Poly Italiano

For some reason this weekend, I have been repeatedly reminded of my Italian roots and travels in the beautiful country. On Friday night, me and my man in uniform went to one of the most authentic Italian restaurants I have been to yet here on the West Coast (to be fair, we haven't been to many Italian restaurants in SoCal yet). Caffe Calabria immediately sucks you in as you walk over the threshold. Located in the hip neighborhood of North Park, the restaurant is decked out with fake alley way windows, stringing lights, and legitimate Italian men bantering by the wood burning stove as they pop their fresh made pizzas in. Made to look like an old street in Calabria, the restaurant brought me back to all of my wonderful memories when I was lucky enough to explore 1 of my native country's (technically, I am 25% Sicilian, but who's counting). We ordered ourselves up some of these bad boys and delighted in their savory flavors and delicious toppings.



I will admit, this gluten free girl did indulge in a little gluten filled pizza dough last night- but you will notice that my pie still has no cheese! As we bantered with our Italian waiter, I was brought back to the Italian lifestyle. No reference of time, talking excessively to strangers, and eating for taste not for fullness. The food felt like a delicacy and I felt at home- but I think that is how the Italian culture makes most everyone feel.

In an effort to work off my calories this morning, I hopped on the bike and glided away in spinning class. To my surprise, today's teach just also happened to be straight off the boat. Giuseppe took us on a mild ride, cranking the Italian club jams complete with a disco light show on key...the entire class. Trying to understand his accent over the blaring music was nearly impossible, but I did understand 1 thing he said that I love: "Come on people, love your bodies." Why is it that so many times in our culture that we forget to love our bodies? We've only go one and so many folks in our culture either don't give it enough nutrients, or give it too much fat. It is so easy to get lazy with our workout routines and head straight to the freezer for our favorite jug of ice cream. When we take a moment to think about it- loving our bodies is quite possibly 1 of the most important aspects of life. A- because it's the only one we've got and B- because before anyone or anything can love our bodies, we must love it 1st! In digging up my Italian roots these past 24 hours, I remembered to give my body some love. The Italians have taught us so much about wine, cheese, bread, and olives- but they also have a clear understanding of a lifestyle that enables them to love on their bodies :) Ciao bellas!
xoxo AA