THE AUGUST EDIT

Cherry limeade mocktails, summer travel plans + faves, botox alternatives, the best peach recipes, manifesting, what I'm reading + listening to & more!

Hello and welcome to HORMONE HEALTHY EATS from So Fresh N So Green’s Lauren Chambers, a nutrition + hormone health coach & girl mom x 3. If you’re here and aren’t yet a subscriber, I would love to have you join me! You can expect a monthly newsletter filled with simple + fun hormone balancing tools, tips, & personal faves + a delicious, nutrient-dense recipe aligned with each phase of your cycle delivered to your inbox every week.

Okay, I’ll admit it. My slow girl summer does not feel as slow as I would like it to be right now.

I already felt the whispers of anxiety creeping in the end of July. Summer is ending! School’s starting soon! We have so many things left to do and so little time!

All of that being said, I’m working on shifting my perspective (always a work in progress) and continuing to focus on being as present as possible, which is my word/intention for August (PRESENCE).

This month is also crazy with back to back travel plans, which I’m typically not a fan of (I really like to have time in between to regroup, get organized, etc.) but I’m embracing it. As much as I love a routine and schedule (type A it me!) I’ve been enjoying a more leisurely pace and time at home with my kiddos. Soon they’ll be back at school, so I want to enjoy and make the most of the time we have left.

Last but certainly not least, my husband and I are celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary(!!!) this month! We have a week kid-free (thanks Grandma + Grandpa!), and in a very unlike me fashion decided to switch up our previous travel plans last minute and head somewhere new…Penticton, Canada. *psst: taking any and all travel recs!

With all of the above going on, here’s some hormone healthy habits, hyper-fixations, seasonal eats, and books + podcasts I’m loving lately and leaning into this August. Please remember while I am a nutrition and hormone health coach, these are my personal preferences, and just because they’ve been working for me, they may or may not be right for you, and that’s okay! You do you, always.

HORMONE HEALTHY HABITS I’M INTO:

BOOSTING MY GUT HEALTH

I’ve moved onto the last phase of a 3 month protocol focused on improving the acidity, enzymes and motility of my gut microbiome in order to optimize my digestion and I’m still feeling pretty good! My bloat is so much better (I honestly rarely get bloated now whereas beforehand I felt like I looked 6 months pregnant every night before bed) but I’m still dealing with some occasional stomach pain which I think could be stress related, oye! One thing is for sure, healing is never linear! *You can read more about my gut health journey here.

WALKS WITH FRIENDS

Last month I mentioned how daily walks are a non-negotiable for me and one of my favorite hormone healthy habits, especially in the morning and evening to help me regulate my circadian rhythm.

Lately, I’ve been lucky enough to meet some of my girlfriends for walks/hikes, and it feels so rewarding. Not only are we moving our bodies and getting outside in nature (naturally lowering stress hormone cortisol), but we’re connecting and boosting oxytocin (our love/bonding hormone). Plus it’s such a great, low barrier to entry activity for people to partake in (i.e. it’s accessible and free). If you’ve been trying to spend more time with girlfriends, I highly recommend trying it out!

MEDITATIONS THAT I ACTUALLY WANT TO DO

While summer has been filled with so many beautiful moments, there’s been a lot going on behind the scenes — some of it really hard. I’ve been leaning into my meditations, specifically To Be Magnetic’s Deep Imaginings (shout out to the founder Lacey of By Candlelight), which are a form of self-hypnosis designed to rewire subconscious limiting beliefs and facilitate manifestation.

They use theta and alpha wave frequencies to access your deep subconscious and help you reprogram negative thought patterns (for example I just did the Worst Case Scenario DI, Safe DI and Inner Child DI this week). I’ve been listening to them mostly on my evening walks (when I’m not walking with friends, lol) and they help me release so much tension, regulate my nervous system and get into very deep REM sleep (not to mention manifest some pretty major things, but more on that soon :)).

HORMONE HEALTHY HYPER-FIXATIONS:

TRAVEL FAVES

This month feels like one long, extended trip! Traveling can be fun, exciting, relaxing and even life-changing, but it can also be stressful, overwhelming and ungrounding. These have been my go-to’s that I’ve been packing with me on every trip, helping me look + feel my best.

Frownies

Maybe the best botox alternative I’ve tried yet? I absolutely love how smooth my forehead looks after taking these off in the morning, although my wrinkles do reappear (more softer and minimized) throughout the day. I’ve been using for the past 6 weeks, and they are definitely less noticeable overall. Will report back as I continue!

OG Sambas

These are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned and go with just about every outfit, making them the perfect travel shoe to pack, especially if you know you’ll be walking a lot. I have 3 different pairs in neutral tones, but have been eyeing these for fall.

The Comfiest T-Shirt/Short Matching Set

I am a serial outfit repeater, and there’s almost nothing I wear more than a matching set from this brand (this long-sleeved shirt + pants combo on colder days and this t-shirt + basketball short combo when it’s warm). I love how they are comfortable, flattering and make you appear effortlessly pulled together while still pretty much counting as wearing pjs all day.

