Quin-wha?!

     Things get a little crazy, when things get a little crazy. And when things feel a little out of control in my neck of the woods, sometimes the simple act of making something familiar in the kitchen can bring everything back to square one. Today the simple act of washing and chopping, measuring and simmering made the hectic pace of the last few weeks slow down for one beautifully understated hour of zen. Yes, todayI turned eight cups of cooked quinoa into a me moment.
      Quinoa is one of my favorite foods. Not only for it's zappy name and nutty flavor, but for it's amazing versatility. Really, what other grain can be not only a breakfast food, but a salad, soup, side dish and dessert? Not to mention main course. It has twice the fiber of pasta and brown rice, as much protein as milk, covers you in the magnesium department and has high amounts of amino acid lysine, which is important for muscle growth (psst... this also means it's a complete protein.) Yes, the Incan Empire had a lot going for them in the grain department 500 years ago and lucky for us, their super food is still available to us today.
       I am sure many of you out there look at Quinoa and go "Well, I don't even know how to pronounce that... much less how to cook it" and simple move on down the grocery aisle. I, too, am usually weary of foods with names I at first have trouble pronouncing. For example, Salmon. I am still, to this day trying to get past that one. Good thing for you Quinoa is as easier to prepare than Salmon and  so much easier to pronounce. Repeat after me, "KEEN-wah".  Now this one, "AMAZE-ing". The best news yet it that you prepare it much like rice: Boil, Simmer, Season. And it's done in 20 minutes or less. Pow! Three of my favorite ways to prepare Quinoa are are follows:

Harvest Morning Quinoa

 Quinoa Taboule

Fiesta Quinoa

The first I made up myself, the second I copied from Bob's Red Mill and the third was altered from a rice dish in Clean Eating Magazine. All of them delish, quick and simple. One of them Sweet, one Savory and one a little of both. They all start with the same base: 

1 to 2 cups pre cooked, cooled organic Quinoa. 

Loreli's Harvest Morning Quinoa

2 cups cooked cooled Quinoa

1 Apple Chopped 

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

Juice of One Lemon

1 Tbsp Silvered Almonds

2 Tbsp Dried Mixed Fruit Pieces

Step one: Place chopped Apple, Brown Sugar and Lemon Juice in a wide mouth mason jar, secure lid and shake to coat apple pieces. Add the apple mixture to the Quinoa. Add both the almonds and dried fruit. Mix well. Enjoy or divide into two to four containers to save for later. Can be enjoyed warmed or straight from the fridge.

Bob's Red Mill Quinoa Taboule

2 cups cooled cooked Quinoa

1/8 tsp White Pepper

1 cup chopped Parsley

1/2 cup chopped Scallions or Green Onions

2 Tbsp chopped fresh Mint (or 1 tsp.dried)

1 Garlic Clove, minced or pressed

1 Tbsp minced fresh Basil (or 1/2 tsp. dried)

1/2 cup fresh Lemon Juice

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 tsp Salt

Mix all the ingredients together and let chill for one hour before serving.

Fiesta Quinoa

2 cups cooled cooked Quinoa

1 8oz can of No Sodium Corn drained and rinsed

1 Orange Pepper, Chopped

3 Green Onions, Chopped

1/4 cup Dried Cranberries

1 Carrot, Sliced

3 Tbsp  Fresh Parsley

1 Clove Garlic Minced

4 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce

Juice of One Lemon

1/2 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Slivered Almonds

1/4 Cup Roasted Sunflower Seeds

Black Pepper to Taste

Mix Garlic, Soy Sauce, Lemon and oil in a small bowl. Let sit while you combine Quinoa, Corn, Pepper, Onions, Berries, Carrot and Parsley. Add Dressing. Toss in seeds and nuts and season with black pepper. Serve or save personal portions in mason jars in fridge. 

    Three different tastes, from one simple to make base. In the am I will put my Harvest Morning Quinoa in a bowl, add a splash of milk and warm it in the microwave. On Monday I will bring a jar of Quinoa Taboule to work for Lunch... and maybe dinner. It will not only taste fantastic but help me feel fantastic. And is that not what food is for? To fuel us and assist in making us preform to our best ability? I believe it is. Take a moment to think about what you are going to fuel yourself with this week. Make sure the road ahead is full of color, texture and love. 

When we no longer have good cooking in the world, we will have no literature, nor high and sharp intelligence, nor friendly gatherings, no social harmony.

-Marie-Antoine Carême

Honey, You are Working that Lower Intestine !

