I Like You. But I Like Him Too.

You haven’t chose me. We’re not married. But, you see me with another man and you want to lay claim over me? Why must you possess me and not enjoy me in the time we share together. The time I gift you. Because, you see….

I like you.

But, I like him too.

I have said it many times, there is a position open in my life for ONE Man. I thrive in a relationship. It is natural for me to care for you thoroughly. To feed you, caress you, take care of you, are all the things I love to do. But, I am single and in the past, my MO is to get into monogamous relationships with the first boy that doesn’t mind when I stick around longer than a night or two. These relationships all seem to last two years, which leaves me two years older. So, now, I am the picker and I won’t settle for comfort when that which I seek is love that is true.

I have loved, but I don’t know whether I have ever been in love. To be in love, I believe, is a two-way street and there has not been a man in my life that has loved me in the same capacity that I have shown.

Recently, the way in which I love has changed. I have learned that to love is to appreciate and not to possess. There was a time I strangled love to death. Fear of love lost drove me toward possession. But, people are not possessions and love is the antithesis of fear. My love is free because I love freely.

“A rose possessed will always die.”

Together in Love!
xob

Change Your Mind To Transform Your BODY

Despite my being vocal online, a lot of people (even friends) don’t seem to know what I do. Most people imagine I am a personal trainer, and I am! But, only for a very select, high-paying few. What I specialize in is Mind, BODY and Life Transformations via fitness and nutrition remote coaching through the BODYbybianca Training System, a sixteen week program designed not only to change your BODY, but your habits and your mind. Working closely with me by email, phone, skype and text, your perception of health and fitness will forever be changed. Through the program, you will learn the skills personal training alone will never teach you, to reach, maintain and surpass your goals! When you enroll into my program, you become a member of Team BODYbybianca, a dedicated group of my clients from around the world; fitties training together online and supporting one another in a private group on Facebook where you will receive daily support from myself, my current and past clients (graduates of the program). You will receive a comprehensive meal plan tailored to your BODY and your goals with recipes to ensure that you never have a craving that isn’t met with a healthy alternative. Via email, every Sunday, you will receive your weekly fitness schedule (with images and video) for weightlifting and custom BODYbybianca cardio programs designed to target fat-burning while preserving muscle mass for a lean, toned and fit look.

In honor of “Transformation” and “Throwback” Thursday, here are some TBTs from clients and graduates at various stages of the BODYbybianca Training System:

This past year has been a period of transition for me. When chance landed me in Nicaragua on March 18th of 2014, I knew immediately that my life was forever changed and felt a strong sensation, right out of the airport, that Nicaragua was my home. I had eighteen clients enrolled in my program, I saw their contracts through without taking on new business, and proceeded to spend the next nine months on a sabbatical of sorts. For two months, I solo backpacked Nicaragua, traveling South through Costa Rica scouting locations for fitness retreats and a place to call home. Following my voyage in Central America, an extended month of travel lead me to Harbour Island, Bahamas; Scottsdale, Arizona; and New York City, where I caught up with many of my remote coaching clients and attended my fifteen year high school reunion. Assured Nicaragua was, indeed, where I was meant to be, I returned to my home in Florida where I settled my belongings, selling what I could, packing what I could carry and giving away the rest. October 16th, 2014 marks my homecoming to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, where the next 10 weeks were spent finding my way in a new country, exploring a new culture and learning a new language, in which I am now fully immersed. January 1, 2015, just one week ago, I started working again. Maybe you have noticed I have been rather busy online, updating the blog, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Facebook with new recipes, pictures, stories of love and adventure and daily motivation inspired by my very real and really awesome life in the jungle. That said, I am accepting admissions for a NEW class, the first of 2015 for Team BODYbybianca!

The cost of the program, in which you are contracted for sixteen weeks — because I need sixteen weeks to change your BODY — is $200 per month with a $200 enrollment fee (half of which is credited to you upon successful completion of the program and delivery of biweekly progress pictures). Everyone changes! Are you ready? GET LOCKED IN!

Email me at BODYbybianca@gmail.com or message me on Facebook.com/BiancaSultana to inquire about enrollment.

Together in Health!

xob

1-Minute Lemon Ice

A quick and refreshing post-workout delight! Just blend lemons with ice!

