5 Things I’m grateful for today: 1) my mom’s strawberry rhubarb pie recipe 2) iTunes & the classic hip-hop styling’s of Ludacris, Usher, & L’il John  3) fresh dill  4) friends to share my joy of cooking with 5) taking the time to do nothing but enjoy the rich beauty of life.

I woke up this morning to the typical Santa Monica marine layer that we’ve seen all summer long here in “sunny” California.  Our “June Gloom” which decided to overstay it’s welcome into July, August, and September.  This marks the first of the 4 summers I have spent in L.A. that I have not thrown my purple Ugg boots into an ‘out of season’ box with my hoodies and sweaters.  Even my cream wool scarf received a reprieve from the storage bin.

So when I stumbled sleepily out of bed praying for sunshine, I must admit to being a TOUCH disappointed at the daybreak haze.  Cloudy.  Again.  Nonetheless, I was determined to get to my spin class, come hell or high ‘humidity’, so I threw on my uggs and grabbed a travel mug of my ONE perennial ‘anti-fitness professional’ vice (espresso roast coffee with completely UNnatural hazelnut creamer + splenda)…. and began the 1 mile trek to the gym.

The terrain seemed more like the wuthering moors of Sedgemoor than the California coastline, but at this point in my walk I could hardly notice….. being MUCH too busy rockin’ out to the sick flows of Luda and ‘Ursher’ in my headphones.  As I walked into Equinox, I’m fairly certain I was singing aloud en route to my bike… “I left the Jag and I took the Rolls, if they aint cuttin’ then I put ‘em on foot patROLLLLLLL.. AAAOOOW, How you like me now?!?!……”.

Spin class was heart-pumping fun, despite the Justin Bieber- heavy music mix, and the conspicuous lack of Luda.  I hopped off my bike feeling my ‘inner sunshine’ cut through the murky fog outside, as headed off in pursuit of today’s “Blissful”mission”: buying fresh, healthy, ingredients at the local Farmers’ Market for tonight’s dinner.

Tonight I was preparing a homemade dinner of seasonal California fare for a longtime NYC friend who was visiting for the night.  This undertaking is right in line with one of my latest “blissful” passions: a renewed interest in cooking.  I have been having a torrid love affair with simmering, braising, searing, and sautéing.  I once even attempted a fricosee! Sometimes, I’ll use a recipe, and sometimes I’ll throw caution to the wind and throw a handful of the most aromatic herbs and exotic spices into the pan with some EVOO and create decadent combinations that have never before been conceived!  It has been a rich and delicious outlet for my imagination, and has allowed me to tempt my senses and create edible works of art.  Occasionally, I have played a little fast & loose with my ingenuity & been forced to order last minute take-out from Akbar’s Indian restaurant down the street, but all in all…It’s been a delightful and tasty jaunt!   No matter what I endeavor… my joy AND my challenge is to always cook with an awareness of nourishing the body with healthy and delectable whole foods.

As I meander the Farmers’ Market, sweaty and tired from spin, my mind spins with all the delicious possibilities.  With no menu planned I simply maneuver from stand to stand choosing whatever is the

most beautiful!  The ripest heirlooms, the most tender greens, the purplest eggplants, the most sunshine-y yellow peppers.  I take my time…asking the farmers for their favorite recipes, herbs, and flavor combinations.  Along the way… I hear their life stories, rich with experience.  I sense their passion for their food.  I know who sells organic, and who has had farming in their family for more than 5 generations.  I know who grows the best Haas avocados, and who will give you rare & delicious ‘opal basil’ if you ask.  I know that the flower guy at 2^nd & Arizona is a die hard buck-eye, and the vendor who’s famous for his ‘holy guacamole’ is a Michigan fan who was once denied service at a South Bend Denny’s for this abomination.

I spent nearly 90 minutes languidly indulging in the experience of the vibrant marketplace.  Taking it all in.  Listening & learning…perusing crisp produce…tasting fresh peaches and nectarines.  Gathering family recipes.  It was pure heaven.  Time went by without feeling like time at all.

After filling bags and bags with the makings of what will clearly be an orgasmic meal, I was still at a loss for dessert.  Just before giving up & contemplating Ghiradelli brownies…I saw it:  Fresh rhubarb.   A spring phenomena usually well out of season by fall.  I couldn’t believe my eyes!  One of my greatest childhood joys was my mom’s strawberry rhubarb pie.

