When it comes to snacking, we all can get a little lost. We often find ourselves reaching for the nearest candy bar or bag of chips. The issue with that is, while they might give us a quick boost of energy, it is not sustainable. Enter energy balls and smoothie bowls, two snacks that are both tasty and nutritious. Not only do they provide the body with the necessary sustenance, but they can also help fight off hunger and keep our energy levels up throughout the day.
Energy balls are a quick and easy snack to make. They are perfect for those late afternoon dips in energy and can be taken on the go. The best part is that there are endless options! You can mix and match ingredients to build your perfect ball. One essential ingredient that should not be missed is protein. Protein helps to keep you fuller for longer and helps build and repair muscles. Some great protein options include nuts, seeds, and protein powder.
One of my favorite energy ball recipes is Chai Energy Balls. These balls are packed with protein and flavor. Here is how you can make them:
Ingredients:
1 cup of pitted Medjool dates
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Form the mixture into balls.
Place balls into the fridge for an hour to firm up.
Smoothie bowls are a great breakfast option or a refreshing midday pick me up. They are packed with vitamins and minerals from the fruits and vegetables, and like energy balls, can be made with different ingredients. Protein is also a key ingredient in a smoothie bowl. Adding a scoop of your favorite protein powder can help keep you full and provide your body with the necessary building blocks to keep it functioning optimally.
One favorite smoothie bowl recipe of mine is the Green Goddess Smoothie Bowl. It is super simple and delicious. Here's how you make it:
Ingredients:
1 frozen banana
1 cup of frozen mango
1 handful of spinach
1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender.
Blend until desired consistency is reached.
Top with your choice of toppings such as granola, fruit, or nuts.
Incorporating energy balls and smoothie bowls into our diets is a tasty and healthy way to fuel our bodies. They both provide the body with the necessary nutrients to function optimally and keep us going throughout the day. Remember, protein is key to both snacks, and there are endless options when it comes to building your perfect snack. So, the next time you reach for that candy bar, think about trying one of these satisfying snacks instead!
Interested in joining our next 11 Day Jumpstart Program for FREE?
IBS is a collection of uncomfortable symptoms, such as abdominal pain, bloating, constipation or diarrhea. These can be triggered by foods in our diet, medications we take, stress levels and other environmental factors. IBS affects the body by disrupting the digestive process, resulting in an imbalance of hormones and nutrients that can cause inflammation, pain uncomfortable symptoms.
It is possible manage IBS symptoms through diet. By eliminating certain foods that are known to trigger symptoms and replacing them with anti-inflammatory and gut healing ingredients, it is possible to reduce or even eliminate IBS symptoms. The 11 Day Jumpstart program is a great way to get started on the road towards digestive wellness. It provides an easy-to-follow meal plan full of gut restorative recipes and tips for maintaining an anti-inflammatory diet.
Diet is only one part of the equation when it comes to improving digestive health. stress management, adequate sleep and exercise are also key ingredients in creating an optimal environment for healing and digestive wellness. Incorporating meditation, yoga or other stress-reducing activities into your daily routine can help reduce inflammation and promote better gut health.
IBS affects many people across the world, but it doesn't have to be a life sentence. By making simple changes to diet, lifestyle and overall mindset it is possible to restore balance within the body and improve digestive wellness. With a few small steps, you can experience relief from your IBS symptoms and begin your journey towards better health.
If you’ve been struggling with digestive issues, contact us at hooplaessentials@gmail.com for a list of essential oils and supplements that can be essential for supporting your healing journey.
With Part 1 as the BACK story, (sorry I did not say this was going to be a short one) I found myself in a pandemic. At the start of the pandemic, I felt a strong sense of fear in everyone and although I was encouraging people to trust their immune systems, I was met with some upset; however many more in secrecy with bravery. Eventually, a rather fast vaccine came out into the market and everyone was eager to return to their normal lives. I was one of the very last that I knew of to get the vaccine. I went along with the mandates, so I could teach (getting a medical exemption for the 3rd booster shot) because I knew my body was saying NO more.
My grandfather died of heart condition, it runs in our family and after my 2nd jab, I found myself rubbing my chest area repeatedly to ease a pain. I also felt restriction in my legs and just had no energy to do the type of sport I used to. There were days I would try to hike Tiger's Head (our local uphill trail) with Ross and had no choice, but to turn around as my blood pressure was climbing like a rocket ship. This was not normal for me. In October, after my mother in law died unexpectedly after flying back from a trip (Dubai to UK) she started to experience pain at the train station and only made it as far as the hospital due to an artery dissection. This was just one more nudge for me to stop treating my pains as a mere, this is just in my head. I stuck my head into researching again, but this time about how I could detox myself from the C**** protein spikes. The receptors sites for these lie around the heart, brain and gut and I had to find something to decrease this inflammation.
I watched hours of a health documentary series on detoxing from these protein spikes, researched for weeks and then I came across this research paper that was completed late in 2022. I read it over and over again, and knew that this ningxia red was powerful because of what I had been through with Kieran. I also knew that Ross and I felt better every time we drank it, and so we always kept it in the fridge for those moments when we needed an extra energy boost.
I dug in and came across Martha Krejci's page about the 11 Day Jumpstart program and how it addresses inflammation. I was accepted into her group and it was the testimonies that I read that struck me. That is when I knew I needed to jump in. I committed myself to the 11 Day Jumpstart and here is what happened: my mood changed (Ross says I am a different person), my weight shifted, my heart pains stopped and I don't have to rub by chest to ease it anymore, my energy level was out of this world, my vision improved and well, I got my best self back. Last week, was the first time in over 2 years, I could climb Tiger's Head without having to turn around because my heart was about to explode. The numbers used to be so scary. But this time I was able to keep up with Ross and I was feeling good. He was ecstatic that we finally could complete this hike together and when he turned to me and said, "Wow, look at you, you can do this for the first time in years," I realized how my health was affecting everyone.
