Why Gluten Free?

I recently reduced the amount of gluten in my diet.  Since my transition, I have received several questions from concerned family and friends about this new restriction in my diet. Other than a restriction, I see this change in my meal plan as a step towards feeling healthier.  This post is not meant to sway you to the gluten-free side, but to provide information and share my bloat-free tummy joy!  I hope it is useful and would love to hear your thoughts on the subject, as I am still learning about this topic.

Here are some questions to get the conversation started...

Why aren't you eating gluten?
I have suffered from bloating for years.  Since I started acupuncture about 2 years ago, it has drastically improved, but I was still getting a bloated belly more often than I wanted, and also suffered from trapped gas in my tummy, which was very uncomfortable and sometimes painful.  I eat a very clean diet and wanted to know if there was anything else I could be doing to improve my situation.  I read The Beauty Detox Solution and started The Grain Brain and received some great information about gluten that I did not know. 

What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat and related grains, including rye and barley.  It gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and giving it a doughy texture.

What's the problem with gluten? 
Sensitivity to gluten can cause stomach cramps, diarrhea, and bloating.  Wheat products are linked to allergies and autoimmune disorders, as well as neurological and psychiatric conditions.

What foods contain gluten?
A lot!  It is obviously found in any wheat or wheat-based products, as well as rye and barley. It is also an ingredient in many sauces, pastas, cookies, cereals and pastries.  You have to carefully read labels.


What can you eat without gluten?
The best grains to substitute for gluten are millet, quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat (also known as kasha).  Tamari is a gluten free soy sauce, and I have found several gluten-free crackers, pastas, and breads at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.  

Do you feel different?
I can feel the difference when I include gluten in my diet almost immediately after eating it. I am bloated, gassy, and less energetic.  Eating gluten-free helped me drop a couple of pounds that I was holding on to and overall, just makes me feel lighter.  Now, it doesn't mean I will never have a slice of ciabatta bread again, but I definitely will choose those times more wisely.

The bottom line is that choosing to go gluten-free takes effort, commitment, and creativity, but as I have experienced, the health and beauty benefits far exceed that effort for me.  

Get Happy With This New Course!

My favorite happy app, Happier, has something new to make us happier.  It's an online class.  I think the idea is brilliant: build a gratitude practice with daily reminders, insightful tips, and helpful advice.  The course is just $50.  What a great way to kick off the new year with a positive daily habit!

For more info on the course, click here.  To learn more about this app and why I love it so much, click here to read my previous post when I first introduced it on VeegMama this past summer.

Live The Life You Desire This New Year

Happy New Year!  It's a new day, a new year, and a new beginning for many of us.  How do you want to feel this year?  How do you want to feel when you wake up in the morning?  What do you want to feel as you drive to work each day?  How do you want to feel when you walk through your front door at the end of the day?  Let the feelings you desire guide your daily decisions and lead you to the joyful life you are meant to live.

There is no time like the present.  How do you want to feel?  Capture that feeling now.

Danielle LaPorte is my desire guru and motivational coach in this area (virtual, that is).  Once I started thinking in terms of how I wanted to feel (instead of what I wanted), my life started to change.  Small changes so far, but I can see how they are building into something bigger.  My perspective is shifting and people around me are too.  When I let my feelings guide me, I am more confident about what I want and more at peace with myself and my desires.

Doesn't it just make sense?  We do what we do, (the work we choose, the commitments we say 'yes' to, the exercise routines we endure, the family units and relationships we create), because we want to feel a certain way.  Instead of chasing another goal this year, I am going to focus on capturing a feeling.

If you are interested in doing the same, I highly recommend you get a copy of Danielle's new book, The Desire Map.

Click here for a great interview with Danielle and business coach, Marie Forleo if you need a little more information (and convincing).

Blessings for a joyful and prosperous new year, full of joy and all that you desire.

How I Went Vegan

The end of the year traditionally motivates us to start or try something new, usually moving us towards a healthier, happier habit and lifestyle.  Today, I share my story of how I went vegan, the steps I took, and resources that help.  Click here to read the previously published post in December of last year.

