Personal Training In Ridgewood NJ!

I love the beautiful small town vibe in Ridgewood New Jersey and the surrounding towns of Bergen County New Jersey. This area has some of the best restaurants, activities, school systems, physicians and so much more! Ridgewood NJ even has a quaint little authentic French cafe that I am madly in love with.

Offering Personal Training In Ridgewood NJ over the last fifteen years has been a blessing. I have met some of the most amazing people from celebrities to sports professionals to some of the highest ranking women and men in corporate America! Each one has taught me something along the road to their fitness and overall health goals and many have become dear friends!

Fit, Healthy and Fabulous, LLC started out as personal training in Ridgewood NJ but has branched out over the years to offer a more balanced approach to fitness. I have taken multiple courses and have been certified in many new modalities in fitness and wellness so that I could offer my amazing clients more ways to feel healthy and fit. 

We offer help with nutrition and healthy eating and when necessary refer to our Registered Dietician for more in depth counseling. Meditation and learning how to breathe is one of the most important things that you will ever learn in your lifetime. We teach you how to relax and learn healthy breathing techniques with guided meditation. If you are more of a group type we have a fantastic meditation coach that offers weekly classes. 

I have also added Reiki to Fit, Healthy and Fabulous, LLC. After going for a Reiki session myself and feeling the difference it made in how I felt. I was hooked! I am now a Certified Reiki Master Teacher Practitioner and Certified by The Angel Quest Healing Center as an Angel Therapy and Energy Healing Practitioner. If you are curious about these services feel free to contact me for more information and an in depth description.

All of these additions have brought many new clients who are looking for so much more than a fitness routine with exercise and set counts for an hour training session. The clients at Fit, Healthy and Fabulous, LLC are educated on the importance of being healthy and fit BODY, MIND and SPIRIT! And we have everything they need to help them achieve and live a healthy lifestyle.

What are you waiting for? Contact us today to start living your best life ever filled with positive, healthy choices. 

https://fithealthyandfabulous.com

The Benefits of Calcium

It is that time of the year again in the Garden State!

Delicious fresh veggies and yummy fruit. And the perfect time for a healthy smoothie too! Today I chose a green one, however, I love the fresh berry ones too. But first, I want to discuss the benefits of calcium in your diet and how to get it with fresh local produce.

Calcium is so important, your body needs calcium to build and maintain strong bones. Your heart muscles and nerves need calcium to function properly too. The exact amount of calcium you need depends on your age and other factors. Growing children and teenagers need more calcium than young adults, while older women need plenty of calcium to prevent osteoporosis and bone loss. People who do not eat enough high-calcium foods should take a calcium supplement, but before you consider a calcium supplement, make sure that you understand how much calcium you actually need, learn the pros and cons of calcium supplements and speak to your physician. This is a great article for more information on calcium from the Mayo Clinic/Calcium

It is best to try to get calcium in the food you eat daily. I personally cannot take a calcium supplement because I find that they bother my stomach, so I make sure to get the daily amount in the food and drinks that I choose. Some of my favorites include edamame, figs, almond butter and fresh fruit sandwiches on organic calcium fortified bread.

Other foods rich in calcium include:

Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt. If you are lactose intolerant, choose the veggie options.

Leafy, green vegetables, spinach is my favorite, I put spinach in smoothies, salads, soups and omelettes too.

Choose fish with soft bones, such as canned sardines and salmon. Salmon is healthy and easy to buy and prepare.

There are many calcium-enriched foods such as breakfast cereals, fruit juices, orange juice, soy milk, rice drinks and tofu. I buy little edamame packages in the frozen food aisle and defrost them for snacks.

I always feel that greens are a great way to get your daily calcium and help defend those beautiful bones. Here is one of the ways I get my calcium daily, it is so easy to make and take with you in the morning. I use a Nutra-Bullet RX it is affordable and works amazing for smoothies and makes hot soups too.

My Perfect Green Smoothie:
Just place one banana, one cup of low-fat milk or coconut water, 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt, one full cup of kale or spinach and one tablespoon of organic local honey in a blender and mix until it's smooth and you have a very delicious bone defending smoothie. If you like a thicker shake like smoothie just add 1/2 an avocado. Yummy!

Cheers to good health!

 fithealthyandfabulous.com

Watermelon Season!

Yes, it is that time of the year again! Watermelon Season! Sweet, juicy and packed with healthy benefits. My favorite fruit!

The health benefits of watermelon are plenty, it packs a punch of vitamins A and C and has a good amount of vitamin B6, potassium and magnesium just to name a few.

Vitamin A – for optimal healthy eyes, it boosts your immune system by enhancing the infection-fighting actions of white blood cells called lymphocytes.

Vitamin B6 – helps your immune system produce antibodies, these antibodies are needed to fight off many diseases. Vitamin B6 helps maintain normal nerve function and form red blood cells.

Vitamin C – helps to boost your immune system’s defenses against infections and viruses, and protects your body from harmful free radicals that can accelerate aging and eye conditions such as cataracts. Vitamin C helps keep your skin young, hydrated and healthy too!

