Can We Reverse the Aging Process?

 

No matter how gracefully some people seem to do it, aging, in and of itself, is a tissue wasting process. While every organism eventually dies, most people today are overfed, overweight, and over stressed. Each of these factors diminishes your vitality and speed the aging process. But what everyone would like to know is can we stop it? 

How often have you heard, or probably even said, 'if I could just turn back time'? Speak to any doctor or nutritionist today and most will say the fountain of youth is inside - inside your cells and inside your kitchen. What is seen on the outside and how you feel on the inside is dictated by what you do and what you eat.

In order to remain vibrant, health has to become an integral part of your everyday and a great way to begin is simply by walking. Incorporating just 30 minutes a day can significantly reduce your levels of stress, help you sleep better, decrease anxiety, control your blood pressure, and help you gain more emotional stability. All of these factors influence aging. Another significant way to calm your body is to begin the meditative practice of yoga. But if the mere thought of having to sit still and quiet stresses you, begin with a basic breathing exercise - five minutes of diaphragmatic breathing. Take long inhalations through the nose - the belly should become full of air as opposed to the chest rising – exhale slowly through the mouth, and you will feel your body begin to relax. Do this while sitting in rush hour traffic and road rage will begin to dissipate. This alone should add years back to your life. It’s important to find activities things that you enjoy so that you look forward to moving. So dance, swim, or join an athletic team.

In addition to staying physically active, turn your kitchen into a natural, age-defying pharmacy. It should be stocked with foods known to reduce stress and aging exceptionally well, like whole grains, beets and raisins which are full of magnesium, the anti-stress mineral. Oranges and grapefruit, both rich in vitamin C, and bananas, avocados and yogurt, all rich in potassium, lower the blood pressure. Boost your immune system with fruits and vegetables rich in antioxidants like carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, and blueberries.

Drinking plenty of water will also reverse the effects of aging. The benefits of proper hydration are numerous, affecting almost every process occurring in the body. In addition to maintaining the health and integrity of every cell, it also acts as a natural moisturizer keeping the skin soft and supple. Water is the elixir of life, and drinking it amply will prevent premature aging.

Just as remaining active and having a healthy diet affects your quality of life, your mental fitness is equally crucial. No matter how fantastic you treat your body, time will continue to tick away. How you deal with the changes is what matters – you can allow them to drive you mad or accept them. The skin will lose some elasticity, the page may have to move a little closer or farther away to read, and your sprints may be a little slower, but accepting the inevitable changes rather than seeing them as crises will keep you from sinking into a depression over your aging which of course, ages you even faster.

Help your body fight off the negative effects of stress through a proper diet and exercise and as you age, keep the important things in front of you. If you continue learning, remain, or get involved in your community, explore things that interest you, always seek to find a new purpose, and laugh as often as possible, you will begin to slow the hands of time keeping you healthy, fit, and beautiful.

Nothing Gained, Nothing Lost...

Minnie Mouse has been tucked away (at least until I can find a use for my cute pink polka dot skirt), and it's back to the gym. I WILL stay on track this season. I WILL NOT gain a single pound due to my overindulgence in cakes, pies, and candied yams, yes ma'am. I WILL NOT lose a single pound of muscle because I WILL keep it moving!

Girls, one of our biggest trouble spots is the triceps! Fat just likes to gather back there but I'd rather it not. I know what I ate yesterday and since I don't want those cupcakes hanging under my arms, I'm burning them out today! Now, I'm sure it's a safe bet to say you'd rather not feel the jiggle either so...

What's the plan?

Today was fantastic!

Today was fantastic! I started with a cleanse, a tomato facial mask. You can find tons of great recipes online for homemade facials but today I used Say Yes to Tomatoes and took full advantage of the fact I work at a really great gym, Equinox. I can use the sauna, steam room (my favorite!), Jacuzzi, rooftop sun deck, and pool. So I had a spa experience without the spa price. I went in, slathered my face with the tomato mask (I’m having issues with some breakouts and lycopene is a wonderful healer for this) and stretched out by the Jacuzzi which is nestled between the steam room and sauna so the area is warm and wet. I used this as my meditation time and I chose to focus on being grateful. Twenty minutes of giving thanks felt really good.

I hopped in the shower (which is stocked with Kiehl’s thank you), then got my day started. It was the end of a two-day continuing education class and much to everyone’s happiness, the instructor condensed a 5 hour day into 3 hours, still giving us all the information but by making it interactive and light, it was easier to absorb. Yes, I added this to my thank you list.

