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Finding a qualified nutritionist and personal trainer in ONE person is rare, but my pal Dave Barnas of True Health Unlimited is. that. guy. When he offered to send me copies of his two latest releases – Real Food Therapy Guide and Y.E.S. Your Eating Solution – so I could do a review for the Fit2Blog, I jumped at the chance.

The therapy guide is so easy to understand, and Y.E.S. is full of full color images, daily menu help, and the calorie counting is already done for you. The substitution choices are made clear, and there’s no brow-beating. You answer insightful questions about yourself and your current eating patterns and then you work to apply what you learn about yourself and healthy foods. Some of the questions {and I totally didn’t go in order here} include…

1. Do you like to be rewarded or recognized?
2. How will you overcome moments of inertial, lack of energy to push yourself?
3. Do you feel guilty or have a negative view of yourself after eating?

There is space for food journaling and then Dave highlights how to evaluate what you discovered. He really puts the mind and body together in his books! Dave will also be a part of our Fit2B University “Core Learning” program, speaking to how nutrition affects the integrity and shape of our belly muscles {but I digress} Meanwhile if you’re looking for a workbook-style nutrition program that eases you into the real, whole foods lifestyle, this is it.

Dave and I have had several lengthy phone conversations, and I find him to be so peaceful and inspiring. He’s very open-minded and spiritual {not religious} and he and I take turns tossing ideas back and forth. He’s been gracious enough to allow me to write for him about “Poochy Belly Care” HERE, and he’s quite funny and smart with his approach to wellness. Just watch out: he’s prone to posting shirtless pictures of himself dressed in seasonal costumes around holidays! LOL but sorry, ladies, he’s happily married with full-grown children! This is his own video of flat belly exercises where HE’S THE ONE DEALING WITH KIDS on the set! Ha!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links which earns the two families who run Fit2B Studio a small commission should you choose to purchase the products. We were also sent samples to try. Our opinions are our own. The views and opinions of True Health Unlimited are not necessarily the same as ours. No advice given in this blog or in these books should be considered as a replacement for medical attention. Please seek the help of a reputable licensed professional if you believe you are suffering from a health condition.

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

This month, four guest bloggers (who are way better at nutrition than I am) will share their expertise on how to eat healthier and get RID of that post-baby line of fat in simple, no-nonsense NON-DIET ways! Our first guest is Kristen Glover who is mom to five kids, including twin boys, and wife to a military chaplain. She is a freelance blogger and writer, and you can find her at www.fiveintow.com. 

Pin Me so more moms can read these great tips!

Kristin writes… “Most of us want to cook more healthy foods for our family, but it’s hard to find the time. Life is busy, and it always will be. As a mother of five kids, I know what it’s like to struggle against the clock. But, I’ve come to realize that I can’t use that as an excuse not to eat healthy. Instead, I use it as a motivation to plan better and work smarter.

I have learned a few things over the course of the years including the following eight simple tips you can use to make healthy eating a reality in your home.

1) Toss the junk.

Being motivated to eat healthy must start with an understanding that anything loaded with preservatives and artificial ingredients is not food. If it is not food, you do not need to “use it up.” You will not waste it by throwing it away. Many people sabotage their healthy ambitions by clinging to a false sense of frugality. They keep the junk because they do not want to throw out perfectly good food. But just because you can eat it does not mean it is food. You made a mistake when you bought it. Don’t make a second mistake by eating it too.

Toss the junk while you still have the resolve to change your life. The longer it lingers in your home, the less likely you are to throw it out at all.

2) Avoid the pitfalls.

Once you’ve cleaned out the pantry, keep it clean. Stay away from the parts of the grocery store that sell un-food. If you can be strong in the grocery store, you’ve won half the battle. Splurge on healthy foods instead, like green grapes or some funky melon that the kids are going to love eating. Don’t buy anything that doesn’t make you feel proud of the way you feed yourself and your family. Instead, trade your money for the things that are going to have lasting impact like real, nutritious food.

3) Start with a plan.

I am not one of those women who loves to plan menus so I keep menu planning as simple as possible. I have a master list of the healthy meals my family loves. I rotate them every few weeks, scheduling the super easy meals on the nights when I know we’ll be rushing. On the weekends, I can be more creative, but when time is tight, this mom loves having a meal plan that keeps me on track.

4) Make it big.

It takes very little extra time to double a recipe. Get into the habit of doubling meals. Eat one and freeze the other! Not only will you slash prep and cleanup time, you’ll also build a stash of healthy meals in your freezer. Then, when you’re tempted to cruise through a drive thru, you’ll know you’ve got a better option at home.

5) Buddy up.

