Zumba

Breakfast Hacks

I’m notorious for skipping breakfast but feeling guilty about it later. I was stressing about what to eat and forgot to eat. Then I realized, i need a simple no-fail solution. Here’s my breakfast solution, and yes they’re all oatmeal.

  • When I’m running late I’ll have a Bob’s Red Mill instant oatmeal in a cup. $1.59
  • If I feel like meal prepping I’ll do a couple of oatmeal in a jar with apricots, dates, nuts and other dried fruits. $0.75
  • Sometimes I’ll splurge and get a fresh blueberry oatmeal from Starbucks. $3.75

The bottom line is to create healthy habits. Stick to a simple no fail breakfast menu and vary your options. You’ll prevent boredom and promote balance. (Ex: different types of oatmeal.)

The number one reason I enjoy oatmeal is because of its fiber content. After all fiber scrubs the colon and we all want our colon to be clean. (Right) There’s other benefits but being fibrous is a highlight.

I’m focusing on breakfast because our country, USA, has a backward view of a 1st meal. If you think about it, everything we consume has a lot of sugar or even worse… fake sugar.

  • Muffin = Cupcake
  • Pancake = Cake
  • Cereal = Similar to “Sprinkles” on a Cake
  • Instant Cocoa = Milk Chocolate
  • Chocolate Milk = Creamy Milk Chocolate

Prevent boredom and promote balance.

By Ho’omālamalama

The goal is to hack-away at what doesn’t work and find what does. Because a hack isn’t just a shortcut, it’s also a better way of doing something. The best way to adapt *clean eating habits is to update one meal per week, then one week of meals. My hack was breakfast. What’s yours?

*Clean Eating (my definition): non-GMO, low to zero sugar, no preservatives or additives.

Now this discipline does not include cheat-days 🙂

Cooking with co-workers.

We’ll I didn’t cook, this time, but I had the opportunity to taste it! Pickles and energy bites came from Carl’s class at the high school.

Elderberry oxymel made with elderberries, herbs, honey and apple cider vinegar. It’s a delicious tonic that my friend, Davina, has perfected over time.

Classic Treat

I enjoy eating Red Vines licorice but not all the additives and preservatives. Luckily there’s an alternative and it’s called Classic Red.

Just don’t eat the whole bag in one sitting. Check the bag for recommended daily servings per person. However if you’re like me that won’t work. So I typically share it and take a few pieces.

Oh, and it’s vegan.

March’s Fitness

When covid19 shut down the school I started online fitness for teachers. It was amazing and inspirational. The best part is that we still workout. In fact March 13th will mark our one year anniversary. Here’s this months schedule:

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Hacking Holidays

So I’ve been MIA but with legitimate reasons, listed below, but what brought me back to the game (so to speak) is my Luv of food and sharing. In fact I’ve involved my children on this quest to fight the COVID bulge and hack the holiday eating frenzy. It’s back to food, fitness and family on MANA WAHINE FITNESS.

Here goes my, “Where I’ve been” and “What’s happening” list.

1. I didn’t know if I had anything left to share in this space.

2. Started working at a school creating, developing and co-hearting a program for preK-12th. (I’ll share a video below.)

3. Wrote an E-Book and didn’t know what to do with it after publishing. Walk Inn Beauty

4. Played around with a podcast Walk Inn Beauty and haven’t touched it in awhile.

5. Raising 7 children (4 are teens) and co-homeschooling with my husband.

It’s my WELCOME BACK 🥳 to blogging, which I missed.

I’m still teaching Zumba and my online classes are so much fun. I even bought new gear to celebrate the new sessions.

I started LUNCH & LEARN sessions via Facebook group. Keep reading, I have a simple wild rice 🌾 recipe.

Good Vibes

Tried VLOGMAS for a couple of days and it turned out pretty good. (pictures below) I talked my teenagers into joining me and they did a fantastic job. Speaking of youth, they currently join me during my online sessions since we turned our Ohana living room into a dance studio. Lol.

Christmas Vibes (Part 1)

Christmas Vibes (Part 2)

How to make a Kanakaloka

How to make a Ninja Elf

Fit Foodie

The BEST holiday hack is to meal prep because the goal is to jump into 2021… seriously! The sweet temptations are everywhere so you have to arm yourself with good food. So add that extra fiber and plant based proteins because the more you prep the easier it will be to say no.

Wild rice with greens and salmon.

It’s literally the same three ingredients styled differently. I adore these containers from ELLO and bought several at Costco.

