If you aren't familiar with meditation, it may be one of those things that you refer to as something a hippy or true yogi does. It's one of those things that because you know nothing about it you make fun of because everyone's afraid of the unknown. I first became familiarized with meditation through a book I was reading. The author spoke so highly on how it changed the way she thought that I thought maybe I should give it a try. As someone who struggles with anxiety I had always searched for the best outlet to ease my nerves. Working out was and is one of my best outlets but I run into situations where I can't lace up my sneakers and hit the gym, so I needed something more.

Meditation, for me, has become a new way of life. It isn't something you have to do in a yoga class and grab a green juice after. You don't need to grow out your hair and become a vegan. Meditation is for everyone, all ages, races, genders and ethnicities. Meditation is a way that you can quiet your mind and let your soul speak. As I stated before, working out has always been my temple. If I was having a bad day or what felt like an anxious one the gym made me feel back to normal. But what if you can't get a workout in? What if you're on your lunch break and feel like you need a pick me up to get you through the day? Well sure a glass of wine sounds nice too, but truly meditation is the key.

The best part about meditating is that it's "you" time. I talk a lot about you time with my clients. It is time you set aside for yourself as often as you can, to enjoy moments with your most important relationship, you. In such a chaotic world it's easy to let days or even weeks go by before you have allowed yourself to be still and do something for yourself. Meditation is a form of you time. Just as a spa day or a walk on the beach, even a cup of tea is all considered you time. You can allot yourself minutes even hours of meditation to bring you back to your truth and your resting state.

One of my favorite places to meditate, you may ask? In my car. No, not while I am driving obviously! But think about how often you are in your car. Driving to work and back, pick up the kids for school, to pick up take out, I mean we are all constantly going. Your car is a great place to meditate when you need a few minutes to keep your head right. I am typically alone in my car, so right there there's no distractions from others. I simply close my eyes in my parking space or my driveway and put on a guided meditation to block out the noise. Within only a few minutes I feel so much better and am ready to continue on with my day.

Meditation 101:
How do you do it?
When I first started out I listened to guided meditations. I find that listening to someone else guide me into my quiet time is helpful than sometimes trying to block out the world on your own.

How long do I do it for?
You can truly meditate for however long you'd like! When I feel super anxious I will take a 10 minute  break from whatever I am doing, even at work and meditate. If you have more free time and want to get into a deeper state of meditation look for a longer guided meditation to try.

Where should I do it?
You can literally meditate anywhere! If you are listening to a guided one all you really need is headphones to block out the world. I love to meditate in my car and before bed if I am restless. In fact, I introduced meditation to my boyfriend for the nights he can't fall asleep. He is out like a light within minutes.

Where can I find guided meditations?
There are wonderful apps you can download just for meditation. You can also YouTube it. Mostly everything is on YouTube and if you like a certain person's guided meditation you can find their channel on their, or their website. My favorite guided meditations are from Melissa Ambrosini.

In-home training just got a lot closer to home. It has always been a dream of mine to have my own business. As my online business has grown I have also always wanted to open up my own place. My style of training as my clients know is very unique. I refuse to just give someone a fitness program or a meal plan and send them off. This journey of changing your life into a healthy lifestyle is so much more than that. I find that when you put fitness, nutrition and mental health all in one you get the best result. Anyone who disagrees with that statement, is probably still trying the newest fad diet. You see, we can't change our bodies without changing our minds. And you can't change your mind without the inspiration, motivation and help to do so. 

Because I love what I do so much, I have wanted to keep my "Fitness With Fi" program all to myself. As my cliental base grows, I have found that I truly need my own space to help my clients become the best version of themselves. So, with that being said, I am extremely excited to announce that I will be renovating and creating a garage style gym for my clients! We are about half way there, and with my hard work I am planning to have it done mid spring! 

So what does this mean for you? 

For anyone who hates going to a typical gym, wants more than just a workout guide or wants that one on one attention, then this is for you! While it isn't done yet I still have another location I train my current clients at. For anyone who wants to sign up for my program, I am running a special while the construction is underway! I will be charging as a renovation rate which will be almost 50% off my entire program! Send an immediate email to fitnesswithfi@gmail.com to get yours now! Once the renovation is completely over, so will the promotion, so get it while it's hot! 

