Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Wild Woman Wednesday
Wild women frequently can be considered perfectionists
(especially when it comes to ourselves).
So you will certainly appreciate today’s post on, of all things, a
perfect refrigerator. (Okay, maybe not the wildest of subjects for Wild Woman Wednesday, but...) My food go-to
site, Eat This, Not That! has a article
today about “The
Perfect Refrigerator” where they offer us a list of perfect foods to keep
on hand. Very yummy, and they give you
ideas of how to compound the power of these foods.
Then, for all you cleanies out there, here are several sites
that will help you keep your frig (or ice box, as my Grandma used to call it –
anyone know why???) spic and span and beautifully clean and organized:
27 Brilliant Hacks: http://www.buzzfeed.com/twopoodles/optimized-refrigerator-storage
The Perfectly Organized Frig in 10 Easy Steps: http://laurenconrad.com/blog/post/operation-organize-the-perfectly-organized-fridge
And finally, here’s a few sites that will keep you healthy
by showing you how to store perfectly so you know exactly when it’s time to
toss those foods (hint… if it’s green and moving and reeks, toss it… NOW!):
Food Safety at a Glance:
http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/
Still Tasty – Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide: http://www.stilltasty.com/
National Center for Home Food Preservation: http://www.stilltasty.com/
Real Simple – How Long Will Food Last in the Freezer? http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/freezing/how-long-food-last-freezer-10000000687907/
So how’s that for some perfectly wonderful and cool
ideas????? Go wild and stay healthy and cool!
Blessings,
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Training Tips Tuesday
 |
| I worked out for two weeks and only lost two pounds?????? |
I always seem to do better when I have some kind of tracking method, a little way to stay motivated. You know, like saying "Okay I lost two pounds - let's go celebrate with a big ice cream sundae!" NOT!!!!!!!!! Hey, you're not a dog, so never reward yourself with food!!! While I'm not an advocate of multiple piercings personally (check out the photo below), there are lots of great rewards along the way (lipstick, pretty new set of undergarments, mani-pedi, new book, CD, DVD, a walk, a long weekend, new gym clothes, a spa visit, etc. ) What works for you? Hey, how about some sessions with a life coach????? Just a thought...
Seriously, though, when you feel like you'll never reach that weight goal, or are just tired and feeling down about it, here are a couple of cute and inexpensive ways to motivate yourself and pick yourself up. Hope you enjoy!
Blessings,
P.S. A really GREAT MOTIVATOR is having a LIFE COACH to walk alongside you in your journey. CALL ME TODAY at 609-331-9833 and LET ME HELP YOU SUCCEED!
Monday, October 28, 2013
Mouthwatering Monday
Pumpkin Passion continues!
First you had the smoothie/workout: click here
Then you had the facial: click here
Today, it’s the motherload of pumpkin recipes – woo hoo! Yes, I’m
doing the pumpkin dance as I prepare this week to teach Pumpkin Pilates and
grateful to Gina at www.skinnytaste.com
for providing us with 50, (sigh… yes, fifty) FABULOUS pumpkin recipes!!! From breakfast to dinner, from sweet to
savory, she has it all, and I just can’t wait to try them. Check them out by clicking HERE!!!
If you’re not so sure
about the health bennies of pumpkins, here’s some info:
- It is one of the very low calorie vegetables. 100 g fruit provides just 26 calories and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol; however, it is rich in dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins. The vegetable is one of the food items recommended by dieticians in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.
- Pumpkin is a storehouse of many anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-A, vitamin-C and vitamin-E.
- With 7384 mg per 100 g, it is one of the vegetables in the Cucurbitaceae family featuring highest levels ofvitamin-A, providing about 246% of RDA. Vitamin A is a powerful natural anti-oxidant and is required by the body for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucus membranes. It is also an essential vitamin for good visual sight. Research studies suggest that natural foods rich in vitamin A help a body protects against lung and oral cavity cancers.
- It is also an excellent source of many natural poly-phenolic flavonoid compounds such as α, ß carotenes, cryptoxanthin, lutein and zea-xanthin. Carotenes convert into vitamin A inside the body.
- Zea-xanthin is a natural anti-oxidant which has UV (ultra-violet) rays filtering actions in the macula lutea in retina of the eyes. Thus, it helps protect from "age-related macular disease" (ARMD) in the elderly.
- The fruit is a good source of B-complex group of vitamins like folates, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid.
