Super C Strawberry Mango Protein Punch

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Although spring is right around the corner, cold and flu season is still holding on. I have been super busy, so staying on top of my game, mentally and physically has been really important. No time to get sick! My crazy busy life demands an extra dose of Vitamin C. My delicious Super C Strawberry Mango Protein Punch has been a great way to start the day and fight office germs. Instead of almond milk, I added 1 cup of OJ to my favorite AM smoothie when I was starting to feel a little under the weather and voila, a new recipe was born! They say "out of necessity comes invention", after all.

With 30 g of protein (60% DV) and over 350% DV of Vitamin C, my Super C Strawberry Mango Protein Punch is the perfect way to start the day!

Apple Pie Chai Chia Pudding

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I love a slice of apple pie, but there's something about it that always made my mom say "no" when I reached for it at breakfast. I always had a convincing counterargument..."but mom, its apples. apples are healthy." She always won. Here I am at 29 still trying to have apple pie at 8 AM. This recipe has become my favorite chia pudding by far. It's like warm apple pie without the guilt. It is easy to make ahead of time, store in the fridge and reheat the apples as necessary. This makes a delicious breakfast or afternoon snack to hold you over until dinner. If you're one for texture (to reminisce about pie crust), try sprinkling some unsweetened toasted nuts on top.

Peaches 'n Cream Chia Pudding

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Back to School: What's for Lunch?

A little brain teaser to get started...
What is dairy (lactose) free, gluten free, vegetarian, organic, anti-inflammatory, naturally low sugar, but 100% tasty?
Peaches 'n Cream Chia Pudding, of course!

It's back to school season. This means the tiny humans are on the go, eating at school, heading to soccer practice and doing homework while their respective adults are playing chauffeur and personal chef, packing lunches and snacks. Although I am the tiniest human in the Benjamin house, and by no means headed back to school, as summer winds down and school kicks up I feel the changing seasons (gone are the lazy days). I am challenging myself to plan ahead and stay organized, especially when it comes to food.

Tossing a pre-made snack or frozen meal into a lunchbox is obviously the most convenient option, but the calorie and sugar content can be through the roof. I myself am guilty of this when it comes to my lunch at least once a week...I run out of leftovers and here I am on Thursday morning digging through the freezer for a HotPocket. Don't fall into the habit of prepackaged, high sugar snacks. Homemade can be just as simple but loads healthier when executed effectively. Take 5 minutes to throw together some Peaches 'n Cream Chia Pudding. The perk of this recipe is that it preps well and keeps throughout the week. Try making a batch on Sunday night, divide it into smaller containers and suddenly you are armed with a week of fresh and healthy snacks!

Protein Packed Raspberry Mango Smoothie

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For the past 6 months, I have been occasionally complaining about writing and sharing recipes inspired by the mysterious eye pain that has been plaguing my left eye. This black eye, punched-in-the-face-feeling is something that I wake up with, coexist with and only feel relief from upon loosing consciousness every night. As I have written in the past, I have started introducing elements of an anti-inflammatory diet into my life as much as possible. After countless (14) visits to my eye doctor, primary, and several other useless highly qualified specialists, I decided to take my journey on an alternate path and pursue acupuncture.  (You're probably asking what this has to do with a smoothie recipe, hold on just a minute, I'm almost there). Upon meeting this doctor, she reminded me the importance of protein in our diets to help our muscles perform properly. Alas, my Protein Packed Raspberry-Mango Smoothie was born. Not only rich in protein (talk about 88% DV) but also ingredients like raspberry, almond milk, spirulina and turmeric which are recommended for their anti-inflammatory properties.

Now let's blend, biotches!

Blueberry Spinach Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie

As I wrote back in March, I have been experiencing this mysterious pain and pressure in my left eye since early December, similar to a black eye. With Advil (an anti-inflammatory), some research and a change in my diet to include anti-inflammatory foods, it is better but not cured. To help ease the discomfort, every Sunday I prep a week's worth of smoothies in a set of mason jars to dump into the blender every morning and haul with me to work. This week's lineup includes my recent "Blueberry Spinach Anti-Inflammatory Smoothie". There are a handful of fruits, veggies and spices with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which include (but are not limited to)

• Turmeric 
• Ginger
• Grapefruit
• Spirulina
• Pineapple
• Papaya
• Leafy greens including arugula, kale and spinach 
• Blueberry
• Green Tea

Grapefruit Ginger Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away"...not in my case! I've been battling a mysterious pain in my left eye for almost 4 months. After countless eye doctor exams, specialists and tests, advil has been the answer.