This month we are keeping it simple: I'm teaching a few great stretches that everyone needs. Do them, hold them at minimum a minute (which is no time at all once you're already down on the floor), and then you can switch from the floor to the couch, or wherever you spend your evening at home. For me, it's usually a quick series on the floor, followed by a migration to the sink to wash dishes or possibly then I'll go the bedroom to match clothes on the floor with hangers. I know. Don't judge. I work 7 days a week.

This week's stretch is everyone's least favorite yoga pose on the the floor: the uuggghhh Pigeon :) I took a super un-exciting pic of myself in the pose for a demo. This was done on a friday night before bed in my kitchen, just to demonstrate that it doesn't need to be glamorous or well timed. Whenever just counts.

I've found while I teach my classes that the consensus towards hip opening stretches is a feeling of miserable joy. Let me justify the discomfort we all feel in relation to these dominately negatively perceived moves. The majority of us spend our days in a seated position regardless of what we do. If we are well disciplined about staying in shape, we might get off work and go to the gym for a run on the treadmill, or a session on the bike. When you picture the movement pattern of your legs in that day, it's not particularly impressive. For hours of the day your hips stay in that flexed position while you sit, and then you might go the gym to move them more aggressively in the same direction.

Bam bizang!! Getting into that pigeon pose lets your hips discover an alternate situation from their daily mega- repetitive experience. As a side note, let me state the obvious, which is that normally anything which feels less than pleasurable is most commonly good for you.

Last week I hit up another 10 days of the Master Cleanse, per my planned bi-annual "get it together Jasmine" routine. No matter how intensely I attempt to eat healthy and keep a well rounded and perfectly supplemented diet, there tends to be enough slip ups where I strongly crave a restart. Doing a cleanse is a great way to mentally and physically ground your attitude towards food and your eating habits. For example, I get into this habit where I don't like going to bed hungry, so I snack right before sleeping. Whatever I'm eating before bed is probably just being stored as fat while I sleep, and having to digest as I sleep is keeping me from enjoying a true deep REM cycle.

I pride myself on being a realistic fitness professional, so for that reason I'm not expecting the average follower to commit to the Master Cleanse and ingest only fancy lemonade for 10 days. It is just not happening for most people. So I've formatted my own little "Spring Cleanse" that is completely reasonable for everyone.

The "Spring Cleanse" is a chance to give your body a break from all the foods that slow you down. We're going gluten-free, dairy-free, and meat-free (except for the egg and fish which I think still have a place). The most important part of this cleanse: you can eat as many and as much raw fruits and vegetables as you want!! A cleanse is not a diet, therefore you should never go hungry. Here is the basic meal plan, however you will add as much raw (so baby carrots, apples, sliced cucumber, peppers, grapes, oranges, bananas, etc...) as you need to stay satisfied.

MEAL PLAN:

(Keep in mind you can have as many raw fruits and vegetables as you want throughout the day. I have included things that you can add if you choose at each meal)

BREAKFAST: 2 eggs (hard boiled, scrambled, whites, whatevs!)

SNACK: 1/2 cup nuts or a RAW bar. (nuts should be raw with no salt or lightly salted)

LUNCH: Fish and a green vegetable (TIP: Fish is hard to acquire at lunchtime in some locations, so this meal involves a little prep work. Bake a salmon or tuna fillet the night before OR make a tuna salad with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. I will also sprinkle my tuna salad with smoked paprika or cayenne for a pep. They also make premium albacore tuna in water in a pouch, that I eat straight from the bag.)

SNACK: 1/2 cup nuts and a vegetable juice.

DINNER: BIG SALAD (Not having any meat with dinner will help things move through your system overnight)

Extras: lots of herbal teas, no coffee (green tea instead), 70-80 oz of water per day AND recommended the Yogi "Get Regular" Tea at night to keep things moving along.

This can be done only for a day, or 3 or go crazy and do 7. The secret to success is strength in numbers. Convince a friend and do it together!!

No one can claim not to know how incredibly important fitness and exercise are to your health. The list of benefits and rewards of a regular exercise routine is endless: cardiovascular health, a trim waistline, better moods and mental health, increased flexibility, lower risk of injury, and on and on and on. We get it, exercise tops the "to do" list.

