Move Your Body Every Day!!!

Every morning i NEED to get up and do some form of movement. Today, i went to equinox and did elliptical, mixture of hiking up incline and running, weights for lower body, functional exercises, core exercises and yoga stretching. other days i do yoga, pilates or gyrotonic exercise. I love doing anything i can outside- biking, hiking etc. every day i jump on my trampoline. i often do a combo of all of these things. the key is to find something you love to do and just do it often. i encourage you to break out of your habits and try something new. i'm just getting back into cross-training and i love it. my body and mind are reenergized and i feel very strong!! i love it!!

Read below for more information on exercise:

John Ratey, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School showed that endorphins don’t cross into the brain easily. They get metabolized instead. Physical activity promotes the creation and survival of neurotransmitters- molecules that shuttle messages between neurons.

A recent article in the New York Times reviewed an animal study by the National Institute of Mental Health. It showed that physical activity promotes the creation and survival of neurotransmitters. They found that mice that exercised a few times a week were much less likely to feel anxiety, stress and general depression than the mice that were not allowed to exercise. Clearly mice aren’t humans, but the effects in the brain are the same. Humans are much calmer, more centered, and happier after exercise. This is because exercise increases the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, which are the neurotransmitters that control our thoughts and emotions.

Here are some other reasons to get moving and grooving:

Medical Benefits: Exercise has time and time again been proven to decrease the risk of a number of diseases including: cardiovascular diseases, colon and breast cancers, diabetes, osteoporosis, depression and dementia.

Several studies have shown exercise relieves systems related to ADD, OCD, anxiety, depression, addiction and get this… aging!

Sleep. People who exercise sleep better at night. And what better way to relieve one of those things stressing you than to cut back on anxiety at night!

Endorphins from exercise reduce pain.

Exercise also helps get your intestinal track moving allowing you to stay regular.

Memory. Exercise has been proven to improve people’s memories.

Energy. Fact. People who exercise have more energy. (And when you add raw and living foods to that equation, you get a real life Energizer Bunny!)

Let’s take some life advice from Dr. John Ratey, author of Spark and co-founder of Sparkling Life:
“I tell people that going for a run is like taking a little bit of Prozac and a little bit of Ritalin because, like the drugs, exercise elevates these neurotransmitters. Exercise balances neurotransmitters – along with the rest of the neurochemicals in the brain. Keeping your brain in balance can change your life.”

So get out there, go for a hike, a run, a walk, bike to work, try out waterskiing, brave skiing, take up a new dance, invite some friends over for a Pilates DVD, just move! You definitely deserve to treat yourself to happiness 

Gentle Yoga for Healing

Tender Loving Yoga!!
Hey all! My good friend and colleague Kym Sevilla is starting a healing yoga class! Kim has years of experience in rehabilitative exercise and yoga and is a certified advanced health and fitness specialist and cancer exercise trainer.

Starting October 1, Kym is starting a Gentle Yoga for Healing class. This class is specifically targeted at individuals that do not feel that they can keep up with the fast pace of regular yoga classrooms. The class is intended to be very small- (maximum 6) and allows for lots of individual attention! Participants will practice yoga at a slow and intentional pace, paying attention to any particular health concerns. This class is for women only (although if you men have interest I’m sure you could write to her and get a class going!) If you are recovering from any surgical procedures, joint replacement, lymphedema, or chronic pain then this is the class for you!

Kym’s view is simple: No one should be left behind and not experience yoga’s amazing therapeutic value! This class will ensure that people feel safe and can work at their own pace. After all, yoga is about learning from one another and developing patience with ourselves and our bodies.

The class is offered on Saturdays at 10 am, and if there is enough interest Thursdays at 6 45. The first class is Saturday October 1. Classes are 75 minutes long and run in a six-week session.

There are numerous reasons why one should practice yoga, but one of the most common ones is because you become fitter, more energetic, and peaceful. In the age of stress that we all have become accustomed to, yoga allows your mind and body to relax and you allow yourself to enter an almost tranquil state, letting go of all worries, anxiety, and stress. Yoga stretches not only our alignment but all of the soft tissues in our body, including ligaments, tendons and the sheath that surrounds muscles.

Other Key Benefits Gained by Practicing Yoga:
o Strength and endurance
o Build upper body strength
o Increased flexibility and strength leads to better posture
o Develop core strength
o Lung capacity improves- due to the deep mindful breathing of yoga
o Less stress and more calm. Among yoga’s anti-stress benefits are biochemical responses including a decrease in catecholamines, the hormones produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress.
o Weight normalizes
o Concentration, memory, depth perception, attention, sleep, steadiness, dexterity skills, reaction time improves

Everyone can do some form of yoga!! namaste, kelly

Must- Read: Spirit Junkie

Here is a must-read for fall- Spirit Junkie by Gabrielle Bernstein

The self-help world's been a buzz with the release of Gabrielle Bernstein's second book last week.

