Busy Bee & Being Happy as Me

Hey there friends! I have been go go go lately and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight…oh well! I guess I really should be grateful to have such a full life but sometimes its hard to enjoy the busy buzz when all you want is a moment of quiet.

The Dhyana Yoga Pose-A-Day in May Challenge officially ended Saturday & I am itching to find something else to do! I know I just got finished saying how busy things are, but the yoga challenge was a fun way to share my practice with people from all over. Please feel free to check out all the poses on my instagram – it was a great dance & so cool so see certain alignment issues I didn’t realize I had!

I didn’t get a chance to recap Memorial Day weekend, but it was awesome! I woke up early every morning to meditate & watch the sunrise, practiced yoga everyday, kicked some serious mini-golf butt and ate my weight in deliciously indulgent eats…it was awesome! The weather was perfect for the unofficial start to summer & even though Phil & I had to end the trip a day early to move him out of his condo, it was still an amazing weekend.

Its seems we just kept the good times rolling with a celebratory condo close dinner @ Butcher & Singer, my brother’s 25th Birthday dinner @ my parent’s & an awesome outdoor lunch date @ In Riva. I had an open water swim with one of my clients Saturday, so Phil and I got up early Saturday to ride out to the race. Afterwards we paid a visit to my folks & stopped for some lunch. All and all we road over 30 miles which made all the indulgent meals that much more rewarding…I mean, I had to replenish my glycogen somehow, haha!!

Anyway, even with all this happiness, I have been really down lately. There are a lot of things ‘up in the air’ for me right now, a few things that haven’t been going my way, work is downright insane & I have totally let it all take over. If I spontaneously break into tears one more time, I swear I am having myself committed….what’s this about?!?! Instead of being happy as me, understanding the ups & downs happen & going with the flow, I’ve been fighting it (not very yogic of me). I guess being aware of it is half the battle & even if its just for today, I am going to be happy with me..right where I am, just as I am!

I’m giving the ‘Daily Eats’ a break for a moment…there are some exciting things coming, both for me and my blog, so stay tuned!

 

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Self Care & Detox Day 7

I hope everyone is enjoyed their weekends as much as I am! This morning started with some restorative yoga to stretch things out and get the flood flowing before my swim lessons!

The Vabulous Life Spring Detox Day 7  is off to a awesome start – just a few hours at the pool before getting to enjoy a Sunday afternoon of sunshine! Phil and I have a river ride planned for later this afternoon – so excited for our first ride together!

Even more exciting is I scheduled some much needed self care! That’s right, I am getting my monthly massage therapy fix at Hand and Stone! I can’t tell you how valuable my massages have been now that I’ve kicked things into high gear. Hand & Stone offers a sports massage that is perfect for releasing trigger points or ‘knots’ throughout various muscle groups. Between all the yoga, riding and sitting at a desk, my upper back/shoulders/neck are a mess – I can’t wait for a little release!

Detox Day #7

• Morning Elixir
• Breakfast: Green Flax Smoothie
• Snack 1: Apple & Pumpkin Seeds
• Lunch: Hummus & Veggies
• Snack 2: Cacao Coconut Cookies
• Cranberry Flush
• Dinner: Beet Salad w/pumpkin seeds& olives
• Dessert: Chocolate Chia Pudding

 

How are you spending your Sunday?!?!

 

 

 

Nourishment & Detox Day 4

Happy Thursday! While it was a little harder to get up this morning, I did manage to squeeze 30 minutes of yoga in to start Day 4 of The Vabulous Life Spring Detox! Remember awhile back I mentioned I was asked to consult on the nutrition side of a holistic approach to coaching athletics, specifically swimming?!?! Well, today is our first meeting and I couldn’t be more nervous…probably why I had a hard time getting to sleep last night. Whenever I am feeling this way its so important to get some yoga in…there is something about a great flow that brings me a sense of power, courage and calm I can’t get anywhere else, its AWESOME! In case you were wondering, I was mighty impressed with myself for balancing my phone and successfully snapping this photo, haha!

