It’s Hot Mom Monday again, and we can’t wait for you to meet Spa Week’s Hot Mom Spa Squad do-it-all spa mama Rachael Pontillo, who has not only mastered the art of living the wellness lifestyle, she has made it her career to help others do the same. Our kinda girl! Rachael is holistic health coach, licensed aesthetician, certified level II Reiki practitioner, certified Wull Stone therapist, and freelance writer for prestigious sites such as Blogcritics.org and Technorati.com.

You can also find her right where we found her – blogging at holisticallyhaute.com. It’s not just a blog – Rachael owns skincare and wellness company Holistically Haute, LLC where she works with clients one-on-one and in groups, in person or over the phone to provide customized programs to help people reach their health and wellness goals.

For any mom out there struggling with her weight in any capacity, we’re turning it over to Rachael who went from THIS to THIS. Her tips are practical, doable, and clearly very effective. We’re especially loving #8, wink wink. Take it away, Rach!

By Rachael Pontillo

So many moms have experienced difficulty losing their pregnancy weight, or managing to maintain a healthy weight after having kids. I was one of them.

I was always a very thin person and never had problems keeping weight off, but after my second pregnancy that changed completely. I don’t know why I wasn’t able to lose the baby weight the second time like I was able to… it was probably a combination of being exhausted, being overwhelmed, hormones, stress, and who knows what else. Anyway, not only couldn’t lose the pregnancy weight, I ended up gaining more. By the time my younger daughter was 2 years old, I was up to 200 pounds (a far cry from my pre-pregnancy weight of 135). I tried exercising, eating certain “diet foods,” trying different popular diets, praying, etc.

There really are no “magic pills” or short cuts to weight loss.

If you want to lose weight, you have to do it the good old fashioned way: with diet and lifestyle changes over time. Rapid weight loss from fad dieting and diet pills is not healthy and it is not sustainable and I do not recommend it to anyone. Slow and steady is the way to go.

Since we all have different health histories, body types, lifestyles, and goals, there is not one “prescription” for weight loss. However, after finally achieving my own weight loss goals (70 pounds!) while being a busy mom and helping clients with different needs reach their goals with gradual diet and lifestyle changes, I have come up with some strategies that can benefit anyone.

Here are my Top 8 “Rules to Live By” if you trying to lose weight but still have to feed picky little eaters.

