A recent study has found that those biological clocks are ticking faster than you may have ever imagined: Around 90 percent of the average woman’s eggs are gone by the time she celebrates her 30th birthday, according to recently published research from the University of St. Andrews and Edinburgh University in Scotland. But as [...]]]> So interesting!

A recent study has found that those biological clocks are ticking faster than you may have ever imagined: Around 90 percent of the average woman’s eggs are gone by the time she celebrates her 30th birthday, according to recently published research from the University of St. Andrews and Edinburgh University in Scotland. But as we balance biology with modern goals like a fulfilling career, some semblance of a social life, and a happy marriage, is there ever really a perfect age to have a baby?

Recently, TheBump.com set out to answer that question by joining forces with ForbesWoman to create the Working Moms Survey. And here’s what we found out:

Timing of first child

•  76% of respondents feel that the “sweet spot” for a working woman to have or adopt her first baby is between ages 25 and 34. And 42 percent thought that 25 to 29 was the best time.
•  The top reasons that people chose these ages was because it would allow enough time to establish career/financial security and because it is more likely that they would be ready to become parents.
•  More than 17% of women said that there is no ideal age.
•  Non-mothers were more likely to think that 30 to 34 is the ideal range.
•  The majority of moms surveyed (42%) had their first baby between the ages of 25-29, while 11% had their first child after age 35.
•  68% of moms are satisfied with the timing of their first child.
•  82% of moms who had their first child from 25 to 29 were content with the timing of their first child — the most of any group.
•  35% of moms who had their first child at 30 to 34 wish they’d had their child at a younger age.
•  57% of moms who had their first child at 35 to 39 wish they’d had their child at a younger age.
•  Only a quarter of moms surveyed said they felt pressure from family, friends or partner to have or adopt a child, but women in their 30s were more likely to feel that pressure.

Planning for multiple children

• More than half (56%) of women plan to have or adopt two children, and more than a third (35%) plan to have three or more.
•  At least 57% of respondents had employers with family-friendly benefits. 23.8% had paid maternity leave and 23.2% had flexible hours.For women planning to work and have multiple children, 20% said that they will start having children earlier, 13% said that they will start having children later, 41% said it won’t affect the timing and 15% aren’t sure yet. 12% said that they don’t plan to work and have multiple children.
•  56% of respondents said they wanted two children, 27% said they wanted three, and 8% said they wanted four or more.

Deciding to go back to work after baby

•  59% of women felt that they had to return to work — even though 73% of them didn’t feel pressure from the people around them.
•  93% of the women surveyed worked full time before they had their first child. 76% worked full time after they had their first child.
•  4% of women worked part time before they had their first child and 15% worked part time after they had their first child.
•  63% of working moms had working moms growing up, but only 30% said it influenced their decisions to also be working moms.

Motherhood and careers

•  71% of non-moms and 56% of working moms think motherhood negatively impacts a woman’s career. But only 30% of working moms said motherhood had negatively impacted their own careers.
•  64% of working moms feel like they have a strong support network in case of an emergency.
•  66% of women work the same number of hours post-baby. 29% worked fewer hours, while 4% worked more.
• At least 57% of respondents had employers with family-friendly benefits. 24% had paid maternity leave and 23% had flexible hours.

Feelings about work after baby

•  The leading emotions of working moms who’d returned to work after their first child were feeling guilty, overwhelmed, stressed, sad, and anxious.
•  60% of women at least somewhat agreed that they were happy to be back at work after having a child.
•  59% of women at least somewhat agreed that they no longer cared as much about work after having a child.
• 50% of women at least somewhat agreed that returning to work was harder than they thought it would be.
• 37% of women at least somewhat agreed that returning to work was easier than they thought it would be.
• 38% of women at least somewhat agreed that being a mom made them better employees
• 34% of women at least somewhat agreed that colleagues viewed or treated them differently after they had a baby.

Looking for more results? Find them here!

“Just a little reminder that I have a few open spaces for this Wednesday’s French Bistro Cooking Class! We’ll be making Crispy Herb Roasted Chicken, Rich and decadent French Onion Soup, Tender Bibb Salad with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette, and Glazed Vegetables. I hope you [...]]]> This is an email I received today from Chef Nance.

