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Six Hours in Medellin, Colombia

July 19, 2017 By: skallabrinacomment

Sunday night/Monday morning, I returned to Los Angeles after spending 10 days Santa Elena, Colombia, a small town in the mountains outside of Medellin. The majority of my trip was dedicated to spiritual development (I haven’t decided if I’ll blog about this yet. I doubt that I will) but I did go into the city for a bit. Here’s a quick run down of all the fun that I had running around Medellin for approximately 6 hours.

At 9AM, a driver picked me up from Santa Elena and drove me into the city. The trip was about 40 minutes. I was dropped at a cute little cafe that was recommended to me by one of the retreat facilitators. I got a yummy little breakfast, started a new book, and bummed their wifi for about two hours.

After googling and getting my game plan in order, I headed over to the metro and took it to the Parque Berrio Metro Station to see the Botero bronze sculptures.

After seeing the sculptures and roaming through the surrounding area, I hopped back on the train to go to the Botanical Garden.

The garden was such a lovely refuge from the chaos of the Latin American city. I leisurely strolled through all of the green things and eventually found a bench. I completed the sudoku puzzle that I had started the night before (it was a tough one!) and took a little time to reflect and breathe. Eventually I made my way along the path and back to the exit.

About a 10 minute walk from the garden was the beautiful Cementerio de San Pedro. I’m generally not drawn to cemeteries but I found this one really moving. It’s aesthetically stunning, full of bright marble and stone all centered around a cathedral in the center. Like the garden, this space was super peaceful and gave me an opportunity to mellow out before going back into the chaos of the city.

After the cemetery, I stopped at a small grocery store to buy some water. I even got to use my (very limited) Spanish skills to converse with the shop owner. Although our conversation was minimal, as my Spanish comprehension skills certainly leave something to be desired, it was super rewarding to be able to communicate a bit. After hydrating, I made my way back to the Metro and back to D’Andre where my car would meet me to go back to Santa Elena.

The only thing that I would have liked to do but didn’t have time for was ride on the cablecars! Medellin has a public transit line that is actually cablecars. Apparently the creation of these lines (there are 3 of them) was critical for linking people who live in the steep hills to the rest of the city and the transit system. Such a cool idea! Riding the cablecars will be the first thing that I do whenever I make it back.

Although I only had a short bout in Medellin, it was glorious. Six hours was actually a perfect amount of time to explore and soak up the feel of the city. Now that I’ve officially been to South America (!), I’m looking forward to exploring more of the continent in the future.

6 Easy Ingredients for More Flavorful Meals

July 5, 2017 By: skallabrinacomment

Ciao peeps.

Recently, I was thinking about how my confidence in the kitchen has evolved since I first started cooking for myself while studying abroad back in 2010. I remember cooking in the kitchen of my host parent’s home in Paris and being afraid to add basic spices and olive oil to my frozen mixed veggies from Picard. My palate was far less adventurous then and everything to do with cooking was still new to me so I played it super safe. Although health was a major priority, I wasn’t particularly concerned about flavor.

My, how things have changed.

Obviously, I’m still all about that healthy eating life but at this stage of the game, I know that eating healthily does not mean committing to a life of flavorless meals. Over time, I’ve become more comfortable experimenting with ingredients and holding myself to a higher standard of flavor. In retrospect, I wish my late-college/early-20s self would have understood how easily I could have amped up my homemade dishes by incorporating a few key ingredients.

Here are some staple ingredients to keep on hand to add flavor to your meals.

Citrus

A sprinkle of fresh lemon and/or lime juice goes SUCH a long way to bring out the other flavors of a dish. If you ever taste a dish and you think, “it needs more salt,” but you know that you’ve already added a decent amount of salt to it, it’s probably in need of citrus.

Vinegars

I slept on vinegars in my cooking for a long time. Now I’m realizing how huge of a difference a little acid can make. Apple Cider vinegar is a great to add into the boiling water of leafy greens to bring out their natural earthy tastes. And rice vinegar comes in handy for adding a bit of tangy sweetness.