Core Strength has become an obsession of mine in the gym. Over and over I find myself saying to my clients, "Belly Button up and into the Spine- TUCK TUCK TUCK" or "Shoulders back, Walk with Purpose People!!" - pretty much like a crazy person. To the point that yesterday I warned my newest clients that I have a tendency to basically go on a core awareness rant and to not take it personally. However, as a society we are losing our ability to foster proper core strength and posture. And it's not your fault.... it's those darn iphones.... and computers, and tablets. As a society all we do is look down. The ability to text not only has brought on bad manners (and you know you do this, multitasking while you try to verbally communicate with one co-worker and electronically communicate with another- totally rude. And I did this just yesterday, for shame!) We have gone from the world of Mad Men, all sitting around a table looking one another in the eyes and have completely shifted our view to our laps. It really is quite amazing when you look around. All you see are people looking towards their crotches. Look around, I bet you see at least two around you right now! Take a moment and with  awareness look down at your crotch for three minutes (which is how long it takes me to text a two word message...) and think about about what you begin to feel. The heaviness of that big round weight you carry on your shoulders begins to pull and strain your delicate spine and it does not feel good. As we become a society of people who constantly look down our whole body begins to round forward as well, causing a our posture to go all out of whack. Combine this with a desk job where you sit on your tush all day and we have a recipe for mushy weak middles with a hump on your back.... oh baby, sexy! So not only do we begin to feel weak and achy, but bad posture can also disrupt the health of our digestive system. Rounding forward pushes our digestive system into a jumbled mess, giving the organs less room to do their jobs in. Think about a cubical filled office, everyone has their spot with enough room to spread out and work. Think about what would happen if you suddenly took everyone and pushed them into one cubical. No one has enough room to be productive and at least three fist fights would break out and there would be at least one printer casualty. Same thing with your digestive system. Good posture allows the stomach and intestines to contract correctly for healthy digestion and absorption of nutrients. Good news is we can fix this problem and without firing Siri. It all boils down to body awareness. Taking time to be cautious of your posture for one and two taking time everyday to work on your core.
So how do we become body aware? For one lift your chin off your chest, roll your shoulders down and away from your ears, contract your pelvis, push your glutes towards the floor. Readjust your posture through out the day. The next is to think about your core through out the day as well and practice how it feels to engage those muscles. How do you do that? Stand up and place one hand under your belly button and one above it.

 Breath in and tuck your belly button up and into your spine, you should feel the lower hand being pulled up and in towards the upper one. 

 Exhale and relax the muscles bringing your hands back to the original position.

 Do this in the car, at your desk or while making dinner. Just do it. Find one day a week to dedicate to core training. Some of my favorites are planks, walking planks, knee to knee planks on forearms, boat pose and wood choppers with a medicine ball. Try yoga or a Barre class! When strength training remember to engage your core in all moves. Even when preforming a simple bicep curl, pull your belly button up and into your spine tightening your middle and supporting your lower back. By doing this you will sleep better, digest better and be better... all around.

When I prayed for success, I forgot to ask for sound sleep and good digestion.

-Mason Cooley 

Hunger Games French Toast (Slow Cooker)

So first blog in quite a while, and go figure, it's about French Toast. And not only French Toast, French toast you make in the slow cooker. And not only French Toast you make in the slow cooker, but one based off life saving bread from a young adult novel. Seems random at first, less random upon a second thought if you know me personally.

I now live in Alaska. Our first weeks here the sun stayed high in the sky until well past midnight. However now, the days are getting shorter and it's pitch black by 10pm. This signifies that my first Alaska winter is coming. Yes, folks, 'Winter is Coming' ... for me. I woke up this morning to a blustery grey day, that no amount of sassy Taylor Swift music could brighten. The first thing that came to my mind was, "French Toast".  Quickly to be followed by "Peeta Mellark Hunger Games French Toast.... in the slow cooker!" I have actually made every dinner in the slow cooker this week. I am working more and more in the evenings and have found the only way to successfully feed my family is with this magical little device. Why, you may be asking yourself, does your husband not make a few dinners a week. And the answer to that thought provoking question is best illuminated with a short jaunt back in time:

Once upon a time a beautiful princess married a handsome knight. Soon they were overjoyed to find that they would be having their first child. The princess made a serene mother to be, prefect in every way. One night, the princess, quite tired from being pregnant for 12 awake hours that day, begot her husband some Mac and Cheese. To which the handsome knight replied, "My lovely Bride, I do not know how to make this magical dish." Ever the patient, even tempered lady, the princess looked up at her sweet knight and proclaim gently "HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW TO MAKE MAC AND CHEESE?!?! IT COMES FROM A BOX... YOU MERELY BOIL WATER!!! THAT'S IT, THIS WILL NEVER WORK... I WANT A DIVORCE!"

To say the least, the sweet docile princess never again asked the knight to cook for her. Ever. 

The end.

And so enters the slow cooker. The savior of many a marriage. Back to the present, and Peeta Mellark French Toast. 

In The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins describes the bread Peeta burns and gives to Katniss, as a   "good hearty bread, filled with raisins and nuts" and this is exactly what I wanted my family coming home to tonight. To me food is more than just something we shove in our face through out the day. It can heal us, hug us, make us smile, even cry. It holds memories. When I think of Parmesan cheese in a little china bowl with a tiny silver spoon I smell my grandparents meatballs and I hear the laughing in loud crazy Italian voices. To me, the simple image makes me think of family, warmth and love. And tonight, I wanted all that.... maybe with a little syrup on top. This is How I Made it:

 

Peeta French Toast 

• 6 whole eggs, 3 egg whites
• 2 cups 1% Milk
• 1.5 Small Loaves of Seeded, Multigrain french bread, sliced
• 2 teaspoons Cinnomon
• 1 tablespoon Fresh Orange Zest
• 1 tablespoon light Brown Sugar
• 1/ 1.5 tablespoon dried blueberries
• 1/1.5 tablespoons dried cranberries
• 2 tablespoons raw sliced almond 

I mixed the first six ingredients in a large measuring cup.  I poured enough of the egg mix to cover the bottom of the pot and then began to layer the bread as such: bread, berries and almonds and more egg mix. Cook it on high for at least six hours. I already smell the cinnamon in my kitchen as I type this, making the morning begin to finally feel warm!

