High Protein, Low Carb Snacks to Eat On-the-go

As someone who works remotely, I love the opportunities to work in different spots when I need to change it up from my everyday environment. Last week I decided to head to the local library, which has an excellent view of the ocean might I add. I went just before lunchtime and realized I forgot to pack any sort of snack.

A few hours later and I was suffering from a case of hangriness. In these moments we are often faced with a hard decision of eating a meal out, which is usually expensive, time-consuming, and unhealthy, or suffering through the brain fog and irritability that comes with hunger.

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, freelancer, or a busy professional with a side hustle, you probably find yourself in moments like this where you’re starving with no healthy snacks. It’s a pretty awful feeling when you’re just trying to get everything done and are left feeling miserable.

Even if we do have a snack on hand, it usually isn’t the best food for us to perform to the level that we want. Most people turn towards chips or sugary protein bars, thinking it will fuel them, but really are just left feeling worse than they did before. After years of experiencing this way myself, I’ve found the perfect snacks that are high in protein or fat, low in sugar, and minimally processed.

Rebbl Protein Shakes

Pre-prepared protein shakes are a great on-the-go snack because they require zero preparation and can easily be thrown in your bag when you leave the house. High-protein snacks are ideal because they will actually keep you satiated for longer, unlike snacks that are higher in carbs or sugar. A study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics even found that participants felt greater sensations of fullness after eating higher-protein foods.

While protein shakes are great at keeping you full, you need to make sure you are choosing the right brand. A lot of the brands out there have added sugars, gums, inflammatory oils, and chemicals that can lead to inflammation or an upset gut. In addition, if you are sensitive to dairy, it is essential that you pay attention to the type of protein being used in the drink you are buying.

The brand I’ve found has the best ingredients and always makes me feel amazing after drinking it is Rebbl. Their products are organic, plant-based, and contain minimal amounts of sugar. The drink is a coconut milk base which gives you lots of healthy fats to boost your brain for achieving your day’s goals. MCTS, the main fat found in coconuts, has been shown to increase memory scores and improve cognitive function.

The main source of protein in these drinks also comes from pea protein, so you don’t have to worry about any dairy products upsetting your stomach. Unlike soy, research has found the protein from peas to be one of the more easily digested plant proteins. It is also one of the few complete plant-based proteins, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids.

Another reason I love Rebbl as a brand, in general, is because of the additional superfoods they add to their products. Many contain mushrooms such as reishi to help with relaxation and stress and others contain maca to help increase levels. Their protein drinks in particular contain ashwaganda, an herb classified as an adaptogen, meaning it helps your body to adapt to stress.

Ashwaganda is a great supplemental herb for busy professionals, side hustlers, and entrepreneurs who are often experiencing a lot of stress. Whether you’re working 18 hour days, worrying about financing your business, or have an upcoming performance review at work, ashwaganda can help regulate your body’s response to these stressors. Studies have also shown the herb to help promote intellect and memory.

I love grabbing these drinks as an on-the-go breakfast, post-workout when I don’t have time to blend up my own protein shake. They help me reach my desired amount of protein and keep me energized well into the afternoon. It also helps that they are absolutely delicious and taste like a treat.

Wondering where to find these protein shakes? You can pick them up at almost any grocery store, from your local chain to fancier health food stores. Check out their store locater here.

Chomps Beef Sticks

Like many people, I once had a full stock of “protein” bars that I would depend on for fuel when I was outside my house. My go-to’s were Lara Bar, Go Macro, and Kind. However, after eating them, I was always more tired than before. I never understood why since they were marketed as being high in protein. Eventually, after way too many drowsy mornings with brain fog, I investigated what was actually in these bars.

Turns out some of my favorite “protein” bars were more carbs and sugars than protein! Even though they didn’t have processed sugar, they still had a ton of natural sugars from all the fruit that was included. While I thought I was being healthy, I was actually spiking my blood sugar and causing a crash that left me feeling more tired.

