GRIP STRENGTH By: Lauren Anderson It can be so hard to hold on sometimes. When I first started working out at Solcana, my hands were so weak. I couldn't hold myself up on the bar for a second. Not ONE SECOND. It was difficult moving the heavy weights around. I couldn't even squeeze the clips that secure the weights in place on the bar. It took two hands,...
This isn't a subject with phrasing I particularly enjoy--it's too sexy, too click-bait-y. The words sugar AND fat, pitted against each other?? The ability to be categorized into one OR the other? Seems too perfect for the health and wellness world I try to use nutritional therapy to help to push away from, away from the one that’s full of "either ors", "yes or nos",...
October is right around the corner and I'm so excited to announce enrollment is now open for the October sessions of the Essential You! There are two class offerings: IN PERSON (at Solcana Wellness) Sundays, 4 PM - 5:30 PM October 23rd through November 20th ONLINE (via Skype) Sundays, 1:30 - 3 PM October 23rd through November 20th Class cost is $189, and discounted to $179 for current Solcana...
This blog post isn't about the muscles on you or me. Or your co-worker. Or that person that just happens to be really muscle-y all the time, almost no matter what. Nor baby muscles. No, this article is about the muscles that are on plenty of our plates. That's right, the animal muscles we call meat. Protein. The stuff we eat. The stuff some of us go...
There seems to be a divide between people. Those who are satisfied by one cupcake, and those who aren't. I know, I know. I may be splitting things too readily (maybe you're satisfied by a chocolate cupcake but not vanilla? Maybe you just don't like those darn cupcakes...), but it seems to me that in our current culture, there's this notion that a treat, be it a...
BEFORE THE VEGGIES GO BAD By: Lauren Anderson It's a Saturday. It's midnight. And I'm hungry. I know what you're thinking-- It's so late! Just drink a glass of water and go to bed! But I can't, remember? I'm an actor. I just got done doing two shows, and I didn't eat dinner in between. And my timeline is different from a bulk of America, so midnight is...
Did you know that your breath affects your digestion? And your immune system? Because it does. And you have total control over your breath. In fact, you can start changing your breath RIGHT NOW! As you're reading this! Oh, yeah. Now we're talking! I mean, breathing. Think about how you focus on your breath while getting through a tough WOD or holding a pose in mobility. Would...
Have you been hearing all about bone broth these days? How it's some magical elixir people are buying at quite a few cents per ounce to sip while tooling around town? The hype is merited, I concur. But what if I told you that bone broth is extremely easy to make at home? And way more economical? And what if I explained all the reasons WHY...
While the summer is beginning to wind down, I'm still noticing the toll this hectic season has had on our overall sleep quality and quantity. Like I've alluded to in previous posts, if you want a body that's functioning at high capacity, sleep is going to be an integral part of the formula to get you there. If you want better mental clarity, the ability...
HECKLED and DOCTOR JEKYLLED By: Lauren Anderson This week I got heckled on stage. For being fat. And it sucked. Are you angry? Good. That makes me feel better. Not that I want you upset, dear readers. But if that last sentence left you feeling the slightest outrage, at least I know you're on my side. And that means a lot. Truly. Allow me to fill in some blanks....
Last November I wrote the following post about trusting your gut. After some interpersonal experiences recently, I've been reflecting back on this post and felt bringing these questions back into the mix during the end of the summer felt appropriate. You are how you feel. Read on and perhaps ask yourself--do I trust my gut? In many of my posts, I try to describe how much...
THE ACCIDENTAL AMBASSADOR By: Lauren Anderson The Olympics have been on, and like many of you, I'm watching and cheering and crying. Happy for the chance to see amazing feats of strength, and years of hard work come to fruition. And maybe they're just there to get the farthest throw or the fastest run, but these athletes start to represent so much more. Their countries. Their race. Their...
Have you heard about kombucha*? Do you drink the stuff from the stores? Isn’t it tasty? And… kinda expensive? Do you have a friend that makes their own and it seems a little scary, yet you find yourself intrigued? Come to the kombucha workshop from 2 to 3 PM at Solcana Wellness (2200 Minnehaha Ave) on Saturday, September 17th and let me teach you how simple, easy,...
I work in the mental health field as a clinical social worker/therapist. One of my most favorite things to do is sit down with someone in a therapy session, help them feel comfortable being vulnerable with me, and then attempt to untangle their history of anxiety, depression, and trauma. While I may love helping others battle their own struggles, I often don’t share that I...
I've had the concept of change on my mind for a while now. Just like I spoke about intentional rest last week, let's now talk about intentional change this week. What's the definition of change? Glad you asked: "change" CHānj/ verb verb: change; 3rd person present: changes; past tense: changed; past participle: changed; gerund or present participle: changing 1. make or become different. Deceptively simple explanation there, huh? Now we know that change...
