This Watermelon Mint Cocktail Is Why Summer Exists

Don't tell the rosé, but there's a new pretty pink drink in town and we're smitten, to say the least. This refreshing rum cocktail made its debut at our recent Malibu beach party celebrating Pressed Juicery's new summer flavor - a hydrating mix of watermelon, tart cherry, jicama, lemon and mint - and now we can't imagine a balmy summer Saturday without one nearby.

Cold-pressed juices make way better cocktail mixers than than soda or sweet and sour. Take a glass poolside or pass an icy pitcher around at your next backyard BBQ. Watermelon, mint and jicama pair perfectly with light and fruity white rum  - we love it paired with these summery watermelon and tuna poke bowls from our event!

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Looking for even more summer cocktail ideas? Explore our collection of recipes here.

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Gut Health IRL: Inside Donna Gates’ Fridge

Gut health is the gateway to next-level wellness, and our August Guest Editor, Donna Gates, has made a name for herself - and helped millions - with this philosophy. As the founder of the Body Ecology empire - and proven expert on how to best care for our "inner ecosystem" - we trust Donna and the holistic lifestyle she stands for. We began exploring it last week with  these seven guiding principles - this week, we're taking action and making changes where gut health begins: in the kitchen.

Building healthy eating habits all comes down to the food supply we keep at home; without big-picture guidance, shopping to support those habits can be an overwhelming puzzle. We've asked Donna to shed some light on developing our grocery shopping savvy, and what she picks up on her own market excursions. From staples to stock up on to simple dishes we can rely on, here's Donna with fourteen tips to take home...

Always in my fridge: Homemade fermented vegetables, CocoBiotic, fertile eggs, Cindy’s Kitchen Creamy Miso Dressing, Cindy’s Kitchen Barcelona Vinaigrette, homemade young coconut kefir, Vegenaise mayo with grapeseed oil and Eden mustard.

recipe staples always on hand: For seasoning: Selina Naturally Celtic Sea Salt, Selina Naturally Deep Celtic Sea Salt Makai Pure and Herbamare. For sugar-free sweeteners: Stevia and Lakanto. Healthy fats: Coconut and olive oil and grass-fed ghee (clarified butter).

Must-have munchies: Potato chips by Good Health or Boulder Canyon Authentic Foods. Make sure your potato chips are made with a body-ecology friendly oil (coconut, avocado or olive).

Go-to proteins: Fertile eggs, wild-caught fish (sole, salmon, halibut), bison, lamb, chicken and turkey (all grass-fed, pasture-raised, organic).

Dairy or non-dairy faves: So Delicious Coconut Milk Ice Cream (no-sugar-added variety). I also love shirataki noodles made from konjac yam - zero carbs and very satisfying!

Must-have pantry staples: Quinoa, millet, GABA sprouted rice, teas (like hibiscus), bottled water, canned tuna and canned salmon by Vital Choice or Ventresca.

Sweets and other indulgences: Gluten/dairy/sugar-free chocolate made with Lakanto and stevia by my friend Odette D’Aniello.

Fave veggie + what you make with it: In the summertime I love cucumber! One of my favorite dishes is a cucumber, dry wakame, red pepper salad with some diced red onion, Herbamare seasoning, apple cider vinegar, and flax or pumpkin seed oil. So refreshing!

Simple go-to recipe: Turkey wraps (use romaine leaves) with cultured veggies. When I travel, I like to bring some canned Vital Choice salmon and avocado as an easy meal. Soups are great to make and eat throughout the week. In a pinch I always can rely on our Fermented Protein Shake as a meal replacement.

For last minute entertaining: Dry farm wines - red, organic, and sulfate-free - and Gerolsteiner mineral water. I don’t drink myself but our probiotic drink CocoBiotic makes a great mixer for vodka and tequila. For those who don’t drink but want to feel festive, pour CocoBiotic into champagne flutes and add a splash of acai juice and a few drops of stevia.