I wanted to find a better alternative to these sugary bars that still had a lot of protein. That’s when I discovered 100% grass-fed, free-range beef and turkey sticks. Now, this is key. They need to be high quality, minimally processed, and not have any added fillers. Many popular beef stick brands like Slim Jim and Jack Link’s contain beef from grain-fed cows, corn syrup, and inflammatory oils. We don’t want this.

Brands like Chomps use the highest quality meats that we can feel good about eating. The only added ingredients are spices to add a nice flavor. Meat sticks are literally just protein- meaning they have no carbs, no sugar, and are low in calories. You are getting way much bang for your buck!

FBOMB Nut Butters

I grew up scared of eating fat because that’s what my parents were led to believe by the scientists behind the food pyramid. Now, we know that is absolutely not true and fats are great for fueling our brains. Healthy fats that is! What are healthy fats? Foods like salmon, nuts, avocados, olive oil, and eggs are great sources of the brain-boosting fats we want.

You may be thinking, well, these are all fresh foods, how am I supposed to eat these on-the-go? Nuts are actually a great source of fats for when you’re out and about. They don’t go bas easily like the other foods I mentioned and can often be found in snack packs. The key is making sure you’re getting the right kinds of nuts.

A lot of people tend to go for trail mixes which are often more sugar than anything else. I hate to break it to you but the raisins and m&m’s that make your trail mix taste good aren’t doing anything for your health or productivity. These mixes also often have inflammatory oils added like sunflower, canola, and soybean.

If you want to buy nuts without the added salt and no added oils, go for it! You can create your own “trail mixes” (without the added sugars) by combining different types of nuts in a Stasher bag for the road. However, if you don’t want to go through all of this effort, I highly recommend FBOMB Nut Butter packets.

FBOMB’s products are all dairy free, gluten free, peanut free, keto, paleo, and vegan. They also don’t have any added sugars and the nuts are dry roasted rather than roasted using oils. They come in four delicious flavors, all in travel packets that can easily be eaten in between meetings.

Choosing these three different snacks has up-leveled my performance at my 9–5 job as well as given me the energy to tackle my side hustles in my free time. When I was eating sugary snacks with bad ingredients I was falling asleep at work, experiencing major brain fog, and had little motivation to chase my goals. Trust me when I say choosing the right foods makes a world of a difference.

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Beware of Sweetgreen's Salad Dressings

Sweetgreen is often viewed as a healthy fast-casual chain. And parts of it are definitely healthy and a great option for when you’re on-the-go. I personally love Sweetgreen because they support local farmers and follow seasonality in their menus. They don’t import their veggies and fruits from distant countries. However, one thing Sweetgreen needs to improve is their salad dressings.

Why is this? Well, unfortunately, they use highly processed seed oils in their salad dressings. Specifically grapeseed oil. Now grapeseed oil may sound all innocent but it is actually highly inflammatory to our bodies. This is because it is high in PUFAs, or polyunsaturated fats, particularly omega-6 and omega-9. Grapseed oil actually has the HIGHEST amount of omega-6 compared to other harmful oils such as sunflower oil, corn oil, soybean oil, and canola oil.

(Ingredients found here)

Now omega-6 is needed by the body, however, we get way too much omega-6 in our diets nowadays, which leads to inflammation. Because we have way too much omega-6, you want to consume other oils like extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and ghee that have a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.

While you will see a lot of articles on the internet showing you the health benefits of grapeseed oil, all of these potential benefits do not outweigh the bad. Inflammation is the source of disease and sickness and should be prevented in all ways possible.

Here’s what to order instead

Rather than ordering one of the pre-made salad dressings, like the pesto vinaigrette or lime cilantro jalepeno vinaigrette, order extra virgin olive oil and a lemon wedge on the side. Squeeze the lemon into the olive oil and pour onto your salad. Sometime I also ask for a side of chili flakes to add to my DIY dressing.

I know this may sound bland compared to all of the flavorful pre-made dressings but I promise your salad will be just as delicious. If you add lots of herbs to your salad it almost acts as the same flavors in those dressings. It will also be 100% worth it when you don’t feel sluggish or bloated after eating your meal. I find myself always feeling awful for days after eating any of these inflammatory oils.

