Hoping you all had a wonderful holiday weekend and are ready to get back to work and school, feeling refreshed and ready to get busy. I always believe working (be it at work or school) is what makes us enjoy our down time. Kind of like doing yoga to enjoy corpse pose. First we work, than we step back and just enjoy our accomplishments. Lao Tzu summed it up quite simply when he said “Do your work, then step back. The only path to serenity.”
To answer a few recent questions:
Biggest Loser premiers Tuesday September 21st. Certainly I am looking forward to season 10 and will be reminding us as it gets closer!
As for the flu shot, NO, I will not be getting one. Never have and don’t know that I ever will. I am SURE they are paramount for certain people. All reports say this particular flu shot is without any side effects and should be taken by ANYONE over 6 months old. Reports also show that there is an early abundance of this shot. I have to wonder if that is why they are encouraging just about everyone to get one. The 2010-2011 flu vaccine will protect against three different flu viruses: an H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the H1N1 virus that caused so much illness last season. You have to do what you feel is best for you. I have never yet had a flu and suppose after having one I might change my mind about future immunizations. For now, no, no shot for me. I’ll keep practicing healthy eating and exercise hoping to keep my immune system up to the challenge of fighting these viruses on my own.
Regarding what to use in place of eggs when I cook and bake. Good question. When baking I use either applesauce or mashed banana. A few spoons of applesauce or 1/2 banana per egg. Adds a little sweetness which is nice when baking. As for when I am cooking, I generally just omit the egg whenever possible. There are egg replacer products on the market, I just don’t seem to love working with them. Sometimes you can use some mashed tofu as a binder. I highly recommend having just one great vegan cook book on hand. My go-to guide is How It All Vegan and it’s companion, The Garden of Vegan.
Yoga or Pilates? I say BOTH! I generally teach a combination of both because it’s hard to choose one over the other. I once took a fantastic workshop with Jonathan Urla, the man that coined “yogalates.” He found that practicing yoga made his Pilates better and vice-versa, so he opted to combine them. When teaching group classes, I often do the same. I rarely think one form of fitness is better than another. I think mixing them up is the way to get the best results. That is why I have ended up a jack-of-all fitness trades, but a master of none!
Finally, regarding my own schedule, I do make some changes each semester as several of my clients are educators and their schedules change from semester to semester. I currently have a few hours available to sub classes or do personal training. These would be weekdays–my nights and weekends are full. Contact me if you are interested and we can discuss exact times and fees.
Yesterday morning I was walking around with a heavy heart for several reasons. When I sat down to my much needed meditation I felt that there was a constant rumble going on. I kept focusing on a vast ocean (after spending a lot of time at the beach this weekend). All of a sudden, in a split second, I felt the rumble come to an abrupt halt and a calm came over me. That’s what meditation is all about. I came away from that 12 minute session leaving the heavy heart on the mat. It felt great!
Congratulations to Jerry Lewis and all the hard workers, volunteers, etc., involved with this past weekend’s telethon. Despite the critics and nay-sayers, their effort raised $58,919,838!!!
Be thankful for your health. Don’t ever take it for granted and please do whatever you can to preserve it! It is your greatest gift.
It´s all about fitness mates! I like this website and I´m definitely considering writing these facts in my own blog!
Love the question and answer days…thanks!
To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.
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learning the habits of healthy eating can improve your health by boosting your energy, sharpening your memory and stabilizing your mood. Expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a satisfying, healthy diet.