Today's blog is presented by a guest blogger, David Haas, with the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance, and presents a deeper and even more exciting benefit of exercise: a tool in the fight against cancer!!!! Read on, and be inspired to know that having fitness in your life means you have a lifelong tool in the quest for health and happiness :)




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"Fitness is extremely important to your health"
by David Haas
Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance

When a person is diagnosed with cancer, whether it is a form of mesothelioma cancer or any other form of cancer, they are given options. They can choose to have chemotherapy and/or radiation to help cure their cancer. Many people choose to take this option because they want to live a long, healthy life and this is their best option to make that happen. Despite the fact that cancer treatment is an excellent way to get rid of cancer, there are plenty of side effects that make it difficult to endure. Fatigue, depression, nausea and frequent vomiting are just a few of those side effects.

For cancer patients, there is an excellent way to alleviate these side effects and make the experience of going through cancer treatments much easier and much less painful. In fact, some people can even clear up these symptoms all together and go about their daily lives in a way that feels as if though they are not living with cancer and fighting a battle with their own bodies on a daily basis. This great cure is called exercise; while exercise will not cure a person’s cancer, it will make a significant difference in the way a person feels as they fight their cancer.

The benefits of exercising with cancer are just astounding. People with cancer will alleviate and minimize their treatment side effects. By exercising, the body releases hormones and endorphins that promote health and well being; these hormones will help to reduce feelings of depression and sadness caused by a cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatments. Those who are not feeling depressed throughout their fight with cancer will have an easier time accepting their treatments. Additionally, exercise helps promote energy, which has cancer patients feeling far less tired and fatigued. It also promotes health, which means cancer patients will not feel as nauseous as they did without exercise and vomiting bouts will be significantly reduced.

Doctors recommend that cancer patients get at least 150 minutes per week of exercise. In the past, they asked that their cancer patients rest and relax, but studies have proven them wrong. The best way to help fight cancer is through exercise combined with effective treatments. Exercise not only alleviates and reduces side effects of cancer treatments; it also promotes a better quality of life, which is one of the most important aspects of fighting cancer. There is no reason why a cancer patient should avoid exercise.

It’s true that not everyone loves to exercise. The idea of getting up early and going to the gym is frightening for some, but the good news is that cancer patients don’t have to do this. In fact, they can improve their mood even more by doing something they consider fun as exercise. Cancer patients can join a yoga class, take a Zumba dance class, take ballroom dancing lessons or salsa dancing lessons, they can join a sports team, take a walk, go swimming or even walk on the treadmill while they watch their favorite movies and television shows.


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Mesothelioma, although rare, is an aggressive form of cancer affecting the mesothelium, which is the thin layer of cells lining the body's internal organs. Most commonly it is caused by asbestos exposure, and inhalation of asbestos particles. The Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance was formed to support the victims and their families of this form of cancer. They have a very informational website at www.mesothelioma.com.

After a VERY high energy class this week, I found the motivation for the next blog. What can we do to fight fatigue and command more energy into the daily grind? Our take home with the intense high-energy boxing class this week was my top five tips for daily energy. No matter how much sleep we get, or the weight of our workload, having enough energy is a constant battle. Here are my easy to follow ideas:

1. Take a Power Nap.

A true "power nap" only takes minimal time from your day. Sit back in your seat, close your eyes, and just let yourself relax for 5-10 minutes. You can do this on trains, buses, office chairs, park benches, and even in the unconventional bathroom stall. You can even incorporate it into your lunch break at work. Set a timer so you don't focus on the time. The key is that you don't become super comfortable so you completely fall asleep, hence resting sitting upright in a chair.



2. Eat smaller more frequent meals every 2-3 hours.

I realize that eating every few hours is on my list for most of my health tips, yet it's appropriate again in relation to energy (surprise surprise). Eating often helps keep your energy levels even throughout the day. I’m sure you've had the experience where you eat a huge lunch, and afterwards notice a huge decrease in your productivity. What happened is that you put a huge amount of food in your stomach so that your body had to divert all it's energy to digestion, and took away from other important functions such as your brain (and work).


3. Keep your body hydrated. (me "hydrating" from a stream of melted glacial water in Argentina)

Water is needed to maintain a healthy body, a clear mind, and a good balance within your tissues. About 60% of your body is water, and to function efficiently, you must stay hydrated. Sometimes when you have a lack of water in your body, you receive confusing signals. Instead of feeling dehydrated, you might think you feel hungry or tired. A lack of water makes normal processes more difficult than normal, and the complicated signals are hard to read. We know that drinking water is a necessity, so by meeting your water intake you automatically remove a variable for why you are tired.





4. Go to the doctor.

The list of physical ailments that can effect your energy is unfortunately long and unexpected. It helps to know that you just need a cup of coffee for a pick me up, and not an iron supplement or a gluten-free diet, Knowledge is power. Go to the doctor and have a physical including a full blood test so you can be sure that afternoon fatigue is because you've been missing your weekly bootcamp workouts, and not because you need more spinach in your diet.

