The vast majority of us know someone who’s in the throes of learning what is ketosis, trying a ketogenic diet, or at the very least thinking about trying it. But separating fact from fiction is a real chore with this complex naturalistic approach to health, so today Blender Babes is delving into an in-depth analysis of ketosis, as well as explaining in thorough, yet simple detail exactly what a ketogenic diet really looks, feels, smells and tastes like!

And more importantly, we’ll touch on the key aspects of why you might want to give serious consideration into incorporating as many facets of the ketogenic lifestyle into your daily routine as possible; the overall health and wellness benefits truly are remarkable!

In this quick video, Dr. Axe explains how Ketogenic diets can actually help weight loss, cancer, and even Alzheimer’s disease.

We’ll also be introducing you to one of the most super passionate registered health nutritionists (RHN) in the ketogenic arena, who can teach you the most effective and fun, as well as economical methods for succeeding in this excitingly atavistic way of living—which we’re gonna go ahead and do right now!

Leanne Vogel RHN resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She’s a holistic nutritionist, food blogger, and Blender Babes contributor, who’s committed to happiness, health, and becoming the best individual she can possibly be. Ultimately striving to help those she coaches fall in love with themselves, Leanne utilizes a wondrous array of delicious allergen-free recipes, comprehensive meal plans, and thoughtful personal development strategies to liberate health conscious people from the overwhelmingly controlling power that unhealthy food can have over one’s life.

Ssssooooo if you’re someone who hasn’t heard anything about this mysterious health regime, with all of its dramatic weight loss, explosive energy gains, beautiful levels of mental clarity and tremendous healthcare savings, get ready for an incredibly informative ride.

What is Ketosis? – All the Basic Facts

Ketosis is the metabolic state in which the vast majority of the body’s energy comes from ketone bodies in the blood. This is in sharp contrast to deriving energy from carbohydrates, the body’s breakdown of which is called glycolysis, and results in glucose and glycogen—better known as SUGAR—flooding the bloodstream.

And since most people (even the healthiest among us ;) know just how hard those pangs of hunger hit when blood sugar levels fall, it’s quite simple to understand how continuing to eat carbohydrates—even for those who can restrict their intake somewhat—provides all the lightning fast energy that modern mankind runs on.

Buuuuttttt without the ability to make ketones, the human race wouldn’t have survived for very long.

IMPORTANT DIETARY NOTE: “Carbohydrates” are not just breads, pastas, rice, corn and potatoes—they’re also fruit, berries, starchy vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds (as well as a whole host of other foods that you wouldn’t even guess)… Some of which score high on the Glycemic Index, which means they flood the bloodstream with sugar quickly, while others have a low Glycemic Index score, meaning that their sugar is released more slowly.

Ketosis represents the metabolic change in the way that the body derives its energy. It is the normal, adaptive, and physiologic response that is essential for survival. In its most fundamental sense, ketosis is the way Mother Nature enables the human race to survive for long periods of time without food…

And when viewed in the context of evolution, it’s easy to see how this energy mechanism allowed our hunter-gatherer ancestors to endure famine, yet still have the strength, stamina, and mental acuity to aggressively pursue and slay their prey—yielding them their next feast.

But we don’t eat ketones, our liver makes them! (And we promise, that’ll make sense by the end of the article)

The easiest way to begin to understand ketosis is to view it terms of fasting, which all of us do to some extent. While normal healthy people sleep, the body’s metabolism burns up all the remaining sugar in the bloodstream, then naturally transitions into ketosis to power its rejuvenative functions throughout the rest of the night…

Buuuuttttt this metabolic process reverts back to glycolysis right after eating a carbohydrate-rich meal (take a moment and picture what you, as well as the vast majority of people, have for breakfast each morning—high Glycemic Index scoring carbs galore we’re betting ;).

So while the body is being powered by glycolysis—carbohydrates, and thus SUGAR—this causes the pancreas to produce higher levels of insulin, whose job is to make sure glucose enters the cells to be burned (oxidized) for energy… Giving us all the power we need, but also storing the excesses as body fat, while at the same time blocking the release of previously stored fat from existing fat tissues.

THIS is the very reason some people struggle to lose weight—this constant intake of seemingly ever-increasing amounts of sugar, which as the years pass, the body just gets less and less efficient at burning up!

This downward metabolic spiral can even be problematic for those eating too much sweet fruit and other natural, high Glycemic Index scoring carbohydrates, making it virtually impossible to ever achieve that lean, toned body most people profess to want…

Whereas in ketosis, fat reserves are readily released and burned for fuel—which is exactly why ketosis is called the body’s FAT BURNING MODE. Transitioning your body’s energy source to ketosis is also the single most powerful way of avoiding ALL of modern mankind’s most disastrous of chronic degenerative disease—the primary cause of ALL of which can be traced back to, anyone like to take a guess…? SUGAR!

Metabolic Syndrome Defined 

Metabolic Syndrome is the disastrous energy utilization and storage problem that is plaguing the known modern world. It is caused primarily by obesity and inactivity, and is directly related to insulin resistance. Conservative estimates put 33 % of the American adult population into this category, with its prevalence increasing with age. If you have three (3) of these five (5) medical conditions you are suffering from Metabolic Syndrome:

• Abdominal fat
• High blood pressure
• Elevated fasting blood sugar levels
• High triglyceride levels
• Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels

Having Metabolic Syndrome puts you at enormously increased risk for developing the most catastrophic diseases of our time, which include:

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Cancer
• Alzheimer’s disease

A Ketogenic Diet Plan to the Rescue

A Ketogenic Diet Plan is the one surefire way to avoid having to suffer from the most soul crushing diseases of our time… the only problem is that it requires you to drastically reduce your consumption of carbohydrates, which most people regard as being just way too extreme.

But what those who have yet to experience the benefits of ketosis firsthand fail to understand, is that all that incredibly powerful FAT-BURNING ENGERY ketosis produces is created from some of the most deliciously nourishing foods mankind has ever tasted!

In addition to which, you’ll still be able to eat carbohydrates—just as long as you don’t overdo it, while at the same time learning to restrict your binges more and more by satisfying those inevitable cravings for sugar with carbs that have a low Glycemic Index score… which as time passes and your body naturally adapts to ketosis, gets easier and easier.

This is of course difficult for most people to accept, but it does and will happen—just not before putting in the work. These gains are real, and once you’ve truly experienced how incredible your body feels and how focused your mind becomes while being powered by the most efficient energy source human beings have ever known, you’ll rarely if ever want to ruin these wonderful feelings by eating too many carbohydrates.

Getting Into Nutritional Ketosis

Nutritional Ketosis is the normal physiological response to varying degrees of carbohydrate restriction and/or fasting. It requires that you get 80 percent of your calories from fat, which although sounds as counterintuitive as it does daunting, gives you the opportunity to create mouth-watering meals that’ll keep you totally and completely satisfied!

Delicious Sources of Good Healthy Fats Include:

• Grass-fed meat, bacon, cheese, eggs and butter
• Salmon, scallops, sardines and tuna
• Duck and goose
• Oysters and mussels
• Raw nuts and seeds
• Avocados
• Olives and Olive oil
• Coconut oil

And these are just a few of the heavenly delectable foods that’ll change the course of your life.

Ketosis typically kicks in after three (3) or four (4) days of eating less than 50 grams of carbohydrates a day—which is about three (3) slices of bread, a cup of low-fat fruit yogurt, OR two (2) small bananas. For those wanting benefits as fast as possible, this is the level of low Glycemic Index scoring carbohydrate intake you’ll wanna strive for because it’s the quickest way to make your liver produce ketones (which we promise, you’re now halfway to understanding. ;)

IMPORTANT DIETARY NOTE: Getting into Nutritional Ketosis should only be attempted by healthy people; if you are diabetic, pregnant, or have kidney problems you should always consult a physician before making any radical dietary changes.

Now in order to succeed with this complex naturalistic way of living there’s of course a tremendous amount more to learn and do, all of which can be shared with you by today’s totally inspiring Registered Health Nutritionist of a guest…

Leanne Vogel RHN & The Keto Beginning

Leanne Vogel created The Keto Beginning right after personally experiencing just how incredibly powerful a high-fat diet could really be. Her 30 Day Meal Plan features an array of awesome strategies for adapting to the Ketogenic Lifestyle, all of which unite to transform your health and make you fall in love with yourself all over again! Her 30 day meal plan includes shopping lists and over 70 low-carb, high-fat, moderate-protein, dairy-free, gluten-free, sugar-free, grain-free, legume-free recipes – such as chicken pot pie and beef kebabs with dairy-free tzaziki, curried chicken wings and even chili cheese fries! We’re IN LOVE with all the tasty sauces too! This is the lifestyle change that empowers your body + mind to achieve the state of health you’ve been searching for.

The Keto Beginning Teaches:

• Whether or not Nutritional Ketosis is right for you
• How to follow Nutritional Ketosis for life
• Various ways to get nutrients while on a Ketogenic Diet Plan
• How to maintain your desired weight
• How to achieve and monitor proper ketone production levels
• How digestion affects acne production and skin imperfections
• How to balance hormone levels
• How to manage Nutritional Ketosis with multiple food allergies
• The difference between “being in ketosis” and “being keto-adapted”
• How alcohol reacts in the body while in ketosis

Having personally experienced almost all of a Ketogenic Diet Plan’s ups and downs, Leanne has also created a comprehensive list of ketosis tips and ketogenic tricks that’ll allow you to transition into this remarkable way of living with amazing ease.

The Keto Beginning’s Strategies for Success Include:

• The best ways to adapt Nutritional Ketosis to suit your needs and lifestyle
• What to do when you crave carbs
• Best low-carb winter vegetables for staying in Nutritional Ketosis
• The best ways to incorporate Superfoods into a Ketogenic Lifestyle
• The healthiest dairy choices
• Techniques for vegan and vegetarian-based Nutritional Ketosis
• Tips for enjoying the holidays while in ketosis
• How to avoid keto-flu

Getting to Know the Ketogenic Lifestyle

For those wanting to get to know the Ketogenic Lifestyle immediately, the following is a short list of foods, supplements, fitness products and media that’ll help you throughout your introduction to Leanne’s delicious Keto Beginning meal plans, as well as for the rest of your new powerful Ketogenic Lifestyle.

Ketogenic Foods & Supplements Include:

• Almond Flour
• Beef Tallow
• Cacao Powder
• Chia Seeds
• Coconut Butter (here’s how you can make it in your blender!)
• Coconut Milk
• Coconut Oil
• Collagen Powder (we use NeoCell)
• Duck Fat
• Egg White Protein Powder
• Fish Oil
• Grape Seed Oil
• Hemp Pro 70
• Hemp Pro Fiber
• Hemp Seeds
• Himalayan Salt
• Macadamia Nuts
• Nutritional Yeast
• Pork Rinds
• Red Palm Oil
• Stevia
• Vegan Greens+O

Ketone Production & Blood Glucose Monitoring Equipment:

• Blood Ketone Meter
• Ketostix
• Blood Glucose Meter
• FitBit

Media on How to Use Ketosis to Lose, Gain and/or Maintain Weight:

• The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance
• The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living: An Expert Guide to Making the Life-Saving Benefits of Carbohydrate Restriction Sustainable and Enjoyable
• The Calorie Myth: How to Eat More, Exercise Less, Lose Weight, and Live Better
• Carb-Loaded – a Culture Dying to Eat

How Ketosis Works

By now you’re probably wondering how ketosis produces such miraculous results. The metabolic process by which ketosis creates such dramatically powerful and sustained energy is of course incredibly complex, but the broad strokes are fairly easy to understand. It really all comes down to how much Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) your body produces.

Known as our “Energy Currency,” ATP is the molecule that powers muscle contraction, the beating of your heart, your lungs’ ability to breathe in oxygen, the fluttering of your eyelids—EVERYTHING your body does runs on ATP, and is collectively known as your METABOLISM. Without ATP we wouldn’t be alive, so ultimately the body’s primary goal is to maximize, optimize, and insure a steady flow of ATP.

ATP contains three phosphates (Adenosine Tri-phosphate ;) and when it gives up a phosphate to power your cells, a spectacular amount of energy is released, which your body then runs on!

Now under normal metabolic functioning running on glycolysis, even though a maximum of only four (4) units of ATP are utilized, this is more than enough to power the entire body… buuuuttttt only until all that sugar is burned up, which happens rather quickly. This makes sugar the perfect fuel for immediate energy needs such as intense physical exercise.

Nevertheless, Mother Nature didn’t design us to constantly utilize energy like this, and when blood sugar levels fall (here’s the key to it all right here!), YOUR BRAIN TELLS YOUR LIVER TO PRODUCE KETONES—the most powerful of which is called Beta-Hydroxybutyrate. And guess what all of today’s cutting-edge research clearly shows that the brain and heart run much more efficiently on than sugar… Beta-Hydroxybutyrate!

Which makes total sense when put in the context of just how much energy the body produces while in ketosis. Burning fat for fuel creates a staggering 34 UNITS of ATP—which is a tremendous amount of energy that the body can run on for dramatically longer periods of time.

This incredible amount of power also accounts for all of the increased energy, rapid weight loss and intense mental clarity that those living on a Ketogenic Diet typically report—all of which makes what many mistakenly view as harsh dietary changes completely worth the effort!

So ultimately, the more efficient your body is at burning fats, the more easily it’ll be able to maintain a stable blood sugar level—which is the key to preventing and even reversing Metabolic Syndrome!

Share Your Ketogenic Journey

Blender Babes couldn’t be more excited about bringing this incredible information to the members of our community who want to find out if the Ketogenic Lifestyle is the dietary regime they should be following. Please let us know about any and all successes and/or setbacks in the Comments Section you experience while giving this powerful naturalistic way of living a try.

Good Luck! … And as always,

Happy Blending!

The Paleo, Bulletproof and Ketogenic Diets are three of the hottest lifestyle diet plans out there these days—every one of which burns up the internet and blogosphere about as intensely as they do excess body fat. Proponents of each swear by their results, with criticisms tending to focus primarily on a person’s inability to adapt to their dietary guidelines (not on the science producing their gains).

What is Paleo Diet vs Bulletproof Diet vs Ketogenic Diet? – Analysis & Review of the Hottest Diet Plans

Given the fact that the vast majority of cutting-edge research overwhelmingly supports the validity of “Ketosis”—which is the FUNDAMENTAL BASIS for each of these diets—incredible gains can be achieved, and even sustained, even if one is only willing to commit to a fraction of their nutritional requirements…

Which is why Blender Babes is providing our community with a straightforward and unbiased analysis and review of each of these cutting-edge dietary regimens—all in the hopes that this valuable introductory information can be used to determine whether or not one of these nutritional philosophies may be right for you!

Ketosis – Understanding the Fundamentals  

The Paleo, Bulletproof and Ketogenic Diet Plans all produce incredible energy and staggeringly dramatic weight loss because they SEVERELY RESTRICT carbohydrate intake. This in turn radically shifts your metabolism’s fuel source from that of sugar, to fat—the AMOUNTS and QUALITY of which establish the crucial differences between all of these diets…

And though the bio-chemical reactions taking place in the body while in ketosis are rather complicated, the only ketogenic concepts you need to understand are that the more good healthy fats you have in your diet…

• The more efficient you are at burning excess body fat
• The more your hunger will be satiated
• The longer you can go without food
• The sharper and more clear your mind and thoughts become

Basically eating this way lights up your evolutionary biology, and allows you to access ALL the stored energy in your adipose tissue (AKA body fat), which is exactly how Mother Nature allowed our ancestors to endure periods of famine.

Carbohydrates & Sugar – What Mother Nature Made Hard to Get, Man Made Easy

When you think about carbohydrate and sugar consumption in terms of how hard it was for our hunter-gatherer ancestors to actually get at these tasty treats, the reasons why ketogenic-based diet plans seem to work so well become remarkably clear…

In the past carbohydrates and sugar were only available to mankind in whatever nuts, seeds and berries they could find, as fruit for just a few months a year during harvest time, or as honey, which was guarded by bees… Nowadays however, processed sugar is in nearly EVERYTHING people eat. This dangerously addictive form of sugar is radically and unequivocally more disastrous than low Glycemic Index scoring natural sugar, which is absolutely necessary for survival (even on a pure Ketogenic Diet) and when part of an overall balanced nutritional regimen, is incredibly hard to over consume.

Basically Mother Nature made sugar hard to get, while man has made it ridiculously easy.

What is Paleo Diet vs Bulletproof Diet vs Ketogenic Diet? – the Foundational Acceptance

So although many people view carbohydrate-restricted diets as just way too extreme, all one has to do is look at our country’s rapidly increasing obesity epidemic in order to understand that the current government recommended heavy carbohydrate/grain-based diet is the epicenter of our exploding healthcare problems.

And though the specific sources of carbohydrates and sugars that the vast majority of people OVER CONSUME are far more complicated than this particular article is going to address, this issue, at the very least, had to be mentioned—if only to give those unfamiliar with Paleo vs Bulletproof vs Ketogenic Diets some frame of reference with respect to EXACTLY WHY increasing numbers of people are not only hitting their weight loss goals while on these diets, but thundering right on past them!

And with all of the preceding as a solid foundation, the principles and specifics of the Paleo, Bulletproof and Ketogenic Diets can be much more easily related to, understood, and accepted.

Overview of the Ketogenic Diet 

The Ketogenic Diet appears to be the most biologically based of all three of these cutting-edge nutritional regimens (although compelling arguments abound in the Paleo and Bulletproof camps as well). Those utilizing even a modest Ketogenic Diet Plan can quickly plunge their body into “Ketosis,” which is the normal physiologic response to carbohydrate restriction and/or fasting.

Ketosis is the body’s FAT BURNING MODE. It is the metabolic state in which the body’s energy comes from fat reserves, and as long as you continue to derive the vast majority of your caloric intake from good healthy fats, these reserves (all the fat on your body) will continuously be burned for fuel—making it BIOLOGICALLY IMPOSSIBLE to carry around excess weight.

Typically ketosis kicks in after just a few days of eating roughly 20 NET grams of carbohydrates per day.

The Ketogenic Diet Requires:

• Roughly 75 percent of caloric intake from good healthy fats (oils, seeds, nuts and animals)
• Roughly 20 percent of caloric intake from fatty animal protein, nuts & seeds
• Roughly 5 percent of caloric intake from low Glycemic index scoring carbohydrates (leafy greens & non-starchy vegetables)

Food Sources on the Ketogenic Diet

The Ketogenic Diet Plan consists of some of the most deliciously nourishing foods mankind has ever tasted; however, for the past few generations modern American society been shunning nearly all of them at increasingly alarming rates.

Ketogenic Sources of Good Healthy Fats & Animal Protein Include:

• Grass-fed meat, bacon, cheese, eggs, butter and ghee
• Salmon, scallops, sardines and tuna
• Duck, duck fat and goose
• Oysters and mussels
• Raw nuts and seeds
• Avocados
• Olives and Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Beef tallow and lard

Consuming Carbohydrates on the Ketogenic Diet

Though many believe restricting carbohydrate intake on a Ketogenic Diet Plan is incredibly difficult—which of course at first it totally is—the more you focus on eating good healthy fats that you actually like, the easier eating less carbs becomes.

A solid strategy for consuming carbohydrates when first starting out on a ketogenic nutritional program is to just allow yourself to eat oranges, kiwis, pineapple, grapes, raisins, figs—basically whatever sweet fruits and other high Glycemic Index scoring carbs you want that’ll curb those inevitable cravings for refined sugar… Buuutttttt while also remembering to take in copious amounts of those good healthy fats that your body is now suppose to run on!

Slowly introducing your body to ketosis this way is not only easy, it also satisfies your body’s sugar requirements—which is the fuel source it needs for fast EXPLOSIVE energy (think, our ancestors having to sprint full-speed away from a lion at the drop of a hat; that’s Mother Nature’s ultimate purpose for energy derived from carbohydrates).

So basically, the more good healthy fats you eat, the more your cravings for sugar will naturally diminish. Before you know it, you’ll be satisfying your carbohydrate requirements with more green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds, and other low Glycemic Index scoring carbs like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries and strawberries.

Prominent Proponents of the Ketogenic Diet

For those wanting a more in-depth nutritional and scientific understanding of the Ketogenic Diet Plan, two of its most prominent proponents are Gary Taubes, author of the books “Good Calories, Bad Calories” and “Why We Get Fat” and Peter Attia, an M.D. who subjected himself to an intense yet realistic Ketogenic Diet and documented his findings every step of the way on his website.

 IMPORTANT DIETARY NOTE: The Ketogenic Diet should only be attempted by healthy people; if you are diabetic, pregnant, or have kidney problems you should always consult a physician before making any radical dietary changes.

Overview of the Paleo Diet

The Paleo Diet brings a little more of a philosophical flare into their overall health regimen. Contrary to what those unfamiliar with this ancestral diet believe, the Paleo Diet isn’t a starvation diet (which is how many incorrectly view all ketogenic-based diets). Proponents highlight the fact that our Paleolithic ancestors were bigger, stronger, and had far better jaw lines and teeth than the farmers and city dwellers that followed to illustrate their overall point—which is that the way our ancestors lived offered a much more robust existence.

According to Mark Sisson, one of the more popular authorities in the Paleo arena (as well as one who advocates a lower carb and more inclusive form of Paleo—allowing for indulgences like red wine and dark chocolate), the Paleo Diet or “primal” way of eating also encompasses a totally healthier lifestyle that requires regular and varying degrees of exercises.

The ultimate goal of a Paleo Diet Plan is to turn you into a FAT-BURNING BEAST, while simultaneously making your metabolism utilize sugar as efficiently as possible—and whenever necessary. Striving for the finest in metabolic flexibility, diehard Paleo dieters believe that human beings should be able to run on good healthy fats AND carbohydrates (though in significantly less proportions than a pure Ketogenic Diet).

All FAT-BURNING BEASTS, their assumptions go, should be able to burn up all of their body’s glycogen (sugar) reserves through intense exercise, then draw upon available body fat, as well as the healthy fats in their diet, for all long-term energy needs…

All of which provides the most efficient and flexible metabolism—one that effortlessly switches between fat- and sugar-burning at the drop of a hat… ultimately resulting in the truly Paleo-adapted being able to dramatically increase their overall physical performance.

Food Sources on the Paleo Diet

True Paleo diets consist of foods that can be foraged, hunted, gathered or fished. Seafood, pasture-raised meats and wild game make up the foundation of the diet, with plenty of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, sauerkraut and other fermented vegetables, coconuts and coconut products, avocados, olives (again, ANYTHING that could be hunted, gathered, foraged or fished is considered Paleo ;) rounding out the diet.

And since cows hadn’t yet been domesticated during the Paleolithic Era, dairy isn’t part of the diet (though Sisson and numerous others in the Paleo arena allow for its occasional use).

In keeping with the unreliable availability of food that our hunter-gatherer ancestors inevitably endured, those following a Paleo Diet Plan also believe that you should eat at varying times (basically whenever hungry), drink whenever thirsty, and that counting calories isn’t necessary.

So with the bulk of meals coming from protein and good healthy fat, with essentially whatever forms of high and low Glycemic Index scoring carbohydrates you feel like, this “caveman diet” offers much more flexibility than a purely Ketogenic Diet.

However there are several key dietary restrictions, all of which the proponents feel quite strongly lie at the very heart of why modern men and women suffer so greatly from varying degrees of chronic degenerative disease.

The Paleo Diet Restricts:

• Wheat
• Grains
• Corn
• Soy
• Dairy
• Refined sugar
• Vegetable oils

As well as anything of course that’s been processed… with again, the rule of thumb being that unless it’s been hunted, gathered, foraged or fished (in the wild­—for those thinking you can “forage” at the store and “gather” your favorite candy and ice cream!) it ain’t considered Paleo!

Prominent Proponents of the Paleo Diet

For those wanting a more in-depth nutritional and scientific understanding of the Paleo Diet, Dr. Loren Cordain is considered one of the leading authorities in evolutionary biology and has written numerous books about the Paleo Diet. And Mark Sisson’s incredibly popular health and fitness blog can be found at marksdailyapple.com.

For the BEST recipes from top cooks specializing in paleo, Blender Babes recommend the #1 ebook for paleo, we use it on our iPad! We also love these paleo recipe cookbooks, Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry and Practical Paleo (stay tuned for recipes from each book coming soon to BlenderBabes.com!)

For complete meal plans, we highly recommend The Paleo Plan. They have weekly meal plans sent to you and there’s also a 14 day free trial. This is great for paleo newbies all the way to paleo chefs! Nothing else like it available, anywhere.

IMPORTANT DIETARY NOTE: The Paleo Diet should only be attempted by healthy people; if you are diabetic, pregnant, or have kidney problems you should always consult a physician before making any radical dietary changes.

Overview of the Bulletproof Diet

Which brings us to arguably the most intriguing of the diets: The Bulletproof Diet.

The Bulletproof Diet is the brainchild of David Asprey, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur who over the course of 15 years spent more than $300,000 hacking his own biology. Having lost 100 pounds without counting calories or excessive exercise, added 20 IQ points to his intellectual capacity, lowered his biological age and learned to sleep more efficiently in less time, Asprey radically transformed nearly every aspect of his life for the better.

Utilizing an impressive array of technology to “biohack” everything imaginable about his own metabolic processes, Asprey became “Bulletproof”—which he defines as being able to control his mind and body, as well as his biochemistry, ultimately being able to make them work in synergistic harmony…

Thus allowing him to operate at incredible levels of consciousness without burning out, getting sick, or succumbing to stress.

