It's officially fall outside!

The weather is changing and that means our skin is changing with it.  And with Q4 looming and the stress of our fast paced lives, our skin is probably showing some signs of wear and tear.  Well, fear not!  It's the perfect time for an at-home face mask—especially if you have no time to hit up the spa.  I've sung the skin-saving praises of pumpkin before, but it's for good reason.  These orange balls of goodness are loaded with zinc, antioxidants, and vitamins that protect your skin from wrinkles and age spots as well as gently exfoliating for a more glowing version of you. Not headed to the patch to pick your pumpkins any time soon?  No worries, this fab fruit (yeah, it's a fruit!) comes in a can at your local supermarket (BPA-free please!)  Here's the recipe:

• Mix together 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree with an egg.  No, we're not baking, but the old adds much needed nutrients while the white will help temporarily tighten skin. 
•  Add a teaspoon of Manuka honey which does wonders for your complexion.  My friends over at CAP beauty use Manuka in their facials all the time as it's a potent anti-bacterial and also has a calming / healing effect.  They tell me it's awesome for acne-prone skin.  
• If your skin is a smidge oily, add in a splash of apple cider vinegar.  It has a mild toning effect, helps balance the PH of your skin and is also anti-bacterial.
• Now that your mask is ready, smooth it evenly all over your face and unwind for 15-20 minutes.  You might experience a mild tingly feeling which is totally normal.  If it starts to burn, wash off immediately.  
• Rinse off and enjoy your new found glow!

Business travel is forecast to hit an all time high this year, and it’s one of the biggest ways that healthy professionals lives’ get sidetracked. Additionally, when you’re out of your routine it can be harder to hit the gym, find healthy spots to eat, and avoid the temptations that work dinners pose.  So what's a wellness buff, turned road, warrior, to do?

Here are a few of my pro-tips for staying well when traveling for work:

•Bring healthy snacks: Airports have come a long way in the last few years in terms of healthy options, but they still have a long way to go. Try and prepare as much as you can ahead of time by bringing your own food and snacks and make sure you hydrate more than usual. Fresh berries, clean crackers, raw almonds and dried (sugar/preservative-free) fruit all make for great options.  See my fave on-the-go snacks here

•Moisturize your skin in-flight so you don’t arrive dried out and prone to breakouts.  Nothing is worse than flying across the country to give a hard-hitting presentation only to arrive with the solar system on your forehead.  Avoid makeup on the plane, and reapply moisturizer often.  

•Bring detox tea in-flight. Flying makes us retain water.  So if you want to arrive looking your best, pack a detox tea in your carry-on.  Choose a tea that has dandelion root, which acts as natural diuretic. 

•Clean your area: Airplanes are a breeding ground for germs and you don’t have time to get sick. Wipe down the arm rests, screens, remotes and tray tables. 

•Bring a portable workout: Hotels are getting more healthy (thank you, EVEN for paving the way!), but in case you’re tight for time and there is no gym, bring a jump rope, or simply do some HIIT in your room.  See a few of my favorite workouts you can do anywhere right here

•Map out healthy places to eat: I like to map out the healthy restaurants and groceries stores near my hotel on every business trip. It keeps me from making poor decisions when I'm hungry, plus it often doubles as a healthy breakfast spot for me.  Smoothies anyone?

•Get a massage on arrival. If you’ve been flying for a while, massage can be a great way to reduce aches and pains, as well as anxiety.  The lymphatic drainage is also a great way to get rid of any water-retention from your flight.

•Bring your vitamins!  I like to pack mine for the week in these cute little organizers.  I just grab however many I need for the week and off I go.  

•Take the lead on choosing restaurants: Whether it’s a client or team dinner, take the lead and offer suggestions for restaurants that you know have healthy and wholesome options for you  Clean Plates is a great resource for finding healthy places to eat in your area.  

Whether you’re on an elimination diet, a cleanse or simply trying to make better choices at a work dinner, here are a few simple tips that can help you stay at your best.

