Summer is upon us, which means the mercury is rising, along with the need to drink more water. Besides the fact that water is necessary to keep you from dying from dehydration, water also does so many amazingly good things for your body.

5 Ways Water Can Help You Get Your Dream Bod

Five reasons why more H2O is the way to go!

1. Water curbs the munchies.

The brain is a fascinating thing. Many times when you think you’re hungry, you’re really just thirsty. So the next time you feel the munchies coming on, grab a glass of the clear stuff and see if that doesn’t derail your desire to dig in.

2. Water fuels your muscles.

If your body is dehydrated, you’ll experience muscle fatigue and cramps and won’t be able to get in a good workout, which makes it extra hard for your body to get defined. So if your goal is to get ripped and stay that way, pump up your water intake.

3. Water lubricates your joints.

Does your body snap, crackle, and pop a lot these days? Perhaps you need more water. Research shows that water is key to keeping your joints lubricated properly.

4. Water wakes you up.

The next time you’re jonesing for some shut-eye in the middle of the day (or when you’ve just woken up and should be full of energy), don’t reach for a caffeinated beverage. Instead, hydrate yourself with a few swigs of refreshing water. Since our bodies are comprised of approximately 75% water, when we’re dehydrated, our bodies go into conservation mode—and that’s why we feel tired. Think of how droopy a plant gets when it’s parched, and how quickly it perks up once it gets a splash of the good stuff.

5. Water flushes toxins out of your body.

We live in a toxic world and these toxins can easily build up in the body, hindering the function of your kidneys, liver, and bowels. But when you’re properly hydrated, it’s much easier for your kidneys to filter your blood, for your liver to metabolize fat, and for your intestines to move nutrients and waste through your intestinal tract.

So if you’re trying to get in shape, and stay in shape, drink more water.

How much water do you need to drink daily?

Depending on your level of physical activity and the temperature outside, the amount of water you need to consume daily may vary, but here’s an easy way to guesstimate how much of the clear stuff you may need.

Take your weight, and divide it by 2—and that’s around how many ounces your body needs daily.

But drinking water isn’t the only way to hydrate yourself. Eating water-rich foods gets it into your system as well.

Fruits and veggies with high water content:

• Watermelon • Grapefruit • Cantaloupe • Strawberries • Peaches • Oranges • Pineapple • Raspberries • Blueberries • Celery • Cucumbers • Broccoli • Zucchini • Tomatoes

Or, you could make a Shakeology® that includes some of these high water content fruits and veggies, and blend it with water and ice. Because at the end of the day, HOW you get your water doesn’t matter as much as simply making sure you DO get your water. Cheers to your health!

Shakeology recipes with high water content:

Strawberry Thunder

1 scoop Chocolate or Chocolate Vegan Shakeology
1 cup strawberries
½ cup blueberries
1 cup water

Minty Watermelon

1 scoop Vanilla Shakeology
1 cup watermelon
6 fresh mint leaves

Aqua Fresca

1 scoop Strawberry or Tropical Strawberry Vegan Shakeology
¾ cup water
½ medium peeled cucumber
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 cup ice

Strawberry Peach Paradise

1 scoop Greenberry Shakeology
½ cup strawberries
½ cup peaches
1 cup water

These recipes are great but are you ready for more?
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Brenda

5 Steps to the Best You Ever!

Did you flip the page on your calendar yet? Welcome back Monday and hello August! If you've been following me on social media and here on my blog, you know that I have a theme each month. August is all about making your health and happiness a priority. Sometimes we get so caught up in our manic lifestyles that we forget how important it is to take care of ourselves. Before you know it you start feeling like a hostage in your own body. Stress and fatigue take over and you're packing on the pounds! You catch every stinking cold and virus that comes along, you suffer from things like brain fog, chronic pain and inflammation, and you just feel out-of-control! Your declining health can be like a runaway train, and if you don't slow down and control it, you can find yourself facing a future filled with chronic health problems. Flipping that page today is the perfect excuse to get motivated and set some new goals to make your overall wellness a priority before you encounter a major health crisis.

