9 Signs You’re Overstressed (And Don’t Know It)

Stress can be the underlying reason for many of our ailments. It lowers the immune system, causing us to get sick and acquire pain in the body. Stress enables us to function in a balanced manner, and while under stress we can’t see the many symptoms it conjures up. WebMD explains stress as: “…any change in the environment that requires your body to react and adjust in response. The body reacts to these changes with physical, mental, and emotional responses. Stress is a normal part of life. Many events that happen to you and around you — and many things that you do yourself — put stress on your body. You can experience good or bad forms of stress from your environment, your body, and your thoughts.”

When we are overstressed, we might not even feel the stress, as it masks itself under several symptoms.

HERE ARE 9 SIGNS THAT YOU ARE OVERSTRESSED AND DON’T EVEN KNOW IT

1. YOUR BODY IS IN PAIN.

We don’t listen to the whispers of the body until pain starts to scream. Under high stress levels, your body will start to break down. You can experience stomach issues, diarrhea, ulcers, tense muscles, chest pains and palpitations. You will get aches all over, arthritis will flare up, and even headaches will be screaming for your attention. Whenever you have pain in your body, become aware of it. Do not ignore the symptoms. Address what’s going on. It isn’t just stress management that helps you heal. Acceptance and awareness, that change is required, is the first step to deal with stress management.

2. YOU AREN’T SLEEPING WELL.

Any fluctuation in sleep patterns, either sleeping too much from exhaustion, or insomnia, needs to be addressed. Meditation, exercise and a healthy balance diet help with sleep issues. But, ultimately you need to find a root to the problem. Are you worrying too much at night? When you are sleeping, are you having nightmares? Our daily events get played out in the subconscious. Sleep, or lack of it, gets affected. Stress impedes a peaceful state of mind. Sleeping patterns do change with age and environmental factors, however, when you are overstressed, sleep is one of the first things that gets affected.

3. YOU HAVE WEIGHT FLUCTUATIONS.

Are you over eating or forgetting to eat? Stress will slow down your metabolism and you will gain weight. Change in appetite is a radar to our emotional and physical bodies and how we are being affected. If you are worrying and not addressing the issues, it can also find you losing weight quickly. When we are overstressed, cells do not get enough oxygen. Food is energy and what we put in the body is a sign of how we handle things. Are you eating too many sweets? Are you not eating enough? The body is a vehicle, and how we treat it is based on our mental capacity to deal with emotional issues.

4. YOU CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT WORK OR PROBLEMS.

If you can’t shut down work, finances, and other challenges for a while to find balance, stress has a hold of your life. Mark Twain said, “Worrying is like paying a debt you don’t owe.” You cannot find a solution until you detach from the problem. The excessive chit chat of worrying can escalate to cause psychological and physical problems. If you are constantly checking your phone, emails, and other forms of communication from work, it is time to really face what’s important in your life. Stress is suffocating you.

5. YOU CAN’T SIT STILL.

Avoiding being still is a huge form of being overstressed. If you can’t go for a walk, sit in contemplation, do gentle stretching exercises or just be with your own thoughts, there is a chance you are overly stressed. If anxiety is constant and you can’t relax to even read a book, it’s time to address what’s causing you to avoid being still. Sometimes the mind is the worst enemy. It’s time you get help with managing your anxiety and fears. Stress can be triggered by an imbalance in the emotional body. Things we avoid get pushed further and further down until we feel it in other areas of the body.

6. YOU HAVE LITTLE PATIENCE WITH OTHERS.

One of the first symptoms of being over stressed is the inability to have patience or tolerance with others. Our loved ones get the wrath of being under tremendous stress. If you are snapping or getting angry quickly, most likely you are being tormented by too much in your life. It’s not easy to carry the world on your shoulders. Sometimes we need to be vulnerable and ask for help. The lack of patience in others, and in yourself, is a sign that you need to slow down and smell the roses.

7. YOU HAVE MAJOR MOOD SWINGS.

Our mental health gets affected when stress levels rise. If you find yourself happy one moment, and then immediately crying or enraged, your hormones may be affected by too much stress. Bottling up things inside and carrying everything alone, doesn’t help. Get help. Talk to others. Make time to find out what’s truly causing you to behave this way. Stress does not only injure the body, but it also compromises and hurts relationships. Stress can enhance anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders and addictions (from alcohol, drugs, sexual or food) and other mental health issues.

8. YOU HAVE HAIR LOSS.

According to Carolyn Jacob, MD, founder and medical director of Chicago Cosmetic Surgery and Dermatology, “Typically, people shed about 100 hairs a day. Most people don’t even notice. Sometimes, a significant stress of sort may spark a change in your body’s routine physiological functions, and cause a disproportionate number of hairs to go into the resting phase at the same time. Then three to four months later, sometimes longer, all those resting hairs are shed. The effect can be alarming. The types of events that disrupt the normal hair cycle can be caused by the substantial physiological stresses on your body.” So, if you are experiencing a change in hair loss by the masses, it’s time you take a look at what’s emotionally causing these physical changes.

9. YOU HAVE A LOSS OF LIBIDO.

The loss of libido is one of the subjects most people do not address under stress. They won’t even acknowledge it to themselves or their partners. Whenever stress levels increase, the stress hormone secretions responsible for sexual response get affected. Stress causes exhaustion and the inability to experience any kind of intimacy. If you are experiencing a decrease or loss in your libido, it may be time to try stress management and other relaxation techniques. Ultimately your mate shouldn’t be affected by outer issues that aren’t part of your loving relationship. Express your fear and your concerns. Once it’s in the open, it no longer has power over you.

