Ahhh, the weekend. Time to relax, unwind and do whatever our hearts desire. The time of the week with no plans, nowhere to be and the ability to stay in our pajamas for two whole days if we want to! A struggle I hear a lot  from women are weekends and vacations are the toughest to stay "on track".  I don't even like the to use the phrase on track because this is a journey we will be on for the rest of our lives and there is no perfect path that we will ever stay on- just different seasons to experience. Through a lot of trial and error I have found ways that help me focus on my wellness and self care no matter what the day or occasion, but before I dive into that tell me if this sounds familiar.
Your week is jam packed, you're busy with work, going to the studio, eating nutritious, balanced meals and nourishing your body consistently. The weekend gets here and you take a big sigh of relief- ahhhhhh time to relax. You wake up Saturday morning to watch the news(or cartoons) while you sip on your coffee. You don't have anywhere to be or any plans for the day. You veg out on the couch, munch on your favorite snacks and lose all motivation to do anything that was on your to do list.
For me, what typically followed was getting out of touch with my mindful eating, not enjoying my special treats and instead eating out of boredom. My relaxing time on the couch was no longer relaxing and had turned into vegging because I had zero motivation. Simple things like drinking enough water were put on the back burner and negative self talk slowly started creeping back in.
If this sounds familiar, don't worry, you're not alone! My goal for you, is to learn how to continue your self care through any day of the week and any occasion. You should be able to enjoy your treats, nourish your body and rest your mind in a positive, thriving way (no matter what season you're in). 

Weekend Wellness Tips
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1. Carve out some self care time for your body & mind. Go for a walk, take a workout class, do some yoga or meditate. Make sure it's something that honors your mind and body. Get intune with yourself and listen to what your body is craving.
2. Eat on a normal schedule. During the week it's typically easier to eat more consistently, aim to fuel your body every few hours with nourishing foods, even on the weekends. Be sure to treat yourself to some yummy goodies and enjoy them guilt free! Some of our favorite treats are pizza, homemade popcorn and coconut based ice cream. It's also important to remember if your're out at a party it's okay to indulge. Be mindful and enjoy!
3. Stay hydrated! With it being the weekend, I love taking some extra time to create infused water recipes. Add in yummy fruits like lemon, oranges and berries. It makes staying hydrated easier and it tastes delicious!
4. Rest and enjoy it.  The weekend is a time to refresh, regroup and take care of your body. Take some time for a little TLC and be mindful while doing it. Journal, watch your favorite show or listen to an inspiring podcast.
5. Be kind to yourself. If you're out at a party or event and over indulge don't stress about it! Pick up right where you left off. The great thing about a lifestyle opposed to a plan or diet is there are no screw up's, mess up's or start overs. My rule of thumb is If you can't do it for the rest of your life than you shouldn't be doing it.

​I hope your weekend is relaxing, nourishing and refreshing. Let me know some of your favorite weekend activities and how you practice body kindness on a regular basis!
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Summer is around the corner which means bikini body boot camps left and right. As if your winter bod wasn't good enough. Just today I've seen a handful of posts about losing weight before summer gets here, losing 20 lbs before memorial day weekend, a group that will help you shred your winter weight. I'M OVER IT. I'm sure somewhere there's some people that thrive off of following a meal plan and getting a set of abs, or maybe, they just haven't experienced freedom yet and true self love yet. Not too long ago I was on the bandwagon of "let's get ready for summer!" I would tell myself "If I start tomorrow that leaves me two months to get comfortable in a bathing suit so I can rock it all summer!" Did it ever happen? No. It didn't matter how much weight I gained or lost I never got to that ideal image in my head, for multiple reasons. 1. It doesn't exist and 2. In order for me to get close to that I would have to give up a lot of things I refuse to (like my sanity).

I think it's great if you want to work on your abs, tone up and feel confident, beautiful and energized. I don't think you need a boot camp or meal plan to get you there though. I think those are just a temporary fix and don't solve any issues. For me, I want to dig deeper than weight loss. Let's dig deeper than an exercise plan or meal replacement. Lets figure out how we can get you (and everyone else out there) to love themselves, respect their bodies and live a vibrant life. The outside stuff will happen, but it's an inside job we need to start working on.

