Fall Fire Sale!

Happy Monday – This is going to be mostly a business post as I have a few openings in my schedule and thought a Sale could be in order for those wanting to get in shape for the holiday season.

I’m offering 20% off both my local and online programs, woot woot! Message me to get full details but here’s a little break down of services offered:

Six Week Fit Life Program – Local to Los Angeles only — Program is designed to help you create and maintain healthy habits for life. Ideal client has a goal in mind (weight loss, muscle building, etc) and is willing to think outside of the box to get there. Program includes once a week active sessions (hiking, walking, SaMo/Culver City Stairs, etc), Eating Psychology and Embodiment Coaching, nutrition counseling and fitness plans, and accountability support throughout the week.

Six Week Fit Life Program – Nationwide via email — Same deal as above, program is designed to help you create and maintain healthy habits. Via email we’ll go over your goals and I’ll put together a plan to help you reach them and then check in weekly to see how it’s going and if we need to tweak anything.

Please reach out if you have any questions 🙂

I’ll leave you with some healthy options for those office and neighborhood Fright Fests going on this week and next: http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy/photos/healthy-halloween-recipes.html Feel free to spike that Punch!

Autumn is in the Air

Sure, it might be 90 again a week from now, but TODAY?? Today is a beautiful Autumn day in Southern California.

What are your favorite Fall activities? Mine are cooking with seasonal produce, going to Haunted Houses, and watching scary movies. Thanksgiving’s all well and good, but Halloween is my jam. I went to Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights at the end of September and am planning to go again when my sis comes to visit at the end of the month. Checked out Knott’s Scary Farm last year, but this year I have a Year Pass for Universal so I get discounted HHN tix. I’m being fiscally responsible 😉

So back to cooking! I love making simple things with tons of health benefits and natural flavors. Roasting a squash with a little coconut oil and curry seasoning, pan-searing pears and sprinkling with cinnamon, throwing together an autumn lentil stew, or whatever inspires me at the market. But it’s all about SPICES!

My most used spices are cumin, ginger, cayenne, cinnamon, and smoked paprika (plus himalayan salt and fresh ground pepper, but those aren’t very exciting). I have been trying to use more turmeric because of its awesome health benefits as well. Turmeric studies have focused on its anti-inflammatory benefits, decreased cancer risk, and support of detoxification, potential for improving cognitive function, blood sugar balance, and kidney function, as well as lessening the degree of severity associated with certain forms of arthritis and certain digestive disorders. Talk about a powerful little spice!

My most-used list is not too shabby in the benefit department either. Cumin has a sort of nutty-peppery flavor and is an excellent source of iron, spicy ginger is a powerful anti-inflammatory, fiery cayenne can help reduce cholesterol, sweet and warm cinnamon helps the body’s ability to utilize blood sugar (and its scent boosts brain activity!), and woodsy smoked paprika’s vitamin A content aids in night vision and plays a role in healthy cell development.

Are you maximizing your dishes with mighty spices?

Well I’m gonna head outside and enjoy this mild weather before it leaves me! I’ll sign off with a random Halloween fact:

The original 1978 movie Halloween had such a small budget that they used the cheapest mask they could find for their killer, Michael. It was a William Shatner Star Trek mask!

I Love Cheap Thrills

So I don’t know about you, but I am broke as a joke after a ton of summer adventures (I mean, I was broke as a joke before too – but this time it’s a less funny joke…more like a joke delivered by a sad clown, if you will.) Due to my low bank account balance but high desire to stay/get more fit – I started researching how to eat/make Healthy Food on a budget and thought you might be interested as well:

http://www.muscleforlife.com/how-to-eat-healthy-foods-on-a-budget/

TLDR: Buy Eggs, Chicken Breast, Canned Salmon/Tuna, Almonds, Low-Fat Cottage Cheese, Protein Powder, Avocado, Oats, Black Beans, Brown Rice, Quinoa, Fruit, Sweet Potato

Now sure, I don’t eat all that stuff – but maybe YOU do, and who am I to judge? Nobody.. I’m just providing us with information.