If you are starting a vegan lifestyle, please send me your questions.  I would love to help and inspire you along the way.  It isn't always easy, but it is an easy choice once you commit - and it is always worth it.

Meet Myke Zykoff, LifeCare Specialist

Myke Zykoff is one of those people that makes you feel good.  You know the ones….  Their energy lifts you up.  They always say exactly what you needed to hear, (often when you didn't even realize you needed to hear it).  They always have something interesting to share, and you leave every encounter with them feeling better than you did before you were with them.  That's Myke.  

I first met him a little over a year ago when I started seeing him for some hypnotherapy sessions, (Wow!  These are awesome if you've never experienced one before.)  Since then, Myke has expanded his services to include a range of life care, including meditation, (he hosts a very affordable weekly meditation class in West Hollywood that I wish I could get to more), personal coaching, workshops, and audio classes, (love these).  He is great at what he does, and it shows.  As someone living his joy, he clearly stands out for me as someone living the good life.  I was oh so happy that he agreed to let me interview him for the blog and share some of the great stuff he does.


VM: What is Zykoff LifeCare and how is it different from traditional therapy.
MZ: The most important thing I like people to know about Zykoff LifeCare is that it's all about you. What do you want?  What do you need? What is the best possible version of you, you can imagine?  This is what we set out to accomplish. The work here is not about poking around in your past nor lingering in the "problem." We work to build a
bridge from where you are to where you want to be.  I consider this "action therapy." Over the years I've learned the only true problem that anyone ever has is misinterpreting the messages one's body is sending. Your mind and body are always working in your favor. Discomforts are your being's way of letting you know something's not right for you.
That's all. LifeCare is a practice for learning to understand the messages being sent and then how to take appropriate action.

VM: How or why were you drawn into this field? How did you get on your spiritual path?
MZ: Honestly, what really set me on my path was a moment, a few days before my mother's passing, sitting beside her on her bed. She barely had any energy left and I was feeling quite helpless in it all.  But she saw me differently. She placed her hand upon my leg, looked at me and said, "You're a good caregiver."  At that moment I did not understand, nor see how that could be possible. It took about a year and a half of me burying myself in my work that I finally realized she was right. I began feeling more and more the need to be of service. This is what I do now, thanks to my mother's insight.

VM: Can you talk a little about the services you offer- hypnotherapy, life coaching and meditation - and share how they can be used to help us to live more fulfilled lives?
MZ: My practice is really all about helping people get back on their path, get back to their joy.  Eventually I will only be offering one type of session, "LifeCare," that will incorporate everything I do dependent upon a client's desired outcome. But for now I do list three different personal services on my website: Hypnotherapy, Coaching and Meditation. My hypnotherapy sessions are best for people that feel a little bewildered by their life experience and seek to understand their behaviors and create dynamic life changes. My coaching programs are more for people who are quite clear on what they want but can't seem to be able to get themselves there or who may just want a little push to accelerate their results.  Meditation, well, that's for everyone. What I mean is, the approach I take to
meditation is not so much about clearing the mind as it is about understanding who you are in your world. In this work we focus on allowing one's inner voice to become louder than sound of the world around us. We already have all the tools within us necessary to live the lives we want. LifeCare Meditation helps us to know this is true.

VM: You said something to me during one of our sessions: "You always know." How can we become better at hearing our inner voice and following it?
MZ: First let me explain what I mean by that.  When it comes to what is best for you, your ease of being and your joy, you always know.  Everything you do you do because, in some way, it serves you. It feels good for you.  Otherwise you would not do it.  So something within you already knows.  Learning to follow that knowing, well, that's something
else, altogether.  To get better at this I say "come to class!"  My weekly LifeCare Meditation classes are all about this.  In these sittings we practice listening to our own voices, our own truths.  Here's a basic guideline for practicing this at home: begin noticing your feelings at all different times of the day.  Select a few random times and set an alarm to
remind you.  Then, when the alarm goes off, notice what you're feeling; happy, sad, confusion, anger, etc. This is the first step.  Then, once you take note of how you're feeling, tune your awareness to what you're thinking about. You'll soon begin to learn the correlation of your moods to your thoughts.  Now, here's the key to knowing if your thoughts are truly a product of your inner voice: If you're feeling good, your thoughts belong to you. If you're feeling anything else, your thoughts are not a match to you. They are not yours.  As you learn to distinguish your voice from the world around you you'll be better able to follow it and stay on your personal life path.