A few fatigue culprits:

Anemia
Blood sugar
Allergies
Deficiencies
Thyroid disease

5. Exercise.

Daily exercise encourages a healthy metabolism, which helps increase and balance energy. A great side effect of exercise is that we sweat, and sweating is a wonderful way to help your body detox. We attack our bodies with a large assortment of toxins daily, and when we exercise and sweat it gives our bodies a chance to expel those nasties.

The last "Love your Body" post this month will be...

LOVE YOUR STOMACH!!!

Last but not least, because when you don't love your belly, there is much discomfort and unhappiness ahead!!! Your digestive system is very important because it transforms the food you eat into the energy you need to live.



Digestion starts with your first bite. In your mouth, your teeth and saliva begin to break down food so that it can be swallowed. From the mouth, food passes through the throat and esophagus into the stomach. The stomach is a sac which acts as the mixer and grinder for food, resulting in a paste or liquid consistency when it leaves. After the stomach, food passes to the small intestine, large intestine (colon) and the rectum, before passing through the anus.

MY TOP TIPS TO KEEP YOUR STOMACH HAPPY ARE...

1. Manage stress.

Stress disrupts digestion meaning you digest slower (weight gain) or faster (diarrhea, nutritional deficit). Stress causes ulcers and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. One solution is to avoid eating when you're feeling very anxious, stressed or unhappy. It also helps your digestion if you avoid arguing at the dinner table!

2. Eat properly.

Don’t rush your food. Take the time to eat slow. Try putting your fork down between bites and chew each mouthful well. Don’t overeat. Reduce the size of your portions at mealtimes, or try eating four to five small meals instead of three large ones. Eat regularly and try not to skip meals. Avoid eating a big meal just before you go to bed. Eat your last meal at least two to three hours before lying down. Make sure you have plenty to drink which helps food work through.







3. Daily probiotics

Probiotics are defined as "live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host." (Microorganisms are tiny living organisms --such as bacteria and viruses)

Probiotics balance bacteria in the gut which is disrupted by antibiotics, lactose intolerance, disease causing yeast and bacteria, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and even tooth decay.

Probiotics are found in yogurt, or daily individual shots. I drink a product called "Good Belly" that comes as a juice loaded with healthy bacteria.


To end, it goes without saying (but you can count on me to say it), your stomach is happiest when you load it with healthy, good quality meals. Eating fatty, highly processed, animal heavy, sugar coated, chemical soaked, acidic, unnatural "foods" isn't going to leave ANY part of your body smiling!!

In the theme of "Loving your Body" for the month of February, I wanted to talk about my top ways to love your brain. Without proper maintainence, the brain begins to deteriorate as we age. Alzheimers and dimentia are right now two of the most talked about diseases, probably because they are on a rise in older adults. The brain is the motherboard of the entire nervous system, directing not only the spinal cord and motor functions that we control, but the autonomic system controlling movements such as heartbeat and other regulatory actions. We need to be reminded of the importance of this organ. The brain needs to be fed and exercised too!!

Here are four of my easy to follow tips:

1. Eat brightly colored fruits and vegetables.

Aim for 8-10 servings (1/2 cup equals one serving) of vibrant colors from your fruits and veggies per day. Orange sweet potatoes, purple berries, even those red kidney beans are high in antioxidants which support healthy brain function.

2. Fight inflammation.

Inflammation of the brain is very common, and is a side effect of your body fighting sickness, infection or disease. High levels of mercury and lead, emotional stress, lack of exercise, excess sugar and animal fats are all prime triggers of brain inflammation. We all know these factors have either negative (mercury and lead, white sugars and animal fat ingestion from water and food sources) or positive (healthy benefits of exercise and stress reduction) effects on the body, and their impact to the brain is another motivation to control them.

3. Use your head.

Stimulate your brain by using it!! Solve crosswords and other puzzles, try to write using more complex sentence structure, and surround yourself with people and activites that are intellectually stimulating,

4. Clean house.

Environmental toxins are very difficult to avoid, however you have the control in your own home more than anywhere. Toxins such as mercury, lead, herbicides, and pesticides are found in our food, water, cleaning chemicals and toiletries. Try buying green products, organic foods and filter your water. Try keeping your fiber intake high, your colon is prime realty for toxins to fester in your body. I highly recommend the master cleanse for detoxifying, if any of you decide to get ambitious I would love to provide support.

