You’ve seen the programs on TV late at night or early in the morning. You’ve sat there with your bag of chips and soda wondering if the results they show are real or not. You’ve heard of Hollywood celebrities doing P90X but still wondered if it was right for you. Well worry no more!

Try a Challenge Pack for FREE

You can test-drive P90X, TurboFire, or Brazil Butt Lift AND Shakeology for 30 days absolutely free. If you don’t like it, if you can’t do it, if you don’t see results in the first month then send it back and pay NOTHING! This is a crazy offer for anyone who’s ever thought about trying one of these programs. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for fitness enthusiasts who’ve hit a plateau with their current routine to mix things up and see if they can get better results at home than they’re getting at the gym.

This offer is only available for a limited time, it’s only offered through a registered Team Beachbody Coach like myself, and a better deal won’t be coming along – ever.

Program + Nutrition + Support + Rewards

So you’re probably still wondering how a DVD workout program you do at home can get results. And you’re probably still thinking that it’s better to spend hundreds of dollars on gym a membership (that you never use) or a personal trainer (that you quit after only 3 sessions). Beachbody is the total solution. With any of the Beachbody Challenge Packs, you are given the overall formula that has proven itself to get the fastest results in the shortest amount of time.

Program

Every Beachbody fitness program is a multi-phase, comprehensive routine that targets the exact problem areas people face using the latest sports and fitness science developed by premiere leaders in the fitness and weight loss industry. The programs are exhaustively tested on real people before ever seeing the light of day. And they are you also get a comprehensive meal guide that tells you exactly what to eat so you burn the fat and build the lean muscle you want. But that’s not all.

Nutrition

Each fitness program also comes with a comprehensive meal guide tailored to that specific program that tells you exactly what to eat so you burn the fat and build the lean muscle you want. But that’s not all. Every Beachbody Challenge Pack comes the ground-breaking superfood meal replacement, Shakeology. Sourced from remote, indigenous lands free of chemical farming, Shakeology is formulated with more than 70 natural super foods that are artfully blended together to deliver what is, undoubtedly, the healthiest meal of the day.

Support

Every Beachbody Challenge Pack gets you access to online support direct from the celebrity trainers who created it. But it also comes with a personal Team Beachbody Coach who is available to you anytime you have questions or need encouragement. A Team Beachbody Coach is not a Beachbody employee working 9 to 5, but rather a customer, like you, who knows the catalog and routine inside-and-out and who has had his or her own personal success with a program. Your Coach knows what you are going through and can give advice and tips to help keep you on-track and motivated. Plus, your Team Beachbody Coach will most likely plug you into an online Challenge Group where other people are going through the program along with you. Together as a group, you will find the camaraderie and community you need to really make a difference. There’s no gym in the world with this type of interaction.

Rewards

Did your gym ever pay you for your results? By submitting your success results into the Beachbody Challenge, you are eligible to win a daily prize of $500 or $1,000 just for working out. And every year two contestants walk away with $100,000 each during the grand prize celebration in Las Vegas! Be sure to workout every day because the more you improve yourself, the more you improve your chances of winning big!

Not so fine print

When your order one of the three Beachbody Challenge packs from now until July 31, 2012 you will recieve:

• A complete Beachbody fitness program of your choice: either P90X, TurboFire, or Brazil Butt Lift
• Your first 30-day supply of Shakeology, your choice of flavors
• A 30-day Team Beachbody online club membership
• Me as your personal Team Beachbody Coach

You pay only $14.95 for shipping and handling.

After 30 days you have two choices:

1. Return the fitness program and Shakeology (even if the bag is empty), and pay nothing
2. Continue using the program and pay $205 for P90X or TurboFire and just $160 for Brazil But Lift

If you have any other questions about this incredible offer, contact me.

For most, it happens in the late afternoon, usually between lunch and 6ish: that feeling of sluggish, low-energy brain-deadness that makes you want to call it quits for the day. Since that’s generally not an option, you reach for the next solution: the caffeine pick-me-up. Whether it’s coffee or tea or a yerba mate, many of us are in the habit of using caffeine to prop ourselves up during the draggiest part of the day. Of course, some of us—and you know who you are—go one step further and combine refined sugar and caffeine. Nothing like a Frappucino® and double fudge mini-donut to shake things up. It’s a slippery slope.

But what if you don’t want to be a Coffee Achiever? Maybe it’s getting in the way of sleep later that night. How to break the cycle? Here are 7 healthy ways to pull yourself through an afternoon.