"Fall" Rhubarb from Santa Monica, CA

Even as a child, I knew this was something magical.  I have always wished I could enjoy fresh rhubarb pie for thanksgiving, but it just never seemed in the cards.  I had resigned myself to using frozen, which (let’s face it) just isn’t the same.  But NOW…I walked over, half convinced the stand was a mirage.  I asked the farmer “How?”  “How could you possibly have rhubarb so late in the year?”  She replied that this summer had been so unseasonably cold, that they were able to grow it into the fall.  Well.  Whaddaya know. The June Gloom had been the catalyst for this unprecedented seasonal marvel.

After buying as many of the rich garnet stalks as I could possibly carry, I walked home to Luda’s flow and thought to myself: it seems every grey cloud really DOES have a silver lining.

Well, the time has come.  It’s March.

It’s been a looooooooong while since Jolly Old Saint Nick stole down your chimney & ate all your cookies, but it’s still a while until April showers bring May flowers.   By now, 3 months into the new decade, your New Years’ resolutions have likely fallen by the wayside (be honest.  You haven’t hit the gym 6 days a week for ‘step-sculpt-cardioboxing’, and the last time you ate a vegetable was…. The carrot cake you ate for breakfast.  I know, I know… “cream cheese is totally a breakfast food!!!!”)  And there’s worse yet to come!!  Basketball bracket parties offer myriad opportunities to dive head-first into a bowl of queso and stuff yourself with delectable chips & dips.  And forget about St. Patty’s Day!!!!  Admit it.  Last year you drank 4 green beers, 6 shots of Jameson, and downed 5 “irish car bombs” before your corned beef & cabbage lunch….. Because even though you’re ACTUALLY Sicilian, on March 17^th, EVERYBODY is Irish!!

Well have no fear.  I’m not here to kill your buzz.  Just to give you a few easy ways to combat that beer belly, and make better choices- without compromising your inner “irish” frat guy.

Guiness: “It’s Good for You” – it’s frothy.  It’s irish.  AND you can ask the barmaid for that swirly shamrock in the foam. On top of being delicious, recent studies show that Guiness can also work as well as a low dose of aspirin to prevent artery clotting, & can reduce the risk of heart attack.  Guiness also possesses antioxidants (similar to those in super-foods like blueberries) which have some pretty potent health benefits.  PLUS, with lower caloric content than regular beer (198 kcal/pint…. Less than a glass of OJ or skim milk), Guiness is thick, rich & much more filling, making it more likely you’ll be full and satisfied with just one (or….. let’s face it…. 2), so you’ll save calories AND dollars over consuming regular beer.  So indulge!  And earn the nickname “Professor Guiness O’Guiness’oyle”

“Kiss Me I’m Irish!” – we all know that kissing is a great way to express affection, and to boost self esteem.  BUT… did you know kissing can have tremendous heath benefits as well?  For one it stimulates adrenaline production, which not only helps relieve stress, but also gives us a natural boost in energy (enough for one more round of Guiness).  Also, the endorphin release from one kiss can be 200x more potent than morphine!!! Burn, baby, Burn! a good kiss can raise your natural metabolic rate, burning calories 2 to 1!  Forget the French – grab your sweetie and give ‘em a touch of the Irish!  See… I TOLD you I wasn’t here to spoil your fun

Beer Belly Busters:  If you STILL can’t resist the temptation of 7 or 8 green beers, here are a few quick & easy exercises that’ll bust that gut!

1: fore-arm plank: a great one you can do at work while waiting for your assistant to bring your morning double half-caff.  Place the elbows on the ground directly under the shoulders, and roll over your toes to a full plank position (on the knees for beginners) lengthening through the spine.  This hold will challenge the core within 20 seconds, taking breaks on the knees as needed, try to maintain your plank for a full 90 seconds (come on… it’s only ninety SECONDS!!), ultimately working up to 2 minutes sans breaks for advanced.  BONUS: in addition to streamlining the abs, this tones arms, chest & shoulders too!

2: bicycles: St. Patty’s day has a reputation of landing you flat on your back!  This year….. make it be in a GOOD way) All you need is about 6 feet of space in your living room.  You can do these while watching ‘The Real Housewives” of your choice, so NO excuses!  lying on your back, draw your RT knee in to your chest while extending the LT leg straight.  Use the core to roll up OFF your shoulder blades.  Keeping the neck relaxed & the scapula lifted, begin SLOWLY switching legs, continually drawing the navel to the spine.  Take breaks as needed by lying down & hugging the knees to the chest.  Work your way up to 3 sets of 2 minutes each, and ENJOY your new ripped abs.  No one will EVER know you indulged in 2 corn beef sandwiches and 20 cups of irish coffee

3: Straight to the Core: no gym membership? NO problem!  check out my FREE ab. workout on exercise TV!  Just go to On Demand & under ‘sports & fitness’ you’ll find exercise tv.  Under the heading of core work & Pilates, you’ll find my signature 10 MIN series, “straight to the core”.  Come work off all those car bombs with me, in your very own living room!

