The Importance of Self-Care

One of the rituals that has completely changed my life in the past few months is practicing self-care. It sounds so silly and trivial but the effects of it have been profound. Self-care looks different to everyone and to me it also looks different every day. Somedays, it looks like making a cup of tea and reading a good book. Other days it looks like giving myself a spa day, taking care of my skin, and using my body brush and body oil. Yesterday, it looked like putting responsibilities aside and having a "paint day" with one of my best friends. Heather came over yesterday morning and I made us an antioxidant boosting smoothie and we sat outside in my front yard and just painted. It was so relaxing and calming. I could've sat on that concrete floor in my lanai all day painting with my watercolors. It made me realize that the simple things can truly be the most important things. We can heal ourselves by loving ourselves. How crazy is that. 

I want to encourage you that wherever you are in your self-care journey, spend 10 minutes today doing something for YOU! Take that drive out of the way to go sit at a park, sip your favorite coffee, listen to inspiring music, do ANYTHING that makes your soul come alive. 

If you need help developing your self-care routine, here are a few of my favorite products that I use regularly to show myself a little extra love! 

Aztec Healing Clay- I use this stuff to soak my feet in. (many people use this on your face but it can be too strong for it so be careful! If you need a great face mask, use this one) Bentonite clay is great for detoxing the body from radiation (which we get from our phones & computers every day) and for just giving your feet a little extra love! 

Body Brush- If you add only ONE thing to your self-care routine, it should be a body brush!! Use this to gently dry-brush your body before you shower to stimulate circulation & to shed dead skin! After I body brush, I exfoliate in the shower with this amaaaazzing microdermabrasion scrub and my skin feel so amazing and smooth afterwards! 

Rooibos tea- I have a cup of Rooibos tea every evening. No exception. This tea is a part of my night time routine every night and I absolutely love it. Not only is it warm & the most comforting caffeine-free tea your can drink but it has proven to have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties that will boost your immune system! Its heavenly. Try it. 

Sesame Oil- On days when I need to give my skin some EXTRA love I will use put this oil all over my body after I use my dry brush. Sesame oil is great because its a warming oil but won't clog your pores. I put this all over my body and then hop in the shower and so when I get out of the shower my skin will be hydrated and soft but not oily! 

I would love to know, what is apart of YOUR self-care routine? Let me know in the comments! 

xo

Lauren

My Must-have Health Food items from Amazon

I'm often mentioning new products I'm using on my Instagram and am always asked where they are from and so I thought I would compile a list of all my favorites! These are my tried & true must have health food and supplement items. I use most of them on the daily or weekly basis and I add them in many different recipes! Stay-tuned, I have many more recipes using these items that will be posted soon! 

for smoothies, cooking, baking, or whatever else your heart desires! 

Vital proteins collagen peptides is my favorite to put in ALL my smoothies! Collagen peptides helps heal your gut, aids in digestion, and is a hair, skin, and nails supplement! You can't taste it but it adds so many nutrients to your daily smoothie. You can even put it in your coffee or matcha in the mornings! 

COCONUT BUTTER!!! AKA my favorite thing, ever. Coconut butter is better than coconut oil because it also contains the coconut meat. This is a great supplement to add to your coffee, smoothies, sandwiches, desserts, or just eat it by the spoonful! yum. 

Cacao nibs are a stable of my every day diet.. what can I say, I love chocolate! I love raw cacao because its adds a crunch to oatmeal, a decadence to smoothies, and is full of antioxidants! I gave two size options for you but I get the Anthony's brand and buy them in bulk because I got through a bag pretty fast! 

I always make sure I have turmeric on hand because it is such a powerful spice and supplement! Turmeric is amazing for getting rid of inflammation and It also is a great sleep aid! Put a 1/4 teaspoon of this with some warm coconut milk and cinnamon and drink it right before bed. So comforting! 

Ashwagandha is my favorite adaptogen of all time and I add it to everything! Ashwagandha is an herb that has been noted to heal hormone imbalances, calm stress and anxiety, and giving natural energy. If you were to try out any adaptogen, I highly recommend trying out this one! 

A matcha tea a day keeps the good health here to stay... Honestly though, try to swap out coffee one day a week for a matcha latte and you will notice a difference! 

I hope you find this helpful! I have no doubt that adding these superfoods to your pantry will have huge health benefits for you! Feel free to reach out with any questions on how to use them! 

