Image by KevinLallier ( license ). [hana-code-insert name='social d twitter face' /] “Unnatural work produces too much stress.” Bhagavad Gita “The time to relax is when you don't have time for it.” Sydney J. Harris Keeping the stress away in life isn’t just about the big decisions and challenges like the career, your most important relationships, money and health. It is also to a large degree about what you do each day and week. Those small habits that you may forget about or neglect that when added up make a huge difference. Here are 10 of them that are having a wonderful impact in my life and have had a very positive effect for many people. Write it all down. Use your mind for better things than remembering what to do. And the mind is often like a leaky bucket. So write down all your great ideas, insights, and thoughts before they go missing somewhere and add what you need to do to a to-do list. One thing at a time. You’ll get better results and feel better and less stressed if you do just one thing at a time. So instead of multi-tasking, get your day started with doing the most important task of the day until it is finished. Then continue with the next task that is now the most important one for you. Ask instead of guessing. Reading minds is hard. So, instead ask questions and communicate. This will help you to minimize unnecessary conflicts, misunderstandings, negativity and waste or time and energy. Don’t make mountains out of molehills. Before you start thinking too much about something and building it up something big in your head, ask yourself “am I making a mountain out of a molehill here? And if you get lost in victim thinking in some way then ask yourself “does anyone on the planet have it worse than me right now?”. Pack your bag before you go to bed. Then you don’t have to get stressed out by that in morning and you are less likely to forget something. Set clear boundaries for your day and week. I have to have limits to properly balance fully focused work with relaxation. By doing things this way I have discovered that I become more productive when not everything is about being productive. And life, in my experience, does become more pleasurable too. Three ways to set boundaries for your day and week are: Set at stop time and start time for work. I do not work after 7 o clock in the evenings and I do not work before 8 o clock in the morning. Plenty of breaks each day. Take breaks during your day to stay sharp and to have energy for the evenings and weekends too. I usually work for about 45 minutes and take a 15 minute break per hour. During that break I get away from the computer and do something different like going out for fresh air, eating something or watching half an episode of the Simpsons. Then every third hour or so I take a longer break for lunch, a snack or something like that. Don’t work on weekends. I try to stay away from the usual impressions and routines during the weekend. I usually take one media- and internet free day. I rarely check my emails on Saturdays or Sundays. Instead I spend time with my girlfriend, friends, family, a good book or movie or I do some other fun activity. Keep everything in its place. If everything has its own place then it is whole lot easier to keep your home reasonably ordered and decluttered from day to day. And to find the keys, wallet and cell phone as you are heading out the door. Be 10 minutes early. This very simple tip has transformed those traveling times during my day into relaxing breaks instead of passages of time and space that only up my levels of stress and other negative feelings. Keep a very simple workspace. By keeping a very simple workspace you minimize the distracting and stressing clutter. And your attention becomes easier to focus in a natural way on what is most important. So think about how you can create such a place to work in. One suggestion is to just have small desk with a laptop, a pad of paper and a pen and something that inspires you on one of your walls like a list of your top priorities or dreams, a good quote or a meaningful photo that gives you a jolt of energy and positivity. Just breathe. When stressed, lost in a problem or the past or future in your mind breathe with your belly for two minutes and just focus on the air going in and out. This will calm your body down and bring your mind back into the present moment again.

Happy Friday lovelies! Welcome to happy hour! Today we’re talking bars…no, not drinking bars (although that would be fitting). We’re talking protein bars. I was re-stocking by home studio yesterday and was overwhelmed by the amount of bar options there are! It can be hard to navigate which ones are healthy & delicious and which ones are essentially candy bars wrapped up as health food. {Fiji & Lara…only the best for my clients :-)} So, today’s happy hour question: what’s your FAVORITE brand/flavor of protein bars? Pour yourself a drink and let’s chat in the comments! PS- I recently discovered YouBars.Com. Did you know you can build your own bars from scratch and have them delivered to your house? A little spendy but it could be worth it 🙂 Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #food #Health #protein #snacks

This recipe is a perfect solution for those days where you just want to snack; when you’re feeling the urge to open a bag of chips, pretzels or crackers for that salty crunch.  I’m willing to bet these crunchy cajun roasted chickpeas will fit the bill and satisfy your craving without the extra junk that comes along with processed foods. Ingredients: 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained & rinsed Cajun seasoning (or your seasoning of choice) Sea Salt Olive Oil Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and then pat dry with a paper towel. Discard any excess skins that fall off in the washing. Coat the chickpeas with a light coating of olive oil and spread out on a baking sheet. Allow the chickpeas to bake for approximately 40 minutes. You want them to get quite crunchy but not burnt so check them regularly towards the end. Once baked, sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and sea salt to suit your taste. Enjoy! xo, Recipe thanks to Steamy Kitchen . Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #glutenfree #recipe #vegan #vegetarian

It’s that time again…time for bikini bottoms and short skirts! I think you’re beautiful just the way you are but if you’d like to spend a little time firming up your backside for that extra boost of confidence, this series is for you. This 5 minute series is designed to tone, lift & strengthen your glutes from all angles. CLICK HERE to give it a try. Here’s an at-home workout idea: 5 minute warm up jog 10 minute run at a challenging pace 5 minute Booty Burner video ( here ) Flat Tummy February video ( here ) 10 minute run at a challenging pace 5 minute cool down jog Try it this week and let me know what you think! PS – if you REALLy want to commit to toning up before summer then join the Pi-Glow Challenge ! It’s totally free so you’ve got nothing to lose. Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE! #Pilates #YouTube #Workout #Glutes #exercise

Image by notsogoodphotography ( license ). [hana-code-insert name='social w twitt face' /]Creating a new habit isn’t always easy. You often start out all enthusiastic and excited. But since you usually have to keep doing it every day for about 30 days or once a week for a whole lot of weeks to make the habit into something that sticks and feels natural it becomes harder after a while. Life may interfere. Perhaps you get overwhelmed at work or at home. Maybe you go away for a vacation or a conference somewhere. Or maybe – because change is scary and could be harmful – your mind starts to create thoughts that that try to persuade you to quit this new and possibly positive change. What to do then? Here are a few tips that help me to keep going on such tough days or to make smart decisions. Just for today! Here’s a little phrase I got from Brian Tracy that I often use when I'm having a bad day with a new habit. I say to myself: Just for today I will XX! Replace XX with what you will do just for today such as getting exercise, getting going with the most important task first thing in the day or eating a healthy lunch. By telling myself that I only have to do it today I release the mental burden of the past times I did it and future times when I will do it. And so the task becomes much lighter and the inner resistance melts away. Plus, it also reminds me that the period that I am are investing in changing a habit is not the rest of my life. After 30 days or so the habit will mostly be automatic so it is not something I have to do on willpower for the next few years or decades. And guess what, when tomorrow comes I’ll have a good day again with less resistance and I will most likely feel like doing the task again. Find inspiration quickly to change your mood and mind. When you are having a rough day then go and find some inspiration and motivation to keep going. With the help of just 15-20 minutes of personal development CDs, mp3s, blog posts or a chapter or two in a book you can often change negative thoughts and feelings within into something more positive. And so you’ll once again feel more motivated to keep going. Nudge yourself back on track when you slip. You’ll probably slip along the way. It’s natural to do so. If you can avoid doing so over the 30 days then that is good. If you slip then that is OK too. Don’t beat yourself up if you do. That will only causes more negativity within and you may feel like giving up altogether just because you made a small slip or mistake. Instead, nudge yourself back on track the next day again. And then keep going with the thought in mind that is the smart choice to forgive yourself to make it easier to make this habit a sticky habit. Take a break. Maybe you simply need a break for a day or two. Then take it. But then nudge yourself back on track again. Do not let a small break become the end of this positive change. Have a cheat day. I found having a cheat day to be very helpful when I lost 26 pounds in the beginning of 2009. On Saturdays I was allowed to eat some of the unhealthy but delicious stuff I was sometimes craving during the rest of the week. This became a vent that helped me to release that inner pressure regularly. Instead of letting it ramp up until I wolfed down way to much of the stuff I craved. I still, most of the time at least, stick with eating candy or potato chips on Saturdays and it helps me to maintain my weight and to not allow old and bad habits to pop up again. Quit. Are you creating this habit because you truly want it? Or are you creating it because someone told you to or because so many people around you seem to have it or work on it? Oftentimes when you create a new habit there will be thoughts and feelings of not wanting to work on the habit. This can, for example, come from feeling overwhelmed or tired or from the common drop in enthusiasm after a few weeks. Or from feeling bored with the habit from time to time. That is natural and can be overcome. But if you have no passion or real interest personally to create this habit in the first place then it will be very hard or impossible to keep it up. So if you feel like giving up or bored a lot, if you feel no real passion or excitement or curiosity about the habit then ask yourself the two questions above. Because then it may be time to quit doing this and to spend your time and energy on a habit you truly want to cultivate. What you want isn’t easy to know before you get started though. And although, for example, the habit of jogging wasn't something you really wanted to do doesn’t mean that you should give up on a habit of getting regular exercise. Try walking, biking, playing badminton or table tennis instead. Try a new habit and see if it is a better fit and more enjoyable for you. Because if it fits you and your life and you truly enjoy it then it becomes a whole lot easier to establish the habit and to keep going with it for a long time.

Happy Friday Balanced Life ladies! This week has been a whirlwind. I’m looking forward to unwinding this evening by grilling dinner outside and enjoying glass of Chardonnay (okay, more like I’ll be sipping wine while my husband does the grilling. Even better). Since we all have a few more hours left to work let’s get this online happy hour started early! Pour yourself a beverage and join the conversation. Today’s happy hour question: We all get stuck in ruts with breakfasts, lunches and dinners so let’s talk recipes! Share one of your favorite recipes in the comments below. You can either write it the directions or simply post a link. I’ll start us off. One of my favorite weeknight meals lately has been this Sweet Potato, Kale & Quinoa Bow l from Joyous Health. It hits the spot when I’m craving comfort food. Cheers! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #recipes #diet #healthydiet #Health #cooking #nutrition

Looking to get your bod back in shape for summer? Then I hope you’ll join me for the Pi-Glow 21-Day Challenge! I’m super excited to announce that I’ve teamed up with  Jenn from For The Glow  and Laura from Head Over Heels In Health to provide an AMAZING 21-day countdown to summer. Laura from Head Over Heels in Health is going to help you make the mind-body connection + give your excuses a detox (say buh-bye to all the reasons you “can’t” stay motivated!). Jenn from For The Glow is going to whip you into shape with her signature cardio + sculpting workouts along with a superfood (and super FUN) meal plan to help you bring about that summer glow from the inside out. And of course, I’ll be on board as your personal Pilates trainer. I plan to sculpt you into a lean, mean, confidence machine so that you can kick off your summer looking and feeling your absolute best. This FREE 3 week online program will include: – Jenn’s signature Method workouts designed to tighten, tone and shape your body from head to toe. – Daily coaching emails on everything from life balance, nutrition, recipes, self-care to the kick in the pants and motivation you need to stay on track . 3 specialized coaches = 3x the motivation! – Online Pilates training designed to slim & strengthen your entire body with a special focus on creating a strong core, flat abs and a whittled waistline. – Weekly Target Training videos to help you strengthen and tone those pesky “problem areas.” – A healthy, balanced, nutrient-packed meal plan that’s delicious and easy to follow. Meals, snacks and recipes designed my Jenn to bring about the healthy summer glow from the inside out. Did you catch that we’re offering all of this for FREE!? Yes, FREE!! The 3 of us just decided that we want you ALL to have the opportunity to improve your health and confidence by getting fit for life and fab for summer. The program will be happening 100% via email. The first email will arrive  in your inbox on May 3rd and the program will officially kick off on Monday, May 6th so you’ve got plenty of time to prepare. Simply enter your name and email below and you’ll be IN  – can’t wait to get started! I’m in! Sign me up for the Pi-Glow Challenge! * indicates required Email Address * First Name * Questions? Feel free to send me an email! (robin@thebalancedlifeonline.com) Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE! #Pilates

Remember when I did a “Real Women, Real Balance” Q & A with my friend and fellow Pilates instructor Jessica Luengo ? Well exciting news – she just released her very first cookbook! Cooking Healthy Together  is full of easy and delicious 5 step recipes for newlywed couples. She includes meals, cocktails, kitchen must-haves along with the basics of how to cook fish, chicken & red meat. I can’t wait for my copy to arrive. I’m thinking of purchasing a few more to have on hand for engagement and wedding gifts. It would be perfect paired with a few cooking supplies. You can purchase the book on her client, Mindy Weiss’s website. Just CLICK HERE ! Get 3 FREE Pilates workouts in your inbox now! YES PLEASE! #cooking #diet #Health #recipes

Between my private clients and Pilates Body Program clients I get a lot of questions about what to buy at the grocery store. There’s no question that the grocery store can be hard to navigate when on a quest to stock a healthy kitchen. Every package seems to be making some kind of “healthy” promise or claim to superfood fame. So, I thought I’d share my weekly grocery list staples. We all get stuck in food ruts (myself included) so sometimes it’s fun to see what others are buying to inspire new snacks spice things up in the kitchen. Here are the foods I have on hand nearly every week, regardless of the recipes I have planned… For the produce bowl: avocados bananas oranges lemons limes garlic For the fridge: 1% organic milk (for my man) nonfat, plain greek yogurt (for snacks, “sour cream”, dressings, dips, etc.) hummus Farmhouse Culture sauerkraut ( here’s why ) crumbled goat cheese unsweetened vanilla almond milk (for coffee & smoothies) low sodium deli turkey slices (nitrate free) organic berries organic cherry tomatoes fresh basil microgreens eggs (organic, cage-free) organic spinach organic kale Broccoli baby carrots sugar snap peas or peppers (for snacking & dipping) organic apples wine and/or beer chicken breasts ground turkey For the pantry: quinoa Nut Thins almonds (50% salted) black beans organic chicken broth (for soups & flavoring) canned tuna (reduced sodium) all natural almond butter with roasted flax seeds (Trader Joe’s) all natural peanut butter sliced raw almonds or pepitas (to toss in with veggies or salads) steel-cut oats raisins (mix with nuts for an easy snack) coffee honey vanilla chamomile tea cinnamon (to sprinkle in coffee & oatmeal) raw honey For the freezer: frozen mixed berries (for smoothies) Hopefully these staples will give you some new ideas as you make your grocery list this week. My staples have simplified since following The Pilates Body Program and following Drew Parisi’s wise advice – we have much less processed/packaged foods, dairy & gluten and a whole lot more nuts, seeds, fruits & veggies. Okay your turn. What are some of your “must have” items that can always be found in your kitchen? I need some fresh ideas too! xo, PS – you may also like meal planning 101 and benefits of fermented foods . Get 3 FREE Pilates workouts in your inbox now! YES PLEASE! #grocerylist #recipes #diet #healthydiet #Health #healthy #HealthyMeals #groceries

