Exercising at home and changing the world!

I've been studying the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I love Stephen R. Covey and his ideas. This book is golden. The last habit, "Sharpen the Saw," is about keeping yourself "sharp" and taking time to care for yourself mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and-you guessed it-physically. Listen to this little gem I read yesterday:

Most of us think we don't have enough time to exercise. What a distorted paradigm! We don't have time not to. We're talking about three to six hours a week-or a minimum of thirty minutes a day, every other day. That hardly seems an inordinate amount of time considering the tremendous benefits in terms of the impact on the other 162-165 hours of the week.

Perfect! Right? And I actually think I felt gleeful as I read this, "And you don't need any special equipment to do it.... A good exercise program is one that you can do in your own home." !!!! I'm pretty sure if Mr. Covey says it then I'm on the right track here. Going to the gym or spa or enjoying a sport is nice and "an added opportunity," but "a good exercise program is one that you can do in your own home." Yes, I really did need to say it twice. :)

I have so much on my mind right now. There is so much we can do. Starting a regular exercise routine was eye opening and life changing for me, but it was one act that meant more than just exercise. It meant making better choices, learning new things, and realizing that we are not stuck where we are.

Yesterday I was listening to a talk whose subject was, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." The question was posed, "What changes would you like to see in the world and are you being that change?" I have felt I need to "be the change" often but I have never thought about exactly what that change is. I thought of this blog and wondered why I started it. I wanted to make some kind of change. I wanted to help others feel a change in themselves like the one I felt in myself. I reflected on that question yesterday and today and I suspect I'll still be thinking on it for a while, but here is my answer for now. The change I want to see in the world: I want people to stop making excuses. I want people to recognize their own divinity and ability to create and do and be more. I want there to be a lot less negativity in the world, in the form of self-talk as well as conversation to and about others. Am I being the change? I'm working on it and every time I do I become stronger and more capable of helping others and... changing the world.

What change do you wish to see in the world and what are you doing about it?

On THAT note. Let's get to it! The last couple of days for me have included  running (and walking a lot) with my dog, which is quite hilarious as he's not sure what to do when I'm "running." He's either behind me at a slow trot or running and literally dragging me along. I've also enjoyed tabata with my tabata app. Today I switched between jumping jacks and mountain climbers. And I've done some yoga. Here are some videos for you to try. In one of them she does some crazy inversions, just do what you can and enjoy! :)

Ahhhh, exercising again.

Yesterday I rocked my Yoga Booty Ballet: Hip Hop Abs video. The first exercise - other than walking and a few lame attempts at yoga - I've done in 6 weeks and 3 days. Recovery from a hysterectomy is long. Not bad. Not too painful. Just looong. I'm still not fully recovered but my doctor gave me the ok with the admonishment, "Don't go too crazy," so I am ready and very excited to get back to work! I was smiling and happy all the way through the routine. :)

So I don't have any new exercise ideas for you right now (other than go do it!), but I do have some valuable tidbits from Robyn Openshaw's (The Green Smoothie Girl's) 12 Steps to Whole Foods Course Manual. After my surgery I did pretty good with my healthy eating, but as time went on my sugar intake increased and I'm reminded again how much better I feel when I am taking in good foods. For me, exercise and healthy eating go really well together. One always makes me feel like doing the other. This excerpt I'm about to share once made me stop eating sugar for a whole summer, which is saying a lot for me because I have a sweet tooth for sure. Really I'm posting this as a reminder to myself, but I believe everyone should have this information!! These are only 10 of the 30 reasons listed in the Course Manual. If you want more information, ask me! Click HERE to order the course and peruse around to find more great stuff.

Why should you stop eating sugar now? Because sugar....

1. Is more addictive than cocaine.
2. Makes you fat.
3. Ages you perhaps more than anything else, decreasing tissue elasticity.
4. Makes you tired.
5. Controls your behavior, making you moody or anxious.
6. Destabilizes your blood sugar, notably causing energy crashes.
7. Feeds cancer cells.
8. Increases your risk of Crohn's disease and colitis.
9. Makes you dizzy.
10. Causes deficiencies in copper, calcium, magnesium, chromium, and your overall mineral profile. 

Remember every healthy choice matters! If you make a choice you feel is wrong, just make sure your next one is better. You got this and so do I. (I need that encouragement too!) Have a happy day!

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Not really MIA and Yoga

I haven't been around here much lately and I'm sorry I haven't posted any ideas! I have been dealing on and off with some anemia and I had another little bout recently. I could tell it was happening because I could feel my muscles and body and stamina weaken. No fun when you enjoy pushing yourself! I decided with that and other things occupying my time (Christmas and all that entails..........) I would take a little break. I'm still in a routine. I do my "comfort" videos, the ones I know and love and feel nice and easy with. I've also had a chance to do a lot more yoga. Yay! I am finding joy in respecting my body and what it needs right now. I am listening and following inspiration. I might also be writing this for myself but it feels good to acknowledge that I can take care of my God given body and know what it needs. I don't have to listen to popular culture or the girl with the perfect figure. Yes, I can study and learn, but after that I can listen to me and feel happy with my choices.