I do like to make fast, cheap, easy food – but I promise to stay away from fake shit 🙂

I was at Sweat yesterday and our yogi leader, Brittny, shared an interesting memory/lesson learned from one of her favorite teachers in India. I can’t remember his name, and it doesn’t matter to the story so I’m not even going to make one up, like Bob or Jim (I’m super creative). The story per my recollection: Brittny was having a full on tantrum, hysterical sobbing and self-righteousness, and Teacher said to her, “You have every right to feel like this. You can self-indulge as long as you like, it is everyone’s right. But you also have the right to stop and feel grateful for what you have, who you are as a human being.”

I shall try to remember Teacher’s words the next time I am sucked down the self-pity rabbit hole.

Lastly, for this Random Thoughts Wednesday – I am heading to a wedding in a couple of weeks and thought: Can I really tone up a bit in just two weeks? TO THE INTERWEBS!

http://www.elle.com/beauty/health-fitness/advice/a27/i-got-in-shape-in-two-weeks/

Now, the writer has a crazy awesome trainer and I do not, BUT I think I can apply some of her situation to my own – no alcohol, up my protein and lower my refined carb intake, drink tons of water, and push myself to the edge in my workouts.

We’ll see, I’ll try to remember to let you know 😉

And let’s end this with a random fact: According to the American Frozen Food Institute, the average American eats 72 frozen meals a year, making frozen foods a $22 billion industry

 

 

 

“No Day But Today”

Yeah, I just quoted “Rent” … it was one of the first shows I saw out of town with friends and I have loved it since. I haven’t seen the movie, didn’t actively avoid it but I hadn’t seen the show in years and didn’t want to affect the memory – if that makes any sense, ha.

As a new year begins we reflect on the past 12 months and consider goals for the next. I’m not really a resolution maker but the end of last year threw some worries my way and I now have to decide if I’m going to keep being complacent, letting life’s happenstance direct me or start navigating it for myself.

Happy New Year, friends xo

Halloween Prep and Why Does Time Fly By So Quickly?

Have you done all of your Halloween partying already? My sis and some friends had a big party on the East Coast last weekend and Megan’s Female Bane was amazing. Also my gorgeous friend Rachel’s Hulk Hogan was hilarious…I’ll ask if they mind if I share a picture haha.

I’m heading to a couple of parties in Santa Monica on Friday – one is called “The Beautiful and The Damned” …..which honestly sounds a little terrible to me. But I am going as Jessica Fletcher of ol’Murder, She Wrote fame so I guess I will qualify as one of “The Beautiful.”

Hehe…. My tweed skirt and blazer are excited to make it out of my closet.

So also…it’s November on Saturday. And I’m chopping 10 inches off my hair then heading to a Day of The Dead party thrown by the super talented Lissie. Have you ever listened to her stuff? It’s fantastic — I used to sing with her as a kid and I’m happy she’s doing so well, she should be a household name though! Check out one of her originals here: Everywhere I Go

And then her cover of Pursuit of Happiness is killer. So excited to see her perform live again at The Paramount.

As far as the Healthy, Fit part of life, I’ve bought the Month of Unlimited Rides package from Kinetic Cycling 🙂 Started it on October 21st and I’ve gone 6 times so far. I’m trying to make 5 classes a week, riding a minimum of 21 miles each class. On top of that I’m adding one 5 mile run, and either The Stairs or a hike each week.

So, what are you doing for Halloween? Do you get any trick-or-treaters?

Random MSW fact:  In 1996, CBS began phasing out Murder, She Wrote. Lansbury knew that the show was ending, so she felt free to experiment. The episode “Murder among Friends” was a parody of the popular sitcom Friends. In this episode, Jessica Fletcher solved a murder on the set of a fictitious sitcom called Buds.

