The No-Make Up Make Up Look, Here's How!

It took me a while to learn how to properly do my makeup, you know the kind that looks natural enough it seems like you’re not wearing any, but just enough that you can leave the house with confidence.  I don’t know about you but in high school I did my make up as if I was going out to a club, every day. After a few years of my mother pleading with me to wear less or at least blend better, in addition to getting my makeup done daily by professionals, I like to think I’ve learned enough that  I can help you achieve the off-duty make-up look.

Less is more, as I’m sure you’ve heard before. When starting with my face, if I find I need a full coverage I’ll apply a thin layer of tinted moisturizer all over. The tinted moisturizer takes away some redness but also helps keep my face hydrated so it won’t look too cakey or dry like a full foundation would.  RMS Un Cover-Up is made with coconut oil, thus hydrating the skin while providing a thin layer of coverage. Sometimes I’ll even add a little of my own moisturizer into the mix, (Pai is great and smells devine) so I can have a little extra glow. If my face is relatively clear of redness and spots, instead of adding full coverage I’ll simply add a little concealer to each spot and let the rest of my skin breath. I just tried out Nu Evolution and love their camouflage cream. It has a bit more coverage than RMS but is still hydrating and leaves the skin looking fresh and clean. 

 

After my face is taken care of, I’ll move onto my cheeks. If it’s summer I’ll add some bronzer to the high bone of my cheeks, extending all the way to my hairline, up around my brows and even the top of my forehead. I want it all to blend in and think adding a light layer all over my face ends up looking best, rather than just on my cheeks. Instead of spending hours under the sun, I recommend getting a spray-on tan or applying a light layer of bronzer if you're after that glow. It's important to put on sunscreen everyday before you add anything to your skin. You can find ones that are light enough for your face and similar to the amount of water you drink, sunscreen will help you look youthful as you age. 

 In winter I prefer using blush as I find it goes better with pale skin to have a light flushed look. RMS has a great product called "Lip 2 Cheek" where you can blend in their cream on your cheeks for a flushed look or add some to your lips for a little more color. I find it looks more natural if you end up using the same color for both. Oftentimes, make up companies use the same formulas for eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers, etc. They market it differently so you end up buying more. To save money, buy one color you love that you can use on your eyes, cheeks and lips. Click the images below for some of my favorite colors. 

I’ll then move onto my eyebrows, something I consider to be the focal point of many people’s faces when done right. I love using a brow brush and very lightly filling in the missing areas. EcoBrow has a great defining wax that is tinted and helps keep them in place because of the wax. I may extend the end of my brows a bit and then brush them out so they look full and healthy. After filling in the missing spots, I love using a toothbrush with hair spray! It holds all day and brushes them out nicely, sometimes better than a lot of eyebrow brushes. 

I tend to not do too much to the eyes. I may curl my lashes a bit and leave it at that or add a bit of mascara if I find I need some definition. 

If you literally want to shine you can add a little sparkle to your high cheek bone and high-brow area with a little shine stick. This gives you a little more glow and helps add definition to your face so your make up doesn’t look too flat. If my skin looks dehydrated, I'll use Weleda Skin Food as a highlighter. It provides the perfect amount of shine and moisture to the face. Tata Harper and Ilia also have great illuminators. Try putting them on the high of your cheekbone and extending near the hairline, the bridge of your nose, the high bone of your eyebrow right above your eyelid and right at the top of your mouth where your lip dips. 

For my lips, chapstick is my go-to. It’s the one thing I would bring with me if I was stranded on an island. To look more dressed up I’ll use one that has a little tint to it. Otherwise I’m all set with my Mongo Kiss Eco Lips that has a sheer shine to it. 

After the eyes and lips are taken care of, I may touch up some of the spots with concealer that got smudged and finish off with a little matte powder from RMS in my T-zone. Et voila! A natural off-duty model look ready for a casual outing with friends but nice enough if you happen to run into a colleague or client you don’t have to worry about your brows being out of place. 

