Evolve With Mary: August 2014

Casper is a new sleep company that's launching this spring with an outrageously comfortable mattress! They contacted me about their newest project "Bed-time Yoga Poses". Today I am sharing my favoirte bed-time yoga poses with all of you. Enjoy

It's finally time to go to bed, I have my pajamas on, hair up in a messy ponytail, face washed, mind at ease (sometimes) but my body is still active. This happens to me every night, it's time to catch some ZZZ's but my body is ready to run a marathon. Certain parts of my body are always sore, usually my legs, core or arms sometimes, depending on my workout, everything aches. In my line of work soreness is the name of the game. I do not like taking pills or using stinky ointments.

As much as I just want to lay down and instantly fall asleep my body will not allow that. It needs stretching. If I don't stretch my legs will cramp up, which is utterly tear-jerkingly painful. I've been stretching before bed time on and off for the last 8 years. Since I lost over 150+ pounds my body needs to be pushed, pulled, and contorted as much as possible.

There is nothing more satisfying then a nice long deep stretch before bedtime. It relives built up tension in muscles and sends a signal to my brain that says: "Sleep time is coming, Sleep time is coming, SLEEP TIME IS COMING!!!"

Bed time yoga not only helps me sleep better it centers my energy, and quiets my brain. On top of all that it also makes me feel sexy. Pushing, pulling and stretching, discarding all the hustle the day is necessary. It's my own personal yoga class where I don't have to pay, worry about peeps judging my outdated outfit, or teachers coming around to check my form. This is my time to do whatever my body wants to do. Sometimes I end up in inappropriate positions with my booty high in the air while my boobs start falling out of my bra and that's the fun of it. I don't have to impress anyone, I move the way my body tells me to.

Here are some of my favorite bedtime yoga poses:

Tree Pose

I enjoy the grounding sensation I get in my standing leg after this pose, my standing foot feels like strong roots of a tree.

Standing firm shifting your body weight to your right side
Once knee is locked feeling solid, sturdy, and secure lift left leg up positioning your left foot in the inner part of your upper thigh as close to your private parts as comfortable
Both legs are being stretched in different directions
Once feet feel secure place your hands in payer in front of your chest or reach both hands out to the sides palms facing up
Stay in this position for as long as you can
Once your leg signals surrender slowly bring hands down to sides and place both feet firmly on the ground
Repeat on left side

Bed Hogger

I cannot take credit for this invigorating full body stretch, my boyfriend taught me this one. I should say he tortured me with this one for the last few years. I hated this stretch because it kicked me out of bed, I hated it until I tried it, now I understand his obsession.

It's a full body stretch targeting legs, arms and core/lower back.

Laying on your right side gently stretch your left leg over your right leg slightly bending it
You should instantly feel the stretch in your obliques, inner thighs, quads, and hamstrings in both legs
Stretch both arms out like airplane wings, taking up as much space as needed
Hold for up to 2-3 minutes
Repeat on left side

Bridge

I love anything that makes me invert my head, handstands, headstands, you name it I like it. This next pose creates that blood curling sensations by putting your head upside down and stretching every vertebra in your spine, while challenging your core.
I've been doing bridges since I was 10 years old so this might be an advanced pose if your are a beginner

Start on the floor laying on your back, belly pointing towards the sky
Lift both hands in the air and bend at your elbows
Place your palms on the ground
This might seem backwards and slightly uncomfortable, that means your doing it right
You should instantly feel a stretch in your shoulders
Make sure your feet are firmly planted on the ground, about hip width apart
If you are a beginner stay here for a while to get used to the sensation
When you feel comfortable use your core to push your butt, stomach and chest up until your body forms a bridge
Try to hold this position for 30-60 seconds

Yes, all the blood in your head will rush to your brain, it's an awkward sensation but it's good to interrupt your natural blood flow, replacing old blood with new blood

Yogies believe age is determined by the flexibility of your spine. I want to stay young as long as possible

Happy Giraffe

I also stole this one form my man. He's usually the remote controller, picking shows, fast forwarding through commercials, etc. Yes, I do give him a lot of power, but he's earned it. A few times a week he gets in this position and tells me he's stretching and cannot be in charge of the remote.
He finally broke the stretch down to me a few months ago and I love it. It's a perfect "getting ready for bed" stretch. The happy giraffe stretches your neck, which I usually always forget to do.

