Today I wanted to share my favorite smoothie that I have been making for breakfast,
along with a few other healthy meals and snacks I’ve been loving to get back on track after an indulgent summer.

book : Body Love by Kelly Leveque 

I am always on the hunt for new podcasts, and always looking for new healthy blogs or instagram accounts to follow, and a few weeks ago a podcast led to me to Kelly LeVeque of Be Well by Kelly.

I came across the podcast The Skinny Confidential and the first episode I listened to was when Kelly was a guest.  I usually download certain episodes from a podcasts that is new to me based on the guest or topic to try out first.

Kelly was talking about her new book Body Love and I loved everything I heard in her podcast.  I’ll talk more about her book in a separate post, but the main thing I wanted to try after listening to her was one of her Fab Four Smoothies that can keep you full for 4-6 hours.  Yes.  You read that correctly: keep you full from breakfast until lunch.  I was like “um? yeah right.”

First, all I did was order some MCT Oil to add to my smoothies because I had never heard of it before.

MCT Oil is a super healthy fat – and don’t let the name or “coconuts” throw you off, it really is odorless and tasteless but gives such a rich texture to the smoothie.

I also ordered Hemp Seeds to add in to my smoothies for more protein.

I also add this to omelettes, bowls, salads, so many things and it adds the tiniest bit of yummy nutty flavor. 

I was amazed how these two additions not only made my smoothie taste great and have an even better consistency, but it kept me full so. much. longer.
So I ended up getting her book and have been making an
amped up version of my favorite Peanut Butter Smoothie for breakfast.

The key here is to use less than 1/4 cup of fruit, or ideally none, because it really throws off your blood sugar and sends you crashing and craving.

Recipe for a Fab Four Smoothie :
Superfoods + Unlimited Greens
1-2 Tbsp Fiber + 1-2 Tbsp Fat
1 Serving of Protein
Liquid
no more than 1/4 cup fruit, or ideally no fruit

:: PB2 Breakfast Smoothie :

*You can get all the ingredients through Amazon if they don’t have them at your local store :
MCT Oil // PB2 // Hemp Seed // Perfect Fit Protein Powder

It truly shocks me how full this keeps me, so I have been trying to do this for breakfast a few times a week, and eventually make it a regular thing.  I am so used to having smoothies as my mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack at work so it’s taking some getting used to to treat it as an entire meal. Plus, I really like having a snack between meals, and wrapping my head around being full enough to not need one feels strange.

I have some summer fun (+ Italy fun…. promise I’ll finish those posts soon!) pounds to shed, so I’m hoping to incorporate more from her book.  It’s the most anti-diet book I have ever picked up, and is really based on the science of balancing your blood sugar.  Protein + Fat + Fiber + Greens are most important to avoid sugar spikes.  I have been a bit of a fruit addict lately – like, A LOT of fruit – and this shows how that spikes your blood sugar and makes you hungry soon after, etc.   So I am trying to slowly incorporate more tips from Body Love about balancing your blood sugar, but so far I’m a believer based just on the smoothie thing alone!

Other Healthy Favorite Foods lately …….. 

:: Wake Up Waffles ::

I had been having Wake Up Waffles for months as my breakfast.  They are fresh, unprocessed, protein packed waffles shipped frozen to your door.  I love two of them as a “sandwich” with PB2.  It’s perfect to eat on the way to work in the car and I love the chocolate waffles with the PB2 the most.

:: PB2 ::

Clearly I have this regularly.   PB2 really hits the spot if you are a peanut butter lover! It’s all natural, has no preservatives, and is low in calories and fat.  Perfect for smoothies or to mix up and have with apple slices. You can make it as thick or thin as you like, so for a dipping sauce or a glaze for pancakes you can just add more water.  I’ve seen it in every grocery store now, but you can order 2 big tub combo packs on Amazon for even less.

:: Dr. Praeger’s Veggie Cakes ::

Kip and I just started eating these last week after a co-worker made a batch at lunch.  Oh. em. gee.  Even my husband, an absolute meat lover, loves these.  Get them crispy on the stove and they are so good with eggs for breakast or topped on a quinoa bowl or I even have them on the side or tossed in with a salad.
Publix + Whole Foods have these, and probably most groceries too,
and they also have kale cakes, broccoli cakes, sweet potato, etc.
with eggs and avocado for breakfast 
with brown rice or quinoa bowls

We’re making an effort to cut back on meat after learning a little too much and being a little grossed out…. slash we are also hypocrites and will never stop eating meat, so we’re just trying to reduce or buy grass-fed/organic at home. When we’re out, we usually eat meat. 

:: RX Bars + 22 Days Bars ::

The Peanut Butter Rx Bar and the Blueberry Rx bar are hands down my favorite with as few ingredients as I have ever seen in a bar.  Trader Joe’s has the boxes you can buy for the best deal,
otherwise online they do coupon codes.
The 22 Days Bar is a great high protein low sugar option.

:: Publix Premium Salads ::

I am addicted to these when I don’t have time to meal prep or bring food to work.  They are absolutely delicious – and the garlic dressing in the Baby Kale Salad is like pure crack.  If anyone knows a knock-off of the recipe, please let me know, but I have tried making 2 garlic vinaigrette recipes and they taste nothing like it!
I also add hemp seeds to this usually for some added protein, and it tastes great with it.

:: Dandelion Root Tea + Green Tea ::

// DANDY LIVER DETOX TEA // 
Did you hear that a glass of dandelion root + green tea + lemon erases all of your bad choices on the weekend? Huh? No? You haven’t?  Oh….. well I decided one day that it is a fact, and now it’s on the internet, and the internet is true. So.  Yep.
I do an AM and a PM drink of one dandelion root tea bag, one green tea bag, and the juice of one lemon.  And instantly I am just the epitome of health.
Similar to when I eat any of the foods listed above, even if they are following a large fry at Chick-fil-A.  All is erased, and I am cleansed 🙂
But really, I am so delusional that I have convinced myself this drink will cure any colds or hangovers and basically chug it until it actually does.

and theennnnnn Friday at 4 to Sunday at midnight I lose all self control, decide to be like Bethenny Frankel and always come from “A Place of Yes”,

and then Monday morning, it’s back to the delicious and healthy PB2 Smoothie 🙂
Hashtag balance right?
We’ll pretend…….