New year new you

Happy New Year!

They say the new year is a time for new beginnings. A whole new chance to begin again. New year, new you, or maybe a new me. Possibly the same old me, just one that I haven't seen in a while.

It's that time of the year when we get the opportunity to reflect on the past year and set goals for the new one ahead. For me the last year has really been a great opportunity to grow and expand my awareness of all kinds of things from health/wellness and going almost totally vegan to changes in fitness. The year I began to really love yoga. Which for a girl who spent most of her life doing all kind of crazy workouts, is actually quite surprising. I never thought I would love it as much as I do. In fact it has been the best thing for my back. Having sustained a back injury in two close-dated car accidents years back, really put a damper on the crazy workouts. Since I started to do yoga regularly, honestly my back hurts if I "don't"do yoga.

Anyhow back to my original thought. It happened kind of randomly actually, but it got me to thinking. My acting representative was visiting shortly before Christmas. He started to tease me a bit about the fact that he has a hard time finding jobs to submit me for. As there are far less castings for blondes than for brunettes. If you are at a certain level in an entertainment career you can have your hair any color and mostly people adjust to you, or you change it for a role, then put it back as needed. However, until that point, you kind of need to be able to "be" what is being cast. So if a role says "female 30-40 brunette" he can't send me if my hair is blonde.

Unless, my inside voice started to say "unless I wear a wig". So the next chance I had I dragged the Mr. along to some local wig shops. Just to get an idea of how I would look, because honestly I had not seen it in so long I couldn't even remember how I looked as a brunette.

Yes it is true, I did not come from the manufacturer (the man upstairs)with blonde hair. So I put on a few and of course none of the pictures below are what I have in mind, but making use of what they had in the shop, I took a few fun pics just to see how I looked in a dark hairdo. So here ya go:

Holy 90's hairdo & way dark... but it's what they had!  

Whole lotta hair & super dark with BANGS! (Good gravy)

 As you can see, I look quite different, it was a bit shocking for me. Of course these are much darker than my hair actually grows out of my noggin. However, it was fun to try them on an see a different version of me. So in order to be cooperative with my acting rep, I am going to humor him and comply with his request. Hey what do I have to loose? If it works I can have more opportunities for acting work. If not, I can always put it back if I don't like it.

My plan, is to just go light brown with some blonde in the front more along the lines of Jennifer Anniston. To have even more options, I am also going to order a wig online in a medium brown ,and then have my talented Mr. (being a super awesome photographer is one of his many talents) take headshots of me in both colors. This way my acting rep has more options.

This my friends is how the new year is going to bring a new version of the old me. What are your plans for the New Year? Do you have any resolutions, big ones, small ones? Whatever they are try to keep a positive mindset. I think sometimes we can set big goals and then beat ourselves up if we don't accomplish everything all at once or as quickly as we might like.

Remember to be grateful for the past year and thankful for every day, because it is a gift. We only get one day at a time and that my friends is the best advice I can give as to how to roll into the New Year.

Wishing you and yours a beautiful, blessed and HAPPY New Year!

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Oh Say Can you See

Lady Liberty and all her glory... simply stunning!

Hard to believe it is almost the forth of July. I for one am very happy that summer is finally in full swing and the warm weather is here to stay. Well, at least for a few more months for those of us in the northeast that is.

After such a long and ridiculous winter I am very much looking forward to taking the holiday time to soak up the heat and breathe in the summer air. I will also be performing The National Anthem at a Baseball game, which is really wonderful. I mean what could be more fun than a baseball game and with my being a singer, the opportunity to perform the National Anthem on the day our country won her Independence? Can anyone say happy Greek girl?

The fourth of July is about a new beginning for our nation. Seeing advertisements everywhere for Fourth of July festivities has got me to thinking about new beginnings. I have the beginning of a new habit that I wanted to share… I am taking off my Fitbit for good, there I said it.

No more... not for me.

Why would you do such a silly thing you may be wondering. Well it’s just personally I think we as a society have become way too obsessed with technology. Now don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the benefits of technology and of course it has its place. I just feel it has become far too front and center in our daily lives. Our phones are practically glued to us, and lets not even get into how over reaching Amazon’s “Alexa”and Google’s “Echo” creepy little units are because that would be a whole blog for another day. At first I thought the fitbit was great, and yes I’ll admit it was pretty neat to see how long I slept, and how many times I got up at night, and just how many steps I got in on a particular day.