I’m honored to have Allie Marie Smith on the blog today for another edition of “Real Women. Real Balance.” Allie is Founder and Director of  Wonderfully Made , a non-profit ministry dedicated to inspiring young women to know their value and live outward-focused lives. She’s an award-winning author of “ HEAL: Healthy Eating & Abundant Living ” and is also a professional speaker, certified-Spinning Instructor the creator of the Body Beautiful iPhone app “for true beauty and confidence.” Allie lives near Santa Barbara, California (my previous home) and is a true example of a real woman, seeking to live in a healthy, balanced way. I’m completely inspired by the way she has dedicated her life to help women live more freely and love themselves more fully. First off, what inspired you to start Wonderfully Made ? I started Wonderfully Made my sophomore year of college after battling severe depression, poor body image, insecurity and witnessing so many of my close girlfriends go through similar issues such as such eating disorders, self-harm, promiscuity and drug and alcohol abuse. What is your favorite post on the Wonderfully Made blog ? That’s a tough one! We’ve had so many great posts by incredible contributors over the years. If I had to narrow it down, I’d say one I enjoyed writing the most is “All Things Beautiful.” As you know, The Balanced Life is all about empowering women to approach health & fitness with a balanced mindset. We’re trying to rid the industry of guilt and “fat talk” what is one of the best ways that you’ve found to not fall victim to these messages? While it’s never easy to live in a toxic culture that bombards us with images of gorgeous, scantily clad and photo-shopped women, I’ve come a long way on my journey towards freedom. I try focus on health and freedom and strive to be healthy, fit and free – rather than a certain size or shape. I choose to treasure my body for the amazing gift it is; for the fun activities it allows me to enjoy, the people it enables me to love, and the life I’m able to live. What do you do when you’re not working on Wonderfully Made projects? One of my life mantras is “Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea and drink the wild air” (wise words by Ralph Waldo Emerson). I try to do that as much as possible with my husband or girlfriends. I surf at least once a week and when the waves are flat I’ll opt for stand up paddling, hiking or horse-backing riding. I also teach Spinning classes a few times a week and love antique shopping and spending time with my girlfriends. With all that you do I have no doubt you’re incredibly busy. So I’m curious, what does balance mean to you during your current season of life? It means savoring the in-between-moments in life – like enjoying the walk to my mailbox rather than just grabbing the mail. I never feel guilty for having “me time.” I hug often and try to have at least one good belly laugh a day. Who/what inspires you? Spending time outside in wide-open spaces, traveling, books, social entrepreneurs and innovators, artists and athletes. Also, each one of my mentors, role models and closest friends inspire me in a unique way. Collectively they are a constant source of inspiration. What is your best tip for maintaining a healthy lifestyle (or mindset) in the midst of a busy, pressure-filled life? Move your body creatively and regularly – discover the things that make you come alive and do them often. Also, never feel guilty for having “you time.” What projects are you currently working on for Wonderfully Made? Right now I’m busy expanding our “HerStory” film series and planning a big, fall conference for girls and young women. I’m also gearing up to promote our new small group study “Wonderfully Made: Becoming Who You Are in Christ” which releases next month! Before I let you go, can you tell us more about the Body Beautiful iPhone App? After getting my first iPhone a few years ago and seeing the need for an app that would inspire women and girls to have a more positive self-image, I decided to set out and create one. Body Beautiful is the only iPhone app for “true beauty and confidence” which features inspirational quotes, media articles, videos and tools. ( CLICK HERE to download the Body Beautiful app) To read more about all that Allie has going on with Wonderfully Made and Body Beautiful be sure to visit her website. You can also connect with her on Twitter or Facebook  for inspiring, positive conversation throughout the week. If you have question for Allie, feel free to post it in the comments below! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #beautiful #Balance #body #Fitness #diet #Health #app #iphone

I’m excited to start a new tradition here on The Balanced Life….Friday Happy Hour! I’d love to build up the community  here on the site. I know you’re out there reading, but now it’s time to come out of hiding and chat with me. We all want to get fit, get healthy find more balance in our lives so why not do it together? Everything is better and easier with friends. Every few Fridays I’ll post a happy hour question and we’ll chat about it in the comments. You know, like girlfriends chattin’ it up at happy hour. Come on, it’s Friday, you’re bored at work and ready for the weekend. So pour yourself a cocktail (or maybe a mock-tail) and join in! Please don’t stand me up 🙂 Today’s Question:  Other than Lululemon (that we all know and love), what’s your favorite brand of workout clothes?  Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #fashion #Fitness #FridayHappyHour #clothes #exercise

Goodbye rice, goodbye pasta & hello quinoa. It’s become a staple in our house, and with good reason. It’s versatile, healthy and easy to prepare. A little info: – though it’s commonly referred to as a grain, quinoa is actually a seed that’s a part of  the “leafy greens” family (spinach, chard, etc.) – it’s high in protein; better yet, it’s a complete protein which means it contains all 9 essential amino acids – it’s a good source of manganese, magnesium, folate & fiber – it cooks much quicker than rice, making it a great meal option for busy weeknights Traditional pesto is made with pine nuts but I prefer to make mine with pumpkin seeds (or pepitas). They pack more of a nutrient punch and also cost less, a win-win.  Pumpkin seeds are full of healthy fats, minerals and protein. They’re also known to reduce inflammation in the body, lower cholesterol, protect bone health and ward of prostate cancer in men. FRESH PESTO QUINOA I created this recipe based on ingredients I had on hand and it turned out really well. I made the pesto from scratch (easier than you think) and simply mixed it in with a batch prepared quinoa. The texture was reminiscent of comfort food….I don’t dare say risotto, but it was warm, hearty and deliciously satisfying. Ingredients: 3/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds without the shells) 1 cup fresh basil 1/2 cup fresh parsley 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic fresh lemon juice to taste salt & pepper (optional) 1/2 cup quinoa (uncooked) Directions: Toast the pepitas in a skillet for a few minutes to bring out their natural toasty flavor.  Cook quinoa according to package directions. While the quinoa cooks simply combine the remaining ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and blend until smooth. Once the quinoa is fully cooked stir in the pesto and enjoy! (recipe serves 4-6) Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #recipe #fiber #protein #fat #cooking #healthy #food

A new workout video is up! If you: work on a computer, text on your phone, play on your ipad, drive in a car or sit at a desk this workout is for YOU. And if you don’t do any of those things, I’d like to meet you 🙂 If we’re not careful, today’s culture is going to turn us all into hunchbacks with chronic pain. Not pretty. This series is strategically designed to help you strengthen your upper back extensors. Doing so will improve your posture and ultimately ease your tension. To view the video and learn more CLICK HERE. Have friend that would benefit from these exercises? Please feel free to share! {ps- bonus points if you can spot the moment where I thought there was a spider crawling on my arm!} Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!

“People don’t consider that looking good can be done from the inside out. They go about it the wrong way.” Hungry For Change is a new documentary film that sheds light on the American diet and why it desperately needs to change. I absolutely loved it and stand behind the message 100%. Films like this make me love my work even more…as I watched, I felt so proud of every woman going through The Pilates Body Program because they’re making these incredible changes that will transform their health for the long run. They’re not dieting, they’re changing their lifestyle and improving their health from the inside out. (credit) Here are a few quotes to give you an idea of what this film is all about… “There are zero calories in diet soda but studies have shown that if you start drinking diet soda, in ten years you will be fatter than when you started.” “It’s just like selling cigarettes. You put chemicals in food that make people want it again and again. That’s how companies get customers for life. By adding addictive chemicals that keep us coming back for more.” “Fat free normally means its loaded with sugar…but what happens once sugar is ingested in the body? It’s stored in the body as fat. It is not fat that makes you fat, it’s sugar that makes you fat!” What I love about this film is that it’s practical and relevant. It’s not over the top. I think you’ll really enjoy it. You can watch the film for FREE until March 31, 2012. CLICK HERE and then come back and let me know what you think! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #weight #diet #energy #Health #loss #nutrition

I first found Madison’s blog through her “No Fat Talk Tuesday” series. It’s not everyday you see a popular food blogger/editor dedicating time and energy to improving the lives of others. Madison Mayberry (could you get a better name?) is truly an inspiration. She’s insanely talented in the kitchen, but beyond that, she’s using her gifts to empower others to live healthy, balanced lives. She is a real woman, seeking real balance. A perfect fit for The Balanced Life! Keep reading to learn more… 1. What inspired you to start your blog “ Espresso and Cream “? I started Espresso and Cream in 2009 when I was interning for Better Homes and Gardens magazine. At the time, I was just starting to explore the world of food writing and recipe development. And while I enjoyed writing for a magazine, I also wanted to have a place to jot down my own recipes and write about things that I felt passionate about without having to answer to an editor. 2. What do you do when you’re not working on your blog? By day I’m a food editor for Meredith Corporation in Des Moines, Iowa, which keeps me very busy and challenges me constantly. When I’m not at work, it’s all about family. Now that the weather in Iowa is starting to get nicer, my husband, Joe, and I love to spend as much time outside as possible. I think we both have a case of spring fever! We love to go on runs, walks with our dog, Nutmeg, and play tennis. Our family is also pretty spread out, so we spend a lot of time in the car and in airplanes traveling to see them. 3. What is your favorite post on Espresso and Cream? Since I’m a newlywed, my favorite posts related to the wedding. Our ceremony was my favorite part of the day, so this recap post tops the list. 4. As you know, The Balanced Life is all about empowering women to approach health & fitness with a balanced mindset. We’re trying to rid the industry of guilt and fat talk so when I discovered “No Fat Talk Tuesdays” on your blog I knew you were a perfect fit, What inspired you to start that topic on your blog? For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with talking negatively about my body. I reached a low point in college, when I was sure that people would think that I was so ugly that I shouldn’t go out in public. But the truth is, I was fooled into believing lies about who I was and what I looked like. Although I was thinking very little of my appearance, I realized I was also being incredibly self-centered for spending so much time thinking about me! While my body image is much healthier today, I was still encountering so many beautiful, talented women who struggled with the same issues. I started “ No Fat Talk Tuesdays ” to shed light on this issue, and to help other women know that they aren’t alone. Women of all shapes and sizes struggle with negative body talk. I think it’s time we all bond together and lift one another up, rather than tearing each other down. 5. We’re also all about balance here. So tell us, what does balance mean to you in your current season of life? Man! This is a question I ask myself a lot. With a husband, job, commute, dog, friends, and a blog, it’s crucial that I take inventory of where I am investing my time and how thin I’m stretching myself. I’ve been learning a lot about moderation in this season of life. Sure, my house could be cleaner and I could respond to e-mails a bit more promptly, but sometimes good enough really is good enough. I need to give myself a little more grace and realize that spending time with the people in my life is top priority. 6. Who/what inspires you? My mom inspires me! She is strong and independent, always paving her own way without sacrificing herself or her values. And despite the high-pressure jobs she has held throughout the years, I always felt supported – as if I was the most important thing. She is one of the kindest women I know, always eager to invest in other people. Not to mention she instilled in me a love for fitness and cooking, two of the things I’m now most passionate about. 7. What is your best tip for maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the midst of a busy life? I know plenty of people say this, but you need to make it a priority – make a date with yourself just like you would a hair appointment or visit to your doctor. My husband is great because he loves the gym as much as I do, so we encourage and push one another. It’s also helpful to me to remind myself that I never regret going to the gym and almost always regret not going. And don’t forget about the nutrition piece of the puzzle. Focus on fruits, veggies, whole grains and lots of protein. I’m a vegetarian, so getting lots of protein is a bit more challenging, but if you’re thoughtful about it, you can get it done. If you prepare in advance it’s much easier to succeed. To read more from Madison be sure to visit her blog, Espresso and Cream . I promise you’ll love it! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #Balance #recipes #Fitness #Health #moderation #newlywed #cooking #food

Image by Cia de Foto ( license ). [hana-code-insert name='social w twitt face' /] “Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention.” Jim Rohn “If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting off doing it.” Olin Miller A couple of months ago I got my first smart phone, a couple of years after most people up here in Sweden. It is actually kind of awesome, especially when you have had an old Nokia for about half a decade. With my new smartphone can check the news or any website at any time of the day, read books, play fun games like Where’s My Water? and Flick Golf and listen to Spotify. And I’ll have an awesome guide with loads of pictures, info and a map for when mushroom hunting season begins here in the summer/early fall. But in the first few weeks of using it I also noticed that I felt more stressed. I started to procrastinate more by playing games on the phone or by doing random internet browsing. My attention span got chopped up into smaller pieces. I checked the phone too much while spending time with others and I started to feel addicted to doing something on the phone many times a day. So something had to change. Here’s what I did – and a few general tips – to reduce the phone usage, minimize the negative effects and still enjoy the capabilities of this new tool. These tips can also be used if you are for example having similar problems with your computer. Create small obstacles. This is very simple and a boundary I have written about many times when it for example comes to eating healthier. I set up a small obstacles to using the phone. When I sleep it is not in the bedroom with me but in drawer beneath the desk in my workspace. When I work during the day or hang out at home during the evening I keep the phone in the bedroom. By putting up small obstacles like these I make sure that the phone is not by my side all the time and the procrastination by phone has dropped to about zero. And if someone calls or sends me a text message I will still hear it most of the time. So if you can, prevent the easy access and what that tends to result in and put the phone somewhere where you can’t see it or where you have to get up and take a whole bunch of steps to get it. Shut it off at a certain time each day. I personally don’t use this for my phone but if you get a lot of calls every day then shutting it off at a certain time at the end of the workday and getting back to people tomorrow can prevent a lot of stress and inner negativity. This is what I have noticed when using this tactic for my computer where I am writing this right now. I shut it off at seven o clock in the evening at the latest – but usually earlier that that – and it stays off until the next morning. By doing all my work on this computer and using our other computer for watching a movie for instance I draw a boundary that helps me to stick to my work schedule for about 95% of the time. This has helped me to not become overworked and to decrease stress. Bunch checking. Instead of checking your Facebook, Twitter, email and other social media whenever you feel like it during the day and becoming hooked on that try bunching the checking. Try to just check all those accounts and inboxes once a day in one combined session at the end of your workday. Or if you just use Facebook etc. for your personal life then limit it to one check a day or to checking it once just after lunch and once in the evening. The less you check it and the later in the day you check it, the less you feel addicted to it. That has been my experience at least. Get a life. Of course, nowadays much of life is in the phone. We can check what friends and colleagues are up to and keep in touch and discuss things on the phone. But the phone can also become a sort of replacement where it becomes easy to spend time instead of going out and having other experiences and being there fully. Stuff like being out in nature, playing sports or playing in a band, working towards your biggest goal, having uninterrupted conversations or a fun night out. Simply by filling your life with a bit more fun or exciting activities, people face to face and the things you want out of life you won’t have time or as many reasons to use the phone that much anymore. If you found this article helpful, then please share it with someone else by using the buttons below. Thank you! =)

