Showing posts from February, 2020

My Psychic Awakening Journey, & Recent Spiritual Experiences :)

Hey guys! Psychic, otherworldly, amazing, beautifully awakening things have been happening over here lately and I want to share some of them with you. I hold back sometimes from writing posts like these because it’s hard to describe just HOW quickly and deeply I feel myself changing and opening up — but I am going to try!

AH! Where to begin?!

If you have been following along for the last few years then you know I have had quite a spiritual & psychic awakening that pretty much correlates to right when I started to get very sick with Lyme. Because as we know, there are NO coincidences. I deeply believe and know that people who fall very ill with a chronic illness are being called to wake up spiritually, psychically, and tap into our deeper intuitive nature.

I also believe since a lot of people don’t listen to that intuitive call, and much of western medicine teaches us not to heal in that way… that’s why many of us stay so sick. But that’s a story for another day.

A little background…!

When I think back to being a child it all makes sense — this psychic stuff. I always had a wild imagination, and instead of going to sleep at night and dreaming as normal, I would lay awake and create my dreams. I would decide what I wanted to dream about, dream it up in all of its eccentricity and glory, and then when I would finally fall asleep would continue creating & elaborating upon my chosen dreams while I slept. I went straight into a fantasy world that felt as real to me (or more real) than being awake.

I thought this was normal! I thought that’s what it meant to fall asleep and dream at night! This was always an incredibly fun experience for me, and it wasn’t until I got much older that I started to realize that simply letting my head hit the pillow and falling asleep would be much more restful of an experience. Still working on that… #insomniac for life, lol.

My first shape shifting vision experience //

Anyway fast forward to just a couple of years ago. I had a trip booked to Ojai for one of my best friends’ birthdays, and out of nowhere got a message on Instagram from an old friend of mine (who I met doing my first EVER branded post on the blog 7 years ago!) saying, “If you’re ever in Ojai, come see me… I have some messages for you from the angels.”

And I was like… WHAT

I had never heard of anything like this before, really. But it was undeniable that I was already going to be in Ojai and that something with the universe was up. And I have always been curious, open, and up for anything. At that time I was already getting into kundalini, reiki, and was obsessed with talking to psychics for TBB Podcast, so the timing is always divine as usual.

When I got to Ojai and sat down with her, I learned that she was a shaman who worked with energy and the alchemy of energy. She spoke to angels, beings from other realms (beings we may call aliens!), ancestors, and beyond. The moment I sat down with her something DEEP started happening between us. Our third eyes were pulsating and she was crying. She told me about the Pleiadians and all about how I was super connected to them.

Still, I was like WHAAAATTT! This was all just so new and at the time I was only partially aware of what was going on.

But again the connection between us was undeniable. Then, something opened up within her energy and I was able to see… wait for it… GALAXIES in her face. And other faces that were not hers. Faces that resembled old, Native American women and men. Then full blown alien faces, and then her face disappeared and all I could see were the stars. It was gorgeous. And semi terrifying because I had never seen anything like it.

What did I do? I screamed. And gasped. A LOT. And then cried a little, because it was beautiful, and it was such a harrowing moment for me to realize that everything I had previously thought about the world, consciousness, why we’re here, other realms, etc. was kind of just… wrong. I was raised in a very “down to earth” household where we barely spoke or thought about religion let alone spirituality. My mind was opened in a huge way that day.

I have since had this incredible woman who opened me up that day, Nicola, on my podcast which you can listen to here!! We go deep on all of the celestial stuff and more.

After that I remember coming back to LA, going out to a fancy dinner with Jonathan for our 6 month anniversary, and telling him that I saw Nicola’s face shape shift. I couldn’t possibly get the gravity of what happened across to him and HOW much it changed the way I thought. I vividly remember him being like, “OK, yes, I heard you, I get it…” because I just couldn’t shut up about it, although I still barely had the words to describe it.

Then it continued… & got deeper! //

Other incredible things like this had been happening for a while. If I thought of someone off the top of my mind, they would often show up in my path the next day or I would run into them somewhere. If I started thinking about something like kundalini yoga, I would meet 5 kundalini teachers the very next day. It was so wild and so cool, and I started becoming less and less surprised by these deeply guided and divine experiences.

Then, after several months passed, I saw another person’s face shape shift. This time it was another shamanic teacher/friend of mine, Shaman Durek who you can listen to on the podcast here. After that happened I figured okay, I must be able to see SHAMANS faces shape shift but no one else. However, that day Shaman Durek told me that seeing peoples faces shifting was a gift of mine and encouraged me to hone that skill…

From there I have seen it quite a bit in many different people that I love. It started with people I am very close to like Jonathan — when we soul gaze and peel away the layers I am able to see things deep within his face that are so beautiful and SOUL deep. Souls, ancestors, past lives, spirits. And then with other close friends of mine who let me into their energy field I have seen incredible things — that make time stand still, make my heart race, and remind me who I am in my core. Who we all are. Cosmic beings.

Now I speak to the Pleiadians every day, in my meditations, my writing, and even just in daily moments without my trying (imagine how confusing, although amazing, but still confusing this can be for me sometimes! lol) and they have told me so much about this gift. It’s really an ability to see people’s energy, and their souls, and it has come to me because my purpose in this lifetime is to be… you ready for it?

A bridge between worlds.

This is what has been told to me, and shown to me, time and time again. Both in visual representations and in words alone, the spirits always tell me — Jordan, you are meant to be a bridge between worlds.

AND IT ALL MAKES SENSE.

