Beth D'Angelo's Blog

"A healthy mind is all about choices.  With any experience we should ask ourselves; "Will this make me calmer, wiser?"  Easwaran

I just opened up my schedule for a few who would like to work with me on moving from where you are and getting to where you want to be.  As a certified Wellness Coach, I am not here to tell you what to do, rather help you figure out where you are, what you want and how to navigate the obstacles to make your plans work for you, not against you. 

What coaches are good for is helping you get clear on what you want out of life.  Some people find that they don't have definite goals and their energies are spread too thin.  Many have an end in mind but just can't seem to reach it.  What we would do is enter a partnership working on specific goals and strategies in the areas of fitness, weight, nutrition, stress or overall health concerns.  We would set up weekly phone sessions for a specific amount of time and hammer out action strategies to get you back into a plan that is workable.  With weekly goals in place, you will find the practice of taking stock in your choices, utilizing your strengths to get off the merry-go-round and feel confident as you move forward.  You will receive a steady stream of encouragement and reassurance that will keep you focused on your ultimate objectives.  I will help in designing fitness training programs for you to incorporate into your practice as well as resources on increasing energy and minimizing stress.  Midyear is just about here; this is an ideal time to look at where you are and strategize what's working, what's not and reconfigure what you really, really want out of your living experience.  I am here to champion and motivate you to be your best self.  If this sounds interesting and compelling, please contact me.  More information is located under, "View Profile".

Well-Spirit

Choose Kindness.  When we get upset, it's not because life upsets us.  We get upset because we are upsettable.  With practice, everyone can develop a mind that's unupsettable.  One of the best ways to do this is to give complete attention and respect to those around us - particularly when we differ.  It is possible to disagree and not lose personal power or give away your point of view.  Maybe you are being asked to just be kind and be that listening ear, not the force to change another's view point. (respect - ORIGIN: (n.) c. 1380, from Latin respectus "regard," lit. "act of looking back at one," from pp. stem of respicere "look back at, regard, consider, "from re-back" + specere "look at."

Well-Body

Keep Moving.  The human body has been known to under go heroic feats of physical strength and endurance when pressed to do so but the majority of humans are aren't being called for that.  What we do know is our bodies are designed to move.  What we also know is that increasing the energy factories within our bodies increases the effectiveness of using the fuel we ingest keeping these bodies in good running condition.  You can either increase your physical movement, or decrease your fuel consumption, or implement a smart plan that incorporates both.  What do you currently do each week to keep your body moving other than walking from your car to your office, from your car to the grocery store and back?

Beth's Picks

ProjectWellness' first teleconference will be announced for August 2011.  This will be a complimentary in-service covering aspects of Wellness Coaching, fitness planning, strategies on goal setting and reflections on personal wellbeing.  Spaces for this conference inservice will be limited.  The date will be announced in July's Fitness Connect Newsletter. 

• Use the "two-day rule".  Never go more than two days without exercise.
• If possible, exercise in the morning.  It not only starts your day off with with a boost in metabolism, it increases the energy necessary to make it through the day.  This strategy keeps you in the picture, front and center.
• Vary your routine - keep your physical body guessing, "What's on for today"?
• Keep strength or resistance exercise on your plan at least 2, if not 3 days a week.  Connect with a trainer or email me if you need a change.  Strength training is not just going to give you the toned look, it will increase fat burning and metabolism.20
• Allow me to be your training-buddy.  Email me what you are doing or plan to do for the month of May.  Let this Spring work with you, not against you.

Beth's Picks

The incredible "Bender Ball" for abdominal work.  This is a must have!  The Bender Ball is small enough to travel with (deflates easily and inflates with its own straw), gives your lumbar spine support as you literally chisel your abdominals.  OMG!  Plan on taking our "Barre Fusion Training at Hualalai" next time you are at Four Seasons or just ask those who have bought their own!!

USANA's Nutrimeals for those days breakfast is impossible and lunch is on the run!  Keep your body system from crashing and utilizing good carbohydrates, protein and fiber for a great day of living life.   (#3504560 - www.usana.com)

Well-Spirit

Quote from my mother's collection:
 "There are two ways of spreading light; To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it".                       Edith Wharton

Well-Mind

What is Mindfulness?  Simply put, it's the state of being aware.  It is a process of observation and attention in the flow of changing stimuli, envionment, emotions and perceptions.  Mindfulness is being present and fully engaged at all times.  An important characteristic of a mindful state is that it is not a passive state at all.  Has this ever happened to you?  You are driving your car and you are suddenly aware that you have passed all the familiar landmarks and are almost to your destination but don't remember having driven that far?  Well, that's not mindfulness, rather the opposite.  Now think about a situation where you were listening to someone or watching a sunset or hearing the words to music and it was as though nothing else mattered except for what was going on at that moment.  That's mindfulness. 

