The Universe Always Has The Better Plan For Us.

Something is for certain and that is that the Universe/God's plan is always the right plan. We might not always see things happening the way we want them to happen or on the timelines we want them to occur by, but if you are patient you will see God's plan for you! Oh, I can tell you I couldn’t wrap my mind around why I kept getting leave replacement after leave replacement, when all I wanted was my own classroom. I was upset, frustrated and confused. I knew I was an awesome science teacher, so why wasn’t anyone hiring me? After three years of taking leave replacement positions in public schools, I said to myself “They pay less but you want your own classroom, so it’s time to look into applying to private schools”

Well…. Everything Happens for a Reason, right?!!! I got a teaching job at a private school, and finally had my own classroom. The Universe had blessed me with these amazing students to teach, not just teach them science but to teach them life skills too. I was finally teaching, and I was living high on life and happy!!

After 2 years, though the happiness had worn off and I wanted out! I wasn’t happy where I was, the environment I was in felt toxic to me, and I didn’t like the person I was becoming. It was at that moment I took a leap of faith, and left the classroom I had longed for and had NOTHING lined up. To add even more fuel to the fire, I also decided I needed a whole life change and was going to make my dream of living at the beach a reality. To say I was stressed is an understatement!! I”m a fighter, and a survivor though, I knew I’d figure this out… So I put my trust in God, and responded to a Craigslist ad for a job AND a place to live. Putting my trust in God paid off as he put the coaching opportunity in my path, and while I was nervous, skeptical, and really didn’t want to spend the $40 bucks to get started… I also knew I had spent more than 40 bucks on wine and vodka, and all that did was ease the pain of my current situation, it wasn’t improving it any. I was a girl, who had no clue of what she was doing or what Beachbody was, but... loved nutrition, helping others, and had a new found love fitness! So I said “I’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain” and signed up to become a coach.

The Universe has a funny way of doing things sometimes, but they always have such a greater impact than what we think "our" plan would. My life is far from perfect, I still have struggles, but I can tell you this… I’m grateful and blessed for the struggles as well as the success in my life. Every day I’m grateful for the CL ad which crossed my path, to be working a "job" with so many amazing friends and living out my purpose of helping others live a happier, healthier, fuller life. ❤ And to think.....my eyes were so focused on having a classroom. The Universe always has the better plan for us ❤

Does the Universe have coaching in your plan?

https://motivationbymichelle.wufoo.com/forms/eternal-warrior-coaching-academy-coach-application/

Tuesday Health & Fitness Tip ~ The 3 Things to Succeed in Weight Loss

Originally today's was going to be about Halloween candy and having your kids trade in candy for money or a toy. 4 pieces of candy = a $0.25 or a small toy, but then I stumbled across this video and thought I'd share it. As I fully agree with the 3 things you need to succeed in weight loss and making a healthy lifestyle change.

Keep Smiling,
Michelle.

Tuesday Tip ~ Most Important Meal of the Day

Text EZHealthy to 313131 for weekly health and fitness tips sent right to your phone.

3 Benefits of Eating Breakfast Backed By Science

Do you want to eat more but lose weight at the same time? Impossible? What if study after study after study proved you can?

In fact, it’s one of the easiest ways to lose weight. It requires no dieting, no exercise, and no magic pill. All you have to do is not skip your breakfast. You’ll drop the pounds without having to starve.

Indeed, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It improves your memory, keeps you energized, and reduces your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Furthermore, people who regularly eat breakfast tend to be skinnier, more productive, and generally healthier.

Need more reasons to make your morning meal a daily ritual? Well, here are 3 benefits for eating breakfast proven by research and scientifically backed.

Lose Weight

You might think skipping breakfast will help stave off calories and keep your figure slim, but studies prove the opposite. People who regularly eat breakfast are more successful at losing weight and keeping it off than people who skip their morning meal.

In fact, research suggests that what we eat is just as important as when we eat. One study found that people who made breakfast their largest meal lost an average of 17.8 pounds over 3 months.  And people who made dinner their largest meal? They lost only 7.3 pounds over the same time period.

3 Benefits of Eating Breakfast Backed By Science 

It might have to do with ghrelin, notoriously known as the ‘hunger hormone‘. Located in our stomach, ghrelin sends signals to our brain and  makes us want to eat, especially foods loaded with fat. It also makes us feel good, really good. In fact, ghrelin and cocaine activate the same regions in the brain, highly motivating us to indulge our cravings – even if we’re full.

So if you skip your breakfast, you’ll increase your ghrelin levels, causing you to crave high-carb snacks that are just too good to pass up! On the other hand, starting your day with breakfast 30 to 90 minutes after waking up may quicken our metabolism, regulate your blood sugar, and reduce your ghrelin levels (and subsequently, your cravings). 

