Did the Easter Bunny leave too many hard-boiled eggs? Here's how to use them up!

Thanks to RealSimple Magazine for the tips!  

10 Recipes for Leftover Hard-Boiled Eggs

Easter Bunny left behind too many eggs? Try these recipes to put those humble treats to good use.

 Ellen Silverman

Deviled Eggs, Four Ways

Top each half with assorted garnishes, such as paprika, crumbled cooked bacon, chopped cooked asparagus, or chopped fresh herbs.

Get the recipe.

Need a quick refresher? Learn how to hard-boil an egg.

Charles Masters

Curried Egg Salad Sandwich

Chop your eggs and mix with mayonnaise, curry powder, and chives for an exotic twist on a classic.

Get the recipe.

Antonis Achilleos

English-Muffin Egg Pizzas

Dress up English muffin halves with sliced hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, and mozzarella, then broil until toasted and gooey.

Get the recipe.

Elizabeth Zeschin

Cobb Salad With Garlic Vinaigrette

Quarter your eggs and add to this composed salad drizzled with a simple dressing of minced garlic, olive oil, and red wine vinegar.

Get the recipe.

Jens Mortensen

Sliced-Egg Sandwich With Herb Mayonnaise

Crisp, peppery watercress and a parsley-mayo spread give this sandwich a big flavor boost.

Get the recipe.

Annie Schlecter

Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches

These little bites make a great snack or an elegant appetizer for an afternoon party.

Get the recipe.

Antonis Achilleos

Salad Niçoise Lettuce Cups

For a twist on your usual salad, serve tuna, chopped eggs, and grated Parmesan over romaine lettuce.

Get the recipe.

William Meppem

Deviled Eggs

Add minced tarragon, mustard, and hot sauce to the yolks to create these spiced-up bites.

Get the recipe.

Antonis Achilleos

Smoked Salmon and Egg Canapes

Top pumpernickel slices with a spread made from mayonnaise, chopped eggs, and minced gherkins, then garnish with smoked salmon for an easy yet upscale appetizer.

Get the recipe.

Mark Lund

Pickled Tuna-Salad Sandwiches

Mix a finely chopped hard-boiled egg with tuna and pickle relish to jazz up a childhood favorite.

Get the recipe.

Seven Stress Tips!

I found this article so informative and helpful in handling stress!  I feel myself wavering between being too stressed out, and feeling guilty when I'm not stressed to the max!  These tips helped me reduce guilt in how I handle stress, plus gave me new ideas to be more effective.  Hope you enjoy!   

From the Psychology Today Blog Writer Paula Davis-Laack, JD, MAPP

7 Stress Tips I Wish I'd Known before I Entered the Real World

Advice to give the student or young professional in your life.

Published on April 27, 2011

As graduation approaches for many people around the country in the next few weeks, I've been reflecting on the nine years that have passed since I received my law degree. The date was May 20, 2002, and I remember gliding across the graduation platform to shake the dean's hand and grasp my hard-earned diploma. Little did I know then that the knowledge I had in my head would be only one tool in a large toolkit I would need to build in order to have both a successful and sustainable career.
Stress is not a subject taught in school, it's just something we all experience as part of life. While good stress keeps you focused, helps you generate ideas, and gives you a boost of energy, bad stress can affect your emotional and physical health. It wasn't until I burned out, cleared away the fog that was my former career, and analyzed where I went wrong that I discovered some very valuable information. Specifically, these are the nuggets of advice about stress I wish I had received before entering the real world:

1. Think like an athlete. Jim Loehr, co-author of the Harvard Business Review article entitled, "The Making of a Corporate Athlete," describes an ideal performance state as prolonged and sustained high performance over time. To achieve this, you must become adept at moving between energy expenditure (stress) and energy renewal (recovery).

