art @ busboys

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of seeing three art shows at Busboys and Poets in Shirlington Village. The new, and first, Curator-in-Residence at Busboys, Simone Jacobson, hosted the shows: "Food for Thought," works by J. Ford Huffman, and "Tiny Treasures: Size Matters," works by Bensonn Anspach , Bat Favitsou and Tim Rodgers. The artists showcased a variety of styles and amazing talent. From the found art box installations of J. Ford Huffman, which demonstrated a keen eye for details and a very unique perspective within his pieces well in line with the spirit of socially conscious art, literature and of course the food which are a large part of Busboys; to the colorful and expressive pieces of Bensonn Anspach's memebots, featuring memebots highlighting Ovechkin to Obama, and the work of Tim Rodgers which were stylized doodles on skateboard decks and portraits reminiscent of colorful statues. These artists are definitely ones to watch among the DC art scene. Check out some photos from the shows below.

Note: I saw the work of Bat Favitsou - another series of paintings on skateboard decks (which I covet because of their street art edge) - but did not attend the art show.

Quote of the Day!

"Stupid goal-setting! I'm just going to sit here and pretend my Crystal Light is a Whiskey Sour!" ~ Me

Playlist Joint: Rabiosa (the video)

My new pick-up line "come bite me in la boca!!!!" then when he does...I'll say.."rrrratttatttttttaaaaa!!!" = sexy!

Say What? Say Motivation!!!!

There are many things that I have found in the past month to encourage and motivate me. Seeing the numbers on the scale go down, seeing the numbers of reps I can do go up. Seeing the numbers of days I'm in recovery following new work-outs decline! All good things. But at the end of the day, it's all about two things (1) how I feel and (2) how much I like how I look. Note: I'm not saying looks come first, because seriously - I like myself. It's not about that. But, if I like how I feel and look at the same time...it means I get to overhaul my closet!

One of my friends is a stylist and blogger - SR - and she is amazing. I cannot wait to work with her to update my wardrobe and get rid of all the drab black and grey (two colors I will continue to love at the end of this btw) frocks in my closet. Sidenote: while I know black is slimming...why do people who gain weight convince themselves that is tricks anyone??!! It really doesn't...you're still fat. Just in hot layers of dark cloth! The brain is one fucked up 3 lb functioning ball.

In the meantime, while I'm working on getting myself to the level of loving how I feel and look. I'm gaining motivation by the new years (resolution) move by Vogue Italia to begin to use the fashion industry as a tool to project (and in my opinion to protect) all standards of beauty. Which include the curvy ladies. I felt the most healthy in my life when I was a size 10. Not when I was a size 4...when I was a size 4...I thought I looked like an alien bobble-head doll. Seriously, I have photos and can prove it. So, I'm hoping to get back to that healthy size 10. I like being a female, I like my breasts and my booty. I like my curves. And seeing that Vogue Italia is celebrating all forms of healthy beauty at a time when we have an insane number of pro-anorexia/bulimia and - to my shock - pro-obesity websites out there...is a major boost to my motivation. I can check out tips to make my curvy self look as fierce as I am. The latest cover of Vogue Italia - for the masses - takes it to the next level. "Belle Vere" means "True Beauty" and these women are bringing the hotness for women everywhere. Brava Divas!

Playlist Joint: Mashup by Marc Johnce

This is SICK!!!

Weekend Playlist: Sinnerman

This song makes me want to move quickly...and thanks to the greatest of the film, the Thomas Crown Affair, steal artwork! Enjoy.

Weekend Playlist: Ven Conmigo

Say it to me two times. Ay Papi Ven Conmigo - Ven Conmigoooooooooo!!!

Playlist Joint: Habibi Ya Nour El Ain

Because Arabic music is sexy. Period.

Cheese, Cheese, Glorious Cheese

It's the number 1 reason I will never be a vegan...and thank God for it! The most recent newsletter for Goop.com is dedicated to the most heavenly of all treats...cheese!

It comes at the perfect time as I'm looking to indulge in summer picnics, outdoor film screenings, wine festivals and the like. In order to do so, I need to know how to put together the perfect cheese plate and this newsletter tells you how!

Here's the New Food well...Plate!

I supposed the intent of this revision to the traditional food pyramid, in the form of a dinner plate, is supposed to make people consider the portion of their meals which should be designated to specific food groups. If you go to www.choosemyplate.gov you can click on each different group and find more information relating to servings, what types of products/produce each refers to and other information. I don't really think the visual will change the way most Americans eat because honestly, we need one big health/nutrition class.

They started cutting such programs from schools to make room for teaching us about abstinence (as if the only concern - if it's even a concern at all for those with sense - for a growing person is their reproductive health!) when I was still in school so I really hope the current generation of youngsters are getting more of a holistic education relating to health class. I suppose the greatest issue I have is culling through all the information out there, which now includes the information on USDA.gov, to find out what to do with items from each food group to not become too repetitive but also to choose the best of the bunch and turn to other sites to learn to cook, prepare, etc. the food. So perhaps what we need is a health and cooking class. Where the hell was Jamie Oliver when I was in secondary school??!!

All hoopla aside, here's the new Food Plate...

Playlist Joint: Rabiosa

New Food Pyramid Debuts Today

It makes sense that I would start reading the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans report released by the USDA the day before a new food pyramid is to be released by the same agency with the help of First Lady Obama. I sincerely hope that this pyramid will make sense and find a way to tie in the many recommendations set forth in the guidelines.

The food pyramid has undergone a number of changes since I was in primary/secondary school. But it's always been a color-coded puzzle to navigate that allows for cheating like pretty much ever other 'plan' out there. Even as we've been told what amount was recommended per day, etc. the pyramid has always implied that these handful of things are good for you therefore, eating them is good for you - recommended amounts are just that - recommended. People can always decide to fill their plate with meats, potatoes, and other goodies they like and only pay cursory attention to the rest. I think that's been the problem. These recommendations don't really say much about portion control, ways to make these suggestions, etc. Also, there are many different varieties of food pyramids out there - from the USDA's pyramid to ones to address the needs of women, children, breastfeeding women, people with specific illnesses, etc. As in many other things, there is an information overload with little consistency beyond recommending more fruits and vegetables. But when there are debates ranging from classrooms to work cafeterias over what constitutes a vegetable - i.e. is a potato still a vegetable if it's been deep fried? - the ability of people to make conscious and informed decisions is equally up for debate.

I know what vegetables look like but don't ask me to cook them...pretty much lost there. The new pyramid reportedly looks like a plate and is more about the all important issue of portion control over recommended servings. Serving size delusion is what's killing Americans and leading to obesity. Our fast food, super-sized way of life is the problem. I cannot wait to see the new Pyramid and how it fits in with the 2010 guidelines.

Some examples of current food pyramids:

Playlist Joint: Back Down South

Because this song reminds me of growing up down South, living down South, loving the South and the country. Sometimes you just need a slow jam to add to the mix for a cooldown jam.