Enhance Your Cognitive Performance

If you’re between the ages of 6 and 16, good news – breakfast makes you smarter.

One study looked at test results of over 1386 kids and found that eating breakfast gave themsuperior cognitive performance, especially when it came to memory and attention span. Now you’re probably long out of grade school, but the benefits are likely to carry across all age groups. Ask yourself, don’t you feel better, more alert and full of energy after a bowl of cereal? Imagine how you’d feel adding some low-carb, high-fiber and protein foods to the mix.

While you might not be able to say no to Honey Nut Cheerios, definitely say yes to top brain foods like walnuts, spinach, berries and avocados. Even dark chocolate, coffee, and sardines are cognitive enhancers and optimal breakfast choices. Not only will these super foods improve brain function, they’ll protect against age-caused cognitive decline and encourage focus and clarity.  You can even find a solution for your healthiest meal of the day in a nutrition dense protein shake, likeShakeology! 

Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease

If skipping breakfast increases your risk of heart disease, than not skipping breakfast lowers it. At least, that’s what one monumental 16 year study following 26,902 male professionals between the ages of 45-82 claims.

Those who reported they frequently skipped breakfast had a “higher risk of a heart attack or fatal coronary heart disease … even after accounting for modest differences in diet, physical activity, smoking and other lifestyle factors.” The men who did eat their breakfast were 27 percent less likely to have a heart attack or die from coronary heart disease than the men who skipped this incredibly important meal.

The study also found that men who did not eat breakfast tended to be young, unmarried smokers who worked full time. Now that doesn’t mean skipping breakfast will lower the chances of finding your significant other nor will eating breakfast decrease your job opportunities. Rather, it shows that the lifestyles of these young men included not eating breakfast, which in turn leads to a greater risk of heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

So there you have it; eating breakfast will help you lose weight, make you smarter, improve your health, and possibly just save your life. The question is now, what do you eat?

Your Daily Dose of Dense Nutrition

Not all of us have the time to prepare a gourmet meal for breakfast. Some of us barely have time to find our keys, let alone brew a cup of coffee before we’re out the door and on our way to work.

But if you’re looking for a way to lose weight with a delicious, why not try a protein packed and nutrient-rich shake? They’re fast, easy to make, and their taste is only limited by your creativity. That’s why there’s Shakeology from Beachbody.

Not only can you whip up one of these delicious shakes in LESS THAN ONE MINUTE,Shakeology’s Your Daily Dose of Dense Nutrition that’s packed with incredible amounts of protein, antioxidants, phytonutrients, prebiotics, enzymes, and many rare superfoods from around the world that your body desperately needs and craves.* Plus, Shakeology helps to significantly increase your energy levels, as well as reduce junk food cravings.

And because Shakeology’s key ingredients are derived from whole food sources, your body will be able to easily absorb and utilize the nutrients you’re feeding it immediately.

http://www.gettingfittogether.com/3-benefits-of-eating-breakfast-backed-by-science/#!148

7 Tips for Busy Moms: How to Exercise at Home

When it comes to stay-at-home or work-at-home moms, knowing how to exercise at home is often not just a matter of timing, but setting your environment, arranging something for your children while you are exercising, and planning out both warm-up and recovery routines. With so much thought required for home exercise, many moms do not take the time to exercise, even though they know the health benefits: physical, emotional and mental. 

With the issues faced by moms in mind, these 7 tips will help you take the time to exercise without undue stress:

1. Schedule – There is a reason the best classrooms have regular periods every day, predictable activities and more. There is also a reason kids complain any time a new teacher or substitute messes with the plan. Schedules are comforting and predictable, and ensure that life will have some structure to work around. When you are beginning a home exercise routine, it is important that it becomes a part of your regular schedule. If you have school age children, fit it in in the morning after they have gotten out to school. With younger children, exercise during nap times or quiet time. 

2. Set the Environment – In the busy living spaces we call home, there is rarely space to set up a complete exercise room. But, moms can set the environment by putting exercise materials out by some open floor space. Pick space which will not interfere with other family activities when you do your regular exercising. 

3. Set Your Goals – Exercise is an important part of healthy living, but the vague goal of “being healthy” is rarely enough to overcome the challenges to a regular home exercise routine. What motivates you to workout needs to be measurable (lose 30 pounds, run a marathon) and have a time frame. Without the motivation from a great goal, you will not overcome your natural inertia.

4. Involve Others – As a parent, there are two groups of people who can help you exercise, free of charge. Friends and your family. Some moms don’t have enough time with their children, some don’t have enough time with their friends. Let that desire for fellowship push your daily activity. Whether it is planning that parent/child run your teenager has been begging you for, or taking a morning jog with a friend, the companion will inspire you to continue exercising, and vice-versa. With modern technology, you can not only connect with friends and family through home-based exercise routines, but also connect with nutrition and fitness coach on mobile computing devices. 