- It is also rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.
- Pumpkin seeds indeed are an excellent source of dietary fiber and mono-unsaturated fatty acids, which are good for heart health. In addition, the seeds are concentrated sources of protein, minerals and health-benefiting vitamins. For instance, 100 g of pumpkin seeds provide 559 calories, 30 g of protein,110% RDA of iron, 4987 mg of niacin (31% RDA), selenium (17% of RDA), zinc (71%) etc., but no cholesterol. Further, the seeds are an excellent source of health promoting amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan is converted to GABA in the brain.
So there you have it – now go exercise your make it/bake it muscles, wild women. What a maaahhhhhvelous way to start off the week… a veritable pumpkin patch of kitchen delights!
Blessings,
Pumpkin recipes:
Nutrition facts source:
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/pumpkin.html
Friday, October 25, 2013
Fitness Friday
 |
| www.myerscrosstraining.com - healthy no-bake granola bar |
I discovered a great website called Myers Cross Training, and she had a yummy no-bake homemade granola bar recipe that looked totally YUMMY. I'm going to make some up this weekend - great to have on hand for yourself and your family! I encourage you to surf over to this site by Michelle Myers: www.myerscrosstraining.com
Have a happy, healthy and blessed weekend!
Blessings,
Coach Linda
Homemade Granola Bars
MICHELLE MYERS
This homemade granola bar recipe requires no baking- just to make your life easier ;) It's a huge bonus that they are delicious, too! By using all clean and natural ingredients, you can feel good about feeding them to your family and friends.
Step 1:
Mix 2.5 cups puffed brown rice cereal, 1 3/4 cups uncooked old fashioned oats, 1/4 cup flaxseed meal and 1/2 cup organic raisins in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2:
Heat 1/2 cup honey, a pinch of Himilayan salt and 1/2 cup organic coconut sugar until boiling in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add 2/3 cup organic nut butter of your choice.
Step 3:
Combine the liquid in the large mixing bowl and press flat into a large baking dish. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes before cutting into bars.
Start to finish this recipe takes less than 20 minutes! ENJOY!
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Tasty Thrifty Thursday
Eating healthy is a B-I-G passion for me, but with all kinds
of things on fast food dollar menus that beckon you to eat quick and cheap,
that can be a real temptation for someone who is short on cash and time. Not only that, but fresh fruits and veggies
have a short shelf life and I hate to admit how many times I have had to toss
fresh foods because, thanks to my hectic schedule which often brings me home
late, I have not had the time or energy to prepare something and it just died
of neglect! Naturally, one way to save
time and money eating healthy is to plan and prep meals ahead of time! That’s a big D-U-H I know, but if we can
spend an hour on a Sunday evening chopping/dividing/prepping/packing snacks and
some meals for the week, it will save a LOT of time during the weekends…
especially those precious minutes in the morning.
I came across a good article from Organic Gardening recently entitled
“The 7 Cheapest Ways to Eat Healthy” which I found quite helpful, so I’m
passing it along to you today. It can be
found at:
Additionally, here are a few websites that offer healthy and
inexpensive recipes:
If you happen to get Food Network, I recommend these shows
as well for yummy meals on a food and/or time budget:
Rachel Ray’s Week in a Day Cooking: http://www.foodnetwork.com/rachael-rays-week-in-a-day/index.html
Sandra Lee’s Money Saving Meals: http://www.foodnetwork.com/sandras-money-saving-meals/index.html
Organizing meals (and life) sure ain’t easy for most wild
women, but the satisfaction of the end result, along with the increase in cash
flow and good health, makes it a terrific return on your investment. Give it a try over the weekend, and I think
you’ll be very happy.
Blessings,
Coach Linda Bush
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Wild Woman Wednesday
Wild women work… hard!
But… are we sabotaging ourselves in the workplace without even realizing
it? I read a fascinating article today by
Carol Kinsey Gorman, author of “The Nonverbal Advantage” and “The Silent
Language of Leaders.” It is on common
body language traps for women in the workplace.
I’ve always been interested in body language and this article was an
eye-opener. Here’s the link:
In a similar article in Forbes Magazine, staff writer Jenna
Goudreau writes “Is Your Body Language Costing You a Promotion?” Read it here at:
So today, I ask you wild women to exercise your “what is my
body saying to the world” muscles and see if you are ensnared in any of these
body language traps! I welcome feedback
on what you think about this editorial!
