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Women’s Health month: Thriving at every age

As women, we know all too well what can happen when we don’t prioritize our health–from stress and overwhelm, to unwanted weight gain, sleeping issues, fertility challenges and more. Because of our important roles in our family and society, we’re called to form healthy habits and self-care practices that allow us to be at our best, and to give our best in the situations of work and family that we find ourselves.

Personally–I’ve had to learn the hard way, just what an effect that stress, lack of sleep, and a lack of self-care routines in motherhood can have. (You can read more about that in the about me pages and throughout the blog). Thankfully, that crisis moment was 6 years ago, and the journey that I have taken subsequently has been an incredible blessing–discovering personal tools for non-toxic living, and a brand partner that allows me to always choose a holistic solution to the many many different needs women have. I’ve only lived into my 3rd decade so far, but I’m very aware just how much our health needs change from year to year, and decade to decade, especially as women.

Here are some wonderful summaries of healthy living for women of all ages, that I wish someone had shared with me a decade or 2 ago, as well as some tools that have supported so many of my friends, family and clients, I’m so grateful to share and hope that you’ll feel inspired to share with the women that you love.

You can also find some incredible stories and inspiration related to women and their health in this post, here, also in honor of women’s health month.

I always like to frame and start things with WHY. Why does this matter? When we create thriving, healthy foundations for living, we’re able to give a gift of self that is richer, more abundant, and not depleting of us. We learn to care for self, and accept forms of care, while in turn serving and loving everyone who is in our daily path and our larger call to impact.

HEALTHY HABITS ESSENTIAL FOR ANY AGE

No matter what decade we’re in, these habits matter.

Daily movement–find things that you love–walking, gardening, yoga, barre, running, chasing kids at the playground, whatever it is, be sure to move 30 minutes daily for optimal health, and with our fitness trackers, we can now see just how active or in-active we’re being, and create habits that make that easier to accomplish.

*Additional fitness recommendation for healthy bones: weight bearing exercises are suggested for optimal bone health, starting in 20’s/30’s to build the foundations of a lifetime of strong bones. Don’t be intimidated by weight lifting–have fun, experiment, get a trainer to help you feel confident, or just get in there and make friends and learn as you go. Some gyms offer classes specifically for women looking to learn about and use weights.

Nutrition: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants”. Michael Pollan’s simplistic words have a wonderful appeal to them, in an age of overcomplications, fad diets, fad nutritional theories and people dogmatically telling you about how you need to go Keto. Every one of us is built to have different nutritional needs; a foundation of healthy supplementation, regular cleansing (through whole foods cleanses like we offer), and more will allow us to trust our body and to understand what it is we most need–ie, our cravings can teach us what our daily eating should be, in the realm of “intuitive eating” which is my hope for every woman, along with body confidence, and a freedom from emotional eating or eating issues. We all know just how challenging all of this can be to navigate–reach out if you want to connect or share what you’re in the middle of. See also my blog post about “why one diet doesn’t fit all” and theory of bio-individuality. It’s ultimately so freeing.

Supplementation: This is critical, and something many of us learn late or take for granted. When you realize that folic acid stores for example, take months to build up, women need to be eating healthy, iron and folic acid rich diets long before they are conceiving or trying to conceive. Similarly with balancing hormones and eating for balanced fertility, which is something many women bring up to me in our work together—well, the key is also to be aware of the larger picture, to work hard to create a non-toxic lifestyle–meaning all skin care, home other products, remove toxins and endocrine distruptors from our lives, and even our plates, and so many of these issues will go away. I really believe that everyone should be taking the vitalizer–a best in class women’s multi that provides balanced amounts of IRON (absorbable) and all the tools for strong bones, and healthy digestion, skin, nails, hair and energy–during those critical pre and childbearing years (it also doubles as a pre-natal, and post-natal, how convenient). After using this daily for 6 years, and I really do feel younger and more energized and balanced than I did 10 years ago in my early 20’s…I know that the whole picture is important, but what we choose to put in our body can be one of the key pieces. Do you research and see just what makes sense for you. I love the rave reviews I get from women ages 18-45 who take this as part of their best life.

Managing Stress: this one is certainly applicable for women across decades. Especially in our fast-paced daily lives that often leave little time for un-winding and being aware of our stress levels–and managing them properly. Some tips are: Identify stressors, schedule personal relaxation time, get good nutrition, exercise regularly (this is the most important one for me!), sleep more, and you can also try botanical support via ashwaganda or L-Theanine, found in our Stress Relief complex and our Energizing tea, among other things.

 

It’s powerful to reflect on the ways our health needs and bodies change, so we can thrive and enjoy the beauty of each season for what it is.

And our non-toxic lifestyle brand partner even has specific nutritional tools to make sure you are getting exactly the targeted solutions you need for thriving in each decade.

And don’t forget about rounding out the non-toxic lifestyle with clean beauty. This line is free of 2500 harmful chemicals and ingredients–some of the safest stuff around. We might as well look younger longer, since we’re going to feel younger longer.

Cheers to an amazing rest of women’s health month, and start to this summer! Can’t wait to take this journey of healthy womanhood with you–and share your stories and inspiration–those are what encourage and inspire and really lift up the other women in our lives…reminding them of how much their own health and happiness should be valued.

See more stories and inspiration for women’s health here. 

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Spring Race Recap: Reflections on Endurance Training and How It Shapes My Life

Dedicating this post to the amazing friends who’ve supported me on my journey of falling in love with training and running races; and who’ve witnessed to me with their own lives the power of this process in creating motivated, goal oriented phases that benefit and shape lives in so many ways. Specifically: Samantha, Mary, Claire and Annie, who’s also editing this for me. Truly, deeply grateful. And thanks to all of you who checked in on me and made sure I was excited and motivated and felt good–it was so touching, and I know I needed it!

Yesterday, I completed another half marathon!! The sight of the finish line has truly never been sweeter, and I was even more grateful this time to be able to run and take on this challenge, seeing another training cycle to completion.

Today, I’m going to try to touch on the overview/prep I did for this race and give a little race day recap. But before I do that, I need to share my musings on why I feel strongly about setting fitness goals as a part of creating a happy, successful and productive life–moving us towards the goals that matter to us–in all aspects, not just in fitness.

I get asked all the time–but WHY do you like running half marathons? And the answer really lies in something that I’ve discovered and continued to uncover along the way. Namely, I become a better version of myself through testing my mental and physical limits in these ways (within reason, of course, and with a strong support team making sure I stay injury free and enjoying it all).

Brendon Burchard, in his book High Performance Habits, says: “If the demands of your job or life require you to learn fast, deal with stress, be alert, pay attention, remember important things, and keep a positive mood, then you must take exercise more seriously. If you care about your contributions to the world, you’re care for yourself.”

Sounds like most of our lives! And what a straightforward solution, right?

And deep down, many of us know this to be true. Now, I am a huge fan of in home workouts, regular routines, gym classes that you can fit around your schedule, etc, but it’s also powerful to test oneself and one’s limits, both physically and mentally. That’s what endurance sports and events represent to me. After all, isn’t that what life often demands of us, whether we’ve trained or not? And with energy and positivity, what can’t we focus on and handle?

For me, as I came to half marathon training after becoming a mother (my first one was done when my eldest daughter was 2), it was also about witnessing to myself and to my family just how strong I could be, for myself and for them. And in the process of facing the challenges, the ups and downs, highs and lows of a race training cycle, I would face and conquer hidden fears, learn about myself, and be prepared to face other parts of life with more discipline, focus, gratitude (for strength), and an understanding of how to make progress towards those bigger life goals we have.

Now, for some people, swimming might be a smarter, low impact sport, my dad is an endurance cyclist and I’ve always admired folks who were into that as well. For me, running as been my passion, and not without challenges to continue—since in the past 5 years I’ve run 4 halfs and had 2 babies–I used to just say if I can run a half after/between each kid I’ll be happy with that–and so far that’s proven to be a good focal point for my overall fitness habits, postpartum recovery etc–more on that in an entirely seperate post. I’ve been able to run up to 34/35 weeks pregnant with my 2 most recent babies (shorter distances) and that has helped so much with regaining strength and motivation for recovery afterward.

