Hollywood Celebrity Trainer Decides to Adopt

Friday, March 16th, 2012

Teddy Bass is one of the best-known trainers in the world, living the good life traveling with jet-setters and known for super-sculpting famous bodies like Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck.

“At 38 I began yearning for a child, which makes sense because I come from a large and loving family,” says Bass. “I’m a proud uncle to 11 amazing nieces and nephews!”

After calling and interviewing several international adoption agencies, Bass decided to adopt through the Southern California foster system because they had fewer “limitations.”

Bass says, “I was older, single and gay and many gay friends were already using surrogates to have children. But I knew I wanted to adopt and save a child.”

After Bass’s free 3-hour orientation lecture, he immediately signed up for mandatory 6-week training sessions, where prospective parents meet with counselors and social workers for three hours each week to literally be trained in parenting, communication skills and healing.

“If every adult had to take nearly 20 hours of parent training, like all foster parents do, there would be more responsible and capable parenting in the world,” says Bass.

He paid a $2,000 fee and went through training via the Southern California Foster and Family Agency.

“This agency was recommended to me and I found the process efficient, pleasant and supportive every step of the way.” Bass finished the six weeks of training and began a series of Home Study interviews where social workers and county representatives inspected his home and life, grilled a dozen references and narrowed his search to a 20 – 24 month-old male child of any race with no physical limitations.

The Home Study sessions lasted just under 6 weeks, and then only six months into the process, Teddy got The Call.

His son, David, arrived right before Christmas, nearly 2.5 years ago. “I so wanted to be a good father. In some way, as a gay male, I wanted to help raise a male child in the healthiest and most balanced way possible:

“I wanted to pass on the grace.”

David showed signs of fetal alcohol syndrome at birth. Bass says, “He would writhe and scream with the worst tantrums for hours at the beginning… but he grew out of it.”

This summer, delicious David (who I know from preschool in Hollywood!!) is enrolled in a Spanish Language Summer Camp to connect more deeply to his Mexican roots. “We have so much fun,” says Bass. “We travel a lot and we’re going to visit all the cousins in North Carolina next month.”

He urges other gay parents to take the adoption route. Without delay. ”It’s a lot of work, but it’s the best! This is what life is all about,” says Bass with a laugh.

Tell me your happy or controversial adoption story!

Photo Credit: Celeb trainer Teddy Bass and adopted son, David.

Get More Mom Energy During the Holidays!

Friday, December 9th, 2011

I admit it: Between Thanksgiving and shopping and moving through the adoption process I am utterly exhausted. Emotionally exhausted! I already eat pretty well and tend to sleep at least seven hours overnight, but my whole body and my emotions simply feel depleted. I think the cost of filling out my paperwork and imagining all the terrible things that could happen to our family during a foster care situation is keeping me very stressed out.

For help, I tapped my mom friend Ashley Koff, co-author with celeb trainer Kathy Kaehler of the fantastic new book Mom Energy, what exactly I can start doing to feel less anxiety over the adoption process and soothe stress over the holidays!

Here’s what Ashley said, “Stress is going to be apart of our lives and our bodies are designed to fully handle it…if we learn how to turn it off and allow the body recovery time. I rely on magnesium-rich foods like whole grains and greens, as well as cacao –  yup, that means good-quality chocolate — to turn off the body’s stress response at the cellular level.

“It won’t numb you  but it will help to reduce the effect of stress on the body.” Adequate magnesium (in whole grains, steamed greens, veggie-rich salads) helps tune off your body’s stress responses and allows for more muscles relaxation and the ability to fall asleep.”

Ashley said, “Becoming fully charged doesn’t require a complete shift in your lifestyle, and you shouldn’t start denying yourself something you enjoy.” (Like that extra glass of vino with dinner during the holidays.) And this energy shift should not cost a dime!

Ashley said, “Energy equals heath. Energy imbalances are at the root of many health problems in our society, especially for do-it-all moms. Let’s focus on optimizing your energy naturally so you perceive yourself as dynamic and clear-thinking.”

Ashley’s quick list of easy stress zappers for the holidays:

• Graze on smaller meals more frequently to maintain adequate energy and calories.
• Drink 8-10 glasses of water and green tea to hydrate and flush your body regularly.
• Sleep 7+ hours per night. Aim for more, busy moms!
• Lift weights at least twice a week to rev your metabolism and create leaner muscles.

Tune in on Monday again when Ashley and her co-author offer more energy-up strategies to help moms (and all busy parents) cope throughout the holidays.

Photo credit: Ashley Koff photographed by David Carlson Photography