  

Where it started to lose it’s luster for me was when I started to catch myself being disappointed if I didn’t get as many steps in throughout the week as I did the week before, and so on. I’d find myself looking at it so often then it hit me; this is getting to be on the silly side. I remember not too long ago putting on an old fashioned watch, take a swatch for instance, and going out for a run. The only reason I had it on was to keep track of “how long” I was running for. I was free to enjoy the fresh air, take in the beautiful images of nature and just enjoy the run and endorphin high. As opposed to exercising to see how many steps or calories I could burn each time.

A few of my favorites...

Never mind the fact that I had an entire watch box full of watches that I loved that hadn’t seen the light of day in over a year.  I really love watches too… they are one of my things, like sneakers and flip-flops. For some girls it’s high heels, but for me, it’s watches, sneakers and flip-flops. So the fact that I was wearing the same watch every single day, a little piece of technology that was literally attached to me at all times got me to thinking it was a bit obsessive.

So I decided to kick my Fitbit to the curb. Yes you heard right, this girl is going old school when it comes to watches. My very favorite watches are Android, which have since changed their name to Aragon, check them out at www.aragonwatch.com. Absolutely gorgeous watches, mostly automatic at surprisingly affordable prices too. Each watch is literally a work of art, and all designed by their creator and founder Wing Liang. The Mr. and I met him years back at a fashion trade show and we have been in love with his creations ever since.

So this year when I sing “Oh say can you see” I’ll be sporting a plain old watch on my wrist, and the only time I’ll be looking at it is to check the time. Hope you enjoy the holiday!

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Beachbody

It's that time again. The official start to summer is just day's away, time to get buff for the beach. Time to break out the Bikini, skinny jeans, tank tops and all the fun clothes made for people with the body of a Greek god or goddess. For some this is what comes to mind when they hear the word "beachbody".

I would like to put a different idea into people's noggins. Yes "beachbody" is a word often associated with the things I mentioned above. However, it is also a company that helps people literally transform their lives for the better. (No this is not a paid review). I just know that this time of year can be stressful with unrealistic images bombarding people on a daily basis. It puts unnecessary pressure on people to be fitter, and it can be confusing to sort through all the information and programs available out there. Many people have injuries that have made physical activity difficult if not impossible sometimes. So, I would like to offer a little insight into my experience as a beachbody customer since 2002.  

It all started with Slim in 6 with Debbie Seibers, a program put out by Beachbody. I've always been active and loved exercise. At the time I had been working out with Tae Bo by Billy Blanks for about a year and I wanted to try something new. So I ordered it and loved it. Then I discovered Tony Horton and the original P90, oh what fun that was.

I have always been fascinated by the fact that people who exercise and eat right look so young. Tony Horton at the time was about forty-four and he looked no where near it. I was thinking wow if this guy looks so young and healthy this program is definitely something I want to try. To this day he still looks nowhere at all near his age, and like one of my other fitness heroes Jack LaLanne, he has continued to defy the norm, giving a new face to what the human body can and should be at a particular age.

Anyway without going off into a novel of my fitness journey over the last fifteen years, the point is that there are always options. Since that time, Beachbody has produced countless programs for nearly all fitness levels. Almost every program has modification options, which makes "excuses" for not putting your health first obsolete.   

I have many fitness heroes, some not even affiliated with Beachbody. I love Jillian Michaels, Jackie Warner, and I also really like the Firm fitness programs. Not every body is the same and even the same body will not always need or like or even be capable of doing the same program forever. Which is why it is important to always stay in the game no matter what is going on with your body. It's not about getting a ripped hard physique (although I'm guessing everyone would like that). It's about being the best possible you that you can be. To get and stay healthy and strong so you can enjoy life to the fullest. 

Injuries happen to the best of us. Slips, falls, work, overuse injuries, accidents, you name it. For me it was two close dated car accidents. People with herniated disks simply should not jump, period. So that takes things like running and plyometrics training off the table. Does that mean you can't exercise? No, it simply means you modify your workout. So for example; if you're doing a workout program like say 21-Day Fix (which is not an extreme program by any means) but there are jumping jacks, etc., what do you do? You modify the jacks, by doing step jacks instead. Almost every program will have a modifier doing the workout so you can see exactly what options are available if you are not able to jump or do the advanced version of a particular move.

There are so many options, walking, yoga, pilates, one workout program I particularly love, love, love, (did I say love) is Piyo created by Chalene Johnson. Piyo combines yoga, and pilates, and gets your heart rate up like crazy. It sculpts, and stretches your body and you feel like a million bucks after a workout. The best part is no jumps, no weights, so it is fantastic when traveling. Which by the way, is a major excuse people use for skipping workouts.

The thing is you can make excuses or you can make results. The choice is up to you. There are super short workouts, even as short as twenty minutes. Everyone has twenty minutes. Endorphins really are God's medicine. Exercise is good for your mood, and really should be something you do every single day, just like brushing your teeth.

