Monthly Archives: March 2012

How to Get the Body You Want

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How would you feel if you didn’t have to cringe when you heard the phrase “bathing suit shopping” EVER again?  Read these tips on how to look and feel fabulous by the time summer arrives.

 

Love the body you have.  You don’t have to be satisfied with your current weight or figure, but the first step to getting the body you want is to love the body you have.  Love yourself and be grateful for all that your body has done for you in your lifetime.  If you can start with self-acceptance, you are well on you way to making the sustainable changes you desire – and one step closer to a healthy, strong, and sexy body.

 

Nourish your body, inside and out.  Make sure you are getting enough of the right foods to eat.  You do NOT have to spend a lot of money to buy healthy food.  Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, where the fresh foods are kept.  Make sure you are eating enough vegetables & fruits to get the nutrients your body needs, as well as plenty of water.  Don’t like water?  Add a slice of lemon or fresh cucumber to a pitcher of water to give it a kick.  You won’t want to stop drinking it!  Also, make sure you are getting at least 8 hours of sleep at night to recharge yourself.

 

Take 20 minutes.  There are 1,440 minutes in a day.  Use 20 of them to work out, even if it is just walking.  It’s much harder to argue when you look at it that way.  We waste plenty of time texting, on Facebook, & watching television.  Walking provides tremendous benefits to your body.  You don’t need any equipment or a gym membership.  Put on a comfortable pair of shoes, and hit the road.  No excuses!

 

With just these three shifts in thinking and action, you will start to overcome negative feelings that you have towards yourself about making positive change.  As you see your body transforming, your self-esteem will increase giving you even more motivation & confidence to keep working towards your goals.  Any goal is attainable if you have a plan to get there.  Check out my Smart Girls’ Guide for secrets used by smart and successful women to go after and GET what they want!

 

Quick & Healthy Breakfast – Yogurt Parfait

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Happy Monday!  Here is your Meatless Monday recipe idea.  This week, it's all about breakfast.  You don't have to have bacon & eggs to get a protein-packed breakfast.  Try this delicious, quick & healthy meatless alternative!

 

Fruit-flavored yogurts have a ton of extra sugar and not much protein, so consider making this instead for a decadent breakfast with both the fiber and protein you need to make it until lunch time.

 

Instead of flavored yogurt, I use plain non-fat Greek yogurt that is high in protein and I add my own fresh fruit to avoid the unnecessary sugar.  I have paid close to $4.00 to buy something similar at Starbucks, and their version didn't even have fruit!

 

Here’s what you will need to make your own:

 

3/4 cup sliced strawberries, raspberries, or other juicy fruit

1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

8 oz non-fat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup of natural granola (Udi’s Au Naturel is my favorite!)

Wild local honey

 

 

 

How to make it:

1) Layer half of the strawberries & half of the blueberries on the bottom.  Add a drizzle of honey for extra sweetness.

 

 

greek yogurt parfait

 

2) Layer half of the yogurt on top of the berries.

 

greek yogurt parfait

 

 

3) Top with granola.

 

greek yogurt parfait

 

4) Add remaining yogurt & fruit.  Top with remaining granola & drizzle with honey.

 

greek yogurt parfait

 
ENJOY!!
 
What's your favorite kind of Greek yogurt?  Leave a comment below & let me know.  Thanks!
 

10 Quotes When You Need a Boost of Motivation

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I've been writing about motivation for several months now.  If not in my blog posts, then in the quotes that I send out on Twitter and in my Facebook community.  The winter is a particularly difficult time for many people (including myself) to stay motivated.  

As we welcome the Spring, here are 10 Quotes to motivate you to set and achieve your goals and live the happiest life possible.

 

 

if opportunity doesn't knock, build a door

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ralph waldo emerson

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vegetarian Lean Lasagna Recipe

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Happy Monday!  Another Meatless Monday recipe idea to solve that “What’s For Dinner?” question.

 

This recipe is loaded with nutrients, low in fat, but tastes great.  I have served this on countless occasions and been asked for the recipe time & time again.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

12 oz chopped mushrooms

3 cups prepared tomato sauce

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 medium-sized yellow onion

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

6 cups chopped fresh spinach

2 cups fat-free ricotta cheese

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

9 lasagna noodles

2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella

Canola-oil cooking spray

 

To prepare:

 

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a medium-sized nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Sauté onion over low heat for 2 minutes.  Add tomato sauce, all spices and mushrooms and simmer until mushrooms are cooked down. Remove pan from heat. 

 

In a bowl, combine chopped spinach with ricotta cheese and nutmeg. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta to al dente. Drain and rinse noodles under cool water. 

 

To assemble:

Coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the dish. Spread a layer of the ricotta/spinach mixture, then a layer of tomato sauce, then one-third of the mozzarella. Repeat layers, ending with a layer of mozzarella on top. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Cool at least 5 minutes.

 

Other healthy meatless recipes you might like:

 

 

 

5 Steps to Bring Wellness Into Your Life

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Who couldn’t use a little more wellness in their lives?  It can be hard to prioritize self-care in our busy lives.

