Nothin’.

What is the wellness tour, you ask?!

Welp, it’s basically my life in a nutshell. I think my life IS a wellness tour around L.A., and whichever city I happen to be in in that moment. When I traveled to Austin… wellness tour. Kauai? Wellness tour. Cruise around Italy and the South of France? Wellness tour. Sacramento, San Francisco, Napa, New York City, Costa Rica, Cabo — I find that wellness ish and I put it on blast.

Honestly you guys, I was more excited to see the original Whole Foods Market in Austin, TX than I was to go to bars on Rainey Street or lay out at the ever-iconic Barton Springs. Like, way more excited.

And living in Los Angeles, the wellness tour is never ending. My daily haunts certainly fall into the health & wellness category… Alfred Coffee, OrangeTheory Fitness, Whole Foods, M Cafe, Cafe Gratitude, Earthbar, Corepower Yoga… You know my drill.

But also — there is some guidance to be had! With the epic sea of options, we need a roadmap. For people visiting Los Angeles, yes of course you need a road map & I am stoked to provide it, but also for those of us who live here. I have my fave menu items, insider tips on where to park, what to do while you’re nearby, all that jazz.

So, shall we get started?!?!

It was hard to choose the restaurant I wanted to kick off this tour with. I have so many favorites. So many killer places to share with you guys. And because I’ve been working on this (with the fab Christina‘s help — what up!) for the last 4-ish months, we have hit up a lot of places. We gots lots of pictures and lots of tips. But, I ended up choosing Kreation Juicery for a couple of reasons.

Reason #1: There is a Kreation in my hood, walking distance from my apartment actually, so I hit it up a lot. It’s a part of my regular routine, so it couldn’t possibly be more organic to share with you guys.

Reason #2: It was the FIRST juice bar in Los Angeles that I ever, ever tried. The Manhattan Beach location to be precise. 2012. Way before juice bars were a THING. I fell in love with their innovative flavors and their adorable branding. I brought people there every time they visited me. It’s my special little spot.

Reason #3: They have sit-down restaurants AND grab-and-go juice + smoothie + food locations. I like the variety, and I am all about sharing that type of place with you! They have tons of vegan, gluten-free, organic, delish items and they ALSO have salads with chicken and other non-vegan things. Perfect for the balanced life, yo.

Kreation, I love ya!

Ok, let’s get started. I am going to keep the wellness tour format really simple & easy to follow, because I am going to be posting a lot of these. I want you guys to be able to compile them & print them out (if need be) if you’re traveling to LA. I don’t want you to have to read through all my ramblings to get to the goods. You can read all my other blog posts for that type of thing. And my intros for crying out loud — 600 words of introduction! #ImInsane.

LOCATION: I love the Brentwood location on Barrington Ave (I’m partial to my hood!) but also the Montana, Abbott Kinney, West Hollywood, and Manhattan Beach locations are all awesome too. I am a huge fan in general. If you’re looking for sit down style… Try WeHo, Venice or Montana. The Brentwood one is smaller, as you can see in photos!

WHERE TO PARK: There is a big parking lot directly across the street where you can park for free for 2 hours as long as you get your parking ticket validated! There is also usually street parking, so be sure to pay the meter! They watch those like a hawk in this neighborhood.

JORDAN’S MUST-HAVES: I absolutely love the MILF green juice — it has almond milk, hemp protein, cucumber, spinach, chia seeds & almond butter. It tastes like HEAVEN and is designed to promote longevity and fertility. It will hold you over between meals and could even be a meal replacement. Also LOVE the Loaded Gun for morning time (cold-pressed coffee, coconut oil, grass-fed butter), and every single one of their blended-on-the-spot smoothie options. Opt for 1/2 banana in some of those if you want to keep them more low-glycemic.

IF YOU’RE IN THE MOOD FOR DESSERT: Get one of their chocolatey smoothies or their cacao energy balls — I get them whenever I need a pick-me-up, and DAMN are they good. Also the Cacao Almond Yogi… It’s basically like chocolate almond yogurt pudding… So many good things in one.