Laying on your stomach glue your arms together from elbows to wrist
Place the palms of your hands as close to your neck as possible, cradling the back part of your chin
Make sure your elbows are resting on the bed
Slowly and carefully stretch your neck by slightly tilting your chin back, hold it there resting your chin completely in your hands
This feels great and triggers sleepy time for me
Place a pillow under your elbows for better leverage and a much deeper stretch
Be careful with your neck!!!

It's usually the last stretch I do before I go to bed.
That's all I have for you guys today!
Enjoy your weekend!
Peace & Love,
Mary

Casper Casper Casper

Growing up in Northern California afforded me with a lot of advantages. I cannot recall ever being cold and I remember saying "like" over 50 times a day. Like Awesome!!!

California is coastal obviously, but I didn't grow up on the coast. My family didn't take annual trips to the beach either. The only large bodies of water I saw was my neighborhood pool. When I graduated from high school I decided to attend college in San Francisco. Our freshmen orientation was a bond-fire at Baker Beach, a popular beach in SF. That's when my life changed forever.

I remember riding on the subway for the first time, making strangers laugh by holding onto the rails with both hands and over animating the bumpy ride. We were underground for a while, when light finally filled the train car all I could see was the ocean, my little heart sang. I was overwhelmed by a sensation I had never felt before. I was home, I was safe, and I was small.

Right then I discovered the ocean was a 15 minute train ride away, a train ride I would start making at least once a week. Large bodies of water do something to me. They feed the left side of my brain, the side that controls creativity, empathy and perception. The ocean speaks to my soul, my higher self, my 'Inner Mary'. Big bodies of water remind me that I am a small being in a huge world and an even bigger universe. The water simultaneously grounds me while inspiring me to chase after my dreams.

I do my best brainstorming around large bodies of water. Some of the most important decisions I've made have been at a lookout point where I can see the ocean. I decided to break up with 2 boyfriends at Twin Peaks, to give my current boyfriend my heart at Lands End Trail, and I decided to start this blog at Hawks Hill. All of these places have beautiful panoramic views of the Bay.

I will admit my favorite place to brainstorm is Hawks Hill. Taking the 2nd exit off the Golden Gate Bridge, loop around until you see a huge intimidating hill. Then climb climb climb. It's hard to keep your eyes on the road and not marvel at the beauty of San Francisco. I am a morning person, usually up a few minutes after the sun. I pack a goodie bag full of fruit, nuts and water along with 5-6 different colored pens and 2-3 different notebooks. I need variety and I might want to use a pink pen while writing in my Wonder Woman Journal or a green pen and a composition notebook.

Looking out at the San Francisco skyline, waves crashing on the beach creating thick white foam that reminds me of frothy milk makes me feel more at home than my actual home. With the backdrop of the famous Golden Gate Bridge (that's really not golden at all), I feel like I'm safe and I am myself. Now I can let my guard down and work with no distractions from the world.

As mentioned before I need options and Hawks Hill is only one place I like to go. I also visit Tiburon. Sadly this sleepy town was currently made nationally popular for being Robin Williams final resting place. If you're a local you know Tiburon for it's huge houses, unobstructed views, and boat lined docks. In addition to a direct view of San Francisco you also get an up close and personal view of Sausalito which is a truly unique town full of treehouse like mansions situated on the side of a mountain.