I’d already planned on walking the beach today and now I’m there early. Again, thank you!

The first three people I meet are beautiful older ladies with wonderful hats on. The ocean is providing a nice breeze but those sun rays are no joke. I thought for a quick second about the fact I didn’t have anything on my shoulders but we all know I get cold fast so soon and very soon I’ll be putting my jacket on anyway.

The next woman I meet is just as fantastic just sans hat. I told her she reminded me of someone I knew and we ended up walking along the beach together chatting. Shoshana, an older, exotic beauty from Israel who’d lived in New York for years and is now rooted in Santa Monica doing healing work from her heart, www.bestheartcenteredtherapy.com.  We bonded over a few things, one of them being our love of romance. She, a young 61, and me, a young 42 both ready for our incredible men that have the balls to be passionate!

We exchanged numbers and I’ll be sure we see each other again.

On my walk back, someone, I could tell it was a little one, starting jogging right behind me. After a few minutes, I turned to see who it was and I see the most adorable little girl who couldn’t have been more than 7. I said, ‘Hello. And who are you?’

‘Anushka’, she said.

She had a head full of the thickest, blackest, shiniest hair with the most adorable haircut. She runs over to the nearby rose garden and starts to smell all of them. I now notice that she’s with her mother so I introduce myself and reach out to shake her hand but she doesn’t extend hers and I realize that her hand isn’t like mine. The muscles in it don’t work and the fingers are pursed together, almost like a stroke victim but she didn’t look as if she’d had a stroke. Thank you for my health! We chat for a second then I walk over to Anushka whose still smelling roses and we begin to compare. Some are very sweet and then she takes me to her favorite. ‘This one smells clean’, she says and begins gathering the petals that dropped around it. When I asked what she was going to do with them she said, ‘make rose water!’ Anushka and I bonded over her cute little haircut and her love of rose water and her mother and I bonded over the simplicity of, and my appreciation for, Ms. Anushka.

Today was a good day! I chatted with some fabulous, older ladies, exchanged numbers with a couple of them, and met an energetic little girl that literally made me stop and smell the roses.

I’m looking forward to a peaceful night’s sleep filled with visions and dreams and starting my tomorrow with the energy of Anushka to manifest those dreams… Thank you!

And this is Sandy...

I spoke recently about a new project that I've gratefully been asked to be a part of - Mt. Saint Mary's icomunidad First Year Experience Program. My job will be to help the girls realize how a healthy, sound mind and body, will enable them to move through the challenges of college with a bit more ease. Sandy is a part of the Mt. Saint Mary's staff. She mentors students in the STEM program which influences girls to, and supports them in, their choice to follow a career in math and science. How much more powerful she will be as a role model by moving through this challenge. You can view some of her video posts at www.facebook.com/NaturalRhythmFitness and these are her words...
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Motivation, where are you?! I wish Costco would sell it by the bulk, that way I could store it in a cabinet and use it as needed. I am admittedly inconsistent. There’s no other way of putting it. I’m 28 years old and have been struggling with my weight since I was 8. I’m only two years away from the big 3-0 and I hear it’s even harder to lose weight after that!

Healthy is an adjective unknown to my family, exercise is a verb that I rarely practiced, and insecurity is an adjective that became synonymous with my name. My weight prohibited me from being an active kid. While in high school I wanted to join the Choreo[graphy] team, but all the girls were skinny; no one looked like me. Plus, they would wear skimpy outfits that revealed parts I did not want to expose. So instead, I took a P.E. dance class my junior year and discovered that I LOVED dancing and was pretty good at it. This let me know that I could try-out for Choreo, but it was my own insecurities that led me to believe that even though I danced better than half of those girls, they would never select me because of my weight.

My senior year proved to be a pivotal moment for me. With prom approaching, my friend and I made a pact to lose weight. We worked hard, we were disciplined, and dedicated. I still remember the first mile I ran non-stop…Success! Within weeks I began getting compliments of how good I looked and at that point I had lost roughly 15lbs. Prom came and went, and by then there was no turning back! I knew how to eat healthier and what it took to be fit. By my first quarter in college, I had become a gym member, learned more and more about fitness and even got a trainer, but unfortunately, my school was known for its reckless party scenes. I started drinking, partying, and stopped working out completely but I tried to maintain a healthy diet, at least compared to that of my roommates, who all seemed to live on carbs!