Today, I pose a challenge for all of us women seeking to live healthy, balanced lives. Every time you have an extreme, guilt-inducing thought regarding diet or exercise, challenge it. Step 1: notice it. Step 2: acknowledge it for what it is, a lie. Step 3: replace it with the truth. Don’t believe everything you think. Remember, most of us have been heavily influenced my media messaging since we were young. If you think you can’t have pizza without gaining weight, you’re wrong. That’s a lie. Or maybe you think it’s pointless to jog since you’re out of shape and only able to run a few minutes at a time. That’s just not true either; another lie. We all have different “truths” that we’ve been taught to believe. They are so ingrained in our thought patterns that we may not even notice them as lies, they have become our truths. So, for the rest of this week –  challenge your lies . Do you have a lie that won’t get out of your mind? You’re not alone. Feel free to share it below so we can encourage one another to ditch the guilt and get on with healthy, balanced, productive living. Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #Balance #BodyImage #diet #negative #Health #thoughts #mental #exercise

“To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.” Henry David Thoreau “If you’re in a bad situation, don’t worry it’ll change. If you’re in a good situation, don’t worry it’ll change.” John A Simone Some days go well. Other days can feel lackluster. Some days may start out pretty good but turn bad. What can you do when you are having a bad day? I like to ask myself a few helpful questions. These questions help me to regain a more optimistic and constructive perspective when I feel like doing nothing, dwelling on a problem or when I am in a bad mood. Sometimes they help me to switch my perspective quickly. Sometimes they at least help me to see a bit of sunlight at the horizon and slowly I make a transition from having bad day into something a bit better. 1. Am I making a mountain out of a molehill right now? It’s very easy to fall into the habit of making mountains out of molehills. You think and think about a small problem until it becomes something that you believe may ruin your life. To snap myself out such a thought pattern I like to question and reevaluate by using this question. It makes life lighter because few things are real mountains. Most issues tend to be molehills exaggerated by overthinking, listening too much to other people’s pessimism or not asking yourself helpful questions. 2. Does anyone on the planet have it worse than me right now? I like to use this one when I am stuck on focusing on the negatives, when I feel like a victim and like things are going against me. The answer helps me to remember and understand that I have much to be grateful for in my life. This question changes my perspective from a narrow, self-centred one into a much wider one. It helps me to lighten up about my situation. 3. What can I learn from this situation and is there an opportunity here to grow in some way? Whenever I am having a setback with my blog or am having a bad day in another area of my life I pause. I then ask myself this question. And in almost all cases I can learn something new and/or change the direction in my actions so that I or some part of my life becomes better. Many times the bad days have in retrospect turned out to be blessings in disguises because they have been points when I have changes things in some way and made my life better. So, when I wind up in a negative situation nowadays there is also often some curiosity and optimism that bubbles up within me. 4. What is one small step I can take right now to get ball rolling and to start turning this situation around? Instead of spending too much time on dwelling on the problem or negative feelings see what you can do about the situation right now. By just getting the ball rolling in some small way by taking an action right now or today I usually feel relieved and a whole lot better. I feel good about myself and I feel good about being on a path towards a solution or towards improving my day. 5. Can I just accept that this is how I feel right now? Some issues you may not be able to take action on today to start resolving. But that doesn’t mean that you cannot feel better about what is happening. I can often feel better in these difficult situations by asking the question above and by fully accepting that this is how I feel right now. Now, it is often a natural impulse to try to deny negative feelings or thoughts when they show up in your life. Perhaps you try to not think about them, perhaps you try to push that feeling away. I have found that in many cases it is actually better to just accept that the negative feelings and th0ughts are here right now (although it can be hard to sometimes convince your brain that this is a good option as it wants to deny or reject what is). By accepting that you feel this way and that these thoughts are floating in your mind you stop feeding more energy into them and you stop making them strong. After a few minutes of fully taking in this uncomfortable feeling and thoughts and accepting that they are here then they start to lose steam. They just seem to float away and you once again feel more open and are able to think more clearly.

This past weekend  was absolutely gorgeous. Spring is in the air and warmer weather is just around the corner. Strolling the farmer’s market is one of my favorite ways to get outside, unplug and enjoy the sunshine. We are so spoiled here in the bay area by the abundance of high-quality, unique vendors.  Raw, organic, sustainable, gluten-free, vegan, etc. are more than just buzz words in these parts. They’re the lifestyle and culture of the city. It’s one thing I love about living here – you don’t have to look far to find fresh, healthy foods. It makes taking care of your health easy and more importantly, fun. When the fresh, organic food cart tastes better than the drive-thru, it’s a win-win for everyone. If you’re local, you already know about Cowgirl Creamery . Cheese to die for! This MT TAM rocked my world. Although I left the stand empty-handed I have every intention of bringing some of this home soon – I’m just looking for an excuse. The minute you arrive, the market smells like heaven thanks to Roli Roti , serving up sustainably farmed rotisserie chicken. We picked one up for an easy (and truly delicious) Sunday night dinner. Lunch was an Italian Cone from Raw Daddy . “Ricotta” made with cashew cream topped with arugula, basil & walnut pesto, served in a flax seed cone. Paired with a Sparkling Lemonade made with fresh squeezed lemon, fresh ginger, sparkling water and a big of agave nectar. Highly recommend. My friend (and nutritionist) Drew Parisi has recently inspired me to incorporate more fermented foods into my diet ( here’s why ). Happy Girl Kitchen Co . won me over with their branding, vibrant colors and unique flavors. I just found out they offer class workshops too! Be sure to pick up some oranges on your next trip to your local market. They’re finally in-season and tasting delicious. Enjoy them while you can 🙂 Get 3 FREE Pilates workouts in your inbox now! YES PLEASE! #cooking #diet #farmersmarket #Health

One of the biggest challenges of maintaining a healthy lifestyle is managing a unweildy sweet tooth. You don’t have to give up your love for sweet foods in order to eat well. A healthy, balanced diet includes the entire spectrum of flavors that nature so abundantly offers: sweet, salty, savory, sour. Food is supposed to taste unique and delicious. It’s just up to us to enjoy these flavors in natural, healthy ways – not out of the overly processed, artificially flavored box. Here are a few of my favorites: – Peanut butter-stuffed dates. All you need is a dime-size drop of peanut butter, a pitted date and “voila!” nature’s candy bar. I have to be careful with these because they are ridiculously good! – Peanut butter and banana “soft serve” – Frozen yogurt bites. These will be my go-to over the summer. So perfect for hot days. – Dark chocolate with sea salt. Some days ONLY chocolate will do. A little dark chocolate is good for the heart and good for the soul. I also tossed the question out to all of you on Facebook & Twitter  and you all had great ideas! Here are your suggestions… @PilatesJuliet : Extra sugar-free apple pie gum! @DonnaQueza : I’ve been making homemade smoothies! The natural sugar is making me drop the Girl Scout cookies! @yogalina : a healthier hot cocoa: unsweetened almond milk, raw cocao, stevia & cinnamon. #healthy @dianemulholland : I just discovered Nakd bars, best thing after a run. They’re like Lara bars as far as I can tell. @AudraMcElyea : Nutz Over Chocolate Luna bars! Kahlee: blueberries & carrot juice. Sunny: These vegan rice krispie treats courtesy of Alicia Silverstone. So gooey and delicious – but I’ve found without the white sugar they’re not addicting. Perfect for me! Laura from LB’s Good Spoon : Apple and peanut butter does the trick! Satisfies my hunger too! Do you have a favorite healthy treat that didn’t make the list? Post it in the comments! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #Balance #recipes #body #diet #dessert #Health

Image by TheeErin ( license ). “One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important.” Bertrand Russell “Sometimes the most urgent thing you can possibly do is take a complete rest.” Ashleigh Brilliant “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” John Lubbock Maintaining a balance in life is perhaps harder today than ever. Demands in school or at work can push down on you. Information is flooding like a never-ending river into life. The opportunities to explore different things have never been so abundant. If you don’t set limits and work in a balanced way you can become drained, overworked and in the end even burn out for quite some time. So what can you do about this serious challenge? Well, I do not have all the answers. But I have some. I have found a couple of things that work well for me. If I do not do them regularly I tend to become cranky, feel drained and my thoughts tend to become more pessimistic. But when I stick with these habits – which is fortunately most of the time by now – I can maintain a balance that allows me to do good work and feel good. 1. Set your clear boundaries for the day. This is extremely important, at least for me. I have to have limits to properly balance work with relaxation. So I do not work after 7 o clock in the evenings. I do not work before 8 o clock in the morning. I also recommend finding a balance within the work hours. Take breaks during your day to stay sharp and to have energy for the evenings and weekends too. I usually work for about 45 minutes and take a 15 minute break per hour. During that break I get away from the computer and do something different like going out for fresh air, eating something or watching half an episode of the Simpsons. I could work more each day. But working without breaks except for lunch tends to make the quality of my work to suffer pretty quickly. You may not able to take breaks like that at your job, but take the breaks you can where you are. Since I work from home it can in its own way be hard to keep away from working further into the evening. There is no office or school to leave. Since I have the fortune to have two computers I use the one I am writing on right now for work. It is powered down by 7 o clock or earlier. And then it stays shut off until the next morning. This way I draw a boundary that helps me to stick to my work schedule for about 95% of the time. 2. Do not work on weekends. I try to stay away from the usual impressions and routines during the weekend. I usually take one media- and internet free day. I rarely check my emails on Saturdays or Sundays. Instead I spend time with my girlfriend, friends, family, a good book or movie or I do some other fun activity. This relaxes and recharges me. By having strict limits like I have described so far in this article and by doing different activates during the rest periods compared to the work periods I am being kind to myself and so I can most often avoid the grey zone. When you are in the grey zone you are basically thinking and worrying about work when you are at home or you having a day off. Or you think about your home life and challenges there when you are at work. Avoid the grey zone. It sucks the life out of you. 3. Handle the 3 fundamentals of energy in a good way. If you have read any of my books you have probably heard about these 3 fundamentals. They are quite obvious but if you manage them well then life and work become a lot easier and lighter to handle. The three fundamentals are: getting enough sleep, eating well and getting enough exercise. If I do not eat well or get enough exercise in week I tend to become more tense and worried. I have less energy. I find it harder to make decisions and to take action. If I do not get enough sleep I feel more stressed, thinking clearly becomes harder and negative thoughts tend to pop up more frequently in my head. Sticking with the two first tips in this article can help you to get more sleep because it is easier to get sleep well when you are not stuck in the grey zone. Getting your regular exercise – walks to and from work or school is a simple way to get more movement and fresh air into your life – does in my experience also help with getting quality sleep. So be honest with yourself and take a look at how you are managing your own three fundamentals. If you find something you want to improve then take a small action to get that ball rolling today. 4. Listen to yourself. When you become more irritable, start to feel drained, tired and creativity plummets listen to that. Do not plod on straight into the brick wall. Instead, schedule more time to take care of yourself. Instead of running off with your regular routine after school or work, take the time you have for yourself and spend much of it on yourself. Just stay in bed with a book for the evening. Or go out for quiet walk in nature. Do something you know relaxes and recharges you. No one will reward you for running into that wall and feeling even worse or even becoming burned out. Be kind to yourself, take care of yourself and prioritize your health to be able to continue to give value to your world in the way you do at work and in your personal relationships. 5. Ask yourself questions that bring clarity to your work. Regularly reevaluate how you are working. One good way to do so is to ask yourself questions that bring you clarity, help you focus on the most important things and perhaps to find a new and healthier perspective. Questions that snap you out of busy work, checking your email for the tenth time today and that make you pause for a second and look at how you spend your life. Will doing this matter 5 years from now? Or 5 months from now? Or even 5 weeks from now? Is doing this bringing me closer to my goal? Why am I doing this? What are my top 4 priorities in life? How am I balancing them in my life right now? What is one thing I can do to find a healthier balance in how I spend my time and energy? As always, you do not have do any of these things perfectly. I don’t. But by taking small steps, by increasing the percentage of time when you do the right thing or take the more positive action your life will change for the better. If you found this article helpful, then please share it with someone else by using the buttons below. Thank you! =)

This sweet little treat has recently taken the place of my post-dinner chocolate habit. It’s beyond simple and healthy too. If you’re okay with extra sugar, use a flavored greek yogurt. Since I’m limiting the amount of excess sugar in my diet I used plain, nonfat greek yogurt sweetened with a little bit of honey (and next time I might add a few frozen berries into the mix). Simply drop bite-size dollops of yogurt on a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment, freeze for an hour, and voila, you’ve got yourself a sweet, healthy treat! This will be perfect for the warmer days that are just around the corner. Keep a stash in the freezer so that you’ve got a healthy option on hand to satisfy your post-meal sweet tooth. This recipe is beyond simple (thank you, Pinterest , for the original inspiration). Enjoy! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

