Confessions and Lessons Learned

Oh my, I am embarrassed to admit that I totally disregarded my own advice on drinking responsibly this weekend! I feel I should be honest about it because sometimes life just happens and your best intentions seem to wander away. (Just so you know, I typically do follow the happy hour scenario suggestions, and feel much better than I did this weekend!)

On Friday I had plans to meet for drinks around 10, so I was just planning on having a glass of wine or two. But then another friend asked if I wanted to get drinks after work. I wanted to catch up so we went to one of our favorite wine/tapas bars, KashKaval. I stuck to one glass of wine and we shared a small tapas plate or hummus, roasted beets, roasted cauliflower, and eggplant caponata with pita bread. I love eating tapas style and this greek/italian mix is my favorite. We also split a salad. I requested dressing on the side, but it came already dressed. The waitress said it was lightly dressed, but there was definitely a huge pool of dressing in the bottom of the bowl. Oh well, at least it was olive oil based!

Round two: We started out a lounge, I had water since I didn't want beer and didn't trust the wine. Then we went to Pure Food and Wine for drinks. Here is where I get into trouble, everything seems so healthy! So my friend G and I love the rioja and we each got a glass--this glass was twice as big as the one from the wine bar! Then we decided to order some desserts, we split those--although we left most of the sundae because it was so rich! I also had a few sips of the cocktails my friends ordered.

Our final stop was Bar Jamon. I managed to refrain from another drink because I knew I didn't need it! But when I got home I definitely had a large handful of crackers to settle my stomach.

So two drinks turned into closer to 4!

Pubcrawl: This one I knew would be a big night. The run down 3 1/2 beers and one shot. Lots of fun.

What I realized from this weekend is that while drinking too much is definitely not great, it's how I feel the day after that really sucks!

Saturday and Sunday I really had no energy to workout, save one great yoga class at Om (more later). I was not too productive with my school work either. I like going through my days full force and alive with energy, buzzing busily from task to task, not dragging around. Of course it can be fun to loosen up with a drink or two, but for me two is the definite time to cap it, after that the price I pay in the days after out weighs the fun. It's kind of like dessert, the first few bites are the best, but after a huge slice of cheesecake, the bloated, sluggish feeling is almost not worth it.

Staying out until 4 in the morning two days in a row was part of the reason I really didn't get much done this weekend was because I have had trouble sleeping. I haven't been able to sleep for more than 4-5 hours in over a week, so that definitely played a part too. All week I felt fine with only a few hours a night, but everything caught up with me yesterday.

But damn is it hard! Looking at my schedule for the week, I could potentially relive this weekend on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but I am going to do my body a favor and pick one night to have a couple drinks. The other days, I will just enjoy my seltzer and lime! In a final revelation, I decided to give up beer for good, why drink something I don't even like. Although, I am not sure what I will do at the Astoria Beer Garden this summer!

xo!

The Lazy Girl's Guide to Getting a Gorgeous Bod

Sorry for the delay, blogger wouldn't give me a break this weekend! I'll respond to any comments later tonight!

So you want to look and feel sexy without any work? No this is not an infomercial, and no results are not guaranteed, but if trying a few ideas doesn't make you feel more energized, radiant and healthy from the inside out (or outside in, depending on the particular case), I'd be quite surprised!


While these tips aren't going to change your jeans size overnight, they can help start healthy habits, kick addictions, invigorate your body and stimulate cell renewal (bye bye cellulite), and just generally make you feel more beautiful and happy. Nothing is sexier than your own personal glow!

My ideas for easy ways to cleanse your body and boost your energy are a bit off the beaten path. Mainly because I don't want to insult your well-read intelligence or waste your time writing something you have probably seen a million times from mainstream health sources. Hopefully some ideas will be new to you; however, nothing is way out there! Some things just require a bit of an open mind.


Step one: Infuse

Forget Gatorade, give up sugar free red bull---and take a break from boring plain water.

I love making water infusions because they taste amazing, make me drink more water, keep me away from the diet coke, and seem to stimulate detoxification. On weekends I try to make a big pitcher of one of the following elixirs, during the week I try to just throw some lemon slices in my water bottle when possible. Perhaps with some cayenne--no this is not the master cleanse I just love cayenne! But seriously starting your morning with lemon water (with your breakfast or on your way to work) really does help eliminate all the gunk from the day before!
These are recipes from Natalia Rose's Raw Food Life Force Energy. I highly recommend all her books.


