July Champion : Marti Peters

It's so excellent when you meet a new friend, and you feel like you have known them forever. This is exactly the case with the Whole Pieces July Champion. Marti Peters came into my life a little over 4 years ago, another gift from my Mama. Mama did always pick the best ladies to hang out with; I am lucky that many of them still like to be friends with me! I met Marti, a yogi and personal trainer, through my parents gym in Bonita Springs, Florida. Bonita Springs, pictured above, who wouldn't want to work out here?

Whenever I am in Bonita, I always love to go to the community's gym. It's part social, and part working out there, and I always run into my favorite pals. When I first started going there a few years ago I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb. Since I was a youngster, (30 is a youngster in that community) and it was pretty obvious I was a guest in the gym, I would always get looks from gym goers and trainers alike. There were a few folks who were always welcoming; Marti was one of these people. She always meets you with a bright glowing smile.

Marti is one of those people that just exudes wellness if that's possible. In addition to her warm smile she has a aura about her. My guess when I see people like this is that they are very content with who they are and living exactly their purpose. As a personal trainer she does something so important for her clients. She motivates them to accomplish something they thought was impossible. The beauty of this phenomenon is when you do something physically you never believed you could do you start to wonder what else in my life could I accomplish? That is pretty powerful.

Marti tells me she stays motivated because she is a trainer. Seems like a no brainer right? She feels strongly she has to walk the walk and talk the talk. She hopes to be an inspiration to her children and grandchildren while being true to her clients. A lot of folks who are new to working out see cardio as the end all be all of the workout. They are focused on burning as many calories as possible and really making their time worth it. I will admit, I used to believe that too. However, when I asked Marti what keeps her healthy and well her answer was unequivocally YOGA. She does it as much as possible and credits her practice for keeping her balanced and fit. She adds it gives her strength, flexibility, and lowers stress. As a side note for any of you saying, "I tried yoga and I didn't feel like I was getting a workout, and it did nothing for me". My strong advice is: You didn't go to the right class and you need to continue to find a good fit for you. Plus, you have to give it a little time.

When she's not teaching or practicing yoga she likes to mix it up with water fitness, running, and other group classes. The other obvious component to leading a healthy lifestyle is eating habits. After a disturbing field trip to a working farm Marti's daughter came home and pronounced herself a vegetarian. Wanting her daughter to make a healthy transition Marti herself became a vegetarian. While she contends she wasn't a huge meat eater before so it wasn't too difficult, she wanted to support her daughter. 20 years later she continues to enjoy a meat-free diet while still delighting in fish and dairy. She explains to me she feels it works well with her system, particularly with hormone balance. Overall, her best tips are moderation and balance without denying yourself anything.

Finally, something I love to share about the champion is their spiritual side. I feel this is a vital component to our health that so many people ignore. Marti considers herself to be a spiritual being, and her practice is through mediation and yup, you guessed it, yoga. Her parents both passed away at a young age and she feels a great part of her spirit comes through them as her guardian angels. I really get that - BEAUTIFUL!


I want to thank Marti for being an inspiration to me, and now all of you reading here. Marti believes fitness found her and I am certain her clients are truly grateful for that. In closing, I will end with Marti's favorite go to quote; "If you don't take care of your body, where will you live?"

Blue Creek: An Urban Retreat

There's nothing I love more than uncovering a great treasure and sharing it with everyone I know. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to do that right now. As an Esthetician, I am acutely aware of how many spas, salons and wellness centers there are available on nearly every corner in all major cities. Of course they are not all created equally. Within 30 seconds of walking in to a spa you can discern their agenda. How you are greeted, as well as products used in treatment and sold will transparently show you everything you need to know. Are they about making money and promoting the latest fads; or are they first concerned with healthy, non-toxic products? In my opinion, this is what separates a spa, from a sanctuary.

I have found a true sanctuary here in Denver in Blue Creek - An Urban Health Retreat. My apologies to those of you not able to share in the experience. But I hope, if you ever find yourself in the Mile High City that you absolutely put it on the list. Blue Creek is located in the quaint little suburb of Denver, know as Stapleton, with easy access just off I-70. Surrounded by restaurants, grocery stores, banks and gift stores, Blue Creek is a oasis in the desert of traffic and distractions of every day life.

Blue Creek was founded on a dream by owners Megan Moon Long, and Cherie Monlezun who longed for quality, healthy, natural services at a reasonable price. They created Blue Creek out of 3 principles: Urban, Health, Retreat.

Upon entering the oasis you are greeted with a warm welcome from staff and a calming reception area. As water is cascading over the rock display you immediately forget the stresses from the world outside. Services range from skin care, to massage, and even acupuncture. As mentioned above, part of their philosophy at Blue Creek is that quality services are affordable. This is evidenced by their community healing room where semi-private, group healing treatments are performed at reduced rate. This concept is innovative and brillant. Further proving they stand behind their mission, a menu of services where you can receive facials, acupuncture and massages starting at just around $40.

Historically, I have not been a massage aficionado; however, lately with the increase in my workouts and particularly running, I have been trying to weave it in as part of my wellness plan. I have long been educated on the health benefits of massage both mentally and physically. Those which include lowering blood pressure, lessening depression, improved circulation, and their ability to stave off colds. As a generally antsy person I decided to stick to the short 30 minute signature massage. It was the perfect combination of relaxation and treatment. I appreciated the full appointment taking place in one room. No locker room to get undressed, leave your stuff, have a key, etc. Just 1 stop in the treatment room, and boom, new person. Truly one of the best experiences I have at a spa, particularly for not being at a resort on vacation.

