My Health Journey

I know I usually talk about fashion and beauty on this blog but today I want to talk about my health journey, which has become very important to me and the main focus in my life right now. I have never talked about this on my blog before and I feel a bit vulnerable putting it out there but I want to be honest and open with you guys, my lovely readers, and maybe something I write in this post will resonate with one of you and help you on your journey.

Growing up as a dancer, I had the perfect ballet body. I was long, lean, strong and tall and could eat two quarter pounders, fries and a coke at McDonald's (which I did often) and not gain a pound because I was constantly burning calories. I took dance classes 5 times a week and I loved dancing - it was my life- until the tendonitis in my knees forced me to cut down. When I stopped dancing as much, I gained about 10 lbs. and for the first time ever I had to watch what I ate. I cut out all red meat and lost some of the weight by exercising and non-healthy dieting. But a year later, after a very painful breakup with my high school sweetheart (and entering my first year of college), I could not stop binge eating. Clearly, I was eating my feelings. I was out of control. (For those of you wondering, I did not purge after I would binge, thankfully.) I ended up gaining 25 pounds in a very short period of time and hated how I looked. Especially since I was in theater school at the time and was constantly surrounded by mirrors in dance class and rehearsals, plus I had to wear skimpy costumes for some of our productions. So I decided I had to stop the binge eating and focus on getting skinny again!! (I should have been focusing on self-love but that would come much later.) So I started dieting and the weight started to come off.  I also started doing Pilates, which I really enjoyed. I enjoyed it so much I later got my Mat Certification, taught for 5 years and still practice Pilates every week. I should mention here that I did not eat healthy at all while on this diet though. I basically would eat food with the lowest amount of calories and fat possible, devoid of any real nutritional value, just so I could eat more throughout the day. I didn't eat enough food either, I was always hungry (and cranky) when I went to bed. Over the course of a year and a half I lost around 35 lbs. I was way too skinny but I was obsessed with my weight and food. It was horrible. I couldn't enjoy life because I was too busy focusing on how many calories or fat grams were in everything I put in my mouth and staying thin. It was my way of staying in control during a time in my life where I felt very out of control.  With some guidance and help, I eventually put on a bit of weight that I was comfortable with and started to relax about food but it was really hard.

 Just in case you wanted to know where your gallbladder was located ; )

I am pretty sure the extreme dieting and rapid weight gain and weight loss had something to do with me getting gallstones at 18 years of age. Except I didn't know they were gallstones until I was 26!! I thought they were just "cramps!" Finally my doctor ordered an ultrasound and yup, I had a ton of large gallstones that were causing me intense, curl-up-in-a-ball pain for years! So I had surgery and got my gallbladder removed. (I also contracted a nasty staph infection which was just awesome!) Anyways, shortly after my surgery I decided to become a Vegetarian (for various reasons) and thought I was eating really healthy! Wrong. I was anemic and was put on an iron supplement by my doctor. And I was still having intense pain and bloating in my stomach, among other stomach problems I'll spare you with. I thought removing my gallbladder would have helped that? When I went back to my doctor she told me I should probably get a colonoscopy (FUN!) and get tested for Celiac disease. When both tests came back negative, I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Sydrome. (Even more fun!!) She signed me up to see a dietician. Before seeing this dietician I had to journal what I ate for 3 weeks and when I showed her what I had written down she basically told me that if I keep eating the way I was eating I would be very malnourished and more susceptible to illness and disease. She asked if I would consider cutting out dairy and gluten. No way. I wasn't ready then. I already didn't eat meat, if I had to cut out dairy and gluten what the heck would I eat? Grass? So my dietician gave me a list of foods I should try adding to my diet, to help with my IBS as well as give me enough iron and protein to help with my anemia. I felt a bit better adding more nutritious foods to my diet but I was still feeling tired and every now and then I would get that intense pain in my stomach and it would blow up as if I was 4 months pregnant.

