Author: joanfitandfree@msn.com

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Movement as Medicine

Do you suffer from fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome? Maybe your pain comes from arthritis or joint pain? Or possibly from having a hip, shoulder, or knee replaced. I’ve been working a lot more with these type of clients the past few years with good success. Any of these concerns can limit your quality of life and keep you from participating in things you love. You may have been put on drugs and don’t want that to be for the rest of your life. Today I’m going to share some ideas that may help your quality of life improve dramatically.


Gentle yoga can prevent some arthritis clients from going on drug therapy, or greatly reduce their reliance on them to get through the day. In one study I read recently, fibromyalgia patients saw a 30% improvement after eight weeks of twice-weekly yoga. “Yoga softens tight muscles to reduce tension and pain,” explains Dr. Genevra Liptan, and “deep breathing calms pain signals.”

I am personally working with many clients that have osteoarthritis and had been told drugs were their only option for pain management. It’s so rewarding to see clients I’m working with 1:1, or in a small group setting notice better movement patterns on a daily basis. I focus on opening up all the major joints and stretch the body in a balanced way. My students have reported less pain and have been able to return to golf and tennis. That’s a big deal to me as I see their quality of life improve.


What style of yoga and conditioning you do should be tailored to your concerns and progress should be taken slowly. If I’m working with someone just getting going, it will be very slow and each session will build on the last session based on their feedback. When they’re ready for more they can add in some body weight moves like gentle push ups to see if their body handles the functional strength movements.


If you’d like to do some 1:1 yoga/fitness training with me, get in contact with me. I offer a no obligation consult to see if it’s a good fit as well as the right time. I’ll never try to push anything on you. My reward is when someone is ready to commit, does the work, and then enjoys better quality of life. Results speak for themselves.


Have a great, happy, healthy and intentional day!

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Treat Yourself this Mother’s Day

Another Mother’s Day just passed. Maybe you’re a mother in the midst of child-rearing. Maybe you’re an empty nester at this point. Maybe you never had children. Or you may be one of my male readers. Regardless, my focus today is going to be on learning to treat yourself instead of waiting for someone else to do it. The longer I live the more important that has become. It’s important to become your own best friend.


The picture above was taken in a hotel gym where I led a yoga class for girlfriends that had travelled to California to celebrate a friend’s upcoming marriage. The whole weekend was about celebrating life, friendship and doing fun things. We walked, we did yoga, we ate great food, and did wine sampling. Our last day together was spent on the ocean sailing. It was such a great weekend of self care. I understand that it can be hard to find the time and/or the money to do bigger things like a trip. However, everyone can make some space in their life to do some things that nurture their soul.


I’m going to ask you some questions today to get you thinking about what you might want to add to your life. I encourage you to take 10-15 minutes to journal these 3 questions.

  • What are some of the things you really enjoy doing that make you feel alive and nurtured? This should include both things that cost you money as well as things that are free.
  • What would you like to get rid of in your life so that you would feel more true to yourself?
  • What would you like to add to your daily routine that would make you feel more centered and grounded at this time in your life?

After you have written down you answers, really think about what you wrote. Then ask yourself what could you start doing today? This week or month? Or within the next year?


We have to take some time to reflect if we really want to live a purposeful life that matters to us. I ask myself questions like the above often and I occasionally change things up so that I can reach the goals I set for myself. One thing that I’ve realized how much I love doing is teaching yoga with individuals and small groups. I’ve become more intentional about sharing that and as a result I am getting to teach more yoga.
I’ve seen people learn how to minimize pain in their bodies so that they can do what they love. I just had a client tell me that she thought she might need a hip replacement, but after doing yoga with me for the past few months, she’s feeling much better. That is so rewarding for me.


Another thing I work to make time for is reading. I read inspirational books, yoga and wellness books, and lighter fiction for fun. I’ve joined a few book clubs that have been great.


I encourage you to really think about your life. What do you really need to make time for and what do you need to let go of. Every day is a gift. Choose wisely.


Have a great, happy, healthy and intentional day!