TAKE THESE THINGS TO GO: The MATCHA PUDDING, and any of their grab-and-go salads. I love the Happy Ending & the Kinky Quinoa! And the CHIA pudding makes an amazing breakfast!

SOMETHING SPECIAL: Their juices are never high pressure pasteurized, which means they deliver significantly more nourishment and health benefits than traditional juicing methods. All Kreation juices are made from Farmer’s Market Certified Organic fruits and vegetables purchased locally in Santa Monica. They flood the body’s cells with vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that cleanse, heal, and nourish. SWEET. Plus, I told you it was the first juice bar I ever discovered! ANNDDD they are GREEN — the cutest green grass outside you ever did see! Take some pics while you’re there.

WHAT TO DO NEARBY: Right next-door is a Burn 60 if you want to get your workout on. Across the street is a Lemonade (yummy food if you want a full-blown meal), and if you stroll down the street toward San Vicente there is tons of shopping, OrangeTheory Fitness, Alfred Coffee & more!

Overall, I am a huge fan! A++++ in my book. 

And thus concludes round 1 of the wellness tour. Coming in HOT. Let me know if there’s more info about Kreation that you’d like to know, and I will keep that in mind for the future wellness tour posts that I do!! Lots of great stuff coming, from Moon Juice to Bottega Louie to Estrella on Sunset to Flower Child and sooooo much more.

MUAH!

So obvi I want to share all of my go-to spots with you.

I was in LA from Thursday night to Monday morning, and even with the TBV Apparel photo shoot, the crazy hectic schedule, the birthdays, the running around and the amount of people I wanted to see, I managed to hit up all of my favorite vegan spots. Well, most of my favorites. All would require a bit more time

Me before I boarded my flight… rockin’ my Juice Press beanie! Oh yeah.

Oh! And an update on TBV Apparel—the photos came together so well, and we are working on some last-minute details, solidifying a non-profit to work with (10% of the shirt’s proceeds will go to a health-related charity) and doing ONE more last t-shirt phrase (because I get so phrase-creating happy) and then the official TBV Apparel Store will launch. I. Am. So. Excited.

A shot from the shoot… it’s literally killing me not to be able to post the full photos– but I can’t give away the shirt phrases just yet!

Now, for some L.A. goodness!

What I Ate in La La Land:

Thursday:

Whole Foods 

So, my best friend Jordan (yes, same name, not referring to myself in the third person!) picked me up from the airport, and between hair and makeup for the shoot we made a very necessary pit stop at Whole Foods Manhattan Beach. I had this super delicious salad with golden beets, purple cabbage, broccoli, artichoke, chickpeas and my favorite Oil-Free Balsamic. (Funny story: my other bestie, Jillian, met us at WF and while I was jumping for joy about the oil-free balsamic after she drizzled it all over her salad, she said, “…Wait, this is oil-free?” and proceeded to dig through the dressings to find more oil. #lifewithaveganbestie)

Photo shoot ready… the most make up you’ll ever see on me

Nekter Juice Bar The fabulous Nekter Juice Bar was kind enough to sponsor the TBV Apparel shoot, which was amazing because A) we needed some good old fashioned juice hydration and B) I definitely wanted my models to be sporting some green juice in mason jars in the apparel photos. Did I chug a Nekter vanilla protein cashew drink around 2 a.m. when the shoot ended? Yes, yes I did.

Friday:

Nekter

Well, it’s a given that I had Nekter for breakfast—leftovers rock.

Rawvolution

I couldn’t even contain my excitement about being back in Rawvolution. One of the most awesome things about Rawvolution is that it is directly across the street from my yoga studio, Yogaworks, on Main Street in Santa Monica. Rawvolution is by far the best raw food restaurant around. Their smoothies are untouchable, and their salads are out of this world. My friend Laura and I shared the Holy Macro Bowl (kale, baby greens, hijiki, nori, red pepper tahini dressing) and the Tiger Roll (coconut curry roll, Szechuan veggies, avocado, sweet chili sauce).

Yum, yum and more yum.