When you think about my human design (Reflector), my astrological birth chart with my Aquarius North Node, my life experiences and the blogging career I have fallen into, falling debilitatingly ill with Lyme and having to face my darkest demons and basically peel back every single layer of who I thought I was, and so much more — it all. makes. sense.

For the last few years it has been a fun gift and I have created some special things with it — like my course Waking Back Up To Your Own Soul (which relaunches this Sunday AHHH!), poetry, writing, channeling sessions, etc. but mostly it has just been for fun and a fun aspect of my being to explore. I know now I am in a place where I am ready to take it deeper. I am ready to do the work and truly unblock myself from seeing what the depth of these gifts have to share with me/us.

Over the weekend it became exceptionally clear to me that my guides and the universe and ultimately my higher self are very ready for me to go down this path in a real way. I don’t fully know what it entails but I do know I am ready for it and I am excited to see what comes — and I also know this path will be very healing for me on a physical, Lyme disease healing level.

The awesome thing that I saw over the weekend that really made it so clear to me it’s time to do this was my DEAR FRIEND Jenna Zoe shape shift into so many beautiful things — a giraffe, a monkey, an avatar (my first time seeing one), and then she remained this very beautiful, watery avatar creature while we chatted for so long. It was the longest time I have ever been “inside” of someone’s energy field / spiritual aura and it was one of the coolest things I have ever experienced. Even the feelings in my entire body shifted and my heart cracked open in a way I have never felt before.

IT WAS WILD. And it reminded me of everything I have been told leading up to this point… by mediums, spiritual teachers, and beyond — go down this path. Open up psychically. Do the work. And you will heal.

The beauty and synchronicity in all of this elates me.

And by all means I want to share this very important piece of it — I am not telling you all of this because I think I am special or different in any way (I mean we are all special and different but that is the point) — I am telling you this because we ALL have spiritual and intuitive gifts and I believe it is time for us to go deep into them. We are being called to go deeper, to wake up in bigger, greater ways.

Also, I had to go deep to get here. I have had many near death experiences with Lyme and experienced the “death”/exorcism of my ego/human self in a plant medicine journey. It was terrifying and woke me up in a BIG WAY.

If you are here reading this blog, whether you are new or you have been here for a long time, I know it’s time to go deeper. We are all ready. And amazing things are happening. We are all part of something so much larger.

A photo from our wedding where I feel my eyes were bluer than blue because of how present, happy, connected I felt.

A few other things that have been happening lately… my eyes have been getting bluer and I have felt them intensify in a way. I have felt even more connected to the universe in so many ways — and I also believe a lot of this has to do with how I eat- SOS-free, vegan, whole foods from the earth, and food combining. Sometimes people can walk through the door of my home and I ALREADY SEE GALAXIES in their faces — before we even speak! Meaning I am meeting more and more people who I am supposed to be connected with on this path. It has been so beautiful, and so exciting.

Ok tell me your thoughts! I want to hear everything!!! I love sharing all of this with you and can’t wait for all of us to go deep, deep, deep together. If you haven’t yet done my Waking Back Up To Your Own Soul course mark your cal for this Sunday — so so thrilled to reopen it!

PS there is so much more to say. This barely scratches the surface. I cannot wait to keep sharing more and more!

Finding A Balanced Relationship With Food, Living with Lyme, & “Impromptu Impulse Eating”

Hello loves, happy Tuesday! I just got back to LA from a lovely weekend in Ojai with my husband, reminiscing on our wedding there just three short months ago and truly unplugging and just being together. It was so magical.

It was one of the best trips we’ve ever had actually because we were just so grateful to be together in a place that is so special to us. Despite some unfortunate Lyme symptoms I was experiencing most of the weekend, the trip was still one of my favorites for so many reasons. It’s been a big few months for us both with work, and it was so good to just put our relationship back in the front seat and realize/remember love is all that matters.

If you ever find yourself in Ojai, definitely go to the Hip Vegan for salads and the best veggie burger you’ll ever have (even my dad says it’s better than In n’ Out – BIG DEAL), Food Harmonics for more delicious healthy food, The Farmer & The Cook, and Sage for a delicious dinner in their pretty courtyard. And obviously we are in love with the Ojai Valley Inn so if you can stay there or at least pop by the property for dinner one night or to check out the spa, you’ll be living in a dream.

Sooo beyond that, the topic of this post is about something quite personal to me that I believe a lot of us deal with, which is finding a balanced relationship with food. As I have mentioned before, finding the SOS-free (salt oil sugar free) and plant based way of life has given me true food freedom because it is a way of eating that makes me feel amazing, good and energized rather than hurting my stomach or body in any way – which is the only diet/lifestyle I can speak of that has made me feel that way EVER.

And before you feel any kind of way about this SOS-free plant based life, keep a few things in mind: I was born with severe stomach problems. I never once felt comfortable in my body after eating until I found the plant based way of life when I was a teenager. Then, after being diagnosed with Lyme/mold/co-infections in 2018 and being covered in head to toe hives, this diet saved me. Most days it gives me the ability to get out of bed and have my joints/stomach not be in searing pain — for me and people like me (which is so many!) it is a GODSEND.

It also gives me energy, which is so welcome after so many years in bed dealing with horrific Lyme symptoms. So, as always, no judgment. I don’t judge anyone for the way they eat and I expect the same in return.

When I am home in LA in my routine, everything feels great. I go to the farmer’s market every Sunday and stock up on so many things I love, make yummy meals, juices, smoothies, soups, and desserts all week, head to restaurants with friends where I have found the perfect things to order that don’t mess with how I feel, etc.

