Ever find that after a great workout at the park or gym, a super sweaty yoga class, or a swim at the pool you are scrounging around for a bag to put your sweaty or wet clothes in so they won’t ruin your gym bag or contaminate the rest of your stuff with that um, less than desirable odor?

Chances are, more often than not, you reach for a plastic bag to put those wet, smelly clothes in. Problem is, those bags are wasteful, bad for the environment, and have zero style.

Fear not! OMe OMy is here to the rescue! This awesome, environmentally conscious, women-owned company has created The Wet Bag and The Sweaty Bag to give you a stylish, environmentally conscious way to store those sweaty/wet clothes. (And by the way, all their goods are made right here in the USA and they have plenty of other items to tickle your fancy!)

They come in a wide variety of colors, styles, and there is even a slight difference in size, with The Sweaty Bag just being slightly larger. They fold away easily in your purse, backpack, yoga/gym bag and once you are done using it, you can simply throw it into the washer for a quick clean up.

I got my hands on one of The Wet Bags and instantly fell in love. After finally choosing one out of the many beautiful styles, I picked a cute grey one, with a picture of a globe and the phrase “Make A Difference”, that had a unisex appearance so if my boyfriend Mike wanted to ever borrow it, he could. Then I gave it a test drive.

I brought it with me to yoga the following day and folded it neatly into my purse. After class, I was able to simply and sytlishly store my sweaty goods in my Wet Bag. Love it!

With the holidays coming up, these bags make the perfect gift for anyone on your list. Plus you can feel good about giving a gift that is not only practical and sytlish, but is also environmentally conscious as well.

And the lovely ladies at OMe OMy, Jessica and Marnie, are hooking all of you with a special discount good until December 31st to help you save with your gift giving. Simply enter the coupon code “leafygreen10” at checkout, and you will save 10% off your order.

Go ahead, get sweaty with it!

I realize that this post might piss some people off, but I had to say it.

I hate Weight Watchers and over the next few blog posts, I’m going to give you my top 3 reasons why you should run, not walk, from this program and others like it!

Let me be clear, I don’t hate the idea of people wanting to get healthy, reach a happy/healthy weight, and make positive change in their lives. I’m all down for that.

I’m not even saying you can’t lose weight on their program.

What I’m saying is that when you really look at the approach and food that’s promoted and “allowed” on Weight Watchers, it ain’t all that healthy AT ALL!

To be fair, I want you all to know that another lifetime ago, I did Weight Watchers and my mom has been an avid Weight Watcher devotee for as long as I can remember.

I also spent quite some time researching their “new” PointsPlus program.

I really wanted them to prove me wrong and show that they finally “got it” when it came to health and healthy weight loss. After all, they state that their new program:

…is based on the latest nutritional science, and factors in the way your body actually processes food. Combined with the proven advantages of the Weight Watchers approach, the program helps you make healthy choices.

Umm, really?

Is that why they still have folks counting calories (outdated and yes, that’s essentially what PointsPlus is, just with a cuter name), eating McNuggets, and consuming crap food products they create that contain hydrogenated vegetable oils, soybean oil, and yellow #5/blue #1? (I researched their ingredients) REALLY!?

I can feel myself getting all steamed up just thinking about it!

There is so much WRONG with what they are teaching folks but for today, let’s just focus on the first issue and the top reason I hate Weight Watchers:

Reason #1: Counting leads to crazy! (The Counting Game is the new Crying Game).

Any kind and any form. Why? It doesn’t let you ever get the chance to let your body let you know what it needs, traps you in a numbers game, and fails to heal your relationship with food (which Honey, if you are struggling with your weight, that is a huge part of the problem).

I used to count calories, points, fat grams, carbs. None of it worked long term, none of it taught me how to eat in a way that really nourished me, none of it taught me a damn thing about real health.

It actually made me feel a little crazy because I was always adding and counting up numbers. Kinda neurotic. Eating was more of a points game than a pleasure-rich, nourishing experience (which it should be). All that counting and “watching” is a recipe for an eating disorder to boot!

Today, I don’t count any of that (although so much of that damn thinking is still a part of me because I did it for so many years).

And guess what?

I am thinner, happier, and way damn healthier. Trust me, healthy fats and nutrient dense calories are NOT the enemy; processed foods, food additives, and that crazy counting mentality IS!

So what to do instead of count calories or points or whatever cute name you want to give it?

Here’s three tips to get you started:

1) Don’t count, nourish- Eat a whole foods, heavily plant based diet. What does that mean? Eat foods that you can pronounce, that don’t have 16 syllables, and that you and your body can recognize as food. And eating a heavily plant based diet does not mean you have to go vegan. It just means that what came from the ground takes up most of your plate or blender.

2) Eat those foods as meals, not a bunch of snacks or points! When I did the WW and calorie counting thing, I remember spending my day adding numbers on sheets of paper to see if I had blown my limit or if I had enough left to get another snack. I didn’t want to blow my limit but damn it, I wanted the max I could get!

It was kinda like being a shopaholic and calling your credit card company all day to see if you could get a just one more purchase in before the sales lady says, “Your card was declined.”

