I CHALLENGE YOU: THIS WEEK BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 8th I WILL BE ELIMINATING PROCESSED SUGAR FROM MY NUTRITIONAL GAME PLAN FOR 3 WEEKS, 21 DAYS. YES, YOURS TRULY WILL BE ELIMINATING CEREAL, BLOW POPS, CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES, AND ICE CREAM. EVEN YOUR TRAINER HAS HER VICES!
WHY DO I WANT TO LIMIT SUGAR FROM MY NUTRITION? TO FEEL MORE ENERGETIC, RESTED, AND VITAL.

WHAT WILL YOU DO THIS WEEK TO IMPROVE YOUR ENERGY, RECOVERY, AND VITALITY?

ROUTINE INTERRUPTED

I am a product of routine. I wake up at 4am most mornings, walk with my eyes closed to the coffee pot, prepare a dark brew of energy, turn the computer on, prepare my meals for the day, pack my gym bag, develop individual programs for my clients, eat breakfast, shower, dress, put my hair in a pony tail and drive to Pure Austin listening to a new play list that I downloaded for class. I do this almost every day. Waking up early enables me to accomplish each task that prepares me for my day. Though it has not happened too many times, I have accidentally either slept through my alarm, forgot to turn it on, or turned it off when I intended to snooze. Frantically waking up and realizing that it's 5:15am and I need to be at the gym by 5:50am, I am now out of sorts and disorganized. Talk about routine interrupted! I feel as though I am treading water in the middle of the ocean during a winter storm, completely discombobulated. My belly will rumble with hunger, and I then will have to perfect the art of exercise improvisation with my clients.

Having a particular routine and system for my day enables me to function at an optimal level. When my routine has become interrupted and my expectations for the morning have had to shift, I have been known to remain unraveled for the entire day. Now is that functionable? Hardly.

%^&* happens! Plain and simple. My mother tells me it is what it is. Deal with it. Of course I will roll my eyes and mumble under my breath, but she does have a very good point.

If one remains unraveled for the entire day due to a routine being interrupted, then what will we have truly accomplished for the day? Most likely, absolutely nothing. Therefore, when our routine is interrupted, it is essential to regroup ourselves, develop a new system of routine that will promote effectiveness, determine priorities, and move diligently forward through out our day.

There will days that work and school priorities will reign higher on the to do list than a workout at the gym. There will be days that you will not get a run in at all. You will be sick. You might have to leave town unexpectedly. Renovations on your house may take much longer than you expected. Your knee may be talking to you and you will have to limit your exercise until it is feeling better. Traffic will be ridiculous certain days and you may only be able to do half of a class. Again, respectfully, %^&* happens. What are you going to do about it?

1. Take a breath, relax your shoulders, and take inventory of the situation
2. Reassess your priorities
3. Develop a new system of routine
4. Remain flexible and realistic
5. Keep moving forward

Stay afloat! Remain calm. Utilize your skills in order to remain composed, organized, and effective. Understand that priorities, expectations, and perspective will ebb and flow continuously. This is the beauty and ultimate challenge of life. It is our responsibility to take action rather than react in a manner that becomes destructive and useless. An interrupted routine is nothing but an opportunity to discover something new!

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

It's that time of the year when allergies and flu epidemics are occupying the front page headlines and the air waves. Boosting your immune system is key to staying healthy and fit through the season of runny noses and stomach viruses. Fruits and vegetables contain most of the essential vitamins and minerals required to maintain a healthy immune system. Are you eating your 5-7 servings, which equals one half cup to a cup, of fruits and vegetables a day?

Quick and effective ways of consuming more fruits and vegetables:

1. Wash and cut up strawberries, blueberries, grapes, blackberries, and raspberries right after you have purchased them from the store. Store the fruit mix in Tupperware and refrigerate. Add to smoothies, yogurt and oatmeal.

2. Wash and cut up carrots, celery, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, broccoli, and cauliflower right after you have purchased them from the store. Store the vegetable mix in Tupperware and refrigerate. Use the vegetable mix for stir frys, salads, veggie plates, and quick snacks for work and school.

3. Make your plate a color palate. The more color that adorns your plate the more essential vitamins and minerals you will consume.