Six years ago when I saw my first compost bin I thought my mom had gone overboard with her gardening. The compost, to me looked like a pile of hot leaves, fruit peels and worms. I didn’t share her enthusiasm for the worm rich soil she had been producing in her compost bin, although, I had to admit that the vegetables grown from that soil looked and tasted amazing. I naively thought that dirt was dirt and was unaware that gardeners regard compost as “black gold” or “gardener’s gold” because of its remarkably beneficial properties. Happily there is a tremendous amount of information on the Internet about composting. I spent a few hours of reading and watching how-to guides, do’s & don’ts and “make your own compost bin in 2 minutes”. Making your own bin looked easy enough, but you need to have scrap wood or wooden pallets. We opted for Home Depot materials only to find that the materials for purchase did not match and would be more expensive then the already made heavy plastic version they had on site.

January is often filled with resolutions for better health, fitness and weight loss. Perhaps you too find yourself making a list of things you want to change about your body and health for the New Year.  As you go through this introspective process it’s important to keep in mind that each of us is unique. We were all born with a specific body type and body shape based upon our genetics. Although we can't change our genetics, we can take charge of our shape and our health. To do this we need to understand our individual shape and put together a workable and enjoyable fitness plan to achieve the best version of ourselves. Below is an excerpt from my new book, Your Best Body Now.  The book was released this month and it is my intention to help others pursue the healthiest version of themselves.   

To a Happy and Healthy You In 2010!

Body Types & Body Shapes

Do you know your body type? Are you friends with your unique form? How much control do have over your shape and level of fitness and how much is defined by your genetic code? We would like to start this journey to unleash the best you possible by reminding you (and us) of a truth we all intuitively know:  beauty and love can be found in many variations of our life experience when we consciously look for them.

• Gift of Workout Accountability
• Offer to be the person’s workout partner, offer to help with goal setting and progress tracking. You can also create your own fitness challenge with friends, coworkers or family. Set fitness goals and make it a fun competition.

$2- $5

• Make a workout music mix. Create a customized workout cds that will keep your friend or family member motivated through their workouts.
  Add comment (0)

The recent outrage and debate over supermodel Kate Moss’s comments in a Women’s Wear Daily interview regarding her statement “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” made me curious about the origin of that phrase. I found that “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels” is a phrase that originated from Weight Watchers, but has also been linked to pro anorexia (yes there are such places!) websites. It seems that the messenger is as critical as the message in this circumstance, since Kate Moss is extremely thin, the thought that she lives by this motto is disturbing, but if we heard someone like Valerie Burtinelli use this phrase would the reaction be different?

Personally I do not like the motto cited above.  I feel “skinny” or “thin” should not be the focus.  I do think “health” and “vitality” are a much more powerful aim. A reminder like, “Nothing tastes as good as being healthy and full of energy feels” can be helpful when looking at a table full of Christmas cupcakes.

Key phrases, mottos or mantras can boost our resolve to achieve our goals, but the goal should always be in alignment with health not extreme thinness. Affirmations with aligned actions can create powerful transformations in our lives.  

Here are a few of my favorite quotes on motivation and health that you can turn into affirmations of your own:

“The body is a sacred garment.  It’s your first and last garment; it is what you enter life in and what you depart life with, and it should be treated with honor.”
Martha Graham

“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”
Robert Collier