2. Rejuvenate - often. Easier said than done, but in order to get the energy renewal required to live and work in an ideal performance state, you must refill your tank. Research shows that little mini renewals are needed about every two hours. Walking down the hall to grab a beverage, stretching, listening to music for a few minutes, or shifting your attention will give you the energy you need to finish important tasks in a productive manner. In addition to daily mini renewals, you need rejuvenate outside of work. Make a list of the different ways you like to rejuvenate and do something from that list each week.

3. Know Your Stress Type. Dirk Hellhammer, noted stress researcher, and Doctors Stephanie McClellan and Beth Hamilton have identified four stress types that specifically impact women. They are as follows:  a. Flat and frazzled. You are generally calm, but when stress hits, you have a big response. You are extremely sensitive to stress.
b. Life observer. This is the most rare stress type marked by an extreme state where you feel like you're living in a bubble watching life pass you by.
c. Constant overdrive. Your engine is always revved. You have a hard time sitting still, often tap your feet or hands, and frequently clench or grind your teeth.
d. Sprint and crash. Stress keeps you focused and running so you can close deals, prepare for a big meeting, and manage all of your clients, but once the stress is reduced or eliminated, you crash.

4. Be a satisficer, not a maximizer. We live in a culture that rewards perfection, which is a state that is not sustainable. The pressure is on to make the perfect decision, give the perfect sales pitch, or pick the perfect product (called maximizing). According to Dr. Barry Schwartz, this feeling stems from the fact that we have too many choices in today's modern world (when was the last time you felt overwhelmed buying a new pair of jeans, a car, or even food because of the sheer number of choices that existed?) According to Dr. Schwartz, too much choice not only makes our decisions harder but also makes it more likely that we'll end up regretting our selection. As a result, eliminate choices by setting standards - what is your "good enough" (called satisficing)? Your family, friends, and clients don't want you to be perfect, they want you to do a good job and be you.

5. Take Risks. At first glance, this piece of advice might seem like a big stress promoter, but not if you're taking the right kind of risk. The happiest people work on challenging tasks regularly, and if you're working on hard enough goals, you're going to have to put yourself out there. While this means you will be out of your comfort zone, you will also have the amazing ability to learn and grow from your mistakes and gain confidence and momentum when you do well.

6. Establish goals that promote flow. Flow is another way of describing those moments when you're "in the zone." You are at your most productive when you're in this state and time flies by. Flow happens when you find the right level of task challenge for your skill level and you're pursuing something that is intrinsically motivating. If you miss that sweet spot, you will either be bored (the task challenge is too easy) or anxious (the task challenge is too hard).

7. Pay attention to positive emotion. Given how hard the professional world is today, it's easy to be tuned into pessimism and negative emotion. Barbara Fredrickson's groundbreaking research on positive emotion shows that those who most frequently cultivate it broaden and build their personal resources. Specifically, they have an increased capacity to find solutions to tough problems, improved health, and stronger relationships. Her research shows that in order to see the benefits that positive emotion can bring, you should be at or near a positivity ratio of 3:1 (positive to negative emotions). To find out where you're at visitwww.positivityratio.com.

The world needs more of you - strong, talented go-getters who are able to navigate the pressure that comes with being a high-achieving professional. These tools will help you not only succeed, but also thrive, allowing you to both live and work at a sustainable pace.


References
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1991). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: Harper Perennial.Fredrickson, B. (2009). Positivity. New York: Crown Publishers.  Loehr, J., & Schwartz, T. (2001). The making of a corporate athlete. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved on April 13, 2011 athttp://www.peak4.nl/the_making.pdf.  McClellan, S., & Hamilton, B. (2010). So stressed. New York: Free Press.  Schwartz, B. (2004). The paradox of choice. New York: Harper Perennial.

Inspiration from a Rock Climber...Who's Afraid of Heights!

Found an awesome post on the Prana Blog from Rock Climber Alli Rainey, who constantly works through her acrophobia to continue on with her favorite sport--rock climbing.  After struggling through experiences that left her clinging to the climbing rope with an irrational fear, even when she was safe, she shares how she has learned to continue climbing through her fears.  Read her full post here.