Here's the thing, for as long as I could remember, I was always on a diet. I was always thinking this summer is going to be different. Me being thin = me being happy.It was a continuous cycle of:
Diet---->Lose Weight---->"Screw up"--->Binge--->Diet
It's never ending guys. Research shows that only 5% of people following a weight loss plan will actually keep the weight off 5 years down the road.  I would much rather feel good, be healthy and live a happy and fulfilling life forever (and that should never depend on a number or a bikini). So, how did I end the cycle and start living a life free of diets, bikini challenges and negative body image? Well, the short answer is I stopped dieting. I stopped working out to lose weight and I stopped counting calories.

Here are my top three things that helped me change my habits and create a life that I could thrive in- diet free.

I changed my thoughts from weight loss and aesthetics and moved them to wellness and wholeness. I worked really hard at trusting my body, being intune with it and providing it with what it needed. Now when i'm hungry I eat, when I'm full I stop. I don't depend on a piece of paper to tell me when I can and cannot eat. When it comes to fitness and workouts I know my body feels great when it's in motion but i also know I have a very active job. My workouts consist of whatever my body wants, that day. Sometimes it's a 20 minute kickboxing session, sometimes it's yoga, sometimes it's drinking coffee on my front porch.

 Daily self care and personal development became a priority. I take breaks during my day, say no to things that stress me out (for the most part) and make my health and well being a priority. In a perfect world I try to limit social media and really focus more on doing things that bring me joy. Some days that's a coffee date with a friend, a walk with my husband or just breathing in some essential oils.

I nourish my body, without restrictions. This is a huge thing that really changed my approach to health. I use to opt for low calories snacks that were filled with chemicals. Now I choose foods that provide nutrients that my body can thrive off of. I don't look at calories, but I do look at ingredients. I try to eat as many whole foods as possible but I also allow myself a treat (not cheat!) every now and than because I know my body can handle it.


Remember, this is a journey and one you will be on your whole life. It will never be perfect but it will always be worth it. I hope these tips will help you. I would love to hear about your journey and what tips you have in the comments below.
Thanks for reading.
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I love fresh, green juices! They're healthy, they give me a natural boost of energy and make it easy for me to put lot's of yummy greens into my body. Buying fresh juices can get pricey so I broke down and bought myself a juicer finally. I want to share with you the benefits of juicing, the difference between a juice and a smoothie and also give you my favorite morning recipe.

Fresh, Organic Fruits & Veggies!

 So what are the benefits of juicing and how does it differ from smoothies? I'll start off by saying both are great for you!
When we're juicing, the machine is taking the water( and most of the nutrients) out of the produce to leave us with a liquid powerhouse of antioxidants and nutrients. It removes the insoluble fiber which makes it easy and quick for our bodies to absorb.
Since it's quick to absorb I wouldn't recommend it as a meal replacement. Instead, I would say use it as a way to supplement and nourish your body throughout the day. It's best to consume on an empty stomach that way your body can easily absorb all the nutrients in it. My recommendation is to drink it first thing in the morning before your breakfast.

We are on week three of our four week series and today we’re chatting about nutrition and how we can implement good habits into our daily lives. There is a lot of information when it comes to nutrition and it can get overwhelming for anyone. The issue I hear the most from the women I work with is “I know what I should be doing, but I just can’t do it”. They typically go off and talk about their lack of motivation, lack of will power, etc.. The great news is, It’s not because you lack will power.  If all it took was following a plan perfectly, there would be no issues. The diet industry would be out of business, America wouldn’t have an obesity epidemic and most likely, you wouldn’t be reading this blog.

Everything we do in our studio focuses on the person as a whole and it’s no different when it comes down to nutrition. It’s just as important to take care of your inner well being (mentally, emotionally & spiritually) as it is to learn about what balanced nutrition looks like. So, before you choose to begin a different diet, go on a weight loss challenge, or set yourself up for another round of failure, I encourage you to try these tips that I use on a daily basis. For a more detailed outline and plan you can always set up a mind+body session with me where we dive deep into your specific needs. You can do that here ---> www.iamwell.org

Lets get going on my top 4 tips.