Impromptu Impulse Eating //

But occasionally, either when my stress/anxiety rears up or when I am traveling for long periods of time and away from my routine, I do something that Jonathan (my husband) has named “Impromptu Impulse Eating” a.k.a “I.I.E.” It’s a THING, you guys. And I am willing to bet I am not the only one who does it! Especially among those of us who are healing from chronic illness and have found a way of life that works for us that is not always the easiest to maintain while traveling/being out.

So here’s how I.I.E. goes down… we will be out at a restaurant and Jonathan will order a delicious veggie burger that probably isn’t gluten-free, soy-free, etc. and definitely has lots of salt and oil. And I will be eating my yummy, healing meal whatever it may be that works for my body, and something will come over me where I tell myself, “I feel great, I’m not sick anymore, and I want to be able to eat what he’s eating.” And of course being a sweet husband and not wanting to piss off his wife (did I mention I hate being told what to do?), he’s not going to say NO…

And I don’t mean that I want to order what he’s ordered, I just mean I want a few bites. And a few bites is fine!! But those few bites then turn into a few more bites of something else that doesn’t agree with me, and then dessert of course and then the same thing again the next day because what the heck. This usually continues, and then each meal or day builds upon each other and next thing I know a week has passed and I feel like complete shit because I am not doing what I know feels good.

And each and every time I do it, it’s just a bite or too. Very impulsive. And impromptu. He nicknamed it that because it’s not thought out. It’s not like I have thought out a whole rational plan of ordering the veggie burger because I really want it and it’s worth it to me however it may make me feel — it’s more like I am testing the universe and my body, like “what can I get away with today?” mostly just because I am rebellious and am feeling impulsive.

I wrote about this in my recent ebook, but this is what I call self-sabotage. In A Course in Miracles, it is said that we self-sabotage because we are absolutely terrified of our own greatness. I get this on a deep level. I think that feeling good, and especially feeling really good absolutely scares the shit out of me, because I am so used to feeling terrible. Even before my health broke down in late 2017, I had been experiencing lifelong stomach issues and strange body sensitivities. I had never known what it was like to just straight up feel good.

And by the way, I.I.E. can also happen at home! Jonathan makes these delicious No Evil sausages with Siete tortillas and vegan cheese (the recipe is actually in my ebook, for a fun non-SOS-free option) and again, something will come over me where I’m like F my health, who cares, I should be able to do whatever I want.

Sound familiar???

I am a rebel. I was born this way! It’s hard for me to do what I feel I’m “supposed” to do, which is why 99% of the time I CHOOSE to eat this way because it’s a joy for me. It’s a joy to feel good and I truly love the food. But of course there is that other 1% that just… wants to be like everybody else? Wishes I wasn’t sick? Wishes I could just throw caution to the wind and do whatever the hell I wanted with food and with everything else?

But then I come back to — this is my body. I do not need to compare myself to everyone else. I do not need to feel bad for myself, because the illness and the struggles that I have faced are part of my journey to get me where I need to go, on my soul’s eternal path.

Ojai lovin’!

I promised Jonathan I would write about I.I.E. today for a few reasons. One, because I know I am not the only one who experiences it and I hope this story will help people. But two, to get to the bottom of why I do it. And now that I am writing about it (I have always thought best through writing), I see — I am scared of feeling good. Feeling good comes with an immense amount of power. When I feel good, I am able to create, use my brain, work, make plans, travel, exercise, LIVE LIFE.

It sounds amazing in theory. But it is a little scary when you haven’t had the ability to do all of those things in so long. And if you’re like me, the power to do all of those things is overwhelming. I get SO EXCITED about creating and doing things so I do, do, do, create, create, create, live, live, live to the max until I wipe myself out. And also I.I.E. definitely comes from that rebellion I have deep inside, that younger Jordan who still wants to say, “Screw it, I’ll do what I WANT.”

But what I really want is to feel good. What I really want is to be kind to my body. I don’t want to punish my poor body and make myself feel even worse than I already do. If you’re reading this and you’re not sure of what Lyme disease and co-infections feel like… I will explain. Right now, my whole body is in searing pain from head to toe. Noteworthy places that are screaming in pain are my jaw (it is perpetually on fire), my lower back, my hands, and my shoulders/neck. I am laying down by the way so it’s not like I am sitting at a desk. My brain is foggy and I am fighting off a severe headache right now that I have had for about 24 hours. My eyes feel fuzzy and even though I haven’t had caffeine in days my heart is racing as if I had just chugged a large cold brew.

Of all things that feel fine right now, my stomach feels great. And it’s because I woke up and had a large glass of warm lemon water, followed by a celery juice, followed by some papaya and banana sliced up. Yesterday I was so kind to myself and made the SOS-free meals my body loves, and have also started a Medical Medium liver cleanse (similar to how I already eat) that I have been intuitively called to.

Some days I feel far better than this, some days I feel far worse. Lyme is kind of a crap shoot. I don’t have a lot of control over how I feel. But the way I eat, and the power of the mind, yoga and being kind to my body, resting and not comparing myself to others — these are all huge factors in my healing. Huge. They may not be a miracle pill but they’re a huge piece of the puzzle.

Committing to Feeling Good //

My ultimate goal is to feel good every day. I am done with the self-sabotage. And if you’ve read my ebook or other pieces I have written lately, then you know — I no longer identify with having had an eating disorder when I was younger. I don’t believe that ever suited me. I was struggling with Lyme, co-infections, and extreme body pain and food sensitivity that I was simply trying to manage with food. What I didn’t know at that time was that I had a few things wrong (but who didn’t at 22?), and I have learned so much since then… but I am so glad to have so much more support now. From my Lyme doctor, so many other Lyme warriors, my family, my husband, myself — so much has changed.

