Amy FriendJune 2, 2016

This past Saturday I was honored to have three very special guests in my TRX class. D’Ann, Joyce, Janet and I had planned it months ago – when D’Ann comes to town we will do a TRX/spin workout at the ToBeRe… Studio. This was just another FUN physical activity to bring childhood gymnast friends together. It’s part of the tough gymnast mentality that wants the activity to be something new and challenging. Past get-togethers included a Tough Lotus class, the Flagstaff Extreme Adventure course, a visit with Olga Korbut (1972 USSR Olympic gymnast who was the first to do a backward aerial somersault on the balance beam), and most recently, a TRX/spin class followed by a fun time building plank pyramids, truly testing our strength and courage.

My friend, Keith, was in awe that I could have friends from 40+ years ago that are in such incredible shape. He was impressed that we have reconnected and now feed off of each other to live into being our healthiest and happiest self. Granted we have all been on separate journeys that have seen us through ups and downs with maintaining a healthy body and image, but the roots had taken hold and eventually we all found strength and direction from that solid foundation to bring us to where we are today.

We share a bond having grown up as gymnasts on the Desert Devil team. It was a lifestyle of dedicating endless hours every week to the gym and sacrificing what most would call a “normal childhood”. My teammates and coaches were my family away from home. The discipline and hard work required of a gymnast, has allowed me to face fears and overcome obstacles. It’s given me determination and confidence with everything in life. Thankfully, the strong values and enduring friendships are forever a part of me. And I consider myself fortunate to be part of a group like ToBeRe… that incorporates discipline, provides accountability and promotes physical fitness in a supportive and unconditionally loving environment. This makes our ToBeRe… community a perfect fit for me! And, now, I’m grateful to have 2BeRe-U to share this healthy lifestyle with you. Together, we will be our healthiest and happiest self while inspiring others.

D’Ann, also fondly known as my “bookend”, just recently told me that she read one of Keith’s blogs about being grateful and it affected her enough to want to reach out to old coaches and thank them for contributing to the person that she is today. She went on to say that she has thanked her “younger self” for making the sacrifices that have made her into the healthier and physical fit person that she is today. We can all do this. What can you thank your younger self for? How can you live today so that in 20 years you can look back and thank your younger self?

So, what’s next for the “She-Devils” (our Desert Devil Alumni nickname)? I’m not sure, but I do know I better stay in shape and keep training because there is no doubt the challenge will take us to the next level!

All in,

Amy

Keith JonesJune 1, 2016

My view of challenging situations has changed a lot over the years. If it was something I cared about, I used discipline and will power to get me through it. But if I wasn’t interested it, I avoided it. For example, when it came to actively marketing my business and paying taxes on time, I avoided things. And as one would expect, the business didn’t grow much and I incurred penalties.

I’ve never been one to blame others when something challenging happens. There are no victims. With that said, I used to operate for an equally less powerful space. I wished things were different instead of accepting them as they were and working from there. For example, when business was tough years ago, I wished new clients would join our community. However, I didn’t do a lot to make that happen. My mindset and approach regarding challenges changed with one quote. Jim Rohn said, “Don’t wish things were easier, wish you were better.” I apply this to everything that challenges me now.

I’ve done a 180 with my thinking around marketing. I no longer avoid it. I am trying to get better at it. I have the best friends in the world and they are helping me make this one of my business strengths. And regarding taxes, I faced it head on, got current and am now on track for the future. I encourage you to redefine how you see the challenges in your life. “Don’t wish it was easier. Wish you were better.”

Stronger Mindset

Keith

Amy FriendMay 30, 2016

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. While Veteran’s Day celebrates the service of all U.S. military veterans, there can never be too many opportunities to say “Thank You” to all those past and present who have served our country.

In a personal way, I want to pay tribute to a grand uncle who died while serving our country. His name was Carleton H. Hibbard and he was my Nana’s (grandmother’s) youngest brother. He was only 25 when his plane collided at Randolph Field ending his life. Second Lieutenant Hibbard was an instructor at the field.

I did not know this story until just a few days ago. I found an old framed photograph of a young gentleman. Curious as to who it might be I decided to open the frame and see if there was anything written on the back of the photo. While I was upset that the little tab on the old fragile frame broke off, I was surprised to discover a newspaper clipping inside. The date was December 3, 1941 – just 4 days before the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II.

Reading the newspaper article (see my image above) prompted me to reach out to my mother with questions. She proceeded to tell me that she had a cedar trunk that Carleton made and it was given to her by my great Aunt Marion. She also said that she has a bunch of his letters that were sent during his pilot training to his mother. My mom said, “maybe you would like the trunk sometime”. I responded back, “Yes! I love family history and want to hear stories and learn as much as I can.”