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Why Sakara Life is a Scam

I keep seeing tons of influencers post about a healthy, plant-based meal subscription called Sakara Life. And when I say tons of influencers I’m talking about every influencer that is flawlessly beautiful, skinny, and seems to have it all perfectly together. There’s nothing wrong with this, but I think it’s easy to look at these picture-perfect women and think, wow, they are beautiful and skinny and eating this, this must be the answer to my struggles with weight loss and wellness. I’m here to tell you that just isn’t the case.

Let me start off by applauding the branding and overall aesthetic of Sakara. The food looks absolutely beautiful and delicious. I’m not denying that. The meals probably taste divine and are packed with a lot of great nutrients. I’m always tempted to place an order just for the butterfly pea flower rice. I mean rice that is a periwinkle blue, how can you resist!?

I appreciate that they only use the finest, organic ingredients. That is extremely important in a meal program. You don’t want to be consuming low-quality products sprayed with glyphosate for every single meal.

However, my issue comes with HOW MUCH food they include. They follow a whole “calories don’t matter so we don’t include them” philosophy. I’m not a huge believer in calorie counting myself. BUT I think the reason they don’t include calories in their meals is because the calories are so LITTLE. Probably the opposite problem than you would expect.

I see influencers post these super small meals that they are eating and that is all they are encouraged to eat by the Sakara Life program. I’m sorry but there is not enough calories in one of those small meals to sustain an adult woman. I am also baffled by how little protein seems to be included in these meals. Studies have shown that an active 120 pound woman would need 1,920-2,160 calories each day, depending on just how much activity she is getting, to sustain her energy levels (“Daily Recommended Caloric Intake for Women”). As for protein, it is recommended women get at least 0.36 grams per pound of body weight (“How Much Protein Should You Have in Your Diet”). There is no way these small three meals equate to that many calories or grams of protein.

Of course, this lack of protein often comes with the territory of a plant-based diet. Many plant-based protein sources contain more carbs than protein and lack all of the essential amino acids.

Let’s look closely at some of the meals.

Here you can see the ingredients of one of their breakfast options. First, this breakfast cookie is probably pretty high in sugar and carbs. In fact, it’s basically all sugar and carbs. Flaxmeal and hemp seeds are the only ingredients that really have any protein. My guess is there’s about a tablespoon of hemp seeds, if that, which is around 5 grams of protein and a tablespoon of flaxmeal which is around 3 grams of protein. And this is me being generous. I honestly hope there’s not that much because then that means there is over a tablespoon of added coconut sugar AND honey in this cookie (ingredients are listed from most to least plentiful on the label).

Here’s an example of one of their dinners. There are a lot of ingredients that are really good for you, I won’t deny that. However, I still don’t think it is enough calories or protein to properly sustain an active adult woman. This dinner also has added sugar from coconut sugar and maple syrup- no wonder it tastes good!

A good way to tell if something is a good choice in protein is by looking at the ratio to other macros like fats and carbs. There are no ingredients in this meal that have more protein than any other macro, meaning none of these ingredients are a good source of protein.

I would have expected chickpeas to be the first ingredient with this falafel meal but it looks like the leafy greens in the salad are actually most prominent. As for the falafel, you would expect them to have more protein than they actually do for how much vegans say they are a good protein source. Chickpeas actually have almost 3 times as many carbs than protein. You have to eat A LOT of chickpeas to get a good amount of protein from them. Trust me, I know. As a recovered vegan I used to eat a whole can of them in one meal. This did my digestion REAL dirty…

If you lose weight on this meal plan it’s because you’re not eating enough calories. But, you’re losing weight in a way that is going to wreck your metabolism. In my experience, eating a lot of carbs and little protein can also lead to intense cravings and binge eating habits down the line. The reason I recommend people eat more protein than anything is because of how satiating it is. Protein will keep you full for hours for the same calories as a carb-loaded meal that may cause an energy crash an hour later (“A high-protein total diet replacement increases energy expenditure and leads to negative fat balance in healthy, normal-weight adults”).

And, while this may help you lose weight in the short term, a diet like this is not going to be sustainable. You will see dramatic fluctuations in your weight just from eating a normal amount of calories like when you go out to eat at a restaurant or on vacation. You want to eat in a way that is sustainable and will help build your metabolism back up. And the solution is not their metabolism powder… But this is a whole other post.