Distance running is a form of meditation and mindfulness. Sure, I like to track my stats and set goals, negative splits and all of that, but it’s important to be able to just run for the sheer joy of moving, of celebrating life, humanity, an act of gratitude and prayer. I find that I can come back to my kids and my life my grounded and grateful after a long run–especially in nature. When the going gets tough, I’ll often turn to forms of prayer–rosary, etc–for perspective and pacing.

Training for a half is like any stretch goal in any area of life. It can seem super daunting on paper, and we need to show up with our base level of fitness/functioning…but then break down the goal into bite sized chunks, weekly mileage goals and a training plan with incremental increases/growth, and all of a sudden, it becomes simple as can be.

Often, once we’ve broken down the goal to manageable chunks, it really becomes a mental game. Can we talk ourselves into or out of our goal, the process, the enjoyment of it, the testing of ourselves with grace. This year, I was facing sub zero temps when I needed to be training, and a month before the race, I ran a 9 miler in mid 30’s weather. That was tough, but it reminded me of just how often we find reasons why the goal doesn’t matter, or can’t be met.

And sometimes we just have to let our commitment to the goal, and to ourselves, be stronger than any of that.

As I think about it: so much of life is about playing for a long game and an end goal that is not close by. Mothering for example–talk about a marathon, not a sprint! Like an 18 year marathon 🙂 And with owning a small business, I often have to look at my growth and focus on the future in large/stretch goal terms, and then break down those big goals into bite size pieces to figure out how we will get there (and you all have been AMAZING as we’ve built this biz and brand).

I’m sure you can all give great examples from your own lives, of how these skills of patience, perseverance, mindful goal setting and more can come in handy. I get a huge rush out of completing the goal that I’ve worked towards, and even more so when I can model it for my kids and remind them that with proper planning and hard work, amazing things are possible.

Racing with Kids:

Tying into all that I shared above, I have found that the past few years, its been wonderful to include the girls in doing their own kids event on race weekend. The races we’ve done down on the Jersey shore with friends, and this local one–wisely– have a kids fun run tied into the weekend activities, and it really works on several levels.

First, it helps us all to be excited and counting down: we talk about what I’m working toward with my race, and we do some mini running sessions with them beforehand (nothing major) to build confidence and get them excited. Secondly, we can all inspire each other. Their enthusiasm and stick-with-it ness when they are racing inspires me in my running, and they get to stand at the start line (and finish line) and see their mom facing her fears and going for something that matters to her, and it makes all of us enjoy it more!

It SO helps to have a very supportive spouse–my husband does enjoy running shorter distances, but often sacrifices in terms of managing the kids on race day so we can all be together–for that I’m so grateful, and this year having it be a local race just down the road, helped so much! But destination races are fun too! The organizers who run the race events are getting smarter about making it a very family friendly experience.

I want my girls to enjoy challenging themselves, setting goals, moving with joy, and caring more about what their bodies can do than about what they look like. We’re exposing them to a lot of different sports right now–swimming, running, tennis, soccer–you know—things they can do their whole lives–as well as gymnastics and more. I just want them to be able to always come back to the deep level confidence that being healthy and competing against yourself and the clock can bring!

Training Backstory:

I LOVE the discipline and focus of a good training cycle, I’ve been doing that pattern now for 4 years: 3 halfs and 1 5-miler when I was 17 weeks pregnant with Ambrose ;). Spring races on the calendar  help motivate me in those early days of the year. In this case, I was waitlisted for this race because it’s small and very popular, and I had almost given up on the idea, but then I emailed the guy and made a last ditch, eloquent explanation of us as new to the town, and excited about the race–unaware of the crazy fast sell out on Jan 1, etc. He wrote back right away and said yes, of course, he always saves a few spots for newbies to town (the race attracts mostly from outside/even other states)…and just like that I was in…and facing the decision and opportunity on March 23rd for doing a race exactly 6 weeks later!

My baseline had been 5 miles for a few months, so my training cycle shown below would not be recommended for first timers/newbies or anyone worried about injuries–I kept a close eye on things with the amazing support of my reflexologist a and PT!

This was my rough training plan…I followed it pretty much exactly. And did yoga, pilates, stretching and an occasional short mid week run (3 or less).

Race Day Recap: May 6, 2018

After a fun and gloriously sunny and warm First Communion day on May 5, with many family and friends celebrating with us, the 6th was cold and drizzly–the kind of Sunday morning that you really wouldn’t mind staying in bed for ;). Joel and I roused the kids and threw on their race gear, and I fueled up with breakfast and my hydrate/energy tea combo, and then we drove the less than half mile to the farm where the events were taking place.

The girls had been complaining about getting out of bed so early but when we pulled into the farm and saw the cows, the finish line, and all the excited runners, they became all smiles and energy! Corinne insisted on running with her cow bell and her piglet stuffed animal (swag), and I loved her for it. We headed up to the barnyard and they did a prompt 7:30 start–we were off!

The kids’ race was entirely on the farm property, a half mile distance of rolling hills–I let them pace and little sis was out in front, with older sister worried about getting a side ache (she’s gotten them before) and we just encouraged her to keep going at a steady pace, and even though she got a tiny one, it was in the final downhill and she was able to push through it–and she didn’t want Corinne getting too far away from her either! That served as my perfect warm up jog, and we had so much fun with grandma and papa waiting at the finish line too before they took off for home.

My race started out on the farm as well, and when we reached the first sign that said “Hill 1 of 15” we all got that excited and sinking feeling–“here goes nothing!” Since I live right next to the course, I’ve trained on it, and that helped in some regards–but definitely more fun with a nice group of runners (it’s a small race, they cap it well). Apparently, Joan Benoit Samuelson, famous for winning the first Olympic Gold the year they introduced women’s marathon running, was with us–I saw her cap in the front when someone pointed it out to me.

At mile 1 or so, the rain started. These are the beautiful, scenic, winding roads that I love in this town, and it was so fun that the race took us on some I drive or run often, and also on back roads that I’ve never before discovered! I didn’t take many photos during this time–I was trying to keep my phone dry.

Around mile 5, I decided to start chatting with some folks who were pacing with me. See, I know from experience that miles 5-9 can be the most challenging mentally (and therefore that can translate to slower speeds, or being unsure of whether you’ll “make it”)–by mile 9, I always know–OK, I’m gonna finish, and get an extra boost.

Well, I started making small talk with a nice guy named Keith, and with a lady Melanie, and then later with Jah who was also the pacer for my ideal finishing time–so I was motivated to keep her in my sights! Those rainy, mostly flat miles really few by, and then around mile 8 the rain stopped, and then the hills started! I think that there were 7 hills—ranging from short to long–in the final 5 miles of the race. It made it pretty intense in terms of wondering how much you had left to give, testing the edge, and then on the downhills, working to stride well and make up times lost on the uphills.

We also wound into the beautiful town state park, had a water station there, and ran right up to the beach in Topstone Park. That was a fun change of pace, and a lot of runners rushing by in both directions make for a nice energy boost. I had finished my electrolyte drink, had part of a snack bar, and then grabbed some jelly beans from this station–which give that nice rush for the final miles. I also turned on my music which I don’t always run with, but I had a feeling it would be key for the hilly miles 10-12…and sure enough, it helped. I listened to my MIKA radio station on Pandora and then we had some great sideline support on those final hills–folks cheering for us and saying “you’re almost done”…amazing how much you need that when you’re in the last reserves and I was trying to pick up my pace and do some negative splits at the end too…Which I did for miles 10-12.

When the final sign–Hill 15 of 15 passed and we thought that it was all down hill to the farm finish, there was a feeling of sheer joy—but I know the race organizer enough to know that he thought it would be funny for there to be one more tiny uphill—so yes, on the other side of that we could see the turn in to the farm and we were pumping down to the barn yard and around the corner to the fun finish line.

I just checked the total elevation gain and it was 979 feet. Woah. So of course I’m convincing a few friends, my dad, and others to do it with me next year (and there’s a 7 mile option too!).

I knew the hills would be tough, the rain added an extra layer of mental challenge, but at the end of it, the finish line was SO sweet, and I felt on top of the world. Not to mention the flowers, fun medals, free massage and PT right at the finish line, and local places offering us coffee, donuts, pizza, and some fun finish line tunes.

