The beginning of this tangent was a few weeks ago. A great client and friend of mine asked me to do an interview for her fitness blog (check out her site: Gympressions). One of the questions she asked me, really got me to thinking. She asked what was the one thing I wish I could get through to my clients. This was the only question that truly gave me pause, and I have been rethinking it ever since. My response is still forming, but the bottom line remains the same. I never want anyone to lose sight of the bigger picture, what's really important. In the end, nothing matter more than health and even more: HAPPINESS.

Now more questions form. What is happiness? When do I know I've reached it? What am I doing for my body and my mind everyday that will increase my happiness? So while I ponder these philosophical questions, in the meantime, some helpful hints I have tried and tested!

JASMINE'S TOP 3 HAPPINESS HELPERS:

1. Set goals. There is something tremendously satisfying about setting a goal, and then being able to check it off your list of things to accomplish. I get a deep personal satisfaction out of keeping a list, some goals are simple as cleaning the bathroom, and some will take longer to check off such as trying every free yoga class in NY.

2. 5 HTP A great friend of mine (shout out to Kelso) recommended taking 5HTP years ago to help me control my mood. The supplement itself is natural, it comes from the griffonia bean. In your body, 5HTP acts as a precursor to serotonin. We all are familiar with serotonin for its ability to raise and lower mood. 5HTP helps to keep those serotonin levels stable, as well as control appetite and help sleep.

3. Raise your heart rate. My day doesn't feel complete unless I've done some sort of activity to get my heart pumping. Here's a list of some of the benefits of cardiovascular exercise. You tell me if these won't make you smile:


* Weight loss
* Stronger heart and lungs
* Increased bone density
* Reduced stress
* Reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancer
* Temporary relief from depression and anxiety
* More confidence about how you feel and how you look
* Better sleep
* More energy
* Setting a good example for your kids to stay active as they get older

Link to a Hindu list of the Ten Steps to Happiness!!

Hoping the weather cooperates this weekend, lets take advantage of Fabulously Healthy in the Park. Passed by a flyer this am while on a run in McCarren Park, and did some research.

Classes are this weekend, 5/2- 5/4 (Sat, Sun and Mon), $8 (can't beat that) and the best part all outside. My schedule only permits the 11am yoga class on sunday. Anyone interested in joining?

Schedule as follows:

McCarren Park
Sat.5/1- 10am Street GymNYC w/Stacey ( 45mins, intermediate-advanced)
11am FlowPump Bootcamp w/Stacey( by soccer fields; open level)
Central Park:
5/2 ------11am Yoga w/Karuna Yoga @ Norman's Landscape W/86-W.90th streets
12pm Bootcamp w/Yamaris (45 mins; open level)
Westside Hwy:
5/3--------7pm StreetGymNYC w/Stacey ( Meet in front of Chelsea Piers, 45mins, intermediate-advanced)

Link to website :)

I get a lot of questions about taking supplements. I don't take too many, and try to only recommend something that I have tried myself. I did some research about detox a while ago, and recieved lots of positive feedback about Turmeric.

Turmeric comes from Southeast Asia. Its leaves are used as a curry sauce as well as for wrapping and cooking food. Most of what we see in stores is a root powder. In Eastern medicine turmeric is used as an anticeptic, to cure stomach ailments, and as an anti-inflammatory. Today we use it for liver detox and to boost stomach enzymes (which also calms the stomach). Check this link for 20 reasons to add turmeric to your body.



I make it a point to think about liver detox every couple months. I drink lots of water and Kombucha, no alcohol, and take turmeric. For an extra cleanse, add psyllium husk to your water, have lots of leafy greens (kale, spinach, broccoli) and try Yogi Peach Detox tea (this stuff is magic) :) You'll be all clean in no time.

Theres an online store I found just for detox, YourDetoxStore.com. They have these Foot Detox Pads that look amazing. Someone out there try them and let me know how you feel!!

NOTE TO SELF: Try cooking a new healthy meal for dinner one night a week.

When researching recipes, I came across my new favorite website for dinner inspiration. I always try to keep in mind that it's fair game to interpret any recipe as you like. Check out the site called Eating Well.

One of the best website features is the quick recipe category, which features 20 and 30 min recipes, depending on your time contraints.

