National Pilates Day

National Pilates Day is this Saturday, May 2nd. If you’ve never done Pilates before, today is the perfect day to get out and try it! Grab a friend and check out the studio in your area. Most studios will have special events or promotions for Saturday! Some may even be holding classes in a park, on the beach, on a SUP board, or even check what time the class is at your local gym.

Pilates has been a part of my life for over 13 years as a student and 9 years as an instructor. I got into Pilates after a bad car accident left me with serious neck injuries. So much I could barely get out of bed some days. Pilates was the only thing that relieved the pain and tension and didn’t leave me still in bed in tears every morning. Flash forward to now, I’m training people with knee and hip replacements, chronic illness, scoliosis, osteoporosis, athletes, men, and women. After some health issues of my own for the past year,  (which by the way is the most frustrating thing for a healthy and mindful person to have health concerns out of their control.) I learned Monday of my diagnosis and the specialist eased my mind that I have been rehabilitating and healing myself for over 10 years now. To think what I could be like today, if Pilates was not already apart of my life!

So if there is some reluctancy or you’re nervous to go a class alone, grab a friend, talk to the instructor before class about your concerns, may be Pilates will be your answer to healing and it could possibly change your life forever.

Benefits of Pilates:

• injury and prevention
• strong core
• long lean muscles
• resistance and assistance training
• weight loss
• rehabilitation
• increased flexibility
• coordination and balance improves
• mind-body connection
• learn coastal breathing or lateral breath
• low impact
• great for anyone
• can be done anywhere
• pain management

The list continues on and on. So this Saturday celebrate National Pilates Day whether you’re a newbie or a veteran! If you take class, message me and let me know how it goes!

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Earth Day 2015

photo credit: http://www.earthday.org

Today is the perfect to start giving back to Mother Nature! The world, climate, food, ecosystems, etc are changing so rapidly once we finally realize the damage we are continuing to do every day it may be too late. And yes we may not see the end results in our lifetime but think about your kids, grandkids, great-grans, nieces, and nephews. What kind of world our we leaving behind for the next generation?

I don’t mean run out and put solar panels on your entire roof, become completely vegan, or sell your gas guzzler for an electric! Even the littlest things can cause a ripple effect and can set the world in motion to make a change to the world that offers us so much. Teaching ourselves, loved ones, the public, and the next generation could be the deciding factor to global warming, our water resources, our food supply, air quality, and livelihoods.

Here are some small changes to make a bigger difference.

• Turn off all lights, appliances, radios, etc when not in use. (I send my little ones around the house to turn things off all the time, just so they get in the habit of turning things off-plus your electric bill will go down! Bonus for everyone!)
• Learn and teach how to recycle. Reduce your trash. Once you start recycling you’ll realize how much can actually be reused and yes I know it’s another thing on your to do list on Saturday morning, get the kids or neighborhood involved. Make it fun to take “the chore” out of it.
• Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and wash dishes. Run full loads of laundry. Track the rain- do you really need to water the lawn in the morning if it’s going to rain in the afternoon. (If you pay for your own water, this will be huge for your bill too!)
• Start a garden. It doesn’t have to be huge, you can even just do a couple pots. Save money and gas, running to the store and know where your food is coming from and pick it from your own yard!
• Garden too much for you to handle this year? Buy local and seasonally! Shop farmers markets and produce stands. Reduce your carbon footprint and keep money in your own community. Plus you can always ask the farmers questions. Even join a CSA and get a share delivered each week to your front door!
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle- Pass down unwanted clothes and shoes or have them donated. Sell things on consignment. Find ways to reuse materials, boxes, bags, wood, furniture, paper, etc
• Buy a water filter, cut back on plastic bottle use. Filter your own water. Keep the money in your wallet more often and control the amount of BPA you’re exposed to on a daily basis. Have half glasses of water or bottles lying all over the place? Don’t just dump it down the sink. Water your plants with the left over water. It’s just another way to save on your water usage!

The ideas are endless! These are just a few to get you started! Enjoy Earth Day this year. If you’re lucky like me today it’s 70 and sunny. At the very least get outside for some fresh air on your back porch, go for a walk and get some Vitamin D, listen to the birds chirp, enjoy nature and the world today. Be grateful for everything we have! Happy Earth Day Everyone! Make sure to check out Earth Day 2015 for more ideas on how to contribute today and in the future.

