Summer 2013 T-Minus 5 Weeks!!

I am done with school in 5 weeks! In 5 weeks I will technically be a senior in college! SCARY! This summer has so many exciting things in store for me! I am turning 21 in August (insert snickers and laughter), but honestly I am most excited to just have the chance to get a glass of wine with a friend on a weekend, nothing crazy for this future teacher!! I will also be teaching gymnastics camps, and dance camps.  I will be teaching a language immersion camp.  I will be working New Student Orientation at my college, for the 3rd year, which is one of the highlights of my summer. And I will be traveling to Indiana, Washington D.C. and possibly a few other places for conferences and to see friends.  Lastly, and before any of this fun stuff starts, I will be having surgery on my back.  A long awaited surgery, one that feels like it has been in the planning for years.  Without giving away details, my recovery won't be too long, but I will be out for a little while and I will have to do rehab for a bit.  But I am determined to continue with the summer I have planned.  This means I will need to eat well, exercise every way I know how without hurting my back and relearning how to strengthen my core to support my back muscles again.  It will be one of those times when "Hard work and determination [will NEED to] pay off."

What are you doing for Summer? Making any healthy living goals? With swimsuit season upon us, many people think they need to get ultra skinny.  Remember, it is more important to be healthy than to make yourself sick thinking and obsessing over how you look.  Find a realistic goal for yourself and work towards it.  Any progress is a positive sign.  Reward yourself with a mani/pedi, or a smoothie! Love the body you have and fight to keep it that way :) 

Stay Balanced

Secrets to Staying Slim

The term slim is tricky.  Slim technically means healthy, svelte, a weight that is good for your height and proportions. It does not mean toothpick, or skinny, or size 00 or anything that should cause a person to make themselves starve to create a warped body image.

I found 8 Secrets to Staying Slim (they may be updated if I find more, but these are the starting 8)

1.  Satisfied over Stuffed-Be aware of how full you are.  Take breaks while you eat and do a check in for yourself of how full you are.  Use a 1-10 scale.  If you are above an 8, then slow down, you are probably almost full and the food just needs to digest.  
2. Being hungry isn't an emergency-don't rush to the fridge the second you feel a slight twinge of hunger.  Make sure you really are hungry before you rip open that bag of chips, and better yet, reach for a protein bar, or a bag of grapes
3. Don't cure sadness with food-Teach yourself about HALT-hungry, angry, lonely and tired.  If you are hungry, eat a snack like a handful of nuts or some fruit.  If you are angry, instead of eating a sleeve of Oreos, go for a run or walk around your house.  The endorphins you create will lighten your mood.  If you are lonely-call a friend, go to the mall, e-mail a family member.  Being around people helps you feel more comfortable to your community.  If you are tired-SLEEP! 
4. Eat more fruit-Sprinkle berries into your cereal or yogurt in the morning.  Add sliced apple or pear to your sandwiches.  Add berries or sliced fruit to your salads.  Aim for 3 servings a day. 
5. Creatures of habit-Dr. David Katz(author of The Flaver Full Diet) says that most people who stay thin usually have a food index that they stay around.  An example would be cereal for breakfast, a salad for lunch and grilled chicken with steamed veggies for dinner.  Its ok to add turkey to your salad or switch up your veggies, but keeping on a track helps your stay balanced.  
6. Self-Control gene-create self-control for yourself for when disinhibition is high. When you are at an event, tell yourself you will only take 3 or 4 hors d'ouevres that are passed around.  If you go out to dinner, order an appetizer and then share a dessert if you find something you really want on the menu.  And if it is finals time or tax season or a busy month in the office, make sure you have tasty, big flavored and crunchy snacks like carrots, granola, or fruit at the ready.   
7. Movers and shakers-Make sure you are moving around.  Many people over-estimate how active their days really are.  Where a pedometer so you can gauge how much you are moving.  Take the stairs instead of the elevator, and try to get up to 10,000 steps a day.
8. Sleep Well-make sure you are sleeping.  It sounds easy, but it is very important.  Work your way up to 8 hours and see how much more refreshed and happy you feel.  

Spring Break....Time to Get Back on Balance and Avoid Falling Off

It is Spring Break here! And I am SO excited! I can't wait to see my dad and my puppy at home.  I can't wait to sleep in and lay around all day and have free time to do whatever I want.  Oh...and want to know what else I can't wait to do...I can't wait to EAT! I love going home to Southern California because I get to eat at my favorite restaurants.  I get to eat steak at Flemings, the best Veal Milanese at Il Barone, and garlic parmesan fries that would make your mouth water from a mile away at The Counter! None of this sounds healthy though does it?