Believe it or not, your parents and your grandparents love to tell stories and share history. I would encourage each and every one of you to reach out to your oldest living relatives and talk to them, take notes, or, better yet, videotape a conversation. Do it, before it’s too late. And, today, reach out to someone, family member or friend, who has served in our country’s armed forces and wish them a happy Memorial Day.

In honor,

Amy

Keith JonesMay 27, 2016

Gabe and I met a few years ago when his wife Lora asked me to speak at an event she was hosting at her hair salon, Lora Moon Styling. Lora has a calm, positive energy that makes you say yes to invitations. When I arrived at the event and met Gabe, I was touched by his welcoming aura. Little did I know we would become great friends a few years later. Our friendship has become one where we can be open, vulnerable, imperfect and champions.

Last July, Gabe came to a spin class for the first time. Lora lovingly asked me to invite him as she was concerned about his health and weight. Gabe did very well on the bike for someone who doesn’t work out at that intensity. When class was over, he thanked me and everyone around him for the encouragement and support. And, he said he wanted to come back next week. By the end of the month, he added two 4:30 am classes to his schedule. I was seriously impressed. Not one to pressure people, I gently invited him to a Sunday resistance training session. This is the workout that tests your commitment. Gabe said yes again. He did great. His attitude was “off the charts” good.

After a month of training with Gabe four days a week, I asked him to consider partnering with me to realize some big goals. Gabe wanted to achieve optimal health and be a role model for his family. My aspirations were all about learning what I needed so we could inspire other people to play BIG with their health and life goals. I wanted to share the power and awesomeness of the ToBeRe… and 2BeRe-U communities with the world. Backed by an amazing group of friends and members, I would give Gabe unprecedented support on his journey and he would help me grow into a better person along the way.

Gabe set an incredible goal for himself. Lose 100 pounds. So far he’s lost 70 pounds. (Watch Gabe’s Journey). He committed himself to exercise, nutrition and making the mental shift necessary to accomplish his goal and maintain it. He called it his ThinkFit Journey since the mental game is such a big part of being fit physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

While Gabe was losing weight, he pushed me to grow in many areas of my life. Thanks to him, I’m becoming a better communicator, more compassionate supporter and humble servant. When I’ve become obsessive about all the things we must do to realize our shared goal of inspiring others to take charge of their health and happiness, he’s reminded me to relax and breathe.

Here’s one example of Gabe’s friendship in action. Every Wednesday we carpool to a 4:15 am workout. I usually have a motivational podcast going when he gets in the car. On this particular morning, Gabe tells me how sore he is from the Sunday workout. Without fully listening, I tell him it’s temporary and to push through because the stakes are high – his health and our mission to help others. We go back and forth for 15 minutes. With each passing minute, we get more passionate about the point we are trying to make. Gabe doesn’t want to do walking lunges anymore and I want him to take my advice on how to minimize the soreness. It’s clear neither of us is listening. Then at the end of my riff, Gabe says, “Keith, we will get to the goal. What’s most important to me is our friendship. Everything else is unimportant if we lose that.” In that moment, my friend and teacher brought me back to what matters first and most. Unconditional Friendship. This is just one example of the incredible friendship we’ve formed around health, happiness and service to others.

Gabe and I are the best of friends. And we are unwavering in our support to help each other be our best. Gabe continues to eat healthy daily, makes all his workouts and still does walking lunges. In addition, he creates a space for me where I can share my challenges and failures without fear of judgment. My support of Gabe remains at the highest level. We laugh and cry together. We celebrate each other’s successes. We keep each other track. And we love each other. We have a big mission to make a difference in the world. And with a commitment and friendship like ours, I know we will.

Keith

Amy FriendMay 26, 2016

Knowing my deep passion for nutrition and fitness, people have asked me to write a blog about “the freshman 15”. These requests are coming from friends who will be sending their children off to college this fall. It is with anxious anticipation that they wonder if their children will lose all sense of eating healthy meals and succumb to the temptation of junk food, pizza, vending machines and alcohol. Will they fall victim to “the Freshman 15” and put on weight?

I’m not really sure how the subject came up with those who requested that I write such an article, but they were certain that I had the answers. I said nothing about being a victim myself of this exact problem. It is not something that I have ever talked about with anyone…….. until now. My freshman college year, miles away from home, was probably the worst time of my life. Knowing that it was supposed to be the best time of my life just added to the stress. I let an out-of-control addiction to sugar take hold of my life. I gained weight, my clothes didn’t fit, and I hated the way I looked. I avoided every social situation that arose and this “great” time of my life was passing me by. I felt powerless to do anything about it. My mind was always planning and plotting on how to find any and all kinds of junk food — full of sugar, fat and salt. I was a closet eater. I could not let anyone know. I was always seeking to get change (coins) so that I could visit the vending machines late at night. I would go out at night crossing the campus to find vending machines where no one was around to see me filling my backpack with candy. What made it even worse was that I was at college on a gymnastic scholarship! How could I even hide what was happening to my body? I felt each day would be the last and tomorrow I would be able to take control. That “tomorrow” never came. The stresses of college life took hold of me – late nights cramming for exams, too cold outside to make the trek to the cafeteria, and, what I understand now more than ever, the sugar addiction!