Well-Body

On those days you are trying to stay on course with your cardio goals, consider what we do in our Breakfast Club Express Workout at Hualalai:  3 Minute warm up on your choice of cardiovascular equipment at a moderate speed - Go hard for 1 full minute, followed by a 1 minute recovery.  Repeat the 1 minute on and 1 minute off for 10 intervals.  What we did today was use Sprint #5 as a 2-minute work load followed by a 2-minute recovery.  If you don't have a heart rate monitor, no worries........ I know you know what working hard and at a fast clip feels like.  If you do have a monitor, work at a 85% or higher (Zone 4 or 5) for the speed work, dropping down to 60 - 65% (Zone 2) recovery.  This Express Workout will improve your performance, increase your energy and metabolism. 

Healing does not take place in the fast lane nor does it happen when we are going in all sorts of directions. Learning how to replenish yourself and tap into your own strengths during challenging situations takes practice. This practice starts with the awareness of what triggers your joy, what sabotages your efforts, your hopes and your dreams. Have you thought about what replenishes your psyche so you can keep doing what you do - so you can continue to inspire and make differences in those around you? Here are five attributes that have become very meaningful in my life. When I find I'm losing sight of center, I work with the following to sustain me as I re-fill my soul or in this case, keeping my well from running dry:

Gratitude - Feeling a deep sense of thankfulness for what I have, in all its' color, shape and form and for all who are and who have been part of my life experience - a quality that often has no words.

Appreciation - A sense of joy and contentment when I take inventory of what has been offered to me in all it's "gift wrap".

Acknowledgment - Taking notice and accounting how I feel towards a project, an experience, an emotion and honoring whatever comes up concerning the situation (trying to keep judgment out).

Compassion - Practice compassion for what I am experiencing; Feeling compassion for another, praying for patient understanding in diversity.

Forgiveness - The biggie. I grew up with the Serenity Prayer on our entry room wall - God, Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference". Practice forgiving is for the benefit of the person doing the forgiving. What is in your control is that you show forgiveness - What is out of your control is how or if forgiveness is received.

What do you pull out of your tool box when you need to restore order, balance and sanity?
What are your personal strengths?
What do you think others see as your strengths?
If you were to do a workshop on yourself, what would you put on the agenda?

BETH'S PICK:
"Life is not the way it's suppose to be. It is the way it is.
The way we cope with it, is what makes the difference".

WELL-SPIRIT
"Humankind has woven the web of life.
We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.
All things are bound together".
Quote from Chief Seattle

WELL-BODY
"Barre Fusion Training @ Hualalai! (fusion - verb. the act of fusing together, merging, combining into one)
Barre Fusion Training is a ballet-inspired fitness program that targets and chisels the legs, hips, glutes, abdominals, shoulders and arms like nobody's business. It's a total body workout that not only burns fat but creates the long lean look many talk about having. This training combines classic ballet barre exercises with Pilates, yoga and sports conditioning using your own body weight, 3-5 lbs. dumb bells and a playground ball. "What you hear in class is nothing but the sound of Change!"

Len Kravitz, PhD is the Program Coordinator of Exercise Science and a researcher at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.  He recently won the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award and was honored as the 2006 Fitness Educator of the Year by the American Council of Exercise.  He is one of a few I turn to for science based evidence in regards to fitness, training and research.  He reports that it is commonly known that women who lose weight often gain it back and sometimes gain back more then when they started the weight loss program.  However, this doesn't have to be a bleak picture.  Among a successful group of men and women who lost 60 lbs. or more and maintained their weight for 5 years or more followed similar consistencies for sustainable weight loss:

1. They are all physically active.  On average they accumulate 250 minutes a week of moderate intensity aerobic exercise. (ACSM Guidelines recommend 200-300 accumulated minutes of exercise per week for successful weight loss and weight maintenance.)
2. They all monitor how much food they eat, eating a wide variety of foods, but paying close attention to how much fat is in their diet.
3. Most of them maintain some type of weight change chart.
4. Most of them weigh themselves at least once per week.
5. And recent information on this group shows they all eat a healthy breakfast and are very consistent in their exercise patterns.

