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I have found that it is surprisingly challenging to actually determine WHAT IT IS I WANT. It sounds silly and you would think that knowing what we want would be easy and straightforward. But in my experience, as a master people pleaser, I have to look very hard at my knee-jerk responses. Often my programming and childhood conditioning kicks in, swiftly voting for things I honestly DO NOT wish to do, be, or have a part in. I have learned to say, “ I need a few minutes to consider that,” before simply blurting out a pat, “Yes.” Life truly is a very short and furious ride and the longer I live, the more precious my time is becoming to me. It is a very good thing to have come to this awareness. Be selective and picky and dig your heels in when you feel that knot in your belly that is clearly telling you, “Heck no, I don’t want to do that." "BUT....” you may reply. I say, “But nothing.” If my body is nudging me in an obvious way, I now own that. Deep down, I have personal (whether they be considered ‘good' or 'bad’) reasons for my resistance. Today, 90% of the time I honor that. The fact is when I don’t, it rarely works out very well for anyone involved because my heart simply is not in it...so then what’s the point anyway?

Do yourself and those involved a huge favor and begin today to listen to your heart and gut and honestly, selectively and carefully choose with whom, on what, how and where you spend your time and energy. I promise that you will not only have a lot more fun, but so will all those with whom you wholeheartedly interact. One of the greatest gifts we can give to another person is our undivided attention. Delivered with a joyous and loving heart, our sincere presence is invaluable. That is the essence of being in any relationship. Too often, we attempt to do this from an unconscious, possibly hostile, place due to our deep resentment for “having” to do something we really would prefer not to do. Avoid all of this wasted time and energy by slowing down enough to give yourself the space to genuinely decide what you truly want and what you do not want. Then act honestly and with love and kindness. We tend to make life so much more complicated and arduous than it was ever intended to be and for what? To ‘look’ good or to please others? Let’s be real here. We are worthy of a joyous, empowered and impassioned life and yet it is thwarted through pretending we want things that are simply lies for us. Now that’s crazy-making behavior if I have ever seen it. Yes, we are all guilty of this from time to time, however, we were not meant to make a career out of being martyrs and victims. We are so much more amazing than that when...we allow ourselves to be guided by our hearts, “the fun factor” and by what resonates and makes our hearts sing. Happy mind, body and spirit fitness to all.
]]> General http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=330 Fri, 10 Sep 2010 10:00:00 -0400 http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=329
We really haven’t changed all that much, physiologically that is, and we would be wise to follow the natural rhythms of life. With all the season's beautiful fresh fruits and vegetables, it is the opportune time to eat your fill. Too often people fool themselves into believing that they don’t have time to prepare a fresh, wholesome meal. They think it is too time consuming or they don’t have the energy to go to all that effort. The truth is, most fresh vegetables can be cleaned and cooked and on the table in about 15 minutes or less. It takes only 5 minutes to throw a delicious, nutritious salad together. And whether you are steaming, sautéing or roasting your veggies, they can be cooking while you are whipping up the meat entree. Personally, I rely on quick proteins like fish, chicken, and ground beef for most evening meals and usually slow cook a roast, country ribs or chicken once or twice a week. Either way, 90% of my meals are on the table in 30 minutes or less. Anything that comes out of a box or is frozen will take 10-20 minutes anyway, and the nutritional value is a fraction of what you and your family will get from eating fresh.

As a society, we are awakening to the obesity issue our country faces. By choosing to eat fresh, home-cooked meals and deciding to cut way, way back on the temptation to grab fast food, we can really tackle this deadly problem. We owe it to ourselves and to our children to eat healthy and to behave responsibly when it comes to our bodies. This change is really overdue. We are bright, highly educated beings for the most part, especially in comparison to our ancestors. And yet, they were much more wise about what they selected to put into their bodies than many of us are today. When we are choosing convenience over health, day in and day out, there is really something wrong which needs to be addressed. Sure, we all fall prey to grabbing something on the run from time to time. But when that happens 2-3 times each day, I promise that you are ingesting very little that has high nutritional value and seriously jeopardizing your health.

