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what if wellness is really just about being so compassionate to yourself and others until we all absolutely glow?

Plant based on a budget

Let me start by saying, I recognize my privelege in being able to afford fresh fruits and vegetables and I’m incredibly grateful for that.

But all the time I hear people say, “oh I could never be vegan because it’s too expensive” and that’s just not true!!!

Sure, if you’re buying smoothies everyday and loading up on every supplement the internet has to offer (guilty) then yes, it can be pricey. But it certainly doesn’t have to be.

Here are some tips for how to eat a plant based diet when you’re a financially strained college student like me:

1. Don’t eat out. Sorry, I know this is super lame but seriously, a lot of vegan restaraunts are ridiculously overpriced. I’ve spent $16 on a bowl of raw zucchini noodles with some tomato sauce on top and I hated myself for it. Skip the juice bar and make yourself a smoothie at home, you’ll be a lot better off.

2. Shop seasonal. A lot of the time, whatever fruits and veggies that are in season will be on sale at the grocery store, so they’ll be cheaper. Buy apples in the fall, strawberries in the summer, etc etc. And better yet…

3. Shop the farmers market. Sometimes farmers markets can be more expensive, but a lot of the time they’re much cheaper!! Farmers will usually have an over abundance of certain produce during certain times of the year, so it’ll be hella cheap. Like I can go and get 4 cucumbers for a dollar during the summer time and it’s literally the best thing ever.

4. Eat rice and beans. Rice and beans are incredibly inexpensive. They also make for the perfect meal because they’re complimentary proteins, meaning when eaten together, they provide you with all 9 essential amino acids!! Rice and beans also happen to be the perfect combination of protein, carbohydrate, and fat so make these two your go to cheap plant based meal.

5. Buy in bulk. Costco has really stepped up their organic food game these past few years and I’m super proud of them. You can get chia, hemp seeds, hummus, Mary’s crackers, whole wheat bread, and tons of organic produce a lot cheaper than at the grocery store. Costco trips are literally the highlight of my weekend I love it.

6. Try frozen fruit and veggies. Did you know frozen produce is just as, if not, more nutritious than fresh produce?? Frozen produce is picked when it’s ripe, meaning when it has the highest number of nutrients. It is then immediately frozen in a way that preserves these nutrients…as oppose to most produce at the grocery store which is picked before it’s ripe so that it doesn’t spoil by the time it gets to the store.

7. Shop on amazon. Ok let me just say, you do not need spirulina and maca and cacao and matcha to be healthy. They are a great addition to a healthy diet, but consuming superfoods and supplements is not necessary to be healthy on a plant based diet. With that being said, it’s fun to explore functional foods like chlorella and chaga, and the best place to buy them is definitely on amazon!! Actually, nearly everything is cheaper online than in a store, so if you’re looking for something shelf stable or kind of obscure, I would definitely say go to the internet first.

If anyone else has any tips on eating plant based on a budget, please share!! I think the best thing to remember is stick to the classics like grains, beans, oatmeal, and bananas and don’t worry so much about goji berries and dragon fruit and such. You can still be perfectly healthy on a plant based diet without superfoods galore :)

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Lets stop shaming each other for our food choices

I think one of the things that turns people off to the vegan community is this all or nothing mentality, like if you’re not 100% vegan then you’re not doing your part.

But the thing is, any shift towards a more sustainable diet is an accomplishment that we should be celebrating!! Whether that’s acknowledging meatless Mondays, or eating local and organic, or simply eating one plant based meal, all of these things are steps in the right direction that we should be encouraging.

Diets are incredibly personal and they’re influenced by a lot of varying life factors. Yes vegans should educate and inform and spread their passion, but I don’t feel it’s fair to make others feel bad for not eating a certain way.

Remember, there was probably a time where you ate differently than you do now, and we should respect where everyone is on their diet journey.

And we should also respect any and all efforts to eat more plant based because it is the culmination of small efforts that bring about big change.

Xoxo

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Sometimes it’s the simplest things that are most beautiful (and delicious)

This little guy was made out of frozen blueberries, avocado, protein powder, pineapple, soaked cashews, and coconut milk and omg y'all it was so insanely delicious, tasted like eating straight up ice cream 10/10 would recommend

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Don’t tell them your plans, show them your progress

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How to pump yourself up for a workout you don’t wanna do

Usually I’m working out after an 8 hour day of work/class and sometimes I am just NOT feeling it. But consistency is key and exercise is important!!! So I have a few tricks up my sleeve to get my booty to the gym (so I can grow that booty)

1. Drink water. Hydration is everything!! And sometimes all you need is a big ol bottle of ice water to wake you up and make you feel super refreshed.

