sport’s sake. It can play a role in bringing communities together, having a social and cultural impact, developing social capital and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour. Whether you’re a die-hard sports fan or just don’t understand what everyone gets so excited over, chances are you’ve never taken the time to reflect on why athletics are so important. But there’s got to be something to sports that allows them to make people so happy, sad, and sometimes even a bit crazy.The bottom line is, sports create a sense of community and togetherness among people from all walks of life. Teammates and fellow fans develop a connection that bonds them for life through competing or spectating.

 

There’s a reason we call someone who handles competition – and even defeat – with grace a “good sport”. Sportsmanship is something many of us learned through participating in athletics as kids, whether it was your high school team or just kicking the ball around in the backyard. Sports teach you how to win and lose with a certain amount of character.

They also show us a sense of order and fairness. Our favorite sports would not be nearly as entertaining without the rules, restrictions, and limitations that control them and make it all interesting. There is always a referee or umpire watching to make sure they’re adhered to and doling out penalties and ejections where necessary.

 

Sport can build better community relations and deliver a better understanding and respect for the rights and traditions of everyone, while contributing to the building of a cohesive society.  Sport can teach us honesty and fairness and how important it is to uphold the highest standards of respect. It teaches us that in order for communities to remain positive, peaceful and productive we must act with the upmost integrity at all times. A diverse and inclusive sporting environment is most likely to be realised when people who differ from one another are valued and appreciated.

 

The platform of sport provides a means of identifying social issues which limit social progress, inclusion, equity, and have an impact upon the lives of individuals and the community. Programs initiated by sports or involving sports as a force for social change, have addressed a number of major social issues. Sport has the potential to address gender, cultural, and disability barriers to a greater extent than many other sectors. Sport also provides an opportunity for persons to 'connect' with others within their community – social connectedness may be defined as the level of an individual’s integration into his or her social world. Sports participation is linked to improved health status, both physical and mental, as well as long-term preventive health benefits. The notion of ‘wellbeing’ also extends to improved self-concept, satisfaction, quality of life, and increased opportunities for social interaction.

 

The evidence suggests that sports programs offer great potential for building cohesive communities. However, in most cases sport is only one of several ways in which programs and social policies are delivered. Sport alone is not enough, but the contribution of the sport sector is recognized in numerous reports and research has generally identified sport as a key influence on community development.

Create a Connection in Eating

Growing up, my family never thought much about  a super-healthy lifestyle. And Whole Foods wasn’t a store it was food that came from the farm - beef, eggs, milk, bread and butter, a fresh garden with potatoes row on row, beans, cabbage, beats - you name it. If we didn't grow it, most of our food choices were what was available in the local grocery store. The terms “gluten,” “hydrogenated oils,” and even “organic” were never mentioned in our household, we grew up on a farm, where cattle grazed, hogs rooted up mud and dirt, and fields were farmed for grain. If we wanted to get organic “whole foods,” we had to dig them up!

What you eat is just as important as how you eat, so refrain from making excuses and start acting like it. We had busy lives on the farm, but we were home for dinner every night.  Look for ways to build relationships and family integration in something that sustains you each day you are alive. So much in life is connected to how we eat: the way we feel on a daily basis, our overall physical health, the way our mind processes information, our emotions, our ability to get a good night’s rest.  The act of eating is not simply a chore that must be done to get through the day, but also an act that affects every other aspect of life.

Here are some ideas to make positive changes. This is meant to challenge you! The easy way is rarely the best way. Also keep in mind that these tips are to be taken generally. The idea is to create a health-minded environment, not six-pack abs for the whole family. 

1. Control Your Environment

2. Make Healthy Shopping Choices3. Educate Those Around You4. Stop Sitting And Get Moving5. Treat Yo Self!

One of the keys to self-control is eliminating temptations from your environment. If chocolate chop cookies are your weakness, just don’t have them around—or buy them as a treat, in smaller amounts. Less temptation means less unhealthy living. It’s as simple as that!

Your healthy environment stems from many other choices. Make sure to make healthy purchases when you are at the market. Stick to the grocery list, the outside isles and don’t shop when you’re hungry! Let your brain do the deciding for you, not your cravings.

It’s easier to get on board with a change if you understand it, especially when you’re dealing with questioning kids or set-in-their-way adults, so make sure to share the WHY behind your healthy choices. Every decision has a benefit! If you highlight those, and your family is able to recognize and start experiencing them, you’re more likely to create decisions that will last.

