My take on CREATINE - is it worth it?

Taking creatine supplements is all the rage now… but is it worth the hype?

I personally do believe in the enormous benefits of creatine, as I have seen many clients (and myself!) FEEL the positive shift after starting their daily creatine supplements. Mostly in terms of increasing muscle (of course I recommended creatine in combination with strength training 2-3/week minimum) and some also noticed an improvement in anxiety (again, we added daily breathwork and meditation, too!).

First, what is Creatine? What exactly are the benefits? And how can you easily incorporate it into your daily routine?

I go over all of this in my blog, and share my go-to morning smoothie recipe with creatine!

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4 Diet & Fitness "Fat Burning" myths debunked

It feels like everyone is always commenting on what they believe works and doesn't work in order to boost their metabolism and burn fat. I’m constantly getting asked for my recommentations, while others just share what is and isn’t working for them, and so many people come into my store - Balance Market - and ask me what supplement or superfood I sell that can help them burn fat.

This is when I am compelled to remind peopl that there is no miracle pill, there isn’t one food or supplement that’s going to magically make you lose weight; results come from consistency, from your daily habits and what you’re doing with your body 90% of the time.

Having said that, here are the top 4 diet & fitness myths that I’ve been hearing a lot, and my take on what really works.

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Tips to Boost Progesterone - your CHILL hormone

Progesterone is the wonderful hormone that’s secreted during the second half of your menstrual cycle whose main role is to help prepare the body for pregnancy (and if you don’t get pregnant, progesterone drops, as does your estrogen, and you menstruate). When pregnant, progesterone stays elevated during pregnancy (which is why we are often more “nonchalant” during pregnancy; I know I was!). Progesterone is one of the main reasons why we have a stronger instict to rest and relax in that week before our period when its highest (same applies during pregnancy). It also helps support your mood and optimal thyroid function.

If your progesterone is too low, you’ll likely have irregular cycles and/or heavy periods, you may fail to release an egg during ovulation, and if you’re pregnant, low progesterone can lead to a miscarriage. And overall, when progesterone is low, we are more likely to be stressed and anxious (exactly what we don’t want, especially during pre/post menopause which is stressful enough!)

So even if you no longer care about PMS nor fertility, boosting your progesterone during pre and post menopause is absolutely KEY, and while yes taking replacement hormones can help, so can your daily diet and lifestyle! In today’s blog, I share many tips on how to boost progesterone with your food and daily habits…

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One tip to boost weight loss and overall health

If there is ONE thing that I strongly believe is that the #1 step we should all take to reach our weight goals - and boost our overall health - is to COOK MORE FROM HOME.

I share why it’s so important, and of course, some useful tips to make it easier for you to proritize.

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5 STEPS TO IMPROVE DIGESTION, BANISH BLOAT & GET A FLAT BELLY

Do you tend to get gassy and/or bloated easily, especially after meals?

Or are you struggling to get rid of that little bulge at the waistline of your jeans, that stubborn extra fat that seems to become a bigger problem as the years go on?

Too many people (especially women) think cutting calories and boosting their workouts is the answer to eliminating their bloat and muffin-top, but usually, that strategy fails.

After much research and even personal struggle, I realized that the key lies in first understanding what's causing you to get bloated and gassy, and eventually contributing to your belly fat. I always believe in first finding the ROOT CAUSE behind your health issues, and in the case of excess belly fat and bloat, it’s usually centered around inflammation as well as sub-optimal digestion.

HERE ARE 5 STEPS TO IMPROVING YOUR DIGESTION, ELIMINATING YOUR BLOAT AFTER MEALS, AND GETTING RID OF THAT EXCESS BELLY FAT.

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5 foods to boost Glutathione - our body's #1 detox molecule

Glutathione is a master antioxidant and a cellular powerhouse, whose main role is to aid in DETOX, attaching to toxins and free radicals, neutralizing them, and helping to expel them from the body, while also supporting the growth of healthy cells and mitochondrial dna.

It also plays a role in strenghtening your immune system and lowering signs of aging. Think: more energy, better skin and better overall health.

We produce it naturally, but we need the right inputs to make enough of it. Plus, glutathione levels naturally decrease with age, and factors such as poor diet (alcohol, sugar and other processed foods) and sedentarism can also reduce glutathione levels.

To help boost our glutathione levels, it helsp to eat a diet rich in sulfur-rich foods, and foods that naturally contain glutathione, as well as foods rich in vitamin C and Selenium, two of the main co-factors in proudcing glutathione.

Here are 12 foods to boost your glutathione and support your body’s detox pathways.

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Five ways to support your body's detox pathways

Our bodies are amazing at doing their natural course of detoxification. We are blessed with these remarkably sophisticated bodies that process and remove both internal waste and environmental toxins, all day, every day.