We’re putting this stuff on our skin, our body's largest organ so why wouldn’t we consider using the best, organic ingredients? All the products I've shared with you heal and nourish our skin so we don’t have to think twice about leaving it on for too long. The key is to drink lots of water, keep your face as hydrated as possible, moisturize and exfoliate when you're at home and let your skin breath with these light products that are yes, even good enough to eat!  

By Taea Thale for Self Magazine

By Taea Thale for Self Magazine

How to Make Every Day Earth Day

What an incredible past month we’ve had in taking strides towards becoming more transparent and cognizant with sustainability and our environment. I’ve become more inspired than I knew was possible with events ranging from discussion panels at Fashion Revolution week to the People’s Climate March in Washington, and of course, Earth Day [which I celebrated a few weeks ago with SoRipe]. In light of this important month, I thought I’d share a bit of information on Earth day, some takeaway points and how you can make simple changes to contribute to the movement.

Earth Day was formed in 1970 by Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin as a way to spread awareness nationally about the environment. He was inspired by the anti-war movement and saw Earth Day as a way to teach others about air and water pollution, which was especially important after a massive oil spill that occurred in Santa Barbara in 1969. [1]

In just one year Earth Day was so popular that it led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency which subsequently led to the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. By 1990, Earth Day had become a global event. 

Present day, there are unfortunately still many people refuting the idea of climate change; well-funded oil lobbyists, the disinterested public and our newly appointed President Donald Trump. The sense of urgency to spread awareness and fight for a clean environment is still strong and perhaps it’s even more crucial as our President shares his negative views of climate change, especially as he looks to pull the U.S. out of the Paris agreement.  Fortunately, there are still over a billion people celebrating Earth Day each year and who continue to make it their mission to do good for our planet. [2] 

Mia Yamaguchi, coordinator at the CoolClimate Network at University of California, Berkeley’s Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory, brings up a good point about the importance of an individual’s impact on climate change in an article on Life Science. We have the power to significantly improve and manage our own environmental impacts by making small changes; taking mass transit instead of driving, recycling, and ditching the plastic utensils are a few that first come to mind. With other things like foreign relations, or national debt, it takes a lot more political involvement to make a small change with a lot less participation from the individual. [3] 

Having lived in New York for the past five years, I have become extremely aware of my carbon footprint and how I can make a change. From the amount of taxis I was taking to castings to the waste as a result of the fashion industry I work in, I began to realize that I was a lot more part of the problem than I thought I was and have made small adjustments in the way I live to ensure I’m a bigger part of the solution. 

On that note, for Earth Day this year I teamed up with SoRipe, an organic health food catering company to go to New Hampshire for a retreat where all 25 of us would get out of the city and surround ourselves with nature. My friend and fellow model Dani Seitz helped organize the event with activities ranging from a hike up Mount Sunapee to candlelit yoga to an organic spa night. We not only wanted this retreat to be a celebration of our Earth but to also raise awareness about the impact we all have on the environment. 

The hike we did on Earth Day, April 22, proved to be the medication we all needed, whether we knew it or not. It didn’t matter how hungry we were, how tired we were, or if our broken toe was hurting or not (sorry Doc, the hike was definitely not flat and I definitely made it worse than it was) but it was worth every minute of the four-five hours we were there. Everyone couldn’t get over how full of life they felt taking in the fresh air as we made our way to the misty mountain top. 

In addition to our hike, we reached out to a few environmentally conscious companies to provide some samples to test out and use. These companies take environmental protection to heart and are fully transparent with all of their practices.

Health-Ade Kombucha
Health-Ade ensures high-quality and good taste for their fermented teas, also known as kombucha. Everything is certified organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, raw, vegan, and kosher. They look to inspire people to look good and feel good; something that they believe comes from having a healthy gut. 

Herbivore Botanicals
Herbivore values safe, non-toxic products that are good for you and made with natural ingredients from our environment. Every ingredient they use are there for a specific therapeutic reason with no fillers of any kind used. They’re not tested on animals and are made with an emphasis on high quality food-grade ingredients. Our skin is our largest organ and absorbs everything we put on it into our bloodstream. Herbivore ensures everything you use is just as good as the organic food you feed yourself. 