Last, but certainly not least, I love McNear's Beach in San Rafael. The hustle and bustle of the city and people can overwhelm me. When I want to be alone, at peace, with 0 distractions I take a 20 minute drive to San Rafael and go directly to McNear's Beach. This place is a safe haven. I'm always confused why/how it is always empty when I look at its beautiful views of the Richmond bridge, a newly built dock and very nicely kept bathrooms. I would think the place would be jammed packed, but it never is. I've never seen more than 10 people at this beach at a time, how special is that! You can listen to the waves crashing on the rock lined shore and send all your worries out to sea. I usually park as close to the water as possible and spend half of my time in my car and the other half exploring the park, sitting on old school wooden benches and contemplating life.

Being immersed in such beauty inspires me. There is something about water that gets those creative juices flowing and makes me want to work hard for my goals. I make these treks a few times a month to outline my next few weeks of blog topics, my next crafting project, my next marketing move, my next big life decision, or my next big adventure.

The best part about all of these places is that my iPhone doesn't work. I'm not distracted by Instagram, twitter or any social media nonsense. Sometimes I need to unplug and mentally jump into the water!

I was asked to participate in WeWork "Tracking your Brainstorm" campaign. It felt like it was a great fit, so I jumped at the chance to share my personal experiences with new communities. WeWork is a coworking space like nothing I've ever seen before. Modernly decorated workspaces, printing services, lounges, screening rooms and high speed internet are accessible with a membership. It seems too good to be true, but it's not! I was surprised to learn that there are 2 locations in San Francisco. I set up a free tour at their Soma location for Friday. Can't wait to check it out. I'll let you guys know how it goes!

Peace & Love,

Mary

I was approached by a Community Manager at Webucator, an online learning company, asking me to write a blog posting for their "Most Marketable Skill" Campaign in honor of the class of 2014.

I jumped at the chance to write for such an inspirational publication and started brainstorming ideas. After writing down a few thoughts it dawned on me, my most marketable skill is definitely my confidence.

The job market is a scary place to navigate, especially for new graduates. I've been hired, promoted and fired. All of my experiences taught me that the way to survive and thrive in the world is to have complete confidence in your abilities and your decisions.

I describe myself first as nice and bubbly, yet always firm, fair and an aggressive leader. I am that person who's always smiling, bopping around the office, telling jokes, trying to get the happiness out of everyone. Then there's manager Mary, she is assertive, matter of fact, and only deals in black and white.

I once fired an employee because she was late to work, she had a history of being late and the straw that broke the camel's back came on September 11th. I had no idea we were under enemy attack, so her excuse of 'I though the world was ending' didn't go over well with me. I sent her home and started her termination papers right away. A few weeks later my boss's boss called me and told me I was doing an outstanding job, they all agreed that employee was not a good fit for the company. I had to be confident in my decision to fire that particular employee and it paid off. I was offered a promotion at the end of that phone call.

I have to assert myself immediately because I am a woman and my sweet, soft appearance can be used against me if I am unable to create appropriate boundaries. The people I'm chatting up and making laugh are the same people that have to report to me if there is a problem, so it can be tricky balancing the line between having a fun/functional working environment.

The best advice I can give is to have true confidence. Confidence in your decisions, confidence in your interpretations of the rules and regulations, confidence in your leadership skills, and most of all confidence within yourself. Without confidence in yourself you can never be true to yourself or a true leader to others.

Every job I've held I've excelled in! Well every job except working at a sunglass kiosk in the mall, that job sucked. Every time I was hired I had to be confident that I could do the job, master it, and excel at it. I've never staid in an entry level position for more than 6 months, at my last job I actually created a position for myself.

I received 3-4 promotions within 2 years of being hired. I made a slow and steady climb up the corporate ladder and even met with the "Big Bosses" asking me what my goals were, telling me that I could one day help run the company. I accomplished all that with confidence, because I was truly proud of myself, my skills, and my ability. By the way, I also started in a position "created" for me prior to being promoted to a position created by me.

I've given you the keys to the kingdom now how do you open the door? How do you become confident? How do you believe in yourself even when you feel young, dumb, inexperienced, and intimidated?

Ready for this one??

FAKE IT!!!

