I set out each day with the intention to be the best version of me that I can be. But we all sometimes fall off the horse, and I must admit, I like to be naughty. Before we go any further, get your mind out of the gutter! By naughty, I mean that I like to eat ice cream, stay up late, and sometimes not exercise.
I think it is important to live healthy by exercising and eating an unprocessed diet. I try to eat only things I can make in my kitchen. Just yesterday I made some Lara Bars! While that includes delicious salads and plant based foods, it also includes all sorts of deserts. Which leads me to next point. While it is important to eat right and follow a diet that is unprocessed as possible, sometimes we have to cheat. I love sweets. So much so, that I learned how to make all of my favorites so I could eat them at home. If you ever come to my yoga class, you know that I share my creations, but a positive side effect from eating only homemade deserts is that any store bought or restaurant made dessert no longer tastes delicious. There is nothing like eating freshly churned sorbet right from the ice cream maker. It is so much more enjoyable than trekking down to Pinkberry, waiting in line, and then getting a flavor that you may not like. When you are able to make things yourself, you can control what goes into the receipe. I will add chocolate whenever possible, and decrease the amount of sugar. I like to think that the naughty foods that we eat are foods for the soul. They may not nourish your body, but they definitely nourish the soul, and sometimes you need the boost. If you deprive your body of the things you crave (although hopefully they are healthy-ish) then you won’t be happy. On the other hand, of course I don’t NEED ice cream, cookies, whoopee pies, or toffee, but I enjoy the process of making, sharing, and eating them.
I try to exercise at least 5 times a week with a mix of cardio, strength training, yoga, and Booty Barre. There are some days where I don’t feel up to exercising – so, I don’t. There is nothing wrong with listening to your body and respecting when it needs rest. If you exercise while fatigued, you increase the possibility of injuring yourself. The trick is determining if you are too tired to exercise or if you are being lazy. Being lazy is not an excuse, but if you’ve worked out hard all week, there is nothing wrong with a break!
It all comes down to respect for your body. Your body carries you through the day with poise (and hopefully good posture if you’ve been practicing yoga), and deserves a little love every once in a while. Use your yoga practice to learn to listen to your body and notice how you feel throughout the day. And when your body says “Please Alex, I need a rest!” listen to it.
I think it is important to live healthy by exercising and eating an unprocessed diet. I try to eat only things I can make in my kitchen. Just yesterday I made some Lara Bars! While that includes delicious salads and plant based foods, it also includes all sorts of deserts. Which leads me to next point. While it is important to eat right and follow a diet that is unprocessed as possible, sometimes we have to cheat. I love sweets. So much so, that I learned how to make all of my favorites so I could eat them at home. If you ever come to my yoga class, you know that I share my creations, but a positive side effect from eating only homemade deserts is that any store bought or restaurant made dessert no longer tastes delicious. There is nothing like eating freshly churned sorbet right from the ice cream maker. It is so much more enjoyable than trekking down to Pinkberry, waiting in line, and then getting a flavor that you may not like. When you are able to make things yourself, you can control what goes into the receipe. I will add chocolate whenever possible, and decrease the amount of sugar. I like to think that the naughty foods that we eat are foods for the soul. They may not nourish your body, but they definitely nourish the soul, and sometimes you need the boost. If you deprive your body of the things you crave (although hopefully they are healthy-ish) then you won’t be happy. On the other hand, of course I don’t NEED ice cream, cookies, whoopee pies, or toffee, but I enjoy the process of making, sharing, and eating them.
I try to exercise at least 5 times a week with a mix of cardio, strength training, yoga, and Booty Barre. There are some days where I don’t feel up to exercising – so, I don’t. There is nothing wrong with listening to your body and respecting when it needs rest. If you exercise while fatigued, you increase the possibility of injuring yourself. The trick is determining if you are too tired to exercise or if you are being lazy. Being lazy is not an excuse, but if you’ve worked out hard all week, there is nothing wrong with a break!
It all comes down to respect for your body. Your body carries you through the day with poise (and hopefully good posture if you’ve been practicing yoga), and deserves a little love every once in a while. Use your yoga practice to learn to listen to your body and notice how you feel throughout the day. And when your body says “Please Alex, I need a rest!” listen to it.
