GOODNIGHT

BEST PART OF THE DAY 

hallelujah you've made it to your bed again. Here's some friends that will help put you to sleep and wake up happy

almond butter

slather it on your dessert. Almond butter is mostly fat so it digests very slowly. That means eating it before bed will allow for it to gradually breakdown. This gradual release into your bloodstream will keep you steady throughout the night and steady bloodsugar means steady zzzzzz's. 

tart cherries

Cherries are naturally high in melatonin, a hormone involved in putting you to sleep. So put a cherry on top and hit the hayy. 

water

oh baby. You're about to enter the desert. Your bed = the sahara. 8 hours of no water. oh the horror! swig back 8 oz of water right before you go to sleep to properly prepare yourself. This is CRUCIAL to digest a days worth of eating. You can't do anything without water. It's the most valuable thing to your body and it's free. So drink it. Drink it all the time. Especially before bed. But also don't pee the bed. 

DETOX

START FRESH

so it was a rough week. you gave into the dessert menu one too many times. you've been traveling and stuck with airplane food. you've been living off of granola bars for the past week. Whatever the reason is...YOU FEEL LIKE CRAP! Start your week off right by clearing your slate. Here's some ideas that might help you feel better and start fresh!

Try to avoid things with wrappers for the week. Eat whole foods that make you feel good to jumpstart your body. It will eat up nutrients, especially when it's sad.

watermelon

Anything with a high water content will get your juices flowing!! Watermelon is good because it digests super fast. You just have to make sure you eat it FIRST. Eat water melon on an empty stomach for optimal digestion. Eat as much as you want!!! I usually cut the puppy in half and stick a spoon to it. Perfect breakfast or afternoon snack :) 

Charcoal 

The ultimate detoxer. Activated coconut charcoal baby. It has no taste and it's really good at its job. Charcoal will gather everyone in your body thats bad, and take them to the exit. It's negatively charged so it attracts positivley charged molecules like toxins and gases. By trapping these molecules, they are not absorbed in you beautiful body. Drink some charcoal before it's too late!!!!!!!!! Careful not to take it with your multi-vitamin because it might accidentally absorb that too!!!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Take a shot of apple cider vinegar when your belly needs help digesting. Or really just whenever I guess. Apple cider vinegar helps breakdown food that your stomach acid is working on. Once digested, it can speed up you metabolism, keep you from getting sick, and put a really funny look on your face because it tastes so strong. 

You can also use apple cider vinegar as a salad dressing or everyday ingredient. So take a shot or sprinkle on your food. Either way, it should always be in your pantry. 

Water

Triple your water intake!!! You can't do anything without water!!!!!

greens

just freaking eat anything that’s green. anything. minus the green gummy worm.

PARTY

GET UP GET DOWN

BUT FEEL GOOD

"we keepin it real with these people, right?" - Beyonce

PRE

Charcoal. Put a teaspoon of activated charcoal in a glass of water and drink it before you try to bust a move. This will get the detoxing before the storm hits. 

DURING

Some liquids are better than others:) If you like Kombucha, get yourself some boochcraft. It's kombucha that has been fermented for a bit longer so you have to be 21 to buy it if you know what I mean muahaha. If you drink boochcraft, it will still help you bust a move but won't poison your body so you won't wake up with a hangover. Don't drink it too fast though. It's carbonated so sip don't chug.

I would also suggest making a feel good smoothie. It's so frekain yummy. Put some spinach in it so it looks all green and no one will take it from you.

1/4 cup frozen pineapple

1/4 cup frozen mango

a few strawberries and banana slices (optional)

couple shots HA maybe more

1 handful of spinach  

1 cup liquid (coconut water, kombucha, juice water)

3 ice cubes

1 tbsp chia seeds

AFTER

HIT THE CHARCOAL AGAIN!!!! Now this guy has a job. Charcoal is negatively charged so it will attract all the bad guys in your guts and flush them out of your body. Drink the charcoal, wake up happy. 

don’t forget to chug water

NEXT DAY

HANGOVER SMOOTHIE

the things you need to focus on kickstarting are your digestion, brain function, glucose levels, and hydration...heres the ingredients to put everything that's out of whack in whack.  

