The Power of Accountability

accountability for health

When I ask a client, “What would be most helpful to jump start you into the healthy, active lifestyle you desire,” the answer is often, “accountability.”

Does this resonate with you?

As a coach, it’s exciting to see people through the process of gaining the tools they need to successfully transform their lives. One such tool is the ability to hold yourself accountable to the commitments you make.

The problem is that most of us have had the habit of putting everyone else first (especially us women). Is this you? We fill our schedules with commitments to other people, which we will do anything to keep, including breaking our own commitments to ourselves! Doesn’t this seem silly when you really think about it?

Time to change this pattern of letting ourselves down! In the six weeks of my program, I work with my clients to chip away at these old habits that aren’t serving them. I’m there to hold clients accountable to their commitments, because that’s often what it takes to learn how to do it for themselves.

It’s a process that takes practice, but wow, how thrilling is it when the practice pays off and you find yourself healthier, happier, and more confident then you’ve ever been before?! What an elated feeling it is when, because you’re in such a great place, you’re actually able to be there for others in a much more meaningful way!

Just listen to this 60 second clip from a client during a group coaching call as she talks about the power of accountability…

>If you’re ready to jump start your new lifestyle with the help of added accountability, book a meeting with me here.

Plant-Empowered Lifestyle Transformations in Progress!

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Excited to Let You All Know My New 6-Week Plant-Empowered Coaching Program is Transforming Lives!

Hi Everyone!

I couldn’t be more thrilled to let you all know that my new 6-week Plant-Empowered Coaching Program is doing what it was designed to do… change lives!

In case you’re unfamiliar, I created this special program because the time had come for me to take all of my experience and knowledge and put it in a structured program to help people make total lifestyle transformations.  The program provides you with the information, and more importantly the tools you need to make positive, permanent changes in the way you think, eat, and move.

With the right information, presented step-by-step, you’re able to build a solid base of knowledge and then take that knowledge and apply it to YOUR LIFE in a way that works for YOU with the help of my coaching and support.

It’s my passion to coach people who are truly ready to commit to bettering their lives, so if you’re ready to take your body and life to a whole new level, I’m offering a free phone consultation! Learn more about the program and book your session with me HERE.

What Do YOU Need to Take YOUR Health, Nutrition, and Fitness to the Next Level?

I want to share with you some of the ways my clients in the 6-Week Plant-Empowered Coaching Program are transforming their lives without counting a single calorie!

So let’s take a look at some of the ways the Program is helping people develop healthy, positive habits that turn into the lifestyle they desire:

1. ACCOUNTABILITY 

How would it change your life if you were to be truly help accountable for the commitments you make to improve your food and fitness choices every day? For most of us, having someone who cares to hold us accountable to what we say we’re going to do is a game changer.  Check out the text I received just the other day…

>If you’re ready to finally get on the path to a healthy lifestyle you love, apply here and let’s chat.    

2. NO MORE FEELING OVERWHELMED!

These days it’s easy to feel so overwhelmed with all the conflicting information coming at us from all angles about what, when, and how we should eat and exercise. The 6-Week Plant Powered Coaching Program provides a structured, proven process to gain the knowledge you need to make the right food and fitness choices for YOU. The Program coaches you through the process of applying the information to your life, in a way that is in line with YOUR goals! Check it out…

Apply Here For a Free 45-minute strategy session  

3. TAKING ON NEW CHALLENGES

It can be intimidating to try new ways of eating and exercising, especially when you lack the knowledge and experience. The 6-Week Plant Powered Coaching Program provides you with opportunities to take on new challenges that will help you get the strong, healthy body you are striving for…

>If you’re ready to feel confident about your food and fitness choices, apply here and let’s chat. 

4. UNDERSTANDING THOUGHTS & FEELINGS THAT TRIGGER BAD HABITS

Every action we take is a result of our feelings, which are caused by our thoughts. Getting to the root of what’s causing us to continue unhealthy actions is key when it comes to transforming our lifestyles. The 6-Week Plant-Empowered Coaching Program provides you with the guidance you need to create a new mind set that is in line with your goals…

With courage, commitment and the right tactics, I know you can create a lifestyle you feel proud of, and it’s my life’s work to help you do just that! So if you are tired of spinning your wheels, feeling confused and defeated about how you’re eating and training, let’s talk. It’s time for action!

