I’m feeling a wee bit burnt out on all things New Years… and 2016 hasn’t even begun yet. Instead of doing another 2015 recap, let’s look at my favorite things from December, shall we?
Workouts I’m Loving…
Beach Yoga at Chelsea Piers
For the month of December, Chelsea Piers held a special yoga class on their beach volleyball court. Fingers crossed they bring it back because there’s nothing better than dipping your toes in the sand… even when it’s freezing cold outside. During the class I was totally pretending I was on the beach in Cancun instead of in a gym on the West Side Highway.
I was surprised at how much harder it was to downward dog in the sand. Takes some serious strength and stability to not sink in.
Barry’s Bootcamp
It’s been a long time since I sweated it out at Barry’s Bootcamp, but I’ve been going every week since they joined FitReserve earlier this month (get $50 off your first month with that link). The class is half running intervals on the treadmill and half strength training on the floor with each day focusing on different muscle groups.
My favorite so far is the butt and legs class. After my first class back, my glutes were on FIRE the next day which was my cue to sign up for class again ASAP. Running is not my favorite thing right now, so it’s saying a lot that I’m willing to hop on a treadmill. I don’t have my eye on any races in 2016 quite yet, but these weekly interval runs will definitely make it easier to dive back into half marathon training when the time comes.
Bonus: they have a smoothie bar and you can order before class so it’s waiting for you on your way out.
Foods I’m Loving…
How am I just finding out about this place? I was walking home from work one day and stumbled upon this vegan tapas restaurant in the village. Later that week, my friend brought it up as a great place to meet for dinner. Yes please. We shared four tapas: the grilled nama nori, home fries, root veggie latke, and thai ginger bbq seitan. While everything was good, the latkes and seitan really stood out as the winners. Before dinner I was starving, but sharing the four tapas was surprisingly filling.
Two thumbs up from this dairy-free gal.
I’m totally a snacker and would rather eat little meals every 3 hours instead of 3 big meals. I’ve been known to bring little baggies full of snacks to sustain me throughout the day.
During a desperate moment of hunger in the middle of the work day, I stumbled upon Buddha Popcorn at a nearby deli. Popcorn with a simple list of ingredients– the actual popped corn, coconut oil and Himalayan sea salt, YUM. It’s quickly become my favorite snack and my coworkers favorite snack as well.
Kite Hill Yogurt
OH MY GOD, SWEET HAPPINESS. Being lactose intolerance sucks sometimes and I’ve been searching for a decent tasting dairy-free yogurt alternative for almost three years now. Most are complete sugar bombs and or have zero protein.
This yogurt isn’t perfect, still more sugar than I would want and not nearly as much protein as Greek yogurt, but it’s SUPER tasty and the best I’ve found so far.
Kite Hill is only available at Whole Foods as of right. You should also try their brie and cream cheese… but make sure you leave a container for me because they sell out fast.
What I’m Reading…
Do Cool Shit by Miki Agrawal
I have a total girl crush on Miki, this girl is insanely inspirational and is crushing it in the business world. She’s the brains behind WILD (my favorite dairy-free friendly pizzeria) and THINX.
Her book, aptly named, is full of nuggets of wisdom about starting your own business, fundraising and thinking outside the box when it comes to entrepreneurship. It feels like it’s geared for a slightly younger crowd, but I still found it to be a worthwhile read.
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
I ended up loving this novel far more than I thought I would. At first the main character is pretty heinous, but she grew on me as the story evolved. I powered through this book at a record pace for me because I needed to know what was going to happen next.
If you enjoyed Gone Girl, it has some of the same creepy but mysterious aspects to it. It’s a fun, although gory-filled, quick read.
What I’m Watching…
Have some free time? Watch this hilarious and satirical web series that essentially makes fun of the yoga industry today. I can’t speak for the yoga world as much, but definitely related to the ridiculousness thanks to my time in the fitness industry as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor.
In a world where your instagram following and brand can mean more than your fitness credentials, this series points out some of the sad truths about the fitness world while also being hilarious.
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