City Views: The Empire State Building

There are several things I love about New York, and the Empire State Building is one of those. Although it's been standing there for ages, it's a pretty building and I can have a good time just staring at it––especially if I have some good drinks at hand. About a year ago, I discovered a The Strand Hotel, and its rooftop bar became my favourite place to see my favourite building.

Of course, I had to take my friend who was visiting for a few days there. We had dinner at the bistro on the first floor, and then we headed up to the bar, to enjoy a cure view of the building while staying warm and happy inside.

We had kale lasagna for dinner, which was pretty hearty, with lots of cheese and tomato sauce.

As for the drinks, we both chose a forbidden fruit cocktail––prosecco, crème de pamplemousse and grapefruit twist––which was also really, really good!

And to top everything up, we had a perfect view of the Empire State Building and a huge amount of fairy lights!

No doubt this was a more than perfect girls night––followed, of course, by the greatest pillow talk when we got back home!

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

11 Healthy Habits for a Long Life

The past few weeks have been exhausting. Between moving, trying to get used to my new life as a grad school student, and NYFW, I haven't had a second to rest. But––as it usually happens––my body is now asking me for a break, and decided to get a cold to force me to spend a whole day in bed and get some rest!

Although I hate being sick, I did appreciate a lot having some time to finally rest. I spent most of the day yesterday just lying in bed, reading, and drinking tea. I also had the time to re-evaluate what my life became, and to understand that, even though I want to take the best out of my time in New York, I don't really want to stop living in the healthy way I used to live before I came here.< So I decided that it's time for me to go back to health. That probably means I'll be starting to do yoga again on a regular basis soon –because we all know how much I love yoga– and that I'll start eating more veggies more frequently. But other than that, I need to reassume all the healthy habits I used to have in my life. These are my top 10 healthy habits for a long life:

1. Sleep at least 7 hours a day

Sleeping is amazing, not only because of the beauty of it, but because it is when all the necessary processes in your body take place. As a student, I particularly value sleeping because it's when my brain actually learns the information it received during the day. But sleeping is also good for digestion, vitamin absorption and , among thousands of other benefits.

2. Eat––or drink, I guess––at least 5 different fruits or vegetables every day

Fruits and vegetables contain lots of the daily nutrients we should intake on a daily basis, as well as fabric –which aids digestion. It has always been my rule of thumb to eat a total of 5 or more different fruits and vegetables every day––starting with a daily dose of orange juice in the morning––in order to feel healthy and happy.

3. Drink water

Water makes over 70% of our bodies, which means that it is super important for us to drink the appropriate amount of water every day. Having enough water in your body will not only make you feel energised all day long, but it will also aid your digestion and help you fight that belly fat––if it is something that worries you. However, keep in mind that drinking too much water might be harmful for your body, so don't exaggerate your intake of this elixir of life.

4. Morning yoga

I think it's pretty clear that I love yoga. I particularly love doing yoga first thing in the morning because it helps my body wake up and gain consciousness in a slow way, which will then leave me active for the rest of the day!

5. Eat whole foods

This habit was imposed on me after I got a very painful stomach illness when I was a teenager, and I had to stop eating white, processed grains. Ever since I switched to whole foods, I've started feeling much better, my belly stopped hurting, and my digestion has improved. Who wants to join me?

6. Limit your intake of dairy products

Dairy products are delicious––starting with ice cream, for example––but they have a lot of fat and are very heavy for the stomach. If you tend to suffer from allergies––as I normally do––they will probably increase your propensity. So replacing dairy milk for almond/soymilk, butter to almond butter, and trying to control the amount of cheese and yogurt you consume daily will probably make you feel better.

7. Walk

I know we don't always have time to walk to work, or spend a few minutes just walking around our neighbourhood, but it is essential for our body to move. I have the fortune of living in New York, which normally requires a lot of walking, so I do this almost unconsciously on a daily basis. But I really think it is very important for my body to move, especially after spending a long time working on my desk.

If you have enough time and energy, I would also recommend going for a short run or doing some active exercise at some point of the day, just to make sure your body feels great.

8. Read

With the invasion of technology in our lives, we spend too much time browsing the internet and texting friends, and tend to forget the importance of reading. Even if you only manage to read 5 pages of the latest book you bought every night before going to bed, this is an amazingly healthy habit you should work on.

9. Don't starve

There's nothing more harmful for our digestion than spending long periods of time without eating. So you should try to eat small snacks––by small I mean 12 almonds, an apple, or a few baby carrots, but nothing more than that––every 2-3 hours, in-between meals. This will help your body stay active and have a better digestion, but it will also make you feel more energised throughout the day.

10. Have your daily cup of Tea

I am definitely a tea addict –to a point where I have to ask myself if it is still healthy. But having a cup (or a couple) of tea every day is an excellent habit, due to the incredible benefits this legendary drink has.

11. Smile!

This sounds like a cliché –and it might be– but I feel healthier when I'm happy and when I take enough time to have fun with the people I love. Even when I know I have lots of work to do or hundreds of pages to read, I always try to take breaks from time to time to make sure I am happy and I still remember how to smile.

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Just Take It Easy...

You might have noticed my absence from the blog last week... And although I'd like to excuse myself for being such a bad blogger, the truth is I don't regret about it at all!

I was doing some Yin Yoga the other day, and the instructor was talking about the importance of taking a good rest, especially after doing exercise. His class was all about taking it slowly and relaxing the body, while exercising the deepest tissues in our joints –in fact, that's precisely what Yin Yoga is all about.