I invite you to slowly walk through our grocer's produce aisles and just allow yourself to take in the aromas, absorb the beauty of the brightly colored foods that surround you and ask yourself, “What looks good to me today, what does my body crave?” Our bodies are messaging us constantly and often, if we take the time to listen, we can be wisely guided by them as to what they are in need of nutritionally. Buy 4-5 fresh vegetables if they appeal to you, even if you aren’t sure what they are. Pick up 3-4 fresh fruits. Take them home and experiment with cooking them up. Go online for a new and quick recipe for preparing these fresh foods. The internet provides unlimited ideas at our fingertips for quick and healthy food preparation. In any case, I encourage you to get in touch with the wisdom of your body and enjoy the bounty that is now available. Happy mind, body and spirit health to all.
]]> General http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=329 Fri, 3 Sep 2010 10:00:00 -0400 http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=328
For those who can be outside, let's say, “Enough !” to being cooped up. Training inside all winter is a blessing, well and good, and kudos to you that you stayed focused enough to maintain your program during the "cave time” months. If, however, you found yourself falling off or completely abandoning your fitness needs, there is no time like right now to ignite a new flame. First, it is good to know that there are several components to a well-balanced fitness program. There is the cardiovascular piece, the muscular strength and endurance pieces, the flexibility part(an often neglected step child of fitness) and the coordination component that usually happens gradually over time, simply by doing exercise. Most people seem to focus on either their aerobic exercise, which complements the cardiovascular system of the body, or they focus on resistance training. This, depending on the techniques used, either trains the skeletal muscles for strength OR endurance, but rarely both. In any case, there are very few people who are working a truly balanced program. You can probably guess where I'm going with this by now. If not, I am going to suggest that you shift your focus to bring more balance to your body and to round out your overall health a bit more.

For instance, if you are a runner I would challenge you to weight train one day a week and to add 10 minutes of stretching after every run. Or possibly run a ropes course a day or two a week where you run from station to station stopping every 1/8-1/4 mile to do calisthenics. If your are into building large muscles I would ask you to add an aerobic activity at least 3 days per week, as well as 10 minutes of stretching at the end of each workout. If swimming is your thing, supplement a couple days of swimming with weight training workouts or cut a swim day and do an aerobic activity outside one day each week. There are endless ways to create fresh and innovative fitness programs and the body is so wise and so capable of adapting, we must change things up regularly, to keep it progressing and to keep our mental interest.

If you are thinking about starting a fitness program for the first time or wishing to begin again after an extended layoff, please do progress slowly and, by all means, get some professional advice. Injuries are always on the rise this time of year for several reasons, but the most common one is going out too hard, too fast. Our bodies are amazing, but as we age it does take us a bit more time to get it back into shape. The tendons and ligaments do not thicken nearly as quickly as the muscles gain strength. For this reason pulls, strains and sprains occur almost exclusively near the head of the muscles and/or, at the joint. This is easily avoided when you have professional guidance and the knowledge necessary for proper progression. Sit down with a Trainer and you will glean many sound guidelines by which to proceed, particularly if you are just getting started and are 50 years old or older...I highly recommend this for your own safety. Regardless of your age or fitness level, it is a bright, new season and a wonderful opportunity to give your program a shot in the arm, not to mention providing your body with some new and exciting challenges. Enjoy yourself and have as much fun as you can. Happy mind, body and spirit fitness to all.
]]> General http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=328 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:00:00 -0400 http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=327
We came forth with clarity and security and were completely fearless knowing that we are powerful, genius creators. We knew at birth that we were completely held, loved and supported beyond measure. Over the next 0-5 years 75-99% of that awareness was overridden by the beliefs, fears and judgments of those wonderful people who did their very best to raise, protect and prepare us for the world. As clean slates eager to please, we learned their ways and absorbed their beliefs and in the process we transformed ourselves into whatever version they would lovingly accept. Life unfolded and we suffered many bangs and bruises along our path and finally somewhere into our adulthood we found ourselves asking some difficult questions. “When will I find happiness?” “Why is it always so hard and such a struggle for me?” “Is there something wrong with me that I constantly attract pain and suffering into my life?” “Is this really all life is about?” “Why am I driven by fear all the time?” These and many other questions began to arise in us and having those questions is perfect and right.

