Super food and Kombucha football food

A few weeks ago I went to the Ravens game and my husband ate the standard football fare of fried chicken nuggets, French fries with some random dipping sauce and of course beer. Lots of beer. 

He was sick in his stomach for a good 24 hours post game. He often jokes that I've "ruined him"... He prefers to eat the good, healthy, clean food I cook for him! He realizes more than ever how much better he feels with good food... And how bad he feels with crappy food. 

Since it's post Thanksgiving and the pre Holiday rush is on, everyone could use a boost to their immune system. And since 70% of our immune system lies in our digestive tract, we need to eat well and add in lots of probiotics. Thankfully that's easier and more delicious than ever with KeVitas new Master Brew kombucha drinks! 

Now that I'm in health coach / nutrition school I'm experimenting in the kitchen and cooking even healthier! So today when my fave Olympian / former yoga client came over to watch the Ravens game I decided to create some healthy game day food.... 

... Super Food burgers and turmeric veggie quinoa! Aside from feeding a former Olympian, I was extra motivated to make foods with anti inflammatory properties since I just had just run a hilly 8K the day before and was feeling a little achy and sore. 

Super Food Burgers:

1 sweet potato, grated

1 carrot, grated 

1 cup kale, chopped

1/4 cup parsley, chopped 

1 pound grass fed beef or venison

2 organic eggs

1/2 cup oatmeal 

2T mustard 

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

I grilled them but you can fry or oven bake. If you're gluten free put it on a bed of greens with mustard and olive oil. Otherwise a big kaiser roll is great. The super food burger is a new football food fave!! And combined with the KeVita Komucha... I was wishing they sold stuff like this at the stadium... No one would go home feeling bloated and exhausted. 

Stay healthy this holiday season! I committ to 10-15 minutes of yoga a day, eating super foods and I am addicted to KeVita Master Brew Kombucha probiotic drinks to keep my digestive tract and immune system healthy! Cheers! 

Namaste, 

Karen Dubs 

www.flexiblewarrior.com

Raw Chocolate and Bourbon Holiday Joy Pie

This is HUGE - my first recipe post! This is not really 'fuel for warriors' but even warriors need to get into the holiday spirit! 

I am no chef. I mean, I cook all the time and lately more so than ever since I started health coach school with Integrative Institute of Nutrition. But honestly, cooking is not my greatest strength ... but like all things, with practice and patience we get better over time. And now for me to post a recipe I created... Well this is monumental :)

Coming into the Holiday season I had a little goal of creating a healthier version of my fave Bourbon Ball cookies which traditionally are made with vanilla wafers and corn syrup. The funny thing is I'm not even a drinker but I have loved Bourbon Balls since I was a kid (my Dads favorite too so guess there's an emotional attachment there too like so many Holiday comfort foods). 

Last night while prepping for a small dinner party (with a CSA farmer and a health coach who teaches raw food cooking classes - No pressure ;) I decided to make a raw cacao pie for desert - An awesome recipe I found on Mind Body Green in the summer. But I was out of dates and I didn't feel like running back to the store so creating a crust without my standard date and walnut combo was my first challenge. 

Once I figured out a crust and started on the filling I had the AH HA moment to switch out the water for ... BOURBON! I wasn't sure if could set right but sure enough it turned out perfect and was a huge hit at the dinner party. 

So now I wanted to share the recipe since it's a festive holiday desert and way healthier than the average pie! 

Crust:

1 1/2 cups Cashew or Almond Meal (I used a combo of both that I got at Trader Joe's)

3 T melted Coconut Oil

pinch of sea salt

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t ginger

1T maple syrup

Mix together nut meal with baking soda and spices. Mix together coconut oil and maple syrup. Blend all ingredients and press into a pie pan. Bake at 350 for 20 - 25 min. Let cool. 

Pie Filling: 

1 Cup raw cashews, soaked overnight

1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)

3T raw cacao powder (I used Navitas Naturals) 

1/4 Cup raw honey

1/4 Cup Bourbon (I used Makers Mark) 

I have a Vitamixer so simply put all ingredients in the blender for about 3 minutes until smooth. But you could use a mixer or regular blender. Poor into cooled pie crust and refrigerate for a good 2 hours. I put mine in the garage to chill since our fridge was maxed out. It was a little hard to cut fresh from the cold garage so I'd suggest letting it sit at room temperature while you have dinner since the coconut oil firms up and makes it tough to cut. 

And by the way, one of my dinner guests made a raw pumpkin pie and everyone decided to have a small slice of each and the combo of pumpkin, bourbon and chocolate was ridiculously delicious. And most had a little after dinner bourbon with desert, so no lack in holiday joy. 

OK. Hope you'll try my recipe and let me know what you think! Happy Thanksgiving! 

