i LOVE tea.

tea in the bathtub, tea at yoga, tea on a walk with the pup. green tea, breakfast tea, masala chai tea, you name it. it’s always the perfect complement to whatever i’m doing, and helps me stay present and relaxed.

lucky for me, celestial seasonings was generous enough to send me a winter’s worth of yummy wellness teas, and they’d like to send TWO of you a big stock also.

my faves so far: tummy mint, antioxidant max green tea blood orange star fruit, and natural detox (which has milk thistle in it which is SO good for taming crazy hormones.)

if you’d like to enter, please leave a comment below letting me know one health-focused resolution you’ve created for yourself in 2013. i’ll select two readers at random to win.

(giveaway will close by next wednesday, january 16.

update: the winners are carol trautwein and krista grandstaff. congratulations!)

i’m seriously sick of juice.

but i’m always really proud of matt and i. we have totally stuck out the past three days, and while i’ve done a bit of whining about headaches and wooziness, he hasn’t said a word. we’ve supplemented with acupuncture, massages, naps, movies by the fire, movies in the theatre, and lots of detox and ginger tea.

do i feel super amazing? eh, not really. and starting tomorrow, we will still be eating really healthy until thanksgiving. lots of big salads and warm soups and hot teas.

what i do feel is back in control. in control of my relationship with food, and rather than it being a total necessity (we haven’t really been hungry for the three days. the juices really do the trick.), it’s an amazing gift that gives you strength and vitality, and tastes soooooo good. (in fact, when matt was planning a thanksgiving menu this morning i practically had to wipe the drool off my chin.)

i feel lighter. my sinuses are so clear, i am smelling things i haven’t in months. my skin and eyes are bright. my mind is really clear for moments and then foggy as hell. all in all, these past few days have been a lot of fun, and i definitely couldn’t have done it so easily without the support of matt. he is a rock. my rock.

oh, and i am going to eat the SHIT outta some kale tomorrow. cannot even wait.

i have been doing a pretty decent amount of complaining about my health lately. for the past couple of months i’ve felt like a broken record – asthma this, asthma that – and it’s a cycle that i am really hoping comes to the end. but as i make my way out this most recent episode of attacks, with a new inhaler that i am truly hoping that turn things around, i’ve realized how lucky i am that this is all that i am experiencing. every day i work with people who are experiencing traumatic things in their lives, whether it be health, anxiety or just a really rough hand to be dealt period, and am constantly in awe of their ability to get through it (some, not all, of course). i feel lucky to only be dealing with my asthma. my asthma is a gift – it teaches me to slow down; to pay attention to what i’m eating, how i’m living, the air i am breathing; and to never take  a single breath for granted. there is nothing scarier than when the walls start to close in and you can’t breathe. the opposite of that: sitting in the grass breathing in ocean air when i am feeling healthy because I CAN.

so here’s to my breath and to never ever taking you for granted. thank you.

this week i needed straight up veggie power and a little kick in the arse. so fueled by a giant green smoothie and a salad every single day, i am feeling pretty awesome. and then couple that with sweaty yoga or spin classes.

here’s my fave smoothie recipe from kris carr. enjoy!!

green goddess smoothie

blend (we use a vitamix):
- 1.5 cups coconut water
- 1 chopped cucumber
- 1 chopped pear
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 handful spinach
- 2 sprinkles cinnamon
- optional: 1 serving stevia