Nyc Health Blog | Girl Meets Life | a lifestyle blog by Gracie Gordon

why i’m pro-selfie.

17 March, 2014 by Gracie 12 Comments

There seems to be a lot of talk about SELFIES these days. And when I say talk, I mean mostly…hate.

Don’t get me wrong – I understand the backlash against selfies. They can be inappropriate, come across as narcissistic, and be just plain awkward.

But for the seemingly harmless ones, why is there all of the sudden this liberty to shamelessly hate on selfie takers? What is it about selfies that makes people so damn angry?

Here’s why I don’t just mind selfies – I’m PRO selfie.

1. I wanna see yo’ face!

….plain and simple. I personally love seeing people’s faces rather than just their statuses, tweets, etc. Being able to visually connect with someone adds a relatability factor that nothing else can. And when I see someone’s selfie, I don’t think “wow, how narcissistic” – I want to encourage them for OWNING who they are.

(my friends Leah and Jessi – aren’t they beauts?)

2. in today’s age of social media, isn’t everything a “selfie?”

Think about it – every status, tweet, or Instagram is posted on your discretion – you get to decide what the world does or doesn’t see/learn about you. So in that sense, couldn’t the argument be made that every aspect of social media is just as narcissistic/self-serving as selfies? Sure, selfies are more in your face (literally), but I just think it’s lame for people who are on social media themselves to hate on selfies when they’re engaging in a form of “narcissism” too.

3. why care so much?

The act of dissing other people in any capacity is worse than the selfies themselves, in my opinion. I’d rather not take myself so seriously and post selfies than become pompous about something so frivolous.

I get it – social media has revealed a lot about society and culture that isn’t so pretty – the whole issue of narcissism probably being the main thing. But at the same time, this is the world we live in today. Instead of allowing it to affect us negatively, I think we should embrace social media as an opportunity to all have a voice and a story to share, and encourage each other in that.

So do me a favor – go ahead and find your angle, rock your best subtle duck face, and TAKE THAT SELFIE.

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What do you think? Are you pro or anti selfie?

#LEAN14: more from juice press.

14 March, 2014 by Gracie 10 Comments

Last week I posted about some of my favorite new raw foods from Juice Press, and this week they were kind enough to send me some samples of there newest treats to give a try!

I opened the bag to find Liquid Gold cold-pressed juice, Vital Force Very Berry smoothie, and their raw Mango Chia.

I had really been wanting to try their new Liquid Gold juice (since I love its “cousin” The Remedy). It includes anti-inflammatory properties from turmeric and ginger, which helps relieve muscle tension. It’s also full of vitamin C.

formula: orange juice, turmeric juice (filtered water, turmeric root), pineapple juice, grapefruit juice, carrot juice, ginger juice, lime juice, celtic sea salt.

taste: loved it! It’s really refreshing, with the perfect amount of kick from the ginger.

Next up is the Vital Force Very Berry Smoothie. It’s a vegan probiotic yogurt packed with antioxidants from the blend of strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, and goji. Vegan probiotic supports the healthy bacteria in your digestive system and maca gives you an energy boost.

formula: almond milk (water, almonds, coconut oil, vanilla, sea salt), bananas, filtered water, strawberries, soaked cashews, blueberries, raspberries, dates, lime juice, goji berries, probiotics, maca powder, sea salt.

taste: I loved this one as well! I wasn’t sure what I’d think about it being a smoothie in a bottle, but it was really delicious. It was just like a thick, strawberry yogurt – it could almost pass as a milkshake-like dessert!

Last up was the Mango Chia pudding. According to their website, Juice Press took their classic chia seed pudding and added vegan probiotics and the sweet and tangy flavors of mango to make this snack even more nutritious. By using sprouted almonds and chia seeds as the base, it’s a pudding that supports healthy bacteria in the digestive system and is rich in protein, fiber, omega 3’s and calcium.

ingredients: mango, almond milk (water, almonds, coconut oil, vanilla, sea salt), soaked chia seeds (water, chia seeds), deglet noor dates, coconut oil, vegan probiotic, cinnamon, vanilla, sea salt, almond extract.

taste: I must admit that I was skeptical about this because I made chia pudding in the past and didn’t love it. But, clearly I was doing it all wrong. This chia pudding was smooth and creamy (not watery/gooey like mine was) and it had a perfect sweet flavor from the mango. Definitely great for a morning or afternoon snack.

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Which Juice Press juice and/or food would you want to try most?
Have you ever had chia pudding? Are you a fan?

thankful thursday.