Yesterday was Valentines day, which is the holiday invented by Walmart in 1906 to sell as many stuffed, chocolate covered, red tinted plastic products as possible in the name of love. My boyfriend cooked me a tuna steak at home, while dressed as cupid in a rubber diaper and wings, and I wondered to myself, "Why didn't Walmart push for this to be a quarterly holiday?" In the theme of love, let me present my after-valentines day ways to love your heart. My top 5 heart-healthy tips:

1. Don't smoke. This is the obvious tip, we all hear it all time, and I'm sure we are aware of the effects of smoking on the body. However, it is by far the easist way to keep your heart healthy, and also the quickest way to hurt it. When you quit smoking, within one year, your risk of heart disease is cut in half.

2. Engage in 30 min of exercise on most days. At the minimum, aim for 30 min of exercise at least 4 days a week. I would like to see everyone pushing for 60 minutes, 6 days a week. It seems harder than it is. If you can't get in 30 consecutive minutes, do 10 minute activities, 3x in a day. So... household chores, running after the kids, walking the dog, taking the stairs, etc. can easily add up to 30 minutes in a day.

3. Keep a heart healthy diet, low in fat, cholesterol and salt. An easy way to control the quality of your diet, is to stick to whole grains and fresh foods. Avoid processed foods and even more specifically PACKAGED foods. These are going to contain high levels of sodium and those scary trans fats. Here's a good plan of attack when your foods do come with wrappers: obsess over labels!!! BUT ignore the calorie content. Go farther down and check for trans fats, saturated fats and sodium. All these numbers should be low or non-existent.

4. Maintain a healthy weight. The more your body is shaped like an apple (lots of fat around the middle), the more stress you put to your heart and other vital organs. Some of us are "lucky" and our junk goes straight to the trunk, however others of us (specifically men) are quick to lose their waistlines. Good rule of thumb, (although not every body fits the norm) for women, a waist with a circumference greater than 35 inches and 40 inches for men, is crossing into the danger zone.

5. Regular health screenings A lot of what is happening internally to the body does not always manifest itself externally. Be sure to have your blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes screenings done regularly. Even if you are thin as a rail!!

Love you body, love your self and start by loving your heart!!!!

Today's blog is featuring a fantastic new initiative here in NYC, that I am delighted to be a part of. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation and the Dept of Health have joined forces to introduce, BeFitNYC, which provides free and low-cost fitness to all five boroughs of NYC.

I have blogged before about my feelings towards fitness trends (check back to my "Fitness Trends" blog!). They come and go, they are specific to different groups and classes, and they are often unrealistic, which has a direct relation to their lack of longevity. My company, Urban Escape Fitness, is built on the idea of living the "lifestyle" as opposed to wacky dieting and unfunctional exercise trends.

BeFitNYC is providing us an opportunity to join different activities in our neighborhoods for free, with fellow New Yorkers. By surrounding ourselves with locals who are involved in the same interests, we can create a familiar network of support to help on that daily fight for a fit lifestyle. Not to mention that the chances of regularly being a part of workouts that are no cost and nearby are much higher. Notice some shots from a recent event held in in Washington Square park. All ages, shapes and sizes are a part of this initiative, and our hope is to spread the word to even more. This month, I am holding a free class outside in Washington Square, hoping to bring some new faces to the movement, and teach some of my methods for equipment free, bodyweight training to help with the idea of working out "anytime, anywhere" in the city.

"Bodyweight Bootcamp" will be held on September 24th, in Washington Square, starting at 10am. The class includes core, cardio intervals, bodyweight strength training and yoga. After class, I'll spend some time sharing my favorite fitness tips, and also a little Q&A. Helping me lead class is my good friend and awesome fitness blogger Lauren, check out her blog "Gympressions", for more great reading. Go to the BeFit facebook app, to sign up for our class on Sep 24th, and also view other classes available for everyone to attend. I encourage everyone to go for the double whammy, after attending my class on Saturday, head out for the "Largest NYC Zumba Party ever" which will take place Sunday, September 25 at 1:30 pm at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark, home of the Staten Island Yankees, Staten Island. My last, but most important piece of information about that day: its my 28th birthday Saturday, my present to all of you is to host this class, and your present to me is to come and have a blast!!!!!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the Solstice in Times Square. Picture this: 630am on a Tuesday morning, taking the train to Times Square (the one place in NY that non-tourists avoid in the same way as Papaya Dog and the financial district at night) for a much hyped yoga class. I'm not going to lie, part of my motivation in attending was the promised yoga mat and gift bag for the first group of 1000 people, which I was sure I would make it into easily. Then I arrive, and somehow there is already a sprawling and bustling group of laughing, chatting and energetic people, dressed in their yoga apparel finest. After a pause of surprise, my next emotion was excitement, before beginning my walk for multiple blocks in search for the end of the line.