IMPORTANT BULLETPROOF NOTE: Asprey defines “biohacking” as learning about your own biology in order to gain control over, and master, all of your physiological responses and functions. And though he describes himself as a “professional biohacker,” Asprey’s work hasn’t been evaluated by peers, duplicated by scientists, or published in scientific journals.

The Bulletproof Diet Requires:

• Roughly 55 percent of caloric intake from good healthy fats
• Roughly 20 percent of caloric intake from animal protein
• Roughly 15 percent of caloric intake from vegetables
• Roughly 10 percent of caloric intake from carbohydrates

Food Sources on the Bulletproof Diet

Asprey describes his Bulletproof Diet as “Paleo without the toxins.” Utilizing foods that fuel the body, nourish the brain and optimize physical performance, the diet is easy to follow and allows for plenty of variation and experimentation. The foods are also arranged in a spectrum—from “Bulletproof” to “Toxic”—so you can choose just how Bulletproof you want to become.

Bulletproof Foods Include:

• Beverages – Bulletproof Coffee (which is made with upgraded coffee beans), high-quality green tea, diluted coconut milk and mineral water
• Vegetables – Cilantro, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, fennel, celery, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, avocados and cucumber
• Oil & Fats – Bulletproof Upgraded Brain Octane (this is the real deal – for the serious Bulletproof followers we recommend the upgraded brain octane for your morning bulletproof coffee!), Bulletproof Upgraded MCT Oil & Ghee, pastured egg yolks, krill oil, grass-fed meat fat and marrow, coconut oil and avocado oil, chocolate and cacao butter.
• Dairy – Bulletproof Ghee, organic grass-fed butter and colostrum
• Protein – Bulletproof Upgraded Whey 2.0, Collagen Protein & CollaGelatin, grass-fed beef and lamb
• Carbohydrates – Sweet potatoes, yams, carrots, pumpkin and butternut squash
• Fruit – Blackberries, cranberries, raspberries, blueberries, lemons and limes

In addition to which, the Bulletproof Diet also recommends optimal times to eat during the day, as well strategies for altering the diet throughout the week for maximum physical and mental performance.

Bulletproof – the State of High Performance

For those interested get the book: the Bulletproof Diet. For those looking for a quick way to get started with bulletproof coffee, or if you’re trying to find the perfect gift, check out his wide variety of Bulletproof Kits. There’s something for everyone! Including those who want a caffeine free Bulletproof way to start their day! David Asprey also offers an array of free information on his website. There you’ll be able to download the specifics of his diet (which will only cost you an e-mail address), as well as learn about the various biohacking techniques he’s currently utilizing.

IMPORTANT DIETARY NOTE: The Bulletproof Diet should only be attempted by healthy people; if you are diabetic, pregnant, or have kidney problems you should always consult a physician before making any radical dietary changes.

Sssooo… What is Paleo Diet vs Bulletproof Diet vs Ketogenic Diet? – Share Your Journey

Blender Babes couldn’t be more excited about bringing this incredible information to the members of our community who want to know if the Paleo, Bulletproof or Ketogenic Diets are the dietary regimens they should be following. Please let us know about any and all successes and/or setbacks in the Comments Section you experience while giving any one of these powerful naturalistic ways of living a try.

Live Healthier! And as always,

Happy Blending!
~Team Blender Babes

Blender Babes is proud to announce that our site was chosen as one of Yuri Elkaim’s All-Day Energy Award Winning blogs! Every recipe in this list contains the basic ADED principles: 80% Raw, Gluten-Free, No Refined Sugar, No Dairy, No Processed Foods. Check out the other incredible, healthy blog winners PLUS download a free All-Day Energy Diet Blueprint to start the New Year with a healthy, nutritious plan & hunt for today’s $100 Golden Apple prize! :) P.S. You will ALSO win $150 Essential Living Foods Superfood Swag Bag! Happy Hunting!

All-Day Energy Award Winning Recipes

1. Summer Rolls. This recipe for summer rolls with mango lime and mint dipping sauce is simple, light, refreshing and packed with minerals. This is the perfect party pleaser however make sure to practice beforehand. Most of the work is in the preparation of the ingredients – putting together is the fun part! The impressive bright color, light taste, and crisp yet delicate flavor have made this take on spring rolls a new favorite!

2. Dr. Oz Berry Protein Smoothie. This protein smoothie will get your day off to the right start or give you that energy boost sometimes needed in the middle of the day. We see why this high protein smoothie is part of Dr Oz’s 30 Day Meal Plan Detox Diet Recipes! This berry smoothie has a tart and sweet flavor to it and is sure to please even picky eaters in the family.

3. Coconut Mango and Lime Kale Green Smoothie. This is a great way to get all day energy as well as some extra kale in your diet! Of course, if you prefer other greens (or just have them lying around), feel free to exchange the kale for what you’ve got. The mango, lime, banana and kale combine in your Blendtec or Vitamix blender to make a sweet and tangy green smoothie that even kids will love!

4. Broccoli Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing. If you’re vegan and like to find recipes that appeal to your omnivorous family but still satisfy your diet, this recipe is the perfect middle ground since everyone will love it! It is light yet filling and it tastes decadent. The cherries and sunflower seeds are a great addition, but other seeds or fruits in season or that you have on hand can easily be swapped. This all day energy recipe is too easy and delicious for others not to try! It is also the perfect take-along dish for picnics or potlucks.

5. Cinnamon Toast Smoothie. This GUILT-FREE recipe is definitely an all day energy recipe! It will satisfy any sweet tooth, this cinnamon toast smoothie recipe works well as a breakfast, light lunch or dessert drink. For an even healthier version of this recipe amp up the nutrients by adding 2 cups of spinach or a kale leaf or two. Delicious cinnamon nutrition!

6. Awesome RAWsome Marinara Sauce. There is nothing more guilt-free than a raw, fat-free, (optionally) oil-free, dairy-free recipe like this amazing raw marinara sauce recipe. Our FAVORITE way to eat this is over spiralized zucchini noodles, but you can put it on pizza, gluten-free pasta, or pour over some raw or roasted cauliflower! Every member of the family can make something they will love with this simple five-minute recipe. Your high speed blender will whip this up in under five minutes and you can customize with whatever herbs or seasonings you want to make it go with your menu.

7. Green Monster Smoothie. Creamy, sweet and just a little bit tart, this green smoothie recipe is a great way to kick-start your morning routine all the while squeezing in a huge dose of fruits and veggies! With each sip, you get a jolt of vitamin C to boost your immune system and the dark leafy greens provide a powerhouse of antioxidants. It contains only whole fruit, and absolutely no juice or added refined sugar.

8. Frozen Berry Cherry Pops. These fruit-filled pops will not only delight your taste buds with their bold, fruity flavor but they’ll also nourish your body with healthy ingredients (without the added sugar!). They’re a rush of antioxidants and they’re also creamier than commercial fruit bars, which include more ice, making them much more satisfying. Avoid the mess by whipping them up in a Blendtec or Vitamix blender.

9. True Watermelon Blood Juice. We love to feature watermelon in liquid form and despite all of the beet-skeptics we love the nutritional superpower of beets, so we’ve combined the two to make Watermelon Blood Juice! Super simple to whip up in your Vitamix or Blendtec blender, the lemon and watermelon mask most of the beet flavor.

This post is part of the All-Day Energy Awards. Discover all the winners, download a free diet plan. Oh & don’t forget to hunt for today’s $100 Golden Apple cash prize + $150 Essential Living Foods Superfood Swag Bag! Don’t forget to join the Blender Babes community for more nutritious meal ideas and other healthy recipes!

Tell Us: What do YOU eat or drink for more ENERGY in the comments! :)

Coco Jack Review – the Fun, Safe & Ingeniously Easy Way to Crack Open Your Coconuts!

I absolutely could not live without my Coconut Water!! This deliciously electrolyte-laden shot of electrifying energy is bursting with so many nutrients that I can literally feel it lighting up every cell in my body as I savor its powerful yet delicately rich flavor! (When we are not opening our own coconuts, we LOVE the 100% organic coconut water from Harmless Harvest!)

Two Tough Issues for me though are (1) the high cost of great Organic Coconut Water—which is even higher while traveling (if I can find it all)—and (2) how terribly difficult and even Downright Dangerous it is when I wanna buy an actual coconut, hack it open myself, and drink this amazingly refreshing beverage straight outta the shell just like Mother Nature intended.

But now thanks to EZ-Coco, the innovative new company that has just brought their Coco Jack to market—which is one of the most amazingly ingenious products that I have ever seen—both of these issues are gone!

Never again will I have to ruin another one of my beloved kitchen knives, or have to wield some crazy cleaver-esque type machete, just to be able to drink fresh coconut water with broken bits of shell in it and my hands all nicked up… So I decided to write this Coco Jack Review to share with you all this incredible tool, along with a special offer just for our Blender Babes community!

Coco Jack – Brilliant Coconut Water – Cost-Slashing-Simplicity

Coco Jack makes cracking open coconuts fun, safe, easy and incredibly cost-effective. Using this brilliant invention not only eliminates every bit of broken shell from your coconut water and meat—and all with virtually NO RISK of hurting yourself—it also means you don’t have to buy pricey coconut water!

These beautifully crafted ergonomic tools Allow Anyone to Crack Open a Young Thai Coconut (which are the kind that have been precut) in just a few seconds! They are super simple to use and work in conjunction with other awesome durable Coco Tools—but the best part is that they’re totally inexpensive! I’ve saved SO MUCH money buying $1-$2 coconuts from my local markets (look for asian markets, or I recently saw Melissa’s Produce $2 coconuts at Fresh n Easy), my Coco Jack has more than paid for itself and I continue to save every time I use it. SCORE!!

What Is a Coco Jack Exactly?

Coco Jack is a rugged and harmoniously balanced handheld tool designed specifically for cracking open coconuts. Featuring pre-dulled edges that won’t dent or ding—and NEVER need to be sharpened—Coco Jack is made of 100% Food-Safe Stainless Steel, is 100% Made in America, and when purchased with a 100% Food-Safe Plastic Coco Mallet, comes with a 1-Year/1,000 Coconut Guarantee! 

How-to-Use a Coco Jack & Coco Mallet

1. Place your coconut on a sturdy countertop (or special Coco-Shock!) and have a bowl handy.

2. Hold your Coco Jack firmly in place dead center on top of the coconut.

3. Hit the edge of your Coco Jack furthest away from you with the outside edge of your Coco Mallet—letting gravity do most of the work, but with a Final Forceful Flick of the Wrist right before impact.

4. Without straining, repeat #3 until you’ve sunk your Coco Jack firmly into the coconut— which you will then be able to easily pry open!  

5. Use your thumb to press the perfectly broken coconut cap through the hole of your Coco Jack and remove it completely—then enjoy the Freshest Coconut Water you’ve ever tasted!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Coco Jack is only designed to be used on Young Thai Coconuts that have been precut. It can also be used on green coconuts; however, it is not designed for use on mature, brown or hairy coconuts.

Coco Scoop – a Custom-Designed Stainless Steel Coconut Scoop Tool

EZ-Coco also created a remarkably handy Coco Scoop, which is a springy stainless steel tool that conforms to a coconut’s inner wall—allowing you to extract all of the meat in just one scoop! THIS IS A MUST HAVE! I used a big spoon before to scrape bits and pieces of coconut meat out to make fresh coconut milk or for my healthy smoothie recipes, and I hated doing it. Now with the Coco Scoop, it’s a TOTAL BREEZE! I LOVED watching Dave (the founder) do this on Shark Tank recently. I think it really helped determine how awesome this company is.

How-to-Use a Coco Scoop

1. Once you’ve Coco-Jacked open your coconut and removed the perfectly broken cap (and drank the delicious water!), wedge your Coco Scoop nose down against the inside wall of the coconut.

2. Holding your Coco Scoop firmly in place, use your free hand to TWIST the COCONUT AROUND your Coco Scoop—and just one entire pass oughta do it!

3. Remove your Coco Scoop from the coconut then simply pull out the meat, which will all come out in one easy-to-handle stream!

The Coco Jack Pack – the Best Bang for Your Buck

The Coco Jack Pack features everything you need to start crackin’ open your own coconuts in seconds!

The Coco Jack Pack Includes:

♦ 1 Coco Jack

♦ 1 Coco Mallet

♦ 1 Coco Scoop

♦ 1 Rustic Burlap Coco Sack to store everything in…

And it only costs $49.95!

1-Year/1,000 Coconut Guarantee & 30-Day Money Back Guarantee

Coco Jack stands behind the quality of their products. As long you purchase your Coco Jack with a Coco Mallet you’ll receive a 1 year/1,000 Coconut Guarantee against breakage.

EZ-Coco is also so confident that you’ll absolutely love all of your new Coco Jack products that they even offer a Risk-Free 30-Day Money Back Guarantee on everything they sell!

Other Cool Coco Products Include:

• Super Coconut Noodler Tool for making “fettuccine” and “angel hair” coconut

• Custom Coco Shock to absorb vibrations while opening coconuts

• Hand-made in America Eco-friendly glass Coco Sipper and a hand-made in America Baby Brush to clean it

Plus they’ve got cool Coco T-Shirts and sexy Coco Tanks so you can show off your Coco Pride!

EZ-Coco – Leading the Charge

Innovative companies like EZ-Coco are leading the charge into the new sustainable future that we all truly want and absolutely need. With affordable and dependable products that make it easier to live a healthier and less wasteful lifestyle, they allow each and every one of us to save money and the environment all at the same time. We think the investors on Shark Tank must have read this Coco Jack Review – Mark Cuban was smart enough to help fun their growth! YAY!

Check out the Coco Jack website to learn more about their amazingly ingenious products. Don’t forget to use special promo code: BLENDERBABES to receive 10% OFF your Coco Jack order!

Got questions about this Coco Jack Review? Leave them in the comments! And be sure to let me know how opening those first few coconuts goes, as well as how heavenly that ultra fresh coconut water tastes!! :) HAPPY COCO-JACKING!

Coconut Water – One of the Healthiest Drinks on the Planet

Coconut water is one of the most satisfyingly refreshing, energy-enhancing and thirst-quenchingly nutrient dense juices money can buy—and I totally love it! Although admittedly, most people don’t regard it as such the first time they try it (including myself!).

Like myself, most people try the pasteurized coconut water on the market. Some are better than others, however these coconut waters typically DO NOT taste like it came straight out of a coconut! Trust me, once you’ve tasted a cold bottle of coconut water that tastes like you’re drinking out of a coconut, it’s ssssooooo super easy to get addicted to this absolutely sweet, electrolyte-laden water. The moment you develop a taste for it, you’ll start to crave it – especially first thing in the morning (perhaps after a big night out!) or after a workout.

Real, beautifully pure organic coconut water has a powerful yet delicate flavor, rich aroma, and is bursting with so much nutrition that even a small glass of it is enough to light up your metabolism and quench your thirst!

Coconut Water Health Benefits & Nutrient Composition

Coconut water contains a unique combination of B vitamins, vitamin C, micronutrients and phytohormones that are wonderfully beneficial for health, wellness and longevity. It’s no wonder why an ayurvedic doctor recommended to me long ago (before it became mainstream) to drink one coconut water per day due to its massive health benefits.

Cutting-Edge Research Shows Coconut Water Health Benefits:

• Has antiaging effects
• Fights free radicals
• Lowers blood pressure
• Helps prevent heart attacks
• Helps regulate cell division, development and nutrient processing

But Whose Coconut Water Can You Trust?

Though packaged coconut water has been flooding the market recently, I don’t want you to just stroll into any store and grab some off the shelf. With all the major corporations pretending to be organic these days, it’s hard to know whose coconut water you can trust. But like everything else in the natural health world, it all comes down to how the product is produced.

Coconut water is available in cartons and bottles, and comes in powdered, frozen, flavored, carbonated and even high-fructose corn syrup sweetened form—making it one heck of a challenge to find out if you’re choosing the right one.

Ultimately you want the brand that’s the least processed and still has all of its nutrients intact, which is always going to be the one made straight from a young fresh green coconut.

Young Fresh Green Coconuts

A palm tree’s young fresh green coconuts are bursting with an abundance of water that’s loaded with vitamins and minerals. But as they ripen this water’s nutrients naturally seep into the coconut’s meat—with the water remaining behind losing most of its potency. This process can also be sped up when young picked coconuts lie on the ground too long in the sun.

Coconut oil, coconut milk and all other coconut products on the other hand are made from older mature coconuts, whose water is typically discarded because it lacks nutrition. But there are plenty of unscrupulous companies out there who buy this old coconut water cheaply, then pasteurize, process and sweeten it all up, and turn right around and sell it as expensive coconut water—which doesn’t taste anything like fresh coconut water (but does make substantial profits).

Like all produce, a coconut’s overall quality and flavor is a product of the soil in which it was grown, the water and climate that nurtured it, and the surrounding flora and fauna that rounded out its environment…

All of which is why I only drink Harmless Harvest’s raw organic coconut water. This revolutionary company strives to be sustainable in every possible way and relies solely on word of mouth to advertise its products—they literally have zero advertising budget! (Note: Like all of our honest reviews, Blender Babes is not compensated for this post.)

Harmless Harvest – the One & Only – 100% Raw, 100% Organic

Harmless Harvest is my absolute favorite brand of coconut water! It’s the best coconut water out there and truly tastes like they poured it right out of a coconut that was just picked off a tree! And as it turns out, there’s a reason why!

Harmless Harvest thoroughly understands that they’re only as good as the coconuts they harvest. Believing that the finest ingredients should only be enjoyed as Mother Nature intended, they revamped the entire supply chain and created the very first ready-to-drink raw coconut water.

Their luscious, 100% organic coconuts are renowned for their uniquely sweet and nutty flavor. Grown with traditional farming methods on an organic agroforestry in Thailand, their succulent coconuts are picked by hand when they’re young and green—the absolute height of their delicious flavor!—lowered to the ground by rope to prevent any damage, collected with tremendous care, and shipped on boats traveling the picturesque canals that line the shores of their beautiful palm trees.

From there it’s just a short distance to Harmless Harvest’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. Located in the heart of Thailand’s traditional coconut farming region, this revolutionary company employs natives from all the surrounding villages, and pays them a fair wage.

And it’s here that the life-enhancing waters of these incredibly fresh coconuts are bottled, which begins as soon as they’re cracked open! Without any mixing, homogenizing or heat pasteurization, each and every bottle remains cold from the moment the coconut is first cracked open to when it’s placed in a health food store’s refrigerated section (although I’ve seen it at regular grocery stores now, so others must have discovered the best coconut water too!!)

Preservatives are NEVER added at any point in Harmless Harvest’s honest and straightforward coconut-to-bottle process, maintaining all of the natural flavor, unique aroma and super dense nutrient profile of the individual coconut from which it came.

And though all of their coconut water is clear when bottled, some bottles eventually turn pink with time. This variation is due to the natural process of coconut water’s numerous antioxidants interacting with light, which is totally fine to fully embrace. These pink bottles are just as safe and delicious to drink as all the others, which Harmless Harvest made a conscious effort not to hide in any way with dangerous additives.

They just knew that their health- and environmentally-conscious customers would understand.

Having pioneering only the best, most ecologically sustaining farming and business practices in order to deliver the highest quality coconut water, Harmless Harvest is committed to building long-lasting relationships with all of their customers and all of Thailand’s organic agroforestry communities. They steadfastly believe that production doesn’t need to be destructive and with their revolutionary ecosystem based business model, they will continue to put as much of their resources back into protecting the environment as they possibly can!

Get Harmless Harvest Coconut Water in Your Health Food Store

Harmless Harvest is succeeding because of how they do business—not any marketing gimmicks or seductively slick advertising campaigns. For those wanting to help this revolutionary company grow, head straight to your health food store’s refrigerator section and try some of their awesome coconut water today!

And if you’re favorite store doesn’t carry Harmless Harvest coconut water yet, ask them about ordering some. All it takes is a couple of people inquiring about a particular product for management to give it a try!

Be sure to let me know about your experiences with coconut water in the Comments Section, as well as where to get the best deals on this super awesome but kinda pricey all natural energy drink!

And as always, Happy Blending!

The 2015 Natural Products Expo West blazed its powerfully healthy way through the Anaheim Convention Center this year –—and in typical Blender Babes fashion we met with only the most AMAZING array of genuine companies whose natural product we know and love!

The following rundown is a Quick-Fast-List of our awesome favorites, as well as an introduction to some of their Brand-New, Life-Enhancingly Beautiful Products that debuted at the Expo—all of which you can use to take total control of your health!

BEST OF EXPO WEST – FOODS

Pacific Foods

Why We Love Them: Pacific Foods has been a trailblazing organic food company since 1987, having marched to the beat of their own natural drum every healthy step of the way! Using only the most delicious, high-quality ingredients that are all sustainably farmed, Pacific Foods creates a kinder and gentler world for every person and animal they touch—and all while inspiring you to know more about your food, where it comes from, and how it’s grown!

Products We Love: Offering soups and sauces, broths and stocks, non-dairy beverages, dips, meals and sides, this revolutionary company launched their Brand-New Coconut Non-Dairy Beverages at the Expo (see our video interview), which are all free of Carageenan (those nasty inflammation-causing sulfated polysaccharides extracted from red edible seaweeds that the mainstream food industry uses for their gelling, thickening and stabilizing properties).

In addition, Pacific Foods showcased their new nutrient-dense Organic Bone Broths (see our video interview), which are great for skin, hair and bone health and is totally why all the Blender Babes lllovvve ‘em—and why more and more health conscious people are using broths as their #1 Source for Calcium, Magnesium & Collagen!

We’ve been using Pacific Foods’ Non-Dairy Milk Substitutes in our smoothies for years, and absolutely LOVE ‘EM and can’t imagine life without them!

SweetLeaf

Why We Love Them: SweetLeaf Organic Stevia Sweetener is as natural as the Sun, Soil & Rain that nurtures it—which is exactly why it’s the Most Popular brand of stevia in the entire natural food marketplace! Having won 13 International Awards for Taste, Innovation & Sustainability, this Zero Carb/ZERO Calorie All-Natural Sweetener is far more energizing than refined sugar, and eliminates every last one of our cravings for unhealthy processed sweets!

Products We Love: This year SweetLeaf unveiled their brand-new Sweet Drops—which we’ve already fell head-over-heels in love with (see our video interview)! These deliciously flavorful All-Natural Sugar- and Gluten-Free water enhancers keep you hydrated in the freshest way possible, while simultaneously adding incredible bursts of flavor to your favorite foods and beverages!

And for all you culinary creators and master bakers out there, if you haven’t tried SugarLeaf you sssooooo need to A-S-A-P! This life-enhancing ingredient unites the benefits of stevia with raw cane sugar for every last one of your Low-Calorie Baking & Cooking needs!

Harmless Harvest

Why We Love Them: Harmless Harvest pioneered an ecosystem-based business model that respects the soul of every person and plant whose lives they touch! A trusted, valued leader in the raw and organic marketplace, it’s been the creation of innovative products like 2012’s 100% Raw & Organic Coconut Water and 2014’s Namacha (which in Japanese means “Raw Tea”) that have kept this highly respected company right at the front of the natural food revolution!

Products We Love: This year Harmless Harvest debuted their All-New Coffee flavored Coconut Water, which is made with Fair Trade Coffee and Luscious Dark Cacao. This wondrous creation is absolutely heavenly and is the perfect way to get your engine going in the morning! And don’t forget to try their Unsweetened, Raw Peppermint & Honey & Lemon Namacha flavors—which are made with tea leaves that are grown in pristine organic Japanese tea gardens, picked fresh, and NEVER dehydrated or heated.

Mama Jess    

Why We Love Them: ALL of Mama Jess’ organic sauces are made with added veggie/fruit and herb purees—resulting in a wondrously incredible overall level of taste and nutrition! Created by a mother who tirelessly searched for a great way to “sneak” veggies into her children’s meals, Mama Jess’ entire lineup of healthy organic sauces taste Absolutely Amazing, will satisfy even the pickiest members of your family, and are 100% Made in the USA!

Products We Love: Mama Jess launched their All-New Organic Vegetable Ketchup, which has no added sugar and is sweetened with veggies, fruits and herbs. This deliciously healthy condiment instantly became a Blender Babes favorite the moment we tried it!

And we also sssoooo couldn’t help ourselves from sampling the Bien Good Organic 7 Veggie Enchilada Sauce, the Garden Good Organic 5 Veggie Pasta Sauce & the Bean Good Organic Bean Pasta Sauce—all of which you’ll find on a Blender Babes menu in any given week!

Luvo

Why We Love Them: Luvo is the wildly popular frozen food company that makes Chef-Inspired/Nutritionist-Approved meals made from high-quality ingredients (which sssoooo helps us out on those crazy hectic days when we don’t even have time to blend—yeesh, it happens)! Their innovatively time-saving healthy recipes feature herbs and spices instead of sugar and sodium, freeing you from the endless hassles of having to actually shop, prep, and cook a healthy meal!

Striving to support farmers and suppliers with people-, animal- and planet-friendly practices, Luvo uses antibiotic-free meat and poultry, and Non-GMO ingredients whenever possible—all at the best possible price. They cater to the needs of health-conscious shoppers who refuse to compromise on flavor and taste, offering an array of bold, nutritiously-flavored dishes including meat, poultry, vegetarian and even vegan fare.

Luvo is also the official food of Delta Airlines and even collaborated with physician, scholar and New York Times best-selling author to provide Luvo meals for Dr. Mark Hyman’s 10 Day Detox Program.