If you instead lovingly prepare (and if you are eating out, choose quality food) and consume it calmly 3 times a day, you don’t have to count all damn day. You listen to your body, you eat when your hungry, you stop when you are full, you get in touch with your wise self. You don’t worry about if you got your max or ideal number of points in; instead you learn to trust your body again. Wow! Can we say empowered!?

2) Start working on your relationship with food. Hello, any relationship worth having takes love, time, and some introspection. The one we have with food is not different; in fact it might be one of the most difficult to get in a sweet spot with because of the mixed messages we (especially women) get about food and our bodies.

Start asking yourself:

• How do I use food in my life?
• Do I turn to food for pleasure-only, reward, or as a way to numb pain or disappointment in my life?
• Do I see food as the enemy and something I need to control OR do I see it as a source of nourishment mixed with pleasure?

Great books like Women, Food and God by Geneen Roth can really help you start digging deep on this topic.

Another great resource is booking a Ready, Set, HOT Breakthrough Session with yours truly; I have had so many women tell me that that session provided amazing insight on where their relationship with food was out of alignment and allowed them the space to start getting clear about it. (It gets even better when I actually get to coach peeps one-on-one or in groups!)

There is so much to cover on this topic so be sure to tune in next week as I explore reason #2 and how WW is out of alignment of its so called “four pillars of healthy weight loss.”

What are your thoughts? Did you break free of the counting game? How did you do that?

Most of my travels revolve around seeing the family I love, who happen to be spread all around the country! That’s why part of my summer travels lead me back to my home state of Florida. I was lucky enough to not only get in time in Miami but also time on the peaceful Gulf shores with my family, including my sister and her hubby and kids who met me there from Virginia.

While I was visiting with them, I took advantage of the beautiful shoreline to keep my travels healthy and fit in my 12 Minute Workouts and some yoga on the beach; you know I love a no-gym required workout! After seeing my blog post about the 12 Minute Workout and seeing me workout on the beach, my 7 year old niece, Hailey, asked if we could workout together, doing both the 12 Minute Workout AND some yoga! Needless to say,I was more than happy to have her as my workout partner (Wait til you see her in this video; she is quite the inspiration to children and grown-ups alike!). I love getting my fitness on, especially with kids, and my heart melts every time I get to share my yoga practice with children!

What transpired was a beautiful, fun, and memorable morning. I don’t think there is anything more valuable you can share with your family than your time and showing them how to live a healthy life, especially with the children in your family. I think we often forget that children want our love, time, and attention more than any toy out there. By fitting in fitness with them, we not only give them all those things but we also lead by example as to how to have a happy, healthy, and empowered life! What a gift! And the added bonus is that you don’t have to add working out as another thing on your to-do list. Combine it with family fun whenever possible and everyone’s needs get met!

So the next time you are traveling to see family, see if you can intertwine your fam bam time with some fam fitness time. Believe me, your visit will have a healthy influence that they will remember. (My sister told me that Hailey showed her exactly how to do the workout when they got back home. That’s a family keepsake that never goes outta style!)

How do you fit in fitness with your family while traveling? And let me know if this video and this amazing young lady inspires you!

When I was a little girl, I used to LOVE hotel soaps. So cute, so miniature, and so FREE! Now that I’m all grown up and all the wiser, I know those cute little giveaways are also highly toxic! That’s why I never travel without loading up my favorite eco-friendly health and beauty products.

The simple fact is, what you put on your skin goes directly into your body. So if you are eating and supplementing well while on the road (or at home), why are you going to then add in some toxic chemicals into the mix?? Toxic chemicals ain’t sexy. Granted, I am not perfect in this area, but I really try my best. I have found a simple truth: What’s good for the environment is also very good for you. It’s time you and Mother Nature got along.

You don’t have to give up sexy to be eco…instead, be EcoSexy!

I don’t like getting stuck with my once beloved hotel soaps or using someone else’s products that ain’t into keeping it EcoSexy, so here’s how I pack my sundries bag:

And in case you want more info on any of these products, here’s a handy list for ya!:
1) Shampoo and Conditioner- Jason’s Organics and Alaffia
2)Toothpaste- EcoDent
3) Face/Skin Care- Honey Girl Organics
4) Sunscreen- Jason’s Organics and Alba
5) Non-toxic deodorant- Alba
6) Hair products- Giovanni Organics, Jason’s Organics, and Shikai
7) Body Oil- Better Botanicals Ayruvedic Body Oil
8) Razor- Preserve (made from recycled yogurt cups!)
9) Body Wash- MiEssence and Dr. Bronner’s
10) Eye-Makeup Remover- EarthScience
11) Organic Cotton Swaps- Maxim Organics and Swisspers

I also highly recommend you check out Skin Deep. They have a great database that will hook you up with loads of info on how your fave beauty products rate in terms of toxicity and can help you find safer alternatives. And check me out on LeafyGreen.info, where I love to review and write about the latest and greatest in green and eco-friendly products!

And stay tuned as I give you more tips on how to keep it healthy while getting your vacay on!

What products do you use to keep it EcoSexy?