"It's the same things."

“What message is going to make the biggest impact on the health of our FORM Family today?” I wonder.

I have so many things I want to write about and SO many things I want you to know and SOOOOO many things to share that I know will help people to feel a bit better today.

The problem? I can’t decide on which one of those ‘things’ is the best ‘thing’!

Today’s message is pretty simple: It’s the same things.

The things that prevent heart disease are the same things that can prevent Type II Diabetes. The things that prevent Alzheimer’s disease are the same things that keep your waistline slim. What provides you with more vitality and joy are the same things that will keep you mentally sharp and feeling sexy.

Practicing these simple seven things will change your life. I know this to be true‐ based on science and based on my own life experiences.

What are the simple seven things, you ask?

Spirit Be grateful. Be forgiving. Love deeply. Laugh a lot. Sometimes happy hour is better medicine than a trip to the gym. (Sometimes…not all the time!) Sometimes intimate conversation is time better spent than creeping on Facebook. What does your soul need?

Sugar Avoid it. This includes the artificial stuff. Eat a rainbow of plants, clean protein, and tons of healthy fats. I have been accused of being extreme in this area, but I stand behind it 100%.

Sweat Every day if you can. Small bursts of activity equal big results. When you sweat, you detox. Strengthen and stretch because you love your body‐ not because you hate it.

Stress Set boundaries for yourself and live with integrity. Do not allow other people’s crap to stink up your life. Breathe deeply. Design the life you want for yourself.

Support Surround yourself with likeminded people who support you instead of sabotage you. Kick toxic people to the curb…or at least ignore them. And pray for them so they won’t be so toxic anymore. ☺

Sleep Be purposeful and protect your sleep. Value your sleep. Do not sacrifice your sleep to drag a tired body out of bed to exercise at 4:30am. Do not sacrifice your sleep to troll the internet at night. Listen to your body and give it the rest it deserves.

Supplement Even when we are doing all the right things, it is still hard to get all the nutrients our body needs. Consider a probiotic, mineral supplement, Vitamin D3, and fish/cod liver/krill oil.

Every choice we make has a consequence. That choice can lead us down a path of longevity, vitality, and abundance or down a path of sickness and despair.

How empowering is it to know that you have that control?

YOU have the ability to make just a few small changes that will lead you (or keep you) on a good path. YEAH!

When making the good choice is hard, think about your life goals. Do you want to be able travel the world when you retire? Do you want to play with your grandchildren? Do you want to walk your daughter down the aisle? Do you want to spend your earnings on the things you love rather than on medical care?

When you focus on your long‐term goals, that can of soda doesn’t seem so important.

Namaste!

Exercise Tips for Mom

Before becoming a Mom, workouts were a top priority in my daily routine and I rarely missed one. It was as routine as brushing my teeth or eating breakfast. A day without a workout was just 'off'. I hate to admit this... but I often had little sympathy for those who 'didn't have time' to workout. I didn't understand why some of my Mom Pilates clients were often unreliable and didn't make exercise a priority in their life. 

Fast-forward to when my son Cole was born and BOY DID I HAVE A WAKE-UP CALL! My priorities shifted completely and instead of scheduling workouts, I schedule showers and restroom visits. I get it NOW! Between caring for kids, workplace demands, household chores, doctors appointments, school and all the rest, there is often precious little time for moms to sweat. That being said, no one needs the mental escape and endorphins exercise lends MORE than moms! So how can we find this much needed extra time in our day? (It's possible. I promise!) Here are a few tips! 

FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
It will take a couple weeks, but get in the routine of working out first thing in the morning. This ensures your workout isn't interrupted. I know 530 AM is sounds miserable, but I promise it really is the best start to your day. If 530 is too early, try one of our 630 AM classes. Sneak out of the house before everyone else is up and give yourself some much deserved 'you' time!

AFTER DINNER
Not a morning person? We have classes at 645 pm or 7 pm most weeknights! Take some time after dinner to take care of yourself and burn extra calories in your sleep!

HAVE A PLAN
Sit down with pen and paper and map out your workouts just as you make a grocery list. Pick the classes you want to attend each week and put them on your calendar.

BE REALISTIC
Working out 6 days a week may not be possible but prioritizing 3 classes per week is. Think quality over quantity. When you do make it to class..MAKE IT WORTH IT! Give 100% effort while you have the opportunity!