Castor Oil Pack

Helps me so much with reducing bloat + supporting digestion, which we all know can take a hit when we travel! PS: Check out this post for all the deets, including how to use them correctly, brands I love, benefits and more.

Non-Toxic Almond Vanilla Body Butter

This body butter smells amazing and is literally the only product that can keep my skin from drying out in the summer! *use code SOFRESH10

Hanging Toiletry Bag

I love that I can fit all of my toiletries/cosmetics into this bag and the hanging factor makes it so easy to keep everything organized and handy when traveling.

Travel-Sized Ice Roller

Feels so refreshing + instantly depuffs your face!

LMNT Electrolyte Packets

Love the taste (raspberry salt is my fave), no weird ingredients, extremely hydrating and supportive of your adrenals!

Kindle

I will never, ever travel anywhere without my paperwhite kindle, and load them up with books before each trip (see below for what I’m currently reading).

Mouth Tape

The #1 tool that has made the biggest difference in the quality of my sleep. I cannot go a night without it, or my sleep suffers! You can read more about it here.

Ear Plugs

I’m a light sleeper so these are a must, especially if I’m traveling to a busier location/city.

Non-Toxic Sunscreen

The best! Goes on sheer, moisturizes skin, smells good, zero weird ingredients. I also love their sun lip balm. *use code SOFRESH10

Blackout Sleep Mask

Another must for sleep, especially if the blind situation is sus. *use code SOFRESH15

Magnesium

An essential mineral for hormone health, can be particularly helpful for sleep and digestion (citrate is a natural constipation reliever!). I always pack this powder (use code SOFRESH to save 20%) and love this topical mist (use code SOFRESH10 to save 10%) to spritz on my feet before bed.

Non-Toxic Fragrance

Smells divine, free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates, and instantly makes me feel more fancy and pulled together!

Hunza High Waist Bikini

This is my absolute fave swimsuit and I bring it with me on every trip where there’s access to water.

Noise-Canceling Headphones

One of my fave things to do when I travel is go on a walk to a local coffee shop in the morning, so I always pack these to listen to music, a meditation, podcast or an audible book en route.

For more of my fave hormone healthy travel products, check out this post!

HORMONE HEALTHY EATS I’M INTO

Honestly, I am into literally every recipe I post and share here with you, as they are the types of meals I love, crave, and turn to time and time again, especially during their corresponding phase.

All of that being said, I am VERY into all things peak summer produce right now, because, duh.

Hibiscus Cherry Limeade Adrenal Cocktail

One of my favorite mocktails of all time, that happens to be delicious, refreshing, hydrating and offer up hormone + adrenal support. Snag the full recipe here!

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

Are you sensing a theme? Lol. This smoothie is my latest fave. I use a scoop and a half of Equip’s Chocolate Protein Powder (use code SOFRESH15 to save 15%) with 1 1/4 cup almond milk, 2 pitted dates, 2 tablespoons creamy nut butter, 2 tablespoons cacao nibs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, 1/4 teaspoon pink salt, 1 cup frozen cauliflower rice, 2/3 cup frozen dark cherries + 1/2 frozen banana. YUM.

PEACHES! CORN! TOMATOES! ZUCCHINI!

Can’t stop won’t stop eating all of the ripe summer produce. Probably my most repeatable offender is this grilled chicken pesto peach + burrata bowl (if you love peaches stay tuned for my cottage cheese + hot honey peach prosciutto toast coming next week) but I’m also obsessed with these turkey smash burgers with avo corn salsa, this grilled skirt steak with blistered tomatoes, my smoky grilled pork chops with peach salsa and these gf zucchini dark chocolate chunk muffins.

Sardine Girl Summer

Now this is a trend I can totally get behind! I know sardines aren’t the most sexy, but they are a hormone health superstar, offering up an abundance of anti-inflammatory omega-3’s, as well as a quick, no-cook way to add protein to a meal or snack. If you’re worried about flavor, this brand does it right (try the preserved lemon flavor!), and I also love their tuna in olive oil to make my high protein tuna salad. *use code SOFRESH10 to save 10%

WHAT I’M READING + LISTENING TO

Books

I finished Broken Country (recommended by Kari Brunson Wright last month) which was very good. I’m currently more than halfway through Quicksilver (a fantasy romance novel with fairies) and it’s been a slow burn but I’m happy I stuck with it because it was worth the wait ;). I also just purchased Lee Tilghman’s memoir, If You Don’t Like This I Will Die (all about influencer culture) and have many more downloaded to sample/on my radar (see my current library below!)

Podcasts

I really enjoy The Beyar Sisters’ Podcast, Just A Phase, which covers important hormone health topics (ranging from miscarriage to postpartum to menstrual cycle health, etc.) in a real and hilarious way (it’s hosted by three sisters who are seriously funny + relatable). I especially loved their episode on cycle-syncing your libido with the GOAT, Alissa Vitti, and can’t wait to listen to their newest with Nicole Jardim, all about ovulation pain and PMS.

So, there you have it, all of the things I’m loving lately! I hope you find this month’s newsletter helpful, inspiring or entertaining in some way and truly appreciate you being here.

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