Her final words can be applied to many life situations.  Are you working through an injury?  Recovering from a surgical procedure?  Struggling through a difficult relationship?   Her words apply to anything that tries us....and if her words aren't inspiring enough for you, watch this video of her below--maybe you'll find her muscles, her grace, her fearlessness inspiring!


Be patient and gentle with yourself, and just take it one step at a time – but make sure you’re taking steps, every day you can, in order to make continuous progress. Learn to trust your equipment and your belayer (or your support system) – and most of all, yourself and your ability. As long as it’s safe for you to fall, aim to focus your attention on the climbing at hand as often as you can, instead of how high up you are. Just like in any other climbing endeavor, don’t compare your ability to handle heights or lack thereof to others; this will only lead to frustration and irritation. Instead, lend yourself a helping hand of encouragement and take pride in every small accomplishment you make in chipping away at your foe.

~Alli Rainey, prAna Ambassador

Alli Rainey on Galactic Emperor 5.14a from Mike Snyder on Vimeo.

My Father's Daughter

I'm loving Gwyneth Paltrow's new cookbook My Father's Daughter, along with this quick 

interview she gave to Glamour Magazine's Blog writer, Sarah Jio.

You can also read more from Gwyneth about this book on her own blog, www.goop.com,

which has some really great pictures from her dinner with friends to celebrate the release of the book!

From www.glamour.com:

I got the chance talk to Gwyneth Paltrow on the phone last Friday, and what fun! 

First of all, she was incredibly kind and lovely, and I was definitely a little star struck when she 

said, "Hi Sarah!" Then I said, "um, hi, Gwyneth!" Swoon. (Not exactly an everyday-occurrence that

 an Academy-Award-winning actress rings you on the phone, you know?!) 

Four healthy living tips she shared with me...

I talked to Gwyneth Paltrow last week about her new cookbook, 

My Father's Daughter, which I had a chance to look through this 

weekend.  It's filled with delicious, healthy (for the most part), 

recipes and beautiful memories of her late father, Bruce Paltrow. 

I loved this book, and have so many new meals to try out now. 

I also thought it would make a sweet Mother's Day or 

Father's Day gift as the book has a really sweet focus on family. 

(By the way, to read a funny story about my call with 

Gwyneth, click over here.)

I asked the actress some questions about how she 

stays healthy and fit, and here's the fun stuff she shared:

1. Almonds are her skinny snack: "When I'm on the run I 

tend to eat a handful of raw almonds," she said, explaining that she keeps them stashed in her purse 

when hunger strikes, so she's never far from a svelte snack.

2. Her get-lean-fast fitness program of choice? I told her that I swear by running to help me 

get lean fast, and she said for her it's Tracy Anderson's workout DVDs, 

especially the Dance Cardio workouts. "It changed my body forever," she said.

3. Guacamole rocks her world. "It's such a healthy snack, are avocados are so good for you."

4. Her three-word healthy-living mantra? "Breathe, chew, smile, " she said.

 This translates into a.) taking calming breaths and not letting stress get to you, 

b.) eating healthful food and eating it slowly, and c.) having a happy outlook and loving life.

Read More http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2011/04/gwyneth-paltrows-4-fit-fab-sec.html#ixzz1K5hZvl8n

Spring Clean your Diet

By August McLaughlin from www.livestrong.com

Spring isn't just a season -- it's an action. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines "spring" as "to grow, to begin or come into being."

The season is named for the flowers and plants springing from the ground and the renewal of life after months of seemingly lifeless winter.

Rather than simply refreshing your wardrobe, polishing your floors and decluttering your cupboards this spring, why not spring into the act of revitalizing your diet?

"Spring is such a great time to change our diets," said nutritionist Randi Luckman, who said she believes that springtime brings natural taste shifts toward fresher, cooler and more hydrating foods. "It starts with taking a mental inventory and then examining your pantry."

Take Inventory

If you consume a typical American diet, you eat less than one of the recommended three-plus servings of whole grains and fewer than the recommended 2 1/2 cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruit per day.