Café Gratitude

An absolute staple whenever I am in L.A. No other vegan restaurant even holds a candle to Gratitude. Their dishes are all called, “I am _____,” so for example, “I am Beautiful,” “I am Whole,” or “I am Grateful.” You have to order that way when you’re there, and it’s a fabulous act of self-love and gratitude. I ordered my go-to, the “I am Fortified” – quinoa, steamed kale and veggies with a sesame ginger sauce. The other photo is a apple arugula cashew cheese wrap that my friend ordered.

Saturday:

Juice Crafters

I discovered the lovely Juice Crafters last time I visited in L.A. because it’s walking distance from my friend’s apartment in Brentwood. Their juices are so fresh and yummy, and the place is tiny and adorable. Also, I’ve noticed the people who work there have all been awesome and super-friendly. I ordered a juice that had acai in it, and when I tried it, it was sweeter than I wanted it to be. They happily remade the juice and subbed blueberries for acai. They rock.

M Café

Another Brentwood spot. I love this place because it’s macrobiotic – they are dairy-free, gluten-free, red meat-free, etc. but they do have fish and more filling dishes for those non-veggie friends. I got this veggie plate with an asparagus soup, and my friend Jill got a tofu teriyaki salad. (Even though she ordered the tofu teriyaki bowl with rice, oops?)

Sunday:

Juice Crafters

Acai bowls and green smoothies all the way.

Beverly Hills Farmer’s Market

There was no way I was going to leave L.A. without hitting up one of the many amazing farmer’s markets. I was leaving for Mexico the next day, so I couldn’t exactly buy any fresh produce, but walking around was a blast. I met up with the lovely Sophie of Philosophie Superfoods and we got some juices at Pressed. The fresh fruit and veggies, homemade jams and spreads, crepes, nut butters and smoothies were literally making me drool! Such goodness.

True Food Kitchen

This is a great place to go for those who are looking for something that works for everyone. They serve everything from vegan food to grass-fed beef to street tacos with cheese. I love going here with my non-vegan friends, because everyone is happy with what they order. I got a Carrot Ginger Lemonade (heaven!), but they also serve wine and organic cocktails. I ordered my favorite (and not so photogenic…) winter vegetable salad with cauliflower, sweet potato, soybeans, etc.

Monday:

Airport…woo!

Monday morning I flew out of the Santa Ana airport. So sad to go. All I had to eat on the plane was my avocado and Larabars. And some carrot sticks and fruit that my sister packed for me love my family for always thinking ahead.

Question of the day: Where do YOU like to eat when you’re in Los Angeles? If you’ve never been to L.A., what is your favorite city to visit / what do you like to eat when you go there?

Also… don’t forget to hop on the #fallinlovewithyourself #tbvchallenge! Details in the post below Huge love!

Come on, Jordan. 80-degree weather, my favorite restaurants and YogaWorks (my yoga crack) on top of the people aspect… of course I was going to love it.

While I was there I had intense moments of wishing I lived with all of my friends in an apartment on the beach where I could walk to the Brentwood Country Mart each day post-yoga-amazingness and get green juice and all-natural almond milk from Almond Milk LA and spend the weekends hopping from one Santa Monica bar to the next… but I also had equally intense moments of being very grateful for my New York City life.

I don’t have it that rough. I live with my lifelong best friend in the heart of Greenwich Village. I am pursuing my dream of getting my Creative Writing M.F.A at The New School. I work on the blog day and night because I love it. I get to collaborate with super awesome like-minded healthy NYC-ers every day. I have an Equinox on my street, a Juice Press, three organic restaurants, Integral Yoga Foods grocery store and an awesome yoga studio.

I can take a stroll in Central Park on any given day or visit my college roomie at her law firm in Midtown. I can write the day away in a charming café in Brooklyn. I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and living on the other side of the country, gaining amazing writing material and new experiences.

