 In 1997 Peter Martins, the then-artistic director of New York City Ballet, released "New York City Ballet Workout, Fifty Stretches and Exercises Anyone Can Do for a Strong, Graceful, and Sculpted Body." Being the dutiful aspiring professional dancer that I was, I eagerly did all the exercises hoping that a multitude of leg lifts would produce the same results I saw on the beautifully photographed pages. Underneath it all I knew that no amount of floorbarre would replace an economical calorie budget and 6-8 hours daily of strenuous cardiovascular rehearsal paired with nightly performances.
Fast forward to present, with a full dance career, 18 years of teaching Pilates and two nutrition certifications under my belt, I'll still fall into the trap of buying a model's meal plan or an influencers pdf of the Victoria's Secret Workout routine just to check myself and see if there is something I am missing. I would say 97 percent of the time I'm not. So this may seem wildly conflicting, because I literally have an ON DEMAND platform where you can do all the fun dancer-y moves I like to string together. And will it help your posture, muscle tone, core and flexibility? ABSOLUTELY. But I also offer nutrition coaching because following a video or a meal plan is relatively straightforward. Recognizing what is stopping you from doing the thing you say you want, now that's what's tricky. Just as they say that 20 percent of your actions create 80 percent of your results the same goes for when you are working towards achieving wellness goals. But if your plan is 97 percent information and only 3 percent implementation then you might find yourself overwhelmed and frustrated. So I've identified some common blocks that may be keeping you from showing up for Pilates or carving out time for meal prepping. BLOCK #1: I have a lot of clients who confess to me that they hate doing abs but they probably need to because their midsection is their "problem area." Feeling obligated is the fastest route to killing your motivation and here's why: most likely you were taught that being toned, skinny or fit would gain you approval and attention. But there is always going to be a part of you that wants to be accepted not matter what, as you are. And that part of you is going to throw a big ass temper tantrum each time you get close to a goal. Have you ever picked a fight with your significant other just to make sure they care about you? Yeah, it's like that. THE FIX: Send all the barking gym teachers, nagging parents, and "summer body" messaging packing. Thinking back, are the people who were critical of you in fabulous shape? Most likely not. Even on the off chance they were rocking an amazing body, looking back can you detect that their physical fitness was a flimsy cover for their flagging self-esteem? Or maybe their body was in order but their bank account or personal relationships were in a shambles. A wise woman once said to me " there is plenty on time to do what you want to do... just not enough time to do what everyone else wants you to do." It's important for you to determine what YOU value, just not trying to be a size 2 because it's a status symbol like having this season's bag or driving the right car. What makes sense for your budget, schedule and energy levels? What makes you FEEL good? I know if I don't do a bit of strength training my neck really hurts. I also know if I mainline coffee all day I end up with a raging headache. However just by lifting some weights and eating consistently throughout the day my metabolism is going to go faster and I'm less likely to be bloated. A win-win situation if you ask me. BLOCK #2: Change means letting things go and doing things differently... that can feel like you are losing your entire identity. These themes are woven deeply inside our thought processes. It may be hard not to clean your plate if your grandmother lived through the Depression and had to freeze milk to make sure her family had enough calcium to keep their teeth. It might seem selfish to admit you might need more than a can of Spam for a meal if you're just a few generations removed from wartime rations. Understandably investing in a coach or a Pilates class may feel not as wise as investing in something tangible like a pair of shoes or a sweater. THE FIX: The first step is recognizing that times have changed. In our current day and age many of the diseases we see are what Traditional Chinese Medicine would be classified as "diseases of excess." Meaning that we are seeing a lot of adverse reactions to having too many rich, heavy and processed foods. In addition, in order to prevent food shortages a wide range of foods are treated with substances to increase their shelf life. However, these substances also make it harder for our bodies to break down (gluten and wheat sensitivities have now entered the chat). Not only does chronic disease impact our health but it also affects our bottom line. In my early days as a business owner a client and