Member Spotlight - Mothers Day Teaser

Several Eupraxia Moms have volunteered to share some of their tips, thoughts and ideas on keeping their families healthy. In the week leading up to Mothers Day, I will post one complete survey daily. I am also working on putting together something where all of the wonderful Q and A's I received can be easily accessible. If anyone else is interested in adding their voice just email me! In the meantime, here is a bit of what is to come! 
~Lindsay

Do you have any tricks to get your kids to eat healthier foods or make healthier choices?

They are a part of the shopping/picking out vegetables, fruits, proteins and they also help cook—so they ‘buy into’ the whole concept of caring for their bodies. We make a lot of green drinks and smoothies together, soups, crazy taco bars, and stir fry—if they shop for it, chop it they eat it. We have a CSA share and so they also know a lot about where their food is grown. They also help determine the weekly/seasonal menus—they also have been taught to read labels and learn about better food options. They are still kids and love good ‘treats’ and special occasion foods! ~Keely Rees

As you have learned more about health and wellness, what goals do you have for your family and children?

My biggest goal is just for him to be happy and healthy. I am trying to show him that being active and eating right doesn’t have to be stressful. To find activities that he enjoys doing, not activities that he feels forced to do. The one thing I enjoy most about Eupraxia is that even though the workouts are hard – they are fun in a weird way. Going to the gym isn’t something I ‘have’ to do; it’s something I ‘want’ to do. ~Alyssa Britton

How and why has being a member at Eupraxia impacted your roll as a mother and/or wife? Eupraxia has taught me so much!!! Everything I thought I knew about eating right....well some was correct and some was very misguided. Knowledge is power and I am so thankful for the knowledge. It has helped me feed my family better and be more firm in fighting to change Alex's diet. ~Amelia Pena

What obstacles have you overcome as a mother to maintain your health and wellness? 

I have overcome eating at fast food restaurants. They use to be a staple in my weekly diet. With educating myself and my children I cannot even think about eating at a fast food restaurant. Until I started reading on Paleo and clean eating I was poisoning myself and my children, and I did not even realize it. ~Amy Schuster

What advice do you have for moms just starting their journey?

Don’t feel guilty about feeding your child healthier options. People made and still make me feel like I’m depriving my daughter of something because I don’t feed her candy, cookies and cake when really, I’m preparing her for a better future without the struggles that I deal with daily. ~Janelle Loss

Anything else you would like to share? 
I can't express the physical and mental journey you go through joining Eupraxia. The best part is seeing your children smile a little more cause mom is smiling and enjoying life a little more and a little less stressed :) ~Lindsey Bonnar

Member Spotlight - Megan Miller

Member Spotlight

Name: Megan Miller

Hometown: La Crosse, (French Island)

Occupation: Daycare owner

What is your favorite hobby: Shopping!!!!!

Tell us an interesting fact about you: I'm VERY scared of spiders! If there is one in the room I will not go back into that room until it is gone!

What is your favorite exercise: The backhands in kickboxing

How about your least favorite: Thrusters

Describe your favorite workout: Kickboxing, I love how it lets off so much steam and I feel so great after!

What is favorite healthy meal: egg dishes

And favorite “cheat” meal: Pasta and bread

What are your goals you are shooting for: I want to fit back into the clothes I wore before I had children.

What keeps you coming back to Eupraxia: The results, the great help from the trainers, and the people who I work out with.

How has Eupraxia helped you the most: I've always gotten bored with workouts and this keeps me motivated to keep coming back.

Any advice for newbies: Keep going, you may not see results right away but you will!

Member Spotlight: Dean Bodensteiner

Hometown: St. Lucas, IA

Occupation: Project Manager/Estimator

What is your favorite hobby: Working out.

Tell us an interesting fact about you: I like to read (books, not magazines) often.

What is your favorite exercise: Box Jumps

How about your least favorite: Burpee Pullups

Describe your favorite workout: Upper Stations

What is favorite healthy meal: Buffalo Chili

And favorite “cheat” meal: Pizza

What are your goals you are shooting for:
I would like to be able to do 15 pullups in a row, 100 pushups in a row, and 100 burpees in 7 minutes (not all three in the same day though ).

What keeps you coming back to Eupraxia:
I know that when I go to Eupraxia, no matter what the workout, I know that I will push myself and my body to the point of exhaustion by the time my workout is over. It is impossible to have an “easy” workout at Eupraxia. So you never feel like you went there and wasted your time.

How has Eupraxia helped you the most:
For me Eupraxia has been even better for my mental health then my physical health. It is my best stress reliever by far! When I leave an Eupraxia workout I am exhausted, but I feel great! It clears my mind and definitely puts me in a better mood. I can tell when I have missed a few workouts because I start to get cranky.

Any advice for newbies:
The workout is going to seem really hard at first, and it is, but you just need to keep coming back. It does get better and you WILL see results!

Drink up!

