Healthy Spirits: BEER OF THE MONTH CLUB AUGUST 2010...

is now ready for pick-up!

cheers,

dave hauslein
beer manager
415-255-0610

Healthy Spirits: New Arrivals

1. St. Feuillen/Green Flash Collaboration (Biere De L'Amitie)

2. Avery Maharaja

3. Avery 17th Anniversary (Dry-Hopped Black Lager)

cheers,

dave hauslein

beer manager

415-255-0610

All Over Yoga

Yoga on my car… on a table… in a restaurant. No, I haven't always fallen into yoga poses in random places and photographed it.

"You post too many photos of your butt in the air," my mom scolds me.

Not everyone understands my passion behind All Over Yoga. Last month I unwound from a long day with some simple yoga on my living room floor. I didn't do anything fancy and I wasn't in a special yoga studio, but with each down dog my muscles relaxed and my mind centered. My whole night got better.

I posted about my experience and challenged myself and healthy ashley readers to do 10 minutes of yoga every day for 30 days. A simple enough challenge, many joined in.

I was excited to have so many friends including little bits of yoga in their life, but the emails and comments that followed showed me this challenge did something much greater.

Girls with eating disorders used yoga to battle their behaviors. Athletes intimidated by the practice decided to take a second look. Fellow bloggers decided child's pose and shavasana were perfect for unwinding after a long day.

People started doing yoga and seeing the benefits.

Forcing myself to include yoga into each day changed yoga's role in my life. No longer was it something I practiced once a week to supplement my other activities. Instead I started playing with new poses and testing my strength. I learned side crow, improved upward bow and (with lots and lots and lots or practice) finally got into my beloved headstand.

So I did a vinyasa on the sidewalk of a sleeping city; I fell into side crow on the floor at a party; I played with a few moves in the middle of a bar. I was on a yoga high and couldn't wait to show everyone how fun yoga could be.

Yoga flushes the stresses of the world out of my system. It allows me to feel each part of my body- from the tightness of my shoulders in warrior I to the sensation of spreading my toes in supported shoulder stand. I'm not super flexible or strong and that's okay. Yoga asks nothing of me except for me to breathe. That's it.

Yoga changed my life.

Hearing how yoga changed your lives as well inspired me. I don't want yoga to be some secret club reserved for expensive studios and self-proclaimed yogis. It's too powerful to be kept hidden.

I say yoga to the people! Yoga can be upward bow on top of a car. Yoga can be child's pose in your living room. Yoga can be five minutes of deep breathing. Whichever practice you choose this day, yoga will better your life. And, yes, yoga is for everyone.

To celebrate the fabulousness of yoga I am working on AllOverYoga.com, where the mission is to make yoga fun and accessible to everyone! The site will include giveaways, tips, stories and more. Of course I'll also be asking each of you to send your All Over Yoga photos showing off the crazy places you practice!

Keep your down dogs steady now- AllOverYoga.com will launch Monday, August 16th!

What do you love about yoga? Or what has kept you from giving it a try?

Healthy Spirits: New Stuff

1. Stillwater-Stateside Saison (extremely limited!)
2. Stone-14th Anniversary DIPA
3. Stone-Cali Belgique
4. Geants Goliath Tripel
5. Drie Fontinen-Gueuze 11.2oz (bottled 2008)
6. Mikkeller-Stateside IPA
7. Mikkeller-Warrior IPA
8. Mikkeller-IBeatU is back!
9. Cascade Kriek
10. Cascade Apricot
11. Alesmith Horny Devil


cheers,

dave hauslein
beer manager
415-255-0610

Healthy Spirits: Dogfish Head Sah'Tea

Now available in limited quantities!

Also, we just got in some pretty nice glasses from Straffe Hendrik.

cheers,

dave hauslein
beer manager
415-255-0610

Vibram Vibram

 

Yesterday began the way all the best days do… hot power yoga surrounded by friends. The 90-minute session felt wonderful after I took several days in a row off from classes over the weekend.

Post-yoga I met Ryan for lunch at our favorite go-to, Infusion Tea.

Apparently I’m a creature of habit because I ordered the my favorite- 1/2 tempeh chili, 1/2 Milton Special salad and a Passion Fruit iced tea of the day. I love the fresh flavors and textures of the salad balanced out by the hearty, warm chili. It must be good for me to order it several times each month over the last year!

Over lunch Ryan told me about how she was considering the Vibram Five Fingers. I’ve been considering Vibram’s for a while but hadn’t made the jump yet. As usual Ryan had done her research and educated me about the power of the shoes. Nest thing I know I’m in Ryan’s car headed to Travel Country to try on a pair for myself!

