Post Workout Recovery Smoothie

Whether working out at home or at a gym, this is one of my favorite drinks after a workout. I always include the ingredients below in my morning smoothie to help my body feel energize and recover quickly after a hard workout.

As an option, you can add vegan protein powder to your post workout recovery drinks. Here are the main ingredients on my smoothie and the reason why I love them (check them out below the video):

  1. Cordyceps – recovery, helping your body get ready for the next big workout
  2. Banana: Carbohydrates and potassium help muscles recover
  3. Spinach: rich in vitamins magnesium, calcium and iron. Protects and benefits eye health, reduces oxidative stress and reduces blood pressure levels.
  4. Blueberries: High in antioxidants that help reduce inflammation which can help counteract soreness
  5. Ginger: Also anti-inflammatory, which will help with soreness
  6. Hemp Seeds: High in protein, which helps repair and build muscles after a workout
  7. Chia Seeds: Also high in protein and helps you rehydrate at a cellular level
  8. Coconut Water: full of electrolytes, helping you replenish after a long workout. Has antioxidant properties and will help lower blood pressure.

Having a daily smoothie is one of the best ways to ensure large amounts of deeply nourishing foods your body needs for weight loss, fat burning, muscle building, elasticity, etc.

5 Tips To Stay Healthy When Stress Is High

Let’s say you’re traveling, working crazy hours or overwhelmed with school. You’re running in a million direction and can’t really pay attention to your diet or your routine. What to do?

These super simple 5 tips can make the difference between getting sick as a dog or staying healthy in the face of high stress!

Stay Healthy While Traveling | My Top 5 Travel Essential Products

I love travel! Visiting new places, learning about new cultures, people, ways of living. I especially love trying the local foods. Even as a vegan, I rarely run out of options because almost every culture and corner of the world has a ton of plant-based dishes to enjoy.

Yep, travel is amazing…. but it can have its drawbacks.

Jet lag, eating during off hours, indulging in a lot of process and sugary treats are all part of the experience but it can impair your immune function and make you feel ill. And that’s a perfect way to ruin an otherwise amazing experience.

So today, I wanted to share my top 5 go-to supplements and herbs I take with me everywhere I go. These are packaged in small container so that they are easy to travel with and take with you while on the road.

Check out the video below:

Here is the full list and a link where you can buy them:
1. Melatonin
2. Oil of Oregano
3. Wellness Fizz
4. I Travel Well drops
5. Organifi Go

Get them all at:
https://kit.com/JovankaCiares/travel-essentials

Herbs to Ease Heartburn, GERD and Acid Reflux

Have you ever suffered from that awful burning sensation at the top of your stomach? Or what about stomach pain, stinging sensation in the throat and chest, and persistent throat sore throat!

If you have or know someone who does, do not despair. There’s one little herbal remedy that people have been using for decades to help relieve these symptoms and more (it’s great for ulcers too)!

Even my dad uses it to help manage his GERD.

What’s the magic ingredient???? Slippery Elm!

First things first: to get yours, Click Here

Secondly: Check Out the video below (more below the video)

Thirdly, a fun Trivia: Slippery Elm is one of the few herbs that’s FDA approved as a medication!

Fourth and finally:

Here’s the recipe:

  • Mix slippery elm, cinnamon, nutmeg and water in a small pot to form a smooth paste.
  • Add nut or coconut milk and stir over a low flame, gently heating the mixture and stirring constantly until there are no lumps.
  • Turn off the heat and add your sweetener of choice.

Enjoy and feel better!

Herbal Tonic for Feminine Health

Regardless of where you are in your life: early 20’s and enjoying singlehood, perhaps ready to conceive, struggling with hormonal issues, have absolutely no sex drive, dealing with pre menopause or menopause, just to name a few, this female tonic herb will help you for sure!

First, here are the ingredients and why they are so amazing:

*Stinging Nettle

This is my most favorite all around fertility herb. Not only does it tone and nourish the uterus, it also promotes strengthening of the kidneys and adrenal glands.  If you are or have ever been a coffee drinker, this herb is for you!