The heat of the bread burned into my skin, but I clutched it tighter, clinging to life.

- Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games

Hey NYC! Forget the Ban and Bring the Better

My husband and I were sitting in McDonalds a week ago... OH MY GOD. Yes. McDonalds. And we were talking about how New York City has proposed a band on  large sodas. What is a large soda you ask-  whom ever decides these things has declared that  it is a 16 oz serving or larger. To me 16 oz of soda sounds like an Andre the Giant sized serving.. but hey, what do I know. So- New York City is debating on whether or not to ban "large" sized sodas and from what I can gather the main purposed behind this ban is to steer our children away from drinking large sugary beverages. I am one person who thinks this is just plain ridiculous. Here's the deal. Cups are refillable. And soda can be bought at the local supermarket and your cup can be refilled at home as many times as you darn well want. Dummies. Really New York City, do you REALLY believe that telling someone they can't have a Big Gulp sized beverage container is going to so anything for the health of the nation?
I still love you NY, but no, it won't.

So I know I am not the only person on the planet who has figured out that banning foods won't make us healthier. But better education and availability will. I bet in NYC, children everyday are being taught not to talk to strangers. I bet they are being taught to run if there is trouble. How to escape their home incase of fire. Their phone number. Their address. What children everywhere are not being taught, however, is the dangers of an unhealthy diet. What we are not offering these children are access to actual food. We need not to worry about spending money on banning anything... what we need to do is  put the manpower towards erasing food deserts. How are people to choose the right foods when affordable healthy food choices are unavailable? No to banning, Yes to better. We need to bring more into our societies diet. More color. More texture. More Nutrients.

As my husband and I discussed the NYC soda ban, we ate our McDonalds. Like I said, We were eating McDonalds. Incase you missed it. McDonalds. (A little ironic I admit it)  So What does a fitness nut eat at McDonalds. One Double Cheeseburger. For no other reason other then because I like them. My husband and I SPILT a small or medium soda and some times we SPILT a medium or small fry. And normally, we don't eat fast food often.

I usually make our food. As you can tell from this blog, I have gotten really into the art of the Stealth Veggie Attack. I hide as much good stuff in a dish as I can. Sometime it works, sometimes I wonder if my husband is considering hiring a food delivery service to replace me. Either way, I am trying. And you should too. Even if you don't have kids- we as a nation need to commit to trying to EAT BETTER. By simply eating better and moving more you can change your whole health M.O. It's really not rocket science,
but I will spell it out:

How to Eat Better:
1. I don't care if it is Organic or Not (But if not wash it well) just eat more things from the ground- Vegetables, Fruits, Legumes and Nuts.
2. Pick Whole Grains
3. If you have cheat items, like pizza or cookies, make them at home, instead of buying frozen or packages- which means you control what goes in them.
4. Eat when you feel hungry, don't eat if you are not.
5. Make sure you have a diet full of color, NO BROWN UGLY DIET FOODS
6. Drink Water, Lots of Water
7. Read labels, low fat usually means more sugar
8. Pick Lean Meats
9. If you feel bloated after eating something, don't eat it
10. If you feel guilty after eating something, don't eat it

How to Move More:
1. Move More, any chance, anywhere
2. Engage in a physical activity that makes you sweat for twenty minutes a day
3. Try something new
4. Have fun with it

It seems that every minute a new diet book is published. The truth is, I don't count calories and I have never followed a "diet". I don't have the patience for diet plans and I get bored easily. Every so often I find a new program I feel I can incorporate into my daily life, but I am not a fan of fad diets and you should not be either. Research is great, but diets are kinda dumb.

Being healthy does not require running marathons or having a six pack, though they are there for the taking. All you need to do is make better choices. We are surrounded by "large" sodas and no matter if soon in NYC you won't be able to buy them, you will still be able to drink them. Big Brother can't force you to make better choices and there is a large difference between eating to live and living to eat. You need to make the decision on which path you will choose.

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well

-Virginia Woolf

* though I am a certified personal trainer, I am not a dietitian or nutritionalist, always consult a doctor before beginning a new health and wellness routine

We all Wail for Kale

I will admit it, I have become obsessed with Kale. I roast it, bake it, saute it, drink it and even freeze it. I eat it savory and sweet. I have made everything from chips to smoothie pops with Kale. It is hailed as one of the healthiest vegetables on the planet. Kale gets it's 'AWESOME' rating based mostly on it's high concentration of antioxidant vitamins (A, C and K). Kale can help lower bad cholesterol and help prevent heart disease.
Kale pairs well with Italian themed dishes, much like Spinach. Tear up Kale to add to meatballs or cook with Chicken or Pork sausage before adding to homemade pizzas. Make a pesto using a 1:1 ratio with kale and basil,  and add the kale infused pesto to lasagna or toss with with your favorite pasta.
If you find the texture of the leaves a little rough try squeezing them in clean hands before adding to a salad.
Here are two of my favorite kale recipes:

Alaskan Kale Chips
(Named purely by first being made in Alaska)

Three Stalks of Kale – Washed, Patted Dry and Leaves torn into bite size pieces
1 Tablespoon Parmesan Cheese (Freshly Grated or Bottled)
Black Pepper
Sea Salt
1 Tablespoon McCormick Perfect Pinch Mediterranean Herb Seasoning
Olive Oil

Pre Heat Oven to 350
Place Kale pieces evenly on a baking sheet
Drizzle with Olive Oil
Sprinkle generously with Pepper
Add McCormick Seasoning and Cheese
Bake for Ten Minutes
Or until Edges begin to Brown
Sprinkle with a touch of sea salt and serve

