Category Archives: FIT + WELL

Guest Post! Living Your Best Life by Carey Peters, Co-Founder of Health Coach Institute

February 6, 2017

Today I am living my personal and professional dream, training others to run successful health coaching businesses through my company, Health Coach Institute.  Students tell me their time with us is transformational, or even revolutionary.  it is a business that I created with my co-founder Stacey Morgenstern through grit, determination, and a lot of hard work. It’s a true labor of love and I could not be more proud.

But it wasn’t always this way…

Flash back several years.

I was a professional actress struggling to earn more than $50k a year and hating my life.  Even though acting was my passion, I just wasn’t happy or fulfilled living the starving artist life, and some part of me knew that I wanted something more. At the same time I was struggling with a very complicated relationship with food. I was completely addicted to Diet Coke of all things!  I drank two liters a day and my diet practically consisted of junk food during the day followed by a tub of Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream every single night before bed. I also had a binge-eating disorder that haunted me for years. I knew something radical had to change and I knew that, to take back my life, I’d have to start changing what I ate and how I ate. That was the first step to a full-blown love affair with health.

When I discovered Health Coaching, I knew I had found my path. Suddenly everything made sense.

After several years of study and hard work, I built a six-figure coaching practice in under ten months. I had always been passionate about becoming an entrepreneur and when I discovered coaching as a career, it truly felt like it was made for me. I was like “I get paid to become my healthiest self and help others do the same? Hell yeah!”  It was as if the heavens opened above and said, “Carey, this is your new life!” I was scared though, because it seemed too good to be true—that I could turn my passion for health and personal growth into a career that helps people?! It took a little while for that to sink in, but when I saw other people doing it successfully for a living, I thought “Why not me?” After that, I was all in and have never looked back.

It was during this time that I met my Health Coach Institute co-founder, Stacey Morgenstern, and together we built a multi-million dollar company called Holistic MBA— a world-class business training for health and personal development coaches. Holistic MBA was the forerunner to HCI.

Over the years we trained thousands of coaches who complained to us time and again that they weren’t able to coach for a living and were overloaded with nutrition information from their previous training.

They told us they wished we offered a certificate program that would train coaches from the start so they wouldn’t have to waste time and money in other programs that they felt didn’t work.

That’s why we created Health Coach Institute (HCI) – to fill the gap in the marketplace – to build a Health Coaching school that focuses less on theory and more on the practical skills that help coaches truly succeed.

The first few months with Health Coach Institute were hectic! Just as with running any new business it meant months and months of overtime and eating, sleeping and breathing it. Luckily, we had practice from building Holistic MBA so we weren’t total newbies but, still, every business is different and HCI was our baby. We poured time, love and energy into making it the best it could be. We started off with only three other people and Stacey and me. We had one sales person, Stacey wrote all the marketing copy, one systems operator and I was the businesswoman behind the business.

There was a steep learning curve, but it’s also the ultimate in self-empowerment and personal growth, because you are forced to develop a level of creativity, resilience and personal power that you didn’t know you had. In fact, that is part of what we teach in our curriculum. We teach students how to gain confidence and step into the most empowered version of themselves—and we were doing it right along with them!

Tapping into this purpose gave me drive that I had only imagined possible. I look at my life now and think about all of the time I wasted not chasing my passion. For me, a purpose driven career is the ONLY thing that matters. If I’m spending 40-80 hours a week giving my heart and soul to an endeavor that is NOT aligned with who I am or why I’m here, then what am I doing?

Too many of us are burnt out from dead end jobs that we wake up every day dreading. That’s such a huge waste of creative energy. Health Coaches are the ultimate advocates for purpose-driven lifestyles and careers because we are all about creating your life from your most empowered self, on your own terms, and owning it wholeheartedly.

If you’re someone who is thinking about starting a business or turning your passion into a career, then there’s a whisper inside you that’s getting louder and louder, saying “Do it. Go. Now. Don’t wait!”

The biggest piece of advice I can give is to listen to that whisper and TAKE ACTION. Enroll in that training, take that new job, move to that new city.

You may not know all the steps to take to get to where you want to go, but if you just keep taking the step right in front of you, then you’ll be shown the way.

What Is A Health Coach?

When it comes to food and exercise, most people know what to do, but just aren’t doing it!

A Health Coach is someone who makes it easy to follow-through with what you already know you should be doing.

A Health Coach is someone who inspires people to grow habits that support their well-being.

A Health Coach is a master of habit change.

As stated by Business Wire, employee’s number one request is to have an on staff Health Coach to help them achieve their personal wellness goals.