Products We Love: Luvo introduced an All-New Line of Awesomely-Yummy-Tasting burritos at the Natural Products Expo, which included 5 Organic Vegetarian Varieties & 2 Bold-Tasting Protein options—giving you even more fast/quick nutrient-dense meal options while simultaneously bringing tons more healthy goodness to the world!

Stonyfield Organic

Why We Love Them: Stonyfield has been committed to healthy food, healthy people and a healthy planet ever since they started off as a nonprofit organic farming school. Caring deeply about every ingredient their decadently rich organic yogurts, smoothies, frozen and soy yogurts, milks and creams feature—which NEVER contain toxic pesticides, artificial hormones, antibiotics or GMOs—Stonyfield says “Yes!” to real food.

They even use trains to transport their yogurts, which are 11 times more fuel efficient than trucks, and are always adding to their already impressive list of Green Business Practices!

Products We Love: Stonyfield’s All-New lineup of Oh My Yog! Organic Yogurt totally knocked our socks off this year! Featuring heavenly flavors like Apple Cinnamon, Gingered Pear, Madagascar Vanilla Bean, Orange Cranberry, Pacific Coast Strawberry and Wild Quebec Blueberry, these healthy protein-rich yogurt treats are loaded with nutrition AND healthy gut-flora-balancing Live Active Cultures!

Plus they also had plenty of their recently released Greek & Chia Yogurt flavors to sample, which are made with Blood Orange, Blueberry, Pear, Red Berries & Chia Seeds (so needless to say, we got hung up at this booth for quite awhile!).

Hope Foods

Why We Love Them: Hope Foods believes in HOPE so powerfully they named their company after it! Striving to make the food industry better by bringing Hope to everyone through good food that nourishes the mind, body and soul, their delicious products are made with only High-Quality, Organic, Gluten-Free and Non-GMO ingredients—all of which allow you and your family to enjoy and thrive on only the most life-sustaining meals possible!

Utilizing High Pressure Processing (HPP) to maintain the Raw Fresh Flavor of their food (as opposed to heat pasteurization and artificial preservatives like icky mainstream food manufacturers) Hope Foods believes that HPP is the only healthy and safe way to create their delicious array of foods and safely deliver them to the world!

Products We Love: Hope Foods’ signature Hummus Dips feature an array of nutrient-rich ingredients like garbanzo beans, sesame seeds, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil and herbs and spices—and are available in Kale Pesto, Super Hemp, Red Pepper, Sriracha, Spicy Avocado, Thai Coconut Curry and Jalapeno Cilantro, as well as their Original Recipe.

And don’t forget to also give their hearty Lentil Hope Dips a whirl (which we did plenty of). Made with Habanero, Curry & Garlic, these sumptuous dipping snacking make great additions to appetizers, platters, parties or whatever really ya feel like!

Artisola

Why We Love Them: Artisola is a family-owned company dedicated to creating chef-inspired foods for every meal. Having created one of the finest and freshest lines of pasta and sauces, they continue to deliver incredible-tasting, restaurant-quality products with a light environmental footprint. Using 100% natural ingredients sourced as locally as possible, their gourmet packaged convenience foods feature organic, gluten-, wheat-, and yeast-free products that guarantee you’ll be able to enjoy a healthy meal even on the most hectic of days!

Products We Love: Artisola’s handcrafted gourmet Organic or Gluten-Free Pasta Prima line features pasta and sauces made with fresh cut vegetables and aged-imported cheeses that are totally preservative-free—nothing is ever artificial and their Organic Pastas & Ravioli is as nourishing to the body as it is to the environment. Their gluten-free options were SO TASTY, you could never tell the difference!! Both of these culinary creations add yet another deliciously nutritious dish to your weekly healthy menu, and put you one more powerful step closer to achieving your health goals!

So Delicious Dairy Free

Why We Love Them: So Delicious is the industry leader in Dairy-Free Delights. Nestled within Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley, where for over 25 years they’ve created an increasingly tempting array of dairy-free milks, creamers, desserts and cultured products, their tasty treats are made with organic ingredients—and are always 100% Plant-Based & Non-GMO Project Verified with no artificial sweeteners, trans-fats or hydrogenated oils!

Products We Love: Any true Blender Babe knows what it’s like to indulge in So Delicious’ Coconut Ice Cream and Coco Whip—which go perfectly together, by the way ;) —that we often forget that this heavenly combination is totally healthy! Some of their more decadent flavors include Chocolate, Cheery Amaretto, Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, Gluten-Free Cookie Dough, Mint Chip & Mocha Almond Fudge—all of which we totally dollop their sssoooo yummy Coco Whip frozen coconut milk dessert topping right on top of!

BEST OF EXPO WEST – PROTEIN POWDERS

Vega  

Why We Love Them: Vega is the cutting-edge leader in the plant-based natural health and performance products industry. A sustainably-focused, incredibly innovative company dedicated to doing business with a Triple Bottom-Line Commitment to people, performance, and the planet, Vega creates only the finest of purpose-driven products for anyone desiring to take total control of their health. Their clean, plant-based array of powerful products fuels an active, healthy lifestyle—day-in and day-out, with NO compromises whatsoever!

Products We Love: This year Vega launched an array of All-New products at Expo West (see our video interview) —the first of which was their Mocha flavored Sport Performance Protein. Formulated to improve strength and exercise performance, build and repair muscles and reduce recovery time between training, this complete multi-source, alkaline-forming, plant-based protein powder features 5,000 mg of BCAAs and 5,000 mg of glutamine in every energizing serving!

Vega also showcased an All-New improved version of their signature Vega One line, as well as new Coconut Almond & Mocha flavors—all of which added to their impressively vibrant selection of strength creating products that give you the power to hit any health goal imaginable! We have always LOVED the flavors of Vega, and these new ones are no exception! The coconut almond is AMAZING and both types of mocha are delicious on their own or in a vegan mocha frapuccino!

VEGA FREE SHIPPING WITH NO MINIMUM ORDER! CLICK HERE! Use Promo Code: BlenderBabes 

Sunwarrior

Why We Love Them: Sunwarrior is a rapidly growing natural health food company that strives to transform the planet, one warrior at a time. Making every effort to illuminate the mind, body and soul, they believe that plants provide the cleanest and most powerful forms of food—all of which are rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants and phytonutrients mankind is only just beginning to truly understand.

Products We Love: Sunwarrior features an impressive lineup of Raw Vegan Superfoods & Supplements (see our video interview!) that all taste great and blend totally well (we’ve sssooo gotten hooked on their delicious Warrior Blend Chocolate) and are always Non-GMO, Allergan-, Soy- & Dairy-Free. At the Expo we tried their All-New Sunwarrior Classic Plus and they also showcased their soon-to-be-released Meal Replacement Options, all of which are made with a dynamic fusion process that unites the power of several rich, raw protein sources—creating one revolutionary great-tasting smooth blend that is far more powerful than its individual ingredients could ever be alone!

GET 20% OFF SUNWARRIOR! CLICK HERE! Use Promo Code: BlenderBabes 

Rockin’ Wellness

Why We Love Them: Rockin’ Wellness was founded on the belief that optimal nutrition and function are the true keys to not just survival, but are absolutely necessary if you want to thrive in any facet of life. Having sought out the best ingredients the world has to offer the founders of this innovative company created an amazing total body energy drink that’s made with Raw Cacao, Goji Berries, Chia Seeds, Hemp Seeds, Yerba Mate, Maca Root, Green Tea & Vegan Probiotics—all of which combine to give you limitless amounts of power!

Products We Love: Rockin’ Wellness is a great tasting, easy-to-make total body nutrition shake that helps keep you slim while providing a healthy blend of superfoods and probiotics. Focusing on pure plant-based nutrition, their nutrient-dense drinks offer health for the whole body and mind, and are loaded with so much incredibly energizing ingredients that you’ll never wanna neglect your health ever again!

GET 10% OFF ROCKIN’ WELLNESS! CLICK HERE! Use Promo Code: BlenderBabes 

UB Super

Why We Love Them: UB Super strives to be the most trusted brand of Protein Superfood & Supercare Products that improves both the health of mankind and the overall environment. Having spent four years researching the most nutritionally dense Superfoods Mother Nature has to offer, they created an incredible synergistic meal replacement shake that is a nutritional powerhouse blend of protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that strengthens your entire body—especially the digestive tract!
UB Super’s products are Non-GMO, Gluten- and Soy-Free, with ZERO sugar added… and they are the Only company Blender Babes has found that make a Grass-Fed Whey that’s combined with plant based protein (and yes, they totally are our saviors ;)!

Products We Love: UB Super’s high quality Grass Fed Whey & Plant Based protein is unique and a combo we haven’t seen before. They feature 10 Powerful Superfoods (11 in the Chocolate), Grass-Fed Whey & Plant-Based Protein, a Complete Amino Acid Profile, 100% Daily Intake of 9 Essential Vitamins, an array of Antioxidants & Fulvic Minerals, Prebiotics, Probiotics & Digestive Enzymes—all of which are derived entirely from Whole Food Sources, giving you the highest possible bioavailability (and thus absorption) you could hope for!

Twinlab

Why We Love Them: Twinlab has been developing nutritional supplements since 1968. Marching into the 21^st century with their Twinlab Fuel Sports Supplements, Metabolife Diet & Energy Products, Alvita Teas and Nature’s Herbs, this dynamic company strives to help every single human being on the planet achieve a pristine level of remarkable health—so that ultimately they can live an incredible, totally complete, and truly inspiring life!

Products We Love: Blender Babes popped on by to check out the CLEAN SERIES of Twinlab’s protein. This performance sport nutrition is following the lead of other top proteins we love, being NON-GMO and with no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. They’ve got something for everyone in their clean series line, with veggie, whey and soy proteins as well as a gainers protein with a whopping 40g of protein per serving, BCAAs and MCTs from coconut oil.

Before we left, we also swung by the Alvita wing of the Twinlab booth to sample some of their amazing organic teas. Everything from Alfalfa, Bilberry & Black Cohosh Root to Turmeric, Uva Ursi & Valerian Root was on full display. These Certified Organic Teas nourish not only the mind and body, but the soul as well, and offer the unique type of deep healing that comes from utilizing the medicinal properties of Mother Nature’s flowers and herbs!

BEST OF EXPO WEST – SNACKS

Made in Nature

Why We Love Them: On top of having the best name in all of the natural health arena, Made in Nature is one of our favs ‘cause they’re on a never-ending quest to discover the most flavorful, organic ingredients on the planet. Using only real food grown the way nature intended, they add their own deliciously flavorful flare—making some of the best tasting snacks we’ve ever had!

Products We Love: Made in Nature launched their All-New Coconut Chips at the Natural Products Expo—and our taste buds exploded the moment we tried their Organic Vanilla Maple Toasted ones! The crisp, caramelized crunch of these deliciously delicate chips is beautifully accentuated with a sweet, gentle kiss of organic maple syrup and a slight breeze of Madagascar Vanilla…

And the best part is it’s made with only pure organic ingredients—NO refined sugar or artificial flavors, making them a wonderfully indulgent yet ultimately healthy snack! Try the Vietnamese Cinnamon Swirl, Italian Espresso, Maple Madagascar Vanilla, Mexican Spiced Cacao and Ginger Masala Chai too—as well as their totally scrumptious Kale Chips and thirst-quenching Telula Drinks!

Navitas Naturals

Why We Love Them: Navitas Naturals is one of The premier Superfood Companies out there. Offering the finest Certified Organic Superfoods that rocket energy levels into the stratosphere, they feature an incredibly diverse array of Pristine Whole-Food Sources of protein, antioxidants, essential fats, vitamins, minerals and other key nutrients from around the world—and all for affordable prices!

They’re also committed to socially responsible business practices that create, develop, and expand fair trade economic opportunities for farming communities in developing regions around the world. Believing that organic is the only way to guarantee the integrity of our food supply, Navitas strives to ensure the health of people, farmers, and the entire planet.

Products We Love: This highly-respected company launched  Navitas’ All-New Grab-&-Go Superfood Snacks at this year’s Natural Products Expo. Featuring 7 New Superfood+ Seeds & Nuts creations which you can take anywhere, this new line of Superfood+ Snacks unites the Best-Selling Organic Superfoods with hearty, life-enhancing nuts and seeds. Offering Gluten- and GMO-Free blends like Cacao Hemp Almonds, Coconut Hemp Pepitas, Turmeric Tamari Almonds, Maca Maple Cashews, Chia Rosemary Pepitas, Goji Basil Cashews & Goldenberry Ginger Almonds, Navitas has made it easier than ever to get all the nutrients you’ll need to handle any of life’s challenges!

In addition, they showcased 3 New Deliciously Nutritious Organic Coconut Chips… Navitas’ heavenly coconut slices are seasoned with flavors like Caramel, Cacao & Chili Lime—then toasted at low temperatures to create a uniquely chewy crunch which is the perfect addition to yogurts, salads, trail mixes and desserts—and are utterly to die for!

And as if all that weren’t enough, Navitas debuted new Larger Packages of their popular Maca, Chia, Hemp & Pomegranate—lowering your overall total cost for these powerful dietary staples!

Late July Snacks     

Why We Love Them: Ahhh tortilla chips…—the bane of anyone’s diet… But with organic companies like Late July Snacks churning out their scrumptiously flavorful yet ultimately healthy snack chips, eating these delicious creations can be virtually guilt-free! Made with USDA-Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified stone ground corn, these unique tortilla chips offer a taste and flavor that is truly one-of-a-kind—and all without MSG and all those other nasty chemical products found in mainstream food manufacturer’s fare.

Products We Love: Late July Snacks introduced several All-New irresistible flavors at Expo West this year, including Blender Babes favorites Jalapeño Lime and Bacon Habanero (we definitely helped ourselves to many a free sample at this booth!), Nacho Chipotle and their taco truck-inspired Clásico Tortilla Chips. We spied these amazingly delicious treats up at is Costco, which you know, totally has super huge sizes so we can always be fully stocked!

Go Raw

Why We Love Them: Go Raw is a visionary company that produces delicious organic raw vegan and sprouted products for people who are searching for a healthier, purer lifestyle—and in just over ten years they’ve grown from a small San Diego retail storefront into a beautiful solar-powered San Jose production plant. Featuring a nutrient-dense lineup of easy to eat organic raw snacks, their energizing products continue to find their way into more and more health food and health-conscious grocery stores throughout the whole country!

This year Go Raw unveiled an all new logo and package design for their entire line of raw and sprouted snacks, which beautifully displays their “June-Free Food”—which as always remains GMO-Free, Nut-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan and of course, Totally Raw. Perfect for people always on the go, their life-enhancing array of products comes in resealable pouches—making ‘em the perfect day-to-day or travel snack for everyone in the family! 

Products We Love: Though Go Raw’s Sprouted Watermelon Seeds are a totally unique health snack that delivers an incredible amount of powerful plant protein, with a wonderfully rich and nutty flavor, what really lit our taste buds on fire this year was their subtly decadent Super Raw Chocolate treats! O. M. G—these chocolates are pure unadulterated pleasure! Made with Raw Organic Cacao & Raw Agave Nectar—as well as Organic Orange & Peppermint Oil—these sensuous little squares of pure cacao heaven beat any mass-produced candy you’ve ever had—ever!

Artisana Organics 

Why We Love Them: Artisana passionately creates unique, healthy gourmet food. All of their products are Raw, Organic & Vegan, and handmade with a tremendous amount of care! Believing that better butters start with the best ingredients, this extraordinary company sources the finest raw nuts, seeds and coconuts directly from small organic farmers. Hand selecting only the best crops, they utilize an innovative temperature-controlled pureeing process to preserve all of the essential living vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins and fatty acids—bringing to you an incredibly nutrient dense product that tastes life-enhancingly amazing!

Products We Love: Blender Babes has long since fallen in love with each and every one of Artisana’s heavenly nut butters! Their Almond Butter is richer and creamier than any supermarket peanut butter, there are way more times than we’d like to admit that we eat their Cashew Butter straight outta the jar, both the Pecan and Walnut Butters can only be describes as decadently delicious, and their Raw Tahini goes great in our salad dressing and hummus recipes!

And of course this sumptuous lineup is Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Peanut-Free & Non GMO—making Artisana one of the best natural health food companies in the world!

Arctic Zero Frozen Desserts

Why We Love Them: Arctic Zero is the pioneer of Fit Frozen Desserts that are made without all the fat and calories regular store brought brands are sssooo loaded with (which is reason enough to start buying ‘em NOW ;). Using an impressive list of handcrafted premium ingredients from around the world, their sensuous lineup features products that are Certified Low Glycemic, Nut-, Lactose-, Gluten- and GMO-Fee, and provide one of the most indulgently perfect guilt-free pleasures that’ll satisfy every last one of your overwhelming (and totally inevitable ;) cravings for sugar!

Products We Love: Arctic Zero’s new 300-Calorie Chunky Pints are available in Buttery Pecan, Key Lime Pie, Cookie Dough, Cool Mint & Chocolate Chip… Their 150-Calorie Creamy Pints come in Chocolate, Coffee, Cappuccino, Cookie Shake, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Mint, Caramel & Orange Cream… and their 80-Calorie Dark Chocolate- & Vanilla-Dipped Bars… well, let’s just say the Arctic Zero staff was kind enough to set aside a few sample boxes if we promised to let some other Expo attendants near their booth! ;)

Mamma Chia

Why We Love Them: Mamma Chia is an environmentally conscious sustainable company who’s on a mission to share the magic of chia with the world! Offering a delicious array of high quality organic chia-based foods that provides natural vitality, energy, strength and stamina, this innovative company was the first to create a powerful line of chia beverages—delivering a truly unique product that combines superior taste with an intense synergy of life-enhancing nutrients! We LOVE mamma chia products so much, we made our own mock mamma chia squeeze recipe!

Products We Love: The revolutionary Mamma Chia company used Expo West to launch their All-New Dark Chocolate Snack Bars, which are available in Blueberry, Cherry, Coconut Almond & Peanut. These nutrient-rich treats of organic chia seeds have been lovingly combined with deep, rich dark chocolate, healthy fruits and savory blends of nuts—all to deliver omega-3s, protein, fiber and more to fuel your soul’s purpose!

And if any of those rich flavors tickle your chia fancy, then give their all-new granola Wild Blueberry, Vanilla Almond & Cinnamon Pecan Cluster cereals a whirl—they all taste incredible and are the perfect way to get the morning started off right!

RxBar

Why We Love Them: We have tried A LOT of bars… We were SHOCKED at how good these were and delighted at how few REAL ingredients they had. RxBar believes that food should be consumed as nature intended—simply and delicious without compromising nutrition—and that high-quality ingredients should never be sacrificed because of cost. Having created a protein bar that makes you feel great about eating it, and even better AFTER you’ve eaten it (and all with a minimal amount of ingredients ;), their powerful energy bars deliver the proper balance of high-quality egg white protein with a healthy supply of fats, high-fiber carbohydrates and all-natural sugars from real fruit—lighting up your body like a bolt of lightning just like Mother Nature intended!

Products We Love: RxBars taste home-made and NEVER contain dairy, soy, gluten, whey, added sugars, artificial sweeteners or artificial ingredients, sugar alcohols, GMOs or any preservatives—ever! Their Real Food Protein Bars are available in Peanut Butter, Coconut Cacao, Blueberry, Apple Cinnamon & Coffee Cacao—and you bet your butt that more than a few of their samples found their way into our Expo tote bags ;)! They are now our ON-THE-GO snack bars of choice.

KeVita

Why We Love Them: KeVita empowers people to take control of their health by making Sparkling Probiotic Drinks that bolster the immune system and improve digestive health. Renowned for being The natural alternative to traditional sodas, KeVita uses 4 Live Probiotic Strains to make their unique brews—delivering deliciously energizing vitality with every life-enhancing sip! Handcrafted in a private Certified Organic facility in Southern California, their Low-Calorie creations are Vegan, Gluten-Free, Non-Dairy & Non-GMO—combining coconut water, tea or pure water with the finest ingredients found on earth for an incredibly refreshing taste sensation!

Products We Love: KeVita launched All-New Master Brew Kombucha at Expo West; our favorite was the Blueberry Cherry, a powerful antioxidant-rich blend that unlocks all the nutrients in Blueberries, Cherries, Elderberries and Ashwaganda—with no added sugar and only 20 calories a serving… We also love KeVita’s All-New Sparkling Probiotic drinks… Tangerine features a delightfully Sweet Citrus and Creamy Vanilla blend bursting with loads of Vitamin C and Organic Green Coffee Bean Extract—all of which promotes weight loss by speeding up your metabolism… & Hibiscus Berry is a modern-day interpretation of an ancient medicinal Chinese formula that uses Hibiscus, Raspberries, Rose Hips, Goji and Schizandra to gently cleanse and beautify the body from the inside out… All of which were a labor of love and are a perfect way for you and your family to start making fermented beverages a regular part of your weekly diet!

SquareBar

Why We Love Them: SquareBar first rocketed onto the natural health scene at the 2012 Natural Products Expo West, and is now being distributed throughout the entire country! Truly believing that ingredients are what matter most, this remarkably successful startup company sources only the most nutrient-dense Organic & Non-GMO foods—even going so far as to work directly with farmers to ensure that an ethical path is being taken from every crop to every bar!

Products We Love: SquareBar’s Super Yummy Organic Protein Bars are sweetened with Low Glycemic, Electrolyte-Rich Coconut Nectar, every one of which contains 11 to 12 grams of complete plant-based, soy-free protein enveloped in a lovely and deliciously antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. Their five amazing cocoa flavors—Crunch, Almond, Coconut, Mint & Cherry—are all free of gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugars and artificial flavors, which makes them the perfect addition to your overall health routine! BONUS: They are ABSOLUTELY DIVINE chopped up and topping our smoothies, smoothie bowls, and healthy ice cream recipes!

BEST OF EXPO WEST – SUPPLEMENTS

Mushroom Matrix

Why We Love Them: Mushroom Matrix strives to develop innovative products so they can bring the miraculous health benefits of mushrooms to the world! Their 100% Certified Organic Powders are derived from Cordyceps, Reishi, Lion’s Mane, Chaga, Maitake, Turkey Tail and other potent varieties—all of which Strengthen the Immune System, Relieve Stress, Enhance Weight Management & Improve Physical Performance, making you glow from the inside out!

Products We Love: Blender Babes really can’t get enough of the unique Mushroom Matrix products—which is why we’re totally in love with all of ‘em ;)! All eight of their Organic, Vegan, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free Mushroom Powders deliver the benefits of Vitamin D, antioxidants, beta glucans, prebiotics, antioxidants, dietary fiber, enzymes, amino acids and so much more—making them the perfect flavorless additions to smoothies, baked goods, oatmeal and anything else you can imagine, packing one heck-of-a powerful nutritional punch in the process!

GET 10% OFF SUNWARRIOR! CLICK HERE! Use Promo Code: BlenderBabes 

Nutrex Hawaii

Why We Love Them: Nutrex’s 90-acre state-of-the-art facility is located on the breathtaking Kona Coast of the Big Island—in a BioSecure Zone that’s free of all pesticides and herbicides… And it’s here, in this idyllic setting, where this incredible company produces some of the most potent nutritional supplements on the face of the earth. From natural astaxanthin and Hawaiian spirulina to green superfood powder and other powerful formulas—all of Nutrex’s wondrous products are guaranteed to be fresh, authentic, and come straight from Hawaii.

Products We Love: Being being fans of blue green algae, the Blender Babes loved learning about Nutrex’s Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica. Renowned for being one of the most nutritious, concentrated whole foods known to man, this famed superfood Strengthens the Immune System, Boosts Energy Levels, Supports Cellular, Cardiovascular, Eye & Brain Health, and is loaded with 3,900% more Iron than Spinach, 2,800% more Beta-Carotene than Carrots, 600% more Protein than Tofu & 280% more Antioxidants than Blueberries!

MacroLife Naturals

Why We Love Them: MacroLife Naturals is dedicated to discovering the purest, most non-allergenic ingredients in the world—so they can blend ‘em into synergistic formulas that promote health, wellness, and longevity! MacroLife Naturals are one of the leaders in the Science-Based Nutrient Rich Superfood Supplements Industry, having created a miraculous array of life-enhancing products that change the way people eat and think about health—and all while delivering all the energizing power you’d expect from a supplement, with one thing you don’t: GREAT TASTE!

Products We Love: All MacroLife Naturals Superfood products are made with Natural, Organic, Vegan, Raw & Gluten-Free ingredients—with never any GMOs! We have tried lots of non-tasty superfood blends… and WE COULD NOT GET OVER HOW DELICIOUS THESE WERE! First we sampled their signature Macro Greens, which is a True Green Superfood containing 38 ingredients that nourish the body at the cellular level. Made with Certified Organic Barley Grass and an array of antioxidants, co-nutrients, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and amino acids, this intensely powerful supplement is totally easy to add to any of your favorite smoothie recipes…

And in true nutritional synergistic fashion, Blender Babes also tried MacroLife Naturals’ Miracle Reds Superfood, which is an incredible Super Fruit Blend of Blueberries, Boysenberries, Elderberries, Blackberries & Red Raspberries that unite to form an amazing nutrient-dense powerhouse. Loaded with an incredible array of heart-friendly plant sterols, anti-aging antioxidants, polyphenols, carotenes and other hard-to-get phytonutrients, adding both of these cutting-edge products to your weekly health routine makes it totally easier to get all the daily nutrition your body requires—especially when traveling and/or while constantly on-the-go!