I've been an avid fake it until you make it girl since I was first introduced to the real world.

When applying for a job look at the required skills section and tell yourself you can handle the riggers of the job and add new value to the company.

Apply for the job and show your personality. Interview with confidence. Assure everyone that you are the only one for this job. Impress your potential on them with your knowledge of the company and the business landscape. Finally, please remember that true confidence is a product of true preparation. The more you prepare the more confident you will be.

Once you get the job DO IT! Work Hard! Make yourself indispensable. Have confidence in your skills and don't be afraid to ask for help or admit you don't know something.

Confidence isn't acting like you know everything, it's admitting that you don't.

Anything and everything you do, do it with confidence and you will not lose.

Work hard, be fair, never gossip, never be intimated about taking on more responsibility, and always be confident in knowing you can do it.

Now go forth and take over the workforce!

Peace & Love,

Mary

Oh man, have I been busy!

Hi friends,

I'm finally back in my rhythm. I forgot how hectic my days can be, but I love every second of it. I've been working like a mad woman on the blog remodel and so far so good. I'm about halfway done. I still need to tackle my pages, add links to my other social media accounts and create a recipe card feature. It will all come together soon. My goal is to have it done by next week, I'm crossing my fingers, toes, and eyes, I hate missing deadlines. Wish me luck.

When I got home from that whirlwind of a trip I couldn't wait to get back into the gym. I managed to lose weight on vacation. Whoooo Hoooo!!! Who does that? Somehow I did. With my successful decline on the scale I've been slacking on my clean eating. Nothing crazy, no fried foods or fast foods, I have been late night snacking, something I've been battling since I was a child, and I've been eating bread. I'm not a 'no carb chick', but I try to avoid bread as much as possible, it tends to bloat me, especially my stomach, and if you know me you know I'm obsessed with obtaining and maintaining a flat midsection.

This cheat week was by design. I was strict with my pre-vacation diet to make sure I looked great in a bikini. Now that I'm back and the weather is changing I don't have to worry about showing off so much skin, but that doesn't give me a license to go crazy.

I'm already back on my grind, eating my oatmeal for breakfast, salads for lunch, and snacking on smoked oysters and smoked salmon when I need a protein boost. I know it sounds gross but it's hard to feed these muscles on a pescatarian diet.

Now I'm craving noodles. Why didn't I crave them last week when I was going buck wild, oh well. A girls got to do what a girls got to do. I came up with this recipe to satisfy my craving and stay on my diet. It turned out delicious, my boyfriend devoured all of it, no leftovers tonight!

Enjoy!

Mary's Glass Noodle Salad

For Marinade
4 green onions, finely chopped
2 garlic, cloves minced or pressed
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/2 tsp anchovy paste
1/2 tsp dried red chile flakes
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

For Salad
1 pound chicken breast tenders or chicken thighs
1 package clear noodles, I used mung bean noodles, try to avoid rice noodles
1 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, shaved with vegetable peeler
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 small head of broccoli
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves
Hand full chopped peanuts - optional

Combine all ingredients for marinade, set aside half to season noodles. Use 1/2 to marinade chicken

Bring medium pot of water to a boil
Once water is boiling carefully drop head of broccoli into water
Allowed to cook for 2-5 minutes, until broccoli turns bright green, it should be very crisp
Remove from water and rinse with cold water
Allow to rest for 5 minutes
Chop small heads off stalk and set aside

Follow direction on noodle package

Remember to soak noodles in hot water for 5-10 minutes before boiling
Cook noodles in salted boiling water until tender, about 5-10 minutes

Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking
Transfer to large bowl or platter

Cook chicken in large skillet over medium high heat, 1-2 minutes on each side
I used the foreman grill instead of pan frying