Fresh herbs

I used to think that fresh herbs weren’t worth the hassle or the money but I’ve done a complete 180 on this viewpoint. Dried herbs are great when in a pinch or trying to cut back on grocery spending but splurging on fresh herbs is a great way to treat yourself. They instantly make you feel fancy and add flavor that to meals that is incomparable to that of their dried counterparts. Also – they make everything you post on Instagram look prettier.

Freshly cracked pepper (as opposed to pre-ground)

There is really something to be said for fresh spices when you want to add flavor. While it’s much more practical to buy the majority of our spices pre-ground, black pepper is an easy one to buy in its whole form and grind as needed. Trader Joe’s even has a fresh pepper grinder. Worth the investment.

Spice Blends

You can find some great spice blends at spice shops, farmers markets, and even Trader Joe’s. Get a bunch that sounds interesting and use them to change up the taste of your standard dishes. Keep a lookout for blends at some of your favorite restaurants or when traveling! They’re a great treat to bring home for yourself.

Adventurous Spices

This one is somewhat obvious but it’s on the list because I’d like to encourage you to experiment with your spices. Go beyond the standard seasonings and play around with things that you’ve never tried before – maybe even something you’ve never heard of. Find a spice shop or a well-stocked spice station at a commercial grocer and challenge yourself to try some new things. If you’re worried about creating your own flavor profiles, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of The Flavor Bible, which allows you to look up any spice or ingredients you’d like to use to find out what pairs well with it. It’s a game-changer.

Wake Up and Dance: Hack Your Mornings with a Jam Session

June 28, 2017 By: skallabrinacomment

Me (circa 2011) dancing with my study abroad homies in some random plaza in some beautifully enchanting small Italian town.

Recently, I’ve expanded my morning routine to include a little dance party. It’s been glorious and I thought it might be worth sharing.

Mornings are rough for all of us, even those of us to identify as “morning people,” like myself. I thoroughly enjoy mornings but the first 10 minutes of being awake can be a struggle. I thoroughly dislike the discomfort and stiffness that I feel in my body upon waking. In an ideal world, I could start every single morning with a full on yoga asana practice, capped off with some meditation and breath exercises. In real life, however, these kinds of mornings are hard to come by. While I have solidified the habit of meditating each morning, it’s really challenging to focus my mind if my body is cranky. This is where a jam comes in handy.

What’s makes your body want to move more than music? A few weeks ago, I woke up with a song in my head/heart and I decided to just play it. I naturally started to move and before I knew it, I was grooving and my body was organically coming to life. After the song finished, I settled down into my meditation without the distraction of tight muscles. Since then, I’ve been choosing a song to wake up to each morning and it’s become an asset to my morning. Not only is an efficient way to warm up your body but it’s also fun. It forces me to smile and sets a tone of joy for my day. I highly encourage you to give it a try. Even if you’re skeptical or not into dancing (¯\_(ツ)_/¯), you might be surprised at how effective it is for giving you a little jolt of happiness at the top of your day.

Here are a few tips for establishing your wake up and dance routine:

Pick a song that makes you want to move. I recommend choosing a different song every week or every few days to keep it fresh. Some of the songs that I have made my morning playlist recently have been: Slide by Keven Harris ft. Frank Ocean and Migos, Technicolour Beat by Oh Wonder, and Electric by Elina Baraz ft. Khalid.

Move in any way that feels good. For me, it’s usually some combination of yoga poses/stretches and my Saturday night dance floor two-step. Just get into it.

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Just feel into your body. It really doesn’t matter what you do. At the end of the day (or in this case, at the beginning), you’re taking a little time for yourself to get into your body and gear it up for the day.

If you live with other people, headphones are a thing. No excuses!

And if you’re still not convinced, here’s a little inspo for ya.

Dance away.

Will you try this? Let me know what songs you’re using to jumpstart your mornings in the comments!