Most of us manage to lose our way on our path. Some of us lose our way briefly, and some of us simply stay lost--and that is perfect too. However, many of us are experiencing a re-awakening at this time, either consciously or unconsciously, to our true nature. That nature is one who loves always, trusts in the energy that has created worlds and continuously moves into acceptance on all subjects. This awareness knows that ‘what is’ already ‘is’ so there is no point in screaming NO at it or railing against it. All that does is position us into a resistant stance against ‘what is’ thereby blocking our emotions and senses. Those gifts are designed to guide us into solutions as opposed to wallowing around in the problem. As we choose to view the world, our fellow humans, and all creatures with the eyes of love and appreciation, we bring into every situation compassion and understanding. These are the elements that heal, rebuild broken lives and transform pain into peace. We are the saviors we have been seeking. We are the peacemakers we have been hoping to find. It must be, and is, our individual work that will, one person at a time, one community at a time, one nation at a time, heal that which is sick. I believe we are remembering that there is no separation...we are all one. Literally, we are all one in the tremendous body of Creator.

As we each return back to our true selves and gently choose to BE that true self in all our speech, thoughts and actions, our days become filled with small and large miracles. Moments of joy abound and the urge to reach out and serve others suddenly IS the natural thing to do. When you remember that you are everyone you see and they are you, it is love and kindness that will prevail. After all, we all desire to be treated that way, so give it away and watch it return to you tenfold...it surely will. Happy mind, body and spirit fitness to all.
]]> General http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=327 Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:00:00 -0400 http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=325
The answer is to simply stop buying ANYTHING that is processed, boxed, wrapped in a plastic sealed container and especially avoid anything that contains ingredients that you don’t recognize. Vow to eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as you possibly can. Choose protein sources that are certified organic, or as close to organic as possible. Eat simply, and steam, saute, broil, or bake to prepare. The slow cooker is a God-send. Also, do your very best to avoid fast foods because they, too, tout healthy, wholesome ingredients. But who do they think they are fooling? They must buy the lowest grade of everything in order to provide it to you at such an incredibly low price. It is just barely food by many standards, it really is the brags. Please honor your body and the bodies of your family enough to decide once and for all that what you ingest matters!

We are well-educated, intelligent people and it is high time that we take responsibility for our well-being including the foods we choose to eat. If we are to increase our health levels and reduce our obesity levels in this country, we must be willing to do our small but significant part. We are all free will beings blessed to live in a country that offers us choice. Americans are among some of the most fortunate people on the planet and yet we allow excuses like, “I don’t have time to cook a healthy meal and my kids won’t eat anything but junk foods” as bogus reasons to allow our own and our children's health to diminish. Change does not happen overnight. But by taking small steps consistently, we can, over time, change. We can break old habits and shed the conditioning of the past. Start by buying two fresh vegetables, some brown rice and sweet potatoes, and some all natural or if possible, organic chicken and beef. By adding two freshly cooked meals a week to your family's diet, you have already improved your own and their chances for better health by almost 25%. That is an excellent start, and before long you will have managed to work out making 4 fresh meals a week, which will improve all of your percentages by over 50%. This nationwide health crisis is solvable and we can regain our well-being as a family first, then as a community, and finally as a nation...one family at a time. Begin slow and gradually to buy more fresh and less and less processed food, implement a few more healthy meals each month and before you know it you and your family will be slimming down, feeling great, growing stronger and staying healthy. Happy mind, body and spirit fitness to all.
]]> General http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=325 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:01:26 -0400 http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=324
Habits are nothing more than actions, thoughts and behaviors that we have practiced for a very long time. Those habits often become so ingrained that they fool us into believing them as if they where THE truth of our being. We have attached ourselves to them emotionally, maybe even physically, and now we believe them to be true for us. The funny thing about beliefs is that they are completely subjective by nature and therefore are inherently changeable. They are actually just opinions. This is really good news indeed. It is no mystery, given how we develop, the approach one must take in order to transform an unwanted habit. Repetition is the answer: practice, practice, practice.