It’s not sunny La-La land, and I may not be up to my neck in old friends, but it’s New York City. Visiting L.A. did not take away my love for my new city life (although weather-wise there is no comparison). It only reaffirmed that I am in a win-win situation. I am a California girl at heart, but for now there is lots more to conquer in New York. I can be super happy in both places, and for that I am extremely grateful and relieved.

What I Ate this Weekend:

Anyway, what I’m really here to do is tell you about what I ATE in Los Angeles. My stomach had been acting up before I left for L.A (you can read more about my tummy problems here), so I was a tad hesitant to indulge when I first arrived. I had a delicious carrot orange ginger maca juice from Rawvolution for a post-yoga dinner on my first night in the city, and it hit the spot.

I woke up feeling light and amazing – thanks, juice for dindin – and decided to check out Juice Crafters, which had been highly recommended to me by my Brentwood friends. Yeah, you could say I kinda fell in love. But is that really that surprising? It’s an organic cold-pressed juice bar… a.k.a my heaven on earth.

I met some friends for lunch at Café Gratitude, my favorite Los Angeles vegan spot that I had been missing and craving since I moved. I ordered the “I am Pure” salad because I was still nervous about messing up my stomach by eating anything too rich, but my friends got the “I am Fortified” bowl and the butternut squash enchiladas. Everything was incredible, as always.

Then I made my obligatory Whole Foods pit stop. If you know me, you know that Whole Foods Venice Beach is my home of all homes. I drove there just about every day when I lived in Marina Del Rey. With their raw food bar, their two vegan sections and their a-freakin’-mazing bulk aisle, it’s basically the greatest place I could dream of. Plus, everyone in there is beautiful. That’s certainly one guaranteed aspect of L.A.

I treated myself to this raw treat while I was there… Can you say y-u-m?

Plus, I had one of my best friends meet me there. How cute is she?

Dinner on Friday was at M Café. I dragged three of my awesome non-vegan friends there, and somewhere between attempting to explain tempeh and the Macrobiotic diet all at once, they actually thoroughly enjoyed their meal. They also have fish there, which is cool for non-vegs.

Later that night the hash tag #isvodkavegan was born by one of my  friends. That might explain to you where the night went.

The next day was spent doing yoga, getting a salad from the Whole Foods salad bar and bringing it to the beach, and dining at Katsuya. Contrary to popular belief, Katsuya is quite vegan friendly. I ordered a veggie sushi roll and a tofu salad… but I couldn’t really eat the salad, since the tofu was fried.

Sunday I got a YUMMY acai bowl from Juice Crafters. Can you tell that I was staying right down the street from this place?

Sunday night I went to my sister’s house and was treated with a delicious Lentil soup and a yummy veggie salad. Monday I was back at Whole Foods for lunch, and then off to True Food Kitchen for dinner.

True Food is one of my favorite places to go with friends and family because it has something for everyone. The restaurant is all natural, organic, healthy and delicious, and it has vegan, vegetarian and carnivorous options. I ordered my favorite: Teriyaki brown rice bowl with tofu. Yum. And a carrot ginger lemonade.

My last morning in L.A. was dedicated to spending time with two of my favorite girls who I have missed ever so dearly. We had breakfast at M Café (oatmeal with berries and maple walnuts) and then got farewell juices at Juice Crafters. (I spilled mine all over me about 5 minutes into my drive back to Nor Cal.)

Overall, the trip was a massive success. Food-wise and everything else-wise. I will certainly miss the beach, the yoga studios, hiking the canyons, and of course the beautiful shining souls who make my world go round, but I will be back for another visit in two short months! And when the time comes for that you know there won’t be a shortage of restaurant hopping.

Modeling our lemon cayenne ginger juice shots right before my drive back!

Biggest missed food/juice opportunities while I was there? (The trip was short.) Moon Juice, Kreation, FEED Body + Soul, Pressed Juicery, Sage Organic, Lemonade, Mendocino Farms. Those are some of my absolute favorites, so just all the more reason to return in no time!

P.S. If you’re traveling to Los Angeles, New York, or Northern California soon, email me and I am happy to work with you to create a personalized meal plan for your trip. I do have some restaurant and grocery shopping experiences up my sleeve!