All Posts By

Vivian Bonino

Gluten Free

Gluten Free Paris, France: Tips, Tricks & Top Picks

Paris, France. The city of love… of light… and of lots and lots (and let’s just say it again: LOTS) of gluten! Crusty baguettes, flaky croissants… all drool-worthy, craveable and infinitely Instagrammable cuisine that also happens to be dangerous for the celiac individual, myself included! Not only is France the land of bread, it’s also infamous for it’s less than welcoming approach to non-mainstream dietary requirements/preferences. Which means that France…

No Comments
Gluten Free Health & Fitness

Protein Cookies: Can You Snack Your Way to Good Health?

It’s official: you can now eat your cake and have it too. Well, if by cake you mean cookie and if by the rest of it you mean protein. That’s right y’all: protein cookies are here! And not just any protein cookies: gluten-free protein cookies. Naturally I had to do some noshing research on your behalf and report back. Right now our culture is pretty protein-obsessed. And for good reason!…

No Comments
Self-love

Valentine’s Day For The Win: How To Make A Couple’s Holiday Awesome For Everyone

Ahhh amore. Nothing like a little romance, eh? That is, unless you’re single. Or single with coupled friends. Or coupled but in a rough patch. Or in a number of other scenarios that make this well-meaning holiday more messy than fabulous. Whether you love it or loathe it (or are somewhere in-between!), Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. And while the first half of February and Valentine’s Day can…

No Comments
Health & Fitness

31 Days Abs Challenge!

HAPPY 2018 EVERYONE!! Getting fit is a common new year’s resolution. So common, in fact, that I’ve decided to help you get started with a free 31 DAY ABS CHALLENGE. It’s quick, it’s (pretty much!) painless, and it’s something that beginners and gym rats alike can do. Do it alone or add it to another workout routine. Heads up that it starts “easy” and definitely increases as the month goes…

No Comments
Expat Adventures

2017 Reflections: A Year of Embracing the Unknown

Engaging with the unfamiliar is rarely comfortable. Even if we’re excited about it, there’s still a level of discomfort associated with newness. It can feel downright awkward, actually! So much so that most of us find what works and stick with it. We take the same routes to school and work daily, we have set hours for productivity and others for socializing. Many of us eat the same foods and…

No Comments
Health & Fitness

8 Easy Ways to Stay Healthy During the Holidays

December is finally here! Which means that my Spotify is set to play carols non-stop, festive lights are going up and holiday goodies are everywhere. Grocery stores, farmer’s markets, our workplaces – everywhere we turn there are temptations that are just too good to turn down! This gauntlet of goodies would be enough to maneuver on it’s own, but December has a slew of stressful aspects. There’s the temperature drop…

No Comments
Expat Adventures

A Survivor’s Guide to the Expat Thanksgiving

Like most things when living abroad, holidays are a mish-mash of emotions. There’s the usual blending of the old with the new, but now it’s paired with scrambling around to find all the necessary items … and a lot of “making do” when the things we think we need are nowhere to be found! Thanksgiving is  no exception. While all of France seems to have moved on toward the winter…

1 Comment
Gluten Free

Gluten Free Guide: Lunching in London

Shakespeare, the Queen Mummy, Big Ben … of all the things that came to my mind before my trip to London, “ease of gluten-free eating” was not among them. But wow was I in for a pleasant surprise! London is up and coming on the gluten-free scene – from street vendors to completely gluten-free restaurants, this city is happening! While celiac-safe dining still takes some planning, (cue my usual pre-travel…

No Comments
Health & Fitness

#NoExcusesNovember

Well folks, we’re officially well-into fall. And toward the end of fall comes holiday season…. Between the sweets, the celebratory meals and the constant festivities, many people end up shrugging their self-care and fitness routines to the side. That’s part of why so many New Year’s resolutions inevitably end up relating to health and fitness e.g. “getting back to the gym” “eating better”. Unfortunately, according to an article by Business…

4 Comments
Self-love

Why Skinny Is Not a Compliment

Short. Thin. Tall. Fat. We learn the basic description words as kids. But over time – and with a lot of advertising by the diet industry and a ton of not-so-subtle Hollywood brain-washing – we start to associate feelings with these physical attributes. Suddenly looking (or “feeling!”) “fat” becomes dreaded while “you look so skinny today!” receives an enormous smile and an enthused “thank you!” in response. Our value as…

No Comments