Here's a great 30 day yoga camp for you to try. She is great but be warned that occasionally she puts in a "colorful" word :/.... just a heads up.

30 DAY YOGA CAMP

P.S. If you are a brand new yogi, you can watch her foundation videos first. A great place to start.
Foundations of Yoga - Yoga With Adriene

Awww, Yoga

I took an ah-mazing ashtanga yoga class last week. Ashtanga yoga has an intense, flowing style in which the same asanas (poses) are always done in the same order. I wish I could find the words to explain how I felt when I left that hour and a half class. Other than the fact that I could barely stand (how many vinyasa flows can one person do??) I felt so good. Yes. Just really very good. Yoga has a way of making your body feel tall, long, strong, and capable. Learning to breath and focus on my practice and on what I need right at that moment is a skill I feel has effected my whole life. I have had a stressful few years, but I've made it through them and I am still making it through each day. Yoga calms me and it encourages me. I think back to the first time I tried yoga and laughed at what I was trying to do. At the time I was laughing because I thought there was no possible way I was ever going to accomplish these crazy things, but as my practice continued my view changed and I began to try. I decided I would just see what happened. I left that class last week having held a headstand, a backbend, and several balancing poses and binds! Yay! We can do so many things, but first we have to try and then we have to diligently keep trying until *suddenly* you realize you're doing it!! It is such a great feeling that everyone should experience. Okay, go try something new this week! And keep trying until you've got it.... even if it takes a year... or five years. :)

Here's a great beginning - feel fantastic - yoga video, if you want to give it a try.

My current goal: Grasshopper Pose

I'm getting there!

Encouragement wether you want it or not. It's just on my mind.

I found out yesterday, during a conversation with a few health conscious friends, that Grade B is the more nutritious maple syrup to buy, as opposed to the large Grade A pure maple syrup I buy at Costco. So again, I learn something new about the foods I'm eating. This just got me thinking. Thinking about how frustrating healthy eating can feel sometimes, right?! I'm doing something I'm sure is good for me and then I find out I should be doing something else. Now, the maple syrup isn't a big deal (upon further research I found that all types contain nutritious minerals, but the darker syrup has a higher quantity of said minerals) and I didn't actually feel disheartened by this news, but it reminded me of all the times I have been disheartened. Like when I go to the grocery store and start reading labels. I feel like being completely honest with you, I have stood in the store with tears in my eyes trying to figure out what I can feed my family that is nutritious and edible! I am still not as healthy as some, but I am a long way from where I started. As I sat around this table with health conscious friends, I listened to my friend--who gave up refined white sugars cold turkey and soaks all of her grains when she cooks--tell me she was in a slump! Whaaaaat? How can this be? She said she hadn't been exercising regularly and was buying pre-made food (bread) that she didn't normally buy because it was just easier, but she was working on getting better again. Now mind you, her "slump" might be healthier than my very healthiest, but the point I'm hoping to make here is that we all have times when we feel weaker than other times. Think of our healthy living journey like a great big hill (mountain??) that we are climbing. We are all at different parts of the trail, some at the beginning and some further up, and all of us are going to get tired and slow down sometimes. We might even stop for a while. The key to eventual success, though, is to KEEP TRYING. Thomas Edison said, "Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." This is as applicable here as it is in all other areas of our life. First you have to believe you can make it to the top of that hill. It might be really hard. You might stumble and fall a few times before  you get the hang of it, but you will get there. This part is really important, because if you don't believe this it will be really hard to keep going when you've stumbled, you're desire to give up will be strong because, after all, you don't think you'll even make it. Next, you have to believe that it is worth it! If you're at the bottom of the hill, it might not seem that way, but when you start getting higher and look around you begin to see the fruits of your effort and you realize how great it feels. You gain more confidence with your ability. Lastly (for now at least), you have to make climbing this hill a lifetime commitment. This is not a one time deal or something you start and finish, but rather something you choose to add to your life. It gets easier, for sure, but anything you're doing is something you need to keep on doing. Remember, don't worry if you stumble or even if you fall off, expect the downfalls. Not very many (if any) people head straight up without any set backs. JUST KEEP ON TRYING. Thomas Edison tried 10,000 times before he invented the light bulb. That's right friends, YOU'VE GOT THIS! Here's one of my favorite books for anyone who's interested. Easy to follow and practical ideas that make sense and you can start implementing right away.

Now my son is about to go crazy dancing all around me needing to "check stats" before he goes to bed. I think I should turn over the computer time to him. It is fantasy football season after all.

Goodnight!

Wow. I don't think this one is as difficult as it felt.