5. Regular Warm-Up and Cool-Down Routines – Often a big obstacle to in home workouts is the mental energy it takes to decide what to do. With regular stretching and warm-up routines at the beginning of your exercise, you will have time to calm down and focus on what your exercise goals are. With a regular cool-down routine, you will be able to take time to plan how to do the rest of your day, without stressing about how to cool down. Don’t forget that your cool-down and recovery program needs to include quick nutrition like a quality shake.

6. Plan Nutrition – From the cool-down recovery program to your regular meals and snacks, nutrition is a key part of any exercise planning system. Get rid of the sugary and fatty snacks: yogurt, nuts and fruit, and cheese are all healthy, easy alternatives to the candy and bagged goods (chips, pretzels, etc) which moms so often use. Our “101 Healthy Shake Recipes” is a great free resource for building your nutrition. 

7. Plan on Failing – Whether you are just starting home based exercise or are a pro, the secret to a great program is it makes you stretch. The important thing about stretch goals is you often don’t hit them. This is a positive thing: you can learn how to better plan, set more appropriate goals and gain better health. Do not beat yourself up when you do not hit your goals, when your exercise takes too much out of you or when family gets in the way. Rest, recuperate, learn, and get back in the saddle. 

An exercise at home routine is only one decision away, so why not start your work outs today?

http://www.gettingfittogether.com/7-tips-for-busy-moms-how-to-exercise-at-home/#!148

How To Get Fit Fast in 3 Easy Steps

 

Let’s face it, our New Year’s Resolutions don’t stick quite as easily as the weight does. With summer upon us and nearly half the year over, your beach bod may not elicit the ‘wows’ you had hoped for.

But don’t sweat it. There’s still plenty of time to shape up and get fit fast. Whether your goal is to lose weight, slim down, build muscle or gain strength, this guide will help you along on the way.

Step 1: The Diet

The diet – perhaps one of the most difficult actions to take in your fitness regime. Let’s discuss the foods you should be eating, rather than the meal choices that will compromise your progress. You want foods that are full of nutrients and protein that start slimming down your waistline the moment they enter your mouth.  Vegetables, fruits, lean meats, legumes, fish and low-fat dairy products build muscle, burn fat, and keep your body well-nourished and performing optimally.

Try to eat as many of the foods below:

• Salmon, tuna, and mackerel for muscle building proteins.
• Yogurt and cheese strengthen your bones and fire up weight loss.
• Spinach and kale to fight free radicals, improve muscle recovery.
• Beans and legumes to build muscle, burn fat, and regulate digestion.
• Beet juice for stamina, berries for satiety, grapefruit for metabolism.
• Leans meats like turkey to build muscle and strengthen your immune system.

These foods are chock full of proteins, nutrients, and health benefits to help you get into shape faster and your muscles roaring. It goes without saying ( but let’s say it anyways ) that burgers, fries, chocolate cake and the like should be eaten sparingly, or you’ll put right back on whatever weight you lost.

With that said, sacrifices at the dinner table aren’t enough. You’re going to need to get off the couch and move.

Step 2: The Cardio

To lose weight, you must create a caloric deficit, meaning your body needs to burn off more calories than it takes in. Cardio workouts are not only the best way to create a caloric deficit and shed some pounds, but it also encourages a healthy heart, improves blood circulation, and makes your body lean.

Whether you decide to bike around your neighborhood, get some miles in on the treadmill, or swim laps in a pool, you should aim for at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular activity to reduce the risk of heart disease and fight off any gains in weight. But if you want to get lean, you’ll need to double that time to start seeing results.

Remember, your options aren’t limited to the gym: mow the lawn, play with the dog, go dancing or clean up the house are great activities to help burn calories and keep you in shape.

Step 3: The Workouts

Now it’s time to get your body looking toned and fit. Adding strength training to your fitness regime will enhance your metabolism, improve your strength, while helping you get lean or gain muscle mass depending on the exercise. 

To sculpt your arms, upper back, shoulders and chest you’ll need to invest in some weights or head on over to your local gym. Bench presses, shoulder presses, lunges and dips are great ways to bulk up your muscles, spike your metabolism, and get a lot stronger.  Try to do some weight training 3-4 times a week on non-cardio days. Remember to start off light, gradually adding more weight to avoid injuries, and to take a day or two off to let your body rest.

To do some belly blasting and reduce those love handles crunches, sit-ups, air bikes and Russian twists will help flatten your midsection without the need for equipment. If these are a bit mundane for you, search or ask around the gym or web for tummy toning exercises that work just as well, if not better.

To top off your fitness regime, add some yoga to the mix for a bit of mind and body exercise. Whether you join a class or practice in your living room, yoga is a great way to improve your balance, flexibility and your overall health and well-being.

