Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts

Monday, August 7, 2017

face time.

The best gifts are the ones you would never buy for yourself and you love them so much, you end up buying them for yourself after that. My two best examples are the Earth tu Face Serum that Hannah got me for my birthday this year and the Confidence in a Cream face lotion that Alison gave me. I love them both (and apparently I was in need of some face products and treatment)! The Serum is lovely. It smells and feels like a spa on my face for a couple minutes every day. And the face lotion is buttery and cooling - I actually look forward to lotioning my face.

I have never been good at taking care of my face and skin and honestly a lot of times at night I am so tired and lazy that I end up going straight to bed. But turns out some amazing products can also be just the kind of motivation you need. In short, if you are looking for a serum or face lotion, would recommend them both - all thanks to Hannah & Alison!

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

resolution 2015.


How is everyone's 2015 NYE resolution going? I always choose a resolution that is very tangible. In 2014, I cut orange juice completely out of my diet. I don't think I have had a full glass of orange juice since 2013! In 2012, Ben and I both resolved to take our cell phones off of the table when we are eating. And this year, I decided to finally cut sugar and sweetener out of my coffee.

Admittedly, this has been a tough one. I really love my coffee with sweetener. 5 months in and I am finally just beginning to get used to my coffee. For the first couple of months, I wasn't even finishing my morning cup which would have been unheard of previously. But here we are in June and slowly but surely, I am coming around to that bitter taste of my cup of jo...and hoping by the end of the year, I like it!

Monday, June 1, 2015

spun up.

Good Monday morning people! It's officially summer. How do I know that? Ben and I slept on very separate sides of the bed last night in an active effort not to be touched because it was hot. Short story - we are getting our air conditioning checked!

On another note, Flywheel. For all of you in DC (they are also all over the country), it is worth trying out. Stephanie started instructing there this spring and I have been promising her that I would come check it out. So, a couple weeks ago, I committed to doing a class this past Sunday and Ali also joined. It was awesome. I have been slowly - baby-stepping - my way into the spinning world and Flywheel was fantastic. I am bias, but Stephanie teaches a phenomenal class and the actual building/facilities studios are great. But here is the real game-changer, at most spin studios, they prompt you to turn the nob on your bike to increase your resistance. And, I find myself always wondering if I am increasing it enough and trying to figure out if I am keeping up with the rest of the class. Not to mention, it is much easier to cheat yourself on the workout when you have no measure of whether you are challenging yourself. But at Flywheel, there is a little digital screen on your bike where you can see both the Torq and your RPMs, so the instructor is telling you where your Torq should be and giving you goals to reach on your RPM. There are also two screens at the front of the room - these are leaderboards - that show (you can opt out if you don't want to be on it) how you are competing with the rest of the class. And finally, all of your personal stats/data are collected in your profile - so you can see your improvement and track your progress over time.

Anyway, I could go on, but you get the point. I'm a big fan and you should sign up. Your first class is free (shoes are included) and they also have barre classes - though I haven't tried one yet. Let me know if you want to go - I am going to be making this a weekend tradition!

Thursday, January 15, 2015

classpass.

Are you all on ClassPass? Have you heard of it? Tried it? I just put myself on the list and I am intrigued. It basically allows you to sign up for unlimited classes at various studios for class workouts. If indeed it is full access to classes, I am pretty psyched since this will help vary up workouts and save money!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

acai it.

Molly and Rags tipped me off to acai, and specifically acai bowls and smoothies a while back. In case you are looking for something to mix up the smoothie/breakfast/health routine - this might do it for you. Apparently, Sambazon is the big producer you can find here in the US...you can find it at Whole Foods and it comes in frozen sections that you throw into a blender with fruit to make a smoothie or mix up to make a bowl. It is good stuff!

Here is what an acai bowl looks like...


...and in case you are in DC and want to try one out before you head over to Whole Foods to stock up, they said the juice bar at Body Smith Gym on 14th Street makes a great Acai Bowl.

Friday, May 2, 2014

vega time.

Find of the week? Vega Protein Powder. Seriously. So good! I was actually in Whole Foods looking for a different protein powder to add to my smoothies (per my cleanse directions) and I couldn't find it. I ended up buying a couple of these Vega Protein Powder packets instead and I am convert! They also have single serving packets that you can try. I didn't want to buy a huge container since I didn't know if I would like it, but they are amazing, not to mention, a great healthy supplement. I have tried the vanilla and chocolate and am a big fan of both - highly recommend them!

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

cleansed.

Sorry for the silence! Life has just been so damn busy lately, I have been feeling stretched thin. I also decided to do a cleanse this week, my first ever. I am on day 2 and while cutting out many things that I love dearly (caffeine, dairy, meat, carbs, and sugar) - it isn't as bad as I would have thought. This is still a food friendly cleanse - so I am eating a lot of veggies, fruit, smoothies and quinoa. Last night, we made a fantastic broiled salmon with asparagus and quinoa. Our friend, Amanda, is a nutrition and holistic health coach and she and her partner are running the cleanse - so I figured why not! (In case you are interested, Amanda's personal site is: http://myediblesunshine.com/ and her other site is: http://craftedwellness.wordpress.com/). 

More to come I am sure...but for right now - here is the smoothie recipe I used this morning that was fantastic...even Ben liked it!

Vanilla Protein Smoothie
serves: 1 - 2
Ingredients:
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 handful of spinach
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 banana
1 scoop Sun Warrior vanilla protein powder (chocolate is available too)
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
A handful of ice cubes
Water to blend
Directions:
In a high-powered blender, blend all ingredients until smooth.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

juiced.

My resolution this past new year was to cut orange juice out of my diet. I love a glass of orange juice but in fairness I love a glass of pulp free orange juice (usually tropicana out of those cartons) and I knew it was filled with sugar and anything but healthy. I haven't had a glass of orange juice in 2014. And then, a couple weeks ago suddenly there was a lot of renewed discussion about how unhealthy our processed orange juice is. Take for example, this piece, Coca-Cola's 'Simply Orange' Juice is Anything But. No surprise but scary nonetheless!