By graduation I had gained 30lbs! I was disappointed and mad because I had taken a million steps backwards, but it was my fault. The first thing I did when I moved back home was join a gym. With time and effort, I lost he weight and was able to maintain it… for a while.

By the time I started my Master’s program, inconsistency had won again and my motivation was nowhere to be found. I felt I was too busy to take care of my body and rarely stepped foot in the gym.  Although I didn’t gain all 30lbs back, I was getting there slowly, but surely. I was back to feeling insecure and lost.

In January 2010, two of my friends signed up to compete in a triathlon happening in June and somehow I convinced myself and my mentor to compete. I was completely unfamiliar with triathlons and thought it was a relay where each of us would complete one leg of the race. I thought, ‘Yes, I can do the running portion because I love to run. Wait a minute, I have to do what?!?’

So, of course the journey was not an easy one, but with the help of my team, especially my mentor’s encouragement, I learned how to swim correctly, began biking for miles, and began to run more than my typical 2 miles. I have to say that running our first mock triathlon was the best feeling ever! A few laps in the ocean (I almost drowned wearing that stupid wetsuit), about a 10 mile bike ride up and down the Malibu highway, and my first 4 mile run; all non-stop. I seriously wanted to cry as I crossed our ‘pretend’ finish line because Sandy showed up!

June 27^th and it’s tri-time! Game face is on and my nerves are crazy but there’s no turning back now! This race was not easy but I finished it. I can’t even begin to explain the feeling I got when I was closer to the finish line and saw my family, friends, and teammates cheering for me because my motivation was slipping away. Legs, please don’t fail me now we’re almost there! Yes! I finished...and lost a few pounds in the process. Call me triathlete now, please!

I have maintained a healthy lifestyle since then. I work out pretty consistently, but sometimes my bad eating habits take over. In the last two years, I have lost 20lbs, participated in my first half-marathon, become stronger, but I still can’t seem to get down to my ideal weight. I have worn weary of the same gym routines and have reached a plateau. Reaching a healthy weight and becoming stronger are definite goals but the main focus is consistency because after all, I deserve to be healthy. I’ll be participating in another half marathon a week before my 29^th birthday in October. Naturally, I want to beat my time and be lighter for the sake of my knees, but more importantly, I want to be a step closer to being in the best shape ever by the time I’m 30.

I have found my motivation again and this time I’m not losing it because I have a great support system and I know I can push myself… hard!  My ultimate goal is to compete in the San Diego International Triathlon. I am Motivated. I am Confident. I am Found. Yes, I will do this!

This is Sandy's video after her 1st day...

She listened to her heart above all the other voices...

Celebrate her wisdom.

Natural Rhythm Strength Camp

Wake up to greet the day with reverence and to strengthen your strengths.

Girls, we rock! I don’t know if you’ve fully accepted that yet but, we kick ass! When we get hurt, our bodies heal themselves. That’s amazing! Yes, I know, the boys too. Without our help or understanding, our heart beats. Yes, I know, the boys too. But the fact that our bodies are designed to carry a life for nine months before opening up, helping it out, then given charge of nurturing that life, means that our base, us, truly must be strong because we have so much to give.

Physically, every inch of us is covered in muscles and I think you will agree that it’s the muscle that gets us around this place. So, being that the strength of your muscles affect your way of giving I ask, how strong are you?

I want you to fall in love with your design so you will discover that confidence in your body’s ability to do is intoxicating. I think I speak for us all when I say strength is sexy. Yes dear, it’s ok to be turned on by yourself. It starts with you anyway, remember that.

Come out to play and learn:
• To push yourself using the best tool ever, your own body.
• That it really doesn’t take much to be in the shape YOU want to be in.
• That it simply requires your honesty. Only you know what you’re doing 100% of the time and whatever that something is will have a positive or negative effect on you… truly your choice.

The next camp starts Aug. 22nd – Sept. 16th
Each 4 week camp is only $300 and groups will always be small so that you receive the guidance and personal touch that is needed.

Groups Meet in Dana Point:
Monday – Friday

6am & 7:15am

Saturday
6am, 7:15am, 8:30am

Contact me for more details!

One piece of red snapper... two great plates!

Today I made a sandwich with the second half of the red snapper I cooked last night. (A Perfect Summer Plate post) Yeah, you might want to try this one. Incredible! The lemon and garlic and leeks had married into the fish and each other just a bit more overnight and made for really great flavors in every single bite. Oh, I rhymed!