>Apply Here For a Free, One-On-One 45-minute Strategy Session  

Looking forward to speaking with you!

-Ella

Bikini Competition: Behind the Scenes

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Roller coaster of emotions is an understatement. I would say though, it was one of the best weeks of my life…. “

Pre and Post PEAK WEEK

Roll back to the beginning of March 2016. This was just 3 weeks ago and I was on PEAK WEEK. This is a term used in the fitness competition world. This is the final week before you take the stage. My workout and diet was changing by the day. Nevertheless I was tired from all the changes, but my excitement from it all kept my adrenaline up and I was on the move. I continued to workout up until the day before the show. However I felt like a princess because Thursday and Friday I did all my pampering. Waxing, nails, massage, checked into the hotel and had my spray tan. I felt on top of the world, although 100% nervous and still kinda questioning what the heck I was doing, I felt confident and amazed at what I had done over the past 12 weeks. It was show time! Roller coaster of emotions is an understatement. I would say though, it was one of the best weeks of my life…. I took home 2 trophies that day, First place Novice and Second place Overall..

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So what happens post competition…

Honestly the mental fuck doesn’t stop, if anything it might even increase, if you can believe that. The thought process that you have to maintain or want to constantly look like you did during peak week and while on stage is something that is frankly not realistic or achievable. If it is, not for long and is completly unsafe and unhealthy. Therefore, not for me. I already knew that going into this process but that HIGH that you have during peak week is well high and the day of competition is the only thing I can compare it to is when you do something for the first time and you love it. Something that you excel at. All the jitters the nervous feeling, the feeling of accomplishment and feeling proud of all your work. I’ve only ever experieneced this probably in comparrison to running my first marathon, maybe dating back to high school when I realized I had fallen in love for the first time,won a debate, completed my masters degree, got a raise / promotion at work. These are other things I could say are relatable experiences when you just feel ultimately at your BEST performance. But like I said, those of just moments in time, they don’t last forever and like all of that the after math happens.

When I woke up the day after it hadn’t sunk in what had happened yet. Trufully,

Photo Credit: Per Bernal

The Blessings Yoga Brought Me

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Yoga classes often begin with setting a personal intention. This practice, especially during my cancer treatments, was so important, helping me to focus on the present moment and my desire for health and healing.

Hi! I’m Ella’s mom. Knowing the blessings yoga has brought me over the last several years, Ella asked me to write about my experience with my practice, so here I go! I am 68 years old, and my fitness routine consists of daily cardio on an elliptical machine and either a yoga or Pilates class. In my 30’s and 40’s I did lots of high impact aerobics, kickboxing, and weight training. I loved it! In my early 60’s I experienced some health issues – colon cancer and severe arthritis in my hip. High impact aerobics was no longer a viable option for me. I slowly began to incorporate yoga and Pilates into my fitness routine and found that there were so many benefits.

Yoga classes often begin with setting a personal intention. This practice, especially during my cancer treatments, was so important, helping me to focus on the present moment and my desire for health and healing. At the end of each class, there is at least a moment of having a quiet mind and peaceful heart, and the knowledge that I can take that with me off my mat and into the day.

Yoga works your body, your mind, and your spirit. The benefits for my body, my mind, and my spirit have been awesome, and I am so grateful. I like using my own body weight to improve my strength and flexibility. I like the ongoing challenge of accepting where I am at any given moment, not judging, and just being in the present moment. 

It is all hard work but work I am always glad I have done. There are times when I may be tempted to skip a class, but I I have a schedule for the week, and go to class without thinking about whether or not I want to go – I go because it is what I do (just like brushing my teeth). I know it is good for me. I have never been sorry that I went to a class.

I am currently 5 years cancer free. As I began to recover from my cancer, the arthritis in my hip began to be debilitating. After lots of physical therapy and cortisone injections, I finally had a hip replacement a year ago. For three months after the surgery, I followed my doctors instructions and basically, did nothing, giving all of the soft tissues involved, time to heal. After that, I resumed my regular yoga and Pilates classes. I really feel that these classes are better than any of the physical therapy I have done.