1. Get motivated!

If someone said to you "I'll give you $1,000,000 if you lose 15 pounds in the next 30 days," would you do it? You bet you would! Is that what you're waiting for? Would that be enough to motivate you to get control of your health? What if someone said to you "If you lose 15 pounds you'll live 10 years longer and get to spend 10 more years with your kids. You'll look and feel younger. You'll be able tot live life to it's fullest at a very old age." Would you be as motivated? In your heart you know the answer should be yes, but when we're not emotionally charged, it's easy to take our health for granted. Don't wait for that crisis to happen to motivate you to change. Whether your goal is to lose weight, get fit, manage a health condition or recover from an addiction or personal struggle; the first few steps are never easy. That mental breakthrough - deciding you want to change more than you want to stay the same - is one big, fiery dragon to slay!

2. Find your reason why

Forget about the unnecessary clutter in your life and get to the real reason you want to change. Don't get caught up in the numbers on the scale or on your jeans size, get to something more powerful, more emotional. It's that deep, emotional need that will drive you to show up every day and not fail. Write it down or find some kind of visual to remind yourself why you want to change and put it where you will see it each and every day. If you do this, soon your thoughts will shape your behavior and you actions and you will be soaring towards success!

3. Set realistic goals

This is not a race. Sometimes it the small, seemingly insignificant victories that will have a huge impact on your success. For example, let's say that you drink one Coke each day. A 20 oz bottle of Coke contains 16 teaspoons of sugar. Replacing that one soda each day with water or unsweetened iced tea might not seem like it is making a difference at first, but it could cause you to lose up to 30 pounds in a year! Even without exercising one bit! So why not give it a try? What's your junk food addiction? Try replacing that 1 item with a healthier choice and watch how your body reacts. After 4 weeks you will no longer miss it. After 8 weeks you will notice a difference and after 12 weeks everyone around you will notice. So start with baby steps and build on that by forming a new healthy habit each week. Before you know it your changes will become a way of life and you will look and feel better than ever!

4. Focus on progress, not perfection

Find ways to measure your success other than the numbers on the scale or the miles you've run. Look for victories in how you feel. Do you have more energy? Are you sleeping better? Can you think more clearly? There are so many benefits to improving your health besides just losing weight or completing a marathon. When you commit to good nutrition and fitness it might take a while to see the physical transformation, but along the way you will you will have lots of small victories to build on. If you get off track a little once in a while, just begin again. Don't let a setback ruin what you've worked so hard to accomplish. A bad day doesn't equal a bad life.

5. Challenge yourself

You do not depreciate. You increase in value with age. Your body can accomplish anything your mind tells it to. So why not invest in yourself, challenge yourself and transform yourself into the best version of you possible. If you're ready to make a commitment to your health and happiness, but you're not sure where to start, an online fitness and nutrition accountability group might be the answer you are looking for. here's what's coming up in August:

• No-fail, Health & Happiness Challenge Starting Monday, August 10
• Clean Eating and Shakeology Challenge Group Starting Monday, August 17
• 21 Day Fix/ Fix Extreme Challenge Group Starting Friday, August 21
• Dance Your Booty Off with CIZE, the End to Exercise Challenge, Monday August 31

Do any of these interest you? Here's what you need to know:

• We focus on nutrition, fitness & overall well being
• Challenges last 21 - 30 days
• You will have the chance to win prizes
• We make it fun
• It's all done in a virtual gym in a private Facebook group.
• Work out in your home, and at your own pace.
• 1:1 Free personal coaching from me. I'll answer questions and give support.
• In order to see the best results, you are required to purchase a Beachbody challenge pack or complete one that you already have. Choose from over 30 programs including CIZE, 21 Day Fix, PiYo, P90X, T25, Insanity, and more!
• We're a team & we help to motivate and support each other
• There is a 30 day money back guarantee
• You can save 25% on your purchase. Ask me how.

Are you ready to make the rest of your life the best of your life? Fill out this form for more information:

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Scared to Life!

Why do we have to be standing in front of a casket to be reminded how uncertain life really is? Just a few years ago, I stood in silence - in shock - staring at my aunt lying in that casket. She was only 64 years old and without warning, without any signs of poor health, she died of what appeared to be a heart attack. As family and friends were reminiscing about her life and the memories they shared with her, my thoughts were elsewhere. I was rewinding to a conversation I had with her a few months earlier. I had just been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and my doctor asked me if anyone else in my family had the disease. "I don't know, I don't think so, no one ever mentioned it," I replied. My aunt was the family historian. I knew if I asked her about our family's medical history, she could point to someone, somewhere in my genealogy who had the disease. To my surprise, she too had suffered from RA too but chose not to reveal it. "You can't do anything about it, you just have to live with it," she said. End of story.