I drizzled a pan with olive oil to reheat my fish. I always use a stove top to reheat. Personally, I don't like microwaves. They dry your food out and the food doesn't retain the heat as long. I used naan for my bread which I toasted. I like having the soft and the crunch, then I don't have to have chips! See, you gotta think all the time. A little bit of mustard, tomato & avocado, both seasoned with sea salt & cracked pepper, about three large beet leaves that I threw into the pan while the fish was warming, just to soften the veins a bit. (I bought beets on my last trip to the farmer's market)

I made a small salad with purple bibb lettuce, avocado, and cucumbers. The avocado puts a wonderful oil in the salad so I just squeeze some lemon on top and it's perfect. A couple slices of an heirloom tomato and I'm done.

How much more simple can you get.

Perfect Summer Dinner..

I bought some black lava sea salt last week and I've been dying to try it. So I headed to the fish market to see what they had. Red snapper. Perfect.

A stop at a local farm yielded purple tipped butter lettuce and yellow cucumbers for my salad, green beans for my side dish (I have broccolini already so I'm tossing a couple spears in with the green beans), and leeks for flavor. I also bought beets and used a few of the greens in my salad. I'm cooking the beets for later.

As much as I love great food, simplicity is key for me. Fish is always easy. Sautéing green beans takes minutes. And what could be easier than tossing a great dressing over some bright greens and voila, salad! The longest preparation is the rice which takes 45 minutes to cook. I used a long grain, black wild rice because I love the smoky flavor.

Here's all it takes:

Fish

• olive oil
• red snapper (I bought 1lb, 2 fillets, which equal 4 meals for me!)
• leeks (I used the whole bulb of 1 leek)
• 4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
• 2 lemons, halved crosswise

Salad

• purple tipped butter lettuce (choose any you like. I like the added color which is why I threw in some of the beet leaves)
• 2 yellow cucumbers (much smaller than the typical green cucumber and sweeter too!)
• lemon vinaigrette (recipe below)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Sides

• olive oil
• 3 - 4 cups of chicken stock (according to rice you choose, the package will say how much)
• 1/4 - 1/2 of a medium sized onion, chopped (I love onions so I tend to use more)
• green beans (depends on how many your cooking for. 1 handful is plenty for me)
• broccolini (I simply threw in 2 spears for an added layer)
• 1 cup of long grain rice

Let's Cook..
Start the rice first since it takes the longest. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes or until soft. Add the chicken stock and the rice. Cook for about 45 minutes and most of the stock has been absorbed.

While the rice is cooking, heat the oven to 400⁰F. In a large roasting pan, toss the leeks, lemons, garlic, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and salt & pepper. Roast until the leeks begin to soften, about 6-8 minutes. Some of mine always char just a bit and I like that. We'll use some of this as topping for our veggies.


Season the snapper with salt & pepper and nestle in the leeks. Roast until the snapper is opaque, 10-12 minutes. (Roasting the fish is almost your last step since it only takes about 12 minutes. Time it close with the rice). Be careful with salting the fish. We will sprinkle on a bit of the black salt once it's done for a bit of drama!

To sauté the veggies, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the green beans, broccolini, salt & pepper, and cook for 5 minutes. It should be bright and crunchy.

The salad is just torn greens and yellow cucumbers, sliced.

To make the dressing:
Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the skin into a bowl and mash into a paste. Squeeze the
roasted lemon pulp and juice into the bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, chopped rosemary, and salt. Toss with the greens.

That's it. A perfect summer plate. Light, healthy, and healing. 

Get Ready!

I'm in the process of creating an innovative television program that will show you how to keep your body humming along in tip-top condition and you'll do it by having fun! I'm telling you this because I want you to come along with me.

The show is for you, for women. It will open you up to a world of adventure; it will show you how masterfully powerful you really are; it will show you how fitness is synonomous with fun; and oh, how good it is to be a girl! When the show happens, you have to be ready to come along for the ride and that's what this blog is all about. I will show you how to develop a wonderful base of fitness with very little money, if any, that will then alow you to try anything you desire.

What do you desire? What have you always secretely wanted to try but never have for whatever reason? And what are those reasons? Be honest. Is it money? Time? Do you feel you lack the skills?

Well, skills can be developed, time can be found, and by becoming just a bit resourceful, money becomes a much smaller hurdle.

Are you ready? I'll show you how. Stay tuned!