What is Zumba Toning? A Great Cardio Option.

Zumba Toning takes the original Zumba dance-fitness class to the next level utilizing innovative muscle training and the addition of light weight toning sticks or dumbbells. Created to emphasize muscle work along with rhythms, this combination of cardio and dynamic resistive exercises is an effective use of progressive light weight training to improve overall performance. This Latin-inspired dance ‘n tone program also includes, for the first time, combination rhythms within the same songs which adds to the fun and flavor: Latin Disco, Reggaeton-Cumbia, Conga Hip-Hop, Merengue Hip-Hop, Reggaeton-Belly Dance, Techno and Salsa. This program is assured to provide the participant with a safe and effective, re-defining total body workout! Zumba Toning creates the same party atmosphere as every other Zumba program because the rhythm of the dance is the passion and foundation which keeps the participant engaged and coming back. Zumba Toning is fun, different, challenging and effective and provides, for the participant, a new avenue to weighted activity and calorie burn.

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Positive Thinking and Your Health

We choose our thoughts, whether positive or negative. Positive or negative thinking starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of mind chatter that run through your head every day.

Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

-Longer life
-Less depression
-Less distress
-Stronger immune system
-A feeling of psychological and physical well-being
-Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease
-Better coping skills during hard times

It's not clear why people who are positive experience health benefits. One theory is that having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body. It's also thought that positive people tend to live healthier lifestyles — they

get more physical activity, follow a healthier diet, and don't smoke or drink alcohol in excess.

Focusing on positive thinking

You can learn to turn negative thinking into positive thinking. The process is simple, but it does take time and practice. You're creating a new habit. Here are some ways to think and behave in a more positive and optimistic way:

-Identify areas to change. If you want to become more optimistic and engage in more positive thinking, first identify areas of your life that you typically think negatively about.
-Check yourself. Periodically during the day, stop and evaluate what you're thinking. If you find that your thoughts are mainly negative, try to find a way to put a positive spin on them.
-Be open to humor. Give yourself permission to smile or laugh, especially during difficult times. Seek humor in everyday happenings. When you can laugh at life, you feel less stressed.
-Follow a healthy lifestyle. Exercise at least three times a week to positively affect mood and reduce stress. Follow a healthy diet to fuel your mind and body. And learn to manage stress.
-Surround yourself with positive people. Make sure those in your life are positive, supportive people you can depend on to give helpful advice and feedback. Negative people increase your stress level and make you doubt your ability to manage stress in healthy ways.
-Practice positive self-talk. Start by following one simple rule: Don't say anything to yourself that you wouldn't say to anyone else. Be gentle and encouraging with yourself.
-Spend a few minutes a day acknowledging your worries in a tangible way. Creating a list of your top 10 worries or a calendar of stressful upcoming events allows you to strategize and deal with each problem directly, so they don’t balloon to an unmanageable size.
-Deep belly breathing. Whether in a yoga class, at the office, or on your couch, deep breathing is helpful in interrupting irrational thoughts. If you frequently experience toxic worry, try carrying a balloon in your pocket. Blowing up a balloon forces you to take long, slow breaths from the diaphragm, which slows down your heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and helps your body use oxygen more efficiently, having a calming effect.

If you tend to have a negative outlook, don't expect to become an optimist overnight. With practice, eventually your self-talk will contain less self-criticism and more self-acceptance and your body and mind will thank you.

sources Mayo Clinic and Dr. Oz

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The Doctors talk Weightloss with Team Beachbody

Carl Daikeler and Tony Horton are featured on "The Doctors" talking about Team Beachbody and our goal of ending the trend of obesity. I'm a proud Beachbody coach and my goal is to help every single person to get fit and healthy. If you want to take the Beachbody Challenge, I'm here for you.

Low Glycemic High Potassium Foods

Recently someone asked me what are some low glycemic, high potassium foods. So, I decided to do a little research.

Why do we need potassium?

Potassium is a mineral found inside body cells. It is one of several minerals known as electrolytes. These minerals (potassium, sodium, and chloride) are found in the fluids inside and outside of body cells. We need about 4700 mg of potassium per day.

Potassium is important because it helps:

- regulate fluid and electrolyte balance
- maintain normal blood pressure
- transmit nerve impulses
- control muscle contraction, including the heart
- maintain healthy bones.

A food's glycemic index rates the speed at which your body metabolizes carbohydrates and the food's ability to increase blood sugar. All foods are rated from 0 to 100, 100 being pure glucose. 55 and below are considered low. Avoiding foods that create too much of an insulin reaction in your body is the key to controlling diabetes. Unfortunately, many foods that are rich in potassium also rate high on the glycemic index.

Here are some foods that are lower on the glycemic index but pack a potassium punch. Sun-dried tomatoes at 3400 mg are an excellent source of potassium. So are baked sweet potatoes with skin at 508 mg, which are on the lower end of the glycemic index. Beet greens have 655 mg in a half cup, celery 300 mg, 1/2 cup of carrots 177 mg, 1 radish 47 mg, 1 cup of tomato 400 mg, 1 cup of Swiss chard 960 mg, 1/2 cup squash 300 mg, and 1/2 cup spinach 300 mg are other good sources. 100 g white beans 561 mg or 1 cup cooked soy beans 972 mg, nuts 100-200 mg, 1 cup of sunflower seeds has 1300 mg.

Imagine if you combined some of the ingredients above in a stew, soup or shake. It would be a yummy potassium super blend.

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Workout Tip: How to Do a Lunge (Like in P90X and Brazilian Butt Lift)

Lunges are a great way to tone your legs and butt. P90X and Brazilian Butt Lift have lots of lunges in them and it's important to have proper form and technique when performing a lunge so that you can avoid injuries.

Start standing tall, drawing in your abdominals and relaxing your shoulders. step one foot forward and one foot back. Roll onto the ball of the back foot so that your heal is raised and slowly lower your back knee towards the floor. Your front knee should be directly over your knee or slightly behind it. You should feel like a carousel horse going up and down. You don't want to move forward, moving your knee over your toes. Always keep your knee behind your toes. Lunges can be done in several directions and the same rules apply. You can add variation by adding hand weights. Grip the hand weights firmly but avoid squeezing them.


If you are traveling or are short on time, lunges are a great multi-muscle and multi-joint exercise. They are quiet enough to do in a hotel room and work the large muscle groups. A quick workout could consist of lunges, squats, push ups and sit ups.

Once again, lunges are a great way to strengthen your lower body and sculpt your legs. These large muscle groups are calorie burning powerhouses. Just be sure you use proper form and technique for your lunges so that you get the most out of them avoiding injury.

Note that lunges are not for everyone. Be sure to consult your physician before starting any new workout programs.

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