BEST OF EXPO WEST – HEALTHY LIVING PRODUCTS

Vitamix

Why We Love Them: Vitamix is American blending royalty, having been the leading home kitchen blender manufacturer since 1937. Their state-of-the-art high-powered blenders Quickly & Easily blend revitalizing juices, fresh milks, delicious batters, hearty nut butters, mouth-watering purées, sumptuous dressings, tasty dips and spreads, thick dough, hot soups and frozen desserts. Vitamix blenders are also an excellent way to prep food and grind seeds into flour, and can even be used to clean themselves—all of which happens in a flash!

Giving you the power to surpass any health goal imaginable, while broadening your culinary skills in a beautifully unending array of positively life-enhancing ways, this dynamic company and their incredible inventions transform you into a Nutritional Expert & Master Chef (just as long as you’re willing to put in the work ;)!

Products We Love: Vitamix debuted their Brand-New Vitamix S50 at Expo West this year (see our video interview), which is only the third model of their very first foray in the personal blending arena. Designed specifically for single serving preparations for healthy people constantly on-the-go, this innovative blender delivers the same versatility standard Vitamix are renowned for—all in a more stylishly compact design.

The Vitamix S50 features 2 Pre-Programmed Settings (Smoothies & Power Blends), Variable Speed Control & Pulsing Capabilities, 40-Ounce Container & 20-Ounce Dual-Walled Travel Container & a Full 5-Year Warranty… all of which makes it the perfect blender for singles and/or people with not a lot of counter space ;)!

Back to the Roots

Why We Love Them: Back to the Roots strives to make food more personal by educating and inspiring one family at a time. Working towards redefining the future of food by bringing back its least processed form with the simplest of ingredients, the founders believe that food should come from a kitchen, not a lab. Their signature Organic Stoneground Flakes are made with only 3 Simple Ingredients: whole wheat from California, sea salt from the San Francisco Bay, and a touch of organic cane sugar from Florida. Having created a simpler, sustainable, delicious and more nutritious cereal, this new revolutionary company is well on its way to changing the world!

Products We Love: Back to the Roots’ most intriguing product that caught our eye at the Expo was their Water Garden, which is a Self-Cleaning Closed-Loop Ecosystem—wherein fish feed the plants, and plants clean the water! Basically this brilliant company created a self-cleaning fish tank that grows food, and everything you need to start growing organic herbs right in the comfort of your own home is included in their ingenious kit—all you need to add is sunlight and water! Of course you can’t go wrong with growing your own organic mushrooms though. Both of these would be the perfect gift for your eco-conscious friend.

Revitin BioEffective Oral Therapy

Why We Love Them: Revitin BioEffective Oral Therapy was created by CS Bioscience, a life science company focused on oral health and its impact on the entire body. Having developed an incredible line of bioeffective oral care products, this cutting-edge company strives to create oral hygiene products that work with the body’s own natural defense mechanisms, thereby strengthening your entire immune system so it can work as efficiently as possible!

Products We Love: Revitin Oral Therapy was created to bolster the natural healthy bacteria in your mouth. Unlike mainstream toothpastes that have poison warnings on their labels, Revitin contains no sodium fluoride, no harsh detergents, and no chemicals. This revolutionary toothpaste works best in conjunction with NuPath BioActives, which is a nourishing blend of antioxidants, micronutrients, herbal extracts and homeopathic salts that have also been created to support the ecosystem of the mouth… Both of which will leave your teeth feeling shiny and squeaky clean—and totally free of harmful bacteria!

Lavilin 

Why We Love Them: Lavilin makes The Best & Only natural deodorant that really-truly & totally works! They’re the leading international brand of cosmetics, specializing in the field of “cosmeceuticals”—which are cosmetics with distinct therapeutic value that work in harmony with the body. Powered by their very own in-house cutting-edge research, development, and production teams, Lavilin unlocks the benefits of naturally-based, active ingredients to unite the wisdom of time-honored folk remedies with the latest bio-technological innovations—creating an amazing line of natural cosmetics and body care products that are the best we’ve ever seen!

All of their ingredients are certified by the Personal Care Products Council—and they NEVER use animals for testing! Lavilin’s incredibly popular creations can be found at Whole Foods, health food stores, supermarkets and drug stores throughout North America, as well as over 20 countries around the world!

Products We Love: Blender Babes’ founder had been testing natural deodorants for over a year with no success until show found Lavilin, and now she could not live without Lavilin’s OG version of their Natural Deodorant, which is a powerful underarm cream that eliminates perspiration for a seriously long time! Made with a beautiful combination of natural herbs, this amazing product is ideal for delicate skin, won’t clog your pores, and needs NO harsh chemicals, aluminum, alcohol or parabens to achieve its wondrous magic…

And this fantastic company even showcased their new Roll-on Version at the Expo—which all of the Babes totally took the opportunity to load up on as many free samples of as we could carry! ;)

Ohana Organics

Why We Love Them: Ohana Organics was created out of love for the Hawaiian Islands. This beautiful family-owned company grows all of their organic herbs on their very own certified organic small farm. Using only the purest ingredients in creating their high-quality products, all of which are made in the “ohana” spirit of aloha, Ohana Organics enchanting line includes Organic Shea Butters, Salves, Tattoo Butter and Hawaiian Scented Perfume Creams—each and every one of which is hand-crafted in small batches!

Products We Love: One of the most interesting products Ohana Organics had on display at the Expo was their Tattoo Butter, which naturally decreases the skin’s healing time after its been tattooed. This natural skin care cream is a vegan blend of organic calendula, plantain, lavender, aloe and vitamin E, with shea butter and herbal-infused olive oil. It can be used right after your next inking, and for weeks afterward, to heal and enrich your newly sensitive skin—and the best part is it won’t weaken the stencil!

There you have it! We LOVED testing out all of these great products for you, and we can’t wait to see what’s new next year so we can share our finds with you! Which healthy living products do you want to try most, or have you tried Babes?? Let us know in the comments. :) 

The All Day Energy Diet – a Comprehensive Holistic Approach for Dramatically Increasing Energy Levels

At a passing glance “The All Day Energy Diet” looks just like any other health book taking up valuable shelf space in a bookstore’s diet section. Boldly professing on its cover to not only Double Your Energy in 7 Days, but that you’ll Look Better and Feel Younger too, this insightful 200-page diet book reads more like a succinct compendium of compelling holistic information that ANYONE can effectively utilize to radically transform every aspect of their health and overall well-being.

Beautifully drafted by Yuri Elkaim, a former professional soccer player turned registered holistic nutritionist and renowned fitness expert, The All Day Energy Diet is written in refreshingly straight-to-the-point fashion—wherein not a single line is wasted. Detailing his own severe health complications with unabashed and exemplary courage, the compelling desire with which he strives to help people is clearly felt on every single thoughtfully crafted page.

Steadfastly believing that EVERYTHING you feel is a message from your body, Elkaim asserts that we’ve lost our understanding and appreciation of the importance of energy—the essential lack of which keeps you from reclaiming your health, being more productive, and ever really feeling truly alive… let alone possessing that courageous fire that’s needed to pursue the inspirational life you actually want.

Bursting with cutting-edge holistic information that’s easy to relate to and comprehend, as well as realistically incorporate into your daily life, All Day Energy’s underlying theme is the rediscovering of basic fundamental strategies that when united, Elkaim states with profound conviction, will dramatically increase your energy levels.

Energy Is Life – an Energetic Body Is a Healthy Body

The All Day Energy Diet focuses on 7 Key Metabolic Processes that must first be addressed in order to regain the lost vitality of youth. Discussing in exquisite detail exactly how feeling energetic is the ultimate sign of great health, as well as the true essence of feeling alive, Elkaim provides a powerful list of scientifically-based insights for not only what ails us, but also the practical techniques for correcting their imbalances.

Adhering to a mostly alkalizing diet to drive as much energy as possible into your body (which is essentially a refined form of Paleo) he advocates freshly made smoothies and juices as one of the easiest ways to jumpstart all of your key metabolic pathways. Utilizing biologically-based theories that inherently feel quite sound, Elkaim also provides useful information throughout his text about valuable tests that you need to be having performed, as well as simple at-home procedures you can easily do yourself to assess where you currently lie on the health spectrum.

Ultimately striving for a beautiful level of metabolic balance, coupled with a thoroughly complete awareness of one’s own physical and emotional well-being, All Day Energy Diet demystifies 7 Principles of Energy that when firing on all cylinders, radically transform your health—unleashing all the energy you’ll ever need to achieve whatever kind of life you desire.  

Yuri Elkaim’s 7 Energy Principles Strive to:

1. Strengthen the pH of Your Blood. 

Given the fact that the quality of your blood equals the quality of your health, the All Day Energy Diet corrects all blood chemistry imbalances with only the most nourishing foods—all so your entire body can be energized as much as possible.

2. Repair Your Digestive System.

Digesting food requires tons of energy, which is why Elkaim stresses eating less to increase energy levels—and is easily achieved by eliminating poor quality foods that are depleting your energy stores with only the most nutrient dense fare.

3. Reinvigorate Your Adrenals.

The adrenals are small glands that allow you to deal with all of life’s varying forms of stress, but when constantly over-taxed, the body naturally collapses into a general state of fatigue—which All Day Energy fixes with numerous simple strategies that produce incredibly energizing results.

4. Select the Most Nourishing Foods.

The only way to eat less AND increase your energy levels is to make sure you’re eating the most nourishing foods—in the proper amounts and intervals, which The All Day Energy Diet illustrates in biological yet simple detail.

5. Choose the Right Herbal Supplements.

The appropriate alkalizing diet must be supplemented with the correct herbal supplements to bolster and maintain your new level of homeostasis, which consists of the proper digestive support, probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids.  

6. Implement Simple Stress-Management Techniques.

From learning how to properly balance your hormones and powerful deep breathing exercises to energy-enhancing yoga, meditation and other effective cutting-edge methods, All-Day Energy discusses numerous easy strategies that’ll give you the strength and power to cope with today’s chaotic world.

7. Explain the Proper Way to Exercise.

Having become a highly-renowned fitness expert, Elkaim believes that exercise should leave you feeling energized, not exhausted or depleted. Utilizing an array of simple exercises he explains how to lose more weight and feel more energized than you ever have before—all while spending considerably less time in the gym!

All Day Energy Diet’s Critical Acclaim

Published by Hay House in 2014, “The All Day Energy Diet” quickly shot up all the way to #2 on the New York Times best-seller list, making a star of its first-time author in the process. Since his book’s release Yuri Elkaim has been invited to discuss his innovative methods for creating incredible amounts of energy on the Dr. Oz Show, as well as The Doctors. All Day Energy even made the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-seller lists, and also ranked as high as #5 on all of Amazon, as well as #1 in three of their diet categories!

Give The All Day Energy Diet a Whirl

Blender Babes couldn’t be more excited about sharing this beautiful energy-enhancing book with all of you! From the moment we cracked it open till we tested out all of Yuri’s smoothie recipes, we’ve totally gotten hooked on his insightful knowledge, invaluable wisdom and of course, all our newfound energy! The book is a great intro to the diet, and includes a 7-day kickstart. Then for readers wanting a more intensive experience that follows the ADED approach, The Ultimate Energy Diet is a full comprehensive program you might be interested in.

This really is one of the most sincere health and nutrition books we’ve had the pleasure to read in quite awhile, and we totally love the fact that above all else, Yuri Elkaim values energy… ‘cause he’s absolutely totally right! Without plenty of it you’ll have an incredibly difficult time generating the motivation to live the life you truly want.

And having written his book in such a genuine and altruistic way, sharing his own health struggles which members of our own team could totally relate to, we feel supremely confident recommending to anyone in our community to give The All Day Energy Diet a whirl…

And for those that do, please let us know about any and all successes and setbacks.

Good luck on your health journey… And as always, Happy Blending!!!!

CONGRATS TO OUR ALL DAY ENERGY DIET BOOK GIVEAWAY WINNERS! Kathy Overstreet, Marsha Garling, and  Jenna Yamamoto!

It’s all about “Time”… Work, commuting, errands, the kids, catching up with friends, family commitments, goin’ out and enjoying life, tryin’ to make as many beautiful memories as you can… EVERYTHING about life ultimately all comes down to Time… And Time is the Main Reason—primarily the Lack of it—why so many people fail to reach their health goals prior to ever really getting a decent chance to try…

Sometimes it feels virtually impossible to find enough time to give those new nutritious recipes and overall healthy cooking routine you so desperately want (and need) to try your finest, most laser-focused effort… with the most heart-breaking part being: you’re SSSOOOOO ready for this change—you TOTALLY know you could easily transform your whole entire existence for the better… & Forever…

If only you (ugh!) had Enough TIME to fully commit to all the shopping, prep work, cooking and cleanup that making nutrient-dense yet flavorful food requires… Each and every one of us deals with this frustrating modern-day fact of life in one way or another, and in the back of our head’s we all wish there was just One Wonderful Company…

The kind that creates Organic Gourmet Meals…
made with whole foods: Fresh Farm-to-Table Ingredients…
which taste Sumptuous & Invigoratingly Delicious…
that are Delivered Right to Your Door…
and all for an Affordable Price!

Just imagine how awesome it’d be if we lived during the kind of rapidly changing economic climate that allowed for just such a revolutionary business to flourish… Well guess what!!!!

Today Blender Babes is introducing you to Fresh n’ Lean, whose Delicious & Healthy Whole Foods Delivery Service offers the kind of Time-Saving, Life-Changing help that lets you eat healthy Every Single DAY!

And Blender Babe Tarashaun is also gonna share with you her first-hand experiences with this awesome company, as well as her overall assessment! (we know… we totally didn’t believe this kind of business existed either, so prepare to be wowed)!

Fresh n’ Lean – Company Intro

Fresh n’ Lean is an All-Organic, Gluten-Free, 100% Plant-Based healthy whole foods delivery service specializing in Freshly-Prepared, Premium-Quality Vegan Meals! Featuring Continental, Mediterranean, South American & Asian Cuisine, they passionately believe that all-natural farm-to-table ingredients are the only ones needed to make amazingly healthy and fantastic-tasting meals!

Envisioned to help health-conscious yet time-constrained families and individuals eat wholesomely nutritious food on a daily basis, this trailblazing company united a talented culinary team with a breathtaking array of organic local farmers to create a truly vital business—one which is easily the most awe-inspiring to emerge from our rapidly-growing natural health revolution!

How Fresh n’ Lean Works!

Operating in major cities throughout the country, Fresh n’ Lean’s gourmet chefs handle ALL of the cooking, making ALL your meals Fresh to Order—from scratch!—with in-season produce: whole foods bursting with Mother Nature’s revitalizing flavors! They NEVER use frozen or processed ingredients, nor do they mask the taste of their life-enhancing creations with oily, salty sauces.

Featuring a rotating weekly menu offering a Satisfyingly-Delectable array of healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner entrées, your Generously-Sized Meals—which are actually large enough to have leftovers—are Shipped FRESH in oven- and microwave-safe containers inside specially designed ice-packed coolers (all of which is fully recyclable)… that arrive at your home or office (and even your hotel!) and only need to be heated-up to be enjoyed!

Fresh n’ Lean will even cater to your exact dietary needs no matter how specific your tastes and/or decadent your desires!

Sssooo all you have to do is simply choose how often you’d like to enjoy their delicious meals and place an order!

Fresh n’ Lean’s Healthy Whole Foods Delivery Service Features:

• Protein & Fiber Rich Organic Plant-Based Meals that are Low in Fat, Sugar & Sodium
• Vegan & Vegetarian Meals
• Gluten-Free Meals
• Weight-Loss Meals
• Low-Carb Meals
• Senior Meals
• Fully-Customized Meal Plans

All of Which NEVER Contain:

• Artificial Ingredients, Flavors or Preservatives
• GMOs or MSG
• Dairy

Fresh n’ Lean’s Life-Changing Freedom, Delivery Options & NO Hidden Costs!

Letting Fresh n’ Lean whole foods delivery take care of your healthy meal preparation eliminates all the hassle associated with preparing healthy meals on your own, saving you stunning amounts of time—ultimately meaning that you’ll never have to eat anything unhealthy ever again!

This phenomenal service gives you the kind of liberating, life-changing freedom to lead the healthier lifestyle you’ve always dreamt of pursuing—giving you a much more rewarding life that you totally deserve! 

And they do it all affordably… ALL of their listed prices INCLUDE shipping costs to anywhere in the country—there are NO HIDDEN COSTS whatsoever!

Delivery Options Include:

• The Standard Plan – Consisting of 3 Meals Per Day, this all-encompassing breakfast, lunch and dinner option is the most economical way to improve your overall health and well-being—and at only $27.99 per day means that each meal costs less than 10 bucks!

• Lunch & Dinner Meal Plan – Featuring 2 Meals Per Day delivered right to your door for only $21.99, this worry-free option takes care of the vast majority of your dietary needs!

• 1 Entrée Per Day Plan – For only $14.99 you’ll be able to dine on a deliciously healthy lunch no matter where you are!

• Á la Carte – This is the perfect option if you want to eat only your most favorite dishes (with the specific selections ultimately determining the plan’s total price)!

Blender Babe Tarashaun’s Fresh n’ Lean Experience & Overall Assessment:

Hey everybody—so Fresh n’ Lean totally seems like the Real Deal…

I was skeptical right away about this organic, whole foods delivery service (like I always am of any new product)! First, I was pleasantly surprised by how long their meals actually lasted (my energizing Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal ended up being good for over a week)! Everything was well-packaged and kept cool… My initial 3 day’s worth of food—3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 3 Dinners—arrived on March 25^th and I was instructed to enjoy them by April 1^st, giving me a full week.

I dove into the Mushroom & Spring Veggie Risotto first— heating it quickly by microwave. Overall it was good but a touch mushy (though risotto typically is, I decided to heat quickly using the stove top method if I was near one), very filling, and the walnuts were absolutely delicious! .

Mushroom & Spring Veggie Risotto Ingredient List:

• Shiitake & Portobello Mushrooms
• Walnuts & Brown Rice
• Spinach, Celery, Cauliflower & Carrots
• Kale & Broccolini
• Garlic & Onions
• Eggplant & Garnet Yam
• Coconut Oil
• Nutritional Yeast
• Black Pepper & Sea Salt

Next up was a super big helping of Mixed Berry Chia Pudding, which said was “1 Serving” but took me 3 different Servings to use all of!

I added it to my Superfood Yogurt Parfait and made a Mixed Berry Fresh Fruit + Chia Pudding + Coconut Yogurt—plus some of Fresh n’ Lean’s Hearty Granola—which was DELICIOUS, and a nice change from my usual Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding I make at home!

Mixed Berry Chia Pudding Ingredient List:

• Chia Seeds
• Grade B Maple Syrup
• Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries & Strawberries
• Almond Milk & Water

All of which weighed 525 grams and consisted of 450 calories, 30 grams of protein, 84 grams of carbs, 28 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar and 1.5 grams of fat!

And with all that decadent goodness fresh on my mind, I had to try the Fresh n’ Lean Hearty Granola next, which again came with a lot—I easily used these “2 Servings” in 6 different Servings of parfaits and smoothies, even enjoying a big handful as a snack!

Consisting of 2 Whole Cups of crunchy deliciousness drowning in big chunks of walnuts and almonds, SURPRISINGLY this granola was nowhere near as high in sugar or fat as the homemade recipes I’ve made (or even as oily as store-bought brands like the gluten-free Udi’s I sometimes buy)!

Hearty Granola Ingredient List: 

• Oats, Grade B Maple Syrup & Vanilla Extract
• Walnuts & Almonds
• Sunflower Seeds

All combing for 255 grams of 390 calories, with 13 grams of protein, 50 grams of carbs, 10 grams of fiber, 8 grams sugar and 11 grams of fat.

Red Chard & Tomato Pasta was next on my list. I quickly heated it on the stove to reduce the possibility of it getting mushy—which tasted great!—and since I’m not vegan I tossed a little shredded parmesan cheese on top (making it taste even more delicious)!

Red Chard & Tomato Pasta Ingredient List: 

• Brown Rice Pasta
• Tomato & Tomato Paste
• Garlic & Onions
• Carrots, Cauliflower & Zucchini
• Dino Kale, Rainbow Chard & Spinach
• Olive Oil, Italian Herbs & Red Pepper Flakes
• Black Pepper & Sea Salt

Uniting for 450 sumptuous grams of 555 calories, 6 grams of protein, 65 grams of carbs, 8 grams of sugar, 14 grams fiber and ZERO grams of FAT!

All of which sent me straight to the Cauliflower Risotto. I used the stove to heat it and it came out NOT mushy at all like the first risotto I made! I thoroughly enjoyed the chunks of cauliflower and carrots, which I covered with a little water and heated in a pan while cleaning up my kitchen…

And by the time my (large!) dinner was ready my kitchen was clean and I was sssoooo ready to relax and enjoy a delicious healthy vegan meal—right before (ugh!) having to spend a couple more hours working that night (which went a-whole-lot smoother ‘cause dinner had been so effortless and filling)!

Cauliflower Risotto Ingredient List:

• Brown Rice & Cauliflower
• Onions & Artichoke Hearts
• Celery, Carrots & Kale
• Coconut Oil
• Nutritional Yeast
• Parsley, Thyme & Rosemary
• Black Pepper & Sea Salt

For a grand total of 450 grams of 550 calories, 28 grams of protein, 65 grams of carbs, 12 grams fiber, 8 grams of sugar and only 6 grams of fat!

Bringing me to the hearty South American Brown Bean & Vegetables, the first Fresh n’ Lean whole foods delivery meal I had to take with me on the road to a meeting—so I quickly nuked it…

And it tasted great, and didn’t get mushy despite the microwave. This protein and fiber-rich meal definitely made me feel like I was feeding my body in the most healthy and nourishing way—but I wasn’t oohing and aahing over it either….

And in all fairness to the vegans out there who eat beans and rice often, this powerful dish seemed like the perfect way to keep you satisfied/energized throughout the entire day!

South American Brown Bean & Vegetables Ingredient List:

• Adzuki Beans
• Garlic & Onions
• Carrots, Celery, Zucchini & Rainbow Chard
• Coconut Oil
• Ginger, Coriander & Cumin Seeds
• Paprika & Smoked Paprika
• Black Pepper & Sea Salt

Combining for 450 grams of 500 calories, 27 grams of protein, 72 grams of carbs, 10 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar and 7 grams of fat! 

And finally the time-saving Fresh n’ Lean Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal—which heated up in the microwave was a super quick and easy way to get my warm morning oatmeal in just 2 minutes (instead of the 10 to 20 usually needed when I make it from scratch with rolled or steel-cut oats)!

This delicious breakfast treat totally got my day started off right and was still fresh when I finally finished the rest of it over a week later!

Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Ingredient List:

• Rolled Oats & Cinnamon
• Raisins & Dates
• Walnuts & Grade B Maple Syrup
• Almond Milk

For 260 grams of 360 calories, totaling 16 grams of protein, 40 grams of carbs, 14 grams fiber, 8 grams of sugar and 6 grams of fat!

Final Verdict

I figured since this was an “organic meal delivery service”—which Jeez, even that phrase sounds expensive—that it’d just cost far too much for the vast majority of people… And although Fresh n’ Lean wouldn’t be used every day for families on a budget—it’s definitely affordable, especially their 2 and 3 meal per day options!

And given the fact that they’ve created prices that include all shipping costs, just about anybody can utilize this highly-efficient cost-effective service occasionally throughout the month—which is absolutely incredible!

Overall I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of Fresh n’ Lean’s organic, gluten-free vegan meals, all of which were sizable, yet provided for portion, as well as macronutrient control—featuring plenty of protein and fiber while at the same time being low in sugar, carbs and fat… And I lllllooooovvvvveee that they use Coconut Oil & Grade B Maple Syrup, which is exactly what I use when I cook for myself!

Ultimately I’d have to agree with Fresh n’ Lean’s own (totally honest) marketing message (and I added a couple of my own!), which is that their services are perfect for:

• Health-conscious time-constrained families…
• People struggling to lose weight…
• Singles who don’t have the time or desire to cook…
• Busy students during exams (or anytime really)…
• Career pros working long hours and/or traveling…
• Athletes looking to fine-tune their diet…

Finally, these Fresh n’ Lean meals were so good that I even used one as a side dish with some meat I’d quickly thawed, seasoned, and baked when a friend stopped by for an unexpected visit… I didn’t tell her it arrived via delivery service and she thought I was testing out a new recipe—so even an omnivore was totally impressed!

Learn More about Fresh n’ Lean Now

Fresh n’ Lean even offers Family & Group Plans, as well as Corporate & Employee Programs! Visit Fresh n’ Lean to learn more about this innovative company now, and if you decide to try ‘em out (you won’t regret it!), be sure to let us know all about your experiences in Comments Section below!

Disclaimer: Sponsored post. Fresh n’ Lean products were delivered as a courtesy to Blender Babes offices, however we only agree to review products we deem worthy for our audience. All opinions are our own.

DAILY HARVEST SMOOTHIE REVIEW

Receive 25% OFF your 1st 6 smoothies purchase ($11.98 value!) with Promo Code “BlenderBabes“! :) Also, purchase a Vitamix or Blendtec blender through Blender Babes and receive a Daily Harvest 6 smoothie box valued at $48 FOR FREE! [CERTAIN AREAS OF USA ONLY]! Learn More! Hurry, exp Jan 31st!

People sometimes forget that making the perfect smoothie isn’t always easy. Even if you have a great blender (such as a Blendtec or a Vitamix), you still need to pick the right ingredients; and you’ll also need some time to prepare them – note that more preparation time is required with a regular/low power blender. The wrong choice of ingredients can give you a smoothie that doesn’t taste great, because  different fruits or veggies that taste great on their own may not be palatable when mixed together. Or perhaps you’ll end up making a Jamba Juice smoothie type that’s packed with calories, no organic ingredients, and after a few weeks you’ll be shocked to find out that you gained weight!