My program includes fitness, nutrition, mental health, overall lifestyle changes and much, much more. You will learn how to eat better, move your body in the proper way, meditate, learn to let the negativity fall away and become the absolute best version of yourself. 

So the real question is, what are you waiting for? 

Our world's have become so noisy it is easily forgotten the beauty of silence. When are heads are constantly in our phones and out of present conversations, easily life can feel lonely. We live in a world where busy is glorified and to stay stagnent for more than a moment is less than. But if we never stop going, when does it all stop moving? 

If you have ever suffered from anxiety, depression, stress then you know what it feels like to live in that world. You know the feeling of going to bed and waking up with the exact same thoughts that kept your mind racing all night. You know the emotions that come along with it, the stress eating, nail biting, hair pulling, mood changing emotions that make you a different person. Our world is telling us to always be on and never shut off. Do you agree? 

You may not even realize you're doing it. But when was the last time you did something you absolutely love that didn't involve technology? When was the last time you were outside in nature or sitting around the dinner table with loved ones? No phones, no tablets, no tv's, just being present. Yes we live in a world where all of those things are very much present daily, but it doesn't need to be the only thing we see. 

I have often felt it myself when going through a struggle where you feel over looked but your partner, family or friends because Instagram is more important. Or in the middle of an important conversation a text pops up. We are forgetting the fundamentals that makes us human. The fundamentals that keep relationships alive, that keep us thriving for more, and even the very things that keep us inspired to keep moving forward. 

Having a healthy mind is just as important has keeping a healthy body. It's not all about lifting weights and eating salad. It most definitely is not. Your body cannot move and grow in the ways you want it to if you aren't also feeding your mental state. You have heard the term "mind, body and soul" probably from a yogi or someone you think is too hippie for your liking. But that is far from true. Mind, body and soul is for all of us. To be able to lose weight you need your mind to be on board. You cannot commit to something without your mental state ready to rumble. You cannot overcome life battling issues unless all of you is all in. 

The next time you are out to dinner with friends or in the car with your mom, put your phone down. Put your tablet, laptop aside, lower the television and enjoy each other's company. When everything else falls to the waist side, people and our relationships are all we have left. To be "healthy" is not just getting your nutrients every day, it is so much more. Be proactive in your life and others, and encourage the change. Encourage more time in the present to make the difference in your lives. 

In all reality, we all know there's no quick fix for weight loss. Although we all know that, we still try everything to help us drop some lbs. before a special occasion. Typically weight lost last minute is mostly water weight and not very sustainable if you're just doing it for an event. With all that being said, we still try anyway! Haha! So, I have come up with a cleanse that I find to work to at least help with some bloating and maybe minor issues. You won't lose 20 lbs. in a week on this but you can use it for two reasons.

1: A cleanse to do a few days before a vacation or big event to help with bloating.
2: A cleanse to jump start your new journey in health and fitness.

If you're doing it for the second reason (which I recommend more) you'll see more results in the long run. This is a perfect cleanse to start with before starting a meal plan or a new type of eating style. It'll help jumpstart your metabolism, clear you out of toxins, decrease some bloating, and begin your weight loss journey.

The Cleanse
Breakfast: Juice
Snack: Vegetables or fruit
Lunch: Juice (Optional carb)
Snack: Vegetables or fruit
Dinner: Lean protein (fish, chicken, turkey) with vegetables

There really isn't much to it, which is the point. You are eliminating all dairy, carbs and anything processed. I find that around lunch time I typically need a pick me up so if I am not feeling great or feel tired I'll have a 1/2 cup of brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal or a slice of toast. Like I said before, this is definitely not an everyday way of life or diet. If you typically eat breakfast on the go and/or lunch on the go as well, it shouldn't be too difficult to adjust to for 3 days.