In our ground-breaking 6-Month Health Coach program we will teach you everything you need to know about nutrition PLUS the art and science of habit change so clients get real, lasting results. What this gives you is a structure that serves clients for life.

That’s not all…We’ve also spent years developing a proven business and marketing platform to launch your career as a Health Coach the right way so you can start seeing clients and making money before you graduate.

If you’ve been looking for that one unique, well-designed educational experience that will create a total breakthrough in the quality of your personal and professional life, then it’s no accident that you find yourself here.

From education, through transformation, to wildly successful career, we got you… every step of the way.

Click here to get program info and see exactly what you’ll learn in the 6-month professional certificate training.

What The Experts Have To Say About Health Coaching

According to the CDC, 86% of all health care dollars ($2.9 trillion and growing) are spent on chronic diseases and conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and arthritis. These are among the most common and costly of all health problems and they are preventable with habit change. Who will lead this movement of habit change? Health coaches.

BUDDHI BOX

January 18, 2017

“I swear, I’ll make it to the next yoga class” or “I’ll just start my diet tomorrow”? If these excuses sound all too familiar, maybe you just haven’t been giving yourself the proper motivation. You can buy another pair of workout pants OR you can try something a little more fun.

BuddhiBox is a monthly care package filled with a curated assortment of unique and artisanal yoga products and deluxe cruelty-free samples, designed to keep you inspired both on and off your mat. Filled with cute accessories, yummy snacks, and high-quality beauty products, this box will keep your practice top of mind even when you’d rather be savasana-ing from the comfort of your own bed.

Each box contains a mixture of 5-6 deluxe samples and full size items for $32.95/month. If you find yourself feeling particularly inspired by a certain item in your BuddhiBox and would like to purchase one for a friend (or more for yourself!) just check out the website.

All of the items inside your monthly BuddhiBox, as well as limited edition boxes, can be purchased via the online store. 

An added bonus to this unique box is its give-back aspect, derived from the yoga concept of Aparigraha, or non-greediness. BuddhiBox gives back to the community by donating a portion of its proceeds to a different charity each month. In August, the proceeds are going to the One Love Movement, an organization that aims to raise awareness for under-privileged women and youth.   

By donating a portion of its proceeds to a different charity every month, BuddhiBox truly embodies the yogi lifestyle of giving back.

Farmaesthetics’ NEW Etheric Inhalation Oils

January 14, 2017

Farmaesthetics’ NEW Etheric Inhalation Oils are the brand’s signature essential oil blends that work with the sensory paths to help break the cycle of stress. By engaging the respiratory system through deep inhalation, we engage with the therapeutic properties of each oil to boost the system, helping restore the inherent ability to cope with life’s daily stressors. Inhaling the powerful molecules of plants, as captured in therapeutic grade essential oil, gently and quickly diverts the mind and moves the body from a state of imbalance toward one of wellbeing.

   

Adrenal Support

An oil that helps your adrenal glands maintain appropriate energy levels to prevent fatigue and exhaustion from relentless over-firing. Black spruce, pine, hemp and grapefruit are nature’s age-old remedy to renew and support adrenal complex function and they join in this formula.

 

To Use: Add two to three drops to your palms then slowly rub them together to warm and release the vapors. Then, loosely cup over your nose and breathe deeply and slowly for 30 seconds. You can also place three to four drops on your hands and press onto your back where your kidneys are located, or place a drop or two into eight ounces of oil for use in an external massage. A few drops in a hot bath will create an adrenal remedy soak.

 

$27 each | $96 set of all 4 via www.farmaesthetics

Dreaming

A blend of lavender and clary sage essential oils that combine to shift a work-weary or worried mind into a gentler realm. Like a lullaby for grownups, this oil is like the whisper of something soft and kind at bedtime. A flutter of therapeutic, aromatic molecules soothes once warmed in the palms or placed on a cotton ball or hankie and placed under your pillow.

 

To Use: Add two to three drops to your palms then slowly rub them together to warm and release the vapors. Then, loosely cup over your nose and breathe slowly for 30 seconds. You can also add three to four drops to a teacup of steaming water then hold up to your face, breathing in the vapor for 30-60 minutes. Or, place two drops onto a bedside lamp lightbulb, as the heat of the bulb will release the vapors. Finally, you can also place four to five drops onto a cotton ball or hankie and place it near your pillow. If you wake in the night, cuddle the cotton cloth close to your face to re-engage the oils.

