The Treat or Cheat Day
Currently while slicing:
eating: zoodles (zucchini noodles) w/chicken & goat-cheese pesto sauce
drinking: tres picos garnacha
entertained by: the #IMMOOC Twitter chat
We've all heard of the ever so illusive and attractive "cheat days" when it comes to dieting. Friends of mine fondly revel in the pizza-Sundays and what-are-calories Fridays. There isn't a day of the week that stereotypes what and why I eat what I eat (Taco Tuesday, you may be the one exception!). Usually, these cheat days spring off of the calendar and into my reality on days that I deal with high amounts stress or pressure stemming from something work related.
I've got my go-to carry out restaurants that are in walking distance from my condo ready to go in my phone's favorites list: sushi, deep dish pizza, burger and fries all just a click away. As I walked to my workout class, I decided I would make the call to any one of these lucky places after I get sweaty and too tired to pick up a spatula to cook with. I walked passed the neighborhood taco place and wafts of chorizo and Spanish potatoes filled my nose from their vents. Giordano's logo shining from its red lit sign caught the corner of my eye while at the cross walk. I began mentally thumbing through my checking account wondering if it would be wise to spend money on three... maybe four sushi rolls instead of two.
I entered the doors of SPENGA and was promptly greeted by the receptionist with an enthusiastic, "I'm so glad you made it for Wellness Wednesday!" To the right of the lockers in the small entryway was a massage therapist and her beckoning massage chair and also a woman by the name of Carrie who was there to deliver us our "age of wellness". My cheat day instantly became a treat day: a 10 minute complimentary massage, an empowering and uplifting workout with themes of "women's day" from the music to the instructor's phrases (what did you come here today for!?), and mindful, reviving yoga.
Walking home, I did not pick up on the smell of the cheat-offerings I had passed by an hour earlier. With just a small amount of the stress of the day lifted, I walked with a spring in my steps, took the stairs to my place instead of the elevator, and set my timer for one hour-til-Twitter chat that I am participating in for a class. Part of relieving stress comes in the form of cooking a dish that I know without any recipe and can make with any ingredients as long as I have zucchini: zoodles (zucchini noodles).
Check it out in these gifs:
