PROTEIN CHAGA LATTE

Ahh, can I just say - Summer is BASICALLY here which makes me SO HAPPY. 

It makes me want to be outside, snack on fruits and veggies, and experiment with new recipes that are light, refreshing, and of course energizing. 

It also makes me want to be extra active so basically, I just want to have energy all day long to do allll the things, ya know?

I used to literally alllllways have my cupboards stocked with little energizing super powders (check out this blog with all my top favorite elixirs) and then I don't know what happened but I like stopped buying everything?

I think my schedule over the last 3 months was so stupidly busy that I just resorted to the quick and cheap help of espresso but now ladies..NOW, we are back on our GAME! No more messsin' around. It's time to bring back the goodies and make them work foreva in our favor. 

I went to Whole Foods the other day and bought two boxes of Four Sigmatic. I love the Coffee Chaga one because it obviously easily pairs with my almond milk lattes, and I love the Hot Chocolate one in my smoothies.

SO this Protein Chaga Latte was born because in the morning I want energy, and don't really have a big appetite. Typically I'll just have a latte and an apple but to switch things up a little bit (and to work on getting more protein in my diet) I decided to add 1/2 a scoop of vanilla protein into my latte, along with the Chaga Coffee Powder. 

Benefits of Chaga

Chaga is a mushroom superfood that has benefits that you can FEEL. Some of the qualities that it is best known for is anti aging, lowers blood pressure, improves the immune system, fights inflammation (blog post: WHAT CAUSES INFLAMMATION IN THE BODY), and it may help reduce reduce stress and anxiety. 

But what I love the most is that it gives you energy without the jittery crash bullshit that too much coffee can give you. 

The other ingredient that you'll notice in this latte is PEARL POWDER from Sun Potion. 

Benefits of Pearl Powder

Pearl Powder is amazing because it contains a BUNCH of minerals such as calcium, zinc, iron, selenium, and amino acids. (Iron is a big one that most people are deficient in) and it has strong anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties that help with natural collagen production, even skin tones, and support the nervous system!

It's known as a "beauty" powder for these reasons so adding a 1/4 of a teaspoon into my coffee to reap the benefits seems like a no brainer. 

Okay that covers the bases!

Here's the Recipe! 

Make The Protein Chaga Latte:

+ 3/4 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

+ 1/2 Cup Fresh Brew or Cold Brew Cofee

+ 1 Packet Coffee Chaga Four Sigmatic

+ 1 Packet Stevia

+ 1 TBSP Small Dark Chocolate Chips

+ 1/2 Scoop Vanilla (or chocolate) Protein Powder

++++ Blend these ingredients and enjoy hot or cold over a tall glass of ice! 

Comment on this picture on my insta if you try this and don't forget to share it with someone who might want to try it, too!

Keep Reading...

X

EARL GREY WHITE RUSSIAN

Due to my PMS attitude the other day, I came home and immediately felt like having a drink was appropriate but I wanted to at least keep it a little festive. 

Normally I would go for a glass of red but to be honest, we just didn't have any and the thought of going back into LA traffic AGAIN was nauseating so I cancelled that idea and went with this. 

So typically, a White Russian is cream, vodka, and Kahlúa, which isn't bad but I wanted to add my own flavor to it. 

As you guys know, ever since I did my cleanse I have stopped drinking coffee and I have become obsessed with Earl Grey tea. I've realized it works really well as a 'bullet proof coffee" and it gives me lasting energy all day which is just necessary.

I had some Earl Grey tea leftover in my teapot from this morning so I tried adding that to my mix of Vodka, Kahlúa and a few other ingredients and it was PERFECTION. Plus were getting anti-oxidants from the tea sooooo I'll take it lol. Could totally cancel out considering were also drinking vokda but it's worth a shot. 

