Foodie Friday

Happy April Fools Friends!

I can’t remember the last time it was a true 1st Friday and April Fools, so my lame attempt at a prank was posting now! I  wish Phil and I were in the city so we could see the opening of the different art exhibitions. I used to love the Old City 1st Friday art openings while Phil and I were in Philadelphia but it all got very crowded and crazy so we couldn’t enjoy it. Even though we’ve been here a year we still haven’t done a 1st Friday in SF…I think May might have to be the month. We’re in  Tahoe for some spring skiing and a break from the city. The ski season is coming to a close for us, only a few weeks left, and we’re both looking towards bikini season, haha!Since it is officially the first Friday of this month, its a plated Foodie Friday and this week its fish, veggies, and a delicious range of flavors: on the menu is a thai curry tilapia, cheesy vegetable linguine, and gruyere grilled cheese. Comment below with your email address for a chance to receive a free box!

 

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

 

 

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Wellness Wednesday

Smile Friends! 🙂

We’re half way though another week!

As some of you may or may not be aware, this month is National Cancer Prevention Month. I’m teaming up with the M.A.A. center to bring you some tips and simple steps you can take this month and every month to help prevent cancer in your life! Before we dive in, I wanted to share a little about the Mesothelioma + Asbestos Awareness Center. The M.A.A. center is a place for victims and their families to find more information about Mesothelioma, get help understanding their care options, learn about their rights, and gain insight into careers and communities at higher risk for this type of cancer. Mesothelioma is a rare of cancer that forms on the lining of the lungs, heart and abdomen.

As you can see from the info graphic  above, cancer is something we can absolutely take steps to prevent. Just like we talk about each week, it’s simple changes, healthy choices, and small steps in the right direction to create change for your overall well being! In addition to 30 minutes of daily activity, eating vegetables, and spending at least 15 minutes in the sun, here are three tips of my very own to help prevent incidence of cancer in your life.

1. Practice a positive attitude: Have you heard the expression ‘a smile is contagious’ ? It couldn’t be more true – countless studies show smiling and maintaining a positive attitude is proven to help lower blood pressure and boost your mood! Take that, cancer! ;-D
2. Sleep: Yes, Yes, I know, there is a lot of awesomeness to be packed into every day, but in order to make the most of it, your body needs time to recharge. Research shows that regularly allowing 6-8 hrs of sleep daily can help prevent cancer, elevate energy levels, and improve cognitive function.
3. Crowd Out: Add two new healthy snacks or choices to your diet so you don’t have room for the other options you were choosing before. For example, try swapping your pizza dough for a cauliflower crust or trading your afternoon diet soda for some green tea.

Remember friends, it’s the little things that make all the difference down the line. Let’s be honest, there is a lot to see in this big beautiful world and we all want to be around long enough to enjoy as much of it as possible!!

 

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

 

Motivation Monday #7

Happy President’s Day Friends!!The fun of the weekend spills over into today for Phil and I since he has off from work and I have a few more weeks until I start teaching regularly Monday mornings! We’re starting the morning with protein shakes and a jog, followed by some rooftop yoga, and some spring cleaning! With the weather improving day by day we’re taking this time to do a little head to toe cleaning of our mini home.The indulgence from this weekend definitely takes the cake! Phil and I shared an amazing brunch at Top of the Mark around the corner Sunday, we ate an amazing dinner Saturday night (prepared by yours truly), and indulged in lots of bubbles! It was GLORIOUS…but after I finished teaching my yoga class last night I felt like a big tub of lard, hahaha! I am fairly confident I put back on 2 of the 5+ pounds but I’m not worried: I am taking probiotics for the next couple of days, drinking apple cider vinegar & lemon tea, and being more conscious of my dairy intake (cheese is my weakness )! We’re in week 7 which means we’re almost half way through and it hasn’t really felt like a struggle to be honest…maybe at the half way mark we need to kick it up a notch!

Week 7

“Two steps forward, one step back, still gets you ahead…don’t stop trying!”