1. Get 15 minutes of exercise. Researchers at the University of Georgia found overwhelming evidence that regular exercise plays a significant role in increasing energy levels and reducing fatigue. “A lot of times when people are fatigued, the last thing they want to do is exercise,” said professor Patrick O’Connor, co-director of the UGA exercise psychology laboratory. “But if you’re physically inactive and fatigued, being just a bit more active will help.” Take a power walk, take a quick run, do 15 sun salutes. Walk up and down the office stairs for 15 minutes. Jump rope for 3 minutes, then walk. The more active you can be in these 15 minutes, the better. Activity increases circulation, and circulation transports oxygen throughout the body, which in turn boosts our energy level.
2. Start breathing deeply. Conscious breathing is, perhaps, the easiest way to energize your body and improve mental clarity, among many other benefits. Breathing deeply provides your body with the oxygen it needs to increase energy and alertness. Dr. Andrew Weil, who has written extensively on the restorative power of the breath, suggests “The Stimulating Breath” as an energy booster. (It’s basically a mini-version of Kundalini yoga’s “Breath of Fire.”) Close your mouth, and breathe forcefully and rapidly in and out of your nose for 15 seconds, then breathe naturally. Alternately, you can sit up straight, on a ball if possible, roll your shoulders back and breathe deeply for 10 minutes, pausing on the inhale and then again on the exhale, as a way to simply become aware of your breath.
3. Eat some almonds. Here’s the amazing thing about almonds: they’re rich in protein and they contain magnesium, a mineral that helps convert sugar into energy. Magnesium also helps with immune support, restful sleep, stress relief and heightens mood. The almond is often considered a superfood because it’s high in calcium and vitamin E with zero cholesterol. If you can’t/won’t eat almonds, try cashews, walnuts, or pecans. Nut butters are also a good way to mix up the textures, preferably unsalted. If almonds are too hard on your teeth, try soaking them in water overnight before you eat them. It softens them just enough.
4. Crank up the music. Listening to your favorite fast song gets you pumped up and gives you a quick burst of energy, right? The music works on several physiological levels. One, music can raise your endorphin level. Endorphins are the biochemicals produced by our brains that both relieve pain and increase our sense of happiness. They’re the same chemicals responsible for “the runner’s high,” the euphoric feeling you get after a great workout. Two, music boosts your energy level by increasing blood flow. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore concluded that listening to your favorite music has a measurably positive effect on your cardiovascular system by expanding the inner lining of your blood vessels, which increases circulation.
5. Soak up the sun. Take a break and get out in the sunshine, even if it’s only for 10 minutes. The sun is a great source of vitamin D, a nutrient that’s essential for healthy bones and teeth, but research now suggests that vitamin D may help in preventing cancer, as well as regulating our moods, cognitive abilities, and energy levels. The sun also plays a huge role in our daily circadian rhythm, our body’s natural 24-hour sleep/awake cycle. When this cycle is thrown out of balance, it often leads to sleep loss and stress, which in turn leads to increased caffeine use.
6. Take a power nap. Cornell psychology professor James Maas coined the term “power nap” in his 1997 book, Power Sleep. In it, he recommends the daytime nap as a healthy, even necessary activity—but only if you don’t have trouble falling asleep at night. He also believes they are most effective when you take them at the same time every day, which is usually about 8 hours after you wake. Maas says 15 to 30 minutes is the optimal amount of time for a nap; any longer and you’ll enter a deep sleep which can leave you feeling groggy. He also provides these nap tips:
   • Turn off the lights, close the door, and get rid of other distractions.
   • Lying down on a couch, or chair with your feet up, is ideal, but any position including head down on your desk will do.
   • Set an alarm, so you can nap worry-free.
7. Take a Scottish shower. It’s what James Bond does, and look at the energy that guy has. In the Ian Fleming novels, Bond’s showers start out hot but finish with icy cold invigorating water. Commonly known as the Scottish shower, the idea is that alternating between hot and cold water improves cardiovascular circulation, which leads to feeling energized. Beyond youthful vigor, practitioners of the Scottish shower claim it keeps them younger-looking, too. In addition, researchers at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine found that short cold showers might even help relieve depression. If you want to give it a try, it’s simple: Spend four minutes in a hot shower, then slowly decrease the amount of hot water, until it’s pure cold. Enjoy the chill for at least two minutes.

If caffeine is your habit, it will require a bit of effort to replace it with other ways to lively up yourself. But the first step is simply becoming aware of all the other effective options available to you. And now you know. Welcome to your new, jitter-free, energized, oxygen-rich world.

Last week, President Obama made a major shift in priorities with regard to prosecution and deportation of illegal immigrants. Basically, if you are under 30, have no criminal record, are going to school or serving in the military, and were brought to this country illegally by your parents when you were underage, the Department of Homeland Security is gonna leave you alone. These illegal immigrants were brought here through no-fault of their own and, for the most part, think of themselves AS Americans because they grew up here; America is their home and all that they know. The President said, “It’s the right thing to do, period.” I was excited to see a leader who understood and took action for that which is “the right thing to do.”

We all know what is “the right thing to do” in life. We pretty much know all the important lessons of right from wrong by the time we hit elementary school. As we grow and mature we, of course, learn a few more things here and there, but the basics are set. We don’t steal, we don’t hit, we share, and we say please and thank you. As adults, we know how to take care of our health: eat right and exercise daily. It’s not a difficult formula or some magic trick that is shrouded in secrecy. Eat natural, wholesome, well-prepared foods and get some exercise daily is just the right thing to do, period. So why don’t we?

Personal responsibility

Much like Congress, many of us don’t want to tackle the really difficult issues because we’re afraid of failure and afraid people won’t like us. Plus, we’ve got all these special interest groups around us all the time telling us what they want us to hear and packaging toxic things into flashy and attractive packages. Have you seen the commercial produced by the corn industry that reassures us that, “Your body can’t tell the difference. Sugar is sugar.” Come on! High Fructose Corn Syrup is the leading cause of obesity and diabetes in this country because it’s in practically everything we eat, it’s highly processed, and chemically altered. Our bodies react to high fructose corn syrup very differently than naturally occurring sugars – and we consume way too much of it. But because of big corporate money, we’re told that it’s fine to eat. Oh, and that box of cereal there has “real fruit baked right inside.” Um, bull shit!