TRY AN EXPRESS CLASS
Don't have 45 min - 1 hr? Try one of our 30 minute express class options.

TAKE IT OUTDOORS
Take your kids to the park and 'play'! Use the playground equipment for tricep dips, push-ups, step-ups and more! Take the jogger stroller out and hit the pavement for a run.

DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP
Some days it just isn't going to happen. period. That's okay! Get back at it tomorrow!

Happy Mother's day to all our FORM Mammas! You're AMAZING!

Green Smoothies 101

So what's all the hype with Green Smoothies and what the heck is in there? 

To start, they are a quick, easy and tasty way to get large amounts of fruits and leafy greens into your daily diet. Green smoothies give your body the plant-based nutrients it craves. Dark leafy greens contain: high-quality amino acids, important minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and beneficial phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are plant-based chemicals that support your immune system, improve health and longevity, and may reduce life-threatening diseases.

We want to share the basics to get you started and it's a pretty simple formula:

1 cups leafy greens + 1-1.5 cups liquid base + 1 cup frozen fruit + 1-2 servings fat

Leafy green options

•       Spinach

•       Kale

•       Romaine

•       Swiss Chard

Liquid base options

•       Unsweetened almond milk

•       Unsweetened coconut milk

•       Water

Fruit options

•       Banana

•       Mango

•       Berries

•       Peach

•       Apple

•       Pineapple

•       Orange

Fat options (not needed if use coconut milk)

•       Avocado

•       Almond Butter

•       Cashews

•       Almonds

Any blender will work, but the Vitamix is our all time fav blender. It's definitely one of the more spendy blenders out there, but you look at it as in investment in your health:-)

Here's a recipe to get you started:

•       1 cup spinach, fresh

•       1 cup unsweetened almond milk (add more depending on desired consistency)

•       1 handful frozen pineapple

•       1/2 avocado

Blend leafy greens and liquid base together first. Add fruit and blend again. ENJOY!

Let us know how it goes and please share a smoothie recipe that you LOVE!

Banish Belly Fat

Banish the Belly Fat

Swimsuit season is right around the corner! Well...almost. A girl can dream, right?

I’ve been preparing for those sun-filled, fun-filled days by doing foreign things like shaving my legs and painting my toenails. I’ve also stepped up my nutrition a bit. You see, I have a pretty special vacation planned in 6 weeks with my hubby and I want to look and feel my best.

Do any of you have a goal in sight? Or maybe you are just ready for a little jump start? If so, keep reading. If not, umm...just keep reading?

One of the most common complaints I hear from both men and women is, “No matter what I do, this belly fat doesn’t seem to budge.” After asking a few questions, I usually discover that there are some nutritional gaps that need to be filled or there is too much math being done.

Too much math?

Yep. True health has nothing to do with math. The number of pounds on a scale is not an indicator of health...or worth. The number of calories you count has nothing to do with the nourishment your body is receiving. The number of minutes you exercise does not equate to strength and longevity. It is a matter of quality- not quantity. We don’t do math, ok? Ok.

Instead we should measure health by how much energy we have, the strength of our body, our mood, and the beauty of our skin, hair, teeth, and nails. We are meant to live an abundant life- full of love, movement, rest and nourishment. Not a life of deprivation, frustration, and starvation.

Now, back to that stubborn belly fat.

Here are my favorite nutritional tips to help you turn into the lean, mean, fat-burning machine you are meant to be:

Snack Smartly. First of all, try to eat enough at your meals that you don’t need to snack. Then ask yourself if you are really hungry…as opposed to bored or mad or sad or having a craving. THEN- if you are truly hungry- have a snack already! Just choose it wisely. Eating a high carbohydrate snack will satisfy you for a short time and then your blood sugar will plummet. That is no good.

My favorite snacks are macadamia nuts & coconut flakes, hardboiled eggs, veggies & guacamole, ½ an avocado drizzled with olive oil and salt & pepper, beef jerky, and olives.

Sip Smartly Too. If your goal is to be lean, cleaning up your drinks is a must. What you drink can completely sabotage your wellness goals with obscene amounts of hidden sugar, trans fats, and fake crap.

What’s in? Water (especially with lemon), unsweetened sparkling waters, black coffee, unsweetened nut milks, and teas (especially green).

What’s out? Juices (even organic fruit juice), sports drinks, coffee creamers, sodas, beer, drink mixes and skim milk.