There were three main outdoor options for women: Classic, Sprint and KSO. The girl helping us was great and explained the benefits of each one in detail. In the end I decided to try on the Sprint; it offers a secure fit while still being pretty open on the top of the foot.

Ryan and I had our feet sized and tried on a few pairs. It was definitely different sliding each toes into it’s own compartment, but I quickly fell in love once I took my first step. It is like walking barefoot- but better.

  Surprisingly the Vibrams didn’t look as goofy as I imagined! (Or maybe I’m just used to seeing everyone else in them!?) Ryan and I both ended up going with the Sprint model, though we got different colors to match our own personalities :) There’s a lot of technology behind these shoes, but I think this from the website explains a lot:

“When you go barefoot, your movements become the movements of a child—playful and sensitive, yet purposeful and confident. You experience the unbound joy of stepping, hopping, and running across any surface on earth, simply to get from here to there.

Vibram FiveFingers® allow you to relive that sensation. Unlike conventional shoes that insulate you from your surroundings, FiveFingers footwear deepens your connection to the earth and your surroundings. FiveFingers enhance your sense of touch and feel, while improving foot strength, balance, agility, and range of motion. Because wearing Vibram FiveFingers is so close to going barefoot, you’ll enjoy the health and performance benefits of barefooting without some of the risks.

Outdoor enthusiasts have found FiveFingers to be the ideal crossover shoe for multiple sports and activities—from ChiRunning and bouldering to kayaking and windsurfing. Fitness enthusiasts use FiveFingers for core strength training, yoga and Pilates. Our customers continually discover new and creative uses for our alternative performance footwear.”

From the moment we left the store Ryan and I wanted to walk over everything. The sensation of a round rock or the cracks in the brick or the softness of grass felt so good! I definitely felt like a little kid being so aware of my surroundings.

You are instructed to ease into the Vibrams, and certainly to not start running in them right away. But my name is Ashley and I have trouble listening to directions. I ran three miles in my new Vibrams right after I got home.

I kept stubbing my big toes into the pavement which hurt terribly and actually left holes in the top of the shoes. I never hit my toes in sneakers, so I’m sure it was just that my stride wasn’t adjusted to such different support.

Other than the toe issue I loved how the Vibrams moved with me on my run. At first I felt like I had walked outside in just my socks, but it felt more normal quickly. I felt lighter and more in touch with my surroundings. My pace was 45 seconds faster without any additional effort.

I’m addicted. My feet felt alive and strong. My whole body felt more in touch from my feet up. I have a lot of adjusting to do with the Vibrams, so I’ll be sure to keep you updated.

Do you own a pair of Vibram Five Fingers? What are your thoughts on barefoot running?

____________________________________

Olympic Granola Giveaway Winners:

Active Eggplant

Congratultaions! Please email your mailing address to healthyashley@gmail.com.

Be sure to check out Where to Buy to find where Olympic Granola bars are near you!

Just Didn’t Tri

Saturday was a lazy day in preparation for today’s triathlon. I spent the morning with a bag of kettle corn browsing the Winter Park farmer’s market and people watching on a bench on Park Ave.

In the afternoon I attended a three hour heart opening workshop at Guruv Yoga. It was a mixture of practice, learning, trying and laughing. I was able to get into many poses that I never thought possible (thanks to their direction and encouragement). What I took from that workshop will definitely encourage me in all future practices.

After yoga my mom, brother Harrison and sister Kendall came to visit me! All my family lives over two hours away and this was the first time they came to se where I love. It was great! First stop was Dechoes where my mom and I sorted through some crazy things to find a few gems.

I have two favorite vegan restaurants in Orlando: Infusion Tea and Ethos Vegan Kitchen. They had already tried Infusion Tea, so yesterday it was time for Ethos- the greasiest, yummiest vegan food around!

This was my family’s first time at an all-vegan restaurant like this, so it was really fun ordering our food. I made sure Mom got my favorite, the “What’s the Dilly, Philly?” and the kids ordered pizza with sausage, pepperoni and tomatoes as their toppings. We also got a salad to share around the table.

Everything was incredible! The family couldn’t believe there were no animal products in any of the dishes. The pizza was creamy, crust was perfect and sausage so flavorful. I had most of my sandwich… plus some salad and pizza :)

I love eating at regular restaurants as a vegan, but sometimes it is fun to show others all the possibilities within a vegan diet. I’m glad they loved everything so much :)

Of course I had to fit in some restaurant yoga! My mom said I need to stop posting photos of my butt in the air so I did a simple standing pose. ;)

And crow! Can’t resist.

Dinner got even more interesting when Kendall lost a tooth! I hope the tooth fairy was good to you, Kendall!

