Ah, it's time to breathe easy and live light. Summer is right around the corner and my mind is filling with thoughts of sun, sand, and leisure. The smell of seaweed and coconut oil overtake me as I daydream about lazy days on the beach. 

Living in NYC, my days are more likely to include picnic blankets, grass, and crowded parks than sunny beaches. Trips to surf and sand come a lot less often. Fortunately, enjoying the smell or the beauty and health benefits of the coconut oil, the oil synonymous with summer, doesn't have to wait until the next excursion to the ocean.

There’s something about the Mediterranean that just screams tranquility, wellness, and fertility. Maybe it’s the pristine coastlines or all that lush greenery. Or perhaps it’s the world renowned mediterranean diet, the quintessential health promoting and protecting diet that’s big on flavor and nutrients. 

Boasting ample amounts of fiber, phytonutrients, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and flavor, the Mediterranean diet is one of the best eating patterns to follow for optimal fertility, health, and beauty.

I'm (slightly) ashamed to admit this: I have seriously considered not wearing a helmet while riding my bike simply because the thought messing up my hair was almost too much to bear.

Having naturally kinky-coily hair, my hair quickly molds into any shape it is encouraged to take. Just let the wind blow a bit too hard and too fast, and my afro turns into a Gumby-esque slope. Cute on some folks, I'm sure, it's just not the look I'm going for. That being said, wearing my hair in an afro, then smashing a helmet on it, simply is not an option. I had to find a solution ASAP.

Pinterest to the rescue, as always! If you're in the market for a helmet friendly hairstyle, just scroll down. You will find a Pinterest roundup of some of the best hairstyles to don under your helmet.

Pleasant, pretty, and purple, this smoothie marks the end of the Eat (and Drink) the Rainbow smoothie series. It has been fun to come up with these smoothie recipes and I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have.

A mixture of red raspberries and blue(-ish, they still look purple to me...)berries, along with purple cabbage, gives this tasty delight its beautiful hue. And each ingredient provides nutrients known to improve the elasticity, roughness, and tone of our skin. In addition to providing what our bodies need to be radiant and beautiful, it provides what it needs to be healthy.

If you are looking for an excellent source of vitamins A, B6, C, and K, thiamin, magnesium, potassium, and manganese, you have found it here. Pleasantly Pretty also packs a good amount of riboflavin, niacin, folate, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and copper. Not too shabby.

Earlier this month, I went to the basement of my apartment building to dust off my bike and hop on after a long winter. Helmet on, I excitedly pedaled down the street. 

Not paying attention, I turned the wrong way down a one way street. Fortunately, there were no cars coming as they were stopped at the red light a block away. Nonetheless, I decided to slow down and pull aside to change directions. The light down the street turned green as I squeezed the brake levers. My bike didn't slow down or stop. 

I squeezed again, still nothing. Confused and a little scared, I rode between two parked cars to figure out why my brakes weren't working.

Turns out I didn't have any!

Sometime between November and May, someone removed my front brake pads and loosened by rear pads. Really people? Who does that? As if riding in NYC isn't scary enough! Anywho, had I checked my bike before I left, I would have noticed sooner. Thank God I noticed before making it too far from my apartment.

So, what could and should I have done before taking my bike for a ride? Turns out, it's as simple as ABC.

The ABC Quick Check was developed by The League of American Bicyclists as a way for cyclists to ensure their bikes are ready and safe for use. A stands for Air, B is for Brakes, and C is cranks, chains, and cassette.

The end is near for the Eat (and Drink) the Rainbow Smoothies Recipe series. I must say, this was the HARDEST smoothie recipe to come up with. Why? Because I couldn't think of any readily available vibrant blue fruit or vegetables. 

After racking my brain, I settled on blueberries though they have always appeared purple to me... much like this smoothie. Blue, purple, or blurple, it's delicious and good for you. Isn't that all that really matters?

This yummy drink is the total package; she's got brains and beauty. The blueberries are full of polyphenols, most notably anthocyanins, known to protect brain cells, which could potentially improve and protect our memory. Polyphenols might also improve the appearance of our skin through their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

The chia seeds lend quite the potent combination of unsaturated fatty acids and proteins to the mix.

Brilliantly Beautiful is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, K, and B6, potassium, and manganese. It also boasts a good amount of thiamin, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, and copper. Being made solely of fruit, vegetables, and seeds it is also an amazing source of fiber.

Read on and drink up if you want a drink that can help you become even more beautiful, brilliant, and healthy.

Everyday I get to shake my pompons and shout, "Get it ladies!" as I watch my friends, mentors, and other women passionately pursue their education and career aspirations. For many, the pursuit of these dreams means delaying motherhood longer than our predecessors. It's not news to any of us. 

You've probably read the stats. The longer you wait, the harder it might be to conceive when you decide to try. So more and more of us are wondering what we can do to maintain our fertility and improve our reproductive health as we boldly go where few have gone before. 

Now, more than ever before, women are thinking about how the diet and lifestyle choices they make today may affect their ability to have children in the future.

I'm always amazed when I read a new (and many times old, but new to me) research article about the role nutrition plays in women's health and fertility. I love the idea that there are things we can do to improve not only our health, but also our chances of becoming pregnant when we decide it is time to add mommy to our list of roles.

There are a number of foods and nutrients that appear to have an impact on our fertility. Some good, some not so good. Diet recommendations for reproductive health, based in sound science, are no different than the recommendations to maintain a healthy weight. They are almost identical to the diet recommendations to ward off, and in some cases treat, chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. What's good for your womb is good for the rest of your body, too.

The green smoothie; the quintessential healthy drink that started the whole craze. You can find a million and one green smoothie recipes online. There are entire websites dedicated solely to green smoothies. Why? Because they're delicious, nutritious, and easy to make.

I turn to this smoothie when I need something filling and want something creamy for breakfast. The creamy texture comes from the avocado. The avocado boasts a pretty impressive nutrient composition. It is a major source of monounsaturated fatty acids, a heart healthy and healthy skin supporting fat. And there's more!

This smoothie is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, K, and B6, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. It also contains a good amount of Vitamin E, copper, iron, pantothenic acid, niacin, and riboflavin.

Please share links for your favorite green smoothie recipes in comment box below. I'm always on the hunt for more. Happy sipping!