GWHG

Cappellos Lasagna “Everything Bagel” Crackers

June 23, 2017 By: skallabrinacomment

Sometimes I find myself in serious need of something crunchy and carby. I generally don’t keep chips or crackers around but every now and then I get a craving that only something perfectly crispy and chip-like will satisfy. This recipe developed through one of these moments. I really wanted something but not badly enough to actually put on pants leave the house to go get it from the store. I had some of Cappello’s lasagna noodles in the freezer and my wheels started spinning.

I knew from working with Cappello’s lasagna noodles before that they crisp up nicely when baked so I thought I might try my luck with making them into chips. I had recently bought a bottle of Trader Joe’s “Everything but the Bagel” sesame seasoning blend and it seemed like the perfect savory flavor profile. Alas, lasagna noodle crackers were born.

Calling this recipe simple is an understatement. You literally just brush some olive oil on these puppies, season them, and then wait patiently for a whole 7 minutes. Instant gratification.

I used the Trader Joe’s blend to season but the world is really your oyster when it comes to adding flavor to your chips. Put together your own “everything bagel” blend using sesame seeds, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt.

Cappello's Lasagna Noodle "Everything Bagel" Crackers

2017-06-23 20:37:53

Quick, easy, crunchy, satisfying snack

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Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

7 min

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

7 min

Ingredients

Cappellos lasagna noodles
Trader Joe's "Everything but the Bagel" sesame seasoning blend*
Sea Salt
Olive Oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Break your lasagna noodles into rough square pieces.
Brush or rub noodles with olive oil.
Sprinkle with seasoning of choice.
Bake for 7-10 minutes, checking in after the 5 minute mark to be sure that they don't burn.
Remove them from the over just as they begin to brown.
Let cool for a few minutes before eating.

Notes

*(or any other seasoning that you have/like)

Girl With the Hipster Glasses http://girlwiththehipsterglasses.com/

3 Days in Seattle, Washington

June 20, 2017 By: skallabrinacomment

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting Seattle, Washington for the very first time. I had some friends running the RockNRoll Marathon and Half Marathon. Although I am not distance running at the moment, I decided to tag along to see a new city and play cheerleader.

I found a cheap flight that got me into the city at 9AM on Friday. None of my friends were there yet so I spent the day exploring on my own. I took the light rail aka LINK to Pioneer Square to grab some breakfast at Local360. On my way, I happened upon Pike Place Market. Perhaps by fate, I landed right in front of the gluten-free pastry window at Cinnamon Works. A GF cinnamon roll happened.

I roamed through the market a bit more before I set myself back on track to get to Local360. I found this place online and was drawn to its dedication to local sources and whole foods ingredients. I was pleased to get a nice simple breakfast to fuel me for a day of wandering. Beyond the food, the service was great. Everyone was super hospitable. When they found out I was visiting, they didn’t hesitate to give me suggestions for things to do in the area. One of the servers, Wade, gave me a list of things to keep me bust for the afternoon. Another server (I didn’t get his name!) gave me a great coffee shop recommendation. Heeding his advice, I went over to Bedlam Coffee to get a little work done on my chapter and figure out a plan for the afternoon.

Bedlam Coffee in Belltown, Seattle

After working, I went to drop off my bags with Kari, my friend Rachel’s friend who was hosting us for the weekend. She works near the coffeeshop it was an easy walk over.

From there, I went to the Sculpture Park and took in some great views of the city and then walked back to Pike Place to take it in more formally. After buying and eating way too many snacks at the market, I popped into The Crumpet Shop to sit down with a glass of green tea. I told the barista that I was visiting and she suggested that I got check out the central public library that was about a 15 minute walk away. So I did.

Seattle Sculpture Park

Green Tea at The Crumpet Shop

Pike Place Market

Seattle Central Public Library

After this, I went to meet Kari and we went back to her apartment in the Fremont neighborhood. I hung out for a bit with her and then went to Bala Yoga for a hip-hop themed flow. This studio has great reviews online so I was really happy to see that they had a location in Fremont right near Kari’s place. Because I wanted to practice every day I was there, I opted to do the new student special. I really enjoyed the atmosphere at this studio. Everyone was super welcoming and warm (and I’m not just saying that because the studio is heated to 85 degrees).