Currently Reading: 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans

As someone whose career and life is guided by policy - especially the policy adopted and set-forth by the government - I figure the first step towards increasing my nutrition literacy is to start at the source. So, on my last day off following the Memorial Day holiday. I'm reading the USDA's 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

I look forward to seeing what they set forth as the basic needs for Americans - especially since I believe this study/report focuses on the guidelines for adults. More information can be found here: http://www.mypyramid.gov/guidelines/PolicyDoc.pdf. These guidelines are required by law to be updated every 5 years. From the table of contents the breakdown of information shows a comprehensive examination of food/exercise requirements. I'll post my thoughts after I've finished reading the 112 page document!

First Month Down...

So, today marks the first month down of my journey. Five more months to go before the TM challenge and I have had a couple hits, misses, roadblocks, etc. First, I'm beginning to think vegetarians are not the healthiest people in the world. For all they say they aren't killing animals and therefore saving lives, etc., etc. in looking for healthy recipes online and in cookbooks, etc. I'm beginning to see that vegetarians are in LOVE with sugar and heavy cream in their recipes. It's slightly ridiculous. Vegetarianism and low-carb worship go hand in hand but even low-carb recipe books are full of unhealthy substitute - i.e. one called for 6 cups of heavy cream...wouldn't it make more sense just to use milk and call it a day?!

In seeing all of this its made me realize I really need to increase my nutritional knowledge. It's not even good enough to go to the doctor for advice because, in a ridiculous and sad twist of fate meets irony, doctors are not trained to be nutritionists or even know much about nutrition. As in all things counter-productive in order to learn about nutrition it's not enough to go to a health care professional. Instead you have to go to a specialist. A dietitian or nutritionist. So going into the second month of this, I'm going to be looking into nutrition classes in my local area as well as seeing if my insurance will cover a nutritionist for me...it should! It would make so much more sense to me for health insurance companies to keep dietitians/nutritionists on retainer so they can turn the tide of people's bad habits before they become major health issues.

Color me encouraged and equally frustrated after the first month because there's a lot I didn't do and a lot of excuses I made for not doing things. The one good thing about keeping track of myself was paying attention to my cravings for food (and my equally ineffective response to not give into them), my need to establish a workout plan that coincides with my daily work/social schedules as opposed to just working out when the mood strikes me (this made me do less effective work-outs and shorter work-outs even as I was getting in gym time), and finally, I need to expand my dining out options. I go out a lot for work, social activities, etc. and I need to expand my reference points for places to eat, etc. to find more places that offer a greater variety of healthy options.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't think this was going to be an overnight or easy thing to accomplish. But, I imagined that the resources out there - especially those coming from the vegetarian corner would have a much stronger grasp on truly healthy options or at least provide an idea as to good substitutes. My mother had to completely create a new diet plan for my dad after he was diagnosed with diabetes and they were able to reverse his diabetes to a manageable level (i.e. no need for medication/insulin) based on his diet and exercise plan. So I find myself calling her as my primary reference point because I'm becoming suspicious of a lot of the information out there that seems to offer solutions to "cheat" but not to actually make sustainable changes. Going into June, I know what I have to work on...so time to get started.

Washington Improv Theatre Workshops

This journey is about doing a little bit of everything, finding my passions and perhaps my passion is for the stage...in this case...the improv stage. While on a Starbucks hunt the other day, I spied a bulletin board and upon said board was an ad for the Washington Improve Theatre (WIT). As providence would have it, they are running free two hour workshop classes until May 31st.

So I signed up. Me and my friend Ms. S, are going to go get our improv on. I think my natural randomness will either serve me well in this endeavor or desert me entirely once I hit the stage. No one ever believes me when I say it, because I love to talk, but I hate public speaking. Absolutely hate being the center of attention on the stage while at the same time I love theatre, musicals, the arts, spoken word, etc. It goes within my contrary nature that I am both extroverted and introverted (it's true, according to me and numerous Myers Briggs tests!).

But, I'm looking forward to testing my improv chops this Tuesday, May 31st from 7-9 pm. If you want to sign-up for any of the remaining workshops do so HERE!

Exhibit: Race to the End of the World

The National Georgraphic Museum has a new exhibit entitled, The Race to the End of the World. Which according to the curator Ross MacPhee of New York's American Museum of Natural History is,

”Race to the End of the Earth” is partly a presentation of a true-life adventure story and partly a display of classic and modern methods of polar travel, science, and technology. But overall it is a celebration of what motivates us as humans to go out to explore and understand our world."

All I know is that it sounds amazing especially after the recent, Walking with the Wounded expedition to the North Pole. Seeing how people are still testing the limits and seeing how far man can go in their explorations is fascinating to me. I'm at Busboys and Poets on 14th St in DC as I write this and they are assisting in the promotion of this exhibit with their staff wearing exhibition shirts and with an ice sculpture outside the restaurant. Once the ice sculpture, pictured below, melts five lucky people will have a pass for free admission to the exhibit.

Weekend Playlist: O Saya and Bamboo Banga

I love this song. I would recommend other M.I.A. songs as well because her beats are amazing to get you through a workout when you just want to call it quits (I love her tracks: Balang, Bucky Done Gun and Paperplanes - slower song but killah!). This song makes me want to run and keep running.

Playlist Joint: I'm into You

There's a growing crop of entertainers getting into the use of elements of African dance in their music videos and live performances. I definitely want to take a dance class sometime soon - my roommate recommended taking a barre class but I am no ballerina and my flexibility is non-existent so until I build it up a little bit, that's very unlikely to happen. In the meantime, here's a new playlist joint, it's a slower joint so I'd recommend it for a warm-up or cool-down, but there's break in the middle that intros J. Lo's single 'Papi'.

Upcoming Film Festivals

There are a number of film festivals coming to our fair city and the surrounding DC metro area soon and if there's one part of the summer season I love, it's the film fests that come to town. The following is a list of my top picks to check out this summer - note: it is not an exhaustive list of offerings in the area just the ones I like going to and new ones I'd like to check out this summer.

June

SILVERDOCS
Silver Spring, MD
www.silverdocs.com
Supporting the diverse voices and free expression of independent storytellers and fosters the power of documentary to enhance our understanding of the world.

July/August

Slapsticon Film Festival
Arlington, VA
www.slapsticon.org
Featuring screenings of rarely seen comedies from the silent and early sound eras.

Washington DC African Diaspora Film Festival
www.transafricaforum.org/library
Showcases a wide range of dynamic films from the African Diaspora

September

All Roads Film Festival
www.events.nationalgeographic.com/events/all-roads
Showcasing the works of minority-culture artists to share their cultures, stories, and perspectives.

DC Shorts Film Festival
www.dcshorts.com
DC shorts showcases the finest independent short films and videos from across town and around the globe.

Note: like with many things in the DC area it pays to check out volunteer opportunities to save yourself some money if you're trying to attend multiple events. Also, for certain festivals you can play host to a director/writer, etc. and score access to VIP parties, etc. I know I did this for a director coming in for the DC Shorts film festival and it was an amazing experience and a cool way to make a new friend.

