Tamilee Webb

Aaahhh spring is in the air! The trees are blooming, the birds are singing and the sun is trying to shine through the dirty dusty windows. It’s time to clean off the winter dew and freshen up our home, out with the old and in with the new.

When we think of spring cleaning we think of cleaning putting away our bulky winter clothes and bringing in our skimpy spring and summer clothes. Spring brings new beginnings for many new babies born to the animals, beautiful spring flowers along the roadside and green grass everywhere you look. However, our personal health might need spring-cleaning as well. If you failed at your New Years Resolution of getting in shape, dropping the yearly 10 pound gain but didn’t, than spring is another time of the year you get a second chance.

First, we need evaluate why your goals at New Years didn’t work.

· Time - Couldn’t find the consistent time to workout?

· Motivation – Found it hard to want to exercise

· Depression – Other things on your mind that effect your body

· Stress – Too many things happening in your life that are stressful

If you have been gaining weight and failing every time you try, it could be because of your emotional state of mind. Our minds and body connect in more ways then we can imagine. Your emotional health can weaken your body’s immune system making it more likely to get sick. When you’re stressed, anxious or upset, it’s harder to take care of your health as well as you should. This leads to changes in exercising, nutrition, and decisions. These are just a few of health problems that can occur from emotional stress.

· Weight gain

· High blood pressure

· Back pain

· Insomnia

· Extreme tiredness

· Palpitations

The list could go on and on…I think you get my point?

How do we get our mind and body more balanced? By address, your emotional issues first. Look at it as cleaning out the webs in your mind…it is spring after all! Once you deal with your emotional issue your mind becomes clearer and more able to accomplish what you want your body to do. Having the freedom of stress allows your immune system to be a fighting machine, giving you more energy to get your body moving, and the ability to fight colds and make better decisions.

Depending on the severity of your issues, it is best to begin with a professional.

· Your doctor should do a full medical exam to determine your physical problems such as high blood pressure, high colestrol or obesity and suggest the solution to these issues.

· A psychologist can help you get to the core of your emotional issues and work through them. They might even suggest certain medication for depression or anxiety.

· A nutritionist can evaluate your eating style and make changes in your diet to give you more energy and foods high in antioxidants, which help build healthy cells. They might suggest taking multivitamin or other supplements that your body needs.

· A friend or family member that loves and supports you is good natural medicine. Having people around you that care about your health and are honest with you is very important. We all give off energy; it’s the good we want surrounding us.

Once you begin to deal with the cobwebs, your body will take on a different feeling. It will begin to respond to the brain and want to be in balance with it. This is when you’ll find the energy and the commitment to get your body healthy. It is at this time you will succeed at your goals because your mind is clear to tell the body how to get there. This is where you “Bloom” into spring and others can see the changes in you just as in the seasons. I’d like to suggest a few of my programs that will help you begin your spring-cleaning:

· Stretch & Relaxation DVD. Begin by releasing stress 

· I Want That Body. Three 15 min. workouts for your buns, arms & abs

· Classic Buns of Steel DVD Collection: three workouts, which is the best bang for your buck and in today’s economy we all love a good deal.

By summer, you are ready to “Celebrate” your achievements!

You are now on a different level of commitment; you get it, you see it and you feel it….it’s a new lifestyle change that will stay with you forever! Now spring into action!

Happy Spring my friends,

Tamilee

There’s nothing better to warm you up on a cold winter day that some delicious, healthy soup. With that in mind, I’d like to share one of my favorite soup recipes with you.

•  1 bag of Soba noodles (soft)
•  Tofu, firm (don't like Tofu, use chicken breast tenders)
•  Large head of Broccoli
•  2 large cans of sodium free, 99% fat free chicken broth
•  2 tablespoons Olive Oil
•  Sunflower seeds (no shells and unsalted) 
• Directions: In a 6-qt deep saute pan, heat olive oil, then place dices tofu or chicken in pan and lightly brown, add pieces of broccoli to tofu/chicken and lightly cook for 5 min. add 1 can of Chicken or veggie broth and soba noodles and spices you like, cover and cook low to medium for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve in a bowl, sprinkle sunflower seeds on top and enjoy!

