I think I'm going to be sick...

I am a movie lover. Hands down one of my favorite things to do is go to the movies or even just curl up on the couch with a friend, eat some popcorn, and enjoy the show. My own main problem these days is that after Avatar hit the box office there seems to have been a stream of 3-D movies. In a lot of cases I feel that being 3-D has added nothing additional to the film except for a hefty price tag. And in addition to that I had heard that there are actually negative side-effects of these films on our brains. I checked out an article written for CNN and you can click here to go to the full article, or read further to hear my interpretation.

In order to explain the basic principle of what three dimensional is to place your thumb in front of your face. Close one eye, then the other, and you will see that your thumb seems to have moved even though it hasn't. By wearing the 3-D glasses you are helping your brain make sense of this movement and make the two images into one. Now that being said, our brains were not made to process information this way. The movie itself "presents two slightly different perspectives of the same scene" and they are slightly separated.

The next time you sit down and settle in to watch one of these over-promoted films, just keep in mind the following. There are actual side effects to watching these films, including "mild symptoms such as disorientation and, in rare cases, seizures". Your eyes are working during the entire film to make sense of these superimposed images and we all know at least one friend who can't handle it who ends up getting sick in the movie theater.... So all of these 3-D movies are straining our ocular nerves and apparently 80% of people won't be affected, but what if you're one of the 20%!!

Anyway, here is what I feel. These movies strain the eyes and lately it seems that directors are so focused on making some huge big change that they forget about the script and the movie is bad anyway. So not only are you "straining your ocular nerve" but you're watching a horrible movie as well...

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day...

I love breakfast and I have brinner (otherwise known as breakfast for dinner) at least twice a week. I am best known for making a sexy scramble that is more veggies than egg and utterly delicious. However there are the occasional mornings where a bowl of cereal really hits the spot. For those mornings I simply try to go for a big, heaping bowl of a somewhat healthy cereal.... and stay away from the Lucky Charms. (I love those mini-marshmallows!) But that is dangerous too because some of these secretly healthy cereals are horrible for you and have way more sugar than that bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

When I got one of my Women's Health newsletters in my inbox and it asked to take a quiz of which cereals are healthier, I got kind of excited. I know, excited about cereal? Weird.... but I pretty much get excited about all food, especially when I get to test my knowledge. Here is the link for the "Can You Spot the Healthy Cereals?" quiz if you feel like trying it for yourself. Most of them are kind of "duh" moments, but the occasional one is a surprise so check it out!

Truth or Dare?...

Here is the last one!  For those of you that did these little truth or dares and loved it, awesome; and for those of you that didn't, I am moving on after this one so bare with me.

I think this week is the hardest because the truth makes you deal with the reality of how you think about your body and the dare makes you try something that you have mostly likely been in denial about for awhile.

Truth: Add up the time you spend in a day thinking about your size.
Answer: Whether it is putting on a pair of jeans and thinking what my butt looks like or feeling like I can't eat a treat because I'm working on my fab figure, that counts. Plus I noticed that a lot of times I make excuses for being tall (and 5'9" isn't really that tall...) which since I love being a tall, loud, and somewhat obnoxious person I need to stop doing! For anyone out there that is making excuses or thinking about something they don't like about themselves for any amount of time a day, get over it, and start making a conscious effort not to!


Dare: Wear a style you avoid even though you worry it may be unflattering.
Answer: I wear spandex almost every single day at lululemon so I am pretty sure I have this one covered. Granted we definitely have all sorts of different cuts and I don't always have to wear something tight but there are some days where pulling on those tight clothes is the last thing you want to do. Basically on those not so curvalicious days, so I am going to say that I go through this on a daily basis!

Truth or Dare?...

Here is the next "truth or dare?" in my SELF magazine

Truth: Admit what you do love about your body, then give it a compliment.
Answer: I love my legs. They are strong, chiseled, long and beautiful. In a pair of heels, flats, flip flops, sandals or just plain barefoot I think they are smokin'! So legs, you are awesome and I will keep pushing myself so that I keep loving you the way that I do....

Dare: Have sex with the lights on
Answer: Not even going to go there, this is not that kind of blog, plus hi mom and dad!

Can't wait to find out the next one is, but you'll have to!

Truth or Dare?...

My two favorite magazines are SELF and Women's Health. Each month I look forward to the day when my mailbox is filled with the wonderful exercise tips and motivational stories (not to mention cool shopping finds) that these two magazines provide. This month SELF delivered with a wonderful little section called "Truth or Dare?". I figure that I will take some of these and share my answers with everyone over the next couple of days.

Truth: Name the body part you like least and five great things it can do.
Answer: I have a love and hate relationship with my rear end. Sometimes I look at it and think, damn, you are huge! BUT... the fact of the matter is that my butt is the way it is. And here are the five things that it can do:

• When I sit in a chair it supports me and it is pretty nice and cushy
• That right pair of jeans make it a rockin' addition to any outfit
• I can shake what my momma gave me and it gives my comical booty dance that little extra touch
• It helps me climb the mountains of San Francisco and it gets even more toned everytime I do! 
• And last but not least... I think my curvy figure makes me who I am and I am pretty sure that without the extra junk in my trunk I might not be the "Hadley" I am today

Dare: Go a day without wearing makeup or glancing in the mirror.
Answer: Now since heading into the bathroom from work there is a mirror, tomorrow I have TRX which takes place in front of a mirror, and at lululemon there are mirrors all around so that one is really not an option. So one of these days I am going to have to go without makeup and since I am heading to the beach tomorrow it will probably be then!

Listen to your inner yogi...

The other day I got together with some of my fellow lululemon athletica girls and we made our way to the Yoga Tree in the Castro. Now since I have only done a couple of yoga classes and most were taught in a PE class, I was slightly nervous when it came to going to an actual yoga stuio. And of course, in true lululemon style, we were at the front of the class where we could be seen by everyone. I started off introducing myself to Tim, our awesome yoga teacher, and warning him that if I toppled over just to ignore me and I'll get right back up again. He laughed of course thinking I was kidding and I awkwardly laughed back since I knew I was serious...

Once the class got started and we did the opening deep breaths I got over it. I tried every pose whether I got it the first time or had to work on it a little bit. Tim also offered a bunch of modified poses that could be done for us yoga newbies. At one point he invited people to do handstands at the special request of one of the other women and I have to admit I chose to skip that one for my health as well as the health of my two friends next to me. All in all by the end of it I was sweating ridiculously and felt as if I had stretched and worked my entire body in a calming and rejuvenating way. It wasn't just a physical rejuvenation but a mental one as well. I have been pushing myself so hard lately and to take the time to focus on my body and check in with it is what I have learned to love the most about the brief-spirts of yoga that I have done.

As far as how I felt about the class at Yoga Tree, I thought it was great. The woman at the front desk was hilarious when we found out that there is another Hadley there and that she has the same last name as me (such a small world!). I also thought that Tim was great in responding to my random facial expressions and subtly pushing me to try the next level. And the space was so interesting and unique and yet not too intimidating for the less intense yogis like myself. So go check out the Yoga Tree or a local yoga studio in your area!