•Take the lead in restaurant choices: Whether it’s a work dinner or a date, jump in first and offer suggestions for restaurants that you know have healthy and wholesome options for you. Clean Plates is a great resource for finding healthy places to eat in your area. 

•Checkout the menu ahead of time: If you can’t pick the place, don’t fret. Look at the menu and see what options are aligned with your way of eating. If you don’t see too much on the menu for you, don’t fret. You can call ahead and explain your food allergies or you can even ask the server if the kitchen can put together something simple for you such as a lean grilled protein and steamed vegetables. Usually, restaurants have these ingredients and you just have to ask nicely so they’ll accommodate you.

•Pre-eat a little snack: I’m not suggesting you have a full-on meal beforehand, but have a handful of almonds, a low-glycemic fruit, or a lean piece of protein so you don’t arrive to the restaurant ravenous and dive head-first into the bread basket or a plate of fries. Making sure you don’t have low blood sugar while heading out to a meal is great way to keep you on track.

•Go for greens: Narrow in on a few dishes that are heavy on the greens. Avoid anything with lots of sauces, as there may be hidden ingredients that you may be trying to avoid. Your goal should be to eat about 50 percent veggies accompanied by a nice lean protein and some complex carbohydrates like quinoa. If you don’t see anything on the menu that fits that criteria, ask the server if something can be put together for you.

•Chew: Take time to chew your food properly. It’s better etiquette, but it will also help you achieve satiation. It takes about 20 minutes for our brains to realize we are full, so if you’re chowing down very quickly and without chewing properly, you may have a tendency to overeat. 

•Hydrate: Often times we mistake dehydration for hunger. Being thirsty can actually lead us to overeat, so make sure you’re getting plenty of water.

•Adult Beverages: If you can skip the drinks, you’ll be doing your body and brain a favor. But if you absolutely must drink because the peer pressure is too much, make good choices and cap yourself at two drinks. Opt for a red wine or a hard liquor without any sugary mixes added to it. Vodka soda, gin and soda, tequila with a squeeze of lime are all better options than sugar-laden cocktails.

Fall is in the air.  And that means fabulous jackets, apples and pumpkin picking!  Pumpkins are some of my absolute favorite foods because they're chock-full of awesomeness.  They are full of carotenoids, which are precursors to vitamin A.  Which, if you haven't heard, is key for fabulous skin.  Plus, they're loaded with fiber and can even help you sleep better!  So if you're headed out to the countryside this weekend and pick up a pumpkin or two you'll need to try my healthy take on the fall fave—the pumpkin spice latter.

1 cup of unsweetened almond milk

3 tbs of pumpkin puree

1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice

1/2 a tsp of vanilla

A dash of cinnamon

A dash of nutmeg

1/2  a cup of cold brewed coffee

Stevia to taste

Directions:

Add the almond milk to a saucepan and bring to a light boil.  Whisk in all the spices and then the pumpkin puree.  Then whisk in the vanilla and lastly the cold brewed coffee.  Allow to warm for a least a minute, and then serve.  If you want to add a little extra awesomeness, finish off with a dollop of rice or soy whipped cream.

I don't know about you, but I can get in a rut with my morning smoothies.  I end up using the same ingredients day in and day out and it gets, well, uber boring.  So I decided to shake things up and just in time for National Chocolate Milk Shake Day.  

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen ripe bananas, chopped prior to freezing
• 1 heaping scoop of chocolate protein powder
• 1 Tbsp cacao powder
• 2 Tbsp salted almond butter
• 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (optional)
• 1.5-2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk (sub soy or coconut)
• A dash of cinnnamon 
• 1/3 cup ice
• 1/4 tsp of maca
• big handful of spinach (optional)
• A cold shot of espresso (optional—for my coffee drinkers out there)

Directions:

Add all ingredients to the blender and blend on high until all ingredients are liquified.  Serve right away.