-Lo 

The Perfect Smoothie

How to make the perfect smoothie

If you know me, you know that I am smoothie-obsessed. I make a smoothie for one of my meals every single day and I have noticed huge health benefits from it! Not only is it extremely easy to make but the health benefits are endless. I also love how I can customize my daily smoothie to fit that particular day & health goals. Going on a hard workout and need extra protein? Add a vegan protein powder in. Feeling sluggish? Add vitamin D. Feeling Stressed? Add an adaptogen like Ashwagandha! The customization options are endless. 

The Perfect Smoothie

Fruit + Greens + Protein + Healthy fat+ Customizable Supplements = The Perfect Smoothie

FRUIT-

when making a smoothie, its important to not overload it with sugary fruits. I usually add half of a banana, handful of strawberries, handful of blueberries, and acai to my smoothies. Rule of thumb- never put more fruit in your smoothie then you would actually eat in one sitting! 

GREENS-

Adding in greens to your smoothie is not only extremely nutritious but its also GENIUS because you can't even taste the greens! Greens also help balance out the sugar in the fruit and give your body the nutrients it needs for proper digestion. I always add either a handful of kale or spinach to my smoothies. 

PROTEIN-

I don't always add protein into my smoothies but when I do, its plant-based and low on sugar! My favorite way to get protein in my smoothies is Vital Protein Collagen Peptides. I love this because its not only a great source of protein but its also amazing support for hair, skin, nails, and your gut! I also love the Tone It Up plant-based protein and use it often. I don't eat very much meat and so adding in protein is super important for me because it keeps me full longer and keeps me from craving carbs!

HEALTHY FAT-

When making a smoothie, I love adding in healthy fats to help keep me full for longer. Healthy fats are good for so many other reasons as well such as brain function and prolonged energy. I usually add coconut butter or avocado in my smoothie and it also helps make it creamier! 

CUSTOMIZABLE SUPPLEMENTS-

I'm a huge fan of adaptogens! Adaptogens are special herbs that help the body adapt to different environmental stressors. I will do an entire blog post on these powerful herbs but my favorites to use in smoothies are Ashwagandha and Reishi! 

I hope this helps you in your own smoothie making! Aim to make a smoothie a day and just see how your overall health improves for the better! Making a Smoothie doesn't have to be difficult. Start small and you can always purchase different ingredients down the road once you get the hang of what you like and don't like in your smoothies. Have fun with it! I've learned all I know about smoothies from trial and error! :) 

Feel free to comment with any more questions you may have and Happy Smoothie Making! 

Current Favorite: Easy Breakfast

I posted my breakfast of choice on my Instagram story recently and got a ton of questions about it! I went back and forth between doing a blog post on it because it is seriously the EASIEST breakfast to make. Steel-cut oats, raw cacao, agave, coconut flakes, chia seeds, and anything else your little heart desires! On days I need something a little more hearty then an acai bowl or smoothie, this is my go-to. Full of fiber, omega's, healthy fats, and more. Try it out and add your own favorite toppings! 

Speak soon!

Lauren

RECIPE: The perfect bulletproof coffee

I remember when I started hearing about the "bullet-proof coffee" craze. I had no idea what it was or what was in it, but I had heard it had good health benefits and so I wanted to try it! After searching online, I found a bunch of complicated recipes with ingredients i'm not exactly sure I wanted to drink with my coffee! I've tried numerous different recipes but I've finally found my perfect cup o' joe! My recipe is simple and allows for some experimentation if you want to get even more fancy with it.

Also, I do NOT drink bullet-proof coffee as my entire breakfast and I suggest you don't either! Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day and so making sure you eat with your coffee is crucial. It will also make sure the coffee isn't too hard on your stomach!

Lastly, I want to add that I do NOT support the diet and lifestyle that was made around this drink. I am not a supporter of a heavy fat diet! I simply love the taste of this decadent drink and believe I have been able to come up with a recipe that is yummy, nutritious, and gets your brain goin'! 

Soooooo... here goes! 

What you need:

- blender

-8-10oz of hot coffee

- 1 tbsp Organic Coconut Oil

-1-1/2 tsp Blue Agave

- 1 tsp Organic, pasture-raised Ghee

- 1 tsp- Your superfood of choice! This is where the experimentation comes in. I LOVE putting Moon Juice's "Sex Dust" into my coffee because it helps with regulating and balancing women's hormones! I know many other people that put in collagen, amino acids, and many other things but I have found that this powder not only makes my coffee taste yummy (think, chocolate) but it really gives me energy and gets my brain going so I can have a productive morning! 

All you have to do to make the yummiest cup of joe is to put all of the ingredients in a blender or NutriBullet  and blend for 15 seconds! What will come out is a frothy, rich, decadent cup of coffee that is, in my opinion, guilt-free!