6 Steps To Get Back On Track After A "Party" Weekend Of Indulging

Hey guys! Today's post is all about how to "have your cake and eat it too". How to be able to go out and enjoy yourself without restricting what you're eating or drinking. And then on the opposite spectrum, how to get back on track after a weekend of indulgences! Life's all about moderation, balance, and finding a happy medium between leading a healthy lifestyle and still being able to enjoy yourself!

The past two weeks I've had a lot of parties to attend (what can I say I'm a popular girl!) Between my sister Dana's graduation, her 18th birthday, and my boyfriend's cousin's engagement party, let's just say there was A LOT of indulging. Yep. Cake, cookies, alcohol: THE WORKS. And for me, this was not normal!!!

I used to obsess a little over eaten clean 100% of the time but now I'm a little more lax. Whereas a year ago, I wouldn't dream of putting a piece of cake in my mouth because I know how crappy it would make me feel and how it would make my blood sugar numbers so high  I'd be up all night, now I realize that sometimes it's okay. It's okay to enjoy yourself and bond with people over food or drinks that may not be the healthiest choice. And it's okay because once in a while isn't going to kill you and the next day you can just get back on track!

So after nights of these parties that I consumed more sugar and crap (crap that tasted amazing at the time, might I add!) than a kid in a candy store, I knew I had to give my body some tender, love and care! These are a few  things I do myself and that I highly recommend for you to do the day after a party weekend to get your healthy on !:

1.Start the day with a glass of warm water with lemon or green tea. (click the link for a past post I wrote not he benefits).

2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Especially if you drank the night before, drink TONSSSS of water throughout the day! Flush out those toxins from the inside out!! Coconut water is great to rehydrate as well! CHUGGGG!

3. Move your body! Go for a walk outside, head to the gym, take a hot yoga class to sweat out the toxins. (I went rock climbing!)

4. Eat simple and natural foods. They will give you the vitamins you needs to restore and heal your body back to normal. Some of my favorites are: eggs, avocado, quinoa, sweet potato, fruit, raw vegetables, vegetable brothe based soups, green smoothies. 

spinach, beets, avocado, sunflower and sesame seeds, roasted red pepper, raw red pepper, red cabbage, red kidney beans. Dressing was squeezed lemon, olive oil and balsamic vinegar

5. Try to limit the salt intake and starchy carbs. (like pasta, pizza, ect.) You want the water and all the good foods you're eating to be able to be flushed out! Not blocked by starchy carbs hard on your digestion or by excess sodium that will slow down the water ridding your body of toxins.

6.Green powder. I mix a teaspoon of Spurilina with water on an empty stomach or between meals to get a fast absorption of this algae that is great for your skin, antioxidants, immune defense, and blood oxidation.

7.Don't beat yourself up. Health is more than just exercise and what you eat. It's mental too. Realize that if you eat healthy the majority of the time, once in a while won't kill you:)!

5 Tips For Learning How To Love & Accept Yourself, Right Now.

" It's hard to be happy about anything in life if you're not happy with yourself first"

A few weeks ago you read my post on how SO many of our emotions like stress, depression, and sadness stem from our tendency to compare ourselves to others and not think highly of ourselves. In that post I also talked about how we all would be so much happier if we could focus more on loving and accepting ourselves rather than putting ourselves down for not being "good" enough. Well, I'm telling you right now that you are. You are worthy enough. You are smart enough. You are beautiful enough. You are enough.

Sometimes I compare myself to others and when I do I feel really guilty. "Lauren, you know better than that!" But i'm only human. When this happens, what I try to do is make sure I nipp it in the butt! I stop for a second and return to the things that keep me grounded and connected to my inner self so that each time, comparing becomes less of a habit.

Here are 5 things ( from personal experience) you can start making a habit to learn how to love and accept yourself:

1. Happy talk!

In the morning before you get out of bed, or while you're in the shower, or making breakfast, or on the way to work, take 5 minutes (that's all it takes!) to close your eyes and breathe 10 slow inhales and 10 exhales. Clear your mind and say to yourself happy statements that YOU feel you need to strengthen your relationship with yourself. The words you say to yourself truly make a difference. What you think you create. I think its normal to pick apart the things we don't like about ourselves, so what we are doing is overruling those negative thoughts with positive ones( and say them with confidence too!) Here are some examples... 