Add remaining marinade to noodles, toss well

Add carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, basil and peanuts

Top with chicken

Serve immediately

That's all folks,

Peace & Love

Mary

Fitness Challenge

I challenge you to complete my new ab workout 5-6 days this week

Challenge Synopsis

Forget crunches and sit-ups, lets add some fun to your ab workout

Why Why Why

Core muscles include lower back, hip flexors, hip rotators, glutes, as well as your lower, middle, and side obliques, these exercises target all of these areas
Abdominals attach to your spine and pelvis which helps balance and posture
80% of Americans will complain of back pain within their lifetime, the best ways to prevent back pains is to strengthen your abdominal
Everyone wants a flat and tight midsection, these exercises will push you closer to your goals

Materials

Willpower
Water
A little extra time
A light kettle bell or dumbbell
Disciple
Strong body
Strong mind

Directions

Complete 5 sets, 12 reps of each exercise

Crab Walk

Targets: Triceps & Core

Position your body on all 4s, belly towards the sky
Brace your entire body as you simultaneously lift and touch your left foot to your right arm
Return back to starting position
Simultaneously lift and touch your right foot to your left arm
That's one rep

Turkish Get Up Prep

Targets: Entire Core, Shoulders

Laying on ground extend left arm straight up in the air, left leg bent, foot firmly on the ground, right left lifted 1-2 inches off the ground, right hand planted firmly on ground
Use your core strength to lift your chest off the ground until you are sitting up, make sure to keep arm raised above head
Make sure to keep right left lifted during entire exercise
That's one rep

Russian Twists

Targets: Entire core

Sit up with back straight, lean back as much as you can while still keeping your back straight
Raise feet 1-2 inches off ground and slightly bend your knees
Twist your body side to side reaching for the ground on each twist

Opposite Toe Touches

Targets: Entire core

Laying flat on ground, belly towards the sky
Lift right arm and left leg simultaneously connecting in the middle of body
Release to starting position
That's one rep

My Take

I'm obsessed with maintaining a flat stomach all year. These exercises set my core on fire and produce fast results. What more do I need.

Nutrition Challenge

Eat less Sugar

Challenge Synopsis

I challenge you to eat less sugar everyday this week
Cut down your sugar intake over the next 7 days

Why Why Why

Sugar is addictive, eating sugar activates the feel good chemical in your brain, making it close to impossible to resist cravings
Sugar pumps you full of energy, them sends you into a horrible crash leaving you fatigue
Eating excessive amounts of sugar can lead to heart disease, liver damage, stroke and risk to certain types of cancer

Materials

Sugar substitutes

Honey

Stevia

Agave nectar

Directions

Read labels and avoid foods that are high in sugar

high - over 22.5g of total sugars per 100g
low - 5g of total sugar or less per 100g

Make fruit your dessert, opt out of sugar filled treats
Replace added sugar in coffee, ice tea and lemonade by adding honey, stevia, or agave nectar instead
Reduce the amount of sugar you use in recipes
Avoid candy for the next 7 days
Make your own salad dressings, common flavors and brands are high in sugar
Cut out soft drinks and juices that are high in sugar

My Take

Staying away from sugar is hard for most people. I enjoy reading labels, so I can usually keep my sugar count low. Can't wait to dive into this challenge. I wonder if I will go through any withdraws.

Self Improvement Challenge

Take the laugh path

Challenge Synopsis
I challenge you to laugh as much as possible this week, even if it's not funny, look for the humor in everything

Why Why Why

Laughter is the best medicine
Laughter boosts the immune system
Laughter attracts others to you
Laughter can enhance teamwork
Laughter can improve the cardiovascular system
A good laugh can relive stress and physical tension, which relaxes your entire body
Laughing releases endorphins, endorphins make your feel good

Materials

A good sense of humor
Positive attitude
A few good jokes

Directions

Instead of flipping off the person who cut you off during your morning commute, or yelling at your sweetheart when they forget to put out the trash...
Laugh instead
Use laughter as a stress reliver this week
When your blood is about to boiling over try to laugh off that anger

My Take

Last weekend my boyfriend and I were staying in a hotel, he did something that pissed me off and he knew it. He looked me straight in the face and said "Take the Laugh Path!!" I couldn't help but to laugh and magically I wasn't mad anymore. We decided right then and there 'take the laugh path' would be this weeks self improvement challenge. Remember when all else fails...just laugh.

