7 things no one told you about food

QUALITY of food is always going to be MORE IMPORTANT than QUANTITY of food.- Crystal Nelson

A blog recently written by my friend Crystal Nelson, along with many recent conversations with family and friends about “why the heck I don’t eat dairy or grains anymore” inspired this week’s inspire me Monday. There are so many things I could talk about but to start, I want to lay down the law of the basic things people don’t realize about food.

The 7 Truths no one told you about food:
1) Food is Fuel
2) Food is a Drug
3) Calorie Counting is BS
4) Food has amazing healing power
5) Food has amazing destructive power
6) Food is a Drug
7) Food is Fuel

Just in case you were wondering, it’s not a mistake that “food is fuel” and “food is a drug” made it in the list two times. So much of my job is getting my clients to CHANGE THE WAY THEY VIEW FOOD. If you know me, you know I am all about optimal health and functioning which this why love the Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain and the Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson as an optimal way of eating (notice how I say way of eating, not diet).

Food has Amazing Healing Power: I love Robb Wolf’s blog for great paleo success stories and pick me ups when I need a reminder of why I eat this way. Something Crystal noted in her blog that I want to spread around even more is a topic that has recently come up on Robb Wolf’s blog about the reversal of diabetes in a little girl. This story, as Crystal said, gives me chills. The basic story is a little girl was diagnosed Sept 10 of this year with type 1 diabetes and her family (including her) went completely paleo. Immediately after this the little girl’s blood sugar levels began to drop rapidly. As of Oct 19, this little girl’s doctor has concluded that she needs NO INSULIN and the family is currently awaiting antibody tests to determine whether or not the attack on her pancreas has slowed or stopped all together: “This REVERSAL of a life-threatening autoimmune disease is being mediated by a focus on food quality (paleo).” Interesting….

Food Has Amazing Destructive Power: Is it possible that grains, gluten, and dairy contributed to the development of this autoimmune disease. I would say yes. While there is some merit to autoimmune disorders being genetic, just because you have a gene doesn’t mean you will see it until it is EXPRESSED by your body. Food definitely has the power to express or not express genes, emotions, illness you name it. Do your own research. Books I love are Dangerous Grains, Good Calories, Bad Calories, The Omnivores Dilemma and The Unhealthy Truth.

If you still aren’t convinced read this letter to Robb Wolf about surviving a life threatening blood infection. Paleo will save your life. And I’m willing to bet it’ll help you fend off that H1N1 too.

If you want to find out more, need more elaboration on the 7 truths no one told you about food, please email me. I would love to help anyone, near or far, figure out how to achieve optimal health and how all this CAN FIT INTO YOUR LIFE.

Coconut Crusted Chicken Fingers and Squash Pear Sesame Sala

This weekend I tried a recipe from my Paleolicious cookbook and created one of my own! These chicken fingers are so flavorful and crispy on the outside. I used the larger coconut shavings instead of shredded coconut which added more crisp to the chicken. We dipped the chicken in leftover sesame dressing, jalapeno cilantro chimichirri and homemade bbq sauce.

The recipe in the cookbook is actually paired with a sesame greens salad, but I had no greens at home. What I had was squash, so I thought, I can make a salad with squash. Later I eyed the pears I had gotten and thought that it might make a great combo. It's sweet and refreshing.

For the Chicken:
2 Chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 in thick and cut into strips
3 egg whites, whisked in a small bowl
1/2 cup almond flour, in a small bowl
shredded coconut to cover the chicken
2 tblsp grapeseed oil

Heat grapeseed oil in a large skillet. Dredge the chicken in these three steps: Almond Flour, egg whites, coconut; until the chicken is covered. Place the chicken in the skillet, cooking until golden brown on both sides; about 3-5 min each side. Make sure chicken is cooked all the way through.

Salad:
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and dices
1 large ripe pear, diced into cubes
juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
salt to taste

In a pan heat 1 tbsp olive oil and saute the squash until soft. Meanwhile mix lemon juice, oil, ginger, and salt in a bowl. Prepare a bowl with ice water, and when the squash are soft, pour into the ice water to stop the cooking process and cool the squash temperature. Drain the water and place pears in the bowl. Pour in the dressing and mix making sure everything gets covered in sauce.