SOURCE: powerofpositivity.com

7 Tips for Disciplining Your Toddler

Toddlers Behaving Badly

As a 2-year-old, Nathaniel Lampros, of Sandy, Utah, was fascinated with toy swords and loved to duel with Kenayde, his 4-year-old sister. But inevitably, he'd whack her in the head, she'd dissolve in tears, and Angela, their mother, would come running to see what had happened. She'd ask Nathaniel to apologize, as well as give Kenayde a hug and make her laugh to pacify hurt feelings. If he resisted, Angela would put her son in time-out.

"I worried that Nathaniel would never outgrow his rough behavior, and there were days when I'd get so frustrated with him that I'd end up crying," recalls Lampros, now a mother of four. "But I really wanted Nathaniel to play nicely, so I did my best to teach him how to do it."

For many mothers, doling out effective discipline is one of the toughest and most frustrating tasks of parenting, a seemingly never-ending test of wills between you and your child. Because just when your 2-year-old "gets" that she can't thump her baby brother in the head with a doll, she'll latch on to another bothersome behavior -- and the process starts anew.

What exactly does it mean to "discipline" a toddler? Some people equate it with spanking and punishment, but that's not what we're talking about. As many parenting experts see it, discipline is about setting rules to stop your little one from engaging in behavior that's aggressive (hitting and biting), dangerous (running out in the street), and inappropriate (throwing food). It's also about following through with consequences when he breaks the rules -- or what Linda Pearson, a Denver-based psychiatric nurse practitioner who specializes in family and parent counseling, calls "being a good boss." Here are seven strategies that can help you set limits and stop bad behavior.

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1. Pick Your Battles

"If you're always saying, 'No, no, no,' your child will tune out the no and won't understand your priorities," says Pearson, author of The Discipline Miracle (AMACOM). "Plus you can't possibly follow through on all of the nos.'" Define what's important to you, set limits accordingly, and follow through with appropriate consequences. Then ease up on little things that are annoying but otherwise fall into the "who cares?" category -- the habits your child is likely to outgrow, such as insisting on wearing purple (and only purple).

For Anna Lucca, of Washington, D.C., that means letting her 2-1/2-year-old daughter trash her bedroom before she dozes off for a nap. "I find books and clothes scattered all over the floor when Isabel wakes up, so she must get out of bed to play after I put her down," Lucca says. "I tell her not to make a mess, but she doesn't listen. Rather than try to catch her in the act and say, 'No, no, no,' I make her clean up right after her nap." Lucca is also quick to praise Isabel for saying please and sharing toys with her 5-month-old sister. "Hopefully, the positive reinforcement will encourage Isabel to do more of the good behavior -- and less of the bad," she says.

2. Know Your Child's Triggers

Some misbehavior is preventable -- as long as you can anticipate what will spark it and you create a game plan in advance, such as removing tangible temptations. This strategy worked for Jean Nelson, of Pasadena, California, after her 2-year-old son took delight in dragging toilet paper down the hall, giggling as the roll unfurled behind him. "The first two times Luke did it, I told him, 'No,' but when he did it a third time, I moved the toilet paper to a high shelf in the bathroom that he couldn't reach," Nelson says. "For a toddler, pulling toilet paper is irresistible fun. It was easier to take it out of his way than to fight about it."

If your 18-month-old is prone to grabbing cans off grocery store shelves, bring along some toys for him to play with in the cart while you're shopping. If your 2-year-old won't share her stuffed animals during playdates at home, remove them from the designated play area before her pal arrives. And if your 3-year-old likes to draw on the walls, stash the crayons in an out-of-reach drawer and don't let him color without supervision. Also, some children act out when they're hungry, overtired, or frustrated from being cooped up inside, says Harvey Karp, MD, creator of the DVD and book The Happiest Toddler on the Block (Bantam). Make sure your child eats healthy snacks, gets enough sleep (a minimum of 10 hours at night, plus a one- to two-hour nap), and plays outside to burn off energy -- even in chilly weather.

3. Be Consistent

"Between the ages of 2 and 3, children are working hard to understand how their behavior impacts the people around them," says Claire Lerner, LCSW, director of parenting resources with Zero to Three, a nationwide nonprofit promoting the healthy development of babies and toddlers. "If your reaction to a situation keeps changing -- one day you let your son throw a ball in the house and the next you don't -- you'll confuse him with mixed signals."

There's no timetable as to how many incidents and reprimands it will take before your child stops a certain misbehavior. But if you always respond the same way, he'll probably learn his lesson after four or five times. Consistency was key for Orly Isaacson, of Bethesda, Maryland, when her 18-month-old went through a biting phase. Each time Sasha chomped on Isaacson's finger, she used a louder-than-usual voice to correct her -- "Nooooooooo, Sasha! Don't bite! That hurts Mommy!" -- and then handed her a toy as a distraction. "I'm very low-key, so raising my voice startled Sasha and got the message across fast," she says. A caveat: by age 2, many kids learn how to make their parents lose resolve just by being cute. Don't let your child's tactics sway you -- no matter how cute (or clever) they are.

4. Don't Get Emotional

Sure, it's hard to stay calm when your 18-month-old yanks the dog's tail or your 3-year-old refuses to brush his teeth for the gazillionth night in a row. But if you scream in anger, the message you're trying to send will get lost and the situation will escalate -- fast. "When a child is flooded with a parent's negative mood, he'll see the emotion and won't hear what you're saying," explains William Coleman, MD, professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina Medical School, in Chapel Hill. Indeed, an angry reaction will only enhance the entertainment value for your child, so resist the urge to raise your voice. Take a deep breath, count to three, and get down to your child's eye level. Be fast and firm, serious and stern when you deliver the reprimand.

