exercise

A Salty Situation

19 Comments

Hello Winter! Can’t say I missed you but I sure did enjoy that little Spring teaser we’ve experienced over the last few weeks.

Snowy days are perfect for kitchen projects!

Todays recipe features three simple ingredients

I was first inspired to make herb salts while living in Lima, Peru.

Every Saturday I would walk two miles to the weekly Bio Feria.  There are so many fruit carts and produce markets in Peru, like this shopping cart of avocados that roamed the streets

The Bio Feria is the equivalent of a farmers market here but focuses more on whole grain baked goods, organic products, and prepared food than produce since local produce is everywhere.

One of my favorite products from the market was a “salad” herb salt made from organic herbs and quality sea salt, all ground up super fine and powdery.  I don’t remember exactly what the combo of herbs was but it was delicious on everything!

It is certainly possible to buy herb salts here in the States but they aren’t cheap and they are so super easy to make (and I am such a DIYer!).

Today I made a Rosemary Salt and a Lavender Salt.

Gather your ingredients, I bought all three at Integral Yoga but they can certainly be found at Whole Foods, World Market, or probably any health food store with a bulk sections.  Or, even better, use your own garden grown herbs!

The salt is a coarse grey sea salt.  I only buy sea salt because it is less processed than iodized table salt (regular salt) and kosher salt (table salt with a different size/shape crystal) and thus contains more minerals.

Process the herb first

 

Oh how I wish the scent of crushed lavender could waft out of your speakers right now!  Amazing.

Then add the salt.  The ratio is really a matter of personal choice, I like about 1:1 but you could certainly tip it either way.

I love using coarse grey sea salt for this because it’s a very wet salt and the flavor quickly permeates throughout.  The final texture is also a matter of personal preference, you could go very coarse or very fine or somewhere in the middle, like I did today.

Repeat process to make Rosemary Salt.

Add salt

Choose your texture!

This salt dish lives on our table and the rosemary always empties first!   I have heard that lavender salt is a natural with pork but I don’t eat pork so if you are so inclined to give it a try let me know what you think!  I love it on steamed butternut squash and coconut truffles and Kath swears by it on salad.

I have every intention of creating my own blends but these two are so good as is!

There is no way I am going to meet my February walking goal. 🙁

I am at 58 miles with 7 days left.  Yeah, it’s not going to happen.  No biggie, I think I will drop it down to 85 miles.

On the other hand, my running goal will be met and exceeded!  I am at 23 miles and plan on another at least another 10 over the next 7 days.

No running today though, I already had a hell of a workout with Core Four this morning!  I will be pleasantly sore tomorrow.

Time to give my foam roller some love!

Certifiable

6 Comments

Whew, talking about exercise can be exhausting!

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 9-6 were spent sitting on a gym studio floor listening to AFAA certification specialist talk about teaching group exercise.  There was some doing, teaching, and exam taking but it was a whole lot of sitting.

And it was in Richmond so each day I sat in the car for nearly 2.5 hours roundtrip.  Ugh.

It was a good weekend though.  Friday I participated in AFAA’s Primary Group Exercise certification course.  I originally trained and was certified to teach group exercise in 2006 with 24 Hour Fitness. It was a great 4 day training and I went on to teach for them and take biannual workshops to remain certified, until I left the country in 2008.

When I applied to teach at gyms here in Charlottesville they said “where’s your current AFAA certification?” so I scooted off to Richmond.   This is not to say that I don’t think it’s important to keep up with continuing education, I just found AFAA’s Primary Group X cert a little basic, even with the 400 page textbook you had to read beforehand.  And yet if I hadn’t already taught for years it would have been way too much information, too fast. I am not exactly sure who it’s geared towards, most people in the training were already instructors.

Saturday was filled with Practical Yoga and Sunday with Practical Pilates.  I have been practicing both yoga and Pilates for 12 years and have dabbled with teaching both of them.  Having said this, I am against teachers taking one day workshops to qualify them to teach either of these super-detailed forms if they don’t also have years of personal experience and study.  This is how students get hurt.  This is how students continue to have poor form for years.  This is what gives gym Pilates and yoga a bad name.  And it’s insulting to the yoga and Pilates teachers who spend a lot of time and money to get trained to teach these forms.

It is my intention to continue to seek training in both yoga and Pilates but I also feel that with 12 years of experience (really longer, I used to hang out in the corner as a kid while my mom taught.  I can still hear her yoga teacher voice….), extensive training in alignment from a lifetime of dancing (including earning a B.F.A from 4 years of daily training), and years of experience teaching dance and group exercise has prepared me to teach safe, effective, and creative classes.  And this AFAA workshop cert tells an employer just that. 🙂

The workshops were held on the gorgeous University of Richmond.  We didn’t get a lot of free time but I did manage a few lunch break runs and a morning walk/yoga session yesterday morning when I arrived a little early.

Campus is filled with arches, wooded walkways, and cathedrals

The lake was my favorite feature, especially the trail that led all the way around it.

I ran around the world!

This courtyard within the international center gives the lake a run for it’s money as my favorite spot!

Details everywhere

I am glad the weekends over (too much driving and sitting!) but I almost wish I had a few more days to wander around UR!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I woke up to Valentine’s Day oats and coffee delivered to my bedside. 🙂

Now that’s how to do Monday morning!  (Nope, that’s not my bedside, Tate took off for the clinic after delivering the goods so I got up)

We don’t have big plans today, a few patients this afternoon and preparation for our big Grand Opening this Saturday.  It’s our 10th Valentines Day together!  We were each others Valentines 11 and 12 years ago but we weren’t physically together for the day.

Celebrate the love and tell someone they hold a special place in your heart, be it romantic or otherwise.

♥      ♥     ♥

P.S If you are thinking of certifying with AFAA feel free to ask me more questions about my experience, I’d be happy to share!