Fresh mint elixir
64 ounces water
1/2 cucumber, sliced
mint
sliced carrot
sliced lemon



Orange Zest--Natalia recommends this as a substitute for soda and hydrating source of electrolytes.


64 ounces water
sliced lemon
sliced orange
mint
sliced lime
3 packets stevia/a drizzle agave


Step Two

Exfoliate

Getting rid of old dead cells is guaranteed to rejuvenate you and get your glow going. You can use a natural sponge loofah, or a gentle exfoliant of a dry brush. It also stimulate circulation which is important for all metabolic processes.


Step Three


Massage

Ahhhh. If you've never had a massage, you really don't know what your missing. I had my first full-length spa massage after my marathon, and the next day my body was like new. Literally, all soreness completely disappeared. You are supposed to get a massage within 48 hours of the event to get all the lactic acid out of your system. I waited an extra day, but it still worked like magic. Like exfoliating, massage helps circulation and rejuvenates the system. Because it goes so deep it also flushes toxins out of your body, and of course alleviates tension. Could their be an easier way to get on the road to gorgeous? haha. I know they are not exactly cheap, so definitely look for deals. There are many places that do great massages even if they don't offer all the pampering and delectables. Another way to get a massage on a budget is to check if your insurance covers medical massages. Most companies offer 1-3 free medical massages a year. Take advantage. Saunas and steam rooms also help move things out of the body.

Step Four

Power breathing


This is one of my all time favorites. So simple, but so overlooked. Breathing is essential for life and yet we often take tiny little breaths, barely filling our lungs. Powerfully breathing oxygenates the cells, stimulates the metabolism and makes you feel amazing. Breathing is so important in yoga and pilates, and it should be important to you all day long. A couple times a day try taking a really deep inhale, then inhale a little more, then hold it for a second. Release slowly, but powerfully until there is no more air in your system and repeat a few times. Now tell me you don't feel a nice, energized tingling sensation! I used this trick while I was running my marathon, and I felt like I had a special secret no one else knew. It kept me energized and focused. Being under oxygenated will kill your energy!


Step Five:

Fresh vegetable juice:


I say it over and over again, so I'll make this quick. It is like an iv of health directly into your body. I didn't believe it until I tried it. My favorite is beet, carrot, lots of cucumber and celery, a bit of spinach and ginger. It is sweet, delicious and so so detoxifying. This is great in the morning. I also love it if I am going out for a late dinner. I'll have it around 5 or 6 to keep my blood sugar stable and to keep my mind off food and to feel truly alive! There is nothing like it, so get yourself to a juice bar. Don't be worried about calories! This juice isn't pasteurized, so it does its job cleaning your cells, energizing your body and gets the heck out of town!

Step six:
Consider supplements/super foods:


I am not a huge superfood/supplement person, but some people swear they change their lives and their health. I am not talking about things like blueberries, I mean things like spirulina, e-3 live, hemp and chia seeds, maca, super green powders, bee pollen, goji berries, wheatgrass, and chlorella. Personally, I like e-3 live and that's about all I use, but I should try more things. I think Kris Carr of Crazy Sexy Cancer has a good article on getting started. Do some of your own research if you are interested!

*I will say that the benefits of these products are MAXIMIZED if you already have a fairly healthy diet. Like multivitamins, they are not an excuse to eat crap. In fact, it is a waste of money to take e-3 live (which is expensive) and then drink diet coke. You have just killed off the nice alkaline balance the body craves. So please experiment and let me know what you think or what you already use, but don't expect to get a 1/2 pound burrito and a shot of wheat grass and to feel like a rockstar. :)

A closing note on my philosophy behind why these things can actually improve your body even though they seem so simple. If you have impurities in your system from the environment, food, smoking, etc., your body is going to be spending a lot of time undoing the damage. If you help stimulate the removal of these undesirable elements, your body can spend its time improving what you have, your metabolism should be optimized, your mood improved and your mental clarity at its peak.

Natural beauty

A reader asked me what natural beauty products I used, and I have to say, I need to explore this area more. I really hate lotion and don't use hundreds of different products. But I do wear make-up and I should check out more natural sources. I do like Fresh brand and all Kiss My Face products.


This is a great article on natural beauty products from Raw Faith.


In my apartment we have made the switch to using all natural cleaning products. I love them, and I never feel lightheaded like I do when I use the scary toxic mainstream ones! We use Seventh Generation and Meyer's Clean Day (smells heavenly-and I hate most scents, bath and body makes me gag).