So yes, I.I.E. is a struggle. I think it comes from a lifelong sensitive stomach – where in many situations I would be reminded by people (my dad especially – love you daddy) not to eat the greasy food that was going to make me feel sick. But back then I didn’t have the tools and I didn’t get it. I just wanted to be like everyone else. So I would do it just to show people/myself that I refused to be put in a box. It also comes from being rebellious to what makes me feel good, and also from just being exhausted by the sheer magnitude of this disease. It’s okay to just be exhausted sometimes, and not make the best decisions, but that’s why the whole “impromptu” and “impulse” thing comes into it because it’s not thought out.

I am so committed to feeling better, and I can get on upward swings where I do feel better for months on end. So that is what I am working toward. And I hope that me sharing this intimate piece of my journey can help or inspire you in some way. I am an open book and I share just about everything with you guys, but it can be hard to share things about food and eating because there is SO MUCH judgment on the internet when it comes to these things. So please if you feel compelled to judge, remember that you have not walked in my shoes. Lyme is a battle I hope many will never have to face.

But honestly, it feels good to write about it. And get it out. It feels right. And I hope it will help some of you reading. If it does, please share below. We are all in this healing journey together. XO

New York City Vegan Food & Wellness Guide!

Hello, hello! Happy Wednesday, loves! It’s podcast day with a new ep with my dear friend Olivia Noceda, a.k.a @olive.eeeeats on IG! Can’t wait for you guys to listen. YAY!

Also, as promised I wanted to share my NYC vegan eats with you guys, some of the wellness places I hit up, and a little bit about my trip. I have been meaning to do an NYC guide FOREVER so this will serve as a mini TBB NYC guide until I get a full, super duper detailed one up in the future! Other than this NYC vegan guide I wrote in 2014… just sayin. But it needs a little update!

Coming back to NYC always feels like coming home. When I started my blog I was living in the West Village and going to The New School for creative writing. Well actually if we’re being specific, I started my blog in Hawaii and then spent the summer in LA before moving to NYC. But my early New York days will always remind me of the very beginnings of my blogging journey.

This trip was a bit of a gift to myself and a celebration after a really tough few years. Things are not entirely better with my health, but I have come so far. I am well enough to travel without completely crashing for weeks afterward for the first time in as long as I can remember. *Knock on wood*! And it feels so incredibly good to show myself what I am capable of.

I always like to come to New York for podcast interviews because NYC is the Mecca for wellness and spiritual leaders that I so admire and love. So I filled this trip with a few podcast interviews, and also came to spend time with dear friends and just enjoy myself and have fun. Which is exactly what I did.

As I interviewed my dear friend and spiritual mentor MaryAnn DiMarco yesterday and she reminded me (along with my spirit guides — because she is an extremely gifted psychic medium) how proud I should be of myself for going to New York and following through with this trip despite my hesitations and anxieties about my health leading up to it… I was reminded to really celebrate myself for making this trip happen.

Now that I know what my body is capable of I am hoping to create a lot more travel experiences this year. Last year was solely focused on healing and our wedding (SO worth it) and this year I really see my horizons expanding, which makes me so happy I could cry.

A huge part of why I am healing in such a big way has to do with, drum roll, my plant-based & SOS-free diet!! Surprise, surprise, right? Hehe if you read my blog often then you know this is the case and has been for almost two years now. I am also eating a largely Medical Medium style diet (you can listen to him on my podcast here!) as well as food combining, and all of the above has worked wonders for me on my healing path.

NYC FOOD, BABY! //

So! Let’s get into what I ate and where in NYC, keeping it fully vegan and as SOS-free as possible. Sometimes it can be a bit hard to travel and keep it fully salt-oil-sugar-free, and trust me usually I do not have the luxury of not sticking to SOS-free 100% without feeling terrible. But on this trip I dabbled a bit toward the end and felt pretty much fine, which is exciting and an indicator of healing.

Oh & below that I will share some of the new wellness spots I went to for treatments and experiences!

Okay, where I ate, what I ordered, and honorable mentions below! Also keep in mind you can order SOS-free vegan food just about anywhere as long as you’re willing to have a salad without dressing that you can douse in lemon, and add some avocado. So that’s kind of how it goes in the restaurant scene, along with a side of steamed veggies and a grain or legume if you do those!

Where I Ate //

Soho House: Alright, this is truly where I ate most of my meals because it was also where I was staying. I emailed them ahead of time to let them know that I would like to start every morning with celery juice and a Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie (Medical Medium’s recipe) and I gave them a list of all of the ingredients I would need. They were super accommodating and made both for me every morning, delivered to my room!

They were very accommodating for lunches and dinners as well. I was able to order their kale Caesar salad modified (without dressing, without cheese, without breadcrumbs) to come as basically a huge mountain of kale. Then I would order a side of lemon and a side of avocado for the salad. On the side I would also order their gluten-free avocado toast (without chili oil) which was DELICIOUS! Normally I stay away from grains but for the sake of getting enough food this was truly perfect for this trip.

I would also order steamed fingerling potatoes there to go with my meal! Especially at dinner. This is a big Medical Medium food for many reasons and also keeps me super satiated while being fully SOS-free. Not gonna lie, half the time I had to send the potatoes back because they came to the table covered in oil but that’s all part of the process — when you’re eating in a way that is really different from what restaurants are used to, patience is key.