One, two, or even more cups per day of this high mineral tea which is also loaded with chlorophyll (a detoxifier) for several months goes a long way toward preparing a woman’s body for pregnancy and for sustaining the embryo once conception occurs.

*Red Raspberry

Red Raspberry leaves, particularly the wild kind, are very high in calcium.   Like Nettle and Red Clover, Red Raspberry leaves serve as a soothing uterine tonic and hence a very effective fertility herb.

The fertility promoting effects of Red Raspberry are enhanced in combination with other herbs, particularly Red Clover.

 

*Red Clover 

Red clover is an excellent fertility herb primarily due to the high amounts of calcium and magnesium. These two minerals are believed to be of high importance in affecting a woman’s ability to conceive.

Red clover contains every single trace element needed by the glandular system.   As such, this alkalizing herb is probably the single most effective plant used for balancing of the hormones needed for conception to take place.    Balancing the body acid/alkaline PH, and thereby, the uterus PH, goes a long way toward favoring conception.

Now there’s the awesome infusion:

Equal parts of:

  • Red Clover
  • Red Raspberries
  • Nettles

Combine in about 24 ounces or warm to hot water (not boiling hot, please) and steep overnight or during the day. Drink 1-2 cups a day and leave the rest in the fridge, drinking it daily or at least every other day.

Try it, you won’t regret it. Give it a go and let me know in the comments below!

 

What a Health Coach Eats, Winter Edition

I often get asked what I eat in a day and the answer to that question is “it depends”. I eat differently in winter than in summer and regularly check with my alternative medicine practitioners to check for imbalances and nutrient deficiency.

Having said that, you can still follow some simple basic principles to help your body feel its best regardless of the time of the year.

Here’s what a health coach (moi) eats during winter!

Now, below the video, tell me: do you eat for the seasons? What are you eating these days and how does your body feel? Let me know in the comments below!

The ONE Thing That Helped Me Heal From IBS

Have you heard about the incredible health benefits of L-glutamine?

The most common uses of glutamine pare to lose weight fast, burn fat and build muscle. But we now also know that this powerful animo acid is very helpful in treating leaky gut and improving my symptoms of IBS.

That’s why I used it and still continue to supplement on it.

How does L-Glutamine benefit your digestive health? Check out the video below!

And btw, Veggies high in L –Glutamine include Spirulina, Chinese Cabbage, Asparagus and Broccoli Raab… enjoy!

 

 

Vegan Raw Chocolate Mousse

What do you do when on the go and in need of some fun superfood cacao treat? A raw vegan chocolate mousse of course! I’m making this treat on my Nutribullet so if I can do it on a tiny blender, so can you! Check out the video for my simple (on the go) and totally yummy recipe for a vegan chocolate mousse:

What I love the most about this recipe is that it’s filled with antioxidants, healthy fats, micronutrients and none of the bad stuff in commercial chocolates!

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 avocados
  • 3/4 cup pitted dates
  • 1/4 cup of cocoa powder
  • Chaga and Reishi mushroom tincture

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Blend until smooth
  • Blend until combined

Immune Boosting Herbs

I LOVE herbs and spices, take them with me everywhere I travel, use them for minor ailments and offer them to clients to compliment their wellness practice.

Check out this video of herbs and supplements that have drawn attention from researchers for their immunity protecting properties!

ALFALFA

The extensive root system allows the plant to absorb a high level of nutrients from the soil. It is known to detoxes the urinary tract, purify the blood and liver and have a strong alkaline effect on the body. It also promotes bowel movement regularity and healthy hydration.

ASHWAGANDA

This is an excellent adrenal supportive herb that balances the entire hormonal system. It reduces stress on the adrenal gland and stimulate the thyroid gland activity. It is also known to reinforce immune activity. It can help the body build a line of defense for the endocrine and metabolic systems.

ASTRAGALUS

One of the most potent immune tonics used to improve the lungs, strengthen muscles, increase metabolism, reduce stress and strengthen the genetics. It is also a diuretic and promotes waste elimination as it promotes digestion and adrenal gland function.

