Chill in the Air

It officially feels like autumn is coming to a close. November seemed to be picture perfect, and we took that opportunity to enjoy the foliage and all that nature had to offer before the frost rolled in. Now we're switching to heavier bedding, bundling up to go outside, and counting down the days on Advent calendars until Christmas arrives. Where did the time go? Life is seeming more and more like a roll of toilet paper; the closer to the end you get, the faster it moves (Life lessons from unlikely source).

In all seriousness, my birthday came and went at the end of last month and I can't believe a year has passed at what seems like record speed. Hence, I have a pre-new-year resolution: my goal for the remainder of December is to take in as much of every day as I possibly can. It's just all flying by too quickly, it seems. And I'd like to stop and smell the frosty flowers before they melt away.

Snow and Again

It's been a while, I know.

 The holidays sneak up on me every year, and this year seemed more overwhelming than most. Then, just after the season should have come to a close and given me a few days to get back to normal, this snowpocalypse fell from the sky and stranded us in the apartment for two days. Apparently no one in this city owns a shovel or a plow. As a Pennsylvania native, it's so disappointing when the rest of the east coast loses their mind over a few inches of snow. State of emergency? Please.

I can't just complain, though; the snow days gave me some time to undecorate and unwind after a busy couple of weeks, before I head back into the city for my first day at my new job tomorrow(!). I hope everyone had a beautiful holiday(s) and I can't wait to see what this new year brings. New beginnings, a clean slate for good health, and best wishes for all!

Attempting Ayurveda

My recent  birthday has given me a bit of a new perspective. Sometimes I affectionately refer to it as a "quarter-life crisis"; turning 25 seems like a good mile marker to look back at the past years and learn to grow and adapt from them in the next 25. My health is one of the biggest aspects of my life that I want to continue to focus and learn more about, and I was wonderfully excited and honored (after months of waiting) to be chosen as the Brooklyn ambassador for Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution Foundation. I cannot wait to be a part of this organization and help to raise awareness and bring about change in my new home city, but more on that later.

The most interesting topic of health and wellness I'm exploring at the moment is the Ayurvedic diet. Basically, it is the principle of everything you ingest and do being a part of your overall well-being (which is a ridiculously simple and true concept in itself to understand and accept). Instead of a diet itself, it is a concept of balancing elements of your diet and lifestyle for the best health and physical wellness possible. If you'd like to learn more, one of my favorite starting points has been Joyful Belly - free assessments, recipes, and lots of easy-to-understand information about Ayurveda.

While scrolling through Instagram, I came across several mentions of a recipe called Kitchari, a super detoxifying and easily digestible dish of basmati rice, lentils or mungbeans, vegetables, and a wonderful variety of delicious spices and herbs that I already love to cook with. It was this recipe that initially lead me to learning more about an Ayurvedic diet, which is based on traditional Indian medicine (which is probably why the recipes taste so darn good - I'm a sucker for good Indian food).

Throughout various assessments of my Dosha, or body type, I've found that when I listen to the cravings and needs of my body, I've been drawn to the foods, herbs, and spices that would traditionally be used to treat whatever ailed me. It's making me more aware of my own body's signals and needs altogether, something that I think humans have lost over the years thanks to technology and modern comforts. 

Every day is a new adventure lately, and I know that it has been difficult to not be discouraged by concerns about money or the future (I still haven't found a full-time day job in the past 2 months). I just have to believe that I can be healthy and happy even in uncertain times, and stay positive, and learn and grow in the process. I figure that life's a gift, and I don't intend on wasting it. You never know what hand you're gonna get dealt next. You learn to take life as it comes at you...to make each day count.