I reserved this past Saturday for a solo day of self-care. Like many of you, I’ve been working long hours and going nonstop. The more my online business grows, the more technologically connected I am throughout the day. If I’m not with clients I’m checking email, updating Facebook, bookkeeping, creating new programs, chatting on Twitter or coaching my Pilates Body ladies. I train in-person clients for 6 hours per day but work 12 hour days when all is said and done. I know I’m not alone in this. We are all busy. We all get swept up in To Do’s, commitments and responsibilities throughout the week. Most are necessary, but some we create for ourselves due to the cultural pressure to consistently produce, do, create, progress, etc. (but that’s another post altogether). My solo day of self-care last weekend got me thinking… When I’m exhausted or feel like I’ve been worked to the bone, it’s my tendency to reward myself with indulgence. It took me a long time to recognize this and recognize it as ultimately an unfulfilling habit that I’ve unintentionally created. More often that not, when I want to do something special for myself it involves being lazy, eating rich food and drinking wine. It’s true. The reward for my long week usually contains one of the above. Perhaps you can relate. I know that eating a meal full of cheese, wine and bread is enjoyable  and “rewarding” in the moment but I also know that it makes me feel like crap afterwards. Hardly rejuvenating. Hardly refreshing. In the end, a far cry from my goal of self-care. To be honest, it looks a bit more like self-sabotage. This past weekend I decided to take the first step in changing this unhealthy habit. On Saturday, I arranged my day as follows: Solo Day Of Self-Care 8:00 – wake up, enjoy a relaxing morning with fresh brewed coffee and oatmeal for breakfast 10:00 – pedicure (which naturally comes with catching up on gossip magazines that I refuse to subscribe to but love to read) 11:00 – Pilates (yes, exercise on my day off. But taking a class instead of teaching a class = glorious) 12:00 – 15 minutes of silence and deep breathing in the eucalyptus steam room 12:15 – leisurely shower, shave, and primping session (key word: LEISURELY, no rushing on this day of self-care) 1:00 – enjoyed a delicious, healthy green smoothie (juice bar instead of homemade = a treat) {freshly painted toes waiting in line at the juice bar} It was a lovely day and I can’t wait to do it again. Taking time to slow down and care for myself and my body completely changed my demeanor, mood and outlook on life. On Friday I was anxious, busy, rushed and low on energy. By the end of Saturday I felt calm, healthy, strong and confident. {cucumber, spinach, celery, spirulina, protein powder & flax seeds} Lesson learned: treating myself does not have to mean indulging and undoing all my healthy work from the week. Exercising, relaxing and eating healthy can actually feel like a treat and it ultimately serves the purpose in a much more significant way. A ‘treat’ doesn’t have to be unhealthy and relaxing doesn’t have to mean lazy. <— click to tweet. I share this not to brag about my great day but to inspire you to do something similar for yourself. Some of you may be thinking, “of course you’re going to feel better after a green smoothie vs. a bottle of wine (plate of nachos, pint of ice cream, insert indulgence of choice).” I realize that. But some of you may be saying, “it’s good to know I’m not the only one.” It’s a change in perspective and a change in habit to actually put this into practice. I may be a fitness professional but I’m human just like you. I’m working to improve my health and habits on a daily basis too. Remember, we’re in this together. xo, PS – you may also enjoy On Kindness, Punishment and Paper Bags and 10 Self-Care Tips For New Moms. Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

As you know, The Balanced Life is all about empowering women to be strong, healthy and reasonable in their pursuit of health & fitness. We all know how hard it is to find balance in the many aspects of life so when I see a woman doing it well or sharing a similar message I track them down and convince them to be a part of the “Real Women, Real Balance” series so that they can share their wisdom with you as well. Drew Parisi is a perfect fit for this series. She is a certified nutrition consultant who is located in the bay area. You’ve probably heard me mention her before because she created the fantastic meal plans for The Pilates Body Program . We’ve been working together over the past few months and she is such a joy to know in person. I couldn’t be happier with the nutrition plan she created for me and it has forever changed the way I cook, eat and relate to food. Drew and I have very similar views on health and her perspective is refreshing and inspiring. I consider her a “foodie’s nutritionist.” You will NEVER get bland diet food when working with her! Her passion for good food and good health is absolutely contagious. 1. What inspired you to pursue a career in nutrition? I’ve always been interested in the effect food has on one’s body, but it wasn’t until my own diagnosis of gluten intolerance that I realized the true power food has to harm as well as to heal. I firmly believe in the body’s natural capacity to heal when provided with real nourishment and value the privilege of partnering with others to sift through conflicting health claims and give them the tools they need to truly care for themselves and their families. 2. What do you do when you’re not working with clients or working on your business? My mind is constantly on food and when I’m not seeing clients I’m usually at the farmer’s market or in my kitchen finding ways to nourish myself, my family, and my friends. I enjoy spending date nights with my husband “researching” new restaurants to recommend and am a sucker for art and fashion or anything that makes me laugh. 3. What is your favorite article on your website? My favorite article thus far is Sacred Salt . I believe our bodies are created to function best when consuming foods as they were perfectly designed in nature. Unfortunately, we’ve been led to believe a lot of these foods are “bad” for us as a result of marketing by big agriculture and pharmaceutical interest groups. Salt is one of these foods that has been demonized as the cause of a myriad of disease. Sacred Salt looks at the many health benefits of salt, how best to use salt in your diet, and, of course, where to find my favorite brands to stock in your kitchen. Upgrading the salt in your shaker is a simple first step in upgrading to a more nourishing lifestyle. 4. What does balance mean to you during your current season of life? Balance means taking some time each week to read a book, work on a creative project, spend some time outside, or do something else I enjoy. I’m a busy woman, but I find that when I take time to pause and “recharge,” I am not only more productive, but much happier too! 5. Who/what inspires you? I’m inspired by a multitude of people and things. I’m inspired by busy women who find ways to create balance in their lives and realize it’s okay to not be perfect at everything. I’m inspired by hard-working farmers that follow their principles rather than the money in order to grow food with integrity. I’m inspired by professional chefs as well as home-kitchen food bloggers that find beauty in simple food and share their creations with the rest of us. I’m inspired by my husband, who encourages me to become more myself everyday. 6. What is your best tip for maintaining a healthy diet in the midst of a busy life? Think about food. A lot of us think our love of food is what keeps us from our health goals, but that’s not the case. Learn tasteful ways to prepare nourishing meals. Plan your day around what and when you will eat. Try organizing your meals the day prior (my mom used to help me make my school lunch the night before – why did I ever get out of that habit?). Read restaurant reviews and menus online to find fresh foods that will satisfy your palate. More often than not, it’s our last-minute decisions that do the most harm. Learn to appreciate food not only for it’s taste, but also for how it makes you feel. 7. What is one of the biggest diet/nutrition myth that you would like to set the records straight on? Organic is not your mom. These days we’re really focused on “organic” or “natural” foods, often choosing to buy a product claiming to be such thinking it is “healthy” for us. It’s probably not. An organic cookie is still a cookie. True, it may not contain pesticides or GMO crops, but it will still have the same effect on your blood sugar, immune system and waistline. If you’re going to eat a cookie – eat an organic cookie, but don’t kid yourself by thinking it’s “healthy.” 8. What projects are you currently working on for Drew Parisi Nutrition?  I’m currently working on an online class called “ Going Against the Grain: The Ultimate Guide for Your Gluten Free Journey .”  This class is perfect for those who are curious about what a gluten-free diet is all about as well as those diagnosed with a gluten intolerance and want to know where to begin. I’ll be sharing my favorite tips and recipes for making gluten-free delicious and fun! Be sure to check out Drew’s beautiful website and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter  ( @drewparisi ). She shares informative, practical advice to help you make healthy decisions throughout the week. Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #Balance #recipes #glutenallergy #healthydiet #Health #weightmaintenance #glutenintolerance #weightloss #cooking #glutenfree

If you spend most of your time at a computer or desk, this stretch is for you. I’m willing to bet that you’ve experienced some form of tension or tightness in your neck, back and/or shoulders at some point in your career. The truth is, by sitting at your desk for 8 hours a day, your pectoral muscles, which run along the front of your chest, have shortened and your upper back muscles have lengthened. This leads to a severe imbalance of the front and back of the body and can lead to pain, tension and tightness. This is what I call “computer shoulders” and working in the Silicon Valley, I see a lot of them. Enter, the “Anti-Computer Shoulder” stretch. This is a simple stretch, but it is my absolute favorite stretch to relieve tension and pain in the upper body. I frequently end my mat classes with this stretch because of its healing properties. It also causes you to slow down and relax, something that most people won’t do on their own. So, when I have my clients captive in class, I include this stretch and encourage deep breathing for an effective, tension-relieving break in their day. HOW TO: 1. Lay on your side with your arms stacked out in front of you. Your knees should be aligned at a 90 degree angle in front of you. It’s imperative to keep your hips and knees perfectly stacked throughout the entire movement to get the full benefit of the stretch. Envision that they are bolted together and cannot move. NOTE: If this position is uncomfortable for your neck, simply fold a towel underneath your head for support. 2. Slowly trace a big circle with your arm, attempting to keep your hand on or near the ground throughout the whole rotation. You can think of your arm as a hand on a clock. Many of you will not be able to keep your hand on the ground due to tight muscles, this may be an indicator that you should be doing this stretch more often. As you rotate with your arm, allow your head and chest to roll open and look toward the ceiling. You should feel a deep stretch along the front of your arm/chest and into your back. 3. Draw 5 slow circles in each direction while breathing deeply. Then repeat on the other side. Questions? Post them in the comments below. I’m here for you! Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE! #NeckPain #body #Pilates #Tension #LowBackPain #ShoulderPain #Stretches #BackPain #exercise #breath

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” Confucius I love simplifying my life. It makes me more effective and life less stressful. It makes me calmer, more energetic and happier. So today I’d like to share 42 ways for you to simplify your life. I hope you’ll find something inspiring and helpful among these tips. 1. Mix things up. Try the opposite. Have the vegetarian dish if you always go for the meat. Walk away from a stupid conflict instead of making it worse. Let one thing go if you often cling to things. Make a habit of mixing things up to grow your life in small or bigger ways. And to make it easier and simpler to step out of your comfort zone in general when you really need to. 2. Get up 20 minutes earlier. This will help you to reduce stress in the morning and during the rest of the day. 3. Be 10 minutes early for meetings and appointments. This will help you to make your time of travel a time of rest and relaxation instead of stressful. And you will not be late. 4. Single-task. You be more focused, less stressed and get to done more quickly. So do one thing at a time and do it with your full attention. 5. Ask yourself: am I keeping things extremely simple? If not, figure out how you can do that in the situation you are in. 6. Ask yourself: will this matter 5 years from now? Or even 5 weeks from now? Do this to avoid making mountains out of molehills. 7. Buy things with the money you have earned and saved. Avoid getting into debt. 8. Learn a few recipes and cook. You’ll save money and probably eat healthier. 9. When you cook, cook more than you'll eat. This will help you to spend less time on cooking and washing dishes. And you’ll have an extra dinner or two to just reheat when you don’t have time or energy to cook. 10. Write things down. Pretty much everyone’s memory is leaky. So help yourself. Write down what you need to do or shop for today. Write down what your top 4 priorities in life are and post that note where you can see it every day. 11. Remember that life is larger than you may think it is. You do not know everything and you are not always right. Remembering this makes it easier for me to learn things, to accept other viewpoints, to create changes and to stay more open. 12. Risk making mistakes. Learn from them. Then do again with that helpful new experience and knowledge in mind. 13. Do what YOU really, really, really want to do. Do not get stuck in trying to live someone else’s dream. 14. Go grocery shopping once a week. You’ll save money and time if you make the effort to plan for a week and to shop for it all at once. 15. Go grocery shopping when you not hungry. You’ll buy more healthy food instead of impulse buying yourself through the store. 16. Enjoy the simple pleasures of living a simpler life. An apple, the latest episode of your favorite show, fresh and clean bed sheets, a hug and kiss, holding hands, the sun and blossoming nature after a long and cold winter. 17. Have a glass of water. Instead of eating when you are bored or when are having a craving have 1-2 glasses of water. This will help you to keep to those cravings away until the next meal and to maintain your health and weight. 18. Eat slower. Make your lunch time a time of relaxation rather than a time to just add to the stress of your morning. Try putting down the fork between bites to slow down the eating. 19. Be kind. Be kind to other people and especially to yourself. 20. Write shorter emails. 1-5 sentences is often enough. 21. Write emails only once a day. Batch and process them all at once all the way to an empty inbox. 22. Learn about ways to keep stress down and try them out. Examples would be mindfulness, setting human standards for yourself and saying no. A few such habits can help you to drastically cut down on the stress in your life. 23. Give everything its home. Then you know where to put the item when you have used it. You’ll know where to find it when you need it again. And you’ll reduce the clutter in your home or work space. 24. Slow down and enjoy and pay attention what is actually happening today. Instead of just rushing through the day and always on to the next thing. 25. Spend more time with people who make life simpler. And less time with people who make life unnecessarily complicated. 26. Exercise every week. This will reduce stress, up your energy levels and in my experience reduces negative thoughts. 27. Declutter. Declutter your life of the things that aren’t really that useful or meaningful for you anymore. Give that stuff away to someone who needs it. Or throw it out. A question that can help you to know if it is time to declutter something out of your life is: have I used this item in the last year? 28. Look for advice from people who have been where you are. Learn from people who have been in the situation you are in and had the challenge you are having. 29. Stop trying to please everyone. There will always be people who you don’t get along with or that do not like you for some reason. 30. Break a task down into smaller and actionable pieces. Single-task that first piece until it is done. Then do the same with the next piece. And so on. 31. Stop trying to do things perfectly. Go for good enough instead and when you are there you are done. Get things all the way to done this way and then move on to the next thing. 32. Take a minute and just breathe a couple of times a day. This will help you to reduce the stress and overwhelm of your day. It will help you to reconnect with the present moment, to create a habit of living more mindfully and to focus all your attention on what is happening right now. 33. Spend just 20% of your time on dwelling on a problem and 80% of your time focusing on a solution. Instead of the other way around. 34. Focus on a few priorities in your life. Keep things simple to be able to put enough effort, attention and energy into those most important things. Rather than becoming spread too thin, rarely finishing things and being distracted by all those many other things you want to do or that feel you need to do too. 35. Keep a journal. By writing the facts and your thoughts and feelings down in a journal it becomes easier to work through a challenge and to find a good solution. You can also use a journal to track your actual results instead of guesstimating how your life is going. And to better remember all the things that you did well or that went well if you worry often or have quite a bit of negative thoughts. 36. Stop doing what you don’t like doing anymore. Life changes and so do you. If you you don’t like doing something anymore then perhaps it is time to stop doing that (even if it may take some time before you can do so by for example switching jobs). 37. Use a very simple workspace. My work space is just a laptop on a small black desk made out of wood. I use a comfy chair and there is room for my glass of water beside the computer. That’s it. There are no distractions here. Just me, the computer and the water. 38. Spend 15 minutes each Sunday to plan the next week. Write down your plans for the week, organize your prioritized to-do list and get ready for the week before you are in the middle of it all. This will help you to find more clarity, get more of the most important things done next week and minimize stress. 39. Cancel subscriptions. For example for TV-channels, newsletters and magazines you rarely get around to watching or reading anyway. 40. Ask instead of guessing. Reading minds is hard. So, instead ask questions and communicate. This will help you to minimize unnecessary conflicts, misunderstandings, negativity and waste or time and energy. 41. Make one change at a time and start small. Focus on one habit or area at a time. If you want to start running or decluttering, start with doing just a few minutes of that activity a day or week. Then gradually increase the amount of time you spend on that activity to make it easier to adopt the new habit. 42. Be lazy. By using the tips in this article you’ll be able to get things done more quickly and in a simpler way. This will give more time in a regular week to simply be lazy. To just take it easy alone or with family or a friend, to not do much at all. I highly recommend spending time with being lazy every week to relax, to mindfully enjoy the small pleasures of life and to recharge yourself so that you can be effective and focused again later on.