Hey there Fall!

Ah, my favorite season is here! Pumpkins, cool nights, gold/brick/and orange leaves, the best apples, chai tea, and hearty soups. Mmm, yum there’s so much fantastic produce in season during the Autumn months: Squash, Pears, Cherries, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, Persimmons, Pomegranate, Turnips, on and on and on mmmm. I can’t wait to start cooking it all 🙂

Not that it really looks like that much in LA..

This time of year is good for my fitness because I can run at any time of day and not be overheated, plus it’s not too cold in the morning – sometimes when it’s too chilly I’ll just reset my alarm and curl up under the covers a little longer. Wow, I’ve really acclimated to Southern California, huh? “Too Chilly” is like 40 degrees and I used to run unless there was ice on the ground…Confession: I was wearing a sweater last night and it was 70 degrees..ha.

Do you follow the Tone It Up girls at all? They’re just kicking off Week 3 of their Frisky Fall challenge – 6 weeks left, you can still join up! They give away weekly prizes for hash tagging instagram posts – and it’s always fun to feel like you’re being supported and encouraged. Though that happens more with their community. And everything’s freeeee – the best part 🙂 You CAN buy their dvds or nutrition plans but it’s not required.

Did you have an epic weekend? Mine was pretty lovely – ate at some restaurants I hadn’t been to before, returned to a couple I enjoy.

Friday night was dinner at South End, a little wine and pizza bar in Venice – I was pretty excited about their Sangiovese – very flavorful, the 2012 Grillesino offered notes of red cherry, grilled plum, sage, licorice, boysenberry, vanilla, coconut and cedar.

Saturday I treated my roommate to lunch at our favorite Ramen place in West LA – Chabuya Tokyo Noodle Bar. It’s inexpensive and has a super tasty Veggie Miso Ramen. Super tasty and MASSIVE!

And Saturday night I headed back to Venice with my best friend for dinner at Scopa. Well, it ended up being more wine than dinner – but that’s what Saturday nights are for, right? The best Saturday late nights were started with a liquid dinner…the Sunday mornings though…eh.

I decided to kick my ass anyway and headed to Kinetic Cycling on Sunday morning for Spase’s 10am class. Kinetic is offering a September special – if you’re a current client and head to a new-to-you instructor’s class it’s just $10. Pretty good considering even with their largest bulk package, classes run $15. Ha, Spase’s class is a tour de force – lots of group dancing and him singing along to the pumping remixes. He’s fantastic with encouraging everyone in his full classes and following up with new attendees. I got a FB message this morning with the mix he played yesterday! Love that – always looking for new music to workout to.

Well have a fantastic week – did you hit any fun restaurants this weekend?

What’s your favorite group workout?

How do you feel about Wine for dinner on Saturdays???

Combing two things that make my body feel good 😉

Over the hump randomness

Happy Thursday! Do you know what time it is?! It’s Thinking Out Loud time!

1. What happened to summer? It’s nearly September, I have burnt orange nail polish on, people are talking about fantasy football leagues and tailgating… I kind of want it to be the 4th of July not Labor Day this weekend…Anyone else? I know we have nearly another month of summer TECHNICALLY but June, July, and August have flown by way to fast for my liking. I also feel like I say that a lot. Maybe I need to be making more of my days so they don’t just swoosh by in a flash!

Goodbye my dear friend.

2. Hehe, this is going to be a throwback Random Thought because I just stumbled upon this picture again:

…One early morning when I was living in North Carolina I went to take my dog out for a walk and that chair was just chilling in my backyard. Uh huh. It’s facing toward our kitchen window and back door… How creepy is that? We moved about a month later…it was a cool neighborhood very close to the downtown and Cape Fear River but there were some weirdos skulking about. No thank you.

3. Going back to that Burnt Orange nail polish  — I won the best give-away from Rabbit Food For My Bunny Teeth. It was Catherine’s 25th birthday so she was giving away super cute kitchen and bath items, Butter London make up and nail polish, and one of her racer back tanks! I happened to win and it was such awesome timing because I got it a few days before MY bday. Wahoo!

