Yoga, Health, and Wellness Articles + Recipes

This salad definitely packs its own nutrient-rich punch. First, let's talk bacteria. Don't worry. It's the good kind! Over the past couple of years, I have been reading up on benefits of gut health. Though I've long known that probiotics are beneficial to the gut, I figured that yogurt and expensive probiotic pills were the only way to go. Soon, I became hip to additional foods that can improve gut health.

Eggs and vegetables, what a formidable combination! Well, perhaps "formidable" is a strong word, but it's certainly a combination that can't be beaten! As a person that often meal preps her breakfasts for the work week, any combination of eggs and vegetables in my belly leads to me having a better morning. If I eat anything with too much sugar - I've been known to be a bit heavy handed with my overnight oatmeal's maple syrup pours in the past - I definitely feel that quintessential 11 a.m. crash so many folks talk about. A breakfast with eggs and vegetables definitely helps me stay steady and focused until lunchtime. Protein and vital nutrients, for the win!

I absolutely love hummus. The best hummus I ever had was in Istanbul. It was the perfect smooth consistency with just the right combination of lemon and garlic. I'll never be able to top that, so I decided to try a checkpea-less hummus. I used zucchini - mostly because I had a bunch on my countertop, but also because I knew it would blend up well in the food processor. Combined with the lemon, nutritional yeast and tahini, it was a hit at my house as we chowed down while catching up on Suits.

A few weeks ago I met up with a friend for a walk. We hit up our local Whole Foods for a light lunch, and they offered a healthy coleslaw option with a dressing of olive oil, AVC, and local honey. It was so delicious and it seemed pretty straightforward so I set out to recreate it the next day (it was that good). I've pretty much been making it twice a week ever since and it's the perfect, most refreshing and satisfying summer salad so I wanted to share with you.

One of the things I love most about my mom is that she was never one to follow a recipe. If she didn't have a particular ingredient that a recipe called for, she'd sub for something similar, get creative and put her own little twist on it by adding a completely unrelated ingredient or just skip it. There were definitely some duds in the mix but more often than not, she came up with some awesome dishes.

One of the biggest life lessons I've been learning over the past year is that I need to take time for myself. I've known this for years, but stress played a major, major role in my life last summer, which culminating in me taking a full week off to get my $h!t together.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, which makes this juice cleanse I'm currently on pretty difficult. I mean, what would you rather have on a chilly morning? Fresh vegetable juice or a hot, delicious bowl of oatmeal? It's not a hard choice.