In this day and age, we should know better. We should know the right thing to do to properly fuel our bodies. But like many members of Congress, we’re taking the easy route and accepting toxic bribes in the form of toxic food. We can’t really blame other people for our bad habits and bad choices. We must take personal responsibility and make difficult sacrifices by saying ‘no’ to cheesy rice from a box and ‘yes’ to whole-grain pasta with vegetables.

Nobody out there is going to fix America’s obesity problem for us. We can’t enact laws, mandates, taxes, or rules that will cure our overweight nation. You can’t wait for someone else to take action while blaming everyone around you for the problems you face (even though that’s seems to be the general practice in Washington). The only thing you can do is to control yourself and take responsibility for your own life. The decision to do the right thing and eat better while getting some exercise must be your decision and your commitment to yourself because you’ve got to be the one to do the work. And it is work to loose weight – a lot of hard work and dedication.

What’s cool, though, is that there are people who will help, support, educate, and encourage you along the difficult road from fat to healthy; but you’ve got to be the one to put in the work and make changes for yourself. There’s no pill, but there is support.

People helping people

There are a couple of reasons why I became a Team Beachbody Coach. First, (let’s face it) I need to drop some weight and get myself into shape. I’ve not taken the personal responsibility for my own good health these past couple of years and it’s time to turn it around. But what I realized when really researching and investigating the business side of network marketing, is that it’s a business model based on people helping people. Everyone has a common goal and wants each other to succeed. Whether it’s the goal of weight loss or financial independence, everyone is there to help out and give advice, let you know what worked for them, and keep you motivated along your journey.  It’s why we put together groups like my Summer Shape Up Challenge.

Look, nobody said that doing the right thing would be easy. As an Obama supporter, I’m afraid that he will encounter some difficulties this election season because of his stances on gay rights and The Dream Act. But the positions he’s taken and the leadership he’s shown are the right thing to do, period. Now it’s our turn, to do the right thing in our own lives. To make  the changes that will bring about a better tomorrow. To live healthy.

If you want to do the right thing for yourself and get into shape this summer, why not join me in my Summer Shape Up Challenge group! I’ll be working out to P90X and drinking Shakeology for 3 months with the goal of loosing close to 20lbs and building muscle mass. But you can choose any of Challenge Packs that appeal to you. We’ll support each other and make certain that we each reach our goals together.

Question

What’s an area in your life where you find it difficult to always do the right thing? Do you agree that it’s up to individuals to improve their own lives, or do you think the government has some responsibility for the problems our country faces and needs to create laws to fix them? Let me know your opinions in the comments below.

Why is it that advice on healthy eating usually seems to center on what not to put in our mouths? With the endless ways we’re taught to limit calorie intakes and watch out for “bad” fat and carbohydrates, it’s almost easy to forget that there’s a whole world of foods out there that don’t threaten to give you heart disease, diabetes, or an expanded waistline.

Rather than focusing on what you shouldn’t eat, let’s take some time to focus on a few beautiful, flavorful, and health-building foods you should eat—specifically, foods rich in phytonutrients, the naturally occurring pigments that lend color and chemical protection to the plant kingdom, while also offering astounding health benefits.

The study of phytonutrients (“phyto” meaning “plant” and “nutrient” meaning, well, “nutrient”), also known as phytochemicals, is a relatively new field in nutrition, with more research unfolding on these substances than can be covered in one article. However, it’s fair to say that what is currently known lends powerful credence to that ageless maternal advice “eat your vegetables.”

Scientists have categorized classes of phytonutrients that offer different properties and benefits and it just so happens that many of these classes are represented by their colors. So read on and discover why becoming a connoisseur of the plant-based nutrient spectrum is a brilliant strategy that will help to preserve both your health and physical charm.

Blue/Purple – Anthocyanins are flavonoids that act as powerful antioxidants, neutralizing free radicals that cause aging and degenerative disease. There’s even a connection between this phytonutrient and decreased visceral (abdominal) fat! A 2008 study from Chubu University in Japan found a link between anthocyanin intake and reduced incidence of metabolic disorders, including abdominal weight gain, hypertension, and impaired glucose and insulin metabolism. True, blue anthocyanin sources include red cabbage, blueberries, blackberries, acai berries, cherries, grapes, blue potatoes, eggplant, and radicchio.

Orange/Yellow – Multiple studies indicate that diets rich in beta-carotene lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer. This amazing phytonutrient falls into the carotenoid class that (along with the flavonoid group) has been credited in a 2010 Tufts University study for providing photo-protective and antioxidant action in the skin. In short, these inflammation, wrinkle, and cancer-preventing nutrients protect your skin from the inside out! To get a bit of beta-carotene, try sweet potato, carrots and carrot juice, winter squash, pumpkin, and cantaloupe.

Red – Lycopene has been in the news a lot lately for its positive influence on prostate health, but it’s also thought to prevent cervical dysplasia in conjunction with other carotenoids. In other words, it’s also good for the uterus, making it an equal-opportunity nutrient. In addition, a 1996 University of Minnesota study found a significant increase in longevity based upon the blood lycopene levels of nuns living the same lifestyle, in the same conditions. If you’re ready to get into the red, try tomato and tomato products, watermelon, pink grapefruit, guava, and papaya.