“Just a little reminder that I have a few open spaces for this Wednesday’s French Bistro Cooking Class! We’ll be making Crispy Herb Roasted Chicken, Rich and decadent French Onion Soup, Tender Bibb Salad with Fresh Herb Vinaigrette, and Glazed Vegetables. I hope you can make it! The schedule for March and April will be out soon so keep a look out for that!

On another note, I hope you’re all enjoying this beautiful sunshine! I’ve been pruning and getting my garden beds ready for planting. This time of year is so great and hopeful for all of the fresh fruits, vegetables and tender herbs that will be sprouting soon and the satisfaction of enjoying these fresh from the garden.
I have the average sized city lot but make great use of the little spaces where I can fit in a raised bed, pot or a dwarf apple or pear tree in the natural landscaping. Check out photos of my front yard raised bed with carrots, beets, baby lettuces, spinach, arugula, thyme, sage, chives, chervil, marjoram, flat leaf parsley and more! All in a space that is 3.5 feet by 16 feet!!

Would you take a moment and reply with what topics you think would be great for a cooking class and what that would look like for you? Any special cuisine? Ingredients? Cooking Methods?
If you come up with a class that is placed on the schedule and gets 8 people signed up, you’ll receive a voucher for a free cooking class along with a coupon for 50% off another class or use it for a friend! Encourage your friends to sign up for the newsletter and send in their ideas too!”

Details:
www.chefnance.com
206-218-3499

You read that right. Jane Fonda, at age 72, is set to release a new celebrity fitness DVD. For those in a younger age demographic, you may not know that Jane Fonda basically started the home workout craze with her 1982 video release, “Jane Fonda’s [...]]]>

This is tooooo! funny!!!

by chris on February 4, 2010

You read that right. Jane Fonda, at age 72, is set to release a new celebrity fitness DVD. For those in a younger age demographic, you may not know that Jane Fonda basically started the home workout craze with her 1982 video release, “Jane Fonda’s Workout,” which sold 17 million copies. Now she is set to help millions of older people workout. She said on her website:

[My new DVD] will target an audience that has been left out: My age group and the boomers,” Fonda reportedly said in her blog post. “I want to get to people who have stopped working out, or never did. I can’t wait.

Asked how she is able to keep herself looking so vibrant and healthy she responded:

I owe 30 percent to genes, 30 percent to good sex, 30 percent because of sports and healthy lifestyle and for the remaining 10 percent, I have to thank my plastic surgeon. I’m happier, the sex is better and I understand life better. I don’t want to be young again.

The video will be filmed in March 2010 and released in early 2011.

This is a great volunteer opportunity to give back to their community, but also coaching helps women [...]]]> Girls on the Run of Puget Sound is looking for volunteer coaches for our spring 2010 season! We have 22 program sites in King County and we are looking for volunteer coaches to facilitate our curriculum at all sites.

This is a great volunteer opportunity to give back to their community, but also coaching helps women involved feel empowered and reach their full potential.

Organization Description

Girls on the Run of Puget Sound is a non-profit organization whose mission is to use the power of running to educate and prepare preteen girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. Since 2002, we have operated an after-school prevention program for 3rd to 5th grade girls at sites in the Puget Sound region. In 2009, we served over 250 girls at 13 sites, and involved more than 300 adult volunteers. We are an affiliate council of Girls on the Run International, which has a network of 160 locations across the United States and Canada. Learn more at www.girlsrun.org.

Volunteering Coaching*

We are looking for volunteer coaches for our spring 2010 season! Our coaches guide a group of 8 to 15 participants through an easy-to-follow, well researched curriculum that uses active running games to teach healthy lifestyle lessons and train the participants for a non-competitive 5k race at the end of the session. Together, explore topics like body image, media awareness, nutrition, emotional health, and positive communication! For more information and applications visit www.girlsrun.org/coaching or contact Amber Swim, Program Coordinator, at abmer@girlsrun.org or 206-528-2118. Application deadline is February 15^th.

* Flyer attached. Feel free to print and post, or forward in e-mail.

-Has your battle with [...]]]> I just started seeing Dr Andreas, ND because my physician Dr Chandra recommended her.  I found Dr Andreas to be warm, thorough, and on-target!  She sent me these programs in a newsletter on New Years Day and I wanted to pass it along to you.  With her permission, here is her program.

