healthy and beautiful

Sure you want to eat that? What are you uncomfortable discussing? Sex? Money matters? I would normally add politics to this list but most of us have extinguished that fear this election season. Today I’m shooting a news segment on couples and food. The producer joked to me “it’s easier to get heroin users to talk to us.” I sent a few emails to clients and friends. We have two women and one man on board to open up about food differences in their relationships. However, the majority of the responses I received went something like “this is a huge issue for us but I’m not sure we want to air our dirty laundry.” Really? We weren’t asking people to strip naked. Rather “he’s a health nut and I’m not” that sort of thing. When a client enters into a new relationship I always ask, “what kind of an eater are they?” While this may seem unimportant initially, while everyone is on good behavior, you eat three times a day, it will matter. If you love to stay home and cook and he wants to go out every...

You can be successful in every area of your life and fucked up with food. Oftentimes, you can’t even take in that success if “food stuff” is casting a pall. I recently watched an interview Oprah did with songwriter/composer Carole Bayer Sager (pictured above with the "That's What Friends Are For" crew). Carole described the semi-spiritual way she approaches writing. She spoke of her desire is to help people feel less alone via her songs. There’s a universality to her lyrics that always made her seem like someone who got it. But you can “get it” and not internalize it.  As the interview moved along Oprah, as Oprah tends to do, delved into Carole’s personal history. In her words, she was a cubby child born to a narcissistic mother. Carole shared a memory where her mother said “fatty, walk behind me”. As we know, those comments sting and stick. I watched his (almost 70 year old?) accomplished, beautiful woman say she had never solved her relationship with food. That chatter ...

Why do we worry about what is happening on the other side of the fence? The grass isn't greener over there like we might think.  What we really need is a change in how we are viewing the scenery. Our attention requires an about face and eyeful of what's going on in our own yard and life. Our neighbor (anyone we compare our life) isn't any better than me or you physically or even materially. True health and happiness begin when we start greening up our own grass. If our focus is always on others, how can we love who we are and make the best of what we have? Did you know comparison is the thief of joy? We will always be at different levels of health, looks, and financial status and that's just how the world works. The important thing is to make the best out of what we have, celebrate who we are at this moment, and work on becoming a better self than we were yesterday. I refuse to waste my time worrying about someone else’s grass and let the weeds infest mine. I don't ...

The last ten pounds can be a struggle. The scale stops budging and frustration has taken over. The stress of it all is putting the adrenal glands on overdrive. A cortisol rush is the last thing our body needs when trying to lose the last ten pounds. Studies show chronic stress and cortisol release hinders our ability to lose weight. Plateaus are normal for all of us living a healthy lifestyle . Many don't realize food intake and exercise programming require constant review and change. If the plan doesn't work, change the plan but never the goal.  Remain positive and progressive with your fitness regardless of what the scale says. Many factors are at play when the body stops showing results. Usually, a simple review and program change are all that's required to gets things moving again.  Things to consider:  Are you eating enough? The body knows when it's not getting enough fuel. If we restrict too many calories, our body will refuse to give up any fat stores. The body ...

Getting fit and healthy is not just for the twenty-somethings. It's never too late, circumstances never too bad, and we're never too old to become our best healthy self. Our minds can play negative tricks on us. We often believe our goals are unattainable. That simply isn't the truth. We need to change the thoughts about our life and body to begin the process of kicking out the mental clutter. Beginning each day with a positive focus is essential. It will be a daily choice not to continue unhealthy patterns, believe past doubts and fears, or give in to self sabotage . This will be a time of inner strength development and purging all the crap that held you down for so long. It will be an emptying of the old self into the trash and an awakening of the new stronger you ready to make things happen. Each day is a new opportunity to change. We possess the awesome ability to make decisions bringing us closer to our fitness goals. It's important to remain realistic and I reco...

