So many people asked what was going on in my head when was offered and took the Bikram Yoga 60 Day Challenge. I was honest with them when I said NOTHING! I had not worked out in over a year between running the two magazines, the Media Company and taking care of my 17 paraplegic pup my brain was on overload. With the hiring of a sales person and losing the pup around 3 months ago (most sever heartbreak I've ever dealth with to date) I decided it was time to take care of me again. Enter Bikram. Thanks to a friend and Marketing guru Gabe CanalesI heard Bikram Choudhury was going to be in town giving a lecture at Rice University. I went, met Bikram himself, listened intently and was intrigued. To round out the story I met with the owner of the local Bikram studios, Mike Winters. Mike and I really bonded over the history of being runners but more over it was his peace, strength and knowledge that inspired me to take the 60 day challenge. I agreed to write a weekly story about my journey. My journey is already so much more than I ever anticipated it to be. Of course, the first day was awful and amazing all at the same time. I had to get used to the atmosphere of the room...105 Degrees and 40% humidity...before I could really participate much in the class. What's great is the teachers (all of whom take a good year in school and practice before being able to teach) are encouraging even if you have to rest, and thank GOD you can rest any time you need to. That first day while I was lying there on my back begging to gain oxygen while everyone else was balancing on one toe the first thought finally ran though my head about this whole deal, "What in the heck have I gotten myself into?" During the second half hour while i was lying there on my back begging to just get through the next half hour a second thought came in to my meek little brain..what was left of it at that point..."I just might die in here, I wonder if they know how to turn on my phone and to call my Mommy." During the 3rd half hour...thank God we are all on the floor for the floor series so I am not as noticeable the last thought pops into my skull, "Oh wait, they don't have to turn my phone on because I actually put Mom down as my next of kin."

The best news here is that I did not in fact die physically however I did very much so in character. Yes Bikram is a physical challenge. My body is working very hard everyday to get through the classes and to perform the postures to the best of my ability. But it's the mental and emotional challenge that is the most inspiring and that keeps me coming back to my challenge every day. The mental strength it takes to go into that hot room for 90 minutes everyday and challenge your body is beautiful. I am proud of myself everyday. My self awareness is growing, my self confidence is increasing, and I'm gaining more and more physical strength everyday.

When I sat with Mike after my first week we bonded again over my experience and how my first week was so similar to his so many years ago. I wish there were words to describe how much this Bikram Hot Yoga thing is changing every aspect of my life but honestly there just aren't any. It's an experience you MUST have on your own and I challenge you, no matter what shape you are in, to give yourself this gift. It will absolutely change your life!

CLICK HERE to start your challenge!

Next update will be in 7 days!

See you then!

It’s a known fact that some of Hollywood’s hottest stars take Pilates and Yoga to help keep their bodies in tip top shape. But you don’t have to have your name in lights to get your best possible body. pure body studio is now here and has officially opened its doors on the Bellaire Block. Recently, pure body studio held its grand opening celebration with demonstrations from its amazing instructors, healthy bites and nutritional talks from experts.

Dr. Lauren Ta, Amy Nong, Firoozeh Tuller and Dr. Dian Ginsberg During the evening, guests got to munch on light healthy fare from Green Plate Kids while listening to a talk on childhood nutrition as well as hearing from Drs. Dian Ginsberg and Lauren Ta on the importance of nutrition in weight loss and overall health.

Also, 10% of pure body studio’s grand opening was donated to Recipe for Success, a foundation launched by Gracie and Bob Cavnar to lead the way in hand-on nutrition education aimed at preventing childhood obesity and encouraging long term health.

The brainchild of passionate Pilate’s instructor Heather Erdmann, pure body studio is designed for ultimate results in a Zen inspiring environment.  When Pilates and yoga is done the right way done right, you will see lasting results quickly. 

From sports enthusiasts to find their balance and flexibility to runners to keep from injuring themselves and to active mothers to keep their muscles healthy, pure body studio helps all ages and all body types. pure body studio’s brand new state-of-the-art facility, offers Pilates on the mat using props or Pilates Reformer classes with its classes focusing on engaging the mind with the body to perform exercises that involve the whole body. 

Each class type offers something different allowing everyone to find a class that is good for them. Whether it's Power Yoga, Hatha Yoga, and Yoga for kids, every exercise is performed with attention to the berth, proper form and efficient movement patterns. They will help strengthen your core, improve balance, increase coordination and decrease stress. 

pure body studio also offers convenient classes for everyone’s busy lifestyle. Erdmann, a working mother of two knows herself how hard it is to plan to exercise into your day.

“That’s why we’ve made our classes to fit into hectic busy lifestyles.” Instructors are all certified and have diverse backgrounds from Pilates and ballet to modern dance and yoga.

For more information about pure body studio with both mat and reformer Pilates, yoga and coming soon yoga for kids, please contact Heather Erdmann at 713.660.PURE (7873) or CLICK HERE for more info!

Seen on the Scene: In the crowd, Bradley Marks (IW Marks), Mirror Mirror (ABC 13) host Rebecca Spera, Lara Bell (Houston’s Channel 55), Phil Cohen (Rice Epicurean) and well known pediatric dietitian Kirsten Vollrath.

When you first lay eyes upon Bikran Choudhury, Yogi Guru is not the first thing that comes to mind. He's flashy to say the least. When we met he was wearing a white satin double breasted suit, a hat with his hair in a pony-tail and a watch that was so chocked full of diamonds he could not see the hads to tell anyone what time it was. None of this has taken away his passion for fixing the human body like a master mechanic. He always says

 “If you follow my instruction and do my yoga postures Sequence to the best of your ability, you will live a better, healthier and more peaceful life.”

