 Today I am drawing inspiration from Frida Kahlo. Unapologetic and authentic, Kahlo's depictions of herself communicate self-love. We can't all paint such striking self-portraits, but we can take a leaf from her book and use our reflection as a way to practice self-love.
This week, I challenge you to spend a few minutes a day looking at yourself in the mirror. As you look, accept the person you see, without mentally erasing or improving any aspect of yourself. Tell yourself "I love you." Extend love and compassion to yourself. See what happens if you can carry this with you throughout the day. For more thoughts, listen to my podcast episode on self-love.
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 Staying fit is mostly about being prepared. Preparing good and healthy food. Seventy percent of your results have to do with what you put into your body. Choosing good nutritious foods or make them. You don't have to take all day cooking! Get kitchen accessories that save you time, an instapot and/or a chopper and cut your time in half. I'm Latina so I love delicious Mexican food. I spend most nights remaking comfort foods (with this Seattle weather) I've been into soups. Growing up, we didn't eat much meat but the food was delicious! During fitness competition seasons, we over did it in the protein department. Now my focus is somewhere in the middle, with more veggies! They are not just fillers! They have micronutrients we are unaware of. For instance, peppers help improve digestion and they contain a natural compound called capsaicin, which help alleviate pain because of the amount of neuropeptide released. Any kind of peppers, bell or hot peppers fight inflammation, and boost your metabolism and circulation. Bring on the peppers! The challenging part can just be sticking to the serving size, just remind yourself that you will eat again in a couple hours.
This hearty meal is one of my favorites on a cozy day. Makes 8 servings Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil 1 yellow onion 4 garlic clove 1 carrot 14.5 oz can organic diced tomatoes 1 cup of cherry tomatoes 1 yellow pepper 1 red pepper 7 oz can salsa verde 5 small Yukon papas (not the baby ones but bigger you a also measure 5 cups) 1 cup of green beans chopped and cleaned Salt pepper to taste 1 lb of turkey or lean beef (My favorite is bison as well) 1 cup of chicken broth Instructions 1. Satay chopped onion to translucence. Add garlic for 1 min, then add papas. Let cook while you chop other veggies. 2. Add veggies to the pan along with green salsa. Add meat then cook for 5 min. 3. Add broth and let cook for another 15 min… so good! Enjoy! Nutritional Value: Calories: 256 Carbs: 34 grams Protein: 17.8 grams Fat: 5.2 grams Self care is not the same for every 'body'. It is like a piece of clothing that looks different on different people. It also includes comes your perspective and priorities. What if you've been conditioned to not see yourself as a priority?
We have to level up or upgrade our thinking, and training your conscious mind (as in meditation) takes effort. In different times in our life, we are solely operating on survival mode because of all the things we have going on in our lives. This can go on until we get sick or something happens to us to knock us back into awareness. We realize that we can not live like this any more. It happened to me in college when I was getting ready to graduate and lately when COVID hit. At times when I wasn't operating in survive mode, I was able to have seasons of thriving- in my business, relationship and finances. I enjoyed moments of clarity in which I could reset and formulate some new goals. I asked for and received the support I needed. In our culture, we prioritize education and career. But what about when you have accomplished most of what you set out to do, and yet you are still not happy? There is clearly more to happiness than achieving your goals. Fitness is the same way. Take it from a trainer/competitor who continually works on bettering her body and performance- being fit is always a moving target. As I age, my fitness goals don't look the same as they used to. I have been able to hone in on what is important to me, and I have learned to be kind to myself. We don’t always feel like working on something that takes effort. Work. Working out. Studying. Meditation. Fill in the blank. That's why we have to learn to be disciplined and heed what is calling our soul and spirit. It’s not going to be perfect or look pretty all the time, but that's life. If you want to make yourself proud in the long run, you take steps toward what you value until you begin to see more of it in your life. As one of my clients said, “There is a difference between 'noticing something' and 'judging oneself'. It is a process that will continue until the day we die." Yes, you need to take an honest look at yourself and your life. How do you spend you time? What results do you have? Where you're at is where you're at. It is important to acknowledge it without judging it. The judgment will only make it harder for you to change. I enjoy reading books that merge health and healing, like Northrup's ‘The Wisdom of Menopause’. She is an MD and OBGYN, and it’s great to hear her perspective. She talks about doing one regularly scheduled thing to stay disciplined. Discipline comes from the Latin word ‘disciplina’ which means instruction or knowledge. A regular routine is also a healing practice. At midlife when we are being asked to heed the dictates of our souls, the discipline we require is that of listening to our inner beings and not letting ourselves be distracted so much by outside influences. It’s not outside discipline to get you to ‘behave’ that is important. That sort of stuff gets us to rebel or self sabotage. It is the discipline of listening to your innermost self and setting up your life to make that a priority. Think about how much time you spent finishing school and working in your career. How much time and money did you invest? How does that compare to the effort you have put into your self care and your body? Do you see self care as a luxury or a necessity? You probably inherited some of your parents' beliefs as well as cultural and societal beliefs on this matter. Now is the time to reevaluate your self care practices. Sit quietly with yourself and ask "What does my body need?" Is it a bath and a yoga session? Or maybe a high energy workout or a long run? Perhaps you'll notice a craving for fresh fruits, or a comforting bowl of hearty soup. Practice asking the question and giving your body what it needs, at that time. You'll find that your needs change, so give up the "shoulds." If you believe: "I should do a HIIT workout every morning at 7 am." Should you? On some days, or maybe even most days, sure! But on the days that your body tells you: "I need to rest," sleep in, and release the guilt! It will get easier with time. Try it out. Your body will thank you. I'm all about health and self-care. This week, self-care started with delicious, healthy food. My nephews and I made an event out of cooking burritos. This is probably the recipe I am asked about most often. People love these burritos, love that they use up all the leftovers in the fridge, and love that you can make a giant batch and freeze them for a quick meal later!
I love spending time with my family in the kitchen, and this was a fun way to connect with my nephews. We all have busy lives, but we all need to eat! Dividing the work among 3 of us made for light work. Getting to share a meal together was the cherry on top. Find this recipe on the Health Blog, and search for other meal and snack recipes.   Doesn't she look stunning?! Roxana is one of the brides who recently went through Bridal Bootcamp. I'm so proud of what she accomplished... here is what she had to say:
"I came to Adriana based on a recommendation from my friend who used to train with her. I wanted to look and feel good in my wedding dress as I’d gained weight during COVID. Adriana worked with me on weekly goals, helped me define healthy eating, and got me to the gym for training sessions with her several days a week. She refocused me not only on losing weight and fat, but also on getting strong and shifting my mentality around what I can do. During our work outs, Adriana would train me and also was like a motivational coach, supporting me to change my negative thinking and see each day as a chance to make different decisions about my lifestyle and choices. I not only lost the weight for my wedding, but I felt strong and fit on my wedding day. I’ve also been able to keep my workouts and healthy eating up through group classes with Adriana. She’s truly the best!" |
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