So what are you waiting for? Get to that phone, computer, or iPad, and find out what you      like and get started on that beachbody ;o) or shall I say healthy body. One that will carry you into your golden years if you treat it right. Remember the saying... use it or lose it. Happy working out!   

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Joy

It's finally here! In fact I'm so happy about it I've been humming a little tune all around the house for weeks now. "I've got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart..." Joy about what Greek Girl you may be wondering?

The new movie Joy starring cutie patootie Jennifer Lawrence? No, but it was a fantastic movie that I highly recommend! The characters were all very well developed, and it's a super feel good film that gets a big fat thumbs up and five stars from this film critic. 

If not that, what pray tell could be causing all that "joy" I am talking about? Why The Biggest Loser premiere of course! Why on earth am I so excited about a TV show one may wonder? Well hello... it has many of my favorite elements: sneakers (my number one favorite shoe to wear), people doing things they thought they couldn't, inspiration, drama. Sure in my opinion the show will never be the same without Jillian, but it's still incredibly inspiring, and never fails to have me in tears at some point during an episode.

I have been so inspired by some episodes in the past that I have even written lyrics to songs from watching. So for me it's a win-win. 

New year, a new chance to get up to bat and swing for one's goals and dreams in life. We all have them, many start out strong at the beginning of the year and for a multitude of reasons peter out and end up quitting. For me it is magical to watch people who have tried time after time, after time to achieve a goal who have never been able to do it, finally break through and get it done. It's just my happy place. 

Society today has so many tools to be healthy and live longer, yet it seems is getting more and more unhealthy by the second. Your body is a miracle. When you treat it right by feeding it the right things and making fitness a part of everyday (just like brushing your teeth) the results are remarkable. That's why I love the show so much, it demonstrates this principle in such a dramatic way on such a large scale, literally. 

I think everyone has the ability inside them to blast through barriers... it's just a matter of will. Not a matter of "can", but a matter of "if". Excuses can be made for everything, everyone has something. Not everyone has the "physical capability" to be an olympic athlete, this I know very well. Accidents, disabilities, many things can make a person think they "can't" be physically fit. The truth of the matter is though that there is a modification for almost everything. There is some kind of physical activity that everyone can do, and once one changes their mentality from can't to can... the entire world can change. 

So you can be your bottom dollar I'll be parked in front of the TV watching. With a hot cup of happiness a la Dunkin's in my hands (with Truvea instead of sugar of course). Will you? If not my hope is that 2016 is a year for everyone to reach beyond their limits and break though barriers to reach goals and dreams they have buried on the inside. Remember, everything is possible... you just have to believe. Happy 2016!

Blessings, Love & Music!
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Clear Your Mind of Can’t

You can if you don't quit.

Anyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for the underdog... what can I say, I just love a good comeback. (They also know I love coffee, dogs, sneakers, flip flops, and my favorite movie of all time is Rocky - all of them). So I'm sure it will come as no surprise that I was so excited I had to pinch myself when I learned about the new movie "Southpaw" starring Jake Gyllenhaal (not just because I'm left handed either). No worries, Greek Girl isn't going to spoil the ending. What happens in the movie is a blog for another day.

However when I saw the trailer for the film it reminded me about some things that have inspired me over the past few years. One so much so, that I was compelled to share it again. You may have seen the transformational video on social media, or on the TV Show Shark Tank... called "Arthur's Story". Arthur Boorman was a disabled veteran of the Gulf War who lived with pain for fifteen years, and was told by his doctors that he would never be able to walk on his own, ever again.

He stumbled upon an article about Diamond Dallas Page doing Yoga and decided to try it. He couldn't do typical high impact exercise, so he tried DDP YOGA, and sent an email to tell Dallas his story.

Dallas was so moved by Arthur's story, he began emailing and speaking on the phone with him throughout his journey. Dallas encouraged Arthur to keep going and to believe that anything was possible. Doctors told Arthur walking would never happen, but he was persistent. He fell many times, but kept going.

Arthur got stronger, and lost weight at an amazing rate. Because of DDP's unique workout, he gained incredible balance and flexibility, which gave him hope that maybe someday, he'd be able to walk again.

Arthur's story is proof that we shouldn't place limits on our capabilities. Often we don't even know our own potential. Niether Arthur, nor Dallas knew what he would go on to accomplish. In less than one year, Arthur completely transformed his life. If only he had known what he was capable of doing fifteen years earlier.