Did you know that lemons contain more essential vitamins and minerals than any other fruits or vegetables? By blending fresh squeezed lemon juice with ice, you get all the benefits of this miracle fruit with the treat of a refreshing sorbet!

Email me at BODYbybianca@gmail.com to get on the BODYbybianca Training System: a 16-week remote training system that will change your BODY and your life! Are YOU ready to see your BEST SELF in 2015? As a member of Team BODYbybianca you will receive exclusive workout programs weekly for weightlifting and cardio as well as a comprehensive meal plan designed to keep you satisfied while achieving and surpassing your goals!

With me as your Personal Coach,
YOU CAN DO IT. I CAN HELP.

Together in Health!
xob

Homemade Almond Butter

Since moving to Nicaragua, one of the U.S. treats I miss the most is my organic raw almond butter. In New York and in Florida, it was such a staple in my diet! A healthy fat, with benefits for my hair, skin, nails, and fat metabolism, a spoonful of almond butter helps curb my appetite for sugary carbs and chocolate. I love it on my protein pancake or in my oatmeal in the morning! But, in Nicaragua, nut butters are not accessible, and despite there being peanut farms, you cannot find peanut butter outside of the imported Jiffy brand which is highly processed and very expensive. So…

I MADE MY OWN!

This is my first attempt at making any nut butter, and it was so easy, I will never buy costly packaged nut butters again! Here’s how…
1. Soak raw almonds in water overnight (I left mine soaking in the fridge for two days because I was busy and no harm done!) I added just enough water to cover a large bowl of nuts (full raw almonds, skin intact). After a few hours the almonds greedily sucked up the water so I added a bit more and repeated that process once more.
2. Using a high powered blender (I love my Ninja blender, pictured), blend the almonds with all of the leftover liquid in the bowl.

This turned into a rather gritty almond mixture.

To smooth out the butter, I slowly added little bits of water to the blender until a creamy mouse-like texture was reached. And, voilà!

Today I used my homemade almond butter on my pancake with homemade strawberry-blackberry preserves! No berries in Nicaragua, I brought a large bag back from my Christmas trip to Costa Rica and made the jam as a way to preserve the fruit and enjoy it for longer! Another easy recipe which you can find, along with the BODYbybianca Pancake recipe on my blog (look for the jam recipe posted in April from Costa Rica).

Together in Health!
xob

Live Where You Love And You Will Love Where You Live

Close your eyes and imagine the most beautiful place in the world; a paradise in which you long to be… Now… GO!

I promise change is not as scary as it seems!

Everyday in Central America, people ask me where I’m from (“de dónde eres?”) and each day my love for my country (the one I live in, Nicaragua) gets stronger, is another day it gets harder to answer that question. I was born in New York City, but I don’t feel I am from there. I lived and loved in Florida, but I am not from there either. Never quite a city girl, I have a country heart! My wingspan grows with my courage and broadens my path around the world. The more I abandon fear, the greater my adventures!

Don’t pinch me. I am not on vacation. I sold what I could, I gave away the rest, my friends helped me a lot! I packed what I could carry and on October 16th, 2014, I flew home. Now, I live where I love. I am awake, and I am dreaming!

These pics are from my Christmas trip to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica, where I’m visiting friends, but I have found my home in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. I have a guest house on a large farm by the beach and you can visit whenever you want!

My address for mail and packages containing raw almond butter (hint!) is as simple as my life here:
“Bianca Sultana
San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Nicaragua”
❤ Let me know if you send something, so I check at the post office.

Home For The Holidays

As I sit here on the bus in San José, Costa Rica headed for Manuel Antonio for the holiday, I cannot help but reflect on the difference between traveling alone in Central this Spring and getting around this part of the world today. At 6 AM, my friend Eduardo picked me up at my home in San Juan and we headed for the frontera; thirteen hours of travel by car, two busses and a taxi and I expect to be seated at Las Gemeles on Manuel Antonio beach in time for a late dinner!

“Yo soy Nica ahora.” That means, “I’m Nicaraguan now!”

