When juggling busy careers and lives, it's not always easy to find the time to hit the gym or prepare a healthy meal. For inspiration, we're asking influential women in a variety of fields to share a typical day of food and fitness, to see just how they balance a healthy lifestyle with their jam-packed schedules. Anna Kaiser, founder of dance-cardio infused AKT and an Essentia influencer, has made a name for herself as a trainer for stars like Kelly Ripa, Sarah Jessica Parker, Shakira, and Emmy Rossum. On average, she can work out up to four (!) hours a day – here's the menu that helps her power through a super-active lifestyle.
I love the fresh newness that the morning brings: Feeling my body stretch against the crisp sheets, the sun peeking in through the window, fresh coffee brewing in the kitchen, hearing the birds chirp — it all makes me nostalgic and excited to start the day. That being said, I am not a morning person. I love the snooze button. I usually hit the snooze button, drink 4 ounces of the 1-liter Essentia alkaline water that sits next to my bed, and then snooze at least two more cycles before officially starting my day. I usually don't fall back asleep, however. I take the time to gently stretch, focus, set my intentions for the day, and snuggle with my mini-Australian shepherd, Harlie. My husband has already headed out for the day (he genuinely is a morning person – so annoying), so the kitchen is warmed up and ready.
I bring my liter of Essentia with me and head to the kitchen to take my Raw probiotic, multivitamin, and folic acid supplements. Then, I prepare either a smoothie packed with superfoods (maca, chia, goji, bee pollen, spinach, kale, banana, almond milk, greens powder, almond butter, frozen berries, ice), or my favorite coco-cado toast made with a slice of Ezekiel bread, coconut oil, avocado, tomato, chia seeds, and raw Himalayan sea salt (yum!). Depending on the day, I'll accompany my breakfast with a cup of fresh coffee, or yerba mate tea (with a hint of mint and honey) while I work on my playlist for the day, and check in on emails. Before heading out, I'll take my dog for a walk around the neighborhood and start my phone calls for the day.
Then, it's off to work! I head into one of my NYC studios to start the day off with meetings, content creation, and admin. There is usually a social post that happens right at the start of my day to motivate my followers everywhere, even if they can't make it into the studio! Around 11 a.m., I have a mid-morning snack, like two hardboiled eggs and fresh radishes to keep my energy up before my workout.
Then, I will either teach class or train with one of my amazing private clients, which revs me up to get through the rest of my day with extreme focus. I am never more alive than I am right after I finish an incredible session. At this point in the day, my goal is to have consumed 2 liters of alkaline Essentia water.
Within 45 minutes after my session, I will eat a well-balanced lunch, usually ordered from one of my favorite neighborhood staples. I am so lucky to be surrounded by fresh delicious options (Sweetgreen, Hu Kitchen, the Little Beet). I'll order paleo vegetarian chili with a side of chili lime broccoli salad and kale Caesar salad from Hu Kitchen, or a huge salad from Sweetgreen with spinach, mesculun, shrimp, grape tomatoes, sunflower seeds, feta cheese, celery, broccoli, bell peppers, beets, with olive oil and fresh lemon. I usually accompany my lunch with a magnesium and calcium supplement, and sometimes an extra shot of vitamin C if I'm feeling run-down.
Post-lunch, I'm usually traveling the city for meetings and I'll either take some roasted sweet potatoes and tamari almonds with me, or mix some whey protein with coconut water so I am prepared with a late afternoon snack. I also start to work on the third liter of my daily Essentia goal. This is huge. Staying hydrated while running around the city is a constant struggle, but getting my 3 liters in every day helps keep me on track.
Someone once told me that to find true happiness, you need three things:
- Someone to love
- Something to do
- Something to look forward to
Sometimes, when my day starts to get hectic, I sit down, take a breath, and reconnect to my mind and body before moving on. There is so much that I am passionate about and so many people that I love, it helps to remind myself how grateful I am for the life I am leading so as not to allow myself to get swept away in details of the day. Balance. I am always striving to stay centered and find balance in my day, my fitness, my food, and my energy.
I love my evenings. I have always been a night owl and really come alive in the evenings. My husband and I love to cook, but rarely get a chance to because our schedules are so busy. So we order our ingredients from Thrive Market for the week on Sunday and set up evenings when we can come home to cook and enjoy dinner together. One of my favorite meals we make is salmon over cauliflower rice with fresh-made tomato sauce. The sauce takes a bit of time, but it's fun to spend some time catching up. And, if we've both had good sweat sessions that day, we'll enjoy a glass of wine or scotch together with our meal.
I try to turn off my phone at least an hour before bed and pick up a book or a journal with a 1-ounce Tart Cherry + Turmeric Shot from Juice Generation. Sometimes I'll enjoy the tea as my husband and I walk [my dog] Harlie around the block before turning in. This can very often be the only time we stop to take a minute to breathe in our daily dose of "fresh" NYC air and reconnect to nature, which helps me calm my central nervous system and prepare for a good night's sleep. Nothing feels better than slipping in between those sheets at the end of a long day and feeling your feet buzzing from the remains of a productive day. And, of course, the goal is seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Working on it!
From:
ELLE
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