Unfortunately for her, the medications that are available today to slow the progression of the disease did not exist when she was diagnosed. For years, she just quietly put up with the pain and didn't complain to anyone about her struggles. RA is an autoimmune disease with no cure. If left untreated, chronic inflammation from the disease can damage the lungs, kidneys and the heart leading to a premature death. And it is estimated that as many as one third to one half of RA patients will die of coronary artery disease.









So as I listened to people paying respects to my aunt, I'll admit it, my thoughts were more selfish. I stood there terrified, wondering if I was facing the last 20 years of my life. Did the countdown begin? I stared at the expression on my kid's faces and imagined if that's what they would look like standing there looking down at me. I did not want my story to end that way. At that moment I decided to step outside of myself and take a good look at what needed to change. There's nothing that she or I did to end up with this disease, it was pre-set in our DNA. However, with some lifestyle changes, it is possible to manage RA and lessen the symptoms. For the first time in my life, my health and happiness became a priority.







So why should it take a tragedy or a crisis to scare us into taking better care of ourselves? We spend the first part of our lives on automatic. We don't require a whole lot of maintenance. We live as if there is always going to be a tomorrow, like we have all the time in the world. Most of the time, we're lucky because things work out just as we had planned. The car starts in the morning, the pizza gets delivered on time, the internet is working, the kids remember to take their lunch. But when one of those seemingly insignificant things doesn't happen, it can absolutely ruin our day. We are not prepared for things to go wrong.

But what if all of a sudden, you were faced with an even bigger problem? What if you suddenly suffered a loss, illness, divorce, economic hardship, a life crisis beyond your control -  eventually it will happen. Tragedy, especially when it hits close to home, has the ability to shake us into taking action. It forces us to re-think our priorities and hit the reset button.

I made the decision that day to make the rest of my life the best of my life. I'm happy to say that today, my RA is under control. I look and feel better than I have in years. But it wasn't easy. I had to first change my mindset, then modify my diet and make a commitment to becoming fit. It's not a temporary fix, it is ongoing. It's a new way of life that focuses on replacing unhealthy habits with better life choices. It means putting an end to life in quick and easy mode. No more skipping breakfast, frequenting drive-throughs and concession stands,  juggling stress and chaos, no more self-punishment by putting myself last and rewarding myself with late night Netflix and snacks - sound familiar? All of this was taking years off my life and making me miserable.

I want to use my story to help other people transform their lives. I want to show you how to make your health and happiness a priority now, before a crisis happens. How you can take much better care of your family if you care for yourself. I'm inviting you to Join me for a 30-day online fitness and accountability group. It's not selfish, it's personal development. When you shift your focus to the things in your life you can change and control, you will be prepared to rise above any challenge.

No-fail, Health & Happiness Challenge Starting Monday, August 10

Here's what you need to know:

• We focus on nutrition, fitness & overall well being
• Challenge will last 30 days
• We will have prizes
• We make it fun
• It's all done in a virtual gym in a private Facebook group. Work out in your home, and at your own pace.
• 1:1 Free personal coaching from me. I'll answer questions and give support.
• In order to see the best results, you are required to purchase a Beachbody challenge pack or complete one that you already have. Choose from over 30 programs including CIZE, 21 Day Fix, PiYo, P90X, T25, Insanity, and more!
• We're a team & we help to motivate and support each other
• There is a 30 day money back guarantee
• You can save 25% on your purchase. Ask me how.

Are you ready to make the rest of your life the best of your life? Fill out this form for more information:

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Brenda

Curiosity Killed the Fat!

Curious about Beachbody? I was too - for a long, long time before I decided to consider it. I knew a little about Beachbody fitness programs because my husband, Bill, used them regularly. At 50, Bill is in the best shape of his life! He tried his best to encourage me to use the fitness programs and to get in better shape and it frustrated him and the kids to see me spending so much time laying on the couch, tired and in pain. When I was 42, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. I spent 2 years trying to get pain free, and the last thing that was on my mind was getting fit!

Little by little I began to recover and after 2 years of medical treatment and modifying my diet, I received the good news I had been waiting for - my RA was in remission! I was very fortunate to be in this category and I was finally beginning to feel like my old self again. At this point, the best thing I could do for myself would be to get in shape, lose some weight and gain strength to protect myself against any future flare-ups.

It is Not Mission Impossible!