The best part was probably being able to walk home from the finish line (less than half mile away) carrying a box full of fun race food for my fam, and the girls had run a hot bath for me….heaven.

All in all, a great race day. I didn’t win in my age group, or even close, but that wasn’t my goal. I felt strong, focused, amazing and injury free. So grateful that I can enjoy this sport of running after 3 kids–and will continue to encourage family and friends to challenge ourselves, knowing the journey is just as important as the end goal!

I often get asked what tools and support and tips I have for others who want to start training for runs–especially moms (yep, I’ve done the past few half marathons while breastfeeding;))-so that info is here in another post. I would love to discuss what is inspiring you and how you too might be able to set a stretch goal that is right for you, and see it to completion!

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I’m working on my next important post: some reflections/over-arching themes of postpartum fitness, from my own journey (vulnerability overload, you’ve been warned), and sharing in what others tell me are their unique joys and challenges. I do believe being a mother encourages us to find strengths that we never knew we had, and this avenue for testing and reminding ourselves of that strength is indeed a great gift. It will look slightly different for every person, but we all have ways to continue testing our physical and mental limits, for the development of ourselves as humans.

Thanks for reading to the end, and I hope you’ll share below your own stories of the races you’ll always remember, and the people you became along the journey to the finish line.

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Half Marathon Training Tips and tools: from my experiences

So, I need to preface this that while I do have several years of experience with training for and running half marathons, especially postpartum, I’m by no means an expert or a coach. I do have some amazing friends who are running coaches, so if you read through this and want to seek out additional support and training help, I would happily refer you to them.

I started running halfs after I had my first child, and had faced my lowest part of life in terms of stress, lack of energy and self care. I thought I was destined to just feel miserable and be exhausted all the time as a mother of young ones. Well, I had also not really thought about long distances as possible for my body, and I had always gravitated towards shorter distances when I was younger…in track and field days I did the 50 yard dash, and shied away from the 440 and other longer distance. I tried running cross country in highschool and wasn’t that into it. Perhaps I had yet to learn the value of patience, perseverance and sticking with something before seeing results.

BUT since I’d always played competitive soccer, I did have the stamina and enjoyed the feeling of being able to run all game (playing midfield)…and when my soccer career wound down after highschool I took up running as an easy way I could stay in shape literally anywhere I was. I think I actually started the habit while living abroad with my family, with not too many options for local gyms, etc. So I ran some 10Ks and other fun races with my dad and brother, but hadn’t taken on anything longer than lets say an 8 mile run. I was intimidated by the fueling/hydrating aspect needed for those distances, and just left it alone, but I always admired and appreciated endurance athletes. I could tell they were tapping into a part of the human spirit that I deeply love–of testing our real physical and mental limits, and then showing us what happens beyond those limits!

So when Emma was one and a half, I had a small health crisis which I talk more about in the about me page–and that led me to a deeper focus on self-care, proper nutrition for me, handling and cleansing from my life long sugar addiction–and then, on the other side of it, with my new health tools that summer (2012), I felt AMAZING and found myself wanting to run longer and longer distances! So I signed up for an October half marathon in DC (near my family) and proceeded to training–in the final hot weeks of summer. It was tough, but I realized, as I realized every time, that it’s a largely mental game…and its about preparing your body properly, but also convincing yourself that you can do this, you’ve got everything you need, and bringing in the proper support both in the areas of nutrition, accountability and support from friends and family, and even the other holistic support for your body as you build these new habits–for example, physical therapy has been huge for me in running races after my births (and with history of back/pelvic challenges), and recently, reflexology (obsessed!) and massage have become an important part of the process…as well as–lots of yoga and stretching! Approaching it as a priority and habit that will pay dividends in other areas of life also helps my husband and I when we start me into a new training cycle–the sacrifice of time is real, but most things in life of value do require that delicate re-balancing and re-prioritizing, and it all comes back to WHY.

Nutritional baseline and changes for training

Here are some of the nutrition tools I use for my half training. and adjustments I make to my “usual”. Being a health coach and all, I certainly like to consider some of the details that will enhance the experience, especially being injury free and enjoying the process without alot of mental energy towards it (3 kids will do that to ya). Building up strength and endurance properly is an art that can be learned. Especially, for beginners, the temptation is to overtrain and thus to tax your muscles and joints to the point of pain or injury. I purposefully do a less aggressive training (mileage) schedule and make sure my base fitness is in place, and work alot on core, stretching, alignment and some fast twitch muscle strength through HIIT etc. Some people like to swim for cross training (lungs, low impact) and others do more low impact exercises like pilates, yoga and barre. Mix it up and see what works best for you…keeping in mind that the mental game of knowing your body can run the miles on race day (with lots of added adrenaline) is just as important as the physical component of the training.

Make a training schedule that makes sense for your life and commitments…and go from there. Tons of resources out there–I consulted some good friends who had experience, and there are many many online programs—but I can’t vouch for any of them–if you have ones you recommend–comment below and I’ll add them to a recommended page/roundup.

In addition to the runs and the other cross-training, the other two main areas to focus on would be nutrition and sleep.

If you’re like me and you tend to eat lower carb normally, you’re going to need to increase your carb intake for training, and balance it with lots of healthy starches—making sure these are making an appearance especially before long runs and on recovery days! I’m also breastfeeding, and have been for my past 2 training cycles so it changes what you need as well:) I have some nice weekly meal plans geared for runners  with various nutritional profiles/needs, so msg me if you want me to share them.

Examples of my favorite training cycle healthy starches and carbs:

(background, I primarily eat gluten free, but I’m flexible about it as needed–yay for a healing gut, overcoming some sensitivities that aren’t fun to live with).

*Sweet potatoes, roasted

*Brown rice (stir fry lover over here!)

*gluten free crackers, rice cakes (usually loaded with almond butter or avocado)

*gluten free/paleo pancakes 🙂

*Some kinds of seed bread or GF bread—Dave’s we like, and a few other brands that care the source of their grains.

*Quinoa—especially with veggies/protein or mixed in a big salad

I also add in more sugars than I normally have in my paleo-ish (intuitive eating) lifestyle—more on that in another post for sure-I’m not a macro counting girl, and I’ve tried all the strict diets and found them to not be helpful for me (mentally)….so I go with an #intuitiveeating philosophy, mostly clean, not too restrictive, and also do (and suggest) regular cleansing so I can really trust what my body is telling me…probably worthy of another post so I’ll write that one up soon, and there’s some more thoughts here.

ANYWAY, keep the sugars healthy, from fruit etc, when you can, and make sure you’re getting lots of veggies–fiber, and protein. I like the life shakes for quick and easy protein after long runs (rebuilding muscles). There’s a formal BCAA in the sports nutrition line but I don’t tend to use it as often since it’s whey based…but it’s very high quality (grassfed) and my friends get great results with it. To each his own 🙂

Sleep!

This is probably the hardest area for me right now to stay disciplined in (getting enough—since I love staying up late, AND getting up to use the morning hours)…but I found the PM recovery below to be a huge help with getting super deep/restful sleep, and in the midst of this training cycle my husband and I agreed it was time to get my 18 month old to sleep longer stretches at night so we worked on that, and I really worked on getting away from screens an hour before I wanted to be asleep, and getting myself into bed as close to 11 as I could (though usually later, and reluctantly:)) But being tired out from training runs does help for getting good sleep patterns in place—I’m curious what others have done, and I hope you’ll share!

This is my favorite way to relax my muscles after a long run and makes for a nice night time ritual even when not training—magnesium and lavender promote a very restful and deep sleep. Perfect way to end any day. I like this brand that has vitamin C and chamomile too.

Baseline and Sports Nutrition tools

From my favorite brand partner. I’ve used these for each of my 4 half marathons in recent years, and they really do make all the difference in that extra energy, overall support and recovery when doing a training cycle that demands more of you. Feel free to do a personal health consult first if you’re not sure where to start….or reach out to me if any of these catch you eye!