It took me many years to learn how to set boundaries and even what the heck that meant. Think of a boundary as a shield of protection around you providing health and happiness . Go deeper with the meaning and understand boundaries are an important part of self-love and not allowing others to treat you in an unhealthy way.  When boundary setting is not demonstrated for us as children, it's usually a struggle to grasp as an adult. The sacrifice of self to the point of mistreatment by others can be the result if boundary setting is not put into place.  Boundaries make a clear statement of what is not acceptable or allowed in our life. When those lines are crossed, it's a painful process for the one that has been wronged.   Sometimes clear communication of the broken boundary can resolve the conflict. Other instances will require radical choices of removing ourselves from the situation altogether. The most uncomfortable part of a broken boundary is the trust once there before...

Achieving a lean and healthy body is possible for all of us. We have the ability to do what it takes to make it happen. It doesn't cost lots of money, require anything special, not even a gym membership. We can achieve a lean body naturally by choosing a healthy lifestyle. The choices we make each day determine what our body will look and feel like. Consistency with eating right, exercise, plenty of rest, water and decreased stress will help create the body we want. It starts with our grocery lists and foods we buy to maintain our physique. If we're buying processed sugar filled food products then we will create an unhealthy body . It really is that simple but many of us refuse to change this basic part of living. The same goes for   exercise . I f you're not taking care of your body with a regular fitness program, it will let you know through injury or stiffness. We can lean up naturally by purchasing healthy foods and eating at home most of the time. Our hard earned ...

Getting fit and healthy takes a balance of eating right and exercise . Nutrition plays a primary role in the equation. Overeating is off the charts for a large percentage of the populous. Portions are out of control and people are literally biting off more than they can chew. Super-sized plates draped with enough food to feed an army are common in restaurants. I will refrain from my soapbox about the all you can eat buffet. I love the famous quote " eat to live, don't live to eat " because this gold nugget of information is absolutely true. This is not saying indulging occasionally is not acceptable. Honestly, a treat in proper portion size is not going to break our fitness banks. However, stuffing our faces to the point of having to roll to the sofa in a food coma is an upsetting example of living to eat. Calories people! What it comes down to is the basic science of chemistry and calories. When we eat too much, fat is stored. Eat too little, weight is lost. Eat just ri...

Are you motivated to get fit? What does your fitness and nutrition program look like? What changes are you making to get closer to your fitness goals? The holidays are around the corner and probably the best time to adopt a healthy lifestyle. It will prepare you to make better food selections, reduce portion sizes and get in some workouts. I am here to motivate you to adopt a healthy lifestyle by providing nutrition and exercise tips. Although I'm a guide and not a goal, it's nice to see what other fitness professionals are eating to maintain a lean and healthy body. My typical daily food intake: Meal 1:  1-2 cups coffee Organic whole grain toast with natural peanut butter and fruit spread. Meal 2: 1/2 cup Greek plain yogurt with 1/2 cup organic blueberries or warmed apple, 1/4 cup flax meal. Mix and eat. Meal 3: Lean turkey and avocado sandwich on a thin bun with 1 slice Havarti cheese and basil pesto. Meal 4: Grilled fish (3-4oz), roasted assorted veggies Meal 5: 1/2 cup cot...

It's not a turnip I don’t fast for religious purposes but I have many religious and semi-religious clients who fast on Yom Kippur. We've been known to suggest non-religious lent so there’s no reason why everyone can't fast or atone. If you do, some tips: Don’t feast before you fast - I get the “last supper” (wrong religion I realize) tendency to feast before you fast but that leaves you feeling gross and, more importantly, makes your fast more difficult. Have a dinner portion you’d call skimpy if you were served it at a restaurant. Fat is your friend - fats take a long time to digest thus providing more staying power. Include avocado (taco Tuesday meets Yom), coconut oil, ghee or tahini in your dinner before you fast. Go green - fat and fiber are the magic combination, have two cups of green vegetables with dinner (just skip asparagus).  Portion your  protein - you can have fish or roasted chicken at dinner but protein uses up a lot of water as it digests, so aim for palm...