Check out the DC Film Alliance for more information.

WorkOut Spotlight: STROGA DC

STROGA stands for "Strength and Yoga" and is an interesting new 'boutique' focused studio in the DC area. Located at the corner of Adams Mill Road and 18th Street NW in DC. I wouldn't call it a gym, more like a large work-out space that fluidly operates as a both a strength/resistance training space and a yoga/meditation space. I haven't been able to go to take any classes at this site yet but I cannot wait. For a number of reasons, first, they are the first place in DC where I've seen TRX resistance band strength training classes offered. Second, they have a wide variety of class offerings.

One specific class I cannot wait to take advantage of is their Abs class - offered 5 days a week - with a drop-in class price of $5!!!! I haven't seen a deal this good anywhere else in DC. Since abs tend to be the most dreaded of all exercises...I for one consider sitting up to get out of bed an ab workout...it's nice to see there's an option I can add to my schedule that won't break my bank. Their other drop-in pricing is reasonable (under $20) and you can sign-up for a full membership, one month unlimited options for either yoga ($89), training ($109) or both ($129), or for class packages, etc. I really appreciate the fact that they have so many options because it enables future clients to choose whatever works best for their training plan. I'll definitely be hitting up their ab classes.

Check out their class schedule HERE.

Update: Anti-Gravity Yoga...it's ON!!!

So, I contacted Crunch Fitness (CF) as it is the only place in the DC area that has Anti-Gravity Yoga classes and it's possible to pay $15 for a day pass to use their facilities which include their gym facilities. Or if you go with a CF member you only pay $7.50. Since I don't know anyone who currently uses this gym, it looks like I'll be paying $15 to go to one of these classes. I intend to make the most out of my day pass and take a couple of their classes throughout the day. If I like them enough, I may consider a membership.

All in all, $15 and the option to use the gym and attend any classes so long as you do so in a 24 hour period is a really good deal in this area where you can pay upwards of $20+ to take one class. So cheers to CF for not overcharging or placing restrictions on the use of their facilities with their passes.

I cannot wait and I'll be posting my workout schedule with information regarding the classes I intend to take in the next two weeks for anyone who would like to join me. You can check out the class schedule for CF for their Chevy Chase location HERE...and their Metro Center location HERE!

Review: Venus in Fur

I went to see the pay-what-you-can matinee performance of The Studio Theatre's Venus in Fur by David Ives and it was an afternoon of sheer delight. From talking to the people in line, especially Barbara an older woman who's knowledge of raw foods living made me want to pick her brain for hours, to wandering around the P St. area after I secured my ticket and finding all kinds of things happening in DC that I wanted in on.

At 2, we were thrust into the world of Venus in Fur, a modern-take. It was a play off of the audition process and the way theatres work and it literally became with a boom and ended with a boom. I would recommend everyone go to see this play. It was sexy, provocative, and had a delightful twist at the end. It's the kind of play you don't need to read the novella it was based off of beforehand. It doesn't lose itself in the complexity of the subject matter, or the tawdry nature of it, but instead pulls it out and exposes it to the audience. It was funny, cruel, maddening and intense to watch. Made all the more so by the cast, Christian Conn as Thomas and Erica Sullivan as Vanda. Normally I'm hesitant to see plays with only one or two cast members because it's easy to miss an element. However, these two actors didn't miss a beat from the first minute to the last. You didn't know which person to root for, which one you want to come out on top in the end - no pun intended. But that's the point of the novella, it's a question of dominance and submission and it's place in relationships, it's relationship with love, lust, care. By turns you are amused, reflective, repulsed, and shocked. I loved the emotional roller coaster of it and I always love when people leave the theatre questioning what they just saw and wondering how much of a play on their own lives it may have had. This was one such experience. I wondered who I would be, Thomas or Vanda...or a mix of both.

This was a very well done play. You can see Venus in Fur at The Studio Theatre through July 3rd.

Quote of the Day Pt. 2!

JCS - "Do you sleep?!"
Tasha - "Yes!"
JCS - "Do you sleep lying down??!!!"
Tasha - (*laughs*)

A convo between JCS and myself after she said how crazy I was for coming to work at 1:30 am! #shrugs!! for the record...I DO sleep. Just not a lot. I'm working on it!

Quote of the Day!

"You have radiant skin!" ~ JCS (after mistakenly thinking I was wearing eye make-up...No. It's just me!)

Outdoor Film Screenings!

I love movies. I love movies as much as I love books. So you get a double-header of entertainment for the summer in today's posts. The DCist just did my work for me and put together a comprehensive list of the outdoor and specific to summer oriented offerings coming your way this summer. Each venue has its own theme which makes it even more fun to get into the spirit.

Here are my top picks!

@NoMa Summer Screen
Where: 2nd and L Streets NE
When: Wednesdays at 7 p.m. (May 18-August 3, 2011)
Theme: Train Movies
NoMa's film fest presents movies that feature trains (more prominently in some than others). For example, some of the selections are named after trains (Darjeeling Limited), some take place on trains (Taking of Pelham 123), and even some feature ghost trains (Ghostbusters 2).

June 8 - North by Northwest
July 20 - Some Like it Hot

@Capitol Riverfront Front Row Films
Where: Tingey Plaza, 100 Tingey St SE
When: Thursdays at 8:45 p.m. (May 26-July 28, 2011)
Theme: Best of the Oscars
It's all Oscar winners (best actor, best film, best sound editing) this year at the Capitol Riverfront, with picks including West Side Story, E.T., The Bourne Ultimatum (yep, sound editing), The Social Network, and more.

June 30 - Shakespeare in Love
July 14 - Breakfast at Tiffany's

@Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival
Where: Gateway Park at the base of Key Bridge, 1300 Lee Highway, Arlington
When: Fridays at dusk (April 29-August 26, 2011)
Theme: SNL in the Movies
Hordes of Saturday Night Live alums have made the transition to the big screen, and Rosslyn is celebrating them this year by featuring the movies of Chevy Chase, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Ana Gasteyer, Bill Murray, and others.

July 1 - Caddyshack
July 8 - The Blues Brothers
July 29 - Animal House

@Crystal Screen
Where: Near the Crystal City Metro station
When: Mondays at sundown (June 6-August 29, 2011)
Theme: By The Numbers
Quick, how many movies can you count that incorporate numbers in their titles? This is a fun party game, and perhaps also the way the Crystal Screen outdoor movie fest picked their lineup this year. From Air Force One to District 9 to (500) Days of Summer, this list adds up to offer some pretty fun choices this year.

June 13 - Four Weddings and a Funeral
June 20 - 16 Candles
August 22 - (500) Days of Summer

@Bethesda Outdoor Movies: Stars on the Avenue
Where: Bethesda's Woodmont Triangle, corner of Norfolk and Auburn Avenues
When: 9:00 p.m. on 5 consecutive nights, July 26-July 30, 2011
Theme: No theme.
A themeless entry, you can catch five nights of free popular mainstream movies at the end of July during Bethesda's Stars on the Avenue series.