Blessings,
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Techno-Toss Tuesday
I don’t know if you agree, but lately it seems to me that as a society, we have given up speaking face to face. We text, we email, then we try the phone, but speaking to another human in front of us, feeling their breath on our face, having them look us in the eye as words exchange and mingle? Heaven forbid!!!
We watch television on our tablets, leave voice messages on our cell phones, read books on our Kindles, write letters on our computers in email, figure out calculations on our calculators/in spreadsheets and spend more time searching for apps than it takes to do the chore manually. Games are now hand-held or on an X-box or something… I have no idea what the latest game box craze is… the last time I played a game on a computer or hand-held device it was either pong or space invaders or Tetris!
Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my technology, I really really do! I travel nowhere without my gadgets and plug-ins and extension cords. I love the convenience of texting and emailing as I juggle my work, clients, friends, social engagements and life in general. If it wasn’t for online college learning I would have more than a difficult time getting my degree. Frankly, I’d probably be lost without my techno-helpers. However…
In the deep recesses of my heart and spirit, I confess that I long for a quieter, less frenetic lifestyle when people took the time to come over and see you for a chat and a visit over a cup of tea. How lovely (and rare) is the gift of a handwritten note/card delivered via old-fashioned snail mail. I remember how much fun board games used to be – Monopoly, Scrabble and others played with laughter and friendly competition on rainy summer days. To this day there is nothing in the world like the fragrant perfume of a newly-opened book and "a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils" (thank you, Tom Hanks for that line from “You’ve Got Mail”)… and the pleasure of handwriting notes in the margins. When was the last time you even wrote in cursive outside your own signature? There is a mind-body connection that occurs when you take pen in hand to paper that you just don’t experience with fingers clicking away on the keyboard. To walk or run with nothing more in your ears than the sounds of the birds and the wind in the trees and your own sweat rather than music blaring through your earphones.
It’s time to exercise your “step back” muscles this week. Pick a day and give up as much technology as you possible can – that’s right, stop looking at this screen in horror. Go cold turkey and step away from the electricity. Go read a real book on a park bench… write a letter to someone… play a board game… goodness, can we even remember cards-in-hand Solitaire anymore? Turn off the TV and radio… drive in your car with only silence as you companion. Talk face-to-face, heart-to-heart. But be forewarned of the potential side effects… a sense of peacefulness, the over washing of relaxation into your spirit… a deeper connection to those with whom you take the time to seek out and truly connect on a physical level through being in one another’s presence.
The appeal can become addictive!
Blessings,
Coach Linda
Mouthwatering Muffin-tin Meals Monday
 |
| Hungry? Didn't I feed you yesterday??? |
You get home after a long day of whatever – work, school,
running errands, being Taxi Mom, a fun day trip with friends. You don’t feel like schlepping around the
kitchen making a big meal for yourself or anyone else, but the
fam/friends/personal tummy are growling and hungry! Whether you are cooking solo or for a big
family, muffin meals are easy, fun and work great! This is a great timesaver that can be made
ahead of time and frozen. Good for
snacks, too, or lunches. What a great
way to prepare healthy meals that can go to the office or lunchroom.
 |
| Chicken Tacos |
So much of healthy eating is planning and
portion control – and having a stock of muffin meals in the freezer can save you
time, money and the temptation to do a vending machine binge when you’ve
forgotten lunch again. From breakfast to
lunch, to dinner and dessert, these little goodies meet the mark. Even the desserts aren’t off limits – you can
have your dessert and satisfy that sweet tooth craving because you take one –
aha! Have your muffin dessert and eat
it, too!
 |
| Crab Cakes |
Here are seven websites (one for each day of the week) offering
some mouth-watering recipes. Remember,
you can always substitute skim milk for cream, low-fat cheese, turkey bacon, etc.,
as there are some that can rack up the fat and calories (one of the links below
is by Weight Watchers). Easy-breezy, fun
for the kids to make and eat, and fast!
Gotta love it. I think I’m going
to make a bunch up this weekend and have them on hand (and then in belly). Enjoy!
Blessings,
Coach Linda
Friday, October 18, 2013
'Fest Friday (Pumpkin Oktoberfest, that is)
Earlier this week I promised that I would have lots of
pumpkin surprises here during Pumpkin Oktoberfest month. You've worked out with pumpkins, created the
delicious pumpkin protein smoothie, and now we're going to use pumpkin as a
beauty masque!
