Create Community

@fitnesswla

I am so grateful for the yoga community. I didn't "fit in" at the gym or in other groups, but yoga taught me self-acceptance, love and compassion. I used to hate my body, but yoga helped me heal from body shame. Many of you know about my past struggle with weight. I was overweight. My family called me "fat" and I was bullied. I grew up thinking that I wasn't good enough (therefore I didn't feel loved or accepted). I became a people-pleaser to gain approval or love but often felt resentful because I put my needs last. I was afraid to express how I felt because my parents taught me to keep quiet it if I have "nothing nice to say". I was tired of being "fat" and told to lose weight, so I started an extreme diet and exercise regime. Joining my high school tennis club helped since we had to run 3 to 5 miles almost every day.

At first, I felt like I was dying because I hated running. I couldn't breathe, my heart pounded, my legs felt like dead weight. Normally, I would give up and quit, but something kept me going. I grew to love the runner's high: that feeling of being a the top of the world. I ate less, ran more and lost over 40 pounds. At one point, I weighed less than 100 at five-foot nine. My mom noticed how thin I was and grew worried. She made me go see a doctor who said I was anorexic. Either I start eating more or I had to see a therapist. I wanted to see a therapist, but my mom didn't believe in psychotherapy because she thinks that only crazy people needed therapy. As an adult, I suffered from low self-esteem and had a love-hate relationship with food. Yoga helped me make peace with my pain.

Everybody has past traumas, but many people seek to escape their pain with alcohol or medication. About 15,000 people die from drunk driving and more than 64,000 died from opioids overdoses in 2016. Less than 15,600 died from gun violence last year. Comparatively, opioids killed more people than guns. Yet, we still do not have any legislation to make prescription drugs that contain opioids illegal. Our "Sick Care" means that doctors do not help us be healthy. Most of them are now just "drug pushers" in a white coat that gives them authority, making opioids use normal and legitimate. Obesity rates in adults now exceed 35% in 5 States, 30% in 25 States and Childhood Obesity affects 12.7 million kids and teens (ages 2-19). What does that say about our government and society? 

Blue Zones

I love Dan's mission to create healthy districts and want to share his message. "The Power of 9":

1. Belong (Yoga helped my belong)

2. Family First

3. Plant Slant

4. Move Naturally

5. Down Shift

6. 80% Rule

7. Know Your Purpose

8. Right Tribe (I found my tribe in the yoga community)

9. Wine at 5

Ingrid Cheng

Author, Blogger, Health Coach

Sources: www.cbsnews.com/news/opioids-drug-overdose-killed-more-americans-last-year-than-the-vietnam-war

https://stateofobesity.org/adult-obesity

https://bluezones.com/2016/11/power-9

Dream Team

@fitnesswla

I am so glad I went to this cool event at Bumble Hive yesterday. I connected with and learned from entrepreneurs like Marcedes Lewis @marcedeslewis and Shaina Zaidi. I love turmeric for it's anti-aging, anti-inflammatory properties and enjoyed the TuMe drink. Both Marcedes and Shaina said that it's important to create healthy habits and have a growth mindset. They both have a routine. Mindfulness and meditation: focusing on things you are grateful for and your goals for the day. Attention to detail, teamwork. Be at the top of your game. Go for your strengths. Obstacles = a chance to shine. Consistency is the key for Shaina, a former female basketball player in a male-dominated sports. She talked about strong female role models like Sarah Blakely, founder of SPANX. Marcedes strained his calf after more than 12 years as a Pro football player in the NFL. He trains in mixed martial arts, plays basketball and swim. Marcedes said that entrepreneurs must be willing to try new things and do everything they can to get better. "90% is mental. I'm still hungry for it. Know when to push your body or when to pull back." They believe that the hot trend in health and fitness is incorporating functional/ Ayurvedic ingredients. I'm excited that TuMe will be at the Natural Products Expo West! www.expowest.com

I noticed turmeric in many products almost everywhere since I interviewed Kitty Wells, author of "Antiaging Secrets of Spices".