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5. Keep It Short and Simple

If you're like most first-time mothers, you tend to reason with your child when she breaks rules, offering detailed explanations about what she did wrong and issuing detailed threats about the privileges she'll lose if she doesn't stop misbehaving. But as a discipline strategy, overtalking is as ineffective as becoming overly emotional, warns Dr. Coleman. While an 18-month-old lacks the cognitive ability to understand complex sentences, a 2- or 3-year-old with more developed language skills still lacks the attention span to absorb what you're saying. Instead, speak in short phrases, repeating them a few times and incorporating vocal inflections and facial expressions, Dr. Coleman advises. For example, if your 18-month-old swats your arm, say, "No, Jake! Don't hit Mommy! That hurts! No hitting. No hitting." A 2-year-old can comprehend a bit more: "Evan, no jumping on the sofa! No jumping. Jumping is dangerous -- you could fall. No jumping!" And a 3-year-old can process cause and effect, so state the consequences of the behavior: "Ashley, your teeth need to be brushed. You can brush them -- or I can brush them for you. You decide. The longer it takes, the less time we'll have to read Dr. Seuss."

6. Give a Time-Out

If repeated reprimands, redirection, and loss of privileges haven't cured your child of his offending behavior, consider putting him in time-out for a minute per year of age. "This is an excellent discipline tool for kids who are doing the big-time no-nos," Dr. Karp explains. Before imposing a time-out, put a serious look on your face and give a warning in a stern tone of voice ("I'm counting to three, and if you don't stop, you're going to time-out. One, two, THREE!"). If she doesn't listen, take her to the quiet and safe spot you've designated for time-outs, and set a timer. When it goes off, ask her to apologize and give her a big hug to convey that you're not angry. "Nathaniel hated going to time-out for hitting his sister with the plastic sword, but I was clear about the consequences and stuck with it," says Angela Lampros. "After a few weeks, he learned his lesson." Indeed, toddlersdon't like to be separated from their parents and toys, so eventually the mere threat of a time-out should be enough to stop them in their tracks.

7. Stay Positive

No matter how frustrated you feel about your child's misbehavior, don't vent about it in front of him. "If people heard their boss at work say, 'I don't know what to do with my employees. They run the company, and I feel powerless to do anything about it,' they'd lose respect for him and run the place even more," says Pearson. "It's the same thing when children hear their parents speak about them in a hopeless or negative way. They won't have a good image of you as their boss, and they'll end up repeating the behavior."

Still, it's perfectly normal to feel exasperated from time to time. If you reach that point, turn to your spouse, your pediatrician, or a trusted friend for support and advice.

Ages & Stages

Effective discipline starts with understanding where your child falls on the developmental spectrum. Our guide:

• At 18 months your child is curious, fearless, impulsive, mobile, and clueless about the consequences of her actions -- a recipe for trouble. "My image of an 18-month-old is a child who's running down the hall away from his mother but looking over his shoulder to see if she's there and then running some more," says William Coleman, MD, professor of pediatrics at the Center for Development and Learning at the University of North Carolina Medical School, in Chapel Hill. "Though he's building a vocabulary and can follow simple instructions, he can't effectively communicate his needs or understand lengthy reprimands. He may bite or hit to register his displeasure -- or to get your attention. Consequences of misbehavior must be immediate. Indeed, if you wait even 10 minutes to react, he won't remember what he did wrong or tie his action to the consequence, says Linda Pearson, a Denver-based psychiatric nurse practitioner.
• At age 2 your child is using her developing motor skills to test limits, by running, jumping, throwing, and climbing. She's speaking a few words at a time, she becomes frustrated when she can't get her point across, and she's prone to tantrums. She's also self-centered and doesn't like to share. "People call it the terrible twos, but it's really the 'autonomous twos,'" Dr. Coleman says. Consequences should be swift, as a 2-year-old is unable to grasp time. But since she still lacks impulse control, give her another chance soon after the incident, says Claire Lerner, LCSW, director of parenting resources with Zero to Three, a nationwide nonprofit promoting the healthy development of babies and toddlers.
• At age 3 your child is now a chatterbox; he's using language to argue his point of view. Since he loves to be with other children and has boundless energy, he may have a tough time playing quietly at home. "Taking a 3-year-old to a gym or karate class will give him the social contact he craves and let him release energy," says Harvey Karp, MD, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of California-Los Angeles Medical School. "At this age, kids need that as much as they need affection and food." He also knows right from wrong, understands cause and effect, and retains information for several hours. Consequences can be delayed for maximum impact, and explanations can be more detailed. For example, if he hurls Cheerios at his sister, remind him about the no-food-throwing rule and explain that if he does it again, he won't get to watch Blues Clues. If he continues to throw food, take it away from him. When he asks to watch TV, say, "Remember when Mommy told you not to throw cereal -- and you did anyway? Well, Mommy said the consequence is no Blues Clues today."

Freelance writer Cynthia Hanson lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and well-behaved 5-year-old son.

Originally published in American Baby magazine, February 2007.

All content here, including advice from doctors and other health professionals, should be considered as opinion only. Always seek the direct advice of your own doctor in connection with any questions or issues you may have regarding your own health or the health of others.

SOURCE: parents.com

Communication Tips to PArents

Be available for your children

• Notice times when your kids are most likely to talk — for example, at bedtime, before dinner, in the car — and be available.
• Start the conversation; it lets your kids know you care about what's happening in their lives.
• Find time each week for a one-on-one activity with each child, and avoid scheduling other activities during that time.
• Learn about your children's interests — for example, favorite music and activities — and show interest in them.
• Initiate conversations by sharing what you have been thinking about rather than beginning a conversation with a question.

Let your kids know you're listening

• When your children are talking about concerns, stop whatever you are doing and listen.
• Express interest in what they are saying without being intrusive.
• Listen to their point of view, even if it's difficult to hear.
• Let them complete their point before you respond.
• Repeat what you heard them say to ensure that you understand them correctly.