1. Have them help you shop. Kids love being involved in anything “grown up,” and this includes food shopping. I know that food shopping with small children is not the most fun or efficient way to shop, so plan ahead. Bring snacks or small toys/activities to pacify the little ones if they start getting rammy and put the older kids to work. Make separate lists ahead with specific items (don’t just say to get “cereal,” specify “whole grain” or a certain kind so they don’t bring back boxes of Lucky Charms) for each kid to find and send them off with baskets. Have the little ones help you pick the prettiest apples and other brightly colored fruits and veggies.
2. Have them help you cook. I know this is a tip you see a lot, and again it is not the most calm or efficient way to prepare meals, but it serves several purposes: it occupies their time so they are not nagging or tugging on your shirt while you are trying to cook, it helps them form an attachment to the food so they are more inclined to want to eat it, it provides a solid, stable routine and quality family time, and you (and they) will know exactly what is going into the food: no mystery meat, special sauce, or questionable chewy bites. So form an assembly line and give everyone a specific job no matter their age (unless they are infants… in that case stick them in the baby carrier/wrap so you have both hands free). You will be surprised how fast the prep time goes.
3. Learn to read labels. I’m not saying you have to go out and take food science or chemistry course or buy one of those dictionaries of chemicals/ingredients added to food (although the latter wouldn’t hurt). It’s as simple as this: if you don’t know what it is, you probably don’t want to be eating it yourself or feeding it to your kids. Getting rid of processed and packaged foods and going back to real, simple, whole foods was a huge part of my own weight loss.
4. Find ways to work fitness into your existing routine. The thought of joining a gym or taking a class can be really overwhelming to a busy and tired mom. It is great if you can do that (and use the babysitting services at the gym as long as they provide quality services), but if you can’t then try to find ways to use any downtime you have at home or time outside of the home that the kids are occupied to exercise. I personally found it helpful to do stretches while watching TV in the evening, or doing a short Pilates DVD right after putting the kids to bed. I also joined the local Y and moved my kids’ lessons there instead of other places so that I could exercise while they were in their after-school or weekend lessons. I still speed-walk or job around the track during my daughters’ dance classes.
5. Only do exercises that you enjoy. We are lucky enough to live in a time where “working out” can mean many different things. We can do anything from jogging, to Pilates, to belly dancing, to martial arts-aerobic fusion classes, to being suspended from a crazy scaffold-like apparatus (TRX), to rebounding, to parkour…seriously lots of cool things here! If you force yourself to do something you hate doing, you will just make fitness a negative experience, which it is not. I can’t stand lifting weights so I don’t lift weights. I don’t like the elliptical trainer so I don’t do it anymore. I have found really fun ways to get my fitness into my very busy life and it has been very effective.
6. Eat more greens and whole grains. Greens and whole grains are some of the healthiest foods on the planet: high in antioxidants, “good” carbs, enzymes, and protein. More and more studies are showing that when consumed in large amounts, they can really change people’s lives for the better. I suggest eating greens with every meal. For example I have a green smoothie for breakfast, a big salad with lunch, and usually a cooked green with dinner. You can even blend greens in salad dressings and sauces… my kids love basil in salad dressing and parsley and kale blended into my pesto (which we use on our homemade pastas and pizzas). You can even make greens into snack and finger foods… you can make delicious dehydrated or lightly baked kale chips and use collards as wraps for sandwiches instead of bread or flour tortillas. For whole grains, try sweetening rolled oats with yogurt and maple syrup for breakfast or having lightly seasoned brown rice or quinoa as a side dish instead of fries or pasta. Have these foods before the rest of your meal…they will fill you up and you may even find that you don’t want the rest.
7. Don’t assume they won’t eat what you cook. Don’t make the mistake of becoming a short order cook so you can have your “healthy food” and they can have their “kid food.” That attaches a negative stigma onto healthy food that they will carry with them as they grow. Stop buying processed kid foods like chicken nuggets and cheese sticks and fries and junk foods like chips and cookies. If it’s not in the house, they won’t be able to eat it (and neither will you!). Instead, focus on preparing the foods properly so they taste the way they should and put a condiment tray (with different things like ketchup, mustard, relish, hummus, sesame oil, mirin, tamari, lemon juice, etc.) on the table so the kids can try different flavors with their foods. They will enjoy the opportunity to personalize their foods. The founder of my holistic nutrition school once said something like this “it doesn’t matter if they dip their broccoli into ketchup as long as they are eating the broccoli.”
8. Get thee to the spa! Moms are often stressed out. We cannot eliminate the stressors in our lives completely, but we can make the choice to try to manage how it affects us. It is a known fact that stress interferes with many of the body’s vital functions necessary for weight loss. If you are walking around all wound up, you will have a much harder time losing weight despite your best efforts. Diet and exercise can certainly help with how the body handles stress, but regular relaxing spa treatments can take it to a whole new level. Many spas now offer holistic treatments like shirodhara, detoxification, and Reiki in addition to massages and facials. Prioritizing Mom-me time by getting these therapies will support and enhance your weight loss goals.

If you enjoyed Rachael’s tips, you may also enjoy her new Holistically Haute™ Salt Bath Ritual, exclusively available at Holistically Haute. Spa time is invaluable to your sanity, even if it’s just in your own bath tub!

Happy food photo via, broccoli/ketchup/hummus photo via

By Healing Lifestyles

Swing those hips, watch the colors go ’round and ’round and the shed them pounds! Nearly every one of us had a hula hoop as a child. Right? Well, hula hooping is back and is all the rage! But this time around it’s not just for kiddies and First Ladies, hooping and even hoop yoga classes are cropping up across the country because of the intense full-body workout these inexpensive play pass times can provide.

Why hooping?

According to avid hoopsters, hooping tones your back, abdomen, arms and legs, and when taught in a structured class can also provide flexibility and of course balance benefits.

Even more of a bonus, according to the owners of Hoopnotica, while hooping has similar calorie-burning benefits as a boot camp class (420 calories an hour according to the American Council on Exercise) , they point out that hooping is fun and relaxing (with no drill sergeant!). You just need to have a little bit of coordination!

Ready to give it a try?

Here is an exercise from Hooping.org contributor Abby Schwartz:

• Grab a hoop and get started.
• First move, stand with legs apart in a wide stance, knees bent and feet turned out, so you really feel it in your thighs. Waist hoop with arms out at your sides for two 8-counts.
• Then, while still hooping, bring one leg in closer to the other so you are standing with your feet a little more than shoulder width apart. Come up on the balls of your feet and while continuing to waist hoop for two 8-counts, shift your weight back and forth, left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot, always on the balls of your feet. It looks a little like ballet steps.
• After that move, take a step to the side so your feet are once again flat on the ground, knees bent, feet turned out (same position you started in) and hoop at the waist for two more 8-counts. Continue doing this sequence of three for up to 10 minutes. You can speed it up and reduce it to a single 8-count per position or keep the original pace the whole time.

