Jared Koch, is the founder of Clean Plates NYC, a healthy, sustainability-focused NYC restaurant guide. Kind of like Zagats gone green and organic. Koch and food critic Alex Van Buren researched over 300 restaurants and chose 75 to review in their book,

Koch's philosophy is that everybody should be eating real, whole foods, namely veggies and fruits. His book is a way for busy New Yorkers to pick out restaurants that'll be easy to eat healthy at. With so many amazing bakeries offering up processed sugar and bleached flour on every corner sometimes it's hard to know what restaurants have healthy alternatives and use whole ingredients. Enter, Clean Plates NYC. 

The book consists of two parts–the first half is advice on eating well. Very simple and easy to follow, even for those of you who grab a coffee and croissant from your local cart and a slice for lunch–there are easy AND healthy options just around the corner. The second half is an awesome resource to help you pick the healthier options when dining out in NYC, which let's be honest is a good portion of the time (ahem, espesh for those of us working 2 jobs!). It just takes the guesswork out of going through Zagats and trying to find a review that mentions whole wheat or local ingredients. It makes it easier to eat well.

The reviews themselves are great. He spells out the bests and worsts and must-haves at each establishment. Each review is quirky and honest. He takes care to mention the ambience and even the drink list. Many restaurants in the book are very health-conscious even offering many vegan and vetarian options. However, he does throw in a few burger and pizza places that are done healthi-ER. He's honest and it's clear that he has a real passion for food and health. There is also a great little list at the end of health stores by neighborhood.

Clean Plates NYC, the book, retails for $13.95 and is well worth it in my opinion.

You can also follow Clean Plates on Facebook or Jared on Twitter

I had the pleasure of attending Carmindy's Book Launch Event last week. As if you can't tell from our BFF-esque pic above but she is so sweet and looked absolutely amazing–as if we'd expect anything less. For those of y'all who don't know where you recognize her from, she dazzled us all on TLC's What Not to Wear with her ingenius makeup tips. She's also been seen on the editorial pages of leading magazines such as Cosmopolitan, Elle, InStyle, O, Essence, Self, Lucky, Seventeen, Marie Claire, and Glamour. As if she wasn't crazy, busy, beautiful enough, she recently co-created a natural line of cosmetics called Sally Hansen Natural Beauty inspired by Carmindy available in drugstores nationwide.

But about the book peeps. I obv got a copy from the party, I know it's a recession but that'd be pretty budget. I digress. The book, Crazy Busy Beautiful, is chock full o' Carmindy's beauty secrets for getting gorgeous fast. Case and points:

Mix a small amount of baking soda with liquid facial cleanser for brighter skin without bleaching.

Olive oil can serve as a good natural moisturizer if you're in a pinch

Put your Cream in the Fridge for a Cool, refreshing twist.

If you have a zit put lemon on it to dry it up in a flash. If it gets too dry don't put powder to conceal it. 

You cannot shrink pores but you can keep them clean by exfoliating and following with glycolic lotion to keep sebum at bay.

It's a great subway read when you just have a couple minutes and are not in the mood for anything too deep. Easy. Breezy. Crazy. Busy. Beautiful. Carmindy.

I had the best time! Check out my pics!

Hanging with some of my fave beautiful ladies! Ugochi Okorie (Beauty365), Emily Marnell (PR Diva Extraordinaire!), Amber Katz (Beauty Blogging Junkie!) and moi!

Day Job Bestie, Andra Dallas!

Thanks for taking the pics, Ugochi!!!

If you are in need of a good book to read, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is where it's at!

Suspenseful, wonderful writing, intriguing and just awesome! It's a murder mystery wrapped up with a financial scandal about an elitist family and an idealist reporter.

It is a little disturbing…well, a lot disturbing but if you can get past that it's a great story with no gaps.

We also went to see the movie (which is in Swedish). I know, how cultured are we with the foreign films with subtitles? It was great to see these characters come to life that you imagine for all these weeks as you read a book but as usual the movie just did not measure up to the book, but you know, it never does.

One interesting tidbit we learned was that the book (pre-translation) was called (in Swedish) Men Who Hate Women. Naturally they changed this title before making the book over in English. Oprah def was not going to reck a book with that title. 