• I accept myself
• I am enough
• I am worthy of my family and friend's love
• I am confident, compassionate and can do anything I set my mind to!

2. Be appreciative

Each day talk to your friends, family or to yourself about the things you are grateful for. Studies have shown that this actually alters your brain chemistry to make you happier! Remind yourself of how thankful you are for your talents, your beauty, your life.

3. Explore your passions

Your passions are your purpose. Every one of us have a passion, a hobby, that one thing that really sets our soul on fire and makes us feel like we can make a difference and that we are worthy! When you make time to do what makes your soul happy everything else will fall into place and you will be more confident with the person you are and not need acceptance from anyone else but you.

4. Let go

Let go of toxic people in your life. Surround yourself with positive people that inspire and make you feel great about yourself.

Let go of that little voice inside your head telling you you're not good enough because YOU ARE. Every time you have a though that is negative, acknowledge it, then take a deeeep breath in and out and say "Lauren, let it go. I am enough. I accept myself." (except say your name instead of mine! haha)

Let go of being critical of others. Send out love, lift people up, accept them for who they are. The same thing will find you in return.

5. Put things in perspective

At the end of your life do you want to look back and say "I wasted all my days worrying about how I thought I wasn't going to amount to anything...wasn't smart enough...wasn't skinny enough" NO! You want to look back and say I enjoyed moments having fun with my friends, and eating dinner with my family, and doing the things that I love. Sometimes you just have to put things in perspective and realize that when you strip away technology, and magazines, and tv, and mean comments, all that's left is you- a beautiful soul who deserves your love and acceptance no matter what stage of your life you are at.

We forget that just like every other part of our body, our minds need our love and attention. So with this information you can either put it in the back of your head or actively start practicing it today, right now. It's your choice. You have the tools...it's all in your hands!

xo

Lauren

Good Morning Overnight Oats Recipe

Happy Tuesday all! The past two weeks I've been interning in the NY supreme court and family court and let me tell ya, it is stressful! (for anyone who doesn't know I am attending law school next year!) Not only is there a good amount of heated fights, but there is nowhere for me to put my yoga matt and the judge told me workout sneakers apparently are not "court attire"!? I object! (totally kidding.) Haha. But anyways, each day I've been making sure I find time to get a workout in or a yoga stretch or yoga class. Even if it's just doing jumping jacks, squats and pushups in my living room before dinner for 20 minutes, I am always so happy I got my body moving! It definitely helps on a chemical level to relieve stress and pump up some happy hormones!

One thing that I've always believed is that your morning sets the tone for your whole day. I set my alarm (to nice soothing nature sounds) so that I have enough time to ease into my morning, have a cup of warm water with lemon and eat a healthy breakfast before getting ready and heading out the door. Today I wanted to sleep a little late so I made sure breakfast was all ready for me when I woke up! How is that possible you might ask? Wellllll because of this absolutely delicious recipe I'm about to share with you that takes 60 seconds to make the night before!

Basic Overnight Oats 

Overnight oats are simply oats combined with milk/yogurt/or both, and soaked overnight so that the oats absorb the liquid. In the morning you mix in any toppings you want and it is a jar of OOEY GOOEY DELICIOUSNESS. I recommend a combo of fruit and a nut butter to keep you energized and full until lunch!

Base:

1/3 cup gluten free rolled oats

1/3 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup milk of choice (or a little more if you like your oats a little loose/runny/ soggier)

1/2 banana

1/2 tbsp chia seeds

dash of cinnamon

Directions:

Stir/shake all of the ingredients together (mash the banana in) in a mason jar, tupperware or old nut butter jar with a lid. Place in the fridge and let it sit overnight. In the morning top with fruit, nut butters, or granola of choice and enjoy cold!


Favorite combos:

• favorite**: strawberries, blueberries, cacao nibs, & 1 scoop of chocolate superfood powder (or you can probly use cacao powder
• granola or muesli, peanut butter, banana
• strawberries, blueberries, banana, granola, peanut butter
• banana, cinnamon, honey
• banana, berries, sunflower seed butter

Before:

After:

in this picture i used little almond milk but it was an accident haha I generally make mine more creamy and liquidy

Fat Is NOT The Enemy! Good Fats vs Bad Fat

"Fats make us fat."