Exercise

• 45-55 min. of jogging in the sunshine 3x/wk
• 55-90 min. yoga (7x=me / 2x=Phil)
• 35-45 min. weights (2x=me / 3x=Phil)

Dietary Routine

Breakfast

• Zucchini muffin w/orange juice
• Sprouted wheat toast w/peanut butter and greens powder water
• Protein Shake

Lunch

• Teriyaki Chicken or Tofu w/mixed vegetables and brown rice
• Tuna Salad w/pita and mixed green salad
• Whole Wheat pasta w/tofu bolognese and carrots

Dinner

• Mushroom Lentil Burger w/sweet potato chips
• Fish Po-Boys w/spicy coleslaw
• Super salad w/pumpkin seeds, nuts, cranberries, feta cheese, veggies, & quinoa

Snacks

• Apple w/peanut butter
• Fresh salsa w/multi-grain tortilla chips
• Homemade chia bars

 

 

’til next time, keep smiling! 😉

Motivation Monday #3

Hello Friends!

I am filled with love and excitement from such an incredible weekend at Yoga Journal Live San Francisco and I can’t wait share everything I absorbed with my students! This week is going to be a little crazy with Phil traveling AGAIN  and family visiting but we’re both doing our best to stick with regular exercise and smart dietary choices. 
Our routine for the week is going to be a little harder to follow but we’re happy with how things have been going and excited for the weeks to come as well! Yoga is obviously at the center of all I do, but I’m doing some cycling to supplement this week and emphasizing simple foods to see how that feels.

“If it’s important to you, you’ll find a way. If it’s not, you’ll find an excuse.”

Week 3

Exercise:

• Yoga everyday
  & Cycling 4x/wk

Diet

• Breakfast: sprouted toast w/pb and greens powder
• Lunch: Salad w/pumpkin seeds, feta cheese, and balsamic dressing
• Dinner: Salmon burger, carrot sticks & sweet potato fries
• Snacks: Popcorn, Protein Shake, Apple, or
  Walnuts
• Dessert: 4-6 oz red wine, dark chocolate

 

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

 

 

 

Wellness Wednesday

Happy Hump Day Friends!

I have had a great couple of classes this week and am really looking forward to the ones to come. This week, my focus is on Warrior II, Virabhadrasana B, with all of my classes.

Over the few weeks leading up to the holidays I started to notice my students anxiousness in Warrior II…everyone wanted to move just as soon as they arrived in the pose. “Where are we going next?!?!” seemed to be the thought on every mind in the room, instead of focusing on the nuances of the posture at hand. So in an effort to bring more awareness to their Warriors, I have been holding my students in Warrior II for 7-10 breaths (which in a 55min class is significant).

Warrior II has always been up there as one of my favorites because it’s always a little different…there are so many different components at play. Starting from the base of the feet and working all the up to the head, there are endless things to think about.

Basic Alignment:

• Separate feet almost twice hip width apart and raise arms straight up from sides reaching left to right
• Turn right toes to the right and bend right knee so its directly over the ankle and the right thigh is parallel with the mat
• Gaze over right figure tips, relax shoulders, and engage the lower abdominals to the spine

From there you can check a number of things but most important (I think) is making sure your knee cap is tracking directly over your fourth and big toes. If your knee looks like its rolling inward, press into the pinkie toe side of your foot. In contrast, if your knee cap is turning out, press the big toe mound into the floor.

Benefits:

• stretch hips, groin, and shoulders
• strengthen legs, ankles, feet, and core
• increased focus, balance and concentration
• improved circulation, respiration
• lower back pain relief

My hope is you’ll find these and the coming weekly tips helpful in your own practice and daily life. If you’re in SF and want to come flow with me, check out the yoga page for classes and how to sign up!

 

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

 

 

Thursday Thoughts

Hello Friends! I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thursday!! You’d think on the heels of such an awesome weekend this week would have been great BUT its been a struggle.

I feel as though I’ve been going through the motions without any passion – I have a hard time getting up, I haven’t been practicing as long as I should each day, I have been skipping meditation entirely, and while I am looking for work, I am still not actively putting myself out there…to put it as eloquently as I can, I’ve just been feeling BLAH!!! 😉 However, last night when I was going to bed I reminded myself of something my father has always told me. It used to annoy me to no end in my teens and early twenties, but now I’m comforted when I play back his words: “You don’t always have a choice in what happens but you can always choose how you react – you can let IT control YOU, or You can control IT.” Now of course my father isn’t the only person to have delivered this sort of message throughout my lifetime but its always his voice I hear when I remember, I have a choice. I can choose to take steps to feeling happier or I can wallow – its my choice. 

