Feel Good Cookies!

Have you ever eaten something that was vegan and thought to yourself, this can't be vegan! This has to have some kind of buttery or creamy goodness.

That was exactly my reaction when I tried EatMe Cookies, gluten-and-dairy-free cookies owned by Twyla and Bergin, who started eating vegan when diagnosed with Carcinoid Cancer. When her cancer cleared (thanks, she says, to her vegan diet), she focused on mass producing this amazing cookie.

The cookies are lowfat, vegan, with whole grains and no added oil. And they are delicious! They taste
just as decadent as their high fat, non-vegan cousins. Flavors include chocolate chip, cherry amore, mary cranberry and sarah brown.

Try it out, and tell me if you liked it!

Fonuts Are Fun Donuts!

You will never believe me when I tell you that I eat donuts! Seriously, I love em. And not just the basic run-of-the-mill donuts. I mean chocolate hazelnut, cheddar, and caramel donuts.

But these aren't your regular donuts that I have fallen in love with. Fonuts are a fun new way of eating your favorite guilty treat - they're gluten-free, vegan, and wheat-free.

So order and eat up these delicious donuts! Try them out and tell us what you think. Their flavors range from the regular to the wacky:

Glazed

Banana Chocolate*

Chocolate Hazelnut*

Peach**

Lemon**

Strawberry Buttermilk

Rosemary Olive Oil

Peanut Butter & Jelly

Maple Bacon

Hawaiian

Chorizo Cheddar

Salted Caramel

Cinnamon Sugar

Fonuts:
8104 W 3rd. St Los Angeles, Ca. 90048

Mashed Cauliflower: The Best Type of Potato!

I have always loved American home cooking, especially filling and creamy things like mashed potato. But unfortunately, mashed potato gives me a bit of a stomach ache, which could be attributed to the milk or the butter used in the dish.

But what's mashed potato without milk or butter?

Luckily I found a great alternative to the traditional mashed potato, over at health-foodie.com. Mashed Cauliflower! Just mash up some cauliflowers, season, and voila, you have something that is just as creamy and delicious as traditional mashed potatos, but easier on the tummy - especially if you are vegan or have various food allergies or intolerances.

Try out the recipe and tell me what you think!

Photo from health-foodie.com

Wholesome2Go: A Convenient Detox

Always wanted to try a detox but you seem to find that you're a really picky eater? A really great way to start is by using Get Wholesome. It's a great new service that allows you to order detox foods that you like, all personalized according to your food allergies or preferences.

Prices range from $15-$60 a day and about 2-3 days worth of food arrives per order. Meals are delivered to your front door in a cooler.

Their selections are intense. Breakfast foods can be picked from fruit items, gluten-free cookies, to a veggie fritata. Lunch items include quinoa rolls, salads and paninis.

Their only requirement is that you order at least $35 worth of food items per order.

Order up and enjoy!

Lollihop: Made To Order Goodness

My first package came today from Lollihop!

Lollihop is a new subscription service I just found that lets you sample the latest organic snacks. The box includes 8 snacks that are hand-picked by a nutritionist so you no longer have to analyze nutrition label of your favorite bars.

I have seen or even tried most of the snacks that arrived in this pack, but didn't mind because they are delicious - Larabar and Kindbar. The box is full of snacks that will help you stay a lean mean fitness machine!

Check them out at https://lollihop.com/

Avocado: The Good Fat

I have always been really careful with avocado, as I know that it's a fruit that's really high in calories - but I have always loved the taste of it. Just recently I found a product that I feel allows me to enjoy avocado without the worry.

Thanks to Dr. Oz I have been introduced to a super special 100 calorie pack of guacamole, "Wholly Guacamole," which helps you measure how much is "too much".

Regardless of the number of calories, there are numerous health benefits to adding the fruit to your diet. Avocados are full of the "good" kind of fat that actually lowers cholesterol, (monounsaturated).

It's also the best fruit source of vitamin E, an essential vitamin that protects against many diseases, including breast cancer, and helps maintains overall health. Also, I mean, it's an all natural snack! So no having to worry about pesky preservatives or extra ingredients. Just cut and go.

This combination gives it an exceptionally diverse range of dietary advantages. And it's so easy to eat! The avocado can be served as an hors d'oeuvre, soup, salad, dip, sandwich spread, garnish, half-shell spoon-out, entree, dessert, or drink. My favorite is to make a turkey sandwhich on Ezikiel Bread with one packet of avocado for the spread. Pretty amazing! I can now add this oil-rich, nutrient-rich deliciously-flavored food in to my diet without any concern. Buy the Snack packs here and let us know how you liked them!