“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind; and the third is to be kind.” Henry James “Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” Mother Teresa No relationship in the world is more important than the one you have with yourself. But still, people often have a far worse and far more destructive relationship with themselves than they have with other people. So in this article I’d like to explore 7 habits that can help you to form a better and happier relationship with yourself. And as an extension of that probably better relationships with the people around you too. 1. Talk to yourself before you drag yourself down. We all have an inner critic. The critic can spur you on to get things done and to behave in way that gains acceptance from the people around you. But it can also drag you and your self-esteem down. The inner critic whispers or shouts destructive thoughts in your mind. It could be thoughts like: You are lazy and sloppy, now get to work. You aren’t good at your job at all and someone will figure that out and throw you out. You are worse or uglier than someone else. But you don’t have to accept that. You can reduce this inner, negative self-talk and change how you see yourself. You can do that by talking back. Simply create a stop word or stop-phrase that you say or shout in your mind whenever your critic pipes up with a distorted and self-esteem hurting thought. Say: Stop! Or use something else. I like these two phrases: No, no, no, we are not going there! No, that is just stupid. They have worked well for me to get the inner critic to shut up. Try these ones out or create one that feels good and works for you. Then use it to not get dragged down by your own inner critic when it may get triggered by for example criticism or a mistake in everyday life. And as you use the word or phrase and it becomes a habit and as you find healthier paths towards what you want your critic will pop up less and less. 2. Find a balance between yourself and your world. Some people tend to focus a little too much on the outside world. They try to help the people there and be of service at the expense of their own lives and mental and physical health. Others tend to focus too much on their own thoughts and what is happening inside of their heads. And so much overanalyzing is done and beliefs that everyone cares more than they do about what you do are formed and strengthened. The solution here is to find a bit more balance. If you tear yourself apart and are not very kind to yourself in order to serve others people then take a step back. Take time for yourself and say no to some commitments so that you have more time and energy for yourself. It is not selfish to take time for yourself too, we all need balance in life and to better be able to help others you need to help yourself too. Otherwise you’ll feel worse and worse as time passes and you’ll be of less and less help to others. If you tend to get lost in your own thoughts too much and in overanalyzing, then learn to simplify your thinking as I described in this previous post . And remember: people do not care that much about what you do. They are busy with their own projects and challenges and with worrying about what other people may be thinking of them. 3. Cultivate a healthy motivation habit. Why does destructive self-talk thrive and continue? Well, because it has some upsides too. For example, by calling yourself various things, by beating yourself up you can spur yourself on to get things done and to keep going towards your goals. But this way of motivating yourself is also destructive to your self-esteem and can make the path and journey towards the goal a lot heavier, less exciting and unhappier than it needs to be. And that is big problem since we spend most of our days on that journey. So give yourself a break. Be kinder to yourself and talk back to yourself when those destructive thoughts pop up to spur you on. And find other, more healthy ways to stay motivated. Some examples of that would be: Remind yourself of the benefits. Write down the benefits you will get from following this new path or reaching a goal. Like for example getting into better shape and having more energy for your kids and the people close to you. Or making more money and through that being able to travel and experience wonderful new things. Save the list and put it somewhere where you will see it every day. This is a powerful way to reconnect with your motivation and reasons for taking action. Refocus on doing what YOU really, really like to do. When you really like doing something then the motivation to do it comes automatically (most of the time). And when you really want something then it simply becomes easier to push through any inner resistance you feel. So if you lose your motivation, ask yourself: Am I doing what I really want to do? If not and if possible, refocus and start working on that very important thing instead. Remember how far you have come and compare yourself with yourself. Comparing what you have and your results to what other people have and have accomplished can really kill your motivation. There are always people ahead of you. So focus on you. On your results. And how you can and have improved your results. This is important because it’s a great motivator to see how much you have improved and how far you have come. 4. Give yourself a break and think in percentages rather than always. I sometimes hear that you should always be positive or always be winning or working towards your goal. That may sound inspirational in theory. But reality is not ideal or perfect and neither are you and I. Life gets in the way sometimes. You may get in your own way. And sometimes you simply don’t have the energy or the courage or the time to do something. And that is OK. Instead of trying to live up to some perfect image that other people and/or you may press upon you, choose to set human standards for yourself. Choose to give yourself a break when things don’t go as you may have wished and choose to cut yourself some slack. Instead of beating yourself up mercilessly. One approach that works for me is to think more in percentages than absolutes and to set the bar for yourself a little higher than it is now. For example, aim at being optimistic roughly 75% of the time if you are optimistic 50% of the time now. Aim at taking action on your thoughts 60% of the time. Then raise the bar slowly over time – but not all the way to 100% – to both be able to improve and to be able to be kind to yourself. And accept that you will make mistakes or have temporary failures a certain percentage of the time. Such is life. But of course learn from those things and avoid making the same mistakes over and over. 5. Change your input to things that are kind and constructive. Destructive messages from the people around you or from people further away such as media, advertising and society in general does not help you to be kind to yourself. So, bit by bit, replace them with other daily and weekly input. It could be the encouragement of friends and family and the help from someone close who has been in a situation that you are in now. It could be practical personal development books and blogs that helps you out with real solutions to the challenges you face and the goals you want to achieve. It could be spending more time in nature and in silence to relax and recharge yourself. Make more conscious choices about what you want flowing into your mind instead of just going along with same old habits. 6. Find what works for you. We are not all the same and we have different needs. It is important to find what works for you to be able to be kinder to yourself. This blog or I do not have all the answers. Obviously. So explore other books and blogs too to find the solutions you really need. Explore various options and try different strategies to find something that really fits you. Also, look for a solution that seems appropriate for the level your challenge or problem is on. There is a difference between getting a bit nervous before a meeting at work or a date and having a big panic attack and feeling like you can’t breathe or are about to faint. If you have a serious problem, then please seek professional help. The advice on this blog, for example, is for small or medium sized problems (at least as I experience it). If you have a really bad problem then the advice here or on other blogs or in books may still help you a bit. But I still believe that best option in such situations is to seek professional help. Perhaps one on one counseling with someone with vast experience, someone that comes highly recommended. 7. Know why it is the smart choice to be kind to yourself and remind yourself of that regularly. By knowing the reasons why it is smart to be kinder to yourself it, in my experience, becomes easier to be kind to yourself. It becomes easier to stop attacks from your inner critic by telling it that what it says is not a good way to motivate oneself. And it becomes easier to simply dismiss what the critic is saying. By reminding yourself of the reasons such as better real-life results, more perseverance, higher self-esteem, more inner happiness and stillness, more positive relationships with yourself and other people it becomes easier to stay kind to yourself through life’s natural ups and downs.

I get a lot of questions regarding how to relieve low back pain. In many of my clients, this condition is exacerbated by sitting for long hours, whether it be at a computer, in meetings or on an airplane. Tight hamstrings are often related to tightness or pain in the lower back region. Although it’s important to participate in an exercise regimen, such as Pilates, to train the entire core and loosen the muscles in conjunction with the pain, adding this simple stretch to your work-day will help ease your pain. To start, stand tall, approximately 3 feet away from a wall. From there, walk your hands down the wall until your torso is parallel to the floor. Maintain a nice, long, flat back position and actively reach your tailbone away from the wall. Keep your hips back over your heels. You should feel a nice  deep stretch down the back of your legs and into your low back. If you’re extra tight, try bending your knees get into the stretch. Questions? Ask away. Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!

Okay so this has to be the laziest “latte” recipe in the world but I can’t get enough of it.  It’s so simple yet so satisfying. Don’t let this ingredient list scare you away. 🙂 Ingredients: Fresh brewed coffee Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk Directions: If you don’t have a steamer, warm almond milk in the microwave or on the stove. Combine equal parts coffee with equal parts almond milk in your favorite mug and enjoy. Simple as that. I love that it completely eliminates the need for sugar, reduces the amount of caffeine and satisfies my latte craving for under 40 calories! This is delicious “as is” but if you want more flavor add a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice (bonus: cinnamon helps regulate your blood sugar). xo, Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #Health #nutrition #recipe

Today’s edition of Real Women. Real Balance. is super fun for me. Jessica Luengo was an old friend of mine back in Colorado. We met at CSU (which seems like a whole lifetime ago) but both transferred to different schools during our college years so we eventually lost touch. Years later, when I began to pursue Pilates as a full-time career I noticed that Jessica was doing the same. We re-connected and now run similar businesses and have similar passions. I’m so honored to feature her here on The Balanced Life. She lives and works in Los Angeles, trains a wide variety of clients (including some you’d recognize from TV) and is a wealth of healthy information. If you have questions for her, be sure to post them in the comment section below. 1. So Jessica, what inspired you to start your Pilates business? When I began training, I trained clients at my home studio and at a studio in Beverly Hills. Once I started to get too busy at my own studio to take more clients at the Beverly Hills one, I decided it was time to be on my own and cross my fingers. I was really lucky with the loyal clients I had and still have today. 2. What do you do when you’re not training clients? Pilates! Ha! I practice what I preach and love the workout regime. Nothing makes me feel better in my body and clears my head like pilates does. When I’m not working – or working out – I’m usually writing healthy articles for my website, running to the grocery store and cooking in my kitchen! I also have 2 dogs and a wonderful husband who I spend as much time as I can with. 3. I know you have a website to share healthy information with your clients. What’s your favorite post? I love the post about “ how to get a flat belly ” that I wrote a while back. It encompasses everything you need to know about your workouts, eating regimes and lifestyle to make healthy easy changes. 4. What does balance mean to you during your current season of life? Balance means being about to take on multiple things at a time while still taking care of yourself. Most everyone either works a round-the-clock job, whether that’s at the office or home, so making time for your health is crucial. No matter what the excuse is as to why you can’t make time for yourself needs to stop now! YOU ARE IMPORTANT AND WORTH IT. 5. Who inspires you? My family without a doubt. My husband, Joey, who is so supportive and loving toward me and everything I do. My parents, Rich and Kim, who have always encouraged me to make a difference and be happy. My sister, Jamie, and brother, Blake, who always tell me they’re proud of me no matter what. 6. What is your best tip for maintaining a healthy lifestyle in the midst of a busy life? Work out in the morning. It’s too hard to keep the commitment once your day begins – too many things come up- dinners, meetings, kids stuff, errands, etc. Get up early and don’t worry about your workout throughout the day. You’ll also eat healthier too! 7. What projects are you currently working on that we can keep our eyes open for? I will be coming out with a cookbook this spring that I am so excited about and always wanted to do! It is geared toward newlywed couples (being a newlywed myself) and how to cook healthy together. It’s very easy to follow (5 steps or less) and is full of easy, delicious, nutritious and favorite recipes of mine that I cook at home for my own family! I am also going to be contributing two articles per month on health and fitness for a new online magazine launching this month by Pressed Juicery called “The Chalkboard Mag” – so look out for that! 🙂 For more information and to keep up with Jessica, visit her website:  www.jessicaluengo.com And just for fun: Jessica trains a number of celebrities in the LA area. Click here to watch her appearance on Rachel Zoe! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

My second Pilates video for new moms is now up on YouTube! This workout focuses more on re-connecting to your abdominals and building core strength. Pair this quick daily workout with Part 1 and you’ll gain strength & relieve tension all in one session. Here’s the link: Pilates For New Moms (part 2) Please share with all your new mama friends and enjoy! Disclaimer: It is imperative that you receive clearance from your Doctor before resuming an exercise program. By participating in this video you acknowledge that you do so at your own risk. Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!

Image by nattu ( license ). “Tell me to what you pay attention and I will tell you who you are.” Jose Ortega y Gasset “Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention.” Jim Rohn Keeping your attention on what is most important in your life is one of the most essential ingredients if you want to be able to: Stick with your goals. Achieve what you want to achieve each day. Appreciate what you have in your life. Clearly see how you can use your time here in the best way. Like with most things, this is something that is of course easier said than done. It’s easy to get distracted way too much and to feel overwhelmed, stressed out and spread out too thin. But with some limits, with some barriers that keep much of the daily clutter out you can become sharp and focused once again. So let’s get started with that by establishing or reminding yourself of a few very helpful habits. Write down your top 4 priorities. Post them where you see them every day. To keep your attention in the right place it is essential to remind yourself every day of what is truly most important. So what is most important for you this year? An important project at work? Your family? Improving your social life? Your blog, photography, soccer or debt? Think about it and reduce what is important in your life to the top 4 most important priorities. Write those four things down and post them in your workspace or on your bathroom mirror or on your fridge. Work in a no-distractions zone. When you work then do not work in a place filled with unnecessary distractions. Instead take a few minutes and make a plan. Ask yourself: what are the 3 most common distractions that keep me from doing my work in a focused way? Figure out how you can prevent those things from distracting you. A few suggestions to help you limit your distractions are: Shut the door to your office. Shut down email, instant messaging programs and put your cell phone in silent mode for an hour or more at a time. If your place of work is busy and noisy use headphones with music or just noise canceling headphones without anything playing in them. Having trouble sticking with it in that zone and to not start procrastinating or distracting yourself? Try using a timer – on your cell phone or use an egg-timer – and set it for 45 minutes. Then put in a drawer or somewhere where you can’t see it. During those 45 minutes dive in and immerse yourself in the no-distraction zone and your work until the clock rings. This one works very well for me because I know that I do not have to stay focused and un-distracted forever. I just have to make an effort for 45 minutes and then I can do something else. If 45 minutes is too much at first then try a shorter time-limit. Work with you have and use what you can from this list to make work much more distraction free. Limit your input. Reduce the number of blogs, newsletters, magazines, book clubs, podcasts, twitterers etc. you are subscribed too. Just keep the ones you are really getting something out of. Limit your time in your favorite places online. Many of us have favorite places where we get stuck online. It might be Facebook, Twitter, your favorite forum or just checking the paper many times each day. A couple of things that have helped me to not get too distracted by such places is to: Remove them from any favorites list in the browser. Easy availability makes it easy to go there when you want to escape. So make it a little harder to get there. I have noticed that if I have to type in the address to that site then I usually forget about it a lot more and I don’t jump in there whenever I am bored or feel like procrastinating. Instead, I tend to forget about the site for a day or several days. It is out of sight and out of mind. Use it in short bursts. After you have spent time working in your no-distractions zone you can relax or reward yourself with 5 or 10 minutes on your favorite website. If you can’t seem to be able to keep that time-limit then use the egg-timer or the timer on your cell phone to keep yourself in check. Take a media- and internet-free day (or weekend). I usually take at least one day during my weekend off from using the internet, reading the paper, checking my email and so on. That break helps me to better focus my attention on the most important things, to set clear limits between the workhours and the homehours and it helps me to relax and recharge myself so that I am more focused during the upcoming week. Let the helpful sources influence you. What you surround yourself with will be a big influence on you. Negative voices, people and media will drag you down and can easily redirect your attention on to the negative aspects of life. Positive people, music, books, movies, quotes and surroundings etc. will on the other hand help you not just to keep your focus on what is most important and what is positive in life. They will also help you to broaden your horizons and let you discover things and aspects of life you may not have found or paid much attention to before. If you found this article helpful, then please share it with someone else by using the buttons below. Thank you! =)