American College of Sports Medicine Guidelines for Weight Loss Programs

1. Establish a long-term reduction in body weight of at least 5% to 10%
2. The primary mode of exercise should be large group aerobic activities
3. Non-weight bearing activities are encouraged (to avoid orthopedic risk) to include in the exercise program
4. Initial emphasis of the exercise training should be on duration and frequency (keeping intensity moderate and progressing gradually)
5. Frequency of training should be 5 to 7 days per week
6. Accumulate 200-300 minutes of aerobic activity per week (which is equivalent to Mac179; 2,000 kilocalories of exercise per week); this can be in as little as 10-minute or more bouts of exercise
7. Include a reduction in dietary fat intake to < 30% of total energy intake
8. Emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean sources of protein
9. Create a negative energy balance of 500 to 1,000 kilocalories per day (which equivalent to a 0.5 to 1 kilogram per week of loss of weight)
10. Include the use of behavior management techniques (including relapse prevention)

Well-Spirit                      
 It all starts in our brain with our thoughts and feelings; thankfully our brain can change which supports change in behavior and emotions.  Choose your thoughts well today.

Beth's Picks
Caroline Myss - "Channeling Grace"
USANA Nutritional Reset Program
Dr. Christiane Northrup's book, "Wisdom of Menopause"

"To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did."  When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something different.  Concentrate on this sentence...."The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you."  Something good will happen to you today; something that you have been waiting to hear.
Source Unknown

Everyone of us has certain basic physical needs - air, water, food, shelter - to sustain life.  We also have basic psychological needs.  We may not be aware of them but if they go unsatisfied, inner turmoil can result.

1. The need for love, nurturing and feeling connected
2. The need for control over feelings, life and environment
3. The need for a positive self image and self worth
4. The need to avoid embarrassment and shame
5. The need to question and understand

The work of the brain is to keep the body healthy and functioning normally but the brain is a servant to the mind.  Whatever the mind thinks, the brain will attempt to make that happen.  How many of you has heard a story of a person who has overcome a traumatic experience, only to find they have transcended not only the event but found a way to lift up others to their higher self as well?  This could not be possible without the mind directing the brain to a positive perspective.  What makes one crumble in the face of insurmountable odds and another shine brighter?  It is my experience that what influences the mind has a lot to do with the brain function.
"Thoughts, hopes, dreams, fantasies, beliefs, dramas and ideas exist in the mind, however, no brain -  no mind".  Maintaining a healthy balance between our physical and our psychological needs creates a sense of purpose and well-being. 

1. What activities keeps you feeling connected?
2. What areas do feel you excel in with regards to your feelings, life and environment?
3. How would you describe the image you have of yourself right now?  On a scale of 0-10, what is the value of your self worth?
4. What  coping skills do you rely on to stay out of shame and embarrassment?
5. When you need to question for more understanding, what keeps this communication open and uplifting rather than defensive?

Beth's Picks
Anything written by Dr. Dean Ornish, especially his book, "The Spectrum", A Scientifically Proven Program To Feel Better, Live Longer, Lose Weight and Gain Health".

Well Spirit

• We create stress by arguing with our life.  We grieve our wounds and mourn what we've lost or what's been taken from us.  Grief doesn't need to end but you don't need to ask blame or judgment to come into the picture - just grieve.
• You can feel betrayal or hurt and look at what has or is happening without hating anyone.
• Forgiving doesn't mean you get a lobotomy - you still have to think.  It's just you can think with an open heart - without the bitterness (Fred Luskin)

Well Body

• You use both fat and carbohydrates for energy during exercise.  For fat and weight loss, what matters most is the difference between the number of calories you burn off and the number of calories you consume.  Fat and weight loss is about burning lots of calories and cutting back on the number of calories you are taking in.  For the purpose of losing weight, it's as basic as this.
• An extra 3500 calories consumed a week will put on a pound a week.  Reducing the same will result in weight loss.  3500 sounds like a lot, huh?  Well, divide the 7 days in a week and you now have a manageable piece to work with.  Reduce 500 calories a day for a week and there's your pound.  Work out 3 days a week for somewhere around 300 calories each training.  Now you're on the road to body change.  Isn't that what you've been looking for?  If I can be assistance, give me a shout. 

