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Ellie.com, a new affordable online clothing store—made in the USA—offers a fresh approach to helping women, and especially Moms, find fashionable active wear to inspire working out while they parent!

Below you’ll find five main reasons I believe Moms don’t purchase new workout attire when they’re in the thick of nurturing young children. Send a comment and let me know if you agree! Thankfully Ellie offers a perfect solution!

1) Lack of Budget
We’re saving for three girls to attend college and most likely all at the same time. Let’s not forget the likelihood of paying for three weddings (hopefully not all at the same time)–Ouch! Goodness knows Mom’s workout gear should not be at the top of the family budget’s priority list.

2) Lack of Time
It seriously takes my girls and I ten minutes to get in and out of the car with all of our gear. It can take about three times that to actually leave the house. Between classes, drop offs, pick ups, breastfeeding, and nap times, it’s amazing we get anything done (other than change a lot of diapers, sing a lot of nursery rhymes, read lots of books and of course feed multiple chirping mouths!)

3) Lack of Availability
I’m always carrying or wearing a child (if not two, and sometimes three!) I rarely have an opportunity to try on an article of clothing, that is assuming we actually make it to the mall.

4) Lack of Predictable Sizing
My body has changed so dramatically in the past four years from trying to get pregnant, dealing with a miscarriage, getting pregnant with a singleton, breastfeeding, getting pregnant with twins, breastfeeding twins and dealing with little sleep. It’s hard to know what size I am!

6) Lack of Energy
Who has time to workout or at least go to a workout class? Whether you’re a stay-at-home Mom or a full time working Momma, it’s rare you can keep that daily or weekly gym schedule. The incentive to wear trendy clothes goes out the window when you aren’t going to a workout class or gym where fashion may matter as much. I know all too well the kinds of days when you’re celebrating just going for a walk and actually fitting in a shower!

Despite these five obstacles, I’m hopeful my Asobi Sport™ Family Fitness YouTube Channel can excite the typical exhausted Mom to interject a few exercises into her daily routine of parenting. She can re-energize while she nurtures her children. And what’s more? Ellie.com provides some awesome solutions to combat these postpartum blues and get you fitted in flattering styles that make you feel even stronger and more beautiful than ever before!

All of Ellie’s trend-setting clothes are online at Ellie.com so there’s no need to trek to the mall. Ellie has worked with top brands such as Lululemon, Hard-Tail, Nike, etc to research what hot looks are coming off the fitness runway. They do not have retail stores, which means they have lower overhead and better prices for their customers. Their in-house production means quicker return and again more affordable pricing.

Each month, Ellie launches it’s signature unique 24-piece collection. Check out this month’s striking collection. Buy each item individually or sign up for their “Fit Fashionista Club,” which gets you any two items for a crazy good deal of only $49.95 per month. Honestly, it’s hard to find one name brand workout top for under $50, let alone two! What’s awesome is if your sizes change, you can just update your profile in Ellie’s Style Quiz per month! There is even an option to hold your order for a month if you’d like to aim to fit back into your pre-pregnancy size sooner rather than later. So you won’t have to miss a beat as you shed the baby weight!

If you’d prefer not to have to spend precious quiet time selecting two tops, two bottoms or one of each, you can let Ellie surprise you with a personalized outfit based on your preferences and workout routine. The “Fit Fashionista Club” membership gets you free shipping on all your orders and an exclusive sneak peak at their upcoming collection. Sign up before the end of March by clicking here and get a 20% discount! And “like” their facebook page for even more special offers!

Once your outfit arrives at your doorstep you can try on the clothing when the kiddos are asleep. If for any reason the clothes don’t fit or aren’t what you expected, feel free to return your order hassle free. By hassle free, I mean they will walk you through the steps of returns and/or style or fit exchanges. Ellie is a brand new company and they are continuing to improve their costumer service so they can keep up with their amazing growth!

Thank you Ellie.com for sponsoring this blog and helping promote Asobi Sport™ Family Fitness!

Wearing Both Twins @ the Market in Moby Wrap's New Soft Front Pack Baby Carrier called the Moby Go!