Okay - let's get into it.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

- 4 BAGS OF EARL GREY TEA

- 1/3 CUP HONEY 

- CINNAMON STICKS (optional, its just for looks)

- Coconut Ice ( @Trader Joes or you can make your own with the rest of your coconut milk. Will have to set aside at least 4 hours for it to freeze, or just use regular ice!)

- 1 tsp VANILLA EXTRACT

- 1 oz COCONUT FULL FAT MILK (in a can)

- 1 1/2 oz KAHLÚA

- 2 oz VODKA

- 3 tbsp ALMOND MILK

- NUTMEG

WHAT TO DO:

1. Boil one cup of water then add 4 tea bags and let it steep for about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, add Vodka, Kahlúa, Coconut Milk and Almond Milk to a mixing glass a stir.
3. Once your tea is done steeping, remove the bags, and add the honey and vanilla extract to your pot and return to a boil. 
4. Once it boils, pour ONE OUNCE of the mix into your glass, stir. 
5. Now just pour everything over regular ice or your coconut ice, sprinkle on some nutmeg, and add a cinnamon stick to garnish!

THE COFFEE FREE SUPERFOOD DRINK THAT ENERGIZES

My boyfriend and I just moved into our first place together which means that his espresso machine has been on the counter which means I've been a MAJOR coffee hoe lately.

I'm talking like at least 4 LARGE shots of espresso a day. It was going well until I realized that it wasn't. I wasn't getting that energizing boost anymore and my stomach felt like it was just a bubble so I decided to stop trying to crack myself out and to just do it "tout naturel" as the french would say. 

I took every superfood and adaptogenic out of my cabinet, threw it into the blender with some almond butter and made a super delicious, energizing drink that ALSO improves athletic performance SO it's my new go to whether I'm just waking up or if I'm getting ready to hit the pavement. 

I had it yesterday before my "spent too much shopping punishment run" and I didn't want to stop. When I posted the drink on Insta you guys asked me all sorts of questions and asked me to post it on the blog so here it is!

SO a little background about the products I'm using...

(Don't worry, I'll link everything at the bottom).

I use all of these products for a very specific reason and I can seriously feel them when they kick in, and it's never a jittery feeling which some of you were asking me about. 

Let's start with:

CORDYCEPS 

Cordyceps are considered an 'anti-aging, exercise boosting medical mushroom". LOVE.

They naturally fight free radicals, inflammation, aging, and infections. They have been used to centuries to reduce liver damage, coughs, colds and respiratory disorders. The serving size is one teaspoon so if I'm just waking up I'll have one, but if I'm getting ready to workout I'll have 2. 

You can find them online or in health food stores. I got mine at some random health store in Santa Barbara!

NEXT: BRAIN DUST AND SPIRIT DUST FROM MOON JUICE

You can also get these online unless you live in LA then I would just go to the store and grab them so that you don't have to pay for shipping. The brain dust gives me some serious focus while the spirit dust seriously RAISES YOUR SPIRITS. 

I don't know how it does it. When I first went shopping around Moon Juice, the staff raved about the Spirit dust but I felt like I was already a pretty happy and positive person and that I didn't really need it. 

I decided to get it the next time I went in and now I'm in love with it. I actually notice myself laughing more and being a little more light hearted if that makes sense. It's good, trust me. 

ALMOND BUTTER

I put in a heaping tablespoon of Justin's Almond Butter because it definitely makes the drink taste BOMB and it gives me an opportunity to get in some healthy fats first thing in the morning which helps to keep me full. 

Last but not least, my fav:

MACA ROOT

Maca root is a superfood from Peru and if you don't know what a superfood is it basically means that it's nutrient composition is notable higher than what our body's basic survival needs call for. 

For example superfoods have :

• Clean protein
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Enzymes
• Antioxidants
• Good fats
• Essential fatty acids
• Amino acids

All the goodies. Maca root in particular has become a fav of mine because it has a slightly nutty flavor and it gives you energy + FOCUS like you wouldn't believe. 

