Wow! I can’t believe it’s a new year already! It’s seems like just a few days ago that I was ringing in 2008! And what a year 2008 was! I traveled to Singapore and Bali twice, and also visited Thailand, D.C., and just came home from a fabulous trip to Hawaii! I also quit a toxic job, which has been a huge stress reliever. But 2008 wasn’t all good news. I have struggled with health issues all year, including thyroid problems and a mysterious 20-pound weight gain. I’m hoping to address those issues once and for all, and this is the perfect time to resolve to change. I don’t generally like resolutions that are about deprivation; these almost always lead to failure. I prefer positive resolutions; focus on the “I will” instead of the “I won’t.” So, while I am seriously trying to cut back on sugar, my official 2009 resolution is this:

I resolve to have better health, wellness, and fitness at 30 than I did throughout my 20s.

I turned 29 in November, which means I have just under a year to reach this goal. Here are just a few of the ways I’m hoping to accomplish this:

• drastically reduce my sugar intake
• up my intake of raw foods, particularly leafy greens/green juices/green shakes
• be more vegan–I eat too much cheese!
• move my treadmill inside so I can use it frequently
• do yoga at least 3 times a week
• spend time in the sun (when the weather improves)–not enough to burn, just to soak in a little sunshine goodness and vitamin D
• explore and possibly implement the dietary recommendations in Gabriel Cousens’s Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine
• add more supplements/superfoods to my diet–I’m interested in MSM, zeolites, E3 Live, spirulina, bee pollen and many more!
• purchase a rebounder and start bouncing
• do some detoxing/cleansing, both physically and mentally (fasts, cleanses, colonics, etc.)
• daily dry skin brushing
• regular massages
• spend some time meditating

I’m sure there are more things I will add as I start this journey, and there may be some that I remove, depending on how they work out for me. We’ll see–I’ll keep you posted on my progress!

The Pierces–Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge. I first encountered The Pierces when they performed on a season 1 episode of Gossip Girl, and then later in web ads for the TV show Dexter. Comprised of sisters Catherine and Allison, The Pierces are a New York-based IndyPop duo, and this CD is solid. It has a sense of cohesion, without all of the songs sounding the same. They do feisty (the track Boring) and pretty (The Power of…) equally well. And I love the haunting use of calliope on the song Secret.

Regina Spektor–Begin to Hope. I had never heard of Regina Spektor until her song Fidelity started popping up everywhere. I heard it on TV, I heard it in Singapore…and it’s great. It’s so bubbly and happy that I had to check out the rest of the CD. I’ve only had it about a week, but so far I really like it. I also like that her website highlights the cool part of her name: ReSpekt.

SohoDolls–Ribbed Music for the Numb Generation. I got hooked on the song Stripper (which, interestingly enough, was also featured on Gossip Girl, in Season 1’s Victor/Victrola, which was the best episode of the season). I love the dirty, electronic Brit sound, which kinda reminds me of Elastica. I’m still getting into it, and hoping the rest of the CD has the same gritty vibe.

Britney Spears–Circus. Although not as good as last year’s Blackout, Circus has a couple of good songs. Womanizer, Circus, and Kill the Lights are all good dance tracks and have made their way to my exercise playlist. Ironically, despite her supposedly improved mental health, this album seems less cohesive and more schizophrenic than Blackout.

Wah!–Love Holding Love. I’ve been feeling really disconnected from the Spiritual lately, and I needed a fun, upbeat, New Age-y CD. I like the pop twist on traditional mantras. This one is good for yoga, taking a bath, journaling, or just hanging out.

Are you familiar with MBT sneakers? They’re those funny-looking (and expensive, they run about $250) shoes that are designed to keep you fit as you walk. MBT stands for Masai Barefoot Technology, and the premise behind the shoe is that it improves your posture and gait and reduces joint stress, while simultaneously activating the butt and thigh muscles. I think the name stems from research done on the Masai tribe of Africa; they’re a semi-nomadic tribe, so I guess they know a thing or two about walking, and evidently the shoe mimics their barefoot gait. Anyway, MBT shoes made a splash on the fitness industry, with celebs like Debra Messing endorsing their effectiveness. 

Naturally, the success of the MBT has spawned an entire new shoe category. Victoria’s Secret sells the Walkstar sandal, which is much more affordable ($49.95), and in my opinion, a lot cuter. It makes the same basic claims as the MBT shoe: reduced joint pain, greater muscle activation and tone, and improved posture.

And finally, there is the Shape-Up Shoe, which I keep seeing on those weird advertising pages in the back of magazines. Again, we have the same fitness premise, this time in a truly ugly sandal. These are the least expensive ($39.99), but they might also be the cheapest, if you know what I mean. In addition to the flip-flop, they also come in Croc style and a very weird boot. To be fair, I’ve never seen them in person, so they might be great. They just seem funny to me.

I’ve never tried any of these fitness shoes, but I’d like to. I’d definitely go the VS route; I like the look and the price is right!

Smoothies are a fantastic meal choice. They’re great for breakfast or lunch-on-the-go, and you can sneak tons of superfoods into them: blueberries, goji berries, bee pollen, flax seeds, hemp hearts, protein powder…the list goes on. I love my high speed Vita-Mix blender, because it can pulverize everything into one nice, consistent smoothie. There is one caveat, though. It makes a TON of smoothie (more than fits in a glass) and the pitcher part is so tall it barely fits in my fridge. I don’t have very many to-go cups in my house, so this can make a smoothie-on-the-run challenging. The solution? Personal blenders.

There are a few options here. One is the Blender Bottle, which comes with a ball shaped whisk. Just put your ingredients in, whisk it up, and you’re ready to go. You can drink straight from the cup, which is handy–no messy pitcher to contend with. It comes in two sizes, both under $9.00, which makes it the most affordable option.

Next up is the Hamilton Beach Single-Serve Blender. It works like a traditional blender, and also combines the cup and pitcher, so you can drink straight from it. It’s designed to fit most car cup-holders, and comes in three snazzy colors. It’s also a very affordable $19.99.

The last choice is the Ani Phyo-recommended Tribest Personal Blender. Popular with the raw food community, this blender is a bit more expensive, but also comes with other goodies like spatulas and cutting boards. This one is worth checking out if you’re a raw foodist: it’s a 3-time Alive Award of Excellence winner.

and I dig the video too. It reminds me of my bathroom, and makes me wish I had a black and white house.

BTW, It’s Regina Spektor’s “Fidelity”