Happy Healthy Fit Guide

Thinness Isn’t Fitness

Categories: Fit | Posted by: Suzy Shulman

Last week I received the usual Wednesday morning email from Lululemon. I​ noticed the model’s body right off the bat,​ a body that will always be foreign to most us. I was struck by just how out of touch we are with what women who exercise look like and the way women who represent fit and healthy living are portrayed. The woman I am speaking of, and you all know whom I’m talking about (and so many of my blog posts have talked about before). She is thin, all her muscles are visible under her taut, tan skin, she often has long, flowing, beachy-waved blonde hair, she has a broad, white-toothed grin across her wrinkle-less face, she can bend in all directions and her thighs definitely don’t touch. She’s basically a living, breathing version of a Barbie doll, and that’s supposed to be our fitness role model. What_ the_ fuck.​

Oh hey, you know what?! My thighs touch. I don’t have six pack abs and I’m certainly not blonde. Here’s the clincher, I am supposed to be that women. I am a fitness professional. It’s not only my job, but it’s my life. And yet, I am very few of things listed above. I am not one dimensional. I am constantly reminded that society wants me to be something I am not. I am reminded daily that I should be plastic and not real. And I am angry about it.​ I am angry so many of the women I teach hate themselves. I am angry and sad that so many live in comparison of the pictures they see.

I have several mantras I repeat to myself on a very frequent basis (this helps with the insanity). One of them is to breathe, just breathe. Breathe when it’s easy, breathe when it’s difficult; Breathe! Another is that I am satisfied with who and what I am. It’s ok that I am not what I see in the media. I am perfect, right here and right now. These words keep me present and aware that I am different and that difference is awesome.​

You don’t have to be thin to exercise. You don’t have to be wearing the latest and greatest to go to a class or the gym. You don’t have to be anything other than you. You are perfect.​ You are are unique. You have muscles that may be tight. You are flexible in some places and rigid and stiff in others. You can do some moves but maybe not all . You exercise because you love to not ‘cause you have to. You are not convinced that visible ab muscles are a sign that one is in good shape. You KNOW that thigh gaps are insane. Inhale, exhale and then let it the fuck go.​

One of the biggest problems that exists in the health and fitness world is the absolute and singular vision of what fit men and women are supposed to look like. Men are expected to large, beefy giants. Their bodies defined by being heavy set and bulky with very little fat and an absurd amount of unpliable muscle (read: inflexible to the point of injury). Women, on the other hand, are portrayed the exact opposite: lithe, small and almost invisible. I have a lot of feelings about this first type of woman. She is so far from what so many of us could ever look like.​ She ​is unable and incapable.​ She​ is a relic of a time gone by.

She represents the type of woman I don’t want to be.​

She tells me that I need to go through extreme deprivation, I should not, nor can I ever enjoy food. To be her, I would have to sacrifice my limited free time to push through grueling and intense cardio sessions. I​ would have

to stop being me and become something that doesn’t love or feel or experience fluctuation.​ This is not what life is all about. This is not what having a solid and healthy body image is. We are not static, we are not immobile. We are in constant change and movement. She i​s not.

So why strive towards such ridiculousness?

Because we are told that this is what we are supposed to be. We are sold images of bodies with thighs and hip ratios that in other parts of the world represent starvation and oppression. We are then sold the idea that if we can’t or don’t meet this criteria we are wrong and bad. We should be ashamed and that we are failures. I see this all time in my profession. Women, gorgeous, curvy, healthy women who hate what they are and only see happiness in a fantasy future version of themselves. They are angry about a 6 pound weight gain, angry that when they look in the mirror the image is not slight and invisible. If you think I don’t understand and that I don’t experience this from time to time,​ you are wrong, so wrong. I feel the eyes of the women in my classes on me when I am bloated, I notice them noticing that I am heavier than I have been. I field their questions about weight loss, I tell them it doesn’t matter, I tell them they’re perfect exactly as they are. They never believe me and I don’t blame them. As long as our media continues to feed us a singular, sick and distorted image we can never change, either physically and mentally.

There is room in this story for you and your unique shape and style. There is a place in society for women to be as they are with (perceived) flaws and all. There is a spot in time and history for women to stand up and say Idon’t want to look like what you want me to look like.​ We can change this. We can make it so that media changes the images they are selling us. We can change the voice in our head. Find yourself, find movement that suits your lifestyle and then start singing it praises. Get on the highest mountain top you can find and shout out loud how awesome you are how great you feel. Your confidence and exuberance will turn others on and then collectively as a community of brilliant and strong women we can incite change.

