Pho

As the temperatures get colder, crisp, cool salads inevitably get replaced by warm, cooked veggies. Food naturally gets "heavier" as the weather gets chilly.
But, it doesn't have to make YOU that way.
Pho is a Vietnamese soup that is low in fat, chock full of veggies and lean protein and is served steaming hot in a large bowl.
As with any restaraunt food, you will have to be selective to make the smartest choice when it comes to nutrition that will make you look damn good.
Pho always includes a heavy portion of rice noodles. While not a fat laden item, these noodles are a refined carbohydrate, so I consider them empty calories. Skip the noodles all together or eat just a bite or two. Believe me, you will be so satisfied with all of the other goodies in your Pho - you won't care about some flavorless rice noodles!!
Pho is accompanied by a beautiful side dish of raw bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, lime and jalepenos. Drop all of this crunchy goodness into your Pho bowl and experience the amazing fusion of flavor.
Personally, I like a shrimp and veggie Pho, laden with broccoli and bok choy.
Mmmmmmmmm.
Find a Vietnamese Pho restaraunt in your city and give it a go!!

(photo from: ehow.com)

Sweat Lodge Deaths

The tragic sweat lodge deaths and injuries at a retreat led by self help author, James Arthur Ray have me thinking a lot about the risks of subjecting the human body to those types of conditions. The workshop participants were in the sweat lodge to challenge themselves spiritually, physically and mentally. It appears the sweat lodge was improperly constructed and overcrowded.
I can't help but correlate this to Bikram yoga. I am a dedicated six day a week Ashtanga yoga practitioner. Ashtanga is a very powerful, sweaty form of yoga that uses breath and "vinyasas" (a series of movements that includes a push up, an up dog and a down dog) in between almost every posture to build heat in the body.
Bikram yoga utilizes an outside source of heat to warm the room the 26 posture series will be practiced in to 105 degrees at 40% humidity.
People are either very drawn to this style or repulsed by it.
Bikram teachers are very strict and discourage resting or straying from the set series at all.
I find this extremely problematic considering the extreme heat.
I understand yoga practitioners wanting to sweat, especially those who come from a gym background, but safety must come first no matter what the desired outcome is.
A strong yoga practice will produce just as much sweat as the Bikram series, without the danger of practicing in the heat.
If you choose to practice Bikram yoga, be sure to go to a certified Bikram studio with well trained, experienced teachers, be aware of your own personal health risks and how they are affected by heat, hydrate well before and after class and above all listen to your body. If at any time you feel dizzy, nauseous or unsafe - rest, hydrate and move to a cooler place - regardless of what the teacher says.
It is better to be admonished momentarily by a "strict" teacher, than to lose your life or risk injury.

TRX

I love working out at home. I encourage my clients to do the same. In fact, I actually train most of them in their own homes regardless of equipment.
If you are thinking about starting a work out regime and can't stomach the idea of going to the gym, no problem! There are tons of great ways to work out in the comfort of your home with or without equipment.
However, if you want to make a minimal investment in a truly versatile piece of equipment, I highly suggest buying a TRX Suspension Trainer.

You can learn more and purchase one here:
http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=000-94127&AFFIL=lbtrainer76
(This is an affiliate link - I get a commission if you buy from my portal, so thank you in advance!)

A TRX is basically a system of straps and pulleys that you can attach to a doorway or beam in your home. It facilitates strength training using your own body weight. The angle at which you position your body determines the percentage of your body weight that you are lifting - making the TRX perfect for any fitness level and allowing for progressions. The TRX also provides a great cardio vascular workout when exercises are performed in succesion at a quick pace. You can additionally utilize the TRX for flexibility training. It's everything you need to get your home gym tight!!

If you can't find a certified TRX trainer in your area to show you the "ropes", purchase some of the excellent DVD's as a companion to your TRX and you won't be disappointed. The DVD's provide amazing work outs for all fitness levels.

I am a certified TRX Trainer, so email or post your questions!