All in all, huge thumbs up for Soho House being so very accommodating!

This was room service at Soho! I ordered this same thing in the restaurant too. The side dressing went untouched lol because it was not vegan and was very salty. But the rest… perfection!

Blossom NYC: Yay, Blossom! This has been one of my longtime favorite vegan restaurants in NYC, long before I was ever SOS-free. So this is a great spot to take friends or family who are not SOS-free but who want to enjoy a delicious vegan meal.

I ordered the kale salad without dressing and added lemon and avocado. It comes with apples which are delicious, and they’re also good about steaming veggies here like broccoli which makes a delicious side dish. Like I always say, I eat out for the company and the atmosphere so I don’t mind when a meal has to be a bit small or plain from time to time. I know I can always eat more later! Love this place and went here multiple times on this trip!

XYST: This is an amazing vegan Mediterranean place I had heard so much about!! It’s newer and has opened since the last time I was in NYC so I was excited to try. Loved the atmosphere and was very pleased they could modify the kale Caesar salad to come without dressing and with lemon on the side. I had their tempeh bacon on the salad as well which wasn’t SOS-free but OMG it was good. Worth it. Added avocado too to make it more satiating! My friends and I loved this place.

This was my salad there! The avocado was on the side. So good. The tempeh was the best part!

The Butcher’s Daughter: They have this restaurant in LA now as well, but this will always be a special New York spot to me as I will always remember going to the original one deep in NoHo back when they only had one location! I LOVE their kale Caesar (are you sensing a theme here with my orders?! LOL), and their gluten-free avocado toast! I order the dressing on the side because it’s definitely not SOS-free and potentially not vegan (as they are a vegetarian restaurant) but the salad is so good it doesn’t need it. I also order without croutons! The crispy tempeh is AMAZING and not SOS-free but such a good addition.

I love this place if you need a quick and easy lunch between meetings, and it’s also a good spot to meet a friend for brunch, lunch or dinner.

THIS WAS HEAVEN!

Juice Press: If you’ve followed me since my NYC days, then you know I have been a die hard Juice Press girl since day one. In fact, I hosted my first ever event for the blog there! Ahhh! I don’t love some of their smoothie ingredients now as they seem to be big on coconut nectar, chocolate chips, and other sweeteners, but I like to customize my smoothies there and I will always be a fan. If you’re ever in a pinch and need a salad on the go, they have some decent options as well (for vegans, but not for SOS-free, sadly their salads use quite a bit of oil).

My go-to smoothie recipe is the Green Machine, add cinnamon! MMMM.

Juice Press life baby! On my old stoop of my old building… MEMORIES FOREV!!!

Hu Kitchen: Hu will be a forever fave! They are a paleo restaurant so not entirely up my alley with the range of options, but I love that they have options for everyone. They have a salad bar now (or I believe it’s called a “bowl station”) that has lots of vegan friendly options. I didn’t end up eating there on this trip but I did pop in to grab a few things — juices from their refrigerator, chocolate for my friends! I used to live around the corner from Hu so it will always have a special place in my heart. For people who are traveling with vegans/non-vegans alike, this is a good spot to make everyone happy!

Honorable Mentions //

ABCV: I am so bummed I didn’t make it here on this trip because I actually made the reservation for the wrong night! LOL. I never do that but it happened a few times on this trip, if that tells you anything about how much I have had on my plate lately. I have heard the best things about ABCV and can’t wait to go there next time I am in town. I do love ABC Home & Carpet forever — it’s such a fabulous store to wander around. Check out all of the fun first floor Knick knacks they have and admire their floors and floors of furniture and home decor… it’s a literal dream.

Peacefood Cafe: This has been a forever fave spot too! I used to go here ALL of the time when I lived in New York. They are located right below Union Square (they also have an Uptown location but I am definitely a Downtown kinda girl) and I love all of their salads, and if you’re not SOS-free, their baked goods and veggie burger. This is a great vegan spot for anyone, but especially vegans who don’t mind the salt and oil in their food.

Divya’s Kitchen: LOVE THIS PLACE! When I was eating in a very Ayurvedic way the last time I was in NYC, I came here for every meal. I still love Ayurveda and it has influenced me deeply, I am still on my own healing protocol that doesn’t include many grains or legumes. But I can’t wait to go back here when I am eating more foods again. Try their kitchari, it’s everything.

Plant Food & Wine: We had our engagement party here at the one in LA! I am a fan of all of the Matthew Kenney restaurants. This one is raw vegan and amazing, and has a very fun vibe. Highly recommend!

Candle 79: This is my NUMBER ONE FAVORITE vegan restaurant of all time! I didn’t make it there on this trip because it is quite far uptown (Upper West Side) and I didn’t venture higher than Flatiron on this trip (actually I rarely do) but I will forever love this place. The vibe, the food, it’s all so special. It makes you feel like you’re in a really romantic, quintessential chic and timeless New York restaurant while also being fully vegan — hard to find! It is not new so it has that worn and familiar feeling to it. Gah, I could go there right now!

I don’t believe they have many SOS-free options, but I am sure they can accommodate if you ask. I always loved their warm kale salad with the tempeh, and their desserts are out of this world. Especially the chocolate peanut butter bomb!

Wellness Places & Healers //

AIRE Bath House: Oh my word, this place lived up to the hype. I am not sure how new AIRE is but I think it is pretty new still, and OMG. You must go there. It is a very authentic European style bath house that makes you feel like you’ve fully transcended New York City and you’re sitting somewhere in a stunning rendition of Ancient Greece. The vibe is extremely romantic, private, and intimate. The lights are kept low, there are no phones allowed, and they ask everyone to keep their voices to a whisper. (Not sure if my BFF Clare & I kept our voices to a whisper but we tried.)

