Mint Chocolate (Green) Protein Smoothie

Now that it's getting hot here in the deep south, I've been craving cooler foods. But after an intense gym sesh something light is not what I want! So today I awkward-walked (my legs guys, my legs!) into the kitchen and searched the refrigerator for something to fulfill my cooling yet filling craving after the gym. The solution? Chocolate + peppermint. A classic combination usually found in desserts and sweets, but now being made to work for you to refuel your body with the good stuff! Yeah!!

The results were less appealing looking than I'd hoped for, but let me promise you that one sip and you'll be in Andes Candies peppermint heaven.

Mint Chocolate (Green) Protein Smoothie

• 2 Frozen Bananas
• 3 Cups Fresh Spinach (Packed)
• Handfull of Fresh Mint Leaves
• 1/2 tsp Spirulina 
• 1/2 tsp Wheatgrass Powder
• 1 Tbsp Flax Meal
• 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds
• 2 Tbsp Cacao Nibs (add these later if you want them to be "chips")
• 3 Tbsp Cacao Powder
• 1/2 tsp Pure Peppermint Extract
• 1/2 Cup Chocolate Coconut Water
• 1/2 Cup Vanilla Coconut Milk (or preferred non-dairy milk)
• 1 Cup Ice

Place all ingredients into your blender and go to town! If you prefer more a a mint chocolate chip smoothie, add the cacao nibs after everything else has been blended and pulse a couple times.

Enjoy!

xx

Erin

Springtime Power Yoga Playlist

Hello lovelies! It's almost the weekend, meaning there's more time for the things we love like yoga. It has been busy around here recently with travel and big career moves (exciting stuff), but one thing we like to keep steady around here is a yoga practice.

We all know studio classes can be expensive, and practicing at home can be a great way to enjoy yoga without breaking the bank. All you need is a basic understanding of the poses, a yoga mat, perhaps a YouTube video or two, and some great music!

                                                   Photo By: Soumya Sidana, 2014
                                                                           A little throwback to life at the beach.


This 1 hour playlist starts out slow, to work your way into your practice. Followed by some upbeat tunes to get your groove going, finally winding down for a 5-10 minutes Savasana. I love to start with the 6 movements of the spine, followed by a flowing practice that incorporates longer and longer holds, ending in Savasana (palms up, eyes closed).

Enjoy! xx

Vanilla Chai Spice Almond Oatmeal Smoothie

I don't know about you, but I love a nice chai latte. But warmer weather is coming and it's time for something chilled. This chai smoothie is creamy, full of flavor, and satisfying without tons of extra sugar or caffein. Feel free to play around with the recipe and add other things you might like in your smoothie, including protein powder, cacao powder, chia seeds, yogurt, or perhaps another type of fruit that you like with chai. If you do want it to be a chai tea smoothie try adding some black tea!

The oatmeal adds a nice richness to the smoothie and keeps you full for longer. A high-power blender like a Vitamix or Ninja works best to make the oatmeal smooth. But don't worry if you don't have a high-powered blender, just let your blender run for a longer time!


Let me know how you made this smoothie your own!

Vanilla Chai Spice Almond Oatmeal Smoothie

• 2 Frozen Bananas
• 2 Giant Spoonfuls of Almond Butter
• 2-4 tsp. Chai Spice*
• 1 tsp. Maca Powder
• 2 Tbsp. Flax Seed
• 1/2-3/4 Cup Rolled Oats
• 1/2 Cup Vanilla Coconut Milk
• 1/2 Cup Almond Milk
• 1/2-1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
• Honey (To Taste)
• 3/4-1 Cup Ice

Place all ingredients in a blender in order and run until smooth. Drizzle the top with more honey if desired. 