Warm Potato and Kale Salad
Serves Three to Four

Ingredients
One/ Two Large or Four Medium/ Small Potatoes cut into chunks (Leftover or pre- Baked or Boiled)
Two Stalks of Kale- Washed, Patted Dry and Leaves removed and torn into medium sized pieces (discard stalks)
Low Fat Low Sodium Turkey Bacon or Low Fat Deli Ham – Cut into small Strips
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Pepper
McCormick Perfect Pinch Mediterranean Herb Seasoning

Heat One Tablespoon Olive Oil in Large Skillet over high heat
Add Bacon/ Ham and cook until bacon is cooked or Ham is heated
Add Kale, One Tablespoon of McCormick Seasoning and Pepper to taste
Sauté until Kale begins to turn bright/dark green
Add Potatoes and cook until heated through (the potatoes should be pre cooked so this should not take long)

Sprinkle with a touch of sea salt, serve warm

NOTE: If the Mixture begins to dry out or stick to the skillet drizzle more olive oil over it as needed to keep moist!

Use as a side dish (Lean Boneless Thin Cut Pork Chops with Salsa Verde pairs well)
Or use to top a bed of mixed greens as a hearty salad (Top with one Tablespoon Neman’s Own Italian Vinaigrette!)

Don't be afraid to experiment not only with Kale, but any vegetable. Try adding vegetables to more and more dishes. When we begin to add more veggies into our basic meal prep we give our families the opportunity to enjoy the meals they love but at a lower calorie intake. 

 The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease.
- Thomas A Edison

Juicing it for all it's worth

So if you know of me at all, you have probably seen not only posts about the Beauty Detox Solution (http://www.kimberlysnyder.net) as well as a whole load of juice photography filtering from my twitter account over the last couple of months. Though I have been seriously weight training for years now, I have only recently gotten into hormone studies. Having PCOS, my hormones have waged a war on everything from my skin to my weight for about 15 years. Knowing that there must be something I was missing I started researching diets that would positively affect my hormone issue. And what I have found the most solace in was the information put out in Kimberly Synder's studies and her belief that 
       "health and beauty are entirely synonymous: outer beauty is a reflection of inner health. Her main protocols include increasing the body’s alkalinity, consuming a diet high in enzyme-rich plant foods as close to their natural state as possible, supporting the body’s ability to naturally heal itself, increasing efficient digestion, as well as intelligent, guided and ongoing cleansing."

You do this by taking in as close to natural, raw, unprocessed and unmodified fuel as possible. You eat real food, you make green nutrient rich veggies the base of your intake, you eat light to heavy, you take out diary and watch your gluten intake and make sure to take the time to honor your body with foods that promote cleansing (like lemons!). This may seem overwhelming, but with the right prep work it is as easy and normal to do as any other dietary intake. I even cheat a little, by using Naked Green Machine Smoothies instead of making my own. And I will say, with complete honesty, when I take the time to fuel my body with juices, smoothies and salads as my base, subtracting the gluten and the diary, I feel amazing. I am lighter, my skin looks better, I am less bloated and less gassy. I still eat meat. But I eat it at the end of the day (with a salad). I don't rush to pump my tummy full of food in the a.m either, instead I wake it up gently with hot water with lemon and wait until I feel hungry to refuel it. This is usually a couple hours into my day. If you are wondering what my day looks like, here it is!
Wake up
- Hot Water with the Juice from Half a Lemon
- Green Smoothie (usually two serving size - this is about 300 calories!!)
- Fresh Juice from my Juicer
- Big Salad usually topped only with Lemon and Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, and Hemp seeds (Protein)    or other seeds
- Juice
- Big Salad topped with Animal Protein, sometimes more steamed veggies on the side
-Gluten Free Crackers as a snack if I am hungry at the end of the night, maybe with a low fat piece of cheese if I am wanting it- but I have been trying to avoid it
I also take in a lot of water (with lemon of course!)

I bought a Jack Lalanne juicer at Target for 100 bucks. It does a wonderful job. It's easy to clean and pretty quiet. I usually experiment with produce in my fridge. Last week there was a lot of lemon, grapefruit, green apple, ginger and carrot mixing. This week I will experiment with kale, pears and cucumbers as well as the produce from last week. The kale pulp will be used in the meatballs I will make for my kids dinner as well as in some muffins I will make for them.

Taking the time to learn about the properties in your food that can help and hinder you is just as important as finding an exercise routine that works for you. By researching the effect certain foods have on my body (for example animal protein naturally raises testosterone levels, not so great for a woman with abnormally high T levels to begin with!) I am able to chart a direct course towards my personal health and well being. I implore you to do the same. Think about what you are consuming and how it may be adversely effecting you. If you are thinking about adding juicing to your diet remember to have fun with it. Be adventurous!

Our bodies are our gardens - our wills are our gardeners.  

~William Shakespeare

putting the one back in universe

We live in a world of roughly ... what?.... 7 billion people. That's a lot of people. And even if non avatar people are not your thing, we still live in a world where statistically you will be forced to communicate within the delicate balance of other human beings. These humans will most likely fall into one of two categories:
A. Ones we chose to surround ourselves with
and
B. Everyone else.
Sometimes, what we don't realize is that the people in category B have just as much influence and effect on us as in category A. And more often than not, they have even more.