-Has your battle with weight and years of dieting only left you fatter?
-Does it seem that everything you put into your mouth instantly becomes more pounds on the scale?
-Ever wonder how some people can eat so much food all day long and still remain slim and healthy?

Finally, put an end to your constant weight struggle with a ONE-OF-A-KIND Program offered right here in Seattle, WA.
Now you can lose up to one pound per day with the “Lose and Sustain” program.
The “Lose and Sustain” Program puts the joint expertise and know how of Dr. Denel Andreas, Naturopathic Physician (ND) with Anat Barak, a Certified Nutritionist with a Master’s degree from Bastyr University at your service.

During this program you will be medically supervised by Dr. Denel and Anat Barak who both are success stories of the ” Lose and Sustain Weight Loss Program”. We have lost the weight and know how to keep it off!
You will also receive customized individual meal plans, food timing and recipes to achieve maximum weight loss throughout the treatment from Anat Barak.

This combination results in an instant, sustainable change in weight, self-esteem and general health.
Your new found relationship with food and the healthier happier you will be reflected in your ideal body weight.

The program will reshape your body and reset your metabolism creating a fresh new start on a healthier and leaner you.

Don’t keep putting off what you can start right now. Reduce your body fat by up to 10% and lose up to one pound of fat per day.

Want to learn more about the “Lose and Sustain Weight Loss Program?

Enjoy an informational talk and discover how to reset your metabolic rate and permanently keep the weight off.

When: Thursday January 14 7:00-8:00 pm
Where: 2366 Eastlake Ave. E. Seattle, WA 98102
Cost: Free
Presented by: Anat Barak, M.S., C.N. & Dr. Denel Andreas, N.D.
Complimentary fat to muscle ratio analysis using a state- of -the- art body composition machine will be available to all attendees.

Register:anatbarak@hotmail.com or dr@doctordenel.com

Another program they are offering:

Health Promotion with Functional Detoxification
21-Days to Improved Wellness

INTRODUCTION:
Congratulations! You are about to embark on the next stage on your road to wellness. The three-week Detoxification Program is a vital part of this journey. By eliminating toxins that interfere with healthy function you can begin to remove many of the obstacles that your body faces as it is trying to heal itself.

PURPOSE:
The main purpose of Functional Detoxification is to enhance waste elimination by inducing the release of accumulated toxins from the tissues and to facilitate their subsequent removal from the body. Toxins build up when elimination cannot keep up with the production of cellular wastes or the absorption of toxins from the intestines. Since this toxic burden leads to all manner of diseases, it is important to not only remove these toxins with the special help of Functional Detoxification, but to incorporate the Detox skills and resources into a health promoting lifestyle.

HOW DO WE GET TOXIC IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Our overall health is a reflection of the health of our cells and their ability to work together in harmony to maintain balance. Our cells constantly take in nutrients and oxygen from the blood, do work (grow or create products), and then give off wastes. In addition to the wastes normal function produces we are further burdened by toxins absorbed from the intestinal tract. Maldigestion, poor food choices and dysbiosis (parasitic, bacterial, and fungal infections) can make a mess out of the intestine. Together these absorbed toxins and the wastes produced by cells are discharged from the blood stream into the surrounding tissues, “the cellular garbage dump”, where the “sit” until they are transported to the organs of elimination for final disposal.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS THAT I NEED TO DETOXIFY?
When the organs of elimination, the liver, intestines, kidneys, lungs and skin are burdened with excessive toxins they will show signs of distress. The following are some of the signs and symptoms that show that it is time to enhance waste elimination:
1. Rashes, pimples, or offensive body odor indicate the skin is stressed.
2. Frequent, painful or urgent urination or dark or offensive smelling urine, indicates the kidneys are stressed.
3. Gas, diarrhea and constipation are the first signs of intestinal stress. Green, mucous in the stools, itchy skin or right sided chest and back pain indicates the liver is stressed.
4. Congestion, coughs or wheezing indicates the lungs are stressed.
From headaches to hypertension, each of us will show signs of stress differently, depending upon our weaknesses and the nature of the toxins we are burdened with. Ignoring these signs will cause stressed organs to become diseased, resulting in a dramatic reduction in health and longevity.