Justin’s
Justin’s is a nut butter company that values innovation and corporate consciousness. Integrity and transparency with their staff and consumers is of up-most importance to Justin’s every step of the way. They take care of the earth by sourcing local, high-quality ingredients, simplifying the supply chain and by mitigating their environmental impact. 

Keap Candles
Keap was created to provide consumers with a middle ground; a candle that was neither full of harsh chemicals nor overly priced. In addition to making candles that are better for our health and our pockets, Keap started as a Public Benefit Corporation to provide better access of affordable, sustainable living to people outside of the electrical grid. They’ve partnered with SolarAid to provide solar light to communities in need through their Buy a Candle, Light a Home program. 

Prana
Prana considers every type of person when they make their clothes with sustainability, style and versatility always to heart. They go out of their way to ensure every part of their supply chain is sustainable from the materials they use to the suppliers and factories they work with. The doers, makers and shakers that wear their clothes not only value style and design but are also environmental enthusiasts that need their clothes to last more than a few washes. 

 

It’s important for us to remain conscious of our habits whether it’s Earth Day or not. We have made significant victories since Earth Day’s began 47 years ago [6], and should continue holding ourselves and our policy makers accountable to our environmental footprint so we can continue with victories. 

While I consider myself a feminist, an organic food advocate and a democratic health care proponent, none of that matters in comparison if we’re living on an unstable planet where communities are forced to migrate because of climate change or if the health of certain neighborhoods are compromised because of their geographic location. Our planet cannot sustain life if we continue to ignore the signs it’s sending us of how unsustainably we’re living. I don’t want my grandkids to ask me why we had the resources (and common sense) to protect our planet and why we chose to ignore them. 

Here are some small steps you can take towards living more sustainably. You shouldn’t feel the pressure to change every way in which you live but as Yamaguchi of CoolClimate stated, we as individuals can make crucial, positive impacts on our climate in small ways and all of that starts with self-awareness.  

1.    Donate
•    If you don’t have the time to get as political as you’d like, invest in companies that are doing the work and research for you! 
•    Project Tsehigh is a nonprofit that provides renewable energy sources to impoverished communities around the world.
•    Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment. 
•    EarthJustice is the legal backbone helping back organizations big and small that protect our environment.

2.    Go for a hike
•    Explore the outdoors and enjoy what mother nature has to offer you. It’s a natural remedy that will calm your nerves and lower your stress levels. It’s a great workout and an awesome way to bond with friends and loved ones.

3.    Use mass transit (or better yet, walk or bike!)    
•    Public transportation dramatically reduces vehicle emissions and pollutants that create smog. 
•    Transport accounts for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions just from the U.S. Public transportation will help significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile. [7]

4.    Air dry your clothes
•    In most households, the dryer is the third-most energy-hungry appliance, after the fridge and washer. If we air dry, we have the potential to lower our average household carbon footprint by 2,400 pounds per year. [8]
•    Dryers account for almost six percent of a household’s annual electricity consumption. You can dramatically reduce your spending if you decide to switch to air drying. [9]

5.    Stop using plastic water bottles, straws and utensils. Use reusable water bottles and carry reusable utensils with you. 
•    Over the last ten years, we have produced more plastic than during the whole of the last century. 
•    Enough plastic that is thrown away each year is enough to circle the earth four times. 
•    Americans throw away 35 billion plastic bottles per year. 
•    It takes 500-1000 years for plastic to degrade. [10]
•    Need a reusable water bottle? Find ours HERE!

6.    Become a conscious consumer. Buy less, buy better!
•    The pattern of consumption has changed so dramatically; we now purchase 400% more than we used to only 20 years ago. [13]
•    Especially in fashion, we’re taught to buy into seasonal, trendy clothes that often only last a few wears, if that, before they’re tossed into landfills.
•    The average American throws away 82 pounds of textile waste each year which end up in landfills, often taking over 200 years to degrade [13]
•    Buy less, buy better; invest in fashion that will last many wears, won’t go out of trend and are made by companies that value an ethical and sustainable production chain. [14]

7.    Educate yourself
•    There are a ton of amazing books, documentaries, and bloggers out there taking charge to raise awareness on climate change and environmental harm. If you’re looking to learn more, start small by educating yourself. 
•    EcoCult, Sustaining Life and Huffington Post Reclaim are all great resources to get in the know.