Pumpkin is a terrific ingredient for everyone, including
those with sensitive skin. It's very
high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C (anti-oxidant -- are you listening, those sisters
of mine who also have "mature skin"?), and Zinc. This beautiful gourd
helps heal and protect the skin from free radicals, while gently dissolving
dead skin cells. I've seen masques
advertised in local spas for upwards of $75 to $100. Ouch!
Why spend all that money when this little Secret Spa in Your Kitchen
recipe can give you the same results for pennies on the dollar?
You will need some canned pumpkin (plain,
please, not the pre-made pie filling), one egg yolk, and some honey.
- Prep: Whisk together about 1/3 to 1/4 cup of pumpkin, a teaspoon of honey and the egg yolk.
- Application: Onto a freshly washed face, smooth the pumpkin masque all over your face, neck and décolleté. Lie back, relax and let it do it's work for about 15 minutes.
- Removal: Rinse off with cool water.
Now, just to be on the safe side, you might want to test a
patch of skin on your arm or shoulder just to make sure you don't have any
adverse reaction to this homemade natural mixture. I was afraid I would have an orange face the
first time I used it, but I was fine - and I have very pale skin. Remember - you do all this at your own risk!
There you go - you should feel refreshed and your skin
should be smooth and wonderful. You're all set for a weekend of fun, frolic and pumpkin-picking!
Enjoy and blessings,
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Tenacious Thursday
 |
| Bee... the flower Copyright 2013 by Linda Bush |
I took this photograph of a bee on a mum flower last
Saturday after a run at the park. I was
tired and almost hadn’t gone for the run, but I was determined to stay the
course – literally and figuratively – and complete my planned exercise. I was fighting a bit of a cold and didn’t run
anywhere near my best, but it still felt good to sweat it out and accomplish the
goal.
Today I put one of my haiku poems to it:
You see, the bee so
Busy, still finds
time to rest
And smell the flowers
It seemed appropriate prose for the photograph.
Then my friend Jill asked me to send her the
photo, and she literally shone a bit of highlight onto the bee with her Photoshop
magic wand, and as I admired her handiwork I observed some interesting features
that had gone unnoticed previously.
It looks as though the bee is missing his right leg and
antennae. Upon closer inspection, his
wings certainly seem tattered. I began
to imagine what he’d been through… now so beaten and shabby. As my grandmother would say, “He looks like
he’s been through the mill and back!”
I pictured him buzzing along and suddenly being caught by
the wind and blown into a tree. Or stuck
in the middle of a thundering storm, lightening flashing and reflecting off those
small, iridescent wings. Yet, in spite
of it all, here he was at his destination, pollinating the flowers as was his
prime directive. He stayed the course
and flew with perseverance through all life could toss at him along the way. Perhaps he was taking a moment to rest his
weary little scarred body among the soft, pillow-like petals of the mum. I’d like to think so anyway. He had journeyed far and long and deserved
it!
So… are you flying through storms today, battered and tossed
like a bee in the winds of life? Are you
ready to give up? Please don’t – look at
this picture today, allow it to inspire you to stay your course strong and
steady, albeit tired and sweaty! Take a
breath, say a prayer, and keep going. Your
luminosity will shine and your light will radiate inspiration among all those
around you.
Blessings,
Coach Linda
Wild Woman Wednesday
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Tasty Tuesday
http://www.pinterest.com/kre8tv4him/everything-pumpkin/
I got the best workout program idea today from www.peak313.com. Clare has a terrific website overall, but
this just made me laugh out loud – she has a PUMPkin Power Workout! Yep, instead of using weights and medicine
balls, she uses pumpkins!!! Am I in my
glory or what?!?!?! Pumpkins and workout
out and, if that isn’t enough… just pinch me, I think I’m in Heaven, she’s got
a delish recipe for Pumpkin Protein Smoothies!!! Ohhhhh yes!!!! You can find it at:
But I’m going to share it with you here as well:
- ¼ cup pumpkin (NOT the pie filling, which is filled with sugar)
- 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (or 1/4-1/2 cup Greek yogurt)
- 1 cup milk (like her recipe, I prefer unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 dash cinnamon, nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice (I go for the PPie spice myself)
I tossed all this in with a bunch of ice into my handy-dandy trusted Vitamix (another passion of mine -- in fact, I've featured it this month as our Product of the Month!), and oh my goodness it was soooo yummy I
practically rubbed it in my face. Oh and
to digress for a moment, did you know a pumpkin facial is really good for your
face? Yep…yep…yep! In fact, stay tuned, because I will be
sharing my pumpkin facial recipe (along with some other special pumpkin
surprises) during October! Yes, it is
officially Pumpkin Oktoberfest here!