Yellow/Green – The light absorbing properties of lutein are associated with eye health involving a decrease in cataract formation and macular degeneration. Mellow, yellow lutein sources include spinach, kale, collards, mustard and dandelion greens, summer squash, and pumpkin.

Green – Chlorophyll’s abilities to bind toxins and decrease oxidative stress make it a powerful bodily detoxifier and explain how it can actually reduce body odor. You’ll be seeing green with chlorophyll sources like spinach, kale, Swiss chard, arugula, green beans—any green vegetable. The darker, the better.

Green/White – Another detoxifier, sulphoraphane is part of the isotheocyanate class of phytonutrients that has been cited in multiple studies as a cancer preventative and detoxifier of carcinogens. Some super sulphoraphane sources include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, broccoli sprouts, cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, and watercress.

White – The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial qualities of allicin lend to its reputation as an inhibitor of heart disease and gastric cancer as well as a potent immune booster. All-around awesome allicin sources include garlic, onion, leek, shallot, and chives.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to polychromatic eating. Use a food processor to quickly shred red cabbage and Brussels sprouts into an easy chopped salad with pomegranate seeds, blanched almonds, and a homemade lemony dressing, or gently wilt kale or Swiss chard in olive oil with garlic, onion, and thinly sliced yellow bell pepper. Spiced sweet potatoes or winter squash bake in less than 40 minutes for a simple, energy-boosting carbohydrate serving. Fruit and leafy green-packed smoothies are a fantastic way to throw together a quick, nutrient-dense breakfast, and don’t forget the most convenient and superfood-packed meal on the go . . . Shakeology. Where else can you get over 20 phytonutrients and antioxidants in one delicious and easily portable package?

How can you ensure that you’re drenching your system in these healthful, beauty-boosting nutrients every day? Make it a personal mission to sample from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables daily and get as innovative with your recipes as your imagination and nature’s color palette will allow. Get creative and, before you know it, you’ll be benefiting from the phytonutrient rainbow!

There are three things that strike me about this commercial:

1. The setting of the bland, boring, conformist office environment where everyone is placed into simple boxes for the bulk of their day cooking under florescent lighting. Why do we still go into an office every single day when technology allows us to work collaboratively from anywhere in the world? And does everyone in the world do their best work in 8-hour blocks between the hours of 9AM and 6PM? I don’t.
2. The co-workers don’t actually have anything to do but to sit there and dream of what their life could be like if they weren’t being forced to sit there just to earn a paycheck. When the boss comes by they pretend to be busy so they don’t get into trouble. Newsflash: I spent a year at my last corporate job looking ‘busy’ when the boss came by. Got pretty good at it too.
3. How the co-workers have been indoctrinated in that un-spoken belief that there is no option available to them but to sit there until dismissed (even after 5:00) because they are both not allowed and the company needs them to sit there. Isn’t it amazing how corporations have brainwashed people to be at their beck-and-call 24-hours a day? How many times have you taken a work call, or responded to work email while at dinner, at a family function, or on vacation? That pavlovian response and attachment to ones Blackberry is ingrained in us because, God forbid, something important should happen at work. What about something important happening in your life?

Uninspired work

I realize everyone is different and we all need different things to make ourselves happy and fell safe in the world. For some, a steady paycheck and the comfort of a stale, cold, impersonal office setting where someone else makes the major decisions and you just have to conform and follow instructions while accepting whatever pay-increases and promotions are bestowed upon you is all they aspire to. Knowing that every 2-weeks there will be the exact same paycheck for the rest of your life has a sort of repetitive assurance. I get it. I’m going to skip pointing out in this post how millions of American’s continue to find themselves suddenly and unexpectedly without that safe and stable career every day due to increasing corporate layoffs and greed in this depressed global economy.

The reality is, I may (we all may) need to accept that stale corporate lifestyle for a period in our lives for survival. I’m currently looking for an office job so I can save off impending financial doom in my own life; however I recently couldn’t even get a job a Grindr for some reason. But shouldn’t we all be striving towards work that inspires us? Shouldn’t we be doing something every day that we love to do and would want to do regardless of getting paid or not? Why not go ahead and take a peak at your Blackberry and respond to email during your vacation because everyday feels like a vacation instead of this small precious little time granted to you after you’ve earned it working for someone else?

Bet on yourself

They say that when you gamble in Vegas the house always wins. But when you gamble on yourself YOU always win – so why not place a bet on yourself and step out of your comfort zone to try something new! Of course it’s easier said than done. I, myself, have been saying for years that I’m done working in corporate environments and want to work towards a life of profits instead of wages. It’s not easy. And it’s a scary thing to put yourself out there and become vulnerable to failure. I’ll get all motivated to succeed and try my best, then retreat back in fear and uncertainty. But only by going all-in can any of us ever hope to truly test ourselves and our capabilities. Just betting life’s table minimum all the time is never going to test your abilities and determination to win the game. Maybe it’s time to double-down and let the dice role.

My all-in gamble will be in my Team Beachbody business. Look, I know I need to get into shape and loose about 15 to 20lbs. So why not combined that goal with a business of the 21st century that can grow into a sustainable passive income stream while teaching confidence in business? With an incredibly low cost of entry and an entire network of supportive people teaching you how to grow and be successful in business, it’s the perfect starter business that anyone can do part-time and give them a life outside of the stale, boring office. Plus you’ll be improving your health with remarkable fitness products like P90X and Insanity.