 

$27 each | $96 set of all 4 via www.farmaesthetics

Pick-Me-Up

When a weary world view is bringing you down, this fine herbal essential oil blend enlivens your weary demeanor, renewing positivity and vigor for a fresh outlook. Grapefruit and peppermint therapeutic essential oils work in tandem to rise your energy to help with focus and mental clarity.

 

To Use: Add two to three drops to your palms, then slowly rub them together to warm and release the vapors. Then, loosely cup over your nose and breathe deeply and slowly for 30 seconds. You can also add three to four drops to a teacup of steaming water then hold up to your face, breathing in the vapor for 30-60 minutes. Or, place two drops onto a bedside lamp lightbulb, as the heat of the bulb will release the vapors.

 

$27 each | $96 set of all 4 via www.farmaesthetics

Warming

A blend of essential oils that combine to impart a feeling of gentle warmth and relaxation, inside and out. This roundly scented therapeutic essential oil blend will help with circulation to brighten your complexion, lift your spirits and warm your heart. The heat-producing, therapeutic essential oils release when warmed between your palms or when added to a warm bath, imparting a scent of orange and clove.

 

To Use: Add two to three drops to your palms then slowly rub them together to warm and release the vapors. Then, loosely cup over your nose and breathe deeply and slowly for 30 seconds. You can also add three to four drops to a teacup of steaming water, then hold up to your face, breathing in the vapor for 30-60 minutes. Or, place two drops onto a bedside lamp lightbulb, as the heat of the bulb will release the vapors. Finally, you can also place four to five drops onto a cotton ball or hankie and place it near your pillow. If you wake in the night, cuddle the cotton cloth close to your face to re-engage the oils.

 

$27 each | $96 set of all 4 via www.farmaesthetics

  

New Year, New Goodies :: Goldthread Elixirs, Heavenly Organics, Frontier Snacks

December 30, 2016

Goldthread– Goldthread makes a line of uniquely delicious and fortifying elixirs, each clinically-researched and specially formulated for maximum benefit for consumers. The drinks are launching at a time when consumers are most looking for health benefits in their diets and they will be excited to see the variety offered by Goldthread Herbs. The brand offers nine herbal elixirs, all sourced and created with herbs and spices from around the world. Each herb and spice is hand-picked by the executive team at Goldthread herbs to give their consumers the highest quality ingredients available on the market. Whether looking for something to relax, energize, replenish, or boost immunity, there’s a beverage for everyone.

Heavenly Organics– A raw, organic honey company. Founded in 2005, Heavenly Organics produces and distributes organic, non-GMO, fair trade and kosher certified Chocolate Honey Patties™, Raw Honey and Whole-Cane Sugar.  Heavenly Organics Chocolate Honey Patties received the 2016 NEXTY award for Best New Sweet/Dessert.  Flavors include Mint, Pomegranate, Almond, Peanut, Double Dark and Ginger.  Wrapped in brightly colored packaging, these patties would be the ideal treat for any stocking.

Heavenly Organics was created as a way to help sustain the economic and cultural survival of indigenous people located in remote and conflicted areas of Northern and Central India and parts of the Himalayas.  The company was built on the belief that the only way to eliminate conflict is to provide ethical job opportunities.  Heavenly Organics has created worker-owned cooperatives that have been leading the authentic fair trade movement and creating big change for over ten years.

Frontier Snacks– a delicious and crunchy snack that is making a splash in the healthy snack industry made out of only 8 real ingredients. Frontier Snacks is ending the year with a big bang with the introduction of two new flavors: Pumpkin Seed Apple Vanilla Bean and Cashew Cranberry Orange adding to its line of diverse flavors making Frontier Snacks appealing to everyone’s taste buds.

Another Shape House to sweat your CRAP out! In WeHo on Roberston

December 23, 2016

Another oasis of blood, sweat and tears in WeHo – ok no blood – maybe just sweat and tears of all the muck you are holding in the body. If you don’t sweat – then you NEED TO.
I am a true addict and Shape House has been my medicine. Everything about it – the vibe, people, serenity and of course the SWEAT. 
Read more below about the insane health benefits and stay tune for a GLA sweat party soon. YES, I said SWEAT PARTY!!
FAR infrared sweating provides many of the cardiovascular conditioning benefits of continuous exercise. During a 55-minute sweat, your heart receives a workout similar to that of a ten-mile run, while the detox achieved through FAR infrared perspiration provides a more productive detox than a marathon. Sweating boosts endorphins, improves cardiovascular fitness and
endurance, and releases muscle tension, making it the perfect compliment to any lifestyle.