Of course, listen to your own body and what feels good to you. If you feel full and satisfied eating these meals, good for you! But, if you’ve been sucked into an aesthetically-pleasing marketing gimmick, I want you to be educated on the choice you are making. You’re not the problem, it’s the amount of food and the types of food that you are eating.

Also, feel free to just add your own protein sources such as 100% grass-fed beef or wild-caught salmon to some of these meals. If you enjoy the taste, figure out a way to make them a bit heartier.

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Is almond milk good for you or could it be causing inflammation?

Almond milk has quickly become the “healthy” alternative for regular dairy milk. I’ve been riding the almond milk train for the last 8 years at least. I’ve always been under the impression that it’s a healthy choice. However, just because something is dairy-free does not automatically mean that it is good for us. Turns out, almond milk can actually be a large cause of the bloating and inflammation we are feeling. So, maybe it’s not as good for us as everyone seems to claim.

The Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio

In order to have minimal inflammation in the body, it is important we maintain a 4:1 ratio, or even lower, of omega-6 to omega-3 in our bodies. This ratio has been linked to a 70% decrease in overall mortality rates, making it a powerful factor in our health (“The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids”). In the standard American diet, we eat way too many omega-6 rich foods and not nearly enough foods rich in omega-3.

Foods High in Omega-6

What foods are high in omega-6? Highly processed vegetable oils and nuts are two of the biggest food groups high in this particular fatty acid. Back in the hunter-gatherer days we may have found a small handful of nuts every few months. Now, we are eating them in concentrated forms like almond milk, almond butter, almond flour, and peanut butter. What once was a small treat has now taken over our diets, causing this ratio to skyrocket into unhealthy numbers.

Highly processed vegetable oils, unlike nuts, were entirely inexistent at one point. We invented vegetable oils like soybean oil, canola oil, and sunflower oil in order to make processed foods cheaper to manufacture. In my opinion, getting rid of these oils is the best thing you can do for your health. Throw them away and opt for olive oil, avocado oil, or ghee instead (“Health Implications of High Dietary Omega-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids”).

While some people may argue that we need omega-6 in our diets and these foods are essential to consume, we do not need nearly as much as we are consuming. We get enough essential omega-6 from foods where the ratio isn’t highly unproportional. For example, walnuts still have omega-6 but contain a healthy amount compared to the omega-3 content.

Omega-6 in Almond Milk

Let’s go back to almond milk and why this can be such a big deal for inflammation. Most of us who are health-conscious are aware that vegetable oils are bad. They aren’t fooling us. However, almonds are much more sneaky. They disguise themselves as a whole, natural food. They come straight from a tree, how can they be bad for you? Well, like I said before, our bodies aren’t meant to consume them in the concentrated ways that we currently are.

• There are about 90 almonds in a cup of almond flour.

• There are about 2 cups of almonds in a half gallon of almond milk.

• There are around 2 cups of almonds in 1 cup of almond butter.

Could you imagine picking up 90 almonds and eating them as a snack? Probably not. But you could easily eat 1 cup of almond flour in a serving of pancakes.

My Personal Journey

This discovery about the truth of almond products (sounds so dramatic) came from my own journey trying to find the source of my bloating and inflammation. I was doing everything right- never consuming vegetable oils, eating lots of fish, avoiding gluten, but for some reason I was still so bloated. Then I came to discover how many almonds were actually in almond products. I started limiting my almond products and I’ve never felt better since. Here are some swaps I made:

• Almond milk for coconut milk

• Almond flour for coconut or cassava flour

• Almond butter for avocado spread (not the same, but just as delicious on a piece of sourdough)

Read more about how to increase the number of omega-3 in your diet by reading my blog post on Balancing Your Omega-3 to Omega-6 Ratio.

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Why Veganism Isn't the Answer to Saving the Environment

I recently learned that November 1st is known around the world as World Vegan Day, a day many vegans celebrate each year. Most vegans think their diet is the answer to all their health concerns and the issues with the environment, however, this is not the case.