This is the vitalizer strip I use daily. It helps with complete nutrition covering all the bases so I know I’m covered for omegas/ joint and bone health, energy, probiotics for healthy gut, and much more. It’s truly a best in class supplement and after 6 years using it, I know I’m never going to be without it–my husband and I both notice if we ever skip a day…that’s how powerful the sustained energy and effect is.

This is my other key product that I can’t imagine training or living without (ok, well all of them are really)…this is your natural electrolyte drink that is low calorie/sugar, and so much healthier for you than gatorade (gag). It comes in lemon lime and orange. We drink it daily around here and the kids get it whenever they want–they call it “shaklee juice” and it’s covering so many important bases for all of us with balancing electrolytes before, during, after workouts and in just daily living that involves summer sun, sweating and more. Try it if you’re intrigued!

I love alfalfa for so many reasons—but in this case it’s a powerful energy source (think horses eating alfalfa for stamina), and a super green, it reduces inflammation and even pain, and helps alot with my recovery time after a workout.

So this pm recovery product is less than a year on the market–and it might be my biggest game changer…I often will take it for better sleep, even if I didn’t do an intense workout.

I ran my half, came home to a long magnesium and lavendar bath, but was still hobbling around with soreness yesterday. Then, I took 2 of these at bedtime, fell into a deep sleep (the tart cherry is known for that) and woke up not sore at all! (just a little tightness in a calf that I walked out). Truly incredible and everyone who uses it says the same thing. I don’t track my sleep, but those with the REM cycle trackers have noticed a big change in their level of deep sleep and getting into the cycles faster…pretty cool.

This is your perfect pre workout boost (or even for a generally busy day). It’s quite a buzz (very little caffeine but lots of green tea and B vitamins in it), so be prepared! Love that it’s totally natural and it mixes well with the hydrate too. I’ll use the chews version to carry in my pocket for races too, for late in the game energy boosts.

OK, the energizing tea is one of my daily products for energy and overall balance–but I definitely pack it into my water bottle for race day–and blend it with the hydrate for all my long runs. It is sweetened with stevia, has amino acids that feed your brain…for alertness without a caffeine crash, and I also love it (when not running), with chia seeds for a super healthy and awesome midday pick-me-up.

Finally—it’s good to invest in a foam roller as well when training, as you can do a quick massage/release of tight muscles, especially helpful for IT bands, calves and glutes, to prevent injury.

There are a variety of them out there…you can read reviews on amazon and pick the ones that make most sense for your needs.

It’s been such a gift to be able to learn how to do training for endurance sports. I know for me the effects are in all areas of my life, which I write about over here. With the right tools, baseline health, support team and motivation, so many folks can do more with their bodies in terms of fitness and lifestyle goals…and I hope that my own journey inspires even just one person along a path to a healthier and happier life.

Let me know what you’re preparing for, or if you’re inspired and a bit more motivated- this time of year—or after reading how this mom decided to just start becoming an endurance athlete.

I’ll cheer you on, whatever your goals!

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Spring Lifestyle upgrade—cleaning up health, home and skin!

Well I don’t know about you all, but we’re finally getting spring weather here in CT!! As soon as the weather gets above 60 and the sun is shining–I get two strong and conflicting desires—one to purge, organize and deep clean everything in the house…and the other to get out, lay on a blanket in the sun, play badminton with the kids, and generally just forget about chores for a bit.

I’ve been in the second mode for this weekend, and Earth day was a perfect and glorious day, reminding us of just how lucky we are to have green space and a little patch of earth to love, care for, and to be nourished by in so many ways.

What’s your favorite part about spring? Are you a clean first, play later type? Or a balance of the two?

I think the spring wardrobes and bare toes in the grass might be up there as my fav…oh, and the seasonal fruits and veggies coming back in–locally! We’re in a flurry to plant our garden quickly from last frost to summer–it’s gonna feel like a shorter season, but last year we moved in and planted in late May and it ended up working out well. Share what you’re enjoying about your cleaning and spring refresh!

I love to look at all my habits and hit the refresh button–from exercise, to making the lighter mornings count, to getting rid of winter clutter and even mindsets that aren’t serving me any more. I LOVE that we can use this lifestyle brand to CLEAN up many of the aspects of home, health, and skin…not to mention mindset and business with fresh perspective and goals! Wondering what to do with that nice tax refund? Invest in all areas of your life AND earn a check/write off your product bundle through the success packs–these are the biggest discounts on getting connected with non-toxic lifestyle tools at once–cleaner skin, cleaner homes, and cleaner health, through the supplements and the healthy cleanse kit!

Currently, through April 30th, the get clean kit includes FREE Shipping (Up to $20 value!) And they will be planting a tree in your honor; 1 tree, 1 kit. I love that. I replaced everything in my home with these cleaners 6 years ago, and we’ve never looked back! Been breathing easier, letting the kids help us clean (yay!) and more. You can find a whole article on this topic here.

What an amazing way to welcome spring!

And then I’ve read articles pointing to something I’ve instinctively understood/learned–that tidying up your kitchen and organizing it better can help with weight loss or health goals. (I’ll post link below).

And certainly finding ways to be more intentional and organized bring a peace and underlying rhythm to a season that starts to get very busy with events, etc. I know alot of people like to do a spring cleanse and to refresh their energy and habits. Consider that a seasonal gift to yourself; our bodies naturally hold on to weight in the winter months, especially cold weather climes, and it’s great to be able to shift our metabolisms and reset energy levels just in time for spring!

We have a great group lined up to start with us next week–but if you happen to be reading this later on and want to jump in, we’ll have several groups in early to mid May, and can do a personalized cleanse experience for you as well-it’s all about what you need!

More on that in another post, but this really is a complete non-toxic lifestyle, and as budget allows if you start going through and cleaning up/replacing all the areas of life with these tools, you’ll be AMAZED at the difference. Do you think changing brands can change lives? It certainly can and we’ve seen it time and again in the people around us who commit to the aspect of long term use—-after all–even though we like the idea of a quick fix, we know the ultimate goal is a sustainable, balanced, intentional and totally toxin free lifestyle, and that’s what this brand provides.

So thrilled you’re on the journey with us! Happy spring from my family to yours!

Article mentioned above:

Tidying Up Around the House Could Help You Lose Weight

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Feeling lucky? Green muffins w/ brand new *powdered greens*

I feel lucky to be alive, and very lucky to be IRISH as we head into St Patty’s day…and let’s be honest…we’re all Irish for 24 hours!

And, this year, I feel extra lucky that this fun new GREENs booster was just launched by Shaklee in time for me to make all the green muffins! It’s a tradition that goes back to my childhood. My mom would always make us green pancakes, green eggs, even our orange juice was dyed green for the occasion–so fun, right?

Well, the tradition lives on, and now we are sneaking in some extra powerfully healthy green veggies thanks to Shaklee’s new powdered greens, just released this week!!

PS…less than $1 a serving is SO affordable for organic greens!

I just got mine yesterday and I’m having fun putting it into everything! My girls love their shakes to be pink. If I add the right amount of these powdered greens, with some strawberries and raspberries, they barely taste it and it’s still pink, BUT they are getting 1-2 cups organic spinach, kale and broccoli. Sounds like a win, right?

I’m the first person to say that fresh greens are best…heck, I grow kale and spinach and arugula during the summer in my garden! But in the winter, high quality greens can be harder to come by, and let’s be honest, sometimes as moms we have to be a bit sneaky about it. (This also applies for those adults who don’t want things to look too green, but still want to get their veggies!).

Here’s the first fun muffin recipe I made up, adapted from a fun recipe from my partner meal planning service That Clean Life (check them out, so cool! I’ll be offering some freebies in the coming weeks for you to get your hands on!).

My kids loved these and were dipping fingers in just the batter and couldn’t get enough! May want to make 2 batches so you can store and freeze some, they will probably go fast!

Green Smoothee Muffins

(Gluten free, can be dairy free if you leave out eggs and yogurt, reduce oats to 1.5 cups, or substitute sugar for 4 dates to be sugar free!)