So today, or maybe someday down the line when you’re feeling defeated, or you’re in a rut, or something driving you up a wall, remember, you always have a choice – you can always choose your reaction & how you allow situations to effect you.

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Happy Thursday WordPress Family!

I saw this article yesterday and just had to share! I often blog about tips to help improve your mood & overall sense of being which is exactly what this article is all about!

Just click the photo & you’ll be taken to Greatist‘s fabulous article…

Stay Happy Friends!

Pose-A-Day: yesterday was Virabhadrasana (Warrior 1) & today is Titthibasana (Firefly) which you can check out through my new handy-dandy instagram link!

Daily Eats

• Breakfast: Morning Muffin
• Snack: Cottage Cheese & Apple
• Lunch: Mixed Green Salad w/Tuna & Lemon
• Snack: Protein Shake
• Dinner: Brown Rice Sushi w/edamame & seaweed salad
• Dessert: Chia pudding w/Walnuts & Unsweetened Coconut

Yes, I can!

I’ve shared in past posts that life and all its wonderful trappings have been negatively effecting my fitness and diet. I used to be more disciplined about regular exercise and thoughtful consumption but over the last few months, not so much! I have been logging 1-3 workouts a week and eating more indulgently than I should – its not a treat if you have it every day!

I am a big fan of ‘all things in moderation‘  but it is time to get myself back on track! Since I am not trying to kill myself here, I came up with a few simple changes to get  back on track:

• Step #1: Yoga and Cardio 3x a week – balancing and maintaining my exercise is great for the body and mind!
• Step #2: No alcohol during the week – while delicious, my nightly glasses of wine are slowing my metabolic rate!
• Step #3: Indulge on the weekends – chocolate isn’t a multivitamin, I don’t need to have it everyday!

No weighing myself every week or obsessing over every little thing I put in my body, just positively reminding myself ‘Yes, I can!’ when the voices of doubt creep in!

Better Butter

Meet Butter Lettuce!
Boston and Bibb lettuce fall under the butter-head family and these lovely leaves are known for being very delicate but versatile!

When I first started snagging this stuff at the farmers market I was pretty peeved to watch the wonderful leaves wilt in less than 48 hours…WTF?!?! Well, my fridge was too cold and I hadn’t carefully packed the produce in an airtight container. ANYWAY, once I figured out how to properly care of it, I was able to use my butter lettuce for delicious salads and so much more.

With its subtle flavor and lovely shape, I’ve found butter lettuce to be perfect for wraps or cups, replacing carbohydrate heavy breads and tortillas. Lower in calories and carbs, replacing breads with butter lettuce can help keep you satisfied without weighing you down.

I love bread! As you can see I have still included some whole wheat baguette slices with my meal, and think whole wheat options in moderation are fantastic for you! However, when breads are used as a vehicle for our yummy meals, we sometimes forget just how much we’re consuming and WAY overdo it – bummer for the belly!

Forget just knocking out some extra calories, butter lettuce is a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin, Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Folate, Iron, Potassium and has anti-inflammatory properties…not bad huh?

Bypass breads for butter lettuce and enjoy!!

Blissful Burger

Who says non-meat eaters can’t enjoy a delicious, sloppy burger every now and again!?!?! This spicy black bean burger with roasted onions, peppers and corn/black bean salsa is delicious and contains no meat nor dairy!

I admit nothing in this post is homemade (unless you count roasting the peppers and onions; which, for the record, I do). Though I pride myself on making most things from scratch, sometimes life can get in the way of your best intentions!

When life’s craziness doesn’t allow for home cooking, morningstar farms, desert pepper and some easy techniques take over and my meals can still be healthy and satisfying! Not all frozen or packaged food is made equal and by choosing organic, natural options – with fewer ingredients you can actually pronounce – you can still feed your body what it needs!

After roasting half a bell pepper and a quarter of an onion (10 minutes @ 400) I slide my burger and whole wheat bun in to heat for 3 or 4 minutes. Once everything is nice and hot I heap some corn and black bean salsa on the bun, layer on the burger and veggies, top with the rest of the bun and BOOM burger bliss!

In a pinch, grab health frozen options….ENJOY!