I'm gonna tell ya...

First of all, I'm on the road every day, all day in most of the great neighborhoods of our great city, Los Angeles, training, teaching and yes, auditioning, shooting yoga/fitness videos, TV shows, meeting friends, blogging, workin' out, shopping et al.
I'm busy.
And so are you.

Sometimes, when people ask me what I've been doing all day, I can't answer them in one sentence. I feel my days are so full and sometimes there isn't enough time for a break. I'm just stating the obvious. Sometimes I long for days of leisure but this is the way it is now, and I'm not complainin'.

I don't have kids but if you looked at my kitchen you would think I did. Everything in it is pureed or Zip-locked into portion sized, ready to go, meals and snacks. I know its not ideal, but when you are on the go, like me or like many of the mommies I work with, you need to have healthy fuel ready for you at a moments notice for you and your kids and your sanity. I set aside time to put all of this together and it’s a Virgo thing I really enjoy. I do. I get into the organization, segregation and control of it all. I always thought I was another, more glamorous sign like Leo or Cancer or Pisces, but alas, I'm a Virgo, the freekin' work horse and devotee to others - through and through and the symptoms of my sign are showing up more and more as I age. Yippee.

Although I like compliments, I'm not lookin' for them, but I know that I can attribute my body and the way it looks to what I do and what I eat.

Being an overweight kid and battling an eating disorder through my teen and early adult years, aside, fitness and nutrition is a true joy, passion and if you wanna go there, obsession of mine that I have turned into a healthy career for myself.

So, preface/diatribe over, ok, maybe not quite yet, here are my recommendations for tasty, inexpensive, snacks/meals that I eat throughout the day.

It's hard for me to actually eat meals when I'm gone from 7AM-9PM at night so everything must fit into my little cooler in little Tupperware and zip locks and thermoses just like my dad, who drives the streets of NYC everyday for his job. I feel closer to him, knowing everyday, we are both battling different concrete jungles, using our driving savvy and then enjoying small interludes during the day to eat and in my case listen to NPR or great new music and really enjoy whatever part of this great city I am in while chowing. The only difference between my dad's experience and mine, my mom makes his meals the night before and I miss my mom's crust cut sammies. He reads novel upon novel and can look upon the FDR or West Side highway or Empire State Building whilst noshing.

Breakfast of Champions
OK, as soon as I wake up, I just push a button and the coffee is there. Magic!! The coffee fairy (moi) preps it the night before. I know, right? Crazy Virgo. I steam a 1/2-cup of vanilla soymilk for it.

1/2 cup of Fiber one cereal. Any of 'em are great. It's the best fiber cereal on the market and trust me, I have tired THEM all. 1/2 a cup of Danon light and fit yogurt. Again, tried ALL of them and this is the tastiest and the least amount of calories for a yummy cereal blend.
1/2 a cup of raspberries/ blueberries or banana.
Oatmeal is also a great option. I turn to this in the fall-Spring months. Kashi has the best protein/fiber ration but Weight Watchers and Quaker also have good options. Go organic when you can but just look at the labels. Don’t go over 8 grams of sugar and make sure you see the words WHOLE, no enriched. You want to eat the purest thing you can get, even if its in a box!

SO, BAM, I've already had 60% of my fiber needs for the day and 25% of my calcium, what up!!

I add 1-2 egg whites either hard-boiled or for extra protein if I know I have a long day and/or feel sluggish and need more protein, will work out or worked out hard the previous day or am nearing my cycle (we need the protein ladies!!)
And before you say, my goodness you are an anorexic for eating so little in the morning, wait, I'm not finished.
And, in case you are one of those people thinking, how can you eat so much in the morning????
For years, YEARS, I didn't eat b-fast and I always carried extra weight. It's true b-fast IS the most important meal of the day...even for losing weight, so listen up!

Technically, this is not a sufficient b-fast to carry to one to lunch. If you aren't eating till noon because you work a desk job, I would recommend you make an egg white scramble with mushrooms/peppers or seasonal veggie of choice, tblsp of cheese and multi grain toast (fiber one or Thomas' whole grain eng. muffin) and/or add another 1/2 cup of cereal and fruit.

If you are me or a mommy on the go or any girl on the go (can't speak for guys, sorry, I will have to make a separate menu for you and you can ask me after blog for that) continue with the aforementioned b-fast and keep going.

I, must dash to my first client, after I meditate for 10 minutes and set my schedule for the day.

After my very first hour of teaching I will most likely indulge in the other half of the banana from my b-fast or a hard-boiled egg white or half a Luna teacake. Then my next client.

After my second client I will probably half a half (La Tortilla Factory) tortilla with Justin's almond butter/handful of carrots or apple with said almond butter.

I'll also keep water up to 23oz. every few hours.

This will take me to lunch.

That whole b-fast and in between client meals is about 400-500 calories, which is completely sufficient for a 'first' meal. I can't 'work' on a full stomach as much of my work is demo-ing exercises and postures so I need to 'feel' as light as possible whilst having the proper balance of fat/protein/carbs fueling me mentally and physically.

