November Thanks

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Greetings! I hope this letter finds you well.  I know many have suffered extreme loss recently due to the Superstorm Sandy. I encourage those that can to please make a donation to the Food Bank in NYC. They do so much year around and right now with the holiday season approaching they are in even more need of our generosity.  November is the start of the crazy holiday season.  I want to take a moment to truly reflect on how blessed we are. What are you thankful for? Can you come up with 30 things in the next 30 days?  I would love to hear them!  I will be putting together a compilation of Thankfulness and would love to add yours! Inspire me. Please email me your lists! 30 Days of Thankfulness What are you thankful for? If you receive this letter and are able to read it that means you have access to electricity, computers, smartphones, etc. We have so many things to be thankful for.  Every morning when I wake up I thank the universe for all that I have been blessed with. So in the spirit of the holiday season I have taken my attitude of gratitude a step further and everyday on     I am posting something I am thankful for till the end of November.  Every morning as I sit down to think about what I am thankful for I realize how truly blessed I am.  Why is it so important to have an attitude of gratitude? Dr. Martin Seligman has discovered that positive psychology enhances happiness and you can actually spike your happiness levels.  By being thankful you will actually be happier.  What are some of the things I am thankful for?  I have shared some of my posts from earlier this week on my blog in this great article about the gratitude. Get Slow In the hustle of the season it seems every rushes through their days.  Instead of rushing through another season try a different approach this year. Who doesn't feel as if there aren't enough hours in the day? We rush through the day, running here and there, and end up exhausted. Somehow these days full of duties, obligations and busyness have begun to build up and become our lives. We spend our time doing things we don't really want to do, yet feel we should. We've come to believe that being productive and crossing things off our to-do list is the ultimate goal. The truth is, life on Earth is a brief gift, and our time is too precious to be used like this. If we want our lives to be balanced and healthy, we need to lessen our load and increase our down time. This means planning less in a day, prioritizing those things that make our hearts sing and de-prioritizing those things that are not imperative. If we must accomplish many things each day, we can still change the quality with which we do things. How can we transmute that sprint to the train into something delicious instead of the usual gripping and tightening experience? Where can we find ease in the midst of stress? How can we cultivate the art of going slowly? Take a few moments before you climb out of bed in the morning to remember your dreams and to think about what you want from the day.Leave your watch on the bedside table. Take the scenic route. Sit for a moment with your eyes closed when you start your computer. Check email only twice a day. Don't pack your schedule so tightly that there's no time for a short walk. Light candles before you start to cook dinner. Add one moment here and there for slowness; it can be done simply and will have a profound effect on your well-being. Adapted from an article by Marco Visscher & Jay Walljasper, Ode Magazine, Issue #15, www.odemagazine.com Need help getting SLOW this season?  Want to get ready for the holiday season in the right way? I would love to discuss your goals and dreams with you! Call me for a consultation at 561-578-9492 or email me fitchicmelissa@gmail.com Sincerely, Melissa Binkey Healthy Healing Habits Food Focus:Fats and Oils Not all oils and fats are created equal. Heavily processed, hydrogenated, "trans" fats and oils that are used in prepared, packaged foods can be extremely damaging to the body. However, fats and oils from whole foods and other high-quality sources can steady our metabolism, keep hormone levels even, nourish our skin, hair and nails and provide lubrication to keep the body functioning fluidly. Our bodies also need fat for insulation and to protect and hold our organs in place. A healthy percentage of high-quality fat in a meal satisfies and leaves feelings of energy, fulfillment and warmth. When there are excess fats and oils in the diet, especially heavily processed fats, symptoms can include weight gain, skin breakouts, high blood pressure, liver strain and an overall feeling of mental, physical and emotional heaviness. Signs of insufficient high-quality fats are brittle hair and nails, dry skin, hunger after meals and feeling cold. There are many sources of healthy fats and oils: For sautéing and baking, try butter, ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil because they do not break down when used at high temperatures. When sautéing foods at moderate temperatures, try organic extra virgin olive oil. Oils like flaxseed, sesame, toasted sesame, walnut and pumpkin seed are best used unheated in sauces

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Changing One Life at a Time

I recently went to Whole Foods in South Beach, a place a used to frequent daily, when I lived within walking distance of it, a few years ago.  Now I usually stop in on occasion when I am in the Miami area taking care of my few "special" clients that I am willing to keep and make the drive from Fort Lauderdale to help.  On this occasion my partner and I were shopping for something healthy  for my weekly competition "Yummy" meal.  Some call it a "cheat meal", but the negative connotation lives me feeling guilty for something that is supposed to revitalize you. As we were shopping we stopped to speak to a guy handing out samples of a new wine.  Of course I couldn't try it, but I happily got a sample for my girlfriend.  I vaguely recognized the guy, but couldn't place the memory.  After a brief conversation we moved on.

I was finishing my grocery shopping when the guy from the Wine Sample Table came chasing after me, "Are you Melissa?" he said.  I looked at him curiously and before I could answer he continued "You used to train at Crunch on Washington Avenue?"
 "Yes!" I answered excitedly remembering my stint as a Personal Trainer at the gym before moving on to expand my career.
He went on to make many wonderful exclamations as he reintroduced himself as Seth and explained that I had been his trainer at Crunch and had changed his life.  As he began to tell me his story I began to recall the vague memory.  He obviously looked completely different now, fifty pounds lighter than the last time I had seen him.

Seth came to me when I was working at Crunch for advice and training after being very sick.  Due to his illness the doctors had prescribed steroids to help him get better, but unfortunately the drugs had caused him to gain over 70 pounds in the previous year.  He was unhealthy and unhappy and unsure where to begin.  I coached him through proper training techniques, gave him nutritional advice, guided his eating habits, and worked with him to maximize his workouts for better, more efficient results.  These simple little steps are things many of us take for granted and think are so easily accessible and achievable.  But without knowledge most people are lost like Seth was.

I moved from Crunch and soon forgot about Seth. But Seth did not forget about me.  He says that he took everything he learned from me from when we worked together and kept applying to his life and training.  He said I changed his life.  He looks healthy and happy and had lost an additional 50 pounds since the last time I had seen him which had been over a year ago.

His story sent chills down my spine and brought tears to my eyes.  This STORY is the reason why I LOVE my career and what I do.  I am in the business of saving lives and changing them forever.  I am not God, but in many ways we as fitness professionals have the power to touch people and the ripple effect will be felt long after we are gone.  I touched one life and that one life will multiply into something greater.  I feel blessed to have the ability to help, inspire, and teach.  Do ever second guess the little things you do that make huge differences in other peoples lives.  I was just doing what I would do for anybody and the reward is amazing!