Well, not quite (yet). But, I feel at home in this part of the world. For two months this Spring I traveled from Nicaragua throughout Costa Rica. I didn’t know a lick of Spanish when I arrived on March 18th, yet within one week, you would have thought I at least had an elementary Spanish education in school. Today, I have officially been living in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua for 9 weeks. I have spent one-third of 2014 in Central America. I still haven’t taken a Spanish lesson, yet my Spanish gets better everyday (because I care). I can more than get by most anywhere and have full conversations with the people I love.

When I landed in Managua in March, I felt an immediate draw right out of the gate. If you have ever flown into Nicaragua, you know the area surrounding the airport is not particularly desirable. Yet, as soon as my feet touched the land, the energy of the country resonated through me. I am not here to party, though our fiestas are truly epic! I am not here for the surf, though our waves rival any in the world, and our lineup is a candy store of the most beautiful men I have ever laid eyes on. I am here because I love the culture, the people and the land. I am here because I wished for it and the Universe made it so.

A self-proclaimed orphan, I am overwhelmed with the closeness of the family unit in Central. A closeness extended to friends. Before I arrived here, I never quite felt right where I was. New York didn’t suit me at all and had I not been crippled by fear, I may have left much sooner. People don’t look up to greet one another when they walk in the streets and NYC life seems to perpetually revolve around a biweekly payday; a churning that never lets up. Never again will I subscribe to ten vacation days and two sick days per year; living for the weekend to drink away the stress of the week indoors at a bar? What a waste! South Florida was better; with room to bike, wake, surf and play on the beach, I reveled in the sunlight, learned to mountain bike and spear fish, fell for a man with rough hands I named Alligator Hands, with whom I contracted odd jobs in construction, used power tools, took my driving test in a pickup truck, cooked on a mega yacht, and first-mated a 78′ Marlow. There is nothing I cannot do and no opportunity I am closed off to.

I’d say I did South Florida right, I stayed off the strip in Miami and settled in beautiful Fort Lauderdale. More than NYC, FTL is the closest I have found to home in the States. Still, something wasn’t right. After two years, Florida didn’t feel like forever. If New Yorkers are consumed with money, South Floridians are consumed with appearances (even the “appearance” of money). I want more for my life than satisfaction over my reflection in the mirror and stockpiles of flammable paper in the bank. A simple life! I like my toys and my boys, and love is my only true wish. Today, many of my closest friends are native Nicaraguan and Costa Rican. When I’m sick, they are the first to call, when I need a ride or a hand or a shoulder, mi nuevos amigos show up unannounced at my door. I feel blessed to be adopted into such a beautiful culture. Now, I will spend Christmas in Costa Rica, where my friends are my family.

I am home for the holidays!

Together in Health! In Love! And in Life!

xob

Feed the One you Love

His and Hers.

Hers is the BODYbybianca Power Pancake complete with fresh ginger, cinnamon, chia seeds, almonds, cacao, banana, raisins and topped with local raw honey. With the exception of the honey drizzle, seeds sprinkled on top and raisins and cacao chopped and folded in, all the ingredients are blended into the batter with two eggs and 1/4-1/3 cup dry oatmeal in place of flour, this is truly the healthiest pancake ever!

His is an egg scramble with onion, tomato and loads of fresh garlic to nurse the flu I’ve been battling (lovers share). Both plates have my favorite sweet plantains, tossed in cinnamon then pan fried in raw coconut oil and honey, sprinkled with chia seeds and love.

As a woman there is no bigger turn on then watching a man devour a meal I have prepared for him, a meal designed to nurture, grow and heal him. In life I have found that the love I give is directly proportionate to the love I receive. So… I GIVE. LOVE. A LOT of it. As much as I have and as often as possible. In turn, I have a beautiful life. Blessed with beautiful food, lovers and friends.

Feed the One(s) you Love.

Together in Health!
xob

More Clean Eats recipes on Facebook:
http://www.Facebook.com/BODYbybianca

Plan a FITivity For A Friendly Fun Fitness Activity

Happy weekend y’all!

Remember: GOALS do not take a weekend pass, so neither should you! Incorporate FITIVITIES into your social plans for fitness activities that are a friendly fun distraction from what is clearly a workout. Comment with your faves or try one of mine:

1. Surfing & SUP! In Nicaragua as in my past home in Florida it is beach season all year round! In South Florida visit my friends at Beach Shack Paddleboards for “SUP” stand-up paddle board tours!

