Image credit: Cody Guilfoyle<\/h6>\n

Here at Zeel, we believe that how you start and end your day affects your overall well-being, and your unique rituals are a fascinating, intimate peek into your life. So we\u2019re catching up with some of our favorite leaders in the fitness, beauty and other cool industries to learn about their AM\/PM Routines\u2014and a lot of real life wisdom along the way.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Brooke Danielson<\/span><\/a> started her career running through the fashionable halls of Cond\u00e9 Nast\u2014she\u2019s held editorial positions at <\/span>GLAMOUR <\/span><\/i>and <\/span>Vogue\u2014<\/span><\/i>but these days her running<\/a> takes place more on the Hudson River promenade or dirt trails in upstate New York. But the one thing the six-time marathon runner<\/a>, stylist and brand consultant is <\/span>not<\/span><\/i> running towards? Perfection. Her Instagram feed as much homemade cashew mylk recipes (Brooke is passionately plant-based), as it is her daily glass of red wine\u2014and her 11,000+ followers appreciate that about her.<\/span>
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Brooke gave us an inside look into how she finds balance during the very first, and very last, hours of her day:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

AM:<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

Zeel: What time does your day start on a typical weekday?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Brooke Danielson: I wake up around 5:30AM, naturally, every morning. I do set an alarm for 6AM just in case, but my body clock is pretty strict on its own. Sleep is incredibly important to me for many reasons, so I do my best to get 8-9 hours each night. As of late, I have run into some sleep issues<\/a> but I am working on getting it back to normal.<\/b><\/p>\n

Z: What does the first 15 minutes of your morning look like?<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: First things first, I drink water. I keep filtered water next to my bed and it is the first thing I reach for. I\u2019ll get up and fix a French press of organic espresso, then I meditate<\/a> for 5-7 minutes while it steeps. I\u2019m the ultimate multi-tasker, so I tend to have a few things going at once, but for the purpose of efficiency<\/b>. <\/span>After meditation I listen to NPR news while I drink coffee. Beyond the 15 minutes I take time to journal. I love to read back and see the progress I have made in life.<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cGive yourself permission, permission to relax, permission to listen to your gut and have constant conversations with yourself.\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Z: What is the most essential part of your morning routine?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: Meditation and my time drinking coffee and listening to the news. It\u2019s my time just to be and my time before I step out into the real world of responsibility and chaos.<\/b><\/p>\n

Z: Does this routine vary depending on whether you\u2019re training for or recovering from a marathon?<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: Absolutely! Training mornings can start as early as 4:45AM. When training I have to log longer miles on the weekends, and when I go to [Nike] run club I am up and out the door by 6:15AM most Thursdays. It takes commitment and major dedication.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

During recovery time I try to sleep in as late as 7, 8 or 9AM. Although the 9AM rarely happens. I like to sleep and really force myself to relax\u2014maybe get up and go for a long walk, grab an espresso, and take in an art show, or read the paper at a local coffee shop. The recovery process is a time for my body to heal and I take that seriously by treating myself to slower non-active mornings.<\/b><\/p>\n

Z: What do you eat for breakfast?<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: Depending on my training routine, breakfast varies. On a long run morning I have a bowl of oatmeal with berry coulis (I make one with lemon juice that\u2019s quite divine). If not oatmeal, then I have a piece of sunflower bread with homemade almond butter, mashed banana and sprinkle that with chia seeds and ground flaxseed. On lighter workout mornings, I have a berry smoothie loaded with spinach and blended with coconut water. At the moment I am really into a big bowl of organic berries topped with homemade almond butter.<\/b><\/p>\n

Z: What time of day do you exercise?<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: Mostly early morning, 7-9AM. When I am not running, I like to take <\/b>The Class by Taryn Toomey<\/b><\/a>. I\u2019m making a greater effort to take yoga once a week at <\/b>Lyons Den<\/b><\/a>.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Z: What do you do to prep for or recover from a workout?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: I drink a lot of espresso! I also do some muscle activations and warm up with lunges, squats, stretching<\/a>, etc\u2026 Depending on how hard the workout is I always stretch and foam roll<\/a>. I like to take epsom salt baths and get weekly massages.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Z: Did your routine change when you were training for your first Ultra?<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: 100% the more miles I logged, the more fatigued my mind and body became. I had to carve out more time for massages<\/a>, baths and icing. I wanted to nap a lot, which I tend to avoid, but my body just wanted to sleep after hauling 18-26 miles. <\/b><\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span><\/i>You can almost always find me in the kitchen after 6pm with a glass of red wine, whipping up something plant-based.\u201d\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

PM:<\/i><\/b><\/h2>\n

Z: What time are you usually \u201coff-duty?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: I am off-duty by 6 at the latest. I love to cook, so you can almost always find me in the kitchen after 6PM with a glass of red wine<\/a>, whipping up something plant-based. One of my favorite vegan cookbooks is\u00a0The Plantpower Way: Italia<\/em><\/a> by Julie Piatt and Rich Roll.<\/b><\/p>\n

Z: What\u2019s the first thing you do when you walk in the door?<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: Put in my headphones. I love music and podcasts, and they keep me happy amongst the chaos of the concrete jungle.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Z: How do you unwind or decompress from the day?<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: Usually a cup of tea or a glass of red wine, and listening to jazz or classic rock while I cook. I\u2019m happiest in the kitchen, creating. I wish I had more people to cook for and the space to entertain. I\u2019m maternal by nature and always want to take care of people. I show this through cooking!<\/b><\/p>\n

Z: What do you usually do for dinner on a weeknight?<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: I make a big kale salad loaded with herbs and chopped raw veggies, always. I usually dress it with homemade tahini dressing or a light vinaigrette. I make everything from scratch, so there is a lot of love and preparation that go into my meals. If I want something warm and hearty, I\u2019ll make a soup or a <\/b>Banza pasta<\/b><\/a> with veggies.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Z: What is your nighttime ritual?<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: Nighttime is sacred to me. I put on my diffuser with lavender essential oil and get into bed with a book. I sometimes fall asleep to podcasts, but I\u2019m trying to keep all electronics away from my bed.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Z: How does self-care play a part of your day?<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: Self-care is vital to my day. I always make sure to take time for a face mask or a long walk up the Hudson River. Whatever the indulgence, I do one thing a day for myself.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Z: What is the greatest piece of health\/wellness advice you’ve ever received?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

BD: Give yourself permission, permission to relax, permission to listen to your gut and have constant conversations with yourself\u2014like daily affirmations.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Image credit: Cody Guilfoyle Here at Zeel, we believe that how you start and end your day affects your overall well-being, and your unique rituals are a fascinating, intimate peek into your life. So we\u2019re catching up with some of our favorite leaders in the fitness, beauty and other cool industries to learn about their…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":20126,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1305],"tags":[335,353,577,1501,1495,1186],"thb-sponsors":[],"class_list":["post-20125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-editors","tag-exercise","tag-marathon","tag-plant-based","tag-self-care","tag-vegan"],"yoast_head":"\n