Photos taken by Ranch Program Guide- Bill Bacheller
A well balanced day
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The Importance of Sleep
After a night of fitful sleep, I head to work at The Ranch and notice a few differences throughout the day; I can’t hike as fast, my vocabulary is limited, multi-tasking is a challenge. This rare experience made me appreciate the 8 hours of sleep that is my normal. Doing some quick research I came upon this list which is a good reminder to all of us who try to burn the candle at both ends and why that will eventually catch up with us.
The Harvard Women’s Health Watch suggests six reasons to get enough sleep:
Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who’d slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body’s killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.
Here are some tips from the Mayo Clinic for a good night’s rest:
Stick to a sleep schedule: Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, holidays and days off. Being consistent reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle and helps promote better sleep at night. There’s a caveat, though. If you don’t fall asleep within about 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing. Go back to bed when you’re tired. If you agonize over falling asleep, you might find it even tougher to nod off.
Pay attention to what you eat and drink: Don’t go to bed either hungry or stuffed. Your discomfort might keep you up. Also limit how much you drink before bed, to prevent disruptive middle-of-the-night trips to the toilet.
Nicotine, caffeine and alcohol deserve caution, too. The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine — which take hours to wear off — can wreak havoc with quality sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.
Create a bedtime ritual: Do the same things each night to tell your body it’s time to wind down. This might include taking a warm bath or shower, reading a book, or listening to soothing music — preferably with the lights dimmed. Relaxing activities can promote better sleep by easing the transition between wakefulness and drowsiness.
Get Comfortable: Create a room that’s ideal for sleeping. Your mattress and pillow can contribute to better sleep, too. Since the features of good bedding are subjective, choose what feels most comfortable to you. If you share your bed, make sure there’s enough room for two. If you have children or pets, set limits on how often they sleep with you — or insist on separate sleeping quarters.
Limit Daytime Naps: 10- 30 minutes maximum.
Include Physical Activity in your Daily Routine: Regular physical activity can promote better sleep, helping you to fall asleep faster and to enjoy deeper sleep.
Manage Stress: Give yourself permission to take a break when you need one. Share a good laugh with an old friend. Before bed, jot down what’s on your mind and then set it aside for tomorrow.
Goodnight and Sweet Dreams.
Healthy Game Day Grub!
Chipotle Mushroom and Goat Cheese Queso
Hi Everyone! At the Ranch we prefer to play outside more so than stay inside and watch sports, but super bowl potlucks are the exception. Plan a morning of hiking, running, rowing, biking or playing football and then make a healthy dish to share. Organic core tortillas are my favorite to use for this dish and I only use goat cheese not jack cheese, personal preference.
Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer (Makes about 3 1/2 cups)
Goat cheese and earthy mushrooms give this rich hot cheese dip a uniquely satisfying flavor. Spoon it hot into warm tortillas, or use it over nachos or as a dip for tortilla chips or veggies. Leftovers are excellent as a filling for omelets.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons expeller-pressed canola oil
1/2 pound mixed mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
6 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 1/2 cups sliced baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 chipotles in adobo (from a can), seeded and minced
Method
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms have released their liquid and are dry and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Spread mushrooms over the bottom of a small ovenproof casserole or gratin dish. In a large bowl, combine goat cheese, Jack cheese, spinach, onion and chipotles and toss until combined. Spread cheese mixture evenly over mushrooms and bake until bubbling, about 25 minutes. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Per Serving (based on 1/8 of the recipe): 160 calories (110 from fat), 13g total fat, 7g saturated fat, 25mg cholesterol, 270mg sodium, 4g total carbohydrate (1g dietary fiber, 1g sugar), 9g protein
www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/3000
I want to be like Marc!
“The path starts with present awareness, from here you can chart a course for where you want to go, but it starts with present awareness.”
How does he do it? The Ranch’s Program Director, Marc Alabanza, consistently stays in great shape and balances work, life and nutritional expertise. Many guests wonder and so I decided to ask for more information from the man himself. Since we didn’t have space to write a blog novel, we did a little Q & A on lifestyle, health and fitness.
Q: Where did you grow up? Were you always this outdoor savvy and health savvy?