VM: What three things do you suggest people do every day to experience "optimal living?"
MZ: What a beautiful question.  To me, optimal living is about living into your own version of the world, not what they sell in the magazines and movies.  To get clear on what that means for oneself and to live into it, I recommend these three things: Meditate, Breathe and say "Thank you."

- Meditation, as we've already discusses, is key in being able to hear what YOU have to say. Sitting still reduces outside influence on the mind and allows what's inside to become more known. 

-Breathing is a simple way to call your self home. When you sit still before a meal, a meeting or at bedtime, and pay attention to how you're body is breathing, your mind lets go of all outside involvement (stress, anxiety and worry) and returns to your body. And
that's exactly where you want it if you desire to remain healthy and vibrant. 

-And then, there's "thank you." We typically only say thank you in immediate response to something being done in our favor. But what about the air we breathe, our hearts that beat and the water we drink?  There's so much to be thankful for, but we forget.  A practice of
saying thank you for everything you do have will keep one's ego in check and your feet on the earth.

VM: You offer some fantastic audio programs. Can you tell us about them and suggest one to start with for those who are new to your type of health care?
MZ: Thank you for saying so.  I quite like them, too.  The driving force for my audio programs, and the additional digital content I am developing, is to make personal, mind care affordable and easily accessible. Some people simply can't afford private sessions or may not have a schedule that allows for much time away from the home or office.  My
programs are designed to feel much like a personalized, private session. The content is universal in its appeal allowing it to apply to your most immediate life vantage point at the time of listening.  Every listen will activate new results.  As to which is the best to begin with, well, I suggest a quick read of their brief descriptions and see which one
seems like a match at that moment.  There is no particular order to follow.  But, if your readers would like a free program, send them to my website where they can download one of my favorites, Guide to Relaxation, and then they'll have a better idea of what these programs can do for them.

VM: As you mention on your website, many of us have become distracted by outside forces as to what we truly need to be fulfilled.  Is there a daily practice or ritual you could recommend to help us stay attuned to our true joy in life?
MZ: Yes.  And as you might guess, I am going to say MEDITATION.  It's, bar none, the best thing one can do to maintain well being, personal identity and their connection to joy.  Five minutes a day is all it takes.  Truly. However; I understand that for many it really seems impossible to sit still at all.  So for them I would recommend what I call
"bullet point journalling."  Instead of writing down all of your thoughts from the day, make bullet points of the highlights.  When we hold ourselves accountable for our daily actions we can discover the links we have to our frustrations and our joys.  After a week or so, you'll begin to notice a pattern emerging.  Once you see it, you can do
something about it.  Here, once again, "you always know."  Sometimes it just takes slowing things down a bit to catch it.

VM: I am on a quest to live the "good" life in all aspects of the word. What does the "good" life represent/mean to you?
MZ: The "good life" to me is a life without baggage.  To be more specific, the good life, is a life without self compromise.  Not the compromise of sharing a home or a life with another, but the compromise of living in someone else's shadow.  Many people walk around holding back on who they really are here to be because of what someone
else might think of them.  That's just existing, not living.  The good life is giving your self permission and freedom to walk your own path.  Indeed!

VM: Can you share your favorite quote?
MZ: My favorite quote has more to do with having it stuck in my head than anything else, but in truth, it does fall in line with all that I stand for.  It's by Oscar Wilde.  "The only way to be rid of a temptation is to yield to it."  We're here, in our human forms, to learn, to grow, to explore.  When we find ourselves intrigued by one thing or another it's in the
best interest of our soul's journey to explore it.  As many a deathbed quote we've heard… "I regret only what I never allowed myself to do."  We're here to live!