It wasn't until I met and started spending time with and really listening to my good friend Lisa, who writes Life By Leese when she moved back to Edmonton from New York City that I realized what you eat can actually make a difference in how you feel. I mean I guess I knew that all along but I was too lazy to make the necessary changes to live it. (Lisa gave a really good interview here to Keltie Colleen, which really inspired me, you should read it!) She is studying to be a holistic health counselor and is so passionate about healing through nutrition, health and wellness and living a healthy, fulfilling life that her positivity rubbed off on me and I asked her what I should do to help my IBS and another chronic illness I've been suffering with since I was a child (that's a whole other post!) and like the dietician I saw, she recommended cutting out all dairy and gluten. Dammit, I love my toast and I love my Dairy Queen Blizzards! But she just asked me to try it for 2 or 3 weeks. So a few days ago Lisa was kind enough to take me shopping to Planet Organic and Save-On Foods where I picked up a few staples to start with, including the items above. (The rest is in my refrigerator.) She also gave me recipe ideas, tips on juicing (which I have been doing for the past couple of months already) and ultra-healthy smoothie-making. I am slowly cutting out dairy and gluten from my diet and I'm not going to lie, it has been really hard so far. I have to consciously make healthier choices. But Lisa told me, "Don't focus on what you're cutting out, don't focus on what you can't have. Focus on all the great foods you can have and all the new, delicious foods you'll be adding to your diet and how they will make you feel." I know being Vegan and gluten-free will be hard at first but I'm willing to try. So that's where I'm at right now with my diet. I hope to be completely dairy and gluten-free by the end of this weekend, I'm just slowly weaning myself off. Right now, I'm feeling really good, with more energy than I've had in a long time. And I'm not counting calories or fat grams at all!

My very simple and favorite juice recipe: 

2 apples, 2 carrots, 1/2 cucumber, 2 celery stalks, a bunch of kale and a bunch of dandelion greens
(sometimes I will add a pear or lemon and a knob of ginger for extra taste)

In the past couple of months I have also started to amp up my workout routine, exercising 4 times a week instead of 2 or 3. I've been active all my life but I stopped doing a lot of cardio when I stopped dancing, I would just do Pilates or Yoga. I know how important cardio is for your heart, health and well-being so I've started walking when it's nice outside and also doing Tracy Anderson's DVD's. Her Metamorphosis package includes a 30 minute dance cardio section (along with a muscular structure section which is SO hard but you really see results!!) where she basically happily flails around and you have to follow her moves. I found it hard to keep up with her and the music really repetitive so I press play but do my own moves and choreography while listening to my iPod and basically dance around my living room like a boss for half an hour. Sometimes I look at the TV and follow her moves for a minute but then I get back into my own groove. When Tracy stops, I stop. It's a great workout! I do it twice a week, even though she says you should do it 6 times a week for 90 days to "transform" your body. But I get bored easily so on the other two days, I'll go to the Pilates studio and work out on the machines or go to a Yoga class, or do Ballet Beautiful or Barre 3 at home.

At the end of the day, for me it's not about just looking good, it's about feeling good, physically and mentally.  Because if you don't have a healthy mind and body, what do you have? And I finally realized this only recently! And only recently have I started to love my body. I wish it hadn't taken me this long but I'm glad I am now finally on the right track : ).

 

Thank you for listening : ). Have a wonderful weekend!

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Six Picks (What I'm Loving Right Now)

Kelly Oxford's "Everything Is Perfect When You're a Liar." It's a book of essays the hilarious Twitter Queen and hot mom of three wrote and it's laugh-out-loud funny. I read it in two days. I've been following Kelly Oxford on Twitter for a couple of years now (along with her other half-a-million followers) and when I found out she had a book coming out I pre-ordered it right away. I don't normally buy books either, I borrow them from the library but I knew this one was going to be good and that I'd read it more than once. And what's really cool is that she was born and raised in Edmonton! (She's now living and working in Hollywood.) This book is a great read, right up there with Tina Fey's "Bossy Pants" and Mindy Kaling's "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?" Funny stuff, kids.

VOLUSPA candles. I got mine at LUX Beauty Boutique. The containers for these candles are gorgeous, don't you think? And they burn forever. This scent is quite light. D. can't stand strong-smelling candles, he says they give him a headache so this one is perfect for our home.

 This perfect Walker Leather Biker Jacket from ALLSAINTS.  Must. Save. Up. 

Tracy Anderson workouts. I started doing the mat workout DVD on the left a couple of years ago and I liked it but I thought it was reeeeeally hard. I ended up yelling expletives at my T.V. and talking directly to Tracy as if she was in my living room: "Do I really need to do FORTY REPS on one side?! And how come you're not even breaking a sweat and I'm drenched?!" Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago when I thought I'd stop being such a wuss and give it another try and I did it 4 times last week and even ordered the Metamorphosis DVD pack to switch things up a bit. Still waiting for it to arrive in the mail...Hey, if I can get a body like Gwyneth Paltrow's (who is one of many Tracy's celebrity clients), I'm willing to do the work! Just not 6 days a week like Tracy recommends. Really, who has time to work out 6 days a week?! GWYNETH PALTROW DOES. 