Paleo Chocolate Chip Scones and Zucchini Chocolate Chip muffins

Thursday I had the urge to bake things. I love baking! It gives me some cool sense of accomplishment. I've been wanting to try making the Chocolate Chip Scones from the Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook and Zucchini Chocolate chip muffins.



Both turned out great! The zucchini muffins were made with coconut flour and it was my first baking experience with that. The zucchini keeps the muffins moist and flavorful! They have a wonderful cinnamon flavor as well. The scones were great too. Just the right amount of sweet.

I always end up halving the recipes because I don't need the extras laying around my house. There are only two of us!

Paleo meter: To be used Sparingly....

Carne Asada with Cilantro, Jalapeno chimichurri

So I was at Whole foods yesterday planning to buy ingredients to make my own nutella, and I came across Carne asada with Cilantro Jalapeno salsa and it looked DELICIOSO! So I thought, I can make that myself. I am not sure what's in the whole foods version but mine turned out rich and satisfying. I cheated a bit though and bought the whole foods marinated carne asada.... I didn't have the energy to explore making my own marinade and I know I love the whole foods version ( stick with what you like eh?). So that will be my next endeavor since there is probably something not exactly paleo in their marinade.

Chimichurri:
1 bunch cilantro
1 avocado
2 medium jalapenos
juice from 1 lime
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
water
salt to taste

Place jalapenos on a baking sheet or glass baking dish and broil in the oven ( be sure to move the rack to the very top). Roast the jalapenos until the skin is black on both sides, you will need to flip them over at some point to get both sides about3-5 min a side. Let the jalapenos cool a bit then under cold water peel off the black skin. Cut off the tops and scrape out the seeds if you don't want your chimichurri to be super hot. If you like super hot, leave them in.

In a food processor, put in all the ingredients expect the water. Blend until a paste forms and add water until the chimichurri reaches a sauce like consistency. You could have it as thick or thin as you want.

And that's it! Serve with your Carne Asada. This sauce tastes great on just about anything. I had it on my eggs this morning. There is just something about a bright green sauce that feels so refreshing to eat. Buen Provecho!

Boundaries Vs. Limits

“Boundaries are to protect life, not to limit pleasures.” -Edwin Louis Cole

Do you know where you keep your boundaries? Do you let things or people cross your personal boundaries too often? This week I challenge you to think about where your strongest boundaries are and where you need to toughen them up a bit.

We all can think of a situation where we let someone into our space, cross our boundaries and it made us feel sticky, not your-self, or just not right. Take a moment to think about those people or situations. Can you find a recurring theme? Is it always the same type of person or situation?

When we have strong personal boundaries, we become empowered. A very common weakness in boundaries for people is saying no. Do you say yes too often when you really mean no?
Every time you say yes to something when you really mean no you are letting a piece of yourself go with it. You are losing power, losing energy.

Having strong boundaries doesn’t mean being snobby, mean, or rude. It simply means being true to yourself and your needs. Boundaries are here to protect us.

On the other hand, sometimes we confuse boundaries with limits. We put limits on how much joy and abundance we can have and confuse that with a boundary. When all your boundaries are set and impenetrable, you will be able to honor yourself in the highest way.

Where are you putting caps on your happiness, your success, yourself? You will find that boundaries and limits go hand in hand. When you build up and strengthen your boundaries, your limits will be endless.
So take this week to notice this: What are your most important boundaries? Which ones do you need to acknowledge and strengthen? Where do you put limits in your life and which of your boundaries will help you break open that limit?

A very Paleo Thanksgiving Recipe: Chicken and Squash Pot Pie and Mashed Garlic and Herb Cauliflower

This weeks taste testing of some paleo thanksgiving meals was Butternut Squash and Chicken pot pie with Mashed Garlic and herb cauliflower. I loved both of these recipes.

For the Pot pie, I used a recipe out of Elana Amsterdam's Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook.



I added butternut squash chunks instead of peas to stay paleo and I used a roasted crockpot chicken for the chicken and it turned out great. I think this would make a nice vegen dish if you take out the chicken.

I also Imagine using my leftover turkey for this dish.

The Cauliflower was super easy to make. You need:
1 head cauliflower
olive oil
water
1 package poultry herbs ( sage, thyme, and rosemary), minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt to taste

Boil the cauliflower (cut into small pieces) until soft. Drain the cauliflower and place in large bowl or blender/food processor. Add in garlc, herbs and salt. Begin to mash or blend the mixture and add olive oil and water alternating the two one tablespoon at a time until you reach a consistency you want.