Social networking has made every last 7 billion of us accessible. Where as ten years ago your neighbor's sister's cousin's pharmacist who would have never EVER in a million years known what you looked like NORMALLY, can now see you tagged in so and so's photos from the community holiday party. You know the photo... we all do... and secretly, we kinda love it. And we sorta made a video montage with it and posted it to YouTube. And it's pretty popular... in your office.

So what I am getting at is this... we are 78% sure on a bad day that the people we chose to surround ourselves with are going to stick by us no matter what. And we are 99% sure that people we have never met are judging us this instant over the Internet. There are even adolescent girls actively seeking out to be rated, that's how CRAZYTOWN this world is becoming. Seriously, go back 15 years and ask Lori if she would ever be up for asking complete strangers to rate how pretty or ugly she was and she would probably laugh in your face, pull up the collar on her zombie skin-hued old man flannel shirt (SO pretty) and go back to listening to Hole or the Cranberries or Alanis Morrisette  or some other female singer with weird hair on her Walkman. (by the way... this computer does not even recognize Walkman as a real word) But now, post a non approved photo of me on Facebook and I cringe... "What if I look like a crazy Sasquatch lady?!" -- just to be reminded a few moments into reviewing the photo that crazy Sasquatch lady was totally the look I was going for in that moment.
I then relax and move on with my day.
But many of us don't.
We are constantly wondering what the neighbor's sister's cousin's pharmacist thinks of that photo. 
We are constantly reminded that everyone is watching you.
I am surprised more of us aren't swan diving into a vat of botox.
So how do we navigate through this modern world, because most of us are not going to swear off Facebook. And truth be told whether on purpose or not Sasquatch photos may surface from time to time.
And honestly, I can't tell you we are all just going to have to look deep inside ourselves and find the beauty with in and say "Go sit on a rock!" to all those haters... because... there will be days when our insecurities get the upper hand on us.
But I can say this.
We need to start remembering what it feels like to be one person. We need to reconnect with idea that we exist first and foremost singularly. That if social media came a tumbling down we would stand alone. We have one voice, one heart, one mind and one conscience. We are one person. We need to explore the wants and needs of that one person. I am not endorsing hermit-tude... humans need community and crave acceptance, however, we have become so busy trying to please loved ones and strangers alike we forget to connect with ourselves. So how to we do this? We make a commitment to unplugging regularly, doing something quiet. Writing in a journal (with a pen... on paper), waking up a little earlier and having your coffee outside on your porch (not reaching for the smartphone) or taking fifteen minutes every night to do some deep breathing and relaxation. Mediation can be the simple act of siting in a quiet room, focusing on the simple act of breathing and nothing else. We need to get to know the person inside you who does not have a twitter account. The person who wishes and dreams in more than 140 characters. Find out what they need to be happy. It may be that they really want to live a healthier more full filled  life and to do that, you must stay true to that one voice.

Man is a universe within himself.

- Bob Marley

31 and the Never Evers

I have officially been a member of this planet for 31 years. And over the course of these years I am pretty sure I have used the term "never ever" quite a lot. I know I said I would never ever marry a military man. I remember distinctly when I was told I would probably never ever have kids with out fertility drugs. As a teen I swore to myself I would never ever be like my parents. And quite a few people have promised they would never ever let me down.

But I did marry a military man.
My husband and I got a baby as a honeymoon present.
I found out being exactly like my parents is really the only way I want to be.
And
I have come to terms with the fact that people let you down.
I have begun to own up to the fact that I've let people down.

However, I am very lucky to have had the never evers I have had in my life.
They do nothing but teach you who you really are.

When my mom was diagnosed with cancer, I wanted to leave school to be with her. I would never ever stay so far away with her being so sick. But then I was faced with her own "never ever allowing me to leave college", not even for cancer. Her never ever trumped mine. And I stayed in school. This alternately meant that I had to learn to lean on my friends, to believe in my mom, to depend on my Dad more than ever before and try to learn to let go of things I could not control.

As a one time vegetarian the "I will never ever eat meat" became a gift I gave up to my husband when he asked me to eat chicken for our baby and for his own piece of mind as he was deployed during our first pregnancy. It sealed the deal on us being a team first and foremost in our young marriage, something we have stayed true to through the last eight years.
  
I have said I would never ever do a pull up, buy a house before forty, drink a Naked Green Machine Smoothie.
I have thought I would never ever survive child birth with out drugs or living in Germany.

But I can do pull ups, I bought a house and  I love a tall glass of green machine with an extra squeeze of lemon.
I conquered a natural child birth (with my mom there to slap the crazy out of me) and living three years in a foreign country did the exact opposite of kill me.

And though not every "never ever" I have proven wrong has been a winner (I will never ever yell at my kids was recently turned into I will never ever again throw a Rumpelstiltskin-esq tantrum in my kitchen over my four year old refusing to swallow antibiotics- #notwinning) I stand by the advice to only cautiously bet on a never ever.

Especially when the never ever goes like this:
I will never ever forgive...
never ever love....
never ever say.....
never ever try......
Those are just begging to be broken.

Because, well, it feels better to forgive.
And all we need is love.
And say what you mean to say.
And how will you know if you don't try.

If you made a list of all the things you would never ever do- AND- made a list of all the things you would do if you found out you only had one month to live, I wonder how many things on both lists would overlap. 
And though getting a tattoo would overlap on my two lists I am probably not going to run out and get one tomorrow (notice the non definitive) it's important to understand the things you are truly scared of and the things you really just haven't gotten to yet.
(Pretty much sold on the too scared to skydive though.)

Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time to figure out whether you like it or not.

-Virgil Thomson

It's a Goal

Someone I am currently training asked me a question recently. The question was this, "After I get past this, what should my next goal be?"
And I gave her the truth. I can't answer that for you.

When it comes to personal training, a goal is a specific objective to be achieved at a specific point in time. Goals should not be end all be alls. They should be looked at as stepping stones. Rungs in the ladder, by grasping one, you are able to pull up to another. Though I want you to be and feel the best you can, I will never force another goal onto you. I will not project my hopes for you onto you. If I did, you would never get anywhere.  A goal must have sincere emotion tied to it, it is what pushes us towards achievement. Therefore a goal coming from any other source than one's self is doomed to fail. You have to want it, to get it.

Here are some ways to accomplish successful goal setting:

1. A goal must be well defined. No beating around the bush because if you can't lay it out, you will never have a map to success.
2. You must write it down. Life has a way of over whelming the unprepared. Writing down what we hope to attain and scheduling our time to support our goals is the only way to accomplish them. 
3. A goal must be stated in the positive. Out with the "I won't" and in with the "I will". Instead of "I won't eat fast food.." try "I will prepare healthy meals at home." I hope you can see how the latter example provides a concrete affirmation, and the first one sounds weak. 
4. You have to have a deadline. Any thing left open ended is destined to fall through.
5. A goal must challenge us, but not overwhelm us. If you make a goal too easy it becomes easy to push aside. But when you give it just enough weight, it is harder to shake off.
6. Remember to make it personal. 

And though it is not an official rule, I like to add this on when speaking on goal making:

You should not incorporate real sincere goals with insincere goal making holidays. There is a reason New Year's resolutions fail. For one, as we have already reviewed, a whole YEAR is already too long of a time line for goal getting. And not to mention that the whole new year stigmata already makes the goal less intimidating, as everyone you know is probably failing at their resolution as we speak.

Lent and other times for religious sacrifice are yet another time I believe it is best to leave goal making out of the equation. And this is why: When we give up things for religious purposes that we also wish to hold on to as a personal goal we take away our personal attachment to them. When you want to lose five pounds and you give up chocolate or fast food for Lent, you take yourself out of the equation. You have now given up Hershey Kisses for Jesus (and I know if you went all the way to church on a Wednesday morning you probably think Jesus is worth more than some lame chocolate) and not for yourself. And then what happens? Well, everything gets mixed up and fuzzy! Because when you are supposed to be focusing on religious devotion, you are now going crazy about not having chocolate. AND when Easter comes around you forget about why you gave it up in the first place and reward yourself with little chocolate bunnies for sticking to your promise not to eat them (forgetting that you were supposed to be giving them up for YOU) and TA-DA - no goal was accomplished at all! So, no mixing religion and secular goal making. It's troublesome.


Successful goal setting can motivate us to achieve greatness. When not set up correctly goals can seem overwhelming and scary. (Or worse yet, underwhelming and easily ignored!) The most important thing about goal making is to inject the I into it, and leave out everyone else. Though "I am going to lose ten pounds so I can rock this bikini I found in a box in the attic (marked 'summer of '94-best summer ever!') and blow my crazy neighbor  out of water at the community pool, making her regret not inviting me to Bridge night the last four months in a row, I'll show her, neon lime green zebra print is totally back..take that, Carol." may seem genius at the time, it really is not going to get you into that bikini (hopefully a new bikini- Carol will laugh at a neon green zebra print two piece circa 1994). Learning to set proper goals, however, will change the way you view health and wellness. As you start climbing the ladder steadily and with confidence you will begin to wonder what made success look so unattainable in the first place.

You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.

-CS Lewis

Dance Runner!

Hello. My name is Loreli, and I'm a Dance Runner.

Oh for the joy of Dance Running. Have you, perchance, seen me at the gym? I mouth along to the lyrics filtering through my ear buds. I speed up, I slow down. I have even been known to sneak in a jazz hand or two. Dance runner. That's me.

I can't remember the exact moment in my life I officially became a dance runner. I am pretty sure it was between crawling and college, as I have always enjoyed a good beat. There is a fantastic home movie circa 1984 staring one Miss. Lori Vickers on a rocking horse, humming her own John Wayne anthem only to add appropriate crescendo to  such anthem by bopping one younger sister on noggin with a plastic baseball bat. You quickly hear my father from behind the mammoth video recording device give a  warning, "LAWrie..." but I know the secret message he was sending me  within that slightly faded North Dakota accent... ,  "You are rhythmically gifted, daughter, " I heard it echo from his frown, "Let the beat lead your sneakers in all your future endeavors. Go forth and get funky." And like the brave hero, I have.

I have let the rhythm move me. No matter how much it scares the retired gentleman on the treadmill next to me at the gym. "Yes, Sir!" I smile, "I AM running backwards on a treadmill! Yes, the incline is pretty high! No. I don't think my mother would approve!"

I don't limit my performances to indoor venues, thankfully, I am happy to bring the joys of dance running to the streets. Yes, that is me, coming up from behind and, yes, I may just be truffle shuffling as I pass you. And I will take that sideways glance as stoic amazement, thank you very much.