"Saturated fat leads to clogged arteries"

"Low fat products are better for you."

"All fats are bad"

Okay ladies and gentlemen, its time we address the above false statements because too many of us have thought them at one point or another (including myself!). Fat has the WORST reputation and is often very misunderstood. It's time we debunk these myths right here, right now once and for all so that we stop seeing fat as the enemy and stop thinking that all fats are bad!

Myth #1: Fats make us fat

Truth: Healthy fats do NOT make us fat. Our bodies absolutely require fat. It boosts our metabolism and we need it for cell growth, brain function, energy, vitamin transportation, and to cushion our joints. Where weight gain comes from in fact is refined sugar, high amounts of carbohydrates, and BAD FATS.

Myth #2: Saturated fats lead to clogged arteries

Truth: Man made damaged/altered fats and fatty animal meat are what are responsible for clogging arteries, causing inflammation, and contributing to heart attacks and stroke. Your body does not know how to break down these foreign forms of fat and it results in these medical issues and weight gain.

Myth #3: Low fat products are better for you.

Truth: This myth actually drives me insane. Companies know that consumers fear fat. So what do they do? They make low fat products by removing fat; BUT, to compensate they add in high amounts of artificial sugar and other chemicals to make sure it still tastes good. It is THIS that is causing health problems and obesity.

In a study looking at the past two generations of North Americans living the low-fat lifestyle, it shows that morality rates from coronary heart disease, cancer, and diabetes have actually been rising.

Summary:

-All fats are not bad!! 

-Don't fear the fats. Just choose healthy ones!

-Low fat does not mean high nutrition 

-Eat in moderation, but remember to include them daily in your diet for increased energy and weight loss

-when eating meat, choose organic, naturally raised and grass fed meat

-Man made fats are highly processed and never healthy!!! (fats on the right in the chart below)

TIPS:

BEST FATS TO COOK WITH:

COCONUT OIL

GHEE (healthier version of butter!!)
EGG YOLK

FATS FOR COLD USES:

OLIVE OIL

NUT OILS

FLAXSEED OIL

AVOCADO

NUTS AND SEEDS

**the composition of olive oil is damaged when used in high heats (ex. frying foods, sautéing vegetables). So ideally, coconut oil is better to cook with because it can withstand high heat (it is what I use!)

What is your favorite healthy fat to include in your diet? Mine is definitely avocado!

What To Eat Before And After A Workout

Hey guys! One question I get asked a lot is "what should I eat before and after a workout?!" For all of you gym-goers, kick boxers, runners, yogi's, zumba lovers, pilate-ers, swimmers, weight lifters, treadmill devotees, or anyone who breaks a sweat.….this one's for you! This post will share with you A) a little about the importance of fueling and recovering your body with the right foods B) basic guidelines you can follow to choose the best pre and post workout snack, & C) a list of my favorite foods you can eat before and after your workout. 

Did you guys know I'm a tennis pro?! ….. :)

First off, a little disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist! This post is simply a combination of being an avid reader of nutrition, speaking with health professionals in my circle of fitness and yogi friends, and trial and error from personal experience! Everyone's body is different so what works for me might not work for you. But I can tell you that unless you are a body builder who needs a very specific meal plan, chances are that if you stick with nutritious sources of calories, proteins, and carbs and follow some basic guidelines you can't go wrong with what to eat before and after your workouts!

A. FOOD IS FUEL!

• When we work out, we are actually BREAKING DOWN our muscle. In order for our bodies to tone, grow, and get stronger we need to feed our muscles to help them repair! If you eat nutritious food post workout you'll start to see the results you want. If you don't, you might have a harder time reaching your goals.

• Our bodies need food just like cars need oil. The whole " I'm not going to eat before or after my workout because I work out solely to burn calories" thought process is not sustainable, nor healthy! (I was definitely guilty of this a couple years back!)

• For those looking to loose weight, according to Dr. Oz "Without food to fuel your workout, exercise intensity and overall calorie burn are reduced… When you exercise with some food in your stomach, you're burning fat instead of muscle, leaving you with more energy and a higher calorie burn".

