Pilot Season is Coming... #prep4pilotseason

Alright my fellow actors...

I see you.

I know you have had a great summer (or a terrible summer?) and are just basking in the last few weeks of warm weather while it lasts.

But I have some bad news for you.
Winter is coming...

Unless you love fall/winter like I do in which case, YAY! PUMPKIN SPICE!!

Ok, focus Megan.

With winter comes more audition opportunities, aka pilot season.

I don't know about you, but I want to be at my very best for my auditions.  Physically and mentally.
And now is the time to start getting ready for it.

So I'm creating a program that will help actors prepare for the coming season.
And I want you to join me.

This will be a program that focuses on:

• Building healthy workout habits
• Creating healthy, sustainable, and realistic meal guidelines
• Reviewing/preparing materials for the upcoming busy season of auditions.

The end game?

Bringing your best self to the table.

Here's what this entails:
- 5 week program
- 2 over the phone check ins to discuss/finalize goals
- Review audition materials (resume, headshot, memorization skills, etc)
- Tailored meal guide for your dietary needs/daily schedule
- 4 week workout program
- Tailored nutritional support to aid with quick recovery and solid results

Ok Megan, this all sounds great, but how much is this gonna set me back?

Total cost is only $150 $125!!

I'm keeping the price low because I know an actors life is thrifty. And what's most important to me is that you have the tools you need to succeed.

And guess what? That's totally tax deductible.
(if you're not tracking expenses to deduct them at the end of the year, START NOW!)

If you're interested in creating a game plan for your goals this year, this is the way to do it.

Why work with me?

• I'm a seasoned fitness professional (former personal trainer and group fitness instructor)
• I'm well versed in nutrition (extensive research in basic nutritional guidelines as well as plant based, vegan, gluten free, paleo, raw etc)
• I've been performing professionally for over 15 years in both theatre and film
• I'm working in a well saturated market, and have worked in small markets as well

But most importantly? I have 2+ years of as a professional goals coach.

That's the secret sauce to all of this.

So let's make this year the best one yet!

Email me - meganfcarver@gmail.com
Let me know if you have questions, if you want to get set up, anything!

I'm excited to work with you, and to help translate those "hopes and wishes" into realistic goals.

Love and light,

Megan

I quit my job today

It started when I noticed I was complaining about my day job to anyone who would listen.

Literally, anyone.

And then it got worse a few weeks later, when I noticed I would get increasingly exhausted and aggravated throughout the day.

Things really picked up speed when my health started declining - I wasn't sleeping well, my bowel movements were all messed up, and I started eating emotionally again.

It was hard to get myself going in the morning.

I wasn't putting on makeup or brushing my hair.

I was doing the absolute minimum. 

And I hated that feeling.

Finally, I got an ulcer. And I knew I couldn't ignore it anymore.

I had to leave my job.

So I talked with Ben, my mom, and a few close friends about what was going on. They all agreed that I had not seemed well for some time, and that this position seemed to be the culprit.

Luckily, I had some financial cushion, so I was able to leave before I found my next position (fingers crossed, final interview tomorrow!)

But my point is I should have been listening to my body LONG before now. 

We give our bodies MUCH less credit than they deserve.

It was practically screaming at me "THIS JOB IS TERRIBLE AND IS CAUSING YOU INSANE STRESS LEVELS WHY ARE YOU STILL THERE?"

I'd never been so stressed out that I'd actually given myself an ulcer before (side note - there's debate on whether or not ulcers are related to stress, but the links seem pretty clear in this situation).

And yet, I kept going to my job thinking "I wonder why I'm so tired today? Maybe if I eat another cookie I'll feel better"

Your body is going to tell you when something isn't right.

Sure, it can be hard to decipher just what your body is saying sometimes, so that's why it's important to listen!

Here's what you can do to ensure that the quantity of stressors in your life are not detracting from the quality of your life:

• Keep in touch with multiple "body language" interpreters such as
• Nutritionists
• Therapists
• Doctors
• Naturopaths
• Start a journal. Writing about what you're dealing with is incredibly therapeutic, and can help you work out what's causing you stress or what is giving you joy!
• Meditate! We have SO much coming at us in our every day lives. Being still is crucial to decluttering our minds and relieving stress

Ultimately what I want to express to you all is that wellness is not always found at the gym. 