You may think you have a good idea of your total intake of different food groups, but if you write it all down, you might be surprised.

Keeping a food journal for just a few days each week can reveal patterns worth changing, Luckman says, and it doesn't take more than a few minutes. "You're going to benefit, but you've got to do the work,"
she said.

Use any method that's convenient for you, but be sure to record each meal and snack right before or after you eat it. If your journal reveals multiple meals devoid of fruits or vegetables, make a point to incorporate colorful produce into every meal. If most of your breads, pasta and cereals are white, focus on adding whole grains. Your diet should also contain healthy fat sources, such as plant-based oils, nuts and seeds, and lean protein sources, such as fish, lean meats, low-fat dairy products and legumes.

Registered dietitian Robyn L. Goldberg recommends investigating your emotional desires as well. Before opening a restaurant menu or your refrigerator, she said, "Ask yourself, what do I want? Would I like something cold? Something hot? Something crunchy? Then you're really able to think from within rather than what you 'should' be eating, which results in you not being emotionally satisfied, which results in overeating."

Note your emotions in your food journal as well, she advised, and avoid using it as a means of self-judgment. If writing your food intake and emotional observations down seems cumbersome or ineffective, try snapping photos of your meals or using a voice recorder.

Declutter

The "clutter" in your diet can take multiple forms. When Luckman examines someone's dietary lifestyle, she starts with the refrigerator.

"I look for and get rid of commercial salad dressings and really high-calorie dips and spreads. Also blue cheese and mayonnaise," she said. These rich sources of saturated and trans-fats are linked to fatigue, inflammation and heart disease. Prepare a healthier option using olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning.

Processed meats, such as bacon, sausage and hot dogs, also contain unhealthy fats and leave less room in your diet for beneficial protein sources, such as cold-water fish, legumes and yogurt.

To cut back on added sugars, which raise your blood sugar levels and may lead to weight gain, replace sugary breakfast cereals with 100 percent whole grain oats, barley or quinoa, and throw out the sugary soft drinks in favor of herbal tea, water and fresh juices.

Keeping high-quality sweets you truly enjoy, such as your favorite dark chocolate bars, on hand in modest amounts may help prevent a sense of deprivation.

Decluttering your diet doesn't have to mean completely eliminating sugar, carbohydrates or fat. Goldberg recommends incorporating what she calls "play foods" in your diet and eliminating negative food attitudes, such as the false belief that bananas or potatoes are inherently "bad" or that a healthy diet involves stringent calorie-counting. Once people let go of fad diet rules, Goldberg says, they find pleasure in food and find that their bodies naturally gravitate to a healthier state.

"The place you were at 20 years ago when you played football may not be where your body can be today," she explained, but you'll likely grow more in tune with your dietary needs and find a new level of comfort with yourself.

Freshen Up

The winter holidays bring on a lot of heavy, warm foods, but when spring arrives, your taste buds naturally crave lighter, fresher foods. "Think about it," Luckman said. "Salads don't taste as good in the winter."

Because growing seasons vary by geographical regions, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to fruits and vegetables. Your best best is either seasonal, fresh fare, such as items purchased at a farmers market, or frozen produce.

"People are often afraid of frozen produce," Goldberg said. "When it's picked, it's flash-frozen, so it retains the nutrients." Fresh grocery store produce, on the other hand, is often picked before it's ripened.

It may appear luscious and nutritious, but its taste and nutrient content may have suffered.

In springtime, Goldberg is a fan of clementines, which are easy to peel and less acidic than oranges -- an important attribute if you're prone to acid reflux. She also recommends artichokes, which are excellent sources of potassium, phosphorus and calcium, as well as asparagus -- "a fantastic source of vitamin K and folate."

Beans, which are often overlooked in Americans' diets, are fiber-rich, satisfying and versatile meal additions. Canned beans retain their nutrients and require little cooking or preparation. Top brown rice with mixed vegetables and beans, or roll black or pinto beans in a whole-grain tortilla for a nutritious burrito.