I'd def recommend the book but you'll see why you'd want to see the movie after. It's just an awesome thriller. I definitely stayed up way past my bedtime a few nights. It's also seriously scary though, I read it one night when Ross (fiance) was away and I was so scared I had to keep a light on when I fell asleep!

It tells the entire story in LOLCATZ pics.

Hi Dolls,

I don’t know about you guys but whenever I’m at the grocery store/drugstore I always am interested in making my teeth whiter but am so overwhelmed by the insane amount of products that I usually go home empty-handed. We have a guest Blogger, Dentist to the stars Catrise Austin, who is going to give us some advice on how to get a smile like the stars! Without further ado…

Hello Smarty Panties! I’m Dr. Catrise Austin, Dentist to the Stars and author of a new dental consumer book called 5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile: How the stars get that perfect smile and how you can too! You know, there’s nothing like living in New York City, known as the fashion capital of the world, the city that never sleeps, and by far home to some of the greatest restaurants and nightclubs on the planet.  So you’re ready to hit the town, all glammed up with your new outfit, killer shoes and trendy new hair, but don’t forget the ultimate accessory-those pearly whites!

There’s a myth floating around that it takes thousands of dollars to have a beautiful smile.  I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to have a celebrity budget to have a smile that is red carpet ready like today’s A-List stars. You can create a beautiful smile from the comforts of your home and today I’m going to reveal my top 5 recommended grocery store products that will give you a great smile.

1. Best Toothpaste:  Colgate Total
2. Best Floss:  Crest Glide or pick up a bag of pre-loaded floss handles (by Oral B, DenTek, GUM)
3. Best Manual Toothbrush:  Colgate 360
4. Best Mouthwash:  BreathRx
5. Best Over The Counter Teeth Whitener:  Crest White Strips Advanced Seal

The most important tip to remember when selecting a dental product is to always look for the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance.  This assures that the product has been tested and safe for your teeth.  Thereafter, choosing a tooth paste and other products becomes just a personal preference of flavor and texture.  With the exception of the Crest White Strips, I recommend using all of these products twice daily-morning and night before bed.  I recommend brushing 2-3 times a day with the soft bristled Colgate 360 to fight bacteria and preserve the enamel on your tooth.  I also tell my clients that flossing is equally as important as brushing and both must be done at home regularly between dental visits.  The Crest Glide dental floss is easy to handle and “glides” easily between the teeth for quick and effective flossing.  Colgate Total toothpaste remains one of the #1 recommended brands by dentists because of its’ anti-cavity formula.  BreathRx mouthwash is my favorite because not only does it have a great flavor, but it is an alcohol free formula which is much better on the tissues of the mouth.  To add a dazzle to your smile, try using Crest White Strips Advanced Seal at home for 1 week and you’ll be surprised with the results of your home smile makeover!

So for less than $100 you can pick up all of the tools you’ll need at your local grocery store to have a great smile.  You can do it yourself at home for a fraction of the cost, but nothing replaces visiting your dental team every six months for your gum evaluation, professional cleaning, and cavity check.  I encourage you to work with your dental team for your total smile needs.  For more great smile tips and your backstage pass to dental resources on how to save money on your dental needs, pick up my new book 5 Steps to the Hollywood A-List Smile: How the stars get that perfect smile and how you can too!

We’d like to thank Dr. Austin and state (a la FTC regs) that we haven’t reviewed or received any of these products but you can bet your little tushes that we’re going to follow her advice.

Learn about how to lose weight and save the planet at the same time!!

Visit TreeHugger to read the article!

What a dream come true! I just recently (as in this morning) finished New Moon. OMG it’s f-ing unbeleiveable! I got into the Twilight craze a little late I admit but I’m here now! It’s so f-ing teeny-bopper of me I can’t stand it but it’s so great I can’t not be obsessed!

So moments after I put the book down on the subway I read on Beauty Blogging Junkie that Twilight makeup is available for presale online at TwilightBeauty.com

I can’t wait to start the next book as soon as I finish my book about how the cosmetics industry is poisoning us all. I do one enjoyment book followed by an educational one.

If I didn’t get my point across, read New Moon. It’s seriously awesome. Such a compelling love story. And who thought a 28 year old lawyer could be into vampires and werewolves, but alas, here we are…