It's not always in a blender. 

It's not always about how many bench presses you do, or how many calories you eat, or how many miles you ran.

Wellness is also about finding joy in your day to day.

Feeling grateful and honoring your journey.

Taking time to recognize your struggles, unwind the tension they may have caused, and let them go.

(I couldn't bring myself to do a "Let it Go" gif, so Channing Tatum being Elsa will have to do)

So this week, if nothing else, take a moment to pick ONE THING you are going to do for your mental well being. And set a reminder to stick to it.

See what happens (because you're journaling now, right?) and see if there's any difference in a few days/weeks/months from now.

It's not worth it to give yourself an ulcer just to find out something isn't working for you.

Love,

Megan

We all fall down (literally).

Let me start by saying I am one of the most accident prone people I know.
So I feel pretty qualified for this topic.

We all trip over ourselves, or lift things wrong, or sleep weird and end up giving ourselves a nice little injury. Typically the best thing to do for that would be RICE (rest - ice - compression - elevation) right?

Well what if you're trying to stay active, and you can't be flat on your back for too long?

I'm gonna tell you something you don't wanna hear... You're going to lose a little progress. It's just a fact. BUT if you push through your injury, you most likely are going to make it worse.

You CAN however prevent yourself from losing too much progress.

Let's go over some common injuries, and ways to work in cardio and weight lifting while still nurturing these boo boos back to health.

Sprained Ankle

What your ankle needs:
Rest, Treatment for swelling (we use ibuprofen and Ease), Ice/Heat, Compression
You will recover more quickly if you are consistent with treatment.

What you can focus on:

• For Cardio: Upper body cardio such as rope pulling or an Arm Crank machine, Swimming
• For Weights: Work on your core, your butt, your back and your arms! You can still build muscle which in turn will continue to amp up your metabolism.
• Here's one of my favorite leg free workouts from FITNESS BLENDER
• Eventually.... work on strengthening those muscles around your ankle to ensure you are less likely to re-sprain it in the future. 

Bad Knee 

What your knee needs:
Rest, Treatment for swelling (we use ibuprofen and Ease), Ice/Heat, Compression
You will recover more quickly if you are consistent with treatment.

What you can focus on:

• For Cardio: Upper body cardio such as rope pulling or an Arm Crank machine, Swimming 
• For Weights: Work on your core, your back and your arms. Forcing yourself to be creative with how you are challenging your upper body can help you discover new strength!
• This is a great AT HOME SEATED WORKOUT
• Eventually... work on mobility so that your muscles do not stiffen, maybe see if you can get in for a massage to keep the lactic acid from building up.

Tweaked Neck

What your neck needs:
Rest, Treatment for swelling (Ibuprofen and Ease), Ice/Heat, and massage! Loosen those muscles up!
Keep in mind it's easy to re-injure your neck if you sleep on your side or your stomach. Try to sleep on your back if you can!

What you can focus on:

• For Cardio: Lower body cardio, such as spinning or cycling (try reclined bikes if needed) 
• For Weights: Work on your butt, legs, and core!  This is a great time to focus on that leg press, or on really zoning in on your upper and lower core muscles.
• Pilates really burns those muscles without a ton of movement as shown by FITNESS BLENDER
• Eventually... Start working on mobilizing the muscles around your neck. Roll your shoulders, slowly roll your head right to left, take it easy and pay attention to more painful areas.

Bad Back 
 

What your back needs:
Rest, Treatment for swelling (Ibuprofen and Ease), Ice/Heat, and massage! Loosen those muscles up!
If your low back is bothering you, you can still do some leg work. However, if your upper body is bothering you, you're a bit more limited in your options.

What you can focus on:
This one is tricky... It's hard to do much cardio when your back is in pain, since your back is involved with most exercise.