I know that this work is good for all of me. It just feels right and I plan to continue making this practice a part of my life.

-Susan 

This kale salad is the perfect way to start the weekend off right and will give you the kick start you need to stay focused on your fitness goals… and it’s delicious too!

Weekend Glow Kale Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 large head of kale (about 4-6 cups)
  • 1 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1/2-3/4 cup chopped carrot (2 small carrots)
  • 1 English cucumber (2 cups chopped halves)
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 1 & 1/4 cup chopped grape tomatoes (or other variety)
  • 1/2 cup mixed raisins and Goji berries
  • 1/4 cup hemp seed
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Dressing:

  • 1 batch of Lighten Up Tahini Dressing
  • Your desired fresh or dried herbs

Directions:

1. Chop vegetables and mix in a large mixing bowl. Reserve hemp seed and walnuts for sprinkling on top.

2. Make your Lightened Up tahini-Lemon Dressing in a food processor and process until smooth.

3. Tear the leaves off of the kale and rip into bite-sized pieces. Wash and dry kale leaves.

4. Mix the vegetables, kale leaves, and full batch of dressing (3/4-1 cup) in large bowl until thoroughly combined.

5. Place in fridge to ‘marinate’ for 10-15 minutes. Serves 4. Keeps in fridge in a sealed container for 1 day.

FOR THE LEMON-TAHINI DRESSING:
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast, to taste
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Prepare the Lemon-Tahini Dressing: Mince the garlic in a mini food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth.

3 tips for preparing raw kale:

1. Remove the stems when you plan on eating it raw (and some people remove the stems for cooking too-it’s personal preference). The stems are the bitter part of the plant. I used to always use the stems and wonder why my kale salads tasted ridiculously bitter. Now I just use the leaves and it always turns out wonderful to the palate.

2. Massage the dressing into the leaves and let it ‘marinate’ for at least 10-15 minutes. A kale salad tastes best when the dressing has had a chance to soak into the leaves. This also helps soften the leaves which is especially important if you are using the curly variety. You don’t want it scratching your throat!

3. If you really don’t like curly kale, try Dinosaur (Lacinato) kale as it is less

Enjoy!!!

-Danielle

For more amazingly glowing recipes check out https://ohsheglows.com/

photo credit ohsheglows.com

Bikini Competition Prep – What to Expect

bikini-competition-prep

For those of you that have been thinking about doing a bikini competition, any fitness competition, or taking your health and fitness up a couple of levels… KUDDOS!!!

Here is a little bit about my history and how I got into this, where I’m at now and my journey. I’m currently 10 DAYS out from my FIRST VEGAN BIKINI COMP!!

So here we go, a few years ago my friend and I were talking about how cool it would be to do one of “those shows”. All the glitz and glam and how we could test our strengths to get to that level. After years of us just bouncing this idea around we both went FOR IT last year.  LESSON ONE and proof that everyone is their very own competition; her and I have VERY DIFFERENT stories. I actually started official training earlier then her  and she has already done 2 shows and getting ready for her 3rd. Here’s why! Last spring I hired a trainer and long story short after months working with him,I fired him because I was NOT seeing the results, even more my health was in jeopardy. The program he had me on was UNHEALTHY and was hurting my body internally. Very little food ( the wrong foods too) and WAY TO MUCH CARDIO ( 2 plus hours a day). He also was mentally and emotionally abusing me!!! Because I wasn’t seeing the results from this terrible plan he would tell me that it wasn’t the plan or him that everything was my fault. Very manipulative and not a good person. Once I broke away from that scenario instead of GIVING UP I knew it was just the beginning and I still wanted to achieve my goal of being a vegan bikini competitor. I searched and reached out to vegan female coaches and found my current coach. She has HELPED me tremendously. She worked with me for a few months to get my HEALTH back in check and then about 12 weeks ago I went on prep for my FIRST SHOW!!

First and foremost when you say you are going to do this or do anything for that matter, you need to be 100% and GO ALL IN!!! You have to give it your everything, all day, everyday. Be committed. The beautiful thing is that you will LEARN a lot about yourself while on prep….