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DETOXIFY?
One of the best ways to enhance waste elimination is with Functional Detoxification, a comprehensive health recovery program that boosts the elimination capacity of the liver, intestines, kidneys, lungs and skin with a specialized diet and supportive nutritional therapies. Circulation is enhanced with techniques like exercise and water therapy that increase the movement of wastes out of the cells and tissues and into the blood for transport to the organs of elimination. But to get the most out of Functional Detoxification, one must have a healthful attitude, and move forward assertively with a positive outlook on the process. Together this comprehensive approach prevents the unwanted side effects common to other “fasting” or detoxing protocols and instead creates a powerful health recovery event… one that you will be inspired to repeat again and again on your own in many small ways as a valuable health promotion, health maintenance tool.

BREAKDOWN OF THE 21-DAY DETOXIFICATION PROGRAM:
Your introduction to Functional Detoxification will be a 21-day diet and lifestyle program designed to create a personalized rejuvenation experience. You will receive instruction and support to meet your specific needs. As your body cleanses you will experience the benefits of improved function and undesirable symptoms will begin to resolve. You will then find yourself thinking that you haven’t felt this good in a long, long time.

I hope you are making your list of challenges and adventures for 2010.  I really don’t believe in “resolutions” because they fade away all too fast.  Goal setting is quite a different story in my opinion and one sure way to keep you on track is to share your goals.

I turned [...]]]> Happy New Year to everyone!

I hope you are making your list of challenges and adventures for 2010.  I really don’t believe in “resolutions” because they fade away all too fast.  Goal setting is quite a different story in my opinion and one sure way to keep you on track is to share your goals.

I turned 49 this year – yikes! and have an ambitious list for my “to do before 50″ list.  Here it is – you can all help me stick to it:

1.  Climb Denali (planned for June 2010 with my friend Lynn) – this also means lots of training.

2.  Do an expedition adventure race (this is more than 24 hours, up to 7 days) I have my eyes on the Desert Winds race in September, just have to convince my team.

3.  A whole list of work related items that I won’t bore you with, but know that all are under way.

4. Learn to skate ski – Scheduled for January 24 at Snoqualmie Pass.  Join us!

5.  Learn Spanish – registered for SCCC class on Thursday evenings.

6.  Travel to Vietnam/Cambodia for November 2010 (I want to turn 50 in Asia)

7.  Learn to make Pottery – have researched classes at Seward Park Clay Studio.  Targeting September.

8.  Get Scott to Dirt Camp in Whistler this summer.  The schedule is not yet posted, but we are going!

So, I have 8 big goals that should keep me busy through the end of next year.  It’s nice to have a November birthday, as it sets off my planning for the following year.

Join us at Hyak on January 24th if you are interested in learning Skate Skiing!  We will be there at 9am ish for a 10:30am lesson.

We kicked off the challenge in September at a meeting on [...]]]> Our grand finale event happened on Saturday, October 24. We gave the Greenlake Mom’s group 6 weeks to accrue points toward winning an outfit from lululemon. The winners Jen Longtin and Sherry Jaqua  had a total of 1380 points total!  An amazing number!

We kicked off the challenge in September at a meeting on September 12 at Lululemon University Village Store. Our challenge looked like this:

You choose your BHAG (big hairy audacious goal)!  Accumulate points and WIN a TOP and BOTTOM from LULULEMON!!!!

Here is how it works:  We start off our morning with coffee and goal setting.

Set your goal(s) for 6 weeks

Specific
Measureable
Attainable
Realistic
Timed

1.
2.
3.

Now, list the roadblocks you see that could keep you from attaining your goals:

1.
2.
3.

Next, List how the Greenlake Mom’s community can help you overcome your road blocks:

1.
2.
3.

What can you offer someone else to help them meet their goals? (This will come in handy later).

1.
2.
3.

Now! Pick a buddy.  Yes, that’s right; you will be working in teams, because everyone can use a nudge every now and then.

