How to Get Healthy (And Stay That Way)

..... Anyone?

No, really- I'm asking you.

I've been there before, and maybe you have too:

You're on top of your workout regime; you're nourishing yourself daily with a plethora of fruits, veggies and superfoods; your energy is top notch; your desire to "party" late into the night has all but vanished. You'd rather go to bed before 10pm on a Friday in order to wake up refreshed for that early morning yoga class, followed by a calm, easy trip to the farmers market where you'll get first pick of all the best produce and miss the crowds (who are still nursing their hangovers in bed or bloody mary's down the block).

It's a good life, the healthy life. A rewarding life. A happy life.

To be perfectly honest: with all the pressure of a cross country move, compounded with the frigid stress of winter, I kinda fell off the wagon.

Sure, I just say no to fast food and soft drinks, I avoid processed/ packaged anything and opt to grab n' go a little container of sprouted brown rice and quinoa from the corner deli instead of downing a large slice of pizza with extra truffle oil when I'm in a hurry... But have I been to yoga lately? Ummm, on and off. Have I been juicing daily? Not exactly.

What I have been doing (and what I suggest for you, if you're looking to remount the health horse) is finding ways to gradually implement a few tried and true healthy habits back into my life where it's convenient.

For example: I know meditation is an absolute game changer for me. While living in a cramped apartment overloaded with our bachelor subletter's accumulated possessions of 10 years has left my home almost completely void of any zen quality, enough became ENOUGH a few weeks ago, and I went to work carving out a little safe zone corner in my bedroom. I set up my favorite crystals, a candle, some incense and have been allowing myself 5 minutes of breathing/meditation in the morning.

Sure, it's not the 25 minutes I built up to in LA months ago and I skipped a couple sessions in the beginning but I'm now routinely doing that little bit daily. And that's a [re]start.

When it comes to my beloved baking, I'm getting back to the days of yore when I mainly experimented with "healthy" sweets, limiting the butter and white sugar-laden treats to special occasions.

Yes, I may still be indulging in one chocolate a night (someone's gotta finish that box of assorted Godiva truffles in the freezer), but the box will soon be gone and once it is: Sayonara sugar high! Hello again, you beautiful overabundance of sustained energy!

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So, how do we get healthy... and stay that way?

I'm just restarting the journey myself and I'll keep you in the loop. For now, the best suggestion I have to offer is: be nice to yourself.  Maybe you're not quite ready to devote yourself to daily gym visits (yet!), maybe those dessert or potato chip cravings are just too powerful to stave off at the moment. Relax. You'll get there. We'll get there. The first step to healing is truthfully acknowledging your current situation.

Do yourself a favor and select a few healthy habits you can start incorporating into your normal, everyday routine. Do you have a blender? Make a green smoothie for breakfast!

My current favorite:
-a few frozen banana chunks
-chopped pineapple (fresh or frozen)
-a handful of greens of your choice (spinach or kale are my go to's)
-half an avocado
-1 tablespoon chia seeds
-1/2 cup coconut milk
-add a teensy nub of fresh ginger if you're feeling zingy

hit a button.... and voila:

a healthy, DELICIOUS snack.

Do it today and I promise you won't feel so bad at happy hour later tonight.... because you're back on the road to health and it feels so good.