Peace, love, joy and chocolate :) 

Karen Dubs

www.flexiblewarrior.com 

Run, Roll and Stretch (self care for a great cause!)

Several years ago I was training for a 10k race and developed plantar fasciitis. If you've ever been sidelined with an injury you know how frustrating it is!

As a yogini I try to listen to my body and the messages it's sending me but in this instance I failed to acknowledge the little twinges and warning signs leading up to the excruciating pain that comes with plantar fascitis. So I ended up not being able to run for a good 4 - 5 months...

And that's when I started adding foam rolling into my stretching and doing self foot massage with tennis balls and a frozen water bottle. I became so hooked, I started teaching foam rolling in my Yoga for Athletes classes, and even in my Spinning and boot camp classes. Everyone looked forward to the "hurts so good" benefits of foam rolling that I even ended up filming a DVD so I could share the joy of foam rolling with even more.

Yes injuries truly stink but I try to be grateful for even the set backs because it's all a learning experience and I believe enduring and recovering from that pain has blessed me with knowledge that I can share with other runners as well as empathy, compassion and a new understanding of self care and how to stay healthier.

I'm sure you already know that the time you spend training is only half the battle. As an athlete, your performance is directly related to staying injury free, the quality on your nutrition plus how well you recover. If you're not putting attention into self care and recovery it will eventually hold you back. 

Here are two short videos with yoga inspired tips on how to heal heel pain and how to incorporate foam rolling with your stretching and recovery. 

On December 6th I'll be teaching a Foam Roll and Stretch charity class at Charm City Run in Timonium. 100% of the donations for the class will go to Back On My Feet in Baltimore, an organization that inspires men who are currently homeless to incorporate running to feel more uplifted, inspired and to create an upward spiral that will positively affect all areas of their life including employment and independent living. This is true flexibility and resilience in action. 

If you can't make the class but want to support the cause and feel the benefits of foam rolling and stretching you can DONATE $15 FOR A DVD at any Charm City Run location. See flyer for details or email me are karen@flexiblewarrior.com

As we head into the winter season, it's a great time to incorporate more cross training with Yoga, Pilates and Foam Rolling! Have a great off season.

Karen Dubs
www.flexiblewarrior.com

Yoga tips for your taper down weeks

With the kids back in school, it's a great time to recommit to your running and fitness goals. Below are some tips to help you stay flexible and recovered leading up to their fall race. Whether you're running your first marathon, half, a triathlon, a 10K or a 5K...  Whatever the distance, it's all relative and runners invest a lot of time, money and energy into their training. So during the taper down weeks, when you have a little more free time, you can try a few of these FREE yoga-inspired tools to prepare for your mind and body for your best race day...

Here is your top 5 Pre Race Calm checklist:

1) Set an Intention. How do you want to feel on your race day? Why are you running? Who can you thank for supporting you on your journey? Remember the quote "Worrying is praying for what you don't want" so keep your Intention positive.

2)  Keep it simple. If you've already been practicing yoga during your training, fine - take whatever yoga class your body is used to. But if not, now is not the time to be adding new training into your program. Look for formats that are geared toward runners and are more restorative. Wait until the off season for the more challenging classes.

3) Practice Breathing and / or Meditation. Learning to improve the quality of your breathing can make a huge difference in your performance and can create that calm, focused energy you want for your race day. Consider taking a Pranayama or Meditation class at a local studio. If you can't get to a studio, here is a very short breathing practice you can try at home...

4) Fuel your Prana (life force energy). Every cell in your body will thrive if you consciously fuel and nourish it. Book a massage a week before and after your race day. Eat nutrient-dense foods! Drink a green smoothie or try some wheat grass shots. Self-care and honoring our body is so important and will speed your recovery too. In addition, be sure to sleep well and HYDRATE! It sounds so obvious, but in our busy world these simple things get skipped.

5) Put your legs up the wall?! Yep. But this one is for AFTER your race... One of the poses I love most for runners is Legs up the Wall pose. It's so simple yet so effective and restorative to invert your legs after a long run. If you're not sure how to do it watch the following segment which includes a few other gentle, restorative poses...

6) Book a massage or try Self-Massage with a foam roller or myofascial release balls can extend the life of your massage. These inexpensive tools can be used before you stretch to help loosen up tight tissue. You can use a lacrosse ball or tennis ball but I prefer The Pinky Ball. Here is a short segment you can try with the myofascial release ball...

And lastly, run with a high heart! In yoga Mountain pose is all about good posture, alignment and an open, lifted heart always lifts the spirits. Sometimes I imagine a string is pulling me forward from my heart. Sounds weird but boy does it help me get up hills! When we fatigue, the posture slumps and the chest caves which restricts breathing.