• According to sports nutritionist Tamara Jacobi, "There are tons of sports nutrition products out there that are unnatural. Though they may give your body energy, they lack nutrition and may actually be sabotaging [you]". Moral of the story? Put down the protein bars…they are just candy bars in disguise! The high amounts of added sugar and other crap in most of them don't belong in your beautiful body.

• In case anyone was wondering, a twinkie does not count as fuel ;)

B.  GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW

• The longer and more intense your workout, the larger and more calorie dense your pre and post workout should be. For example, a person running 8 miles is going to need more food compared to someone going to the gym to run on the treadmill for 30 minutes and then lift some weights.

• Eat a snack 60 min-30 min before your workout and within 60 minutes of finishing.

• I like to keep my pre workout light so I'm not exercising on a full stomach

• Before your workout: Aim for a snack with simple carbs that are easy to digest. A whole lot of protein and fats before your workout isn't a good idea because since it doesn't digest as easily, your body can't get access to the nutrients to fuel your workout. (Dr. Oz)

• After your workout: Aim for a snack that combines protein and carbs. Protein repairs your muscles and carbs energize you for the rest of the day (Sara Dussault)

C. PRE WORK OUT SNACK IDEAS

• A bowl of fresh fruit
• Whole grain toast with peanut or almond butter (I like to also add sliced bananas on top)
• 8 oz simple fruit smoothie 
• oatmeal with fruit 
• yogurt and fruit with organic granola or muesli
• apple and 1 tablespoon nut butter
• a few whole grain crackers 
• Macro bar 
• for a non hot yoga class, I normally have a little bit of fruit before or a big glass of water with a tablespoon of spirulina or green vibrance powder for a boost of energy

 POST WORK OUT IDEAS

•  Protein shake with fruits and vegetables using a plant based protein (my favorite brand is Vega Sport vanilla or chocolate)
• big bowl of oatmeal with fruit and some protein powder mixed in
•  almond butter and banana green smoothie
• eggs on a whole grain english muffin
• whole grain cereal with no added sugars
• black bean omelet with whole grain toast on the side
• protein pancakes
• peanut butter on brown rice cakes topped with goji berries
• cottage cheese with fruit and granola on the side
• hummus and veggies
• lean meat on a salad with lots of vegetables
• sweet potato with bean and vegetable soup on the side
• whole grain, farro, brown rice or brown rice quinoa pasta with broccoli and eggplant

What is your favorite food to eat before or after your workout? Do you agree that health is not just fitness but nutrition as well? Comment below I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Healthy Recipes For Your Next Family BBQ

Normal BBQ's or family gatherings usually look a little something like this: pizza, pasta, sausage and peppers, hamburgers, hotdogs, ribs, steak, heroes… you get the picture- not exactly lettucebehealthyandhappy friendly! This is why for the most part I am that boring girl with a plate in her hand that is filled with a salad…every.time. Don't get me wrong, I love salad! But I also like an exciting meal just as much as the next person. This is why I love cooking up some healthy options for BBQ's at my house and to bring to other people's houses as well!

In the beginning of transitioning into a healthier diet over the last couple of summers, when we had parties at my house I used to have my dad cook me my own small dish of something healthy (grilled vegetables, shrimp and vegetable shish kabob, grilled tuna, my own serving of whole wheat pizza or pasta, ect.) while everyone else ate the traditional BBQ food that was at the party. I never minded, but I always felt almost a little left out of the fun (if that makes sense). And not to mention tempted by all the heavenly smelling food. After all, there is a big social element to eating and I wanted to be a part of what everyone else was having!(do you blame me?!)

From time to time, I'd get some strange looks and people would ask me "what is that on your dish? Can I try some?". And secretly I would get so excited and do a little internal happy dance because even if it was just one person, I was leading by example and showing that YES HEALTHY FOOD CAN TASTE GOOD! It's not all carrot sticks and celery people!

This past weekend my family had invited over some family friends for a mini BBQ and for the first time, me and my mom put together a bunch of healthy dishes (not only for me to eat) but to put out as the main dishes for everyone else as well! And what do you know…everyone not only ate them, but loved them too (and even asked for the recipe for my quinoa salad..boom chicka yeah yeah!)