Respond in a way your children will hear

• Soften strong reactions; kids will tune you out if you appear angry or defensive.
• Express your opinion without putting down theirs; acknowledge that it's okay to disagree.
• Resist arguing about who is right. Instead say, "I know you disagree with me, but this is what I think."
• Focus on your child's feelings rather than your own during your conversation.

Remember:

• Ask your children what they may want or need from you in a conversation, such as advice, simply listening, help in dealing with feelings or help solving a problem.
• Kids learn by imitating. Most often, they will follow your lead in how they deal with anger, solve problems and work through difficult feelings.
• Talk to your children — don't lecture, criticize, threaten or say hurtful things.
• Kids learn from their own choices. As long as the consequences are not dangerous, don't feel you have to step in.
• Realize your children may test you by telling you a small part of what is bothering them. Listen carefully to what they say, encourage them to talk and they may share the rest of the story.

Parenting is hard work

• Listening and talking is the key to a healthy connection between you and your children. But parenting is hard work and maintaining a good connection with teens can be challenging, especially since parents are dealing with many other pressures. If you are having problems over an extended period of time, you might want to consider consulting with a mental health professional to find out how they can help.

SOURCE: American Psychological Association 

6 Genius Tips to Keep Kids Safe When You Get Separated in Crowds

The Short of It

You can never be too cautious when it comes to taking kids to crowded summer places, and these creative—and easy!—tips can help keep your children a little safer during your next trip to the farmers market or water park.

The Lowdown

Ahh, summer! It means beaches, concerts and outdoor music festivals. They sound so inviting, but they all mean one thing: crowds. They're annoying for grown-ups and often downright scary for little kids—what happens if you get separated?

The police department in Clovis, Calif., recently posted on its Facebook page a couple preventive safety hacks for when you take little ones to crowded public places.

"Taking your young child to a big event, theme park, or other busy location?" the post reads. "Write your phone number on their wrist and cover it with liquid band-aid in case you get separated."

They also suggested taking a pic of your kids with your cell phone the morning of the eventso you'll have an up-to-date photo and know exactly what they were wearing.

The tips were part of a re-post from a few months back, but that didn't stop them from quickly going viral, racking up more than 23,000 shares.

Child development expert Dr. Deborah Gilboa told Today that both of the police deparment's tips are very effective. She also shared her personal strategies for when she takes her own kids out in public.

• For starters, she says you should teach any child over the age of 4 to memorize your cell phone number. "If they can learn a song, they can learn a number," she explains. "Being able to tell a safety officer how to get in touch with their grown-up will teach kids a valuable life skill and also help them calm down."
• Then once you get to your destination, Gilboa says it's important to point out to your child the people who work there."Help them identify employees or lifeguards," she says. "And then make sure they can tell you how they know that person works here (has a radio on their belt, is wearing a particular shirt, has a nametag) so that they can figure it out without you."
• If you're at an event with assigned seating, like a concert or baseball game, Gilboa suggestsgiving your kids their own seat ticket to hold onto or put in their pocket. "Most security guards and ushers will bring kids back to their seat if they know where it is or have their ticket stub," she explains.
• And finally, we know it sounds scary, but assume you'll get separated and have a plan in place. "Give your kids lots of reminders about staying together, but also talk about what you'll do when you can't find each other," Gilboa says. "This makes kids less scared when it happens and makes the whole group more prepared."

Source: parenting.com

5 Ways to Teach Your Children Civility and Why It Matters Now

Teaching civility doesn't have to involve preachy lectures or onerous rules. The great thing about kids is that they're sponges—they absorb everything we say and do! So the best move that you as a parent can make is to model the behavior you want to see your child adopt. Here are a few helpful tips for teaching and modeling the civility that will help your children make the world a better place (but no pressure!):

1. Look out

By this I mean, look outside yourself, and encourage your children to do the same. Encourage them to notice other kids who may be alone on the playground or at school and who might enjoy some company. Help them observe and recognize signs of emotions in other people. For example, use a mirror to experiment with facial expressions and discuss the corresponding emotions, so they have a sense when others are feeling sad or fearful and can offer comfort.

2. Model tolerance and acceptance

Children are naturally curious and observant of differences. But they'll also follow your lead: When you and your child see someone who is noticeably different from you (whether through disability or age or any other distinguishing feature), show your child by your easygoing response that thesedifferences are meant to be accepted and understood. If your child has questions, answer them in a matter-of-fact manner, without staring or pointing.

3. Teach manners

Sometimes it really is the little things that count the most. Children who learn to say "Please" and "Thank you" and "May I" create a civil environment that generates a positive response in everyone around them. (Who doesn't love a 3-year-old who says, "May I have some water please, Dad?")

4. Serve the community

Get your children involved in community service at an early age. Kids love being given a small task to do that they can easily manage—it gives them a great sense of accomplishment and pride—and all the more so when they know it's helping other people or making their community better. Children can put sandwiches inside lunch bags for distribution at a local soup kitchen. They can gather toys or clothes they no longer use for donation to a shelter. They can (while wearing gloves!) help pick up trash during a beach clean-up or a civic pride event. There are many ways to participate in the life of your community, and your child will grow up understanding that this is just what good citizens do.

More from Parenting: Community Service Ideas for Kids

5. Walk the talk

Try to set a positive example in all that you say and do. No one's a saint, and no one is perfect, but making the effort shows that you believe it's important and worthwhile—and your child will learn that, too.

As hard as it sometimes is to believe, we will survive these uncivil times. And I feel truly hopeful that with the right foundation at home, today's children can create a more tolerant and generous world in the future. I'd even turn on my television to see that!