  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/4 cup raw sugar
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 2 scoops Shaklee’s powdered greens booster
  • 1/2 cup vanilla life shake
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • (optional: small container vanilla greek yogurt…)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cups organic oats
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Blend wet ingredients, plus booster. To do this, I used a KitchenAid mixer. Then, stir together in a separate bowl the dry ingredients. Gently blend together, and evaluate how green it is (we ended up adding a bit of natural food dye to make it a brighter green, rather than brown). Fill 12 lined muffin tins and be sure to lick the spoon! My daughter exclaimed…”Mom, this tastes like an amazing green smoothee…”

Bake at 350 for 18-20 min.

Cool, serve, enjoy!

(Kid tested…and approved!)

Have a super lucky and wonderful St Patty’s day!

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Why workout?

Dear friends,

It’s a true pleasure to connect with you this way, and I hope you’ll drop me a comment below with your thoughts about this very important subject for the end of January…What’s motivating you to keep going with fitness after the excitement of the new year dies down?

And then my 5 tips for getting into a workout routine…or back into one if the holidays and first weeks of the year threw everything off for you and you’re finally ready to hit the ground running!

I think that when we know WHY we’re doing something, it makes the HOW and the WHAT much easier to bring into focus. So this post has 2 parts…

First, Why do we workout?

And then secondly, once we’ve discovered that deep drive and motivation, how can we get ourselves to make the motivation into a habit, something we do day in and day out?

To start with WHY, we can ask ourselves–what kind of person am I seeking to become? And how does fitness fit into that goal?

My workout motivation stems from needing to be energized for my kids, to have mental focus for my life as both business owner and momma, to have a place to sweat and relieve stress, and a way to ensure I can be not only fitting into my pants, but growing in the strength that God desires for me. Funny story; my name means “Tower of strength”…Over time, it’s become more and more about gratitude, moving in gratitude for this body that is mine. 

(Please, it’s not supposed to be about fitting into the pants…but that’s for another post at another time.)

I was reflecting on this during my first bootcamp class in early January, when all of us were bemoaning our days off from our exercise routines, and the holiday indulgences were making us feel the burn.

But in this moment, in this workout, I discovered another, almost deeper motivation. I come to workout because I need the discipline. All of a sudden, I was faced with the fact that it’s hard. You want to stop doing the reps, your body is yelling–”no thanks, I’m good, let’s wrap up” and your mind is saying “10 more, 9 more…”.And in my life right now, I need to flex that muscle. Sometimes the balance of my life demands all that I’ve got (always blessed, but sometimes stretched). And the discipline is what makes the bridge between joy and productivity/patience for me.

I realized another current motivation that is very strong for me. At other moments in life, I’ve been the queen of home workouts for periods of time, because of baby nap schedule and just squeezing it in here or there. But in this exact season of my life, I’m motivated by the social aspect. I love the community I’ve found. I want to have friends texting me “see you at the gym” and to walk into a class knowing that I know not only the instructor but some of the others who are showing up week after week to give a better and better version of themselves to it. And I know that because my days can be very full, sometimes the discipline of just showing up, smiling at friends, means that the workout will happen, it’s scheduled and I can’t (well, less likely to!) just walk out of it once I’m there, and Ambrose is happily playing with buddies in the child room, etc. The faces, the people, committed to their own processes, pull me deeper into my journey. 

So, I ask you. Putting all of what I just shared aside. What’s your WHY for working out? What are your deeper reasons? Are they strong enough for you to commit to it and keep showing up for yourself?

If not, spend time with a journal and dig deeper. Of course there will always be excuses or reasons why this is not the season in life to prioritize this. I do get it. I’ve even had short seasons of life like that (a month when we were moving, for example). But in general, working out is such a fundamentally flexible thing to fit into a schedule–from 10min to 60 min workouts, 1 to 2 times per week, up to 7 times per week….that it’s good to look at what other things are taking precedence, and whether the energy and focus we get from working out might not indeed help us in those other areas of life…that we claim need all our attention.

Are you with me? What’s your Why for 2018? Are you bold enough to share below? I’m so curious. 

Now…let’s chat about the HOW.

How do we make starting up a new workout/fitness routine easy and fun? Or if you’re 3 weeks into a routine and starting to flag…how can you re-energize your commitment to it?

5 Tips for Starting or Reviving a Workout Routine

(Why do all my posts offer 5? Because it’s more than 2 and less than 10…there. solved.)

  1. Schedule it in. This is the one that’s most obvious, and yet most people don’t actually do it, and then wonder why the day goes by and the workout didn’t happen! Grab your planner–look at the week ahead, see what pockets of time you have, and decide not only that you will workout, but also select what type of workout you’ll do. A lunch hour could hold a yoga session down the street. An early morning timeslot might be for a walk or run. An evening session might be weights at the gym, or maybe there’s one zumba or pilates class that you plan around and make sure it happens because you like the class. If it’s in your schedule, there’s a much better chance you’ll show up and make it happen. I have to adjust workout plans based on my toddler’s nap schedule and the school schedule of my girls, but it’s a non-negotiable that there will be 3-5 workouts, it’s just a matter of when.
  2. Find a fitness buddy from your real life (or make a new friend at the gym!). Accountability is key, especially while the habit is forming. Do you have some friends who will work out with you? Great. If not, do you have a long distance friend who you know is also a runner and you can check in on each other to make sure you did your training runs? Do you have a fitness tracker/app or phone feature (clearly, happily clueless over here), and do you get accountability from that community? Whatever it is, get that buddy system going and watch how your commitment and motivation soars. I started chatting with some moms coming in and out of the childcare center at my gym. Now we have each others #s and we text and plan which classes we will go to. Our kids are becoming buddies too. I’m a lot more motivated thanks to that simple tool.
  3. Figure out what you enjoy doing, for your Mindful Movement. Some people are made to do yoga 6 days a week; they love it. Others, like me, would go on a run whenever possible. Still others say “I hate working out, but I love zumba”. Voila. If you love it, you’re much more likely to get excited, to show up, to talk it up and get other great people involved. It’s a ripple effect of a passion for healthy living.
  4. Arrange positive feelings around the experience. That could include–but is not limited to—get some brand new workout tops and outfits to get excited about putting them on and using at the gym. It totally changes my commitment to sweating when I have some of the right gear! Or give yourself a reward (preferably non-food), such as a chance to sit with tea and read the book you want to read—after your workout, of course. It’s all about re-training your mind and calendar to welcome and accept this as a fundamental part of your schedule. Do things need to be adjusted some times? Of course!
  5. Finally, set up a schedule with carved out rest, nap and stretch days. What I learned last year the hard way is that you can over-extend and really wear yourself down, even doing more than a couple hard workouts per week. It’s time to welcome and value the importance of balance and since this is a marathon not a sprint–in all ways–you want to make sure you’re pacing yourself day and week in and out, to allow these habits to energize and transform you, not burn you out. We don’t want to over-produce cortisol, it will be counterproductive to our goals.

And finally–check out some amazing workout nutrition tools–pre, during, post–yep, it’s all be thought out and designed…and with a clinical trial and 3rd party study or 2 to back them up with some nice nutritional science. Email me to find out how you can get your first fitness pack at 50% off! (madeleine.pidel@gmail.com).

That’s it folks–1 or 2 deeper reasons WHY, some fresh new ideas to take your fitness plans from paper to reality. Let’s make 2018 a year of amazing fitness habits! When we feel better, we do better, and the promising new year and your life needs YOU at your best. And as I always like to remind myself, let’s enjoy the journey!

Maddy

Love this graphic reminding us of all the non-scale benefits of working out.

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5 tools for a healthy gut in 2018

The new year motivation has come…and is perhaps getting a bit lost in the rush of a busy January. But the desire to feel amazing every day hasn’t changed. In this season after the holidays, and before the spring weather and seasonal foods hit us, it’s an important time to support and nourish our bodies, starting with the gut.

There are SO many foods and tools I could bring into this. I’m focusing in on my top 5 foods/drinks and nutritional tools to support your gut health in the new year. There’s alot of research coming out about the mind/gut connection (see also the articles referenced in my probiotics blog post–here)…and it’s true that supporting and healing our guts can promote positive changes in our mood, our mental habits and so much more.

Try some of these out, and let me know what you think!

