Take charge of your health! 

One of my jobs is as a physical therapist in a hospital where patients are constantly dependent upon a long list of individuals who are in charge of their health care plan.

The respiratory therapist to give them their breathing treatment, the nurse to give them their medications, the doctors to diagnose them, the surgeons to operate on them, and the physical and occupational therapist to help get them out of bed- just to name a few! Yes, there are many many more people involved! Hard to imagine it would take so many people to manage the health care of one person.

I had a fellow therapist, a teacher at the time, pose a question to me while I was in graduate school that resonated with me and never left my mind. “What would you do if there were no doctors, pharmacists, surgeons, etc. to take care of you and manage your health? How would you treat your body differently?” It was such a profound question that got me to thinking, who is...

Be a Yes!

I recently purchased a license plate tag with the message, “BE A YES!” Since then I’ve had several people ask me what it means to “be a yes.”

I imagine for each person there is a slightly different interpretation, but here is mine.

Throughout the day, and perhaps throughout of our lives, we set boundaries for ourselves. (Most of the time unknowingly) Whether they are big life goals or small day-to-day challenges. For example, “I can’t start my own business,” “I don’t have time to workout,” “I can’t do another wheel pose or hold this lunge any longer,” or “I’ll never be that flexible.” You might not even realize that by coming out of a pose early or procrastinating on something you want to do with your life you’re saying, “No, I can’t do this.”

So, first, I challenge you over the next week to open your eyes to the moments throughout your day when you...

Healthy Habits

Want to improve your health and nutrition but don’t really know where to begin? Are you exercising, but didn’t realize proper nutrition is also vital to a healthy body? Here are 10 suggestions that you can use to start eating and feeling better!

10 smart nutrition habits 

1. Eat within an hour of waking to stimulate your metabolism. Having something quick and ready to go is helpful. 

Whey protein shakes; boiled eggs, or pre-made oatmeal bars are great. (Bars that you cook for yourself; future recipe to be posted!) Even a piece of toast with peanut butter and a banana is quick to make. Green juices or smoothies can even be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for a few days for convenience!  (Read our upcoming blog re: Why juicing is so good for you!)

2. Pre-cut your vegetables and pre-cook snacks (which you can do the night before or a few days before). Personally I like to boil the whole carton...

What You Eat vs. What You Lift

Like Batman and Robin, Sonny and Cher, Bert and Ernie, Diet AND Exercise will forever be linked when it comes to designing a successful weight loss program and living a healthy lifestyle. 

We have previously discussed different ways for you to kick start your fitness programs and even gave you some great Pilates moves you can practice independently at home.  Since what you eat is just as important as how you exercise here are some nutritional tips you should also find helpful.

When it comes to food, quality is more important than quantity. In other words what you eat is more important that how much, or how little, you eat.  Try to limit the intake of foods that are refined, processed or with little nutrient content especially foods and drinks that are high in sugar. Studies have shown that if you eliminate two cans of soda a day for a year you can lose one pound a week even if you make no other changes to your diet. That’s over 50...

Change the world…one act of kindness at a time

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall

I came across this quote the other day and it stuck with me and made me think.  Of course we have an impact on the lives of our close friends and family, but I think we also can have an impact, however small it may be, on every person we interact with throughout the day. The way you treat the person next to you on the bus or the barista at Starbucks could potentially affect the rest of their day.

Remember that interview question, “How would your friends describe you?” I think an even better question would be, “How would the grocery cashier or a bank teller describe you?” Would they describe you as impatient and rude or friendly and kind?  We have the ability and the choice to...