A: I grew up in Los Angeles, definitely a “city boy.” My family was not the athletic/outdoorsy oriented family, but more focused on academics. Luckily my best friend’s family was outdoorsy, and took me under their wing to teach me about camping, hiking, target shooting and boating. As far as my history in health savviness, when I first started getting competitive in fitness, I unfortunately defined being fit as synonymous with being healthy. This led me to many unhealthy behaviors to maintain my level of fitness—hurting my body in the process. I smoked for 15 years, used lots of processed nutritional supplements instead of eating right, and operated with the paradigm: “No Pain, No Gain,” pushing myself harder rather than smarter. This worked for a while, but after several injuries, a shoulder reconstruction, and emotional epiphanies, I realized that it was not sustainable if I wanted to be able to use my body into older age—I decided to focus on the long term viability of my body, rather than just the short term “for the next competition” mentality.
Q: What is your inspiration for staying fit?
A: My daughters, Emerson and Patanjali. I want to be an active father, able to run and play with them, as well as strong enough to carry them in my arms until they don’t want to be carried anymore. I also want to be the example to them of what it means to be a healthy, active, balanced person.
Q: When did your love for fitness begin?
A: When I was in 6th grade I won a push-up competition, 83 push-ups! That was more than anyone could do in the school at the time, even our gym teacher!! I felt like I found something that I could do physically where being the shortest kid didn’t limit me.
Q: What fitness theory do you subscribe to?
A: Do at least one exercise every day, no matter what is it, one push-up. We all have time for one push-up.
Q: Describe a major health revolution in your life.
A: I did my first adventure race in Malibu. It was the hardest, longest physical challenge I had ever done till that point, we raced for 32 hours straight!! There was a fundamental shift in seeing what I could do, what my body could do. It made me think, what else I was selling myself short on. If I could do this, what else could I do? It made me question the philosophy of “I’m not so good at this, so I’m not going to try” that so many people in our society adhere to. If I could push my body to the limits and it didn’t break, what else could I do?
Q: Hiking is big at The Ranch. What is your favorite hike?
A: In my life, the best hike I have ever encountered would have to be hiking through the North Hill tribes in Thailand. Beautiful, exotic, challenging and engaging for all five senses!!
Q: What is the last book you read?
A: I am currently reading The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf. I try to keep abreast of any new diets, exercise trends and new nutritional data that comes up. Recently there has been a strong movement in studying the Paleolithic diet. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology with a focus in Southwestern Archeology so this way of looking at our diet in comparison to our ancestor’s diet was of interest.
Q: What nutritional theory do you live by?
A: I like to think about the exception and not the rule. I eat healthy 90% of the time and indulge 10% of the time. I think that extremes are dangerous and therefore try to eat what is best for me most of the time but also I want to be normal and eat dessert but as long as it is the exception and not the rule. My overall theory is paying attention to nutrient density rather than caloric density. I make sure to eat foods that are higher in nutrient value, not processed and eat as many food products from local producers, such as, farmers markets, to ensure the freshest quality.
Q: What is your guilty pleasure?
A: Coffee. I love it and I drink it every Saturday morning with full fat cream and maple syrup as a sweetener. No more and no less.
Q: Favorite dessert?
A: Tiramisu
Q: What is your go to Road Trip food?
A: Beef Jerky
Q: If you have one piece of advice to give both veteran and newbie health seekers what would it be?
A: I would ask them to ask themselves “where am I right now, and is it where I want to be?” The path starts with present awareness, from here you can chart a course for where you want to go, but it starts with present awareness.
Fitness Tip- 5 minutes of Core Exercise Daily
Hi Everyone, Keri here with a quick fitness tip!
Core exercises are a great way to stay in-tuned with the structural and muscular integrity of the body. They require focus and attention to detail in movement, which is why we love them here at the Ranch!
Five minutes of core exercises a day can keep your abs, back and butt toned and awake until you can get out for a longer hike, bike or run. Try these Ranch Favorites!!
1. Lunges- One Minute
Start standing on the mat. Feet hip distance apart, hands on hips. Step back with the right foot 3-4 feet bending both knees until the back knee nears the mat. Straighten both legs and return to stating position. Next, take the left foot back 3-4 feet and bend both knees until the left knee nears the mat.Bicycles- One Minute
2. Bicycles- One Minute
Start with your back on the mat, arms bent, elbows wide, hands behind the head. Extend one leg out at a time and reach opposite shoulder to opposite knee keeping elbows wide. Focus on full range of motion over quick repetition.
3. Hip Raises- One Minute
Start with your back on the mat, knees bent and feet hip distance apart, arms at your side palms down. Lift the hips up toward the ceiling as high as possible for full range of motion. Pausing at the top to squeeze the gluts and then lowering back down to the mat.