They have beautiful healing baths from a salt bath which is so pressurized you can float to the top without even trying, to a major jacuzzi jet bath, to a hot and cold plunge, a regular warm bath, and aromatherapy steam rooms. It’s… epic. As I write about it right now I already want to go back! So grateful for this experience with my dear friend too, who is about to get married, so we were celebrating with some relaxation and girl time.

This was literally magic.

Organically Jamie energy healing & reiki session: YOU GUYS! Jamie is a dear friend from my NYC living days, and I used to host all of my events at her restaurant Gingersnaps Organic! I am forever bummed that her restaurant is no longer (selfishly because the food was amazing!!!) but I am also SO happy for her that she found her truest calling as a healer on so many different levels. Her session absolutely blew me away.

We began the session with talking about my life and what I would like to specifically work on, and just being in such a safe space with someone I know and love so dearly made me feel like I could immediately burst into tears (surprisingly I did not) while talking about my life. It’s been a rough few years… to say the least. After we chatted I got on her table for energy work and I can’t even explain to you where I went. I went to ANOTHER PLANET during the session… I saw shapes and colors and felt deep, profound healing. I felt pulsating sensations all through my body and wouldn’t have been able to move my body if I tried. It was MAGNETIC… incredible! If you live in NYC you must see her — she’s everything. You can find her here, on her site!

Montauk Salt Cave: This place was also heaven! I fell ASLEEP in the session, and if you know me, then you know I literally don’t sleep during the day. Not even as a baby or a child. And certainly not now, I can’t even fall asleep at night. We did a group session but if I had known the options I definitely would have opted for private (you know me — I always prefer a private with more space and less distraction around) but it was still lovely. We were led into the room that had mineralized Himalayan sea salt all over the walls, ceiling, and floors, and sat in reclining chairs through a guided meditation for the hour. It was heaven.

The benefits we experienced were relaxation, SLEEP (!!), deep meditation, better breathing and oxygen flow, and all around the feeling of an extremely calm and relaxed central nervous system. If we had this in LA (and maybe we do somewhere?) I would go ALL of the time. Highly recommend, and if you can swing it, try the private room with a friend or a few!

NAO Wellness: This was such a treat!! You guys know I love my infrared sauna life. I have a Clearlight in our home (code BLONDE for a discount) and do my best to sauna every day when possible. I was so missing my daily sweat sessions in NY, especially because it was freezing and rainy during most of my trip. My dear friend Rachel Mansfield booked us sessions at NAO, and OMG.

First of all… this place is RIGHT down the street from where I used to live in the West Village! So if they had been open back then, I would have gone ALL OF THE TIME. The space was beautiful, clean, quiet, and lovely. It radiated the best energy. I loved the people working there, the owner who chatted with us, and the gorgeous crystals she had around. I most of all loved catching up with Rachel, my most OG blogging friend who I simply don’t get to see enough of these days. It was magical.

Again, hiiiighly recommend!

OKAY, I could go on forever! The New York wellness scene is everything! I can’t wait to try more places when I’m back. High on my list to still find are a lymphatic drainage massage and lymphatic facial place, so if you have recs, hook a girl up! I also didn’t even make it to yoga on this trip which is highly unlike me, but I usually go to either Y7 or Modo when I am in the city!

Also next time I am in town I want to make it to the east side a bit more as well as uptown, but what can I say, I am a west village / Chelsea / Meatpacking kind of girl!

Would love to hear your thoughts, and let me know if you try any of these places! Hashtag #tbbmademedoit so I can follow along.

And lastly, if you’re interested in learning more about the plant based, SOS-free lifestyle, there are three days left to join us for DETOX YOUR LIFE, the very special program I am hosting live that begins on 2/16! YAY. Along with a 192 page ebook full of details, teachings, deep dives, and recipes. 60 recipes to be exact. YAY! Join us!

My Journey Back to Plant Based: From 2013 to Now

Hellllo my loves! How is everyone’s weekend going?

I am writing to you from beautiful NYC today – looking out the window at the grey, gloomy day outside but so grateful to be back in this city with such electricity and energy. The city where I started blogging 7 years ago, which is so special and always brings me back to the roots of why I started blogging in the first place.

It’s also pretty wild how things come full circle. When I began my blog in 2013, I was writing about vegan food and recipes and how passionate I was about the vegan lifestyle. I leaned toward more of a raw food lifestyle with lots of smoothies and juices, and I was extreeeemely excited every day to wake up and live that way.

For a few years in between then and now, I went on quite the journey. I feel like I have really grown up alongside you guys since starting this blog. So if you’ve been following from the beginning, then you really know me. Like not just Internet know me, but know me know me. If you’ve been here since the beginning then you know, for a few years I stopped being vegan and simultaneously went through a health crisis that escalated and then exploded in 2017.

MY NYC VEGAN DAYS //

In my recovery from Lyme disease and mold toxicity for the last two years, I have been guided back toward a plant based diet. But this time, in an even more healing way. It’s so cool to me that my body lead me toward veganism when I was younger to try to combat stomach issues and live my healthiest life, and even though I wasn’t armed with the same knowledge I have now — intuitively I knew what I was doing was good for me.