Thank you, Myke!  To learn more about Zykoff Lifecare, click here.  You can read more about Myke below.  

Myke Zykoff: A filmmaker turned healer.

Myke Zykoff HHP, C.Ht. is a healer, guide, life coach and teacher in and around the Los Angeles area with clients on several continents.  Although he is quickly becoming a leader in his field, it was not what he originally set out to do.  

His original plan was focused on filmmaking which he stepped into with fervor. Even before Myke completed his
undergrad studies at Emerson College in Boston, MA, he was already employed and working in the Hollywood film industry. Not long after graduating, his career was off and running, experiencing success as a producer and director of music videos and on a fast track for creating feature films.  That was, until he lost his mother to breast cancer.

"Nothing seemed normal anymore and making films didn't seem to make sense either." 
He found himself called to the healing world. "I wanted to become part of the solution for pain and suffering."  

He devoted his post graduate studies to healing work and at first became certified as a massage therapist and shortly after, a Holistic Health Practitioner. He was on a mission to understanding the language of the human body. Myke opened his first healing office, Zykoff Bodywork, and soon after, found his practice voted Best of LA, five years in a row. 

But the more time he spent helping people the more he discovered that being healthy and living a great life has more to do with what goes on in people's minds than anything else. "The mind controls every aspect of what goes on in the body. In order for an un-wellness to exist, the mind must allow it to exist."

With the gift of this insight he dove into studying, and becoming certified in, hypnotherapy and NLP. "These are two of the most rapid modalities for changing the rules for how we think."  

"My healing practice is devoted to helping individuals learn to retell their life stories in a more meaningful way."   He's learned that the majority of people on this planet have learned to hold false beliefs about themselves and the result is people living lives that are not satisfying or even, in some cases, the slightest bit enjoyable. "People tell awful stories to themselves and then live out their lives making them real." "When you change your story, you change your life."

Zykoff LifeCare is a unique healing modality incorporating hypnosis, NLP, handwriting analysis, body language and energy work to assist individuals in commanding the power of their minds, break through personal limitations and be able to amplify their personally desired qualities.

The basic tenet of Myke's practice is "Everything is Possible." All of his sessions are geared towards getting clear on what needs to change and then removing the perceived obstacles so that the change can happen.

Over the past 14 years Myke has helped more than one thousand individuals to live more joy-full and meaning-full lives. "This is not a job for me. This is my life."

If you would like to pursue a private session with Mr. Zykoff, please call his office at (310)275.7673. All inquiries are welcome and his consultations are free.

Meet Kitchen Kid Founder and Culinary Coach, Samantha Barnes!

I was first introduced to Kitchen Kid two summers ago, when my budding chef and daughter attended a cooking camp with them.  She loved it so much that we signed her up again last year.  I am excited to have founder, Samantha Barnes, featured on the blog today to talk about her newest culinary adventure,  Raddish.  

VM: Tell us about Raddish.  What is it and who is it for?

SB: Raddish is a monthly subscription box that makes cooking with kids easy, enriching, and fun!  Raddish delivers illustrated recipe guides, culinary adventures, and family fun right to your door.  The box is perfect for families who are looking to connect in a meaningful way - in the kitchen preparing meals, and at the table enjoying them.

VM: How did you come up with the idea for Raddish? 

SB: I founded Kitchen Kid, LA's premier mobile cooking school for kids, seven years ago, and since then my mission has been to bring families together around food, through birthday parties, summer camp, and enrichment classes.  We've wanted to spread our mission to families outside of Los Angeles, and Raddish takes our proven techniques, engaging lessons, and delightful recipes, and packages them up for families across the nation. 

VM: Will there be vegan and vegetarian options in the service?  Are the recipes adaptable, if not, for those who want to subscribe and don't eat meat?

SB: We do plan to create uniquely themed boxes for vegans, vegetarians, and those with other dietary restrictions.  Until then, our recipes are definitely adaptable, and there will always be multiple vegetarian recipes in each box.  In fact, the first box, "The Family Table" does not use any meat.  