*** Be Still and Know ***

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Yoga for Arthritis

There are many different kinds of arthritis. Today I’m going to talk about how yoga can help if you have osteoarthritis (OA), which is the wear-and-tear kind that can affect the joints in the back, neck, hips, fingers and knees. A healthy joint has a well-lubricated lining of cartilage that allows bones to slide smoothly over each other. With OA, that protective cartilage has been damaged and worn down, allowing bone to rub on bone, which is painful.


Misalignment of bones, dysfunctional movement patterns, lack of body awareness, and poor posture are all factors than can cause wear and tear on the cartilage. Yoga can help you improve your posture and some of your misalignment, creating less pain in your body. Doing yoga can help to create space in the joint, so the bones can move more readily. It may surprise you to know that poor posture can affect many other areas of the body, including knee pain.


A key way yoga can help arthritis is by keeping people moving. I’ve been working 1:1 with a woman that is determined to do everything she can to avoid being put on heavy pain meds to control her arthritis. She has seen very noticeable improvement in her body with a regular yoga practice. Even though people with arthritis tend to avoid using sore joints because of the pain involved, evidence suggests that inactivity weakens muscles and further reduces movements in the joints, creating decreased range of motion. This can create a vicious cycle: pain leads to restricted movement; lack of movement causes the muscles to become weak and tight, leading to further misalignment of the joint surfaces and more pain. Most people who aren’t actively working to maintain flexibility in their muscles and other tissues, and range of motion in their joints, become more restricted in their movements as they age.


You see, movement distributes lubricating synovial fluid, which helps the joint surfaces to glide more easily across each other, reducing wear and tear damage. Joint movement also helps bring nutrients into cartilage, which lacks its own blood supply.
If you are experiencing osteoarthritis, I highly recommend you talk with your doctor to find out if there are reasons you shouldn’t do yoga, as well as movement patterns you need to avoid. Once you’ve been given the go ahead, I think you may find yoga to be something that can greatly improve how you move and enjoy your life.


Personally, I’ve seen doctors, and had a few MRI’s to verify where osteoarthritis resides in my body – one knee, my thumbs, one shoulder and my neck all from a really bad car accident in my early 20’s. Yoga has greatly helped me keep moving and doing almost everything I want to do. I don’t take any pain medication and still do strength training, spinning classes, walking, golf and lots of yoga and stretching to keep my body healthy and active.


I love teaching 1:1 yoga and small group classes, along with my own practice. I love helping people feel and move better in their body. Let me know if you’d like to chat about how it might help you.


(Excerpts from the book, “Yoga as Medicine: The Yogic Prescription for Health and Healing”.)


Have a great, happy, healthy and intentional day!


*** Be Still and Know ***

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Healthy Broccoli Cheese Soup

I love vegetables and have been trying to eat more than I had been. An easy way to do that is to make up a soup that is heavy on vegetables. I had a big bag of Costco broccoli in my freezer that needed to be used so I found a recipe, and then doctored it up a bit for my taste and thought I’d share it with you guys today. It took about 45 minutes total to chop, cook and then puree. I got some other things done while the broccoli was cooking down.

Here are the ingredients you will need:


2-1/2 Tablespoons of Butter

1-1/2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Medium sized onion, chopped

2 Stalks of Celery, chopped

2 cloves of Garlic, chopped

1 Teaspoon of Parsley or Thyme (I used parsley since I had it fresh)

8 cups of Broccoli (fresh or frozen, chopped)

2 cups of Water

4 cups reduced-sodium Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth

1/2 cup of cream or half and half (optional-I used organic cream)

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon of Fresh Ground Pepper

1/4 cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese (feel free to sub out another cheese)

1/5 cup of chopped Munster Cheese (feel free to use whatever you have on hand)

  1. Heat butter and oil in a dutch oven over medium heat until the butter melts. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes. Add garlic and thyme (or parsley); cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
  2. Stir in broccoli. Add water and broth; bring to a lively simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook until very tender, about 8 more minutes.
  3. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids – I put a towel over the top of blender in case I pureed too much at a time.) Stir in the optional cream, cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Have a great, happy, healthy and intentional day!
*** Be Still and Know *

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Intermittent Fasting

You’ve probably heard of “Intermittent Fasting” and might be curious to learn a bit more about it. I thought I’d give a brief overview of this weight loss concept today.
This weight loss plan is based on eating and drinking only within a specific window of time each day. Most plans suggest only eating and drinking within an eight hour period each day. Some do much more restrictive fasting, but this is a way to become more mindful in what you eat, while not being overly restrictive.