13 March, 2014 by Gracie 12 Comments

Today I’m thankful for…

^ Those things. ^

The start of my birthday week, which I wasn’t even expecting!

(My actual birthday is the 18th :))

Longer days, and other glorious glimpses of spring.

Becoming free from things I didn’t even know I needed freedom from.

When people like to verbally process a good meal as much as I do.

Early birthday presents manis.

How much I’ve grown and learned since this time last year.

The things I had to experience for that growth to happen.

Shark Tank, Buying the Bayou, and other reality TV shows that don’t completely deplete my brain cells.

Being able to remember a really great dream.

The giddiness of an upcoming weekend. Never gets old.

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What are you thankful for today?

#LEAN14: single serving oatmeal cookie {dough}.

11 March, 2014 by Gracie 11 Comments

I don’t know about you, but when about 4pm rolls around, I’m in serious need of an afternoon snack. Sometimes a smoothie or handful of nuts will cut it, but other times I need something that’s more of a treat, while still being at least slightly healthy.

…I found that something.

inspired by Fitnessista’s “famous” breakfast cookie

ingredients:

1/4 cup quick oats
1 tbsp ground flax
1 tbsp melted nut butter (I used almond butter)
2 tbsp milk (I used coconut milk)
generous sprinkle of cinnamon
1 tbsp dark chocolate chips
1 tsp sugar OR sprinkle of Stevia (optional)

directions: In a bowl combine oats, flax,cinnamon, sweetener and nut butter as well as you can. Then add the milk to bring it all together. Add the chocolate chips last.

Form into a cookie shape (you can make it big and flat or small and thicker – I prefer the latter), and wrap tightly in saran wrap. Put in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes for it to set a bit.

This really turned out to be the perfect little snack. It’s hearty and filling while satisfying a sweet tooth too. Next time I’m going to switch it up with add-ins like nuts and/or dried fruit.

It could also be great for dessert, or even breakfast!

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What’s your go-to afternoon snack?

what i’m loving right now.

10 March, 2014 by Gracie 6 Comments

Ellovi body butter & lip butter.

Hi my name is Gracie, and I have an extreme obsession love for all skin moisturizers. I’ve never met a body lotion I didn’t like, but I was especially excited to accept a sample of Ellovi body butter when I learned that it’s all-natural, handmade, and includes just six ingredients. Made from macadamia nut, coconut, marula nut, hemp seed, and shea, there are no synthetic ingredients, preservatives, parabens, or other secret ingredients in Ellovi.

Their lip butter also has just six ingredients - Hawaiian coconut, sunflower, hemp, macadamia, Ghanaian marula, and shea.

Both butters smell amazing, and they feel incredible on my skin and lips.

Madecasse toasted coconut dark chocolate.

Not much explanation necessary here. If you see this in stores, get it. Trust me. If not, you can order it on the Madecasse website.

UV Sriracha vodka.

That’s right, sriracha really can add flavor to anything and everything. Rachel and I used UV sriracha vodka to make “Srirachaberry Margaritas” (with raspberries instead of strawberries) before going out, and it was the perfect way to kick off the night!

this meal combo…

This isn’t anything new or revolutionary, just a meal that I’ve been loving and eating just about every day for either breakfast or lunch.

It’s pretty simple – just a combination of soft boiled eggs, sweet potato, and avocado. It’s so filling and delicious!

Liquiteria.

In case you didn’t notice, cold-pressed juice is like, really in right now. Especially in NYC, at least. I’ve tried a handful of juice brands, and Liquiteria is definitely one of my new favorites. I had a discount code so grabbed their Level One Cleanse the other day, and I loved it. I drank the juice in additional to my normal (slightly smaller) meals, and it left me feeling really energized throughout the day. I didn’t even need my afternoon coffee fix!

(Oh, and I also like how Liquiteria’s juice 6-pack is the most inexpensive I’ve found yet.)

Arrojo PrIMP working spray.

I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with hairspray. Since I add waves to my hair often, hairspray is a necessity. But even with my (then) favorite brand – one spray too many left my hair feeling and looking crunchy. So when I got the suggestion to try Arrojo’s PrIMP working spray, I figured it was worth a try.

The verdict: it’s the hairspray I’ve been looking for all my life! It’s super light but still holds my hairstyle in place. Best of all is that it still allows you to switch up your hairstyle if you want to do different shapes and styles (it was actually created for that purpose for photo shoots). It also smells amazing and works well with heat tools.

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What are you loving right now?