This is why I created the method I teach. It allows my body to not only work hard and gain muscle, but also maintain flexibility. It makes feel as good as I look. ​I don’t wanna spend hours a day in the gym. I wanna workout, get sweaty and then do whatever else my heart desires. I want to know that my workout compliments my lifestyle, being able to run sprints with ease, carry heavy grocery bags all on my own, and not need help with anything that’s physically taxing. My method gives you the look of a capable and self-reliant, grown-ass woman,​ because that’s what it’s all about. Being independent, being able to be the best you possible. It doesn’t matter what you weigh. It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing. What matters is you loving you loving you.

And now repeat after me, BREATHE.

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Best Face Forward

Categories: Happy, happiness in life, Happy, Healthy | Posted by: Suzy Shulman

Everyday, regardless of the weather, I am outside with my dog Tal. We walk in the subarctic negatives(thanks Vermont), we sprint in the humid 80s and trudge through mud season. It doesn’t matter, the movement is as important to me as it is for him and nothing, especially not the weather, can stop us. I always protect him the best I can. Booties for when there is salt and sand that bloody his tender paws, a sweatshirt to protect him in -25 degree temperatures and sunscreen on his nose in the blaring July sun. Whatever he needs I try my best to give to him. I work on doing the same for myself. I believe that good skincare is a cornerstone of healthy lifestyle. I love that my skin is clear and vibrant and reflective of  the hard work I put in. I exercise for my body and brain, and my beauty routine is my workout for my skin.

 

Recently my skin was hurting, I had gotten a bit of frostbite on my cheeks. It had mostly healed but I was left with rough, dry patches of skin that seemingly couldn’t and wouldn’t heal. I kept looking in the mirror and being saddened by what was looking back at me. I looked old and dry so, so dry. The only thing to do was call on Therin Pohley (respected aesthetician and friend) for a much needed facial. Therin got me an appointment right away and on short notice (which, if you have a hectic and somewhat unpredictable schedule like mine, you know is a feat of amazingness). I was welcomed into a beautiful and tranquil room, clean and removed from the loudness of the world outside. Therin really heard me when I said my face was hurting and didn’t suggest that I was to blame ‘cause I was using the wrong products or that I didn’t care for my skin in the “right” way. She was polite, knowledgeable, and soothing. She understood the stresses of being a Personal Trainer, a full time fitness instructor and a doggy mom. She exercises regularly and prioritizes her needs, so much so that she builds her busy work schedule around the classes she attends, LIKE THE BOSS SHE IS. Yet another reason to respect and adore this woman.

 

An hour later, I was me again. My face didn’t hurt for the first time in weeks. The skin on my cheeks was soft and dewy. My brain was calm and my neck and shoulder muscles were far less tight than when I came in.  Not only is Therin an amazing esthetician, but one hell of a massage therapist too. I returned to the world, quite literally, with my best and freshest face forward.

 

It’s not just about working and pushing and working and pushing, there must be time downtime and space to restore, refresh and rejuvenate. My frostbitten face brought me in to see Therin, but my calmed and reseted frame of mind at the end of the facial was what I was really needing. Also, having bebe soft cheeks was awesome.

 

ps Go see Therin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A Recipe And a Life Lesson. A Lecipe

Categories: Fit, Happy | Posted by: Suzy Shulman

Many of you are unaware that I am in the midst of putting together my first Teacher Training in the method I created. It has been a long, often rocky, usually broke road. I worked 2(or more) jobs, 7 days a week for over 3 years. I always knew that I wanted to teach teachers. I would go to other classes and be unable to do what was being asked of me because I was so aware that the teacher wasn’t teaching; they were doing. I wanted someone to correct my form, or give a way to make a move mine because they could see and understand that my body wasn’t getting it. I realized that this was where I was needed. I made the decision to start recording the moves I was teaching and the order they went in. And so my training manual was born.

 

If you’re all like, what does this have to do with a recipe, hold on, Im getting there.

I spent roughly 5 hours yesterday putting the final touches on the verbiage for the manual. I was cross eyed when I finally got up from seat. I got some sage advice from my counselor (i.e. Mike ) and called it a day. I would get up early the next day and finish before my work day started.

 

I got up this morning and did my usual thing. I was ready to destroy and conquer, I sat myself down in front of my computer and…. nothing. I need to write a mission statement. This should have spilled out of me like a gushing river. This training was all me, all that I preach, all that Ive done for years. I_couldn’t_get_a_single_word down. Frustrated, I did the next best thing, Pintrest! I came across a recipe that a friend of mine had posted. Cauliflower “bread.” Yummy I thought.

 

Im not one for following orders, a recipe none the less. I scanned the post and set out to make it the Susannah Shulman way ( you know, the only way)  Amazingly, I had all the ingredients I needed. I closed my laptop and stepped into the kitchen. I love cooking and baking. I love the freedom and the attention to detail. I love that when Im creatively stuck, I can go to my kitchen and just flow.

