Posts Tagged ‘Get Healthy’
Baby Got Back
How I learned to love having a plump bootie, and pump up my guns (my call to my arms)!
A new friend made a hooping video progress post and did what a lot of us do…we put ourselves down a little, we say some derogatory things about the situation, or make excuses, and basically say all the faults we can think of, before someone else can throw them back on us.
Here was my response, “You’ve gotta give yourself WAY more credit! It takes a lot of dedication to stick to something–anything. Doing what you can, wherever, and however you can, makes you more creative and awesome. And posting a video takes way more guts than most people think! So kudos for all of that. P.S. I’m loving that have fallen in love with a body part that you didn’t like much before.”
When I wasn’t fond of my body (like really low thoughts), I decided to pick out ONE thing that I actually liked. One thing–something…anything. What I managed to come up with was my shoulders. Yep. Because it’s not a part most people think either “Wow” or “Ewwwww.”
Eventually…I even started to like my arms, because I had a goal. I wanted “Angela Bassett” arms. Back when she was prepping for her Tina Turner roll in, “What’s Love Got To Do With It,” she had this buff definition that I was so in awe of.
Arms were an easy enough thing at that time in my youth that I could do something about. At that time, I was very into martial arts (training and eventually earning my 4th degree black belt in Jeet Kune Do). I started doing push-ups, because that was a great way to help achieve upper body strength. And there were lots of people around me able to do them. We had fun with the endless creative varieties and constantly challenged each other. Low and behold, I liked my arms.
Eventually, as I started to rethink old negative thoughts, I started liking more parts of my body. With some effort…I even got to be proud of my tooshie.
When I was in high school, I was called “Big Butt” by a close family member. It humiliated me and made me feel awful, ashamed and vulnerable at the body part I just naturally had. One day, I had it as my frustration level hit the roof. I turned around and barked, “Where do you think I got this from?!” That shut them up for good, at least on that one. (Nowadays, the term “body-shaming” is a well-known thing. It wasn’t back then.)
Later, in college, there was a famous rap a song titled, “Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot. He exalted the desire to have some “junk in the trunk” with lines like, “I like big butts and I cannot lie” and “Shake that healthy butt!” So those of us with a derriere, did. Ever since then, I’ve been proud to have the backside I was blessed with. It’s part of my shape. And more importantly, it’s a part of me.
As I’ve matured in life, I’ve come to terms with many of the things I used to consider “flaws.” Do I love everything about myself? No. Could I improve on some things? Most definitely. Can I cut myself a little slack on my expectations of myself in more moments? Sure.
Bottom line (hahahaha, pun intended!)…life is a journey of growth and learning. Throw that in with a little self kindness and acceptance. Mix in a little love. And for extra brilliant measure, add some gratitude…because the very thing you think is aweful…someone else might actually either desire, or would trade places with you in a heartbeat to have that as a problem to deal with.
More recently, there was an online business summit where one guest speaker challenged the main guy to do 25 push-ups every day for 14 days. A whole bunch of people in the group took up that same challenge for themselves. I thought, what the heck…I used to be a push-up badass (yeah, I’m on a roll here!). So I tried pounding out those 25 easy push-ups. Woah. I could barely eke out 10. But, I knew, I’d already built up from nothing to something once before, so let’s do this!
Almost everyday, for several months now, I’ve been trying to meet, or somehow improve in the technique of my now ever-increasing goal. At this writing I’m up to 50 fairly decent push-ups. The last ones aren’t as strong or pretty as the first, or as great in form…but I’m improving that with time, practice, and actually doing the darn things! I remember that I could do 100 back in the day. Yeah, I’d like to crack that lofty number one more time. Plus it’s great training for getting Handstands! Another longtime goal of mine.
Angela Bassett arms, here I come! Again.
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~Che’ Rippinger is Hip The Hoopla‘s CHO (Chief Hooping Officer)/Owner/Founder and head humorist, with heart. She’s been hula hooping since 2008 and founded Hip The Hoopla in 2011 – while teaching, performing and making pro custom dance hula hoops. A dancer most of her life (30+years), Che’ has also been a humor writer/columnist, illustrator and cartoonist for The Denver Post and her Touché! Cartoons have been featured in PLAYGIRL Magazine.
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Please follow Hip The Hoopla on Facebook. We’re even on YouTube (with our own channel), Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Yelp,and Instagram. To contact us for group classes, private coaching, premium service packages, VIP days, events, performances or custom professional dance hoops, please call 303-919-9280, visit www.HipTheHoopla.com or e-mail Che@HipTheHoopla.com. (Please do not add us to call/e-mail lists without permission.)
Small Consistent Steps to Healthy-Green Drink Hacks
How Can You Get Healthy? Small…Consistent…Steps.
Many of us stop and start so much when trying to get to our finish line. Using this “Dotted Line” path toward your goals, is one way to accomplish your goals and one that many of us default to because of life.