Her top 3 spices are:

1. Ginger

2. Turmeric

3. Ceylon Cinnamon

Ingrid Cheng

Author, Blogger, Health Coach

Life is Sweet

@fitnesswla

I saw a whale off Santa Monica Pier on Saturday while I was doing yoga. It was a warm, beautiful day to be outdoors.
There were about 100 of us gathered together to be one with yoga. I love yoga because it's all inclusive. Anyone can do it. I found yoga in 2004 and I wasn't a "good student". I was not flexible or coordinated. Normally, I'd be discouraged and give up easily, but yoga kept bringing me back to the mat. I learned to be patient and present. I learned to go out of my comfort zone, to stay in discomfort and just breathe. I became more balanced, coordinated and mindful. Yoga changed my life and now I'm writing a book to help others be healthy inside-out.

Sparky - The Fit Fun Dog

I love to do yoga with Sparky. She is my exercise buddy. It's the Year of the Dog & we wore red to celebrate. I'm so grateful for the yoga community. Most exercises address just our physical state, but yoga is a mind-body-spirit practice. We all have pain and problems, but yoga helped me let go of the junk that cluttered up my mind so I can create a healthier, happier life. I have a sweet tooth and used to be a junk food/ sugar addict. Now, I love to make healthy desserts with no added sugar that taste great and satisfy me.

Inspired by my Farmers Market walk, I made lemon oatmeal granola bites with @CascadianFarm aLemon Blueberry Granola and @Neocell collagen on Sunday.

I made a strawberry smoothie bowl for @TraderJoes #MatchMadeAtTJsContest and hope that I win! I blended half a banana with the extra strawberry smoothie, made a granola crust and created another healthy treat to celebrate the last day of my 12-Day Self-Love Challenge that started on Friday 2/3. I love food and don't believe in strict diet or exercise regimes. Been there, done that before. I've been fat and thin but never happy. Yoga helped me be grateful, present and mindful about what I consume. Before I eat or buy anything, I ask if doing so will really fulfill my needs.

Ingrid Cheng

www.facebook.com/fitnesswla

www.thrivelife.com/ingrid

Health and Happiness

@fitnesswla

I went on a date with Sparky and had fun on Valentine's Day. I focused on self-love for 12 days. On Friday 2/2 (Go Red for Women Day), I interviewed Nina Nam, author of "Transformation Champ". On Saturday (2/3), I talked to Chloe Lukasiak, who dedicated her book "Girl on Pointe" to anyone who was ever told that they weren't good enough. Last Sunday, I posted my Gifts of Love (Valentine's Day Gift Guide). I celebrated love in all its forms and went shopping to celebrate Chinese New Year at 99 Ranch Market.

I made a healthy red mocktail in honor #HeartHealth and @GoRedForWomen. I learned that Forever Fierce Day is on 2/19. I am submitting my Forever Fierce Signature Mocktail recipe today. 

Ingrid Cheng
www.facebook.com/ingrid.cheng1
www.facebook.com/fitnesswla
www.meetup.com/creating-abundance

Gifts of Love

Love is in the Air

@fitnesswla

Instead of the same old flowers and chocolates, give the gift of health and happiness this Valentine's Day, Here is my list of gifts to consider:

1. A membership to the Westside YMCA

2. Adopt a pet. I love Sparky, a cutie and love bug that I adopted from the West L.A. Animal Shelter 6 years ago. I can't imagine my life without her. Studies have shown that dog owners are healthier cause they walk more. Pets also give you unconditional love.

3. Get "The Blue Zones of Happiness: Lessons From the World's Happiest People" by Dan Buettner. I've been telling people about the "Blue Zones" books and am surprised that not many have heard about these great books. Did you know that California has 2 Blue Zones (@bluezones)? The Beach Cities Health District and Loma Linda are good examples of how communities can support a healthy lifestyle. I want to create a Blue Zone of Health and Happiness in my community.

4. Give Thrive foods. I joined this business because I love to cook and eat healthy. I made noodles for my Celebrate Chinese New Year event at the library. Thrive Life

5. Become a Sierra Club member. Explore, enjoy and protect the planet. Founded by John Muir in 1892 (125 years ago), it is a grassroots organization with three million members and supporters, including myself. I joined Sierra Club in 1997 (more than 20 years ago) because I love nature and hiking. I believe that as a group, we can do great things, like move away from fossil fuel to clean energy.. 

