ElleParks Photography

I had the awesome privilege of photographing this sweet little girl as a newborn, and I can not believe that has been 1 year ago.  What a blessing to watch these kiddos grow and capture precious milestones?  She is every-bit as amazing as she was the first time I met her.  Her sweet spirit and infectious smile, really made me want to take her home, she is pure joy!  Even in 102 degrees, she was so happy!  And just look at those CHEEKS!!

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What a refreshing little treat on such a hot day!  It does not get much more perfect than this little baby boy, he is so strong and so full of joy with a great big heart of gold.  Yes, his heart was spilling over even at such a tiny age !  His two older sisters came along for the ride, but it only took a split second to know that those amazing little faces had to be captured, I could take pictures of them all day long!  What a sweet family!

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This little boy is just as sweet as his little sister who I had the privilege of shooting a couple of months ago, we had so much fun at the pier, watching the boats go by, playing with the ducks, and counting fish and I learned everything there is to know about Star Wars…from episode one to the last episode which was really the first episode…or something like that… It is days like this when I truly know how blessed I am to have such amazing clients and such an amazing job!

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I am starting a new feature on my blog that showcases local vendors, inspired by my good friend the “Amazing” Kelly Simants with Sweet Pea Events.  (sweetpeaevents.net)

This month’s feature is an amazing husband and wife team.  Not only are they incredible parents and friends, they both serve their community wholeheartedly.  Stacey is a soloist at Prestonwood. She has a romantic but bluesy voice that gives me chills – a cross between Sheryl Crow and Nora Jones, a true southern charm.  She brings the house down whenever she performs!  Stacy is available to sing at weddings and any event that requires a celebration.  I love that she is passionate about music and using her talents to serve others with the gift of her incredible voice.  Her website is in the works, so stay tuned for more…but in the meantime, if you are interested in hearing a sound clip please contact me.

Her husband, Matt, runs a Fitness Boot Camp in the DFW area.  I had the privilege of seeing one of his boot camps in action recently…let me tell you, it was inspiring to watch him coach and motivate this group of dedicated attendees.  He makes an effort to get to know each individual, he was hands on with every person, energetic, and enthusiastic.  I could tell he truly cared about them and their well-being and was passionate about helping them develop in their fitness routine.  His focus during this 60-minute Boot Camp was three-fold: on the spiritual, nutritional, and physical elements of a workout.  Normally you might think of a Boot Camp instructor as brutal and intimidating – Matt is quite the opposite.  He is affirming, encouraging, and truly knows your fitness level and will push you to the level appropriate for where you’re at.  His approach of positive encouragement and accountability was amazing to witness first-hand.  Last but not least, the attendees in a 60-minute Boot Camp on average burn 500-1000 calories per session.  All fitness levels are welcome…so don’t delay, new classes are starting this week! For more information, please visit complete wellness bootcamp at www.cwbcf.com

I also had the privilege of interviewing Matt Brady, here is some of our interview:

Brief bio:  I grew up in Plano.  My wife Stacey and I will celebrate our 12 anniversary this August. We have 4 kiddos…a 5 year Rhett, a 2 year old Justice and 4 1/2 month old twins Knox and London. Since a young age I’ve enjoyed working out and actually put myself on a diet when I was about 13 because I noticed I was heavier than my friends. I got a real wakeup call about 8 years ago when my father passed away from a sudden heart attack and found out he had 98% blockage of his arteries.  I also found out that grandfather died of heart disease and that my brother already had plaque developing in his arteries.  Obviously, heart disease was in my family tree and I realized it was extremely important that I eat clean and make exercise a part of my life.

Do you have any certification or qualifications that you think potential clients should know about?
I’m nationally certified by The Cooper Institute and I CPR certified. What was the most important thing you learned while at the Cooper Institute?
Definitely the quote from Dr. Cooper himself: “That exercise can help prevent diseases and that it is easier to maintain good health through proper exercise, diet and emotional balance than it is to regain it once it is lost.”

