When we’re exercising and eating right, there’s a lot of talk about calories. But all calories are not created equal. And simply counting calories isn’t the best way to managing your food choices. But understanding macronutrients – such as protein, carbs and fat – will help you make smarter choices for you in the food you prepare, buy and consume. Here’s the breakdown. A single gram of protein has 4 calories. It’s the same for carbohydrates. Each fat gram contains 9 calorie

Sunshine becomes more abundant in springtime, so it’s logical that springtime is all about growth as growth requires energy. So, how can you apply this circular model from nature to reach your health & fitness goals? Well, it’s simple when you think about those two key characteristics of spring: You need to apply energy to make the most of your growth. Here’s how: 1. What are your sources of energy? Plants get theirs from the sun. And guess what? So do you! So, be sure to g

Some people say “Success is a journey, not a destination.” And while we agree with that, we also think success is something else. Success is a decision. That’s right. In building healthy habits, in achieving goals, in work… whatever: We choose our own results. We're often asked how to succeed at something – like losing a certain amount of weight, for example. The solution is simple: Decide you’re going to do it. Here’s what we mean – or, rather, what we don’t mean. You don’t

Your core muscles are some of the hardest-working in your body, and almost all of us make their job even harder every day! Over time, that can have a surprisingly big impact on how you feel from your energy and mood to even your digestion and overall strength. That’s why we created Renov8 Fitness Core Strong! It’s a 6-week program designed to make your core stronger from the inside out. There are three phases in this program specifically designed to help you become "core

Whether you love college basketball or couldn’t care less, the NCAA tournament offers a fun phrase to help us focus on healthy habits this month: March Madness! And under that theme, we're going to enjoy new experiences for our workouts, in the kitchen, and as relaxation tools for this month. WeI have put together a calendar of March Madness activities – one for each of the 31 days in the month. They’ll keep you in the right mindset for a successful and energizing month. Of

Starting something – ANYTHING – is often the hardest part. But if you can just take action, one little first step, it gets easier. This, friends, isn’t a self-help platitude. IT’S SCIENCE! Remember Sir Isaac Newton? He said a body at rest tends to stay that way, and a body in motion will stay that way, too. The point is, don’t feel bad about yourself because it’s sometimes hard to leave the house and go to the gym… or to start building a new healthy habit… or to start doing a

The holidays can be tough if we allow them to be. Stressful… Busy… Too much food… Too many commitments – and not enough time to take care of yourself. But wait… You don’t need more time. You need a coach -- at least for now. The guidance, accountability and support a coach provides is invaluable all the time, but especially amid the crazy pace of the holidays. A coach can help you set priorities, manage your time, learn to say “no,” keep you accountable, and so much more. The

Of all the loving, nonjudgmental and supportive methods we can use to practice self-care, maybe the most misunderstood is meditation. It seems like every time we mention it in conversation, someone says dismissively, “Oh, I could never do that! Stop my mind completely and just not have any thoughts at all? I don’t know HOW to do it!” And that’s exactly how we felt about meditation, too. But we decided to try it in multiple variations, and soon discovered what it really is and

In this fast-paced, high-pressured world, life is ALWAYS happening around us. So many things are beyond our control – the people, the institutions, the natural events of the world… But here’s what we can control – our own words and actions. We can listen to our heart, acknowledge our desires and disappointments, and then surrender to this wondrous, empowering constant of the universe – what you do is all up to you :) Success isn’t just what happens TO or AROUND you. It’s what

Whenever we’ve tried to make a positive change in our life, we’ve been surprised at how often people told us, “Change is hard.” It was like they were warning me that we shouldn’t try too hard and get disappointed. We even found ourselves saying it a time or two. “Just stay where you are… it’s probably okay…” But you know what? It doesn’t have to be like that. Actually, change can be fun! All it takes is finding ways to keep yourself motivated and making some strategic deci