8.    Get political
•    I myself never considered myself a political person until I realized the importance of each individual to speak up and get involved
•    By voting, donating, or going on a march, you can add to the masses and stick up for change. The fact that we live in a democratic society is so important and often overlooked. We have this incredible privilege to be political so don’t let it go to waste!

9.    Lower your red meat intake
•    In the U.S. red meat, especially beef, accounts for a lot of resources that cause a lot of waste and global warming emissions. [15]
•    Animals require an enormous amount of water to grow crops for the animals to eat. A single cow will drink up to 50 gallons of water per day. 
•    It takes almost 20 times less land to feed someone on a vegan-style diet. [16]
•    Red meat specifically causes 10-40 times as many greenhouse gasses as vegetables or grains. [17]
•    If you’re a red meat fanatic, simply consider lowering your intake or making sure the meat you have is from organic, pasture-raised, grass-fed animals. Small steps can create a huge change for the better! For the better of our environment and for the betterment of your health! [17]

 

Living in the NOW

It is a goal of mine each new year to become less attached to my phone and more aware of my surroundings; to live life in the moment. Yet each time as I ring in the new year, I am on my phone documenting all the festivities completely oblivious to last year’s resolutions.  

I think we can all agree that social media is dictating our lives, for better or for worse, and our generation is growing up head down, glued to the latest Instagram story or Facebook video. For many of us, myself included, our jobs depend on us being on the phone and updating constantly. If I’m posting on social media, it proves I am working and clients like to book and re-book models who appear to be a hot commodity (whether they know it’s a #tbt is up to them to figure out). I’m a huge proponent of social media and think it has made our world a lot easier to communicate. Brands can interact with customers and understand their wants and needs, friends can meet up on a whim incredibly easily, and you can connect with friends and friends of friends anywhere in the world you happen to be. It’s incredible and we are so lucky to have this as part of our lives. What I have a hard time grappling with are the negative aspects that have been brought with Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.  

The thing that I’ve found difficult to come to terms with is the difference (and there is a clear difference) on the necessity of posting for work and for personal life. Documenting your life from the early days of Myspace in 2003 to live Instagram videos and Snapchat stories now, evolved at such a rapid rate that I often forget what it was like to live a life where others didn’t know what I was up to at any given moment. 

From a model in the fashion industry’s perspective, I’m 100% fine with the amount I post on Instagram. I chose to post both work and personal things because Instagram has given me a platform to show what Britt Bergmeister is like as a package. I want clients to know I’m a professional model with a down-to-earth personality who values being punctual, is a die-hard sports fan who enjoys classic rock, fantastic food, and killer workouts. What I post enables me to differentiate myself from the next brunette 5’11’’ model in NYC. This to me, along with however much any other person posts on social media is quite alright (Instagram videos and live Snapchat stories not included). 

What I’ve noticed within the past few years is the amount I scroll aimlessly through people’s stories and lives, often cross-comparing with the end result of not feeling so good about myself. Naturally, we post our absolute best selves on social media. While I try and dilute this lens and show the full story with funny posts about awful workouts I’ve had, huge pimples on my forehead or the not-so glamourous lifestyle that sometimes comes hand in hand with my job, most people, myself included, want our lives to look rosy on the outside, often a lot happier than they are at that very moment. I’ve become so removed sometimes from my own life that I’ve missed important conversations, crucial plays in basketball, or an important twist in a movie because I wasn’t even truly participating in my own life. 

The moment I told myself I would never take part in Snapchat was at a bar with my boyfriend for the Raptors/Heat game in the 2015 semi-finals. There were three guys at the bar in front of us, watching one of their friend’s Snapchat stories for over half an hour. They were out at a bar to watch a huge game, and were missing the entire thing as they watched their friend post drunk Snapchat videos. I thought it was the lamest thing I had ever seen. I never wanted to be so enthralled by someone else’s life while I was out with my own friends creating our own memories. 