Additionally, Blue Creek also demonstrates their commitment to the community by offering promos and specials and making donations to local causes. As well as the above mentioned community acupuncture - easy and accessible healthcare. You simply can't beat it!

I am so inspired by the Blue Creek concept and vision, and genuinely admire Megan and Cherie for their bravery and commitment to the wellness industry. Because of them we are able to make wellness a part of our everyday life for health, and not simply a luxury.

Watermelon Frozen Greek Yogurt Pops from ZinnRunner!

From Whole Pieces: I would like to introduce you to a friend and fellow health enthusiast, Alison Zinn, who is graciously providing us with a guest post today. Her blog is ZinnRunner, where the focus is mainly exercise (running and hiking) and food (recipes and food/restaurant reviews). In sum, her message is: live healthy through balance. Do your best to make the right choices and don't beat yourself up when you don't.

From ZinnRunner: We all want to be healthy. I think there are variations of what is "healthy", but usually it involves regular exercise and eating right. As you can see from the pictures, in this post, the focus is eating right.

When it comes to food, always be cognizant of how important food is. I notice that a lot of folks trying to lose weight deemphasize the importance of food. This might be a good course to explore if your appetite is triggered by emotions like stress or sadness; however, it is okay to embrace food and find the right place for it in your life. Remember, food is our fuel, it dictates everything from how our bodies perform to the healthfulness of our hair and skin. In addition, food is one of the most natural parts of our lives. When you think about it, food is a life force coming to us straight from the earth with all of its flavors and colors.

Choosing the healthy fruits, veggies, and meat are important to me. I do my best to eat organic foods as well as dairy and meats that are hormone and antibiotic free. I find that doing so 100% of the time is pretty darn difficult so I try to make the healthy choices as often as I can to find that balance.

Whether you are healthy, trying to get healthy, at a weight you like, or looking to change your body, you can still feed your sweet tooth. Feeding your sweet tooth doesn't automatically mean you are straying from a good diet; sometimes, it can be just the opposite. Fruit is a great way to feed your sweet tooth! Also, you can find plenty of other all-natural choices that can help satisfy your craving. And, occasionally, you might eat something that's not your best choice, but then recall that you only live once and the occasional less than healthy indulgence is okay.

Today, I am sharing a pretty darn healthy all-natural ice pop: The Watermelon Frozen Greek Yogurt Pop. These guys are a little less than 100 calories a pop dependent upon whether you use sherbet or frozen greek yogurt. Frozen greek yogurt ups the protein content, so I highly recommend it. If you use lime sherbet, you'll get the green color and then the pop will look like a watermelon slice but, you may lose out on the all-natural aspect as sherbet often contains artificial coloring. The choice is up to you!

What You'll Need:
3 oz. paper drinking cups
popsicle sticks

Ingredients:
5 cups seedless watermelon pulp
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
1 pint of frozen greek yogurt (I used Adonia key lime) or lime sherbet, softened

Directions:
1. Puree watermelon and sugar in batches in your blender or food processor until smooth and strain into a medium bowl.

2. Cover and freeze until puree is slightly slushy, but not quite solid, about 2 to 3 hours.

3. Remove from freezer, stir well and add in chocolate chips.

4. Place 12 of your disposable cups on a plate or freezer safe dish and spoon watermelon puree into cups, leaving about a 1/2 inch left from the rim.

5. Place pan in freezer for 2 hours, or until puree is solid, but not rock hard.

6. Allow yogurt or lime sherbet to soften a bit, then spread over top of each portion of watermelon puree so that it comes up to the edge of the cup.

7. Smooth sherbet with the back of a spoon and cover each cup with plastic wrap.

8. Cut a small slit in the center of each cup and insert a popsicle stick into each pop so that it almost reaches the bottom of the cups.

9. Freeze overnight (or until solid). These will keep in the freezer, covered, for 3-5 days.

10. Allow pops to sit at room temperature for about a minute, then gently pull out from cups or tear the cup away if pulling doesn't work.

11. Serve and enjoy! You will love these.

I hope you enjoyed our recipe with Zinnrunner. Please follow her here!

Celebrate Independence Day without the Guilt

It can be so frustrating going into a fun holiday, like the 4th, when you are concerned about what you will be eating. After all, we should be thinking about the history of our country, and celebrating our rockin' nation with friends and family.

Unfortunately, if our friends and family aren't as committed to a healthy lifestyle as we are, it can be excruciatingly frustrating. The solution to this dilemma, is to simply have a plan.

While this resolution is important each day of our lives, it is particularly useful when up against a wall of temptation and peer pressure. This upcoming holiday I encourage you to create a do-able and realistic plan setting yourself up for success.

Ideally, you will have the day off of work, giving you a little extra time to accomplish your goals. Here is a realistic angle propelling you to a successful and guilt free holiday while still having a blast.

-Start off the day with a workout. There are lots of fun 5k's and walk/runs to enter. If not, maybe grab a yoga, or kickboxing class at your gym. This will automatically put you in a good frame of mind. Even if it's a walk around your neighborhood, get your blood flowing and DO something.

-Next, hit the grocery and and bring your own healthy options to your grill out. Some phenomenal grill options are Portabella Mushroom burgers, sweet corn, pre-made grilled chicken, buffalo, or shrimp skewers, you can even do potatoes on the grill.

You can easily do this with a little preparation. You will feel so good about yourself and it's a great opportunity to prove to yourself that you can be successful! I can't wait to hear about your success story! Happy Independence Day!