 

This was the easiest thing I have made in a long time. I set the oven to 400 degrees, Food processed the shit out of 2 heads of cauliflower, added salt and paper to taste, 1/3 cup flax meal, 1/2 cup Romano cheese and 1 cup Daiya Mozzarella cheese( you can use real cows milk chesse if your innards aren’t made of porcelain like mine) I lined a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the mixture evenly, it resembled a flat bread.Bake for 25 to 30 min, flip so both sides are browned. Let sit for up to an hour and then shove into mouth. I put Avocado on mine.

So heres the life lesson: I lied, there really isn’t one. Or maybe, when in doubt make Gluten Free, Grain Free Cauliflower Bread and write an exercise manual.

 

 

 

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I Can Has Gluten Free Bread

Categories: Fit | Posted by: Suzy Shulman

IMG_2151After way too long I am back to writing. I’m gonna be honest, I HATE WRITING. I’m really not good at it. I tend to say the same thing over and over again, and I can’t for the life of me find a way to translate my humor onto the page. Oh, and I love to use commas, way to many commas.

But, it’s a new year and a great time to say, “this year I get better and learn to like writing, or at the least tolerate it”

So here goes.

It was a typical Sunday morning, I drank my coffee in the dark early winter light, walked with the dog and began my day. I had the unexpected pleasure having a class cancel late, and all of a sudden my day opened up to whatever I wanted to do. I had been fantasizing about bread for weeks now. In late September I embarked on a 30 day sugar cleanse. I loved it and decided to keep going. I won’t get into too much detail (look out next blog post!) but there are foods that just weren’t in my sights anymore. Bread, you naughty bitch, was one of them. Truth be told, I didn’t eat very much of it to begin with. Most GF/Vegan breads are for lack of nicer language, gross. And brick like. And did I mention gross?

This was to be, the morning I created the best, most delicious, most un-brick like GF/ not quite Vegan bread. I started with 3 recipes, 3 chances to get it right, 3 opportunities to create greatness. 3 chances to make millions of dollars. I knew I wanted to use coconut flour instead of a grain flour, I had to use hazelnut meal instead of almond meal (damn you allergies!) and I wanted to incorporate flax meal.

The first bread was akin to wallpaper paste. No flavor, oddly enough it had a decent texture but still not very good. I think if herbs were added it would make an interesting alternative flatbread. The second was just wrong, so very wrong. I created a base and the loaded up on seeds and nuts. I brushed the top with honey and popped it in the oven. I daydreamed that this was gonna be it, this would be my masterpiece. There are no words to describe how awful this loaf was. And so the third loaf was born. Built on the tears of failure and wallpaper paste.

I don’t know how but I had managed to create something so delicious. The third loaf was everything I wanted: soft, a little sweet, a little cakey and a lot good. I cried out to Mike (man of my dreams) “quit your job, Ive done it! We’re gonna be rich, rich I say!!” He laughed and wept as he devoured it.

This recipe can be interpreted in many different ways. You can use almond instead of hazelnut, any milk you like and any starch you prefer. You can use agave syrup instead of honey. I chose to use cornstarch and 1% lactose free milk because thats what I had on hand. When I make this again I will use arrowroot and hemp milk. Because why not.  Also delicious with a mashed banana folded in.

Hazelnut Meal Quick Bread

1 + 1/2 cups Hazelnut meal

3/4 cups Corn starch

1 TSP Baking soda

4 TBSP Flax Meal( I chose to grind my own golden flax seeds)

1/2 Cup Lactose free milk

2 TSP Apple Cider Vinegar

2 TSP Honey

2 TBSP Egg replacer + 1/2 cups hot water (Mix in seperate bowl, add in last after wet ingredients)

Salt to taste ( about 1 TSP)

Pre heat oven to 350

Combine all dry ingredients a bowl, sift well

Combine all wet ingredients in seperate bowl, mix and let sit for a minute or two

Add wet to dry

Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, evenly distribute batter and place on middle oven rack

Bake for 30 minute or till golden brown on top and firm to touch

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Anything is Possible

Categories: Happy, happiness in life, Happy | Posted by: Suzy Shulman

While everyone else is bitching and whining that the summer is over, I’m over here staying the course and making it happen. Labor day having come and gone did not spell the end of my plans. This summer has given me the time and rest I needed to be even stronger than I thought possible. I am excited to start new projects and continue my journey in the health and fitness world.

Let’s stop lamenting summer’s end.

Yes it’s gonna get cold and no I’m not happy about it. This is a great time of year to create and implement the change you wanna see happen. Didn’t quite get into a workout routine this summer? No biggie, start now. Hire a trainer, seek out new studios and try new classes.

 

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