What's in the juice:
Start with a leafy green like kale or spinach.
Add in vegetables of your choice; typical in juices are carrots, cucumber, zucchini, celery
Add in some fruits; typical in juices are apples, lemon, orange, grapefruit, strawberries
Extra add ins include chia seeds, coconut water, almond or coconut milk, protein powder

Example of my juice for breakfast:
Spinach
Cucumber
Strawberries
Chia seeds
Vanilla protein powder
Coconut water

Example of my juice for lunch:
Spinach
Cucumber
Zucchini
Celery
Carrots
Orange
Coconut water

Example of my dinner:
White fish
Brussel sprouts with garlic and lemon

Example of a snack:
Sliced yellow pepper
Sliced apple

For some people vacation means leaving all routines behind for pure bliss away from home. For others, they still need those routines to enjoy themselves on vacation. Regardless if you are taking a trip to Florida to sit in the sun or Utah to ski, not all hotels are created equal. Some amenities that you'd maybe find to be typical are not always like a gym. But I'm a firm believer that you really don't need anything other than yourself to have a great workout. So I've written 3 days of circuits you can do it your hotel room with absolutely no equipment, yet I promise you will feel the burn. Thank me later!

Circuit 1:
15 squats
15 alternating leg lunges
15 push ups
15 leg lifts
30 seconds of mountain climbers
30 seconds of high knees in place
*Repeat the entire circuit 3-5 times*

Circuit 2:
30 seconds toe taps
30 seconds high low planks
30 seconds burpees
30 seconds froggies
30 seconds crunches
30 seconds scissor kicks
*Repeat the entire circuit 3-5 times*

Circuit 3:
15 jump squats
15 moving push ups
15 jumping lunges
15 jab cross
30 seconds wall sit
30 seconds of jumping jacks
*Repeat the entire circuit 3-5 times*

FREE?! Yup, that's right. I love the use of word of mouth. I would much rather trust my friends opinion through their experience then from a stranger, or a commercial. Every day we are exposed to new experiences because of the people in our lives. So why not allow it to benefit you?

I came up with the idea of refer 5 friends and get your program free for a few reasons. The first being, who doesn't love free stuff? Especially when it's something expensive and you can get it entirely free! Sounds awesome right. The second is when we are on a new lifestyle change it is so beneficial to have support from our family and friends. Sometimes to better understand why you want to make a conscious health change in your life, means showing your loved ones exactly how and why. What's a better way to start out your journey then to let them experience the journey with you! The last reason for this new promotion is that you cannot give a better gift than the gift of good health. What an amazing present you are giving your friend or family to help them better their lives one day at a time.

This promotion is pretty simple. If you refer me 5 friends and they sign up, you get your 3 month program for free! When they sign up they will receive the option of either 20% off their program or the same promotion as you, refer 5 people and get their program entirely free. Share it, tweet it, message me with any questions and let's get to changing!

I know, nachos and healthy in the same sentence sounds impossible. But hear me out! My love for Mexican food will never go away and I refuse to give it up even if its lacking nutrients. Some Mexican foods are in fact healthy but some are most definitely not like a loaded nachos. But I am a true believer that if you want something there is always a way to get it. So I created my own "healthy" recipe of nachos. 

Ingredients:
Vega vegan Mexican style cheese
Ground beef 90% lean 10% fat
1 can of sliced black olives
Multigrain chips 
1/2 onion
1/2 pepper
Taco seasoning + garlic powder, chili powder, pepper

My ingredients explained:
I chose vegan cheese for two reasons, the first being there is no dairy in it obviously. My body doesn't react well to dairy so I try to stay clear of it. Vegan cheese is the best alternative when you are looking to fulfill your craving. 

Ground beef that's 90% lean and 10% fat can be swapped out for ground chicken, ground turkey or really any meat you enjoy. I made this meal after a heavy leg day workout and typically try to have red meat after a tough leg day. 

Multigrain chips or "healthier" chips. My supermarket has an organic section which is where I typically try to buy any snacks. There are so many options these days on chips that your options are endless. I typically pick up chips that are sweet potato based, chickpea based, seed based like chia and sunflower and so on. I've seen carrot chips, zucchini chips and kale chips as well to name a few others. Select what you are looking for in terms of grams of carbohydrates, sodium, sugar, and protein. 

Vegetables. You can add as many vegetables as you want to your taco meat. In this particular recipe I only added onions, peppers and olives. But in making this recipe in the past, I've added mushrooms, shredded lettuce, tomatoes and avocado. 

Comment how you make your healthy nachos below!!