Every day it seems like another friend is announcing a new baby or pregnancy news. I love it. It’s such a fun season. Especially since my first nephew, Crosby, was born just a few short weeks ago. Certainly there are numerous changes that come along with being a new mom, but one change that I am often emailed about is the post-pregnancy body. Beyond adjusting to a new shape, new mothers often have new back pain, weakness and muscle tension. This can caused by a number of factors: strain from carrying a child for 9 months, weakened muscles from decreased activity, poor posture, nursing and many others. If you’re a new mom, this is by no means meant to be a comprehensive exercise program but rather a few exercise ideas to help you ease your pain and re-gain your strength. I’ve decided to split the post up into 2 short videos: Pilates Exercises For New Moms 1. Part 1: Stretches To Calm Your Mind & Ease Your Pain 2. Part 2: Exercises To Re-Connect To Your Core and Rebuild Strength Here’s a link to the first video: Pilates Exercises For New Moms – Part 1 If you have new mommy friends that would enjoy these tips, please feel free to share the link! *Disclaimer: It is imperative that you talk to your Dr. before beginning any sort of exercise program. By following these videos you agree to do so at your own risk.* Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!

Happy Monday! I don’t have much time to post today due to a full load of clients and a new Pilates starting class over at Stanford but I still have a gem of inspiration for you this morning. This woman is incredible. I can only hope to be as beautiful and vibrant as her in my old age. You will LOVE her. Enjoy 🙂 100 year old does Pilates (photo credit and more great info on Ruth can be found at Advanced Style . A fantastic website, have a look.) Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!

“The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” Flora Whittemore “Move out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” Brian Tracy It’s a brand new year and I am guessing that many have their New Year’s resolution enthusiastically in mind. But how can you make the resolution something that sticks rather than something that gets abandoned in a month or so? Well, first, focus on just developing one habit or making one change at a time. And make sure that it is a change YOU want in your life and that you have your own reasons for making it. Trying to make a change because of what other people want rarely lasts and this is in the end your life to live. With those two basic guidelines in mind, here are a handful of tips that have been most helpful for me to make positive and lasting changes in my life. Do it in small steps. What holds us back in our zone of comfort is often a fear that facing that fear head on all at once might be overwhelming. Or it becomes too uncomfortable and difficult to make a big leap and make a big change all at once and so in February that gym card gathers dust in your wallet. Taking small steps is a solution to those problem. It allows you to stretch your comfort zone and slowly make it less uncomfortable and frightening. Become more social. Let’s say you want to be less nervous and awkward in social situations. To solve that you can take small steps. Steps like first just saying hi to people. And being more involved in conversations at work or in school to exercise your conversation muscles. After a while those things will feel more comfortable. And so you can expand your comfort zone a little bit more. Become more effective. You can start with just working 1 hour a day fully focused on your most important tasks in cone of silence (this means to shut out and shut off all distractions like the internet, the phone, the door to your office etc. as best you can). And then go back to your normal routine. The next week you can add an hour and work two fully focused hours a day. Step by step you build a more powerful habit that may feel uncomfortable at first. Create something new. When I was going to start making my own products I was hesitant. I was just used to writing blog posts and putting together a whole book seemed like fun but was definitely outside of my comfort zone. So I took a small step and put together a smaller e-book at first that I give away for free to new newsletter subscribers. Exercise. Run for just five minutes three times a week for the first week. Then during week two run for 10 minutes three times. Add 5 minutes of running at a time to slowly and more easily get comfortable with this new change. By doing things this way you gradually desensitize yourself to social situations, to a new way of working or whatever you are uncomfortable with. You make it the new “normal” for you. So, identify where you want to go or how you want to improve your life. Then make a plan with some smaller steps you can take to gradually lessen your discomfort. Set the goal but focus on the daily process. I for instance use this when I write and when I workout. I don’t take responsibility for the results in my mind. I take responsibility for showing up and doing my workout/writing X number of times per week. The results – I become stronger and the website/my products grow – come anyway from that consistent action. And this makes it easier for me to take action when I know that is all I need to focus on. Instead of using half of the energy and focus I have available on hoping that I “reach my goal real, real soon”. Focus on the process and you will be a lot more relaxed and prone to continue than if you stare yourself blind on the potential results that never come as quickly as you want to and puts you on an emotional roller coaster from day to day. Let other people help you out. This is so important. Do not try to do it all alone. If you’re about to quit smoking ask others who have overcome the addiction what their best tips are. Do some research online and offline. This can save you pain, frustration and it can help you to keep going. If you like you can also tell people your goals – face to face, via email, on Facebook or your blog etc. – to get accountability and motivation to take action. And/or you can find someone – an accountability buddy – who wants to make the same change that you want and that can make things easier. Or you can just get an accountability buddy that has a New Year’s resolution of any kind. And then the two of you can check up on each other each week to make sure you are taking the practical steps forward and to encourage each other when you stumble. Find a way that fits you. Different things fit different people. It did for example take me quite some time of trying different ways to do cardio exercise before I finally found body weight exercises. And it did take me a while to find productivity habits that makes me very consistent and the same time kept stress down to a minimum . Experiment and find what works for you and what fits your personality. This will make it a lot easier to stick to your positive change and develop a relaxed consistency. Find ways to overcome the things that cause you to relapse into old behavior. Stress may cause you to feel like smoking again. If so, find a few relaxation techniques that can help you. Worry may lead you to eating too much to feel better. If that is an issue that pops up for you then learn to reduce your worries in life. If you get stuck in inaction learn how to up your enthusiasm and motivation quickly or to just take action anyway. Find ways to turn bad days or moments into something positive once again. Use laziness to your advantage. I’m kinda lazy. But I use that to my advantage by for example not having any sweets or cookies in my cupboards. I only have healthy stuff there. Since I may feel the craving for something sweet or a snack from time to time but I am too lazy to go to the store I wind up eating what I have at home. A simple habit that has helped me to improve my health. I also know that I am too lazy to go to the gym or go out running three times a week. So I workout at home. This has helped me to have very good consistency. Such small, invisible barriers can have a great impact on your daily life in the long run. Remove them or use them or to your advantage. Use daily reminders in your environment. I have written about this many, many times since it have found it very helpful for staying on track and making a change stick. Simply write down your goal/new habit on paper and put it where you can’t avoid seeing it every day. Your fridge, bathroom mirror and workspace are such places. Don’t beat yourself up when you slip. You will most likely have a few bad days and fall flat on your face even if you follow the tips above. The important thing here is to not be too hard on yourself and keep on beating yourself up for a week. That could certainly lead to giving up altogether. Plus, it’s kinda pointless. Instead, learn what you can from the experience so you don’t have to repeat it too many times. Then get back on the horse again the next day. And keep going. Take one small step today to get the ball rolling. Don’t get stuck in planning. Or thinking that you will get started tomorrow or next week. Get the ball rolling instead. Do that today by just taking one small, practical step towards what you want. P.S: A big thank you to everyone who participated in the short survey before the holidays! I got a ton of great ideas for articles, newsletters and premium guides to create in 2012.

“The trouble with always trying to preserve the health of the body is that it is so difficult to do without destroying the health of the mind.” ~G.K. Chesterton As a Pilates trainer, my days revolve around helping others care for themselves, whether it be physically, mentally or a combination of the two. I want to do the same for you, my dedicated “virtual clients.” Pilates takes concentration, awareness, self-control and a connection between your mind and body. You synchronize your breath with your movement, mentally connect with specific muscles groups – actively turning one set “on”, while simultaneously turning another set “off”. Pilates uses image cues that trigger a response in the mind that is then expressed through movement in the body. It’s exercise for the mind and exercise for the body. More importantly, it’s an opportunity for people to step out of their busy life and spend an hour focusing on themselves and their needs rather than tasks and deadlines and to do lists. Stress weakens your immune system, makes you sick and eventually leads to disease. Managing this stress is of utmost important. A healthy, functioning body is absolutely part of our health, but it’s just that – a part. Total health is composed of physical health and mental health – the two cannot be separated. So as you enter a new year, I ask you this: what are you doing to take care of your mental health? Just like physical exercise, taking time to nurture your mind is a discipline. In our loud, uber-connected, over-committed culture it will not happen on its own. Here are a few ideas to get you started: -Wake up 15 minutes earlier to allow time to journal, pray, or meditate -Go for a walk on your lunch break to be alone with your thoughts…no phone, no ipod, just you. -Schedule times of stillness & silence. Even if 5 minutes is all you can muster, turn everything off. Sit. Breathe. Just be. -Make a gratitude list and recognize all of the things you have to be thankful for. -Disconnect…for the day, for the evening, for the weekend…you choose, only you know what you need. -Take a yoga or Pilates class to clear your head and rejuvenate your body. -Take a mental health day! I am all about this. If health is composed of mental & physical wellness, then don’t be afraid to call in “sick” to honor your body & mind. If you have a favorite way to care for your mental health, post a comment. We’re in this together. “In a disordered mind, as in a disordered body, soundness of health is impossible.” ~Cicero Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

photo credit Although many people have gone sour on the idea of setting New Year’s resolutions, I am a firm believer. A new year can represent a fresh start. It’s an opportunity to reflect on your past and plan for your future. Both in fitness and in life I believe in the power of goal setting. With my clients, I check in with them regularly to make sure they’re on track with their health & fitness goals. I see it as my duty (and pleasure) to remind and encourage them of where they’re hoping to be in the future and I want to do the same for you. It makes sense why so many people have thrown in the towel on the idea of resolutions. So many of them are forgotten and failed within the first few months. But there is a better way. Setting resolutions is simply goal setting wrapped up in tradition & celebration. photo credit The problem is that we often don’t take them as seriously once the holiday has come and gone. This year, I encourage you to set a few goals for the new year. Touch base with yourself. What are you hoping to accomplish in 2012? What would you like to improve? What would you like to see more or less of in your life? What many people fail to consider when setting resolutions is that HOW we do it is paramount. The way in which you set your goals can set you up for success or failure. People who take time to set intelligent goals are far more successful in life than those who don’t. In a comprehensive review of over 100 clinical studies on goal setting, it was found that 90% of studies showed positive effects of goal setting on task performance. 90%! Goal setting is at the heart of success. The “How”… Goal Setting Guidelines: – Include both short-term & long-term goals – Identify goal achievement strategies (how do you plan to get there?) – Set positive goals as opposed to negative goals (focus on success instead of failure) – Write them down and post them somewhere you will see them regularly – Set a date in the near future to sit down & evaluate your progress photo credit All goals should be SMART goals: Yes, it’s a cheesy acronym, but it’s proven to work. Each goal you set should be: S – Specific. Avoid vague goals such as “I want to work out more” or “I want to eat more fruit”. Get ridiculously specific. M- Measurable. Create goals in which you can track your progress. A- Adjustable. In order to stay on track, you may need to re-evaluate and adjust a goal. Life is not always in our control, things change and it’s important to be flexible. Don’t give up, you ARE allowed to make adjustments. R- Realistic. Perhaps the number one reason many resolutions fail is because they aren’t realistic. If you haven’t worked out in years, then please don’t decide to workout 7 days a week. You will set yourself up for failure. Make them realistic, there is no prize for setting the loftiest goals. T- Timely. Every goal you set should have a corresponding date. Choose a few short-term goals and a few long-term goals. In fact, the short-term goals are baby steps toward your long-term goals. They will keep you motivated and encouraged along the way. Take a a little time to sit down with a cup of coffee and whip out your old journal. 2012 is yours for the making. Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

I know there are a handful of you that are still on the fence about joining The Pilates Body Program (crazy as I think that is). I’ve received emails with some very good questions so I figured it would be helpful to share them with those of you that are too shy to ask. I’m super busy and don’t have a lot of extra time. Will it take a lot of time to prep and prepare the meals each day? Drew and I have worked hard to keep the meal plan easy-to-follow. You will be given suggested meals for each day but conveniently, you will be able to choose any breakfast/lunch/dinner option that you desire since the protein/fat/carb ratio is consistent throughout. Therefore, when you are super busy you can simply choose one of the meal options that takes less time to prepare. In addition, many of the recipes make multiple servings so you’ll only have to make it once and then enjoy it throughout the week. I’d be lying if I said there would be no prep work involved. You will not be eating pre-packaged/processed foods so it may be a bit of an adjustment in the beginning, but I guarantee it will be worth it. Can I have coffee and/or alcohol during the 6 week program? I want you to succeed. So if this is the one thing holding you up, then go ahead and join the program right now. Ideally, you’d limit or remove alcohol but your body will benefit tremendously from the food even with the occasional coffee or alcoholic beverage. Drew recommends that you reduce your intake of caffeine, alcohol and sweets, but since this isn’t a cleanse program you don’t need to eliminate it completely. The good news is that you’ll be creating new habits and I’ll be there to coach you every step of the way. Do I need any special software on my computer to access the workout videos you’ll be sending each week? Nope. But you will need an up-to-date web browser (I suggest using google chrome vs. internet explorer). How difficult will the workouts be? They are designed to progress over the 6 week program. They will be suitable for beginners but plenty challenging for intermediates. I will provide modifications so that you can work to your level. And remember, you can email me anytime so we can make adjustments to the program to suit your needs! Will I be able to afford the shopping list on a budget? I think you’ll be surprised. Once you cut out the packaged foods, fast foods, pre-made drinks and convenience meals out of your diet there is a good chance that you’ll actually spend LESS money than you were before. During the first week you may spend more as you stock you pantry with healthy staples, but that cost will diminish as the weeks go on. But in all honesty, your food should be your healthcare. Spending money now is saving you money later. I have health issues, can I still do this program? This program was designed for people in normal/good health. You should check with your doctor if you have questions or concerns about starting or altering your diet and exercise program. What if I have trouble sticking to the program? Unlike many programs, you won’t be left hanging. If you’re having trouble we’ll email about it and find ways to tweak the program so that it works for your lifestyle. Remember, something is always better than nothing and I’m opposed to the “all or nothing” mentality. If you’re on the fence because you’re not sure you can stick to it 100%, ask yourself what the alternative is… If you don’t join, you’re still stuck right where you are right now. If you do join and only take advantage of part of the program, you’re still making progress. Simple as that. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”-Einstein I would prefer to just receive the videos and meal plans each week and do it on my own. Do I have to interact via email with you? You can use the program however you like! By joining, you’ll receive all the information each week. You can interact with me as little or as much as you want. While I believe that accountability and support is a huge factor in success, I also understand the desire to keep things  more private and participate anonymously. In the beginning of the program you will have an opportunity to request “weigh-in” emails throughout the week. If you do not respond and request them, then I will leave you to continue the program on your own without that component. No questions asked. What if I change my mind? I offer a 100% money back guarantee so if you decide that this isn’t the program for you, send me am email and I’ll refund your purchase in full. Can I see a sample of the meal plan before I join? Absolutely. Just send me an email (robin @ thebalancedlifeonline.com) and I’ll send you a sample. I signed up! When will I be hearing from you next about my next step? Congratulations! You will be receiving the first official email a few days before March 16th. I’ll send you all the information you need to set yourself up for success, including the week 1 meal plan and shopping list so that you can stock your pantry prior to the start of the program. “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” – Anthony Robbins Don’t see your questions answered here? Click here and send me a note. At this point, you have nothing to lose! This is an amazing deal and I want you to take advantage it before it sells out. I can’t wait for you to love your body again and feel confident, slim & strong by the time warm weather rolls around. xo, Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!