For a few years I absolutely loved living that way. I started my blog, and after about a year of blogging every day the noise got loud… really loud. There were so many different opinions of life, diet, wellness, even of me. I had a friend here in NYC who had an eating disorder, and in hearing her speak about it I started thinking maybe I had one too. I expressed this to the people closest to me, started seeing a therapist, and started working on the deep roots of my issues that went way, way beyond food. (Side note, I have been in and out of therapy since I was about 4, so this was not new to me.)

Then I wrote a book about it, as one does. (Lol.) Now looking back on it… I really, truly have so much compassion for that young girl. It pains me deeply to think about what I was going through during that time, and I am not talking about the food. I’m talking about being slaughtered in the media and by the vegan community, the family drama, moving across the country back to LA, feeling sicker than hell, and overall feeling very alone.

HOW I FEEL NOW //

Now I know in my heart that what I was struggling with was not an eating disorder. This may be a controversial topic. True, I had a lot to learn about food and how to eat a balanced plant-based diet that nourished and satiated my body. But my love of health was not a bad thing — it was such a positive outlet for me, such a therapeutic and enjoyable thing. I loved cooking, using food as medicine, trying vegan restaurants, leading people through cleanse programs, visiting animal sanctuaries, making a name for myself in the NYC plant based community.

In fact, straying from that life was detrimental for me. It’s not about the food, but rather the principles behind the food. I felt that if I was recovering from an eating disorder, I needed to eat everything and anything in order to prove to others that I was healed. My life was so public, I was constantly getting so much judgment, and I felt like it made sense to swing the “opposite way” from the vegan life.

I also started seeing nutritionists who heavily encouraged me to eat paleo and then keto and to cut out the carbs and fruit to get back in balance. My hormones were out of whack, I had cystic acne and I was tired all the time. I mean, ALL of the time. And guess what? Those are all symptoms of Lyme disease. I was also deeply unhappy, at least 20 pounds heavier than my body is naturally, and every muscle and joint was in pain ALL of the time.

Once I started dating Jonathan he started noticing little things about me that I had never pinpointed on my own because I had so many blinders on. He noticed that I felt better when I ate plant based foods, that I had a major love for health and the vegan lifestyle, that I consistently overate foods that made me sick when I was stressed, and that my heart was yearning to be vegan again but I was so nervous about it because of the entire journey I had been through in such a public way.

GOING BACK TO PLANT BASED //

Jonathan has a major intuition when it comes to me. Through his eyes, I ended up learning a lot about myself — it goes far deeper than what I have mentioned above but it has influenced my life in the most beautiful of ways. Also, other dear friends in my life who are deeply intuitive would bring up at RANDOM, “You should be vegan again, it would be good for you,” (during healing sessions and just in random conversation) and ultimately I made the decision on my own and it kind of just… happened.

I started eating fully plant based again in the winter of 2017 and have never looked back. As I said, it literally just happened that way. I was in Bali with Jonathan and it became exceptionally clear to us both that certain foods made me incredibly sick and certain foods made me thrive. The foods that made me thrive were all plant foods. The foods that made me sick were animal products. I made a pact to myself on that trip I would stop with the self-sabotage and with eating so many foods that did not serve me or my optimal health.

Months passed, and I was growing very very ill with Lyme disease that had been as yet undiagnosed. Then once I was finally diagnosed with what had truly been plaguing me for all this time, not only was my plant based diet extremely supportive to my healing, but I ended up serendipitously learning about the SOS-free (salt oil sugar free) way of life, which takes the anti-inflammatory healing benefits of the plant based lifestyle to the next level.

Plants then not only became my diet but my little healers. Herbs, plant based foods, and specific combinations of foods (like spirulina and cilantro to detox heavy metals, wormwood to kill parasites, potatoes for L-Lysine to kill viruses) have been the absolute biggest assets on my healing journey. Not to mention, they make me happy. Happiness and belief is such a huge part of healing, and the deep belief I have in their healing properties is such a big part of how far I have come.

Eating a delicious meal at XYST, a new Matthew Kenney restaurant in NYC!

HOW IT ALL COMES TOGETHER //

All of this has only guided me to know in my heart that the plant based life found me when I was young for a reason, so I could learn all about it and in some ways learn how not to do it (i.e. not eating enough or having enough variety and thus getting deficient in certain nutrients), learn to create recipes that I love, and also create a brand based off of plant based cooking.

It’s all wild, really, when you think about the ways things are all so interconnected and meant to be. Some people on the outside looking in may think the opposite- that because I stopped being vegan for a few years and had a bad experience with the vegan community during that time, that how could that lifestyle be healing to me now?

But that’s the thing about the outside looking in… you never see the full picture. It’s impossible to know what someone is really going through, even when they share quite a few bits and pieces of their lives with you online.

Now that I am finally healing, because healing holistically (and healing in general) takes time, the passion I have for the plant based & SOS-free lifestyle is off the charts. I have also started food combining which has been a crucial piece for me, which has helped with the chronic bloat and indigestion I have experienced for pretty much my entire life.

Food combining is something I did years ago as well, studying the work of Natalia Rose & Gil Jacobs back when I was living in NYC- but again it’s something I shunned for a while when I was in the dark place of just trying to “be normal” or “eat normally.” It’s so sad for me to think of myself struggling through it all, walking away from lifestyles that had healed me, but it is all part of my journey.

And now, being back in NYC, where it all began — it’s very cool to see how things have come full circle. The plant based way of life has come back into my existence in the most beautiful, organic way. I couldn’t have planned any of this or guessed that it would happen, and while in a way I wish those darker times had gone differently for me, I know I learned from them and they will make me appreciate the lighter times a hundred times over.