I used my food processor and my mash turned out more like a thick cream. Next time I will try simply mashing them for a more potato like texture.

Bon Apetite!

Moroccan Chicken Casserole and Vanilla Cupcakes

This week I made some awesome Paleo foods. Above is the Moroccan Chicken Casserole from Mark Sisson's website and it was delish! The cauliflower is just the right texture for rice and it's so refreshing. The spices are wonderful. It does take some prep time though so don't expect this to be a quick dish.

For my paleo challenge finished celebration I made myself some paleo cupcakes. FYI I used the almond flour recipe from Elana's cookbook, the link here uses coconut flour. The cupcakes were moist and just the right amount of sweetness.

A Very Paleo Holiday Recipe: Coconut-Cardamom Sweet Potatoes

I found this in Clean Eating Magazine and had to try it! Yum! I also made Paleo vanilla Cupcakes this week, delicious! Look for those soon! Check out Crystals apple crisp... it sounds wonderful!

5 med sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 in pieces
3/4 cup light coconut milk
2 tps cardamom, ground ( a ginger like herb, I suppose you could use ginger too)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tps ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 cup unsalted chopped pecan halves

1) Preheat oven to 325
2) bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat . Add sweet potatoes, return to boiling and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
3) Drain and transfer potatoes to a large bowl
4) Add coconut milk ,cardamom, vanilla, salt, black pepper and cayenne to potatoes.
5) Mix with hand held mixer on medium until smooth,
6) Transfer to a 9X9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle pecans evenly over potatoes
7) Bake 45-50 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Cool on rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Does your body want to be fat?

“Your Body Wants to be fat anytime it decides that being fat is safe” Jon Gabriel, The Gabriel Method

A friend turned me on The Gabriel Method a few weeks ago and it really resonated with me and my philosophy on health. So why would being fat be safe? It’s not! But as I have said, your health, physically is an expression of how you feel, think, and view the world around you. Well not exactly you, your body.

“Your body doesn’t understand today’s world.”

We evolved to protect ourselves under stress, and we evolved in a time when the major stressors were “starvation, freezing, being eaten.” It’s pretty simple, in any of these survival modes, the body wants to hold on to as much energy as possible. More fat= live longer and stay warmer. Too much fat= get eaten and the perfect amount of fat= live longer, stay warmer, and don’t get eaten.

Our bodies can’t tell the difference between, “I feel overwhelmed with work, family, and trying to fit in everything else” and “I haven’t found any food in 2 days.” Think about the last time you were under an immense amount of emotional stress…. Did you feel bloated, did you gain weight? I see this in clients all the time under too much stress: the inability to lose weight and often times the accumulation of weight in the belly.

I love this book because it delves into so much of the emotional and spiritual elements that are part of gaining healthy habits. Gabriel talks about mental starvation fear of scarcity, emotional obesity, and dysfunctional beliefs: all issues that one needs to consider when looking at their “Fit attitude” as I like to call it.

So I challenge you this week to discover what your “Fit Attitude” is? Do you need to think more about the points Gabriel brings up in his book? If you do, you need support. Don't wait, find it now. The quickest way to change is to look for it and welcome it. Now think about this last thought:

“Be Open to the Possibility that your body is changing”

Are you?

Say No to the Holiday Sugar Coma... Here's How

I've been finding myself warning my clients of the looming holiday season; warning them to be prepared for battle! Who are we fighting for you ask? YOU! Fighting to keep you healthy, feeling great, and loving life! The holiday season is in my opinion the most trying time for those on a mission to eat clean. There are so many more excuses that you can allow to come up it can be exhausting: I have so many parties to go to, my whole family is in town and we go out to eat everyday, it's cold and I feel like comfort foods.... STOP! I am officially putting a damper on these excuses and telling you to prepare now to be able to combat these excuses.

My friend and fellow crossfit trainer Crystal Nelson and I will be taking these next few weeks to try out some clean and Paleo thanksgiving recipes as well as post some helpful info on how to deal with sticky situations like relatives and parties. Check back soon for more! Would love to hear ideas about what you want to know about these situations. I know Crystals first recipe will be a dessert and seeing as I just finished my 30 paleo challenge TODAY! I am thinking dessert is on order.

