Recap of This Girl's Healthy & Happy Life Lately

Happy Monday, everyone! Instead of a recipe or a direct health post today let's try out something different here. What do you say? I was thinking a little recap of my healthy and happy life over the past few days..plus a few pictures along the way! Oh yes, it's time to get personal.

La Familia comes to visit!

Ever since I left New York and moved to Italy in January, I had been counting down the days until my family came to visit. Last week the day FINALLY arrived and I flew to Barcelona to be reunited with them!!! We spent four days there sightseeing and exploring the city together. I have traveled to so many amazing cities and countries over the past couple of months but I have to say… Barcelona was absolutely beautiful.

After a few days in Barcelona, we all headed to Florence so that I could show them around my city! I definitely tired them out with all the walking I made them do! I loved being in all the touristy churches and shopping areas with them, but I have to say my favorite moments were when we just sat in cafes or restaurants for hours getting lost in conversation, laughing and enjoying being with each other. If I've learned one lesson in life it is that happiness comes not from material things, but from doing what your soul loves, and being surrounded by the people who love your soul.

This is me and my family walking through my favorite part of Florence… the gardens! Can you tell how much I miss green grass and nature …..:)?

Juice, Juice & more Juice!

In other news… FOOOD TALK TIME! While my family was here they really tired out my digestive system with wayyy too many italian goodies. Every time I "go off" the same thing happens: headaches,  skin breaks out, stomach issues, ya know THE WORKS. Sooo needless to say, when my family left I was sad but also so happy to get back on a healthy track!

After my parents left I pretty much drank and ate raw vegetables and fruits for 3 days straight. When we tax our bodies with high amounts of gluten, dairy, & processed sugar, raw foods are great for your digestion and help rebalance the body. Cooking foods destroys much of the natural enzymes that are used to break down nutrients. Plus, eating raw foods definitely gives me more mental clarity, insane amount of energy in the morning and better sleep at night! 
     

My yummy green juice with spinach, celery, apple, cucumber, & ginger!

Banana & Almond Butter Post Workout:


Before my family came to Europe I asked my mom to go on a Trader Joes/ Whole foods run for me where she could pick up a few of my favorite foods to keep me stocked up until I come home at the end of May. This morning I reunited my taste buds with heaven. AKA sprouted Eizekel bread with gooey almond butter, sliced bananas and topped with chia seeds…. to die for. 

I like the sprouted cinnamon raisin Eizekel bread even better but hey, I had to leave some room in my suitcase for clothes...

Devoured this in the morning for the second half of my breakfast after my morning yoga and workout!

Yoga & Outdoor Workouts

     The past week in Florence has been beautiful and I couldn't let this green grass in the gardens go to waste! Took some "me time" to do what makes my body and soul happy: Fresh air, a light run, & some yoga play time at its finest!

Namaste!

Question of the Day:

"Healthy" isn't just about what you eat or how much you exercise. It's a balance between body, mind and soul. Do you take time to do what makes your soul happy? To do what you really love?

A Healthy Breakfast Recipe: Mini Egg Fritattas

Lately I have been on a major egg kick. I'll admit, for a while I was the occasional "egg white only" kind of girl, but those days are clearly long gone! I think maybe it has to do with the fact that the eggs in Europe are so fresh and tasty? Or that they are incredibly healthy and a great source of protein? Could be a combination of both!

Anyways, omelets or hard boiled eggs for breakfast, lunch or dinner have been what's happening in this girl's happy and healthy kitchen for the last couple of months. However, for this morning's breakfast I decided to switch things up a bit and try out a new recipe! The recipe is from one of my favorite food activists, Vani Hari, who calls herself the Food Babe (definitely check her out if you haven't already!) Vani has been seen fighting the food industry on CNN, NBC News, The Dr. Oz Show, ABC News, Good Morning America, and a bunch more. Trust me, this girl's got her credentials.

The recipe of Vani's that I tried was for Mini Fritattas. (Does anyone else love saying the word fritatta?!) These fritattas made for a perfect breakfast in my book: nutritious, incorporated vegetables, easy and quick to make, convenient and helped keep me full all morning!

…and of course it wouldn't be breakfast without having a green smoothie on the side! YUM.

The recipe is one of those things where if you don't have one of the ingredients on hand, you can easily omit or substitute it and they'll still turn out great! (unless it's the eggs that you don't have. then that will be a problem…:) ) Side note: the spices in this recipe really make all the flavors come to life!

Another thing I love about this recipe is that it uses the WHOLE EGG! YEP, YOLK & ALL! The poor egg yolk get's such a bad reputation for "causing high cholesterol" but it turns out that it really provides essential heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids and beneficial vitamins and minerals for our bodies. In a study at the University of Connecticut, researchers found that the fat in egg yolks actually helps reduce LDL( the bad cholesterol). So don't fear the yolk and eat up!

Mini Egg Fritatta Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 whole eggs
• 1 large red pepper diced
• 1/2 small red onion diced
• 1 to 2 ounces of goat cheese (optional)
• 3 sun dried tomatoes diced
• 3 tbsp minced fresh basil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• fresh cracked black pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp coconut oil (to coat muffin tin or baking cups)

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 375

2.Combine all ingredients in large bowl

3.Pour mixture into coconut oil greased muffin pan

4.Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until golden on top

5.Let rest for at least 5 minutes and serve

I ate two of these today and am saving two for tomorrow morning! I want to have a brunch party just so I can make these for everyone!! They would be a hit! Hope you enjoy, let me know how you like them! I'll pass the word onto Vani ;) xo

My Journey With Yoga

Good morning world! It’s time I share with you an important part of my life journey. I hope my story of how I went from a competitive soccer player to a student and teacher of yoga, and how yoga helped me with some of my life challenges will inspire and help you on your journey through your own life!

Growing up I had always been a competitive athlete and for the longest time, my dream was to play Division 1 soccer in college. In 2011 all my hard work paid off and I was asked to play for the UNCW Women’s Soccer team. My dreams had come true and I was beyond excited to tell everyone that I did it. I made it to where I always said I would be and I wouldn't let them down.

Once school started, I loved the challenges that being a freshman and the underdog presented. I didn’t mind the early morning workouts, or traveling for days at a time, or sitting on the bench knowing I was just a freshman who would have to work for a spot on the field. I knew nothing in life comes easy and I’d have to continue to work hard for the respect and chance to play. I was okay with this.

A couple of months into freshman year though, something happened. I started to become really, really unhappy. I didn't even know who I was anymore. The strong, fearless Lauren was always angry and frustrated, crying all the time, and overall disappointed in herself on a regular basis. The thought of not living up to everyone's expectations made me feel like a failure. So I kept pushing each day, unhappy, and uninspired. 

It was around the time that this unhappiness set in that I signed up for a yoga class to fulfill my PE credit in college. I thought "stretching" would be a nice supplement to my demanding workout schedule. So every Monday and Wednesday morning for 50 minutes I was led by Marsha Todd in a basic level 1 class. On day one, I quickly learned that I was by far the most inflexible person in the room, barely able to touch my toes (it was pretty bad!). But surprisingly, I always felt amazing by the end of the class and I soon realized my limitations didn’t seem to matter.

Somewhere between the physical practice of downward facing dogs and warrior poses, each class the same thing would happen. My mind would become clear, the unhappiness would subside, and everything seemed to be put into perspective. With each breath I let go of the anger and expectations and soon realized that life is about doing what makes you happy. Even though my parents and family had told me they would could never be disappointed in me if I wanted to quit soccer, it took the silence in yoga to listen to my soul and let myself be okay with it.

"Yoga is essentially a practice for your soul, working through the medium of your body." (Tara Fraser)

I eventually decided to stop playing soccer and it was like a weight lifted off my shoulders. Since then, my practice and love for yoga has grown tremendously and it is a wonderful balance to my gym workouts. I truly believe that no matter who you are, or what stage of your life you are at, yoga can help you. I know thats a bold statement but its true. Anxiety, depression, stress, overweight, eating disorders, asthma, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, migraines, back pain, arthritis, self hate- you name it. Our problems come from a combination of physical, emotional and spiritual health. Yoga touches upon all 3 of these things. This is why yoga is not only a practice, but a lifestyle. A lifestyle that leads you on a path of self love and that gears you towards making everyday decisions to better your health and happiness.

As a teacher and student of yoga I frequently hear people say "I want to start yoga but I'm not good enough" or "I want to try yoga but I'm not flexible and would't even know where to start". My response? If I could do it, so can you! There is no such thing as being "good" or "bad" at yoga. Yoga doesn't judge, it does not have expectations, it does not have rules. Yoga is taking 10 minutes in the morning some days to just lay on your matt and listen to your breath as it sweeps out and cleanses your body of any worries or negativity. Yoga is surrendering the ego and accepting where you are in your practice today. Yoga is powerful, it is humbling, it is happiness, it is everything we need.

Yes, I have learned to stand on my head and to to balance on my arms, but this in NO WAY defines my yogic lifestyle. Some days I love a powerful yoga practice with inversions and sweat and the whole shebang. But other days I might just need to sit on my mat with my legs up the wall and set an intention for the day. So no matter where you are in your life, there is no better time than now to start yoga, to start breathing, to start slowing down and living.

 Here are some tips I have for anyone looking to start!

 

1. Try out different types of yoga classes to find one you enjoy.

2. Try different teachers out to see which one inspires you!

3. Be open and practice patience, no self judgement and work on being present. When your mind is in it you will get the most out of it.

4. If you can't get a practice in at a studio, try 5 minutes of meditation in the morning and at night. Close your eyes, just breathe. Also, check out yogaglo.com for great online classes!

5.Most importantly, listen to your body. Some days you might need to just lay in childs pose, that's okay…that is yoga!