Summer in California has me feeling all types of healthy.

Being surrounded by America’s-most-beautiful really motivates you to be your very best. With all of the health-spo around, I’ve gathered my thoughts on some tips, tricks and pretty basic habits to adopt as your own.

Switching to Matcha

For the longest time, I’ve been addicted to coffee and can’t start my day without a cup. Or three. But making the switch to matcha has helped me realize that I really don’t need it as much as I think I do, and can reap the same benefits by giving it a little break every now and then by choosing matcha.

Studies have shown that concentrations of at least 50 mg of L-theanine (found in matcha) significantly increases alpha brain waves and has been associated with increased creativity, performance under stress, improved learning, concentration, and decreased anxiety. L-theanine also works to counteract the addiction of caffeine and improves our ability to multi-task. WHAT?

Need more? Here’s a few beauty benefits:

• Clears up your complexion
• Prevents signs of premature skin aging
• Combats acne
• Tones, balances and refreshes the skin
• Protects the skin against sun damage

Lemon Water

Lemons are my new go-to at Trader Joe’s. Because who doesn’t love a bowl of sightly citrus?

Lemons help boost your energy levels by giving your body a dose of negatively-charged ions. When these ions enter your digestive tract, they provide an almost instant source of energy without the aftermath associated with caffeine or sugar. Lately I’ve been adding cayenne pepper to really *jazz* things up, as Cayenne increases metabolism, stimulates the circulatory system, aids digestion and helps regulate blood sugar.

Vitamix

My Vitamix blender truly changed everything for me. I started making smoothies every day — throwing everything imaginable in there, and the Vitamix made it into the smoothest liquid ever. No textures, just insanely smooth smoothies.

I honestly feel more alive with all the colorful potions I’ve made. Soups, sauces, hummus, desserts. You can even make your own almond milk. The only catch: it’s about $500… a pretty notable investment.

For me, I 100% don’t regret getting one. I’ve used it a million times since I bought it over 3 months ago and is like a family member to me now.

Hot Booty Yoga

I completely regret not finding out this class sooner. When I moved to Hollywood, I would hang out on late nights at clubs with the sketchiest promoters just so I could have entry to a club where I could dance to trap and rap with other people. I’d even go alone (not the smartest move in Los Angeles, I know. Sorry mom) because nobody else wanted to go. A lot of the time, I made my intent very clear by not wearing heels or the whole club get up, and just wore some straight up loafers. With that being said, I’ve successfully found my safe twerk haven.

Behold: there exists a class at Set and Flow Yoga that incorporates sweating, booty shaking and yoga. Just like at the clerb! LIKE WHAT?

The origin of twerk comes waaay before New Orleans bounce music, which stems from tribal dancing; similar to several traditional West African dances. To become certified (you know I asked) you must go through Buti Yoga training. Needless to say, I’m hooked.  Super silly, super sweaty, super fun class. And real talk: My new dream job is to teach it one day…

Photo by Ethan Sykes

Reverse Osmosis

I talk about this home filtration system a lot, and half the time I don’t think I do a great job of explaining it. Think of it as your Brita on crack. The Skrillex of clean water. The Holy Grail of agua.

Here’s a handy chart:

There you have it. It essentially carbon filters out all the bad stuff, like birth control, chlorine, lead, etc.

With the right water quality you can feel good about drinking, you’ll be inspired to have it around more often. And if you carry a full water bottle with you during the day, it will serve as a perfect reminder to meet your minimum water requirement of 8-10 glasses per day. Plus, there are sooo many cute ones out there. Find one to match your style:) Seems so simple, right?  We know we should be doing it, so why don’t we?

 Less Oil, More Water

Speaking of water! I cook a lot at home, and that means a lot of sautéing and stir frying veggies. I used to be so hooked on all the types of healthy oils I could get my hands on, but this in turn increases your caloric intake and is bad for oily skin peeps.

Instead of over-oiling, I let the veggies steam in about a half inch of water, covered, until they’re done-zo. Then I’ll add about a tablespoon of the  appropriate oil  to help then simmer to a burnt-ish edge. Doing this has helped my naturally oily skin become not so acne prone. And I’m about it.

Give Makeup a little Breakup

My lifeline is eyeliner and mascara. I’ve quickly adapted to nontoxic brands, since I wear them so much, but when it comes to foundation, there’s some nasties out there.

Without realizing it, most of the coverage makeup you wear is pretty toxic. It’s an easy thing to forget when amazing stores like Sephora and Ulta are around every corner whispering our names to come in. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a good beauty haul, and there’s always a time and a place for makeup. I used to spend hundreds of dollars chasing the newest beauty craze brands just so I could feel pretty. But many cosmetic products are not subjected to the same checks as food or medicine before being released to the mass market.

Meaning, the fast beauty industry doesn’t really care about your skin’s health. In fact, this helps them sell even more make up, because you’ll definitely want to cover up all it’s aftermath. If you’d like to have blemish-free skin, covering it up with tons of foundation won’t help you to reach your glowed-up goals.

Popular cosmetic ingredients such as sodium benzoate, propylene glycol and a number of other acids (not to mention parabens and carcinogens) cause allergic reactions on most skin types. Unfortunately, these harmful substances get instantly absorbed by your skin. If you wear makeup all day, some of it will inevitably seep into your pores, causing them to enlarge and result in acne and blemishes.

Here’s some safe, natural brands I love for Makeup and Skin.

All-in-all, learning to love yourself and embrace your flaws is one of the biggest challenges everyone faces, but at the end of the day your skin will thank you. Even if it’s just a few days of the week, try giving the no makeup challenge a go and see what’s up.

Waist Training

It’s a weird one, for sure. And I know I’ll get some flack on this.

Unless you don’t live on social media, you’ve probably seen a celeb or two sporting one of these as fashion. I actually used to make fun of them but I’ve seen so many amazing results, I had to try it before I knock it.

Typically I hate wearing bras and things that suppress my breathing, but wearing this thing for a few hours actually made me feel like I was being hugged snuggly. Kinda reminds me of Thunder Shirts for small dogs to help them not freak the f*ck out when it storms.

I began to wear it for 5 hours every day at home and totally felt a difference. Now don’t get me wrong, the cautions of corsets can be extreme. But the way I’ve been using it is far different from a traditional cinching routine. If done in a non-extreme way, it actually feels kind of….sexy. If you struggle with posture at your office job then holy cow is this thing for you.

Here’s some benefits of wearing one every now and then:

• abdominal support
• spine alignment
• improves overall posture
• eliminates “love handles”
• encourages healthy eating portions
• great for post-baby body re-shaping
• creates muscle warmth
• shapes and cinches your mid currrrrves

I’m loving it for my posture, so far. But realistically it’s too hot in California to wear it all the time; but Winter is coming. And this thing seems like it’ll keep your core warm and will have you steppin’ into spring like Rihanna in a swimsuit.

However, as with any product, should you choose to add the practice to your daily routine (or adopt only certain principles from it like I have) you must be aware of the proper usage for optimal results.

Until next time! xo