Here is how you and your buddy earn points:

Meeting one BHAG goal:  100 points
Meeting two BHAG goals:  200 points
Meeting three BHAG goals:  300 points
Healthy Goddess Class: 30 points
In store Lululemon class:  20 points
Coffee/Tea date with a GLM you do not already know:  20 points
Girl’s night “in” with another GLM:  15 points
Playground Date with another GLM:  10 points
Walk around Greenlake with another GLM:  5 points

The teams with the most points WIN!! (You accumulate points individually, but win with the highest combined point score).

Here is an email we received from our winners (read on, this will inspire you!)

Thanks again to you and the Lululemon team for sponsoring the Greenlake Moms Fitness Challenge this is very generous of you all.  I was drawn to the kick-off event because I love to see my mom friends, such as Melissa Benaroya,  and to meet new people and I love Lululemon.  However, I had so much going on at the time, I thought it was a little crazy to think of adding more activities to my life, so I thought I?d just go the first event and check it out?  I loved hearing everyone?s goals and set 3 very realistic goals for myself:  perform my physical therapy exercises 4-5 times a week (for my knee), add ½ a mile a week to my 3 mile runs to achieve 6 miles (hopefully with no knee pain) and do 2 relaxing things per week such as yoga, acupuncture, massage, etc.  I heard Jen Longtin, whom I did not know, mention that one of her goals was a 10K, so I asked her to be my buddy   I was very inspired by her huge goal of meeting 500 people!

Thanks to my goals:  with the consistent acupuncture appointments  I’ve been  able to take care of some skin and headache problems I’ve had for a long time.  By attending the Healthy Goddess classes, I met some great participants and instructors, learned a bunch of new things (I became a certified group fitness instructor in May of this year) and have talked with Christi about possibly being a sub teacher.   I’m extremely excited that I can now do longer runs again without knee pain it’s been over 3 years since I’ve been able to run a ½ marathon, and I?m excited about the possibility of running more.  This running goal has also led to running with and getting to know my new neighbor, who is an avid runner.  I’ve applied my goal setting to my nutrition/Juice Plus+ work and I’ve added 8 new customers over the last 6 weeks, thanks to doing just a little bit of work on my business every day   I am gaining momentum!  Lastly, the best part of this challenge is having Jen Longtin as a friend!  She’s amazing and an inspiration!  It was so great to have Jen to talk with and to have her interested in my activities and vice versa!  We are ready to set our next 6 week goals ? I’m excited to see what we will do!!  This challenge has had a big effect on my life because for the first time, I’ve successfully set and achieved realistic goals and I know I will continue to goal set consistently!  I am thrilled.  And I sure will love wearing my new outfit!!

Thanks again!  My best, Sherry

and her challenge buddy:

I was SO happy to get the call from Sherry saying that we won the challenge yesterday!  I was running around much of the day yesterday organizing a mommy/kid event inspired by the challenge, and was sad I couldn’t stay for the entire class.

I am truly grateful to Lululemon, Healthy Goddess and Melissa Benaroya for organizing the event because it helped me achieve goals that I have written off for years as not being able to achieve.  And it gave me a way to combine fitness goals with other day to day career goals.

My first goal was to be able to run a 10k without stopping…I kept telling people my body just wouldn’t run that far anymore that 3 miles is about all I had and in 6 weeks I can not only run 6.2 miles but my overall times have decreased.  This was in part due to running with Sherry and a huge plus was from all the classes I took through Healthy Goddess, Lululemon and others that strengthened my whole body, not just my running muscles.

My second goal was to be able to do 50 pushups.  I must tell you I was getting grandma arms and thought genetics was taking over.  Well after 3 weeks I noticed my “guns” (as my husband and son so lovingly call them) were getting toned.  Again because of the classes and having to do over 100 pushups, downward dogs, planks, etc, 50 pushups were not only doable but they were a small goal in retrospect (so I made it 50 in a row, which I did this week).

Third was my crazy BHAG goal of meeting 500 new people.  I recently lost my job and for weeks I had tried to figure out a goal that would help me take the first steps into exploring new industries vs. what I have spent the past 10 years in.  I decided on a goal of meeting new people.  Well, I knew I could meet 100 people in 6 weeks so that wouldn’t be very challenging, so, driving to the challlenge thinking the goal had to be audacious as well as listening to some crazy fun song that got me all energized (the kind that makes you start singin in your car…even when you are NOT a singer), I decided 500 sounded not only audacious but incredibly hairy too.