4. Push-Ups with a Pause- One Minute
Hands on the mat a little wider than shoulder distance apart. Feet fully extended behind you.Bendelbows until chest nears the mat. Pause here the bottom on the push-up, then press hand into the mat and lift up to the top of the push-up. Pause here. Repeat, keeping spine straight and core engaged.
5. Supine Leg Lifts with a Ball- One Minute
Back on mat with hands tucked under the low back or glut area. Start with legs as close to a 90 degree angle with the floor. Squeezing the ball between the feet while lowering both legs to the floor as low as possible keeping the lower back in contact with the mat, once the legs have reached as low as they can safely go lift back to start position. Repeat for one minute using the full range of motion and pulling the lower abs to the spine.
Winter Vegetable Soup
Warm and hearty dishes don’t have to mean bread and pasta, try this delicious Winter Vegetable Soup!!
Eating foods in season has a twofold benefit. One, you can buy these fruits and vegetables fresh from your local organic farmers market and two, you are going with what your body craves. Think about it, in the winter we want warm, hearty foods but that doesn’t have to mean over doing it on simple carbs like pasta and bread. Instead, try root vegetables and warming spices. In the summer we crave light foods like fruit salad, which we can design from what we find at the farmers market. This process can make meal planning simple; eat what you can buy in-season and local. It’s curious and delightful to find that your latest food craving may be in sync with the seasons. Give it a go!
Serves 6
A hearty meal on its own, or a terrific opener to a vegan main course
Ingredients
1 ounce (about 1 cup) dried porcini mushrooms or other dried wild mushrooms
3/4 cup unsalted cashews
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
3 rutabagas, peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Method
Put mushrooms in a bowl, cover with 1/2 cup boiling water and set aside to let soak 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a blender, combine cashews and 2 cups broth and blend until very smooth, about 1 minute. Pour cashew mixture into a large saucepan and add rutabagas, onion and remaining 4 cups broth. Remove mushrooms from the bowl with a slotted spoon, cut them into bite-size pieces and add them to the pot; carefully pour in the liquid the mushrooms soaked in, being sure to leave behind any grit that has settled in the bottom of the bowl.
Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, lower heat and simmer, uncovered, until rutabagas are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add bell pepper and lemon juice and simmer 3 minutes longer. Serve garnished with chives and lemon zest.
Nutrition
Per serving: 290 calories (80 from fat), 9g total fat, 1.5g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 190mg sodium, 39g total carbohydrate (11g dietary fiber, 15g sugar), 13g protein
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2807
Happy New Year’s Resolution!!!
If you don’t like routines aim to do 100 pushups a day whenever you want!
The New Year is upon us in all its greatness including another go round of “have-to” and “I promise to” resolutions. So how is this year going to be different than the last? Well it can be if we approach our choices differently, says Dr. Jennifer Hartstein leading New York psychologist. Year after year promises of better health through weight loss, nutrition and exercise are seen via an increase in gym memberships, weight loss programs and packed yoga studios only to dwindle by mid-spring. Why the drop off in healthy practices? Is it lack of motivation? Is it lack of will power? Were all the goals reached? Or is it another resolution fallen by the wayside and beat out by other factors in life. What happened we ask? The Yogi Bera truth is nothing happened, and therefore nothing happens, it’s the same old truth we have heard a million times yet struggle to engage…if you try the same thing over and over and expect different results it’s the definition of insanity. In 2012 let’s approach our resolutions differently and let go of the “well…better luck next time” of old year’s resolutions and really truly try something new!!
According to Dr. Hartstein the way to make resolutions stick is to retrain our brain to set positively motivated goals. This is consistent with our goal setting process at The Ranch, self-awareness not loathing. From the vantage point of awareness…or the Romper Room on the hill, it is clear to see that we are not alone in the less than optimal success rate of our health goals. This year let’s set goals that build upon our strengths and our likes more than a sense of “should and have-to’s.” If you want more Cardio in your exercise routine choose a class you like, not the one you think you should go to at 5 am. If you don’t like routines aim to do 100 pushups a day whenever you want! Have fun with your health!! If Maud from the movie Harold and Maud is right and “consistency isn’t a human trait” we can ditch the guilt and move onto what to do when we stray from the course, because it will happen. 
Some common detours, says Dr. Harstein, are lack of motivation due to goals that we don’t really like or goals that are so extremely different than our current routine that they are virtually unattainable. When we set gigantic unattainable goals that lack noticeable results in the short term, we give up. When we are stressed out our will power is the first to go. Does this sound familiar? For better success must retrain our brain to be positive by starting with easy to tackle tasks, like flossing daily or drinking at least 2 glasses of water before leaving your house in the morning. Here are the Dr.’s orders for making New Year’s resolutions stick.
