my wellness experiment: wheat belly diet day 1

hello all!  after reading the ny times best seller, "wheat belly", by dr. william davis, i'm going gluten-free for one month to see if it rids me of my stomach issues, clears up my skin, and leaves me feeling overall better!  learn more about my wheat-free journey below, and check back for updates and gluten-free recipes : )

check back again soon!!!

for a quick-and-dirty run down of the "wheat belly" diet, click {here}.

yoga flash mob - join in the fun!

all of us teachers at the solebury club are organizing a yoga flash mob for friday, june 1st at 7pm in doylestown, pa.  if you're from the area -- or would just like to flow a bit to matisyahu's song "one day" -- check out the video so that you, too, can participate in the flash mob!

hope to see you there : )

p.s. do you like my video-editing skills?!  lol

pictures from our weekend away

craig and i spent last weekend up in the lake george area of ny to celebrate his 25th birthday.  (the trip was his b-day gift.)  we stayed in the same b&b that we stayed at 6 years ago when we first traveled there together.  we had a fabulous weekend...despite the rain....so i thought i'd share a few highlights from our trip.



every afternoon the innkeeper made homemade goodies for the guests -- behold our ganache tarts



street in lake george, ny



me and craig



craig enjoying inn at erlowest's bar/lounge

drinks at bistro la roux

snapped this while driving -- yes, that is a gorilla dragging a vacuum...

our breakfast at the b&b



course #5 of our five course gourmet extravaganza.  cinnabon pancakes = divine!!!

market in saratoga springs

it goes without saying, but we had an awesome time -- and way too much food : )

foodie: portabella tacos

last night i made portabella tacos for dinner.  for whatever reason, i rarely prepare mexican-inspired meals, but finding some corn tortillas while grocery shopping inspired me.  i surveyed the fridge and found the makings for what turned into a rather yummy dinner.

here's what you'll need for tacos for two...

1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 ear of corn, kernels off cob
2 portabella caps, sliced
1 tbsp garlic
1-2 tsp cumin
1 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
olive oil
salt
6 (6 inch) soft corn tortillas

toppings...

chopped tomato
smashed avocado with garlic, lemon & salt
shredded cheese
chopped lettuce

1. saute onion, red peppers and portabellas in olive oil.  season with salt, garlic and spices.  cook until onions are slightly caramelized.  at the end of cooking, mix in fresh corn.

2. as veggies cook, chop tomatoes & lettuce and prepare smashed avocado.  gather up whatever toppings you would like.

3. once the filling is done and the toppings are prepped, the last step is to lightly "toast" your tortillas in a pan for 10-15 seconds per side to heat them.

prepare your tacos as you see fit, and enjoy your scrumptious meal!  (as you can see, mine was overflowing with fresh deliciousness.)

the danger of all-or-nothing thinking

credit {here}

i have to admit, i have a tendency to fall into the trap of all-or-nothing thinking from time to time.  the idea that something either has to be executed perfectly or you might as not well try at all.  does that ring any bells for you?  if you, too, are one of the many who find themselves thinking this way - i ate one cookie, might as well have 5 more - you know, inherently, the problems that arise when you see things in your world as either black or white.

for me, an area where i have been experiencing all-or-nothing trip-ups lately is with my business - CALM yoga.  i'm looking to build up my teaching experience, while also seeking to form a private client list.  for whatever reason, i find that reaching out to and networking with potential clients is always at the end of my to-do -- and too often i find myself with little time to devote to it.  and, then i catch myself thinking, "ugh, i only have 15 minutes -- that's not enough time to accomplish anything.  might as well move it to tomorrow's to-do list".  but, the thing is, if instead of stopping myself before i even begin, i could use those precious 15 minutes and put them to good use -- doing whatever i could to further and expand my business.  and, over time, all those 15 minutes would add up to hours and hours of good work.

i wouldn't consider myself a negative person, but the thought process i just outlined is a totally "glass half empty" way of thinking.  and that's not how i want to live my life.  i want to see opportunities and possibilities everywhere i look, not obstacles and challenges.  but, finding boundless good fortune in front of you starts with how you perceive your world on a day-to-day basis.  so instead of seeing 15 minutes as not enough time, i need (and want) to see it as the perfect amount of time to make a difference -- even if it is small.