VM: For those interested in getting their kids more involved in the kitchen, what 3 things do you suggest parents do to get started?

SB: 

a.) Start tonight.  The kids don't have to make a full complicated meal with you; just get them involved doing something.  Give kids small tasks like washing veggies, measuring dry ingredients, or tearing lettuce.  

b.)  Go to the grocery store together and enlist your kids' help finding the ingredients. 

c) Cook something special for someone else. Food is a beautiful gift, and kids feel the love and generosity that comes out of gifting something homemade. 

VM: Can you share a favorite recipe?

Enjoy this tasty vegetarian recipe for Ratatouille, that we developed for the Master Chef Junior Collection!

Ratatouille

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large eggplant, diced into ½ inch cubes
3-4 small zucchini, diced into ½ inch rounds
1 red pepper, sliced
2-3 diced tomatoes, with juices
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup chopped basil leaves
Grated cheese, optional

Steps:

1.    In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil until just shimmering and add the onion and garlic.  Cook until the onion is soft and translucent.

2.    Add the eggplant and cook about 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the zucchini and red pepper, and continue to cook and stir another 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.

3.    Stir in the tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, oregano, and thyme. Continue to cook the mixture until it thickens and all vegetables are tender, about 6 more minutes. 

4.    Add salt, pepper, and basil leaves to taste.  

5.    Serve hot or at room temperature with grated cheese. 

VM: What are your top 3 tools you recommend keeping in the kitchen when cooking with kids?

SB: 

a) Kids love zesting lemons.  With careful parent supervision, a microplane is really fun.  

b) A scale and a map.  At Raddish, we think the kitchen is the tastiest place to learn, and love making real life connections as we cook.  A kitchen scale and world map really help make this happen! 

c) Craft scissors.  Kids as young as 3 can cut everything from basil to bacon with kids' craft scissors! 

VM: What 3 ingredients are your favorites to cook with?

SB: Right now I'm into butternut squash, ricotta, French lentils, and polenta. 

VM: I am on a quest to live the "good" life in all aspects of the word.  What does the "good" life represent/mean to you?
SB: I achieve the "good life" when I find the balance necessary to be a successful working mom.  It's hard to juggle owning and operating Kitchen Kid, starting Raddish, and spending quality time with my kids.  In my family, the "good life" is enjoying breakfast or dinner together as a family at our table. 

VM: Do you have a favorite quote you can share?
SB: "One cannot think well, love well, or sleep well if one has not dined well." (Virginia Woolf) 

Thank you, Samantha!  You can read more about Samantha below and order a subscription to Raddish here.

Samantha Barnes is committed to changing the way kids and families eat. As a middle school teacher, Samantha realized many of her students were young foodies, yet they lacked kitchen experience and made unhealthy lunch choices. Samantha launched Kitchen Kid, LLC in 2006 with the hope of empowering young people to jump into the kitchen and get cooking! 

Since then, Samantha has grown Kitchen Kid to be the premier mobile culinary school for kids and families in the Los Angeles area. Offerings include in-home lessons and birthday parties, after-school enrichment classes in 30 schools, and deliciously fun summer camps. 

Her new product, Raddish, is a monthly subscription box that connects families in the kitchen and at the table.  Through illustrated recipe guides, culinary activities, and family fun, it makes it easy and enriching for parents and kids to cook together! 

Samantha and Kitchen Kid have been featured in Daily Candy, the Los Angeles Times, Sunset Magazine, and on NPR. Recently she served as a consultant on the new Fox hit show, MasterChef Junior, and her summer camps received the 2013 Red Tricycle Totally Awesome Award for Best Camp in Los Angeles.

Samantha was destined for a career in food and teaching: her first word was “olive,” and she has taught kids in the classroom, on stage, and on the ski slopes. She has vivid memories of making meatloaf and gingersnap cookies alongside her mom.

Samantha knows all about multi-tasking: she juggles running a business while being the mom of a 3 ½ year old daughter and a 1 1/2 year old son. She believes the kitchen and the table are some of the best places to connect with her kids in a meaningful way. She cooks with her daughter regularly, and her family eats dinner together nightly. She loves entertaining friends – when the kids run around the yard barefoot, and everyone enjoys good food, good company, and lots of laughter.