We can all admit that throwing a huge yoga class in Times Square, among all the lights, traffic and people is a pretty cool idea, that needs no further justification. But the Solstice is more than an exciting "Mind over Madness" yoga class. The Solstice has held its place as an important time in the human calendar across hundreds of cultures and thousands of years. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, and the turning point for longer days rather than shorter, also known as New Years Eve. Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, and the longest day of the year. On this day we are the closest to the sun, and at the peak of our creative energy. The two solstices are at complete opposition with each other, much as the idea of an indulgent night of celebration perfectly opposes an early am of empowering yoga!!









































A huge part of the Urban Escape Fitness theory is finding ways to do things in your daily life to have an "escape" from the hustle and the grind, especially those of us in NYC, where our daily stressors are somewhat magnified. The Solstice celebration yesterday meant a lot to me, because it felt like a large family of people who are trying to do just that, find an escape in the heart of all the madness. I almost missed the cutoff of the first thousand, and my free gift bag was at risk, but it made me feel great that there are so many of us out there trying to live the lifestyle. We are all out there fighting the battle, trying to keep our quality of life high, sculpting our bodies strong and forming a healthy mind. Good for you NYC, I'm proud to call this city home.

Hello summer. Along with this amazing weather, I've developed an equally amazing workout. My thought process was to take movements and exercises we've been doing all winter, and spruce them up for training outside. My demo photographs were shot at the Tompkin's Square playground, or what some call the prison yard. If you can't make it outside to the playground, there are alternate ways to perform each exercise. Email me for customized suggestions for alternate locations.

Exercise 1 Elevated Reverse Plank

Start w feet propped up, lock the core, then lift off the ground by extending hips, ending in a straight line from shoulders to feet.



Exercise 2 Single Arm Plank Knee to Elbow

Set up in a full plank position, then transition to a one-arm hold. Pull the opposite knee up towards the holding elbow.



Exercise 3 Single Leg Mountain-Climbers

Starting point:



From starting position, hop forward towards hands, then return to start.



Exercise 4 Cobra Plank

Start from a normal straight-arm plank position. Bend arms while keeping elbows in tight next to the body and hold. Be sure to hold the plank with the same integrity you would in the normal straight arm style.



Exercise 5 Bodyweight row w/ leg raise

Start hanging, then pull body up towards bar. While holding body up, lift leg while maintaining a straight core position, then lower. Repeat lift and raise opposite leg.

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(**NOTE: Without a focus on core, this bodyweight row has no more excitement than a normal row. Lock straight before your row and leg lift, then keep it tight until you get back to the bottom!!)

It was no mistake that I only supplied the exercises and left off the reps, rest and frequency for this workout. Depending on factors such as goals and fitness level I am going to recommend differently. Send me an email or a comment and I'll hook up all the necessary info.

The thought started while looking at a flyer for an new healthy Asian fast food restaurant. Listed as the restaurant's desirable features were "organic" and "vegan options". But also listed was MSG. In my head rings "oooooh noooo" and "thank goodness they don't use that!". But my very NEXT question was "why"? We are always aware of additives to avoid (or add), but do we also understand why?

So let's start with the infamous MSG. What is it and why don't we want to ingest it? Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) was initially used as a food additive in Asian sauces. In 1907 they decided to manufacture MSG in an isolated form, then introduced it in the US in 1947. The big concern is that MSG has caused brain damage in mice, but the more relatable concern is that MSG downplays our appetite suppression. This causes you to feel hungrier and eat in excess. Aside from that, ever noticed how excellent Chinese take-out is for no apparent reason? There's a good chance, that at some point, we have all ate a ton of somewhat crappy takeout, thinking to ourselves: "It's so good, I HAVE to finish". Assuredly that was thanks to our sneaky little flavor enhancer MSG. Knowing what we are dealing with, I won't go out of my way to have MSG, but I won't skip a meal just to avoid it. I'm not here to tell everyone only eat this and never eat that. It's just important to be educated about what goes into your body so that you can make your own intelligent decisions.

So what other mystery additives are out there? And what do they "add" to our food experience? How often do you have:

Artificial coloring?












High-fructose corn syrup?









Aspartame?













Sodium benzoate?













Sodium nitrite?








Trans fat?









Read the full article at WebMD.com. Very need to know!!

And make sure the decision is your own to indulge or to PUT DOWN THOSE CHOPSTICKS!!!