Surrounded by Chihuahuas {Guest Post}

This is the second guest post from Tabata Bootcamp Master Trainer, Andrea Cordes of Formation Power Fitness (her Facebook page is linked). Her website is forthcoming. Last June, she wrote a guest post on moving more, drinking more for a ten day challenge I hosted several months in a row. (Drinking more water and moving your body more - exercising!) See Move More, Drink More for guidance and challenges you can set for yourself starting tomorrow for ten days. You can do it! 

"You have probably walked into a class at the gym and one of the first things the instructor tells you is to: "Leave your problems at the door, this hour is for you!" If you've been to any of my cycling classes, you've probably heard me say something similar. Leaving life behind for a while has its advantages. There's power in taking charge of when you want your problems to hold you. The escape of getting lost in physical movement and the sweat is also therapeutic. But what about the days that those problems refuse to remain in check?

And can it ever be advantageous to face the problems full on, perhaps even embrace them? I believe the answer is decidedly "yes" and I'll tell you why.

First Annual Prime Time Wellness Summit - Highlights

Wow! What an awesome first event. I recently (9/26/15) held an all-day wellness summit on healthy aging teaching the principles of the Prime Time Health (PTH) series. PTH is a scientifically proven plan developed by Dr. Bill Sears and his wife, Martha Sears, RN, and is taught by certified health coaches that graduated from the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute. I have been a certified health coach since 2012. You can learn more about me here. If you want to know how to age healthfully, you'll want to contact a certified health coach with the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute STAT. Thankfully, certified health coaches for Dr. Bill Sears can also teach this series online providing the convenience of online education and for a fraction of the cost. Contact me if you'd like to pursue this option.

Without further ado, here are the highlights from my first annual Prime Time Wellness Summit. The summit was held at the Living Desert Wellness Center located on Ridgecrest Blvd., in Ste. B. 

The classroom before the attendees arrived. 

Preparing attendees for the first workshop of four for the all-day wellness summit. 

I have taught the Prime Time Health series at local venues around my area. I usually teach them one at a time (or two at a time on separate days) and I always serve a healthy snack. I am fond of this series as it provides sustainable tools for one's wellness journey and what a better way to make it into an all day wellness summit! 

What Seeds Are You Planting?

How does your garden grow? Don't have one... yet? Maybe this is the time to give it a go. Come learn about my experiences over the last year and a half on the MomsRising blog about school and community gardens. 

The MomsRising team has an excellent #BacktoSchool initiative for the first half of September focusing on healthy snacks, lunches, and sharing practical life skills for parents, teachers, and children. 

I recommend you follow their pages for further wellness awareness! BTW, [almost] every Friday at 10a EST, they host a #FoodFri talk on Twitter. You can check out their page, Good Food Force, on Facebook as well to connect with other concerned parents and care givers.

An excerpt from my guest post on the MomsRising.org blog: 

If you’re like me, you want your family to eat well and enjoy it and maybe, just maybe, learn about where real food comes from. So whatever happened last growing season, maybe my story will encourage you to give it a try again. And, don’t give up; your family’s health may just depend on your perseverance! 

Before you go, here's a quick tip for your garden: If you happen to live in or visit the Mojave desert in the spring and you see this wildflower while out and about, pick some, and place them in a vase with water. You'll be able to enjoy them for a few days. Some say they smell like cherries and others may say they smell like grapes. I smell cherries. My son smells grapes! They have a very nice scent. 

Peppers and Tomatoes over Chicken with Rice

Need a quick and delicious dinner idea this week? 

Like many of you, I'm a busy parent. Some days require an easy approach to dinner that doesn't compromise on flavor or nutritional value - wouldn't you agree? This recipe is gluten free and if you omit the feta, it can be dairy free too.