Today’s blog post will explain how to perform one of my favorite Asobi Sport™ Exercises (that I did at ALL hours of the day and night, especially with the twins) called “5 Little Monkeys.” You’ll see my videos posted below showing the many carrying positions we’ve tried. I’ll have to post another video of us currently enjoying our new way of carrying (see left) with Moby Wrap’s NEW front pack soft carrier called Moby Go! The twins just turned 20 months and we’re diggin’ the packs. It’s Super comfortable and I’m happy it’s so easy to slide baby in and out! Talk about convenient! Above is a photo of me wearing my identical twin girls, Josephine & Elizabeth at the Monta Vista Market today.

Exercise #32 in Module 5 of Babywearing Exercises by Asobi Sport™ Family Fitness
A Pilates inspired Program for Parents:
“5 Little Monkeys”

Description: Wear your Baby on your chest. Stand in Neutral Position with feet in “Ballet 2nd Position.” This is a wide foot stance with your feet wider than hip width distance. Turn your feet out 45˚ or so; knees will bend over toes and hips will be open. Focus on squeezing your external hip rotators (aka: glutes & hamstrings) to keep your pelvis in Neutral Spine (and avoiding sticking your booty out too far!) Shoulders are directly over your hips. Shoulder stabilizers are engaged to align the spine and relieve neck tension. Singing “5 Little Monkeys” song, switch positions on each verse. And most important, ENJOY YOUR SWEET PEA!!!

Grande Pliè 2nd Position Pulses: On the first verse, bend knees into a deep squat and pulse up and down.

Right Lunge Pulses: On the second verse, turn to your right and aim right knee forward in a lunge and left knee to the floor. Adjust feet to parallel position. Pulse up and down.

Center Grande Pliè 2nd Position Pulses: On the third verse, turn back to center position into “Ballet 2nd Position” and pulse up and down.

Left Lunge Pulses: On the fourth verse, turn to your left and aim left knee forward in a lunge and right knee to the floor. Adjust feet to parallel position. Pulse up and down.

Center Grande Pliè 2nd Position Pulses: On the fifth and last verse, turn back to center position into “Ballet 2nd Position” and pulse up and down.

Goals: Strengthen your legs and build core strength. Build your endurance and balance. Focus on maintaining Neutral Spine while you adjust your leg position and carry Baby’s weight in upper body. It is important to avoid leaning forward on the pulses. If you do lean forward, you will use your back instead of your glutes. Chances are good your back is already over recruited and glutes need to be worked more!

Modifications: If you do notice you’re leaning forward, reduce your range of knee flexion. (Don’t go so low.) Stand up higher and don’t squat or lunge so low. If you feel upper back or neck pain, focus on depressing your shoulders, relaxing your neck, pulling your shoulder blades backward “into your back pockets” only go half way down.

Notes: This is an excellent exercise to help you soothe your child(ren) AND allow you to get in an awesome leg workout. If you haven’t heard me say “Jia-Yo! Mama, Jia-Yo!” before, you’ll hear me say it now. Jia-Yo! embodies the idea that we can learn to exercise while we parent and rejuvenate our own well-being so we have more love, patience, kindness to share with our families. Parenthood is not an easy road but getting creative makes it that much more enjoyable! Learn more about where this philosophy comes from! Incorporate “5 Little Monkeys” into your bedtime routine, your diaper routine, your bath routine, your playtime routine, etc.

If you like back carrying, this is a fine exercise for you. Just remember to lean forward slightly to counter the child’s weight. Still focus on Neutral Spine, which is the natural curvature of our spine. Do be careful to ensure Baby’s safety, especially if you cannot see your child. Stand in front of a mirror and always check in with your child to see, feel, and hear him or her breathing. Keep an eye on baby at all times and pay special attention to Baby’s neck and head safety. For more safety tips while exercising with your children, please check out our safety guidelines!

Happy 2013 Everyone! To Fresh Beginnings & a Healthy & Happy New Year!