They aren't leafy salads and cucumber soup, but they do have nutritional value.  Lean beef is an anti-inflammatory, did you know that? It is also filled with iron, omega 3, and Vitamin B12.  The nutrients in red meat help your body create healthy skin, bones and eyes.  Veal is one of the leanest meats, and is usually the most tender. Both veal and beef are stated to be "part of a well balanced diet".  And well....parmesan garlic fries are just really tasty.

"I'll Walk a Little Taller in Some High Heeled Shoes"....Looking good and Feeling Good Go Hand in Hand

Name the song lyric? Read the title.....can you tell me what song that quote is from?


If you guessed Hairspray than you were CORRECT!

Hairspray the musical/movie is a wonderful example of a usually forgotten integral part of living a balanced lifestyle...Treating yourself right! For me, I feel best about myself, when I am dressed in a favorite outfit, with a great pair of shoes, and my hair and make-up are all done.  Now, this doesn't actually mean I need to be in a dress and some high-heels, just as long as it is an outfit that makes me feel confident and spunky!

A Fresh Outlook-Taking Some Time For Yourself.

This is a photo of the sunset on my drive today.  So serene.  

Taking some personal time is an imperative aspect of living a balanced lifestyle.  The past few weeks have been very long and very busy for me, so I decided that since this weekend was a 3-day weekend, I was going to take some "me" time.  I had a work "on-site retreat" Saturday and Sunday, so that ruled out going anywhere too far, or going home, so I decided that Monday I would treat myself.

Eating Healthy Doesn't Need To Be Expensive...and I'll Prove It!

Eating healthy doesn't need to be expensive, and I'll prove it to you! I went to the grocery store today and I was so peeved by how expensive a lot of the typical "health foods" were.   (Ex. Atkins and South Beach bars, Slim Quick system, and other similar products).  But, you don't need to eat those to stay healthy, in fact most of the time, just eating in a healthy manner is much better.

Oh How I LOVED "Love Your Body Week"!

So, this week my posts are more about what is going on in my life, and on my college campus.  I apologize if you are looking for more recipes or fun workouts, I promise those will be back soon! These are all resources you can use as well though!

So "Love Your Body Week" has come to a close on campus! And I had so much fun! Tuesday night Chris Blackburn came and spoke! (Check him out here, http://vimeo.com/54375235).  The Residence Director at the house I live in knows him, so we spoke with him after.  It was a lot of fun! (Photo below). He talked about his time on the "Biggest Loser" and how he went from being winded trying to walk across a room, to now running olympic length marathons....IMPRESSIVE huh?

Wednesday night the Love Your Body Week committee showed the movie "Thin".  The movie follows four women through their treatment at the Renfrew Treatment facility in Florida.  A group of my friends and I went. It is a really unique movie because unlike other films of its type (about eating disorders) it shows their battles before, during and after, and it gives post treatment information on the patients.   You also see real time vitals-checks, community meetings, family meetings, and social time.

My friends and I with Chris Blackburn

I'm so glad that my campus had this program and that I got to be a part of it.  Being aware of the signs of someone with an eating disorder, or if your own eating patterns are becoming disordered or problematic is the only way to help those who need it most.  An eating disorder isn't something that someone just wakes up with one day.  It is something that is festering for months or years.  The patterns are not concrete or the same for every person.  So knowledge is the best power for us to carry.

Healthy and Fun Desserts that the Kids Can Help Make!

Dessert-Everyone Wants It, so EAT it!

Here are my top favorite desserts that are healthy, EASY, and fun to make!


Also, these are a great way to get kids and teens who love to cook involved.  Even inexperienced bakers can handle them with ease!

Kicking Off Love Your Body Week In Style

This week at my college campus is Love Your Body Week.  This is one of my favorite times of the year! This week is all about promoting healthy living and balanced lifestyles.  Today (Monday) kicks off the week with "Chalk the Walk" where students can write inspirational messages on the walkway in front of the Student Center as well as the departments putting on Love Your Body Week are handing out t-shirts to promote the week! I am going to get one in a few minutes.


Tomorrow (Tuesday) Chris Blackburn, a former contestant from the popular TV show, the Biggest Loser is coming to campus to speak.
On Wednesday they are showing the HBO documentary "Thin" which follows patients at Renfrew Center in Coconut Creek, Florida, a rehabilitation facility for individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.  They are also bringing a panel of experts to speak about the subject of fad diets, eating disorders and the difference between disordered eating and eating disorders.
On Thursday, different local vendors are coming to campus to promote their products.  All the vendors are from companies that promote healthy living and pampering yourself.  So they include spas, hair salons, Bath and Body Works, massages, gyms, etc
On Friday, it is Treat Yourself Day to finish off the week. There will be snacks, non-food treats, and the smoothie bike will be on the lawn as an interactive way to make your own smoothie or milkshake.

I had the opportunity to help plan some of the events and I get to meet the speakers both on Tuesday and Wednesday and I can't wait to hear what they have to say.


Hopefully I will be able to post some photos later this week of me at some of the events this week! But Let me tell you, I am so excited to be a part of this important week on campus and all the advocacy that follows with it.

Top 10 Ways to Make Working Out So Much Fun!

Working out is an integral part of living a balanced life.  BUT....the basic idea of working out can be really boring and a turn off for most people.  Not everyone wants to walk on a treadmill endlessly, and others would rather do that then go outside and run on actual hard pavement.  Some people work out better in groups, like an exercise class or a walking group, while others excel with private workouts.  I fall into the latter category.  I hate working out in a group.  I feel like I always have to stay on a specific pace and only do what the group is doing, so I get bored or frustrated, and then loose interest and motivation.

Baking from a Mix-The Easy Way To Make Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth!

Let's make baking fun and simple! Kids LOVE to help bake, and they love to eat the desserts even more.  So should everyone.  Sweets are an important part of a balanced lifestyle and a good way of creating variety in your balanced diet.  Below are some recipes all made from mixes, which are both healthy, and nutritious.  They satisfy your sweet cravings, while also not making you feel bad for eating them.

Adolescent Health...who is messing with it?

As someone deeply interested in Student Affairs, and with a major background in athletics and athlete mentalities, I have always had a sweet (or sore...depending on how you look at it) spot for how influences affect adolescents, especially when it comes to their health and their self-worth. Why are so many young people obsessed with their weight? And why do we always assume girls are the only victims? Are young men seemingly unaffected by eating disorders? NO WAY!

Healthy Lunches for Your On-The-Go Lifestyle!

Don't Let an On-the-Run lifestyle scare you any longer! Here are some menu options that will help you pick meals that will keep you full and balanced all day long, until you get home and can take that bubble bath and maybe a short cat nap in that favorite spot :) These balanced meals are perfect for work, the park, maybe a day trip somewhere.  Most of them don't need to be heated up.  The snacks are even kid-friendly!

Welcome to the Balance

Dear New Readers,
Hi there, my name is Monica and I am a former gymnast/dancer/cheerleader turned coach (oh the world of injuries).  Growing up I never felt like my schedule was that strenuous...  I started in dance and gymnastics, then my parents had me branch out.  I swam competitively each summer, I tried tennis, I played five years of soccer, I figure skated, and I finally just decided that dance and competitive cheerleading was the best for me.  My four-a-week practice schedule never seemed all that bad to me.  My mom probably didn't like driving me all around the county from home to school, to practice, back to home, then rinse and repeat.  But I had found my passion.  When I was old enough to start babysitting, I distinctly remember going over to my first sitting job.  It was a sunny summer afternoon on Balboa Island in Southern California (So Cal girl born and raised right here!) After the parents had left, I asked the two little girls if they wanted to walk down to the park and play on the jungle gym and the swings.  Both of them looked at me like I had just asked them if they wanted to donate a kidney.  There horror of playing outside!! I was told that they would much prefer to watch a movie and play computer games.  After talking to them further that evening I found out that they didn't play any sports,  didn't go to the park very often, and really only played on the computer and read books after school.  Reading is important; I haven't mentioned yet, but I am an English Education major, so I love to read, but being active and living a balanced life is important to.  I think this is where my passion for adolescent health and adolescent fitness started.

Fast-forward to today:  I love working with my athletes and the students I teach and I always stress to them about living a balanced life style.  It doesn't mean just eating healthy, or going outside once a week.  It is doing it all in a good balance.  It means sticking with it.  Adolescent health is important because that is where is all begins.  If adolescents can understand a balanced lifestyle, then they will be more inclined to follow it in the future.

Bye for now!
Stay balanced :)