This didn't make more sense to me until last Monday. When I woke up to go to school, I noticed I had a headache and my nose was feeling weird. It turned out I had a big cold –which I didn't get in quite a while. Being a very responsible student, I decided to go to class, but I realised by noon this had been a huge mistake. I had such a headache that I couldn't focus on the letters at all when I tried to read; I was feeling cold and I was really uncomfortable to actually concentrate in class.

That's when I remembered the wise words of my Yin Yoga instructor. He mentioned more than once the importance of letting your body rest when you're ill, because that way it can use more energy to fight against viruses and any other organisms that might be trying to get hold of your health.

So I decided to go home...

And I spent most of the week trying to just relax and take life easily. The cold was gone by Thursday, but I just thought it was a good excuse to just take some time to myself... I didn't even go riding –and you must be aware by now that's a whole big deal to me!

Love,

Breakfast Recipes: The Parfait

Although I lovelunch––basically because of dessert––, the most important meal in my day is definitely breakfast. Believe it or not, when you have a good breakfast you are better prepared to embrace all the challenges in your day, you have more energies, and you'll be happier –who doesn't get grumpy when he's hungry, eh?

However, I understand it is sometimes quite difficult for us to have a good breakfast in the middle of our rush in the mornings... But that is definitely not an excuse for skipping this very important meal! And that's why I decided to share with you one of my favourite breakfast recipes for busy days at college or work: the parfait!

Apart from being healthy, it is also delicious and super easy to make!

Let's start with the ingredients

This super short list includes greek yogurt (any flavour, you choose!), strawberries and some granola.

How to prepare it

You'll need a container where to prepare your parfait. Once you've got it, you must pour your yogurt in it. Try to make the top surface of the yogurt as smooth as possible.

You must then cut the strawberries in small pieces that can fit inside your mouth, and pour them on top of the greek yogurt.

Once you're done with the strawberries, add the granola on top of them.

And now you're ready to go! I usually prepare it on a Tupperware, since I carry it and eat it on my way to school. But you can prepare it in a normal cup if you're going to eat it soon enough.

As you've seen, it is super easy to make and, better than that, it's really quick! So there are no excuses to skip breakfast anymore!

If you're wondering what if I get tired of it? let me tell you that's not going to happen, since there are lots of variations you can make... For instance, if you change the flavour of the yogurt, that can give a complete twist to your parfait. You can also replace the strawberries for any other fruit; in fact, you can also mix different fruits. You can add some honey to make it sweeter, or maybe even some chocolate chips... Use your imagination and be creative! And please share some of your creations with me. I would love to try them out!

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio

Beauty Sleep!

This week I'm on a (well deserved) break from university. I've slept quite a lot and, although I usually try to get my beauty sleep, sometimes the workload from college doesn't let me have it. Even if it's only Tuesday, I can feel the benefits of sleeping well by now. The first symptom that I've been having a good nights sleep is my face: my natural cheeks usually disappear when I'm not sleeping well and I look like a walking phantom because my face turns yellow. But when I sleep well, my cheeks come back to life and my face turns kind of pink, which is way better than the phantom-look!

I am pretty sure that the health benefits of sleeping well go way beyond physical appearance... I actually was reading a book the other day –The Social Animal, by David Brooks–, where it said that:

during sleep the brain consolidates memories, organizes the things that have been learned that day, and reinforces the changes in the brain that have been ushered by the previous day's activities.

I decided to do some additional research, and here's what I found:

1. A good night's sleep is associated with a longer life, although it is not clear if it is a cause or a result;
2. It boosts your creativity, because it helps you reorganise your memories and thoughts in a way that you can create new, innovative ideas.
3. It helps improve your physical performance, which is particularly good for people who practice sports regularly.
4. It improves your concentration. In fact, lack of sleep in children usually results in symptoms related with ADHD.
5. It helps you keep your figure. Research has shown that people who sleep well are more able to lose fat, whether those who are sleep-deprived lose muscle mass. Additionally, it is believed that a good night's sleep helps accelerate your metabolism.
6. It reduces stress, which, in turn, lowers blood pressure.
7. It improves your mood, since lack of sleep usually increases your irritability and makes your more judging.
8. If you're a driver, it helps you avoid car accidents. Insufficient sleep can be almost as bad as alcohol when you're driving!
9. It helps maintain a good immune system, as you are less vulnerable to get infections, such as colds and other, more severe, infections.
10. It makes you happier! Lack of sleep makes you feel anxious and impatient, which might conduce, in the long run, to depression.

Apparently, my beauty sleep does much more than that for me. What are you waiting before going to bed?

Sweet dreams,








PS. I used this article (and this one) to write this post. The picture was taken in New York.

Travel Diaries: New York, Day 6

On my sixth day in New York, Diego and I went for lunch to The Smith, in East Village.

For a starter, we ate the most delicious fried calamari. I loved them because they had spicy tomato sauce, which was something completely new to me. I don't know how common this is, but it was no less than a new food adventure in my life.

Then came the grilled chicken paillard, which was probably one of the best combination of chicken-salad I've ever had in my life. The chicken had this truly unique grilled taste, the salad was fresh and the dressing was absolutely appropriate!

We were full after lunch, but we definitely wanted some dessert. So we went all the way up to the Upper West Side, where we had dark chocolate chocolate chip cookies at Levain. We actually shared one, since they are monstrous! If you've ever had them, you might understand why: their size is just completely out of normal! And so is their taste: best cookies ever!

We went back home walking, taking our time to digest all that food. We went to Lincoln Center and enjoyed the water fountain, and had a good night sleep before the weekend. I'll explain more about it on my next post, but my weekend was the most exciting I've had in a while, so that's why this day was more of a relaxing type of day!

Love,

Photography: Laura Beltran-Rubio