Happy 2013 Everyone! On January 15th, I attended Blossom Birth’s staff meeting for their Yoga & Fitness Instructors. What an amazing group of supportive, strong, and empowering women! I am honored to be a part of Blossom’s community and thrilled to offer my Asobi Sport exercises there again! My Asobi Sport PostPartum Fitness Class is offered every Wednesday night at 7pm. Babies are Welcome!

At the staff meeting, we were asked to go around the circle and introduce our self, our class, and a new focus for 2013. It could be a new year’s resolution or a goal on which we are focusing our energy. What came to mind was my new PostPartum Fitness Class for Blossom and how I am determined to make 2013 a positive, productive year.

Blossom Yoga/Pilates/Fitness Staff

Last year, about this time, I started teaching my “Jia-Yo!” situational Fitness class at Blossom Birth. Just when we started to get the class off the ground, my world turned upside down. My three year old nephew, Oliver passed away from the flu. I cleared my schedule, which meant stopping my Blossom classes. I desperately wanted to console my brother and sister-in-law, but even with a schedule clear of work obligations, I couldn’t leave the children. The twins were 7 months old. My older daughter was barely three. I was tandem nursing every two to three hours and I felt stuck. Bringing the kids to LA would not help Zay and Laura heal.

Thankfully five days after Oliver’s passing, my loving husband saved the day and took all three of our kids for 24 hours while I traveled (attached the Medela breast pump, of course) to hug, hold and cry with my brother and sister-in-law. I flew back to SF to then take a road trip with the kids for the weekend of the funeral. Thanks to my husband’s cousins, the kids were tended to while he and I attended the funeral. The day of the mass and burial proved to be one of the hardest and yet most beautiful days of my life. We were filled with such grief. LOVE, however, surrounded us! The church was flooded with friends and family (and even strangers) who came dressed in Oliver’s favorite color—red— to celebrate his sweet life.

Laura asked my Dad to pick the readings for the Mass. With great care, my Dad spent most of the night reading the Bible and reflecting on the word of the Lord. Burr read Genesis 22:1-14 which recounts Abraham’s test of faith and his willingness to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. And I was asked to read 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, which reminds us to have faith, hope, and LOVE. Love NEVER fails!

We are Blessed to be called, 'Mother.'

Red Balloons Decorating the Tree shading Oliver's Grave

While sitting in Blossom’s Yoga Studio surrounded by other childbirth and postpartum health educators, I felt compelled to share that we are all blessed to be mothers. We are all blessed to work with other mothers and aim to empower them with strength and endurance. Motherhood isn’t easy. It isn’t always what we think it will be. And goodness knows it tests our faith in ways we never thought imaginable. I am grateful for the Blossom Birth community and the love and support the staff and members provide families. May we always remember, no matter our journey, that we are blessed to be called, “Mother.”

Huffington Post News Coverage; Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting. December 14, 2012

How can something like this happen? What kind of world do we live in? There are no words to comfort the parents of these victims. There are no words to help console the parents of the survivors. The questions from children leave parents unsure of their answers: “Are we safe, Mama? Is the bad guy gone? What if another bad guy comes?” Parents and educators alike have to ask ourselves, how do we protect our children? How do we keep our families safe? And how do we teach forgiveness and acceptance when some acts just don’t seem forgivable?

All we can conclude is sickness can lead to heinous crimes. Sick people do terrible things — terrible things to themselves and all to often, terrible things to other people. Is there a way to prevent such mental instability from taking more lives?

Joseph Pilates was convinced that physical exercise could “invigorate the mind and elevate the spirit.” He wrote in his book called, Your Health, A corrective system of exercising that revolutionizes the entire field of physical education, that if his method called “Contrology” were universally practiced, “one could confidently predict that mental anguish and physical suffering would progressively decrease from generation to generation, and life would be a real pleasure, instead of the curse it now is to so many of our fellow men.” (Pilates, p20). Pilates believed so strongly that if everyone adopted his technique of achieving whole body health, prisons and hospitals would be wiped out completely! Sickness, crime, and hate would evaporate because people would feel too darn good to want to hurt anyone else.