All we've ever known is hamburgers, hotdogs, and steak so that is our go to BBQ meals. But what if we slowly started learning how to incorporate healthier dishes into our BBQ party summer spreads? Then everyone can have healthy options they can enjoy guilt free and without feeling like they need to eat the hamburgers and hotdogs to feel satisfied. If you are hosting an upcoming BBQ at your house or going to a party, try making one of these dishes so you know you will have a healthy option and don't have to settle for a salad or unhealthy meal. Vegetetarian and healthy does not mean boring! Try these recipes I had at my BBQ and you'll see :)

Here's what was on the menu!

Greek Salad:

Ingredients are simple- Large tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, block of feta cheese, greek kalamata  olives 

Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized chunks, removing the core. Salt lightly. Peel and slice the cucumber into 1/4- inch slices, cutting slices in half. Salt lightly. Slice the onion into thin rings.

Combine the tomatoes, cucumbers, onion and olives in a large salad bowl. Sprinkle with oregano, pour olive oil over the salad, and toss. Just before serving, place feta in the salad as cubed chunks or crumbles.

Whole Wheat Pesto & Basil dish:

 Ingredients: 100% whole wheat or whole grain penne pasta, pesto, grape tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, olive oil, basil

Mix cooked whole wheat penne with a pre made or homemade pesto sauce. Cut grape tomatoes into halves and cut mozzarella into large chunks. Mix tomato and mozerella into pasta. Top with olive oil and basil leaves. Serve cold.

Quinoa Salad:

Ingredients: 
1 cup Red Quinoa
1 15-ounce of black beans, drained
2 cups roasted corn kernels
1 avocado, cut into inch pieces
1 cup red onion, finely diced
zest of one lime
sea salt and pepper
white wine vinegar and olive oil

Bring 2 cups of water and quinoa to a boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes, until water is absorbed. Strain the remaining water from the quinoa. Return quinoa to pot, cover and let sit for 15 minutes (this is when it will become fluffy)

Combine beans, corn, avocado, tomatoes, and onion. Top with white wine vinegar and toss gently. Add salt, pepper and lime zest to taste. Set aside to cool.

When ready to serve, add bean and corn mixture to quinoa. Serve hot or cold.

Grilled Pesto Asparagus:

Ingredients: 1 bunch of asparagus spears ( touch ends trimmed), olive oil, lemon, 3 tablespoons pesto, optional parmesan cheese

Place asparagus and pesto in a ziplock baggie, press out air and seal shut. Massage pesto onto asparagus until it is fully coated. Remove from bag and either roast in oven or on grill.

Cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender. Squeeze a little lemon over asparagus. Top with optional sprinkle of cheese. Serve immediately.


Question of the Day: Do you find it hard to eat healthy at summer BBQ's? What are your favorite healthy meals to cook during the summer?

Juice Cleanse Recap & Review

Hey all! Happy Monday! Today is the day I get to share with you a recap of my 3 day juice cleanse which I'm extremely excited about!  I received an insane amount of questions over the past couple of days about the cleanse and this post will hopefully answer them all! I thought the best way to go about this post was to do a Q & A format using the most popular questions I received on my instagram account and email (laurenbongiorno@aol.com).

Juice Cleanse Q & A

Q1: What cleanse did you do?

A: I chose to do the 3 day Blueprint cleanse . I was between this one and the Suja juice cleanse (which I would also recommend because it's a bit cheaper) but ultimately decided to go with Blueprint.

Q2: What does the Blue Print cleanse entail?

A: While I was on the cleanse, I drank 6 juices a day in a specific order for 3 days straight. Each day I consumed about 20 lbs (YES!) of freshly pressed fruits and vegetables and roughly 1,000 calories.

Q3: I see that the Blueprint cleanse has 3 levels to choose from. What are the differences?

A: Blueprint offers 3 levels you can choose from: Renovation, Foundation, or Excavation. The difference between the levels are the variety that you get in the juices. For example, my mom and best friend Mariel did level 1 (renovation) which gives you 5 different types of juice, whereas I chose level 3 (Excavation) and only had 3 different types of juices. 

Q4: Should I do level 1, 2 or 3?