In a healthy state, our “detox systems” compused of our liver, kidneys, lungs, skin, digestive tract, and lymph system work seamlessly to clear out what our body doesn’t need. However, we all reach a point where our bodies get saturated with SO much toxins and our “detox systems” get sluggish. The volume and complexity of toxins we face in today’s world can overwhelm our bodies, contributing to chronic illness, reducing our health span and accelerating aging. 

To support your body's natural detoxification process, it’s important to have a healthy balanced diet rich in antioxidants, to hydrate constantly, get sufficient sleep, do regular exercise, and of course, to minimize your exposure to toxins. Focusing on creating these lifestyle changes, little by little, can enhance your body's ability to eliminate waste and maintain overall health. 

Beyond these daily lifestyle basics, there are 5 additional key steps that I work with my clients to have them implement whenever they are needing a bit more “detox support”.

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Consuming these 8 herbs will amp up your nutrition & health

Adding some fresh herbs can be the secret to bringing your dishes to life, adding a boost of color, flavor and nutrients.

But the main reason why I make the effort to include herbs (in both my cooking and to garnish my meals) is because they are SO healthy, and it's an easy way to “sneak in some greens”!

I’ve also found that when I add herbs, I usually need less salt, and everything tastes more flavorful.

If you’re not used to cooking/prepping foods with herbs, or tend to only use the same 1-2 herbs, I know it can be a bit daunting to start incorporating them. But honestly, it’s way easier than you may think. You just need some easy ideas and recipes, which is why I’m sharing those with you today.

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6 Tips to add more protein in your day (and digest it well!)

There is tons of hype now around getting sufficient protein, and this hype is definitely valid (but like everything, it requires some customization). READ MORE HERE.

I personally have found adding more protein in my day has helped me naturally lose my postpartum baby weight in a healthy, gradual way while keeping my energy strong and cravings at bay.

However, it’s not just about the amount of protein we consume, but also the QUALITY of the protein, and how well we DIGEST it. Varying your sources of protein (from both animal and plant sources, and ideally organic) is key to help you get a good variety of nutrients and help you have better digestibilty, too.

If you suspect you may be getting insufficient protein and find yourself wanting to try increasing your daily protein intake - in a healthy way that supports your digestion - then I suggest you start by applying some of these 6 easy tips to boost your daily protein intake.

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Birthday blog: How I Eat and Move to Stay Healthy and Strong (Postpartum)

I just turned 41 !! and - except for a recent sciatica episode - I feel great. Healthy, strong, happy and beautiful.

I proudly achknowledge that my healthy lifestyle has helped me recover super quickly after both my pregnancies, despite my age. So I want to share some of my daily diet and lifestyle practices that help me lose weight postpartum, and continue to feel healthy and strong.

I’ll share a typical day of meals for me currently (and in these past 6+ months) so you have an idea of what it looks like to be healthy and well-nourished without any calorie counting nor deprivation.

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One easy way to improve your health: Eat More Plants

If you want to lose weight, improve your skin, energy and mood, poop better, feel healthier and look better…. you should start by focusing on improving your GUT.

One key way to improve your gut microbiome by increasing the variety (and quantity) of plants you eat every week.

Studies (and experiments done by the American Gut Project) show that eating more than 30 different plants per week can significantly improve your microbiome diversity, supporting your overall gut health.

To help you boost your gut health, I’m sharing with you 7 different categories of plants (with tons of options in each category) and tips on incorporating them easily into your daily meals, in order to help you reach (or exceed) the target quota of 30 plants per week.

Lastly, I’ll share various tips on how I personally exceed those 30 plants every week!

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Healthy Low Glycemic Shephards Pie

When you’re looking for a comforting meal that is filling but healthy, this is the perfect recipe. This hearty meal - a healthy twist on Shephards Pie (paleo and keto friendly) - is perfect for any lunch or dinner when you need a solid, filling meal, and also perfect for Sunday night meal prep!

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February: Heart Month - 6 tips for optimizing heart health

February is the month of the HEART, and an important time to review your heart health and how you can support it better.

Unfortunately, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the LEADING CAUSE of death worldwide, shortening our lifespan. I strongly believe (together with many leading doctors and health experts) that this will change once we start to prioritize nutrition and lifestyle choices as our first line of defense.

Today I’m sharing 6 things you can start implementing ASAP (apart from the obvious of NO smoking, staying active and avoiding fried foods, trans fats and packaged foods!).

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Healthy Breakfast Recipe: A new twist to your usual egg-avo toast

Today I’m sharing a SUPER EASY, HEALTHY and FILLING breakfast that I love and highly recommend to anyone. It’s my extra-nutritious take on an egg toast (and a different option to the popular avocado toast). This recipe contains a slice of seed bread, vegan cheese, kale and eggs.