Anyway, if you are serving it to some workout buddies, you can garnish
it with a stick of cinnamon with a smidgen of PPie spice on top.
Talk about a motivation to work out! So grab your various pumpkin weights and
pumpkin medicine balls and get moving… what a treat for your body and taste
buds!
Blessings,
Monday, October 14, 2013
Motivate ‘n Move It Monday!
Today I was watching a seminar by Joseph Grenny called “Change
Anything”. He said if we want to change
our performance/habits, we need to think of why we do what we do and said the
big point was, “I can only control my behavior by taking control of the things
that control me.”
One thing I know I need to work on is my penchant for procrastination. This is a behavior I have identified as
something negative in my life that I would like to eliminate. But what makes me do it? Why does it take control of me? Is it because something else is more
enjoyable so I do that first? Is the
task at hand distasteful so I find just about anything to do instead of
tackling it? Have I scheduled too many
things at the end of the day and am too dog-gone tired to do it? He says we know we should change, we want to
change, but we don’t change. Okay, hands
up, how many of us have gone through this?
Yep, me, too!! He then asked us
to think about the last time we succumbed to the behavior, and what were the
triggers/environment over which we stumbled and fell back into the actions? Tony Robbins has said that the two motivating
factors in life are pleasure and pain.
What pleasure am I getting by procrastinating, and does it outweigh the
pain of not doing what I should be doing?
Grenny then gave us three steps to changing any habit: (1) learn what’s influencing you today; (2)
remove things that motivate and enable old behavior, and (3) add things that
motivate and enable new behavior.
So… perhaps in an effort to resist procrastinating, I
could set my timer for 15 minutes and “do that thang” for that little bit of time. Or put the TV remote away in a drawer so that
I wouldn’t be tempted to just turn on the TV instead of doing the task I don’t want
to do. Or reward myself for being proactive
and taking the bull by the horns with a "guilt-free cup of tea/sit in the rocker
blissfully happy and proud of myself" moment. These
are just a few brainstorming ideas I had with myself.
As we begin our week, I challenge you to think about these
questions – what is controlling you?
What is tripping you up? What one
thing/habit/behavior would you like to eliminate/improve upon in the next seven
days? Just one little thing, that’s
it. Ask some family members or friends to join you –
get a group together and see what you all can brainstorm and accomplish as a
team. Make it fun.
Grenny and co-author Kerry Patterson have written the book, “Change
Anything: The New Science of Personal Success” and I’m featuring it this month
as our Book of the Month. I encourage
you to get it from your library or purchase it to read and then pass along or
add to your personal library. Invest in
yourself this week and discover how you can change anything. I’m going to go tackle that “thang” now… see,
it works! I can do it, whoopee!!!!!!!!! Where's my timer....
Blessings,
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Transformation Tuesday
 |
| The classic before shot |
Eight years ago today I made a life-changing decision. It was my “half-birthday”, exactly six months
until I would turn the tender and significant milestone of 50. On that day, I weighed 175 pounds (I am 5’ 3”),
I had been diagnosed as pre-diabetic, I had back issues/pain, knee pain, and I
was always tired. I wore a size 16
(tightly, I might add), and most of the time my wardrobe was either a tunic top
or big jackets over elastic-waist slacks, and the occasional no-shape A-line
jumper. Even in the summer… in the
heat. I was forever pulling my shirt or
jacket or sweater around my ever-increasing self so that I could mask my
size. Sound familiar, anyone? So there I sat, close to “the big 5-0”… disgusted
with myself. I was sick and tired of
being sick and tired. Sometimes I think
you really have to hit bottom, to be completely and totally over yourself and
your issues to get to the point of choosing to change. It’s a hard, scary and depressing place to
be. But I knew I didn’t want to be like
that the rest of my life.
So…I made a decision… quietly, without fanfare… alone with
just myself and my mirror and scale. I
wanted to be healthy and strong again. I
wanted to have energy again. Yes, I
wanted to be smaller, but more importantly I just wanted to feel good again –
inside my body as well as about my body.
Like I said, I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I chose then and there to change. I chose ME, my life, and my future.