I know exercise isn’t the answer to everything. But at the end of the day, it may be a good place to start. Exercise promotes health and healing. It helps center us and shed light on a dark path. It grounds us when we’re feeling stressed. It provides a way to cope with frustration, anger, and fear. It can prevent us from making rash decisions. Exercise helps us heal from tragedy.

Joseph Pilates suggests achieving Whole Body Health through:
• exercise,
• diet,
• sleep,
• hygiene,
• sunshine,
• fresh air, and
• a balance of work, recreation, and relaxation.

Talking about Pilates in light of such a sad day in American History seems almost silly. And yet, hanging onto what we know as familiar, normal, and even “mundane” can give us a small sense of comfort when it feels like our world is crumbling. Everyone grieves in their own way. There is no right or wrong way to shed tears and ask “Why did this have to happen?” Pilates offers a solution to learn how to move on when tragedy strikes. His fitness method provides answers to parents who want to believe in a safer world for our children.

if you’re wondering how to speak to your children when they ask you questions about the tragedy that occurred on December 14, 2012 to a community in an unassuming town in Connecticut, the American Psychology Association provides a few practical answers. I found the last suggestion of “taking care of yourself” especially helpful. The link reads, “Take care of yourself. Take care of yourself so you can take care of your children. Be a model for your children on how to manage traumatic events. Keep regular schedules for activities such as family meals and exercise to help restore a sense of security and normalcy.” Take care everyone. Our hearts are breaking for all those who are suffering.

Joseph Pilates

In fact, Pilates boomed so quickly, the Sporting Goods Manufacturer’s Association claimed in the last decade Pilates was the fastest growing activity in the US. In 2000 1.6 Million people practiced Pilates and by 2010 that number rose to 8.6—an increase of over 450%! So what draws people to Pilates? It could be the way people feel after a workout. It could be the way they begin to understand their bodies. Or, it could be the fact that they are empowered with the knowledge to correct muscle imbalances. They learn how to heal their bodies naturally. I think the biggest draw to Pilates is the fact that the Pilates method can help people feel better. It can prevent future injuries and empower men & women to become more body aware.

When Joseph Pilates designed his exercises and way of life, he called the method “Contrology,” the study of control. He wanted his students to realize that they could gain the mastery of their mind over the complete control of their body.

He followed 8 Principals:
• Whole Body Movement
• Breathing
• Balanced Muscle Development
• Concentration
• Control
• Centering
• Precision
• Rhythm

Anyone and everyone could benefit from “Uncle Joe’s” Pilates exercises. It didn’t matter if you were a champion boxer or prima ballerina, you could improve your posture, coordination, strength and mobility with his exercises. You didn’t have to be a world-class athlete or fitness guru to feel the benefits. You could even be a Mom with children crawling all over you and still find the joy and restorative qualities of Joseph Pilates method.

Check out the video above which shows how Parents can relieve lower back pain by performing some basic Pilates Mat exercises. Thankfully, Joseph Pilates’ Method is for everyone in the company of anyone!

Joseph Pilates demonstrates how his first apparatus was inspired by hospital patients.

Let’s join Joseph Pilates in his practice of healthy living and start feeling GOOD! Not only will we personally benefit, our children will too!!

Pilates is for everyone, no matter your fitness level! In fact, you could be on bedrest and still do Pilates exercises. This is one reason Pilates is used in physical therapy and rehab facilities. It is so effective in targeting under recruited muscles necessary for improving posture.

I'm practicing Pilates on the Chair while wearing Emma in the Moby Wrap.

The concept for Asobi Sport™ Family Fitness Exercises came about when I decided to practice Attachment Parenting with my first born. I left my full time job of performing as a professional acrobat for Cirque du Soleil and continued teaching Pilates part time to clients at The Pilates Studio Las Vegas. The studio owner and my Teacher Certification teacher, Gracie Martinez allowed me to teach her students while I wore Emma in the Moby Wrap.

Thanks to a baby carrier, I could breastfeed my daughter, hold her, tickle her, caress and kiss her and let her nap—all while I taught Pilates.