Turn the TV off, take the iPhone, iPad and computers  away, and get active! We’ve all become too sedentary, and need to make a conscious effort to add more movement into our days.

Remember, the goal is to create a generally health-conscious environment, not a picture-perfect family! Treat yourself and love your life! Just do the unhealthy things in moderation.

My family has stayed healthy for the most part - we lost our dad due to a heart attack, but we have all emphasized what it means to stay active - our kids are active and healthy, some of us in one form or another are involved in community wellness - whether selling gear, or coaching and participating, and the rest of us maintain active, healthy lifestyles. We’ve even managed, through endless nagging, to annoy our mum into staying healthy as well. THIS is where family health begins. It begins with YOU. It begins with anyone willing to make a difference and control their environment, and spreads to others nearby.

Inspire your family to cook, learn and laugh together in the kitchen.

Getting Back on Track

This time of year with the weather as it is, we often take those long winter vacations - to the beach and away from the snow and the gym. Taking a few days or even a week off is not a bad thing and can be very beneficial to your body's physical and mental progression and you won’t lose all of your hard work.

Constant exercise, whether it is cardiovascular or muscular training, places stress on your body on both a physical and a mental level. Without rest, this can have a negative effect on the immune system, which may produce fatigue, physical illness, or injury. Rest and recovery must be incorporated into every fitness program, especially in the harsh cold of winter.  And, if you are one of the unlucky ones who get the dreaded winter cold or flu, a rest is a must.

But you have to take into consideration what sort of shape you are in when you enter the week long break. If you just began a workout regimen, taking seven days off will slightly decrease your general fitness and you can expect your body to work harder in cardio classes or on the treadmill or elliptical when you return. However, if you have been on a consistent fitness regimen and healthy eating plan, taking a stay-away-cation from the gym is much needed. 

When you head back to the gym after your vacation, consider a couple things:

1. Spend a little more time concentrating on flexibility by incorporating a solid warm-up and cool-down period.

2. Don't attempt to run a marathon on your first day back. Work at 50 to 75 percent of your maximum intensity level. Remember, you not machine.

As life coach/trainer, I know there is no such thing as a perfect client, one who shows up to the gym fired up and ready to workout, day after day. People take breaks from their fitness routines, planned or unplanned. Prolonged breaks happen, ranging from illness and injury to bad weather and vacations. The key thing to remember that, like all programming these breaks - the reason and duration - need to be viewed on a case by case level. No two people are alike and thus returning to exercise should not be rushed and should be considered case by case and safe and effective 

In many cases we want to jump right back where we left off from our long break. Unfortunately, the 'use it or lose it', don't work in the fitness world.  If you are struggling to get back on track or get recommitted reach out to a fitness professional - it emphasizes the importance of making a true, ongoing lifestyle change rather than spinning your wheels, seeing little progress and throwing in the towel.

We all have our own reasons for taking a break from a fitness program or routines, but the reason we leave needs to be discussed carefully so we can examine why exercise become less of a priority and to help figure out how to get you back on track.  The initial goal need only be to reestablish a habit and routine of being physically active you can stick to!

Even Coaches Need Coached

 

At some time, perhaps we all could use a good coach in our corner. Even coaches need a good coach - why not?! Because that is what good coaches do. They stand in your corner. They back you up. They see your strengths and talents, and hold up the mirror for you to see too. They move you to action on achieving your dreams. They work with you to carry your ball down the field.

 

Now consider that person who, instead of competitive sports, is backing you to help you achieve your dreams in life – to find balance for work, family and friends. Someone who can listen to you closely to what is really going on in your life now. Someone who can help you discover and create the fun, the lifestyle and the care you desire and deserve. Imagine a person who is invested in your best interest to empower you to see life in a new perspective with more possibilities.

 

Sometimes you just feel like you are pushing a rope up the hill,  or knocked off your feet with a big change - loss of a loved one, a job loss, a break up or divorce. It's enough to make you question everything you do?   Yesterday, I lost a friend, one I just got to know. A wonderful, warm and kind human being who gave her heart to everyone she met lost her life tragically. She just celebrated her birthday and her wedding day only 2 days away.   I don't want to come off as selfish and compare my grief to those in her family.  I can't imagine how her son, her family and fiancé must be feeling,  My thoughts and prayers are with them.