July 26 - The Breakfast Club
July 27 - Bye Bye Birdie
July 28 - The Kings Speech

@U Street Movie Series
Where: Harrison Field, V Street NW between 13th and 14th Streets
When: Once a month from May to October, with activities from 7-8:30 p.m. followed by the film of the night
Theme: D.C. Themed Movies

Each night will feature two films: a short, followed by a feature-length movie. We got pretty excited when we heard they'd be showing "D.C. Themed Movies," what do you think now that you see the line-up?

I want to see EVERYTHING they are showing. They are doing a combination of shorts and feature films (you get one each night) with the theme being "DC" (love)

@Screen on the Green
Where: The National Mall, between 8th and 14th Streets NW
When: Mondays at dusk between July 25 and August 15; rain or shine
Theme: It's Screen on the Green -- they're just classic films.

August 8 - Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
August 15 - Cool Hand Luke

So plan to mark your calendars, set up your dates, break out your lawn chairs and picnic baskets and enjoy the show!! Check the full list of screenings HERE!

Weekend Playlist: Elizabethtown Soundtrack

I've always found it interesting how people celebrate their holidays. Perhaps its because my parents are European so the way I grew up celebrating holidays is pretty different from most of my friends. But, one thing is clear...the holidays bring about times to travel and be with family. The summer holidays especially bring to mind road trips. So, I thought I'd share one of my favorite roadtrip soundtracks. You'll find I absolutely love film based compositions and film soundtracks. One of the best all around soundtracks of recent memory, and a great roadtrip album, is from the film Elizabethtown.



I love the entire soundtrack, a bit old school meets new, and since the film is about a roadtrip and about reflection...I find it fitting that it's one to hit the roads to over Memorial Day weekend. These are some of my favorite songs from the album...

Learning to Fly by Tom Petty
Jesus was a Crossmaker by The Hollies
This time around by Helen Stellar
My Father's Gun by Elton John
Hard Times by eastmountainsouth
Come Pick Me Up by Ryan Adams
Square One by Tom Petty (this is also where I got the idea for the name of my other blog..aptly named SquareOne because I love the lyrics)

Safe travels all.

I just love this picture!!

Photograph courtesy of Maury Hopson

Ms. Elizabeth Taylor herself modeling some shoes...I love the picture for some reason. Just the fact that I can imagine her pulling her purchase out of the bag in an anxious hurry, putting the shoes on, and kicking up her heels (which she did)! I especially like the story Maury Hopson tells about how the picture came to be...

“She didn’t bring any of the proper clothes for it, but the spa had a dress-up night. So we went into a mall—a real strip mall. [Laughs.] We got one of the kids from the spa to drive us in. It was so bizarre, because these people were looking at her there, wondering, Is that Elizabeth Taylor?! And they were probably thinking, No, it couldn’t be—because everybody there tried to look like Elizabeth Taylor anyway, they thought it was just another look-alike.” (While at the mall, Taylor purchased a pair of high-heel Candies, which she’s modeling here.)

This photo is part of a slideshow in Vanity Fair check it out HERE.

Sun-dried Tomato Feta, Strawberry and Snap Pea Salad

So, I was looking for a quick side for dinner last night and put together this quick salad which was light, refreshing and the flavor combination was, surprisingly, delicious.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of American Blend Salad
1/2 cup Spinach
2 tblspn Sundried Tomato and Basil Feta Cheese (I used the Wegman's brand which I'm in LOVE with)
5 strawberries
1 tblspn Country Italian Dressing
1/2 cup Sugar Snap Peas
Black Pepper

Directions: slice the strawberries and blend the rest of the ingredients. Sprinkle a little black pepper on top and enjoy!

I was surprised that the strawberries and feta tasted so dang good together!!! It's a great quick recipe and the strawberries added a really nice lightness to round it out!

Playlist Joint: Edge of Glory

I admit I've been largely unimpressed with Lady Gaga's latest releases and I initially didn't like this song. But, when I saw this commerical the song took on an entirely new meaning for me. It is now on my playlist. She really does care about her fans and they love her...#respect.

Summer Solstice

So, yesterday I was introduced to the awesomness that is "The Book of Mormon" musical and then last night, while reading the June issue of Marie Claire, I came across this upcoming NYC event.



This event brings together yoga enthusiasts, and people just looking for a free class, to Times Square to participate in a day-long feast of yoga to celebrate the longest day of the year. The event will be held on June 21st and I'm thinking a mid-week trip to NYC sounds like a marvelous idea.

Registration is necessary to attend any of the three classes to be held on the Square - among other events planned with partnering studios.

Who Run the World??!!!

Between the end of the Oprah Show and seeing all that that woman has done for other women and the fact there women are making big strides in the world - the desire to post this video, yet again, was inevitable. I know she's received mixed-reviews about the song but I think with the amount of girl power, be yourself, etc. songs on the market these days - this one is probably one of the stronges (also on that list is Jessie J's "Who you Are").

This performance was bomb at the Billboard Awards and so was her performance during Oprah's finale in Chicago. And it's true...girls, women, females...RUN THE WORLD!!!!

Next up: Longboarding

My nephew is a skater. He has his long shaggy hair and likes to go out and ride. Unfortunately, every one of the adults who could ride with him went ahead and got old, scared and - in his opinion - BORING. Since I never had my skater rebellion I took on the challenge of learning how to skate to be able to enjoy something with my nephew that he enjoys. Seeing this video only made me want to do it more.

I've always been envious of longboarders who cruise around the city, standing tall on their boards with a slight bend in their backs...chillin. So, after anti-gravity yoga (more info on the classes for that coming soon)...I'm going to attempt to learn how to longboard (yikes!...I mean...Ballin!!).

Note: I define my ability to "skate" as being to stand on a board and not hop off after the first five seconds...no tricks need be involved!

Playlist Joint: Marchin On

If you watch tennis - as I do - and have been watching the French Open. You'll have heard this song. Each time its come on I haven't been quick enough to find out who the artist was but today I Shazam'd (one of the best app's ever) it and found out it was none other than OneRepublic.

This song got me through the last half mile of my cardio today and is a great addition to anyone's workout playlist - especially if cardio is on the menu for the day. Enjoy!

Simply Breakfast

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It's been ingrained in our brain that we need it to survive (maybe that's a stretch...but it is important). Unfortunately, I find that breakfast tends to be the most repetitive meal of my day and it tends to be one of the most hurried meals of the day. The only time I find myself properly having breakfast is when I go to brunch over the weekends (brunch IS my favorite meal) or post-night out at an all-night diner. So, it was nice to find out that there's a blog dedicated specifically to one person's love of this all-important meal. And it is called...

Simply Breakfast. by Jennifer Causey



Photo by Jennifer Causey

I'm a fan at first sight and I hope this site will give me inspiration to slow down and find some creative ways to make and enjoy breakfast!

