The Power of Two

Never a boring moment with these two, THANK GOD!  They have so much energy, and the best part is they have fun together.  My brother and I are 18 months apart, so I really wanted my kids to be 18 months apart as well.  Thank God that is what happened, it was not easy in the beginning having them so close, but I knew that one day they would be best friends, just like my brother and I who are close to this day.

What is also wonderful, since they have each other, and do not even remember where there was a day without each other, they are both so sweet to baby Matisyahu.  I love to watch how they invent interesting games, and have amazing imaginations.  It's cool to also see Ziona Sofia taking the lead sometimes, but they really like to play together and take turn creating the game.

Yesterday when we got home from synagogue it was so hot, I really felt like I was back in Miami, by the time we walked the 5 blocks home, I was literally dripping.  Baby started crying, kids started getting rambunctious, and I just had to take a minute for myself.  They were trying to calm the baby, and I had to go take a quick shower to get my bearings.  How I survived Miami for 15 years, I honestly do not know.  The funny thing is I do not like being cold, but I am so spoiled now by our LA magic weather, too much heat gets me, even when we get the hot Santa Ana winds from the desert.  Last year in August we went to Miami to visit friends, and it was hard to breathe, its like the humidity gives you a hug.  The only place you can handle it is when you are at the beach, and that is the only thing I miss, I love LA, but there is nothing like the Miami Beaches, warm, therapeutic, sexy, fun, and 24/7.  I took my kids to the beach here a few weeks ago, and they were scared, even to get our feet when, the water was FREEZING.  They have been taking swimming lessons in a pool, but the beach is scary with those waves sucking you in.  We want to visit my brother in law a few hours from here, and there is a lake we could swim in, I hope the kids try things in life without fear.  I think that applies to everything in life, food, events, exercise, etc.  How do you know if you really like it or not if you do not try?  I always say to people who have never done my Yoga, try it once, and then decide.

My husband has a busy day, and later on we are going to a celebration with friends, so now I am just trying to "clean and organize," the never ending task for my personality, and add kids to the mix - OY VEY.

Stay Cool,
Coach Yulia

All Natural

What does that mean anyway?  You hear that phrase everywhere, food, birth, the way someone looks,etc.  The not so funny thing is that it doesn't really mean anything, especially where food is concerned.  It is an easy way to help sell products, its something that is general enough that it is allowed to be put on a label, but what does it really tell you?  Some of the food out there is poison, here are a few examples:

http://www.naturalnews.com/036724_toxic_foods_additives_avoid.html

Where birth is concerned, as far as I understand, all natural means no epidural, but people also think it means vaginal vs. c-section.  People love to ask that question to friends and strangers, just for the record all three of my births were no epidural and vaginal, Thank God, I have a very high pain tolerance, and it all happened int he way that I had hoped it would.  For some people medical intervention is absolutely necessary, everything is there for a reason, but honestly since the beginning of time women have been having babies, and I firmly believe 99.9% of the time the doctor is just there to catch the baby.  Also intervention leads to more intervention, so I recommend staying home as long as possible before going to the hospital.  I am also a realist, so I had a doula for my first two and labored at home as long as possible, but felt comfortable giving birth in the hospital, just in case.  I do not worry in advance, but I know my personality, and if God forbid something needed a doctor's attention,  I didn't want to stress on the drive to the hospital.  I respect every woman to do her research and choose a way to birth that feels best for her.

My performance days :)

Then there is the all natural of how someone looks, what does that mean anyway, especially the phrase, all American girl, when many American girls are getting plastic surgery on their body and face to look like every other all American girl.  The funny thing is when I moved to California, I was surprised how many different nationalities there were, when all you see on TV is beautiful blondes that are surgically enhanced.  I love how in LA there are a million different areas that are their own little world, for instance Koreatown, Little Tokyo, the Russian hood of West Hollywood, Chinatown, and even where I live, the Jewish world of Pico/Robertson, with every nationality of Jew you can imagine.  The best part is in each neighborhood, the ethnic language is spoken, you feel like you are really in that country sometimes, everything from restaurants, to stores, to night clubs.

I have lived in Los Angeles for almost 12 years, and I am married 5 next week, so for 7 years I never heard of this Jewish area where I live now.  I used to pass by a fringe of it when I drove to my Yoga class, which is a few blocks down, and I would see people going to synagogue, and enjoy the feeling it gave me - little did I know it was a preview in to the way my life would become :)




I love either being a simple, no make up yoga gal, or the other extreme of super diva :)
Coach Yulia

Go Go Go - STOP

I found this amazing article in our community magazine about tips for life, and for the Jewish people in my community, some of these will really hit home.  I also love how there are great tips about laundry, grocery shopping, and how to conduct ourselves in life to get the most out of it for us and people we love.

TGIF has a whole new meaning for those observing Shabbat, the Day of Rest.  I am so ready to go, non stop, full on the whole week, but when Friday comes I know Shabbat is around the corner, and my body and mind are so ready to STOP!  Whatever routine you have in your life, make sure you have rest and recreation inserted in there somewhere.

There is a sad story that happened in the gym that I teach, I do not know all the details, but a woman in her 50's who has been working out for over 25 years, religiously coming to every kind of class, went home after a class last week, had a heart attack, and passed away.  I do not know this woman personally, but I keep hearing from all the students and teachers what a shock this was and how sad it is.  I was wondering if she had any pre existing conditions, or how she was nourishing her body.  Even if she was pushing it in a positive way, we need to fuel it with the right nutrients, water, and rest.  What would happen if we didn't put gas in our car? Also what would happen if we would push our car to the limit without preventive maintenace and care?  The body is the same, so it had me wondering, why did her body just give up.  I had a woman in my Pilates class a long time ago have a seizure, she was completely healthy, had no clue why it happened, and when the paramedic checked her out, he told her she was dehydrated!  Seems so simple, but it is easy to do, and it is easy not to do.  We are so busy with the "TO DO's" in our life, that we FORGET to eat, drink, rest - doesn't it seem crazy how we put ourselves last?  We treat our kids, pets, and cars better than we treat our own shell, which we only have one of in this lifetime, and when something hits us, we wonder, where did it come from? Usually, unless genetic, things don't just happen overnight, it is years of neglect, not paying attention, not getting yourself checked out.

TAKE CARE OF YOU, OR WHO ELSE IS GOING TO DO IT?

Even a little extra weight affects your body, having low muscle mass affects your bones, when will we all WAKE UP?

TUNE IN,
FEEL NOW,
LET IT ALL GO (not your body :) just the worries, regrets, what if's)
BE YOU,
Happy Day of Rest,
Happy Weekend
Yulia

No Matter What

Life is changing every day, so many choices, so many options, so many decisions - its up to each person to pave their path.  One of my friends was surprised how I make time for exercise, honestly it gives me energy and makes me feel so good.

Yesterday I was ready to take a nap after my Zumba class, but I came home feeling awake and ready to work.  Zumba was created so that everybody could do a simple dance class with simple moves and have fun to good music, and have a good cardio workout.  Overall I personally like more challenging dance classes, so I really feel like I am dancing.  But there is one area where my body just does not get it, and that is  hip hop, I cannot move sharply, I am more of a belly dancer.  So in Zumba it is fun, since the moves are so simple, I can hip hop pretty good, lol, its all about attitude and working it, right?

So we tried to take my baby to a doctor for a checkup, something was off with the insurance, so he couldn't be seen.  Luckily last night was much better, and he is doing good today, he slept at my Hot Mama Power Walk this morning.  One of the mom's I was walking with was telling me about her "stuff," and its so good to talk to other moms and other women, because it puts everything we are going through in perspective.  Everyone has got "stuff," and all we can do is be honest, deal with it head on, communicate with our family and get assistance when we need it.  The funny thing is that in my happy world where I know everything is going to turn out ok, I sometimes don't deal with stuff, because I know it will pass - then when things get super in tense, I am in a bit of a shock of "what happened?"

Oy Vey, all we can really do is take it day by day - just like getting into #BBB, no not the better business bureau, but Before Baby Body :)  I know its going to happen, it just takes time, probably once I stop nursing, and my cycle comes, everything will get moving a little bit faster.  Although with my older kids I nursed both of them for 10 months, then my milk ran low.  My goal was always a year, just personally it seemed doable, good for the baby, and after a year they would be eating a variety of things already, so I can get back to myself.  We will see what happens with my new baby, I definitely want to do 6 months, and we will go from there.

I love science, whats in your body?  This is where Body Fat vs. Lean Muscle is much more important than how many pounds or kilos you weigh.  Lean muscle takes up much less space in your body and gives you a lean and toned look.  I tell you, my weight has not moved, but I have dropped body fat and inches, and clothes are fitting that haven't fit in a long time.  After looking at this picture, I just want more of that to happen,  I know the weight will eventually follow, because lean muscle burns 14 calories a day, where fat burns only 2 calories per day.  I am setting myself up for SUCCESS!

Who wants to join me?
Coach Yulia
nutritioncoachyulia@gmail.com
323.377.0707

Patience

So I get to my Hot Mama Power Walk yesterday, as it happens, sometimes moms have things come up, so people cancel last minute.  I decide to get my workout in some other way, I really wanted to go to the gym and do Zumba, but until my baby is 6 months, I am unable to take him to the gym with me.  For all of us who live in LA, there really is just no excuse not to be active, there are so many places to take a walk or a hike, or even a free beach workout :) message me if you want more info on that.

Nearby we have the Culver City Stairs, which I have done once a few weeks ago with the baby in my carrier, it was super intense.  Today, felt much more powerful, and full of energy, made it up faster, partly thanks to my Herbal Green Tea Concentrate, that also burns 80 calories per cup!

So my baby fell asleep when I got to my Active Nutrition Club to lead my Power Walk, and he was still asleep when I arrived at the Culver City stairs. I didn't want to wake him up, I sat in my air conditioned car for 45 minutes, checking emails, listening to a variety of music on sirius xm, and waited patiently for him to wake up.  I was not going to miss my workout, and I wanted him to get the sleep he needed, especially since he is a little under the weather.

I feel so blessed to have the time and flexibility to accommodate my baby and myself.  Bless all the parents that have to work all day and have their kids in daycare, or even the stay at home moms, but the dads work all day.  It's not easy to hustle and only depend on yourself, and no steady paycheck.  It's a lot of work, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I met an amazing mom who had her 4 year old in camp and is off for the little bit of summer that is left.  She helped me hold the baby while I put on the carrier.  That was her first time ever at the stairs, then on top I met a couple, she is always there, mainly for her peace of mind, and her other half drove up to see the view and surprise her.  On the way down I met a really happy, friendly guy, I invited all of them to my beach workouts.  I figured, they like the outside, they like our free natural resources, I can hook them up with more of the same.

I love what I do, I love being social, I love the fulfillment of inspiring others, I love making my own schedule, I love that part of my job is to get in the best shape of my life.  Does this sound like you?  I am looking for more leaders to join my team.

Last night took patience to a whole new level, first time every I didn't have a happy baby, he cried most of the night, I even put him in the car and drove around, it worked for a little bit, I am exhausted, but he deserves all of me, all of the time.

Coach Yulia
323.377.0707

Determination

OY VEY - I was going to get my workout in no matter what!  I decided to go to the West Hollywood 24 Hour Fitness, they had a Bodypump class at 6:30pm, I took Eli Tzvi and Ziona Sofia with me.

And then the "FUN" began, at first it was great, got a good parking spot, got the kids inside, but since it was their first time there, I had to fill out a lot of paperwork.  I remembered to ask for a pass for the class to make sure there would be equipment for me, it fills up so fast, if you don't get a pass there is no room.  I noticed it was 6:25pm, and realized I forgot my Driver's License in my car, I needed it to show to the Kids Club before I left the kids.  I get back from the car with my License and the girl tells me Ziona Sofia pooped.  GREAT!  I ran out of my house so fast, I didn't take any diapers for her.  For my baby I always have a bag, but I guess for Ziona Sofia, even though she is still in diapers, I think of her as a big girl already.

I had no diapers, and the girl tells me that there is a CVS down the street, just for the record it was way down the street, so I put my thinking cap on and decided to find a mom with a kid and ask for a diaper, why would I buy a whole pack?  So I am in West Hollywood right, not a lot of kids in that part of town :)  I see a mom walk into the gym with a girl who is obviously potty trained, but decide to ask anyway - no luck - Alas, I see a Trader Joe's, and I figured more than any other place, there had to be a mom with a kid in there.  On my way to the store I see a mom with a kids in a stroller, I tell her I need a diaper, and she tells me her kid is trained already. 

So I get inside the store, I see a lady with two kids in a wagon, she speaks no English, she is obviously their nanny, I explain my situation, and she thinks I am looking for a babysitter, I ask where the mother is, and she gives me a blank stare.  I give up on her and head towards the cashier and see a mom checking out with two little kids, I run up to her and say.  "This is a little crazy, but I am trying to workout, I forgot the diapers for my daughter who pooped, do you have a diaper?"  She was the sweetest thing, she told me she knew exactly what I was going through, and gave me her two last diapers, they were a size 5,  just what my daughter wears.

I jaywalk, running across the street with two diapers, run into the club, of course I have no wipes, luckily there is a bathroom in the kids club, was her tush, put it on, and run towards the class.  I really did not want to miss the squats, and get all excited when I see they just started that workout, the class always starts with a full body warm up first.  I run in, and low and behold, there are no bars left!  This is a free weight class where you need a bar, and you put whatever weight you need for the bar.  I guess someone snuck into the class, cuz I got a pass in advance, so luckily there were free weights, but no room anywhere in the class, so I just stayed where the equipment was, grabbed some free weights, and jumped right into squats with the rest of the class.

The rest of the class was great, for the last part of the workout, someone left early, and I got to use her bar and do the lunges and jump squats, it felt awesome.  Then I look at my phone, my husband calls telling me the baby is crying and I need to get home ASAP.  OY VEY - I grab the kids, we run home, and my poor baby is still congested, so I barely slept last night.

Now getting kids ready for camp, and baby and I headed to the Hot Mama Power Walk, hopefully the fresh air and sunshine will make him feel better :)

If you really want something, you will figure out a way,
but you have to really want it first,
Coach Yulia

March

August

Congestion

When kids get around other kids, they make friends, and sometimes borrow each others colds, sucks!  My daughter had a little sniffle, luckily it went away pretty quick, but since she is always hugging and kissing Matisyahu, now he is super congested.  I was thinking of the word congestion, and when its in your nose, life is just not pleasant.  As well as in traffic, or any other area in your life, and as you know with colds, you have to let them run their course.  However, in your life you can make choices that head you out of the cold :) In traffic it only helps if you know your way around, know alternate routes, or have a GPS in your car.

Thank God with kids, even if they have a cold, they still want to run around, have fun, have energy.  It's amazing what a baby goes through the first couple of years, no adult could handle it.  Growing and changing bones, teeth tearing through the gums, the digestive system constantly getting used to new things.  How about congestion in adult digestive systems - OY VEY - now that is not a pleasant way to live.  I really strive to have a quality of life, health is everything, investing in your health now, will make such a difference in the way you life your life.  Thank God I have the amazing example of my parents, that exercise daily, and watch what they eat, and are able to enjoy their grandchildren and still travel and enjoy each other and their lives after 40 years of marriage.

Just got home from teaching a couple of classes, feel blessed that I could hang with my baby today while he is not feeling so well, but luckily he still has smiles for his mama.  I will work from home today, and go workout later tonight, bring the older kids with me to the kids club.  Thank God I could plan my day around my kids, as much as I feel happily drained, I could not imagine not seeing them all day.

So how do we transform the congestion in our lives? Day by day my friends, its all about facing where you are, accepting and respecting your reality and your circumstances, and realizing nothing is permanent, life is about change and growth, and unfortunately it is in either direction, and its up to us to have it in our favor.  Figuring out what steps to take is also challenging, in all areas of life there are so many options, and so many what ifs.  Even getting opinions does not help, because everyone only talks from personal experience.

I firmly believe that we are all unique, and have to figure out what is right for us, listen to your gut, ask people you love and trust, seek help.  I also believe it is important to try everything, how do you know if something will work or not work unless you try it.

I am being very general because there is not one right answer for anything.  We all have to do the work, we all have to stand firm about what we believe in, and keep striving for excellence in every area of our lives.

I am ready to live a life of excellence, without congestion, are you?
Let's Talk :)
Coach Yulia