Chronic (adjective) being long-lasting and recurrent or characterized by long suffering; long in duration; habitual
Stress (noun) a state of mental or emotional strain or suspense; difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension
There is a time and a place for all things and stress has to be included in the mix.  Not all stressors have a negative component but many stress factors, when left unchecked, can wreak havoc on our mental, emotional and physical state of being.  I bear witness that the path in working through chronic stress is really an inside job that required the heart and head to work together.  When I was introduced to the concept of "mind clutter", it immediately had my attention.  How many times do we pile up important issues on top of each other, only to increase the mental stress of "gotta do, didn't do, need to do, suppose to do" at the expense of our peace of mind.  The idea of moving my thoughts, ideas and priorities out of my head from a thinking perspective to a visual-on-paper perspective was an amazing mind clutter reduction practice that I still use today.  Here's a thought; think of the head as being the informational hub - it gathers, researches, compares, acknowledges facts and myths, stores data and retrieves this information for purposes that support our perspective.  It also stores clutter and resources we've outgrown.  Every so often, I encourage my clients as well as myself to reorganize the filing system; keeping that which is still useful and purging what has served it's purpose but has lost it's importance.  A simple solution to easing up on "mind clutter" is to get it out of your head and put it on paper.  Practice looking at your project lists from a visual perspective.  I have found it easier to actually look at what I'm involved with instead of just thinking about it all - using a visual along with cognitive senses.  Not only is there more organization in my daily living, projects are being laid out and becoming a reality.  Reducing the noise in the head by reducing mind clutter has shown to reduce physical signs of stress.

• Purchase a blank notebook and your favorite pen.  Carry it with you everywhere.
• Identify what's got a hold on you - clear the head by writing it down.
• What is it you really, really want from a situation? - clear the head by writing it down.
• How far are you from your desired outcome? - clear the head by writing it down
• What are the resources you have available right now to ease the tension? - again, get it out of your head.
• What is on your "To Do List"?  Write it down, refer to it, cross it off when completed.

Inspire - verb (spur on or encourage / heighten or intensify).... Aspire - verb (have an ambitious plan or a lofty goal).  Happy New Year!  As I look forward to embracing new beginnings, it is my wish that 2011 brings you all you are looking forward to and the perseverance to see your personal goals come to fruition, remembering that the answers that you are looking for ARE within reach.  Sometimes we can't see them but they are there.  Often we feel that we have to completely heal or wait for everything to align itself just so before we begin heading out.  Life has ways of revealing just what is needed - but we ask for more details, clearer instructions and at times, we want changes to happen on our own terms.  I am always asking myself if this or that is still serving me well or do I need to discard something that has lost its fit.  One of my aspirations this year is to increase a deeper awareness that my choices in thoughts, action and benevolence will provide many, many, many positive outcomes, not just for myself but for you as well.  My own life experiences have proven this to so true.  As you explore your aspirations for this year, here's some questions to think about:

1.  What's important to you?
2.  What's really, really important to you?
3.  How well are you doing in these areas?
4.  What needs help?  What needs improvement?  What needs attention?
5.  What are you hungry for?
6.  What are you feeding your energy into?
7.  What is serving you well?  What has become an albatross?
8.  What situations have you outgrown?
I am aware that not everyone wants or has a need to fine tune, but everyone has the need to keep growing. 

Well-Body

Get That Washboard Stomach With The Plank - Often referred to one of the most effective strength exercises, the plank position can be used in almost every fitness level.  Let's break down "the plank":  Simplistically speaking, the torso is held in a neutral position while resting on the hands or forearms, with the elbows under the shoulders, legs extended and lengthened and the scapulae stabilized.When you perform the plank, there's a lot that's going on in your body:The internal and external obliques are engaged; The rectus abdominis (the six pack) is recruited; The scapular stabilizers are in place; The adductors of the inner thigh help maintain the pelvic position and activate the muscles  in the pelvic floor; The glutes and hamstrings hold the pelvis and femurs (leg bones) stable throughout the duration of the exercise.   

Proprioception Training - Pilates instructors use props to promote instability for many reasons.  Proprioception is sometimes referred to as "the sixth sense".  The term is used to explain a person's understanding of where their body is in space and where the different parts of the body are in relation to one another.  Why is Proprioception important? Proprioception is an important sense.  We use it in every day rituals; understanding one's position allows you to walk without looking at your feet, reading a book while sipping coffee and turning the radio station while driving.  When you train on unstable surfaces, you increase not only your awareness of movement but of what is in motion that doesn't need to be.  Check out rotational discs, the BOSU, Gliding Discs and the TRX.         

Beth's Picks   

TRX Suspension Training - The movements of the TRX are powered by the torso - the abs and back work together to support the spine for all your everyday activities.  This suspension training builds core strength with every exercise by creating an element of instability that calls on your core to provide balance and coordination.  Maximize your training time!  Build core strength!  Just you and your TRX - no additional equipment required! (www.youtube: TRX)  

Burn 50 - Barre Workout - A training offering at the Four Seasons at Hualalai. We use our own body weight, light hand weights and the Bender Ball that is literally chiseling and contouring the physique through dynamic, micro movements to the point of fatigue, followed by a lengthening stretch to facilitate relief.  This workout originates from ballet barre work.  Look for updates on a training series that will be released early this year (My training DVD is in the works)

