If you’re one of the not-so-lucky ones like me, that time of the month can be a b*tch. I made the personal decision to go off of my birth control pills about six years ago, as I didn’t want synthetic hormones in my body. After going off of it, I started to feel much better emotionally, and also noticed my belly bloat went down tremendously.

However, some of the not-so-fun side effects — like cramping and breakouts — remained. Fortunately, over the years, I’ve discovered some natural ways to keep these symptoms at bay.

FOR YOUR SKIN

If you deal with hormonal skin breakouts, first and foremost I suggest getting to the root of the problem — looking at things like your diet, how much water you’re drinking and even considering an herbal supplement to help balance hormones. (I’m a huge fan of Megafood Women’s One Daily which contains a balancing blend including Ashwagandha, ginger, dandelion, and raspberry leaf.)

But for on-the-spot breakouts, I love the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Bentonite Clay Mask. It pulls out nasty stuff from your pores, and leaves your skin feeling fresh & glowing. You can buy it online or at your local Whole … Read More!

Can you feel it in the air? I don’t know about you, but my body definitely feels these seasonal shifts like WHOA. As we transition into fall from the fiery, fast-paced summer, our bodies are often seeking a break — to ground and press reset.

Fall is the perfect season to slow down, get back to our roots and re-energize. It’s also a great time to boost the immune system, shed unwanted weight and let go of things that no longer serve us.

Here are 7 simple ways to detox your body, mind & soul this season (without dieting)!

SET YOUR FALL INTENTION

Intentions don’t have to be reserved for yoga classes and New Year’s Day. Take the start of a new season as a time to get clear about your intention for the next few months. Do you want to take more time for yourself? Practice work-life balance? Work on your patience with the kids? Be more present when home with your family? Think about the areas in your life you’ve been neglecting lately, and start there. Write it down, set a goal and stick to it.

DE-CLUTTER + RELEASE NEGATIVE ENERGY

Now is the perfect time to get … Read More!

Happy Friday, love bugs! On to this week’s feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a weekly series celebrating badass women doing their thang in the community.

I first met Ashley when I moved into my new apartment complex. I was writing and playing with a new delivery of essential oils, when she walked over to me and asked if I was a yoga teacher. “I wish,” I replied, as I explained to her what I do. We got to talking, and I found out Ashley has an amazing instagram account with 17K+ followers, showcasing her journey as a yogi.

This chick is pretty darn inspiring, and I’m excited to celebrate her today! I especially love her message at the end 😉

NAME/AGE: Ashley Zhang, 21

INSTAGRAM: @Ashley.yoga

CURRENT CITY: Fishers, Indiana

PHOTO TAKEN (WHERE/WHEN): May 2016 in Charleston, Illinois

WHAT YOU DO FOR WORK: Full time student

NUMBER ONE PASSION: Yoga, cooking, travelling

I FEEL MY HEALTHIEST SELF WHEN I AM: being active outside, enjoying my favorite fruits, and laughing those unexpected big belly laughs

BUT I AM ALSO A REAL GIRL & SOMETIMES: I fall off the wagon, lose motivation to exercise and practice yoga, eat way … Read More!

Late-summer is such a beautiful, magical time. The air starts to become a bit more crisp, and the sun goes down a little earlier. The harvest changes as well, with seasonal favorites like eggplant and figs coming into play.

So what do you do when you’ve got 2 pounds of cherry tomatoes hanging out in your fridge? You make gazpacho, of course!

Late-Summer Gazpacho

recipe inspired by Holli Thompson

• 3 c. cherry tomatoes
• 1 large cucumber, diced
• 1 red pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 shallot
• 3 tsp. coconut vinegar (or vinegar of your choosing)
• 2 tb. olive oil
• sea salt for seasoning (to your taste)
• spicy seasoning blend (we love “Slap Ya Mama” Cajun Seasoning)
• fresh peaches, tomato or sprouts for a topper

1. Soak all of the produce in water for 5 minutes, then train. Transfer to a high speed blender (I use a Vitamix).

2. Blend on high until mixture is smooth. Then add in vinegar, sea salt, and seasonings. Blend on low for another minute. Feel free to taste as you go to get the flavor just right!