Is it guaranteed to work? No. Is there a gamble? A little. But everything is riding on you. Your determination to make a difference in yourself. Your willingness to try something new. Your ability to ignore the nay-sayers and make yourself just a little vulnerable at times.

 I’m ready to Take Back my Summer, my Health and my LIFE!

Question

Are you inspired or passionate about the job you do? Are you in a career that you love and enjoy, or are you playing it safe and not willing to gamble on any changes to your life right now? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Summer is really upon us early this year which means Pride weekends, pool parties, lake vacations, long weekends, and lots of alcohol. The gay’s can drink pretty well all year round, but Summer time is really alcohol time. Ah, the good life. But with shirts off, where are you going to hide the burgers and beer? You wouldn’t think of telling your buddies that you’re passing up the booze to watch your weight because, let’s be honest, you were shirtless all White Party Weekend and that didn’t phase you. How do you keep the six-pack, while still having fun? Balance. You need to make conscious choices to keep your days healthy. I would not recommend going cold turkey (I’m not some monster). We just can’t go balls-out like we did in our 20′s – and who wants to?

Evil spirits abound

Just because you’re logging hours on the treadmill and digging deep with Insanity doesn’t mean you can put the cast ofJersey Shore to shame in the bar and not have consequences. One does not cancel the other. There are some major side effects, including packed-on fat, slower recovery, and disrupted sleep, to name a few. It’s common knowledge that alcohol is a powerful diuretic and can cause major electrolyte imbalances, which puts you at a much higher risk for musculoskeletal injuries and brain impairment. Other effects include altered reaction time, decreased testosterone levels (Oh NO Gurl!), and sleep disturbance. Furthermore, alcohol is stored as fat in your body and destroys amino acids. When you’ve had one too many drinks, your body’s glycolysis process becomes impaired. This means your body begins to produce lactic acid, causing a decline in energy, as well as decreased muscle recovery, and increased soreness.

And whatever you do, don’t run to The Abbey right after your workout or morning game. When you work out, your blood sugar naturally drops. After you’re finished, your body focuses on replacing your glycogen stores. If you consume alcohol post-workout, your glycogen stores will not be replaced since your body will be busy metabolizing alcohol, causing your blood sugar levels to stay at an unhealthy level. It’s important to first replenish with a proper recovery drink post-workout, like P90X Results and Recovery Formula.

And yet, we keep drinking

Regardless of these issues, you bitches are still going to make your way to Sunday Funday and regret it come Monday. You can drink alcohol, have a social life, and still be healthy. Yes, I dared to say it. I promise. You do have to make choices and moderate those choices because after all, alcohol is made up of calories. And the calories usually don’t stop at the alcohol. Think of the sugary mixers and the post-bar grub. Who among us has stopped off for fries or pizza on our treck home after a night of drinking? Seriously, they just opened a Five Guys burger joint across from Gym Bar here in WeHo – pretty smart business move, if you ask me. But just because your sloshed and going home without a trick does not mean you can break down and make a bad eating habit.

Let’s take a look at your best bets from a caloric standpoint:

1. Hard alcohol. Most distilled spirits have under 100 calories and limited carbohydrates in their 1.5 ounce serving size. If you can stick to hard alcohol with a 0-calorie mixer, your waistline will thank you which is why most of us go for club soda. I like diet tonic or juices, but then you’re getting into artificial sweetener territory. Proceed at your own peril.
2. Wine (red/white/sparkling). A 5-ounce serving of wine will pack in about 100 calories. But most people reserve the wine for evening affairs – it’s only proper.
3. Light Beer. Light beers have limited calories and carbohydrates, which makes them a great choice for the calorie conscious. Look for brands that have under 100 calories in a 12-ounce serving.

When looking at what to stay away from, try to nix mixed drinks and full-calorie beers—although if you’re not counting calories, full-calorie, craft-brewed beers are your best bet from a holistic perspective, in that they’re made from naturally healthy ingredients and free of additives, fillers, and other chemicals. Mixed drinks are packed with syrups, sugars, and sodas that can easily add in hundreds of calories to your cocktail – margarita’s are the worse. And no, it’s not healthy even if the mixer is made from fruit. That fruit is high in sugar! They may look and taste sweet, but mixed drinks can wreak havoc on your body. Fruit by itself is great for you, but I don’t think the bartender at Micky’s is grating coconut and chopping up pineapple. The reason why fruit by itself is good for you is because it packs FIBER with it, which helps slow the digestion and absorption of the fructose, or sugar. Fruit juices have all the sugar, but none of the fiber, leaving your insulin response to skyrocket and fall. Furthermore, sugar masks the taste of alcohol and you may not realize how much alcohol you’re consuming.

When imbibing, try to alternate between alcoholic beverage and water. This will aid the absorption process; keep you hydrated; and help you slow down, keeping your alcohol intake to a moderate level. Plus, when your buddies are on drink number four, you’ll only be on drink number two. At that point, they may be too drunk to notice or care that you’re not drinking alcohol! And staying on-top of your game helps to stay flirty when trying to pick up that bottom.