I’m going to share with you guys the REAL DEAL (at least from my experience) as much as I can without making this to lengthy and p.s. not even my friends and family know all this. I want you all to know the truth, it’s not all about the glitter and shiny bling you see on stage. It takes weeks, months, years of WORK to get up there. It’s about the journey and DIGGING DEEP…knowing WHY you are doing this and yes constantly reminding yourself of it.

you are awesome

The first 6 weeks  I had a scheduled workout plan for each day and a weekly meal plan to follow. I was eating a flexible balanced diet made up of carbs, fats and plant protein. I didn’t feel like I was deprived at all. That is a BIG difference guys too from vegan/natural prep vs non vegan “cookie cutter” preps. STARVATION is not the way to do this. Also, my coach did not want me to fall back into Ketosis ( where I was after working with my previous coach). Ketosis is when the body is LOW on food, specifically carbs causing itself to burn body fat for fuel. Symptoms include migraines, fatigue, cravings, foggy thoughts, dry mouth, etc

The first half I was struggling with confidence. I was back and fourth thinking to myself if I had made the right decision, if I was going to be ready in time, what people were thinking when I told them what I was doing. Did they think I was crazy, that I was fat, that I was to muscular, to short,  that vegans can’t compete, what were they thinking and why did it matter?  Every Monday I checked in with my coach. I took progress pictures and weighed myself. Sometimes the scale didn’t move and I had to shift focus onto measurements changing and other non scale victories to measure my progress. As a recovered binge eating disorder girl and scale addict that was hard. It took A LOT of personal development. No matter where you are in your journey when you start and no matter how confident you are in yourself and what your doing, first thing you need to add into your routine is PERSONAL DEpersonal developmentVELOPMENT.

Not that the first 6 weeks weren’t tough with all that, but the second half is where it really kicks in. As much as my meals and plan was well balanced after week 6 I had no more cheat meal (this was typically pancakes from my FAV Miami spot, Choices Cafe)

WHAT TO EXPECT:

  1. Emotions run WILD – On top of all I’ve mentioned already about the first 6 weeks.. the emotions INTENSIFY! Can you say MOOD SWINGS?? One moment I had all the confidence in the world and happy one moment and then the next self doubt kicks in. It’s a mind battlebuff bukinu EVERYDAY. Asking myself frequently, is this worth it?  Even with all the personal development I do and leadership roles I’m in, I am human and emotions are hard to control. This part takes training too, just along with the physical strength. PREP is MENTAL. Most mornings I wake up feeling like I can conquer the world and then by the afternoon I start to question myself, I look at myself in the mirror constantly thinking how am I ever going to fit into this ity bitty bikini. I feel tired, hungry, grumpy and digging for energy to do my next workout. Ok it’s not all that bad, just depends on the day.  Like last week I felt like this every day and was in constant battle, but this week I think I’ve just now more EXCITED to see all my work coming through.  My  WHOLE DAY is planned out… when I eat, what I eat, when I workout, what I workout, sleep, posing practice etc. I’m telling you every day is challenge. At any given moment I have gone from being super happy to almost or in tears. I have cried twice in the middle of workouts, literally tears running down my face while doing lunges, squats and cardio. I know exactly why I’m doing it and its normal to have all these emotions. It’s a true testimony of strength and character. Dispute the tears I always pushed through and finish every workout. It’s not that I can’t do the workouts physically or that I dread them, its more of building the control over how I feel about the way I look and trusting the process. Having control over your minds thoughts all the time is exhausting and BIGGIE is not caring what others say about you. Sometimes I’m ON and IN THE ZONE and other times not so much. Emotions ALL OVER!! Nervous for the BIG DAY, yet excited. Other times scared, defeated, tired, drained. Oh and anxious.
  2. .  Sacrifices – Giving up time with friends, family, significant others. Giving up other hobbies,activities, and traveling. This means going out to eat, events, or whatever. I mean sure you can go but it’s 100X harder. You can’t eat anything, you  just order water and bring food, going out in general and bringing your food everywhere you go with you. Dependabsing what you are doing and answering why your doing it and how your doing it to everyone that asks you while they see you carrying a gallon of water around and your meal pack bag. How about time? Maybe you can’t even go to events anymore because they are to late at night or conflict with your workouts. I’m in bed at 9pm and awake at 4am so I can do fasted cardio for 30min and get my first meal in at 5am. I need to do this so I can make sure I get ALL my meals in for the day. If I don’t wake that pushes the whole day back meaning I will be up late trying to get all my meals finished before bed. I’d have to say I’ve done a really good job with all of this and have awesome self control when I’m out with others. Temptations while I’m  around people are no problem, it’s temptations in the house that were a weakness in the beginning. However, a big part of going out and socializing is the food aspect and so it does suck while everyone is indulging and enjoying yummy vegan food and I’m not. I love running and yoga and happy that my coach has allowed me to keep that once a week in my training schedule, but I’m not practicing as much as I use to or running races. That sucks to, but I know its temporary. I also love to travel and be able to go wherever whenever. Being on prep kinda has held me back from being able to enjoy doing that too. Had wanted to go to Europe this Spring, but postponed it because I wanted to do this first.
  3. Time: Planning everything! I have always been a pretty organized and scheduled person, might be one of the reasons I was attracted to this lifestyle and sort of training. If you armuffin snakce going out for the day or some time but not sure when you will be back you HAVE to bring everything with you JUST IN CASE! So many times I thought I could make it home in time to make foo

