I wish I had more......

TIME
I find myself constantly saying that. Look...it's been since NOVEMBER since my last blogpost and writing is something I really LOVE to do. OK maybe not so much love after all, but it is something I do enjoy. Since that last Nov. post I have been to Tampa to see family, went with Dennis to Tuscany & The Amalfi Coast for 3 weeks and in between all that? Well I worked A LOT in between. Oh! I did recently go see Prince at The Forum, which was a treat since the last 'rock" concert I'd been to was about 12 years ago. Other than that, well....hanging with my "menace", dinners with good friends, hikes, Farmer's Market runs, Book Club dinners and I am sure other things can be added.

This sounds really like what amounts to is a very FULL life. Yet, I always complain I need more time. Why? Why am I not fulfilled with the time I get? I mean isn't 24/7...365 enough?

In all actuality.. It is really...

I believe the key here is TIME management.
I somehow need to carve out having a "second" Sunday on another day.

Maybe, the real key here is - getting away from my time stealer's... There I said it... TIME STEALER'S and we are know what they are...anything that has to do with an online connection. Yes folks they are time stealer's and I need to come clean here and admit that if I spent less time on "FB" and everything else with a connection to the cyber world I would probably have more time that I would know what to with, maybe even a "third" Sunday...

Really what I need is a power outage and to say bye (for now)...
Going to take a nap :)

Thanks for letting me rant...till the next time, if something doesn't STEAL IT!!!

What gives me JOY!

While contemplating what to write about in my blog this morning I could not help but notice how great I feel. Is this JOY? Am I feeling joy(ful)right now? What exactly is making me feel this good and can I hold onto it forever, or at least for a while. So I decided to write about it and put it in the archives.

One thing I definately know that is giving me joy is SUNDAY. This is my favorite day of the week because it is my day to be unscheduled without guilt. This is my guilt free day. Suffice to say, yes I am someone who does possess those unruly feelings that no one wants to have (guilt, worry, anxiety etc....) you know them.... because everyone to some degree has them.

Sunday I give myself guilt free permission to drink COFFEE (which I have for the most part given up caffeine) and I LOVE coffee! Happiness in a cup...love it. I get up early and watch CBS SUNDAY MORNING which to me is the only show worth waking up early to watch (no I don't have DVR or TIVO). Then I go to the farmer's market and get my bounty for the week...YUMMMMM. Today I decided to also blog because it has been about a month since my last post and just because I wanted to.

So today.... Is My JUST BECAUSE I WANT TO DAY and that gives my utter and complete JOY!

For me...what gives me great joy lies in the simplicity of my life, the uncomplicated-"ness" and mere enjoyment of the experience of feeling what is going on inside me at the moment and not missing it because I am too damn busy to notice. I seem to be able to do this on Sunday. I only know one person who can do this everyday and that is my husband. Yes, I can honestly say he really is able to do this everyday, whether he is in Cozumel scuba diving or whether he is home living his "normal" daily life. It is truly enviable and I strive to be more like that. Right now I will take Sunday....

So today "My Joy" is simply:

Waking up when I want
My coffee and CBS Sunday Morning
Farmer's Market
Breakfast with my Mom-in-law (whom I adore)
Listening to KPCC (NPR) while cleaning mi casa (which today I don't mind)
Making guacamole for Book Club tonight
Skyping with my daughter and hopefully Dennis
Watering the trees and enjoying sitting among the Bamboo & Palms in my backyard
Seeing my Book Club buds for laughter, good food, discussion
Wine without the Whine
And whatever else my heart desires
Getting what I hope is a restful full nights sleep

My desire is to extend this to the rest of the six other days of the week, but for now I will take this one day and "simply" relish in "My Joy"....

What gives you Joy?

Ciao for now~

My "INNER" Experience

It is one week now since I returned from the INNER IDEA conference in Palm Desert CA and I am happy to report that what I learned there is still with me. Beyond attending four days of jammed packed informative sessions, being with other "like-minded" individuals, sharing stories and a room with 2 women who were 15-20 years younger than me, I also learned something about myself. I learned that there is always something new to learn. It never ends and that is the beauty of gaining knowledge.