I did a cost analysis comparison of back surgery vs. twice weekly Private Pilates. And even with insurance defraying some of the medical costs Pilates won by a landslide. She was so glad to have a strong flexible spine, with toned abs and glutes to match, she even had some money leftover for a new cute pair of shoes. Find ways to honor and appreciate those who paved the way before us by building on the foundation they gave us. BLOCK #3: Awareness is great but the next step requires a huge leap of faith. If you attach your value to making other people happy or if the driving force behind your choices is fear of isolation then this may be the hardest step yet. In TCM many addictive behaviors are traced back to abandonment issues. So whatever is your vice be it sugar, alcohol, caffeine, artificially flavored snacks, workaholism, shopping, social media or some combination of the above, we all use something to numb our nervous system. The issue is that this never really allows us to fully heal our insecurities. In fact, we usually end up needing more and more to fill the ever-deepening void because we have gotten used to abandoning our need for true nourishment and connection. THE FIX: Where are you saying yes when you mean no? Are you staying up late bingeing Netflix with your partner when you'd rather get some rest? Are you taking seconds of Aunt Edna's casserole when you are full? Maybe you're working extra hours because you feel "guilty." I love the phase "it's lonely at the top" because nothing can be more true in the short term. The hard truth is if your friends don't want you to do what's best for you they are not really your friends. If your customers are only looking for discounts there will be others who don't want to race to the bottom. From a nutrition standpoint I view change as restructuring your energetic budget so that you can eliminate sneaky life-sapping vampires and have more to devote to the things that will go the distance for you. And if you want some support while you upgrade come up here with me. The view is great and the air is SO nice.
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 A lot of clients I see with shy away from working out. It's not because they don't want to feel sore or they are afraid of working hard. It's because they feel their body doing the exact opposite of what they are trying to accomplish. Instead of feeling lean and energized they feel swollen and their clothes seem tight and uncomfortable. Maybe you've experienced this... you have started a new workout regimen only to wake up days or weeks later feeling puffy and inflamed with a headache that lasted forever, thinking you should have just sat in your chair with a cup of coffee instead of going on those hot girl walks.
While this is a natural part of the body’s healing process, there are things you can do to help you stay comfortable while you build strength and endurance. We know that starting off slowly, drinking lots of water and incorporating stretching will help with recovery time. But try these tips based in Chinese Nutritional Therapy to help you stay calm cool and collected especially as we approach the warmer months. EAT THE RAINBOW, BUT keep in mind blue & green foods tend to be more cooling and orange and red tend towards the warmer side… there are exceptions and ways to use spicy foods to cool the body so click the button at the bottom of the page to learn how you can tailor your food choices to you. COOK TIME- The length of time we cook something affects how much heat it produces in the body. That’s why in the wintertime we eat more soups and stews and things that have been simmered longer. In the spring steaming and stir fry is the way to go. This is also why processed foods can create more inflammation because they absorb alot of heat during production. So cutting back on baked goods, crackers, chips and fried foods may help you feel better. GET GROUNDED- if you tend to get inflamed or have headaches your energy is coming up and out too fast. Sour and salty flavors draw energy in and down so have some grapefruit or some olives to help rebalance and rehydrate. Bonus, the lemon miso soup pictured above checks all those boxes. If you want to learn more on how to prevent inflammation, improve digestion, boost metabolism and stabilize weight then click the button below to find out how we can work together.  Springtime is here in Los Angeles and I am so happy to announce I have completed my course in Chinese Nutritional Therapy. Incorporating dietary recommendations from acupuncture practice has helped me greatly throughout the years and has always been a dream of mine to pass along to my clients. This is especially impactful when you consider that the first vitamin was isolated in 1926 (it was Thiamin for you trivia junkies out there btw). So that means that less than a hundred years ago modern western nutritional science was just beginning, meanwhile a practice like acupuncture originated over 3000 years ago.
