Comme Ci? Comme Ca!

Living in Los Angeles, you have plenty of restaurant options to choose from. But when you're hungry and feelin like getting out of the house on a Monday night after a hard day's work, what do to you choose if you want something hearty yet tasty?

One of my recent finds is Comme Ca on Melrose and La Cienega, a French brasserie dishes featuring locally ingredients. This place is healthy, tasty, and also hearty. Their Monday Night special is one of my favorites - they serve a whole roasted organic chicken, with two salads to start (always get dressing on the side!) and two veggie sides that are fresh and in season.

I just had a meal with broccolini and steamed spinach.

Add a nice glass of red wine and what else could you possibly need on a Monday night?

Pure french heaven.

Check out their menu here and visit them at the address below! Bon Appetit!

Comme Ca 8479 Melrose Avenue
West Hollywood, CA 90069
323-782-1104

*Photo obtained from http://www.commecarestaurant.com

Heather Does Breakfast

I know how many times you may have heard this, but it's true! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day....

Skipping breakfast can set you on the path to having a really bad day.

What are some of the benefits of having a healthy, hearty breakfast? (and I'm not talking bacon and eggs either).

• Reduces your hunger later on in the day
• Less snacking later in the day
• People who eat breakfast regularly make healthier eating choices throughout the day

So having said that, what breakfasts do I recommend? I actually have two new favorite breakfasts - one cold and one hot depending on my mood. Each one takes only three minutes to make, which is just what I need, because we're all busy people who are always on the go in LA.

Cold:

• One scoop of Clean Nourish in vanilla - 90 calories
• One scoop of Sun Warrior vanilla protein powder - 70 calories
• One cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk - 40 calories

Hot:

• Half cup of oatmeal - 150 calories
• Half a scoop of sun warrior protein powder - 35calories
• One tablespoon of chia seeds - 35 calories
• A dash of cinnamon
  

Personal Growth And Massages

I'm a sucker for massages, and when I find great service, I make sure to come back for repeats.

This is how I found Elizabeth Menzel, who focuses on personal growth, energy healing and massage therapy.

She can come to your house after your long day at work, gives you an 8 O'clock massage and you go straight to bed. You end up sleeping like a baby and you're ready for the stresses that the next day will bring.

But she's not just a massage therapist. She also offers intuitive healing and other personal growth techniques.

Here are her other services: Whether you have sore muscles, mental & emotional stress, relationship issues, injuries, disease, or need support through life's challenges - I can help. I have 17 years of experience guiding thousands of people to their own inner strength & wisdom and helping them to heal the body & use their mind to their advantage. With my precise muscle therapy and energy healing techniques, you can view your life in a whole new way and FEEL MUCH BETTER living it!

It's Margarita Time!

I am not gonna lie. I absolutely love Margaritas. They're flavorful and have just the right amount of liquor. But the problem with them is that they are LOADED with calories - the number can top 500, especially if you're using fake flavored Margarita juice to go along with it.

The solution is using Bethenny Frankel's 'Skinnygirl Margarita', which comes at a teeny tiny 100 calories, and is all natural and just as tasty.

• 2 oz of Clear Premium Tequila (count 1, 2 while you pour, no need for measuring)
• Tiny splash of Orange Liquor
• Juice of 4 Fresh Lime Wedges

You can get the rest of her amazing low calorie recipes at her NY Times Best Seller books, like The Skinnygirl Dish, and Naturally Thin.

Working Out During Vacations

There should be no excuse at all to fit in cardio when you are on the road!

It's hard to keep up with your daily workout routine when you're out of town for the holidays, but you want to have some way of keeping that holiday weight down. What do you do when you're in a particularly tough environment that doesn't really allow for much outdoor activity?

I was just in Telluride, Colorado for the holidays, where my daily run/hike was not possible because of the ice and snow on the streets. What did I do to keep up with my cardio? I jumped rope. It's easy enough to carry on your luggage - just pack the light weight and lets not forget inexpensive rope.

But I'll be the first to admit it, it's not as easy at it looks. I can easily run seven miles, but, wow, was I sweating after only thirty minutes of jumping rope. Even if this sounds too intimidating, break it up in 10 minute intervals mixed in with planks/side planks/bicycle crunches.

What are the benefits to jumping rope?

• Rocks your heart rate on par with running, but without the joint-jarring impact.
• Works on your agility, posture, balance, reflexes and coordination
• Tones your calves, delts and arms and abs.
  

Kelp Noodles: Indulge Without Pasta Guilt

Are you a pasta lover like me? (Isn't everyone?).

But if you're also like me, you don't like feeling full and heavy after a nice big plate of Grandma's special spaghetti.

When you feel like having pasta but not the carbs or that heavyness, substitute pasta for Kelp Noodles. You can serve them hot or cold, but I actually prefer to warm them up and prepare a nice yummy all natural tomato sauce. You can also drizzle a little bit of olive oil and salt & pepper to taste. Top that off with a little bit of feta cheese, and you have a pasta ever your Italian Grandmother would love.

Best of all, they are only six calories per serving! So you can indulge without guilt.

Magic Chia Seeds

Ever heard of Chia seeds? Of course, you have. Especially if you have heard about chia pets. But did you know that Chia seeds are so useful and packed with high energy that the Aztec warriors used it during their battles? Only if you eat them, of course, not grow them as decorative sheep.

It's especially useful if you run, and actually is able to keep you hydrated. The way you take these is with a glass of water. Extra water if you're running.

These little magical gems are packed with fiber, packed with antioxidants, proteins, vitamins
and minerals, and omega-3. They're also way easier to digest than flaxseed.

Nature's Electrolyte Guru: Vita Coco

Vita Coco is my new favorite obsession when I need a refreshing alternative to plain old water. It has a hint of flavor, but best of all it contains electrolytes, is fat and cholesterol free, and it's completely natural (no preservatives or extra ingredients that you can't even sound out).

I am mostly into the natural flavor, but they now offer acai, tangerine and pineapple...now tell me if that doesn't sound super yummy and exotic.

It's especially helpful once you've gotten a great workout over at my Pilates Plus HBV and you need to feel energized and quench that crazy thirst you get after losing so much H20.

Love it!

Raw Foods Live! Banana Flax Bar

Raw foods is a particular favorite in some circles, and has been getting a lot of attention because of its great, healing qualities and benefits over cooked foods.

Raw food is said to contain enzymes that cooked food does not - and any food that was cooked over 116 degrees looses these enzymes, which actually aids in digestion. And from personal experience, when you eat raw foods you really do feel that it's easier to eat.

Where can you try out raw foods? You can start with places like Euphoria Loves Rawvolution, or Juliano's Raw in Santa Monica.

But if you want to start small, try Goraw, where you can find real live food snacks and is "the easiest way to incorporate living foods into anyone's diet". My favorite is the banana bread flaxseed bar.

Get Your Water Right!

You might be surprised to learn what's floating around in your water - and I'm not talking tap either.

A great alternative is pH water, which is alkaline water - said to remove acids from the body by neutralizing them.

My favorite is the Delphi alkaline system. It is costly up front but when you add up all of that cost of bottled water it is well worth it.

Or, if you would rather buy alkaline water by the bottle-full, Real Alkalized Water is the best way to go. It is energizing and tastes great.