Health + Recipes: Banana Chai Smoothie

Simple recipes with less ingredients are not only fun and easy, but healthier for your body! This simple smoothie recipe from Free People is delicious and nutritious. Make this at home as part of your breakfast or for a mid-day snack!

Cinnamon is known to help lower blood sugar for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It can also lower LDL cholesterol levels. Chai on the other hand is a great digestive aid! And of course bananas are packed with potassium and fiber ;)

Enjoy the taste and the health benefits!

Makes 1 smoothie

1 banana
1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp chai spice (add more or less, depending on your taste!)
1 cup ice cubes

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth.  Top with a little bit of nutmeg or cinnamon!

Sunday Inspo: The Law of Pure Potentiality

Take a Moment 

Law of Pure Potentiality: The source of all creation is pure consciousness. Pure potentiality seeking expression from the unmanifest to the manifest. And when we realize that our true Self is one of pure potentiality, we align with the power that manifests everything in nature.  

I will put the Law of Pure Potentiality into effect by making a commitment to take the following steps:

1. I will get in touch with the field of pure potentiality by taking time each day to be silent, to just Be. I will also sit alone in silent meditation at least twice a day for approximately thirty minutes in the morning and thirty minutes in the evening.
2. I will take time each day to commune with nature and to silently witness the intelligence within every living thing. I will sit silently and watch a sunset, or listen to the sound of the ocean or a stream, or simply smell the scent of a flower. In the ecstasy of my own silence, and by communing with nature, I will enjoy the life throb of ages, the field of pure potentiality and unbounded creativity.
3. I will practice non-judgment. I will begin my day with the statement, "Today, I shall judge nothing that occurs", and throughout the day I will remind myself not to judge. source

Beauty: The Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut

Who knew that one of the most simple cooking oils could be so useful? 

According to Dr.Oz...

Coconut oil can also positively affect our hormones for thyroid and blood-sugar control. People who take coconut oil also tend to have improvements in how they handle blood sugar since coconut can help improve insulin use within the body. Coconut oil can boost thyroid function helping to increase metabolism, energy and endurance. It increases digestion and helps to absorb fat-soluble vitamins.

Can coconut oil reduce cholesterol?

Coconut oil has a saturated fat called lauric acid, a type of MCT. It has been shown that lauric acid increases the good HDL cholesterol in the blood to help improve cholesterol ratio levels.  Coconut oil lowers cholesterol by promoting its conversion to pregnenolone, a molecule that is a precursor to many of the hormones our bodies need. Coconut can help restore normal thyroid function. When the thyroid does not function optimally, it can contribute to higher levels of bad cholesterol.

How does coconut help keep weight balanced?

Coconut fats have special fats called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). It has been shown that breaking down these types of healthy fats in the liver leads to efficient burning of energy. One 2009 study found that women who consumed 30 milliliters (about 2 tablespoons) of coconut oil daily for 12 weeks not only did not gain more weight, but actually had lowered amounts of abdominal fat, a type of fat that is difficult to lose, and contributes to more heart problems.

Is it true coconut can help with aging?

The oils found in the coconut have a positive antioxidant action in the body. This means they help our body stop the damage to other healthy fats and tissues in our body. Oxidation is considered a major contributor to cardiovascular problems and skin aging. Coconut oil can actually help our bodies reduce the need for antioxidant intake.

Is coconut oil good for my skin and hair?

We tell our patients that from the time of infancy through the senior years,  coconut oil is a wonderful moisturizer for skin and hair. It has good amounts of the antioxidant vitamin E, which is very protective. If you are using on the skin regularly, it is best to try to find an organic coconut oil, to reduce the absorption of toxins and pesticides through your skin.

We even recommend new parents massage infants with coconut oil after a bath. One 2005 study of 120 babies showed that a coconut oil massage is safe and has health benefits.

How can I use coconut oil?

Coconut oil works in both baked goods like zucchini and banana bread and with vegetables. It is especially tasteful when paired with bitter greens like kale. You can use it as part of the onion and garlic sauté, where it offers a surprisingly different and pleasant full-bodied taste. It is also a wonderful addition to oatmeal to make it even creamier, while staying healthy.

Inspiration + Quotes: It's The Little Things

Bits n' Pieces

It's that moment you captured perfectly with your camera, the scent of the sun, the feeling of a breeze, the morning light shining through the window, the fresh leaves on trees or the wind blowing through your hair; it's the little things. 

The little things in life are sometimes what matter the most, and what's missed the most. 

Saturday has brought on a fun collection of the bits n' pieces in life that we find big enough to inspire. Appreciate the simple things you love in your daily life! You will find that without them, things wouldn't be quite the same ;)

Inspiration: Nature Meets Civilization

The Roots

For centuries our man-made world has evolved into a technological concrete jungle that has conquered most of the earth's grounds. It is our shelter, way of life and engine behind our culture.  

But is it also a veil that blinds us more and more from the significance of nature as innovations advance? 

Will humanity grow accustomed to nature being an extinguished part of the earth's past? 

Global warming, chemical pollution in our water systems, endangered species and other nature-threatening occurrences may make us lose hope in preserving our mother planet. However, nature's beauty is still more alive and radiant than ever. We have the power to respect, save and coexist with what's left of our natural home. 

Inspiration thrives from nature within fashion, health and more (even technology). It is the root of our existence and the air we breathe. 

With that being said, it’s only necessary that our concrete jungle be-friends the jungle ;)

How? 

By incorporating nature into our daily way of life! The possibilities are endless. Add your favorite houseplants as part of your home decor. Plant a lemon tree, a raspberry bush. Ditch the plan to renovate your backyard into a pool-Jacuzzi-BBQ-lounging- mini golf contraption and grow a garden. It’s simple. It’s important. 

It’s important for our understanding of how vital natural life is to our inner and outer being. 

Below is a hunt+gather collection of the mesmerizing beauty of nature and its placement in our modern world. It's a fascinating combination to get lost in: a tribute to our roots- Mother Nature.

Enjoy :)

*only because this was too cute not to share

source