There is one more critical piece necessary in the pursuit of successfully making permanent change. This applies whether one is attempting to change negative thought patterns, physical habits such as implementing a consistent fitness program and/or food plan or even a desire to revamp one's belief system. The important element is the act of taking responsibility for your life and deciding that you are, lovingly, in charge. This is monumental, truly. You are the only one who has the power and authority to recreate your body, mind and spirit... you and you alone AND you are absolutely worth the effort. If you find that you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, I offer you this option. Will it take persistence, determination and dedication? You bet, but the results will be so much greater than you can possible even imagine.

Begin by writing down the things that you are not presently satisfied with about yourself. Do this from a stance of love and appreciation, recognizing that you are a divine creation that has temporarily gotten sidetracked. This list may change over and over again and that is perfectly fine. I have found that most people who are unable to stick to a healthy diet and fitness program need to look carefully at their deeply held beliefs around food and exercise. Just because your parents didn’t workout and eat well does not mean that you can’t break that chain and start anew. It is never too late to begin taking good care of yourself and it’s no surprise that most health problems, even severe ones, are hugely impacted positively by improved health habits. Age is not a legitimate excuse, actually there are NO legitimate excuses...NONE!!! Your health, happiness and peace of mind are all at stake here and I implore you to make the decision to be your own best loving guardian.

No more ifs, ands, or buts. The time has arrived to take charge of your well-being and Springtime is especially apropos...it is a time of renewal. A thorough evaluation of your thoughts, beliefs, actions (or lack thereof) is in order. Be honest and gentle with yourself. Remember that the positive decisions you make will not only improve YOUR body, mind and spirit--but will let you serve as a positive role model for all those who interact with you. Don’t blindly continue to be a link in a chain of pain, disease and diminished quality of life. Choose life--vital, vibrant and brilliant life. That is a legacy worth passing on to generations to come. Happy mind, body, and spirit fitness to all.]]> General http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=324 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 09:15:00 -0400 http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=322
After nearly 40 years in the workforce, three marriages, and one 12-year-old child, I recently came to a new awareness. Now, I truly value my imagination for what it provides. Spending time ‘day dreaming’, fantasizing, and imagining is a far cry from wasting time. For many years I disregarded my imagination as frivolous. I could not have been further from the truth.

Today I highly recommend spending 5-20 minutes daily playing in your imagination. Allowing your mind to create new and exciting possibilities is not only healthy, but imperative for future change to occur. Most people spend inordinate amounts of time dwelling on their current situation be it their health, living space, relationships, bodyweight or any number of things because ‘it is what is’ and it is happening this red hot minute. I say, “Who cares?” and “When did focusing on unwanted things ever bring you what you want anyway?” As counter intuitive as it may feel, imagining life different from ‘what is’ is the only way I have found to successfully create something different. As challenging as this is, it is the ONLY way to release the old and open doors for the new to come in.

It doesn’t matter how sick you are, how broke you are, how overweight you are, or how unhappy you are in your current job or relationship, IF YOU WANT IT TO CHANGE, YOU HAVE TO START IMAGINING IT CHANGED! Set aside 5 minutes before you even get out of bed each morning and 5 minutes every night before you drift off to sleep and imagine whatever you wish to be different as different. Turn up the colors, volume, fragrances, and most of all, allow yourself to feel how good you feel as though you have achieved whatever it is you desire. Stay in that wonderful feeling for as long as you can, milk it, savor it and return to that feeling as often as you can remember to do so. I can promise you that if you commit to this practice for the next 30 days, there will be positive change in your life.