2. Splash water on your face. Sometimes I’ll just splash some cold water on my face to invigorate me, so simple but so effective.

3. Have a snack. Preferably some carbs and protein. I like almonds and orange slices, crackers and hummus, banana and almond butter, and my current fav, whole wheat bread with half an avocado, sea salt, and EVOO. Droooling.

4. Do a quick warm up. Sometimes I’ll do some basic calisthenics just to remind my body how good it feels to move. A few minutes of jumping jacks, burpees, or squat jumps can really wake you up and do wonders for your energy levels.

5. Update your playlist. New music always gets me so jazzed to workout!! Spend a few minutes downloading some new jams to get you real hype to go hard at the gym.

6. Have some caffeine. A lot of studies have shown that caffeine before a workout can be really effective. I like to have a cup of green tea, my friends do espresso shots, whatever works for you!! (Dark chocolate works great as well)

7. Remind yourself why you’re working out. Most of us have fitness goals whether that’s running faster, lifting stronger, losing weight, or looking hot in a bikini (or maybe all of the above!!!). Spending a couple minutes meditating on your goal before a workout can really bring about some powerful feelings of intention and focus.

8. Get a workout buddy. Working out with someone and having a schedule really holds you accountable. It’s easier to let yourself down and not go to the gym than to let your friend down and not show up, you know.

9. Do an at home workout instead. There’s soooo many awesome videos out there on the internet so if you really don’t want to go to the gym, you can easily find a killer workout video of your choice on the web.

10. Take a warm up walk outside. Fresh air and nature are really quite powerful. When I’m feeling sleepy, I find that just being outside and breathing in fresh air for a few minutes really does wake me up and make me feel more energized for my work out.

11. And of course, take a rest day and listen to your body. If you’ve been going hard for weeks and you’re feeling tired, just take a day off and don’t beat yourself up over it!!!! The gym will always be there tomorrow and your body will be grateful for the break.

Xoxo

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What to do after a binge

So I used to have a HUGE problem with binge eating. I restricted myself to little/ no calories during the day, then after school BAM..I would eat a couple thousand calories in a blind rage of hunger. I literally couldn’t stop. It was like I detached from myself completely.

These days though, I’ve got it under control (for the most part). Now, recovering from a binge ED or disordered eating style is a whole thing in and of itself and I’ll address that another time.

But for now, I want to talk about what you can do immediately after binging to help yourself recover and move on without too many feelings of shame or sadness.

1. First things first, get out of the kitchen (or wherever you binged). It’s really important to physically remove yourself from wherever you ate in order to avoid unconscious triggers to continue eating. It seems really simple, but sometimes we just keep eating because we’re standing in the kitchen looking at food. So get outta there!!!

2. Drink water. Ah water, so cleansing for the soul. Drinking water will 1) induce peeing to make you *feel* lighter and 2) cleanse your paelette and make you feel refreshed. Maybe this one is a mind game, but drinking a big glass of water after binging is KEY to recovering. And then of course, continue to drink water the rest of day to ensure hydration because tha is also key to curbing hunger.

3. Brush your teeth. This is a little trick that always makes me feel better. Brushing your teeth gets the taste of whatever food out of your mouth, discouraging you from eating more. Go crazy and use some mouth wash too, make that shit sparkle.

4. Take a light walk, but don’t go crazy exercising. I repeat, DO NOT overexercise to compensate for your binge!!!! This can turn in to a really unhealthy and vicious cycle of overeating and over exercising and it is a dangerous path to walk on. Get that body moving and walk around the neighbourhood, but don’t run for an hour and tell yourself how much you suck. Trust me, it’s not fun.

5. Do something you like. This is just to generate general feelings of well being which is super important after a binge (because usually we’re in a really bad place and mentally scolding ourselves for eating so much). Read a book, colour something, knit a scarf, whatever you’re in to. Hobbies are powerful and if you can find your flow, you can find your happy place and prevent feelings of shame from creeping in. This will help to make sure you don’t binge again!!

6. Remind yourself it’s not the end of the world. Be logical with yourself: one bad day of eating will not make you “fat”, the same way that one day of eating healthy will not make you “skinny”. You may feel a little bloated for a while, but you are not going to suddenly gain 5 pounds because you ate a whole pizza so relax.