If it gets tough, think of one of my favorite old school run playlist songs... "When the mountain is high, just look up to the sky. Ask God to teach you. Then persevere with a smile! Once you dig in, you'll find you're coming out the other side. And once you dig in, you'll find you have yourself a good time." - Lenny Kravitz (Dig in)


Enjoy some self-care. You deserve it! And the more you fill your cup and fuel your Prana, the more energy you'll have to give on your race day.

P.S.
I have a friend (Ian Wasti) who has created his own adventure endurance event this fall. But instead of raising money, he is raising acts of kindness! My "act" is a yoga fundraiser class next spring for the MD SPCA... You'll downward dog WITH your dog and all proceeds will go to support the animals. I also want to collect used yoga mats to donate to the dogs (they make nice cushioning for the animals). It's not too late to donate an act and support his event.

Namaste

Karen Dubs
www.flexiblewarrior.com

Breath in... The #1 Nutrient

We can live...
weeks without food and
days without water but
only seconds without AIR

Sit up tall. Lift your heart. Take a deep breath in. Exhale. Ahhh... feel better already right?

I don't know about you, but I feel completely different after I run, walk or hike outdoors when I get fresh air and sunlight. Add a green smoothie or fresh juice to it and WOW! There is no drug in the world that can do that.

That's Prana.

Prana is a Sanskrit work meaning life-force energy. It has many definitions but basically it is the vital life-giving force that runs through all living things and comes from elements in nature like the sun and the oxygen we breath.So simple yet so complex.

Oxygen is the most valuable nutrient we can take in. Yes clean water and quality food is essential as well but often we miss the importance of oxygen. It both calms and energizes us. It nourishes and sustains us. It fuels our Prana.

 If you're an athlete, practicing good breathing techniques can improve performance, help to block out distractions and help to focus the mind. Here is a quick and easy video to practice getting calm and centered with breathing before a race or game day... 

So if you're feeling sluggish or stressed, take a break from your busy day, plan a hike and get outside this fall and BREATHE in some fresh air and Prana. Unlike most of the products and gadgets we buy to improve our health, air is free and it's absolutely transformative when you combine it with other healthy living choices.

Fuel your Prana my friends!

Karen Dubs
www.flexiblewarrior.com

Joy, Light and Oprah

I'm a big believer in Karma. Even as a kid I remember feeling this sense of what you give you receive. It brings me a lot of peace knowing that all I need to do is be kind, compassionate and true to myself and the rest will take care of itself. This is especially freeing when someone does something that isn't very kind... I'm

Able to let it go (and sometimes even send them love although that's definitely a work in progress) because I know the universal principle applies and it's not my place to interfere or waste my energy on trying to make it right. Because as Oprah so eloquently says..."What you give ... BAM ... Comes right back." I love that. 

Over the last two years I've started to incorporate the One Word movement and each January choose a word for my year. Last year I chose JOY and I was blown a day with the way joy flowed to me in the most special and unique ways that I didn't ask for or plan on specifically... It just seemed like things that brought me great joy kept happening.  So much so that I wanted to use the same word in 2014! 

So when it came time to pick my word for this year I struggled but one day as I closed one of my yoga classes with a reading about "Light" saying to my students "The light within me honors that same light that is within you, Namaste" I knew I had my word... Light. 

I'm not a big New Years goal writer anymore. I used to write long lists of specific goals years ago but now the One Word practice is my ritual and I just trust that whatever word I chose will shape my year. Little did I know that choosing Light would bring me to DC for Oprah's The Life You Want Weekend. But here I am, surrounded by thousands of other soul seekers on a journey to get inspired and fill my cup so full that it spills over. 

In a random turn of events (is anthing random?) I got invited to join two friends for this incredible event that included transformational trailblazers Mark Nepo, Elizabeth Gilbert, Rob Bell, Iyanla Vanzant and of course Oprah! Other inspiring appearances by Paralympic althlete Amy Purdy and Soul Cycles Angela Davis, both of which knocked my socks off. All weekend I was filled with great emotion, laughing and crying and as I sit here in my hotel room on Sunday practicing a short meditation as the sun rises, I realize I've been so blessed with LIGHT this weekend. It's my own personal Super Soul Sunday! 

So I'm sending out love and gratitude to Oprah and all her transformation trailblazers for opening my eyes and my heart to Light this weekend. And to my precious girlfriends for blessing me with a gift that is beyond measure. Together we will continue on the jouney to support each other on The Life We Want. 

Namaste. The Light within me honors and acknowledges that same Light that is within you. 

