Just writing that made me go…whoa. Yeah. My 30 year old body is definitely different than my 20 year old body. And for the past year and a half (maybe even 2 years) I’ve been experimenting with a lot of different things.
Environment: I think this is a big one. I generally hate the apartment I’m in right now and I’m so excited to move next week. Into a better place, a better location, a closer commute to work, and overall, just getting rid of all the bad memories of this place. I’m grateful that this place existed, but I”m also so excited to be out of it.
Working Out: I’ve decided on a routine for now that makes me excited to get up in the mornings. I go to Cult (I’m actually really obsessed with them from a very startup/nerd perspective- how they’ve developed such a strong health and wellness brand and how they are just taking over and owning this space right now!) I do two days of strength and conditioning and 2 days of APM Yoga. APM Stands for Asana, Pranayam, and Meditation, so it’s actually not a real “workout” workout, but it works out my energy which I love. I feel like I breathe better after class and I just feel like I get a good stretch two days a week. So far I”m loving this mix.
Supplements: This is a tough one for me and I’m still experimenting. I’ve started taking supplements and I’ve noticed a big difference. I have started with just one- Iron/Folic Acid supplements, but it’s making a marked difference in my energy levels. If you’re a vegetarian female, chances are you are low in iron. I was just taking vitamins and it wasn’t cutting it. So now this one I’m taking is both Folic Acid and Iron. The Folic Acid is because I was getting ulcers in my mouth and I heard it was from a lack of Folic Acid. Sure enough when I took the supplements, mouth ulcers went away in a day. Magic!
General Nutrition: I eat Yoga Protein Bars for breakfast after working out which I like. The days I just do yoga I do plain Idli and sambar which I think is good enough for now. Lunch and dinner are tougher. I’m not a huge fan of my cook and we’ve spent a lot on eating out recently. This is usually a function of how early I need to leave in the morning and if I can pack lunch in time (i.e. has the cook made and packed lunch before I need to leave). Usually this is a no. So I have to figure out something there. At work there is a canteen, which is probably better than pizza, but definitely not better than “home” food. My goal is to now try to eat out as little as possible. I think if I just have that simple task, my general health will be a lot better. I am also really trying to consume 3L of water per day. This is tough, but I can see a difference on the days that I do and the days that I don’t.
Hair/Skin: I was talking to my hair stylist and she basically said look- if you eat good food and drink lots of water, your hair and skin will be amazing. So that’s 70% of it (and it makes a lot of sense to me). I have frizzy hair so I’m hoping drinking lots of water helps. I’ve also switched to no silicone/sulphates hair care routine, and I’m experimenting with the Curly Girl Method (at least pieces of it). I am also trying to go a little bit more organic, and I found a really great all natural body butter I am really digging. I swear it makes my face softer. Additionally, I have switched to organic soap that I buy from this non profit. I don’t know if it’s psychological, but I feel like it makes my skin less dry, exfoliates, and…well…it helps people doing good things. So it’s a win on all counts and that makes me happy. I tried switching to organic body lotion but I just couldn’t hack it. I really tried the SOS Organic Product line but I haven’t been a fan so far. I love my Aveeno and I think I’m sticking with it for the rest of my body for now. I also exfoliate my face every day with St. Ives Apricot Scrub and once a week I use a bentonite clay mask. I just feel like I’m giving my skin some love. I have no idea if it actually does anything but hey- I feel good about it 🙂 .
Anyway, that’s life right now. I have realized that focusing on that extra 20% of life is what elevates us to the next level. Whatever level that is. In any case, I’m really really ready for a level up any time now.
So I Quit My Job and Moved to India 