Gray Area: Milk. If you drink milk, try to keep it organic with the fat intact. Skim milk spikes blood sugar- you don’t want that when you are trying to banish the bulge.

If you choose to booze: The best choice is a high quality spirit with club soda and a splash of citrus. Think Grey Goose soda with lemon.

The second best choice is red wine. If you feel that you tolerate red wine, then go ahead. Some of us experience bloating, headaches, and difficulty sleeping.

If you don’t already drink, you don’t need to start. In fact, I am choosing to abstain while I focus on leaning up. I find that I sleep better and my belly isn’t as bloated (what a gross word bloated is) when I don’t drink.

Here’s the deal, guys- I LOVE wine. I love it a lot. However, I discovered that it doesn’t like me so much. I went through a self-experiment where I stopped drinking for a month. At first I thought I would die. Literally die. And then I wondered about my sanity. Drinking made me a nicer wife and mommy. And then, suddenly, things changed. I felt so good, that I did not care to have a cocktail. It simply wasn’t that big of a deal. It still isn’t that big of a deal. I am perfectly happy sipping on my chamomile tea. Turns out I can still be a pretty nice wife and mommy.

Sugar Strike. When you eat sugar- whether in the form of candy, pasta, or a bagel- it causes a rise in blood glucose. That glucose is dangerous in the bloodstream and needs to be moved to a safer place by insulin. If the liver and muscles are already full of glycogen (stored glucose), then your body has no choice but to store that glucose as fat- primarily belly fat. Belly fat!

Learn to read labels. There is hidden sugar in everything. Syrups, evaporated juices, honey, agave, etc...it is pervasive.

If your goal is to be lean, you may want to consider cutting the added sugar and the high carbohydrate foods such as breads, pastas, and baked goods. I have made a personal decision to avoid grains, and I’ve never felt better. However, we are all very different. Experiment with what works for you.

Eat Fat to Lose Fat. This is my favorite tip. When you choose to eat more fat in place of sugar, your body becomes really good at burning fat. You become so efficient at torching fat that you not only tear through the fat in the food you eat, but you also incinerate the bat wings, muffin tops, and beer bellies. Yeah!

Healthy fat does NOT make you fat. Sugar does. The end.

PS- If you are interested in ramping up your nutrition and getting into swimsuit shape, be on the lookout for a pretty great program to be launched at FORM. There will be much more information to come!  Here’s a hint: Real food. No math. Lifelong health.

5 Reasons to Give Pilates a Try

Here are five reasons to give Pilates a try.

Variety
There are over 500 exercises with hundreds of variations. You will not get bored! This helps to prevent plateaus and keep your body guessing!

Looking good in clothes 
Pilates in Hollywood's biggest secret. Five women in last year’s Oscar nominees for best actress and best supporting actress categories practice Pilates regularly.  Your clothes will hang better and you will appear longer and leaner. 

Improve athletic performance
Pilates will improve performance in any other athletic activity. Your focus on precision and control will help you in other sports from running to tennis. A strong core will help you prevent injuries and stay light on your feet. 

Give your brain a get-away
Pilates rejuvenates your mind because you can’t think about anything else while you’re doing it. Give your brain a vacation from daily stresses as you connect to your mind and body.

Highly skilled instructors
Pilates instructors rise to one of the highest levels of training in the fitness industry. A fully certified Pilates instructor completes a 500-hour training course that takes one to two years to complete.  

April showers bring May flowers

This Spring has been very dry but next week finally calls for RAIN! (or snow :-( ) So what does that mean for your wardrobe? You need some stylish rain boots! Rain boots are no longer clumpy or frumpy! Here are a few of our favorite ways to style them...

DENIM JACKET

Everything feels like Spring when you throw on a denim jacket...right!? Pair some leggings (print or solid) with your favorite denim jacket for an easy Spring look.

PATTERN PLAY

Stripes and plaid go together like yin and yang! Have fun mixing some prints and make a stylish statement! 

JEANS

Pair your Joules rain boot with your favorite pair of jeans. If you are like us, you may have to wipe the dust off your jeans. They don't get near the wear like our yoga pants. Add a fun top like this new tank from Coin and a lightweight Spring jacket. Simple..right!?

These three Joules rain boot styles are available in the FORM boutique. Tell us, how do you like to style your rain boots?