Warm Fall Treats: Cinnamon Apple Chips and Roasted Cinnamon Vanilla Pecans

It's already starting to snow here in Colorado and it's making me crave warm baked goods. So when I saw the post on facebook from Paleo Pantry about cinnamon apple chips I HAD to make them!



All the cooking I've been doing lately is making me feel really creative in the kitchen and so I saw my bag of pecans and thought of those sugar roasted pecans you get at a fair..... well I don't choose to have sugar, but I thought I could flavor the pecans anyhow and roast them and turned out really yummy.

To Make Cinnamon Apples

Pre heat oven to 350. Slice your apple in thin slices. Coat them with small amount of grapeseed oil in a bowl and then lay out on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle apples with cinnamon and bake for 45 minutes or until apples are dehydrated and crisp. I like mine a little on the gooey side before they get too crisp.

To make Pecans:

In a small bowl place a cup of pecans, 2 tsp of vanilla, 1 tps grapeseed oil, and 1 tsp of cinnamon and mix well. Place pecans in a pyrex baking dish and bake for 20-30 minutes.


Try adding other flavors and spices. A little agave wouldn't be terrible ( if you are not being strict about your sugar) for a cheat treat.

Women's Crossfit Bootcamp CONQUERS 20 min Chelsea

CWB 20 Min Chelsae from Lauren Sheehan on Vimeo.

My tue/thurs 7am women's crossfit bootcampers are awesome! They come in early, get it done, and push hard. This week was a little more taxing than the previous weeks with 20 minute Chelsea and Kelly on the schedule.

My Crossfit bootcamp is a sort of hybrid bootcamp/crossfit concoction. I take the crossfit philosphy into all my training sessions but I wanted to create this class to spread my love for crossfit further into the community. It combines body weight movements with minimal equipment for maximum results. The best part about these workouts is the mental challenge. They are made to be as intense as you make them.


For more information on Women's Crossfit Bootcamp click here

America's Excuse

Americas Excuse

I have to say I’ve been running across a lot of excuses lately. As the weather gets colder more people seem to be getting sick. On top of that the holiday season is getting closer and closer and I keep thinking to myself, how many people are using all of these things as an excuse to be unhealthy, not be 100% in love with yourself and your body, all in the name of “The Holiday Season.”

What I realized is that the “holiday season” is a giant, collective, American excuse to GIVE UP!

I am here to challenge you to NOT GIVE IN! Don’t do it. Don’t give in to this ridiculous excuse to eat like crap and not have time for exercise or being healthy.

There are 8 weeks until thanksgiving and that means that you have 8 weeks to train yourself to be healthy during the busy, crazy, holiday season. It’s never too late to start so start NOW! I think there is a correlation between how out of it people get during the holidays and how they are treating their bodies.

Here are a few pointers to be on top of your game….

1) Find support. Join a workout group; find a friend to keep you accountable. I’ve got some great classes ( see below) to help you with this.

2) Start NOW. Don’t wait till the next time you go to store. Don’t wait until you finish off all the crappy food in your fridge.

3) Find info on clean eating. See my blog for recipes and resources. All your holiday sweets and things don’t have to be totally annihilating. Use alternative sweeteners, find gluten free recipes, use whole foods, do your own cooking!

4) If you have a goal why would you give up for 6 weeks or so? Keep going, keep pushing. Only you can put things in your way.

5) Believe in yourself and don’t let everyone else discourage you when they ask you “why aren’t you eating that…just have a little, it won’t hurt you.”

6) Lead by silent example, while everyone else is eating themselves into a coma over the holidays you will be productive, feel great, and be on track with whatever your goals are.

Paleo Quiche

I love a good quiche and this ones totally paleo. I started with an Almond Flour crust from The Gluten free almond flour cookbook. ( I made the pie crust from this recipe minus the agave and the vanilla...) It really hits the spot. Try it out and lemme know what you think.

Ingredients
5 eggs
1 cup chopped turkey bacon
1/2 cup sauted mushrooms
Pie crust ( see link above)

Pre heat oven to 350. Place the chopped turkey bacon and mushrooms in a large saute pan. Cook the turkey bacon until it is crisp and the mushrooms are soft. When it's ready put the mixture into the pie pan ( with the crust ready in it). Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then pour over the mixture in the pie pan. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a knife in the center of the quiche comes out clean.