My Veganism Journey

Speaking from personal experience, a vegan diet wreaked havoc on how I felt every day. I was constantly bloated, depleted of energy, and feeling sick. After being diagnosed with Crohns disease I thought it may have been the answer to the pain I was experiencing. In the first few months of a vegan diet, I felt great. My Crohns symptoms lessened and I felt more energetic.

However, after a few months, I started to get worse again. I stopped wearing tight clothing because I was insecure about the way my bloated tummy looked. I was tired again, having to drink multiple cups of coffee to keep myself awake. My energy was so depleted that I would fall asleep in class and at work. It was so severe that I thought I was narcoleptic.

I never understood what was wrong with me since so many people were telling me that a vegan diet was the secret to good health. Then, I started to research more on the diet and read books on health and wellness. I came to realize that plants also have defense mechanisms to keep us from eating them. The plants and legumes I was eating were defending themselves against me and in turn hurting me.

I learned about grass-fed and grass-finished beef as well as pasture-raised pork. I educated myself on buying meat locally from the farmer’s market rather than buying it from large companies available to me at the food store. I learned about the difference in how these animals were being humanely raised versus the ones raised inhumanely by large corporations.

As soon as I started incorporating 100% grass-fed beef into my diet I started gaining my energy back. I no longer was tired all the time and even noticed I was less bloated than before. I wasn’t constantly starving like I was on a vegan diet and I felt much better overall.

Why It Doesn’t Save the Environment

Many people are going vegan not only because they think it’s the “healthy” thing to do, but because they also believe it’s the solution to stopping global warming. This just isn’t true. First, we can’t just “stop” global warming. We need to REVERSE it for real change to happen. One of the only ways to truly reverse it is through regenerative farming. Regenerative farming is one of the only carbon negative processes there is.

For more information on regenerative farming, read this post.

This diagram compares a regenerative farm’s (White Oak Pastures) emissions to that of conventional meat, the most popular crops, and vegan meat substitutes. As you can see, the emissions of other crops and fake meat are still contributing to global warming. Yes, they are contributing less than conventional meat, but they are still not helping our problem at hand.

The only way to really REVERSE global warming is to support farms like White Oak Pastures and Belcampo whose practices are carbon negative.

Water

Many vegans claim that their diet helps conserve water on our planet. However, did you know that 1 pound of almonds take 1,900 gallons of water to produce (1)?

While many vegan activists claim that cows use most of our water supply, all water should not be treated equally. Most of the water used by cows actually occurs naturally in our ecosystem from rainfall or ground water. This is water that would not be otherwise used by humans but is naturally used through our ecosystem. However, almonds require an extensive irrigation system of water that does not occur naturally and could otherwise by used by humans for drinking water (2).

Contamination

One thing that is not taken into account with growing crops like corn and soy (the two most popular crops in vegan products) is all of the pesticides used (3). These pesticides then run off the land into our water supply, killing fish and other species. While the growing of these crops does not DIRECTLY kill animals, they do so by contaminating the natural environment and the animals that live there.

Energy

Another argument vegans use against meat is the claim that producing beef takes up so much energy. However, have you ever stopped to think about all the energy lab-produced meat must take? Products like Beyond Burger require extensive processing of soy to be created. They are made in a large factory that requires heavy machinery, lighting, and tons of electricity. And this is in ADDITION to the energy taken to harvest the soybeans.

If you’re still not convinced that being vegan DOES NOT save the environment, I highly recommend reading the book Sacred Cow which goes into much more detail about the points mentioned.

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Wait, Dave Killer's Bread Isn't Healthy? Bread Ingredients to Avoid.

We all know processed, refined white bread isn’t good for us. But did you also know that organic, whole grain bread may be causing us harm as well? Overall, I’m not a huge fan of gluten but I do love some yummy bread now and then. It’s undeniable that bread is delicious.

You can indulge in bread and still make healthy choices. However, it may not be what you think. I often see people promoting brands like Dave’s Killer Bread as a healthy option. However, we are being deceived! I was shocked when my bread craving hit and I saw the ingredients on the back of the packaging.