Get Organized

Does your kitchen make you want to cook?

That's a question that organizational expert Peter Walsh asks in his book "Lighten Up: Love What You Have, Have What You Need, Be Happier with Less." If stepping into your kitchen or opening your refrigerator fills you with dread or a sense of chaos, it may be time to invest in food containers, such as glass jars to hold your pasta, whole-grain flour and beans, a sleek drawer organizer for your stash of spoons and spatulas, and dishcloths and oven mitts in attractive colors.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet also requires planning. Stock up on frozen vegetables for easy additions to rice dishes, pasta and soups.

If you lead a hectic lifestyle, set aside several hours once a week to purchase and prepare at least one healthy, satisfying meal and fresh-chopped fruits and vegetables that you can enjoy for the next several days. Freezing leftovers allows for simple, convenient meals without the excess sodium and other additives in many commercial frozen entrees.

"Quitting junk food and eating healthy meals together is an instant way to reconnect," says Walsh. Cooking and dining at home may also inspire creativity, save money and heighten your appreciation for all that food preparation entails.

Your diet should contain more fruits and vegetables than other foods
-- so should your shopping cart. Create shopping lists before you head to the store, preferably including foods from all nutritious food groups. Keep nutritious, satisfying food in your kitchen or workplace and aim for an overall balanced, varied diet.

Free National Parks Week!

Thanks to The Outside Blog for the info!

Beginning April 16th, America's national parks are free. Saturday marks the beginning of National Parks Week, a week-long (April 16-24) celebration of America's 394 national parks, according to the National Park Service.
This year's focus is "Healthy Parks, Healthy People" and the role national parks play in the vital connection between human and environmental health.
Running congruent with the 2011 National Parks Week is the National Parks Project, a partnership between Nature Valley and celebrity Josh Holloway ("James Sawyer" on Lost) that aims to raise up to $500,000 to help preserve some the 84.4 million acres of park which are visited by 300 million people annually.
“At Nature Valley, we believe that our national parks help unite Americans with their love for nature and the outdoors – and we often need to be reminded to slow down and take it all in,” said Scott Baldwin, marketing manager for Nature Valley. “With the support of Josh Holloway, consumers and the NPCA, the National Parks Project will help ensure our national parks can be enjoyed for years to come.”
The 2011 project will focus preservation efforts on Joshua Tree National Park, Acadia National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and Yellowstone National Park, among others.
National park conservancy began in earnest in 1916, when the National Park Service Organic Act passed. It granted the government power to preserve land for the express purpose of conserving scenery, natural and historic objects, and wildlife for the enjoyment of present and future generations. Legislation would eventually give the president executive power to protect national land, unchallenged. Today, the parks protect everything from Lincoln's childhood home, remnants of ancient civilizations, countless battlefields, and some of the most rugged and beautiful terrain in the country.
Highlights of this year's National Park Week celebrations include volunteer day on April 16th, National Junior Ranger Day at Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, a quiet walk through Muir Woods to celebrate John Muir's birthday, and many more.
Not sure which park to head to? Check out our Adventure Adviser for the Five Must-do National Park Experiences and be sure to check out our ten tips for finding adventure in the parks.
--Ali Taylor Lange

10 Morning Mood Boosters!

I have never been a 'morning person'.  If I had my way, I'd probably go to bed around midnight and sleep till about 9 AM!  Unfortunately, I don't get to do that every day, so I need a little help waking myself up in the morning.  I loved these suggestions to get myself moving, feeling alert, awake, and at my best!  

Do you have any secrets to help yourself feel ready to start your day?  Please share in the comments!

10 Morning Mood Boosters

Guarantee a better day by starting your a.m. off right with these easy tricks

By Tori Rodriguez Posted December 09, 2010 from WomansDay.com

1. Pick one “spoil-me” task to do.

Have you ever noticed that what happens during the morning hours often sets the tone for the rest of the day? When things go smoothly, you tend to feel more relaxed and ready to face whatever the day may bring. However, when things get bumpy before you’ve even managed to get dressed, you’re more likely to remain grumpy until bedtime. While some hassles can’t be avoided, you can make mood-enhancing decisions during the a.m. hours that will set the stage for the next 16 or so. We spoke with the experts and combed the latest research for 10 pick-me-ups that will have your mood rising like the morning sun. Try one (or all!) of them for a happier and healthier you.

