Here are five things I’m loving this week. 

Free Course: How To Boost Immunity Naturally

Our bodies are equipped with some amazing immune defense mechanisms to protect us against potential dangers. However dis-ease, modern stresses, nutrient deficiencies, and toxins can reduce our immune strength. I came across this free course from Chris Kresser who is a trusted source for health research. When you register, you’ll be sent the recording to watch at a more convenient time. The course covers three little-known but powerful immune-supporting nutrients along with safe remedies to protect you and your family against infections. The course takes place this Thursday, so be sure to sign up now using the link above and watch the recording later. 

Vitamin C

Over the last couple of years, most of us have become pretty focused on how to keep our bodies strong against whatever the world throws at us. There are a lot of things I keep in my toolkit for great health, and vitamin C is an essential one. Sometimes I worry that vitamin C has become so commonly mentioned that people forget just how amazing it is. It does so much more than it’s given credit for!

Vitamin C is the main water-soluble, non-enzymatic antioxidant in our blood and tissues. Even in small amounts, it’s incredibly powerful at protecting various types of molecules (including our DNA) from damage.

Here’s a couple of vitamin C highlights:

Immune health: Vitamin C encourages the production of white blood cells and protects them from oxidative damage. It can enhance phagocytosis, which is the act of a specialized cell invading microorganisms and it’s essential for maintaining healthy skin, which is our first line of defense from the outside world. 

Cardiovascular health: Higher vitamin C levels is connected with lower risks of hypertension, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Vitamin C reduces atherosclerosis by inhibiting the oxidation of HDL and LDL lipid particles thanks to its antioxidant superpowers. 

Skin health: We need vitamin C for healthy skin. It regulates collagen synthesis, and collagen is the most abundant protein in the body which declines as we age and is needed for the structure of skin, bones, muscles, tendons, and cartilage. This is also the reason vitamin C is helpful for wound healing—it helps collagen take on the repair process.

There are lots of great food sources of vitamin C beyond citrus, like bell peppers, kiwis, strawberries, and broccoli. But this valuable nutrient is one of many that has steadily declined in our food supply due to poor soil health. 

For that reason, I like to supplement with a high-quality bioavailable vitamin C—I take dōTERRA Lifelong Vitality as it gives us our daily requirement of 22 Vitamins and minerals. 

Yoga For Digestion

Many of us still feel the lingering effects from over indulging during the holiday season, especially in the gut. Yoga with Adriene is a practice I’ve working into my morning routine for over 6 years. This one I’ve selected for you today s a lighthearted, calming practice from Yoga with Adriene to support your digestion—perfect timing! It’s suitable for all Yogie levels. If you’re looking to include more yoga in your daily routine, make sure to check out Adriene’s Move: A 30 Day Yoga Journey for a month of uplifting yoga videos. The series is totally free and kicked off at the start of the new year, but you can find the videos from the previous week on her YouTube channel. Learn more about the journey and sign up here https://do.yogawithadrie.com/move it’s totally the best way to start each morning and stay accountable.

dōTERRA Protein Powder

I’ve been loving this protein powder in my morning smoothies. I’m really picky about dairy products, but this one is derived from New Zealand Pasture fed cows. I don’t take dairy, I opt for the dōTERRA vegan protein and I personally feel great when I use it. Now, I know the topic of dairy can be pretty confusing, one consideration is that cow’s milk is very high in a protein called A1 beta-casein, which is pro-inflammatory and associated with gut distress, and skin inflammation among other things. Try swapping dairy for plant-based milk such as non sweetened almond milk and see how your body responds.  In fact, I created my Morning Nourish Smoothie to help start my morning off with the perfect combination of nutrients including healthy fats, protein, and fiber to keep you satisfied and energized throughout the day. There are so many shady protein powders and meal replacement formulas on the market, and I truthfully until doTERRA Protein I never found anything that I loved. It’s cleanest protein out there with high-quality nutrition and no nasties. Here’s my favorite smoothie recipe? It’s seriously too good!

Morning Nourish Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop dōTERRA Protein Powder (choose from chocolate, vanilla, vegan) 

• 1 scoop dōTERRA Greens Powder 

• 1 scoop dōTERRA Fiber powder

• 1 medium apple

• 1 Banana

• 1/3 avocado

• ⅓ cup fresh zucchini

• 2 handfuls fresh baby spinach

• 1 teaspoon chia seeds

• 1 Tablespoon Flax seed meal

• 1 cup nut milk, unsweetened

• 2 drops Zendocrine essential oil

Preparation:

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Simple, anyone can do this.

Recipe for this week. Blood Red Bread anyone?🍊🍫

This recipe only has 5 simple ingredients, and the result is a beautiful thing. With no grains, gluten, nuts, seeds, protein powder, or refined sugar! (it's naturally sweetened from the oranges!)

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 cup quality 80% cacao powder

• 1/4 cup cassava flour 

• 2 blood red oranges, organic if possible plus 1 more to garnish
  

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees C. 

Beat eggs and baking soda with a stand or electric mixer until peaks form. 

Add cacao powder and cassava flour and continue beating. 

Wash the outside of 2 oranges well then place in a blender (rind included) and puree until smooth. 

Measure out 1 cup of puree and add it to your chocolate batter mixture and beat again until well incorporated. 

Transfer batter to a lined baking pan and top with orange slices. 

Bake for about 30 minutes and allow to cool at least 15 minutes before slicing. 

It pairs well with vegan coconut yoghurt.