I named Sun/Shadow Studios to embrace the contrast in our nature: the light and the dark, the old and the new, the structure and the flow, the science and the art. Allowing the play between the two is, in my opinion, more powerful than following any plan or program to the letter. I blame the Gemini in me for reserving the right to never have to choose ;) Part of my work with clients is helping them understand how their emotions may affect their choices and behaviors around food. The weather and time of year also affect our mood (hello seasonal affective disorder). I love helping people incorporate nutrition and movement practices that support them through the different eras of their life. Spring is traditionally a time where the snow is thawing, or depending on where you live there may be a rainy season and things are more damp. We need this to happen so the water can go into the ground and nourish the plants as they say "April showers bring May flowers." Problems arise if we are not able to circulate the water in and efficient way, there may be floods, or mold if water gets trapped. The same happens in our bodies. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (known as TCM for short) dampness is associated with sadness or depression. Physically this can manifest as unsexy symptoms like lethargy, colds, phlegm or edema. The main recommendations for this time of year are to help move energy upwards and outwards and to work in harmony with the energy of the season. We want to encourage the seeds of action that have been germinating all winter during holiday gatherings to finally bloom. Practices like eating more of the color greens (think things that sprout up out of the ground like leeks chives, scallions, cilantro, mint, and romaine) and moving a bit more help disspel excess water and encourage new growth. I love how this benefits body, mind and soul. Think about how you feel after you've had a good cry and you've released actual physical water from your body. You feel lighter, maybe calmer, right? Or maybe you've worked up a little sweat... how do you feel then? However, many times when we are sad we may reach for heavier foods to comfort us or we may just feel like becoming one with the furniture (been there, done that!). And while rich moisturizers may be great for that trendy "glass skin" look, heavier foods like meats, fried foods, baked goods, cheeses & eggs can "trap" the moisture making us feel more weighed down. Another saying that comes to mind here is the physics quote based on the observation of Issac Newton, "Bodies in motion will stay in motion, bodies at rest will stay at rest." It may feel counterintuitive to get up and moving or make a nice hemp seed basil pesto (seeds are a great lighter alternative to nuts at this time as well fyi), but it can be just what is needed to put you back in balance. So if you're feeling a little waterlogged or wanting to get some more pep in your step then experiment with eating more greens and moving a bit more. And if you're wanting to know more of how to apply these practices reach out to me via email [email protected] for more information on how we can work together.  As we move away from diet culture and towards body acceptance I find many of my clients feeling confused. Can you still love and accept your body and want to change it? And if so, how to do this in a kind and sustainable way? The answer, is yes, you can! But first, I feel it is important to break down differences between dieting and mindful eating and learn how to find a structure that works for you.
There are two main differences between dieting and mindful eating. The first difference is that dieting relies on a set of concrete external rules such as what, when and how much to eat. Mindful eating is a practice of observing the body's sensations while eating. When, what and how much food is determined by the person eating responding to internal hunger and fullness cues. The second difference is that dieting is primarily a results-oriented process, meaning that the goal of a diet is usually to lose a certain amount of weight or to manage certain health conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. Studies have shown while dieting may work in the short term that a very small percentage of subjects who lost weight while dieting were able to maintain the weight loss. Weight cycling can also affect mood, causing depression in many chronic dieters. Mindful eating is more process-oriented, meaning that mindful eating is a long-term practice that is honed by each eating experience. According to Joseph B. Nelson in Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat, "Mindful eating is not directly linked with weight loss, however experts believe with a mindful approach, the person’s choices often are to eat less, savor eating more, and select foods consistent with desirable health benefits." Experts also believe even if the goal is to manage a certain health concern mindful eating may have better long-term results than dieting. Sooooo what if you feel your best a few pounds lighter or want to rock a six pack for the summer? Considering females start dieting at the age of 8, jumping straight into mindful eating may be like going zero to 90. The trick is to use what we know about how the body responds to too much or not enough food to create a structure that works. Structure done well actually is freeing. We are not talking about rigid rules like only wearing pink on Wednesdays or not eating carbs after 7pm. We are talking about guidelines. Read below for some of my favorites: Plan meals and snacks about 3-5 hours apart to prevent blood sugar crashes When blood sugar gets too low forget savoring our bodies need food like yesterday and carbs and sugar are the fastest way to get blood glucose back up. We are also more likely to overeat past the point of comfortable fullness and in a quantity that our body can't assimilate. Whatever we can't use gets stored for later regardless if it was a carbohydrate, protein or fat. Plan meals you like Look I know quinoa is very healthy but I have to add so much dried fruit and dressing by the time I'm done I could have had a side of French fries and been satisfied with less. A good rule of thumb is to use the Plate method. The plate method means one half of your plate is veggies or fruits, one quarter is protein, one quarter carbohydrate. So yes one quarter French fries add a salad with some protein and enjoy. Move your body in a way that you love at least three days a week to lower stress levels and boost endorphins Studies have shown when we feel better we make better food choices. Also, lean muscle tissue boosts metabolic rate, exercise improves posture. Good posture makes you look taller and therefore leaner regardless of body weight. Exercise is only one piece of the puzzle so make sure you're being mindful if you're crazy hungry after workouts. If you need help bridging structure and flexibility please email [email protected] for more information on Nutrition Therapy services. Also, if you know someone who may benefit from this information please feel free to share!  In my last blog post I set out a perfectly sensible framework for when it comes to mindful movement and healthy eating. But here is the truth: rules are made to be broken and sometimes "being bad" feels so good. Read on for how to embrace your inner rebel and look cooler than ever.