Raw (Sort of), Vegan Celery Soup For Those Detox Days

A while back, I bought 'Rawvolution', a raw cook book by Matt Armsden, owner of Euphoria Loves Rawvolution in Santa Monica. One of my favorite recipes from the book is the celery soup. It's really easy to make, it's easy on your tummy, it's delicious, and really great for those days when you just want to take it easy with your meals - whether you are doing a cleanse or just want to eat light.

I like to take his recipe and add a few things to it to make it creamier, like half an avocado. Sometimes when I don't feel like making almond milk, I just use soy milk. I also go easy on the garlic and put in extra lemon for that special kick.

Here's the recipe, try it out and see if you like it! It's super easy.

NEED: juicer, blender

INGREDIENTS:
1 lemon
half an avocado
juice of 1 celery
juice of 1 cucumber
Little bit of garlic or ginger
Salt to taste
Soy milk (try the least sweetest option available).

Blend all of these items together and garnish with some oregano. You'll love the creamy texture.

Kind Bars: The Kindest Bars

You guys know how much I love protein and veg bars, because they are easy to carry and snack on between meals. But I'm really picky about how they taste, because once in a while you get a bar that tastes more like bark than actual food.

Kind Bars might just be one of the yummiest bars I have had recently. These are amazing, delicious gluten-free bars with minimal ingredients and no preservatives - A real treat. I just ordered the variety pack of the mini bars- around 100 calories per bar. They turned out to be the perfect before I go for a run or mid day snack. They actually curb my sweet tooth as well (and I have super strong sweet tooth). My favorite flavor? Almond Cashew + Flax is the best so far.

Spirulina Crunchies For Your Munchies

Algae. It sounds like a really boring herb or something that you would find growing on your plants in your back yard. But would you believe me if I told you that algae is also superfood? And you can get them in cereal form? It's true! Spirulina Crunchies are micro-algae that are crunchy and can be mixed into your cereal, soups and salads and smoothies - and they taste great, unlike the other types of Spirulina out there, which is generally in powder form.

This brand is also organic and 100 percent pure. Here's how the folks from Spirulina Crunchies have to say about this healthy superfood:

Very simply, spirulina is one of nature's healthiest, most nutritious superfoods-
a pure, 100% natural, nutrient-dense, blue-green algae packed with among the highest concentrations
[found in ANY single food source] of iron, complete absorbable protein, chlorophyll,
antioxidants, amino acids (all 8 essential + 10 of 12 non essential), & scores of vitamins & minerals.
Spirulina is a perfectly balanced power packed green whole food
containing over 100 synergistic nutrients easily assimilated by our bodies.
Positioned at the bottom of the food chain it is a hearty "nutrient soup" able to nourish & sustain life.
Spirulina a "gift from the heavens" served as a significant food source of the African, Mayan, & Aztec peoples.

You can buy them at various health food shops throughout the web. The full list is HERE.

My New Favorite Snack: Mary's Gone Crackers

I have found the perfect snack. Mary's Gone Crackers are a gluten free, light and simple snack to keep you satisfied until your next meal. Sometimes you just want a quick and simple snack to munch on when you're in between meals, but you aren't quite so hungry for bigger snacks like protein bars.

They come in flavors like onion, black pepper and herb. Their consistency is just perfect - they are light yet crunchy and they even taste a little nutty. Check out the many pluses of these crackers:

• Organic
• non-GMO
• Vegan
• Dairy-Free
• Wheat-Free
• Gluten-Free
• Whole Grain
• Kosher
• No hydrogenated oils
• No trans-fats
• Made With Love

You can buy them online or at Whole Foods.

Blake Brody's In-Studio Footwear

Pilates Platinum will soon be working with Blake Brody in-studio footwear, which are the latest style of studio shoes to hit the market - and boy do we love them!

These are shoes that you can use during yoga class or at a Pilates Platinum session. They hug your feet tightly for support yet are super comfy and stable, anti-microbial and breathable.

What's even better is that they are eco-friendly and they come in the cutest colors and styles so that you can mix and match with your workout gear.

And surprise! Pilates Platinum clients get a special discount on these fabulous shoes; just use PPHBV at check-out for a special 10% off your order.

And let us know how they worked out!

Get Your Hair 'DO at A Braid Bar

If I told you I had gone to a braid bar, what would you think?

Would you picture me sitting at a bar, drinking a Guinness, and getting my hair braided?

Maybe!

No seriously, a braid bar is a cute little boutique where you can go get your hair braided in a super professional way. Perfect for a night on the town or a date, and the best part is that you don't need your roomie or your sis to help you with your new 'do.

When I have a special event, I go to Braid Bar at Nine Zero One Salon and get a $25 braid. Super simple, and actually really relaxing! The price is right and the service is fabulous.

Rawvolution's The Box

Ever wanted to do a quickie detox without having to nearly starve to death? I have done so many juice fasts and detoxes, liked some, hated others. But one thing that I have never really found was a detox that was fun to do, light on your tummy, and still filling.