Source: parenting.com 

Healthy Living Tip 1

Your first step toward healthy living is to get a handle on your health status right now. Here's your to-do list:

Make appointments with your doctor and dentist. Catch up on your routine screening and immunizations, and take the opportunity to ask your doctor any questions you might have.
Gauge your girth. Measure your height and weight to check your BMI, and measure your waist circumference to see if you're overweight and if your waistline is putting your health at risk.
Assess your activity. How much physical activity do you get in a typical week? How intense is that activity? How much variety do you get in your activity, and how much do you enjoy it? The CDC recommends that adults get at least two and a half hours per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or one hour and 15 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, plus muscle-strengthening activities at least two days per week.
Keep a food diary. Write down everything you eat for a day -- and no fair skipping the items you're embarrassed about. "The idea is to write it down ... without judgment," says Kathianne Sellers Williams, MEd, RD, LD, a nutritionist, wellness coach, and personal trainer with Cafe Physique in Atlanta. "You can't change what you're not aware of or don't acknowledge."
Check your mood and energy. Healthy living includes emotional wellness and adequate rest. How has your mood been lately? Are you experiencing any symptoms of depression or anxiety? Do you usually sleep well for seven to eight hours a night?
Consider your social network. How strong are your connections with family and friends? Are you plugged in with social or spiritual groups that enrich your life? "People have a fundamental need for positive and lasting relationships," C. Nathan DeWall, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky, tells WebMD.
If you're not thrilled with the answers to some of those questions, remember that the point is to figure out where you are today so you can set your healthy living goals. It's not about being "good" or "bad," "right" or "wrong."

SOURCE: http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/healthy-living-8-steps-to-take-today

6 Most Fun Moves in Country Heat

When it comes to workout motivation, the science is unequivocal: “Studies show that if you’re doing something you love, and you see results, you’re more likely to keep doing it,” says Autumn Calabrese, creator of the new country-dance inspired workout program Country Heat. “That’s what makes Country Heat so effective—who doesn’t love dancing? And when you see how much weight you’re losing by doing the workouts and following the nutrition plan, there will be no stopping you.”

In short, Country Heat uses fun as a powerful transformation tool, and the moves that follow are six of Calabrese’s favorites. “They will give you a taste of what you’ll find in the complete program,” says Calabrese. “You’ll be enjoying yourself so much, you won’t even realize how hard you’re working or how many calories you’re burning.”

Ride The Horse
“This is a fun move that starts easy but ends with your heart pumping and your legs burning,” says Calabrese.

How to do it: Spread your feet wide, raise your right arm above your head, and hold your left arm out straight in front of your chest. Now alternately lift one foot off the floor as you swing your right arm like your twirling a lasso.

Jump Low
“I love how much this move works your legs and butt,” says Calabrese. “It’s not hard, but it’s incredibly effective.”

How to do it: Stand with your feet together and your hands by your sides. Hop up and rotate left. When you land, immediately drop into a half squat and bring your hands together in front of your chest. Jump up and spread your legs in the air, landing with your arms by your sides and your left heel forward and the ball of your right foot back. Jump up again, bringing your feet and hands back together, and dropping into a half squat when you land. Repeat three times total, and then repeat to your right, moving your right foot forward each time you jump into a staggered stance.

Rocking Guitar
“This move is super high energy,” says Calabrese. “I love that it’s simple to do and brings the heart rate up to burn calories.”
How to do it: Position your hands like you’re playing the air guitar, working the fretboard with your left and strumming with your right. Now turn to your left and hop to the right four times on your left foot as you kick forward with your right foot. Switch hand positions and hop left four times on your right foot while kicking forward with your left foot.

Pancake Flip
“This move brings in the tiniest bit of hip hop flare to the workout,” says Calabrese. “Just try not to have fun while doing it—you won’t be able to.”
How to do it: Take a big step to your left with you left foot, and pump both arms twice like you’re flipping pancakes. Take a big step to your right with your right foot, and flip those pancakes two more times. Now take four small steps back, starting with your left foot. With each step, flip a pancake with the opposite arm.

Under The Table
“This move is deceptively hard,” says Calabrese. “It looks like it should be easy, but boy does it work your legs.”
How to do it: From a standing position, take a big step to your left and descend into a squat, lowering your torso down and up in an arc from right to left (like you’re ducking under a table). Reverse the movement to return to a standing position, and then scoot your feet three times to your left, and three times back to your right.

Wonky Feet
“This is my favorite fun move,” says Calabrese. “It’s carefree, and reminds of being a kid, bouncing around and being silly.”
How to do it: From a standing position, take three small steps forward on your toes, starting with your left foot. Pump your heels inward once after each of the first two steps, and twice after the third step. Now take three steps back, pumping your heels in the same way.

Visit our website and let me teach you about country heat. http://www.befitwithme.com/

Article Source: Teambeachbody -Fitness- Author Trevor Thieme

The Country Heat Program

The Country Heat program includes:

6 SMOKIN' WORKOUTS ON 3 DVDS

You'll get 6 high-energy, low-impact routines that help scorch calories and incinerate fat in 30 minutes max. And every workout has a step-by-step breakdown of all the moves, plus a modifier to show you how to make the moves even easier.

No weights or equipment needed for these total-body workouts—just jump in and start dancing!

• COUNTRY SWING
  Go a little wild with songs like "Young & Crazy" while you crank up the calorie burn with moves like the Grease Step and 2-Timing Hop.
• GIDDY UP
  Stomp your feet as you speed up your heart rate. Moves like Scuff Squats and Saddle Jumps work your legs and glutes, but songs like "Fake ID" help you forget you're burning major calories!
• DOWN AND DIRTY
  Get down to the songs "Sideways" and "Footloose" and feel the fire in every muscle, while steps like Rocking Horse and Mule Kicks can send your metabolism soaring.
• BRING THE HEAT
  Autumn mixes up the tempo to blast your entire body with high-energy moves set to "I Like It, I Love It" and other hot songs that get your heart pumping, so you can get fit fast.
• TRAIL RIDE
  Blitz the fat in no time flat! There's no cooling your heels when you're doing the Summertime Stomp to tunes like "Bar Hoppin'" and "Be My Baby Tonight."
• DANCE CONDITIONING
  Follow Autumn's most effective toning and conditioning moves that use your own body weight to help build muscle and sculpt your sexiest body yet.

