My Favorite Tonic | An Elixir of Sorts

A tonic is something, sometimes medicinal, that makes one feel better or restores his or her health. This summer, I've (Emily, here!) discovered a new favorite drink of mine that makes me feel refreshed, powerful, and truly cleansed. I'll be drinking this all year long, especially into my crazy busy season when I need to know I'm running at my optimal level. It's prime gold for digestion, staying hydrated, and making skin all glowy and clear. Think spicy lemonade -- yum!

Why I love what's in this tonic: Hydration is so important for getting that glorious glow in our skin -- helps with elasticity of the skin meaning no wrinkles (!). I've already talked up Himalayan salt enough here on the blog, but say hi to balancing pH levels, stabilizing blood sugar levels, and naturally detoxifying the body. Lemon kicks butt by helping to debloat (if that's not a real word, it is now), packing a punch of citrusy goondness - vitamin C, and giving your skin a happy glow. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is absolutely amazing. Not only is it a digestive kick starter, but it also lowers blood sugar levels, helps with heart function, and contains friendly bacteria, enzymes, and proteins. Cayenne neutralizes acidity in the body, stimulates circulation, is a great anti-agent for inflammation, colds, and other illnesses, as well as a whole slew of other great things. Honey helps with seasonal allergies, lasts forever as long as it's properly sealed, and like cayenne, helps stave off various illnesses. Cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants, helps lower blood sugar levels, may be protective against cancer, and does some other pretty fantastic things.

recipe after the jump.

Feel Good Tonic

+ 2-4 cups room temperature water
+ 1/2 lemon
+ 1 tsp - 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (if you've never had ACV in a drink before, start small)
+ Dash of cayenne
+ Dash of pink Himalayan salt
+ Dash of cinnamon
+ Optional: maple syrup or honey (adjust to taste)

Fill up your cup with water, pour in your apple cider vinegar, squeeze in the lemon, dash in your spices and salt, and if adding, stir in maple syrup or honey. Once combined, drink up! It'll be a zing of energy - cayenne is a hiney kicker! Enjoy! Xx.

+ what do you think? do you have a favorite system-starter drink? share in the comments or on facebook!

Be sure to tune into my snapchat (@efriend216) or follow me on instagram or twitter (both @yourfriend_em) for my adventures and foodie finds! xx

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Snack Attack while Traveling

In my carry-on you'll find: watermelon, carrot sticks, sprouted seeds, sliced lemons & an empty water bottle for much needed H20 for that dehydrating cabin.

I'm - Emily, here! - setting off on vacation today! Woohoo! I've definitely put in enough overtime to warrant a relaxing getaway, but I'll still be plugging in and chugging along on the work vibes for the next couple of weeks. My flights today will have me traveling for about five hours, so I thought I'd share with you what I'm taking snack-wise in my carry-on! When I have an early morning flight, I normally pack more substantial food for breakfasts and mid-morning snacks, but since I'll be traveling between noon and five, I'm just taking some protein, fruit, and veggies. My favesss (insert heart-eyed-emoji here).

Let the listing begin --

Watermelon: I talked about it here, but basically it's a powerhouse of nutrition and a camel for water.

Carrots: Aside from making my eyesight better, boost my immunity (you know how many people cough and spread germs on planes? ugh, contagion, I see you), help with my digestion, and keep my blood sugar regulated.

Sprouted Seeds: I feel like I struck gold when I stumbled across these in Trader Joe's (I'm not sponsored, so you know my love is real). In this package you'll find sprouted buckwheat and millet, chia seeds, flax, red quinoa, shelled hemp seeds, and amaranth with nothing else added(!!!). This is perfect for my trip because I'm not quite sure what I'll be having for every meal. Worst case scenario, I grab a banana, and dip it in this little mix, and I have nutrients out the ying yang. Yes! I'll be sprinkling this on my watermelon if I need a little power boost.

Sliced Lemons: These are one of those items that I traveled with once, and it was so magical that I'll never travel without them. Not only did these help with my common bloat while traveling, but they kept my mouth from drying out, my tummy happy, and me reaching back to my water bottle for more. Sometimes, it's just the palate cleanser I need without putting a dot of toothpaste on my finger (hush, I know we've all been there).

Empty Water Bottle: Just like prime real estate runs around location, location, location, traveling revolves around hydration, hydration, hydration. Without adequate amounts of water, you bet your behind you'll be bloated, exhausted, dried out, and cranky. That sounds like a joy, doesn't it? I'm not a fan of plastic water bottles, so I pack an empty reusable bottle in my tote to go through security and then fill up once I've found my gate.

  So that's my foodie haul! Nothing major -- I'll be sure to write about my go-to snacks/meals for longer travels or road trips, but for a short and sweet jump, this is what I'm packing along! Be sure to tune into my snapchat (@efriend216) or follow me on instagram or twitter (both @yourfriend_em) for my travel adventures and foodie finds! xx

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Cabbage Steaks: Roasting at it's Finest

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Cabbage Steaks: Roasting at it's Finest

In my (Emily, here) CSA basket, there have been these gorgeous heads of cabbage that I've had absolutely no no no idea how to cook. Of course I have ideas, but I didn't want the commitment of making sauerkraut or doing something boring and simple like shredding it up. I also knew I could use the leaves in place of tortillas for a wrap, but I ran out of those sammy fixins. There I was, thinking, 'hmm, I have to use them. Can't leave a veggie out -- that's just plain rude.' So that's what started this recipe. It's simple (5 ingredients!) and definitely yummy delicious.

Why do we love this recipe? Not only is it simple to throw together with major taste factor, the ingredients pack a major nutritional punch. Cabbage is low in fat and high in fiber, aka filling. It's full of vitamin K and anthocyanins which both help mental function and concentration; think helping out with nerve damage, strengthening your defense against Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. Cabbage can help dry out oily skin and fight acne thanks to the sulfur which also draws out toxins like uric acid and free radicals (the main causes behind arthritis, skin diseases, and rheumatism). Amongst a whole host of others, it's an anti-inflammatory and blood sugar regulator. Wow! Talk about packing a punch!

We love our olive oil for it's resveratrol, aka the antioxidants that help with healthy hearts, no wrinkles, and keep us on this divine earth for a long while. Pink Himalayan salt has been known to stabilize ph levels, blood sugar, and water levels in the body; detoxify your system; and promote good respiratory and vascular health. Garlic contributes magnesium, vitamin B6, and vitamin C, can improve cholesterol levels, boost our immunity (hello, cold remedy), and helps the body detox the organs of heavy metals. Can't say this recipe is anything short of amazing. Five minutes to throw together, 40 minutes in the oven, and you can get all of those benefits? I'm not gonna pass it up. You? Find the recipe below!

Ingredients & Instructions

+ 1 Head Cabbage

+ Olive Oil

+ 3 Cloves of Garlic

+ Pink Himalayan salt (regular salt works, too)

+ Black Pepper

1. Preset the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Take the head of cabbage and slice from top to bottom (part where the leaves meet down to the flatter part/stem) in one inch widths.
3. Place the sliced rounds on a baking sheet.
4. Drizzle the slices with olive oil.
5. Chop up the garlic cloves. Sprinkle on top of cabbage rounds.
6. Rub the garlic and olive oil into the cabbage (like one might with a marinade rub).
7. Bake for 40 minutes, until crisped at the top and tender through the center.
8. Pull it out of the oven, drop next to some other side-dish yummies, and enjoy!

+ have you tried roasted cabbage this way? how about other veggies? what's your fave? comment below or on Facebook!

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