Love & Lean List 08.07.23

Love and Lean is a list I curate every month of different foods, practices, etc that helped me be well this month. 

DIY Decaf Cold Brew. Cuz hot girls drink decaf, okay? Listen. When I had to quit caffeine cold-turkey back in 2020, I did it because I was getting ground-breaking concussion treatment. Having my iced latte paled in comparison to possibly being rid of my chronic pain and post concussion syndrome. Once the withdrawal ended, I realized my headaches were cut in half. Yes, before my treatment ever started. Ever since, I haven’t let regular coffee have a place in my routine. 

Since cold brew comes in around $5 a cup and no one makes a decaf version, I learned to do it myself. After some recipe testing for a few weeks, I landed on: 6tbs of ground decaf coffee beans (I use the French roast version at Trader Joe’s) in a mason jar filled to the brim with cold water, left in the cabinet for 18-24 hours. Once strained, I use 1 part concentrate to 1 part milk, a dash of cinnamon and a handful of ice. This makes enough for me to have 2-3 sustainable decaf cold brews. Maybe this could be your way out of caffeine’s clutches? Let me know if you try it. 

Nuum Tablets. These are by far the best-tasting hydration tablets I have tried. They certainly have the lowest sodium content (300mg per serving), which is a plus. I want my electrolytes without the sodium bomb. I have 1-2 of these per week now that I’m back to exercising and they make me feel like this New York HEAT isn’t getting the best of me, hunni!

Low-level Workout. Okay, this one’s the most exciting one. I am officially on to my second month of working out consistently since I got concussed in 2016. I talked about the process a little more in last week’s post, but, basically, I’m working my way up from nothing using Citibike and good ol’ Planet Fitness. I never spend more than 30 minutes in the gym, but I make sure to squeeze in both cardio and strength-building.

What are three things you might love or lean on for your wellness this month?  

As always,

Stephanie