When the body’s core temperature is increased, cardiac output is boosted in response. The heart rate rises in order to circulate blood at a faster pace and facilitate sweat production, which helps train and strengthen the cardiac muscles. The metabolic rate is also increased, while diastolic blood pressure drops, leading to improved cardiovascular fitness. Meanwhile, the infrared heat stimulates endorphin release, which helps improve energy and healing, while the removal of lactic acid buildup soothes tense and sore muscles.

Infrared sweating is perfect for people who do not have the time or ability to exercise regularly, as it offers the opportunity to maintain and improve cardiovascular health with relative ease. For those who do even the most rigorous workouts, sweating still represents a perfect option, as it reinforces heart strength and endurance while relieving muscle strain.

When you sweat, you allow your body to flush out all the impurities that are embedded in the dermal layer- from pollutants and dirt to old makeup and chemical residue. You allow your skin to naturally glisten and glow by bringing a fresh blood supply and essential nutrients to the surface, and adding elasticity to collagen structure. Regular sweating can improve the tone, clarity, and texture of the skin, slow the aging process and reduce the effects of sun damage.

 

During an FAR infrared session, your pores open fully to allow sweating, which carries impurities and dead skin cells away and leaves your skin immaculately fresh. Your sweat also contains small amounts of antibiotics that combat dermal bacteria, which helps reinforce the cleansing process. Meanwhile, nutrient-rich blood is brought to the surface by increased circulation, which allows essential vitamins and minerals to help fill in the gaps between skin cells and plump up tiny wrinkles, while deterring future collagen breakdown. Increased blood circulation has also been shown to relieve acne, eczema, psoriasis, scars and stretch marks, lesions, and cellulite.

By continually flushing contaminants out of the dermal layer and bringing fresh nutrients and blood to the surface through sweating, you can naturally refresh and revitalize the appearance of your skin.

far infrared

FAR infrared is a radiant form of natural energy. FAR infrared cannot be seen, but can be felt as a nourishing heat that safely penetrates the skin to increase core-body temperature. This results in an intense, detoxifying, health-boosting sweat that helps you look and feel healthier, happier, and brighter.

detox

Our bodies need to detox in order to eliminate elements that are not good for us, so that our systems can function optimally. When you sweat using FAR infrared technology, you enhance your body’s ability to free itself from toxic chemicals, pathogens, and heavy metals by cleansing from the inside out.

When you sweat at Shape House, it’s all about you. Sweating is the perfect opportunity to relax,
recharge, and reboot your mind and body, while unplugging from the demands of daily life. Stress can wreak havoc on the physical and psychological systems, often resulting in further anxiety. By sweating, you can break the cycle, regain your balance, and find your way back to your bones.

FAR infrared heat penetrates the sub-dermal layer to warm muscles, which encourages them to relax and expand. The body often retains stress as muscle tension, which then creates further trouble in the form of unsettling soreness, pain, and headaches. By relieving muscle strain, and releasing built-up lactic acid, infrared also helps to ease the associated fatigue and stress. This sort of deep muscle and psychological relaxation has been proven to boost immunity, mood, and energy. Sweating also provides a burst of endorphins, which heighten the sense of wellbeing and clear-headedness that accompanies relaxation.

By dedicating an hour to a FAR infrared sweat, you can quiet inner noise, escape the chaos of modern life, and refuel…all while catching up on your favorite TV show.

Quality deep sleep is essential to physical and mental health. But in our 24/7 society, most of us struggle to get the rest we need on a consistent basis. In fact, roughly a third of Americans are chronically sleep-deprived, a condition that has been linked to obesity, diabetes, mood disorders, cardiovascular disease, and poor cognitive function.

Along with our culture of constant stimulation, we are often subject to routine stress and tension that make it difficult to relax, even in sleep. Toxic build-up can also impair the body’s ability to rest fully, as many of our cellular repair and internal cleansing processes take place during our sleeping hours.

The purifying sweat that results from a FAR infrared session helps to detoxify the mind and body alike by relaxing muscles, eliminating waste, stimulating repair processes, and calming the psyche. After a 55-minute session, sweaters immediately feel refreshed. More importantly, the next three nights following a sweat are full of quality deep sleep, as the body has largely been allowed to catch up on nighttime tasks during the treatment, and the mind has been given a chance to restore and relax. It is not uncommon that people who sweat regularly lessen or stop their intake of sleeping pills. Sweaters who have regular sessions report improvements in restlessness and insomnia, and find that they wake up feeling rejuvenated and ready to take on the world.

Address: 653 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Phone: (855) 567-2346