Expeller pressed canola oil and cane sugar. Yikes! Not what you expect to see in “healthy” bread.

I personally prefer sourdough over any other type of bread. Sourdough is fermented, allowing easier digestion and more readily available nutrients. However, just like everything else, you can’t assume all sourdough is good.

Be sure to look for brands that have less than 5 ingredients, no harmful oils, and no added sugar. I usually go to my local bakery or farmer’s market to find some good quality sourdough. You can also find it in the fresh pastry/bread section of the grocery store.

If you want another option that’s not sourdough, I recommend Food For Life’s ezekiel bread. Not only is it organic but it is also sprouted, making it easier to digest.

Do you have a favorite brand of bread? I’d love to hear! Leave a comment below.

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Regenerative Farming- What Is It and How Does It Work?

Regernative Farming

A way of growing crops and raising animals that replenishes the soil with microbes and carbon, therefore helping the issue of global warming.

Introduction

It is no secret that there are excessive amounts of carbon trapped in our atmosphere, hence global warming. This has been caused by the burning fossil fuels, conventional farming, and many other actions taken by us humans.

We often think that the best way to reverse global warming is by driving electric cars, eating vegan diets, and using solar energy. However, this is not the most effective way to reverse the damage that has already been done.

The best way to do so is by utilizing the grasses which naturally capture the carbon in the atmosphere.

How does this work?

The roots of grasses use CO2 in their growth cycle. They absorb it deep into the soil, taking it out of our atmosphere. This carbon that fills the soil is then able to help the fields retain water from the rain. The grazing and walking of animals on the fields actually helps to stimulate this cycle. Force of Nature has a great graphic on all of the details of this process.

How can you help?

Buy 100% grass-fed meats from farmers who are practicing regenerative agriculture. Some of my favorite brands that do this are Belcampo, White Oak Pastures, and Force of Nature. All of these brands are helping to combat global warming and paving the way for how we ethically raise animals.

Stop buying industrial-raised meats. If we keep supporting farmers who raise animals in this way, these problems will only continue to get worse. The same goes for soy and corn. These are government-subsidized crops that are the main contributors to our soil’s erosion and loss of nutrients.

Watch this.

Be sure to check out Kiss the Ground on Netflix for more information on the issues that currently exist and how regenerative farming can fix them. It was super educational and easy to follow.

Beat the Mid-Day Slump

3 tips on maintaining your energy throughout the workday, keeping you focused and productive.

How many of you have felt great and ready to tackle the day when you wake up in the morning? You are probably on a roll, answering emails, generating thoughtful ideas, and communicating your team until… that mid-day slump hits.

Usually it’s after lunch or around 2–3pm when your cortisol is decreasing due to stress and the flow of the day. You are fighting the urge to take a nap and want to chug a whole glass of cold brew so the caffeine can keep you awake.

If you think this is normal, it’s not. You don’t have to feel this crash of energy. You shouldn’t have to depend on a nap or more caffeine. Here are 3 things I do to ensure I’m feeling energized and focused throughout the entire work day:

Workout in the afternoon.

Many people workout right when they wake up or at night before bed. Truth is, this just isn’t the best way to utilize your energy. In the morning you are already well-rested and your cortisol is high, so you should focus on activities that require a lot of thinking or focus.

At night you are trying to wind down your body and prepare it for rest. Working out will simply SPIKE your cortisol, sending your body into overdrive when it is really time to rest.

During your lunch break is the perfect time to workout because it is when you are starting to slow down. Exercising during this team will increase cortisol levels, keeping you alert and focused as you continue your work day.

Avoid carbs at lunch.

Carbs often contribute to this sluggish, tired feeling in the middle of the day. Most of us eat them at lunch every day so we don’t realize the effect they have. They are known to make tryptophan more readily available in the brain, causing drowsiness. Carbs also cause an immediate insulin spike and then a quick crash, contributing to this awful feeling.

Aim to eat a high protein meal for lunch. I like to do a salad with fish and veggies or a smoothie with protein powder. This ensures I won’t experience a carb crash that drains my energy.

Drink green tea or matcha.

