Alright, I've drank the smoothie bowl Kool-Aid. Why is it so satisfying to eat a smoothie out of a bowl instead of drinking it with a straw??  I've been making this smoothie ALL week this week for breakfast!! It's my new favorite combo with my new favorite protein. I kind of gave up smoothies for breakfast for a while for a couple reasons. 1. It got real cold here and I preferred something hot like oatmeal or eggs. 2. I never could seem to get enough protein or greens in my smoothies to sustain me until lunch time. Until I created a purple monster...

Garden of Life RAW Protein & Greens

Garden of Life sent me some of their new product line to try out, Raw Protein and Greens. I couldn't wait to add the new protein to my smoothies, because it meant getting in even more veggies with breakfast, something I used to struggle with in the morning (let's be real, still do). And the best part...I'm partnering with Garden of Life to giveaway some free Raw Protein & Greens! 

I have to be honest, I was slightly skeptical at first about the whole greens addition to the protein. Garden of Life added a blend of six nutrient-rich greens and veggies in RAW Protein & greens, including organic alfalfa grass juice, organic spinach, organic kale, organic broccoli, organic carrot and organic beet. That's a lot of veggies, you guys!! Don't get me wrong, I love my veggies, but I HATE green juice and I can't stand when my protein shakes taste like raw veggie water...

And the verdict is that this protein is just delicious in a smoothie. I can't speak for how this protein would be mixed with just water or milk, because to be honest, I can't really drink any protein with just water or milk. I like to stick to a smoothie or real food right after a workout - it makes my taste buds and hunger much happier!! So if you're like me and looking for a great protein to add to your hearty smoothies, this one is perfect. Especially if you struggle to get in enough greens! RAW Protein & Greens is also PACKED with protein - 20 grams to be exact. And it's made with wholesome, organic ingredients and comes in three flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate Cacao (both contain organic stevia extract) and Lightly Sweet (with no stevia)...there's nothin' sketchy about it. 

Giveaway

So let's get to the fun part...all I ask is that you:

1. COMMENT on this post telling my WHY you want to try RAW Protein & Greens
2. Follow @ahealthfulheart and @gardenofliferaw on Instagram! 

The winner will be announced on March 1! In the meantime, stay tuned for some more recipes including Garden of Life Raw Protein! 

Banana & Berry Green Smoothie Bowl

[yumprint-recipe id='17']Thank you for your support of my partnership with Garden of Life! All opinions are my own. 

 XO - Rach

Do you like your breakfasts sweet or savory?

What flavor of protein do you usually gravitate toward?

Wouldn't you love to win some FREE protein?!

Happy Monday! Enjoying my first post-grad Monday so far. I woke up early to go to a barbell strength class and stayed after for half of a cycling class but I got too hungry so I left. Priorities. Refueled with a delicious smoothie.

Napping is on the agenda today. And then maybe some laying out. It feels great to have nothing to do. Soaking it all up before I move and start my job next week!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1/2-3/4 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
• Vanilla Silk soy milk (until desired consistency)
• 1 tbsp peanutbutter
• Granola for topping

Complicated Directions:

• Add everything to a blender and blend ;)

Cheers!

- Rach

Happy Friday!! Yet again, this week absolutely flew by. It was full of the usual intern, work, class, teach and repeat schedule. On Wednesday night, I went with some friends to try the new Blaze Pizza that just opened and it was AWESOME. You can customize all the toppings on your pizza and the best part is that they don't even charge for extra toppings.

This morning I attempted to go to a 6:15 a.m. cycle class, but it was completely full! I used to be a lot better about signing up for early morning classes and I've been a bit slack about it lately, so I wanted to share a few tips to help you if you are trying to switch your workout routine to the morning. Unfortunately, I couldn't do cycle, but I ended up still getting a great workout, which I'll share in my next post! And came home to make a delicious smoothie:

Spinach, banana, strawberries, pineapple, Sunbutter, vanilla protein, coconut water & honey!

How to become an early riser:

Getting a workout in first thing in the morning sounds so great, doesn't it? You get it out of the way, it wakes you up and you have the whole entire rest of the day to be productive, but I know that it is not as easy as it sounds. However, working out early in the morning jump starts your metabolism, energizes you and even helps your brainpower.

1. You need to get a good night sleep. This is the absolute most important thing for me when it comes to hearing my alarm go off at 5:30 a.m. I know that this can sometimes be hard with school, work and all of the other obligations that we have going on, but if you can promise yourself throughout the day that you will be in bed by at least 10:30 p.m., that gives you a solid seven hours.

2. Lay your gym clothes out the night before. When you turn your alarm clock off and open your eyes to see your gym clothes ready for you, it makes it a bit harder to just roll over and go back to bed. It is motivating to know that you were so ready for an early workout the night before, so why back out at this point?

3. Plan your workout the night before.Whether that means signing up for a fitness class or having a workout written out, already having a game plan takes the thinking out of it. Chances are you might still be half asleep when you get to the gym!

4. Eat something small before. Although this really is a personal preference, I find that if I eat a small something before an early morning workout, I get a lot more out of it. I'll eat half of a banana and some peanut butter and it's not enough to weigh me down, but enough to give me a burst of energy that I need! This definitely takes some trial and error. I used to refuse eating that early because I just couldn't really stomach it, but I would find that 15 minutes into my workout, I felt ready to fall right back asleep! Again, this is totally personal preference and you will find what works for you!

5. Ease into it. This is crucial. It's not easy to jump right out of bed and get a solid workout, but like anything, practice makes perfect! Start out doing one or two early morning workouts per week and see how you feel throughout the day. I bet you that your energy levels will be a lot higher than if you didn't rise and grind.

It's all a process! These are just some things that help me a lot when I know I want to get in my workout before the sun. There's no right or wrong way or time to workout and it's all about what works best for you and your schedule.

Rach