Recipe: Almond, Coconut Granola

So, I found this recipe on Whole Living because I checked out the granola I had been eating - Kashi and a couple other brands - and realized that there was an insane amount of sugar in those products. When I saw how simple the recipe for a granola base was and realized how easy it would be to modify and play with the ingredients I added to it, I had to give it a try. So, this is the recipe from Whole Living and I put my modifications to the recipe at the bottom...

Ingredients
6 cups old-fashioned oats
1 1/4 cups nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, walnuts, etc., coarsely chopped
1/4 cup seeds, such as sunflower, pepitas, etc.
1/3 cup flaxseed meal, wheat germ, or a mixture of the two
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large egg whites
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup sweetener, such as honey, agave syrup, or molasses
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup dried fruit, such as sour cherries, cranberries, currants, raisins, apricots, figs, or pineapple, coarsely chopped

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.Combine the oats, nuts, seeds, flax and/or wheat germ, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites and the salt until frothy. Whisk in the sweetener and the olive oil. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and stir until the oats are evenly coated.
3.Transfer mixture to two rimmed baking sheets and spread flat.
4.Bake for 20 minutes, then gently flip with a spatula, moving granola from the outer edges to the center of the sheet. Continue to cook until golden, about 10 minutes more. (If the granola starts to brown too much at the edges, gently stir those parts into the middle.)
5.Cool completely on pan, then transfer to a bowl and gently stir in the dried fruit.

Modifications to my recipe: I left out the salt and I only used sliced almonds and flaked coconuts as additions to the base. I also cut the honey in half because I love eating cereal with Vanilla Almond Milk. Since that has it's own sweetness to it I didn't want to overpower the sweetness. However, you can essentially put whatever you like in your granola into this base.

Prep...



About to go in the oven...



And done :)



Enjoy!!!

Say What? Say, Tea!

One tip in Jackie Warner's book said that drinking green tea before going to bed is a good way to keep hunger pangs at bay during the night. As I've recently begun drinking tea - a LOT - I thought I'd give it a try since I'm kind of an insomniac and I'm down to try anything natural to help me sleep. I can safely say...it works.

A little green tea can go a long way towards helping you get a good nights sleep without waking up at 2 am wondering why you're craving a sandwich! Give it a try, it's worth it. For anyone interested in increasing their tea intake - here are a couple of my current favorites:

(1) Yogi Organic Tea - my favorite is their Calm tea. However, their Bedtime tea WILL put you to sleep. I accidentally drank some first thing in the morning at work mistaking it for the Chamomille and let's just say...my head was bobbing for a good three hours before I had enough coffee in me to counteract the effect of it. Note: they also have a special line of teas for women which are amazing.

(2) Harney and Sons Tea - this company is straight out of NY so you have to pretty much order online but it's entirely worth it. Their Hot Cinnamon Spice tea was given to me by a colleague and I've been hooked on their teas ever since. Next up: Apricot.

(3) JaponicaTafe - I met the young men behind this brand of tea at the Old Town Alexandria farmer's market. Their tea, bought from their own personal recommendations for favorites, lived up to my expectations. I bought their Organic Chai Rooisbos and their Japanese Chocolate and Almond tea. One word for both - BOSS.

I have other favorites but these are the ones I'm currently drinking the most of. Delicious-ness in every glass. I was also told there's a place in Ellicott City, MD that has high tea - I may have to organize a little outting for some tea and scones!

Playlist Joint: Danza Kuduro and Follow Me, Follow Me

Both these songs are featured on the soundtrack for the latest installment in the Fast and the Furious series - Fast Five. The entire soundtrack is killer and will make you want to dance, drive cars very, very fast, and learn Portugese (a sexy language) in Brazil (sexy people). I guarantee both songs are perfect for elliptical workouts!

Playlist Joint: Give Me Everything

There's something about this song that makes me want to do exactly what his lyrics say "grab somebody sexy, tell em hey!"

5@5: Tequila Cocktails!!!

I like Tequila, yum, yum, yum. I may have been a Mexican in a past life. Yum, yum, yum. Here are some summer cocktails using TEQUILA from CNN's 5@5 food list. I intend to modify as needed to make them less calorie loaded but it seems like these already have some nice modifications. Cannot wait to have a BBQ or a "Poor Girls Happy Hour" and try these out.

1. Spicy Cucumber Margarita
"I LOVE this drink, not only in the summer, but year round! It's got the cooling aspect of the cucumber, followed by the bite of the Tapitio [hot sauce]! A wonderful juxtaposition of flavors."

2 oz reposado tequila (recommended: El Jimador Reposado)
2 oz House Sour (2 parts fresh lime juice to 1 part agave nectar)
3 slices cucumber
2 dashes each of Tapitio and Angostura bitters

Served with ice in a rocks glass.

2. Mexican 77
"This cocktail is nice, sweet and sparkling. It tastes soft on the palate, and is wonderful for a hot summer day."

2 oz silver tequila (recommended: 4Copas Silver organic tequila)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon (1/2 oz)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Float of Cava (or Champagne)

Served in a chilled Champagne flute.

3. Red Eye
"Now this is a beautiful cocktail! The density of the red wine keeps the wine at the top of the cocktail the entire time. It’s sweet, yet dry."

2 oz reposado tequila (recommended: Milagro Reposado)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon (1/2 oz)
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Float of Red Wine

Served in a chilled Champagne flute.

4. La Paloma
"The bestselling cocktail in Mexico! It’s traditionally made with Mexican Squirt [grapefruit soda], but mine is made with homemade 'Squirt' using freshly squeezed juices. My personal summertime favorite!"

2 oz silver tequila (recommended: El Jimador Silver)
1/2 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1/2 oz fresh squeezed lime
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
Topped with club soda

Served with ice in a salt rimmed Collins glass, with a lime.

5. Piñata Smash
"This cocktail is sweet and spicy, with a nice herbal finish. It’s a tasty and refreshing cocktail to sip on those days when the sun just won’t quit.

2 oz silver tequila (recommended: El Jimador Silver)
2 oz House Sour (2 parts fresh lime juice to 1 part agave nectar)
Muddled pineapple chunk, 3 slices of Serrano chile, and a few sprigs of Cilantro

Served with ice in a rocks glass.

More information can be found at 5@5 http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/05/23/55-fred-warner/

Unexpected News and Upcoming Projects

This week has been an intense and it's only Tuesday! I received some amazing news about a new opportunity at work. I just found out - like 10 seconds ago - I've been invited to write for the Examiner.com in the Arts/Entertainment section. I'll put a link to my page up when I have it so you can see what I'm writing about the scene in DC - luckily I have a lot of friends who keep me up to date on various events in the area. Finally, I'm working on pulling together a collection of poem for a chapbook I'm working on. Whew!!!

On top of all that, I'm trying to get myself in order to be able to work-out, eat smart, and all the rest. So as I said, this week has been intense! But, I'll take "problems" like these any day of the week! It's been a humbling, exciting, and empowering week so far and I have some choices to make!