The ABSOLUTE BEST paleo pancakes on the planet... Seriously

I have been making versions of paleo pancakes since I began to paleo and FINALLY I have found the holy grail of paleo pancake recipes.

Here's the secret: ALMOND FLOUR!!!

No not the almond meal you get at whole foods ( bobs red mill) the kind you must buy online .

I have been baking with this non stop since I got my flour in the mail and I am in love.

I got the recipe from Elana's cookbook and thankfully her recipe is online because I can't reproduce it.

I replaced the agave nectar in the recipe with applesauce because I am not doing sugar due to my 30 day paleo challenge and I probably will keep it that way because it still tastes great! I believe I had to lower the cooking temp because I think the apple sauce is prone to browning quick. Keep them smaller than regular pancakes. About two inches in diameter.
I experimented with berries in the pancakes, it turned out really well.

Inspire me Monday: How Many Hats do you wear?

How Many Hats do you Wear?
Daughter, Entrepreneur, Fitness Chick, Dancer, Girly girl, girlfriend, coach, friend, teacher, music lover, motivator, confident speaker, student, Paleo girl, Crossfit addict , sweet tooth, over achiever, procrastinator, control freak ….. Those are all my hats I can think of off the top of my head but I know there are more.

What I challenge you today to think about is how many hats you wear? Are you a mother, a father, a spouse, a comedian, a smiler, a listener, a caretaker, a supporter…. However you can define yourself, however you can finish the sentence “I am.”
I have been taking an eastern religions class online to fulfill my requirement for humanities before I go to chiropractic school and we are studying Hinduism right now and the concept of one true reality, called Brahman, that is manifesting itself in many forms can really speak to our own lives. (and is the reason I thought about this topic for today’s email)

Many people think Hinduism is polytheistic (believing in many gods), which it is but it’s not quite because actually, all of the Hindu gods are manifestations of the one true god, the ultimate truth. So I thought to myself, “just like me.” NOT because I think I am a god, but because I say things to myself daily, like “who do I feel like being today, Lauren the fitness chick, or Lauren the girly girl?” We ourselves are one person, and we are so many people all at the same time. How do we juggle through all these people we are daily?

So what’s my point? Know who you are, every part of you. Appreciate how many things you are to so many different people but most importantly to yourself. Do you have enough hats that are just for you or are they all for other people? Do you have any hats that you’ve forgotten about or pushed down?
Know how all your hats work with each other. If you are stressed out, feeling overwhelmed, just feeling like something’s not right, it’s probably because one of your “yous” isn’t playing well with the others.
There are always good and bad hats. We can’t all be perfect. You might find that you want to permanently take off one of your hats, like my sweet tooth hat. I am working very hard right now to just get rid of that thing.

Most of all know that these hats don’t own you. You own them, and you can change them any time you want. You can choose to wear the “emotional eater” hat or not. You can choose to wear the “I hate exercise” hat or not. You can choose to wear the “I have fill in the blank disease “or not.

Whatever you are, however many hats you wear, make sure they are the ones YOU CHOOSE.

Butternut Squash Latkes

I found this recipe at Elanas Pantry and I am sure you will see many more from her website here.

These latkes were fresh, sweet, and nutty flavored and gave Diego and I just enough of that "potato" feeling. I wish I would've remembered to take a picture of them but we ate them too fast!

I also made the homemade applesauce to go with them. They were super easy to make.

What is Clean eating?

Clean eating is a broad term to mean that you eat foods that are minimally or not processed at all and are in their purest, most nutritious and whole form. To eat clean you must shop for your own food, cook your own food, and I'm not going to sugar coat it, spend quite a bit of time researcing and educating yourself about what "clean" will mean for you and how you can make it palatable and work for your lifestyle.

Now when I say, "work for your lifestyle" this might be too broad. If you want to eat clean, you will have to change your lifestyle to fit clean eating. There are no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You have to change your habits and your way of thinking if you are going to make clean eating your way of eating because it's not easy. I'm not trying to scare you, I just want you to understand what all this entails and not sugar coat it. The truth is that ingesting most of the food that is available and what we would call "easy" is the same as ingesting a low level poison into your body. Sugar, refined grains, dairy, gluten, soy.... these are all things that are sabotaging your digestive system, hormone regulation, and overall wellness of your body.