7. Make your next meal healthy. And enjoyable, to remind yourself that nourishing your body moderately with healthy foods feels good!!! Again, just to make you feel better and get yourself back on track. DO NOT skip meals, as this is likely to result in more binging down the road. So forgive yourself and have a big ol salad and start fresh. It’s ok.

Xoxo

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Ways of measuring your fitness progress that have nothing to do with weight

Because I’ve gained 8 pounds since I started working out, but I look and feel better than ever

Waist circumference

Waist to hip ratio

Body mass index (BMI)

Are you lifting more weight

Can you do more reps

Are you doing new exercises that you couldn’t do before

Is your work out getting easier

Are you moving around better

Is your skin glowing

Do you feel happier

Are you more confident

How are your clothes fitting

Do you feel more comfortable in your own skin

Are you sleeping better

Scales are good for telling you how much you weigh. If your goal is literally to make the number on the scale go down, then weighing yourself is a good way to measure that. If you’re trying to lose fat, gain muscle, sleep better, feel happier etc., then a scale is not going to tell you that. Nor will it tell you your worth as a person. Xoxo

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Little things that make a big difference

Hot tea

Practing gratitude

Gentle stretching

Long showers

Morning sunshine

Drinking water

Deep breathing

Smiling (even when you don’t want to)

Clean linens

Warm hugs

Fuzzy socks

Reading books

Counting to ten

Taking a walk

Fresh air

Seeing loved ones

Petting animals

Journaling

Fresh flowers

Starry nights

Sweet perfume

Positive thinking

Long drives

Soft kisses

Good music

Self love

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Little things that make a big difference in your workouts

Having a plan. Having a plan is number one, it gives you direction and prevents you from going to the gym looking lost/not doing anything/just fucking around.

Drinking water. Water is always on all of my lists because it is the answer to everything y'all. But really, proper hydration before, during, and after your workout will ensure pique performance.

Breathing. When exercise gets hard, the best way to cope is to breathe. Long slow steady rhythmic breathing is the best, it’ll calm your nervous system and provide your body with the oxygen it needs to succeed.

Stretching. And yoga. And foam rolling. All of these things help your muscles recover, as well as ensure you stay loose and limber. This makes your exercises easier and more effective. Don’t do static stretching before your work out though, this can cause injury and injury is no good.

Using a sauna. Swear my life changed after I started using a sauna. 15 minutes after a long workout feels amazing and helps my muscles recover so I have less delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). If you have access to one I highly recommend checking it out.

Eating protein. When I started working out, I doubled my protein intake and my body responded really well. I always make sure to have 30 g 30 minutes after my workout as this is optimum for muscle growth and repairment and makes sure your body doesn’t go in to muscle cannibalism after a workout (yikes).

Eating before a workout. I used to be really in to fasted cardio and I definitely still do it if my session is <10 min. But eating protein before lifting is really important and helps ensure you’re building muscle instead of burning it for energy.

Also caffeine. My workouts can’t happen without a cup of matcha or green tea before hand. Studies show that ingesting caffeine before working out can help you work out harder and burn more calories. Stick to natural sources and avoid caffeine pills or “fat burning” pills (aka lots of caffeine) as these are often too abrasive for the system.

Pyramid sets. This is a trick I picked up from a personal trainer. Start with 12 reps of a weight, say 50 kg squats. Then do 10 reps of 60 kg, 8 reps of 70 kg, 6 reps of 80 etc. Your last weight should be your max…this is an awesome way to build strength and stamina at the same time, and I do this for most of my compound exercises. Remember, the only way to keep building muscle is to keep adding weight!!!!

Setting goals. Even if it’s just to look good naked, goals work my friends. They keep us focused, motivated, and on track, plus gives you a sense of purpose during your workout.

Burn outs. A burn out is pretty much just a circuit or a couple exercises you do at the end of your workout to take your muscles to fatigue. Muscle fatigue is said to enhance and speed up muscle growth. Plus, pushing your body to its limits lets you know what you are really capable of.

Supersets. Super setting is completing one exercise after another with no rest in between them. I superset all of my exercises, it’s an awesome way to increase your workout load without feeling like you’re doing too much. Try resistance band training between heavy lifting, it’s not too hard and it makes quite a difference in gains.