By now, you know all about the Fast Track to Health Giveaway to The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge and the amazing health and fitness programs and activites, not to mention all of that luxurious spa-ing. And you’ve also been introduced to America’s favorite nutritionist, the lovely Joy Bauer.

Now get a sneak peek into Joy’s totally revamped, New York Times Bestseller, Food Cures. Inside is power-packed with food cure recommendations for some of the most common, obxnoxious and painful conditions millions of americans face evryday, like arthritis, osteoporosis, migranes and more. Along with the health and wellness vacation of a lifestime, one lucky winner will receive Food Cures and an at-home nutritional plan custom-made by Joy. Five lucky runner-ups will also receive Food Cures so they can start getting healthier with every bite. And for everyone who is just dying to know all about the yummy food remedies inside Joy’s book, we have picked some great excerpts and food reccomendations for you to start to incorporate into your healthy lifestyle regime:

1. Beautiful Skin

“Skin is built from the inside out. Day to day and year to year, skin draws its healthy glow from good nutrition… Nutrition can help minimize these problems and enhance your skin’s natural beauty.” (Page 63)

• Improve Collagen Vitamin C: guava, oranges, bell peppers, strawberries and broccoli
• Anti-Aging Vitamin E: almonds, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, avocados, and spinach
• Fight Sun Damage Selenium: Brazil nuts, tuna, brown rice, and whole wheat bread
• Promote Healing Beta-Carotene: sweet potatoes, carrots, kale, butternut squash and pumpkin

2. Healthy Hair

“It is estimated that we each lose about 100 hairs a day. The actual number you’ll lose on any  given day depends on how abundant and healthy your follicles are, what medications you’re taking, and many other factors, some are beyond your control.” (Page 81)

• Promote Healthy Follicles B Vitamins- Foliate, B6, B12: chickpeas, wild salmon, soy milk, lentils and spinach
• Jump-Start Growth Iron-Rich Proteins: clams, oysters, shrimp, egg yolks, lentils and black-eyed peas
• Repair Hair Zinc: lobster, ostrich, oysters, pine nuts, peanuts, fat-free yogurt, and wheat germ

3. Memory

“Memory depends on your total number of brain cells and their connections, smooth flow of communication between them and their overall health.” (Page 273)

• Increase Blood Circulation Antioxidants: spinach, kale, mustard greens, Swiss chard, turnip greens , collard greens,
• Fight Age Defects Anthocyanin: blackberries, black currant, blueberries, eggplant, raspberries and cherries Quercetin: onions, kale, leeks, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, apricots, and hot chili peppers
• Plump Your Mind “Neuron’s outer membranes are teeming with DHA and it’s this fattu lining yhay allows for smooth conductivity of brain signals.” Omega-3 Fatty Acids: wild salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, ground flaxseed, walnuts and soybeans

4. Migraines

“We know from brain scans that during migraine headaches, there is increased bloodflow in the brain stem and the cerebral cortex. Inflamitory chemicals, such as substance P and other substances are released; and there changes in levels of brain chemecials called neurotransmitters…The main lessons are that migraines are physiologically complez and that they aboslueltuy are not “all in the mind” of the sufferer.” (Page 324)

• Staying Hydrated Liquids: Water, herbal tea, skim milk, club soda
• Reduce Inflammation Omega-3 Fatty Acids: olive oil, rainbow trout, oysters, chia seeds, flaxseed oil and walnut oil
• Keep Your Energy Up Riboflavin: lean beef, whole gran cereal, eggs, mushrooms, asparagus and broccoli
• Fight Menstrual Migraines Magnesium: pumpkin seeds, spinach, Swiss chard, amaranth, sunflower seeds, quinoa, potatoes and artichoke hearts

5. Insomnia

“If insomnia occurs at least three nights a week for a month or longer, it is considered chronic. At this point, lack of sleep becomes more than just an annoyance – it can be life altering. Almost all cases of chronic insomnia can be traced to a medical condition, lifestyle habit, or psychological preoccupation.” (Page 365)

• Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, Large Meals, Late Night Liquids
• Stock Up on Sleep-Inducing High-Quality Carbs and Tryptophan: bananas, grapefruit, plums, mangoes, grapes, turkey, beets, broccoli, corn, spinach, quinoa, brown rice, yogurt, pumpkin, celery, peas

To find out more about Food Cures, visit JoyBauer.com or grab your copy at Amazon.com. And don’t forget to enter The Fast Track to Health Giveaway!