Samantha is passionate about teaching kids to cook, and encouraging families to eat together.

A Mighty Girl

I love to think of myself as a curator - combing through all of the great stuff on the Internet, in magazines, books, etc., and collecting all of my favorites to share with my VeegMama community.  I get excited when I come across a website that helps me in my life, and when I share it, I feel even more joy.

If you have young girls in your life - as a mother, aunt, uncle, grandparent, Girl Scout leader, mentor, teacher... - you must check out A Mighty Girl, an incredible website that offers books, toys, movies, music, and more for those dedicated to raising girls who are smart, courageous, and confident.  This is my go-to site for book recommendations for my girls, and has also been a great resource for information and articles on a variety of parenting related topics.  I am a Facebook fan and also receive interesting content from them on their feed.  You can also sign up for their weekly newsletter with more good stuff.  Check out A Mighty Girl here.

Fun Places To Go With Your Kids This Summer

I received this book as a gift several years ago, and was reminded of it last year when I was at a Girl Scout leadership conference.  I pulled it out again this summer to update my "wish list" for summer activities.  This book is a treasure trove of fun things to do and places to go with your children and family.

Susan Peterson does a great job of dividing the wealth of information.  First, she breaks it down geographically - LA, Orange County, etc.  She then further segments by type of activity (museums, dining experiences, parks, etc.)  She provides helpful reviews for each listing, along with tips for your outing and directions on how to get there.  The index in the back is broken up a half dozen ways - alphabetical, by city, by type and more.

I am very excited about this book and the "fun" list I created from it.  My kids are going to love the adventures that come from it.  Check it out here.

Pop a Squat This Summer

There are so many things I love about summer, but picnics have got to top the list.  Beach picnics with the kids.  Concert picnics at the park.  Hollywood Bowl picnics.  I love them all.  Each of them offers the chance to chill with good friends and family and eat simple, indulgent foods that remind me to slow down and savor the perfect moments of summer.  Check out these great links for making the most of your summer picnics.

Happy picnicking!

Packing the Perfect Picnic

101 Fast Recipes for Inspired Picnics

Vegan Picnic Recipes

Join the Crazy Sexy Picnic Palooza Contest

Save A Life!

Are you in the market for a new pet?  Do something good and adopt.  When my family was looking for a new dog last year, we visited SPCA in Long Beach to find our sweet Jag.  There are so many dogs and cats in need of homes.

In February, the Humane Society launched The Shelter Pet Project to promote shelter pet adoptions and drive down euthanasia rates among cats and dogs.  Click here to view the cute PSA featuring The Today's Show, Natalie Morales and her adopted dog, Zara.

Adoption literally saves lives and helps rescue animals in need.  Please give adoption a thorough review before you look at any other options for bringing a new pet home.  Two great links are petfinder.com and aspca.org.

Meet Dog Trainer Betsy Calkins!

We have had our dog, Jag (named for the first letter in the names of each of my kids), for a little over a year now.  Unfortunately, we never did formal training with him.  Who am I kidding?  We never did any training with him.  He is a sweet dog.  A good dog.  But, he had a few bad habits...like barking and  basic manners.  I was at the point where I was not enjoying my sweet, cute dog, and all the joy and good stuff a pup should bring.  Thank goodness for Betsy Calkins (and my dear friend, Tanya, for the referral).  Betsy has been a ray of light and a beacon of positivity in what was becoming a very stressful part of my life.  I am eternally grateful for her knowledge and expertise, and her gift of teaching what she can to me.  After six weeks, I am happy say that I am having a lot more fun with Jag and seeing dog ownership in a whole new light.  I asked Betsy to share some of her wisdom with us.

VM: You have a unique approach to dog training (as opposed to other trainers I have worked with).  You call it positive reinforcement.  Can you tell us about that?


