GINGER, C & GREENS SMOOTHIE

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Hey happy weekend! I have a friend coming from out of town to stay with us. We’ve never had a house guest prior to this so it’ll be fun. We’re gonna pick up vegan doughnuts and flowers. I’ll make some dal and homemade bread, and just really enhance the overall cozy vibes. Hope you’re all getting some relaxing moments in as the season gets a bit busier. A thing that’s been helping me with the busy-ness: I go to this yoga class early Friday mornings and the instructor always has us roll our muscles on these massage balls. It’s slightly painful/uncomfortable in the process, but man I feel relaxed and loose after. It’s really helped with some tension that I tend to hold in my back, shoulders, and neck. You can find them here if you’re interested! Fancy balls, who knew right? ;)

Other than all that, not much is new over here. I’ve just been thinking about this year and what I want to achieve in 2019, what direction I feel called to go in. We’ve already got some great stuff planned, and I’m really excited to share it all with you. I also have to thank everyone that has kindly emailed me or commented here over the past few weeks about this more dedicated return to the blog. I’m so grateful for all of you and, corny as it sounds, the thought of people nourishing themselves with my recipes is really lighting me up lately. If you’re in a career rut or just feeling stuck creatively, know that I completely understand and am here for you. It takes a lot of personal work to get on the right track, but sometimes the kindness of just a few people really makes a difference in pushing forward. Okay, over to some links and this vibrant smoothie that’s loaded with ginger, vitamin C and greens–a pretty potent trio this time of year. My dad delivers us fresh orange juice every week in a variety of re-purposed glass bottles and it really does shine here. Truly blessed! Sending all my love :)

Serena Williams’ life partner (and Reddit cofounder) Alexis Ohanian thinks that we’ve hit peak social in terms of platforms like Facebook, Instagram etc. Do you agree with his assessment that we’re all seeking more focused, community-like connections?

Love this trend of cortisol-conscious workout styles and programs. Byyyyeeee stress hormones!

I love when the lists of wellness trend predictions come out at the end of the year. I can’t help but roll my eyes at SOME of it if I’m being real, but I was largely impressed with mindbodygreen’s offering this year. High points for me personally include: focus on natural wine, financial discussions getting out in the open, and the importance of brain health.

Speaking of brain health, you should listen to this episode of the Rich Roll Podcast with Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai. It’s an older episode, but their extensive research on Alzheimer’s was a big eye opener for me.

Jess’s One Part Podcast is back, thank goodness! Just in time for holiday binge-listening.

I swear this is my last podcast recommendation! We’re huge fans of The Rewatchables in our house, and this episode about Clueless was perfect. I think that movie could be in my top 5 of all time? CLASSIC and so many perfect outfits.

I remember reading about The Ocean Cleanup when it was in early funding stages and being super impressed by the resolve of this team to do the right thing. Here’s an update on how it’s going.

In ever-so-slight relation to the ocean and its health, Pantone’s colour of 2019 is Living Coral. Emphasis on living? (Have you seen Chasing Coral yet?)

Science dictates and I abide! Women sleep better next to dogs.

“Ultimately, we live on a finite planet, with finite resources. It is a fiction to imagine there is a technological solution allowing us to produce as much food as we might ever want, allowing us to overeat and throw food away.” As a human community on this planet, we may have to learn to really love on our lentils and, you guessed it, give up A LOT of meat, sugar and dairy.

I love this girl asking people to give her “YouTube channel” two thumbs up. The sweetest, funniest thing.

A few things from blog land that caught my eye this week: Cornmeal Pancakes with Cinnamon Persimmons, Fennel Sage & Kale Pasta, Autumn Vegetable Stew with Red Wine, and these Herbal Milk Baths (perfect DIY holiday gift!).

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GINGER, C & GREENS SMOOTHIE
Print the recipe here!
SERVES: 1
NOTES: Because I call for 2 packed cups, super mild baby spinach is my preferred green for this drink.
-You could substitute the banana with a handful of frozen pineapple or mango, or even some frozen avocado if you want to bring the sugar down a bit.

1 cup orange juice
squeeze of lemon juice
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 serving plant-based protein powder, optional (I like Sprout Living’s Epic Protein in Vanilla here)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne, optional
2 cups baby spinach
1 frozen banana

In an upright blender, combine the orange juice, lemon juice, ginger, protein powder, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, cayenne, baby spinach, and the frozen banana. Bring the blender’s speed up to high and run until liquid is completely smooth. Enjoy immediately.