I'm not athletic and I didn't know a whole lot about fitness, and let me tell you I was overwhelmed by choices. I thought about joining a gym, but I wasn't looking forward to the drive back-and-forth plus the time it would take to complete a workout - especially in the dead of winter! Friends offered to go walking and invited me to yoga classes, but I just didn't feel like it was enough. To accomplish my goal of losing weight, getting stronger and gaining mobility, I needed to get serious! I need a complete lifestyle adjustment!

Stop Putting Yourself at the Bottom of Your To Do List!

For the longest time, I thought you only had to exercise if you wanted to lose weight. But over the past few years, I've changed the way I look at my health and I've learned to put myself at the top of my to do list. Not because I'm selfish, but because I decided to make happiness and health a priority.

Invest in Yourself, Challenge Yourself, Transform Yourself!

I lead my family by example, and I can take much better care of them if I first take care of myself.
I found success through Beachbody because it is a complete wellness system, not a fad diet. It's convenient and I can workout at my own pace and in the privacy of my own home. I have done 21 Day FIX, P90, PiYo and Slim in 6. I also drink Shakeology every day and follow a clean eating lifestyle. As a coach, I do not SELL anything except a healthy lifestyle that is based upon the principles of eating whole natural foods and regular exercise. Of course, I do promote Beachbody Fitness programs and supplements because they work! I have tried them and I know that if you follow Beachbody's blueprint, you too will get the results you want.

Share Your Success!

Not only have I transformed my body, but I now have more energy and a more positive outlook on life and today, I love to share my success with others through coaching. It's not a get-rich-quick scheme, I do it because I want to make a difference. I do it to help end the trend of obesity and to promote wellness. I do it to help give hope and encouragement to people who feel like giving up and giving in. Yes, I do work at it... but it is as rewarding as it is challenging to help people get fit and feel great, just like I did!

Still curious, CLICK HERE and read more about how Beachbody coaches change lives!

Brenda

General Mills Joins the Push for Natural Ingredients

from the Beachbody blog
Your breakfast cereal is about to get real. Like, no more artificially-colored blue moons real.

General Mills announced earlier this week that it’s phasing out artificial colors and flavors in its breakfast cereals. The company has spent the past couple years reformulating the recipes for its popular cereals, and by 2017, only natural colors and flavors will be used.

“People don’t want colors with numbers in their food anymore,” said Jim Murphy, the president of General Mills’ cereal division, in a video posted on the company’s website. “They want their food to be as real as possible, and they want their ingredient list…to represent what they would pull out of their pantry.”

General Mills certainly isn’t the first company to overhaul their recipes. Chipotle has been on a quest to remove GMO products from their menus; Kraft has pledged to replace its day-glo cheese with the real deal; and Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Subway have all recently announced plans to ditch the fake stuff. It’s no secret that market share plays a role in this growing trend — consumers, worried about the potential side effects of artificial food dyes and unpronounceable ingredients, have been favoring companies with cleaner ingredients. Companies, in turn, have been making big changes to avoid losing their increasingly health-conscious customers.

“A study that we conducted with Nielsen told us that 49 percent of households are consciously avoiding artificial flavors and colors,” Lauren Pradhan, General Mills’ Senior Marketing Manager of Wellness Strategy in their Cereal division, told Beachbody. “We wanted to tell families that 60 percent of our cereals are already there, and now the rest of our cereals will be joining them. The response has been incredibly positive throughout this entire process.”

We’re stoked to see natural ingredients trending — and pleasantly surprised to see General Mills joining the clean-eating crusade. After all, this is the company that brings us Lucky Charms, Trix, Reese’s Puffs, and Count Chocula. If they’re on board, it can only be a matter of time before natural ingredients become the norm rather than making headlines.

Cheerios, Kix, and Wheaties are among the General Mills cereals already free of artificial ingredients. But we had to wonder…how they could possibly replicate the rainbow hues of Trix and Lucky Charms using natural alternatives? The answer is pretty simple: They won’t.

While researchers and taste testers have been working tirelessly to make sure the taste stays the same, the natural colors will definitely be more muted. Much like Nicki Minaj, Trix will be abandoning its neon palette for a subtle makeunder.

Four of the six Trix colors will remain. According to the General Mills blog, they’ll use fruits and veggies (like strawberries, radishes, and blueberries) to make red and purple colors. Annatto will provide the orange color, and turmeric will be used for yellow. Sorry, silly rabbit, but there’s no natural substitute for bright blue yet.