I'm passionate about sharing this story not only because it is incredibly motivating, but because I have also experienced the benefits of this amazing program. As a person who suffered injuries and has experienced physical setbacks, I can tell you how much DDP Yoga has helped me both physically and mentally. His positive energy, his own story of going from physically broken to back in the game and helping others to do the same are simply irresistible.

In case you don't know Diamond Dallas Page is not only a three-time professional wrestling heavyweight champion, but he is also an incredibly inspiring motivational figure and speaker. His career spanned two decades, and he entered the ring at thirty five years old. Many pro athletes are forced into retirement at that age. Years of wrestling left him with major injuries to his neck, back, shoulders and knees. Injuries that could not only end his career, but also affect his quality of life.

His answer to his injuries was DDP Yoga. A system he designed that allows you to work at your own ability, and with consistency grow stronger every day. Don't waste precious time thinking you're stuck. You can take control over your circumstances, no matter what life has thrown your way. Change might come faster than you might think, or it might take longer than you planned. All that matters is doing your best. 

I've loved physical fitness as long as I can remember. Where most women have a collection of high heels, Greek Girl has collection of "sneakers". Recently I found some Presidents Physical Fitness Awards from elementary and middle school up in my moms attic while visiting. Looking at them reminded me that we don't have to give up the things we love; no matter badly we may have been knocked down. That is, as long as we continue to get back up.

Hopefully Arthur's story can inspire you to follow your dreams, whatever they may be. For me, I just try every day to do my very best, and let God do the rest. No I may not be where I used to be, I may not be where I want to be. I know on the road to any goal all that matters is that you;

Get up, show up, do what you can... then one day you will be "doing the thing you think you can't". 

Remember... anything is possible!

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

No Excuses

Nothing can stop you unless you let it.

When you get knocked down do you stay down, or do you get back up? Most people like to think they get back up, but the truth is sometimes we don't.

Almost everyone likes to hear about someone taking a bad situation and turning it upside down. Especially if that someone is a hero like a Veteran, media figure, or a person in the public eye. I mean was there ever a greater contestant on "Dancing With the Stars" than Noah Galloway? Sheesh, I don't even watch Reality TV, but I was glued to the tube like millions of other Americans because of his story, determination and passion to give back to people. His strength is unbelievably motivating.

The sad thing though is that some of us enjoy seeing that happen for "other people" but at times in our own lives we think it can't happen for us. That the "thing," challenge, injury, hurdle, whatever seems too big, too hard or just too insurmountable to overcome.

Recently I saw a video that was truly inspiring. Every person in the world struggles with something, no one is perfect. Every human being has an imperfect body. As great as it would be to have everything work perfectly all the time like a well-oiled machine, that's not real life, nor is that how we are designed. Whether it's a goal, a dream, a passion, a physical challenge, everyone has something they want to achieve. Life happens though, things happen, and at times we get knocked down. It can be easy to fall into the excuses game. What we want to accomplish can seem so far off, so daunting that we can find it easier to just think "well so-and-so happened and so I will never be able to reach my goal." 

This video shows that no matter what is thrown at you, there are never any acceptable excuses to not achieve anything. If something happens to you, you have two choices: stay down or get back up. Pain (whether it's emotional, mental, or physical) is temporary, but quitting lasts forever. The only thing that counts is trying to be better than yesterday. Do a little every day, and one day you'll look back and be doing something you once thought was impossible. Doing the thing you thought you couldn't.

Sometimes it may seem like things can happen "to" us. Really though we can look back and realize they actually happened "through" us. Our stories can touch the people around us in ways we may never even know or imagine. So the next time you're down, remember you never know who is watching, or who you may be inspiring. In the words of one of history's smartest men...

"You never fail until you stop trying." ~ Albert Einstein 

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

Wonderland

I think I hear choirs of Angels singing... do you?

This week I felt like I was transported smack dab into my very own version of "Alice In Wonderland". However in this new and improved version it's not about a girl named Alice who eats some magic mushrooms and goes into a hole in the ground. In this version it's about a Greek Blonde Girl who is obsessed with sneakers who gets to take trip to see behind the curtain to see the Wizard in the wide world of sneakers.

Most people who know me know a few things about me. I love fitness and working out, therefore I love sneakers. So anyone who knows anything about me knows these few things, I love sneakers, coffee (Dunkin Donuts my favorite), chocolate, animals, and Vitamin Water Zero ("Go Go" flavor thank you very much). Where most women collect high heels, this girl collects sneakers. Honestly in my humble Greek opinion a girl (or guy) can just never have too many. They keep your feet happy, like flip flops. I mean really.... who wants to walk around in a pointy hard to walk in, hard high shoe all dang day long? Not me!

