Superfoods & a brand making it easier and tastier!

Superfoods have played an important role of my life for years now. But you guys know that already, don't you?! It's been quite an exciting journey these past few years, and sharing my plant-based lifestyle with you made it even more so! Whether you are vegan or non-vegan, getting your daily dose of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and protein is crucial, alongside a healthy diet. A habit that has helped me tremendously and has eased my stress of not getting enough protein or nutrients, is preparing my daily shakes. Every day, before or after yoga or my exercise, I make myself a smoothie with frozen fruits (usually berries and banana), organic almond milk (or coconut milk), peanut butter (or almond butter), a scoop of my favorite protein powder, and a scoop of a new superfood brand I've fallen in love with: Detox Organics. This brand has all the veggies, fruits and superfoods needed to alkalinize (balances your body's pH and prevents diseases) and detoxify your body while aiding your digestive system and boosting your energy. The ingredients will blow  your mind away. Seriously! They range from wheatgrass, chlorella and spirulina to carrots, spinach, pineapple, peppermint, fennel, ginger, coconut water and so many more! 10lbs of superfoods in each scoop! All organic, raw, vegan, non GMO, creamy, and delicious! It tastes like a chocolate milkshake, if you ask me. Yes, transforming to a healthier you is as easy (and yummy) as this guys. Always making sure you choose your supplements, superfoods, and meals wisely! 

If you need a tutorial on how to use Detox Organics, or how to prepare your morning shakes, make sure you watch my Instagram stories. I post new videos and recipes every day! And, if you are ready to get your own Detox Organics products, use code "Waterthruskin" to get 15% off!  They also have To-Go packets! I carry those in my bag 24/7. Especially during the trips I take around the world. I never know if I'll be able to find my superfoods, hence, taking Detox Organics with me is a life-saver!

Vegan for 2018? Why not?!

This first week of 2018 I received dozens of messages from you guys (and even from old friends of mine) saying they've made "going vegan" their 2018 resolution. These news make me ecstatic! Not only because you'll be eating towards a healthier you and saving animals in the process, but also because switching to a vegan diet is one of the smartest and strongest steps towards preserving and protecting our PLANET! Mother Earth. The only home we've got! 

A few things to have in mind when going vegan or vegetarian:

(Let's start with the definitions, shall we?)

Vegetarian: cheese, dairy and eggs are part of the diet but all types of meat and seafood are not.

Vegan: we don't eat or wear anything that comes from animals. No diary, no cheese, no seafood, no meat, no leather, no fur, etc...

Whichever diet you choose, always aim at finding the right BALANCE for you. Balance is key in everything we do in life. Especially your diet! Make sure you are getting your daily nutrients and superfoods (my favorite ones are moringa, camu camu, maca), organic veggies and fruits, and your occasional cheat-meals too (yes, I have my veggie burger with sweet potato fries from time to time and LOVE it!). 

You know those recipes you thought you would never try again as a vegan? Guess again! Most recipes can be made vegan and still be mouthwatering. I've made plantbased pancakes and french toasts, vegan chocolate puddings, and vegan risotto from scratch. It's easier than you think! All it takes is a little creativity and finding the right substitutes for ordinary ingredients. Whether you are looking for raw ingredients, pre-made or to-go ones,  WholeFoods has the solution for you! Here are a few natural, non gmo, organic, vegan, and delicious products you can binge on guilt-free! I actually tried the vegan mac n' cheese for the first time last night. I topped it with truffle oil, himalayan salt and rosemary and devoured it all! Better than I expected, to be 100% honest!

For this month, I've partnered with WholeFoods to make it easier for you to go vegan and choose healthier options. You can find these products and many more at any Whole Food store. Make sure you look for the dot wayfinders. They are found on the product price signs and will signify vegan, paleo, gluten-free, and Whole30 approved! Yes, that easy!

Cheers to a healthier, kinder, and wiser YOU. 

PS: when you get a chance, watch these documentaries. They will explain the importance of a plant-based diet. "Cowspiracy", "Food Matters", "What The Health", "Forks over Knives".

PRODUCSTS:

• Vegan Mac N Cheese: made with creamy organic pumpkin, sweet potato and other natural ingredients!
• Aminos: much better than using soy. It has 70%+ less sodium and is made from coconut tree sap.
• WaterLook Sparkling Water: it's time for you to quit the soda and mineral waters! These are natural, sugar and sodium free, and taste good. I'm not a soda or sparkling water person but these taste delish!
• Almond flour: my favorite flours are almond, coconut and buckwheat. I used them for pancakes, cookies and cakes!
• Vegan protein bars: this is a must! I carry them in my purse 24/7 and have them as snacks on those days my meals lack enough protein.  I'm obsessed with VEGA. Their bars taste like snickers!

Plantbased Superfood Drinks On The Go!