1. Plan Ahead and Get Ready
- a. If you want to attend gym classes regularly join the gym today!!
- b. Get your gym clothes ready to go the night before.
- c. Plan out days that fit best in your work, family and social life
2. Set a Larger Goal and Break it Down into Smaller Pieces
- a. Attainable- increase muscle strength for inches loss and body sculpting
- b. Realistic- add one more day of strength training to your routine each week, not 5 more
- c. Simple- choose a class you like to attend and make it a priority
- d. Timeframe- one month, three months, six months, etc.
3. Have a Setback Plan
- a. If you lose momentum- you didn’t fail just recommit!
- b. Work with a partner- get a friend who wants the same goals to join the class too
4. Reward Yourself
- a. New Exercise Clothes
- b. Piece of Gluten Free Organic Chocolate Cake
- c. Getaway Vacation to The Ranch!!
Our New Year’s Resolution at the Ranch is as follows “this year I promise to set realistic goals for myself through which attaining them is enjoyable, makes me feel good about myself and requires a level of effort that I can handle even when I’m feeling stress. I will be kind to myself when I veer from my path and also find my way back because I’ve accepted that this will happen in my process to change certain aspects of my routine. I will stay curious of how I am both my best friend and my worst enemy in the process of change and I will find it funny how unique and strange we all truly are. This year all of my health goals will be fueled by the joy of feeling better within and not the fear of not being good enough, strong enough or attractive enough for others. This year I will be good to myself in order to be the best me I can be for myself, my loved ones and people I interact with.”
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Welcome to The Ranch!
The 10 hours of daily exercise include daily hiking, core workouts, body toning and sculpting weights classes, yoga sessions and a strict calibrated vegetarian diet.
Hello!
We are so pleased with your interest in The Ranch at Live Oak / Malibu Blog. Our intention is to keep you; our future, current and alumni guests, contemplating and exploring new ways to improve your overall health and wellness. In Ranch style let’s start with a minute of push-ups!! Relaxed push-ups
For those of you who are not familiar with our program: The Ranch is a results-oriented fitness, health and wellness retreat, not your typical spa or resort. This luxury boot camp focuses on meeting your fitness, nutritional, weight loss and detox goals through our specialized program. The 10 hours of daily exercise include daily hiking, core workouts, body toning and sculpting weights classes, yoga sessions and a strict calibrated vegetarian diet. www.theranchmalibu.com
My name is Keri and I am one of The Ranch Senior Program Guides. My role here at The Ranch is to lead hikes through the Santa Monica Mountains, teach exercise classes and Vinyasa yoga, and sometimes present our nutrition talk and now, resident blogger! Health and Wellness inquiry and teaching has been a lifelong passion for me but after working at The Ranch, it’s as if I’ve been in warp speed of growth and change for the better. I came to The Ranch as a Public Health teacher, avid runner and former collegiate Track and Field athlete, Yogini, Outdoor Educator, Raft Guide and soul surfer. I felt that I had a lot to offer The Ranch and as it goes, The Ranch had a lot to offer me as well.
Working at The Ranch has taught me about well-being. It created the space for an internal shift of being healthy and living a wellness qualified lifestyle to truly being well. The Webster definition of well-being is “the state of being happy, healthy and prosperous.” It amazes me to know that I while I was practicing health in all the right ways, I was running, I was fit, I did yoga three times a week, blah, blah, blah..!, I wasn’t truly happy or prosperous. I was measuring myself on external standards of what I thought I should be doing or who I should be. Working at The Ranch has given me a gift of knowing about how similar we all are on this journey of health and wellness. We are all trying to get it right, to be in the best shape, to lose weight, to sleep more, to have more fun, to reconnect with ourselves, to lose the heaviness of day in and day out stresses.
My passion for the work we do here is renewed each time a guest shares their story of feeling more centered and connected to themselves after a week at The Ranch.
“I have always wanted to experience this type of program, but had no idea the feelings and emotions attached to the results. I feel I now have a clear and confident perspective on what it really takes to be happy and centered. It’s an amazing feeling to feel what I was created to feel, not weighed down both physically and mentally. A fresh start to the second half of my life. Thank you!” K.S. – Austin
If you haven’t joined us yet, I’m guessing we more than satisfy some of your New Year’s resolutions!!! If you have joined us at The Ranch, please send us your stories and stay tuned for tips on Fitness, Nutrition and Well-Being each week.
@TheRanchMalibu
The Ranch at Live Oak