There are many scientific studies in the process of proving the power we wield with our thoughts. But even more amazing are the connections being made between our heartfelt emotions and outcomes. In other words, we cannot go around 24/7 talking about our disease, worrying about it, researching it and basically identifying as that disease, and move toward health. The same is true of excess body weight. If you spend the majority of your day dwelling on how unhappy you are about your weight, how you have had this issue forever and a day, how everyone in your family has it and on and on you go, guess what, you aren’t going to be able to lose weight.

Decide that you are going to be a focused thinker and you are going to spend time contemplating on all the things you imagine in your mind’s eye that excite you, lift your spirits, bring a smile to your face and are generally wonderful to imagine. Give up harping on what you don’t want and become proactive in your mind. Start there and it won’t be long before circumstances and events will begin to change. When that happens, it will support the direction of your new focus. Happy fitness

]]> General http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=322 Tue, 8 Jun 2010 09:15:00 -0400 http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=320 Beliefs such as these are what have limited me and many of my family and friends for their entire lives! I have recently discovered that a belief is often a downright lie. Yes, a group of people from my past decided to think these thoughts over and over again until proof of those thoughts began to show up and then they grabbed ahold of them with both hands and loudly declared, “ See, I told you this was true.” Limiting beliefs become habits of thought from a young age. Therefore, I can easily go ‘unconscious’ regarding them. Then something gives me a wake up call and I am suddenly aware of what I have been doing. After all, many of my limiting beliefs are beliefs I have carried around for 45-50 years now and those buggers are stubbornly ingrained and difficult to change. It is imperative that I choose to be vigilant and watchful or they will slip back into my everyday thoughts. When they do, it takes no time at all for them to gain strength and power because they have such a long and well trodden history. My mind naturally navigates its way back to them IF I am not staying awake and aware.
So, today I declare that I am ENOUGH, right here and right now. There are people with 1/10th of the knowledge I have accumulated who are thriving, joyous and free. I already have everything I need to be the happy, fun loving, enthusiastic person that I am. I no longer need to keep the infamous carrot dangling out in front of me, just ahead of my reach. No, I have re-awoken to the lies that I had once bought into hook, line and sinker and I now choose to know a different truth. MY TRUTH! I am smart enough, knowledgeable enough, and most importantly, conscious enough to think thoughts that serve me versus those that limit me. No one can create my life for me. It is and always has been up to me to choose happiness NOW because honestly, the future is a complete illusion, a carrot waving out there enticing me and yet stealing my ‘in this moment’ joy. Today I release those old limited beliefs and consciously choose to know that within me are all the answers to all the questions and I am absolutely more then ENOUGH, right here and right now.
I invite you to look at your own patterns of belief and ask yourself, one by one, “Does this belief serve and uplift me?” If you find yourself feeling repressed, or worse, depressed by the belief, I promise you two things. #1.) It is absolutely NOT YOUR truth and #2.) It is a primary block to your living the life of joy and happiness we all so desire. The reality is this, no one has control over your thoughts but you. So once you have identified some of your limiting beliefs...let them go, simply release them. Start today to remind yourself that you are already enough and that as you live joyously, in love and appreciation for what you have now, more will follow. That is truth you can take to the bank. Happy mind, body, and spirit fitness to all.]]> General http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=320 Tue, 1 Jun 2010 09:15:00 -0400 http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=319
For today, I want to bring your awareness back to the nutrition component because it is one of those areas that so many find slippery. Getting enough calories is as important as getting too many. But even more critical is where those calories come from. The body needs plenty of fiber and nutrients to be truly satisfied. When you eat an excessive amount of high carbohydrate foods that are mostly empty calories nutritionally speaking, you are setting yourself up for cravings and disaster.