Matt, you lead the Boot Camps at both Prestonwood church locations. Tell us about those classes, when they meet and would that be the best route to go for someone to go who has not been doing any physical activity?
Boot camp is 60 minutes of high intensity, whole body conditioning.  We use body weight exercises such as pushups and sit-ups, core strength as well as cardiovascular condition through running, and interval training, we also use kettlebells, high rope drills, agility ladders, car tires, jump ropes, pull up bars, medicine balls, etc. just to name a few.  It is our goal to always burn between at least 500 calories and we really try to get closer to 1000 calories burned every class.  We have all fitness levels in our classes….from those that are just getting started to marathon runners.   And there’s always an alternate exercise if someone has a nagging injury or isn’t able to do the primary exercise.

Now, you said they meet in the mornings…is there a method to that madness?  Is it better to work out in the morning or afternoon?
Obviously, I think the thing to focus on is to just do it!  Morning, Noon, night it doesn’t really for most of us….the important thing is to just get moving at least 3 times a week.

Matt, you speak a lot about the importance of lifestyle change in regards to health and fitness.  Talk to us a little about what that means and why you see it as being so important.
First, we need to remember that fitness is a continual journey, not a destination.  It must be continued for the rest of your life.  Start by writing down 3 bad habits that you currently have that are contributing to your unhealthy lifestyle. What mistakes do you consistently make?  This is easy…we all know cokes are bad so lets eliminate them!  Now you pick two other things…maybe it’s that bowl of ice cream at night before you go to bed or maybe dumping creamy dressing all over your otherwise healthy salad.  Whatever it is don’t just eliminate the bad habits you need to replace them with good ones.  So, if you have to have something sweet at night have some sugar free Jell-O or freeze some grapes and have those as your late night treat. The key here is you’ve got to write them down.  And as you master those 3 move on to the new ones!

You named your company “Complete Wellness” because you believe total body wellness is made up of 3 things: 1) Spiritual   2) Natural 3) Physical .  Talk a little more about how exercising fits in to our spiritual wellbeing.

As with many things in life, there are extremes in the area of exercise. Some people focus entirely on spirituality, and then neglect their physical bodies. Others focus so much attention on the form and shape of their physical bodies that they neglect spiritual growth and maturity. Neither of these indicates a biblical balance. First Timothy 4:8 informs us, “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Notice that the verse does not negate the need for exercise. Rather, it says that exercise is valuable, but it prioritizes exercise correctly by saying that godliness is of greater value.

So, clearly, there is nothing wrong with a Christian exercising. In fact, the Bible is clear that we are to take good care of our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.). Our goal in exercise should not be to improve the quality of our bodies so that other people will notice and admire us. Rather, the goal of exercising should be to improve our physical health so we will possess more physical energy that we can devote to spiritual goals.

Let’s shift gears a bit and talk diet for a minute.  There are a TON of diets out there from fat-free, Atkins, SouthBeach, just to name a few.  What is your philosophy on diet and what is the best advice you could give to maintaining a healthy diet?
The healthy way to loss weight and make it a lifestyle is 1 pound a week. To do this you need to create a 3,500 calorie deficit a week or in other words a 500 calorie a day deficit with diet and exercise. Fad diets: The popular fad diet that worked for your coworker or Hollywood star may not work for you!  Besides, when all the smoke and mirrors clear, the best, most effective way to get in shape, loss weight and stay healthy is by eating a healthy diet and regular exercise.  The really big problem with “diets” that drastically reduce your calories is that it ultimately slows your metabolism.  So, you will lose weight initially but once you realize you can’t live that way forever and start eating a normally again, your body, thinking there is going to be a calorie shortage again soon, will hold on to the calories you eat, and you’ll start gaining weight….most likely ending up heavier than before!