*Chai Spice can often be found in the bulk spice section. If it's unavailable near you try this recipe (Inspired by Fox In the Kitchen):

• 2 tsp. Ground Cardamom
• 2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Ground Cloves
• 1 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
• 1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper
• 1 tsp. Ground Allspice 
• 1 tsp. Ground Ginger

Protein Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

I'll admit I've been a bit remiss in posting with moving to the "big city" and all that. It's strange getting settled into a new place, and some semblance of a normal life is finally starting to form. What that means yet, I'm not quite sure. But I started Kayla Itsines's Bikini Body Guide (lovingly nicknamed "BBG") a few weeks ago, which makes for a nice start to getting stronger after my spinal injury nearly 1 year ago. It's been a slow road, but two of my friends have joined in on this fitness journey along with all the support from the online community. It's beautiful, really!

While I'm not a big proponent of calorie counting, I am a big fan of clean eating. But sometimes after a challenging workout or stressful day, you just want to dive into a big bowl of chocolaty goodness! Guys I cannot begin to tell you how much I love, love, love Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Seriously. This smoothie will help cure your dessert and chocolate cravings (perhaps those Reese's cravings if you're like me), while packing in the protein at the same time!

Protein Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

The smoothie in the picture is a double serving if you've got a monster chocolate craving or are sharing with a friend. The recipe below is for a single-sized smoothie.

• 3 Frozen Bananas
• 3/4 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Flavored Non-Dairy Milk (Coconut, Almond, etc.)
• 4 Tbsp. Raw Cacao Powder
• 1/3 Cup Creamy Natural Peanut Butter
• 1 Serving Vegan Protein Powder (Chocolate or Vanilla flavored is best, check package for serving size)
• 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Throw all ingredients into high speed blender until thick and smooth. Pour into glass and enjoy!

My Favorite Green Smoothie (For People Who Are Not Fans of Green Smoothies)

It seems that everyone is writing about their favorite green smoothie concoctions. Some claim to be "ultimate" or "life altering," but there's none of that here. This is a basic green smoothie for those of us who aren't really the biggest fan of adding every kind of greens ever found into our drinks. In fact, I've always been more of a fruit-only smoothie kinda gal, so this is my "how-I-learned-to-love-green-smoothies" smoothie.

The maca powder has a distinct sweet taste, and may take some getting used to if you've never had it before. Maca is wonderful because it contains vitamins B, C, and E, and also has calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and amino acids. Maca is also thought to help boost energy, clear common skin issues, relieve menstrual symptoms, and help balance mood. This being said, the only real difference I have personally noted is a boost in energy and find it great for helping me to recover from a workout.

The other gem in this smoothie are chia seeds. I love putting these in everything! They're a great source of fiber, protein, and omega-3s, as well as calcium, manganese, magnisum, phosphorous, and a few of the B vitamins.

My Favorite Green Smoothie

This recipe should make around 16oz:

• 1 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/2-1 frozen banana 
• 1 cup frozen peaches
• 1 cup frozen pineapple
• Lots and lots of spinach (3-4 big handfulls)
• 2 Tbsp chia seeds (or as many as you want)
• 1 Tbsp maca powder*

Put all ingredients into a blender until smooth. 

Pour out and enjoy! Let me know if you have any favorite smoothies or how you switched this one up to make it your own!

*Do not use maca if you are pregnant or nursing. 

Rest Stop Yoga

It's that time of year again! That time when we gather with friends and loved ones to make merry and enjoy delicious (hopefully plant based) food. It's also that time where we may spend hours upon hours sitting in the car traveling to see those friends and loved ones. Sitting for such an extended period of time can be uncomfortable, and even more so if you have a back injury or are recovering from one (like me). In anticipation of driving long distances for the holidays, I have put together a simple pose sequence to help you unwind during those quick rest stops! Sometimes we forget our yoga mat (or just can't squeeze it in the car) and rest stops aren't always the cleanest thing, so you don't have to get one (or touch) the ground for these.

I recently started an Instagram to accompany this blog and post more day-to-day inspiration and healthy living tips. Take a look, and if you like what you see give me a follow! @obxyogagirl

Rest Stop Yoga for Long Car Rides

Forward Bend - 2 Variations

Variation 1: If you have back problems or aren't feeling that flexible, use your car to support your forward fold. Start with your feet a comfortable distance apart, facing your car. Inhale deeply. As you exhale,
fold forward at your hips, keeping your back straight, using your car to support yourself. If your hamstring feel tight, bend your knees slightly, putting more weight into your hands. Begin to lengthen your exhales a little more than your inhales, relaxing further into the pose with each exhale. Stay here for five long breaths.