TOOLS TO GET YOU ON THE RIGHT TRACK—AND KEEP THOSE RESULTS COMING

7 Portion-Control Containers and Shakeology^® Shaker Cup
Now you're in control of your food. These color-coded containers help you eat what you love—in just the right amounts—so you can lose weight safely and sustainably.

• Eating Plan
  Diets don't work when you feel deprived. So Autumn found a simple way to help you lose weight, while still letting you enjoy the foods you love. Her Eating Plan and recipes make it easy. And you don't have to count calories, buy special foods, or stay home when everyone else is eating out.
• Quickstart Guide
  Autumn wants you to jump right in and dance from Day One. This guide will show you exactly where to start—and what to do next.
• 30-Day Calendar
  Autumn put all the workouts in just the right order to keep you in the groove and motivated, so the results keep coming. And there's tons of variety so you'll never get bored. Just follow the calendar, and you never have to guess which workout to do each day.

PLUS, GET A FREE BONUS WORKOUT

NIGHT CRAWL LINE DANCE WORKOUT
Hit the dance floor with Autumn's all-original choreography set to a brand-new song, written by a top country artist exclusively for Country Heat!

Visit my website for more details,  http://www.befitwithme.com/

Country Heat Meal Preparation

It’s time to turn up the heat, y’all! With Autumn Calabrese’s new workout program, Country Heat, you’re going to heat things up on the dance floor and in the kitchen. This program will have you moving and grooving to the hottest country tunes, and making healthy foods that are worthy of any Southern cookout. With Autumn’s eating plan and calorie-scorching workouts, you can eat your favorite foods and still reach your weight-loss goals.

For the 30-day program, you’ll use portion-control containers to measure out the exact amount of food you need each day. They’re color coded to match the different types of food. Green is veggies, purple is fruits, red is protein, yellow is carbs, blue is healthy fats, and oranges is for seeds and dressings. These containers are also excellent for transporting your meals!

Depending on your calorie range, you’ll be allotted a certain number of containers each day. You can figure out your calorie range by using the formula found on page four of your County Heat Eating Plan packet, and the Container Plan Chart found on page five.
To get you started on your Country Heat experience, we created a complete, five-day meal prep plan for the 1,800–2,099 calorie level (Plan C). For this plan, you get:

• 5 green containers
• 3 purple containers
• 5 red containers
• 4 yellow containers
• 1 blue, container
• 1 orange container
• 5 teaspoons

This meal prep menu incorporates some comfort food favorites that are tweaked to be healthier so you can still enjoy the food you love. Follow the step-by-step guide below to make it the meals as quickly and efficiently as possible.

This Week’s Meal Prep Menu:
Breakfast (M/W/F): Hard boiled eggs, turkey bacon, sautéed spinach, oatmeal, and apples.
Breakfast (T/TH): Greek yogurt, whole-grain cereal, blueberries, turkey, and asparagus.
Shakeology Snack: Shakeology, kale, berries, and nut butter.
Lunch (M/W/F): Shrimp with snow peas, broccoli, sunflower seeds, brown rice, and black beans.
Lunch (T/TH): Mixed salad with grilled chicken, quinoa, edamame, corn, and sunflower seeds.
Afternoon Snack: Almonds and berries.
Dinner: (M/W/F): Grilled chicken with sautéed kale.
Dinner: (T/TH): Grilled steak with sautéed carrots.

Here’s what your meal prep for the week will look like when you’re done.

BREAKFASTS

M/W/F: 2 hard-boiled eggs, 4 slices turkey bacon, 1 cup sautéed spinach, 1 cup cooked oatmeal with cinnamon and 1 cup sliced apples = 2 red, 2 yellow, 1 purple, 1 green

T/TH: ¾ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt sprinkled with ground cinnamon, ½ cup whole-grain cereal with 1 cup blueberries (not shown), 6 turkey slices with 10 asparagus spears = 2 red, 2 yellow, 1 purple, 1 green

SHAKEOLOGY SNACK

Water, Shakeology with 1 cup kale, 1 cup berries, 2 tsp. sunflower seed butter = 1 red, 1 purple, 1 green, 2 tsp.

LUNCHES

M/W/F: 4 oz. shrimp cooked in 1 tsp. olive oil with a no-salt seasoning mix, 1 cup steamed snow peas, 1 cup steamed broccoli with 2 Tbsp. sunflower seeds, and ½ cup cooked brown rice with ½ cup black beans and fresh cilantro to taste = 1 red, 2 green, 2 yellow, 1 orange, 1 tsp.

T/TH: Mixed salad (1 cup spinach, ⅓ cup cucumbers, ⅓ cup tomatoes, ⅓ cup bell peppers), 3 oz. grilled chicken breast cooked in 1 tsp. olive oil, ½ cup quinoa with ¼ cup edamame and ¼ cup corn topped with 2 Tbsp. sesame seeds = 1 red, 2 green, 2 yellow, 1 orange, 1 tsp.

SNACK

12 raw whole almonds with 1 cup berries = 1 blue, 1 purple

DINNERS

M/W/F: 3 oz. grilled chicken breast with no-salt seasoning mix and 1 tsp. olive oil and 1 cup kale sautéed in 1 tsp. olive oil = 1 red, 1 green, 2 tsp.

T/TH: 3 oz. steak grilled with 1 tsp. olive oil and no-salt seasoning mix and 1 cup carrots sautéed in 1 tsp. olive oil (with spice or fresh herbs) = 1 red, 1 green, 2 tsp.

