Brink of Summer

Reassessment, realignment and reinvention is easy
during a gorgeous Sunday sunset over Lake Erie.

At the change of each season, I crave reassessment, realignment and reinvention. I feel the craving approaching as summer gets closer. I am seeking outdoor workouts, organization, light eating, Ayurveda approaches, and kindness. I am drawn to silk fabrics, dusk, my friends, and 1990's music. I would gladly spend my days walking anywhere.

While I can't hone in on and take advantage of all of these feelings (work tends to get in the way), I plan to allow myself to gravitate naturally towards what I appear to be asking for instead of what I think I need to be doing (realignment!). I've been trying to take time out of each day for quiet instead of automatically turning on the television the minute I get home (reassessment!). Lastly, I am trying to embrace some new eating habits and workout schedules (reinvention!).

I, of course, failed to realize my hat made me stick
out like a sore thumb!

I just returned from Toresil's bachelorette party. Fun was had by all. Now I have exactly one month to get myself in order for the big nuptials. Things that help? Bachelorette parties that involve 10k hikes through shin deep mud pits and climbing of retired ski hills.  We dressed up in outlandish outfits and all crossed the finish line together.  Toresil's cheeks must hurt today from smiling for 36 hours straight.

Some things at the forefront of my mind:

- The future Rose's baby gift. Working on it makes me smile as I think about her. She is going to be so rockin', I can't even fathom it.

Kerry - this is the only hint you get.  Stella tried to eat
the yarn tag from the gift supplies.  Shocker. 

- Dry skin brushing. It is changing the look of my legs, I swear. Google it.

- Sleepytime Vanilla Tea by Celestial Seasonings. All these pre-summer cravings make my mind race. This makes my brain shush.

- Kristen Wiig's SNL 1-800-FLOWERS commercial. My brother turned me onto this. If you want a glimpse into the relationship of Sharon and I, please view this clip online. You're welcome.

A classy Toresil party means no yucky appendage-shaped
decorations.  Just purple.  So much purple.

Does anyone else get season changing cravings?

Healthy Living is a Relative Concept

My Breville Juice Fountain.  I'm going to upgrade soon

to a low RPM two stage juicer with a separate press soon.

I have debated about making this post; however, it impacts my daily life so it is hard not to talk about the ways I incorporate healthy living into my routine. I am an intermittent faster and an occasional juicer.

The minute I hit fifteen years old, my sinewy frame that previously thrived on pizza rolls, Keebler cookies and Kraft macaroni and cheese was no longer easily maintained. When I discovered beer years later? Forget about it. I was always an athlete so I maintained my health by practically obsessing about minutes logged on the trail or in the gym. I counted calories daily for years on various apps/websites. I weighed myself weekly. I felt guilty for occasionally falling off the "healthy train". I was exhausted.

Some typical green juice ingredients.

Enter my career as a public auditor, bringing with it hours of sitting in front of a computer and, during busy season, extra hours and takeout. My workouts dropped and I was absolutely miserable. It took the entire off season to get back on track, which meant constantly thinking about what I was and wasn't doing right. Again, it was exhausting.

My second busy season, I declared I wouldn't let myself slip again. I call this the "try any trend" period of my life. I attempted a paleo diet, the four hour body diet, excessive cardio, excessive weight training, excessive yoga, no bread, no flour... On and on and on. All that I accomplished was driving myself insane and "maintaining" during the winter months. For all the work it took, maintaining seemed extremely anticlimactic.

Brad Pilon's E-Book

Then I discovered Brad Pilon's Eat Stop Eat (eatstopeat.com) e-book as well as a few documentaries on Netflix about how the juicing of vegetables can aid the American "nutritionally starved" diet.  I had found my golden ticket. I won't go into the details of either, because I'm petrified of sounding preachy (I figure I will put my favorite resources out there and people can take them or leave them!). Essentially, I abstain for one or two 24 hour periods (spread over two days, thus incorporating the hours spent sleeping) during a week and then return to normal eating patterns. It's very flexible with no set days and no hard coded rules. Sometimes, if I don't feel like fasting, I will just skip lunch a couple days a week. Also, I attempt to enjoy homemade green juices (kale, spinach, celery, cucumber, apples/oranges, lemons, etcetera). They energize me and make me feel fantastic.

Stella thinks my juicing thing is weird.

Over the past year, my weight has slowly been on a downward trend but I'm eating what I want and am able to use working out as a muscle building tool versus a punishment only 2-4 times a week. I don't count calories or log my food. I don't beat myself up about eating extravagant meals. I didn't stress over the holidays. I feel like I gave up a second job.

Will this work for everyone? Nope. Will some people think I'm crazy? You bet. This is why I titled the post what I did- healthy living is relative. Each individual needs to find what works for them. It's like the old saying goes: do what you love and never work a day in your life. Find the way of living that you love and never live in a diet frame of mind again.

What makes you feel fantastic?