If you overdo it, that’s okay. Overdoing it is not an excuse to jump into a downward spiral. It’s an opportunity to recognize that you didn’t like the outcome of something and you can change it moving forward. Perhaps, waking up in Tijuana after a night of too much tequila doesn’t feel or look so good. Your body will remind you of that in the days following. Moving forward, recognize you may need to balance and make different choices in the future.

A good habit to get into is to properly nourish your body before and after a day of drinking. One easy way to give your body the nutrients it needs is to grab a quick Shakeology meal replacement before and after the bars. With more than 70 natural whole-food ingredients, this is the perfect treat for your insides, particularly your digestion system which can be wrecked and bloated from alcohol.

Question

How have your specific drinking habits changed as you get older? Are you still partying hard all weekend long with the boys and the mixed drinks, or have you switched to one night of good friends and a good scotch? Or have you given up the entire nightlife scene all together and choose to stay home with a Sex and the City marathon? Let me know how your social-life habits have changed recently in the comments below.

When I was a kid, I couldn’t wait to be a grown-up. Now that I’m a grown-up I’d much prefer to shuck some responsibilities and stress and just be a kid again. Stress is one of the ways we age quickly. People in high-stress jobs or situations tend to look older than they are. Bad habits can also contribute greatly to the aging process. But did you know that we have the power to turn back time? (don’t you just love a good Cher song?) It’s true, there are just 4 key areas of our life that, if properly attended to on a daily basis, we can turn back the signs of aging 20 years!

The 20 Years Younger Plan

1. Nutrition. It’s estimated that up to a third of cancer cases, half of heart disease cases and as many as 90 percent of the cases of type 2 diabetes are entirely related to less-than-healthy diets and how much body fat a person is carrying around. On the flip side, many societies known for their longevity boast diets that are nutrient-rich and far more reasonable in calories than those diets associated with disease. The evidence that you have a greater likelihood of living a longer, high-quality life if you eat well is undeniable.
1. Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you consume while decreasing the amount of red meat and dairy
2. Eliminate process and fast food – if it comes from a box and you just add water it ain’t good.
3. Drink more water.
4. Vitamin supplements and nutrition shakes, like Shakeology, are great tools to give your body a nutrition boost
2. Exercise.Physical activity, on the other hand, does the opposite of aging: It builds up tissue in the body. It helps keep immune cells strong, muscles toned and joints limber. You could say that exercise is the closest thing we’ve got to the fountain of youth. This summer I’ll be engaging in a Summer Shape-Up Challenge where a group of us will be doing P90X together and supporting each other to make it all the way through the 90-day intense program. Contact me if you want to join us.
3. Skin Care. You might have tried a variety of pricey potions or procedures, such as line fillers, wrinkle freezers, skin resurfacing laser treatments and Botox (you bitches know who you are). While there is certainly a place for these things, a good skin care regimen should be your first defense, and could quite possibly be the only one you’ll need.
1. Cleanse the skin every day first
2. Then a light exfoliant or polish
3. Moisturize the skin and re-tighten the pours
4. Protect it from the harmful raise of the sun
4. Sleep. getting a good night’s sleep is powerful preventive medicine. While you sleep, your body restores bone and muscle, repairs and processes proteins critical to every part of the body, regenerates connections in the brain and consolidates memories and emotions. The bottom line: If you want to stay healthy and youthful, you have to get some good-quality shut-eye.

You can get a super jump on your internal health and basically reset your body’s proper function like never before, and do it in just 21 days. If you’ve been feeling tired, run down, or just plain lousy lately . . . if you’re having trouble with your digestion or difficulty losing weight . . . if your body just isn’t working the way you want it to, The solution may be an Ultimate Reset.

Question

Do you do the things you know you should be doing to be healthy and look younger, or do you fall into bad habits like drinking, smoking, and eating out? Are these the things that make life worth living or do you want to try something new and be more disciplined with your fitness and nutrition?

Freddie Prinze Jr.

Scooby-Doo celeb Freddie Prinze Jr. welcomed 36 with those steely eyes earlier this year in March. If he’s still good enough at 36 for Sarah Michelle Gellar, then he’s obviously doing something right.

Alexander Skarsgård

Sweden’s hot-blooded vampire, Alexander Skarsgård will be taking a bite out of 36 in August. I just want to know what that torso feels like in-person.

Ryan Reynolds

He can run naked into Sandy Bullock or slip on a tight Green Lantern suit all he wants, but my super hero Ryan Reynolds will always be Deadpool to me. The funny-man action star joins me at 36 in October.

Colin Farrell

And finally Hollywood bad-boy Colin Farrell will bitch-slap his way to 36 only one day behind me on May 31! For many years now, Colin has been my Hollywood fantasy crush. I secretly want him to just come over, drink and smoke, say dirty words to me, and maybe slap me around a little bit.

Question

Which hunk is your favorite and who is your secret Hollywood fantasy crush? Tell me in the comments below.

This week I was catching up with The Fabulous Beekman Boys on the Discovery Network. I love fun reality shows like this. It is such a better form of entertainment than watching bitchy, spoiled housewives fight and do stupid stuff. The Beekman boys are fun, smart, loving, and deal with real-life struggles like the rest of us…. well that is if your real-life struggle includes trying to sell $1 million worth of soap!

