Fakin' B.L.T.

My Fakin' Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich. One of my favortie lunch time meals.

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Pita, Flat Out Wrap, or bread of your choice
• 2-3 pieces of Fakin' Bacon
• 1/4 avocado
• 1/2 cup spinach
• sliced tomato
• Veganaise
• salt/ pepper to taste

Directions:
In a lighly oiled skillet cook 2-3 pieces of Fakin' Bacon. Turn halfway through to ensure thorough cooking. Spread Veganaise onto Pita, Wrap, or bread. Layer spinach, tomato, avocado, cooked Fakin' Bacon and salt/pepper to taste.

Enjoy! All the taste of a real BLT with no animal products, less fat and over 8g of Protein.

Podcast IV - On the Ball

On The Ball

The resistance ball is a fabulous piece of apparatus that is fairly affordable and doesn't take up a lot of space. Adding a resistance ball to your Pilates exercises will add a sense of balance and instability to kick up the intensity of your Matwork.  It can also be used to mimic many of the exercises on the Reformer, Cadillac, or chair.

When picking a resistance ball, the size of the ball will be dependent on your height and leg length. The best way to know is to sit on the ball like sitting in a chair. Your knees should line up with your hips with your feet placed firmly on the floor. If the angle is greater the ball is too big, and smaller the ball is too big. I am 5'2" and use a 55cm ball. Also be sure to fill the ball to firmness.

Here are a few of my favorites on the Resistance ball to add to your workout. For more workouts like these be sure to visit and subscribe to piLALAtes YouTube channel.

Teaser: The Holy Grail of Pilates

Teaser is defined as:

"an advertising or promotional device intended to arouse interest or curiosity especially in something to follow."

"a puzzling problem." 

Pilates' Teaser is just that. Both "intended to arouse curiosity", "I want to be able to do that". "Look at how beautiful, graceful and strong the body looks in this position" and "a puzzling problem", "That is harder than it looks" and "How is the body capable of that?".

The Teaser is as synonymous to Pilates as Hundreds. Yet Teaser is truly an Intermediate/Advanced exercise that is meant to connect the previous teachings into utilizing your skills all in one exercise. Easier said than done. Teaser combines the knowledge of rolling and unrolling the spine, pelvic stabilization, core connection, supporting the leverage of long extensions of both arms and legs, breath, and control.  One could (and many do) rely on pure momentum to throw themselves up into this beautiful shape. However, Teaser like most of the Pilates repertoire, is about the journey and not the destination. Many times when teaching this exercise I will slow down the movement to take the momentum idea out. I also like having my clients close their eyes and visualize in their head the movement rather than focus on the external image. In class situations, especially, Teaser can become one of those competitive moments for a student. Closing your eyes takes the compete out of the exercise. 

Teaser is like finding the holy grail in Pilates, "available to all, but only fully realized by those who prepare themselves". Only when you let go of the preconceived ideas and focus on building the foundation do you realize that is right there within your reach. And one day you find yourself in Teaser with grace, ease, and strength from all the hard work you have done before.  Until then it is arousing your curiosity and puzzling you just as it is named to do.

Get out of town!

Living in the city has it's advantages. Everything is right at your demand and the energy is always moving. Sometimes, taking a drive and getting out the city for a day or two and into nature is actually what the body, mind, and soul need.

Nestled about 100 miles from downtown Chicago, Starved Rock State Park does exactly that. Starved Rock State Park located in Utica, IL is an easy escape by car off of Interstate 80.  I packed up my dog, some hiking gear, and snacks and plugged the Ipod into the car stereo to escape the windy city for the day. Just getting out of the traffic and stop-n-go of the city was relaxing.  I jammed out to my Ipod singing at the top of my lungs, something I rarely do in the city for fear of someone I know seeing me.  My Golden Retriever, Logan, enjoyed hanging his head out the window taking in the fresh smells of the Illinois Farmlands.

Arriving into Utica Illinois is a cute little town with some local restaurants, shops, trading posts, and lodgings. Following the well marked signs through town about 1-2 miles into Starved Rock National State Park to the Visitor Center. Parking is FREE and there is plenty of it, unlike downtown Chicago.  Logan and I mounted our packs for the day, stopped at the Visitor Center to grab a map of the trails, and headed out to surround ourselves with Nature.

Historically, Starved Rock had been inhabited by humans as early as 8000 B.C., with many different Native Americans settling between 1500-1700's. Both explorers Louis Jolliet and Father Jacques Marquette, are said to have come through on their way up the Illinois River. Starved Rock derives it's name from a "Native American legend of injustice and retribution", where a chief stood his ground on the bluff and ended up dying of starvation.

Starved Rock sits on a total of 2,816 acres of land. It has 13 miles of hiking trails that wind through natural bluffs and canyons and follow along the Illinois River. Hiking is available year round and the back drop changes with each season. At the "early end of spring, when the end of winter thaw is occurring and the rains are frequent, sparkling waterfalls are found at the heads of all 18 canyons, and vertical walls of moss-covered stone create a setting of natural geographic beauty uncommon in Illinois" (Starved Rock State Park Visitor's Guide).  They have a full lodge, family cabins, camping, horseback riding, and fishing/boating available as well. More information on these activities and lodging can be found at www.starvedrockstateparkorg.


The trails that leave from the Visitor/Lodge area are a little crowded and touristy. For a more rugged and less touristy hike park at the other end near the Council Overhang or Hennepin Canyon and hiking towards the Visitor/Lodge area.  The views are much more spectacular and the terrain is a little more athletic.

About two miles up the road is Matthieson State Park. This dell area has an upper area hiking trail that is a 3 mile loop with wood like views. The lower level is through the dells walking through the rocks and canyons. A little more rugged and wet, but Logan was in heaven tromping along and wading through the water.  Well worth a stop if you have the time.  There is also a horseback riding trail as well.

Logan and I hiked for 3 hours that day and according to my heart rate monitor I burned close to 1000 calories.  More importantly was the breath of fresh air, vacation like-mode, and cleansing of my spirit that happened less than 2 hours outside of Chicago.