  1. Kombucha

This very popular health fad is a great one–fermented tea has active cultures (similar to yogurt, but more effective, since grown from a mother)…it’s tasty, and is widely available. I recommend a ginger flavored kombucha if you can find it. The idea is you’re re-populating your gut with all the good bacteria that are depleted through sugar consumption, stress, lack of sleep, hard to digest carbs–you name it–the vicious cycle of what we affectionately know as “modern life”. 

Read more about it in the sources links below.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar

So right along in keeping with kombucha populating the good bacteria in your gut, Apple Cider vinegar has long been known to be a health elixir, a drink that helps kill off the bad bacteria in your gut. It also is known to balance blood sugar, reduce risk of diabetes, and it does so by targeting the pH balance in the body, and eliminating/killing off any overgrowth of bad bacteria.

Not everone likes drinking it straight; I usually have it with water–1-2 tbsp to an 8oz glass of water, and I like to have it early in the day, when possible. But I started out having it with maple syrup to add some sweet to balance the bitter…depending on the type of ACV you get, the flavor may be more manageable and may not need the sweeter counterpart. This may be the toughest one to get into the habit of doing, but my grandma who is going strong in her mid 90s swears by ACV every day, so I’ll take her word for it contributing to a long and healthy life.

3. Chia Seeds

This superfood is known for being a powerful fiber. The fiber in chia seeds promote healthy stool, and the seeds actually absorb alot of water when in your stomach, promoting fullness and therefore weightloss when used regularly. They are high in protein, in addition to fiber, and they release a protective gelatinous covering, which you can see when you dissolve them in a liquid before digestion. This makes them actually function like a pre-biotic, lining the gut with gelatin and promoting the proper absorption of good nutrients and bacteria.

I like to dissolve chia seeds in my daily pomegranate energizing tea. It’s a great, tasty combination, and packs a powerful nutrient punch in the middle of the day…the texture reminds me of bubble tea from my days of living in NYC, and I love it. 

You can also make chia pudding with coconut milk, which is a delicious and healthy treat, as well as baking with it.

4. Bone Broth

I saved this one for close to last…If you’re vegetarian or vegan, this won’t be for you. However, this has become one of the biggest health fads turned true healing protocol adopted by many who have auto-immune issues and more. Basically, the theory behind leaky gut is that our gut walls are penetrated and impaired by things that attack it–like sugars, too much white carbs, too much stress over a long time, and more. Basically, our standard diet is very hard on our gut, and we need to work on healing that gut lining so that our gut can function properly. People talk about brain fog and all these other real, difficult symptoms that come with our gut being out of whack.

Strong medications/antibiotics, many things can set it off course. But to heal it, bone broth is going to be one of the very best measures. A few months ago, on my own journey to improve my digestion, energy levels and overall mood and well being (working on supporting my adrenals) I began drinking chicken broth daily–or at least 4-5 times per week, out of a mug. I start with an organic rotisserie chicken, and use the bones for the broth, so it’s very fresh. I immediately began to notice a difference in my moods, and in my balanced feelings and digestion throughout the day. I love this, for anyone to try, and to see the difference it can make for you. It’s an ancient form of deep daily nourishment, brought back into vogue at just the moment we need this habit the most.

5. Greens and juicing

So leafy greens provide a nice amount of both fiber, as well as key soluble nutrients to support your gut; and when they are consumed blended with shakes, or as juices, it makes it easier for your body to break them down and absorb the goodness without too much extra work. I like kale for it’s extra fibrous crunch–the flavor is pretty easy to enhance/mask. Spinach is another good one.

My favorite green shake is like the one above–or variations on kale, vanilla protein, pineapple and almond milk…tropical with a greens twist…get creative, and remember, the greener the better.

BONUS: Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes

*If you’re only going to choose a few tools–besides amazing, nourishing foods–to support your overall health this year (secretly, I hope you’ll take this quiz and try out all the recommendations for your health goals! ) then these would be the two that I would start with. The enzymes help break down foods for our stomach that might otherwise be a little harder for our bodies to break down, and can help ease digestive troubles related to foods like dairy and grains. They are become more widely known and recommended in nutritional circles, and you can read another article about them here.

I wrote a whole post about the power of probiotics, and the kinds to use, but I’ll just say that kombucha and ACV are natural forms of these, but you’re going to want to get some concentrated, specifically tested strains into your digestive system to support and heal your gut, and improve your energy, focus, immune system, daily detoxing and so much more.

If you have other, more serious or concerning/lingering issues–such as constipation, bloating, loose stools, IBS symptoms and more–be sure to speak with your health care provider, and consider doing a more intensive candida cleanse, or looking into a healing leaky gut protocol.

Meanwhile, speaking of gut health, our 7 day cleanse has been getting people amazing results–if you feel like you missed the band wagon on the pilot but you’re curious about the cleanse–just comment or email me (madeleine.pidel@gmail.com) and I’ll get you some more info–we can put you on the waitlist to be the first to know when more kits are available!

SO yes, not the most popular of topics, but in light of all the recently super successful cleansers in our community’s pilot program, and because it’s a question I get asked alot as a health coach, these are some things you can do right now, today, to improve your gut health, and therefore your overall healthy lifestyle and mindset!

Resources/Extra Reading for any other nutrition nerds out there:

http://health.facty.com/food/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-kombucha/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=c-search&utm_term=%2Bkombucha%20%2Bbenefits&utm_campaign=f-h-10-benefits-of-kombucha&msclkid=8fab7ce95d9b1ad00bcb2687c1e1ad2a

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-proven-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegar

https://draxe.com/chia-seeds-benefits-side-effects/

https://wellnessmama.com/23777/bone-broth-benefits/

 

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5 Life-changing books for a new year. And how they’ve shaped me.

 

Friends,

This is my first post of the new year. There was a much needed easing into 2018, that I’m immensely grateful for. So far it’s been a year of the unexpected…from snow days,  to other, bigger challenges, and I’m seeing clearly that time for renewal and recovery after the holidays was what was needed. Despite how far ahead into big 2018 plans my brain might have been rushing–the reality of life’s pace said differently…and I’m grateful I could listen and adjust the plans. Right now, I’m working towards this perspective on Flow. Flow does experience bumps. Flow doesn’t mean there won’t be any challenging moments anymore. 

But I also know that by leaning into the discomfort–the tough conversations with loved ones, the messy things that are life, by going THROUGH, not around–we’ll find grace, peace, and ultimately, much growth.

I’m in the midst of it, but I have gained some perspective based on the self-reflection I did to make my new year intentions–how I want this year to feel and be.

(More from me on that topic, and on vision boards, will be coming soon, by popular demand!)

BUT, I’m excited to start the year with this post. There are so many things that a new year offers us: the chance to eat better, move more, laugh more, sleep more, pray more, hug our loved ones more, etc. But something that I think is one of the most common “resolutions,” if you use that word, or “intentions” is to READ MORE!

Yep, it’s been on my list for as long as I can remember, and I know from social media that many of you have the same desire. I love to reflect back on specific books that have particularly shaped me, and there are a few that stand out, especially for this time of the year. These books are ones that are focused on personal growth, on resetting habits, on de-cluttering, and making space for good.

So I’ll share the book titles, and I want to dive into a tiny commentary and some musings on how these shaped me in hopes it will encourage you to put some or all of them on your 2018 list, if you feel that the themes will support you! This cold weather blast that we’ve been experiencing has made curling up with a good book by the fire on the top of my list. And major gratitude for Amazon prime. 

The Happiness Advantage

I read this book at a moment (about 2 years ago) when I was at a crossroads with work, and with owning a business. You see, I had been taught to set goals, and be happy when I had achieved them, and since I’m pretty type A, this model worked well for me. At some point though, I realized I was in a model where I was always setting the next goal, and always looking ahead to the next thing, and always thinking goals were a good idea. At the same time, as a mother, I was often realizing humbly just how hard it can be to accomplish things–with children, for children, getting to sink zero, much less inbox zero, or scoring that new client or project, or even getting to the grocery store and coming out with what we needed, on a given day.

Hence…I felt I was chasing happiness…and it was always escaping me. Can anyone else relate? The to-do lists never go away, and we want to end the day with a feeling of deep, meaning, some joy, some sense of what has happened and also that we were able to spend the time being happy. Not just looking everywhere for the happiness.