Obesity is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States and about one-third of adults are obese, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While personal trainers, nutritionists and fitness centers attempt to conquer this growing epidemic, such resources are not such an affordable option for many people. That’s why Spa Week has teamed up with the Today show’s resident nutritionist and diet expert, Joy Bauer, and one of the exclusive resorts from NBC’s hit TV show, The Biggest Loser to dramatically kick-start a new, healthy lifestyle for one lucky winner by entering the Fast Track to Health Giveaway.

Reclaim your inner strength and learn how to create positive changes with simple, healthy choices that will result in a healthier you – inside and out at The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge in Malibu, California. Prepare to be amazed at what you can accomplish – you’re worth it! The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge offers a complete atmosphere for fitness, relaxation, and spa amenities ensuring your stay is as productive and relaxing as possible.  Enjoy comfortable accommodations, spa cuisine, breathtaking hikes and  group oriented classes to meet other motivated individuals who are inspired to get fit. Whether your goal is to lose substantial weight or to enjoy a fitness getaway, the program and group atmosphere will provide the personal attention that you need to achieve your goals.

SPA

Reward your efforts with the ultimate spa and salon experience at The Retreat. Soothe sore muscles with several different forms of massage and body work, or simply relax and rejuvenate with acupuncture or reflexology. From soothing body treatments to luxurious facials and salon treatments, you’ll leave feeling pampered, refreshed and fabulous.

NUTRITION

Participate in a structured, calorie-controlled, health program. Every meal is designed by the Executive Chef and Registered Dietitian in a calorie-controlled, spa cuisine meal plan.  Each menu item captures the nutrition in a balanced diet of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats.  Choosing low-fat foods that are high in fiber offers higher satisfaction than on other types of low-calorie meal plans.

FITNESS

Immerse yourself in a variety of indoor fitness classes or experience beautiful outdoor activities. The professional, certified fitness team will help you achieve your goals and provide you the adequate tools to be successful at home. Take advantage of the Education Series, which consists of daily lectures hosted by the Wellness Team. Topics discussed include portion control, product label reading, and intuitive eating, as well as cooking demos and fitness tips. Our Wellness Team includes an Executive Chef, Registered Dietitians, a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Trainers and a Life Coach.

The large gym features top-of-the-line equipment and our aerobics room hosts classes for kickboxing, step-n-pump, indoor cycling, ball works, and stretch. The aquatics center features a pool and hot tub.

The Resort is surrounded by the wooded landscape of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. There are many different trail options for terrain, cardio intensity, and experience level. The landscape of each hiking trail is surrounded by the motivational, healing environment of southern California’s natural oasis of trees and wildflowers.  Hiking is a beautiful compliment to the program, with trails for all fitness levels everyone can enjoy!

Spa Week has joined forces with two health and wellness powerhouses: The Today Show’s nutritional expert, Joy Bauer and America’s favorite kick-butt getaway, The Biggest Loser Resort at Fitness Ridge in Malibu, CA (where they actually film the hit TV show!). From now until Sunday, September 11, you can enter to win a complete lifestyle makeover package to get you on the Fast Track to Health. 

Meet the winner!

You and a guest could win a six-night stay at the Biggest Loser Ranch, plus three healthy, yummy meals a day. The total body makeover includes gut-busting, tushie-toning daily fitness workouts to kick-start your transformation into a lean, mean fitness machine. Enjoy burning cals and learning how to refuel with the right foods with daily nutritional and educational lectures with the resorts top fitness professionals, dietitians and life coach. You get all the personalized information and tips you need to succeed.

Then, relax with 4 spa services per person through the entire stay, that includes luxurious sports massages, toning and purifying facials, slimming body wraps — all to help you look and feel  your best. BUT- the journey doesn’t stop after you leave the resort! You get a nutritional at-home package that includes Joy’s best selling book, Food Cures, which helps you pick the right foods for maintaining optimal health and well-being. PLUS, you will receive a personalized nutrtional plan from Joy Bauer, herself that includes all of  the custom counselling Joy gives to her very special clients. Hopefully by now Joy has helped you kick that soda drinking habit… now get ready to transform your health like a real VIP with the chance for this life-changing  experience. Good luck!