I was given a couple of samples of REN's Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask at LUX Beauty Boutique's Birthday last weekend and all I can say is OH MY GOD. My skin felt and looked tighter and brighter after using it. It didn't irritate my skin at all, which I thought might happen. I need to go back and purchase a bottle!

Amanda Bynes' Twitter page. I was hesitant to post this because she's obviously suffering from a mental breakdown and I don't want to come across as making fun of her (but I will come across that way, I know). I really do hope she gets some help as she clearly needs it. But, I have to be honest with you, I check her crazy Twitter page twice a day! With tweets like "I want Drake to murder my v*gina," and "I can't wait to go down on this food," reading her feed is sometimes the highlight of my day, and of course very entertaining. She's a complete train wreck and I can't help that I find her utterly fascinating, kind of like when Britney Spears was going off the deep end circa 2007. I felt sorry for her, but I couldn't help watching her downfall. It's like when you drive by a car crash, you can't not look, you know? You can close your eyes but you know you're gonna peek!

Happy Almost Friday!

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Lately...

Clockwise starting from top left: 1. Nicole Campre's A/W 2013 show at Western Canada Fashion Week. 2. More of her gorgeous designs. 3. I was featured in this month's Where Magazine along with my friends Janis and Vickie. 4. I had a goal of doing Yoga 3-4 times a week (and I was meeting it!) but last week my hip came out of place and now it's off to physio I go! : (

1. I bought a Breville juicer! I love the juice I make but it's a pain in the ass to clean! But it's so worth it. 2. I received skincare from GM Collin and Yonka, I'll be doing reviews of both lines so stay tuned! 3. Funny story about this shovel: My 4 year old nephew had scribbled on his parents' garage with permanent marker so to hide it, he put a snow shovel over the graffiti. Smart kid! 4. Breakfast for dinner!

1. Breakfast Television (click here to read more about it and see the clip.) 2. Wearing my Zara necklace for Western Canada Fashion Week. 3. With my friends Janis and Jessica at Malorie Urbanovitch's A/W 2013 fashion show last week. Click here to see my coverage. 4. Malorie's beautiful designs.

My silly cat, Prints Whiskerson Sultenfuss The First. Such a weird, feisty, at times hostile and vicious yet lovable, silly and cuddly furry creature! Basically, she's schizophrenic. I'm 100% serious.

Have a great long weekend and Happy Easter!

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Celebrity & Healthy Lifestyle Consultant SASHA!

Highly sought after ‘Healthy Lifestyle Guru Christopher Sasha’ is transforming and inspiring Billionaires, CEO’s, Celebrities, and people across North America.   With a chiseled physique of Adonis coupled with an extraordinary personality, this brilliant and tremendously focused author is destined to become a household name within the next few years. 

Interview

Alex: Can you please tell us about yourself?

Sasha: I’m Christopher Sasha, the leading healthy lifestyle consultant to Chicago’s CEOs, celebrities, and billionaires. I’ve been a healthy lifestyle consultant for over 14 years. Somehow, I earned a finance degree from prestigious DePaul University ready to conquer the financial world only to land in the health and fitness arena. I was fully armed with the financial knowledge needed to make a splash in the trading markets yet my heart didn’t accept my career decision. For some reason I kept straying from the financial industry into the fitness industry.

Alex: What sparked your interest in health and fitness?

Sasha: It wasn’t so much the health and fitness career opportunities that sparked my interest. I lived a few of my adolescent years in a housing project where I would get beat up almost every day because I was small and weak. I started working out and used “strength” that I attained from the gym to help better my situation with the neighborhood bullies. My nascent interest in health and fitness was only to build a facade to protect myself. And as I transformed my physique, other gym-goers would pepper me with health questions like what they should eat or what the best abdominal exercise is to get a set of six-pack abs. I began to understand that I wasn’t just answering peoples’ questions – I was helping them overpower their individual demons. Most of us don’t have to become more fit to protect ourselves from pernicious bullies. Through the years I’ve learned that there are a plethora of reasons why people want to be more fit. I became aware that I was helping people with my knowledge, which gave me a tremendous sense of gratification, leading me to delve deeper into health concerns. And this yearning I have to help others eventually brought me on the path to publish my book, Transforming Your Lifestyle One Belief at a Time.