You know, this story is mine and I never really intended to share it publicly, but as people have joined me on this jumpstart I had this epiphany that some of you needed to hear it. A few nights ago, I received a text message from an old colleague who told me that she was feeling more energetic and wanted to continue this journey and wanted to know how to do this. A few minutes later, she messaged telling me that she had a heart attack after her vaccine and that NHS could not confirm it was the vaccine because they CAN'T. This is certainly her story, but it was the PUSH I needed to write and share MY story.
I thought I was ok, but I wasn't myself. You are not a second fiddle, you are a PRIORITY, if something does not feel right- TRUST yourself. This year I made huge investments in all aspects of my life, I am not sure where I would be if I hadn't. Sending each of you a message of health and wellness, to become the best version of who you are meant to be. My prayer is that those who need to give themselves care find the desire to Jump In.
Please do get in touch with us as we have access to a discount code for you to use, before placing your order.
Writing this feels like a long time coming, not sure why it took me so long to get here, but I guess I needed to know for sure. The one thing I have been driven to do is help other parents who have children suffering with the same condition my son had, but I have not been able to break through and accomplish this, instead I seem to be helping other people with their own medical conditions.
For those of you who don't know, my son Kieran (now 10 years old) suffered from a condition for over 2 years. For the few months, we thought it was a virus that he had not dealt with and so I kept on treating him with natural therapies and they worked well and I was so pleased we did not have to use anything conventional. As time went on, into more than a year of fevers, mouth ulcers, joint pains and emotional roller coaster tantrums I realized this was not a virus, this was something more. I kept an open mind and went to every medical doctor I could to get answers. We were referred from one doctor to the next, we had overnignt stays at Adventist Hospital and a team doctors would come back to me bewildered. I put faith in the medical system because I felt I had no other option at this point. 
I was grateful that I had just resigned from my full time teaching job, there was no way I could invest the time I did to research, take him to appointments, run around for tests we did without having time on my side. Ross (my husband) was working and I was fighting with our health insurance to get the proper tests we needed to receive answers. I spent more time on the phone dealing with this situation, than I have in the last 10 years.
Kieran suffered, we suffered, our family was torn apart on weekends because one of the adults had to stay home with him. His fevers would run for a week in the beginning and his moods and lack of energy would keep him from wanting to join any activities. He lost his circle of friends, they stopped calling. He lost confidence at school and did not understand what was happening at school as he was missing so many lessons. Nothing was making any sense to him. And well, his emotional tantrums, those were a pile of fun. The number of family vacations that kept me trapped in a hotel room treating his symptoms are all things I am grateful not to have to attend to on a regular basis now.
On one of the nights I was researching, I came across a facebook group of parents who had children with the same symptoms and low and behold I discovered a name for this very syndrome. Finally, I knew what I was dealing with. I had a son with Periodic Fever Syndrome and I was to discover that there are not many doctors that have even heard of it, let alone know how to deal with it. It was still a BINGO win ! It was time to find someone who did and who could help me with the genetic testing.
I was advised that there was no known cure for his condition, but that there were medical drugs I could use to stop the fevers asap; however the side effects of these drugs meant that he could potentially go blind. My answer was 'NO' in a matter of seconds. I always tell my students, when someone tells you there is no other solution, do not accept that as your answer, as there is always another option. I stuck to my own words and decided I would go back to leaning on my research.
The facebook groups for Periodic Fever Syndrome helped me to get him on the road to healing. We implemented cherry tart enzymes, vit d3/k2 and vitamin c. It helped, but there were not the ultimate fix. I later added zinc drops for his immune system after speaking to a friend and I noticed the fevers started to appear with a longer duration between them and for a shorter duration. Instead of a week, he would recover in 3 days. But something was still missing.
When my mother was diagnosed with cancer, I started to use Young Living products on her and the blend Aroma Siez was the only thing that helped ease her pain. I was grateful for their products and knew that there was something special about their quality, I pushed aside any negative comments to trust what I experienced, I decided to become a regular user of their products and even bought the supplement Ningxia red. I had some sachets on hand and put them in the freezer for Kieran to enjoy sucking on to cool down his temperatures and he grew to enjoy them and so this became a part of his daily routine. This is when I noticed that months had gone by and for the first time in 2 years, he had not had his monthly fever. At this point, I could actually tell you the day the fever would trigger, but that day just came and went and he was returning back to his old self.
I was recording his daily food intake, supplements and realized that ningxia red was supporting him in the way he needed. Although, he is no longer having it daily, if too much time goes on without taking it, the first thing that will appear is a mouth ulcer and this is our window of opportunity to know we need to get on top it and the first thing we reach for is ningxia red. There is an immediate change in his physiological and psychological state after consumption. It really is our miracle.
We are on our third year of recovery and Kieran is just like any other kid, but he does need to supplement; this is not negotiable. He has his energy and zest for life back. I could not be more grateful to circumstances that revealed themselves to us to know what he needed. It saved him and our family. We aim for at least 3 shot glasses a week for his immune maintenance.
Please do get in touch with us as we have access to a discount code for you to use, before placing your order. Let';s get you what you need at the best price.
and here is why I JUMPED IN (part 2)