(photo from: fitnessanywhere.com)

Damn, HE looks Good! Gerard Butler

I believe accolades are due when hard work manifests itself in an aesthetically pleasing way.
I just got back from seeing "Law Abiding Citizen." Nevermind that it is a great thriller, Gerard Butler looks damn good.
I'd honestly rather Mr. Butler retire the attempts at an American dialect - his speech just seems intensely labored as he grinds away at each syllable, hardly disguising his Scottish roots. So, if he'd just shut up we could really appreciate the physique he obviously diligently maintains.
I love that he is a "manly man." He's not crazy ripped and has enough "beef" to be credible in a fight. This man obviously works his legs and glutes - see the movie for proof. Take note gentlemen (and ladies!!) ... this is how great, symetrical bodies are created. So many men display these overdeveloped upper bodies without any attention to below the navel. Such a shame I say. Working the lower body recruits the entire core, creating a stable, strong frame and contributing to the development of a six pack that is revealed when body fat gets low enough.
And we cannot talk about Gerard Butler without giving a nod to the original movie that he revealed his physique in, "300." That movie and his body spawned crazy, high rep, high intensity "300" workouts fit for Spartan warriors.

Give one a try at:
http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=menshealth&channel=fitness&category=workout.plans&conitem=5e1790ecab7e1110vgnvcm20000012281eac____

Your body reflects the fuel you put in it and the work you turn out of it. Consistency, intensity and dedication like Gerard Butler's will have your body rockin' in the House of Yum too.

(top photo from: strongbodies.net, bottom photo from: altfg.com)

Halloween - How to NOT go into a sugar coma

Exercising self control over an abundantly overflowing orange plastic jack-o-lantern is not an easy task - even for the most disciplined of dieters.
Here are some tips to keep the gorging under control:
1. Maintain healthy eating for all your meals. Do not let yourself get hungry or deprived. Eat small, filling meals every 2 - 3 hours to maintain satiety.
2. Work Out. Do your normal work out routine. You will be less likely to sabotage yourself knowing you put in some hard earned sweat for the day.
3. Make Halloween more about the costume, the parties and the accompanying activities, instead of revolving around the FOOD.
4. Decide in advance what your treat is going to be. Do not trick yourself into straying from this decision. If you decide that one peanut butter cup is your YUM, then that is what it is.
5. Weed through the crap ... whatever doesn't float your sweet tooth boat has got to go. Either put it aside to give away, or if your willpower doesn't allow for it to even remain in the same dwelling as you ... throw it away or give it away IMMEDIATELY.
6. Really enjoy what you've chosen. Sit down, unwrap it and savor each bite. When it's done - it's done. Do not reach for another. If you actually have another around - you obviously didn't comply with #5.
7. Reward yourself for your restraint with a non-food item. If you make it through and attain your goal - including ridding the house of leftovers - get a manicure, a new top, a massage ... whatever makes it worth it for you.
8. If all else fails and you misstep - not to worry. Instead of telling yourself you will repent "tomorrow," start NOW. Each moment is only a moment. So, if you had a moment of weakness, reset your resolve for that next moment and get back on track.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
(photo and product from: ftd.com)

Halloween Costume Shout Out

Clever Halloween costumes deserve props. So far, the Hallows Eve 2009 has not dissappointed.
These two duos made me wish I'd thought of that!!

1. Ellen DeGeneres and Kellie Pickler as "Ellen and Oprah's O Magazine Cover" and "Dolly Parton" respectively.
Watch this hilarious clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sld2DL6bf8c


2. I hate to give them any more of what they are always so loudly and desperately crying for ... but, Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag are oddly ironic as "Jon and Kate Plus 8." Click here to see the gorey deets:
http://hollywoodcrush.mtv.com/2009/10/30/heidi-and-spencer-channel-jon-and-kate-plus-8-for-halloween-and-its-quite-scary/

(photo from: http://photos.ellen.warnerbros.com/galleries/october_09_shows)