Anyway, this meeting is a great first step in exploring what I have to offer in the way of nutrition. One of the biggest things holding me back from diving in is trying to figure out how my knowledge, talent and passion can best serve both myself/family & the community/society at large. I love working with the kids I coach and believe strongly there needs to be a change in the way the next generation relates to food/nutrition, so hopefully this is opens up possibilities for bridging that gap between the two – we shall see!!

Phil and I are on Detox Day 4 which is the last ‘preparation’ day before the middle seven ‘detox’ days! We took this opportunity to indulge in one of Phil’s favorites, black beans. Even though we can eat some more easily digestible beans throughout these middle seven days, black beans are not included on that list. We both got home so late I completely forget about the 1/2 avocado I was going to put on top of dinner until we were about half way through…oh well! Dinner was still super satisfying, filling and nutritionally balanced without it.

Tonight we’re going to a concert with some friends, YAY!, so its another rushed dinner for us. Its super important to make time for primary food & evenings out with friends, especially when you’re doing a cleanse or detox.  Scheduling  fun activities with friends will keep you from feeling isolating or deprived which can sometimes happen when following a detox…there are tons of non-food related things to help you feel nourished emotionally while you’re nourishing yourself nutritionally.

 

Detox Day 4

• Breakfast: Green Flax Smoothie
• Snack #1: Pear & Pumpkin Seeds
• Lunch: Tuna Salad w/mixed greens
• Snack #2: Hummus & Celery
• Dinner: Quinoa & Black Bean Salad with 1/2 Avocado
• Dessert: Chocolate Quinoa Pudding

 

How do you nourish yourself?!?!

 

 

Post Meet Week/Back to Reality

                                Happy Belated St. Patrick’s Day to All!  The weekend’s meet was long, loud and chaotic but successful! For the most part, the kids swam well and there was little to no drama – just A LOT of swimming! In addition to the kids success this weekend, I got to talking with some other coaches and may be collaborating on a program to help incorporate better nutrition education for swimmers. While many parents know they should be fueling their child athletes better, how to do so isn’t always intuitive! As we saw kids walking around with doughnuts, fruit snacks, chicken fingers/fries and various other unhealthy ‘foods’ our conversation as coaches couldn’t help but naturally take a turn in that direction. While things are still in early stages, it is incredibly uplifting to know there are other coaches with similar philosophies about swimming – we have a responsibility to our kids that extends way beyond the pool!

This weekend reinforced the ripple effect concept and confirmed that taking this path of health and wellness was the right move! No matter what you’re looking to achieve in life, all you have to do is listen to your heart, take steps down the path that are right for you and believe in yourself!

Getting back into the office grind is a little tough today but the prospect of moving forward with a new passion project is carrying me through!

What are some passion project you’re working on?

Foodie Friday

Happy Friday Folks! While I wish I could provide a deliciously healthy recipe this week, I am in full swing here at US MA SC Junior Olympic Age Group Champs, so there is just no time to cook! I know, the name is a mouthful!

As you can see from the photo, I was awake before the sun for the first session today! Kids ages 7-14 come from all over to compete in this weekend long meet! With three sessions running consecutively from 7am-9pm there really isn’t a lot of time to eat, let alone make healthy choices!

This Foodie Friday is dedicated to my meet time favorites!

I usually start my day with a protein bar (not pictured here) and keep myself going with snacks like Greek yogurt and chia seeds, almonds and blueberries, or honey wheat pretzels and peanut butter.

While everyone else’s blood sugar is spiking and crashing from all the doughnuts, bagels, soft pretzels, candy and soda, I keep my energy and blood sugar even keel all day long!

Even though I’ll be working all weekend, I hope you all have a wonderfully relaxing weekend!

