The Secret to my Famous Avocado Toast!

This is my all time favorite meal, whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner. I'll happily make breakfast for dinner too, which we do frequently in our household. Avocado toast is nothing new, nor is it complicated, but there are some small tweaks that I do to mine to make it exceptionally good. 

The most important part is the egg on top. The way you cook the egg is what makes the toast! My favorite way is the crispy fried egg, or soft boiled, neither of which are shown here unfortunately. The crispy fried egg gives it a little extra crunch that is oh so satisfying.

To do so, heat oil (I use coconut oil or olive oil) in a pan over medium heat until almost smoking. Crack the egg in the pan and turn the heat down to low immediately. The egg will sizzle and cook pretty quickly because of how hot the pan was when you first dropped the egg in. Cook until the yolk is cooked to your liking - do not flip. 

For the soft boiled egg, bring a small pot of water to a boil (the water level should be just enough to cover the egg or eggs). Drop the whole egg in (inside shell - do not crack open) while the water is boiling, and cook for exactly 7 minutes on high. Remove the egg promptly, and rinse with cold water. Peel and cut in half or in pieces and put on top of avocado toast!

The toast and avocado mash is the easiest part! I always go for gluten free bread, because Nick can't have gluten, and it usually tastes just as good if you buy the right kind. A couple of my favorite brands are this and this. I toast the bread in a toaster or in the oven for extra crispiness, and then slather it with coconut oil. Next, you add the avocado and mash it with a fork (or you can mash it before you add it to the toast, depending on how soft your avocado is). Top with whichever egg you chose to cook!

As for additives, I love sprinkling some hemp seeds on top, as you can see from the photos. Gives the toast a little extra superfood kick as well as extra protein. I always season with Himalayan salt and pepper too. 

So that's it! That's how I make my favorite meal. The coconut oil on the bread, hemp seeds, Himalayan salt, and way you cook the egg is what takes the toast up a notch. Let me know how yours turned out - Tag me on Instagram or comment on this post!

16 Ridiculously Easy Ways to Get Healthy FAST!

It's that time of year where everyone jumps on the healthy bandwagon. Detoxes, cleanses, fasts, and so on are selling like crazy as everyone is trying to get themselves back on track after the holidays. I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of the crazy strict cleanses. I believe in getting back on track and cutting out the bad stuff, but a full cleanse where you need to follow a program, drink juice at every meal, or shakes three times a day is usually too tough on your body and does more harm than good. In saying that, I'll let you guys in on the little secrets I do to get myself back on track after indulging in too many desserts and sugary drinks. These are all little tweaks you can make to your diet and lifestyle for the long term, which will benefit your body and overall health way more than a 3 day juice cleanse would. 