• For Cardio: Try a reclined bike to keep your back upright, work on intervals of higher resistance to get your heart rate up.
• For Weights: Pilates is a great thing to focus on, especially since it is so heavy on strengthening core (which you need to support your back while it's healing)
•  Have I mentioned I love Pilates? Here's another Pilates workout that is all about STRETCHING AND STRENGTHENING

These are just a few examples of how you can stay active even if you can't do your normal routine. Remember, if you need help with this, we are here for you! 

You can also consult a physical therapist for more serious injuries to help you find ways to work towards recovery.

As always, be safe, stay active, and be well!

Best,

Megan

The 7 Self Sabotaging Sins

Raise your hand if this sounds like you...

• You work out on a consistent basis. We're talking a solid 4-6 days a week, and you work out hard.
• You eat well. You don't splurge on break room donuts, and while you don't love salad you've come to respect it.
• Your party days are behind you. Or if you do go out, you opt for a glass of wine or are DD since you made a commitment to be healthier. You still have a drink after a long day, but you're not blasting through Gin and Tonics like it's NYE of 1999.

Despite your hard work at the gym, and your newly developed strength to resist cookies, you have hit a plateau.

And you're not moving any further towards your fitness or wellness goals.

Sound familiar?

There could be a few things that are stopping you from progressing, and you don't even know it.

1) You aren't eating enough.
Crazy as it may sound, you may not be eating enough food to let your body lose fat. If your body isn't getting enough fuel, it will go into starvation mode and will start storing food for later (not burning fuel).

Make sure you're eating plenty of veggies, fruits, and whole grains that are minimally processed.
But be careful that you're not.... (see 2)

2) You're overdosing on protein
Our society has made it seem like we need a sh*t ton of protein in order to gain muscle.
While you do need protein in your daily diet, if you overdo it, your body will just store it the same way it does with sugar and fat.

Good rule of thumb - you only need 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight each day.  So for me:
0.36 x 150 = 54 grams
And I can get that from
Meat
Veggies
Whole grains
BONUS TIP - check the sugar content of your fav protein bar. If it's over 12g total, it's not worth it!

3) You're doing too much cardio OR you're doing cardio before your weight training ">How often have you gone to the gym with every intention of doing some weight work, and either get intimidated or realize you don't know what to do for your workout... so you decide just to do a ton of cardio instead?

Me too.

Doing weight work is EXTREMELY important to fat loss! The more muscle you have, the more you body is encouraged to burn fat. I know it can seem scary over in free weight land, but trust me it's going to help in the long run.

ALSO.
If you're doing cardio before you do weights, you're totally hindering your progress. Instead of burning fat, your body will go after your muscles for support.

Working your muscles FIRST will encourage the most protein synthesis (aka the process of building muscles) and then hitting cardio after will sustain a long term fat burn (since this kicks in about 2 hours after your workout).

If you're not sure what to do for strength training, use Aaptiv for some guided classes.
And here's a site with a beginners guide to weight/strength training - https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/strength-training-101-where-do-i-start/

4) You're not drinking enough water
Ben and I talk about this all the time - here's a good way to figure out how much water you need each day:
Take your weight number 
Divide it in half
That number is how many fluid oz you should be drinking every day
For example
150lb/2 =  75 fl oz of water each day (that's two and a half Smart Water Bottles)

If you're focusing on fat loss, this is crucial. Water is essential to flushing out fat from digestion, and helps shrink fat cells. If you're working out, your body needs even more water to stay hydrated.

If you're having trouble remembering to drink water, check our resources page for a link to my fav water reminder app.

5) You're drinking too much coffee
At most, you should be drinking 16 oz of coffee a day. Which is equivalent to 100-200 mg of caffeine.
That's it.
If you're drinking more than that, you're hindering your fitness progress.
More than 5 cups (1 cup = 8oz) actually can encourage abdominal fat retention, and increase insulin resistance as well as glucose intolerance.

 

So if you're noticing you are having a hard time staying awake during the day, don't order another grande latte. Check your water intake, stand up and walk around, maybe even do some yoga to get the blood moving.