Recently I have been beyond busy running my Blender Babes business, so much so that I’ve had a really hard time trying to meal plan, grocery shop, cook for myself, exercise, etc. This has thrown me way off balance and I knew I need to do something to take better care of myself – so I was soooooo excited when I discovered Daily Harvest on Instagram and wanted to try out the service.

What I found with Daily Harvest, is you’ll always get the right mix of ingredients that are ready to blend and you can make your smoothie fast. For many of us who can’t afford to waste time, this kind of convenience is a godsend.

DAILY HARVEST SMOOTHIE REVIEW – WHAT YOU WILL GET 

Daily Harvest currently offers 14 different prepackaged options. Each one was developed by a nutritionist, and you get between 40 to 150 calories per serving (2 servings per container). The combinations were also overseen by a real chef, which is very apparent because every smoothie I tried was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

The ingredients may include various superfoods such as seeds, hemp, matcha and fresh nut butter. (I love this because you can try new superfoods and ingredients to help you decide if you’d like to invest in a package of one!) All ingredients are whole organic foods that are unrefined and not laden with preservatives. Ingredients and nutrition info is listed on each package as well as the website – so you can easily avoid any food allergies or least favorite ingredients. :)

Each smoothie costs merely $7.99, which is a bargain considering how much you may spend on organic fruits and veggies. When you include the time you spend trying to come up with exciting smoothie recipes, shopping, prepping and cleaning your mess in the kitchen, I think you’ll agree that Daily Harvest’s smoothie delivery service is money well spent.

DAILY HARVEST SMOOTHIE REVIEW – DELIVERY SERVICE 

You will choose from 6, 12, or 18 smoothie packages per delivery. And you can also choose to have them delivered once a week, once every two weeks, or once every 4 weeks.

There’s no locked in commitment required AND it’s really flexible – you can skip a delivery or cancel an order anytime you wish.

Once you’ve made your choices, your smoothie packages will be delivered to your doorstep free of charge. They ship to your door on dry ice so it stays frozen, which is perfect if you’re at work or running errands when it arrives. Something else I really loved? The packaging is 100% recyclable! Eco-conscious and green is something I always look for from brands that I buy from. :)

Daily Harvest currently delivers to the western and eastern parts of the USA – and they are working on delivery to the central states! You can see a current map here but also check their website with your zipcode.

DAILY HARVEST SMOOTHIE REVIEW – PREPARATION

Once you get your order, you just need to put it in your freezer and you can blend any package anytime you wish. It’s especially convenient in the morning when everyone’s rushing to get to work or go to school. Just pick the smoothie you want, add a liquid base, and blend.

Since these smoothies come in packages, you can even bring them to the office – or what I’ve done is quickly blend and add to my Blender Bottle or mason jar to take on the go.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I loved this smoothie delivery so much and feel the value of this service is so great, that Blender Babes has partnered with Daily Harvest! From now until January 31st receive 25% OFF your 1st 6 smoothie purchase ($11.98 value!) with Promo Code “BlenderBabes“! :)

Also, anyone who buys a Blendtec or Vitamix blender direct from their webistes using Blendtec Promo Code “BBGIFT” or Vitamix Promo Code “06-007974″ will receive a Daily Harvest 6 smoothie box valued at $48 FOR FREE! [CERTAIN AREAS USA ONLY] Part of our exclusive Blender Purchase free gifts offer, this is in addition to our 7 day winter blender cleanse (valued at $20) totaling $68 in FREE GIFTS PLUS over $160 in exclusive discounts from our healthy living partners! (Remember to forward your purchase confirmation email from Blendtec or Vitamix to freegift@blenderbabes.com to redeem your free gifts)

Click Here to Learn More About Our Gifts With Purchase!

This is the perfect time to get the blender you’ve always wanted and start the new year off on the right foot!

The Daily Harvest smoothie delivery service perfectly matches the Blender Babes commitment in spreading the word about the amazing benefits of good blenders and nutritious smoothies.

A photo posted by Blender Babes / Healthy + (@blenderbabes) on Dec 15, 2015 at 9:14am PST

The Cayenne Pepper Diet review – Is this extreme cleanse worth trying?

The Cayenne Pepper Diet (aka The Master Cleanse, Maple Syrup Diet, or Lemonade Diet) has been spending a lot of time in the spotlight lately. Like any cleanse, the results can be dramatic. But is this a fad, or is it a legitimate option for detoxification and weight loss?

When it comes to the Cayenne Pepper Diet, opinions vary greatly on the subject. This is one of those cleanses that the medical community (and the general public) seems to either love or hate – with not much gray area in between!

Many celebrities have spoken out about having used this cleanse to lose weight or simply for general health reasons. Beyonce Knowles and Jared Leto said they used it to lose weight quickly for movie roles. Demi Moore, Robin Quivers and David Blaine say they use to the Cayenne Pepper Diet regularly just to stay fit and healthy.

So is the Cayenne Pepper Diet safe, and does it really work? To be clear: I have tried this particular cleanse only once.  Since we receive a lot of inquiries about it, I spoke with several community members who have also tried this detox diet plan, and have put together a detailed overview with enough info to get the wheels turning and help you decide for yourself if this may be for you.

History of the Cayenne Pepper Diet

The Cayenne Pepper Diet was created by a man named Stanley A. Burroughs in the 1940s. He was a naturopathic healthcare provider, and self-proclaimed nutritional guru that many turned to for advice about their medical concerns. He was also known for his extensive research into the role of toxemia in disease.

Born in Detroit in 1903, Burroughs passed away two weeks after battling acute pneumonia at the age of 87 in Newcastle, California.

Even though Burroughs created Vita Flex –  which combines light therapy and reflexology – he did not actually become famous until he created The Master Cleanse in the 1970s.

You may be interested to learn that in the early 1980s Burroughs attempted to treat a terminal cancer patient using only the Cayenne Pepper Diet and Vita Flex. He failed, the patient died and in 1984 he was charged with second-degree murder.

However, he wasn’t convicted of this charge but later he was convicted for practicing medicine without a license,  and spent three years in prison. (The charges were eventually dropped and the verdict reversed.)

In the 1940s Burroughs published a book entitled “The Master Cleanse,” which was revived in the 70s, which outlined the Cayenne Pepper Diet (aka The Master Cleanse).

Burroughs originally created the Cayenne Pepper Diet to accomplish a long list of health objectives, such as:

• Dissolve and eliminate toxins from the body
• Cleanse the kidneys and digestive system
• Purify all glands and cells
• Eliminate all unusable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles
• Relieve pressure and irritation in the nerves, arteries and blood vessels
• Build a healthy blood system
• Preserve youth and elasticity regardless of age
• To treat many illnesses
• Weight Loss
• To give the digestive system a rest

Burroughs also felt that anyone would benefit from doing this cleanse 3-4 times per year to maintain overall health.

The Master Cleanse – How it works

The Master Cleanse is a liquid only diet.

1. Start every morning with the following routine (in order to cleanse the colon): Drink a full quart of lukewarm water and two level teaspoons of sea salt. Do this each day of the cleanse.
2. Throughout the rest of the day, you will drink the following lemonade recipe.  Do this any time you feel hungry (6 – 12 times a day).

Lemonade Recipe to be used during the Cayenne Pepper Diet

Mix the following:

* 1/2 lemon or 2 tbsp of lemon juice
* 1-2 tbsp of pure grade B maple syrup (1 tbsp recommended for weight loss)
* Pinch of red cayenne pepper (adjust the amount according to your taste. A little goes a long way)!  Cayenne helps
stimulate the release of toxins.
* 8 oz of purified water (warm)

If you wish you can substitute the maple syrup with any type of Unsulfured Molasses (either Grandma’s, Barbados, Louisiana or Blackstrap—all of which are slightly laxative)

No food is allowed – you will drink ONLY the lemonade, with the exception of the following 2 teas (drink them without sweetener):

• Mint Tea and its purifying Chlorophyll may also be used as a pleasant change and to further assist in the cleansing process

• An Herbal Laxative Tea can also assist with eliminations

On Day 11 Burroughs says to drink as much Orangeade as you want (Orangeade is just diluted fresh orange juice – equal parts OJ and water). In the late afternoon of day 11, make a simple vegetable soup out of fresh vegetables. You can have a small amount of Brown Rice with the soup—but NO MEAT, BREAD, or CRACKERS are allowed.

On Day 12 feel free to add a little Fruit, and by Day 13 normal eating habits can be resumed; however, Burroughs recommends adhering to a vegetarian way of eating for as long as possible to maintain overall health.

And as with any cleanse, easy out of it gently!  Don’t go crazy and eat a bunch of processed food or junk unless you want to (a) feel sick and (b) UNDO the work you’ve just accomplished.

IMPORTANT DIETARY NOTE: The preceding information is only a broad overview of the Cayenne Pepper Diet; it should NOT be used as a primary guideline. I just wanted to give you a general idea of how it works in case you are considering trying it.

For those wanting to learn more about the cleanse, as well as more in-depth details about Burroughs’ overall strategies for maintaining health, you may wish to purchase“The Master Cleanse Book on Amazon.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT DIETARY NOTE: The Cayenne Pepper Diet should only be attempted by healthy people; if you are diabetic, pregnant, have kidney problems, had an organ transplant or are on medication you MUST consult a physician before making any radical dietary changes (and even if you’re healthy it’s a good idea to consult a physician first).

BlenderBabes.com is full of additional resources on gentle detoxes and cleanses, like our free juice cleanse which is safe and effective and provides you with lots of nutritious full-fiber juices. In our opinion this (or something similar) might be the way to go in many cases, especially if you are wanting a cleanse that will not leave you feeling overly hungry.

With that being said, I have reviewed the research and opinions on the famous Cayenne Pepper Diet and have put together a list of the most common opinions and testimonials on both sides of the fence.

Those who LOVE the Cayenne Pepper Diet report that their results include….

• Remarkable euphoria and a calming sense of serenity
• Heightened mental acuity and overall level of senses
• Deep restful sleep coupled with vivid dreams
• Increased ability to deal with the stresses of everyday life
• Boosted overall level of immunity
• Dramatically increased energy and flexibility
• Lustrous hair, radiant skin and fast rapid reflexes
• Zero sugar cravings, dramatic weight loss, and far less desire for all forms of junk food
• Eliminated alcohol, tobacco and drug dependency
• The loss of all food addictions and obsessions, as well as the overall preoccupation with food altogether
• Reduced pain and swelling
• Vanishing levels of arthritic and joint pain…

And like any other diet, there are also people who claim have had negative results with this cleanse and here are those side effects:

• Incredibly low levels of overall energy
• Inability to concentrate and ceaseless brain fog
• Jaw aches and stinging tooth pain
• Tingling sensations throughout the entire body
• Massive headaches and crippling irritability
• Unending hunger and intense diarrhea
• Severe exhaustion and the inability to fall sleep
• Loss of muscle mass
• Constant chills

The Cayenne Pepper Diet – Final Thoughts

Overall, fasting has been used since ancient times, for a variety of reasons. Currently various cleanses are wildly popular – primarily to achieve fast weight loss. The more extreme your diet or cleanse, the more dramatic the results will be.

However, the other side of the coin is that dramatic cleanses often result in the yo-yo effect, meaning you may indeed put back any lost weight (and perhaps a few extra pounds as well) to offset the feeling of deprivation during an extreme cleanse.

As always, every body responds differently to fasts and cleanses, so I don’t want to officially endorse OR steer you away from trying it yourself. Chances are you will know pretty quickly if this is something your body, mind and lifestyle can endure.  If you stick with it, be sure to EASE OUT of the Cayenne Pepper Diet with moderate portions of healthy, plant-based meals. Check out this article where we have compiled many detox friendly meals that you can use during this phase.

Fresh juices and smoothies are an excellent option for some of your meals during the ease out phase; this will help
your digestive system adjust to the re-introduction of more substantial meals without shocking your system and causing you to bounce right back to your previous weight.

Even if you are simply cleansing for health reasons vs. weight loss, easing out is crucial to prevent you from feeling sick or bloated (and treating yourself to things like pizza or ice cream will almost certainly have that effect – trust me on this one)!!

If you’d like to check out a more gentle cleanse, there are many great options that will still help you lose weight and detox, while providing lots of nutritious smoothies or juices (and enough sustenance to keep you going so you can still meet the demands of life). As I mentioned, the Blender Babes offers an awesome juice detox where you can download everything you need for free – recipes, instructions, and meal plans for your ease in and ease out phases.

Julie Morris is a natural food chef who specializes in superfoods. Hence her book, Superfood Smoothies! In her book she presents us with a simple shortcut to our health, nature in a cup! Included are 100 gorgeous superfood smoothie recipes that can be customized to please everyone’s taste buds. Let’s start blending Blender Babes!

As many of us health enthusiasts can relate, not all smoothies are created equal! The versatility of a smoothie can make it a sugar trap OR a healthy dose of nutrients. In Superfood Smoothies, Julie recounts her story as a Valley girl drinking smoothies to bear the weather and to stay in trend as the new “blended” business started to emerge in Southern California. Although during those teenage years, a smoothie made of sherbets and fruit juice was simply a pleasure-based experience. It was not until she began researching about the health benefits of drinking smoothies that Julie understood the great amounts of sugar and empty calories she was consuming. This experience motivated her to maximize the nutrients provided by smoothies, including energy, anti-aging antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals. She discovered that replacing the unhealthy components doesn’t have to lead to the loss of flavor.

Julie’s Superfood Smoothies are about balancing flavor with function. She even provides us with 7 golden rules for making the best, most beneficial smoothies. Isn’t she awesome! 

7 Superfood Smoothie Principles

1. Simple whole foods are best. Superfood smoothies are whole-food dependent! This includes real fruits, vegetables, unrefined powders, seeds and nuts. Only use “additives,” concentrated superfood ingredients to boost nutrition and flavor.

2. Ingredients with a purpose. Each superfood offers a compound of benefits for our mind and body. Establish your health objectives and be conscious of how every ingredient you include in your smoothie benefits you.

3. More is not always better. The nutrients in superfoods are more condensed than the average natural food, which is why we LOVE them! But if you are looking to add an extra boost to your daily smoothie, be mindful that you might be providing your body with a far greater percentage of the recommended daily allowance, far too much for your body to handle. You are causing not fixing health problems!

4. Consider density of nutrients first. When assessing food choices, you should take into account the ratio of micro-nutrients — vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals — per calorie. The more micro-nutrients each calorie contains, the higher and better that food is for you, this is true of superfoods as well as the remaining ingredients in your smoothie recipe.

5. Avoid acidic products: AKA animal products. Superfood Smoothies aim to provide the most healthy benefits with the least bodily harm. While animal products of any kind, including all forms of dairy, provide protein and minerals, they are also the most acidic-forming foods we consume; disturbing our pH levels and making our bodies prone to disease. You can find the macro and micro-nutrients of animal products in many plant-based ingredients without the health detriments. Follow Rule #2!

6. No need for sugar. Adding ingredients, such as fruits, fruit juice and other natural sweetening additives, will give your smoothie recipes all the necessary sugar. Keep your smoothie clean and filled with nutritious taste!

7. Taste above all else. Following this rule means you will come to crave a daily boost of delicious nutrients! By finding the right flavor combinations that satisfy your taste buds, you will forget about temporary diets. A healthy lifestyle begins with a daily Superfood Smoothie! 

“To date, no one yet has succumbed to cliché and actually asked me if my cup was half empty or half full. If anyone ever does, and I happen to be lucky enough to be holding a superfood smoothie, I have the perfect retort: My dear, this cup is packed.” – Julie Morris

Superfood Smoothies also compiles a list of the Super 15, based on health benefits, cost-effective, readily available and blender-friendly, Julie gives us the top core superfoods. Get your blenders ready Blender Babes! Acai berries, Algae, Cacao, Camu berries, Chia seeds, Chlorophyll-rich superfoods, Flax seed, Goji berries, Hemp seeds, Maca, Maqui berries, Mulberries, North American berries, Pomegranate and Sea Buckthorn berries made the list! For more information check our Top Recommended Superfoods! Don’t be afraid to incorporate these superfoods into your smoothie recipes, every superfood can only enhance your nutrition.

Let us know what your favorite superfoods for your smoothies are in the comments! Be sure to check out Julie’s other Superfood Cookbooks! HAPPY BLENDING! :)

I HIGHLY recommend this Dr Oz 3 Day Detox if you have an immediate, short-term need, such as an important event where you need to wear “that” dress or a pair of super skinny jeans, or perhaps it’s just one of those weeks where you feel lethargic and bloated and want to hit the reset button.

At Blender Babes we are HUGE fans of doing a healthy and revitalizing detox from time to time, using the healing power of smoothies and juice to help us reach our goals. Detoxes are the perfect way to increase energy, cleanse the body and mind, lose weight, and just get an overall boost in health and wellness.

That being said, we definitely do NOT advise gimmicky crash diets or quick-fix plans that involve poor nutrition or starving yourself. Not only are they dangerous, but the outcome is short-lived at best and can even damage your metabolism which leads to more weight gain.

The goods news is that there are short term detoxes that will give you awesome results FAST, without being dangerous or hard to stick with!

Dr Oz 3 Day Detox – A Smoothie Cleanse

One of my all-time favorites for a powerful and fast cleanse is this Dr Oz 3 Day Detox.

All you need are the smoothie recipes, a blender, and about $16 per day!

It’s very easy to implement, and you will not feel excessively hungry. In addition to the smoothies, there is a simple but powerful protocol to use each day that will accelerate your results and allow you to get rid of water weight and kick your metabolism into high gear. This regiment also recommends soothing epsom salt detox baths, green tea, and taking a probiotic supplement to help replenish and balance your digestive tract. He also includes a halving a multivitamin and taking in the morning and after lunch along with an Omega 3. 

**These are all recommendations I would also make, for everyday supplements good for the body but especially during a cleanse, and I linked to well tested and my favorite products for these types of supplements, including a vegetarian Omega 3.

How It Works

You start with Dr Oz’s breakfast smoothie each day that is rich in superfoods such as cleansing lemon, raspberries, and flaxseeds. It is low calorie but high in fiber which will keep you satiated.

Each day for your second meal you will have Dr Oz’s lunch smoothie  which is one of my favorites and gives you 5 essential greens, healthy fats from the coconut oil, and a super refreshing taste.

For your daily dinner smoothie you will have more greens along with powerful cleansing ingredients like lemon and cayenne pepper. It definitely has a strong taste and it may not be for everyone. If this one is not your favorite, keep in mind it is absolutely fine to switch it out for another smoothie, or adjust the ingredients to your taste!

Each Day of the Dr Oz 3 Day Smoothie Detox:

Morning Detox Tea (1 Green Tea bag, 1 Slice lemon, 1 tsp Stevia)
Dr Oz. Detox Breakfast Smoothie Drink
1/2 Multivitamin and 1 Probiotic supplement
Dr Oz Detox Lunch Smothie Drink
1/2 Multivitamin and 1 Omega 3 supplement
Snack – Repeat Favorite Drink
Dr Oz Detox Dinner Smoothie Drink
Detox Bath (2 1/2 cups Epsom Salt & 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil)

Most people who try this Dr Oz 3 Day Smoothie Detox once end up becoming diehard fans who do it again and again, because it is so easy to do and the results are incredible! Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear your questions and feedback!

PIN OR EMBED! ⇓


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Coconut Water – One of the Healthiest Drinks on the Planet

Coconut water is one of the most satisfyingly refreshing, energy-enhancing and thirst-quenchingly nutrient dense juices money can buy—and I totally love it! Although admittedly, most people don’t regard it as such the first time they try it (including myself!).

Like myself, most people try the pasteurized coconut water on the market. Some are better than others, however these coconut waters typically DO NOT taste like it came straight out of a coconut! Trust me, once you’ve tasted a cold bottle of coconut water that tastes like you’re drinking out of a coconut, it’s ssssooooo super easy to get addicted to this absolutely sweet, electrolyte-laden water. The moment you develop a taste for it, you’ll start to crave it – especially first thing in the morning (perhaps after a big night out!) or after a workout.

Real, beautifully pure organic coconut water has a powerful yet delicate flavor, rich aroma, and is bursting with so much nutrition that even a small glass of it is enough to light up your metabolism and quench your thirst!

Coconut Water Health Benefits & Nutrient Composition

Coconut water contains a unique combination of B vitamins, vitamin C, micronutrients and phytohormones that are wonderfully beneficial for health, wellness and longevity. It’s no wonder why an ayurvedic doctor recommended to me long ago (before it became mainstream) to drink one coconut water per day due to its massive health benefits.

Cutting-Edge Research Shows Coconut Water Health Benefits:

• Has antiaging effects
• Fights free radicals
• Lowers blood pressure
• Helps prevent heart attacks
• Helps regulate cell division, development and nutrient processing

But Whose Coconut Water Can You Trust?

Though packaged coconut water has been flooding the market recently, I don’t want you to just stroll into any store and grab some off the shelf. With all the major corporations pretending to be organic these days, it’s hard to know whose coconut water you can trust. But like everything else in the natural health world, it all comes down to how the product is produced.

Coconut water is available in cartons and bottles, and comes in powdered, frozen, flavored, carbonated and even high-fructose corn syrup sweetened form—making it one heck of a challenge to find out if you’re choosing the right one.

Ultimately you want the brand that’s the least processed and still has all of its nutrients intact, which is always going to be the one made straight from a young fresh green coconut.

Young Fresh Green Coconuts

A palm tree’s young fresh green coconuts are bursting with an abundance of water that’s loaded with vitamins and minerals. But as they ripen this water’s nutrients naturally seep into the coconut’s meat—with the water remaining behind losing most of its potency. This process can also be sped up when young picked coconuts lie on the ground too long in the sun.

Coconut oil, coconut milk and all other coconut products on the other hand are made from older mature coconuts, whose water is typically discarded because it lacks nutrition. But there are plenty of unscrupulous companies out there who buy this old coconut water cheaply, then pasteurize, process and sweeten it all up, and turn right around and sell it as expensive coconut water—which doesn’t taste anything like fresh coconut water (but does make substantial profits).

Like all produce, a coconut’s overall quality and flavor is a product of the soil in which it was grown, the water and climate that nurtured it, and the surrounding flora and fauna that rounded out its environment…

All of which is why I only drink Harmless Harvest’s raw organic coconut water. This revolutionary company strives to be sustainable in every possible way and relies solely on word of mouth to advertise its products—they literally have zero advertising budget! (Note: Like all of our honest reviews, Blender Babes is not compensated for this post.)

Harmless Harvest – the One & Only – 100% Raw, 100% Organic

Harmless Harvest is my absolute favorite brand of coconut water! It’s the best coconut water out there and truly tastes like they poured it right out of a coconut that was just picked off a tree! And as it turns out, there’s a reason why!

Harmless Harvest thoroughly understands that they’re only as good as the coconuts they harvest. Believing that the finest ingredients should only be enjoyed as Mother Nature intended, they revamped the entire supply chain and created the very first ready-to-drink raw coconut water.

Their luscious, 100% organic coconuts are renowned for their uniquely sweet and nutty flavor. Grown with traditional farming methods on an organic agroforestry in Thailand, their succulent coconuts are picked by hand when they’re young and green—the absolute height of their delicious flavor!—lowered to the ground by rope to prevent any damage, collected with tremendous care, and shipped on boats traveling the picturesque canals that line the shores of their beautiful palm trees.

From there it’s just a short distance to Harmless Harvest’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. Located in the heart of Thailand’s traditional coconut farming region, this revolutionary company employs natives from all the surrounding villages, and pays them a fair wage.

And it’s here that the life-enhancing waters of these incredibly fresh coconuts are bottled, which begins as soon as they’re cracked open! Without any mixing, homogenizing or heat pasteurization, each and every bottle remains cold from the moment the coconut is first cracked open to when it’s placed in a health food store’s refrigerated section (although I’ve seen it at regular grocery stores now, so others must have discovered the best coconut water too!!)

Preservatives are NEVER added at any point in Harmless Harvest’s honest and straightforward coconut-to-bottle process, maintaining all of the natural flavor, unique aroma and super dense nutrient profile of the individual coconut from which it came.

And though all of their coconut water is clear when bottled, some bottles eventually turn pink with time. This variation is due to the natural process of coconut water’s numerous antioxidants interacting with light, which is totally fine to fully embrace. These pink bottles are just as safe and delicious to drink as all the others, which Harmless Harvest made a conscious effort not to hide in any way with dangerous additives.

They just knew that their health- and environmentally-conscious customers would understand.

Having pioneering only the best, most ecologically sustaining farming and business practices in order to deliver the highest quality coconut water, Harmless Harvest is committed to building long-lasting relationships with all of their customers and all of Thailand’s organic agroforestry communities. They steadfastly believe that production doesn’t need to be destructive and with their revolutionary ecosystem based business model, they will continue to put as much of their resources back into protecting the environment as they possibly can!

Get Harmless Harvest Coconut Water in Your Health Food Store

Harmless Harvest is succeeding because of how they do business—not any marketing gimmicks or seductively slick advertising campaigns. For those wanting to help this revolutionary company grow, head straight to your health food store’s refrigerator section and try some of their awesome coconut water today!

And if you’re favorite store doesn’t carry Harmless Harvest coconut water yet, ask them about ordering some. All it takes is a couple of people inquiring about a particular product for management to give it a try!

Be sure to let me know about your experiences with coconut water in the Comments Section, as well as where to get the best deals on this super awesome but kinda pricey all natural energy drink!

