On Wednesday, the TV show Cougar Town premieres on ABC. When I first heard about this show and let me take a step back, when I heard the word COUGAR I would get pissed off. I thought because a women is strong and goes for what she wants, why does she have to be a called a cougar. When a man goes for what he wants, he is called DRIVEN, DETERMINED or SUCCESSFUL.

I found a site the helped me change my mind about the term cougar.  A Real Cougar is a woman who is strong, confident, independent, sexy and proud to be past 35.

When I read I said this definition, I embraced and finally came to terms with the word cougar. Taking a look back at myself in my 20s, I remember discovering who I was in terms of my career and the woman I wanted to be living on my own for the first time. Many women work DAMN hard to discover themselves in their own terms. So I ask you ~ why does the term COUGAR have be a bad thing. Go ahead and call me a cougar. I am in the best shape of my life and living my best life with no regrets.

If you know who you are and you are not afraid to show it, embrace your cougar pride!  The Fabulous Fit Squad is all about empowerment and going for it.  So embrace your inner cougar and GO FOR IT!

Let me clarify for a minute, when I say go for it, I’m not saying put on your best push up bra and head to your nearest bar. What I am saying is look in the mirror and ask yourself are you living your best life’ Are you:

• taking a stand and making things happen
• thinking age is nothing but a number
• done listening to other people and finally tuned your inner voice ~ positive talk only please
• working out and staying healthy and active
• financially independent or working towards that goal

Don’t be afraid start living your life to its full potential.  In the comments right below tell me how your embracing your inner cougar.

When you are sick, moderate exercise is permissible. In fact research shows that people who exercise regularly a get sick less frequently, but there does come a time when you are too sick to workout.

• We’ve all hear the above the neck  rule — stuffy nose, scratchy throat, headache– you are okay to workout if you feel up to it.
• If you have a fever, congestion or feel achy stay home! It may be
  something more serious than the common cold

If you do decide to keep working make sure you stay hydrated, over the counter drugs and/or prescription drugs may leave you dehydrated and a little light headed. Be extra careful and make sure you are wiping down machines before and after using and be sure not to touch your face.  Keep your eye on your activity level, now isn’t the time to push it.

Urban myth alert — There is no evidence that you can run or sweat out a cold.

5 ways to avoid catching a cold.

Since last March all we have heard back is the SWINE! Swine flu, this and swine flu that. So winters coming and flu season will be upon us,here are some steps to avoid catching it and/or spreading the flu

1. cover your mouth when cough or sneeze — use a tissue or cough/sneeze into your shoulder
2. wash your hands frequently with hot water and soap
3. avoid contact with anyone who is sick
4. if you are sick STAY home
5. make sure you are eating and sleeping

Top 10 things you need to know about the swine

I have had sciatica pain since for the past several years. I couldn’t drive more than 30 minutes without pain shooting down my right leg and running an activity that I thoroughly enjoy was PAINFUL. So I started stretching and STOPPED running. This year was my 15th anniversary and we decided to run the Falmouth Road Race, there is that word RUN.  So … if I was going to run 7.2 miles I would need to get rid of my sciatic pain for good.
So I sought out a posture specialist, Aaron Brooks of Perfect Postures to help treat my sciatica. Why did I go to a posture specialist, my hips have been tight my hold life and so I felt that my sciatica was caused by a muscle imbalance that through sciatica exercises I could fix it fingers crossed for good. So. I went to go to my first visit. I basically a paid a man to check out my ass. Yes, I walked back and forth for about 10 min so he can study the bio-mechanics of my glutes ass. He conclusion, my right ass doesn’t fire. So he gave me some exercises do every night to help wake up my ass.

It’s been 1 month and I will tell certain muscles have come awake that have been dormant. I was doing deadlifts the other day and felt my inner thighs turn on for the first time in YEARS. I’ve been running regularly and my sciatica has acted up by not nearly as severe as it has in the past.

The morale is if you have stopped living an active life because of pain, STOP and figure out what is causing your pain. Everyone has a right to live actively.

