I think I started a tradition of my own by starting my days with a glass of  kicked up lemonade ( aka the MasterCleanse drink).

Kicked Up Lemonade

While I am NOT following the MasterCleanse, I believe that putting this concoction into my system upon waking up is extremely beneficial. The red cayenne pepper, maple syrup, and lemon juice mixture allegedly help boost your metabolism, aid in digestion, and help your body burn fat. Lemons are a natural cleaner which makes this drink a great way to cleanse your system which is important first thing in the morning.

Speaking of mornings, I had an exceptionally early one with a 5:50AM alarm waking me up for a Body Conceptions class which was AWESOME. It’s an incredibly sweaty, fun yet challenging workout that incorporates cardio/sculpting/dancing into an hour that feels like a minute. The butt/thigh segment got the best of me today, I felt like I was on fire–thats how you know its working, right?

Downtown

There is something so great about finishing an intense workout before the world wakes up. The walk from the subway to the studio was only a minute but my thighs were still thawing for quite a while once I was indoors. This “in the teens” weather has got to end.

And of course due to all my hard-work…I treated myself to a manicure. Heh heh.

Essie’s Chinchilly

I thought that it was a clever nail polish name.

Last night I made coconut brown rice following a recipe I found on skinnytaste. The recipe calls for cilantro but I’m not a fan so I didn’t use any. I topped it with some avocado and had it as a meal but I could totally see myself making this for a party, it’s easy and very impressive. Using light coconut milk and brown rice keeps you on the safe side. One serving had 200 calories (with 1/2 avocado approx. 330 calories).

Coconut Brown Rice

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!