black and white living leaves no room for flexibility, growth or change.  and it cuts possibilities off mid-sentence.  if you want to see this way of thinking evaporate from your life, it must start with mindfulness.  notice the internal dialogue you're playing in your head.  if you have a propensity to lean in the all-or-nothing direction, allow some logic to seep into the equation - isn't 15 minutes of working on your passion, exercising, meditating, or whatever it is for you better than 0 minutes?  i think so.


meditation for your journal or cushion:
where in your life do you notice all-or-nothing thought patterns?
what is a way you can handle it differently next time you find yourself thinking that way?

foodie: roasted eggplant with avocado salsa

the other night, with craig's request for a "light" dinner, my mind went to a salad.  salads can run the gamut from boring to brilliant, and this one fell more toward the latter...if i do say so myself.  to make our "light" dinner a little heartier, i roasted eggplant and made a chunky avocado salsa to add richness and texture to the dish.  served atop fresh baby greens, this meal was a winner!

what you'll need...

1 medium-large eggplant
1 avocado
2 plum tomatoes
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp grated or shredded parmesan
olive oil
salt & pepper

preheat your oven to 375-400 degrees

1. slice eggplant into 1/4-1/2 in slices.  try your best to keep them uniform, so they cook evenly.

2. lightly coat a baking tray with olive oil and lay out eggplant slices side by side.  mix 1 tbsp garlic with a bit of olive oil, and brush slices.  season with salt and pepper.

3. cook eggplant for 10-15 minutes, and then flip the slices - the underside should be nicely golden brown.  cook for another 10 min or so.  keep an eye on them so they don't burn!

4. in the meantime, roughly chop the tomatoes and avocado and mix together.  season with the remainder of the garlic and a bit of salt and pepper.

5. once the eggplant is done cooking, sprinkle the slices with parmesan - the hot slices will begin to melt the cheese - yum!

serve over baby greens, and feel free to add in other toppings like chopped nuts, minced red onion, or whatever else sounds good to you : )

bon appetit!

bringing balance back

credit {here}

in last week's post, i talked about how things can spiral out of control (or at least feel as if they are) when we let negative emotions get the better of us.  negative thoughts breed more of the same, so it's easy to find yourself stuck in a rut.

it's funny how when we're stressed, or frustrated, or angry, we often let other aspects of our life - not just our emotions - get out of whack too.  we don't eat as well, we skip going to yoga class, and we toss and turn all night running through our to-do list or replaying events from the day.  sound familiar?

to bring balance back to your life, sometimes working from the outside-in is the best approach.  instead of getting down on yourself for feeling blue, take better care of yourself.  be gentle and kind.  as if you're your own best friend.

start your day with a few moments of quiet, whether you're lying in bed or seated.  take some deep breaths, and feel how the breath begins to settle - and balance - the body.  then, feed yourself a balanced breakfast like overnight oats or a scrambled egg to get your body going.  if your usual breakfast is sugary cereal, a bagel or donut, or nothing at all, feeding yourself a wholesome breakfast can be a real treat (in a different kind of way). 

continue to move purposefully throughout your day, with the intention not to rush.  whatever you're working on or talking about - be there.  give yourself the gift of presence.  if you can, take the time to do something you love that may even feel a bit selfish - read your favorite magazine, go to that awesome yoga or pilates or zumba class that you haven't been to in months, or take a luxurious bubble bath.  often when we feel off-balance, it's because too much of our energy is focused outward, and we get burnt out.  instead, turn-in, and see if balance begins to find you.  to complete your day, make a real dinner (no frozen lean cuisine, please), and sit at the table to enjoy it.  i guarantee that after a day or two of what i've prescribed, you'll feel balanced, calm and at peace.

in yoga we talk about the balance of effort and ease.  no pose should be all work, or all chillin' out.  there should be a balance - an ebb and flow.  life's like that too.  you need the yin and the yang for the sense of balance to come.  and, just to clarify, we're talking about "balance" in the fluid, breathing, moving sense - not in the static, holding sense of the word. 

i know the tips i mentioned above may seem obvious, but the truth is, even through we all know to some degree what will bring us greater balance and peace, so often we still don't do it.  we all need a little reminder sometimes to take time for ourselves, feed our bodies well, and move them a little bit, too.  simple practices such as these can really make a world of difference.

feeling more balanced yet?...


meditation for your journal or cushion:
what is something that you continue to do that you know takes you out of balance?
what is one thing you can do today that will bring you a sense of calm and balance?