THE SPACE IN BETWEEN By Lauren Anderson and Morgen Larsen Hi. Lauren here. You know, once in a while, there are some rare mornings when I wake up, without being prompted by my over-active bladder. I lie there nestled in my bed, and realize I am awake just moments before my alarm starts its round of annoying beeps and boops. And on these rare mornings, I am...
Don't worry, don't worry--so is working out! But, just like you schedule your workouts, and have worked HARD to incorporate physical activity into your life, I think there's always room to ask: When do you rest? ...is it truly restorative? Is it stressful? Does your rest day consist of you taking care of a million little things, running from work to errands to making dinner quickly to other...
No food is bad. No food is good. Why do we make them all out to be this way? What's in it for us when our culture perpetuates that you should feel heroism while eating salad, and decides you should feel guiltyAF for eating that tray of cookies. I'm starting to think it's because our culture wants to take the power out of our hands. Honestly. We're being...
I've already written a few posts about stomach acid and how, and why, the majority of us need higher levels in order to effectively digest our foods. Well... this post is more of the same. Addressing low stomach acid levels is the FIRST step in ensuring our bodies are utilizing the nutrients we put in. The reason I keep coming back to this is increasing your...
BREAKING BRUSHES By: Lauren Anderson I remember my college years as a blur of emotion, discovery, and expensive “education”. And occasionally being educated after discovering how expensive emotions can be. (See what I did there?) I'm talking specifically about a few of the guys I hung out with in undergrad. Nice guys from all walks of life, who had to kiss their damage deposits goodbye because at some...
Once you've been on the whole foods, unprocessed (for the most part!) foods train for a while, you can start to wonder... What's next? What else do I want to accomplish, or why do I still get heartburn? Why does almond butter give me a stomachache, but everyone else seems to do fine with it? It can be difficult to parcel out what really helps us...
One of the beautiful things about crossfit, and the class experience at Solcana in particular, is an athlete's ability to scale a movement or exercise to a form that is appropriate for them in the moment. Can't do a strict pull-up? Not a problem--try a banded pull-up, or skip the bar completely and do some rows on the rings placed ever so conveniently! Have an...
DE-STRESS SUCCESS!!! By: Lauren Anderson Oh hi. Funny that we'd bump into each other like this. It's so good to see you. Namaste. You probably didn't recognize me because for the last 12 days I've just been blissed-out floating around this zen garden on my way to the mountain-top of self-actualization. Don't believe me? Well good. That tells me you are the smart and savvy reader I knew you...
So you're one of the 50 Destress Quest participants and you're basically DONE with the Destress Quest after today--you may be feeling some.. stress... about what to do next! Well, luckily for you, everything you've been working on these last 12 days are tools, tricks and ideas you can continue to implement whenever you so choose. There's no reason you need to stop eating according to...
For those on the Destress Quest, we're almost halfway done! Time flies when you're sleeping eight hours a night, trying out some mindfulness techniques and zoodlin' up a storm. During the initial part of this type of endeavor, where we end up holding off on some stressful foodstuffs like, say, processed sugar, is often what many people experience may not feel so great. In fact, it...
By Coach Hannah Lucia and I have been working really hard over the past 8ish months to bring you all something very exciting: Solcanacast. Solcanacast is a podcast where Lucia and I mash together our expertise to bring you some facts and opinions from the world of nutrition and fitness. We speak broadly on our experiences and share the facts we have learned along the way....
Sundays, July 10th – August 7th Online Class: 1:30 – 3:00 PM: $189 (or $179 for Solcana Members) In Person Class (at Solcana Wellness): 4:00 – 5:30 PM: $189 (or $179 for Solcana Members) July is already fast approaching, and there are TWO Essential You group nutrition class sessions available for sign up! One class is completely online, and all you need is a steady internet connection during...
THE PIZZA PARDON By: Lauren Anderson So, last week my dear friends asked me over to their house for a dinner party. Being great friends, and lovely people just in general, they wanted to be compliant with my new way of eating. I know watching your sugar at a dinner party is no easy task... but my heart melted at their concern and care. I get this text,...
I got really excited when I started planning the Destress Quest because I knew that come June... I would need it. I've been majorly buggin' the past month or so for a variety of stressful reasons that are just part of life. It seems this time of year is especially hectic for many of us out there. I'm right there with you! And instead of...
I've been hearing there are some questions about this whole "macros tracking" thing people keep hearing about, so I thought I'd clear up some of the confusion! The term "macros" is short for "macronutrients". There are three macronutrients: proteins, carbohydrates and fats. Every food we eat can be broken down into amounts of these macronutrients. Often, people will refer to the macronutrient that mostly makes up...