Staying Motivated

Getting fit requires discipline and motivation. Getting fit fast requires the same, plus an iron-will. But both start with the right mind-set. In fact, the only obstacle preventing you from a beautiful body and exceptional health is your motivation.

Getting fit alone can quickly get frustrating. Without the right guidance and advice it can even be dangerous. But support is there.

If you’re looking for the best place to get fit fast, Beachbody On Demand provides hundreds of online workouts proven to get you burn off calories and get you ripped. You can stream all the world-class programs right from your computer, get unique meal plans customized to your goals, and  connect with others, so you don’t have to do it alone.  

It’s a great way to stay motivated. On top of that, you’ll get your own personal coach for one-on-one guidance and support to help you get fit even faster.

http://www.gettingfittogether.com/how-to-get-fit-fast-in-3-easy-steps/#!148

I Wonder….

On a daily basis I wonder what life would be like if this amazing opportunity hadn’t came into my life. I wonder if I didn’t responded to a Craiglist ad and looked more into this whole "coaching" thing where I would be. I was at a crossroads in my life, I was in the process of a life change and needed more. I needed something which was going to make me feel more like myself and to continue to make my health a priority....NEVER in a million years did I imagine creating a career of this and never did I think I would get to impact other people's lives for a living through working out and living healthy myself. Never did I think this was how I was going to keep a promise to college professor who past away. Never did I think it would help me really take my health seriously because I knew others needed me to show them how possible it is to live healthy, workout, juggle what life throws at you and even on top of that struggling with health issues. I wasn't your picture perfect candidate to become a coach...didn't have perfect health and wasn't in amazing shape. But I jumped in anyway and built my wings on the way down, was is scary HELL YEAH but I learned and helped others as the days passed. As a "coach "- I am not an expert or do I know it all...I'm an expert at MY journey though and what I’ve been through. I share and inspire through what I'm doing on a daily basis...it's the most AMAZING job on the planet... Lol I'm totally convinced of that....
So if any of this sounds like you or like something you really want to look into to see "hey..maybe that might be something I could do" then I would love to have you join us for our What is Coaching Call, Wednesday, February 18th, where you can learn more about what I do as a coach and how helping others is the key to living a happy and rewarding life. Not only that but this will help you get YOU into the best shape of your life… you can't beat the amount of GROWTH you will experience for jumping into this. This call will answer all your questions and will also go through a complete rundown of what your first month will look like as an OWNER of your own health and fitness business too so it will take out all the guess work.

If you are interested in joining please me at motivationbymichelle@gmail.com so I can send you the info about the call so you can join us! Excited for our call and excited to get to mentor you through this!

ps. **you can NOT already be a coach or working with another coach please**

Mindfulness

More and more we are hearing people myself included say "Be in the moment" or "Be present" but what heck does it really mean… It means to be grateful for the breathe you just took. To be aware of your surrounding and cherish what is happening in the here and now. Take a moment and think back to your Thanksgiving dinner last week and how many people at the table had their phone out. How many people took at picture of the table and posted it to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumbler, Snapchat, Pinterest or where else social media has taken over our lives.  How many people where texting during dinner or as soon as dinner was over? I'm sure there was at least one person in everyone's family who had their phone out. This is because we live in a society of instant gratification and contact. We have forgotten how to appreciate the little things in life, such as a meal with out loved ones. We would rather talk to some through an electronic device then face to face. Sorry… I'm going off on a tangent here… back to mindfulness…

A great way to help you live a more mindful life is with mindfulness meditation. Since I brought mindful meditation into my life a few years ago the changes I've seen in myself and my life have been amazing. Below is a great info graph from Health Central which describes mindlessness meditation, the science behind meditation, which I personally find fascinating, and both the mental and physical benefits of meditation.

Tomorrow I will share with you one of my favorite Kundalini meditations for letting go of the ego.

Keep Smiling,
Michelle :-)

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil... some people love it, and some don't know where to begin in using it.  Coconut oil can be used over 101 different ways from cooking to skin care and everything in between. Today we are going to focus on the health benefits don't worry as we get into the summer I will share all the skin care ways coconut oil can be used. 

Lets start with the basics… 

1. What is coconut oil? 

Coconut oil is the edible oil extracted from the meat of mature coconuts. 

2. What are some of the health benefits? 

Oh this list goes on and on from killing pathogens, to burning fat and increasing energy to reducing your hungry, reducing your cholesterol and by personal favorite boosting brain function.  However, for more detail we are going to turn to Kris Gunnar and his great article on the Top 10 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Finally, doctors recommend adults to have about 3.5 tablespoons of coconut oil a day in their diet to take in an equivalent amount of lauric acid a nursing infant would receive.