Bliss Day

Happy New Year's Eve Everyone,

Its 5:30 am and i just finished making my green juice for the day. the boys are still sleeping and the house is silent- amazing!! I honestly can't imagine not having my green juice everyday!! it is so energizing and makes me feel light and energetic all morning. plus- it is the easiest and most nutritious thing to have as on-the-go nutrition when running around with the boys. i automatically wake these days around 4:30-5 and am excited to get out of bed and prepare my juice. while i prepare my green juice i sip on my warm water, lemon and ginger- sooo nourishing.

This week i did not schedule any clients or patients, got my nanny for three days and focused on rejuvenation. i do this the week between christmas and new years as a restart. i love starting clean. i cleanse myself, my home, my relationships etc. i take time to look back and be grateful for what has happened in the last year. i let go of things i need to let go of- (like feeling guilty for not getting my holiday cards out)and think about what i want to happen in the next year- what books i want to read, what relationships i want to develop, what career goals i want to accomplish, what i want my kids to experience etc. i do this process throughout the year too- it does not have to be just at the new year. we should take time to reflect on life daily. each night think about what you are grateful for that day and think about what you want to happen the next day.

so yesterday i did one of my Bliss Days:

woke around 4:30 to make green juice for the day (2 32 oz mason jars full)

played with boys in the morning till nanny came at 9am: we played memory, swords, cars, alphabet puzzles, fireman sam and much more. i nourished mason and owen with green fruit smoothies and apples (apples slices for mason and blended apple for owen).



YOGA- as you all know i love my daily yoga practice. i went to Downdog Yoga studio in Bethesda. i love the heat in that studio!!! i do not like the speed at which they flow sometimes but i just go at the speed that i feel my body and mind want to move that day. You should never feel like you have to do exactly what a teacher says. the teacher is there for guidance. you know your body and mind the best and you have to decide what will benefit you the most that day. the practice felt very cleansing. this was my first time at that studio and i love experiencing new things. this reminded me of the importance of doing new things regularly. challenge yourself to do something new everyday- read a new book, go to a new class, take a tea break with a new friend or take the kids to experience something new.

Next, i went to Veria Wellness Center in Bethesda for a FULL BODY EXFOLIATION, FACIAL AND 80 MINUTE MASSAGE. they use all organic products and have a purely serene environment. i feel very clean and well taken care of when i'm there. while i get my treatments i stay present and focus on my breathing. i make it a total body/mind experience. tuesday i went for a manicure and pedicure- i don't get polish but i just get my hands and feet cleaned up. i have appointments this week for my hair and a colonic also.



here are a few ideas for home spa treatments to keep you looking and feeling well (i did each of these this week): Use lemon juice on your nails to make them even whiter. mix avocado and honey together, place it on your skin and let it sit for 30 minutes. you will have smooth skin. its even better if you eat some of the avocado so you are beautifying from the inside out. heal and protect your hair by doing a jojoba and coconut oil hair treatment. mix these oils together (or you can just use one or the other), distribute it throughout your hair for as long as you want. Lately i've been sleeping with socks on and loading my feet and toes up with coconut oil right before bed to keep them soft. i love taking the time to take care of me. This is important for everyone but especially if you are often giving your energy to others such as for myself being a mommy, a wife and a wellness practitioner.

my bliss day continued with dinner and a movie ("up in the air") with my husband. i chose the restaurant because there are not many places that i will eat and truly enjoy the food. i do love le pain de quotidien in bethesda. i chose the quinoa salad which was very nourishing but the portion was very small- so i got two. one key to eating well and maintaining proper digestion is if you eat cooked food always eat some raw food before and during. so when i eat quinoa i always eat a salad or sprouts or something raw before and after. last night i had sprouts and arugala with my quinoa.

we truly missed the boys while we were away. getting away makes you appreciate the craziness of kids even more. we returned home, ate some nourishing food (i had some sprouts and a sweet potato with tahini and pumpkin seeds) played with the boys and snuggled them into bed. i'm still nursing owen and just love my time at night when i'm rocking him to sleep and nursing and then he just falls asleep in my arms. i'm very thankful to have two healthy little boys that are thriving in the world.

i continued my bliss day with a long relaxing shower and we actually watched another movie- 500 days of summer. i loved this movie. fabulous music and great message. Both of the movies i saw today had similar take-away messages for me- "daily life is more meaningful and amazing when you share it with people you love." surrounding yourself with people who make you a better person and support your dreams and ideas is key. then you create experiences together.