4. Have you guys ever done a race dressed up? I always mean to…my friends and I have grand ideas and then we do nothing because we wait too long, ha. The only time we really had our shit together was for the Bad Prom Run and it got cancelled a few weeks before the race…wah wahhh. Anyway, I’m looking at LA’s Rock and Roll Halloween Half Marathon and debating on wearing a little costume. I don’t mean a small costume (I’ve never been that kind of Halloween-er) – I mean like running tights with a festive shirt or head-wear. So a little bit of a costume, I suppose.

I would die of heat stroke.

Ok, onto random food facts!

1. Almonds are a member of the peach family.  Wahhhh?

2. They have square watermelons in Japan. They stack better. Don’t look so shocked people, this is why it’s best to buy from local farmers! Factory/commercial farms produce for shipping, not for flavor or nutrient value.

3. Broccoli is the food with the best anti-cancer properties. Ooo, I knew I liked broccoli!

4. Someone living in New York could eat out every night of their life and never eat at the same restaurant. That sounds like my idea of paradise. 

32 and feeling great

It was my birthday yesterday  – 32 at last 😉 

 

I went with some friends to Sage Vegan Bistro in Culver City – figured I’d make them go to a place that I could choose ANYTHING I WANTED and they would have to scan the menu, hoping something sounded ok. Haha, it was a big hit though – everyone – vegans and non vegans alike – loved the place. Their fantastic drink menu helped of course.

AND I just went in for my annual Wellness Exam on Friday – happy to report I’m down 15lbs from last year – plus I’m super human healthy. Well, the doc didn’t say “Super Human Healthy” but he told me I’m extremely healthy so that’s the same, right? 

I feel like my body really thrives on a plant based diet so I’m going to aim for plant based plus 80-90% whole foods this year. Keep away processed food! 

But I’ve still got a little way to go to my fitness goals – and to help me get there I’m going to shoot for either 3 half marathons plus a full marathon OR 5 half marathons if my knee gives me trouble and I can’t get up to that crazy 26m distance. I’m looking at the Rock and Roll Halloween half marathon in LA on Oct 26th as my first 1/2 in my 32nd year. 

I’ve only done 2 (3? crap my memory’s already going…) half marathons in my life so this will be quite the feat but I’m excited, and it’ll keep my weekends less boozy and more fitnessy! 

 

 

 

Thirsty Thursday and other random thoughts

It’s time for another edition of Thinking Out Loud 🙂 

– I am so thirsty today… I think I’m already on my 8th glass of water and it’s only just after noon in my neck of the woods.

– I’m heading to Vegas tomorrow for a fun filled weekend with my sis, cousin, and some of my best friends! Wahoo, we’re about to get weird. Vegas Weird. We’re going to dance a lot, laugh even more, nap at the pool, drink the perfect amount of alcohol (not one drop into Sloppy-Ville), and not lose any money. I will definitely kick butt at that last one as I don’t gamble in Vegas. I used to when I went in my early 20’s but I ALWAYS lost money and I have learned my lesson! Ok…I do still put a $20 in the slot machines because it’s a ritual but that’s it. Once it’s gone, I’m gone! 

– Also, we’re seeing Britney on Saturday night at Planet Hollywood.

She looks about 24 here…who are we kidding?

I didn’t really like Britney Spears when she first came out – she’s 8 months older than me and I was more into electronic and rock than pop in high school. BUT then I started going to dance clubs when I was a little older and I became a big fan. My sis, best friend Nicole, and I would go out dancing at University of Iowa when I was home from Indiana and we thought we danced like her. We did not…Well Nicole and I didn’t anyway – my sis can dance and she would say things like: It’s drop it like it’s hot, not drop it like it’s White Girl. Hahahaha, so good. But it’s fun, I don’t care what I look like!

