 It's March 23rd and guess what day it is? National Chia Seed day! My sister and I enjoy adding chia seeds to our meals any day of the week, but today, we celebrated National Chia Seed day by making a bowl of decadent chocolate chia seed pudding for breakfast. We created this delicious recipe by using our favorite chia seeds by Mamma Chia, which are organic, Non-GMO certified, and of highest quality, resulting in a delicious, nutrient dense recipe that is packed with flavor and super-foods, making the ideal grab-n-go breakfast or snack. So what's so great about chia seeds? Chia seeds became all the rage several years back because of their incredible nutritional value, and they continue to hold that status--rightly so. Chia seeds are known for their healing abilities and energizing powers, and they're versatile to use in recipes, making them a wonderful addition to smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt, granola, salads, and even homemade snacks. Here are some of the reasons we love chia seeds:
 Total time: 24 hours Serves: 1-2 Ingredients:
Directions 1. Whisk together the cashew milk, maple syrup, maca powder, cinnamon, vanilla, and sea salt. Next, gradually whisk in the cacao powder. 2. Gradually add the chia seeds to the milk, stirring slowly to avoid clumping. Mix thoroughly. 3. Cover and place mixture in the fridge overnight, or at least 6 hours before serving (the chia pudding consistency should be thick). Top with fresh fruit, nuts, and seeds, or your favorite toppings and enjoy.
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 When it comes to Buddha bowls, the options are limitless. There are so many fresh veggies, healthy grains, and proteins you can mix together to create a wonderful bowl. My sister and I love colorful recipes because they are full of plant-based goodness, nutrition, and are fun to make. These protein packed Quinoa Buddha bowls are loaded with vibrant veggies, fresh avocado, chia and hemp seeds, and crispy roasted chickpeas by Biena Snacks, topped with a creamy maple-tahini dressing that blends wonderfully with the veggies. These bowls are a delicious, simple recipe that's packed with nutrition and flavor.  The key ingredient in this recipe is Biena Snack's Sea Salt Roasted Chickpeas, which give these bowls the perfect crunch. My sister and I have been obsessed with roasted chickpeas, but having a busy scheduling of balancing college, working out, and other daily responsibility, we often don't have the time we need to prepare and roast our own chickpeas. This is why we love Beina Snack's roasted chickpeas -- they're delicious, made with wholesome ingredients, packed with protein, and easy to add to just about any dish without any prep. We also love these roasted chickpeas as a healthy snack when we're feeling hungry, or as post-workout fuel.  Total time: 10-15 mins Serves: 1-2 INGREDIENTS
1. Divide the cooked quinoa into two bowls, then add the Roasted Sea Salt Chickpeas, cabbage, spiralized carrot and zucchini, green peas, avocado, spring mix, and chia and hemp seeds on top of the quinoa. Add additional toppings as desired. 2. In a small bow, whisk together all ingredients for the tahini dressing, adjusting flavor and consistency to taste. 3. Drizzle the dressing over the bowls and serve.  Buckwheat porridge is something we discovered recently, and instantly fell in love. It's gluten-free, has a delightful nutty flavor, and is full of essential nutrients. This delicious recipe is great for when you're craving something warm or want an alternative to oatmeal, combining fresh raspberries, chia seeds, a hint of vanilla, and Ibiza Superfood's Disco Mix to create the perfect warming breakfast. We love this recipe for two reasons: First, Buckwheat is an incredible source of health benefits. These include:
 Total time: 24 hours Serves: 1-2 INGREDIENTS
1. Mash the raspberries with a fork. Combine the buckwheat groats, the Disco Mix, raspberries, chia seeds, cashew milk, cinnamon, maple syrup, and vanilla in a bowl. 3. Place in the fridge overnight to allow the buckwheat and chia seeds to soften. The next morning transfer to a cooking pot and simmer on low until warm. Add extra milk if needed. 2. Serve in two bowls topped with fresh fruit or your favorite toppings and enjoy!  As many of you know, my sister and I are big into natural beauty and strive to choose products that are beneficial for our skin. However, we admit that sometimes, it's easy to overlook hand care. Oftentimes, what people don't know is that many commercial hand soaps contain harsh chemicals, and that these chemicals are absorbed by the skin. That is why it's important to make wise choices when deciding what hand soaps and hand washes to use. Over the past few weeks, we have been using Soapbox's Pomegranate & Plum Restoring Moisture Hand Wash along with their Sea Minerals & Blue Iris Gentle Moisture Bar Soap, and we love the results. Both soaps are designed to moisturize and clean the skin with a natural, chemical and paraben free ingredients. In addition to quality products, Soapbox has an amazing mission: for every product they sell, a bar of soap or month of clean water is donated to a person in need in the U.S. or around the world. They also allow you to see how your purchase impacted another life on their website by using a unique code you received with your purchase. What is it? Soapbox's Pomegranate & Plum Hand Wash is an antioxidant rich hand soap that is blended with shea butter and aloe vera to provide the skin with optimum moisturization. The Sea Minerals & Blue Iris Bar Soap is a natural soap bar that is made with shea butter and olive oil, also designed to moisturize and leave your hands feeling fresh and clean. What does it do?  Made with natural ingredients such as shea butter and olive oil, the Sea Minerals Bar Soap is designed to provide your skin with optimum hydration, leaving it feeling fresh, clean, and hydrated. This bar not only moisturizes the skin, but leaves a light aquatic scent with hints of iris, ensuring that your hands feel fresh and clean.