Here are five easy steps to start to bring wellness into your life:

  1.  When you wake up, give thanks!  Start off each day thinking of all of the wonderful things in your life.  Do your best think positive thoughts.  Positive thinking invites positivity into your life.  Try it, and see what happens.  It will change your whole day!
  2. Before you go to bed, write down the 5 best things that happened to you during the day.  If you make this part of your routine, you will find yourself looking for things to write about during the day.
  3. Discover your Inner Passion.  Did you used to dance but haven’t been on the dance floor in years?  Maybe its time to try a class?  Even you can only spend a few minutes a day doing what you feel passionate about, it can make a HUGE difference.
  4. Do 5 good deeds every day.  Doing nice things for other people is hugely rewarding.  It can be as simple as holding the door open for someone.  Any selfless, positive act can be included.
  5. Embrace a healthy, active lifestyle.  Eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water every day.  Talk a walk with a friend or your spouse.  The more active you are, the more energy you will have.

 

Try these 5 steps, and you will invite wellness into your life.

 

“The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything but they make the most of everything.” – Sam Cawthorn

 

 

Meatless Monday Recipe – Tomato Basil Salad with Feta Cheese

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Happy Monday to you all!  Another Meatless Monday recipe idea for you.  This one is inspired by spring!

For the past several years, I have enjoyed going out to my garden and picking beautiful heirloom tomatoes and basil to make this salad.  I have experimented with different cheeses over the years, but this is my favorite version.

Ingredients:

6 medium or 4 large heirloom tomatoes

8-10 basil leaves, finely chopped

Feta cheese

Extra-virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper

Sea salt

 

Cut tomatoes into quarters (or smaller if using large tomatoes).  Add a capful of extra-virgin olive oil (more if desired).  Sprinkle the basil & feta cheese on top.  Add salt & pepper, as desired.

This simple, delicious salad serves 4-6 people.  Also works as dinner for two hungry people if you add a fresh baguette!  Enjoy!

Other vegetarian recipes you may like:

Vegetarian Skinny Cowboy Soup

Sweet Potatoes with Coconut, Pomegranate, and Lime

Broccoli and Cheese Quiche

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Science of Sensation

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Wow, what an incredible week this has been for me.  I have been fortunate enough to spend the past week in Portland, Oregon training getting trained to teach the Nia Technique.  Nia is a sensory-based movement practice that leads to health, wellness, and fitness.  With much excitement for what lies ahead, I am happy to announce that I received my White Belt in Nia and am now a certified instructor.

 

One of the things that I came to appreciate this week was how important it is to use sensation to understand what my body needs.  It has always been very easy for me to do things in a mindless fashion — eat quickly (often on the go), drive from destination to destination on autopilot, even moving to music via choreography versus having something in the music itself stirring movement in me.  After this week, I have a new way to make sure that I am practicing mindfulness … to ensure that I am taking time to appreciate my experiences, both big and small.

 

The science of sensation is powerful.  I’m not talking about feelings or emotions such as happiness or sadness.  I’m talking about simply realizing how a part of your body feels and acknowledging it — your eyes after hours looking at the computer, your back after sitting in the same position all day — that kind of sensation.  If you are relaxing, you might simply sense the softness of the fluffy rug underneath you.  As an exercise in self-awareness, I encourage you to stop & sense.  Is there any pain in any part of your body?  If so, move in a subtle way until you feel that pain start to lessen.  Are you comfortable and relaxed?  Sense what that feels like and try to release even further.  

 

Did this “click” for you?  Please leave a comment below and share your experience!

 

21-Day Fitness Challenge – Are You Up for It?

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I can’t believe that it’s already March!  It feels like this year is flying by.  That being said, I am not a huge fan of winter and cold weather so BRING ON THE SPRING!!

 

I extended another 21-day fitness challenge this past week thanks to Kristi Fauth (aka Robobarbie).  The fitness challenge is all about setting a new healthy lifestyle habit.  It takes 21-days to form a new habit … let’s make it one that is good for our bodies!  Doing this with all of you guys who are participating via the Wellness Science Facebook community is awesome and extremely motivating.  I need that extra motivational boost that accountability to others gives me — don’t you find that helps?

 

 

 

 

On Tuesday, I headed over to Uforia Studios to get my cardio fix Zumba-style.  The 11:45 class with Asya was filled with energy and, as promised, we had fun while we worked our butts off (literally!)  If you have not tried Zumba and you find your regular workouts boring and no longer motivating, I highly recommend you try and class or two.  Zumba is for everyone.  You don’t have to be an experienced dancer.  Just show up willing to work hard and have fun.  It is no surprise that instructor Asya has quite the following.  She adds a little something extra to class by working the room and dancing with everyone.  I’ve never seen anyone end a routine quite like she does either (think back handsprings & splits … yes, I’m serious!)  My abs and hips were still sore for two days after this class, so I must have gotten to some muscles that weren’t used to getting a workout (awesome!)  I will definitely make this part of my new healthy habit.

 

I want to hear from you!  Leave me a comment below this post and tell me about the workouts that inspire you.  Have a favorite class or instructor?  Tell me about those here too.  And don’t forget to stretch … and breathe! :-)

 

 

You may also want to read:

 

How to Get Fit Doing What You Love

 

How to Hold Yourself Accountable