A: Okay so here's the deal. For the most part I am a conscious eater with a pretty clean, healthy diet. I chose level 3 (Excavation) for those reasons, and also because I always like a good challenge (that might be the competitive athlete coming out in me...) I would recommend that if you've never juiced before, don't include a lot of vegetables in your diet, or eat a lot of things like pizza, pasta, meat, bread, ect. on the reg then choose level 1. If you eat a ton of fruits and vegetables, are probably a vegetarian or vegan, try to always choose the healthy option but sometimes have a sweet tooth  then I would recommend level 2. Choose level 3 if your a health fanatic like myself who is a vegetarian or vegan, eats organic and would rather "suck it up" because you know your body will thank you later. (however, side note: If I were to do it again I might choose level 2 just because I think that one extra variety in the juice would have made the cleanse a little less boring for me and I wouldn't have lost out on that much).


Q5: Do I have to do the cleanse for 3 days?

A: Absolutely not! You can do 1, 2, 3, 5 or 10 days. As expected, you will get the most benefits the longest you cleanse but that doesn't go to say that your body won't get anything out of the 1 day cleanse. It is completely up to you. My mom chose the 2 day and my friend chose the 1 day. I suggest maybe doing the 1 or 2 day to start and then next time if you like it doing the 3 day.


Q6: How did you feel when you were on the cleanse?

A: One word: AMAZING. I had so much energy, I was able to workout and do yoga, my mind was extremely clear and I didn't experience any headaches, fatigue, or anything like that. But everyone's experience with cleansing is different and I think it depends on how your normal lifestyle is. The more caffeine, processed sugars, and unhealthy foods you normally consume, the more your body will need to detox which usually means you might experience some headaches or fatigue.

Q7: What is the difference between juicing and blending?

A: Juicing removes the fiber from the fruits and vegetables. Smoothies keeps the fiber. Without the fiber, your body doesn't have to work as hard to break down the food and absorb the nutrients.

Q8: How did the juices taste?

A: I loved them! I drink a lot of green smoothies and green juices normally so I think my taste buds were used to them. My mom liked them all too though! She is not a fan of sweet things to begin with and drinks green smoothies so that definitely helped. Mariel found it a little bit harder. She liked some of them, but the green ones with a lot of vegetables were the hardest for her.

Q9: Can I juice if I am a diabetic or have other health problems?

A: First and foremost, definitely consult with your doctor first before doing a juice cleanse. As far as Diabetes goes, from my personal experience, I would say that if you are a Type I diabetic on an insulin pump that has REALLY good control of your blood sugars ( I have a 5.7 A1C) then you may be able to do a cleanse if your doctor gives you the go ahead. When I was cleansing, I made sure to check my sugars every hour and go to bed with a sugar over 110. The only time I went high was the first day when I underestimated how much the first juice would spike my sugars and the only time I went low was after a hot yoga session. In these cases, I just gave myself my normal correction rate for the high and drank my next juice a little earlier than I was supposed to for the low.

Q10: Would you do the cleanse again? 

A: I was happy that I chose Blueprint as my first cleanse. After four months of crazy food habits it is just what my body needed. I would definitely do it again in the future but instead of having them ordered to my house (which cost an extra 30$ of shipping) I would probably go buy them myself in whole foods.  I would also like to try out the Suja Cleanse just because I've heard they taste a little bit better and are a bit cheaper.

I also asked my mom and friend Mariel to give me a quote on their experience for you:

"I did the one day cleanse. I didn't love it because I would rather eat my calories than drink them any day. But that aside, it definitely showed me how much I over eat sometimes. Also, I couldn't make it through the day without caffeine so I had a cup of coffee when I got a migraine around 4pm. I definitely need to wean myself off coffee overtime and not just cut it out cold turkey" - Mariel ( eats meat, coffee every day, eats a lot of fruit but less vegetables)

"Clease was great. Felt so energized. I was surprised that I really wasn't starving. It was so simple having the pre made juice everyday. Would do it again!!"-Michele aka Mama Bongiorno ( eats meat, coffee every day, doesn't drink a lot of water normally, works out, averages 1-2 servings of vegetables and fruits a day)

If you have any other questions PLEASE feel free to shoot me an email (laurenbongiorno@aol.com)… I'd be more than happy to answer them! I hope everyone has a great rest of their day and if your curious about the benefits of juicing you can check out my last post!

Lauren


Question of the day: Have you ever done a juice cleanse before or are you thinking about doing one?