My mother in law picked out this outfit for me at the department store in Trivandrum. Doesn't she have amazing taste! My Ayurveda teacher loved this outfit as well. In Kerala, the outfit is sold to the client and then a seamstress takes her measurements and tailors the tunic to her exact figure. The bottoms are one size fits all and use a cord to tie around the waist. Perfect for when I need a little extra room after a large meal.
Take a peek inside my bedroom and see how I use lighting, Essential Oils, and sparkling water to go to sleep fast and get my day started in the morning.
Watch my sleep hacks video here:
I have a Sleep light bulb to get to sleep faster at night
I use a to-do list to write down things so I can stop ruminating about what I have to do the next day
My to-do list also keeps me on track in the morning
I read before bed instead of looking at the internet
I have essential oil blends for spraying on my pillow at night and an abdominal massage blend to stop constipation
I have water next to my bed for morning hydrationI'm a massage therapist, so I file my nails every day!
The basic carb/protein/fat ratio for a filling smoothie. Kelly convinced me to reduce the fruit in my smoothies with this master recipe. Thx so much to Skinny Confidential podcast for having her as a guest! (BeWellByKelly) Six Indian kitchen ingredients that boost health (Hindustan Times) Eating chocolate is good for your brain (Good Housekeeping) Glycolic face mask and Turmeric face mask you can make at home in your kitchen (Trinny) Hack your mindless habits to make yourself happier at the end of the day - I do one of these at Lent (Time)
Sleep
Don't argue if you're sleep-deprived. Lack of sleep + stressful convos = stress-related inflammatory responses (Quartz)
Just one night without sleep can affect our immune system b/c sleeping affects the number of T cells present in the bloodstream (Knowridge) OK, we had a bad night's sleep - tips for getting back on track the next morning (Glamour)
What happens when you hire a sleep coach? (Health.com)
Mindfulness
Great idea: Combine a book club meeting and immune boosting nature walk (Dayton Daily News) If you are booking a silent meditation retreat, please invest in a quality center: a cautionary tale (PennLive)
You've heard that a solid method for measuring your aerobic intensity is something called the 'talk test' - the idea that if you can say a sentence comfortably while running, you are exercising aerobically just below your ventilatory threshold. This is a great trick for runners who tend to run too fast during their endurance building workouts. The traditional advice is to recite the Pledge of Allegience aloud every few miles to make sure you aren't running too fast. Going above the ventilatory threshold means your body will start feeling fatigue and you could end up cutting your long runs short because of exhaustion.
Reality check: I can run for a while at the ventilatory threhold before catching myself. I need more reminders. I started to use the trick more often and found that it feels sort of silly to keep on reciting a sentence or two every few minutes to check myself during a run.
Then I booked a trip to Germany. In preparation for my trip, I started learning German and used my runs to practice. Wow! I discovered a great replacement for the traditional talk test!
My top tip for making sure I'm exercising aerobically is to spend $20 on the Pimsleur website (http://www.pimsleur.com/free-lesson) and buy some foreign language lessons in MP3 format. The foreign language lessons prompt me to say a sentence at least every minute, so I ensure that I am exercising aerobically and I also learn a new language!
Marissa found me several MONTHS after her accident and resulting operations. She was still suffering from swelling in her knee and thigh. This is her testimonial:
I was fortunate enough to have been treated at home with a lymphatic massage last week. I wish I would have known about what this was in the early stages of my recovery. The purpose of lymphatic massage is to stimulate the lymph and interstitial fluid to flow where it’s supposed to go normally. The lymphatic system does not have a pump like the cardiac system. Thus, it relies on muscle movement and contraction, pressure changes, and physical stimulation like massage.
This specific type of massage decreases swelling after surgery, improves your immune system, flushes out toxins, and helps with pain. It’s very gentle and relaxing, AND it was done in the comfort of my living room! I had never heard of this type of massage before, and if you know anyone recovering after surgery, I highly recommend trying this out.
This photo is from last winter, but there is still snow in Mammoth, CA. I have never snowshoed in the summer before! I'm excited to go back.
Here, I demonstrate how to use a snowhoe as a table while taking a break from trekking in the snow. I keep hot water in a thermos and hot cocoa powder and a cup swiped from our hotel in my backpack for a warm drink break midway through our snowshoe trek.
The situation: on Friday night, my husband and I go out to a nice sushi dinner and relax at home. Maybe we get to sleep at 11 pm. Not too bad, right? Saturday morning I wake up with puffiness around my eyes.
What did I do wrong!
Yes, 'sushi face' is real. Eating a high salt meal like sushi rolls can cause a puffy face the morning after a delicious sushi dinner. The main culprit may be the sodium in the soy sauce.