After class, I walked back to Kari’s and chilled with Rachel for a bit before bed. We ended up watching a couple of episodes of “The B in Apartment 23.”

Day 2 of my Seattle weekend started with a little coffee session with Rachel at the local co-op before heading back to Bala for another class. Post-flow, I met up with Kari, Rachel, and some of their other friends to watch the Fremont Solstice Parade. This was definitely the highlight of my Seattle experience. It started with a bunch of naked bikers covered in body paint and costume accessories. So much good energy and creativity. You can check out a video of it on my Insta.

After the parade, I hung out in Fremont and then ended up in downtown to buy running clothes. I decided that I wanted to run the last three miles of the race the next morning and I hadn’t brought running clothes with me.

On Sunday, I woke up and headed to the Mile 10 marker of the half marathon to cheer my DTLA Running peeps on. I was only mildly successful in this endeavor however, as I only ended up seeing one of my friends on the course. It’s the thought that counts though right?? I ran the last three miles to the finish line and then met up with everyone for congratulations.

Mykha at Mile 10!

Next, Rachel and I headed to Jack’s BBQ for an afternoon feast. Kari and her boyfriend met us there. After waiting for about an hour (it was father’s day and apparently everyone and their daddy wanted BBQ), we finally sat down and reveled in glory of Texas BBQ. I didn’t take any photos of my meal because I was starving by this point and I couldn’t bear to wait any longer.

After BBQ, we all went back to Fremont. The evening included a Vinyasa + Restorative combo at Bala followed by dinner at Cafe Turko with my lovely friend Natalie. Natalie and I have been friends since high school. I posted a photo of Seattle on Insta on Friday and she commented saying that she was going to be there on Sunday. So glad we got to connect!

After dinner, I went to meet the running crew at Triangle Spirits where I tore up the karaoke scene. I don’t generally consider myself a “karaoke person” but I clearly had a song (or three) in my heart night. The guy running the queue recognized my talent and started rotating me in regularly. Selections of the evening included “Sk8er Boi” by Avril Lavigne, “Drive Myself Crazy,” by N’sync, and “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley. It was magical, if I do say so myself.

After crushing it on the mic, I went back to Kari’s, passed out, and then woke up in time to make it to the airport for my 10AM flight.

It was a great first run with Seattle. I really enjoyed the laid-back feel of the city and the people. It was a much needed break from the sprawling chaos that is Los Angeles. Also- the air was fresh. 😀 Looking forward to making it back at some point!

GWHG

A Case for the CSA Farm Box

June 13, 2017 By: skallabrinacomment

Golden beets

If you follow me on the ‘gram, you know that I often have love affairs in the form of photo sessions with my produce. I realized that I’ve never actually discussed my choice to have a CSA farm box of organic produce delivered to my apartment every week. I thought it might be worth sharing.

You’ll eat more veggies: This reason is pretty straightforward. If there are more veggies around, it increases the likelihood that you’ll consume them. I really hate for food to go to waste, especially when I’ve been my hard-earned grad students dollars on it. So I’m really good about making sure my veggies get eaten (or frozen!) before they go bad.

The quality is superior: If you’ve ever gotten fresh produce from the farmer’s market, you know that they are much higher quality than their supermarket counterparts. You don’t need a super refined pallet to taste the difference. High quality veggies go such a long way in the kitchen, allowing the flavors in even the simplest of dishes to pop.

You’re supporting local farmers: From what I understand, small scale farming is often a thankless job in a country whose food system has become so industrialized. The best way to support them is by buying all of their yummy stuff.