d because I didn’t want to bring it with me and didn’t make it. Then I would get upset and kick myself for not learning my lesson. It’s all about time, if you are suppose to eat, DO IT! Which often times means I’m eating salad in between red lights and snacking on rice cakes and protein muffins between appointments. Planning is essential to survival with all this. TIP: do the best you can and don’t beat yourself up if you get a few mins off schedule or behind. Yes that happens I found myself numerous times choking up and fighting back tears because of this. #hotmess

4. Relationships: A lot of people are not going to get it. So not only will you have to constantly explaining yourself, if you choose to posing but you will learn who is on your side and who isn’t. Relationships will be tested. Especially with the mood swings, those that truly care and love you will be there for you. Don’t hide the way you are feeling but I know that I have been alert of what to say and how much to say. For the most part my family support my lifestyle because they support all my decisions, but yeah they have no idea no matter how many times I tell them why I do this. They don’t understand why I can’t go out with them sometimes or if I do why I don’t eat with them. They ask me consistently why I can’t eat certain foods and they think I’m on a “diet”.  I’ve had to separate myself apart from many friends who don’t understand and surround myself with new friends who do. SUPPORT is major.

5. Hygiene: Yup I’m going there. To start I was working out once a day with one rest day a week. As the weeks went on I was working out twice a day and now sometimes 3. That means 3 showers, tons of laundry and trying to upkeep with hair and makeup is a struggle.

I’m sure I’m forgetting some things, but don’t want this to be so lengthy anyway. One more lesson learned as I said first, this is a competition with yourself. It’s about making PROGRESS not perfection (literally will go cray cray analyzing every part of your body or someone else’s if you do). No matter what happens over the next week, I know that I did my BEST.

progress not perfection

Thank you guys for reading this. If you want to know more about my journey or have questions please reach out. One of the reasons I am doing all this is to share my journey the good, the bad and the ugly. NO BULL with you all. I will be posting my results after the show!

Love and Light

Coach Rachel

 

Breathe from your abdomen for optimal health and relaxation.

Learning-to-Breathe

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Breathing is something we shouldn’t have to think about, we are born knowing how to do it. Unfortunately, as we grow older and enter into our professional lives, we encounter more and more stress and sacrifice our health for our livelihood.”

Look at the way a newborn baby breathes. Watch as the baby lays there, on his/her back, as the belly rises with each inhalation, and falls with each exhalation.

Now watch the way a typical adult breathes. Seriously, next time you’re at the office watch a co-worker on a call with a client, or in a staff meeting. Watch the chest rise and fall with each short breath.

What’s the difference? A baby doesn’t have a care in the world. All it needs is nourishment and love from it’s mother. The typical adult has many cares, many forms of stress, and usually a less than optimal way to deal with life’s stress.