It wasn’t long before I figured out I could demonstrate many of the equipment Pilates exercises while wearing Emma. It sparked the idea that other Moms could (and should be allowed!) to do this too. (Click here to watch me teaching a babywearing Momma how to practice Pilates on the Chair.) They didn’t have to leave their child(ren) to do exercises and re-build core strength as they healed during their postpartum recovery! What’s more, my exploration on the equipment while babywearing introduced Emma to the Pilates equipment when she was only days old! Once she became mobile, she used the Pilates equipment in our home studio as a playground.

Check out the video of Emma putting her hands in the straps and wanting to try the “chest expansion” series at just 15 month old. Children are absorbing everything! She must have seen and felt me demonstrate this exercise while I taught clients hundreds of times before she tried it herself!

She’s now doing formal Pilates at age three! At her request!

Watch this delightful video of her performing “up stretch” and “long stretch” as she explains why she loves Pilates so much. Children have such grace and strength if given the opportunity to explore physically!

Fitness is a Feeling! Photo by JoAnn McKee

There are numerous diets out there and YOU, of course, get to decide which one (if any) suits your lifestyle. While it’s nice to have a meal plan designed for you, I will tell you certain restrictive “diets” can put you into a yoyo effect and wreck havick on your self esteem, motivation, and brain chemistry. So it’s worth it to make educated decisions that allow for manageable longterm success, especially when you’re pushing yourself hard to take care of the kids. The tools provided by these authors and websites, help you get creative with confidence! You can enjoy making healthy meals for your entire family.

Of course, being healthy requires more than following a few nutrition tips. It requires physical exercise, fresh air, social activity, and self expression! As a parent, each day allows for more growth in maintaining our energy, modeling healthy food habits to our kids, and learning even more about natural, healthy eating for the rest of our lives. I’ve decided, health is not about looking a certain way. Of course, beauty will certainly follow! I firmly believe fitness is a feeling! Beauty will shine from within when we’re feeling our best!

Joseph Pilates felt the same way.

Joseph Pilates first called his exercise method, “Contrology” (the science of Control.) He wrote two books illustrating the inherent connection between our minds and our bodies. In 1934, he published Your Health and in 1943 he published Return to Life. In his later work, he discussed three guiding Principals: Whole Body Health, Whole Body Commitment, and Breathing.

In Whole Body Health, Pilates writes: “Physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.” (P 15)

Joseph Pilates taught that if we can take care of ourselves, we can find zest & pleasure in our daily activities. Our body will function with ease. Our spirit can laugh and replenish because our physical body will operate at its optimal level.

If we are fit, we feel good. We have more energy, we choose healthy decisions that nurture our whole family. We are more social, more vibrant, more athletic. We set higher goals. We feel more fulfilled. We reach out to the community. This is longterm health.

We all get sick now and again. (Goodness knows with my three year old in preschool, we are seeing a lot of germs!) It’s easy to ignore our body’s needs at certain times when things are too stressful to see the whole picture. But, thankfully, we don’t have to stay sick. It’s time to get healthy and love ourselves. It’s time to celebrate our responsibility to family and to ourselves. Let’s FIND OUR FITNESS today and discover the true feeling of wellness!

If by chance, you DO want to hear from a nutritionist, then you’re in luck! Today’s blog post is thanks to a well-known nutritionist and New York Times best-selling author, Ann Louise Gittleman. I first read Gittleman’s book The Fat Flush Plan when I was competing in Ms. Fitness USA competitions. It helped me realize that it was not only Okay to eat fat, it was encouraged! Essential Fatty Acids are vital to the function of our liver and overall health. She writes, “Probably nothing you do to control your weight is as important as keeping your liver healthy. This means avoiding as many of the damaging elements (like alcohol) as possible while embracing liver boosters. Among the lesser known compromisers of liver function are caffeine, sugar, trans fats, medications, and inadequate fiber.”