Karen Dubs 

www.flexiblewarrior.com

September is for Samasthiti

Samasthiti (also known as Tadasana or Mountain Pose) is standing tall, aligned and in balance.  When repeating Sun Salutations, I've heard Samasthiti described as "begin again". And although we think of January and the New Year as the ideal time of starting over and setting goals, there is something about September that feels more appropriate for resetting goals and Intentions.

The summer time is so fun and yet can be so unsettling. We get off our regular routine, traveling and forget all about whatever goals and visions we had in January. We live for the moment and soak up the long blissful days of summer. Ah... it's so awesome! But then it's over.

So I invite you to take some time to re-evaluate. To look back to the goals and visions you had at the beginning of 2014. To look ahead for the next four months. To look at your schedule and how you can tweak it to take out what isn't serving you and to add in the things that get you closer to where you want to be. Set some S.M.A.R.T. goals (Specific. Measurable. Attainable. Realistic. Timely.) Why do you want what you want? Who can help you get there? When can you make time for yourself? Where do you see yourself on Dec 31st? How do you want to feel? What are you waiting for?

I'll open up my journal and share a few of my goals... 

1) Self Care - Do at least one thing weekly that brings joy.
2) Run 3x a week to train for my fall 5 miler (speed is not my goal - Enjoying the race journey is :)
3) Experiment in the kitchen! Make at least one new recipe or try one new food each week.

4) Business Plan. My nutrition / health coaching school has my wheels totally turning about what's next. By Dec 31st I'd like some more clarity and create a business plan. Gulp.


What are your greatest challenges? What is holding you back from your goals? If you've gotten off track this summer, what can you do to get back on it?
 
So, as we enter the many joys of fall... football season, back to school, wine festivals, colorful hikes, bike rides and fall races I encourage you to take a few minutes to quietly contemplate how you want to close out 2014... Sign up for a fall race, take a pottery class, buy tickets to watch your favorite team play and of course hit the local farmers market and take some yoga ;)

If you're having a hard time fitting in your yoga, here is a short "Get Calm & Energized" AM practice to start our day with.

Enjoy! I'd love to hear your "begin again" goals!

Karen
www.flexiblewarrior.com

The highs and lows of my 5 day Summer Re-Boot

Who doesn't love summertime?! But in the midst of all the summer fun and fresh and veggies, I always seem to end up eating lots of crap too. So a few friends / clients and I decided to do a 5 day Summer Re-boot ... Free from sugar, dairy, caffeine, alcohol and gluten and adding in fresh juices, clean, organic fruits and veggies and lots of water and herbal teas to flush out all the crap!

My goals:

1) As part of my IIN nutrition school "homework", experiment with a raw food diet (inspired by David Wolfe) and juicing (inspired by Joe Cross)
2) Take a break from sugar (I've been a sugar junky since I was 5 - probably earlier but that's as far back as I can remember) so every once in a while I need to reset my sweet tooth as my old behaviors start creeping back in.
3) Add in more organic fruits and veggies plus skin care products and self care (detoxing from crap is just as much about what we put on our skin and how we take care of ourselves as it is what we eat).

The 5 day detox was a bit of a roller coaster ride...

Day 1: I'm so excited to start!
Day 2: I have a headache :(
Day 3: I'm so excited (to get the juice!)
Day 4: I'm so hungry!
Day 5: I'm so excited! ( The finish line is near AND people are asking me "What are you doing? You look great. Your skin is glowing" :)

As with most new adventures and challenges in life, the journey is way more important that the destination. And we have to earn it! There really aren't any short cuts...

I had this quote in mind on day 2 through 4 when the going got tough. But I figured I had endured harder things in life, and part of my "rules" for my fellow detox team members was "no whining" allowed. It was OK to share that we had headaches, fatigue, hunger pangs, cravings... But honestly, we're eating and drinking fabulously healthy, delicious, nourishing foods to heal our bodies from disease and inflammation. There is no room to be anything other than grateful for that! Sounds sensible in theory, until you're try working all day and managing a household with a migraine!It would be different if we were on a retreat somewhere, but we were home, living our normal Mon - Fri lives with work, making dinner for our families, and some even had dinner parties to attend during the cleanse!

 

Day 1: I'm so excited! Beginning a new journey is always thrilling. There were 5 of us in the group and I think we all started off with enthusiasm and excitement.

The detox started on a Monday AM so we all shopped on Sunday and prepped clean healthy foods like salads, cut up veggies, made lemon water and I even made a lemon cilantro salad dressing, a chia seed pudding and a sunflower seed pate. My fridge was stocked with healthy snacks!

I was so excited in fact, I decided to get a gentle start on Sunday by making a healthy quinoa salad for dinner with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes and parsley from my garden and a lemon and olive oil dressing. It was a very satisfying dinner actually! And I felt like being a Vegan for the week would be pretty easy! I actually prefer eating Vegan / Raw anyway, despite having Type O blood and the Paleo trend (although I do plan to experiment with that during my IIN school year too).

