Ok, most of us fall into two camps when it comes to exercise. Camp one: we don’t do it at all or we hit the gym once or twice a week (or month:)). Camp two: we do it because we have to, but we don’t enjoy it, and we try our best to slog through it.

I have a new way to approach exercise - find something that you actually like doing or better yet - might actually fit in with what you really need in your life right now.

Instead of slogging through your regular gym routine or your knee-grinding run, see if any of the following may better meet your current needs:

For those of you in New York, I’ve put some links in here. For the rest of you, I’m sure you can find similar offerings in your area.

Need to de-stress and calm down? Try a yoga clas at a Yoga Studio, not one at a gym. The energy in yoga studios is calming as soon as you walk in the door. And you don’t hear the loud gym music while you are in down-dog.

Need to meet some new friends and fight the lonelies? Try a team sport like flag football or frisbee. Central Park has tons of new leagues that form every week. I have a friend that often plays with leagues from The New York Social Club. You may also want to try one of the recreational running clubs like The New York Harriers. They run in the mornings, but do social events as well.

Feeling totally depressed and unchallenged at work, but unable to leave your situation right now? Try challenging yourself to finish a running race or a triathlon. You can even join a team to help with motivation. Try looking into Full Throttle at Chelsea Piers or the Terrier Triathlon Club. I trained with full throttle for two years. It is tough, but very worth it. The New York Road Runners Club also has tons of great programs.

Feeling sad about the state of the world? Why not make the world a better place and get a flatter stomach? Check out Team in Training or Run for a Dream. Both organizations support great causes.

Ladies, feeling like you could use a little pizzazz in the bedroom? How about taking a strip tease class. You’ll feel it everywhere - and your guy wil thank you. Check out the S-Factor.

Would you like to give up the war you’ve had with your body and make some peace with where you are now (while still burning calories)? Every time I’ve done belly dancing, I come home with a new respect for my body, especially my belly. I look around the room and notice how we are all so beautiful in every shape, size and form. There is just something about this dance that allows for peace and self adoration. Try it, let me know if you agree. I’m not an expert on the best classes, but I’ve taken some at The Open Center that were quite good. Do let me know if you find a teacher you love.

Wish you had more time to shake your booty? But you don’t want to learn a 90-step combination? Try one of the new age dance classes that don’t require you to learn steps, you just feel the music and go. Check out Five Rhythms. You may also like the Brazilian martial art/dance style, called Capoeira. The Alvin Ailey Extension on 55th Street has tons of different dance classes from Zumba to West African.

In a slump and wishing life would just throw you a bone? Perhaps looking at life from a new angle would help - from a trapeze. The Trapeze School may be a fun way to help you get out of your rut and see life a little differently.

Take a moment and look at yourself first. Then pick out an exercise routine that really works for you. Make your exercise routine more than just a route to smaller jeans - it can also be an easy way to upgrade your life.

And for more great tips on Radical Self Care, don’t forget to sign up for our upcoming teleseminar: Radical Self Care: How to Have the Body, Career and Relationships you’ve always wanted.

An easy way to make your vegetables

Samantha walked in and sat down in my black leather chair, looking a bit disgruntled. I asked her what was wrong and she replied, “I’m cleaning out my kitchen and I have this crazy expensive juicer that I never really use. I used it a ton when I first bought it, and then I just got tired of all the peeling and cleaning of the machine. Then I stopped using it. Do you think I should try it again, or just get rid of it? I just feel bad for buying it in the first place.”

I can’t tell you how many clients I know who have similar stories. I’ve even given it a name, “Juicer Guilt”. Yes, if you too have a juicer that is sitting at home un-used than you understand what I am getting at. It takes up counter space and stares at you with that friendly, “if you only used me, you would be healthier look”, but you still can’t get yourself to cut, peel and clean.

Well, I am making an official announcement “TODAY IS THE LAST DAY OF JUICER GUILT”. I’m making this announcement for two main reasons.