SLOOOOOOOOOOOOOW DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWN!!

No question about it…. Eating healthfully is a major part of a mindful lifestyle.  Let’s face it: as much as we’d looooove to survive on a diet of mashed potatoes and butter cream frosting, we simply cannot attain wellness without a healthy style of eating. Plain & simple.  Today, we are dealt an obscene amount of temptation to contend with! Fast food ‘restaurants’ are endlessly popping up, enticing us with the aroma of their deep fried sinfulness.  Gluttony lurks around every corner with portion sizes nearly tripling in the last 15 years alone!! Not to mention the fact that careers, families, & our all around fabulousity don’t leave us with much time to sit still and actually ENJOY our food!  Instead we are forced to quickly grab something wrapped-slash-packaged and scarf it down at stoplights on our way to [fill in the blank].  Life is a veritable obstacle course preventing us from wellness!  How can we possibly fight back against such formidable foes as the Big Mac and the “To Go” meal? ? Well, I’ll tell you!!!  By making a conscious, mindful effort to embrace a few small lifestyle changes that not only help us rediscover our ideal waistline, but might even lead us to learn a few things about ourselves along the way…..

Get Fit Fast by Slowing down! Let me guess: you’re “too busy/ too rushed/ too tired/ too fierce to cook a healthy meal”.  Whaddaya know!?! Me too!! But an important part of a wellness-based lifestyle is balance.  And that means balancing the chaotic madness of your life & responsibilities with time for YOU and your family.  The internet is absolutely brimming with recipes for healthy, inexpensive, 30-minute meals that couldn’t be easier to concoct.  In less time than it takes to devour 3 Krispy Kreme donuts, you can sit down to a well BALANCED meal.  (did I mention we need balance)??  Whether it’s just you & some Vivaldi by candlelight, or you have a houseful of kids, sitting down to eat without distractions or television or conference calls (or stoplights!!) is a great way to appreciate your meal, savor your food, & reconnect.  Mindful eaters tend to consume FAR fewer calories because they acknowledge their intake, rather than haphazardly reaching for food without consideration.  Remember all those “just one bite”s, or “handful of candy coated honey roasted peanuts” you consumed without even thinking?? Yeah. Those.  They add up. Fast.  Need another good reason?? In addition to combating childhood obesity, studies show that families who sit down to dinner together share much more than food… they share their thoughts, ideas, and lives.

Less is More! If you’ve ever given in to the dark side & gulped down a McMeal, you were more than likely asked if you wanted that meal “supersized”.  If you had said yes, you would’ve gotten Idaho’s share of French fries, and enough soda to rival the volume of Niagara Falls!  As a society, we have completely gotten away from the idea of eating to simply nourish our bodies, and replaced it with the notion of eating because we are bored, depressed, celebrating, giving in to peer pressure, or just because it plain tastes good.  Now I am in NO way suggesting we take a page from the Matrix & live on barely enough gruel to maintain our motor functions, but we do have to find a happy medium.  Forget those childhood nightmares where you aren’t allowed to leave the table until you “clean your plate”.   A quick & easy way to take a giant step toward wellness doesn’t even require that we change the foods we love to eat!  We just have to cut down on the portions.  Put less on your plate at the start of a meal. Savor each bite.  Enjoy the flavor sensations. Take time to TASTE your food. Relish the quality of your meal, rather than the quantity.  The brain takes TIME to register fullness, so we often scarf down SO much food before we realize we are satiated, that we end up feeling nauseous & bloated.  If after 15 minutes you are still hungry, go back for seconds with an emphasis on the veggies & salad… the high fiber content will help you feel fuller longer.  Cutting down portions of the very same foods can save us hundreds of calories a day! SO… don’t eat to pass the time, or drown your sorrows.  EAT to THRIVE!!!

We all need a little help along the way when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. My philosophy is to help you create a life of ‘living well’. This means eliminating the OR, and trading up for the AND. Learn how to eat foods that are healthy AND delicious. Find workouts that are effective AND fun. Choose workout clothes that are functional AND fashionable AND budget friendly. Here are some of my favorite sites that always help me find my “AND”!

fitnessmagazine.com and SHAPE.com are excellent and easily navigated sites that offer tips on everything from quick workouts you can do at your desk, to affordable running shoes. They focus on REAL people with realistic goals and provide advice that is accessible and easily implemented no matter what your fitness level or schedule restraints.