Fast forward a year and I’m making my own Instagram video’s now documenting myself watching said basketball games and my reactions, posting what I’m eating for breakfast and what I think of the new blockbuster hit I’m watching. While I I try and never post while I’m out, take my phone out while I’m with friends or my boyfriend, and stay connected to the real world when it matters, I’ve succumbed to something I thought I never would and can only imagine what I’ll be doing a few months from now in the social media world. 

Even as I write this article, I’ve been fighting the desire to check Instagram. I haven’t posted anything in over 24 hours, there’s nothing I really should be checking or posting yet the urge to see who’s been looking at my feed or who is doing what on at this very moment is so intense it’s like an itch I’m dying to scratch. 

I thought if I made a public list of things I hope to accomplish for myself, it would make it more real this time and I could not only (hopefully) try to help others with similar social media obsessions, but also hold my own actions accountable and think about the promise I am going to make to my readers each time I want to take my phone out while out with friends, living life in the now. 

Personal goals to live more in the NOW

  • Stop posting pointless videos on Instagram story

  • If posted, don’t scroll through aimlessly looking at who watched said Instagram video

  • Never take phone out when with friends or at any dinners

  • Limit phone use when hanging with boyfriend

  • If the desire is there to aimlessly scroll, read an important news article instead

  • Start the morning off with two Economist articles rather than the Instagram scroll

  • Post it, and then forget about it (if you need to check likes, check once at end of day)

  • Limit social media use in general when out and about

  • Stop comparing yourself to others

With these goals in mind I know I can continue to post and enjoy my friend’s lives but limit the negative effects it has on myself. Social media is never going to end, but I can control the influence it has on my life and try and live with my head up enjoying the constant surprises life throws at us, and yes, if I’m unable to document the cute dog that just walked by me or my beautiful latte art I’m about to enjoy, it still happened and can still be a vivid memory in my mind, photo proof or not. 

Fashion Week Street Style Part Three

Here's the last post of our three part series on how to achieve the model street style look sustainably. We teamed up with Xin Wang, a NYC street style photographer to capture our favorite fashion week looks and then found sustainable versions of each. Enjoy!
 

GET THE LOOK, SUSTAINABLY! 

 

SHOP THE LOOK, SUSTAINABLY!

 

GET THE LOOK, SUSTAINABLY!

 

Fashion Week Street Style Part Two

Here is part two of our three part series on achieving the Off Duty Model look, sustainably. We teamed up with street style photographer Xin Wang to find some of our favorite off duty looks and then did some research on how we could achieve these looks with our favorite eco-friendly brands. Let us know which looks you like best in the comments below!
 

GET THE LOOK, SUSTAINABLY!

 

GET THE LOOK, SUSTAINABLY!

 

GET THE LOOK, SUSTAINABLY!

 

Fashion Week Street Style

The model off duty street style look is simple and chic with a twist and we've done our research to ensure you can get this look too. The difference? Sustainability! We've teamed up with street style photographer Xin Wang and combed through some of our favorite brands from Everlane and Reformation to Urban Outfitters Renewal and Stella McCartney. Stylish basics with a twist, sustainably made available at your leisure. Stay tuned next week for part two of our three part series. Enjoy! 
 

GET THE LOOK, SUSTAINABLY! 

 

GET THE LOOK, SUSTAINABLY!

 

GET THIS LOOK, SUSTAINABLY!

 

I Thought I Was Good at Saving Money…

I was raised to appreciate the value of money and to understand the hard work that went into buying the things I desired. Although I often ignored my parents and spent whatever allowance I was given on clothes (rather than school lunches), they finally (and thankfully) made me get a job so I could truly value and pay for my own things. 

My first job was at Abercrombie & Fitch, welcoming customers into the store as I  spritzed the ubiquitous perfume and nonchalantly greeted customers with a “Hey! What’s going on!?” However imperfect this or any other job I had was, I am incredibly thankful for the monetary values they instilled in me. I knew exactly how long I had to work in order to afford that $60 Zara sweater I coveted; roughly 6 hours plus the unpaid commute to and from the store. Without the experience of working for my own money, I would have never understood the true value of hard work and what it can (or can't) afford. 