And as always, Happy Blending!

The post Harmless Harvest: The #1 Best Tasting Coconut Water appeared first on Blender Babes - Healthy Smoothie Recipes | Blendtec vs Vitamix Reviews.

The 2015 Natural Products Expo West blazed its powerfully healthy way through the Anaheim Convention Center this year –—and in typical Blender Babes fashion we met with only the most AMAZING array of genuine companies whose natural product we know and love!

The following rundown is a Quick-Fast-List of our awesome favorites, as well as an introduction to some of their Brand-New, Life-Enhancingly Beautiful Products that debuted at the Expo—all of which you can use to take total control of your health!

BEST OF EXPO WEST – FOODS

Pacific Foods

Why We Love Them: Pacific Foods has been a trailblazing organic food company since 1987, having marched to the beat of their own natural drum every healthy step of the way! Using only the most delicious, high-quality ingredients that are all sustainably farmed, Pacific Foods creates a kinder and gentler world for every person and animal they touch—and all while inspiring you to know more about your food, where it comes from, and how it’s grown!

Products We Love: Offering soups and sauces, broths and stocks, non-dairy beverages, dips, meals and sides, this revolutionary company launched their Brand-New Coconut Non-Dairy Beverages at the Expo (see our video interview), which are all free of Carageenan (those nasty inflammation-causing sulfated polysaccharides extracted from red edible seaweeds that the mainstream food industry uses for their gelling, thickening and stabilizing properties).

In addition, Pacific Foods showcased their new nutrient-dense Organic Bone Broths (see our video interview), which are great for skin, hair and bone health and is totally why all the Blender Babes lllovvve ‘em—and why more and more health conscious people are using broths as their #1 Source for Calcium, Magnesium & Collagen!

We’ve been using Pacific Foods’ Non-Dairy Milk Substitutes in our smoothies for years, and absolutely LOVE ‘EM and can’t imagine life without them!

SweetLeaf

Why We Love Them: SweetLeaf Organic Stevia Sweetener is as natural as the Sun, Soil & Rain that nurtures it—which is exactly why it’s the Most Popular brand of stevia in the entire natural food marketplace! Having won 13 International Awards for Taste, Innovation & Sustainability, this Zero Carb/ZERO Calorie All-Natural Sweetener is far more energizing than refined sugar, and eliminates every last one of our cravings for unhealthy processed sweets!

Products We Love: This year SweetLeaf unveiled their brand-new Sweet Drops—which we’ve already fell head-over-heels in love with (see our video interview)! These deliciously flavorful All-Natural Sugar- and Gluten-Free water enhancers keep you hydrated in the freshest way possible, while simultaneously adding incredible bursts of flavor to your favorite foods and beverages!

And for all you culinary creators and master bakers out there, if you haven’t tried SugarLeaf you sssooooo need to A-S-A-P! This life-enhancing ingredient unites the benefits of stevia with raw cane sugar for every last one of your Low-Calorie Baking & Cooking needs!

Harmless Harvest

Why We Love Them: Harmless Harvest pioneered an ecosystem-based business model that respects the soul of every person and plant whose lives they touch! A trusted, valued leader in the raw and organic marketplace, it’s been the creation of innovative products like 2012’s 100% Raw & Organic Coconut Water and 2014’s Namacha (which in Japanese means “Raw Tea”) that have kept this highly respected company right at the front of the natural food revolution!

Products We Love: This year Harmless Harvest debuted their All-New Coffee flavored Coconut Water, which is made with Fair Trade Coffee and Luscious Dark Cacao. This wondrous creation is absolutely heavenly and is the perfect way to get your engine going in the morning! And don’t forget to try their Unsweetened, Raw Peppermint & Honey & Lemon Namacha flavors—which are made with tea leaves that are grown in pristine organic Japanese tea gardens, picked fresh, and NEVER dehydrated or heated.

Mama Jess    

Why We Love Them: ALL of Mama Jess’ organic sauces are made with added veggie/fruit and herb purees—resulting in a wondrously incredible overall level of taste and nutrition! Created by a mother who tirelessly searched for a great way to “sneak” veggies into her children’s meals, Mama Jess’ entire lineup of healthy organic sauces taste Absolutely Amazing, will satisfy even the pickiest members of your family, and are 100% Made in the USA!

Products We Love: Mama Jess launched their All-New Organic Vegetable Ketchup, which has no added sugar and is sweetened with veggies, fruits and herbs. This deliciously healthy condiment instantly became a Blender Babes favorite the moment we tried it!

And we also sssoooo couldn’t help ourselves from sampling the Bien Good Organic 7 Veggie Enchilada Sauce, the Garden Good Organic 5 Veggie Pasta Sauce & the Bean Good Organic Bean Pasta Sauce—all of which you’ll find on a Blender Babes menu in any given week!

Luvo

Why We Love Them: Luvo is the wildly popular frozen food company that makes Chef-Inspired/Nutritionist-Approved meals made from high-quality ingredients (which sssoooo helps us out on those crazy hectic days when we don’t even have time to blend—yeesh, it happens)! Their innovatively time-saving healthy recipes feature herbs and spices instead of sugar and sodium, freeing you from the endless hassles of having to actually shop, prep, and cook a healthy meal!

Striving to support farmers and suppliers with people-, animal- and planet-friendly practices, Luvo uses antibiotic-free meat and poultry, and Non-GMO ingredients whenever possible—all at the best possible price. They cater to the needs of health-conscious shoppers who refuse to compromise on flavor and taste, offering an array of bold, nutritiously-flavored dishes including meat, poultry, vegetarian and even vegan fare.

Luvo is also the official food of Delta Airlines and even collaborated with physician, scholar and New York Times best-selling author to provide Luvo meals for Dr. Mark Hyman’s 10 Day Detox Program.

Products We Love: Luvo introduced an All-New Line of Awesomely–Yummy-Tasting burritos at the Natural Products Expo, which included 5 Organic Vegetarian Varieties & 2 Bold-Tasting Protein options—giving you even more fast/quick nutrient-dense meal options while simultaneously bringing tons more healthy goodness to the world!

Stonyfield Organic

Why We Love Them: Stonyfield has been committed to healthy food, healthy people and a healthy planet ever since they started off as a nonprofit organic farming school. Caring deeply about every ingredient their decadently rich organic yogurts, smoothies, frozen and soy yogurts, milks and creams feature—which NEVER contain toxic pesticides, artificial hormones, antibiotics or GMOs—Stonyfield says “Yes!” to real food.

They even use trains to transport their yogurts, which are 11 times more fuel efficient than trucks, and are always adding to their already impressive list of Green Business Practices!

Products We Love: Stonyfield’s All-New lineup of Oh My Yog! Organic Yogurt totally knocked our socks off this year! Featuring heavenly flavors like Apple Cinnamon, Gingered Pear, Madagascar Vanilla Bean, Orange Cranberry, Pacific Coast Strawberry and Wild Quebec Blueberry, these healthy protein-rich yogurt treats are loaded with nutrition AND healthy gut-flora-balancing Live Active Cultures!

Plus they also had plenty of their recently released Greek & Chia Yogurt flavors to sample, which are made with Blood Orange, Blueberry, Pear, Red Berries & Chia Seeds (so needless to say, we got hung up at this booth for quite awhile!).

Hope Foods

Why We Love Them: Hope Foods believes in HOPE so powerfully they named their company after it! Striving to make the food industry better by bringing Hope to everyone through good food that nourishes the mind, body and soul, their delicious products are made with only High-Quality, Organic, Gluten-Free and Non-GMO ingredients—all of which allow you and your family to enjoy and thrive on only the most life-sustaining meals possible!

Utilizing High Pressure Processing (HPP) to maintain the Raw Fresh Flavor of their food (as opposed to heat pasteurization and artificial preservatives like icky mainstream food manufacturers) Hope Foods believes that HPP is the only healthy and safe way to create their delicious array of foods and safely deliver them to the world!

Products We Love: Hope Foods’ signature Hummus Dips feature an array of nutrient-rich ingredients like garbanzo beans, sesame seeds, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil and herbs and spices—and are available in Kale Pesto, Super Hemp, Red Pepper, Sriracha, Spicy Avocado, Thai Coconut Curry and Jalapeno Cilantro, as well as their Original Recipe.

And don’t forget to also give their hearty Lentil Hope Dips a whirl (which we did plenty of). Made with Habanero, Curry & Garlic, these sumptuous dipping snacking make great additions to appetizers, platters, parties or whatever really ya feel like!

Artisola

Why We Love Them: Artisola is a family-owned company dedicated to creating chef-inspired foods for every meal. Having created one of the finest and freshest lines of pasta and sauces, they continue to deliver incredible-tasting, restaurant-quality products with a light environmental footprint. Using 100% natural ingredients sourced as locally as possible, their gourmet packaged convenience foods feature organic, gluten-, wheat-, and yeast-free products that guarantee you’ll be able to enjoy a healthy meal even on the most hectic of days!

Products We Love: Artisola’s handcrafted gourmet Organic or Gluten-Free Pasta Prima line features pasta and sauces made with fresh cut vegetables and aged-imported cheeses that are totally preservative-free—nothing is ever artificial and their Organic Pastas & Ravioli is as nourishing to the body as it is to the environment. Their gluten-free options were SO TASTY, you could never tell the difference!! Both of these culinary creations add yet another deliciously nutritious dish to your weekly healthy menu, and put you one more powerful step closer to achieving your health goals!

So Delicious Dairy Free

Why We Love Them: So Delicious is the industry leader in Dairy-Free Delights. Nestled within Oregon’s lush Willamette Valley, where for over 25 years they’ve created an increasingly tempting array of dairy-free milks, creamers, desserts and cultured products, their tasty treats are made with organic ingredients—and are always 100% Plant-Based & Non-GMO Project Verified with no artificial sweeteners, trans-fats or hydrogenated oils!

Products We Love: Any true Blender Babe knows what it’s like to indulge in So Delicious’ Coconut Ice Cream and Coco Whip—which go perfectly together, by the way ;) —that we often forget that this heavenly combination is totally healthy! Some of their more decadent flavors include Chocolate, Cheery Amaretto, Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, Gluten-Free Cookie Dough, Mint Chip & Mocha Almond Fudge—all of which we totally dollop their sssoooo yummy Coco Whip frozen coconut milk dessert topping right on top of!

BEST OF EXPO WEST – PROTEIN POWDERS

Vega  

Why We Love Them: Vega is the cutting-edge leader in the plant-based natural health and performance products industry. A sustainably-focused, incredibly innovative company dedicated to doing business with a Triple Bottom-Line Commitment to people, performance, and the planet, Vega creates only the finest of purpose-driven products for anyone desiring to take total control of their health. Their clean, plant-based array of powerful products fuels an active, healthy lifestyle—day-in and day-out, with NO compromises whatsoever!

Products We Love: This year Vega launched an array of All-New products at Expo West (see our video interview) —the first of which was their Mocha flavored Sport Performance Protein. Formulated to improve strength and exercise performance, build and repair muscles and reduce recovery time between training, this complete multi-source, alkaline-forming, plant-based protein powder features 5,000 mg of BCAAs and 5,000 mg of glutamine in every energizing serving!

Vega also showcased an All-New improved version of their signature Vega One line, as well as new Coconut Almond & Mocha flavors—all of which added to their impressively vibrant selection of strength creating products that give you the power to hit any health goal imaginable! We have always LOVED the flavors of Vega, and these new ones are no exception! The coconut almond is AMAZING and both types of mocha are delicious on their own or in a vegan mocha frapuccino!

VEGA FREE SHIPPING WITH NO MINIMUM ORDER! CLICK HERE! Use Promo Code: BlenderBabes 

Sunwarrior

Why We Love Them: Sunwarrior is a rapidly growing natural health food company that strives to transform the planet, one warrior at a time. Making every effort to illuminate the mind, body and soul, they believe that plants provide the cleanest and most powerful forms of food—all of which are rich in vitamins, minerals, enzymes, antioxidants and phytonutrients mankind is only just beginning to truly understand.

Products We Love: Sunwarrior features an impressive lineup of Raw Vegan Superfoods & Supplements (see our video interview!) that all taste great and blend totally well (we’ve sssooo gotten hooked on their delicious Warrior Blend Chocolate) and are always Non-GMO, Allergan-, Soy- & Dairy-Free. At the Expo we tried their All-New Sunwarrior Classic Plus and they also showcased their soon-to-be-released Meal Replacement Options, all of which are made with a dynamic fusion process that unites the power of several rich, raw protein sources—creating one revolutionary great-tasting smooth blend that is far more powerful than its individual ingredients could ever be alone!

GET 20% OFF SUNWARRIOR! CLICK HERE! Use Promo Code: BlenderBabes 

Rockin’ Wellness

Why We Love Them: Rockin’ Wellness was founded on the belief that optimal nutrition and function are the true keys to not just survival, but are absolutely necessary if you want to thrive in any facet of life. Having sought out the best ingredients the world has to offer the founders of this innovative company created an amazing total body energy drink that’s made with Raw Cacao, Goji Berries, Chia Seeds, Hemp Seeds, Yerba Mate, Maca Root, Green Tea & Vegan Probiotics—all of which combine to give you limitless amounts of power!

Products We Love: Rockin’ Wellness is a great tasting, easy-to-make total body nutrition shake that helps keep you slim while providing a healthy blend of superfoods and probiotics. Focusing on pure plant-based nutrition, their nutrient-dense drinks offer health for the whole body and mind, and are loaded with so much incredibly energizing ingredients that you’ll never wanna neglect your health ever again!

GET 10% OFF ROCKIN’ WELLNESS! CLICK HERE! Use Promo Code: BlenderBabes 

UB Super

Why We Love Them: UB Super strives to be the most trusted brand of Protein Superfood & Supercare Products that improves both the health of mankind and the overall environment. Having spent four years researching the most nutritionally dense Superfoods Mother Nature has to offer, they created an incredible synergistic meal replacement shake that is a nutritional powerhouse blend of protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that strengthens your entire body—especially the digestive tract!
UB Super’s products are Non-GMO, Gluten- and Soy-Free, with ZERO sugar added… and they are the Only company Blender Babes has found that make a Grass-Fed Whey that’s combined with plant based protein (and yes, they totally are our saviors ;)!

Products We Love: UB Super’s high quality Grass Fed Whey & Plant Based protein is unique and a combo we haven’t seen before. They feature 10 Powerful Superfoods (11 in the Chocolate), Grass-Fed Whey & Plant-Based Protein, a Complete Amino Acid Profile, 100% Daily Intake of 9 Essential Vitamins, an array of Antioxidants & Fulvic Minerals, Prebiotics, Probiotics & Digestive Enzymes—all of which are derived entirely from Whole Food Sources, giving you the highest possible bioavailability (and thus absorption) you could hope for!

Twinlab

Why We Love Them: Twinlab has been developing nutritional supplements since 1968. Marching into the 21^st century with their Twinlab Fuel Sports Supplements, Metabolife Diet & Energy Products, Alvita Teas and Nature’s Herbs, this dynamic company strives to help every single human being on the planet achieve a pristine level of remarkable health—so that ultimately they can live an incredible, totally complete, and truly inspiring life!

Products We Love: Blender Babes popped on by to check out the CLEAN SERIES of Twinlab’s protein. This performance sport nutrition is following the lead of other top proteins we love, being NON-GMO and with no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners. They’ve got something for everyone in their clean series line, with veggie, whey and soy proteins as well as a gainers protein with a whopping 40g of protein per serving, BCAAs and MCTs from coconut oil.

Before we left, we also swung by the Alvita wing of the Twinlab booth to sample some of their amazing organic teas. Everything from Alfalfa, Bilberry & Black Cohosh Root to Turmeric, Uva Ursi & Valerian Root was on full display. These Certified Organic Teas nourish not only the mind and body, but the soul as well, and offer the unique type of deep healing that comes from utilizing the medicinal properties of Mother Nature’s flowers and herbs!

BEST OF EXPO WEST – SNACKS

Made in Nature

Why We Love Them: On top of having the best name in all of the natural health arena, Made in Nature is one of our favs ‘cause they’re on a never-ending quest to discover the most flavorful, organic ingredients on the planet. Using only real food grown the way nature intended, they add their own deliciously flavorful flare—making some of the best tasting snacks we’ve ever had!

Products We Love: Made in Nature launched their All-New Coconut Chips at the Natural Products Expo—and our taste buds exploded the moment we tried their Organic Vanilla Maple Toasted ones! The crisp, caramelized crunch of these deliciously delicate chips is beautifully accentuated with a sweet, gentle kiss of organic maple syrup and a slight breeze of Madagascar Vanilla…

And the best part is it’s made with only pure organic ingredients—NO refined sugar or artificial flavors, making them a wonderfully indulgent yet ultimately healthy snack! Try the Vietnamese Cinnamon Swirl, Italian Espresso, Maple Madagascar Vanilla, Mexican Spiced Cacao and Ginger Masala Chai too—as well as their totally scrumptious Kale Chips and thirst-quenching Telula Drinks!

Navitas Naturals

Why We Love Them: Navitas Naturals is one of The premier Superfood Companies out there. Offering the finest Certified Organic Superfoods that rocket energy levels into the stratosphere, they feature an incredibly diverse array of Pristine Whole-Food Sources of protein, antioxidants, essential fats, vitamins, minerals and other key nutrients from around the world—and all for affordable prices!

They’re also committed to socially responsible business practices that create, develop, and expand fair trade economic opportunities for farming communities in developing regions around the world. Believing that organic is the only way to guarantee the integrity of our food supply, Navitas strives to ensure the health of people, farmers, and the entire planet.

Products We Love: This highly-respected company launched  Navitas’ All-New Grab-&-Go Superfood Snacks at this year’s Natural Products Expo. Featuring 7 New Superfood+ Seeds & Nuts creations which you can take anywhere, this new line of Superfood+ Snacks unites the Best-Selling Organic Superfoods with hearty, life-enhancing nuts and seeds. Offering Gluten- and GMO-Free blends like Cacao Hemp Almonds, Coconut Hemp Pepitas, Turmeric Tamari Almonds, Maca Maple Cashews, Chia Rosemary Pepitas, Goji Basil Cashews & Goldenberry Ginger Almonds, Navitas has made it easier than ever to get all the nutrients you’ll need to handle any of life’s challenges!

In addition, they showcased 3 New Deliciously Nutritious Organic Coconut Chips… Navitas’ heavenly coconut slices are seasoned with flavors like Caramel, Cacao & Chili Lime—then toasted at low temperatures to create a uniquely chewy crunch which is the perfect addition to yogurts, salads, trail mixes and desserts—and are utterly to die for!

And as if all that weren’t enough, Navitas debuted new Larger Packages of their popular Maca, Chia, Hemp & Pomegranate—lowering your overall total cost for these powerful dietary staples!

Late July Snacks     

Why We Love Them: Ahhh tortilla chips…—the bane of anyone’s diet… But with organic companies like Late July Snacks churning out their scrumptiously flavorful yet ultimately healthy snack chips, eating these delicious creations can be virtually guilt-free! Made with USDA-Certified Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified stone ground corn, these unique tortilla chips offer a taste and flavor that is truly one-of-a-kind—and all without MSG and all those other nasty chemical products found in mainstream food manufacturer’s fare.

Products We Love: Late July Snacks introduced several All-New irresistible flavors at Expo West this year, including Blender Babes favorites Jalapeño Lime and Bacon Habanero (we definitely helped ourselves to many a free sample at this booth!), Nacho Chipotle and their taco truck-inspired Clásico Tortilla Chips. We spied these amazingly delicious treats up at is Costco, which you know, totally has super huge sizes so we can always be fully stocked!

Go Raw

Why We Love Them: Go Raw is a visionary company that produces delicious organic raw vegan and sprouted products for people who are searching for a healthier, purer lifestyle—and in just over ten years they’ve grown from a small San Diego retail storefront into a beautiful solar-powered San Jose production plant. Featuring a nutrient-dense lineup of easy to eat organic raw snacks, their energizing products continue to find their way into more and more health food and health-conscious grocery stores throughout the whole country!

This year Go Raw unveiled an all new logo and package design for their entire line of raw and sprouted snacks, which beautifully displays their “June-Free Food”—which as always remains GMO-Free, Nut-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan and of course, Totally Raw. Perfect for people always on the go, their life-enhancing array of products comes in resealable pouches—making ‘em the perfect day-to-day or travel snack for everyone in the family! 

Products We Love: Though Go Raw’s Sprouted Watermelon Seeds are a totally unique health snack that delivers an incredible amount of powerful plant protein, with a wonderfully rich and nutty flavor, what really lit our taste buds on fire this year was their subtly decadent Super Raw Chocolate treats! O. M. G—these chocolates are pure unadulterated pleasure! Made with Raw Organic Cacao & Raw Agave Nectar—as well as Organic Orange & Peppermint Oil—these sensuous little squares of pure cacao heaven beat any mass-produced candy you’ve ever had—ever!

Artisana Organics 

Why We Love Them: Artisana passionately creates unique, healthy gourmet food. All of their products are Raw, Organic & Vegan, and handmade with a tremendous amount of care! Believing that better butters start with the best ingredients, this extraordinary company sources the finest raw nuts, seeds and coconuts directly from small organic farmers. Hand selecting only the best crops, they utilize an innovative temperature-controlled pureeing process to preserve all of the essential living vitamins, minerals, enzymes, proteins and fatty acids—bringing to you an incredibly nutrient dense product that tastes life-enhancingly amazing!

Products We Love: Blender Babes has long since fallen in love with each and every one of Artisana’s heavenly nut butters! Their Almond Butter is richer and creamier than any supermarket peanut butter, there are way more times than we’d like to admit that we eat their Cashew Butter straight outta the jar, both the Pecan and Walnut Butters can only be describes as decadently delicious, and their Raw Tahini goes great in our salad dressing and hummus recipes!

And of course this sumptuous lineup is Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Peanut-Free & Non GMO—making Artisana one of the best natural health food companies in the world!

Arctic Zero Frozen Desserts

Why We Love Them: Arctic Zero is the pioneer of Fit Frozen Desserts that are made without all the fat and calories regular store brought brands are sssooo loaded with (which is reason enough to start buying ‘em NOW ;). Using an impressive list of handcrafted premium ingredients from around the world, their sensuous lineup features products that are Certified Low Glycemic, Nut-, Lactose-, Gluten- and GMO-Fee, and provide one of the most indulgently perfect guilt-free pleasures that’ll satisfy every last one of your overwhelming (and totally inevitable ;) cravings for sugar!

Products We Love: Arctic Zero’s new 300-Calorie Chunky Pints are available in Buttery Pecan, Key Lime Pie, Cookie Dough, Cool Mint & Chocolate Chip… Their 150-Calorie Creamy Pints come in Chocolate, Coffee, Cappuccino, Cookie Shake, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Mint, Caramel & Orange Cream… and their 80-Calorie Dark Chocolate- & Vanilla-Dipped Bars… well, let’s just say the Arctic Zero staff was kind enough to set aside a few sample boxes if we promised to let some other Expo attendants near their booth! ;)

Mamma Chia

Why We Love Them: Mamma Chia is an environmentally conscious sustainable company who’s on a mission to share the magic of chia with the world! Offering a delicious array of high quality organic chia-based foods that provides natural vitality, energy, strength and stamina, this innovative company was the first to create a powerful line of chia beverages—delivering a truly unique product that combines superior taste with an intense synergy of life-enhancing nutrients! We LOVE mamma chia products so much, we made our own mock mamma chia squeeze recipe!

Products We Love: The revolutionary Mamma Chia company used Expo West to launch their All-New Dark Chocolate Snack Bars, which are available in Blueberry, Cherry, Coconut Almond & Peanut. These nutrient-rich treats of organic chia seeds have been lovingly combined with deep, rich dark chocolate, healthy fruits and savory blends of nuts—all to deliver omega-3s, protein, fiber and more to fuel your soul’s purpose!

And if any of those rich flavors tickle your chia fancy, then give their all-new granola Wild Blueberry, Vanilla Almond & Cinnamon Pecan Cluster cereals a whirl—they all taste incredible and are the perfect way to get the morning started off right!

RxBar

Why We Love Them: We have tried A LOT of bars… We were SHOCKED at how good these were and delighted at how few REAL ingredients they had. RxBar believes that food should be consumed as nature intended—simply and delicious without compromising nutrition—and that high-quality ingredients should never be sacrificed because of cost. Having created a protein bar that makes you feel great about eating it, and even better AFTER you’ve eaten it (and all with a minimal amount of ingredients ;), their powerful energy bars deliver the proper balance of high-quality egg white protein with a healthy supply of fats, high-fiber carbohydrates and all-natural sugars from real fruit—lighting up your body like a bolt of lightning just like Mother Nature intended!

Products We Love: RxBars taste home-made and NEVER contain dairy, soy, gluten, whey, added sugars, artificial sweeteners or artificial ingredients, sugar alcohols, GMOs or any preservatives—ever! Their Real Food Protein Bars are available in Peanut Butter, Coconut Cacao, Blueberry, Apple Cinnamon & Coffee Cacao—and you bet your butt that more than a few of their samples found their way into our Expo tote bags ;)! They are now our ON-THE-GO snack bars of choice.

KeVita

Why We Love Them: KeVita empowers people to take control of their health by making Sparkling Probiotic Drinks that bolster the immune system and improve digestive health. Renowned for being The natural alternative to traditional sodas, KeVita uses 4 Live Probiotic Strains to make their unique brews—delivering deliciously energizing vitality with every life-enhancing sip! Handcrafted in a private Certified Organic facility in Southern California, their Low-Calorie creations are Vegan, Gluten-Free, Non-Dairy & Non-GMO—combining coconut water, tea or pure water with the finest ingredients found on earth for an incredibly refreshing taste sensation!