I woke up early Monday morning (5:30AM) and made a hot lemon water and sat my butt down on my yoga mat for a little meditation / Intention setting followed by 10 minutes of Sun Salutations. After that I made a quick green smoothie and out the door I went for my 7AM client. By 9AM I was already hungry again so I ate some pepitas and an herbal tea and then taught yoga at 9:30. I met a friend for lunch at Wegman's at 11:30 and chose the Avocado veggie roll and a Kombucha. By 2pm I was starving again. Sesame seed pate and veggies snack. Perfect - phew, glad I prepped all that the day before! Dinner was early - HUGE salad with homemade avocado dressing and tons of veggies and sprouts. Hungry again by 7pm so made a fresh peach smoothie with coconut milk and Sunwarrior Raw protein powder. Slept like a baby.

Day 2: Woke up with a headache. Had a little green tea to take the edge off. Worked like a charm but wasn't as fun without the Coconut sugar and almond milk. Had another big green smoothie with spirulina and felt so good I went for a 4 mile run with my dog. I ran slow and felt a little sluggish (but I'm always a slow runner). Drank lots of water and decided to hit the Bio Mat at Natural Vibrant Health to help with the headache and general fatigue plus to boost my detoxification. After that had a few clients and errands so ended up eating a raw food bar that thankfully I picked up at Natural Vibrant Health after my Bio Mat session (which I really didn't want to eat unless it was an "emergency") but I felt my blood sugar dropping so the bar kept me going. Again, another huge salad for dinner and peach smoothie "dessert" in the evening. Rubbed some Magnesium oil on my neck, upper back and shoulders before bed to help relax the headache away. Sleep was OK and woke up NO headache!

Day 3: I'm so excited (to get the juice!!!) Phase two of the detox was when we got to pick up our juices and at this point, I had eaten all the food I had prepped on Sunday and was looking forward to not have to prep more and plus excited to take this detox to the next level.

The juice pick up unfortunately wasn't until 1pm so I made a Ginger Shot (pic left) and another huge green smoothie and went to meet one of my fellow IIN students and detox friend for a 6 mile walk on the NCR trail. Beautiful. We shared stories and 1 1/2 hour walk went by in a blip. I had taken the morning off, thankfully and prior to the walk felt REALLY hungry and tired. But after the green smoothie and walk I was feeling pretty darn fabulous!

Picking up the juices was fun. I busted out one of the Antioxidant juices out ASAP and it tasted like heaven. Very refreshing and to me, I feel like I can just taste the "Prana". That may sound a little "woo woo". But honestly, fresh juices are so full of Life Force energy. I sort of like to imagine every single cell in my body smiling as I drink the juice. OK, maybe I'm losing a few of you here. But seriously, so much of what we eat lacks any sort of real nourishment. Much of our foods are processed, packaged with appealing labels and shipped around the planet. They simply can't compare with real fruits and veggies. And in one bottle of fresh, unpasteurized juice you get like 5 - 8 servings of fruit and veg in one bottle! Talk about fueling your Prana!

For the rest of day 3 and all the way through day 5 I intended on drinking just green juices. They were all prepped for me and chilled in the fridge so I didn't have to shop, chop, prep or clean up! So I was feeling like that would be totally doable. But by 5pm I was pretty darn hungry so I had a salad WITH my juice and some raw cashews! Maybe day 4 I could do an all-juice day?!

Day 4: I'm so hungry!

I'll admit I eat a lot for a girl :) And I'm OK with it! But I really wanted to try to go all day with juice only. Just to see what it was like. But at the same time I woke up with so much energy I really wanted to run too! So this was the big dilemma. Again, I took the day off (lucky timing that two of my regular clients were out of town anyway). The weather was perfect for running and I so rarely have a weekday morning off to run so I was super tempted. But today was more about resting and being restored so I skipped the run for a little meditation, Sun Salutations and gentle stretches.

By 9AM I was already hungry AGAIN so I drank another super green juice. Ah, after two green juices and some yoga I was feeling very energized yet peaceful. I went to Natural Vibrant Health for my second Bio Mat session (part of our 'to do' during the cleanse was to book self care :) I fell sound asleep on the bio mat and woke up feeling like a new person, but slightly dehydrated. Water, water, water. Another juice by 11AM. Sort of full and sort of hungry all at the same time. Another juice at 1pm, wondering if I could make it through until bed time. Usually I'm so busy that my days fly by, but this day was starting to feel really long!

At 2pm my nephew came over and we filmed a few segments for my Youtube channel. Felt a little woozy but for the most part surprisingly energized. On a whim, he even filmed an Ice Bucket Challenge segment for me but I had to do it three times to get it right! I kept missing my head. But I won't blame that on the juice! Haha.