6) You don't do enough recovery
I saw a saying the other day that I just loved:

Muscles are worked in the gym

Fed in the kitchen

and Rebuilt in bed

If you're not getting enough sleep, if you're not stretching before AND after your workout, and if you're not taking care of your body while it's going through a tremendous physical change, you're doing damage to your body.

Be sure to stretch before you work out (to prevent injury) and after you work out (to decrease lactic acid build up) to ensure proper recovery.

If you can splurge on a massage or acupuncture, go for it!

7) You drink alcohol - more than 3 servings a week.
This one sucks. Cause I love wine.
But it's the bitter truth.

Not only is alcohol metabolized immediately (aka stored as fat or sent to your hardworking liver), but it also can hinder your metabolism for up to 4 days.
So that beer from Saturday could still be working against you on Monday.

No matter how hard you work out, if you're drinking alcohol on a consistent basis, you're for sure slowing your progress. Literally.

Worst case scenario for this is those who are "good" during the week, and "splurge" on the weekends.

Put down that glass of wine, and sub it for some Kombucha. Save the spirits for every few days, and take a carb blocker to help soften the blow.

I promise if you start making these little changes, you'll start feeling different!
If you have any questions or need help with this, just reach out to us for help.

Trust the process, and know you're awesome.

Cheers,
Megan <3

-------

Sources:
https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/topicoftheweek34.htm 
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/10085206/Regular-coffee-drinkers-at-increased-risk-of-weight-gain.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/is-drinking-alcohol-going-to-make-you-fat/2014/12/22/2099706e-8475-11e4-b9b7-b8632ae73d25_story.html?utm_term=.6caab0c7b884

The New 'Yawning'

Let me preface all of this by stating that I'm very aware of the irony of using my computer to write this particular blog. I think I have an addiction. DON'T JUDGE ME!

On that note, did you know that cell phone usage is actually contagious?

Yup. It's science.

According to The Mother Nature Network, cell phone usage is now the new yawning. It's THAT contagious. If you see someone else check their phone, there's a good chance you'll get the chemical impulse to do the same.

Now don't get me wrong! Technology is a great thing, and I completely advocate it's responsible use. I use all of my devices every day, some days more heavily than others.

However, it is very clear that the world is developing an addiction to it. Here are some troubling facts for you to digest:

- 84% of cell phone users claim they could not go a single day without their phone.
- 67% of cell phone owners check their phones for messages or alerts when their device hasn't even beeped or vibrated
- Multiple studies indicate that most cell phone users check their phones every 6.5 minutes
- 88% of cell phone users use it as a second screen while already watching another screen
- Half of all cell phone users sleep with their phones near their head or very close to their bed so they won't miss any calls or texts
- Traditional TV viewing eats up over 6 days worth of time every month

I think most of us know we don't need any statistics to tell us we as a society have an over-attachment to technology. But the great thing is is that all of these devices have a power-off function! And it's something we should use MUCH more often than we do (or don't) now.

Here are just a few good reasons to power-down your electronics:

1. Powering-down helps remove unhealthy feelings of loneliness, jealousy, and envy
Researchers conclude that every 1 of 3 people feel worse after they visit Facebook, being more dissatisfied with their lives. Certainly not every Facebook interaction is a bad one. But you probably know what I'm talking about. To family drama, to body image, to vacation destinations, to birthday notifications, the opportunity of envy often presents itself on social media. Powering down helps us reset and refocus our attention to gratitude and appreciation for our own lives and journeys.

2. Powering-down combats the fear of missing out
'FOMO' is a psychological disorder that has been on the rise with the advents of technology. The premise is simple: our social media outlets are constantly filled with things and events happening all around us. We're even seeing pictures of what people are eating. These images fill our news feeds, and with that, our fear of missing out continues to grow. Unplugging helps us appreciate the present moment we're in, and will eventually become habit.

3. Solitude is harder to find in this ever-connected world
Solitude grounds us to the world around us. It provides the stillness and the quiet we need to evaluate our lives and reflect on the messages in our hearts, as well as get in tune with our instincts. In a world where noise and activity is becoming louder and more common, the need for solitude becomes more obvious....and easier to ignore or overlook. True solitude and meditation will require you to mindfully unplug from your screens.

