Wellness Wednesday

Hey There Friends!

Are we all making it over the hump? This week started busy and will end just the same…story of life I guess, right?!? Anyway, since today is the last Wednesday in March this will be the last installment of my sleep series. Since I have covered most of the basics, I thought I would hit one more – the morning routine – waking up in the healthiest way to start your day. We’re all guilty of hitting the snooze button a few too many times in a desperate attempt to get more sleep, only to end up rushing out the door and jolting your body into a panicked start to the day – no bueno! Below are the five things, no matter what, I do every morning to ensure I have a healthy, happy start to the day.

1. No Snooze – set your alarm for when your realistically need to get up, and get up. Place your phone or alarm clock far enough away from your bed that you have to physically get up to shut it off.
2. Drink a tall glass of warm or room temperature water. If you’re a tea or coffee drinker this is the perfect time to start the kettle, french press, pot, whatever…
3. Clean Routine – whether you like to shower in the morning or not, take time to thoroughly wash your face, neck & check, brush your teeth & hair, as a signal to your body that its time to refresh & restart.
4. Make your bed and tidy up – I guess this one is a bit of a personal thing but its amazing how much better it feels to come home to a clean and tidy home (or at least bedroom/bathroom).
5. Keep things quiet & screen free for 30 minutes if possible. With the exception of shutting off your alarm, try to avoid the TV, iPad, computer, and cell phone while you’re getting your day started – the world can wait another 30 minutes.

I hope these and the last few weeks of tips can help you maximize your energy throughout your day & keep you feeling happy/healthy!

 

’til next time, keep smiling! 🙂

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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! 🙂

 

 

 

Resolutions, Realizations and Reality

Happy Monday, Happy New Year and Happy return to reality (well, for me anyway)!

The holiday season was filled with family fun, traveling, working from home, coaching, and lots and lots of food! I am so grateful that I had this time to spend with loved ones and really soak in the season…not to mention, it snowed!!!!!!

While I loved all the merriment and munchies, I definitely fell off my regular routine. As December came to a close I was hit with a big dose of reality, nothing in my closet fit! When I say nothing, I don’t mean I couldn’t fit into one or two things, I quite literally mean dress after dress, after skirt after skirt, doesn’t fit me right now.

Of course there was the moment of tears, remorse and depression as I contemplated the ‘damage’ I had done to my body and in term of self-esteem, but after some consoling from my supportive boyfriend and deep breathing, I came to realize this isn’t such a terrible fate.

As I have  mentioned, I’m all about fresh starts, recommitting to healthy habits and not allowing moments of weakness – however long or brief – keep you from achieving your ultimate goal. Instead of focusing on the indulgences I allowed myself and the workouts I skipped, I am focusing on the positive steps I can take to get back on track.

Admittedly, I am not heavy, fat, chubby, whatever…but I am not in shape either. I measure whether or not I am in shape but how I feel and how my clothing fits; which isn’t great at the moment.

So, here’s to week #1 of getting back into it!!

Resolutions:

• Diet ~ drink more water/herbal tea & eat smaller portions/less sugar.
• Physical ~ exercise everyday/mix it up & commit to getting more sleep
• Mental ~ organize schedule monthly/review weekly & prepare the night before
• Spiritual ~ attend mass weekly & take 5 minutes a day for quiet gratitude/reflection
• Social ~ balance monthly budget & spend more responsibly

Here’s to a great start to 2014….!!!!

Rethink your routine!

With Spring in full swing, gyms are packed with active adults trying to tone up before the coming beach season! Whether you’re an all year round exercise addict or someone who exercises just when necessary, consider the following five as ways to get more out of each gym session.

1. Breathing: During weight training, tough intervals, yoga, and even cardio, wayyy too many people hold their breath. Focusing on proper breathing through your workout can help get you push through harder sets. Paying attention to your breath can keep your mind and muscles calmer by flooding them with oxygen. Breathing is essential to maximizing your workout potential!

2) Skipping warm-up/cool down or stretching: Its essential to allow your body to set up for and recover from workouts. Jumping right into exercise can spike your heart rate and give you nothing to build towards resulting in a shorter work out. Similarly, going from 60 to 0 results in your heart rate suddenly dropping and not getting all the benefits of your hard work. Also, actively stretching before and after working out is KEY to preventing injury, quick muscle recovery and overall better muscle health.

3) Don’t get Stuck: A lot of people get so obsessed with their routine and forget to mix it up. Even worse, exercise can become so habit driven that if something in the day throws off your routine, you’ll skip the work out entirely. Keep it interesting by taking a series of different classes throughout the week or try different types of circuit training on your own. Also, if you miss a class because of a meeting, or a last minute dinner date, have a work out back up plan – even if it isn’t as intense as your normal routine, its better than skipping all together.

4) Fuel for Success: Making sure your body has want it needs before, during and after a work out is paramount to seeing results. Giving your body fuel before cardiovascular activity, 90 minutes into activity and within 30 minutes after will ensure your body gets the most out of each workout. When your body doesn’t have the fuel it needs, it turns to breaking down muscle tissue, NOT FAT, for energy.

5) Hydrate: Before, During and After activity, proper hydration is a must! Life requires proper hydration but when you’re active, your body needs that much more. Its recommended an individual consume 16oz of water before beginning activity and 8oz for every 20 minutes of activity throughout the session.

Try and incorporate one or all five of these workout tips into your routine and see if things improve!