1. When you wake up, give yourself 30 seconds to think of at least one nice thing you can do for yourself that day…and then do it. When Alice Domar, PhD, psychologist and coauthor of Live a Little! Breaking the Rules Won’t Break Your Health, was in Los Angeles for a book tour one winter, she woke up much earlier than usual. But instead of fretting about lost zzz’s, she realized with excitement that she could score some fresh fruit at the nearby farmer’s market, which would’ve been impossible if she were back home in Boston. That impromptu side trip kept her mood lifted throughout the day.

2. Eat a well-balanced meal.
Start your morning with a nutritious mix of complex carbohydrates and proteins that will last you until lunch, such as oatmeal or toast with peanut butter (include a sprinkle of cinnamon, which one study linked to improved mood and alertness, for an extra boost). Other research found that a moderate amount of caffeine (200 mg, or the amount in about two cups of coffee) elevated mood and mental sharpness, so enjoy some joe or black tea with your breakfast.

3. Get some fresh air.
Head out for some “green exercise”—physical activity performed in an outdoor setting—even if you only have a few minutes to spare. Researchers found that people experienced an enhanced mood and higher self-esteem after just five minutes of various types of green exercise, including walking and gardening. The study also found that exercising near water amplified the effects, so if you live near a lake, river or waterfall, even better.

4. Listen to the sounds of nature.
Capture the benefits of the great outdoors, even if you can’t get outside, by listening to recorded nature sounds. In a recent study, participants recovered from a stressful situation more quickly when they listened to a recorded combination of running water and bird sounds. Open your window in the morning so you can hear Mother Nature’s music as you get ready, or invest in an alarm clock that eases you awake with nature sounds.

5. Focus on feeling good.
Right after waking up, Robyn McKay, PhD, a psychologist based in Tempe, Arizona, and founder of the Smart Girl-Modern Goddess coaching program, recommends taking five deep breaths and making the decision to feel good for the day. “Imagine that, even when you encounter frustrations and surprises, you will remember to breathe and respond mindfully—rather than react mindlessly—to your circumstances,” she says. Dr. McKay also suggests that, throughout the day, you “take five deep, intentional breaths and remind yourself of your decision to feel good.”

6. Drink hot chocolate.
A recent study found that sipping a drink containing cocoa flavonols improved participants’ moods and levels of alertness—even as they worked on a series of challenging math problems. So go ahead and savor some hot cocoa made with lowfat or skim milk and dark chocolate. The protein and carbs in the milk will help keep your blood sugar levels stable until lunch, which will help you hold on to your mood momentum.

7. Take a moment to assess yourself.
Don’t jump out of bed right when you open your eyes in the morning. Instead, take five minutes to pay attention to your body and notice if you feel any stiffness, then do some light stretching while breathing deeply, suggests Lynn Louise Wonders, LPC, RPT-S, RYT, a psychotherapist and yoga teacher in Marietta, Georgia. She notes, “Before racing off to the hundred things on the day's to-do list, it can be tremendously beneficial to claim these five minutes to tune in to your body and your breath. You'll find that you are more ‘present’ and better equipped to deal with the busyness of the day ahead.”

8. Envision the negative.
You’ve probably heard that gratitude is a mood elevator, but here’s a surprising twist to that tactic: Think about a positive event from your life—how you got your dream job or met your ideal partner, for instance—and then imagine what your life would be like if the event hadn’t happened. Though it seems like this would have the opposite effect, it actually improved the mood of one study’s participants more so than simply thinking of the positive event itself.