Another juice during our video shoot (my nephew actually took a shot of my super green juice and didn't hate it :)

By 5PM I was seriously ready to eat! But I had come too far to give up at that point! But the wheels started coming off when I had to garden the gazillions of tomatoes and cucumbers in our garden since my husband and I were leaving to out of town on Saturday. I never in a millions years thought I'd be so tempted by a tomato. And I had to spend hours chopping and cooking tomato sauce so this was when I eventually caved.

I had my final 6th juice of the day at 6pm and was drinking lots of water but I was still VERY hungry. So at 8pm I ate a few cups of my fresh (sugar free) tomato sauce and it was crazy delish. All that was in it was sea salt and fresh oregano and basil also from my garden, so it was basically a veg juice (I told myself). But the truth is I know I wouldn't have been able to sleep if my tummy was growling! And I actually did sleep pretty darn good! OK PHEW glad that day was over!

Day 5: I'm so excited! The finish line is in sight (and people are saying "wow your skin is glowing").

Again got up at 5:30AM for an early client and packed a little cooler with ice and three juices. After my client, I met up with a fellow detox friend for a yoga class. I rested in child's pose a good bit but really enjoyed taking a class and my energy felt great. I stopped by Wegman's for a few post detox / beach weekend supplies and while I was shopping got a text message from a client who wanted a session. I was planning on juicing all day, but I needed energy to stretch this client! So I bought two Raw Food bars and ate those, then decided at that point that I was still detoxing but no longer just juicing. So I had a salad for dinner and boy was that enjoyable!)


My husband and I left for the beach Saturday AM and I packed the last two of my juices (since I didn't do juice only on Friday I had a few extras) and I drank my last juice on the beach in Ocean City (wishing I had saved an Island Breeze juice as my finale, but I slammed that one the night before!)

The rest of the weekend I was somewhat challenged to eat healthy, as Ocean City seems to be the land of candy, funnel cakes and fried food. But we had great meals at The Blacksmith in Berlin, Liquid Assets and The Grove Marketplace. 

All in all the Juice Detox was a GREAT experience! Doing it with an awesome and enthusiastic group made a big difference. We all encouraged and cheered each other on and had fun with it.

And you'll all be disappointed that I didn't weigh myself (just not in that habit and in the midst of packing to leave for the beach Sat AM I just forgot!) but I can tell you that I FEEL GREAT and that's what matters most.

I enjoyed the detox so much, that I plan to do another Fall detox and a New Years detox as well. Email if you'd like to join me! And in the meantime, if you want to do a detox sooner, check out Juice Fresh and use the coupon code "yogadubs" at check out (and I can help coach you through it if you like - just email me for details).

Enjoy these last few days of summer my friends!

Namaste

Karen
www.flexiblewarrior.com

JOY, second chances and winning the lottery

This week's post has nothing to do with food, clean eating or flexibility. But it does have everything to do with something else that brings me great JOY.

My husband and I adopted a silly little mutt two years ago. And as our 2 year adoption anniversary approaches (Aug 25th) I have become very nostalgic about the whole thing.

Yesterday as Stella and I ran a few miles on the trail, I reflected back to where she was in the summer of 2012... found homeless as a stray on the streets of Louisianna, then moved to a high kill shelter with dozens of other poor souls. As cute and sweet as she is, her chances were slim to none at that shelter.

Then one day a volunteer from Bonnie Blue Rescue came to the shelter and had the task of carefully choosing a few dogs that he or she could put into foster care. Stella got a second chance! I wish I had the opportunity to find that rescue worker who saved my precious girl that day. After that, Stella got moved into a foster home in Louisiana and she was taken to a few adoption events. Again, as cute and sweet as she was with her purple "adopt me" vest on, she never got picked.

While Stella was waiting for her forever home, my husband and I had summer travels, and even though we had an amazing time mentoring at Knights of Heroes camp in Colorado and then to the London Olympics to cheer on my friend and client Suzanne Stettinius, I was so excited to get home and adopt a puppy. In fact, I had spotted Stella (her name was Missy at the time) a week or so before we left for London and I was hoping she'd still be available when we got back. And as luck would have it, she was!

Next, Stella (along with 5 - 6 other dogs) made the the 20 hour 3 day journey from Louisiana to Maryland! Many volunteer drivers and over night foster homes made that long trip possible. Again, if I could thank each and every one of them I would. So many caring, giving people work so hard to save these dogs and make adoption possible.

I had never had a blind date before and adopting a rescue dog from Louisiana that I had never met seemed a little risky. But I had a vibe about Stella. And I prayed about it and meditated on it and decided to go for it.

