Le Television

Television: It brings us such joy. There was a recent article in the Washington Post about how amazing a woman's life became when she gave up TV for a year. I say NONSENSE! My only words for that woman are "You Do You, Girl."

I am QUITE productive outside of TV-land, but love to get lost occasionally in some of the stories and plots that Hollywood has graciously produced for our amusement. Over the years, there have been a number of TV shows that have served me as a great source of comfort and/or welcome escape from reality. Here's a list of some of my favorites.

1) Gilmore Girls - Once you're introduced to the charming, eccentric town of Stars Hollow, you'll never look back.

2) Greek - It's fun to relive college through the eyes of the sororities and fraternities at Cypress Rhodes University.

3) Friends - What famous TV show quotes did NOT come from Friends? Answer: Very few.

4) Sabrina the Teenage Witch - Growing up, I loved watching Sabrina's life unfold every Friday night on TGIF.

5) Boy Meets World - Oh Cory, Oh Tapanga. Oh Sean, Oh Angela. You showed me what true friendship was really about.

6) Once Upon A Time - The perfect show for any Disney fan! Watch your favorite fairy tales come to life in Storybrook, Maine.

7) Grey's Anatomy - Every woman alive wanted to be Meredith Grey at one point in time.

8) The O.C. - Ryan Atwood and Seth Cohen, the OG's of our teenage hearts

9) Orange is the New Black - Watching OITNB always makes me grateful I'm not in women's prison.

10) Shameless - The Gallagher family never fails to entertain.

Get out there any live your lives! But when you need a break every now and then, enjoy binging on your favorite TV shows.

"The Cleanse"

Hello, loyal readers! I've come here today to write about the concept of a "cleanse," or elimination of certain foods in order to feel like a weightless goddess. It's a topic I've both written about and experimented with before. A few years ago, I attempted to do a 3-day fruit and vegetable cleanse. (It was supposed to be a week-long cleanse, but I couldn't fathom the idea of eating nothing but fiber for 7 days). ANYWAY, I got half-way through breakfast on cleanse day #1 when I decided I wanted a big bowl of cereal... and scrambled eggs. Hence, end of cleanse.

There is something incredibly sexy about the idea of a cleanse. You believe that monitoring what you eat for a certain period of time will make you the beautiful, skinny embodiment of health. In some cases, this is in fact the case, and a cleanse will leave you with an abundance of energy, clear skin, flatter tummy and newfound appreciation for produce. Other times, cleanses will make you hangrier than a Basic B who was too busy to go to brunch with her squad.

I have yet to successfully complete a cleanse. (My four long years as a vegan aside). After much thought and deliberation, I think there are two main reasons for my failure... 1) FOMO... 2) Hypoglycemia. If I see a cookie, want the cookie, and don't let myself have the cookie, I get very upset. No, I don't want to eat seven cookies, I just want ONE! And not letting myself have that one cookie is devastating for everyone involved. Additionally, limiting calories or only allowing myself to eat a certain number of meals per day leaves me shaky, weak and full of anger and anxiety.

Maybe someday I will successfully complete "Whole 30," or will only eat colorful produce for a number of days. Until then, I will continue eating as healthy as possible... but won't deny myself the occasional cookie. Balance, variety and flexibility!