I gave it to my boyfriend one morning in his coffee drink without mentioning it because I'm so used to making it that way and I noticed he was EXTRA hyper, haha I think he had a slight jog everywhere rather than his relaxed walk so now I give him 1/2 a serving...

I add 2 cups of unsweetened vanilla almond milk to the blender with 3 pieces of ice and these measurements of the goodies:

• 1 teaspoon of spirit dust
• 1 teaspoon of brain dust
• 1 - 2 teaspoons of cordyceps
• 2 TABLEspoons of maca root (if you're just starting maybe start with 1/2 a tablespoon)

Blend everything and enjoyyyy!!!

*IF YOU WANT 20% OFF OF YOUR MOON JUICE ORDER, LEAVE YOUR EMAIL BELOW. IF YOU WANT 40% OFF YOUR MACA ROOT, USE MY CODE 'CHELSEY' AT CHECK OUT!*

LINKS:

BRAIN DUST

SPIRIT DUST

CORDYCEPS

MACA ROOT

If you have any energizing drinks or powders that I need to know about leave them in a comment below! Love getting advice from you guys!

XX

WARM GOLDEN TURMERIC MILK

It's officially cold out. All I want in my life right now is warm drinks, a spray tan, and a few nights out to watch the Golden State Warriors kick some ass. 

I want to advise you to please please please not fall for the 300 calorie, Starbucks, Peppermint mocha this year WHICH also comes with about 180 grams of sodium and NO health benefits.

I know it kinnnda tastes like heaven but living a healthy lifestyle is all about finding healthier alternatives and once you can make some swaps to healthier HABITS then you'll notice that you won't even crave those sugar filled coffee drinks. 

So I feel like Turmeric is one of the major healthy trends of 2016. I also feel like it is somewhat of an acquired taste but I'm OBSESSED with it in this milk and I'm pretty shocked by the health benefits. 

Some people say that turmeric is arguably the most powerful herb on the planet when it comes to fighting diseases and potentially reversing them. It has also been interesting that in over 6,000 studies, turmeric has been compared to pharmaceutical medications for having the same benefits.

LET'S GET INTO SOME OF THE SPECIFIC, MAIN BENEFITS. 

1. ACTS AS AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY. 

So curcumin is the active ingredient in Turmeric and it holds the anti-inflammatory benefits as well as the powerful antioxidants. Although, curcumin is a bit hard to be absorbed by the blood steam UNLESS paired with black pepper, it is better absorbed by 2,000%...which is included in the Golden Turmeric Milk Recipe you're about to make!

This means that the next time you have a headache, you can turn to turmeric rather than advil or asprin and get the same benefits without the bad side effects of your average anti-inflammatory pills. 

2. INCREASES THE BODY'S ANTIOXIDANTS

Oxidative damage is known to cause diseases and signs of aging which is why it is important that we always have a high supply of ANTI OXIDANTS to help fight off the bad guys aka free radicals. 

Not only is curcumin a natural antioxidant that attacks free radicals in the body but it also helps us boost our own antioxidant activity!

This is SO important during these winter months. We don't have to get sick. I don't believe in "flu season". Last year my boyfriend was on lockdown in his room for 3 days with the flu so bad that he could barely stand up and definitely could't leave the house. 

Sure enough, his two roommates also caught the bug but I managed to sit in that room with him and sleep with him and I didn't get sick. 

My body was prepped with enough anti-oxidants to fight off whatever was going around and I was considered lucky but really, I was just prepared. 

3. COULD MAKE YOU SMARTER?

Curcumin increases a hormone in the brain called BDNF, which could help delay the onset of age related diseases OR reverse them such as depression and Alzheimer's. 

I feel like I'm already forgetting everything so this is actually great news if you ask me haha.

So it's pretty much the jam and I'm going to try to start drinking this tumeric milk a few times a week to UP my intake of this magical spice. 

Okay, it's SO easy.