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Want to Balance Your Hormones and Optimize your Weight? Take these 4 steps!

Hormonal balance requires a holistic approach, including:

  • DIET: nourishing your body with a nutrient-rich diet

  • EXERCISE: engaging in regular physical activity

  • REST & STRESS MANAGEMENT: prioritizing sleep + managing stress, and

  • MINIMIZING TOXIC LOAD: reducing exposure to environmental toxins (as well as internal toxins!); start by switching to cleaner household products, clean beauty, etc.

I delve quickly into each of these points, giving you actionable steps in each category so you can start to improve your hormonal balance and overall health ASAP!

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10 Tips for an Excellent Postpartum Recovery

As I’m coming close to the end of my “4th trimester” after birthing my second baby, I want to share some tips to help with HEALING after giving birth (natural or c-section) - also applicable to help heal from any surgery or trauma. These are things that I myself applied and helped me immensely to have a great recovery.

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A Day of Anti-Inflammatory Meals for Sustainable Weight Loss

Chronic long-term inflammation (what SO many people are facing today) is extremely harmful to our health. Not only does it lead to weight gain, but also contributes to obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, and other health conditions.

Thankfully, there is a lot we can do to reduce inflammation in the body just through our daily diet.

Some anti-inflammatory foods that I recommend to eat regularly include:

  • leafy greens (lettuces, arugula, kale, spinach, etc).

  • fermented foods like raw sauerkraut, kimchi and unsweetened organic yogurt or kefir

  • colorful vegetables (orange veggies like organge bell pepper, sweet potato and butternut squash, yello veggies like yellow squash, yellow peppers and onions, purple vegges like purgple cabbage, eggplants and purple potatoes/carrots/cauliflower, white veggies like cauliflower and radish, red veggies like beets, and of course ALL green veggies, including brocoli, green beans, zucchini, all green herbs, ETC).

  • colorful fruits - in small amounts at a time (blue/purple including blueberries, blackberries, plums; red including starwberries, raspberries, cherries and red apples; orange including oranges, nectarines, some varities of peaches; green including green apples and pears, etc.)

  • omega-3 rich proteins like wild-caught fish and seafood, organic grass-fed meats and poultry, as well as organic eggs.

  • nuts and seeds - ncluding walnuts, almonds, chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, etc., as well as nut and seed butters

  • other healthy fats including avocados and extra-virgin olive oil

  • fiber-rich legumes including: lentils, chickpeas, peas and all beans, as well as small amoutns of whole grains such as quinoa, wild rice, brown rice, millet, amaranth, teff, buckwheat, etc. (*only if your tolerate these ; reguardless I recommend sticking to small portions and cooking properly, always soaking before cooking).

Today I’m sharing a day of healthy, delicious and easy “anti-inflammatory” meals to get you started on your anti-inflammatory lifestyle!

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Healthy dinner recipes - salmon with pesto, kale salad, and a quinoa-veggie salad

Today I’m sharing an entire 3-part menu (including four healthy recipes), which is perfect for a family lunch or dinner, or for hosting a few friends or another couple.

This menu is PACKED with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and fiber, making it great for your digestion, for longevity, immunity, and for hormonal balance. It’s also very balanced in protein, healthy fats and healthy low-glycemic carbs, making it ideal for keeping blood sugar stable.

Menu (all gluten-free and dairy-free):

  • Kale, Fennel & Avocado Salad

  • Quinoa Bell Pepper Salad

  • Roasted Salmon with a Pumpkin & Hemp Seed Pesto

Watch the video to learn how to make these recipes easily, and get tons of cooking/prep tips! And check out my recipes below. Enjoy!

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A delicious, colorful & flavorful salad you'll love

I’m sharing one of my favorite salad bowl recipes - Mediterranean Salad Bowl (inspired by a BeingBrigid recipe) - that is packed with fiber, protein, healthy fats, but also rich in colorful, antioxidant-rich veggies that help promote longevity and better immunity (among many other benefits). It’s easy and delicious, and one of my favorite meals for a hot summer day, or when I’m ovulating.

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Matcha Pistachio Vanilla Protein Energy Balls - english & spanish recipes

I’m a huge dessert addict, but in order to stay healthy, not spike my blood sugar, and not gain weight, I make sure my desserts are mostly homemade and always: nutrient-dense, packed with superfoods, protein, healthy fats and low in sugar (NO added sugars for me!).

These balls are also a great source of FIBER (primarily soluble fiber) which helps to:

  • promote a healthy digestion and good, regular poop

  • lower cholesterol

  • slow absorption of carbs (supporitng healthy blood sugar) and increase satiety

  • support hormonal balanced hormone

And they’re SO delicious! Check out the recipe - in both English and Spanish!

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