GROCERY LIST

Protein:
half dozen eggs
12 oz shrimp
15 oz chicken breast
6 oz steak
12 slices turkey bacon
12 turkey slices
5 packets Shakeology
1½ cups reduced fat (2%) plain Greek yogurt

Fruit:
3 apples
2 cups blueberries
10 cups mixed berries

Vegetables:
3 cups snow peas
3 cups broccoli
8 cups kale
7 cups spinach
1 cucumber
1 carton cherry tomatoes
1 bell pepper
1 bag kale
½ cup edamame
20 asparagus spears
2 cups carrots
1 bunch cilantro

Dry and Canned Goods:
1½ cups uncooked oatmeal, steel cut
1 cup whole grain cereal
½ cup uncooked brown rice
¼ cup uncooked quinoa
10 tsp. sunflower seed butter
6 Tbsp sesame seeds
2.5 oz almonds
1 can black beans
1 can corn

Pantry:
cinnamon
olive oil
no-salt seasoning mix

Your step-by-step plan to assemble the meal prep:

1. Place six eggs in a saucepan, and add enough water to cover the eggs by one inch. Bring water just to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 12 minutes. While eggs cook, prepare a large bowl of ice water. Carefully remove the eggs from the hot water with a slotted spoon and transfer to the ice water. Place in refrigerator.

2. In a large pan, heat 3 tsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add 5 cups spinach and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until kale is wilted.

3. Prepare the oatmeal: Bring about 4 cups of water to a boil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1½ cup steel-cut oatmeal. Reduce heat to low. Gently boil, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes, or until thick and soft. Remove from heat. Divide evenly between three food storage containers, and sprinkle with cinnamon.

4. Slice three apples and divide evenly between three food storage containers. Add 4 slices turkey bacon to each container.

5. Heat oven to 400°F. Arrange 20 asparagus spears on a baking sheet, and season with Himalayan salt if desired. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender crisp. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for 20 minutes. Divide asparagus evenly between two food storage containers. To each container, add ¾ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt sprinkled with ground cinnamon, ½ cup whole-grain cereal with 1 cup blueberries, and 6 turkey slices.

6. Combine ½ cup brown rice and 1 cup water in medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a gentle boil; cook, covered, for 15–20 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let rice rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Do not remove lid. Open lid and fluff rice with a fork; let cool completely. Mix with 1 cup black beans and cilantro to taste. Divide evenly between three containers.

7. Place 3 cups broccoli in steamer basket. Steam broccoli until cooked to your liking, about 4–5 minutes. Remove it from the steamer basket, but leave the heat on. Let the broccoli cool, and divide evenly between three containers.

8. Place 3 cups snow peas in steamer basket. Steam snow peas until cooked to your liking, about 4–5 minutes. Remove it from the steamer basket. Let the snow peas cool, and divide evenly between three containers.

9. Preheat grill or broiler on high. Mix 12 oz. shrimp with 1 tsp. olive oil and a no-salt seasoning mix. Grill or broil shrimp for 3–5 minutes, or until shrimp is opaque and firm. Divide evenly between three containers.

10. Mix 2 cups spinach, 1 cup chopped cucumber, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, and 1 cup chopped bell peppers. Divide evenly between three containers.

11. Preheat grill or broiler. Brush 15 oz. of chicken breasts with 3 tsp. olive oil and season with a no-salt seasoning mix. Grill or broil chicken for 5 minutes on each side or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Remove from heat, let cool, and divide evenly between two food storage containers for lunch, and three food storage containers for dinner.

12. A rice cooker will make quick work of cooking the quinoa, and will shut off automatically when it’s done. If you do not have a rice cooker, it can be cooked on a stovetop. Cook 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water, and then set aside to cool. Then, mix with ½ cup edamame and ½ cup corn topped with 4 Tbsp. sesame seeds. Divide evenly between two containers.

13. In a large pan, heat 3 tsp. olive oil over medium heat. Add 3 cups kale and cook for 3–5 minutes, until kale is wilted.

14. Pre-heat grill or broiler for the steak. Brush 6 oz. steak with 1 tsp. olive oil and season with a no-salt seasoning mix. Grill or broil steak for 5–8 minutes on each side, or until the internal temperature reaches desired temperature on your meat thermometer (rare is 120° F, medium rare is 125° F, medium is 130° F). Remove from heat; let steak rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing. Divide evenly between two food storage containers.

15. Heat a medium pan over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes. Add 2 cups carrots, 1 tsp. olive oil, and spices or fresh herbs. Cook for 1–2 minutes, or until carrots are tender-crisp. Remove from heat and divide evenly between two food storage containers.

16. Smoothie bags will help make your Shakeology snack even easier. Add 1 cup kale and 1 cup berries to five smoothie bags. Combine with 2 tsp. sunflower seed butter and Shakeology when you’re ready to drink.

SOURCE :http://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/nutrition/country-heat-meal-prep-for-the-1800-2099-calorie-level

Buy the Country Challenge Pack

Shaping, toning, and tightening your entire body takes the right combination of fitness and nutrition. And with the Country Heat and Shakeology Challenge Pack, you'll get a high-energy, low-impact, country dance-inspired workout that's fun, simple, and designed to help you melt off the weight, along with Shakeology, the ultra-premium nutritional shake that can help you stay healthy and reach your fitness goals even faster. You can even start streaming Country Heat workouts because your Challenge Pack includes 30 days of FREE access to Beachbody® On Demand!