1. Shift the focus from weight loss to nourishment.
When we think weight loss it automatically sets us up for failure. We want to lose x amount of weight in x amount of days and then we think we’ll reach this place of happiness and contentment. In the process we’re forced  to cut out food groups, limit or track what we eat, workout religiously and try our best to be perfect. We may get to our weight but we might feel like crap, we might gain it back a month later or we might not even get there at all.

When we think nourishment, we’re taking care of our bodies. We are giving them the foods that help them thrive and feel their very best. Our bodies are able to use that food as fuel and give us more energy throughout the day which means we want to be active. There’s no restrictions, no crazy time frames and no black and white goals. Nourishment is something you can do for a lifetime. Your body will naturally get you to a weight it’s happy and healthy at. You won’t have crazy mood swings and crashes throughout the day. You’ll feel happy, satisfied and content.
 
2. Choose real, whole foods.
I use to be an avid calorie counter and choosing everything low cal, fat free and sugar free. Those things are typically filled with chemicals that our body does not recognize. It screws with our hormones, we store the toxins in our fat cells and they weaken our immune system.
Now, I choose real foods. I buy organic and local when possible. When I consume meat I get it from a local farm. I don’t count calories. I give my body real, whole foods and in return my body lets me know when it’s hungry. I honor that and feed it when it gives me those signals. My husband and I are young and new business owners. We make it a priority to budget for healthy, nourishing foods. Money or cost should never be a reason why you don’t eat nourishing foods. We’ve learned that since we’ve budgeted we’ve actually saved money on our grocery bill. 

3. Balance.
I cannot say this enough. This is not a 4 week meal plan. You should be eating in a way you can maintain for the rest of your life.( Exceptions to this might be if you are a cancer patient or going through any other major medical issues). For the average person who is just looking to find health, it's so important to find balance. Too often we think in extremes. We feel like we have to be perfect and if we mess up and eat a cookie we’ve screwed everything up! Shift your thoughts. If you love cookies, I sure hope you wouldn’t have to give them up forever. Find a new, healthier version you could make yourself (using real ingredients) or have it as a special treat and take your time to enjoy it. This journey you’re on is called life, it will never be smooth sailing from point A to point B. Instead, adjust things, pick yourself right up after you get knocked down and use it as a learning experience.

4. Create substantial meals.
Food is fuel. Our bodies cannot survive on low calorie plans. We need to eat meals that can give us energy and keep our bodies running. A flavored 100 calorie oatmeal pack does not count as a substantial meal. Nourish your body throughout the day and it will give you the energy and health you need. Here is a sample breakfast that my husband and I love.

Power Oats
Serves:1
Ingredients:

• ½ cup organic oats
• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1-2 tbs slivered almonds
• ½ cup organic berries
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbs nut butter (optional)

Directions:

• Cook oats in milk on stovetop
• Fold in additional ingredients
• Enjoy!

 
I hope you try one or all of these tips this week. Let me know how it’s going for you!
Hanna Kuyper- HNC

We are on week two and part two of our Four Cornerstones of Health Series. Last week we talked about attitude, health and your immune system. You can read that here _ 
This week it's all about designing a health promoting lifestyle that you can maintain forever.
We will go over creating an exercise routine that fits into your lifestyle that you can maintain.
Regular Exercise
We all know that we should be exercising but do we really know all the benefits and reasons why it's so important? Not only does exercise improve things such as our cardiovascular system and respiratory function but it also helps transports oxygen and nutrients from cell to cell. Exercise gives you more energy and releases endorphans which make you feel good. Below are some main reasons why exercise should be a regular part of your life.
Musculoskeletal System

• Increases muscle strength
• Increases flexibility 
• Produced stronger bones, ligaments and tendons
• Enhances posture
• Improves balance

Heart and Blood Vessels

• Lowers resting heart rate
• Strengthens heart functions
• Lowers blood pressure
• Increases blood supply to heart

Bodily Processes

• ​Improves the way body handles dietary fat
• Reduces heart disease risk
• Improves immune system
• Promotes lean body mass and burns fat
• Increases endurance and energy levels

Mental Process

• Natural outlet for anger and stress
• Reduces tension and anxiety
• Improves mental outlook and self esteem
• Improves ability to handle stress
• Helps relieve moderate depression
• Relaxes and improves sleep