Finally, i wrote in my journal, smothered my feet and hands with coconut oil and went to sleep.

Fabulous day!! My bliss day was pure bliss.


Be Well, Kelly

Happy Holidays and Update

i hope everyone is enjoying the fabulous holiday season. I love the holiday season. it is about sharing amazing food and experiences with the ones you love and are grateful for. Sorry for the lack of blog posts lately but i've been living my wellness and taking every opportunity to get to bed immediately after putting my two boys down to bed at night. Sleep is very important in your overall wellness. As a mom of a three year old and a ten month old i do not always get my optimal sleep. this is why my every day wellness rituals are soooooo important. if i do not take optimal care of myself i can not be the best mother, wife, nutrition counselor, yoga instructor, physical therapist etc that i can be. in general over the last few months my daily rituals include:

wake 5:30ish
drink warm water with lemon and ginger or yerbe mate or green tea
make my green juice
yoga class
drink green juice (made with all the organic fresh greens at the market that week):
celery, cucumber, kale, dandelion greens, cilantro, collards, chard, spring mix, sprouts, spinach, romaine, green leaf etc and apple. sometimes i add lemon and ginger.
eat in-season fresh organic fruit
drink green juice
days that i eat simple i may just have a huge power shake later in the day.
other items i eat for my late afternoon meal include: nori wraps filled with sprouts and avocado and veggies, collard wraps filled with nut/seed cheeses and veggies, big bowls of green savory soups with dehydrated crackers, seaweed salad nori rolls, big salads filled with loads of veggies, sea veggies, avocados and more.
During the colder months i will do warm bowls of quinoa, sweet potato, peas, broccoli, spinach, cilantro and sea veggies. sometimes i roll this mixture up in a nori wrap--- so yummy.

Starting tomorrow i will do my Raw Yoga Cleanse. it is not much different then my normal daily rituals but i want to clean up a few things. i'm eliminating my occasional yerbe mate or green tea in the morning. Caffeine should not be part of anyone's daily rituals for many reasons but especially due to its effect on your adrenals. so i will totally eliminate this. i also have noticed that when i eat my "cooked food" meal of quinoa, sweet pot etc. or a grain such as in sprouted grain bread i just don't feel up to par. so i'm going to eliminate these things and test how i feel. i love experimenting like this. Everyone needs to take the time to experiment and see what the body and mind need at that moment in time. these thing may have made me thrive last month but i just don't feel that they are nourishing me now. so i'm excited to cleanse the body of them.

in general for the next few days my daily rituals will include:

warm water and lemon and ginger
YOGA
green juice
fresh fruit
green juice
green fruit smoothies
or green power smoothies
or green savory soups
or green salads with sprouted seed crackers or cheeses

i will include my pre/post natal supplement, my liquid iron supplement, E-3 live, superfoods and sea veggies.

i love my green power smoothie lately. if i get home from the studio after 5ish i don't like to eat a lot because i go to bed early and i don't want to still be digesting food when i go to bed. so a blended green smoothie (either fruit or savory) is what works for me. an example of a green power fruit smoothie that i will do is: banana, berries or fruit of choice, fresh greens (chard, spinach, kale etc) goji berries, date, raisens, acai powder, bee pollen, ground flax seed, dulse, pure synergy green powder, sun warrior vanilla protein powder, blue green algae (blue manna or e-3 live and or other superfoods. This shake is complex but i feel so satisfied and nourished after i drink it. i drink is slow over 1-2 hours and really swirl it around my mouth before swallowing. this is a great nourishing meal for anyone on the go and especially for moms who are busy nourishing their kids and family too.

Yummy- i love eating clean, simple, delicious foods!!

I hope that everyone will join me in "cleaning up" their daily rituals. doing a cleanse or detox is ok but the key in making long term changes and optimizing your health and wellness is making the right choices in your daily rituals. what you do 90% of the time is what determines your health and wellness.

Remember: "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, HOW YOU MOVE AND WHAT YOU THINK".

Be Well, kelly