It was easy to overlook in the trailer, but the season arch for the show is that the farm needs to bring in $1 million for Josh to be able to move to the country full-time. And all season Brent is working his tail off to make that goal a reality. What I got out of this story line was……

1. Someone out there is able to sell $1 million dollars of damn soap!!
2. There’s a demand for artisan goat soap in the market?
3. I need a $1million business idea! ….probably won’t be goat soap, though.

Backstory

Before finding The Beekman Farm, the boys lived in Manhattan where Brent was a prominent doctor and Josh an advertising executive. To meet all of their financial obligations, Josh is still working in the city and commutes out to the farm on weekends. Prior to The Beekman, Josh and Brent were New York power players living a life of wealth, power, influence, and glamour (I assume). They ran with the likes of Martha Stewart and dined at some of the finest restaurants in the city before commanding the city’s nightlife. In Manhattan, Josh and Brent were living the life many of us can only dream of. Ambitious and intelligent, these boys where doing everything right to make it big in the Big Apple.

I’m sure, growing up, each of their respective parents had dreams of their little boy growing up and getting a top-knotch education so they could go off and become a doctor or industry executive. Oh wait – they both did that. Parents and society at large feed us these messages of what success and happiness are suppose to look like. We’re told that the only way to make it in life is to get a good education and then find a safe, secure job with a pension and good retirement plan. Yea, like those exist any more.

Creating the life you want to live

That fast-paced, Manhattan-socialite life didn’t seem so ideal once Josh and Brent found The Beekman Farm. They instantly fell in love with the idea of an up-state farm life in a quaint village like Sharon Springs. The fabulous duo traded in their town cars for tractors and began building a whole new life on a real farm with real goats, a real garden, and real chores. Unharnessed from the life they ware expected to live, these city boys are making up new rules for which to live their lives by — and they are doing it with such fabulous flair.

The Beekman boys have learned one of the most difficult lessons there is for an adult: create the life you want to live and set your own rules.

It’s so easy to accept the status quo and live your life according to the rules of others. These un-documented, ubiquitous ‘rules’ would have us all believing the silly notion that a couple of smart and ambitious gay men belong in a city, while a farm is a place for the more rugged and hardy individual. These ‘rules’ assume that it’s important to go to college and find a safe corporate job before settling into the suburbs to raise a family. These ‘rules’ that so many of us blindly accept, don’t leave much room for dreaming and imagination. We are given a vague plan for how to live life and are expected to go live it.

So many people are mired in routine of daily life that they never take the moment to look around and ask if they’re truly happy. It’s difficult to objectively look at yourself and consider if your job makes you happy or only makes you a paycheck. If you’re working for money, you’re working for the wrong reasons. I can’t tell you how many talented people I know who feel stuck in a career because it fits their education, their training, it gives them a paycheck, they’re frightened, or they’re lazy. What’s worse are the people who are doing a job because they think it is expected of them.

Thankfully, Josh and Brent did take a moment of pause to reflect on their Manhattan lifestyle and evaluate if it was what they wanted out of life. They decided that what was expected of them no longer was fulfilling and instead choose The Beekman. What I admire most about these guys is in their ability to make a major change and create the life they want for themselves.

Through their style, creativity and marketing backgrounds, The Beekman Boys are bringing new excitement to the town of Sharon Springs, a new awareness in support of local farmers, teaching people why eating in-season is best for you and the planet, and reintroducing the beauty of quality craftsman-made products back to a world so accustom to mass-production. They are using their skills and talents to better their lives and the lives of everyone they come in contact with. Instead of focussing on climbing the corporate ladder, Josh and Brent have adopted a much smarter and wholesome business philosophy — one of people helping people.

Stop for a moment today or this weekend and ask yourself if you are happy with the life you are living. Are you living a life you created, or one that is expected of you. Do you have enough time, money, and health to do the things you enjoy doing? Maybe we can help each other out and prosper together, much like the citizens of Sharon Springs thanks to Josh and Brent.

 To create your own life, you need time + money + health. Let me help you get them.

Question

Are you working just to get a paycheck, or does your job make you truly happy? Are you living the life you choose or are you doing what is expected of you? Think about those deep questions and comment in the section below. Or, instead, just tell me if you think artisan goat soap is a good foundation for a business.

Lately all my friends have been telling me to, “just go get a job already!” It’s been 2 years since I left the comforts of a steady bi-weekly paycheck. And while it’s true that I’m not thriving out here financially, I’m not quite impoverished either. The thing is, I just can’t seem to get excited at the prospect of sitting in a cubicle doing some mundane task and getting paid a crap wage for it every single day. “But everyone hates their job,” my friends assure me. Should I consider that argument sound real-world wisdom, or a cautionary tail — kind of like when your parents said, “well if everyone else jumped off a bridge would you?” Well I’m not jumping off a bridge and I’m not going going to suffer through a job that I hate either. Although at this rate I might be living under a bridge soon, so let me know if you do decide to jump so I can get out of your way.

But when I recently came across a job opportunity to work at Grindr, my attitude started to shift. For the few of you who may not know, Grindr is the wildly popular phone app gay boys all over the world use to see and find other guys who are near their current location. It’s real-time social media with a GPS locator and the added bonus being exclusively gay men (most of whom are looking to hook up.) So there was a posting for a new job at Grindr: Social Media Coordinator. So, OK, right off the bat I didn’t jump at the idea of being a 35-year-old professional ‘coordinator’ (kind of a step backwards for me on the all-mighty corporate ladder) but beggars can’t be choosers. So I applied.