Fresh herbs

You’ll Eat Seasonally: Eating seasonally is a great way to build a connection between your body and the earth and its natural cycles. After taking a short course on ayurveda last year, I’ve been more conscious of trying to eat in ways that promote synchronicity and balance with the environment. Eating from my CSA farm box makes it easy!

It’s cost effective: I have not yet been convinced that buying local produce is cheaper than buying commercial produce in supermarkets. Many blogs make this claim and I just don’t think it’s true. What is true, however, is that, when compared to shopping at the farmer’s market, CSA boxes tend to give you more bang for your buck. Furthermore, if your CSA allows you to customize your box online (as many do), you can strategically select veggies that are more affordable to save money.

It’s convenient: In an ideal world, we would all wake up every Sunday morning, do some yoga, and walk over to the local farmer’s market to purchase our veggies for the week. In real life, we’re often lucky if we can even find time to run to the grocery store in between all of the other tasks on our to-do lists. When trying to eat well, having your veggies dropped off on your doorstep can make the difference between a week of warm home-cooked meals or crappy (and expensive) take-out.

If you’re considering joining a CSA, I highly recommend Farm Fresh To You. I have been using their services for over two years and the quality is great. I recently tries Imperfect Produce and though I love the concept behind it – making use of produce that has been deemed “unworthy” for the supermarket – I found that the quality of a lot of the veggies wasn’t great. You do get more bang for your buck with Imperfect Produce, though. It’s certainly better than having no veggies at all.

If you’re interested in trying Farm Fresh To You, use my referral code for $15 off your first order: SABR9411.

USE CODE: SABR9411

Are you a member of a CSA? What’s your favorite thing about it?

4 Ways that I’m Investing in Myself This Week

June 7, 2017 By: skallabrina2 Comments

Last week, I came across a few articles about the importance of investing in yourself. While none of them told me anything that I didn’t already know, they did prompt me to consider how I might be more deliberate about promoting my own personal growth. There are some ways that I invest in myself that are so routine that I don’t have to think about them. Most of these fall within the realm of nutritional health and fitness (i.e. making healthy meals, practicing yoga consistently, exercising, doing a morning meditation). There are other areas of my whole person, however, that I’d like to spend more time cultivating. Although I think about these things often, I drag my feet on actually taking the steps to incorporate them into my life. This week, I’m changing that by investing in myself in the following ways…

Reigning in my Spending – I’m literally investing in myself by better managing my finances. Every year around this time, I get a little willy nilly with spending. It’s mostly because it’s the end of the semester and the beginning of summer and I’m being more social. The past month has included a lot of eating out and buying coffee. It’s been great but it’s definitely time for me to recenter myself financially. In a perfect world, I could be about that $7 matcha latte with macadamia nut milk life all the time but alas, that is not my current reality.

Watching a TED talk – I love TED talks! I don’t watch them nearly enough. When I do watch them, I feel live an informed cosmopolitan world citizen. I want to feel like this more often. Keep an eye on the GWHG Facebook page for links to what I’m watching.

Catching up on my French Language Podcasts – I love the French language. I’ve studied it since high school and it’s really important to me that I maintain the skill. I have two great French podcasts to which I subscribe: One Thing in a French Day and Francais Authentique. I love these pods because they’re generally super short and cover a range of topics using interesting vocabulary. Because I subscribe to so many podcasts, however, it’s common for me to skip over these in favor of listening to those that are … in English. This week, I’m investing in myself by taking some time to catch up on these episodes. Maybe I’ll even listen to them with my laptop handy for googling unfamiliar vocabulary and grammar constructions!

Revisiting Yoga Philosophy – Completing the yoga teacher training at One Down Dog was one of the best decisions that I’ve made in my adult life. I’m so grateful for everything that I learned over the course of the 200-hour training and it continues to shape my life in important way. My favorite modules of the training were those that focused on the philosophies behind yoga, as it really allowed me to better understand the practice beyond the physical. This week, I’m investing in myself by revisiting some of my notes and books from teacher training to refresh and further my understanding. I’m most excited to reread Eastern Body, Western Mind. If you are at all interested in learning more about non-Western psychologies and the chakra system, I highly recommend it.