The recommended 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables is a very important component to maintaining and/or losing weight because, for one thing, the fiber in those foods helps to slow down digestion. As we eat our foods each day, if they are passing through us very quickly due to lack of fiber, the bowel does not get the time it requires to absorb the nutrients out of those foods. Secondly, fruits and vegetables are absolutely loaded with nutrients that our bodies need, which is another reason why it is necessary to do our best to work them into our diets. If weight loss is high on your list, I highly recommend that you consider this challenge. For one full month, make a real commitment to get at least 4 servings of vegetables and 1 serving of fruit every day. Yes, it takes planning, however, if you stick to this plan two things are going to happen. First, after a week or so you will stop having those weird cravings that seem to come out of the blue. Next, you are going to feel genuinely full and satisfied after each meal and consequently, your hunger will be kept at bay. These are both cornerstones to successful weight loss and to the added benefit of feeling energetic and vital. You see, when your body is getting the proper nutrition and that nutrition is being assimilated into your body in a steady and continuous manner, your energy levels must go up. By deciding to eat in this way you will feel better physically and the scale will begin to go down. You will be satiated and stop nibbling all the time and you will have more energy throughout the day, all because you chose to get adequate fruits and veggies into your diet.

Truly, we have been given remarkable bodies that serve us 24/7 in so many amazing and wonderful ways. It really is the least we can do to provide adequate fuel to this hard working machine. It wants you to be healthy, vibrant and energetic but it cannot be that without your commitment and cooperation. It always boils down to taking responsibility for your health and well-being because the truth is, no one else can or even wants to, do it for you. I’m afraid there is still no magic pill and chances are, there never will be. Keep a positive attitude, exercise regularly, eat your 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables. And don’t forget to give thanks to the powers that be for this body, for this opportunity to live life and for all the blessings we are so fortunate to have living in the good old USA. Life is uncertain so decide to cherish every minute, even the not so pleasant ones, for the alternative is ...well not really inviting, if you know what I mean. Happy mind, body and spirit fitness to all.
]]> General http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=319 Tue, 25 May 2010 09:15:00 -0400 http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=318
The human body we have is nothing less than miraculous. In addition, we have our minds and our spirits to assist the body; an ingenious combination. I encourage anyone who has found themselves in the position of nursing a broken bone or two to engage in regularly visualizing their bones mending, healing and regaining the full mobility of the affected area. Frankly, in my experience, I witness most people spending inordinate amounts of time worrying about all the negative possible outcomes versus trusting in the amazing healing powers of their bodies and of Spirit. It has been said, “The people who expect the best often get it.” Yet we have been trained to worry and doubt. And guess what? The same energies at work assisting us when we are ‘expecting the best’ are there working when are ‘expecting the worst’ too. And then we may create our worst nightmare instead.

Begin today to push those thoughts of worry and doubt aside. Start to replace them with dialog that is supportive and trusting such as, “I know that my body knows exactly what to do to heal these bones, to soothe my strains and to mend my sprains. It has been functioning on my behalf my entire life, fighting off all manner of challenges to my health and it does so with untold precision and wisdom. It can easily heal this injury and I am going to not only trust it to do so, but I’m going to envision that healing through the power of my imagination.” Secondly, do your part to cooperate with the healing process. If you need to be non-weight bearing, then by all means, stay off it. Do your part to participate fully in any rehabilitation and when that concludes DO NOT STOP THERE.

If you are unsure how to proceed further once your physical therapy has concluded, hire a certified Personal Fitness Trainer to assist on the next phase of your recovery. Too often people simply stop there and then within a few short weeks they are experiencing reduced range of motion, lack of stamina and their muscular endurance just isn’t there as they remembered it prior to their accident. Your body is not failing you, you are failing your body. We must be willing to build back the strength and stamina that was lost during our recovery so that a truly full recovery into optimal health is the end result. Often, what I do is visit clients at their homes and design a simple fitness program for them to do before they venture back to the gym. That is usually the bridge that is missing following physical therapy. After just a few weeks of in-home training once a week with me, plus a couple of sessions on their own each week, they are prepared to jump back into the lifestyle they once knew.

Be wise about your recovery. Use the power of positive thinking, as well as a professional who can bridge the gap between where P.T. ends and where so many drop the ball. Please do not settle for a lifetime of limited mobility and a diminished quality of health and life. Your body is always willing; now make the decision to get your mind and spirit on board with your recovery. Happy mind, body and spirit fitness to all.
]]> General http://kimsfitnessandnutrition.com/index.php?itemid=318 Sun, 16 May 2010 09:13:00 -0400