After having kids, I really noticed my hormones were out of whack. I did a ton of research and learned that hormone replacement therapy using bioidentical hormones is a great way to balance your hormones out.

> Read my blog on bioidentical hormone replacement

My absolute favorite skin care treatments are broadband light therapy (BBL) and hydra facials which I try to have done once per month.

> Watch my BBL and hydra facial video

YES! I absolutely get my body fat tested – usually about twice a year. But if you’re starting a new training program, or making some other big fitness goals, it’s a great idea to have your body fat measured. There are different tests which provide different information (for example, the DEXA scan also tells you your bone density). So the best type of test really depends on you and your goals.

One of favorites is the Biosignature Modulation method which measures fat at 12 sites on the body. According to this method, the fat values at these 12 specific sites reveal what’s going on with your hormones.

> Learn more about the Biosignature Modulation testing

My friends and family have heard me talk a lot about our ‘new’ honey bees … just this year we started raising bees and I’m pretty excited about them. Raw, local honey has many health benefits from helping with allergies to boosting your immune system.

> Read my post about the benefits of eating raw, local honey

The more veggies we eat, the better… but it can be tough to get enough into our daily routine.  One of my favorite ways to get in those greens is by juicing.  It’s easy, delicious and packed with nutrients. My kids love green juice smoothies too!

> See one of my green juice recipes

I love IV vitamin therapy! Of course, with proper nutrition there are no shortcuts – so, before trying IV vitamin therapy, I believe it is important to have a good diet overall.

However, I use IV vitamin therapy occasionally to improve my hydration, provide an energy boost and it also helps with my seasonal allergies.

> Read my post on IV vitamin treatment

Anyone who is close to me knows that I have a serious sugar addiction. I joke around and say that I workout so I can eat donuts, candy, and cake. So … yes! I definitely detox occasionally to help reset my system and break sugar cravings.

> Read about D.TOX and how I use it to boost energy and cut cravings 

It has to be a way of life. I live by the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time I eat a paleo/Mediterranean style. When I indulge, it’s definitely with deserts.

It’s at least 75 percent! You can work out as hard as you are able to, but if you’re not fueling your muscles properly, you won’t get the results you want. I also believe in using supplements. It is difficult to get ideal nutrition from our food, so taking supplements is very important. Supplements also help balance cortisol levels, which is a big cause of weight gain in a lot of people.

Sweet potato, walnuts, wild caught salmon, sardines, avocado, mushrooms, kale, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, blueberries, beef collagen protein, broccoli and dark chocolate.

I avoid pet foods that contain chemical food additives and other harmful ingredients. As much as possible, I try to buy all organic foods for our puppies to make sure they stay healthy!

I also make home made dog treats for them – it’s a quick and simple recipe using cuts of meat that my family generally doesn’t eat.

> Home made dog treats recipe

Kids need balance, routine and structure along with proper nutrition and sleep. Our kids take daily nutritional supplements.

I’m a strong believer in the benefits of getting kids outside and exposed to nature. It’s so easy to allow kids to spend a lot of time indoors and on electronics, but to ensure their health and well-being, we really should expose our kids to the elements and get them outside as much as possible!

I address this topic a bit in my recent post on kids and sports … We all know what it’s like when our child’s team loses a big game… while it’s not as fun as winning, these are teachable moments! If my son had a tough loss in a game, I never make a big deal about the loss. I always ask him if he tried his hardest and remind him that good effort is what matters. If he had a tough practice and I see that he didn’t try hard, I will definitely address it. I talk to him about the need to put forward his best effort.

This is not only applicable to sports but also to school, friendships and everything else. I believe as long as we try our best, we’ve done enough – and that’s all we can do. 🙂

I work with my trainer to change up my workouts each week, but a core part of my glute exercise routine is to work them twice per week by going through a series of multi-joint exercises.  I do squats, dead-lifts, lunges and step-ups. I recently shared a blog post with a few videos of my glute work-out.

> Check out my glute workout videos

I’m a strong believer in doing drop sets when working out my arms – this technique gives me great muscle definition. Drop sets are basically a performing an exercise and then dropping or reducing the weight and continuing for more reps.

> Read my post about arm defining exercises

I believe in variety and in doing something that you have a passion for, that also combines moving. Whether it’s biking, kayaking, swimming, or even finding a fun class with great music. I’m also a huge believer in doing heavy weights to build your muscle and strengthen your bones. I like to get my heart rate up by lifting weights in a circuit style workout.