Let me first assure you that my resume is impeccable. I’m on revision 12 of the document and it showcases some impressive accomplishments in my field and is extremely well organized and arranged. In two years without a job I’ve become an expert at at least one thing: job hunting. I have a fully completed LinkedIN profile, a personal website with portfolio, my Facebook page is squeaky clean, and I can pull plenty of real-world examples that showcase my abilities. After three face-to-face interviews, listing in detail all of my past accomplishments in this field, submitting writing samples, and a doing a full-on business presentation outlining what I would do if given the position, the job was practically mine for the taking.

And yet I still didn’t get hired!

Grindr hasn’t been the only job I’ve applied to recently, but it’s the only one where I got so close to getting an offer for. Most of the time I don’t even get the first interview. Now one could argue that my job hunting methodology is flawed. Some might say I’m not trying hard enough. A poor job market is yet another excuse. Perhaps I’m undervaluing my abilities – no, wait, overvaluing them. Or maybe it’s not what you know but who you know and I need to put more pressure on those in my personal network to hire me. No, friends, the real truth here is that I’m not suppose to go get another ‘job’ somewhere – that’s not my destiny. There’s something else I’m suppose to be doing with my life and it doesn’t involve sitting in some corporate office cubicle.

Let providence be your guide

When I left my last corporate job because I was unhappy with my future prospects for advancement, I was making a choice. I choose a very different path in life from the one I was on and the one I was raised to seek. The path of self-reliance and entrepreneurship is a difficult one best embarked upon with some training and support. Most rich kids have an easier time creating their own businesses because they grew up learning how a business is created and they have various resources to help and to guide them along the way. I didn’t have that experience as a youth and most people whom I associate with didn’t either; so going and getting another ‘job’ would be the easiest thing for me to do right now, and it’s the best advice the people around me have to offer. However I chose a different path in life and now must trust in myself and in providence to be my guide. The fact that after 2-years and hundreds of sent resume’s later I still haven’t landed any permanent job (despite modifying my tactics and expectations to try and gain different results) must prove that the path leading to another ‘job’ is a foregone option and one not likely to return to my future. The time, it seems, has come to stop splitting my focus between starting a new business and looking for a new job. I must trust in the Universal providence that I am on a successful path – the right path for me. I must build a core believe in myself, my abilities, and my path – and I must become dedicated to the work and sacrifices required to prove that I am worthy to remain on this path of choice.

The entrepreneur’s mindset

One thing I know for sure is that it is no longer possible, in the economy of the 21st Century, to become rich – or even ‘financially secure’ – if all you ever are is someone’s employee. To be an “employee” means you are never working for yourself and your goals. Plus, the way our tax system is currently, those who are ‘employees’  pay the most in pre-income taxes. The system is not set up for employees (aka: the middle-class) to flourish financially. It’s just not. The only way to build a large financial future today is through owning your own big business and/or through investing. This is what I have learned from Robert Kiyosaki, author of the book Rich Dad Poor Dad, when he spoke about The Business of the 21st Century. I’m inexplicably drawn to the notion of owning my own business – I just am not certain how to go about building one or have an idea for one. I was not raised with a financial education or entrepreneur’s mindset, nor do I have the resources many other successful business people start out in life with. But I’ve got to start somewhere.

Kiyosaki suggests that the best place to start learning how to have an entrepreneur’s mindset and begin learning skills like discipline, overcoming rejection, networking, reaching customers, etc – is by building a network marketing business. As he points out, there is a low-cost entry point to get in to most network marketing programs and you are surrounded by people who are helping one another learn and grow together. It’s probably about the safest real-life business classroom there is – especially if you don’t have previous business experience.

The trick, as is with any new business venture, is that it takes time and hard work to build a very large, very successful network marketing business. Time is the one thing I’m unsure I have available to me right now; which is why I’ve been stuck in limbo, never fully dedicating myself to building this business or in looking for a new job. I can, again, let providence be my guide and trust that everything on this path of self-reliance will work out for the best if I just put forth my best intentions. Somehow, though, I fear the real-world won’t be so patient and kind. So the time is now to begin getting creative and take matters in my own hands. I wish I could tell you I had a plan — I don’t. But the path of having a safe, secure full-time job has passed for me and I am currently scrambling to reset my mindset to behave and believe differently. I must now have faith in myself, my path, my choices, and my desire to win if I’m going to now stop looking back at the foregone promise of some job to come save me, and begin to move with the flow of The Universe.

Does it seem like things on the job-front aren’t quite working out for you as well these days? Perhaps you are out of sync with the flow that The Universe has for your life. You might just be at a crossroads and need to make a decision, letting faith guide you to where you are suppose to be. If you want to explore a different path and begin learning to have more of an entrepreneur’s mindset in order to succeed in the new economy of the 21st Century, contact me today. Let’s discuss where you’re at presently and where you think you’d like to go in your life.

Join my Team Beachbody team and let’s both grow successful together!

Question

Do you think it’s possible to make it in this economy working for someone else? Are you “successful” being an employee, or do you think the system has been fundementally changed to make it harder for those in the middle-class? Let me know your thoughts on that topic in the comments below.