Wild Rice: A mix of protein and fiber, low in calories. Contains Manganese an antioxidant, it aids in keeping the mitochondria in your cells healthy.

Brussels Sprouts, Kale, Broccoli & Purple Cabbage: You’ve seen those salad bag mixes at Costco and Cash & Carry. They’re time savers because one bag can do so much!

I added can salmon, not my usual choice but I was trying to create from a menu that could live in your pantry. Everything except the salad could keep for months. Video tutorial on the link below. Enjoy

https://youtu.be/l_ivTRRszQQ

Teaching

This picture is in the gym at Chief Leschi Schools of the Puyallup Tribe, a PreK to 12th grade establishment.

I started fitness sessions back in March 2020 when the pandemic first hit. It was a way for teachers to keep moving and stay positive. My initial goal was to remain active until the students returned… but that didn’t happen. (Yet)

So far several of us have continued but I’m really concerned about the students. Every time I see them on screen 👩🏻‍💻 sitting back, sedentary and aloof I get worried.

If you have any ideas please comment.

Women who DO don’t wait for permission!


I speak from experience because if I waited I wouldn’t be where I am today. I’m on a WholelisticFit journey and it’s not easy. Excuses and doubt happen but it shouldn’t become a defining factor.

Can you imagine a life without pain, sickness or disease?

What would it take to make that happen?

Stop trying to heal the world. Start healing yourself and the world will take notice. Start with YOU. Because if you’re like me, we’ve seen the headlines and feel the hurt. Our first reaction is sorrow and maybe hopelessness. Sometimes we stop moving all together because we’re chained by sadness. But that’s when you use your WHY to refocus and stay in motion.


Energize your fit schedule with an emotional connection to wellness. Develop a deep and rooted WHY into every squat, plank and burpee.

Make the extra effort, do what the average person wouldn’t. Stay consistent, persevere and believe in the process.


Speaking of process, I was talking to my sister, Make Mahalo, about our goals. She used the term, “the G-d process!” Which I understand as going through challenges KNOWING that there’s a lesson in the midst. The willingness to have faith and keep moving forward.

Will the life lessons ever stop? Probably not. The G-d process seems to be ingrained into the universe.

Keep moving forward!

So I’m doing another fitness concert, and it’s been awhile. The last one was in the Spring and it feels like decades. I can’t wait to sweat along side of some fabulous women and a few good men. The best part is blasting the music 🎶 and moving to the rhythm.

Also if you’re interested my blog WholelisticFit.com has a new article called, “WHY & WILLpower, which do you need first?” It list the 5-Steps-To-A-Strong-Why and includes some pinable quotes. Keep in mind that you have to be a MERMAID to read it, and membership is free. Click here to become a Mermaid.

I’m closing with a few vision boards I created and posted on Instagram! PEACE Be the Journey, Ho’omālamalama



 

July’s Fitness Goals

I'm challenging all MANA WAHINE to plank, yes I said PLANK, during the month of July.

[Why?] There are so many benefits when holding a properly aligned plank. Muscle's, cells, hair follicle are all participating. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating by a hair. Lol, sorry about the weak pun.

[Can beginners participate?] Anyone who wants to, and has medical approval, can participate. Below is the info-pic I created as a guide. Pin-it and use it daily. I hope you have fun with this challenge and join me. Comment below if you are.

I'll be on Facebook Livestreaming daily with my MANA WAHINE. We checkin at 5:30am daily to follow the chart above. Talk about dedication!  We're starting off will smaller increments that will increase daily.

I also have a new workout schedule for July. It's going to be a fun month. So have a safe 4th and stay hydrated. PEACE Be the Journey.


I like to swap off fitness styles to give my MANA WAHINE a full body workout. Which is your favorite?

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How Fear became my Friend ;)

There were a few things that use to scare me! Like eating clean, working out 2-hours a day or meditating for an hour. I built up serious resistance to these in the form of excuses. Like…

“I can’t eat CLEAN because buying organic is $$$ expensive.”

“How long & what I do during my workout doesn’t matter, besides there’s not enough time. Unless there’s 26-hours in a day.”

“I meditate when I sleep 😴 so that’s like a two-for-one-deal. Besides meditation isn’t necessary.”

The culprit behind my list of excuses was fear. My complacency was a comfort zone where I allowed my fears to hold me. Instead of using that fear to spark my actions like a catalyst for positive change.


