Breakfast, Food

Easy like Sunday: Delicious Vegan, Gluten Free, Banana Pancakes

April 5, 2015
Gluten free, Vegan banana pancakes

These pancakes are model tested and boyfriend approved. They have a light, fluffy texture and are the perfect canvas for your favorite pancake toppings.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 Cup Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 flax “egg” (Mix 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 2 tablespoons water and let sit for 5 minutes. The “egg” should have a gel-like texture.)
  • 1/2 cup coconut milk or almond milk
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions:

+ Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt) and set aside.

+ Puree 1 ripe banana  and then slowly add coconut milk, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, and flaxseed egg.

+ Blend dry and wet ingredients until batter has a smooth consistency.

+ Cook pancakes thoroughly on both sides until they are golden brown.

+ Top with organic maple syrup, fresh berries, banana slices, coconut flakes, ect…

Enjoy! 

 

Food

Breakfast 101: How to stay fueled, focused, and fabulous all morning.

April 1, 2015
Gluten free vegan oatmeal

Breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day but so often people skip out on this essential morning meal. A well balanced breakfast kick-starts your digestive system, fires up your metabolism, and gives your body the essentials vitamins and minerals it needs for optimal health.

I wanted to share with you what I eat for breakfast and a few tips for making healthy choices while on-the-go.

My go-to oatmeal recipe: 

{I slow cook my oats in water and add the flaxseeds and chia seeds after it’s cooked. I love to make this when I have extra time in the morning.}

  • 1/3 cup gluten free oats
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon raw almond butter or peanut butter
  • Any combination of fresh, organic fruit including: banana, strawberries, blueberries, pomegranate seeds, raspberries, ect…
  • A splash of unsweetened, organic almond milk

My pre-work smoothie: 

{I’ll blend this up before a long day at work. It’s packed with protein, vitamins, and healthy carbohydrates to keep me fueled and focused all morning.}

Smoothie - Berries and Greens

Mixed berries smoothie

 

My grab-and-go option:

{This is what I’ll grab when I’m running late. It’s not the most balanced meal but it keeps me going until I can grab something more substantial}

  • Larabars {I love the Peanut Butter Cookie or Blueberry Muffin flavors}
  • An organic banana
Breakfast 101: Grab and Go

Grab and Go!

 

Tips and Tricks: 

+First things first: I always kick start my day with water! I start with plain, filtered water and follow it with a mug of hot lemon water.

+ Skipping regular meals and snacks can trigger stress hormones that will potentially make you gain weight. Breakfast is important for everyone, but is vital for those who are trying to lose weight.

+ Try to start your day with a healthy balance of protein, fat, and healthy carbs. This will keep your blood sugars stable and your energy levels up. For me that means a clean, vegan protein shake with flax oil and fruit or oatmeal topped with nuts or some kind of nut-butter.

+ At the airport? I always pick up a plain oatmeal from Starbucks and top it with whatever I can find around the airport. Starbucks usually has bananas and you can most likely track down some almonds or trail mix at a Hudson News or something similar.

Hot lemon water

Hot lemon water

 

 

Dessert, Food, Snacks

Delicious Chocolate Avocado Smoothie

March 5, 2015
chocolate avocado smoothie

You can have your shake and drink it too! This creamy chocolate avocado smoothie concoction is a fantastic way to get your chocolate fix in a healthy, nourishing way.

Ingredients:

1 banana

1/2 large avocado

2 tablespoons raw cacao powder

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 date (pitted)

 

Lifestyle

15 Things To Add To Your Life In 2015

January 4, 2015
The Healthful Model Hannah Larson photographed by Leo Lam

Happy 2015! The New Year is a time to look inward, reflect and refine our goals for the coming year. I wanted to share my list of things that you can add to your life in 2015. People often associate the word resolution with deprivation, extreme exercise and unrealistic lifestyle changes. Here is a list of 15 things you can simply include in your current lifestyle that will make a positive impact:

  1. Positive thinking.
  2. Daily acts of self love.
  3. Patience for yourself and for others.
  4. Healthy friendships and relationships.
  5. Workouts that you love, not loath.
  6. Books that interest you.
  7. Positive body talk.
  8. Goal setting.
  9. Proactive choices, instead of procrastination.
  10. Community involvement and volunteer work.
  11. Organic fruits and vegetables.
  12. Global awareness.
  13. Self-confidence.
  14. Fueling your body for health and vitality.
  15. Giving your best, most honest version of yourself to the world.

Cheers to health and happiness!