Ingredients: Sodium Palmate, Sodium Cocoate, Water, Glycerin, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, Pentasodium Pentetate, Organic Fair Trade Shea Butter, Olive Oil, Sea Salt. The Pomegranate & Plum Hand Wash is designed to restore the skin with antioxidants with it's moisturizing blend of shea butter and olive oil. This hand soap leaves the skin feeling clean and soft with a bright citrus scent that is fresh but not overwhelming. Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycol Distearate, Sodium Chloride, Punica Granatum Extract (Pomegranate Extract), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polyquaternium-11, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Fragrance (Parfum) Our thoughts: You use soap every day, whether it's in the shower or to clean your hands. Naturally, it washes down the drain. Not only does soap effect you, but it also effects the environment as well. That is why we love using Soapbox's soaps, because they're made from natural, real ingredients, free of chemicals, and are gentle on both our hands and the environment. No communities or habitats are harmed when using these soaps, and no animals are harmed either. After using both products for several weeks, our hands feel clean, refreshed, and moisturized after each wash, especially in these drying winter months. Both soaps have a delightful scent that is fresh and not overwhelming. It is also good to know that by using these soaps, not only will it leave your skin beautifully conditioned, you'll feel like you are treating yourself to a tiny luxury every time you pick up a bar.  When it's chilly outside, my sister and I enjoy making homemade lattes. Homemade lattes are a healthy alternative when your craving a warm, comforting drink, they're free from the excessive sugar and junk found in commercial lattes, and the flavor opportunities are endless, including our absolute favorite: Turmeric Chai. For this delicious and simple recipe, we used Sutra's Golden Milk Immunity Booster Mix. We love this mix because it's anti-inflammatory, tastes like a creamy chai latte, and is rich in antioxidants to detox our bodies and set our day up for success. Goodbye tired mornings! The key ingredients in this mix includes:
 Total time: 5 mins Serves: 2 Ingredients
1 Golden Milk Immunity Mix Powder Stick 2 cups cashew milk Directions 1. Pour 2 cups cashew milk into a stove pot over medium/high heat and stir in the Sutra Golden Milk mix. Bring to low simmer and remove from heat just before it begins to boil. *second photograph belongs to Sutra Not going to lie....my sister and I have never tired a face scrub before. However, with the cooler temperatures coming, we decided that in the lead up, we’d give some extra care to moisturizing and exfoliating our skin to avoid unwanted dryness and impurities. We went about this by trying Lani Hair’s Tropical Coconut Face Polish, which is made with coconut, rice powder, and vitamin C. We first discovered Lani Hair though Instagram and their vibrant beachy photos and colorful, eye-catching packaging, and after using their products for several months, we loved the results. So, we could not wait to try the face polish. What is it? The Lani Hair Tropical Face Polish is an 100% organic face scrub made from coconut, rice powder, coconut water, and nourishing vitamin C. What does it do?  This dreamy scrub is designed to exfoliate the skin, remove dead skin cells, restore softness, hydrate, and give it a healthy, radiant glow. The ingredients in Lani's scrub are amazing for skin, and here's why.... Rice powder contains natural antioxidants, is an exfoliate, and contains starch which can aid in mattifying the skin. Coconut is rich in vitamins, electrolytes, and antimicrobial/antibacterial properties, and it naturally hydrates the skin, giving it a radiant glow. And last but not least, vitamin C can aid in boosting collagen, preventing wrinkles, and preventing sun damage. Ingredients: Cocos Nucifera (coconut milk powder), Oryza Sativa (Rice) Powder, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water, Sodium Bicarbonate Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) Our thoughts: Lani Hair has a wonderful line of vegan skin and hair products, and this face scrub does not fall short of that quality standard. This scrub is fun to apply, smells amazing (think fresh coconut) and when massaged into the skin, it feels invigorating and refreshing. A small amount of powder mixed with water turns this scrub into a soft exfoliator that will leave your skin feeling fresh, bright, and renewed with a subtle glow. Try this scrub 1-2 times per week for best results.    When we think of pitaya fruit, we picture a vibrant pink smoothie topped with fresh fruit. My sister and I love pitaya smoothies, but we recently discovered a new way to enjoy this colorful fruit: Pitaya Overnight Oats. Not only does the pitaya give the oats a gorgeous color, pitaya fruit is a nutritional powerhouse bursting with vitamins and antioxidants. Here's just a few benefits:
 Prep time: 5 mins Serves: 1-2 INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS 1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl or mason jar and mix thoroughly. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. 3. The next morning, stir the oats once. If needed, add more almond milk if the consistency is too thick. 2. Serve in two individual bowls and top with fresh berries, kiwi, coconut, hemp seeds, or your favorite toppings. If you want a glow, try this delicious Cacao Acai Bowl! Acai is one of our favorite superfoods because it's known for it's antioxidant properties and is amazing for your skin. For this recipe, we used Ibiza Superfoods Acai Powder, which is a rich source of anthocyanins, a potent antioxidant that gives the acai berry it's purple hue, and is an excellent source of Oleic Acid (omega 9) which nourishes your skin from the inside and out. What's not to love about this superfood? This recipe, balanced with antioxidants from the acai and fresh berries, iron and calcium from the cacao, and healthy fats from the almond butter, is the perfect way to start your day.  Total time: 5 minutes Serves: 1-2 Ingredients 1/2 banana, frozen 1 tsp of acai powder (find Ibiza Superfoods Acai here) 1 packet frozen acai 1 cup mixed berries 1 tbsp cacao powder 1 tbsp almond butter 1/4 cup almond milk Directions 1. Freeze the banana overnight before making this recipe. 2.Add all ingredients to a blender and process until fully combined. If the consistency is too thick, add more almond milk, and stop blending to scrape down the sides as necessary. Once the fruit is combined, blend for an additional 1-2 minutes. 3. Serve in bowls topped with granola, fresh fruit, coconut, and cacao nibs if desired. Chilly weather calls for warm soup. This fall-inspired recipe for vegan Pumpkin Soup with Roasted Chickpeas and Brussels Sprouts is perfect for a chilly evening, offering a nourishing bowl of essential vitamins and nutrients, plant-based protein, and delicious fall flavors.  Cook time: 1 hour Serves: 4-6 Ingredients
For soup 2 cans pumpkin puree 1 cup vegetable broth 2 cups coconut milk 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, diced 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp cinnamon 2 tsp ginger powder 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp sea salt Pinch of black pepper Turmeric For roasted veggies 1 can chicpkeas 2 cups Brussels sprouts, cut in half Olive oil (optional) Sea salt Curry spice Directions 1. Preheat oven to 400° and line a baking tray with aluminum foil. Rinse the chickpeas and pat dry with a towel, then chop the Brussels sprouts and toss both the chickpeas and Brussels sprouts in olive oil, sea salt, and curry spices. 2. Evenly spread chickpeas and Brussels sprouts on the baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts become crispy and the chickpeas turn golden. Remove from oven. 3. As the veggies roast, begin making the pumpkin soup. Using a saucepan, saute the chopped onion and garlic over medium heat until crispy and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Careful not to burn. 4. Next, add the vegetable broth, coconut milk, pumpkin puree, sea salt and spices to the saucepan and stir to combine. If the consistency is too thick, add more vegetable broth. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. 5. Serve soup in bowls and garnished with the roasted chickpeas and Brussels sprouts, chopped kale, and a sprinkle of chia seeds, hemp seeds, black pepper, and sea salt if desired. Here is the third recipe in our Fall Oatmeal Series: Gingerbread Oatmeal! This cozy breakfast tastes like just gingerbread cookies, only much healthier. As I'm sure many of you know, we love topping our oatmeal with fresh fruit an super foods. We love trying new things, and for this recipe, we topped our bowls with goji berries from Natierra Superfoods, which offer the perfect hint of natural sweetness. Goji berries are packed with beneficial properties, including:
  Cook time: 5 mins Serves: 2 Ingredients
1 cup oatmeal 2 cups water or almond milk 1-2 tsp ginger, finely chopped 1 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp blackstrap molasses 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tbsp milled flaxseed Pinch of nutmeg Pinch of sea salt Directions 1. Wash the ginger and peel the skin off, then chop into small pieces. 2. In a pot over medium/high heat, add the water or almond milk, oats, chopped ginger, molasses, spices, and other ingredients and stir to combine. Once the water/almond milk bubbles, lower heat and stir occasionally until the oats thicken, 3-4 minutes. 3. Remove pot from stove and serve oatmeal in bowls topped with your favorite toppings (we chose fresh berries and fruit, nut butter, goji berries, and hemp seeds.) Check out our other Fall Inspired Oatmeal Recipes below:
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Twins. 21 years old. Here to inspire, to learn and create, and share all things health and wellness related. Find recipes, our workouts, and lifestyle.
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