Therefore after being inspired by his lecture at Rice University I decided to take up the Bikram Challenge which is taking the class every day for 60 days. Both Choudhury and Mike Winter, the man who brought Bikram Yoga to Texas in the 90's. Mike was a runner and practiced yoga for 13 years when Bikram came into his life. Bikram is very particular about who he lets teach the practice he invented even saying it doesn't matter if you can do all of the positions perfectly, if you don't have a good heart he won't work with you.

The claims are that if you do Bikram Hot Yoga for 60 days then your depression, blood pressure, insomnia, back and so many other health problems will be alleviated.

DISH will keep a weekly record and touch base with teacher/studio owner Mike Winters over the next 60 days to report on how this goes. We will start on Monday November 1st. Issues DISH is looking to deal with :back and hip problems, some depression, sleep issues and FLAB! all over and in general FLAB!

Keep in mind, All Bikram Yoga is Hot Yoga but not all hot yoga is Bikram Yoga so make sure you go to a BIKRAM studio. CLICK HERE for Houston Studios.

You CAN have both! thanks to our new Fitness expert Cari Shoemate! CLICK HERE to read her bio and enjoy the first of her many lessons, inspirational posts and amazing leadership! In the mean time....join DISH for the bikini body class we all want!!

*It’s not too late to join my Summer Training Camp! The deadline to sign up has been extended to Monday July 12th (camp will be extended so you get 8 weeks).

Cari’s Summer Training Camp

How would you like to make $100?? If you refer a friend and they sign up, I will send you $100 (via Paypal, mailed check,etc)! That’s it…no strings attached. You don’t even have to sign up or be a current client. But, if you both sign up….I will give you each $100 off the camp! That’s a great deal, considering you are getting 20 hours of semi-private training plus yoga classes, running excursions, shopping tour and tips for Houston’s best restaurants. Check out the details HERE.

By DISH Contributer: Chelle Northcutt

“I knew it! I knew it! I knew it!”

That was my very intense reaction when my friend and business partner Rachael told me about the story she saw on the local ABC affiliate the other day.  The story was all about the toxics in baby products.  Yes, that includes the lavender scented baby wash we all love to use on the soft little heads of our newborn babies.

I haven’t been paying very close attention to toxic products in our household for very long.  Having children and a husband with a horrible genetic illness has changed my outlook, so I’ve recently started doing some research and the information is astounding. 

Turns out, ALL of that stuff we spend out hard earned money on so we can give our babies the very best, may actually be the very worst.

I searched the tv station’s website and couldn’t find the actual story, however, I found a similar one from February 2008 from the Associated Press and it was an entire 2 page article!  Turns out, a study in the February issue of the Journal of Pediatrics shows elevated levels of phthalates in the urine of babies who’d been recently shampooed, powdered or lotioned with baby products.  In case you’re not familiar with phthalates, they are chemicals used to stabilize fragrances and make plastics flexible. 

Mind you, phthalates aren’t required to be on product labels.  In all fairness, Stephanie Kwisnek of the Food and Drug Administration says they have “no compelling evidence that phthalates pose a safety risk when used in cosmetics.  Should new data emerge, we will inform the public as well as the industry.”

Of course, that’s the same FDA that is now recalling all kinds of drugs that they now say are harmful, after approving them for public consumption.  But now is not the time for my soapbox.

With all this information in hand I was more than a little curious.  So I pulled my own baby shampoo off the shelf.  One of the first ingredients is something I had never heard of before.  It’s called Quaternium-15.  Qua-what??

Quaternium-15.  If you’ve never heard of it, you’re not alone.  Most of us haven’t until we start looking more closely at the ingredients in most of our products.  So I looked it up on the internet.

According to Wikepedia, Quaternium-15 is “used as a preservative in many cosmetics and industrial substances.  It acts as a formaldehyde releaser.”

Hmm.  That doesn’t exactly sound healthy or safe.  But that’s not the end of the definition.

“It can cause contact dermatitis, a symptom of an allergic reaction, especially in those with sensitive skin, on an infant’s skin, or on sensitive areas such as the genitals.”

Greeeeat.

But like the little researcher I am, I continued on.

Search: “Side effects of Quaternium-15”

Pages of information came up.  But the most interesting by far was on About.com: Allergies.  Found lots of info there!  And apparently, baby products aren’t the only products with Quaternium-15 in it.  

The article states, “Mascara also can cause dermatitis, either from formaldehyde/quaternium-15 or from the nickel present in the applicator device.” (Eyelid Rash: Causes of Eyelid Rashes and Allergies, by Daniel More, MD, About.com Guide, Updated January 20, 2010)

But that’s not all.  My search also brought up the book, “Side Effects of Drugs Annual 27” by J.K Aronson, (2004, Elsevier B.V.).  It states that over a 10-year study, there were “several cases of contact allergy to formaldehyde…”  In fact, in the same paragraph, it states the frequency of positive reactions has increased from 0.7% to 3.5% from 1991-2000.

Now, I’m not going to pretend the scientific terms make a whole lot of sense to me.  But I think it’s pretty clear that this stuff isn’t exactly the safest product to be using.  So what do we do? 

Back to that Associated Press report.

They quoted a 2005 CDC report that states, “Although several studies in people have explored possible associations with developmental and reproductive outcomes,…more research is needed.”

Well, while you do the research, CDC, I’ll go find some safer alternatives to use now.  I’m willing to bet most of them can only be found on the internet.  But I’ll take my chances.

In the meantime, thank you, local ABC affiliate, for bringing the information to us! Even if it just made me do more research. 

Now I’m off to shop on the internet…….