Christmas is only 11 days away! If you’re looking for gift ideas for the health nuts and fitness lovers in your life, here’s a guide to some of my favorite products on the market. I’m specifically coveting the Vitamix, Contigo travel mug (it works like a dream), i-need, Garmin and Fitbit. Which would you add to your list? PS -Only 4 more days to get the big discount on The Pilates Body Program !  Hurry and sign up . Honestly, what are you waiting for? Make the change you’ve been wanting to make. Ditch the excuses. It’s time for you to feel beautiful and confident in  your own skin. Get 3 FREE Pilates workouts in your inbox now! YES PLEASE!

Image by mugley ( license ). “No matter where you go – there you are” Confucius At the heart of what I like to call relaxed productivity there some destructive things you want to avoid. One of them is the grey zone. It is a twilight zone of the mind. The grey zone is basically when you are thinking and worrying about work when you are at home. Or when you are thinking about your home life and challenges there when you are at work. Not a very uncommon habit. But why do you want to avoid it? Three powerful reasons why I try to stay away from it as best as I can are: You become less effective. When you are stuck in thinking about your home life or your private life in some way or form at work then you are not fully focused. You are distracted and that impacts how well you can do you your work. You become less motivated and energetic. Being stuck in the grey zone sucks a lot of extra emotional and mental energy. It adds a lot of stress. And all of this often causes you to feel fatigued and your motivation to do something well or to explore new opportunities tends to sink like a rock. You might wind up with relationship troubles. One the most important things in any kind of relationship is to truly be there when you are there. To not still be at work in your mind when you are having dinner with your partner, playing a game with your child or hanging out with friends. Being somewhere else is one of those things that do not only annoy the people you are with but also can erode relationships. Now, how do you go about replacing this habit with something better? I recommend keeping the reasons above in mind as much as you can during your day. Being conscious about how this habit can damage your life is a good first step towards smarter habits. A few more things that work well for me are: 1. Take a break every hour. If you are never free from work for example, if you are never switching things up then your mind will naturally think about work, work, work all day long. So to break the habit of being in the grey zone it is essential to first fully focus on work. And then to fully focus on relaxing and rejuvenating your mind and body. By focusing 100% on both work and rest each day it becomes easier to fully switch between these modes. So I usually work for about 45 minutes. Then I take a 15 minute break and I do something totally different. I may take a short walk, eat a small snack, watch half an episode of the Simpsons or just lie down on the couch and read a book. One thing that has worked well for me is to use a kitchen timer – or the timer on your cell phone – to make sure your work period or your rest period does not become too long. 2. No work after 7 o'clock in the evening. When you work from home it is easy to start working too much or whenever you feel like it. This can however add stress, get you stuck in the grey zone or just make you spin in circles and get very little of importance done. So I have set a limit and I do no work after 7 o'clock in the evening. This allows me to wind down after a day of work so that I can sleep well and spend my time with friends or my girlfriend and truly be there with them. 3. No work on weekends. This is another way of dividing up your work zone and your relaxation or home zone. To be able to fully focus during the weeks and do your best you need slightly longer periods of rest and rejuvenation. Let your weekend be that time. So if you can, shut off your cell phone. I work online quite a bit during the weekdays, so during the weekends I often take at least one day when I do not go online at all. And during almost all weekends nowadays I do not check email or do other regular checks online. This certainly makes it easier to not think about work on weekends. 4. Have other important things to do. By not working after a specific time in your day, by not working on weekends you will have more time when you are truly there with your family and friends. This will also, for example, help you to not feel guilty about not spending enough quality time with them and give you more time and energy to do awesome stuff together and to work on challenges or issues you and the other person(s) might be having. And so by doing things this way you are also less likely to get stuck in the grey zone at work and think about something that is happening in your family or with a friend. By setting the limits described above it becomes easier to do the mental switch between fully focused work, fully focused family/friend time and fully focused rest time. By having important stuff in your life besides work like a hobby, a sport, the people around you and various adventures you can have together it also becomes easier to not get stuck in thinking about what you need to do tomorrow or on Monday at work. Instead you can fully be where you are right now and recharge yourself. And that makes a big difference in the quality of your life both in the long- and short-term. If you found this article helpful, then please share it with someone else by using the buttons below. Thank you! =)

I’m so excited to announce that my new program has officially launched!! You are going to LOVE this program. It’s the whole package. Pilates, nutrition and one-on-one coaching. I teamed up with holistic nutrition consultant Drew Parisi and she created the most AMAZING food plan. I have butterflies in my stomach as I type this because of how great it’s going to be. CLICK HERE to see all the details. Ready to BUILD STRENGTH & FEEL GOOD in just 15 minutes a day? Join the FREE 5-day Pilates Strong challenge! JOIN THE FREE CHALLENGE!

I’m so excited to share another edition of “Real Women. Real Balance.” with you today. Lara Dalch is a certified nutritionist and Pilates instructor that recently moved to the Seattle area. She is a woman after my own heart in her approach to health and wellness. She’s anti-guilt, pro-self care and is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to living healthy on a busy schedule. 1. First things first, what inspired you to start Dalch Wellness? It was sort of a logical progression of my interest in living well by eating well and being fit. When I first moved to New York City – where I lived for over 12 years working as an ad sales marketing executive for various television networks – I experimented with different natural foods and holistic remedies, things that I’d originally been exposed to during my first time living in Seattle. (I just moved BACK to Seattle last week!) I also discovered Whole Foods Market – this was in the early 2000’s, before Whole Foods was all over the place – and systematically replaced everything in my kitchen with more natural versions of the same foods, just out of curiosity. As I continued to incorporate these foods into my diet, I felt better. At the same time, I got really into Pilates and saw how it changed my body and improved how I felt in general. Over time, I became a resource for friends and co-workers who were interested in healthier living, foods, exercise, etc. When I was laid off from a job in 2008, I decided not to go back into the entertainment industry but instead to get my Pilates certification and go to school to learn about holistic nutrition. My passion is around showing people how to be healthier and happier within the existing framework of their life. It’s so cool to see my clients’ energy change after making just a few tweaks to their food choices, nothing dramatic. That’s my favorite part – it DOESN’T HAVE TO BE DIFFICULT TO BE HEALTHIER. I’m all about efficiency and making healthy choices fit into my life rather than forcing my life into a “diet” or “exercise regimen.” And I love food so much that I want the experience of eating what makes them feel best to be fun for my clients – food should be fun, not guilt-inducing! 2. That is exactly why I consider you a woman of balance. I love it. What do you do when you’re not working with clients? Most recently, I spent almost three months traveling in the U.S. and Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia, to be more specific). I love traveling and exploring other cultures through food; so I spent a lot of time eating on this trip and even took a couple of cooking classes in Cambodia and Bali. I’m hoping to find a way to bring some of the amazing foods I found in Southeast Asia into my business at some point. (Stay tuned on that.) I’m also a runner – I completed my first two half marathons this year and am looking ahead to my 2012 race calendar, which may include a triathlon this time. 3. What is your favorite post on Dalch Wellness? Strangely, many of my favorite posts aren’t even about food; they’re about what I call “primary food,” the things in our lives that truly nourish us: Relationships, Career, Physical Activity, and Spirituality. When those things are in balance, we tend to eat well and feel healthy. Here are a few: When bad food is good for you How positive thinking can change your day What living simply taught me about attachment Are you selling your soul? 4. So in the midst of your travels and recent move what does balance mean to you during your current season of life? Balance is really just a feeling for me, one that I find in different ways on different days. I can tell when I’m off balance because my brain starts racing, I feel overwhelmed, and I forget to take care of myself. For me, regaining balance usually means slowing down, being present, going for a run, and making lists. 🙂 5. Who/what inspires you? I think I’m most inspired by other entrepreneurs, people who design their lives consciously and see potential in nothingness. And while it sounds like a cliché, I am truly inspired by my clients. They amaze me with their desire to be their best selves and their willingness to be seekers. Most people don’t ever take the time to go on such a personal journey. 6. What is your best tip for maintaining a healthy lifestyle (exercising/eating well) in the midst of a busy life? Make self-care your number one priority as often as possible, ESPECIALLY during particularly busy times. When you do that, everything else falls into place. Oh, and go easy on yourself when you “fall off the wagon” – it’s okay! I actually hate that term – it assumes that living healthfully is an all-or-nothing proposition when it’s really just a continuum of daily/weekly/monthly choices. 7. What is one easy nutritional change that you encourage clients to make? Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning is a big one. I’m also a fan of keeping your freezer stocked with frozen vegetables (gasp!) for those days when you just can’t make it to the market to pick up fresh produce. Broccoli is the best one – it tastes good, even frozen; and it’s a “dark leafy green,” something missing from many of our diets. 8. What projects are you currently working on for Dalch Wellness? I’m getting settled in Seattle now; so forging partnerships with local fitness and wellness businesses here is a big priority. I’m planning to offer spring workshops in both Seattle and NYC (and in other cities if the opportunity presents itself). I also have a couple of products in development, different ways for people to access Dalch Wellness and be part of the community beyond my full six-month coaching program. Lara has a wealth of nutrition knowledge so be sure to stop by her website and look around! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #Balance #body #Pilates #Fitness #diet #exercise

Image by ·Insomnia· ( license ). [hana-code-insert name='social w twitt face' /] “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” Buddha “Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your hand-break on.” Unknown Your self-esteem is one of the most important things in life. It is one of those things that will make a huge difference for you if you work on it. As you raise your self-esteem you will for instance: Feel more deserving and trusting in yourself. This will allow you to more fully explore your own potential and start going for your dreams and happiness. Instead of holding yourself back in life because you do not think you deserve good things or because of fear of failure, rejection etc. Live as you want. Not just when it comes to your goals and dreams. But also in the way that you will be better at standing up for yourself, asking for what you really want, saying no and to not feel pressured by shoulds or perfectionism. Stop feeling lousy about yourself and start feeling that you are OK and good. Sure, life still has its ups and downs with better self-esteem but those ups and downs also become easier to handle. And if you become more understanding, accepting and loving of yourself then just about any day in life will become better and happier than it used to be. Those are a couple of reasons why I have created my brand new course, the Self-Esteem Course. It will launch on Tuesday as the headline mentions. At 13.00 EST (that’s 18.00 GMT) to be more specific and during the first week of the launch you can get it at 30% off . But that is not the only thing about self-esteem that I wanted to share today. I also wanted to share three simple ways that you can start using today to start raising or to better maintain your own self-esteem. 1. The daily self-appreciation journal. It is easy to get lost in basing your self-esteem on just what you accomplish, on what you get done in a day or week. But basing your self-esteem on just that makes it pretty unstable. One way help yourself out with that and with appreciating what is good and awesome about you is to use a self-appreciation journal. You can do that by taking out a pen and notepad (or use a word processor on your computer or cell phone) every evening for a week. There you write down 5 things you appreciate about yourself. But make sure that you do not only write down accomplishments. Also write down good stuff related to your core-self esteem. By that I mean things that always there no matter how you perform at work or in school. It could be things/traits like your sense of humor, your kindness, your honesty, wisdom, creativity and so on. If you like, continue to make this kind of journaling a habit of yours after the first week is up. 2. The stop word or stop-phrase. We all have an inner critic. The critic can spur you on to get things done and to behave in way that gains acceptance from the people around you. But it can also drag you and your self-esteem down. The inner critic whispers or shouts thoughts in your mind. It could be thoughts like: You are lazy and sloppy too, now get to work. No one really likes you for who you are. You always fail in relationships. You aren’t good at your job at all and someone will figure that out and throw you out. You are worse or uglier than someone else. Now, the inner critic can as I mentioned help you to be productive and so on. But there are alternatives that are better. If you want to become more effective then it will for example be healthier and more productive to remind yourself of your major reasons for doing what you do each day. You could write down the most important reasons why you are focusing on this project, on these classes in school and so on and put that note where you will see it every day. But, as you start going on that other, healthier path, you also have to stop the critic so it does not start to drag you down. You have to talk back to it. You can do so by simply creating a stop word or stop-phrase that you say or shout in your mind whenever your critic pipes up with a distorted and self-esteem hurting thought. Simply say: Stop! Or use something else. I like these two phrases: No, no, no, we are not going there! No, that is just stupid. They have worked well for me to get the inner critic to shut up. Try these ones out or create one that feels good and works for you. Then use it to not get dragged down by your own inner critic when it may get triggered by for example criticism or a mistake in everyday life. And as you use the word or phrase and it becomes a habit and as you find healthier paths towards what you want your critic will pop up up less and less. 3. Be kind and understanding towards others (and yourself). By being kinder towards and more understanding of others if becomes easier to do the same to yourself. One simple way to focus on being more understanding and kind when you feel the need to judge someone is to use helpful questions. One I find to be really effective is: What parts of this person can I see in myself? How is he or she like me? This one helps me to shift my perspective from what is different and what I feel the need to judge to what we have in common instead. This tears down the mental barriers between us and I can feel closer to and more understanding of this person. Try it out whenever you feel the need to judge someone, no matter if it is someone close to you or someone you don’t even know. By doing so it becomes more natural to extend and use this more understanding and kind frame of mind when you view yourself too. And by behaving in this way towards others you will feel better about yourself and in that way raise your self-esteem too. If you found this article helpful, then please share it with someone else by using the buttons below. Thank you! =)