4. Life, at it's very best, is happening right now, right in front of us
The world is changing rapidly. Nowadays, it may feel even more so. But the true nature of life is not. Experiences will never repeat themselves. Conversations are real and authentic. And love is real. If we're too busy staring down at a screen, we're missing life, and everything that's happening around us.

5. Powering-down promotes creation over consumption
Essentially, most of our time is spent either consuming or creating. And of course, technology can contribute to creation (hence this blog). However, most of the time we spend in front of technology consuming (playing video games, browsing the internet, watching movies, listening to music). But our world doesn't need more consuming. It needs more creating. Now more than ever. It needs your passion. Your solutions. Your unique contributions. Power-down, and begin contributing to the world more mindfully.

6. Life is about flesh, blood, and eye contact
No matter how much we interact or connect with people via technology, there's nothing that can replace meeting and talking with someone face to face. The ability to look someone in the eye without the filter of a screen changes everything.

Whew! That's a lot to absorb. You still with me, or did someone text you...?

PAY ATTENTION!

Anywho.

To help with this transition to less reliance on tech, here are some great hints/pointers to help you on your journey to independence, as well as being okay with being alone with your thoughts. :)

1. The First Hour
If you can manage, don't look at any screens for the first our you're awake. Start each day with a clear and open mind. You just spent the last 7-8 hours (hopefully) without your phone, and one more hour won't hurt. Make it a gift to yourself.

2. Power down for a period of time each day
This can be the first hour of the day as mentioned above, or perhaps before bed (I prefer the start and end of the day), or maybe lunchtime? You can adapt it to your own lifestyle and schedule. Just make sure you stick to it!

3. Manage your time wasters
There are numerous apps to help you out with your potential addiction! FREEDOM will cut your internet connection at a time of your designation. SELF CONTROL will block access to specific sites (Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, etc) for a certain amount of time, but still allow access to the web.

4. Take one extended break on a regular basis
Take 40 days out of the year and choose one app to do without. Think of it as Lent, but for your phone! Those who have done this have learned a lot about technology, relationships, and themselves.



In conclusion dear readers, powering-down is a skill that takes a lot of practice. But as they say, practice makes practice makes practice. Technology will continue to advance. Things will become more accessible faster and more easily, but we must not forget about why we're here: not to consume, but to create, connect, and to grow. The practice of being more aware of our reliance on our technology goes a long way to creating balance and wellness, inside and out.

Love, light, and blessings to you all.

Rise, and Be Well.

-Ben

the whole food plant based truth

Plant Based, Schmant based!

It started as a whisper of a hashtag... #plantbased

I had NO idea what it meant. So I mostly ignored it.

Then I started seeing the words listed on protein powders, and on Instagram accounts, and my friends were talking about their new Plant Based food habit.
 

What the heck was Plant Based?
Was it any different than being vegetarian or vegan?
And aren't you supposed to have meats in your diet?

I was a skeptic from the start - as a former Paleo dieter (which was NOT a good fit for me) I just brushed it aside as another quick weight loss fad.

Finally, curiosity won me over. I decided to do some research on what a Plant Based diet was, why it was so popular, and what were the pros/cons.
 

(I'm getting to it!)

Cut to Megan, several hours of research later - MIND = BLOWN and 100% on board with implementing more Plant Based dieting methods into her daily life.

When I told Ben how much my research had surprised me, he said "Ok, in one sentence what was your biggest takeaway from what you read?"

Here it is:

We are talking about a dietary lifestyle that could save lives, and save the earth!

Wait, how is that possible?

Now I don't want to overwhelm y'all with a ton of information (I'll include links at the bottom if you're interested in learning more) so here are the bullet points.

WHAT IS A PLANT BASED DIET?

• A Plant Based diet is food intake that focuses on 
• Maximizing the consumption of nutrient dense plant foods
• Minimizing process foods, oils, and animal foods (which includes dairy products and eggs)
• Focusing on consumption of lots of vegetables (cooked or raw) fruits, beans, peas, lentils, soybeans, seeds, and nuts (in smaller amounts) and is generally low fat.