This is a great quick 16 minute workout, but it felt like a really long one today!

You know how some days are just like that? I was sick last weekend and this week I have done a lot of walking and yoga while I recover. Today I felt like I was ready for more. Ack! It's crazy how one week of relaxing a little can make you feel like you're starting over again. This made me realize I have comfort videos... Yes, really. Workout routines that I can always go to when I just don't feel up to it. (I wish I had chosen one of these today.) I've told you about them before... Yoga Booty Ballet... they sound silly, but when I was starting out they were perfect! I still love them when I'm not feeling up to too much and I feel super after doing one. I suppose my point is that everyone should find something they love. Find something that makes you feel great when you've finished. When you do something that feels this way, do it again! Do it enough that you know it well. When you get tired of it or it becomes too easy, and it will, put it aside for a time and go back to it when you just don't want to do anything else. I don't know, do I sound like a crazy person? Is there any exercise routine that you could fall in love with? Yes, there is. I know there is. ;)

Have a happy day!

Love this!

This article speaks truth! It is our voice we hear all day long and we need to be able to talk nice to ourselves. Enjoy! :)

Let the fun begin!

School is starting soon! For a homeschooling mom like myself, that means.... "AAAAA!!!" Haha. Just kidding. But it does mean things are going to get even busier over here. As my kids are a top priority, my daily posts are going to have to drop to 'whenever I can' posts. Hopefully I've given you enough to work with and some ideas and you can put the label section in the side bar to good use.

Feel free to follow by email ------>>> so you can see new posts as they come. Per suggestions, I will try to find some more beginner ideas as well as some more nutrition ideas.

Here are some of my favorites that you could also try out!

Fitness Blenders 5 Day Workout for Busy People - I love these. They're each about 30 minutes and they're great for all levels. Daniel and Kelly are good at helping beginners modify. (Don't let the one funky move in the first one stop you from doing the rest.)

30 Days of Yoga with Adriene - Also fabulous. Good for all levels!

30 Day Yoga Challenge with Erin Motz - These are great too. I can't help that yoga's my favorite. I really think everyone should add it to your routine, whether running is your thing or walking or tennis or football or jazzersize. Yoga is for everyone!

You can also check out Blogilates - A blog about Pilates. My friend recently introduced me to it and I can't wait to check it out.

One more thing I want to encourage - Habit. Habit. Habit. I'm reading an excellent book, The Power of Full Engagement. In it the authors encourage developing positive rituals as a way to make positive changes. If adding exercise to your daily routine is something you are working towards, think of what rituals you will base your routine around. For Example: every day when you wake up; every Mon, Wed, Fri, & Sat; walking on Mon, Wed,  Fri & Strength on Tues/Thurs; right when the kids go to school; with kids; with husband; with friends. It might not even be very much to start. Whatever you decide, forget whether you want to do it! If you don't have a routine in place already, you probably won't want to do it. Make yourself do it when you say you will. (If you have little kids, then just do the best you can and don't stress when you have to cut your time in half because of a crying baby, the important thing is you started.) Eventually it will be a habit. You will feel funny without it, kind of like if you forget to brush your teeth. Also, don't compare yourself to anybody else!!!! You're not like anybody else. Just do what feels good to your body. Push yourself to work past your own comfort zone to build more capacity, but don't worry about anyone else. You've got this.

Laura :)

Nutrition on My Mind

I have been asked by a few people about nutrition. As I mentioned before, although exercise is amazing-important-needed, nutrition is the key that opens the door to better health. When we start putting better fuel in our body, that's when the magic happens.

The problem is most of us haven't grown up eating healthy whole foods and figuring out how can be frustrating (to say the least).

Remember... one step at a time! Any change you make should be one you're willing to make a lifestyle, but you don't have to figure it out all at once. When trying to figure out what is the good info in the deluge of info out there, listen to people you trust and people who are living a healthy lifestyle themselves and whose purpose is not self-serving, but to help others.

One great option I've found is green smoothies. This is a great and simple way to start putting the right stuff in your body. In fact you can increase your nutrition by 700% compared to the average American diet! I am a Green Smoothie Girl instructor, you can find more info and see what Green Smoothie Girl has to offer HERE .

And check out some of my friends who I consider my nutrition mentors HERE and HERE and HERE.

Now I was going to do a whole schpeel on sugar, but I think I'll save it for another day... Something to look forward too. ;)

Have a happy and productive week!
-Laura

Easy Starter Smoothie
1 Cup water or almond milk
Handful or two of spinach
1 Cup blueberries
1/2 Banana
1 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed
1 Scoop Protein Powder (I didn't add this ingredient until I found GSG protein powder, there aren't many others out there that I enjoy.)

If you just really need to sweeten it up try a small amount of orange juice (or I've heard Stevia or raw honey, though I've never tried them in a smoothie).

My thoughts exactly...