Is dance running for everyone? No. Is it distracting? Probably. Is it fun? Well, for me it is.  And that's why I do it. Exercise should release tension. And dance running makes the treadmill bearable. It makes me smile. Do I dance my way through every run? I am pretty sure I don't. But when it's cold outside, and the kids have been cranky and I miss my husband and the toilet needs a new pump and the dishes still aren't clean and the weeds in the front yard won't just die already... dance running.  There is a reason as ankle biters we want to run everywhere we go. It's fun. Raising your arms out to your sides and giving your backyard a good once around, humming like a jet plane is actually a pretty good remedy for a crappy day. We need to inject our lives with as many joyous moments as we possibly can. There is more to living a healthy life than just watching what you eat and making sure you sweat. It's about discovering true enjoyment  within the little things we do daily. The freshness of a salad. The sound of your child's laughter. The appreciation of a stranger's act of kindness. It's the hidden genius in a Justin Bieber song, if only for giving you a moment of pure silliness with your spouse. And so I choose to be a dance runner. Because to me, it's less about getting things done and more about living.

May your walls know joy; may every room hold laughter and every window open to great possibility.

Mary Anne Radmacher-Hershey

Let's Eat

I am going to be frank. If you have weight to lose, it can be hard. The sad thing is, it just gets harder and harder as we age. But, it's not rocket science, though granted, it seems scary and overwhelming.
I am a big fan of balance and I really like picturing one's fitness goals as a scale. One side of the scale is labeled intake and one side is labeled output. The intake side does not represent calorie intake. I don't really enjoy counting calories and I think it is silly overall. Who is going to want to count calories for the rest of time? I certainly don't. It is much better to get into the habit of eating whole, natural and nourishing items. The intake part of the scale represents those times when you take in NON nutrient rich whole foods, or maybe if you are taking in non fruit and veggie based carbs. The other side of the scale represents exercise. If you are trying to lose weight you want the output side of the scale to be heavier than the intake portion everyday. If you are trying to maintain your current weight you want the scale to be in balance (this does not however mean that you are able to eat a bunch of nasty food as long as the scale is in balance-- you still want to be making nutrient rich choices- but you probably don't have to freak out if you have a muffin on Friday morning with a cup of coffee!) The only way that the scale gets a little confusing is if you are trying to GAIN weight, as that goal is very personal and specific and it changes the scale. One side still represents intake and output respectively, but intake using becomes more protein based and you want that heavy, but you also want your output heavy too. This post is going to be dedicated to losing weight, so lets go from there:
There are five basic rules to eating well that go along with the scale. You can argue these, but they are a relatively universal blueprint for healthy eating.

1. Eat every 2-4 hours. It keeps your metabolism humming and keeps blood sugar balanced.
2. Women should eat 1 serving of protein and Men should eat 2 servings of protein with every meal.*
3. Eat veggies with every meal.*
4. If you are trying to lose weight only eat non fruit and veggie carbs after exercise
5. Eat healthy fats every day - about 30 % of the diet should come from healthy fats.

* I am very interested in hormones and diet, this being said I believe you should eat veggies before you eat anything else. Example if you are having a mid morning snack you would have a cup of veggies and then some almond butter. Also, if you are a woman with high testosterone levels, you may want to monitor how you feel on a diet high on animal proteins- talk to your doctor and nutritionist about this. And lastly, I believe, if you can, choosing organic dairy (milk, cheese and butter) is very important.

Like I said before I don't believe in calorie counting. I believe in being prepared. I believe in not having things like GMOs and sugary treats in your house if you can't resist eating them. (Even if you have kids, I know this seems impossible, but they will survive. And if they eat public school lunch, then you know they are having a least one brownie or cookie everyday... it will be ok!) I believe in limiting eating out of a box or a can whenever you can. Even if you are not looking to lose weight I want you to take the time to prepare your fruits and veggies after you come home from the store, just don't toss them into the crisper bins. Take ten minutes and wash the fruits and wash and chop the veggies.  And about those crisper bins, put all the stuff you don't want to be eating in them, and put all your whole, healthy things on the shelves. And really toss all the stuff that is not good for you. If you can't help yourself, then help yourself... by getting rid of it. Also make sure there is no food items out in the open. When we see food we want to eat it, even if we are not hungry.
We need to be prepared, we need to be organized, we need to be natural and whole and we need to be balanced. And we need to drink lots and lots of water. And we will be ok!

Man never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.

Bern Williams 

Happiness, Sleep and Belly Fat

Summer is coming. I know we still have a couple weeks of winter ahead of us and then we still have to muddle through Spring, but people, Summer is coming. And say what you will, I am willing to speculate that Summer is one of the most stressful seasons of all. You may be sitting there saying, "NO WAY, the Holiday season is the worst. Esp. Christmas, that slinky minx with her peppermint bark and hot toddies, with it's present purchasing anxiety, with the whiny children who smell of sugar and entitlement! Winter, winter is by far the worst season!" And to that claim I simply smile, you know the type of smile, the patronizing one. The one that says, Oh, silly you. Yes. Winter can be harsh. But Summer, Summer really throws us a curve ball. One you may not even see coming!
The first blow summer hits us with is the fact that for those of us with children, those children are suddenly without gainful employment. There is no "school house" to send them off to every day from 8 to 2. So either now you have them at home with you (which let's face it if you have any routine at all it goes out the window) or you have to find some where to put them (which leaves you feeling guilty). Either way, finding time for fitness can seem even more tedious.
On the other hand, with the great  roller coaster of mom guilt  you already have swimming in your gut,  you also are faced with not only tank tops, shorts and sundresses- BUT all those opportunities to rock a swim suit at the  neighborhood pool. AWESOME. Esp. because at every pool there is the one Uber mom who not only looks fantastic, but also has  children that, though they are running around shooting peanuts from their orifices, you can't seem to think poorly of them, because their mother is "just that stunning". (And to be totally honest, uber mom with the peanut children is in all actuality really dedicated to her fitness goals and eats really well..and her kids are probably creative geniuses- which might make you hate her more, but you know... I'm just saying....) So there we have it, children, tank tops, swim suits. Summer is a beast. AND it comes AFTER winter... you do the math.
Oh man, I feel the stress already!!!! So what can we do!? Good thing you are reading this blog before it is too late!! Because I am going to tell you exactly to do.  Here we go!!
First lets review some ways to get rid of belly fat:

1. SLEEP- a study in the journal Sleep found that those under forty who sleep five hours or less a night carried more weight in their middle overtime. 
2. GET HAPPY- Some smarties in Rush University Medical Center figured out that depression was relate to fat around the organs at the waist line. 
3. Go for 80- the journal Obesity published a finding that stated 80 minutes of cardio and strength training a week helped women keep off the icky waistline organ fat after losing weight. 

And here is the kicker. One of my favorite motivators towards happiness, Gretchen  Rubin (Author and blogger; The Happiness Project) just released an article titled "A Secret to More Happiness and Energy? Give Yourself a Bedtime" through Huffingtonpost.com (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gretchen-rubin/adult-bedtime_b_1253105.html?ref=healthy-living)  in which she states:
As a result of my happiness project, I've become a sleep zealot. It's just so obvious to me -- from reading the research and from personal experience -- that getting enough sleep is a key to a happier life.
So how do you start getting to bed earlier. Well, Gretchen says to give yourself a bed time, just like you would your kids. Just figure out what time you have to get up and go from there factoring in 7-8 hours of sleep. If you have trouble sleeping it is most likely do to stress, caffeine, lack of exercise or a combo of all three. Tackling things in our life that inhibit a natural sleep cycle will only help you in the long run.
So basically, sleep and exercise help make us feel HAPPIER. Which in turn makes everything else better. Things that make us nervous become unclouded, we have more confidence, we just work better. So though things are about to get a little nutty in the next couple months, it does not mean you have to. Make a plan and take it day by day. And if you some how can only do ONE healthy thing today, try getting a good night's rest. And sing in the morning... Gretchen swears by it.

Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.

The Dalai Lama 

Be Unexpected

I have been thinking about this blog for a while. As I have not written in months. The New Year is upon us and I have been fiddling with the concept of the dreaded resolution, but as I am not making any resolutions this year, I've had trouble thinking of what to say.
Then it hit me. 
While driving my daughter home from school today she proclaimed, "When I get older I am going to do a back flip." I replied with the acceptable amount of enthusiasm expected from my bossy four year old. There was a count of one, two, three... then.... "Can YOU do a back flip Mommy?" To which I proudly answered, yes, that when I was younger I could do a back flip into a pool (really I could do a back DIVE off the diving board, but tomato tamato). I told her that  her Pops had taught me when I was little. She thought about this and announced that she believed her father could do a back flip into a pool, TODAY. (I am pretty sure he can't, but I kept that to myself.) But it made me smile both to be faced with her hero like worship of her father and to remember my own teaching me to do something so. cool. As I drove home I continued to think about that back dive. The best thing about it was not the actual act of it, but that from coming from me, this ordinary girl, it was so unexpected. I remember going to the IBM pool with my grandparents one summer up in New York. I walked up to the diving board. There were a bunch of older boys hanging around the base of the diving board, doing what older boys are great at. And so I turned around, back to the water. I can still remember those boys huffing, No WAY. And so I bounced, once, twice .. up and over, back dive into the deep. And I still remember smiling, not because I did anything fantastic (I am pretty sure it was one heck of a messy dive) but that no one would have guess I would be able to doing something as close as I did to that dive, and the truth was, I could.
Monday at the gym this happened to me again. I had finished my workout, phase one with my sister and phase two on the treadmill and walked over to the assisted pull up machine. Where they have the machine in my gym your back is to the world, so you have no idea if people are watching you. I raised the assistance bar and grasped the handles. I pulled myself up unassisted. ONE. Lowered myself back to the step took a breath and pulled myself up again. TWO. Lowered myself once more, breath and up again. THREE. And once again. FOUR.  I turned to hop off the step and notice an old man laughing in my general direction. Not out of rudeness, but honest surprise. I had made his day. And it is not hard to guess what he expected to see when a relatively tiny non threatening thing has the guts to forgo the weighted assistance on the pull up machine. As I passed him he looks at me and goes, "You did that with no help." And I smiled at him and told him my Army husband loves pull ups and our home pull up bar broke so I am trying to get back in to doing them, but yes, they were all me. I told him not to be too impressed though, as I can only really do one. He was shaking his head and laughing still as I walked away. It was the same  as that back dive from so long ago- it really was not anything overly impressive but it was unexpected. And that makes all the difference.
And so my new year advice to you is to do just that. Challenge yourself. Be and do the unexpected. When you believe you can only do five do six. When you truly think all you have is a 4 push and give an 11. We all have this in us. All it takes is heart and we all have one of those.

If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud.

Emile Zola