Source: wikimedia

Source: wikimedia

When I moved to New York and started to earn more money as a model, I immediately began (at my parent's guidance) investing whatever I had left over after taxes. I chose a diversified portfolio of stocks that were relatively safe as long-term investments, meaning they would sit in my investment account untouched, for what I planned to be at least ten years. I wanted a lump sum that I could have as a backup when and if my career ever slowed down. Modeling can be lucrative however the shelf life of a model can often be short-lived. 

While I admit I was proud of myself for taking charge of my accounts and investing what I had, I began to realize that for all the money I claimed to have made modeling for four years in New York, the investments I had in addition to the cash in my bank was simply not that great. I was lucky enough to have money in savings and investments especially at my age but there should have been a lot more. Recently, on a visit to New York, my step dad and I went over my accounts to see if I was where I wanted to be for my future. He calculated my yearly earnings versus the amount I had saved for the past year, one that illuminated the fact that I was spending the most I’ve ever spent and would ever want to spend each month living in New York. To my defense, New York is god damn expensive, as Craig, my step dad understood. He wanted me to live the life I had in New York and was glad I had the choice to do so at my age. However, he wanted me to be aware at all times where my money was going and to see if I was okay with spending that much per month. If I was content spending $5 a day on lattes, that was fine, but I had to understand I would have way less money in my future than I anticipated. 

Sign up for Mint for free: HERE!

Sign up for Mint for free: HERE!

I immediately checked my Mint account, an app that helps you see exactly where you’re spending your money each month with graphs and chart comparisons, the app that I had downloaded and failed to take one look at. Unfortunately, my dad was right and for the past four years I had been spending on average the high amount he speculated. 

I went into a bit of a panic, canceled all my lunches with friends I had coming up that week and tried to figure out how I could fix everything. I realized my nonchalant spending had a huge effect on what I was saving for my future and needed to make some adjustments if I was going to continue to make contributions to my investments or if everything I continued to make would be spent almost immediately.

While I didn't want to cut out everything I enjoyed, the occasional yoga class or buying organic fruits and vegetables, I figured out a few quick fixes I could easily cut down on so I could save bit by bit each day and get back on track.

1) Specialty lattes every day in NYC (on average ~$5-5.50/day)

  • If I was getting roughly 300 lattes at $5.25 on average per day I was spending $1,575 per year just on coffee!!

  • *the fix: I immediately went out and bought a French press. It makes delicious coffee that tastes almost exactly like an espresso (especially if you get the small 3-cup one). The $20 French press, the $20 milk-frother and the $15 coffee grinder costs me $55, equivalent to only 11 lattes at my local coffee shop).

2) Same goes for my Kombucha addiction (on average $5/ 2-3 times week)

  • If I was getting roughly 2 Kombuchas per week at $5 average for 52 weeks I was spending $520 per year on Kombucha

  • *the fix: I still love my fermented drinks as a treat in the afternoon but I try and either go for cheaper options, drink more water, or stock up at stores where I know they’re less expensive (Trader Joe’s sells Kombucha for $2.99!)

3) Try and cut down even more on eating out unnecessarily

  • When I’m out and I know I don’t have much food at home I’ll always get something to go and bring it back. This past year I developed a huge obsession with salads from Sweetgreen (salads so simple they often resembled something I could easily make at home)

  • My Sweetgreen salads would on average cost me $11 and I would get them roughly 4 times per month which means at Sweetgreen alone (and I eat out a lot more than just Sweetgreen) I was spending roughly $528 a year.

  • *the fix: If I know there’s not much food at home, I’ll simply hop into a grocery store close by and stock up. Even if it’s not my weekly huge shop, I can just get the essentials so I at least have enough to make a quick salad.

4) The dirty dozen and clean fifteen

  • This past year I became incredibly obsessed with organic food and clean eating. While I’m not regretting this at all, it definitely took a toll on my budget as eating nearly everything Organic tends to be on the pricier side.