Unlike coffee matcha tea provides a steady increase in alertness and focus without the crash that coffee can cause. Matcha not only contains caffeine but also an important compound called L-Theanine which acts as a calming agent.

If you are hyper-sensitive to caffeine, matcha is the way to go. Just make sure you are buying ceremonial-grade matcha that has been tested for heavy metals. I personally enjoy this brand. The quality is very important if you want to experience all of its great benefits.

Now you have all the natural tools in your tool belt for beating that awful tiredness that hits in the middle of the workday. Watch your productivity and focus sky rocket. It’s amazing how much more good you can do when you feel good.

Sources:

Read more about low cortisol and adrenal fatigue here.

Read more about exercise and cortisol levels here.

Read more on carbs, proteins, and performance here.

Read more about matcha and its benefits on stress here.

Hacking Your Smoothies

There’s nothing I love more in the summer than a cold smoothie made with fresh fruit and superfoods.

However, I’m also constantly on the go- either working, taking meetings, spending time with family, or headed to the beach. I need quick and easy, especially in the summer.

Here are my tips for making a healthy and delicious smoothie in less than 5 minutes:

1. Blender Bombs

   If you’re like me then you love to add just about every superfood you can in your smoothie in order to pack in the nutrients. However, it can be time consuming to measure out each powder and seed and add it to the mix. Blender Bombs are rich in omega-3s and include all of the superfoods that you would want in a smoothie.

   My personal favorite is the Sunflower Seed & Coconut, a mix of Organic Dates, Sunflower Seed Butter, Coconut Oil, Organic Chia Seeds, Ground Flaxseeds, Organic Hemp Seed, Sunflower Seeds, Coconut, Pure Organic Honey, Cacao Nibs, Sea Salt, Cinnamon, Pure Vanilla Extract. Basically everything you need for a nutritious and delicious smoothie!

   Better yet, they’re now sold in Whole Foods.

2. Freeze fresh fruit

   The easiest way to make a smoothie is with frozen fruit. However, sometimes we don’t have frozen fruit or want to shop local from the farmer’s market. My top tip is to freeze all of your fruits and veggies at peak ripeness (when there’s the most nutrients) so you have them whenever you need them.

   Frozen fruits and veggies also make the texture and flavor of your smoothies better. No more pieces of ice or watery taste! There’s a huge difference between smoothies made with frozen produce and ice.

3. Hand held blender

   Woah, is this a game changer. My mom recently bought a hand blender and I’ve been obsessed. I love my Vitamix but this is a whole lot easier to clean and less of a production to set up. No more smoothies getting stuck in the blade or cutting yourself when trying to clean it!

Do you have any tips for making easy, healthy smoothies on-the-go? Leave them down below, I’d love to hear!

Living a "Genius Life" as Told By Max Lugavere

I love health and wellness and I love to read. This makes me the perfect audience for books referencing nutritional studies and health experiments. Max Lugavere’s Genius Life is just as good as his first book and dives deep into all of the ways you can up-level your environment to improve your health.

Here are the most interesting things I learned from the book:

1. It is recommended to consume 15g of glycine each day, which amounts to 45g of collagen.

   “Glycine, the simplest of the amino acids, is an essential component of important biological molecules, a key substance in many metabolic reactions, the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the spinal cord and brain stem, and an anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective, and immune modulating substance” (“Glycine--an important neurotransmitter and cytoprotective agent”).

2. Limiting your feeding window to 8-12 hours a day (also known as fasting) will decrease insulin, decrease mTOR, and increase AMPK.

   It is well known that we want our insulin to remain low, but what about mTOR and AMPK? What are these and what do they do? mTOR promotes growth and is responsible for forming the connections between your brain cells, or synapses. However, too much of it can actually cause this process to halt.

   AMPK reduces inflammation, improves insulin sensitivity, and increases fat burning. It is also known to stimulate a protein called FOXO3, which is often called the longevity protein. It helps your body better handle stress and may prevent age-related diseases.