Warm weather is quickly approaching, which also means so are the barbecues and bonfires. Here are some summer drink ideas to keep you on track with staying healthy!

Water is great, but I will admit that even I get bored. Adding an extra kick with some fruit infused water is a great way to stay hydrated and healthy. Plus it’s super easy and super delicious.
(1) Grab your favorite reusable water container and add water, ice, and any combination of fruit, veggies, and/or herbs.  Leave the fruit, veggies, and/or herbs in the bottle all day and refill the bottle with water and ice as needed. *Some of my favorite combos: Basil leaves and lemon / Berries with lemon / Ginger and lemon / Raspberry and Lime / Watermelon and Mint leaves...be creative!
(2) For a large batch of infused water, fill a pitcher with water, mix in some chopped up fruits, veggies, and/or herbs and let it sit in the fridge for 2 – 8 hours (depending on how strong you want the flavor to be.)
(3) Blend the fruit/herb of choice until smooth, put into BPA-free ice cube trays, freeze, and enjoy.
(4) Check these links for ideas:
Fruit Infused Water Ideas
Fruit Infused Water Ideas Via Pinterest
Popsicle Ideas

Hot Chocolate is always a favorite, no matter what the season.  You too can have your hot chocolate around that campfire on a late summer night.  All you have to do is warm up some coconut milk, add in some unsweetened cocoa powder, and enjoy.  If you prefer it a tad sweeter, you can always add a touch of honey or stevia.  On a hot summer day, you can skip warming it up, add some ice, and blend for a healthy chocolate shake. Adding a banana and and egg to this smoothie is awesome for post workout.
Another healthy drink option is to take a scoop of the Espresso Dynamic Greens drink we  sell at Eupraxia and mix with a bottle of water or glass of coconut milk.  We have four great flavors of Dynamic Greens if you don’t like the flavor of coffee. They are all delicious and can be added to smoothies and more.
*I am really enjoying adding the Espresso Greens to my coffee as a treat. AMAZING! The Strawberry Kiwi is also great in coconut milk.

(Ask about our 10% off coupon for Dynamic Greens included in this newsletter!)

As a kid, who didn’t love having AND selling lemonade on the street?  Lemonade is a great summer drink, and you can now make your own version of the popular drink.  It’s so good that you will not want to sell it to others! Here are a couple of recipes for Lemonade or Strawberry Lemonade.

It’s summer!  Who doesn’t like to enjoy a cocktail or two…or three?  Now you can…in moderation, of course!  Just make smarter, grain-free choices.  Good options are distilled liquors with soda water and wedges of citrus, wines and hard ciders.  For more ideas, check out the links below:
http://www.paleoblonde.com/paleo-summer-cocktails-say-what/
http://www.paleococktails.com/
http://www.paleoeffect.com/alcohol-guide/

Who doesn’t love smoothies!?  The best part about smoothies is that they are super easy to make and they can be made for several people.  With so many options available to you, it is easy to find good combinations to make enjoyable for everyone. You can pump up  the nutritional value in a smoothie by adding spinach or kale.  Check out your Member Portal for a smoothie eBook or check out these links below:
http://www.pinterest.com/katieeweinberg/paleo-smoothies/
http://www.pinterest.com/amydensmore/paleo-drink-recipes/

Meet Your Trainers: Lindsay Bonnar

Hometown:  Newcastle, Wyoming

Occupation:
Trainer/Manager at Eupraxia :-)

What is your favorite hobby:
I am kind of a bookworm! 

Tell us an interesting fact about you: Most of you know I just had my first baby. Something interesting about me, is that for the first 30 years of my life I swore I would never have children! Charlie is kind of a miracle child :)

What is your favorite exercise: Deadlift! It makes me feel strong

How about your least favorite: Lunge jumps or Pull-ups, largely because I probably need to improve on both of them. 

Describe your favorite workout: It's a tossup here… I absolutely love Friday workouts; 20 intense minutes and I always feel awesome when I get done. But I really love a good Sparty Party!

What is favorite healthy meal: Eggs! Two years ago I exchanged egg white omelets for egg yellow omelets, and I haven't looked back since. Top that off with a good steak or some BACON and I'm in foodie heaven. And of course don't forget a side or two of veggies. :)

And favorite “cheat” meal: Ice cream!

What are your goals you are shooting for: To get my pre-pregnancy strength back, and then some!

What keeps you coming back to Eupraxia: Well, it helps that I work here, but I absolutely love feeling strong. I also really love being surrounded by such awesome people.  I practically ran back after I got the post-baby medical okay to work out again!

How has Eupraxia helped you the most: 

Eupraxia has basically given me a whole new life. It changed my career, it changed my outlook on health, and especially changed my outlook on nutrition. I don't even want to know where I would have been without it!

Any advice for newbies:

The lifestyle change is worth it! The energy and the amazing way you feel.  It is all worth more than anything when you don't want to get off of the couch and any donut you could ever eat. 