One study of 23 obese adults restricted their eating between 10am and 6pm for 12 weeks. They averaged eating about 350 less calories per day, which resulted in weight loss in a relatively easy way.


Intermittent fasting is safe for most people, and can improve health and longevity. Michael Roizen, MD, emeritus chief wellness director at Cleveland Clinic stated, “What we know is that it seems to be beneficial for biomarkers of aging and even for extending the life of our bodies repair systems.” If you’re diabetic or on medications it’s best to clear this diet with your medical professional.


It is believed that you will lose more weight if you make your eating window earlier in the day. The study showed that by eating most of your calories by 2pm, you would lose more weight. During the 16 hours that you don’t eat, be sure to only consume water, coffee or tea. Your body will be burning fat during this time and you want to give it a chance to do that work without interruption.


During your eating time, it’s ideal to try to plan your meals with about 50% healthy fats (like olive oil, raw nuts, or avocados). About 30% of your intake should come from healthy carbs (from veggies and some whole grains). About 20% of your intake should come from lean protein (from chicken, eggs, salmon, and other lean, nutrient dense foods). Try to avoid sugar, processed carbs, and foods high in saturated fats. Think about how you can best fuel your body for optimal energy during the 8 hour time period. And of course, drink lots of water.


So, this is a very brief introduction to intermittent fasting for weight loss. Let me know if you’ve tried it and had results.


Have a great, happy, healthy and intentional day!


*** Be Still and Know ***

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Greater Gut Health

So many people suffer from digestive problems. They may have been put on super restrictive diets that were hard to follow. Like most people, I have experienced different gut issues. Today I want to share some ideas of foods you can eat to help you build up the healthy gut bacteria and reduce the overabundance of bad gut bacteria that sets a person up for trouble.


Prebiotics and probiotics contain the healthy bacteria that help your intestinal tract remain clean and keep your immune system functioning better. You can go into a whole lot of detail with nutrition science on this topic, but I want to keep it simple and offer ideas of foods you can choose to eat daily to help your gut get healthier. Remember, it’s always advisable to eat a variety of foods and colors of fruits and vegetables.


The goal is to first heal the lining and then to repopulate the intestines with beneficial bacteria. A great food to heal the lining is collagen-rich bone broth. You can make your own at home or buy it pre-made, or even get it as a protein powder you can easily mix into a smoothie. If I buy broth in the store, I look for the low sodium packages. Then you can add in foods that are high in fiber, like cruciferous vegetables, which are very helpful. I try to eat a serving of broccoli, cauliflower, or cabbage several times a week. Along with that, it’s good to add fermented foods to feed the healthy bacteria in your gut.


So, here’s a quick list of things to remember. Eat more plant based meals (I’m not pushing vegetarianism but it’s helpful not to eat meat 3x per day), choose clean whole foods in season, minimize sugars in your diet, along with refined, processed and hydrogenated oils. Include fiber and high quality proteins and fats. Many people would feel better in their gut if they ate gluten-free. Many also have problems with dairy.


Fermented foods are a great addition to your daily diet to help keep your gut operating smoothly. I try to get at least one serving a day of a fermented food. Always look for the low sugar options within fermented foods, like the plain version of Greek yogurt or kefir. I mix those into smoothies. I often drink a glass of lower sugar kombucha at lunchtime, along with my salad, that may have 1/4 cup of raw Bubbies-brand sauerkraut or their pickles. It can be easy to incorporate these into your daily diet.


Let me know if you have any questions on this topic. I encourage you to try adding in fermented foods in your daily diet and see how it makes you feel.


Have a great, happy, healthy and intentional day!