I went to a doctor first for a check-up. I began a food journal and personal journal, took my measurements
(yes, it was painful) and began to count my calories. Oh, that was a real eye-opener. You could have called me Cleopatra, because I
was Queen of DENIAL about how many calories I could eat on any given day. I was really shocked. But one thing that was very important to me
was that needed the freedom of eating anything I wanted to eat, be it
chocolate, pizza, whatever.
I knew if I tried this diet or that plan, I would fail – because that
was my track record. So I treated my
calories like a budget – and if I “spent” some on a slice of pizza (as opposed
to four or more like I used to scarf down), then I accommodated that with less
calories elsewhere. Now mind you, I didn’t
have pizza every day, or a donut, etc. I
began eating clean – fruit, veggies, chicken, fish… and lots of water. But when I really truly wanted a brownie, I
would stop and think about it first. I
became intentional and mindful about everything I put in my mouth. Was it worth “spending” the calories? Would it be a moment on the lips, then
forever on the hips? Was it worth the
hour to burn off the calories? If it was
on that day, then I had it. But I ate it
slowly, and enjoyed every mouthful, every delicious crumb. I didn’t just take two bites and then it was
gone.
I joined a gym and met with a personal trainer who designed
a workout plan for me. I also began
attending some of the classes there, and that’s where I fell in love with
Pilates. And so began my journey to
fitness. The weight starting slowing
coming off, and instead of rewarding myself with food (after all, I’m not a
dog), I would get something small (and inexpensive), like a lipstick, or nail
polish, or a book. I set
goals for myself each month on what I would like to weight, what size I would
like to fit into next, and BMI and body fat targets. I set fitness goals for walking, going to the
gym X number of days, and more minutes for stamina on my workouts.
Along the way I found my confidence growing, and I went back
to college online and (gasp!) began taking the ballroom dance classes that were
offered at the gym. It was great. Oh, I had setback days and times of
emotional eating. I began learning more
about myself as I journaled, and how my eating was a symptom of what was really
“eating me.” As time progressed, my
aches and pains lessened. The Pilates
classes strengthened me, as well as my workouts, and my chiropractor even told
me that, knowing my history of back problems, he now would never have guessed that
I had ever had any back problems. Of
course that’s not something you can guarantee for everyone, but it worked for
me. I also was no longer diagnosed as
pre-diabetic.
 |
| Today |
Since that day, eight years ago, I have lost a total of 50
pounds and kept it off. I have earned my
certifications as a personal trainer, TRX and kettlebells trainer, Pilates and
Pilates Reformer instructor, and Life Coach.
Next year I will (Lord willing) complete my bachelors in Psychology with
a dual specialization in Christian Counseling and Life Coaching. I dance as a hobby now and have done several
group performances. I am blessed to work
at the Robert Wood Johnson Hamilton Center for Health & Wellness in their
Pilates Studio with some absolutely wonderful clients. It’s been a long, hard road with pitfalls and
stumbles and tears. But it has been more
than worthwhile and I am in the best health and shape of my life. There was no magic… no pills or formulas…
just old-fashioned exercise and behavior modification and counting
calories. Slow and steady. I prayed a lot, and God gave me strength and
courage each day. Believe me, if I can
do it, ANYONE can. I don’t write this to
say, “Woohoo, look at me.” I write it to
encourage you and say you can do anything you CHOOSE to do at any point in your
life. Every day you wake up, every time
you sit down for a meal… you CHOOSE.
Make the choice today to choose YOU, your health, wellness, longevity
--- choose life for you and celebrate it every day.
Oh by the way, one of my goals eight years ago was
to celebrate my birthday surrounded by my friends, wearing a beautiful dress,
dancing and sipping a bit of champagne.
I’m really thankful to say that’s exactly how I celebrate my 50th
birthday.
Be fantastic at 40, fabulous at 50, sensational at 60, sexy
at 70, incredible at 80, nifty and 90 and WOW at 100!!!!!
Blessings,
Coach Linda Bush
P.S. And if you would like someone who's been there and walked in your shoes to coach you to come alongside you and partner with you to help you to your best self, give me a call. That's my passion and I'm here for you!
Monday, October 7, 2013
Motivating Monday
Today I’d like to point you to two
articles. The first is from Eat this,
Not That! The folks there have listed
out for us ten foods that help us in having a longer life. Instead of focusing on what we shouldn’t eat,
here’s a great, positive list of EAT THIS!
