Lulu & Georgia Moroccan Pouf, custom Society Social chair, Pottery Barn sisal rug

This summer was one of the best of my life. We were lucky enough to travel almost every week, and when we were home, our weekends were packed full of plans and projects. It was a non-stop blur of activity. Last weekend was the first I’ve had with only a few plans in literally months, and it blew my mind. I woke up on Monday morning feeling so much more relaxed, refreshed and, well…normal.

Like many of you, I get terrible FOMO when I see my friends or other people out at dinners in the West Village or apple picking in the country or pretty much doing anything fun. My mind immediately goes to a place of panic, thinking that I need to get out and do something exciting. I’ve been known to scramble for last-minute plans just to avoid this feeling with an added bonus of making my Instagram feed more exciting. Shameful and so embarrassing… I know!

Maybe it’s because I’m 30 and finally getting a little wiser, or maybe I’m just burnt out from the summer of insanity, but I have a serious craving for downtime lately. Time with no plans, no where to go, no one to meet, knowing that it’s ok. It’s ok to read a book for three hours or go for a walk with no real direction. So here are my thoughts on downtime and what I’ve learned about it in the last few years.

1. The importance of making time for downtime. I am a big fan of saying that I hate relaxing which really tends to piss off certain people (aka my husband). It’s taken me years to realize that relaxing isn’t “doing nothing”. It’s resetting my systems and letting my brain unwind, a rare luxury in this fast-paced world.

2. Put it in your schedule. If you’re like me, and relaxation doesn’t come naturally to you schedule an hour or half-day (or, if you’re feeling really crazy, a FULL DAY) in your actual calendar for this personal time. Since we’re all glued to our phones and iCals, this will make it feel more “normal” for even the busiest of busy bees. You might be tempted to skip it when the alert pops up but try to remember how much better you’ll feel and how much more productive you’ll be if you actually do it!

3. Make it count. When I have a few free hours on a Saturday, I get excited because I can fill them with productive things like blogging, photo shoots, cleaning, or running errands. None of those things count as downtime, people! Use the time to truly unwind, disconnect, and reset your physical and emotional bodies. Some of my personal favorite activities to do during this time are: reading, watching your favorite movie, chatting with an old friend on the phone, grabbing a tea (or green juice) with a pal, or sitting in the sunshine with a glass of wine and a magazine.

4. Even the tiniest bit helps! If you’re truly someone who is “doing it all”, and an hour of relaxation is not in the books, that’s ok! Put 10 minutes in your work calendar to get up and take a walk around the block. This will do wonders for your productivity… and your eyes that have most likely been staring at a screen for hours.

How do you take downtime? What do you do with that time? I’d love to know!

The post The Importance of Downtime appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

I’ve written about my insomnia time and time again, most recently here. My sleep challenge is a constant battle and something that I will always work to improve. Whether it’s acupuncture, breathing exercises, natural supplements, or a nighttime routine, I’m willing to try pretty much anything.

One thing that I try to do on and off is a nightly yoga routine. Whenever I practice yoga before bed, I feel so much calmer and more grounded. I never know exactly where to start,  however, so I caught up with celebrity yoga/pilates instructor, Kristin McGee, to teach me a thing or two about yoga poses for insomniacs. It’s so exciting that she’s guest-posting today, you guys have no idea! I have practiced this sequence for three nights in a row now and it’s incredibly restorative and helpful to calm me down before sleep. I hope you enjoy!

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Goodnight Yoga Sequence

It’s hard these days to get to bed on time and to fall asleep easily. I can totally relate managing my own company, tending to my two year old son, running around teaching all day and trying to keep everything organized. It’s impossible to not get caught up in the rabbit hole of Instagram as I’m lying in bed as well. The blue light emitted from our computers and iPhones has been linked to disrupting the body’s natural circadian rhythms by suppressing the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. So put down your laptop and cell phone and try this calming bedtime yoga sequence instead so you can sleep like a baby! Although my baby still doesn’t sleep through the night (LOL) this sequence helps me feel better regardless.

Extended Child’s Pose

Start in Extended Child’s Pose. From your shins sit back on your heels and stretch your arms forward, relaxing your forehead to the floor. Feel your lower back, hips, and waist stretching out as you tap in to your deep breathing. Stay here for 8-10 breaths until you feel calm and connected.

Cat/Cow

Come on to your hands and knees and take a few Cat/Cow stretches, arching and rounding your back. Link your breath to the movement and open up your spine.

Pigeon

Next, bring your right knee forward towards the right side or your right hand and your right foot towards the left hand. Lower you back leg straight down to the floor, lower your forearms down and hold Pigeon for 8 to 10 breaths. Make sure your not sinking in to either hip (you can prop the right buttocks up if your very tight), you can also lower your forehead down to the floor or a pillow. Switch sides.

Double Pigeon

From Pigeon on the left side, float your right leg around and stack the right ankle above the left knee for Double Pigeon. This is one of my all time favorite stretches! We hold so much junk in our trunk, which leads to excess tension in our backs, hips, and jaw even. Double Pigeon (also known as ankle to knee pose) is one of the best hip openers there is. If you can hold 8 to 10 breaths (or more) stay here and allow your hips to fully relax and release. Make sure your shins are stacked exactly one on top of each other and don’t let the top ankle collapse (look for wrinkles on the inner ankle and iron them out by flexing the foot). Repeat on the left side.

Tarasana

Bring both soles of feet together and bend your knees in to a kite shape. Tarasana, Star Pose, is restorative  because your inner thighs aren’t getting too deep of a stretch; and you can round your torso forward resting the head neck and shoulders as you breathe in to the lower back, outer thighs and groins. Stay here for 8-10 breaths. You can also place a block under your forehead if you want it to be more restful.

Goddess

Lie down on your back keeping your feet together knees apart and come in to Goddess. You may knee to slide your heels a bit closer to your groins or see what is most comfortable for you. You can prop your outer upper thighs with pillows or blocks if you wish. Lie in Goddess for as long as you wish and watch your breath. If you like, place your hands on your belly you can watch the rise and fall of the abdomen as you breath.

Savasana

Finally lengthen your legs forward and let them drop out to the sides. Turn your palms up and rest your shoulders down away from your ears. Let the entire body melt in to the floor in Savasana. Let your breath relax, close your eyes, imagine yourself melting in to a deep state of rest. Release in to your own natural state of beauty and bliss.

Namaste and Goodnight!

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For more yoga inspiration and a plethora of poses, visit Kristin’s pose gallery.

The post Yoga for Insomnia appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

Photos courtesy of The Mayflower Grace

My New Years resolution for 2016 is to practice more self-love. Like many women, I tend to be incredibly hard on myself and I want that to change!

My first step to making my resolution a reality was booking a mindful wellness retreat. The three day program in March supports women at all stages of their lives and can help give you incredible tools to deal with change, transition and promote self-love. Plus, it’s at The Mayflower Grace, a luxury hotel and spa in Connecticut that I’ve been dying to check out.

The retreat focuses a lot on the seven Chakras, along with daily yoga classes, meditation, nutrition counseling, cooking demos, and of course, spa treatments at one of the most luxurious spas in the state. It basically sounds like a beautiful weekend of emotional and physical healing and I literally could not be more excited!

I realize that talking about Chakras is totally out there for me and, to be honest, I know nothing about them. That being said, I caught up with Nicole Glassman, a holistic health coach and the founder of these women’s retreats, to find out exactly what the heck they are:

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“The 7 Chakras are the body’s energy centers which means, all of our vital energy flows through them and activates the connected areas. When our Chakras are blocked, we experience illness and generally feel “off our game.” When we employ the wisdom of our Chakras to our everyday life we help our energy flow freely and experience a healthier, more balanced state of being.

When all 7 areas are in balance, you’ll naturally release toxic behaviors and old emotions that no longer serve you. You gracefully step right in to your personal power. Whether you’re in a place of transition, seeking clarity or ready for a life change, these “Spinning Wheels of Light” will teach you how to embrace and enjoy the process.

This quick and easy quiz is designed to help assess what energy center you may need to give a bit of extra care. In just a few minutes you’ll learn which Chakra is imbalanced and tips on how to realign your spirit so that you can live your most successful life.”

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Space is limited so if you want to join me on this intimate retreat, sign up here. FYI, the early bird special ends on January 15th. Check out more photos of the magical location below!

Thank you to Mindful Wellness and The Mayflower Grace for gifting me this retreat. I couldn’t be more excited!

The post Mindful Wellness Retreat appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

Jessica’s Shirt / My Shirt

Although I have a background in holistic healthy coaching, like many other seemingly healthy people, I get “stuck” in certain situations. Eating out is one of them. I can be “good” all week, cooking clean meals and drinking plenty of green juice, but when I go out to a nice restaurant, that is all long forgotten. I often leave nights out feeling full, bloated, and exhausted. I tapped into my friend Jessica (We worked together first at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition and then at Nourish Snacks), the best nutritionist I know, for some advice.

I love Jessica’s approach to nutrition because she has the clinical side but also takes a more holistic approach than most RDs out there. Her claim to fame? Creating recipes that prep in 7 minutes or less- perfect for moms and busy people.

I asked her to give me some easy tips for eating out so that I can avoid that food-coma feeling.

This is what she had to say:

1. Bread for the table? Stop. Think.

This is the most important decision you’ll make all night. If you say yes, you’re facing about 200 calories per slice—and these are the empty type of calories that won’t really satiate you (but will taste damn good). Plus, starting with the bread (at least for me) might make you feel like you’ve already blown your will power, so why not eat the whole pasta dish, the second drink, and the dessert? You only live once! Again, Stop. Think. If you’re obsessed with the bread at this place (I’m talking, warm, glutenous, fresh-from-the-oven bread) then go for it, but make this your one splurge, commit to a lighter main course and pass on dessert.

2. Plan to splurge… on one thing.

You’re out at a restaurant, enjoy yourself. Pick something that makes you feel like you’re treating yourself—a glass (or 2!) of wine, the freshly baked bread you can’t resist, a homemade pasta entrée, or the sinful chocolate dessert. Check out the menu ahead of time so you’re not fumbling over choices when the waiter approaches.