 

I really just wanted  everything to stop yesterday, to remember a special lady, and for the world to stop turning, but there are bills to pay and people expecting me keep up my responsibilities. How are you supposed to deal with it all at once?  I get all this from firsthand experience. That’s how it felt for me when we suddenly lost our dad and again yesterday when I lost a dear friend.  I am lucky to have met her and had her friendship. Friendship, like love, is built upon a feeling - an instinct that tells us when something fits.

 

I’m a better person for having met her and being on the other side of loss, But it’s not as simple as,"when one door closes, another door opens", what is missing in that statement is what happens on the path between those doors!  My greatest fear of moving on from losing dad, my friend, aunts, uncles, and my families family and love lost was that I would somehow leave them behind if I moved on – forget them or in the case of love lost they would forget me  – lose the memories – the closeness of their touch, their smile and the sound of their voice. In looking back I realize that I thought letting go of hanging on to feeling the grief and allowing joy back into my life meant letting go of their memory. Today I know that the opposite is true. I have found a way to live a happy life and still hold my dads memory and the memories of those I have lost in life and in love, live close by in spirit.

 

“Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance” Eckhart Tolle

 

Your family and friends is your treasure chest - cherish them. They are more important than  money, fame, cars, the clothes, houses, boats, or the overseas holidays you may have.

 

It doesn't have to be heartbreak - I survived. I learned that losing someone is a test of life and you have no control over the challenges that life throws at you. What you do have however is the power to control your response to these life challenges.

BFF on International Woman's Day

 

BFF friendships are messy, loving, spiteful, supportive, competitive, joyful, and funny. While some can be enriching and filled with adventure, others are insanely complicated.  Any combination of snubs, slights, misunderstandings, or betrayals can disrupt the status quo — and a rock-solid bond can seesaw into feelings of exclusion and abandonment.  But at the end of the day, they are my BFF's and I wouldn't want them any other way. 

 

I am a strong woman because I have surrounded myself with strong women. Who do not think it is behaving like a man.  Instead, they embrace their feminity and show it to the world, while making sure they take control of the things that they are doing and get them done. Being a strong woman means loving yourself when the rest of society says you're too big or too skinny or too dark or too tall or too short or too much or too little. It means defining your own strength, instead of adhering to a set of standards society has decided women must follow in order to be considered strong. 

 

I have seen my share of ups and downs and if not for the woman in my life and the support of them, I would not be the strong, confident woman I am today! They know who they are ~ they are strong and have already identified their needs and their goals. They always put their dreams over anything else. They are not embarrassed to show their genuine self.  They want to keep growing and improving, which is why they are keen on pushing themselves more even onto new boundaries. They make sure that they don’t only do good, but better. They are not ashamed about still having to learn a lot of things, and willing to teach what they have learned to others. Although they are confident about what they can do, they don’t let it stop them from learning more.

 

Thank you to all the strong woman in my life ~ I salute you!

The Benefits of Small Group Training

There have been many evolutions and trends in the fitness world. Gym operators have grown with the times and continue to adapt and offer more options to their members in order to keep them engaged. Personal training, group fitness classes, spin, and boot camp are just a few examples of the popular offerings that gym members now participate in.

Both personal training and large group classes are great choices; however, the experience offered differs greatly. For example, personal training creates a tailored, adaptable and more focused fitness experience but is usually higher in price. On the other hand, large group classes lack the same degree of attention but are generally lower in price and more motivating. However, there is an increasingly popular alternative that combines the advantages of both of these options: small group training. Simply put, small group training is a session where one trainer instructs a small group ranging from four to ten clients.

 

5 Benefits of Small Group Training

1. Motivation – Small group training provides a culture of motivated people with the same purpose (it is easier to lose motivation by yourself than it is with multiple people cheering you on).

2. Better results – In a small group training setting, you will push yourself a little bit harder, which will help you and your partners achieve better results.

3. Creativity – There are many exercises you can do in small group training that you cannot do in one-on-one training. For example, partner exercises that incorporate two people are a great way to add flavor to a workout.

4. Accountability – In small group training, you are not only accountable to your trainer, but to your partners as well. Remember: you don’t want to be the weak link in the chain.

5. Cost efficiency- Small group training is affordable for the clients and financially lucrative for the trainer.

So, in conclusion, small group training presents a cost-effective, inspiring and fun experience. It all depends on personal preference, but given all of the positive attributes, why not give it a try the next time you’re at the gym?

Still not convinced?

 

Give Tribe Team Training a go https://www.bodybymee.com/tribe.html.  Tribe Team Training offers 3 different programs. TribeFIT - a high intensity functional fitness workout,  TribeCORE - workout that brings toning, strength, stability and power to your core and TribeLIFE - low impact fitness workout that gets you ready to live life to the full.