- Paraphrased from article by Philip J Tuso MD

Grains are allowed in very small portions. And all foods in a Plant Based diet should have minimal processing (ie cooking, roasting, drying, etc) if possible, as these can remove nutrients.

ISN'T THAT THE SAME AS BEING A VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN?

• No. Usually vegetarians and vegans are motivated to remove animal foods (or by products) from their diet for ethical reasons.
• Some vegetarians allow themselves to have eggs, dairy, or fish which is not encouraged in Plant Based dieting.
• Plant Based diets are typically focused on discouraging the consumption of animal based foods. So it's a bit closer to a vegan diet.

HOW CAN IT HELP SAVE ON HEALTH CARE COSTS?
(I'm gonna break this down by health concern)

• Obesity: Plant Based diets are highly effective for weight loss, as more calories are burned after a vegan/vegetarian meal than that of one with meat (which has a higher chance of being stored as fat)
• Diabetes: Studies have found that vegetarians have approximately half the risk of developing diabetes as non vegetarians. This is due to the improvement of insulin sensitivity and decrease if insulin resistance with a low fat, plant based diet.
• Heart Disease/High Blood Pressure: Studies compared vegetarians and non vegetarians heart disease specific death rates. The results = vegetarians had 24% reduction of heart disease death rates compared to non vegetarians.
• Keep in mind, the key here for a healthy heart is focusing on maintaining a healthy diet of nutrient dense foods, not just being vegan or vegetarian.
• Vegetarians have been found to have lower blood pressure than non vegetarians

HOW WILL IT HELP SAVE THE PLANET?
This is what really blew my mind....

Studies show that nearly 15% of all planet-warming greenhouse gases come from raising cattle, pigs, poultry, and other animals.

Here's some fun math on how that works...
           As of 2015:
            China's population - 1.37 billion
            United States population - 321.4 million

Oh! So China is responsible for the greenhouse gasses, right?
Because there's more of them?

NOPE.
The United States consumes 80% more meat than people do in China.

On top of that, China recently released a national dietary guideline with a goal to cut national meat consumption in half by 2030.

So even if China does indeed cut meat consumption in half, the US is a pretty big factor in creating climate change from meat consumption alone.

BUT WE NEED PROTEIN, AND WE CAN'T GET THAT ALL FROM PLANTS!
Wrong again.

Typically people on plant based diets don't suffer from protein deficiency.

This is because protein comes from amino acids, which can be found in plant based foods such as quinoa, brown rice and beans, several kinds of legumes, nuts and nut butters, soy foods, and whole grains.

And the greenhouse effect of CALORIE TO CALORIE of protein value causes way more damage from meat than from plants.

So you could eat enough protein from a plant resource to sustain your body, and not cause anywhere near as much damage to the environment.

OK SO NOW WHAT?
Here's the thing that I really loved in my research:

A Plant Based diet is not about only eating kale and raw almond butter.

It's not about going cold turkey (pardon the pun) and kicking all meats out of your diet completely.

It's a lifestyle choice that can be tailored to you as an individual.

For example - instead of having meat every single day, I am going to try having meat 1-2x a week.
Or instead of subbing meat for tofu (which I'm allergic to) I can make a protein rich meal with spinach, nuts, and beans.
Heck I could still have bacon once in a great while!

THE MAIN POINT:
You can't ignore the facts. PBD is good for you and good for the environment.
And it's something we need to get on board with, one way or another.

Ultimately, if you're getting serious about your health, this is something to consider.

Best thing to do now is do your own research, come up with a diet plan that works for you (which Ben and I can help with) and figure out a long term way to improve the quality of your nourishment.

Here's some handy charts to help make sure you know where to get in all the nutrients and minerals you need (to avoid deficiencies):

So grab a salad, spread some almond butter on your sprouted whole grain bread, and raise a smoothie to the way of the future - Plant Based Lifestyle.

Cheers,
Megan






Resources:

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/whole-foods-plant-based-fifty-dollars-a-week/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/

http://www.thepermanentejournal.org/issues/2016/summer/6192-diet.html

https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2016/07/5-questions-randall-stafford-advocates-a-plant-based-diet.html