The company expects 75 percent of its cereals to be free of artificial colors and flavors by January and they plan to hit 90 percent by the end of 2016, with the last 10 percent on board by the end of 2017. Not surprisingly, the marshmallow-y cereals will be the last to follow suit. Changing the dye in a marshmallow can mess with its texture, so it’s going to take a whole lot of science to come up with a natural version of Boo Berry.

One important note for cereal lovers: As with all foods, “natural” doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want. Cereal is still high in added sugar, so don’t double your portions just because your favorite brand cleaned up its act. The same rules still apply. Look for high-fiber, whole-grain options, and save sugary foods for the occasional sweet treat.

Want the best recipe for getting fit and feeling great? Join an online challenge group. There's something for everyone even if you've never tried a fitness program before.
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Brenda

Simple Salmon Salad

Here's quick and easy salad recipe that is as delicious as it is healthy. It takes just minutes to prepare and doesn't require a lot of clean up. If you're lucky, you may even find fresh salmon prepared in the deli or prepared foods section of your grocery store.

Simple Salmon Salad (21 Day FIX approved)

This recipe is:

1 GREEN

1 PURPLE

1 RED

1 ORANGE

Course: Main Dish

Categories: Fish
Serving size: 1
Preparation time: 25 mins

Ingredients

Salad:
1 6 oz portion of Salmon
1 C Fresh spinach or mixed greens
1/2 fresh peach sliced
2 T pistachios or other nuts
Juice of 1 lemon
2 thin lemon slices

Dressing:
1 T Balsamic Vinegar
1 T Lemon juice
1 T Extra virgin olive oil
dash of salt and pepper

Directions

Salmon:
Place salmon in a shallow baking pan and place 2 thin lemon slices on top. Pour lemon juice over fish and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Bake at 375 for 15 min. The turn broiler on and broil salmon for an additional 5 minutes or until it is golden brown on top.

Salad:
While the fish is baking, assemble the salad.
Place greens in a bowl and top with peach slices and pistachios.

Dressing:
Whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and set aside.

Top the salad with the broiled fish and dressing.

Brenda

Shhh...Are you a closet dieter?

Most people have tried to change their eating habits at some point in their lives. Even though almost everyone I know has tried a diet or two, studies show that as high as 66 percent of dieters do it secretly.

There are a few reasons why we become closet dieters.

Fear of failure:

We're afraid of being shamed if we don't reach our goal. This is especially true if we have a lot of weight to lose. We want instant results. When the weight doesn't come off fast enough, it feels like we've failed.

Fear of being judged:

Most people choose not  to tell their friends and family about their diet change because there is added pressure to succeed. On the other hand, there's the anxiety we get when we're made fun of for eating good food. Like somehow eating healthy is a bad thing!

Fear of letting other people down:

How many times have you been pressured to lose weight, and get in shape by your friends and loved ones? Making a commitment to improving your diet and health is very personal and it's not easy to do. When people around you point fingers it's sometimes because they underestimate how much of a challenge it is. You only let people down when you give up. Instead, rise to the challenge and set an example for everyone around you. Sooner or later, they'll see that you're serious and you'll gain their respect.

It's time to come out of the closet and here's why:

1. Diet and Exercise needs a support system. And the more weight you have to lose, the more important it is to have that positive influence to keep you going. That's why our online challenge groups are so important. 24/7 free coaching support plus encouragement from you peers is a formula for success.
2. We need to feel "accountable". When you find the courage to state your intentions out loud you are making a huge leap in the right direction. When you go public with your health and fitness goals you will feel more confident about reaching them. Suddenly you are setting an example and that's empowering. 
3. No diet and exercise program is perfect. We will fail occasionally. The point is that we pick ourselves up and start again. Sometimes your failures can speak louder than your successes. You're not letting anyone down when you fall, instead you are motivating them when you keep getting back up. So even if you have some setbacks, just continuing with your journey and not giving up proves that you are strong and determined. Others will applaud you for that.
4. Remember to focus on your reason why. You won't let anyone down if they know how important your health and fitness journey is to you. You should never feel self-conscious of making healthier choices. Your decision to get healthy is an unselfish one. 

Teamwork makes the dream work!

Want to learn more about how I can help you on your health and fitness journey? Complete the application below so we can get to work creating a customized plan that will work for you!

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Brenda