If you know me, or have read my book, Abundant Health: Fitness for the Mind, Body, and Spirit, you know that what I propose for optimal health involves a program that develops the mind, body, and spirit. The best way to accomplish this is through a holistic program. I recommend eating a healthy diet (preferably a high-raw vegan diet) and coupling qigong and other energy cultivation exercises like Taijiquan or yoga, with vigorous exercises such as strength or cardiovascular training, and meditation.

This might be a tall order for many people and too drastic of a lifestyle change initially. To simplify things I created the “Mind, Body, Spirit Power Hour”, a way to fit optimal mind, body, and spirit development into a simple to follow, sixty-minute program.

I realize that even committing an hour a day can be too much initially for some people, so that leaves the question; what can you do that will begin to have an immediate impact on your health, that requires little to no time or effort? Simple. Breathe. Breathe deeply, calmly, and relaxed. Breathe from the belly, just like a baby.

Short, shallow breathing from the chest is not healthy. Long, deep, relaxed breathing from the belly is very healthy.

According to WebMD, “Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower stress in the body. This is because when you breathe deeply it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. The brain then sends this message to your body. Those things that happen when you are stressed, such as increased heart rate, fast breathing, and high blood pressure, all decrease as you breathe deeply to relax.” (Click here to read more from WebMD.)

Breathing is something we shouldn’t have to think about, we are born knowing how to do it. Unfortunately, as we grow older and enter into our professional lives, we encounter more and more stress and sacrifice our health for our livelihood. In doing so, we forget what our body instinctively knows.

How to breathe correctly

  • Calm down
  • Breathe in deeply through your nostrils
  • As you breathe in, draw the breathe deep into your lower abdomen about 1-2″ below your navel (referred to as the lower dan tien)
  • To assist in breathing into the abdomen, visualize a balloon filling with air in your lower belly as you inhale
  • Gently exhale through your mouth, allowing the “balloon” in your belly to deflate
  • Do not force the exhale, let it happen naturally
  • At no point hold your breath, let it flow in and out, continuously without effort

Breathing is that simple, but you will be surprised at first how difficult it is to adopt this practice. Be consistent, work on making this process second nature, your stress-levels, and more importantly your health, will thank you for it!

Stay Strong AND Healthy!

Scott

A Great Plant-Based Bodybuilding Resource

vegetarian-bodybuilding

When it comes to vegan athletes, up until now, the spotlight has primarily been on endurance athletes like Rich Roll and Brendan Brazier.  But now there is a quickly growing community of people getting into vegan bodybuilding, and more and more resources are popping up to help those who want to give it a try.

Let me start with a little story… As you may or may not know, I was named Trainer of the Month in November 2013 on the world’s most popular bodybuilding and fitness website BodyBuilding.com. Over a year went by and I realized I had not taken advantage of that opportunity to connect with readers through the comments on the post or on the forum. So I hopped on the forum, introduced myself, and basically said I’d love to connect with anyone interested in eating more plants and would be happy to answer any questions. The response was overwhelming, but unfortunately not in a positive way. I discovered people have a much easier time bashing me from the other side of a computer screen than in person! There were few people who commented who had any interest in learning more about plant-based eating. It takes a level of open-mindedness for there to be a chance of change, so I decided my energy would be better spent elsewhere.

That’s when I started checking out other websites and forums that were specifically for people interested in moving toward a vegan diet plan or wanted to take their vegan diet and performance to the next level. It was exciting to see that there were some awesome sites to explore.chris-willitts-vegetarian-bodybuilder

One site I want to tell you about is VegetarianBodybuilding.com. This one is particularly special to me because the creator, Chris Willitts, contacted me not long ago to ask if I’d be interested in participating in his interview series. I took a look and saw the quality and depth of the interviews he had done with inspiring people. Robert Cheeke, founder of VeganBodyBuilding.com was a recent interviewee for example. I was honored to be included and agree to the interview. It was a written interview, so I wrote my answers to Chris’s questions and sent them back to him. His reply was brilliant,

“Although this is well written, sometimes this feels surface deep and “safe” – it has been my experience that when we get vulnerable, specific about personal details, and cite emotions is when we have the best opportunity to pull people in to our story and engage them. This is especially important for us because we want to connect with our tribe and all of the would-be plant-based warriors.”