Rule #1 Plan meals and snacks about 3-5 hours apart It's true that waiting too long in between meals can cause all sorts of headaches, poor decision making, hangry arguments and even mess with your cortisol levels. From a metabolic viewpoint the idea of eating regular meals is that when our bodies go too long without fuel we and we have used up all our blood glucose our bodies will then turn to our stores to supply energy. Muscle is easier for our bodies to break down than fat. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, constantly skipping meals then overeating puts our bodies in a vicious cycle which can slow metabolism. Break the rule When you're legitimately not hungry don't stress it. Look, your metabolism will not grind to a screeching halt if you don't pull off to the nearest Starbucks and have a protein plate every 180 minutes. If you know you have a meal or snack coming up in the next hour or so and you know you have enough fuel to get you there, no biggie. Also, say you waited a bit too long and had an extra piece of bread at your meal... you're not going to gain a pound of fat instantaneously. Trust your body, it knows what to do. Rule #2 Plan meals you like It's crazy how diet/ health foods have changed throughout the years. Remember when bagels were healthy because they were low-fat? Or when kale wasn't even a glimmer in our eye? The point is that we tend to like things because they are familiar. Because mindful eating is ultimately more sustainable than dieting it is easy to confuse mindful eating with habit. But sometimes the things that seem "healthy" or feel good temporarily aren't moving the needle literally and figuratively. This leaves us feeling frustrated, burned out and confused. Break the rule Time to do a meal audit. The way I do this with clients is I look at what they normally eat. Then I look at what their dream meal would be. Trail mix is healthy. Protein bars are healthy. But so are tacos. Comparatively, looking at the nutritional information you'll get the same amount of calories yet more vegetables, lean protein, healthy carbohydrates with tacos. Also, clients are less likely to overeat later in the day because they "just had a snack for lunch." Just as self-care isn't all bubble baths and face masks mindful eating isn't all pizza and doughnuts. Taking a closer look at your meals isn't always sexy but it can payoff big time. #3 Move your body in a way that you love at least three days a week to lower stress levels and boost endorphins This one. Exercise has so many benefits, from stress reduction to injury rehabilitation and prevention. It can decrease lower back and shoulder pain. It increases flexibility. Studies show that physical fitness is a better marker of health than weight. This means that a body that exercises regularly but is at a higher weight is scientifically shown to be less at risk for heart disease and diabetes than a smaller body that is sedentary and doesn't exercise. Click the link here to learn more about HAES principals. Break the rule When you are tired. When you are injured. When you are blowing off friends for exercise. When you've already worked out a few times this week and you don't feel like it. If you're looking to create that ellusive caloric deficit keep in mind exercise only makes up a small portion of your calorie burn for the day. Also, the more you exercise, the better your body gets at conserving calories. Most clients in turn exercise more to compensate for this, which in turn can mess with our body's ability to recognize our hunger and fullness cues. It's a slippery slope, so cut yourself some slack. If you need help bridging structure and flexibility email [email protected] for more information on Nutrition Therapy services. To see what clients are saying about the Aligned program click here. Stay tuned for more! xo, Elaine  Picture this... Its the end of the day, you're not really hungry but maybe in the mood for a snack. You go to the fridge and reach for a piece of cheese, some crackers, maybe some hummus. Twenty minutes later you've consumed half the box of crackers, the better part of the cheese and hummus along with a leftover breakfast burrito and some pasta from the night before. Throw in maybe a few handfuls of granola and a couple of protein bars covered with peanut butter because you don't keep "bad" foods in the house. You head off to sleep but maybe don't sleep the whole night through because you're waking up with an upset stomach. The next morning you feel dehydrated and puffy and not hungry at all. Until the evening hits...