Introducing "Classic Buns of Steel Collection Volume 1" DVD's

Mutt-Trainer “Getting Fit with your Dog as your trainer”

For dog owners wanting a personal trainer but can’t afford it, look no further…your dog can be your ‘Mutt-trainer”

You both need it and with today’s pampered pet being carried around in fancy carriers or strollers, they too need regular exercise to add years to their life span!

There are many benefits to exercising with your dog…

• Exercise & obedience can be accomplished
• Quality time together
•  Health benefits for both of you
•  A training partner you both LOVE
•  Put you both on a healthy routine

A few safety reminders before exercising with your dog…

1. Right exercise program for both you and your dog
2.  Hydrate a little before you begin
3.  Keep your dog on a leash at all times
4.  Have tags, license or proper ID on your dog

1. The size of your dog will depend on the intensity of your workout routine. Little dogs have shorter legs then you and can’t take long walks as bigger dogs; they might be better at walk/jog intervals. Different breeds will also determine your workout; Greyhounds are runners, be prepared to run! Other big dogs may like to run but can easily develop hip dysplasia; check with your vet for the best exercise regime for your dog.

2. Hydrate both your dog and self before going out especially if it’s a warm day. If possible keep some water on you for both you and your dog. Some big dogs can wear a vest that can care water bottles and add to their workout without running.

3. Keep your dog on a lease at all times, this protects both them, you and others from possible incidents; plus it might be the law in most parks, beaches or trails.

4. Always have some type of identification for both you and your pet incase something happens; you always want to be able to find each other or help others reunite incase of separation.

Types of workouts you can do with your dog…I have so many friends that are dog parents and treat their dog or dogs as family members which I’m a believer in! In fact; one of my very best friends believed so much in making their dogs life as healthy and wonderful as us humans they opened an upper scale dog and cat bouquet called “Muttropolis” www.muttropolis.com where their two dogs Harry and Artie are the board of trustees!

1. Walks – this one should be a no brainier. If you have a dog it should be walked everyday and in most cases twice a day. I have a small dog with only three legs (don’t let that kid you into thinking she needs less walks) and she doesn't walk, she runs and likes to run! She may not go as far but she goes ‘fast’ within a short distance and wants her walks twice a day if not more. My friend has two big dogs with some Greyhound in them which means they must run! She takes them once a day on a long hike trail in the morning then for a quick short jog in the evening, yes she is getting much more exercise then me! You can walk the neighborhood, the beach, park, and trails. Try to walk at a moderate pace but if your dog (s) wants to stop to smell the roses (or whatever) let them and while their smelling you can be doing squats or alternate lunges. If your dog likes to run, do a walk/jog interval where you walk for 3 min. then jog for 1 min. Walking is great for your lower body muscles and heart.

2. Stairs – Want to get both cardio and a great butt workout, take you and your dog to the school stadium or stairs at the beach and do stair intervals. Walk one-step at a time up the stairs, once on top do 10 push ups off the bench, walk back down the stairs. On the second time up; step every other step and do another 10 push-ups. Great for your buns and legs.

3. Park - The Park is a great way to do more of a circuit training type of workout! Usually Parks will have a bench, playground with monkey bars, steps and blocks. This is a good time to work on obedience with your dog like ‘heel, stay, sit, down’ which you want to instruct while you do the exercises between each circuit. Walk to a bench, ask your dog to sit while you do step ups and downs on the bench, do 10 on each leg; walk for 3 minutes to another area like the monkey bars and do the monkey bars for 1 min. while you instruct your dog to ‘stay’ (might want to attach him to something while you do the bars). Continue the 3 min. walk with a 1 min. exercise; other stations could be, push-ups, tricep dips, seated crunches, alt. Lunges on a step, running up & down stairs and so on.