I am so passionate about the plant-based life I could burst into a million pieces talking about it. Getting my family and my friends to even lean toward more of a plant-based lifestyle is one of the biggest accomplishments in my heart because I truly believe it’s the healthiest way to live and the best we can possibly be to our bodies.

Do I shy away from using the term “vegan” after the way the vegan community treated me during my days of trying to figure it all out? ABSOLUTELY. I tend to call myself “plant based” because there is less dogma around it. You will see me using the word vegan here and there because I do identify with being vegan but there is a lot of judgment from the vegan community that you will never see me spread or be a part of.

I still believe to each their own, and if you can incorporate more plants into your life in whichever way suits you then I will be happy.

I would absolutely love to share more plant based & SOS-free recipes with you in my healing program, Detox Your Life, which is a 22 day journey of eating plant based, SOS-free, food combining, detoxing (in healthy and safe ways- that include food!), and all around cleaning up your life. The program will be available until 2/14, and then the cart will close and we will begin the detox together on 2/16! SO excited!!

If you have any questions, leave them below. And I said, if you can incorporate more plants and leafy greens into your day then I am happy. I wouldn’t change my journey for anything even though it definitely got rough there for a while. I love being back in NYC and reminiscing on it all… so grateful. So grateful for all of you sticking with me through this entire journey, too!

I will be sharing my NYC vegan faves soon and going deeper on all of this- but I felt so inspired to share my journey from then to now for those who may not know. I cannot wait to go deeper on all of this one day very soon. In a book? I think yes.

Detox Your Life Is HERE! & It’s 2/01 DAY!!!!

Hellllo my loves! TODAY IS A GOOD DAY AHHH.

IT IS 2/01!!!! MY ANGEL NUMBER DAY.

So naturally, I had to launch something special today. Which brings me to the news, THE CART IS NOW OPEN for my 22 Day Detox Your Life healing program & recipe book!

There are not even words to describe the excitement flowing through my body right now — after months of working on this day in and day out, and years of inspiration and learning about this way of life, it is finally here! For you! And I have never been so elated!

In the program you will find 192 pages of goodness, from 55+ plant based & SOS-free recipes, to deep dives on the salt-oil-sugar-free lifestyle, to food combining to combat bloat and inflammation, to various life changing detox protocols, to food and spirituality, overcoming food addiction, eating out on the SOS-free lifestyle, traveling on this lifestyle, and so much more.

I mean truly…SO much more. You can read all of the details here! There is a LOT there — I mean, 192 pages. Plus 3 live calls with me throughout the 22 days, plus a group detox, plus an amazing dedicated Facebook tribe, plus all around healing and feeling better to live our OPTIMAL lives.

When it comes to recipes, think Raw Vegan Snickers Pie (OMG… heaven in your mouth), Raw Chocolate Bliss Bars, SOS-Free Pad Thai, Vegan Mac n’ Cheese, epic smoothies and juices, delicious on-the-go snacks, nutrient-packed salads, delectable drips + dressings, & more! Creative, SOS-free, & *simple* recipes that you will fall in love with.

Who is this program for?!

If you suffer from inflammation, bloat, weight gain, chronic fatigue, chronic illness, or any uncomfortable issues from our toxin-ridden world, this program is for you.

Or if you simply want to learn how to transition into a balanced plant-based lifestyle, full of delicious salt-oil-sugar-free recipes, this is also for you.

We go deep into so many areas of the plant-based, beautifully salt-oil-sugar-free, food combining, detoxing, anti-inflammatory way of life.

Take it from someone who couldn’t get out of bed for years (not without feeling like I was going to pass out, that is) and has now regained such utter energy and vibrancy… it’s amazing. I am bouncing off the walls with health and happiness and passion for this lifestyle, even though my healing still has a long way to go. So that should tell you something!

This course will empower you to get healthy from the inside out, give you the tools and knowledge to make a real lifestyle shift, and teach you the principles of food as medicine.

Heal your body, uplevel your life, cleanse from the inside out, and reconnect to your most radiant & healthy you. When we feel our best, we set ourselves up for magic in every area of life.

My heart is exploding with happiness to be able to share this with you guys. What began as a fun way to put my plant based & SOS-free recipes in one place quickly turned into a labor of love that seriously flowed out of me… every last word.

Plus, we have HUGE GIVEAWAYS for people who sign up right away! All of this could be yours…

An amazing Nama JUICER! (Plus a Nama discount for everyone who joins!)
One $250 Gorjana jewelry gift card + multiple $50 gift cards
AMAZING gift baskets full of wellness products (think Liquid I.V., Cured Nutrition, Philosophie Superfoods, cocokind skincare, HUM Nutrition, more Gorjana jewelry, & more!)

I CANNOT WAIT TO GO ON THIS JOURNEY WITH YOU! The first 15 people to sign up today will receive wellness gift baskets, and the grand prize winners will be chosen throughout the two week period!

It is my hope that the tools you learn in this book & reset program will inspire you to take yourself on that journey inward, and to create new habits and lasting lifestyle changes…for LIFE! I believe and know in my bones that true health is a lifestyle overhaul and never a quick fix.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, LEAVE THEM IN THE COMMENTS BELOW SO I CAN GET BACK TO YOU!

All my love,

Jordan

P.S. Even if you are not feeling called to the 22 day reset part of this offering, this book is still for you! You can take the information and do whatever you wish, and I am THRILLED to hear your thoughts!

Cotton Candy Smoothie Bowl from the recipe section — a.k.a fruity, healing, high vibrational, magnetic HEAVEN! Cannot wait for you guys to make this! AHHH!