Like most things in life, changing your eating habits is easier if you do it with a friend. One of the best ways a friend can help is by building your repertoire of healthy food options. Plan a meal swap! Double a new recipe and trade the extra meal with your friend. It’s a great way to try out new recipes without having to make them all yourself. Plus, you’ll both get a night off from cooking! 

6) Stock the soup pot.

We eat soup at least once a week. It is frugal, and many traditional soups are nourishing and satisfying. Plus, having a big pot of soup in the fridge makes my life easier. It makes a great mid-week meal or a quick lunch. You can even save soup-worthy leftovers in a container in the freezer and throw it all together to warm little tummies when the weather turns chilly. I’m pretty sure that’s how the Italians invented minestrone, and the world has been grateful ever since.

7) Prep ahead.

I have found that I am much more likely to serve healthy veggies if I prep them ahead. I make enough salad to last a few days, keep the fridge stocked with carrot and celery sticks, and even wash fruit as soon as it comes home from the store so the kids can grab it and go. Do a few tummy pulses while you’re chopping and you’ll get a core workout in besides! {No, Bethany didn’t insert that part! But she heartily approves!}

8) Stock the car.

Most moms spend a lot of time on the road. Keep a stash of healthy snacks in the car at all times. Dried fruits, raw nuts, and bottles of water can keep you from spending money on fast food. Plus, you won’t have to mess with those ridiculous packets of ketchup.  {click HERE to read our article about fun, healthy roadtrips!}

There you have it! Eight simple ways you can begin to nourish your family and change the way you put food in your belly. Start fresh with great ingredients and real food and you will soon begin to build healthy, life-changing habits in your home.”

How about YOU? Comment below {leave a reply} and let us know what you do to get REAL food into your families hungry stomachs!

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

Finding a skincare line that is “fit to be” on your skin in a grocery aisle packed with lying labels requires a degree in chemistry these days. Nothing makes me slam a bottle back on the shelf faster than when I see a label that claims it has essential oils, yet none is found in the ingredient list and instead – INSTEAD – fragrance or parfum, meaning there are synthetics and possibly hidden preservatives!

We will unveil the beautiful labels at our party on July 6th!

To say that I have been eager for the opportunity to place my Fit2B brand on a truly “healthy” and “fit” product line that is safe for all skin types would be an understatement. Plus, I was told it was a no-brainer: fit body, inside and out, nourishing the body, mind and soul. Providing a creme that heals a baby’s sore bum. Providing a moisturizer that has totally cleared up my adult acne. Providing a women’s balance line that – just breathing it – tames my crazies.

Fit2B on Your Skin… Fit2B on Your Baby… Fit2B Balanced

Each of these three lines are made simple and clean with organic bases and certified pure essential oils. We have been testing them on ourselves and our friends (with their permission and valuable feedback) for months, and we are beyond pleased with the results and very excited to unveil all TEN products at a party to be held in Portland, Ore. on Friday, July 6th.

Click here to learn a little more and RSVP

Fit2B on Your Skin has five facial care products. Fit2B on Your Baby has three baby care products including hair/body wash, diaper ointment and lotion. Fit2B Balanced contains two specialty products – a body mist and lotion – with essential oils guaranteed to calm, relax and stabilize mood and menstrual cycle side effects.

Just a quick testimony from ME about these products: They’ve cleared up my face. If you know me, you know what that means. I was never able to go out without coverup. I don’t need it anymore. The charcoal non-foaming cleanser totally purifies my skin while the moisturizer has healed my scars, and it does NOT make me break out! I have been using these products for over 6 months, and I am addicted to my skin regime now, whereas before I used to dread doing anything to my skin. Plus, it relaxes and refreshes me to breathe these natural scents!

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

Our April, 2012 trip to Montana

Montana is a place of rugged beauty and stark contrasts: Immaculate Escalades with cattle-grill-guards parked next to beat-up Subarus still displaying blood stains from last year’s hunting season; the sharp cut of the Mission Mountains against the rolling plains; the dirt on the faces of beautiful children out playing in the fields; the poverty of shanty houses with luxury homes in the hills above; waking up to cows in our front yard… Not something that happens in our home town! My son claimed that red truck as his own…

On several mornings I was able to make oatmeal with rehydrated fruit on the woodstove. We used local honey as a sweetener.

It’s very exciting to have running water. You can see the 5-gallon tub we’ve been hauling water with. On this trip, my husband finished attaching the drain to the drain-field he dug on the last trip. The water is powered by batteries stored under the house which are in turn powered by our solar panel. He installed a switch under the sink, so can save energy when we don’t need water. No hot water yet…

The kids spent a lot of time on their grandparents organic farm just down the hill. My husbands parents raise much of their own food: gardening, raising cows and chickens and turkeys, and harvesting herbs that grow locally. They rarely go to town and get what they can’t grow from Azure Standard.

I guess you want to see a picture of The Shabin. It’s the lovely 12×20 2-level shabby blue shed that we’ve turned into a cabin. Here it is right before we left. We have to board it up to keep out the rats and … passers by. You can ready my other blog about Montana and The Shabin by CLICKING HERE

Here are more cows. It was calving season, and the field across from us was full of mamas and babies. Funny story: the cows would always gather at the fence and moo and beller at the farmer’s grey pickup truck as he loaded hay for them. Then they’d run along behind him as he drove the hay onto the field. Well, we also had a grey truck with us, and I made the mistake of coming by the field at feeding time. I thought they were going to stampede me! As soon as they realized I wasn’t driving the right truck, they went mooing and lumbering back to the other side of the field. Silly cows!

As I mentioned, my MIL raises chickens but not really for food. She adores them, especially silkies. This little puffball followed her everywhere. She made me sear I wouldn’t put a picture of her online, so I settled for my daughter holding “Angel” the chicken.

Here’s a close up shot… Like I said, she’s a fluffy little thing. You can barely see her beak!  

And here’s me, myself … Showing the sign my parents had made (I know you can’t really see it) … But it says welcome! And our friends certainly are!

I’d be honored to hear your comments or see this pinned. Thanks! Wait, here is one of my favorite pictures of the bluebird bus I can see from my kitchen window. Yes, it’s parked in the field, listing into a ditch. I’m not sure why someone in the family parked it there…

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

Why did it take me so long to figure out that my children are ALWAYS hungry? When they start whining for food, I start digging through the diaper bag, giving them whatever is in there. It used to be that if I came up empty, well, then it was McDonalds! The reality is that having healthy snacks in my purse and putting together healthy meals that my kids will actually eat has taken me years of trial and error!

Put a rainbow of natural organic foods on your kids' plates!

My daughter had some weight issues as a toddler that had me desperate for her to eat ANYTHING!!! My desperation often led me to some poor food choices, until I was confronted by the realization of how easy it is to feed my kids crap! Sorry if the c-word offends you, but if there is pig intestine in hot dogs, then … I’m just calling it like it is, and my confession is that it took me a couple years to be better prepared to feed my kids nutritious meals.

For a while I really got into Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious cookbook, steaming and grinding every vegetable in sight and sneaking it into my kids’ food. Then my daughter caught me!

“Ew, Mom! What’s that green stuff you’re putting in there? Yuck!” And of course her baby brother laughed and clapped his hands and copied her. “Ewwwwww! Wuck! Wuck!” If she won’t eat it, he won’t eat it.

Foiled by preschoolers again! So I’ve had to get super smart. I mean I have a degree in fitness, so I’ve always known how to eat healthy, but kids don’t eat healthy like adults eat healthy. It’s easier now that they’re older, and they don’t have as many texture issues. Their current favorites are nutella and homemade jam on Dave’s Killer Bread with a few fruits and veggies on the side. They love clusters of frozen organic peas, organic baby carrots and fresh-picked blueberries from our friend’s local farm.

I wrote an article for Factoidz about how moms can get more healthy foods into their childrens diets, and you can Read more by clicking here…. Your comments and insights about what works with your kids, nieces, nephews, grandkids are much appreciated!

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

Some people like to cook. I don’t. I derive no joy from making a mess in my kitchen and cleaning it up. So when I find a simple recipe that makes my family happy and healthy, it gets written down on a receipt or envelope. If it comes back for a second round with good reviews, it gets put in my recipe basket. But this Grilled Coconut Chicken was beyond recipe-basket-good. In fact, it was so good I pronounced it a “bloggable recipe.”

Organic salad from our garden with the main dish!

This recipe has made it through the first two rounds, and people keep asking for it … But I’m not sure how it will be received because there are no real measurements. It’s really more of a marinade that has worked deliciously for both chicken AND fish! The part I take pride in is that it’s truly my authentic recipe. Well, that is, it was a recipe I got off the internet – and I lacked three ingredients – and adapted it to work with what I had in the fridge.

That moment of truth is something that I think most cooks and chefs must enjoy: that moment where everyone takes the first bite and gives their opinion. Unlike some other, more gracious moms I know, I don’t want any opinions at the dinner table. “Just sit down, eat what’s put in front of you – because there are starving children with empty bellies all over the world – and be grateful whether you like it or not.” Yes, I really do say that … a lot!

But here’s the shocker: My whole family (ages 2 to 35) loved this grilled coconut chicken – and the fish! – from the first moment-of-truth-bite! It was then I knew I might finally have a bloggable recipe.

GRILLED COCONUT CHICKEN

Chicken tenders or breasts … or fish (we used perch caught in Flathead Lake, MT)

1 small can of coconut milk – the 3-ish ounce size?

Several shakes of paprika

Several squirts of dijon mustard

Several grinds of pepper (a.k.a. freshly ground pepper)

A bunch of squirts of lemon juice

1/4 cube of butter, melted

Shredded coconut (optional)

Try to get as many of the ingredients organic as possible. Toss it all into a glass bowl and smoosh it all together. It’s okay if the meat is a little frozen. The butter will solidify and flake but then melt again when it’s grilled. Put the bowl in the fridge for a couple hours before you grill it so the flavors can mingle and jingle. When it’s time to grill, take it slow. Be sure not to overcook the chicken or fish, keeping it moist and yummy. Sprinkle the optional coconut flakes right after the last flip so it sticks to the top. I only used half the marinade on our chicken, which is why I had some leftover to try with the fish. Both were so yummy!

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!

Summertime means road trips with the family, friends or by yourself with one hand surfing on the airstream and the radio cranked all the way up. As fun and exciting as road trips are, though, the road map often directs adults toward weight-gain and children toward boredom. We know, because we – the two families behind this business – have six kids between us, and we’ve traveled a lot of miles, both together and apart. Like I discussed on Get Fit Now Radio, road trips are anything but healthy and fun if you don’t plan ahead.

Stop at a park and play!

Having a “fitter” and “funner” travel experience is more than just plotting bathroom breaks and putting some games in a satchel. We have some ideas that will minimize the moaning and groaning – both from the backseat – and from the scales when you get home. Here are four tips we think will inspire and energize you to make your next road trip healthy, fit and fun!

1. Check your map for active stops, not rest stops - Instead of basing your stops on when everyone’s bladder is full, do an internet search for playgrounds or walking trails near the cities and roads through which you’ll be traveling. You can search for short hiking trails, imagination stations, water parks, zoos, museums or anything you think your travel-mates would be interested in. Stopping to play for an hour might add extra time to your journey, but it will also add extra fun and movement! Plus, if you have two adults, one can go fill up the tank and purchase supplies while the other runs with the kids. Another plus is that parks usually have bathrooms that are cleaner than rest stops!

If you see some water, pull over!

2. Cram your cooler with yummy, healthy treats – Do not, do not, do not plan to buy food at gas stations. Truck travel stops seldom have fresh foods, and you’ll be consuming more food coloring, preservatives and calories than any type of real nutrition. Ask your traveling companions what their favorite, healthy treats are and then fill a cooler with the organic versions of those treats! Things like grapes, bananas, string cheese, energy bars, pre-made smoothies, greek yogurt, 100% juices, and more might all seem expensive when you’re buying and packing them, but it’s more expensive (to your wallet and health) to buy junk food along the way!

Parents play too!

3. Create small busy bags or baskets for everyone – Even adults need something to do with their minds and fingers while they travel, but it’s important not to distract the driver. Avoid games and puzzles with lots of little pieces, because as soon as you lose one part, the whole game becomes useless baggage, so don’t bring the whole box of crayons and markers either. Invest in some trivia cards, a magna doodle or etch-a-sketch, a notebook with a zip pouch, a couple of transformers, some yarn and a crochet hook, a few good novels, some new music, a couple of new movies, and read up on road games.

“I packed goody bags for our long trip to Las Vegas a few years ago. It was awesome. I packed the dvd players and they never touched them. This year, we are going to stop and run around the outside of the car, and I told the kids when we get to the LONG desert part of the drive, we are going to roll the windows down periodically and scream out the windows LOL Just to get out the frustrations and be silly! We sing, listen to books on cd (this year will be my kindle), we play guess what I am, car bingo, and what ever else we can think of.” -Melinda Todd, Trailing After God

4. Crazy can be fun - Like Melinda said in our Facebook discussion about healthy traveling, getting a little crazy is a fun way to get out the frustrations of being cooped up in a car too long! Invent your own silly thing to do as a group whenever the car is forced to stop by red lights or construction. Have a human wheelbarrow race  (one person holds someone else’s feet while they “walk” on their hands). Play clapping games to get your upper body going. Make the car “fly” by everybody flapping their arms out the windows…

What are your ideas? What works for you and/or your family to stay occupied and healthy while you travel? How do you pass the miles without going crazy? Listen to me talk about this with Eleni K. of Get Fit Now Radio!

Thank you for reading the Fit2Blog today! What are your thoughts about what you read? Please leave a reply or a question, and be sure you’re taking advantage of our amazing TummySafe™ workouts!