For some reason whenever I'm going through some things in my life - which all seem to come around the same time - I listen to Baz Luhrman's "Everybody's Free". Every single lyric is significant to me and I just love this piece. If you haven't heard this open letter from an unexpected source - in Mr. Luhrman (based off of a article written by Mary Schmich) - here it is...

Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen) by michaelsolomou

Adventure Destinations close to DC

The Washington Post has a great article in today's paper about adventure destinations for fitness minded individuals within driving distance of DC. Highlights....

Get your inner child on with tree climbing via Riverside Outfitters is at 6836 Old Westham Rd., Richmond. 804-560-0068. Prices vary depending on your needs; a two-hour outing with one instructor for up to five climbers is $150.

Get your zip-line on with Nelson Rocks Outdoor Center is at 141 Nelson Gap Rd., Circleville, W.Va. 877-435-4842. $80 weekdays, $85 weekends; 70- to 250-pound weight requirement.

Get your inner surfer on with Ultimate Watersports is at 7200 Graces Quarter Rd., Baltimore. 410-335-5352. Rentals $25 per hour, lessons $40; must weight at least 65 pounds.

Follow the writers of the Post article on Twitter @postmisfits!

DC Weekend: Venus in Fur @ Studio Theatre

Some of you know I used to work at Studio Theatre part-time back in the day when I didn't think that a full-time job and school was complete enough so I picked up a second job. It was there that I found out about the lovely practice among the DC theatre community to host 'pay what you can' (PWYC) performances. This is a way to let anyone in the community be able to attend the theatre and it means what it sounds like - whether you can only afford to pay a penny or $100, if you get in line early enough you'll get a chance to see the show.

Most theatres in the DC area have a PWYC matinee performance the first Saturday of the week of a show opening. So, Studio Theatre is having one this Saturday for its show, Venus in Fur, which opens tomorrow. I read the book in anticipation of this show and am curious to see how they turn the very naughty content (the author of the book is the namesake of sadomasochism) into a play. Here's a teaser...



The Studio Theatre is located at 1501 14th St. NW, Washington, DC 20005
Closest Meto: U St/Cardoza or McPherson

Next up: Anti-Gravity Yoga (AGY)

I read about anti-gravity yoga (AGY) for the first time a week ago and immediately wanted to do it. Now, after watching this...I REALLY need to do this! First of all, this video is hilarious. Second, it seems like the best thing for me - i.e. someone who has issues with the pretzel like flexibility some floor/mat based yoga disciplines require. It looks like a really fun way to stretch, use resistance training. I mean, who doesn't like to swing?!

Now the hard part, there's only one gym in the DC metro area that has these classes. Crunch Fitness. Short of opening a membership, I need to find out how I can get access to their classes. Cross your fingers that they have a drop-in option. I'll let you know when I work it out.

Deal of the Day!!

This is a segment for the blog I'll be doing, relating to discounts, deals and fun looking things happening in the area. I'll link things I've purchased and plan to do as well as things I just think some of the people reading this blog may be interested in!

Note: most of these are likely to come from one of the discounts sites (living social, groupon, etc.) so if you haven't signed up for them in your city - you're missing out!

Today's Deal: $20 (valued at $150) for 10 Yoga Classes brought to you by Livingsocial.com

The classes are offered at the Embrace with Faith Hunter studio in Washington, DC.

The instructor is on the cover of next month's Yoga Journal and you can see her behind-the-scenes interview below (she sounds amazing and looks amazing).

Playlist Joint: Run the World (Girls)

Saw her perform this joint on Pt. 1 of Oprah's Farewell and fell in love with it even more. Girls, women, females DO run the world. I love that she's saying women can run things being who they are, as college grads, working women, and mothers and she's not falling on the bandwagon of so many female artists who write "empowering" songs about women being like men. We can do it on our own - as women. #getit!

Home Training

Last night I decided to finally clean my room at 11 pm. By 1:30 am, I was working on putting together my work-out nook. My space for home training when I don't feel like being in the gym and want to break out the greatness of the NikeTrainingClub (NTC) app for women or the Women's Health Magazine Big Book of Exercises (two of my new work-out staples for quick workouts and also workouts that have already been planned out for the user).

I'll post some photos of my home training spot later today. But it has simple things like weights, resistance bands, a medicine ball, my bike (because I do not trust the bike room in my building at all!), floor mat, etc. In the meantime, here's a little snapshot of some of the points that the NTC app hits with their latest spokesperson -Lea Michele!



...and the song in the video is "Lights" by Ellie Goulding (which is officially a Playlist Joint!)

What's in your cubby??!!!

My office is a den of saboteurs. Faithful desk jockeys and well meaning co-workers, and the sneakiest of all saboteur partner-in-crime - their wives. They lay in wait for the perfect time to strike with a homemade confection of epic sugary deliciousness. Even the plastic container the treat is nestled within smells good! Lucky for me, I don't have much of a sweet tooth. But sometimes, especially in the early hours of the day when someone comes in with warm pastries it's hard to resist. When one said sabateur brought in yet another custom made cake - this time a coconut vanilla bean cake - it made me take a good look at what was in my cubicle.

I thought I'd stocked it with healthy options, jello packs, instant oatmeal, crystal light, Kashi cereal. But alas, my journey into food literacy made me realize 90% of what was in my cubby should not have been in my cubby. So, today is a purge day. I would give everything to other people but that would make me a sabateur for someone else (since 90% of the people in my office, as in every place I've ever worked, is on some kind of diet or exercise plan) so I'm just going to have to switch everything up. "Operation Cubby Control" is a go.

Playlist Joint: Right There

Quote of the Day

"I'm proud to have raised hooligans. There are enough pussycats in the world. My children are hooligans! No one should be forced to color within the lines." - My mother (she's a boss!).

On the subject of: Grocery Shopping

I felt like a foreigner. One of those people who you can just tell recently got a stamp in their passport and a welcome to the US smile. I should've worn a fanny pack, if I had a fanny pack. This is how I felt at the grocery store today. It was literally the first time in my entire life I've gone to the store focused on buying the good stuff. No, not the donuts or chips or cookies...oh the cookies! No, I was there to buy the fruits and veggies. To walk the Moosewood Cookbook Path. It felt like I was Muad'did looking for a Spice Worm - only not so serious-like (yes, I stayed up and watched Dune and Children of Dune the other night, don't judge me).

But, I grabbed a big cart and had my cookbook with me and I was ready to rock the hell out of this trip to Wegmans. $137 later. I had what you can see below - it constitutes like 1.5 weeks or perhaps 2 depending on what recipes I do - worth of groceries. I realized the extent to which I have bypassed the produce area when I had to call my mother, madam green thumb, gardener extraordinaire, to ask her how I knew what to look for in freshness. The only thing I knew about was lettuce and celery. So, I freely admit...I didn't know shit about produce. But by the end, I knew a little more. Let the cooking games begin.

Busboys and Poets Loop

Since I go there all the time, I thought I'd map out a loop for Shirlington from Rt. 7 to Shirlington and named it the Busboys and Poets Loop - it's a 3.57 mile loop and you can make it longer or shorter depending on how you run/walk it. It also links up to the W&OD trail and some side trails as well.

Livestrong is an amazing site. I use their MyPlate link and also use it to find other loops, groups and information. Its all about sustainable health and also has a lot of information for people experiencing specific health concerns or major goals they've set to accomplish. So the nature of the resources on this site are amazing.

http://www.livestrong.com/loops/alexandria_busboys__poets_loop-ps4eN4mzDm/

p.s. Busboys and Poets is an amazing restaurant/community meeting place/fair trade store/bookstore, etc. depending on which location in the DC metro area you go to, named after Langston Hughes. They have a good selection of vegan and vegetarian options on their menu and it's worth a trip for the food, the company (every time I go I end up getting into a conversation with another patron about the most stimulating topics) and for the events they host.

Thank you to every (great) teacher I've ever had

Yesterday, I met up with an old friend to go to see the movie, "The First Grader". I love independent films and I especially love the fact that I have a AMC Independent theatre less than four miles away from my house. So, I was happy to see they were screening this film - especially after watching the trailer.



The great thing about this trailer is that it's linked to Capella University which has committed to donating $.50 to expanding education initiatives at non-profits located around the world every time the trailer is viewed. Who says you can't make a difference in under 3 minutes?!

I would recommend everyone see this film. It is yet another thing that's come along at an opportune time, after I'd just seen the Soledad O'Brien CNN Special Education in America, and been disheartened by the lack of consistency in education there seems to be in a country that has no excuse for it. When compared to the circumstances and challenges one man faced to simply learn how to read in a country where access to education was long-denied, and once promised - equally hard to obtain. It is not hard to find good teachers and mentors, believers as I call them people who believe in you and your abilities, people who see all the possibilities that lay before you if you work hard. I've been blessed by fine teachers and leaving the theatre I felt an overwhelming desire to thank them all. Since I know that isn't possible I instead found comfort in the fact that there are films like this being made. I was also surprised to have received a tweet from a producer for the film, as I'd updated my status to say I was going to see the film, and he asked me to tweet about it...so I did. I enjoyed this film and think its message is one everyone can relate to and embrace - the message that education is vital, it is a right, it is worth fighting for, it is worth sacrificing for.

Like the teacher in the film, I believe I am a lifelong student and as she said 'I'll stop learning when I have dirt in my ears'. We should all strive to instill in the next generation, and maintain it in ourselves, the sense that education is vital. Learning is lifelong endeavor and we should seek out knowledge until our last breath or until there is dirt in our ears.

Market to Kitchen

I love Farmers' Markets. I like the sense of community, wandering around with a basket and asking people about what they make. It's easy to forget that we actually make things here. We grow things here. Not everything comes in crates across oceans with a "Made in _____" any other country in the world label. I like to see what things people come up with sometimes after long hours spent contemplating a thing or from the scraps of something else. Do-It-Yourself tasks are amazing and since I rarely get the opportunity to spend time on DIY projects...I'll go to Farmers' Markets and buy the wares of others who do.

I recently too a Saturday off, a rare occurrence in my world, and spent the day wandering about and along the way I came across the Farmers' Market in Old Town Alexandria. I bought a basket, bangles made from the fabric scraps left behind by a woman who makes beautiful quilted bags, homemade tortellini, flowers (which are still beautiful two weeks later), fresh strawberries, tea and chai from a group of young men who'd decided to start a business, and listened to a man and wife play Spanish guitar. It was a great day and as I walked down to the waterfront to enjoy a cup of tea and dip into my strawberries I had to wonder why I don't allow myself more days like that...allow seems an odd choice of word but it's fitting. It's something I need to work on...taking more time off to wander.

As I love these markets it was a great surprise to find DailyCandy, yet another deal friendly, regionally specific site, send me an email entitled, 'Market to Kitchen'. Which highlighted upcoming cooking classes - offered by Loulies.com - in DC which start at the Farmers' Market and migrate to a kitchen to cook, can, and enjoy all for $25 per class. I cannot wait to sign up for some of these classes and see how I can make a trip to the market even more worthwhile, not just as someone who enjoys them but as someone who understands how to appreciate the richness of the produce on display and what to do with it when I bring it back to my kitchen.

Weekend Warrior: Great Falls Trail Hike

After my work out at the gym, I decided to keep the cardio train on track and hit up the trails at Great Falls National Park. It's been a while since I've been there and they are definitely doing a lot of work on trail and facilities maintenance. As usual on a beautiful day the line of cars waiting to get into the park was crazy. Every time I get stuck in one of those lines, I always bemoan the fact that I didn't stuff my bike in my car and bike into the park. It's less expensive ($3) but of all the National Parks in this area Great Falls is one of the best because the fee, which is $5 by car, is good for three consecutive days to the park and also gets you into the C&O National Historical Park in MD. So you get a lot for the price, just cross your fingers for three consecutive days of good weather. The weather was perfect for a hike today and although my calves were killing me. I opted to do the River Trail, as it was a trail I hadn't been on before. I was into it immediately. This trail winds close to the river and I'd rate it as Medium in difficulty because there is some bouldering, steps, steep inclines, etc. involved. Overall some quality intervals that you can make more difficult if you take the side-trails off the main path. I did the entire River Trail down to the Patawmack Trail connection after the foot bridge then took that trail back. It took about 40 minutes to do the circuit. I really want to go back when the park opens and run the trail because it would be a great trail for that.

I took some videos and pictures along the way to share (p.s. don't judge the questionable way I took said videos...I was hiking by myself so I had to improvise).












And this is the best idea I've seen on a trail in a while - some climbers taking a break.

Say What? Say Meditation!!!

I tried it in the past - didn't work. Then a friend told me those oft repeated words that make you get a slightly euphoric feeling rushing through your body - there's an app for that. 'That' being meditation. I have a hard time slowing down and an even harder time relaxing. Last year on a long weekend trip to my friends cabin in upstate NY it took me about a day and a half into the mini-vacation before I completely shut down and didn't feel my throat contracting and my fingers attempt to grasp the air without internet or phone reception. So, when my friend LL suggested I try meditation during brunch I thought she was nuts. I mean honestly.

But, there is indeed an app for meditation and LL had me put two on my phone immediately. The apps are Simply Being and one with a symbol and a blue background on it, which are both self-guided apps. You can pick the background ambience noise, speed, to link it to your iPod playlists, etc. This advice came at an opportune time, as fate seems to have it in my life lately, because I'd just watched the entire TED conference series with the theme: What makes us happy? and seen the episode of Oprah with Goldie Hawn where they discussed happiness and ways to destress. I know the warm-up and cool-down phases of a work-out are essential but so is slowing things down in your life. I work in a stressful environment and I need that unwind time. So, I've begun to take baby steps towards incorporating meditation into my life. I started about four weeks ago doing five minutes (the longest five minutes of my life) and have worked my way up to doing 30 minutes before I go to work and 30 minutes before I go to bed. I've seen my stress level go down as well during this time and plan to continue my meditative growth. It's actually not as hard to do once you get into the swing of things.