Register for Bridal Boot Camp Coaching

 

Forget the registry at the department store for bedding, small appliances and whatever else is on your bridal wish list,  register  for a wedding shape-up.  Hit the gym for your toning workout twice a week — all you need is a set of 10 to 20 pound dumbbells — plus three (or more) weekly cardio sessions and a six week program will help trim you down for the trip down the aisle.

 

Most couples are photographed more on their wedding day than any other single day in their lives. Every bride and couple wants to look their best on their wedding day. I can help you to achieve the sleek, lean and sexy look you want. You’ll feel great with this boot camp style workout will have you looking your best by the wedding day. By doing a combination of strength, core, and cardio exercises, you’ll tone, tighten and strengthen your body so that you look stunning in any dress or tux.

 

Because your wedding day is all about you, I can customize your plan to fit your goals, time frame and budget.   I can do Bride only, Bride and Groom or The Wedding Party!  Why not make a commitment to the most important person of the day - YOU!  Whether your wedding is in six weeks, six months or next year I can help you be and feel the best YOU possible.

 

But your wedding is more than just looking fabulous, it can also be one of the most stressful.   This is where I can also help, as a Life Coach I will motivate you to be a STRONG, CONFIDIENT, SEXY woman.  Whether you want to lose weight or get fit or not be stressed out on the big day, a coach can help you achieve it!   A coach can help you to weed through all the crap out there, when it comes to your health and wedding plans so you get what you want much faster.  Most brides are totally motivated and realistic, and some want the perfect fairy tale wedding, but just like New Years resolutions, our motivation doesn't always stick around for longer than 2 weeks!!  Having a coach to check in with holds you accountable so that you don't just walk down the isle, you are glowing with confidence, rocking your wedding day with all the changes you desired to!

 

And, you want your marriage to last forever and forever, "till death do you part", right?  Once, you take the steps to living healthier, your relationship will become healthier too.  The reason; because you are living a better lifestyle. You are making more mindful choices, you are more aware about how you show up,  your behaviour directly impacts the people around you.  So, when you begin to love yourself, the more you show love for others. Just like the lyric in the Paul Brandt song, GIVE IT AWAY - "But I think I’ve found a way to make love stay. You've got to give it away , Give it away".

 

Entering into your marriage as your healthiest self is a beautiful and gracious way to start your new life together.  Plus, having a healthy and happy relationship with your new hubby also leads to better love life and intimacy.  When you feel good about yourself, you’re much more comfortable in your own skin and that makes you much more confident and playful in life!

 

It’s a win-win for the Bride and the Groom!

At The Crossroads

Charting a course towards your career, or charting a new course or even sometimes trying to stay on course is always a challenge, life just gets in the way on occasion and takes you off course.  Here I am at middle age, struggling with how to get back on course to what is meaningful to me in my career and balancing it with life.  The best way to get back on course or not to veer off course is knowing your core values. Using our core values can guide us to making better decisions.

 

 

 

 

Core values are interests and qualities that you have always found yourself drawn to. Core values make us who we are and when work and life are aligned that is when we feel ourselves, engaged and energized and life happens effortlessly.

 

Below is a link of a list of hundreds of core values, first begin by going through the list and see what words naturally appeal to you and circle 20. Second, look through your list of 20 values and ask yourself the questions below.  Something to keep in mind is, anytime you are answering "should" to any of the questions, you are not present to what you want and feel.  Should is an ideal, and you are creating a set of unattainable standards you can't live up to and leave you disconnected from what you are want and what is meaningful to you. See my blog WORD to the WORLD for more on integrity and being true to ourselves. Once you have answered the questions below try to bring your list to 5.

• Do you want it, but it doesn’t come easily? Then it’s probably a “should,” not a value.  Delete it.
• Are you doing it in order to get something else? If yes, it is not a value.  Cross it off your list.
• Did you do it when you were seven years old? If yes, it’s probably a value.  Keep it on your list.
• Is it really exciting and you’re a bit afraid of it? If yes, it may be a value.  Keep it on your list.

http://corevalueslist.com/

How Can I Use My List of Core Values?

 

You can use your list to guide or validate your decisions about your work and career.  I would say that your list of core values is a necessary – but not sufficient – tool for decision-making about your career, or anything else in your life, for that matter.  The key question is: How does the choice you are considering line up with your core values?