First, while juice can be quite healthy, it is only healthy in small amounts of 4 to 6 ounces. Most of us can’t handle the high sugar content in juice and it sends us on a blood sugar level roller coaster. So your body just wants more and more sugar. With each serving, you get more and more tired. It is a vicious cycle.

Yes, vegetable juices are better since they are lower in sugar content, but since the juice does not contain any of the fiber and minerals that exist in the pulp, even veggie juices could be better.

Second, to make the juice you have to get rid of the best parts of the fruit, the skin and the pulp - which contains many vitamins and minerals and all of the fiber.

There is a solution that allows you to eat more vegetables and still keep the fiber and pulp - use a very powerful blender such as a Vitamix Blender. I’ve been using a Vitamix blender for years. This morning I put a whole piece of celery, half an apple, half a carrot, a handful of broccoli florets, 2 ounces apple juice, water and some rice protein powder into my blender. In one minute, I had a drink that was at least three servings of vegetables. It is also a great way to sneak spinach into your berry shakes. You can’t even taste it!

Oh and if you are wondering, broccoli and celery actually turn quite sweet when they are blended. You can hardly taste them.

The other great thing about the Vitamix is that you can make soups that warm themselves up in the blender. Yesterday night I made a black bean soup in five minutes.

The only downside to the Vitamix is its steep price, around $400. In fact I always joke that the most expensive thing in my IKEA and hand-me-down filled apartment is my VitaMix Blender! My sisters gave me mine as graduation present when I graduated from business school - no briefcase and suits for me. I had some serious blending to do.

But, if you aren’t getting any graduation presents soon, there is another version of this type of blender that runs much less expensive,The Magic Bullet, which runs around $100. I can’t speak for the quality of this machine because I haven’t used it, but I do have some friends that really like it.

In fact, there are a couple different blender models out there that work the same way, essentially really powerful blenders that can handle apples, carrots, seeds and the like. Just make sure you read the box before you throw something tough in your blender. I’ve broken a couple of blenders that way.

So here’s to the end of juicer guilt and to the beginning of more whole fruits and vegetables for all! Yeah!

"frustration as a result of all the pressure we put on ourselves"

“In life we often do not say what we mean or mean what we say.  For example, when many of us speak of abundance, we actually mean money; and when many of us speak of health, we actually mean our appearance, when many of us speak of joy, we actually mean happiness.  The difference between experiencing joy, abundance, and health, and acquiring money, a good appearance, and happiness is vast.  The former are inclusive while the latter are exclusive.  Joy is the state in which we allow ourselves to experience everything without judgment or concern.  Abundance pertains to being grateful for all the physical, mental, and emotional energies that flow through our life experience.  Health pertains to attending to the well-being of every aspect of our physical, mental and emotional experience.  However, happiness requires that “this” happens and that “that” does not happen, while money is just cash, and appearance is only skin deep.” - Michael Brown, The Presence Process

When I read this paragraph, I was struck by how completely “exclusive” we all are - and as a result the kind of pressure that we put on ourselves.  For example, we can only have abundance if we have a lot of money, we are only healthy if we are skinny and we are only joyful if we are happy.  So we press on, looking for that elusive life where we are abundant, healthy and joyful all the time - where we are rich, skinny and happy.  It sounds a little ridiculous doesn’t it?  This mad quest for such limited outcomes?

Michael Brown’s quote made me realize that I needed to widen my own definitions and let go of the pressure I put on myself.  I am abundant - namely because I have a full spectrum of mental, emotional and physical experiences that I am living and loving.  I am healthy because I am taking care myself on many different levels - even if I’m not at my goal weight.  And I am joyful because my life is full of many experiences, both positive and negative and I am living through every one of them. I don’t need to acquire or be anything other than me.

What are your definitions of abundance, joy and health?  Could they stand a little widening?

“I’m so healthy–I eat a salad every day for lunch,” said Sandra, one of my newer clients.

