A strong earthy, deep-rooted loving red to represent the parents, and a fresh, soft new-born green to represent the young children (the subtle sage green of Kamloops hills). The red leaves of the logo are the parents: a couple, a mother (pregnant as shown by the 'bump' on the leaf) and a single parent. The children are between them and together the entire Kamloops “family' is centred/grounded by one focal point—family living and unity. As a team they present an exuberant yet simple flower... which speaks to a harmonious life and what true beauty really is all about—our relationships with eachother. The logo also evokes a sense of movement... the action and activity of a family in motion, “doing' things together.

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The “Low GI” thing… what is it?  Well, here’s what Wikipedia says.  In a nutshell, it is healthier for our bodies to break down our food more slowly and so we are challenging ourselves to incorporate more foods that do this (legumes, whole grains, raw foods, proteins, dairy, veggies and fruits).  Our goals are all a little different but the main idea is that we are looking at developing a healthy diet for our kids to grow up with; these patterns and tastes that they develop now will help them as their little bodies grow and develop.  We are not experts on all things Low GI, but we are trying it out!  So, armed with a great cookbook (Meals in Minutes by Kamloops’ own Laura Kalina and Cheryl Christian) and the sounding board of a few other families that are trying the same thing, we are off to the races.

Last week we began trying out the new recipes but there are two elements that are important with transforming your life; diet and activity!  This week we begin to try and plan for the essential element.

It can be as easy as walking with the kids, finding a spot to ride the bike, walking the dog, playing an active game or something else.  The challenge is to get it done!  Fitness, if not a part of the regular routine, is really really easy to pass up.  It can easily slip down the list of priorities!  So.  Make it a priority and see the results!

These local businesses are supporting the Family Challenge Participants:

Fit by Design, offering Mommy’s Wellness and Boot Camp Classes

Exercise is what I love and what I know best.  I believe that a healthy lifestyle requires a body-mind approach and that is why I try to assist my clients in improving not only their physical appearance but also their attitude, self-esteem and motivation.  As a mother of two small children I know the importance of maintaing balance in my life through proper nutrition, physical activity and mental clarity.  Each person is unique in their personal wellness goals and therefore a cookie-cutter approach to weight-loss and balance is impossible. Long-term changes must be achieved through individual self-assessment and proper planning.

Sabrina Sinclair – sabrina.fitbydesign@gmail.com  or 250.819.0822

Let’s Move Studio, offering Yoga, Dance and Wellness

Get lean, strong, empowered and inspired.  Get in shape with fun workouts and dynamic yoga.  Feel good, de-stress, have more energy and happiness.  Cultivate vibrant health and take time to care for yourself.

Elizabeth Beeds – letsmovestudio@gmail.com or 250.372.9642

Natural Strength Crossfit, offering crossfit training

CrossFit is constantly varied functional movements executed at high intensity intended to increase work capacity across broad time and modal domains.

What does that mean?
It means challenge every aspect of your fitness. The movements are based on real-world application. They must be useful and universal. They are constantly varied, meaning you may go for weeks or more without repeating the same workout. The intensity is designed to elicit power. Increased power output is an observable and measurable indicator of favorable adaptation. Intensity is directly linked to maximizing the rate of return of desired adaptation, such as body composition, strength, endurance, etc…

Even more simply, we workout harder for a shorter time (usually) and get serious results. And we have fun doing it.

Mira and Sean – mira@discover-your-natural-strength.com or 250.318.0672

Shift Enterprises, offering Urban Movement, Zumba and Hula Hoop Fitness

“We believe that synergy is the key to connecting the gap between dreams and realities; we are synergy experts. What this means to us is that we believe that we do not have to be the expert in everything to achieve our goals, we simply need the belief, will power, perseverance, and personality to find those individuals who have the needed skills, abilities, and knowledge which we do not possess and are seeking.

Shalen Curle – shalen@shiftenterprises.ca or 250.852.0564

Here are some simple swaps that you can make to improve your life and here is what we say about our first full week into the challenge:

+ READ MORE


Lynn, shares her adventures in Crossfit.

Like many other moms of young children, I have watched my body drastically change over the past few years. I have had three children in four years and I have gained a total of 95 lbs between all three of my pregnancies. I have witnessed my own body go from one with a beautiful round bump, with nice round full breasts to a thin depleted one with small saggy breasts and a body that showed the wear and tear of carrying and breastfeeding three children in such a short period of time.
+ READ MORE


Sabrina Sinclair, from Fit by Design, shares this insight.  Also, head over here to pick your choice of the Top Ten Entrants for her GRAND GIVEAWAY!