Alex: What are the benefits of working with a fitness trainer?

Sasha: The benefits of working with a fitness trainer are as unique as the individual fitness trainer. Each trainer should know the basics of physiology and kinesiology. But once you get past the basic education of a fitness trainer, each trainer’s style is very diverse. The advantages of a fitness trainer vary from being taught how to perform each exercise with proper form so you don’t hurt yourself to reaching personal health goals quicker to accountability, and many times a confidant.

Alex: What is the biggest misconception about health and fitness that you hear from beginners?

Sasha: I’ve heard scores of health and fitness misconceptions over the years but the one that pops up over and over again is that dietary fat consumption makes us fat. It’s true that an overabundance of dietary fat can make us fat; but so can too many carbohydrates or proteins. Fat per se does not make us fat. This is a misconception that was reinforced by the media when low-fat diets were the craze in the 1970s. Our current obesity epidemic isn’t from eating fat. America is the 7th wealthiest country in the world and the 3^rd fattest country in the world. We are the leaders in fast food, processed food, manufacturers of high fructose corn syrup, and the list goes on. And these are major culprits that can lead to obesity. Learning how to eat properly (including fat) and moving your body will drastically reduce body fat and improve your health.

Alex: What are some of the more popular training styles you implement?

Sasha: My training style is more on the body building side. This is the foundation that I build on to create each individual’s exercise program. I mostly use a method called periodization which forces the body to use both types of muscle fibers (slow- and fast-twitch fibers), all three types of contractions (isolation, concentric, and eccentric), and giving the body the appropriate amount of rest so it can do what it does best – recuperate and grow stronger. But I also use strategies to help slow down the aging process and enhance energy levels. One of my clients, for instance, found that his testosterone levels were too low, which was contributing to his lethargy and muscle loss, resulting in weight gain! I decided to increase the intensity level and shorten the rest periods between exercises. By doing this, the body will naturally boost its testosterone levels, increase human growth hormone production, burn body fat, and increase muscle mitochondria. All of these factors will increase energy levels and help slow the aging process.

Alex: You are a favorite trainer and coach to celebrities and the corporate elite, what is it that keeps them coming back and recommending you to their friends?

Sasha: It isn’t just one thing that makes me a favorite lifestyle consultant to my veritable Who’s Who list of clients. It’s a collaboration of my scholastic and personal knowledge, practicing what I preach, inspiration, eagerness to take things to a higher level, continuation of learning more about health and fitness because I know the human body is a systemic machine – everything is intertwined and no knowledge about nutrition, supplements, sleep patterns, exercise programs, hormones, or personal beliefs about our environments are trivial. I’m willing to do things that others are not willing to do. For example, one of my clients was prediabetic and worried about becoming a full-blown type II diabetic. He heard that most of diabetes can be reversed without medication and asked me to find a program that will reverse his condition. I read about 10 books on reversing diabetes, created a program, worked the program with him, and reversed his prediabetes to normal blood sugar levels. I add as much value as I can for my clients, whereas most fitness trainers consider their job to spend one hour with their client, and that’s it. I know that I’m a replaceable commodity so I do more than my competitors, which has separated me from the mass of fitness trainers that have deluged the market since the economy has tanked.

Alex: You are a big supporter of charities for kids and the homeless, what made you select these particular charities?

Sasha: Today’s kids are tomorrow’s leaders. You never know what insecure, low self-esteem child will blossom into a leader in his/her industry if the right guidance is provided. I had dangerously low self-esteem, no confidence, and no self-respect growing up. At age eight, I was bounced from foster home to foster home for a few years when my mother died. I later moved into a housing project with my brother and sisters and abusive, alcoholic father only to be kicked out of his house when I was 13 years old - and I was uneducated. It was a long, arduous journey with many encouraging people that helped me transform my life from being broke and in jail almost every week to a well educated leader in the health and fitness industry. I was blessed to have met so many incredible people who cared and wanted to help me succeed. As I’m living proof that people can change if given the right opportunities, I want to do what I can to help others that come from my same background become successful, happy people.

Alex: What can we look forward to from Sasha in the next few months?