3. Vitamin D deficiency may be linked with depression, Alzheimer’s, and autoimmune disorders.

   Did you know 42% of the US population is deficient in vitamin D? This important nutrient can stimulate immune cells to clean up amyloid buildup in the brain, reduce chronic inflammation, and slow aging. Depending on different factors such as age, season, skin complexion, and sunscreen use, you should be exposing yourself to the sun for 5 minutes to 2 hours each day. Check out the graphic in this article.

4. BPA was originally manufactured as a hormone replacement for estrogen, meant to alleviate cramps and prevent miscarriages.

   It turned out that scientists were able to find a stronger chemical to use as a hormone replacement and BPA was instead used for it’s clear and hard properties to make something called plastic. Knowing this, it’s no wonder plastic has such negative affects on our hormones. Steer clear of storing and heating your foods in plastic, plastic water bottles, and canned foods.

The book is filled with many more nuggets of helpful information such as improving your sleep quality and limiting your consumption of heavy metals. If you choose to read it, leave me a comment with the most interesting thing you learned!

#QuarantineKitchen: Asian Night

I think we are all at the point where we need fun new things to stay somewhat entertained in quarantine. After reading through a few newsletters (Dear 20-Something Girl included) and seeing that Happied was hosting a cocktail class with Copycat Co., I had the idea to have an “asian inspired” cooking night at home. We would do happy hour with Copycat’s bartender, followed by cooking some asian-inspired dishes, and ending with a family game night. Who says you can’t have a blast in government lockdown!?

1. Happied Bartending Class

   The first step to a successful night? Alcohol. A local DC startup called Happied has pivoted in the best way possible to host online bartending classes featuring local restaurants and their bartenders.

   You simply buy a ticket for $10, they send you an ingredient list, and you follow along live with the bartender in making one of their signature drinks. You’ll be surprised by your mixology skills!

2. Healthy Asian Inspired Recipes

   Because I’m not in DC, I couldn’t support the restaurant hosting the happy hour by ordering in some of their delicious food. Instead, I decided to find recipes similar to what they serve at their restaurant. A few dishes caught my eye- crab fried rice, pot-stickers, and beef skewers.

   Here are the specific recipes I used:

   Crab Fried Rice (my favorite of the meal)

   Beef Potsticker Wonton Dumplings ( we couldn’t find wonton wrappers so we ended up making our own using this recipe)

   Thai Beef Skewers (we substituted the sugar with 1 tbsp raw honey and didn’t make the sauce)

   **also, keep in mind, we used Primal Kitchen’s soy-less soy sauce where the recipes call for soy sauce

3. Family-Approved Games

   Lately we’ve been loving playing Codenames, so that is what we played all night. Some of my other favorites include Avalon, Guesstures, and Telestrations.

I’m thinking an Italian night for next weekend’s #QuarantineKitchen fun. What do you think?

Let me know if you end up doing your own asian-inspired night! Be sure to tag @maemaddie on Instagram if you do so I can share.

The Foods You Should ACTUALLY Be Stocking Up On While Quarantined

We’ve all seen the pictures on Facebook and Twitter of the bread and pasta aisles of the grocery store COMPLETELY wiped out. But is this what we should really be eating at a time when our immune systems are being tested?

If you want to stay healthy and energized, bread and pasta is probably the last thing you should be eating. Fats, proteins, and nutrient dense foods are what we need to be eating more of.

Here’s what I’m stock up on:

• 100% grass-fed ground beef

• Canned tuna

• Yogurt

• Frozen vegetables

• Frozen blueberries

• Brown rice ramen

• Bone broth (read all about its benefits here)

• Nuts

These are all things that are probably still available at your local grocery store. For some reason nobody thinks to pick up these healthier options that also have long-term shelf life.

Remember the most important thing is your health, especially during times like these. Don’t let your healthy diet go down the drain just because of the panic that you see in the media. You don’t need to stock up on just carbs and canned foods. Our food supply will be fine. The grocery stores won’t close.

One Pan Meals

Wondering how to get in your protein and veggies when you are on-the-go or have little time? My hack to this is always the one-pan meal. I can cook my protein source and veggies on the same pan, usually in less than 30 minutes. All it takes is a hot oven and a little bit of prep work. I love using the pre-made crab cakes from a seller at my local farmer’s market, but any kind of fish or meat will do.