*** Be Still and Know ***

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Tips to Boost your Metabolism

In my last blog post, I talked about detoxing. Today I’m going to continue with some ideas for you to just start taking steps that will increase your health. You can apply this as a 4 Day Jumpstart, or you could work to apply one concept per week and build on that.

Day 1 or Week 1:

Get rid of all extra sugar. I’m talking about things like cookies, cereal, ketchup, flavored yogurts, along with sugary drinks like soda, juice and alcohol.

Walk 10 minutes after every meal, or most meals to get you started exercising.

Day 2 or Week 2:

Continue without added sugars.

Keep walking 10 minutes after meals

Double up on your fruits and vegetables (swap starches like rice or pasta for another vegetable or piece of fruit

Amp up flavor in your foods with spices and herbs

Day 3 or Week 3:

Still no extra sugar
Keep walking 10 minutes after meals

Keep eating more fruits and vegetables

Try more herbs and spices

Drink your meals for one day this week with healthy choices – like a protein based smoothie for breakfast, a bone broth based vegetable soup for lunch, and a salad and hearty soup or stew for dinner

Day 4 or Week 4:

Still no extra sugar

Keep walking 10 minutes after meals

Keep eating more fruits and veggies

Keep experimenting with herbs and spices

Try a meat free dinner. I’ve done Meat-Free Mondays in the past where I’d make a split pea or veggie based soup. While protein is important, meatless now and again is easier on your digestion. This can also help you learn to eat appropriate portions of meat at meals as most over consume all food.

The goal is learning to change little by little, which makes a healthy lifestyle much more likely to become a habit.

Let me know if you try this and how it went.

Have a great, happy, healthy and intentional day!

*** Be Still and Know **

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To Detox or Not to Detox

You have probably all wondered at one time or another if you should do a detox. While a detox can be helpful to get you back on track it is not the end all that will fix an unhealthy lifestyle. Here are a few myths you may have heard:

  1. A fast or restrictive diet will jumpstart your weight loss – While you may lose weight, it is probably not weight that will stay off once you resume normal eating. The weight loss will mainly be water weight and not result in fat loss. It also has the potential to mess with your metabolism. If you are seriously considering a detox, I’d suggest you work with a nutritionist that can help you do it safely.
  2. Fruit and veggie juices are all nutritious – When you juice, you typically get rid of the fiber and many nutrients. Most people juice too much fruit and very little green veggies that can be much healthier. It’s better to eat your fruit and vegetables with the fiber intact.
  3. Detox diets are a miracle cure – You may have heard claims that a certain detox can eliminate chronic pain, erase an autoimmune disorder, or cause your high blood pressure to come back to normal. Trendy detox diets can be dangerous and leave you with less benefits and more problems. Work with a professional if undertaking this.

What might be a better approach?


Your body absorbs toxins from things like pollution, pesticides, and food additives. Your body is designed to heal itself when taken care of. Your kidneys and liver filter what you take in and get rid of waste when you use the restroom. Whatever you eat or drink goes through your body’s own personal cleansing system, which is designed to get rid of unnecessary stuff so you can flush it away naturally.


However, there are things you can do to increase your body’s natural detoxing plans. You can use more natural cleaning products in your home. I like Young Living’s Thieves products . Click here for more information. Eat more organic foods, and pay attention to all the personal care products you use.


Long term lifestyle changes may include eating less non organic meat, avoiding sugar and artificial sweeteners, plus eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Drink more filtered water, herbal tea or eat water rich foods like melons and cucumber, which will also help you flush out your system. Yoga and other forms of exercise have the added benefit of reducing stress, which is hard on your health. For more information on working with me on Yoga, Click Here. I love sharing yoga and other forms of exercise with people in both 1:1 format and small groups.


I’m here to support you in your journey into greater health and quality of life. Let me know if I can help.


Make today a healthy day!


*** Be Still and Know **

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Opening the Heart with Yoga

Your heart is the place where body, mind and spirit converge. When you practice yoga, you release tension, and the tension isn’t always in the body. It can also be in the heart, in the mind, or in feeling states. William Harvey, the founder of modern heart physiology understood that the mind and emotions affect the health of the heart. “Every affection of the mind is attendant with either pain or pleasure, hope or fear,” he said, “is the cause of agitation whose influence extends to the heart.”