Products We Love: KeVita launched All-New Master Brew Kombucha at Expo West; our favorite was the Blueberry Cherry, a powerful antioxidant-rich blend that unlocks all the nutrients in Blueberries, Cherries, Elderberries and Ashwaganda—with no added sugar and only 20 calories a serving… We also love KeVita’s All-New Sparkling Probiotic drinks… Tangerine features a delightfully Sweet Citrus and Creamy Vanilla blend bursting with loads of Vitamin C and Organic Green Coffee Bean Extract—all of which promotes weight loss by speeding up your metabolism… & Hibiscus Berry is a modern-day interpretation of an ancient medicinal Chinese formula that uses Hibiscus, Raspberries, Rose Hips, Goji and Schizandra to gently cleanse and beautify the body from the inside out… All of which were a labor of love and are a perfect way for you and your family to start making fermented beverages a regular part of your weekly diet!

SquareBar

Why We Love Them: SquareBar first rocketed onto the natural health scene at the 2012 Natural Products Expo West, and is now being distributed throughout the entire country! Truly believing that ingredients are what matter most, this remarkably successful startup company sources only the most nutrient-dense Organic & Non-GMO foods—even going so far as to work directly with farmers to ensure that an ethical path is being taken from every crop to every bar!

Products We Love: SquareBar’s Super Yummy Organic Protein Bars are sweetened with Low Glycemic, Electrolyte-Rich Coconut Nectar, every one of which contains 11 to 12 grams of complete plant-based, soy-free protein enveloped in a lovely and deliciously antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. Their five amazing cocoa flavors—Crunch, Almond, Coconut, Mint & Cherry—are all free of gluten, dairy, soy, refined sugars and artificial flavors, which makes them the perfect addition to your overall health routine! BONUS: They are ABSOLUTELY DIVINE chopped up and topping our smoothies, smoothie bowls, and healthy ice cream recipes!

BEST OF EXPO WEST – SUPPLEMENTS

Mushroom Matrix

Why We Love Them: Mushroom Matrix strives to develop innovative products so they can bring the miraculous health benefits of mushrooms to the world! Their 100% Certified Organic Powders are derived from Cordyceps, Reishi, Lion’s Mane, Chaga, Maitake, Turkey Tail and other potent varieties—all of which Strengthen the Immune System, Relieve Stress, Enhance Weight Management & Improve Physical Performance, making you glow from the inside out!

Products We Love: Blender Babes really can’t get enough of the unique Mushroom Matrix products—which is why we’re totally in love with all of ‘em ;)! All eight of their Organic, Vegan, Non-GMO, Gluten-Free Mushroom Powders deliver the benefits of Vitamin D, antioxidants, beta glucans, prebiotics, antioxidants, dietary fiber, enzymes, amino acids and so much more—making them the perfect flavorless additions to smoothies, baked goods, oatmeal and anything else you can imagine, packing one heck-of-a powerful nutritional punch in the process!

GET 10% OFF SUNWARRIOR! CLICK HERE! Use Promo Code: BlenderBabes 

Nutrex Hawaii

Why We Love Them: Nutrex’s 90-acre state-of-the-art facility is located on the breathtaking Kona Coast of the Big Island—in a BioSecure Zone that’s free of all pesticides and herbicides… And it’s here, in this idyllic setting, where this incredible company produces some of the most potent nutritional supplements on the face of the earth. From natural astaxanthin and Hawaiian spirulina to green superfood powder and other powerful formulas—all of Nutrex’s wondrous products are guaranteed to be fresh, authentic, and come straight from Hawaii.

Products We Love: Being being fans of blue green algae, the Blender Babes loved learning about Nutrex’s Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica. Renowned for being one of the most nutritious, concentrated whole foods known to man, this famed superfood Strengthens the Immune System, Boosts Energy Levels, Supports Cellular, Cardiovascular, Eye & Brain Health, and is loaded with 3,900% more Iron than Spinach, 2,800% more Beta-Carotene than Carrots, 600% more Protein than Tofu & 280% more Antioxidants than Blueberries!

MacroLife Naturals

Why We Love Them: MacroLife Naturals is dedicated to discovering the purest, most non-allergenic ingredients in the world—so they can blend ‘em into synergistic formulas that promote health, wellness, and longevity! MacroLife Naturals are one of the leaders in the Science-Based Nutrient Rich Superfood Supplements Industry, having created a miraculous array of life-enhancing products that change the way people eat and think about health—and all while delivering all the energizing power you’d expect from a supplement, with one thing you don’t: GREAT TASTE!

Products We Love: All MacroLife Naturals Superfood products are made with Natural, Organic, Vegan, Raw & Gluten-Free ingredients—with never any GMOs! We have tried lots of non-tasty superfood blends… and WE COULD NOT GET OVER HOW DELICIOUS THESE WERE! First we sampled their signature Macro Greens, which is a True Green Superfood containing 38 ingredients that nourish the body at the cellular level. Made with Certified Organic Barley Grass and an array of antioxidants, co-nutrients, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and amino acids, this intensely powerful supplement is totally easy to add to any of your favorite smoothie recipes…

And in true nutritional synergistic fashion, Blender Babes also tried MacroLife Naturals’ Miracle Reds Superfood, which is an incredible Super Fruit Blend of Blueberries, Boysenberries, Elderberries, Blackberries & Red Raspberries that unite to form an amazing nutrient-dense powerhouse. Loaded with an incredible array of heart-friendly plant sterols, anti-aging antioxidants, polyphenols, carotenes and other hard-to-get phytonutrients, adding both of these cutting-edge products to your weekly health routine makes it totally easier to get all the daily nutrition your body requires—especially when traveling and/or while constantly on-the-go!

BEST OF EXPO WEST – HEALTHY LIVING PRODUCTS

Vitamix

Why We Love Them: Vitamix is American blending royalty, having been the leading home kitchen blender manufacturer since 1937. Their state-of-the-art high-powered blenders Quickly & Easily blend revitalizing juices, fresh milks, delicious batters, hearty nut butters, mouth-watering purées, sumptuous dressings, tasty dips and spreads, thick dough, hot soups and frozen desserts. Vitamix blenders are also an excellent way to prep food and grind seeds into flour, and can even be used to clean themselves—all of which happens in a flash!

Giving you the power to surpass any health goal imaginable, while broadening your culinary skills in a beautifully unending array of positively life-enhancing ways, this dynamic company and their incredible inventions transform you into a Nutritional Expert & Master Chef (just as long as you’re willing to put in the work ;)!

Products We Love: Vitamix debuted their Brand-New Vitamix S50 at Expo West this year (see our video interview), which is only the third model of their very first foray in the personal blending arena. Designed specifically for single serving preparations for healthy people constantly on-the-go, this innovative blender delivers the same versatility standard Vitamix are renowned for—all in a more stylishly compact design.

The Vitamix S50 features 2 Pre-Programmed Settings (Smoothies & Power Blends), Variable Speed Control & Pulsing Capabilities, 40-Ounce Container & 20-Ounce Dual-Walled Travel Container & a Full 5-Year Warranty… all of which makes it the perfect blender for singles and/or people with not a lot of counter space ;)!

Back to the Roots

Why We Love Them: Back to the Roots strives to make food more personal by educating and inspiring one family at a time. Working towards redefining the future of food by bringing back its least processed form with the simplest of ingredients, the founders believe that food should come from a kitchen, not a lab. Their signature Organic Stoneground Flakes are made with only 3 Simple Ingredients: whole wheat from California, sea salt from the San Francisco Bay, and a touch of organic cane sugar from Florida. Having created a simpler, sustainable, delicious and more nutritious cereal, this new revolutionary company is well on its way to changing the world!

Products We Love: Back to the Roots’ most intriguing product that caught our eye at the Expo was their Water Garden, which is a Self-Cleaning Closed-Loop Ecosystem—wherein fish feed the plants, and plants clean the water! Basically this brilliant company created a self-cleaning fish tank that grows food, and everything you need to start growing organic herbs right in the comfort of your own home is included in their ingenious kit—all you need to add is sunlight and water! Of course you can’t go wrong with growing your own organic mushrooms though. Both of these would be the perfect gift for your eco-conscious friend.

Revitin BioEffective Oral Therapy

Why We Love Them: Revitin BioEffective Oral Therapy was created by CS Bioscience, a life science company focused on oral health and its impact on the entire body. Having developed an incredible line of bioeffective oral care products, this cutting-edge company strives to create oral hygiene products that work with the body’s own natural defense mechanisms, thereby strengthening your entire immune system so it can work as efficiently as possible!

Products We Love: Revitin Oral Therapy was created to bolster the natural healthy bacteria in your mouth. Unlike mainstream toothpastes that have poison warnings on their labels, Revitin contains no sodium fluoride, no harsh detergents, and no chemicals. This revolutionary toothpaste works best in conjunction with NuPath BioActives, which is a nourishing blend of antioxidants, micronutrients, herbal extracts and homeopathic salts that have also been created to support the ecosystem of the mouth… Both of which will leave your teeth feeling shiny and squeaky clean—and totally free of harmful bacteria!

Lavilin 

Why We Love Them: Lavilin makes The Best & Only natural deodorant that really-truly & totally works! They’re the leading international brand of cosmetics, specializing in the field of “cosmeceuticals”—which are cosmetics with distinct therapeutic value that work in harmony with the body. Powered by their very own in-house cutting-edge research, development, and production teams, Lavilin unlocks the benefits of naturally-based, active ingredients to unite the wisdom of time-honored folk remedies with the latest bio-technological innovations—creating an amazing line of natural cosmetics and body care products that are the best we’ve ever seen!

All of their ingredients are certified by the Personal Care Products Council—and they NEVER use animals for testing! Lavilin’s incredibly popular creations can be found at Whole Foods, health food stores, supermarkets and drug stores throughout North America, as well as over 20 countries around the world!

Products We Love: Blender Babes’ founder had been testing natural deodorants for over a year with no success until show found Lavilin, and now she could not live without Lavilin’s OG version of their Natural Deodorant, which is a powerful underarm cream that eliminates perspiration for a seriously long time! Made with a beautiful combination of natural herbs, this amazing product is ideal for delicate skin, won’t clog your pores, and needs NO harsh chemicals, aluminum, alcohol or parabens to achieve its wondrous magic…

And this fantastic company even showcased their new Roll-on Version at the Expo—which all of the Babes totally took the opportunity to load up on as many free samples of as we could carry! ;)

Ohana Organics

Why We Love Them: Ohana Organics was created out of love for the Hawaiian Islands. This beautiful family-owned company grows all of their organic herbs on their very own certified organic small farm. Using only the purest ingredients in creating their high-quality products, all of which are made in the “ohana” spirit of aloha, Ohana Organics enchanting line includes Organic Shea Butters, Salves, Tattoo Butter and Hawaiian Scented Perfume Creams—each and every one of which is hand-crafted in small batches!

Products We Love: One of the most interesting products Ohana Organics had on display at the Expo was their Tattoo Butter, which naturally decreases the skin’s healing time after its been tattooed. This natural skin care cream is a vegan blend of organic calendula, plantain, lavender, aloe and vitamin E, with shea butter and herbal-infused olive oil. It can be used right after your next inking, and for weeks afterward, to heal and enrich your newly sensitive skin—and the best part is it won’t weaken the stencil!

There you have it! We LOVED testing out all of these great products for you, and we can’t wait to see what’s new next year so we can share our finds with you! Which healthy living products do you want to try most, or have you tried Babes?? Let us know in the comments. :) 

The post Best of 2015 Natural Products Expo West – Our Favorite Companies & Products appeared first on Blender Babes - Healthy Smoothie Recipes | Blendtec vs Vitamix Reviews.

The All Day Energy Diet – a Comprehensive Holistic Approach for Dramatically Increasing Energy Levels

At a passing glance “The All Day Energy Diet” looks just like any other health book taking up valuable shelf space in a bookstore’s diet section. Boldly professing on its cover to not only Double Your Energy in 7 Days, but that you’ll Look Better and Feel Younger too, this insightful 200-page diet book reads more like a succinct compendium of compelling holistic information that ANYONE can effectively utilize to radically transform every aspect of their health and overall well-being.

Beautifully drafted by Yuri Elkaim, a former professional soccer player turned registered holistic nutritionist and renowned fitness expert, The All Day Energy Diet is written in refreshingly straight-to-the-point fashion—wherein not a single line is wasted. Detailing his own severe health complications with unabashed and exemplary courage, the compelling desire with which he strives to help people is clearly felt on every single thoughtfully crafted page.

Steadfastly believing that EVERYTHING you feel is a message from your body, Elkaim asserts that we’ve lost our understanding and appreciation of the importance of energy—the essential lack of which keeps you from reclaiming your health, being more productive, and ever really feeling truly alive… let alone possessing that courageous fire that’s needed to pursue the inspirational life you actually want.

Bursting with cutting-edge holistic information that’s easy to relate to and comprehend, as well as realistically incorporate into your daily life, All Day Energy’s underlying theme is the rediscovering of basic fundamental strategies that when united, Elkaim states with profound conviction, will dramatically increase your energy levels.

Energy Is Life – an Energetic Body Is a Healthy Body

The All Day Energy Diet focuses on 7 Key Metabolic Processes that must first be addressed in order to regain the lost vitality of youth. Discussing in exquisite detail exactly how feeling energetic is the ultimate sign of great health, as well as the true essence of feeling alive, Elkaim provides a powerful list of scientifically-based insights for not only what ails us, but also the practical techniques for correcting their imbalances.

Adhering to a mostly alkalizing diet to drive as much energy as possible into your body (which is essentially a refined form of Paleo) he advocates freshly made smoothies and juices as one of the easiest ways to jumpstart all of your key metabolic pathways. Utilizing biologically-based theories that inherently feel quite sound, Elkaim also provides useful information throughout his text about valuable tests that you need to be having performed, as well as simple at-home procedures you can easily do yourself to assess where you currently lie on the health spectrum.

Ultimately striving for a beautiful level of metabolic balance, coupled with a thoroughly complete awareness of one’s own physical and emotional well-being, All Day Energy Diet demystifies 7 Principles of Energy that when firing on all cylinders, radically transform your health—unleashing all the energy you’ll ever need to achieve whatever kind of life you desire.  

Yuri Elkaim’s 7 Energy Principles Strive to:

1. Strengthen the pH of Your Blood. 

Given the fact that the quality of your blood equals the quality of your health, the All Day Energy Diet corrects all blood chemistry imbalances with only the most nourishing foods—all so your entire body can be energized as much as possible.

2. Repair Your Digestive System.

Digesting food requires tons of energy, which is why Elkaim stresses eating less to increase energy levels—and is easily achieved by eliminating poor quality foods that are depleting your energy stores with only the most nutrient dense fare.

3. Reinvigorate Your Adrenals.

The adrenals are small glands that allow you to deal with all of life’s varying forms of stress, but when constantly over-taxed, the body naturally collapses into a general state of fatigue—which All Day Energy fixes with numerous simple strategies that produce incredibly energizing results.

4. Select the Most Nourishing Foods.

The only way to eat less AND increase your energy levels is to make sure you’re eating the most nourishing foods—in the proper amounts and intervals, which The All Day Energy Diet illustrates in biological yet simple detail.

5. Choose the Right Herbal Supplements.

The appropriate alkalizing diet must be supplemented with the correct herbal supplements to bolster and maintain your new level of homeostasis, which consists of the proper digestive support, probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids.  

6. Implement Simple Stress-Management Techniques.

From learning how to properly balance your hormones and powerful deep breathing exercises to energy-enhancing yoga, meditation and other effective cutting-edge methods, All-Day Energy discusses numerous easy strategies that’ll give you the strength and power to cope with today’s chaotic world.

7. Explain the Proper Way to Exercise.

Having become a highly-renowned fitness expert, Elkaim believes that exercise should leave you feeling energized, not exhausted or depleted. Utilizing an array of simple exercises he explains how to lose more weight and feel more energized than you ever have before—all while spending considerably less time in the gym!

All Day Energy Diet’s Critical Acclaim

Published by Hay House in 2014, “The All Day Energy Diet” quickly shot up all the way to #2 on the New York Times best-seller list, making a star of its first-time author in the process. Since his book’s release Yuri Elkaim has been invited to discuss his innovative methods for creating incredible amounts of energy on the Dr. Oz Show, as well as The Doctors. All Day Energy even made the Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-seller lists, and also ranked as high as #5 on all of Amazon, as well as #1 in three of their diet categories!

Give The All Day Energy Diet a Whirl

Blender Babes couldn’t be more excited about sharing this beautiful energy-enhancing book with all of you! From the moment we cracked it open till we tested out all of Yuri’s smoothie recipes, we’ve totally gotten hooked on his insightful knowledge, invaluable wisdom and of course, all our newfound energy! The book is a great intro to the diet, and includes a 7-day kickstart. Then for readers wanting a more intensive experience that follows the ADED approach, The Ultimate Energy Diet is a full comprehensive program you might be interested in.

This really is one of the most sincere health and nutrition books we’ve had the pleasure to read in quite awhile, and we totally love the fact that above all else, Yuri Elkaim values energy… ‘cause he’s absolutely totally right! Without plenty of it you’ll have an incredibly difficult time generating the motivation to live the life you truly want.

And having written his book in such a genuine and altruistic way, sharing his own health struggles which members of our own team could totally relate to, we feel supremely confident recommending to anyone in our community to give The All Day Energy Diet a whirl…

And for those that do, please let us know about any and all successes and setbacks.

Good luck on your health journey… And as always, Happy Blending!!!!

CONGRATS TO OUR ALL DAY ENERGY DIET BOOK GIVEAWAY WINNERS! Kathy Overstreet, Marsha Garling, and  Jenna Yamamoto!

The post The All-Day Energy Diet by Yuri Elkaim – Book Review appeared first on Blender Babes - Healthy Smoothie Recipes | Blendtec vs Vitamix Reviews.

It’s all about “Time”… Work, commuting, errands, the kids, catching up with friends, family commitments, goin’ out and enjoying life, tryin’ to make as many beautiful memories as you can… EVERYTHING about life ultimately all comes down to Time… And Time is the Main Reason—primarily the Lack of it—why so many people fail to reach their health goals prior to ever really getting a decent chance to try…

Sometimes it feels virtually impossible to find enough time to give those new nutritious recipes and overall healthy cooking routine you so desperately want (and need) to try your finest, most laser-focused effort… with the most heart-breaking part being: you’re SSSOOOOO ready for this change—you TOTALLY know you could easily transform your whole entire existence for the better… & Forever…

If only you (ugh!) had Enough TIME to fully commit to all the shopping, prep work, cooking and cleanup that making nutrient-dense yet flavorful food requires… Each and every one of us deals with this frustrating modern-day fact of life in one way or another, and in the back of our head’s we all wish there was just One Wonderful Company…

The kind that creates Organic Gourmet Meals…
made with whole foods: Fresh Farm-to-Table Ingredients…
which taste Sumptuous & Invigoratingly Delicious…
that are Delivered Right to Your Door…
and all for an Affordable Price!

Just imagine how awesome it’d be if we lived during the kind of rapidly changing economic climate that allowed for just such a revolutionary business to flourish… Well guess what!!!!

Today Blender Babes is introducing you to Fresh n’ Lean, whose Delicious & Healthy Whole Foods Delivery Service offers the kind of Time–Saving, Life–Changing help that lets you eat healthy Every Single DAY!

And Blender Babe Tarashaun is also gonna share with you her first-hand experiences with this awesome company, as well as her overall assessment! (we know… we totally didn’t believe this kind of business existed either, so prepare to be wowed)!

Fresh n’ Lean – Company Intro

Fresh n’ Lean is an All-Organic, Gluten-Free, 100% Plant-Based healthy whole foods delivery service specializing in Freshly-Prepared, Premium-Quality Vegan Meals! Featuring Continental, Mediterranean, South American & Asian Cuisine, they passionately believe that all-natural farm-to-table ingredients are the only ones needed to make amazingly healthy and fantastic-tasting meals!

Envisioned to help health-conscious yet time-constrained families and individuals eat wholesomely nutritious food on a daily basis, this trailblazing company united a talented culinary team with a breathtaking array of organic local farmers to create a truly vital business—one which is easily the most awe-inspiring to emerge from our rapidly-growing natural health revolution!

How Fresh n’ Lean Works!

Operating in major cities throughout the country, Fresh n’ Lean’s gourmet chefs handle ALL of the cooking, making ALL your meals Fresh to Order—from scratch!—with in-season produce: whole foods bursting with Mother Nature’s revitalizing flavors! They NEVER use frozen or processed ingredients, nor do they mask the taste of their life-enhancing creations with oily, salty sauces.

Featuring a rotating weekly menu offering a Satisfyingly-Delectable array of healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner entrées, your Generously-Sized Meals—which are actually large enough to have leftovers—are Shipped FRESH in oven- and microwave-safe containers inside specially designed ice-packed coolers (all of which is fully recyclable)… that arrive at your home or office (and even your hotel!) and only need to be heated-up to be enjoyed!

Fresh n’ Lean will even cater to your exact dietary needs no matter how specific your tastes and/or decadent your desires!

Sssooo all you have to do is simply choose how often you’d like to enjoy their delicious meals and place an order!

Fresh n’ Lean’s Healthy Whole Foods Delivery Service Features:

• Protein & Fiber Rich Organic Plant-Based Meals that are Low in Fat, Sugar & Sodium
• Vegan & Vegetarian Meals
• Gluten-Free Meals
• Weight-Loss Meals
• Low-Carb Meals
• Senior Meals
• Fully-Customized Meal Plans

All of Which NEVER Contain:

• Artificial Ingredients, Flavors or Preservatives
• GMOs or MSG
• Dairy

Fresh n’ Lean’s Life-Changing Freedom, Delivery Options & NO Hidden Costs!

Letting Fresh n’ Lean whole foods delivery take care of your healthy meal preparation eliminates all the hassle associated with preparing healthy meals on your own, saving you stunning amounts of time—ultimately meaning that you’ll never have to eat anything unhealthy ever again!

This phenomenal service gives you the kind of liberating, life-changing freedom to lead the healthier lifestyle you’ve always dreamt of pursuing—giving you a much more rewarding life that you totally deserve! 

And they do it all affordably… ALL of their listed prices INCLUDE shipping costs to anywhere in the country—there are NO HIDDEN COSTS whatsoever!

Delivery Options Include:

• The Standard Plan – Consisting of 3 Meals Per Day, this all-encompassing breakfast, lunch and dinner option is the most economical way to improve your overall health and well-being—and at only $27.99 per day means that each meal costs less than 10 bucks!

• Lunch & Dinner Meal Plan – Featuring 2 Meals Per Day delivered right to your door for only $21.99, this worry-free option takes care of the vast majority of your dietary needs!

• 1 Entrée Per Day Plan – For only $14.99 you’ll be able to dine on a deliciously healthy lunch no matter where you are!

• Á la Carte – This is the perfect option if you want to eat only your most favorite dishes (with the specific selections ultimately determining the plan’s total price)!

Blender Babe Tarashaun’s Fresh n’ Lean Experience & Overall Assessment:

Hey everybody—so Fresh n’ Lean totally seems like the Real Deal…

I was skeptical right away about this organic, whole foods delivery service (like I always am of any new product)! First, I was pleasantly surprised by how long their meals actually lasted (my energizing Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal ended up being good for over a week)! Everything was well-packaged and kept cool… My initial 3 day’s worth of food—3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 3 Dinners—arrived on March 25^th and I was instructed to enjoy them by April 1^st, giving me a full week.

I dove into the Mushroom & Spring Veggie Risotto first— heating it quickly by microwave. Overall it was good but a touch mushy (though risotto typically is, I decided to heat quickly using the stove top method if I was near one), very filling, and the walnuts were absolutely delicious! .

Mushroom & Spring Veggie Risotto Ingredient List:

• Shiitake & Portobello Mushrooms
• Walnuts & Brown Rice
• Spinach, Celery, Cauliflower & Carrots
• Kale & Broccolini
• Garlic & Onions
• Eggplant & Garnet Yam
• Coconut Oil
• Nutritional Yeast
• Black Pepper & Sea Salt

Next up was a super big helping of Mixed Berry Chia Pudding, which said was “1 Serving” but took me 3 different Servings to use all of!

I added it to my Superfood Yogurt Parfait and made a Mixed Berry Fresh Fruit + Chia Pudding + Coconut Yogurt—plus some of Fresh n’ Lean’s Hearty Granola—which was DELICIOUS, and a nice change from my usual Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding I make at home!

Mixed Berry Chia Pudding Ingredient List:

• Chia Seeds
• Grade B Maple Syrup
• Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries & Strawberries
• Almond Milk & Water

All of which weighed 525 grams and consisted of 450 calories, 30 grams of protein, 84 grams of carbs, 28 grams of fiber, 15 grams of sugar and 1.5 grams of fat!

And with all that decadent goodness fresh on my mind, I had to try the Fresh n’ Lean Hearty Granola next, which again came with a lot—I easily used these “2 Servings” in 6 different Servings of parfaits and smoothies, even enjoying a big handful as a snack!

Consisting of 2 Whole Cups of crunchy deliciousness drowning in big chunks of walnuts and almonds, SURPRISINGLY this granola was nowhere near as high in sugar or fat as the homemade recipes I’ve made (or even as oily as store-bought brands like the gluten-free Udi’s I sometimes buy)!