Sasha: Diabetes is a chronic disease that kills hundreds of thousands of Americans each year, with the death toll exponentially increasing every year. And it’s not just America – it’s worldwide, including Great Britain and India. Diabetes is a disease that can be cured without medication 95% of the time. It’s a matter of educating the general population about proper nutrition (and what foods are killing us) and encouraging people to put their bodies in motion. I’m currently testing a program that I put together to help reverse prediabetes and type II diabetes. I have already proven that my program can reverse prediabetes with one of my clients. His A1C result was 6.2. An A1C is a blood test used to determine if an individual has prediabetes or type II diabetes. Generally, a person is diagnosed with type II diabetes when two consecutive A1C test results are 6.5 or above. My client received his latest A1C test reading at 5.6 a few weeks ago, which is in a normal range. Now I’m eager to prove that my 3-month program can get type II diabetics off Metformin (Glucophage), which is the first medication doctors prescribe to type II diabetics to help control their blood sugar levels. If any reader has been diagnosed with type II diabetes, and on Metformin (Glucophage), please contact me.

Alex: If people want more information about any of the topics or answers above, what is the best way to connect with you?

Sasha: Anyone interested in more information can connect with me via:

 Website -   Fit Bodies by Sasha 
Media Rep. Beatrice Davis 

 Email -  sasha@fitbodiesbysasha.com

Facebook

Twitter

  LinkedIn

Alex: Christopher Sasha, Thank you for the interview and all the great information on Health & Fitness! I wish you well.

Sasha: Alex, Thank you so much for this chance to interview with you.

Again, thank you!

  ~Sasha

NEW 2013 Updates!

Christopher Sasha 

Spokesperson for Makayla for Women!

 http://www.makaylaforwomen.com/

Ambassador for IAM4KIDS!

http://iam4kidsfoundation.org/

More about the I AM 4 Kids foundation!

Celebrity Author & Motivational Speaker Mark Papadas!

http://celebrityenglish-alex.blogspot.ca/2012_10_28_archive.html

Alex-Celebrity English

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Fitness & Health Jennifer Aniston Style

Jennifer Aniston

Interview

Interviewer:  You look fabulous!  What do you do to keep in shape?

Jennifer Aniston:  I work out 5-7 days a week, doing at least 40 minutes of cardio on the treadmill, elliptical, or spin machine. I compliment my cardio heavy routine with one day of Pilates and three days of Yoga. Every night before bed I stretch and do sit-ups. As for my diet I usually eat fish, green vegetables, and quinoa.

Creating Conversation & New Friendships

Talking about fitness & health is quite common in casual conversation.  If you are a fitness and health-oriented person, this is a great topic.  It is also a great way to strike up a conversation to meet new people. 

Like the interviewer, start with a compliment and then ask the fitness question.  Most people will respond positively and tell you about their health and fitness efforts.  If you have similar interests, ask to work out with them.  I personally find working out with people a great way to get to know someone.  You often have lots of talking time during, before, and/or after the fitness activity. Moreover, the heath benefits are great! 

 Try it out!

This is what a fitness & health conversation might sound like:

Example Speaking Style

(A) You look __________!  What do you do to keep in shape?

(B) I work out _____ days a week, doing at least _____ minutes of cardio on the __________. I compliment my cardio routine with__________. As for my diet I usually eat __________.

(A) Wow, that’s great! Do you mind if I join you for __________?

(B) Not at all. I will call you next week to set up a time.

(A) Ok, I will talk to you then.

(B)See you.

Answer Ideas 

Idea One

(A) You look sensational!  What do you do to keep in shape?

(B) I work out 4 days a week, doing at least 30minutes of cardio on the treadmill. I compliment my cardio routine with Yoga. As for my diet I usually eat lots of fruits and vegetables and avoid meat.

(A) Wow, that’s great! Do you mind if I join you for some cardio on the treadmill?

(B) Not at all. I will call you next week to set up a time.

(A) Ok, I will talk to you then.

(B) See you.

Idea Two

(A) You look amazing!  What do you do to keep in shape?

(B) I work out 6 days a week, doing at least 50minutes of cardio on the stair master and stationary bike. I compliment my cardio routine with weightlifting. As for my diet I usually eat a high protein diet.

(A) Wow, that’s great! Do you mind if I join you for some weightlifting?

(B) Not at all. I will call you next week to set up a time.

