A day in the life with Andrea Beaman
Katie Lee Joel
Part of the mission of OliveandPeach.com is to spread the message of conscious consumption. We enjoy highlighting both delicious food as well as awareness of how individual choices affect the future of our world and the environment.
In addition to sharing our own ideas and recipes for living and eating consciously, this month we want to introduce you to a woman who has been living a conscious, organic and healthy lifestyle for some time. Her name is Andrea Beaman.
Upon meeting Andrea, her passion for healthy living and her drive to educate others is palpable.
At the age of 28, Andrea was diagnosed with thyroid disease. Not wanting to be on medication for the rest of her life, Andrea took her health in her own hands and reevaluated her diet, making dramatic changes, swearing off junk food and eating organically. Her doctors told her medication was absolutely necessary and her diet changes would provide no improvements. She proved the doctors wrong; Andrea has been healthy for eight years.
Andrea leads a busy life as a chef and educator. Most recently, she competed in Bravo’s reality cooking competition series, “Top Chef” (which OliveandPeach.com’s Katie Lee Joel hosts). Andrea’s healthy cooking talents took her all the way to the sixth round of the ten-part series.
“Being on Top Chef totally affirmed my beliefs” Andrea said. “I got to see the amount of unconsciousness [in the other contestants’ cooking]. It was about cooking for guilt and pleasure, [with] gluttony in my mind.”
Top Chef not only reaffirmed her desire to spread the message of healthy eating, but also allowed her to get her message out to a larger audience. “I need to make people conscious, especially chefs. Television is a great way to get the message out because it reaches so many people.”
In her hometown of New York City, Andrea teaches several healthy living classes with topics such as “Seasonal Eating” and “Building Healthy Bodies.” She also provides individual nutritional counseling. Andrea is the author of two books, “The Whole Truth – How I Naturally Reclaimed my Health and You can Too,” and “The Whole Truth – Eating and Recipe Guide.”
We can all learn from observing the actions of those we admire, so OliveandPeach.com asked Andrea to provide our readers with a peek into her day-to-day life.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ANDREA BEAMAN
Most Days I wake up with the sun. Without an alarm, my eyes open between 6:15 and 7:30am. I reach over to my bedside table, grab my journal and write 3 pages of random thoughts, creative ideas, unfinished business, recipes for cooking class, epiphanies, and anything else that’s going on inside my head. I always finish the pages with a few lines of positive thoughts and gratefulness for life, to help me start the day on an uplifting note. Journaling in the morning helps to clear the incessant “chatter” in my mind and begin the day with a clean slate – so to speak. I began morning journals about 6 years ago after reading The Artist’s Way (The Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity) by Julia Cameron – I highly recommend it for any “creative” types – writers, actors, dancers, artists, humans…
After journaling, I grab my yoga mat and head into the living room to get my body ready for the new day. I perform 20 minutes of easy Hatha Yoga exercises and deep breathing 3-4x per week to help me feel limber, flexible and more connected to my body. Living in NYC, it’s easy for the body to tighten up due to daily stress, and the hustle and bustle of the constant flow of activity and work.
By 8:00am I’ve had ample time to stretch my body with yoga and my mind with journaling, now it’s time to consciously connect with Universal energy…. Ahhhhhh meditation. I sit on a soft red cushion in front of my meditation table and relax, relax, relax. I light a candle under the aromatherapy diffuser and the air is permeated with calming lavender oil. I close my eyes, focus on my breathing, and clear all thoughts – this helps me open to my “larger” self. This is the part of me that purposely connects to life, to the energy I feel in every cell of my body, and to every living being on the planet. It reaffirms for me that I’m not alone, and everything I do in my life affects every single person, place and thing on the planet, and in the entire universe. It feels really good to connect to the big picture.
Consciousness is a big responsibility and can really work up an appetite. After 20-30 minutes of meditation, I’m starving! Into the kitchen, I go for an organic, healthy and delicious breakfast. My choices and cravings change with each season. Sometimes I enjoy cooked oatmeal with walnuts, dried cranberries, cinnamon and maple syrup or Cream of Buckwheat with raw goat yogurt or poached egg on top of whole grain toast or Miso Soup with leftover grain. It varies all the time.
When I take the time to commit to my own self-care in the morning (breathing, exercise, meditation, great food), it sets a positive precedence for my entire work day. From 10am-7pm I meet with clients, answer calls and emails, process book orders, create new recipes and menus for cooking class and more.
Mid morning I opt for a cup of tea and a snack – usually trail mix or a piece of fruit. By 12:30pm I’m ready for another nutritious meal – sometimes it’s a stir fry on top of brown rice, or soup, or a whole grain wrap with sautéed vegetables and beans. Before getting back to work, I usually take a walk to Central park regardless of the weather. I’m a part of nature and connecting to the outside world enhances my health on many levels. Good food is just one part of a health-promoting lifestyle. Sunshine, exercise and fresh air (yes, there is fresh air in New York City!) are all of equal importance. 1-2x per week I take an easy breezy jog along the promenade on the East River or in Central park to support my cardiovascular health and release feel good hormones (cuz I’m a feel good junkie!).
Then it’s back to work in the afternoon, with an herbal tea and light snack break around 4pm. Some vegetable crudités with hummus or a creamy vegetable soup (sans the cream).
I finish my workday between 6-8pm and usually grab some dinner at a local, organic restaurant with friends, or have a pan seared fish with fresh herbs and steamed vegetables.
10pm winds down the day, and I read a health magazine or inspiring book. By 11:30-12:00, I’m ready for bed. I snuggle under the covers, thank the universe for the beautiful gift of another day, and I easily leave the waking world behind.
To learn more about Andrea Beaman, check out www.AndreaBeaman.com and for more info on Top Chef go to www.BravoTV.com !