Some things that help me be able to meditate or just take a moment to do deep breaths while I'm driving into work, etc. is the music I'm listening to. I've included some of my chill-mix music for you here...

Rushed Farewells - Strayfolk from Henrik Thorén on Vimeo.

Aaron Thompson - A Record, A Wheel from goldenbear on Vimeo.

Currently Reading: The Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health

My mother has this thing about buying me a ridiculous number of cook books every year. Note, she buys these for a daughter she won't let into her kitchen and whom she believes doesn't know how to cook. Additional note, I totally held my own making a holiday dinner this past year. All that aside, I'm currently reading a book she gave me entitled: The Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health. Written by a collective of chefs associated with this vegan restaurant, and institution in its own right, located in Ithaca, NY.

I have to say the introduction made a whole lot of sense to me and as I started to skip ahead to look at some of the recipe options I realized most of them sounded delicious to me and I was again struck by what constitutes something as vegetarian or vegan fare. For some reason I've never realized how much of what I eat is actually vegetarian and it would be that much better for me if I swapped out a few simple ingredients. So, I'll share my favorite recipes from this book as I go through it. I'm going to have a Julie/Julia moment with it because my ultimate goal is to have a 90/10 split between my plant/whole foods based intake and my meat/seafood intake by the time I'm done. You can see books I've reviewed, am reading or want to read at Goodreads.com.

On Repeat: Weekend Playlist Top Picks

These three songs are rocking my iPod this weekend on REPEAT. Every day I'm shufflin!!! Literally, I do the shuffle at the gym just like in the video when I step off the treadmill...sideways.

Say What? Say free classes!

So, I love free things and things with discounts and getting access to places outside of the gym. I'm not cheap - a major problem if you read into the balance in my bank account. But, I'm working on being more fiscally responsible and frugal. Luckily, I live in a town with a lot of free/discounted options. You can go to the standard places to find discounts, i.e. GroupOn, Trubates, LivingSocial, LivingSocial Escapes, etc. or you can go directly to outfitter, healthy living, etc. stores and locations and see what they offer. If you use any of the sites listed above, I'd recommend searching in cities nearby you as well to increase your access to great deals (i.e. I look at the DC metro area and Baltimore deals or specific deals in cities I'm going to be traveling to as well). Some examples of stores with free classes, Lululemon offers free yoga classes in partnership with local yoga studios one day each week and also has group fun runs at least one day a week at most locations around DC (check out lulumon.com to find a store near you and browse their calendar); and Pacers has fun run groups. Lucky for me they have a number of stores in DC and VA for me to make my way around the area.

Another great place to look is one the city websites wherever you live. I know in my area the Northern Virginia sites list all of the schools which offer adult classes in swimming and access to area high school tracks, etc. for free (did you know your local public library probably offers free yoga or meditation classes?...check it out). So, it's worth taking a look to see where you can find a good track or pool. Also, more and more communities are establishing initatives to get people out and active. I haven't seen a better one in the DC area then what is being done on along the Waterfront in DC and what is being done, brillantly so, in Crystal City. with their Crystal City Fit initiative. This program is linked to Crystal City Bike and Crystal City Run programs already in place and works at the community level to promote health, fitness and environmental awareness. Outdoor Zumba - check. Outdoor meditation class - check. Free outdoor yoga classes - check. 5K Fridays - why not?! This initiative brings the entire community together and they have a full schedule.

Warning: This Movie Could Save Your Life

Another thing I'm addicted to, movies. I especially love documentaries. This week, I watched the new documentary Forks Over Knives. According to the film's official website the purpose of the film is to examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the so-called “diseases of affluence” that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods.

The film did precisely that. Full disclaimer, I'd eaten a very light breakfast and a granola midday snack prior to going to the movies in the afternoon so I could get a hot dog at the theatre. By the first five minutes into the movie, my hot dog made it's way back into the plastic container and was not eaten. The film delves into the debate concerning whether or not a plant, whole foods, based diet can in fact prevent, reduce, or regress degenerative diseases. The doctors, specialists, skeptics, and practitioners of this diet highlighted in the film made a compelling case. I'd already decided that moving towards as close to a whole foods diet as possible would be in the best interests for me going forward. My reasons for this are two fold, first, I'm a African-American and Puerto Rican woman so I literally hit the genetic lottery on likelihood to develop a degenerative disease in my life (so unfair) and second, when I went to get a physical before starting this endeavor my Doctor did two things, one which he's done before and the other which he's never done. Upon entering his office he, as he's done for the past seven years, shook his head at me. It's his universal way of saying "you don't sleep enough, exercise enough, take care of yourself enough and your body is on the verge of being FUBAR" - it's amazing what can be said by the shake of ones head. The second thing he did was to hug me after I told him I'd had enough and wanted a change. I've been told I have very expressive facial expressions and eyes so I guess he could read in them that I wasn't fooling. So this movie came out at the perfect time for me.

I would recommend everyone go see it, if for no other reason than to find out what work is being done out there to prevent the spread of degenerative diseases and to see that there are solutions that do not require pharmaceuticals. They broke down the science and the statistics. The major players in the game who determine health policy and how corrupt, and corrupt-able, those institutions have become. One of the individuals showcased in the film had to take nine pills a day and two injections, he went into the doctors office having been diagnosed with three degenerative illnesses and a list of 28 ailments/symptoms. He was a wreck. He was the face of what is rapidly becoming America. The face of a population under attack from preventable diseases. A population that needs to wake up. I've learned I cannot make anyone else ready to make a change. But I can do something about making a change for myself.

As a nation the statistics on health are alarming, as a woman and minority those statistics become even more alarming as they concern my situation. Food has held me prisoner in many ways for too long - making poor decisions and choices in what I eat and confusing an active social life with a physically active life. I do not want to be held prisoner by pills or surgeries in my future because I've let my health become a problem that consumes my life. This film presents yet another call to action, it does not demand we all make extreme changes to our diet/lifestyle but instead begs to question why we would stand in the way of our own health. It begs us to re-examine our attitude towards what is and is not extreme in the pursuit of health, long life.

As one of the prominent Doctors featured in the film said, people think it's extreme for me to call for a whole foods based diet. But, I think it's extreme to cut someones chest open, remove a vein from their leg, attach it to their heart, and sew them back up. That's extreme. He was referring to bypass surgery and I think that's a good way to frame the debate, as a bypass. We've removed ourselves from the seemingly hard taste of reacquainting ourselves with the taste of real food and tried to bypass our health in the name of surgery, pills, fads, quick fixes. Forks and Knives shows that one such quick fix could be as simple as putting more vegetables and fruits on your plate.