It's been so long since I have attended a conference, mostly because I had the attitude of "what am I going to learn that I don't already know" which is the most arrogant thought. Well...frankly A LOT! It was my own arrogance that was my biggest barrier, because after 30 years in the fitness business I guess I felt entitled to have it. WRONG. This was very hard to admit to myself and (to now write this publicly), but also very important. It's not that I ever really stopped gaining "exercise" knowledge, it is that I gained it through private avenues, watching you-tube videos, educational DVD's, reading magazine articles, books, and other on-line sources. After attending years of conventions, conferences, workshops, seminars I guess I was done with it and needed to learn via other avenues and gave up attending anything that gathered a bunch of "fitness" people together in one place. Well I am so glad I changed my attitude and attended this years Inner IDEA conference.

What drew me in to go to "inner" verses say the "World" Fitness Convention (held the month before in downtown Los Angeles and much more convenient location) was the AHHHHHHH factor. The Inner IDEA conference was formed 5 years ago in an effort to step away from the traditional IDEA mega conventions that normally generate thousands of attendees who come and spend days attending high energy fitness frenzy sessions and milling around the expo taking in all the latest and greatest gadgetry the fitness industry has to offer. Truth be told it gave me a headache even thinking about. When I first started in fitness these types of industry "get together's" were my adrenaline. Now for me, I can tell you those days are way over. So when I first heard about the Inner IDEA conference (which primarily attracts attendees who are teaching yoga, pilates, meditation, nutrition etc..), I thought "now this is something I could attend" and really enjoy. Not wanting to go alone, I recruited another friend/colleague who recruited a couple of others and we registered. I must say another big incentive was the LA Quinta resort and the 500 person limit to attend.

After the almost 3 hour drive to the desert, I began to experience this feeling of calm and utter joy come over me (mostly because I was on vacation) as we drove onto the gorgeous property of the LA Quinta Resort. We checked in to the hotel with ease and then went to register for the conference. Another breeze....no line, 5 minutes tops and if we wanted to change sessions no hassle, just show up to the session you want and if it's full we were able to just stand and observe. Easy schmeezy... love it. We proceeded to go to the room, unpack, decompress and get ready for the first session, which was Creating Reformer Choreography presented by Nora St John who was fabulous. From that moment on, my creative juices (that were on drip) began to flow. I could feel the cogs in my brain turning and I knew, in order to keep this going I needed to be 100% present the entire time so I didn't miss a thing. I now learned lesson - #1) NOTHING ELSE "OUT THERE" is as important as BEING RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW. Being Present is the gift I gave to myself for the entire weekend. That message was reiterated again at the opening ceremony with beautiful words and music, chanting and an inspiring key note address by Brant Secunda (Huichod Shaman and Healer) and Mark Allen (six-time Ironman Tri-Champion) and authors of Fit Soul Fit Body. I turned to my friend Megan and said "I am not opening my lap-top this whole weekend" as I made a silent vow to myself to step away from the outside world. This for me (and you all know what a FB and email addicted junkie I am) was a HUGE progressive step.

Every session I attended I learned many new things, along with being introduced to many of the finest presenters in the world. Scott Josephson, who is from the Hippocrates Health Institute did two brilliant presentations: Women, Metabolism and the Hormone Highway and Search and Explore popular diets. I don't think I ever laughed so hard, nor had more fun than in Lawrence Biscontini's Bosu:Hard Core Peace Core. Who would ever think you could do mindful yoga, pilates, t'ai chi, chi gong and chants on a bosu and SWEAT?
Lawrence was brilliant, and deserved The INNER award he received at the opening ceremony (especially after taking his Moonlight Meditation class and there being more distractions than ever thought possible) and he still managed to keep the entire class centered and focused. Paul Check's "The Last Four Doctors You will Ever Need" completely threw me for a loop when here I was thinking traditional docs and it was metaphorical. Dr Diet, Dr Quiet, Dr Happiness and Dr Movement, "well being is as simple as 1-2-3-4. How true is that statement? Very... Micheal Kings' reformer sequencing brought new light to putting movement together in a beautiful seamless sequence like a dance. Break it down and Build it up by Michael Fritzke took traditional Pilates movement and broke them down down into teachable pieces we could use for own own classes. I could go on and on but I would be remiss if I did not mention the session that stuck with me the most. That would be the last one I took and ended my weekend on such a glorious high note with . Sue Hitzmanns' MELT on Pilates rocked my world.
Can I say I LOVED IT any louder? This woman was not only an amazing, knowledgeable, dynamic presenter but her passion for wanting to heal everyone in the entire world through her technique came through loud and clear. I was so beyond impressed I decided that when her instructor training comes to Los Angeles I will be the first sign up. I have used everything I had learned from that one session since, and my clients, students and patients just melt (literally). I am Melting over this and cannot wait for more.