Congratulations, you made it through Christmas, how are you feeling? I hope you enjoyed some well deserved rest, relaxation and family time. Today would be a great day to regain control and focus on the next few weeks. I realize that shortly after Christmas passes we begin to set our sights on New Year’s and the amazing things we are going to accomplish in the coming year. January is always the busiest month for health & wellness professionals as many individuals seek out our advice on how to lead a healthier life, lose weight or train for a sporting event. I both love and hate this time of year because I see so many people just going through the motions of setting their New Years Resolutions without having a solid plan in place to actually accomplish these goals. I would like to share a few tips that may help you in your personal quest to make positive changes in your life in 2012.
+ READ MORE


These days it is really easy to let the hectic pace of our lives get the better of us and become overwhelmed, especially as we make our way into the holiday season.

Grounded and Sound Yoga offers classes in Hatha Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Parent and Baby Yoga, as well as private and semi private lessons. Yoga means to unite. We practice yoga to unite the mind, the body, and the breath. When we integrate these aspects of our body, especially in times of stress, we may be more likely to pause and take a breath, rather than to snap our crayons.

Whatever stage we are immersed in as parents, we can all agree that the process of adding a new member to our family is a wonderous, but challenging time. Challenging is an understatement.  Practicing yoga can help. During pregnancy, yoga classes can assist a mother to learn about the changes in her body as they happen, give her skills and confidence to approach her birth experience with courage, and above all, give her time to get to know her new baby. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I enjoyed prenatal classes because it gave me a chance to actually be pregnant, with other pregnant women. As obvious as that sounds, with all the other duties and roles that we play in our life, this one can slip away really easily.

It might be difficult to imagine yourself at a yoga class after you have the baby. It might feel hard to even imagine leaving the house. This is actually the stage where a yoga class is most important! In order to give back to your family, you have to replenish the well and give back to yourself. Classes move at a pace that is manageable for all skill levels and all levels of recovery. It also accommodates bum changes, feedings and snuggles. Babies don’t understand schedules, or most of what is going on in the world around them, but they do feel when a parent is more relaxed and content. We learn new skills to help us feel more grounded, present with our children, and how to manage those moments when you want to snap your crayons, again.

In the new year Grounded and Sound Yoga is happy to offer a new workshop and through KamloopsParents.com will give away one workshop entry for two!!  “Like” my Facebook page, Grounded and Sound Yoga, and post KamloopsParents.com sent me!

LABOUR PREPARATION FOR SINGLES, COUPLES and FRIENDS
with Tania McCartney
Sunday, February 12th, 2012, 1:00pm-3:00pm

At Mind Body Connection, 253 Victoria St, 2nd Floor
$28/single, $50/two, $75/three
Enjoy stretching, breathing, back care, sounding, suggestions for hands-on assisting and positions for labour. Come solo or with a partner, friend, or doula. No experience with yoga is necessary.

New sessions of Parent and Baby Yoga begin January 9th,  and Prenatal Yoga begins January 12th! Pre-registration is open. Register now as space is limited!


Meet Aleece.

One of the entrepreneurs behind Fresh Inc., Aleece pushes herself to be fit every day.  Check out her response to our fitness feature interview:

First – tell us a little about yourself and your family.

-          I have a wonderful family. I’ve been married to my husband Jeff for 12 years and we have two awesome little boys, Maclean who is 8 and Calum who is 5. We love living in Kamloops because there are so many opportunities for being active – whether it’s training at a gym, swimming at a pool, hiking, biking, skiing, etc… it’s a great place to be active. I co-own an advertising agency called Fresh Inc. which has been in business for almost 8 years plus, am on the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce Executive and try to volunteer a lot with organizations that my kids are involved with.

Monkey See, Monkey Do!

1) What does being “fit” mean to you?

- Fit in my world is a lifestyle I live daily. I’m not one for trying to lose a ton of weight, rather, being fit is a lifestyle choice I’ve made. It’s a part of everything I do. I ensure that I get time at the gym or on the soccer field because it reduces stress and I think helps me to think clearer, helping me to be a better Mom to my kids, wife to my husband and all around nicer person. Plus, when I work out, I’m more apt to eat healthier (with little cheats here and there) because after a hard training session, the last thing I want to do is ruin all that hard work with poor food choices. + READ MORE


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