With the latest strain of COVID spiking again, enhancing the immune system is still top of mind for people right now.​ ​​Your overall body weight, the foods you eat regularly, your quality of sleep, stress management, and how much you exercise ALWAYS impacts your immune system and your body’s ability to take care of you in the face of viruses, infection, etc.​ So, to put it mildly, taking care of your overall health every single day must be a top priority…now and every day.​

Today is the first day of summer - woohoo! It’s such a beautiful day in Southern California, and we feel so good :) One thing we love about summertime, is that it brings unique opportunities to practice balance. For example, most of us already know the mindset needed to reach our goals -- Success takes sacrifice and commitment. You may be ready for that, or you may not be… If you’re like us, sometimes you like the flip side better – Occasionally rewarding yourself for little

Coach Heather Binns’s here… There’s nothing as attractive as confidence. Not being at your goal weight. Not the perfect haircut. Not wearing THAT swimsuit. It doesn’t matter what your gender is. It doesn’t matter what your age is. It is simply a universal truth that when you believe in yourself, you exude all the right feels, and everyone can see it. So, as summer arrives and layers of clothing come off, don’t obsess too critically about how your body looks poolside. I know t

The 3-course meal is a classic – an appetizer, main course and dessert. And we have the perfect meal for you! It’s a recipe for each of those components you can make any time for family and friends. All three recipes are yummy, healthy, and boast just a little tropical flavor from Thai ingredients to shrimp and banana. It was fun putting this together for you. We got to play “chef” and plan how the parts all add up to a terrific meal. We know you’ll enjoy these recipes! Cl

Do You Follow Through On Everything? Do you always do EVERYTHING you say you’ll do regarding your health? Every meal, every workout? Or are you – you know – HUMAN? Coach Heather Binns's here... I’m one of those imperfect people who sometimes manages to workout when I plan to, eat what I’m supposed to, visit my doctor regularly, and go to sleep on time. But every time? Come on. Nobody does that. And what would life be like if everybody did everything they said they’d do

Coach Heather Binns’s here… Sometimes I look at others who seem to have it all and make it look easy. It’s like everything just fell right into their laps. But then I remember what someone said to me once when I was talking about my commitment to leading a healthy lifestyle. “Sure! That’s easy for you to say,” she said. But, trust me, being fit and healthy isn’t “easier” for some people. They’ve just made different choices… that have led to different actions… that have produ

Do you find it easier to eat at home, compared to at a restaurant, where it’s so easy to overeat? The waiter brings the bread basket when you sit down. The menu is full of heavy entrees and irresistible desserts. Even the salads are loaded with tons of non-salad items! Here are some simple steps to build a healthy, delicious meal when you’re out to eat. Just say no to the bread basket or tortilla chips placed on your table before you’ve even looked at the menu. Order mostly v

On life’s journey, you face certain obstacles that are blocking you from where you want to go. We all do. The secret to success is removing those obstacles ourselves. We can’t expect anyone else to do it for us. That job is ours and ours alone. We see two categories of obstacles, speaking super-generally. First, we all have the lies we tell ourselves, self-limiting beliefs that we’re not good enough, strong enough or SOMETHING enough. That we don’t deserve health, happiness,

Coach Heather Binns here…Even though I'm running a race on the trails in Calabasas, CA this morning...I'm actually excited about my Renov8 Your Lifestyle Challenge that starts on Monday! BUT, there are only 28 hours left before the doors close (once the clock strikes 1:00pm PST tomorrow, registration is closed), so I can deliver to you everything you need to get started the next day :) And if you haven't joined yet...why not? Maybe you're crushing it and don't need any help

Here we are in March already. How did that happen so fast? Let’s pause a moment to check in and see how you’re doing compared to your expectations back on January 1st. Everyone can benefit from taking inventory and changing directions where needed. Ask yourself how it’s been going so far in 2022. How do you feel? Are you healthy? Thankful? What are some highlights of the year so far? What has held you back? Consider the goals you set for the year. Measure your progress. Li