We (Megan, Emilee & me) ended on a beautiful note leaving Palm Desert, the 117 degree weather and the most wonderful attendees we befriended (especially Susan & Diane yes you guys!) behind, filled to brim with knowledge, purpose and inspiration. I would say this was the best money and time I have ever spent on an educational conference and I am definately going to attend next year. AND.... my industry colleagues who are reading this...you are all invited to share with me this amazing experience.

It's A Full Time JOB to Stay Healthy In This World

It has been several weeks since my last blog, and frankly I just needed a break from feeling like blogging was a job (even writing a blog once a week sometimes feels like pressure). Writing is a passion of mine and I want to keep it that way, so when I am inspired and have something to say, I will. Today I do, and now I write.

I have been feeling like I need a suit of armor (or hazmat) to survive and stay healthy living on this planet. I know that sounds extreme, but lately that's how I feel. Sometimes reading and empowering myself with knowledge may not be such a good thing...I may now be thinking "ignorance is truly bliss." Have you ever noticed that just about everyday something else comes out across the wire that can be harmful to your health?...Egads!!...It is amazing people actually live past birth. Between our air and water being polluted, our food supply being sprayed and genetically modified, personal care products being filled with toxic chemicals penetrating our skin how do we even have a chance? And you think the western medical establishment and BIG PHARMA will help if we succumb to disease? Well think again...because that's a crap shoot as well. Like I have said over and over again, taking responsibility of ones own health is the first (and BEST) defense. Over the past month, I have made several very positive healthful adjustments to my lifestyle (and my husbands...he he) to help promote our best defense and increase "our" vitality.

Way Back in my early twenties (during the stone age), I became a vegetarian which lasted for about 17 years. I was later bamboozled into thinking animal-based protein was the very best source of the so-called highly nutritionally valuable macro-nutrient source, whereby having me start eating meat (poultry actually) once again. I became hooked on meat, and did buy into touting it's nutritional value trying to convince myself of it's worthiness. I did this for fifteen years until I recently decided to become a plant-based/whole grain eater once again, and honestly, it wasn't so difficult. The turning point for me was reading the book The China Study. I have read more books about nutrition, diet...yada yada over the years to realize this book really had me at "you want to know how healthy you are...look at the end of your fork" (also watching FOOD INC about 100 times). The author of this book says throughout "I am a researcher" and indeed he is. Not only is T. Colin Campbell a researcher, he is a very thorough one at that. His list of cited studies and references was the size of a small book. His argument for eating a plant-based, whole grain diet could not be disputed. While he does tout vegan-ism, vegetarianism is the next best thing so that I knew I could do with the intention to go vegan (someday?). Now the tough part was getting my 2 gallon a week milk drinking, cheese eating, carne asada burrito consuming husband to make that shift, and that was a whole other story. I decided to use the old "blood doesn't lie" trick and went straight to the cholesterol and triglyceride (he just had a physical and blood work done) in your face these are your levels.. truth. "You need to get those blood levels down especially now that you're in your fifties" was my rant and I used the book as proof. My husband is a "just the facts ma'am" guy, he wants legitimate cited studies, research, hard core proof...so then I knew I got him because this book has it all. Thanks to T. Colin Campbell and The China Study book, now Dennis is a transformed man (OK on his way to being a transformed man). It's been a week for him now, and I already see the changes and it's great. He may slip in a little meat here and there on the road to being a vegetarian, but I will take it...this is a major milestone.