In the spirit of Halloween - Black Lipstick

This post is a bit of a rant - but, alas - you may as well see this side of me early on ...
As we get deeper into our relationship with one and other, you will see that I am a fashion risk taker. I've had every hair color under the sun, I own and have experimented with every make up product on the planet, I regularly wear hair pieces and am adventurous with incorporating the wildest fashion trends into my wardrobe, but I cannot wrap my head around why every fall, cosmetic companies try to force the darkest possible hue on lips around the world ... I understand a lovely, deep burgundy, a "vamp-y" bordeaux, I even embrace a dark lip liner on the right person ... But, this black lipstick trend is RIDONCULOUS. It does not look good on anyone except forlorn, goth teenagers who hide their faces under their matching black hoodies and perhaps in the pages of a lush, high fashion magazine styled in the capable hands of say, Grace Coddington. Do not wear this shade to work. Do not wear this color on a date. Do not wear this color at all - unless you are going to a Halloween fete and it is part of your costume. Key word - costume. But, hell if you are fierce enough to buy this shit and rock it - more power to ya. Post your pics.
(photo from clicket.com)

GG Crackers

I am about to give you the greatest bit of nutritional information you will ever receive.
Hold your hands out and grab a large bottle of water - because you are going to need it to process the amount of fiber in this product.
GG Crackers.
Memorize it.
Learn to love them.
Go to their website and buy two cases right now:
www.brancrispbread.com
Eat eight per day and watch what happens ...
Let me tell you my personal experience with these little fibrous miracles.
I have an insatiable appetite. I mean it - I seriously lack the hormone that signals your brain that you are full. I should have a career in eating contests because I swear I could out eat anyone. If I didn't work out like a maniac I'd have a MAYJAH problem.
My truly adorable and fabulous step mom is an upper east side NYC mom ... yes, the real deal - not the made for TV Bravo kind.
Her friend and nutritionist Tanya Zuckerbrot introduced her and scores of other upper east side moms to GG Crackers through her F Factor Diet.
Hence, how they made their way into my mouth.
I have lost almost ten pounds in one month ... I haven't changed anything workout wise or really nutrition wise - except that I am eating whatever I want - no restrictions. But, I am eating less - because the GG Crackers make you full. Yes - they make even this truck driver's appetite stuck in the body of a 5'2 Jew feel satiated. I've come to love these crackers so much I eat them plain.
Here is a typical day of working eight crackers into my life:
Meal one: Protein shake, two GG Crackers, one to two eggs, two pieces of bacon
Meal two: Two GG Crackers with peanut butter and sugar free jam
Meal three: Chicken Breast with marinara and parmesan cheese, broccoli, dark chocolate
Meal four: Two GG Crackers with cottage cheese and hot sauce
Meal five: salmon, green veggies, two GG crackers with melted feta cheese
Meal six: ice cream or greek yogurt or chocolate chip cookies - something yummy
My body has completly shrunk. I know this because my clothes fit differently, people are noticing and saying things to me and I feel FABULOUS!!
Try them! You will love them!
(photo from brancrispbread.com)

Introduction

Whassup Blogosphere??
It's about time I got my ass into cyberspace and started contributing to this crazy, intangible universe called blogging.
So, who am I?? What's my deal??
I love pretty things and I like being a pretty thing. I embrace unconventional beauty and tend to find the art in everyone.
I'm an adventurous fashionista, a beauty product whore, a disciplined work out fanatic, an insatiable foodie and all around fun gal.
I've got over a decade of experience in the health/wellness and beauty industry. I'm an ACE Certified personal trainer, a yoga teacher, certified Spin instructor, licensed aesthetician, make up artist, business owner and general jackalyn of all trades.
This blog will have a polished finger on the pulse of beauty, fashion, fitness and nutrition trends.
If it's out there, I'll find it and tell you all about it - including exactly what I think about it.
It takes a lot of work to look damn good and I'm here to let you in on the secrets that maximize your aesthetic potential.
Here's to gorgeousness, fabulousness, fierceness and fun!!