Matt, two-part question: 1) How in the world do you say “NO” to all of those tempting foods? 2) How would you best educate your child and lead your child to make wise choices concerning eating healthy?
Will power or self discipline is the ability to overcome laziness and procrastination. It is the ability to control or reject unnecessary or harmful impulses. It is the ability to arrive to a decision and follow it with perseverance until its successful accomplishment. It is the inner power that overcomes the desire to indulge in unnecessary and useless habits, and the inner strength that overcomes inner emotional and mental resistance for taking action. It is one of the corner stones of success, both spiritual and material. Will power and self-discipline help us to choose our behavior and reactions, instead of being ruled by them. Their possession won’t make life dull or boring. On the contrary, you will feel more powerful, in charge of yourself and your surroundings, happy and satisfied.  Self discipline can be strengthen by doing little things.  Start small, only eat half your dessert, limit the numbers of cokes you drink, limit the amount of tv you watch,  as you deny yourself you’ll begin to develop self control to over come   like: denying yourself dessert after a meal.

Overweight Children: Childhood obesity is very unfortunate because this often start kids on the path to health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol that were once mainly limited to adults. One of the best strategies to combat excess weight in your child is to improve the diet and exercise levels of the entire family. Childhood Obesity: The number of children who are overweight has doubled in the last two to three decades; currently one child in five is overweight. The increase is in both children and adolescents, and in all age, race and gender groups.  Obese children now have diseases like type 2 diabetes that used to only occur in adults. And overweight kids tend to become overweight adults, continuing to put them at greater risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. But perhaps more devastating to an overweight child than the health problems is the social discrimination. Children who are teased a lot can develop low self-esteem and depression.  There are many causes of obesity. While there’s no doubt genetics plays a role, genes alone can’t account for the huge increase in rates over the past few decades. The main culprits are the same as those for adult obesity: eating too much and moving around too little. Almost half of children aged 8-16 years watch three to five hours of television a day. Kids who watch the most hours of television have the highest incidence of obesity. While children can play ball at the local park and choose healthier foods in school, at the end of the day family support is what really counts. You are a role model for your kids. Children form habits from parents, and usually maintain them into adulthood. If your children see you reach for a banana instead of a brownie, they are likely to do the same. If they see you go for a walk or wash the car, they may join in.

Let me ask this:  Today, one of the poplar things to do is to buy a gym membership or have a personal trainer.  In the same regard, the economy is still recovering and a lot of people don’t have that expendable income they once had.  Matt, I want to workout from home, don’t have the fancy gym equipment…don’t have an hour and half to give to this… what are some things I can do at the house to help me get in better shape and how much time are we looking at here?
First, you don’t need the latest ab cruncher.  All you need is a good pair of running shoes.  You can get a workout by running a couple miles and finish up with a couple sets of old fashioned push ups, sit ups and pull ups.  In about 30 minutes you can get a total body workout.

Matt, what are a few helpful tips you can leave us with today?

•    Establish the intrinsic motive to exercise. Determine exactly what you want to gain from your exercise program.
•    More energy
•    Stress relief
•    Loss weight
•    Set short-term, realistic goals.
•    Don’t do too much to soon.  Minimize your risk of injury.  That’s the last thing you want to happen is to be discouraged by injury that didn’t have to happen. by not doing too much, too soon. This applies to soreness too.  Ease into your exercise program…give your body and muscles time to adjust.
•    Get a workout partner.  They will help hold you accountable and remind you of your goals on days you don’t feel like working
•    Change it up.  Your body is built become efficient at things it does over and over again.  Plus, you’ll get bored if you do the same exercises.   Change can mean something as simple as changing the order in which you do your exercises, changing the time of day you workout and of course trying a new kick boxing or spin class.
•    Keep an exercise log.  Being able to look back as see how far you’ve come is a great motivator!
•    And finally, have fun!  Exercising should not be a chore.  Pick activities you enjoy…tennis, walking, window shopping, etc.  Just get out and get moving!

Testimonies:

Matt’s boot camp class at Prestonwood is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. The constant changing workouts, the encouragement, the positive environment has been instrumental in my progression toward my fitness goal. I know each class will present a different challenge and I have begun to look forward to each class with a sense of determination and mind set that I know I will reach my goal.

Jimmy Glenn

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