During times of stress the body goes into fight or flight mode, which is basically a recipe for our anxiety to take the wheel making it trickier for us to listen to our body's hunger and fullness cues. This mode triggers our stress hormones which sometimes can feel quite addictive, giving us a high feeling that helps to numb pain and other physical sensations such as hunger. But here is the catch- what goes up must come down. When we numb our feelings of hunger we also are not able to feel our fullness. When the adrenaline high wears off our appetite seems uncontrollable. Furthermore, chronic stress can longterm elevate the hormones that make us feel hungry. This is our body compensating for the uncertainty of when the next meal or chance to rest is coming. Have you even been through a break up where you stopped eating and lost ten pounds only to quickly regain it in the following months? That's why. What should you do if you don't feel hungry OR are ravenously hungry during the day? Follow my tips below to help manage stress. The goal is to shift our nervous system from fight or flight to rest and digest. Tip #1 Schedule Breaks If we are going 100 miles an hour all day long chances are the night will come to a screeching halt right into a retaining wall made out of a giant burrito supreme, a large side of guac and chips and a quesadilla to seal the deal. Also, if you have a long day and no rest in sight mealtime may be the only semi-relaxing time built into your day. You may eat more in one sitting than you physically need just to soothe yourself. The Fix: Do schedule regular mealtimes 4-5 hours apart. Even if you only have 15 minutes spend at least one minute of that break practicing breathing exercises. I tell clients to do a five senses meditation where they close their eyes and try to identify what they are feeling. Give this feeling a smell, sound, temperature, texture and color. If you are still not hungry read a couple pages of a book or do something relaxing. Pumping the brakes regularly a few times throughout the day ensures you don't crash. Rule #2 Feel it to Heal it A certain level of decorum is required to function as an adult in this world however constantly having to "put on a happy face" or power through difficult situations is a real energy suck. When we suppress our emotions we are more likely to feel no connection to our physical hunger which can manifest as zero appetite or bottomless pit (or any combination of the two). When we allow ourselves to feel our feelings we can get clear and take appropriate action. Getting to the root cause of what is messing with your appetite is way more sustainable than constantly triaging emotions by starving them or stuffing them down. The Fix: Take a piece of paper and write down all your negative emotions, judgements about yourself, reasons why you don't deserve what you truly want. Let this be free flowing. Write about the guy who tried to negotiate your pay rate down, the friend who said you should't eat potatoes because they are too "starchy." Write about how your mom said in the 8th grade your thighs were too big to wear flare jeans or how your nose was too big to wear your hair parted down the middle. Scribble on about how you're pissed at yourself for getting that parking ticket and being late to that appointment. Let it all out. The rip it up and throw it out with the cat litter or burn it safely if that's your thing. Tip #3 Problem Solve What we have here is a classic chicken and the egg situation. Are we unhappy because we overate or did we overeat because we are unhappy? We have established not all problems can be solved by eating or skipping meals however feeling out of control around food can wear away at our self-esteem. A better relationship with rest and nourishment affects all our other relationships and vice versa. The Fix: Now it's time to focus on what makes our bodies feel good. Continue the mindfulness tips above and set appropriate boundaries, whether is is not overscheduling yourself or cutting back on going to the in-laws if it's going to create a binge situation. Plan foods you like that make you feel good and that are easy to digest and try to work those into your regular mealtimes. Recognize that at first reconnecting with physical hunger is a process and especially if you are out of practice this may take a second. Always reach out for help if you could use support bridging structure and flexibility. If you'd like additional support click here to schedule a complimentary chat. |
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