The Bloom — health

Sometimes you have to look yourself square in the eye and admit your failure. That was me in the bathroom mirror a few days ago as yet another attempt to hit the gym before work died a dishonorable death when I hit the snooze button. You, Madison, I said to myself, simply cannot get your workout act together. And it’s true. I can’t. Between responsibilities and temptations alike, I just am not finding the time to get (let alone stay!) in shape. A new approach is needed so I’m taking one. Instead of exercising all at once in a place...

I am not a morning person. I am a creature of the night. When the sun goes down I wake up. Which is great except that when the sun comes up, I just can’t and conflict ensues—between me and my alarm, me and my job, me and the world. It’s hardly on purpose. I’m reading or writing away, deep into a Netflix run, zoned out on a new project, and suddenly it’s 3:00 am. Or worse. How’d that happen? I have no idea. But there I am. Facing another much-too-brightly lit morning coma which I’ll slog through like it was...

I’m an exercise purist. I won’t wear just any clothes or shoes. I pace myself like the experts say I should. And I only ever drink water before, during, and after. If I’m headed for the gym or a jog, I’ll postpone my caffeinated cup of joy until I’ve earned it. It makes sense, right? It just can’t be healthy to get all lit up on coffee before 100 reps of anything. Or can it? Because my mind just got blown by the idea that drinking coffee before a workout may be a great idea. Scientists gave a bunch of coffee...

They always said breakfast was the most important meal of the day if you want to be healthy. Then they always sat me down to a plate of food that totally wasn’t—cheese-stuffed omelets, grease-stuffed meats, butter-soaked toast, and a pile of fried potatoes the size of a Mini Cooper. You could rock that plate for sure. But I don’t think you’d win any wellness awards. A lifetime of smoothies, steel-cut oats, yogurt bowls, and fruit plates later, I’m still looking for the better breakfast, and I think I finally found it. Two words: Breakfast salad. It’s a counterintuitive contradiction in...