Best shopping tips: Don’t go down the aisles with cookies or cereals. Never buy flour products like cakes or cookies - the less flour in your diet, the better for your gut. Avoid GMO and processed foods - most contain bad oils, GMO foods, gluten and MSG.

Best label-reading tip: Always buy organic, even on non-GMO foods since pesticides may still be on them. (The more we support these farmers, the more they can continue to produce organic food!) Watch out for MSG - commonly found in processed foods - bad fats, artificial sweeteners and high-fructose corn syrup. Make sure you are looking out for the body-ecology approved oils - no vegetable oils.

Favorite places to shop: You’re probably not surprised to hear this, but farmers markets and health food stores like Erewhon (which carries the Body Ecology line) and Whole Foods. Whole Foods should really give me frequent flyer miles!

My shopping bag: Just as I value our inner ecology, I am always mindful of the ecology of our beautiful planet, which means lowering my ecological footprint by shopping with reusable bags - I even re-use the plastic produce bags over and over again. This planet is too precious to waste anything.

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How To Make Infused Water Carafes For Summer Gatherings

Why give cocktails and mocktails all the love? We're amping up our h2o's with these gorgeous flower, fruit and herb infused water blends to make summer hydration more fun. These three citrus-based infusions from Claire Thomas of The Kitchy Kicthen are too gorgeous not to try. Pack up a pretty water bottle or lay out a few carafes of water for summer guests... 

Infused water is a favorite of mine. It's such a simple process that elevates any dinner party experience. I love playing with fun flavors when I entertain. Here are a few fun combos to try out. Enjoy! [olists num=1][olists num=2][olists num=3]

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#regram @somethingnavy Hot pink ✖️ a tan 👌🏽buy this suit on...

#regram @somethingnavy Hot pink ✖️ a tan 👌🏽buy this suit on sale! #bestswimwear #LSpace http://ift.tt/2azyYIY

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Why You Should Be Making Lifehouse Tonics’ Superfood Shakes

We rarely drink coffee these days. That is, we rarely drink it black without doctoring it up with protein and superfoods or tweaking it Bulletproof-style. Espresso shots have become less of a beverage and more of an ingredient to us as we find ways to pack in more medicinal foods and nutrition into our diets.

Lately, we've been making tonic runs to the new Lifehouse Tonic bar in Hollywood. Their modern menu includes probiotic tonics and tea elixirs, but most notably, they're blending up these coffee and nut butter shakes spiked with their own stock of medicinal mushroom powders.

We snagged this shroomy shake recipe from the team ahead of their Mushroom 101 class detailing the Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic practices, and herbalism that inspires their passion for these powerful adaptogens. Get the details below!

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Better Than Bruschetta – A Tartine Recipe for Tomato Season

'Tis the season for Sundays spent at farmers markets, filling our totes to the brim. The season we're talking about is tomato season, of course - a top highlight of the hotter months for veggie fiends like ourselves.

While we enjoy summer tomatoes in any capacity, we go crazy for simple dishes designed to let their gorgeous color and natural sweetness shine. This heirloom tomato tartine recipe from Market Math - a cookbook from the editors of Food & Wine Magazine - lets the raw fruit do its thing. Whip up the toast as a fresh breakfast or snack (sorry avocados!), or make them as mini tartines for the summeriest appetizers ever...

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An Authentic Guide To Tulum Mexico

Before it was cool to jet off to Tulum, Mexico, mystic holistic Angela Shore of Jiva-Apoha was a regular on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. As in, had her own Mayan Shaman on-call.

Lounging on Tulum's white sand beaches is almost all you need to know to have a perfectly lovely vacay, but if you want to know how a hardcore holistic wellness pro does Tulum, here's Angela on the must-see, do and eat experiences...

I love Tulum. Being one of the last cities inhabited by the Maya, there is no coincidence why the spirit is so special there. My first trip to Tulum was during the nineties when my group and I decided to trek down without any reservations over a two-week break during Christmas and New Years - something that one would have a hard time doing today to say the least!

