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10.13.16

Living well means many things. You won’t find us talking about weight loss around here very often, because, for the most part, we believe that aiming for vibrant health and a nutrient dense diet will keep most of us feeling balanced and strong. But there are moments in life when each of us wants to put our best foot forward or get back on track after a wobbly week or so of indulgent nights out. For moments like those, how does a wellness warrior achieve a little slimming down in healthful balance?

We decided to ask a few of our favorite L.A. wellness experts how they slim down in just a couple days time. Our crew doesn’t do harmful extremes and we love and trust them for it: from infrared sauna sessions to foolproof three-day meal plans, we’ll be keeping these tips in mind as we near the holidays… 

Jordan Younger, The Balanced Blonde | I have some major go-tos in my repertoire, since a balanced life definitely includes de-bloating and feeling our best for certain events and for as many days of life as possible! Some of my favorite quick and easy methods are doing Bulletproof coffee for breakfast for about a week – it kickstarts our metabolism, helps us burn fat and fuels us on those healthy fats for sustained energy. I always shed a pound or two when I am diligent about my Bulletproof routine. Also, infrared sauna! I recently tried Sweatheory and fell in love. Lastly, veggie soups for dinner are always nice and light and make me feel great.

Carly DeCastro, Pressed Juicery | I eliminate dairy, gluten, alcohol and sugar and do at least one liquid meal a day. I’ll do a smoothie in the morning (made with a Pressed Juicery juice) and midday I’ll have a parsley tea that I turn into “soup” by adding cayenne, olive oil and a dash of tamari. Then a clean dinner. And of course, a colonic!

Lacy Phillips, Free + Native | I personally go on a kitchari fast, hit an infrared sauna, and swap between HIIT workout one day with intense cardio the next. Abs everyday! Wellness tonics always.

Shira Lenchewski, MS, RD, ShiraRD | Since fluids help expel waste from the body, staying hydrated is key for de-bloating. I recommend pounding 2 to 3 liters a day. Also, try integrating natural probiotic sources into your diet, like coconut kefir and raw sauerkraut helps keeps things moving. Potassium also helps mediate bloating by balancing body fluids: Potassium-rich foods include avocados, bananas, kiwis, and dates. Be sure to snack smart and nix artificial sweeteners as many come with an unfavorable laxative effect, thereby bringing on the bloat, fast.

Kelly LeVeque, Be Well By Kelly | No snacking, so load up those smoothies with fat and drink loads of water with lemon and cucumber or asparagus, which contains enzymes to release excess sodium and reduce bloating. Asparagus has high levels of the amino acid asparagine, which serves as a natural diuretic, and increased urination not only releases fluid but helps rid the body of excess salt. Cucumber squelches inflammation and the natural enzymes support digestion.

Ashley Neese | I focus on lean protein and veggies, and cut out all starches, carbs and load up on bone broths. Staying hydrated with tons of water and other healthy liquids is key, as is hitting the Korean spa for a good sweat or two!

Simone De La Rue, Body By Simone | When I’m trying to lean out for my DVD shoot, I cut out alcohol, salt, sugar, gluten and dairy two weeks before. Three days to go I up my cardio, lessen my fluids and go in sauna and get a massage which helps drain the lymphatic glands and sweat out excess water.

Amanda Bacon, Moon Juice | I’ll cut out all sugars, grains, fruits, even the sweetness hiding in a nut milk. Load up on probiotic foods (fermented veggies, coconut kefir, coconut yogurt), green juices and green foods, sprouted nut and seed snacks, and make sure you’re only consuming a high quality salt like pink salt!

Jenni Kayne | I use a combination of colonics, lots of water, and probiotics. I also take magnesium and fiber at night and eliminate all carbs and alcohol! Simple, clean and healthy recipes are also so important.

Suzanne Hall, The Chalkboard Mag | Get plenty of sleep, run intervals two of the three days and shoot a little apple cider vinegar after dinner each day. Drink so much water it’s crazy, including plenty of warm drinks with a tiny bit of cayenne and swap out sugar and bread for greens most meals.

Kristin Dahl, Dahl House Nutrition | I drink tons of fresh ginger, lemon and fennel tea, drink half of my body weight in ounces of water daily, and try to add a little extra nutrition to all my meals. I refrain from eating anything with garlic and onions (even cooked!) and absolutely no dairy (though I steer clear of that for the bloat factor anyway). I do lots of hot yoga, spend time in the steam room, take a bath with epsom salt and lavender nightly and get plenty of sleep!

Got a great tip you don’t see here? Share it in the comments below!