This book dispels POWERFULLY the notion that happiness can be attained by goal achievement, and flips it on it’s head with great research, compelling stories, sound cases from corporate environments and more. We’re left understanding that happiness DRIVES success, not the other way around.

And for some of us, that massive mindset shift can be the beginning of some amazing things. Highly recommend it for entrepreneurs, moms, dads, anyone in leadership roles, and anyone who wants to be happy in 2018 and to know that their happiness is going to fuel some other amazingly positive things for them in work and in life.

(Another great book on this topic, but more related to personal life, is Gretchen Rubin’s well known book, “The Happiness Project”. I read this a few years back and it had a deep impact on me and how we think about our lives, habits and what we have control over in terms of creating the right environment for creativity, peace and yes, daily happiness.)

Spark Joy

So I gave this book to myself for Christmas (In 2016) and my family laughed/cringed when they saw me joyfully unwrap it. Sure enough, a few weeks into January 2017, since one of our primary goals of the year was the successful sale of our place and move to a new one (with 3 small kids, do I need to remind you?), we had to take a serious look at our STUFF. And I was so mentally ready.

The first time I read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up in 2016 I was impressed, and it spoke to me–cluttered and haphazard as my habits were at the time)–and got me philosophically. BUT, I wasn’t fully ready to commit to the hard work involved in making such life changing magic occur. Anyone relate? It’s easy to get both bogged down and overwhelmed by the project of tidying…especially when we know we need it.

But, fast forward to this moment when our kid stuff and clutter was reaching a mental health hazard level, and you will understand how this book, when put into the hands of the right person, on or around January or February of the new year, could literally create magic and spark that deep and wild joy that only a true Konmari fan knows.

I hauled 17 trash bags full of stuff to Goodwill (appreciated, but no longer needed; and mind you, we lived in a modest footprint and thought we were good about getting rid of stuff!). This work sparked the rest of the year and made our search for a new place, and move the truly life changing experience that it was. In her book, Marie Kondo makes a bold claim, that properly tidying your home, and knowing how you want to live–ie, being in integrity with your values and your relationship to what you have around you, will literally lead you to your next home…if you’re on the market. I completely believe that’s what happened. And on the other side of it, we have everything we need for a blessed and simple life, and nothing that we don’t.

Here’s what you learn in the book: the clarity you get around the stuff in your life–what you value, what stays with you when you’re making those decisions and ⅓ of your stuff needs to get removed or stored (like when you’re showing your place to sell it!)–all of a sudden, that clarity can wildly expand to other parts of your life. You’re creating space for more of what you want, but letting go of what’s not serving you, and being very clear and intentional with what you keep around you, and why.

How cool is that? It was a deeply spiritual, mentally challenging and important project, so I encourage you to take it seriously for what it is. If this is your year to change how you feel about your home, your stuff, and the mental clutter/overwhelm that can often accompany it, I’m cheering you on and I’m here happy to chat directly about your experiences. Enjoy that free, light feeling–much like we have at the end of a good, balanced, cleanse (see my subtle pitch there:)) but related to your home! It’s magical.

And turns out, we’ve kept many many of these practical habits she teaches after we moved (this book cannot make moving EASY, but it certainly makes moving more meditative and powerful in some ways). The kids have happily adopted some of the practices for their clothes and other things…toys are always a slight challenge, but we are light years ahead of where we were on that front a year ago. Highly recommend this for a transformative 2018 (you may want to start with her first book, the Life Changing Magic, or you may want to just dive right into the nitty gritty), and we’ll be doing more with this book and our communities in the coming months.

The Hidden Power of Kindness

 

So this book was recommended to me by my spiritual director. I knew that I needed to give it a read. I’ve been working HARD in past years on becoming a kinder person, and while I know it’s very much a work-in-progress, this book is where the pedal hits the floor. It’s very easy to speak platitudes about how the world would be a great and better place if we were all a little kinder (yes, I’ve been guilty of such simplification myself), but this book can open your eyes to the depths of the human heart–what we’re capable of, what we’re expected to do for others, in the name of kindness (i.e., real love) and what we’re expected NOT to do, which for many of us is really a kicker.

I have to admit to you that it’s a powerful bedside read. You may, like me, only be able to handle small chunks at a time, to meditate on, work with, live with, attempt to live up to…and most importantly, let it change our perspective on matters of the heart, and demand more of ourselves in the name of real, sacrificial love. The kind of kindness that truly changes people…most especially, ourselves.

The 4 Agreements: A practical guide to personal freedom

This book should probably be read by every high schooler, and again in college, and basically at every life stage. It’s a simple, powerful read, a little hard to get into (I’m saying that because you have to stick with it). It’s about personal integrity, understanding a context/framework within which to view and understand socialization, society, the family, ourselves and why we think and act the way we do. Once we understand that framework, we realize that these 4 simple yet utterly profound and life-changing “Agreements” that we can make with ourselves, can literally be the difference between a life lived at peace, and with a vision of the world as being a place of wholeness and meaning and ultimate unity, versus a vision of life as full of  fragments and frustrations. If you’ve ever wondered if there was a better way to live, or to approach life, this book might just give you a glimpse and some clues that are worth exploring and embracing. I can’t wait to hear your comments on this one if you’ve read it…everyone loves to talk about the effect it’s had in their lives, and in the lives of their loved ones. No spoilers–you have to discover what the 4 agreements are for yourself. And more importantly–whether you can live them out.

The War of Art

Ok. I did save this for last, and yes, this is probably up there at the very top of the list. Have you said that this year will be different? You’ll stop procrastinating and write that novel, take that desired vacation, change jobs like you’ve been meaning to, etc? And then have a sinking feeling it just might not happen? Well, what you’re up against is a common experience of “resistance” and this book breaks down exactly what’s going on.

The focus is on the creative process, but it really applies for any transformation and anything new that’s positive in life, which has a creative element. This book explains how to see the resistance for what it is, be mentally armed against it, and then to work through it to experience the powerful movements of support and integration, let’s call it “inspiration” on the other side  when you begin the daunting project– the training for that big race, the writing of that short story, the work on your website/used car, etc.

 

Whatever you’re most passionate about creating in 2018, this book will help you discover exactly what’s holding you back–and then render those forces powersless against you. I can’t WAIT to see what happens in your lives as a result of this book. I read it in Jan/Feb of 2017 with a 3 month old needing nursing sessions–so basically in the nooks and crannies of the day–and I can honestly point to its power being responsible for 80% of the great things that we were able to create this year, including my dream-come-true website/brand and a few other things that I would have told you a year ago were impossible or highly unlikely.

Read it now, read it in 3 months, read it again and again as long as you know what you’re working to create is worth fighting for. This is your compass and you’re going to LOVE IT.

_______________________

I hope that you enjoyed my summaries, complete with capitals. I can’t tell you enough how excited I am for this coming year. I’m in the middle of Rising Strong (Brene Brown) and it’s rocking and rumbling my world. More on that one soon. The other books that are high on my list for the coming weeks are these 2 books about FLOW. This word is coming into focus for me, and I want to get into the topic more deeply. If you want to be kept in the loop of what I’m reading, recommending and why, sign up for the emails–and let’s be sure to discuss, as you go through your transformative book lists for 2018!

I also have a book list that I will share with any of you by request: it’s called 12 Books for Your First Year in Business–for entrepreneurs, especially ones in a leadership/networking/coaching field like this one (though of course it’s valuable for others too, as the skills all overlap). This list is something I’ve worked hard on with several other business owners I greatly admire, so I’m pumped to be able to share from what we’ve culled and gathered and benefitted from over the years.

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On the search for a whole foods, organic, kids’ vitamin

A little back story on me, my family, and why this post matters so much, also known as, how changing brands can change your life.

As you know from my bio, I had a health and career crisis of a sorts 5 plus years ago, and through that journey, came to this moment, of being a health coach, business owner, happy full-time momma and flexible working around their schedule. My family desperately needed help when it came to health and nutrition; now we were aware that local, organic produce is the way to go, and when my first daughter was 1, we joined a CSA (community share of agriculture) to get farm fresh fruits and veggies all summer, and shopped at the Brooklyn farmers market as often as we could. Despite that, my daughter was a picky eater and was sick often and in a way that scared us so much as parents, in her first 2 years of life. We had frequent sick visits, fevers she couldn’t shake that would end us up in the hospital; it was tough to see her go through this, and to suspect that her picky eating habits, combined with daycare/nannies and constant exposure to germs, might be harming, not helping her.