BC: Positive Reinforcement training is a science-based teaching method that uses management and rewards to teach dogs what TO DO, rather than correcting the dog for making choices that we don't like.  When combined with modern knowledge of instinctual dog behavior and canine cognition, you get a very efficient and humane way of teaching a dog how to cope with living in the human world. And the best part is that it is both easy and fun for humans and their canine companions! 

VM: You have a child development background.  How has that helped you in your business as a dog trainer?

BC: I have a degree in psychology with a specialization in child development and early childhood education.  So, I had already studied Learning Theory (how to use reinforcements to mold behavior) and I knew how to teach both verbal and pre-verbal humans.  I use these specialties every day, with both my dog clients and human clients, too.  I also work with a lot of families, and enjoy teaching their children how to treat dogs with care and kindness.  It worries me that children look up to adult role models who treat the family dog harshly.

VM: What led you to be a dog trainer?


BC: My first dog, a rescue puppy from the pound, was incredibly brilliant, fun and energetic but too smart for me.  Old fashioned training methods that I learned from group classes weren't enough for her and I found them to be harsh and inefficient. When I looked for private trainers, I was appalled at the way they chose to put their hands on my dog and fired them one-by-one.  So, I kept seeking out better ways and realized that I was going to have to teach myself to be a trainer.  Eventually I found an advanced group of trainers and behaviorists who had used knowledge gained from working with Marine Mammals and finally brought common-sense kindness and teaching into the Domestic Dog training world. I happily jumped in with both feet! I went back to school, and continue my education constantly.  I determined that it was important to improve the professionalism of the dog training industry and became a Certified Professional Dog Trainer.  After that, I became inspired to be available to anyone who was open to advanced methods --- so that people would realize that there is an excellent alternative  to old-fashioned force-based training.

VM: I love that you follow the principle that training should be fun!  What are some things owners should keep in mind to ensure that training is fun for themselves and the dog?


BC: Anyone who has had a great parent, teacher, coach or boss knows that important learning takes place when you are relaxed and  trusting and open to fun.  It's a big reason why we encourage our young children to participate in sports and organized music.  Enjoying learning actually enhances the experience and bonds the dog to the teacher, so that there is internal motivation to keep learning.  How to keep it fun? A good example is the Come Game.  All you need is a hungry dog and several people.  One at a time, each person (Who will it be?  It will be a surprise for the dog!) will call the dog happily and excitedly and then ask for a sit and reward the dog with food or a game or a few scratches.  The dog can't wait to see who calls him next and will sprint from person to person.  Every rehearsal builds a strong automatic response.  So that, one day if your dog runs into the street and you call him, he will come automatically and happily.  If you or the dog stop having fun or become frustrated, make sure that you stop the game and try and figure out why.  That's under your control and is not the dog's fault.


VM: How many times a week and for how long do you recommend that owners spend time training their dog?


BC: Ideally, short frequent sessions are the best.  Puppies can only train for a few minutes at a time, so they should be managed and trained frequently throughout the day.  But, you can make good progress with an adult dog with 2 or 3-- 10 minute sessions a day.  It isn't hard if you plan for it.  I recommend to my clients that they train their dogs right before each of two meals for 10 minutes.  You are there, your hungry dog is there and you have the rewards sitting there, right in a bowl.  Don't waste it--use it! 

VM: You use food rewards in your training approach.  Why do recommend that?


BC: Dogs can't work for paychecks or grades.  They don't have bank accounts.  So we need to use a reward system that makes sense to them  and works for their brains.  Food is the easiest to repeat and manipulate and is one of the most powerful motivators for a dog.  Don't give it away in a bowl--that's just a waste.  Use each piece of food to encourage the dog to practice sits, downs, comes and stays.  It makes it fun and bonds the dog to you, not their food bowl.  And, just as important, is the fact that dogs will repeat what works for them.  If sitting gets them good things, they will tend to offer you a lot of sits.  And when a dog is sitting, he is not jumping, running out the door or chasing the cat.  We then have taught him what TO DO instead of what not to do. 

