How NEOU’s Christi Marraccini Lives a Nutritious Life

While we may still be missing our in-studio kickboxing, yoga, and spin classes—having at-home streaming options available has been a life saver! Fitness has been a huge stress relief for many while  navigating this uncertain time. Plus, these IG Live workouts and streaming fitness services have given us the chance to sample workouts that we perhaps wouldn’t have been able to do before. NEOU, one of our favorites, is an on-demand wellness “marketplace” that offers thousands of fitness classes from over 100 different studios and instructors across the U.S. From dance and kickboxing to yoga and HIIT, there’s something for any workout mood you may be in. Now, NEOU has launched Clean Eats, and Nutritious Life is a partner! Their goal is to help people get back on track with top-level nutrition education, and learn how and why making simple substitutions can lead to a healthier you. Hosted by Christi Marraccini, Clean Eats features fun and creative recipes from our very own Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN.  You’ll get easy, healthy recipes that even the most novice in the kitchen can prepare.  We sat down with Marraccini, certified trainer and head of production at NEOU, to discuss how she stays focused, prioritizes her health, and her favorite workout. What are some of your tips to stay focused…especially now? Acknowledge the small wins. Many small accomplishments make it easier to accomplish larger ones. It seems silly, but give yourself credit for all the things you do…it can help lead to something great. How often do you exercise, and what’s your workout of choice? My goal is four times a week. Boot camp and HIIT workouts are my GO-tos (my class on NEOU is called GO…see what I did there?), and I always try to add in a weekly run. On my crazy weeks when I know I don’t have as much time to work out, I will walk home from work…anything to just keep moving! How do you motivate yourself (and others) to work out? Never have I said, “I wish I didn’t just take the time to do that,” after a workout. But, there have been many times when I skipped a workout only to curse myself for it later. I always think of the “after feeling.” Starting a workout can seem close to impossible some days, but I know I’ll be better for it in the end.  What if we only have a small window to work out…how long does a workout need to be to be effective?  I just came out with a program called Fitness Fix on NEOU. It’s a 12-class program, and all the workouts are only 20 minutes. During quarantine, I found myself making excuses. Twenty minutes is absolutely enough time to get a full workout in.   Has it been hard to stay on track with your nutrition while in quarantine? YES! I went through many different phases: cooking every meal (but it was like I was cooking for six people and not two), wine and more wine, ordering take out, not eating enough…it goes on. I told myself one day, “This has got to stop.” Now, I have go-to meals for when I am working in the office, and when I am working from home. It has helped me tremendously. What’s your go-to breakfast? A cup of coffee with whole milk to start every day. Once I start to get hungry, yogurt with fruit.  How do you pamper yourself when you need it? I let myself sleep in. During the week, I’m getting five to six hours of sleep. So, when I get the chance to sleep in, I don’t feel guilty about it. I believe sleep is the most important thing to maintaining good health. (photo credit: NEOU)

The Kitchen Gadget and De-Stressing Practices a Yogi Mom of Twins Swears By

It’s not surprising that when we asked Heidi Kristoffer which healthy habit she wished she had more time for, she said, “SLEEP!!!” Kristoffer is the creator of popular strength training-infused yoga class CrossFlowX, which she teaches at NEOU and YG Studios in New York City. She’s also a mother to twin girls and has a third child on the way. In other words, her life is about as go-go-go as it can get. “Yoga can be practiced anywhere, any time, so no gym necessary,” she says. “And running after and picking up my twin two year olds keeps me active all day every day. ‘Mommy, UP!’ is their favorite phrase right now.” RELATED: A 30-Minute Yoga Routine to Build Strength and Fight Stress Kristoffer does it all while literally radiating warmth and positivity 24-7, so we asked her to spill her secrets. Here are the diet, kitchen, and de-stressing practices that help her—and her family—thrive. How Does Heidi Kristoffer Live a Nutritious Life? If you had to name your healthy diet, what would you call it? Plant-Based Mom Fueling. What’s your go-to breakfast? Overnight oats with flax seeds and nut butter. RELATED: 3 Creative Ways to Make Delicious Overnight Oats Your go-to workday lunch? Tofu salad on whole wheat pita and air-fryer sweet potato fries. Your go-to workday dinner? Kale salad massaged with avocado or a nut or seed butter dressing, with plant-based protein. What’s the one food you always have in your fridge? Sugar snap peas. The one food you’d never buy? Meat. Your favorite food indulgence? Dark chocolate. RELATED: 5 Healthy Reasons to Eat Chocolate (as if You Needed Them) Other than water, what do you sip regularly? SOS Rehydrate!! It’s the first organic hydration formula, which mimics getting an IV hydration drip, and it makes me feel SO much more clear headed. It makes every workout feel easier, AND it’s delicious. I love it! How often do you exercise, and what’s your workout of choice? Every day. CrossFlowX, yoga, or SoulCycle. Which workout would you NEVER do? Barre class. It bores me to tears. What’s your go-to tool for managing stress? Japa Mala meditation. No thinking involved, and it zones me in every time. RELATED: Try This Two-Minute Calming Meditation How do you pamper yourself when you need it? Deep tissue massage or a bath with essential oils when I’m not pregnant. In pregnancy (like now), I just aim to get sleep at night and make my bi-monthly mani-pedi with foot and shoulder 10-minute massage. Do you have a favorite health gadget? Does my Vitamix count?! I make EVERYTHING in it: smoothies, soups, dressings, even carrot cake! How do you express and spread love? I tell my daughters I love them probably 100 times a day and hug and kiss them every chance I get. With my non-family members, I try to take the most kind action every time, compliment people whenever I can, and I smile at everyone I make eye contact with. I also try to express love in all of my teachings, in person or on the interwebs. Lightning Round Meditation or massage? Massage! You can meditate while you’re getting one! A hot shower or a soothing bath? BATH! Almond butter or peanut butter? Almond. Coffee or tea? Non-pregnancy: COFFEE. Pregnancy: tea. A long run outside or a dark spin class? SoulCycle every time.