Here are some tips on how you can be more mindful. Whether it's mindful eating or other mindful aspects of your life such as working out, driving, or interacting with people. So, the number one is meditation. I can't say enough about it. It physically changes your brain. It helps regulate your emotions and your stress. It clears your head. You could think of meditation as an exercise in mindfulness.

So the more that you meditate, the more will help you be more mindful. Breath work and breathing is another great way to be more mindful. So even just counting your breaths, doing box breathing which is breathing in for four, pausing for four and breathing out for four, that could also help with mindfulness and really bringing down your stress levels and raising your awareness.

Then finally when it comes to mindful eating, you want to put your fort down and then count that number of chews. Especially if you're a fast eater and you find that you want to chew what's on your mouth before...

When it comes to eating mindfully, it's really about being self-aware. And so how do you carry that over into other aspects of your life? So in addition to eating mindfully, you'd want to workout mindfully. Maybe when you go outside for a walk, you want to take in the sounds, the smells, the sights. When you're working out, you really want to focus on your workout.

Again, not distracting yourself to ensure that you are focused and you are mindful and you are feeling all the feels right? I think a lot of times, people rush thru things or stay distracted and it's not really beneficial. Whether that's eating, working out, interacting with people, being mindful is so super important. And it's really important to use all of your senses, your sight, sound, smell, all of them. You want to carry that into other aspects of your life. I know, I'm sure you've gone through where you've driven somewhere and you don't even recollect how you got there because your mind just completely zones out....

What is mindful eating? Mindful eating is when you really take the time to think about what you're eating. And what does that mean? That means slowly chewing your food, it means really tasting it and using all five senses. So looking at the colors, smelling your food, really tasting it and chewing it slowly. I think that's an important point.

Many people rush through their meals. Maybe you'll have digestion issues, you're feeling bloated. So when you mindfully eat, it's really slowing down the pace of how you eat and being very deliberate. It's also important to not have any distractions. So I know people like to frequently eat in front of the TV, eat while looking on their phone, reading a book. Mindful eating is about really making your meal an experience. So that means putting away all the distractions, sitting down to your meal and really just enjoy the food. That's also going to help you recognize when you're full. So those are just a few ways to incorporate mindful eating...

So when it comes to movement and workouts, you really want to prioritize weight training. Weight training is a great way to not only build muscle but it's gonna help with your mobility, it's gonna help prevent injury especially as we get older, we lose muscles as we get older. So you really want to make a focused effort to make sure you get enough protein, that you are lifting weights. If you're unsure where you'll get started, start with body weight workouts. So squats, push ups, pull ups. Those basics will set you up to be able to start getting into more weights using heavier dumbbells. That is really how you "get toned". Its not "getting toned", it's building muscle. And you really need to challenge yourself and lift heavy to do that.

So if those two-pound pink dumbbells don't feel like a challenge and you could quickly do reps, you really want to lift a weight where it is a challenge to get thru ten reps, eight reps because that is really how you build muscles. So I always tell...

This month's theme is all about movement and the first topic I want to cover is cardio I know many people try to kill themselves with cardio in an effort to lose weight. But when it comes to losing weight and making sure that your metabolism is operating at the most optimal rate, it's really important to build muscle. So you want to prioritize weight training, which I'll talk more about in a separate video, but cardio should be used as a tool for weight loss. If your primary goal is heart health or you're marathoner or triathloner, then cardio is going to be your primary workout.

However, if you're just looking to lose weight, build muscle, and get lean (or a lot of people like to call it "get toned"), you really want to use cardio sparingly and for overall heart health. What does that mean? That means using cardio maybe one high intensity workout a week, maybe one steady-state workout. But it's really important to make sure that you rest enough. A lot of people like to focus...

4 Tips to Overcoming Intimidation at the Gym 

Going to the gym can be incredibly intimidating, especially if you’re unsure where to start. But getting into a regular gym regime is a key component to a healthy lifestyle. So how do you overcome your unfounded fear? Here are 5 tips to conquer your gym-phobia:

1. Take a tour.
   Half the battle is not knowing where anything is located. Get a thorough tour to look at all the equipment, class offerings, locker room and any other areas that you think you’ll be using. This could be the pool, steam room, sauna, spin class area, yoga room, etc.
   
   
2. Sign up with a friend or get a few training sessions.
   Isn’t everything easier to do with a buddy? If you can’t get a friend or significant other to join with you, sign up for some onsite training. After one or two sessions, you’ll get comfortable with the layout of the gym and get into a routine.
   
   
3. Find the right time for you.
   You may be intimidated when you first walk in. I...

Check out this guest post from Cristina Panagopoulus. If you’re in the Chicago area and want an in-person trainer, be sure to look up Cristina.

What does it mean to be healthy? 

Being healthy is a broad term. There is no "one" way to be healthy BUT there is a way for you to be healthier. I always tell clients that making smaller steps in the right direction can do wonders. For example, if you eat out every day for lunch try bringing your lunch instead. Or perhaps you don't care for vegetables. Start incorporating them week by week. Try something new at the grocery store you don't normally eat. Being healthy, for the most part, is making small steps to living a long life. Make your food instead of buying it pre-made. Eat out once a week. Exercise 4-5 times a week. Eat more vegetables and less processed foods. Taking the steps to change your lifestyle will keep you living a healthy life.

How can people stick to their New Year’s...

My Top 3 Tips to Get into Competition-Ready Shape

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to compete in another bodybuilding competition this summer and my ultimate goal is to get my pro card in one of tougher natural federations called the OCB (Organization of Competition Bodies). The OCB only allows competitions who attain their physique without the use of drugs or diuretics. This it what makes this competing with this federation more difficult and more rewarding

I work full-time, manage a family and still find the time/effort to prep for figure competitions. It’s not always easy, but anything worth achieving usually isn’t easy. It’s doable even with a crazy lifestyle.

Tip #1 - Make your goal a top priority and have a deadline.

When I plan to compete, I need to select a federation, date, and location. Normally I try to pick shows that are close to home so there is minimal disruption for my family. That said, I also try to be realistic about how much weight I...