Lunch is salad with tuna/chicken or tofu/meat substitute. I prefer to be vegetarian, but my lifestyle and body type has never been successfully supported by vegetarianism. Do what's right for you, but for me, when eating animal products and take it how you will, make an offering of gratitude to that which gave its life for you to eat. That's what I do and you can roll your eyes all you'd like, its good to stretch the eyes.
Chicken of the sea Ahi tuna steaks, whole foods wild salmon or Quorn meatless and soy free naked chik'n cutlets are great and about 150 cal a portion. They are the purest, storable, quick, low sodium, high protein choices.
I'll add baked peas, raisins, vinegar, mustard, legumes (lentils, black/kidney beans) to the mix to make it crunchy, yummy and eclectic.

Sometimes I feel like going back to my youth and I'll make a tortilla (LaTortilla Factory-high fiber/low carb) with Boar's Head Oven gold Chicken breast (low sodium) with Sargento (skim) Swiss and mustard (I make my own and will give you the recipe if you'd like- from the master cleanse book-YUM), and eat a couple little Persian cucumbers and 100 cal pack Pringles or kettle baked chips (120 cal).
Lunch is usually 300 calories. That ain't bad for somethin' soooo good.

During the fall/winter, I make my own soup broth, takes some time, more time than here or if you are in a pinch, use Wolfgang's veggie broth as base and add whatever beans, veggies and meat/substitute you would like. I puree seasonal veggies with skim milk and seasoning and store in freezer bags until I make my broth. I make a mean carrot, lentil, fresh ginger that rivals erewhon and whole foods and will give you that recipe if you would like.
Making soup became a meditation for me. On Sundays I would passionately put together these ingredients over hours and store them for weeks to come as a delicious and wonderful lunch/dinner during the week. Portions can range from 90-200 calories depending on appetite.
Campbell’s Harvest Select are also wonderful calorie and sodium conscious alternatives/

If I work out before my evening clients, I'll add another piece of fruit with almond butter and Justin's Maple Almond butter is sold at Starbucks for .35 cents and is 100 cal.
I might add my 16 piece almonds and tblsp of raisins or blueberries. These are all prepped in my little ziplocks. You get'em from the store and immediately put them in their place before over indulging. It really is quick and easy.
These snacks round up to about 200 calories

Dinner is steamed veggies with the leanest meat possible. For beef, I choose 96/4, which my mother still doesn't think exists but she's in NY where apparently they only have 90/10 lean protein.
Beef/Turkey or ground chicken. Spinach is great for me, as I need the iron.
I also enjoy lentils; the beluga from Trader Joes with the Trader Joes Spinach sauce is yummy-magic.
Uncle Ben's has a delish portion controlled wild rice, nuke in a bag goodness that is only 200 calories per serving.
Dinner makes the calorie count from 400-500 calories.

I always crave something sweet at the end of the day and have done my best to find the best little treats in town as guilty free as possible which is hard when you are raised Catholic with mostly Jewish friends.

Duncan Heins warm delights are the big indulgence, 150 calories of brownie/cookie goodness (not really so bad, eh?)

Jello Choc or dark choc 60 cal pudding with cool whip light is 75 calories in total
Weight Watchers has great mini cakes. Stay away from the cookies. You will be disappointed.
Fudge Pudge is a great, guilt free brownie mix you can get in most stores. You can make the whole batch or per portion. Mix with yogurt. About 100 calories.

I have an emergency stash of MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE SNACK, Whole Foods Turkey Jerky. I’ve tried EVERY jerky on the market and they are super tough and loaded with sodium. The WF brand is protein in a pinch and great when you need that extra lift in the day and I don’t mean botox or Starbucks!!

My whole day is about 1500-2000 without any guilt at all and I get what I want. I get my indulgence in sweet and salty and I get fueled in the proper proportion of vitamins and nutrients that I need to be a single woman in her 30's. HA!

Of course I take supplements like calcium because I run a lot but talk to your doctor, nutritionist or herbalist for the things you need to add to your diet. And I mean add. Get most of what you need from fruits and veggies and lean protein. Processed food should be used sparingly and I only use it for the enjoyment factor, so I don't feel like I'm restricting.
Your height, weight, age and activity level all play into what you should be eating.

Be wise.

This is what I do, cause enough of you wanted to know.
By no means is it what you should be doing but only a guideline or recommendation for choices you can make.

2nd of all, I know seems like ages ago. Just move!! Move for 30 minutes a day 5-7 days a week. I include dancing around in your living room to great music as part of movement. I also include housecleaning as well. Just get up off the couch even if you are watching TV.

Be good to yourself, drink lots of water and call your mother.
Shanti,
Laurie

who you are. We all look foolish wearing a bluetooth attached to our ear. I'm so glad it's a law while driving in LA, but really, not one of us looks cute.