Just two cups of watermelon is a great source of potassium, potassium is a mineral necessary for water balance and is found inside every cell in your body. People that have low potassium levels often experience muscle cramps. Ever get those leg cramps that wake you up at night? Try eating watermelon or a banana daily!

My favorite way to eat watermelon, is to put it in the blender and make a watermelon water, just cube it and blend, it is healthy, refreshing and filling too.

Pick the ripest and sweetest watermelon with these tips:

*Look for a firm, symmetrical watermelon that is free from bruises, cuts or dents.
*The watermelon should be a bit heavy for it’s size, watermelon is 92% water and most of that weight is water.
*The bottom of the watermelon should have a beige/yellow colored spot from where it grew on the ground and ripened in the sunshine.
Have a great summer and be sure to go to the local farmer’s markets in your area and enjoy all the fresh produce of the season!

www.fithealthyandfabulous.com

Choose Happiness!

Choose Happiness! 

Happy people live better lives and they live longer too!

Listen to YOU...That's right LISTEN! Listen to what you complain about every day, write it down, make a plan to eliminate or deal with what you cannot change, try looking at it from a different angle. Many times, we react in the moment, step back and think before reacting to a situation. Did you know that complaining about the same issues over and over again can make those issues a lot bigger than they actually are? That is right, when you keep hearing it over and over again in your subconscious it can really make your perceived problems seem so much worse. Next time you find yourself complaining, stop and think about how it makes you feel, make an effort to stop going over the same things time and time again. Think of all the great things you actually do have and be grateful.

Exercise! A good workout session has been proven time and time again to boost endorphins and put you in a good mood. Make a workout session and YOU a priority. You can always find small blocks of time for exercise. I do not want to hear this excuse from people any longer! It seems to be yet "another" complaint that people repeat over and over, the time that you take on the phone or texting you can be working out. You only need to take 15 minutes a day to walk or 30 minutes every other day to do a quick workout in your home or go to the gym, just cut out the time that you can allow to get it done. The benefits of exercise are worth every minute. It will increase your mood, benefit your health, give you more energy and redirect your mood to a more positive mindset and place.

Listen to the conversations around you. Are the relationships, commitments or groups that you are involved with draining you? If you answered yes, it is time to move on. There is such a thing as "bowing out gracefully" from toxic people. Toxic relationships are deadly ones in my opinion and can cause great damage to one's health. It is one thing to listen and be empathetic, but when someone is repeating the same patterns and complaints over and over again they need to seek the professional help that is needed to deal with their own situation and stop dumping their personal trash in other people's back yard, so to speak. These very same people are often the people that call you to complain about all the negative things in their lives and then you see them posting pictures on social media whooping it up like a "Good Time Charlie" with others! Do not be their dumping ground! Set your boundaries and watch how much more positive and happy you feel after making these positve changes in YOUR life. If these people do not like your boundaries perhaps it really is time to close that door.

Here's to Choosing Happiness!

www.fithealthyandfabulous.com

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Are You Tired of Feeling Tired?

Well, if you said yes, you are not alone, you answered the same as most people do. That is because we are living in a society where we are always on the go, a society where we never take the time to care for ourselves. This type of constant strain inevitably takes a toll on each of us, and often the effects strike when we least expect it. The results of this lifestyle? Simple, fatigue, resentment, premature aging, poor health and the inability to function properly on a daily basis. Simply put, we are trying to pour out of an empty cup day… after day… after day. Do you try to drive your car without gas or proper maintenance? You can't so what makes us all think we can drive our bodies on poor maintenance and low fuel?

I want to talk about this topic today because it is easily one of the biggest complaints I get from my clients and prospective clients when inquiring about how they can get healthy and fit. They reach out to me for help because they are tired all the time and feel fatigued.

Today I am going to give you three simple tips on improving your energy and, in doing so, improving your health for years to come!

1). Sleep is a Priority

When I talk to clients about being tired one of my first questions is always on not only quality of sleep, but also quantity. How much are you sleeping each night, and how well are you sleeping? Believe it or not, chronic sleep deprivation can wreak havoc with your brain chemistry and cause all sorts of long term and seemingly unrelated problems. The first step is to pay attention to when and how well you are sleeping.

Some great tips for better sleep include:

• Limiting screen time before bed. Studies show that exposure to blue light before sleeping can change brain patterns and make restful sleep harder to achieve.
• Creating a restful environment. Removing distractions from your sleeping space can help you relax and achieve a more restful sleep. Use lavender spray on your pillows, this is one of my favorite little rituals before bed!
• Exercise! We will talk more about this in a minute, exercise works to make the body tired and ready to recharge in a healthy way, unlike fatigue from constant stress on the mind and body. A tired body sleeps better and you will wake feeling more refreshed for a new day.
• Limit alcohol before bed. Alcohol may seem to help you fall asleep initially, but it will disrupt the second half of sleep which is the most important because it interrupts REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Disrupted REM sleep can cause drowsiness, poor concentration, sleep apnea and will throw off your overall sleep patterns.