In Dean Ornish’s program for reversing heart disease he states, “the health of the cardiovascular system involves all aspects of the human being – physical, emotional and spiritual.” Dr. Ornish’s “prescription” which includes yoga postures and meditation, won the backing of modern medicine in the 1990’s and full coverage was granted for those who needed it and had Mutual of Omaha insurance. His program included a vegetarian diet, yoga-based stress management techniques, including stretching, meditation, breathing, and deep-relaxation techniques, smoking cessation, communication skills and directions for safe and moderate exercise. His program was also endorsed by the American Heart Association. The “heart” of the program includes spending an hour a day practicing stretching and breathing exercises, deep relaxation and meditation.

Posture also affects heart health. Notice how you are sitting as you read this. Don’t change anything. Take a few breaths. Notice the quality of breath and then sit up nice and straight and breath again. Most people are slumped over much of the day. This produces shallow breathing where you don’t completely fill your lungs. That can prevent the “chest pump” from helping to return blood to the heart. This can cause many issues including reducing the circulatory cleansing of all our tissues, and minimize the transportation of vital nourishment to the cells and the circulation of important hormones that regulate the body’s processes. One of yoga’s most immediate effects is a dramatic improvement in your posture. More vigorous poses like downward and upward facing dog stretch all the muscles of the front of the body, expand the chest and increase breathing capacity, as well as strengthen the back, chest and shoulder muscles.

Here’s a breathing exercise you can practice that will naturally deepen your daily breathing, increase calmness in your body and help you feel more relaxed.

1. Inhale slowly, gently, without strain, through your nose.

2. Exhale slowly, gently, without strain, through your nose.Pause briefly without straining or attempting to hold your breath.

3. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3. Continue breathing in this calm, simple way for several minutes. Notice how much calmer you feel. Practice this often and you will notice your normal breathing also deepens.

I hope you take this message “to heart” and then be aware of the changes you start to notice in your body.

If you’d like help getting started with yoga, be sure to connect with me for a 1:1 session. It could change your future health.

Have a wonderful, heart-healthy day!


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Honor your Body in 2020

It seems every article you read at the beginning of a new year is about Resolutions, which makes most people feel like they fall short. I prefer to think of setting new intentions that nurture and care for my body and soul. It involves growth in all areas of life, but you get to decide what growth means to you. Let go of comparison and self judgement. And start by honoring your body. When you honor your body you honor your soul.


Most of my clients are striving to be their best. They want to grow and push themselves, sometimes, much too hard. Your body needs time to catch up. Many times when our bodies get sick or have an injury it can be a wake up call to take better care of ourselves. Be kind to yourself and give your body and mind what it needs.

I’ve had many overuse injuries over the years by working in fitness. Yoga has helped me learn to listen to my body, and in the process I learn what my soul needs. We have to slow down and realize that our body is our ally and it needs to be cared for. Unlike a car, we only get one body in a lifetime. Many people treat their cars better than they do their own body. Tune into your body. Listen. Are you feeling stiff? Is there pain? On days when your body isn’t feeling well, ask yourself how you can better nourish it. Maybe it’s eating more vegetables and fruits and giving your body a break from heavier foods. Maybe it’s going for a walk and doing some yoga instead of a hard core HIIT class. Your body will give you signals of what it needs, and when it needs it.

Just as we need to detox our bodies with healing foods, we also need to detox our minds by letting go of negative self talk. There is a time for growth and a time for rest. There is a season for pushing ourselves and a season to nurture ourselves. Be careful what you read and watch on TV. Is it nurturing your soul and helping you be your best?

When you take time to honor the needs of your body, you are taking the time to respect the needs of your soul.

My intentions in 2020 are to enter with awareness. I will take action on what I want more of in my life. I will let go of what no longer serves me, and I will show compassion to myself in the same way I’d offer it to someone else.

Yoga is a huge part of my self care. I love doing it on my own, teaching it to others in classes and in working with people 1:1.

Let me know if you’d like help getting started with your yoga journey.

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