· By Lauren Benbassat
INSPIRING BALANCE FOR BETTER on International Women's Day
In honor of this year's International Women's Day, we sat down for a quick Q&A with a few awe-inspiring ladies who we love and support. They are experts in fitness and wellness, living with purpose and a drive to #BalanceForBetter.
With diverse careers and with a passion for movement, these women live every day with intention and a sense of balance in body and mind -- we have some great takeaways on their best tips for self-care and self-love!
CASSANDRA OREFICE
Cassandra is a professional dancer (I mean, look at those legs!) and personal trainer based in NYC. She owns her own fitness studio too - talk about inspirational! Follow Cassandra @cassandraorefice
Q:
What's your best advice on maintaining healthy eating and lifestyle habits with your busy performance, training and dance schedule?
A:
For me, my best physical and mental state came when I stopped worrying about diets and focused on eating REAL FOOD as often as possible.
We are all hardworking badasses and fueling ourselves properly is super important.
Listen to your body: if you're craving something, eat it (in moderation) and make sure your mind isn't playing tricks on itself.
ALYSSA GAGARIN
Alyssa is the founder of Meal Prep Chef, a personalized chef service in NYC, DC and LA that cooks healthy, customized meals in your home. Stemmed from her true love of cooking and helping others, she's passionate about fun and wellness in the kitchen! Follow along @alyssagagarin @mealprepchef
Q:
What's your best advice for creating balance (both in nutrition and in our beliefs on food)? We'd also love to hear what your favorite smoothie recipe is right now!
A:
Get rooted in your WHY. I think if we look past surface level meaning and dig deep into why we do what we do (how we spend our time, what we do for work, how we take care of ourselves, what we decide to eat), then balance tends to falls into place naturally because what we do has a purpose.
I'm currently digging any smoothies with Ginger & Pineapple :) But this will always be my favorite smoothie.
LAUREN CHIARELLO
Lauren is a corporate wellness advocate, founder of Chi Chi Life, and is a 2x cancer survivor! She loves movement and inspiring others as a Barre, Pilates and TRX Instructor. Lauren fills up the room with pure kindness wherever she goes. Follow her @chichilifenyc
Q:
What are some of your favorite self-care routines that help you through the most challenging days to stay centered and feel balanced?
A:
- Reading passages from Ralph Marston's The Daily Motivator. He has a knack for putting life into perspective.
- Pop on my sneakers and go out for a run. Nothing else makes me feel more alive.
- Surround myself with positive energy and people!
CASEY COHEN
Casey is a certified fitness trainer and co-founder of SALIDO. She's a fitness fanatic, taking back to back bootcamps, spin classes and pushing her body and mind to the limits - an unstoppable force that keeps it real. Follow Casey @caseylcohen
Q:
How do you keep your cool when your to-do list is particularly long and daunting? AND stay focused on your fitness and career goals?
A:
I block off chunks of time to achieve project goals based on priority. Time management is key. Everything takes time but making sure you carve out that time is how I get things done and execute tasks.
Most important, follow your heart and take risks. Don't follow everyone else becuase it's accepted to be "normal." Being an infinite learner is the best way to grow.