You may remember when I did an interview with Anastasiya Goers awhile back. At that time she was about to launch a 15-day ecourse  called Reclaim Your Life. The course became SO popular that she has decided it to offer it again. This is good news! Anastasiya is such a gem. She is also a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all things “balance”. I did the course myself and loved every last bit of it. The course is thoughtful and inspiring, yet entirely practical. It was a fantastic way for me take a little time to focus on myself so that I can be better for others, particularly by learning how to exercise my “no” muscle (can you relate?) and allocate my time in a way that actually fits my priorities. With the craziness of the holidays approaching it might be a great little gift to give yourself. Just a thought. All you need is 15 minutes a day for 15 days. Click the link and sign yourself up. It just might change your life for the better 🙂 Click here to read more about Reclaim Your Life. ps- today she is also offering “100 Ways To Live A More Balanced Life Today” as a FREE gift so hurry over and take a look. Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #Balance

Image by -sel ( license ). “The one who asks questions doesn’t lose his way” African Proverb Creating the habit of asking myself better questions on a daily basis is one of the most helpful things I have done for myself. It is a very simple thing to do and after you have done so for a month or so the question tends to often pop up automatically when you need it. And over time this little thing can have a huge positive impact. Today I’d like share 5 of my favorite questions that I use to simplify my life and to keep it simple. And at the end of this post I’ll share what I have spent most of my time with lately. If I was just told that I had to go away for a conference tomorrow and it would last for a whole week then what would I spend today doing? This is a wonderful question that quickly helps you get your priorities in check. If you feel lost at the start of your week or day or get lost in busy work then stop. Then ask yourself this question to refocus on the absolutely most important. Who cares? A very simple but a very powerful question. Whenever you feel like delving into some nitpicking or some pettiness ask yourself this question. Or use it whenever you feel an overwhelming need to be right in some discussion. Yes, nitpicking or having to be right can give you sort of high. You feel good. But it’s a dirty high. It never lasts for long. And you just create a lot of negativity in the long run outside of yourself and within yourself as your self-esteem goes down. Asking yourself “who cares?” is a way to lighten up, to not take every little thing so seriously. It’s a way be more open and relaxed with yourself and the people around you. It’s simply a way to be cool about stuff. Am I right here, right now? This is one can be very helpful. Both because it’s very easy to slip out of the present moment and back into negative and pointless thought loops about the past/future. And because it’s very beneficial to spend pretty as much of the time in your day as possible in the now. Why? A couple of important reasons: Improved social skills. Improved creativity. You appreciate your world more. Stress release. Less worry-warting and overthinking. Openness. If I find I’m not in present moment I reconnect with it by for instance: Belly breathing. I take belly breaths and just focus my breathing for a minute. Keeping the focus on the current external surroundings for minute. For example right now, I can look out of my window and see the buss traveling up the hill next to my house. I see the plants in my window that probably need some water. I hear the humming of the computer-fan and the sound of the traffic going by. I feel that the floor is a bit cold. I use my senses to take in the world around me right now and to reconnect with the present moment. Taking action. Taking action and doing things – especially things you love doing – tends to put you in the present moment a lot of the time. It works pretty well for me at least. Will this matter in 5 years? This one can really puts things into perspective. It can make just about any difficulty that you are having right now seem a bit trivial and not as important and heavy as you had imagined the last few days, weeks and months. You may discover that you had expanded a problem and made it a lot more terrifying than it actually is. And you may discover that you can actually solve it more easily than you thought while you were in a somewhat panicked state of mind. Can I let this go? So much of our time is often spent not here but in the past. We relive old conflicts and arguments. We replay negative situations that may have happened last week or a really long time ago. A terrible thing about this is how it is considered such a normal thing. People just do it day after day and in many cases year after year. It is a horrible waste of energy and the time you have here. In some cases you may have to take action to resolve an old situation and get closure. You perhaps bring up the situation with the people involved to get them to understand and for you to better understand them too. And/or maybe you apologize or forgive. But in many cases you can just let it go. Well, just letting it go is perhaps something of an oversimplification. But a few steps that have helped me to become better at letting go are these: Be ready to give up the benefits of not letting go. You may not want to let go because it makes you feel superior to someone else or because it makes you feel like a victim and so you receive attention and sympathy. To let go you have give up benefits like these. Accept it and then let go. I like acceptance. I like it because when you accept something instead of resisting it you stop feeding more energy into your problem and making it even bigger. A bit counterintuitive. This is also useful when it comes to letting go. If you first accept what you want to let go you aren’t so emotionally attached to it and still feeding it with your focus and energy. And so it becomes less powerful and easier to just drop. As long as you resist it then it will be hard to let it go. Let it go if it shows up again. In my experience it’s pretty common that what you let go shows up in your thoughts again. And that’s OK. Just let it go each time it shows up. After a while it stops showing up. Coming very soon: The Self-Esteem Course . Over the last few months I have been working hard and I am now very happy to announce that my latest and what I believe may be my most helpful and important product so far is almost finished. The Self-Esteem Course is a 12 week course in how to raise and maintain one of the most important things in life: your self-esteem. And it will be launching in little over a week. Why is self-esteem so important? Well, with a low sense of self-esteem you tend to simply not like yourself very much at all. You hold yourself back from exploring life and all your potential and dreams because you feel such things are for other people but not you. Or you stay in your unhappy place in life because you do not feel like you deserve more or could realistically go after what you really want. It is not a good place to be in and no matter what tips or strategies you may learn for handling life better in a practical way – like with productivity or social skills – this shaky or very weak self-esteem foundation will hold you back and you’ll remain stuck even though “you know what you should do” to improve your life. Over the past years I have improved my own self-esteem a lot and learned how to handle daily obstacles that could drag it down. What has worked, the best things I have found is what I’ll share in this course with practical action-steps to follow each week. If this is something you’re interested in, be on the lookout next week for more information on the exact launch date and time and the special offer on the course that you can get during the launch week. If you found this article helpful, then please share it with someone else by using the buttons below. Thank you! =)

Every Thanksgiving I put together a little gift to say thank you to my clients. I am so grateful for each of them. They inspire me, motivate me, teach me and make my days rich with connection. I am truly grateful for each hour that I get to spend with them. This year I did something sweet, yet calorie free. I made an all natural Brown Sugar Body Scrub. It does wonders for your skin. 1 cup sugar, 2 cups brown sugar, 1 cup sunflower oil and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Come do Pilates with me. I will give you treats 🙂 I also gave out notes and tea bags to my classes – reminding them to take a little time to slow down and relax during the holidays. I see it as my job (and pleasure) to remind each of you to take care of yourselves. Yes I’m talking to you, my virtual clients that are far away too. Take 5 minutes this week to sit down with a warm mug of tea and DO NOTHING. If anyone asks, just tell them you’re Pilates trainer told you to. I’ll be away from my blog until Monday but stay tuned for exciting things to come next week. Have a Happy Thanksgiving. I am genuinely grateful for each of you. Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS!

Image by paul (dex) ( license ) [hana-code-insert name='social w twitt face' /] “If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change. If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change.” John A Simone “Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.” Robert Louis Stevenson Not all days start off well. And sometimes you just wind up having a bad day. But there are ways to turn it around. Now, days can turn out bad in different ways. And have different solutions. In this article I’d just like to share 5 general steps I often use to change my thoughts and emotions during a bad day. Going through these steps often allows me to change what is inside of me and so that allows me change the day for the better too. 1. Think. The first step when I’m having an unmotivated, sad, tired day or one where I wind up in one negative situation or more is to use my mind. How? Well, I start to see my day from a better and more helpful viewpoint by using questions. So you can ask yourself questions like: Will this matter 5 years from now? Who cares? What can I learn from this situation? What is the opportunity in this situation? What is one small action, one small step I can take to start turning this day or situation around? 2. Use your body. If I can’t think myself out of the situation, if that doesn’t change my thoughts then work with my body instead. I work out with free weights for maybe 30 minutes. Then inner tensions lift from my body and mind. A pessimistic viewpoint tends to get replaced. And I feel more powerful, energetic, positive and focused when I am done. A much better headspace and bodyspace to be in to turn that day around. 3. Accept what is. It is often a natural impulse to try to deny negative feelings or thoughts when they show up in your life. Perhaps you try to not think about it, perhaps you try to push that feeling away. Or you tell yourself that you need to focus like a laser beam on the positive by using the questions from step #1. I have found that in many cases it is actually better to just accept that the negative feelings and th0ughts – or whatever are left of them after having worked through step #1 and #2 – are here right now (although it can be hard to sometimes convince your brain that this is a good option as it wants to deny or reject what is). By accepting that you feel this way and that these thoughts are floating in your mind you stop feeding more energy into them and you stop making them strong. After a few minutes of fully taking in this uncomfortable feeling and thoughts and accepting that they are here then they start to lose steam. They just seem to float away and you once again feel more open and are able to think more clearly. 4. Tap into gratitude. This one can be helpful too. Perhaps not when you are having really bad day. Or not right away, if you feel shocked or totally overwhelmed emotionally. But after a while, when you have calmed down a bit then it can be helpful to tap into a bit of gratitude. Because your pain and sorrow can in retrospect be a gift. Your sorrow expands the spectrum of human experience, understanding and emotions for you. You become more grateful because of your sorrow. The sorrow carves deeper. And the deeper it carves, the more joy you will also be able to contain. The sad times make the happy times even sweeter. So the bad times can help us to enjoy and appreciate the good times even more. But I have also found that when I have a pessimistic mood or low energy or no motivation or all of them then that can help me to think in new ways about things. My lowest days often turn out to be some of my most creative days. So the bad day may not feel good. But I also know that it often will bring me positive things based on how things have turned out in the past when I was in the same situation. 5. Just be with your day. This last step is more of a reminder if you can't seem to get the steps above to work. Because that happens too. But it can also be another way to tap into acceptance and to help yourself. Now, this blog was never about life being perfect or positive or awesome all the time. That is just perfectionism rearing its ugly head. This blog is about replacing unhelpful habits with better ones. It is about raising the percentages of times where you can handle things in a better way both in your everyday life and when big things happen. But there are still natural valleys and peaks in life. And a bad day will sometimes just be a bad day. And that is OK. That’s life. If you found this article helpful, then please share it with someone else by using the buttons below. Thank you! =)

This is edition of “Real Women. Real Balance.” is for all you mothers out there. I recently interviewed Shannon from The Daily Balance to showcase yet another inspiring woman who is striving for a life of balance and wellness. Shannon is a mom, wife, communications professional, model/actress, fitness enthusiast and self-proclaimed food lover. If that’s not a lot to balance, I don’t know what is. Read on to learn a little more about her… 1. Hi Shannon! Let’s get started. What inspired you to start your blog “The Daily Balance”? I started my blog because I felt like I needed an outlet to share all my passions and interests. I love to write and love to read about other people’s experiences who are in a similar place in their lives. I thought people would like ready my story too 😉 2. I love that. What do you do when you’re not working on your blog? Oh jeez, now you’ll see why I’m always seeking balance. When I’m not blogging, I’m a mom to the cutest baby in the world and wife to the handsomest husband ;). I work full-time as an Account Director at an advertising/public relations agency. In addition, I’m a professional model, actress and wedding singer. In my spare time (ha!), I enjoy the outdoors, reading, power walking, beating my husband at Scrabble, the Cleveland arts + culture scene, going out to dinner, watching movies, perfecting my recipes and eating (good) pizza and anything that’s “frosted.” 😉 3. What is your favorite post on The Daily Balance? That’s tricky. I’m partial to the post where I announce I’m pregnant . I’m really proud of all of my posts I’ve compiled for my Pregnancy  and Motherhood tabs. 4. Balance can mean different things at different times. What does balance mean to you during your current season of life? Balance is so important to me right now, and something I try so hard to maintain. As a working mother, I always ALWAYS want to spend all my extra time with my son. But I also know how important it is to make sure I have designated time with my husband for date nights, as well as personal time to take care of myself or catch up with friends. I’m no expert, but I’m learning as I go and trying to take my own advice — which is always the most difficult 😉 5. I’m sure that many of the new moms out there can relate. Who/what inspires you? The older I get, the more and more my Mother inspires me. Now that I’m a mom myself, I have a whole new level of respect and appreciation for what she did for my brother and I. In addition, she is in the best shape of her life and an incredible inspiration with regards to healthy eating and exercise. 6. What is your best tip for maintaining a healthy lifestyle (exercising/eating well) in the midst of motherhood and a busy life? I always refer back to my 90/10 rule. I eat healthy and make clean, fresh choices 90% of the time. That means that 10% of the time, I don’t have to worry about having an extra brownie or scoop of ice cream. And when I do indulge, I thoroughly enjoy it – guilt free! The bottom line is that one or two cookies is NOT going to cause you to gain weight. The entire box and making it a daily habit will. The same applies to exercise. I make a solid effort to set time aside for power walks and weight training. So when I spend a few nights on the couch watching TV and relaxing, I don’t feel guilty. Plus, “vegging out” contributes to my mental health, which should never go ignored. 7. What projects are you currently working on for The Daily Balance? I have a few things in the works, but they aren’t necessarily related to The Daily Balance. I recently wrote a children’s story, which I’m trying to get published — know anyone? 😉 — and I also have a pretty brilliant idea for an iPhone app, which I’m trying to pitch to venture capitalists. If you’re a mother trying to maintain a sense of balance in your life, I highly recommend you check out Shannon’s blog . She has so much to share, including exercise inspiration and yummy recipes. Do you have a question for Shannon? Post a comment! Ready to finally stay consistent with exercise – even when you’re short on time & energy? Join me for the FREE Creating Healthy Routines Workshop & walk away with an exercise routine you can put into action immediately! I'M READY FOR THIS! #Balance #exercise #Fitness #Health