3. Pour into mini shooters or cups, and top with fresh chopped peaches, sprouts or tomatoes.

Enjoy!… Read More!

Happy Friday, lovies! I’m getting ready to head to the Cape for my sister’s Bachelorette Party and couldn’t be more excited for a weekend of beaching, wine tasting and festivities.

I’m thrilled to bring you this week’s spotlight on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a weekly series celebrating badass women doing their thang in the community. Every once in a while, you meet a woman so beautiful (on the inside & out) and so sure of herself, that it kind of takes you aback. That’s how I feel about my dear friend Atara, who I recently discovered has a secret talent for food photography and is now utilizing it in her business. Seriously, how cool is that?

Prepare to be dazzled (and for your tummy to growl)! 😉

NAME/AGE: Atara, 26

BLOG: The Fennel Frond

CURRENT CITY: Washington, DC

PHOTO TAKEN: In Pittsburgh at my favorite contemporary art museum, The Mattress Factory.

WHAT YOU DO FOR WORK: Freelance photography, and creative projects like The Wandering – an intimate plant based gathering series that I co-founded with Alexandra Dawson.

NUMBER ONE PASSION: food, duh!

I FEEL MY HEALTHIEST SELF WHEN I AM… exercising regularly, eating nourishing food, creating, and investing … Read More!

Happy September, beauties! I love the beginning of a month — the perfect time to re-set and gear clear about your vision. It couldn’t be more true this month, as we also have a New Moon to celebrate. Hip Hip, Hooray!

Something I’ve been really focusing on these past few months is my energy levels. I recently became aware that my thyroid levels are a bit out of whack, not enough to put me on medication but still borderline in the hypothyroid range. The first thing I told my doctor was that I wanted to take care of this naturally, so I did my homework and got to work. I’m already feeling much better, and anticipate my next blood test to see what’s up.

Now while many of you may not have thyroid issues, I’m sure most of you deal with energy slumps especially as we’re in the midst of a seasonal shift. As we move into back-to-school fall mode, I wanted to share with you some natural ways you can boost your energy!

LIMIT YOUR CAFFEINE

I know, I know. This one was tough for me. Heck, I even have a tank that says “But First, Coffee.” When I … Read More!

August has been a whirlwind of a month for me. I joined the SheBreathes team (I’ll be teaching a Journaling Class + will be available for 1:1 health coaching), got settled into our new apartment, stood by my dear friend’s side at her wedding in Virginia, and traveled to Greece to watch my soul sister marry the love of her life sea-side in the beautiful village of Eressos.

As we prepare to transition into fall (my favorite season!) and close out the month, I wanted to share with you some of my August obsessions. Here are some things I’ve been crushing on big-time lately:

CLARY CALM ESSENTIAL OIL BLEND

Where has this been all my life? I’m absolutely in love with this essential oil blend, and use it quite often. This monthly blend for women works to keep hormones in check, and minimize those not-so-fun symptoms. During that time of the month (which also happened to be while I was traveling!), I rubbed it on my belly and on my pressure points…and NO cramps. I kid you not, this is the first time I didn’t have to take Midol for my discomfort. Lady friends, get yourself a bottle. Feel … Read More!

Fall is my favorite season for so many reasons. I love the crisp air, perusing the farmer’s market, picking apples straight off the tree, and the smell of a fresh pot of soup cooking on the stove. It’s the season of apple picking, transition, and also when I got married to the love of my life.

When transitioning from a hot, sweaty, go-go-go summer, fall is also my favorite time to re-set and get back to the basics through lots of self-care, clean eating and slowing down.

Meet the 14-day fall whole foods detox

That’s why I’m going to be hosting a 14-day REAL FOOD group detox group, and the next one starts November 28th (The Monday after Thanksgiving). This interactive program is designed to cleanse and pamper your body from the inside out —improving your digestion and eating whole, seasonal foods that are designed to support your body’s natural processes of detoxification and cleansing.

But as you know by now, I’m so not into dieting, so I made sure this program is chock-full of real, seasonal foods (60 recipes worth!), daily self care tips, a step-by-step guide and even journaling prompts to keep you inspired throughout our journey.… Read More!