DIRECTIONS Mix all of the ingredients evenly in bowl. Transfer into a clean and pretty dish. Top with 1/4 of medium avocado and a sprinkle of salt. Makes two servings.

TIME 5 mins with clean up!

CALORIES About 375 per serving. Low carb, high protein, high heart healthy plant based fats!

“While There’s Tea, There’s Hope”…For Puffy Eyes Anyway

As an esthetician treating clients in the fast-paced and beauty-minded world of Beverly Hills, I often choose the cutting edge solution over the classics. I want to get extra miles out of every minute in the treatment room, because my clients endure pressure to look absolutely great, on tight schedules. Vitamins get supercharged with growth factors and microdermabrasion is now just one small part of multi-layered treatment plans.

But ...]]> I’ve been so crazy in the past few weeks preparing for the Santa Monica City Council meeting! I’ve been staying up way too late and squinting at the computer screen for hours on end. My beauty has paid the price - AKA I look like an old bat! So for our May edition of Skin Gym I asked Vanessa for her best FREE beauty tip to help me look fresher and more awake! She nailed it! Keep reading for some great, easy, and FREE tips to help you look younger and brighter with TEA! So easy, so fast, so effective, and so free.

“While There’s Tea, There’s Hope”…For Puffy Eyes Anyway

As an esthetician treating clients in the fast-paced and beauty-minded world of Beverly Hills, I often choose the cutting edge solution over the classics. I want to get extra miles out of every minute in the treatment room, because my clients endure pressure to look absolutely great, on tight schedules. Vitamins get supercharged with growth factors and microdermabrasion is now just one small part of multi-layered treatment plans.

But I believe deep down in ancient wisdom, and I can never resist adding a dash of wellness into the equation. So my absolute favorite is when a restorative and relaxing technique actually delivers a serious difference.

And it doesn’t get much more low-tech than a couple of bags of steeped tea! I’m so happy I tested these out right in the height of LA wind and allergy season. I get to enjoy a fragrant siesta for my mind and body that relieved my eye area of its seasonal swelling and itchiness. It couldn’t be easier and it works!

How? Tea bags depuff the eyelids when they are irritated or swollen by rubbing, allergies, diet or anything else. They do it the same way as most effective soothing eye gels and creams do – with caffeine, to constrict blood vessels and reduce swelling. Some non-caffeinated teas, especially chamomile, also help by relieving redness and itchiness.

Simply steep the tea bags for a couple minutes, pop them for a 10 minute cool-off in the freezer, then press them gently over your closed lids for 15 minutes.

See my tips below for a perfect experience and you will wake up to the benefits of renewed circulation in the sensitive area around your eyes.

· Take off undereye concealer and eye shadow first
· Choose a caffeinated tea for swelling- English Breakfast or Early Gray
· Choose Chamomile for itchy, red eyes.
· Choose quality tea in a well-made sachet. I love Mighty Leaf teas.
· Follow the brew instructions (you can cut the steep time down a little bit- but don’t oversteep!)
· A good result will probably look worse in the short-term! If swelling goes down, skin may have more creases – especially if you are in your late 20′s or older. But that will be camoflaged with makeup and the whole point is that now you don’t have buildup of fluid underneath stretching the skin further.
· Some people are genetically predisposed to store fat under the eye area, especially as they age, and this will not be improved much by tea bags. Tea bags will help with temporary out-of-the-ordinary swelling. Be realistic!

Want your results supercharged? Apply a great eye treatment – like Fleming-Mayer Kojilac Ci Eye Treatment – under the tea bags. The caffeine from the tea bags helps deepen the benefits of your eye treatment while ingredients like gentle Fleming-Mayer’s Kojic acid and Vitamin K brighten the area over time. Get rid of imperfections around the eyes and let it… I mean them… shine!

If you live in L.A, Vanessa, who is my esthetician, offers everyone in the BIF family 15% off all skin care services and 10% off all products. To schedule your appointment visit her site.

As you are starting to clearly understand I have an inappropriate love affair with sneakers. This edition of Cool Kicks is dedicated to my passion for NEON! Bright colored kicks make my soul happy and I’m convinced they make my ass look smaller.

As much as I LUV these I could never wear them. I would get so freakin’ distracted I would eat shit and fall down. This is the same reason I can’t wear cool rings. Mid sentence, like a fish looking into a shiny object, I get locked in, distracted,  and totally forget what I was saying.

There is something so fresh about matte red against neon yellow. I want a red and yellow sneak… Why is no one making this perfect combo all ...]]>

As you are starting to clearly understand I have an inappropriate love affair with sneakers. This edition of Cool Kicks is dedicated to my passion for NEON! Bright colored kicks make my soul happy and I’m convinced they make my ass look smaller.

As much as I LUV these I could never wear them. I would get so freakin’ distracted I would eat shit and fall down. This is the same reason I can’t wear cool rings. Mid sentence, like a fish looking into a shiny object, I get locked in, distracted,  and totally forget what I was saying.

There is something so fresh about matte red against neon yellow. I want a red and yellow sneak… Why is no one making this perfect combo all in ONE shoe? SICK!

Im feelin’ the neon yellow with the white sole. Not exactly practical but so fly! Whats YOUR FAV?

That was until the Super-Bowl-diamond-wedding-ring in front of me totally effed up my game while I was crushing Vasisthasana. Holy heavy left hand Batman! How in the world does that chic lift up her arm let alone drive, put on make-up, and reach towards the sky on one leg!!!

Once I recovered my vision that had been severely blinded, I closed my mouth, and attempted to bring myself back to MY mat.

Breath Parker.

Don’t get distracted.

Breath. 

I totally rallied and was able to get back into my practice. Yoga is my mental vacation away from the world, emails, pressure, expectations, and other people. And that’s when it hit me!

My ability to be so easily distracted, and my desire to use yoga to practice staying centered, is exactly why I do NOT wear my engagement ring to yoga. I LOVE Justin. Ummm have you seen him? He is kind, crazy smart, aware, grounded, selfless, and the most connected man that ...]]> I felt particularly strong today in yoga. I felt connected, fluid, and bendy (that’s a technical fitness term).

That was until the Super-Bowl-diamond-wedding-ring in front of me totally effed up my game while I was crushing Vasisthasana. Holy heavy left hand Batman! How in the world does that chic lift up her arm let alone drive, put on make-up, and reach towards the sky on one leg!!!

Once I recovered my vision that had been severely blinded, I closed my mouth, and attempted to bring myself back to MY mat.

Breath Parker.

Don’t get distracted.

Breath. 

I totally rallied and was able to get back into my practice. Yoga is my mental vacation away from the world, emails, pressure, expectations, and other people. And that’s when it hit me!

My ability to be so easily distracted, and my desire to use yoga to practice staying centered, is exactly why I do NOT wear my engagement ring to yoga. I LOVE Justin. Ummm have you seen him? He is kind, crazy smart, aware, grounded, selfless, and the most connected man that has ever walked the earth. I scored!

But, yoga is about me. All about me. I may love Justin, be committed to him, and honor him. But that 60 mins is mine! And dammit I will do everything I can to eliminate as much distraction as possible so I can use that time to work on myself. If I see my ring I think about Justin. If I see my chipped nail polish, I mentally go through my schedule to find a time I can get a manicure. Every time I tie my hair up I think about my grey hair!  I’m sure there are loads of talented people that can stay “inside” of themselves while doing yoga, no matter what distractions may pop up. But I am not one of them. Yet.

The more I grow as a person the more I give myself what I need and I stop apologizing for how I do it. I feel like I’ve just finally found a way to acknowledge what I really want and what I really need.

I always wanted to do things like other people did. Their way looked easier. It looked effortless.

But then again I’ve never really been like everyone else. 

Not wearing my engagement ring at yoga is just a tiny little thing that I do because it works for me. But it’s also so fantastically symbolic of what I’m learning off my mat.

I’m learning who I am, I’m honoring my life,  and I am connecting to my voice by doing what I need to find my center.

No matter how funky it may be :)

Blue Tica, yes that is her real name, (how jealous are you?) is one of my favorite boot camp students. She is young, smart, hot, and has insane taste in music. So obviously I asked her to be our guest DJ for April! She brings you some classics like Cranberries, Blondie, and A Flock of Seagulls. But inspires you with some super sweet slick new beats like (my favorite) “Losing You” by Solange, “Falling” from Haim, and many, MANY more. This playlist is GREAT for working out, but also cranking out some writing as I learned today. The variety in the choices, but consistency in the selection allows you to sink into whatever you are doing while you listen. Enjoy! This IS one of my favs!

This workout is a total body workout! I ...]]> I swear there a million excuses NOT to workout. Injuries are usually at the top of that list. Seems when people get injured or have limitations they stop working out completely. But I always look at injuries and limitations as opportunities to train other bits of my bod I don’t usually focus on. My latest workout is called “NO Excuses Workout”.  I gotta tell you, there are really no good excuses to call off your sweat session completely. There will be days you need to take it easy, slow down, maybe just go for a walk. But if you are looking to really get worked WHILE staying connected and aware of your limitations then this workout is for you. I asked Rebecca Reinbold from BeNourishedBeHealthy.com to demonstrate the exercises. In these videos Rebecca is 4 months pregnant. Coming from an extremely active background she still wants a moderately intense workout, but needs to honor her body’s limitations. I show her exactly how to do that in my “NO Excuses Workout.”

This workout is a total body workout! I will show you, no matter what injuries or limitations you may have, how to train your entire body, in a short amount of time and in a small amount of space.

Move 1 – Plie Squat w/ Weights on Shoulders
Move 2 – Plie Squat w/ Shoulder Lifts
Move 3 – Plie Squat w/ Elbow Squeeze
Move 4 – Plie Squat w/ Palms Back Tri Reaches
Move 5 – Plie Squat w/ Biceps Extensions

SUPPLIES – All you need is a Gymboss interval timer and a set of hand weights. I like having two sets of weights. That allows me to go heavy on the days I feel strong, and lighten up when needed.

DEETS – You will do each move for 1 minute. Then go seamlessly into the next 1 minute exercise. The fluid pacing feels like a dance. The intensity of no breaks delivers you results!

MY TIPS – Stay connected and aware! What is your body asking for? How can you work more intensely? How can you pull back? How can you make this workout your own? Wearing your heart rate monitor will ensure you are keeping your heart up, but will also allow you to pull back if your HR goes higher than is needed for YOU. Remember… this is YOUR workout. It’s a chance to give yourself what you need. For some of you it’s about getting your HR up and KEEPING it there. For others it’s about your heart going up, but not allowing it to get too high.

GREAT WORKOUT TIPS!

Plie Squat w/ Weights on Shoulders – Make sure your knees are in line with your toes and your weight is in your heels. NOT your toes. When the weight is in the heel your butt is working. When the weight is in your toes, your knees take all the work – NOT GOOD! Keep it in the heels and watch your booty get super toned.

Plie Squat w/ Shoulder Lifts– Keep your belly tight and your heart lifted. When I do this move I imagine I have no shirt on. Keeping my core tight gives me a sleekness to my mid section I can’t get with crunches.

Plie Squat w/ Elbow Squeeze – Make sure your fingers face the sky, your heart is lifted, and remember to PUSH up to the sky, then PULL down. It’s the pushing AND pulling that really takes this move to the next level. Squeezing your elbows behind you is key.

Plie Squat w/ Palms Back Tri Reaches- I personally use very light weight for this move. No need to go too heavy! Go for tons of reps instead.

Plie Squat w/ Biceps Extensions – Put it all together here! Weight into heels. Belly tight. Heart lifted. Chest open. Focus more on the lengthening of the move than the curl. Find a way to really connect to this and make it your own.

STRETCH – You know I’m all about the big stretch. For this workout I would really stretch my shoulders. I would stand, feet hip width apart, clasp my hands behind my back, and hang over. If possible allow your arms to fall over your head. HOLY SHOULDER OPENER! I also love standing in a door way and using a wall to stretch the front and back of my shoulders. Down dog is great. Do what feels GOOD. Do what feels RIGHT. It’s your time.

THEN – Let me know how your workout was! Leave your comment and share this workout with your friends!

EATING – When injuries and limitations become apart of your life it’s so important to really look at your food. So often as fitness buffs we rely on a crazy workout to “make up” for a bad night of eating. But when you are limited, that option goes away. It’s essential to that you monitor your food while pulling back on your workouts. To me it’s actually a cool experience to really connect and clean up your diet. As you all know I’m a huge fan of PALETA. They have recently launched a PALETA Pregnancy Program that delivers meals to new moms and moms to be that are clean, balanced, and calorie controlled. Making it EASY to keep your food in order. You gotta check this program out!

STYLE – Big thanks to Lorna Jane for hooking us up with our fab outfits! I don’t think it’s appropriate how much I love the pants I’m wearing :)

Major thank you to Eliza Martin and Maggie Jones. Thank you to Rebecca for being a great demo girl.

OK so what do you think? No make -up at all… Crazy right?!?!

I do NOT love muffin tops (hence why I have a whole muffin buster exercise series). I mean really, who likes that jigg that hangs over your skinny jeans? Nobody!

Which is why I’m all about KT Food Grooves latest baked goods creation. I get the grainy texture (thanks to the yellow corn meal), and sweetness (compliments of fresh farmers market blueberries) of a muffin, without the threat of a muffin top! Karen uses clean, organic, and real ingredients to bring her blueberry orange loaves to life. I love that she uses fine olive oil, good quality honey, grated orange rind, and a flax egg in her recipe. I really believe in using the best ingredients you can find and can afford. I notice a HUGE difference in the way my food tastes, how I digest it, and how satisfying it is.

Enjoy Karen’s mini loaves for any meal of the day. Personally, I would eat this at breakfast with her fresh organic almond milk, and a handful of roasted cashews. Or serve ...]]> I LOVE muffins.