So I'm sure by now you are wondering how you eat clean. My simple answer is: Go Paleo. What is paleo? In the shortest possible way paleo is lean meats, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds. If you can't find it and eat it raw, then you aren't eating it(obviously we usually cook out meat nowadays, but we can eat it raw).

"The Paleo Diet is a way of eating in the modern age that best mimics diets of our hunter-gatherer ancestors - combinations of lean meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. By eating the foods that we are genetically adapted to eat, followers of the Paleo Diet are naturally lean, have acne-free skin, improved athletic performance, and are experiencing relief from numerous metabolic-related and autoimmune diseases."


This means NO sugar, NO grains, NO dairy, NO beans, NO alcohol and NO startchy roots or tubers. Having said that, yes I think there is some value in whole grains like quinoa however what I recommend to some clients when beginning a program with me is to just go full paleo for 30 days in order to normalize their insulin levels and just clear their bodies of everything that might be messing with their systems. If you've been eating lots of sugr and grains, refined or not, for a long time you need to increase your insulin sensitivity in order to bring your hormone levels back to normal. That being said, any grain, whole or not, will cause too large of an insulin spike and will just hinder your efforts to normalize insulin sensitivity ( see more on this here). This is definitely situational and it depends on the person and what their stress levels and other medical issues are. Some people find it easier to ease their way into paleo before they begin their 30 days in order to lessen the stress on their bodies.

I can tell you I've already had one client discover a dairy allergy while doing her 30 days. She had had hives for 10 YEARS prior to starting, and was taking an antihistamine to control her internal hives so she could eat comfortably, but still had them on places on her skin. About a week into it, she noticed she had absolutely no hives at all!!! That is a drastic example, but easy to see the benefit. Imagine what is happening inside your body that you can't feel or see?

The bottom line here is eat REAL food. If its processed, it's not real. Look at your labels, if it's got more than 4-5 ingredients and you can't understand any of them it's not real. If you didn't make it yourself, it's probably not real food. Be conscious of what you cook with, make sure there aren't any chemicals and other low level poisons in your food. Find out how gluten, sugar, grains, and dairy, effect your body. Go clean, go paleo. Go all out or start with laying off the sugar and the grains for a week or so and go from there. This is your body, and it's the only one you have. Take care of it!!!!

You can find out more at http://www.thepaleodiet.com/

Theme of the Week: What are your limiting beliefs?

“Man is made or unmade by himself. In the armory of thought he forges the weapons by which he destroys himself. He also fashions the tools with which he builds for himself heavenly mansions of joy and strength and peace.” — James Allen

This week I want to bring attention to your limiting beliefs. Limiting beliefs create disempowerment. What are your self limiting beliefs and how can you change them? Why does this matter? Because…

“Nobody will believe in you unless you believe in yourself.” — Liberace

I’ve said it before and I will say it again, there are no things you can’t do, only things you won’t do. So once you’ve acknowledged that you have some limiting beliefs that might be causing you pain physically emotionally, and spiritually, even unconsciously, you can begin to become empowered by seeking information on how to change these beliefs.

When you believe "I can do it," the "how to do it" develops. - David Schwartz



6 Common Limiting Beliefs

1) Lack of Self Worth: “I am stupid,” “I am not –fill in the blank- enough.” Negative self talk and feelings of worthlessness can lead to depression.

2) Self Hatred: “I hate myself.” It is far easier to focus your love and attention on friends and family than to acknowledge that you love yourself.

3) Victimhood: Believing that any misfortune you suffer is the result of life circumstances, genes, past behaviors, family, and others’ moods etc. Occurs on the emotional level.

4) External Validation: Believing that other people know what is best for you. Here it is easy to lose sight of your inner strength and lose self confidence.

5) Other People’s Emotions: Believing you are responsible for other peoples emotions and reactions…. Another form of victimhood

6) Self Denial: Believing that your needs and desires are not of paramount importance. When you believe this you are literally giving away all your energy to others and you have nothing left for yourself.

For more on these limiting beliefs as well as a great intro to the world of energy, check out Bente Hanson’s book The New World of Self Healing.