Variation 2: Start with your feet a comfortable distance apart. Inhale deeply. As you exhale, gently fold your chest towards your legs. If your hamstrings feel tight, bend your knees and rest your torso on your thighs. Begin to lengthen your exhales a little more than your inhales, relaxing further into the pose with each exhale. Stay here for five long breaths.

Figure 4 - 2 Variations

Stand with your feet hips width apart, facing your car. Bend your knees slightly, as if sitting in a chair. Bring your right ankle up to rest on your left leg, just above the knee. Ensure your right foot is flexed. Inhale, As you exhale, begin to hinge your torso forward to open your hip. If you need support for balance support your hands on your car, or bring them to prayer. Stay here for five long breaths. Repeat on the opposite side

Side Bend - 2 Variations

Variation 1: If your back is bothering you, side bending deeply is not recommended. To still get a stretch through the side body, you can do a modified side bend. Stand with feet together (or at a comfortable distance), and support yourself with one hand on your car. With an inhale, reach straight up, finding space between your ribs without needing to bend the spine. As you exhale, relax slightly, reaching up once more on the inhale. Remain here for five breaths. Repeat on opposite side.

Variation 2: Begin in Mountain pose. On an inhale sweep your hands overhead. Ground through the feet and hips. Interlace your fingers or grab your left wrist with your right hands, reach to the right while lengthening through the left side body. Lengthen slightly with each inhale. Hold for five deep breaths. Repeat on opposite side.

Twist

Caution: If you have back pain or injury you may want to let this pass unless it has been cleared with your doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist. 

Stand facing your car with your feet grounded, shoulder-width apart. Place left hand on your car, and your right hand on your hip. Inhale. Exhale gently as you twist from your waist to the right, and look back over your right shoulder. Check in with your feet and hips to ensure they're still facing your car. Inhale back to the center. As your exhale twist to the left and repeat. Move through this sequence for six breaths.

Supported Back Bend

Caution: I do not recommend backbending with a spinal injury unless you have been cleared by your doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist. After my injury backbending was not possible and this photo is months after my slow recovery began. 

Stand in Mountain pose, feet hips width apart. Rest your hands on the small of your back, fingers pointing up or down based on your preference. Lean back,, keeping your hips in line with your knees (try not to press them forward). Remember to stand tall, reaching your chest towards the sky and lean back. Hold for five breaths, and slowly bring yourself back to Mountain pose.

Happy travels!

Unexpectedly Refreshing Bubblegum Green Smoothie

While traveling on the road blender access has been limited and I have been missing my smoothies. Does this happen to anyone else? If only my blender came with a car adapter...wishful thinking. But now we've reached sunny (and HOT!) California and have acquired a blender. It seems to have a mind of its own though, and will randomly send the top flying spraying the kitchen with beautiful smoothie creations! Yikes! But how wonderful to be able to make smoothies to combat the California heat. 

In the search for the perfect smoothies sometimes you end up with completely unexpected flavors. In this case spinach, lemon, and banana created a refreshing smoothie with an interesting hint of bubblegum flavor. It sounds a little disgusting I know, and at first I wasn't even sure it was something I wanted to keep drinking as I despise the flavor of bubblegum. But after the initial surprise it turned out to be a perfectly refreshing drink to accompany breakfast! Plus if you have kids it's a great way to sneak greens into their diet.

Unexpectedly Refreshing Bubblegum Green Smoothie

• 10oz of Organic Soy Milk (or more if your blender needs extra liquid to process)
• 1/2 Frozen Banana
• 1/4 Lemon, including peel
• 1 cup Frozen Pineapple
• Handful of Spinach
• Chia Seeds

Put all ingredients into a blender, mix well, and enjoy! Add ice to the mix if you desire. Yours may or may not be as green as mine depending on how much spinach you decide to include.

Don't forget to keep your smoothie plastic free! I'm a big fan of mason jars and my Glass Dharma straw.