Lessons Yoga Blog 10.11.08

Look at any yoga book and all of the postures will look different. The form, structure and alignment can change with each tradition, but one thing remains the same; if you look at the faces of the practitioners, most probably you will see the face of Samadhi, bliss. This is what we look for in yoga. It is important to be safe, whatever you do with your body, however you move it and whatever you put into it.
It is important to root yourself in the discipline of your choice. Iyengar, Ashtanga, Vinyasa Krama, Kundalini and the list goes on. But once you have committed yourself to a practice, it's important to venture out on your own (or in the class environment) to make the practice your own and find the posture inside of your heart and mind.
Might sound a little out there. Let's look at it this way, if you listen to the safe and proper alignment and cues of a good teacher in order to feel a posture in a deeper way or rediscover something new about the posture, that is one step. Another step is that you must use what you have learned in your previous practices in union with how you feel in that particular moment and what you have set out as your intention for your practice. Then make the pose happen. It's like painting a picture and deciding what colors to use that day.
Your postures and practice will look and feel different every day.
I will rarely correct a student that is obviously from another tradition and decides to do his/her pose in a way that is different from what I am cuing. I will, however, correct a student if she/he is clearly not body aware in a pose and could harm themselves by doing the pose. There is a difference.
I have a peeve. I'm not a huge fan of students who jump back to a plank (Ardha Chattarunga) and not Chattarunga. To me, and it's just how I learned, it's unstable for the shoulder's and can be too jarring on the rotator cuff. People still do it even though I'm a broken record about it. It started somewhere and I'm not sure where but people continue to do it in my class. Maybe it's because I've been verbally abused in some Bikram and Ashtanga classes (I still enjoy and practice these traditions, just not with those teachers anymore) that I just can't stomach the idea of drilling in the 'right' way of doing something if it takes you out of the bliss or intention of your practice.
I certainly don't want other students looking around and wondering about the safety of the students around them in my class. Believe me folks; I've got them covered.
Ultimately, the point of yoga is to move your way into stillness and we do that with breath, body and mind work.
The workout part is great. If that's all you want, that's all you'll get. But if you are in it to go deeper, you will get there with and without the teacher in the room.
Yoga, again, like a broken record, I am, and comma happy, is your own journey and is a practice mostly off the mat. It's a lifestyle choice. That choice can simply be to come and challenge yourself a few hours a week and that is a good choice.
But it really doesn't end when we walk out of the studio. The real practice is the real world. The mat is simply the place to try things out. Like therapy, but without all the talking and crying and delving into your childhood. Hmmm.
It's a place to explore and play. Try things out there and then test it in your day to day. Get rid of anything that isn't working for you and try again. Yoga is the teacher that keeps on teachin'.
But if a teacher suggests something that doesn't resonate for you, don't just do it to do it, question it. Ask why and then decide for yourself if it works for you.
I've had people raise their hands or legs in class to ask a question and quietly pull me aside. That's what I'm there for for cryin' out loud. I'm there for you, using my experience, as I know it on and off the mat and seeing how it can apply to you in your practice. I'm also a personal trainer so if you wanna keep the questions strictly physical, I can answer those for you. I can even tell you how many calories you will probably burn. I can teach you how to stand on your hands though even I need the assistance of a partner or wall to keep me toes pointing upward.
Discard or apply what you need and when you need it.
Your personal practice doesn't necessarily mean you see me one day a week then the rest of the days you are on your own. It's taking what I've guided you through on that day, what you've learned from yourself by opening yourself up then taking it out there.
Some days it works. Some days, not so much.
Some days there is traffic on the 405 at 11AM, other times there ain't.
It's the ebb and flow of life and we need both to grow.
Let yourself experience all of it. When it works and when it doesn't.
Your personal practice doesn't always mean sun salutes. It can simply mean putting your discoveries into practice; facing life with the clarity you find in postures, breathing and meditation and the collective class experiences.
The obstacles that come up for you on the mat will most likely be the same obstacles you face in your daily life. Find the parallels.

I can't tell you how many times I find myself judging my own practice. If only I approached myself with the same non-judgment, gentleness and allowances I do with others. I don't look side to side and wish I was my neighbor or thank goodness I'm not like my other neighbor, no. I look at myself and think, why can't I do this today or any day. And that's how I live my life. That's my test and it's a consistent one at that.
So it is my practice, on the mat, to be gentle with what comes up for me, not to knock it down.
The more I can do that, the more I can do it in life. The great thing about yoga is the awareness. I can be aware of judgment before it takes its course within. As soon as I recognize I am being hard on myself, I can take a step back and correct it, like a pose so that I can replace it with feeling of goodness and non-judgment. It's that simple and that difficult, but a lot better than always judging oneself!

So, there you go. Heart on my sleeve, supporting all traditions of yoga, safety and most of all, Samadhi!
Be good to yourself, drink lots of water (especially in Santa Ana windy season) and call your mother.
Shanti,
Laur