You guys are amazing! You know how to make a girl smile, that’s for sure! Thank you so much for the kind tweets, comments, messages, and texts regarding Sunday’s NYC Half Marathon! My hamstrings are craving some time on the foam roller and after a long day of work on Monday my mind and body appreciated 2 days off. Tomorrow I’m going to jump back into it with an evening workout at As1 with fellow FitMapped Ambassadors. Based on the RateYourBurn reviews and the images on Google, I’m scared!

But, back to tonight’s post! There is nothing I love more than hearing about a person’s health journey or the way they weave their health beliefs into their everyday life. I think you can learn a great deal about a person, their priorities, and personality just from hearing them speak about health. Tonight, thanks to the New York Junior League, I was able to listen to Candice Kumai speak for an hour on her philosophies, favorite New York City restaurants, and some of her favorite workouts. The small group setting presentation was casual enough that the true person came out but formal enough for a slide show and Q&A portion.

This very talented 30 year old attributes much of her beliefs and practices to her Japanese heritage. In just a short time, the model turned food writer has been a Top Chef competitor, judge on Iron Chef America, authored multiple books, and is now in the new E! Television show, Playing with Fire. This new reality series marks the first time E! has tapped into food. She promises it includes tears, drama, insanity in the kitchen, and a bit of restaurant reality!

The train of thought hour long conversation allowed attendees to catch a glimpse into her daily health practices while she shared some of her top tips with us.

• Drink 10 cups of water per day to flush out toxins and negative energy.
• Avoid highly acidic coffee, soda, or diet soda. Instead, enjoy plenty of kombucha, tea, or lemon water. Her favorite teas include Tazo green ginger and Yogi Detox.
• Start each day with a positive mantra that allows you to start with a clean slate. Her favorite is to live each day as it is.
• Eliminate processed foods as much as possible.
• Practice the 75% rule. Only eat until you’re 75% full and eat a plate filled with 57% produce.
• She absolutely loves to use coconut oil for cooking and as a moisturizer.
• Sleep is key for a healthy life.
• Make your bedroom a sanctuary by bringing candles, relaxing music, soft pillows, and magazines into the space.
• Her favorite NYC fitness spots include Soul Cycle and Pure Barre.
• Her favorite NYC restaurants are ABC Kitchen, Hearth, Marc Forgione, Perry Street, Marrow, Catch, Five Leaves in Brooklyn, Soba Totto, and Terroir Wine Bar.

Overall it was a great night and I left with a few great tips and a restaurant or two that we need to add to our list!

How about you? What are your tips for a healthier life?