I’d like to expand on last month’s blog that mentioned 7 Healthy Tips for a Healthy Family, specifically Tip #5: DETOX. We can improve our liver function by detoxing daily with Ann Louise Gittleman’s “Long Life” Cocktail. Start your day with her “Long Life” Cocktail, which combines Psyllium Husks with unsweetened diluted cranberry juice. Immediately following consumption of her cocktail, Gittleman suggests drinking a large glass of hot water with freshly squeezed lemon . It’s a great daily reminder to detox and cleanse your liver. It also helps rid your body of yeast, which can overgrow from sugar overload and/or an increase in Cortisol (stress hormone) levels. The “cocktail” pulls water weight from your inflamed body and cleanses your colon, helping move your bowels and reduce bloating, constipation, and stagnant toxins. Gittleman even claims you can even see a reduction of cellulite. A pretty nice added benefit, huh? Plus, the lemon water can reduce your blood sugar levels by as much as 30%. Gittleman’s double-punch with the “Long Life” Cocktail and the hot lemon water let’s you restart your metabolism and reboot your health from the inside out. Of course, before embarking on any new diet, please consult your doctor or health care provider.

Above is a video my oldest daughter, Emma (3 yrs old) helped me make. It shows you how you can concoct your own “Long Life” Cocktail. May it be something that helps you take care of your liver for the rest of your long, healthy life! Enjoy!

“Long Life Cocktail”
Ingredients:
Psyllium Husks: 1 Tbsp
Unsweetened Cranberry Juice (1 oz)
Tall glass of Water (7 oz)
Stir & Drink Immediately
*NOTE: Wait to consume medication and/or vitamins at least 45 min after drinking the cocktail. The psyllium husks may interfere with your body’s ability to absorb medication and vitamins. Read more to see Gittleman’s FAQ page.

Followed by Lemon Water:
Ingredients:
Glass of Hot Water (8 oz)
Fresh Lemon (1 slice)
Drink both the “Long Life” Cocktail & the Lemon Water first thing in the morning before breakfast. You may want to repeat before bed. You can also drink the diluted unsweetened “cran-water” (without the psyllium husks) & hot water with lemon as many times as you’d like throughout the day.

Our Family

This summer, I am on a pursuit to getting & staying healthy. It isn’t easy with the frequent wake-ups, potty-calls, and daily challenges my active 3.5 year-old and mobile 1 year-old twins provide! And did I tell you my preschooler can negotiate better than a car salesman? Yeah, I’m trying to take notes so I can improve my game! So here are my top 7 healthy tips for parents (and of course daily reminders to myself) to take good care. Hopefully, with proper nutrition, we can be quicker than our kids–both physically and mentally. Let’s keep them safe & healthy for a good, long time!

1) HYDRATE: Drink lots of water throughout the day

Carry your water bottle around with you and keep refueling it. If you are breastfeeding, drink water before, (during if you have a hand free!) and after breastfeeding your children. Do this even at night. Your body needs that water for milk-supply and maintaining a strong immune system. When you feel thirsty, it’s already a sign of dehydration.

2) FUEL: Eat Essential Fatty Acids (Fat), Amino Acids (Protein), and Fiber (Carbs)

We are habitual creatures so it’s easy to get into a routine and forget to create variety. Keep reading food labels (especially the ones you always buy.) Explore new foods, recipes, and cooking styles to incorporate more variety in your healthy food choices. Remember what you model to your children is way more important than what you tell them. They may not listen, but they watch our every move.

3) DIGEST: Give yourself time to digest your dinner before bedtime

Avoid eating a large meal right before going to sleep. Give yourself at least one hour to digest food. If you’re hungry, drink a tall glass of warm water with lemon in it. We often mistake thirst for hunger. Cortisol levels (stress hormone) can increase if we go to bed on a full stomach or are digesting alcohol. And if you ask most Moms, the bedtime routine with our kids can already induce Cortisol. There’s no need to make it worse!

4) BREAKFAST: “Break the fast” of sleeping with a nutritious breakfast.

Eat a breakfast rich in fiber, EFA (essential fatty acids, especially Omega-3s), and Amino Acids (building blocks of protein) within the first half-an-hour of waking up. Get creative and see how you can include vegetables into a delicious breakfast–Check out June’s blog to enjoy a raw juice with your kids. Try shaved carrots & cinnamon in your oatmeal or explore a variety of vegetables and fresh herbs in your omelet. Don’t be afraid to have a hearty breakfast and eat frequently throughout the day!

5) DETOX: Daily “Long Life Cocktail”

Drink your cran-water and psyllium husks “Long Life Cocktail” daily to reduce inflammation and yeast/bacterial build-up. Encourage daily cleansing, and take care of your liver. More info:
Ann Louise Gittleman’s The Fat Flush Plan Stay tuned for my next blog post which will provide a “how-to” video with my oldest daughter, Emma (3 yrs old) of what this “Long-Life” Cocktail entails!

6) SLEEP: Sleep when you can and rebalance your hormones.

Sleep will help with lowering Cortisol levels and reducing tummy bulge as well as the lovely constipation/bloating that can accompany dehydration/fatigue/stress. It can also greatly affect our mood and overall patience level. Check out my sleep debt blog if you haven’t already, to learn how crucial sleep is to our health and relationships! We may not get enough ourselves, but we can encourage good sleep habits among our family and teach its medicinal value to our children.

7) STRETCH: Get moving! Stretch your limbs, move your spine, increase your circulation, and BREATHE!

When you’re exhausted and frustrated with the ongoing responsibilities of a parent, take a moment to recenter with stretching & exercise. Incorporate stretches stretches & exercises into your bedtime routine. Lie down on a foam roller and roll out your spine. Find your neutral spine and focus on some much needed breathwork. Do some forward folds and some cat & cow stretches (pelvic tilts.) Or simply lie down on your bed and remind yourself just how truly blessed we are to be parents.

As stressful as motherhood can be, this is our new life with so many rewards. Let’s remind ourselves daily that with focus, we can incorporate body awareness, healthy eating, sleeping, and exercise habits into our daily routine of parenting. We just have to be willing to love ourselves as much as we love our kids!

Bloopers video of me attempting to workout with all three kiddos. I guess some exercise is better than none!

By the way, the video below ended up making the cut. This take was filmed after we all took a break and had a snack! Isn’t it interesting that it was FOOD that helped all of us—even the twins–rebalance our brain chemistry and help us keep going?) Last month’s blog helped me remember that proper nutrition can prevent Mom from going “BONK” (and possibly even “Bonkers!”)

Food is powerful! We know eating right will eventually make us feel good. The challenge of course is making healthier food choices when we’re feeling sick, tired, frustrated, angry, etc. I’ve found for myself (as well as for many of my Pilates clients) the biggest hurdle to a strong core is not a lack of strength. It’s the abundance of fatigue.

Fatigue can sabotage our eating habits. Stress, fatigue, and overall exhaustion can stress our adrenals and damage our brain chemistry’s delicate balance (ie: hormones and cravings.) “Mommy Brain” is more than being forgetful. It’s being tired, emotional and prone to sugar addiction. A lack of serotonin, and an over production of cortisol can lead to mood swings, late night splurges, and emotional eating. Long story short, “Mommy Brain” is more than being a bit scatterbrained. It’s an invitation to potentially dangerous chemical imbalances.

I certainly suffer from more “Mommy Brain” than I’d like to admit! So the million-dollar question I’ve been asking myself is how do we get healthy when our energy stores are totally depleted?? The simple answer: Restore energy with more nutritious food.

While I’m not a nutritionist, my experience in competitive gymnastics, fitness competitions, and performing with Cirque du Soleil has introduced nutritional tips that are helping me “keep going” as a Mom. When Sleep is not an option, Nutrition & Exercise can be our powerful “energy pill.”

Below you’ll see some links I suggest to learn more about foods, their nutritional value and their effect on your brain chemistry, liver function, and overall energy. Read your food labels and learn what you’re eating (and serving to your children.) I love what both Ann Louise Gittleman and Julia Ross have to say on eating healthy fat, supplementing with amino acids, and balancing our brain chemistry. There are also tips on Ann Louise’s site for kids’ health too. May we discover more energy this summer so we can keep up with our growing kids!

Whole Foods Nutrition Website
Ann Louise Gittleman’s Website & Ann Louise’s Books
Julia Ross’s Website on The (NEW) Diet Cure

Stay tuned for my August Blog: 7 Healthy Tips for a Healthy Family.