I'm hosting Diets Don't Work Webinar Today

I hear stories of so many people who have followed diets, lost some weight temporarily (or often lost no weight), but ultimately didn't get the long lasting transformation they expected. The diet industry pisses me off!

My upcoming webinar is all about why diets don't work. You will leave this 30 minute event understanding:

• why diets actually cause weight gain
• why you have cravings
• why you binge at night
• what to eat and what to avoid to manifest your hottest body
• how to stop dieting and start feeling fabulous 

Register for this free webinar. You can share questions and comments with me and other participants during the webinar via a live chat box on the event page. This is my very first webinar. I'm so excited to connect with you in this way!

If you can't attend live, no problem. Register and I'll send you a link to watch the replay.

Already registered? Great! Now, tell your friends.
Click here to tweet about it.

Olivia Lane Lovejoy is a Blogger, Green Living Educator, and Health Coach trained at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. 

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A Really Simple Explanation of Why Sugar is Bad for You

At Institute for Integrative Nutrition I learned the theory of bio-individuality. The concept of bio-individuality is that each person has unique food and lifestyle needs. One person’s food is another person’s poison.

You are super special and unique. Reaching your ideal weight and enjoying sustained energy demands paying attention to and honoring the needs of your body instead of following a fad diet or random list of rules.

That said, there's one thing that's pretty bad for everybody across the board: sugar. Sorry. I'm sure this isn't a surprise but lemme explain further. It's easier to accept that way.

Lentil Mushroom Stuffed Zucchini with Millet Crust Recipe [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

If you belong to a CSA or have a garden, you're probably swimming in summer squash right now. We are. We've grilled it on the BBQ, stuffed it into lasagna, tossed it into tofu scrambles, and made zucchini bread.

I must also shamefully admit I threw a few away. See, I don't actually like zucchini. I liked it 3 weeks ago when it was novel and heralded the start of summer. After force-feeding it to myself twice a day, I could barely stand the sight of it.

I refuse to be punked by a vegetable. Upon receiving five gigantic zucchinis in my weekly CSA share, I determined to find a new way to enjoy them.

I pulled out How It All Vegan, a classic cookbook and one of my favorites even though I'm not vegetarian anymore. I found a recipe for Stuffed Spagetti Squash, adapted it to match what I had on hand, and OMG! This happened ...

Here's how to adapt it exactly as I did. This recipe is vegan (dairy-free, vegetarian) and gluten-free.

4 Things My Painful Periods Taught Me

I hated my period until I turned thirty. Then I really hated my period. I was a few months off The Pill when I discovered what my menstrual cycle was really like. My uterus was a balloon filled with a gallon of hot lava trying to flow out of a pin prick for the first three days of each period. I had various debilitating aches for two weeks out of my three week long cycle. (Yes, just 21 days!) My mood swung wildly throughout the month. The cherry on top of this shiitake sundae was acne.

Fast forward five years and now I love my period. This year I began working with Nicole Weigl, a naturopathic doctor, to heal my hormones with improved nutrition, herbs, and self-care. Within a few months of closely following her recommendations I saw results.

The experience of having wacked out hormones for several years then being healed in months taught me four things that I know can help anyone who is suffering from a chronic health condition.

How I Overcame An Eating Disorder

We probably haven’t met in "real life" yet but ask anyone who has met me and they’ll tell you I’m the girl who’s always smiling and giving out hugs like free kittens. They might also tell you I’m a little silly and playful: I wear puppets for mittens. I dance in the aisles of Whole Foods. I drink coffee while doing roller disco. I play ping pong with strangers.

I'm full of confidence and truly enjoy life, but I didn’t always feel this way. I once struggled with anxiety, depression, insecurity, and low self esteem. I used food to manage these feelings. I’m not sure when it all began but when I was three, my whole world changed.

After a fun family night out, we came home to discover our apartment was destroyed in a fire and we became homeless. My parents separated. My older sister was sent to live with her grandmother. My mom and I lived in a shelter. Though soon we found a new home, the experience left me scarred.

Sustain Vegan, Natural, Eco-friendly Lubricant Review + Giveaway

If you're seeking vegan, nontoxic lube to use with your equally vegan eco-friendly and chemical-free vegan condoms look no further than Sustain's new organic lubricant.

Sustain, the first sustainable, non-toxic, Fair Trade Certified brand of condoms in the U.S. just launched a line of organic personal lubricant. Sustain’s lubricant consists of a long-lasting, premium, mess-free formula, free of harsh and potentially harmful ingredients such as parabens, glycerin, petroleum and propylene glycol.

Sustain water-based lubricant is certified 95% organic and 100% vegan, gluten-free, latex and polyisoprene (i.e., non-latex) compatible, free of silicone and dyes and not tested on animals. Yay!

I was delighted to find a box containing both lavender and unscented Sustain lubricant in my mailbox last week. I was even more delighted to give it a try. :-)

(Keep reading to see what I think of it and to enter my giveaway.)

3 Reasons Why I'm Not Vegetarian Anymore

I'm not vegetarian anymore. After 13 years of being vegetarian, including 8 years of being an outspoken hardcore ethical vegan, I ate meat in March.

What was it like? Since I'd been contemplating breaking veg for over a year, I imagined it would feel like a milestone. Perhaps ominous thunder would roar in the background as a fork piled with meat neared my mouth. Maybe there'd be tears-- of joy, overwhelm, or regret-- from myself or my husband. No such thing. I just enjoyed some delicious free range turkey stewed with lima beans and greens.

Well, actually, I experienced something unexpected: I felt like a character in a video game whose life bar went from 40% to 100% within a few bites. I felt instantly energized and deeply nourished.

The next day my poop smelled horrible. But my skin also started looking really good, glowing even.

I've been eating meat as little as once a month and as much as three times a week in the last four months. It's been rather uneventful since that first omnivorous meal. Aside from not feeling insatiable hunger and fatigue after exercising, I haven't noticed a dramatic improvement or decline in my health as a result.