So, we did what any good parents would do—set out to ask ourselves, what can we do differently, or better. Her pediatrician wasn’t given us any good suggestions to help her with weight gain, or developing healthy habits, so we did our own research, talked to friends, spoke with several mom friends who were already health coaches and were just discovering this “beyond organic” line that has now become our brand partner, for reasons you’ll soon understand.

So, I checked out the same info I’m sharing with you today, and was impressed. I said, wow, there’s a company with a 60 year history of integrity, purity and potency, and you can’t get it in stores? Tell me more. My daughter (Emma) started on 3 products to begin with–the incredivites multivitamin, the probiotics, and occasionally, as needed, the vitamin C tablets for immune support (ie, most of the winter!). Within 2 months, we were amazed at the difference in her. She was becoming a better eater (willing to try new flavors/more tastes), she was thriving in school, and when her classmates were sick she wasn’t always catching it (or was coming home with  mild form that we could kick without doctor or hospital visits!)

Fast forward to her preschool year, she then was notoriously the kid in her class who never missed school from sickness (when her class was sick all around her Nov-April), and while still a picky eater, the doctors no longer showed her as off (ie, below) the charts–or in a worrisome range. We are so grateful for these simple, powerful tools that support not only my spunky, healthy, Emma, but also her two younger siblings, who’ve never been on anti-biotics or had a sick visit (They were shaklee from utero, thanks to the amazing pre-natal programs offered, see more here.) That’s alot of time and money saved, and I’m grateful we can spend the winter months enjoy the seasons, the holidays and not worried about every single exposure or dreading bugs that would linger as we used to. We’re paying it forward and we LOVE the testimonies of families everywhere. What will your experience be?

So when I began to do my research on this brand, I learned some things that impressed me. This company’s founder created the first multivitamin in 1915. The company has had a rich 60 year history of products that are superior in quality, potency and with 125 published studies backing up their effectiveness (This is truly unheard of in the supplement industry in general, to have that kind of purity and 3rd party research guaranteeing the safety of products). Do a quick google search and you’ll see there’s never been an FDA violation, a product recall or anything of that nature. Impressive. So, when the organic labeling came into vogue, the requirements are 80 tests per each botanical ingredient minimum. Well, long before that, Shaklee’s standards had them doing 350 tests per new raw/botanical ingredient. That’s 4 times the quality measure of an organic label. So, when we share the Shaklee label, what you’re getting is far and away “beyond organic”.

Here’s some more fun facts for anyone who likes to nerd out (like I do) on the science and history behind the #1 natural nutrition company. After all, our families deserve only the best.

So, now that we’ve established that everything here is beyond Organic, let’s talk healthy daily habits for kids, even the pickest of eaters benefit from and love these.

Until we can get our kids to eat all of the above….well, even then it’s not even realistic.

As our soil changes, and produce becomes less nutrient dense, the verdict is in that we NEED to supplement, starting at a young age, for optimal nutrition.

I LOVE the fact that these vitamins provide the same immune support found in breastmilk–no other vitamins can boast that, and it’s a great transition vitamin for kids as young as 1 year to begin supplementing. My 1 year old loves chewing them with his big sisters, and when he turns 4 I’ll increase the dosage from 1 to 2 chewables.

Now for some comparisons…

 

Yes, I admit I grew up with flintstones and I LOVED them–they were like candy–in fact, they actually probably had the same effect on me…but when we know better, we do better 🙂

Now this chart is illuminating, but what’s even scarier, and why this all matters so much, is that some companies actually get away with putting ingredients in their supplements that either not on the label, or are downright harmful. This study from the FDA shows that higher than acceptable amounts of LEAD were found in these common brands of prenatal and kids vitamins–even ones that have an “organic” label–that many of us know and have used.

Crazy. But the good news is, now we know.

This is the day in the life of our family; covering everything from the multi’s that all 3 kids can take (ages 7, 4 and 1 in different doses based on RDA standards) and hydrate electrolyte drink for active growing bodies, along with immune support (yep, needed often in the winter, nips colds in the bud within 12 hours in my experience), and of course the probiotics. See more about the science and importance of probiotics for immune and overall health here.

If you’re interested in doing a free 20 minute health assessment discussing the specific needs of your family; I’m honored to speak with you, and happy to schedule that. We’re all different, and so are our nutritional needs for growing kiddos.

Our community of coaches supports families with everything from immune support to autism/ADHD challenges, and more with natural nutrition support. I also create healthy meal plans and more as needed.

If your budget is $50/less, we suggest starting with the incredivites and probiotics. The ones my girls take daily no matter what 🙂

 

If you’re in need of building a larger natural medicine cabinet, and really focusing on immune support and brain health, then the healthy kids starter pack is a great option–and you can refill as needed. Healthy kids power pack found here.

Thanks so much for being here; the health of our children matters so much, and I’m grateful to not only share our story, but to continue to be part of your family’s healthy journey as well!

-maddy

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Healthy Holiday treats…3 winners!

As many of you know, I do have a solid sweet tooth, and a few years ago when I began to drastically reduce the sugar we consume, personally and as a family (not super strict, just aware, reading labels and mostly eating whole foods, etc)….I started spending time creating sweet variations for snacking and dessert that would be both satisfying, filling and that myself and my kiddos could have several helpings and feel great about it. With a flexible and intuitive eating philosophy, we’re looking to create recipes from wholesome ingredients that satisfy us, and these really hit the spot for our family.

And if you haven’t noticed, simplifying is a huge theme of mine so these are all minimal ingredients, 2 don’t require baking(!) and are easy to make with busy little hands helping 🙂

I so wish I could hop into all of your kitchens this time of year, share a cup of coffee and enjoy seeing all the fun treats you’re whipping up! If you feel inspired to try these, I don’t think you’ll regret it, and sharing them will make it twice as fun–when you let people in on the secret that these are healthy AND Yummy!

Delicious 3 ingredient fudge

Holiday chocolate protein fudge

(Gluten free, paleo (if you use build shake), dairy free)

This recipe is a winner, we created it first to accompany the pumpkin spice flavors of fall, but it stands alone and is an winner with a chocolate protein instead! Another selling point for me with these recipes–no baking…and easy to decorate 🙂

*3/4 cup organic, raw honey

*1 cup almond butter or peanut butter (smooth)–can sub sunflower butter if nut allergies

*1 cup chocolate life shake

*optional sprinkles

Blend honey and nut butter in a saucepan on low, until fully melted/blended. Add protein powder, stirring slowly. remove from heat, pour into glass pie pan or square dish (no need to grease). Add crumbled candy cane or other sprinkles…Refrigerate 1 hour and enjoy! Store in fridge, can keep up to 1 week…brilliantqar.

I have a feeling both young and old will love these!

Macaroons

Macaroons

(Gluten free, paleo, dairy free)

*5 1/3 cup coconut flakes (1 package)

*2/3 cup coconut sugar

*6 tbsp

coconut flour

*1/4 tsp salt

*4 egg whites

*1 tsp almond or vanilla extract

Mix coconut, sugar, flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in egg whites and almond extract until well blended. Drop by tablespoons onto greased/floured cookie sheets. Bake at 325 for 20 min or until edges are golden brown. Cool and add sprinkles, optional.

 

Peppermint Patties

Peppermint patty protein bites

(Gluten free, dairy free, vegan, paleo, delicious)

*1 cup oats, ground to flour (could also use almond flour)

 

*1 cup Shaklee Life Shake or Build whey protein (chocolate or vanilla).

*1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

*1/2 cup honey

*Peppermint extract to taste – I used 2 teaspoons

Combine and form into balls, chill on wax paper in freezer while you melt chocolate in a double boiler, adding peppermint extract if desired (I did). Dip and sprinkle with crushed candycane, then return to fridge.

Happy “baking” and enjoying!!!