Here's what you'll need:

- 1 1/2 cups Vanilla Almond Milk

- 3/4 Teaspoon Turmeric

- 1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

- 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

- 1 Ripe Banana

What to do:

Just blend everything together and then heat it up on the stove until it's warm, not super boiling hot. 

Enjoy!!

SILVER ROSE MILK ELIXER

HOLY SHIT YOU GUYYYYYYS. THIS IS STRAIGHT UP, PERFECTION.

Seriously, I don't think I've been this obsessed with a drink since I learned what Nesquick was. We made a huge jar of it and I just wanted to drink ALL of it, then crawl into bed.

And there's no alcohol in it so I actually could have drank it all and been on cloud 9. It's like a rosey, nutty, sweet, calming, goodness that you're going to want to keep in your fridge at all times. 

PLUS it's SUPER healthy for you. It's going to cleanse your liver, boost your skin health which in turn will act as an anti-aging element, help get rid of acne, plump your skin from the inside out, fill you up with anti oxidants, AND it acts as a mood enhancer as some of the ingredients such as rose water are known to decrease states of depression. 

YES PLEASE!

INGREDIENTS: 

3 - 4 Muddled Blackberry, Raspberry or Both 

1 Part Vanilla Macadamia Milk or any Non-Dairy Vanilla Milk alternative. 

1 Part Milk Thistle Tea

1 Part Rose White Tea

1/2 Part Rhubarb Preserves 

1 Teaspoon Rose Water ( add more to flavor)

(Rose water is quite strong) 

1 Teaspoon or 15 drops of Colloidal Silver 

(1 Part means that you can choose the measurement, but then choose the same amount for the other ingredients. So if you do 1 cup Macadamia Milk then use 1 cup Milk Thistle tea, Rose White tea, and so on).

STEPS:

1.

First you're going to want to start making your rhubarb preserves, which is super easy. Bring 3 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar to a boil. Once it begins to boil, add some chopped up rhubarb sticks. Let the entire mixture come to a soft boil for 6-8 minutes then reduce the heat to a simmer. Turn heat off after 25-30 minutes. 

2.

While your rhubarb is cooking, start steeping 3 bags of milk thistle tea in one jar while you steep 3 bags of your white rose tea in a separate jar. (Only let them steep for about 6 minutes, then remove the bags).

3.

Everything else is super easy! Muddle your berries into the bottom of your individual glass OR muddle a bunch in a pitcher if you are going to be making a lot and saving it for later.

4.

Add all the ingredients together into your glass or pitcher, stir and enjoy!!!

The Eternal Child did such an amazing job putting these ingredients together, and I cannot friggin WAIT to have this again. She also put all the directions and ingredients into a downloadable format for you so make sure you download that!

This also has all the benefits of all the ingredients listed so check it out!!

PHOTOGRAPHER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR: THE ETERNAL CHILD

PEAR & GINGER WHITE SANGRIA

Photographer and creative director: The Eternal Child

There's nothing better than being cozy at home, with your friends, drinking something that looks gorg.

Half the time I go out for a drink it's mainly because I'm willing to pay for the vibe. Drinking an amazing margarita at my house in a red solo cup just doesn't really cut it for me, UNLESS it's like a Sunday afternoon, football, chips n salsa vibe, then that's okay. 

BUT when it's like a perfect 55-degrees outside, you don't want to get out of your sweats but you want to feel a little classier than normal...then I think this is the drink that I'm going to stick with. 

The Eternal Child and I worked on this one night and loved it, especially after we threw in a splash of bourbon. That really tied it together actually so we both highly recommend it. 

INGREDIENTS:

STEPS:

(By The Pitcher)

+

Add 1 bottle of Pino Grigio

 2 Cups Of Ginger Beer

 2 Cups Pear Juice

 2 Cups Club Soda

 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon

 & 1 Cup Of Bourbon Rye If You Want, All To The Pitcher.  

Garnish With Sliced Pears And Thyme If You Want! 