 

You can also use your core values to help you simplify your life and focus your energy.  Can you find ways to spend more time and energy on activities that honor your values, and less time on things that conflict with them?

 

Being aware of your core values can also help you identify when something is missing in your work and/or life – look through your list and brainstorm ways you can bring those core values more into the forefront of your life, if they’ve been on the back burner.

What are your core values?  How are they aligned with your work, play, and life?

Nutrition 101: GOOD FAT vs BAD FAT

The fat chat gets me every time, fat gets a bad rap these days ~ there is much to say about fat but I won't delve too deeply into the science, but I will say the right fats will help you become healthy, fit and vibrant.

 

Obesity and weight is a massive problem in our society, I would go so far as to say it is an epidemic and it is because people don't take responsibility for their own wellness or do their homework to understand what is GOOD for you vs. what is BAD for you.  The burden and consequences of obesity affect us all.  Whether you are over weight or not, wouldn't it make sense to look after your own well-being both physically and financially? The evidence is pretty clear - obesity significantly increases the rate of chronic disease and physiological health. Another study, using a comparable methodology and looking at 18 obesity-related chronic diseases, estimated the economic burden of obesity to be as high as $7.1 billion (2006 dollars), that was 10 years ago!  Imagine!!

 

Sugar makes you FAT not FAT!

 

You can’t burn all the sugar you eat. Inevitably, your body stores it as fat, creating insulin resistance and overall metabolic havoc among other mayhem.

 

Low-fat diets tend to be heart-unhealthy, high-sugar diets.

When people eat less fat, they tend to eat more starch or sugar instead.

 

Saturated fat is not your enemy.

A review of all the research on saturated fat published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found no correlation between saturated fat and heart disease. As with all fats, quality becomes key here. The fats in a fast-food bacon feedlot cheeseburger will have an entirely different effect than saturated fat in coconut oil. It is not all the same.

Some fats are unhealthy.

They include TRANS FATS and inflammatory VEGETABLE OILS.  These are the BAD guys ~ they are hidden in almost every convenience food and fried food; pizza, donuts, cupcakes, microwave popcorn. And don’t just look at the trans fat content of the food; look on the label for the word hydrogenated and make sure it doesn’t have that on it.

Everyone benefits from more omega-3s.

About 99 percent of North Americans are deficient in OEMGA -3s. Ideal ways to get them include eating wild or sustainably raised cold-water fish, omega-3 rich eggs, and taking an omega-3 supplement.

Eating fat can make you lean.

Healthy cell walls made from high-quality fats are better able to metabolize insulin, which keeps blood sugar better regulated. Without proper blood sugar control, the body socks away fat for a rainy day. The right fats also increase fat burning, cut your hunger, and reduce fat storage. I eat fat with every meal, and after being diagnosed with Hypothyroidism and Hashimotos I made it a mission to watch what I eat and include fats in my diet. The right fats can improve your mood, skin, hair, and nails while protecting you against type 2 diabetes, dementia, cancer, and much more.

 

 

MEET THE GOOD GUYS

Walnuts, almonds, pecans, macadamia nuts, cashews

Pumpkin, chia, and hemp seeds

Fatty fish - sardines, mackerel, herring, and wild salmon that are rich in omega-3 fats. Shellfish, clams, oysters, mussels, shrimp, scallops and crab, calamari and octopus.

Extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil, coconut butter, avocados and avocado oil, hemp oils, olives, cacao butter, dark chocolate

Grass-fed beef, lamb, bison, free range chicken, turkey. Eggs, butter

Unsweetened nut and seed milks(almond, cashew, hemp, hazelnut).

 

AND THE BAD GUYS

Safflower, soybean, corn, and canola oils; hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, margarine and shortening.

Some would argue, tuna, milk, yogurt, cheese, cream and peanuts are bad sources of fat.  I would just say, if you are facing a choice choose the full fat milk, Greek yogurt. Items that are fat free are substituted with sugar.  Peanuts won't hurt you but with all the nuts and nut butter choices it is pretty boring - again look at the label on your Skippy Peanut Butter!  

 

 

The take-home here is that most of your fat-cell biology is controlled by the quality and type of the food you eat. That explains why we should eat a quality fat, whole-food diet that’s lower in refined carbohydrates, low glycemic and high fiber food.

 

The Glycemic Index (GI) is a scale that ranks carbohydrate-rich foods by how much they raise blood glucose (sugar) levels compared to a standard foods. https://www.diabetes.ca/diabetes-and-you/healthy-living-resources/diet-nutrition/the-glycemic-index