Happy last Friday in November friends! I feel cliche saying this but I can’t believe its almost December. The older I get, the faster time goes – I just can’t handle it. Another thing that happens when you get older…it gets harder to maintain your weight. What’s even harder, is to loose weight once you’ve slipped. In 4 months I put on about 20lbs…granted I was on a medication that fully disclosed weight gain as a symptom but I don’t know if ALLLLL that can be contributed to the meds. ANYWAY, my body is detoxing and I am continuing to be healthy – eating right and trying new forms of exercise. I starting kickboxing (more on that later), and subscribed to Kayla Itsines’s SWEAT app. for workout inspiration. I don’t follow her diet nor do I follow the program as its designed but its fun & helping to keep me motivated.
Another piece is changing locations and schedules – it throws a kink into the diet & cooking regime. Between commuting into the city (yes, I am still doing that), taking care of my little family, I have less time to grocery shop prep food. I have to do my best with one big trip weekly, sometimes bi-weekly, to the farmers market & grocery store. With this new way of foraging I’ve needed to come up with more inspired dishes; hence, whole wheat couscous with herbs, pine nuts, cucumber & citrus. I threw this together the other night with the things in my fridge and cabinet…proof that you can make healthy, flavorful meals, if you keep a well stocked pantry & fridge. The beautiful roasted squash is curtesy of Alison Roman‘s Dining In book that is full of delicious, easy, & unique recipes.
Citrus Couscous with Herbs, Pine Nuts, & Cucumber
Ingredients:
- whole wheat couscous
- lemon (zest and juice)
- 2 tbsp pine nuts (dry roasted & cooled)
- 1 tbsp harissa oil (or regular EVOO)
- herbs (parsley, dill, and cilantro – or whatever you like)
- 1/2 cucumber (peeled, seeded, and diced)
- salt & pepper to taste
Recipe:
Prepare couscous according to the package (basically boil water or stock, add couscous, turn off heat & cover for about 10 minutes – its like the easiest thing ever) and allow to cool. While couscous is going, throw the pine nuts in a pan on medium heat, toss every few minutes until lightly browned (keep your eyes on those suckers – they burn quickly). Add remaining ingredients and BOOM, ALL DONE!
’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂
First, why is everyone so obsessed with avocado?? Deliciousness aside, this creamy green fruit has 20 vitamins & minerals with only 80 calories. In 1/3 an avocado you get a nutrient dense treat that can be used to make brownies, ice cream, pesto, etc… and this awesome toast!
I love herbs & think they’re a great way to add a lot of flavor. When playing around with this recipe I tried a few different combos but consistently came back to dill, cilantro, & parsley. If you prefer something else – go for that!
I have always wanted them and am so thrilled to have gotten two pair of beautiful boots in the Music City!
With all the excitement we have been indulging a bit. Over the next few weeks we’re making a solid effort to stick with a healthier dietary routine starting today. Here’s what was on the grocery list:
We’re officially into the month of April and I can’t believe how fast this year is flying by! Almost as fast as Phil and I barreling down the slopes in Tahoe this weekend, haha! The weather was perfect and it was a lot of fun to spend the weekend working out and taking in the most beautiful views around. I also had the chance to share some yoga with my housemates which was fun – I relish any opportunity to spread the yogi love.
This week I’m working on myofasical techniques nightly to release muscular tension as well as adding some fresh juice for added hydration & nutrients. Phil is kicking up his cat/cow and spinal strength work & trying to cut back on snacks. We’re gearing up to make April the best month of the year, whose with us!
What a beautiful weekend! We had such a lovely time enjoying the sunshine, taking things slow, and celebrating the culmination of Easter Week. Friday night was quiet and low key (in observance of Good Friday). We had some fish po’ boys for dinner and hit the hay early. Our weekend kicked off with a trip to guitar center to buy Phil his long overdo electronic drum set. We spent the afternoon enjoying delicious wine at our winery’s spring release event, and afterwards some shopping & pizza night! Yesterday was mass, an eggs benedict & mimosa brunch by yours truly, and rooftop yoga/ an evening of grilling & enjoying the sunset. 
We’re almost finished the month of March and even though Phil and I have been making healthier choices we still don’t feel like we’re kicking it up enough. So with three weeks left in our 2016 challenge we’re thinking we might extend things a few extra weeks and try something a little different. Starting next week, so with two weeks left in our original challenge, we’re going to start simplifying our diets & kicking up the healing treatments – epsom salt baths, heat/ice, evening and morning stretching, and myofascial release. We’ll be doing this through the month of May but will still report our results 16 weeks in. 
Keep working along with us or put your own spin on what we’re doing!! Let me know how it all works out…I would love to hear from anyone whose taking steps week by week to make healthier choices! We’re heading into OUR month with energy and enthusiasm….who else wants to make April their best month yet!