NOTE TO READERS: Don't miss the 15 minute healthy desserts. I tried the Old-Fashioned Fruit Crumble, with a little scoop of coconut milk vanilla ice cream (if you haven't tried it, give it a whirl, I find it light on the stomach).

Sometimes I have to question my choice of not having a television, because I had no idea about Jaime Oliver or his "Food Revolution". When I heard word of what he was doing, I immediately launched into online research. Quick summary of Jaime: Started cooking in the kitchen as a child, fell in love with the art, left traditional school at 16 to attend culinary school in the UK where he grew up. Sometimes know as the "Naked Chef" which was his first show. First a chef and restaurateur, now also a media personality well known for his growing list of food-focused television shows, his more recent roles in campaigning against the use of processed foods in national schools, and his campaign to change unhealthy diets and poor cooking habits for the better across the United Kingdom and the United States.

Just to be really dark for a minute. Obesity is an epidemic in this country. Epidemic= disease. We are going to be wearing t shirts and bracelets one day supporting the "fight against obesity" just as we do for other diseases that come to the point of an epidemic.


We have an awareness of the problem in schools, which is why what Jaime is doing is awesome. Children are the next generation of adults, and we give our future a better chance by teaching them young. I'll get off my soap box, but not before I say one thing. A lot of us are adults, which means we've been hearing this for a while, and we DO know better, so what's our excuse?


So lets all go back to elementary school and have a refresher. Here is a link to the Food Guide Pyramid provided by the federal government, easily accessible now online. All of our country should be aware of these guidelines, to help us make better choices about what we put in our body.

Disclaimer (In super small print):

The food guide pyramid itself is not perfect, just a very ROUGH guideline. Contact me if you would like my suggestions for how to eat even better!!!

Another figure, possibly bigger than Jaime (haha), who has been fighting this battle longer, is our own first lady Michelle Obama. She doesn't have the dramatic TV show to generate as much hype, but her "Let's Move" initiative is making a lot of progress with kids. Check out her website, there's a link to how you can help!!

Summertime is smoothie-time. Let's face it, a nice blend of icy fruits is super appealing for a meal so much more so than it was in mid snowstorm January. I'm a fan of homemade smoothies, bc you know exactly what you put into it, and it can be tweaked for just what you need.

Jasmine's Smoothie Tips:

*Use frozen strawberries, peaches, blueberries etc., the texture will be more refreshing and you don't need to add ice
*Add almond milk to make blendable, less carbs and higher protein, healthy fats!!
*Add fresh raw kale, stem and all (a leafy green veggie is important for your antioxidants, also the kale adds fiber) don't worry you won't taste it
*Its important to have a source of protein, best bet is to buy protein powder. I buy soy and whey then mix a tablespoon of both. One is quickly absorbed and the other is more slowly processed to keep you satiated longer
*Sometimes if I don't feel like protein, I'll add some peanut butter instead. Super yummy with bananas and chocolate (protein powder or frozen yogurt)
*Speaking of bananas, when they start to get too brown to eat, you stick them in the freezer until you need them in your smoothie
*Make a smoothie for desert w fruit, ice and frozen yogurt
*Greek yogurt can also be a good smoothie base, high protein and great flavor

BIG HINT:::
Make a smoothie an opportunity to add supplements and extras you don't want to taste. A scoop of coconut oil for energy, some psyllium husk for fiber, if you take a liquid vitamin of any kind you can even throw that in. It's like your opportunity for the meal that takes care of a lot of ingredients you need to ingest in the day, but still tastes good!!

Further addition to previous post encouraging everyone to have their gait analyzed. Just discovered another Super Runners Shop in Grand Central and HAD to take some shots so we all can understand how simple the process is. Adina, who works at this location was extremely helpful and made the process simple and painless.

The setup is simple, a treadmill with a camera setup at foot level. The camera records your feet moving for a brief period. Adina suggests that 15 seconds or so is long enough b/c after that we tend to overthink and try to self correct how we are moving.



Here's my LOVELY assistant demonstrating the process:



Then we watch the film together, she points out patterns that shoes could correct, and we try it again with that pair of shoes. It's reassuring when you leave the store that you have found the perfect fit!!