Now that the Holidays are over, now what? Back to the program is what..
I just came back from an unbelievable getaway to Thailand which consisted of savory, tasty and fresh Thailand food x 3 meals everyday, snorkeling and swimming alongside wildly-neon fish, riding motos, basking in age-old and mirror-tiled palaces, reading for leisure (!),  swimming through an emerald cave, falling in love with an elephant, gawking at bats (I know), and getting massaged... 

I crawled my way to a yoga class last night for the first time in weeks and I kind of fell asleep in child's pose. The process of getting my groove back has been trying, but at least it's begun. "Letting go" and keeping up with healthy habits during the winter months are always more difficult to sludge through. But here I am, being my best cheerleader and yours too. You can do it! Get back on it and find your groove again. A bunch of friends and coworkers are embarking on juice cleanses this week, which is a splendid idea and a great kickstart. Juicing has tons of benefits and is great to implement as a regimen, not to mention extremely popular these days. Honorable mentions include Living Greens , Can Can, Organic Avenue and Blueprint, for starters.

But what happens post-juicing? How to maintain that glow, lightness of being, clearer eyes, bloat-free belly and improved energy? It's easier than you think to change your food and get on a path that's not necessarily FREE of gluten, alcohol, sugar, caffeine, meat and dairy, but one that contains a lot LESS of these categories which are taxing on the body. I can show you how!

I usually lead a nourishing food cleanse and detox seasonally both with private clients and at Yoga Garden. Stay tuned on the next group cleanse, btdubs. The point of my cleanse program is not to convert people to veganism, but more about providing the tools to help people make good food choices that ultimately make them feel way, way better. Besides, you are what you eat, so what you eat should be clean, nourishing, nutrient-rich, delicious food that is ideally prepared with love.

Stock up on these yummy Detox foods:
*Root Veggies (Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Beets to puree for soups or for roasting)
*Broccoli & Cauliflower (also perfect as soups and as a roasted side dish)
*Dark Leafies (Kale and Arugula top my charts; mixed greens =less boring)
*Nuts and Seeds (an unsalted variety for snacking or pureeing as dressing!)
*Miso Paste (for soups and salad dressings)
*Organic Beans (red, white, navy, mung, garbanzo, black- for dips and salads)
*Gluten-free whole grains: millet, quinoa, brown rice, amaranth (for nutrient-dense salads and morning porridges)

Big diff between eating and feeding. Don't eat just to eat. Feed yourself. Nourish, enjoy and take care.
Happy New Year indeed.
Peas and love,
S