Hearty Granola Ingredient List: 

• Oats, Grade B Maple Syrup & Vanilla Extract
• Walnuts & Almonds
• Sunflower Seeds

All combing for 255 grams of 390 calories, with 13 grams of protein, 50 grams of carbs, 10 grams of fiber, 8 grams sugar and 11 grams of fat.

Red Chard & Tomato Pasta was next on my list. I quickly heated it on the stove to reduce the possibility of it getting mushy—which tasted great!—and since I’m not vegan I tossed a little shredded parmesan cheese on top (making it taste even more delicious)!

Red Chard & Tomato Pasta Ingredient List: 

• Brown Rice Pasta
• Tomato & Tomato Paste
• Garlic & Onions
• Carrots, Cauliflower & Zucchini
• Dino Kale, Rainbow Chard & Spinach
• Olive Oil, Italian Herbs & Red Pepper Flakes
• Black Pepper & Sea Salt

Uniting for 450 sumptuous grams of 555 calories, 6 grams of protein, 65 grams of carbs, 8 grams of sugar, 14 grams fiber and ZERO grams of FAT!

All of which sent me straight to the Cauliflower Risotto. I used the stove to heat it and it came out NOT mushy at all like the first risotto I made! I thoroughly enjoyed the chunks of cauliflower and carrots, which I covered with a little water and heated in a pan while cleaning up my kitchen…

And by the time my (large!) dinner was ready my kitchen was clean and I was sssoooo ready to relax and enjoy a delicious healthy vegan meal—right before (ugh!) having to spend a couple more hours working that night (which went a-whole-lot smoother ‘cause dinner had been so effortless and filling)!

Cauliflower Risotto Ingredient List:

• Brown Rice & Cauliflower
• Onions & Artichoke Hearts
• Celery, Carrots & Kale
• Coconut Oil
• Nutritional Yeast
• Parsley, Thyme & Rosemary
• Black Pepper & Sea Salt

For a grand total of 450 grams of 550 calories, 28 grams of protein, 65 grams of carbs, 12 grams fiber, 8 grams of sugar and only 6 grams of fat!

Bringing me to the hearty South American Brown Bean & Vegetables, the first Fresh n’ Lean whole foods delivery meal I had to take with me on the road to a meeting—so I quickly nuked it…

And it tasted great, and didn’t get mushy despite the microwave. This protein and fiber-rich meal definitely made me feel like I was feeding my body in the most healthy and nourishing way—but I wasn’t oohing and aahing over it either….

And in all fairness to the vegans out there who eat beans and rice often, this powerful dish seemed like the perfect way to keep you satisfied/energized throughout the entire day!

South American Brown Bean & Vegetables Ingredient List:

• Adzuki Beans
• Garlic & Onions
• Carrots, Celery, Zucchini & Rainbow Chard
• Coconut Oil
• Ginger, Coriander & Cumin Seeds
• Paprika & Smoked Paprika
• Black Pepper & Sea Salt

Combining for 450 grams of 500 calories, 27 grams of protein, 72 grams of carbs, 10 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar and 7 grams of fat! 

And finally the time-saving Fresh n’ Lean Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal—which heated up in the microwave was a super quick and easy way to get my warm morning oatmeal in just 2 minutes (instead of the 10 to 20 usually needed when I make it from scratch with rolled or steel-cut oats)!

This delicious breakfast treat totally got my day started off right and was still fresh when I finally finished the rest of it over a week later!

Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Ingredient List:

• Rolled Oats & Cinnamon
• Raisins & Dates
• Walnuts & Grade B Maple Syrup
• Almond Milk

For 260 grams of 360 calories, totaling 16 grams of protein, 40 grams of carbs, 14 grams fiber, 8 grams of sugar and 6 grams of fat!

Final Verdict

I figured since this was an “organic meal delivery service”—which Jeez, even that phrase sounds expensive—that it’d just cost far too much for the vast majority of people… And although Fresh n’ Lean wouldn’t be used every day for families on a budget—it’s definitely affordable, especially their 2 and 3 meal per day options!

And given the fact that they’ve created prices that include all shipping costs, just about anybody can utilize this highly-efficient cost-effective service occasionally throughout the month—which is absolutely incredible!

Overall I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of Fresh n’ Lean’s organic, gluten-free vegan meals, all of which were sizable, yet provided for portion, as well as macronutrient control—featuring plenty of protein and fiber while at the same time being low in sugar, carbs and fat… And I lllllooooovvvvveee that they use Coconut Oil & Grade B Maple Syrup, which is exactly what I use when I cook for myself!

Ultimately I’d have to agree with Fresh n’ Lean’s own (totally honest) marketing message (and I added a couple of my own!), which is that their services are perfect for:

• Health-conscious time-constrained families…
• People struggling to lose weight…
• Singles who don’t have the time or desire to cook…
• Busy students during exams (or anytime really)…
• Career pros working long hours and/or traveling…
• Athletes looking to fine-tune their diet…

Finally, these Fresh n’ Lean meals were so good that I even used one as a side dish with some meat I’d quickly thawed, seasoned, and baked when a friend stopped by for an unexpected visit… I didn’t tell her it arrived via delivery service and she thought I was testing out a new recipe—so even an omnivore was totally impressed!

Learn More about Fresh n’ Lean Now

Fresh n’ Lean even offers Family & Group Plans, as well as Corporate & Employee Programs! Visit Fresh n’ Lean to learn more about this innovative company now, and if you decide to try ‘em out (you won’t regret it!), be sure to let us know all about your experiences in Comments Section below!

Disclaimer: Sponsored post. Fresh n’ Lean products were delivered as a courtesy to Blender Babes offices, however we only agree to review products we deem worthy for our audience. All opinions are our own.

The post Fresh n’ Lean Delicious Organic, Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Meal Delivery Service Review + Giveaway! appeared first on Blender Babes - Healthy Smoothie Recipes | Blendtec vs Vitamix Reviews.

DAILY HARVEST SMOOTHIE REVIEW

Receive 25% OFF your 1st 6 smoothies purchase with Promo Code “BlenderBabes“! :) 

Daily Harvest Smoothie Review

People sometimes forget that making the perfect smoothie isn’t always easy. Even if you have a great blender (such as a Blendtec or a Vitamix), you still need to pick the right ingredients; and you’ll also need some time to prepare them – note that more preparation time is required with a regular/low power blender. The wrong choice of ingredients can give you a smoothie that doesn’t taste great, because  different fruits or veggies that taste great on their own may not be palatable when mixed together. Or perhaps you’ll end up making a Jamba Juice smoothie type that’s packed with calories, no organic ingredients, and after a few weeks you’ll be shocked to find out that you gained weight!

Recently I have been beyond busy running my Blender Babes business, so much so that I’ve had a really hard time trying to meal plan, grocery shop, cook for myself, exercise, etc. This has thrown me way off balance and I knew I needed to do something to take better care of myself – so I was very excited when I discovered Daily Harvest on Instagram and decided to try out the service.

What I found with Daily Harvest, is you’ll always get the right mix of ingredients – THAT TASTE AMAZING – and are ready to blend so you can make your smoothie fast. For many of us who can’t afford to waste time, this kind of convenience is a godsend.

DAILY HARVEST SMOOTHIE REVIEW – WHAT YOU WILL GET 

Daily Harvest currently offers 14 different prepackaged options. Each one was developed by a nutritionist, and you get between 40 to 150 calories per serving (2 servings per container). The combinations were also overseen by a real chef, which is very apparent because every smoothie I tried was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

The ingredients may include various superfoods such as seeds, hemp, matcha and fresh nut butter. (I love this because you can try new superfoods and ingredients to help you decide if you’d like to invest in a package of one!) All ingredients are whole organic foods that are unrefined and not laden with preservatives. Ingredients and nutrition info is listed on each package as well as the website – so you can easily avoid any food allergies or least favorite ingredients. :)

Each smoothie costs merely $7.99, which is a bargain considering how much you may spend on organic fruits and veggies. When you include the time you spend trying to come up with exciting smoothie recipes, shopping, prepping and cleaning your mess in the kitchen, I think you’ll agree that Daily Harvest’s smoothie delivery service is money well spent.

DAILY HARVEST SMOOTHIE REVIEW – DELIVERY SERVICE 

You will choose from 6, 12, or 18 smoothie packages per delivery. And you can also choose to have them delivered once a week, once every two weeks, or once every 4 weeks.

There’s no locked in commitment required AND it’s really flexible – you can skip a delivery or cancel an order anytime you wish.

Once you’ve made your choices, your smoothie packages will be delivered to your doorstep free of charge. They ship to your door on dry ice so it stays frozen, which is perfect if you’re at work or running errands when it arrives. Something else I really loved? The packaging is 100% recyclable! Eco-conscious and green is something I always look for from brands that I buy from. :)

Daily Harvest currently delivers to the western and eastern parts of the USA – and they are working on delivery to the central states! You can see a current map here but also check their website with your zipcode.

DAILY HARVEST SMOOTHIE REVIEW – PREPARATION

Once you get your order, you just need to put it in your freezer and you can blend any package anytime you wish. It’s especially convenient in the morning when everyone’s rushing to get to work or go to school. Just pick the smoothie you want, add a liquid base, and blend.

Since these smoothies come in packages, you can even bring them to the office – or what I’ve done is quickly blend and add to my Blender Bottle or mason jar to take on the go.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I loved this smoothie delivery so much and feel the value of this service is so great, that Blender Babes has partnered with Daily Harvest! Remember – Receive 25% OFF your 1st 6 smoothie purchase with Promo Code “BlenderBabes“! :)

The Daily Harvest smoothie delivery service perfectly matches the Blender Babes commitment in spreading the word about the amazing benefits of good blenders and nutritious smoothies.

♥ Follow us on Instagram! ↓

A photo posted by Blender Babes / Healthy + (@blenderbabes) on Dec 15, 2015 at 9:14am PST

The post Daily Harvest Smoothie Review – A Delivery Service You Need to Try! appeared first on Blender Babes - Healthy Smoothie Recipes | Blendtec vs Vitamix Reviews.

The Cayenne Pepper Diet review – Is this extreme cleanse worth trying?

The Cayenne Pepper Diet (aka The Master Cleanse, Maple Syrup Diet, or Lemonade Diet) has been spending a lot of time in the spotlight lately. Like any cleanse, the results can be dramatic. But is this a fad, or is it a legitimate option for detoxification and weight loss?

When it comes to the Cayenne Pepper Diet, opinions vary greatly on the subject. This is one of those cleanses that the medical community (and the general public) seems to either love or hate – with not much gray area in between!

Many celebrities have spoken out about having used this cleanse to lose weight or simply for general health reasons. Beyonce Knowles and Jared Leto said they used it to lose weight quickly for movie roles. Demi Moore, Robin Quivers and David Blaine say they use to the Cayenne Pepper Diet regularly just to stay fit and healthy.

So is the Cayenne Pepper Diet safe, and does it really work? To be clear: I have tried this particular cleanse only once.  Since we receive a lot of inquiries about it, I spoke with several community members who have also tried this detox diet plan, and have put together a detailed overview with enough info to get the wheels turning and help you decide for yourself if this may be for you.

History of the Cayenne Pepper Diet

The Cayenne Pepper Diet was created by a man named Stanley A. Burroughs in the 1940s. He was a naturopathic healthcare provider, and self-proclaimed nutritional guru that many turned to for advice about their medical concerns. He was also known for his extensive research into the role of toxemia in disease.

Born in Detroit in 1903, Burroughs passed away two weeks after battling acute pneumonia at the age of 87 in Newcastle, California.

Even though Burroughs created Vita Flex –  which combines light therapy and reflexology – he did not actually become famous until he created The Master Cleanse in the 1970s.

You may be interested to learn that in the early 1980s Burroughs attempted to treat a terminal cancer patient using only the Cayenne Pepper Diet and Vita Flex. He failed, the patient died and in 1984 he was charged with second-degree murder.

However, he wasn’t convicted of this charge but later he was convicted for practicing medicine without a license,  and spent three years in prison. (The charges were eventually dropped and the verdict reversed.)

In the 1940s Burroughs published a book entitled “The Master Cleanse,” which was revived in the 70s, which outlined the Cayenne Pepper Diet (aka The Master Cleanse).

Burroughs originally created the Cayenne Pepper Diet to accomplish a long list of health objectives, such as:

• Dissolve and eliminate toxins from the body
• Cleanse the kidneys and digestive system
• Purify all glands and cells
• Eliminate all unusable waste and hardened material in the joints and muscles
• Relieve pressure and irritation in the nerves, arteries and blood vessels
• Build a healthy blood system
• Preserve youth and elasticity regardless of age
• To treat many illnesses
• Weight Loss
• To give the digestive system a rest

Burroughs also felt that anyone would benefit from doing this cleanse 3-4 times per year to maintain overall health.

The Master Cleanse – How it works

The Master Cleanse is a liquid only diet.

1. Start every morning with the following routine (in order to cleanse the colon): Drink a full quart of lukewarm water and two level teaspoons of sea salt. Do this each day of the cleanse.
2. Throughout the rest of the day, you will drink the following lemonade recipe.  Do this any time you feel hungry (6 – 12 times a day).

Lemonade Recipe to be used during the Cayenne Pepper Diet

Mix the following:

* 1/2 lemon or 2 tbsp of lemon juice
* 1-2 tbsp of pure grade B maple syrup (1 tbsp recommended for weight loss)
* Pinch of red cayenne pepper (adjust the amount according to your taste. A little goes a long way)!  Cayenne helps
stimulate the release of toxins.
* 8 oz of purified water (warm)

If you wish you can substitute the maple syrup with any type of Unsulfured Molasses (either Grandma’s, Barbados, Louisiana or Blackstrap—all of which are slightly laxative)

No food is allowed – you will drink ONLY the lemonade, with the exception of the following 2 teas (drink them without sweetener):

• Mint Tea and its purifying Chlorophyll may also be used as a pleasant change and to further assist in the cleansing process

• An Herbal Laxative Tea can also assist with eliminations

On Day 11 Burroughs says to drink as much Orangeade as you want (Orangeade is just diluted fresh orange juice – equal parts OJ and water). In the late afternoon of day 11, make a simple vegetable soup out of fresh vegetables. You can have a small amount of Brown Rice with the soup—but NO MEAT, BREAD, or CRACKERS are allowed.

On Day 12 feel free to add a little Fruit, and by Day 13 normal eating habits can be resumed; however, Burroughs recommends adhering to a vegetarian way of eating for as long as possible to maintain overall health.

And as with any cleanse, easy out of it gently!  Don’t go crazy and eat a bunch of processed food or junk unless you want to (a) feel sick and (b) UNDO the work you’ve just accomplished.

IMPORTANT DIETARY NOTE: The preceding information is only a broad overview of the Cayenne Pepper Diet; it should NOT be used as a primary guideline. I just wanted to give you a general idea of how it works in case you are considering trying it.

For those wanting to learn more about the cleanse, as well as more in-depth details about Burroughs’ overall strategies for maintaining health, you may wish to purchase“The Master Cleanse Book on Amazon.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT DIETARY NOTE: The Cayenne Pepper Diet should only be attempted by healthy people; if you are diabetic, pregnant, have kidney problems, had an organ transplant or are on medication you MUST consult a physician before making any radical dietary changes (and even if you’re healthy it’s a good idea to consult a physician first).

BlenderBabes.com is full of additional resources on gentle detoxes and cleanses, like our free juice cleanse which is safe and effective and provides you with lots of nutritious full-fiber juices. In our opinion this (or something similar) might be the way to go in many cases, especially if you are wanting a cleanse that will not leave you feeling overly hungry.

With that being said, I have reviewed the research and opinions on the famous Cayenne Pepper Diet and have put together a list of the most common opinions and testimonials on both sides of the fence.

Those who LOVE the Cayenne Pepper Diet report that their results include….

• Remarkable euphoria and a calming sense of serenity
• Heightened mental acuity and overall level of senses
• Deep restful sleep coupled with vivid dreams
• Increased ability to deal with the stresses of everyday life
• Boosted overall level of immunity
• Dramatically increased energy and flexibility
• Lustrous hair, radiant skin and fast rapid reflexes
• Zero sugar cravings, dramatic weight loss, and far less desire for all forms of junk food
• Eliminated alcohol, tobacco and drug dependency
• The loss of all food addictions and obsessions, as well as the overall preoccupation with food altogether
• Reduced pain and swelling
• Vanishing levels of arthritic and joint pain…

And like any other diet, there are also people who claim have had negative results with this cleanse and here are those side effects:

• Incredibly low levels of overall energy
• Inability to concentrate and ceaseless brain fog
• Jaw aches and stinging tooth pain
• Tingling sensations throughout the entire body
• Massive headaches and crippling irritability
• Unending hunger and intense diarrhea
• Severe exhaustion and the inability to fall sleep
• Loss of muscle mass
• Constant chills

The Cayenne Pepper Diet – Final Thoughts

Overall, fasting has been used since ancient times, for a variety of reasons. Currently various cleanses are wildly popular – primarily to achieve fast weight loss. The more extreme your diet or cleanse, the more dramatic the results will be.

However, the other side of the coin is that dramatic cleanses often result in the yo-yo effect, meaning you may indeed put back any lost weight (and perhaps a few extra pounds as well) to offset the feeling of deprivation during an extreme cleanse.

As always, every body responds differently to fasts and cleanses, so I don’t want to officially endorse OR steer you away from trying it yourself. Chances are you will know pretty quickly if this is something your body, mind and lifestyle can endure.  If you stick with it, be sure to EASE OUT of the Cayenne Pepper Diet with moderate portions of healthy, plant-based meals. Check out this article where we have compiled many detox friendly meals that you can use during this phase.

Fresh juices and smoothies are an excellent option for some of your meals during the ease out phase; this will help
your digestive system adjust to the re-introduction of more substantial meals without shocking your system and causing you to bounce right back to your previous weight.

Even if you are simply cleansing for health reasons vs. weight loss, easing out is crucial to prevent you from feeling sick or bloated (and treating yourself to things like pizza or ice cream will almost certainly have that effect – trust me on this one)!!

If you’d like to check out a more gentle cleanse, there are many great options that will still help you lose weight and detox, while providing lots of nutritious smoothies or juices (and enough sustenance to keep you going so you can still meet the demands of life). As I mentioned, the Blender Babes offers an awesome juice detox where you can download everything you need for free – recipes, instructions, and meal plans for your ease in and ease out phases.

The post The Cayenne Pepper Diet – A Controversial Cleanse appeared first on Blender Babes - Healthy Smoothie Recipes | Blendtec vs Vitamix Reviews.

Julie Morris is a natural food chef who specializes in superfoods. Hence her book, Superfood Smoothies! In her book she presents us with a simple shortcut to our health, nature in a cup! Included are 100 gorgeous superfood smoothie recipes that can be customized to please everyone’s taste buds. Let’s start blending Blender Babes!

As many of us health enthusiasts can relate, not all smoothies are created equal! The versatility of a smoothie can make it a sugar trap OR a healthy dose of nutrients. In Superfood Smoothies, Julie recounts her story as a Valley girl drinking smoothies to bear the weather and to stay in trend as the new “blended” business started to emerge in Southern California. Although during those teenage years, a smoothie made of sherbets and fruit juice was simply a pleasure-based experience. It was not until she began researching about the health benefits of drinking smoothies that Julie understood the great amounts of sugar and empty calories she was consuming. This experience motivated her to maximize the nutrients provided by smoothies, including energy, anti-aging antioxidants, and vitamins and minerals. She discovered that replacing the unhealthy components doesn’t have to lead to the loss of flavor.

Julie’s Superfood Smoothies are about balancing flavor with function. She even provides us with 7 golden rules for making the best, most beneficial smoothies. Isn’t she awesome! 

7 Superfood Smoothie Principles

1. Simple whole foods are best. Superfood smoothies are whole-food dependent! This includes real fruits, vegetables, unrefined powders, seeds and nuts. Only use “additives,” concentrated superfood ingredients to boost nutrition and flavor.

2. Ingredients with a purpose. Each superfood offers a compound of benefits for our mind and body. Establish your health objectives and be conscious of how every ingredient you include in your smoothie benefits you.

3. More is not always better. The nutrients in superfoods are more condensed than the average natural food, which is why we LOVE them! But if you are looking to add an extra boost to your daily smoothie, be mindful that you might be providing your body with a far greater percentage of the recommended daily allowance, far too much for your body to handle. You are causing not fixing health problems!

4. Consider density of nutrients first. When assessing food choices, you should take into account the ratio of micro-nutrients — vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals — per calorie. The more micro-nutrients each calorie contains, the higher and better that food is for you, this is true of superfoods as well as the remaining ingredients in your smoothie recipe.

5. Avoid acidic products: AKA animal products. Superfood Smoothies aim to provide the most healthy benefits with the least bodily harm. While animal products of any kind, including all forms of dairy, provide protein and minerals, they are also the most acidic-forming foods we consume; disturbing our pH levels and making our bodies prone to disease. You can find the macro and micro-nutrients of animal products in many plant-based ingredients without the health detriments. Follow Rule #2!

6. No need for sugar. Adding ingredients, such as fruits, fruit juice and other natural sweetening additives, will give your smoothie recipes all the necessary sugar. Keep your smoothie clean and filled with nutritious taste!

7. Taste above all else. Following this rule means you will come to crave a daily boost of delicious nutrients! By finding the right flavor combinations that satisfy your taste buds, you will forget about temporary diets. A healthy lifestyle begins with a daily Superfood Smoothie! 

“To date, no one yet has succumbed to cliché and actually asked me if my cup was half empty or half full. If anyone ever does, and I happen to be lucky enough to be holding a superfood smoothie, I have the perfect retort: My dear, this cup is packed.” – Julie Morris

Superfood Smoothies also compiles a list of the Super 15, based on health benefits, cost-effective, readily available and blender-friendly, Julie gives us the top core superfoods. Get your blenders ready Blender Babes! Acai berries, Algae, Cacao, Camu berries, Chia seeds, Chlorophyll-rich superfoods, Flax seed, Goji berries, Hemp seeds, Maca, Maqui berries, Mulberries, North American berries, Pomegranate and Sea Buckthorn berries made the list! For more information check our Top Recommended Superfoods! Don’t be afraid to incorporate these superfoods into your smoothie recipes, every superfood can only enhance your nutrition.

Let us know what your favorite superfoods for your smoothies are in the comments! Be sure to check out Julie’s other Superfood Cookbooks! HAPPY BLENDING! :)

The post 7 Superfood Smoothie Principles from Julie Morris appeared first on Blender Babes - Healthy Smoothie Recipes | Blendtec vs Vitamix Reviews.

I HIGHLY recommend this Dr Oz 3 Day Detox if you have an immediate, short-term need, such as an important event where you need to wear “that” dress or a pair of super skinny jeans, or perhaps it’s just one of those weeks where you feel lethargic and bloated and want to hit the reset button.

At Blender Babes we are HUGE fans of doing a healthy and revitalizing detox from time to time, using the healing power of smoothies and juice to help us reach our goals. Detoxes are the perfect way to increase energy, cleanse the body and mind, lose weight, and just get an overall boost in health and wellness.

That being said, we definitely do NOT advise gimmicky crash diets or quick-fix plans that involve poor nutrition or starving yourself. Not only are they dangerous, but the outcome is short-lived at best and can even damage your metabolism which leads to more weight gain.

The goods news is that there are short term detoxes that will give you awesome results FAST, without being dangerous or hard to stick with!

Dr Oz 3 Day Detox – A Smoothie Cleanse

One of my all-time favorites for a powerful and fast cleanse is this Dr Oz 3 Day Detox.

All you need are the smoothie recipes, a blender, and about $16 per day!

It’s very easy to implement, and you will not feel excessively hungry. In addition to the smoothies, there is a simple but powerful protocol to use each day that will accelerate your results and allow you to get rid of water weight and kick your metabolism into high gear. This regiment also recommends soothing epsom salt detox baths, green tea, and taking a probiotic supplement to help replenish and balance your digestive tract. He also includes a halving a multivitamin and taking in the morning and after lunch along with an Omega 3. 

**These are all recommendations I would also make, for everyday supplements good for the body but especially during a cleanse, and I linked to well tested and my favorite products for these types of supplements, including a vegetarian Omega 3.

How It Works

You start with Dr Oz’s breakfast smoothie each day that is rich in superfoods such as cleansing lemon, raspberries, and flaxseeds. It is low calorie but high in fiber which will keep you satiated.

Each day for your second meal you will have Dr Oz’s lunch smoothie  which is one of my favorites and gives you 5 essential greens, healthy fats from the coconut oil, and a super refreshing taste.

For your daily dinner smoothie you will have more greens along with powerful cleansing ingredients like lemon and cayenne pepper. It definitely has a strong taste and it may not be for everyone. If this one is not your favorite, keep in mind it is absolutely fine to switch it out for another smoothie, or adjust the ingredients to your taste!

Each Day of the Dr Oz 3 Day Smoothie Detox:

Morning Detox Tea (1 Green Tea bag, 1 Slice lemon, 1 tsp Stevia)
Dr Oz. Detox Breakfast Smoothie Drink
1/2 Multivitamin and 1 Probiotic supplement
Dr Oz Detox Lunch Smothie Drink
1/2 Multivitamin and 1 Omega 3 supplement
Snack – Repeat Favorite Drink
Dr Oz Detox Dinner Smoothie Drink
Detox Bath (2 1/2 cups Epsom Salt & 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil)

Most people who try this Dr Oz 3 Day Smoothie Detox once end up becoming diehard fans who do it again and again, because it is so easy to do and the results are incredible! Let me know what you think, I’d love to hear your questions and feedback!

PIN OR EMBED! ⇓


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