That's all today folks
Peace & Love,
Mary

References:
www.med.unc.edu
www.fitsuga.com
www.nhs.uk
www.helpguide.org
www.healthyliving.com
www.boxingscene.com

Happy Friday!

I've received an overwhelming response to beet week! Thanks for sending all the love, I had no idea so many people enjoyed beets as much as I do.

2 years ago my boyfriend took on a trip around the world, 6 countries in 3 months. We had a blast, eating, shopping, site seeing, eating, exploring, eating, did I mention eating? I gained 30 pounds on that trip, what did I expect? We ate good every night. I tried to stay on track by eating salads for lunch and that's how I discovered this next concoction.

I was a goat cheese virgin until I visited France, it's been a happy love affair ever since. The cheese pairs perfectly with beets earthy flavor. I usually stay away from frying, but not this time. Sometime you have to break your own rules.

This salad is light, refreshing, and feels like a cheat meal, but it's not. Try to limit yourself to only 2 slices of goat cheese, that will keep the calorie count down.

Fried Goat Cheese

Beet Salad

found at www.sprinkewithflour.com

2 beets

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp mustard powder

15oz log fresh goat cheese

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 tsp Italian blend seasoning

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup all purpose flour

olive oil

8 cups mixed greens

balsamic vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup toasted walnuts

Cut off top of beets, slice into equal pieces

Add to small pot and cover with water

Boil for 30 minutes or until soft

When beets are tender remove from heat run cold water over beets

Once cooled, use hands to rub skin off of beets

Chop beets into bite size pieces or slice thin

In medium sized bowl whisk together apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, olive oil, dry mustard

Add cut beets, toss in mixture and let sit at room temp for at least 30 minutes

Freeze goat cheese for 30 minutes until it's stiff but not frozen

While cheese in in freezer combine panko breadcrumbs, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper

Set mixture aside

Remove cheese from freezer and slice into 1/2 inch rounds using dental floss or a knife

Take goat cheese rounds dip in flour, coat with egg, coat with breadcrumb mixture, lay on cutting board

Coat all slices

If cheese is really soft put it back into the freezer for 5 minutes

Take large high-sided skillet, cover with olive oil, heat skillet over med-high heat

Once oil is hot fry goat cheese rounds until crispy on both sides

Gently remove fried goat cheese from skillet onto a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess oil

Serve fried goat cheese warm

Lay out 2 salad bowls or saucers,arrange beets in a circular pattern, top with 1/2 cup mix greens

Drizzle with a little balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper

Top each salad with 2-3 goat cheese rounds

Devour

Fall is coming, there is no stopping it, the kids are back in school, and soon we will be wrapped in scarfs, hats and layers of flannel. It's time for heartier recipes, food that warms you from the inside out.

I've had Borscht a few times, the fact that it is a Russian dish appeals to my adventurous nature. The recipe is simple and delectable.

Low Fat Borscht

found at www.eatingwell.com

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped,
2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 medium Russel potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1-1/2 cup steamed cubed beets, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 tbsp prepared horseradish
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Heat oil in large sauce pan over med heat

Add onion and cook stirring until they begin to brown, about 4 minutes

Add broth, potatoes, salt, pepper, bring to a boil

Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until potato is very soft 8 minutes

Add beets and vinegar, return to a boil

Cover and continue cooking until broth is deep red and potato is very soft, 2-3 minutes

Combine sour cream and horseradish in small bowl

Serve soup with a dollop of mixture and sprinkle with parsley

That's all today folks
Peace & Love,
Mary

Hi!

I've been working like a mad man on my new website and so far so good. I love the clean white background, the simple design, and the fact that my pictures shine. I'm still working on all of the new features. Stay tuned!

Getting back to the task at hand:

It's Beet Week