2). Make Time for Yourself!

Many times, when I ask my clients what they are doing for themselves, they aren’t quite sure how to answer. This is mostly because in our culture doing something for yourself is equated with being selfish. My friends this is not the case! You are not really beneficial in any family, business or group activity if you are too mentally tired to function.

Let me ask it this way. How can you continue to care for everyone and everything around you if you are constantly trying to pour out of an empty cup? Here’s another thought. If you will not take care of yourself, how do you plan to take care of others?

It’s something to think about!

Ways to add self-care to your day:

• Take time to do something you enjoy every single day. Even if you just carve out 15 minutes to walk around the block and clear your head, sit outside and read a book, it will help you relax and focus on the demands of tomorrow.
• Mediate or stretch before bed. These activities help to calm and focus the mind which improves sleep quality while also offering a sense of well-being.
• Take a Yoga class. Yoga, and other similar forms of exercise, provides you with a one-two punch in terms of your health. Not only do they work to burn calories and tone your body, but they also clear your mind and help energize you for the rest of the day.

3). Exercise! 

What many people don’t realize is that exercise provides so many benefits beyond simply getting your body up and moving. It releases endorphins which relate to mood. It also improves practically every major system in your body, making them function more effectively as you improve your overall health. It improves the quality of your sleep and it has the ability to greatly improve your energy as your body grows leaner and stronger.

Working exercise into your busy day can include:

• A 15-minute brisk walk around the block during your lunch break.
• Joining a gym, taking classes or working with a trainer. Most trainers offer 30-minute condensed fitness sessions that pack a major fitness punch and are easy on the wallet too!
• Finding a set of exercises videos, you enjoy and can follow in the comfort of your own home.

I WANT you to feel GOOD! I don’t want you to just burn a few calories and go on with your day, I want your quality of life to improve as you grow stronger and start getting more out of life. Take control of your day and you will start to take control of all areas of your life. Being fit and healthy is about the mind, body and soul!

If you have any questions about how we can work to improve your energy and quality of life, please reach out. I would love to hear about your goals and help you make a plan to achieve them!

www.fithealthyandfabulous.com

Stay Fit Together!

Stay Fit Together. The studies have spoken! Couples who exercise together and make healthy choices to eat right have healthier, happier relationships.

Working out together is good for your heart, your mind and your soul. Working out together helps your relationship stay healthy, happy and positive. You will create a closer bond because will you get to spend more quality time together, you will also look better, choose healthier food options together and keep each other motivated and on track.

When your romantic partner is also your workout partner, they completely understand and respect you and your health and fitness goals. They understand why going to the gym or getting in a fitness routine anywhere that you choose is a priority for you. Couples who work out together already have the commitment and accountability to each other, this is just another area of a relationship where commitment is needed all they need to do is commit to be fit together. It’s harder to make excuses with your significant other there to account to, with the benefit of your sweetheart cheering you on you will keep each other motivated to stay on track. One of the benefits of couple training is that they can do exercises that were developed for two, such as partner push-ups and core ball tosses.

You’ll look amazing together! Fit, toned and confident with a healthy glow When you are active, exercise regularly and eat right you will have better circulation and overall body function which will give you that healthy, vibrant look.

Your sex life will benefit too. Couples that exercise regularly and are physically fit tend to have more self and body confidence. Countless studies show fit couples report that their sex lives become far better after they get physically fit. Exercise reduces stress, and as many will agree, stress is a huge libido crusher. Being fit increases your energy, strength, endurance and flexibility which certainly doesn’t hurt in the bedroom. You strong, sexy thing you!

Couples that are committed to a fit, lifestyle tend to choose better food options and cook healthy meals together. Spending time in the kitchen cooking becomes a team effort and a great bonding experience. It allows for quality one on one time together, learning how to live healthy, creating new and exciting dishes as a couple is fun and allows for creativity to flow. Couples who plan and cook meals together tend to be happier than those who constantly order take out or frequent restaurants for meals, which as we all know take out and restaurant foods are undisclosed calories and added ingredients that we cannot control. PS: Don't forget to do my favorite part of couple's healthy lifestyle training in the kitchen, crank up the music, drink a "little" high quality, healthy wine and dance in between all the healthy cooking. Yes, wine is good in moderation!

There are so many activities that you can add to your health and fitness lifestyle every week. A few examples are pre-and post dinner walks, gardening, hiking, walking around the city, visiting museums, you can even join local charity runs and marathons too.

As many of you know I love dogs! I rescue and volunteer with dogs and I am happy to say that walking your dog has been proven very healthy too. The North American Association on the Study of Obesity shows that dog-owners were healthier and fit, they also had more fun losing weight by walking their furry friend and were able to keep the weight off longer than non-pup-owners do. If you do not own a dog you can volunteer together at a local shelter to walk shelter dogs while they are waiting for their forever homes.

Wishing you success in your fitness goals, a fit and healthy body and lots of love!

www.fithealthyandfabulous.com