Usana "Reset Transformation Program" - How many times have you started out on a great plan to get your nutritional needs back into line, only to climb the walls in the process?  I have been with Usana for the last three years and the "Reset's 5 Day program" has made a visual difference in the way I look and feel.  The clients who have done this program with me have their own story with one common response in common - "Wow".  This is a low glycemic, scientifically proven program that has jump started many from the sugar craving roller coaster to smooth sailing calm.  There are two phases to work with - First is the Transformational phase (5 days) and then Maintenance (customized to lifestyle).  Lisa Hudson, Vancouver, BC, needed a jump start to get her back on track without interrupting her active lifestyle.  With four kids, she is constantly on the go.  Climbing the walls, going hungry and losing energy was not an option.  She was thrilled to climb out of the sugar-craving-cycle and lose her first few pounds without missing a beat.  After starting Reset, she was back in control.  Lisa now incorporates the Usana Nutrimeals and Health Pak 100 around her family and training schedule and looks fantastic.

I love this time of year with all the festivities, rituals and traditions.  My favorites are seeing all the lights as they line the rooftops and the trees - even without the Christmas snow, the island feels festive.  There's a magic in the holiday lights - like almost anything can happen.  I wish each of you a wonderful and peaceful holiday and hope that you will enjoy each other as you gather and say, "Cheers".

Beth's Top Picks                                                                                              

RESET - "I Lost It and Gained My Life Back" Pilot Program

RESET is a comprehensive nutritional program that provides a healthy, effective alternative to countless unscientific fad diets.  RESET is designed to be a lifestyle change, is nutritionally balanced, and is based on low glycemic foods.  This innovative, science-based program will help you take the first major step toward weight loss success by breaking poor nutritional habits.  Those of you who have seen me over the last two years, have seen the results from this program.  No gimmicks.  No banned substance.  Low glycemic.  Lactose, soy, wheat, gluten fee products available.  This program has my stamp of approval.

Starting Monday, January 10, I'll be coaching an exclusive group of 10 individuals who are ready to stop feeling controlled by food and their weight and start implementing a lifestyle that they can live with.  IMAGINE hitting the end of January 8-10 lbs. lighter!  If you are interested, email me for more information.  Click on "Classes & Events" for more details.  Results will be posted in March's issue.

Well-Spirit

"A simple thing can change lives".  I believe each one of us has a gift, a purpose that is sacred and extremely valuable to one another - it happens with or without your awareness.  It's the little things, the small acts of compassion, the genuine caring that is felt when you are listening with your heart.  You can feel this when you kneel down to a child's level to listen to them.  Watch their eyes light up.   Something extraordinary happens when you take the time to simply be present for another.

Balance

The foundation of well-being starts with a balanced body.  It 's not just the physical realm - it includes the emotional, spiritual and all the physical systems that enhances ones' vitality, mood and performance.

Well-Body

"Don't Put Mistakes in Your Pantry"!  Intentions begin in the planning stages.  You've got to have an action plan if you want desirable outcomes.  Take grocery shopping.  What you put in your cart will go into your kitchen.  What you have in your kitchen will be eaten by you and your family.  If it isn't there, it isn't available to eat.  You might say, Yes, but I have to buy for my kids and others".  This is when you want to have a talk with yourself; your needs, your plans and your behavior is your business and that business is just as important as the needs of the others.  Hunger has physical signs (light headed, irritability, stomach pangs, jittery...).  For awhile I had a sign on my refrigerator that said, "If I am not really, really, really, really hungry, nothing in here will satisfy me".  If you don't put mistakes in your pantry, you won't make mistakes in your body.

Food For Thought

Do you wake wondering where you will find the energy you'll need to get through your day?  Nutritionally speaking, the answer lies in "breakfast".  Research shows this first meal is the most important of all and actually jump starts all the systems in your body.  Calories eaten earlier in the day are used more efficiently and will help in resisting the temptations that lay in wait.  Reduced fatigue, increased concentration and increased alertness are among breakfast's benefits, not to mention keeping your metabolism from plummeting.  IF you don't like to eat breakfast, change the name.  Call it something else but choose to break-the-fast.  Your physical body is counting on your cooperation.

ProjectWellness Picks

1.  itunes podcast by Dr. David Katz, "Drowning in Calories"
2.  New iphone app - Pushpins
     http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pushpins/id401553995?mt=8
3.  www.usana.com (Reset Kit - use my member #3804560

Okay.  I got it.  Many of you have been asking if I would put a training DVD or CD together so you could take your favorite exercises with you - Well, I'm about to just that.  What you are getting is a heads up on this project.Let me know if you are interested, okay?