  • *the fix: A lot of fruits and vegetables have their own outer layer that protect us from the harmful pesticides sprayed on a lot of our food. They’re dangerous to us and so for some fruits and vegetables, it’s imperative to eat organic only so we don’t ingest these harsh chemicals. However, this list helps to monitor your budget while keeping your health in mind:

 
 

5) Online yoga

  • Going to workout classes in the city can be expensive, especially if you want to go to enough to make a difference in your body!

  • While Yoga to the People is donation based, the recommended $10/class still added up and was often more stressful than relaxing in the New York closet-sized, sardine-packed class.

  • *the fix: Youtube yoga! Adriene provides free classes that range from 10 minute classes for when you're not feeling well to challenging 50 minute energy boost classes for you to do at your own pace. Check out her youtube channel here!

With these simple tricks in mind and with the help of apps that are incredibly easy to use to monitor such expenses, I’m still living a fun life in New York City but one where I'm smart with my spending and saving so I can invest more for my future. 

Image Credit: Wikimedia.org

Worldwide Healthy Restaurant Cheat Sheet (mostly plant-based)

Here's a list of healthy restaurants so you can stay on track wherever in the world you may be...

NEW YORK

LONDON

PARIS 

TOKYO

TORONTO

MIAMI

LOS ANGELES

SAN FRANCISCO

 

HELP US FIND MORE

Do you have a healthy restaurant you absolutely LOVE? Submit your suggestion here, we’d love to check it out!

 

*All pictures found on restaurant's Facebook pages, Yelp, or restaurant's web pages

How I Stay Healthy When I Travel

You’ve been extremely healthy, working out before work five times a week, even getting some gym time on the weekends while everyone’s out boozing at brunch. Your lunch consists of delicious fresh salads that you prepared at home and hey, you even get a compliment or two from your friends about how great you look. Unfortunately for you, you’ve got a trip coming up which you know will lead to the inevitable decline of your healthy routines as you are forced to pick away at the airplane food and way are too tired to hit the hotel gym (if you’re lucky enough to have one). 

I’ve been fortunate enough to travel a lot for work and have tried to figure out the best way I can stay healthy on the go. If I’m about to have a treat meal, I want it to be the best pizza I’ve laid my hands on, not something stale and defrosted that I have to take out of a plastic wrapping on an airplane. 

The best tip I can give you is to prepare ahead. It may take 20 extra minutes of your time but it saves you a ton of money and calories in the long run. 

To start, I always think about where I’m going, what time the flight is, if and when I’ll be hungry and to always plan for delays. I’ll usually make a simple salad before my flight, carry it in my own Tupperware that I can later use to make more meals for the flight home. If I’ll be overnight and need breakfast at some point, perhaps at the hotel, instead of spending $8-10 on oatmeal that I know should only cost $4 max, I will wash the salad container I used on the first flight and mix my oats in them the next morning. If I have time, instead of relying on room service for dinner I’ll try to hit up a grocery store and find an easy pre made salad or something I can quickly whip up. I’ll even buy a bit extra to throw back in that same Tupperware for a meal or snack on the flight home. Tupperware=GOLD! 

Some of my favorite go-to travel snacks:

  • Apple slices

  • Raw almonds & walnuts

  • Goji berries

  • Bananas

  • Chia seed bars

  • Seaweed snacks

  • Protein powder and rolled oats

  • Coconut flake chips (unsweetened)

  • Berries

  • Carrot sticks

  • Empty water bottle to refill past security

  • Gum, mints & candies

 
 
 

Mix 1/2 cup of oats and a scoop of your favorite protein powder. Cut up 1 banana into slices and mix with the dry rolled oats. Add hot water (no need to boil). Mix together until you get a consistency you like.

 

Preparing ahead of time can ensure whatever you feed yourself when you travel is healthy. Let’s be honest, a lot of the hotels won’t have a gym, let alone you having enough energy after that eight-hour flight to consider working out. So why not take the time and invest in what you’re feeding yourself? You can always get back on your workout routine when you get back. Your seatmates on the plane will be drooling over your brown rice chicken salad while they have to eat that pizza. Savor the flavor and savor those looks, you worked hard to prep and you deserve all the credit! 

Here are a few of my favorite protein powders: