How I fly

I am on my way back to Greece tomorrow and I have packed my bag of treats to take with me on my trip. There are some precautions I take on flights which include the following:
-Always book a non-dairy vegetarian meal. This means you will eat fruit and salad, which is better than all the processed food that is normally served. Who knows where the meat that is served comes from. Be sure to give notice at least 48 hours before your flight or they might not honor your request.
- Bring a large empty water bottle with you and fill it up before you board, so you have a large bottle of water for your flight. And most importantly, drink it all before you land!
- Bring antioxidant rich fruits. I love bringing pears, a small pack of blueberries, cranberries, and goji berries.
-Bring some sliced red bell peppers, carrots, and other veggies you like. Don't load up on these because they might give you a tummy ache due to the elevation.

- Bring some healthy bars, raw if you can find them. My favorite are the Raw Organic Food Bars- cinnamon raisin and fiber delight. I also like Lara bars, and the new raw bars at Trader Joes. If you want to avoid more sugar you can find protein bars that are low in sugar and still void of artificial sweeteners.
-Extra set of vitamins (whatever you take)
-Green tea bags, which is better than the black tea that is served
-A bag of nuts- almonds (soaked if you have time), walnuts, and brazil nuts.
- An MP3 player with soft meditation music
-Soft, cozy socks
-A warm sweater- planes are freezing!!
-A great book and/or a journal
-Organic antibacterial wipes/gel

The morning before my flight I drink green juice (wheatgrass, kale, spinach, with ginger and lemon, etc). I also take double my spirulina, kelp, probiotics, and multivitamin- to boost my immunity.

I hope you have a great New Year!! Get ready for a 2012 detox in the coming weeks!!

Exercise!

I am a BIG fan of exercise, but not the kind of exercise that I feel I HAVE to do. I used to go to aerobics classes and dreaded going and to make it worse, while I was there, I watched the clock the whole time. Life is just too short to dread parts of the day. So, I made some changes and now I love my workout regime. I tailored it to fit my schedule and it has worked beautifully. I believe that diet is the ultimate determinate of your weight and overall health, but exercise is a great way to keep you limber, to keep your heart healthy, to keep the mind clear, and to rid toxins from your body. It also can give you a great shape!

Even if you are short on time there are ways you can get your heart pumping through out your day. Some examples of how I incorporate a little more "action" into my busy day:
-Always take the stairs, even in heels!
-Park my car far away from the front entrance of wherever I am going.
-Get off the bus/train/tram two stops early and walk to my destination.
-Go to the library and rent 30 minute yoga/pilates DVDs. I can do anything for 30 minutes, but any more and I get bored. Rodney Yee fro Gaiam is the BEST!
-Do some pilates before bed- I do the 5-series, takes 3-5 minutes and it gives you a beautiful tummy in only a week. Click here to see how to do the 5-series
-Do a two minute plank every morning or every evening, broken up however you need to. While you are down there maybe you can meditate or pray for a minute and give thanks for the day ahead or behind you? Helps me flow better with life and maintain a grateful attitude.
-Stretch right when you get out of bed. Do a good down dog and get the blood flowing. Here is a down dog video
-Try to do yoga or some cardio at least three times during the week.

This is my routine and it has worked well for me. Some weeks I exercise much more than others, but overall I tend to follow this schedule. The most important thing is to find something you enjoy. If you dread the gym, take your workout outside in nature. Find inspiration and follow it!

I am off for a light run now! Happy 2012!!

Warm lemon water

Why do I always push this warm water with lemon thing? Because, it is a part of my routine that has kept me healthy, lean, and vibrant for years. I hope you will make an attempt to add this drink to your daily routine- you will be so happy you did!!

Here is what I have learned throughout the years about lemon:
-Extremely alkalizing. Drinking lemon first thing in the morning reconfigures your body to metabolize efficiently and to burn fat all day long. When the body is more alkaline and less acidic (80:20 is the perfect ratio), it is kept free of disease. Acidosis is one of the basic precursors of disease. This fact alone is a reason to start your day with lemon water.
-Great for your stomach and digestive system. Keeps you lean and regular.
-Antibacterial. Studies have proven that lemon juice kills the bacteria that cause malaria, cholera, typhoid, and other major diseases.
-Natural form of vitamin C, which is MUCH more powerful that the synthetic version. Helps you to metabolize calcium.
-Natural form of citric acid, 7.2%, an antioxidant that balances the body.


Drinking your lemon water with cayenne pepper or raw honey are also options. Cayenne pepper kills cancer cells, lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, and immediately boosts the metabolism. I usually add a dash of this powerful medicinal spice to my water in the evening.
Raw honey has a zillion health benefits as well, however, I enjoy the tart taste of lemon water and opt to save my honey consumption for a sweet treat later in the day!

For those of you that share this healthy habit, I would LOVE to hear from you!!

Feeling heavy after the holidays??

It is Monday morning, and many are feeling a bit "stuffed" after all the holiday parties and family get-togethers. I would like to share some things I do that get me back on track after the holidays:

- Load up on Green Superfoods- including kelp, chlorella, spirulina, and seaweed. These sea greens help the body to detoxify and get you feeling GREAT!! You can find these in supplement form at the health food store. Worth EVERY PENNY.
- Make a trail mix of - raw almonds, goji berries and raw cacao nibs. Much on these throughout the week or put them in your cereal or smoothies.
- Make a batch of "seeds of life" and make certain to specifically include hemp, chia and black sesame seeds. Sprinkle these on your salads, soups, cereals, or put them in your smoothies.
- Eat at least 2 TBSP of flax everyday, which will give you a BIG dose of your Omega 3 Fatty Acids.
-Eat a salad for dinner at least every other night.
-Use coconut oil in place of all other oils- rich in lauric and caprylic acids and great for weight loss!
- Make a juice of aloe vera and 100% cranberry juice.
-Take extra probiotic supplements along with kombucha, Braggs, or sweet miso.
- Drink hot water with lemon when you rise and before you go to sleep.
-Avoid animal proteins.
-Exercise till you sweat.
-Sleep in, get that much needed sleep therapy.
-Write a gratitude list.

-And most important, look in that mirror everyday and tell yourself you are beautiful and strong!!!

California LOVE

I am home in Cali this week and have been busy running around!! I have planned some great holiday recipes which I will post later in the week.

It has been a great year and thank you for all of your support! I hope you greatly enjoy your holidays :)

XOXOX, Anika