So in my closet at any given moment you will find a vast array of sneakers. Yes they are called sneakers (even though my former manager Mr. Bricks likes to call them "tennis shoes") I bet he likes to wear his "tennis shoes" with his white skinny jeans from the 80's, gosh that's a scary thought. OK so back to Wonderland... Besides being a recording artist, I'm also an actor. Which has led to doing some pretty cool promotions, product launches and events. Sometimes when companies are launching a new product line they like to hire people to go out and talk to people about the product. People who are outgoing, friendly and are comfortable talking to people (or who have the gift to gab per say). In this case Greek Girl was hired to be a "Sneaker Ambassador" for Merrell. Just saying that makes me giddy. Who better to go around yapping my big Fat Greek Yap trap about a new line than yours truly?.. I know, perfect right!

Can you pic the Greek Girl out of this lineup?

So before they let us lose to go out and make the clients aware of the new line, it's benefits, and what it's all about, they flew all of us "Sneaker Ambassadors" to Minneapolis MN to learn about Merrell's New "All Out" line. Merrell is a fantastic company with a history of quality shoes that outlast and out perform for decades. One of their tag lines is: "Performance + Innovation - It's in our History... and our Future." Knowing what I know now after seeing behind the curtain, I think it's perfect.

"Barefoot Running" became very popular after the book "Born to Run" written by Christopher McDougall was published back in May of 2009. In 2011 Merrell had a huge launch of it's Barefoot Running shoe. Barefoot simply means zero angle. Most Traditional running shoes have an 12-15 mm drop. Drop meaning the angle of the heel above the forefoot. Although it allows for lots of cushioning it can end up causing improper heel strike (meaning your heel is not hitting the ground under your hips where it is supposed to). The idea behind Merrell's Barefoot Running sneaker was to let your feet follow their natural instincts. Connect your feet to the terrain (protected by a Vibram sole), realign your gait, improve posture, and strengthen the muscles in your feet and legs. In other words let your body do what comes naturally. Merrell's Barefoot Collection also includes a thin EVA cushion to protect, and two impact zones. As Barefoot Running grew and people did it for longer, Barefoot become less important to consumers. They wanted a little more cushion, but still wanted a connection to the earth...

Thus the NEW "All Out" line was born. The "All Out" is a blend between a Barefoot and a Traditional Running shoe. The "All Out" line of sneakers all have a 6mm drop. Which allows for a little more cushion than the Barefoot running shoe with a Zero drop. The idea of the line is: Activate, Impact Protection, and Animal Like Agility. Activate your body's most efficient natural form with Merrell's flexible underfoot wrap shaped around the arch to create a continuous, flexible contact for increased mobility, flexibility and efficiency. Impact Protection made of their ultra flexible "UniFly" impact absorption system to provide a soft landing, disperse impact and allow for a stable take off. The perfect balance of feel and protection so you can go further, faster and longer. The Animal Like Agility comes from the "MSelect Grip" outsole. It's circular design allows for each lug to move independetly providing muti-directional control and surface area. Add to this Merrell's unique Fit Features in this line of a stitched in footbed and "Omni fit Lacing System" which provide a precise glove like fit.... and you might just have a miracle.

Seriously though if all that is not technical enough for you, well you might just belong at Nasa. If you're like me and you just love to run, and or you love sneakers... you really should check out the new "All Out" line of kicks! They come in three versions, one for road the "All Out Fuse", one for road and trail the "All Out Rush", and a hiker called the "All Out Blaze" which comes in low, mid and high ankle heights. They all come in super fun colors and trust me your feet will thank you. I have been wearing mine and I can definitely say it's been like a walk in wonderland. Keeping my tootsies happy while I'm in the process of working on NEW Music that I can't wait to share!

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D
www.avaaston.com

Spring Training

The Doctors Were Wrong... Anything IS Possible!

It's that time again... Time to pack up the winter clothes and get out the warm weather stuff. It's the time of year that can make people start to think about how "out of shape" they have become over the winter. Especially since this has been an extremely long and for many of us a brutal winter. Which only makes me that much more giddy on those days when the thermometer goes above 45 degrees and I can smell that spring is indeed in the air, old man winter is dying, and will soon breathe his last breath for the year.

Like so many others I'm thinking about summer, summer clothes and fitting into them.  Some people might not know this but I used to be a "chunker" as a little Greek Girl. It wasn't until I was an adult that I really got into fitness, healthy eating, working out as a lifestyle and ended up losing over 35 lbs. Now I was never "fat" by any means, I was just well... lets say "well fed". I worked really hard to lose the weight and maintain it for several years, and it was not that difficult, that is until the car accidents.