HIIT cardio. I do HIIT 20 minutes a week and that’s it because that’s all you need!!! HIIT is more effective than long steady cardio at burning fat, boosting your metabolism, and preventing muscle loss. Perfect for people who hate cardio like me.

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Rest and Recovery 101

If you’re anything like me, then rest days are hard. Like really really hard.

But rest days are just as (if not more) important in your fitness journey as your workouts. Because muscles aren’t actually built in the gym, they’re built after your workout.

Here’s what you need to know about rest days, as well as how to do them properly to optimize your results and gainz.

Lifting weights creates micro tears in your muscles. It’s actually not until after your workout that your muscles begin to repair themselves and become bigger in response (this is why protein after working out is so important, it aids in muscle synthesis!!) When you don’t rest properly after the gym , your body doesn’t get an opportunity to fix itself and your muscles never have a chance to grow.

Skipping rest days can lead to overtraining. Signs of overtraining include fatigue, weakened immune system, irritability, and soreness..AND it makes you more prone to developing injuries. Usually when you overtrain, you hit a plateau and stop progressing. Best way to avoid this? Adaquete rest.

Rest days don’t have to mean laying in bed all day. You can still be active by engaging in low impact exercises such as walking and yoga. Personally I like to stretch lots on my rest day to elongate my muscles and help eleviate soreness and stiffness. Stretching also not increases your range of fitness which can improve your workouts and form immensely.

You should have anywhere between one to three rest days a week, depending on the intensity of your workouts and your level of fitness. The stronger you get, the less rest you may need. If you are working out two days in a row, make sure that you’re not training the same muscle group (ie. do arms Tuesday and legs Wednesday) to give yourself a chance to recover.

Optimum nutrition on rest days is KEY. Eat lots of protein, carbohydrates, and fat to give your body the macronutrients it needs to repair itself. I would highly recommend protein pacing (eating 20/30g of protein at intervals throughout the day) to give your body a steady stream of muscle building protein. Fun fact: it’ll also keep you satiated and can help you lose weight.

Listen to your body and remember, more is not always better!! If you feel tired, then take a break. The gym will always be there tomorrow (or the next day). While you may feel like you want to go hard all day everyday to speed up your progress, this way of training is largely unsustainable and can actually do the opposite of what you want it to do.

Xoxo

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How to eat more sustainably

So you want to eat in a way that’s better for the environment, but you’re not really sure where to start. Here are some small changes you can make in your eating habits that will have a big impact on our world:

Eat more plant based meals. Livestock is an unsustainable commodity. Producing meat uses large amounts of water and emits massive amounts of methane and carbon dioxide in to the atmosphere. Agriculture is one of the driving forces of global warming (more than transportation!!) and a lot of these consequences can be mitigated by switching to a plant based diet.

Shop local produce and products. Local produce doesn’t have to travel as far to get to you, which translates to less carbon emissions from cars/planes/trains/boats. Here’s a way to remember:

Follow the 100 mile rule. This means that you consume products that come from a 100 mile radius from where you live. There’s a cool book written bout it, check it out!!

Go to farmers markets. Farmers markets are a good way to get local food on the cheap. Small farms, like those at your local market, are much more sustainable than large scale farming practices because they don’t use as much, if any, pesticides and they grow a wide variety of crops (as oppose to the monoculture crop system practiced by large scale farming companies). This ensures healthier soil, happier plants, and a much better ecosystem!!

Eat in season. Food in season is cheaper, tastier, and typically doesn’t have to travel as far to get to you. There’s a reason why strawberries taste like cardboard in the winter time.

Eat organic. Conventional produce is sprayed with pesticides and chemicals, many of which are bad for us, animals, and the environment. Organic food on the other hand has a higher nutritional value and doesn’t come with all the chemicals..win win.

Take your lunch in a reusable container. Preferably glass to avoid reproductive system disrupting BPA!! Avoid plastic, single use packaging and cutlery as much as possible to minimize your trash production.

Start composting. Composting is sweet because it repurposes all your old food scraps in to beautiful ready to use dirt. It’s better for your plants and better for the world, as it eliminates massive amounts of food ending up in trash bins.

Eliminate food waste. Speaking of, we have a massive problem with food waste in the world, to the tune of wasting 30% of the food we produce. Make a conscious effort to consume all of the food you buy and not to buy in excess!!