As far as I go, well this week I ate just about completely vegan and I feel fabulous. I prepared my first all American vegan burger recipe (from my new vegan cookbook), which will be grilled tonight, and eaten along with accompaniments of fresh greens from the FM and (of course) wine (not giving that up). I must say vegan prep has a labor intensive learning curve, but definately worth time put in. I also went through my medicine cabinet, and storage drawers and threw out all the toxic sun screen, cosmetics, and personal care products that did not score above a 3 on http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ which amounted to a few hundred bucks worth. I decided our health and life was worth it. I am now using this website to restock my supply of just about everything which has now turned into another job. I have officially become a product researcher...OY Vey.

In this ever growing toxic world we live I believe the best defense starts at home, making positive changes using reliable, trustworthy resources (as in never believe the FDA) and yes it takes work to find them. And I am happy to pass them to you so you can have another job as well...

OK put on your HAZMAT suit and go out and enjoy the world!!!!

See you next time....

yours in Good Health ~ L

MOM a beautiful 3 letter word

Turns out Mother's day is really like every other day with the exception of everyone wishing you a "Happy Mother's Day". My daughter called at 7:04AM to wish me a Happy Mother's Day knowing I would be awake watching CBS Sunday Morning (she's 3 hours ahead or she would NEVER call that early) and felt her obligation was done. I appreciated the call with gratitude and asked her if we could Skype later on as I needed to get a few more sips of coffee in me to be able to speak any more words. She said "no problem I'll call you when i am in front of my computer", then we said our I love you's and hung up. My next call was to my mom who always seems so surprised to hear from me when I call. Weird... especially being that it is Mother's day. My husband wished me a Happy Mother's Day and asked me what I wanted (meaning a gift of some sort) and I replied "I don't want anything but you can clean the house". I couldn't have been more serious. We proceeded to go about our normal Sunday, going to the farmer's market for our weekly bounty and then getting ready for his mom and brother coming for dinner which has now added more work for me on my 24 hour vacation day and mother's day holiday. Woop-tee-do..... I had mentioned to my husband that it was his mom coming for dinner and that since it is mothers day he should make dinner. He turned on the grill and asked when he should put the meat on to cook. That was his contribution. Well not entirely, he did clean the bathroom. Woop-tee-do. I spent most of the day shopping for food, dusting, stripping beds, preparing dinner, cleaning the kitchen and it's 15 minutes before Desperate Housewives and I haven't even showered yet. Yep, this is like every other day with the exception of a bunch of Happy Mother's Day wishes, flowers from my mother in law and more work than I would normally do on a sacred Sunday.

Time for a shower...then I am crawling into bed, turning the TV on and shutting the bedroom door and enjoying what is left of my Happy Mother's Day....

Till the next time...

Ciao~ L

Making A Healthier Earth One Person At A Time

We just celebrated the 40 year anniversary of Earth Day and it made me sad that so little has been done to really help the planet in 40 years. It's appalling actually. My greatest hope is that my daughter and her generation will be more aware and make vital changes in their lifestyle and become the "sustainable" generation. I do my best to set a good example and have changed my "evil ways" over the years. I can honestly say these changes were simple and are no big deal once you get into the mind-set of wanting to do what is right for the earth, your family and yourself. What is interesting, is the changes that make a healthier planet also make a healthier you. Many changes were made because of chemicals that can leach from materials into the food that's eaten.

Some of the changes I have made over the years...

Eating completely Organic and eliminated meat (on my way to poultry but not yet).
Replaced buying bottled water (or any liquid in plastic ) with filling stainless containers.
Using stainless or cast iron cookware NO longer any Teflon.
Replaced plastic storage containers with all glass.
Conscious driving (biking instead of driving, combining errands for efficiency).
Cut back on Flying.
Recycling, composting everything I can to reduce garbage.
Creating a sustainable front lawn that uses barely any water and no chemicals.
Lots of bamboo & palm trees in the back yard (helps filter bad air CO2>O2).
Using Cloth Napkins more replacing paper.
Showers (short ones) every other day (except when workout sweat calls me to shower!).
Replaced all appliances to energy savers and light bulbs too.
Computers on stand by when not in use.
Lights and water faucets off when not in use.
Bringing own bags for groceries.
Shopping for food locally at Farmer's market.
Supporting local merchants more (although I do shop at Costco still)
NEVER SHOP AT AT EVIL WALMART!!!!
#1 no flush #2 FLUSH!!!!
Buying less (conscious shopping ...rational vs emotional purchasing).
NO CABLE TV (we have an antenna on top of our house that works great).
Avoid buying anything from China.
Volunteer more.
Borrowing library books instead of buying them unless it's a book to reference.

