Chicken Spinach Ginger Soup

Chicken, spinach, quinoa, lemon juice, pepper, ginger powder, chicken stock- made in 1 cup. 

Next time some gives you a back handed compliment or says something else weird......

Sunday Sounds.......

I love listening to new music on Sundays - I enjoy all kinds of music so get ready to have your mind blown!

Witches Fingers and Black Cherries

Fresh from the Farmers Market - 

Witches Fingers are grapes but check out the shape - very cool! 

Catching a cold.....or maybe not.....

I have been under a lot of stress lately...more than usual.  My thoughts won't let me go to sleep at night and wake me up before 5 o'clock in the morning so I'm up trying to do and fix trying to situations that are out of my hands.  So, no sleep plus the fact that I taught 16 classes this week in the pool  has caused me to be venerable to a cold.....or maybe not.  It could be allergies.....

Either way I need to do some quick self-care.  

The Stress-Less Lemon Zinger

2 Apples

2 Lemons (no peel)

4  large stalks of celery

.5 inch of peeled Ginger

2 cups Filtered/Distilled Water

I diced the ingredients and blended.  I drank about half and put the rest in the refrigerator.  Will be drinking that and water all day...

Whatever this is .... I gotta kick it! 

#eatingrightnow

Cilantro-Lemon Water.  Add a few fresh cilantro stems and lemon wedges to your water. Give the bottle a shake- delish!

No Aqua Equipment...... No Problem!

 Maybe you are going on vacation or just to a new pool. They may have noodles, bells, etc. But, what if they don't? Here are some great water exercise ideas using a kick board that you can do in any pool from AEA Trainer Jackie LeBeau

6:30am Aqua Class Schedule for August

WV YMCA

6:30am class schedule for August

Aug 5 and 7 Aqua Zumba 

Aug 12,19,26 Linda

Aug 14,21,28 Melanie

Not My Mama's Salmon Cake with Quinoa and Lime Dressing

People always ask what I eat between aquatic fitness class that gives me so much energy- here it is!  A quick note them I am back in the pool.  2 more classes today. #eatingrightnow

Drinking water when you are in (and out) of the pool and other riddles....

Grab a cup of water and let's chat.

Most of my aquatic fitness class participants and clients kinda laugh at me because I drink over 1 liter of water per class (my bladder is trained to hold for about 2 hours). They ask " why drink water when you are in the water?' Well, most nutritionists agree that water is the best thirst quencher. Our bodies are made up of 70% water and if we don't drink enough to replenish what's lost on a warm, sunny day at the pool, then we can become tired, moody and find it difficult to concentrate. I don't want moody students and you don't want an instructor is moody and tired so we all need to drink more water.

I know that during aquatic fitness class some my students don't want to drink water during class because they will (and hopefully they do ) have to get out of the pool to urinate. I appreciate that!
After class is great time to replenish if you have this concern. But many people tell me they don't drink water AT ALL ANYTIME because they do not like the taste. Or they say water is "boring". I get that, but we still need water! So here are some things I have done -


1. Make the water drinking fun - Try adding colorful straws, ice cubes etc. The straws make it easier to drink water quickly. Get a cute water bottle cheap from Target, CVS or Homegoods. Next time your pool or gym offers free water bottles, grab one.
2. Give yourself a goal - Make it reasonable, like adding a cup of water to every meal, taking a sip from each water fountain you see. Drink a glass of water during commercials. Start small to see big results
3. Make DIY Fruit Waters - Delicious and beautiful. Monica's recipe calls for fresh fruit, I personally use frozen fruit for my DIY waters, but I am sure fresh fruit is wonderful!
4. Want to add some kick to that water? - add chili powder and lime. It is like having a Thai soup without the veggies. Or try ginger root warmed in hot water then chilled - it is spicy but refreshing!
5. Need more exotic ideas? Try adding a little vinegar - ACV or White Balsamic Fig Infused Vinegar. The fig infused vinegar in cool water will rock your world. This is also a good one - take a couple pieces of star anise and drop them in your water bottle and just leave them there the whole day. Also, bitters can make water interesting as well - try adding a little of your favorite or try Angostura bitters.

I have tried all of these and like most, you will need to find what works for you and your tastes. As always, ask your medical professional before you change or add anything to your diet.

I bet you did not know how interesting and exotic water could be so get a cup and explore. See you at the pool, Mel

2012 Dergin Tokmak"Dancing on Crutches"STIX Tanzen auf Kruecken

Amazing and so inspiration to those of us who have mobility challenges!

#eatingrightnow

Baked Kale chips for Friday snack!

#eatingrightnow

via Instagram http://instagram.com/p/b401HsiXnE/

Insta-quatic Instagram

via Instagram http://instagram.com/p/b4y7MHCXkc/

My Retro Kitchen: Oven Roasted Bananas- Traditional and also with Ci...

My Retro Kitchen: Oven Roasted Bananas- Traditional and also with Ci...: Or how to impress your kids and make your husband fall in love with you all over again.  This recipe is so dang easy your children can do it...

Aqua Spinning!

Don't be surprised if the next time you hit the gym for your spinning class, it happens to be taking place in a pool. The exercise fad currently taking Europe by storm recently had it's first studio open in New York City, and it's immense popularity guarantees you will be seeing it at the neighborhood gym within no time.

Underwater cycling class | Video | 7online

Underwater cycling class | Video | 7online

More Aqua Exercises I have got to try - Video from BECO in Brazil

Water Instructors needed........

I was joking with another instructor yesterday that we need to clone ourselves in order to cover all the water fitness classes we are requested to teach. The truth is good water instructors are not easy to find and most of us work the "prime" hours -mornings that facilities are looking for. Many people ask how to become an instructor and I made a cartoon about it, but the truth is that it takes more than just music and jumping jacks to teach water fitness.

Here are the skill you need the most:

Have More Positive Attitude than you planned on having - Some of your clients will not be happy or joyful....and it takes just a few to bring your class down. You need to have enough positive energy for your self and them.
Have quick cute answers for occasional complaint.

Have an agenda- Most people tell me they like my class because I seem to have a workout planned for them. Take a moment to plan your classes and give the class a direction with a dash of variety thrown in.

Have the ability to educate and inform - My clients/patients/participants/members (I work at 6 pools!) love to know what muscles or part of the body we are working. It gives them something to focus on and I noticed they love feeling muscle action (well.... who doesn't). You don't have to get too technical - arms, legs, shoulders will do fine to start. If you have a more advanced group - then add muscle names.


The other question I get is how much does it cost, time commitment etc to become an instructor. This can vary greatly depending upon your educational background and work history. But in general you will need:
CPR/AED for the Professional- All exercise instructors are required to have a valid CPR/AED card. Check online for prices - they are usually around $100 or more.
Aqua Fitness Certifications - For all certification you will need a manual ($60+), study guides (optional $75+), and then pay a certification fee ($199+)
AEA (Aquatic Fitness Association) is $300 total which includes certification fee, the manual and 1 year membership - great deal!

How much time? If you do not have a background in fitness,exercise science or medicine you will need more time to study the sciences needed to pass the exam. Plan on 6-8 months at the very least.


I will update this page as I get more questions.......

New Year, New Rear with International Aqua exercise!

Great new noodles ideas for the New Year!