I was reading the blogs that I keep up with regularly and read the Orlando Sentinel’s posting about fitness bucket list and it got me thinking.  I love being active and challenging myself so, that article got me thinking.

These are not written in any particular order.

1. Consistently run the Falmouth Road race in August with Philip, my husband. It’s a 7.2 mile race on the Cape, that allows 10,000 people to run in it and its a lottery to get a number. So fingers crossed we get a number consistently.
2. Run a half marathon, I would like to find one that is fun and interesting through the entire way so if someone knows of one, Holla.
3. Beat my times in next July’s Women’s Tri Fit competition. Fingers crossed my husband decides to compete in it as well.
4. Learn to kayak — this is interesting as I never go in the water past my waist.
   
5. Learn to swim — yes, I’ve gone all this time without learning how to formally swim! Basically if I want to kayak, I think I should learn to swim first, just saying.
6. Organize/promote a fitness competition — I’ve been is so many that, don’t focus on the details. I would love to do one that focuses on the details.
7. Practice yoga consistently — I love yoga, but its always the first thing I dump when I get busy prepping for a fitness competition.
8. Relearn to squat — I lost it and I want it back!
9. Do a handstand — ever since I watch Nadia Comaneci score a perfect 10. I have been obsessed with gymnastics.

What’s your fitness bucket list’ comment below

I have been avoiding finishing up my wellness coach certification. I took the 13 week class last November and have exactly 1 year to:

• take a written exam
• complete a oral exam
• chronicle 3 clients

Well here we are at almost August and I am no closer to the certification than I was last November. I continually ask myself, why haven’t taken any steps to complete this exam’ Am I afraid of succeeding, is it because their really isn’t hard goal.  I know that I am not a good test taker so am I psyching myself out by thinking that I stink at test so why rush to take the test. So I am setting a hard goal for myself.

I will take my written exam on or before 11/1.

I will take my oral exam on or before 12/1.

I will have completed 3 practice clients on or before 2/1.

1. How do I stay in shape’ I LOVE variety. During the off-season I will workout 4-5 times per week and each day I like to do something different. For cardio workouts I will do the elliptical, stairmaster, kettlebell workouts or run outside if its nice. Also I like stringing intense bodyweight workouts together to create great interval cardio and strength training workouts. I lift 3 times a week by doing a full body workout including core training. Every 4 weeks I mix up my strength training workouts to keep my body guessing.
2. What is my fitness philosophy’ I believe anyone can get fit and you don’t’ need to spend hours at the gym. Working out alone isn’t going to give you the body that you want. You need to watch what you eat. 80% of my weight results come from my diet. Also you need to commit, the perfect body doesn’t come without hard work! If you are willing to be in the work like I said anyone can get fit!
3. Supplements’ Just say no!! Most women only need a good multivitamin and calcium. All weight loss supplementation should come from a good diet! Like I stated its commitment. Your perfect body does not come in a bottle!! You earn your perfect body with hard work! If you feel that you need to take something, please seek medical advice from a medical doctor.
4. How long do I work with clients’ I love introducing people to fitness and helping them meet their fitness goals. I want to be clients to be independent so feel that they can workout on their own without my assistance.
5. How many times a week do I work with clients’ I let me clients make that determination. When you are a beginner exercisers some need that extra push and want to workout 2xs/week while other just want a weekly touchbase to help them stay on track.
6. Why did I become a personal trainer’Like many of you I had a 40 plus hour a week job, I flew 100k miles per year, eating out 80% of my meals. Guess what I gained weight. Although worked out when I could I couldn’t get a handle on my weight. Then I meet a great personal trainer who become my mentor, Mike D’Angelo. Each training session was like a learning session , I asked him a million questions during our workouts that he said why didn’t I become a trainer. So here I am.  Taking my passion and turning it into a career.

I am officially off-season, no fitness competitions coming up, no road races, although I’m still looking for a Fall one, so if you know of an upcoming 10K road races  Holla. Any who, so now I plan on doing workouts that I have always wanted to do like yoga. I have been doing yoga on and off for about 10 years and I like how it feels, but I never seems to stick with it, when I get busy training for a competition its the first thing I cut from my workout routine or I find a million excuses not to do it.