Gray’s Anatomy – No, not the ABC show (though a little McDreamy and McSteamy action is ALWAYS good for the heart). I’m actually talking about ‘The Anatomy of the Human Body’ by Henry Gray. Originally published in 1918, it remains the quintessential book on the Human Body. With exquisite drawings and comprehensive detail, you’d be hard pressed to find a better source of information. MAYBE not the best beach reading, but great to develop an awareness of your own miraculous human body.

OrganicEating.com – a great healthy resource that provides important information on the benefits of an organic diet. While on both coasts, farmers’ markets and organic foods are in huge demand, the middle of the country may find it more difficult to regularly find access to organic foods. This site can help! Despite it’s name, the information on the site applies to much more than just food! Learn how to be environmentally friendly AND get healthy at the same time.

CookingLight.com – their mission statemnt is: “making healthy taste great”. Now THAT is the kind of “AND” I am talking about! I have made myriad recipes from this site, and they remain some of my perennial favorites. From beef stroganoff to peanut butter cookies… learn the lighter versions of all your favorite comfort foods, and start to live healthier without sacrificing flavor or the food you love!

To your Health!

~ Elise

Forget the Twelve Days of Christmas!  Nowadays, people start celebrating the holidays before Halloween can even make her grand exit.  Jack-o-lanterns give way to Jack Frost before you can wipe off your vampire-werewolf-warrior-princess make-up!  On the stroke of November 1^st, out come the colored lights, jingle bells, and pine scented candles!! We start going crazy for Frosty & Rudolph, and we just don’t stop celebrating until New Years Day!  This gives us 60 full days of hall-decking & merry making, and before we know it, Jolly Old St. Nick is not the only one with a belly “like a bowl full of jelly”!  We have cookie decorating parties, and Holiday Parties…. office parties, family parties, dinner parties, tree-trimming parties new years’ eve parties….. I could go on and on, but I think we get the picture.  As our raucous Christmakwanzakah celebrations rage on, we are faced with glaring & seemingly insurmountable temptations, coming at us from every direction!  One minute you are chatting up your office ‘crush’ under the mistletoe at a seemingly innocent company party, the next you are uncontrollably downing handfuls of gingerbread cookies, “bite sized” confections, and chocolate snowmen.  Don’t even get me started on the candy cane martinis!!  Of course we want to be fabulous, because… you know…. “’Tis the Season”, but how can we be “merry & bright” without waking up January first needing a separate zip-code for our ‘snowglobes’?  Here are some of my tried & true ways to show our love for the Jolly Fat Man in the red pants, while staying in our skinny jeans!

Don your ‘gay apparel’!: No matter what our size, we all have fun dressing up now & then!  We know the incredible feeling of slinking into your favorite little black number that highlights every curve, or putting on a sharp suit that makes you stand a little taller.  You might query: “what does this have to do with staying fit?”, and I answer you “Everything”!!!!  If you take the time to take pride in your appearance  from the outside in, it can inspire you to do the same from the inside out!  Baggy sweats, oversized Tees, & forgiving elastic waistbands invite us to be sloppy, out of touch with our bodies & to indulge with reckless abandon.  BUT…. When we dress up in our holiday finest, we remember how good it feels to look our best!  Sometimes, this incentive alone is enough to steer us away from the 7 layer cheese dip & over to the cru d’ete!

Keep “visions of sugar-plums” out of your head : to most of us, there is nothing more tempting than a seemingly endless buffet of sweet treats, and no more sure-fire way to give in than to walk into the party famished!  Eat before you go!  Nothing huge… (I mean, let’s face it, you KNOW you’re going to arrive & try at least one mini-quiche and maybe a cracker with spinach dip), but satiate your hunger.  A protein rich snack is best… maybe cottage cheese, or a handful of nuts.  You can even indulge your sweet tooth nature’s way, before leaving the house!  Try eating an apple, or even a banana with light coat of peanut butter. Mmmmmm!!  Satisfy your craving in a filling, healthy way & you’ll be less likely to stray.  If you really have a love/ hate relationship with your willpower, slide a few slices of dried mango or pinapple in a Ziploc & toss it in your bag.  Then instead of reaching for the coconut snowball, save hundreds of calories with your own sweet-treat!!