If you like making healthier recipes for the holidays, you’ll like this one – and don’t forget to check out my Real, Whole Holiday Recipes cookbook. Good stuff!
My husband visited Boston last week. Granted it was a work-related trip, but he got to see all of our friends while he was there. I’m so jealous!! It’s been just about a year since we moved away from Boston. What a sad anniversary.
And honestly, it feels like much longer than a year. When I think of Boston, I see my 18 year old self looking for waitressing jobs on Bolyston Street. My 30 year old self teaching yoga. I remember Cactus Bowls and Red Sox crowds and OtherSide Cafe. Harvard, Porter and Davis Squares. Going out after 6pm. You know. Pre-baby stuff.
It made me homesick as hell thinking about it all.
Anyway, I was trolling the internet looking for a good banana bread or muffin recipe
“I don’t like yoga.” I hear those words a lot. Or, “I tried yoga. It was ok but, eh.”
When I hear those words, I am always in disbelief because I fell hard and fast for the mat at my very first yoga class. Ok, it wasn’t my FIRST yoga class because I’d taken some crappy gym yoga that didn’t make me feel particularly awesome. But the first time I went to a real yoga studio that was rooted in creating positive change in the world – that was it. I became a believer. Even though I was sore as heck. Even though it was hard work that I’d rather skip out on sometimes and go get a drink instead. For some reason…I kept going back.
I loved how I felt walking out of those classes. My head pleasantly buzzed, humming the Ashtanga opening invocation long before I learned the words. Accidentally leaving my water bottle at the studio or walking down the wrong street because I was so on Cloud 9.
Anyway, when other people told me they went to yoga and left unimpressed, I’ve always been confused. But – Aha! I finally get it. See, I got REALLY lucky that I found some of the best yoga in Boston on my first try. I didn’t know any different.
When we moved away, I was psyched that our new home was a mere block from the closest yoga studio (which I’ll refrain from naming.) As soon as we got here I took prenatal classes. After Danny was born, I started going as often as I could. It was a pleasure to be back on my mat. Yet something was missing.
Extraordinary things happen in life that we take for granted. I remember staring for hours at my engagement ring, watching it flicker prisms across the room. Now I often forget it’s there. It’s still the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen.
Max proposed to me in front of my whole family at Thanksgiving dinner. The bottle of Dom he bought to celebrate was empty, sealed and packaged but empty, making for an even more memorable engagement story. (Yes, the store refunded his money.) I didn’t care a bit. I couldn’t sleep that night, I was so filled with excitement. Someone LOVES me this much?? I’m going to be a BRIDE? I kept touching my ring, worried it would fall off.
I used to drink a lot. Not falling-down-the-stairs kind of drinking, but close. Wait, I did fall down the stairs once, at Pour House in Boston. I still have a scar where my pint glass broke and cut me.
We lived about 20 high-heeled steps from the closest bar, and routinely saw last call there as the lights came on. I can almost smell it still. I knew that one foot on the floor while lying in bed later would keep the spins at bay.
Give me a break. I was 20 years old. And yes, had an excellent fake ID. And I believe I was dating the barback which is why we were ever at Pour House in the first place. Barback is a word I haven’t spoken aloud in nearly a decade but back then it was a mighty fine second place to bartender or doorman, in terms of someone you might be dating.
Oh, internet full of recipes, I love you so. But gone are the days of experimenting with teff flour and Indian inspired recipes…I’m sorry but I don’t have time right now to prep grocery lists and hunt down new ingredients.
And while we DID finally sell our condo back in Massachusetts, I don’t have the extra green to spend on an assortment of oils and seasonings and kitchen equipment I’ll only use once. Oh, that mandoline that sits and sits…I never quite got the hang of it and the knife works just fine…
I’ve had great massages and so-so massages…and some downright useless massages. I’ll tell you right now, if you’re pregnant, ask if they have a special pregnancy foam thing so you can be on your stomach. So much nicer than lying on your side! Man, I could really go for a massage like that right now…
But what about the days or months (or years) between trips to the massage table? I personally get a great deal of use out of 2 tennis balls and a sock to help work tension out of my back. It’s really easy! Check out the video above to see how to do it.
Anyone looking to buy a condo in the Boston area? Because it’s now official – my husband and I are relocating to the D.C. area in a matter of weeks.
Have you ever made a major move like this? I really haven’t. I came to Boston 13 years ago for college – everything I owned fit in my parent’s car! Since then I’ve moved, oh yes I’ve definitely moved, but all within the immediate Boston area:
Lately I’ve been talking a lot about sugar and sugar addiction, so it’s fitting that I’ll be officially workshopping this topic this fall in the Boston area. If you are local, please mark your calendar and come introduce yourself. Nothing makes me more giggly happy than meeting a blog reader!
At these sugar workshops, we will talk about the reality of sugar addiction, ways to curb cravings, how to identify hidden sugars and healthy alternatives to the white stuff. When I’ve run this workshop in the past, participants have left motivated and empowered to experience life without the burden of sugar weighing them down.
You have two opportunities to wrangle sugar cravings to the ground:
Sunday, September 26, 2010
7:00-8:00pm Yoga Moves
Reading, MA
Friday, November 12, 2010 Sorry, this is cancelled Green Tea Yoga
Salem, MA
Advance registration is recommended, though walk ins are also welcome. Contact the studios directly to sign up.
Chocolate. Bread. Candy. When I ask people what foods they crave, usually the answer is something along these lines. And I understand! For years I lived with a sugar addiction that kept my spoon going back and forth to the half gallon of ice cream on my lap long after I felt full.
I am now armed and ready to ward off cravings! I have tools I’ve perfected on myself and with my clients! I now walk by the Oreo aisle with no more than a glance and the ice cream in my freezer has literally lasted months.
But nothing, my friends, nothing has prepared me for the intensity of cravings I’m experiencing in my pregnancy. For those of you who have never been pregnant, pretend I’m talking about that time your boyfriend dumped you and you were PMSing and you walked by an ice cream shop. That kind of craving, times a billion. For those of you who are or have been pregnant, I assume you already know what I’m talking about.
It’s a physical force that begins in my belly and climbs into my brain and takes over my limbs, a hundred bodily voices at once calling for….
Feeling tired? Sluggish? Stuck in a rut? When you change your food, your life automatically changes with it. It has to – your food literally becomes the tissues of your body and brain. Are you ready to walk into fall feeling confident, energized and focused?
It all starts here!
This September, give yourself a fresh start with my 21 Day Detox. We will gently clean our bodies and minds from the inside out using real, whole, delicious food and simple lifestyle suggestions. Don’t worry, this is definitely not about fasting or spending a lot of money on herbs.
Within the first week or two, you will notice positive changes in your body, energy levels, moods and mental clarity. Emphasis will be placed on nourishing, detoxifying whole foods. In addition, we’ll shift away from foods that are typically difficult to digest, allergenic or addictive. By the end of 21 days, you will have generated momentum to continue living in a clean body! Best of all, you will have the support of the group as you go through this transformation.
From past participants:
I’m on medication to bring down my blood pressure since diet and exercise didn’t seem to be doing anything previously. I took my BP this morning for the first time on the Detox, and it’s the lowest I have ever seen it – a very healthy reading. I guess I wasn’t expecting this to make such a big, positive difference in my life. -P.B.
I help busy people find balance in their over-worked, over-stressed lives. Trust me, it's not an all-or-nothing situation! A few shifts in diet and lifestyle can rock your world like they did mine. Read on