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Comments


  1. How are colonics and dehydration techniques not considered extreme? Out of all of these Kristen Dahl seemed to offer the most down to earth advice that I would consider taking.

    Vicki | 10.13.2016 | Reply
    • Thanks Vicki! We think colonics are an important healing modality to consider. We love Kristen too!

      The Chalkboard | 10.17.2016 | Reply
  2. Honestly, this is a group of incredibly beautiful women, inside and out. Why are
    we doing an article about what we need to do to “slim down” for anything, when this is a group of slim women to begin? That doesn’t exactly perpetuate the body positive concept that most of these women push.

    • Preach. To both of the previous comments. Lacy Phillips and Kristin Dahl share some reasonable advice because their tips focus more on nourishment rather than restriction, but the rest are pretty extreme and bordering on starvation and GOOP-level privilege… Though I won’t argue that cutting sugar is ever a bad idea.

      • Thanks Ali, Meg, we knew this piece would stir conversation. We think it’s honest and healthy to say that there are days we want to look more svelte (a day at beach) than others (day after Thanksgiving) and there’s nothing wrong with that. Healthy body image can co-exist with efforts to look our best or with efforts to slim down for a special occasion – as long as it’s all handled in our minds and hearts in balance!

        The Chalkboard | 10.17.2016 | Reply
  3. Also, this: “drink so much water it’s crazy.” Water intoxication is real, people. Why preach to people to override their bodies’ signals and drink when they’re not thirsty? This is a total myth and is becoming a problem. It dilutes the minerals that your organs need to function properly. Anybody ever seen a dog make sure they drink half their body weight in water a day? No. Any other species in the animal kingdom drinks when their body says, ‘Hey, I’m thirsty.’

    • Great point, Ali – all things in moderation.

      The Chalkboard | 10.17.2016 | Reply
  4. Agree with the comments above. Some of the advice given is legit. The rest I feel is extreme and restrictive, therefore borderline abuse of your own body. How about showing some self love, not beating yourself up over having an indulgent night or week or whatever and revert back to healthy eating and exercise – however it is YOU do it, and at a normal rate. Would also be nice to see some diversity and everyday women give advice as well.

  5. When you say you knew this piece would stir conversation, you don’t seem at all prepared for the questions and comments. Diversifying in your office might be beneficial, if you only have a sounding board that looks and thinks like you you’re going to continue to miss the point of why this post was irksome to so many

    • Hi S, thanks for your comment, all viewpoints are welcome here.

      The Chalkboard | 10.19.2016 | Reply
  6. Although I can see the point of some of the above comments, and believe they are valid, I have to come to the defense of the Chalkboard Mag on this one. If the post is taken as whole the overall message I got is: stay hydrated, cut out excess sugars, carbs and alcohol, up your greens, snack on good things that keep you full, get a good workout in and enjoy some self love time at a spa getting your sweat on! That is totally balanced and do-able for most.

    I also believe this article is pertinent because like they stated- there are some days where you want to look your best. When you look back at your wedding photos you want to remember you looking and feeling great, and not the rager you went on with your bridesmaids/groomsmen.

    I think the desire to slim down can be very body positive and some of this advice is helpful. Some, like for example Simone De La Rue’s, is a bit extreme but last time I checked I wasn’t slated to film a workout DVD anytime soon, so all I got from her blurb was- cut out dairy, sugar and gluten and then go to the spa and get a massage. DONE!

  7. Why are there no women of color in this article? i rarely see any posts with women of color thats why i rarely visit anymore.

    Crystal | 10.21.2016 | Reply
    • Hi Crystal, thanks for this note – interesting! We’re featuring a wellness babe of color in just a hot minute actually – stay tuned! Thanks for your comment.

      The Chalkboard | 10.24.2016 | Reply
  8. The photos of the bloggers was a bit irksome as well. Not much diversity here–race, age, privilege, size, etc. It reminds me of when I read top fashion mags and all the contributing writers look the same.

    Sandi | 10.27.2016 | Reply
  9. I’ve come back to this article multiple times since it was published (but have never read the comments until today). I’ve followed almost all of the women in it and have purchased from a lot of their platforms. Just wanted to chime in and say that I really liked this article. Not saying anyone else here is wrong, just wanted to let tcm know that I’m thankful for articles like this and look forward to more in the future! Any time I can learn something new from someone with experience (aka tcm and the women in this article), its a good day.

  10. This article is great – and exactly the kind of tips/ideas that I would utilize if I was looking to slim down for a special occasion!

    Alexandra | 12.09.2016 | Reply

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