I am very intentional on how I wake up. I feel as though how I wake up is how my day will be. So, waking up in a hectic state versus a calm state can dictate my mood. Therefore, I slowly get my body out of bed and put on my exercise clothes for my morning workout. Once dressed, I take my probiotics with room temperature water and then prepare my morning "tonic" of 1 teaspoon of freeze dried powders of: ginger, lemon and turmeric which I mix with warm water and a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. This tonic helps jump start my metabolism, is great for digestion and blood sugar regulation and is excellent for immunity.

I am a Peloton fan! I access their workouts and vary my exercise routine each day. Mondays are my ease into the week day where I will probably complete a Barre or Pilates class. Tuesdays are my cycling days on my Peloton bike and core and light weights. Wednesdays are my strength days where I am lifting medium to heavy weights which makes me feel empowered and ready to take on the day. Thursdays are my meditative days where I do meditation and/or yoga. Fridays are my High Intensity Training (HIIT) days. I like to incorporate HIIT to challenge my body but to also avoid workout plateaus. Saturdays are low impact days with a "shortish" ride on my Peloton bike or if weather permitting, I will go for a jog. Sundays, I rest, relax and reflect.

Definitely sweet potatoes! I adore them. They are not only delicious but good for you and versatile. I sometimes make "sweet potato toast" where I wash and cut a whole sweet potato into round pieces and broil the pieces in the oven and use the sweet potato in place of bread. I also love adding roasted sweet potatoes to my salads or as a healthy side since they are a "good" carb.

Soybean oil. This oil is a known gut interrupter yet it is in many food products especially snack items. I also don't like anything that begins with the word "modified." Modified usually indicates that the ingredient has been changed or modified from its original state which can mean unnatural and/or unhealthy substances are included.

Water. It's a blank canvas so you can add things to it to make it fun and flavorful. I love to add: Cucumbers, Grapefruit, mint and/or lemon especially on warm days and the ingredients have natural detoxifying benefits.

Besides exercising, I love to cook and bake, read and watch nostalgia television. The Golden Girls, Murder She Wrote and 227 are some of my favorites. I also am a basketball and football fan and enjoy watching games at home with my family which is not only fun but relaxing as well for me.

I love to use all natural products and I have found the companies Blissoma, Farmaesthetics and Ginger Chi's products to be amazing for flawless and hydrated skin. A healthy diet and water intake are also contributing factors to healthier skin.

Exercising is a form of escape for me and is a place for me to release my stress. Getting wrapped up in a good book or decompressing with hot tea or a low sugar adaptogen drink is helpful to me too. In addition, I prioritize exercising everyday as a way to ensure my stress levels remain low and I remind myself in high stress situations that this is just a rainy season but it won't rain forever. Stressful situations tend to be temporary but how stress is managed may have lingering effects.

First, I have a routine! It's important to have a bedtime routine so that it signals to your body that the time has come to wind down for the night. I have a bedtime reminder set on my watch and I make a cup of tea which I sip on and finish and then shower and use an exfoliant wash cloth that helps with dead skin and dryness but also helps promote lymphatic drainage which helps relax and detoxify the body, reduces stress and helps with circulation. I then apply a shea butter moisturizer (54 Thrones is the one I like) and sometimes I add a few drops of lavender, pajamas and then I may read a little bit or catch up on series television and then I take two Magnesium Citrate capsules that help with sleep but also with gut health. My body and mind are usually so relaxed that I am asleep soon after I crawl into bed.

For something sweet, I will usually grab something that contains a natural sugar. Dates mixed with unsalted nuts are my go to or I make a homemade hot chocolate with a dash of dark amber maple syrup for a sweetness kick. I don't crave salty much but if I do, similarly to sweets, I will get something that uses sea salt which has minerals such as hummus or cheese.

To start, I make myself a cup of black coffee with cardamom. I will have nuts or some type of protein with my coffee to avoid crashing or feeling jittery. One cup of coffee is all I need because I am receiving fuel and energy from nourishing food throughout the day. I usually intermittent fast Mondays-Fridays which means that my eating does not begin until around 11 or 12 in the afternoon. Intermittent fasting allows my body time to completely recover from eating from the day before and helps with any inflammation. If I am not intermittent fasting, I will have sweet potato toast topped with chopped hard boiled eggs and cherry tomatoes with a sea salt and pepper sprinkle and finish with a drizzle of walnut oil and a sprinkle of ground flax seed.. This breakfast contains good fat with the walnut oil, healthy protein with the eggs and flax seed and the flax seed adds fiber here too, good carb with the sweet potatoes and for an added bonus, antioxidant and lycopene with the tomatoes. Super balanced and I love it. I stay full and energized for long periods of time.

I LOVE salads. Like water, salad greens are a blank canvas and much can be added to it to make it flavorful and leave you feeling nourished. I usually add a piece of salmon, cucumber, beans (usually chickpeas or lentils), red onion, maybe cheese (if I do add cheese, I add goat cheese), roasted sweet potatoes, sprinkle with ground flax seed, drizzle olive oil and squeeze fresh lemon juice. I also enjoy soups and healthy stews like tomato and chickpea vegetable stew which is so satisfying.