“But,” she quickly added, “I can’t stop snacking in the afternoon. At 4:00 I tend to ravage the leftover cookies and bagels from the breakfast and lunch meetings.”

I know that I and many of my clients feel the same way. When I used to work in an office before I started Ideal Balance, I often felt like salads were just “appetizers” which left a dangerous amount of room for me to ravage the vending machine. It took me some trial and error to learn the art of making a truly healthy and filling salad. I’ll show you the ropes.

Salads are certainly healthy meals, especially if you can add some dark leafy greens such as spinach or kale. According to Chinese medicine, leafy greens help clean the blood, and since the blood pulsates through our whole body, that is a very good thing. My personal favorite reason for eating greens is that they help lift my mood. The world always appears to be a lighter, happier place after I eat a large and satisfying meal of dark, leafy greens.

But for many of us, a salad simply does not offer enough calories to stabilize the blood sugar between lunch and an afternoon snack. If you are a salad eater who loses focus, gets sleepy, and craves sugar one or two hours after lunch, I’m talking to you. This is not the rule across the board, but many people need to have three components in their salads in order to feel satisfied and “full”: healthy protein, good fat and a whole-grain complex carbohydrate, bean or legume.

Here are some suggestions to make your next salad more satisfying:

1. Add good fats: olive oil, olives, avocados, nuts. Fats make food actually taste good and alert your body that you are eating. They also make you feel fuller, longer and keep your blood sugar levels stable, so you can think properly during that 4:00 meeting. And for those of you that are still afraid of fat, you need not worry. It is much better for you to fill up on some avocado, then raid the pretzels in the afternoon.

2. Add enough healthy protein: lean meats like chicken and turkey, eggs, beans, soybeans. If you are someone who gets incredibly hungry one hour after eating a salad then you may need to add two servings of protein. Play with your salads and see what your body likes best.

3. Add a whole-grain complex carbohydrate: This part is tricky. Often the only really healthy complex carbohydrates are beans and legumes. These are a great addition to a salad. But if you feel like you need more, then keep a stash of whole-grain crackers or pita breads at your desk to munch on with your salad. I like the AK-MAK sesame crackers best. Just make sure the first ingredient on the list says 100% whole-grain or whole wheat.

4. Don’t forget your 3:00 or 4:00 Snack: Eating healthy light foods will make you feel energetic, light and focused. But they don’t last as long in the belly as pizza and steak. So you are going to need to eat some snacks to keep you satisfied. It is normal to be hungry about 3 hours after lunch and it is important that you keep your blood sugar level stable by eating a snack, preferably one that contains a combination of a carb plus a protein - such as an apple and peanut butter, or chicken and whole - wheat crackers.

Thanks for reading and let me know if this helps!

Ok, so I have to admit something - if left to my own devices, I would choose to lay on the couch all day, every day. OK, maybe not every day. But I used to find myself being drawn in a million different directions during the day, unable to focus and really concentrate on one task. And then the end of the day would come and I would feel very guilty about what I did not accomplish. It took me a while to learn to create “artificial structures” to help motivate me and prevent procrastination. Read More/Make Comments

What is rising during this recession? The need for candy. According to a recent New York Times Article:

“The recession seems to have a sweet tooth. As unemployment has risen and 401(k)’s have shrunk, Americans, particularly adults, have been consuming growing volumes of candy, from Mary Janes and Tootsie Rolls to Gummy Bears and cheap chocolates, say candy makers, store owners and industry experts.” - New York Times, March 24,2009.

Sugar seems to make everyone feel better. And as a recovering sugar-holic I totally understand. Every time I walk by a Magnolia Bakery in NYC, the cupcakes seem to cry out to me, especially when I’m stressed. Read More/Make Comments

We’re still getting the hang of things, but you can follow me and Monica on Twitter. Look for MonicaShah and MarciaBac. I’m so excited to have yet another great tool for sharing great relationship info (and Monica will be talking about food and health… and we both can’t help but talk about business and productivity.) As I promised my friend Brooke, I will make it interesting.