One of the things we’ve noticed in our own life is that we haven’t been facing life head-on. We’ve been avoiding some things. Like the ten pounds that have crept on over the last year. Or the fact that we’d rather read a good book than go to the gym. Or that dessert is showing up more frequently after dinner.

That these things are happening simultaneously is not coincidental.

It’s time to stop running from the truth about our health habits. It’s time to make some changes, starting with our perspective – and that will direct the other changes that need to happen.

One of the things we’re looking forward to in making these changes is the September class here at Marilu.com. Twenty-one days of accountability will help us focus, but it won’t be all drudgery – Coach Evi has some fun things planned for our (virtual) European semester! If you’re looking for some assistance with your own new perspective, become a member and take the class. There will be plenty of recipes and lots of encouragement as we all help each other stay focused, and stop running.

Now, get moving. Because running (or walking) for exercise is something we aren’t going to stop.

When I Stop Running from TFDI
available on iTunes and Amazon.com

Many women don’t want to build up their muscles (what the guys like to call bulking up), they want long, lean muscles, like ballet dancers have.

The thing is, to get those “toned” muscles, you have to do the same strength and resistance training that’s required for bulking up. Don’t panic, ladies – you don’t have enough testosterone to get the “bulk” effect. But you do need to do the same work.

Overall strength and resistance training will increase your basal metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns calories at rest), thereby reducing your body fat content. And you need to reduce the overall body fat in order to see the muscle you’re building with specific exercises for specific muscle groups.

Here’s an example – you want toned arms. So you’ll do exercises to build and strengthen your biceps and triceps, but you’ll also work on reducing your overall body fat percentage with other exercises, so the fat on top of those muscles starts to melt away, showing off the muscles underneath.

Get moving! Now that school is starting, lots of gyms and community ed programs are starting their fall classes.

Due to the lasting effects of Hurricane Irene, some are still without power or recovering from flooding. Tuesday’s chat has been rescheduled to this Thursday, September 1. The members chat room is accessible via the Community menu after you’ve entered the members area.

Join now and chat with Marilu this Thursday!

Do you love the adventure of travel?
Have you lived or traveled in another country?
Are you ready to bring that excitement to your Total Health Makeover?

Each September, we offer a class called BOOTY SCHOOL – it’s the basics of Marilu’s Total Health Makeover in a fun and energizing environment, at the perfect time of year to focus on YOU. The kids are back in school, the community routines are in place, and the holidays are on the horizon. This month is all about YOU.

We’re excited to offer this year’s BOOTY SCHOOL class as a EUROPEAN SEMESTER!

That’s right – we’re going (virtually) to Europe, where Coach Evi will lead us in forming and strengthening healthy habits. Evi lives and works in Germany, and she’s adapted THM® to fit the slight differences in culture and availability that she encounters. While you may not have the same experiences at home, you may be able to use Evi’s tips when you travel – or you may be able to incorporate some healthier practices at home.

Class starts Tuesday, September 6 and runs for 21 consecutive days.

Coach Evi is bringing us new recipes and a new way to look at life. Get your camera and your passport for this virtual trip! It’s time to hit the road!

Members will receive an email on September 6 with links to the class.
Not a member? Register now, and you’ll be automatically enrolled in Booty School!

We love polenta, but that stuff in the tubes? Not so much. The texture just feels a little off, and, well, we don’t care for prepared foods that sit on a shelf. (Here at Marilu.com, we often call it ‘bomb shelter food’ – the stuff you’d keep in your basement in the event you’d need to live there for awhile. Yuk.)

Serve the polenta with a simple tomato marinara sauce, or a veggie-tomato sauce like ratatouille. With a side salad, it’s a delicious meal.

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Herbed Polenta with Fresh Corn
from The Yoga Cookbook: Vegetarian Food for Body and Mind by The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers
Blue * Serves 4-6

1 ear of corn (remove husk and silk)
scant 1-1/2 cups cornmeal (look for polenta-style, or use regular cornmeal or grits)
3-1/3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tablespoons olive oil
your favorite tomato sauce

Cook the corn on the cob in boiling water for 8-10 minutes, until tender. Using a sharp knife, remove the kernels; set aside.

Stir the cornmeal into 1 cup of the water to make a batter. In a large, heavy pot, bring the remaining water and salt to a boil. Add the cornmeal batter all at once and stir continuously until the batter is well-blended. Add the chopped rosemary.

Reduce the heat so the batter simmers, and stir constantly for 10-15 minutes, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pot. Stir in the cooked corn kernels.

Pour the polenta into a 10-inch pie plate, smooth the top with a metal spatula, and leave it to cool. Once set, cut the polenta into wedges, and fry it in a little olive oil, until slightly crisp. (Or brush it with oil and grill it, broil it, or bake it.) Serve with your favorite tomato marinara sauce or ratatouille.

Wakan Tanka, Great Mystery,
teach me how to trust
my heart,
my mind,
my intuition,
my inner knowing,
the senses of my body,
the blessings of my spirit.
Teach me to trust these things
so that I may enter my Sacred Space
and love beyond my fear,
and thus Walk in Balance
with the passing of each glorious Sun.

~ Lakota prayer

You may have heard about compound exercises or functional exercises, and how they’re supposed to be more beneficial than isolated exercises. But what does it all mean?

Compound exercises (or functional exercises) refers to exercise that simulates real-life activities and uses a wide variety of movements through a wide range of motion. They use multi-joint movements that work several muscles or muscle groups at one time, for example, squats engage the quadriceps (front of thigh), the hamstrings (back of thigh), the calves, the glutes (butt), the lower back and the core.

Isolation exercises work only one muscle or muscle group and only one joint at a time, for example, a bicep curl or the quadricep extension. These exercises are often done with weight machines, which can isolate one muscle group easily. Isolation exercises are frequently used in physical therapy to correct a specific muscle weakness or imbalance that often occurs after injury, illness, surgery or disease.

There are times when isolation exercise is exactly the right thing to do to regain fitness. Most of the time, however, you’ll benefit from compound exercises more. Fill your workout with squats, lunges, pushups, dips, pullups, and jumping rope. (And, you know, dance. Because it’s fun, and it uses a lot of muscle groups.)

The members chat room is accessible via the Community menu after you’ve entered the members area.

Join now and chat with Marilu!

A good night’s sleep is critical to your good health, so what can you do to make it happen?

Here’s some Celtic meditation music that helps us relax before bed. Use it to accompany an evening gratitude meditation, or breathing exercises, or gentle stretches, or prayers.

Aran Boat Song, Áine Minogue on Sanctuary

Here’s a tomato salad with a different flavor – it’s a little bit sweet and sour, with that kick of spice.

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Spicy Tomato Salad
Blue * Serves 6-8

3 large firm ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped (or other color, but the contrast to the tomatoes is nice)
1 sweet onion, such as Vidalia, chopped
1 teaspoon raw agave (or honey)
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
pinch of sea salt (to taste)

Mix well. Refrigerate until cold. Enjoy!