Birthday Celebrations and Weekend Rides

Its official folks, diving season is over!! Whew! While I love my divers, the stress of coaching two sports in addition to my full time just was really starting to get to me! All I have to focus on now is my swimmers and their big meet coming up in a few weekends!

Even though I spent most of my weekend on a pool deck, I did manage to sneak in a long ride late afternoon Sunday! The weather was in the 50s and sunny – I was in heaven!

However, with all the snow melting, it wasn’t exactly the cleanest ride I have ever been on!I also managed to squeeze in a fun girls night for my cousins Birthday! It wasn’t quite as tropical as our celebration for her 40th last year, but we had an amazing dinner at Pennsylvania6 in center city Philadelphia! We were all a bit hungry when we sat down, so the delicious oysters and white bean dip we had for appetizers were devoured before I could snap a photo! This bi-level, dimly lit hot spot focuses on creative smaller plates while still keeping a casual/homey feel to many of their dishes! I had yellowfin tar-tar and baby beet salad as my dinner and it was divine – if you’re ever in Philadelphia, its a must try!!

Even though life gets busy, its always important to make time for self care! Whether it be a bike ride, a bite with friends or just some quiet time to decompress, its always important to do things for YOU!

Happy Monday!

Foodie Friday

It’s the freakin’ weekend…woohoo! I’m so excited for this weekend because it’s one of the first ‘big meets’ for my swimmers! MLK weekend is perfect for a three day event and I know the kids are ready to swim fast! They work sooo hard & are a constant source of inspiration!

This Foodie Friday recipe is not only healthy and delicious BUT it’s incredibly easy to make, great for leftovers, and will always leave you satisfied!Zucchini Lasagna

• 1 Fennel Bulb (Roasted)
• 1 Red Bell Pepper (Roasted)
• 1 Sm. Eggplant (Roasted)
• 1 Sm. Sweet Onion (Roasted)
• 1 c. Mushrooms (Sauteed)
• 1 shallot (Sauteed)
• 3 cloves Garlic (Sauteed)
• 3 Sm. Zucchini (Sliced in strips and grilled)
• 1 c. Non-fat Ricotta cheese
• 1 c. Reduced fat Mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 c. Grated Parmesan cheese
• 1-1 1/2 c. Marinara Sauce
• 3 tbsp. fresh (or dry) Italian herbs

ROAST veggies @ 400 for about 30 minutes. After veggies roast and cool, roughly chop.

SAUTE shallots and garlic in EVOO on medium until translucent/aromatic and add mushrooms to cook for 5-7 minutes. Mix in roasted veggies and cook together on medium for 3 minutes. Allow to cool on kitchen towel or paper towels to absorb some of the excess moisture.

GRILL zucchini strips (grill pan or outdoor grill) making sure to season strips with salt/pepper, brush the grill/grill pan with EVOO and cook on med-high for 2 minutes a side. Similar to the veggie mixture, allow strips to briefly cool on a kitchen towel or paper towels to absorb excess moisture.Layer sauce, zucchini strips (instead of pasta sheets), cheeses and filling just like you would a regular lasagna, sprinkling with herbs each layer. Top with a little extra grated Parmesan and bake @350 for 30minutes (broil in high for extra 4minutes turning half way through).

This is total comfort food and it’s totally delicious! While my swimmers indulge in pastas before their big meet, I’m going to indulge in this gluten free, InSaNeLy delicious zucchini lasagna.

Happy Friday…enjoy!

Remembering the days!

When I was young I was a competitive swimmer. Now am blessed to work for the same program I trained with and one of my favorite times of year is summer long course Junior Olympics.

Most of these kids wake up in the early am to train every day – essentially giving up their summer break! Let me tell you, when I was a kid, I HATED waking up at the crack of dawn when all my other friends got to sleep in – no sleepovers, late nights or anything most would deem as childhood summer fun!

But it was all worth it to when it came time for competition! I see the same excitement in the eyes of our swimmers and remember how it felt – it’s totally awesome!

I commend these kids for their commitment – they have no idea how talented they truly are!