And the list will continue....

It's about being conscious in a world where it's easy to go through unconsciously.

Last week I wrote about the book Organic Manifesto by Maria Rodale and how important I felt this book was for everyone to read. I am almost finished with it and I wish it was on the must read list for every school in America. Our world will change if we can start now to be the role models for the next generations upcoming. They will not have a chance if we do not make the changes in our lifestyles NOW. This is BEYOND important, it is NECESSARY.

As Maria states in her book:

"If we plan to stay on this planet, we must take a stand. And the very ground we stand on holds the magic key to our future here. We have a once-in-a-lifetime, no once-in-a-species'-history-opportunity to do either the right thing or continue down the path to our demise."

It's NOW time to take a stand.

Ciao~ See you next Sunday! L

We Are Part of the Great Chemical Experiment

Being in the Health/Fitness industry for the last 100 yrs has put me in information overload with all the "stuff" out there that wants to infuse into my brain. I have decided it can only process and store so much, and frankly these days I just never know what to really believe, especially when it comes to nutrition and food. I have certain "guru's" I follow (Michael Pollan being one) that I trust and feel are worth my time to read what they have to say based on research they have done. So when my friend Barbara recommended I read "Organic Manifesto" by Maria Rodale I thought "hmm it's Barb recommending this", who is a trusted source of honest material, but do I want to bother to read yet another food/nutrition book? I waited a few days to see if I still had any interest and then ordered it. When it arrived, I saw it was only 200 pages and felt relieved. I decided to open it up and read the foreword by Eric Schlosser (which i usually skip) and the first three lines read like this:

Pesticides are poisons. They are manufactured to kill insects, rodents, fungi, and weeds. But they can also kill people.

Now I know this. That is the main reason why I have been eating organic for a while - to avoid the poisons. Pesticides and toxic sprays used by agri-business was something that was not new to me, but I kept on reading and it was the next few sentences that hooked me and made me angry and scared.

Organophosphates-one of the most common types of pesticide-were developed in Nazi Germany to be used as chemical weapons. It was later recognized that the same sort of nerve gases formulated to attack enemy soldiers and civilians could be used against agricultural pests

.....he then goes on to say that over the past 60 years a multitude of these same chemicals

have been applied to the American landscape on a massive scale.

Turns out the federal government has not done a pesticide use survey since 2001 because President George W Bush in his last year of office halted the program because spending 8 million dollars to conduct such a survey was too expensive. I am sure Dow Chemical and Monsanto had something to do with this decision no doubt. Schlosser goes on to give a conservative estimate of the current pesticide use in the US agri business as being

1.2 BILLION Pounds a year

which equates to being about 4 pounds of this toxic crap for every American man, woman and child.

I started reading last night and will probably finish this book in a day or so. I can tell you that this book is an extremely important book for everyone to read. Maria Rodale is no stranger to this area she is an expert and has the lineage to prove it. She has been "walking the walk" along with "talking the talk" for years because it's in her DNA. In case you recognize the name, her grandfather J.I. Rodale, launched Organic Farming and Gardening magazine in 1942 in addition to the organic movement. Then Maria and her father launched Prevention magazine in 1950. This woman does her research and it shows in this book. A word of warning...it is disturbing and it should be. It should disturb every single person who eats, breathes, drinks water and walks on soil enough to do something. And what can "we" do? is the question... Well first get the book and read it. Be angry. Be disturbed. Be scared....but don't be paralyzed and do nothing. This is your life, your food, your air along with everyone else on the planet and this includes your kids. The generations after us are who is in the greatest peril and it is with them in mind that we must DEMAND ORGANIC and demand it NOW.

Go to this link and read this interview with Maria Rodale

http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2010/03/maria-rodales-organic-manifesto.html

See You Next Sunday... Now go get this book and read it.

http://www.rodale.com/maria-rodale-organic-manifesto

Ciao ~ L