 

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Berry Chia Seed Jam! Yum!

Jams and Jellies can be loaded with tons of refined sugar and aspartame sugar substitutes. Ewww! And making your own jam or jelly can be a huge process that takes hours. Believe me I’ve done them all from peach to fig and I’ve spent hours and hours in the kitchen sterilizing, washing, cooking down the berries, filling up the jars, and sealing them for yummy spreads. But it takes way too long! Like way too long!

Now there is a super fast way, add a little honey to sweeten up the berries or leave it out, it’s totally your call! It takes maybe 15 minutes and you can store it in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. If it will last that long! Use it for kid’s sandwiches, spread for crackers, add it to your gourmet cheese plates, use it for topping on yogurt or ice cream!!! Did I say yum!!!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound blackberries (fresh if in season-other wise use frozen)


• 1/2 pound raspberries (same as above)


• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or for a citrusy zing use lemon juice!


• 2 teaspoon local honey (optional)


• 3 Tablespoon chia seeds

Directions:

1. Wash any fresh berries. If you using frozen add to a pot and cook on low to bring to a soft boil. Make sure to continue to stir so it won’t burn the bottom or stick.


2. Then reduce heat and simmer, continue to stir. Make sure to mash the berries or leave a little chunky, if you’d rather have a “chutney” consistency.


3. Add honey and chia seeds and stir well.


4. Pull from heat and let jam cool.


5. Add vanilla extract or lemon juice once cooled and mix well again.


6. Spoon into a clean jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks!

ENJOY!!

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Buddha Bowls! Ommm!

Yum! Need something healthy, good for you, filling, quick, and have a bunch of hodge podge left in the refrigerator that you need to use up. This simple and fast recipe is your ticket for cleaning out the fridge, eating clean, and filling everyone’s bellies at the table.

Look through your cabinets and find different ingredients. Don’t have Kale but you have spinach go for it! No chic peas, but have edamame use it! Use all raw ingredients or roast or saute some veggies to make it warm and comforting. Eat this all year round, changing your ingredients with the season. Warm in the winter, cool for the summer. Remember you can make it your own and switch up your bowls. You can also make your own dressings to cut out the extra fats, sugar, and calories. This will also give you the freedom to change up your flavor profiles. Make your portions bigger and you can have multiple meals.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Basmati Rice or quinoa


• 2 Tbsp olive oil


• 1 cup portabella mushrooms


• 1 cup Brussels sprouts- halved


• 1/4 cup shredded carrots


• 3 large kale leaves- destemmed


• 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage


• 1/4 cup carrots-matchstick (slice thinly or use a mandolin)


• 1/2 cup garbanzo or chick peas (organic in a can or soaked)


• 1/2 ripe avocado


• 2 cauliflower flowers


• 3 radish slices (watermelon radish-shown in picture)


• 1 Tbsp Hemp seeds

Dressing Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Tahini


• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast


• 1/2 avocado


• 1 lemon juiced


• pinch sea salt


• fresh ground pepper


• water to thin if needed

Directions:

1. In a pot add water (2 cups water to 1 cup of grain), add rice or quinoa and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cover with a top till all the water absorbs about 25 minutes


2. In a saute pan, add olive oil and saute brussels, mushrooms, and cauliflower on medium heat. Season with salt and pepper if you wish. Should be about 10 minutes to saute.


3. Chop, slice, or shred raw vegetables.


4. For chic peas: if soaking they need to soak over night in water. drain off water and rinse. If you did canned. Make sure to rinse really well.


5. In a bowl, spoon in rice or quinoa, add sauteed brussels, cauliflower, and mushrooms, arrange them if you wish :) Add raw veggies around the bowl, carrots, kale, cabbage, radish, avocado. Add chic peas and top with Hemp seeds.


6. For Dressing: in a food processor or immersion blender add all ingredients and blend well. Need a little heat, add a pinch of cayenne. (Add water if you need to thin it out a bit.) Pour on top for desired amount and enjoy!


7. Left over dressing place in an old jar, mason jars work great and use for the next time. Should last a couple days.

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