1 tbsp of coconut oil 

1 frozen banana

1 cup frozen berries

1 tbsp chia seeds

1 cup coconut water (or regular water)

1/2 cup spinach

3 cm grated ginger 

3 ice cubes

focus

brain food

It's super easy to get distracted in life when we are busy and lose track of what we are putting in our body. But the busy times are the most important times to be health concious!! Your body function and your brain function have to keep up with your to do list. So eat the goods to keep your pen flowin. Here's some goodies that will keep you on track...

popcorn

Believe it or not, popcorn is one of the perfect study snacks. Popcorn is a whole grain and has the power to improve brain functionality by increasing blood flow. Eat popcorn. Remember stuff. It also helps curb sugar cravings. 

apples 

Apples are for the time in the library when you hit a literal wall. When you're coasting and then BAM it's over and your eyes are sinking and drool is spooling out of your mouth. APPLES. Don't get a cup of coffee because apples can do the job!!! While they don't actually have caffeine in them, the sugar in apples will give you a spike to energize your brain. Eat em however you like. The only problem is everyone in the library knows you're eating an apple when you're eating a apple. But that's okay. They also will clean your teeth if you forgot to brush. But don't forget to brush. 

kombucha

oh gah where would I be without some booch. Kombucha is fermented tea. Fermentation allows for the production of probiotics which will aid digestion. BUT in regards to studying, kombucha will keep you focused and alert. Most brands use green tea or black tea in the mix and you know what that means...CAFFFFFEEEEEIIINNNEEEE

Sunflower Seeds

Chow down on some seeds. They have an amino acid called tryptophan which has the power to soothe anxiety and stress. 

RUNNING

PROBABLY THE BEST THING EVER INVENTED

MAN I could really just rave about how great running is but that's for a different website. Here's some ideas on how to keep yourself moving when you're really pushin...

beets

beets are great for your cardiovascular system. Beets are a nitrate (NO3) rich vegetable. When nitrate enters your system, its converted into Nitric Oxide (No) and nitric oxide helps deliver oxygen to your muscles. Its opens up your blood vessels so oxygen can take a nice smooth ride. So your muscles will be stronger, your heart rate will be lower, and help your lungs. It's so cool!!!!!!!! Often times, before a race, I take a beet shot. I actually hate beets so this is a good way to get it down.

cherries

This puppies are great for recovery!!!!! When we work out super hard, our bodies are sad because they don't have enough oxygen (huffin and puffin). This leads to all sorts of madness (free radical production, lactic acid, inflammation). Lots of runners anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Ibuprofen. These guys inhibit the production of enzyme cox-2 (cyclooxygenase-2) which is responsible for inflammation and pain. BUT GUESS WHO ELSE CAN DO THAT!! cherries woo!!!!!! Drinking cherry juice before an intense workout can help you recover faster. pretty neat! Combine cherries and beets in a preworkout smoothie and get all sorts of benefits:)

coconut water

You drink too much water, you don't drink enough water, you lack electrolytes, you pee it all out...what ever your hydration problem is, coconut water can fix it. Full of appropriate ratios of potassium and sodium, coconut water will get water in your cells and help you retain it too. This will keep your muscles from cramping up, you brain functioning, and your body moving. 

bananas 

Erin duncan may or may not be 98% banana. Loaded with potassium, bananas are an amazing electrolyte! Eat them before, during, or after a workout-there always there for you. There's two types of people in this world - green banana eaters and brown banana eaters. So what's the difference?! bananas chemically alter when they ripen. More green bananas have a highly resistant starch content. So glucose is not released in the small intestine rather in the large intestine (helps with nutrient absorption). This can often leave you a little bit bloated and gasyyyy!! Brown bananas, however, convert a lot fo that resistant starch into sugar. The simple sugar can be digested quicker so the energy can be used quicker (high glycemic index). Brown bananas also have a higher content of antioxidants

SICK

DODGE

Sometimes being sick sounds like a nice way to get out of a long to-do list. But then as soon as you get sick you're like why did I ever wish that because you still have to cross things off and you just feel crappy doing it. So don't wish to get sick and don't get sick. Here's some friends that might assist you. 

ALSO side note: your body is working really hard for you. It's at war. Fighting for you. So don't make it extra hard for your cells to gear up. Eating foods that are hard to digest will just put more strain on your already weak cells. When you’re sick, it might be smart to eat food that are already mashed up. Smoothies are usually the ticket for me. 

Garlic

garlic is a very fond friend of mine. Garlic does so many amazing things for you it would be stupid to write a list. BUT I will have you know, they can help prevent getting a cold/sick by so much!! I've read that eating a garlic everyday can reduce your chances by 80%. Which is a lot. Now I don't really know how accurate that statistic is because I personally did not perform the study, but even if it's half true, that's enough for me. 