(By The Glass)

 1 Part Pino Grigio

1 Part Ginger Beer

1 Part Pear Juice

1 Part Club Soda

1 Teaspoon Of Cinnamon

Garnish With Sliced Pears And Thyme If You Want!

To Give It A Kick Add In A Shot Of Bourbon.

(1 Part means you can pick 1/2 cup, 1 cup, 2 cups, whatever. Then just stick with that for all of the liquids so that it's even). 

CHEAP AND DELICIOUS ROSÉ SPRITZER

I don't know where my random MUST HAVE NEED for Rosè came from but, for the last like 2 weeks I've been blabbering on that I need to find one that I like that's not too sweet.

Then of course last time I was at Trader Joe's having the time of my life, I ACTUALLY got a cart (as opposed to always getting a basket so I don't buy too much shit) and then ended up taking my sweet ass time and found myself in front of a bunch of pink wine bottles.

Trader Joe's is no wine cellar but I LOVE that they put easy to read and straight to the point descriptions in front of each bottle so you know what you're getting yourself into.

This one said light & crisp with some undertones of strawberry, for $9.99 so yeah, that obviously had to happen.

I grabbed that along with a few other things with my plan to watch the warriors game and do some work with a roseè spritzer and THIS is what came of it. 

Something amazing.

Here's what you'll need:

- 1 Bottle of a light, not too sweet Rosè

- 1 Lemon

- 3 Strawberries

- Mint

- Sparkling Water

+ I muddled the strawberries and mint in a glass then poured it into my wine glass.

+ Then I added 3 oz (2 shot glasses worth) of the Rosè.

+ Squeeze in 1/2 of a small lemon

+ Add lots of ice

+ Top off with about 2 ounces of sparkling water

+ Garnish with mint and strawberries.

EASY.

CHOCOLATE. COFFEE. PROTEIN. BLENDED.

Worked out, still tired & need protein? I've been there like oh I don't know, 12 THOUSAND times.

Sometimes I get home from working out full of energy and not hungry, other times I feel like I could literally jump back into bed and eat a burrito. 

So this has kinda been a nice little medium. it's great because it's actually good, and it's a perfect pick me up since it's also loaded with protein which helps me get full before I ACTUALLY get a burrito.

I believe this protein was sent to me a while ago but I never really used it. SO THANK YOU! IT IS AMAZZZZING! I don't know how this shake would taste with any other chocolate protein so I would even go as far as saying you should get this one. When you open it it just smells like Nesquik chocolate powder. 

Okay so it's super simple and quick.

> Get about half a mason jar of ice, 1 scoop of Replenish Pea Protein Powder and 1 cup of Organic Vanilla Almond Milk. 

Then add one cup of this Cold Brew Coffee from Whole Foods. It's THE BEST! Kinda cracks me out which duhh everyone could always use a pick me up. Unless you're the newly added blonde twins on Ellen, then you probably need to sprinkle a xanax on your life lol.. just kidding, I admire you. I also like this coffee because I'm trying to stop spending money on coffee every single morning so it's been nice to have it at my house.

Blend everything together (If you have the same blender I press the Milkshake button, and enjoy!! Another option is to blend in a TBS of cocoa nibs and then sprinkle some on top! Cocoa nibs give you a little bit of fiber & magnesium and they're filled with antioxidants! Might as well if you ask me. 

JUICE TO PRESERVE YOUR YOUTH (COUGH, HELPS EYES AND SKIN, COUGH)

Just like with anything else, when you have a lot of something you begin to develop a habit and a liking for it. This is why if we eat sugar often, we begin to CRAVE sugar. Run a lot? You're going to actually want to start to run often.

I guess this is what happened with me recently with my juice cravings. Not a bad craving to pick up! lol.

I've been on a seriiiious juice kick so it's been a lot of experimenting and passing the info along to you guys so if you're not into it, sorry for the juice overload.

This one is allll about holding on to our youth, obvi. THINK EYES AND SKIN!