What car accidents? Some of my blog readers and followers of my music are aware of what happened; For those who are not, my husband and I were in two car accidents two years ago. First we were rear ended by an SUV while stopped at a stop light, pushing us into the car in front of us, totaling my car (RIP "Johnny Jetta" - I had only had about 3 months at the time). Anyway we both suffered several injuries including multiple herniated disks, and probably the most difficult is the Traumatic Brain Injury. Ironically while on the way to the chiropractor less than six months later, we were rear ended again while stopped at a stop light. Which was unbelievable I know, I still can't believe it myself. Needless to say the second rear ending only made everything worse including the TBI.

Now I won't go into the gory details about it because first and foremost we are alive and we have each other. Although we struggle every day just to do things we never even thought about before the accidents, we are thankful for our health and realize that so many other people in the world struggle with worse health problems. Now why am I telling you about all this muckery?... There is a point, bear with me.

See the thing is, my life changed forever that day. It changed for both of us, my husband used to be a fit model, and was even the standing fit model for Marc Jacobs for six seasons. I was in the middle of doing a transformation for a national fitness infomercial for a new product launch. Which I had to drop out of, as I was unable to continue to do hours of high impact cardio and workout to the level required daily. So in the aftermath of trying to recover we both had a choice to make... We have spent the last two years in recovery, doing physical therapy, chiropractic, epidurals, trigger point injections, massage, you name it we have probably tried it.

I even bought a teeter inversion table www.teeter-inversion.com - which is probably one of the reasons I am able to walk around today. I can not say enough about it and it has helped tremendously. But the thing is... everyone at some point in their lives has to struggle with some sort of physical limitations. Weather it be from a car accident, a fall, or weight issues... everyone will at some point, at some time will face something that challenges their physical body. There will come a time when it will literally come down to mind over matter. I know you might be thinking "What are you talking about Greek Girl?... Sounds like gobble goop to me". 

Hear me out. Most people who know me know one thing about me, "Rocky" is one of my favorite movies of all time. I can never tire of watching any of them, and Rocky is one of my heroes. The never give up spirit is something I have always connected with, especially having spent my entire life pursuing my musical dream. However never in my life have I ever really understood what "Never Give Up" meant until now. The TBI is different than the physical stuff, and really besides diet, sleep, and therapy for it, and adjusting how you do things, slowing down ,etc. there is nothing that is going to "make it better". Other than being frustrated when you do something like say leave the stove on for seven hours while you are home and have no idea... it is just frustrating more than anything else, but with it there is no "pain". With the physical things though, there is pain. Your body hurts and the last thing at times you want to do is go "workout".

I've been here, thinking to myself... "I don't need to go exercise I'm injured and I should just relax". This is where so many people get stuck. Stuck to the point where it spirals out of control and their bodies become a prison. I have dealt with it and it takes a conscious effort, choosing every day to do it because it is helping your body to become stronger. Making that choice all starts in the mind. The mind tells your boy what it can and can not do, and your "will" is the gas pedal. Shortly after the second car accident I saw this video on youtube titled "Never Ever Give Up" .

It brought me to tears. It's about a man named Arthur who was a disabled veteran. He was injured from many years of jumping out of airplanes. The doctors told him he would never walk unassisted ever again. He lost hope, and he gained a lot of weight. His story is so incredible and honestly just like Rocky movies I can not get tired of seeing it. I have posted it many times to my Facebook page, but it just seemed so appropriate to spotlight again in relation to "Spring Training".

You see, every single one of us has a struggle. There is something that everyone thinks is out of reach, something that they can never do. The beautiful thing about Arthur's story is he shows us that anyone can change if they put their mind to it. You can change your story and climb your mountain, but you have to make up your mind to do it. You have to tell your body that you will not allow it to keep your spirit locked in a prison. I hope you will enjoy watching his story and seeing where he is today as much as I do, and that you will share it with someone you know who has lost hope. Who thinks they are too far gone, who thinks they can never overcome their obstacle. Arthur shows us that anything is possible, anything... you just have to believe in yourself.

*(If you're reading on a mobile device and video is missing or does not play, click the following link to see - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448 ) 

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava xo
www.avaaston.com

The Return of Jillian

It finally arrived... the day I had been waiting for ever since I heard it announced (on my Birthday of all days) that one of my most favorite fitness hero's ever - Jillian Michaels was set to make her return to The Biggest Loser after a two season hiatus.

I had been so excited all through the holidays as it was getting closer and closer.  Tick tock, tick, tick tock.  Today when I woke up I felt like a kid on Christmas.  You see not just for me, but for so many people who love fitness and working out and even those who have yet to make that change in their lives, Jillian is an inspiration.