3. Beer, wine, cocktail? Yes, please.

But steer clear of anything sugary- white Russians, piña coladas, daiquiris, even mojitos and margaritas can set you back 200-400 calories, spike your blood sugar, and make you hungrier so you’re likely to eat more. Plus, sugary concoctions slide down a little too quickly and you’re ordering another before you know it. Instead, stick with a light beer, a glass of wine, champagne, or a simple cocktail like a vodka-soda or tequila-soda with a splash of fruit juice, all of which clock in under 150 calories. Drinks made with bitter spirits can also slow your slurp—think: Aperol, Campari, Gin, Mezcal. And if you’re extending your dry January (ps. you rock) ask the bartender to make you a bitter mocktail.

4. Still, sparkling, or tap? Order the fancy water.

This seems completely moronic. Pay for water?! But hear me out, there’s a psychological reason for this. If you pay for the fancy bottle of Pellegrino, you’re much more likely to drink it all, and this water will serve 2 very important functions. First, it’ll fill you up so you won’t eat as much as you would have on an empty stomach. And second, it’ll hydrate you and help neutralize the effects of the alcohol the next morning.

5. Start with an appetizer? Heck no.

Apps are traditionally fried, greasy, carby… in other words, so delicious you won’t be able to control your hunger, and before you know it you’ve just downed an entire meal’s worth before the entrees even hit the table. I say pass. But if you simply must order one, avoid the obvious fried dough offenders and cheese-carb combos. Stick with shrimp cocktail, hummus, or even meatballs—the protein will help satiate you. Just be sure to share it, cap it at a few tasty bites to quench your curiosity, and then focus on the conversation.

6. Find produce, pair it with protein.

The combo of fiber and protein fills you up and steadies your blood sugar so you stay satisfied. It also showers your body with nutrition. Train your eyes to seek out dishes centered on non-starchy produce as the base—salads, sautéed greens, brothy vegetable soups—and build from there. If it doesn’t feature any protein, add some! Think: grilled shrimp, chicken, salmon, beef, or vegetarian options like black beans, lentils, chickpeas, or tofu. And curb the starch/carb intake at about the size of the palm of your hand, or nix it altogether if you feel like you’ll be satisfied without it. Some of my favorite things to order are the grilled fresh fish with seasonal veggies, a black bean burger sans top bun, or a big green salad with a vinaigrette and sautéed shrimp.

Jessica is a NYC-based nutritionist and registered dietitian. She has a private nutritional counseling practice, where she helps real people lose real weight (no fancy detoxes here) and live better. She is also the Director of Nutrition for Joy Bauer at Nourish Snacks. Some fun facts about Jessica: She’s a science nerd and chocolate addict who loathes exercise but loves to be active. For more healthy tips and recipes, check out Jessica’s site.

The post Nutritionist’s Guide: Dining Out appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

Shirt / Blazer / Boyfriend Jeans

Earlier this week, I had a really bad day. Like one of the worst. Let me explain: I woke up to my poor little pup having diarrhea all over his bed (and himself). Having never had my own dog before, this was not something that I knew how to deal with in a graceful way. Talk about reality check!

So now it’s 7:00am and I’m ready to move forward with my day. Of course I get my period at that very moment. Lovely. I decide to take it all in stride and head to my 10:00am teeth cleaning which I always weirdly enjoy. At the dentist, I learned that I had to have an emergency root canal that afternoon. At just the time when the freezing rain was supposed to begin. Seriously? I couldn’t catch a break.

Sounds like a crap day, am I right? Well it was and I could have spent it feeling sorry for  myself, but instead, in stepped my friend Amanda, one of the few gals that I’ve really connected with here in Connecticut since I’ve moved out of the city. Amanda showed up after my root canal with a bottle of wine and a loaf of my favorite gluten-free bread from Le Pain Quotidien.

After a couple of glasses of wine, I was laughing (albeit with an awk Novocain half-smile) and feeling genuinely happy, which I didn’t think was possible after that sh*tstorm of a day (literally). Since she is a successful holistic health coach who helps people feel healthy and happy every day for a living, we got into a discussion about how to live a healthier and happier life. These five tips were what she came up with.

She recommended that I join her 21-day Healthy Happy Free program, which I’m going to do (yay!), but in the meantime, here is a preview of what she has to offer:

1.  Prepare

Plan ahead and set aside at least two hours on Sunday or Monday to set yourself up for success for the week. Spend 30-60 miutes at the store picking out foods that are easy to batch-cook such as nuts, seeds, whole grains, greens, sweet potatoes, and fruits. Prepare anything that requires more time than you’re willing to put in during the week. Make a batch of brown rice, quinoa, oats for breakfast, and sweet potatoes. Chop as many veggies as you can so weeknight meals are a breeze!

2. Hydrate

It’s common to mistake thirst for hunger, so when you feel a hunger pang coming on, try drinking 8oz of room temperature water before you reach for the chocolate. The rule of thumb is to consume 1 liter of water per 50 lbs of body weight throughout the day (e.g if you weigh 130 lbs, drink 2.25 liters of water/day). Don’t be afraid to have fun with your H20. Mix it up by drinking tea or flavoring your water with lemons, limes, fresh mint or any frozen fruit.

3. Focus on Nutrient-Dense Foods

One of the fastest ways to see success in any diet is by choosing more nutrient-dense foods. Look for foods that are as close to nature as possible. For example, swap in whole eggs for egg whites, sugars that are natural to our environment (like maple syrup or honey) instead of artificial sweeteners, and real grass-fed butter in place of over-processed margarine. Despite popular belief, sometimes eating foods that are higher in fat but closer to the whole food, will help you lose weight and feel more vibrant.

4. Indulge Cravings

In the past several years, cravings have taken on a negative connotation, but they don’t necessarily deserve their reputation.  Cravings are the body’s way of telling us that something outside of what we’re eating on a daily basis is desired. They are a natural occurence and it’s important to learn how to read them and understand what youe body is trying to tell you. For example, if you crave sweet treats, it could be a sign that something outside of food is missing in your life. If you crave chocolate during “that time of the month”, it could be a sign that you’re deficient in magnesium, so no need to feel guilty. You actually “need” it! Just choose an organic, dark chocolate version.

5. Think Positively

We saved the best for last! Having a postitive mindset is the cornerstone for getting anywhere in your health and wellness journey. People who are “happy” aren’t gifted, they just believe in themselves and skew to a positive attitude no matter the situation.

Want to feel healthy and happy every day of the year? Sign up for Amanda’s 21-day Healthy Happy Free Meal Plan & Lifestyle Program today! Use code LEMONSTRIPES for 15% off.

The post 5 Ways to Get Healthier and Happier Now appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

Dress c/o Vineyard Vines

Turning 30 was a milestone, but as my 31st birthday approaches, it’s dawning on me that I’m actually…”in my 30s”. It’s not all that scary and I have a feeling this decade is going to be the best one yet, but it does make me think twice about protecting myself in ways that I never thought to before.

I’m more religious about wearing sunscreen, I have to be a lot more careful about what I eat, and although I’ve had perfect vision for my whole life, I’m afraid to lose that so protecting my eyes has become a weird new obsessions of mine!

Here are the rules that I follow to keep my eyes healthy. Obviously I’m not an eye doctor so take it all with a grain of salt!

1. Follow the 20/20/20 rule. 

About a year ago I learned this rule and it changed my life. This is how to do it: While you’re working, look away from your computer screen every 20 minutes for at least 20 seconds, trying to look at least 20 feet away. It not only gives you a quick break and something to look forward to, but it gives your eyes a break from the harsh light of your electronics I set a timer to do this so I won’t forget. It actually prevents the headaches that I used to get from staring at my screen all day!

2. Wear sunglasses. 

I definitely take a lot of heat for wearing sunglasses all the time but my eyes are sensitive and it’s hard for me to be outside in sunlight (let alone take pictures) without some serious squinting. I recently found out that (the right kind of) sunglasses not only prevent my squinting problem but block 99% of potentially harmful UVA and UVB rays.

3. Eat for your vision. 

Like many things, protecting your eyes starts from the inside out. Nutrients like omega-3s, zinc, and vitamins C have been known to help prevent age-related vision problems. Eating foods that contain these nutrients can help lead to good eye health. Here are some examples:

• Green, leafy vegetables like spinach and kale
• Salmon, tuna, and other oily fish
• Eggs, nuts, beans, and other non-meat protein sources
• Grapefruits and other citrus fruits or juices

4. Get them checked.

Eyes are constantly changing, that’s why a yearly eye exam is recommended. Think about it, as a woman you never skip a year gyno visit but why is it so easy to forget an eye exam?

Don’t take your vision and the roll that your eyes play in life for granted! LensCrafters created the Eye Am Unique app to show how unique your eyes are compared to eye colors around the world. No matter what color they are, remember how important your eyes are and why it’s important to take good care of them with my tips. Discover how unique your eyes are compared to eye colors around the world here.

Check out my eye color profile below!

Thank you to LensCrafters for sponsoring this post. Every eye is as unique as the person behind it. Download the new Eye Am Unique app: http://bit.ly/eyeauios

The post Healthy Eyes appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

One of the questions that I’m most often asked in my Monday Snapchat Q&As is about my workout routine. I wish I could say I have it down to an art and that I’m super in shape… I mean I’m married to an incredible personal trainer, you’d think I’d be on top of my game, right? Not so much.

I have a weird relationship with working out but if I’m whether I’m on an off week or an on month, I’ve only really come to accept this sometimes toxic love affair in the last few months.

When I was young and single I used to go to the gym every day. EVERY. Day. Honestly? No idea how I had time for that. Today that’s just not realistic nor is it something that I have any interest in doing. This is how I roll these days…

I try to workout three times a week for three different purposes.

Toning:
I work out once a week with my husband Anel who has a private training studio in Greenwich that you should def look into if you live in my area. I’m not just saying this because he’s my husband but he’s amazing at what he does. The workout he does is a one-on-one super slow high-intensity weight training session that lasts for only 30 minutes. He recommends that you do this once a week, not more, so that your muscles have time to recover.

