I shared a photo on my Instagram stories last night of me looking & feeling a full-blown 6 months pregnant with bloat. This is something I am very used to and have been dealing with for a long time, but it doesn’t make it any less painful, uncomfortable or frustrating whenever it happens. (Which is mainly every day to give you an idea of the ride frequency…!)

It was incredible to see how many of you could relate, and it inspired me to share this post on the blog today. Not incredible in the sense that I am glad any of you have to feel that discomfort or go through the struggle of intense bloat, but incredible to know that seeing that photo of me helped a lot of you feel less alone. It really showed me how we can all band together and inspire each other with our stories. The more we normalize the conversation about the severe bloat life, the less shameful it will be and the less alone we will feel when it comes on.

It also inspired me to share the tips and tricks I have found along the way, plus to share more about WHY I get such bad bloat (or at least why I think I do… the body does mysterious things and we can’t always know every single answer for certain), what I do to combat it, and the tests you can do to find out what is going on in your gut. Ready?!

Why the Bloat?!

I recently found out that I have a sever case of dysbiosis, which is a microbial imbalance in the gut of the good and bad bacteria. Basically, this can be caused by a whole lost of things including stress, dietary changes, antibiotics, parasites, pesticides / chemical consumption, alcohol, sugar, a weakened immune system, the list goes on. As you can imagine it can be caused in a LOT of different ways. I fit the bill for so many of those things including parasites, stress, weak immune system, chemicals and mold in my system, and antibiotics to name a few.

The way I was tested for this was through a stool test with my incredible LLMD (Lyme literate Medical Doctor) where she found the extreme disruption in my gut and we were able to see a full profile of the bacteria ratios, the parasite itself, how food was digesting and absorbing, and more. It was so many pages truthfully I couldn’t even retain it all, but the amount of info we were given was amazing.

Symptoms of dysbiosis can include bloating, nausea, gas, constipation, diarrhea, rash, fatigue, anxiety, depression, trouble thinking, trouble sleeping… the list goes on.

It is closely linked to SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) which is when abnormally large numbers of bacteria are present in the small intestine. To get tested for that one you go on a broth/chicken/rice diet for 24 hours and then do a SIBO breath test, which you can do with most any functional medicine doctors or LLMD’s.

Basically the parasite is a huge reason for my particular dysbiosis. I can eat ANYTHING or nothing at all, and it will happen. I can never predict when it will happen but I know my body well enough to know certain triggers that bring it on terribly, including lots of different foods from sugar to meat to certain cruciferous veggies. And lately, even rice! Which is so sad because I have been loving rice and all SOS-free g-free carbs lately.

And from a diff angle, looking completely normal. All about perception. You never know how someone on the inside feels.

Some Awful Bloat Stories…

When I was in Bali, both in December and in April, I was asked if I was pregnant ALL the time. Their social graces are not the same as ours here in the U.S., where we are taught from a young age not to ASSUME someone is pregnant unless you absolutely know they are or they are basically about to pop and it’s completely obvious. In Bali I would be walking down the street feeling great about myself, with just a little bit of bloat, and someone would ask me if I was pregnant. It probably also had to do with the loose and flowy clothing I embraced there but still — I was flabbergasted! This truly happened more than 10 times on my last trip.

I know they only meant well by it but it definitely stirred up a bit of a rage in me… many times the people who were asking me looked much more bloated themselves than I did, so I had to bite my tongue about asking them if THEY were pregnant after I told them I wasn’t. But I knew that would get me nowhere and that they weren’t trying to be insulting so I just let it go.

When I shared that photo of me last night SO MANY of you said that you get asked all the time if you’re pregnant when you are just severely bloated. I think that’s just not okay. Unless a woman flat out tells you she is pregnant, or if she is clearly WITH CHILD and you can tell in some other way that she is pregnant, it’s just not a topic that should be brought up. If someone is pregnant and wants you to know they are pregnant, they will tell you. Point blank.

When J & I were in Bali in December I was feeling my sickest of all time. Rashes everywhere, severe bloat, daily migraines, couldn’t get out of bed exhaustion, no motivation or energy… and getting asked if I was pregnant at that time was really the cherry on top. It was NOT cool. These days I am feeling more myself in my body (especially after my water fast reducing tons of inflammation) so those comments don’t affect me as deeply, but I will never forget how it felt at that time to hear that. And for all of you who are in that position and have to go through that, I am so sorry. It’s not okay and we just have to educate people that it’s never something that should be assumed or said.

How to Deal!

Here are some things I have found that have helped me deal with the bloat from dysbiosis, SIBO (in the past), parasites, antibiotic side effects, food intolerances, and overall sensitive stomach probs…

A) ROCK WHAT YOU’VE GOT WITH CONFIDENCE. The girl I was in December when J & I were in Bali was at an all-time confidence low. I felt like absolute shit all of the time and it was hard to even get out of bed in the morning feeling so low and so sick. These days, although I am facing a lot of health issues, I have a renewed confidence. I feel restored and radiant from the inside out. This is partially the result of extreme self-care (next on the list) and post-water-fast bliss, but it’s 90% MENTAL. Once my mentality shifted and I started to view my body as a vessel for energy, love, light, and healing, it was far easier to show myself the kindness I deserved — which then radiates right back outward.

B) SELF-CARE COMES FIRST. I know that some of the things I do for self-care aren’t available to everyone reading. Lately I have been into infrared sauna, colonics, enemas, Ayurveda (doing another Panchakarma soon and I can’t wait!), ionic foot baths, acupuncture & cupping, yoga when I have the energy, facials, massages, solo times, walks, you name it… I’m into it. I have to do a lot to detox right now from the extreme about of bugs and parasites that are dying inside of my body, but even before that I was majorly on the self-care train. If money is tight or time is not available to you, even the simplest of things will help. 15 minutes of journaling in the morning, lighting your favorite candles at night alongside a quick meditation, a weekly bubble bath. These things go a long way in connecting yourself to YOU and your heart… and also calm down the central nervous system which in turn reduces inflammation.

C) SEE A DOCTOR! You know I am the first one to go the holistic route when possible. I didn’t want to see a western doctor for MONTHS after a bad experience I had with a dermatologist right when my rash broke out terribly. But finally seeing an MD is what got me diagnosed with dysbiosis, parasites, Lyme, mold illness, and more, and now I am FINALLY on the right medication and supplements and protocol to get through this. I am hesitant to share my exact medications and supplements because what works for me is very tailored to my specific diagnoses. I encourage you to find a great MD in your area (functional is great, or LLMD specifically because if you have a lot of these symptoms you could very well have Lyme and it’s great to get tested). KNOWLEDGE IS POWER, and if we don’t know what’s wrong… we can’t fix it!

D) Anti-inflammatory foods & anti-inflammatory diet. I am big into both of these things right now. I am all about the turmeric, beets, ginger, broth, berries, tonics, garlic (I hate it but it works), and all sorts of holistic supplements and herbs that reduce inflammation and bloat. I am also doing an anti-inflammatory SOS-free vegan diet (read this post to learn more about that) which helps a lot. Vegetables are some of the most anti-inflammatory foods on the planet. I vowed to myself when I started feeling this way that I would not consciously eat foods that would make it worse, because to me personally it’s not worth it to feel so miserable and inflamed and swollen. So veggies have been my savior all the way, and lots of fruits too.

E) KNOW YOUR TRIGGERS. This was incredibly hard and sad for me but I’ve CUT OUT COFFEE which is huge because it’s a major triggering agent for me… so it is important to get to know what your individual triggers are. Other triggers for me are certain veggies (Brussels sprouts, even though I love them), anything oily, sugar, and certain starches like white and brown rice. I still eat rice but I keep my major triggers to a minimum because to me it’s just not worth it.

F) Good sleep & Exercise. When we sleep is when the body heals, and especially the hours between 10pm – 2am. I have been trying very hard to shift my sleeping schedule to go to bed earlier, which means NO SCREENS in bed (sad… bye Netflix unless earlier in the evening) so that my body naturally gets used to the darkness outside and the idea of sleep. When I have the energy to exercise, it helps a lot with anxiety. Of course sweating reduces bloat, and releases toxins. I specifically love hot yoga, light running, and long hikes to get my heart rate pumping.

G) INFRARED SAUNA & CRYOTHERAPY. I know this was mentioned in the self-care category, but if you have the ability to treat yourself to either of these incredible therapies I would highly recommend it. It is NOT frivolous to treat yourself to self-care. It is a very important piece of the healing pie and if you are as sick and infected as I am… it’s important to do every so often if you can. Changing the body’s temperature so that we are not only existing at “room temp” 100% of the time is a huge part of the healing process — with both the cold and the heat, and I have found that both of these things help my bloat a LOT.

H) Chewing on ginger, fennel seeds, or caraway seeds before / after meals. This helps stimulate digestion and gets the body ready to process & digest food, which greatly reduces bloat.

I) COFFEE ENEMAS & COLONICS. Coffee enemas are something you can do at home and they are very budget-friendly. You can order enema bags on Amazon as well as the coffee you need to do do your own at-home enema. Colonics are also incredible as they move out stagnant waste, debris and disease from the colon and help your colon return to its natural and intended function.

J) PROBIOTICS!!! This one is a given. I can’t take them right now because my dysbiosis is so terrible my doctor doesn’t recommend it until I begin to heal, but I highly recommend probiotic support for digestion, which helps a lot with bloat.

K) And finally… LOOSE CLOTHING. I am never one to hide my body behind clothes, but I will say a good loose t-shirt with some yoga pants is a VERY comfy option when I am experiencing extreme bloat from dysbiosis. Wearing my form-fitting yoga tanks is just not comfy when I feel that way. You feel me? This is a tip for overall confidence and just feeling comfortable in your own skin so you can radiate those good vibes outward.

Okay… that’s what I’ve got for now! Thoughts? Stories? Tell me all about what you’re dealing with and we can go through this together!! Let me know if you try any of these tips, and also join our HIGH VIBE CHRONIC LYME + CHRONIC ILLNESS TRIBE on FB to continue this conversation & find support and relief amongst others who have been there. All of my love, gorgeous babes.

Although it was a daytime event, each room was so chic and had so much to do/see that I felt like we had a full blown night out on the town. Plus, we ran into some of my fav blogger babes & had a blast with the CHANEL PR team so it legitimately did feel like we were backstage at a concert and/or at a really fun party.

Before I tell you all about the products I fell in love with at the event, I will walk you through getting ready for the day. For me, getting ready for an event (and anything in life) is relatively low maintenance. I don’t wear a lot of makeup, I dress pretty casually & comfy everywhere I go, and I have my go-to routine with makeup & hair products down to a very quick and easy science. I am also freakishly last minute, ALL the time, so sometimes I don’t really stop to think about my outfit until I am 5 minutes from flying out the door.

Enter Morgan. Morgan is basically the more well-planned out, stylish & creative male version of me. (Yes, more creative than me… He is the ultimate in creativity.) So being Morgan, he started picking up on a trend we were seeing on girls at castings / showrooms / all over West Hollywood. So many girls were wearing cute little sundresses with hightop Nikes or Adidas — and as he started pointing it out we both sort of fell in love with the look.

The night before the CHANEL event, we were out to sushi at Wabi Sabi in Venice (some of the best sushi in LA, hands down) and decided we needed to go out a little shopping spree for new high tops of some sort. I haven’t owned a pair of high tops since probably high school when I rocked the hot pink converse (I was obsessed with those), so I was pretty stoked to find the perfect pair. We had a vision of the shoes with a black A-line dress and a fishtail braid, SOOOO we found the perfect pair at Nike and snagged them right before the store closed. We also found some cute Adidas for Morg so we could be kinda matchy matchy with this look.

The next morning I had Brittany come over to do my hair & makeup — I was too excited about this look to attempt to do my makeup and fishtail myself. (Side note: if I had done my own fish tail it would have been all sorts of messy looking, haha.) Isn’t Britt the most adorable ever?! I am so lucky to have her as my #1 go-to gal. Seriously… I haven’t had anyone else do my hair & makeup since before knowing her.

Brittany does a MEAN fishtail, the best smokey eye, she is FROM Sactown, and Huddy is madly in love with her so we always want to keep her forever when we comes over. She was actually at my apartment doing my makeup the morning after I brought Huddy home… When he was just a 1 pound little baby — who yes, later that day, got stuck under the dishwasher.

After I was all fishtailed out, I finished getting ready and we headed over to the event. If you follow me on Snapchat… You also know that we were scream-singing “7 Years” by Lukas Graham in the car all the way there — because luckily Morgan is just as obsessed with that song as I am. Or maybe I am more obsessed, but he indulged me.

Basically from the moment we arrived I knew we were going to be some of the last people there at the end because there was so much to check out and so many great people to hang with! (For the record, we totally were.) We were greeted by the lovely Teresa from CHANEL‘s team, who gave us the grand tour and showed us all the cute little rooms/activities — VIP Beauty Lounge, manicure bar,  refreshment patio, bar w/ stage (where Annie & I then proceeded to form our own very small but very awesome girl band), and all of their new products.

I was so thrilled to bump into my love Annie Lawless when we first walked in the door — it must have been fate, because she is one of my favorite humans and is the very first person we saw when we got there. Luckily we had Morgs to snap some photos of our obsessive lipgloss testing & our overall excitement to be reunited.

And yes, we got on stage to perform our own Spice Girls rendition — I mean duuuhhhh. We got serious about adjusting the mic to make this a legit experience. Balanced Blawndes on tour, anyone? (If only you could hear my voice when I sing in the car/shower you’d run the other way!!)

And now my fav products!!!

I loved all of their new nail & lip colors, but my absolute favs were the CONTE lip shine, the LETTRE lip shine, the ORGANDI nail color (which I was rockin’ all week until yesterday — when I got crescent moons on my nails at the new OLIVE & JUNE in Santa Monica!) and the BALLERINA nail color. If you’re seeing a light pink theme here… It’s because I definitely gravitate toward a light pink lip and nail color whenever possible. I try to rock the darker colors on my lips, but usually they are SUCH a statement on me because I am so subtle with my makeup that I end up not feeling 100% me. HOWEVER they are fun so I still rock the darker shades for special occasions.

And also what I love, love about their new lip shine is that it gives the intensity of a lipstick, the shine of a lipgloss and the comfort/soothing of a lip balm — all in one. I love the easy applicator tubes and the nourishing formula of Apple Seed Extract and hydrating Jojoba Oil and Coconut Oil. I have been keeping 4-5 in my purse at all times and reapplying like crazy — I have never felt so prepared! 

Any excuse to hang with my loves in the middle of the workday is a great one, right? ALSOOOO get excited for more CHANEL collabs coming up on TBB– think makeup vids + other little surprises. Working with brands that I truly love and stand behind 100% makes me the happiest.

After this we hopped over to Playlist yoga to film some videos with Calvin & Sophie, and then to Lou & Grey in Pasadena for a Breaking Vegan book signing! It was quite the jam-packed day, and the best end to a week with Morgs in town.

What do you think of CHANEL‘s new lip & nail colors?! Any favs!! Tell meeee your thoughts! Also, who votes for Morg to come to LA full time and do so much more of my photo + video work with me!?!?!

I promise this isn’t going to be a cliche “rest day” post. Consider it real life advice from someone who overexerts herself for a LIVING (or at least it feels that way a lot of the time) and constantly, every single day, needs to remind herself to slow down.

I am at the point where the people who know me the best and/or see me the most take one look at me at the end of any given day and say, “REST.” All I have to do is open my mouth and inevitably my to-do list of photo shoots, work trips, blog partnerships, book signings, meetings & exercise commitments come rattling out. And I’m totally not saying this to try to make it sound like I am busier than anyone else — I just overcommit myself which is hugely different. ( It’s my #1 issue in life, which you’ve probably heard me say before. )

REST (also, sleep) is such an important quality and so often overlooked. Especially by those of us who can be pretty extreme and try to fit 3483984 things into our day. Until recently, my idea of a rest day was a light yoga class, a long walk around the neighborhood, and running around town doing errand after errand. Now, with my long runs every weekend while training for the marathon, having at least one true rest day per week is not only important but also NECESSARY.

And on top of those rest days, I try to go to bed early and sleep well so that I can take every day by storm.

But here’s the issue…

Since marathon training isn’t my only form of exercise, I have to be very, very careful with not overbooking myself in terms of my workouts every week. A huge part of my job entails trying out new studios around LA either to write about them, host events, meet friends there to catch up or meet the owners for potential collabs. Aside from the biz side of it, I am also a diehard OrangeTheory junkie (HIIT) & a major YogaWorks fan. Those two things paired with running outside 4x a week or more leaves litttttle to no room for physical rest days.

Oh, and last week I tried a boxing gym and another HIIT studio in my area — and even though this is the kind of stuff I absolutely love, I would be lying if I told you I wasn’t slightly overwhelmed by my workout sched last week in particular. I knew all week that I had a 2 hour taper run with my marathon team on Saturday, and I also knew I was overexerting myself a little bit more than I should have been leading up to it.

(Not exactly sure why my photos are loading small today, but I’m rolling with it. Sweatshirt x TBV Apparel)

Lesson learned:

I was super, ridiculously, over the moon exhausted at my running practice. The 2 hour run was actually significantly harder than my 3.5 hour run the weekend before, for one reason only: I did NOT get enough rest throughout the week. Needless to say… I was pretty frustrated with myself because I knew what needed to be done, but because I can be a little an overcommitment psycho and too headstrong to make adjustments to my ever-mounting schedule, I didn’t totally listen to my bod the way I should have.

Even though I could view the whole overexertion ordeal as something negative, since my run on Saturday pretty much wiped me out for the rest of the weekend, I am taking it as a major positive. It was a wakeup call to something very important: rest is as important as exercise itself when it comes to training for a marathon and also to living and maintaining an active, healthy lifestyle.

Clearly, I know this. Does that mean that I don’t slip up from time to time and overexert because it’s my natural inclination to do so? No! Slip ups happen, and when they do — instead of beating yourself up about it, reevaluate the deets of your life and figure out how you can make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Another Rest Benefit…

I will also add that due to a super hectic work schedule last Weds (that was my glorious Malibu day — work is fun, hehe) I didn’t make it to my OrangeTheory class as planned. I also didn’t make it my Weds night running practice. I was pretty annoyed about missing both at the time, but then something miraculous happened. At OrangeTheory on Thursday morning, I HAD SO MUCH ENERGY.

I ran 2.0 miles faster than I normally do during our running blocks, and I left with a spring in my step and a massive dose of adrenaline to take on the day.

All because of the physical rest my body soaked in on Wednesday. My friend Laura even noticed and was like ummmm woah girl you were on fire today. It felt so much better to do the one workout full-out rather than cramming in two back to back and being only halfway into it the second time around.

So after my run killed me on Saturday… I started thinking. Rest, rest, rest, how can I rest a TON this weekend? I cancelled my plans for Saturday night and booked a 90-minute full body massage instead (#treatyoself — I use the app ZEEL! ), I shoveled recovery fuel into my body like Liquid I.V. in my h2o, a Tera’s Whey chocolate protein shake, my Nutty Banana Protein Cookies (recipe in my book), lots of nut butters (Nuttzo 7 Seed Nut Butter is my favorite right now) and farm fresh eggs with spinach for din din. And loads and loads of purified & electrolyte-infused water — of course.

Three years ago I would have NEVER cancelled plans on a Saturday night for a massage. I probably would have wanted to, but the voice in the back of my head would have told me, “No! You made a commitment to someone, so you’re going to go out and have fun and you can rest tomorrow… Or the next day, or the next day.”

But this time around I knew what I needed to do and it was glorious. Especially because I have had back to back video & photo shoots yesterday and today, so I knew I needed to wind down while I could.

So I got a massage, put on my cozy sweats, put on a face mask, sipped on some tea, cuddled my kitty & ZENNED OUT!

That’s the art of balancing your life. Rev up when you need to, wind down when you need to, and take care of yourself above all else.

My FAV REST & RECOVERY Essentials:

I have included some of my very FAVORITE “rest enhancers,” if you will, below! Everything from a foam roller (#MUST!) to my favorite natural sleep supplements to recovery food & a few good books to read when you’re down & out:

So… tip #1 (spoilers, the only tip in this post because I am going into detail here): COOKING HEALTHY MEALS.

When I am in the comfort of my own home I absolutely love to cook for myself and my family. Not necessarily because the act of cooking is calming to me or because I love spending time in the kitchen, but mainly because I like to have the choice when it comes to which ingredients do and do not go into the food that I make. I have a wildly sensitive tummy (you guys know this), and all it takes is one extra tablespoon of oil or one hearty butter glob at a restaurant to throw my stomach into a tailspin.

But here’s the problem with me and cooking: it has to be a simple recipe, or else I won’t do it. I don’t have a ton of free time, and the free time I do have I prefer to spend exercising, hanging out with people I love, reading, going on walks/hikes, etc. If I see a recipe that looks good but it also looks complicated and like there are too many ingredients (time consuming and a potential problem for my tummy) then I will pretty much steer clear.

So when I find anything that helps me with my time efficiency in the kitchen without sacrificing health then I am a happy camper. For that reason, meal delivery services rock. But they have to be the right meal delivery service that caters to the way I like to eat.

I recently told you about my Blue Apron experience, and today I’m telling you about my experience with The Purple Carrot — a plant-based meal delivery service that I used the week before I left for NY. Although all of the ingredients are vegan (and non-GMO to boot!), the service is not just for vegans. (Hello, I’m not vegan and I love it!)

The meals they provided for me to make were an Asian Quinoa Salad and an Israeli CousCous with Kalamata Olives, and the snack was a SINFULLY delicious (but oh so healthy Blueberry Chocolate Trail Mix Bark. I’m warning you, the Blueberry Chocolate Bark photos are legitimate food porn. Be prepared to salivate.

Also, sidenote about the whole chocolate thing. SO many of their snacks in their recipe archive use chocolate in a healthy and plant-based way… That is my kind of meal delivery service. Like woah.

Special thanks to my roomie Laura for whipping these meals up while I worked my butt off to get ready for NYC! She even put them in tupperware and covered them in foil until I was ready to photograph them. #goodroomieaward #shegottoeatsometoo #soshewashappy.

Now let me give you some background info…

The Purple Carrot offers meal kits that provide all of the raw, pre-measured ingredients that people need to make two meals throughout the week, plus ingredients to make a healthy plant-based snack. The meals serve up to four people, or if you’re like me you can make it for yourself and one other and have leftovers! I. Love. Leftovers. Makes life so much easier.

There are easy-to-follow instruction cards included in every box… So if you’re like me and you make a lot of kitchen mishaps, all you need to do is follow the instructions and you will be fine. What I love about the food is that it’s plant-based food for both vegans and non-vegans who are interested in exploring a plant-based diet and/or want help transitioning to a more veggie-heavy lifestyle.

Think you’ll be hungry just because it’s plant-based? Think again! The meals are filling and they are full of veggies, whole grains, legumes and fresh fruits. It’s only $59/week, and for four people that’s a pretty rad deal. Oh, and if you use the promo code “TBB50” at checkout then you will get 50% off of your first order… making it $29.50. That is a STEAL, my lovers!

Now, enjoy some yummy food befores before we part:

Asian Quinoa Salad:

Israeli Couscous:

Blueberry Chocolate Bark:

Be sure to check them out! Founder & CEO Andy Levitt founded the company in 2014 after watching the movie Forks Over Knives with his wife, and he also happens to be one of the sweetest people I have worked with on the blog in a long time. And don’t forget to use the discount code TBB50!

Have you ever tried The Purple Carrot or any other meal delivery services? If so, what were your thoughts? Would love to hear any favs you guys have had!

For starters, I’m just going to give you a lil’ breakdown of yesterday: woke up, went to JUICE PRESS (one of my fav juice places in the city that I’ve missed oh so much), mosied over to my literary agency, HELD MY BOOK in MY HANDS for the first time ever (well, the preliminary copies at least), met with my fab agent Sarah and her boss about some cool writerly stuff, headed uptown to go to Seventeen Mag to discuss the book with them and give them a copy, ran into one of my idols Kathryn Budig in the lobby (do you believe in fate? I do!!!), went to the yummiest lunch at a place called the Little Beet with Sarah, cram packed the afternoon with back to back meetings, met the lovely PR gal for DRINKmaple (part of my giveaway!!!) to snap some photos, went to a Vegan Beauty Affair (basically all-natural beauty party) with my friend Melisse of Well+Good NYC, met one of my BFFs later for a drink, and shared my book with a handful of awesome, incredible, influential and healthy rockstar individuals. Oh, and continued my cycle of never sleeping – hehe.

Hangin’ at Seventeen Mag- Breaking Vegan + the Biebs! Good combo?!

Kathryn Budig & I in the lobby of the Heart Building! Fate at its finest!

So now, before I run off to today’s lineup of meetings (equally as exciting as yesterday’s — and maybe another fateful run-in will go down?!?!) I want to share a delicious recipe with you as well as a FANTASTIC brand I stumbled upon that I absolutely have to tell you all about. Are you guys coconut chip fans? I mean, I know a lot of you are… but if you haven’t tried this brand yet and you are iffy about coconut chips, you are going to be a convert immediately.

The company is called Made In Nature and basically their toasted coconut chips are crack in a bag. The flavors I tried that I obsessed over were Maple Madagascar Vanilla, Mexican Spiced Cacao, Italian Espresso and Ginger Masala Chai. I’m not even joking when I say that my stomach is rumbling just thinking about them — and it doesn’t help that I am starving right now to boot!

Made in Nature’s promise is that they create REAL food with REAL flavor because why not? That’s what we all deserve, and flavor certainly does not have to be sacrificed just because we are committing to healthy, natural, fresh, organic, sustainable ingredients. No sugar added, no artificial color, no gluten, no nuts (yay for food allergy peeps) and no GMOs. My kind of company.

There are so many yummy things you can do with coconut chips, but other than eating them right out of the bag by the handful (because trust me, you will eat HANDFULS… there’s just no other way it’s going to be done with these crack chips), I like to put them on top of smoothies, yogurt and acai bowls. Today I’m sharing one of my favorite acai bowl recipes with you… I hope you love! And don’t forget to visit Made In Nature‘s site, give them some love and try their stuff. It’s too good not to.

Coconut Chip Acai Bowl Recipe:

1 ripe banana

1 packet of frozen acai (or 2 tablespoons of acai powder)

1 tablespoon plant-based protein powder (I like to have protein in my acai bowls to balance out the natural sugars and keep me fuller longer)

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup water

Blend!

Do yourself a major favor & try this yumminess! Acai bowls + coconut chips + fruits + almond milk… Super food deliciousness galore! YES!

Any NYC requests or suggestions while I am here?! These are my old stomping grounds, but ALWAYS open to suggestions and ideas for things to do / places to try — this is my Disneyland! I am in love. 

Since things have been so hectic around here, I have had to make some rules for myself that I am trying very hard to stick to:

1. No making plans during the day unless they are 100% business related.
2. Yoga every day, either early morning or late night (or sometimes middle of the day if I am feeling extra wild) because it keeps my anxiety at bay and is so necessary for my well-being!
3. Cook more at home! It saves me so much time and money, especially when I am on a major time crunch like I have been lately.

So basically, as far as #3 goes, it was Blue Apron to the rescue this week! Have you heard of Blue Apron? It is a busy person’s DREAM… Especially a busy person who likes to cook and be healthy, but can’t be bothered (timing-wise) to grocery shop for all of the right ingredients, to research or create tasty and new recipes from scratch or someone who never seems to buy the right AMOUNT of ingredients for anything. Cough, cough: me. I am always left with an insane amount of leftovers that go to waste when I cook full-on meals on my own.

It’s also awesome for people like me who were once vegan or vegetarian… Because all I really know how to cook super confidently in the kitchen are dishes that are plant-based. It’s true that I am branching out and getting more accustomed to making chicken, fish and sometimes even beef dishes for myself, but it’s still hard for me when I was so used to popping my veggies in the oven, boiling my quinoa, drizzling my lemon juice and calling it a day!

Blue Apron uses all farm-fresh ingredients and delivers them right to your doorstep in exactly the right proportions. You can choose from the 2-person plan (which I did, even though I was mainly cooking for myself so I just had one meal of leftovers for every dish which was awesome) or the family plan, if you are cooking for your fam bam (it’s perfect for a family of 4).

I had so much fun making the meals because not only is there a specific, detailed sheet for each recipe with ingredients, method and photos from start to finish, but there is also an intro letter that explains which chef has created the recipe, where they are from and a little bit of their background story. You know I LOVE a good background story, and I love to feel like I am getting to know someone even from afar, so that was a particularly cool aspect, I thought. This week’s special highlighted chef is Melissa Perello, Executive Chef & Owner of San Francisco’s Frances. As a fellow Northern California girl… I was so excited to learn more about her. Now I want to visit her restaurant next time I’m in the city!

Each Blue Apron meal can be prepared in 40 minutes or less — for me, I found that each meal only took me about 25 minutes in total (score). The one that took me the longest was the chicken dish, and that’s only because the rice took about 20-25 minutes to boil and then I spattered the “Golden Mountain” sauce all over myself while it was on the stove but that was another story… and totally a typical #TBBdork moment.

If you want to try Blue Apron, the first 50 TBB readers who use this link will get two free meals on their first order with them!!! Awesome, right?! Thanks to Blue Apron for offering that killer deal.

Salsa Verde for the Sirloin dish before I mixed it!

A couple recipes from their site that I have been dying to try are the Spring Miso Ramen and the Salmon Rolls. (Are you kidding me, with those salmon rolls?!?!? If I could actually make those well I would die of happiness.) To check out all of their recipes this season, click here.

The recipes that I made this week were Dukkah-Spiced Salmon with Spring Vegetables & Oyster Mushroom Ragout (a.k.a my favorite veggie on the planet. SO stoked when this one came to my door!), Sirloin Tip Steaks with Potato, Asparagus & Radish Hash, & Laotian Larb Gai with Sticky Rice, Peanuts & Mint.

Funny Sidenote: When I told my BFF Jill, who is MUCH more of a whiz in the kitchen than I am, that I was making a “Larb Gai” dish this week she thought I was talking about an actual GUY that I was cooking for and she was very intrigued. Sadly, not the case… Lol.

This is what actual Larb Gai looks like!!

Head to the Blue Apron recipe page to get the recipes for each of these yummy dishes, and in the meantime, check out my photos from the experience!!!

Which one do you think would be your favorite? The salmon was my fav by far, and I knew it would be from the beginning because I am such a huge fan of both salmon and oyster shroomies. My second favorite was the chicken dish — so flavorful and yummy. Although watch out when this one is on the stove, because the “Golden Mountain” sauce might totally leap out at you, like it did to me!!!

All in all, Blue Apron made me feel like a total experienced chef this week and I loved it. If you follow me on Snapchat (at username jojoyounger!!), then you probably saw my photos and videos of me cooking all of this yumminess. I was very proud.

Here’s the yumminess I made this week…

Dukkah-Spiced Salmon:Laotian Larb Gai:Sirloin Tip Steak:
P.S. the “celeriac” in the salmon recipe is something I absolutely fell in love with! It’s basically a turnip-rooted celery / knob celery with edible roots. Otherwise known as a root veggie. It has minimal sugar and is a good source of calcium and Vitamin K. I am so glad I discovered it via this recipe and will be using it in many more dishes and kitchen experiments from now on!

Which recipe of theirs looks best to you?! Seriously, you should order and get those two free meals… What a steal!

So today’s post is a double whammy. It’s a shoutout to my male readers aannnddd a Thanksgiving inspired giveaway of one of my favorite things on earth: Larabars. And we’re not just giving away Larabars, we are giving away an awesome Larabar tote filled with bars, granola and a t-shirt to FOUR awesome readers. All you have to do to enter is comment on this post saying what you are thankful for this Thanksgiving, and (if you’re a dude) how you will incorporate one of these health tips into your life and (if you’re a gal) how you will gently guide one of the guys in your life with one of these health tips.

Ready?! Let’s go.

5 Health Tips for My Second Favorite Gender (Hehe, Just Kidding… Maybe), G U Y S !

1. Just because you’re a guy doesn’t mean that you aren’t allowed to have concerns about weight, body image or issues with food. So very often I come across incredible guys who are suffering from issues with body image and even eating disorders, and I can only imagine how misunderstood they feel. As a female recovering from a nasty eating disorder, I felt alone enough as it was and there are tons of women who are open about their eating disorder struggles and recovery journeys. And it doesn’t have to go as deep as an eating disorder– it’s okay to admit to wanting to work on your body or better your health. It doesn’t make you any less macho. It actually makes you more relatable and sensitive, and girls really dig that (I know I do at least.) And if you’re looking for a healthy snack to fuel you pre or post-workout (or even just mid-work day), Larabar is a great option. So many different yummy flavors.

2. Skipping Meals Doesn’t Make You Cool. You do not want to know how many men I have talked to who pride themselves on “Just not needing to eat breakfast,” or skipping lunch or dinner in favor of working crazy long hours. “I didn’t even have a snack today, dude, and then I ran like six miles… and now I’m going to bed.” Not cool. In fact, eating more fiber throughout the day keeps your metabolism running strong and your blood sugar levels in check. It all catches up with us in the end. (Those weekend middle of the night McDonalds binges? You can say goodbye if you’re maintaining a regular meal schedule.) And snack, snack, snack! Don’t be afraid of snacking!

3. Laugh It Off! Laughing really is the best stress reliever. I don’t mean to be sexist when I say that a lot of guys I know get extra wound up when they are stressed, but they do. For some reason it seems that more women understand the importance of winding down and treating themselves to some relaxation and a girls’ night (or some alone time). Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is step away from whatever it is that’s stressing you out, and let loose with some friends or the girl that makes you smile. I promise it will be worth it in the end, and it makes for a happier and healthier you in the long run. (That’s what life is all about anyway, right?)

4. Yoga is not to be feared. Please, for the love of God, don’t be one of those guys who loudly and idiotically declares that yoga is not a workout. “I mean, I would do that, but I like to actually sweat when I work out.” Have you ever set foot in a power vinyasa hot yoga class? Think again. And the stress and tension-relieving benefits of stretching and breath work are not to be glossed over, either. A real (healthy, balanced) man isn’t afraid of the yoga studio. It also lowers blood sugar, slows heart rates and increases flexibility. Yoga isn’t all about girls in spandex twisting themselves into pretzels. And if you want some recommendations for some awesome (even bro-ish, if you’re into that) teachers, holler at yo girl.

5. Fad Diets are Not Your Friend. “No, really, Paleo REALLY, REALLY works for me,” says my male friend who drinks heavily on the weekend and then gorges on fast food. If you find something that works for you, be my guest. But just because Mark’s Daily Apple or Jared Leto is doing it doesn’t mean it’s going to be the cure all to your probs. Life is all about balance, and learning to live a lifestyle in moderation is where it’s really at. I promise. Cut back on gluten if you so desire, and sugar isn’t really going to make you feel awesome either, but making those cutbacks so you can enjoy what you love in healthy amounts is what it’s all about.

And who’s ready to win a Larabar tote with lots of goodies inside?!

Just comment on this post about your takeaways on TBB’s quick guide to men’s health and balance, and tell me what YOU are thankful for this year. I am thankful for: my loving family, my best friends and getting to do this job that I am absolutely in love with every day.

Happy early Thanksgiving to all of you amazing souls! I am so grateful to have you all in my life.

It has been a super duper busy week. My first book deadline is next week so I am in crunch time with that; we did an incredible TBV Apparel photo shoot in Santa Monica on Tuesday (photos below… duh!), we are wrapping up the last minute details of the app and getting ready to send it to Apple, I am planning my NYC event and getting geared up for my trip there next week, and today is my grandfather’s funeral so I drove home from LA yesterday (6 hours!!) to be here with my fam bam.

See… busy! But that is how I like to keep things and it’s also how I end up getting the most work done. When I only have one or two things going on and they aren’t pressing or exciting to me, I won’t even do them. I’m not even a procrastinator, I’m a get-out-of-just-about-anything-I-don’t-wanna-do kind of person which can be good and bad.

 Anyway, back to what we are here for today. Loving Lately!

Loving Lately // 9.25.14

1. Frozen Yogurt ▷▸▹►

This one might sound a little silly or a little generic to you, or perhaps a little like, “Seriously? Fro yo is soooo 2011… where the heck has this poor chick been?” Well, let me tell you! I didn’t eat frozen yogurt, or anything with refined sugar for that matter, for two years straight. Before that I didn’t eat dairy, so frozen yogurt was something I really hadn’t had since about my freshman year of college, give or take.

Lately I have been challenging myself in the food department and trying to reincorporate things I know that I love in order to feel satisfied and balanced again. Umm, can we talk about the fact that frozen yogurt tastes like a little glob of heaven? Maybe it’s the serotonin surge from the sugar speaking, but holy crap do I love the taste of frozen yogurt (especially chocolate) with some yummy toppings on a warm day. And the sugar gives me a nice little energy boost – something I hadn’t experienced from food in a long, long time.

More than just the deliciousness of frozen yogurt, what I’m really saying here is that I am loving feeling SATISFIED and treating myself to something that I love! I am trying to live my life and ditch my food fears, and it feels pretty damn amazing when I am able to do that with no regrets and no urge to run to the gym for three hours to pretend like the indulgence never happened. (I am not recommending you do that – it leads to a very unbalanced and unhappy life.)

2. RewardStyle & LIKEtoKNOWit ▷▸▹►

I wrote all about this in Tuesday’s post so I won’t go into too much detail, but I am seriously loooving being a part of RewardStyle and getting to explore their website and all of the awesome stuff they have to offer for bloggers. In order to reap the benefits of LIKEtoKNOWit, sign up on their website so you can receive an email every time I (and/or your other fav bloggers) post a photo of an outfit, home décor item, kitchenware, etc. It ROCKS!

3. This super freaking awesome yoga mat ▷▸▹►

It’s no secret to all of you that I love the bohemian style/vibe more than anything, and being able to incorporate it with my YOGA MAT is just about the raddest thing I have heard of doing all month. Nowww to find yoga pants to match!

4. Flat Tummy Teas ▷▸▹►

I am so into this tea right now. Don’t let the name “flat tummy” freak you out into thinking it’s some kind of diet tea because you know my stance on that kind of stuff. This is a totally natural 2-step detox (their Everyday tea for daytime and their Afresh tea for nighttime) that speeds up your metabolism in an all-natural way and detoxifies impurities to make your digestive system run smoother. Their 4 Week Fab is a great way to get started and is my personal current fav. It has a laxative effect, so for those of you who are addicted to coffee for that reason you might consider switching things up to a more natural regulating system!

I love it because I love sipping on tea with lemon when I first wake up in the morning, and this tea charges up my energy levels because it is super antioxidant. The nighttime tea decreases unwanted water retention. Soak the tea leaves longer for a more “cleansing” effect (a.k.a laxative). Love, love this stuff. You can find it here, or find them on Instagram at @flattummytea.

5. TBV Apparel Photo Shoot ▷▸▹►

Heeeere’s a little sneak peek into what Tynan and I were up to on Tuesday…

Balance Definition Tee

Loving Lately Tee 

High On Good Vibes

More to come, but I wanted to share my favs for now!

6. TimeHop App ▷▸▹►

Okay I am actually dying over this app. It tells you exactly what you were doing one, two, three, four, five (and on) years ago on the day! Three years ago today I was in Venice, Italy with some of the greatest people around.

Four years ago today I was being a total sorority girl at our Greek Week football game. Oh, the memories! I am a freakishly nostalgic person, so my friends have been receiving lots of texts and emails with photos from this app – and it’s not stopping anytime soon!

 7. This Shirt ▷▸▹►

I have been a fiiiiend for plaid lately (you knew it was coming with Fall…) and this Sam Edelman Zip Shoulder Plaid Shirt is no exception. Want/need/buying.

 8. Alcohol ▷▸▹►

Remember my views on alcohol? Well, I’ve been letting loose a little more often lately and it has been really fun. Last night I enjoyed some cocktails with my parents at Ella in Sacramento, and tonight we are all taking shots to celebrate the life of my grandpa because he loved alcohol more than most people I know. (Okay, maybe more than anyone.) I have been feeling a lot more like my old self… carefree & spontaneous versus rigid and controlled. It feels waayyy better in every way possible.

 9. Lulu Lemon ▷▸▹►

This is what my clean laundry pile looks like. I need to start wearing more than just yoga clothes. But they’re so comfy and then I don’t have to change for yoga at the end of the day!

10. TBV Apparel Custom Orders ▷▸▹►

But really… is whiskey vegan? Email me if you’d like a custom tee made, and we will hook you up.

 11. This Article ▷▸▹►

Especially #18, #23, and pretty much #1-#6.

What are YOU loving lately? Anything exciting going down this weekend?