Those of us who watched saw that she did not disappoint.  She steamrolled back onto the show by throwing not one or two but three contestants out of the gym.  She does not take any bull, and she does not want to hear excuses.  Over 10,000 people submitted applications to be on this season, and I do not blame her.  If a contestant is there they should be grateful for the spot and the opportunity to once and for all fix what is broken and change their lives forever.  If they are giving her resistance, not doing what she says, whining, complaining, and still having a victim mentality then they should leave.  They are taking up a good spot that one of those 10,000 would only love to have.

Yes it is hard, yes the people have health issues, yes it is going to hurt.  The thing that Jillian whips into each and every contestant if they have the backbone to dig in and really grasp what she is there giving her time to show them is that - there is no "TRY" you either do something, or you don't.  It's that simple.  All the chatter in your head, if you do not tap into your will and find the why - you will not find out how strong you really are.

We have seen it season after season.  Just when you think you have seen it all, in comes another heartbreaking story and inside my head at least I'm thinking, my gosh my heart is breaking for these people who have lost their will.  Jillian has a way to break through all the crap and get to the heart of person and help them to find their "why" and push and push them to reach their goals.  That is, if they can get past her tough exterior.

There are those that like to bash her in the media for this or that, methods, yada yada.  Muckery I say.  I used to be a little fat kid, just like she was.  The kids picked on me, and I struggled with weight my entire life until I was an adult.  (That is until I discovered my love for sneakers ;) ) Her methods - they work.  Because I like to workout at home (as I'm not really into being ogled at the gym when my face is all red like a tomato head) I have every single DVD she has put out, and trust me I have every workout system you can think of just about.  P90, p90x, insanity, slim in 6, tapout, turbofire, rev abs, urban rebounder, the firm, tae bo, Bob Harper, Jackie Warner, and on and on.  I love them all, and I always no matter what I'm doing incorporate Jillian's workouts.  Why? Because Jillian's workouts are effective and do not waste time.  You do not have to be super coordinated or able to do a bazillion push ups in order to do them.  You just have to keep going even when you do not "feel" like it.  She has workouts as short as 20 minutes, from beginner on up to advanced, all give results you can see and feel.

Anyone can go buy any one of her DVD's or systems, put in the DVD, push play when the calendar says to and see the results for themselves.  The best part, they do not cost a fortune.  So literally anyone can workout at home and watch along with the Biggest Loser week after week and see her help people while they are getting in shape at the same time.  I don't know about you, but for me, it is so inspiring.  To see people with serious weight issues change their entire lives.

Some Awesome Jillian Quotes:

"Unless you puke, faint or die, keep going." 

"Transformation isn't a future event, it's a presant activity." 

"Pain is fear leaving the body." 

"Your legs are not giving out, your head is giving out, keep going." 

"When you have a Why, you can tolerate any amount of How." 

So it's no surprise that this Greek Girl gives The Return of Jillian (also a Greek Girl) a great big Giamungo Thumbs up!  Can't wait to see what this season has in store.  Happy losing.

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xox
www.avaaston.com

Why Do Old People Expose Themselves

Note to Naked Old People... guidelines for speedo wearing see above.

So my two sisters come into town to visit me over the weekend. Despite the fact that three Greek Girls under one roof is crazy enough, imagine how it is when one of them decides "Hey, we should go to the beach". HELLO... can we say "Muckery Central?..." Sure it's all fun and games until we get there and see an 85 yr. old man in a speedo (and we're not talking about the Jack Lalane type either, and no it wasn't Mr. Bricks ~ Thank you God). This subconsciously leads us all to begin wondering if we look good in a bikini or not? Now of course you can stop asking because yes we do, but it's just a default chip programmed in every girls brain. Greek girls have two of these chips - one for each side.... one for the Baklava and one for the spinach pie - just sayin.

On with the story.... besides the fact that my one sister's psychotic dog, (yes I did say psychotic people, it was actually eating the wall while we were gone) was at home unattended terrorizing my own four fur-kids. Oh to be a fly on the wall at the doggie party... So there we were, sitting there all comfy, blanket down, snacks and iced happiness ready to go, chairs properly positioned to bake ourselves into a golden spender (yes we were wearing sunscreen - no it wasn't olive oil - or made from olive oil extract) and BAM there it goes again. But this time it wasn't a man it was a woman.... wearing a thong bikini old enough to be my grama and lets just say on the very heavy side, she could have been on the senior version of the Biggest Looser ~ just sayin. So just as we blink... we happen to notice that she has not one but two tattoos larger than my head on each side of her butt. No I'm not kidding people. Then comes the highlight of the day: its' a toss up between the super skinny swimmer guy who decides he's gonna take a shower and expose himself in the public sprayer to remove the sand or.... the woman who dove into the water and had both boobs flop out of her top and proceed to act like nothing was wrong. No guys it was not Gisele Bundchen.