Some things I did to reach this goal were; I set up an open house for our block, so I now know all of my neighbors by name, I went to several exercise classes where I could meet people as well as get a great work out in to train for my other 2 goals, I went to community meetings, took my dog to doggie romps to meet other dog owners, I introduced myself to everyone I met, and organized a bouncy castle party for moms and kids this last Saturday…I pretty much said yes to every invitation, fundraiser, meetup I got.  I ended up gathering 250 names (no dogs or kids included although I sometimes liked them more than the people I met).  This went far above what I thought was doable and even though I didn’t technically hit 500, I achieved what I wanted.  I feel like it not only made me put myself out there but it trained me to be more outgoing…which is what I used to be like but over the course of the past 15 years, I have done less and less of.

I can say with 100% confidence that I would not have achieved what I did without setting goals, having a buddy like Sherry who was equally committed and a joy to get to know, and to have the incentive to get an outfit from my FAVORITE STORE!  Sherry and I would talk regularly and knowing the winner would get an outfit from Lululemnon and it helped us get over the hump and get moving whenever we started getting comfortable.

I have a regained passion for goal setting, for surrounding myself with like minded go gettem people, and truly appreciate what you have created for the GL moms group.  There is something on your bags that I looked at regularly as I was facing my goals which is “do one thing every day that scares you” and I would!

If there is any way I can help support this movement/challenge to others so that they get the same chance we got, please do not hesitate to ask.  I am so impressed with the commitment your store has for community and hope the success of your stores continue!  And I can’t wait to wear my new outfit…every day at first I am sure…I promise to wash it in between (:

Thanks and sincerely,

Jen Longtin

PS. The bouncy castle party I was running around for yesterday went incredibly well, so all and all yesterday was a smashing day!

Whether you enjoy watching The Biggest Loser or you find it offensive, you have to admit that this primetime TV program has been effective in showcasing health and fitness to millions of people around the [...]]]> This email landed in my inbox today, and I thought I would share it.  Pretty interesting perspective from the fitness perspective.

Whether you enjoy watching The Biggest Loser or you find it offensive, you have to admit that this primetime TV program has been effective in showcasing health and fitness to millions of people around the world. Last month, IDEA published “Weighing in on The Biggest Loser,” an in-depth feature story on the topic. The article brings into extreme focus the passionate—and widely divergent—viewpoints of the show’s producers, its contestants and one of its personal trainers (Bob Harper), as well as those of fitness professionals looking in from the outside.

Here are some of the topics covered in the feature story:

• The Progression of Workout Scenes as Shown on the Show. Are the basic principles of exercise progression and weight loss missing, or is the seeming lack of progression and program design due to postproduction editing?
• The Safety of the Exercises. Contestants are overweight and sedentary when they begin training. Are they enduring too much work too soon? Is it really advisable for them to do plyometric jumps or piggyback a trainer as they hustle across the room? Would “everyday” trainers ever ask their clients to do such things?
• The Safety and Sustainability of Contestants’ Dramatic and Rapid Weight Loss. Is this a dangerous, unrealistic message to give to the viewing public?
• The Training Certifications of the Show’s Celebrity Trainers, Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels. Are these trainers currently certified? By whom? How much continuing education have they pursued?
• All the Yelling the Trainers Do. Is this really necessary, or is all this drama just for ratings? How does this behavior compare with what occurs in a standard training session?
• The Fitness Industry’s Responsibility. Where does this lie? Whether or not fitness industry professionals agree with the approach of The Biggest Loser, how can they use positive momentum from it as an opportunity to reach out to prospects and clients who need sound fitness/weight loss advice and guidance?

“We are extremely proud of this article and of the work that author Amanda Vogel, MA, did to create a fair, balanced view between what the The Biggest Loser representatives feel makes good television and what everyday personal trainers feel is realistic for their own clients,” said Kathie Davis, IDEA executive director. “We hope this piece helps educate fitness professionals—but especially the consumer public—about the ‘reality’ of reality television.”

To read the entire article, please see “Weighing in on The Biggest Loser” in September 2009 IDEA Fitness Journal or read the article online in the IDEA Library.