(A) Ok, I will talk to you then.

(B) See you.

Enjoy creating new conversations with new fitness friends and staying in shape! 

Stay Healthy and See you Next Week!

 

 ALEX

http://celebrityenglish-alex.blogspot.com/

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International Giveaway! Barre3's 'Total Body Lift Workout' DVD

I shared with my readers a few months ago that I've been doing Sadie Lincoln's Barre3 'Total Body Lift Workout' DVD once a week at home since September after learning Madonna was a fan.You can read more about that here. It totally kicked my ass at first but now I can do all the moves without grunting because I'm getting so much stronger. I absolutely love this workout which incorporates Ballet, Yoga and Pilates to "develop the length of a dancer and the strength of an athlete." This method is toning my entire body and exercising and carving muscles I didn't even know I had! I was so thrilled when I found out the kind souls at Barre3 wanted to sponsor a giveaway on my blog and gift one lucky reader with a copy of their 'Total Body Lift Workout' DVD and a fitball and even more excited when they told me they'd ship it anywhere in the world!

To enter you must be a subscribed follower of Marie a la Mode via google or Bloglovin' and must leave a comment with your contact info if you don't have a blog I can reach you at. That's it! One entry per person please. The winner will be announced a week from today. Good luck!

To read more about the Barre3 method and to see if there's a studio near you please click here.

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Nike Footstickers

 For Yoga

Combat Cardio

Dance
via
 

Leave it up to Nike to come up with a form of footwear that you can use for activities that don't require footwear like Yoga and Contemporary Dance. These are called footstickers and can give more grip, protection and support than just bare feet. This is fantastic if, like me, you sweat a lot in Yoga and it drips disgustingly down on your mat which then becomes a smooshy wet slip and slide for your feet but not so great if you're a dancer wanting to nail a triple pirouette on stage. When I was a dancer 99% of my turns were done on the ball of my foot (if I wasn't wearing pointe shoes) and if I slapped these footstickers on my tootsies I doubt I'd be able to master any type of turn in them. Not only that but I'd be afraid I'd twist my ankle if the grips are really as "grippy" as Nike claims they are. But hey, I'd be willing to try them! What about you?

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Health Fix: What I'm (Kinda) Loving Right Now

After reading an article in US Magazine a couple of months ago about a new exercise method Madonna was doing called Barre 3, I decided to purchase this:

Madonna is the body bomb dot com (have you seen her arms???) so I thought I'd try it and shake up my normal fitness routine. Barre 3 combines three exercises I am familiar with: Yoga (I do it once a week), Pilates (I'm a certified Mat Instructor) and Ballet (I did it for 12+ years) using a barre to develop the "length of a dancer and strength of an athlete." However this DVD was made for home use or while you're on the road so you don't need a barre, all you need is a chair, some small weights (or soup cans like I used last week, true story) and a fitball which is provided with the disc. Even though I consider myself a pretty fit person at first I couldn't get through the work-out without angrily cursing and grunting at my television and the instructor. This work-out isn't easy folks, and there are soooo many reps but after doing it once a week for a couple of months I am almost getting through it without having to use the F Word or other nasty expletives. Can I get a "yay?"

 

 My love/hate relationship is slowly turning into love because I'm noticing this "method" is making me stronger and toning my entire body. Another thing I like about this DVD is that the encouraging and super-fit Instructor, Sadie Lincoln makes me stay focused on each exercise and muscle groups I'm using which helps the time go by so much faster, instead of thinking about what I'm going to have for dinner that night (which happens to me all the time in Yoga. I'm currently working on that.) You can learn more about Barre 3 or purchase the DVD here for $19.99 USD which I think is very reasonable. What's your fitness routine? Do you have one?

Something else I'm kinda loving:

Zevia All-Natural Diet Soda. When I mentioned in this post that I was a Diet Pepsi Addict, B. from City Cinders recommended I replace my bad habit with this zero-calorie drink. Although it's not as good as "real" diet pop, these soda's totally quench my thirst and I feel great that I'm no longer damaging my stomach drinking aspartame.They come in 6 different flavors; Black Cherry's my fave ; ) The downside is that they're way more expensive than other brands at $1.67 a can but I get a small discount when I buy a flat at the organic foods store near my home. To read more about Zevia and where you can purchase it, click here.

Have a great Hump Day! We're halfway through the week ladies!

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