BRAHMI (GOTU KOLA)

An Ayurvedic herb that helps boost memory and improve dementia. It also balances neurotransmitters in the brain, reducing stress and improving immunity.

CHAGA MUSHROOMS

Chaga contains the highest amounts of anti-tumor compounds of any herb. It is also high in phytochemicals, nutrients, and free-radical antioxidants, especially melanin. Chaga is second only to cacao in antioxidant content and is a powerful anti-cancer herb.

Have you tried any of these? Let me know in the comments below!

 

Raw Cacao Energy Balls

These are so easy and so amazing for you I had to share here!

I make these when I’m running out of superfoods, to kind of use them all and the make a big shopping run and get all the new batch of fresh, new supplements. Get the recipe on this video!

Raw {Vegan} Cacao Energy Balls

INGREDIENTS

  • Cocoa powder
  • Nuts (1-2 types)
  • Chia seeds
  • Cinnamon
  • Moringa powder
  • Dates
  • Chaga mushrooms

*Amounts are to taste

Note: You can also add flax seeds for fiber, hemp seeds for protein, coconut oil for healhty fats. Truly, they are so versatile, you can add whatever you’d like!

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Blend all ingredients in a high power blender
  • Using your hands, get a small fist full and make a small balls
  • Keep them in a bow in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Enjoy!

Tell me how you like them in the comment section below!

 

This is the WORST protein powder EVER! – WHEY

Do you know where Whey comes from? It’s a byproduct of milk that is produced during the cheese making process. By definition, it is the waste of the cheese processing industry. It is a very popular supplement that many doctors consider toxic! So what is it and why is it bad for you?!

Check out the video below to learn more about this potentially dangerous substance!

Did you know it can cause serious problems? Let me know by leaving a comment or question below.

Natural Remedies For Dry Cough

Last January I caught a mini cold, which was promptly healed with my trusted green juices, an alkalizing plant based diet and lots of self-TLC. The cold was going in about 3 days but it left a bit of a cough, which went on for weeks and weeks… in fact, 4 months later, I still had that stupid little cough.

That constant dry cough still irritates and causes fatigue, which can weaken your immunity, making you susceptible to more problems. See the never ending loop?!

So here are my tips and home remedy for getting rid of that nasty dry cough!

Have you experienced those pesky coughs that last for weeks? What did you do to make it go away?

 

How To Do Oil Pulling

Welcome to video #4 of the detox diaries. On this video I want to focus on a single, simple yet powerful detoxifying technique that’s all the rage these days.

Oil pulling!

A fantastic, simple practice that will keep your teeth looking amazing and your gut from too many toxins. So What the heck is Oil Pulling?

It is an ancient detoxification art that started in India as oil gargling thousands of years ago.

Go to the video below to learn more and how to do it!

OK, be honest! Will you try it? Pretty-please! Just once, you will LOVE It!

Give it a go and let me know what you think in the comments below!

How Not To Get Sick (When Everyone Else Is)

Are you the kind that gets sick every other month? I mean, you get the flu in the fall/winter, you catch all your co-workers germs, get the summer cold that only a few get.

In a nutshell, you’re sick of getting sick!

So how do you protect yourself from all those germs, strengthen your immunity and stop getting sick when everyone else around you is?

Check out this video to learn more!

Which one of these tips are you most likely to implement first? Let me know in the comments below!

Finally! The end of PMS once as for all!

If you’re a gal (or have one in your life), you know how PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome) can wreck havoc in your life!

But does it have to be this way?

The truth is that the crazy PMS “monster” that some women face every month is not normal and not what nature intended.

So instead of “dealing” with the nasty effects of PMS every month, nip it in the butt with these easy-to-do tips

Which ones of these have you tried before?

Which one has worked best for you?

Which are you most likely to try next?

Let me know by leaving a comment below!

About Jovanka

Jovanka Ciares is a former entertainment executive turned Wellness expert, detox specialist, nutrition educator and author. She is the creator of the Wellness Smackdown™, a proprietary detox and weight loss program for natural weight loss which was featured on the first season of ABC’s “My Diet Is Better Than Yours”...

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