– On Monday I started my 100 miles in 30 days challenge. The guidelines I’ve set for myself are that I can walk or run these miles, and I can include 1 day a week of biking but I have to divide that mileage by 3. (as suggested by the Tone It Up girls!) So far this week I have ridden 19 miles, and ran 8 miles so I’m at 14/100 — just need to add another 5 miles and I’m on track for my first week! Easy Peasy. I’m breaking it down like this:

Week 1 – 19m

Week 2 – 21m

Week 3 – 23m

Week 4 – 25m

Last two days – 12m

– After these 30 days I’m going to join a local running group. I have talking about joining one for so long and I’m FINALLY going to. I always have some hang up, “I can’t do long distances,” “I’m not fast enough,” “I don’t like how I look in running tights.” Blah blah BLAH. Well – I can run 8 miles just fine now, I have increased my speed a bit, and I look better in running tights than I have in a few years so I need to suck it up and sign up. I’m trying to meet new people in LA – everyone I know I have either moved here with, know from Iowa, or met at a bar. And I’m trying not to be as much of a bar fly these days. But obviously sitting at home, or going on solitary hikes and runs, or going zombie-like to a 6am spin class is not going to help so I need to put myself out there!

Ok, onto random food facts:

1. One of the most hydrating foods to eat is the cucumber, which is 96% water. Mmm, I should eat some now…

2. The popsicle was invented by an 11 year old girl in 1905. Child labor, I tell ya.. 😉

3. The twists in pretzels are meant to look like arms crossed in prayer………..

4. Fruit flavored snacks are made with the same wax used on cars. Hmm, I’ll stick to fruit flavored fruit, thanks.

5. Ketchup was used as medicine in the 1800s to treat diarrhea, among other things. Ha…good to know I suppose. 

The Magical Lands of Iowa

Heading out of town tonight – from Los Angeles to Bettendorf, Iowa. If I’m honest, I’m a little nervous.

No, not about going back to Iowa – I grew up there, I know how to be invisible if I want to be. (read: stay at my parent’s house the whole weekend)

But this is the first time since we got Batman and brought back Rocky that my roommate and I are both out of town…And there’s a heat wave. So my stressed out by the heat pets are going to be doubly stressed because their people are gone! My lovely friend Natalie will be taking care of them at our place, and she has a bunny and a dog (and a cat!) as well so it’s not HER that’s giving me anxiety – I just feel like a parent leaving their kids alone for the first time. Maybe? I don’t know, I’m not a parent…

But what if you have a dog AND a bunny?

I’m sure I’ll get over it as soon as I land back in Hawkeye Country. My sis is in town too and tomorrow is my dad’s birthday so we’re going to have lots of family fun. Followed by running in the insane-to-me heat and humidity fun!

The Bix is a 7 mile race through Davenport’s downtown and McClellan Heights. We start just before Brady Street’s massive hill which is a 7-9% incline. So more than 15,000 people are all lined up to go and then we inch up this hill, bobbing and weaving to try to start off with a some-what decent pace. Oh yeah and it’s 88 degrees with 75% humidity.

 

Good luck getting through this!

 

It’s a great course honestly though – the McClellan Heights offer some scenic old mansions and so many people are lined up, cheering you on – spraying you with a sprinkler or playing music to keep you distracted from the steep hills.

This is my 3rd time running it – I remember watching the race as a little kid, my parent’s had friends who lived on the course and we would cook out and play around and just have a fantastic time, soaking up all the energy from the runners and spectators alike. It’s really cool to be on the other side of that.

Plus afterward there’s the Bix Fest in celebration of Bix Biederbecke, a renowned Jazz musician from the 20’s. That’s always entertaining – festival food, beer, people watching, jazz, running into old friends, avoiding old non-friends, haha.

Should be a lovely long weekend. We’ll see how well I stick to my whole foods, plant based guns…

(other than beer, there will be beer…)