Five Steps Towards More Conscious Eating
May 3, 2013 | 
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Now’s the time of year when so many women we know start fretting about what their bodies will look like in a swimsuit. Talk of the latest diets and health fads seems to increase as Memorial Day approaches, but don’t let Gina hear you talking about diets!
At Paddle Diva, we try to promote what Gina calls “Conscious Eating.” Not “Clean Eating,” which has become an almost clichéd mantra for the organic food movement. Just Conscious Eating – become more aware of what you’re putting in your body and more attentive to how that impacts the way you feel.
“I’ve been eating less meat for several reasons,” Gina said. “But I never become fanatical about eating only this, or not eating any of that. It’s more about making small changes to my family’s meals, and noticing how our diet impacts our moods, our performance in school and work and our overall health!”
Here are five ways to become a more conscious eater:
- Try to make meat a secondary ingredient in your meals. Instead of serving chops and steaks and burgers, introduce more stir-fry meals. Asian, particularly Chinese, dishes are easy to prepare, are colorful and appeal to kids, and use way less meat than the traditional American dinner. Read the rest of this entry »
Stand Up Paddle with Mom!
As an active mom, I find I am my best as a mother after I have had some exercise! Sometimes it is a solo paddle on the bay or a fun bike ride around the neighborhood with my kids. Just getting my heart rate elevated and making sure I smile and enjoy the time is so essential!
This season, the kids and I are planning a SUP race season with one big change: they will be on the SUP board racing as well! Either on a tandem with me or on their solo race boards, we will all be enjoying the joy and elevation that SUP brings!
Why not give your mom a nudge into the outdoors this Mother’s Day and treat her to a day of fun, fitness and laughter with Paddle Diva. Now in its 3rd year, the Paddle Diva team will be opening their door to moms (and their families) for a Special Mother’s Day stand up paddling experience!
Sunday May 12th, Shagwong Marina from 10-11:30
Price: $75 (and your mother will get receive a gift from Paddle Diva)
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Friday Fives: Develop Your Career in the Stand Up Paddle Industry
Paddle Diva is hosting Stand Up Paddle Instructor Certification courses through the Academy of Surf Instructors (ASI) this May. We are excited to work with an organization that has been in the water-sports industry for over 10 years and has a proven track record in the creation of standards and guidelines for SUP Instruction. It’s important for our industry to recognize that not everyone with a paddle and a board is qualified to teach stand up paddling! It requires a tremendous amount of time and experience to become a skilled and safe SUP instructor and develop a career in the stand up paddle industry.
We find the ASI’s format and approach to surfing, body boarding and SUP to be the gold standard. The ASI is not a sports association and is not involved in the competitive aspect of the sport, nor does is sponsor competitions. They specialize and in training and accreditation and work exclusively on curriculum, which makes their leading edge training and accreditation programs the most updated in the industry.
- ASI Stand Up Paddle Instructor Water Safety Rescue Award
Friday, May 10.
A world’s first, this course aim to teach SUP instructors how to identify and properly response in emergency situations, and perform SUP rescue technique. - ASI Level 1 Stand Up Paddle Instructor (Enclosed Flat Water)
Saturday & Sunday, May 11-12.
This course is the entry level qualification to become a stand up paddle instructor. It covers SUP laws and instructor responsibilities, and skills and knowledge on how to manage and instruct students in enclosed flat water locations. - ASI Level 2 Stand Up Paddle Instructor (Exposed Waters)
Monday, May 13.
Instructing in an ocean environment requires additional techniques and safety strategies than at the enclosed flat waters. This course focus will help you gain the needed skills to plan, conduct and assess instructional stand up paddle sessions for exposed water locations. - ASI Level 3 Stand Up Paddle Instructor (Beginner Surf)
Tuesday, May 14.
This course is the first step of the SUP surfing instructor pathway, and aims to teach SUP instructors on how they can instruct and manage stand up paddle surfing sessions in surf up to 1½ ft (½ metre). - SUP Yoga Teacher Training
Saturday & Sunday, May 18 – 19.
Paddle Diva and KamaDeva Yoga team up to offer SUP Yoga enthusiast or traditional yoga instructor a chance to become certified SUP yoga instructors.
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About ASI
Academy of Surf Instructors is an international adventure sports training and accreditation organization, specializing in surfing, stand up paddle and bodyboarding for adventure centre operators and career instructors. They train accredited instructors, and issue ASI accredited centre status to adventure sports centers according to the ASI worldwide standard and also develop and publish books, dvds, courses, programs and curriculum.
Inspirational Woman of the Month: Kristin Thomas
Paddle Diva’s inspirational woman this month is a certified waterwoman and one of the biggest advocates for the sport of Stand Up Paddling. Meet Kristin Thomas: mom, businesswoman and SUP racer.
I first met Kristin years ago at at Surf Expo as I wandered from booth to booth. She and I immediately connected, exchanged contact info, and from there I have always found her to be one of my beacons in the SUP industry! She’s very mature in what is still a young industry, and her female voice and leadership is something we all can learn from. She has had a similar background to many of us waterwomen and is an accomplished swimmer, windsurfer (a sport near and dear to me) and surfer! What I like about Kristin is that she is also a racer and has the nicest energy out on the water and does not act like winning the race is so important to her — you can tell she loves the “ride” more than the prize!
Posted in Giving Back, Inspirational Women, SUP | 
Tags: kristin thomas, SUP racing, women's empowerment, women's sports | 
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Five Diva Picks: SUP Boards and Accessories
It’s starting to warm up, and we’re busy stocking the shop with some new Diva Picks for Spring! Here are five SUP boards and accessories that we’re happy to promote because they are quality products that meet our discriminating standards and are worthy of the Diva Pick label!
- Riviera boards offer great value, great design and are super sturdy. We had them in our fleet last summer and everyone who was on one loved it! Some of our favorites are the Rivera Selects (a nice upgrade to the boards we had in our fleet, they are lighter and have a gorgeous deck) and the 12- foot Coastal Cruiser for touring and fun out on the water!
- Riviera also makes the BEST adjustable and fixed carbon fiber SUP paddles that are light, well-priced and hold up under all paddling conditions.
- SUP Love is our recommended board for someone who wants to invest a bit more money and wants graphics and a board design that will set them apart from the rest. SUP Love’s paddle boards are fast and easy to paddle, and another “go-to” board for the Paddle Diva staff!
- Our own Diva custom stand up paddleboard design has stood the test of time – and they sell out every summer. These boards are the lightest in the shop, have the best bottom and tail shape and do well in all water conditions. If you’re willing to wait a few weeks, we can custom design one for you!
- NSP’s Coco Mat: This is a great natural looking board that is light and super buoyant! It comes in two sizes and every client who jumped on the Coco’s we have in our fleet love the look and the feel when riding. Wide enough to put your kids on, we highly recommend them as a great all-around family boards.