Back then, thatched huts on the beach were $20-$30 bucks a night, and Maya Tulum was the only wellness resort along the beach; not to mention the Mexican military used to have a base on the beach, and patrolled that stretch. Needless to say, the compound of Pablo Escobar Casa Magna still stands.

We took our time getting to know the history, and culture while visiting the villages and back road travel to the ruins of Coba and Chichen Itza. The Mayan society has natural healers; shamans that still honor their ancient remedies and perform ceremonies passed down for centuries. This is everything that Jiva-Apoha believes in, and lives by. As always I’m in deep fascination of the eco beauty there and the ancient Mayan healing energy that welcomes me every time. I used to have a powerful Mayan shaman there, one who I would visit on every trip until he moved on. There was only one Temazcal (indigenous sweat lodge), now there are many along with one yoga retreat and eco wellness hotel after the other.

I was so inspired on each trip to Tulum as I watched it grow and flourish over the years. I had always imagined doing something involving healing and wanted to do a wellness project. I knew one day it would come together. Last month, my partner arranged the time for a last minute getaway (she did very well!). We were so fortunate to experience the Be Tulum Hotel on this trip. Be Tulum is removed and the furthest away on the Riveria Maya, making it very private for its guests. It’s an exclusive hotel nestled in the jungle on the beach with about 20 bungalows and outdoor showers; which happens to be one of my faves - showering outside!

Here are a few other unique, below-the-radar spots in Tulum, and a few travel tips form my own experiences visiting...

What most people don't realize... about tulum is that it used to be an ancient Mayan port city, and now it’s a protected place for nesting sea turtles.

Essential experiences:Traditional Mayan healing, Cenotes, and the Ruins

Tulum uniform: Very little! At least two bikinis, a sarong, pair of cut-offs, a couple of little sun tops, a beach cover up, yogi linen pants and a flowy cotton dress…

Perfect lunch spots: Be Tulum beachside service. The tuna and steak tacos are out of this world! The best guacamole!

What makes the landscape unique: Its an ecological paradise between the low floral jungle, blue lagoons, lakes, white sand beaches, natural limestone ruins, and the blue blue Caribbean sea.

Best cocktail: Smoky 100% resposado mezcal with muddled pineapple, rosemary, basil and jalapeño. My kind of holistic spirit!

Favorite dinner spot out: Posada Margherita

Best meal ever ate there: Fresh lobster, clams, shrimp and homemade pasta; a classic Italian-profile spot that’s been around for some time….

3 must pack items for Tulum: A straw hat, dark eyewear, protective sun block

local artisans: I love supporting the natives who weave textiles and the potters. Also Coqui Coqui; their curated boutique is a must-see.

Wellness staples in your travel pack: In Tulum they grow tons of aloe vera plants love using local resources and remedies for all needs. I did pack: Urban Moonshine Digestive Bitters, pure essential lemongrass to help fight off for mosquitoes, an immunity mix of clove, lemon, cinnamon leaf, eucalyptus and rosemary essentials that I ingest for air travel (natural antibiotic, antiseptic, anti-viral).

Which oils you pack: I made a personalized body oil with organic macadamia nut and coconut oils with sandalwood pure essential oil for cooling. Also traveled and tested Jiva Apoha’s new Holy Grass Body which is organic hemp seed (cannabis sativa), sesame oil with pure essentials of sweet grass and rosewood. Both oils complement the heating factor (Pitta) skincare. Great for treating the skin after sun, salt, and beach.

Favorite spa:Yaan Wellness Energy Spa is one of the most beautiful designed-well- thought spas to ever experience. They grow their medicinal herb garden on top of the roof to pick from for the healing services. I watch my medicine woman climb the ladder to carefully select what she was using for our session. It goes without saying within our top 10 best spas today. One of a kind! I could have stayed here for a week alone.

I had a traditional Maya healing with a Mayan medicine woman who used RUE herbs and natural oils to clear energy, cleanse, and restore balance. My body was submerged in herbs, and rubbing oils along with a full body copal smudge with Mayan prayers.

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