Mind, Body and Beauty in SF

Sometimes when it comes to staying healthy, it can feel like a chore. But in this New Year, I’m going to make taking care of myself as simple as possible because it will make it easier to follow through. With a little help from technology and nature’s own best ingredients, I’m confident 2015 is going to be a good year for being fit and healthy.

One of my resolutions for the New Year is to make sure I work out at least a few times a week. Whether I’m working late or traveling, my challenge is that my schedule isn’t always predictable and I can’t always make it to the same exercise class. One of the best tools I’ve found to manage my fitness classes is the MindBody Connect app for my iPhone. Instead of going to 4 different studio's websites to check their schedules one by one, the app gives me a convenient, centralized list of all fitness classes like Yoga, Daily Method, and Pilates at my favorite studios. I've also used this app several times to find classes when traveling for work by just searching for nearby studios. It's allowed me to take my fitness regime on the road. I've taken classes in New York City, Austin, TX, Washington DC, Berlin and Paris. I would never have found those classes otherwise. In addition, no matter where I am, I'm really excited about wearing a Tory Burch Fitbit pendant. I used to shy away from the plastic fitness tracker bracelets because they’re a little too sporty to wear every day, but I like to see tech actually being stylish.

As for what goes into my body, I’m staying fresh and clean. Sometimes I worry that vitamins are not as effective as real food nutrients, but I found a happy medium in elixirs like Tumeric Alive and the Juice Shop Elixirs. They use a potent blend of herbs and spices like ginger, lemon, tumeric as a source for antioxidants and anti-inflammatories. They are also just the right size to consume quickly and at $5 a bottle more affordable that fresh pressed juices. And for dinner, I’m promising no more heavy, greasy takeout. Munchery is an app to order meals from local chefs cooked with seasonal food. It’s delivered in ecological packaging and for every meal I order, they deliver a meal to someone who needs it, making it a way to feel socially-conscious too.

On my face, I’ve got my go-to Neutrogena Ultra Gentle daily cleanser. I recently make the switch after realizing that a lot of other cleansers have hidden pore-clogging ingredients, even ones that are meant for sensitive skin. This facial cleanser’s ingredient list is short and relatively uncomplicated, and it’s made by a brand I trust.

Finally, in case I feel a little tickle coming on in these winter months, I’ve got my most trusted cold remedy Zicam Rapidmelts, a dissolvable zinc lozenge. Rather than taking an over-the-counter medication that just disguises my cold symptoms, the zinc is like nature’s cold cure. I use it all winter long.