Garlic can add flavor to your cooked food. Add it to the sauce pan in whatever you're making. Another good way to get daily amount of garlic is eating picked garlic. You might think "wow you're really weird". Which I am. But believe me or don't: picked garlic is delicious. You can make it or buy it. I eat about 4 cloves a day and I think they do a tremendous job. Thanks garlic. 

ginger 

ginger is another really powerful little guy. Especially in the sick department. Ginger can prevent you from getting sick or help you get better faster. So take your pick. It's an anti-inflammatory so it can calm your whole body down. 

Drink some ginger tea when your feeling down. It will help soothe a sore throat it the snap of a finger! (maybe slightly longer) 

apple cider vinegar 

take a shot of this every day or so and you're golden 

bee pollen 

really good at helping with allergies

ACTIVE

Your body needs fuel!! Everyone is so different when it comes to fueling a workout. What does yours like? Fuel your body with whole foods and soak up some nutrients. Eat to live don't live to eat :D

before

always try to eat a little something before you push your body. It needs something to work with. If there's no food in your system, it will start drawing energy from you muscles (not your fat) first and leave you sore and depleted. Give your machine some gas and it will GO

AFTER

Eating immediately after a workout is the most crucial time to be eating!! After you finish, you're still burnin. So it give it something to burn. You will have more trouble completing your workout tomorrow if you starve yourself after your workout today. Carbohydrates are super important in muscle repair. So munch those bad boys up. 

Before

1. BANANAS. My go to is always a banana. Bananas deliver your body with electrolytes, carbohydrates, glucose, and ENERGY. Bananas settle in your stomach are can be digested quickly. 

2. DATES. Dates are full of glucose and can serve you with immediate energy. They're digested super quick so they wont sit in your stomach. Not to mention they taste like caramel dessert :) 

3. OATS. if you really need to load up, oatmeal is wonderful. It will keep you satiated for long enough to power through a tough workout, but also won't clog up your tummy. Oat milk coats your stomach lining to keep the acid in your stomach from giving you cramps. 

4. NUT BUTTER. nut butter paired with anything will help the food in your body to last you longer. The high fat content will slow absorption for a steady realease of energy. 

goal: Carbs and protein yayaya. and quick.

after

good freakin job. the work is done and now your ready to replenish!! Full of endorphins, find some yummy food to keep you keepin on. You're looking for balance now. Don't overthink it. Eat what your body (not your tongue) is craving.

1. OATS. Overnight oats are so easy and will be ready for you right when you're done. So convenient!! They deliver proper amounts of carbs, protein and fiber. Add some extra ingredients to give them a boost. (protein powder, chia seeds, nut butter, berries).

2. SMOOTHIE BOWL. heck yeah smoothie bowl all the time. Give your body the building blocks. Add protein kick. Get the chocolate smoothie that you always want bc right now, your body NEEDS it and will put it to use. 

3. BANANA. Banana before, banana after, it don't matter! bananas do it all! Eat a banana with some nut butter for proper refueling. 

4. MACROBAR. If youre runnin out the door, have these bars handy. They're made will real food and so delicious. 

5. PROTEIN SMOOTHIE. you really tryna get those GAINS?! Make yourself a protein smoothie. I usually do 1 frozen banana, 1 scoop of RAW protein, 1 cup of almond milk, a tad of vanilla extract, 2 ice cubes, a few cacao nibs and drink it in about one sip. 

hair and skin

Your hair and skin are a direct reflection of your health (and maybe your hygiene). When you hair and skin are doing well, your body is doing well. Inflammation in your body can arise on the outside. So when your face is breaking out or your hair is breaking, you know your body is sad. So make your body happy and your epeidermis will thank you. 

Here's some guys to help you get stronger and healthier...

blackstrap molasses

coconut oil (external too)

charcoal

AVOCADO

HEALTHY OILS

biotin

vitamin d

on the go

you're busy, we get it

Okay so yeah sometimes you don't have time for lunch. Sometimes you don't have time to think about what you're eating. Sometimes you don't have the energy to get up and make yourself a meal. 

Well guess what! Plants are so easy to just freakin munch. You don't have to cook, just make. Throw your favorite foods together and just eat them! One of my favorite things to have when i feel lazy is a cooked sweet potato, half an avocado and some hummus. Easy as pie. 

OR

bring snack where ever you go!! Buy some fruit, make some balls, or just eat the lawn.

Here's some of our favorite packaged snacks:

Larabars

rickaroons

gomacro bars

skinny pop

bobo bars

and here's some stuff to throw in your bag: 

peanut butter and carrots 

dates

pop your own popcorn

apples and oranges

cooked sweet potato in foil 

overnight oats

chia seed pudding 

trail mix (make your own!)