9. Breathe in some mint.
Researchers found that sniffing peppermint enhanced mood and attention while also fighting fatigue. Try keeping a bottle of peppermint essential oil or bag of peppermint tea on your nightstand so you can inhale the positive scents right as you wake up. Another happiness helper is chewing gum, which elevated the moods, alertness and attention spans of another study's participants. Pop a piece of peppermint gum after breakfast for a double-duty perk-up.

10. Smile.
There’s one thing you can do just about anywhere: Smile. “Remember,” says Dr. McKay, “smiling is a simple way to change your mood—and the mood of those around you, too.” So spread your good-mood wealth by baring those pearly whites as often as possible in the morning as well as throughout the day.

Keep on Movin'!

Need a little help putting a smile on your face to start the week?  These videos cheered me up!  You'll feel even better if you do some of the dance moves along with the video--why not throw on a sweatband, too?! ;)  Hope you enjoy...

Have you seen this Sundrop Soda Commercial?  We are not promoting the consumption of soda by posting this, but we are promoting having some fun and getting yourself moving!




What about this training video for New Zealand Air?  Richard Simmons taught me a lot about how to be safe and stress-free on my next flight!  Why can't more training videos be more like this?  I mean, I agree that safety comes first, but can't it also be made fun?  YES!  It can!



When was the last time you watched the OK GO Treadmill video? The most fun I've ever seen anyone having on a treadmill!

New Classes and take a discount!

New Classes at IPTC!  We invite you to try these new classes for free!  Just call us to sign you up at 801-942-0275.  Mix up your workout with these classes and start feeling better than ever right now... Wednesday Night:  7:00 PM     TRX (Circuit) 8:00 PM     Restorative Pilates (NEW!!)      Instructor: Talese Hunt Thursday: 4:30 PM    Cardio Pilates (NEW!!) Instructor:  Talese Hunt What is TRX (Circuit)?  TRX Circuit is a 45 minute class using the TRX suspension strap system, with the class format focusing on circuit training.  We generally warm up, followed by 4 circuits working your lower body, upper body, core, and cardio.   This class is intense!  We will keep you moving, challenge your core and stability like crazy, and get you sweating for sure.   What is Restorative Pilates? Restorative Pilates will focus on resetting your body to a tension-free state.  Exercises will focus on stretching while strengthening and stabilizing the body.  By the end of this class, you will feel relaxed, restored, and ready to hit your next workout hard!  It's the perfect way to end your day. What is Cardio Pilates? Cardio Pilates is more intense and aerobic than a reformer or mat class.  This class will focus on working certain muscle groups to fatigue, and then stretching them for relief.  This class is done mostly standing, and will use the mat for abdominal work as well as props like the stability ball to work legs and glutes, and free weights for upper body strengthening.  A great way to mix up your workout, this a fun new challenge for your body!

We'd like to invite you to try our NEW classes for FREE!  Mention this email and get one FREE Restorative Pilates class, and one FREE Cardio Pilates class.   Just call us to sign up!  801-942-0275

Client Spotlight: Lindsay Breinholt

Lindsay is currently a Certified Nurse Midwife at St. Mark's Hospital, has been taking Pilates at IPTC for about 2 years and loves it when women have a muscular back and shoulders!  She has been married for a little over three years and is happy to announce that they recently purchased a home in Holladay that they hope to remodel. 

Lindsay grew up in Salt Lake City, went to Olympus High School, and enjoyed a lot of outdoor activities with her family growing up, including snowboarding, wakeboarding and of course... vacationing! She says she had fun with a great group of girlfriends in high school, but also considered herself a 'bookworm'. "I hardly ever missed school...I guess I was a good student!"  Her mom is a labor and delivery nurse and would teach Lamaze classes in her basement when she was a small child, so Lindsay grew up with women's health in her life.  