Its been another dreadfully rainy day in San Francisco but the weather is supposed to perk up for the rest of the week; which is good because I sure need a kick in the pants! This weekend with my brother and sister in law was wonderful but teaching 16 classes, playing tour guide and managing everything else on my plate has definitely left me a bit drained. Instead of looking at things in a negative way I’ve used today’s weather as an excuse to stay in bed and recharge – well, at least in btwn my 6am & 12pm class I squeezed in a nap, and btwn my 12pm class and my 3pm shift at the studio I did some yin yoga…it’s all about making time for yourself and listening to your body, right?!?!
We’re so close to wrapping up this lovely 16wks of 2016 Motivation challenge and I think both Phil and I have become that much more in tune with our bodys’ needs and how much the food we consume plays a role in how we feel. This weekend was full of more fried food and ice cream than I would care to admit and I’m feeling it contribute to my low energy today. I’m taking steps to hydrate, cleanse, & reboot for this week by adding some probiotics, as well as my trusty apple cider vinegar & lemon tea to help cleanse my system and have my feeling sharper/more alert. It’s GREENS, GREENS, GREENS for the first week of spring & we’re hoping they’ll have us feeling good as new in no time!
We weren’t able to make it up quite as early on Friday as we would have liked but we got here before 9pm and able to have a healthy dinner before getting to bed. 
We were up with the sun & the first on the slopes Saturday – skiing some tougher terrain All day! We woke up Sunday to the photo above & the snow seemed to be endless pouring from the sky – it was pretty cool! We’re taking a lesson today so we can have a professional show how to take things to the next level for the remainder of the season. My muscles are definitely feeling a little tight but I’ve been hydrating, consuming anti-inflammatory foods, soaking in the hot tub, and doing a ton of yin yoga to keep moving.
This week starts 6am classes and I’m very exciting for my new offering! I’m hoping to maintain my cardio but I also have to remember to take care of my body and not overdo it. That being said, this week I’m cutting interval training/running and only cycling for cardio. There are 5 more Motivation Mondays and I can’t wait to share the overall results and take-aways with everyone!
This relaxing but productive weekend was much needed after a week of feeling frantic and unconstructive. Some of you may have noticed a few more spelling/grammar errors in last week’s posts than usual…not that I’m making any excuses BUT that’s primarily because I was drafting entirely on my phone. Phil and I have had three computers (all admittedly old) crap out on us in the last 6 months and the last of which did so last Sunday. I thought we’d be shopping for a computer this past weekend but when Phil came home from his business trip he showed up with a brand new MacBook Air! I am so lucky!!!!!
The computer isn’t the only reason I feel lucky right now…this week I am adding a few new classes to my schedule and am excited to announce my new permanent schedule. Check it out on my yoga page or head to MoveWith to see my schedule! 
This weekend we both decided we’d kick things up a notch this week in preparation for our coming trip to Tahoe. We’re going up for an extended weekend and its going to have snowed a few feet of fresh powder by the time we dive in…I can’t wait! We’re in double digits now and it’s about to get interesting!!
I hope everyone else enjoyed their weekend as much as Phil & I. When I said we wanted to get back out on the mountain and prove ourselves (to ourselves), I wasn’t lying. We took it relatively easy Saturday and totally blew past where we thought we’d get to on Sunday…with a little help from our friends. After a lunch time pow wow we decided to join our them yet again and tackle some tougher runs. We dove in head first and went down some of the more challenging terrain – it felt great! 
I of course couldn’t have survived the 6hr ski days without my yoga practice – starting the morning with some mediation / light vinyasa and finishing the day with some yin to stretch things back out. Now, it’s back to the power yoga grind with 11 classes this week (2 advanced, 1 beginner, 8 all levels).
Obviously there is no shortage of physical activity here, haha, but the dietary routine is on point too…it has to be to stay happy/healthy! We’ve got 7 more weeks to make some real changes & it’s feeling great!
Well, we survived the birthday weekend shenanigans in Tahoe and Phil & I really challenged ourselves on the slopes. I’m feeling motivated after the rush of pushing past my comfort zone on the mountain and hoping to carry that momentum into this week!
Neither Phil nor I are venturing near a scale until the beginning on March but we know we’re on the right track because we’re both feel good – indulged this weekend but didn’t go crazy, bumped up the intensity of our cardio a bit, and are trying to cut back on booze during the week. It’s a double boost of motivation because we’re officially in the
Lenten season & now more than ever we are supposed to work on being the best version of ourselves. We were both considering ‘giving up’ something for Lent but since we’re already on this healthy living grind we’re kicking it into high gear instead…we are half way through our ‘2016 healthiest year ever’ kick start and I
Livingleen 