The foods are eggs, green tea, garlic, grapefruit, greek yogurt,
avocados, quinoa, bell peppers, almonds and number one on their list: swiss chard.
Hmmm… I guess a challenge would be to create a meal that would encompass
all of those foods!!! Well, I’m sure you
could incorporate all of them into a full day’s menu, anyway. Here’s the link: http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/10-foods-longer-life?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1454120-_-10062013-_-LongerLife-link
The second article is from Prevention Magazine and it is called
“9 ‘Harmless’ Habits That Age You.” This
isn’t the standard issue don’t smoke and stay out of the sun habits (which, of
course, are staples for maximizing your longevity). It has some interesting habits that we might
not even consider have significant negative impacts to our bodies. Here’s the link for this article: http://www.prevention.com/health/healthy-living/9-daily-habits-age-you?cm_mmc=Spotlight-_-1451944-_-10062013-_-Harmless-habits-that-age-you-read-more
This is your Monday one-two PUNCH! Exercise your change your habits, changes your
foods, change your life muscles by incorporating the recommendations in these
two articles into your daily routine.
You just may find yourself walking that goal path with more energy and
looking like a real knockout!
Blessings,
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Wild Women Wednesday
I am an instructor of Pilates, Pilates Reformer, and a
personal trainer where I utilize various apparatus such as kettlebells, the TRX
suspension training system, free and body weights, resistance bands and other
implements of mass construction for strengthening, flexibility and
endurance. My goal is holistic optimal
health and wellness for my clients that will impact and improve their journey
day by day.
Weight training develops the strength and size of skeletal
muscles, which are under control of the somatic nervous system, voluntarily
controlled. The produce almost all body movement,
maintain posture, stabilize joints and generate heat to maintain your normal
body temperature. They cover your
skeleton, giving your body its shape.
Personally, I am in a very specialized training program called
“wait training.” It is also designed for
creating optimal strengthening, flexibility, endurance and growth… of my
spiritual life. Daily I am thrust into
the gym of life and given workouts and practices that carry on for hours,
sometimes days and weeks. Often my Coach
will set up an obstacle course where I can’t even see the goal line… there are
times it is so dark that my Coach has to shine His light on the narrow path
before me. And if that isn’t difficult
enough, I am frequently required to do it blindfolded, trusting only in His voice
as He whispers His instructions to me along the way. The course can be very rocky and leads
uphill, steep and frightening. But just
when I think I can’t take one more step, He will lead me beside quiet waters
along the paths of righteousness and give me His Bread of Life and Living Water
from which I eat and drink deeply until I am nourished, refreshed and renewed.
There is no timetable for my wait training, although the
most profitable of sessions have come either early in the morning at the break
of dawn or late into the darkness of the midnight hours of my soul. Sometimes I have a training partner, Percy
Verance, and regularly Goodness and Mercy follow behind me, but usually it’s just
Coach and me.
It is a most arduous of exercise, demanding everything of
me. There are times Coach has me sit on
my hands for hours on end, doing nothing – most confusing and frustrating. Other times He pushes and pushes until I
think my heart will burst. I
complain. I cry. I bleed. I have scars – but they are from the times I
have wandered impatiently off His course in search of my own training
program. Ahh… always I have wound up
hurting myself. He is demanding, asking
my completely loyalty – He will allow no other coaches to take His place. Yet there has never been a time when I have
stumbled and fallen that Coach hasn’t lifted me up and carried me back to His
path of training, wiped the sweat from my face and given me all His support,
love and guidance.
My spiritual muscles, like skeletal muscles, are
voluntary. It is always my choice to exercise
them. I can ignore them and let them get
flabby, and if I don’t use them they could atrophy and become paralyzed. When strong I am able to stand tall for my
Coach, although the times of best conversations with Him have been when I am on
my knees. My spiritual muscles stabilize
my spiritual walk, and maintain the fire in my spiritual core so I am never
lukewarm. Without toned and buff
spiritual muscles, my soul would look like a massive puddle of nothingness – a pile
of brokenness, which is how Coach found me.
My Coach has made something beautiful of me, and my wait
training will continue until I take my last breath. Only then will the glory of all this training
be revealed, and I long for that day when He will say, “Well done!”
I have to go now… it’s time to run with Percy Verance the
race set before me – I see my Coach and must keep my eyes on Him.
Blessings,
Coach Linda Bush
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