Although I have set aside this week to do these things, my hope is that it will light a fire that will help me invest in myself in these ways on a more consistent basis.

How do you invest in yourself?

Three Charcoal Cosmetic Products to Detox Your Hygiene Routine

June 2, 2017 By: skallabrinacomment

So I’m really into charcoal products right now…

As some of you may have noticed, charcoal is popping up everywhere in the health and beauty industries these days. Although I cannot attest that all of the “scientifically proven” benefits of charcoal are true, I can say that I really enjoy the charcoal products that I own. Here are three charcoal personal care products that I’ve been using regularly and loving for the past year.

Beauty Counter Charcoal Bar

Charcoal Cleansing Bar by Beauty Counter – Although you can technically use this soap for anything, I typically only use it on my face though since it’s pretty pricey. Occasionally I’ll use a bit under my arms for a little extra cleaning in that area. I will say that my face is pretty dry albeit super-clean-feeling after using this soap. I definitely recommend following it up with some kind of face oil/moisturizer.

Pacha Clarifying Charcoal Bar

Clarifying Charcoal Body Bar by Pacha – I use this bar as my main body bar in the shower. It lathers well and has a great subtle scent that makes you feel super fresh. It also doesn’t try out the skin too much, although oiling your skin after showering is always a good idea. I get mine from Thrive Market but it’s also available on Amazon and a bunch of other sites.

Schmidt’s Charcoal Magnesium Deodorant

Charcoal + Magnesium Deodorant from Schmidts – The struggle to find a natural deodorant that actually works is SO real. I’ve been using aluminum-free deodorants for over six years now and it’s been on-going challenge to find one that doesn’t make me feel like I’m compromising. This one has definitely been my favorite thus far. It has a great natural scent and does the work of neutralizing odor throughout the day.

Are their any charcoal products that you use and love?

P.S. None of these products are sponsored. They’re legit just things that I bought, used, and like.

Developing a Morning Routine

May 24, 2017 By: skallabrina1 Comment

A while back, I talked a bit about my pre-bedtime screen-free hour and now I’m back to talk about the importance of developing a morning routine. As a self-proclaimed “morning person,” the period between 6 and 10AM is typically my favorite, and often most productive, time of the day. This may sound ridiculous to all of the night owls out there but I do really enjoy my first few hours of being awake. Despite being a morning person, coming into the day can still be challenging. Because I usually wake up energetic and ambitious, it’s easy for me to end up frazzled and overwhelmed within the first ten minutes of being awake. Furthermore, as a graduate student, my schedule is often somewhat open, leaving it up to me to create structure. Developing a morning routine has been absolutely critical to helping me center and ground before embarking on the day.

The critical components of morning routine are: warm lemon water, 5-15 minute meditation, a non-politics related podcast. These practices naturally developed for me.

Think about what you already do: Rather than designing an overly romantic list of morning practices, think about the things that you already do in the morning. Do you usually make coffee when you wake up? Maybe you rinse your face with warm water to give yourself a jolt? In an ideal world, we could all have elaborate morning routines that served no practical function but in reality, most of us have things to do. So instead of adding things on top of what you already have, think about taking a different approach to the practices that you already have in place. This brings me to my next point …

Bask in the Ritual: This point is essentially a continuation of the previous one, adding in the element of mindfulness. In order to transform your morning habits into a — morning routine, shift your mindset to one of self-care. Take the practices that you already have but instead of running through them passively, perform them mindfully and with an ethos of self-love and compassion. Taking this approach to your morning helps set a tone for the day ahead.

Set a Tone: For me, the most important function of a morning routine is to set a tone for my day. What feelings do I want to characterize my day and how I can cultivate those feelings on my own before exposing myself to externalities? I use my morning meditation practice to create a feeling of calm and positivity before things gets going. Experiencing this feeling first thing gives me a foundation that I can return to throughout the day.