And ironically that year, I had chosen the word "JOY" as my "One Word" (with some help from my friend Jimmy Page). And do you know what? I got a puppy that is pure joy. I didn't know it until a few weeks after we had re-named her when her true personality came out and she was no longer so skinny and scared. "Joy" should have been her name.

These days Stella is living the life that she deserves... She wears her Ravens jersey for game days, runs on the trail with me, is invited to friends parties and Thanksgiving dinner with the family, catches frisbees like an super star, and even eats the best doggy food (no fillers and crap or course).

Prior to adopting Stella, my husband and I would look at Petfinder for hours and would joke that ..."one of these lucky pups is gonna win the lottery". And now the joke is that is wasn't Stella that won the lottery, it was US!

Happy Anniversary Stella!!!

Summer Juice & Yoga RENEWAL

Yes summer is the time of fresh fruits and veggies, sunshine and long, relaxing days. But it can also be a time of hot dogs on the grill, strawberry margaritas and travel that can often be stressful, exhausting and overly indulgent.

No regrets or guilt! Traveling and fun summer gatherings are the best and wasting energy beating ourselves up does more harm than good. Sometimes it's better to pick a date and clean the slate!

I'm feeling like it's time for an August Juice and Yoga Renewal...
A break from standard picnic fare and an opportunity to try some new clean food recipes and enjoy fresh juices, yoga and outdoor exercise to feel lighter, leaner and more energized (and better in our shorts, tank tops and bathing suits for the rest of the summer :)

When we take a week out of  our busy schedule to focus on foods and activities that FUEL OUR PRANA (life force energy)  we create an upward spiral that breaks us out of ruts that bog us down and allows us to jump start into new, healthy behaviors.

We'll be focusing on the combination of clean, healthy foods and fresh juices plus Yoga and meditation along with self care and outdoor activities that bring you joy... hiking, biking, walking, running, gardening, horseback riding or any outdoor exercise in "nature's gym" that allows you to be present and reconnect with the essence of summer.

Ironically, I'm in my fourth week of nutrition / health coach school with Integrative Institute of Nutrition and part of my "homework" is accountability to myself ... to take care of me first because we all know "you can't give from an empty cup" and no one will be inspired by a stressed out yoga teacher or an unhealthy health coach... 

Which is why I am committed to doing this 5 Day Juice and Yoga Renewal WITH YOU! We will be on this journey together as a team. And BTW taking a week out to care for yourself is the opposite of selfish because positive results will spill over to our spouses, kids, friends, dogs, co-workers, heck it will probably even have a positive affect on the grocery store clerk and everyone that crosses your path!

My friend and health coach Kendell Reichart from Natural Vibrant Health and I will be cheering you on with some informal coaching calls. And I'll be teaching yoga and (weather permitting) will do some optional group hiking, biking, running, and walking that week too!

So if you'd like to join us, the details are on this flyer. Yes, we're flexible (pun intended) and you can join the group without doing the yoga. Or you can do the yoga without juicing (if you have your own juicer or want to eat detox friendly foods and green smoothies instead). Or whatever feels right for you, your goals and your body! Just let me know and we can tweak the program and costs accordingly. 

A significant amount of the cost involved is for the juices, which are cold pressed locally and provided by a Baltimore based company called Juice Fresh! We are limited to 10 spots so order your juices here ASAP because once the spots are gone, they are gone (choose the Wed Aug 20th Baltimore pick up date and select Natural Vibrant Health in Hereford as your pick up location) and don't forget to use the coupon code "yogadubs" at checkout so they know you are part of my group. By the way, if you can't join us for the Summer Renewal Dates, you can still use my coupon code anytime and do a juice detox on your own at a date that better suits you! Kendall or I can coach you privately (just email for details).

One more thing... DO NOT SIGN UP if...

•  You're gonna whine, complain or make excuses. This doesn't mean we can't share our challenges! It just means we are blessed to have the opportunity to eat clean, healthy food and take care of ourselves for a week and there will be zero reasons to complain. An attitude of gratitude will get you everywhere. 
• You HATE greens. These juices are very green and intended for detoxifying. They aren't colorful fruity juices. So if bok choy, kale and spinach make you cringe, you may want to find another way to detox. 
• You're not 100% committed for whatever reason. You may have work commitments or a family member who needs you. But if you're not ALL IN, don't waste your money or precious energy.
• You have a medical issue that you're under a doctors care or need meds  / clearance for  (and / or if you have Hashimoto's thyroiditis - I have this condition so will be modifying my detox accordingly because many of the green juices have lots of cruciferous veggies in them, which are extremely cleansing and healing! But if you have an autoimmune thyroid condition like me, limiting these types of uncooked veggies is advised). You can ask me more about this if you have Hashimoto's. 