4. Lake – Especially big dogs that love the water won’t pass up the chance of taking a dip in the lake, ocean or pool. If you’re near a lake, paddle out with your dog and enjoy a nice swim with him/her; you might want a kick board to stay out longer if you’re not a strong swimmer. If you’re at the beach, toss a ball or stick or favorite rubber/rope toy into the ocean for your dog to fetch while you do exercises on the beach until he/she returns with the toy. You can do walking lunges in the sand, push-ups, squats, sprints, crunches, and jumping jacks (do keep an eye on your pet).

5. Other – If you find you have to workout at home, get a stability ball and your dogs favorite ball or toy; as you’re sitting on the ball toss the toy and do 10 crunches while he/she fetches the ball, when he/she returns toss is again and do leg raises (lying over the ball and lifting both legs up off the floor, hands on floor), repeat the game and do the following exercises…bounce while sitting on the ball (like a frog), push-ups (lying face down on ball), AB roll (kneel in front of the ball, place forearms on ball’s apex with fingers interlaced, roll the ball forward until arms, hips & knees are in a straight line, return and repeat), Sitting leg extension (sit on ball, extend one leg until parallel with floor, release and repeat alternating legs).

HAPPY TAIL WOKROUT!

• Do wear clothing that is comfortable and non-binding.
• Do breathe deeply while stretching - don't hold your breath.
• Do hold each stretch for a least 30 seconds.
• Do listen to your body and only stretch to the point of tightness, NOT PAIN!
• Do enjoy the range of motion your body is trying to give you.
• Do use a towel to help you reach out toward the stretch if needed.
• Don't bounce while you're stretching a muscle.
• Don't lock joints.
• Don't stretch in ways that will force the joints beyond their normal range of motion

Tamilee’s 10 Healthy Tips…

1. Exercise has been proven to protect the heart. A moderate amount of exercise increases HDL (good cholesterol, lowers blood pressure and makes you less likely to gain weight. Fit individuals have a lower risk of heart disease.

2. As you continue to exercise and lead an active life, find words to describe yourself that say only positive things about you! Avoid judgment statements that may become labels. The positive words we use to describe ourselves express not simply what we perceive, but also how we feel.

3. Did you know that one of the biggest failures of women seeking to improve their appearance is the lack of self-confidence? Remember that looking and feeling good isn’t only about size; it’s also about self-acceptance and perspective. Make sure you have both.

4. Want to beat the blues? The most effective way to fight off a bad mood is to exercise!

5. Burning muscle is an essential component to burning fat. The more muscle you have, the more calories and fat you will burn just doing daily activities. The best way to shape up is to incorporate strength exercises with aerobics and good nutrition especially in our middle age life. Check out Loss Fat Fast with nutritional information to accomendate your workout.

6. You don’t need to exercise every muscle group at every daily workout. In fact, you shouldn’t. You can spilt up your strength workouts by training opposing muscle groups, such as chest and back on one day. Not only will you keep your strength workouts fresh and interesting, you will also allow time for your muscles to recover from the previous workout.

7. Set realistic goals when starting an exercise program for the first time. Begin with small, attainable goals. The idea is not to whip into shape, but to ease into a lifelong fitness habit. Many people start out too rapidly and try to do too much. As a result, they get overly sore, the body gets fatigued, possibly even injured, they get easily discouraged and they stop exercising. Be patient and don’t’ over do it! Try my Tight on Time Hot Spots or Body Blast for quick 10 minute workouts to get you started.

8. Beginners need to approach their new exercise programs by thinking in terms of habit. Habits are usually formed unconsciously, but when it comes to forming the exercise habit, we need to bring as much conscious attention to it as possible.

9. A recent study indicated that half of women age 65 couldn’t lift 10 pounds. Women have less muscle mass to begin with, and they start to lose muscle strength more rapidly after age 60. So start pumping some iron ladies!

10. Even though Americans are eating less fat, they are not losing weight. Remember, fat-free food products don’t necessarily mean calorie-free. Don’t assume because a food is low in fat that it is also low in calories.