Real Life Scenario: Happy Hour!

Going out with friends for wine, cocktails, beers, etc. is fun, it's social, and let's face it, it's part of most adults lives. Whether it's to network or just recreational, opportunities to drink abound.

In fact, I am going on my first ever pub crawl this weekend. It is from 10pm to 4 am! It gave me the idea for this post.

I think there is a line in Skinny Bitch that goes something like "Beer is for frat boys, not skinny bitches." Ummm....yeah, still working on the skinny bitch thing--though not literally aiming for either--Haha.

All joking aside, while I am not a heavy drinker, I do love me a glass...err...bottle of wine or a great martini now and again--and I am not one to stay inside every weekend just because I know that drinking isn't exactly the best thing for your waistline.

So after a few years of trying to find the balance between going over board and feeling like I am missing out, I think I have figured out how to get my drink on responsibly and realistically!

My first tip is to only really go crazy 2 nights a month. More than that and it's hard to justify as healthy.

Obviously, you are probably going to drink more than 2 times a month. I have a drink or two about twice a week, some weeks more, some weeks less. So do interval drinking to maximize your happy hour. One drink, one seltzer with lime (aka virgin vodka tonic). Second drink. Happy hour over!

I am sure you have all seen the magazine articles of the 600 calorie long island ice teas and the 300 calorie frozen margaritas, so still to the basics: wine, vodka/club soda, sake, light beer--the only beer I like is Corona and they usually don't have light--so sometimes I don't follow my own advice! Your body will thank you for not hitting with tons of sugar AND alcohol!

This is straight from the nutritionist's mouth: your first drink is free, the second you have to count as a healthy starch. This means for every drink after the first, you should cut one starch out of your day. So if you have 6 servings of starch (bread, pasta, beans, corn, potatoes, etc.) and you want to have two drinks, just skip the bread with your salad at lunch. Eat a half cup of cereal less. Order mussels marinara, sauteed spinach and salad for dinner instead of mussels over angel hair. You get the idea. Obviously alcohol is not a "healthy starch," but as you can more than safely have two non-healthy starches a week, using them here, plus cutting out a healthy starch a day will do no to minimal damage to waistline and workout efforts.

This brings me to my next point. Do a preemptive workout. Definitely get in your workout the day of a big drinking night, you probably won't feel like working out the next day, so don't miss your chance. Make it a strong one. Also aim for morning or midday, if you workout right before going out, you might hit the floor on the first drink. :)

If your are planning on having beer, watch the fruit. I know this may sound crazy. Because fruit is amazing; I eat a TON of it! But yeast and fruit are not a great combination, so keeping it around two servings is a good idea in my opinion. Focus on the veggies!

My last tip is to make sure to drink some fresh vegetable juice, like carrot, cucumber, celery--perhaps with ginger or parsley--before and after drinking, it will rehydrate you, help flush out the toxins in your cells, eliminate bloating, and knock out your hang over.

Recap and Rock Your Body Challenge 2

Recap: Workout Like/With a Guy--Double Whammy!

Last night I worked out with not one, but two guys! It uped the anti a bit.

Here was the workout:

~30 minute treadmill run-average speed 6.6 mph
~15 rowing
~20 minute elliptical, level 8, hard intensity, 4 minute cool down
~8 minute rowing with underhand grip
20 minutes strength: ab workout from fitness magazine.

After the workout, I had a one hour massage, and boy do I feel like a new person! All toxins are gone! soreness? what soreness? More on why you need to treat yourself well tomorrow! PS I was incredibly lucky and they weren't able to provide the service I originally scheduled, so I received 30% my massage at Juvenex and free access to all mineral baths, steam rooms, saunas and other amenties!

So here is my second Rock Your Body Running Challenge to anyone interested:

PS for a hilarious look at the obsession with running marathon's checkout this!


From my coach, who is running a 100 mile race soon!
Goal and description of the workout : This is all about challenging yourself, and working on strengthening your calf, quad and hip muscles. You will work based on effort and not speed, just put a good effort-7 out of 10.
It is ok to let the breathing to get a bit out of wack today, challenge yourself !

Treadmill workout:

Warm-up 10 minutes
1 min @ incline 2 + 2 mins @ incline 8, recover 4 minutes
Repeat 8 times.
cool down

Push the 1 minute and the 2 minutes, take it easy on the recovery, it is a long recovery, so you can afford to really challenge yourself.