Out of all my workouts this one, for sure, makes the biggest impact on the way that my body looks. The results are near instant and I can feel it for days afterwards. If you don’t live in our ‘hood, try his 20-minute at home workout that I promise will make your muscles burn.

Sweating it Out:
While I love working out at Countdown, I also love a serious sweat so I try to go to SoulCycle once a week for my fix. My favorite instructors in Greenwich are Conor, Nina, and Ryan F. who all have very different styles but all manage to have me literally dripping in sweat after 50 minutes.

Nina actually put together an amazing summer workout mix especially for you guys on Spotify. Take a listen here– I love her taste in music which is part of why I love her classes so much.

Clearing My Head:
One of the reasons why I love to work out is because I love the feeling of a clear head. I often have my best ideas and moments of clarity while running (more like jogging, I’m pretty slow) so I try to strap on my sneaks and pound the pavement at least once a week as well. I’ve never been a great runner but as I get older and realize that the speed doesn’t really matter, I’ve learned to push myself hard enough for a good workout but not hard enough that it feels awful.

Now that we have Boots, sometimes I’ll take him with me which is fun but can be kind of annoying because he gets distracted unless I can take him off-leash somewhere.

Motivating Myself:
This is the hard part for me. I’m envious of people like my sister who make exercise a priority and seem to always make it happen come hell or high water. Me? I’m more of an excuse girl. I’m generally too tired, too busy, or too (fill in the blank) to want to get moving. What I learned from Gretchen Rubin’s new book about habits is that I am more motivated by others… as in if I have someone holding me accountable, I’m way more likely to do the task at hand.

I’ve been trying to talk to my husband and sister more about working out so that they remind me and push me to do it, and I’ve been Snapchatting my workouts more (when I remember!) so that you guys hold me accountable in a way as well.

How do motivate yourself to work out and what are your favorite ways to sweat?

The post My Workout Routine appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

One of the blog posts that you guys asked me for over on Snapchat is a food diary. Almost every week in my Monday Q&A, someone asks me to share a food diary so I figured this was a good time to start! I finally spent three days a few weeks ago writing down every single thing that I ate to share with you. I was completely honest and documented exactly what I ate so no fibbing!

That being said, I also kept it a little cleaner than usual because I knew that I’d be sharing this all publicly. Whenever I’ve done food diaries in the past, even if just for me, I clean up my act, knowing that I’ll have to see in writing what I ate. For people who are Type A like me, it’s not a bad way to stay on track… As long as you don’t get too obsessive about it.

I tried to include links to the exact products and recipes that I ate, but let me know if you have any questions. I’d love to hear your feedback as well on whether or not you like this type of post! I might do a month-long version about my fitness routine if this resonates.

Day 1: Tuesday

Morning Tea (7:30am)- Green tea. Boots is going in to get surgery today so I’m too nervous to eat before I drop him off at 8:00.

Breakfast (9:00am)- The Clean Green Protein smoothie from Juice Press. I’m about to head to work out with Madison (she works for my husband at Countdown) so I know I need some fuel in the form of protein or I’ll pass out… the workout is no joke!

Snack (10:30am)- Handful of tamari almonds. So hungry after an intense workout so I eat a handful of one of my all time favorite snacks. I buy them in bulk at Whole Foods.

Lunch (12:00pm)- Asian chicken salad from Whole Foods. Not too exciting but it does the job and I actually love this salad more than I should. I get it at the salad bar there.

12:30pm- Small handful of dark chocolate chips (these are the best, trust me) and a spoonful of peanut butter. I’m a firm believer in lunch dessert if it’s clean and simple.

Snack (3:00pm)- Gluten free crackers (I like these) and my favorite ever mango sriracha hummus. I honestly don’t know how people go from lunch to dinner without a snack. And for those of you who say “I forgot to eat lunch!”, you’re an alien as far as I’m concerned. Also, I’m a hummus addict.

Dinner (7:30pm)- Sweet potato noodle salad (recipe here), miso glazed salmon (I simply baked wild caught salmon with white miso spread on top and it’s incredible), cucumber salad. This dinner was great! I put in a little extra effort because I knew I was going to be sharing it with you.

8:00pm- A bowl of blueberries and cut up red plums

Night Tea (9:00pm)- Chamomile tea

Day 2: Wednesday

Breakfast (7:30am)- Green tea and gluten free bread (I’ve tried a lot of varieties and this one is my go-to) with grass fed butter, mashed avocado, a hard boiled egg, and hot sauce.

Snack (10:00am)- Green juice

Lunch (12:00pm)- Leftover salmon and sweet potato noodles. I’m a big leftover eater. I always make extra of dinner so Anel and I can have healthy lunches without having to go out and spend $15 on a salad or whatever.

12:30pm- I’m feeling slightly under the weather so I drink a juice made with orange, ginger, cayenne, and oil of oregano in place of my usual lunch dessert.

Snack (5:00pm)- Gluten free crackers with hummus and a grapefruit La Croix. I told you I’m an addict!

Dinner (8:00pm)- Vegan kale caesar with baked herbed chicken breasts. Anel gets home from work around this time so we eat late on most weeknights which I don’t love or recommend.

8:30pm- Two squares of dark chocolate.

Night Tea (9:30pm)- Chamomile tea

Day 3: Thursday

8:30am- Spinach and egg scramble with hot sauce, gluten free toast, and iced green tea. I got a late start this morning!

10:00am- Gingerade Kombucha to boost immunity. Still feeling a little sniffle.

Lunch (12pm)- Leftover chicken with a vegan caesar salad and an apricot La Croix. I put leftover dressing from last night on romaine lettuce with tomatoes, and avocado.  Yum!

12:30pm- Spoonful of peanut butter with dark chocolate chips. It’s just too good…

Snack (3:30pm)- 1 cup of grass-fed beef bone broth and a handful of blueberries. I usually order my broth this company and love it. It’s pricey but worth it in my opinion.

Dinner (7:00pm)- BBQ chicken, grilled corn, mushrooms and onions, and salad. We went to our friends’ house for dinner and luckily they cooked us a delicious and healthy meal!

Obviously this was three weekdays and I indulge/drink more on the weekends so I’m thinking for my next go-round I’ll share a Friday-Sunday food diary. Is that something you would want to see?

The post My Food Diary appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

One of the things that I’m most proud of as an adult, is my ability to plan and cook great, homemade meals every week. Not only do I plan for dinners, but I try to make sure that Anel and I both have a home-cooked lunch at least three days per week (his coworkers get pretty jealous). This is both cost effective and a healthier option, as it’s easy to stock up on extra junky food when buying lunch on the fly.

My yet-to-be-patented meal-planning system seems complicated, but once you break it down, it’s really not! It takes dedication and a bit of time, but in the long run, you’ll be so happy eating healthier meals and spending less on food, I promise. I used this same system when I was working a full time job and blogging, and the only difference in my plan is that now I make recipes that are a bit more complex.

I use a three-step method for the least amount of stress during a week. It includes: Planning, shopping, and prepping. Let me explain…

Planning:
On Sundays, I’ll go through some recipes that I’ve bookmarked throughout the week and decide what I’m going to make for dinners the following week. I write out the ingredients for each dinner and am sure to make at least four servings so we can have leftovers for lunch the following day. I’ll go over the list with Anel to make sure he’s down with what’s on the docket.

Shopping:
Based on the plan we come up with for meals, I’ll create a shopping list. I hate all the fancy shopping apps, so I always do it in the Notes app on my iPhone. I divide the list into produce, meat, frozen, and other, so that I can easily navigate my list while navigating the store. Usually I do this shopping on Sunday afternoon/evening, but if we’re traveling over the weekend, which is fairly often, I push it to Monday

Prepping:
I try to always prepare the following dishes/sides on Sunday nights to have options for the week to come. Having these in tupperware (Always glass, we’re a BPA-free house! I love this set.) when I go to start making dinner, makes everything so much easier and less stressful.

Because I work from home, this also helps me take speedier lunch breaks, if I’m not going out with a friend or for a meeting. The entire process of prepping everything below takes about an hour, which might seem annoying that night, but I promise it pays off every time. Pop a bottle of wine, play your favorite tunes, and make it a thing. Do it with a roommate or partner to make it go by faster!

Brown rice:
I try to always make 4 cups (cooked) of brown rice for stir-fries throughout the week. I always use it all, even if not for meals. A great snack is to heat it up with a little bit of butter and cinnamon!

Quinoa:
I like to add quinoa to salads, soups, and stir-fried with veggies as a side. Having this pre-made makes it a breeze.

Roasted vegetables:
This is more of a fall addition, but ’tis the season so I’ll include it in my list. I’ll cut up a yellow onion, sweet potatoes, squash, shallots, carrots, and garlic and roast them with salt, pepper, and olive oil. It’s so simple and a great addition to any salad or as a side.

Roasted chicken breast:
I will roast one or two chicken breasts and then slice them up to put on salads towards the beginning of the week. Sometimes I’ll heat them up with some of the roasted veggies for a dinner on Tuesday or Wednesday if I have a particularly busy day.

Slow cooker chili:
Ok so it doesn’t have to be chili, but on Sundays, during the colder months, I try to always cook a soup or stew in the crock pot. I love my turkey chili, but have been playing around with some new recipes lately too. I made a white bean/kale/quinoa soup last week that was to die for. I’ll share that recipe soon! I cook enough for dinner on Sunday as well as leftovers for both of us for lunch the next day. That way, even if I don’t get to any of the other items on my list, Monday lunch is taken care of.

Breakfast prep:
In addition to prepping dinners/lunches, I like to get ahead of the breakfast game, mostly for Anel. He leaves the house at 6am for work so easy breakfasts on-the-go are a must. I make 6 hardboiled eggs for his breakfast for the next three days (if you make them too far in advance, they get kind of gross). I pre-boil the eggs and pack them up so he’s set through Wednesday. I then do this again on Wednesday nights for Thursday-Friday.

I also make us each a smoothie for Monday morning which we both usually end up drinking for a mid-morning snack. Because Mondays can be hectic, I like to have this pre-made so I don’t have to think about anything. I’m always so grateful when I find it in my fridge at around 10:30am.

Want more healthy eating tips? My friend Amanda just launched an awesome (totally free!) video series that looks at dieting and how you eat in a fresh, exciting new way. Join me and sign up here!

The post Weekly Meal Planning appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

Blazer / Pants / Tee (current favorite) / Similar Pumps / Lipstick (in Habanero)

“Excuse me, do you have a gluten free menu?”, “Can they make that without dairy?”, “I’m actually not drinking tonight, thanks though!”

All three of these phrases come out of my mouth on a daily basis. One of the most commonly asked questions I get on email and Snapchat is, “Why are you gluten free?” In truth it goes far beyond gluten, and I have some really annoying dietary restrictions, some by choice, and some not by choice. I thought I would explain those decisions and why I eat the way I do in today’s post.

Currently I’m dairy-free, mostly gluten-free, and wine free.  And on a whim, I gave up all alcohol last week until Thanksgiving. It seems like I’m on a crazy diet to lose weight, or just to be a total effing psychopath, but there is good reason for all of the changes! Read on to find out.

Dairy-Free
My issues with dairy: Growing up, I always had a stomach ache… like always. Back in those days, no one could seem to figure out the problem, even though now it seems so obvious to me! Through college I ate many a late-night pizza and still had pretty intense stomach issues, but thought that was just how I was built. It wasn’t until I went to school to become a health coach that I realized that dairy was the culprit.

How I gave it up: I gave up dairy cold-turkey for a week to see if I would feel better. That was in 2008. I have since learned that I have an allergy to whey which caused both my stomach issues and added even more symptoms to my already awful sinuses (more on that in a sec). Today, I can eat butter and ghee without any issues because they don’t contain whey, and a little parmesan here and there doesn’t kill me, but everything else is pretty much a no-go.

Relationship status: Single. Sometimes I say screw it and eat one too many bites of Anel’s ice cream cone or pizza, but I always regret it within the hour. So my current status with dairy is that I just don’t eat it at all. People always ask if I miss cheese or ice cream… Yes. I really do! Luckily there are a lot of great dairy-free options for everything from coffee creamer, to coconut milk ice cream, to yogurt, to cheese. And Daiya makes a pretty amazing gluten-free dairy-free pizza if you’re into that sort of thing (you probably aren’t by choice).

Gluten-Free
My issues with gluten: I didn’t know I had issues with gluten until I stopped eating it a few months ago. The reason I gave it up is because my acupuncturist thought it might help with my fertility issues so I thought I’d give it a go. Although I’m still not pregnant, I do feel a whole lot better which was a fun surprise. About a week after I gave it up, I started feeling more energetic. I woke up in the mornings for the first time (maybe ever?) not feeling exhausted, and I was more productive during my days.

How I gave it up: I promised myself I would try being gluten-free for 30 full days (one full menstrual cycle) to see what happened. I went cold turkey, the same way I did with dairy. Knowing that it was only for 30 days made it easier. I don’t really eat a lot of gluten anyway, but it still wasn’t easy. The best thing I’ve learned is to buy gluten free bread for things like toast with nut butters in the morning or to use for croutons in my vegan caesar. The best one I’ve found is Udi’s gluten-free millet chia bread.

Relationship status: On again off again. For the most part I’m eating a totally gluten-free diet now just because I feel so much better. That being said, if I’m at a party or event and there is no GF option, I’ll go for it. I might feel a little more sluggish the next day, but I’m okay so I try not to make a huge deal out of it. I don’t know if it’s permanent, but because I feel better, I don’t really want to go crazy with the gluten again anytime soon.

Wine-Free (for now)
My issues with wine: In addition to a stomach ache, I’ve always suffered from sinus issues. Everything from daily runny noses to pretty severe sinus infections, to polyps that I had to have removed. Giving up dairy cleared up about 50% off the issue but I still get stuffed up all the time. I’ve noticed that it gets worse when I drink wine, so I tried giving it up for a while, the same way I did with gluten. It has made a huge difference!

How I gave it up: I decided I was going to stick with clear liquors for a few weeks, tequila and vodka only, to see what happened.

Relationship status: It’s complicated. My nose is way less runny and I don’t get any headaches. But then I went to Napa so I basically had no choice. The holdiays are around the corner and my family is full of big wine drinkers so I know there is some vino in my future, but for now, I’ll stick to dirty martinis…

Alcohol-Free (until Thanksgiving)

My issues with alcohol: Um, none? I love alcohol… in moderation of course. I love wine even more than hard liquor but that had to go for a while. Giving up all alcohol kind of came about randomly. Last week, I had to go on antibiotics for a tooth infection, so I couldn’t drink for seven days. Even though I felt yucky from the medicine, I noticed that my head was clearer and even after dinners out, I woke up refreshed and without that swollen look that I sometimes get after drinking even one cocktail.

How I gave it up: Antibiotics forced me to!

Relationship status: On a break. I always end up over-indulging around the holidays so I’m giving my body a little break from the toxins of alcohol until Thanksgiving. There are definitely some nights when I really want a drink, and that kind of sucks, but the next morning I’m always really proud of myself for sticking to my guns! We’ll see if I last on this one, but so far, so good.

Giving up alcohol, even for the last week and a half, has been the toughest so far. If it were just me, I think I could handle it, but I’m realizing for the first time, how much people love to pressure other people to drink with them. It’s not a malicious thing but a friend will say, “come on have just one, we’re out!” or you’re at an event and someone just hands you a glass of wine. I’ve learned, in my short alcohol-free stint, to just take it and not try to explain if the situation is awkward. If it’s a good friend or someone you’re comfortable with, explain what’s up.

At the end of the day, some people like to make fun of the way I eat, some people love to ask a ton of questions, and some couldn’t care less. I’m at the point now where I don’t care what anyone else thinks because I finally feel like I’m living my most vibrant life, so it’s worth a little awkwardness here and there.

Do any of you have weird dietary restrictions that make your life complicated? I’d love to hear about them and how you handle it!

PS You better vote today!!!

The post Why I Eat Funny appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

Growing up, we always had freshly squeezed orange juice on the table at breakfast, and I bet a lot of you did as well. Lately, however, fruit juices have been getting a bad rap, so I’ve seen this less and less often.

Last week, Tropicana invited me down to visit their orange groves and plants to help bust the myths, celebrate the brand’s 70th anniverary, and teach me how juice is made. I don’t think I’ll ever look at a bottle of OJ again! I have a newfound appreciation for it, and am even sharing a fun little recipe for healthy gummy bears that you can make with Tropicana orange juice below.

It was such a nice treat to get two days of sunshine, and to make some new blogger friends! I was also surprised when my friend Hallie ended up there too. We hadn’t caught up in person since Napa last fall, and it was much needed.

One of my favorite facts that I learned on the trip is that their OJ is made from literally one ingredient: fresh oranges. There is no sugar or anything else added, and it’s been that way for 70 years! We visited one of the 400 groves in Florida that produces those oranges and I can say first hand that they’re handled by people who really care about the product, and keep it as natural as possible. To take it a step further, they time all of their trucks so that each batch of oranges is juiced within eight hours of harvest. They seriously don’t mess around!

Side note, the orange blossoms had bloomed at the groves when we got there, and the smell was out of this world.

Another fun fact is that orange juice is packed with folate, something important for pregnant women and women trying to conceive, as well as Vitamin C and potassium.

After visiting the groves, we checked out the actual plants where they juice the oranges. It was quite an operation, and I honestly appreciate food and beverage companies so much more now that I know how much work and care goes into their processes.

I was surprised, while tasting oranges and orange juice that I didn’t get my usual pregnancy heartburn. It inspired me to make a fun recipe using some of that juice. I’ve been craving gummy candies 24/7 lately, but they’re packed with added sugar and lots of yucky artificial flavoring.

I found this recipe for gummy bears made from three ingredients: Tropicana orange juice, Vital Proteins Grass-Fed Gelatin (which is also very healing for the gut), and honey. That’s it! You can buy the molds and droppers on Amazon for under $10.

Healthy Gummy Bears

Ingredients:
– 1 cup, Tropicana orange juice
– 2 tablespoons, honey
– 4 table spoons, Vital Proteins Grass-Fed Gelatin

Directions:
– In a small saucepan, combine the juice and honey and heat over medium heat until steaming hot (just before boiling)
– Lower the heat to low.
– Whisk in the gelatin one tablespoon at a time, making sure each tablespoon is fully dissolved in the liquid before adding the next.
– Once the gelatin is fully dissolved, remove from the heat and use a dropper to put in your gummy molds.
– Put in the refrigerator to firm up completely – if your molds are small like my gummy bears, it should only take about 10 to 15 minutes for them to firm up enough to pop out.
– Enjoy!

Thank you to Tropicana for sponsoring this post. All opinions, as always, are my own.

The post Freshly Squeezed appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

A few weeks ago I started sharing my weekly Whole Foods Market hauls on Instastories, and it’s become my most requested piece of content on social… ever! After many requests for a full blog post, I’m finally sharing my weekly shopping list, some favorite products, and tricks of the trade that I’ve learned along the way. As I was planning this post, grocery shopping in my neck of the woods got a whole lot easier when Whole Foods Market teamed up with Instacart to create the most convenient shopping experience ever! Read on to get $10 off your first order.

Staples

I always keep the following items stocked up and usually have extras because I use them so often: Peanut butter and almond butter, garlic, yellow onions, gluten free crackers, almond milk, coconut water, extra virgin olive oil, ghee, Collagen Peptides, frozen berries for smoothies, chia seeds, salted cashews and almonds, apples, hummus, Parmesan cheese, baby carrots, baby spinach (for salads, smoothies, omelettes, etc), eggs, coffee for Anel, Jasmine tea for me, and, of course, lots of La Croix!

With all of those products, I buy organic when possible.

Meal Planning

After I make sure my staples are covered, I add in products that I need for the meals I have planned for the week. On Sundays, I sit down and plan out dinners plans to carry them into leftovers for lunch the next day (read my food diary here). This will include any produce, spices, meats/fish, and whatever else I need to create those meals.

Produce

I’ll always get extra greens (kale, rainbow chard, and romaine) for salads. I try to make a salad with every lunch and dinner to get in all those healthy raw nutrients. We also always keep fresh berries and apples on hand for when we’re craving something sweet.

Snacks

You can read about 15 of my favorite healthy snacks here. Now that I’m pregnant, keeping healthy snacks on hand is more important than ever, and it will only be more so once my daughter is of snacking age!

Strategy

When we lived in the city, we used to do smaller, more frequent trips to the grocery store because it was convenient on the way home from work and it was hard to schlep a huge amount of bags down the street. Now that I live in the ‘burbs and have a car, we make a Whole Foods Market run to Darien once a week, usually on Sundays or Mondays.

I keep a running list of groceries on my phone at all times so if I run out of something, I just add it to that list. That way I won’t forget when I get to the store! I divide the list out by category: Produce, meat/fish, aisles, and frozen. That way, it’s easy to shop once there.

Luckily, Whole Foods Market recently teamed up with Instacart so that I don’t have to do any of the actual physical shopping. This has become a life saver for extra busy weeks, and once the baby comes, I have a feeling I’ll use this service weekly!

So how does it work? Sign up here, and do your shopping online. You can specify brands, amounts, and everything. Someone does the shopping for you, and all you have to do is pick it up….some areas (including NYC and parts of NJ) even deliver. Last week I literally ran in and out in under two minutes. Talk about a game changer… Even better? Starting May 4th, Whole Foods Market and Instacart will be expanding to offer full delivery from their five Fairfield County stores. Yay for me and all you locals!

For $10 off and free delivery on your first order, use code WFMLEMONSTRIPES at delivery.wholefoodsmarkets.com or instacart.com (for orders of $35 or more). Offer valid until 5/19/2017 at 11:59pm PT. And be sure to check out Whole Foods Market on Instagram

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Whole Foods Market. The opinions and text are all mine.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Whole Foods Market. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Weekly Shopping List appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

People often assume that holistic wellness practices are all pricey and time consuming, but that’s not the case! Over the last few weeks as I’ve been feeling icky and sick with what is apparently third trimester morning sickness (it’s a thing…), I’ve brought back a lot of the things that I used to do for health and wellness when living in Manhattan had me feeling not so hot. They’ve been helping a lot, and most of them are both easy and free or almost free. Yesterday, I started oil pulling again, and felt so great that I decided to scrap the post that I had scheduled today to write this one. I wanted you guys to start feeling the health benefits that I did ASAP!

For those of you who don’t know, my background is actually in holistic wellness. My husband and I are both certified health coaches and actually met while working at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.  So while I’m not a doctor or professional health practitioner of any kind, I have learned a lot about what makes your body feel it’s healthiest with natural techniques.

Here are six easy ways to feel great on a daily basis… They’re all easy to do and cost nearly nothing!

1. Oil Pulling. Yesterday morning I woke up and was about to brush my teeth when I remembered oil pulling. I used to practice this religiously when I lived in the city, but kind of fell off the bandwagon when we moved to Connecticut for some reason. I don’t know why I thought of it when I did, but I took it as a sign and went for it. It’s only been two days, but I am already reminded of why I love this cleansing practice.

What is oil pulling? It’s an ayurvedic practice that where oil is swished or held in your mouth to improve oral health and pull toxins out of your mouth that just brushing can’t do on it’s own. Some of the benefits that people describe are curing hangovers and insomnia, and clearing up skin problems like psoriasis.In my own personal experience, it has helped with headaches, hangovers, nausea, acne, and insomnia but try it for yourself if you don’t believe me!

How do you do it? When you wake up in the morning, before you brush your teeth or do anything else, take a tablespoon of coconut (or sesame) oil and swish it around your mouth for 20 minutes. “Chew” on the oil as it’s melting at the beginning, and when you’re done, spit it out in the sink or toilet, but don’t swallow it. Ayurvedic medicine claims that the oil is full of your toxins after 20 minutes of swishing, so you want to get it out of your body ASAP.

Gross, right? It is pretty gross at first, but after a day or two you get used to it and it starts to feel good. After day one your teeth will feel as clean as they do post-dentist. It’s pretty amazing! I’ve also noticed some of the other health benefits right away. Others, like helping with insomnia and acne, take about a week or so to take effect.

Read more. I love this post and this one for more information if you’re interested.

2. 4-7-8 Breathing. Dr. Weil created this breathing technique to improve sleep, but I like to use it throughout the day. It calms me down on stressful days, and the more I practice it, the more helpful it is at bedtime when I want to fall asleep quickly.

What is 4-7-8 breathing? It’s a breathing exercise that can be done anywhere, anytime. I try to practice this twice a day. Once mid-day (I set an alarm on my phone to remind me) and once before bed. It’s great for anxiety and insomnia. It’s also quite helpful if something stressful happens and you need to take a beat in the moment before reacting to something.

How do you do it? Place the tip of your tongue against the skin just behind your top front teeth, and keep it there the entire time. Start by exhaling completely through your mouth, making a “whoosh” sound (yes it’s awkward). Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a count of four. Hold your breath for a count of seven. Then exhale completely through your mouth, making that whoosh sound again to the count of eight. Repeat this three times for a total of four breaths.

The first few breaths will be difficult, and you might feel lightheaded, but trust me that it gets easier and works wonders once you get the technique down.

3. Dry Brushing. You brush your hair and your teeth every day, but have you ever thought about brushing your skin? Probably not… I love dry brushing because it’s so easy to do, takes only 5 minutes a day, feels great while you’re doing it, is super cheap (you literally only need a brush) and it has a ton of health benefits including glowing skin and who doesn’t want glowing skin? It can also help to clear up body acne and has even been said to prevent and reverse cellulite after practicing it regularly.

What is dry brushing? It’s a daily practice that exfoliates your skin by sloughing off dead skin cels with a dry brush. It also supports your lymphatic system by stimulating your lymph flow which then helps your body detoxify itself naturally.

How do you do it? Stand in your shower/tub fully naked and take a natural (not synthetic!) brush to dry skin. Start at your feet and move the brush in long sweeps towards your heart… all brushstrokes throughout the process should be toward your heart. Once you’ve moved up your entire body including arms, torso, back, butt, etc, hop in the shower to remove any extra dry skin. Make sure to moisturize after you dry off. That’s it! Try it every day for a week or two and see what happens. At the very least, I guarantee that your skin will be softer and clearer.

Read more about dry brushing here.

4. Sun Salutations.

Although they’re getting harder for me these days, sun salutations have always been one of my favorite ways to get more energized throughout the day. It’s hard to do these anywhere but at home or the gym, so I always recommend getting up and completing a few flows first thing in the morning. You can even do it while you’re oil pulling. Double whammy!

What is a sun salutation? If you’ve ever been to a Vinyasa yoga class, you’ve done a sun salutation. It’s basically a series of yoga poses that flow into each other, usually as a warm up to your yoga practice, but obviously it can also be done alone as well.

How do you do it? Watch this video for a step by step guide.

5. Essential Oils. This is the only thing on the list that isn’t free or nearly free. Essential oils can get pricey, but if you only really need a few and they last for a long time. I stick with DoTerra oils pretty much exclusively because they’re super high quality and I can smell the difference compared to other brands. I have no affiliation with them and they’re not paying me to recommend products, I just really love them!

What oils do you need? You don’t need to have a whole array of oils, just the ones that work for your ailments or needs. I like to have lemon, peppermint, and lavender stocked up at all times. This starter kit, which includes all three, will save you some money. During allergy season, this Breathe blend is a lifesaver. I also have it in a roll on for on the go usage. The last oil that I always recommend is On Guard which I use daily in the winter for immunity. I prefer the roll on for this as well and just bring it everywhere. It’s also great for travel!

How do you use them? I use my oils in two main ways. 1. I diffuse them using this diffuser (this one is also great and a little cheaper) that Anel bought me for Christmas. He bought it originally because I was so nauseous in my first trimester, and he thought it might help… Turns out, it did! If I have a headache, I diffuse peppermint oil for an hour or so and it goes away. If I’m tired, I’ll blend lemon and peppermint or just stick to lemon. At night before bed, I surround myself with the scent of lavender. If you use high quality oils, they will make a huge difference. I know it sounds like witch doctor talk, but I’m a total convert. 2. As mentioned above, I’ll use roll on oils for when I’m on the move. I dab a bit of oil on my wrists and neck and I’ll be good to go for a few hours.

6. Detox Bath. One thing that I miss most about pre-pregnancy life is my hot baths (you can’t take them when you’re pregnant!). I would sit in a steaming hot tub a few nights a week with Epsom salts and essential oils and feel so relaxed afterwards. They feel especially amazing to relax your muscles after tough workouts.

How do you do it? Draw a bath with water as hot as you can stand it. Pour in 2-3 cups of Epsom salts to draw out toxins and relieve tired muscles. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (I like lavendar for bath time personally). Relax in the tub for 15-20 minutes. You should be sweating pretty hard by the end. Keep water nearby and sip on it during your bath to stay hydrated. When you’re done, be sure to moisturize your entire body! Once a week, add a face mask at the same time.

7. Hot Lemon Water.  You’ve probably seen me talk about drinking hot lemon water in the mornings before, but I’ll say it again because I think the benefits are so worth it.

Why is it good for you? While lemons are acidic, they actually help alkalize your system. Drinking it can balance your internal pH and activate liver, flushing away toxins. Another great benefit is that drinking it daily aids in weight loss.

Read about more reasons to drink warm lemon water here.

How do you do it? Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to hot water in a mug. Sip it in the morning after oil pulling and before breakfast.

What did I miss? Do you have any favorite daily wellness rituals?

The post 7 Daily Wellness Practices appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

I’ve never been a big meat eater. My mom loves to tell the story that as a baby and small child, I refused anything with meat in it despite her best efforts. At age 14 I decided I was going to be a vegetarian (not vegan), and that lasted for almost two full years. I don’t really know why I chose to do that, but it just felt right at the time. When I moved to Italy my junior year of high school, I started eating meat and fish again, but am still weird about it to this day.

When I lived alone in my early 20s, I would cook mostly vegetarian meals for myself, pasta dishes, veggie-based stir fries, and salads… lots of salads.

And then I met Anel, a Bosnian meat-eater that needs it daily to survive. That’s when things started to shift a little. I remember not feeling squeamish touching raw chicken breasts for the first time about six months into our relationship. It sounds silly but it felt like a milestone to me.

Now I can touch, marinate, and cook meat and fish no problem, but the problem is that don’t usually want it or crave it, and since I’ve been pregnant, it completely turns me off in a whole new way.

Because I am so meat averse but I need protein to function, I’ve come up with a handful of ways to incorporate it into my diet without eating too much meat.

Collagen Peptides

I’ve talked about these time and time again but using collagen peptide powder has consistently been the easiest way to incorporate protein into almost anything that I eat. I put them in my morning smoothies but also mix them into brown rice or quinoa. The key is to only mix the powder into what you’re eating at the moment, not something that will become leftovers. It will ruin the consistency.

Protein Pasta

I know I know, enough already about the protein-packed pasta dish I’m obsessed with. But I can’t and won’t stop because I’m just that into it!

Beef Liver Supplements

I started taking these when my acupuncturist recommended them for fertility. Once I started taking them daily, my energy shot through the roof and I started feeling amazing. I’ve never looked back. Animal liver is an insanely amazing source of nutrients and these grass fed beef liver pills are my go-to.

Nuts/Nut Butters

I’ve been a peanut butter addict for as long as I can remember, so eating it is another easy way for me to get protein. I alternate between it and almond butter, and try to snack on raw nuts throughout the day.

Chia Seeds

I add these nutrient-packed seeds to my smoothies, oatmeal, and pretty much every salad I ever eat (either on top or mixed into my dressings). They’re packed with protein and Omega-3’s and fill you up because they expand in your stomach. Plus they have no flavor so you can sprinkle them anywhere and will hardly notice a difference.

Eggs

I love eggs, and not just for breakfast! If you buy them at your local farmer’s market or look for “pasture raised” on the carton, you’ll love them even more. The yolks come out almost orange and the flavor is 100x better. I usually scramble them with spinach and Parmesan cheese, but have been using this technique to perfect my poaching to put on top of stir fries, salads, and avocado toast. It feels quite decadent when done correctly!

Beans

I eat a ton of hummus and often sub it in for grilled chicken on salads. Another favorite way to eat beans is by sautéing white beans with garlic, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and chopped kale. Yum!

Cheese

While I’ve had a dairy problem since I was a kid, that has dissipated with pregnancy, so I’m livin’ it up with all of the cheese ever. I’ve also been craving it like crazy! My favorite ways to eat it are by adding feta and goat cheese to salads, making Caprese with mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, and in quesadillas… to which I’m now addicted.

Meats that Sit Well

Because there’s no real substitute for the real thing, I try to eat meat and fish in ways that don’t make me feel nauseous. I like to bread chicken breasts with almond meal instead of breadcrumbs, and will often make that for dinner on top of my kale Caesar or a side of veggies and brown rice.

I also don’t have any problem with burgers for some reason, so Anel and I make our own out of grass-fed beef, salt, pepper, garlic powder and that’s it! We top them off with grilled onions, tomato, lettuce, cheddar, and pickles. Sometimes we skip the bun, but sometimes we go for it because YOLO. Dream meal!

Just remember to limit beef and dairy as they both create a big carbon footprint. If you’re eating locally raised, organic beef, it’s definitely better, but I try to limit my beef intake to once a week.

The post How I Incorporate Protein Into My Diet appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

I’ve been wanting to write this post for a while, but couldn’t figure out how to organize it. I finally sat down this weekend and thought about the different areas in my life and how I incorporate a wellness “philosophy” into each. Even if you don’t read the full post, what I want you to take away is that I, like most people, am not perfect and don’t even strive to be. Wellness to me means living my happiest, healthiest life and that doesn’t always mean eating organic food or exercising five times a week.

There’s something to be said for living “la dolca vita”: Prioritizing rest, having that glass of wine or cookie, getting a manicure without feeling guilty about the chemicals, and enjoying life to it’s fullest. As long as the wine and cookies are in moderation, of course!

Of course if we had millions of dollars, it would be easier to live a more Gwyneth-inspired, raw diet-eating, daily yoga-practicing type of life but without that kind of cash flow, it’s pretty impossible.

So I hope you enjoy my thoughts on how to live a healthy and happy life. It might not be the same as yours, and that’s ok! Everyone is different and wellness probably means something different to each and every one of you. I encourage you to focus on living your best life and not judging others for their decisions.

If home girl wants her Diet Coke, explain why aspartame is terrifying and then move on. Maybe she has one a month and it brings her more joy than your green juice!

Food

When Anel and I met, we had both recently graduated from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and were working there. I was going through a health issue where my homeopathic doctor had recommended a super strict diet of no sugar, gluten, dairy, or alcohol. I somehow sustained that diet for six months, and while my issue cleared up for the most part, I was miserable. I started dating Anel, and he helped me realize that I could be healthy and fix my problem without being so regimented. When I finally gave in and brought back some of those foods in moderation, I felt happier and healthier.

The problems I had fixed stayed away, but I was living a more fulfilled life that included bagels… and a glass of wine now and then!

After years of playing around with how we eat, our current philosophy is to eat clean, whole, and organic food 80% of the time, and let it go the other 20%. If you try to be perfect all day every day, you can turn into a crazy (and very annoying) person, and that’s not who we wanted to be. When it’s hot out, we’ll go get ice cream, on summer weekends, we might eat a lobster roll on (gasp) white bread, and on road trips, there’s no shame in our gas station snack game.

Dairy: While I’ve been dairy-free for about 10 years now because of a whey allergy, Anel eats dairy when he wants to, but not too often. Since I’ve been pregnant, I’ve been able to eat dairy with no problems, but I’m assuming that my issues will come back postpartum so I’m not counting on keeping it in my diet for very long. When we do eat dairy, we try to keep it to sheep/goat milk because it’s easier to digest and better for the environment.

Gluten: When I was trying to get pregnant, I went 100% gluten free for a few months based on Aimee’s recommendation. I felt amazing and so energetic! Now, I eat gluten when I really crave it, but if there is a GF option, I’ll go that route. It’s not because I have an allergy or anything like that, I just seem to feel better when I steer clear. Anel is a little more strict, but allows himself gluten once or twice a week. We try to keep GF snacks and bread in the house so that we’re not as tempted on a day-to-day basis.

Sugar: I try to stay on top of our processed sugar intake because it makes us both feel lethargic in the long run. I manage this by making lots of fruit salads and having sweeter fruits on hand at all times to curb our cravings. I know that a lot of anti-sugar people say that eating a plum is the same as eating candy, but I can’t get behind that logic. A plum has a lot of other nutrients as well as fiber that helps you digest the sugar in a different way. Plus it’s natural, from the ground! So basically, fruit is a go in our house.

Alcohol: Obviously right now I can’t drink, but in general, we try to keep drinking to weekends only and then one night per week. When we do drink, it’s rarely more than one or two glasses of wine or cocktails. That being said, we both believe in a fun drunken night out once in a while because #yolo. Although as we get older, the hangovers are getting less and less worth it. When we do get over served, we chug coconut water before bed to help with the repercussions.

Processed Foods: We try to stay away from them when possible, but we live in America in 2017 so we’re realistic. The 80/20 rule applies here too.

Beauty

The reason I actually had the idea to write this post in the first place is because of your questions/comments on my beauty posts lately. A lot of you were confused as to why I was using a non-natural product, so hopefully this explains it more! For my full beauty routine, read this post. It’s a little old and I’ve added in some new products, but mostly it’s still spot on. I’ll get around to updating it eventually.

As with food, my strategy is to go for the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time I use natural and organic products, and 20% of the time, I use other products that help with skin or hair issues that I’m having or that make me feel good.

For example, I highlight my hair every four weeks and get a manicure weekly. Both of these things make me happy, and while I know they’re not great for me, they make me happy so I do it anyway! A good tip for manicures is to bring your own base and top coat so that you avoid “the big 3” in some way. I use Zoya’s Anchor Base Coat and Armor Top Coat which are Big-3-Free.

Another example is sunscreen. I’ve never found a natural one that works so I go for as clean as possible but not perfect. Getting burned isn’t worth it!

As with beauty, we live by the same rule when it comes to cleaning supplies. We keep the chemicals to a minimum as much as possible, but I find that the bathtub never really gets as clean without a little extra power. So every other week, we use a product with bleach. Maybe that makes me an awful human but I like a clean shower, what can I say!

Exercise

I have a weird relationship with exercise… It’s not something I love doing, but once I start, I always feel better. You can read about my normal workout routine here. While I try to stick to that or something like that, it doesn’t always happen. I’m never hard on myself about it, and I think that’s what makes my relationship to working out healthier. If I miss a workout, it’s not a big deal! If I miss a week or more, then I start to feel bad physically, so I’m motivated to get back on the wagon.

Physical Health

People often assume that I hate doctors and medicine, but that is far from the truth. My approach is usually to try and solve physical problems naturally first (unless it’s an emergency) and then take a more traditional approach.

For example, if I have a headache, I’ll scan my list of usual culprits first (Am I dehydrated? Tired? Hungry?) and try to fix the cause before popping an Advil to cure the symptoms. If I’ve done everything I can like drink water, take a 10 minute rest, apply peppermint oil, and nothing works? Then Advil it is!

It was the same way with our fertility journey. I wanted to do everything in my power to naturally get pregnant, and if that hadn’t worked, we were going to move onto the next step medically. It took a little extra patience, but I’m so glad I did things on my own terms.

Overall, I like the “treating the cause not the symptoms” approach which is why I get regular acupuncture. Chinese medicine is inline with that belief, and I believe it’s kept me healthier than ever over the last five years. If you haven’t tried it, I highly suggest giving it a shot. Plus it’s often covered by insurance!

FYI I have nothing against the medical community by any means, I prefer to do things this way because it works for me! Modern medicine is an incredible thing, and I always use it when I need it.

I’m curious, what is your wellness philosophy?

The post My Wellness Philosophy appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

I’ve never really been a “sweet person” before. I could always skip dessert without a second thought, but if there was a bowl of tortilla chips with guac? Forget it! Salty has been my lifelong jam… Until recently. I finally understand what people are talking about when they say they can’t control themselves with sugar, and it’s rough.

I used to get so frustrated with Anel when he couldn’t stop with the desserts, but now I feel bad. The sugar addiction is real, and I now know the feeling of not being able to stop yourself. After a big birthday weekend of overindulging, I felt like today was the perfect day to get back on track and remember some of my favorite tricks.

Despite how difficult it can be, there are some steps you can take to ease up on your daily sugar intake. I used to use some of these tips with clients when I was health coaching, and they really work to break the cycle.

1. Eat more healthy fats.

I find that if I don’t eat enough fats throughout the day, my sugar cravings are more intense. I try to get enough oils (olive oil, coconut oil, ghee), nuts (a handful of almonds, peanut butter), or avocado to keep my body satiated with the good kind of fats.

2. Try something else first.

At this point we all know that more water throughout the day makes us fuller for longer, but in the moment when I’m craving something sweet, I try to chug a big glass of water with lemon or berries first, and it usually fills me up and distracts me. If that doesn’t work, I go for a piece of fruit. or a handful of berries or cherries. If I still want something sweet after waiting 10 minutes post water and fruit, then I’ll try a square or two of dark chocolate. If that still isn’t enough, I usually just give in. I’m human, after all!

But those three steps usually do the job. The trick is to wait 10 minutes after the fruit and another 10 after the chocolate and usually in that period the craving disappears into thin air like magic.

3. Eat berries and fruit.

The tip above is great for when cravings hit, but I try to avoid them before they even start by prepping fruit for dessert after lunch and/or dinner every day. I often chop up a few different things (currently loving peaches with blueberries) and put them in a bowl with a fresh piece of mint so it feels like a real dessert.

In the summer, we eat a ton of watermelon and cherries and a fun snack that I love is frozen grapes. In the winter, I’ll chop up apples and make a little dipping sauce by putting nut butter in a bowl with cinnamon and a dash of vanilla extract.

Smoothie bowls are also great fruit-based dessert options!

4. Go cold turkey for a week.

If you have a serious problem with sugar, like you need it every day multiple times a day, a good detox is always the best answer in my opinion. That doesn’t mean you need to cut it out forever, just a short period of time to reset your systems. I always suggest a week but you could go longer if you feel like it. Cut out all processed sugars including maple syrup, honey, agave, etc. Look at labels and be strict! If you can cut sweet fruits like bananas and cherries, that will help too. Stick with berries (fresh not dried) for when the cravings hit.

5. Indulge every so often.

Going cold turkey is great but not for the long haul. No one in their right mind could survive it! Let yourself enjoy sugar once in a while, but make it special. Savor every bite and don’t wolf it down. In the summer, go out for ice cream and eat it slowly. In the winter, eat that slice of pie and fully appreciate all of it’s flavors.

Some healthier substitutes

Craving ice cream? I make my “banana ice cream” by blending frozen bananas, coconut milk, vanilla extract, and whatever flavor I’m craving (usually strawberries).

Craving chocolate? Try three squares of dark chocolate and savor every small bite.

Craving fruity candy? Eat a berry bowl with a drizzle of honey or frozen grapes.

Craving cookies? Eat 3-4 dates or a whole apple, chopped up with peanut butter and cinnamon.

The post How to Curb Sweet Cravings appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

I feel like every blogger I follow is constantly writing about their morning routine. I have too, in the past. And while I sometimes wish my mornings were still filled with sun salutations, oil pulling, and 10 minutes of meditation, they’re not. But in a way, they’re better because I appreciate the quiet and fill it with things that both make me feel centered and are productive.

I never set an alarm anymore. Turns out when you have a baby, you get one for free, ha! Despite that fact, I’ve been waking up consistently between 6:30-6:45am every morning. It’s been great because it gives me 45-60 minutes of morning time before Amalia gets up and mommy duty begins. That might not seem like a lot but for all my mamas out there, you know how luxurious even a few minutes can be.

Wake up: Whenever I wake up, I do the usual morning things like brush my teeth, wash my face, tone, moisturize, and put on deodorant. Most people I know like to lounge in PJs in the mornings, but I like to feel like I have a handle on the day early and part of that is getting dressed ASAP. Granted, I work from home so that usually consists of yoga pants and a sweater or slouchy tee… so basically PJs but slightly more chic. I also throw my hair up put on a little make up. It sounds crazy since I’m home most days, but it makes me more productive later on for some reason.

Caffeinate: I don’t drink coffee… I know, such a weirdo. It makes me jittery and anxious so I only have it on special occasions or if I’m insanely exhausted. I’ve always been a green tea kind of gal but lately I’ve been drinking black Earl Grey with just a dash of coconut milk creamer. It feels indulgent like a cup of coffee with cream and sugar, even though it’s not.

Read the news: Sitting down with the New York Times would be nice and all, but it’s not in the cards so I sit with my tea and read The Skimm every morning. At this point in time, that’s about all I can handle anyway without feeling depressed.

Puppy snuggles: I never want Boots to feel like he’s second fiddle to the baby, but let’s be honest, I definitely have less time for him than I used to and it breaks my heart. While I read the news and sip my tea, we snuggle on the one couch he’s allowed to sit on. It’s important for him to get some one on one time with me, so that’s where we squeeze it in every day.

Eat breakfast: Because this time is so limited, I try to make my breakfasts quick but healthy. My go-tos are instant oatmeal (unsweetened/unflavored) with a scoop of collagen peptides, chia seeds, a dash of maple syrup, a pinch of salt, and a spoonful of almond butter. It is so fast but so good. When it’s warmer out, I make a Daily Harvest smoothie and add protein and almond butter. (PS you can use code LEMONSTRIPES at Daily Harvest for 3 free smoothies!)

Wake the baby: If Amalia isn’t awake by 7:30 (She usually wakes up around 7:15), I wake her up for her first feed of the day. Before I go in, I make sure I’m calm and ready to make her my priority for the next hour or so until she goes back down for her first nap of the day. If I have a bunch of tasks that need to be done, I try to do them either before this, or wait until after she’s down so that I can give her my full attention.

Ok mamas, what do your morning routines look like? Do you also wake up before your babies to get some me time?

My fleece, before you ask!

The post My New Morning Routine appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

This is kind of a random topic, but it’s what has been on my mind front and center lately, so I thought I would sit down and organize my thoughts which then turned into a blog post. December is an exciting but stressful month for a lot of people, myself included.

Exciting because of the holidays. Stressful because of the holidays… And a busy season at work for both me and Anel.

But this year, instead of binging on peppermint bark and putting of my workout goals until January, I’m setting a bunch of goals so that my physical and mental health are in the best shape possible, while still indulging in a hot toddy here and there… and maybe some peppermint bark too (ok definitely).

This is my plan, and I’m hoping you guys will hold me responsible for sticking to it!

Physical Health
This is where it all started. I was back on track in the fall then kind of just went downhill when holiday candy/cookies/everything started popping up everywhere. It’s not about how much I weigh, but about how I feel, which is icky, when I don’t take care of my body.

Workout with my trainer: I’m scheduled to workout once/week with Madison through Christmas. I’m super lucky to be married Anel (for many reasons), but one is that I get free personal training sessions because it’s his business. He also wants to offer any local followers a free session with Madison in December. Trust me, it’s the hardest workout you’ll ever do! Let me know if you’re interested.

And at home… Follow BBG all month long! I just swap out the full body workout for Madison’s which I think is way harder. Besides that, I started over week one yesterday and am committing to completing four weeks with no cheating.

Acupuncture: Go to acupuncture weekly. I’m lucky to have an amazing friend who is also an acupuncturist. She’s so knowledgable about the human body, it’s insane. I text her with any problem I have, and she always gives me holistic solutions that actually work. I went yesterday and felt so much better all day and night

Dermatologist:  I get pre-cancerous moles and am supposed to go every six months to get them checked but somehow never make that happen. I just called to make an appointment for later in December and feel good to have that crossed off my list!

Supplements: I was super intense about my supplement routine while pregnant and trying to conceive and then fell off the bandwagon for the first time in years. But I’m back at it with a multivitamin, fish oil, and vitamin D in the mornings and then probiotics before bed. That’s it! Unless I start feeling sick then I add more Vitamin C and others (post on that coming soon).

Infrared: Weekly 25-minute infrared sauna sessions make me feel revitalized and fresh, that’s the only way I can describe it . Locally I go to Inner Light Wellness which I am just obsessed with. I ended up making friends with the owner and she is offering free express sessions to all of you guys if you use the code LSLOVE when you book an appointment on her site or over the phone.

Drink less: There’s a huge culture of drinking mommy juice nightly in the mom community… I never understood it until I had a baby. Sometimes the days are just so long and you get no time for yourself. A glass of wine definitely helps! But I really want to keep my alcohol intake to no more than 2x/week… And yes, during holiday season as well. Even though it’s usually just one glass of wine, I find that I feel so much better the next day when I don’t have it.

Cut back on sugar: I’ve written about this before but since having a baby, my sugar cravings have been intense. I’m pretty sure it’s breast feeding related but, like alcohol, it makes me feel worse after I eat it. I don’t have a certain amount that I can eat everyday but I’m committing to generally cutting back.

Emotional Health
I personally find that when my emotional health is on point, my phyiscal health is much better too. I get sick less, sleep better, and gain less weight over the holiday seaso.

Meditation: Carly has been inspiring me to get back into using Headspace daily. I hate even thinking about it because I always fail at my meditation goals, but maybe if I write it here, I’ll feel held responsible to stick to it. Who knows?