Let’s talk superfoods and plant-based protein, shall we? Two words that are essential to a healthy diet. Be it vegan or not, we all need to make sure we are getting enough nutrients, minerals, vitamins and protein in order to thrive. Here’s the thing though. If sticking to a plant-based diet seems hard to some of us, sticking to it while traveling or during those on-the-go moments can seem extremely difficult! One of my tricks is to carry an organic protein drink or bar in my bag. ALWAYS! Why? Well, first of all to make sure I’m constantly nourishing my body and, secondly, to eliminate my cravings in between meals and avoid stuffing my face with the wrong foods. A brand that has made my lifestyle easier is REBBL and its name says it all: Roots, Extracts, Berries, Barks, Leaves. REBBL produces plant-based drinks made with organic superfoods (turmeric, maca, cacao, matcha, reishi, ashwagandha, spirulina), coconut milk, stevia, pink salt and more. As if that were not enough, here are a few other points worth mentioning about REBBL:

1)   REBBL focuses all its practices on promoting sustainability and social impact. They source all ingredients ethically (and provide an interactive traceable sourcing map) making sure the suppliers have local communities in mind and provide them with health care, housing and clean water projects.

2)   Every single one of REBBL’s products is Certified Organic. By refusing to work with GMOs and Pesticides, they are protecting not only our health but also Mother Nature.

3)   REBBL donates 2.5% of its revenues to Not For Sale, an organization dedicated to putting an end to human exploitation and trafficking worldwide.

With 6 different Elixir flavors, and 2 protein blends, REBBL has me head over heels! Literally! I’ve tried them all! And each one is as good, or better, as the last. The ones I carry with me while traveling are the protein blends: Dark Chocolate or Vanilla Spice.  16grs of protein made from peas, pumpkins and sunflowers! Imagine that purity combined with fair-trade certified cacao powder, reishi, ashwagandha, vanilla, stevia and more mouthwatering superfoods!!

The 6 Elixirs are to die for too! Matcha Latte, Turmeric Golden Milk (YES!), Maca Cold Brew (Double YES!!), Maca Mocha, Reishi Chocolate, Ashwagandha Chai. I have to admit, there were a few superfoods I had never heard of but was incredibly happy to add to my diet. Ashwagandha was one of them. It is a powerful super-herb that is used in Ayurveda to support physical health, cognitive function, recovery and relaxation!

You guys can use REBBL’s interactive map to find stores near you and stock your fridge with these holistic drinks!! I honestly can’t wait to keep promoting this brand and other plant-based ones with you to make our conscious lifestyles easier!  xo

Yummy Vegan Superfood Smoothie Tutorial

Ok guy so here’s the story. After all the emails I’ve received with questions about my vegan diet and exercise routine (yoga), I’ve decided to start posting video tutorials about both on the blog. Something you might not know about me is that it wasn’t until 5 years ago that I began eating healthier, following a vegetarian and later vegan diet, and dedicating myself fully to learning yoga and meditation. You see, during my teenage years I went through what 30 million of girls, boys, women and men are going through in the US today: eating disorders. Or what I like to call billboard and media brainwash syndrome. At age 16 I moved to Germany for 6 months as an exchange student and, due to the change in my diet, I gained 20 lbs. Those 20lbs came with insecurity, anxiety, depression and lots of other mental issues I lived with for over 6 years. I remember staring at the models on billboards and on the pages of magazines for hours questioning why on earth I couldn’t be like them. That’s when bulimia knocked my door. I don’t even remember how it started. I just remember thinking that was my way out of the 20lbs. I would weight myself at least 3 times a day after eating meals, exercising, or else…. A year after bulimia took over, my family found out and took me to a psychologist. They were all so worried for my life. The psychologist helped and I was able to calm my anxiety but then I went to college and found myself alone. That’s when anorexia decided to rule my kingdom. I would eat an apple and a tiny salad with a can of tuna per day from Monday to Friday and then stuff my face with all the junk food I could find on Saturdays and Sundays. I had no clue of what I was doing to my body, soul and mind. A slow form of suicide. I dealt with bulimia and anorexia until I turned 22 and found yoga. It helped me quiet my mind and find a balanced connection with my soul. At age 23 I decided to become vegetarian because of my love towards animals, and for the first time in years I stuck to something GOOD. Something pure. Something healthy. It was through yoga and a vegetarian (and later vegan) diet that I learned to calm my cravings, quiet those insecure thoughts, eat food that actually nourishes my body (lots of it!), feel good after eating, and even learned to understand and love my body. Every inch of it. I’m not perfect. I don’t have the curves of a VS model but I am me. This body is mine. My temple. My treasure and I only have one of those. One body. One life. The last time I weighted myself(besides annual doctor visits) was exactly 6 years ago when I promised myself I would never have a scale at home again….and I never did. This is one of the reasons why I believe so powerfully in the wonders of a yogi, plantbased and  balanced lifestyle guys. You might be wondering how I dare to share this phase of my life with you…total strangers. Let’s just say I also promised myself I would use the blog, my social media and my story for a greater purpose this year and every year after. Use it for something kind and life-changing…for those reading this and going through something similar (There’s always a way out, loves. Always!), and for me as well. Life should be about inspiring and being inspired, babes. Every day!

With that being said, here’s the first video tutorial of one of the things I drink every morning for breakfast (combined with Ezekiel toasts or an oatmeal or something similar) or have as an afternoon snack. Yummy, kind, vegan and filling protein smoothie FULL of superfoods. :)

Quote of the day: “Food can be your medicine or your slowest form of poison.”

What you'll need the following organic ingredients:

-Maca

-Camu Camu

-Hemp Oil

-Diatomaceous Earth

-VEGA protein (Vanilla)

-Plantbased milk (Almond, Soy, Coconut or Cashew Milk)

-Frozen Berry Mix

-Frozen Mango Mix

-Banana

-Raw Agave Honey

-Toasted Coconut Chips