It was an awesome evening with my family :) After dinner I grabbed some Jeremiah’s with a new friend. Jeremiah himself was actually there serving the guests. It felt like I was meeting a celebrity! He tried to open me up to new flavors but I stuck with my favorite: a small mango/coconut.

Just Didn’t Tri

This morning I was registered to compete in the Moss Park Olympic Triathlon. I always dream about oversleeping and missing a race, and this morning (even with two alarms) the nightmare came true. I woke up at 6:30 a.m. when the race started at 7:00 a.m. and is 45 minutes away.

I’ve been preparing for this and visualizing myself competing (and doing very well) for about two months now. I studied the course and who else was competing. I ate a ton for extra energy. All my bags and bike were packed. Heck- I even paid $90 for it!

I can’t explain how disappointed I felt when waking up and realizing what had happened. I cursed (and I never curse). Then I moped and went through every emotion out there. Then I realized that even in the toughest moments happiness is a choice. Moping will do nothing for the tri situation except make it worse.

I am going to use this experience as the one time I oversleep and miss a race. Honestly, I’m glad it was a shorter-distance tri and not an Ironman or marathon!

Today I plan on completing all three legs on my own. The day goes on!

Have you ever overslept and missed a race? Do you have any trouble sleeping before a race?

The Cactus

I have this huge cactus outside my house. It seems quite out of place, big and plain and towering over such a little house. But I love it for it has a little secret: every night it opens these beautiful flowers… only to close back up shortly after the sun rises.

The big cactus might be an eyesore during the day, but I think it’s worth it for this beautiful treat.

Yesterday I was off work and took full advantage of that with my exercise! I went to two hot power yoga classes, went on a 11-mi. bike ride (got rained out) and ran four miles. I worked out for more than four hours, but even at the end I felt refreshed and strong. I love that!

Still, my body was a bit tired on my long run this morning. I managed to pound out 12 miles. Right now I’m working on building a base for the 50-mi. ultra marathon in November. I also have an Olympic distance triathlon this Sunday: Moss Park!

After my run this morning I met Ryan for lunch at Infusion Tea. I blog about Infusion Tea all the time since it’s one of my favorite restaurants, but now it’s even more awesome since it is one mile from my house and about a block down the street from Ryan’s! We both started off with the Blueberry White iced tea with local honey.

I ordered my old staple (and favorite!): 1/2 tempeh chili with 1/2 Miltion Special salad. There are so many flavors in the salad from sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, hummus tabouleh, cucumbers, beets, tomatoes and a balsamic glaze; it's sure to please! Yum!!

Their chili is vegan and has cashews in it. It’s the best!

Obviously I enjoyed it.. :)

It’s Friday and my morning went too well to not pick up a giant Whole Foods’ vegan chocolate chip cookie! I ate every bite and it was delicious!

Do you exercise more on your days off or do you normally use those as rest days?

Olympic Granola Giveaway

Sunday morning I came across a guy with a truck, tent and tons of produce just down the street from my house. I was heading to the farmer’s market but couldn’t help but stop by to check out the goods.

The farmer was out selling his own produce and was so passionate about his crops. He was overjoyed when I asked to take photos of his beautiful table.

The best part by far was when he’d grab a fruit, cut out a chunk and pass the chunk to me on his knife to sample. The watermelon, cantaloupe and peach I tasted won me over.

I got a good selection from the produce stand and stopped at a grocery store for bananas and hummus. I can’t wait to visit my new favorite stand again. Everything I’ve eaten from that day is incredible!

And check out the size of the cucumber!!

___________

I’m so excited to tell you guys about Olympic Granola. I first tried Olympic Granola at the Grandma’s Marathon expo in Duluth, MN. The bars were so incredible that I bought some to enjoy on my trip- and talked to them about doing something with the blog. I wanted you all to know about this amazing company!

These dense granola bars are full of good-for-you ingredients and will fill you up. They’re dairy-free but contain honey- which is fine for honey-eating vegans like myself. Check out the ingredient lists. I enjoy the texture of the bars because there’s so much going on- they use rolled oats, nuts and nutty rice to give a really interesting texture. Plus, there’s tons of flavor. Just take the Coffee House Bar with chunks of chocolate :)

Olympic Granola is a family company that started out in 2003 selling bars at farmer’s markets and co-ops. Now they’re expanding across the nation. So neat.

Bill from Olympic Granola has offered to give away one sample box of his amazing bars!

To win a sample box of Olympic Granola Bars:

1. Comment on this post telling me which flavor you’re most excited to try.

2. Tweet about this giveaway: “I entered the Olympic Granola Bar giveaway on @healthyashley http://tinyurl.com/2d8pya7”

3. Blog about it!

Giveaway closes Sunday, July 18th.