I took his constructive criticism and ran with it. I re-wrote my answers without holding back. I was thrilled with Chris’s response.

“This is one hell of an interview and you should be proud, way better! This feels real, and I personally connected much better – I have, we
all have, a part of our lives that is sensitive/dark, etc., and it’s always refreshing to see and hear people share their journey of
overcoming.” 

You can check out the interview HERE. While you’re on the site check out the rest of what Chris is doing to bring vegan bodybuilding and fitness into the mainstream. All very cool! His blog is also fantastic. He has thoughtful, useful, well-written posts, with info that can benefit everyone.

I asked Chris to tell us his story and what his work is all about in a nutshell and here’s what he said,chris-willitts-vegetarian-bodybuilder-golds-gym

“I’m passionate about reshaping bodybuilding into a healthier lifestyle. My name is Chris Willitts, and I’m the founder and owner of VegetarianBodybuilding.com. A few months after our launch back in 2013, I realized that there was a great need for a vegetarian bodybuilding system that made plant-based nutrition easy. This was the premise for creating the V3 Bodybuilding System.  VegetarianBodybuilding.com also discusses “non-bodybuilding” methodologies that focus more on strength, flexibility, functionality, and mind-body fitness.

This site is for anyone (not just vegetarians) who has the desire to eat more plants and less meat. Bodybuilding has been passion of mine for over 20 years. Although, I’ve never had a desire to be a professional bodybuilder, I’ve always wanted to be as strong as hell, and I have a deep respect for the discipline. Also, my commitment to fitness played a huge role in my recovery from a debilitating drinking problem years ago. Meditation has been a passion of mine for almost 10 years. Seven years ago, I founded Mindful Muscle, a website that advocates meditation and mindful living, fragranced with the scientific method (Eckhart Tolle meets Sam Harris meets William Tiller).”

I want to thank Chris for the opportunity to not just do an interview, but also for challenging me to push past my comfort zone. I will never go back to “safe mode” again… I’m excited to share my life on a much deeper level with the world. This goes to show what kind of person Chris is and validates his ability to encourage others to overcome challenges and take their lives to the next level. Keep it up Chris!

 

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Join Us On The Holistic Holiday At Sea Cruise 2016!

Holistic Holiday at Sea 2016

When I found out about the Holistic Holiday at Sea cruise I was ecstatic… A cruise that is BOTH healthy AND fun?!

I couldn’t believe I have lived in Miami 13 years and have never taken advantage of this cruise. The 2016 Holistic Holiday at Sea will be my first year on board this ship and I’m rounding up friends and family to come with me. (The dates are February 27th-March 5th so it’s time to get on the ball and make it happen!)

I’m especially excited because some of my favorite nutrition experts (like Dr. Michael Greger), plant-based chefs, and fitness pros will be on board presenting and teaching. I’ve found that most health or wellness-focused cruises offer yoga but not strength and conditioning type classes. Not true for this cruise! There is a class for everybody and every mood, so in addition to yoga and pilates there are also boot camp and body building type of classes from some of the top names in the fitness world. And the other part about this cruise that makes it different than other health cruises is that it not only gives you the opportunity to detox and relax, but also is upbeat with a wide variety of things to do from cooking classes to snorkeling to cocktail parties… how appealing does that sound?! Then there are the awesome plant-based meals, catering not just to people eating vegan, but also those who eat gluten-free or oil-free. I just find this incredible, and I want to experience it with you all! Holistic-Holiday-at-Sea-Photos

Here is a description of the experience:  

Holistic Holiday at Sea presents the ultimate gift for your mind, body and spirit. Share the experience and wisdom of some of the world’s leading authorities and experts in holistic living and natural health. Cruise the Eastern Caribbean on one of the world’s premier Italian luxury liners, the MSC Divina, which combines the style and sophistication of Europe with American comforts and convenience. Visit exciting ports of call as we sail from Miami, Florida to natural paradise Charlotte Amalie/St. Thomas, USVI; historic and vibrant San Juan, Puerto Rico; and sun-soaked Nassau, Bahamas. All this and more while you dine on specially prepared vegan natural foods and beverages prepared by our own chefs. Lectures and workshops included.”