If this is too intense for all of you,tomorrow's (Saturday's--need more time!) post will be "The Lazy Girl's Guide to Getting a Gorgeous Bod"

I've Been Punked!

I finally tried Punk Rope, a power jump roping class my co-worker is obsessed with! Wow, what an experience. I can’t remember if I was a good jump roper in elementary school, but I’m not now! Punk Rope is available in many gyms, studios and YMCA’s.

I wore my camouflage shirt to be in the badass mindset, but it turned out that our instructor was a very sweet woman-nothing drill-sergeant about her-and the class was all girls!

Punk rope is a class where you alternate a song of jump roping, with a song of group activities: relay races and squats and mini-handball and other games, kind of like gym-class.

Each jump roping interval incorporated a different skill, such as crossing, double jumping, lounge jumps, side to side, etc. There is a learning curve here, and although the instructor explained techniques very well, I could do a lot of the moves. However, she did provide the option of swinging the rope to the side to get your rhythm.

By the end of the class I had managed to master the basic jump and a few simple moves, and boy does jumping with the rope get your heart rate up! I was winded in like 30 seconds. Jumping rope burn move than 100 calories in 10 minutes, but you never have to jump hard for more than 90 seconds, before slowing down and speeding up again.

For a good jump roper, this workout could easily be an9 out of 10. For a beginner, it was maybe more of a 6 or 7 (because you have to stop when you mess up).

I liked the class, but as it would take me a long time to master the art of jumping, I think I will duck out feeling kind of punked.

Get Fit For Free!

Deals on workouts, spa treatment, fitness paraphernalia and food!

I LOVE a deal! So here's a little round up of just how to steal a six-pack!

Sorry this is a bit NYC centric. Scroll to the bottom for national deals!

First off, do some research and do some asking. Many gyms offer a free introduction week or two, so just keep gym hoping and you have several months of free fitness! You just have to dodge the annoying follow up calls.

Ask to try a class! Many yoga studios offer a first class free, but if they don't ask for one. Same goes for spinning studios and other workout centers. Or just sneak in....shhhh!

Here are a few places I know give you a free first class:

Om Yoga
Stripxpertease
Camp Undefeated class at Energy Fitness
Jivamukti Yoga
Club H-any class
These are just a few!

Train for free!
(These clubs are available in multiple cities, so check the Nike and Addidas websites.)
NYC Running club-Running Club, every Thursday @ 6:30p.m.Whether you’re training or looking for a new motivation, just lace up and join us at the Niketown Running Club. Runners and walkers of all levels meet to run 3, 5 and 7 miles-your choice, your pace. It’s fun, free and guaranteed to give you a great workout! Come join us on Mondays and Fridays at 5:45p.m., followed by post-run refreshments.

Addidas Urban Run: The adidas Urban Run is open to everyone. Runners meet at the adidas Urban Run office at Chelsea Piers, which is located next door to Ruthy's Café on Pier 62. Classes meet Tuesday evenings from 7:00pm - 8:00pm and Sunday mornings from 10:00am - 11:00am.
Two accomplished pacesetters will lead you along the bikeway/walkway on an out and back course ranging from 4 to 8 miles. Pacesetters will check in with runners of various paces to provide encouragement and valuable feedback.

Mediatate For Free!
Open Center
JCC-Meditation Workshop

Free Playlist Ideas:
Zone Hampton spinning studio lists its class playlists, so steal their ideas and give yourself a spinning class.

Free Massage!

Kennedy Chiropractic, Fitness and Wellness
Cash in on the free health/fitness evaluation that this Chelsea center is offering, and then complement it with a private Pilates class, a one-on-one personal-training session or a deep-tissue massage, all free of charge. (from Time Out New York)

FUEL!
Free Fuel for Everyone: I googled free food, just to see what I could get, this site offers links to free clif bars, kashi bars, teas, Bragg's Liquid Aminos, beauty products and more!

This site has free pretty much everything! But watch out, not everything is healthy, don't eat just because it's free!

Great Steal!
Self Workout in the Park
A full day of fitness and yoga classes, plus more freebies than you can carry for $20! I had so much fun at this event! April 26-San Diego, May 3rd Miami, May 10th NYC, May 11th Chicago.

Bikram NYC Flatiron

Bikram NYC!

So I finally took my second class at Bikram NYC Flatiron. For some reason, getting me to Bikram is like getting gym haters to the gym! But I arrived to my second class at 6:40am this morning. (I spent most of my weekend vigorously studying for my first exam in three years. But I did sneak in a spinning class and a few workout videos. Totally skipped all workouts on Friday for socializing.)