You get everything you need to get your best results:

• Your first 30-day supply of Shakeology—the superfood supplement shake with dense nutrition to help support weight loss, healthy energy levels, and reduced cravings^*—delivered on Home Direct.^‡
• The Country Heat program, featuring 6 workouts on 3 DVDs, a set of 7 portion-control containers, a Shakeology shaker cup, and the Country Heat Eating Plan to help you achieve your weight-loss goals.
• A FREE 30-Day Trial Membership to the Team Beachbody^® Club, so you can start streaming Country Heat workouts on Beachbody On Demand, and hundreds of other proven Beachbody workouts, plus find all the support you need to succeed in your challenge. After your 30-Day Trial Membership is up, you will be billed quarterly for Club Membership, which you may cancel at any time.**^†
• Plus Super Discount shipping (and SAVE OVER $12) every month.

If you choose not to take advantage of your FREE Trial Membership in the Team Beachbody Club, you may remove it from your Challenge Pack at checkout. This will not, however, change the price you pay today, and you will lose streaming access to Country Heat and thousands of dollars in additional workouts.

You save $70 with this pack compared to buying each item separately. Limited Time Only! That means when you buy Country Heat and Shakeology in this Challenge Pack, it's like getting Country Heat for just $10!

Check out my website and join us! http://www.befitwithme.com/

What’s the Difference Between Country Heat and CIZE?

Country Heat and CIZE are Beachbody’s latest blockbuster dance workout programs. They both help people have a blast dancing the weight off. But what sets them apart, and how do you decide between the two? Here’s how they differ:

COUNTRY HEAT
Country Heat is an easy-to-follow, low-impact, country dance-inspired fitness program to burn fat and tighten and tone in just 30 days. Get Country Heat here.

Workout
The simple and fun dance moves are easy to pick up because there’s no tricky footwork and no choreography to memorize. You only learn two moves at a time and move on. If you miss a step, don’t worry! Just keep moving. Think stepping, stomping, clapping, hip shaking, and arm swinging to the hottest country hits. There’s also a dance-conditioning workout included to tone your body without weights. And because it’s nonstop movement, you’re burning calories and toning your whole body for the entire 30 minutes.

Creator
With a professional dance background, a lifelong passion for country music, and huge success with her portion-control system, Autumn Calabrese wanted to create a simple and fun fitness program people could look forward to — and stick with.

Music
Rock out to chart-topping popular country music that’ll make you wanna move — and even sing along! Autumn carefully selected country pop hits to get your heartbeat up and ballads for smooth cooldowns. Each workout has various music to give it a unique feel. There was even an original song created for the program by top country artist Jo Dee Messina. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the songs in Country Heat, originally recorded by these artists.

1. Redneck Woman – Gretchen Wilson
2. Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) – Big & Rich
3. Cotton Eye Joe – Rednex
4. Footloose – Blake Shelton
5. Whiskey Drinkin SOB – Mikel Knight

Eating Plan
Autumn’s foolproof nutrition plan with a set of 7 color-coded containers that make portion control and weight loss simple and delicious! No counting calories or denying yourself any of your favorite foods.

CIZE
CIZE is a dance fitness program developed by leading celebrity fitness trainer and dance choreographer, Shaun T. In this program, you’ll learn new, professionally choreographed dance routines, set to incredible, energizing music from your favorite artists as you dance your way to fit in 30 days.

Workout
Shaun’s going to teach you 6 pulse-pounding, thrilling dance routines that’ll give you a serious cardiovascular, core, and muscle-toning workout. Shaun breaks down the moves step-by-step, then puts them together in combinations that build up to a full routine you can perform. It’s all choreographed to great music to keep you energized and moving, so you’ll get an intense workout while learning the dance moves. This program is so much fun, you won’t even realize you’re exercising. And if you think you can’t dance, Shaun will prove you wrong. You’ll be so focused on mastering the moves and having a blast, you’ll forget you’re actually working out — and losing weight. By the end of the program, you’ll be totally confident in your incredible dance skills and lean body! Get CIZE here.

Creator
In addition to being a professional dancer and choreographer, Shaun T is a well-known and respected fitness trainer. His extensive dance background spans decades, from performances in top Broadway musicals, films, and TV, to touring with major pop artists like Mariah Carey! With CIZE, he pulls from his strong dance and fitness roots to make learning to dance and getting in shape an exhilarating experience — that doesn’t feel like a workout.

Music
As you learn the routines, you’ll CIZE IT UP to popular songs like PASS THAT DUTCH, originally recorded by Missy Elliott, HANDS IN THE AIR, originally recorded by Timbaland, and PROBLEM, originally recorded by Ariana Grande. Each routine builds on the skills you learned in the previous workout, and the music continues to build in intensity until you perform the final routine to CHANDELIER, originally recorded by Sia.

Eating Plan
Get easy-to-prepare recipes that help you lean out fast and give you energy to dance! It’s not about dieting, starvation, or deprivation. It’s about healthy eating, simple portion control, and feeding your body what it needs to feel good.

SOURCE: http://www.beachbody.com/beachbodyblog/fitness/whats-the-difference-between-country-heat-and-cize

Country Heat Work Out

If it is great music you like then  you'll LOVE dancing to Country Heat.
This new Country Heat is so much  fun, it's almost hard to believe it's a workout.

But after 30 nonstop minutes, you'll know you burned some major calories. And you don't even have to know how to dance! Autumn's moves are easy for anyone to follow. There's no complicated footwork. And you don't have to memorize a routine. Just follow Autumn's lead and you'll be dancing off the weight right from Day One.

We made sure Country Heat is the program you'll stick with. We tested it on people of all ages, all sizes, and all fitness levels. Not only did they stay with the program, they absolutely loved it.

So if you've started other workouts—and quit—then try Country Heat. It's time to get those results you're looking for.

Exclusive Offer! Get the FREE bonus dance workout DVD—Dance Mash-Up (a $19.95 USD value)—when you order Country Heat through your Coach or Team Beachbody.