Now I'm not saying I don't love old people nor appreciate them, because I do. I adore my yaya and my grama in heaven, and I even sang for nursing homes after classes when I was in high school :D However... What is it about some older people who do not seem to get it that it is not kosher to wear less than Lady Gaga on the beach. I know they say less is more, and this is most often the case, but not so much when you have not kept away father time by taking excellent care of your miracle body like Jack Lalane. Anyone who knows me knows how much I adored the guy and if you are old and you look like that, be my guest wear what you want.

In the words of one of my other fitness hero's Tony Horton "Aging Schmaging, you can get all old and crotchety, or you can be in shape." I donno about you, but I'm going for the latter. Thus my working out like a machine.

Have a blessed day & don't forget the sunblock!

Blessings, Love & Music ~
Ava :D xox
www.avaaston.com

If you are a loser, I like you!

Many of you reading this know by now how much having a daily physical fitness routine and having really good eating habits means to me, right? I constantly talk about it on Facebook and Twitter.  So, I decided to let you in on a few secrets of mine.

I'm a big fan of the reality show The Biggest Loser.  Truth be told, when I was a child I was on the thick side, so I can relate to all of those trying so hard on the show. Of all the reality shows, it is the one series that really tugs at my heart-strings the most, because it is so inspirational. Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper are great. They are doing so many positive things by changing people's lives for the better.  Kudos to NBC on that one.

Before I get into my "secrets", it I must say I am not a doctor, (but if any casting directors are out there, I will play one on TV) So, I suggest before you start any drastic changes in your diet or fitness routine it's always a good idea to check it out with your own (real) doctor before you start. Alright, legal disclaimer is out-of-the-way...

HEALTHY EATING

It has nothing to do with skipping meals. People who really know me or spend time around me  are amazed at how much I do eat. It's not the volume, but how often. Just like clock work, I eat regularly every three hours. Nothing big, but several small meals throughout the day. The old say, anything in moderation isn't too bad.

Here is a picture of one my typical lunch or dinners.  Notice the biggest thing on the plate is a baked potato. It is a super food and you can't go wrong with it. To liven it up, I added a little cottage cheese -- yummo, it's delish.  Exnay the concept of having a baked potato loaded to the skins dripping with butter, cheddar cheese, bacon bits, sour cream,

chives and buckets of salt & pepper.  That's not happening folks. Not today, not tomorrow, not never.  My manager, Mr. Bricks says a potato with cottage cheese makes him vomit a little in his mouth. But he just doesn't know what he is missing. I have threatened to send him to superstar fitness guru Jillian Michaels' Fat Camp, or as I call it "Jillian Jail" ....she will change his eating habits one way or another.  I rounded this meal off with some fried zucchini sticks and an egg white spinach omelette with some ketchup on top. I love ketchup. Heinz, looking for a pitch girl???.... Love your product, I'm just sayin'.

WORKING OUT

I have my daily routines. I do a lot of running. Nothing is better than lacing up the Nike 360 Air Max sneakers, clipping on the iPod and just running! It is all about the endorphins.

Sometimes living in New York we get this stuff called snow.... So I can't always get outside like I would like too. So I do have workouts I do inside when I don't run or can't run. I am certified in aerobics, but I am not a gym rat. When I want to work out, I work out. I don't want to prance around a gym in designer workout clothes with make-up on. For me its put my hair in a pony tail, slap on some sweats and a t-shirt, lace up a pair of Nike Shox sneakers and let the sweating begin. Another reason I don't like going to the gym is when I am working out really hard and start to sweat, my face turns bright red. I look like a tomato that is ready to burst. Attractive? I think not. Seriously I look like a tomato, I'm not kidding you.

So when I work at home I use several different DVD programs to work out to. My favorite one is Tony Horton's P90X® Extreme workout program -- it is a real butt kicker, but so worth it. When I lived in Los Angeles I worked out doing kick boxing with Billy Blanks in his gym.  Now that was a blast. I love kick boxing and Billy rocks!

I did do a Hydroxycut commercial, actually my photo at the top in the purple bikini is from a Hydroxycut photo shoot. They never aired my commercial.  I like their products, however, everyone has to decide what is right for them and I want to stress once again, no matter what you do you should always check with your own doctor first. They went to a bazillion years of school for a reason.

So...I am climbing down from my soap box right now.  I hope this was informational.

Have a blessed day!

Ava          xox