What you'll need:

- 1 Green Apple

- 2 Oranges

- 4 Carrots

- Pineapple

- Tumeric

Get everything cut up :) You can see how I cut a pineapple on my insta.

Also, take note that I like to take the rind off my oranges so you don't get the taste of the peel in there. 

Grab 4 Slices of pineapple for this juice. 

Let's talk benefits!!

The two main things in this juice that are going to keep you looking young are the carrots and oranges :)

Benefits of Carrots:

- Vitamin A assists the Liver in flushing out toxins and CLEANSES our body!! (Check out my next post on how to avoid the flu to see why detoxing is so important).

- Carrots are rich in something called beta-carotene which actually gets converted in our retina (crazy) into a purple pigment that we need in order to have night vision! Our bodies are amazing. 

- AND the beta-carotene acts as an antioxidant to cell damage that has been done throughout the body AND slows down the aging of cells!

Benefits of Oranges: 

- Oranges are great for lowering cholesterol levels fyi because of their high amounts of insoluble fiber.

- Oranges are also PACKED with beta-carotene which again protects the cells from being damaging and prevents SIGNS of aging!

xoxo CR

THE HANGOVER RELIEVER

This juice was actually inspired by one of my favorite cocktails which is exciting news because now we all know that it tastes amazing with or without tequilla. 

ANOTHER PLUS + This juice is LOADED with anti-inflammatory benefits so if you DO decide to spike it at night time then just make sure to have a virgin one in the morning to reduce any swelling or puffiness from the night before.

Here's what you'll need:

- 2 Green Apples

- 1 Lime

- 1 Cucumber 

- Handful of Basil

- 1/2 Jalepeno

WARNING:

I LOVE SPICY lol, so...if you aren't a fan then just skip the jalepeno. If you can stand a little kick then do 1/4 a jalepeno. And if youz a freak, I guess you can do a full one...I did half. 

Cut up your apples, lime and cucumber so that it fits your juicer correctly and then juice away!

What This Juice Will Do For You:

Jalepenos: Have a natural plant compound called capsaicin that  acts as an anti-inflammatory and improves blood flow. 

Basil - LOADED with Vitamin K which helps maintain HEALTHY blood clotting.

Lime - Rejuvenates the skin to keep it glowing. Also good for hangovers!

Cucumber - Acts as an anti-inflammatory and helps with healthy digestion. 

THE JUICE THAT'S REFRESHING AF

This drink is only 3 ingredients and it is seriously so ridiculously good, i'm sorry I haven't shared it with you sooner. I've seen this as a juice combo by a lot of different juice companies but I figured since it's ONLY 3 INGREDIENTSSSS I could obviously just save money and make it at home. Wooooo!

What you'll need:

- Pineapple

- Green Apples

- Mint

Cut up two apples however they need to be cut so that they fit into you juicer, and then get to cutting your pineapple. To cut a pineapple you just need a good, big sharp knife. Be Careful! Cut the top and bottom off first so that it will easily sit flat Then cut in about one inch sections starting from the top and moving towards the bottom. You might need to go back once the hard part is off and just cut some small sections off where there are still little brown dots. 

Then lay the pineapple on it's side and cut straight down so that you turn it into a bunch of these pieces! This way you know how much to use in your juice. 

Grab half a bundle of fresh mint. (Tip: In order to keep your mint from quickly going bad in your fridge, lightly damp a paper towel and gently wrap the mint in it, making sure you don't wrap it too tight. Then place the paper towel with the mint leaves into a plastic baggy and close it half way. This way it can still breathe, and then it will stay fresh longer).

Now you're ready to juice!! Put in both your apples, 3 PIECES OF CUT PINEAPPLE, and half a bundle of mint. (Tip: Put the pineapple. Since it kinda gets mushy it's best to put it in first so that the mint leaves and the rhine of the apple help pull all the pineapple through). 

Add some ice if you want it SUPER refreshing and enjoy!