Yoga and Pho :)

Yesterday, I did Yoga with my friend Cassidy and I sweat so much! It was so gross and I sweat through my shirt, but I felt so good! After, we got Vietnamese food and I got pho, which is basically DYI soup. I got mine with seafood like shrimp, octopus, and other miscellaneous sea creatures. It was sooooooooooooo good. I highly recommend pho for myself and you on a daily basis!

Pho! (spot the tentacles :) )

Also, I wanted to share the gorgeous view from the rooftop of the Met:

I also get to add another option to my breakfasts, Pooja's Mediterannean Beet, Fennel, and Lentil Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette = YUM!

Ode to the Farmer's Market

I love the Union Square Greenmarket, but I newly discovered the Tuesday farmer's market on 10th and 2nd (by randomly seeing it when I was walking from the West Village this morning)! I got bread from Bread Alone Bakery (this organic bread bakery I am OBSESSED with), tomatoes, blueberries, a peach, and nectarines.

Photo courtesy of breadalone.com

I love how fresh all of my produce was! Quite often, food in supermarkets in the city have been sitting in trucks for a while and taste blah or have tons of pesticides on them. Even though it costs a little more, my food tastes way better and like the actual food I am tasting. My tomatoes I got were juicy and firm (organic) deliciousness. I am only thinking of this because I literally had to throw away half of the last carton of cherry tomatoes I bought from the supermarket because they were bad :( Look at these beauties: 

I also loved my blueberries and indulged in my peach. The farmer kept telling me it was the best I could buy, and I was like 'Uh, huh...Sure...', but he was totally right. It was AMAZING.

I also used my tomatoes in Pooja's Summer Salad with egg, pumpkin seeds, and peaches that I usually eat for breakfast, but also for lunch and added quinoa:

OM NOM NOM.

To try another of Pooja's delicious salads, try her new Beet-Fennel- Lentil Salad!

Dancing before and in the Movies!

Yesterday I went with my friend, Teresa, to dance class in the city at Broadway Dance Center! It was so fun :) We took two 90 minute classes- ballet and jazz. Teresa actually teaches dance classes and is ridiculously good and I... could use more dance classes. Haha. At least I wasn't the worst!

Photo courtesy of broadwaydancecenter.com

I definitely want to go again because I had so much fun and want to get better- I think I am hooked :) I really loved my teacher Sheila Barker. She was funny and intimidating at the same time. Teresa and I really loved her! After, we got udon (which was delicious) and met some of our other friends at Bryant Park for a free screening of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (starring Marilyn Monroe; i.e. the origin of 'Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend'), which was a musical with tons of dancing! We are def going again.

Today, I plan on going to an awesome yoga class near where I live called Yoga to the People, with my friend Cassidy. I am so excited to get my yoga on! Exercise classes are so...classy! I am also still doing my 6 week Pooja's Way exercises in the park, which is making me super strong :)

Imma be like Atlas!

Imma be like Atlas because I am being super healthy :)

Huh! I am strong!!!

I am eating super whole grains like Bob's Red Mill to get super strong and lean. I actually recently stocked up and got some organic whole quinoa, museli (I am super obsessed...it might be a problem), 10 grain cereal (I like it cold), whole grain couscous, and some other delisheries for ultra muscles *flex*.

Check out the stash!
(My secret place for getting this brand on the cheap is Ocean State Job Lot!)

I have also been doing Pooja's workout at the park that the rink I coach at is in:

Btw: I use the park benches as part of my workout :)

I am also super excited because I am going to try a ballet class with my friend who happens to be a ridiculously good dancer. I will need to take pictures to share! I am also recovering from sore legs after being at the rink for over 11 hours, so I have been stretching a lot today. I always try to stretch before and after I do every and any workout!

Fit Me, Baby!

As of yesterday, I have officially started my 6-week fitness program with Pooja to get sexier arms. Yeah! I am so excited.

Today is also the first day where I noticed I looked a little skinnier, probably from not eating sugar. My friends still tell me I am crazy, but I don't find it too hard. The only foods I really miss are really fattening (like ice cream...Oh, my dearest ice cream...), so it is good I am not eating them at all. Right now, getting back in shape is more important to me than the temporary pleasure of sugary sugar (sugar with sugar). No more sugar!

I am skating lightly for fun whenever I have free time at the rink, in addition to Pooja's workout for me. I am basically doing her shuttle runs, side shuffle things, and  two foot hops, in addition to these weird lengthening arm exercises that I don't know the name of, but am obsessed with (I will post pics of the arm stuff soon).

Run, Sarah! Run! (Shuttle Runs)

Pooja's Shuttle Shuffles :)

BOING! (Two fooot hops)

I know I have really just begun doing Pooja's fitness plan, but I am excited because I know I am on the road to a healthier me! I actually exercise regularly, but I think I have reached a plateau in my progress from doing the same thing. I really love working out with Pooja because she adds so much variety and fun to my old, boring workouts!

Here is the link to some of her other exercises: http://poojasway.com/move/

Fireworks and Hiking on the 4th!

Happy 4th!

I had the privilege of doing work on my yard today! However, I did see fireworks :) This weekend, I went to a concert in a neighboring CT town that ended with a bang (several, actually!).

I also visited Kent Falls with my family and visiting Israeli cousins! It was so pretty :) We had a picnic with veggies, berries, and hummus (yum!), played games in the grass, frolicked in the water, and hiked up the mountain.

Even my little cousins (ages 4, 9, and 11) hiked up the mountain with my brother, mom, their parents, and myself. It was so fun to be outside by water. Also, it was a nice change to see mountains, which I am used to from living in CT and are absent from NYC. At least I have Central Park.

This was a view from the upper middle of the mountain!

Starting Wednesday, I am kick-starting my official Pooja's Way fitness plan! Details to come. In the meantime, get a sneak peak at some of my workouts at http://poojasway.com/move/

I Heart Pooja's Tart!

I swear I am sweet, but I love this tart! I made Pooja's tart for my family and they loved it! It made the perfect 4th of July treat :)

Obviously, Pooja's is prettier and made correctly, but I tried!

I also realized later that it is vegan because instead of butter and eggs, the recipe uses coconut oil. In the jar, coconut oil looks super solid, but actually melts to the touch. It was in the oil section in Whole Foods (hiding on the top of the shelf in the oil aisle).

For fun, I used the coconut oil in my own recipe to caramelize a banana, also with the coconut sugar I used in the tart recipe. Because I didn't make it well, I added it to Wallaby's organic nonfat plain yogurt. I love Wallaby brand because the texture is super smooth!

Pooja knows that I love yogurt, and she pointed out to me how much sugar is added to flavored yogurt. Tp cut calories and avoid all of those unnecessary chemicals, add your own fruit to yogurt. Always get plain and sweeten with maple syrup or honey (if desired). I am weird and don't sweeten most of my foods (not that I am eating sugar anyways), but I usually opt for maple syrup and blueberries in my yogurt. I also like to get nonfat yogurt because it is fewer calories. As far as organic goes, organic=whole foods= good for the environment= good for the body= :)