As the days roll by.

I’m so caught up in that little dialogue in my head.  I’m so worried about the little things, that I just don’t get the time to look around and check out what’s around me.  I’ve been so concerned with staying on track in life, building my new, little,  humble organic/natural foods business, and working on being a better me (which can be quite stressful, since I tend to be so hard on myself) that I’m forgetting the small things in life.  I know it sounds so cliche – you hear it constantly, “enjoy the small things in life.”  But, really it’s much easier said than done.  I’m at this point in my life where I want to succeed; I want to achieve something, be proud of myself.  And, it’s so easy to get caught up and compare yourself to your peers.  You push yourself that much harder.  In the interim, you lose that happy, excited  (and, healthy) part of yourself.

I live in a city that is somewhat paradise on earth, and I just let days go by without noticing.    I’m actually looking out my apartment window right now, and can see the waves rolling towards me.  Today, I saw the two most beautiful stark-white birds chirping away above my car.  And, I wondered are those doves (I should take a bird-watching class so I could be a bit more accurate here)?  All of this, and I’m pining over New York.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE New York.  It’s my home, it’s where I grew up.  And, there really is no city like it.  The love and affection I have towards New York will never change.  But, it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate what is right in front of me; what has been given to me.  Maybe with a little gratitude, the pain in my back would get a bit of a relief.

See, I think it’s all related.  If we get so caught up in our own dialogues, pine for other things that cause us to not enjoy the moment, and run the rat race, it eventually creeps up on our health.  Either we’ll binge-eat to ignore our Real Self from telling us the right thing to do or we’ll tire ourselves silly wondering why we’re looking like present-day zombies.

I’ve had this terrible, recurrent lower back pain for a few months and it’s been getting real annoying now.  I kept telling my body, “how am I ever going to get ahead in life and complete my work, if you’re giving me such a tough time!”  And, then today – I had a revelation! I’m pushing myself to the limits, and my body is screaming at me, “Rest, relax, take it easy!”  I research all day on holistic health and nutrition; how could I let this point pass me by?  Of all people, I should understand this.  A little quiet “me” time goes a long way.

So, what did I do today?  I sat on my couch and stared at the waves of the ocean envelop me in its arms.

Inspiring.

So, I just watched this awesome video on Sarah Blakely, the inventor/owner of Spanx.  Spanx is what saved me the day of my high school prom. We can all learn a thing or two from her. It’s inspiring to see someone follow her dream to the end.  As new entrepreneurs, her video provided a lot of valuable insight on how to follow-through and run a business.  I have a lot to learn.

I’m starting to think that doing something that we love career-wise or as a hobby is imperative for us to lead that happy, healthy life.  In two days, I’ve gotten three signs indicating to me how important it is to do something/things that we love to do and that fulfills our heart.

1) This video I saw on Sarah Blakely‘s story inspired me to listen to my gut.  A must-see!

2) A visit to my physiotherapist this morning: He was telling me how important it is that we do something we love. In his experience, he stated that he sees a lot of people carry work stress in their joints because they’re not doing what they love to do.  And indication that we all need to re-think our lives.

3) Listening to the audio class for the course I’m currently enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition: Joshua Rosenthal stated how important other aspects of our life are in comparison to food. Our primary foods are our relationships, career, spirituality, and exercise routine. Nutrition is just a secondary source of energy. (Note: Check out the picture below).

This is all so exciting! I’m actually racking my brains to come up with an invention…

I’m not kidding. 🙂

©2007-2011 Integrative Nutrition Inc.

Cuppa of Matcha Tea

Siestas are over-rated.  Actually, they are not overrated.  I was just trying to convince myself otherwise.  I’m really starting to like them.  It’s slowly starting to creep up into my daily routine.  And, my New York self is screaming, a big fat “NO!” It’s just that, there is something in this air.  Its island air; the sea breeze, the shops are closed, the little birdies chirping. And, once it hits 2:30 pm, my head starts nodding off.  And, I just can’t keep my eyes open anymore.  I try fighting the urge, all the while envisioning toothpicks holding my eyelids open (hoping the beauty of visualization will work here).  Majority of the time, my New York self is not screaming hard enough, and I eventually give in to that beautiful nap.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I actually love the siesta. I love the idea of taking a nice, relaxing nap during the middle of the afternoon  But, for myself, I don’t think it’s the best idea to make it a habit at this point in my life.  On one note, I’m not able to fall asleep at a decent hour at night since I sleep during the day.  And, the next day, I can barely wake up at an appropriate hour.  And, I just have too much to do. So, these afternoon naps must go.

The past couple of days I’ve been having a latte to stay awake.  And, its even more tempting since the cafe downstairs just makes an amazing cup of coffee on this side of the world. The part of me that is a strict follower of her PCOS-friendly diet, knows that coffee in excess sends my hormones for a toss.  Too many days in a row will send my body out of balance. And, this coffee is slowly becoming a habit. First, the siesta, and now the coffee. Ah! Sometimes, green tea doesn’t cut it. One just needs something a bit more robust; something a bit more satisfying than hot water poured over green tea leaves.

This is where matcha comes into the picture.  My matcha-addict brother left his Graffitea matcha powder with me during his last trip to Muscat.  He would tell me to mix a teaspoon in some water and gulp it down. This method is great and effective, but I love my teatime. I love the act of teatime. I wanted something exciting but healthy for my teatime.  So, I made a hot matcha tea latte!

Hot Matcha Tea Latte

Heat a teacup of hot water and a dash of milk.  While that’s heating, mix half a teaspoon of matcha powder with a little hot water to make a paste. Add some raw sugar and mix well. Pour the water/milk in the teacup over the paste. Mix and enjoy!

I’m a bit of an extremist, and I think matcha tea is going to be my next obsession. So, why matcha? Matcha is rich in nutrients, antioxidants, fiber, and chlorophyll.  The health benefits of matcha exceed those of other green teas because matcha drinkers ingest the whole leaf not just the green tea brewed water.  One glass of matcha is equal to 10 glasses of green tea in terms of nutritional and antioxidant value. Some other health benefits include: boosts metabolism, enhances the mood, fights against viruses and bacteria, and calms and relaxes, to just name a few. A bit of history: over a thousand years ago, matcha was used in Japan to aid in meditation practice.  During long hours of sitting, monks would have matcha to stay alert and calm.  Matcha is rich in L-Theanine, a rare amino acid that actually promotes a state of relaxation and well-being by acting upon the brain’s functioning.

I think I’m going to kick this siesta habit in the bum, with matcha as my savior.