“There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head, beliefs so widespread, so commonly held, that it never occurs to you to question them.” Anthony de Mello



Click the link for a great article on how to identify, work through, and change your limiting beliefs. http://abundancejournal.com/2007/how-to-get-rid-of-your-limiting-beliefs/



Hansen, Bente. The New World of Self-Healing: Awakening the chakras and rejuvenating your energy field. Llewelleyn Publications: 2006.

August/September Happenings

Transform Yourself! Express Your Health! 6 week class. This class is designed for women who are ready to dig deep, create their vision, and change their lives! Group Workouts mon/wed and with 30 for discussion/speakers on monday. I am bringing in phenomenal speakers in the community to speak on topics that will help you learn and grow mind, body and spirit, and most importantly leave you feeling inspired, empowered and buzzing when you leave.

New Early AM Transform Yourself Workout only class: tue/thurs 7-8am $180 begins Tues September 15

AM Transform Yourself class starting Tues September 15: Tue 8:30-10 and Thurs 9-10am.

Next PM class starts Sept 28 Mon-7-8:15pm and Wed 7-8 pm $ 240 (20 a class)

Class Specials

2 For 1 class with a friend ( new clients only)

Refer 3 friends and get your class FREE!!

Refer one friend to class and save $40.

Refer 2 friends to class and save $70

New! Kitchen Sweep: Are you confused at what foods are healthy and what foods aren’t? If you want some extra attention on your nutrition program at home this is a great program for you. I will come to your kitchen, help you understand the basics of clean eating, get rid of the bad foods ( and donate the extra) , help you create a shopping list and plan some meals, go grocery shopping with you, and even help you cook/prepare a few healthy meals! $70/hour

Hot Moves Seductive dance Class Wed @ 8pm at pivotal wellness
Let your inner temptress out in this new dance class! Get confident, feel sexy, shake your stuff, and have fun with the girls.

Come with a friend and Try class free

$12 drop in, $80-8 punch card

Email lauren@empowerfitness.org or call 407-399-0170 for more info or to sign up

Theme of the Week: Are you wearing the right habits?

“Our Self image and Our Habits tend to go together, change one and you automatically change the other.” Maxwell Maltz

This week I challenge you to create the “happiness habit.” Maxwell Maltz tells us in his book Psycho-Cybernetics that the original meaning of habits is a garment and that our habits are literally a garment worn by our personalities.

They are not accidental or coincidence, they fit us. Habits are something we do without having to think or decide. Do you always brush your teeth before you go to bed? Do you eat with your right hand? Do you exercise on a regular basis?

Habits can be changed and formed. All you have to do is make a conscious choice. If you chose to eat with your left hand instead of your right all the time, eventually you would do this without having to choose. It takes at least 21 days to create a new habit.

What habit are you wearing that you need to clear out of your closet? Are you wearing the latest and greatest you style or are you still keeping those old stuffy lesser evolved version of you clothes around?

The quickest way to change your self-image is by changing your habits.

What new habits do you need to add into your life and what habit needs to go to goodwill?


August/September Happenings

Transform Yourself! Express Your Health! 6 week class. This class is designed for women who are ready to dig deep, create their vision, and change their lives! Group Workouts mon/wed and with 30 for discussion/speakers on monday. I am bringing in phenomenal speakers in the community to speak on topics that will help you learn and grow mind, body and spirit, and most importantly leave you feeling inspired, empowered and buzzing when you leave.

New AM Transform Yourself class starting Tues September 8: Tue 8:30-10 and Thurs 9-10am.

Next PM class starts Sept 28 Mon-7-8:15pm and Wed 7-8 pm $ 240 (20 a class)

Class Specials

Refer 3 friends and get your class FREE!!

Refer one friend to class and save $40.

Refer 2 friends to class and save $70

New! Kitchen Sweep: Are you confused at what foods are healthy and what foods aren’t? If you want some extra attention on your nutrition program at home this is a great program for you. I will come to your kitchen, help you understand the basics of clean eating, get rid of the bad foods ( and donate the extra) , help you create a shopping list and plan some meals, go grocery shopping with you, and even help you cook/prepare a few healthy meals! $70/hour

Hot Moves Seductive dance Class Wed @ 8pm at pivotal wellness
Let your inner temptress out in this new dance class! Get confident, feel sexy, shake your stuff, and have fun with the girls.
$12 drop in, $80-8 punch card

Email lauren@empowerfitness.org or call 407-399-0170 for more info or to sign up