However, making incremental progress, consistently, is really helpful for actually reaching your goal rather than blasting out progress (starting) then stopping, then starting again and repeating that time consuming energetic time cycle. Just Keep Going.
Green Drink Tips and Hacks
Here’s an example that I’ve been putting into practice more recently. I’d ideally like to have a fresh green juice every day…but I have a shortcut go-to, so I can accomplish this a bit easier. I want to stay on my health goal path to keep my immune system at a more optimal level, and help counterbalance my sugar intake, when I’m not quite sticking to my sweet reduction goal. However, I don’t have the time every day to pull out the juicer, juice, and clean up.
1.) My Really FAST Green Shot Hack:
I figured out for me what works in a pinch. I have some greens powder that I can spoon into a glass jar, add a few ounces of water, juice, or coconut almond milk (one of my new favorite dairy alternatives) and make a really fast “Green Shot.” It goes down in 1-3 gulps. Is it live enzymatic juice? No. But it sure beats many other options I could easily falter to, and I’m making a consistent step towards my “more greens” goal.
I talk about this fun hack in this episode of my Hoop Love Ya’ll Show:
2.) Next Best Blending Green Drink Hack:
If I have a little more time, I have a bunch of frozen fruits and vegetables that I can throw in my NutriBullet blender with some water, juice, yogurt, or almond/coconut milk and make a smoothie. One of my tricks to not wasting food is to get fruits and veggies cut up and into the freezer just before they head south. This works GREAT for taking advantage of on sale or discount produce–especially if it’s organic! The best part of this is that you get your juice AND the Fiber, too–which most people don’t get enough of in their food intake. That fiber helps with metabolism, is a scrub brush for your intestines, and helps give you a nice sustained, nutritious energy. Yes, please to that!
Super Immune Boost/Inflammation Reducer Hack:
FYI–Ginger is Fabulous in the freezer–I can cut it with my kitchen scissors and it lasts so much longer without shriveling up before I get to use it.
3.) Best Green Drink Option-Press or Juice:
If I have the time, and produce in the fridge, I will get out the juice press (we have an Omega which I love). It’s slower but really presses out the juice so darn well. I can also bring out the big juicer (we have a Breville) and go to town. I like to make up a bunch and store it in glass bottles for the fridge. You could freeze it…if you put it in plastic bottles (now I’ve gotta go try this). Leave a bit of space for expansion, if freezing.
Juicing is even more time consuming for me because I have gone to the veggie side and really load my drinks up with lots of vegetables and very little fruit. My husband, on the other hand–he prefers a highly drinkable juice, which for him includes much more sweetness and fruit with a hint of veggies. So that takes a while. But I love him and want to make sure he drinks it if I’m making the effort to juice it.
4.) Delegate Your Green Drinks Hack:
Of course if schedule and effort are issues, you can swing by a juice bar where they can make it up fresh for you–and to your liking. It can be pricey, but your time is definitely worth it. Plus you can save money in the long run with your improved health care costs (and perhaps no medications).
5.) Buy Your Green Drink Pre-Made Hack:
In a pinch, the pre-bottled juices at your local grocery store will do, too–although most load them up with extra sugary fruits like apple, pear and grape to make them more palatable for the general public. When you drink sweet juices, you are missing the fiber which helps properly regulate the insulin in your body. So basically you are getting a sugar rush…just a little healthier than a candy bar. Make sure to read and research your labels–there’s lots of sneaky ingredients out there you should be aware of before consuming.
No matter what you do, do something–anything–that you know will lead you in a positive direction to your goals. One thing matters. Especially if it’s followed up by another one thing, and another one thing, consistently.
“Just Keep Going.” That gets me to my goal, which is a daily effort and work in progress. Or as Dory from Finding Nemo would say, “Just keep swimming!” (Thanks to Ellen DeGeneres, the voice of Dory.)
~Hoop Love, Ya’ll! ~ Che’ Rippinger
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Want more awesomeness? Sign up for our Whirled News e-mail and get your very own 10 motivational ways to make changes workbook.
~Che’ Rippinger is Hip The Hoopla‘s CHO (Chief Hooping Officer)/Owner/Founder and head humorist, with heart. She’s been hula hooping since 2008 and founded Hip The Hoopla in 2011 – while teaching, performing and making pro custom dance hula hoops. A dancer most of her life (30+years), Che’ has also been a humor writer/columnist, illustrator and cartoonist for The Denver Post and her Touché! Cartoons have been featured in PLAYGIRL Magazine.
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Also, please follow us on Facebook. We’re even on YouTube(with our own channel), Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Yelp,and Instagram. To contact us for group classes, private coaching, premium service packages, VIP days, events, performances or custom professional dance hoops, please call 303-919-9280, visit www.HipTheHoopla.com or e-mail Che@HipTheHoopla.com. (Please do not add us to call/e-mail lists without permission.)