* https://bluezones.com/books
* http://www.bchd.org/bzp
* https://bluezones.com/exploration/loma-linda-california

P.S. I signed up for my first Tough Mudder to raise money for Sierra Club. Donate at: www.teamsierra.org/MyFinishLine/Member/MyPage/1786944/Ingrid-Cheng

Ingrid Cheng
http://www.thrivelife.com/ingrid
www.facebook.com/fitnesswla
FB: Sweat Pink Los Angeles

12-Day Self-Love Challenge

@fitnesswla

I created a Vision Board in April last year. In June, I quit my dead-end job and began to focus on my passion: Health and Wellness. It has not been easy because I was conditioned to work hard and holding onto my limiting relationship with money. I started to write my book and interview like-minded authors as well as people who benefit from yoga during August/ September. My mission is to help people be healthy inside-out. I was good at helping people, but I was making less money than my last J-O-B. I wanted to make being healthy easy and affordable for everyone so I charged low fees and sometimes offer free classes. I didn't value my services and no one else did either. Even though I was trained to teach Law of Attraction, I wasn't practicing it consistently myself. I went through more training and finally had a breakthrough in October. I started having multiple streams of income and passive income. I no longer depended on others, but let my money work for me. I continued to interview authors and coaches because I want to impact more people with my book. It's also part of a marketing strategy that my publisher taught me: finding joint-venture partners for opportunities to cross--promote each others books. Even though I'm just halfway through my book, I am planning an Authors Speakers Panel so that when my book launches in Summer, I will have leveraged a bigger platform. I am embracing the challenge because it's a win-win strategy.

I met Wisith at a networking event last Thursday and we connected right away because we're both Asians and passionate about helping people be healthy. He shared his story with me and I told him about my Self-Love Challenge. Wisith agreed to the interview and here is what he told me:

1. As an immigrant, he was taught to study and work hard

2. He worked 60 hours a week and was stressed out

3. The stress caused a "frozen shoulder" that kept him on sick-leave for months

4. His doctor was no help beyond prescribing some pills to him

5. He decided to take charge of his own health

6. Wisith joined Amare Global, a company that his friend, Hiep Tran founded

7. Hiep was a successful entrepreneur who suffered from anxiety, stress and depression

8. Mr. Tran's doctor gave him anti-depressants with many bad side-effects

9. Hiep got sick of being sick and sought alternative natural remedies

10. Mr. Tran launched Amare Global in Fall of 2017 and partnered with others like Wisith who want to be healthy 

https://amare.com/wj
Contact Wisith here

Happy Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year! May Health, Wealth and Happiness be with you now and always. 

P.S. I signed up for my first Tough Mudder to raise $ for Sierra Club. Donate at:
www.teamsierra.org/MyFinishLine/Member/MyPage/1786944/Ingrid-Cheng

I also have an e-book "Wealthy Inside-Out" planned for 2019

Ingrid Cheng

www.meetup.com/creating-abundance

www.thrivelife.com/ingrid

Love Is In The Air

@ninanam

@fitnesswla

12-Day Self-Love Challenge

I met Nina on FB and in person later on at The Fit Expo on January 6th. I love her positive energy and inspirational story of transformation! Nina shared her own struggle with binge-eating and bullies. She wanted a career in acting, but didn't get anywhere. She went from one dead-end job to another while she pursued acting. Nina used to be bullied and fought back in Middle School by dropping F-bombs, but channeled her anger into more positive things like her journey to become Bodybuilding.com Champion. Check out her book at http://ninanam.com/book

I met Chloe on IG @chloelukasiak and in person at Santa Monica Main Library 2 days ago . I want to share her message about bullying. Did you know that 49% of kids in grades 4-12 reported being bullied? I am sure there are more of them who didn't say anything. Do and say something about bullying. I also love Chloe's book, especially her chapters about sticking to your dreams and self-acceptance. I did her Chinese Horoscope. 2001 Year of the Snake: Wise and intense with extra-strong willpower and the gift of spotting opportunities that will help her achieve her dreams. @santamonicalibr

Do you know your Chinese Horoscope? Join www.meetup.com/creating-abundance

Ingrid Cheng
www.facebook.com/fitnesswla
www.facebook.com/groups/SweatPinkLosAngeles