2. Skiing/ Snow boarding. If your climate is opposite mine, there is no better FITivity workout for the legs and booty! When you ski/board you are in an constant squat position. “PLUMP THAT BUMP!”

3. Rock climbing! One of the many FITivities I love! I used to compete in indoor lead climb. It is so much fun, a brilliant workout and with indoor/outdoor facilities, available almost anywhere!


From Nicaragua with love,

xob

The Importance of Rest

My alarm just went off telling me it’s gym time, but I’m going back to bed. I will caution you here to never make the decision to skip the gym in the morning (it is far too easy to want to get out of your commitment at this seemingly un-Godly hour). After weighing the pros and cons of this morning’s workout, I made the decision to play hooky yesterday.

As important as it is to stay on course by keeping one’s commitment to a program, it is just as essential to listen to one’s BODY. The healthier you become through good nutrition and exercise, the more easily your mind will communicate with your physical BODY to decipher when you can be pushed (most of the time) and when rest in needed (essential time).

My day yesterday included three workouts. After lifting weight, followed by a boxing session and then the longest, highest mountain bike climb of my life, just getting home from town on my bicycle, my BODY felt broken. Spent to the vey last cent, I was close to tears on that last hill ascent! Have you ever exhausted your physical energy to the brink, such that your emotional self comes out to play? You are literally brought to tears from a training session? That was me yesterday. And “legs” were planned for today… Yeah, right! No dice!

So I turned my attention to healing through my restorative practice of stretching. People want to label me a “yoga girl,” because I manage a yoga wellness center, but I am not one. Yoga is a brand like any other; it is a money making machine. What I am, if you must label me, is a FITNESS queen! Fitness is all encompassing physical health. I lift weights to be strong, perform cardiovascular activity for my heart health, and I stretch my BODY for flexibility and anti-aging. Decades of ballet, Pilates and yoga have all lead to the formation of my own technique of stretching, whereby I combine the knowledge of all my disciplines and use yoga poses to enhance, but not set, nor restrict my practice. One-on-one stretch sessions are a gift I offer my clients, as healing as a day at the spa, therapeutic as a massage and more restorative than a yoga class. Yesterday, I spent several hours stretching throughout the day with a focused session in the evening showing myself love on my Manduka yoga mat, using a foam roller and a tennis ball for some self-appointed myofascial release (a massage technique of sustained applied pressure into areas of the muscle that are sore or “knotted”).

Today, I’ll continue to stretch my BODY, possibly after taking an anti-inflammatory ( I do not subscribe to Western medicine, but sometimes it is needed), applied heat, and followed by ice therapy on my back. Yes, I really am that sore! As my friend Isaac Williams loves to remind me, though I have many superhuman attributes I have built over years of training, I am indeed NOT Wonder Woman!

The image is a picture of my spine, showing my severe scoliosis. As crooked as as my back has been made strong, if I can do all that I do, then YOU CAN too!

I’M POSSIBLE. Are YOU?

Together in Health!
xob

PLUMP THAT BUMP!

The day is not over till you’ve gotten in a BODY burn! Try the BODYbybianca Booty Workout:
1. Leg Extensions. 4×20 (a great way to warm up your quads for squats!)
2. Goblet Squats. (NOTE: the heavier the weight, the greater the plumping power on your glutes!) 4×10 –> notice that lower reps allows for heavier weight = more plumpability!
3. Sumu Squats (with a wide stance, hang a dumbbell between your legs, these will really hit your inner thighs as well as lift and shape your glutes from the outside in!) 4×15
4. Walking Lunges with Suitcase Dumbells (hold a DB in each hand as if you’re carrying two suitcases) 4×20 each side (that’s 4 sets of 40 total! –> higher reps promote toning and sculpt long lean muscle!
5. Leg Curls (targets the hamstrings and lower bum connection) 4×20

Of course you can also make some easy modifications and eliminate the weight if you can’t get to the gym and you are doing this at home. Just do exercises 2-4 and substitute forward leg raises for #1 and rear kickbacks or bootyblasters for #5, which don’t require gym equipment. No Excuses!

“PLUMP THAT BUMP” BODYbybianca Style!

Together on Hump Day!
xob