No screens before bed: As a long-time insomniac, I’ve been pretty strict about my bedtime rituals. After Amalia was born, I was so exhausted that I would sleep no matter what, and stopped my routine. Even though she’s been sleeping through the night for months, I never got back on it. Starting this week, I need to follow my own rule and stop staring at my phone before bed. It has been affecting my sleep in a big way and I finally just put that together.

Start reading again: Because I’ve been on Instagram before bed instead of my usual routine, I’ve been reading way less. My goal is to get back to reading for 20-30 minutes before sleeping every night, or most nights at least. And parenting books don’t count! It has to be something for pleasure. Any good recs?

Crossing off annoying to-do list items: Being an adult can be the worst sometimes… Am I right? Anel and I have seemingly a million pesky little tasks on our to do lists like getting snow tires on the cars, testing our fire alarms, getting carpets cleaned, filing Boots’ nails, and taking our camera in to be fixed. The list could go on for days, but we’re going to try to check off as many of those tasks as possible, so we enter the new year without lots of little things like those tasks on our mind.

Practice gratitude: I used to do this thing where in the morning when I wake up, I silently say to myself one thing that I’m grateful for that day. It can be something small like getting a good night sleep or something big like having a warm roof over my head on a cold day. It starts the day with a positive thought which can create a ripple effect on my attitude all day long.

Leave the house every day: This probably sounds insane to most of you but when you work from home and have a baby without childcare, that can be a giant challenge. This will change when she starts daycare in January, but I get stir crazy when I don’t leave my house so even if it’s just to walk to the dog or go to CVS, I’m going to get out daily!

Clear the air: I had some issues with a few people in my life that I was holding under the surface. I decided to bring them up and confront them so that my anger/frustrations don’t boil over into something more.

Home Health
Ok I realize the term “home health” sounds ridiculous but what I mean by that is creating a happy and clean space in my home which equates to a healthy home in my book.

Organize each and every drawer: And closet and shelf. We’re on a mission to do a mini Kon-Mari style clean up of the house, but with one closet or drawer at a time. After we clean each space, I go into that room and spray this smudge spray which smells amazing and, I swear, freshens the energy in the room. I realize that sounds absolutely batsh*t crazy, but it does. That’s the only thing on my home health list because it’s going to take all month long.

Ok so who’s with me on my crusade for a happy, healthy, and stress-free (or stress-less anyway) December? How will you do it?

The post Staying Healthy During the Holidays appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

When I originally thought about writing this post, it was geared towards moms who, after a long day with work and their kids, often relax with a hefty glass of wine.

After I had Amalia, I got into the habit of having a glass of wine every single night, not something that I ever used to do. Those early days were so long and exhausting, that it felt like the only thing keeping me sane.

When the clock turned to 5pm, I’d get so excited for my daily treat. Who was I??? This wasn’t me.

I remember before I had kids, watching my friends post Snapchats and stories about their nightly Sauv Blancs, cheersing to the camera with bleery eyes. I laughed along with them but didn’t really get it until I was in it.

After reading this article, it made me look twice at this new habit and actually sparked my healthy holiday plan. I’m only drinking twice a week now (and usually no more than one glass of wine at a time) so I save it for events and parties instead of sitting at home on a weeknight.

There are many nights after a day of being busy with work intermingled with a fussy baby, where all I want to do is plop down on the couch and enjoy a nice glass of Pinot Noir. But I’ve found that when I replace that with one of the tricks below, I feel much better the next morning. Even one glass of wine makes my head a little foggy the next day. Man, I’m old!

When I talked about this on Instagram Stories the other day, a lot of you who aren’t moms said you would appreciate a post like this too, so the tips below are really geared towards everyone, not just my mamas out there.

None of these tips are incredibly groundbreaking or anything, they were just things that I didn’t always think to do in that golden period between when the baby goes down and Anel comes home from work..

6 Ways to Wind Down… Without Wine

Meditation- The thought of meditation used to make me cringe, so if you’re one of those people I promise, I have the solution for you. The app Headspace has turned things around for me. It’s super approachable and easy. All you have to do is turn it on, listen to the Andy’s voice (a former Tibetan Buddhist monk), and commit 10 minutes (or 3 if you don’t have 10) of your day to a clear mind. It’s kind of annoying and frustrating at first but as I’ve been doing it more, I’ve found that it makes me calmer throughout the day.

Take a Shower or Bath- A hot luxurious bubble bath is one of my favorite things in the world. I fill it with epsom salts, lavender oil, and bubbles, put on a face mask, and just sink into the comfort of it. If you live somewhere like California where baths are a no-no due to droughts, a hot shower isn’t half bad either. You can still do a face and/or hair mask, and sometimes I even do a few stretches while I’m waiting for them to dry. The bath/shower often resets me and I feel ready to take on the night (aka cooking dinner, laundry, and cleaning up our day’s mess) without feeling stressed.

Cuddle a Pet- Obviously if you don’t have a pet, this doesn’t apply to you so skip to the next tip. But for those of you who have a cat or dog (or ferret, perhaps?), get on the floor or wherever they sit and have a good long cuddle. No phones, no agenda, just pure love. They will appreciate the extra attention, and the healing power of a pet can be be vastly underestimated. Boots knows when I’m having an off day, and gives me extra love back.

Workout- After a mentally taxing day of work and and an emotionally and physically taxing evening with Amalia, a work out is usually the last thing I want to do in the evenings which is why I try to schedule them for earlier in the day. But recently I’ve noticed that if I turn on my BBG app and bang out a leg day, I feel so much better. Endorphins make you feel even better than wine, I promise!

Watch Dumb TV- Hear me out on this one… Maybe those Real Housewives of Beverly Hills are absolutely insane but watching them helps me turn off my spinning brain for an hour, and also makes me laugh. It might not be culturally stimulating but, watching bad TV is weirdly therapeutic for me. I hope I’m not the only one!

A Cup of Tea- The act of drinking something or “treating yourself” can sometimes curb what you’re actually craving. Sometimes I’ll sit with a hot cup of chamomille tea and listen to music while just perusing Instagram or texting with a friend and it will do the trick! Yogi Tea makes a Stress Relief tea which contains Kava root. Whenever I drink it, I feel totally and utterly relaxed… and almost a little high, so I usually only drink a half cup at a time.

Have the Wine- In the end, sometimes you just need the glass of wine… And guess what? That’s ok too. Just try to avoid making it a daily habit if you can.

Photo by Lindsay Madden Photography.

The post 6 Ways to Wind Down Without Wine appeared first on Lemon Stripes.

January 1st always feels like a fresh slate, but I like to think we can all have a clean start every Monday so today I’m challenging you guys to join me on my quest to feel better this month. It’s never too late to start!

After the holidays I pretty much always feel like a congested, achy blob, so this year I started a little early and the day after Christmas I gave up gluten, dairy, and wine… A random combo, you say? Why yes, it might seem that way from the outside but after years of listening to my body, I’ve learned that when I cut these three things from my diet, I feel my best.

And guess what? I feel amazing… like really good. And on top of it, I most of the last of my baby weight in the process which was a happy accident.

Here is how I learned these the foods that negatively impact me:

About eight years ago I had sinus polyps which meant that I couldn’t taste or smell anything for a year… a YEAR! It was awful and so annoying. I went to a homeopathic doctor who had me cut all gluten, dairy (I was already dairy free), sugar, citrus, alcohol, and caffeine. My polyps started shrinking and my sense of smell started to come back. I ended up getting surgery to remove the polyps because I just wanted to nip it in the bud, but in the process I learned just how much food can impact your health.

Then last year when I was trying to get pregnant, Aimee suggested that I give up gluten and wine (I was allowed vodka and tequila only). After about two weeks, it felt really easy and I had never felt better. I got pregnant a month later after 2 miscarriages and trying for 18 months with no success. Go figure!

I’ve always had sinus issues and when the weather starts to get cold I’m constantly blowing my nose and feeling congested. Ever since I started this January challenge, my sinuses are almost 100% clear. It’s actually mind blowing how much these three food groups (yes wine is a food group) can affect me. Not only do my sinuses feel clear, but my stomach isn’t ever upset, I have more energy, and I’m just plain happier.

Let me break it down…

Gluten Free: I don’t have Celiac Disease and I don’t have a gluten allergy, but I notice that when I go gluten free I feel better and my belly fat (hate that phrase) disappears into thin air. Every time! A lot of the gluten-free alternative foods are packed full of crap so just watch out for that. For gluten-free snack ideas, check out my go-to 15 favorite snacks.

Dairy Free: I was dairy free for 10 years because of what I was pretty sure was a whey allergy (I was always sick as a kid and had constant stomach pain until I finally gave up dairy in my early 20s), but then I got pregnant and started craving cheese so hard that I gave in and just went for it. What was crazy was that I had no issues with it whatsoever when I was pregnant and breastfeeding. Sadly, the second I stopped breastfeeding, it made me pretty violently ill again and made me very stuffed up. Luckily after so much time living a dairy-free life, I am used to it so it’s not hard for me anymore. I do eat ghee, butter, and parmesan cheese which don’t seem to affect me.

Wine Free: Usually I do dry January but this year I decided that after a dry 9 months, I was going to just ditch the vino. I don’t like beer (it usually has gluten anyway) so I’ve been pretty much sticking to vodka and tequila only if I’m out with friends. If it’s one of those long mom days and I really want a drink, I try my go-to ways to wind down first and usually don’t need one after that.

Ok so now that I’ve shared my three no-no foods, tell me yours! What can you give up for the next week or two that will make you feel amazing? For more food inspiration, read my three day food diary and check out my recipes page.

J.Crew Velvet Hair Bow / Factory Schoolboy Blazer / Saint James Striped Tee / AG Ripped Jeans / J.Crew Factory Leopard Flats / Cuyana Tote c/o / Julie Vos Coin Necklace

J.Crew Velvet Hair Bow / Factory Schoolboy Blazer / Saint James Striped Tee / AG Ripped Jeans / J.Crew Factory Leopard Flats / Cuyana Tote c/o / Julie Vos Coin Necklace

Photos by Carter Fish.

The post Feeling Good appeared first on Lemon Stripes.