True Nature Travels Blog

Gingerbread Smoothie, Vegan, GF & Refined Sugar FREE!

Gingerbread Smoothie

holidaygingerbreadsmoothie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Alana from Self Heal with Alana and Explorations of Self

Namaste True Nature Tribe!

Tis the season’ to be… healthy! We can still nourish our body amidst the holiday parties & oh so appetizing treats that seem to be thrown at you from ever corner shop. I am not saying to say NO to that awesome chocolate chip cookie, but I am asking you to say YES to more healthy options for the majority of your day because that, my friends, is self love!

A lot of my nutrition clients hit a wall around their health in November. They want to make the most out of the last couple of months until their New Year’s resolution. They are then upset with themselves and out of steam in a major way by New Years. They tell me stories of trying to get back on their health kick for a new resolution! They resolve by crash dieting and exercising only to hurt themselves and do the whole dance all over again. This, my friends, is a very common occurrence in our culture. Dieting is not something to be done. It IS whatever we chose to eat and consume on a day to day basis in our mind, body, and spirit. It is a way of life! We have thousands of cells that rely on us to choose LOVE in every possible way in every possible moment.image2-3

I love the 80/20 rule of thumb. If you chose to eat an awesomely delicious whole foods and ethical diet 80 percent of the time, allow yourself to have those treats 20 percent of the time! Sometimes I will have my clients do a 28 day sugar, dairy, and gluten detox before trying this. That way their bodies and minds are free from toxins, and it is a clear vessel to determine from there on forward!

This sweet and spicy gingerbread smoothie is such a treat for a post workout holiday rendition of a protein smoothie! Stacked with all sorts of gingerbread flavor, you’ll be sure to feel the season’s cozy feel while maintaining your energy!

This Gingerbread Smoothie is gluten free, vegan, and refined sugar FREE! How awesome is that? I LOVE discovering healthy options during the holiday season. Let’s face it, this time of year can be stressful. I don’t want to stress my body or mind out by emotionally eating my woes away. In fact, by choosing healthier options on a more consistent basis throughout these wintery months, my mood is MUCH better and way more capable of  handling any stress that may come my way.

Gingerbread Smoothie

Nutrition Information

•Serves: 3 cups

•Serving size: 1½ cups (2 servings)

photo by: Aaron Burden
photo by: Aaron Burden

Prep time:  5 mins

Total time:  5 mins

A creamy, smooth, healthy, vegan, gluten-free smoothie made with coconut milk, bananas and spices combined together to taste just like gingerbread cookies.

Ingredients

•1½ cups almond milk from carton or milk of choice

*1 scoop Vegan vanilla protein mix

•1 small banana, frozen

•¼ tsp. nutmeg

•½ tsp. cinnamon

•½ tsp. ginger, ground

•⅛ tsp. cloves, ground

•1tsp. vanilla extract

•1 tbsp. molasses

•¼ tsp. stevia or coconut sugar to taste

•1 cup ice

*option to garnish with GF Gingerbread Man (I love this recipe from Minimalist Baker)

Instructions

1Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Notes

Calorie per 1½ cups: 117, Fat: 3.9, Cholesterol: 0, Sodium: 15, Potassium: 330, Carbs: 20, Fiber: 1.3, Sugar: 12, Protein: 1.3

Be sure to also check out this Gluten Guide from Fitness Goat!

joeprenatalAbout the author: Alana Roach  is a International Yogi and IIN certified Integrative Nutrition Coach currently based out of Annapolis, MD. Formerly adorned by the city lights and the busy streets of America, she was then whisked away by the illustrious path of yoga and took to traveling the world to share it with others. A few years back she started to write about the transformation she undertook by  practicing conscious meditation. Her passions became her career and she now holds RYS Teacher Trainings & International Retreats, Health Coaches, and writes every opportunity she gets. In her spare time she loves cuddling with her daughter,  surfing, being in nature, and living amongst her ever growing and global loving and conscious community. She is on Facebook , Instagram, Twitter, and can be reached by email explorationsofself@gmail.com

True Nature Travels Blog

Finding Peace During the Holiday Season

9b982833d5008cb26cc58597f790b377

At first glance the holidays exude a joyful and spirited time of year. Parties and merriment abound while ’tis-ing the season to give warms and fills our hearts. While this may be true for some, for others the holidays can bring up challenging and negative feelings and emotions around the excessive commercialism of our society, grief and sadness over the loss of loved ones can be especially hard during this time of year and even the anxiety over the pressure of “new beginnings” with the New Year knocking on our door can remind us of our failed attempts at resolutions and intentions in the past. How do we find a balance? How can we cut straight to the real meaning of the season which truly centers around hope and possibility? Here are three ways to check in and reconnect with discovering your own “reason for the season.”

Make a list of what you love about the holidays

Make a list of three (or more) things that you love about this time of year. Is it listening to Christmas music or making cookies with your loved ones? Is it making homemade gifts or volunteering at the local shelter. Let’s be honest – they do not say “the hustle and bustle” of the holidays for no reason. It is so easy to get caught up in what might be not important to you at all during this time of year. By keeping your list close by and when things come up that you may not feel so comfortable with, looking to your list and touching in with one of those, you can stay close to what is important to you.

Create a space to reflect on the last year

We can get so caught up in looking to the New Year to see what “we can change” about ourselves that we often forget to stop and reflect on our accomplishments, our challenges, our ups and downs and what we have learned over the past year. It’s important to look back with thoughtful reflection and perhaps with a little more of that, you will find it a bit easier to look ahead with optimism and excitement.

Find time to give back

Regardless of whether we love or hate the holiday season, making time to give is not just something we should do once a year – BUT if that is the case, being of service to others is a straight shot of love right to the heart and truly has the potential to bring an abiding peace to your soul. Perhaps it is volunteering at a shelter by cooking a holiday meal or maybe it is choosing to make donations in your families names instead of buying gifts. It is ALWAYS the season of giving around here at True Nature and we love the holidays especially because of that.