Set Yourself Up: This tip is the most practical of the list. In order to get the most out of your morning routine, do yourself a favor and set yourself up the night before. If you know that waking up to the smell of coffee makes you feel amazing, set your coffee pot to start brewing five minutes before your alarm. If you’re like me and your love waking up to a clean kitchen, wash your dishes and wipe down the counters as a part of your night time routine. These little setups usually take less than five minutes and they can make a world of difference for your mood coming into the next day.

No matter if it’s 10 minutes or an hour, take a little time to indulge in your morning routine. It doesn’t have overly luxurious, it just has to work for you.

GWHG

The Power of Eating Alone

May 17, 2017 By: skallabrinacomment

I recently realized how much I enjoy eating alone. This semester, on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, I would arrive on campus a bit after 7AM to workout at the gym. Post-sweat, I would eat quickly before starting work at the Writing Center at 9. If I didn’t get caught up at the gym, I usually had about 15-20 minutes to enjoy my packed breakfast. In the beginning, I would microwave my food at the Writing Center and then sit at my desk and eat until it was time to start work.

I would usually check emails and browse Facebook as I ate, feeling as though multi-taking in this way set me on a path for productivity throughout the rest of the day. I soon realized, however, that I was doing myself a disservice by taking my first meal of the day this way. I began thinking critically about how I could use this time more wisely and developed a routine of eating alone that I have come to cherish.

Rather than sitting at my desk, I started opting to leave to the office. At first, I would just sit in some of the seats in the hallway of the building where the Writing Center is located. This was partially due to it being “winter” in LA and thus, a bit chillier than one might like for sitting outside, and partly due to a lack of imagination on my part. As the semester progressed, however, I pushed myself to go outside regardless. I’ve read so much about the benefits of opting outside and I wanted to be better about taking advantage of them. I also made a conscious decision to not bring my phone with me.

Although society makes us believe that we should be capitalizing on every moment of the day to be “productive,” there is a lot to be said for doing one thing. Taking this 15 minutes with nothing but myself and my meal allowed me to mentally prepare for all the day’s adventures. It set a tone of self-care that I could attempt to replicate throughout the day. It served as a moment for myself on those crazy days where moments like this might otherwise be hard to come by. Eating alone in this way also served as an opportunity for me to cultivate a relationship with my food. By slowing down and focusing on the task of eating, I was able to really taste my meals and experience a feeling of gratitude for being able to nourish my body in this way.

Even if you don’t have much time, I encourage you to develop a routine of communing with your food a few times a week.

Here are some quick tips for getting the most out of your solo meal sessions:

Don’t look at your phone. If you’re in a position to just leave it at home or at the office, do it! If not, make an agreement with yourself to not take it out of your bag or pocket until you’re done with your meal. If you lack self control, like many of us do, try using the Forest app that I recommended in this post.

Take out your headphones. As a music-enthusiast and a podcast-junkie, I rarely miss an opportunity to pop in my headphones. There is a lot to be said for tuning out to tune in, however. If you’re lucky enough to eat outside, take the time to really enjoy the sounds of nature. If you’re in a big city, do some people watching. Tuning into your surroundings is a great way to ground yourself and connect to the world. If you have to eat in the office, I suggest taking a look at this article for some tips to how to create some good vibes at your desk.

Eat food that tastes good. This is pretty straight-forward. It’s much easier to enjoy the act of eating if the foods you’re eating are delicious. Basic.

Breathe. It’s easy to go through the hustle and bustle of the day without realizing how worked up we are in our minds and bodies. For many of us, the chaos of everyday life is normalized and unless we’re mindful, we can end up living in a constant state of stress. Your eat-alone time is a great moment to decompress. Take a few deep breaths before, after, and even during your meal to calm your nervous system. I often do a few neck and shoulder rolls before I start eating to signal to my mind and body that it’s okay to relax.

Hopefully these tips help you develop a love for eating alone.

Are you a fan of eating alone? What does your routine look like? Comment below to let me know!

GWHG