OK that's all for today! Hope your enjoying this awesome weather and are having an amazing summer!

Namaste

Karen
www.flexiblewarrior.com

Looking Back... Looking Forward

OK so I stopped blogging quite a while ago. You are so bombarded with info you didn't even notice, did you? Why did I stop blogging? For the same reasons (excuses) people don't exercise or prepare healthy meals. You know... lack of time, commitment, energy. Basically laziness (and also the fact that Gmail switched up my log in and I couldn't figure out how to access my account anymore!) Sad but true.

For me, when I do have free time I'd rather be walking my dog or gardening, not sitting longer at my desk. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Writing was never one of my strengths. Makes you want to really read my blog, right? Why am I writing then?  Well I have some exciting news so read on...

Last week I started a year long program with Institute for Integrative Nutrition to become a Health Coach. So I thought it would be an ideal time to begin blogging again (on occasion... don't look for me weekly :) I intend to learn a lot about wellness, food, diet and nutrition over the next year and share some insights and wisdom along the way.

But we must start with ourselves in order to have the Prana (life force energy) to share with others. So I wanted to share a little about what brought me to IIN school...

I started my journey in the field of fitness and health when I was in high school and taught some Jane Fonda type aerobics classes in the 80's at an all women's spa my Mom managed. I continued teaching fitness all through college and eventually made it more of a career when I was fortunate enough to get a job at Canyon Ranch resort spa in Massachusetts. That was super fun while it lasted, but then, as life does, a few things happened... 1) we moved and 2) I became extremely fatigued and was eventually diagnosed with both Lyme disease and Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis. It was not a fun phase of my life. I was in my late 20's - early 30's, working in the fitness industry, and I was completely exhausted, sickly and miserable.

At that point, I gave up teaching fitness for a few years while I tried to regain my health. But I started to practice yoga, which eventually lead me to be a certified yoga teacher. So, it wasn't all bad. I'm sure many of you have also gained blessings from challenging moments you faced in life.

Months went by in a foggy haze. I was supposedly "cured" of Lyme after 7 months of antibiotics. And after a year on Synthroid my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) was "normal" again. But still, most days, I never felt quite right especially considering the good care I tried to take of myself with moderate exercise and a what I thought was good diet. Many days I didn't want to get out of bed. I had chronic infections, a weak immune system, and extreme bouts of fatigue and migraines.

For 12 years I continued to have a lot of muscle and joint pain, debilitating headaches and relentless, deep exhaustion. Most of my friends and family were unaware except they knew I was sort of "lame" and got tired and sick easily. I'd hide out and lay low during the flare ups. My husband was the only one who really saw how bad it was.

Yes, I saw lots of doctors and had plenty of tests, but their only solutions were to put me on a variety of drugs from the pill and migraine meds to anti depressants, anti anxiety, sleeping pills, and muscle relaxants. One doc even suggested a surgery to remove part of my skull to help with the headaches! I knew enough to realize none of these surgeries or drugs would fix the root cause of all my symptoms...

In the winter of 2012 the pain and headaches were so bad for such a long period of time, my husband pushed me to see more docs and I also decided to see a nutrition and health coach along with massage therapists, acupuncturists, Reiki and I even tried EFT and did a sugar detox (more about that later).

Meeting with health and nutrition coach Kendell Reichart at Natural Vibrant Health was similar to when I started to do yoga after I was diagnosed with Lyme and Hashimoto's... it was one of those blessings in disguise. Seeing Kendell was really a last resort, but after a few weeks following her program the cloud started to lift. I knew I was on to something. Cleaning up my diet, adding some supplements, raw foods and super foods began to make a huge difference! My headaches and muscle pain started to decrease and my energy started to increase. Even my skin, eyes and nails started to look and feel better. I still have a long way to go, but it's a great start!

I also owe a big thanks to health coach Richele Henry (aka "the Sugar Momma") as well. I did my first sugar detox with her two years ago, and although I'm far from being sugar free, her program got me completely off coffee (which had a very positive affect on the frequency of my headaches) and I eat so much less sugar now which is HUGE for me! Her program also taught me the value and joy of taking the time to prep healthy foods in advance and exposed me to some awesome real food recipes that I still love and enjoy today.

These two lovely, inspiring ladies both went to The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. And their health coaching skills, compassion and wisdom opened up a whole new world for me.

So as I look back on my health challenges and the journey that brought me at be a student at IIN, I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude to my health coaches Richele and Kendell.

In yoga class we say "Namaste" which is a greeting that generally means "I bow to the divine in you" or "the light within me honors and acknowledges that same light that is within you".

I am so looking forward to studying nutrition with IIN and learning, sharing and being a health coach to help others live a happier, healthier life.