If y'all have been reading my blog or following my Instagram for a while, you know that I am not afraid of natural sweeteners from fresh fruit, dates and other fruit fruits, and even maple syrup, coconut sugar and honey in modest amounts. I get a lot of questions about how much natural sugar is too much, and the truth is—it depends on YOU! Your activity level, age, climate, healthy history and even your DNA! The best way to answer this question is to start tracking what you eat and how it makes you feel*. If you find that having bananas and dates, grains and some oatmeal cookies in your daily life (like yours truly) keeps you energized and feeling positive and strong, then I'd say they're a great fit. If you feel fantastic when you focus more on vegetables and proteins and pretty lousy when the fruit etc. creeps on in, don't eat it! We all deserve to get to a place where our bodies are our friends, confidants, informant, protectors...and that comes from checking in.

And things change too, from day to day. While most of the time my body craves complex carbs and fruit. But when I'm run down and haven't eaten as well, I tend to feel better when I keep bananas out of my breakfast to help re-balance my blood sugar. Which is exactly what happened this past week after an intense press trip in NYC! So I decided to come up with an actually delicious sugar-free smoothie to get a flood of slow-digesting nutrients, hydration, healthy fats and protein.

If you're used to super fruity smoothies, this may take a little adjusting flavor and texture-wise. It is key to use a protein powder you truly enjoy, and my favorite is THIS by Welleco. It's pricy, not gonna lie, but I only use it for smoothies like this when I need a great flavor!

The next time you're feeling a little under the weather after a trip, treat yourself to this smoothie for a few days after you arrive home!

Now, onto the second portion of our story....

FAVE THRIVE MARKET BATH & SKIN PRODUCTS

Brightening Facial Scrub By Acure:

I was absolutely terrified to try this scrub when it first arrived at my doorstep. I have ridiculously sensitive skin, and just about everything seems to make me break out! But I'd heard several great recommendations and read the many positive Thrive Reviews, so I dipped my baby toe in and used it on my neck. No problem! Slowly I worked my way to using this as my face wash THREE times per week, and my skin loves it!!! I absolutely think it has made my skin softer and glowier, and the gentle exfoliation helps with cell turnover. This is definitely one of my good-skin secrets.

Weleda Plant Gel Toothpaste:

This is hands-down the only natural toothpaste I've ever 1) truly enjoyed the taste of and 2) felt like cleaned my teeth as well as traditional toothpaste. It doesn't foam as much as Crest or Colgate, but it has a sharp refreshing flavor and you can feel it working to remove plague and bacteria and sugar and whatever else winds up on our tusks! Plus, it doesn't have a chalky consistency like most 'healthy' toothpastes. I buy this in bulk and refuse to use anything else!

Mongo Kiss Vanilla Honey Lip Balm:

I am a chapstick fantastic. As soon as I tried a sample of this Mongo Kiss Lip Balm at the Mindbodygreen Conference last September, I knew it met all of my lip-balm/chapstick criteria: not sticky, not waxy, creamy but not overly soft, delicious-smelling but not overbearing and it lasts for a long time! I now apply this at least 10x day. Mongo Kiss has other flavors you can check out as well, but this lightly sweet and floral scent won me over.

EO Face Makeup Removing Wipes:

Speaking of travel, I don't go anywhere without a packet of these EO Face Wipes. Honestly, at the end of the day I'm often feeling too lazy to even wash my face, and being able to swipe one of these babies all over to remove dirt and makeup is a godsend. Incredibly gently with a pleasant smell, my skin always looks and feels refreshed after using one of these wipes. They're also not drying at all; I actually don't need to apply moisturized with them. I also keep these in my purse to freshen up the ole' armpits after a workout if I don't have time to shower before running out the door...just keeping it real!

Aura Cacia Cedarwood Essential Oil:

Y'all may know this by now, but sleep can be a struggle for me. It always has been, regardless of my diet, in fact. I mean, of course eating well helps, but my sleep issues have far more to do with my brain/anxiety than anything else. So I have an intense sleep routine that I follow each night, and when I do, I sleep beautifully for the most part. One of the keys to my current routine is Cedarwood Essential Oil, which my friend Emmy from Inner Light Yoga recommended. I dab some on my wrists, behind my ears and between my first two toes (this skin has large absorbent pores!) right before bed. I take a few deep whiffs, and it makes me feel significantly more relaxed. This one from Thrive is a great price and fantastic quality.