I have researched and written so much on the subject of sugar (see “The Truth about Sugar“), but I have never come out to say that I have truly lived this experience. While it is comforting to know that I was not alone in “the freshman 15” story, it is now my mission to share what I can to prevent others from having to go through what I did.

3 tips for college freshmen:

• Be prepared! Just knowing what can happen with out-of-control eating can help prevent slipping into that trap.
• Do not skip meals and sign up for a meal plan that will ensure that you make it to a cafeteria that has healthy choices.
• Get plenty of sleep and exercise on a regular schedule.

3 tips for parents:

• Send care packages filled with healthy treats.
• Suggest that your child take a nutrition class for an elective.
• And, most importantly, be compassionate and supportive no matter what happens. It’s temporary!

All of that said, sometimes, there is nothing you can do as a parent. Your child has to be the one who has to educate themselves, and they have to be the ones who take pro-active steps to not let themselves fall into that trap.  However, if they do, just be there to offer support and encouragement, and don’t make a big deal of it. I remember not wanting to go home for the holiday break as I couldn’t face my family. How could I even let them look at my face?! It’s a little different now with Facebook, Face time and pictures all over the place. That is a good thing! This keeps you connected with them. And if you notice an unhealthy weight gain, be loving in your words and comments. What they need most is a safe place to open up instead of withdrawing.

As a parent who wants the best for their child, remember this is their time. And it’s also their personal journey with food. Be a great partner to them by following the tips above. Your support, compassion and unconditional love is what will carry them through. And just maybe they will turn into a nutrition guru like myself!

Amy

Keith JonesMay 25, 2016

I came up with a mantra a few years ago that expressed a commitment for how I wanted to live my life. It was, “I don’t do ordinary. I only do extraordinary.” I stayed true to this for a number of years. Then I noticed areas, one by one, slip into the “mediocre” category. My commitment to high integrity, keeping my word and being a leader weakened in key areas. Little by little I allowed myself to be distracted by things that didn’t support my goals. And over the course of just two years, I went from playing a Big game in life to being average. Now, when I share about this, I am not comparing myself to other people or their lives. This is strictly about providing a true assessment of what I am capable of and what I was settling for.

If you’re going to live, live!

Is living in your 40s, 50s and 60s with subpar health okay? Is relying on prescription drugs and alcohol for mood improvement an acceptable replacement for exercise and positive friendships? And is laying on the couch instead of being active really living? For me it’s not. That’s why I work out and eat the way I do. I want to live.

I am in my mid forties. I’ve had some challenges, most of which were the result of poor choices. I own them all and blame no one. I’ve chosen to see all those experiences as opportunities to work on myself. They exposed areas that still required self-mastery. And if I want to make good on the goals and dreams that I had for my life years ago, I’ve got to get to it and keep working until I reach them.

No matter what age you are now, do not accept an ordinary life for yourself. Keep working out. Don’t allow yourself to sleep in on workout days when being fit is a better life. Continue eating healthy. Don’t succumb to a lifestyle of pizza, burgers and beer to rob you of a healthy body and sharp mind when there’s still an athlete inside of you. Reignite your creativity and keep it burning. Don’t permit yourself to say “I’m too old. It’s over for me.”  It is not.

Time is going to pass regardless of the choices you make. How you experience the passage of that time comes down to the choices you make. Will you fade away living an average life when you’re capable of so much more? Or will you choose extraordinary? Commit to the latter. If you’re going to live, live!

Stronger Mindset,

Keith

How does an ugly, ancient orange root become the ultimate food trend? We can add turmeric root to fresh juice recipes, hummus and soups. Adding superfoods to our diet everyday is beneficial. However, figuring out how to add them can be tricky at times.

To keep the benefits of turmeric infused into our diets in a meaningful way (the anti-inflammatory way), we suggest this simple tip from the book How Not To Die by Dr. Michael Greger. He lays out everything we could possibly need to know about living a “preventative” lifestyle and is a huge proponent of turmeric.

One of the most important pieces from this book is freeze your turmeric. Fresh turmeric root is surprisingly easy to find in most produce sections and is a potent form of the superfood. If we aren’t planning to use the root right away, it’s best to keep it frozen.

Our best advice is to freeze it, then grate the fresh orange fluff over almost anything you’re eating, from salads, soups or grain bowls. The flavor of fresh turmeric is much more light, sweet and subtle than its dried counterpart. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, it supports cognitive function, supports cardio-vascular function and promotes youthful skin. I started using it weeks ago and can already see and feel a world of a difference. Keep it frozen and use turmeric root daily. Be Strong!

Love,

Heather

Amy FriendMay 23, 2016

I was really excited to see that the FDA finalized the new Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods to reflect new scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases. In my blog just last week on how to read labels and what to look for https://2bere-u.com/blog/understand-nutritional-facts-food/ I ended by saying “Stay tuned for my upcoming article on the recent developments with the FDA standard on labeling”.  And, here we have it!

In addition to reflecting new scientific information, the new label will have updated serving sizes to demonstrate changes in amounts of food consumed. The serving size will be more realistic to indicate how much people eat at one time. If the consumer is likely to eat the whole package in one sitting, as might be the case with a bag of chips, then dual column labeling is required. At a glance, one will be able to see how many calories they consumed whether they ate a serving or the whole container.  For packages between one and two servings, calories and other nutrients must be declared for the entire package because people typically consume the whole package in one sitting.

The change that I am the most excited about is “Added Sugars”! I have been hearing about this ever since I took my first nutrition class over a year ago. We all know there is natural sugar in food products that contain fruit. This sugar is accounted for on food labels, but it’s really the “Added Sugars” that we need to be aware of.  And, believe me, sugar is added to many items, including those that say “No Fat”. They have to add back in flavor somehow and they do it with sugar. Well, now, that added sugar has to appear on the label. You will see it indented on the next line after “Total Sugars”.  These are the sugars that you want to limit as much as possible. These are the sugars that are giving you cravings for more and contributing to chronic diseases!

Another very interesting update is that “Calories from fat” is no longer permitted. Type of fat is more important than the amount. I had an experience with this just last week. While shopping for the ingredients for a new recipe, I found myself holding two jars – one was almond butter and the other was coconut butter. Having heard so much about the health benefits of coconut I compared the two labels. It didn’t take long to see that 16 of the 18 grams of fat in the coconut butter were saturated fat – BAD FAT! Whereas only 2 grams of the 16 grams of fat in almond butter were saturated (4 grams were polyunsaturated fats and 10 grams were monounsaturated fats – GOOD FATS!). Almond butter was the clear winner!

While the new labeling is great news, it took a long time to get approved. It will take more time to actually see how businesses comply with the new ruling. The final rule gives small businesses, defined as having less than $10 million in annual sales, three years to comply. All others will have two years.

What I hope to see is a renewed interest from the average consumer in wanting to read labels because they are easier to understand. This will be in the best interest of our nation’s health and only help in the fight against obesity and chronic diseases. Don’t wait until the label actually changes to become a label reader. Start today because your health is too important to wait. Then you will appreciate the new changes all the more!

Amy

Keith JonesMay 20, 2016

Raise the ceiling on your life by accepting change. After all, change is inevitable. Accepting it can be freeing and give you great internal power. Whereas resisting change almost always results in a loss of power. When I’ve suffered emotionally, it was almost always due to wishing things were different than they were. The longer I stayed in this space, the greater the worry and pain. My life stood still. But the moment I accepted life as it was, I was given a new starting pointing to launch my new beginning from.

Some of the biggest challenges and growth experiences in my life involved change. This occurred in my home as a teenager, relationships, friendships and my business. If you took a snapshot of my life following my parents divorced and relationship breakups in my 30s, you would think I handled change well. That’s because on the the outside, I continued to do well in school and I didn’t talk negatively about the breakups or the other person. But on the inside, I carried resentment. I was trapped in blame and judgment. I would have continued with this pattern of denial if I hadn’t read inspirational books about embracing change and surrounding myself with a few people who lived this way. Regardless of how life showed up, nothing threw them off their game.

The more I read about change and observed people who seemed to handle it incredibly well, I learned the first key to not only handling change, but thriving with it. The first thing you must do is accept it fully. This means giving up wishing things were different than they are. And you use the past only as a teacher for how you, not others, could have done things differently. Next, embrace change. This starts within where you welcome change with an open heart and see it as an opportunity to grow and do something different for a better result. And third, use change as a launch pad to do something new and awesome.

Nowadays i have a powerful mindset when it comes to change. This has served me well in my friendships and business. All I did was accept change, embrace it and run with it. I encourage you to redefine how you see change. When you do, you become unstoppable. Become a Stronger Total Being member today so you can learn to leverage the change in your life.

Stronger Mindset,

Keith