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Why every woman should weightlift

Your ass will look fantastic

Your body composition will change

Your bones will be stronger

Your heart will be healthier

Your body will become more defined

But more important than any physical change that will come from weightlifting is the MENTAL change. Because ladies, lifting weights is one of the most empowering activities you can engage in.

As women, we’re conditioned to want to be smaller. To be more petite, meek, submissive, quiet, polite. To take up less space, physically and figuratively.

Weightlifting will increase the size of your thighs and your presence. It will make you stronger, more confident, more appreciative of your body. It will make you feel powerful, sexy, self assured, and LARGE AND IN CHARGE.

So to my beautiful ladies: please lift weights and don’t be afraid to get bigger. Don’t be afraid to take up more space.

Xoxo

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fitness progress is not always linear

You can gain weight or lose gains. You can take a break for a week or a month or a year and thats okay. This journey is yours and yours only. Embrace it and experience it for what it is, not what you think it should be

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What to do when you slip up on your diet

1. Take a deep breath

2. Forgive yourself

3. Try again

- you are more than the mistakes you’ve made

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Enjoy the holidays and don’t beat your self up over a few little treats because I ate half a cheesecake last night and I feel phenomenal

How to lose fat and maintain muscle

When people say they want to lose weight, they usually mean they want to lose fat. But how do you lost fat without losing all of that beautiful hard-earned lean muscle? Here’s some of the best advice out there that’s worked for me on this journey:

Step 1: calculate your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). This is the amount of calories you burn in a day. I like this one

Step 2: subtract 300-500 calories (start with 300 and work up to 500) from your TDEE. This will be the amount of calories you eat in a day. A 500 calorie deficit will equal a 1 pound a week weight loss. Build up to this slowly, it can be intense if you're not used to it.

Step 3: use MyFitnessPal or something of the sort and track. all. of. your. calories. It's a pain in the butt, but it works. Eat at home, measure your food, track your calories. And please friends, drink some water.

Step 4: keep your protein levels at 0.8-1.0g per pound of body weight. This will ensure you lose as little muscle as possible. Yes, this is possible for my plant based friends as well (I am proof). I weigh 140 pounds and I'm eating ~130g plant protein a day.

Step 5: keep lifting and keep adding weight. Some people find they get very weak when they cut their calories so at the very least, keep doing the same weight and drop your reps (I've been able to progress beautifully, even with the drop in calories, and I'm still getting stronger). Some kind of weight training though is very important to maintain muscle with a caloric deficit.

Step 6: consider intermittent fasting. IF has been shown to increase human growth hormone in the body, as well as increase insulin sensitivity. It also just makes it easier to eat less in a day.

Step 7: if you're trying to maintain muscle (such as grow a peach) then avoid long cardio sessions. You really don't need it to lose weight. I don't do any cardio at the gym and I'm losing weight just fine.

*based off of everything I've spent the last six months researching online*

Good luck friends!

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Raw Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars

My boyfriend hates healthy desserts and he loves these so they must be pretty damn good.

Ingredients

Chocolate layer:

1 cup salted almonds (if raw, just add salt)

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup raw cacao

1/4 - 1/2 cup maple syrup (agave of honey if you prefer)

10-15 deglet noor dates

1 tbsp coconut oil

Peanut butter layer:

2 cups shredded coconut

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 cup peanut butter

1/3-1/3 cup liquid sweetener

5 dates, soaked

Directions

1. For the chocolate layer, combine almonds and oats in blender and blend until few big chunks remain

2. Combine the rest of the ingredients and blend. It will get quick thick. When it starts to get too sticky, dump it in to a parchment paper lined 8x8 pan and press down evenly with your fingers.

3. Freeze while you build the next layer.

4. In a food processor, blend the shredded coconut until it becomes coconut butter. This will take several minutes.

*alternatively* you can use about 2/3 cup of store bought coconut butter.

*OR* if using a blender, it will take lots of scraping to make the butter and will be hard to get it fully smooth. That's ok! It still tastes great. Blend until very fine and do your best.

5. Add coconut oil, peanut butter, and soaked dates and blend. The dates may leave chunks which is ok.

6. Add as much sweetener as desired. If you choose to add a lot, it will seize up a little bit. Don't worry! It still tastes good.

7. Add peanut butter layer to chocolate layer evenly. Freeze for 1-2 hours.

8. Optional: melt very dark chocolate and drizzle it over the top. It will freeze almost immediately!

Cut and enjoy! And if you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers, keeping them in the freezer will do just fine. Happy baking

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