So let's start with the first class, as it was a totally different experience from the second one. I went to a 3pm Tuesday class (my office had a fire and we didn't have work!). My first reaction was that it smelled horrible in the studio. I wouldn't say I am overly sensitive, but it wreaked. I didn't understand how people were dealing with it. But I went up to the front desk and hoped I would quickly adjust to the horrible scent--It never did.

The receptionist was not extremely friendly, and I had to pay $7 for mat and towel rental--I didn't want to get my mat all sweaty. I also thought they were included with the intro week, but I guess not on the class pack. I also spent $2 on a 32 ounce smartwater, which seemed like a great deal comparatively.

The run of the mill locker rooms had tiny lockers, which no one was using. I decided to bring my bag into the studio with me just in case.

The studio room itself was very nice and open, with one wall all windows directly facing the Flatiron Building. It was definitely 105 degrees! There are mirrors in the front, not typical for yoga. I really wasn't prepared to be so up close and personal with my body, wearing only shorts and a sports bra. I recently heard someone say that Bikram Yoga can quickly become naked yoga! (There are naked yoga studios in the city, but I don't intend to try them.) My second class I was in the back, which was better for my focus.

At any rate, I really didn't know what I was in for other than heat. I kind of thought it would be like hot vinyasa yoga, but it is very different. You basically spend 90 minutes of "grueling meditation" going through 26 poses, 2 times each. See diagram for poses.

Classes start and end with a breathing exercise, which I definitely prefer to chanting. I like to sing in groups only at Girl Scout Camp.

The first half is standing, mainly focusing on balance. It wasn't incredibly hard. A bit uncomfortable though.

The second half is on the ground, which is actually more demanding in ways because you keep flipping back to front. It challenged my strength and stamina, and definitely my flexibility. I also liked that it was a communal activity, our collective energy was supposed to help us through the poses.

I left feeling very calm and at one with the universe, corny as it sounds. But I didn't think I really got a workout. I also wasn't sure I really wanted to go back.

I never think to research classes until after I take them. I ran the marathon before I started gobbling up running books like thanksgiving dinner. So I was planning on doing some more research to see what the obsession is all about when I received a very nice thanks for attending email from the studio. I really appreciate those touches! Here is an excerpt:

"Welcome to Bikram Flatiron. Whether it was your first time in class or you’ve practiced at other studios, we’re glad you could come and try out our favorite kind of yoga. We know it gets hot in the room, and your first class is not necessarily the easiest thing you’ve done, but make sure you take advantage of your intro week and come again. The second class is very different from the first, and the classes keep getting better and better.

Making Bikram a regular part of your lifestyle produces a range of benefits such as:
Increases metabolism
Improves the digestive system
Cleanses the body of toxins
Increases joint stability and mobility
Makes you immune to the annoyance of the subway!"

So the balancing of the body and metabolism more than the calorie burn is supposed to help your body.

My second class, as promised very different from the first. The room didn't smell, thank god!

My instructor was so energetic and upbeat, kind of a cross between a game show host and an auctioneer. He spoke quickly and rhythmically, varying tone in pitch in long connected sentences.

But he really helped me focus. He also corrected pretty much everything I did until I was doing it perfectly. He helped us push ourselves to the edge, saying without challenge there can not be change.

The room definitely seemed hotter, super hot in fact! As it was very early in the morning the first few poses were really challenging. Fortunately, you only hold them half as long the second time around.

I enjoyed the class more, I worked very hard with the motivation of the instructor, push, push, pushing us through every second.

In both classes I was pretty sweaty, especially for me, I don't sweat much. The showers at the studio are very see through, just so you know!

So again I left class happy and upbeat. I felt cleansed and detoxed. It was really warm out, so I walked the 20 blocks to work without my ipod so I could experience the city instead of totally zoning out to Soulja boy or something.

Again I felt like I would need a cardio workout and since I don't have a whole lot of time on my hands to do multiple workouts, I would tend to focus on cardio. But by the time I got to the office I realized I was really sore. The soreness lasted all day, which is a sign I got a great workout! I definitely enjoy the cleansing and mental benefits, and craved water all day, I managed to drink 4 liters!

One of my blog intentions was to review as many workouts as possible and maybe someday write a book, but it looks like a yoga duo has beat me to it! You can buy a book called Citystretch which review 250 studios in NYC, several studios offer a free class for anyone carrying the book check it out.

PS Lot more deals coming up after midterms.