Enter Euphoria Loves Rawvolution's The Box.

The Box is a weekly menu-in-a-box that Santa Monica's famed raw foods restaurant cooks up (or "uncooks up" if you want to get technical) each week. Each dish is especially "uncooked" so that you get all of the benefits of raw foods without having to make them yourself or head over the hill every day to buy new food. And most importantly, the food is so filling and rich, that never go hungry.

It's a great way to do a fun detox that's also healthy and delicious.

The cost is about $120 total, and you can pick it up or get it shipped to your house if you are out of state.

They are also offering an amazing "Raw Food Month" with super duper special prices.

Check out their menu options for this week:

• Russian Red Borscht
• Hearty Lentil Chili
• Cauliflower Couscous
• Mediterranean Tabouli
• Broccolini Salad
• Seaweed Salad

• Pizza Italiano
• Holy Macro Bowl
• Spinach & Cheese Quiche
• Santorini Sandwich
• Strawberry Cream Parfait
• Ninja Protein Balls

The Harlot Salon

I recently got my hair done at The Harlot Salon on Abott Kinney in Venice Beach, as it is so close to my studio. It is such a cute place and Shannon did an amazing job. I loved it so much that I asked her if I could write about it on my Pilates Platinum blog, and she offered a special deal for clients - 20% off any service.

I got a trim and the Balyage highlights, and it looks awesome!

Here's a little bit about Shannon and her studio, and check her out on Yelp, where the fantastic reviews speak for themselves.

The Harlot Salon:

1641 Abbot Kinney, Venice, CA 90291 • 310.399.6525

Shannon Tackett
Shannon Tackett cultivated a talent for the classic to the most striking, fulfilling each client's potential. Shannon Tackett is a uniquely gifted stylist with extensive experience in balyage/ ombre hand painted hi-lights, her artistic eye easily recognizes exactly where each hi-light should be painted, creating the perfect sun kissed hair.She now performs her service in Venice, California.

Shannon Tackett has been a professional hair stylist for the past 12 years. Her early training in San Francisco, California, where she apprenticed and subsequently worked for one of the top studios in the industry for the following two years. She then went to New York City and worked as a freelance hair stylist for high profile photo shoots. Shannon's most recent projects include doing hair for stars on American Idol shows, The View, hair for Photo shoot work includes Old Navy, Bath & Body Works, Nordstrom's & Genlux magazine .

Raw Crunch Bars Hit The Sweet Spot

There are so many different kinds of raw bars out in the market right now, but only a handful of them are even remotely edible. So many of them taste funky, or just not right in their consistency.

Thankfully, Raw Crunch Bar got it completely right. Their delicious bars, which come in four flavors (chocolate, cranberries, blueberries, and gojis), have just the right amount of flavor and nutrition packed in a tiny packet.

The bars are dehydrated, not cooked, so they retain their original enzymes and antioxidants. They have a five month shelf life without the preservatives that you might see in a typical fruit or veggie bar and they use raw honey and sea salt instead of the loads of fake sweeteners that others use.

I put a couple in my purse when I go out during the day to run errands in case I get hungry before or after lunch/dinner. It keeps me satisfied until it's time to eat! Sometimes I may even substitute a bar for breakfast if I am on the run.

Find them at your local health food shop like Whole Foods, or buy them online.

A New Vail Discovery: Dressing!

I recently spent five gorgeous days in Vail Colorado with my family, and absolutely loved every minute I spent there.

On this visit I discovered the most amazing salad dressing at the Sunday's Farmers market - Alpine Avocado. My parents had told me about the dressing but I really never thought twice about it.

They were not messing around! This stuff is beyond delicious and so healthy for you. At 90 calories for two tablespoons and minimal ingredients, your taste buds will be satisfied and your tummy will be saying thank you. It also is gluten free, vegan, cholesterol free, and very low in sugar.

It's also great that you can order this stuff from the web. I am so excited to get my shipment in the mail.

Get it while you still can!

Bananas For Shakeology Shakes!

Today I drank a milkshake for lunch, and I have to be honest, I never thought those words would come out of my mouth.

But there you have it. I am now bananas for milkshakes and actually drink them every day, thanks to Shakeology shakes. Unsweetened almond milk, half a banana, handful of ice and one serving of Shakeology chocolate flavor is what I put in my Vitamix. Delicious!

Shakeology is an extremely healthy shake that is packed with all-natural, wholesome ingredients that lower cholesterol, improve digestion, promote better regularity, and contribute to increased weight loss and energy levels. Unlike many other meal replacement shakes, Shakeology contains absolutely no artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose. Each packet is 150 calories and my above recipe has 250 calories.

The shakes come in two flavors: Chocolate and Greenberry. I have not had the Greenberry yet but look forward to trying it.

Try them out for yourself and tell me what you think!