I decided to acknowledge my fears and use it to motivate me. Yes I said that my fears motivated me. Here’s the breakdown…

  • Not eating clean > fear > expensive >  LEARN > found out that there are many affordable solutions > CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE 
  • Two hour workout > fear > loss of time > LEARN > I waste more time on social media. Also, I learned to communicate my goals & got support. > I CREATE TIME
  • Meditation was silly > fear > didn’t understand its benefits > LEARN > started simple & joined a class > I FEEL BALANCED


Then I took this fear thing to the next level. I’ve always seen myself as a dancer but not a buff (slang for strong) person. High intensity workouts scared me because they challenged me. Then one day I decided to become STRONG By ZUMBA instructor. OMG!!! 😲 (Why?) I was tired of being afraid. I purchased clothing that actually said “STRONG” and “INSTRUCTOR” on it. Can you imagine.


I became a STRONG instructor in October 2016  and then in April 2017 my sister became one too! [Above are pictures from her class, below are mine.] 
I have to say that I had the coolest group ever! They were from Hawaii, Texas, California, Idaho & Washington state. We still keep in contact to encourage one another. After all this wasn’t an easy class. Imagine doing a HITT training for one hour and breaking down each module for the next five to six hours. OUCH!


Above is my graduating class of STRONG instructors and a beautiful group of ladies. We all had our doubts and fears but we took it one movement at a time. And I think that’s the key to dealing with fear.

Use fear to motivate you by…

  1. Acknowledging the feeling.
  2. Discover “why” you feel that way.
  3. LEARN and gain knowledge because it is powerful.
  4. Break it down to smaller task and write it down.
  5. Keep it simple and only do one task at a time. Don’t skip or think about the next task. Focus on ONE.

Above is Madalene Aponte, Zumba ZES and an amazing instructor. She trained my sister and myself. If you’re interested in becoming a Zumba instructor I suggest you check her out. 


I’m living the dream of a fit life and you can too. In fact I started monthly gatherings to encourage other women to join the movement. All of my guest are moms like me & I luv it. 

5 Reasons to Start a Fitness Revolution!

Maybe “Revolution” is a bit heavy of a word to use.

But that’s what it feels like. It feels like you have to amp people up to move. Motivate others to join the wellness movement, after all this is a worthy cause. So why not start a revolution and wave a flag of wellness over the nation? Well, let’s at least begin in our homes. 

Aging gracefully is a worthy cause! Being able to use the toilet on my own at 93 is a worthy cause!!!

Working out is a worthy cause but we all need motivation to get this revolution going. All the more reason to try Zumba. I think it’s a great introduction into fitness and can open the door for advancement. It’s the music that motivates me out of a sluggish attitude. The bass does all the work while the treble gets you stepping. 

Here’s my FIVE [5] REASONS TO START A FITNESS REVOLUTION 

  1. It’s time to overthrow diabetes.
  2. Start a mutiny to obesity’s plans.
  3. Revolt against heart disease.
  4. Cause a rebellion on products  that slowly destroys kidneys & liver.
  5. Begin an insurgence against “mis information,” become self-educated about what we consume & how we move. (In other words – be careful of all fads, do your own research.)

    My upcoming classes are for Moms because I see their commitments & dedication to their Ohana, family. Often putting their needs last and rarely making time for self-care. My goal is to create a bubble of health and that 1 hour belongs to them. 100% 

    If you need help setting or creating a food, fitness, fun & self-care plan check out WholelisticFit PEACE Be the Journey & comment below if you’re starting a FITNESS REVOLUTION in your home. 

    Inspiration behind: Fitness Concert “Island Style”

    This year I attended Zumba Convention or ZINCON 2016 with my sister & fellow instructor Paish. We vlogged, Snapchat, YouTube our adventures to our friends and families. Nothing impacted me more than the welcome sign,

    Master the business of fun!

    That was the inspiration I needed to plan, create, host & lead my Zumba classes. It can be challenging to stay motivated while motivating others but that sign said it all! All I have to do is be FUN.


    The first event was such a boost and all I could think about was my class. How can I duplicate my experience at #ZINCON to my students & fellow mermaids? What can I offer that would make them excited to dance off those unwanted calories and invite others?

    Answer: I need to host a fitness concert, make it fun & make it memorable.


    See what we got here.


    Check out the #ZINCON lobby here.


    Get the dance moves here.


    Motivated by #ZINCON and the beautiful ladies in my class I’m hosting a fall kick-off to fitness. My background is Polynesian performing arts and what better way to host a FITNESS CONCERT than “Island Flavor.”