When they say, “health experts,” it’s the real deal… the line-up includes Dr. Michael Greger of NutritionFacts.org (one of my all time favorite speakers), Dr. T. Colin Campbell, co-author of The China Study” and featured in Forks Over Knives, Dr. Neal Barnard, founder of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Dr. Michael Klaper, long-time radio host and acclaimed health educator, Chef AJ, inspiring speaker and author of Unprocessed: How to Achieve Vibrant Health and Your Ideal Weight… and this is just to name a few. You MUST see the line-up. It’s crazy! And 95% of ALL the classes, workshops, presentations, and lectures are included in the price of the cruise, including the big names guests. Plus, these presenters are not all quarantined off in their own VIP areas, they eat and hang with everyone on board. 

I’m honored that the bookstore will also be carrying my new book, The Six Weeks To Sexy Abs Meal Plan! I will be doing a book signing as well 🙂

As I mentioned above, there are also daily yoga, pilates, fitness, running, meditation, and body building classes. Food options for everyone, including vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free. There will be vegan pizza and ice cream parties and other social events and parties. We’ll have opportunities to swim, snorkel and kayak in the beautiful Carribbean waters.  On top of all that, this is all on an award-winning environmentally friendly ship!

I’m all booked and am psyched to get a good group together so we are ensured the BEST time ever!!! So please check it out and scoop up your tickets before it’s too late. Right now, you can also get a $50 on-board credit just by mentioning Sexy Fit Vegan 🙂

Learn more about the 2016 Holistic Holiday at Sea Cruise HERE.

Let me know if you have any questions and/or you are coming aboard – would love to meet you all in person!!

Holistic Holiday at Sea Sexy Fit Vegan

Top 8 Healthy Holiday Recipes

vegan-healthy-holiday-recipe-apple-gingerbread-cake

Do you, like most of us, use the holidays as an excuse to gorge on unhealthy foods?

Are you, like most of us, also making the resolution to get in better shape and see your sexy abs in the New Year?

I’m writing this especially for you!

Let me start by saying that I am a realist and agree that we shouldn’t give ourselves a hard time for splurging sometimes. The holidays are a time of overwhelming temptations. I get it! However, if your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight and get in better shape, then over-doing it too much is really setting yourself up for failure. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but I am saying that, quite simply, the less weight you gain before January 1st, the less weight you have to lose.

Being moderate over the holidays is easy to say, more challenging to do. That’s why I wanted to come up with a list of healthy holiday recipes that will make everyone happy, especially yourself in the new year! Filling yourself up with yummy yet healthy dishes will make less room on your plate for those dishes that will contribute to packing on the pounds. So many traditional holiday dishes (vegetarian and some vegan ones included) are stuffed with bad fats/oils, highly processed grains, and refined sugars. The good news is they don’t have to be in order for dishes to be satisfying and delicious! Take a look at my list of top healthy holiday recipes to either follow or get ideas to create your own special recipe. Adding new traditions to the holiday table is a great thing, and you will convince your family and friends to agree when they give your dish a try!

  1. Crustless Mushroom and Chive Quiche from Kirsten Mitchell @veganfueledfitnesscrustless mushroom and chive quiche
  2. Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Avocado Garlic Aioli from Oh She Glows!smashed potatoes with avocado garlic avioli
  3. Glazed Lentil Walnut Apple Loaf from Oh She Glows!Glazed lentil walnut apple loaf
  4. Ridiculously Delish Roasted Brussels Sprouts  (from my new book, The Six Weeks to Sexy Abs Meal Plan!)Brussels-Sprouts-Thanksgiving
  5. Vegan Cornbread from The Pretty Beevegan cornbread
  6. Vegan Green Bean Casserole from Oh She Glows!vegan green bean casserole
  7. 1 Bowl Apple Gingerbread Cake from The Minimalist Baker-Apple-Gingerbread-Cake-with-Vegan-Cream-Cheese-Frosting-1-bowl-easy-and-SO-tasty-vegan-gingerbread-cake-christmas
  8. Silk Chocolate Pie from Making Thyme for Health Silk-Chocolate-Pie-vegan-and-gluten-free
    Feel free to share your favorite vegan, healthy holiday recipes as well! Happy Holidays!!!