For the past month I have shocked myself by attending yoga 1-2xs/week. I’ve been going to Prana Power Yoga. I think I have been able to stick with it because it only 1 hour and its close to my house.  So I go to yoga today  and not sure if I was one in class that took the short bus to yoga that day or I was the rock star of the class, but I was getting a little extra attention from the instructor. Which I don’t mind a little extra attention, but at Prana they keep the temperature at around 90 degrees and about 100% humidity, and you get just a little sweaty. And when I look around the room, I know, I know, yoga is suppose to be about you, Blah, blah but I do peek occasionally especially when 15 minutes into class I’m sweating like a hooker in church and I’m wondering is it just me’ And it is.  Which makes me think the more I do yoga in a heated space will I stop sweating so much’ Are do yogis have some crazy way to shut down their sweat glands.
Any who.. so when I’m getting all this extra attention I can’t help but think I don’t want to touch me why would you want to touch me,  I’m a big ol’ sweat ball.  God love that instructor.

After I leave yoga I feel like I’ve taken a big deep breath and my tight hips don’t feel so tight. So if you seem to drop yoga out of your workout routine, don’t once you get this feeling you don’t want to let it go.

My husband and I have been talking about running the Falmouth Road race for years and we DID IT!!! It was 7.2 miles of FUN.  The entire course was lined with cheering fans which was AWESOME, especially when this woman at mile 5 told us all that it would get better if we smiled. Which made everyone around us smile. Along the course there were numerous musicians playing motivational songs. Best of all was following a gentlemen who was dressed like David Lee Roth circa 1984.

The race was so well organized, while you did wait in line it was only because you were waiting with 10,000 people to get on the bus to the finish line and to use the portapotty prior to the race. Typically a race thins out once you get to the 1 mile mark, but no so much with this one because the course is so tight.

Best of all is that I enjoyed training with my husband, this was the first time we have ever trained for an event together and it was so much fun to spend quality time training together and yes we crossed the finish lines together. This year we finished the race in [01:16:09]. Now I have a number to try to beat next year. Fingers crossed I get lucky in the lottery. In the meantime I’m looking for a new goal. Any suggestions’

Artichokes are the oldest fruit known to man and similar to the lobster you must work to get to the good stuff. Artichokes are a significant source of  425 grams of potassium, 61/2 grams of fiber vitamin C, folic acid and 72 grams of  magnesium. Virtually fat-free, the artichoke weighs in at 60 calories (per medium artichoke) and is low in sodium.

They are in season from May to March and the biggest growers of Artichokes is the California.

When buying an artichoke you will want to:

• choose an artichoke that has tight leaves
• one that is heavy for its size
• a deep green color
• a squeaking noise when the leaves are rubbed together
• avoid any artichokes that have cracked leaves or are showing any brown discoloration.

More artichoke facts are available here.

Today is our last big run before the race. We will be running 6.2 miles. The humidity is suppose to break or it will be a long, hot sweaty run. If you are in Boston and want to tag along meet us on the river. BTW have I told you that the race doesn’t allow headphones so we have been training without our ipods. I thought it would be hard, but not so much. You really get into a nice rhythm listening to your footsteps and your breathing its kind of meditative.

<a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/ma/mid-cambridge/868124900372960214″ mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/ma/mid-cambridge/868124900372960214″>Kim and Philip 6.2 miler</a><br/><a href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/ma/mid-cambridge” mce_href=”http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/ma/mid-cambridge”>Find more Runs in Mid-cambridge, Massachusetts</a>

LONDON (Reuters) – Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over conventionally produced food, according to a major study published on Wednesday. Click here to read the rest of the story.

Instead of going organic try eating foods grown by local farmers market. These foods haven’t traveled days in a truck to get to you and are currently in-season so they have a ton of nutrients and are sometimes better priced.  On the plus side its often sold by the farmer so you can ask about the growing conditions. You can’t do that at your local grocery store. You may also want to try getting involved in a  CSA, community support agriculture — a local farm or group of farms deliver locally grow fruits and vegetables on a weekly basis.  To get a list of these farms, click here.

Organic Foods overview