You have the power to take control of your own health!

During your first week, always go to kickboxing! I swear it makes you feel better.

Don't ever hesitate to ask questions! Stay after class and talk to your trainers, keep learning...Knowledge is power!

Do something every day to remind yourself why you are making healthy choices. 

How Often Should I Workout?

I can’t really answer this for everyone because not everyone has the same goals. What I can do is let you know how much I workout based on my goals. I am not training to be an elite athlete or professional body builder. For the most part I train to stay fit so everything I do in life is easier and more enjoyable. I think this is the reason most people exercise.  

I typically do a workout at Eupraxia 3-5 times per week. Every time I workout I push myself as hard as I can. Just as important as the number of workouts you do is the effort you give during each workout. I never try and shave seconds or use a lesser weight than I can handle. I always, always push myself to the max to get the most out of my time while training.

Outside of Eupraxia I like to try and get in at least one run workout per week, weather permitting. When I run I don’t do the slow steady state jogging that you typically see. My runs are rarely more than 20 minutes long. Like any workout, I always do a quick warm up just like we do at Eupraxia to get the blood pumping and the muscles loosened up. It seems the older I get the longer the warm up takes!  Here are a few running examples;

·       Pick a distance from 60-200 yards and run that far as fast as you can. Walk back to the start line and do it again. Do that 8-10 times and you’re done.

·       Go to a track at one of the schools. Sprint the straightaways and walk the corners. Do that for 4-6 laps

·       Run 1-3 miles as fast as you can

·       Run a lap around a track as fast as you can then rest 2 min. Do that 4-5 times.

·       There are many more examples in the member’s portal

Outside of the 4-5 structured workouts I do each week I like to live an active lifestyle. Those 4-5 workouts per week make everything else easier and more enjoyable. I am an avid outdoorsman and spend a few hours each week hunting, hiking, fishing, and playing softball. These activities are a lot of fun and each is great exercise. It is the workouts at Eupraxia that allow me to hike for hours on end with relative ease. I never want to come to a hill and not be fit enough to climb it. I never want to come to a point where I think that’s too hard and miss out on something.  Sometimes I even do a lot of outdoor exercise and cut back on the Eupraxia workouts a bit.

Each year I go on mountain hunting trips, which are brutally hard work. To get ready for that I’ll train twice per day for a few weeks. I think it’s great to have reasons like that to train harder.  You could sign up for a tough mudder, class reunion, warrior dash, beach vacation, etc. There are always ways to give yourself a little extra motivation to go extra hard. I’ve literally had close to this same routine for about 20 years now. It can be maintained for a lifetime.

I hope this helps. Exercise is a blessing and quite fun if you have the right mind set.

To yours in good health,
Dr. Czys

Member Spotlight: Kim McCormick

Hometown:  Hillsboro, WI

 

Occupation:  Software Sales

What is your favorite hobby:  I enjoy time with my husband and two boys (ages 2 & 4).  We spend a lot of time outside together, so it is great to be able to keep up with the kids.  I enjoy running with friends, volleyball and road biking.  It could be said I am a collector of paint swatches and an HGTV fanatic.

Tell us an interesting fact about you:  My hands and head doesn’t sweat although I have hyperhidrosis and I once weighed 199 pounds.

What is your favorite exercise: I enjoy the variety each session, so it is hard to pick.  I love leg days and stations.

How about your least favorite:  I have a love/hate relationship with Thrusters.  During the move, I dislike them greatly.  But the muscles groups the move targets…it’s worth it.  And Swings (especially with 2 KBs) are usually on the ‘Dislike’ list.

Describe your favorite workout:  My favorite workouts are the Saturday challenges.  Sparty Party is nice on an occasional Thursday.

What is favorite healthy meal:  I eat a lot of eggs.  They are easy and you can add a variety of things to them to change it up. 

And favorite “cheat” meal:  Pizza and chocolate cookie dough. 

What are your goals you are shooting for:  Continued stress and anxiety relief, staying fit and active.

What keeps you coming back to Eupraxia: There are a lot of factors that keep me coming back (i.e. the people, the variety of workouts, the challenge, the feeling post-workout, the results, the confidence I've gained in my body). 

Before Eupraxia, I was training for marathons and spending many hours training.  I no longer had the time to invest in that type of schedule.  I’ve always loved weight training but couldn’t get into a routine on my own.  This place has been fantastic in helping me shift my focus, balance my schedule and feel great.  I can fit in a work out that I feel kicked my ass and they have given me the tools to look and feel better than I ever have.

How has Eupraxia helped you the most:  Eupraxia has given me a community of great people with like goals and lifestyles.

Any advice for newbies:

-       You get what you give.

-       No one is watching you – we are all trying to breath to get to ‘zero’ on the clock.  :)

-       Make the commitment to yourself –we are all here to support you towards your goals.

-       Everyone has a story, something to overcome –what do you want your story to be?