However, there are some dogs who would much rather play a game of tug or fetch for a reward, so we will use that too.  The dog gets to determine what it values most.  It's the owner's job to find out what that is.

For those who say, "I don't want to carry food forever"--there is a simple answer.  Practice with your dog enough that they learn the behavior that you want.  Then, slowly start replacing the food rewards with Life Rewards such as play, walks, scratches, praise and freedom.  Eventually, the food is no longer needed and the behavior is maintained by Life Rewards.
VM: What are your top 3 treats to use as rewards?


BC: Actually, it really depends on the individual dog, so I try many things.  If the dog is a "food Hoover", I can get away with just using his regular kibble. (think Labrador Retrievers!)  But, sometimes we need something more exciting than that.  I frequently try Zuke's Mini-Naturals or Natural Balance Meat Roll.  If I have a hard-to-motivate dog or high distractions, I use Stella & Chewy's Canine Crunch.  I try to stick to high quality food with wholesome, natural and limited ingredients.  Try some real cooked chicken or light string cheese if you have a dog that is highly reactive on leash.  It's important to change it up and keep it exciting, too.

Just make sure that you count calories and don't overfeed your dog!

VM: I love your motto: "Say it.  Show it.  Praise it.  Pay it."  Can you explain this to my readers?  


BC: Dogs need to learn a foreign language: English!  If you say a short clear word (Sit) then define it for the dog (hand signal) then mark it (Good!) and reward it (food), you will teach the dog in the most clear and efficient way.  Imagine that you are in a foreign country and someone is yelling at you in a language that you don't understand.  Repeating it louder and louder in your face would just scare you or make you mad!  But if they used hand signals, it would help a lot.

VM: What cue(s) or command(s) do you think is/are most important to train your dog to do? 


BC: I like to teach dogs to turn and pay attention when they hear their name called in a happy tone.  That way you can redirect them before they make a poor choice.  Next are the "safety cues", Come and Stay.  Unfortunately, both of those cues are frequently taught incorrectly and can put the dog in great jeopardy.  

VM: What are your three favorite dog toys for keeping dogs busy and entertained? 


BC: I love to teach puppies to become addicted to stuffed Kongs!  Keeping their minds and mouths busy is very important.  There are many good Kong stuffing recipes on the internet. Food puzzles are next, such as the Kong Wobbler, so that your dog has a long period of fun trying to get his kibble to come out.  A busy dog isn't bored and looking for trouble.  And finally, I really like to teach Tug with Rules with a strong long tugger toy---it's a great energy draining activity and your dog will love you for playing it!  It's important that the dog knows "drop it" and "leave it" before you play tug, though.

VM: I am on a quest to live the "good" life in all aspects of the word.  What does the "good" life mean or represent to you?


BC: That's a great quest!  To me the good life is one where you give what you can to those who need assistance.  The giving comes back to you with extra helpings and creates a cycle of well-being in your community.
VM: Can you share your favorite quote?
BC: "Follow your heart but take your head with you!" (Most often I quote this to someone thinking about bringing a rescue dog or puppy into their lives!)  Getting a dog should not be an impulse decision, but it is definitely one of the heart.

Thank you, Besty!  If you live in the Los Angeles area and are in need of an expert dog trainer, I highly recommend Besty.  Her energy and approach are refreshing and uplifting.  Life has definitely gotten better with Besty in it!  Read below for more info on Betsy.  You can contact her by clicking here or here.  

Betsy Calkins is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer and a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. (APDT)

Betsy has worked with dogs for almost 20 years. She has completed university-level courses in Canine Learning Theory and Dog Ethology, and is a strong proponent of humane, science-based training methods. She stays at the forefront of dog training knowledge and technique by regularly attending workshops held by the best instructors and theorists in the field. She has studied under Dr. Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, Karen Pryor, Pat Miller, Steve White, Sue Sternberg, Pamela Reid, Pia Silvani, Turid Rugaas, and many others.

Betsy is also a Canine Good Citizen evaluator for the American Kennel Club and helps prepare dogs for Therapy Dog evaluations.  She is a 30-year resident of the South Bay beach cities and an active member of the community.