Witness Bernstein's transformation from NYC party girl to Gen-Y Spiritual Guru in "Spirit Junkie: A Radical Road to Self-Love and Miracles."

Addicted to work, food, drugs, and fear, a fated purchase in 2005 -- a dark blue hardback with the title "A Course in Miracles" -- would usher in dramatic changes for Bernstein. The hardback contained spiritual leader Marianne Williamson's critically acclaimed curriculum that utilizes practical applications to empower students to relinquish the fears crippling their lives. Although "Miracles," iconic text that it is, provides the backdrop for Spirit Junkie, reviewers maintain that Bernstein's fresh voice sets hers apart from other self-help books.

Labeled "hip and edgy," Kirkus also opined “In this mixture of humor, grief and how-to instructions on achieving enlightenment, Bernstein offers more than just autobiography or a user’s guide to meditation . . . A groovy blend of meditative and instructive writing.” We're sold! "Spirit Junkie" has officially been added to the fall booklist. Check back in a few weeks for a more detailed review.

Check out this video


Have you already read "Spirit Junkie?" Let us know your thoughts!

Enjoy, Kelly

Goji Goodness!!

I know its been a while but i'm back and you will be getting regular daily posts- so be on the look out. as i said previously i'm working on a huge project that you will all enjoy very soon. i'll give you a hint- it has something to do with my obsession of "green juices"!!! i'll keep you posted.

you must try this amazing goji superfood smoothie. i made it this afternoon for the whole family and it was a hit. it includes the infamous superfood- goji berries- a must-have in everyone's diet. see below for more fabulous info on the goji berry.

goji blueberry bliss:
water of one coconut
meat of one coconut
handful of greens- i used spinach and kale
handful goji berries
handful blueberries
blend it up and enjoy

besides throwing them in smoothies here are some other ways to enjoy them:
-soak them and eat the soaked berries and drink the goji water
-soak them and turn them into puddings such as a spinach goji pudding: just blend soaked goji berries with spinach or any greens and it turns into a yummy pudding- may need to add a date, vanilla stevia drop or mesquite if need more sweetness.
-throw them into salads or raw dehydrated cereals

goji vanilla pudding
this is a recipe i do for the kids- they love it
meat of two young coconuts
1/2-3/4 cup coconut water
1/2 cup goji berries
1 tbsp mesquite
1 vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla powder
dash sea salt
- you can eliminate mesquite and vanilla and add a few drops of vanilla stevia

read more about goji berries here:

Superfoods Sleuth Strikes Gold: Goji Gold!

What is a superfood? A superfood is a nutrient rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. It describes a food with a high phytonutrient content that may confer health benefits as a result.

Goji Berry: The wolf berry, more commonly known as the Goji Berry is a deciduous woody perennial plant found in temperate and subtropical regions in China, Mongolia and the Himalayas of Tibet. Although normally found as shriveled up dried red berries, they are found on an evergreen shrub just like all the traditional berries we’re used to seeing. Goji berries have been used for over 6,000 years by traditional medicine men and herbalists in China, Tibet, and India to treat a number of ailments- it’s even known as the “longevity fruit” as the berries have major immune-enhancing properties. According to research, the compounds found in goji berries enhance our bodies ability to resist disease and slow down cancer!

Why called the ‘wolf berry’? In the 18th century, Chinese farmers nicknamed gou qi zi (The Mandarin name for wolfberry) when they saw wolves feasting among the berry vines during late summer at harvest time.

Notable Benefits of Goji Berries:

Goji Berries are rich in anti-oxidants, particularly carotenoids such as beta-carotene and zeaxanthin—which protect the retina of the eye. Increased intake of foods containing zeanthanin decreases the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in people over 65.

Goji extracts may prevent the growth of cancer cells, reduce blood glucose, and lower cholesterol levels.

Goji berries are listed as the number one food on the ORAC scale, which measures the level of antioxidants in food. The higher foods are in antioxidants, the more capable they are of preventing cell damage!

In addition they…

o Protect the liver
o Lower high blood pressure and cholesterol
o Promote and improve longevity
o Strengthen the legs
o Improve sexual function and fertility
o Prevent cancer and heart disease
o Boost immune function

enjoy- kelly