    Become a Mermaid & grab the fitness apps resource page, for free. It’s live links that you can use right away with a brief description and cost per app.

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    Hosting a fitness event. Part 2/2

    In my last post I shared about hosting a fitness event, which is 100% based on teamwork, here’s another type called Sponsoring. When you sponsor an event you can enter the agreement in two ways. 

    The first type is where you fund the event and reap the benefits from attendees seeing your logo throughout the venue. The host will contact you or you might see an advertisement that suggest “For sponsorship information please email…” or something of that nature.

    The second way is to utilize your energy, expertise or connections to sponsor. Basically you’re exchanging time for dollars. This can be beneficial if you are trying to get your business noticed and are boot-strapping to save dollars. 

    This year I joined One Condition Fitness‘s owner Leilani Finau, her sister Tia and an impressive list of Sponcers. Lei came up with the STRONG WARRIOR CHALLENGE and hustled to make it happen. I met fitness instructors from all walks of life who participate in OCF at some level. I was definitely the oddball joining the team with my Zumba Fitness background but I didn’t mind. 

    At the end of the day my duties and business participation was clearly communicated and I was more then happy to follow through. I chose to lend my skills to this event because I really wanted to make positive change in the Native health scene. Her SWC lined up with my values and it was a win/win.

     (Above is a picture of Lei giving some final instructions before competition began.)


    The 5 benefits of being a Sponcer:

    1. You can choose your level of participation.
    2. Meeting other professionals in the same field.
    3. Utilizing you dollars or talent to reach new clientele.
    4. Collaborations allow you to build community.
    5. Gain experience by helping others achieve their goals.

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      How to host a fitness event. Part 1/2

      There were two events I participated in last week. One I co-hosted and the other I sponsored. And I’m going to share my take-a-way from both events.


      I had the opportunity to co-host a wellness movement. The agenda was simple and the idea was to get the community to try different types of fitness styles.

      I’ll be the first to admit that 7am yoga is for the truly dedicated. Personally my favorite time to practice is at 6am but that’s after years of training. Yet this crew was pretty awesome because it was a first attempt for many. Impressive!

      This style was completely new to me and it consisted of pow-wow music & movements. The two leading the session are a father & son team who have competed in different pow-wow venues throughout North America. This was intense & motivating.

      HIIT felt like a bootcamp session but it had a predetermined list of targeted movements that were on a whiteboard while being timed. I would challenge anyone taking their fitness to the next level to try it.

      We also had health and fitness businesses join us such as the local Curves . They donated items for our raffle, connected with attendees, spoke about their services and provided valuable resources.

      The highlight was having a representative from a local farmers market share products that are grown & made in Washington state. It was full of delicious berries and so much more.

      How to host a Wave Of Wellness or Fitness event in your community.

      1. Gather of team of like minded people who are service driven.
      2. Set up regular meetings and possibly a “private” Facebook page to share any questions, progress or developments.
      3. Pick a place, date, time, budget, teams (set-up, break-down, kitchen, security & registration) and determine resources needed.
      4. Plan your marketing strategy and have everyone share on their social media pages.
      5. Host & have fun. Remember to take lots of pics.


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      Beautiful Body – Day 23 & 24

      I use to think about all the changes that I needed to make but never succeeded. (Why?) Because I was just thinking and never made a plan or even a checklist but the moment I did everything changed. Checklist are helpful because they…

      • Give you a snapshot of what you need to do.
      • Simple and easy to read.
      • At a glance you’re able to prioritize your mind.

      Above is a simple list and you can give yourself hearts. The nice part is that you can revisit this list often until you’ve earned all five hearts ❤️💛💚💙💜.

      Special announcement: if you’re in my classes.

       Meal prep to snacks to DIY skin care we’re going to have fun on #AlohaFridays and I’ll make sure to share what we do with you all on the blog.

      Beauty Fit: Three hair mask treatments that you can blend up. It’s safe for all ages & stages.

      Make your own list of things to try. After all, you’re full of potential. #makeithappen

      Foodie Fit: This curry is perfect as a post workout meal. Have you cooked with Poo? Or Kun Sayiuud Diwong who goes by her nickname Poo.

      Please LIKE 😉 Subscribe ✔️ Comment 📱 Share 💓

      Dance Fit: I hope you’re enjoying these as much as I do. These guys & girls from the Philippines are AWESOME

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