1. Start your day with warm water and fresh squeezed lemon. I will usually make a detox tea in the morning (I like this one and this one), and will just add fresh lemon to the tea. I also include some Chlorella and collagen powder, both of which add a bunch of protein, help to detoxify the body, and aid in digestion. This is my favorite drink to start the day with. Super nutritious and filling!
2.  Oil pulling is another super beneficial detox method. I do this a couple times a week, but try to do it more during times like this when I'm needing the extra help. You want to do this as soon as you wake up, and for about 15 minutes. For more info, check out my oil pulling post here.
3. Sweat it out as often as possible. I HIGHLY recommend using an infrared sauna if you have one available to you. If you live in NYC, there is Higher Dose (a bit pricey), or I go to UWS Yoga and Wellness (super cheap!), and you can also go to yoga that is heated with infrared heat at Y7, which is incredible. Kill two birds with one stone and get a workout and sauna session in one!
4. On the same sweaty note, get a workout in. It doesn't matter if it's just a brisk walk around the block... Just move your body. I love to mix is up with some good hard cardio, hot yoga, pilates and weight lifting. Anything that makes me feel good I'll do. Don't force workouts that make you miserable or drain you. You'll just kill your adrenals, especially if you're already stressed in work and life.
5. This is a given, but drink a TON of water. I carry a water bottle with me at all times. Buy yourself a cute bottle that makes you want to use it! I own this one, this one (that keeps liquids cold/hot for up to 24 hours!), and also just picked up one of these which is my new favorite! You can also amp up your water with some aloe (only add a bit as it doesn't taste great), or chlorophyll, which I love, because it tastes minty fresh!
6. Eat whole, organic foods. Don't touch anything in a package. Load up on veggies, high quality protein, and good fats. If you're really into it, try the Whole30 challenge. I did it last year, and it's life changing. 
7. And on that note, you guys will not like this one, but to really fix things, you should be cutting out gluten, dairy, and refined sugars. This is SUPER important. Removing these from your diet will help improve almost anything. You'll have more energy (none of that brain fog/sluggish feeling), you'll feel lighter, you'll most likely lose weight (if you stay consistent), you'll sleep better, you'll be in a better mood, and the list goes on. As you know, sugar is just terrible for you, so if you want to pick one of the three things to cut out, I'd do that first.
8. While we're at it, I'll add caffeine to the list because that really is another trigger food you should eliminate (I did it almost a year ago now, and haven't looked back!!). Swap it out with the detox tea I mentioned above, or try a Matcha tea latte, which is another favorite of mine.
9. Meditate at least once a day, even if only for 5 minutes. I love this app and this app to help you start if you've never done it before. A guided meditation is a great way to learn how to do so!
10. Take activated charcoal. This is especially great to help cure a hangover. Activated charcoal binds to toxins in your body, but be careful, because it'll also bind to any supplements you take so don't take it within a couple hours of taking supplements or eating healthy. You can read more about all the different benefits here.
11. Dry brushing is the best for skin exfoliation and detoxification. It boosts circulation, stimulates the lymph nodes, improves digestion and the appearance of cellulite, and more. To do it, you should always brush towards your heart, so I start at my feet and work my way up using long strokes. This is the brush I use, which works great.
12. Try intermittent fasting. This one isn't for everyone, especially if you have issues with blood sugar, but for a lot of people, it is a great way to give your body a break. You can do two different types: one 24 hour period every week, or two 16 hour periods a week. Obviously, I'd chose the later because I'm a hungry hippo most of the time and 24 hours sounds extremely challenging.
13. Go green with your household products as well as beauty products. I've swapped out pretty much all of my toxic household cleaners, hair sprays, face cleansers, nail polishes, make up, you name it, for eco-friendly, non-toxic, and natural products. And to tell you the truth, I haven't looked back once. Not gonna lie, the amount of compliments I've gotten on my skin since I've made the switch is ridiculous. Some of my favorites include Leahlani, Acure, and Tata Harper for skin care, and Honest Company for household products.
14. Get a massage! I know, these are pretty pricey and something most people don't consider doing on the regular, but getting one of these as frequently as possible is a really good idea.
15. Take magnesium and/or a cleansing supplement, as LONG as it is from a certifiable company and has ingredients you can recognize. I'd be very careful about this one, as there are so SO many things on the market that can be harmful to you. To be safe, I'd stick with a magnesium supplement (especially if you are feeling a little "blocked", it'll help move things along - if you catch my drift). I take this one whenever I'm feeling a little backed up and it's incredible. It utilizes the amazing properties of bentonite clay, which absorbs toxins, and magnesium, which helps you to eliminate them immediately! I take this on a daily basis, and also use a magnesium lotion. You really can't overdose on magnesium - it's one of the nutrients that people are the most deficient in too! Some other reputable companies I'd recommend are Metagenics and Be Well (by Dr. Lipman). I cannot stress ENOUGH to not buy supplements from a grocery store or GNC. Don't do it!!!
16. SLEEP. At least 8 hours a day. This is so important. Your body will not repair and reset itself if you are not getting enough sleep! By the way, the magnesium supplements mentioned above will help to improve your sleep also.

If you're not a member already, you can purchase all of the above at a discount at Thrive Market (my favorite health website EVER).

The Best Healthy Restaurants in NYC

Healthy food is not hard to come by these days in NYC. I feel like a new, amazing, farm to table type restaurant pops up every week, which really is quite incredible. It makes me so happy to be able to walk out my door and 5 minutes later be at a place where I can trust the food, the people that work there, and not worry about where it was sourced from or whether or not it is filled with chemicals and hormones.

I do try to cook, but busy life in NYC (plus an incredibly small kitchen), make it really hard to find time to do so. Below are a few of my absolute favorite healthy places to eat around the city. A lot of them are take-out/to-go type places, which is great for those of us who just don't have time to take a seat and chill (something I've been working on). Pay attention to where your food is coming from people! Trust me, it's worth it for your long term health.

Sweetgreen (various locations)

I go out of my way to get Sweetgreen far too frequently. I love that they source ingredients from local vendors. Plus, everything is organic, non GMO, hormone free, etc. They have a ton of pre-made delicious bowls, but I usually make my own. My go-to is the kale/wild rice base, with avocado, chicken, carrots, whatever other veggies/fruits are in season, and the pesto vinaigrette. It is HEAVENLY.

By Chloe (Greenwich Village)

This is my (somewhat healthy) guilty pleasure, as you can see from the photo. By Chloe is of the best vegan restaurants I have ever tried, and people know it. This place, no matter what time of day, has a line out the door, so you either need to plan for that, or order via Postmates, which is what I usually do. Their pastas are to die for - I get the gluten free mac and cheese (shown above), but the avocado pesto pasta comes in a close second. The air fried sweet potato fries are the next best thing, especially dipped in the chipotle mayo. What I love about this place is that it is "boyfriend approved". My guy ordered the guac burger recently, which is made of sweet potato, quinoa and black beans, and it tasted almost better than an actual burger (but not quite). Still, it was the best vegan burger I've ever tasted, and he loved it!

The Little Beet Table (& The Little Beet) (various locations)

I frequented Little Beet when I used to work in mid-town, but more recently, I finally tried Little Beet Table. Both restaurants are 100% gluten free, but you'd never know this because everything is so delicious! The brunch menu is just to die for, making it extremely hard to choose what to get. I'd recommend their green pea guac (I know - doesn't that sound incredible??), the buttermilk pancakes, and the banana bread is an absolute must. This place is the perfect spot to take mom, your girlfriends, or even do a quick work lunch.

Inday (Flatiron)

Inday has the most unique ingredients out of any of these places. I love how their options change week to week, and my plate always looks like a beautiful rainbow when I go there. Inday is an Indian themed cuisine, but you don't have to like Indian to go there. You can create your own bowl with their shredded cauliflower rice or fermented quinoa, plus a protein and sides. I'm obsessed with their coconut chutney too.

Dig Inn (various locations)

Yet another one of the best to-go restaurants, Dig Inn is very similar to the others I've mentioned. They do the typical market plate, where you choose your main protein and a couple sides. Their chicken and salmon is absolutely delicious though - some of the best I've tried, plus their sides change almost daily, and they always involve avocado, which wins me over every time.

The Butchers Daughter (Nolita & West Village)

The perfect brunch spot to feel like you're treating yourself, and yet, it's super healthy, organic whole food. Grab one of their wellness lattes, cold pressed juices, smoothies, or shots, and have a delicious, yet guilt free meal. They have all the best brunch plates that I always crave, like avocado toast, acai bowl, coconut yogurt and granola, plus pesto/micro kale pizza! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Plus, it's the cutest outdoor spot to take a few friends on the weekend for a sit down meal.

Dimes (Chinatown)

This is one of the most fun and unique out of them all. It's tucked away on Canal street down in China town, so it's a trek for most people, although totally worth it. They serve all meals, but most importantly, they serve cocktails! I love how fun and different their cocktails are, for example, the kale margarita and dandelion wine. A healthy way to treat yourself? I'll take it. 

Hu (Union Square & UES)

Another one of my top favorites! I swing by this spot at least once a week, and never fail to pick up their paleo chocolate chip cookies or the pumpkin parfait. For dinner, I always go for the "make your own bowl" station, where you can choose the base, protein and toppings. Do we see a pattern here? I seem to always pick this option... The thing about Hu though, is that you need to be careful about what you order. I've tried a few things there that I'm just not a fan of, like their "bread" for instance. Their lasagna is pretty good, but you need to actually like eating healthy to enjoy it (it just tastes healthy)... If that makes any sense at all? You can't really go wrong with their desserts, hot drinks, almond crusted chicken tenders, and of course the bowl station. Yum!

A few others that I love or are on my to-do list are below:

• Springbone Kitchen
• Gingersnap Organic
• Good Thyme
• Beyond Sushi
• Blossom Du Jour
• Souen
• Dirty Candy
• Jack's Wife Freda
• Avant Garden

Images taken by myself & via 1/2/3/4/5/6