In junior high Lindsay decided she wanted to be a nurse as well.  She got her undergraduate degree at the University of Utah in nursing, and did her internship in labor and delivery at St. Mark's Hospital where she then worked for 4 years.  She went back to the U of U for her graduate degree with a double major as Certified Nurse Midwife and a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner.  She is technically a "nurse midwife" because she has a degree in nursing, which can be confusing for people as there are many different types of midwives.  Lindsay has her own private practice in St. Mark's Hospital, where she is a mid-level provider of ALL female health care!  "I do annual exams, pap smears, breast exams, menopausal management, hormone replacement therapy, pre-marital exams, infertility care, birth control...everything you would go to your OBGYN for, I do. It is a REAL clinic with one other midwife and an OBGYN physician. i am not squatting in fields with my patients or eating the placenta. Oh ya, I also shave my legs and don't own a pair of Birkenstocks." 

Lindsay explained that midwifery was the foundation for women's health care across the world.  "It really did start with women helping women, and that is what midwife means, 'with woman'.  These women were grandmothered into the position of being midwives by learning from friends or family how to care for women in labor and delivery.  Finally, formal education for midwives developed and continues to develop. Midwifery remains the core of women's health care in many other countries, but has unfortunately taken a back seat in western medicine, particularly on the west coast. More than anything, I want women to be educated about what kind of care a midwife can provide and that they have a choice when it comes to their own health care."  Lindsay says that her focus is definitely on family-centered care, listening to her patients needs and more face to face time. She limits her daily patients to an average of about 15 patients per day as opposed to some practitioners who see up to 60 patients per day! She is also present for her patient's delivery. She only delivers at St. Mark's Hospital. If her patients want an epidural they have that option, but if they choose to forego the epidural she provides labor support.  If patients require a cesarian, she assists in the surgery with the doctor and provides support after the surgery and delivery.  "My role is different. I provide medical care that is typically more personal than mainstream busy obstetric physicians."  About a year ago, Lindsay added aesthetic care for women as well.  She provides Botox and Juvederm treatments as well as selling Latisse (to promote eyelash growth). "I see women all day and I help women all day, so aesthetics naturally fit and has been a really fun way to help women feel great."

Lindsay will have a booth at the What a Woman Wants Show this Friday, April 8th from 10-8 and Saturday 10-6 at the South Towne Expo Center and you can visit her to learn more about her practice (you can even have some aesthetics done at her booth)! http://www.whatawomanwantsshow.com/

Or if you can't make it to the Show but you are interested in contacting Lindsay about her practice, visit her website at www.mtolympusobgyn.com, or grab her when you see her in class at IPTC!  

Lindsay started doing Pilates at Intermountain Pilates Training Center to support her husband's friends (the owners!), but she had never done Pilates before.  In fact, she admitted that when watching Pilates classes at the gym she thought  "It seemed so impersonal, so I just never wanted to do it!  But knowing that IPTC would be using reformers, focusing on a lot of core and diversity, that's what got me interested and definitely kept me coming.  I saw a real change in my body and strength within one month of attending about 3 times per week. About 2 years ago, right before starting Pilates, I had done P90X, and when I finished it I was ready to try something new.  I had built so much muscle that I didn't really feel like I lost any weight. I still felt like I had a thin layer of fat over the top of my muscle.  After starting Pilates, it was the first time I had done something and noticed results so quickly. Pilates helped me lean out and see muscle in areas that I hadn't seen muscle in a long time or ever, really!  It also helped me feel more lean than doing any other exercise as well as being more aware of my posture and even improving my running."  Lindsay still takes group classes 2-3 times per week, she also boxes 2-3 times per week to get some cardio and mix up her routine as well as running occasionally.

Lindsay also loves IPTC because "...I didn't expect to form such great friendships from coming to Pilates class. When I go to the gym I just put on my headphones, workout hard and don't chat with anyone.  But, at IPTC I feel like I'm getting a really great workout, i'm getting my money's worth, I'm seeing a difference, and I'm meeting some great, solid people. These people seem like they truly care about others, they're interested in you, and I think it's a palpable support system which is really cool and unexpected!"

Thanks, Lindsay, for spending some time with us every week!  We certainly care about our clients, and I whole-heartedly agree about our clients being really great, solid people who care about each other, too!  We love our clients!